Hong Kong: FS headed to Davos Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart for Davos in Switzerland tomorrow to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting from January 15 to 19. Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau will participate in parts of the programme, along with a team from Hong Kong which includes Airport Authority Chairman Jack So, Exchanges & Clearing Chairman Laura Cha and MTR Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jacob Kam. The WEFs annual meeting, with "Rebuilding Trust" as its theme, will hold in-depth discussions on four areas: achieving security and co-operation for the world, creating growth and jobs, artificial intelligence as a driving force for the economy and society, long-term strategies for combatting climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. Leaders of governments, representatives of major international organisations and the senior management of enterprises from over 100 countries and regions will attend the meeting. Noting that the current geopolitical situation remains tense, with protectionism and decoupling sentiments rising high in individual countries, Mr Chan said the global economic outlook still faces many uncertainties with an uneven pace of post-epidemic recovery and growth. At such a time, countries should join hands to promote a more resilient global development, respond to imminent challenges such as climate change, and make development more equitable and inclusive." During the WEFs annual meeting, the Financial Secretary will attend and speak at several keynote meetings, luncheons and dinners. He also plans to meet political, business and financial leaders. Mr Chan said that he and other members of the Hong Kong team will tell the good stories of Hong Kong and China and explain the economic and social development of Hong Kong, striving to clear doubts over the city. We will in particular explain the successful implementation and long-standing advantages of the 'one country, two systems' principle as well as Hong Kong's unique role in connecting the Mainland and the world. We will also introduce our new advantages and measures in promoting the development of industries, and encourage businesses to establish a foothold and invest here." During Mr Chan and Mr Yaus absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong and Under Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Bernard Chan will be acting in their capacity respectively. This story has been published on: 2024-01-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China to boost trade, economic cooperation with Africa Xinhua) 09:58, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The State Council has approved a general plan for building a pioneering zone for in-depth China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, a circular said on Friday. While implementing the plan, practical measures under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will play a leading role in nurturing the complementarity between the two parties' respective development strategies, innovating the economic and trade cooperation mechanism, and improving the China-Africa modern industrial chain and supply chain. The circular also stressed more coordinated cooperation in trade, industries, finance, and cultural exchanges. More efforts are required to boost the high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) ST. LOUIS Last year marked the 70th anniversary of the murder of Bobby Greenlease, a six-year-old who was kidnapped, held for ransom, and then murdered over money. On September 28, 1953, Greenlease was abducted from his elementary school, the French Institute of Notre Dame de Sion in Kansas City, Missouri. A woman named Bonnie Emily Heady told staff at the school that she was Greenleases aunt and that his mother had suffered a heart attack, necessitating the immediate removal of Greenlease. However, this was not true. Heady, along with her partner Carl Austin Hall, kidnapped the boy for ransom. Greenlease was the son of a wealthy Kansas City car dealer. A mothers fight for justice: He still has to face me The plan was to ransom the boy for $600,000 in exchange for Greenleases return. However, Hall and Heady never intended to return the boy. After driving Greenlease away from the school, the trio went to a secluded farm in Kansas. It was there that Hall killed the 6-year-old. But that didnt stop Hall and Heady from still attempting to get the money. After a week of phone calls and threats, Hall finally promised to send instructions on where to pick up Greenlease, which were never delivered. Hall and Heady ended up picking up the ransom money on October 5 with no other plans on what to do next. Both were severe alcoholics. They used the money to rent an apartment in St. Louis, and when Heady passed out, Hall put $2,000 in her purse and left. Hall splurged the money, paying for a cab, a prostitute, and large amounts of alcohol. The cab driver grew suspicious and reported Hall to the St. Louis Police Department. Hall was arrested on October 6 and was then tied to the kidnapping. Hall gave up Heady, who was arrested on the same night. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Robert Cosgrove Greenlease, Jr.s body was recovered from a grave on Headys property in St. Joseph, Missouri. Hall and Heady were tried, convicted, andafter just over an hour of deliberation by the jurysentenced to death for the crime. On December 18, 1953less than three months after Bobbys kidnappingHall and Heady were executed together in Missouris gas chamber. The Greenlease family never got their son back. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Protest following US and Britain strikes on Yemen at a rally in Seattle Protest following US and Britain strikes on Yemen at a rally in Seattle By Michael Martina and Ismail Shakil WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Family members of Palestinians killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza shared grief-ridden stories with thousands of protesters who gathered in downtown Washington on Saturday demanding an immediate ceasefire. In one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations to date in the U.S. capital, the protesters repeated their call for U.S. President Joe Biden to stop sending arms to Israel and chanted "free Palestine" and "ceasefire now." Some people chanted: "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" - a slogan that critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel. Adam Abosherieah, one of the speakers, said over 100 family members, including his 83-year-old father, mother, and brother, have been killed in Israeli air strikes. "Dozens of my family members' bodies are still under the rubble," Abosherieah, a pharmacist from New Jersey, said. "President Biden can easily put a stop to this genocide ... He can easily pick up the phone and call Israel to stop this madness." Other speakers included Randa Muhtaseb, who said she lost 36 family members in Gaza, and Alaa Hussein Ali, who spoke about over 100 of his relatives killed in Israeli attacks. Reuters could not independently verify these figures. The latest escalation in the Gaza conflict followed an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Israel said killed 1,200 people. Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israel and the U.S. deny allegations of a genocide in Gaza. South Africa has officially pressed those charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Washington and Israel have also argued a ceasefire will benefit Hamas and have resisted such calls. The war has led to protests in many parts of the U.S., including near airports and bridges in New York City and Los Angeles, vigils outside the White House, and marches in Washington near the U.S. Capitol. On Saturday, protesters came to Washington from different parts of the country and echoed concerns about Biden's military support for Israel. "We cannot tolerate this, we cannot allow our money to be used to murder children across the world ... that money could be used over here for good causes," said Suhail Mustafa, a protester from Cleveland. Though long a fervent supporter of Israel, Biden has expressed concern over civilian deaths as the war has gone on. Biden has previously described Israel's bombing campaign as "indiscriminate," and said on Monday he had been working "quietly" with the Israeli government to encourage it to reduce its attacks and "significantly get out of Gaza." Mohammed Kaiseruddin, 79, who flew in from Chicago for the protest, was holding a sign that read: Freedom for Gaza and the West Bank. The Biden administration has truly disappointed everyone, said Kaiseruddin, who described himself as typically voting for Democrats. They seem to have lost their sense of humanity. When it comes to Palestine and Israel, his values are upside down completely. Another protester, Judy Johnson, said she resigned from the Democratic Party over U.S. military support for Israel, although she added she would still vote for Democrats in the November U.S. presidential elections if the choice was between Biden and Republican rival former President Donald Trump. "I don't think people see an alternative to Trump, so they'll vote for Biden," Johnson said. (Reporting by Michael Martina in Washington and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Marguerita Choy) FILE - Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, right and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, pointing at each other during the CNN Republican presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 10, 2024. As Republican primary voters prepare to cast ballots for who they believe should lead the U.S. into its future, leading candidates are struggling to discuss key elements of the nations past. DeSantis, Haley and former President Donald Trump have all raised eyebrows with rhetoric on the Civil War and slavery. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) WASHINGTON (AP) As Republicans make their case for the future, they keep getting stuck on the past. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spent much of the summer mired in controversy over new educational standards that call for teaching that slaves developed skills that could be applied for their personal benefit. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley failed last month to mention slavery as the root cause of the Civil War. And former President Donald Trump last weekend called the Civil War so fascinating and said it could have been negotiated, sidestepping the fundamental dilemma of slavery. Such moments reflect tension inside the GOP the Party of Lincoln that abolished slavery, won the Civil War and embarked on Reconstruction with the first primaries of the 2024 election just around the corner. Some in the partys conservative base, which is deeply rooted in the Deep South, are more willing to overlook unpleasant historical facts about the Civil War at a time when they feel under siege from the left during the movement to remove Confederate monuments and names from institutions. Others fear the controversy will hurt the partys ambitions to make inroads with nonwhite voters who may be repelled by minimizing the historical atrocity of slavery. On the eve of Mondays Iowa caucuses, Republicans are increasingly frustrated by the dynamic and have sought to turn the issue back on Democrats. Quite frankly, Im getting damn tired of the re-interpretation of history that I hear from Democrats, Iowa Republican Party chair Jeff Kaufmann said at the state partys annual legislative breakfast Tuesday. "The Republican Party emerged because Democrats would not give on slavery. The prominent role slavery and the Civil War have played in the GOP primary is notable at a time when the next president faces immediate challenges, including two major wars and a domestic economic recovery many voters say theyre not feeling. Some fear the party risks losing the chance to make inroads into President Joe Bidens support, especially as Arab American, Black and Latino leaders are increasingly vocal that the president is vulnerable among voters of color. Biden and his fellow Democrats are eager to highlight the GOP missteps. Speaking Monday at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where nine Black parishioners were killed by a white supremacist in 2015, Biden said it was a lie that the Civil War was about states rights. Let me be clear, for those who dont seem to know: Slavery was the cause of the Civil War, he said. Theres no negotiation about that. Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Florida shortly after DeSantis enacted the new history standards to criticize the policies and accused Florida Republicans of being extremists who want to replace history with lies. Republican leaders are conscious of the critiques and eager to push back on any characterization that the party has shifted from its abolitionist roots. Republicans were founded because somebody needed to take a bold, uncompromising stand on human rights and civil liberties. That is not woke. That is a fact, said Kaufmann, the Iowa GOP chair. We are the party of Abraham Lincoln. We have always been the party of Abraham Lincoln." While the controversies focus on the past, conservative opposition to broader accounts of American history are rooted in concerns over the social implications they open up, experts say. "The Republican Party is very much in favor of an understanding of American history that we are a country that is exceptional, that we have brought freedom to the world, that we have overcome the challenges of the past and that we need to be proud of our past, said Paul Peterson, director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University. Democrats, Peterson said, are more likely to say theres a lot in our past that we need to reflect upon and, and maybe apologize for. Republican candidates have traded barbs among themselves over historical issues for months. DeSantis and Trump have both criticized Haley for her Civil War comments. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, criticized DeSantis over Florida's history standards, saying slavery was "devastating" and that he "would hope that every person in our country and certainly running for president would appreciate that. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign on Wednesday, referenced the Civil War with a word of caution to Republican voters. Benjamin Franklin, Christie recalled, said Americans had been given, a republic, if you can keep it. Benjamin Franklins words were never more relevant in America than they are right now. The last time they were that relevant was the Civil War which we know was caused by slavery, Christie said. The intra-party jabs echo a broader debate over the legacy of the Civil War for policymaking today. The Civil War was more than 150 years ago and we still havent fully come to terms with the consequences for this society, said Eric Foner, Columbia University professor emeritus and author of histories of the Republican Party and the Civil War. I think theres generally a feeling on the part of Republicans and conservatives across the board that the people who are trying to take down statues and trying to rename the streets are against American history and that everything about America that we used to believe was good in the past is now being cast as evil, said Geoff Kabaservice, vice president of political studies at the Niskanen Center, a center-right think tank. Such sentiments are widely shared among Republican voters, who may react with polarization and partisanship on these historical issues" in response to broader cultural shifts in the understanding of America's central story, Kabaservice said. The Civil War debate also highlights other realities about the GOP's coalition, which is now based in the American South and not in the North where the party was founded. Democrats and Republicans "have essentially stolen the garb of the other party from the 19th century, Foner said. I think, in fact, its very possible to acknowledge the sins of the country, even the atrocities committed in this country, and also its noble ideals and promises," Kabaservice said. But this is not really a time that is generous toward complexity and nuance so that kind of thing gets lost in the politics that we have nowadays. ____ Matt Brown is a member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on social media. ____ The Associated Presss coverage of race and democracy receives support from the Lilly Endowment. See more about APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley campaigns in Iowa Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley campaigns in Iowa By Gabriella Borter, Tim Reid and Nathan Layne DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) -Nikki Haley has overtaken Ron DeSantis in Iowa in a closely watched poll just two days before a first-in-the nation presidential nominating contest will determine whether either Republican can emerge as a viable alternative to Donald Trump. Trump remains the dominant candidate in Iowa and the favorite to win their party's nomination and take on U.S. President Joe Biden in what is expected to be a close and deeply acrimonious November vote that has raised questions about the depth of support for Europe and even basic democratic values. The Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows that Trump, the only current or ex-U.S. president to be charged with criminal activity, was the top pick for 48% of respondents, with former United Nations Ambassador Haley the favorite for 20%, followed by Florida Governor DeSantis with 16%. Critically, support for Haley rose 4 percentage points from the prior poll in December, while support for DeSantis and Trump each slipped 3 points. Those shifts, however, are close to the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 points. The poll is the latest sign of momentum for Haley, who has been closing the gap with Trump in New Hampshire, which hosts the second nominating contest on Jan. 23. A third-place finish for DeSantis in Iowa could doom his campaign, as he has invested more time and effort than any candidate on the state. "If she actually beats DeSantis, that will give her momentum going into New Hampshire and Trump is in striking distance there," said University of Iowa professor Tim Hagle. Hagle noted, however, that only 9% of Haley supporters in the poll were very enthusiastic about her candidacy, significantly lower than for DeSantis and Trump. That could mean fewer of her supporters show up on Monday if the projections for record low temperatures hold, Hagle said. The DeSantis campaign pointed to their expansive ground operation and predicted a strong performance on Monday night. "Winning campaigns dont rely on public data. Most importantly, no one has worked harder and is better organized than Ron DeSantis," spokesman Andrew Romeo said. The Haley campaign did not immediately respond to comment about the poll. Jill Noordhoek, a former Trump supporter who decided to back DeSantis after he was endorsed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, said she was optimistic the polls would prove incorrect. Polls are wrong. The polls are not the vote of this state, she said as she waited for DeSantis to appear at a campaign event in Des Moines on Saturday before the final Des Moines Register poll was released. Only four Republicans are left challenging Trump in an unusually truncated field at this initial stage of the nominating process, a sign of the deep support he holds among so many of the party faithful and its upper echelons. A nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Tuesday showed Trump with 49% support. Haley, aiming to be the first woman president, was at 12%, while DeSantis garnered 11%. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson polled at 4% and 0%, respectively. Blizzard conditions could see temperatures plunge to a low of minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 degrees Celsius) on Monday, cancel more events and test the resolve of even the hardiest Midwesterners to go out to vote. Iowans take pride in their first-in-nation status for the nominating contests and are used to dealing with snow, dressing in layers and driving trucks with four-wheel drive, but Monday is set to be the coldest day of caucuses ever. Trump canceled two rallies in Iowa on Saturday due to the weather but flew in to the state in the evening for a small gathering with precinct captains and other supporters, where he took friendly questions from Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. Over 45 minutes, Trump accused Haley of being a "globalist" beholden to donor interests, took a jab at DeSantis for his recent slide in opinion polls, and sought to portray the economy under Biden in catastrophic terms, even as inflation ebbs and with the stock market recently hitting record highs. Haley, in a dig at Trump, said the challenges the U.S. faces in 2024 are too dire for a chaotic president to handle. We cant have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos, she told an Iowa City rally. Earlier on Saturday, Trump turned on Ramaswamy, who often praises the former president, avoiding his ire. In a TruthSocial post Trump accused Ramaswamy of being a "fraud" and of using "deceitful campaign tricks" to disguise his support. He warned that a vote for Ramaswamy was a vote for the "other side." On Sunday, Trump will hold a rally in Indianola, a suburb of Des Moines. Haley and DeSantis will begin the day in Dubuque in the east of the state near the Mississippi River, followed by another DeSantis event around 300 miles (500 km) away in Sioux City. From 7 p.m. CST on Monday (0100 GMT on Tuesday), Iowans will gather for two hours in school gymnasiums, bars and other locations to debate the candidates before ranking them in order of preference. TRUMP FOCUSED ON RETRIBUTION Trump continues to claim falsely that his 2020 loss to Biden was due to widespread fraud and has vowed if elected again to punish his political enemies, introduce new tariffs and end the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours, without saying how. He has drawn criticism for increasingly authoritarian language that has echoes of Nazi rhetoric, including comments that undocumented immigrants were "poisoning the blood of our country." Trump has used charges of unlawfully trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to fundraise and boost his support among Republican voters and elsewhere and claim a "witch hunt" as he protests his innocence. He faces four prosecutions, setting up the unprecedented prospect of a president being convicted or even serving from behind bars, with the courts almost certainly weighing in at every stage. DeSantis, who has tacked to the right of Trump especially on issues such as education and LGBTQ rights, has staked a huge amount on a strong performance in Iowa, with associates saying he needs to finish at least second. While DeSantis has been to all 99 counties, fiercely courted socially conservative voters in a state that is nearly 90% white and secured the backing of its governor, Trump has showed up a fraction of the time but has held larger rallies his rivals have struggled to match. (Reporting by Gabriella Borter, Tim Reid and Nathan Layne; Writing by Costas Pitas and Steve Holland; Editing by Alistair Bell, William Mallard and Daniel Wallis) Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shakes hands with voters during a campaign event in Atlantic, Iowa, on Saturday. DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump are campaigning across Iowa in the final days before the state holds its first-in-the-nation caucus on Monday. Photo by Justin Lane/EPA-EFE Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Republican presidential hopefuls are dashing through the snow on Saturday to rally their supporters ahead of the looming Iowa Caucus. Blizzard warnings were still in effect for several Iowa counties, with temperatures reaching near zero in Des Moines, but that didn't stop former President Donald Trump's Republican rivals from making their impassioned pitches to voters ahead of Monday's vote. After cancelling all of his Friday events because of the winter storm, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a stop Saturday in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to deliver a promise to supporters. "If you're willing to go out there, and you're willing to brave the elements ... for me and do that for a few hours, I'll fight for you for the next eight years," he said. The governor also took aim at Trump for canceling some of his in-person events in favor of tele-rallies due to the blizzard. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley greets supporters after speaking at Second State Brewing Company in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Saturday. Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are criss-crossing the state in the final days before its first-in-the-nation caucus on Monday. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE "Donald Trump I guess has phoned it in. He's just gonna be hanging out in Mar-A-Lago. I'm sure it's probably 75 degrees there," DeSantis said in Council Bluffs, where some 70 people braved minus-30-degree wind chills to hear him speak. Trump, however, announced on Truth Social that he is on his way to Iowa. Political shirts and memorabilia are displayed for sale in a shop ahead of the 2024 Iowa Caucus in Des Moines, Iowa. Republican candidates are continuing their weekend push to rally support despite the intense blizzard. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI "Heading to Iowa. Make America Great Again!," the former president posted Saturday morning. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex., also was fighting in DeSantis' corner Saturday. The anti-Trump Republican spoke at Council Bluffs where he implied the 2020 election was stolen, but Trump's COVID-19 policies were also to blame for his loss. "When you shut down the economy, when you shut down government and when you allow states to create millions of mail-in ballots, you're going to get the fraud that kills your own election," Roy said. No evidence of voter fraud sufficient to sway the outcome of the 2020 presidential election has ever been produced. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, meanwhile, met with voters in Cedar Falls, Iowa, while sporting a shirt that read "She who dares, wins" and telling her supporters they "might be making history." "And I'm not talking about history of a female president," she said. "I'm talking about history saying we are going to finally right the ship in America. We're finally going to get it right." Haley also warned her supporters Monday would be cold, so they ought to "wear layers" for when they're in line at the polls. Haley only has one congressional endorser, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who is campaigning for her in Iowa. "Whether it's taking on the big-spending establishment or defending the sanctity of human life, Nikki has always fought on the front lines of the important conservative battles," Norman said in a campaign announcement. "I'm excited to come to Iowa and help her win every vote leading up to caucus day." With just two day's until Monday's caucus, Trump is far outpacing his opponents in polling. Trump has 51.3% support among Iowans, while Haley stands at 17.3% and DeSantis is at 16.1% Support for Haley outpaced DeSantis going into the weekend, as DeSantis previously had a 3-point lead on Haley just a week ago. Vivek Ramaswamy, who only garnered 6.6% support despite holding the most events of any candidate in Iowa, rallied voters in Spencer for one last push ahead of the caucus. He told the crowd, however, that he would caucus for Trump if he wasn't running against him. "If I weren't in this race, I couldn't imagine caucusing for anybody else other than Donald Trump," Ramaswamy said. The Food Establishment Inspection Report is a weekly report that appears Sundays. Information is taken from reports provided by the Environmental Health Department, and individual reports can be viewed at its web-site, http://amarillo.gov/departments/community-services/environmental-health/foodinspections. A numerical grading system is now being used, with a score of 100 points being equivalent to zero demerits. 100 points No major violation at the time of inspection 85 points Considered an average score 70 points or below Requires re-inspection within 24 hours COS Corrected on site during inspection These points correspond to the following letter grades: A 90 to 100 B 80 to 89 C 70 to 79 F 69 and below The following establishments had a score of A/100 during a routine inspection: Feldmans Wrong Way Diner, 2100 N. 2nd Ave., Canyon. Panhandle Charm, 14280 Della Lane Santos Jerky LLC, 1712 N.E. 24th Ave. Wendys, 407 23rd St., Canyon. The following establishments had a score of A/100 during a follow-up inspection: ABC Learning Center, 4333 S.W. 51st St. Black Bear Diner, 7000 E. I-40. Golden Chick, 6020 S. Coulter St., Space 200. Pepitos Mexican Restaurant, 408 23rd St., Canyon. Subway #6176-208, 2004 S. Coulter St. Taco Villa #6, 3500 E. I-40. Toot N Totum #78, 3401 S. Soncy Road. Wing Stop #416, 3300 E. I-40. These establishments received the following scores for being out of compliance as stated: (A/97) African Safari, 5945 E. Amarillo Blvd. Mop water dumped in toilets. COS. Splash guard needed on sides of mop sink. Correct by 04/08. (B/86) Asian Buffet, 3347 Bell St. Hershey chocolate syrup, requiring refrigeration after opening stored open on bar; sanitizer too strong (repeat violation); utensils stored in hand sink; wet washcloths stored incorrectly; buckets stored on floor. COS. No sanitizer test strips. Correct by 01/20. Heavy dust build-up in multiple areas (repeat violation); hand washing sign needed in mens bathroom. Correct by 04/09. (A/97) Braums Ice Cream, 8801 Town Square Blvd. Clean utensils and parts for equipment stored in sitting water; build-up inside diffuser of soda nozzles in dining area; cardboard used under salads in walk-in cooler. COS. Food handler certificates must be maintained on premises. Correct by 05/09. (A/97) Daniels Drive In, 2911 E. Amarillo Blvd. Evidence of pests in establishment; grease build-up on vent hood and wall behind fryer; area with holes or missing/raw sheetrock must be repaired. Correct by 04/08. (A/96) Edible Arrangements #1026, 121 Westgate Pkwy, Suite 60. Sanitizer too strong; personal items not properly labeled in walk-in cooler. COS. (A/94) Family Dollar Store #3326, 4400 S. Washington St. Chemicals used to sanitize refrigerators storing TCS (time/temperature control for safety) foods must be approved for food; mold on shelves inside refrigerated unit holding juices and tea; cooler shelves, area around mop sink and threecompartment sink soiled and need to be cleaned; food handler certificates must be maintained on premises. Correct by 02/12. (A/95) Grandmas Burritos, 8700 Clinton Glen Road, Suite 100. Raw eggs stored above uncovered cilantro and salsa in reach-in cooler #2 in back. COS. Employee items must be stored in a designated area (repeat violation); dishes stacked wet. Correct by 05/08. (A/99) Jacobos Cafe, 3701 Olsen Blvd. Tea dispenser diffuser dirty. Correct by 04/04. (A/92) Las Alazanas, 2800 E. Amarillo Blvd. Improper cleaning solution used on food contact surfaces; dirty glasses in freezer; ice in hand sink; no soap or paper towels at multiple hand sinks. COS. Evidence of pests in facility (repeat violation); gap at back door must be sealed (repeat violation); cutting boards heavily scored and discolored; ice scoops stored in lime box; all holes, broken tiles and peeling ceiling must be repaired to be non-absorbent and easily cleanable (repeat violation). Correct by 04/09. (A/99) Level Up Nutrition, 1217 S.E. 10th Ave. Gap at back door must be sealed. Correct by 04/09. (A/98) Madras Kitchen, 2318 13th Ave., Canyon. Spoon handle touching rice (repeat violation); take-out containers stored on floor (repeat violation); permit number must be posted on both sides of unit. Correct by 07/09. (B/86) Mexico Lindo, 4515 S. Georgia St. Knives stored wedged between wall and soiled wood beam with chipped paint; cooked beans from previous day not date marked; employee items must be stored in a designated area; scoops stored in containers pooling water; raw shelled eggs stored above ready-to-eat beans. COS. Gasket on walk-in cooler side door not sealing and cool air escaping from unit; sanitizer in mechanical ware washing machine too weak; water dripping from front hand sink onto floor in kitchen. Correct by 01/15. Clean mugs stored on soiled mats; most recent grease trap invoice for servicing must be provided. Correct by 04/04. (A/97) Mitchs #628, 1500 S. FM 2381.Quaternary sanitizer too strong. COS. (A/99) Pepitos Mobile, 408 23rd St., Canyon. Leaks in ceiling of mobile unit; cutting boards must be properly sanitized. Correct by 07/04. (B/88) Pony Express Burritos, 2808 4th Ave., Canyon. Cooked queso from previous day with improper internal temperature; sanitizer too weak in three-compartment sink; employees switched between tasks and putting on new gloves without washing hands; employee items must be stored in a designated area. COS. No Certified Food Manager on site. Correct by 01/16. (A/99) R&R Liquor, 22590 W. UH 60, Canyon. Non-porous ceiling tiles needed in restroom (repeat violation). Correct by 11/04. (A/92) Roll Em Up Taquitos, 5900 S.W. 45th Ave. Raw bacon box stored above container of husked corn cobs. COS. Hand sink in drive thru does not work (repeat violation). Correct by 01/18. Floor broken in front of deep fryer (repeat violation). Correct by 02/12. Cooler next to steam table has wheel missing; dust debris on cooler and freezer condenser fan guards. Correct by 04/04. (A/93) Sad Monkey Mercantile, 9800 E. SH 217, Canyon. Pickles and mayonnaise requiring refrigeration after opening stored at room temperature in sandwich making station. COS. No Certified Food Manager on site; no sanitizer test kit. Correct by 01/22. (A/99) Sad Monkey Mercantile Chuckwagon, 9800 E. SH 217, Canyon. Permit number must be posted on both sides of unit; waste water connection must be labeled. Correct by 07/09. (B/87) Sayakomarns, 421 16th St., Canyon. Bag of onions stored on floor. COS. Previously cooked chicken and shrimp on line at improper internal temperature; soy sauce and other items requiring refrigeration after opening sitting out at room temperature; bleach in sanitizer buckets too strong. Correct by 01/12. Employee drinks in food prep areas; multiple food items thawing at room temperature; bowls used to scoop sugar (repeat violation); ladles with cracked and broken handles (repeat violation); dishes stacked wet (repeat violation); sweet and sour sauce stored in old vinegar bottle without proper labeling; old food debris on bulk food item containers and other equipment in kitchen; employee hat hanging on knives. Correct by 05/08. (A/97) Schlotzskys/Cinnabon, 901 23rd St., Canyon. Scoop handles touching shredded cheese and other ready-to-eat items (repeat violation); food debris and dust on shelves in walk-in cooler (repeat violation); ceiling tiles and raw wood above mop sink must be replaced to be smooth and easily cleanable (repeat violation). Correct by 07/04. (A/96) Sweet by Cara Linn/Wolflin, 2618 Wolflin Ave. Food handler certificates needed and must be maintained on premises; labels needed for packaged items and wrapped cookies at front counter. Correct by 01/19. (A/97) Sweet Sipz, 3703 Wolflin Ave. Allergen advisory needed for baked goods being sold. Correct by 01/19. Certified Food Manager certificate and establishment permit must be posted where easily visible to public; food handler certificates must be maintained on premises. Correct by 07/08. (B/80) Thai Arawan, 2834 Wolflin Ave. Cut vegetables sitting out on shelf and cart at improper temperatures (repeat violation); raw chicken stored above raw pork and raw seafood in walk-in cooler (repeat violation). COS. Rodent bait briquette on floor under shelves in dry storage area not inside a tamper resistant container. Correct by 01/13. Several food containers without date marks; several dead and live roaches in back stock area and near hand sink in kitchen area; most recent grease trap invoice for servicing must be provided. Correct by 01/17. No Certified Food Manager on site. Correct by 02/12. Gap at back door must be sealed; food without lids in make table cooler in cooking area; seals on doors of make table cooler in front of cooking area beginning to fall apart and heavily soiled; bowls used as scoops in several food items; scoop inside ice machine with handle touching top of ice; several coolers dirty inside and on handles of doors; dust on fan guards in walk-in cooler and exhaust vent above expo window on both sides of window; dust and food debris on area above expo line on kitchen side. Correct by 04/09. (A/93) The Plaza Restaurant, 2101 S. Soncy Road. Raw beef stored above vegetables and other ready-to-eat items; hand sink at bar used as dump sink. COS. Build-up on nozzle of soda dispenser; scoop handles stored incorrectly. Correct by 04/09. (A/91) Toot n Totum #10, 4021 S. Washington St. Cooked beans in deep pans cooling on counter at least three hours with no time/temperature logs; cooked ribs in igloo coolers at improper temperatures; boxes of single-use items stored on floor; several bulk containers missing labels. COS. Most recent grease trap invoice for servicing must be provided. Correct by 01/15. (A/99) Toot n Totum #12, 3365 Bell St. Heavy build-up of dust/dirt in walk-in cooler. Correct by 04/09. (A/96) Toot n Totum #67, 4520 S. Georgia St. Hot dogs in hot holding at improper temperature. COS. Soda spillage on wall behind soda storage (repeat violation). Correct by 07/09. (A/98) Toot n Totum #92, 2300 Dumas Drive. Heavy dust build-up in area above three-compartment sink; broken and missing ceiling tiles above soda bibs. Correct by 04/08. (A/92) Wal-Mart #822-Bakery, 3700 E. I-40. Cutting boards heavily scored; sugar container not labeled. COS. Hot water at improper temperature at hand sink in bakery (repeat violation); hot water at improper temperature in mechanical ware washing machine. Correct by 01/22. Floor damaged near bakery walkin cooler. Correct by 04/09. (A/96) Wal-Mart #822-Deli, 3700 E. I-40. Hot water at improper temperature at hand sink in back near three-compartment sink; clogged floor drain in front of deli walk-in cooler and water dripping from pipe above drain and pooling. Correct by 01/22. Light bulb out in vent hood; ceiling vents rusted in deli. Correct by 04/09. (A/96) Wal-Mart #822-Grocery, 3700 E. I-40. Raw bacon and raw chorizo stored next to ready-to-eat cheese in cooler. COS. Pipe below hand sink leaking; most recent grease trap invoice for servicing must be provided. Correct by 01/22. Peeling tape and exposed insulation around leaking pipe at hand sink. Correct by 04/09. (A/96) Wal-Mart #822-Meat & Seafood, 3700 E. I-40. Empty bag of sanitizer at three-compartment sink. COS. No cold water at hand sink in meat area. Correct by 01/22. Chipped/missing floor tiles must be repaired to be smooth, durable and easily cleanable. Correct by 04/09. (A/98) Wal-Mart Bakery #3383, 4215 Canyon Drive. Sanitizer in dispenser at three-compartment sink too weak. COS. Mechanical ware washing machine not reaching proper temperature when sanitizing (repeat violation). Correct by 01/19. (A/97) Wal-Mart Deli #3383, 4215 Canyon Drive. Rusted racks in walk-in cooler storing ready-to-eat foods (repeat violation). Correct by 01/19. Coving separating from wall around hand sink and near fryer; trim behind hand sink separated from wall; missing ceiling tile near fryer. Correct by 04/08. (A/99) Wal-Mart Meat & Seafood #3383, 4215 Canyon Drive. Bags of frozen food stacked too high and top layer of food thawing in cooling unit. COS. (A/97) Wal-Mart Supercenter #3383, 4215 Canyon Drive. Frozen condensation in grocery freezer dripping onto boxes of food stored below; peeling tape and exposed insulation around pipes attached to mop sink next to dairy cooler (repeat violation); most recent grease trap invoice for servicing must be provided. Correct by 01/19. (A/97) Wesley Community Day Care-South Campus, 4801 S. Austin St. Mechanical ware washing machine not dispensing sanitizer; most recent grease trap invoice for servicing must be provided. Correct by 01/15. (A/99) Wolflin Elementary, 2026 S. Hughes St. Employee food in freezer next to food for students. COS. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Food Establishment Inspection Report for Jan. 14, 2024 Houthi rebels mistakenly targeted a tanker from an undisclosed country on Jan. 12 that was carrying Russian oil through the Gulf of Aden, Reuters reported, citing the U.K.-based maritime security company Ambrey. The Houthis are an Iran-backed militant group located in Yemen. Following Israel's invasion of Gaza, the Houthis began launching attacks against shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Reuters reported, citing sources from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization, that Houthis had fired a missile at the ship, which landed in the water some distance away and caused no damage or casualties. Several small boats also tailed the cargo ship, but no information was provided if a breaching or naval interception was attempted. The militaries of the U.S. and U.K. launched strikes against multiple targets in Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen on Jan. 11 in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea ships, U.S. President Joe Biden said. Russia, which has close ties with the Houthi benefactors Iran, requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the following day. Read also: Prosecutor General: Kyiv has preliminary evidence Russia uses North Korean missiles in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. U.S. Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis was reunited with his family Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 in Los Angeles after being held in a Japanese prison for 17 months. Alkonis was involved in a car accident that left two people dad near Mount Fuji in 2021. | Twitter.com/EubanksAndrew After 537 days in custody, U.S. Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis was released Friday morning by order of the U.S. Parole Commission after a review of the facts of a car crash that killed two people near Mount Fuji in Japan. Alkonis, 35, hugged his wife and children outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where hed been detained by U.S. officials since a prisoner transfer on Dec. 14. Representative for the family of Lt. Ridge Alkonis says he has been released from detention in Los Angeles. "This morning, after 537 days of unnecessary detention, the U.S. Parole Commission ordered Lt. Ridge Alkonis immediate release. He is now back home with his family, where pic.twitter.com/jeFbRsFV3S Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 12, 2024 Alkonis said he lost consciousness after driving down from a hike on the famous mountain and U.S. Navy investigators ruled that he passed out due to altitude sickness. But a Japanese judge decided that Alkonis had fallen asleep at the wheel and lost control of his vehicle, which plowed into pedestrians and parked cars in a restaurant parking lot on May 29, 2021, and led to the deaths of an 85-year-old Japanese woman and her 54-year-old son-in-law. The judge sentenced Alkonis to three years in prison for negligence, but Alkonis and his family maintained that the sentence was not justifiable. His family and friends rejoiced Friday. Its long overdue, and Im just so glad that this family has finally been reunited, that Ridge is able to be with his wife Brittany and their three children, family spokesman Andrew Eubanks said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Related I welcome Ridge home. Im so glad youre home buddy. Cant wait to see you, Eubanks added. The Alkonis family also issued a statement: This morning, after 537 days of unnecessary detention, the U.S. Parole Commission ordered Lt. Ridge Alkonis immediate release. He is now back home with his family, where he belongs. We will have more to say in time, but for now, we are focused on welcoming Ridge home and respectfully ask for privacy. Alkonis and his family and friends maintained his innocence. Utah Sen. Mike Lee also was among those who encouraged Japanese and American leaders to work for the release of Alkonis. At last, Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis is free! He was imprisoned for 537 days wrongly based on a Japanese conviction in Japanese court, Lee tweeted Friday. No civilized nation should ever imprison anyone for a tragic car accident caused by an unforeseeable medical emergency. Glad hes home! At last, Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis is free! He was imprisoned for 537 dayswronglybased on a Japanese conviction in Japanese court. No civilized nation should ever imprison anyone for a tragic car accident caused by an unforeseeable medical emergency. Glad hes home! https://t.co/svcO2EIVzJ Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 12, 2024 Alkonis apologized for the Japanese familys loss during court proceedings. I am so sorry for all the pain and suffering I caused because of this accident, he said. A U.S. Navy doctor testified at the trial that Alkonis did not fall asleep but blacked out due to acute mountain sickness during the return drive from a hike above 7,000 feet on Mount Fuji. His wife and children, who were in the van with him during the crash, said Alkonis was not sleepy and appeared to black out. They said that once he passed out, he was unresponsive to their screams and one daughters kicks to his drivers seat. He remained unconscious during the crash itself. He paid a record $1.65 million in restitution to the Japanese family. Some of the money came from insurance. More than $500,000 came from family and friends, some of whom tapped into retirement funds or mortgaged their homes to help. His apology and restitution payment, or gomenasai, is customary in Japan and regularly leads to suspended sentences. Related Alkonis is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He took a Bible and Book of Mormon with him when he reported to prison in July 2022, and he and his family said they have relied on their faith for peace and hope. Related After 17 months in a Japanese prison, Alkonis was transferred from a Japanese prison into U.S. custody under an international prisoner transfer program. Alkonis was moved to an American federal prison, the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. The Alkonis family appealed directly to President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris and national security adviser Jake Sullivan both worked on the prisoner transfer, according to the Times and CNN. The prisoner exchange program is intended to better rehabilitate prisoners by returning them to their home country where they understand the language. His case then went to the U.S. Parole Commission, an independent part of the Justice Department. The department reviewed it to determine how long Alkonis should remain in federal prison, The New York Times reported. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney also posted a tweet welcoming Alkonis home. A U.S. Parole Commission spokesperson told the Deseret News by email that the commission found that Alkonis was lawfully convicted in Japan of negligent driving causing death or injury. The commission also found that the Japanese conviction was most similar to involuntary manslaughter under federal law in the United States, where guidelines recommended a sentence of 10-16 months, the spokesperson said. The commission determined, however, that the period of incarceration that he had already served at the time of its determination (over 17 months) would have exceeded the applicable guideline range, the spokesperson said. Thus, as of Jan. 12, 2024, the commission ordered that he be immediately released from custody based on the time he had already served. U.S. Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis was reunited with his family Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 in Los Angeles after being held in a Japanese prison for 17 months. Alkonis was involved in a car accident that left two people dad near Mount Fuji in 2021. | Alkonis family Alkonis had served in Japan for seven years for the Navy and speaks Japanese. His family said he had loved his time in the country and among its people. Alkonis is a specialist in underseas warfare and acoustic engineering. Part of the Gaitskell portrait is visible in a Jan 2021 photograph of Mr Sunak speaking on the phone to Janet Yellen, the US treasury secretary - SIMON WALKER/HM TREASURY During his time at the Treasury, Rishi Sunak trumpeted his decision to place a portrait of Nigel Lawson, Margaret Thatchers tax-cutting chancellor, behind his desk in No 11 Downing Street. Now, it has emerged that the portrait of another of his predecessors hung on the same wall with rather less fanfare: the tax-raising Labour chancellor Hugh Gaitskell. With the benefit of hindsight, it is not difficult to see how the ambitious former chancellor might have drawn inspiration from a fellow alumnus of Winchester College who went on to lead his party, having also served at the helm of the Treasury. In fact, the picture of Gaitskell that he chose for his office in No 11 was taken the day after the former chancellor became Labour leader, and he is seen beaming at the camera. At the time, Gaitskells rise to become leader after only 10 years as an MP, was seen as meteoric, not unlike Mr Sunak becoming Prime Minister in autumn 2022 after just seven years in Parliament. However, during Mr Sunaks tenure as chancellor, the portrait raised eyebrows among some of his colleagues given that Gaitskells brief stint at the Treasury between 1950 and 1951 saw a tax-raising budget that would send shivers down the spines of todays jittery Conservative MPs. Hugh Gaitskell, who had a similar rapid career path to Rishi Sunak's own, on the day he became Labour leader - KEYSTONE PRESS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO Perhaps for this reason, it appears in very few of the photographs of Mr Sunak in action that emanated from his Treasury team during his time as chancellor. When Mr Sunak tweeted a picture of himself standing next to the Lawson portrait, the separate portrait of his Labour predecessor was out of shot. It can, however, be seen in the background of a picture Mr Sunak posted in June 2021 showing Nova, the Labrador retriever he had just acquired for his daughters, sitting on his lap. As Chancellor, Mr Sunak announced controversial plans to increase National Insurance to fund a mammoth increase in health and social care spending demanded by Boris Johnson. Lawson still hangs on wall Kwasi Kwarteng, who was business secretary under Boris Johnson, is understood to have had the Gaitskell portrait unceremoniously removed and placed in a storage room during his brief tenure in No 11 during Liz Trusss premiership last year, which was centred on a plan to boost growth by cutting taxes. Today, Lawson still hangs on the wall in No 11 behind the desk now occupied by Jeremy Hunt, who was originally appointed by Ms Truss to replace Mr Kwarteng. Gaitskell, however, is still confined to a storage room, perhaps hopeful for a Labour victory at the next election, given that Rachel Reeves, Mr Hunts opposite number, has compared herself to the 1950s chancellor. The photograph of Nigel Lawson, famous for his tax cutting as chancellor, still hangs on Jeremy Hunt's wall in No11 Gaitskell, a former academic and civil servant, was chancellor under Clement Attlee and served as Labours shadow chancellor for four years following the partys 1951 election defeat. He then beat Aneurin Bevan to become Labour leader in 1955, serving until his premature death in 1963, aged 56. Each new minister is asked by the official Government Art Collection about the type of works they would like displayed in their offices. When he became Prime Minister, Mr Sunak is understood to have requested a mix of older and contemporary British art, including an item relating to his constituency of Richmond, North Yorkshire. Sunaks eclectic art mixture The artwork in his study in No 10 includes an 18th-century coloured engraving entitled The South West Prospect of Richmond, in the County of York, and a modern oil painting called Poetic Feet, by Tunjo Adeniyi Jones, a British-born artist whose work is inspired by his west African heritage. Mr Sunak also inherited a portrait of Winston Churchill from his predecessors. Hanging in the Prime Ministers outer office is a work by Chila Kumari Burma, a British Hindu artist whose parents emigrated to the UK. It depicts holidaymakers queuing up beside an ice cream van with a cut-out Bengal tiger the symbol of the artists fathers ice cream business on its roof. The image is transposed over an enlarged 10 bank note. 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 rock slide has closed two roads in the North Carolina mountains, rangers in Pisgah National Forest said Friday Cold Springs and Brown Gap roads in Haywood County, where the rock slide occurred remained closed on Saturday. A rock slide has closed two roads in the North Carolina mountains, rangers in Pisgah National Forest said on Friday, Jan .12, 2024 Rangers blamed the slide on severe storms that spawned a deadly tornado in Catawba County on Tuesday and dumped heavy rains on much of the state. Brown Gap Road also was closed in early December during the 2,000-acre Black Bear Fire. The rapidly spreading wildfire closed part of the Appalachian Trail and prompted warnings for Interstate 40 drivers traveling through the North Carolina mountains, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. Also in Pisgah National Forest, Averys Creek Road is closed above the horse stables due to storm damage, according to the Appalachian Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. Rangers havent said how long they expect the roads to stay closed. This embedded content is not available in your region. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Farmers in Romania have blocked the movement of lorries through the Siret checkpoint, located opposite the Ukrainian checkpoint in Porubne. Source: European Pravda with reference to Ukraine's State Border Service Details: Ukrainian border guards stated that the reasons for the farmers' blockade and its estimated duration are unknown, and there may be traffic problems in both directions. "Currently, the queue of vehicles waiting to enter Ukraine is not significant. [A total of] 825 vehicles are registered in the E-queue to leave Ukraine," the department noted. Meanwhile, cars, buses and pedestrians are crossing the border as usual. Romania became one of the key countries for the transit of Ukrainian products after the start of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the blockade of sea routes. Its role increased after several Eastern European countries introduced embargoes on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products and several checkpoints on the Poland-Ukraine border were blocked. Background: Ukraines monthly exports through Romania have increased from 2 to 3 million tonnes. Ukraine and Romania are currently working to increase the capacity of border crossings to 4 million tonnes. On 6 January, Czesaw Siekierski, Polands Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and representatives of the Oszukana Wies (Deceived Village) movement signed an agreement to end the blocking of the border crossing point with Ukraine at Medyka. This checkpoint is now unblocked. At the end of December, it was reported that the governments of Ukraine and Poland had agreed on an action plan to unblock the border, but it has yet to be completely unblocked. Support UP or become our patron! The 2600 block of Yardarm Avenue in Port Hueneme on Wednesday. A 25-year-old Oxnard man was fatally shot in the area on Jan. 5. Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County and regional agencies: Shooting victim identified Authorities have named the victim of a fatal shooting in Port Hueneme on Jan. 5. Marvin Aguilar Mendoza, 25, was an Oxnard resident, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death was a gunshot wound of the neck and chest, the medical examiner found, and the manner was homicide. The shooting was reported around 11 p.m. on the 5th in the 2600 block of Yardarm Avenue, Port Hueneme Police Department officials said. An officer in the area on an unrelated call heard the gunshot and responded almost immediately, authorities said. Mendoza was found in the front yard of a residence, where police and emergency medical personnel rendered aid before he was taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center. Chief Michael Federico said Friday police believe Mendoza was shot on the west side of Yardarm and crossed over to the east side of the street after getting shot. Alleys that run parallel to named streets in the Marina Village neighborhood provide residents access to garages and utility areas at the rear of residences. An alley in the 2600 block of Yardarm Avenue in Port Hueneme on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. An Oxnard man, 25, was fatally shot in the area on the night of Jan. 5. On Wednesday, a trail of dried blood remained visible on a walkway near a laundry room that opens to the alley. Neighbors told a Star photographer the shooting took place in the alley. Federico said the victim apparently walked between the closely spaced buildings as he made his way to the east side of the street. Mendoza collapsed on a lawn outside a home. Federico said the home wasn't connected to the victim or the shooting. Both the medical examiner and police said Mendoza was struck by a single round even though the fatality was attributed to neck and chest wounds. Federico said a round can travel through a body after impact. Last week's homicide was near the site of a fatal shooting on July 9, when 18-year-old Pedro Gomez Jr. of Camarillo was shot near Anchor Avenue, a block west of Yardarm. The two streets share an alley. A homemade memorial for Gomez stood in the alley Wednesday near the site of the Jan. 5 incident. Federico said the two shootings are unrelated. No arrest has been made in the Gomez shooting. A homemade memorial for Pedro Gomez Jr. stood near Yardarm and Anchor avenues in Port Hueneme on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. Gomez was shot and killed on July 9, 2023. The Jan. 5 shooting was Ventura County's second homicide of the new year. On Jan. 1, shortly after midnight, 34-year-old Jose Juarez was shot in his south Oxnard neighborhood while walking home from a party at a nearby home, Oxnard police officials said. No arrests have been made. As of Friday, no suspects had been identified in the Jan. 5 homicide in Port Hueneme. The case remains under active investigation, Federico said. Anyone with information has been asked to call Detective Sgt. Jesus Chavez at 805-986-6615. Simi police help dismantle drug operation The Simi Valley Police Department helped take down a drug delivery service that had been under investigation since January 2019, the agency said in a news release Friday night. The department's special investigative unit worked with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in Los Angeles, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the IRS. The probe began in Simi Valley, the release said. Customers ordered drugs via text message, authorities allege, and delivery drivers brought narcotics to designated locations. The service operated in Simi Valley, the San Fernando Valley and across state lines in Nevada, Utah and New York, requiring a joint investigation involving multiple jurisdictions. A federal indictment released by the U.S. Attorney in November alleges multiple Simi Valley deliveries where a driver brought cocaine to a confidential informant at a Tapo Canyon Road location near Highway 118. The group delivered both cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, prosecutors said. The indictment covers alleged crimes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and lists one incident involving a fatal overdose. Investigators ultimately linked four fatal overdoses to the delivery service, according to Simi Valley police. The fatalities came from counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. A Calabasas man, Erick Oved Estrada, who was 35 when arrested in November, was identified as the head of the operation. At least five alleged co-conspirators, including Estrada's wife, worked with him, Simi officials said. Estrada and three others pleaded not guilty to all charges when arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles in November. As of December, all parties had been arraigned and are awaiting trial, according to Simi police. Federal prosecutors say Estrada and his wife laundered proceeds through bank accounts of sham businesses and used the money for personal expenses including a Lamborghini and a Land Rover. Estrada reportedly ran the operation from the couple's Calabasas home. Charges against Estrada include conspiracy, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, money laundering and others. If convicted on all charges, he would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum of life in prison, according to prosecutors. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Port Hueneme shooting victim named, more news The GAF roofing shingles factory in West Dallas is seen on Dec. 13. The factory reclassified itself as minor and averted public participation requirements in 2022. Shelby Tauber/Inside Climate When Intercontinental Terminals Co. sought a permit to expand its tank farm and terminal on the Houston Ship Channel in 2014, a reviewer with Texas environmental regulator expressed a long list of concerns. Intercontinental Terminals, the reviewer for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality wrote, appeared to be evading core provisions of federal environmental law by dividing its major facility among nominally separate minor permits, which have less stringent pollution standards and require far less review. In the Houston area, federal authorities had set a threshold for volatile organic compound emissions at 25 tons per year. Any company wanting to release more was required to undergo a tedious, expensive application process, established in the Clean Air Act, as a so-called major source. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Intercontinental Terminals had obtained permits for its first group of chemical tanks in 2012 for 24.9 tons per year of volatile organic compound emissions. Now it was asking to permit a second group for another 24.9 tons per year. Because both groups fell conveniently just under the EPAs threshold, neither were subject to a federal program called New Source Review, or NSR. We have concerns about NSR circumvention, permit reviewer Jesse Lovegren wrote in a July 2014 email to other agency staff. Nevertheless, Intercontinental Terminals got its permit the next year. And in 2017, it received another for an even larger expansion, bringing its authorized emissions of volatile organic compounds up to 147 tons per year almost six times Houstons current major source threshold. Yet the facility never underwent the process required by federal law for major sources, which is aimed at preventing current air pollution hazards in places like the Houston area from getting worse. It wasnt an isolated error, according to lawyers and regulatory experts in Texas and beyond, but an example of a systemic problem with emissions permitting in the Lone Star State, seat of the nations largest oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. By exploiting the legal distinction between major and minor pollution sources, lawyers have argued repeatedly in court papers, companies can dodge pillars of the countrys landmark environmental laws. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This is sort of a foundational problem with Texas permitting, and its leading to a lot of harm, said Gabriel Clark-Leach, a former staff attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit law firm based in Austin. Its so important for sources to be considered minor because it makes the whole permitting process less expensive, and it makes operation of the plant less expensive. Inside Climate News compiled 10 recent cases involving allegations the TCEQ characterized major pollution sources as minor. An investigation by ICN and the Texas Tribune, based on hundreds of pages of government and court records and dozens of interviews, revealed numerous ways in which large companies sidestep major source permitting: They may, like Intercontinental Terminals, characterize different parts of their facilities as independent minor sources; they may dramatically underestimate the amount of pollution they say they will emit; they may classify their emissions in unregulated categories; or they may use retroactive amendments to change the conditions of original permits after facilities are built. Systemic abuse Clark-Leach, 47, said he saw companies use these tactics during each of his 13 years with the Environmental Integrity Project, but legal challenges were rarely successful. He and other public interest lawyers have alleged in legal filings that the TCEQ often acts to facilitate the maneuvers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They also named an unexpected agency as complicit in lax permitting: the Environmental Protection Agency. While regulators in many other states also neglect to stop companies from evading major permits, what sets Texas apart is the EPAs unwillingness to intervene, especially in application and enforcement of nonattainment limits, said Ryan Maher, a lawyer who has studied the problem for two years on a grant from the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas. Texas is given a total pass, said Maher, who works for the Center for Biological Diversity in Maine. Texas oil and gas is getting a huge handout relative to the rest of the country. In September, Clark-Leach filed a petition with the EPA denouncing the TCEQs handling of Intercontinental Terminals, then left the Environmental Integrity Project, frustrated and discouraged. Now Clark-Leach is writing a play while he contemplates his future. Its been really tough trying to attack the TCEQs abuses. Thats one of the reasons why I threw my hands up and left. I didnt see any way forward on this issue, which is a major issue, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Gabriel Clark-Leach is a former staff attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit law firm based in Austin. Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News The TCEQ, headed by three appointees of Gov. Greg Abbott, grants thousands of pollution permits each year, including hundreds for major sources. The 10 cases analyzed in this investigation constitute a tiny fraction of those permits. In most of them, nonprofit watchdogs or federal regulators alleged improper use of minor source permits to authorize major sources; in others, companies utilized legal loopholes to avoid more stringent pollution controls. In one case, the EPA rejected Texas proposed permit for a seawater desalination plant at Port of Corpus Christi, saying the TCEQ had mischaracterized it as a minor source; the TCEQ issued the permit anyway. In another, a Gulf Coast gas liquefaction plant received a minor source permit to annually emit 6 tons of nitrogen oxides, then released more than 120 tons during its first year of operation. In another, an 80-year-old West Dallas shingles plant faced community outrage and EPA objections over its major source permit renewal, so it voided its application and applied as a minor source, which doesnt require public input or federal oversight. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In another, a gas booster station and emergency gas flaring operation in West Texas with a minor source permit to release 0.01 tons per year of sulfur dioxide emitted more than 250 tons per year, the major source threshold, in excess emissions, each year from 2017 to 2020. EPA Region 6 spokesperson Jennah Durant, responding to criticism about the agencys failure to hold the TCEQ accountable, said Texas holds authority to implement most environmental programs and regulations in the state while the EPA retains oversight authority. EPA welcomes any specific input or correspondence regarding the execution of these roles, Durant said. ICN shared its findings with the TCEQ, but the agency declined to comment on any of the specific examples. TCEQ spokesperson Richard Richter wrote in an email that the process of evaluating pollution permit applications consists of a highly complex review, including in-depth analyses of many factors including, but not limited to, Best Available Control Technology, emission rate calculations, off-property impacts analysis, major new source review applicability, and review of applicable state and federal rules. The Texas Commission on Environmental Qualitys central headquarters in Austin. Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News The process typically involves requests for more information or design changes from the TCEQ and a lengthy back-and-forth with the applicant, Richter said. After this detailed process is complete, the TCEQ issues authorizations that are in compliance with all rules and regulations, he said. Richter said specific questions from ICN are either better suited for EPA or will require a Public Information Request. TCEQ doesnt have any additional comments regarding your report, he said. Sham permits No single threshold divides major from minor sources in permitting thresholds can vary from 25 to 250 tons per year based on location, pollutant and type of industry. Sources that cross their applicable threshold trigger stricter standards and a host of expensive requirements. So its no secret that companies prefer to work through minor permits, regulatory experts said. There are strong economic incentives for firms to want to avoid being classified as major, said Cary Coglianese, director of the Penn Program on Regulation at the University of Pennsylvania. If the state turns to look the other way, Coglianese said, the permit requirements for these sources, deemed as minor, could be much less costly to meet. The EPA foresaw this problem in its 1990 air permitting manual, labeling such authorizations as sham permits. If a source accepts operational limits to obtain a minor source construction permit but intends to operate the source in excess of those limitations once the unit is built, the permit is considered a sham, the manual said. Additionally, a permit may be considered a sham permit if it is issued for a number of pollution-emitting modules that keep the source minor, but within a short period of time an application is submitted for additional modules which will make the total source major, it said. In most areas, applications to build major pollution sources trigger a federal program called Prevention of Significant Deterioration, or PSD, which has four main requirements: pollution control technology, air modeling, impact analysis and public involvement. Stricter standards apply in areas with poor air quality like the Houston area that the EPA has determined to be in nonattainment of federal air standards. There, a program called Nonattainment New Source Review is supposed to prevent new industrial developments from exacerbating the situation. It has three main requirements: demonstration of the lowest achievable emission rate, purchase of pollution offsets and public participation. If you can skate by without triggering major source thresholds, you dont have to do that stuff, said Eric Schaeffer, a former EPA director and head of the Environmental Integrity Project in Washington. You can save a lot of money and save time. Suspicious as hell Today Intercontinental Terminals, a Japanese petrochemical storage and loading company, operates its 180-acre Pasadena Terminal and tank farm on Buffalo Bayou, less than 10 miles from downtown Houston. Case records accessed via TCEQ databases show the agency knew Intercontinental Terminals planned to build a major source and pushed back hard against the companys attempts to avoid major source permitting. Eventually, and inexplicably, the TCEQ relented and permitted the Pasadena Terminal as three independent minor sources, each barely beneath the major source threshold. It is suspicious as hell when you have three emissions units approaching the (tons-per-year) threshold for major source permitting, said an air permitting consultant in Texas who reviewed the case summary and requested anonymity to preserve business relationships with the TCEQ and his clients. The story started in 2011, when Intercontinental Terminals sought its first pollution permit to build boat docks, a railyard, a truck terminal and 22 massive chemical tanks at the Pasadena Terminal. Because the EPA considered the Houston area to be in severe nonattainment of federal air quality standards, it set the regions major source threshold for volatile organic compound emissions relatively low, at 25 tons per year. Intercontinental Terminals applied to authorize 24.9 tons per year as a minor source. The TCEQ, when it issued the permit in 2012, knew Intercontinental Terminals had bigger plans in mind. Intercontinental Terminals is authorizing the initial construction of what they plan will be a large tank terminal, wrote Kurt Kind, a TCEQ engineer, in his review of the permit. Although the site will ultimately be major, this initial construction will be limited to volatile organic compound emissions to less than 25 (tons per year) so that the site is minor. Group B Two years later, Intercontinental Terminals asked to add 19 more tanks. The project would also emit 24.9 tons per year of volatile organic compounds, the application claimed, and should be evaluated as an independent, minor source. The application went to Lovegren, the TCEQ permit reviewer who expressed concern over circumvention of a major source review. It was difficult to see how Intercontinental Terminalss two projects could be considered separate, he wrote in a nine-page memo sent in July 2014. Evaluated collectively, Lovegren wrote, they would need to undergo Nonattainment New Source Review. Repeated follow ups with the firm preparing Intercontinental Terminalss application, DiSorbo Consulting, failed to satisfy Lovegrens concerns. Overall analysis is tilted away from ITCs favor, he wrote in September. The next month, TCEQ air permits director Mike Wilson joined Lovegren for a tense meeting with Shanon DiSorbo, head of DiSorbo Consulting and a former TCEQ air permit engineer, to negotiate a path forward. You and ITC have been unequivocal in saying that your first priority is to avoid Nonattainment New Source Review, said prepared remarks for the Oct. 13 meeting. It is not our place to guide applicants through loopholes (much less create new loopholes). Youre destroying ITC, DiSorbo told Wilson, according to meeting minutes. After that, the TCEQ mysteriously changed its tone and agreed to permit Intercontinental Terminals expansion as an independent minor source, which it called Group B. Per the agreement, Intercontinental Terminals reduced the scope of its initial permit, withdrew its latest permit application and resubmitted the project as an amendment to the original permit. It remains unclear how those actions satisfied the agencys concerns, and the TCEQ declined to answer questions. Lovegren, in his January 2015 review of the expansion permit, said Intercontinental Terminals took those actions in order to remedy concerns about circumvention of nonattainment review, but still avoid undergoing nonattainment review. Group C Nine months later, Intercontinental Terminals applied for another, larger expansion, including 40 more tanks and another 79 tons per year of volatile organic compound emissions later increased to 97.2 tons per year through a permit amendment. DiSorbo Consulting, which again prepared the application, called it Group C. This time, it would be a major source, subject to Nonattainment New Source Review. However, two months prior, the TCEQ had asked the EPA to remove the Houston areas designation as a severe nonattainment region for federal ozone standards, citing improving air quality. In November 2016, the EPA concurred, reclassified the Houston area as moderate for nonattainment and raised the major source threshold for volatile organic compounds emissions from 25 to 100 tons per year. The Pasadena Terminal is now a minor source and the expansion project does not constitute construction of a new major source, Lovegren wrote in his review of the Group C expansion. Nonattainment review is not required. The TCEQ issued the permit in July 2017, bringing the Pasadena Terminals authorized emissions, under three separate minor source permits for 24.9, 24.9 and 97.2 tons of volatile organic compounds, respectively, up to 147 tons per year, well above the new major source level of 100 tons per year. There is no indication that ITC has improperly avoided major NSR review, Lovegren wrote. The next year, he left the TCEQ to work for DiSorbo. In 2022, amid worsening air quality, the EPA redesignated the Houston area as severe nonattainment, returning the major source threshold for volatile organic compound emissions to 25 tons per year. But Intercontinental Terminalss minor source permits, based on the applicable threshold at the time of application, remained in place, even with the threshold back to 25 tons. Also in 2022, the TCEQ approved renewal of Intercontinental Terminals sitewide operating permit over objections from environmental lawyers and community members. After that, Clark-Leach, the former staff attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project, filed his petition with the EPA. ITCs plan was to parse construction of its major source into a series of minor projects, none of which involved an emission increase sufficient to trigger NNSR preconstruction permitting requirements, it said. The TCEQ, it said, anticipate(d) that the Terminal would be operated as a major source and anticipated that ITC would attempt to authorize subsequent phases of the Terminals construction in bits and pieces to circumvent NNSR. An EPA spokesperson said the agency expects to issue its response in early 2024. Intercontinental Terminals did not respond to requests for comment. Dividing sites is a common tactic to avoid major source permits, Clark-Leach said. He worked a similar case against Enbridge Energy, a $180 billion Canadian oil and gas company, and its Ingleside Energy Center on Corpus Christi Bay. Three times in July 2021, September 2021 and January 2022 the TCEQ denied requests to split the centers oil and gas operations into separately permitted sites. Then the consultant preparing Enbridges application shared a three-page memo by a downtown Houston law firm, copying Jeff Saitas, a former TCEQ executive director and a lobbyist for oil companies, in the email. After that, the TCEQ agreed to separate the sites. Clark-Leach challenged that determination in official comments in July 2023. A spokesperson for Enbridge said the company was following federal and state regulation by treating the Oil Terminal and LPG Terminal as separate sites. When neighbors speak up Even if state regulators fail to adequately scrutinize pollution permit applications, the Clean Air Act provides a backup: public participation. Federal law includes detailed requirements for community engagement in major source permits, which can bog developers down in challenges to their applications that wouldnt otherwise have arisen. In some cases, public participation can win major concessions from industrial developers. For example, the 80-year-old GAF shingles factory in West Dallas faced protests from neighbors, state representatives and federal regulators when it sought to renew its major source pollution permit in 2021. The GAF roofing shingles factory in West Dallas is seen on Dec. 13. Shelby Tauber for Inside Climate GAF held a major source permit to emit up to 129 tons per year of sulfur dioxide, a gas known for its stinging, choking odor. In 2020, GAF was the top sulfur dioxide emitter in Dallas County, population 2.6 million, according to an inventory of self-reported emissions by Paul Quinn Colleges Urban Research Initiative in Dallas. It also ranked second for particulate matter and fourth for overall emissions. Janie Cisneros, 41, a mother and digital product designer who grew up in West Dallas, said that frustration grew for decades over the relentless stench that infiltrated the homes of residents who believed the companys emissions were causing problems from asthma to bronchitis to throat cancer. When GAF sought a routine renewal of its major source permit in 2021, the community had a chance to speak up. They lobbied public officials, who requested that the TCEQ hold a public hearing on the communitys behalf part of the major source review process. Then, Cisneros, who was starting her environmental organizing work, and other neighborhood advocates helped people in West Dallas prepare remarks and attend the online hearing. Janie Cisneros poses for a portrait with her 4-year-old daughter, Lila Rosa Bravero, at their home in West Dallas on Dec. 13. Shelby Tauber for Inside Climate At the hearing, in July 2021, dozens of residents tuned in and took turns for hours speaking about the fears and frustration of life near the factory. Elected officials and lawyers also testified against issuing the permit. The TCEQ dismissed their protests and approved GAFs permit renewal in June 2022, then sent it to the EPA for review part of major source permit requirements. EPA responded in August with 16 pages of objections. The agency cited the neighborhoods dozens of comments involving concerns of routine nuisance conditions including noxious odors, dust plumes and waxy black substances. The EPA also said GAF used outdated measurements in its emissions calculations, and it noted that the permits should include requirements for monitoring, record keeping and periodic testing to ensure compliance with permit limits. Unless the TCEQ submitted a revised permit to address the objections within 90 days, the application would be denied, EPA air and radiation division director David Garcia wrote. Cisneros was elated. Federal authorities had stepped in to support the fight of her historically marginalized community. We were just over the moon, Cisneros said. I had so much hope. Janie Cisneros shows signs that she and other activists have made while protesting the GAF shingles factory in her home in West Dallas on Dec. 13. Shelby Tauber for Inside Climate But the EPAs objections would get no response. Instead of taking the outlined steps and revising its major source permit application, GAF filed a notice for the TCEQ to void its major source permit and applied instead for a minor source permit. To do that, it proposed to retire one of its two production lines and reduce other sulfur dioxide emissions below the major source threshold from about 129 tons per year to about 80 tons. GAF became aware of public concerns regarding its emissions in the West Dallas community, a company spokesperson said during public comments in 2021. In response to these concerns, GAF began to formulate a plan to reduce its emissions, the spokesperson said in a statement. GAF did not apply for a minor source permit because EPA rejected the (major source) permit; on the contrary, GAF voluntarily reduced its emissions and became a minor source to help alleviate public concerns. Wendi Hammond, a staff attorney for the nonprofit Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, disagrees. Line 1, which the company proposed to retire, hadnt been used since 2017, according to the TCEQs review of GAFs application. So there wasnt anything substantial to retire in 2022, Hammond said. The minor source review application was essentially just a paper exercise to try to get out of major source review, Hammond said. And it worked: GAF remains in operation under a minor source permit. The GAF roofing shingles factory can be seen from neighborhoods next-door in West Dallas on Dec. 13. Shelby Tauber for Inside Climate You smell that? said Cisneros, scrunching her nose as she walked through her neighborhoods old wooden houses decked out in Christmas lights. She was left shaking her head at GAFs permit maneuver, which was a frustrating setback for her and others who live near the plant. I was confused and taken by surprise, Cisneros said. I didnt know (GAF) could just reduce emissions and get away with that. (Regulators) are not willing to investigate further. Rarely any consequences Its impossible to know how frequently companies misclassify themselves as minor sources, said Colin Cox, another former staff attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project. Thats because Texas, which issues thousands of pollution permits each year, has just a few independent watchdogs who scrutinize applications about 10 attorneys for nonprofits like the Environmental Integrity Project, Legal Aid and EarthJustice, plus a few private firms that challenge permits for paying clients. If the TCEQ doesnt object to a developers claim, its relatively unlikely that anyone else will. The commission doesnt like it when you double check their homework. They rely on this process being super complicated to get away with what they do, Cox said. Last year, he challenged a minor source determination for the Ingleside Terminal, a oil export terminal owned by Flint Hills, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, on Corpus Christi Bay. In a lawsuit filed November 2022 in state district court, Cox alleged that Flint Hills used a retroactive as-built amendment, meant to authorize design changes made during the construction process, to loosen limits in a previous minor source permit, such that it became major. First, in 2018, Flint Hills applied to expand its terminal, adding six new tanks and four new vapor combustors. It asked to authorize 39.7 tons per year of sulfur dioxide emissions (below the major source threshold of 40) in two parts: 37.4 tons per year of routine emissions and 2.3 tons per year for emissions from maintenance activities. Then, in 2021, Flint Hills sought an as-built amendment to significantly increase operations in the newly built expansion. It asked to only slightly raise routine emission limits on its new tanks and combustors to 38.1 tons per year of sulfur dioxide. But in that application, Flint Hills excluded the 2.3 tons of maintenance emissions previously authorized for those same units. So, the expansion project remained a minor source. Despite the major modification status of the Amendment, Flint Hills and TCEQ processed it as a minor modification and failed to conduct the mandatory federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration review or provide all required public participation opportunities, Cox wrote in his complaint. A crude tanker docks at the Flint Hills Resources Ingleside Terminal on Corpus Christi Bay. PU YING HUANG A spokesperson for Flint Hills said that maintenance emissions werent included in the 2021 application because the proposed amendment didnt cause them to increase. He pointed to a 22-page legal argument that Flint Hills filed with the TCEQ, which said, No new tanks were required for the project and therefore no new tank maintenance emissions were required to be authorized. Our priority with respect to permitting is to follow applicable rules and regulations, and to use the methods specified by those rules to determine what form of permit is required, the spokesperson said. The lawsuit is still pending. Cox, who grew up in Houston and went to law school at the University of Texas at Austin, left the Environmental Integrity Project this year, moved to the woods of northern New Mexico and took a job with the Center for Biological Diversity. Texas is a challenging place to do environmental work, he said. The TCEQ and its commissioners are completely captured by industry. They bend over backwards to break the law and grant permits. And they do it unashamedly because there are rarely any consequences. Explosive case in Freeport Also on the Gulf Coast, the case of Freeport LNG, operator of a new liquefied natural gas terminal 40 miles south of Galveston, represented yet another attempt to avoid major source review by splitting plant operations in two, even if that meant dramatically understating emissions from the LNG facility. The TCEQ has repeatedly allowed construction of industrial sources based on obviously unrealistic representations, read a 2023 EIP report called The Polluters Playbook: How Loopholes and Lax Enforcement Harm Air Quality in Texas. Even if Freeport LNG did not intentionally misrepresent the amount of pollution its source would emit, the report said, the company was still allowed to build, operate, and nearly destroy a facility it did not understand. Freeport LNG, a project of New York billionaire Michael Smith, received a permit in 2014 to build its giant gas liquefaction and export terminal as a major source of nitrogen oxide emissions. Later, it asked to separate its proposed liquefaction plant from its pretreatment plant as a minor source. So when it applied to expand that liquefaction plant, it didnt require tedious review. In 2018, the TCEQ issued a minor source permit for the plant, authorizing nitrogen oxide emissions of 6 tons per year. In 2019, when that plant began operations, it reported nearly 119 tons of unexpected nitrogen oxide emissions to the TCEQ. In 2020 it reported 103 tons. At the time, the major source threshold for nitrogen oxide, a potent greenhouse gas and respiratory irritant, was 25 tons. In 2022, part of the liquefaction plant exploded when leaking gas caught fire. Federal investigators attributed the disaster to poor management and human error. After the explosion, Freeport LNG asked for as-built amendments that would drastically increase permit limits to account for emissions that have become known through actual operations of these facilities. In the applications, Freeport LNG asked to further divide both of its projects, reclassifying its fourth compressor units at each plant as separate, minor projects from compressor units 1, 2 and 3. Those applications are still pending. Freeport LNG declined to answer questions for this report. Synthetic minor Down the coast on Lavaca Bay, another export terminal also faces allegations of improper classification as a minor source based on unrealistic emissions assumptions. When Max Midstream applied in 2020 to expand its Seahawk oil terminal as a minor source, environmentalist groups argued in official comments to the TCEQ that the expansion was a major source because it had potential to emit above applicable thresholds, even though the operators promised to run it below those levels. The TCEQ dismissed their claims and issued the permit after lawyers for Max Midstream invoked the agencys controversial one-mile rule, claiming that permit opponents lacked standing because they lived more than a mile from the plant. So the groups sued. TCEQs issuance of Max Midstreams minor source air permit was invalid, arbitrary, or unreasonable, wrote Erin Gaines, an attorney for the nonprofit EarthJustice, in a legal brief filed in July 2023 in state district court. The Terminal is a major stationary source. For example, the lawsuit said, 20 vapor combustors authorized in the expansion permit could potentially emit up to 405 tons per year of volatile organic compounds if run year-round at full blast well above the major source threshold of 250 tons. But the permit set emission limits for volatile organic compounds from those units at 17.3 tons per year. Thats what the TCEQ guidance documents call a synthetic minor a source that would normally be a major source, with the exception that the source is held to emission rates that are less than major source. In the lawsuit, Gaines argued that the TCEQs synthetic minor permit failed to include practically enforceable limits as defined by the EPA to prevent the facility from exceeding its limits, or basic monitoring requirements to ensure limits were being met. This November, the judge in the case struck down the TCEQs previously issued permit for Max Midstream and ordered the agency to hold a hearing on the claims made by Gaines and others. Max Midstreams Seahawk oil terminal stands across Lavaca Bay from a jetty in Port Lavaca. Dylan Baddour / Inside Climate News Gaines worries the TCEQ will bog the ruling down in lengthy appeals, during which time the permit will remain valid. Still, it was a rare kind of victory in her fight against big polluters, which is often fraught with frustration. Gaines and her colleagues have filed numerous petitions in recent years with the EPA alleging systemic abuses of federal environmental law in Texas, but they are yet to see any action in response. The deck is definitely stacked against us, and we need more engagement from EPA on these issues, she said. Lets not just give up on enforcing federal laws in this region. The EPA spokesperson, Durant, said the agency follows legal procedures when reviewing petitions, which can take a considerable amount of time. The agency understands this can be frustrating for petitioners, which is why we are moving expeditiously to respond, she said. EPA intervenes In a rare instance when the EPA did step in for a while, at least the agency objected to the issuance of a desalination permit, only to have the TCEQ disregard its objection. The dispute centered on a seawater desalination facility proposed by the Port of Corpus Christi to meet projected water demand from a booming industrial build-out. Charles Maguire, director of the EPA water division, said in a December 2021 letter to the TCEQ that the plant, which would dump millions of gallons of extremely salty brine into Corpus Christi Bay, had been incorrectly classified as a Minor facility. The EPA has determined that the facility should be classified as a Major facility, Maguire wrote. The problem, he said, was the TCEQs classification of the facilitys effluent. It proposed to discharge up to 110,000,000 gallons of brine daily into Corpus Christi Bay, 2,200 times above the 50,000 gallon-per-day threshold for major sources of water pollution. However, the TCEQ labeled that discharge non-process wastewater wastewater streams not associated with a production process, according to federal law so it didnt count toward the tally. Maguire said the brine in question was a waste product resulting from the production of potable/drinking water and should be considered process wastewater. If POCCs discharge is properly classified as process wastewater the rating of the facility changes from Minor to Major, he wrote. Regardless, the commissioners voted unanimously in September 2022 to issue the permit as proposed. In response, EPA Region 6 administrator Earthea Nance refused to recognize the permit and accused the TCEQ of a violation of (the) Clean Water Act in a January 2023 letter. Seven months later, the TCEQ sent a letter responding to most of the EPAs comments, but said that the issue of whether the desalination plant should be operating under a major or minor permit requires further discussion between the agencies. A month after that, the EPA dropped its objections. Upset emissions Another tactic highly polluting facilities employ to avoid major source classification, environmental advocates argue, relies on the TCEQs lenient regulation of upset emissions, which Texas regulators define as unexpected emissions from accidents, unscheduled maintenance, or startup and shutdown activities. Because these events are considered exceptional and beyond the control of the company, they are not counted toward a sources classification as major or minor and are not regulated in permits. The Environmental Integrity Project has documented how the TCEQ rarely follows up when companies report upset emissions to analyze the cause of the problem and make sure it doesnt happen again. The nonprofit argued this year in its Polluters Playbook report that the TCEQs handling of these upset events allows companies to escape consequences for chronic illegal pollution. The Environmental Integrity Project report uses the example of a Chevron facility, the McElroy Section 199 Emergency Flare in Crane County, to illustrate how companies can circumvent major source permitting requirements by relying on what they characterize as the upset emissions loophole. The McElroy flare is only authorized to emit less than 0.01 ton per year of sulfur dioxide, a severe respiratory irritant, which would only account for the emissions of the pilot light for the flare, not the flaring of gas itself during emergencies or maintenance. However, Chevron consistently reports emissions far in excess of this annual permit limit, but writes them off as upset events. In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, these excess emissions surpassed the threshold for major source permitting for sulfur dioxide of 250 tons a year. As long as Chevron reported these emission events as leaks, accidents and other types of nonroutine operations to the TCEQ, they did not count toward the facilitys permit limits. The Environmental Integrity Project report argues that the McElroy flare is an example of the TCEQ issuing permits with unrealistic emissions expectations. In 2021 and 2022, the McElroy flare reported 215 and 139 pounds of sulfur dioxide upset emissions, respectively. While below the major source threshold, these emissions are still many times more than the facilitys permit allows. Chevron external affairs adviser Deena McMullen said the McElroy facility is now enrolled in the TCEQs Find It and Fix It program, a voluntary initiative for companies to address compliance issues. As part of the program, Chevron is investing in operational changes to minimize potential emissions, McMullen said. Another similar case is Scout Energy Managements Mabee Ranch CO2 Plant in Andrews County, which has a minor source permit with a threshold of 2.49 tons per year of sulfur dioxide. Based on TCEQ data, in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the facility reported upset emissions events of sulfur dioxide of more than 250 tons, exceeding the major source limit. Emissions from 2019 to 2022 were below 250 tons but still well above the facilitys permit. Scout Energy did not respond to a request for comment. The case of Exxon Baytown Of the hundreds of cases he worked on, Clark-Leach, the former Environmental Integrity Project lawyer, said the most frustrating involved Exxon Mobil Corp. and its sprawling Baytown complex, which covers more than 5 square miles along the Houston Ship Channel. In filings to the TCEQ and a petition to the EPA, Clark-Leach fought Exxon Mobil, the largest U.S. oil company, for almost 10 years, arguing it improperly avoided major source review for additions to the Baytown Olefins Plant. But he seldom claimed victories. Theyre really good at manipulating, at using the state process, he said. Theyre just going to pour money into appeals until they get it, until they win or the world comes to an end. Gabriel Clark-Leach fought Exxon Mobil Corp., the largest U.S. oil company, for almost 10 years. Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News The olefins plant one of three plants in its Baytown complex manufactures about 10 billion pounds of petrochemical products every year. Exxon operates the olefins plants under a permit called a plantwide applicability limit, originally issued in 2005. The permit authorized it as a major source, but instead of setting specific emissions limits for dozens of point sources, it set cumulative limits for the entire facility, including 2,610 tons per year of nitrogen oxides, 2,381 tons per year of carbon monoxide and 435 tons per year of volatile organic compounds. In 2016, Clark-Leach of the Environmental Integrity Project, along with the Sierra Club and Air Alliance Houston, petitioned the EPA to object to a revision to the permit. He argued that the TCEQ erred in issuing a separate minor source air permit for a 2012 expansion project at the olefins plant. By setting artificially high limits in that 2005 permit, Clark-Leach argued, the TCEQ enabled Exxon to avoid a major source review for its expansion project. The EPA declined to review Exxons 2005 plantwide applicability limit permit, and a circuit court of appeals upheld the federal agencys decision. In 2022, the TCEQ renewed the permit for Exxon Mobil. We lost that opportunity. We lost our ability to appeal, Clark-Leach said. We relied on the EPA answering our arguments and dealing with the issues. Most recently, Exxon applied in 2022 to build a new ethylene unit as a minor modification at its olefins plant within the overall limits of the plantwide applicability limit permit, even though the unit would most likely exceed the major source threshold if it were required to undergo a major source review. Here we are in 2023, Clark-Leach said. Exxons still relying on this bogus [plantwide applicability limit] permit that they got back in 2005 to authorize major [modification] after major [modification]. Other environmental groups continue to challenge Exxons permits, but for Clark-Leach, his decade of often fruitless struggle became too exhausting. Since leaving the Environmental Integrity Project, hes been trying to think of new ways to fight this fight because, he said, the old ways werent working. A spokesperson for Exxon Mobil said the company has followed proper permitting processes at its Baytown complex. Russia unleashed another large barrage of missiles and drones against Ukraine on Saturday, the fourth such attack since December 29, amid concerns that Moscow is trying to overwhelm Ukraines air defence. The Russian assault was comprised of 40 attack weapons including cruise, aeroballistic, ballistic, aircraft, anti-aircraft guided missiles as well as strike UAVs, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukraine managed to take down eight missiles, its air force said. Additionally they stated that over 20 launched air attack weapons did not reach their targets due to extensive electronic warfare countermeasures. The air raid warnings and defences were activated across the country. There were impacts in several regions, including the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine and Dnipro in the east. In Chernihiv, missile fragments caused damage to unoccupied civilian residential buildings in the city, according to the police. The fragments of an enemy missile caused destruction in the private residential area of Chernihiv. Luckily, no people were injured, the police wrote on Telegram. The area was previously damaged which is why there were no civilian casualties, the local mayor said. In Dnipro, there were incoming hits in the city, according to the head of Dnipropetrovsk region military administration Serhii Lysak. We are now establishing the extent of the damage caused by the strikes. However, people are always the priority. Luckily, everyone is safe, Lysak wrote on Telegram. Russias Ministry of Defense said the aerial barrage Saturday achieved its goal and struck Ukrainian military industrial complex facilities. Saturdays attacks are the fourth largest since Russia started large countrywide barrages on December 29. Changing tactics Analysts say the recent onslaught of Russian missiles aims to overload Ukraines limited missile defense. In a previous attack on January 7, Ukraine was only able to shoot down on 18 out of the 59 missiles launched. The Russian army has also been using new tactics as part of its aerial campaign, such as painting its Iranian-made drones black, camouflaging them against the night sky. Another tactic, one Ukrainian unit told CNN, is to move engine exhausts on some drones from the rear to the front, in an effort to confuse anti-air batteries using thermal sights. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday that the country is far from having comprehensive air cover. We lack Patriot systems, and we lack appropriate systems of different ranges. It is coming little by little. Something is on its way. We have agreed on something new. However, we still lack appropriate systems that fight against ballistic missiles especially, for instance, Zelensky said. Ukraine has been relying on mobile firing groups for air defenses to shoot down drones as anti-air missiles stocks run low. They are now the backbone unit that destroys enemy UAVs. We are counting on them so that we can save guided anti-aircraft missiles, which are quite scarce for us under such massive attacks, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said after a barrage of 29 Iranian Shahed UAVs were launched across the country last week. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A 60-year-old man was injured on Jan. 13 by Russian shelling in Kherson Oblast, Roman Mrochko, the head of the Kherson city military administration, reported. According to Mrochko, Russian forces shelled the village of Sadove from the east bank of the Dnipro River, which is still under Russian occupation. The 60-year-old man was in his home at the time of the attack and suffered a concussion as well as injuries related to the explosion. The severity of his injuries was not specified, only that he received medical assistance. Ukraine's Armed Forces liberated Kherson and other regional settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River in November 2022. Russian troops were pushed to the eastern bank, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, regularly resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Read also: Ukrainian soldiers storming eastern bank of Dnipro fear their mission is hopeless Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces shelled Sumy Oblast 260 times, firing at 12 communities along the border on Jan. 12, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported. The Russian military fired on the communities of Bilopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Myropillia, Znob-Novhorodske, Svesy, Esman, Khotin, Krasnopillia, Druzhbiv, Seredyna-Buda, Shalyhyne, and Yunakivka. Throughout the day, Russian assailed the border communities with mortar and artillery attacks, while dropping mines onto two settlements. No casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure were reported. The town of Seredyna-Buda, with a pre-war population of about 7,000 residents, experienced the most intense attacks with 45 explosions recorded in the area. The community is located directly on the Ukraine-Russia border. Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. Residents in the region's vulnerable border settlements experience multiple attacks per day. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Sunak unveils $3.2 billion package, signs security deal in Kyiv Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Lawmakers from Russia's Tula Oblast have submitted a draft bill to the Russian State Duma to allow foreigners with a criminal record to serve in Russia's Armed Forces, the country's state-run news agency TASS reported on Jan. 12. Regional lawmakers held an extraordinary meeting of the Tula Regional Duma on Friday to unanimously support draft legislation that would allow foreign citizens with criminal records to enter into military service contracts with Russia's Armed Forces. The legislation is now set to go to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly, for consideration. In an explanatory note, lawmakers of the draft bill did not distinguish between the severity of crimes committed, noting that under current legislation Russian citizens who have committed crimes of different severity can serve in the military. The draft bill, which establishes an implementation deadline of March 1, is latest move in Russia's attempt to mobilize foreign recruits to fight in Ukraine while trying to suppress domestic anti-mobilization sentiments. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing foreign nationals who join the Russian Armed Forces the ability to apply for Russian citizenship. Analysts have predicted that Putin will avoid decisions that irritate Russia's electorate ahead of the upcoming Russian presidential election, including the issue of mass mobilization, despite a dwindling number of recruits in Ukraine. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksii Danilov warned in November that Russia may begin full mobilization after the 2024 Russian presidential election. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The aftermath of the Russian attack on Chernihiv. Photo: Ukraine's State Emergency Service A Russian missile attack on the city of Chernihiv on Saturday, 13 January damaged 23 houses and 4 shops, as well as windows and balconies in 20 flats of an apartment building. Source: Ukraine's State Emergency Service (SES) , The aftermath of the Russian attack on Chernihiv. Photo: Ukraines State Emergency Service Quote: "Enemy missile debris that fell in a residential area in the city of Chernihiv damaged 23 houses and 4 shops, and windows and balcony glazing in 20 flats of an apartment building." Details: The SES added that no casualties had been reported. Emergency services and volunteers are working at the scene. The electricity, gas and heat supply systems in the damaged buildings are still operating as normal. Background: On the night of 12-13 January, Russian forces launched an airstrike on Ukraine using 40 assets, namely cruise, aeroballistic, aerial and anti-aircraft guided missiles and attack UAVs. Eight of the missiles were destroyed by Ukrainian air defence forces. Most of the missiles missed their target. The city of Dnipro and the town of Shostka, Sumy Oblast, were hit. A civilian woman was injured in Shostka during the Russian attack. The blast wave damaged at least 26 buildings. Support UP or become our patron! The Russians have not yet granted International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) access to the reactor halls of units 1, 2 and 6. Source: a statement by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, regarding the situation in Ukraine Quote: "International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have not yet been given access to the reactor halls of units 1, 2 and 6, hindering their ability to monitor the nuclear safety and security situation at the plant, as well as the five concrete principles established at the United Nations Security Council." Details: The Russians said that the reactor hall was apparently "sealed". Instead, the IAEA team was offered access to the area in about a week. The IAEA recalled that in December 2023, experts were also denied access to the reactor halls of units 1, 2 and 6, although previously the mission had had access to the reactor hall of any unit in a cold shutdown state. Quote: "These restrictions on the experts timely access to the ZNPP are impeding the IAEAs ability to assess the safety and security situation, including confirming the reported status of the reactor units, spent fuel ponds and associated safety equipment, independently and effectively." Support UP or become our patron! Eighty-nine combat clashes were recorded at the front line over the past day. The most intense activity was recorded on the Marinka front, where the Ukrainian troops repelled 26 attacks. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 13 January Details: In total, the Russians carried out seven missile strikes and 65 airstrikes, as well as 44 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. Russian terrorist attacks killed and wounded civilians. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. The settlements of Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts suffered from airstrikes. Over 110 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts came under artillery fire. On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians are maintaining their military presence in the border areas, conducting intense sabotage activities in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to vulnerable areas and increasing the density of minefields along the state border in Russias Belgorod Oblast. In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group on the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian defenders repelled nine Russian attacks near Synkivka and Petropavlivka in Kharkiv Oblast. On the Lyman front, Ukrainian forces repelled six attacks by the Russians in the areas of Makiivka (Luhansk Oblast), as well as Hrihoriivka and Vesele (Donetsk Oblast). On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian soldiers repelled five Russian attacks near Andriivka and Klishchiivka (Donetsk Oblast). In the area of responsibility of the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group on the Avdiivka front, Ukrainian defenders are continuing to restrain the Russians, who keep trying to encircle Avdiivka. Ukrainian soldiers are steadfastly holding the defence, inflicting significant losses on the Russians. In the past 24 hours, Ukraines Armed Forces repelled four Russian attacks near Avdiivka and 17 more attacks near Pervomaiske and Nevelske in Donetsk Oblast. On the Marinka front, Ukrainian soldiers continue to restrain the Russians in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast, where 26 attacks were repelled. On the Shakhtarsk front, the Armed Forces repelled four Russian attacks south of Zolota Nyva and west of Staromaiorske, Donetsk Oblast. On the Zaporizhzhia front, Ukrainian forces repelled eight attacks by the Russians west of Verbobe and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational Strategic Group on the Kherson front, the Defence Forces are continuing to take measures to expand their established bridgehead. Despite significant losses, the Russians did not abandon their attempts to oust Ukrainian units from their positions. Nine unsuccessful assaults were carried out here by the Russians during the past day. At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to actively inflict casualties on the occupying forces in manpower and equipment, exhausting the Russians along the entire front line. The Russian Federation continues to suffer significant losses in personnel involved in the east of Ukraine. From 6 to 10 January this year alone, hospitals and medical institutions of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation admitted a massive number of military personnel participating in battles in the temporarily occupied Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. More than 300 Russians with serious injuries arrived in the settlements of Chernyanka, Valuyki and Rovenka in Belgorod Oblast; almost 250 Russian military personnel with extremely serious injuries arrived in Belgorod; and about 150 Russian servicemen were sent to Moscow and Kaliningrad, as they cannot be helped in frontline hospitals due to the lack of qualified doctors. Russian Defence Ministry field hospitals are overcrowded and cannot cope with the number of injured soldiers that arrive in large quantities every day after cannon fodder assaults at the front line. During the day, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out attacks on 21 clusters of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as four anti-aircraft missile systems. Units from Rocket Forces and Artillery targeted six clusters of personnel, weapons and military equipment, a command post, an artillery piece, two air defence systems, an ammunition depot and a radar station. Support UP or become our patron! New Braunfels police are searching for suspects who used this car to steal $900 in items from H-E-B. Courtesy New Braunfels Police Department New Braunfels police are asking the public for help in catching three men who were caught on security footage stealing $900 in food and merchandise from an H-E-B Plus. Around 3 p.m. on Dec. 2, the suspects filled a cart to the brim with items at the H-E-B Plus in the 2900 block of I-35 North, according to police. The men then wheeled the cart of groceries to an older model red and tan Ford Expedition and drove off. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ALSO READ: SAPD officer shot during traffic stop on West Side; suspect still at large New Braunfels police released still images of the suspects captured from security footage. The department is offering up to $4,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest or indictment of those involved. On the morning of 13 January, an air-raid warning was issued in all oblasts of Ukraine as cruise missiles were launched from Tu-95MS aircraft. Around 07:00, MiG-31K fighters launched Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Source: Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram Quote: "There is a threat of missile attack in oblasts where an air-raid warning has been issued! Launches of cruise missiles from Tu-95MS aircraft were detected. (from the Caspian Sea). Proceed to a shelter!" alerts.in.ua 5.30 SCREENSHOT: AIR RAID ALERT MAP OF UKRAINE AT 05:30 Update at 05:54: The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Kh-101/555/55 missiles were launched from six Tu-95MS. The time for entering Ukrainian airspace is about 06:00-07:00. At 06:02, the missile threat was extended to Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts. At 06:21, the air-raid warning was issued in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytskyi oblasts. alerts.in.ua 6.20 SCREENSHOT: AIR RAID ALERT MAP OF UKRAINE AT 06:20 At 06:31, a missile was reportedly moving towards Kryvyi Rih. At 06:33, the missile threat spread throughout the country. SCREENSHOT: AIR RAID ALERT MAP OF UKRAINE AT 06:33 At 06:43, a MiG-31K fighter jet of the Russian Aerospace Forces was spotted taking off from the Savasleyka airfield in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. At 06:55, the Air Force reported the launch of Kinzhal missiles. They were flying in the direction of Dnipro. At 06:58, it was reported that cruise missiles were moving across Zhashkiv towards Kyiv. At 07:00, the military announced the launch of another Kinzhal missile. At 07:11, the Air Force recorded the movement of Kinzhal missiles towards Kyiv. At 07:16, missiles were flying towards Kalynivka, Vinnytsia Oblast. At 07:17, a group of cruise missiles were flying towards Rivne! All-clear was given in regard to Kinzhal missiles flying towards the capital. At 07:18, two more MG-31K aircraft were recorded taking off from the Savasleyka airfield in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. At 07:19, the military reported the movement of missiles through Khmelnytskyi Oblast towards Rivne Oblast. At 07:20, they called for the residents of Myrhorod to take shelter. At 07:22, a missile was flying through Vinnytsia Oblast to Starokostiantyniv. At 07:23, residents of Rivne were called to proceed to shelters. At 07:28, Kinzhal missiles were launched towards Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih. At 07:29, the Air Force reported launches of Kinzhal missiles towards Kyiv. At 07:35, two missiles in Volyn Oblast changed course towards the north-east. Residents of Myrhorod were asked to go into shelter. Cruise missiles were in Volyn, Ternopil and Rivne oblasts. More Kinzhal missiles were flying from the north. At 07:40, it was reported that there were high-speed missiles coursing through Chernihiv and Zhytomyr oblasts. In addition, Kinzhal missiles were flying from the north. There was also a missile flying in the direction of Lviv Oblast. At 8:13, the all-clear was given throughout all of Ukraine, except for the western regions and Donetsk Oblast. Background: The Air Force reported that Russian strategic aircraft had been observed in the vicinity of Olenya airfield on the night of 12-13 January. Support UP or become our patron! Ruth Ashton Taylor, pictured here in Hollywood in 1963, has died at 101. She was the first female newscaster on television in Los Angeles. (CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images) Ruth Ashton Taylor, the first female television newscaster in Los Angeles and one of the first in the country, died Thursday in Northern California, her family announced. She was 101. A Los Angeles-area native, Taylor trailblazed a 50-year career in journalism, during which she interviewed the likes of Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, worked with industry icons including Edward R. Murrow and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "She was certainly that woman out there doing something that none of us saw other women doing at the time," Susan Conklin, one of Taylor's daughters, said in an interview with The Times. Taylor was born in Long Beach in 1922 and graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School and Scripps College in Claremont before heading east to attend Columbia University for graduate school. Read more: LAPD Chief Michel Moore to step down at end of February Almost immediately after graduating from Columbia, Taylor was hired to join a CBS documentary team led by Murrow, Conklin said. Despite being in her early 20s at the time, Taylor proved to be a fearless reporter. "She was trying to do a piece on the peacetime uses of nuclear energy and she went and she found Dr. Einstein," Conklin said. Taylor had been attempting to contact Einstein for some time before she traveled unannounced to Princeton University, where he was working. Taylor happened upon Einstein as he was walking down a hill. She introduced herself. "He said, 'Ah! The broadcasting lady,'" Taylor recalled in a set of interviews done for the Washington Press Club Foundation. Read more: A rising star at celebrity trials like O.J. Simpson's. Then a quiet, mysterious death Taylor returned to Los Angeles in 1951 and was hired as the West Coast's first female television reporter at KNXT, now KCBS. She left journalism for a short time in the late 1950s before returning to KNXT in 1962, where she spent the rest of her career before retiring in 1989. Taylor covered an array of topics during her career, and hosted a variety of segments and shows. During one fire, Taylor recalled, a Los Angeles County fire chief said, "This is the first time I've ever been interviewed on a fire line by a woman." "But not the last," Taylor replied. After officially retiring from KCBS, Taylor continued to work on retainer for the broadcaster into the 1990s. Among the honors she received in acknowledgment of her decades-long career was a Lifetime Achievement Emmy. Despite Taylor's demanding work schedule, Conklin said her mother was always there for her family. "Work was really important to her," Conklin said. "She worked hard, but I never felt like she forgot she had kids. We still came first for her." "She just showed up as a mom ... and then showed up as a grandmother and showed up as a great-grandmother," Conklin added. Taylor is survived by her daughters Susan, Sadie and Laurel Conklin, her stepson John Taylor, a grandson and granddaughter-in-law and a great-grandson. 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. More than 2,000 Rutherford County residents have signed a new online petition advocating that "growth should pay for itself," Mayor Joe Carr announced at a Thursday press conference. With an extra 22,400 people coming to Rutherford County from 2020 to 2022, Carr and county officials are looking for ways to secure more revenue to build new schools and strengthen infrastructure, for example. Carr said during the press conference that he wants the Tennessee General Assembly to grant fast-growing Rutherford the same taxing authority on growth that Williamson, Wilson and cities have. He mentioned wanting the county to have the same taxing authority as Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville through charging impact fees on new development to help pay for growth. Were not asking for anything more, and we will accept nothing less, said Carr, a Republican who won his seat August 2022. Rutherford County Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan, left, and Mayor Joe Carr pose Thursday after a press conference at the County Courthouse to advocate for more revenues from growth through development taxes and impact fees to help pay for needed schools. Both officials stand by a chart that demonstrates that Rutherford County has more students but collects less than two counties with fewer students, Williamson and Wilson. County officials launched the petition two weeks ago as part of a www.helprutherford.org website to advocate for the state to permit the local government to have authority to collect an impact fee from new development to fund county capital projects such building new schools. The mayor spoke at a lectern Thursday at the Rutherford County Courthouse with six other Rutherford County officials standing behind him to show their support: Schools Director James Jimmy Sullivan; Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh; Fire Rescue Chief Larry Farley; Highway Superintendent Greg Brooks; Emergency Medical Service Director Brian Gaither; and Public Safety Director Chris Clark. Growth issues: Rutherford officials say 'growth should pay for itself' in resolution to state legislators Mayor contends growth has caused property tax hikes Carr said the government needs "growth to pay for itself" to avoid placing more of a burden on existing property taxpayers. Home owners and others with real estate are paying a 16.1% property tax hike the mayor recommended this year to eliminate a $64 million deficit from the previous years budget to fund projects and services because of the growth, Carr said. Its not fair, said Carr, adding that he opposes any new property tax hikes to pay for growth. Its not right. 'You got to pay the bills': County commission adopts 16% property tax hike Rutherford collects much less on growth than 2 neighboring counties The press conference came the night after seven state lawmakers who represent Rutherford met with members of the County Commission at the County Courthouse to discuss growth taxes. None of the lawmakers appeared to show support for giving the County Commission authority to establish any new taxes or fees on growth. The lawmakers mentioned possibilities of increasing state revenues for the countys public schools. State Rep. Charlie Baum, R-Murfreesboro, also talked about allowing the local government to increase the existing county school facilities of $1 per square foot tax on new housing to $1.50 and the ability to raise this by 10% every three years instead of four. Future tax hikes? 'If we don't fix growth paying for itself, we will be in same situation' The Tennessee General Assembly established the law to permit fast-growing counties to charge the school facilities tax in 2006 through the County Powers Relief Act. Rutherford at this time raises about $5.8 million annually through the county school facilities tax to help fund campus projects. The county serves nearly 52,000 students at 50 schools and typically adds over 1,000 children annually. Rutherfords annual school facilities tax brings in much less than what two neighboring counties with fewer student populations each collect from growth taxes: Williamson County, $30.8 million; and Wilson County, $16.9 million, according to a study on 2022 data from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. Tax relief: 16.1% property tax hike won't apply to eligible tax freeze recipients who already applied Property assessor questions impact fee statements Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell said he was unaware of the mayors press conference. Mitchell said impact fees can be great for raising revenues. Any characterization of my position as being in opposition to impact fees is politically motivated and a lie, Mitchell said. Rob Mitchell Mitchell, however, said it is incorrect for officials to suggest that impact fees or development taxes will prevent property tax increases. What is being overlooked is how property assessments and valuations work, Mitchell said. Anything that leads to an increase in the sales price for a new property will have an impact on the market value on all existing homes in the county at reappraisal time. Thats just how it works. Tax issues: Rutherford County Property Assessor candidates sound off on rental tax and senior exemptions County needs $280 million to fund 3 schools The county in particular needs revenues to build new schools to keep up with growth, said Sullivan, whose district depends on 179 portable classrooms spread among many overcrowded campuses. Theres no doubt we need new buildings, Sullivan said after the press conference. Without additional help, those new buildings are going to be hard to (fund). Sullivan expects the county to spend about $280 million to build three more schools in the next three years: a westside elementary school in the Blackman community to open by August 2025; a westside middle school to open by August 2026; and a high school to open by August 2027 on the northwest side on yet identified property to relieve overcrowding at La Vergne High and Stewarts Creek High in southwest Smyrna. The county has westside land for the elementary school and middle school after buying about 61 acres of historic farmland from John L. Batey on the northside of Baker Road near Blackman Road. Batey retained most of his family farm that dates back to 1807. The family's historic cemetery includes the grave of Wilbur, the pig used for the cover of a 2006 edition of the book, "Charlotte's Webb." Wilbur, 2006-2019: 'He was some pig' Carr said much of the reason why people are wanting to move to Rutherford is because the school district is providing excellent services. He touted the districts 96.2% graduation rate and two magnet schools in the downtown area with strong reputations for serving high achievers: McFadden School of Excellence and Central Magnet School. Thats impressive, Carr said. I get why people want to live here. I live here. Ive lived here all my life, and I want to stay here. 'Celebrity' pig's burial plot preserved: School board to buy part of Batey farm Reach reporter Scott Broden with questions or news tips by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. Revenues to help pay for school projects Rutherford County, which has nearly 52,000 students: $5.8 million Williamson County, which has about 42,000 students: $30.8 million Wilson County, which has about 19,500 students: $16.9 million Sources: Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations study on 2022 data and current year student enrollment estimates for Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson school districts This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Rutherford mayor launches online petition advocating for growth funds The leaders of the three biggest groups on the Conservative Right have united to warn Rishi Sunak that they will vote against him on the Rwanda Bill this week unless he gives ground. Writing for The Telegraph, Danny Kruger, Sir John Hayes and Mark Francois compared themselves to the Tory Spartans who sank Theresa Mays Brexit deal, urging colleagues to join them in standing firm against Downing Street pressure. On Tuesday, the Rwanda Bill will return to Parliament for line-by-line scrutiny in its committee stage on the floor of the Commons. Almost 60 rebels are backing amendments aiming to curb virtually all legal challenges by migrants against deportation to Rwanda and block attempts by Strasbourg judges to halt deportation flights. The fate of the Bill will rest in large part on the decisions made by MPs in three groups on the Right of the party the European Research Group, chaired by Mr Francois, the Common Sense Group, chaired by Sir John, and the New Conservatives, co-chaired by Mr Kruger. The three backbenchers claim that, in its current form, the Bill does not afford ministers the necessary powers to achieve Mr Sunaks pledge to stop the boats. As the leaders of the three largest groups of Conservative MPs on the conservative wing of the parliamentary party, we have united in recent weeks to express our fear that the Safety of Rwanda Bill fails to do that, they wrote. We have two principal concerns. Firstly, the Bill as currently drafted does not give ministers the express authority to ignore as a default the anonymous pyjama injunctions of the European Court of Human Rights. Second, the continued right of migrants to delay their departure for many months, by making individual claims to UK courts by citing any number of personal circumstances, risks frustrating the entire purpose of the legislation. The intervention comes after the first migrant Channel crossing of the year was reported on Saturday, with around 50 people brought to shore in Dover, Kent. The leaders of the three groups predicted that Number 10 would lean on MPs to withdraw their support from amendments put forward by Sir Bill Cash, the veteran backbencher, and Robert Jenrick, the the former immigration minister, which aim to close these loopholes. They said: We urge our colleagues to stand firmly with and for the British people who, as polling shows, overwhelmingly support robust action to combat illegal migration. Firing a shot across Mr Sunaks bows, they wrote: Many will recall the moment in 2019 when MPs were asked to swallow Mrs Mays inadequate Brexit deal. We were told then that a failure to accept it would see Brexit abandoned and our party out of power. In fact, the Brexit Spartans who held firm set off a chain of events that saw Brexit delivered and a historic Conservative election victory. As in 2019, standing firm this week requires courage, for we will face criticism from colleagues that we are letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. But the point is that the Bill is simply not good enough in its current form to deliver the outcome we all seek. Failing to deliver for the British people carries a much greater cost than temporary discomfort in Parliament. Standing firm is no more or less than our duty, for it means keeping our promise to those we serve our constituents. Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, has already said she will vote against the fundamentally flawed Rwanda Bill if Mr Sunak does not toughen it up. The Prime Minister would suffer a damaging blow to his authority if a sizeable number of his MPs voted against him, although the crunch would not come until the third reading, when a decision would have to be made as to whether to vote the Bill down in its entirety. However the Prime Minister gives ground to MPs on the Right, he risks alienating centrist Tories who have said he is already within an inch of what they consider acceptable. Michael Tomlinson, the minister for countering illegal migration, said the Government was still engaging with MPs about their concerns. We are confident in our Bill while, of course, we are talking and listening to colleagues to get their views, he told The Telegraph. Im a former deputy chairman of the ERG myself, so I understand my colleagues commitment to passing a Bill that works. They are not rebels, they are colleagues and we want the same thing. We all want effective legislation that will get flights off to Rwanda and to stop the boats. And thats what this Bill delivers. A government spokesman said: Under this new Bill, migrants will no longer be able to frustrate the decision to remove them to Rwanda by bringing systemic challenges in our courts. This Bill also disapplies every single avenue used by individuals to block the first flight to Rwanda, including asylum, modern slavery and human rights claims. Why this Bill fails to give ministers powers needed to stop boats The British people could not be clearer as our nations borders are crossed with impunity, they expect us to stop the boats. They are right to do so, write Mark Francois, Sir John Hayes and Danny Kruger Their principal reason for expecting action is not just the unsustainable pressures that the flow of illegal migrants places on public services; neither is it the 8 million a day we are spending on hotels; nor the crime and disorder in local communities; nor the drain on councils capacity to provide for residents. It is that the public expects us to deliver what we promised. At the beginning of last year, the Prime Minister was clear that his mission was to stop the boats, not reduce them. The promise was unequivocal: to stop the boats. Our entire Conservative team has worked hard to deliver that mission. In signing a groundbreaking returns deal with Albania, the Prime Minister, Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick eliminated almost entirely one source of the trade. Ministers also negotiated new treaties to limit migration and increase our ability to return migrants home or where that is not possible remove them to a safe third country. Unfortunately, the courts, in applying European law, have not allowed our Government to act in the way that it promised. In June 2022, late at night, an anonymous judge of the European Court of Human Rights blocked the first removal flight of Channel migrants to Rwanda, freezing the policy. In November last year, the Supreme Court applying a swathe of international laws put the policy on more permanent ice. In such circumstances, the case for new legislation is obvious. We must secure laws that allow us to break the link between illegally crossing the English Channel and the ability to settle in the UK. The job of backbench MPs is to legislate, and to scrutinise and amend draft Bills to ensure that they will be effective in meeting the priorities of our constituents. Our role in meeting the Prime Ministers mission is to ensure that new legislation passing through Parliament affords Ministers the necessary powers to stop the boats. As the leaders of the three largest groups of Conservative MPs on the conservative wing of the parliamentary party, we have united in recent weeks to express our fear that the Safety of Rwanda Bill fails to do that. We have two principal concerns. Firstly, the Bill as currently drafted does not give ministers the express authority to ignore as a default the anonymous pyjama injunctions of the European Court of Human Rights. Without this explicit authority, these contentious orders could permanently frustrate the effectiveness of the system while the policy works its way through the European court. Second, the continued right of migrants to delay their departure for many months, by making individual claims to UK courts by citing any number of personal circumstances, risks frustrating the entire purpose of the legislation. The Government acknowledges these are real risks. Our colleagues Sir Bill Cash and Robert Jenrick, who have worked to develop and deliver the Rwanda policy, have tabled amendments that close these loopholes. They are backed by the legal opinion of John Larkin KC, thus meeting the Prime Ministers test that there is a respected legal argument that these amendments comply with international law. Almost 60 of our colleagues have now signed the amendments. Doubtless pressure will be brought to bear on the MPs to withdraw their support. We urge our colleagues to stand firmly with and for the British people, who as polling shows overwhelmingly support robust action to combat illegal migration. We collectively opted to abstain on the second reading of the Bill before Christmas, when the Prime Minister promised that he was prepared to see the Bill tightened to improve its effectiveness. We took him at his word. Many will recall the moment in 2019 when MPs were asked to swallow Mrs Mays inadequate Brexit deal. We were told then that a failure to accept it would see Brexit abandoned and our party out of power. In fact, the Brexit Spartans who held firm set off a chain of events that saw Brexit delivered and a historic Conservative election victory. As in 2019, standing firm this week requires courage, for we will face criticism from colleagues that we are letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. But, the point is that the Bill is simply not good enough in its current form to deliver the outcome we all seek. Failing to deliver for the British people carries a much greater cost than temporary discomfort in Parliament. Standing firm is no more or less than our duty, for it means keeping our promise to those we serve our constituents. Mark Francois is the chairman of the European Research Group, Sir John Hayes is the chairman of the Common Sense Group, and Danny Kruger is the co-chairman of the New Conservatives 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. Republican presidential candidate hopeful Ryan Binkley speaks during the Lincoln Dinner on Friday, July 28, 2023, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Texas business executive and pastor Ryan Binkley said he has visited all of Iowa's 99 counties in a bid for the Republican nomination for president. His candidacy has been a long shot, tailing far behind the leaders in the race: former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. In a May 2023 interview, Binkley told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, that he believed he could carve a path with a platform that prioritizes unity and, at times, bipartisanship on financial, immigration and health care policy. But December's Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed 0% of caucusgoers said Binkley is their first choice. Binkley also recently sued the Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in an effort to get his name on the primary ballot, despite falling short of the threshold requirements. Here is what to know about Binkley and his campaign: More: Iowa caucus live updates: Trump leads polls as candidates make final push in Iowa GOP presidential candidate Ryan Binkley speaks at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox during day three of the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Des Moines. Who is Ryan Binkley? Binkley is the president, CEO and co-founder of Generational Equity Group, a mergers & acquisitions and business advisory group headquartered in Texas. He previously worked in Procter & Gamble and Boston Scientific Corporation before starting Generational in 2006. He's also the co-founder and lead pastor of the Create Church, based in Richardson, Texas. Binkley said in recent years he had "heard calls from the Lord about what's needed in our country," leading him to launch the presidential campaign his first foray into elected politics. He's touting his business acumen and faith in driving a candidacy that will prioritize "solutions for the country." What is Binkley focusing on in his platform and campaign? Binkley has criticized both Democratic and Republican leaders, telling the Des Moines Register in May 2023, they "really have trouble uniting their own party, much less their own country." He outlined four main areas he said he would be focusing on in his campaign: balancing the federal budget, driving down health care costs, reaching across the aisle to reform immigration policy and "revitalizing education" to encourage community involvement. Current leaders, he argued, have come up short in all four of those areas. "Former President Trump ran deficits," he said. "Many other presidents and our senators today, they've all voted for this continuation of what we've been doing." When it comes to health care, "we need to know how much it costs," Binkley said, urging further transparency from insurance companies. He also called for a robust "volunteer movement" among young people to mentor and tutor other students in an effort to boost falling test scores and reading abilities. And on immigration, he believes the only realistic solution will require cooperation from both parties. "One party wants a secure border, the other wants some sort of pathway of success for the immigrants that are here," Binkley said. "I think we're going to have to work together with some sort of visibility plan to know who's in our country right now." The other 2024 Republican presidential candidates More: Who will win the Iowa Caucuses? 6 GOP candidates' path to victory or defeat on Jan. 15 Former President Donald Trump Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley Entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Contributing: Sam Woodward This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Ryan Binkley? Create Church pastor campaigning in Iowa Caucuses Theres a very funny bit in John Henry Newmans The Present Position of Catholics, where he quotes a description by an opponent of Catholicism of the service of Benediction in a London church in 1850. Newman explains that Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the simplest rites of the Church. A priest unlocks the tabernacle, takes out the Blessed Sacrament, inserts it upright in a monstrance of precious metal, and sets it in a conspicuous place above the altar, in the midst of lights, for all to see. Then he takes the monstrance in his hands, and turning to the people, blesses them with the Most Holy, in the form of a cross, while the bell is sounded by one of the attendants to call attention to the ceremony. It is our Lords solemn benediction of His people. That description is from inside the system of belief. An outsider, as Newman reports, wrote in The British Protestant, that: One of them took from a small cupboard on the altar, that is, from the tabernacle, a gold Star; this is the head of the monstrance, in which is placed the Blessed Sacrament, and screwed it on to a candlestick, that is, the foot of the monstrance. The Star, the writer said, glittered like diamonds, for it had a round lamp in the middle of it. He had taken the reflection in the glass of the monstrance for a lamp. As the priest raised the Star, with his back turned to all the lighted candles on the altar, he clearly showed the Popish deceit; for in the candlestick there is a bell, that rung three times of its own accord, to deceive the blind fools. As Newman remarks, the author could not be looking at two places at once; he heard the bell, which the attendant was ringing at one side; he did not see it; where could it be? Concealed in the foot of the candlestick, which the priest secretly tinkled with his finger. History always views past events from the outside the days have gone. So it is common to read an account of a period through which one lived and to think No, it was not like that at all. Benediction in the 20th century is mentioned in a chapter on the period 1914-2021 in The Oxford History of British and Irish Catholicism. I mentioned the first of its five volumes here in November in writing about Newcastle in the 16th century, and now Ive been reading the last volume. The chapter, by Mary Heimann and Cara Delay, says that Benediction, by the First World War, had come to rival the Mass as the most popular form of Catholic devotion across the British Isles. I dont quite see how this could be. Catholics were bound on pain of mortal sin to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. I dont think the psychology was common of missing Mass on a Sunday morning, perhaps after a late night, and then going to Benediction on Sunday afternoon. Later the authors talk about changes after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). The reduction in the time required to fast before taking communion to just one hour rather than, as before, from midnight the previous day meant that it was easier to get to Mass at any time of day. This led to a decline in attendance at Benediction. It certainly led to increased reception of Holy Communion. It had been rare at noon high Mass. A claim, quoted from the sociologist Michael Hornsby-Smith, now 91, that I couldnt swallow, was that Catholics generally only met and socialised with other Catholics. Where on earth did they work? Did they not join trade unions, or go to the pub, which in London at least made no enquiry as to the regulars religion? It was not like that at all. 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. An SAPD DWI officer was hospitalized early Saturday after being shot during a traffic stop on the West Side. The alleged suspects are still at large. Theo Esquivel An SAPD DWI officer was hospitalized early Saturday after being shot during a traffic stop on the West Side. The alleged suspects are still at large. Theo Esquivel An SAPD DWI officer was hospitalized early Saturday after being shot during a traffic stop on the West Side. The alleged suspects are still at large. Theo Esquivel A police officer is in the hospital after he was shot during a traffic stop early Saturday on the West Side. According to a preliminary report, an SAPD DWI officer made a traffic stop around 1:15 a.m. in the 8200 block of Marbach Road near Loop 410. Two additional officers made the location to assist with the traffic stop. Police Chief William McManus said officers approached the vehicle from both the driver and passenger side when one of the passengers began shooting at them. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The officer on the passenger side of vehicle was hit, he went down, McManus said. Shortly after the shooting started, the driver got out of the vehicle. A passenger then jumped into the drivers seat and fled in the vehicle. Police later found the vehicle abandoned at a different location. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The injured officer, who has been with the department for six years, was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. McManus said the officer was in surgery as of early Saturday after suffering two gunshot wounds. McManus confirmed in a tweet that one alleged suspect is in custody while another is still at large. The Arctic night lasts for several months in Svalbard, an archipelago near the North Pole accustomed to the long stretches of darkness, yet scientists recently discovered surprising and concerning contaminants on its glaciers. Whats happening? Researchers found traces of sunscreen in the snow after collecting samples from five glaciers across the Brggerhalvya peninsula, as reported by Phys.org Because the sun does not shine there during the winter, the presence of the chemicals from the protective creams, including Benzophenone-3, required further digging. The results show that the presence of emerging contaminants in remote areas can be attributed to the role of long-range atmospheric transport, Ca Foscari researcher Marco Vecchiato told Phys.org. In fact, the highest concentrations were found in winter deposition, he continued, adding that contaminated air masses from Eurasia reach the Arctic more easily near the end of winter. The study was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment and was a joint effort between the Ca Foscari University of Venice, the Institute of Polar Sciences National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISP), and the University Center in Svalbard. Why is this concerning? Many types of sunscreen contain ingredients that harm our ecosystem. For example, Benzophenone-3 also known as oxybenzone has accelerated the decline of coral reefs, which have already been under stress because of rising global temperatures. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, coral reefs have been described as the rainforests of the sea, as 25% of ocean fish rely on the living structures for survival. At the same time, billions of humans depend on the sea for food. While scientists are still investigating exactly how the air carried the chemicals to the North Pole, the latest study is another example of the beautiful yet fragile interconnectedness of our ecosystem. It will be crucial to understand how these contaminants are transported and deposited in polar areas, CNR-ISP researcher Andrea Spolaor told Phys.org, noting that the Arctic has been affected by warming global temperatures four times faster than other parts of the world. What can be done about chemical pollution from sunscreen? Given that sunscreen helps protect us against cancer-causing radiation, ditching the product altogether is not advisable. Thankfully, there are eco-friendly sunscreens that dont contain toxic chemicals, and some policymakers have been taking action on the issue. Hawaii, for example, banned the sale of sunblockers containing Benzophenone-3 in 2021, while the European Union has also restricted the use of the chemical. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet. The United States carried out a second strike on the Houthis in the early hours of Saturday morning as Washington vowed to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-backed group. The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, used Tomahawk missiles to destroy a radar site in Sanaa, the US military said. The Iran-aligned group threatened to retaliate for the strike, which came a day after dozens of American and British missiles and bombs hit Houthi targets. This new strike will have a firm, strong and effective response, Nasruldeen Amer, a Houthi spokesperson, told Al Jazeera. There were no injuries or material damages in the latest US strike, the official said. Saturdays missile strike was intended to degrade the Houthis ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels, US Central Command said. Witnesses reported intense air activity above Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, with Houthi TV channel Al-Masirah reporting that the Al-Dailami airbase had been attacked. In Sanaa, government employee Mohammed Samei said the attacks were an act of brutal aggression and marked a new stage of a war Yemen had endured for 10 years. Hussein Kabsi, a retired government employee, said supporting the Palestinians was a religious and moral duty. Our stance is unwavering, we will continue to stand with our brothers in Palestine and Gaza until victory and until all Palestinian land is liberated not just Gaza, he said. Iranian demonstrators burn representations of British and US flags during a protest on Friday - Vahid Salemi/AP Mohammed Abdulsalam, a Houthi spokesperson, said the strikes had no significant impact on the groups ability to prevent Israel-affiliated vessels from passing through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. Later on Saturday, Houthi-linked sources claimed a third strike had hit the port city of Hodeida. A military source allied with the rebels told the AFP news agency that a missile launch site on the outskirts of the city was hit, adding that it was unclear whether the strikes came from the sea or the air. The US-UK strikes have been seen as a major escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas, and have raised fears of a further expansion of the conflict. Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, on Saturday urged maximum restraint by all parties involved in Yemen, warning of an increasingly uncertain situation in the region. Earlier on Saturday, Joe Biden said the US had delivered a private message to Iran about the Tehran-backed rebels responsible for attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea. We delivered it privately and were confident were well-prepared, the US president said. Mr Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of foreign terrorist organisations in 2021, was asked by reporters if he felt the term terrorist described the movement now. I think they are, he said. The Pentagon said it was confident strikes by American and British forces on Thursday had harmed Houthi capability. Satellite images released on Saturday by imaging firm Maxar showed destroyed buildings and small craters in several locations believed to have been targeted by the US and UK in Yemen. John Kirby, the White House spokesperson, said on Friday the initial strikes had hit the rebels ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used to threaten shipping. He said Washington had no interest in a war with Iran. Mr Kirby told MSNBC: Were not looking to escalate and theres no reason for it to escalate beyond what happened over the last few days. We know that Iran supports the Houthis. We know that theyre supplying them with the missiles and the drones, the same things theyve used to attack shipping, and we have made it very clear Iran should stop that support. 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. ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) The Alexandria Police Department (APD) responded to the second swatting incident in the city in recent months and warned the community of how dangerous such incidents can be. Officers received a report of a man saying hed shot his wife and was threatening suicide on Jan. 10 at about 10:11 p.m. in the 800 block of Clovercrest Drive. Multiple APD officers responded but later determined it was a false report no one was hurt or threatening suicide. After checking the address and speaking to the homeowner, officers left they are still investigating the incident. What to expect for DC Winter Restaurant Week This was just one of the latest two recent false or hoax swatting threats in Alexandria, APD stated on Saturday. In 2023, the APD received four calls for service that ended up being swatting calls. Swatting is criminal activity by someone who knowingly provides false information to police, suggesting a threat exists. This causes police or emergency services to respond, draining resources and putting responders and the community at risk. These crimes are not victimless, stated Alexandria Chief of Police Don Hayes in a statement. An incident of swatting can be traumatic for a community and have tragic consequences. Making a false report compromises the safety of everyone involved, including our officers. APD said that it takes all threats to public safety including swatting incidents seriously. Swatting is a crime, and incidents are investigated by police. If the hoax crosses state lines, it is considered a federal crime. A false report can be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor or a Class 6 felony. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. As tensions in the Middle East rise, Hampton Roads-based warships are playing a critical role in responding to attacks on military and commercial ships. We gave them hell last night, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said during a change of command ceremony held Friday at Naval Station Norfolk. I knew what was coming and I am extremely proud of our fleet. Early Thursday, U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom and support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Bahrain, reported conducting joint strikes on Houthi targets. The Houthis are an Iranian-backed militant group that began launching attacks on U.S. and international ships amid ongoing conflict between Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization by the U.S., and Israel. The U.S. and United Kingdoms Thursday action against the Houthis targeted radar systems, air defense systems and storage and launch sites, according to U.S. Central Command. Just days before, on Tuesday, U.S. officials said the Houthis launched one-way aerial attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen into the Southern Red Sea toward international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting. The U.S. and the United Kingdom shot down 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile, officials said. The firepower was brought by F/A-18 Super Hornets from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and destroyers USS Gravely, USS Laboon, USS Mason and the United Kingdoms HMS Diamond. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower deployed from Naval Station Norfolk to the Mediterranean in mid-October. Within 12 hours of pushing off the pier, it was ordered to sail to the Middle East in response to what Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said were escalations by Iran and its proxy forces. Norfolk-based destroyers USS Gravely and USS Laboon, along with the USS Mason out of Mayport, deployed with the Eisenhower as part of its strike group. The U.S. Central Command shared news of the coordinated response to its social media platforms and included a video of a fighter jet taking off from the Eisenhower. The Houthis have attempted to attack 27 ships in international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since Nov. 19, U.S. defense officials said. Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, said 55 nations have been affected so far by the attacks on international shipping. This kind of conduct just cannot continue. It is a violation of international law. It is a threat, obviously, to our fleet and the fleets of our allies and partners, Del Toro said. And it is having a dramatic impact, obviously, on the free flow of trade, which negatively impacts economies of all nations. The Eisenhower strike group is operating in the Red Sea and nearby Gulf of Aden, establishing a force presence to deter other forces from taking advantage of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The strike group could transit closer to Israel by way of the Suez Canal, an Egyptian waterway that connects the Red Sea to the eastern Mediterranean. Also working to deter further aggression are elements of the Hampton Roads-based USS Bataan amphibious group and a force of 2,500 Marines. Assault ship USS Bataan and transport dock USS Mesa Verde, both homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, and dock landing ship USS Carter Hall, homeported at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, are operating in the Eastern Mediterranean. The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group was operating in the Eastern Mediterranean but has since began the journey back to Norfolk following a thrice-extended deployment. The Ford is due back to Norfolk next week. Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) An Oklahoma Senator says hes taking the next steps toward the creation of the states Civil Rights Trail. Last session, a measure authorizing the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail, and the necessary revolving fund for grants related to its development, received unanimous approval in the Legislature and was signed into law by the governor. Potential name change could be coming to Ponca Citys Pioneer Woman Museum Ahead of the 2024 session, Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, has filed Senate Bill 1356 to provide $1.5 million for the revolving fund, which will ultimately include federal dollars as well as gifts and donations for development of the trail. He said the project will preserve Oklahomas past, inspire future generations, and promote economic development throughout the state. The Civil Rights Trail will highlight our states Black towns, as well as Native American sites of historic significance, Matthews said. These locations are integral to Oklahomas identity and the role our citizens played in the U.S. Civil Rights movement. The trail will shine a light on that history, the resilience and strength that define us, and inspire emerging entrepreneurs and leaders. SB 1356 is an investment that will benefit our entire state. Lawmaker proposes new agency to oversee economic development Matthews said the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail, as described in the 2023 legislation, will begin at Standing Bear Park, Museum and Education Center in Ponca City, then proceed to the site of the 1920s Osage Reign of Terror, in Fairfax. Map of Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail sites The trail will continue through the states all-Black communities, including Boley, Brooksville, Clearview, Grayson, Langston, Lima, Red Bird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, Tatums, Tullahassee, and Vernon. The trail then moves to Greenwood Rising and the Pathway to Hope, in Tulsa, before ending at the Clara Luper Center, to be built in Oklahoma City. The unanimous, bipartisan support for this vision with the initial bill in 2023 speaks volumes about its importance and benefits to Oklahoma, Matthews said. With this investment, we will be a step closer to making that vision a reality. The 2024 Regular Session begins Feb. 5. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Edgewood ISD trustee Michael Valdez listens to public comment at a Nov. 14 meeting where he was the lone dissenter in a 5-1 vote to close Winston Intermediate School of Excellence and Wrenn Middle School. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News The Edgewood Independent School District board is considering action against one of its trustees, the youngest school board member in Bexar County, after an investigation found he acted inappropriately toward district employees. Begun in July, the probe against trustee Michael Valdez, 20, by an outside law firm didnt confirm the more serious allegations against him. Whether it does anything to change the tense, combative relationship between Valdez and the rest of the board remains to be seen. The boards president has repeatedly scolded him for what she called a pattern of unprofessional, rude and disrespectful behavior toward school district staff and fellow trustees. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Valdez called the probe retaliation against his willingness to question the districts leadership, though Edgewood ISD attorney Juan Cruz told him in an email that it was because several employees complained about his conduct at various district events. The final investigation report found that his conduct did not rise to the level of creating a hostile work environment and that there was no evidence of prohibited harassment against staff, Cruz said in a memo to Valdez on Dec. 13. The law firm did, however, find that Valdez violated other Edgewood ISD rules and policies by acting inappropriately toward employees, the memo said. Valdez provided copies of the email and memo to the Express-News. Meeting in December, the board voted 6-1 to acknowledge the investigation results, and approved a list of recommendations to encourage professional behavior between Valdez and staff, including consideration of a public reprimand, a public censure and mandatory professional training. The board will discuss possible action at its next meeting. Elected to the board in November 2022 when he was 19, months after graduating from Edgewood Fine Arts Academy, Valdez currently attends San Antonio College. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He said he believes the investigation was launched because he speaks out at board meetings and asks the tough questions about issues facing the West Side school district, one of the poorest in Texas. What Ive figured out is no one has ever questioned the superintendent before, they just kind of let him do whatever he wants, Valdez said. I think the main issue is that theyre upset that someone new has come in and is questioning how stuff has been done. In a statement provided on Thursday, Edgewood ISD said that the allegations and subsequent investigation were not retaliatory and that the district will ensure that all federal laws and board policies are followed to ensure a harmonious working environment for all employees irrespective of the position held by the person accused of unprofessional conduct. Valdez has clashed with other trustees over the boards operating procedures and policies, which he said have changed four times since he was elected, and the decision to close two campuses in response to falling enrollment, much of it blamed on charter school competition. His behavior at meetings has prompted multiple emails from board president Martha Castilla, including one in November in which she warned him that legal action could be taken if he didnt start adhering to the boards policies. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Castilla could not be reached for comment. In June, she wrote that Valdezs persistent interruptions prevented the board from addressing school business, according to copies of the messages Valdez provided to the Express-News. Two months later, she sent an email about Valdezs conduct at the Aug. 22 board meeting, which turned heated after he was told that he needed a board majority to pull items for individual consideration off the consent agenda, a group of action items the board can approve with a single motion because it assumes they are uncontroversial. The argument ended with Valdez yelling over Castilla as she called to adjourn into a closed session. Frankly, sir, I am confused by your incessant disregard for our board operating procedures and lack of civility during our meetings, she wrote. In an October email, Castilla said Valdez responded to a staff member who asked him to speak up during a meeting by yelling into the microphone while glaring at her. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Your pattern of unprofessional, rude and disrespectful behavior towards district employees, district administration and fellow board members is unacceptable, she wrote. The board will consider requiring Valdez to attend planning sessions with the superintendent, adding time limits to discussion and debate for agenda items and including a standing item on every board meeting agenda to allow immediate discussion and redirection of any board members behavior. In 2016, the Texas Education Agency replaced the entire Edgewood ISD board with five appointed managers after factionalism among trustees led to repeated 3-3 deadlocked votes on filling a board vacancy and other key decisions. A full transition back to an elected board was completed in 2020. Valdez, who previously served on the city of San Antonios Youth Commission, said he was inspired to run for the board after the state takeover to be a voice for the community, bring a new perspective and advocate for positive change. Im not here to be anyones friend on the school board, he said. Im here to work for the community, for the voters and the residents of Edgewood ISD. Im here because I was a product of this school district from pre-K to graduation and I really want to try to make a difference. UPDATE Tuesday, Jan. 16, 9:10 a.m.: SPAR Recreation Centers will not be open Wednesday, Jan. 16, due to winter weather. The City of Shreveport has closed all city offices. Original: The Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation (SPAR) is gearing up for the arctic blast that is expected to hit north Louisiana early next week. The likelihood of an arctic air mass is expected to impact the region early next week with an extended period of bitterly cold weather and wintry precipitation from late Sunday through Monday. According to SPAR, they are working with the City of Shreveport to take proactive measures to assist residents during the anticipated subfreezing temperatures. The City of Shreveport and SPAR announced Friday that they will be opening several warming shelters. SPAR Marketing and Communications Manager, Lyman McKellar said, "these shelters aim to offer a refuge for residents seeking relief from the extreme temperatures." Locations: Bilberry Park Community Center, 1902 Alabama Ave. Airport Park Community Center, 6500 Kennedy Dr. These shelters will open on Monday, Jan. 15 at 8 a.m. SPAR Recreation Centers will also be activated as warming shelters starting Tuesday, Jan. 16. The City of Shreveport said they encourage residents to stay informed about weather updates, take necessary precautions and utilize these warming shelters if required during this weather event. More: Shreveport City Council OKs open container law for Red River District Makenzie Boucher is a reporter for The Shreveport Times. You can contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Where are the Shreveport warming centers? After a lifetime of caring for children with serious illnesses at her San Luis Obispo nursing home, caregiver Adriaantje Sjany de Groot died Jan. 4 at the age of 96. For more than 30 years, De Groot provided 24-hour care for children with severe illnesses and disabilities at The de Groots Nursing Home for Medically Fragile Children in San Luis Obispo. De Groot and her family, staff and a team of volunteers cared for children of all ages some as young as 2 months old, others teenagers. All required intensive support for their medical conditions. De Groot and her late husband lived in the facility and cared for the patients like they were their own children. She was a very remarkable person, certainly an icon of San Luis Obispo, local pediatrician Dr. Rene Bravo said. She should be extolled for being selfless, compassionate, kind and willing to do things that no one else wanted to do. Sjany de Groot holds 2-year-old Joe on Nov. 20, 2002, at her home in San Luis Obispo. She started caring for him when he was 2 months old. SLO woman pioneers compassionate care for medically fragile children In 1977, de Groot and her husband Rokus de Groot started caring for medically fragile children in their home, according to their daughter, Wendy de Groot, who published a piece in The Tribune in 2001. I see firsthand the utmost love, care, and dedication my parents have for these children in their home, Wendy de Groot wrote. My parents dont take any vacations, and never have a day off. Their outings are going to the store and coming home with things toys or clothes for the children. Originally, the de Groots could care for up to six medically fragile children in their home then Rokus built another facility that could accommodate up to 15 children, according to de Groots obituary. When Dr. Bravo visited the nursing home for the first time during the 1980s, he said he was amazed by the compassionate care de Groot, her family, staff and volunteers provided the children. It really didnt look like a hospital, it was built like a home, Bravo said. Her goal was to give them as good a life as possible. Many of de Groots patients had severe brain damage or genetic disabilities. Back in the 1980s, these children would have been hospitalized in a less comfortable environment, according to Bravo. But de Groots patients were getting personalized care they were thriving, Bravo said. De Groot was famous in the California medical community for her compassionate care, and childrens hospitals across the state would contact her with potential clients, according to Bravo. The concept that she championed home-style care with love and compassion was something that, at least back in the 80s and 90s, was just starting to take hold, Bravo said. The nursing home closed in 2014 when the state withdrew its funding, but de Groot continued to care for her remaining patients, according to her obituary. Bravo noted that de Groot was a uniter. Sjany did bring out the good in this community, Bravo said. They would rally around her and she won constantly in the court of public opinion because the people in this town people knew she was doing the right thing. She earned numerous accolades for her work, including the Presidential Recognition Award for Exemplary Community Service from President Ronald Reagan. I will miss her, Bravo said. Even in the dark times, she would smile. Blair Gracey, a certified nursing assistant, feeds Emonee, one of the children at Sjany de Groots former nursing home in San Luis Obispo. De Groot lived by motto, I will never give up! De Groot was born in Rotterdam, a harbor town in the Netherlands, on Oct. 10, 1927, according to her obituary. When WWII came to her homeland, Sjany and her family suffered immensely, the obiturary said. Near death from starvation, constant bombings, and home insecurity are some of the horrors she experienced during this time. Rising above the hardships and experiences of her young life are evidence of her tenacity and determination even as a child, it continued. After World War II ended, she attended nursing school in the Netherlands, and then met her husband, Rokus. In 1959, she moved with her husband and children to San Luis Obispo, where she was hired as a night nurse at French Hospital. She earned an associate degree in nursing from Cuesta College during the 1970s to supplement the Bachelor of Science in nursing she earned in the Netherlands. There were many challenges over the years, but she was driven by her motto I will never give up! the obituary said. And she didnt! She is outlived by her brother, nine children, 17 grandchildren and 39 great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 651 Foothill Blvd. in San Luis Obispo. People can also watch a livestream of the service at zoom.us/j/95748036300. She leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion and determination that will remain in the hearts of all whose lives she touched, the obituary said. Trumps New York fraud trial is giving us a preview of the legal strategy hell probably deploy in all of the criminal trials hes facing over the coming yearand its not pretty, Robert Katzberg writes. It seems like Trumps going to do everything he can to improperly impact jurors and cause a mistrial. Katzberg examines where this strategy could lead, and what it could mean for Jack Smiths federal election interference case. Plus, in case you missed it: Jeremy Stahl wrote about how Trumps legal arguments are getting increasingly embarrassing. The U.S. launched an attack against targets in Yemen, after months of Houthi fighters attacking ships in the Red Sea. Fred Kaplan examines the possibility that were on the brink of an expanding conflict in the Middle East, and one possible way a broader war could be avoided. Plus: Thousands of women have been widowed in Gaza, and theyre fighting for their families lives. Over at our sister publication, Foreign Policy, Neha Wadekar and Ruwaida Amer tell some of their stories. Scott Olson/Getty Images Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faced a sharp, surprising rebuke from a conservative appeals court on Wednesday. Mark Joseph Stern explains what happened. Its honestly impressive how messed up the 2024 primaries areeven by Americas standards. States are going rogue, and wed be in real trouble if the winners werent a foregone conclusion. On What Next, Mary Harris spoke with Ari Berman about how voting in this country is about to get really weird. Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images. Elon Musk is apparently realizing he should have bought TikTok. How can you tell? Well, unfortunately for us, hes making Twitter into a terrible version of TikTok. Alex Kirshner breaks down how we got here, and how none of it had to happen this way. Not many things about immigration policy are clear except for the fact that it seems to have broken peoples brains, Pedro Gerson writes. And when it comes to this issue, Democrats are falling into an old trap all over again. Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Getty Images Plus. An iPhone fell 16,000 feet and somehow its screen didnt break. How? Part of the answer is that phone screens have gotten more durable, Anna Gibbs writesand part of it is basic physics. She breaks down the science for us. Plus, in case you missed it: Luke Winkie wrote about why the Alaska Airlines loose bolts incident is so much more horrifying than other stories of things going wrong on planes. And What Next: TBD took a look at Boeings larger problems. True Detective: Night Country isnt a return to form. Its something much better. Laura Miller explains how the new season overhauls everything the series was known for. But which sedimentary rock is that metamorphic rock derived from, hmm? You can test your knowledge of rocksand much morewith our daily quiz! We hope your holiday weekend rocks! (All right, all right, well see ourselves out!) Thanks so much for reading, and well see you on Tuesday. Society of the Snow has put a renewed interest in the harrowing saga of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, the flight carrying 45 people that crashed in the Andes Mountains in 1972 while heading from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile. A total of 16 people survived after 72 days in the snow, while they endured avalanches, harsh cold, starvation and the decision to eat those who had died. Twelve people died as a result of the crash, while another 17 would die at various points afterward. Sixteen people wound up being rescued. Nearly half of the passengers played on the Old Christians Club amateur rugby team, while others were their friends and family. One of the men who on the plane was Numa Turcatti. Enzo Vogrincic portrays Turcatti in Society of the Snow, who serves as the films narrator. Who was Numa Turcatti? Turcatti did not play on the team. He was friends with Pancho Delgado, one of the other people onboard who survived the crash and wound up among the survivors. Enzo Vogrincic as Numa Turcatti in What role does Turcatti play in 'Society of the Snow'? Turcatti is depicted as gritty and caring. His character is based on accounts given in Pablo Viercis 2008 book Society of the Snow, which served as the basis of the movie. When I talk about Numa, I cant help but cry, crash survivor Coche Inciarte, who died in 2023, said in the book. Hes the best person Ive ever met in my life. However tenderly I cared for those who were losing heart, Numa did it much better because he never got tired. He was constantly aware of everyone elses distress. He radiated peace, he never gave up, and when he came near me, I felt like Jesus Christ himself was among us, with such mercy and compassion in his eyes. I dont know where he got his strength. Society of the Snow (Netflix) What happened to Turcatti? Numa Turcatti turned 25 on Oct. 30 while trapped under a blanket of snow from an avalanche. He sustained injuries on his leg from it, which ultimately led to his death Dec. 11. He was the last person to die before the rescue Dec. 22. Turcatti was involved in earlier efforts to seek help and worked hard to help others. He was muscular, with a lean build, though not very tall, Vierci wrote in Society of the Snow. Numa was also a very special person. He helped with the endless activities on the mountain from the very first, never thinking about the risk to himself, never calculating how much energy he was expending and how much energy he needed to keep for himself. He took part in the expedition on the fourth day, the suicidal expedition on the 11th day, shortly after hearing on the radio that the search had been called off. He always wanted to go on the final expeditions, even though an injury he had gotten during the avalanche had become infected, and he was growing weaker day by day, his body too defenceless to protect him any longer. During an initial expedition, Turcatti was horrified to find that all you could see was more mountains, Nando Parrado recalled in Viercis book. He told survivor Daniel Fernandez he thought, after he expedition, "we will never be able to leave this place." Society of the Snow (Netflix) Turcatti seemed to think of his death as a sacrifice. He was found with a note clutched in his hands on which he'd written, "There is no greater love than giving your life for your friends." Survivor Gustavo Zerbino said Turcatti's death helped spur the final expedition for help, which ultimately led to their rescue. Numa sacrificed himself to push the expeditionaries to leave, as if saying: If I die now, most importantly I wont suffer anymore. Besides that, Ill motivate them to leave, he said in the Society of the Snow book. A photograph of the crashed plane and the survivors, shown at the Lircunlauta Museum, in San Fernando, Chile, Oct. 4, 2022. (Elvis Gonzalez / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock) What is Turcattis legacy? For those not familiar with the story, Turcattis death may come as a surprise to those watching Society of the Snow. While his father had previously died, some of the survivors visited his mother in Montevideo after they were rescued. His brother, Daniel, was on hand. Mama listened in total silence, he recalled in the book Society of the Snow. They talked, one by one, while Mama was reliving her sons life, touching the jagged edges of the hole that could never be filled. Suddenly she asked them, Did Numa ever let you down? And to some extend she got the answer she wanted to hear. She was not surprised, but she was comforted to be able to confirm what she had always believed: the death of her son had not been in vain. Vogrincic, ahead of filming, visited Turcatti's home, where he was accompanied by Turcatti's surviving brother and sister. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Mark Talley, the son of 62-year-old Geraldine Talley, who was killed in the 2022 supermarket mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., said he opposes the Department of Justices (DOJ) decision to seek the death penalty for the shooter. Speaking for myself, I disagree with the decision that was made today. Now, in no way Im angry about it, because at the end of the day, this white supremacists life will be coming to an end, Talley told CNN on Friday. I just dont necessarily like how its going to come to an end. I mean, hes going to know his death day, eventually. Hes going to be given a date in which hell no longer be here. He contrasted that with his mother, who did not know her last day was coming May 14, 2022, when Payton Gendron allegedly targeted Black shoppers in a racist attack. Federal prosecutors announced Friday they will seek the death penalty for Gendron, who is serving life in prison after pleading guilty to state murder and domestic terror charges for killing 10 Black people in the shooting. The federal case is centered on hate crime charges, as prosecutors allege he specifically targeted Black people. His lawyers previously said he would consider pleading guilty in the federal case if prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. Talley, author of the book 5/14: The Day the Devil Came to Buffalo, said he opposes the prosecutors attempts to seek the death penalty because he would rather the shooter rot in a supermax prison or stay in the county jail near Buffalo. I want every second of the rest of his life to be in constant turmoil, not knowing if this is going to be the day that somebody tries to kill him because he tried to kill people that look like me, Talley said. I want him to constantly feel that this could be the day hes going to die. I want him to constantly know that [hes] gonna be possibly assaulted by multiple individuals with no guards around. I want everything and everyone that hes ever loved to suffer. I want his life, the rest of whatever life he has, to be filled with pain, misery and just unimaginable suffering, he added. Talley said the DOJ presented its decision to seek the death penalty with families in a professional manner. Police said Gendron, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, was motivated by racist hate. A manifesto he published at the time of the attack included the great replacement theory, a white supremacist conspiracy theory. He said he was inspired by previous racially motivated mass shooters. He traveled more than 200 miles from his home in Conklin to the supermarket in Buffalo because it is in a predominantly Black neighborhood, prosecutors said. It is the first time Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorized pursuing the death penalty in a new case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Roughly 35 years after the body of a five-year-old boy was found near his familys residence in South Carolina, the childs father and stepmother have been arrested and charged in his killing, officials said. Victor Lee Turner and Megan Lee Turner, who formerly went by the name Pamela, were arrested on Wednesday and charged in the death of Justin Lee Turner in 1989 after the Berkeley County Sheriffs Office in Moncks Corner reopened the cold case in 2021, the sheriffs office said in a news release. The case was reviewed for the possible application of new or unused technology in April 2021, which led to the agency reevaluating physical evidence from the crime scene and autopsy, the sheriff said. The evidence was then submitted to forensic pathologists and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division forensic laboratory for analysis, the release said. The investigation ultimately led to charges against the couple and their arrest at their residence in Cross Hill before they were transported to the Hill-Finklea Detention Center for holding, the sheriffs office said. CNN is working to identify and contact attorneys for Victor and Megan Turner for comment. An affidavit provided to CNN by the sheriffs office said the Turners falsely reported their son missing to the sheriffs office on March 3, claiming he never got off the school bus. Witnesses, however, confirmed the child was never on the bus nor was he in attendance at school that day, their affidavits show. Investigators believe the boy was killed in the late evening of March 2 or early morning of March 3, 1989, according to an affidavit. Two days after he was reported missing, Justins body was found by detectives inside the couples truck camper on the family property near their home, according to affidavits. Victor Lee Turner, left, and Megan Turner, right. - WCIV The specific location inside the camper where the body was concealed by the offender highly suggests familiarity with the camper and its floor plan, the document said, noting only the couple had possessed keys to give them access to the vehicle. Crime scene investigation, forensic analysis and autopsy results established Justin died of asphyxiation due to strangulation by ligature a short time after consuming his last meal, according to the affidavits. The boy died near the time he was last seen alive, the affidavits say, citing the forensics pathologist report. The autopsy results also confirmed Justin died a short time after consuming his last meal, the affidavits said. Ultimately, the investigation determined the Turners were the last and only persons to have seen their son alive and interact with him before his death, the documents said. During the investigation, detectives determined Justin did not leave his family residence on his own accord and was carried from the residence to the camper, the documents show. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Divisions forensic lab analysis determined the proffered ligature found inside the Turner residents has the physical characteristics capable of causing the strangulation wounds on the childs neck, the affidavit said. Fiber evidence collected from the ligature, which is something used to bind, found it to be physically and chemically consistent with the material taken from the inside childs shirt collar, according to the document. The investigation determined the ligature recovered from the residence was a likely weapon used to intentionally strangle and kill the victim, the affidavit said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A white spacex dragon capsule is seen inside a large hangar near a door that opens onto darkness. SpaceX continues to gear up for its next astronaut mission. That flight, known as Ax-3, is scheduled to launch from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17, sending four people to the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon capsule that will carry those folks to the orbiting lab and back has now arrived at Pad 39A's hangar, SpaceX announced today (Jan. 12) in a post on X that featured photos of the spacecraft in its new surroundings. Related: Axiom Space names Ax-3 astronaut crew for SpaceX mission to ISS a white spacex capsule is seen in a large, dark room. Ax-3 is the third mission to the ISS organized by Houston company Axiom Space. Like its two predecessors, which launched in April 2022 and May 2023, Ax-3 will employ SpaceX hardware the Falcon 9 rocket as well as the Dragon capsule. Ax-3's crew consists of former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria; Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, who also flew to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic in June 2023; Marcus Wandt of the European Space Agency; and Alper Gezeravc, who will become the first citizen of Turkey to reach space. Lopez-Alegria, who now works for Axiom, will command the mission. (NASA requires that every private crewed mission to the ISS be led by a former agency astronaut.) He's a dual Spanish-American citizen, giving Ax-3 an unprecedented international flavor. "The Ax-3 mission will be transformational, as it fosters partnerships outside the construct of the ISS, and positions European nations as pioneers of the emerging commercial space industry," Lopez-Alegria said in an Axiom statement in September 2023, when the crewmembers were announced. RELATED STORIES: NASA and Axiom Space sign-on for 4th private astronaut mission to space station Axiom Space: Building the off-Earth economy SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company Ax-3 will be the 12th astronaut mission for SpaceX. In addition to the two Axiom flights, Elon Musk's company has launched eight crewed missions for NASA (including the Demo-2 test flight in 2020) and the private Inspiration4 effort. All of these missions visited the ISS except Inspiration4, on which Dragon flew freely in Earth orbit. One SpaceX mission remains at the orbiting lab the four-person Crew-7, which launched last August and is scheduled to return to Earth next month. A Chinese satellite flew over Taiwan's airspace, leading to more concerns as the incident happened ahead of the island's most-awaited presidential election. On Tuesday, Jan. 9, China launched a new satellite that triggered an islandwide alert in the self-ruled Asian country. The nationwide air raid alert was sent to citizens as Taiwan is preparing for the upcoming election, which is scheduled on Jan. 13. The launch of the Chinese satellite was days after numerous surveillance balloons were spotted across Taiwan, which allegedly came from Beijing as well. Chinese Satellite Flies Over Taiwan's Airspace According to BBC News' latest report, the Taiwan defense ministry (Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan) said that Beijing launched a satellite off the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Taiwanese defense officials stated that the orbital aircraft's launch happened at around 3:03 p.m. local time. This was also confirmed by China's CCTV (China Central Television); it announced the launch of the Einstein Probe, saying that it was a complete success. Because of this, many Taiwanese officials and citizens become more concerned about China's intent to interfere with their presidential election. Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said that this satellite launch is a "greyzone" activity. "When a rocket is openly flying in our sky, some of their tubes or debris will fall in this region," said Wu via Al Jazeera. "That's the reason why our national alert center will issue this kind of alert. It has happened before," he added. Read Also: Chinese Spy Balloon Allegedly Used US Internet Provider; Intelligence Officials Share New Details | HNGN - Headlines & Global News Will Chinese Satellite Interfere With Taiwan's Election? The launch of the Chinese satellite is quite suspicious since it happened just a few days before Taiwan's election. This could lead to concerns that the spacecraft would be used for election interference. However, Xinhua, a Chinese state news agency, claimed that this new satellite is designed specifically for astronomical observations and other similar activities. The media company added that the Chinese satellite will be used to make observations. These include observing the mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks. However, Taiwan will still speculate that this new Chinese satellite will be used to interfere with the upcoming presidential election, especially since the Chinese government reportedly announced its interference plans against Taiwan. Based on previous reports, CCP's fourth-ranking leader Wang Huning urged other top Chinese officials to be more effective and discreet when disrupting the Taiwanese presidential election. Related Article: Chinese Spy Balloon Appears in Taiwan Strait, Defense Ministry Claims-Is China Trying To Disturb Presidential Election? State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces the promotion of Assistant State Attorneys Mark Caliel and Adair Newman to chief assistant state attorney, bringing close to 45 years of prosecutorial experience. Caliel and Newman started their roles and responsibilities of former Chief Assistant L.E. Hutton, who was appointed to the Fourth Judicial Circuit bench and was sworn in on Jan. 2, 2024. According to the news release, now under a different organizational structure, both chief assistants will report to First Assistant Stephen Siegel, who continues in the role with nearly 30 years of service at the State Attorneys Office. Read: City of Jacksonville & United Way kick off week of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Caliel has spent his entire career as a prosecutor in the Fourth Judicial Circuit after joining in March 1997. He most recently was director of Circuit Court and, before that, a director of the Targeted Prosecution division. His many roles include team lead on the offices Officer-Involved Critical Incident team since September 2020 and a member of the Homicide rotation since July 1999. Read: Driver who survived logging rollover crash in Jacksonville compared it to a scary movie come to life Newman has spent most of her career with the office, first joining in September 2001 and going to private practice in July 2009. She returned in 2013 and has since served in a variety of leadership roles including, most recently, Special Victims Unit director and Juvenile Division director. Read: Putnam County leaders give update to fix Palatka road causing pothole problems Siegel joined the State Attorneys Office in 1995, previously serving as a judicial staff attorney for the State of Florida. He has served as his first assistant since 2017. Before that, he spent time as division chief in Circuit and County courts and Special Prosecution. He is board-certified by the Florida Bar in Criminal Law. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. State lawmakers will keep chasing the right answer when it comes to giving police the green light to pursue people trying to get away. On Thursday, the Secretary of States Office certified signatures on a proposed ballot initiative that would erase requirements preventing an officer from initiating a chase unless they suspect a person has committed certain crimes, such as a violent offense or driving while drunk or high on drugs. Supporters of the initiative argue the current rules encourage criminals to run from the cops. Supporters of the current pursuit restrictions argue that high-speed chases are dangerous for suspects, police and anyone else driving on a road where the chase takes place. More than 400,000 Washington residents signed Initiative 2113 to do away with the pursuit restrictions, according to supporters. The initiative was organized by Lets Go Washington, a political action committee dedicated to repeal laws passed by the Democrat-led state Legislature. Brian Heywood, a business owner from Redmond, has bankrolled the pursuit proposal and five other initiatives, spending $1 million a pop trying to get them on the November ballot. Because the effort to make police chases common again is an initiative to the Legislature, its future lies in the hands of lawmakers who have three options on what to do with it. They can do any of the following: 1. Adopt the initiative as written. 2. Reject it. 3. Refuse to act on it. In the case of options 2 and 3, the initiative would go on the November ballot. Lawmakers also have the option to write and approve an alternate ballot measure. On Friday in the Washington State Senate, Initiative 2113 was referred to the Senate Law & Justice Committee. House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, released the following statement in response to the initiative being certified by the Washington Secretary of State. Washington House Republicans fully support Initiative 2113 and believe it should be quickly passed by the Legislature during the 2024 legislative session. Limiting vehicular pursuits of police officers has had disastrous consequences for communities and exacerbated our states public safety crisis, Stokesbary said. Washington ranks third among all states for most automobile thefts, second in property crime rate, and first for retail theft impacts. Restoring this important tool for law enforcement will have an immediate and positive impact on public safety, especially in deterring auto theft, and send a strong message to the criminals who have been exploiting the change in the law that their free ride is over. In 2021, Democrats passed a collection of laws intended to tighten guidelines for law enforcement spurred by the national debate on police ethics in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Among those laws was one requiring police to have probable cause that a person in a car committed a violent crime, a sex offense, was driving intoxicated or fleeing arrest before chasing them in a vehicle. Raising the bar for police chases spurred frustration among some law enforcement communities that argued the tighter leash impeded their ability to do their jobs and keep crimes such as theft and vandalism at bay. But supporters of the new law think it has likely saved lives. For an initiative to the Legislature to be considered, it must have a minimum of 324,516 signatures. Lawmakers have until the end of the legislative session, March 7, to decide what to do with the police chase initiative and any other ballot initiatives that collected enough signatures to be certified. The Olympian contributed to this report. The Russians hit the city of Dnipro during their large-scale missile attack on Ukraine on the morning of 13 January; there were no casualties. Source: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration; Prosecutor Generals Office Quote: "We have had strikes in Dnipro. We are currently clarifying the damage caused by the strikes. But the most important thing is always people. Fortunately, everyone is safe. It's over. I am grateful to the defenders of the sky! Their work helped us avoid greater consequences." Details: The military reported shooting down two missiles in Kryvyi Rih district. In addition, on the morning of 13 January, the Russians attacked the town of Shostka in Sumy Oblast. Preliminary information indicates that supersonic Kh-22 cruise missiles were used. As a result of the attack, a civilian has been injured. The blast wave damaged at least 26 houses. Photo: Prosecutor's office Support UP or become our patron! New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) went after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) during a recent appearance on Newsmax, saying nobody cares what Rand Paul thinks after the senator targeted Nikki Haleys campaign Friday morning. Sununu, who endorsed Haley in the GOP primary back in December, was asked during his Friday appearance on Newsmax about Pauls newly forged anti-endorsement of Haley. The libertarian-leaning senator said Haley is the only candidate he would not be comfortable with as the GOP nominee. What does this mean for her campaign? the hosts asked Sununu. What does Rand Paul mean? Nothing, Sununu said in response. Im sorry, but nobody cares what Rand Paul thinks in this race. This race is in Iowa and New Hampshire; its in South Carolina. Shes the only candidate thats surging. Sununu reiterated his response later in the interview, doubling down on his diss of Paul. Maybe when the U.S. Senate actually starts doing something and actually starts delivering some results, they can stand on a soapbox and think that their words matter, Sununu said. But until then, sorry, Rand Paul. Nobody cares. Sununus reactions came after the Kentucky senator disparaged Haleys foreign policy stance and said that shes from the Dick Cheney, John McCain wing of the party. The senator even launched a website dubbed Never Nikki where he shared that he does not have a clear choice of who to endorse in the primary, but I do know one thing: count me in as Never Nikki. Paul, who ran for president in 2016, did not rule out the possibility of campaigning against Haley, whose poll numbers have been surging in the New Hampshire, partially fueled by Sununus endorsement. During the interview, Sununu also downplayed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss chances in the primary, saying theyve made it effectively a one-on-one race at this point between Nikki and Donald Trump. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Just six months ago, an appeals court declined to revisit a decision that restricted Grants Pass ability to prohibit homeless residents from sleeping in public spaces. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it will review the ruling. In September 2022, residents went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to challenge Grants Pass officials decision to ban the homeless population from public camping. Court documents said the city enforced five ordinances against it, with financial penalties for anyone who violated them. WashCo. activates severe weather shelters to save lives of people, pets amid winter storm The federal appeals court found that the city ordinances went against the Eighth Amendments cruel and unusual punishment clause. The judges based their ruling on the 2018 Martin v. City of Boise case, which also cited the Eighth Amendment. Later in July 2023, the court of appeals once again upheld their prior decision. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver and Circuit Judge Ronald Gould argued their ruling didnt offer homeless residents the unrestrained right to sleep anything they choose, although it did prohibit local governments from criminalizing public camping. Washington House unanimously approves bill that would ban child marriages The judge panel also said Grants Pass didnt offer enough shelter beds to serve its homeless population. But on Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to reconsider the camping bans once more. The City of Grants Pass declined to comment on the looming review. However, its attorneys released a statement saying that the prior rulings have only contributed to the growing problem of encampments in West Coast cities. Youre ready, Portland: Firefighters offer their best tips for winter storm preparation These decisions are legally wrong and have tied the hands of local governments as they work to address the urgent homelessness crisis, Theane Evangelis, the Gibson Dunn lawyer representing Grants Pass, said. The tragedy is that these decisions are actually harming the very people they purport to protect. Evangelis said the Supreme Court case will be argued in the spring. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Recently, HNGN reported that Taiwan mistakenly issued an air raid alert for the entire island after a Chinese rocket launched into orbit flew over Taiwan. The erroneous air raid set off a political firestorm on the island due to the launch being just days before the local Taiwanese election. The president's office of Taiwan reportedly does not believe that the Chinese launch was purposely provocative. However, the opposition did question why the air raid alert was made in the first place. The defense ministry later apologized for the English translation mistakenly mentioning a missile rather than a rocket. China still considers Taiwan as its territory and Chinese President XI Jinping recently told U.S. President Joe Biden of his intentions to reclaim the island while at a recent summit in San Francisco. Taiwan has repeatedly accused China of attempting to interfere in its elections, disrupt its economy, and subvert its military in the past. The Taiwanese ruling party's presidential candidate and current Vice President, Lai Ching-te, reportedly backed the Taiwan defense ministry's publication of a graphic illustrating the flight path of the satellite over southern Taiwan. The rocket was reportedly carrying a satellite called the Einstein Probe. "This information was based on the people's right to know, and to not let the public misunderstand. At the same time, if any wreckage is discovered then it could be handed over to the relevant authorities. This is something that should be done," he reportedly said during campaigning on Wednesday. China's Taiwan Affairs Office said in a written response to Reuters on Wednesday that the satellite launch was a regular annual arrangement and had "nothing to do with the Taiwan election." Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell reportedly told Reuters that the first stage of the rocket landed well within mainland China's borders while the second stage was in orbit so high that it was parallel to that of the International Space Station. "It was far up in space and indeed entered orbit well before crossing the coast of mainland China. So I think this is an overreaction by Taiwan. Satellites fly over Taiwan every day," he said. Last week, several Chinese balloons were spotted in Taiwanese airspace as well. TAIPEI, Taiwan Voters in Taiwan elected Vice President Lai Ching-te as their next president on Saturday, defying warnings from Beijing not to support a candidate it has called a separatist and a troublemaker. The election, which China had described as a choice between war and peace, could test recent efforts by Beijing and Washington to repair relations that in recent years have fallen to their lowest point in decades. The status of Taiwan, one of the strongest democracies in Asia, is among the most sensitive issues between the two superpowers, and focus will now turn to any potential show of force from Beijing in response. Supporters react after Lai Ching-te won the presidential election in Taipei on Jan. 13, 2024. (Alastair Pike / AFP via Getty Images) China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force against the island, while the U.S. is Taiwans most important international backer. The majority of Taiwans 23 million people are in favor of maintaining the status quo, neither formally declaring independence nor becoming part of China. Lais victory extends the eight-year rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is considered the least friendly to Beijing. Relations between Taiwan and China have deteriorated under President Tsai Ing-wen, who was first elected in 2016 and is limited to two terms. Voters in Taiwan, especially younger ones, were concerned not just with China policy but with economic issues such as unemployment, housing costs and income inequality. Lai won with 40% of the vote, compared with 33% for Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang, and 26% for Ko Wen-je, founder of the populist Taiwan Peoples Party. Hou and Ko, who both favor closer ties with Beijing, had argued that the DPPs policies toward China were too confrontational. It is the first time in Taiwans almost 30 years as a democracy that the same political party has won three consecutive terms. But the DPP lost control of the legislature, which experts say could constrain Lais policy options. At a news conference after his victory on Saturday, Lai said he would continue foreign affairs and national defense in line with Tsais policies. China cut off direct dialogue with Taiwan after she was elected in 2016, and has rebuffed offers of talks with Lai as well. Lai, 64, who will take office for four years starting May 20, said he hopes that China will understand that only peace will benefit both sides of the strait. In addition, global peace and stability depends on peace in the Taiwan Strait. We hope that China understands the situation, because China also has a responsibility. Taiwan Election Polling Station (Louise Delmotte / AP) After the election on Saturday, Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office said Taiwan was part of China and that the election could not stop the general trend that the motherland will eventually be reunified. It had earlier warned Taiwan voters against supporting Lai, describing him as a stubborn Taiwan independence advocate who if elected would promote separatist activities and create a dangerous situation in the Taiwan Strait. Lais victory was welcomed in the U.S., which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said was committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability in a statement congratulating Lai. The Congressional Taiwan Caucus said it looked forward to working with Lai and that in the face of escalating threats to Taiwans democracy and security, it is imperative that the United States remains steadfast in support of the people of Taiwan and our shared commitment to democratic values. House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X that he would be asking the chairs of the relevant House committees to lead a delegation to Taiwan after Lais inauguration in May. President Joe Biden said Saturday that the U.S. which recognizes Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China but maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan under its longstanding One China policy does not support Taiwan independence. The White House said this week that after the election, the U.S. would send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan, in what a senior Biden administration official said was an effort to manage tensions and prevent inadvertent conflict. The question now is how China will respond. Beijing has in the past fired missiles and staged military exercises in response to developments in Taiwan it doesnt like, and Lais victory could bring another show of force. Image: President Joe Biden and China's President President Xi Jinping (Doug Mills / The New York Times pool via AP) Taiwans government had already accused China of trying to interfere in the election through military and economic pressure as well as disinformation campaigns, while China accused it of hyping up the threat from the mainland to gain voter support. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is unlikely to accept this defeat gracefully, said Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies. It probably wont take long for Beijing to register its anger over the result, and its response could be swift and severe, he said in emailed comments, with possible actions including military drills, new trade restrictions on Taiwanese companies, and intensified cyberattacks on Taiwanese infrastructure. But while China may be tempted to punish Taiwan, it is also reluctant to provoke either Lai or Washington, said Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. Xi Jinping has invested considerable effort and credibility in tamping down tensions with the West, both to lower Chinas profile in an American election year and to buy space to deal with myriad problems at home, he said in emailed comments. Voters turning up to cast ballots in the election on Saturday, which had turnout of more than 70%, told NBC News that Taiwans relationship with China was among the issues they were most concerned about. Ryan Lu, a 32-year-old from Taipei, said the most important issue for the next leader should be ensuring peace. Confetti flies over the stage and crowd as Taiwan's Vice President and presidential-elect from the Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching-te and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim speak to supporters on Jan. 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Annice Lyn / Getty Images) These sensitive matters are what Im most concerned with, he said, referring to the possibility of a conflict with China. I know the chances are small but then again, who really knows just like with the Ukraine-Russia war, who wouldve thought it would really be like this? Lai has presented himself as Tsai 2.0, said Lev Nachman, a political scientist and assistant professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei. What that means is from a cross-Strait relations perspective, were not likely to see a lot of change in the PRC-Taiwan dynamic, which is to say its going to remain very icy, Nachman said, using the initials for Chinas formal name, the Peoples Republic of China. Beijing says it is willing to hold talks only if both sides agree that Taiwan is part of China, a policy reiterated by senior Chinese official Liu Jianchao during a visit to the U.S. this week and one that the DPP says it cannot accept. Following Lais victory on Saturday, Nachman said on X that it was less about Lai winning over hearts and minds of undecided voters and more about the opposition KMT and TPP parties failure late last year to co-ordinate a joint ticket, producing a three-way race that made Lais victory much, much easier. He added that if the two opposition parties had run on a combined ticket, I do not think Lai would have won. With Lais election, were likely to see the same level of threats we see from the PRC, but threats dont equal conflict, Nachman said, noting that neither China nor Taiwan wants to go to war. The U.S. and China, the worlds two largest economies, have increased their interaction since a November meeting in California between Biden and Xi, their first encounter in a year. A child runs across the flag of Taiwan banner during the announcement of official results in Taipei, Taiwan on Jan. 13, 2024. (Sawayasu Tsuji / Getty Images) This week, in what appears to be partly an effort to protect the fragile gains in their relationship from tensions over the Taiwan election, the U.S. and China resumed long-frozen military talks in Washington, while Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had a call with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao. Blinken also met with Liu, the senior Chinese official, on Friday. The State Department said Blinken reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and that both sides recognized the importance of continuing to maintain open channels of communication. Janis Mackey Frayer reported from Taipei, Taiwan, and Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Taiwan presidential candidate and Vice President Lai Ching-te, who goes by William, emerged victorious Saturday in the countrys presidential election, after a high-stakes race forced his opponents to concede. The result will decide the countrys relations with China for the next four years, with peace and stability in the region threatened as Beijing claims the strip of water between the countries is its own to rule, The Associated Press reported. The election was focused mainly on domestic issues including a slowed economy and the gap between rich and poor, as well as unemployment and housing costs, per the AP. While it was perceived to be a close race between Lai, a Harvard alumnus and member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Koimintang (KMT) party and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party who had drawn support from younger voters looking for an alternative to the major parties. China previously warned that the election was critical, as voters could be choosing between war and peace. The country has openly opposed the DPP, as it claims sovereignty over the island that has governed itself for nearly three-quarters of a century. Lai has rejected Chinas sovereignty claims over Taiwan, which split from the mainland amid a civil war in 1949. He has offered to speak with China, but Beijing officials have refused to hold talks, calling them separatists. China has sent fighter planes and warships toward the island in part of its warnings, but any conflict would disrupt the global economy and has the potential to involve the United States, according to the AP. The country told the U.S. that it would not make a concession or compromise on Taiwan, as Chinese and American officials recently held military talks for the first time since 2022. The talks between officials came just months after President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met and agreed to restore military communications after normalizing a rocky relationship. The officials didnt resolve any tensions surrounding Taiwan ahead of the election, however. The U.S. announced Wednesday that it would send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan following the election results. Biden previously sent unofficial delegations in 2021 and 2022. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Taiwan held its 2024 election, with the DPP's Lai Ching-te winning marginally. It's the DPP's third consecutive presidential election win, a historic first for Taiwan. The election has short and long term repercussions for relations with an increasingly aggressive China. Taiwan has elected its new president, the Democratic Progressive Party's Lai Ching-te, who is also the current Vice President. Lai's Saturday night win is a historic move that speaks to voters' concerns over Taiwan's fate as it faces pressure from China, as well as key domestic issues. But when the dust settles and the celebrations end for Lai's marginal win, he will have much to consider about the future of Taiwan's relations with an increasing aggressive China. The vote is sure to rile up Beijing, which had warned Taiwan against electing Lai, but questions remain about what exactly is next for cross-strait relations and what the US, a key partner, needs to do keep tensions from boiling over. Saturday's election was closely watched, not just by Taiwanese voters, who turned out in massive numbers to cast their ballots, but also by the island's foreboding northwestern neighbor China, and the US, which will need to balance its relationship's with both Beijing and Taipei. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (C), waves in front of a giant screen showing Lai Ching-te, presidential candidate for 2024 from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), joins his hand with Tsai during an election campaign rally in New Taipei City on January 12, 2024. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images Lai won the election with over 5.5 million votes, 40.1%, according to Bloomberg's polls, just under a million more than the other major political party candidate, the Kuomintang's Hou You-ih, who received 4.6 million, about 33.5%. Third party candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan's People Party received over 3.6 million, about 26.5%. Lai's win came as a shock, indicating a bulk of voters feel like Taiwan should stay the course on key domestic issues, and principally, relations with China, which have been especially tense under the current president Tsai Ing-wen. "The next leader of Taiwan will have to navigate a complex external environment with cross-strait and US-Chinese tensions high," Amanda Hsiao, Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for China, told Business Insider a couple of days prior to the announcement of the election results. "Two measures of his success will be his ability to manage tensions with Beijing while pushing forward much-needed defense reforms." The 2024 election comes at a difficult time for Taiwan, a time in which it must attempt to preserve its status quo and continue to enjoy vague autonomy amid increasingly aggressive Chinese military activities and messaging. While experts still assess that an invasion of Taiwan remains unlikely in the near future, that doesn't diminish concerns about other ways China could squeeze the island. Taiwan's Vice President and presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lai Ching-te (C) casts his ballot to vote on January 13, 2024, in Tainan, Taiwan. Annabelle Chih/Getty Images Saturday's DPP win comes after two consecutive terms in office for the party, and during that time, President Tsai Ing-wen sought to keep Beijing at bay while also prioritizing upping Taiwan's defenses, efforts which included extensive, high-profile military drills sometimes in direct response to Chinese ones as well as a growing arsenal of weapons, such as the new submarine unveiled last year. During Tsai's two terms her limit, hence why her vice president Lai ran relations with China have been repeatedly strained for one reason or another, be it engagement with the US or constant Chinese military activities, like bomber and fighter jet fly-bys. For instance, when former US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to Taiwan in August 2022, it severely escalated tensions with China. In the aftermath, China conducted large-scale military exercises around the island, and communications between the two again went sour. Tsai's presidency has also been plagued by having to tip-toe around how to approach dialogue with Beijing. When her rhetoric didn't meet its high expectations, such as in her inauguration speech, swift economic and trade punishments were pushed forward. Since then, China has regularly criticized Tsai and the DPP. Lai, too, has received plenty of flack. A supporter of the Kuomintang (KMT) wears a campaign slogan badge on his face during a rally on the eve of the general election on January 12, 2024, in Taipei, Taiwan. Annice Lyn/Getty Images Lai's position is, for the most part, in line with Tsai. He will maintain the status quo, which made him China's least favorite candidate. He's campaigned heavily on continuing her policies, although he has occasionally skewed from what's expected and taken a harsher stance than Tsai, such as during the December 2023 debate. It "raises questions about Lai's views on how best to manage relations with China and his ability to maintain discipline when speaking publicly about cross-strait issues," Hsiao said. Prior to the election, it wasn't clear if Lai could lead his party to victory. Most of the final polls showed support for Lai at just under 40% and Hao right on his tail, "suggesting that the majority of voters would like to see change and that the DPP has been unable to mobilize the same level of energy as it had in 2016 and 2020," Hsiao said. "Having been in power for eight years, the DPP is now seen as part of the establishment," she added. Nevertheless, the win marks the first time a political party in Taiwan has won a presidential election three times in a row. Taiwan's presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party casts his ballot as he votes in the presidential election in New Taipei City on January 13, 2024. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images The KMT and the TPP were both looking to capitalize on discontent voters. But for some, KMT's policies on relations with China may have been problematic. The party's outlook on Beijing is softer than the DPP, although Hou has firmly supported boosting Taiwan's defenses. Hou was believed to be Beijing's preferred candidate in this election. If he had won, tensions might've eased in the short term, Hsiao wrote for War on the Rocks earlier this week, but China, which has other ambitions, would only see this as a temporary solution. An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter releases flares during the Han Kuang drill at the Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) air force base in Taichung, central Taiwan, on June 7, 2018. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images How much does this election mean to China in the grand scheme of things? Considering Beijing's language on reunification has always been that it's inevitable, an established fact, something that Chinese leader Xi Jinping stressed in his New Year's address, the winner of this presidency is just one consideration in many for Beijing. But that is not to say China doesn't have a vested interest in the outcome. "China will see a third term DPP victory as threatening to its interests, creating more impetus for Beijing to display a show of strength to deter the DPP and Washington from what it believes are provocative, independence-leaning actions," Hsiao told Business Insider. "But Beijing remains confident that over the long-term, as the balance of power across the strait continues to shift in its favor, it will be able to achieve unification," she added. With Lai winning, experts have assessed that China will respond aggressively and immediately. But its reaction may also be guided by what happens between now until Inauguration Day in May. Interactions and signaling between Taipei, Washington, and Beijing over these next few months will be crucial for determining just how large China's response will be, Hsiao wrote in War on the Rocks. The supporters of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cheer at an election campaign on January 12, 2024 in Tainan, Taiwan. Annabelle Chih/Getty Images The US plays a vital role in all of this, as it seeks to deal with Beijing and support Taiwan. It'll likely play this role even more carefully after Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden's summit last November. The meeting came at a tumultuous time in US-Chinese relations, and both leaders faced a tall order in easing pressure and re-establishing warmer relations, including military-to-military communications. At the end of the day, though, China and the remain rivals. A major aspect of that summit was, of course, Taiwan. And while Xi rejected the highly speculative 2025, 2027, and 2035 dates for taking control of Taiwan, he did tell Biden bluntly that he will reunify the island. He'd prefer to do it peacefully, officials present at the meeting told NBC News, but make no mistake, it's on the docket. In his New Year's address, Xi said "China will surely be reunified." The US isn't onboard though. Before the summit, the White House is said to have rejected a request from Chinese officials for Biden to make a statement after meeting Xi that the US supports reunification and rejects Taiwan's independence. Xi and Biden walk together during the APEC Summit in San Francisco. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images China's leadership has never taken the use of force off the table when it comes to Taiwan, which is perceived in Beijing as a democratic challenge to its authoritarian vision. Pentagon assessments point to a growing military capability for China's People's Liberation Army, but reported US intelligence indicates it may also be grappling with corruption and other issues that could affect its readiness to conduct a major operation, like an attack on Taiwan. It's difficult to know what China is ready to do, but the DPP's Lai will be navigating these issues and more as he leads Taiwan into an uncertain future. Read the original article on Business Insider By Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's new president-elect, Lai Ching-te, is likely to face his toughest task yet when he takes office in May and has to deal with the ire of China which has repeatedly denounced him as a dangerous separatist. Lai, who won Saturday's election, repeatedly said during the campaign that he wanted to keep the status quo with China, which claims Taiwan as its own, and offered to talk to Beijing. "We don't want to become enemies with China. We can become friends," Lai, widely known by his English name William, told a Taiwanese television station in July. But in Beijing's view, Lai, 64, is a separatist and "troublemaker through and through" for comments he first made in 2017 as premier about being a "worker" for Taiwan's formal independence - a red line for Beijing. The next year he told parliament he was a "practical worker for Taiwan independence", causing one Chinese newspaper, the widely read Global Times, to call for China to issue an international arrest warrant for Lai and prosecute him under China's 2005 Anti-Secession Law. Lai maintains he simply meant Taiwan is already an independent country. On the campaign trail he stuck by President Tsai Ing-wen's line that the Republic of China - Taiwan's formal name - and the People's Republic of China are "not subordinate to each other". Under Taiwan's constitution the Republic of China is a sovereign state, a view shared by all Taiwan's main political parties. The Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists, who set up the People's Republic. What worries Beijing is the idea that Lai could try to change the status quo by declaring the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan, which Lai has said he will not do. "I think China hates him, really hates him," said Wu Xinbo, an international relations professor at Shanghai's Fudan University. "It is because if he is elected as the leader of Taiwan, he may come to advance his goal of Taiwan independence, which will provoke a crisis across the Taiwan Strait." Still, while China has announced sanctions on several senior Taiwanese officials, including Lai's running-mate Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's former de facto ambassador to the United States, it has not done so for Lai, perhaps indicating Beijing does not want to totally shut the door to one day having talks with him. LAI URGED CHINA'S XI TO 'CHILL OUT' During the campaign, Lai said he would stick to President Tsai's path of proffering talks with China and maintaining peace and the status quo, while also pledging to defend the island and reiterating only its people can decide the island's future. Stephen Tan, managing director of the International Policy Advisory Group in Taipei, said Lai's platform was similar, if not identical, to that of Tsai, who is barred from seeking re-election after serving two terms. "I would not envision from his policy and administration a big change in direction for both domestic and foreign policies," Tan said. Lai is from a humble background in northern Taiwan, the son of a coal miner who died when the president-elect was a small child. A physician, the younger Lai specialised in spinal cord injuries. He became Tsai's vice president in 2020 when they won in a landslide warning of the threat to Taiwan from China given Beijing's crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Since then, China has massively ramped up military drills near Taiwan and held war games in August 2022 and last April in response to Taiwanese engagement with the United States. Taiwan officials said this week they expected China to attempt to put pressure on the incoming president, including with military drills near Taiwan, before Lai takes office. In May, at a question and answer session with students at his alma mater, National Taiwan University, Lai said the head of state he would most like to have dinner with is Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he would advise to "chill out a little". China's Taiwan Affairs Office said his comments were "weird" and "deceitful", given that his "Taiwan independence nature" had not changed. Beijing has demanded Taiwan's government accepts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to "one China," something Tsai and Lai have refused to do. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard and David Holmes) Taiwanese voters struck a blow to China on Saturday as they elected a president who has vowed to protect the islands democratic way of life from Beijings influence. Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate for Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party, won the closely-watched election, with partial results showing he had taken 40.2 per cent of ballots cast as his two opponents conceded defeat in front of supporters. The delivery of an unprecedented third straight term for the DPP despised by Chinas leaders was a clear sign of the extent to which scepticism of China has become entrenched across Taiwanese society, and could trigger Beijing to step up its economic and military pressure on the island. It may also further inflame tensions between the US and China as they compete for influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Mr Lai, whose party champions Taiwans de facto sovereignty and separate identity, won a decisive victory over his nearest rival, Hou Yu-ih, of the opposition Kuomintang, who had pushed for greater dialogue with Beijing. We have shown the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy, Mr Lai told reporters moments after his victory was declared. Supporters of the DPP gather near the partys headquarters in Taipei - Ann Wang/Reuters In the background, an ecstatic crowd cheered and chanted slogans. For hours, people had gathered outside the DPP headquarters, watching the results roll in on a giant billboard and becoming increasingly fired up by MCs with the relentless energy of Saturday night gameshow hosts. Taiwans election is one of the first among more than 70 polls being held globally this year and one of the most consequential, because it will determine how the island of 23.5 million people will manage its tense ties with China over the next four years. The nation, which the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own territory, represents one of the worlds most dangerous flashpoints, with the potential to ignite a global war. Taipei repeatedly accused China of trying to manipulate and intimidate voters ahead of the election. Beijing, which billed the election as a decision between war and peace and vowed to never relinquish its territorial claims over the island, warned Taiwan this week that it was at a crossroads. Telling voters to make the right choice, it threatened that victory for Mr Lai could trigger a cross-strait conflict. But voters showed little sign of being cowed as they lined up in the bright winter sunshine to cast their ballots for the parliamentary and presidential elections in what was a tight three-way race. Citizens flock home to vote Taiwan Railways reported that a record 758,000 tickets were sold on the eve of the election as citizens flocked to their home districts to vote. Across social media, many proudly revealed a red stamp on their hands that signalled they had made their choice. I dont like that China is coming to try to change this place. So many people fought to achieve democracy, so we should safeguard it, said Lisa Ou, 62, after she cast her ballot at a polling station at the National Taipei University. The Taiwanese do not take their hard-won votes for granted. The country suffered from 1949 to 1987 under harsh martial law imposed by General Chiang Kai-shek, during a period known as the White Terror. Democratic elections were only introduced in the 1990s. On the campaign trail, Mr Hou had accused Mr Lai and the DPP of endangering Taiwan by provoking China, which they rebuffed by charging he was too close to China. The third candidate, Ko Wen-je, a maverick former mayor who founded the centrist Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP), emerged as an unexpected political force offering a middle way out of the entrenched ideologies of the two establishment parties. Stengthening US ties But it now falls to Mr Lai, who plans to protect Taiwan by strengthening trade and political ties with the US and other democracies, to steer the country through a fragile geopolitical moment. He faces a hostile Beijing which cut off ties with his predecessor President Tsai Ing-wen after her election win in 2016 for refusing to publicly sign up to Chinas definition cross-strait relations. The CCP is even more suspicious of Mr Lai, who once described himself as a pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence, accusing him of being a dangerous separatist. On Saturday, Mr Lai vowed to defend the self-ruled island from China. We are determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China, he said in his victory speech. The new president will also face an uphill struggle domestically after his party failed to win a majority in parliament, potentially hindering the new presidents ability to pass legislation and spending, especially for defence. Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies at Kings College London, said Mr Lais victory, at the start of a year of consequential polls, could lead to an explosive geopolitical mix, especially after an unpredictable US election in November. Beijing has made it clear it doesnt like Lai and thats not a big surprise. The big unknown this time is America because of what might happen later this year. In a sense today is a prelude to that event, he said. If the outcome in November is someone who is more adventurous and thinking about Taiwan in a different way then youve got two big unexpected things, he explained. One is the most independence supporting president that Taiwan will have ever had and potentially an American who is not going to restrain them, and a China that is going to be very aggressive, so thats a perfect storm. Continuity candidate Mr Lai has presented himself as the continuity candidate, to follow through with current President Tsai Ing-wens foreign policy of maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. His appointment of Bi-khim Hsiao, 52, as his running mate was seen as a signal to reassure Washington that he will be a reliable partner, responsibly handle relations with China and not pursue formal independence. All eyes now will be on Beijings reaction to the victory of its nemesis. I dont expect them to do something extremely dramatic but they are not going to be friendly, said Prof Brown of Beijings immediate reaction. Ahead of the poll, China slapped sanctions on Taiwanese exports, flew suspected spy balloons over the island and stepped up disinformation campaigns. For years it has attempted to intimidate the island with its military forces, flying fighter jets close to Taiwanese airspace, and recently unveiling a new aircraft carrier, the Fujian, named after the Chinese province closest to Taiwan. Wen-ti Sung, a political scientist at the Australian National University, suggested China could double down on its previous coercive tactics. The DPP victory would likely be met with Beijings rhetorical critique, targeted economic sanctions against select Taiwanese exports, and a show of force, he said. But the prospect of Chinas ire has not dampened the spirits of Taiwans election campaign or its victory celebrations. Until Saturday, the election was too close to call, in a testament to Taiwans vibrant democracy the polar opposite of Chinas authoritarian state. Less than 10 per cent of the Taiwanese population support an immediate or eventual unification, and less than 3 per cent identify primarily as Chinese. On the eve of the poll, Taipei came alive as families, friends, the old and young descended on three mass rallies resembling rock concerts and attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Each had its own unique carnival atmosphere, headlined by popular bands and singers to rouse the crowd ahead of emotional-filled speeches by the candidates. The KMT and DPP held their final rallies just minutes apart in the suburb of Banqiao, packing two concert venues with their voters. The KMT crowd, largely middle-aged and elderly, waved the red and blue flags of the Republic of China, Taiwans official name, and cheered along to performers dancing to a rap denouncing unproven accusations of Covid vaccine fraud and media bias. Those interviewed by The Telegraph said they feared the DPP could lead them into war with China. They are very aggressive and provocative, said Joe Lin, who had travelled with his wife from their home in Washington DC to vote. We dont want Taiwan to become the next Ukraine, we are really afraid of that. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan elected current vice president Lai Ching-te as leader of the global chip hub at the center of US-China tensions, putting in power a man Beijing has branded an instigator of war. Most Read from Bloomberg Lai, of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, sealed victory in the islands most hotly contested election in decades with 40.1% of the counted vote the lowest winning percentage since another three-way race in 2000. His victory over opposition parties willing to restart dialogue with China dealt a blow to Beijings ambitions to have greater influence over the island it considers a breakaway province. The Kuomintangs Hou Yu-ih trailed in second place, while the Taiwan Peoples Party came last. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy, Lai declared at a victory rally in Taipei on Saturday night, to rounds of rapturous applause from the crowd. Taiwans next president also vowed to keep peace across the Taiwan Strait, while pledging continued strong ties with major democracies illustrating the delicate balancing act he has ahead to maintain interactions with Washington while avoiding tensions with Beijing flaring into a conflict. The reelection of a party thats tried to minimize Chinas influence for a record third straight term will test the recent stabilization of ties between Beijing and Washington, after US President Joe Biden held talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in November. Beijing blasted Lai as a troublemaker and separatist before the election. Beijing views Lai with deep suspicion despite his vows for policy continuity, according to Jennifer Welch, chief geoeconomics analyst at Bloomberg Economics. Higher cross-strait tensions dont mean a crisis is imminent, but would mean Taipei, Washington, and Beijing have to work harder to avoid one, she added. China avoided mentioning the winners name in its initial responses. The election result showed the DPP doesnt represent mainstream public opinion on the island of 23 million people, said Chen Binhua, the Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, in a statement. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said that whatever changes take place in Taiwan, China will continue opposing Taiwan independence. Lai and current President Tsai Ing-wen both say that their self-ruled island doesnt need to declare independence because it is an already de facto state. Taiwan is now on high alert for further reaction from China. Security officials in Taipei said they dont expect Beijing to conduct large military exercises around the island immediately after the election, but see it ratcheting up pressure before the new president takes office. Tsai will step down in May due to fulfilling the two-term limit. Biden will dispatch a bipartisan delegation of former senior officials to the island in the wake of the result, according to a senior US administration official. That move is likely to prompt a response from China, which opposes nations having official contact with the government in Taipei. Read More: Live Results From Taiwans Presidential Election Beijing has conducted major military drills around Taiwan twice since August 2022, in response to Tsai meeting with US officials. Biden, who has pledged to defend Taiwan from any Chinese invasion, said in brief comments Saturday that the US doesnt support Taiwan independence. The election isnt really over until Beijings response has played out, said Danny Russel, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. Having warned that the election marked a choice between war and peace, doesnt the mainland want the voters to face consequences for their wrong choice? Lais victory speech was broadcast simultaneously in English, as the worlds only Chinese-speaking democracy marked the culmination of a energetically fought race thats been closely watched around the globe. Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwans former envoy to the US and Lais running mate, stood at his side during his address a reminder of his partys strong international ties. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the election showed the strength of Taiwans democracy and reiterated that the US is committed to seeing the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure. Washington will work with Lai and all leaders in Taiwan to further our longstanding unofficial relationship consistent with the USs one-China policy, he added in the statement. While Lai signaled on Saturday that he would cooperate with China, his party is unlikely to be able to restart talks with Beijing, which have been suspended for the past eight years. The Communist Party demands agreement that Taiwan is part of China as a prerequisite for such dialogue, a red line for the DPP. Taiwanese voters decision to back Lai despite fatigue with his party highlighted that their desire to keep China at arms length outweighed mounting frustrations over domestic issues, such as high property prices and slower-than-expected wage growth. Touching on economic issues, Lai pledged to vigorously help further develop the islands chip industry, which is dominated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The islands pivotal role in the global supply chain of cutting-edge technology has been dubbed a silicon shield against any Chinese invasion. Overall, it was a disappointing evening for the two opposition parties, whose earlier attempt to form an alliance collapsed in a spectacular display of public acrimony. That union could have brought them to power, and increased Beijings influence. But they could point to some small wins in the legislature. The TPP increased its seats there to eight, allowing it to play kingmaker between the two main parties, which lack an outright majority. Ko Wen-je declared the results showed the party he founded was now a major opposition force. The KMT increased its number of seats in the law-making body that decides all government budgets and funding for major arms purchases. Still, its losing candidate, Hou, apologized for disappointing his voters on Saturday night as he congratulated the DPP, adding: I hope they dont fail the Taiwanese people. --With assistance from Betty Hou, Jennifer Creery, Debby Wu, Jacob Gu, Peter Martin and Michelle Jamrisko. (Updates with reaction by Biden, Chinese government and Blinken.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Taiwan's ex-president said the island nation can't win a war against China. Ma Ying-Jeou shared his remarks on Wednesday, Jan. 10, just a few days before the most-awaited presidential election. Ma Ying-Jeou, the Taiwanese President from 2008 to 2016, said that Taiwan can "never" fight a war with the mainland [China]. He said this as the island nation tries to defend its territories and freedom from the Chinese government. For the past few years, the Chinese President has been making efforts to "reunify" Taiwan with China. He said that he would do anything to make this happen; even by force (if necessary). Since Ma is a huge supporter of making China-Taiwan relations smoother, he is urging the island nation not to fight against the larger country. Can Taiwan Win Against China? Ex-Taiwanese President Says No According to Business Insider's latest report, the former Taiwanese President's political rally cry is avoiding war with China. He has been working with the Kuomintang party to oust the island's ruling party, DPP (Democratic Progressive Party). "No matter how you defend yourself, you can never fight a war with the mainland. You can never win," said Ma Ying-Jeou. "They're too large, much stronger than us," he added. Political and military experts said that ever since DPP governed Taiwan, the island nation has been "hawkish"-meaning aggressive-towards Beijing. While Taiwan pushes China away from its territories, Xi Jinping is showing aggression as he commits to reuniting the Asian neighbor with China. However, he can't complete his goal as the U.S. and other countries make efforts to prevent Beijing from invading the self-governed island. But Ma warned that there would not be a scenario where Taiwan wins against China. "You know, the mainland China military is much larger than us," said the former Taiwanese President, adding that military deterrence is very difficult. Read Also: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen Says China Won't Start War as Beijing Faces Internal Challenges How Will Taiwan's Election Affect Tensions With China? Nikkei Asia reported that the 2024 presidential election could make the tensions between China and Taiwan worse if it tilts too much in a direction toward the island's independence. But, if the political landscape shifts towards a more friendly posture with Beijing, there's a chance the tensions would ease. This is what most Taiwanese residents expect. Based on a recent survey conducted in September 2023, 42% of Taiwan's citizens want the island to make friendly gestures towards China and the U.S. Meanwhile, over 19% of them argued that the self-governed country must rely on the United States even more but still improve relations with China. But, around 15% of Taiwanese residents want the island nation to take a pro-U.S. and anti-China stance. Related Article: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden Extend Diplomatic Cheers; Chinese Leader Offers Peaceful Coexistence Between China, US A man throws a ballot paper into a ballot box at a polling station during the 2024 Taiwanese General Election. Taiwan elects a new president and a new parliament. Johannes Neudecker/dpa Polling stations opened on Saturday morning in the East Asian island state of Taiwan to vote for a new president and a new parliament. Around 19.5 million eligible voters were set to cast their votes from 8 am (0000 GMT). The election campaign was dominated by the tensions between China and Taiwan. Whoever wins the election will also decide how relations with China develop. The Chinese leadership regards Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is in favour of Taiwanese independence, as separatist, even if it has no intention of officially declaring independence. President Tsai Ing-Wen cast her ballot just after polls opened. "Citizens of a democratic country can decide the future of their country with ballots in their hands," he said. "I would like to appeal here to come out and vote as soon as possible. Remember, this is the right and obligation of citizens," he added. Tsai Ing-wen is not allowed to run again after two terms in office. William Lai is running for the DPP instead. The rivals from the conservative Kuomintang Party and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) want to re-establish more contact with China through business, culture or tourism, but on the condition that Taiwan's democracy is preserved. TPPs presidential candidate Ko Wen-je also cast his ballot in Taipei. "Finish what you need to do every day. Then you plan the next stage," Ko told reporters, expecting that the turnout should be good thanks to the good weather. A 66 year-old voter who grew up in Taipei City, told dpa outside a polling station that she voted for the ruling party as she'd seen some well-designed policies in the past years. "In addition, they used more positive words during the campaign, which encouraged people a lot," she said. A 28 year-old who returned from Australia to cast his ballot in Taipei, said he did it as he believes that people should exercise their citizens' rights. The Communist Party in Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and wants reunification, if necessary by military force. Beijing has been demonstrating its military might in the Taiwan Strait, the strait between the two states, for some time now with fighter jets entering Taiwan's air defence zone on an almost daily basis. Beijing broke off contact with the current government under President Tsai in 2016. Although Taiwan has not officially declared its independence, it has had an independent, democratically elected government for decades. People also have until 4 pm (local time) to elect a new parliament, in which the DPP previously had an absolute majority. The election results are expected late Saturday evening. People vote at a polling station during the 2024 Taiwanese General Election. Taiwan elects a new president and a new parliament. Johannes Neudecker/dpa Helpers show ballot papers to citizens at a polling station during the 2024 Taiwanese General Election. Taiwan elects a new president and a new parliament. Johannes Neudecker/dpa Presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (C) of the Taiwan People's Party speaks to journalists alongside his wife Chen Pei-chi (R) before casting his vote during the 2024 Taiwanese General Election. Taiwan elects a new president and a new parliament. Johannes Neudecker/dpa Supporters of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te cheer from displayed partial election results while waiting for final results in front of party headquarters. Wiktor Dabkowski/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) retained power as its candidate Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, was elected president to replace outgoing president Tsai Ing-Wen. In Taiwan, this is the first political party to win three consecutive terms since the people of the democratic island country began to directly elect their president in 1996. Lai, 64, made his announcement after the two leading opposition figures conceded defeat. His running mate is the 52-year-old Hsiao Bi-khim. The result is expected to irk Beijing due to the DPPs resistance to Chinese rule. During the campaign, Lai reiterated that Taiwan should be integrated into the wider world community rather than be trapped by China. Supporters of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te cheer from displayed partial election results while waiting for final results in front of party headquarters. Wiktor Dabkowski/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Supporters of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te cheer from displayed partial election results while waiting for final results in front of party headquarters. Wiktor Dabkowski/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) retained power as its candidate Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, was elected president to replace outgoing president Tsai Ing-Wen. In Taiwan, this is the first political party to win three consecutive terms since the people of the democratic island country began to directly elect their president in 1996. Lai, 64, made his announcement after the two leading opposition figures conceded defeat. His running mate is the 52-year-old Hsiao Bi-khim. The result is expected to irk Beijing due to the DPP's resistance to Chinese rule. During the campaign, Lai reiterated that Taiwan should be integrated into the wider world community rather than be trapped by China. Lai told a news conference on Saturday that the result told the world that Taiwan chose to stand on democracy. "The Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election," Lai said. "Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an important mission of my presidency," Lai said. On the premise of reciprocity and dignity, Lai said he would like to communicate with China. "At the same time, we are also determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China," Lai said. In the legislative election, the DPP failed to maintain a majority. "As for the new structure of the legislature, Taiwan must build a political environment of communication, consultation, participation and cooperation," Lai said, vowing to carefully study the policies of his two electoral opponents. Wu Rwei-ren, a political analyst from the Institute of Taiwan History at Taiwan's Academia Sinica, said Lai will keep maintaining Taiwan's political and economic alliance with the US. "In this way, Taiwan will be more deeply integrated into the U.S. camp," Wu told dpa. Chinese dissident Wang Dan, a former Tiananmen Square student leader who now lives in Taiwan, said Lai should find ways to directly dialogue with the Chinese people rather than just the Chinese government. Wang told dpa, "He should regard China's democratization as an important basis for the future development of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has had a separate government since 1949 and has developed into a vibrant modern democracy. Beijing, however, considers the self-ruled island as its territory and has threatened to take it by force if it makes any formal moves towards independence. In the run-up to the election, China made repeated threats to Taiwan and has ordered voters to "stand on the right side of history" and opt for China-friendly parties, like the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), also known as the Chinese Nationalists. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic of China. Some observers fear a grand gesture to mark the milestone, now that Taiwan voters have rebuffed China by backing the pro-democracy ruling party for a third presidential term. The incumbent Democratic Progressive Party won a third consecutive election on Jan. 13, defeating the more Beijing-friendly Kuomintang party and likely continuing the trend of opposition to China. Taiwan has supported Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion by providing aid packages to Kyiv and imposing sanctions against Moscow, though direct trade between Taiwan and Russia is minimal. Some analysts have also said that a Ukrainian victory over Russia would possibly deter China from its long-standing goal of reunification with Taiwan, including by military means. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said in March 2023, Why does the US ask China not to provide weapons to Russia while it keeps selling arms to Taiwan? China has denied that it has sent weapons to Russia. The election results are not yet certified, but Taiwan's Central Election Committee showed current Vice President and presidential candidate Lai Ching-te with 41% of the votes, ahead of his closest rival by 8%. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy," said Lai. Beijing will likely be unhappy with the results, as it has consistently warned during the campaign that Lai's election could lead to future conflict. Read also: How outcome of Russias war can tip international order Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Over 100 Tomahawk cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs rained down on the military assets of Houthi militants in Yemen on Friday morninga substantial retaliation by the U.S. and British military following over two months of continual Houthi drone and missile attacks on civilian and military shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis, who control most of western Yemen, had declared open season on supposedly Israel-linked shipping and escorting warships in the Red Sea in response to Israels war with Hamas in Gaza. Those waters are undeniably economically important, as 30 percent of the planets container shipping traverses through them. Mohammed Hamoud - Getty Images Of the 27 Houthi attacks targeting Red Sea shipping since October, none managed to hit U.S. or allied warships. But several did strike civilian shipsso far without causing any deaths or sinkings. The U.S. and British strike Thursday evening hit 60 targets at 16 different locations in Yemen, including coastal radars and command and control facilities used to coordinate attacks, as well as missile and drone storage depots, launchers, and production facilities. The Houthis reported that five of their militants were killed in the attacks and vowed retaliation. Footage reporting to show U.S. and British Airstrikes earlier against Houthi Targets within Sana'a International Airport in the Yemeni Capital City. pic.twitter.com/uljmhXQr8e OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 12, 2024 U.S. warships and the Ohio-class cruise missile submarine Florida contributed to the strike, as did 15 F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler jets from the U.S. Navys Carrier Air Wing 3. Four Typhoon FGR.4 fighter-bombers of the United Kingdoms Royal Air Force (RAF) based in Cyprus also contributed, and the governments of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands are described as supporting the strike. UK Ministry of Defence - Wikimedia Commons January 9: drone and missile war on the Red Sea Thursdays bombardment followed a large-scale night attack targeting U.S. and British warships on the Red Sea on Tuesday. The Houthis hurled 18 kamikaze drones laden with explosives, two anti-ship cruise missiles (skimming low over the surface of the ocean), and an anti-ship ballistic missile (approaching from above at supersonic speeds) at the vessels patrolling the Red Sea under the auspice of an operation known as Prosperity Guardian. However, the concerted attack effort achieved little more than a multi-million dollar fireworks display. The Royal Navys Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond accounted for seven drones, using her Sea Viper system (the British/French Aster 15 and 30 missile) and close defense gunsindicating that some of the drones did get close. F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets from the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower shot down additional incoming munitions. Royal Navy photo - Wikimedia Commons Polishing off the remainder were U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Gravely, Laboon, and Mason, bristling with a half-dozen different types of surface-to-air missiles guided by fire control radars networked together via their shared Aegis Combat Systems. The U.S. Navys growing tally of ballistic missile kills Compared to the surface-skimming cruise missiles dominating anti-ship warfare since the 1960s, ballistic missiles leap towards space in a long arc (in some cases exiting the atmosphere) and plunge back downwards at supersonic speeds. As detailed in this Popular Mechanics feature, anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) able to home in on moving ships were rare and exotic weapons that never before used in combat before a missed Houthi missile attack last November. But more would soon fly over the Red Sea. Indeed, the ASBM downed on January 9 was actually the seventh shot down by U.S. warships in the last few weeks, going by the count of the Pentagons Central Command. Notably, on December 30, 2023 at 8:30 PM, the USS Gravely reportedly shot down two ASBMs while coming to the aid of the Maersk Hangzhou after the latter was struck by a missile of undetermined type. The day before (between 5:45 and 6:10 PM) her sistership, the Mason, downed another ASBM, along with a drone heading towards a concentration of 18 commercial vessels. Prior to that, on December 26, the destroyer Laboon (with assistance from Eisenhowers F/A-18 fighters) downed three Houthi ASBMs, as well as twelve drones and two land-attack cruise missiles. Presumably, the latter were headed towards Israel, which has shot down Houthi missiles using its Arrow III air defense system and F-35 Lightning stealth jets. Unless an earlier ASBM intercept went unreported by Central Command, Laboon was the first ship to ever shoot down an anti-ship ballistic missile in combat. Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau/US Navy - Wikimedia Commons Theres not much information on which means were used for the U.S. Navy air defense kills, though its known that Mason used SM-2 missiles to down Houthi drones and land-attack cruise missiles bound for Israel in October. Its still unknown whether the destroyers made first combat use of SM-3 and SM-6 missiles, which were specifically designed for ballistic missile defense, to defeat the Houthi attacks. Ballistic missile hits and misses on Red Sea shipping For every Houthi ASBM shot down, another flat-out missedlike one that plummeted into the Gulf of Aden at 2 a.m. on Thursday within sight of commercial shipping. Before that, two Houthi-launched ASBMs splashed into the Red Sea within sight of several commercial vessels on January 2, two were launched on December 23, and one (targeting Maersk Gilbralter north of Bab-el-Mandeb strait) was launched on December 14. On December 3, an ASBM that launched at 9:15 AM and was targeting the Unity Explorer impacted in vicinity (which sounds like a near miss). However, from 12:35 to 4:30 PM, Unity Explorer and bulk carriers Number 9 and Sophie II were all subsequently hit by missiles of unspecified type. Fortunately, all took only minor damage. On one occasion, a Houthi ASBM was confirmed to have struck a shipon Dec. 15, container ship Palatium 3 was struck on its port side at 10:40 AM by one of two ASBMs launched, knocking a shipping container overboard and causing a fire that was contained by the crew. Later, the chemical/oil tanker Swan Atlanticloaded with vegetable oilswas attacked by both a drone and ASBM. One of the two hit, damaging the vessels water tank and causing a small fire. Several other reports of missile hits dont make it clear whether they involved cruise or ballistic missiles. But the unifying factor between all of these strikes is that none resulted in loss of lives or ships. The underwhelming outcomes arent that surprising: during the 1980s-era Tanker War between Iran and Iraq, large commercial ships struck by cruise missiles proved remarkably durable. This is largely thanks to their transparent bulk and small crews, as compared to slender warships densely packed with hundreds of crew and explosive missiles, shells and fuel. Bear in mind that the navigation, communication and guidance technology necessary to make ballistic attacks somewhat practical against ships at sea have only recently evolved. As a result, these weapons remains very challenging to employ, as the moving vessel must fall within the narrow field of view of the missiles seeker once it begins its terminal plunge. Still, China and Iran have built up ASBM inventories because these land-based weapons can safely threaten U.S. warships from a distance, and potentially from an angle and speed their defenses might struggle against. The Houthis claim to field a half-dozen different types of ASBMsmost apparently derived from similar Iranian weapons, but with substitutions for local production. These most recently include the 10-meter-long Asef missile and slenderer, 6-meter-long Falaq-1 missiles, with claimed ranges of 250- and 85miles respectively. Both were seemingly derived from the Iranian Khalij Fars ASBM. The Houthis also developed the Moheet ASBM by converting old Soviet S-75 anti-air missiles, a Tankil missile based on the Iranian Raad-500 with a claimed range of 310 miles, and two other short-range ASBMs. However, whether all of these are in use and operational is unclear. Some, however, insist that the Houthi attacks didnt actually involve true anti-ship ballistic missiles, but rather ordinary land-attack ones. A military source told Naval News that the Houthis first immobilize a targeted civilian ship via threats over the radio, then obtain the immobile vessels geographic coordinates by drone for subsequent targeting by a short-range land-attack ballistic missiles, or SRBM. These usually miss anyway, due to ships drifting and SRBMs not being very accurate. This could explain the low accuracy of Houthi ballistic strikes, but not apparent attempts to target these weapons at moving U.S. warships. Perhaps both genuine ASBMs and ordinary ballistic missiles were used. Anti-ship ballistic missiles: not as scary as thought? The growing ASBM threat had been on the U.S. Navys radar, spurring the development of capable ballistic missile defense weapons like the SM-3 and SM-6 missiles. It also likely spurred on continual upgrades to the ever-evolving Aegis Combat System, which networks together U.S. warships enabling cooperative engagements and rapid, coordinated responses to incoming threats. U.S. Navy - Getty Images Notably, ASBMs are in no way stealthy weaponstheir high-altitude trajectory and speed make them very indiscrete to radar and infrared sensors, and their prominent launch flash may also be detected by infrared-sensors on the same SEWS infrared surveillance satellites used to warn of nuclear missile launches. The Houthis Red Sea campaign has inadvertently created conditions for operational testing of U.S. Navy missile defensesand overall, this battle laboratory suggest those defenses work well against Houthi ballistic missiles. On the flipside, Houthi ballistic missiles have proven capable of hitting their targets, and U.S. warships have not always been close enough to shoot down missiles streaking towards civilian ships. So, the threat cant be blithely dismissed. Its also important to not over-extrapolate from the performance of Houthi missiles in the Red Sea to other contextsparticularly China and the Pacific Ocean. GREG BAKER - Getty Images On the one hand, the short distances (dozens of miles) and confined geography of the Red Sea make it unusually easy for the Houthis to acquire targets, despite their limited maritime surveillance capability, using coastal radars and (perhaps) intel from the Iranian surveillance ship Behshad. On the other hand, the shorter-range Houthi ASBMs are easier targets due to having slower peak velocitylikely around Mach 3 or 4than Chinese DF-21D ASBMs designed to traverse up to 900 miles at Mach 10. A wealthier adversary could have much better surveillance capabilities, the ability to provide course-corrections for missiles midflight, and enough launchers to fire many more munitions simultaneously in an attempt to overwhelm the air defenses. The Houthi Red Sea missile war demonstrates that ballistic missiles have arrived as naval warfare weapons, but also offers a datapoint suggesting technologies developed by the U.S. Navy to counter the ballistic threat are on the right track. You Might Also Like China's military has vowed to "crush" any efforts to promote Taiwan's independence a day before Taipei is set to hold local elections. The self-governed island nation will have roughly 19.5 million voters who will select a new president and legislature on Saturday. It is an election that is key to determining the region's future relationship with Beijing. China Vows To "Crush" Taiwan Independencex While Taiwan is a democratic territory that governs itself, mainland China has, for a long time, maintained that it is a part of its territory and has no international recognition as a nation. This year's elections include the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is seeking a third term. It has always clashed with Beijing over its defense of Taiwan's sovereignty and independence. The party's candidate, William Lai, has been labeled as a troublemaker by China, who warned people against voting for him. On the other side of the elections is the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which has promised to promote better ties with mainland China as well as peace in the Taiwan Strait. There is also a third party in the ballot but opinion polls showed a tight race between the two leading parties, as per BBC. But more than the conflict over Taiwan's independence, voters are more concerned about the region's economy. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen made an appearance in one of the areas where voting will be held and she was accompanied by PDP's vice-presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-Khim. One voter, 28-year-old Huang said that the election marks the end of the era of DPP as well as the KMT, noting that it was time for the younger generation to arrive and make themselves heard. Observers also noted that the Taiwan People's Party has made inroads in capturing some support, particularly among the youth. However, there are many others who view the elections differently, including Mrs. Liu, who works in the insurance industry. She said that she was born in Taiwan and argued that the island nation is walking the path of democracy and progress but cannot turn back. Read Also: Chinese Satellite Flies Over Taiwan's Airspace Ahead of Presidential Election-Leading to Islandwide Air Raid Alert Taiwan's Local Elections Hundreds of thousands of voters attended the final pre-election rallies in Taiwan on Friday in advance of critical presidential and parliamentary polls. In a statement, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said that the Chinese People's Liberation Army maintained high vigilance at all times, according to Aljazeera. He said that they would take all necessary measures to "firmly crush" Taiwan's independence and all forms of such attempts. The official also talked about Taiwan's air force upgrading F-16 fighter jets and buying more units from the United States. He said that even with these efforts, the governing DPP "cannot stop the trend of complete reunification of the motherland." Beijing has also framed Taiwan's elections as a choice between "peace and war." It called the DPP dangerous separatists and urged the island's people to make the right choice. A political analyst based in Taipei, Michael Cole said that every election in the island nation is significant because of the potential for Beijing to react in a way that could contribute to further instability in the region, said CBS News. Related Article: Chinese Satellite Launch Rattles Taiwan, Bad English Translation to Blame The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton's request to block a state District Court's ruling compelling him to give a deposition in a yearslong wrongful termination lawsuit that ignited his impeachment last year. With the court's divided ruling, Paxton and three of his top deputies will be required to testify under oath about the situation that led to his former aides' exit from the attorney general's office after they reported to federal authorities concerns that Paxton might have abused his office to lend favorable legal assistance to a friend and campaign donor, former Austin real estate developer Nate Paul. In his appeal to the state's high court Monday, Paxton sought a ruling to stop the whistleblowers from continuing to seek a settlement and to overturn the Travis County state District Court's mandate that his deposition occur by Feb. 9. "This afternoon, the Supreme Court of Texas denied an OAG emergency motion to prevent the deposition of Attorney General Ken Paxton and other high-level executives in a lawsuit that alleges Paxton violated the Texas Whistleblower Act," the court said in a social media post Friday evening announcing the ruling. More: Gov. Greg Abbott denies he's advocating shooting migrants crossing Texas-Mexico border Paxton has not publicly commented on the whistleblowers' allegations that he abused his office to help Paul who was the target of a separate federal financial crimes investigation or other concerns raised during his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate, where he was acquitted of all charges. Paxton's office did not respond to an American-Statesman request for comment Friday. In dissenting from the majority of the court, Justices John Phillip Devine and Jimmy Blacklock said they would have stayed Paxton's challenge to prevent his deposition along with those of First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Paxton's chief of staff Lesley French Henneke and senior adviser Michelle Smith. The justices "would instruct the district court to reconsider the necessity for, and scope of, those depositions only after depositions of lower-ranking officials have taken place," the brief ruling states. More: Texas is preparing for arctic blast. Here's how state is helping cities, counties respond Paxton's legal team largely made the same argument in December to District Judge Jan Soifer, saying that Paxton's testimony should be deferred and "less intrusive means of discovery" should be prioritized. Soifer rejected that argument, ruling that there is "good cause" to compel Paxton's testimony and that the whistleblowers should not be bound to a previous $3.3 million settlement that fell apart after the Legislature refused to pay the money, and instead the Texas House initiated an investigation, which led to the lower chamber's overwhelming vote to impeach the attorney general on 20 charges, including bribery and abuse of office. Former Deputy Attorney General Blake Brickman, one of the plaintiffs in a whistleblower lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton, awaits closing arguments at Paxton's impeachment trial at the Capitol in September. Soifer's ruling, which has now been reaffirmed by the 3rd Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court, allows for the four former agency employees who filed the lawsuit to continue seeking a settlement agreement and compels Paxton's testimony. After the ruling, which could force Paxton's first comments under oath about the situation, Tom Nesbitt, an attorney for Blake Brickman, a former senior staff member in Paxton's office, said the attorney general has evaded efforts to compel his testimony based on "his corrupt conduct." "Ken Paxton hid out from his impeachment trial and was excused from testifying because he invoked his right not to incriminate himself," Nesbitt said in a statement Friday. "And he has played so long for delay in this case because he is terrified to answer questions about his corrupt conduct. He should be." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ken Paxton to be deposed by Feb. 9, Texas Supreme Court says Margaret Thatcher visited the UAE's Ras Al Khaimah emirate to back British business in 1998, eight years after she left office - RABIH MOGHRABI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Margaret Thatcher would have been instinctively opposed to the UAE-backed takeover of The Telegraph, Lord Baker, who served in her Cabinet, has said. The Conservative grandee said that the Government should block the deal in order to protect the total independence of the titles. Both The Telegraph and The Spectator are subject to a takeover bid by RedBird IMI, a fund backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. I think it would be undesirable if The Telegraph ended up virtually having an owner which is a foreign government, which is not entirely fully democratic, said Lord Baker. Asked what Thatcher, whom he served in roles including education secretary and environment secretary, would have made of the deal, he said: I think she instinctively would have been against it because the freedom of the press is such an important element of democracy, and freedom of the press is not by any means common in the rest of the world. Kenneth, now Lord, Baker alongside Margaret Thatcher at the Conservative Party conference in 1989 when he was party chairman - MIRRORPIX The takeover has raised concerns about editorial independence, and Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, has ordered a public interest investigation into the acquisition. Concerns have also been voiced about the national security implications, with the former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, saying it poses a profound security concern to the UK. Lord Baker, who entered Parliament in 1968, and was also home secretary in John Majors government, is believed to be the first Thatcher-era cabinet minister to publicly come out against the UAE-backed takeover. He pointed out that government power to intervene in newspaper takeovers dates back to legislation enacted by Harold Wilsons Labour government in 1965. Independence is very critical The government has always regarded the independence of newspapers as very critical, very important, hence the power of intervention that we have, he said. He added that the UAE-back takeover would inevitably lead to friction which could compromise the papers independence. Some time in the future there is bound to be a conflict between what The Sunday Telegraph or The Daily Telegraph want to cover, which would be very unfriendly and unpleasant for the state that wants to buy it, he said. I think that this is always why one has tried to keep the interests of any government from taking any significant influence in any newspaper in the UK. Lord Baker, pictured in 2021, has reminded the Culture Secretary she has long-standing powers to block newspaper takeovers - RII SCHROER The Public Interest Intervention Notice issued by Ms Frazer covers the impact of the deal on the need for accurate presentation of news and free expression of opinion, which is being considered by Ofcom, as well as the legal technicalities and potential competition issues, which are being examined by the Competition and Markets Authority. Urging Ms Frazer to block the deal, Lord Baker said: I think that she should use her powers to protect the total independence [of The Telegraph] so that any government does not have any influence, however remote, on the actual editorial position of the paper. Recalling Thatchers own newspaper reading habits, he described how Bernard Ingham, her chief press secretary, made the necessary arrangements. She always had the papers put on the table for her just before midnight by Bernard she saw all the headlines every day, every morning, he said. Shed have read any article that was significant to her, her attention would be drawn to a specific article, she didnt have time to browse through all the newspapers every day. Many of our readers have raised concerns over the potential sale of Telegraph Media Group to the Abu Dhabi-linked RedBird IMI. While Ofcom carries out its investigation we are inviting the submission of comments on the process. Email salecomments@telegraph.co.uk to have your say. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Police say thieves stole tires from a trailer outside a Goodyear in South Memphis Friday morning but arent sure how many they took. Officers responded to the burglary in the 3000 block of Bellbrook Drive at around 6 a.m. and saw a white truck and white Infiniti SUV pull away from the business at a high rate of speed. Frustrations grow as business robberies continue in Memphis Goodyear employees said the suspects broke into a trailer in the parking lot but did not get inside the store. The employees are taking inventory to determine their losses. Officers said one tire they observed that was taken was worth about $500. The burglary was caught on camera, but so far, investigators have not released the video. If you know anything about theft, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Ukraine, UK sign security agreement Xinhua) 09:59, January 13, 2024 KIEV, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and visiting UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed a security agreement on Friday, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. The guarantees prescribed in the 10-year agreement will be in place until Ukraine joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Zelensky said. "We agreed with Britain on security in all areas -- on the land, in the air, at sea and in cyberspace," Zelensky noted. According to the president, the deal covers issues related to weapons, sanctions, Ukraine's border and post-conflict recovery. For his part, Sunak said that under the deal, the UK will provide Ukraine with weapons, including naval weapons, and force Russia "to pay the economic price" for conflict with Ukraine. Sunak, who arrived in Kiev earlier in the day, also pledged that the UK will provide 2.5 billion pounds (about 3.2 billion U.S. dollars) in fresh defense aid to Ukraine. The aid would cover anti-tank weapons, missiles, artillery shells, and military training for Ukrainian troops, he said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Girl Scouts march together during the Annual Original MLK Day Parade downtown in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Houstonians have numerous ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday throughout the weekend leading up to the national holiday on Monday, Jan. 15. Here are some scheduled events as the city gears up to honor his legacy of justice, equality and nonviolence. Dream On WonderWeek Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Children's Museum Houston. Courtesy of Children's Museum Houston The Children's Museum Houston is hosting the Dream Big WonderWeek, commemorating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with inspiring activities. On Jan. 13, the 28th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration features the Caryakid Award presentation to Mr. Larry Payne, alongside highlights like a Peace March, gospel music and Steve Scott's reenactment of the "I Have a Dream" speech. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 13, Jan. 14 Where: Childrens Museum Houston, 1500 Binz Advertisement Article continues below this ad MLK DAY OF SERVICE EVENT: Northwest Houston residents can plant trees to celebrate Martin Luther King Day at Bear Creek park MLK R&B Food Truck Festival The MLK R&B Food Truck Festival will take place at the 4501 Almeda Food Truck Park. 4501 Almeda Food & Entertainment From BBQ to desserts, there will be something to satisfy every craving at this event. Groove to rhythm and blues tunes throughout the day while celebrating food, music and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: Noon-10 p.m. Jan. 13 Where: 4501 Almeda Food Truck Park Martin Luther King Celebration Central Green Park in Katy, TX celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Getty Images Central Green Park in Katy will host an afternoon celebration to honor Martin Luther King Jr., offering live performances, a community art contest, giveaways and a presentation of a Martin Luther King Jr. speech. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: 1-4 p.m. Jan. 13 Where: Central Green Park, 23501 Cinco Ranch, Katy A Musical Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Don Uhrbrock/Getty Images The Community Music Center of Houston will honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a musical tribute at St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church. Expect a selection of Civil Rights era songs, hip-hop orchestra fusion, music from the Black Beethoven, Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint Georges, and spirituals. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: 5 p.m. Jan. 14 Where: St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church, 3006 Rosedale MLK Day Of Service: Third Ward Chess Park Third Ward Chess Park hosts MLK Day of Service. 3rd Ward Chess Park Third Ward Chess Park will host an MLK Day of Service. Attendees are invited to join in the community effort by participating in activities such as planting new greenery in planter boxes and contributing to the park cleanup. Additionally, chess enthusiasts can look forward to a chess tournament right at the park. When: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 15 Where: 3rd Ward Chess Park, 2604 McGowen 30th Annual MLK Grande Parade Stephen F. Austin High Schools Sonic Boom marching band performing in the Annual MLK Grande Parade at Midtown in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The annual MLK Grande Parade will begin at San Jacinto and Elgin in Midtown. This year's theme is "We Still Believe" and will feature more than 100 culturally diverse performance groups from across the nation. When: 10 a.m.-noon Jan. 15 Where: San Jacinto and Elgin St 2024 Annual MLK Birthday Observance at Rothko Chapel The Rothko Chapel partners with Houston Moms Demand Action, Daya, TAAF, and Jung Center Houston for its Annual MLK Birthday Observance, focusing on the public health crisis of gun violence. The event includes a memorial for U.S. gun violence victims, community tables for involvement, a keynote by David Hogg of March For Our Lives, a panel with local health experts and contemplative music and poetry. When: 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Jan. 15 Where: Rothko Chapel, 3900 Yupon Details: Pay what you can ($5-20); rothkochapel.org Martin Luther King Jr. Day Bernard and Shirley Kinsey stand outside The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection exhibit at Holocaust Museum Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Usually closed on Mondays, the Holocaust Museum Houston welcomes visitors on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with free admission to its galleries. Visitors can see the exhibit, "The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection," showcasing a rich assortment of paintings, sculpture, photos and books gathered by Shirley and Bernard Kinsey over five decades. Running until June, this exhibit is among the world's most extensive collections of African American art and history. When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 15 Where: Holocaust Museum Houston, 5401 Caroline 46th Annual Original MLK Jr. Day Parade and Festival The 46th Annual Original MLK Jr. Day Parade, hosted by the Black Heritage Society and the City of Houston, features marching bands, vibrant floats and cars. This years theme, Brotherly Love: Advocating Strongly for Peace, Freedom, and Justice, includes Grand Marshal Attorney Benjamin Crump, ESQ, and co-Grand Marshals Commissioner Adrain Garcia and Pastor Walter August Jr., with a special appearance by Rev. Dr. Derek King, Dr. Kings nephew. Following the parade, head to the Houston MLK Festival at City Hall Herman Square Park until 4 p.m., offering diverse musical performances, family-friendly activities, art, food vendors and more. When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 15 Britains relationship with Japan was one of a number of factors considered when Tony Blair, pictured in 1997, decided to go ahead with Horizon - Thomas Imo/Photothek The Foreign Office warned Sir Tony Blair that scrapping the Horizon scheme would damage relations with Japan, The Telegraph can disclose. The former prime minister ordered officials to go ahead with the new Post Office IT system despite being told it had been plagued with problems and that independent IT experts had found the firm behind it was failing to meet good industry practice in its handling of the project. Documents released by the Cabinet Office show that Sir Tonys decision came after Sir David Wright, the UK ambassador to Japan, warned that scrapping the deal would lead to the collapse of the Japanese-owned firm building the system and have profound implications ... for bilateral ties with Tokyo. Sir Geoff Mulgan, a Number 10 adviser to Sir Tony and now professor of public policy at University College London, told The Telegraph that a reluctance to strain relations with Japan had a big influence on decision-making over Horizon. The revelation raises fresh questions over the then PMs decision to continue with the troubled scheme, which Labour inherited from the Conservatives after coming to power in 1997. Bugs in the system created problems for thousands of sub-postmasters for more than a decade and led to the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. A spokesman for Sir Tony said Britains relationship with Japan was one of a number of factors considered when he decided to go ahead with Horizon, but his primary concern was the technical capability of the system. Government documents show that in 1998, ministers and officials in the Labour government were concerned that Horizon was significantly behind schedule and, according to an official note by Sir Geoff, was plagued with problems. A Treasury document submitted to the then prime minister on April 22, 1999, entitled ICL Pathway: list of failures stated that independent reviews of the Horizon project by external IT experts have all concluded (most recently this week) that ICL Pathway [the subsidiary building the system] have failed and are failing to meet good industry practice in taking this project forward, both in their software development work and in their management of the process. Each version of the software released to date had been subject to faults and problems, the document said. But Sir Tony made it clear that the project must not be scrapped, with Jeremy Heywood, his principal private secretary, telling ministers the following month that the prime minister wanted to avoid putting ICLs whole future at risk. The Government decided to proceed with a pared-back version of the project. Now it can be revealed that the decision followed an intervention by Sir David in which Sir Tony was warned that scrapping the agreement with ICL, owned by Fujitsu, would lead to major internal difficulties within Fujitsu and the collapse of ICL. The warning came in an urgent dispatch written in December 1998, which stated at the top: CABINET OFFICE PLEASE PASS TO PS/NO 10 a reference to Sir Tonys private secretary in Downing Street. Sir David warned that we have a major and potentially damaging problem on our hands. He described a meeting in which Michio Naruto, the Fujitsu vice-president and chairman of ICL, expressed concerns about the risk of the Government pulling out of the scheme. He said Naruto repeatedly stressed that failure of the project will have serious repercussions for Fujitsus international standing, lead to major internal difficulties within Fujitsu and the collapse of ICL, adding: Any threat to ICLs continued viability would have profound implications for jobs in the UK and for bilateral ties. The waves created would be damaging politically at home and to the UKs position of strength here vis-a-vis our European competitors. This is already being weakened by perceptions of distancing from the centre of Europe over the single currency. We can do without more trouble. Sir Geoff said it was difficult to overstate just how important Japanese inward investment was in the 1980s, and in the 1990s, it almost saved British manufacturing. So the stakes were pretty high, and that was definitely an important factor. He added: My recommendation was, despite that, I still thought [Horizon] should have been cancelled and started again. I think Alistair Darling took a similar view. According to testimony by a former senior official at the trade department, in early 1999 Downing Street made it clear to ministers and officials that Sir Tony was not looking for an outcome that involved walking away from Horizon or ICL. A spokesman for Sir Tony said: As has been made absolutely clear from the published correspondence inside Government, Tony Blair as prime minister took very seriously the issues raised about the Horizon contract, which by the time he took office, was behind schedule but considered vital to savings in the benefit system. After the Mulgan warning ... Mr Blair wrote on that note: I would favour Option 1 [pressing ahead] but for Geoffs statement that the system itself is flawed. Surely there must be a clear view on this. Speak to me on that: ie reading the enclosed paper, it all focuses on the financial deal. But there the risks are pretty even, probably coming down on the side of continuing. The real of heart of it is the system itself. The spokesman pointed to a note by Mr Heywood stating that the prime ministers only concern was to get a viable system agreed that would actually deliver what the Government wanted There was an independent panel of experts asked to provide a technical assessment of the viability of the project, which concluded it was viable, the spokesman added. Therefore, at every stage the issues were taken seriously and investigated ... The implicit idea that Tony Blair received warnings and ignored them is categorically wrong. It is now clear that the Horizon product was seriously flawed, leading to tragic and completely unacceptable consequences, and Mr Blair has deep sympathy with all those affected. 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. Top White House official Brett McGurk is quietly floating a controversial plan to reconstruct Gaza after Israels assault concludes, HuffPost has learned, despite serious concerns from some officials inside the administration that it would sow the seeds for future instability in the region. In recent weeks, McGurk has been pitching national security officials on a plan suggesting an approximately 90-day timeline for what should happen once active fighting in Gaza ends, three U.S. officials said. It argues that stability can be achieved in the devastated Palestinian region if American, Israeli, Palestinian and Saudi officials launch an urgent diplomatic effort that prioritizes the establishment of Israel-Saudi ties, the officials continued. Such a development is widely referred to as normalization, given Saudi Arabias refusal to recognize Israel since its founding in 1948. There is a widespread belief that similar U.S.-led deals that involved Israel and other regional Arab governments and that downplayed Palestinian concerns have fueled anger and violence, including the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other Palestinian militants inside Israel. Still, U.S. President Joe Biden has echoed his predecessor Donald Trump in arguing that those agreements are vital for the regions future. Bidens focus on an Israel-Saudi pact has been especially alarming for Palestinians and officials working on Israeli-Palestinian peace. And McGurks accelerated timeline has only caused more concern. McGurks plan would use the incentive of aid for reconstruction from Saudi Arabia and possibly other wealthy Gulf countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to pressure both the Palestinians and the Israelis, per the officials. In this vision, Palestinian leaders would agree to a new government for both Gaza and the occupied West Bank and to ratchet down their criticisms of Israel, while Israel would accept limited influence in Gaza. Foreign policy experts in the U.S. and global governments say that they understand the logic of uniting U.S. partners in the region who share a deep skepticism of Iran, a U.S. foe. Given Arab solidarity with Palestinians and its stature as the most influential country in the Muslim-majority world, Saudi Arabia would find it hard to publicly embrace Israel without being able to say that it helps the Palestinians. Meanwhile, building closer ties with historic enemies has long been a top Israeli objective, and the Palestinians have few options for and limited leverage over their international backers. But for years in the run-up to Oct. 7, experts were warning that the key to any settlement is meaningful progress for Palestinians toward statehood, not simply promises of additional economic support or limited Israeli concessions. Skeptics of McGurks effort to craft an Israel-Saudi deal said that Palestinian frustration over such an agreement could doom it and prompt cycles of unprecedented violence, and noted that Biden had refused to take even minimal steps to build U.S. credibility in the Palestinian territories, like reversing precedent-shattering pro-Israel moves by Trump. McGurk is leading post-war Gaza planning in Washington, and his proposal comes after initial discussions among a broad range of U.S. officials that did not so heavily emphasize a Saudi angle. McGurks suggestions reflect the Biden administrations pre-Oct. 7 approach of treating the Palestinians as an afterthought, argued all three officials, who requested anonymity to describe sensitive internal discussions. It misses the point, one U.S. official said of the plan. Another said that McGurk has laid out his vision in a top-secret document shared in some circles of the Washington national security establishment a plan that envisions Biden traveling to the region in the coming months on a victory tour to claim credit for an Israel-Saudi deal as an answer to Gazas pain. The document references a preliminary deal called the Jerusalem-Jeddah Pact, the official told HuffPost. The clock [for the 90 days] starts when you can say, Saudi and Israel have agreed on X, the first official added. They really think they can utilize the reconstruction portion of this to ease the pain of normalizing with Saudi, said a third official who works on regional policy, referring to the wariness of the Saudi public over a deal with Israel and the prospect of pro-Palestinian activism scuttling the agreement. They want to show that Israel is giving more than they have before. A recently conducted poll of Saudis by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy found that nearly 96% believe Arab states should cut any ties with Israel over its conduct in Gaza, and Saudi Arabia has long maintained that it will not establish ties with Israel unless the Israelis permit the establishment of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, a host of other forces in the region would rage against an agreement perceived as sidelining Palestinians. That group includes the Houthis the Yemeni militia that has crippled Red Sea shipping, citing concern for Gaza, and that the U.S. and allies launched airstrikes against on Thursday. These plans are delusionally optimistic and have numerous spoilers and parties that will be unlikely to cooperate or do what the U.S. plans, one U.S. official said, pointing to the Houthis but also Palestinians and Israelis It seems to lack a lot of reality on where the Israeli government is headed, the official working on regional policy continued, in a reference to hard-line statements from right-wing Israeli ministers and the countrys unprecedented crackdown on Palestinians both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. This is what happens when you put people at the top who lack a lot of historical and cultural context in the region. Another U.S. official shared a similar view, telling HuffPost, Im not sure this is realistic with the Israelis, though they noted Saudi eagerness. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week told Israeli counterparts that he expects them to do more to achieve a Saudi-Israel pact than they would have had to do prior to their campaign in Gaza, The Times of Israel reported. NSC spokespeople initially declined to provide comment for this story. After the article gained wide traction, NSC spokeswoman Adrienne Watson emailed on Saturday: This story is not true. White House official Brett McGurk (left) has worked closely with Princess Reema bint Bandar al Saud (right), the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. White House official Brett McGurk (left) has worked closely with Princess Reema bint Bandar al Saud (right), the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. McGurk has long focused on relations with Saudi Arabia, arguing for Biden to treat a Saudi-Israel agreement as a major international success that could be useful for his reelection bid. He was instrumental in organizing Bidens controversial 2022 trip to Saudi Arabia, and his policy shift away from his campaign trail pledge to treat the kingdom as a pariah. McGurk previously worked on Middle East issues under Trump, who promoted his set of agreements between Arab states and Israel the so-called Abraham Accords as one of his biggest triumphs. Regardless of whether his plan is feasible, the White House adviser and his team have a clear interest in trying to win support for it in terms of their influence within the government and over Biden, per the official focused on regional policy. Its for them to disprove the talking point that all the work McGurk has done on normalization is lost because of [Gaza] theres a lot of saving face, the official said, describing the White House push for a U.S.-Saudi deal as intensified. In his first public remarks after the Oct. 7 attack, McGurk claimed that he never sidelined Palestinian concerns in pursuing an Israel-Saudi agreement. Palestinians were both a partner and at the center of the developing package deal, he said. And on his latest visit to the region, earlier this week, Blinken explicitly discussed the potential deal, saying: It would require the conflict to end in Gaza, and it would clearly require there be a practical pathway to a Palestinian state. The interest is there. Its real and it could be transformative. Outside experts and some American and foreign officials are extremely skeptical that the U.S. will be able to win real support for a Saudi-Israel agreement from Palestinians, given the communitys horror over the Gaza crisis and Washingtons reported focus on reengineering Palestinian leadership from the outside with help from Arab partners. Theres a lot of deja vu in what were hearing about the allegedly new thinking, said Khaled Elgindy, an analyst at the Middle East Institute think tank and former adviser to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah. I have a hard time believing that the administration that misread the region for three years before Oct. 7 and certainly deprioritized the Palestinians can understand Palestinian aspirations. Even if they did understand what was required, would any Palestinian leader be willing to trust them after they have facilitated the annihilation of Gaza? Elgindy added. Biden administration officials are focused on bolstering the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the West Bank and works closely with Israel and the U.S., although it has not controlled Gaza since 2007 and is led by officials whom many Palestinians disdain. McGurks plan calls for developing a new cabinet for the body, one U.S. official said, and Washington is widely understood to be attempting to loosen the hold of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. When they talk about revitalized leadership, someone other than Mahmoud Abbas but very, very similar in almost every other way in terms of ties to Israel and the U.S. the echoes of 2002 and 2003 are quite loud because it was exactly that thinking: If we could just reengineer Palestinian politics to diminish [Palestinian leader Yasser] Arafats power, all would be well, Elgindy said. Abbas became the Palestinian Authoritys first prime minister in 2003, before becoming its president in 2005 and since then intensely centralizing his own power. Elgindy challenged the idea that the U.S. could seriously address Palestinian discontent by staffing the Palestinian Authority with more effective leaders, such as those seen as mostly focused on technical matters rather than politics like Salam Fayyad and Mohammad Mustafa. Technocratic experience is important but what Palestinians are looking for is leadership. That is not Abbas; it is not these people, he added. He envisions a figure who could have appeal across the spectrum of Palestinian politics, from the left to Hamas, but said that is a disincentive for Israel and that the U.S. would be ambivalent on the importance of that influence. Theyre just going to fall back on simple power: We can control the flow of funds, were the only ones who can convince Israel to do anything. Thats been the modus operandi of the U.S.-led peace process all along, but look where its gotten us, Elgindy said. Blinken raised the idea of a new Palestinian Authority cabinet with Abbas this week and the Palestinian leaders response was poor, a U.S. official told HuffPost. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller disputed that presentation in an email to HuffPost, writing, This account is false in every respect. Beyond the McGurk gambits questionable chances of winning real Palestinian backing, the bid would likely face serious challenges on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers have repeatedly said their interest in helping Israel make friends in its neighborhood does not outweigh their concerns about what the U.S. would need to commit to in diplomacy for a Saudi-Israel pact likely a binding American defense treaty with Saudi Arabia and U.S. assistance with a Saudi nuclear program, among other enticements. Congress would have to approve a treaty and could also scrutinize or bar other U.S.-Saudi deals. Calling Saudi Arabia an authoritarian regime which regularly undermines U.S. interests in the region, has a deeply concerning human rights record, and has pursued an aggressive and reckless foreign policy agenda, 20 senators urged Biden in an Oct. 4 letter to tread carefully in pursuing a Saudi-Israel agreement. Hey, E.T.! The Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau has a message for you: Forget home and come to Lexington instead. The bureau, also known as VisitLEX, has targeted its newest advertising campaign at aliens in space ... in hopes of reaching earthlings at the same time. In October, the organization beamed a message into space inviting extraterrestrials to visit Lexington. We believe Lexington is the best place on Earth, VisitLEX President Mary Quinn Ramer said in a news release. Its the ideal location for extraterrestrial travelers to begin exploring our world. The message, sent via laser, will take 40 years to reach its intended target, the TRAPPIST-1 solar system. That interstellar dot in the universe was chosen because it is the most studied planetary system outside of our own and is home to the largest number of potentially habitable, Earth-sized planets currently known, VisitLEX officials said. VisitLEX sent a message, including a bitmap, to space inviting aliens to visit Lexington, KY. Robert Lodder, a UK faculty member, said that when VisitLEXs advertising agency contacted him last summer with the idea of beaming a message about Lexington into space, he was happy to volunteer his time for the project. Lodder, who holds appointments in UKs Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chemistry Department, said he has been has been part of the SETI League, which is searching for extraterrestrial intelligence, for about 20 years. And for alien-searching rookies out there, SETI is an acronym for Search for Exterrestial Intelligence. The SETI League has operated in LIttle River, New Jersey, since 1994 and boasts 1,500 members in 60 countries on all seven continents, the groups website boasts. Lodder said he and a group of fellow UK faculty members with similar interests convened to sharpen the galactic tourism pitch, and VisitLEX provided the laser to send it. The ad campaign, Lodder said, was not formally connected to the university and did not involve the use of campus resources. The laser message was sent from the Kentucky Horse Park after approval was received from the FAA. Lodder said the team that worked on the project reviewed other messages that have been sent in the past and settled on sending a progression of messages from easy to hard. The progression included prime numbers: A bitmap; grayscale images of a landscape with horses, downtown Lexington and bourbon barrels and drinks and an audio recording of a blues guitar riff by Lexington musician Tee Dee Young. The bitmap image is the key to it all, Andrew Byrd, who specializes in linguistics, said in the news release. We included imagery representing the elements of life, our iconic Lexington rolling hills, and the molecular structure for water, bourbon, and even dopaminebecause Lexington is fun! We were trying to send them something about Earth that was more interesting than what a prime number is or what a periodic table looks like, Lodder added. Maybe, he hopes, Lexington may get a return message. It just wont be immediate. Because the TRAPPIST-1 system is about 40 light years away, though, well be waiting at least 80 years to get an RSVP from aliens. The Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau beamed a message into space in October at the Kentucky Horse Park. Its part of an advertising campaign intended to entice extraterrestrials - and earthlings - to visit Lexington. Lexingtons message might not have reached the aliens yet, but the campaign is already generating interest here on Earth. Its been featured in a number of news articles. He said the buzz around the congressional hearings on UFOs last summer made it a good time for the city to tap into the public interest in life outside our planet. Lodder told the Washington Post in an interview this week that a lot of people think Kentucky is a flyover state, and its nice to give them the impression that maybe were not. And that Earth is not a flyover planet. Houston Police officers investigate the scene of an officer-involved shooting on the 100 block of East 44th Street on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Houston. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Staff photographer A digital recorder for a dashboard camera is mounted below a police radio in the center console of Austin Police Officer Eric Cortez's police vehicle while on patrol in down town Austin on Fri., Dec. 13, 2013. Contributed by Ashley Landis Ashley Landis Mayor John Whitmire said after entering office he was concerned communication among law enforcement was hindered by using different technology. His concern that police and deputies couldnt talk to each other on their radios and that investigators had trouble accessing information about each others cases is a legitimate one, law enforcement experts said. But it's a headache for agencies throughout the country with no easy fix. MORE ON PUBLIC SAFETY: Mayor John Whitmire pushes back against crime stats, vows to make Houstonians feel safer Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thomas Diaz, assistant chief of law enforcement command at the Harris County Sheriffs Office, said the countys big law enforcement agencies including the Houston Police Department and the sheriffs office have invested money in technology infrastructure in recent years and can communicate with each other via radio by switching frequencies. But each agency does operate on a different database, which can make accessing information tricky. But problems arise most when communicating with some of the countys smaller agencies that might not have the budgets to keep up with new technology, Diaz said. The issue can become especially exacerbated during major multi-agency incidents and when detectives are investigating cases across multiple jurisdictions. Thomas Gilliland, a senior deputy for the sheriff's office, provided the theoretical example of someone committing armed robberies along Interstate 10 - deputies currently don't have an easy way to look and see if any other agencies have seen robberies in their jurisdictions that might connect. Victor Senties, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department, declined to speak about technology constraints, saying to do so would expose tactical matters to the public. Communication a challenge nationwide Joseph Schafer, a professor in the school of criminology and criminal justice at Arizona State University, said Harris County wasnt unique in struggling with technology communication infrastructure amongst its more than 80 agencies. In a nation brimming with many small, independent law enforcement agencies, its tough to coordinate when each of them operates on different rules and regulations about what bids to accept, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Particularly in big metropolitan areas with dozens of police departments, if not 100-plus agencies, this is very common, he said. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, law enforcement analysts determined that differing radio technology and reporting databases muddled police response to the attack. The 9/11 Commission Report recommended creating a nationwide network for public safety communications, leading to a subsequent law providing $7 billion to create a network. But while conditions have improved somewhat in the years since, financial constraints and regulations have hamstrung efforts to truly streamline communications across agencies, Schafer said. Good, bad or otherwise, U.S. policing is so provincial, Schafer said. You have 15,000 departments all making decisions largely independently of one another. When you have a system like that, this is one of the disadvantages. Schafer described a system that works not unlike any other major company across the country. Contractors offer agencies deals, agencies select the best one and then settle into habits. Its difficult to switch databases once enough information has been collected into one, Schafer said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the end of the day, it comes down to money, he said. Its a big expense for a large agency to change to a new record management system. Rational organizations will focus on what they can afford to do with their available resources that is the least disruptive. They tend to perpetuate and stick with the vendor theyve been using. Local leaders hope for solutions Adrian Garcia, Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner, previously worked as Harris County sheriff and as an officer with the Houston Police Department. He said hes worked for several years to convince leaders at the countys law enforcement agencies to switch to using one reporting form, called a uniform offense report, to streamline some of the communication issues. A uniform offense report would streamline the process across jurisdictions, provide information to officers as they attempt to identify active suspects and help prevent a future backlog by giving the (district attorneys office) consistent information, regardless of which agency files charges, he said. Officials with Garcia's office didn't immediately have financial numbers on what switching to a uniform reporting system might cost. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Visitors to the Houston Museum of Natural Science check out Victoria the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton Thursday, July 8, 2021 in Houston. The HMNS kicks of T. rex Week Friday and will run through July 18, with a variety of activities featuring the museum's T. rex fossils, that includes the display of Victoria, the worlds largest and most complete tyrannosaurus rex skeleton touring the world. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The Houston Museum of Natural Science is making a major change to its weekly schedule by moving its free hours to Tuesdays from Thursdays starting Jan. 16. General admission tickets will be free between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesdays all year long. "We wanted to allow more families the ability to experience HMNS together," museum president Joel Bartsch said in an email. "We not only extended our hours into the evening to give working parents and individuals the time to come in after a long work day, but we also moved it to Tuesdays to allow for better access, easier parking and fewer conflicts with neighboring events in the area." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Free admission hours on Thursdays is a common theme for museums in the city. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Children's Museum of Houston, The Health Museum, The Holocaust Museum Houston, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and The Houston Museum of African American Culture all have free admission hours each Thursday. Free weekly hours is one of the museum's longest-running programs, Bartsch said, dating back at least 25 years. Prior to this move to Tuesdays, the museum offered free hours on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. The free hours at night, which started only recently, were such a success that the museum wanted to make it a year-round option. Bartsch said he and his team have been listening to feedback from visitors about improving the HMNS experience, and the museum identified Tuesday as a potentially better fit for free admission hours for visitors. They first started considering the logistics of moving in October. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The president of the museum since 2004, Bartsch said he hopes the move will make the museum more accessible to people hoping to visit. Hana Ikramuddin is a Hearst Fellow for the Houston Chronicle. Raised in the Twin Cities, Hana majored in journalism and political science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She has held internships with the Star Tribune, APM Reports and Sahan Journal. In her free time, she loves to cook, make chai and take care of her houseplants. At left, a warm Saturday with highs in the 60s is expected in Houston. At right, a deep freeze is expected by Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Pivotal Weather Youve undoubtedly heard about the arctic cold front on the way to Houston. Temperatures will fall fast over the next several days, and a few deep freezes are expected through the middle of the week. Thankfully, the front is not here quite yet, and Saturday will actually be quite a nice day to be outside. Saturdays forecast The day will start on the chilly side, but it wont be anything too out of the ordinary. Morning lows will start in the upper 30s at around 7 a.m. As the day goes on, a quick warm-up will ensue. Temperatures will rise above 50 degrees after 10 a.m., reaching 60 degrees by noon. Afternoon highs will top out at 65 degrees under sunny skies. Take advantage of the fantastic day before the cold front sweeps through on Sunday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Arctic air timeline Sunday: By the time you wake up on Sunday morning, the cold front will be making its way through Houston. Temperatures will quickly drop to the upper 30s Sunday morning, while areas north of Houston, such as College Station and Huntsville, will see temperatures fall into the 20s. Temperatures will only rise slightly throughout the day, as high temperatures reach the low to mid-40s under mostly cloudy skies in Houston. Monday: Temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 20s and low 30s in the Houston metro area early Monday morning. Areas outside of the urban areas will experience a deep freeze as temperatures drop to between 25 and 28 degrees. A chance of light freezing rain arises early Monday, but the best chances of this will be outside of the Houston metro area, especially to the north and west. The freezing rain would be very light, likely totaling just a few hundredths of an inch. However, that is enough to make roads slick and travel hazardous. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Here is a look at the future radar for Monday at 6 a.m. Parts of Southeast Texas have a chance of light freezing rain and sleet. The areas with the best chances will be north and west of Houston. WeatherBELL Tuesday: The coldest air of the entire arctic air outbreak will move into Southeast Texas on Tuesday. That is when a deep freeze is expected in Houston as morning temperatures fall to between 21 and 24 degrees. Areas north and west of Houston will see temps fall to the upper teens. Temperatures will stay below freezing for much of the day, only reaching a few degrees above 32 by the afternoon. When will we warm up? Another bitterly cold morning is expected Wednesday. Once again, the low 20s are expected in Houston. After that, Southeast Texas will start to thaw out. Highs will rise to the upper 40s on Wednesday, and they could reach all the way to the low 60s by Thursday. However, the warm-up may be short-lived. Long-range models are depicting another strong cold front sweeping through the region next Friday. RodeoHouston 2024: Lainey Wilson, clockwise top from left, Ivan Cornejo, Jelly Roll, Nickelback, Major Lazer, 50 Cent, Jonas Brothers, Oliver Arthur. RodeoHouston Where are the women? Regarding RodeoHoustons 2024 lineup is here: Jonas Brothers, Jelly Roll, 50 Cent and Nickelback, (Jan. 11): Wow, what a great lineup of talent for the Rodeo this year. Now if they could only look a little harder next year for some more female entertainers. Im disappointed, again, that for all the great artists, the selection committee has only two women to grace the stage this year and the year before, and before that and, it seems, forever. Mary Sullivan, Katy Public school Regarding Texas school districts surprised by $300 million special education hit after federal decision, (Jan. 9): I was appalled to read the lead article on Wednesday. A $300 million annual loss to our public school districts that provide free and appropriate public education services to our students with disabilities is significant. It appears as though the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has improperly coded special education medical services being provided by our public school staff. This overpayment was detected by the feds in 2017. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Our own Houston Independent School District may stand to lose about $10 million. It is difficult to say whether this situation was caused by negligence and oversight, or by fiscal irresponsibility. Either way, the loss will cause financial havoc to our public school districts. Unfortunately, the bottom line is that our students with disabilities may end up suffering. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Joe Sosa, Katy Regarding HISD trustee: I like what Ive seen of the reforms (Opinion), (Jan. 5): Like HISD Trustee Judith Cruz described in her Jan. 5 opinion piece, I, too, had a similar experience while visiting a New Education System middle school. The students were focused on learning and working in pairs. The teachers were engaged and active. As a visitor, I was able to quickly understand the lesson and the instruction. I realize that this new approach has had its share of learning curves, but I, too, see the opportunities for success. Bridget Wade, HISD trustee, Houston Regarding New Houston mayor meets with TEA chief Morath, reaffirms support for HISD amid state takeover, (Jan. 9): Democracy is often messy and inefficient, as the old HISD exemplified. A dictatorial regime is always tempting, promising efficient decision-making and removing the messiness and arguments that democratic rule entails. But that doesnt make it right. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is a dangerous path that seduces with the siren song of easy solutions, of giving up the power of the vote. And, apparently, Mayor John Whitmire approves. Alan Jackson, Houston Rough landing Regarding Boeing still hasnt fixed this problem on Max jets, so its asking for an exemption to safety rules, (Jan. 5): Seriously? With their recent track record? Two deadly crashes in recent years because of shortcuts and cost savings in the 737 Max, and recent reports of loose bolts in some 737 Max planes. Since Boeing made this request, a portion of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 blew out. And they want a pass on safety rules? If anything, Boeing should be heavily fined again. Very strict design standards should be imposed and rigorous safety inspections should be conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Possibly, they should consider grounding all Max planes again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This flyer long ago lost confidence in Boeing, preferring to travel on flights using Airbus planes. Ike Harper, Sugar Land Sacre bleu! Regarding The return of 'Les Miserables,' 'Steel Magnolias' kick off Houstons 2024 theater season, (Jan. 10): In the theater listings in the print Preview section, a description of Les Miserables said it is the hit musical about the French Revolution. A quick Google check would have revealed the fact that Les Miz has nothing to do with the French Revolution. Sacre bleu, guys! The background is the 1832 June Rebellion, featured in Victor Hugos novel. I would imagine press materials about the upcoming performances of Les Miz in Houston would have made that clear? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Patricia Bernstein, Bellaire Christian biases Regarding Texans players, like many athletes and believers, arent shy in praising God. Amen, (Jan. 5): I, too, think its great that Texans athletes openly express their faith. I just wonder if Jerome Solomon would continue to praise them if they were all Muslims. Or Buddhists, who dont worship God at all. Would he still laud them for showing their faith? Not likely. Why is it that the Chronicle slavishly publishes such articles? This is the most diverse city and region in the country. Dont try to insist that everyone worthy of praise is Christian. Im a non-Christian and Im tired of the institutional bias toward Christianity in this state. At an animal welfare check before the deadly 2021 freeze, Houston SPCA inspectors found this dog tied outside. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer An arctic cold front is expected to arrive in Houston today. Obviously, no pet should be left outside in frigid temperatures. And its now against the law to do so. After the 2021 freeze, Texas legislators passed the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act. It requires dog owners to protect their pets from extreme temperatures. But what about the countless strays on Houstons streets? Volunteers for Barrio Dogs, a nonprofit that works in Houstons East End, are getting ready to help. Sharon Steinmann, the Chronicle editorial boards video opinion journalist, spoke with Barrio Dogs founder and president Gloria Zenteno. Q: How long have you been running Barrio Dogs? What is its mission? A: Its almost 14 years now, and our mission is to create a better future for animals and the community. We do that by addressing the root causes of animals problems. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Q: Why did you start Barrio Dogs? A: I was born and raised in the East End. I moved away for a long time, and when I moved back, I was horrified by the number of stray dogs, dogs on chains, pregnant mamas just running in the streets. I had a job at the time in the Galleria, and 10 minutes away, I would see a totally different life over there. People walked their animals on leashes, and they were happy and healthy, and they had little outfits. Then I would go back home to these tragedies every day. I thought, we have just got to do something about this. I didnt want to do rescue; there are great rescue groups out there doing amazing work, but to me it was kind of a Band-Aid approach. I felt we needed to get to the root causes through education and community work. Were in the schools, doing community outreach with spay/neuter initiatives, and we also do advocacy work. We try to get our neighbors involved with advocating, whether its calling their elected officials, speaking in front of council or attending webinars that we do. Q: In 2021, we had a horrible freeze, and nobody was really prepared. People died. What was that freeze like for Houstons rescue and animal-welfare community? How many dogs died? Advertisement Article continues below this ad A: Im sure there were hundreds. And there were probably many that were not even reported. I think our city and county shelters were not prepared. I think even the animal welfare community wasnt prepared. But there were some good saves. We were out there helping and saving and getting kennels out to people so they can bring their dogs into the house. Definitely there were lots of tragedies. But I feel that its going to be different this time. I think the city and the county are going to be way more prepared. Q: How is Barrio Dogs preparing? A: Were getting the word out to people who we already know in the community. Community members know of neighbors that have animals outside, and Barrio Dogs can provide kennels and bedding, and encourage people to bring their animals in. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some residents still think that an animal is different from a human being. And its far from the truth. They suffer just like we do. They feel pain just like we do. Barrio Dogs founder and president, Gloria Zenteno, assesses a loose dog in Mason Park in Houstons East End on September 17, 2022. Sharon Steinmann/Staff Photographer Q: Have you seen an improvement in Houstons animal welfare? A: I wish I could say yes, but no, were not seeing an improvement. And every other animal welfare group would agree with me that we are not seeing an improvement. Thats why were super hopeful with the new mayor. We have some new elected officials, council members, elected officials that we feel will be more on board. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Things have just got to change. Now, with this freeze, I feel optimistic. I already feel like were going to do a way better job than we did with the past one. More lives will be saved, hopefully. Q: How are the next few days going to be for you and the people who work with Barrio Dogs? A: We are going to Walmart to get blankets and supplies. Were going to make some kind of makeshift shelters with Rubbermaid containers; we cut windows or openings into them. Were going to go to the feed store to get barrels of hay. Then well put out a message. We work with our civic clubs because they really know their area. They know what residents already are in need of. Q: What do you do with the Rubbermaid shelters? Do you place them in areas where strays might be? In Reveille Park, we already know theres a chocolate Lab mama there, and well probably place one out there for her and well put food and water near it so that theyll come to it. Thats the key, making sure that theres food and water. Hopefully theyll go in and get warm for the next few days. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Q: Is there anything else you want people to know about the freeze? A: Bottom line: Just bring your animals inside. And if you dont, then you could be held accountable. There is an ordinance in place, and you can be reported. So do the right thing. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at U.C. Berkeley on May 17, 1967. The Upper Sproul Plaza speech about the Vietnam War drew thousands of students. Art Frisch/The Chronicle Since the onset of Israels deadly assault on Gaza and the West Bank after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, debates have arisen among historians and media pundits about Martin Luther King Jr.s stance on Israel and its conflicts with Palestinians. Some claim King was a fierce Zionist and point to his speech on Mar. 25, 1968, before the annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly. Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity, King said. I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Others, like American-Israeli scholar Martin Kramer, have pointed to Kings views on Palestinian rights to their homeland. During a 1967 interview with ABC News, shortly after Israel launched the Six-Day War against Egypt, Syria and Jordan and seized control of land in Gaza and the West Bank, King said that Israel should return Palestinian lands. I think for the ultimate peace and security of the situation it will probably be necessary for Israel to give up this conquered territory, because to hold on to it will only exacerbate the tensions and deepen the bitterness of the Arabs, he said. As a scholar who researches social movements, racial politics and democracy, I believe there is a larger story beyond Kings stance on Israel and Palestinians. That story is on Kings views of war and his courage to stand for peace. This is the story of the anti-war King who understood that violence begets violence and that the political courage to speak for peace is essential to democracy. FESTIVALS AND PARADES: Where to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Houston Advertisement Article continues below this ad Breaking his silence For King, joining the peace movement was tantamount to walking a political tightrope. On one hand, the Civil Rights Movement had a great supporter in U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But LBJ was also at the heart of the escalation of the war in Vietnam, and many believed Kings anti-war statements could and would be used against him. The U.S. governments hypocrisy in supporting the Vietnam War was not lost on King. In 1965, 61% of Americans supported U.S. military involvement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the same time, King was asking hard questions about Johnsons wartime decision-making and unmet promises of social uplift through his Great Society programs. King wondered how a nation could drop tons of bombs and napalm on civilians in the name of peace and freedom while violently subjugating its own Black citizens. How could a nation spend so much money on a war, King asked, when it could not feed or protect its own people? The promises of the Great Society have been shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam, King said in a speech in Beverly Hills on Feb. 25, 1967. Billions are liberally expended for this ill-considered war. The security we profess to seek in foreign adventures we will lose in our decaying cities. The bombs in Vietnam explode at home. They destroy the hopes and possibilities for a decent America. The Johnson administration argued that military force was essential to protect South Vietnam from the encroachment of communism from the north. As Johnson saw it, North Vietnam and its National Liberation Front were a threat to democracy in Southeast Asia. Kings advisers pleaded with him not to speak out and argued that the political costs would be too high. Most importantly, they reminded King that there was more than enough work to do in the U.S. to end poverty and secure equal rights for Black citizens. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But King ultimately broke with his advisers and President Johnson. By 1967, King followed the lead of his wife and anti-war activist Coretta Scott King and began speaking out. In March 1967, King led his first anti-war march in Chicago. At the rally, he called on peace activists to organize as effectively as the war hawks. A month later, on April 4, 1967, King gave the speech at the Riverside Church in New York City that changed the course of the last year of his life Beyond Vietnam A Time to Break the Silence. In that revolutionary speech, King described how he was morally compelled to speak out against the war. In the days and weeks after, he would lose masses of supporters, Black and white alike. He lost hard-earned political allies, including President Johnson. Advertisement Article continues below this ad King was also shunned and denounced by 168 newspapers that questioned Kings failure to condemn the enemy, fueling long-standing rumors about communist ties. Saving the soul of America King had no regrets. He understood the difficulty of speaking out against the war. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their governments policy, especially in time of war, he said. For King, a preacher at heart, silence had become betrayal. Calling the U.S. the greatest purveyor of violence today, King said the soul of America can never be saved so long as it destroys the deepest hopes of men the world over. He warned that America had lost moral authority abroad and derided the deadly Western arrogance that has poisoned the international atmosphere for so long. King pointed to the role of the U.S. in prohibiting the realization of a revolutionary government seeking self-determination in Vietnam. Most poignantly in that 1967 speech at Riverside Church, King detailed the devastating costs of the Vietnam War and described the millions of children and women who were killed by American bombs and bullets and the poor masses who were spared slaughter only to face a slow, painful death by disease and starvation. Then King turned to the so-called enemy, the North Vietnamese. Even if we do not condone their actions, King said in the speech, surely we must see that the men we supported pressed them to their violence. Surely we must see that our own computerized plans of destruction simply dwarf their greatest acts. Then King called for a cease-fire. The fight for justice and humanity Kings words resonate today. How can the U.S., as King would ask the nation, move forward from here? In the 1960s, King grappled with this very question. On the one hand, he felt a deep solidarity with the Jewish struggle against persecution, and on the other hand, he rejected the violent occupation of Palestinian lands that would run counter to the noble cause. He saw resolution through a commitment to breaking cycles of violence and practicing radical peace, a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond ones tribe, race, class, and nation. Justin Prisock, a fishing guide, casts his line as he waits for his friend to bring the truck to the boat ramp Wednesday March 22, 2023, at Fairfield Lake State Park in Fairfield. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer The sun sets Wednesday March 22, 2023, at Fairfield Lake State Park in Fairfield. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer When Rodney Franklin first began working for Texas state parks 32 years ago, he wrote purchase orders with a typewriter. Now its done by email. Ive seen a lot of changes, Franklin said. As the director of state parks, he will now oversee what he calls the next golden age of Texas state parks an unprecedented $1 billion fund voters approved to add new parkland. Were about to open so many new parks for the state of Texas, he said, reflecting on the moment. Its really, really special and I just feel honored and blessed to be a part of it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The money is set aside exclusively for the creation and improvement of Texas state parks, as opposed to other funds that have been for routine repairs or upkeep. Franklin said the plans are to use the funds to build new parks, separately from the six others that are already planned to open in the next decade. There are currently 89. Its unclear where exactly those new parks will be, Franklin said, or how many new parks the $1 billion can fund. But what is clear, he said, is that the money will be transformational and comes when the demand for outdoor spaces has never been higher. The sun sets over the Chancellor Union Cemetery on Wednesday March 22, 2023, at Fairfield Lake State Park in Fairfield. The cemetery was named for the Chancellor family which moved to Texas from Alabama in the 1850s with their 10 children and 11 slaves, according to a Texas Historical Commission marker. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer In decades past, a higher proportion of Texans lived on farms or in rural areas with easy access to nature and the outdoors. Now, most of the states population is concentrated in cities or suburbs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The state parks, they were nice, but they werent designed for 85% of the population, said Joseph Fitzsimons, former chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The demand is huge, he said. We literally have to stop letting people in in a lot of state parks because theyre full. We need more. And thats what were going to do. This year was something of a perfect storm for those who support increased funding for state parks. In addition to 2023 being the 100th anniversary of Texas state parks, demand has risen for access to the parks as COVID-19 forced more people outdoors and the states population continues to rise. Lawmakers tapped funding from the states $30 billion budget surplus. And while Texas often sees heated political battles both between the two parties and within the GOP that dominates the Legislature, the parks proposal enjoyed widespread bipartisan support. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A building at Honey Creek Ranch near Guadalupe River State Park and the Honey Creek State Natural Area is seen June 22, 2023. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced Thursday the state agency purchased the 515 acre ranch from the owners, Ronnie and Terry Urbanczyk, to add to the natural area. William Luther/Staff Just three of the 31 senators voted against the $1 billion parks fund, and it passed with more than 120 votes in the 150-member House. The spending required a constitutional amendment, so went before voters in the November election and was approved with 77% support. In addition to being popular, economic research nationally suggests adding new state parks could be a good investment. One dollar invested in parkland generates between $4 and $12 in economic stimulus, said Joyce Beebe, a researcher at Rice Universitys Baker Institute. Beebe, who has studied the economic impact of Texas state parks, found that in 2020 the states 89 parks generated $32 billion for the state economy and supported more than 300,000 jobs. Beebe cautioned the new $1 billion parks investment should not be treated like a bonanza. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I definitely think they need to be very careful about how they spend the money, Beebe said. The places that see the biggest economic boon from new state parks are rural areas, Beebe said her research has shown. The reason is that the parks often incentivize people to travel to rural areas they may not have otherwise and they bring with them money to spend at sporting goods stores, hotels, restaurants or other businesses. People walk Tuesday, June 27, 2023, on the bank of the extremely diminished Guadalupe River in Guadalupe River State Park in Spring Branch. The flow in the river just down stream from the state park dropped below 1 cubic foot per second Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Surveys water data website. The median flow for this time of year is about 140 cfs, according to the website. William Luther/Staff It is not that if you build it they will come, Beebe said, saying areas with impressive natural land will work best as new state parks. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department considers a variety of factors before committing to a new state park, Franklin said, including proximity to other parks and to population centers; road access; the uniqueness of the land and whether theres any endangered species. Also factored into the decisions are liability risks, such as unsafe structures, or the proximity to culturally significant sites such as Native American grave sites. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After leaving TPWD more than 15 years ago, Fitzsimons founded the Texas Coalition for State Parks now comprised of more than 100 member organizations around the state that advocates for state parks and pushed for the fund. The Guadalupe River at the FM 311 bridge crossing in Spring Branch is seen Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The flow at the crossing dropped below 1 cubic foot per second Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Surveys water data website. The median flow for this time of year is about 140 cfs, according to the website. William Luther/Staff It was a long journey winning support for the $1 billion, he said. Im glad were here, Fitzsimons said, before adding with a laugh: When you say, did I ever think , I knew it would be a long road. Ive been at this for a long time, and its funny in politics: sometimes things have to become acute before people pay attention. And the leadership really paid attention. Mayor John Whitmire speaks during a press conference at the Houston Emergency Center on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in Houston. The news briefing touched on how the City of Houston is preparing for extreme cold weather with warming centers, road safety and other tips for residents. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carol Haddock, director of Houston Public Works, speaks during a press conference at the Houston Emergency Center on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in Houston. The news briefing touched on how the City of Houston is preparing for extreme cold weather with warming centers, road safety and other tips for residents. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena speaks during a press conference at the Houston Emergency Center on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in Houston. The news briefing touched on how the City of Houston is preparing for extreme cold weather with warming centers, road safety and other tips for residents. Karen Warren/Staff photographer In advance of an arctic front expected to pass through Houston this weekend, Mayor John Whitmire held a press conference Friday to provide residents with reminders on how to keep safe. This is a time for us to all come together, (something) we do so well, Whitmire said. We've got a record of coming together and being successful under very challenging circumstances. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whitmire was joined by leaders of Houstons public safety departments and the Office of Emergency Management. Fire Chief Samuel Pena advised residents to minimize travel and encouraged them to check on their elderly neighbors as temperatures plunged. Pena also cautioned Houstonians about the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. He urged them to get their furnaces inspected, since improperly working furnaces are often the cause of carbon monoxide poisoning. He also said if there is a power outage and residents use generators to stay warm, to keep those generators outside the home to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Similarly, if any Houstonians are using their cars to charge their phones, he said to make sure their cars are parked outside and not in garages. Space heaters should have three feet of space around them, Pena said, and Houstonians should not fall asleep with them on. The machines should also be plugged directly into walls, not power cords, to prevent fires. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Public Works Director Carol Haddock told residents the best thing to do to keep pipes from freezing is to keep water out of them. She advised Houstonians who had the ability to do so to drain down their pipes. For those who could not, she said letting the faucets drip is the next best thing. She advised leaving faucets partially on to maintain a drip of water because flowing water is less likely to freeze. Acres Homes Multi-Service Center, Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center, Downtown Recovery Center, Fonde Community Center, Metropolitan Multi-Service Center and Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center will be open as warming centers from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Munoz said. The city will provide free rides to the centers, and those interested can request one through 311. Those who want to volunteer at a warming center or open their facility to create another warming center can reach out to OEMmedia@houstontx.gov. Clarification (Jan. 13, 8:43 a.m.): This story has been updated to reflect the operating hours of Houston's warming centers. China hopes U.S. will handle Taiwan-related issues prudently, properly: spokesperson Xinhua) 10:00, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday said that China hopes the United States will honor commitments, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, and refrain from interfering in the elections of the Taiwan region in any form. It is reported that recently the National Security Council of the White House held a press call on Taiwan elections via teleconference. An anonymous official from the White House said that the United States is committed to the one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence" and supports cross-Strait dialogue. The official added that the United States does not take a position on the ultimate resolution of cross-Strait differences, provided they are resolved peacefully. In response to a related query, spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily news briefing that China noted the remarks of the U.S. official. The one-China principle is a prevailing international consensus and the political foundation of the China-U.S. relationship. "Taiwan independence" is the biggest threat to cross-Strait peace and stability and is doomed to failure. U.S. leaders have repeatedly said that they are committed to the one-China policy, do not support "Taiwan independence," do not support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and do not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China, Mao noted. China hopes the United States will honor these commitments, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, stop official interactions with Taiwan, stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and refrain from interfering in the elections of the Taiwan region in any form, Mao said. If the United States truly hopes to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it needs to explicitly oppose "Taiwan independence" and support China's peaceful reunification, she added. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Snow falls as migrants continue to be housed by the city in "warming" buses in the 800 block of South Desplaines Street during a winter storm Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Erin Hooley/Associated Press Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday urged Gov. Greg Abbott to stop sending migrants to Chicago while the city grapples with a winter storm that is expected to send temperatures plunging below zero over the weekend. Abbott, a Republican, has sent more than 100,000 migrants on buses and planes to a handful of Democratic-controlled cities far from the southern border, including more than 30,000 to Chicago since August 2022, Abbotts office said Friday. Pritzker, in a letter to Abbott, said the trips would prove life-threatening to every one of the arrivals if they continued during the storm. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I strongly urge you to stop sending people to Illinois in these conditions. You are dropping off asylum seekers without alerting us to their arrivals, at improper locations at all hours of the night, Pritzker, a Democrat, wrote, adding that he was hoping to appeal to your humanity. Abbott has said the busing is designed to call attention to a record surge of migration across the U.S.-Mexico border, and to spread the burden of sheltering migrants and asylum seekers beyond border states. Andrew Mahaleris, an Abbott spokesperson, said that Texas will continue transporting migrants to sanctuary cities to help our local partners respond to this Biden-made crisis until the president takes action to rein in border crossings. Instead of complaining about migrants sent from Texas, where we are also preparing to experience severe winter weather across the state, Governor Pritzker should call on his party leader to finally do his job and secure the border something he continues refusing to do, Mahaleris said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In his letter to Abbott, Pritzker acknowledged there is much more that needs to be done by the federal government to provide aid to asylum seekers and to secure the border. I understand that the border crisis is untenable for border states, Pritzker wrote. Illinois, and all other states, especially Texas, ought to lobby Congress immediately to vote for bipartisan immigration reform. But in the meantime, Pritzker argued, Abbotts busing initiative is placing (h)undreds of childrens and families health and survival at risk due to his callousness. We should be able to come together in a bipartisan fashion to urge Congress to act, Pritzker wrote. But right now, we are talking about human beings and their survival. I hope we can at least agree on saving lives right now. The letter comes a day after Abbott faced backlash for saying that Texas is doing everything it can to stop border crossings, short of shooting migrants because the Biden administration would charge us with murder. Advertisement Article continues below this ad BEDFORD Just more than two years after a New Years Day shooting killed a Huddleston man at a Bedford County restaurant, the shooter was found guilty Friday of second-degree murder. Shamanique Peter Mickle, 46, was arrested following the early morning incident at Lagos Pizza in Moneta on Jan. 1, 2022, the Bedford County Sheriffs Office has said. James Sipos, 49, was killed during an altercation with Mickle, the sheriffs office announced later that day. Mickle pleaded no contest Friday in Bedford Circuit Court to one count each of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Judge James Updike Jr. convicted Mickle of the murder charge and deferred adjudication on the other two felony counts to a sentencing hearing set for 1:30 p.m. May 10. Bedford County Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Stacey Stickney said sheriffs deputies arrived at Lagos Pizza in response to the shooting and found Sipos dead on the sidewalk. Two restaurant employees were interviewed about the altercation involving Mickle and Sipos after the business closed at 2 a.m., Stickney said. A news release from the sheriffs office said an earlier incident led to another man being charged with robbing Mickle prior to the shooting. A Bedford General District Court online records search shows the charge against that man was dropped on Sept. 19, 2022. Stickney said Mickle had earlier been playing skill games at the restaurant and consumed alcohol. She said Mickle later returned following the parking lot incident demanding to access video surveillance footage. Mickle said he wanted $4,000 back or someone was going to die, Stickney told the court. Sipos had gone outside to smoke a cigarette when he observed the incident with Mickle and the other man, according to employees statements, Stickney said. Mickle went to his home about a mile away from the restaurant, retrieved a firearm and went back, according to Stickney. Mickle was angry while trying to see the video footage and Sipos tried to calm him down, Stickney said. During the incident, Mickle told employees he wasnt playing, Stickney said. The defendant kept saying to the victim youre going to die, Stickney said. The employees heard gunshots just outside the restaurant, Stickney said. Their statements were consistent with the video footage, she said. A medical examiner would have testified if the case went to trial the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the neck and chest, Stickney said. Anthony Anderson, Mickles attorney, said an abundance of video footage captured the allegations. Anderson had no further comment in court. Mickle, who did not comment when given the opportunity in court Friday, has been in custody since his arrest just more than two years ago. He faces five to 40 years in prison on the murder charge. The Lynchburg Electoral Board and the Office of the General Registrar announced a new appointment to the board on Wednesday, according to a city news release. Democratic member David Levy has been appointed for a three-year term, and fills the role vacated by David Neumeyer, the previous Democratic representative, who did not seek reappointment to the position. Levy will join Republican members Betty Gibbs and Steven Troxel, appointed to the board in 2022 and 2023, respectively. A governors party gets the majority on Virginia electoral boards. The Board and the Registrar are grateful to Mr. Neumeyer for his long service to the community and the great insight he brought to the Boards deliberations. He is now focusing more on his job as the Executive Director of the Virginia Legal Aid Society, the release reads. Levy is a partner at Surovell, Isaacs and Levy PLC, in Fairfax County, and recently returned to live in Lynchburg. He has extensive experience in family law and served the Lynchburg community for 12 years as the Executive Director of the Virginia Legal Aid Society prior to joining his present firm. He received his law degree from Harvard University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, the city said. Former Lynchburg registrar Christine Gibbons is currently suing Gibbs and Troxel in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, based on their votes not to reappoint Gibbons to the position when her term expired in June 2023. Gibbons alleges the two Republican members voted not to reappoint her because of her political views, in violation of her First Amendment rights. The Nonpareil in coordination with Lee Enterprises' other Iowa newspapers, our partners at The Gazette, and wire stories from the Associated Press and Iowa Capital Dispatch has compiled recent coverage of the candidates and issues for the upcoming Iowa Republican precinct caucuses. Republicans will caucus Monday at 7 p.m. at precincts across the state. The Democrats will also caucus, but they will express their presidential preferences presumably mostly for incumbent President Joe Biden via postcard this cycle. The Libertarian Party of Iowa is also holding caucuses on Monday. Where to caucus The caucuses are run by political parties, not the Iowa Secretary of State's Office or individual county auditors. Republicans will gather by voting precinct. Check your precinct then look up your caucus site on the Pottawattamie County Republican Party's website (or look for information from your county's Republican Party officials.) Pottawattamie County Democrats will all gather at College View Elementary School, 1225 College Road in Council Bluffs. Pottawattamie County Libertarians will all gather at Glory Days Bar, 106 W. Broadway in Council Bluffs. How to caucus The caucuses begin at 7 p.m., so plan to arrive early to register. Bring a valid form of identification such as your driver's license, military ID card or passport and, if you're registering to vote, proof of address, such as a lease, utility bill, bank statement or paycheck. Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann warned Democrats who may be tempted to join the GOP for the caucuses that it's illegal to both participate in a Republican caucus and send in a Democratic presidential preference postcard. "If a Democrat attempts to do that, and participate in both, thats against the law, and were going to be monitoring that very, very carefully, Kaufmann said. Republican candidates There is no set list of authorized candidates, so caucusgoers may vote for any candidate they prefer. Preference for Republican presidential nominee will be the only contest of the night. The Associated Press reports the state party will track votes for Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ryan Binkley, Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie and "Other." Christie dropped out of the race on Wednesday. The caucus results will be used to determine how many of Iowas 40 Republican National Convention delegates each candidate has won. Delegates are allocated to candidates in direct proportion to their share of the statewide vote not by congressional district and without reapportioning or minimum thresholds. Meet the candidates On the issues Nonpareil coverage Recent coverage Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press Attorney General Ken Paxton and his top aides will be forced to testify in a lawsuit accusing Paxton of violating the states whistleblower protection law after the Texas Supreme Court on Friday denied an emergency motion to block the depositions. The case centers on allegations by four of Paxtons former top deputies that he fired them out of retaliation after they reported him to the FBI for alleged corruption in 2020. They alleged that he accepted bribes in exchange for abusing his office to help a friend and campaign donor, financially troubled real estate investor Nate Paul. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those allegations became the basis for impeachment charges filed by the majority-Republican Texas House last year; the Texas Senate later acquitted the third-term Republican. The state Supreme Court justices did not explain the denial. Justice Evan Young did not participate. Two justices John Devine and Jimmy Blacklock dissented in part, saying they would have ordered the plaintiffs to depose lower-ranking officials first and then let the district court reconsider the necessity of Paxton and his top aides testimony. With the high courts denial Friday, Paxton and his aides have run out of appeals. Paxtons attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Travis County District Judge Jan Soifer in December had ordered the depositions of Paxton; Brent Webster, first assistant attorney general; Lesley French Henneke, chief of staff; and Michelle Smith, Paxtons longtime political aide. Paxton appealed to the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, which last week denied emergency relief. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Attorneys for the whistleblowers expressed gratitude for the high courts ruling Friday. We look forward to the opportunity to finally place the attorney general and the other witnesses under oath and question them about the facts in our lawsuit, they said in a joint written statement. Start by supporting schools First, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies and support to all those affected by the tragedy in Perry on Jan. 4. They deserve our utmost care and assistance during this difficult time. Let's discuss issues that may have impacted what happened. The governor said, The full resources of the state government will be available to assist in the response and ... recovery from this tragic event. All schools, students, teachers, and staff need help and support from the governor and the Iowa Legislature. Iowa students are struggling. This is evident in the Conditions for Learning survey data: 19.35% of third to fifth grade students and 23.5% of sixth to 12th grade students reported feeling emotionally safe at school, while 57.88% of third to fifth graders and 48.61% of sixth through 12th graders feel physically safe at school. I suspect these numbers will decline following the tragedy in Perry. The data paints a distressing picture. The Iowa Department of Education should prioritize improving this. However, it may not be the case. Instead, they propose eliminating the CFL. If state leaders want to fulfill their commitment to "providing resources to those involved," it is imperative that they provide the necessary funding and staffing to support vulnerable students and alleviate the burdens faced by staff members. Disregarding the CFL survey would diminish the governor's pledge to stand by those affected by the tragedy in Perry. According to a Gallup poll, teachers experience burnout much more than other professionals, with 44% of surveyed teachers reporting frequent or constant burnout. The distress faced by both teachers and students is alarming. However, the Iowa Legislature has further exacerbated this by passing Senate File 496. Among its many problematic provisions, the bill mandates parental permission for any questionnaires or surveys about mental health. Taking away the CFL takes away the one measure we have to guage students emotional safety. The governor said, Its impossible to understand why anything like this happens, but .. we'll work tirelessly to get the answers to prevent it from happening again. Ensuring students have support for their emotions and mental health could help prevent this. Staff need training and support to provide students with opportunities to learn about their social and emotional development. Could this tragedy have been prevented? We may never know. We know that Iowa school kids dont feel safe, and teachers and staff dont feel supported. Maybe thats the place to start. Gina Durfee Omaha KYIV, Ukraine (AP) First responders who arrived at the scene of a Russian missile attack on homes in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Friday were themselves struck by a second missile, officials said. A paramedic and an emergency service worker were among the 14 people killed. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Togo took delivery Thursday January 11 of laboratory equipment valued at $1.6 million, donated by the World Bank to bolster performance of 18 district hospitals. The donation, the Health Ministry said is in line with the implementation of the project to strengthen emergency preparedness and response to Covid-19. The equipment is made of laboratory refrigerators, freezers, binocular optical microscopes, dry heat sterilizers, differential cell counters, precision balances, universal ovens, and micropipettes. The items will help beef up diagnostic and detection capabilities of hospital laboratories, as well as improving the quality of care. The donation is provided in the framework of monitoring diseases with epidemic potential and enable Togos healthcare system to detect them at an early stage. With thousands jailed for expressing dissent, destroyed checks and balances and an undermined civil society, Tunisia has backpedaled to autocracy following a crackdown on civil liberties by a president bent on continuing his power grab, Human Rights Watch said. Tunisia experienced further regression in terms of human rights and the rule of law during 2023 in the absence of genuine checks and balances on President Kais Saieds power The government has taken new steps to muzzle free speech, prosecute dissent, and crack down on migrants and asylum seekers, the international rights watchdog said in a recent report. Over the past year, President Saied jailed dozens of his opponents and critics, fueled racism and xenophobia against Black migrants and refugees, and threatened the activities of civil society, the report quoted Salsabil Chellali, Tunisia director at Human Rights Watch, as saying. Within a year, Tunisian authorities stepped up crackdown on dissent, arresting and prosecuting lawyers, activists and journalists. At least 40 opponents or individuals deemed critical of the authorities were behind bars as of December, with most of them accused of conspiracy against state security or dubious terrorism related charges, often merely for their peaceful speech or activism, according to the report. The authorities have also used a recent cybercrime decree-law, which imposes heavy prison sentences for spreading fake news and rumors online, to arbitrarily detain, prosecute, or investigate at least 21 people for speech offenses, in one case before a military court, it said. Black Africans suffered persecution after xenophobic statements by the countrys president, which unleashed a wave of aggressions on migrants across the country, HRW recalled. Morocco joined an Arab industrial cooperation partnership bringing together the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain aiming to promote investments and economic development. The partnerships MoU was signed in Manama by the five countries during a high-level ministerial meeting, attended by Moroccan industry minister Ryad Mezzour. The partnership offers a promising cooperation platform to support sustainable economic development and spur investments, Mezzour told local media. He said Morocco is poised to enrich the partnership thanks to its expertise in a range of key industries including the automotive, textile, pharmaceutics, and aeronautics. The five countries have some of the most diversified economies in the MENA region. Besides, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt have a free trade agreement. Nearly six decades past, it took three years and a lot of hollering to get Washington, D.C., to put Nebraskas time-zone line where it now runs. Congress first divided the lower 48 states into four time zones in 1918, 35 years after U.S. railroads adopted the concept to standardize train schedules. From 1883 to 1918, crews switched between Mountain and Central time at North Plattes Union Pacific depot. The Standard Time Act of 1918 set Lincoln Countys first official time-zone line just west of North Platte, leaving Sutherland, Hershey and Wallace officially in Mountain Time. They followed Central Time anyway under a local opt-out provision. But Congress took that option away in the 1966 Uniform Time Act, which took effect April 1, 1967 a month before the same law required all of Nebraska to spring forward to daylight time. That set up two time switches in a month, first back and then forward again, not just for western Lincoln County but also for people in Brown, Blaine and Hitchcock counties and parts of Cherry, Thomas, Custer, Logan, McPherson, Hayes, Red Willow, Furnas and Harlan counties. Its a lot of wasted time, period! Hershey Mayor Ray Liles told The Telegraph on March 16, 1967. I dont know what their idea is, and we see no advantage in it. McPherson, Logan and Custer county commissioners passed resolutions saying they wanted to be Central Time. Their Lincoln County counterparts voted March 23 to petition the state and federal governments to put all their county in the Central zone. After first delaying the time-zone switch, U.S. Department of Transportation officials agreed Nov. 22 to put all the affected counties into Central Time, effective Jan. 1, 1968. Except one. The new time-zone map put all of Cherry County into the Mountain zone. That produced something like an open revolt in the county seat of Valentine, which had long observed Central Time. The Valentine City Council, Cherry County Courthouse and most residents and businesses switched to Mountain Time. But city employees, schools and many residents east of Main Street stuck with Central Time, Omaha World-Herald reporter Jeff Withrow wrote Nov. 8. The two banks have compromised. One is on Central Time, the other on Mountain Time, he wrote. One business establishment has two clocks, each set for a different time and each draped with black crepe. Dissent and bitterness reigned in Cherry County for nearly two years. I am getting sick and tired of coming to work when the sun is halfway up in the sky and going back home when it is pitch dark, George W. Hartburn told the World-Herald. Please give us Central Time. Western farmers and ranchers in Nebraskas largest county preferred having the Valentine courthouse on their favored time. But 20 eastern school districts refused to switch to Mountain Time. The federal DOT gave in on June 29, 1969, redrawing the northern part of Nebraskas time line to put Cherry Countys eastern third in Central Time. The rest stayed in Mountain Time. Thus ended Nebraskas time-zone wars unless the Legislature says its time to ignite them once more and put all west central Nebraska in Central Time instead. The 737 Max door plug found after Flight 1282s emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. Photo: National Transportation Safety Board via AP When the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 ripped open on January 5 as it flew from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California exposing passengers to howling wind, an up-close-and-personal look at the starry heavens, and an intimate brush with their own mortality it occasioned a familiar ritual. There was the discovery of even more disturbing flaws in the model, the Boeing 737 Max 9, in the form of loose bolts in multiple other planes. There were professions of remorse from Boeing and not entirely convincing assertions of its commitment to the well-being of its passengers (Safety is our top priority). And there were promises of an investigation by regulators: This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again, the Federal Aviation Administration said. This cycle shock, regret, vows to do better has happened before. After the deadly Lion Air crash in 2018, which killed 189 people, Boeing proclaimed, Safety remains our top priority only for another equally deadly 737 Max crash in Ethiopia, which killed 157 people, to prompt the worldwide grounding of all Max planes in 2019. A criminal inquiry resulted in a fine of over $2.5 billion, and while it remains to be seen what will come of a class-action lawsuit filed by the traumatized passengers of Flight 1282, it is clear that even hefty penalties arent enough to keep flawed planes from the skies. Although more issues were recorded since the 2019 grounding, including the discovery of hundreds of holes that were drilled incorrectly on the Maxs aft pressure bulkhead, the Max was patched up and cleared to return to service. As a burgeoning genre of books and documentaries has made clear, Boeings problem is not fundamentally a matter of engineering but of culture. For all its claims of putting safety first, the companys actual priority is to maximize profit and shareholder value. Instead of investing in hiring and nurturing the best employees, or designing and building a new generation of aircraft, Boeing has spent its billions on share buybacks. Like piloting a faulty plane, this kind of strategy works until it doesnt. Aviation-industry insiders have been voicing frustration with Boeing for a while now. Culpability for the culture, strategy, direction, priority of that company rests with the Boeing board and nobody else, Tim Clark, president of Emirates, said in 2021. In private, some are even blunter. I know the CEO of a leasing company who wont fly on Max because he just thinks the planes inherently unsafe, says Scott Hamilton, author of Air Wars: The Global Combat Between Airbus and Boeing. It would be nice to think there might be a way out of this conundrum a way that we, the public, could be rid of this troublesome 737 Max once and for all. Is there any realistic prospect that it could get pulled from service? In short, no. The odds are zero or less, says Hamilton. Boeing has no interest in ditching the plane. For all its faults, for all the billions of dollars that Boeing has had to pay in fines and compensatory payments, the 737 Max is still the most valuable product in its inventory with a backlog of nearly 5,000 orders, each worth $100 million. The Max is going to be a profitable airplane, Hamilton says. It doesnt really matter that the Max is the most despised airplane since the DC-10, the fabled flying coffin of the 1970s and 80s, because as much as passengers might swear up and down theyll never set foot in one, the fact is that very few people actually pay attention to what kind of plane theyre getting on, especially once the news cycle has moved on to fresher outrages. The airlines arent particularly bothered, either. The industry entered a boom phase after the pandemic and found itself short of the jets it needed to rapidly expand capacity. The Maxs spotty safety record didnt discourage airlines from buying it, which is in keeping with research showing that even major accidents are unlikely to change an airlines purchasing decisions. There are also few incentives to swap one existing model for another. Airlines cannot costlessly switch between planes, says Silke Forbes, a Tufts University economist who has studied the effects of air accidents on the airliner market. They spend a lot of money training their pilots, flight attendants, and maintenance crew on existing aircraft models. They have to invest this money again every time they add a new type of aircraft. Plus, she says, it takes a long time to produce new aircraft. If an airline wanted to drop an existing order of a 737 Max, they would have to get in line at Airbus and find that this could add several years of wait before they receive their new aircraft. That is costly, making it less likely that airlines will switch. The airline industrys hunger for new jets should theoretically encourage new manufacturers to enter the business with a better product that will eventually drive Boeings inferior plane out of the market. In a sense, thats exactly what Airbus did when it launched the A300 in 1972, five years after the 737s first flight. Airbus now has more than 8,000 orders on its books. The problem is that Airbus and Boeing now have the market so tightly sewn up between them that airlines really have nowhere else to turn. Brazils Embraer and Canadas Bombardier have both spent years chipping away at the market from the smaller end, but neither competes directly with the 737 Max or Airbuss equivalent, the A320Neo. China is also trying to enter the fray, but for now its Comac C919 is limited to domestic use within the country. Today, with Airbus preoccupied with filling its own vast order book, Boeing is in much the same position as GM was in 1972, when it so dominated the U.S. auto market that it became corrupted with hubris and lethargy. But unlike the 1970s, when GMs gas-guzzlers were eventually shellacked by Japanese imports amid an oil crisis, there is no equivalent of Toyota or Honda in the marketplace today that could threaten Boeing. The companys internal torpor is dangerous in the long term. Its easy to imagine Boeing continuing to limp along from crisis to crisis, never meaningfully grappling with its problems but never suffering enough that it has to change, even if its luck gets worse. During a press conference on January 6, National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy wondered aloud at how much more dangerous the blowout might have been had it occurred while the plane was at cruising altitude, at a time when passengers and crew were up and moving around the cabin. We could have ended up with something so much more tragic, Homendy said. Maybe people could have gotten sucked out into the slipstream. Or, worse, maybe the whole plane could have come apart. The institution with the power to prevent such scenarios from happening is Boeings regulator, the FAA. But the FAA, like other government watchdogs, has been captured by the entities it is supposed to govern. For years, the FAA and Boeing have had such a close relationship that it has been hard to see where one begins and the other ends. The FAA even allowed Boeing and other companies to use their own employees to carry out the role of FAA inspector on their assembly lines, an arrangement called delegated authority. The ongoing travails of the Max have undercut that trust. On January 12, a day after much of the 737 Max 9 fleet was grounded, the FAA declared it would immediately increase its oversight of Boeing production and manufacturing, including an audit of Boeings 737 Max 9 production line. It said it would also conduct an assessment of safety risks around delegated authority and quality oversight and consider moving these functions to independent, third-party entities. The move reflects a massive shift on the FAAs part. The question is whether it will go far enough. If history is any guide, a patch will be found, regulators will be satisfied, and the 737 Max will take to the skies once more. Four people have been arrested after the Opelika Police Department, along with members of the Lee County SWAT Team and U.S. Marshals Service executed search warrants at two residences in Oakwood Apartments, OPD claims. Authorities said that during the search, detectives recovered illegal narcotics and stolen firearms. The following arrests were made: 21-year-old Amarion Markel Matthews was arrested on charges of two counts of possession of a controlled substance, first degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and certain persons forbidden to possess a pistol. 21-year-old Kabria Jackson was arrested on charges of two counts of possession of a controlled substance, first degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. 27-year-old Shantavious Nebirl Bryant was arrested on charges of trafficking in cocaine, two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, first degree possession of marijuana, endangering welfare of child and possession of drug paraphernalia. 32-year-old Terrance Whatley was arrested on charges of trafficking in cocaine, two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, first degree possession of marijuana, endangering welfare of child and possession of drug paraphernalia and certain persons forbidden to possess a pistol. OPD said the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OPD Detective Division at (334) 705-5220 or the Secret Witness Hotline at (334) 745-8665. Tips can be submitted through the OPD mobile app and can be made anonymously. The suspension of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft added numbers to cause the highest number of flight disruptions in the US in six months. Recent data records from aviation company FlightAware show more than 2,100 flights canceled in a single day, the highest since July 2023. While the majority of the flights canceled were due to the winter storm in the Midwest, the suspended Boeing aircraft also contributed a large number on the record. Over 200 United and Alaska Airlines flights are being canceled everyday following the Federal Aviation Agency order to temporarily ground the aircraft after its incident on Jan. 5, Friday. Southwest Airlines, which does not fly Boeing 737 MAX, canceled most of the flights on Friday with nearly 400 schedules junked. Many came from Denver, Milwaukee, and Chicago where the winter storm hit the most. Also Read: Boeing 737 MAX 9 Aircraft Temporarily Suspended Worldwide by FAA Boeing 737 MAX 9 January Incident Explained On the eve of Jan. 5, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 had to make an emergency landing minutes after lift-off due to one of its doors plug blowing up midflight. A large hole at the side of the plane exposed passengers to the decreasing air pressure as the altitude goes up. Thankfully, no one was sitting in the cabin where the door blew nor was anyone seriously injured from the incident. Cellphones, AirPods, a child's shirt, and a pilot's headset were the only reported items that got sucked out of the new hole in the plane. Several passengers have already sued Boeing for exposing them to danger. So far, no lawsuits have yet been filed against Alaska Airlines. The FAA is currently investigating the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft as of writing. US Cancelled Flights May Grow in 2024 January 2024 continues to be a difficult period for the US aviation industry, just after its record-low flight cancellations last year. The US only recorded 1.2% of terminated flights out of 16.3 million domestic and international travels made throughout the year. Recent events, however, may suggest similar issues as 2022 records may happen again soon. The US Department of Transportation recorded 2.3% canceled air travel two years ago, the highest since 2014 with 2.4% canceled flights. Cancellation of flights caused a major hurdle in the US economy as it did in 2022 when flight disruptions generated a $30 billion headache for the Federal government. More carbon footprints are also being used and wasted as airlines open another flight in place of the already active aircraft affected by the cancellation. Related Article: FAA Lifts Ground Stop, Delays Flights at NYC Airport Due to Smoke i love "blank space" but i hate "look what you made me do" Reply Thread Link I love look what you made me do but hate blank space lol Reply Parent Thread Link I love them both! Reply Parent Thread Link I hate them both! Reply Parent Thread Link "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Chicks owns all of these, tbh Reply Thread Link Truly. People forget how fucking crazy the Nationalism was when they did this. Reply Parent Thread Link Well, Scream by Janet and her brother should be on the list I'll sue Reply Thread Link The clip is still Reply Parent Thread Link Oh that's a good call. Reply Parent Thread Link Should it though? He was upset the media were hounding him for being a pedophile, that should alone should disqualify it. Reply Parent Thread Link I mean you are right. But in a sense Reply Parent Thread Link I almost included that in my list. Lol Glad someone else mentioned it tho. Reply Parent Thread Link but the he was a pedophile so not the best. Reply Parent Thread Link Janets style was and always will be She doesnt get enough credit for all the alt trends she started. Reply Parent Thread Link That song goes hard but MJ tho. Reply Parent Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link Not even a write up for each video? Go OP give us nothing Reply Thread Link ONTD ain't gonna read anything. I for one laud this acknowledgement of our flaws Reply Parent Thread Link Thank you. I do my best. Reply Parent Thread Link Imagine acting like this about riding the dick of a married multicellular organism with a newborn God shes such trash Reply Thread Link lol hdu, Ariana is boldly telling all the critics how she's living her truth of cheating on her husband with someone else's husband, bravely, feministly Reply Parent Thread Link My misogyny exposed Reply Parent Thread Link Omg the read!!!!lmao Reply Parent Thread Link multicellular organism you give him too much credit Reply Parent Thread Expand Link to be fair, he CAN reproduce asexually Reply Parent Thread Link I find it so tacky tbh. Reply Thread Link same, I can't deal with her personality or her warbly mumble singing or her anything. i blame her for Pete Davidson being a sex symbol! though this post on tumblr the other day gave me a chuckle: Reply Parent Thread Link 'you're still gay (or insert any other word) and that's FINAL.' is such an incredible meme thank you gaylors Reply Parent Thread Link that just reminded me swish swish exists :( Reply Parent Thread Link Wasn't just about the media but Can't Hold Us Down by Christina and Lil Kim is definitely in this ballpark. Reply Thread Link This one is more fan criticism than media, although they didnt help, but FKA Twigs Cellophane is about public disapproval of her relationship with RPatz and the racist backlash she got online, as well as his reluctance to put her first and how it impacted and ultimately destroyed their relationship. And before his stans on here get all uppity, whether he did or didnt or if that wouldve worked isnt the point, thats the story shes telling in the song and its heartbreaking and beautiful. Reply Thread Link Hes trash for that. Now he got his soupy water hope hes pleased Reply Parent Thread Link that song fucking ruined my life and magdalene killed me tbh Reply Parent Thread Link Checked to make sure Rumors was here Reply Thread Link Poor list. Reply Thread Link Make a richer one then Reply Parent Thread Link Exactly. I'm not here for people making fun of people who put effort into making original content, especially when they rarely/never post things themselves. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This is more of a space for people share their favorites. But go ahead, make your banger of a post then. Reply Parent Thread Link This is definitely top tier of any 'fuck you critics' lists Edited at 2024-01-13 03:40 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link this is my favorite madonna song ever Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah Human Nature should be #1 or #2 (right behind Piece of Me). #3 and #6 nearly match the artistic merit of Old Navy commercials. Reply Parent Thread Link Let off some classics imo. Edited at 2024-01-13 01:11 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link lily allen really had some great songs Reply Parent Thread Link Wish shed come back to music but I worry it just wouldnt be as good Reply Parent Thread Link I'm still mad at *NSYNC about "we got the gift of melody gonna bring it 'til the end." Liars, you brought it for about another 12 months then disappeared on your poor stans for 20+ years. RUDE. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I love The Fear Reply Parent Thread Link There's almost a pattern here.... (almost because I'm excluding Brit from this narrative) Reply Thread Link I've noticed sth too Reply Parent Thread Link It seemed like a good idea at the time On Jan. 4, 2024, the U.S. assassinated Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, a commander in an Iran-linked Iraqi militia. The Pentagon press release called the militia a terrorist group and claimed the strike was in self-defense. But it neglected to mention the militia was also part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi government body that falls under the Ministry of Defense. Iraqs prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, criticized the killing and announced that Iraqi and U.S. representatives would soon meet to discuss the departure of U.S. troops from Iraq, saying the justifications for the existence of the coalition have ended. In 2020, Iraqs parliament passed a resolution demanding the expulsion of U.S. troops after the U.S. killed Iran Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. In 2024, will Sudani deliver on that demand? Jawaris death comes just weeks after Israels counterattack on Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. The region is enraged over Israels treatment of Palestinian civilians; the killing of an Iraqi official, in the city of Baghdad, no less, will undoubtably worsen relations between Baghdad and Washington at a time when the U.S. is busy in Gaza and the Red Sea. U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked over 100 times since October 2023. Retaliation by the Americans is fair enough, but killing a senior Iraqi commander near the anniversary of the assassinations of Soleimani and Muhandis is professional malpractice, as it looks like the killing was approved with no concern for the consequences (though some may think it was a clever warning to others). The Pentagon produced no ticking bomb rationale for the killing and would have shouted it from the rooftops if it existed. The Pentagon killed Jawari because it could. Related: Tensions Rise in the Horn of Africa Americas action will increase pressure inside Iraqs government, as it must deal with popular outrage over Israels destruction of the Gaza Strip and the afront to its sovereignty by the Jawari killing. So, will the Americans finally leave Iraq? If the two sides eventually do talk, the Americans will very likely delay and delay and then threaten Baghdad by increasing restrictions on Iraqs foreign currency reserves held by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Iraqis may push past that and demand a publicly announced schedule, though Washington will want to keep the details secret for operational security (i.e., to avoid mocking TikTok videos of the evacuation). Evacuating Iraq will threaten support for the U.S. troops in Syria, which the Pentagon claims are there to ensure the enduring defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In reality, with ISIS being defeated in 2019, the troops are really there to someday support a coup against the Bashar al-Assad government in Damascus, and to provide security for the extraction of oil, natural gas and wheat from Syrias northeast. The American looting of Syrias wealth what the Bolsheviks called expropriation recalls Gen. Smedley Butler: I was a racketeer; a gangster for capitalism. Thank you for your service, indeed. If the Americans refuse to leave, the Iraqis cannot do much to force them out, other than declare the U.S. forces are in the country illegally and that it has no host nation obligation to protect them. The militias will attack the American bases, but the real threat may come from patriotic Iraqi truckers who will refuse to deliver food, water and fuel to the U.S. outposts. If the U.S. attempts resupply by air, Baghdad can close the airspace to foreign military aircraft. The Kurds may try to cooperate with the U.S., as there is an American facility at Erbil airport, but they were brought to heel by a previous airspace closure and will be again. If the supply line to the U.S. bases in Iraq is severed, the U.S. presence in Syria is threatened; this will please Damascus, Tehran and Baghdad, as the U.S. troops there are the cause of local instability, not a preventative. Washington will carp about increased Iranian influence in the region, but it was the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq that handed Iraq to Iran on a salver. U.S. restraint would have kept Jawari alive, and may have allowed troops to stay in the country a little longer, but his killing will likely strengthen Sudani, as he will claim he was the Iraqi leader who saw the Americans off. He wont show any gratitude as he does so. ADVERTISEMENT Removing troops from Iraq wont save much money but will reduce tensions, as they are there as justification for American intervention when they inevitably draw fire. Washingtons dream of a coup in Damascus will hopefully vanish; a coup would invite intervention by Russia, Turkey, Iran and Islamist forces, which would then increase pressure on Washingtons client, Israel. It has been 20 years since America disrupted the region by attacking Iraq based on lies: that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and that Iraq was cooperating with al-Qaeda. America is still respected in the region for its many achievements, even though it brings violence and chaos in its wake but in this case, its absence may help local hearts grow fonder. By James Durso for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The experience of growing up in Omaha infuses what Symone Sanders-Townsend thinks about on the job. For the last few years, she has been an anchorwoman and television personality on the MSNBC cable network. She had her own show, Symone; is a frequent guest with popular hosts such as Alex Wagner and Lawrence ODonnell; and, with two co-hosts, is now launching a new show, The Weekend, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Her home state, she said, was a formative place. I would not be the person I am today without the experiences I had in Nebraska, particularly in North Omaha, she said, citing her involvement in Sacred Heart Catholic School, Mercy High School, Girls Inc. and Creighton University. Nebraska will always have a special place in my heart. I still have a Nebraska area code. I am a Nebraska girl through and through. Her professional life, both now and when she worked in politics, was fueled here. She learned about the political process at Girls Inc. and, with the organization, participated in a trip to Washington, D.C., where she became interested in the media. She worked in the communications office of former Omaha mayor Jim Suttle and was deputy communications director for Chuck Hassebrooks campaign for governor. She moved on to the national spotlight as the press secretary for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, worked in the Biden presidential campaign in 2020 and was a senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris. In 2021, she joined MSNBC, where, she said, she offers a unique viewpoint. My perspective as a young Black woman from the Midwest is one you dont normally find on cable news, she said in a recent interview with The World-Herald about The Weekend, which she sees as a great opportunity. I feel amazing about the new show. We are on the cusp of a very consequential election year, and I cant think of a better place for people to come on the weekend to have in-depth coverage, she said. The show will feature three voices from people with various perspectives, background and ideologies, she said. Her co-anchors are two MSNBC colleagues: Alicia Menendez and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Sanders-Townsend was quick to point out that politics would not be the shows only topic. It could be about former President Trump in court, but it could be about record snowfall across the country or record drought, she said. It could focus on Israels war with Hamas, the war in Ukraine, the countrys large number of refugees, problems at the border and the root cause of immigration or the disappearance of the secretary of defense, a story that broke at 5 p.m. on a Friday, making it perfect fodder for a weekend news program. It wont be just people pontificating, she said, but other journalists and newsmakers making their cases and answering hard questions. We are advocates for the viewers. We will peel back the layers for the people at home. She thinks some people have the notion that morning shows are inherently light and fun, but she promises more than that. I try to have fun with anything I do, but we will cover serious and weighty topics, she said. Another one, she said, will be the state of democracy in the U.S. She thinks many people believe that existing guardrails will ensure it remains intact, but they only work if the people who surround our leaders make it so. It matters who the president, the vice president and the people who work around them are, she said. Thats why its important that a show like ours, and MSNBC in general, do a really good job at bringing in experts to give context about what is happening, she said. Shes proud to bring her Midwest background with her to the show and all her endeavors. She tries to come home as often as she can. She visited here for 24 hours during Omaha Days last year to participate in a ribbon-cutting at The Omaha Star newspaper. Her mom, Terri Sanders, recently purchased the North Omaha publication and is its publisher and CEO. In her job, Sanders-Townsend aims to dispel generalizations about life in Nebraska, especially in its cities. People ask me if I lived on a farm in Nebraska, she said. A lot of people on the coasts have a fundamental lack of understanding of what it is to be a person in the Midwest, to live in a small town. They dont know about that drive from Scottsbluff to Omaha. Those are all things I think about and take to shows. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2024 Epona Horse Rescues Lin Guyton was snowed in Friday, leaving it up to her to care for all the animals at her place near Crete, Nebraska. It was tough, because shes still recovering from injuries she suffered in an accident last fall. She said shes desperate for help, especially as she continues to care for the horses taken from veterinarian Jennafer Glaesemann last fall. I have to risk my well-being, but I will not let them go without, she said. Glaesemann was charged in August with several counts of livestock neglect after an estimated 15 to 17 horses died under her care. Guyton said shes been informed that Glaesemann has been suspended from the American Quarter Horse Association, which she said makes her unable to own, breed or register quarter horses in her name. A small victory for the horses, Guyton said. Those horses continue to flourish. They are cold but they are good, she said. They have unlimited amounts of food, and thats the best we can do in this situation. Guyton said she also still needs financial support, since it costs about $9,000 a month to keep the horses in hay. Donations can be sent to Epona Horse Rescue, 20000 SW 114th St., Crete, NE 68333. Photos: Cold, snow and wind batter the Omaha area Omahans will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday with multiple events, including luncheons, awards ceremonies, performances of original work by high school students and what promises to be a brisk Monday afternoon march on North 24th Street. This years holiday falls on Kings actual birthday, Jan. 15. He was assassinated in 1968 as he led the fight for equality and racial justice. New this year in Omaha, the Keep the Dream Alive March will commemorate King with a walk from the Martin Luther King Jr. monument at 24th and Lake Streets to Pilgrim Baptist Church at 25th and Hamilton Streets. People will gather beginning at 1:30 p.m. The walk is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. There will be rides available for those who need them, said the Rev. Cedric Perkins, co-organizer along with the Rev. T. Michael Williams, president of the Omaha NAACP, and Tim Clark of Moving People2 Action. The walk is a little less than a mile long and should take about 15 minutes. Perkins said Friday afternoon that it will go on as scheduled despite the bitter cold forecast for Monday. Im sure were going to be walking pretty fast, Perkins said. Our forebears in the civil rights movement, they sacrificed a lot, many of them died walking, they were bitten by dogs, sprayed with fire hoses, and they marched for freedoms, for our rights. They sacrificed that on multiple occasions. Surely we can do 15 minutes. After the walk, there will be a public assembly inside Pilgrim Baptist Church, 2501 Hamilton St., to honor young people who are contributing noteworthy services to the community, Perkins said. Thats expected to start about 2:30 or 2:45 p.m. The public is welcome. Many special guests are expected, including State Sen. Terrell McKinney; District 2 Omaha City Councilwoman Juanita Johnson; Gov. Jim Pillen; U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts; Keith Station, deputy chief of staff in the Omaha Mayors Office; and the honorary chair, Nebraska football great Johnny Rodgers. Perkins, senior pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church whos originally from Alabama, said most other major cities have some sort of walk as an MLK Day commemoration. What we want to accomplish is to bring awareness to our youth and young adults and others in the community about togetherness, its very important, and to bring us back together as a community to address the issues that need to be addressed, he said. They also want to encourage young people, Perkins said. This is our primary focus, is to honor young people who have been doing some great community service work, Perkins said. Weve asked different organizations, churches, youth groups, to identify some young people or young adults will are doing some extraordinary things and they will be honored. King Day events in Omaha Sunday include: The 40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. Monday, at Hilton Omaha. Its put on by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Metropolitan Omaha. It will feature a keynote speech by the Rev. Traci D. Blackmon, theologian in residence at the United Church of Christs Eden Theological Seminary in Missouri, whose career has included serving on the Ferguson Commission in Missouri and Presidents Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships for the White House. Our theme is upholding the dream, that weve got to continue to uphold that dream of equality for everyone, especially in light of the things that are happening here in Omaha, said the Rev. Portia Cavitt, president of the ministerial alliance. Where are we? When were talking about equality, we have so far to go. The ministerial alliances annual MLK Unity Service, which was scheduled for Sunday evening at Salem Baptist Church, has been canceled due to the severe cold, Cavitt said Friday. Living the Dream high school competition, 5:30 p.m. Monday, Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Its presented by the City of Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department. Middle and high school students will perform their original spoken word, music and dance works about social justice. Admission is free. Free admission at Durham Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the museums permanent and traveling exhibitions, guests can participate in an Omaha history scavenger hunt, contribute to a community art project and view a screening of Kings famous I Have a Dream speech. United Way of the Midlands MLK Day at the Highlander, Monday at 2120 N. 30th St. MLK Day Breakfast at the Venue at the Highlander goes from 8 to 11 a.m. Admission is a freewill donation or a nonperishable food item. Its a collaboration between Metropolitan Community College, Partnership 4 Kids, No More Empty Pots, Together, Seventy-Five North, UNMC/Nebraska Medicine and UWM and admission is a freewill donation or a nonperishable food item. The 2nd Annual MLK Day Luncheon will follow at noon to 1:30 p.m. Provided in collaboration with Big Mamas Kitchen and Catering, Aleeces Sugar Shoppe, Rib Shack Smokehouse, Black Men United and United Way, the event will include a special program featuring Dr. Nikitah Imani, professor of Black Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Lunch is free to the first 125 people to pre-register by calling 211 or visiting: UnitedWayMidlands.org/MLKlunch. The MLK Volunteer Event at the Highlander from 2 to 4 p.m.: Volunteers will assemble 2,000 snack pack kits for Together. The MLK Day Networking Happy Hour is set for 4 to 6 p.m. at the Highlander Dining Room, 2112 North 30th Street, Suite 201. The event hosted by Big Mamas Kitchen and Catering, Denas Place and UWM will include a cash bar featuring a uniquely curated drink and food menu, along with remarks by author Walter Brooks and a DJ providing music. Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N. 24th St. Visit the museum from 1 to 3 p.m. and meet Pat Brown, whose family hosted Martin Luther King Jr. when he visited Omaha in 1958. Photos: Cold, snow and wind batter the Omaha area Ten Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers arrived at Eppley Airfield on Saturday after 10 months spent helping train Ukrainian soldiers in Europe. The 10 soldiers, as well as two others who also returned to the state Saturday, are part of the 1-134th Cavalry Squadron. They were deployed with Task Force Bowie, which was made up of around 160 soldiers in total, as part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine in March 2023. Task Force Bowie was the 13th group to deploy in support of the training group, which was created in 2014 after the Russian invasion of Crimea and Donbas. Gov. Jim Pillen spoke to the soldiers and their families as they congregated outside the terminal at Eppley Airfield, welcoming them back to Nebraska. We just cant thank you enough for your service, Pillen said. What youve been through, I cant comprehend it all, but what I do know is you guys have built an incredible team. The soldiers were primarily stationed in Grafenwoehr, Germany, where they mentored and advised Ukrainian troops in a combat training center. This included training them on U.S. weapon systems and other equipment, logistical and operational planning processes and leader development, Maj. Scott Ingalsbe said. Altogether, Task Force Bowie directly trained or supported training for about 7,500 Ukrainian soldiers, Ingalsbe said. Lt. Col. Rob Schepers said he hears praise for the work of Nebraskan soldiers time and time again, and this operation was no exception. He said positive feedback on the task force made it all the way up to the secretary of defense. Whether its domestic, overseas, training, operations ... always Nebraska sets the standard, he said. You set the standard in Europe for everybody to follow to train Ukrainians, Schepers said. Capt. Jon Gronewold said he was glad to be home after reuniting with his wife, Emily, and 2-year-old daughter, Ada, on Saturday, but he hopes people keep the Ukrainians on their mind as they continue to fight against Russia. Its tough to leave the Ukrainians we trained behind, he said. I know a lot of them are back on the front lines right now. Some of the families gathered at Eppley Saturday morning held signs welcoming their soldier home. Wyatt Cade, 5, held a sign welcoming his dad, Maj. Cody Cade, home that read, Ive waited 285 days for this moment. Wyatts mom, Elaine Cade, said she had surprised him by saying they were picking up a friend from the airport, when in reality it was his dad. We wanted him to be completely caught off guard, and it worked, Elaine said. Photos: 10 members of the Nebraska Army National Guard return home after deployment training Ukrainian Troops 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. The attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels have rerouted trade that normally flows through the crucial corridor for consumer goods and energy supplies, a shift that's delaying shipments and raising transport costs. Oil, natural gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics typically travel through the waterway separating Africa and the Arabian Peninsula en route to the Suez Canal, where usually 12% of the world's trade passes. Some of the worlds largest container shipping companies and oil giant BP have been sending vessels on longer journeys around Africa that bypass the Red Sea. In response to the growing impact to global trade, the United States and a host of other nations have created a new force to protect ships. Here are things to know about the impact of the attacks on global shipping: LINCOLN Despite poor weather conditions, members of the Nebraska Legislature convened Friday to introduce more new bills before the weekend. The day was originally slated to be filled with bill introductions and an all-day rules debate. But due to the storm, Speaker of the Legislature John Arch changed the plan to account for lawmakers who couldnt safely travel to the Capitol. Instead, just over half of the state senators met in the legislative chamber Friday morning and convened for under an hour, introducing roughly 20 new bills. The rules debate, which began Thursday, already started a day behind schedule because the Rules Committees delayed its decision on which rules changes would move to the floor. With the added weather delay, this gives lawmakers two fewer days to debate and vote on new rules, unless Arch decides to give the body more time. Arch initially scheduled the rules debate to conclude next week on Jan. 19, stating that he doesnt want the Legislature to spend too much time sparring over rules changes given what lawmakers need to do this session. As of Thursday, Arch said he still planned to keep the same deadline. Among the new bills introduced Friday was Legislative Bill 1178 from State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln. It would establish a grant program using $300,000 from the states general fund to support nursing homes and assisted-living facilities that also provide child care services. Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced LB 1191 and LB 1192 as part of a package she is bringing to address what she describes as a misuse of the Nebraska Attorney Generals ability to issue legal opinions. Attorney General Mike Hilgers was criticized by Conrad and others last year after an opinion stating that two inspector general positions overseeing the states child welfare and corrections agencies were unconstitutional. Attorney General Hilgers has abused his legislatively granted authority to issue legal opinions and has facilitated the executive branch agencies in defying state law and preventing legislative oversight for the first time in over 50 years, Conrad said in a press release. Conrads package will include four bills, two of which have yet to be introduced. LB 1191 would repeal an existing statute relating to the attorney generals process of issuing and litigating opinions, and LB 1192 would strengthen the process for tort claims, specifically for individuals within the states corrections or child welfare systems. Low-income workers could see an increase in a refundable tax credit available to them through LB 1182, introduced by Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln. The bill would allow individuals to receive 20% of the federal earned income tax credit starting in 2025. Current statute sets the limit at 10% of the federal credit. LB 1194, another Conrad bill, would give the Legislature authority to review and approve amendments to the states Medicaid plan and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Over the past few years, multiple states have come under fire for using the temporary assistance money for other purposes. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2024 LINCOLN Gov. Jim Pillen declared an emergency Saturday as state and county crews worked to dig out from the crippling storm that struck the state Thursday and Friday. He and other state leaders gathered at the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency Headquarters to provide updates on their efforts and to urge that Nebraskans stay home and have patience. Nebraskans, primarily in the eastern part of the state, are dealing with a combination of heavy snow, blowing snow and subzero temperatures. The wind chill is crippling. The snow blowing is crippling, Pillen said. The best thing we can do right now is stay home and stay in your house. Once the wind stops blowing, then we can go out and we can start helping neighbors and we can make sure that we get back to normal as quick as possible. State Transportation Director Vicki Kramer said that, as of Saturday afternoon, there were 1,700 miles of state roads closed and impassable. Most of the closures were east of Highway 281, which runs north and south through Grand Island. She said the Department of Transportation has 375 plows at work in eastern Nebraska opening up state roads, but she predicted it will be days before everything can be cleared. She said crews have been hard at work since the Christmas Day storm and have had little rest during this past week. Theres no question everybodys wore out, Pillen said. Our teams have been working tirelessly. Counties face a major task clearing their roads as well. Jon Cannon, executive director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, said he has been getting reports of county roads crews being overwhelmed by the snow, wind and biting cold. He said some have had equipment breakdowns and one county told him it could not even provide a status report because all of the equipment had frozen in place. Having the emergency declaration authorizes the state to seek help from less-affected counties and, if needed, from other states, said Nebraska Emergency Management Agency Assistant Director Erv Portis. The declaration also allows the governors emergency fund to be tapped to pay costs for entities that help out. Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent John Bolduc said troopers have assisted more than 400 motorists since the most recent storm began on Thursday. The number of assists is approaching 1,000 for the week. Troopers have encountered hundreds of motorists who thought it was safe to travel, he said. Among them was an adult and child in Saunders County who had been stuck overnight while crews tried to reach them. Bolduc said they were six miles away from any clear road and the drifts were too high for plows. He said crews were working to bring in blowers that could tackle the drifts. He said he hoped the pair, who were in communication with emergency personnel, could be reached by midafternoon. Bolduc said the best way for people to help out is to stay home. Motorists who head out on the roads and get in trouble tie up resources that may be needed for an unpreventable emergency. They can also create a chain reaction, involving several vehicles. Pillen has been taking his own advice about not traveling. Instead of making the trip to his home in Columbus almost every day, he has spent the last week in Lincoln. Nebraska Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton said the pair of storms this week have been particularly hard for livestock producers. Although most are well prepared for winter weather, she said they are struggling to get feed to animals and milk to market with the length of time that roads have been closed. Hog and poultry production facilities have had difficulty getting workers in and out. Pillen, a hog producer himself, urged farmers to reach out for help if they need it. The state agriculture department is gathering information from producers to help prioritize assistance requests. Photos: Cold, snow and wind batter the Omaha area Known as the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist who contributed significantly during World War 2. The scientist was most known for the Manhattan Project which developed the first atomic bombs. Following the events of World War 2 and his death, Oppenheimer's legacy remains in the world. He inspired filmmakers who produced various materials based on his life and works. Considered one of the most influential films of 2023, Christopher Nolan directed "Oppenheimer" and successfully depicted the life of the scientist before and after the Manhattan Project. Whether you have watched the film in the cinemas or you are still in doubt about watching it, here are some of the reasons why you should stream "Oppenheimer" once it releases on Peacock: Read Also: 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' Starts Streaming on Peacock Historical Accuracy "Oppenheimer" was lauded for being mostly accurate to the historical facts. Although it is normal for movies based on true stories to distort some facts to fit the film treatment. The film is primarily based on the accounts of the Manhattan Project. After the war, we can also see the implications of the work on Lewis Strauss, the chair of the Atomic Energy Commission who became Oppenheimer's secret enemy. Excellent Cinematography, Direction Based on Nolan's reputation as a filmmaker, no one doubted that his film would be anything less than excellent. The cinematography and the whole production of the film perfectly portrayed Oppenheimer's time. Moreover, Nolan revealed that the team did not use any computer-generated imagery (CGI), something that is rare to happen, especially in modern films. The film was also shot in IMAX which created a different viewing experience for the audience. Immersive Experience Although not all theaters supported the exact IMAX format that Nolan intended, the film still became a huge success. Hence, you can be assured that the film will not be anything less once you watch it on your small screen. Most importantly, what helped the film to create an immersive experience is the impressive direction of the film which can make you feel the same emotions as the characters. For instance, there was a scene wherein Oppenheimer was imagining the idea of atoms together and the audience was brought to the experience. All-Star Cast Aside from having an award-winning director, the film also cast marvelous actors who are well-known for portraying different genres. Cillian Murphy of "Peaky Blinders" and Robert Downey Jr. of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are the main characters in the film. They were also joined by Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Rami Malek, and more. Life Lesson What made Nolan's narrative on "Oppenheimer" different was that he did not only focused on showing how the atomic bomb was made. Each aspect of Oppenheimer's life from his college years up to the post-war was presented in a non-linear yet understandable manner. In addition, Oppenheimer was humanized in the film despite his major contribution to the destruction of a country. The audience was forced to feel sympathy for Oppenheimer as he faced the consequences of his doing. Related Article: 'Barbenheimer' is Becoming a Reality Thanks to Social Media Trend LINCOLN A former state legislative candidate from Nebraska City will get a chance to prove that the Nebraska Republican Party libeled her during the 2020 campaign. The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday tossed out a summary judgment won by the state GOP and sent the case back to the Lancaster County District Court for a jury trial. The ruling represents a victory for Janet Palmtag, a real estate agent who ran against State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar for the District 1 legislative seat in southeast Nebraska. Both women were Republicans. Palmtag was a veteran campaign worker but Slama had been appointed by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts and had the partys backing. Slama won the high-spending, mud-slinging battle. Palmtag has since switched parties. In 2021, Palmtag sued the state GOP for allegedly libeling her in a pair of campaign mailers. The mailers falsely claimed that she had been disciplined by the Iowa Real Estate Commission for breaking the law and had lost her Iowa real estate license. The mailers included the statement: Janet Palmtag Broke The Law & Lost Her Real Estate License. They also showed a yard sign reading Licensed Agent, with a red stamp over it reading REVOKED and said Palmtag was TOO IRRESPONSIBLE TO KEEP HER LICENSE. The Supreme Court ruling said Palmtag never broke the law or lost her Iowa license. The ruling said that former GOP Executive Director Ryan Hamilton had based the statements on a settlement agreement involving a real estate brokerage firm that she owned, JJ Palmtag Inc. The company reached a settlement with Iowa regulators for failing to obtain the proper signatures for a fund transfer. The company did not admit guilt or wrongdoing but agreed to pay a $500 fine and acknowledge the oversight. Palmtag signed the agreement as a representative of the company, which had three employees and 15 independent contractor agents. But neither the company nor Palmtag as an individual agent had their licenses revoked. Palmtag made an official demand for corrections from the state GOP in Oct. 2020 but they did not correct the record. The lower court granted summary judgment for the GOP after finding that Palmtag may have been able to prove at trial that the statements were false but could not prove that the party acted with actual malice, a key element of libeling a public figure. The Supreme Court disagreed, saying the facts presented by Palmtag were sufficient for a jury to potentially find that the party had acted with actual malice. In libel cases, actual malice means knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. We determine Palmtag presented sufficient evidence upon which a jury could find by clear and convincing evidence that the elements of public figure defamation were met, the court said. But a jury might also find that Palmtags evidence did not reach the level of clear and convincing evidence. As a result, the court determined that the case could not be decided without a trial. Omaha attorney David Domina, who represented Palmtag, said she was looking forward to trying the case and getting it behind her. This has been a struggle for her, in her business and a personal struggle, he said. Palmtag sought damages for emotional distress and damage to her reputation, as well as $500,000 in lost income from her real estate business. The Supreme Courts ruling said that Palmtag, in deposition testimony, estimated she had lost about $100,000 per year of income and that her personal listings had declined. From 2015 to 2019, her personal listings had averaged 20 per year, but she had 7 personal listings in 2020 and 12 in 2021. The state GOP did not respond to an email seeking comment and the partys attorney could not be reached. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2024 The Nebraska Humane Society is working with rescues in other states to find the next stop for the 50 dogs taken from a breeding facility in Boyd County near Spencer. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture asked the Humane Society for assistance after the license for the breeding operation was revoked. Interim Humane Society CEO Pam Wiese said it took about a week to get everything organized. Were really full, and we know so many rescues here in town are also overloaded, Wiese said. Were talking to partners in different states and have commitments from folks to bring transport up to get them out of here next week. This way, its a way station for them. We can give them some comfort. We have the ability to house them. Because it already has so many dogs, the Humane Society has put the newcomers in an area that used to house its day care, Wiese said. Animal care is in charge, and Wiese said it's also received help from volunteers. The Humane Society hasnt seen any big health issues, but the animals are undersocialized because theyve been in a breeding facility and not with families. A lot of them are shy, she said. They are very sweet. They are kind of shell-shocked. It was a long drive. The Humane Society expects to keep 10 or 15 of the dogs, but the majority will go to other rescues. In the group are corgis, shelties, poodle mixes, labs and German shorthairs. Wiese said the Humane Society is assessing the dogs and there is no timeline in place for when the ones that are kept here will be available for adoption. The snow and cold this week could play a role in when rescues pick up the animals. Its also curtailing adoptions at NHS, which was closed Friday. We are running pretty full here at the shelter, especially with the weather, she said. We have a lot of dogs and not as many cats. We have a lot of dogs we could stand to adopt out. Wiese, who was just recently named interim CEO, said shes enjoying her new role and thrilled to help some animals in need. Were doing a great thing and giving them a second chance, she said. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2024 Kannywood actor, Bello Muhammed, says he will cut off his trade mark hair in fulfilment of a promise to do so, if President Muhammadu Buhari is reelected. Mr Muhammed disclosed this on his Instagram page, generalbmb4pmb, saying the hair cutting event will hold in Kaduna. The Plateau-based actor, actively took part in campaigns and rallies for the APC, and is well known for his support for Buhari. In a video he posted on insta page, he said that Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State would witness the event on a date to be announced later. In a post he made, I made a promise of cutting off my identity and pride, which happens to be my hair in appreciation of the return of President Muhammadu Buhari to power. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bello Muhammed was among many Kannywood artistes who ran voluntary campaigns for the president. (NAN) Scene of the school building collapse According to Punch Metro, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, on Friday morning, commenced the demolition of defective buildings within Lagos Island. About 180 houses will be demolished in the exercise, according to the General Manager of LASBCA, Mr Lekan Shodeinde. He said 20 would be demolished on Friday. The agencys task force began with the demolition of a three-storey building on 60A Freeman Street, Epetedo. The demolition is coming on the heels of Wednesday building collapse on Massey Street, Ita Faaji, Lagos Island, which killed many pupils and injured others. The agency said the property owners had been served several notices dating back to 2013. A couple of weeks ago, the Homecoming team revealed the first few details of their second edition of the festival. Although we got the scoop of the fashion brands that will be in attendance, as well as topics that will be covered at their panel talks, the most exciting detail was withheld. Finally, the lineup for the Homecoming Live Show has been released, and this wide-ranging bill of artists has left us even more excited for the Easter weekend. Last year, the live show was undoubtedly the climax of the entire weekend. The most iconic model of all time, Naomi Campbell graced the stage as the host; Odunsi, Santi and Zamir delivered their first performance of the cult anthem, Alte Cruise; and Skepta performed alongside afropop superstar, Wizkid. This year, Santi, Odunsi, Wizkid and Skepta will be returning to the Homecoming stage, joined by a few of our favourite Nigerian artists, such as Teni, Simi, and Niniola. Mavins latest signee, Rema also features on the bill, making this his first major appearance since his breakout. As well as Skepta, the Homecoming Live Show will bring together two other international acts, Octavian who recently released his show-stopping debut album to much fanfare as well as South African female rapper, Sho Madjozi. Weve been promised many more special guests, and if theyre as thrilling as the artists on the lineup so far, the live show is going to be epic! President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met with state governors from the northern part of the country at the State House, Abuja. The meeting bordered on increasing insecurity in the northern parts of the country. Speaking with State House correspondents, Katsina State Governor said that they came to brief the President on the increasing insecurity in the North. He said they came to see the President based on a resolution of the Northern state governors forum at a meeting held in Kaduna 10 days ago. According to him, the increasing banditry and kidnapping in the North West and North Central is gradually becoming more threatening like the insurgency in the North East. He called for urgent and decisive action against the insecurity in the area. He said, The issue that brought us to the President is about the rising insecurity in the north west, north central and north east. North east is known for Boko Haram insurgency but of recent what was known to be cattle rustling in North West and some parts of north central has turned out to be something different from what we had before. So, this concern made us to come and brief the president so that urgent action would be taken in order to curb this deadly menace of banditry which is gradually graduating into insurgency. You know the north west with a vast forest area going to north central and then even going out of Nigeria. So we need to act quickly and decisively so that it doesnt turn into something else like what we had in the northeast, he said. According to him, the President has given his full commitment that something seriously will be done in order to make sure that the menace is curbed. The governor said they made suggestions to the president on the way forward but that, Its not for public consumption On Magajin Gari Daura who was abducted 26 days ago, he said I think the police are working serious and they have made some progress but for obvious reasons, they cannot disclose all what they have done for security reasons but work is going on. The governors at the meeting included Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state, Kashim Shetima of Borno, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Sani Bello of Niger State. The Supreme Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja has affirmed Alh. Abba Kabir Yusuf as the elected governor of Kano State. Abba Kabirs victory in the 2023 Governorship Election was challenged by the ruling APC and its governorship candidate in Kano, Alh Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. The ruling this Friday has put to rest, months of political and judicial battle between the NNPP and APC in the State. .. More details in our subsequent Bulletin Related The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Bala Mohammed as the Governor of Bauchi State. Justice Ibrahim Saulawa who read the lead judgment dismissed the appeal filed by Sadique Abubakar for lacking in merit. In November, the Court of Appeal affirmed the victory of Governor Mohammed in the March 18 governorship election. Sadique Abubakar, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed an appeal after the election petition tribunal judgment upheld Governor Mohammeds election. One of the appellants pleas was that the election should be nullified, alleging that the forms and booklets used in the election were not properly filled. However, the appeal court ruled that the appellant failed to prove this allegation with the necessary evidence. Related By Izunna Okafor, Awka Barely five months after Pascal Agbordike, the lawmaker representing the Ihiala Federal Constituency of Anambra State cried out that he had been rendered homeless, following the burning down of his house by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums; another top stakeholder and traditional ruler in the State, Igwe Emmanuel Nnabuife of Isseke community have also cried out over the same plight, as unidentified gunmen totally burnt down his house. The monarch, who has relocated to Awka due to security challenges bedeviling his hometown and its environs, raised the alarm on Friday following the attack and burning down of his palace in Isseke in the same Ihiala Local Government Area of the State. According to him, the news of the attack on his palace by the yet-to-be-identified gunmen did not only come to him as a surprise, but was also devastating, as the arsonists burnt down everything he had laboured all his to acquire. It is true that my palace was burnt down by these boys, and I have lost everything that I laboured all my life to achieve; and as it is now I am homeless. Everything was razed down, but I thank God that no life was lost, and nobody was harmed by those boys, and this is the way it has been in my town, Isseke, the monarch was quoted as saying. According to reports, the Anambra States Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, explained that the situation in the area had been brought under control, while personnel of the Command had launched a manhunt for the suspects responsible for the attack. Related It was gathered that the incident occurred on December 6 when the suspect identified as Rangarirai Samson discovered that her nephew, Wenyasha Masawi, had broken her glass bowl. A woman in Zimbabwe has been arrested for the murder of her nephew, who she allegedly killed after he broke her glass bowl. It was gathered that the incident occurred on December 6 when the suspect identified as Rangarirai Samson discovered that her nephew, Wenyasha Masawi, had broken her glass bowl. This discovery allegedly triggered a violent reaction from Samson. She reportedly took a piece of firewood and inflicted severe injuries upon Masawi. Concerned about Masawis deteriorating health, the accused then sought the help of local prophets in an attempt to save his life. Despite the intervention of the prophets, Masawis health continued to decline, ultimately leading to his death on December 19. Following his death, Masawis body was taken to the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for a postmortem examination. The medical examination revealed that Masawis demise was a direct result of the injuries sustained during the attack. Subsequently, Rangarirai Samson was arrested and now faces the grave charge of murder. Rangarirai Samson who was arraigned before the Bindura Magistrates Court, was charged with the murder of her nephew, Wenyasha Masawi. The court remanded her in custody until January 26, with no plea entered during the initial hearing. AI is undoubtedly becoming a huge part of the tech world as it is being integrated into many apps, services, and devices. This alone has already caught criticism, but that's not stopping AI companies like OpenAI from allowing their AI models to be used for military purposes. OpenAI Changes Its Policy Previously, OpenAI's list of prohibited uses for its AI models included activity with a high risk of physical harm. Under that category, military and warfare are mentioned just under weapons development, but that has since changed. With the new universal policy, it has been generalized to not using the services to harm one's self or others. While OpenAI did not explicitly say that it will be allowing its AI models to be used for the development of military tech, the lack of clear restrictions may allow it to happen. OpenAI claims that the new list of policies is "clearer" and "more readable," as per Tech Crunch. And yes, it was mentioned that its services cannot be used to "develop or use weapons" in its new policy, but it no longer specifically lists military and warfare. While the blanket or generalized policy may be easier to understand and cover a broader range of applications, it does not mean that AI will not be used for other military purposes. Warfare is not limited to the creation of weapons. After all, "military and warfare" was previously separated from "weapons development," meaning that there are other ways to use AI than the latter. There are countless possibilities for advancing military tech using AI that can give a certain side an advantage. They're not all necessarily bad. For one, AI can be used to improve cybersecurity to protect critical data within the military. It can also be used to train with combat simulation, as well as aid in battlefield healthcare, all these examples have nothing to do with direct warfare which can "harm others." Read Also: Hassan Taher Warns: AI Is Shaping the Future of Cyberattacks The US, China Presidents Banning AI in Weapons We can all agree that military weapons are already deadly as is, so imagine if they become smarter with the integration of AI. This is something that both US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agree on. There are speculations that the two country leaders agree that AI technology should be banned in such aspects, specifically autonomous weapons. Both were expected to reach a deal during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, although there is still no news regarding the topics. According to Interesting Engineering, the Foreign Ministry of China said that "the two presidents will have in-depth communication on issues of strategic, overarching and fundamental importance in shaping China-US relations and major issues concerning world peace and development." Even with the technology we have now, AI is still far from perfect. That has been proven countless times with cases where it showed racial bias and even security risks. If it were to be used for the military, these problems could cause more problems and could be harmful to the user instead. Related: US, China Presidents are Expected to Ban AI Use with Autonomous Weapons The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar extended congratulations to opposition governors on Friday after the Supreme Court upheld their election victories. The apex court upheld the elections of opposition party governors Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Caleb Muftwang (Plateau), and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi). In a statement from his media office, Atiku described the apex courts judgment as a victory for democracy. He emphasized his earlier stance that a united opposition force is crucial for strengthening democracy in Nigeria The statement partly reads: I am as prepared as ever to lead the charge, alongside all our leaders and governors, for the good of our country. Where justice is seen to have been substantially rendered, we, as patriots and citizens, will always applaud. There is a guaranteed continuation of the standards of good governance which the PDP has brought to the respective states. Kanyi Daily recalls that the presidential tribunal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday had reservedjudgmentt on the petition filed by Atiku Abubakar on the February 25 presidential election N683billion has been approved by President Bola Tinubu as the 2024 intervention fund for public tertiary institutions in the country. These institutions include public universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and others. This was disclosed by The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Sonny Echono, on Friday at the Funds strategic planning meeting with heads of beneficiary institutions in Abuja, according to Channels TV. He explained that from the total, 90.75 per cent is earmarked for direct disbursement, 8.94 per cent for some designated special projects, and 2.27 per cent is budgeted for response to emerging issues. He added that each university shall get for the Year 2024 intervention cycle, the total sum of N1,906,944,930.00, polytechnic N1,165,355,235.00 while each College of Education has N1,398,426,282.00. SaharaReporters had reported how Nigerian university lecturers under the platform of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went on an eight-month strike over inadequate funding of public institutions among other deficiencies in the education sector. The industrial action was the second longest by ASUU, known for its work stoppages. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the university teachers went on strike for nine months. The demands of the lecturers are the same as in previous strikes higher pay, improved welfare, increased funding, and upgraded facilities. The many residents of Owerewere, Aminigboko, Egunughan, and Emesu communities in Emughan clan have evacuated their homes due to alleged mistreatment by military personnel in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State. According to PUNCH Metro, some residents on Thursday said that they vacated the area to seek refuge in the bush, to avoid attacks and torture by men in military uniform. They alleged that these soldiers started harassing and disrupting the peace of their communities, immediately after the terrible incident that happened in Ahoada/Abua East-West axis, on the 12th December 2023. PUNCH Metro reports that gunmen shot four soldiers, and two drivers dead while they reportedly kidnapped two expatriates of the Daewoo company along the Ahoada/Abua East-West axis in Rivers State. It was learnt that men of the Nigerian Army have now occupied these communities and sacked these residents, who are currently starving in the bush, where they share homes with snakes and other reptiles in the bush. A man, who identified to be an indigene of the Emughan Clan, Bryan Honour, said the military men invaded the communities to revenge the death of the soldiers, but they are attacking innocent civilians in the process. On the 12th December, unknown men killed four soldiers and two drivers, now the soldiers came back and started attacking the whole clan, which consists about four communities. They chased people, beat grandmothers, grandfathers, and two people even died. All these happened because of the attack on their soldiers, and it is happening to innocent communities. Mothers and children have been sleeping in the bush, because of these military men. They were just beating people, some even died. Most of the youths are not with the residents in the bush, some are not even in port Harcourt due to the situation of things, He said. Speaking with our correspondent, a resident, Progress Ekomodi, revealed they were maltreated by the uniform men, and had to resort to living in the bush. It was unknown gunmen that kidnapped the white men and killed the soldiers, they were now flogging old women, chasing young women and children. The bush is now our shelter, we feed on palm kernels and water leaf. We have different camps , and we are more than two hundred in my camp here, he said. Another resident, Beauty Ekom, said life in the bush has been a terrible experience because every one of them is hungry and people have died as a result of lack of access to medical care and food. People fall sick every day in this bush, we are hungry and there is nothing to eat. Very soon, school will resume, there is no way our children will go back to school. The government should come to our rescue. People die in this bush every day, the stench from their decomposing bodies disturbs us. Come and help us, there is nothing to eat, we are starving. Some of our children are sick, we do not know how to treat them, she said. When contacted, 6 Division, Nigeria Army Spokesperson, Jonah Danjuma, refuted the claim and clarified that the mission of the division troops deployed was to apprehend the gunmen. I am sure you are aware of the unprovoked and unwarranted attack on our troops by suspected militants within their vicinity on 13 December 2023. Since then, our troops have been conducting operations to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime. It is on record that our troops have a pedigree of conducting operations in line with global best practices of adhering to the rules of engagement and respect for the fundamental human rights of the citizenry. Thus, the allegation of harassment of innocent people is baseless, and remains largely unsubstantiated. It is also important to state that these criminals operated within their vicinity, and so they have a responsibility to expose them rather than to resort to blackmail and unwarranted propaganda, Danjuma said. Officers of the Nigerian Army, Commander 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Ogun State, have intercepted over 365 pieces of pawpaw-sized wrapped Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp, weighing about 176 kilograms. The military men also arrested a 25-year-old suspected drug pusher, Fatai Bankole, in connection with the drugs. The commander of the military formation, Brigadier General Mohammed Tajudeen Aminu, made this known in Abeokuta on Saturday while handing over the drugs to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in the state. The Army boss said the suspect, together with drugs, was arrested by troops on routine patrol at Olodo Imeko along Imeko-Abeokuta road in the state. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army arrests two soldiers captured brutalising young civilian The Garrison Commander, Colonel Legborsi Deedum Nule, who represented the Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, expressed the commands commitment to sustaining all efforts in collaborating with other security agencies to rid the State of crimes. He further said the Brigades commitment to ensuring troops maintain high standards and professionalism at all times in discharging their duties. In his reaction, the Commandant, NDLEA Ogun State Command, Commander of Narcotics Jane Ibiba Odili, commended the effort of the Brigade and solicited more collaboration with the military, as well as other security agencies in the State. Pandemonium erupted in Dnata chiefdom, located in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Saturday morning followed the execution of four captives by kidnappers within the community. Dnata chiefdom has its headquarters in Tafa town, located along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in the area council. A community leader in the area, John Alpha Dogo, told Daily Trust that the bandits dragged their four captives, three females and one male to a location around a former military checkpoint behind Idah junction on Bwari-Jere SCC road and executed them. He said the incident took place about 11 pm Friday, when gunshots were heard around the location, but mistaken as that of the security patrol team. It was this morning that we came to discover the incident, Dogo added. He said residents of Bagye and Pashin villages in the chiefdom were leaving in drove toward Bwari town following the incident. It was suspected that the bandits had brought out the victims from their camp around the axis, over a failed ransom negotiation, according to one of the residents. Daily Trust further learnt that the police from Tafa Division had taken the remains of the victims to a hospital around the community. The chief of Dnata, His Royal Highness HRH Mr. Bitrus James, confirmed the incident to our reporter. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, has explained that his camp accepted whatever decision President Bola Tinubu took during his intervention on the political crisis in Rivers State. He added that he had fulfilled every condition in the peace accord signed by incumbent governor, Siminalayi Fubara. The minister reportedly said this during his visit to the palace of the Oba of Ogbaland. He was accompanied to the Palace of the Oba of Ogbaland by Senator Sam Anyanwu, Senator Barinada Mpigi and Chief Victor Giadom, Timipire Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heinekin Lopobiri and Felix Obuah. Channels TV quoted Wike as saying, We accepted whatever decision Mr President has taken and we have on our own part fulfilled every condition given by Mr President because I told you I will not let you down. It is just to let you know that your request of making sure there is peace in the state of which you asked Mr President to intervene, we have accepted. And I want you to use this opportunity to continue to pray for Mr President for God to continue to give him wisdom to pilot the affairs of this nation. Wike, who commended President Tinubu for his intervention in the political crisis between him and his successor in office, Governor Fubara, further said that He is not from this state. So many people have piloted the affairs of this country, crisis has engulfed other states and you hardly would see somebody come out and say irrespective of the political party, I need peace in the state. If there is peace in the states, it will help peace in Nigeria. So, I will urge you and your council to continue to pray for Mr President for God to continue to give him wisdom to pilot the affairs of the country. Recall that Tinubu had intervened in the political crisis rocking Rivers State between Wike and Governor Fubara, during which the President on December 18, 2023, after a round of meeting at the Aso Villa in Abuja got Wike and Fubara to sign a peace accord. Wike and Fubara agreed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara and his team be withdrawn immediately. Fubara, Wike, Amaewhule and other gladiators in the crisis signed the agreement while the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also signed the document. The Wike camp also agreed that all impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the Rivers State House of Assembly be dropped immediately The parties in the feud resolved to recognise the leadership of Martin Amaewhule in the Rivers State House of Assembly and not that of Edison Ehie. The two camps agreed to recognise Amaewhule and his 26 allies who recently resigned from the PDP to the APC. The agency disclosed that the arrests were made in collaboration with officers of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Services, NHFSS, and the Nigeria Police Force. Four illegal tax collectors have been arrested by the Benue State Internal Revenue Services, BIRS, in Makurdi, the state capital. The agency disclosed that the arrests were made in collaboration with officers of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Services, NHFSS, and the Nigeria Police Force. This was disclosed in statement distributed to journalists in Makurdi by the Media Officer of BIRS, Jacinta Bernard. Bernard said the four suspects were apprehended while extorting money from petty traders at the Lafia Park located in the North Bank area of Makurdi. She said the criminals claimed to be staff of the Makurdi Local Government Area Market Committee constituted to collect revenue in parks and markets. She said the claims of the suspects were immediately verified through a phone call to the caretaker chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, James Dwem, who disowned them. Bernard insisted that the suspects were on their own as the agency was not aware of such operations in the local government area. She stressed that the agency has zero-tolerance for criminality and will continue to tackle extortion, corruption and illegal tax collection with the view to fish out bad elements. Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Thursday, said the provision of good road networks is central to the agenda of his administration. He said his administration will continue to build and develop infrastructure in the state. Oyetola spoke at the commissioning of the 228.5km rural roads, rehabilitated and reconstructed under the Osun Rural Access and Mobility Project, at Akeredolu town, along Onikoko-Osi Sooko road, Ile-Ife, Ife-South Local Government. Governor Oyetola, who described infrastructure as the bedrock of socioeconomic development, pledged to fulfill all the electoral promises he made while seeking office. He said, his administration would continue to breathe life into every nook and cranny of the state and ensure proper construction, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads. Governor Oyetola said the decision to embark on mass rural road construction was in response to the citizenrys popular demand. According to him, the roads were built to link rural communities with the nearest markets and urban areas, and boost the economy and social development of the people. He implored beneficiaries to cultivate good maintenance culture of the roads. He said: Provision of good road network is central to the agenda of our administration as it breathes life into commerce, agriculture, economy, youth empower, security and the overall well-being of the state and the people. We are, therefore, happy to be here to make good one of the major electoral promises which is provision of good road network. Three hundred and eight (380km) rural roads are currently being fixed across the state, which is the second phase of the project implementation. Osun Road Access Mobility Project (RAMP) is involved mainly in construction and rehabilitation of earth roads. It gives consideration to road maintenance in order to make these roads to last longer. This is component two of the project. Under the arrangement, rehabilitated or constructed earth roads in use for more than 12 calendar months are mechanically restored to their good transport condition. Routine maintenance is also carried out by road maintenance groups all year round, he said. The Project Coordinator, Osun Rural Access and Mobility Project, Adesola Adewumi, applauded the administration of Governor Oyetola for building infrastructure to secure a better future for the state. Read Also: Photos: Oyetola visits Osun illegal mining site He said, the agency has constructed several kilometers of roads to support the socioeconomic and political lives of the people of the state, particularly the rural dwellers. At the backdrop of his development projects, Oyetola has declared that local government Councils in his state operate freely without interference. He said it will be unfair for any governor not to allow elected chairmen at the local council level to decide what they want in terms of human, capital and infrastructure development. Oyetola said this, while he hosted the delegation of the Local Government Project Monitoring Team from the Office of the Secretary to the Governor of the Federation (SGF) at the Government House in Osogbo. He described the local government council as a critical arm of government that should work to deliver development to the people. I believe in the functionality of local government administration. That is why we have given all the local governments and the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) the independence to operate, he said. Meanwhile, the Buhari Support Organization (BSO), in the southwest, has pledged to work with the Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, to give dividends of democracy to the residents of the state. At a press briefing in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the coordinator of the group in the southwest, Prince Felix Awofisayo, said the Supreme Court verdict, which affirmed Oyetola as winner of the September 22, 2018 governorship election, is also an endorsement of the expression of wishes of the Osun voters during the exercise. Describing the governors victory at the apex court as a testimonial of the doggedness and tenacity of the people of the state to pursue the progressive agenda, the group acknowleged that Osun is on the path of development. Congratulating Oyetola for the victory, he said the governor can now leave behind him all distractions and use his God-given administrative talent and managerial sagacity to improve the lives of Osun residents. Governors in southwest states, on Friday, reacted to a statement credited to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), asking persons of Fulani extraction, resident in the southern part of the country, to return to the north. They described the claim as most unfortunate, divisive and retrogressive. A statement personally signed by the forums chairman and the Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, said, With no intention to engage anyone, it is incumbent on us, as elected representatives of our people in the southwest region of the country, to denounce this divisive and retrogressive statement in the strongest terms possible. Akeredolu said, It is appalling, to assert the least, that the tragic incident, which claimed the life of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Pa Fasoranti, the leader of Afenifere, would be used by certain persons to advance the cause of parochial and prebendal politics. We intend to get to the root of the sad occurrence as we await the findings of security agencies on the unfortunate incident, he said. Akeredolu said the governors and the people of the southwest are working assiduously, to find lasting solutions to the current security challenges and curtail the nefarious activities of undesirable elements bent on wrecking the countrys peace. He said: We are not unaware of the antics of certain elements, who hope to garner political mileage from the contrived crises in virtually all parts of the country. We are equally convinced that this confusion serves the narrow interests of some persons. Read Also: Akeredolu is chair Southwest Governors Forum The country has a rich history; she has had to encounter adversities in the course of her transition to nationhood. She has overcome them all. This distraction will also pass. We look up to the security agencies to take cohesive steps to curtail this major challenge of insecurity which engenders hopelessness. We can only enjoin all citizens, on our part, to be patient and continue to cooperate with them as they combat the festering crises. We on our part have taken great strides with the hope that great success will be achieved. We, however, note, with discomfiture, the unpatriotic acts of some Nigerians, who will stop at nothing in their bid to undermine the Federal Government. The forum reiterated the commitment of the governors and the people of the southwest to the nationhood project, as they continue to address the challenges confronting the people, saying: We will promote, with renewed vigour, all activities which encourage amity among our people. The southwest governors called on all persons of Fulani extraction, and indeed all Nigerians from other parts of the country, resident in the southwest region, to discountenance NEFs unpatriotic outburst and other self-serving organisations of opportunists. The forum welcomed all Nigerians, who have legitimate reasons to be in the region, stressing that the governments and people of the southwest would protect all persons regardless of their ethnic and religious backgrounds. Ondo State Governor, Ouwarotimi Akeredolu has reportedly sacked his Special Assistant on Political Matters, Augustine Pelemo. Mr. Pelemo was relieved of his position on Monday morning, barely 24 hours after posting on his Facebook page a congratulatory message to wish the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Ajewole Agboola Ajayi, a happy birthday but referring to her as the Acting First Lady of Ondo State. According to SaharaReporters, an impeccable source confirmed the sacking of Pelemo who was attached to the office of the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, despite functioning as an aide to Akeredolu. The source said the political aide acted in stupidity for addressing the deputy governors wife as Acting First Lady of the state on the social media. The Exciting History of Carbon Paper! What Is It? Carbon paper is thin paper coated with a mixture of wax and pigment, that is used between two sheets of ordinary paper to make one or more copies of an original document. When Was It Invented And Why? The exact origin of carbon paper is somewhat uncertain. The first documented use of the term "carbonated paper" was in 1806, when an Englishman, named Ralph Wedgwood, issued a patent for his "Stylographic Writer." However, Pellegrino Turri had invented a typewriting machine in Italy by at least 1808, and since "black paper" was essential for the operation of his machine, he must have perfected his form of carbon paper at virtually the same time as Wedgwood, if not before (Adler, 1973). Interestingly, both men invented their "carbon paper" as a means to an end; they were both trying to help blind people write through the use of a machine, and the "black paper" was really just a substitute for ink. In its original form Wedgwood's "Stylographic Writer" was intended to help the blind write through the use of a metal stylus instead of a quill. A piece of paper soaked in printer's ink and dried, was then placed between two sheets of writing paper in order to transfer a copy onto the bottom sheet. Horizontal metal wires on the writing-board acted as feeler-guides for the stylus and presumably helped the blind to write. [Although invented in 1803, the steel pen only became common around the middle of the nineteenth century; the quill was still in use at the end of the century, and remained the symbol of the handwriting age. First introduced in the laborious days of copying manuscripts in monasteries about the seventh century, the quill was the civilised world's writing tool for a thousand years or more (Proudfoot, 1972).] Little Demand At First A few years later, Wedgwood developed the idea into a method of making copies of private or business letters and other documents. These copies were made at the time of writing and relied on the ink-impregnated paper, which Wedgwood called "carbonated paper." The writer wrote with a metal stylus on a sheet of paper thin enough to be transparent, using one of the carbon sheets so as to obtain a black copy on another sheet of paper placed underneath. This other sheet of paper was a good quality writing paper and the "copy" on it formed the original for sending out. The retained copy was in reverse on the underside of the transparent top sheet, but since the paper was very thin (what we know today as "tissue" paper) it could be read from the other side where it appeared the correct way round. Eventually a company was formed to market Wedgwood's technique, but although the company prospered and many "Writers" were sold, Wedgwood's process was not adopted by many businesses. There was still plenty of time, money and labour to handle office work, and businessmen generally preferred their outgoing letters to be written in ink, fearing that such an easy copying process would result in wholesale forgery. In addition, unlike James Watt's copying method of 1780, which developed into the letter-copying book and became standard procedure in the 1870s, carbon copies were not admissible in court. Despite A Passionate Past Pellegrino Turri had very personal reasons for developing carbon paper. He fell in love with a young woman, the Countess Carolina Fantoni, who had become blind "in the flower of her youth and beauty" (Adler, 1973), and Turri resolved to build her a machine that would enable her to correspond with her friends (including him) in private. Although the machine he constructed no longer exists, several of the Countess' letters do, and from her correspondence it is clear that Turri's machine combined carbon paper and the typewriter in a way that did not become prevalent for another 65 years. [On November 6, 1808 the Countess wrote "I am desperate because I find myself almost without black paper." The "black paper" was prepared by Turri, who was the Countess' only source of supply, and although she preserved his machine carefully ("I will never forget that it is a precious gift made by you"), Turri's typewriter disappeared after being returned to his son upon the Countess' death in 1841 (Adler, 1973).] But An American Gets "The Vision Thing" By 1823 Cyrus P. Dakin of Concord, Massachusetts, was making carbon paper similar to Wedgwood's, and selling it exclusively to the Associated Press. Forty-eight years later, the same Associated Press was covering the balloon ascent of Lebbeus H. Rogers; a promotional stunt in Cincinnati for the biscuit and grocery firm of which Rogers had just been made a partner. During an interview in the newspaper offices after the flight, Rogers happened to see Dakin's carbon paper and immediately saw its commercial potential for the copying of office documents. The firm of L.H. Rogers & Co. was immediately founded in New York, and in 1870 achieved its first major sale ($1,500) to the United States War Department (Sheridan, 1991). However, it was not until 1872 and the development of a practical typewriter for commercial office use (the Sholes and Glidden typewriter), that Rogers' vision was proven correct. And The Typewriter Provided The Perfect Application For the first time a good copy could be produced at the same time as a good original. Whereas carbon paper produced a good original with a pen or pencil, it did not always provide a good copy (carbon paper required adequate pressure in order to provide both); and although a metal stylus could give a good black copy, it did not produce a very legible original. The typewriter, on the other hand, produced excellent originals and copies, and carbon copying on the typewriter progressively became standard practice in the office. Originally carbon paper was made entirely by hand. A mixture of carbon black (a pigment) and oil in naphtha (a solvent) was applied to sheets of paper using a wide brush. Eventually, Rogers' company developed the first carbon-coating machine, and introduced the use of hot wax applied by rollers to replace the messy oil applied by brush. In this way modern one-sided carbon paper came to be made in a variety of qualities (Proudfoot, 1972). Rogers went on to produce the first typewriter ribbons (essentially long thin strips of carbon paper), and after searching the world for material with the right texture, marketed typewriter ribbons wound on spools and packed in individual boxes, which he sold along with his packages of carbon paper. As Needs Changed Disadvantages Became Apparent One of the disadvantages of carbon paper was that no matter how good the paper or the writer's technique, it could only ever produce a limited number of copies. Given the continued growth of business and its need for better communication, including the development of advertising, a means of unlimited copying became increasingly necessary. This requirement led to the development of the stencil duplicator (the best known was probably David Gestetner's Cyclostyle, patented in 1880) and other similar inventions, all of which became alternatives to carbon paper (given the huge demand for all types of copying processes at this time, demand for carbon paper was not immediately affected by the introduction of these other methods). From the very beginning however, carbon paper could only produce copies of out-going correspondence (the stencil duplicator had this disadvantage as well); if copies were needed of incoming documents, they still had to be copied by hand. This problem was not solved until the middle of the twentieth century, when xerography became commercially available in the form of the photocopier (Proudfoot, 1972). The invention of the photocopier began the decline in demand for carbon paper that has continued to the present day. And Eventually Carbon Paper Began To Decline Although the photocopier probably struck the biggest blow to carbon paper and other early methods of copying, a technology was developed around the same time with the potential to eliminate carbon paper entirely. NCR, or No Carbon Required paper, was developed by the National Cash Register Company in 1954 (Nielsen, 1983). This process relied on the pressure of a pen or typewriter to induce a chemical reaction between different coatings on adjacent sheets of paper. The original was produced by the pen or typewriter, while the chemical reaction left a blue copy sharply delineated on subsequent pages. NCR is ideal for business forms produced in large quantities, but is not economical for small applications. Consequently, it has yet to replace carbon paper completely. But Not Without Leaving Its Mark ! Carbon paper is still commercially available today (1995). However, its use has declined significantly in the last 20 years, despite the proliferation of copying in the modern office over the same period. Perhaps it will continue to be used until the "paperless office" becomes a reality, or perhaps it will always be ideal for some applications. Regardless of its ultimate fate, carbon paper has already left its mark on one of the most recent technologies to enter the workplace: many electronic mail computer programs (Email) include the abbreviation "cc" to indicate the recipients of a "carbon copy" of the electronic message. Bibliography Adler, Michael H. (1973) The writing machine (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.) Adler, Michael (1990) Wedgwood's carbon paper of 1806. Typewriter Times: Journal of the Anglo-American Typewriter Collector's Society . (18): 6-7. Barber, A. (1994) STP Ltd. Personal Communication. Blythin, David (1994) Kores Nordic (GB) Ltd. Personal communication. Brown, Curtis L. (1991) Thesaurus of pulp and paper terminology (Atlanta: Institute of Paper Science and Technology Inc.) Dale, Rodney & Weaver, Rebecca (1993) Machines in the office (London: British Library) Fiddes, D. W. (1979) Business terms, phrases and abbreviations (London: Pitman) Lavigne, John R. (1993) Pulp & paper dictionary (San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books) Lippman, Paul (1992) American typewriters: a collector's encyclopedia (Hoboken, N.J.: Original & Copy) McNeil, Ian (1990) An encyclopaedia of the history of technology (London: Routledge) Nielsen, Norman A. (1983) Reprography. In Pulp and paper: chemistry and chemical technology, third edition, Vol. 4, edited by James P. Casey (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) Proudfoot, W. B. (1972) The origin of stencil duplicating (London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd.) Sheridan, David (1991) Carbon paper and the typewriter ribbon. The Type Writer: Journal of Writing Machine Technology and History . (1): 15. Simpson, J. A. & Weiner, E. S. C. (1989) The Oxford English dictionary , second edition (Oxford: Clarendon Press) Sinclair, John ed. (1993) BBC English dictionary (London: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.) Webber, Paul (1994) Royal Sovereign Ltd. Personal communication. 1995 Kevin M. Laurence E-mail: Kevin Laurence Click here to return to my homepage. Freshman Rep. Katie Hill is resigning from Congress after facing allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with staffers in her office and on her congressional campaign, according to two Democratic sources. See letter below: It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community and our country, This is what needs to happen so that the good people who supported me will no longer be subjected to the pain inflicted by my abusive husband and the brutality of hateful political operatives who seem to happily provide a platform to a monster who is driving a smear campaign built around cyber exploitation, she added. Hill did not specify a resignation date in her letter but multiple people with knowledge of her plans said she could step aside as soon as Nov. 1. Hill was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of an improper sexual relationship with a male congressional staffer, a claim she denied. Hill admitted to and apologized for an inappropriate relationship with a female campaign staffer earlier this week. In a statement earlier this week, Hill blamed the ongoing scandal which included several nude photos of the lawmaker published in conservative online news outlets on an abusive husband whom she is in the middle of divorcing. Attorneys for Hill even issued a cease and desist letter earlier this week to a British tabloid after the outlet published several intimate photos of Hill, including one that allegedly depicted her holding a bong while naked. Sources with knowledge of Hills resignation said her decision to step down was prompted, in part, by hopes of stemming the flow of embarrassing and defamatory reports that have popped up in multiple outlets, starting with conservative site RedState.org last week. The outlet accused Hill of having a sexual relationship with her legislative director, Graham Kelly, which the website claimed was uncovered by Hills husband, Kenny Heslep. Hill vehemently denied the relationship with Kelly, who also worked on her congressional campaign. Hill said the publication of personal and intimate photos was an appalling invasion of my privacy. It is also illegal, and we are currently pursuing all of our available legal options, she added in her resignation letter. However, I know that as long as I am in Congress, well live fearful of what might come next and how much it will hurt. While Hill denied the relationship with her congressional staffer, she issued an apology for having a relationship with a female staffer on her campaign earlier this week. I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment, Hill wrote in a letter to her constituents. I am saddened that the deeply personal matter of my divorce has been brought into public view, even the false allegations of a relationship with my congressional staffer, which I have publicly denied, and I am fully and proactively cooperating with the Ethics Committee, she added. Some of Hills colleagues, including Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, defended her after the leaked photos, saying the California Democrat was the victim of revenge porn and a political smear campaign at the hands of her husband. Hill, 32, was a rising start in the 2018 freshman class, with position in both House Democratic leadership and as vice chair of the House Oversight Committee. Hill was one of the majority makers, flipping a GOP-held seat that contributed to House Democrats romp back to the majority last year. Hill trounced Republican Rep. Steve Knight (R-Calif.) by 9 points in a district in the northern exurbs of Los Angeles that was once reliably Republican. The seat, which Hillary Clinton won it by 7 points in 2016, has trended toward Democrats but is still considered competitive. Loading Loading The attention of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has been drawn to the recent sympathy by Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai to attacked communities in Igabi and Giwa LGAs that resulted in the death of no fewer than 51 persons. During the visit, the governor, apart from vowing to deal with the bandits, also apologised to the communities over inability of government to protect them. We are extremely saddened by this dastardly invasion of yet another peaceful and defenceless communities which has added to incessant invasions and kidnappings that have plagued communities across our dear state in recent times. SOKAPU wishes to express regrets and hard felt sympathies to grieving members of these communities over the huge loss of human lives and property. The prompt response by el-Rufai as demonstrated in his sympathy visit may have portrayed him as a humane leader that is genuinely interested in the welfare of citizens. It is strange that after series of deadly attacks on communities, mostly in the southern part, he has neither condemned it nor issue a statement on such attacks. Could this present apology be premised on rhetoric calculated at achieving some political agenda, rather than expressing genuine sympathy? Without equivocation, even before the dastardly attacks on Igabi and Giwa villages, several communities in southern part of the state have been invaded by kidnappers, Fulani herdsmen militia and armed bandits. These attacked communities in Southern Kaduna have become prone to interminable and unprovoked attacks that have led to scores of deaths, abductions and massive destruction of property. For instance, on 6th January, 2020 armed bandits, numbering over 100, invaded over 10 communities in Chikun Local Government Area where they abducted no fewer than 58 people and killed no fewer than 35. They also sacked over 8,000 as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scattered all over communities that have not been attacked in the local government area. On the same day, Kasso Community, also in Chikun LGA, located on the eastern boundary with Kajuru LGA, came under attack where three members of the same family were killed and two abducted, including a breast-feeding mother with a six-month old baby. On January 8, gunmen attacked Good Shepherd Seminary in Buwaya, Kaduna, where they abducted four seminarians. One them, Mike Nnadi, was later murdered, while three were set free. On 25th January 2020, the wife of a medical doctor, Dr Phillip Ataga, was kidnapped alongside her two children. She was later killed, leaving the children behind who were later released after a whopping sums of money was paid as ransom. On 13th February, 2020, armed militia men stormed an open market In Maro village in Kajuru LGA and killed eight people, while inflicting injuries on several others. Less than twenty fours to the attacks on Igabi and Giwa villages, it was yet another story of bloodshed for Kurmi Community in Chikun LGA when on 29TH February, 2020 invaders stormed the community and burnt down no fewer than 25 houses, two churches and the entire food barns belonging to the community Again, Less than 48 hours after el-Rufai vowed to send bandits to their maker, yet another gang of terrorists stormed Matsirga village in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area where they killed two persons and mortally wounded five others. These vicious attacks, among others, are only some of the reported cases. SOKAPU is in possession of a catalogue of attacks of several unreported cases of killings, kidnappings and destructions in our besieged communities. We shall release such information in due course. Against the backdrop of the recurring killings and massive destruction of property that is being neglected by the Kaduna State Governor and security agencies of the Federal Government, SOKAPU wishes to let the world know that our communities are under siege and marked for complete annihilation. We feel very strongly that the silence of the Kaduna State Government on the unending massacres of our people is not only suggestive of complicity, but also a well-crafted ploy to obliterate our communities. We call on the world and Nigerians to be aware of the double standards being deployed by the Kaduna State Governor in dealing with victims of these vicious attacks. In spite of the massive humanitarian crisis created by these invasions, the Kaduna State Government has not found reason to visit the invaded communities or even set up IDP camps to provide assistance either from the government or good spirited individuals and organisations. More pathetic is the fact survivors of most of these communities whose food barns have been burnt down, having no aid coming from anywhere, have returned to their villages without any assurance against future attacks. Having watched the disposition of hate and neglect by Governor el-Rufai on Southern Kaduna communities, SOKAPU is calling on charitable international and local organisations/individuals to come to the aid of victims of these attacks that have made life unbearable for our people. Most of these victims, especially those living in sacked Gbagyi and Adara communities are now harrowing shadows of humanity whose dignity to conditions of living has been robbed. Signed: Hon Jonathan Asake President Police has arrested a young man from Delta State who beheaded an 82-year-old woman, Eka Sammy, on her farmland in Oku Abak, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. PUNCH reports that the woman was beheaded by the man after he laid ambush for her when she went to the farm to harvest cassava. The suspect was said to have cut off the old womans head and buried her body in a shallow grave within the precinct of her farm. A resident of the community, Mr Augustine Ekwere, said the suspect was caught by youths when he dumped the victims head in front of his house. According to him, the suspect was tortured and stripped naked before he took them to the farm, where the body of the deceased was found. Ekwere said: The youths of the village caught him and called on the police after their own assessment. The police immediately arrested him and his accomplice. The young man confessed to the crime at the Abak Police Station, saying that a prophetess contracted him for N150,000 to bring a human head for rituals. He added that although the suspect did not mention the name of the prophetess, the money was already paid to him to execute the job. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Nnudam Fredrick, who confirmed the incident, commended the youth of Oku Abak for their gallantry and coming out to join the police to arrest the principal suspect. He said some people had been arrested by the police in connection with the crime. BLOOMINGTON When Luc Ballantini left last year for a Peace Corps assignment in Fiji, he knew the location would be quite remote and far from a lot of modern tech. But he went with a purpose: to help the people of Wailotua Village No. 2, a mountainous village some two and half hours from the biggest city, Suva, in any way he could. Ballantini's work with the Peace Corps is geared toward helping the village develop a sustainable plan for economic growth, but there's another side to his work there, one outside the Corps. It draws on his previous work with his father, Terry Ballantini, chief operations officer for Normal Gadgets, a technology repair and resale store at 802 S. Eldorado Rd., Suite A2, Bloomington. Now, the father-son duo are gathering laptops from Central Illinois and, after setting them up with the latest Microsoft software, are sending them to Luc Ballantini's rural outpost in Fiji for the local school there. "It's just a wonderful charity event. And the school is right here, and the school needs the laptops," he said during a video chat with The Pantagraph. This isn't the first time that Normal Gadgets has undertaken such an effort, having sent a number of laptops to Ghana in 2018. The current project currently has 18 laptops, but organizers are hoping for about 25 to 30 before the machines are shipped. "It's going to help them (the students) be more literate with technology," he said. "That's one of the biggest things is learning how to use Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel or learning how to surf the web." Normal Gadgets store manager Benjamin Wells is helping clean the laptops, wipe the memory and install the new software. "Anything newer than 2010 should be fine" for donation, he said. "Anything that can handle Windows 10 and the most recent versions of Office." They also accept Apple devices and Chromebooks, Terry Ballantini said. A GoFundMe online fundraiser (bit.ly.laptops4fiji) has been set up to collect the estimated $1,500 shipping cost. Those interested in donating can also contact the Sunrise Rotary Club by email at bnsunrise.rotary@gmail.com. The Ballantinis and Normal Gadgets are accepting laptops for a couple more weeks, but it will still take months, and a lot of money, to ship them to the island nation. Still, Luc Ballantini is optimistic about their purpose. "It doesn't matter when we get them. It's going to take a month, two months for them to ship over anyways. As long as we get them," he said. Wailotua District School serves the people around Wailotua Village Nos. 1 and 2, some 1,000 people, he said. "They all have phones, but none of them have an actual computer that they can use," Ballantini said. So, giving laptops to the school can serve two purposes: teach school children how to use the technology, but also allow the public to rent computer time for things like resume building or technical training. "So, what they can do, is they can go to the school and pay $1 an hour, $5 an hour, whatever the school thinks is appropriate," Luc Ballantini said. If that idea comes to fruition, "then we can start working on workshops ... on resume building or like Excel, learning how to write an essay on a computer. "To go further out than that learn how to take apart a computer, if something's wrong with it, learning how to fix it just in case you have one in the future," he said. After six years of working with his father taking apart and fixing gadgets from cell phones to computers, Luc Ballantini is primed to help students and community members alike navigate technology repair. While this would be extracurricular from his Peace Corps duties, Luc Ballantini said this work helps the Peace Corps' mission of community economic development his job on the island. These computers are "things that developing-nations' students, the skills that they need, this is the first step for that getting them the tools to actually do that," he said. HOW TO HELP To discuss donating a laptop, contact Normal Gadgets at 309-807-3333 or bring it to their store at 802 S. Eldorado Road Suite A2 in Bloomington Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To donate towards offsetting the cost of shipping, please contact Sunrise Rotary at bnsurise.rotary@gmail.com or visit bit.ly/laptops4fiji Normal Public Library's top books of 2023 Books for children: Elephants Cannot Dance! Books for children: I Am Invited to a Party! Books for children: Are You Ready to Play Outside? Books for children: I Am Going! Books for children: Double Down Books for children: I Really Like Slop! Books for children: The Meltdown Books for children: Diper Overlode Books for children: Pigs Make Me Sneeze! Books for children: The Getaway Books for teens: One of Us is Lying Books for teens: The Hunger Games Books for teens: Six of Crows Books for teens: Mockingjay Books for teens: Catching Fire Books for teens: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Books for teens: The Book Thief Books for teens: Scythe Books for teens: The Inheritance Games Books for teens: Throne of Glass Books for adults: The Boys from Biloxi Books for adults: Long Shadows Books for adults: Mad Honey Books for adults: Ugly Love Books for adults: No Plan B Books for adults: Spare Books for adults: Verity Books for adults: Simply Lies Books for adults: Going Rogue Books for adults: Heart Bones Books for adults: I Will Find You How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region. 100 years ago Jan. 13, 1924: Miss Ella Reed, for 30 years principal of Streators Greeley school, died Jan. 11 at St. Marys Hospital, where she was taken after being stricken with a cerebral hemorrhage. The shock was particularly hard for the teachers, as they greatly loved and respected her. The daughter of John and Margaret Reed, she was born in Chenoa on Feb. 25, 1866. 75 years ago Jan. 13, 1949: Carl Sandburg was in Bloomington for eight minutes on Tuesday night (Jan. 11). He stood bareheaded in the cold wind beside the Ann Rutledge train. The poet and Lincoln scholar hopped off the Chicago-bound train to meet Wayne Townley, president of the McLean County Historical Society. 50 years ago Jan. 13, 1974: A record 1,473 passports were issued in McLean County during 1973. Thats more than six times the 263 passports issued 10 years ago in 1964. The circuit clerks office issued most of them (1,147), while the Bloomington Post Office issued the rest. The clerks office retains $2 of the $12 fee for a passport and sends the other $10 to the federal passport office. 25 years ago Jan. 13, 1999: The Colfax Village Board has agreed to reimburse residents who paid for snow removal during the Jan. 1-3 snowstorm that brought 12-14 inches of snow to the community. Mayor Gordan Ehlers asked village employee Jack Messamoore to help residents who were unable to get out, but the village couldnt help everyone who needed it. Because of this, the board voted to pay up to $30 for residents who can show they paid for snow removal. Vintage Pantagraph newspaper ads for medicine, 'magic' remedies Clover Blossom Extract - Nov. 15, 1883 St. Jacobs Oil - July 14, 1887 Castoria - July 26, 1892 Rheumatic Ring - May 29, 1894 Beefmalt - May 29, 1894 Wakefield's Cough Syrup - Feb. 13, 1908 S.S.S. - April 23, 1908 Olive Tablets - Nov. 20, 1911 Cold-go - Dec. 11, 1911 Dr. Danby - Dec. 11, 1911 Allcock Plasters - March 2, 1917 Olive Tablets - Feb. 23, 1918 Laxative Bromo Quinine - Oct. 16, 1918 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 24, 1919 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 29, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 22, 1919 Beecham's Pills - Nov. 22, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 29, 1919 Doan's Kidney Pills - March 8, 1920 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - Sept. 21, 1920 J.C. Hutzell's Eczema Treatment - Nov. 11, 1922 Gude's Pepto-Mangan - April 2, 1923 O-Joy Corn Wafers - March 4, 1930 Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription - March 19, 1930 666 Tablets - March 25, 1930 Cuticura - March 25, 1930 Geo-Mineral - Dec. 8, 1948 Anacin - Jan. 16, 1963 Liquiprin - Aug. 27, 1970 Icy Hot - Nov. 20, 1977 Compiled by Pantagraph staff BLOOMINGTON Authorities in McLean County are urging residents to prepare and take caution during the coming harsh weather conditions, including possible snow accumulation and wind speeds up to 49 mph. The National Weather Service in Lincoln predicts a 90% chance of precipitation Friday into Saturday, with a possible 3 inches of snow and a low of 12 degrees, with wind chills down to minus 4 to minus 6. Saturday will continue to have freezing temperatures, blowing snow and wind gusts up to 38 mph that night, causing wind chills near minus 25 degrees. Sunday remains breezy with wind speeds of 34 mph, but no snow is forecast. Monday and Tuesday should be mostly cloudy to partly sunny, but temperatures will remain in the single digits until Wednesday, when the weather is expected to start warming up. When weather conditions like this occur, travelers are urged to consider whether their journey is absolutely necessary. With blowing and drifting (snow), its extremely important to keep that in mind, whether or not your travel is necessary in weather like this, said Lt. Jon Albee of the McLean County Sheriffs Office. Even short trips that do not require a vehicle should be avoided. Theres really nothing important in your mailbox that cant wait, said Frank Friend, public information officer with the Bloomington Fire Department. With the conditions changing from rain to snow as is forecast, Friend said solid footing is going to become an issue, especially for the elderly population. Normal Police Department Public Information Officer Brad Park advised people to remember their neighbors during extreme weather. Check on your neighbors, be a good neighbor. Reach out to make sure that everyone has heat, Park said. And stay safe. If travel is absolutely necessary during harsh weather and low visibility, Albee recommended that drivers prepare and pack accordingly. Always food and water are good things to have, he said. Drivers should ensure they have enough fuel, spare blankets, a charged phone battery and tow straps in case they get stuck, Albee recommended. Because drifting snow is unpredictable and can reduce visibility to zero, Albee cautioned drivers to reduce your speed to begin with. This increases a drivers stopping distance and also reduces the risk of skidding. If a driver does start to skid, he said to take your foot off the accelerator, but not to immediately slam on the brakes. Albee said to softly brake and turn into the skid. Most importantly, though, Dont stop in the roadway when other cars cant see you, he said. What were trying to avoid is stopped vehicles in the roadway, Albee said. So, if a driver is stalled, they should do their best to get to the side of the road. Leave your emergency lights on, and make sure the vehicles exhaust is not being plugged with packed snow, he said. Small business owners should take note of their fire sprinkler systems as well, Friend said. While the fire department prepares with extra gear, recovery vehicles and amended shifts in case of emergencies, The thing that we really worry about is come Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, when it starts to warm back up frozen sprinkler pipes, Friend said. That can lead to burst pipes flooding businesses, he said. Its tough for small business owners with a lot of water damage, Friend said. Close Flying Horse: Open topic CHICAGO First Lady Jill Biden traveled to the University of Illinois at Chicago Thursday to tout a White House initiative to expand research on womens health issues that include menopause. Biden was joined by actress Halle Berry in speaking about the historical lack of investment in womens health research nationwide. The visit comes during an election year in which womens health issues continue to be a hot-button political issue pushed by Democrats due to the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that sent the issue of legalized abortion to the states, and the importance of women, particularly suburban women, to the elections outcome. In a roundtable conversation at UIC, Biden and Berry were joined by Democratic U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood of Naperville and Robin Kelly of Matteson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and UIC graduate students. Every woman will be affected by menopause, yet theres a stunning lack of information about how to manage and treat its symptoms, Biden said during the discussion. Berry said she became passionate about menopause as a political issue after finding that the options her doctor provided for treating her own symptoms were just not good enough. I think money needs to be raised so that every woman has an opportunity to get quality premium care and not just told you have to just white-knuckle it, that it will eventually pass, Berry said. The White House launched its Initiative on Womens Health Research in November to allocate federal and private investments toward the issue. During the roundtable talk, the first lady stressed President Joe Bidens support of the initiative. Thats what he does, she said. He learns about a problem and then he gets to work tackling it. He doesnt waste any time. The Biden reelection campaign repeatedly stopped in Illinois and Chicago last year, an indication of the administrations concern about motivating voters ahead of the November election even in a solidly blue state. UIC is working to add to the existing body of information on menopause through its long-standing Center for Research on Women and Gender. Among research underway is a search for links between estrogen levels and brain health and determining specific impacts of menopausal symptoms on women of color. Pauline Maki, a UIC professor of psychiatry, psychology, and obstetrics and gynecology, called the presidential interest in womens health concerns ranging from migraines to heart attacks a game changer. Maki said while there has been a lack of information about menopause treatment, the issue has recently drawn more attention through publicity including a pharmaceutical commercial in last years Super Bowl and a New York Times article that went viral. Women are demanding that we do better, she said. Half of the population goes through this. Shouldnt we have a firm scientific understanding of what happens to these bodies? What happens to their brains? Because without that, they cant get the personalized care that they need. Chicago Tribunes Rick Pearson contributed. Photos: Pritzker Military Archives Center As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Juniors birthday on Monday, the real King often fades into historys mists. His famous 1963 I Have a Dream oration will be broadcast and memorialized. That speech is justly famous but Kings agenda was civil rights and also economic uplift. People remember the Lorraine Motel in Memphis as his assassination site. Very few can cite why he was in Memphis to support striking workers. The 1963 event is remembered as the March of Washington but its formal title was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The 1963 marchs platform called for raising the minimum wage and a federal jobs program. King reiterated multiple times that equal access was not enough, the African American community needed decent jobs. He said many times, What good is having the right to sit at a lunch counter if you cant afford to buy a hamburger? King saw labor unions as allies and key to economic uplift. Speaking to the 1961 AFL-CIO convention, King said, Our needs are identical with labor's needs--decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old age security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community. That is why Negroes support labor's demands and fight laws which curb labor. The duality of interests of labor and Negroes makes any crisis which lacerates you, a crisis from which we bleed. 1963 was the Washington march and in 1964 King won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Voting Rights Act was passed by in 1965 after the Pettis bridge beatings and the Selma -Montgomery march. All was not triumph Chicagos reactionary white mobs pelted King and marchers with stones as they focused on the norths housing and economic segregation. One year before his death King opposed the Vietnam War. He was condemned in the press and by many allies. In 1967 he launched the Poor Peoples campaign, seeking to unite all Americans for economic uplift. He said the campaign was the beginning of a new co-operation, understanding, and a determination by poor people of all colors and backgrounds to assert and win their right to a decent life and respect for their culture and dignity. The Poor Peoples campaign well fit supporting striking Memphis sanitation workers. On February 1, 1968, two African American city workers, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed when a garbage packer truck malfunctioned. 1,300 African American workers walked out, seeking a union contract through American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers (AFSCME) Local 1733. Memphis responded with arrests and confrontations at rallies. Valuing workers contributions, King told the striking sanitation workers on March 18, whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth." On April 3 he again addressed the Memphis strikers, his Ive been to the mountaintop final speech. The next day the nation was shocked to learn the 39-year-old was brutally murdered. Kings aspiration for economic uplift is reflected in union ranks. The U.S. population is 14% African American. 11.6% of African American workers are union members, versus 10% for white workers. Those workers have access to union conditions and benefits. Yet Kings economic hopes still lag. Because family wealth is accumulated through generations, the difference between white and African American wealth is ten times. According to the Rand Corporation, the median white family has $189,000 in wealth, counting home ownership, versus $24,000 for the median African American family. Access to decent jobs, mortgages and education still determine a familys economic well-being. King challenged the nation to break barriers and open doors. Equal access to public accommodations is a given but recent Supreme Court rulings have endangered the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Creating pathways toward apprenticeship. job preparation and decent employment are still critical and mark the dreams unfulfilled goal. . The number of subjects to be written at this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will remain the same as last years, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has confirmed. He has consequently urged parents to ignore contrary information attributed to a senior official of the Ghana Education Service (GES), being circulated on social media platforms to the effect that the number of subjects for the examination would be reduced to five. The Director for Schools and Instruction at the GES, Prince Charles Agyemang-Duah, is heard in the viral interview granted to local news channel, Max24 News, saying learning shouldnt appear to be a punishment for the children; it has to be more meaningful, it has to be productive, and so what has been done is that for the 2024 BECE, five subjects are going to be written by the candidates. He then listed English Language, Mathematics, Science and then a Ghanaian Language in addition to a fifth subject that would constitute a general knowledge where they are going to exhibit mastery of ideas across the other subject areas: ICT, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education. Shock Some stakeholders had subsequently raised concern over the fact that the examination was just about six months away July 2024 and there were no details about the arrangements. But addressing the press in Accra yesterday to give an update on education in the country, the minister said the number of BECE subjects would be the same as last years. We are not changing the number of subjects under the BECE; it is going to be the same, and that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) is going to send out sample questions of the new examination because it is a new curriculum, he said. In a PowerPoint presentation on the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, Dr Adutwum indicated that the WASSCE test scores for students had improved since 2017, stressing that a year ago, two of the top three students in West Africa came from St James Seminary in Ghana. Dr Adutwum explained that in 2015, 45.2 per cent of students had A1-C6 in English Language, but in 2023, it was 73.11 per cent. For Integrated Science, during the same period (2015), 28.7 per cent of the students had A1-C6, while in 2023, 66.82 per cent secured A1-C6. For Mathematics, 32.4 per cent in 2015 had C1-C6 and then 62.23 per cent in 2023, while in Social Studies, 57.4 per cent in 2015 had A1-C6 while 76.76 per cent obtained the same mark in 2023. All across the board, the records show that Ghanaian students have done very well. On this score, I want to congratulate all headmasters on the great job that they do for the country every single day, he said. Dr Adutwum said the Ministry of Education was doing something about examination malpractice, and that over the last three years, for instance, there had been no leaks of BECE questions. He said the ministry worked with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to introduce serialisation of questions, which meant different regions had different sets of questions. Dr Adutwum said the government had delivered under the free senior high school programme. On the transformation of public basic schools, the minister said the government had started a huge investment with the support of the Arab Development Bank in putting up new facilities which would help reorganise the public education system. The infrastructure of the schools, he said, came with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) laboratories and libraries. Dr Adutwum cited the first of community basic schools being built at East Legon in Accra and said the facility would be completed by April for fresh admissions in September for the 2024-2025 academic year. There is a new dawn in the Ghanaian education space, and that is what we are going to build upon to make sure that you have a choice between public and private schools, he said. TVET Dr Adutwum said the technical section of secondary technical schools across the country was being reinforced, and that students were doing both hands-on and minds-on learning. Moreover, he said, new technical, vocational education and training (TVET) schools had been built, while existing schools as the National Vocational Training Institutes (NVTIs) were being retooled with new equipment. He said schools were being built from scratch and cited the Centre of Excellence in TVET Education at Anyinam in the Eastern Region as an example. We just opened this academic year and look at the equipment that is there. Every equipment that is needed by the school is already there before the children walk in. So the era where the school starts and there is no equipment is a thing of the past, he said. He said the Presidents TVET transformation agenda was real and evidence-based, citing the Accra TVET school at East Legon. He said new STEM courses were being offered in high schools, and that existing schools such as Accra High School, were offering Engineering Science. He said there were other pathways that included Aviation and Aerospace, and that this year, 12 schools had begun offering Aviation and Aerospace in high schools. So Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos education transformation is about transforming existing schools and building new schools, he emphasised, and appealed to all politicians to stop this slash and burn politics that sought to make their opponent look bad. Under Akufo-Addo, Dr Adutwum said, the government had done the impossible in education, and that no amount of propaganda would ever diminish the work that had been done by the people through the learners and teachers. Source: graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Vice-President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs (VRHC), Togbe Patamia Dzekley VII, has said the laws of the land must be implemented without compromise to stop corruption and the wanton looting of state resources by some greedy people in the society. He said that would enable Ghanaians to stay at home and build a vibrant economy and put up the suitable structures for generations yet unborn. Togbe Dzekley, who is also the Paramount Chief of Battor, made the call in Ho yesterday when the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, paid a courtesy call on the VRHC in Ho, as part of the his Building the Ghana We Want Together tour of the Volta Region. The vice-president of the house also cautioned the various political parties against the use of indecent and inflammable language on their campaign platforms, saying that would not be in the national interest. Our leaders and aspiring leaders must respect themselves and avoid divisive messages for Ghana to move forward, he maintained. Togbe Dzekley also expressed misgivings about how the regions roads had been left to deteriorate, saying it was not helping the developmental progress and welfare of the people. Environment The vice-president of the house touched on the environment and said the growing problem of illegal mining, known as galamsey, was creating a bleak future for the country. Togbe Dzekle said with that trend, future generations would only become survivors and not inheritors. The youth are looking for the way out of the country because there is no good foundation for them to learn from and make a living, while some people are mismanaging national resources to fill their pockets, the chief observed. Togbe Dzekle insisted that political appointments must not be based on nepotism, but rather on the competence and honesty of the appointees. Meanwhile, he said, traditional rulers must be given their due respect by the state, adding that their voices must be heard and upheld in local governance, in the broader national interest. Grassroots party For his part, Mr Mahama said the NDC was a grassroots party and would continue to solicit the views of the entire citizenry to enable them to implement policies that would satisfy their hearts desires when given the mandate to rule the country. He said the country was now in a dire situation with the people looking up to the NDC for a change for the better. This is because the NDC was in power and Ghanaians know our capabilities, the former President added. He pledged that the NDC would first tackle the ailing economy and commit resources to security in the country to ensure businesses operated smoothly in safety, when given the nod again. As part of creating a 24-hour economy, Mr Mahama said the NDC would put in place a reliable transportation system with decent roads to enhance the commuting of workers which would encourage more businesses to operate around the clock. On corruption, the flag bearer promised the fight would start from the top to the bottom to make Ghana a safe destination for investments. He said investments would also be based on the comparative advantage of every region while avoiding the phenomenon of citing factories in every city. Mr Mahama announced plans by the NDC to expand the structures at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in the Volta Region to facilitate more admissions and support the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) in various ways to become a hub of medical tourism in West Africa. He maintained that the Volta Region was dear to the heart of the NDC, adding that the party had brought the greatest development to the region in the past. The NDC extended electricity and water supply systems, rehabilitated roads, expanded telecommunications in the Volta Region more than any government, Mr Mahama said. Another priority area for the NDC in the region, Mr Mahama said, would be to put the Ho Airport into full operation. The Ho Airport is not a white elephant, but an appropriate facility to transform the fortunes of the Volta Region, he added. Mr Mahama later addressed a townhall meeting at the Ho Technical University. On the previous day, the flag bearer of the NDC and his entourage met with various stakeholders of the party at Sogakope, took part in community engagement at Tegbi and Aflao, and inaugurated the Ketu North NDC office in Dzodze. Source: graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video North Korea is pressing ahead with measures to disband its inter-Korean organizations, apparently closing a radio station previously used to send encrypted messages to its spies in South Korea. As of Saturday, the North appears to have stopped broadcasting the state-run Pyongyang Radio and cut off access to its website. The latest move comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered "readjusting and reforming" its organizations in charge of inter-Korean affairs during a key Workers' Party meeting last month amid growing cross-border tensions. Pyongyang Radio is known for broadcasting a series of mysterious numbers, presumed to be coded messages, giving directions to its agents operating in South Korea. The North resumed such broadcasts in 2016 after suspending them in 2000, when the two Koreas held their first historic summit. On Saturday, North Korea said it also held a meeting the previous day to decide to dissolve organizations in charge of civilian exchanges with the South, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). All relevant organizations, including the North Side Committee for Implementing June 15 Joint Declaration, the North Headquarters of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea's Reunification, the Consultative Council for National Reconciliation and the Council for the Reunification of Tangun's Nation, will be readjusted, the KCNA said. The meeting also called for a new reunification policy based on the view that the "South Korean puppets" who have pursued only the collapse of the North's power and unification by absorption are the "main enemy of the DPRK to be completely wiped out." DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea has stepped up provocations after Kim defined inter-Korean ties as relations "between two states hostile to each other" and called for stepped-up preparations to "suppress the whole territory of South Korea" at the year-end ruling party meeting. Kim also called for a "fundamental change" in dealing with South Korea and ordered the disbandment of organizations in charge of inter-Korean affairs. As a follow-up measure, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui led discussions early this month to dismantle the United Front Department in charge of relations with the South, according to state media. Relations between South and North Korea remain strained, with tensions sharply escalating last week after Pyongyang fired around 350 artillery shells into waters off its west coast between Jan. 5 and 7, the first live-fire drills near the sea border since December 2022. (Yonhap) The campaign in the Bantama constituency in Kumasi towards the January 27 parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has heated up. Ralph Agyapong, a younger brother of Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is determined and bent on unseating the incumbent Francis Asenso Boakye, who doubles as the Minister of Works and Housing. Kennedy Agyapong has been rallying support for his younger brother and this is what he said when he stormed Kumasi and met party members. The Bantama Constituency, located in the heart of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region is a very prominent Parliamentary seat in the affairs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Since 2012 it has been witnessing one-term MPs and in 2024, it is witnessing another tough and competitive parliamentary primary. Ralph Kwame Agyapong, a lawyer and brother of the maverick politician, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has joined the race and expressed a determination to unseat Francis Asenso-Boakye, who is seeking re-election for a second term. Until 2004, when Nhyiaeso and Kwadaso constituencies were carved out of Bantama, it was one of the most populous constituencies in Ghana. Dr Richard Anane was the main man for Bantama from 1992 to 2004. Dr Anane did not contest the 1992 Parliamentary election because the NPP withdrew from that election. But when he won in 1996, he was the main man for Bantama for two terms, 1996-2000 and 2000-2004 before switching to Nhyiaeso which had been carved out of Bantama together with Kwadaso. And since 2004, Bantama has become a constituency where no member of Parliament has been able to serve more than two terms. It was only Cecilia Abena Dapaah who served two terms from 2004-2008 and 2008-2012. Apart from her and Dr Anane, all other MPs in the last 12 years since 2012 have served only one term each. Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, currently the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) served one term, from 2012-2016. Kokofu was unseated by Daniel Okyem Aboagye of blessed memory in 2016 and Francis Asenso-Boakye also unseated Okyem Aboagye in 2020. 2024 campaign Asenso-Boakye is going for a second term and this is where Ralph Kwame Agyapong, another Bantama boy has emerged and hit the ground running with a competitive campaign. In political circles, Graphic Online has gathered that this move has somewhat unsettled Francis Asenso-Boakye. The new entrant, with the support of his senior brother Kennedy Agyapong, has been pointing out what he will do differently if given the opportunity and has been accusing Asenso-Boakye of having all the opportunities of serving as a Deputy Chief of Staff and now Housing Minister but has done very little for the betterment of Bantama constituents. Asenso-Boakye on his part has been exhibiting what he has been doing for Bantama including a new library built for the constituents which President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned in November 2023. It was not surprising that at the commissioning ceremony, President Akufo-Addo joined the Bantama campaign and urged constituents to give Asenso-Boakye a second term for his hard work. He said looking at the level of commitment and competence showed by Mr Asenso-Boakye when he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and currently as the Minister for Works and Housing, it would hurt if the MP was not retained. It will hurt me so much if the people of Bantama throw him away. Give him the opportunity to represent you again, and he will come and continue the good job he has been doing, President Akufo-Addo said during the inauguration of the library and technology hub in the Bantama Constituency named after the President. He stressed that he was even more happier because the project named after him was an educational one. ''Thanks for grooming Asenso-Boakye for me. He does things best, the President added. Source: graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Assin Central Member of Parliament and former Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong says the only credible individual to partner the NPP flagbearer, H.E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as his Running Mate is Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. Kennedy Agyapong strongly believed Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South and goes by the popular name "NAPO", has what it takes in his partnership with Dr. Bawumia to defeat the opposition National Democratic Congress' leader, John Dramani Mahama. He was optimistic the Bawumia/NAPO ticket will help the New Patriotic Party to break the 8. Speaking to delegates at Bantama constituency in the Ashanti Region ahead of the party's 27th January primaries to select their parliamentary candidates, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong argued that Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh over the years has endeared himself to the party, relating positively with the party's rank and file. If you go to NAPOs office, you will be marveled at the way he relates with party people. He takes care of party people. If we had 5 of his kind in the party, NPP would have been better off and far ahead of the NDC. Given the current circumstances where many of our members are despondent, selecting NAPO will be the only way to bring back the needed energy for victory in the 2024 elections, he said. Hon. Kennedy Agyapong said the only way he was going to campaign for the NPP in the 2024 elections is for the flagbearer to select the Energy Minister as his Running Mate. The only way I will campaign for the NPP is for Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to be named as the Running Mate...That will be the most credible ticket to beat John Mahama, he insisted. This statement, according to political pundits, is a testament to the fact that the Manhyia South law maker has the capacity to support the NPP flagbearer to bring all parts of the party together. This position of the former NPP presidential hopeful who polled over 30% of the total votes cast in the party's presidential primary is believed to be held by the grass roots of the New Patriotic Party who believe the flagbearer must select his Running Mate from the Ashanti Region, thus, the only person who ticks all the boxes is the Energy Minister. It is believed that as an Asante royal, son of Otumfuos Apagyahene with unquestionable ties to the Manhyia Palace, Dr. Prempeh is the only person with the capacity to rally support for the NPP within the Asante kingdom and obliterate the despondency within the NPP. Political pundits also argue that, given his connection to the grass roots and his sterling performance as Minister for Education and subsequently Energy Minister in the Akufo-Addo administration, NAPO stands a better chance of attracting floating voters to support Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party. Proponents of the Energy Minister for Running Mate also explain that the Minister has proven himself as the suitable person to give the NPP the needed political capital and to land John Mahama his third successive defeat in the presidential elections. The NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is rumored to submit the name of his Running Mate to the National Council for deliberation, approval and announcement right after the NPPs parliamentary primaries scheduled for Saturday, 27th January, 2024. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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: The Porsmose Man from the Neolithic Period, found in1947 in Porsmose, Denmark. Credit: The Danish National Museum Four research articles published in Nature follow the genetic traces and geographical origins of human diseases far back in time. The analyses provide detailed pictures of prehistoric human diversity and migration, while proposing an explanation for a rise in the genetic risk for multiple sclerosis (MS). By analyzing data from the world's largest data set to date on 5,000 ancient human genomes from Europe and Western Asia (Eurasia), new research has uncovered the prehistoric human gene pools of western Eurasia in unprecedented detail. The results are presented in four articles published in the same issue of Nature by an international team of researchers led by experts from the University of Copenhagen and contributions from around 175 researchers from universities and museums in the U.K., the U.S., Germany, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France, Poland, Switzerland, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Italy. The many researchers represent a wide range of scientific disciplines, including archaeology, evolutionary biology, medicine, ancient DNA research, infectious disease research, and epidemiology. The research discoveries presented in the Nature articles are based on analyses of a subset of the 5,000 genomes and include: The vast genetic implications of a culturally determined barrier, which until about 4,000 years ago extended up through Europe from the Black Sea in the south to the Baltic Sea in the north. Mapping of how risk genes for several diseases, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, were dispersed in Eurasia in the wake of large migration events more than 5,000 years ago. New scientific evidence of ancient migrations explaining why the prevalence of multiple sclerosis is twice as high in Scandinavia than in Southern Europe. Mapping of two almost complete population turnovers in Denmark, within a single millennium. The 5,000 ancient human genomes project The unprecedented data set of 5,000 ancient human genomes was reconstructed by means of analysis of bones and teeth made available through a scientific partnership with museums and universities across Europe and western Asia. The sequencing effort was achieved using the power of Illumina technology. The age of specimens ranges from the Mesolithic and Neolithic through the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Viking period into the Middle Ages. The oldest genome in the data set is from an individual who lived approximately 34,000 years ago. "The original aim of the ancient human genomes project was to reconstruct 1,000 ancient human genomes from Eurasia as a novel precision tool for research in brain disorders," say the three University of Copenhagen professors, who in 2018 came up with the idea for the DNA data set, and originally outlined the project concept: Eske Willerslev, an expert in analysis of ancient DNA, jointly at the University of Cambridge, and the director of the project; Thomas Werge, an expert in genetic factors underlying mental disorders, and head of the Institute of Biological Psychiatry serving Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark; and Rasmus Nielsen, expert in statistical and computational analyses of ancient DNA, jointly at University of California, Berkeley, in the U.S. The objective was to produce a unique ancient genomic data set for studying the traces and genetic evolutionary history of brain disorders as far back in time as possible to gain new medical and biological understanding of these disorders. This was to be accomplished by comparing information from the ancient DNA profiles with data from several other scientific disciplines. Among the brain disorders the three professors originally identified as candidates for this investigation were neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis, together with mental disorders such as ADHD and schizophrenia. In 2018, the three professors then approached the Lundbeck Foundationa major Danish research foundationfor funding to compile the special DNA data set. They were awarded a five-year research grant totaling DKK 60 million (app. EUR 8m) for the project, which was to be coordinated at the University of Copenhagen via a newly established center, subsequently named the Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Center. "The rationale for awarding such a large research grant to this project, as the Lundbeck Foundation did back in 2018, was that if it all worked out, it would represent a trail-blazing means of gaining a deeper understanding of how the genetic architecture underlying brain disorders evolved over time. And brain disorders are our specific focus area," says Jan Egebjerg, Director of Research, Lundbeck Foundation. The Lundbeck Foundation is also supporting iPYSCH consortium, one of the largest studies globally of genetic and environmental causes of mental disorders such as autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, where the focus is also on making genetic risk profiles for these disorders as precise as possible. The results reported in Nature, were substantiated by comparing the ancient genomic data set with de-identified genetic data from the large Danish iPYSCH consortium and DNA profiles from 400,000 present-day individuals registered in UK Biobank. Many challenges The premise for the project was experimental, recounts Professor Werge. "We wanted to collect ancient human specimens to see what we could get out of them, like trying to understand some of the environmental background to how diseases and disorders evolved. As I see it, the fact that the project took on such vast, complex proportions that Nature wanted it described in four articles is quite unique." Professor Willerslev comments that compiling the DNA data set posed major logistical challenges. "We needed access to archaeological specimens of human teeth and bones that we knew were scattered around in museums and other institutions in the Eurasian region, and that called for many collaboration agreements. But once they were in place, things really took offthe data set was booming, and it now exceeds 5,000 ancient human genomes. The size of the data set has tremendously enhanced both the usability and precision of the results." Professor Nielsen was responsible for planning the statistical and bioinformatics analyses of the information gleaned from the ancient teeth and bones in laboratories at the University of Copenhagen. And he was dealing with an overwhelming volume of data, in which the DNA was often severely degraded. "No one had previously analyzed so many ancient genomes. Now we had to find out how to handle such vast data volumes. The problem was that the raw data is very difficult to work with because you end up with many short DNA sequences with many errors, and then those sequences have to be correctly mapped to the right position in the human genome. Plus, there is the issue of contamination from all the microorganisms present on the ancient teeth and bones. "Imagine having a jigsaw puzzle consisting of millions of pieces mixed up with four other incomplete puzzle sets, and then running all that in the dishwasher for an hour. Piecing it all together afterwards is no easy task. One of the keys to our success in the end was that we teamed up with Dr. Olivier Delanau from the University of Lausanne who developed algorithms to overcome that very problem," says Professor Nielsen. International interest Rumors that a large ancient human genome data set was being compiled were soon circulating in scientific circles. And since 2022 interest has been running very high, say Professors Werge, Willerslev and Nielsen. "We are constantly taking inquiries from researchers all over the globeespecially those investigating diseaseswho typically request access to explore the ancient DNA data set." The four Nature articles demonstrate that the large data set of 5,000 genomes serves as a precision tool capable of providing new insights into diseases when combined with analyses of present-day human DNA data and inputs from several other research fields. That in itself is immensely amazing, according to Professor Willerslev. "There's no doubt that an ancient genomic data set of this size will have applications in many different contexts within disease research. As new scientific discoveries derived from the 5,000-genome data set become published, more data will gradually be made freely available to all researchers. Ultimately, the complete data set will be open access for everyone." More information: Morten E. Allentoft et al, Population genomics of post-glacial western Eurasia, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06865-0 Evan K. Irving-Pease et al, The selection landscape and genetic legacy of ancient Eurasians, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06705-1 William Barrie et al, Elevated genetic risk for multiple sclerosis emerged in steppe pastoralist populations, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06618-z Morten E. Allentoft et al, 100 ancient genomes show repeated population turnovers in Neolithic Denmark, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06862-3 Journal information: Nature This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain What do children need most? The answer often depends on a person's relationship with the child. When people think about children outside their family and close friends, they commonly make basic needs the priorities. Food, shelter and services such as health and education come first. When we think of children we have a close relationship with, it's different. We see all their needs as important, immediate and interconnected. People give as much priority to the higher-order needs as the basic needs of children they're close to. This thinking carries over into policymaking and intervention priorities in low and middle-income countries. As a result, many interventions in the lives of other people's children, such as responses to a refugee crisis and alternative care for children, put basic needs first. Our research in the fields of sociology and development economics suggests that children's needs are not hierarchical and that they are best met byand infamilies. By drawing on examples from the literature, we outline how children's various needs are equally important. Caring for them is therefore a balancing act, best done by those close to them: their families. This way of thinking highlights the importance of supporting families to support children. Social services are critical because they have the potential to facilitate the intensive interventions required by the most vulnerable families and children. The quality of such a service will be key in meeting the needs of other people's children. Family-centered interventions, more often than not, meet the complex needs of individual children. It is important to note that family can take many forms, not necessarily biological. The key characteristics are connection, proximity and responsiveness to children leading to nurturing care. In many low- and middle-income countries, the social services workforce is under-resourced, underqualified and overburdened. The political weakness of the sector and the people they serve make advocating for change difficult. Moreover, the task of strengthening the social services workforce may be seen as overly complex and costly. Helping families will help children Highlighting the role of the family draws the discussion towards how best to support the family. We highlight three tiers of support: Universal enabling interventions: These create the supportive environment all families need. National security, civil and human rights, safe communities, schooling and health care are clear examples. For well-functioning, well-resourced families, these universal interventions are all they need to support their children's development. Targeted family strengthening for some: These improve families' capacity to look after children by weakening or removing barriers to care. For example, social protection interventions such as cash transfers give caregivers access to a range of resources and services they would not otherwise have. For many families, these may be the only additional support they require. Critical family functioning interventions for the most vulnerable: These families require intensive internal intervention involving direct, skilled and sustained interaction at an individual family level by highly trained social workers. When internal family function is seriously compromised, and social services fail to intervene, children are put at profound risk with life-long consequences. Throughout childhood and particularly in adolescence, compromised family function can increase risks of early marriage, mental health challenges, interpersonal violence, and threats to sexual and reproductive health. These consequences stretch to the next generation when adolescents become parents with families of their own. Don't neglect the social workers Intensive intervention in critical family function needs to be provided by highly trained personnel. Such high-quality training is rarely done. In many countries such as South Africa, it is available but uncommon. To be effective, these social workers must be linked to families as soon as possible, have sufficient supervision and support, a manageable workload, access to necessary resources such as transportation, as well as adequate pay to enable adequate attention to the children and families concerned. The way forward Governments need to strengthen the social service workforce if they are to support families whose function is highly compromised and whose children are at risk. The cost to individuals and society of allowing these struggling families to fail in their essential functions is great. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. 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: The remains of a Type Ia supernova a kind of exploding star used to measure distances in the universe. Credit: NASA / CXC / U.Texas, CC BY What is the universe made of? This question has driven astronomers for hundreds of years. For the past quarter of a century, scientists have believed "normal" stuff like atoms and molecules that make up you, me, Earth, and nearly everything we can see only accounts for 5% of the universe. Another 25% is "dark matter", an unknown substance we can't see but which we can detect through how it affects normal matter via gravity. The remaining 70% of the cosmos is made of "dark energy". Discovered in 1998, this is an unknown form of energy believed to be making the universe expand at an ever-increasing rate. In a new study soon to be published in the Astronomical Journal, we have measured the properties of dark energy in more detail than ever before. Our results show it may be a hypothetical vacuum energy first proposed by Einsteinor it may be something stranger and more complicated that changes over time. What is dark energy? When Einstein developed the General Theory of Relativity over a century ago, he realized his equations showed the universe should either be expanding or shrinking. This seemed wrong to him, so he added a "cosmological constant"a kind of energy inherent in empty spaceto balance out the force of gravity and keep the universe static. Later, when the work of Henrietta Swan Leavitt and Edwin Hubble showed the universe was indeed expanding, Einstein did away with the cosmological constant, calling it his "greatest mistake". However, in 1998, two teams of researchers found the expansion of the universe was actually accelerating. This implies that something quite similar to Einstein's cosmological constant may exist after allsomething we now call dark energy. Since those initial measurements, we've been using supernovae and other probes to measure the nature of dark energy. Until now, these results have shown the density of dark energy in the universe appears to be constant. This means the strength of dark energy remains the same, even as the universe growsit doesn't seem to be spread more thinly as the universe gets bigger. We measure this with a number called w. Einstein's cosmological constant in effect set w to 1, and earlier observations have suggested this was about right. Exploding stars as cosmic measuring sticks How do we measure what is in the universe and how fast it is growing? We don't have enormous tape measures or giant scales, so instead we use "standard candles": objects in space whose brightness we know. Imagine it is night and you are standing on a long road with a few light poles. These poles all have the same light bulb, but the poles further away are fainter than the nearby ones. This is because light fades proportionately to distance. If we know the power of the bulb, and can measure how bright the bulb appears to be, we can calculate the distance to the light pole. For astronomers, a common cosmic light bulb is a kind of exploding star called a Type Ia supernova. These are white dwarf stars which often suck in matter from a neighboring star and grow until they reach 1.44 times the mass of our Sun, at which point they explode. By measuring how quickly the explosion fades, we can determine how bright it was and hence how far away from us. The Dark Energy Survey The Dark Energy Survey is the largest effort yet to measure dark energy. More than 400 scientists across multiple continents work together for nearly a decade to repeatedly observe parts of the southern sky. Repeated observations let us look for changes, like new exploding stars. The more often you observe, the better you can measure these changes, and the larger the area you search, the more supernovae you can find. The first results indicating the existence of dark energy used only a couple of dozen supernovae. The latest results from the Dark Energy Survey use around 1,500 exploding stars, giving much greater precision. Using a specially built camera installed on the 4-meter Blanco Telescope at the Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, the survey found thousands of supernovae of different types. To work out which ones were Type Ia (the kind we need for measuring distances), we used the 4-meter Anglo Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales. The Anglo Australian Telescope took measurements which broke up the colors of light from the supernovae. This lets us see a "fingerprint" of the individual elements in the explosion. Type Ia supernovae have some unique features, like containing no hydrogen and silicon. And with enough supernovae, machine learning allowed us to classify thousands of supernovae efficiently. More complicated than the cosmological constant Finally, after more than a decade of work and studying around 1,500 Type Ia supernovae, the Dark Energy Survey has produced a new best measurement of w. We found w = 0.80 0.18, so it's somewhere between 0.62 and 0.98. This is a very interesting result. It is close to 1, but not quite exactly there. To be the cosmological constant, or the energy of empty space, it would need to be exactly 1. Where does this leave us? With the idea that a more complex model of dark energy may be needed, perhaps one in which this mysterious energy has changed over the life of the universe. More information: et al, The Dark Energy Survey: Cosmology Results With ~1500 New High-redshift Type Ia Supernovae Using The Full 5-year Dataset, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2401.02929 Journal information: Astronomical Journal , arXiv This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. ABSECON After Tony Kucharski spoke for about five minutes Thursday, City Council President Nick LaRotonda politely interrupted him. About a dozen people were lined up, waiting to ask questions and make comments to representatives of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. Kucharski promised his speech, albeit long, would represent most of how neighbors of the ACUA felt about the incredibly strong odors coming from the Egg Harbor Township landfill. The crowd agreed, protesting the interruption and pleading for Kucharski to continue. Keep going, someone shouted. Hes speaking for all of us! another said. Its the smell that has united a community. The ACUA has heard the complaints, said its president, Matt DeNafo. And thats why he agreed to an in-person town hall Thursday night at City Hall to show the public what the authority is doing to combat the smell of hydrogen sulfide that has reached noses miles away. After 2 hours of taking it on the chin, DeNafo and ACUA solid waste division Vice President Gary Conover said the meeting went well. ACUA to hold town hall on landfill odor concerns Thursday The Atlantic County Utilities Authority will hold a town hall meeting next month to discuss odors coming from county's landfill. Though it was heated at times, residents also voiced their gratitude for the opportunity to speak in person to the authority. The No. 1 question asked Thursday was why the smell had seemed to worsen over the past several months. DeNafo said there may be two reasons: The area they finished filling is closest to Absecon, and the timing of the gas being created from the recent installation of gas wells in that area. Factor in the cold nights and mornings, and the fact that trash is spread overnight to accommodate Atlantic City International Airport, and the odor has been hanging in the denser air longer. It developed a lot quicker, and it developed in a larger volume, DeNafo said. At this point, the genie is out. You cant get the genie back (into the bottle). Its this helpless feeling you guys are feeling because youre not even aware of whats going on at the site. But really, I think its just the balancing act of people on that outside area (in Absecon) are expecting gas to be produced in a standard time of three months or two months, and it happened a lot quicker. 32 years of trash The ACUA, which handles trash for roughly 275,000 people in Atlantic County, has a Landfill Odor Control section on its website, detailing the actions it has taken to mitigate the smell. It also has a section to field complaints. In December, the ACUA planned to install 15 new gas wells. As of Thursday, 14 gas wells had been installed, and 13 had been connected to the system. On top of that, two of six additional wells have been installed, with total activation of all 21 wells set for the end of this month. Traffic advisories announced in Atlantic County Due to an emergency underground pipe repair near the ACUA pump station, a portion of the county bikeway between New York Avenue and Babcock Road will close Tuesday until further notice as a safety precaution The ACUA facility in EHT is 365 acres, with the landfill taking up 102 acres. It began taking in trash in 1992. Were dealing with 32 years of trash, over 110 feet deep over 102 acres, DeNafo said. The landfill creates gas as trash decomposes. The ACUA uses gas control collection systems, or GCCS, which is an infrastructure of vacuum systems, blowers, flares, miles of pipeline and vertical wells, to manage that. The first of these wells was installed in 2003, DeNafo said. The vertical wells are 100 feet in diameter and feature a 6-inch perforated PVC pipe drilled into the landfill anywhere from 65 to 110 feet deep. A vacuum is put on it, and it pulls the gas to keep it from escaping until it gets to an end point where its flared off or used for renewable natural gas or electricity. More than 115 of these wells will be in the landfill by the end of the month, DeNafo said. These are imperative in collecting gas, he said. Of the 102 acres of the landfill, 20 acres in the southwest area were permanently capped in 2015. North of that is another 20 acres that are temporarily capped. To the east, the side closest to Absecon, are another 16-plus acres that are proposed for a permanent cap. The remaining acres in the middle of the landfill are actively being filled. Final capping of the landfill is expected to occur in 2029. Glad youre aware Millville creates solid waste utility in bid to lower trash costs Millville has created a solid waste utility to help deal with the ever increasing cost of trash collection. During his 30-minute speech, Kucharski didnt doubt that the odor is awful for the workers at the landfill as well. But they can wear respirators, said Kucharski, 58, who has lived for about 20 years on Yarmouth Avenue in Absecon, about 2 miles from the landfill. But you have to know that the worst odors are migrating from the landfill and concentrating in our town of Absecon. These gases arent dispersing as much, as you mentioned. Im glad youre aware of that, he directed to DeNafo. The gases settle and collect here in town at suffocating levels, especially in the evening and morning hours. Many complained Thursday that the odors have settled into their homes, garages, vehicles and more, even hours after spreading and capping has stopped for the day at the ACUA. DeNafo said there have been threats of lawsuits against the ACUA from residents if the odor problem isnt resolved. Many residents acknowledged there really isnt a good place to put a landfill in a state as densely populated as New Jersey. Others felt there was a trash problem across the northeastern U.S., including Absecon resident Leo McLaughlin, who called for the use of incinerators. Another resident, Zach Williams, said he and his wife moved about five months ago to Shelburne Avenue, about a mile and a half from the landfill. They felt duped having bought a house where the odor is so bad. We put our plans on starting a family on hold because of the health concerns we both have, Williams said. DeNafo hopes for there to be significant improvements to the odor in the coming weeks once the 21 new gas wells are installed. The ACUA will continue to monitor the air and remain in contact with City Council and residents, he said. Local utilities reduce waste, greenhouse gas with RNG projects South Jersey utilities continue to increase the efficiency of their processes. That reduces I feel for you guys. I want to do everything I can, DeNafo said. Thats why I came here. I want to work with you all. And we really have been making some changes that just take some time because its not a quick fix. CHERRY HILL Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing Company, which opened 10 years ago in Camden County, cites unsuccessful lease negotiations as the cause of it shuttering its brewery next month. The brewery said Friday it will operate under normal business hours until Feb. 29, when its current lease is up. "We have vigorously tried to sign a lease extension with our landlord to no avail as our next door neighbor has leased out the space from underneath us," the brewery wrote on social media. "We are extremely disappointed and quite frankly, appalled at the actions of both companies and their adamant refusals to negotiate with us." Forgotten Boardwalk opened in 2014, moving into the space vacated by Flying Fish Brewing Co., now located in Somerdale, Camden County. With Skee-Ball machines, funhouse mirrors and other decor, the brewery offered unique brews with flavors and names inspired by the Jersey Shore, including one inspired by Margate's Lucy the Elephant. The building the brewery is in is owned by Endurance Real Estate Group, of Radnor, Pennsylvania. "While this chapter is coming to an end, we hope that Forgotten Boardwalk will continue, possibly in another form, in the future," the brewery wrote. Forgotten Boardwalk is just the latest South Jersey brewery to close or have its business impacted. Tuckahoe Brewing Company in Egg Harbor Township closed for good at the beginning of December, in a building that has since been overtaken by the Baseball Performance Center. Flying Fish filed for bankruptcy last month but is still operating after a potential sale to Cape May Brewing Co. fell through. It also comes on the heels of the state Senate passing a bill that would loosen restrictions on New Jersey breweries. Gov. Phil Murphy has until Tuesday to sign that bill. LOWER TOWNSHIP There were no barriers, ropes or signs separating the public and private areas of the expanse of sand in the Diamond Beach section on a sunny January morning. What would be the point on a deserted beach? But the distinction remains, on a stretch that has seen protests, legal actions and calls to police over what is public and what is private when crowds pack the strand in the summer. A plan to build a line of dunes the length of Five Mile Beach has state officials and the private beach owners talking. The proposed project, which would also bring federal beach replenishment to sand-starved North Wildwood, would need easements from property owners, including the owners of the private beaches. These are not riparian rights like they are in the rest of Cape May County. We actually own the beach, said Eustace Mita, the owner of Icona Resorts, one of four private beach owners in Diamond Beach. Mita said the beach is part of a thriving business, with a beach bar, a wedding venue and guest services. In each case, the private beach owners either offer access to hotel guests or condominium owners, or sell tags for access to the private areas. DEP says North Wildwood beach work could threaten future state funding Shawn LaTourette, the commissioner of New Jerseys Department of Environmental Protection, scolded North Wildwood Mayor Pat Rosenello in a letter Thursday over the citys work on the beach. Jim Yost, the general manager for Seapointe Village, which also has a private beach, described the states efforts as government overreach, adding the plans to create a dune the length of Five Mile Beach are unnecessary and delaying the start of a beach project at the other end of the barrier island in North Wildwood. Mita said he has been in contact with the state Department of Environmental Protection about the possibility of easements. He has not discussed the state acquiring the land but said he understands others have spoken with officials. Yost also serves as managing agent for The Grand at Diamond Beach and is the owner of Elite Management Advisory Services. He said there have been discussions with the DEP about approving an easement for the dune proposal on the private beaches. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, he sees the potential for the state to resort to eminent domain. Yost said the private beach owners and operators are in favor of shore protection but remain skeptical of the plans for a new dune. There are already dunes in Diamond Beach and Wildwood Crest, and a huge beach that just seems to keep growing. Diamond beach doesnt lose sand. It gains sand, he said. He also pointed to evaluations that put Diamond Beach at a very low risk of damaging floods. Yost described the project plan as a waste of money, set to spend millions of dollars to build an unneeded dune instead of accelerating the project where it is most needed, in North Wildwood. There, Mayor Patrick Rosenello has wavered between open conflict and grudging cooperation with the state on shore protection, while a significant amount of the once-wide beaches has washed out to sea. In a recent interview, he said the only viable option to return sand to the beaches at this point is a federal beach project, but that will not happen until all of the easements are in place, which looks like at least two more summers with almost no beach, and two more winters worrying about the potential impact of storms. Caryn Shinske, a spokesperson with the DEP, said the department is in the process of acquiring easements for public and private property in all four towns with beachfront on the barrier island, which includes North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Lower Township. Little hope for improvements to North Wildwood beach before summer NORTH WILDWOOD Severe erosion will likely mean several blocks of beaches will be inaccessi The department is not buying property, she wrote in an emailed response to questions, with the not bolded. Steve Rochette, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the state is leading the efforts for all real estate issues related to the beach project. Still, officials in Lower Township and neighboring Wildwood Crest are preparing for a potential future of public beaches in Diamond Beach. Both Lower Township Mayor Frank Sippel and Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera said last week that the two communities have begun discussions on sharing services for future lifeguard protection and beach maintenance in Diamond Beach. Wildwood Crest has experience in both, while Lower Township has never needed either. Lower Township has extensive beaches on the bay side but does not provide lifeguard services there. Its still in the early stages, Sippel said. He said the DEP is in the process of negotiating with property owners in connection to the dune project. One possibility he cited could be a negotiated purchase of the properties, or the invocation of eminent domain to take the private property for public use. That would mean paying the owners a fair market value, which is usually determined by a court. If that happens, Sippel said, it will likely fall to the communities to look after the beaches, and the bathers. The state does not want to be in charge of maintaining beaches, he said. Easements, agreements still in the works for Wildwood dune project WILDWOOD From the railing of the Boardwalk, with the ocean shining in the distance, it may The township may be able to work out an agreement with the current beach owners, he said, which already provide lifeguards and other services on the beaches. Its been a decade since the Army Corps held a public hearing on a feasibility study for an island-wide dune system, according to details posted on the Army Corps website, and in January 2017, a project partnership agreement was approved. The plans were in the works far longer, with a project study authorized in 1987. The Army Corps study showed beaches in North Wildwood, once among the widest in the state, receding quickly while sand gathered on beaches at the southern end of the barrier island. Erosion has not slowed down. For a while, North Wildwood was spending millions to truck sand from the south and rebuild beaches each winter, but there is no longer enough beach to carry the trucks. The private beaches of Diamond Beach are unique in Cape May County, and unusual in New Jersey, where many towns require the purchase of beach tags, but private beach clubs are less common. Years ago, Diamond Beach residents staged protests demanding greater beach access. While a company may own a beach and restrict access to that area, that restriction cannot extend to the waters edge. Under whats known as the public trust doctrine, members of the public have a right to access the beach where tidal waters flow. That also means the private beaches must allow a path for people to reach the water. The entire beach at Diamond Beach is about a half-mile from the border with Wildwood Crest to federal land to the south, where former Coast Guard property is now an extensive nature preserve. There are paths through the Two Mile Beach Unit of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, but public access to the beach in the unequivocally public property is severely limited in the summer for the protection of nesting birds, with access closed from April 1 to Sept. 30. ATLANTIC CITY After another winter outage of heat and hot water at Stanley Holmes Village, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, on Friday stepped up his pressure on federal officials to take action to help its low-income tenants. Residents of the Atlantic City Housing Authoritys 420-unit public housing complex were heating their homes with ovens and stoves earlier this month during a Code Blue freeze, Van Drew said in his letter to Housing Secretary Marcia Fudge. They also were using electric space heaters given out by the authority, but an electrical assessment of the safety of such usage has not been made public. These dangerous conditions are directly the result of the Atlantic City Housing Authoritys enduring negligence, Van Drew wrote. In no civilized society should such deplorable housing conditions ever be allowed. Van Drew asked Fudge to visit Stanley Holmes Village with him to see conditions for herself. In December the authority signed an agreement with HUD to bring its operations into compliance with federal rules over the next six to 12 months. But that agreement does not lay out deadlines for providing consistent heat and hot water to residents. Earlier this month, Superior Court Judge John Porto ordered the authority to provide 25% rent abatements to about 100 residents suing over conditions there. But the judge has not given the authority deadlines to make changes needed to ensure the safety of the electrical system and to ensure the residents have adequate heat and hot water. On Friday, Olga Pomar, the attorney for South Jersey Legal Services who represents the tenants, filed paperwork asking the judge to do so. The authority has done an electrical assessment, according to Executive Director Tom Sahlin, which it discussed at a special meeting Thursday. But it has not made the results public. The authority met Thursday, went into executive session and came back out saying it would not take any action. Van Drew said HUDs inaction enables the authoritys neglect. A federal takeover of the Authority is the only recourse which can set us on the right path, Van Drew wrote. I request you join me and the members of my community for an inspection of Stanley Holmes Village, so that you may understand the severity of the conditions which persist in Atlantic City and the need for strong and decisive action, Van Drew wrote. EDITOR'S NOTE: This story originally ran in July 2015. This year's Miss America finals are scheduled for Sunday. There she was, Miss America, disappearing before dawn with her male chaperone. In 1937, Bette Cooper ran away, historians say, because she didnt want to be Miss America. So the 17-year-old Hackettstown girl was whisked away after winning the crown by her chaperone, Lou Off. And off they went, in a motor boat, out to sea before anyone noticed. That morning, when she was to participate in a press conference, Cooper was nowhere to be found. Cooper never returned that day and never served as Miss America. Miss America officials were outraged. And no one from New Jersey has won the contest since. Theres a voodoo, and its lasted 80 years, said Dena Blizzard, Miss New Jersey 1995. Call it the Curse of Bette Cooper. In sports, teams vie for home-field advantage in the biggest games. But for the state that hosts Miss America, there appears to be no home-runway advantage. New Jersey hasnt won Miss America in 78 years, and hasnt been in the top 10 since 2000. Every year were like, This is our year. This could be it because weve waited 80 years for this to happen, Blizzard said. Miss New Jersey 2013 Cara McCollum also thinks Cooper has cursed the state, ruining her chances to be Miss America. I personally blame her for myself not winning the Miss America crown, McCollum joked. One Miss New Jersey did get the crown after Cooper, thanks to a pornographic scandal. Miss New Yorks Vanessa Williams had to relinquish her title when Penthouse magazine bought and published unauthorized nude photographs of Williams. Williams was succeeded by Miss New Jersey and first runner-up Suzette Charles, who served for seven weeks. Still, Charles is only recognized as Miss America 1984-B on the Miss America Organization website. And speaking of Miss New York: Can a state other than New York win the pageant this year? Miss New York has won the contest three years straight a pageantry dynasty, if you will. As if the New York Yankees having the most World Series titles wasnt enough, Miss New York is tied for the most Miss America titles too, with six. I think everybody would just like to see somebody other than New York to win this year, Blizzard said. I dont even think we care if its Miss New Jersey. But were like, Please just dont make it Miss New York again. Youve got to spread it around. This years Miss New Jersey, Lindsey Giannini of Hammonton, said she isnt sure if theres any voodoo going on. But she does think Miss New Jerseys title drought needs to come to an end. Its time for a Miss America to come from New Jersey, Giannini said. Giannini said winning Miss New Jersey was a long-term goal, and being Miss New Jersey is rewarding and an honor in itself. But of course, Id love to be Miss America, she added. Giannini said shes confident going into the pageant because shes working hard to be the best that I can be. She said she wants to represent New Jersey well on the national stage, and is going into the competition with the intention to be the next Miss America from New Jersey. Its not necessarily about competing against other girls. Its about competing against yourself and working towards your best self, Giannini said. I feel like Ive done that. But can she break the curse? She does have that competitive mentality, McCollum said. If anyone is going to break the Bette Cooper curse, she may be the gal to do it. Blizzard said Gianninis platform, the dangers of distracted driving, could play well with the judges. All of them have to talk about what are the biggest things that plague their generation, Blizzard said Distracted driving kills so many people now. I think her platform is very timely. As for Cooper, the earliest and oldest living Miss America, she still doesnt want to talk about it. Bette still refuses to talk to reporters, the Pageant staff and others about her involvement, Miss America Organization says on its website. Off died 11 years ago, said his wife, Carla. Carla said Lou and Cooper kept in touch after the pageant. The last Carla heard from Cooper was 20 years ago, when she called to wish Lou a happy birthday. Accounts of that fall night in 1937 vary. Weird NJ magazine said Cooper broke down in tears hours after winning and her parents, who thought she was in over her head, called Off. Frank Deford, in his book There She Is: The Life and Times of Miss America, suggests that Cooper may have had a crush on Off, and feared her new fame would ruin their relationship. Miss America Organization said on its website that Cooper had second thoughts about her commitment. I think she was overwhelmed, Carla Off said. Regardless, Lou Off was called at 2 a.m. that night, and the two had vanished by the next day. The boat returned unnoticed to Atlantic City about 24 hours after leaving, and Cooper was returned to Hackettstown. After the disappearance, Miss America instituted a strict set of rules that prohibit contestants from spending time alone with any man even their fathers during pageant week. Future contestants were required to sign agreements on whats expected of the winner. A public records search for a Bette Cooper born in 1920 came up with two results: one in Kansas, another in New York state. Both calls requesting comment were not returned. Much like that day in 1937, Cooper could not be found. Contact: 609-272-7215 Twitter @_Hetrick By Robert Neff In the summer of 1971, Jeju Island was anything but a tropical paradise. Frederic H. Dustin, an American who had recently married, was trying to complete his house so that he could bring his bride, Marie-Louise, to live with him on the island. The worst drought in 37 years gripped the island and many fervently wished for a storm to come and bring relief. Dustin was one of those praying, despite not being very religious (although he married a missionarys daughter), for rain as he feared for his crop of watermelons and cantaloupes. He should have heeded the old saying, be careful of what you wish for, lest it come true. His wish did come true, and a powerful typhoon struck the island in early August. According to Dustin, the typhoon brought little or no rain and stripped every leaf off the watermelons straining at their vines, all in the same direction, like a young puppy first being trained to the leash. The storm, however, also brought him something that he cherished right up to his death. A group of Korean university students from various schools in Seoul had been involved with a UNESCO summer work camp on Jeju Island. When the camp closed due to the typhoon, the students somehow ended up at Dustins farm selling watermelons by day and singing all night in [his] unfinished house. About a week after the students returned to Seoul, Dustin was surprised to discover a package for him at a popular tea room patronized by students and faculty of the Jeju National University. It was a guestbook with all the students names, addresses and universities written on the first page. He treasured this book throughout his life and described its acquisition as a warm and pleasant memory. It became a permanent fixture in his house that evoked a feeling of absolute dejection whenever he realized one of his guests had left without signing it. According to him, and the book, there were many guests. Many of his guests came to know of him weeks or months before he or his wife ever met them. Our home, known to be free with an absence of work except for what a traveler might want to do, and with reasonable food, became a sort of rest place between Kabul and the North American west coast ... We learned that on a wall of a small Kabul inn to which young world travelers swarmed our name and address appeared a kind of open invitation to anyone going to or through Korea! He went on to add that for over a year and a half strange young people arrived with packs on their backs, spent a few days and then vanished. These young people tended to be quiet and were very introspective about life and were searching for something they believed the Dustins had found on Jeju. Then, without warning, the travelers ceased to appear. Dustin was convinced the Afghani innkeeper had repapered or painted over the wall and thus erased the open invitation to visit Jeju Island. His anecdotes of the visiting travelers are amusing especially when these visitors encountered some of the native islanders. Dustin had a little heifer that was an advocate of the old saying that the grass is always greener anyplace but your own home. She was prone to wander to the nearby village (a distance of several kilometers away) or, when she did not feel like walking very far, amble to a particular spot near the road where she do her cud work in peace. Dustin recalled: She was most gentle and friendly but would go through quite an exhibition upon being discovered in this favorite place of hers. Always the same. Eyes wide open in either amazement or horror; tail straight up in the air and, at a fast gallop, shed make a bee-line run for the main road. The trick was to beat her to the road otherwise, a merry chase took place in exactly the opposite direction from the farm. One day, he happened upon her and she, in her usual fashion, started racing for the farm. Dustin chased after her and was dumbfounded and appalled to see his little heifer in pursuit of a couple holding hands and sprinting in the best Olympic style. The frightened couple raced for a grove of pine trees that was surrounded by a rock fence with the heifer (who was thoroughly enjoying the chase) directly behind them. The young man jumped over the low fence but his female companion stumbled with a shriek while the heifer bawled as she thundered by. Dustin arrived within minutes of the incident. They were three very obviously foreign-born individuals, one slumped across a rock fence in the middle of nowhere on the Island of [Jeju] in Northeast Asia the only sound the diminishing hoof beats of a common brown native [Jeju] Island heifer! Dustin had a dry sense of humor and likened it to the Stanley-Livingston meeting in Africa. The young woman, indignantly extracting herself from the stone fence, glared at Dustin and then coldly asked, I presume that was your beast?! The couple eventually stayed at Dustins home for two weeks. The man was an American from Pennsylvania and she was Italian with a passion for making homemade garlic bread and fantastic spaghetti. Another visitor to the farm was a young professional musician from Germany who played the classical Spanish guitar. He visited in mid-July 1972 and played his guitar in the evenings, after dinner, while Marie-Louise drifted to sleep in the hammock that was located next to the house. It was a diversion she needed to escape from the physical and emotional pain she was experiencing. Dustin recalled that in his part of Jeju, the loudest sound [was] the sound of silence and solitude so there was nothing to distort the hauntingly beautiful music when the German played a compliment to a beautiful evening. It was Marie-Louises last summer in Korea. The year she returned to the United States and died shortly afterwards from cancer. Once again, the loudest sound of silence and solitude reigned; Dustin took up temporary residence in Jeju City to escape the loneliness of an empty home. Dustin decided to reopen his home to strangers in the spring of 1974, as Halla Mountain [was] shedding its cover of snow and the bright yellow blossoms of the rape-seed plants laugh scoffingly at the unchanging black drabness of the unending lava-rock fences. Of course, his guestbook would also be reopened. One of his first visitors was a well-known foreign journalist who arrived in a taxi. They had first met in Seoul in 1969 but had not crossed paths since. It was from him that Dustin learned how his name and address appeared on a wall in Kabul, Afghanistan. The man had been in Kabul in 1971 just before going to Vietnam, where he was wounded. I have searched the guestbook and have yet to find this elusive John, but I believe John was not his real name, as Dustin tried to disguise the names of many of the people he wrote about. Interesting enough, I also could not find the well-known foreign journalist because he failed to sign the book. I did find some interesting entries. The majority of visitors to the Dustins residence were Koreans but there were many Peace Corps Volunteers, American soldiers and the occasional traveler from abroad. One couple identified themselves as homeless while a Korean man I am assuming young spoke about the great desire to have a wife soon. There are memories in that guestbook memories that have long since been forgotten with the passage of time. There are even more memories that are lost forever because the guest was one of those who left without signing. I am ashamed to say, I never signed the book. Dustin was born on Jan. 12, 1930, and spent the majority of his life in Korea. He first arrived as a soldier during the Korean War, later became an English teacher, a gold miner, a newspaper copy editor and a fishmonger. He also constructed a maze and used his profits to give back to the community he loved. He died on Childrens Day, May 5, 2018. Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters. Coastal flooding will impact the Jersey Shore Saturday morning. The strongest winds and rain will be behind us. However, itll stay gusty as it turns colder this weekend. A noreaster then likely will hit New Jersey, with some snow, Tuesday. In most places, minor stage tidal flooding will be around between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. This is the nuisance type of flooding weve seen a few times already this year. Salt water will close a few lanes on roads, a couple of roads will shut down briefly, but there will be no significant issues. Find high tide times and what streets are forecast to flood here Below are Jersey Shore locations with previous and forecast tide data. The forecasts show wh For the Cumberland County and Barnegat Bay communities, flooding should peak in moderate flood stage briefly. However, most of the time will be minor flood stage. When its moderate flood stage, multiple roads will flood. A car could drive down a flooded street, and that wake will damage peoples properties. The reason why those two areas will flood the most is because winds were out of the south overnight. That pushes waters into the Barnegat Bay, the Cohansey River and the Maurice River most effectively. If youre not by the bay, youll be in for a windy, dry day. Gusts will be from the west-southwest. Inland, gusts will be in the 30s. At the shore, itll be in the 40s. Fortunately, only toppled garbage cans, not power outages, are likely. This will pull in cold air. It sounds weird with a west-southwest wind, but thats where the frigid air is. Cities like St. Louis and Memphis will be below freezing most of the day. That will come to us. Well see it Saturday. Highs will be in the low to mid-40s, but during the morning. By sunset, temperatures will be in the 30s, with wind chills below 32 degrees. Well get colder Saturday night with a strong wind out of the west-southwest still. Low temperatures will be in the mid-30s. Wind chills will be in the 20s Sunday morning. Sunday looks a little more interesting. Itll be breezy and partly cloudy. An arctic cold front will pass. This front will bring snow squalls with it. The squalls will fizzle as they come toward us. However, we could see snow briefly between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. If it snows by you, itll coat the grass, thats all. Visibility will drop briefly, making it hard to drive around. High temperatures will be in the mid-40s. Once the front passes, though, those temperatures will drop quickly. Into the 40s and 30s we go Sunday afternoon and evening. Lows Martin Luther King Jr. Day morning will be in the upper teens for Buena Vista Township and inland areas. Low 20s are expected for Ventnor and the shore. There will be a wind chill factor, too. The holiday will be the calm, and cold, before the storm. Clouds will increase. Highs will be in the mid-30s, 10 degrees below average. Then comes Tuesdays noreaster. Ill start by saying this: Snow is possible to likely. However, this will be a weaker noreaster. If youre looking for double-digit snowfall totals, this isnt your storm. Still, measurable snow, and our first inch of snow in nearly two years, will be on the table. The key question is whether the coastal low-pressure system at the surface links up with energy in the midlevels of the atmosphere. If it does, itll be a bigger, more powerful storm. Itll be closer to the coast, which means more mixing, or rain for southeastern New Jersey. The snow would be northwest of the New Jersey Turnpike, like last weeks storm. If they dont link up, then more of the precipitation that falls will be snow for us. However, there wont be much precipitation to work with. In short, plowable snow is possible, but not definite. CAMBRIDGE Preston L. Atkisson, 33, of Geneseo entered a fully negotiated plea in Henry County Circuit Court Thursday and was sentenced to five years in prison on a charge of Class 2 felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim under 13. The charge was based on an incident in March of 2023 and held a possible penalty of three to seven years in prison. The victim's mother read a statement in court, saying the five-year term was not enough and she felt Atkisson should serve 12 yearsone year for each year of the 12-year-old victim's life. She also said she was concerned Atkisson would not receive the treatment he needed when incarcerated and he would re-offend after his release. Assistant State's Attorney Katie Christakos read a statement written by the victim saying the experience had ruined her life and she is now scared of all men. I hope you learn not to do something like this ever again, wrote the victim. As part of the agreement on the sexual abuse case, Atkisson will have to register as a sex offender and serve one year of mandatory supervised release after his release from prison. Atkisson also received a two-year prison term for a 2022 case in which he was charged with criminal trespass to a residence as well as a four-year prison term on a case filed January 23, 2023 in which he was charged with Class 3 felony threatening a public official. Terms are concurrent, meaning he will serve them simultaneously. He also admitted to facts constituting a violation of his probation in a 2021 domestic battery case and was sentenced to three years in prison and four years mandatory supervised release. As part of the plea agreement, a 2022 case which included a charge of Class 4 felony criminal sexual abuse/force was dismissed. Judge Colby Hathaway accepted the plea agreement. The Iowa Secretary of State will not fine the Recount Board in Pleasant Valley's conflictual Director District 6 school board race after issuing a technical infraction for "failing to follow" recount laws. Still, one Recount Board delegate criticizes state officials' handling of the process. "No fine will be imposed for this specific infraction to the Recount Board," Iowa SOS communications director Ashley Hunt said via email on Thursday. "We review technical infractions and include in our training to auditors, if appropriate." Hunt said Iowa SOS has not issued any infractions on Scott County Supervisors at this time and will "let the legal process take its course." "The certified winner has not been changed since the original canvass," she wrote meaning candidate Jameson Smith remains elected to the Director District 6 seat. Scott County's initial canvass for the Nov. 7 city/school elections showed votes landing at 256 to 250 along with 19 undervotes in favor of Smith. Because of these slim margins, incumbent challenger Tracey Rivera, who ran as a write-in candidate, filed for a recount on Nov. 17. She appointed Dr. Arun Pillutla a former district parent and St. Ambrose University professor to serve as her delegate on the three-member Recount Board, while (Jameson) Smith appointed Cyndi Diercks, a district grandparent and local business owner. Mark Smith appointed by Chief Judge Henry Latham to serve as the Recount Board's third-party delegate said he was not contacted by Iowa SOS legal counsel Eric Gookin prior to receiving the infraction notice. "The inability to talk to Mr. Gookin before he gave his opinion, it's a little frustrating," Smith said to the Quad-City Times on Thursday. In not consulting with himself or Pillutla, it appears Gookin relied too heavily on Dierck's perspective from the Recount Board, Smith added. Pillutla confirmed he was not contacted by Gookin prior to the notice either. As cited by Gookin in the infraction notice, Iowa Code Sec. 49.99 states that when a write-in vote is cast using an optical scan voting system, the ballot must also be marked in the corresponding space ("oval") in order to be counted. Typically, local Recount Boards must conduct the recount in accordance with election day in Scott County, this would mean an optical scanning machine. However, the Pleasant Valley Recount Board chose to conduct it by hand, since Rivera was a write-in candidate. According to guidelines issued to the Recount Board, the voter is not required to mark the oval next to their write-in vote only if ballots were hand-counted on election day. "I'm not saying Gookin's letter is in error, I'm just saying he could have contacted me to have me explain why we did what we did," Smith said, regardless of any misinterpretations. "I guess I thought we had the option of discretion (with write-ins), but we don't, according to (Gookin's cited) code section," Smith said. "I don't know why a machine being used can negate the intent of a voter because they failed to fill in the oval it just it makes no sense to me." Smith: Training, more clarity needed in recount process Smith said delegates were told by presiding Scott County officials to "refer to the guidelines" when seeking input during the recount process. To him, therein lies the dilemma. "If we (Recount Board) do not have discretion on write-in ballots (when a voter's intent is clear), it needs to be clearly stated," Smith said. "There needs to be additional training (for Recount Boards) other than saying, 'Please, look at the guide." He calls the high number of write-in ballots cast in Pleasant Valley's Director District 6 race a "rare circumstance," adding to the confusing situation. "That's why I think they need to have training as opposed to just simply giving us the guidelines and telling us to read them," Smith said. "I was called in on the Friday before the recount on Monday, and I wasn't given the guidelines until I walked in the doors. That's another issue." He also thinks there should be clearer instructions for voters even suggesting the use of red print on how to properly cast write-in ballots. In case you missed it The Director District 6 recount took place on Nov. 27 and Nov. 28. Diercks did not object to any ballots until the last day of the recount, Smith said, when the Recount Board was conducting final tallies. At this point, the recount reflected a 255-255 tie between the two Director District 6 candidates. "(Diercks) indicated that she didn't see those other ballots that neglected to have the ovals filled in for the write-in candidate," Smith said. "Again, we discussed it after Ms. Diercks objected, and I asked whether or not she wanted to sign the tally sheet which she wrote all the figures in and kept (during the recount). She said, 'I'll sign it,' and that's when I gave it to the auditor." As previously reported, Smith alleges that Diercks may have, "objected to the last ballot because she knew it was going to be a tie." On the other hand, Diercks said her disputes stem from errors she found when comparing her notes from the Monday, Nov. 27, recount meeting to the first official canvass, as explained in a letter she attached to the final recount report. Since the state's recount deadline wasnt until Monday, Dec. 4, Diercks said she wanted to resolve this with Kristina Lyon assistant Scott County attorney and the other recount delegates before filing a final report. "I wanted us to fulfill our obligation to the taxpayers of Scott County," she said in a phone call to reporters on Wednesday. "That's what I wanted." Tompkins advised that Lyon would not be available to meet with the recount board until around 11 a.m. that day. Pillutla was unable to stay due to work, and Smith chose to leave. "Lyon did tell us that she can't instruct us on what to do, other than that we need to look at the guidelines. So, I assume that's what she was going to say," Smith said, adding that he and Pillutla saw no need to reconvene, particularly since the Recount Board had already discussed the matter and Diercks signed her tally sheets. Diercks admits to signing her tally sheet prior to the other delegates, but said she, "did not realize my chicken scratch would be used for the final report." Auditor Tompkins later gave the tally sheets back to Diercks, which Smith and Pillutla claim was done unbeknownst to them. She kept these and was given the OK by Tompkins to do so until the final recount report was filed on Friday, Dec. 1, reflecting the tie. Diercks attached additional documents to the final report, explaining her disputes. Since the recount differed from the initial Nov. 7 city/school election canvass, Scott County Supervisors are to accept the recount and draw names to break the tie, per Iowa law. They voted 3-2 to reject the recount, however, citing the possible inclusion of ballots cast for both candidates that were incorrectly filled out in the recount totals. With that, results for Director District 6 reflect Scott County's initial canvassed results 256 to 250 in favor of Smith, along with 19 undervotes subject to further litigation. As previously reported, Rivera has since filed a petition for writ of mandamus against the board in Scott County Court. Despite bitterly cold air moving into the Quad-City region on Sunday, the Farm Show at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island will go on as planned, said Rob Junker, show director for the center. Were always going to be considerate of weather warnings, but my building is jam packed full, Junker said Thursday. Everybodys running and loading in today. We have a lot of big equipment coming in, so well be open all three days. The Farm Show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. The high temperature Sunday is expected to be minus 2 degrees while the high Monday and Tuesday is expected to be minus 1. Yes, its going to be cold, but this is the Midwest, and these are farmers, Junker said. I keep thinking of Paul Harveys poem, So God Made a Farmer. Harvey first gave the speech in 1978 that begins, And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, I need a caretaker so God made a farmer. Were looking for a great show, Junker said. Weve got 60,000 square-feet thats filled. We have these challenges at the Farm Show every year. It just seems normal to us. But this is the time of year when these vendors are coming out here knowing whats coming in the weather, he said. If the farmers can make it, theyll show up. Were super excited for it, weather not withstanding, Junker said. People, farmers included, might be cussing the snow, but it is beneficial to the farmers in several ways this year. Just about all of Iowa has been in a significant drought, and the snowpack will help prevent erosion and provide much needed moisture. This is going to help us more this year than in past years, Scott County Farmer Robb Ewoldt said. In most areas theres not any frost in the ground yet. In a normal year, we get frost before we get snow. The snow will act as an insulator so when the snow melts, it will go into the ground instead of running off. Ewoldt pointed out that the Quad-City region has had some rains that were steady, soaking rains. I know people whove said theyve started to see tiles running. If you see tiles running, that soil profile is close to full. Our area is in pretty decent shape, Ewoldt said. There are parts Iowas midsection that have been in extreme drought. Those areas now have a snowpack that should help alleviate the dry soil conditions once it begins to melt. There is a downside to not having the frost, Ewoldt said. We dont have that frost to kill a lot of the unwanted insects. Also, that frost helps relieve soil compaction through freezing and thawing. So, what do you want, moisture, or a frost to help with soil structure, he said. "It depends on what you need at the time. So far, the Quad-City metropolitan area has received 10.1 inches of snow officially at the Quad Cities International Airport, Moline. The normal snowfall for January in the Quad-Cities is 10.8 inches. Conversations about impaired water quality in Iowa can lead to arguments because people hold different views about whos to blame and what should be done about it. In an effort to tamp down divisiveness and promote working together on a vital, shared issue, Roger Ross Gipple, a West Des Moines area entrepreneur and conservationist, wanted to do a film that would promote common ground and be inspiring. Gipple contacted Moline-based filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, with whom he had worked previously, and asked them to submit a proposal for a film that would showcase groups and individuals in the Quad-City region working together for the health of the Upper Mississippi watershed. The result is a 28-minute documentary titled Moved by Waters that will premiere Saturday, Jan. 27, on the National Geographic Giant Screen at the Putnam Museum & Science Center, Davenport. Admission is $10 for adults and $9 for seniors and students. A talk back with the film makers and film participants will follow. Gipple suggested some organizations to start with, and then the Rundles found more, Kelly Rundle said. We felt we were uncovering a secret network we didnt know existed. These people are workhorses, not show horses, he said. They do their work quietly because they care so much about it. The Rundles interviewed representatives of groups whose work has directly or indirectly involved water quality, including Partners of Scott County Watersheds, Augustana College-Upper Mississippi River Center, the city of Davenport, Quad-City Arts, River Action Inc., Nahant Marsh Education Center, Scott County Conservation, the Quad-City Conservation Alliance Wetlands Center, the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center and Living Lands & Waters. Setting the tone in the opening seconds is a voice over from Amy Kay, clean water manager for the city of Davenport, who says: Ultimately we need clean water to survive. If we cant work together for something that we need to survive, then were in big trouble. I dont think it matters how we get there. We have to find out what we can do, with what we have, to make a positive impact. Scott County farmers Robb Ewoldt and Mike Paustian also are featured. When we get to talk conservation and water quality, I get real excited because its such an area that has changed in my lifetime, and Ive been a part of it, Ewoldt says in the film. Also showing at the premiere will be two other films by the Rundles: Over & Under: Wildlife Crossings and Places to be Wild, both short documentaries of about 15 minutes each. Over and Under was the Rundles first work funded by Gipple, whose website, bewildrewild.org, promotes a wilder, more beautiful, more biologically diverse, and a more enduring Mississippi River watershed. The film explored ways to get turtles across roads without being killed, and it won an Emmy. Places to be Wild explains that animals need core areas in which to live, eat, sleep and mate, and corridors to get safely from one core to another. The Rundles independent media production company is called FourthWallFilms. By the end of his ninth-grade year, Harry Siraj knew he wanted to leave his hometown of Calicut, India, to pursue a higher education and become a lawyer. Despite never even hearing of Iowa before he began his international college search, Siraj applied and enrolled at the University of Iowa because of its reputation as a premiere law and writing school and the scholarship funds he would receive. Before he even accepted, the university mailed him a Hawkeyes T-shirt from 9,000 miles away. University of Iowa sophomore Harry Siraj (Photo courtesy of Harry Siraj) While the sophomore said he did his own research rather than attend university fairs and the like when finding a college, he knew institutions and third-party organizations would visit other schools to recruit students. Representatives would encourage students to study abroad in disciplines like business and STEM fields. Siraj said he has friends who are studying in different areas of the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom. India is a big country and its got a strong economy, but countries like the U.S., the job opportunities are just, there are more, Siraj said. And theres more room to gain experience. Many students decide to leave home for school in order to experience different environments and put roots down in a place that may have more career opportunities. The U.S. can be seen as a gold standard for receiving an education, Siraj said, and studying abroad in general is considered a big deal. With travel open once again after the pandemic and fewer issues with student visas, Siraj is part of a growing population of students leaving their home countries for school. After almost a decade of declining numbers of international students coming to Iowas public universities, more students are again starting to pick Iowa and the U.S. as a whole as in-person recruitment picks up. All three of the regents universities saw increases in international student enrollment for the first time in years, according to the Iowa Board of Regents Fall 2023 Enrollment Report. Across the universities, international student enrollment increased by 352 students, led by people coming from India as numbers of Chinese students continue to decline. I think the political environment for a few years there was a little detrimental to numbers, not only at UNI but all around the U.S., and then we hit COVID and that really finished us off there as far as seeing our numbers decline, University of Northern Iowa Director of International Recruitment and Admissions Kristi Marchesani said. But we are happy that were back heading in the right direction. UNI Director of International Recruitment and Admission Kristi Marchesani (Photo via the University of Northern Iowa) The University of Northern Iowa had the largest jump in international student enrollment with a 20.7% increase. Iowa State Universitys international enrollment increased by 11.3%, and the University of Iowa saw the smallest increase at 3.2%. Part of this increase is due to university recruiters once again being able to travel to other countries and meet prospective students, Marchesani said, which goes a long way in convincing them and their families that UNI would be a good choice. The networking and relationship building that comes with in-person meetings is helpful in creating partnerships and put UNI on the global map, and other colleges have similar practices. I see them sometimes overseas, were recruiting (from) some of the same regions, Marchesani said. So we definitely know that were all out there trying to spread the good word about the state of Iowa. The decline in students coming from China is due in part to smaller population increases and more internal investment in higher education infrastructure, University of Iowa Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Russell Ganim said. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this, but he said China and India are still tied for the most-represented foreign countries at the university. In response to this, the UI started broadening its recruitment efforts to Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Ganim said. With the increase in international enrollment and 44 countries represented in the universitys Class of 2027, Ganim said their efforts are starting to bear fruit. The University of Iowa also showcases its strong research infrastructure and status as an Research-1 university to help recruit graduate and professional students, Ganim said. These students make up about two-thirds of international students on campus. According to the universitys 2023 international programs report, 2,063 students from 110 foreign countries and territories studied or conducted post-graduate research at the UI in fall 2023. We are in the process of trying to recruit for more countries, and I think that that approach has paid off, Ganim said. When travel was difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marchesani said the university did what it could online to keep promoting UNI with webinars, virtual campus visits and connecting with potential students through social media. Online efforts have since slowed down some as travel has picked back up. University of Iowa Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Russell Ganim (Photo via University of Iowa) The University of Iowa implemented a similar strategy, holding virtual recruitment sessions and workshops in countries including China, India, Nigeria, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. Once travel restrictions were lifted, Ganim said the university sent representatives to recruitment fairs and schools in those countries to recruit current students and establish relationships with counselors. These would hopefully turn into a pipeline for future international interest. Iowa university enrollment hikes are reflected nationally, according to the Open Doors 2023 Report on International Educational Exchange, an annual report sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. In the 2022-2023 academic year, a total of about 858,000 international students were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities, an increase of almost 100,000 students from last year. This is the highest number of international students the U.S. has housed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and only the second year of increased enrollment since numbers started declining after the 2016-2017 academic year. China and India are the top two countries for students studying in the U.S., each with more than 250,000 students. Siraj said when preparing to study abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was at its height during his last two years of high school, he was less worried about enrolling than about travel, as India was one country where travel to the U.S. was restricted. Once that was lifted, his concerns shifted to getting his student visa approved alongside the larger number of international students trying to do the same. In the end, he had no issues. Because of the pandemic, a lot of the students couldnt travel to the U.S., they had to stay back home, so they didnt have their visa stamp, Siraj said. So all those students decided to enroll the next year. So when I applied, there were like nearly double the amount of students they had the previous year because they all got backlogged because of the pandemic. Student visa approvals had slowed down in the past few years, Ganim said, but processing them seems to have sped up again, making him more optimistic about the future of international recruitment. Marchesani said UNI has seen big leaps in the number of applicants hailing from African countries, as well as increases from India and somewhat of a resurgence from China. UNI and its peer institutions sometimes fall behind the national enrollment trends, which may be a reason why Iowas universities saw increases this fall rather than last. Marchesani said it looks like the U.S. is once again becoming a top destination for international students. However, even with these increases in international student enrollment, Marchesani said U.S. universities still need to pay attention to the competition. Countries such as Australia and Canada are both very popular countries to receive an international education, and universities in Germany and China are starting to increase their global recruitment efforts. Im optimistic that we are going to continue to see a flow of interest, but I also think we need to continue to advocate for policies that make sure that it allows international students to be able to get here and pursue their studies here in the U.S., Marchesani said. Its important that American policies and people ensure students across the world are able to apply for and attend universities without unnecessary difficulties or feeling unwelcome, Marchesani said. That can make college campuses and educations better for domestic students, as well as financially benefit the universities themselves because international students pay out-of-state tuition. Ganim said the University of Iowa wants its campus to look like the world, so students, staff and faculty can benefit from the strong academic and cultural environment that comes with interacting with people from different backgrounds. A lot of careers that our students are going into, are going to require that they have an understanding of the global economy or how to work in an intercultural type of environment, Marchesani said. So we must prepare them in a lot of ways by making sure that we have those types of classroom discussions and chances for interaction with international students. Siraj, who is studying political science on the pre-law track, said he planned on staying in Iowa for two years before transferring to a different school but he fell in love with the University of Iowa and Iowa City soon after he arrived. One thing universities could do to improve their recruiting of international students is to showcase their amenities beyond just college rankings and academics, he said, like student life and extracurriculars. One concern his family had before Siraj moved here was about campus life and whether he would be supported while living away from his siblings, who live in Canada, and his parents. Knowing more about the dorms, dining and other services might have alleviated some worries, he said. Im going to graduate from here and stay as long as I can because its actually a great place, and I feel like with international students, their families will be more comfortable sending their children to these universities if they know that their living conditions are up to the mark as well, Siraj said. Its not just the academic programs that are attractive, but the daily living. As temperatures dipped below zero on January 12, leaders from the Woyatan Lutheran Church and Wambli Ska Society were notified that they needed to close their makeshift warming shelter. After the closure of the Hope Center, several Indigenous nonprofit organizations have come together to provide additional resources for homeless individuals. One of these options was opening the Woyatan Lutheran Church to those in need. The Great Plains Chairman's Tribal Health Board had provided the church with a military-grade warming tent that the group planned on using as an additional shelter. That plan was halted on Friday afternoon when Rapid City administrators issued a stop work notice to organizers. When city staff went to the property to issue an order not to proceed with the use of that tent, it was with the acknowledgment that the permits had not been secured, but that we had a bigger crisis on hand, said Vicki Fisher, Rapid City Community Development Director. We have a cold spree that we've not experienced in a long time, and we have a lot of vulnerable people that need to be sheltered. So the message was 'you don't need to take down a tent, just please don't use it.' It is so frigid that the action of trying to heat it would put those people in jeopardy of a fire. Around 4:30 p.m. Friday, John Olson, escorted by Lieutenant Tim Doyle of the Rapid City Police Department arrived to issue the Stop Work Order. Chris White Eagle, leader of the Lakota Center at Woyatan Lutheran Church, spoke with Olson and Doyle and said he was told that the Pennington County Jail could be used as a temporary shelter if the Cornerstone Mission and Care Campus hit max-capacity. We looked at him like, Are you saying thats our option to save your life, you need to go to jail? White Eagle said. Earlier on Saturday Rapid City Police Department Community Relations Director Brandyn Medina said that if all other options were exhausted, the Pennington County Jail could be used as a temporary shelter. I think they [Olson and Doyle] were speaking on generalities and talking about it on a broad spectrum, Medina said. It's not saying that we would find charges to put somebody in the jail or charge them criminally so they could go into the jail, it'd be in a total noncriminal context. It would be simply using the extent of our resources to make sure that nobody was turned away into the cold. Later on Saturday, Medina said the county Sherriff's office clarified that the jail would not be used as a temporary shelter and that the existing resources will suffice. A Facebook post from the Rapid City Municipal Government Saturday morning stated that there is an abundance of space at established Rapid City shelters. At no point since this cold snap began has the Care Campus or Mission been full or turned individuals away. Anyone seeking shelter during this frigid cold spell are reminded to seek shelter at either facility, the post read. Medina said that law enforcement officers are conducting extra patrols to contact and transport individuals struggling with the cold. The city is fully aware that this is a dangerous time, Fisher said. This is a dangerous time for anyone just driving down the street that's not correctly clothed and their vehicle breaks down and they have to walk any distance to shelter. And so it's all eyes on the public to make sure that we're protecting everyone. Within the Indigenous community, the Lakota Center is working with NDN Collective, Wambli Ska, Dakota AIM Grassroots, Urban Roots Ancient Wisdom, Coup Council and St. Matthews/St. Andrews to provide resources for those in need. The organizations are working to provide food, water, warmth and shelter to those who either cannot go to the Cornerstone Mission and Care Campus or dont feel comfortable going. A lot of them don't like going on to the campus; a lot of them don't like going to the mission, White Eagle said. The mayor is making it very clear that those are our resources, and that's the only thing that they have. As a backup, the Lakota Homes Oyate Center has been opened for those in need of a warming shelter or a meal. Various Indigenous community groups will be serving meals at the Oyate Center throughout the day. The center is located at 719 Wambli Drive on Rapid Citys northside. If you call anywhere around the Native community right now, there's people cooking, there's people driving, there's young men walking under the bridges, said NDN Collective Founder and CEO Nick Tilsen. We're getting out of our vehicles. We're helping the people, we're getting rides, and we're trying to utilize every service that's available. An army tent in the middle of winter is totally last resort. South Dakotas influx of new residents continued in 2023, and the Black Hills in particular is attracting new residents from throughout the state and nation. South Dakota ranks as the seventh most popular state where people are moving to, according to new data from United Van Lines. United Van Lines and U-Haul both released statistics during the first week of January that tracked migration trends in the United States for 2023. Specific to the Black Hills area, were seeing a lot more interstate migration to the Black Hills than we have previously, said Shawn Odden, president of U-Haul of Fargo, which encompasses North and South Dakota and about one-third of Minnesota. Theres a lot more people moving into the Black Hills from other parts of the state, he said. Were seeing a little bit less out-of-state movement than in previous years. The types of vehicle rentals U-Haul of Fargo is seeing more large trucks and trailers tend to indicate that families are moving into the Black Hills, Odden said. U-Haul also is seeing an increase in its portable storage line, which allows people to ship belongings from another city in lieu of renting a truck, and that service is fairly consistently used by families. An unusual trend for 2023 is that people are moving to the Black Hills from locations all over the United States. Its interesting to see that because thats typically not the case, Odden said. There was no one major (location) we saw that was more prevalent, other than interstate relocation which is up significantly, specifically to Rapid City. Odden said U-Haul of Fargo closed on Jan. 10 on a parcel of land on Catron Boulevard. U-Haul will build a new multi-level storage facility that should open in about a year. In general, we expect to see continued migration toward the Black Hills. The data has indicated that folks from around the country find it a great place to live, so we expect that trend to continue, he said. United Van Lines National Movers Study shows that South Dakota is part of an overall trend of people moving from more expensive metropolitan areas to more affordable, less densely populated areas of the United States. Rapid City and Sioux Falls are the two locations where United Van Lines does the most moves to, according to Eily Cummings, vice president of corporate communications for United Van Lines. Among data the National Movers Study gathers is the top 25 inbound metropolitan statistical areas the cities nationwide attracting the most new residents. Sioux Falls ranks fourth. Rapid City doesnt rank on United Van Lines top 25 inbound metropolitan areas list. However, Cummings said Rapid City has more balanced numbers of people moving here and moving away. United Van Lines data shows slightly more people moving away than moving to Rapid City. Where people are moving U-Hauls Growth Index, which analyzed one-way customer moves in 2023, also reflects an overall balance between the numbers of those moving to South Dakota and moving away. Do-it-yourself movers arriving in South Dakota accounted for 50.7% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in and out the state, with a 49.3% departures rate. Black Hills communities are seeing a similar ratio of U-Haul arrivals and departures. Rapid City 50.2% arrivals, 49.8% departures, with arrivals and departures both down 10% from 2022. Box Elder 47.1% arrivals, 52.9% departures, with arrival numbers the same as 2022 and departures up 2% over 2022. Sturgis 53.2% arrivals, 46.8% departures, with arrivals down 12% and departures down 19% from 2022. Spearfish 53.0% arrivals, 47.0% departures, with arrival numbers down 14% and departures down 15% from 2022. Belle Fourche 56.5% arrivals, 43.5% departures, with arrivals up 13% and departures up 33% from 2022. Why people are moving here According to the National Movers Study, in 2022 and 2023 people were moving to South Dakota primarily to be near family and for the relatively lower cost of living. Were seeing a lot of people moving into South Dakota from California, Colorado, Texas, Florida and nearby Minnesota, Cummings said. The study also showed that while 30% of United Van Lines customers were moving to South Dakota for employment, 60% were moving away from South Dakota for employment. The reasons for relocating are more nuanced than ever before, Cummings said. Lured by the slower pace of life, movers are drawn to smaller and mid-size cities with proximity to natural beauty and cultural richness. Climate change also seems to be affecting places people move, as fewer movers opt for coastal locations and areas prone to wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters, according to the National Movers Study. Cummings likens South Dakotas current influx to a trend she saw in Idaho six or seven years ago. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho had topped the top 10 list of states where people were moving. We saw this influx of a lot of people from California and some from nearby Washington. There was a lot of movement in Idaho. It changed housing prices, Cummings said. Now, Idaho has dropped out of the top 10 list and in 2023, Vermont replaced it as the top state attracting new residents. South Dakotas appeal as a destination where people were moving to rose after the COVID pandemic began in 2020, Cummings said. 2021 was the year everybody moved because they could move for remote work. So many people moved because they could now work from a variety of places, so many moved back to South Dakota to be closer to family, Cummings said. United Van Lines gathers data and demographic information for its National Movers Study through a customer service survey sent to everyone who moves with the company. About 35% of customers fill out the survey. U-Hauls Growth Index, meanwhile, ranks South Dakota as the number 19 growth state in the United States, climbing 12 spots from its previous ranking. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled according to the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks, trailers and U-Box moving containers arriving in a city or state, versus departing from that city or state, in a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul customer transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada. The U-Haul Growth Index is described as an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents. Their data ranks Texas and Florida as the top states where people are moving. PIERRE Chief Justice Steven Jensen paid homage to the past work done by South Dakotas court system to illustrate what work must continue within the judiciary branch to address problems society faces today. I believe the court system has a good and important story to tell, he told the joint gathering of the House and the Senate on Wednesday morning as part of his State of the Judiciary address to begin the 99th Legislative session. Jensen pointed to the work done more than a decade ago to create an electronic court filing system invaluable today for attorneys, judges and the public. In this vein, his speech noted the work done today in problem-solving courts to the bolstering of indigent defense that will bring forth a better future for the state, the judiciary, counties and people affected by the courts every day. Indigent defense work continues Two years of work to reimagine what indigent defense can look like has continued, Jensen said, explaining a summer task force recommended the creation of a new office on the state level for public defenders and the creation of an indigent defense commission. The proposed public defender's office, overseen by the commission, will focus on criminal case appeals as well as expanding felony trial work. The office will also offer extra training for attorneys who are providing court appointed defense services. Jensen requested the Legislature set aside $1.4 million to seed the office and commission, along with seven employees. The new office will help alleviate the financial burden South Dakotas counties face annually as they continue to fund these services for those who cant afford legal counsel. He said this initial expenditure by the state is estimated to reduce the financial burden on counties by $2.1 million and actually save approximately $600,000 in overall indigent defense costs across the state. This first step is a big one," Jensen said. "But the next step of the process will bring about the most broad improvements to a system that lacks much-needed oversight." Problem-solving courts support long-lasting change South Dakotas problem-solving courts received due recognition in Jensens speech, as well as in Gov. Kristi Noems State of the State speech. While Noem recognized Leta Wise Spirit on Tuesday, who had been credited with volunteer work and mentoring at her graduation of the 6th Circuit Court problem-solving court, Jensen told the stories of another three individuals who had successfully completed their courses. The courts help people access drug and alcohol abuse treatment as well as set them up for success in the future in the workforce. These courts have the immediate impact of reducing costs and incarceration and increasing the likelihood of rehabilitation, Jensen said, noting that of the 2,500 people served in the 17 problem-solving courts, there has been a 60% success rate. But their broader impact lies in the profound transformation of individuals and the positive influence on their families, employers, communities, and even the burden on taxpayers. As the problem-solving courts and other specialties continue to be successful, Jensen asked lawmakers to add an additional circuit court judge and deputy clerk in the 2nd Circuit Court, home to Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. Both counties have seen their population increase significantly and as a result court cases have increased. Second Circuit judges have also seen demands on their time [and] on cases that they hear, he said. Growth and redemption for young adults The work done by a task force, looking into barriers young adults between 18 and 25 face when they become involved with the criminal justice system, has provided new pilot programs across the state, Jensen said. In Mitchell, young adults will be able to access life skills classes and mentoring. Pennington County also offers a diversion program that serves as a model for other counties, Jensen said. By providing diversion programs, creating opportunities for housing, education and employment, and finding support networks, Jensen said it shows not all hope is lost for young people when they make a serious mistake in life. I believe there are some tremendous opportunities to continue to improve our efforts at rehabilitating young adult offenders, he said, And doing so we contribute to a society that values the potential for growth and redemption for individuals who truly wish to change. This story originally appeared in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. By Casey Lartigue Jr. This past week, the South Korean staffers at Freedom Speakers International (FSI) were immersed in completing a critical and comprehensive report for one of our government agency partners. None of them were smiling. They know that their work gets checked by government agency officials who know higher powers will check their work. On the other hand, I was smiling and a bundle of energy as I was preparing for a speaking tour, organizing projects and activities for the year, and doing some writing and editing. I have a new project I will initiate, trying to create more opportunities for North Korean refugees to speak at Harvard University. Watching my colleagues spurred some reflections on their role and the broader South Korean engagement of those engaged in some way with advocacy and work with North Korean refugees and North Korean issues. The general perception that South Koreans don't care about North Korean refugees is a narrative I often encounter. While it's impossible to speak for all 50+ million South Koreans, I focus on those actively involved, not those who are not involved. There are many South Koreans whose dedication is often unnoticed by Western observers or even other South Koreans. Western engagement with North Korean refugees usually resembles a friendly transient connection volunteering, attending events, or being chat partners in person or online. It is like going on an elevator, where they can step in or out at their convenience. Westerners who have been volunteering with or attending events related to North Korea or North Korean refugees often have anecdotes that will surprise or shock their friends. Many people who have volunteered with us have talked about being inspired by helping to empower North Korean refugees. In contrast, South Korean involvement typically signifies a long-term commitment beyond occasional volunteering or event attendance. When they get on the elevator it is difficult to get off when they want to do so. Entering the NGO world often means eliminating your chance to work at a top business that wants newbies it can mold. The South Korean staffers in our office manage day-to-day tasks, management, accounting and other duties which are less glamorous than me giving a keynote speech. They are often in the background but they push forward the missions without the fanfare they deserve. Our Korean team's efforts are the unsung backbone of our operations. My personal ethos emphasizes celebrating achievements with others. Whenever I am recognized, I bring as many staffers, volunteers, North Korean refugees, and donors as external organizations will allow. Last week, I wrote in the Korea Times: As a co-founder of an organization in a foreign land, Ive felt this principle even more deeply. I could not have overcome cultural, language, bureaucratic, networking, and financial barriers without South Koreans and North Korean refugees alongside me. I was never alone in this endeavor, so how could I go on stage alone to accept accolades? I wrote about it last week and experienced it again this past week. I let our team members know that I would be writing about this. Lee Eun-koo, co-founder of FSI, explained in detail to everyone what I had written and explained why I try to highlight everyone whenever possible. Even though they went through another tough week, they smiled. They probably appreciated that the freelancer recognized their hard work. Those of us who are in the more glamorous roles should remember to publicly thank and appreciate those who do the hard work behind the scenes that rarely wins accolades. Casey Lartigue Jr. (CJL@alumni.harvard.edu) is co-founder with Lee Eun-koo of Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and co-author with Han Song-mi of the book "Greenlight to Freedom." ? WASHINGTON The U.S. military early Saturday struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that it had determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk, two U.S. officials said, a day after the U.S. and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. Associated Press journalists in Sanaa, Yemens capital, heard one loud explosion. The first day of strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However, the U.S. determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. The officials spoke anonymously to the AP to discuss an operation that hadnt yet been publicly announced. President Joe Biden had warned Friday that the Houthis could face further strikes. The latest strike came after the U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the U.S. and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. The warning came as Yemens Houthis vowed fierce retaliation for the U.S.-led strikes, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza. U.S. military and White House officials said they expected the Houthis to try to strike back. The U.S.-led bombardment launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said. The U.S. said the strikes, in two waves, took aim at targets in 28 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior along with our allies," Biden told reporters during a stop in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Asked if he believes the Houthis are a terrorist group, Biden responded, I think they are. The president in a later exchange with reporters during a stop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, said whether the Houthis are redesignated as such was irrelevant. Biden also pushed back against some lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, who said he should have sought congressional authorization before carrying out the strikes. Theyre wrong, and I sent up this morning when the strikes occurred exactly what happened," Biden said. The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the military action from the hospital where he is recovering from complications following prostate cancer surgery. The White House said in November that it was considering redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist organization after they began their targeting of civilian vessels. The administration formally delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorists in 2021, undoing a move by President Donald Trump Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Friday's U.S. strikes were largely in low-populated areas, and the number of those killed would not be high. He said the strikes hit weapons, radar and targeting sites, including in remote mountain areas. As the bombing lit the predawn sky over multiple sites held by the Iranian-backed rebels, it forced the world to again focus on Yemen's yearslong war, which began when the Houthis seized the country's capital. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade and energy shipments. The Houthis military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a recorded address that the U.S. strikes would not go unanswered or unpunished. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former U.S. intelligence official, welcomed the U.S. strikes but expressed concern Iran was aiming to draw the U.S. deeper into conflict. We should be worried about regional escalation, Slotkin wrote on X. Iran uses groups like the Houthis to fight their battles, maintain plausible deniability and prevent a direct conflict with the U.S. or others. ... It needs to stop, and my hope is theyve gotten the message. Biden told reporters that Iran has received a clear message. I already delivered the message to Iran. They know not to do anything," he said. Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to calm tensions in the Middle East for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes threatened to ignite one. Saudi Arabia which supports the government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting quickly sought to distance itself from the attacks as it seeks to maintain a delicate detente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. It remained unclear how extensive the damage was from Friday's strikes, though the Houthis said at least five sites, including airfields, had been attacked. The White House said the U.S. military was still assessing the extent the militants' capabilities might have been degraded. U.S. Air Forces Central Command said the strikes focused on the Houthi's command and control nodes, munition depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. The strikes involved more than 150 precision-guided munitions including air-launched missiles by F/A-18 Super Hornets based on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Tomahawk missiles from the Navy destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason, the Navy cruiser USS Philippine Sea, and a U.S. submarine. The United Kingdom said strikes hit a site in Bani allegedly used by the Houthis to launch drones and an airfield in Abbs used to launch cruise missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department on Friday announced it imposed sanctions on two firms in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly shipping Iranian commodities on behalf of Iran-based Houthi financial facilitator Said al-Jamal. Four vessels owned by the firms were also identified as blocked property. In a separate development, Iran released footage of its seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that once had been at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Washington. In the footage, a helicopter hovers over the deck of the St. Nikolas. Irans navy seized the vessel Thursday. The vessel had been known earlier as the Suez Rajan. The U.S. seized 1 million barrels of sanctioned Iranian oil off the vessel last year. In Yemen, Hussein al-Ezzi, a Houthi official in their Foreign Ministry, said that America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression. The Red Sea route is a crucial waterway, and attacks there have caused severe disruptions to global trade. Benchmark Brent crude oil traded up some 4% Friday at over $80 a barrel. Tesla, meanwhile, said it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea. In Saada, the Houthis' stronghold in northwest Yemen, hundreds gathered for a rally Friday, denouncing the U.S. and Israel. Another drew thousands in Sanaa, the capital. Houthis now control territory that is home to some two-thirds of Yemens population of 34 million. War and misgovernment have made Yemen one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, and the World Food Program considers the vast majority of Yemens people as food-insecure. Yemen has been targeted by U.S. military action over the last four American presidencies. A campaign of drone strikes began under President George W. Bush to target the local affiliate of al-Qaida, attacks that have continued under the Biden administration. Meanwhile, the U.S. has launched raids and other military operations amid the ongoing war in Yemen. That war began when the Houthis swept into Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition including the United Arab Emirates launched a war to back Yemen's exiled government in 2015, quickly morphing the conflict into a regional confrontation as Iran backed the Houthis with weapons and other support. The conflict, however, has slowed as the Houthis maintain their grip on the territory they hold. In March, Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated deal to restart relations with Iran in hopes of ultimately withdrawing from the war. Iran condemned Friday's attack in a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani. Arbitrary attacks will have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region," he said. Read more: How Houthi attacks crimp global trade Why are Houthis attacking ships? Why is the Red Sea important? How are Houthi attacks affecting trade? What does it mean for oil prices? How is the world responding? Coordinated communication and education were key suggestions to have a gentler impact on Montana, said community members and business leaders at a Glacier Country Tourism town hall in Hamilton on Wednesday. The event, called "Glacier Country Tourism: Shaping the Future of Western Montana," brought nearly 50 stakeholders together. Community members and tourism experts discussed the Destination Stewardship Plan, and the challenges, opportunities and strategies for building tourism while preserving the quality of life and quality of place for residents. Glacier Country Montana President CEO Racene Friede guided the event and said her office is funded in part through Montanas State Accommodations Tax (bed tax). Were a nonprofit organization with a focus of maintaining economic stability for the region while preserving the quality of life of residents, Friede said. We are the official destination organization for western Montana by the governors tourism advisory council. We are funded in part by the State Accommodations Tax (bed tax) and by private membership funds. Our region covers eight counties Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders Counties and 75 communities. Friede said the nonprofit is working under a new post-pandemic mission statement and working on a fresh branding and marketing message to reflect an increased focus on stewardship and responsible tourism. Glacier Country Tourism welcomes visitors while supporting and protecting Montana livelihoods, quality of life, extraordinary outdoor resources and our cultural heritage, she said. Friede said destination organizations have been around since 1987. Thats when we were tasked by the Montana Legislature to promote Montana as a travel destination, she said. Weve been doing this for 37 years and have been growing visitor economy by on average 8% yearly from 1987 to 2019. I say 2019 because that was the last normal year. Friede said that during that time Glacier Country Tourism was mandated to only market out of state. As we know 2020 was a year of incredible disruption and what occurred was a critical need to talk to people who intended to travel here, she said. We were targeting people who already had an intent [to come], but the state had changed our rules. Now we could start talking to people who were already here. Friede said that in 2020 people were fleeing the cities to escape the pandemic. They were looking for wide open spaces with relatively low population densities and outdoor recreation, she said. They hit the road. Kids didnt have to be in school, they didnt have to go to the office to work. So, we had the novice recreationist and people who had never traveled rural America before. Soon problems began to surface like short-staffed businesses, housing issues and inexperienced outdoor recreationalists. The tourism office developed a new message recreate responsibility. Destination stewardship became a new consideration to look at while engaging visitors and community stakeholders from all walks of life. If you were practicing destination stewardship, you were being thoughtful about how the visitor experience balances with the residents quality of life, Friede said. We still need the visitor to provide maximum financial value to our communities but also the type of visitor who is going to have optimal social and environmental impact too. Its all about responsibly managing the industry for the benefit of our communities. She said Glacier Country Tourism was the first regional destination organization in the country and now it is a trending strategy worldwide. Montanans are the heart and soul of our state, Friede said. You, we, need to be a priority and engaged. Community engagement for the nonprofit includes listening sessions, surveys, focus groups, personal interviews and town hall meetings. Discussion included destination stewardship, drawbacks, benefits and new opportunities. We wanted to be sure that what was in [the Destination Stewardship Plan] was coming from the people, Friede said. It needed to balance the impacts of growing visitation against the economic and infrastructure issues. Wednesdays meeting goal was to see if the voices had changed and what new messages are needed, she said. Recreate Responsibly and bigger [messages] will be decided by you, Friede said. You need to tell us what is important and what needs to be worked on. Local benefits, drawbacks Friede asked the same questions to community members and business leaders that had been asked two years ago. Attendees could scan a code and give an anonymous answer. Attendees were asked what they saw as the benefits of tourism? While some vocalized positive impacts to the economy, cultural exchange, and better understanding of Montana by non-Montanans, other raised concerns and expressed the benefits do not offset the negatives. More specifically, community members discussed the pros and cons of Paramount's "Yellowstone" show filming in the community. Fears surrounded over-use, disrespectful visitors, worker shortages, stresses on infrastructure, and housing costs rising even more with new residents coming from out of state. Other questions and discussions surrounded fluctuations in visitors from season to season and the challenges that brings. Some called for the need for communication and education of visitors and residents and education on outdoor stewardship. Friede said she is hoping to hear from more stakeholders and have more community engagement going forward. Glacier Country Tourisms Director of Community Engagement Jenna Boltz said she is eager to meet with community members too. I want to be involved in the community conversation, Boltz said. We can combine resources and we want to highlight your efforts. Shining the light on the good work is a new approach for us as well. We are trying to be a better resource for you. Contact Boltz at 406-541-2479 or Friede at 406-532-3234. Frieda said there is more coming in March on Glacier Country Tourism's new branding and marketing message. The Hamilton Downtown Association (HDA) hosted their first annual Report to the Community luncheon on Thursday. The HDA awarded the first Main Street Model Business Award to Chapter One Book Store at the event, as well as volunteer awards. The luncheon was held at the Bedford Building with 95 business leaders and community members in attendance. The meeting focused on the history of the organization, an update on current work of the HDA, how the community can help accomplish future goals and recognition of valuable volunteers. HDA Executive Director Robin Pruitt said the community has been interested in the HDA work and the luncheon and report was an update of accomplishments and goals. It was so great to see so many community members, leaders, business owners, and nonprofit leaders together in one room because they care about our downtown and small business economy, Pruitt said. The event began with an historic overview of the community members and efforts to improve downtown Hamilton over the years. Pruitt shared a quote from Wayne Hedman, former Bitterroot Drug owner and an early leader in downtown Hamilton improvements, when he received the lifetime achievement award from the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce. "For the people that came today, you have a duty and obligation to take care of this place because there's a tremendous assault on it just by the population, Hedman said. Take good care of it and stay involved." The quote was provided by his daughter Whitney Hedman. I am so happy there is a community of care that carries on the vision of my dad, Whitney Hedman said. This is a very special place on the globe. HDAs first Executive Assistant Susan Wetzsteon, a longtime HDA volunteer and supporter, said shes been lucky to see the positive transformation of our downtown over the years. [I] have had the pleasure of working with so many committed community members, she said. Our downtown truly wouldnt be as successful and wonderful as it is today without their efforts. We are so fortunate for the work they have done and we are looking forward to building on it. The Downtown Hamilton Master Plan, completed in 2014 by local business owners, community leaders and members, was also presented. Pruitt said the HDA and its partner organizations used the Montana Main Approach, a strategy recommended by the Montana Main Street Program and the National Main Street Program, to create the strategy and road map for HDA. The Montana Main Street Program website says, The Montana Main Street Program offers technical assistance to communities striving for economic vitality while maintaining local historic integrity, quality of life, and a sense of place. We are fortunate to have roadmaps and proven strategies for keeping our downtown healthy and vibrant while keeping the same small hometown feel we all love, Pruitt said. The Downtown Master Plan lays out a plan for the future of downtown and we reference it a lot to set our goals and priorities. She said the Main Street approach uses four priorities of design, promotion, advocacy and economic vitality. We have tailored that model to fit our culture, heritage and priorities, Pruitt said. Not many people are aware of the strategy, intention and planning that we use to ensure the success and health of our downtown. Everything we do from the flowers and lights to the Inflatable Race have a place in our plan. The Hamilton Downtown Association awarded Chapter One Book Store the first Directors Award for Main Street Model Business for their contributions to the Main Street Approach in Hamilton, highlighting their efforts in design, promotion, advocacy and economic vitality. We are really excited to have an opportunity to recognize Chapter One for all the work that they have done over the past 50 years to help our downtown succeed, Pruitt said. From the HDAs first director, former owner [of Chapter One Book Store], Russ Lawrence, to their current leadership, they have always prioritized community and best practices for a healthy downtown. They are truly leaders in all aspects including pioneering downtowns first mural project. Chapter One owners Mara Luther, Marisa Neyenhuis and Katrina Mendrey said they are honored. "We are honored to receive this recognition and are grateful to those who came before us laying the foundation of our business model which is grounded in community partnerships, with other businesses, nonprofits and the community at large," Neyenhuis said. To celebrate 50 years of their business, Chapter One is coordinating installation of a mural with financial support from other downtown businesses including Aura Painting, K&S Nursery, Explore the Arts, Taylor King at State Farm Insurance, Montana Land Company, Great Bear Native Plants, DHBID, Bitterroot Brewery, Salon 21, Cassens Fine Art and Bauder Home. "We are excited to collaborate with our community of businesses to bring more public art to our downtown," Mendrey said. "The excitement of other businesses about this project truly demonstrates that we are a community that believes in each other and the power of a Main Street community." The HDA Annual Report to the Community presentation was attended by a broad cross-section of the community, including bankers, real estate agents, larger business employers and community leaders. The HDA stressed the importance of building a downtown and local economy with collaboration beyond small business owners. Joni Lubke, Bitterroot National Forest partnership coordinator, said the Bitterroot National Forest has become involved with the Hamilton Downtown Association because it recognizes the need for more community involvement from Main Street to mountaintop. Encouraging a thriving Main Street while promoting connections to outdoor recreation can help foster the health of our community, protect air and water quality, reduce impact to the community from wildfire risk, create jobs, and maintain a high quality recreation experience for those living and working in the Bitterroot Valley, Lubke said. Pruitt said the Hamilton Downtown Association is looking for opportunities to present their current priorities and success to community groups and organizations. Connect with Pruitt at at visithamiltonmt.org, robin@visithamiltonmt.org, or 406-531-6771. Contact HDA President Mark Rud at mrud@cityofhamilton.net, or 406-363-2101. During the Cold War with the Soviet Union, both the national government and citizens were worried about an all-out nuclear war. In an effort to mitigate the effects of such a war, the federal government embarked on locating facilities to be designated as fallout shelters for citizens. In 1963, Ravalli County Civil Defense leaders identified the basement of the county courthouse as a fallout shelter. Civil Defense leader Mrs. Frank Sullivan, a graduate of shelter management, said a supply of foodstuff needed to sustain 180 people for three weeks will be provided at no charge by the federal government. By 1975, the following were the Ravalli County Fallout (Emergency) Shelters. The County Courthouse capacity is 180. Part is in the basement, part is in first floor vault. It also doubles as the countys Emergency Operations Center The Hamilton Post Office capacity is 400. The Stevensville Elementary School with a capacity 50 (in the boiler room). The facility number is 4,700. In 1970, 39 students and two teachers spent six hours in this room as part of a mock drill. Radio communication was maintained to the "outside world." Participants later reported it was dark, dirty, bad smelling, and had primitive toilet facilities. Daly Hospital capacity of 160. The National Guard Armory (in Hamilton) had a capacity of 95. Finally, Rocky Mountain Laboratories held the most people 465. The total number of people who could occupy these shelters was 1,350 (7.4% of the county's population of 18,200). The Office of Civil Defense provided free supplies to be stocked in community shelters. Typical shelter supplies included buckets, water supplies (stored in metal water barrels), food kits which contained biscuits/crackers, Bulgur wafers, carbohydrate supplements (aka, hard candy), cans of multi-purpose food (sand-like consistency), peanut butter, and powdered food. This added up to 700 calories per person per day and was expected to provide sustenance for three weeks. Also contained in shelters were sanitation kits (toilet paper, cups, plates, etc.), radiation detection kits, and medical kit (designed to treat up to 40 people). Sometimes, local officials provided additional supplies, such as a battery operated radio, auxiliary lighting, games and books, blankets, cots, sleeping bags, bunkbeds, chairs and utensils. While Uncle Sam provided toilet paper, the toilets themselves were more difficult to come by. A handy tip from a government booklet advised: Make a commode by cutting the seat out of a chair and placing a pail under it. The ubiquitous fallout shelter sign was designed by Robert Blakeley of the Army Corp of Engineers and featured three yellow triangles inscribed in a black circle. It had to be simple enough to be easily identified by children, non-English speaking or illiterate persons. The color combination yellow and black was considered the most easily identified attention getter by psychologists. Signs could be seen up to 200 feet away. Each sign specified the number of occupants a shelter could safely accommodate. The 3M corporation manufactured 400,000 shelter signs, for which Uncle Sam paid less than a penny each. Unfortunately, two-thirds of these shelters were in high risk areas," meaning theyd never survive an attack in the first place. In addition, Americans understood that an inbound ICBM left them only 15 minute to get to a shelter. By 1971, the federal government decided to phase out the stocking of shelters. Before the end of the decade, it stopped maintaining a list of them. Ravalli Countys septic waste could soon run out of places to be dumped after limits imposed by Missoulas wastewater treatment plant cut the septage dumped there by county pumpers in 2022 by almost half last year. In 2023, as septic pumpers dealt with the new out-of-county septage limits, some have had weeks-long backlogs in dealing with regular waste from septic tanks, and another pumper regularly took a 300-mile round trip to Helena to dump off the septage during the busy months. Conrad Eckert, owner of Eckerts Patriot Pumpers, said Ravalli County could be as little as a week away from dealing with public health and safety issues resulting from limits on dumping. In a snowstorm, pumpers might not be able to access the regulated land application sites often on farmland they spread septage on. That leaves pumpers to rely on the treatment plants for their septage, going to Missoula or, like in some instances now, Helena, to deal with the septage, since no plants in-county can manage it. The new limit of two visits a month for some pumpers wouldnt be enough in that case, Eckert said. If it gets to where we have nowhere to put it, and the septic backs up into your basement and you call somebody and they say we can't pump, there's a serious problem, he said. Eckert has been trying to raise the alarm to the county about the looming septic waste issue for two decades now. With steady population growth and the development of new subdivisions reliant on septic tanks, he sees it as just a matter of time before there will be more septic waste than there is space for. To begin addressing the problem, Ravalli County formed a wastewater working group with its first meeting this week. A group of septic pumpers, wastewater treatment specialists, county and health officials discussed the county developing its own treatment plant to deal with septage or utilizing county-owned land as a septage dumping site. After further research, they plan to issue recommendations to the county by this spring. Missoulas treatment plant The hundreds of thousands of gallons hauled by Ravalli County pumpers to Missoula were largely unrestricted until the annual increases began to strain the system for operators at the plant, according to Missoula's Lab and Pretreatment Manager Nate Gordon. In 2018, Ravalli County pumpers hauled 410,000 gallons to the treatment plant. That number increased annually up to 1,450,000 gallons in 2022, eclipsing the amount brought by Missoula County pumpers by more than 600,000 gallons. After the limit imposed in April of 2023, septage hauled from Ravalli County went down to 860,000 gallons. With the limits, were once again at a comfortable limit, Gordon said. Its a city facility paid for by the taxpayers of the City of Missoula. It's not even a county facility. So, we definitely feel that it's our responsibility to make sure the place functions well for the residents of the City of Missoula. And, and that's why we've had to start limiting how we can handle waste. Last year, staff was regularly concerned the digester a large, nearly 700,000-gallon holding tank for waste would boil over with the amount of nutrient-dense septage being processed. The digester uses a bacterial process to break down the wastewater in it, cleaning the water in a multi-step process that eventually puts the water. If that digester is overfed like it was nearing last year, it becomes acidic, foamy, and ultimately explosive, spilling over the top. It can create a mess and the digester just stops functioning the way it's supposed to function for breaking down wastewater, Gordon said. So that's the situation we were finding ourselves in with our digester in 2022. Gordon informed Ravalli County pumpers of the new limits in October 2022., understanding it might create some hardships. They all understand that we can't let this place break down, Gordon said. To me, they all handled it fine. I think it's a bummer for them. Their business model is built on hauling as much as you can haul. The more jobs you have, the more money you make. So, we understand that it is a real hardship. For Eckert, after the new difficulties with Missoulas treatment plant he got access back to a land application site in Ravalli County after three years of disuse. The arrangement works for now. Future development could easily threaten the lands availability. Im golden as I haven't done near enough to reach the lands limit, Eckert said. But its drawback is that its one of those situations where it changes year to year. I don't know from year to year if it's going to be available to me. The landowner has continually talked about building a house around the property in the past few years. Even though there are boundaries on where a house can be built from a septage land application site, no one wants to watch septic waste being dumped from their homes window, thus risking the whole property for him in the future. Land application Although more than two-thirds of Ravalli Countys septic waste was applied to land last year, finding new places for land application might be a difficult task in the terrain of Bitterroot Valley. The practice regulated by the Department of Environmental Quality generally requires less than a 6% slope to be considered for land application, among other requirements around distance from groundwater and housing. Additionally, development is often more attractive than opening land up for septage application, according to Solid Waste Section Supervisor Fred Collins for the Department of Environmental Qualitys Waste Management Bureau. Finding new places for land applications is a problem across western Montana, he said. With more development means less availability for land application, and at the same time, more development means more necessity for disposal of septic waste, Collins said. In Ravalli County, because of the terrain, a lot of the space available for development is usually a place that would be suitable for land application. And then if that is being built upon, that's no longer available as a disposal option. Collins said that if population growth continues as it has across Montana, infrastructure will need to be built upon to handle the septic waste that will come with it. Eckert has a similar sentiment, saying a treatment plant in Ravalli County is the best path forward for septic pumping over a potential land application site. Ultimately, I think that's going to be the only real answer, Eckert said. Whether it's public, private, some kind of treatment facility is needed. You look at where my land outside is, eventually something will get built around it. It's just a matter of time. It's worth more to put houses on then to dump waste on a property you know. The United States Department of Labor kicked off the new year with a newly published Final Rule clarifying the test to determine if a person working for an organization is an employee or if the person can be classified as an independent contractor. Whats tough for Virginia employers is that Virginia also has a state law on worker classification, and this test is slightly different from the Department of Labors. This is because Virginia relies upon the test from the Internal Revenue Service regulations, which differs from the test from the Department of Labor. Under the new rule, effective March 11, the US DOL relies upon an economic realities test to determine if an individual performing services for an employer is an employee (thus entitled to be compensated consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act). The DOLs FAQs states, A worker is not an independent contractor if they are, as a matter of economic reality, economically dependent on an employer for work. There are six factors the DOL will look at to determine if the person is economically dependent on the employer: 1. Opportunity for profit or loss depending on managerial skill. This factor considers the ability of the worker to negotiate pricing, reject or accept jobs or orders, the need for marketing and advertising necessary to secure work, and the decisions by the worker to hire other people, purchase equipment and rent space. The Final Rule states, If a worker has no opportunity for a profit or loss, then this factor suggests that the worker is an employee. 2. Investments by the worker and the potential employer. This factor considers who is making investments into the business or the work. 3. Degree of permanence of the work relationship. A worker is more likely an employee if the relationship is indefinite in duration, continuous, or exclusive of work for other employers. This is why I caution employers who have independent contractors working for them for months or years. 4. Nature and degree of control. This factor considers whether the employer sets the workers schedule, supervises the performance of the work, or explicitly limits the workers ability to work for others. That an employer mandates legal compliance by the worker does not indicate control. Those actions that serve the potential employers own compliance methods, safety, quality control, or contractual or customer service standards may be indicative of control. 5. Extent to which the work performed is an integral part of the potential employers business. This factor considers whether the function the worker performs is an integral part of the business, and whether the work is critical, necessary, or central to the potential employers principal business. 6. Skill and initiative. This factor is conditioned on the training necessary by the employer for the worker to perform the service. There is no single factor or set of factors that is dispositive or has a greater weight. A worker cannot waive being an employee if the person performing the work fails to meet the definition of independent contractor. Under Virginia law, a person who is paid to perform services shall be presumed to be an employee of the person paying that individual unless it is shown that the individual is an independent contractor as determined under the Internal Revenue Service guidelines. According to the IRS, the general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. So the DOL relies upon the economic realities test while the IRS relies upon employer control. While this may seem confusing (because it is), the best practice is to limit the number of individuals considered independent contractors to those individuals truly parachuting in to do a service (like someone asked to create a website, or do a training, or create a safety manual) versus someone asked to perform an ongoing service for compensation. And to be clear there is no such thing as 1099 employee. Employers should start 2024 by looking at anyone performing services for them and determine if they are classified as an independent contractor. The employer should then assess their relationship using both the DOL and IRS test and then classify the person correctly based on this assessment. A touch of rustic cowboy style arrived in downtown Richmond on Saturday as the new modern vintage store Castor Pollux opened its doors, captivating shoppers with a curated collection of high-quality statement pieces. Shop owner Kam Blu started the business about nine years ago as an online store that occasionally hosted pop-up shops. Saturday was the first day of Castor Pollux as a brick-and-mortar operation. The business began in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia with a collection of vintage items that Blu and his father put together. Castor Pollux moved with Blu to the D.C. and New York City areas. Blu said he opened the business in commemoration of his grandmother, who was passionate about fashion. Blu moved to Richmond about two years ago in pursuit of a better economy and opportunity to set up a brick-and-mortar location. I felt like this would be the perfect city with the culture and the lifestyle here, Blu said at his shops grand opening on Saturday. Having a brick-and-mortar allows me to have more of a customer experience, too, and build more networks and interactions. The store is at 16 N. Eighth St., a few doors over from Sefton Coffee. The cozy shop is tucked away in the Aartfromthassoul Studios & Gallery, and can be found down the hall from the studios lobby. Customer Destiny Fore, who arrived at the store within minutes of it opening at noon on Saturday, said she had been a longtime customer of the online store, and was eager to shop in the new physical location. The clothing and accessories for sale are largely statement pieces rather than basics and include cowboy necklaces, long coats and high-quality leather pieces. The price range hovers in the $30 to $40 area for most items, and the items are sourced from all over the East Coast. The target customer base is people who are into the rustic lifestyle and enjoy clothing meant to last cowboy vintage, military wear, and workwear like Carhartt. We have an ageless collective, Blu said. Thats why we call ourselves mod vintage; it combines contemporary clothes with vintage style. From the Archives: A look back at the Hotel John Marshall A Circuit Court judge said Friday that he will rule next week on whether the Richmond School Board must release the results of an investigation it ordered into last years fatal shooting after Huguenot High Schools graduation ceremony at the Altria Theater. Judge W. Reilly Marchant ordered the School Boards attorneys to give him a copy of the report, plus thousands of supporting documents and exhibits, so he could read it over the weekend. I commit to you that Ill have it no later than Thursday, maybe have it to you by Wednesday, Marchant said from the bench. I dont want to comment at this point because I think it could be misinterpreted. There are some facts in here that are pretty significant, more than others obviously. But Im fearful of commenting a little bit here, a little bit there. But there clearly are some facts here that carry a lot of weight, in the courts opinion, he added. Marchants comments from the bench came after eight hours of evidence and arguments between School Board lawyers and attorneys representing the media. The Richmond Times-Dispatch sued the School Board to force it to release the results of an investigation that it paid a law firm to conduct into the June 6 shooting outside the theater after the Huguenot High graduation ceremony. Shawn Jackson, 18, and his stepfather, Renzo Smith, 36, were fatally shot, stunning the city and drawing nationwide attention on gun violence. Five others were wounded. Amari Pollard has been charged with a single count of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Pollards mother, Ashley, and the familys lawyer, Jason Anthony, attended most of Fridays court proceedings. Richmond schools initially conducted its own investigation, which it released to board members but not to the public, citing student privacy laws. Several board members found the internal report to be inadequate and voted in August to authorize a third-party investigation of the circumstances leading up to the fatal shooting. The School Board later paid for an outside investigation of the shooting. The law firm Sands Anderson completed a 32-page report in November. The outside report has remained with the School Board, which has refused to make it public. School officials argued that the report is protected by attorney-client privilege, and that the privilege renders the report exempt from disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act. The Times-Dispatch sued the School Board in December to compel the reports release, arguing that the document was about obtaining facts, not legal advice. One board member who has seen the outside report, Jonathan Young, has described it as damning. In court, lawyers for the plaintiffs The Times-Dispatch, WTVR-TV and transparency activist Josh Stanfield argued that the School Boards investigation was never meant to seek legal advice. What was the board looking for? They wanted a complete and factually accurate report about what happened. And they wanted transparency and accountability, said Brett Spain, a lawyer for the television station. Times-Dispatch attorney David Lacy questioned Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras on the School Boards contract with the law firm and whether school officials were seeking just a fact-finding investigation or legal advice. Kamras said he was always under the impression that the report, the process, would be confidential. He testified that he liaised between the law firm and the board, but that the boards request should serve as a guiding document for the firms investigation. Sands Anderson had detailed communication guidelines regarding confidentiality, and a small circle of school employees followed the firms instructions to the letter, Kamras said. John Cafferky, a lawyer representing the School Board, argued that attorney-client privilege was baked into the boards request: a motion put forth at a board meeting by School Board member Shonda Harris-Muhammed. There was nothing in the motion that said that this was intended to be a public investigation, Cafferky said. It wasnt an accident that what they got was proposals from law firms. This was intended as an attorney-client privilege endeavor. Other witnesses who testified were WTVR reporter Tyler Layne, School Board Chair Stephanie Rizzi and Sands Anderson attorney Pamela OBerry, who led the firms investigation. OBerry said her understanding was that the board wanted her to review how the facts of the June 6 shooting aligned with the School Boards policies and procedures. She said she felt she was asked to do issue spotting, and that the issue of the schools liability in a future lawsuit stood out as a flashing red light. In conducting 26 interviews, OBerry told RPS employees familiar with the shooting that she intended the interviews to be confidential a point that she said would be critical to getting them to speak openly. We knew that interviews would be key, OBerry said. We wanted the people participating to know that the information they were giving us was privileged. The report was the subject of acrimonious debate among School Board members, some of whom thought the review was unnecessary. But it was eventually approved as a tool that could improve school operations and offer a more thorough look than Kamras administration had been able to provide in the earlier, less comprehensive report on the shooting. Some board members also believed it was about transparency. We want transparency to all parents, teachers if we are going to be transparent as a board, said board member Mariah White during deliberations in October. We deserve to give the parents transparency. A vote to release the report ultimately failed. Several weeks later, the news outlets sued. They were born long after his death, but they are the students of a school that bears his name. And they say each day in class is a history lesson. I feel like he did something real good for our community and he changed our lives. He was brave to speak up for us during the Civil Rights Movement. He did a lot of good things for people. He stayed strong for others and himself. He did something good for Black people. These were just some of the words of students at Richmonds Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School as they reflected on the man who their school is named after. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and, although he died 56 years ago, his legacy carries on with future generations that learn about and appreciate the work he did to combat racism, segregation and other inequalities. Its really an honor cause he fought for us to go to this school, eighth-grader JaLyn Brown said. Without him, we wouldnt be in this school. Brown, like many of her classmates, are teenagers, meaning that they and probably their parents were not alive for Kings I Have a Dream speech in 1963 or the Selma march in 1965. In honor of King, the U.S. began observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 20, 1986. The holiday occurs each third Monday of January and, this year, it falls on Kings actual birthday of Jan. 15. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle Schools roots date to the fall of 1964, just months after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. It began as Mosby School, which served kindergarten through eighth-graders before converting to a middle school in 1970. In 2004, Mosby merged with Onslow Minnis Middle School and was renamed after King. A new $40 million building opened in 2014, which included student access to laptops, an auditorium and plenty of open space for learning. I like this school because were learning in a safe place, in a nice environment, our building is nice and we have a nice cafeteria, eighth-grader Treasure Daily said. Back in the day, they didnt have all this nice stuff; they didnt have smart boards or a nice bathroom. Even with all the newer technology and amenities, Kings teachings remain the primary influence at the school. We just try to instill his values throughout the school, Principal Inett Dabney said. We have to be kind and be respectful to each other, and thats in direct relation to Dr. Martin Luther King, so thats part of our core values. While the students and likely many of their parents were born after Kings death, they still acknowledge the prejudices that occurred during his life. I feel like it was wrong to our people, seventh-grader ZyKe Davis said. If Martin Luther King Jr. didnt (help), we still couldve had segregation and Jim Crow. ZyKe said his grandmother attended Kings I Have a Dream speech in Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. She said he was a good person, and she told me all about the speech, he said. The students also acknowledged the pain Kings family endured while he fought for civil rights. His family was stressed out because oh my son is going to jail or my brothers going to jail, eighth-grader Treasure Daily said. But hes doing something to make a difference. Jesseleia Davis, a sixth-grade English teacher at the middle School, used Kings I Have a Dream speech to teach tone and mood. Her students created vision boards to help them set personal goals. What I tried to stress and what Dr. King exemplified in his speech was the power of words, Davis said. Speaking life and speaking positive things into your life. In addition to King, the students also learned about past and present figures like Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall and Barack Obama. They said past leaders need to be studied to help develop new leaders for the current generation. Look what they did to be a leader, and then when you look at what they did, see if you can do the same thing, JaLyn said. I feel like since (King) did something good for us, we should make somebodys life better every day we go to school. The students are also involved in such leadership groups as Young Queens in Action, Young Kings in Action and the Community of Caring Student Ambassadors. They volunteer in the Richmond area and participate in challenging discussions about the negatives of social media, how Black people are portrayed in the media and neighborhood violence. While King could theoretically be alive today at 95 years old, the middle schoolers offered differing viewpoints on what King would say if he was living in 2024. I feel like hell be at least happy that we got rid of segregation and we can go in the stores and other places that we want to, Treasure said. We can be in a school with different races. I feel like hed say we still have work to do, JaLyn said. I still feel like hed be a little mad because of happened to George Floyd. Close The Rev. Martin Luther King,Jr., and VP Joseph E. Lowery, and Wyatt Tee Walker, Executive Director of the SCLC meet at First African Baptist Church, Sept. 25, 1963 for the SCLC convention Richmond police blocked off a crowd in the 100 block E. Broad St. in April 1968 after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On July 2, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Petersburg for the first convention of the Virginia unit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the national civil rights group that King led. Standing with him are SCLC officials Curtis Harris of Hopewell (center) and Milton Reid of Petersburg. The Virginia unit had about two dozen affiliates across the state. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (left) with Virginia SCLC Officials Rev. Curtis Harris of Hopewell (center), Dr. Milton Reid of Petersburg. In August 1963, protesters boarded a bus at the Leigh Street YMCA in Richmond for a trip to the U.S. Capitol to participate in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. An estimated 2,500 Virginians were among the roughly 250,000 marchers at the protest, which called for civil rights legislation and featured Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Learning Week Tab. 1968 Members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference marched about 30 strong over the Martin Luther King Memorial bridge between Colonial Heights and Petersburg. This was the 29th anniversary of MLK's assassination. Members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference marched about 30 strong over the Martin Luther King Memorial bridge between Colonial Heights and Petersburg. This was the 29th anniversary of MLK's assassination. Jack Mills, Virginia president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, carried this portrait of Martin Luther King during the symbolic walk of social unity across the MLK Bridge connecting Colonial Heights and Petersburg Thursday, October 30, 2003. After the walk he sits with it during the ceremony that dedicated the new bridge. Richmond-based sculptor Paul Di Pasquale prepares an alternative eye configuration for an original full-scale clay model for a bronze bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The sculptor was showing the clay model to a group of visitors from the Hopewell Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation Inc. committee that is overseeing a project to put the bronze bust in the Ashford Civic Plaza in Hopewell. At right is committee member Curtis Harris. Richmond-based sculptor Paul Di Pasquale (left) displays the original full-scale clay model for a bronze bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that is to be placed in the Ashford Civic Plaza in Hopewell early this spring. Curtis Harris (second from right) and Avon Miles, both of whom are members of the Hopewell Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation Inc. committee that is overseeing the project. Committee members John Weigel and Belinda Piercy were also present. They are in Di Pasquale's studio on National St. in Richmond. Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker, chief of staff for Martin Luther King, holds photos of when he and MLK were in the Birmingham jail in 1967. Photo taken Monday, August 12, 2013. Mary Lauderdale, Visitor Services Manager of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, stands before an image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the exhibits at the new museum in Richmond, VA Monday, April 18, 2016. With President Obama obscured by television lights and press stands, his image is seen on a giant monitor in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech given on the site. Aug. 28, 2013. Participants pray during the benediction at a Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. at Fifth Street Baptist Church in Richmond, Jan. 16, 2012. Herbert V. Coulton, Sr. is surrounded by memorabilia including photographs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and plaques commemorating his efforts in the Civil Rights movement. Coulton will be honored for his efforts on Wednesday at the Pentagon. In the photograph he is holding, he is on the left and King is on the right. Members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School Choir wait for the mass meeting to begin at the Ashe Center commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday Monday, January 15, 2007. 16 photos of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, from the Times-Dispatch archives The Rev. Martin Luther King,Jr., and VP Joseph E. Lowery, and Wyatt Tee Walker, Executive Director of the SCLC meet at First African Baptist Church, Sept. 25, 1963 for the SCLC convention Richmond police blocked off a crowd in the 100 block E. Broad St. in April 1968 after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On July 2, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Petersburg for the first convention of the Virginia unit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the national civil rights group that King led. Standing with him are SCLC officials Curtis Harris of Hopewell (center) and Milton Reid of Petersburg. The Virginia unit had about two dozen affiliates across the state. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (left) with Virginia SCLC Officials Rev. Curtis Harris of Hopewell (center), Dr. Milton Reid of Petersburg. In August 1963, protesters boarded a bus at the Leigh Street YMCA in Richmond for a trip to the U.S. Capitol to participate in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. An estimated 2,500 Virginians were among the roughly 250,000 marchers at the protest, which called for civil rights legislation and featured Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Learning Week Tab. 1968 Members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference marched about 30 strong over the Martin Luther King Memorial bridge between Colonial Heights and Petersburg. This was the 29th anniversary of MLK's assassination. Members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference marched about 30 strong over the Martin Luther King Memorial bridge between Colonial Heights and Petersburg. This was the 29th anniversary of MLK's assassination. Jack Mills, Virginia president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, carried this portrait of Martin Luther King during the symbolic walk of social unity across the MLK Bridge connecting Colonial Heights and Petersburg Thursday, October 30, 2003. After the walk he sits with it during the ceremony that dedicated the new bridge. Richmond-based sculptor Paul Di Pasquale prepares an alternative eye configuration for an original full-scale clay model for a bronze bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The sculptor was showing the clay model to a group of visitors from the Hopewell Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation Inc. committee that is overseeing a project to put the bronze bust in the Ashford Civic Plaza in Hopewell. At right is committee member Curtis Harris. Richmond-based sculptor Paul Di Pasquale (left) displays the original full-scale clay model for a bronze bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that is to be placed in the Ashford Civic Plaza in Hopewell early this spring. Curtis Harris (second from right) and Avon Miles, both of whom are members of the Hopewell Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation Inc. committee that is overseeing the project. Committee members John Weigel and Belinda Piercy were also present. They are in Di Pasquale's studio on National St. in Richmond. Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker, chief of staff for Martin Luther King, holds photos of when he and MLK were in the Birmingham jail in 1967. Photo taken Monday, August 12, 2013. Mary Lauderdale, Visitor Services Manager of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, stands before an image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the exhibits at the new museum in Richmond, VA Monday, April 18, 2016. With President Obama obscured by television lights and press stands, his image is seen on a giant monitor in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech given on the site. Aug. 28, 2013. Participants pray during the benediction at a Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. at Fifth Street Baptist Church in Richmond, Jan. 16, 2012. Herbert V. Coulton, Sr. is surrounded by memorabilia including photographs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and plaques commemorating his efforts in the Civil Rights movement. Coulton will be honored for his efforts on Wednesday at the Pentagon. In the photograph he is holding, he is on the left and King is on the right. Members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School Choir wait for the mass meeting to begin at the Ashe Center commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday Monday, January 15, 2007. Using over $1 million in settlement money won from the pharmaceutical industry, Hanover County says it is moving forward with the creation, expansion and rebirth of initiatives to help the countys opioid epidemic victims through education and awareness programs. The funds will be used for such projects as expanded school curriculums, awareness of drug abuse through TV ads, and the restart of Hanovers adult drug court, a legal program to help people with opioid addictions move toward recovery. Settlement money has been trickling down to localities across the nation after high-profile lawsuits against major opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Over $52 billion has been won for local governments nationwide, with the potential for more to come through ongoing litigation. In 2021, Virginia agreed that 15% of the initial funds would go directly to localities, 15% would go to the state and a further 55% would go to a Virginia Opioid Abatement Fund. Hanover is projected to receive at least $1.3 million total over multiple years as of December 2023. We were told to expect that maybe to double because there were additional settlements that were pending, Deputy County Manager Jim Taylor told the Board of Supervisors in December. Were waiting for those to be finalized. There are still question marks about what the total amount coming to us will be. Part of Hanovers spending has already gone toward advertising its Hidden in Plain Sight campaign, targeting prescription and opioid abuse awareness. That program is projected to spend $40,000 in each of the next three years and another $10,000 in each of the next two years. So far, its estimated to have reached 200,000 people through television and an additional 30,000 people through streaming ads. The county is also aiming to restart its adult drug court. Hanover began a drug treatment court pilot program in 2016 to combat substance abuse and reduce recidivism rates among drug users. The 12- to 18-month program was designed to dismiss violations for nonviolent offenders who completed the program. It included drug testing and court appearances. Taylor said two of six former participants were located and found to have been success stories. He said the new adult drug court would aim to have 15 to 20 participants. Hanover is also planning to have expanded school curriculum, budgeting $75,000 up front, with a further $27,000 in each of the following four years. The county is also taking the lead in a regional grant program through the Opioid Abatement Authority. Project Recover will use $214,000 to embed peer support counselors with first responders. Those counselors are used to connect victims of overdoses to community resources and treatment. Hanover has among the higher death rates in Virginia due to the use of any opioid, according to the most recent Virginia Department of Health statistics. Though 2022 showed a statewide drop in the total number of deaths, Hanovers death rate continued to climb between 2018 and 2022 to 26.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Ashland District Supervisor Faye Prichard said she had a close friend whose family became a victim to an opioid death, and that she has become aware of even more people across the county who have also been harmed by the substance. If I know two people, then everybody at this desk knows at least one, Prichard said. I know that those folks would do absolutely anything they could to get their children back. Cats and dogs that need homes in the Richmond area Taiwan's ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te won the presidential election Saturday, with partial results showing he had taken 40.2 percent of ballots cast as his two opponents conceded defeat in front of supporters. The results were counted from 98 percent of polling stations across the island, according to figures from the Central Election Commission, showing that Lai's main opponent Hou Yu-ih trailed behind with 33.4 percent of the vote count. (AFP) Ken Davis Jr. and his wife have called their house in the Willow Lawn neighborhood home for more than 40 years, and every six months when the city real estate tax bill arrives, they write the check and mail it back. It is a habit they have grown accustomed to and, after paying real estate bills for decades, they have never once been late, Davis said. So when their semi-annual bill did not arrive, Davis was surprised. When the city sent a delinquent bill that carried with it $800 in penalties, Davis was even more shocked. When he attempted to appeal it, the citys Finance Department denied his request a decision Davis, a former deputy attorney general of Virginia, said may violate state codes. Now, he is fighting back. My main concern is to see this process to the end for the sake of all the people who may have been incorrectly charged a penalty and interest, Davis said. Many of whom are old. Several are infirm. Several have serious family medical problems and all kinds of things to deal with and they cant do this. They cant. From the West End to Church Hill to the South Side, Richmonders across the city have reported issues with sending and receiving their mail. It either arrives late or not at all. The problem which the Government Accountability Office says has grown exponentially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a strain on folks who rely on the system, especially those who need their medications or, in Davis case, their bills. And it appears no one is safe. Richmond City Council member Reva Trammell, who represents South Sides 8th District, said the citys Department of Public Utilities threatened to turn off her water because of missed payments. Trammell had mailed in checks months prior. They never made it to City Hall. It doesnt matter that Im a council person or just a regular citizen, we expect to have our mail. We expect it to be delivered and we expect it to go out when you take it to the post office, Trammell said. Then who gets penalized? Our seniors, our veterans. They get penalized. A postal service fiasco Resident outcry led several city, state and federal political figures to demand the U.S. Postal Service answer why there are problems and what it is doing to resolve them. In a letter crafted in mid-December to the Virginia district manager of the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-Va., and Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, asked the office to host a town hall meeting to address concerned residents regarding their postal service concerns. While the letter cites countless stories of mail delays from constituents, Philip Bogenberger, a spokesperson with the USPS in Richmond, said the department is committed to delivering every piece of mail and that most city routes are running normally. There were some instances recently where the regular carrier was out for an extended period, which caused sporadic mail delivery on some routes, Bogenberger stated in an email. We implemented contingency plans such as using substitute carriers, seasonal employees and carriers from other offices. Richmonds response to taxpayers When Davis received his delinquent notice, he traveled to City Hall to pay off his bill. He had resigned himself to take the loss and move on. Then, he spoke to his neighbors. They too reported not receiving their bills, and many of them also received delinquent notices. So he made another trip to City Hall in an attempt to reconcile the issue. The citys protocol is to fill out a waiver application with the citys Finance Department. In it, they list their name, address and a brief description as to why they believe their penalty should be waived. Davis submitted his waiver, which cited mail delivery issues, in mid-November. Sheila White, the citys finance director, responded in late December, days before Christmas. I have carefully considered your application, and regret that your neighborhood has had difficulties with delivering the mail. Nevertheless, the city complied with all applicable billing and advertising requirements and non-receipt of a tax bill does not relieve a taxpayer of fault for failure to pay taxes on time, White stated in a letter. Your request is denied. For Davis, the response came as a shock. With the noted ongoing mail delivery issues, he expected the city to be understanding, or at least sympathetic to his plight. Additionally, Davis alleges that the city is not in compliance with the Virginia state code, which states: penalty and interest for failure to ... pay a tax shall not be imposed if such failure was not the fault of the taxpayer, or was the fault of ... the U.S. Postal Service. The Times-Dispatch submitted a Freedom of Information Act requesting the Richmond Finance Department provide redacted waiver application documents citing mail delivery issues as well as whether they were accepted or denied. Despite Virginia state FOIA laws dictating the city provide the documents, the department responded, This is a no. Colette McEachin, commonwealths attorney for the city of Richmond, said that while the law recognizes that penalties cannot be accrued to residents not at fault, the resident must prove that they did not receive the mail which can be a difficult feat given the nature of the system. I dont have control over those departments, but I would assume that they would say, all right, Mr. Davis, you are saying the reason you didnt pay the bill on time is because you didnt receive the notice that we sent you or on a timely basis, prove it. I cant imagine what Mr. Davis can do or not do to prove it, McEachin said. Because youre trying to prove something you dont have any control of ... Something didnt happen. How do you prove something didnt happen? The citys Finance Department did not respond to requests to comment on its denial process regarding mail delivery issues. While the department denied Davis request, other city officials have differing opinions. Andreas Addison, 2nd District council member, said he has received numerous calls from constituents claiming they did not receive their tax bills. Additionally, given the citys recent ongoing tax collection issues, he said there needs to be greater transparency with the citys residents and better processes in place. 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. Recently, several restaurant owners have come forward citing 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. We are the only jurisdiction in the area that is abiding by this whole its the residents, its the businesses, fault, Addison said. Its their responsibility to know what they owe, and I feel like thats really short-sighted. Trammell said there is a disconnect between residents and City Hall. If someone misses a payment because they did not receive their bill, Trammell says they should be shown some grace. Theres too many people talking about it all over the city, she said. Do citizens matter anymore? What used to be wrong is right, and what used to be right is wrong. While several on the City Council share frustrations with residents, their powers are limited as their role as council members does not leave them much room to enforce change in City Hall or ensure proper mail delivery. Change on the horizon? As Davis continues to fight the issue, his next course of action will be to appeal his denial application with Richmond Circuit Court, which he plans to do soon. If approved, his case will set a precedent for others who have experienced similar issues. McEachin said her office is waiting to see whether the Virginia district manager of the U.S. Postal Service will comply with lawmakers request to hold a town hall meeting on Friday to address the problem. As for the citys ongoing tax collection issues, the city has had little input as to how it plans to address them. But a state Senate bill, introduced by Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, could offer some guidance. If approved, the bill would provide that no interest will accrue on any unpaid balances 90 days after the date on which a taxpayer files an application for correction by the locality, an administrative appeal or an application to court for meals taxes, until such appeal is resolved. It would also create notice procedures prior to a locality making a levy on property due to delinquent tax payments. Until then, residents can continue to submit appeals in hopes of receiving financial relief. Were all supposed to hold people who make decisions and exercise power accountable, Davis said. Otherwise, nothing works. So thats what Im doing. From the Archives: Scenes from Church Hill Church Hill 0313_POD_hurricanehazel002 0528_POD_Church Hill 1020_POD_Church Hill Cycling Jefferson Park Hill old trinity methodist Patrick Henry carriages Noldes Bread Historic Richmond Church Hill Christmas 20170204_FEA_POD_snowDONE.JPG WRVA Horse Church Hill Church Hill Church Hill POD_0906_Church Hill Despite being in the depths of winter, heat has been in the news. This past week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that 2023 was the fifth warmest year on record in the United States. The four years that were warmer than 2023 have all come since 2012. The nationally averaged temperature was 54.4 degrees, about 2.4 degrees warmer than the average temperature over the entire 20th century, and it was the 27th consecutive year that was warmer than the 20th century average. No part of the continental United States was near normal or even cooler than normal. With the exception of West Virginia, every state east of the Mississippi River had one of its 10 hottest years on record. Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas all had their hottest years. During the peak of the June heat in Texas, Rio Grande City and Del Rio each reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit and San Angelo reached 114 F, establishing new all-time records for heat in all of those cities. On Friday, NOAA and NASA jointly reported that 2023 was the warmest year on record globally. Using data from proxy records such as tree rings, ocean sediments, and polar ice cores, suggests it was the warmest year since the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago. The consistently warming climate, primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels for energy, remains the primary driver for the increase in temperature over the past few decades. Carbon dioxide emissions continue to climb and have now reached 421 parts per million in the atmosphere, an increase of 33 percent since direct observations began in 1958. Although the amount may sound small, a little carbon dioxide goes a long way in warming the atmosphere. By comparison, the concentration of ozone in the middle atmosphere is even smaller, yet it absorbs nearly all of the highest energy ultraviolet rays from the sun, making life on land possible. This year was expected by many in the scientific community to be among the five warmest on record globally, so there has been some discussion about what put 2023 over the top. Extra water vapor in the stratosphere from a volcanic eruption, lower-polluting shipping fuels in the North Atlantic Ocean and the periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean called El Nino have all been tossed around as reasons that earth's temperature got an extra nudge. In addition to the heat in the United States, the exceedingly warm and dry spring in Canada led to its largest fire season on record. More than twice the area was burned compared to the previous record in 1995. And several times during the spring and summer, winds brought that wildfire smoke into the United States, creating some of the most visceral images of the year and the worst air pollution in decades. While such a season should not be considered a new normal, it is consistent with what the scientific community understands about the warming climate. In the absence of something huge, like a massive volcanic eruption akin to Mount Pinatubo in 1991, the average temperature for 2024 will probably be in the same ballpark as the last few years. Whether it exceeds the temperature for 2023 is debatable. But either way, it does not change the general path of the warming climate. Just like every spring day is not warmer than the previous one, summer always comes. And even if 2024 is not warmer than 2023, the general warming trend will continue. A more daunting question, given the extra jump in temperature last year, is whether the warming is accelerating. But it will take a few more years before we know for sure. Sean Sublette is the chief meteorologist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. From wildfires to floods, photos reveal intensity of climate change in 2023 The admission from the Prince William County Office of Elections comes a week after prosecutors from Virginia's Office of the Attorney General dropped charges against the county's former registrar, Michele White. Counts were also off in races for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, though by lesser margins. In a statement, the county's current registrar, Eric Olsen, emphasized that the mistakes did not come close to affecting the outcome of any race and did not consistently favor one party or candidate but were likely due to a lack of proper planning, a difficult election environment, and human error. In the presidential race, the county mistakenly shorted Biden by 1,648 votes and overreported Trump's count by 2,327 votes. The 3,975-vote error in the margin of victory was immaterial in a contest that Biden won by 450,000 votes in Virginia and by more than 60,000 votes in Prince William. In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Mark Warner was shorted by 1,589 votes, and Republican Daniel Gade was shorted by 107 votes. Warner won statewide by more than 500,000 votes. And in a U.S. House race, Republican Robert Wittman was shorted by 293 votes. He won by more than 80,000. The details released Thursday were the first extensive response about the errors since White was initially charged in 2022 with corrupt conduct, making a false statement and neglect of duty. Prosecutors from the office of Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares dropped the charges against White with little explanation, and court records lacked details on the alleged misconduct. Only on Thursday did it even become public which candidates benefited from the mistakes. Olsen said Thursday that he was restricted from being more forthcoming about the errors while the criminal case was litigated. In a phone interview, Olsen said the majority of errors occurred in so-called split precincts, in which one precinct is home to two different congressional districts. The county's voting system did not split the presidential vote by congressional district. The state system required them to be split that way. The errors occurred trying to conform the county data with the state requirements, he said. Other mistakes highlighted faults in the county's validation process. For example, Olsen said he first discovered the mistakes when he noticed that precincts 607 and 608 displayed identical presidential votes. Someone had entered one precinct's data into the other by mistake. It seemed like an obvious typo, said Olsen, who replaced White as registrar and eventually reported the irregularities under his predecessor to state officials. The case against White is the only criminal prosecution brought thus far by a special Election Integrity Unit that Miyares formed in 2022. Miyares office said the unit was created in part to fulfill a campaign promise because Virginians expressed concerns to him about our elections as he traveled across the Commonwealth. Critics, including the NAACP, said the unit was formed to pander to election deniers. White's attorney, Zachary Stafford, said the allegations that White was responsible for the incorrect numbers were disproven by pretrial statements from a government witness, and that prosecutors wisely dropped the charges. He said the county's Electoral Board is the one that certified the election results, and White became a scapegoat. The board certified incorrect results and they, and the attorney generals office, attempted to assign blame to Ms. White for their mistakes, Stafford said in a written statement. Virginia's most recent redistricting has dramatically reduced the number of split precincts that caused Prince William problems in 2020. Olsen says new procedures and systems are in place to prevent errors. "Mistakes are unfortunate but require diligence and innovation to correct. They do not reflect a purposeful attempt to undermine the integrity of the electoral process and the investigation into this matter ended with that conclusion," he said in a statement. Municipality requests legal notification of PDC beachfront hotel resolution Playa del Carmen, Q.R. The Municipality of Solidaridad is moving forward with its challenge of a recent ruling in favor of a beachfront hotel. Maria de Lourdes Barrios Ocampo, Secretary of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change says the municipal government has requested legal notification of the resolution. The ongoing dispute began after the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) put a stop to their beach sand dumping project in November of 2022. The hotel challenged the Profepa closure and lost, however, they have since been awarded a go-ahead. Ocampo says the municipality has requested legal notification of that resolution from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). She says the municipality wants to see the resolution granted to the Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen hotel to recover its concessioned coastline and, if applicable, nullify that resolution. Ocampo reported that the federal authority has to be part of the project so that they can give their technical opinion. She says it is not possible for the hotel to carry out isolated work in the federal zone since it will inevitably affect other areas. Ocampo also noted that their solution to the beach erosion removing sand from one end of the beach and placing it in front of their hotel is only a temporary one since any added sand will simply wash away again in a few months. If you allow Alltra to carry out these recovery actions on its beach where it has a concession, taking sand from one place to put it in another, we know that it will not work because after a few months, that sand will be gone again, she said. Ocampo says studies are being done to combat erosion on Playa El Recodo in central Playa del Carmen with the placement of breakwaters. She says those studies are pending because they must be carried out on specific dates. Normally, wave and tide studies are done in the first months of the year. We hope that in March the tide will go down a little so we can see how El Recodo behaves and how the other beaches behave and to be able to do complete studies of currents and tides, she explained. This will help us to know the viability of the breakwaters in certain points of this beach to achieve a comprehensive project and not affect other areas such as Fundadores she said. Semi driver involved in serious Jose Maria Morelos highway accident flees scene Jose Maria Morelos, Q.R. A collision between a car and semi has sent three to hospital in serious condition. Passing motorists came upon the accident scene at kilometer 155 of the Jose Maria Morelos-Polyuc federal highway early Friday afternoon and called emergency services. From the wreckage, paramedics found a 37-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man and a 3-year-old girl. The 32-year-old male driver was trapped behind the wheel and required the assistance of firemen to cut him free. The 32-year-old male driver had to be cut from the car using the Jaws of Life. Photo: January 12, 2024. All three from inside the car were residents of Jose Maria Morelos. They were rushed to hospital in serious condition after colliding nearly head-on with a semi. The semi unit alleged involved in the accident was found abandoned several kilometers from the scene. Photo: January 12, 2024. Transit Police responding to the 1:35 p.m. report of the accident arrived to find only one vehicle. The semi believed involved in the accident was located several kilometers away abandoned on the side of the highway. Police continue to investigate the official cause of the accident while they search for the driver of the semi. Zoning authorities cleared a national operator of drug treatment centers to open its second Roanoke location with a full suite of medications available to treat substance use disorders including addiction to opioids, which are involved in a high number of fatal overdoses locally. The Roanoke Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday authorized Acadia Healthcare Co. to open a mental health and substance abuse treatment clinic at 1529 Williamson Road. Some area residents express concern to board members it would not be a good fit for the neighborhood. But the measure passed 5-1, with one board member out. Member Sue Agresta voted no without explanation, while board member Andrew Raduly voted yes and personally thanked Acadia representatives. I commend your effort for what youre trying to do for the city because its a tremendously big need in our city, Raduly said. He added that he wished the services could be offered in southeast Roanoke. In 2022, Roanoke posted the states third highest rate of fatal drug overdoses per 100,000 people. Petersburg led the state, followed by Richmond, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Coroners recorded 123 deaths in the city last year as fatal drug overdoses; of the total, 106 died after ingesting opioids. Typically deemed accidents, the death figures also included suicides and homicides if any occurred. Acadia operates 151 outpatient centers and a variety of inpatient and specialized treatment center and describes itself as the nations leading publicly traded provider of behavioral health care. The company earned $280 million on revenue of $2.6 billion in 2022, according to a report to regulators. It is based in Franklin, Tenn. It operates two area facilities, the Roanoke Comprehensive Treatment Center at 3208 Hershberger Road, an outpatient facility, and Mount Regis Center in Salem, an inpatient center. Acadia needs a second center in Roanoke because its Hershberger center, to which the city granted a business license in 2003, has 950 active patients and is at capacity, said Brett Lechleitner, a regional vice president at Acadia. We have completely exhausted the facility at this point and we want to add a secondary facility, he said. Acadia offers voluntary outpatient treatment involving medication-assisted care, therapy and support services at the Hershberger center and will offer the same on Williamson Road, he said. The Williamson address was chosen because Acadia found an available building located in the general vicinity of where 200 of the Hershberger centers clients live, he said. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration asserts that a combination of medication and therapy can successfully treat substance use disorders, according to its website. Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone, the drugs Acadia clients can receive, treat disorders involving the ingestion of heroin, morphine, and codeine, as well as semi-synthetic opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone. These medications are safe to use for months, years, or even a lifetime, the federal government says. Acadia officials pledged to meet with residents and organizations about how treatment works, about the client base and about daily operations. Readying the facility will cost $800,000 to $1.2 million, according to Lechleitner. Unarmed guards will be on duty, which is required by law, he said. Two credit unions, one organized nearly a century ago in Richmond for state employees and the other founded a little more than 80 years ago in Roanoke for railway workers, have proposed a merger that would create Virginias third largest credit union. Member One Federal Credit Union, based in Roanoke, and the larger Virginia Credit Union in Richmond announced Thursday they will seek regulatory approval to merge, as well as approval from members of the Roanoke credit union. Member One had 151,494 members and total deposits of $1.42 billion as of the most recent quarterly data compiled by the National Credit Union Administration. It is the largest credit union by members and deposits in the Roanoke region, according to NCUA data. Virginia Credit Union had 325,784 members and total deposits of $4.45 billion in September, the NCUA reported. No employees would lose their jobs and no branch locations would close as a result of the merger, a statement from Member One and VACU said. Though the companies do hedge a bit on branch closings: At this time, there are no plans for any branch closures, a statement noted. If successful, the merged institution would have 37 branch locations and $6.8 billion in assets, placing it in the top 50 largest credit unions in the nation, the statement said. This partnership represents the heart of the credit union industrys cooperative mind-set, Chris Shockley, president/CEO, VACU, stated. Fundamentally, credit unions came into existence when people saw an opportunity to band together and pool their financial resources in order to provide access to financial products and services to people who needed them. Shockley would remain president/CEO of the combined credit union. Member One President/CEO Frank Carter would stay with the organization as an executive until his retirement. The merger, after approvals, would happen in mid-2024, with full integration of systems continuing into 2025. 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"Out of an abundance of caution amid severe weather advisories, Team Trump is announcing an adjusted schedule for this weekend ahead of the Iowa Caucus on Monday, January 15," the campaign said. Previously, Trump was scheduled to appear at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City at 6 p.m., Saturday. Then, Sunday, Trump had a "Commit to Caucus Rally" set for 4 p.m., Sunday at the Little Sioux Event Center in Cherokee. The campaign sent out advisories saying there will be a 7 p.m. Saturday "telerally" featuring Trump and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. On Sunday, Trump will now make an in-person stop at Simpson College in Indianola and hold a 5 p.m. "telerally" with Iowa Rep. Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton). "Our volunteer grassroots team is as mobilized as ever and ready to bring home a historic win for President Trump on Monday, January 15," the campaign said. "Nothing will keep our people from showing up to caucus for President Trump!" Monday, the day of the caucuses, which are expected to be the coldest since the modern format began in 1972, the Trump team has a noon "telerally," as well as a 1 p.m. visit to Ankeny (with Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle) and a 1 p.m. meet and greet in Fort Dodge. The Ankeny appearance is billed as a "MAGA Event" while the latter is "Team Trump Iowa Campaign." Thursday evening, the campaign for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley canceled an in-person event set for 2:30 p.m., Friday at the Wells Visitor Center & Ice Parlor in Le Mars and rescheduled it with a "telephone town hall" which allowed people to call in and hear from the candidate. During the discussion, Haley heard questions about: the use of eminent domain for carbon-capture pipelines (she called herself a fighter of eminent domain), a future pandemic response (Haley suggested getting the U.S. out of the World Health Organization) and student loan forgiveness (she opposes the idea). Trump and Haley weren't the only candidates who had to reschedule because of the severe snow and blustery winds. The "Never Back Down" Super PAC, which supports Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, postponed a pair of Friday morning stops in Clear Lake and Marshalltown because of the weather conditions there. DeSantis was able to make it to Le Mars Thursday afternoon and joked to a crowd of about 50 people that he left his winter coat back in Florida. Earlier in the week, Haley had to cancel a Monday stop in Sioux City because of the single-day record-breaking snow seen then. The campaign for Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy criticized Haley for the cancellation but later had to drop a Tuesday morning event saying it was "effectively impossible to safely get from Des Moines to Coralville." Trump last stumped in Northwest Iowa on Friday, Jan. 5 when he said of the shooting in Perry, Iowa "We have to get over it. We have to move forward." The shooting left two dead (including the 17-year-old shooter) and seven others injured. Throughout the speech, Trump repeatedly urged attendees to go and caucus and said it showed strength. The National Weather Service's forecast for caucus night in Sioux City calls for mostly clear skies with a low around -13 degrees. SIOUX CITY The folks at The Warming Shelter in Sioux City are making sure everyone has a safe, warm place to stay as brutally cold temperatures rolled into the tri-state area. Shayla Moore, executive director of The Warming Shelter in downtown Sioux City, said the facility was "pretty packed full." "We dont technically have a number where we say that we are at capacity. I would say that if there were a number, were pretty close," Moore said. "We are fitting in as many people as we can in our day shelter. All of our bunks are full. All of our family rooms are full. Last nights numbers, we were close to 150 people staying with us." The shelter has been working with local partners to get food for those staying. It is not common for the shelter to provide meals since it has no kitchen. "When it is this cold, we work with our board and get churches to help us come up with the money to get some meals provided when we know that our folks wont be able to comfortably or safely make it down to the Soup Kitchen," Moore said. Snow cleanup Chuck Knight and his wife Andrea Knight clear the snow out of their driveway at their home on Stoneridge Parkway in Sioux City Saturday. Snow cleanup A snow plow carves a path up Pierce Street at the corner of 20th Street Saturday in Sioux City. The Gospel Mission had some extra food they donated Friday night to feed the crowd. Moore said food has been procured for dinners on Saturday and Sunday. "Weve actually been really lucky." Saturday morning the staff was pitching in to get some things together for breakfast and lunch. They know that our folks just cant make it wherever they need to go to get food. Winter blizzard A city snowplow driver works to dig out the intersection of Fourth and Pearl Streets in near blizzard conditions Friday. Snow storm Friday Donathan Endries, left, and Simon Gonzalez shovel snow out of a driveway along Stone Park Boulevard in Sioux City Friday. White-out conditions on Saturday made travel dangerous around Siouxland. "Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle," the National Weather Service said in a statement. Winds gusting to 43 mph made the temperature of -9 feel like -39 Saturday. The National Weather Service forecast patchy, blowing snow for Sunday with highs near -9 and lows around -13. With winds out of the west northwest at 10-20 mph, the wind chill will be -43. A blizzard warning for most of Siouxland was set to expire midnight Sunday. A wind chill warning will remain in effect until noon Tuesday, according to the NWS. A blizzard warning was issued by the NWS for the southeastern and south-central portions of South Dakota, and a winter weather advisory has been issued for the majority of the state. The shelter is seeing that people stay safe in this cold. We let anybody and everybody in, even people that have been restricted from the shelter, Moore said. We do still prioritize safety and we have zero tolerance for any unsafe behaviors. We want them to be safe. We dont want their safety or their life to be in jeopardy. Most of the time those folks that have been restricted they come in and usually we see pretty low-key, decent behaviors and they are able to stay the amount of time necessary to get through this serious cold. Moore praised her staff for stepping up in this emergency. Our staff is absolutely incredible. This is the best staff that weve had ever since I started at the shelter as a part-time staff member five years ago. Snow cleanup A snow plow clears the bank on the side of Morningside Avenue on Jan. 13. Sioux City officials say there is plenty of money in the budget to p Snow cleanup A snow plow drives up Morningside Avenue Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa, Jan. 13, 2024. And there are volunteers with four-wheel drive vehicles willing to go pick up staff members who dont feel comfortable driving to work in these hazardous conditions. Our staff has been showing up. Theyve been trudging their way through the snow. They are just the greatest, most wonderful people that we could ever ask for to be in these roles because they really, truly care and they are making sure we are able to keep running even in these terrible conditions, Moore said. The deep freeze is expected to continue through at least Monday. Monday's high is predicted to hit -4 with a low of -11. Many churches, especially those outside of the Sioux City metro, canceled Sunday services due to extreme weather conditions. Dangerously cold wind chills can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, according to the NWS. China makes headway in building county-level medical consortia Xinhua) 10:05, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- In its ongoing effort to improve grassroots healthcare infrastructure and accessibility, China has made significant strides in developing closely integrated medical and health consortia at the county level. In 2019, the National Health Commission (NHC) launched a medical consortia pilot program, which has seen the participation of 828 county-level regions across the country to date, Fu Wei, an NHC official told a press conference on Friday. The program aims to establish a triage system that is led by county-level hospitals and improve the capacity of medical and health institutions at the township and village levels. The end goal is to ensure that common diseases are treated at the city or county level while routine health concerns are managed at the grassroots level, according to the NHC. Over the past five years, China has seen improvements in its county-level medical resource distribution, medical services and overall service capacity at the county level, Fu said. The Chinese government recently released a comprehensive set of guidelines in this regard, setting the goal of ensuring that medical consortia "basically achieve full coverage" in all county-level regions by the end of 2027. ENHANCED SERVICE Luxian County in Sichuan Province, southwest China, started to pilot county-level medical consortia reform in 2019. According to Ma Jinyu, the county's deputy head, three such consortia have been created in the county based on local features, as well as the public's needs. With the development of such medical consortia, measures, such as analysis and discussion on complicated cases and personnel training, have been made to direct personnel, technology, services and management to the primary level, said Ma. People are now able to enjoy better quality medical services at the grassroots, Ma noted. In 2023, the number of patients referred to branch hospitals from general hospitals saw a 61-percent year-on-year increase, he said, adding that general hospitals have assisted branch hospitals with remote consultation, imaging diagnosis, and ECG diagnostics, among others. The development of the consortia allows for more sophisticated medical services for the people, according to Ma. For example, patients with specific requirements can pay bills and fees at branch hospitals before undergoing exams or tests at general hospitals, reducing their financial load and waiting time. POLICY SUPPORT Fu noted at the press conference that government support will be necessary for this endeavor, highlighting the central government's financial support for rural medical services and institutions as well as local governments' preference for grassroots medical institutions when allocating new financial expenditure on health. The government also introduced medical bill reimbursement policies that encourage people to use grassroots medical services. For example, differentiated medical insurance payment policies have been implemented for medical institutions at different levels in terms of inpatient services, said Huang Xinyu, an official with the National Healthcare Security Administration. Speaking at the press conference, he noted that the lower the level of the medical institution, the higher the reimbursement rate and the lower the deductible. According to the NHC, the purpose of establishing closely integrated medical and health consortia at the county level is to systematically reorganize and optimize the allocation of medical resources within counties. Accordingly, the initiative requires efforts to optimize medical resources in county-level areas and to make quality medical workers, technologies and services more accessible at the county level, Fu said. She said that authorities in charge of healthcare and medical institutions at the county level should enhance their capability of serving residents, including strengthening cooperation with urban hospitals for better handling of major diseases, medical emergencies and other issues, expanding family doctor services, and making it more convenient for patients to be examined at grassroots medical institutions and diagnosed at higher-level institutions. "County-level areas constitute the foundation of the national governance system. If each county has a well-established integrated medical and health consortia, the foundation of the grassroots network becomes more solid, therefore, providing a robust basis for building a healthy China," Fu said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) The United States and Britain defended the legality at the UN Security Council, Friday, their strikes against Yemen's Houthis for attacking Red Sea shipping while Russia and China accused the Western allies of raising regional tensions. Russia called the U.S. and British operation disproportionate and illegal. Other countries expressed concerns that the U.S. and British strikes against 28 locations would stoke regional tensions, already high over Israel's offensive against Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamists. The exchanges came during a Security Council debate on the U.S. and British operation carried out after months of drone and missile attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis, who seized much of Yemen in a civil war, say their attacks are in support of Hamas. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the strikes by the U.S. and Britain, part of a U.S.-led multinational naval coalition, were consistent with international law and the U.N. Charter. The operation was designed "to disrupt and degrade the Houthis' ability to continue the reckless attacks against vessels and commercial shipping," she said. The United States, she continued, would continue pursuing a diplomatic response while seeking to defend commercial shipping. More than 2,000 ships have been forced by the Houthi attacks to divert from the Red Sea since November. "We took limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defense alongside the United States with the non-operational support of the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain and Australia," said British Ambassador Susan Woodward. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia charged that the U.S and British strikes violated international law and raised regional tensions. "It's one thing defending commercial shipping, attacks on which are unacceptable, but another when you're disproportionately and illegally bombing another state," he said. Zhang Jun, China's U.N. envoy, said the Security Council had not authorized the use of force against Yemen. The U.S. and British operation "not only caused infrastructure destruction and civilian casualties, but have also resulted in heightened security risks in the Red Sea," he said. (Reuters) SLOAN, Iowa Travel was not advised on any Northwest Iowa highways Saturday morning due to blowing snow conditions, with roadways completely covered in snow. In every Northwest Iowa county, towing is not recommended Saturday due to the weather, according to the Iowa 511 website. "Stay home where its warm," the Sioux County Sheriffs Office wrote in a Facebook post. The northbound lane of Interstate 29 near Sloan was blocked Saturday due to a multi-vehicle crash, according to Iowa 511. Near Akron, Highway 3 was blocked in both directions due to a stalled vehicle. Akron Fire Rescue posted on its Facebook page at 11 a.m., Saturday, "We do have a few people trapped in vehicles on HWY 3. As a last resort we are looking for people with snowmobiles who would be willing to help with a rescue if needed. Please contact us on messenger and we will start a list. Hopefully the DOT will get to them with blowers but we want to be prepared if needed. Thanks!!" The post has been shared more than 200 times and has received more than a dozen comments including a subsequent statement from Akron Fire Rescue at 11:52 a.m. saying "as of now we think the DOT will get to them." SOUTH SIOUX CITY Roads are closed in most of Northeast Nebraska due to blowing snow conditions. Highways in the vicinity of South Sioux City, including U.S. 75 and U.S. 20, remained technically open Saturday afternoon, but travel is not advised on any of them, as the roads are completely covered with blowing and drifting snow, according to the Nebraska 511 website. The South Sioux City Police Department wrote on Facebook Saturday that city plows were out for a time, but due to high winds the plows were unable to keep streets open, as they drifted shut as soon as they were plowed. Please do not travel unless necessary. We have people stuck on roads where officers can not even get their vehicles, the South Sioux City Police Department wrote on Facebook Saturday. Father to the west and south of South Sioux City, roadways are closed, including U.S. 20 west of Jackson, Highway 12, Highway 35, Highway 9, Highway 15, Highway 94 and Highway 16, according to Nebraska 511. SIOUX CITY -- Woodbury County officials are encouraging people to stay home and avoid travel unless "absolutely necessary" Friday night. Plowing throughout the county is halted until Saturday morning. The Woodbury County Sheriff's Office, Woodbury County Engineer and Woodbury County Emergency Management released a joint statement late Friday afternoon, advising residents that poor visibility and drifting snow are making travel difficult. Woodbury County Sheriff's Office Lt. Don Armstrong said there has been a rise in accidents since Friday afternoon. "We have already seen a number of vehicles slide off of roadways and we want to encourage citizens to avoid unnecessary travel risks at this time by staying off roadways," he said. Plowing throughout Woodbury County has been dedicated to keeping the busiest routes clear, causing less traveled areas and gravel roads to see snow accumulation and drifting, according to the release. Snow removal on county roads will stop at 5 p.m. on Friday and resume at 6 a.m. on Saturday unless the low visibility continues to be too dangerous for equipment operators. "Secondary roads staff will continue to be available to respond to emergencies with emergency responders," according to the release. The National Weather Service is warning that ground blizzard conditions are expected Friday night into Monday. Significant blowing and drifting snow is expected with wind gusts between 30 and 50 mph throughout Friday night. Constant phone calls from desperate pet owners. Hallways full of temporary dog crates. Fewer adoptions. Animal shelters across the U.S. are overwhelmed and overflowing. With more workers heading back to the office and pet essentials like food and veterinary care prices swelling, the number of unwanted dogs has climbed. Stray dogs taken in by shelters have risen 6% in the January to November period compared to 2022 and are up about 22% since 2021, according to Shelter Animals Count, which surveys nearly 7,000 shelters nationally. Some have started to turn animals away. Shelters are quite literally at crisis and some of them are making the decision to close their doors or reduce hours of operation or reduce the kind of animals that they bring in, said Stephanie Filer, the organizations executive director. While older dogs have long been at risk of losing their homes, Filer said this year theres also been a big increase in puppies and purebred dogs arriving at shelters. 2024's Top Guard Dogs For Enhanced Home Security According to recent surveys, over half of Americans do not feel safe in their own homes due to factors like home invasions. While security sys The dip in adoptions along with the rise in dog intake at shelters marks a stark reversal from the surge in adoptions of dogs and cats seen during the pandemic. The U.S. pet population rose 6% in 2020 and 4% in 2021, according to the pet health care company IDEXX Laboratories Inc. Historically, growth is around 1% annually. Animal Care Centers of NYC New York Citys largest animal shelter announced in October that it was no longer accepting dog surrenders at any of its locations due to a population crisis. Were having to create space in a way that we havent had to before, Zoe Kenney of Animal Care Centers of NYC said in December. While the shelter is once again accepting surrenders, too many dogs lead to enclosures that are roughly half the shelters preferred size and popup kennels in hallways and offices. Kenney, who connects owners in need with resources like veterinary care, says she can get as many as 20 calls a day from owners looking to surrender their pets. One of the biggest reasons stems from landlord disputes and pet restrictions, she said, but the other is financial insecurity. Sometimes people are choosing between putting food on their plate and putting food on their pets plate, Kenney said. The cumulative burden of higher costs for everything from groceries to rent has strained many families budgets, and for some, the added expense of a pet is just too much. Dog owners paid an average of $344 annually for veterinary visits, $354 for food and $315 for boarding in 2022, according to the American Pet Products Association. Meanwhile, the end of pandemic-era eviction restrictions has provided landlords the ability to enforce pet policies. Some apartments bar dogs altogether while others have bans on those of a certain size or breed. In an effort to keep animals with their owners, the Humane Society of the United States has been pushing for housing policies that are welcoming to dogs and cats. California, for instance, passed a law in 2022 to incentivize the development of lower-income housing that allows pets. Strained finances and the slump in dog adoptions have extended to pet products retailers as well. Petco Health & Wellness Co. Chief Executive Officer Ron Coughlin said the company is switching out its selection of brands, bringing in nationally recognized value brands for food and treats. The top executive of the online pet retailer Chewy Inc., which cut its guidance for full-year net sales, underscored that the companys value proposition continues to resonate loudly with consumers in the companys latest earnings call. In Atlanta, grocery store manager Matthew Garbett found a 50-pound Labrador mix tied to a telephone pole at his store, abandoned. He took the dog home temporarily where he had two small dogs already and spent eight months trying to find a home for the dog, including by calling shelters and animal control. People are obviously giving up dogs at an incredible rate, said Garbett, 49, who finally was able to find a shelter that would accept the dog. Its clearly appalling that someone gave up on this dog and just literally tied it to a telephone pole. The MSPCA-Angell, a Massachusetts nonprofit, accepted about 5,000 animals from other shelters that had no more room last year, according to Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at the organization. The stress of an overcrowded shelter can make the animals harder to handle and harder to place, said Kenney of Animal Care Centers of NYC. MSPCA-Angells Keiley says many shelters cant walk their dogs at all when over capacity. Others have to house dogs in groups rather than individually. Deaths in shelters have also increased. The number of non-live outcomes for dogs jumped 27% from 2022 and 78% from 2021, according to data from Shelter Animals Count for the January to November period. Its a national dog crisis, Keiley said. Theres so many compounding forces that are creating this perfect storm right now. Drip for dogs: The coolest dog sweaters to keep your pup warm 1. Spark Paws Cotton Candy Dog Hoodie 2. Little Beast Ella x Lisa Says Gah Sweater 3. Good Thomas Happy Days Pullover 4. Verloop Sound Wave Dog Sweater 5. Gooby Half Stretch Fleece Vest NEW YORK Donald Trump is seizing on his partys frustration with the recent surge of illegal crossings at the southern U.S. border to churn up fears around another top GOP concern voter fraud. In the final stretch before Iowas caucuses Monday, the former Republican president has repeatedly suggested that Democrats are encouraging migrants to flow into the country illegally in order to register them to vote in the 2024 election. The unsupported claim, which Trump and other Republicans have carted out in past election years, is resonating with voters who agree that security is lacking at both the border and the polls. Experts say it also can be damaging, giving undue traction to false stereotypes and extremist ideologies such as the racist great replacement theory. The GOP frontrunner flicked at the idea of Democrats registering unauthorized migrants to vote at least twice last weekend in Iowa. I think they really are doing it because they want to sign these people up to vote. I really do, Trump said in Mason City on Jan. 5. They cant speak a word of English for the most part, but theyre signing them up. The comments came after he posted recently on his Truth Social platform that crazed Democrats are allowing unvetted migrants into the country so they can vote, vote vote. His message is welcome to some of Trump's Iowa supporters who are still angry about the outcome of the 2020 election. Trump continues to promote the lie that widespread fraud cost him reelection, despite multiple audits, reviews and recounts in the battleground states where he disputed the results, dozens of failed legal challenges and his own attorney general saying there was no evidence to back up the claims. Michell Harvilla, awaiting Trump's appearance in Clinton, Iowa, on Jan. 6, said she absolutely believes Democrats favor allowing people into the country illegally to influence the 2024 election. I fully believe the last one was rigged, said the 58-year-old middle school library and media director, who caucused for Ted Cruz in 2016 but voted for Trump twice. Billionaire Elon Musk also has pushed the narrative on his social media platform X in recent days, claiming that Democrats are importing voters. These claims ignore the facts around noncitizen voting in federal elections, which is illegal and remains exceedingly rare even as it is thoroughly scrutinized, according to Sean Morales-Doyle, director of voting rights at the Brennan Center for Justice. Anyone registering to vote in the U.S. must attest under penalty of perjury that they are a U.S. citizen, Morales-Doyle said. Lying is punishable by fines, imprisonment and deportation, he said such steep penalties that very few people are willing to accept the risk. On top of that, federal law requires states to regularly maintain their voter rolls and remove anyone ineligible, a process that identifies immigrants living in the country illegally. Even with this and other vetting processes in place, only a small number of noncitizen voters have been uncovered evidence that Trump's theory has no teeth, Morales-Doyle said. In 2017, the Brennan Center examined 42 local jurisdictions around the country in the 2016 election, including some of the most populous counties in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. Of 23.5 million votes cast, election officials found only about 30 cases of potential noncitizen voting that they referred for prosecution or further investigation. More recent investigations also havent shown proof of widespread noncitizen voting. A Georgia audit of its voter rolls conducted in 2022 found fewer than 2,000 instances of noncitizens attempting to register to vote for 25 years, none of which succeeded. Millions of new Georgia voters registered during that period. Occasional instances in which noncitizens have been found to cast ballots illegally or attempted to register captured widespread attention, helping feed the narrative that they are voting in large numbers. Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Colorados secretary of state mistakenly sent postcards to about 30,000 noncitizens that encouraged them to register to vote, a problem apparently connected to the state's drivers license database. The office said no noncitizens would be allowed to register if they tried. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, an organization that encourages voter participation among Latinos, said it hasn't found evidence of noncitizens voting in its decades of advocacy work. Suggesting that non-English speakers are somehow less qualified to vote than other populations also is misleading, said Morales-Doyle. The Voting Rights Act bans voting discrimination against language minorities and builds in requirements for language assistance at the polls, he said. Federal law doesnt stop states or municipalities from granting noncitizens the right to vote in local races. Some have, among them several cities in Maryland and Vermont, while several states ban the practice. New York City passed a law in 2022 that would allow legally documented noncitizens and Dreamers to vote for mayor and other elected officials, but a judge blocked the move. On the flip side, some states and federal lawmakers have sought to require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when they register. But these efforts have been challenged by advocates and blocked by federal courts for the burden they impose on voters. MEXICO CITY In the center of a desolate and cold Plaza Mexico stadium, a young matador raises a red cape and leaps to the right as he gets charged not by a bull, but by a bulls head on a cart. A bellowing colleague is pushing the wheeled contraption to breathe a bit of realism into training in anticipation of bullfightings return to Mexico City. The traditional spectacle took a critical blow when a judge banned it in the city in June 2022. Now that the country's Supreme Court of Justice has overturned the ban, the capital that is home to what is billed as the world's largest bullfighting ring plans to host fiesta brava events once more. To know that the dream is even closer pushes me further, said Juan Esteban Arboleda Gomez, an aspiring bullfighter, or novillero, from Colombia who moved to the Mexican capital to pursue a career that the lower court's indefinite injunction delayed. Arboleda Gomez, who is known professionally as Juan Gomez Dynasty, is among thousands of people who struggled to make ends meet during the past year and a half. For them, and for fans of, the high court's ruling last month was a source of relief and celebration. No dates have been announced yet for new bullfights. But their expected resumption in Plaza Mexico has renewed the worries of animal rights activists. The hiatus stemmed from a legal complaint brought by the organization Justicia Justa, which alleged that bullfights created an unhealthy environment by subjecting Mexico City residents to violence and animal cruelty. Justicia Justa's push to end the controversial sport in Mexico, where it flourished for more than 500 years, is part of a global movement. While such fights are held in most of the country, they remain blocked by judicial measures in the states of Sinaloa, Guerrero, Coahuila and Quintana Roo, as well as in the western city of Guadalajara. Jorge Gavino, a member of the Mexico City Congress who has unsuccessfully pushed three local measures against bullfighting, said he considered the lifting of the court ban a blow for animal rights but said he was working with other groups to present new appeals to stop the practice. Its very complicated, but it doesnt discourage us because sooner or later were going to achieve the thing we set out to do. This is irreversible, Gavino said. He observed that bullfighting festivals have fewer and fewer followers because humans have learned to recognize the pain of other sentient creatures. Globally, around 180,000 bulls are killed in bullfights every year, and even more are killed or injured in connected events like bull parties, according to Humane Society International. The organization claims bulls suffer from a protracted death in the bullfighting arena, weakened and tormented both physically and mentally. At the same time, bullfighting generates 80,000 direct jobs, and 146,000 indirect jobs across the country, according to figures of the National Association of Breeders of Fighting Bulls in Mexico. Overall the industry generates approximately $400 million a year. Mexico Citys massive bullfighting ring, Plaza Mexico, is considered the cathedral of Mexican bullfighting and is one of the three main bullrings in the world along with Las Ventas in Madrid and La Maestranza in Spain's city of Seville. The bullfighting ban was railed against by fans like Daniel Salinas, a 63-year-old writer whose work has documented the more than 70 years of history in Plaza Mexico. On a recent day, he considered the empty plaza, which in its time would rumble with the cry of Ole! ringing out from some 40,000 people in the 50-foot-high stands. He said after watching the fights as a child, he was struck by the desolation of the famous ring. That they took away your right to come, well, the truth is that you feel your freedom has been curtailed, Salinas said. Four members of a Supreme Court panel ruled unanimously in the Dec. 6 ruling, which said the organization that brought the case didn't prove that the fights caused imminent and irreparable damage." The panel also held that prohibiting bullfights restricted the rights of people connected to the industry. DES MOINES Iowas Board of Medicine suggested changes to the proposed rules to carry out an Iowa law that bans abortions early in pregnancy, which remains blocked in court as the Iowa Supreme Court weighs its constitutionality. The law bans abortion once cardiac activity is detected in an embryo or fetus, which can be as early as six weeks. It includes exceptions for rape and incest and medical emergencies. A Polk County District Court judge temporarily blocked the law shortly after its passage this summer, but allowed the rulemaking process to move forward. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, signed the law last year after it was passed by legislative Republicans in a special session. Board members recommended a number of changes to the proposed rules after gathering feedback in a public hearing last week, where physicians raised concerns about the requirements placed on them and the impact on recruitment for OB-GYNs in the state. What do doctors need to know before performing an abortion? During a board meeting on Friday, members of the board expressed some hesitation about requiring physicians to obtain information to determine whether a pregnancy is the result of a rape or incest. According to the draft rules, physicians intending to perform an abortion after cardiac activity is detected must gather certain facts to determine whether the pregnancy was a result of a rape or incest. Those questions include the relationship between the patient and the perpetrator, whether the act constituted a rape under Iowa code, when the sex act occurred and whether the act was first reported to a separate agency or individual. Board members worried that doctors would have a hard time verifying those facts, and said those questions are generally not within the scope of a general doctors visit. My personal sentiment for really all of the rules is to try to adopt a set of rules that, to the extent possible, minimizes any interference, delay or undue extras into the physician-patient relationship to the extent possible, said board member Jason Myers. The board recommended changing the rules to indicate that a physician needs to use the information in their determination, but does not need to ask the patient each question in person. Some board members suggested the information could be obtained by a nurse or submitted on a form before the visit. Iowa Deputy Attorney General Leif Olson also said there is no burden on a physician to verify claims of rape or incest with a third party. According to the rules, doctors may rely on a good-faith assessment that the information provided by the pregnant woman is accurate. If its the sort of information that the physician would typically rely on that the patient were telling them the truth, and in good faith they think that the patient is doing so, they can proceed without having to call and get independent information or copies of other third-party documents to back up the womans story, he said. Who can attest to a rape or incest? The board recommended including in the rules that a parent or legal guardian can attest to the facts about a rape or incest in cases of abortion, rather than just the pregnant person. Board members said the change would make it more clear that a parent of a pregnant minor can provide the needed information to a physician in order to obtain an exception to the abortion ban. What are the definitions of 'woman' and 'unborn child?' Following the text of the law, the proposed rules refer to the pregnant person throughout as a woman. The board proposed extending the definition of woman in the rules to include a minor female child. Iowa Deputy Attorney General Leif Olson said laws governing abortion have historically used the term woman" to refer to the pregnant person, but they have been understood to mean both adults and minors. Doctors on the board, though, said the language does not match the medical terminology they generally use and wanted to clarify the rules also apply to people who have not reached adulthood. Board members also proposed defining the term unborn child as embryo or fetus. The law uses the term unborn child to refer to an embryo or fetus from the time of conception to birth, but the board members said that is not the term used in medical practice. How should the ultrasound be done? The board also recommended changing the type of ultrasound required by doctors to determine whether cardiac activity is present in a pregnancy. The law and draft rules use the term abdominal ultrasound, but board member Robert Donnelly, an OB-GYN, said an abdominal ultrasound is not what doctors use to determine a fetal heartbeat. Instead, he said the rules should require a transabdominal pelvic ultrasound. "If you order an abdominal ultrasound, then you're not going to get the pelvic structures," he said. "So you're not going to get the uterus and ovaries and that sort of thing." Whats next? The Board of Medicine will vote on the amended rules at a later date. If approved, they will go before the state Legislature's Administrative Rules Review Committee. If the committee does not object to the rules, they will become law after 35 days. Because of the injunction on the law, though, the rules will not be enforceable until the case is resolved. The Supreme Court fight over an abortion pill: What's next? Intro What is mifepristone? How did the case get started? How did the case get to the Supreme Court? What could happen next? A closer look Iowa Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird on Friday filed notice of appeal of a federal district courts decision to halt implementation of a law signed last year that bans books with descriptions or visual depictions of a list of sex acts from school libraries. When we send our kids to school, we trust that their innocence will be protected, Bird said in a statement. Iowas law is clear; sexually explicit books and materials have no place in our elementary school classrooms or libraries. As a mom, I share parents concerns and remain committed to keeping our schools a safe place for kids to learn and grow. With this appeal, we will continue the fight to protect Iowa families and to uphold Iowas law in court. The law was challenged by the ACLU of Iowa, the publishing company Penguin Random House Publishing, 16 LGBTQ students in Iowa, the LGBTQ advocacy organization Iowa Safe Schools and the Iowa State Education Association teachers union on the grounds that it violates their First Amendment rights to free speech. The lawsuit argues books being removed from schools under the age-appropriate standard are not pornography and fail to meet the definition of obscenity as determined by the U.S. Supreme Court. The suit argues the law prohibits books with even a brief description of a sex act for students of all ages without any evaluation of the book as a whole or its literary, artistic, political or scientific value. In his order blocking the law until litigation is settled, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher called the law wildly overbroad." The sweeping restrictions in Senate File 496 are unlikely to satisfy the First Amendment under any standard of scrutiny and thus may not be enforced while the case is pending, Locher wrote in the ruling. The judge noted the law has resulted in removal of hundreds of books, including, among others, non-fiction history books, classic works of fiction, Pulitzer Prize winning contemporary novels and even books designed to help students avoid being victimized by sexual assault. The law also that prohibits the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation through sixth grade. Locher wrote the law defines those terms in generic terms, meaning it would apply to the teaching of all gender identity and sexual orientation, not just when it pertains to LGBTQ individuals. The statute is therefore content-neutral but so wildly overbroad that every school district and elementary school teacher in the State has likely been violating it since the day the school year started, he wrote. Pat Grassley response Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said this week House Republicans may pass additional legislation to clarify or expand on the new law. I can't wrap my head around how this issue of sexually explicit material and schools got so convoluted, Grassely said Monday during his opening day speech laying out House Republicans priorities for the 2024 legislative session. I'm still shocked that we actually have people willing to fight this hard to keep pornographic material in our schools, Grassley said. What is the educational value of oral sex scenes in school library books? I'm completely confused and disturbed by this being the case. Last session, we passed a simple solution to protect Iowa's students from inappropriate material. 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. Administrative rules Opponents of the law also say the proposed administrative rules do not go far enough in clarifying the intent of the legislation and would lead to far too many books being removed from school library shelves. The rules clarify that a reference or mention of a sex act in a way that does not describe or visually depict the act is not prohibited from school libraries. The rules also apply only to a library that a school has direct control over, and schools with libraries that serve multiple grades must ensure that students have access only to material appropriate for their grades. On the portion of the law prohibiting instruction on gender and sexual orientation, the department stipulated that a neutral statement regarding sexual orientation or gender identity does not violate the rules. The rules state a school board would receive a written warning on the first violation, and on the second violation, the superintendent and employees of the school could receive disciplinary action. Erin Murphy and Caleb McCullough of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report. Inside the book-ban machine: The rise of 'parental rights' groups and their efforts to ban books Inside the book-ban machine: The rise of 'parental rights' groups and their efforts to ban books Conservative education groups have spread rapidly, frequently in areas with politically mixed populations New conservative book rating sites are fueling book bans Regional groups are also organizing to challenge books: About 1 in 6 complaints nationwide in 2022 were from St. Tammany Parish New state laws support attempts to restrict library materials Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis represents the Republicans best shot at regaining the White House. We say this after a presidential campaign that has made Iowa like a second home for GOP presidential candidates. Try to name those who were in the mix early on and youll see how long the race has been. Through it all, DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have made the most compelling cases to choose someone other than former president Donald Trump for the job. We realize the former president has a big following, including in Northwest Iowa, but theres too much baggage, too many uncertainties to consider a second Trump term. Haley, who as a former United Nations ambassador was part of that White House, told us about his cavalier ways of making decisions. Even though campaign ads tout his desire to build a wall, Trump had the opportunity and didnt finish the job. He also has countless legal problems, which are major distractions. As challengers like to point out, we dont need more chaos in government. A second Trump era would ensure it. That leaves Ohio businessmen Vivek Ramaswamy, The Rev. Ryan Binkley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, DeSantis and Haley, all who have met with members of our editorial board. While Hutchinson and Binkley have been good warriors in the fight, they dont have the support to make a dent in the big three. Ramaswamy doesnt either, but hes a tireless campaigner, suggesting a run for Congress might be a better future path to the White House. That leaves DeSantis and Haley as the two candidates most likely to win. Haley is more moderate; DeSantis supports many of the same policies as Trump. Haley likely would be a good choice to court Democrats or independent voters. DeSantis is a better choice to corral former Trump voters willing to leave the fold. But this is the Republican caucus, not the general election. From that vantage point, we believe DeSantis is most in line with Iowa Republicans. He has the endorsement of Gov. Kim Reynolds and shares her views about education, abortion and border security. Haley has softer stands on those issues ones that likely would play better with Democrats. If she faced Joe Biden in the fall, she would give them a reason to think twice about a second term. DeSantis plays the Republican cards. He was practically embedded in Iowa (pulling off the full-Grassley, as did Ramaswamy and Binkley) and heard those Republicans and their concerns. He appeals to disillusioned Trump supporters and gives them answers they seek. There are questions whether DeSantis will pull in a large enough swath of independents or play well in other early nominating states after Iowa. Who wins the caucuses? Based on the polls, the smart money is still on Trump dominating Monday night. But political tea leaves suggest DeSantis could pull a surprise. His campaign touts a strong ground game that could get committed voters to precinct sites, which could prove invaluable with double-digit wind chills forecast Monday night. If Iowans want to send a message to fellow Republicans across the country, they need to get behind Ron DeSantis. He speaks their language. A DeSantis/Haley ticket may not materialize, but it has the greatest chance for denying Biden a second term. The Journal editorial board endorses Ron DeSantis in his bid for the presidency. The United States carried out an additional strike against Yemen's Houthi forces on Friday, after President Joe Biden's administration vowed to protect shipping in the Red Sea. The latest strike, which the U.S. said targeted a radar site, came a day after dozens of American and British strikes on the Iran-backed group's facilities. The guided missile destroyer Carney used Tomahawk missiles in the follow-on strike early on Saturday local time "to degrade the Houthis' ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels," the U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. The Houthi movement's television channel Al-Masirah reported that the United States and Britain were targeting the Yemeni capital Sanaa with raids. Intensifying concerns about a widening regional conflict, U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines on Thursday launched missiles against targets across Yemen controlled by the group, which has cast its maritime campaign as support for Palestinians under siege by Israel in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Even as Houthi leaders swore retaliation, Biden warned on Friday that he could order more strikes if they do not stop their attacks on merchant and military vessels in one of the world's most economically vital waterways. "We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior," Biden told reporters during a stop in Pennsylvania on Friday. Witnesses confirmed explosions early on Friday, Yemen time, at military bases near airports in the capital Sanaa and Yemen's third city Taiz, a naval base at Yemen's main Red Sea port Hodeidah and military sites in the coastal Hajjah governorate. White House spokesperson John Kirby said the initial strikes had targeted the Houthis' ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used in recent months to threaten Red Sea shipping. The Pentagon said the U.S.-British assault reduced the Houthis' capacity to launch fresh attacks. The U.S. military said 60 targets in 28 sites were hit. The Houthis, who control Sanaa and much of the west and north of Yemen, said five fighters were killed, but they vowed to continue their attacks on regional shipping. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations information hub said it had received reports of a missile landing in the sea around 500 meters (1,600 feet) from a ship about 90 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni port of Aden. The shipping security firm Ambrey identified it as a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Russian oil. Drone footage on the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV showed hundreds of thousands of people in Sanaa chanting slogans denouncing Israel and the United States. "Your strikes on Yemen are terrorism," said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council. "The United States is the Devil." Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of "foreign terrorist organizations" in 2021, was asked by reporters if he felt the term "terrorist" described the movement now. "I think they are," he said. The Red Sea crisis is part of the violent regional spillover of Israel's war with Hamas, an Iran-backed Islamist group, in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages. Israel has responded by laying waste to large sections of Gaza in an effort to annihilate Hamas. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed. Tobias Borck, a Middle East security expert at Britain's Royal United Services Institute, said the Houthis wanted to portray themselves as champions of the Palestinian cause but were mainly concerned about retaining power. At the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield defended the Yemen strikes, saying they were intended "to disrupt and degrade the Houthis' ability to continue the reckless attacks against vessels and commercial shipping." Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said earlier that the U.S. and Britain "single-handedly triggered a spillover of the conflict (in Gaza) to the entire region." In Washington, Kirby said, "We're not interested in ... a war with Yemen." In a poor country only just emerging from nearly a decade of war that brought millions to the brink of famine, people fearing an extended new conflict queued at gas stations. The price of Brent crude oil rose more than $2 on Friday on concern that supplies could be disrupted, but later gave up half its gain. Biden said on Friday he was "very concerned" about the impact of war in the Middle East on oil prices. Commercial ship-tracking data showed at least nine oil tankers stopping or diverting from the Red Sea. The strikes follow months of raids by Houthi fighters, who have boarded ships they claimed were Israeli or heading for Israel. Many of the vessels had no known connection to Israel. The United States and some allies sent a naval task force in December, and recent days saw increasing escalation. On Tuesday, the United States and Britain shot down 21 missiles and drones. However, not all major U.S. allies chose to back the strikes inside Yemen. The Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain provided logistical and intelligence support, while Germany, Denmark, New Zealand and South Korea signed a joint statement defending the attacks and warning of further action. But Italy, Spain and France chose not to sign or participate, fearing a wider escalation. A senior U.S. official accused Tehran of providing the Yemeni group with military capabilities and intelligence to carry out their attacks. Iran condemned the strikes but there has been no sign so far that Iran is seeking direct conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the White House could "restore security across the region" by stopping its "all-out military and security cooperation" with Israel. Houthi attacks have forced commercial ships to take a longer, costlier route around Africa, creating fears of a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption. Container shipping rates for key global routes have soared this week. (Reuters) Trumps New York fraud trial is giving us a preview of the legal strategy hell probably deploy in all of the criminal trials hes facing over the coming yearand its not pretty, Robert Katzberg writes. It seems like Trumps going to do everything he can to improperly impact jurors and cause a mistrial. Katzberg examines where this strategy could lead, and what it could mean for Jack Smiths federal election interference case. Plus, in case you missed it: Jeremy Stahl wrote about how Trumps legal arguments are getting increasingly embarrassing. On the verge of a wider war? The U.S. launched an attack against targets in Yemen, after months of Houthi fighters attacking ships in the Red Sea. Fred Kaplan examines the possibility that were on the brink of an expanding conflict in the Middle East, and one possible way a broader war could be avoided. Plus: Thousands of women have been widowed in Gaza, and theyre fighting for their families lives. Over at our sister publication, Foreign Policy, Neha Wadekar and Ruwaida Amer tell some of their stories. Bad Ron! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faced a sharp, surprising rebuke from a conservative appeals court on Wednesday. Mark Joseph Stern explains what happened. Pure chaos Its honestly impressive how messed up the 2024 primaries areeven by Americas standards. States are going rogue, and wed be in real trouble if the winners werent a foregone conclusion. On What Next, Mary Harris spoke with Ari Berman about how voting in this country is about to get really weird. Buyers remorse Advertisement Elon Musk is apparently realizing he should have bought TikTok. How can you tell? Well, unfortunately for us, hes making Twitter into a terrible version of TikTok. Alex Kirshner breaks down how we got here, and how none of it had to happen this way. The immigration trap Not many things about immigration policy are clear except for the fact that it seems to have broken peoples brains, Pedro Gerson writes. And when it comes to this issue, Democrats are falling into an old trap all over again. Phone physics Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An iPhone fell 16,000 feet and somehow its screen didnt break. How? Part of the answer is that phone screens have gotten more durable, Anna Gibbs writesand part of it is basic physics. She breaks down the science for us. Plus, in case you missed it: Luke Winkie wrote about why the Alaska Airlines loose bolts incident is so much more horrifying than other stories of things going wrong on planes. And What Next: TBD took a look at Boeings larger problems. The truth in the new True Detective True Detective: Night Country isnt a return to form. Its something much better. Laura Miller explains how the new season overhauls everything the series was known for. Today, Slate is A METAMORPHIC ROCK But which sedimentary rock is that metamorphic rock derived from, hmm? You can test your knowledge of rocksand much morewith our daily quiz! We hope your holiday weekend rocks! (All right, all right, well see ourselves out!) Thanks so much for reading, and well see you on Tuesday. Welcome to this weeks edition of the Surge, where your regular author has returned after a three-month sabbatical stuck in an apple tree. Wed like to thank Slates Ben Mathis-Lilley for filling in these past few months. Surge Enterprises has an exciting new assignment for Ben at a work camp, where hell be farming words for future newsletter editions. His mouth is covered with duct tape so he cant respond, but say goodbye to Ben as we close the cargo hold! Now where were we [Googles politics] what a week of politics it was. Donald Trump is set to cruise to a victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday after a week of screaming at those prosecuting him in federal and state criminal and civil trials, once and for all sticking a toothpick in Meatball Rob DeSantis. Chris Christie returned home to New Jersey to 100 phone messages from No Labels trying to sell him a get-rich-quick presidency scheme. Has anyone checked between the couch cushions to see if they can find Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin? But first, lets start with the junior varsity speaker of the House. If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more. Affiliate marketing programs offer opportunities for you to monetize your blog, website, or social media handle while exploring various passive income ideas. By joining affiliate marketing programs, you can earn income through commissions for driving traffic to a companys website and receiving a commission on any purchases made. With it, you can actually make money with little effort by simply inserting tracked affiliate links into the text of your blog or website. To get started, all you need is a captive audience and an affiliate program that allows you to earn commissions on new leads or purchases produced when readers click on the links. Over the years, affiliate marketing has been popular among part-timers, bloggers, podcasters, and influencers as an additional source of revenue. As a marketing affiliate, you can earn quick money by recommending products and services to your followers. This business model also allows you to generate revenue without the need for a large upfront investment. With strategic content creation and effective promotion, affiliate marketing can become a lucrative source of passive income. In this article, we will cover the best affiliate programs that will help you earn solid commissions. Want to know more about content production, check out our article on blogging business ideas. What is an Affiliate Program? Affiliate marketing is a marketing strategy in which an affiliate marketer promotes a merchants product or service in exchange for a fee. The affiliate marketing programs will pay affiliate marketers a commission for each transaction or action brought about by their promotion of a businesss goods or services. After registering for the program, the affiliate marketer receives a unique affiliate link or special monitoring code to use in their advertising. The affiliate will receive a commission when a customer uses the affiliate link to make a transaction or finish an activity. Each traction made through that link generates the affiliate a commission, encouraging them to market the product to their audience. In recent years, affiliate programs have become a popular way to earn income online. Depending on the program, the affiliate income fee may be based on a percentage of the transaction or a set sum for each sale or activity. By using cookies and other monitoring technologies, the business keeps track of all transactions brought about through the affiliates promotions. The affiliate marketing model works on a performance-based payment method. It means the affiliate only earns when their promotional efforts result in a transaction. The details of these transactions vary depending on the affiliate program. For instance, some programs might pay for: Pay Per Sale (PPS) : The merchant pays the affiliate a percentage of the sale price after the consumer purchases the product as a result of the affiliates marketing strategies. : The merchant pays the affiliate a percentage of the sale price after the consumer purchases the product as a result of the affiliates marketing strategies. Pay Per Lead (PPL) : The affiliate is paid for each lead they generate. This could be a form submission, sign-up, or other pre-determined action. : The affiliate is paid for each lead they generate. This could be a form submission, sign-up, or other pre-determined action. Pay Per Click (PPC): The affiliate is paid for all clicks that they generate, regardless of whether these clicks lead to a sale. Our Methodology: The Best Affiliate Marketing Programs In determining the best affiliate marketing programs, we considered several factors that align with the interests and needs of small business owners looking to monetize their online presence. These factors are listed below and rated on a scale of one to ten based on their importance to small business users, with ten being reserved for the most important factors. 1. Relevance to Your Niche (Importance Scale: 10/10) Programs should align with your business niche and audience interests. Programs that may appeal to small businesses in various niches are more relevant to a larger audience. 2. Commission Rates (Importance Scale: 9/10) Competitive commission rates. Clear understanding of how and when commissions are paid. 3. Cookie Duration (Importance Scale: 8/10) Longer cookie durations are preferable, as they offer a longer window to earn commission from a referred customer. 4. Program Reputation (Importance Scale: 9/10) Established programs with a good track record. Positive reviews from other affiliates. 5. Quality of Products or Services (Importance Scale: 10/10) High-quality, reputable products or services that you are comfortable recommending. 6. Support and Resources (Importance Scale: 7/10) Availability of promotional materials and support from the program. Ease of Use (Importance Scale: 6/10) User-friendly interface for tracking sales, commissions, and performance metrics. 7. Payment Methods and Thresholds (Importance Scale: 8/10) Convenient payment methods. Reasonable payment thresholds. 8. Exclusivity Requirements (Importance Scale: 5/10) Understanding any exclusivity clauses that might limit your participation in other programs. 9. Flexibility and Control (Importance Scale: 6/10) Flexibility in how you promote products. Control over the types of products you promote. By assessing these key factors, we curated a list of affiliate marketing programs that are well-suited to help small businesses and entrepreneurs effectively monetize their efforts. Best Affiliate Marketing Programs to Join Affiliate marketing has become an increasingly popular way for individuals and businesses to earn money online. If youre looking to get started in the world of affiliate marketing or expand your existing portfolio of programs to join, its important to choose the right affiliate marketing programs. The best affiliate programs offer a range of features and tools designed to help both merchants and affiliates succeed. In this article, well take a look at some of the highest-paying affiliate programs to join. Best Affiliate Marketing Programs for eCommerce Businesses eCommerce businesses are increasingly turning to affiliate marketing as a way to drive traffic, increase sales, and maximize revenue. However, with so many affiliate programs available, it can be difficult to know which ones are best suited for eCommerce businesses. Below are some of the highest-paying affiliate programs for eCommerce businesses 1. Shopify Commission Rate: Affiliates earn $150 for each merchant referral. Cookie Lifetime: Cookies last for 30 days. Shopify is one of the biggest e-commerce platforms that lets affiliates generate regular passive revenues. The brand has a good reputation and includes vendors that are relevant to many niches. The Shopify affiliate program allows you to partner with Shopify and earn money by referring customers to Shopify. The program is free to join, and after signing up, youll get a unique affiliate link to use in your blog posts or social media handles. To be eligible affiliates must own and run an active website, have an established audience, produce content such as videos, blog entries, seminars, or online courses, and have used Shopify or another e-commerce platform. For every merchant recommendation, you are qualified to receive a fixed commission of $150. There is no cap on how many vendors you can recommend. Payment options offered by the Shopify Affiliate Program include PayPal or a straight deposit to your bank account. For more on Shopify check out our article what is Shopify. Payment Options: PayPal Payment Threshold: Minimum balance of $10 2. Clickbank Commission Rate: Average commission range between $150 and $180 per sale. Cookie Lifetime: 60 days ClickBank is among the oldest and most well-known affiliate programs paying out over $5 billion in commissions since 1999. It offers a high commission rate for sales generated while managing over 300,000 daily transactions and 40,000 marketplace products. ClickBank affiliate marketing program sells a few physical products but specializes in selling digital products it offers some 6 million digital products in over 20 categories that appeal to a wide range of niches, reaching 200 million people globally. Perfect for all kinds of marketers including. bloggers, YouTubers, TikTokers, and other influencers, it offers little hassles to become an affiliate, youll need to start an account, fill in your personal and payment info, and then finalize your account to get started. Once you have an account, you can begin making money by creating affiliate links. Payment Options: Check, direct deposit, wire transfer Payment Threshold: $10 3. Semrush Commission Rate: Affiliates can make $200 per new subscription transaction, $10 per new trial, and $0.01 per new sign-up. Cookie Lifetime: Cookies last for 120 days Semrush is a leading online visibility management SaaS platform that enables businesses to achieve measurable results. Semrush Affiliate Program is a well-known affiliate program that lets people and companies earn commissions by promoting Semrushs over 40 tools that include SEO, PPC, content marketing, and social media marketing tools. The program provides associates with a variety of marketing tools, such as banners, links, and widgets, to help them promote Semrush on their websites or social media platforms. Affiliates make a recurring commission of up to 40% on each transaction recommended to Semrush, making the compensation structure competitive. In addition, the program offers a variety of payment methods, including PayPal and bank transfer, along with reasonable payment thresholds, making it simple for affiliates to receive their earnings. With it, affiliates can earn $200 for every new subscription sale, $10 for every new trial, and $0.01 for the new sign-up Payment Options: PayPal, electronic transfers Payment Threshold: Affiliates can request a payout once their account hits $50. 4. AWeber Commission Rate: Affiliates earn up to 50% commission on each sale referred to Aweber. Cookie Lifetime: AWeber tracking cookies last 365 days With the AWeber partner program lets affiliates companies can make fees by promoting Awebers email marketing software. The program provides associates with a variety of marketing tools and support, such as banners, links, and widgets, to help them refer AWeber on their websites or social media platforms. Through the program affiliates make a recurring fee of up to 50% for each transaction recommended to AWeber, making the commission structure competitive. In addition, the program offers payment methods, including PayPal, and bank transfers. One of the most important benefits of the AWeber Affiliate program is its support as the program provides a dedicated affiliate manager and instruction to help affiliates thrive. Payment Options: PayPal and bank transfer Payment Threshold: Affiliates can request a payout once their account hits $30. 5. HubSpot Commission Rate:15% monthly commission Cookie Lifetime:90 days HubSpots Affiliate Program is a well-known marketing program that allows people and companies to earn commissions by recommending HubSpots products and tools. Signing up and participating as an affiliate is completely free. The program starts with a 15% commission with affiliates on average can earn between $50 to $3,000 per month. In addition, there are no minimum sales required to earn a commission. With this program, there is no shortage of products to sell, including the companys CRM, Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and Service Hub. This means that affiliates can appeal to a wide range of customers with varying requirements and hobbies, increasing their chances of making purchases and earning commissions. HubSpot also has a good reputation for offering quality products and services, allowing affiliates to make recommendations that people can trust. Payment Options: PayPal Payment Threshold: Minimum payout is set at $10 6. Constant Contact Commission Rate: Affiliates earn $5 for each referral that joins up for a tryout and $105 for each referral that pays for a new account. Cookie Lifetime: Constant Contacts tracking cookies last 30 days. Constant Contact is an email marketing platform for companies that enables them to create and distribute newsletters, campaigns, and other marketing materials. Constant Contact has an affiliate scheme that pays affiliates who recommend new clients to the business. Affiliates make a portion of sales through commissions from the customers purchases. Here promotions can be made through a variety of marketing tools such as ads, links, and pre-written emails. Constant Contact also provides affiliates with reporting tools that enable them to measure their profits and determine which marketing efforts are effective. Payment Options: PayPal and direct deposits Payment Threshold: No minimum payout Best Website Tool Affiliate Programs Below, well take a look at some website tools with the best affiliate programs, based on factors like commission rates, product selection, and user-friendliness. 7. Fiverr Commission Rate: Fiverr offers varying commissions ($15-$150) based on the area from which your buyer orders. Affiliates receive a one-time $10 CPA for a first-time purchase and 10% revenue share for one year. Cookie Lifetime: Cookies last for 30 days from the first click. Fiverrs affiliate program lets affiliates make commissions by advertising services on Fiverr via a shareable link. They can promote any of Fiverrs services, including Fiverr, Fiverr Enterprise, Fiverr Pro, and Fiverr Lear. Affiliates can advertise Fiverr on a variety of platforms, including blogs and websites, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, emails, podcasts, and more. When it comes to supporting Fiverr Partners, receive personalized sharing links, an intuitive dashboard to launch, manage and monitor campaigns as well as a variety of marketing tools to help them boost their sales. With Fiverr there are three ways to make commissions: cost-per-action marketing, a combination of CPA and revenue share, and revenue share commission. Payment Options: PayPal, Payoneer, or bank account deposit. Payment Threshold: Affiliates can request a payout once their account hits $100. If they havent hit $100, their earnings will remain in their account. 8. Squarespace Commission Rate: $100 to $200 per new subscription Cookie Lifetime: 45 days Squarespace is a website builder with an associate program that pays a commission to affiliates for each client they recommend. It offers payouts for every website or commerce subscription drive to Squarespace. Affiliates in the program have access to marketing materials as well as specialized affiliate support staff. It provides affiliates with custom links and banners that they can post on their websites. Then when a visitor youve referred to us makes a purchase, well keep track and give you a commission on the sale. The Squarespace affiliate program provides its members with an opportunity to earn $100 to $200 per new subscription that users purchase after following a referral link1. Squarespace works with the affiliate marketing platform Impact to manage its affiliate marketing program. To partake youll have to sign up and manage your affiliate account through Impact. Payment Options: PayPal, direct deposit Payment Threshold: Approved transactions are compensated 30 days after the conclusion of invoices. 9. WiX Commission Rate: Wix pays a flat commission of $100 for every customer who purchases a Wix Premium package Cookie Lifetime: 30 days WiX is a popular website-building tool that provides affiliates with several marketing and SEO tools to help them reach their marketing goals. Affiliates can make up to $100 per transaction as an affiliate by promoting WiX products and services on their website or social media platforms. One of the advantages of the WiX associate program is its user-friendly interface, which allows affiliates to quickly join up and begin advertising WiX products. Here affiliates can use a variety of advertising tools such as banners, text links, and widgets for promotions. The WiX associate programs commission system is also quite appealing, with greater payouts for affiliates who recommend more purchases. The program also provides a cookie length of 30 days. Payment Options: Wire transfer Payment Threshold: Affiliates must earn a minimum of $300 per month to get paid. 10. Hostinger Commission Rate: up to 60% for each successful referral Cookie Lifetime: 30 days Hostingers affiliate marketing program offers opportunities for anyone seeking to monetize their website or blog. Its affiliate scheme one of the best commission rates in the business, offering up to 60% for each successful referral. Some advantages of their program include high conversion and commission rates, ease of joining and maintenance, and personal associate administrators. Their affiliate program is also simple to use, with simple analytics and monitoring tools that provide comprehensive information about your success. In addition, it offers a variety of advertising materials, such as banners, links, and landing pages, to assist you in promoting their goods Payment Options: PayPal, bank transfer Payment Threshold: PayPal for transfers higher than $100; Bank transfer for payments higher than $500. 11. WordPress Elementor Commission Rate: Up to 50% commission on every new sale Cookie Lifetime: 30 days WordPress Elementor affiliate marketing program is a well-known program that enables people and companies to make commissions by promoting the WordPress Elementor page-building plugin. Affiliates can make 50% commissions on each transaction made through banners, videos, and text links. Once you are approved, you will receive a unique affiliate link that you can use to promote Elementors products on your website or blog. Elementor uses cookies to track your referrals, so you can earn commissions for any purchases made within 30 days of clicking your affiliate link. Affiliates can also monitor their purchases and earnings in real-time using the Elementor dashboard. This affiliate marketing program comes easy for anyone to get started and become successful. Payment Options: PayPal Payment Threshold: Payment will be made when affiliates earn $200. Best Web Hosting Affiliate Marketing Programs Whether youre a seasoned affiliate marketer or just getting started, the following web hosting programs offer great opportunities to earn passive income and build a steady revenue stream. 12. WP Engine Commission Rate: The program offers a minimum of $200 on every sale Cookie Lifetime: Affiliate cookies last 30 days For WP Engine hosting referrals, cookies last 180 days. For StudioPress themes, the cookie last 60 days. WP Engine is a website builder tool that allows users to create websites without coding. It also offers an affiliate program for promoting WP Engine plans and StudioPress themes. Both products can be tracked using the same affiliate link, making earning commissions from your promotions even simpler. Promotional tools such as banners, text links, and sample emails are available to affiliates, and affiliates can keep tabs on their referrals and earnings with real-time reporting and tracking tools. Through it, affiliates make a minimum of $200 or the first months payment. If affiliates do not already have an account with ShareASale, they will need to create one. Once approved, they will receive an email with their tracking link and other useful information to get you started. ShareASale makes payments on the 20th of each month, so your commission is calculated for the first 20th date after the minimum cancellation time for each product. Payment Options: PayPal, prepaid debit cards, gift cards, checks, or direct deposit electronic Payment Threshold: $50 13. Bluehost Commission Rate: $65 commission for every qualified hosting purchase. Cookie Lifetime: 90 days Bluehost the web hosting platform is famous among bloggers for its high-quality and low-cost offerings. After signing in affiliate marketers will get a special tracking number in a matter of minutes and once they find the banners and ads that go best with their website, they can browse through Bluehosts extensive collection. Affiliates will receive $65 for each successful recommendation commissions may increase depending on the number of referrals made. In addition, they can use their tracking links to evaluate campaigns, segment their referred traffic, and keep track of the effectiveness of various activities to raise their profits. Bluehost pays commissions through PayPal or electronic bank transfers 45 days after the end of the month of eligible purchase. Cookies that are dropped from affiliates unique link remain on customer browsers for 90 days. Payment Options: PayPal Payment Threshold: $100 14. HostGator Commission Rate: Affiliates earn anywhere from $50 to $125 for each customer that signs Cookie Lifetime: 60 days The HostGator affiliate program allows anyone with a website or social media account to generate income by recommending HostGator to their viewers. Affiliates can post a link for followers to click, leading them to the HostGator sign-up page. Joining the HostGator affiliate program is free and allows anyone with a website or social media account to generate income by recommending HostGator to their viewers. Affiliates can promote HostGators shared hosting services, Virtual Private Servers (VPS), HostGators managed WordPress hosting, and other services to their online followers and earn commissions from affiliate sales. Affiliates can earn anywhere from $50 to $125 for each customer that signs up each month. HostGator tracks referrals through both affiliate links and custom coupon codes. Payment Options: PayPal. Bank transfer Payment Threshold: Minimum $100 Best Travel Affiliate Programs Affiliate marketing can be a great way for travel bloggers to earn passive income online, offering fixed or recurring commissions for each successful sale. Below is a list of some of the best affiliate programs for travel: 15. Booking Commission Rate: Commissions range between 15% to 20%. Cookie Lifetime: Booking does not track cookies it uses Affiliate ID (AID) to track reservations made through you. Booking.com can be a great choice for those seeking to get into the travel affiliate marketing industry because it is one of the largest online travel booking sites with a solid reputation. It offers free sign-up to its affiliate partner program and lets you make commissions by promoting flights, accommodations, and other services. By sharing links, banners, and widgets on your site you can receive a commission when someone hits on the link and makes a reservation. You get commissions ranging from 15%-20% for each booking you get. Commission can be quite substantial if your followers book high-end accommodations. Payment Options: Payments are made through Paypal and direct bank transfers. Payment Threshold: When affiliates reach $ 100 worth of confirmed commission they can withdraw their commissions. 16. Tripadvisor Commission Rate: Minimum 50% commission Cookie Lifetime: 14 days The Tripadvisor affiliate program offers rewards in the form of commissions to affiliates who provide travelers with reviews. Affiliates will create content on their websites that promote TripAdvisor in exchange for a fee on the websites earnings. The program offers up to 50% commissions on recommended reservations made on their website. The program includes a number of useful affiliate resources, such as the ability to deep-link to over 500,000 city and hotel sites, utilize reward programs, and gain access to a helpful team of partner managers who provide creative assets and support. Even if youre just starting out, you can register for the Affiliate Program. When reviewing applications, TripAdvisor considers the general appearance and feel of the site to determine whether it is a good match. Payment Options: PayPal, check, direct deposit Payment Threshold: $100 17. InterContinental Hotel Group Commission Rate: Base commissions start at 3% Cookie Lifetime: 14 days InterContinental Hotel Group collaborates with affiliates to promote 11 of its major brands, over 5,100 hotels, in almost 100 countries. Through PartnerConnect, its affiliate marketing program allows you to place customized links to IHG brands and hotels on your website, blog, or social media. Commissions are paid as a percentage of the room cost when visitors complete their hotel stay. Affiliates by sharing customized links on your website, visitors can book hotels through that link. If an IHG hotel is reserved through a visitor linking directly to our website from yours, IHG will pay you a percentage of the total room revenue when the visitor completes their hotel stay. The program also offers regular promos and deals to boost affiliate profits as well. Payment Options: Checks, bank Transfer Payment Threshold: Checks will be issued for a minimum of $100. If you signed up for direct deposit, the minimum payment is $50. 18. Boatbookings CCommission Rate: 20% Cookie Lifetime: 30 days Boatbookings offers a great way for anyone looking to monetize their travel-related website or blog. The company specializes in luxury yacht chartering, boat rental, and sailing and motor yacht vacations. They offer an affiliate program where affiliates can earn a base rate of 20% commission on sales referred to Boatbookings. In addition, when an affiliate recommends multiple customers, bonus fees can apply. Additionally, when customers return to Boatbookings for a second purchase, affiliates receive an additional 10% commission on that sale. The program also stands out due to its 30-day cookie lifetime and low payment threshold. Payment Options: Bank transfers Payment Threshold: None, affiliates are paid on successful completion of charters Best Big Box Store Affiliate Programs Below are some big box stores that have affiliate marketing programs to consider. 19. The eBay Partner Network Commission Rate: 1%-4% Cookie Lifetime: 24 hours Through its affiliate partner network eBay offers bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, influencers, or website owners opportunities to tap into new sources of revenue through affiliate marketing. This affiliate program is open to anyone who has an eBay account, if you do not already have an account, you will need to sign up for one to participate. The program is free to register, without any membership requirements or affiliate costs required. Affiliates can start earning by simply adding links to their website, social media, or blog, they get paid in commissions. When it comes to commission, eBay only gives a commission on the profit made on a transaction while fees differ based on the sort of goods sold. Payment Options: Direct deposit or PayPal Payment Threshold: $ 10 20. Amazon Associates Affiliate Program Commission Rate: 1% to 10% Cookie Lifetime: 24 hours The Amazon Associates program can be a fantastic way to earn money by recommending, reviewing products, and earning some passive income. This program is open to bloggers, publishers, and content creators with a qualifying website or mobile app. By promoting Amazon products that are included in the programs with your audience and using customized linking tools, you can sign up to be an Amazon affiliate and begin earning money from qualifying purchases. One of the biggest affiliate networks is Amazon Associates, which has millions of projects and thousands of developers. There are millions of products you can pitch, with new ones being added every day. Commissions range from 1% to 10% based on the product category, these give you a decent selection of goods to evaluate. The most valuable items to promote are clothes and luxury beauty products, both of which can earn you good commissions. The Amazon affiliate marketing program has a high conversion rate because it is one of the oldest partner programs and has a strong brand reputation and authority. Its also easy to use for both affiliates and shoppers, making it more likely that youll close lots of sales. Want to become an affiliate for Amazon? Check out our article on how to become an Amazon affiliate. Payment Options: Direct deposit, Amazon.com Gift Certificate, or check Payment Threshold: $100 21. Walmart Commission Rate: 1%-8% Cookie Lifetime: 24 hours Home Depot one of the largest home improvement retailers in the world offers a free-to-join affiliate marketing program. The program offers a variety of tools and resources to help affiliates succeed, including product feeds, banners, text links, and more. Affiliates can earn up to 8% commission on sales generated through their links, which is a generous rate compared to other programs in the home improvement niche. Additionally, Home Depot provides regular promotions and discounts to increase sales, and their customer service offers advice on helping to increase customer loyalty and improve the chances of repeat sales. Payment Options: Checks and direct bank deposit Payment Threshold: $100 for checks and $50 for direct deposits 22. Target Commission Rate: Up to 8% Cookie Lifetime: 7 days Targets partners program allows participating affiliates to earn commission on sales referred to Target.com. By using specially tracked links provided via Impact Radius website owners, bloggers or influencers can earn commissions through recommending products on sale at Target. To join the affiliate program is free provided that your website or blog is appropriate for family viewing. Commission rates for the Target affiliate program vary based on the products you advertise and how many items you sell they can earn up to 8% in commissions. In addition, cookies last for up to seven days and the average payout for every 100 clicks is between $12-$13. Payment Options: Payments are made through PayPal and wire transfers through the impact radius platform Payment Threshold: No minimum payout Best Educational Affiliate Program Options Some educational best affiliate programs to consider. 23. Teachable Commission Rate: 30% Cookie Lifetime: 90 days Teachable has an affiliate program that allows users to promote the platform including its monthly and annual plans. Affiliate marketers can use a number of channels to promote Teachable and share their affiliate links, including their blog, social media page, email list, YouTube channel, and more. When a user follows your affiliate link and purchases a monthly or annual subscription to the teachable platform, youll earn a commission for the referral. According to Teachable affiliate partners earn an average of $450 per month, with many earning $1,000 or more. When someone purchases a Teachable subscription, you can earn a 30% commission with a 90-day cookie. In addition, you will continue to receive the commission as long as your referrals remain on the platform. The core product offered by Teachable is a digital platform where users can access different tools designed to help them create and promote online courses. The teachable platform also includes useful tools for managing marketing and sales. Payment Options: Monthly payouts are made through PayPal Payment Threshold: Due to Teachables 30-day refund policy, funds will be held for at least 30 days before they are released to affiliates 24. Skillshare Commission Rate: Affiliates earn 40% in commissions for each new customer that starts a paid membership Cookie Lifetime: Affiliate cookies last 30 days Skillshare is an eLearning platform that has been around for several years and has a popular affiliate program that reaches out to influencers to promote thousands of classes in illustration, design, photography, and more. With Skillshare affiliates get a unique tracking code that they can use to promote the over 31000 courses available on their websites, social media, or blog. Anyone with at least one proven platform and a following that is aligned with Skillshares brand can join Skillshares affiliate program for free. In addition, affiliates must have an Impact account as well as a free Skillshare account. Through Impact, each affiliate establishes a unique account that records their referrals in real-time. Affiliates make 40% of revenue for each new client who begins a paid membership with Skillshare. Referrals have 30 days from using your link to join up for a Skillshare subscription in order to qualify for earning commissions. Affiliates will be paid 30 days after the month in which they are contracted ends. Payments are done using the chosen payment method set in Impact. Payment Options: PayPal or cash deposit to your bank account Payment Threshold: There is a payment threshold of $10. 25. Coursera Commission Rate: Offers commissions between 15% 45% on any eligible purchases. Cookie Lifetime: Cookies last for 30 days Courseras affiliate marketing program lets affiliate marketers earn commissions by promoting online classes and other educational resources. It has over 4,000 courses on the platforms diverse range of courses to choose from allowing you to advertise whichever course you want. Joining the program is simple, what is required is that your blog or website must have at least 1,000 distinct users a month. The commissions are attractive and range from 15% to 45% commission on each transaction. If you perform well, the program also rewards you with incentives. You will also receive professionally-designed Coursera banners, text links to add to your site, and a monthly affiliate newsletter with tailored content suggestions. Plus, any traffic or sales you send to Coursera can be readily monitored using the interface, which keeps you up to date on your sales success. Payment Options: PayPal or direct deposit Payment Threshold: Affiliates can withdraw funds once they have received a minimal payout of $50. 26. Udemy Commission Rate: Commissions are set at 10% for each qualified sale and may increase based on performance. Cookie Lifetime: Cookies last for seven days Udemy is another popular online learning platform that has courses with thousands of courses. If you are passionate about learning and skill development why not promote Udemy to help people raise their skill levels? You can kick-start your campaign either with their course-specific links, or site-wide links while at the same time monitoring progress and earning good commissions. You will also have access to special discounts, promotional materials, and unique content to help you easily convert prospects to sales. To participate in the program your website traffic will need to have at least 500 unique monthly visitors in the last three months. If you are a social media influencer you must have at least 500 followers. Payment Options: Paypal, direct deposit, or check Payment Threshold: $50 27. Kaplan Commission Rate: 20% Cookie Lifetime: 30 days The Kaplan Affiliate Program offers a great tool that allows people and businesses to make money by marketing Kaplans classes and goods. This program allows affiliates the opportunity to make commissions by referring students and workers to Kaplans programs, which include exam preparation, professional training, and higher education. Kaplan Affiliate Program is completely free to enroll in and has a simple application process once approved, affiliates will have access to marketing resources, tools, and assistance to help them get started. Its referral program allows affiliates to earn additional commissions by referring new affiliates to the program. This means that you can earn a commission not only on your referrals but also on the referrals of your referrals. This program is well-suited for those who have a niche audience interested in education, testing, and professional development. Payment Options: Payment is done through Wise Payment Threshold: $50 Other Amazing Affiliate Marketing Programs to Join Other affiliate marketing programs are worth considering. 28. LeadPages Commission Rate: 30% Cookie Lifetime: 90 days The Leadpages Affiliate Partner Program is free to join and offers a suite of lead generation tools. With this affiliate program, you get 30% monthly commissions for the lifetime of the customer. It also provides a 50% recurring commission on all sales generated, for as long as the referrals remain customers. With it, affiliates earn commission on all sales made within 30 days of the initial referral, which means you can earn commission on multiple products and services offered by Leadpages. This also expands to renewals and upgrades of their Leadpages plan. Leadpages comes with free hosting on a Leadpages domain, more than 200 mobile responsive landing page templates, text-to-Opt-in comes/ SMS campaigns and much more. Payment Options: PayPal or Stripe Payment Threshold: $50 29. ConvertKit Commission Rate: 30% Cookie Lifetime: 90 days ConvertKit is a popular email marketing software that is popular among bloggers, online creators, and digital creatives. Through its affiliate marketing program, it allows individuals and businesses to earn commissions for promoting ConvertKit to their audience. The program is completely free to join and offers marketers a variety of marketing tools such as banners, text links, and email templates. Affiliates can earn up to 30% recurring commission on each transaction they recommend, which means you can make money every time a client you refer renews their membership. Because of the recurring commission plan, you can make passive income as long as your recommended clients stay subscribers. Payment Options: PayPal Payment Threshold: No minimum threshold limit 30. ClickFunnels Commission Rate: 30% Cookie Lifetime: 45 days ClickFunnels has been a popular sales funnel builder that helps businesses in increasing their online sales. In addition, ClickFunnels provides an affiliate marketing program through which affiliates can make commissions by promoting ClickFunnels to their target audience. The ClickFunnels partner program is completely free to join and offers marketers a variety of marketing tools such as banners, text links, and email themes. Affiliates can make up to 40% commission on each transaction referred by them, which is a substantial commission rate when compared to other partner programs. Payment Options: PayPal Payment Threshold: $50 31. Nord VPN Commission Rate: 30%-40% Cookie Lifetime: 30 days NordVPN is a popular Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that offers its users online privacy and protection. NordVPN also provides an affiliate marketing program through which people make commissions by recommending NordVPN to their target audience. It is free to join and offers marketers a variety of promotional tools such as banners, text links, and email themes. Affiliates can make up to 40% commission on each transaction referred by them, which is a substantial commission rate when compared to other partner programs. Payment Options: Paypal, Wire transfer Payment Threshold: $50 32. BigCommerce Commission Rate: up to 200% Cookie Lifetime: 90 days BigCommerce is a leading e-commerce platform that has built a robust affiliate marketing program that offers a range of benefits to both affiliates and merchants. The program provides affiliates with commissions as well as a range of promotional materials to help generate traffic and purchases. The program also includes specialized BigCommerce team assistance and access to a comprehensive reporting dashboard with real-time insights into campaign success. Affiliates can opt to either promote individual products or entire categories to optimize their campaigns and maximize their earnings. According to the company, affiliates can earn a 200% commission on the recommended customers first monthly payment. They can also earn a further $1,500 if clients join up for BigCommerces Enterprise package. Payment Options: Bank Transfer Payment Threshold: 33. Etsy Commission Rate: commissions vary depending on the product Cookie Lifetime: 30 days Etsy is an online marketplace where people can purchase and trade their one-of-a-kind handcrafted and vintage goods. A wide variety of items are sold on the platform that includes jewelry, apparel, house decor, and furniture. The Etsy affiliate marketing program enables website owners and bloggers to make commissions by selling and promoting Etsy goods on their websites. Because Etsy has a wide variety of goods, affiliate marketers can quickly discover products that match the subject and audience of their website. This makes it simpler for them to produce pertinent and engaging content that will appeal to their target audience. Etsys affiliate marketing program also provides a reasonable commission rate, which is a portion of the transaction price earned by affiliates for advertising Etsy goods. The compensation rate is presently set at 4%, which is lower than some other associate marketing programs, but its still a good rate that can build up, particularly if your website receives a lot of traffic. Payment Options: Check, money transfer, bank deposit Payment Threshold: $20 34. GetResponse Commission Rate: 33% Cookie Lifetime: 120 days GetResponse the company that provides marketing automation, landing pages, opt-in forms, webinars, customer relationship management, and more also offers an affiliate marketing program. GetResponse offers two affiliate programs: an affiliate bounty program offering $100 for every sale referred and an affiliate recurring program that pays 33% for every sale referred every month. The programs also offer free resources and promotional materials including banners, videos, and sales copy. This free-to-join program also offers support like real-time reporting, which allows affiliates to track their performance and monitor their earnings. Payment Options: PayPal, check Payment Threshold: $50 How do Affiliate Programs Work? Simply put, Affiliate programs are marketing arrangements between a business or seller and its affiliate marketers. The affiliates promote the companys goods or services by referring and directing prospective buyers to the companys website to make purchases. In return, affiliates earn a commission when one of their followers they refer makes purchases. When it comes to affiliate markets there are two types: affiliate programs and affiliate marketing networks. Affiliate networks or affiliate platforms are third-party advertising markets that connect merchants with affiliate marketers. Affiliate marketing programs are programs run by individual companies that allow marketers to advertise their goods or services in return for a commission. The company gives the affiliate a one-of-a-kind link or code to use in promoting the product or service. The marketer receives a commission when someone hits on the link and makes a transaction. On the other hand, affiliate marketing networks link businesses with marketers. It helps businesses to establish an affiliate program and then provides affiliates with a collection of programs from which to choose. The affiliate network will track views and purchases and then gives a commission to the affiliates. Heres a breakdown of how these programs normally operate: The affiliate marketer joins an affiliate program offered by a merchant. The affiliate program provides the affiliate marketer with a unique affiliate link. This link tracks the traffic and sales the affiliate marketer sends to the merchants website. The affiliate marketer then includes this link in their promotional content, such as blog posts, social media posts, or email newsletters. When a potential customer clicks on the link and makes a purchase or completes an action (like signing up for a service), the affiliate marketer earns a commission. How to Make Money as an Affiliate? There are plenty of ways to make money as an affiliate, and here are some of the most effective methods to maximize your earnings: Website or Blog Promotion Website or blog promotion is one of the classic ways to monetize as an affiliate. You can create valuable content on your website or blog that focuses on a particular product or service. This can include in-depth reviews, detailed comparisons with other products, and even personal recommendations based on your experiences. By strategically incorporating affiliate links into your content, you can direct your audience to the merchants website, where they can make a purchase. This method allows you to earn a commission for every sale generated through your affiliate links. Social Media Promotion With the widespread popularity of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more, social media promotion has become a powerful affiliate marketing strategy. If you have a substantial following on these platforms, you can promote products and services to your audience. Craft engaging posts, stories, or videos that showcase the benefits of the products or services youre affiliated with. Include your unique affiliate links in your social media posts, and when your followers click on these links and make purchases, youll earn a commission. Social media promotion offers a dynamic way to reach a wide audience and boost your affiliate earnings. Email Marketing Email marketing is a highly targeted approach to affiliate marketing. If you possess expertise in a specific niche and have built an email list of subscribers interested in that niche, you can leverage email marketing to promote affiliate products or services. Create compelling email campaigns that highlight the value and benefits of the products youre affiliated with. Include affiliate links within your emails, allowing subscribers to easily make purchases. Email marketing provides a direct and personal way to connect with your audience, making it an effective method for driving affiliate sales and earning commissions. Offer Paid Advertising Another lucrative affiliate marketing strategy is to offer paid advertising opportunities on your platform. If you have a website with substantial traffic, companies may be interested in advertising their products or services to your audience. You can collaborate with these businesses and offer banner ad space on your website. Negotiate a fee for displaying these ads, and ensure they are relevant to your audiences interests. Paid advertising not only generates income from businesses but also enhances the overall user experience on your platform. YouTube Videos Creating YouTube videos is an engaging way to promote affiliate products and earn commissions. If you excel at video content creation, consider making videos that feature product reviews, demonstrations, and tutorials related to the products or services youre affiliated with. In the video description, include your affiliate links, directing viewers to the merchants website. YouTubes vast user base provides a significant opportunity to reach a broad audience. As your videos gain traction and generate affiliate sales, youll see your earnings grow. Explore various video formats and content ideas to cater to your viewers and maximize your affiliate marketing success. These methods offer diverse opportunities to monetize as an affiliate marketer. Depending on your platform, niche, and audience, you can choose the strategies that align best with your strengths and goals. By combining these approaches and consistently delivering value to your audience, you can build a sustainable income stream through affiliate marketing. Check out our article on how to make money with affiliate marketing for more insights. Types of Affiliate Marketing Programs There are several ways where you can earn money as an affiliate marketer by using links, images, banners, or through content. Here are some common ways to make money as an affiliate marketer: Pay-per-click : In this arrangement, you place ads on your website, and you get paid every time someone clicks on the ad. Essentially, you earn a commission for every click-through to the advertisers website. : In this arrangement, you place ads on your website, and you get paid every time someone clicks on the ad. Essentially, you earn a commission for every click-through to the advertisers website. Pay-Per-lead : With this method, you get paid when a visitor to your website, blog or social media clicks on an affiliate link and fills out a form, such as an email opt-in form. : With this method, you get paid when a visitor to your website, blog or social media clicks on an affiliate link and fills out a form, such as an email opt-in form. Pay-per-sale : Here you promote a product or service and earn a commission for every sale you generate through your affiliate link. You can earn a percentage of the sale price or a fixed commission amount depending on the terms of the affiliate program. : Here you promote a product or service and earn a commission for every sale you generate through your affiliate link. You can earn a percentage of the sale price or a fixed commission amount depending on the terms of the affiliate program. Cost per action (CPA): In this type of affiliate marketing, affiliates receive a commission when a user performs a particular action, such as filling out a form, making a transaction, or subscribing to a service. In this type of affiliate marketing, affiliates receive a commission when a user performs a particular action, such as filling out a form, making a transaction, or subscribing to a service. Sponsored content: Some companies may use your services as a content creator and sponsor your content or pay you to promote their products in your content. This can include product reviews, testimonials, sponsored posts, or social media posts. When signing on as an affiliate marketer it is important to carefully choose products and services that align with your brand and audience. This is because promoting products that you genuinely believe in can lead to more success and revenue in the long run. You can earn a percentage of the customers purchase each time they make a purchase. In some cases, affiliate programs do offer recurring commissions for as long as the referred customer remains a customer. Why Not Join Affiliate Networks? If you are an affiliate marketer joining an affiliate network can be beneficial. This is because affiliate marketing networks provide you with access to a broader range of retailers and goods to promote, as well as a variety of tools and resources to help improve your campaigns and maximize their earnings. Additionally, affiliates can tap into the knowledge of other effective affiliates and benefit from their experiences by joining an affiliate network. Below are some affiliate networks to consider joining: CJ Affiliate Network: Commission Junction is a well-known affiliate network that offers a high commission rate for sales generated and generous bonuses for referring new customers. It partners with over 3,800 brands and touts paying over $1.8 billion in affiliate commissions annually. It offers wide-ranging tools to help businesses increase performance and conversions, such as deep link generator and automation, mobile-friendly conversions, comprehensive reporting, an intuitive dashboard, and a monthly fee. CJ Affiliate specializes in big brand names, as well as smaller product and service suppliers, and offers direct display advertising offering flat fees and commissions. CJ is best suited to affiliate marketers with three to six months of experience and its payment options include cheques and direct deposits. ShareASale: ShareASale is an affiliate network featuring over 2,500 different merchants to choose from. It offers a variety of commission rates based on the particular product. As an affiliate, you can choose the specific businesses you want to promote and how you want to promote them. It is free to sign up and has thousands of merchant partners. It is popular among marketers and merchants due to its user-friendly interface, fast free sign-up, and support for affiliates running multiple websites. The ShareASale website allows affiliates to join in and view their stats and earnings in real-time. It also provides great affiliate partner support, including affiliate marketing classes, training webinars, merchant recommendations, and marketing tools to help you grow your revenue. ShareASale promises prompt delivery of earned commissions. Additionally, Share a Sale gives users the option to deep connect. As an affiliate, this means that you can direct visitors away from the home page and onto the merchants registration page. Deep linking makes it more likely that you will receive commissions for recommendations you make. Impact Radius: Impact Radius is a popular affiliate network that provides a variety of features and tools to assist retailers and affiliates in reaching their objectives. The platform has an easy-to-use user interface (UI) that allows you to manage campaigns, monitor performance, and improve outcomes. Impact Radius sophisticated monitoring and reporting skills are one of its most appealing features. Users can monitor success across multiple platforms, such as mobile, social, and email, and it offers real-time reporting and metrics to help optimize campaigns and maximize ROI. This affiliate network not only gets you access to a marketplace where you find top brands but also helps you contact your preferred brands affiliate manager directly. Awin: Awin is one of the most recognized affiliate marketing networks, providing a variety of features and tools to assist merchants and affiliates in succeeding in the highly competitive world of affiliate marketing. Awins vast network of partners, which includes some of the worlds top companies and publishers, is one of its main advantages. This simplifies the process of connecting businesses with high-quality associates who can help generate tailored traffic and sales. Whether youre just starting out in the world of affiliate marketing or looking to take your campaigns to the next level, Awin is worth considering. Partnerize: Partnerize is a prominent affiliate network that provides merchants and affiliates with a variety of tools and features to help them thrive in the highly competitive world of affiliate marketing. Partnerize is able to produce impressive outcomes for its customers by focusing on data-driven insights and advanced tracking tools. One of Partnerizes main advantages is its advanced monitoring and reporting features. The platform provides real-time monitoring across multiple platforms, including mobile, social, and email, as well as potent reporting and analytics tools to aid in campaign optimization and ROI maximization. FlexOffers: FlexOffers is a well-known affiliate network that links marketers with publishers in order to boost income. It has a user-friendly interface that is simple to use for both marketers and affiliates. It also provides a variety of tools and resources to assist content creators in optimizing their affiliate efforts and increasing their profits. One of the most appealing aspects of FlexOffers is its extensive network of advertisers, which includes well-known companies from a variety of sectors. This means that publishers can promote a wide variety of goods and services to their target community. Key Points About Affiliate Marketing Programs: Affiliate marketing programs use a combination of cookies and tracking links to identify when a customer has been referred by an affiliate. The commission that an affiliate marketer earns can vary widely. It can be a flat rate or a percentage of the sale. Some affiliate programs offer tiered commission rates based on performance. Affiliate programs can be a profitable way to generate income for bloggers, influencers, and individuals who can market to a large audience. Most affiliate programs have rules and guidelines that affiliates must follow. Its important to understand these rules to stay compliant and maintain good standing in the program. Its important for affiliates to promote products and services that align with their brand or personal values. This can lead to higher conversions and maintain trust with their audience. By leveraging the power of social media, blogs, and other online platforms, affiliate marketing has grown into a substantial industry, providing many with a significant source of online income. How to Find the Best Affiliate Programs for Your Business There are several ways to find the best affiliate programs for your business. One method is to conduct a Google search for affiliate programs in your industry. Another option is to look into affiliate networks, which contain profiles of affiliate programs. Finding the best affiliate program for you can seem difficult, but there are several steps you can take to make the process go more smoothly: Step 1: Research affiliate networks: Affiliate networks, such as Commission Junction, ShareASale, and ClickBank, are great places to start your search for affiliate programs. These networks offer a wide range of products and services in various niches, and they can provide you with useful tools and resources to manage your affiliate campaigns. Step 2: Look for products and services that align with your niche: Its essential to choose affiliate programs that align with your niche and target audience. By promoting products and services that are relevant to your audience, youll be more likely to generate conversions and earn commissions. Step 3: Consider commission rates: Commission rates vary between affiliate programs, so its important to consider the commission rate when choosing which programs to promote. Look for programs with higher commission rates, but also consider the value and relevance of the product or service. Step 4: Check for affiliate program restrictions: Some affiliate programs have restrictions on where and how you can promote their products. Be sure to read the program terms and conditions carefully to ensure that the program is a good fit for your marketing strategy. Step 5: Research the reputation of the affiliate program: Before promoting any affiliate program, its important to research the reputation of the program and the company behind it. Look for reviews and feedback from other affiliates, and check the programs track record of paying commissions on time. To get to know more about affiliate marketing you can also enroll in an affiliate marketing course. Final Words These are some of the best and highest-earning affiliate programs. Now its up to you to choose the programs you believe youll be comfortable with and earn enough money from customers. As we all know, the affiliate marketing business is booming, and it doesnt appear that this pattern will be stopping anytime soon. So, why not try your hand at being an affiliate marketer? Heres a handy summary of all the affiliate marketing programs we featured: Affiliate Program Commission Rate Cookie Lifetime Payment Options Payment Threshold Shopify $150 per merchant referral 30 days PayPal $10 Clickbank $150-$180 per sale 60 days Check, Direct Deposit, Wire Transfer $10 Semrush $200 per new subscription, $10 per trial, $0.01 per sign-up 120 days PayPal, Electronic Transfer $50 AWeber Up to 50% per sale 365 days PayPal, Bank Transfer $30 HubSpot 15% monthly commission 90 days PayPal $10 Constant Contact $5 for trial, $105 for new account 30 days PayPal, Direct Deposit No minimum Fiverr $15-$150 + one-time $10 CPA for first-time purchase and 10% revenue share for one year 30 days PayPal, Payoneer, Bank Deposit $100 Squarespace $100-$200 per new subscription 45 days PayPal, Direct Deposit After 30 days of invoice conclusion Wix $100 per Premium package purchase 30 days Wire Transfer $300 Hostinger Up to 60% per referral 30 days PayPal, Bank Transfer PayPal - $100; Bank transfer - $500 WordPress Elementor Up to 50% per sale 30 days PayPal $200 WP Engine Minimum $200 per sale 30-180 days (varies) PayPal, Prepaid Debit Cards, Gift Cards, Checks, Direct Deposit $50 Bluehost $65 per hosting purchase 90 days PayPal $100 HostGator $50 to $125 per customer 60 days PayPal, Bank Transfer $100 Booking 15%-20% N/A - uses Affiliate ID PayPal, Direct Bank Transfer $100 TripAdvisor Minimum 50% 14 days PayPal, Check, Direct Deposit $100 InterContinental Hotel Group Base at 3% 14 days Checks, Bank Transfer Checks - $100; Direct Deposit - $50 Boatbookings 20% 30 days Bank Transfers Paid on completion of charters eBay Partner Network 1%-4% 24 hours Direct Deposit or PayPal $10 Amazon Associates 1%-10% 24 hours Direct Deposit, Amazon.com Gift Certificate, Check $100 Walmart 1%-8% 24 hours Checks, Direct Bank Deposit Checks - $100; Direct Deposits - $50 Target Up to 8% 7 days PayPal, Wire Transfers No minimum Teachable 30% 90 days PayPal Funds held for 30 days due to refund policy Skillshare 40% per new paid membership 30 days PayPal, Bank Deposit $10 Coursera 15%-45% per purchase 30 days PayPal, Direct Deposit $50 Udemy 10% per qualified sale 7 days PayPal, Direct Deposit, Check $50 Kaplan 20% 30 days Wise $50 LeadPages 30% 90 days PayPal, Stripe $50 ConvertKit 30% 90 days PayPal No minimum ClickFunnels 30% 45 days PayPal $50 Nord VPN 30%-40% 30 days PayPal, Wire Transfer $50 BigCommerce Up to 200% 90 days Bank Transfer N/A Etsy Varies 30 days Check, Money Transfer, Bank Deposit $20 GetResponse 33% 120 days PayPal, Check $50 Which affiliate program is the best for beginners? The best affiliate program for beginners is determined by a number of variables, such as the individuals interests and the products or services they wish to market. However, some associate programs are more user-friendly for beginners than others. Because of its user-friendly interface, a broad variety of goods to advertise, and comparatively cheap commission rates, Amazon Associates is considered a great affiliate program for beginners. eBay Partner Network, ShareASale, and CJ Affiliate are some of the best affiliate programs for beginners. What is the highest-paid affiliate program? There are many affiliate programs that offer high commission rates and it can be difficult to determine which one is the highest paying. Some affiliate programs that are often mentioned as being among the highest paying include Semrush, GetResponse, Fiverr, Bluehost, and Shopify. What is the best-selling affiliate product? There are many products that sell well through affiliate marketing and the best-selling product will vary depending on factors such as the target audience and marketing strategy. Tours, insurance products, online classes, virtual reality products, drones, and health supplements are some popular goods that are frequently cited as top sellers through affiliate marketing. What are the top 10 affiliate programs? There are many great affiliate programs available and the top 10 will vary depending on your specialization and interest. Some popular affiliate programs that are often mentioned in top 10 lists include: 1. Amazon Associates 2. CJ Affiliate 3. ShareASale 4. ClickBank 5. GetResponse 6. Bluehost 7. Shopify 8. eBay Partner Network 9. BigCommerce 10. NordVPN What is the best affiliate company? There are many great affiliate companies available and the best one for you will depend on your individual needs and goals. Some popular affiliate companies include Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and Bluehost. Which is the best affiliate network? There are many great affiliate networks available and the best one for you will depend on your individual needs and goals. Some popular affiliate networks include CJ Affiliate, ShareASale, ClickBank, and Amazon Associates. Each affiliate marketing network has its own unique features and benefits. For example, CJ Affiliate is known for its wide range of products and services to promote while Amazon Associates is popular for its vast selection of products. Its important to research and compare the different affiliate networks to find the one that best fits your needs. Consider factors such as the types of products or services available to promote, commission rates, payment methods, and support when choosing an affiliate network. Can you be a millionaire with affiliate marketing? While it is possible to earn a significant amount of money through affiliate marketing, becoming a millionaire solely through affiliate marketing is rare and requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and skill. Successful affiliate marketers have built large audiences and have developed effective strategies for promoting products and engaging with their audiences. Its important to note that success in affiliate marketing takes time and effort. It requires consistently creating valuable content, building an engaged audience, and promoting products effectively. While its possible to earn a significant amount of money through affiliate marketing, its not a get-rich-quick scheme. For more read our article affiliate marketing myths. Is it worth becoming an affiliate? Becoming an affiliate can be a great way to earn extra income by promoting products or services that you believe in. However, whether or not its worth it for you depends on several factors such as the amount of time and effort youre willing to put into it, the products or services youre promoting, and your ability to effectively reach and engage with your audience. How do I become an affiliate with no money? Becoming an affiliate with no money is possible because most affiliate programs are free to join. Here are some steps you can follow to become an affiliate with no money: Research and choose an affiliate program that aligns with your specialization, interests, and audience. Sign up for the program and get your unique tracking link. Promote the products or services using your tracking link on your website, social media accounts, or other platforms where you have an audience. Earn commissions when someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase or completes an action.Its important to note that while joining an affiliate program is usually free, there may be costs associated with promoting the products or services such as website hosting fees or advertising costs. Save money on shipping costs for your Amazon purchases. Plus, enjoy thousands of titles from Amazons video library with an Amazon Prime membership. Learn more and sign up for a free trial today. Small business owners face various risks that necessitate the protection of reliable insurance coverage. Choosing the best small business insurance provider can make a significant difference in safeguarding the interests of these entrepreneurs. This article highlights the top insurance companies specializing in small business coverage to aid in this decision-making process. Businesses can confidently select the best small business insurance provider for their specific needs by evaluating their comprehensive policies, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service. Our Methodology to Identify the Best Small Business Insurance Companies Selecting the right insurance company is crucial for small businesses, as it ensures protection against various risks and liabilities. Heres a guide to the criteria we used for choosing the best small business insurance companies, with each rated on an importance scale from one (lowest importance) to ten (highest importance). Range of Coverage Options (Importance Scale: 10/10) Companies offering a wide range of coverage options tailored to different business needs. Availability of specific policies like general liability, professional liability, property insurance, etc. Cost and Value (Importance Scale: 9/10) Competitive pricing for insurance policies. Clear understanding of what is included in the policy and the value it offers. Reputation and Financial Stability (Importance Scale: 10/10) Companies with strong reputations and financial stability. Positive reviews and ratings from other small business owners. Customer Service and Support (Importance Scale: 9/10) Accessible and helpful customer service. Support in understanding policy details and during the claims process. Claims Process (Importance Scale: 9/10) A straightforward and efficient claims process. Timely response and resolution of claims. Industry Experience (Importance Scale: 8/10) Companies with experience in insuring businesses in your specific industry. Understanding of the unique risks and needs of your business type. Customizability of Policies (Importance Scale: 8/10) Flexibility to customize policies to fit your specific business needs. Options to add or remove coverage as your business grows and changes. Ease of Doing Business (Importance Scale: 7/10) User-friendly websites and processes for obtaining quotes and managing policies. Online tools and resources for policy management. Educational Resources (Importance Scale: 6/10) Provision of educational resources to help business owners understand their insurance needs. Discounts and Incentives (Importance Scale: 5/10) Availability of discounts, bundles, or incentives for small businesses. Selecting the ideal insurance partner is about acknowledging the unpredictability of the business world and preparing accordingly. Your focus should be on growing and nurturing your business, secure in the knowledge that you have a safety net should adversity strike. The Best Small Business Insurance Companies When it comes to finding the best small business insurance, its important to consider reputable insurance companies that offer comprehensive coverage and excellent customer service. In this section, we highlight some of the top small business insurance providers, helping you make an informed decision to protect your businesss interests. 1. Next Rating: 5 out of 5 NEXT is an online platform that offers small business insurance tailored to different business structures. They provide coverage options such as general liability, professional liability, workers compensation, commercial auto, tools and equipment, commercial property, and business owners policy. Their streamlined process allows businesses to get a customized insurance quote online quickly and easily, with easy monthly payments and the option to speak with licensed advisors. NEXT Pros Live certificate of insurance for easy sharing. Customizable business insurance policies with various coverages. 100% online quote and application process with available assistance. Fewer commercial property and business auto insurance complaints to state regulators than expected for a company of its size. Up to 10% discount for purchasing multiple policies. Digital certificate of insurance for easy access and sharing. NEXT Cons Limited coverage options for specialized needs. Lack of key person insurance coverage. Inconvenience for traditional business owners who prefer paper records due to the digital claim process. 2. Travelers Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Travelers Insurance provides a wide range of commercial insurance options to help businesses in various industries identify and reduce risks. They offer coverage for commercial auto, cyber liability, general liability, management and professional liability, property, small business owners, surety bonds, and workers compensation. Travelers specializes in industry-specific coverage for agriculture, construction, education, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, transportation, and more. They provide expertise, fast claim services, and a solid financial strength rating. Travelers Pros Wide range of coverages, including specialized options like key person insurance and surety bonds. Fewer complaints for commercial property and auto insurance compared to peers. Online portal for accessing certificates of insurance and tracking claims. Online portal for all parties involved in workers comp claims. Nationwide coverage in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. Extensive risk management resources are available. Travelers Cons Limited convenience with no online quotes available for business policies. The inconvenience of having to contact your agent for various policy management tasks. Dependency on independent agents for obtaining quotes and purchasing policies. Lack of online quoting options specifically for business insurance. Uncertainty due to mixed online reviews and the absence of BBB accreditation. 3. Allstate Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Allstate offers tailored business insurance solutions to protect small businesses from financial setbacks. Their commercial auto insurance covers various industries, including contractors, doctors, and lawyers. They provide custom protection for sectors like accounting, medical offices, and retailers. Allstate processes insurance claims quickly and covers risks such as theft, fire, vandalism, and equipment breakdown. Business owners can explore coverage options and get a fast quote for business insurance. Allstate Pros Diverse coverage for business insurance, including industry-specific policies. Encompassing retailers, food and beverage, medical, photography, and more. Insurance is available for home-based small businesses. Commercial auto insurance for various industries. A nationwide network of agents for personalized assistance in finding the right coverage. Allstate Cons Limited coverage options for specific types of businesses. Inconsistent availability of coverage across different states. The inconvenience of having to file claims over the phone instead of online. Lack of flexibility to purchase a general liability policy. Below-average customer service experience. 4. Chubb Rating: 4 out of 5 Chubb is a global leader in tailored property and casualty insurance for businesses of all sizes. Their operations in 54 countries provide personalized service and problem-solving for diverse industries. Chubbs global reach and extensive distribution capabilities ensure comprehensive coverage. Known for its financial strength, exceptional service, and underwriting excellence, Chubb aims to protect businesses, individuals, and their possessions. They embrace a culture of precision and digital transformation to stay compelling in the modern age. Chubb Pros Wide range of policies available, catering to diverse business needs. Convenient online purchasing option for certain policies. Supports businesses with revenue up to $30 million. Minimal complaints compared to Chubbs market share. Highest financial strength rating, ensuring stability and security. Extensive customization options are available to tailor the coverage to specific needs. Chubb Cons Certificates of insurance may not be readily available, requiring manual requests through an online portal. Phone support is exclusive to direct policy purchasers; agent-supported policyholders lack this option and no live chat alternative exists. The website lacks a transparent pricing structure, making it difficult to assess costs upfront. A live chat feature is absent, limiting instant assistance and communication with Chubb representatives. Some businesses might consider Chubbs coverage options overly comprehensive and costly for their specific requirements. 5. Hiscox Rating: 4 out of 5 Hiscox is a leading small business insurer, offering fast and affordable coverage for over 500,000 small businesses. They provide tailored insurance policies for various professions, including general liability, professional liability, business owners policy, cyber security, short-term liability, medical malpractice, workers compensation, and more. With a history dating back to 1901, Hiscox has the expertise and experience to support businesses and protect against risks. They offer simple and fast quotes, instant coverage, and quick claims processing. Hiscox encourages courage in its customers and aims to inspire and protect businesses as they grow. Hiscox Pros Extensive coverage options tailored to meet diverse business needs. Convenient and quick online quoting and purchasing process. Flexibility to connect with knowledgeable agents or brokers, ensuring personalized assistance. Customizable policies designed specifically for independent contractors. Flexible monthly payment options without additional fees. Specialized short-term liability insurance to address temporary business requirements. Hiscox Cons Limited coverage options for your business. Requires working with multiple providers for comprehensive protection. Lacks a local agent network for personalized support. Restricted availability of business owners policies to companies with 10 or fewer employees. Available in all states except Alaska 6. State Farm Rating: 3.5 out of 5 State Farm provides tailored business insurance to meet unique needs. They offer a range of coverages to keep businesses safe, including commercial auto insurance, liability umbrella policies, workers compensation, surety & fidelity bonds, and builders risk insurance. Their Business Owners Policy (BOP) combines liability and property coverages. State Farm offers customizable insurance and its mission is to help people manage risks, recover from unexpected events, and realize their dreams. State Farm Pros Flexible options for customizing business owners policies to suit specific coverage needs. Industry-specific packages are available, offering specialized coverage for various professions. Professional liability insurance can be seamlessly added to business owners policies for comprehensive protection. State Farm offers retirement savings vehicles, ensuring long-term financial security for both business owners and employees. Consistently recognized as a top-ranked company by J.D. Power, reflecting high customer satisfaction and service quality. State Farm Cons State Farm may not offer specific coverage options or tailored packages for your industrys unique risks, resulting in a lack of comprehensive protection. Their business insurance premiums can be relatively higher than competitors, potentially increasing overall insurance costs. The online tools for managing your policies may lack functionality compared to other insurers, limiting your digital experience. State Farms focus on personal insurance may result in a lack of expertise for specialized industries or niche businesses. Customer service for their business insurance has mixed reviews, with complaints about slow claims processing and unresponsive agents. Insurance Company Rating Coverage Options Pros Cons Next 5 out of 5 General liability, professional liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto, tools and equipment, commercial property, business owner's policy - Streamlined online platform for quick customized quotes. - 10% discount for multiple policies. - Digital certificate of insurance. - Limited coverage options for specialized needs. - No key person insurance coverage. - Inconvenience for traditional business owners preferring paper records. Travelers 4.5 out of 5 Commercial auto, cyber liability, general liability, management and professional liability, property, small business owners, surety bonds, workers' compensation - Specialized coverage for various industries. - Nationwide coverage and fast claim services. - Extensive risk management resources. - No online quotes available for business policies. - Dependency on agents for policy management. - Mixed online reviews and lack of BBB accreditation. Allstate 4.5 out of 5 Commercial auto, custom protection for various sectors - Tailored coverage for specific businesses. - Quick claim processing and protection against various risks. - Limited coverage options for specific businesses. - Inconsistent availability across states. - Claim filing over the phone instead of online. Chubb 4 out of 5 Wide range of policies, global reach - Comprehensive coverage and customization options. - High financial strength rating. - Certificates of insurance may not be readily available. - Limited phone support for some policyholders. - Lack of transparent pricing structure. Hiscox 4 out of 5 General liability, professional liability, business owners' policy, cyber security, short-term liability, medical malpractice, workers' compensation - Extensive coverage options with quick online quoting. - Flexible monthly payment options. - Specialized short-term liability insurance. - Limited coverage options for specific businesses. - Working with multiple providers for comprehensive protection. - Restricted availability of business owner's policies. State Farm 3.5 out of 5 Commercial auto insurance, liability umbrella policies, workers' compensation, surety & fidelity bonds, builders risk insurance - Customizable business owners' policies. - Industry-specific packages available. - Ability to add professional liability seamlessly. - Retirement savings options for long-term financial security. - High customer satisfaction and service quality. - Limited coverage options for certain industries. - Relatively higher premiums compared to competitors. - Limited digital tools for policy management. - Focus on personal insurance may limit expertise for specialized industries. - Mixed reviews for customer service. What is the Best Small Business Insurance Company? Next is the best small business insurance company, offering affordable, customizable coverage entirely online. With a quick 10-minute application, live certificate of insurance, and U.S.-based advisor option, they prioritize convenience and personalization. Next has received positive customer feedback and offers up to a 10% discount for bundled policies. Their fully-digital experience allows for easy management, claims filing, and support. For affordable, flexible, and hassle-free small business insurance, choose Next today and confidently protect your business. Evaluating Your Small Business Insurance Needs For small business owners, understanding and managing risks is a crucial aspect of maintaining a successful business. Evaluating your small business insurance needs involves a careful analysis of various factors that could potentially impact your operations. Heres a guide to help you through this process: Identifying Business Risks Start by identifying the unique risks associated with your specific type of business. Factors such as your industry, the size of your business, the number of employees, and the nature of your operations play a significant role in determining the level of risk. For instance, a brick-and-mortar retail store faces different risks compared to an online service provider. Analyzing Coverage Needs Once youve identified the risks, the next step is to analyze the types of coverage that align with these risks. Common insurance types for small businesses include general liability, professional liability, property insurance, and workers compensation. However, your business might also need more specialized coverage like cyber liability or commercial auto insurance. Evaluating Business Assets Assess the value of your business assets, including physical property, equipment, inventory, and even intellectual property. This evaluation will help determine the amount of coverage needed to protect these assets from potential loss or damage. Considering Legal and Contractual Requirements Be aware of any legal or contractual insurance requirements that may apply to your business. Some industries have specific insurance mandates, and landlords or clients may also require certain types of coverage as part of contractual agreements. Future-Proofing Your Insurance As your business grows or evolves, so too will your insurance needs. Regularly reviewing and updating your insurance policies ensures that you remain adequately covered. This is especially important if you expand your services, move to a new location, hire more employees, or acquire new assets. Seeking Professional Advice Navigating the complexities of business insurance can be challenging. Its often beneficial to seek advice from insurance professionals or brokers who can provide insights specific to your business and help you find the most suitable coverage options. By thoroughly evaluating your small business insurance needs, you can safeguard your business against unforeseen events and ensure its longevity and stability. Remember, the right insurance not only protects your business but also provides peace of mind, allowing you to focus on growing your business. What Type of Insurance Does a Small Business Need? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the type of business insurance coverage a small business needs depends on the specific industry and risks involved. However, there are some types of commercial insurance you may need such as: General liability insurance This insurance is important for small businesses as it protects against third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage, and advertising mistakes. It safeguards businesses from potential legal liabilities and covers costs related to lawsuits, settlements, and medical expenses. Professional liability insurance Also known as errors and omissions insurance, professional liability coverage is essential for businesses that provide professional services. It protects against claims of negligence, errors, or omissions that may result in financial loss for clients. This business liability insurance covers legal expenses and damages incurred due to professional mistakes. Commercial property insurance Small businesses need business property insurance to protect their physical assets, including buildings, equipment, inventory, and furniture, from perils such as fire, theft, vandalism, and natural disasters. This property coverage covers repair or replacement costs, ensuring continuity of operations and minimizing financial losses. Commercial auto insurance Commercial auto insurance is necessary for businesses that use vehicles for business purposes. It covers vehicles used for business operations, including accidents, theft, vandalism, and liability for bodily injury or property damage caused by business-owned vehicles. Cyber insurance In the digital age, small businesses must safeguard against cyber threats. Cyber insurance, or data breach insurance, covers financial losses resulting from data breaches, cyberattacks, or other malicious activities. It helps businesses manage the costs of forensic investigations, customer notification, legal fees, and data recovery. Workers compensation insurance Required by law in many jurisdictions, workers compensation insurance protects employees in case of work-related injuries or illnesses. It covers medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs for injured or sick employees, reducing the financial strain on both the business and the employee. Business interruption insurance This business income insurance coverage is important for small businesses that rely heavily on physical locations for their operations. Business interruption insurance is a type of business hazard insurance that compensates for lost income and ongoing expenses if a covered event, such as fire or natural disaster, forces the business to suspend operations temporarily. It helps businesses stay afloat during recovery and ensures minimal disruption to cash flow. What Insurance Coverage to Get Determining the appropriate small business insurance coverage is important for protecting your business from potential risks. Key considerations include general liability insurance to cover third-party claims, professional liability insurance for service providers, commercial property insurance or business renters insurance to safeguard physical assets, commercial auto insurance for business-owned vehicles, cyber insurance for digital threats, workers compensation insurance for employee protection, and insurance for natural disasters or business interruption insurance to mitigate income loss during disruptions. Assess your specific needs to ensure comprehensive coverage that safeguards your business and financial stability. How to Choose the Best Companies for Small Business Insurance When selecting the best companies for small business insurance, several key factors should guide your decision. Evaluating these aspects will help you make an informed choice. Here are the five best ways to choose the best company for small business insurance: Reputation: A companys reputation speaks volumes about its reliability and service quality. Look for insurance providers with a long-standing presence in the industry and a history of serving small businesses effectively. Check customer reviews and testimonials to gauge the experiences of other business owners with the company. Positive feedback and high ratings indicate a trustworthy and customer-centric insurer, while consistent negative reviews might be a red flag. A companys reputation speaks volumes about its reliability and service quality. Look for insurance providers with a long-standing presence in the industry and a history of serving small businesses effectively. Check customer reviews and testimonials to gauge the experiences of other business owners with the company. Positive feedback and high ratings indicate a trustworthy and customer-centric insurer, while consistent negative reviews might be a red flag. Coverage Options: An excellent insurance company should offer a diverse range of coverage options tailored to meet the specific needs of various small businesses. Look for policies that address the unique risks associated with your industry and business operations. For example, if you run a construction business, ensure the insurer provides coverage for potential property damage, workers injuries, and liability arising from construction-related activities. A comprehensive insurance plan helps protect your business from unforeseen events and potential financial losses. An excellent insurance company should offer a diverse range of coverage options tailored to meet the specific needs of various small businesses. Look for policies that address the unique risks associated with your industry and business operations. For example, if you run a construction business, ensure the insurer provides coverage for potential property damage, workers injuries, and liability arising from construction-related activities. A comprehensive insurance plan helps protect your business from unforeseen events and potential financial losses. Pricing: While competitive pricing is essential, its crucial to strike a balance between cost and coverage. Low premiums might indicate less comprehensive coverage, leaving your business vulnerable to risks. Request quotes from multiple insurers and carefully review what each policy includes and excludes. Consider the overall value and benefits provided by each insurance company, rather than solely focusing on the cheapest option. While competitive pricing is essential, its crucial to strike a balance between cost and coverage. Low premiums might indicate less comprehensive coverage, leaving your business vulnerable to risks. Request quotes from multiple insurers and carefully review what each policy includes and excludes. Consider the overall value and benefits provided by each insurance company, rather than solely focusing on the cheapest option. Customer Service: Customer service is a significant aspect of any insurance experience. Choose a company that values excellent customer support and is easily accessible. Prompt and knowledgeable assistance can make a significant difference when filing claims or seeking guidance on policy matters. Read reviews to gain insight into the insurers responsiveness and how they handle customer inquiries and concerns. A reliable insurer should have a dedicated support team ready to assist you whenever needed. Customer service is a significant aspect of any insurance experience. Choose a company that values excellent customer support and is easily accessible. Prompt and knowledgeable assistance can make a significant difference when filing claims or seeking guidance on policy matters. Read reviews to gain insight into the insurers responsiveness and how they handle customer inquiries and concerns. A reliable insurer should have a dedicated support team ready to assist you whenever needed. Financial Stability: The financial stability of an insurance company is critical. You want an insurer that can meet its financial obligations, especially when it comes to settling claims promptly. Independent rating agencies such as A.M. Best, Standard & Poors, and Moodys assess insurers financial strength. Look for companies with high ratings as they are more likely to handle claims efficiently and provide the necessary support during challenging times for your business. In conclusion, thoroughly researching and considering these five factors will empower you to choose the best small business insurance company that aligns with your specific needs and offers reliable protection for your business. Remember that insurance is an essential investment in your businesss long-term security, and selecting the right provider can offer peace of mind knowing that your business is adequately protected. How Much Does Small Business Insurance Cost? How much does business insurance cost? Small business insurance costs vary depending on several factors, including the type of coverage, industry, business size, and location. Generally, premiums are influenced by risk factors specific to the business. Its advisable to obtain quotes from multiple insurance providers to compare prices and find a policy that offers adequate coverage at a competitive rate. Check out the small business insurance FAQ below for answers to more insurance questions for your business. What is small-business insurance? Small-business insurance refers to a range of insurance policies designed to protect small businesses from various risks and liabilities. It typically includes coverage options such as general liability, professional liability, property insurance, workers compensation insurance, and more. Small-business insurance provides financial protection for property damage, lawsuits, injuries, or other unforeseen circumstances. Do I need small-business insurance? Yes, small-business insurance is crucial for protecting your business from potential risks. It helps safeguard against liability claims, property damage, lawsuits, and other unforeseen events that could financially cripple your business. Even a single incident can significantly impact a small business, making insurance coverage essential for its survival and continued operations. What does business insurance cover? Many different types of business insurance cover a wide range of risks and liabilities faced by businesses. It typically includes coverage for property damage, bodily injury, advertising mistakes, professional errors, data breaches, employee injuries, and business interruptions. The specific coverage depends on the policy type and the business needs. It is important to review policy details and exclusions with your insurance provider. Umbrella insurance may cover things that are excluded under other policies. What does business insurance exclude? While business insurance provides extensive coverage, certain exclusions may apply. These exclusions vary depending on the policy and insurance provider. Common exclusions can include intentional acts, criminal activities, pollution-related damages, and certain high-risk activities. It is crucial to review your policy carefully and consult with your insurance provider to understand the specific exclusions and any additional coverage that may be required. Do I need small business insurance if I work from home? Yes, even if you operate your business from home, you may still need small business insurance. Homeowners insurance typically does not provide sufficient coverage for business-related risks. Small business insurance can protect your business assets and liabilities, and provide coverage for home-based business operations. Does small business insurance cover remote workers? Yes, small business insurance policies can often provide coverage for remote workers. However, the specific coverage may vary depending on the policy and insurance provider. Its important to discuss your business structure and remote work arrangements with your insurance provider to ensure appropriate coverage for remote employees. How do I save money on a small business insurance policy? Consider bundling multiple policies with the same insurance provider to save money on a small business insurance policy. Implement risk management practices, maintain a safe work environment, and invest in training programs to reduce claims and demonstrate your commitment to risk mitigation. Regularly review and compare insurance quotes to ensure you get the best coverage at a competitive price. Do I need business insurance for an LLC? While requirements may vary based on jurisdiction, it is generally recommended for LLCs to have business insurance. Even though an LLC structure provides personal liability protection, there are many business insurance benefits for having an additional layer of protection for the assets and operations of the LLC. Business insurance for an LLC helps safeguard against potential risks and liabilities that could impact the business and its owners. What is the best LLC insurance company? Determining the best LLC insurance company depends on various factors, including the specific needs of your business, coverage options, pricing, customer service, and financial stability. Its essential to research and compare insurance providers, read reviews, and consider factors important to your business before selecting the best LLC insurance company. What is the cheapest small business insurance? The cost of small business insurance can vary significantly depending on factors such as the size of the business, industry, coverage needs, and location. While it is difficult to pinpoint the cheapest small business insurance provider universally, there are ways to find affordable coverage. To secure cost-effective insurance plans, comparing quotes from multiple insurance companies, assessing the coverage options offered, considering bundling policies, implementing risk management strategies, and maintaining a favorable claims history is advisable. Check out the list above for where to buy small business insurance online. Small businesses need to look at Facebook WiFi. Youll get more activity on your Facebook business page. Its good for social engagement and digital marketing. All you need to get started is a router and your smartphone. What is Facebook WiFi? It turns your enterprise into a WiFi hot spot if you are offering free WiFi to customers. Prospects check in and businesses share announcements and offers. Small enterprises also get analytics for gender and age. Its software providing people with free internet too. How to Setup Facebook WiFi Setting up Facebook WiFi is easy. Following are the steps to set this kind of guest portal up. What youll need. A Facebook account and a page. Youll need to be the admin. Check the settings under Page Info. You need to have an address or location. Youll need a router for Facebook WiFi supporting both Instagram and Facebook. Scroll down to check access. Heres how to connect access points. Set up your routers. Video guides are available by following this link. Next, go to Page Settings to connect your WiFi and business page. Customize your user settings. You can click on the skip check-in link. That stops users from checking into your business before they get a WiFi access. You can use a different authentication type too. Enter the wi fi code instead to get access. Try testing your Facebook WiFi out. A login screen should pop up when you connect your device. About Cookies Facebook tracks users and you can remove cookies from your Facebook page. Go here to review your cookie controls. These are used to verify your account and cookies also personalize content. Look for the browser we use cookies alert. They provide an experience you can review. They also provide relevant ads and provide marketing to people who have visited your website. Facebook uses cookies to help personalize and improve content. 15 Reasons Why You Should Use Facebook WiFi for Your Business Facebook Page There are many benefits of offering WiFi and big advantages to providing Facebook WiFi. It connects with your guest network. Here are other reasons this WiFi makes a difference. 1. Provide Free WiFi and Internet Access for Your Customers Facebook WiFi puts your brand in front of customers for free. Its convenient for people and increases the traffic to your business. 2. Get More Engagement and Check-Ins on Your Facebook Business Page Customers check-in when they tag your business. You get access to more followers through their network and friends. These check-ins get your goods in front of potential customers. Check-ins also display on customers news feeds. Those are visible on your Facebook Page and to the customers friends. Its amplified free marketing. 3. Get Discovered by More Customers Using the Find WiFi Feature Find WiFi is available for Android and iOS. Look for the option under the more tab or the hamburger icon. Small businesses get exposure for their ads and products. Find WiFi shows nearby free WiFi hotspots with addresses. This is a great way for a company to get people on their Facebook page or in their brick-and-mortar location. Descriptions of your services serve relevant ads. The content and services serve to boost sales. 4. Its Safer and More Convenient. Theres No Need To Share Passwords. Businesses want a safer experience with the connection and ISP they use. This tool adds security. Visitors dont need to ask for a WiFi password. They only need to log in to Facebook where they can then check in with your business. Heres another good tip. Youll need to accept cookies for the WiFi. A notification might say accept cookies from Facebook on this browser. Cookies store data safely. 5. Get More Instagram Engagement Get more business traffic by connecting your business Instagram profile. This allows access to your Facebook WiFi. Visitors can opt-in, follow your business, and get updates. This can help personalize and improve the way clients can connect. 6. Boost Local Visibility Facebook WiFi can increase your businesss visibility in local searches and on local Facebook pages. When customers check in to use the WiFi, their network sees their location, potentially attracting more local visitors. 7. Enhanced Customer Retention Offering free WiFi through Facebook WiFi can increase customer dwell time in your business, leading to higher retention rates. Longer visits often translate to increased sales and repeat business. 8. Competitive Advantage Providing Facebook WiFi can give your business a competitive edge over others that do not offer free WiFi. Its a value-added service that can differentiate your business in a crowded market. 9. Improved Social Media Presence Using Facebook WiFi can enhance your businesss social media presence. As more customers check in and engage with your Facebook page, your online visibility and brand recognition improve. 10. Easy-to-Manage Network Facebook WiFi simplifies network management. It allows you to control access and monitor usage without needing complex IT infrastructure, making it ideal for small businesses with limited resources. 11. Simplified Marketing Efforts Facebook WiFi can streamline your marketing efforts. By integrating with Facebooks platform, you can easily promote events, special offers, and announcements directly to customers who check in at your location. 12. Data-Driven Marketing Decisions The analytics provided by Facebook WiFi can inform your marketing strategies. By understanding customer demographics and behaviors, you can tailor your marketing efforts to target the right audience effectively. 13. Increased Social Proof Customer check-ins on Facebook act as social proof, endorsing your business to their friends and network. This word-of-mouth marketing can be more effective and credible than traditional advertising methods. 14. Strengthened Customer Relationships Facebook WiFi allows you to engage with customers on a personal level. By offering a valued service like free WiFi, you can build stronger relationships and foster a sense of community around your brand. 15. Greater Control Over Internet Usage With Facebook WiFi, you have more control over how customers use your network. You can set time limits or restrict access to certain sites, ensuring that your WiFi is used appropriately and efficiently Benefits of Using Facebook WiFi Analytics for Small Businesses Small businesses can greatly benefit from utilizing Facebook WiFi for their customer engagement and digital marketing efforts. By turning their establishments into WiFi hotspots and utilizing the power of social media, businesses can achieve increased social engagement and brand exposure. Here are some reasons why small businesses should consider using Facebook WiFi analytics: Gain Valuable Insights with Analytics: Facebook WiFi provides businesses with detailed analytics, including information about the gender and age of the people who check in to use the WiFi. This data can be incredibly useful for understanding your customer demographics and tailoring your marketing strategies accordingly. Enhance Personalized Marketing: With the data obtained from Facebook WiFi check-ins, small businesses can create more personalized marketing campaigns. By understanding the preferences and demographics of their customers, businesses can deliver targeted advertisements and offers that are more likely to resonate with their audience. Measure Foot Traffic and Customer Behavior: Facebook WiFi allows businesses to track foot traffic and customer behavior patterns. By analyzing when and how often customers visit, how long they stay, and what they engage with during their visit, businesses can make informed decisions to optimize their operations and marketing strategies. Refine Business Strategies: The insights provided by Facebook WiFi analytics enable small businesses to refine their strategies. For instance, if they notice that certain age groups are more frequent visitors, they can tailor their offerings to cater to that specific demographic. This data-driven approach can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Improve Customer Experience: By offering free WiFi through Facebook WiFi, small businesses enhance the overall customer experience. Customers are more likely to spend time in your establishment when they can access the internet, leading to increased sales and potentially repeat visits. Benefit Description Valuable Insights with Analytics Facebook WiFi provides detailed analytics, including gender and age data of WiFi users. Helps understand customer demographics for tailored marketing strategies. Enhance Personalized Marketing Utilize data from check-ins to create targeted ads and offers, resonating with customer preferences. Measure Foot Traffic and Customer Behavior Track visit frequency, duration, and engagement patterns to optimize operations and marketing tactics. Refine Business Strategies Analyze data to adjust strategies based on customer trends. Tailor offerings to specific demographics for increased satisfaction and loyalty. Improve Customer Experience Offering free WiFi enhances customer experience, leading to increased time spent in the establishment, potentially boosting sales and return visits. Incorporating Facebook WiFi analytics into your small business strategy can open up new avenues for growth, engagement, and customer satisfaction. By leveraging the power of data, businesses can make smarter decisions and build stronger relationships with their customers. Which devices support Facebook WiFi? A user needs to choose compatible routers. Heres a list users can refer to. And youll need a mobile phone. Is Express WiFi by Facebook free? No. This isnt free. But it allows users to connect in different WiFi zones. It is designed to help Internet service providers and mobile network operators grow their WiFi businesses. You can get the app on Google Play. Sign up through a hot spot where you live. You can buy daily, weekly, or monthly data packs. Get more information here. Youll need to agree to the cookie policy. Facebook uses cookies to help personalize the advertisements you see. They use these to personalize and improve content as well. Its important to remember that while cookies improve content and services, they can also track individual browsing histories. Always consider cookie uses and controls options. Is Express WiFi by Facebook safe? Express WiFi, a Facebook-provided connectivity solution, focuses on ensuring user data safety and privacy. By utilizing cookies, the platform enhances personalization and security, tailoring services to individual preferences and detecting potential security threats. It also monitors and analyzes users online interactions in real-time to detect malware and phishing attempts. Express WiFi acknowledges privacy concerns and uses anonymized data for security analysis. Users can manage their cookie settings, fostering trust and collaboration. Which countries have Facebook WiFi available? Facebook WiFi has made a significant impact in North America. Cities throughout the United States and Canada have embraced this technology as an avenue to enhance customer engagement and connectivity. From bustling metropolitan areas to suburban communities, businesses across the continent have recognized the value of offering free WiFi to their customers. Conclusion In todays digital age, small businesses need to explore innovative ways to engage customers and enhance their digital marketing strategies. Facebook WiFi offers an excellent solution that not only provides free WiFi access to customers but also opens up a realm of benefits for businesses seeking to boost their online presence. By leveraging the power of social media, businesses can achieve higher engagement levels and increased brand exposure. The integration of Facebook WiFi analytics further amplifies these advantages, allowing businesses to gain valuable insights into their customer demographics, behavior, and preferences. Through Facebook WiFi, small businesses can offer a seamless and convenient customer experience, leading to longer stays, increased sales, and potential repeat visits. The platforms features, such as check-ins, free internet access, and personalized marketing opportunities, create a robust ecosystem for businesses to connect with their audience in meaningful ways. Additionally, the Find WiFi feature expands reach by showcasing nearby hotspots, attracting potential customers to businesses brick-and-mortar locations. The simplicity of setting up Facebook WiFi, coupled with its security enhancements and compatibility with popular devices, makes it an accessible and valuable tool for small businesses. By integrating their Instagram profiles and utilizing the analytics insights, businesses can tailor their strategies to better serve their audience and refine their operations. Incorporating Facebook WiFi analytics into your small business strategy can lead to growth, improved customer satisfaction, and stronger customer relationships. By embracing this technology and leveraging the power of data-driven decisions, businesses can thrive in the competitive landscape of todays market. If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more. Every business needs a plan including food trucks. If you want to run your own food truck but dont know where to start, heres a guide that explains how to write a business plan in this industry. What to Include in Your Food Truck Business Plan A plan for a mobile food business includes many of the same elements as other business plans. But there are also some unique elements. Heres a food truck business plan template to guide your own journey. Cover Page A plan for a mobile food business includes many of the same elements as other business plans, but there are also some unique elements that are specific to the food truck industry. To start, the cover page is crucial, as it provides potential investors, team members, and readers with a glimpse of what to expect from your food truck business plan. A professionally designed cover page can make a positive first impression and enhance the credibility of your venture. Table of Contents A table of contents is another essential component of your food truck business plan. It serves as a roadmap for readers, allowing them to quickly locate specific information they might be interested in. Since food truck business plans can be quite extensive, a well-organized table of contents is invaluable for easy navigation. Executive Summary The executive summary is a concise and compelling overview of your food truck business. It should not only provide a clear explanation of what your business does but also highlight its unique selling points and competitive advantages. Briefly mentioning key elements such as market analysis and operational challenges can give readers a glimpse into the comprehensive nature of your business plan. Company Overview Your food trucks company overview should succinctly describe its purpose and the goals you hope to achieve. This section sets the stage for the entire plan and should reflect your passion and dedication to your food truck venture. Consider including a brief history of your food truck concept and how you came up with the idea to add a personal touch to this section. Food Truck Mission Statement Your mission statement should explain your reason for existence. A well-crafted mission statement is a powerful tool that conveys the purpose and values of your food truck business. Your mission statement should go beyond merely stating what you do; it should also reflect your passion for serving your community and bringing joy to people through your food. For instance, your mission might focus on providing high-quality and innovative dishes that cater to diverse tastes while promoting sustainability and supporting local farmers. Target Markets and Market Analysis Identifying your target market is essential for the success of your food truck business. By narrowing down your audience based on location and demographics, you can tailor your offerings and marketing efforts more effectively. Conduct a comprehensive market analysis to understand the preferences and needs of your potential customers better. For example, if your food truck is primarily focused on offering gourmet desserts, target areas with a high concentration of dessert lovers or near popular event venues. Food Truck Industry Summary In the food truck industry, finding your niche is crucial for standing out from the competition. Research the existing food truck market in your area to identify gaps and opportunities. Determine how your food truck concept fits into the overall landscape, ensuring there is a demand for your unique offerings. Understanding the broader trends and challenges in the food truck industry can also help you make informed decisions and adapt your business strategies accordingly. Read More: how to start a food truck business Analysis of Local or Similar Niche Food Trucks Studying your competition is an essential aspect of shaping your food trucks unique identity. Analyze other food truck businesses in your area, especially those that offer similar cuisine or target similar demographics. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, you can identify areas where you can differentiate yourself and create a competitive advantage. This analysis can also inspire you to innovate and bring a fresh perspective to your offerings, making your food truck stand out from the rest. Food Offered Create a basic menu. Consider your niche, demand from your target audience, and costs of ingredients and cooking equipment. The food you serve is the heart of your food truck business, so creating a well-thought-out menu is crucial. Consider your niche and target audience while designing your offerings. Conduct market research to identify popular dishes and food trends that align with your concept. Additionally, analyze the cost of ingredients and cooking equipment to determine the pricing and profitability of each item on your menu. Planned Food Truck Locations Planning your locations in advance can help you stay up-to-date with inventory and streamline marketing. Find local food truck festivals, special events, and areas with lots of foot traffic that are popular with your target market. Food Truck Marketing and Delivery Plan Your business plans marketing and sales portion should detail how youll communicate with potential customers to sell food. Your marketing plan may include listing on food truck finders, local advertising, and social media or search marketing. Financial Plan and Funding This section should include realistic financial projections based on how much food you can sell at various locations. Factor in startup, equipment, and food costs as well. Legal Structure Food truck businesses can have various legal structures. For example, a solo venture may be a sole proprietorship. However, most food businesses are LLCs or corporations to limit personal liability. Work with a business lawyer and/or tax professional to find the best structure for your needs. Organization and Management Outline your team and hierarchy to determine how everyone will be managed. For example, you may be the primary decision-maker. Or you may specify a few shift managers to answer questions when youre unavailable. Customer Experience Strategy Detail your approach to customer service and the overall experience you aim to provide. This might include unique service methods, customer interaction policies, or how you plan to create a memorable experience for your customers. Sustainability Practices In this section, outline any sustainable practices your business will adopt. This could include using locally sourced ingredients, eco-friendly packaging, or waste reduction strategies. Social Media and Online Presence Elaborate on your strategy for building and maintaining a strong online presence. This could include plans for engaging with customers on social media, content marketing strategies, and leveraging online reviews and feedback. Expansion and Scalability Discuss your long-term vision for growth. This could involve adding more trucks, expanding to new locations, diversifying the menu, or even branching into catering services. Partnerships and Collaborations Outline potential collaborations with local businesses, event organizers, or other food trucks. These partnerships can increase visibility and provide mutual benefits. Appendix A business planning appendix may include any supporting documents for the various parts of your plan. For example, financial statements or market research reports may complement your projections or competitive advantage. Tips for Food Truck Owners to Write an Amazing Business Plan Food truck businesses can follow these tips to create a concise yet effective business plan: Get acquainted with your local food truck scene: Many elements of a food truck business plan rely on your local market and competitors. So spend time patronizing other businesses and attending events where food trucks may park. Create a clear vision: Determine the type of food truck business you want to start and how you want it to stand out and operate to ensure all the sections match your vision. Read other food industry business plans: If youre not sure where to start, looking at examples from other food businesses may help. Back up your claims: Dont just guess about things like finances and legal structure. Get expert help and/or documentation if needed. Remember your why: Keep in mind why youre writing a business plan. This can help you speak in verbiage that will serve you in the future. What is a Food Truck Business Plan? Business plans outline what a company does and how it makes money. It includes everything from a summary of your business to your marketing plan. When creating a food truck or restaurant business plan, you may use it to pitch investors or refer to it when making future business decisions. Why You Should Write a Food Truck Business Plan A food truck business combines culinary creativity with entrepreneurial spirit. However, diving into this business without a solid plan can lead to a host of challenges. Like any business, the road to success is often filled with unexpected twists and turns. This uncertainty is where the importance of a food truck business plan comes into play. A Guiding Light A business plan is more than just a document filled with numbers and marketing jargon. It serves as a guiding light, illuminating the path that you intend to follow. With it, you know where you are headed, why you are going there, and how you intend to reach your destination. Without it, you might find yourself lost in the complex world of entrepreneurship. Understanding Your Business Inside and Out The process of writing a business plan forces you to delve into every aspect of your food truck business. From understanding your target audience to financial forecasting, you get a 360-degree view of what it takes to run your venture. This insight ensures that no stone is left unturned, preparing you to face challenges with confidence. Demonstrating Commitment and Professionalism Investors, bankers, partners, or even key employees may want evidence of your businesss viability and your commitment to the project. A well-crafted business plan is that evidence. It shows that you are serious about your food truck business and that you have considered the necessary elements to make it a success. Risk Mitigation Every business encounters risks, and having a plan enables you to identify and mitigate them. A business plan provides you with a structure to analyze potential pitfalls and develop strategies to avoid or overcome them. This foresight can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. Financial Health Check Money is the lifeblood of any business, and a business plan helps you manage it effectively. Understanding your financial needs, projections, and how cash will flow through your business ensures that you keep your financial health in check. It enables you to make informed financial decisions that align with your business goals. Continuous Evaluation and Adaptation The business environment is always changing, and what works today may not work tomorrow. A business plan gives you a baseline that allows you to evaluate your performance continually. It enables you to make necessary adjustments, ensuring that your business stays relevant and competitive. An Exit Strategy Every entrepreneur needs to think about the future, including what will happen to the business down the line. Your business plan will allow you to consider and plan for various exit strategies, whether that involves selling the business, passing it on, or winding it down. Thinking about this in advance ensures that you are prepared for all eventualities. A food truck business plan is not an option; its a necessity. Its the backbone of your business that provides direction, insight, risk management, and continuous alignment with the ever-changing business environment. Writing a business plan reflects a deep understanding and commitment to your business idea. Its an essential tool that can set your food truck venture on the path to success, helping you navigate the thrilling yet challenging journey of entrepreneurship. The Pros and Cons of Writing a Business Plan for a Food Truck Business This table provides an at-a-glance view of the benefits and potential drawbacks of creating a food truck business plan, which can be helpful for aspiring entrepreneurs in the food truck industry. Pros Cons A food truck business plan can help you clarify your business goals and objectives. Creating a food truck business plan can be time-consuming and expensive. It can help you identify your target market and develop a marketing plan. It can be difficult to gather all of the necessary information. It can help you secure funding for your business. It can be challenging to predict the future of the food truck industry. It can help you attract investors and partners. Your business plan may not be accurate or up-to-date. It can help you track your progress and make necessary adjustments to your business plan. It may not be necessary for small food truck businesses. It can help you stay organized and on track. It can be difficult to get your food truck approved by local authorities. It can give you a competitive advantage over other food truck businesses. You may have to deal with strict food safety regulations. It can help you attract customers and build a loyal following. The food truck industry is highly competitive. It can help you grow your business and achieve your financial goals. You may have to work long hours in a demanding environment. It can be a valuable tool for managing your business. The weather can be a major factor in your success. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to create a food truck business plan is a personal one. However, there are many potential benefits to having a well-written and comprehensive business plan. FAQs What are the first steps to start a food truck business? The first steps include conducting market research, defining your target audience, planning your menu, finding a suitable food truck, securing necessary licenses and permits, and creating a comprehensive business plan. How much does it cost to start a food truck business? Costs can vary widely based on the location, equipment, and the type of cuisine, but you can expect to invest anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000, including the cost of the truck, equipment, licenses, insurance, and initial inventory. What are the legal requirements for operating a food truck? Legal requirements vary by location but may include business licenses, health permits, food handler permits, vehicle licenses, fire certificates, and local zoning compliance. How can I finance my food truck business? You can finance your food truck business through personal savings, bank loans, investor funding, crowdfunding, or small business grants. How do I create a menu for my food truck? Your menu should reflect your brand and target audience. Consider researching popular food trends, using quality ingredients, and offering unique dishes that set you apart. Price your items accordingly to cover costs and generate profit. How do I choose the right location for my food truck? The location should be determined by the target audience, local regulations, competition, foot traffic, and accessibility. Its essential to find a legal spot with good visibility and foot traffic. How can I market my food truck business? Marketing strategies might include social media advertising, local event participation, partnerships with local businesses, loyalty programs, and traditional advertising methods. Read More: food truck ideas Northridge Construction Corporation, a Long Island-based company, has pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to a worker safety violation that resulted in the death of an employee. The plea was entered in federal court in Central Islip, New York, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for April 3. The incident, which took place in 2018 at a construction site in East Patchogue, New York, involved the fatal fall of an employee from an improperly secured roof during the construction of a shed on Northridges property. This tragic event led to an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHAs investigation revealed that Northridge Construction Corporation had violated critical worker safety standards. Specifically, the company failed to maintain the stability of a metal structure during construction, a requirement under OSHA regulations. The companys plea acknowledges this violation as a direct cause of the employees death. In addition to pleading guilty to the worker safety violation, Northridge also admitted to making two false statements that obstructed OSHAs inquiry into the incident. Each of the criminal offenses carries a maximum penalty of five years probation and a $500,000 fine, or twice the economic gain to the defendant or loss suffered by the victim due to the crime. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) announced the guilty plea. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorneys Daniel Dooher and Richard J. Powers, along with Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of ENRDs Environmental Crimes Section. For small businesses, particularly those in the construction industry, this case underscores the paramount importance of adhering to worker safety regulations. It highlights the severe legal consequences and moral responsibilities companies face when neglecting these standards. The incident serves as a reminder of the critical need for rigorous safety practices and compliance with federal safety regulations to protect employees and avoid tragic outcomes. Storefront improvement grants can help with the physical restorations of a location, which are often costly for small businesses. So, grant programs can help make these upgrades more realistic. Currently, several cities and organizations across the country are running such programs to support their downtown business districts and economies. Read on for these grant opportunities and a few other headlines. Chicago 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant Chicagos 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant is currently accepting applications from local businesses. The program offers one-time, $10,000 microgrants to small businesses with brick-and-mortar locations within the district. It specifically targets businesses that have missed out on previous funding opportunities, historically underserved entrepreneurs, and those that are facing financial hardships or are in danger of closing. The 7th district is partnering with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to fund the program. And five local organizations are charged with facilitating the program and application process. These organizations include the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, Rogers Park Business Alliance, Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, Uptown United Lincoln Square, and Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce. Eligible businesses must apply by February 2 to be considered. Decatur Commercial Buildout Improvement Grant Businesses in Decatur, Georgia, can now apply for three small business grant programs. The Decatur Downtown Development Authority is currently accepting applications for the Commercial Buildout Improvement Grant, Marketing and Digital Connectivity Grant, and Commercial Facade Improvement Grant. The DDA is allocating $50,000 to the Commercial Buildout Improvement Grant, $25,000 to the Marketing and Digital Connectivity Grant, and $100,000 to the Commercial Facade Improvement Grant. All of these programs will allow businesses to apply quarterly, with a 21-day application window during each quarter. Once the DDA oversight committee closes the application window and reviews proposals, it will notify businesses, which must then begin their projects within six months and complete them within 18 months. Jan 31 is the deadline to apply for the current grant cycle. Raleigh Storefront Upfit Grant The Downtown Raleigh Alliance in Raleigh, North Carolina, is currently offering grants to minority and women entrepreneurs through its Storefront Upfit Grant. The organization is dedicating roughly $90,000 to the program, which it will award to nine businesses in the downtown area. Charlotte, North Carolina, is also planning a similar program called the Small Business Innovation Fund, which is expected to accept applications later in the year. February 1 is the deadline for Downtown Raleigh businesses to submit applications and supporting documents for the Storefront Upfit Grant. New Ulm Small Business Incentive Grant Program New Ulm, Minnesota, is making multiple changes to its Small Business Incentive Grant Program. The first change involves decreasing the grant amount to $7,500, which will allow the city to award ten grants instead of five starting during the 2025 grant cycle. Another change involving opening the program for applications quarterly was also discussed but ultimately rejected. The Small Business Incentive Grant program has run since 2019, helping local businesses cover start-up costs. Since businesses applied for the 2024 grant cycle before the changes were announced, New Ulm has decided to approve all 14 grant submissions for the year. So the new grant amounts and rules will not kick in until 2025. U.S. Department of Energy SBIR and SBTT Awards The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded grants totaling $24 million to small businesses across 30 states and the District of Columbia. During this funding cycle, the DOEs Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards funded 111 projects. These programs aim to support the development of new technologies and products that support scientific discovery. In addition to these federal grant funds, many states also provide matching grant programs that recipients can apply for to make an even larger impact on their innovations and operations. Chatham WCEC Womens Business Center Grant The WCEC Womens Business Center in Chatham, New Jersey, recently received a grant from the Public Service Enterprise Group to support its eCommerce program. The program offers educational services to women entrepreneurs in 14 counties across northern New Jersey who want to start or enhance e-commerce offerings. The award is part of the PSEG Foundations Neighborhood Partners Program, which offers grants to organizations that support social justice, equity, and economic empowerment. This year, the organization awarded $1,040,300 to 301 community organizations, including the WCEC Womens Business Center. Barbara Lorraine Robbins, 70, of Hughesville, MD, peacefully passed away on January 7, 2024, surrounded by loved ones. Barbara was born on February 14, 1953, to Vincent and Norma Buckler in Washington, DC. After graduation, she worked on the family farm for eight years, she then worked at Pepco for over two years, after, she joined the United States Postal Service for ten years until she stayed at home with her children for four years. She then was a school bus driver for four years, after, she got back into the USPS and worked her way up to becoming office personnel manager. One of the things she loved most about working at the post office was the sense of community. Customers would often stop by just to say hello and chat about their day. She enjoyed getting to know them and hearing about their lives. Barbara retired in 2013 after 24 years from the USPS. While retired she enjoyed her daily walks around the farm and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She had always been a family-oriented person and cherished the moments spent with her loved ones. Her grandchildren were the apple of her eye, and she loved to spoil them. Barbara was predeceased by her parents, and husband Sherman Robbins. She is survived by her sons Mark Trevathan, and Luke Trevathan, stepdaughter Karen Cawthon, stepsons Matt Trevathan, and Simon Trevathan, brothers Thomas Buckler, James Buckler, and sisters Patricia Epp, Mary Ellen Curley, Kathryn Kohlieber, Jeanie Perry, and Susan Richards. She is also survived by grandchildren Jett Trevathan, Addison Trevathan, Logan Trevathan, Skylan Trevathan, and Cal Trevathan. The family will receive friends for the visitation on January 25, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm with prayers beginning at 7:00 pm at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. A mass will be held the following day the 26th at 11:30 am at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Bryantown, 13715 Notre Dame Place, Bryantown, MD 20617. Interment will follow after the service in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Mary's Catholic Church 13715 Notre Dame Place, Bryantown, MD 20617. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240112/biden-in-letter-to-congress-explains-his-decision-to-strike-yemens-houthis-1116136962.html Biden Explains Decision to Strike Yemen's Houthis in Letter to Congress Biden Explains Decision to Strike Yemen's Houthis in Letter to Congress Sputnik International US President Joe Biden in a letter to the House of Representatives and Senate has formally notified Congress of and explained his decision to strike Houthi position in Yemen. 2024-01-12T23:02+0000 2024-01-12T23:02+0000 2024-01-13T07:29+0000 americas us joe biden yemen houthis congress red sea crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/19/1115794816_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_4838d5a0d79e591d755338e797945162.jpg In the early hours of Friday, the US and the UK carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions in retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The strikes hit more than 60 targets in 16 different locations, US Air Forces Central said. In his letter, Biden explained that his decision to strike the Houthis in Yemen was consistent with his responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests.He also said the military action against the Houthis was necessary and proportionate," adding that Washington stands ready to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats or attacks. Following the strikes, a bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic members of the US Congress expressed concerns about the attack on Yemen by a United States-led coalition of countries, while US House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell both expressed support for Biden's decision.The Houthis said the United States and the United Kingdom would pay a "high price" for the strikes. The group previously announced their plans to prevent the passage of ships linked to Israeli companies or bound for Israel until the country stops its military actions in the Gaza Strip. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240112/joint-us-uk-assault-on-houthis-heres-the-latest-1116126864.html americas yemen Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International yemen houthis, why did us strike houthis, us uk attack on houthis, biden sen letter to congress, airstrikes in yemen U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a visiting senior Chinese official held talks in Washington on Friday over a range of issues concerning North Korea, Taiwan, Russia's war in Ukraine and the Middle East, according to a State Department spokesperson. The talks between Blinken and Liu Jianchao, minister of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, came just before Taiwan's presidential election Saturday. "The secretary reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea," Matthew Miller said in a statement. "The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues, including Russia's war against Ukraine, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the Middle East," he added, referring to North Korea by its official name. Among the topics, the Taiwan issue has been a source of tension between Washington and Beijing as China has expressed its hope for reunification with the self-governing island democracy with the U.S. opposing any unilateral change to the status quo despite its One China policy. Blinken also noted the importance of defending navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea, the crucial waterway where tensions have spiked due to Iran-backed Houthi rebels' repeated attacks on commercial vessels. The two officials reaffirmed the importance of continuing the progress made on key issues at the summit between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in California in November, Miller said. The issues include counter-narcotics cooperation and military-to-military communications. "Both sides recognized the importance of continuing to maintain open channels of communication between the U.S. and the PRC," the spokesperson said, referring to China by its official name, the People's Republic of China. Separately, Blinken also held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa at the State Department. In his opening remarks, Blinken stressed that the U.S.-Japan alliance is "truly the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific." "I think what we've seen in recent years, but especially over the last couple of years, is an alliance that has reached new heights where we are working together not only on a bilateral basis, not only on a regional basis, but genuinely on a global basis," he said. (Yonhap) https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/biden-reportedly-ordered-start-of-planning-strikes-against-houthis-during-new-year-vacation-1116148545.html Biden Reportedly Ordered Start of Planning Strikes Against Houthis During New Year Vacation Biden Reportedly Ordered Start of Planning Strikes Against Houthis During New Year Vacation Sputnik International US President Joe Biden ordered the start of planning strikes on targets of Yemen's Houthi rebels on January 1 following his meeting with the US national security team on the island of Saint Croix in the Caribbean Sea, where he was spending his New Year vacation, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing sources. 2024-01-13T19:11+0000 2024-01-13T19:11+0000 2024-01-13T19:11+0000 americas joe biden yemen united kingdom (uk) red sea houthis houthi white house us red sea crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/0d/1116148245_0:256:2731:1792_1920x0_80_0_0_1c3f0ff8dbed55050b4345a0c1c2edd7.jpg On the first day of 2024, Biden instructed the White House to keep condemning the Houthi attacks on the sidelines of the United Nations and expanding the US-led international coalition to secure shipping in the Red Sea, US and UK diplomatic sources told the newspaper. At the same time, the US president ordered the development of a Plan B in the event that diplomacy bears no fruit and asked the US national security team to make a list of targets in Yemen to be struck in such a case, the sources were quoted as saying by Bloomberg. During the next several days, Washington and London discussed military operations in the Red Sea and possible attacks on land targets of the Houthis, with Washington urging stricter measures and London, together with the European Union and its Middle Eastern allies, warning of the possibility of a direct conflict with Tehran, which the West has continuously accused of backing the Houthis. After another Houthi attack on January 9, both US and UK authorities expressed their belief that diplomacy would not lead to the desired result, the sources told Bloomberg, adding that later in the day, the US national security team one more time met with Biden in Washington. As a result of the meeting, the US president ordered Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to carry out air strikes against targets of Yemen's Houthi rebels in Yemen, Bloomberg reported. In the early hours of Friday, the US and UK military carried out 23 airstrikes on targets in four provinces in different parts of Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa and the cities of Al Hudaydah, Taizz and Sadah, local government sources told Sputnik. Later in the day, the US Air Forces Central said that US strikes against the Houthis in Yemen had hit more than 60 targets in 16 different locations. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria later said that the US and the UK had carried out 73 strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, killing five fighters and injuring six others. A member of Houthis' high political council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, described the Western attacks as "barbaric terrorism" and "deliberate and unjustified aggression." 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, 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/20240112/attacks-on-yemen-put-us-on-very-slippery-slope-to-war-1116135685.html americas yemen united kingdom (uk) red sea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International joe biden, us, us-led coalition, us strikes on yemen, red sea, red sea crisis, houthis, us-uk strikes on houthis https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/biden-says-us-not-in-de-facto-proxy-war-with-iran-amid-mideast-attacks-1116138155.html Biden: US Not in De Facto Proxy War With Iran Amid Mideast Attacks Biden: US Not in De Facto Proxy War With Iran Amid Mideast Attacks Sputnik International US President Joe Biden told reporters he does not think the United States is in a de facto proxy war with Iran as it deals with violence in the Middle East. 2024-01-13T03:00+0000 2024-01-13T03:00+0000 2024-01-13T11:55+0000 world us joe biden houthi houthis yemen iran red sea crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/15/1115731115_0:0:3073:1730_1920x0_80_0_0_e41754bcd001e08550cc766ad6615000.jpg "No," Biden said on Friday when asked if the United States is in a de facto proxy war with Iran. Biden also said Iran does not want a war with the United States.Iran has already rejected accusations from Western countries over Tehran's alleged involvement in the Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. In addition, Iran emphasized that resistance groups in the Middle East, such as the Houthis, do not receive any instructions from Iran. The United States and the United Kingdom carried out strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. US officials said these strikes were meant to degrade the Houthis' capability to launch attacks. The US military said it hit more than 60 targets at 16 Houthi locations, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. The Houthis threatened that the United States and the United Kingdom would pay a "high price" for the attack. The group previously announced their plans to prevent the passage of ships linked to Israeli companies or bound for Israel in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the country stops military actions in the Gaza Strip. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240112/red-sea-crisis-us-navy-attacks-yemens-houthis--1116132243.html yemen iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International biden, iran, is us at proxy war with iran, us proxy wars, us attacked houthi, us uk strikes against houthi, red sea crisis https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/death-toll-from-israeli-strikes-on-gaza-strip-rises-to-over-23800---gaza-health-ministry-1116145891.html Death Toll From Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Rises to Over 23,800 - Gaza Health Ministry Death Toll From Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Rises to Over 23,800 - Gaza Health Ministry Sputnik International The death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, when the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated, has increased to 23,843, while 60,317 others have been injured, the enclave's health ministry said on Saturday. 2024-01-13T15:31+0000 2024-01-13T15:31+0000 2024-01-13T15:31+0000 world israel gaza strip hamas middle east palestinian authority palestine-israel conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/1c/1115844913_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_2b75c36e25804b0ab9caf8eecd0c17cf.jpg "The death toll from Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip since October 7 has risen to 23,843, and 60,317 others have been injured," a spokesperson for the ministry told a press briefing broadcast by Al Jazeera. As many as 135 people of this number were killed in 12 Israeli airstrikes against civilian infrastructure in the past 24 hours, the representative added. On October 7, 2023, 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. 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. israel gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International gaza strip, israel, palestine, gaza strip war, palestinian national authorities, israel-hamas conflict, israeli strikes on gaza https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/german-governments-selective-austerity-measures-may-destroy-agriculture---afd-1116139668.html German Government's Selective Austerity Measures May Destroy Agriculture - AfD German Government's Selective Austerity Measures May Destroy Agriculture - AfD Sputnik International German farmers are right to be angry about the left-green governments push to save money for migrant subsidies and green projects by having agriculture bear the burden of high prices, Eugene Schmidt from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party told Sputnik. 2024-01-13T05:47+0000 2024-01-13T05:47+0000 2024-01-13T06:02+0000 world germany alternative for germany (afd) eurosceptic alternative for germany (afd) cost of living https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/08/1116051024_23:0:3664:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_72aa94fb0a8e402fe380d420f294432f.jpg He argued that the government encouraged migrants to come to Germany by guaranteeing generous social benefits and refusing to do enough to secure borders. The Federal Office for Migration estimated on Monday that 351,915 migrants applied for asylum in Germany in 2023, up 51.1% from the year before.Schmidt warned that the federal government's selective austerity program would "destroy agriculture." Thousands of farmers rallied nationwide this week in protest against the planned cuts to agricultural subsidies and tax breaks, prompting the government to walk back on some of the changes. Rail workers joined the strike to demand higher pay, bringing the European Union's biggest economy to a near-standstill. More rallies by farmers are expected this weekend and will continue into the next week. germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International german economy, austerity germany, farmers germany, farmers protest, afd farmers, germany protests https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/germany-to-send-frigate-to-red-sea-amid-increased-houthi-attacks---reports-1116147119.html Germany to Send Frigate to Red Sea Amid Increased Houthi Attacks - Reports Germany to Send Frigate to Red Sea Amid Increased Houthi Attacks - Reports Sputnik International Germany will send its frigate Hessen to the Red Sea on February 1 and use its military force to intercept missiles and drones of Yemen's rebel Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, as part of the upcoming EU naval operation in the region, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported on Saturday. 2024-01-13T17:28+0000 2024-01-13T17:28+0000 2024-01-13T17:28+0000 military red sea germany european union (eu) houthis red sea crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107901/09/1079010968_0:542:2048:1694_1920x0_80_0_0_d0cf094be49e103f34136abd5b381655.jpg Germany's frigate Hessen is equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, a radar reconnaissance system capable of tracking 1,000 targets simultaneously, and attack helicopters, the report said. Until recently, the frigate was involved in NATO exercises in the North Sea and the Arctic for six months, the newspaper reported. Berlin's decision to send the frigate will contribute to the EU's upcoming naval operation in the Red Sea, Welt am Sonntag reported, adding that the bloc was expected to announce its official decision on the establishment of the mission at a meeting of the EU foreign ministers on February 19. The operation itself is scheduled to be launched at the end of February, the report said. On Monday, lead spokesman for EU foreign affairs Peter Stano said that top EU diplomat Josep Borrell was planning to launch consultations with the bloc's member states regarding the potential creation of a specific EU mission to the Red Sea amid a surge in attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on cargo ships. 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/20240113/schism-emerges-among-us-allies-after-yemen-attacks-1116144823.html red sea germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International germany, yemen, red sea, red sea crisis, houthis, palestine-israeli conflict, gaza war https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/germanys-scholz-speaks-in-favor-of-compromise-between-protesting-farmers-govt-1116147938.html Germany's Scholz Speaks in Favor of Compromise Between Protesting Farmers, Gov't Germany's Scholz Speaks in Favor of Compromise Between Protesting Farmers, Gov't Sputnik International German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday spoke in support of a possible compromise between the federal government and farmers protesting against a scheduled diesel subsidy phaseout, and urged the parties to jointly work on further plans. 2024-01-13T18:53+0000 2024-01-13T18:53+0000 2024-01-13T18:53+0000 world olaf scholz germany joachim rukwied europe farmers https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102509/10/1025091077_0:88:1024:664_1920x0_80_0_0_4296f47298044dd6cecf2147f60cf88c.jpg German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said last week that instead of canceling diesel subsidies all at once, their amounts would be cut gradually and vehicle tax breaks for forestry and agriculture would remain in place. However, farmers still continued their protests and strikes across the country. "We took the farmers' arguments to heart and revised our original plan again. It's a good compromise. It is also about what else we can do to ensure that agriculture has a good future. And that is what we are discussing together and looking for a joint solution," Scholz said in a video address published by the German government. A compromise on the issue could not be reached if each side keeps insisting on the full implementation of its demands, Scholz added. The chancellor also thanked the president of the German Farmer's Association, Joachim Rukwied, for drawing a line between farmers and "extremists," as well as people who want to "overthrow the system." In December 2023, the German government announced plans to abolish diesel subsidies for farmers amid the budget crisis, which would bring 440 million euros ($481 million) to the federal budget. The government also planned to end tax breaks on vehicles for forestry and agriculture, gaining an additional 480 million euros. The announcement triggered multiple farmer protests throughout the entire country. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/tractors-block-roads-in-germany-as-farmers-protest-fuel-tax-hike-1116052515.html germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International germany, german farmers, german farmers protest, german federal government, olaf scholz, german government ready for compromise with farmers https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/judge-berates-lawyers-for-inadvertently-disclosing-epstein-victims-names-1116141669.html Judge Berates Lawyers for Inadvertently' Disclosing Epstein Victim Names Judge Berates Lawyers for Inadvertently' Disclosing Epstein Victim Names Sputnik International The US District Court for the Southern District of New York earlier unsealed scores of documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, identifying multiple individuals, some of which include notable public figures. 2024-01-13T10:12+0000 2024-01-13T10:12+0000 2024-01-13T12:49+0000 world us new york jeffrey epstein judge sex offenders case files charges https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/05/1080072785_0:282:2000:1407_1920x0_80_0_0_791b198d8b2a799ae95f9fe1b423f873.jpg Lawyers failed to properly redact some of the files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein case, harming the late convicted pedophiles victims, District Judge Loretta Preska has admitted."Counsel is thus reminded of the human cost of inadvertently disclosing the names and identifying information of Does, who should have remained under seal," Preska pointed out.In early January, Preska ordered the release of nearly 200 names tied to the Epstein case, although two people requested their identification remain sealed for the time being, due to the possibility of physical harm. The names include accusers and witnesses in the case.The filings include excerpts of depositions with former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and Virgina Giuffre, who previously accused Maxwell of facilitating her sexual abuse after being introduced to Epstein. Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison on a variety of charges, including sex trafficking for her involvement with Epstein's criminal doing.His death sparked controversies and wild conspiracy theories that alleged he was silenced in order to protect his more powerful associates. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240104/epstein-files-unsealed-what-have-highly-anticipated-docs-revealed-1115969948.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230531/new-docs-id-big-names-who-maintained-ties-with-epstein-long-after-child-sex-conviction-1110806816.html new york Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg jeffrey epstein case, release of epstein files, federla judge's critcism of https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/new-turtle-wheeled-drone-starts-delivering-shells-to-russian-forces-in-ukrainian-conflict-zone-1116146705.html New 'Turtle' Wheeled Drone Starts Delivering Shells to Russian Forces in Ukrainian Conflict Zone New 'Turtle' Wheeled Drone Starts Delivering Shells to Russian Forces in Ukrainian Conflict Zone Sputnik International One of the Russian troop units has started using a new prototype wheeled drone. 2024-01-13T17:50+0000 2024-01-13T17:50+0000 2024-01-13T17:50+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russia lugansk peoples republic drone testing https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/0d/1116146829_0:10:1440:820_1920x0_80_0_0_b24e3e338eac778565270004736aa644.jpg Cherepakha (lit. Turtle) is a new wheeled cargo drone developed by a Russian company called Argo, which has recently entered testing in battlefield conditions in the Lugansk Peoples Republic.According to Argos CEO Konstantin Bagdasarov, the drone has been deployed with one of the Russian troop units operating on the front line and is primarily being used to deliver munitions, including shells for mortar crews and rations to soldiers stationed on forward positions.The drone can move up to 500 kg of cargo and has a maximum speed that does not exceed 10 kilometers per hour (hence the name) as it was designed to match the speed of a marching infantry unit. Cherepakha can also be programmed to follow a radio marker carried by a squad leader.Argo is currently developing other modifications of the Cherepakha that can be outfitted with lidar and satellite uplink. The new models may vary in size and can be mounted on both wheeled and tracked chassis.The promotional materials previously disseminated by the company also suggest that, aside from operating as a cargo drone, Cherepakha could also be repurposed for other tasks such as surveillance, fire support, rescue operations and medevac. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240110/why-is-kalashnikovs-zala-kub-drone-a-nightmare-for-ukrainian-military-1116102515.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, russian special military operation in ukraine, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian conflict, war in ukraine, russian armed forces, russian army, russian drones, russian uavs, new russian drones, new russian uavs, wheeled drone, delivery drone, turtle drone https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/taiwan-detects-8-chinese-aircraft-6-vessels-near-island-over-24-hours---1116140732.html Taiwan Detects 8 Chinese Aircraft, 6 Vessels Near Island Over 24 Hours Taiwan Detects 8 Chinese Aircraft, 6 Vessels Near Island Over 24 Hours Sputnik International The Taiwanese armed forces spotted 8 Chinese military aircraft and six vessels near the island over the past 24 hours, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said on Saturday. 2024-01-13T08:22+0000 2024-01-13T08:22+0000 2024-01-13T08:22+0000 asia one china policy china us-china relations taiwan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/04/1115970295_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_d71808ac4b0ff248b0186ae8f24f31d1.jpg The Taiwanese troops have been monitoring the situation and have ordered air, sea and land units to respond to China's activities near the island, the statement read. Taiwan is holding general elections on Saturday. The three candidates running for head of the administration of the island are Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who is a pro-independence candidate, Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang party who supports gradual resumption of dialogue with China, and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party who is also ready for contacts with Beijing. Taiwan's regional leader is elected by a simple majority of votes for a four-year term. Voters are also to elect 113 members of local legislature also by a simple majority of votes for four-year terms. Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949, but Beijing views the island as part of its sovereign territory. Taiwan's outgoing DPP-led administration has been largely perceived as pro-independence, chiefly due to its frequent contacts with US officials and international activism, which prompted Beijing to ramp up military drills in the Taiwan Strait in recent years. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220804/pelosis-taiwan-trip-how-china-could-wreak-vengeance-on-taipei--washington-1098124195.html china taiwan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International china, one-china policy, taiwan elections, taiwan separatism https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/thousands-of-people-take-to-streets-of-washington-in-support-of-gaza-strip-1116148750.html Thousands of People Take to Streets of Washington in Support of Gaza Strip Thousands of People Take to Streets of Washington in Support of Gaza Strip Sputnik International Tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington on Saturday to hold a rally in support of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a Sputnik correspondent reported. 2024-01-13T21:53+0000 2024-01-13T21:53+0000 2024-01-13T21:53+0000 americas us washington gaza strip houthi rally protest protest rally israeli-palestinian conflict israel-gaza conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/0d/1116149066_123:0:1906:1003_1920x0_80_0_0_02f2aeaee51ec67fece20cfc5d4adc9b.png The start of the demonstration was scheduled for 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT). After that the activists gathered at Freedom Plaza near the Capitol, from where, as planned, they marched through the streets of the US capital to the White House.The demonstration was announced several weeks ago, before the US and UK strikes on the Houthi targets in northern Yemen, but despite this fact, some of the people came with signs in support of Yemen. Another pro-Palestinian demonstration is taking place in Washington on Saturday near the White House. Activists brought toys in memory of the children killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes. The US Secret Service installed an additional two-meter fence near the White House as a precautionary measure.Large-scale protests regularly take place in the United States amid the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with the vast majority expressing support for Palestine and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231220/us-crackdown-on-pro-palestine-organizing-shows-contradiction-in-foreign-policy-priorities-1115709673.html americas washington gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International pro-palestine rally, rally in washington, us support gaza strip, freedom plaza near the capitol, support gaza strip China's Weibo social media platform blocked a hashtag on Taiwan's election Saturday after it became one of the site's top-trending topics following polls opening on the self-ruled island. "In accordance with relevant laws, regulations and policies, the content of this topic is not displayed," a notice on the website showed when the hashtag "Taiwan election" was searched for at around 9:45 a.m. local time. Millions of Taiwanese are voting in a presidential election following threats from China that choosing the wrong leader could set the stage for war on the self-ruled island. In mainland China, whose leaders are closely watching the result, "Taiwan election" was one of the highest trending items on Weibo after polls opened early Saturday morning at one point showing up to 163.2 million post views. Some posts expressed hope that cross-strait ties could improve following the vote, while others called for the island to be returned to the "motherland" as soon as possible. The hashtag was removed by mid-morning, however, though users were still able to see posts about the topic. China's biggest news platforms - state news agency Xinhua, state broadcaster CCTV, and the party-run People's Daily have dedicated scant coverage to the poll. (AFP) https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/us-uk-carrying-out-new-strikes-on-naval-base-in-western-yemen-1116146441.html US, UK Carrying Out New Strikes on Naval Base in Western Yemen US, UK Carrying Out New Strikes on Naval Base in Western Yemen Sputnik International The United States and the United Kingdom are carrying out new strikes against a Yemeni military naval base that is located opposite the coast of the port city of Al Hudaydah in western Yemen, a source in the local government told Sputnik on Saturday. 2024-01-13T16:12+0000 2024-01-13T16:12+0000 2024-01-13T16:12+0000 military united kingdom (uk) yemen us strikes red sea crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/0d/1116146283_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_38aa9ac3fbb249a294f4c224502d12fd.jpg "US and UK aircraft are carrying out strikes on a naval base in the western Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah," the source said. At the same time, Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen reported that explosions were heard in southern Al Hudaydah.In the early hours of Friday, the United States and the UK carried out air strikes against Houthi positions in retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The strikes hit more than 60 targets in 16 different locations, US Air Forces Central said.Russia has condemned the air strikes on Yemen conducted in absence of a UN mandate, calling them a direct threat to global peace and security. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/schism-emerges-among-us-allies-after-yemen-attacks-1116144823.html united kingdom (uk) yemen Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us strikes yemen, houthis, red sea crisis, us-led coalition, uk strikes yemen https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/watch-russian-artillery-neutralize-nato-made-howitzer-in-special-op-zone-1116140498.html Watch Russian Artillery Neutralize NATO-Made Howitzer in Special Op Zone Watch Russian Artillery Neutralize NATO-Made Howitzer in Special Op Zone Sputnik International The artillery duel took place in north-west outskirts of liberated Artemovsk (formerly known as Bakhmut). 2024-01-13T08:07+0000 2024-01-13T08:07+0000 2024-01-13T10:37+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis us arms for ukraine nato video russia howitzer https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/0d/1116140340_18:0:1334:740_1920x0_80_0_0_1c504dfa459f6d2321ecbdddc138e37c.png The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage of the combat work of the Msta-B artillery units, which destroyed a Western howitzer operated by Ukrainian troops.The enemy howitzer was detected during routine aerial reconnaissance conducted from UAVs. The location of the Ukrainian gun was transmitted to artillerymen, who destroyed the enemy howitzer with pinpoint accuracy.Msta-B is a howitzer capable of firing up to 8 rounds per minute at a range of more than 24 kilometers. Msta-B uses a variety of ammunition, including top-of-the-line Krasnopol guided rounds. russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sergey Lebedev Sergey Lebedev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Msta-B howitzer in combat action Sputnik International The Russian crew of the Msta-B howitzer paratroopers destroyed a Ukrainian self-propelled howitzer of NATO production 2024-01-13T08:07+0000 true PT0M20S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sergey Lebedev russia' special military operation, ukrainian crisis, russian howitzer, russian artillery, howitzer ukraine, artillery ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240113/which-parts-of-yemen-were-hit-by-joint-us-uk-strikes-1116139540.html Which Parts of Yemen Were Hit by Joint US-UK Strikes? Which Parts of Yemen Were Hit by Joint US-UK Strikes? Sputnik International On Friday night, the United States and the UK launched a series of strikes against Houthis (Ansar Allah) military organization in Yemen. According to official information, 60 targets in 16 different locations were hit. 2024-01-13T06:42+0000 2024-01-13T06:42+0000 2024-01-13T06:42+0000 yemen war on yemen yemen airstrike ansar allah houthi tomahawk typhoon united kingdom (uk) us https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/0d/1116139816_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_4ba3ed9210a1d2482700fd64a1eb0bc0.png The US used F-22 jets and Tomahawk cruise missiles, while the UK used Typhoon fighter jets and Paveway IV guided bombs to conduct strikes on Houthi military infrastructure.Washington and London targeted the Al-Daylami airbase north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Hodeidah airport, Abbs airfield, Taiz airport, Kahlan military base in Saada province, and other sites.The US and UK insist they only targeted military infrastructure, including drone production facilities and missile launch sites. "We were absolutely not targeting civilian population centers. We were going after very specific capabilities in very specific locations with precision munitions," the unnamed Pentagon official told the media.Houthi leader Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on social media that "America and Britain made a mistake in launching the war on Yemen because they did not benefit from their previous experiences." Other Houthi officials denounced the joint strikes as a "brutal agression" against Yemen and vowed a harsh response. Russia has strongly condemned the attack on Yemen, calling it a "complete disregard for international law."Explore Sputnik's infographics to learn more. 3 yemen united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International yemen, strikes on yemen, houthi strikes, war on yemen, houthi yemen Willys Home Run was one of the breakout success stories of the 2023 Ontario Sires Stakes season, capturing five Gold Series victories in her two-year-old campaign. The ease with which the brown filly won made it seem as if she was born to race. Only, that wasnt the initial plan. Following in his fathers footsteps, owner/breeder of Willys Home Run, Jake Higgs, the son of longtime breeder Reg Higgs, was initially just looking to keep Willys Home Run with the intention of breeding her after making the decision to withdraw her from a sale a few years ago. It was funny because when my wife and I got in the business we had a talk and said, Were not going to start racing horses, were not going to keep them. Were, basically, just going to breed them and sell them. That was the plan that my father had done for forever, said Higgs. I said, Thats what were gonna do. The logic was sound. A full-sister to Canadian record holder and fellow 2023 O'Brien Award finalist Logan Park, the Archangel-Rite Outta The Park filly looked to have the pedigree to become a fantastic broodmare for Higgs who, despite having an industry veteran father, was just getting his own feet wet in the business at the time. And then she turned out to be the fantastic racehorse most know her as now. Willys Home Run didnt only win five Gold Series races, she went a perfect five-for-five in those races she participated in, then followed that up with a win in the OSS Super Final. Higgs gives a lot of credit to the Ontario Resident Mare Program for his success, helping him, a newer breeder, get his feet off the ground. In Ontario, as the breeder, you pay a very small amount and the money you can get through the program is second to none, he said. And, obviously, it pays people like us where our horse just so happened to win all the Golds, but even if you are successful at the Grassroots level or for a couple races, the breeder can expect some money back for that, which is amazing. The support Higgs received from the greater community also made things easier for him to jump into the business. Whether it comes to me e-mailing somebody from Standardbred Canada or Ontario Racing or talking to people about who to breed to, everybodys been very open, said Higgs. Its amazing to walk into the barn at Mohawk or wherever it is and people will remember you and theyll say hi and theyre always looking to help even though were all competing against one another. I just found that the camaraderie between all the people that are in the horse business is amazing. Winning, of course, also didnt hurt matters, either. But far more important than what she accomplished on the track, however, is Willys Home Run represents the fulfillment of a promise made. Dr. Sara Gatchell, Higgss wife, is a veterinarian who grew up with the sport of harness racing, spurred on by her fathers love for it in Truro, N.S. As a young girl, Gatchell promised her father that if she were to ever become a vet she would buy a racehorse and name it after him. Flash-forward more than 40 years later, and that promise was kept when Reg Higgs sold Gatchell and Jake their first broodmare in foal in November 2020. When she delivered, she was then promptly named after Gatchells father, William, becoming Willys Home Run. At the time of Willys Home Runs birth, Gatchells father had just turned 90 and was overjoyed to see the childhood promise kept. Unfortunately, however, right as Willys Home Run was dominating the 2023 OSS season, he was diagnosed with dementia and now no longer remembers that fateful promise that was made. Still, William Gatchell did still tune in to see his namesake tear up the track as the Gatchell family would tune in and stream all of Willys Home Runs races, much to the delight of William, even if he no longer remembered the personal connection he had with the horse. Sara remembers, however. And thats far sweeter a victory than anything that may happen on the track. (with files from Ontario Racing) Platinum As overcame a tough trip to take the feature on Friday night at The Meadowlands as one of four winners driven by Dave Miller during the 14-race program. When last seen at Ohios Dayton Raceway on Dec. 23, Platinum As got roughed up first-over yet managed to hang in there to the wire, finishing third, missing by only a half-length. The trip shipping into The Big M for the $36,667 high-end conditioned trot was even worse, but the result was considerably better. In the early going, Platinum As was away quickly from post seven in the eight-horse field (there was one scratch) but with leavers to his inside he had to abort his speed mission as Miller backed the six-year-old gelded son of E L Titan-Jarette As into the four-hole at the quarter. P L Oscar went first-over to the half to challenge leader Eurobond with Platinum As picking up a live tow. Eurobond was unwilling to yield the point, however, and as P L Oscar began to weaken, Miller moved Platinum As three-wide at the five-eighths. The trip was going good, said the Hall of Fame pilot. When Johnthan [Ahle, driving P L Oscar] moved his horse, I thought he was clearing, but Brett [Beckwith, driving Eurobond] changed his mind and left him out there, so I was like, 'Oh man, Im three-deep,' but he was pretty game. Platinum As was forced to continue three-wide all the way around the far turn before moving to the lead just after they straightened up at the head of the stretch, then went on to a safe neck win over a fast-closing Ferretti in 1:54.4. The top two finishers reside in the Anette Lorentzon barn. Eurobond held third. I drove him out here last winter and won with him, said Miller. They keep telling me hes a little tricky but really hes not. Ive only raced him twice and he got the lead the last time. He does have a little back class to him and hes gone some big trips. He raced tough tonight. Owned by ACL Stuteri AB, Platinum As now has 18 wins from 68 career starts, good for earnings over $320,000. As the 4-5 favourite, he returned $3.60 to win. Millers other winners were Racing Money ($4.60 to win) in the fourth race, Sidd Finch ($3) in the 12th and High Baller ($6.60) in the 13th. A 20-cent Pick-6 carryover of $3,699 led to a total pool of almost $24,000. After a sequence that had four winning favourites, those with all correct collected $177.18. All-source wagering totalled $3,050,856, giving The Big M consecutive $3-million Fridays. Racing resumes on Saturday at 6:20 p.m. (With files from The Meadowlands) The United States champions the right of free and fair elections around the globe. Wherever political machines are abused to interfere in elections, American administrations have spoken out against those abuses and the Biden administration is no exception. In 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Venezuelas Maduro regime for its actions that deprived Venezuelans yet again of their right to participate in a free and fair electoral process. Last year, Guatemalas electoral tribunal disqualified three candidates from running for president on what leftwing U.S. media called technical and dubious grounds. The eventual election of Bernardo Arevalo was then contested fiercely by Guatemalas Public Ministry. The entire affair drew fire from the international community and the U.S. Department of State, which called the Public Ministrys effort anti-democratic behavior. Also last year, Russia President Vladimir Putins main opposition in years past, Alexei Navalny, was sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison on so-called extremism charges. The Biden administration called the action unjust and the charges unfounded. But over the past few weeks, the authoritarian urge to ban an opposition candidate from standing for election has manifested here at home. But the Biden administration has, this time, been largely silent. Indeed, the party currently controlling the White House has ignored or even supported two deeply un-American actions in Colorado and Maine, with few exceptions. On Dec. 19, the Colorado Supreme Court a body of unelected judges who were all appointed by Democratic governors deemed former President Donald Trump disqualified to appear on the 2024 presidential ballot under Section Three of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Section Three prevents a person from holding office who previously used their office to engage in insurrection against the United States. But Trump was not removed from office for engaging in an insurrection, nor has he been convicted of any such activity. This hyper-partisan, politically-motivated decision abuses the Constitution for short-term gain. How the unelected judges on the Colorado Supreme Court feel about Trump should not sway their interpretation of our founding document. Unfortunately, this shameful attack on due process didnt end in Colorado. On Dec. 28, Maines secretary of state unilaterally reinterpreted the same section of the Constitution to kick Trump off the ballot. Similar to the Colorado Supreme Court justices, Secretary of State Sienna Bellows is not a statewide elected official she was selected by the majority party of the state legislature, which at the time was the Democratic Party. Bellows alarming misuse of her position forced Maine Republicans and Democrats alike to speak out. Sen. Angus King, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said the decision as to whether or not Mr. Trump should again be considered for the presidency should rest with the people as expressed in free and fair elections. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (ME) agreed, saying, We are a nation of laws, therefore until he is actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot. Ultimately, whether a candidate should appear on the presidential ballot should never be a question of party politics, as it can be in corrupt, autocratic nations. The United States has stood as a bastion of democracy for centuries, in the position to root out corruption in the world not as the place where corruption must be rooted out. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to weigh in on these un-American, authoritarian attempts to block a candidate from standing for election. I hope it does so quickly and resolves this issue once and for all. But for now, every American, no matter their party, should condemn this assault on our electoral institutions and freedoms. Our democracy shouldnt hinge on what someone thinks about Trump. It should hinge on free and fair elections that determine the will of the people. The crisis at our nations southern border is unprecedented. Its the worst its ever been in our countrys history. There have now been over 6.8 million encounters at the southern border since Joe Biden became President. This does not include the 1.8 million gotaways who were detected but not apprehended. There were 242,418 migrant encounters in November, the highest November total ever recorded. Decembers numbers may be even worse. On December 5, 2023, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported 12,000 encounters in one day. This is the highest daily total ever recorded. The highest ever monthly total is about 269,000. Some reports are indicating December numbers could be higher than 300,000 encounters in just one month. That would mean a population size greater than that of the City of Lincoln coming across our border in just one month. We have an urgent obligation to get these numbers under control. Meanwhile, Mexico is failing to be a partner in solving this problem. Last month, Mexico stopped funding deportations. This made it easier for illegal immigrants to reach our border. Our southern neighbor has also not done enough to stop thousands of migrants from riding trains through Mexico to our border. American railroads like Union Pacific have taken great steps to deter and detect migrants on their trains. Mexican railroads like Ferromex have not. That must change. Instead of making substantive policy changes to cut the increasing flow of illegal immigration, the Biden administration is making decisions that are directly harming Nebraskans. For example, last month President Bidens team shut down the shipment of American-made goods to process thousands of migrants illegally crossing the border. On December 18, CBP suspended international railway crossings and rail operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas. CBP also suspended vehicle processing at locations in Arizona and California. I condemned this decision and led seven colleagues in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging him to re-open rail operations. I reiterated this position in phone calls to Secretary Mayorkas and two CBP commissioners. CBPs decisions directly and immediately impacted rail carriers ability to move goods. Mexico is Nebraskas largest export partner. The success of our trade relationship relies on the successful operation of these crossings. U.S. goods and services trade with Mexico totaled an estimated $855 billion in 2022. Eagle Pass and El Paso accounted for 35.8% of all cross-border rail traffic to and from Mexico. In 2021, 89 percent of Nebraskas corn exports went to Mexico. Thats $590.4 million worth of product. Nebraska farmers also exported $280.6 million worth of soybeans and soybean products to Mexico. According to Nebraska Farm Bureau, this move blocked as many as 60 trains or 10,000 rail cars per day. Farmers and ranchers depend on these trains to get their products to market. On December 22, CBP announced the reopening of rail operations. While its good news, it would not have had to happen if President Biden had taken our border crisis more seriously. Union Pacific estimated the economic damage to businesses at more than $200 million per day. Its simply unacceptable that American producers were forced to pay the price for the continued incompetence of President Biden and his administration. To prevent the flood of illegal immigrants coming into our country, we need real policy changes. We need them quickly. The president must take responsibility and act. Mexico also needs to do its part by enforcing its immigration laws. In the weeks to come, the Senate will consider important government funding bills. My Republican colleagues and I will continue fighting for sanity and security at the border. Im committed to fighting for the policy solutions we need to get our border crisis under control. My team and I are here to serve you. Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224 or on my website at www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact. A new bill introduced Friday by state Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard would ban the conversion of natural gas pipelines to transport carbon dioxide, including one running through Lincoln County. Legislative Bill 1140, cosponsored by Agriculture Committee Chairman Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, would forbid both transportation of carbon dioxide in a gas pipeline and its storage in any kind of underground geologic apparatus inside the state. Doing either would become a Class IV felony which carries a $10,000 fine, up to two years in prison or both if LB 1140 should become law. State senators in 2021 passed LB 650, which declared it in the public interest to promote the geologic storage of carbon dioxide in order to benefit the state and the global environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and help ensure the viability of the states energy and power industries. Then-Gov. Pete Ricketts signed the bill. Colorado-based Tallgrass Energy has been working to convert its 1982 Trailblazer Pipeline from carrying natural gas to sending carbon dioxide west through southern Nebraska to a commercial-sized sequestration hub in southeast Wyoming. The 436-mile-long Trailblazer has carried natural gas east to Beatrice. It parallels the Nebraska-Colorado border before passing through Perkins and southern Lincoln counties near Wallace and Wellfleet. All but its eastern 44 miles would be used instead for carbon dioxide shipments westward. The U.S. Federal Regulatory Energy Commission gave Tallgrass permission for the conversion in an Oct. 23 ruling. Its natural gas shipments would move to the firms 1,679-mile Rockies Express Pipeline, which parallels Trailblazer along much of its Nebraska route. Lincoln County commissioners passed a resolution in August 2022 supporting Trailblazers conversion. They granted conditional use permits last Aug. 14 for Tallgrass to build new hot taps and install heater overprotection regulators at two locations on the REX pipeline in relation to the upcoming switchover from Trailblazer. In between, rural Wallace landowner Bonnie Erickson expressed concerns to commissioners last Feb. 6 about potential health hazards from moving carbon dioxide through Trailblazer. County Board members replied that they have no control over what happens with the 42-year-old pipeline. Among other bills introduced Thursday by western Nebraska lawmakers: LB 1169, introduced by Erdman and 11 other senators, would have the governor appoint the director of History Nebraska subject to Unicameral confirmation. Board members of the agency still officially the Nebraska State Historical Society in state law would be replaced by trustees appointed either by society members or the governor. Gordon Sen. Tom Brewer is a bill cosponsor. LB 1159, introduced by Sumner Sen. Teresa Ibach and four other lawmakers, would double the current list of 10 felony offenses requiring victims of such crimes to be notified when convicted defendants are up for parole, pardon or release. Brad Howard said Iredell County can expect more as he announced his candidacy for a seat on the Iredell County Board of Commissioners. Howard touted himself as a distinguished business leader committed to fiscal responsibility in the announcement. The news release said Howards passion for the county runs deep, as he has lived in the area most of his life. Im running for county commissioner because I believe that the people of Iredell County deserve sincere, transparent, and effective leadership, Howard said. As we campaign across the county, I look forward to hearing from voters to better understand their thoughts, ideas and concerns. I believe in freedom and reasonable conversation, and that we need a solutions-first attitude. If elected, residents can expect more from me. I will put my business-minded experience to work in order to protect taxpayers, improve how our local government works for all residents, and help attract new businesses and jobs to our county. Iredell Countys primary elections take place on March 5 and early voting begins Feb. 15. After knowing Brad for well over a decade, I have full confidence in his ability to effectively lead as county commissioner for Iredell County, North Carolina Rep. Jason Saine said. Brads love for Iredell County and his commitment to the community are hard to match. I know his dedication, and business and leadership skills make him a good choice for voters as they elect county commissioners. Howard has a background in business with a career in manufacturing for a paper products company in Mooresville and is a graduate of Mooresville High School. He graduated college from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing. Howard and his wife Nikki have three children, Asher, Beckett and Lachlyn. Howards priorities The following campaign priorities were listed in Howards news release. Tax policy: Committed to fiscal conservatism, Howard will advocate for responsible, transparent tax policies that support essential services while minimizing the burden on taxpayers. Infrastructure: Howard will work toward enhancing the countys infrastructure to support its growing needs and ensure a high quality of life for its residents. Preservation of rural farmland: Howard understands the significance of maintaining the countys rural character. He will work to preserve, protect, and grow our agricultural heritage. Law enforcement and public safety: Howard recognizes the critical role of law enforcement, fire departments, and first responders in maintaining a safe and secure community. He will support initiatives that strengthen public safety. Education: As a champion for education, Howard will prioritize investments in our schools facilities and infrastructure. Property rights: Committed to upholding the rights of property owners, Howard will advocate for policies that respect and protect these fundamental rights. Employment opportunities: Howard is dedicated to creating new job opportunities and fostering a thriving job market for Iredell County residents. Balanced economic growth: With a focus on a balanced and sustainable economy, Howard aims to ensure that growth benefits all sectors of the community. Lake Norman protection: Recognizing the importance of Lake Norman to the community, Howard is committed to implementing policies that safeguard this valuable natural resource. Taiwan's new president-elect, Lai Ching-te, is likely to face his toughest task yet when he takes office in May and has to deal with the ire of China which has repeatedly denounced him as a dangerous separatist. Lai, who won Saturday's election, repeatedly said during the campaign that he wanted to keep the status quo with China, which claims Taiwan as its own, and offered to talk to Beijing. "We don't want to become enemies with China. We can become friends," Lai, widely known by his English name William, told a Taiwanese television station in July. But in Beijing's view, Lai, 64, is a separatist and "troublemaker through and through" for comments he first made in 2017 as premier about being a "worker" for Taiwan's formal independence a red line for Beijing. The next year he told parliament he was a "practical worker for Taiwan independence," causing one Chinese newspaper, the widely read Global Times, to call for China to issue an international arrest warrant for Lai and prosecute him under China's 2005 Anti-Secession Law. Lai maintains he simply meant Taiwan is already an independent country. On the campaign trail he stuck by President Tsai Ing-wen's line that the Republic of China Taiwan's formal name and the People's Republic of China are "not subordinate to each other". Under Taiwan's constitution the Republic of China is a sovereign state, a view shared by all Taiwan's main political parties. The Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists, who set up the People's Republic. What worries Beijing is the idea that Lai could try to change the status quo by declaring the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan, which Lai has said he will not do. "I think China hates him, really hates him," said Wu Xinbo, an international relations professor at Shanghai's Fudan University. "It is because if he is elected as the leader of Taiwan, he may come to advance his goal of Taiwan independence, which will provoke a crisis across the Taiwan Strait." Still, while China has announced sanctions on several senior Taiwanese officials, including Lai's running-mate Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's former de facto ambassador to the United States, it has not done so for Lai, perhaps indicating Beijing does not want to totally shut the door to one day having talks with him. During the campaign, Lai said he would stick to President Tsai's path of proffering talks with China and maintaining peace and the status quo, while also pledging to defend the island and reiterating only its people can decide the island's future. Stephen Tan, managing director of the International Policy Advisory Group in Taipei, said Lai's platform was similar, if not identical, to that of Tsai, who is barred from seeking re-election after serving two terms. "I would not envision from his policy and administration a big change in direction for both domestic and foreign policies," Tan said. Lai is from a humble background in northern Taiwan, the son of a coal miner who died when the president-elect was a small child. A physician, the younger Lai specialised in spinal cord injuries. He became Tsai's vice president in 2020 when they won in a landslide warning of the threat to Taiwan from China given Beijing's crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Since then, China has massively ramped up military drills near Taiwan and held war games in August 2022 and last April in response to Taiwanese engagement with the United States. Taiwan officials said this week they expected China to attempt to put pressure on the incoming president, including with military drills near Taiwan, before Lai takes office. In May, at a question and answer session with students at his alma mater, National Taiwan University, Lai said the head of state he would most like to have dinner with is Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he would advise to "chill out a little". China's Taiwan Affairs Office said his comments were "weird" and "deceitful", given that his "Taiwan independence nature" had not changed. Beijing has demanded Taiwan's government accepts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to "one China," something Tsai and Lai have refused to do. (Reuters) In case theyve already departed your memory, heres a reminder of a few newsworthy events from the past month: Halleys Comet Dec. 9, 2023; next occurrence July 28, 2061 Haleys Comment Dec. 27, 2023 (actually a non-comment); next occurrence anybodys guess As one who enjoys playing with words, I decided to revisit some current events using a few homophones. In case youve forgotten, homophones are two or more words that sound the same, but have different spellings, and meanings e.g. there, their, and theyre. Of course, regional accents can sometimes create additional homophones. For example, for some southerners, the following three words are pronounced the same: all, awl, and oil. The last term usually being preceded with motor. While in the same family, homonyms are words that are spelled the same, sound the same, but have different meanings, e.g. bat, palm, match, and well, to name but a few. (End of todays lesson. Yes, there may be a test!) Here are a few thoughts I collected about my current homophones Some readers may be aware of the most unusual coincidence involving Halleys Comet and Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka, Mark Twain. This dazzling astral display, which normally occurs every 75 years, appeared the night of Twains birth Nov. 30, 1835, as well as the night he died April 21, 1910. Twain is quoted as saying in 1909, I came in with Halleys Comet. It is coming again next year. The Almighty has said, no doubt, Now there are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together they must go out together. And, amazingly they did! Haleys Comment, of course, refers to the recent gaff at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire by presidential candidate, Nikki Haley. In short, when asked about the causes of the Civil War, Haleys response of several sentences failed to list slavery as even one of the causes. When she tried to do some splainin, she just dug the hole a little bit deeper. In less than 24 hours, her campaign office was busy with damage control, but there just werent enough fingers to plug the dike. As its said, you cant un-ring the bell! Numerous pundits responded almost immediately. Writing for Forbes magazine a day later, Dr. Susan Harmeling, professor at Arizona State University, noted, The Civil War, a pivotal moment in American history, was primarily driven by the contentious issue of slavery. The significance of acknowledging slavery as the root cause of the Civil War cannot be overstated, as it underlines the systemic oppression and dehumanization of African Americans Indeed (Haleys) silence was deafening. Noted economics professor, Nobel Laureate, and New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman put it this way, So yes, the Civil War was about slavery an institution that existed solely to enrich some men by depriving others of their freedom. And theres no excuse for anyone who pretends that there was anything noble or even defensible about the Souths cause: The Civil War was fought to defend an utterly vile institution. Turning again to Mr. Twain, heres a quote of his that seems right on target: It aint what you dont know that gets you into trouble. Its what you know for sure that just aint so (my emphasis). Jonah Goldberg, writing in The Daily Progress responded, Such missteps are rare for (Haley) the most disciplined candidate in the race. More significantly, by obviously trying to cater to what the audience and the questioner wanted to hear, rather than just say what she believes, she fed the perception that she is nothing more than a politician. And politician has become a dirty word in American politics, particularly on the right. In my early college days, I was introduced to the creative musical satire of Tom Lehrer. A math instructor by day at MIT, Lehrers nocturnal gig was playing piano and singing his witty verses at Boston bars and clubs. In one of his numerous examples of political satire, he described a politician as, One whose allegiance is ruled by expedience. The incident in New Hampshire is a classic example of such expedience, and will, perhaps, represent a turning point in Ms. Haleys campaign, but not necessarily the one she mightve wished for. In the words of T.S. Eliot, another British poet, This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper. The Wine Enthusiast dedicated an article to Armenian grape varieties that will help you understand Armenian wine. According to the author, to truly understand Armenian wine, it is worth starting with these local varieties. White Grapes Voskehat Known as the queen of Armenian grape varieties, Voskehat has been cultivated for over 3,000 years, most commonly in the cooler, forested province of Aragatsotn and higher altitude sites in Vayots Dzor. Voskehat is known for its longevity and ability to withstand increasingly unpredictable climates, thanks to its thick skin and hardy vines. (Its not uncommon to find 150-year-old plantings of Voskehat.) Because of these traits, wineries are starting to look to this grape as the future of the region amidst warming conditions. Voskehat is also malleable to style preferences. Depending on the growing season or winemaking treatment, the grape can be formed to bring out vegetal and key lime flavors or richer tropical notes of white flower and beeswax. I appreciate Voskehat because of its similarity to Chenin Blanc, says Danya Degen, wine director at Meli in Washington, D.C. Both grapes blend floral flavors with moderate acidity and fuller body. Like Chenin Blanc, acidity and body also make it a fabulous blending variety for sparkling wine. Armenia makes some of the best non-Champagne, non-Prosecco bubbles from Voskehat. Khatoun Scott Stroemer, beverage director of Galit in Chicago, describes Khatoun (also known as Khatun, Khatouni or Khatun Kharji) as a total acid freak. With a yellow-green hue and near-colorless juice, Khatoun is known for its tart lemon, alpine flower and pineapple characteristics. Its great as a blending grape for Voskehat, which can be a bit flabby on its own, he says. Kangun Kangun (or Gangun, depending on who you ask) was born during Soviet rule and specifically created for brandy production. Its the child of three grape varieties: First, it was crossed with the Ukrainian grape Sukholimansky Bely and the Georgian grape Rkatsiteli, then that offspring was later crossed with Chardonnay. It settled well in Armenian terroir and was adopted for not just brandy, but white and sparkling wines. Expect a light straw color, ample freshness and notes of honey, wildflower and quince. Garan Dmak The white grape varietyfound most commonly in the Ararat regionis planted widely in the clay and higher desert soils of Armenia. Its known for its vegetal and ripe pear characteristics, though Stroemer compares it to something more French in nature. I want this to be the Sancerre of 2024, he says. Red Grapes Areni Noir Areni Noir, often known as Sev Areni or Sev Malahi, is considered the pearl of Armenian grape varieties, says Bertil Jean-Chronberg, the owner and operator of Bonde Fine Wine Shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It grows in the Vayots Dzor regiondistinguished by a unique climate of mild winters and sunny daysat an average altitude of 3,000 to 5,900 feet. This terroir reflects the peculiar characteristics of this grape variety: In its youth, it produces wines with a pronounced acidity and a deep and intense color with delicate aromas of cherry, blackcurrant and black pepper. Aged in Armenian oak barrels, it becomes finer and more velvety and gains aromatic complexity and roundness. Areni Noir is thin-skinned with bright acid, adds Stroemer. When grown in Vayots Dzor, Areni Noir becomes more Burgundian in presence with a black pepper finish. Tigrani While Tigrani is Armenian in origin, part of its parentage comes from Georgia, the Caucasuss other historic wine region. The grape is a cross between Saperavi, one of Georgias ancient grapes, and Areni Noir. Its seldom seen on its own. Instead, Tigrani lends fruit and florality to more tannic red varieties. The grapes are juicy, sweet and tart with deep natural color, a subtle spice and touches of ripe pomegranate. Haghtanak Translating to victory in Armenian, Haghtanaks deep purple berries and intense red juice have made the grape one of Armenias most beloved varieties. Its often found in blendsthe deep color adds oomph to lighter grapes like Tozotthough if you do find a single varietal wine, its deeply cherry-like, hyper tannic with additional notes of plum, cloves, coffee and vanilla. I find it quite similar to Saperavi from Georgia, says Stroemer. Its red-fleshed and super tannic. Kakhet Kakhet has deep roots that date back to the 4th century, but for the last few centuries, the grape has been exclusively reserved for Port-style sweet wines. Producers are wising up to the grapes potential: While Haghtanak and Areni are rich and tannic, Kakhet tends to be berry-forward and terroir-drivenits light and aromatic, with notes of blackberry, black currant, fig and black pepper. Experts at U.C. Davis reckon the grape is a relative of the French varietal Carbonneau. Tozot I see a lot of potential in this grape, says Pavel Vardanyan, who makes a Tozot at Noa Wine in Vayots Dzor, located at the tippy-top of one of the regions rolling mountains. You can make Tozot elegant and ageable, you can make it into a rose, you can make it into a blanc de noir, he explains. While Tozot isnt found widely (and often only in older vineyards), the red grape offers up high acidity and freshness, with vibrant, bright strawberry notes not dissimilar to something from, say, Beaujolais. Because of its rarity, these days, its often blended into a still wine, used in table wine, dessert wine or distilled into Armenian brandy, says Jean-Chronberg. If vinified alone, it produces wines of great freshness, which are unique and invigorating. Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram The new members of the Longview City Council wasted no time in taking the city into a different direction. Spencer Boudreau was selected as the new mayor of Longview at the start of Thursday nights meeting, as two new councilmembers were sworn in, creating a slim conservative majority. That group then voted to disband a housing and homeless committee, which recently separated from the county, before it spent a single cent. Councilmembers plan to rejoin the countys program the one the previous council exited after the county didnt help pay for HOPE Village. Councilmember Erik Halvorson called the change a way to protect the citys relationship with, and further funding from, the county. Mayor Boudreau won a 4-3 vote over outgoing mayor MaryAlice Wallis to take the position. Boudreau said he is the youngest mayor in the citys history at age 23. Kalei LaFave was named mayor pro tem by the same margin against councilmember Ruth Kendall. Boudreau, a first-term councilmember, told The Daily News he was hopeful hed be selected and humbled after it happened. He thanked the three new councilmembers LaFave, Halvorson and Keith Young who voted for him. Boudreau also voted for himself. My biggest priority right now is improving communications and accessibility for the city government as a whole, he said. I want to make the council meetings more constituent friendly. Though in his early 20s, Boudreaus path to the mayorship has been a long time coming. In 2016, a 16-year-old Boudreau was featured in a TDN story about his political ambitions and specifically his interest in being Longviews mayor. Ive always liked the idea of being mayor of your hometown, you know? Boudreau said at the time. The council chambers were standing-room-only at the start of the Thursday meeting, and included a litany of prominent Republicans. Congressional candidate Joe Kent watched the mayoral vote from the back, which he said was on invitation from the Cowlitz County Republican Party. Also in attendance were state Rep. Joel McEntire, Cowlitz County Commissioners Richard Dahl and Arne Mortensen, and many local precinct officers and outspoken conservatives. Homeless program The council also voted 4-3 Thursday to start the process to rejoin the county housing and homeless program. In the past, the county program has paid for services at shelters like Community House on Broadway with the fund's revenue source: document recording fees, which are charges on certain local documents like real estate transactions. The same councilmembers who approved Boudreau and LaFaves new positions, also directed staff to create an official resolution dissolving Longviews homeless and housing program, with the goal of returning to the county program in the spring. It is unclear what will become of the $167,000 collected in the citys program fund since April, if the city will decide what to do with the money or the county, City Manager Kris Swanson told The Daily News. The city split from the county when commissioners opted not to fund HOPE Village in late 2022 with document recording fees after previous discussions to provide money for a city-operated homeless solution. At the first January 2023 meeting, Longview voted 6-1 to separate from the countys program and make their own plan to access city document recording fees directly. Halvorson, who introduced the measure Thursday, said the city could be losing out on larger funding opportunities or cooperation by sticking with a separate program than the county. State law allows cities to create their own housing programs independent from the ones run by counties, but says nothing about the process for a city to rejoin the countys homeless housing program. Kathy Kinard, who works with counties with homeless housing programs through the Washington Department of Commerce, told The Daily News she didnt know of any other case of a city splitting from, then rejoining its countys program. Kinard said the new arrangement would be a local preference and not something the state would get involved in. 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: Genesis Systems co-founder Shannon Stuckenberg discusses the inner workings of a WaterCube device that extracts water from the air during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Tech aimed at battling climate change and even pumping fresh water out of thin air attracted crowds as the annual CES gadget extravaganza showed its green side. With calls to fight climate change escalating, technology firms are finding ways to help, according to organizers of the Consumer Electronics Show, which wraps up in Las Vegas on Friday. Genesis Systems was on the show floor with a first-of-its-kind WaterCubeabout the size of a central air conditioning unitthat pumps water from the air so effectively it could supply all the water needed by a home. "Our first mission is to sustainably solve global water scarcity," said David Stuckenberg, who founded Genesis with his wife, Shannon. "Once you have this plugged into your house...you can turn yourself off (from) the city water." In places where wells and aquifers have dried up, WaterCube can extract water from the air using its unique process, he explained. The decision to become a "water entrepreneur" sprang from hearing farmers complain of wells running dry and from serving in the US military in the Middle East as nations there sought new sources of precious water, according to Stuckenberg. "One of the challenges that we're facing in terms of making humanity sustainable is the stuff we need for life," he told AFP. "Next to air, water is the most important thing." Trillions of tons of untapped water are in the air, and one of the effects of a warming planet is more water vapor in the atmosphere, Stuckenberg said. Water in the air is quickly replenished, creating "an infinite water source" that WaterCube taps into at scale, he explained. "We're democratizing the water supply," Stuckenberg said. His Florida-based company is also looking to incorporate carbon-capturing features into WaterCube, since a step in that process already includes drying out the air stream, he said. French startup MolluScan places sensors on muscles and other mollusks to detect water pollution, alerting regulators or companies to take action. Mussel sea monitors Small companies like MolluScan from France were at CES with their own innovative approaches to protecting the environment. MolluScan wires sea mussels or clams with sensors to detect pollution in waterways or oceans, sharing findings with companies or regulatory authoritiessaving the time and expense of water sampling. "You are pushing industries to improve the environment," MolluScan co-founder Ludovic Quinault told AFP. The mollusk-based pollution detectors, known as molluSCAN-eye, have been deployed at the North Pole, Tahiti and elsewhere, according to Quinault. Companies at CES also touted increased use of recycled or sustainable materials products and power-saving features along with more efficient batteries and solar power generation systems. French auto equipment supplier Forvia explained how it uses hemp, wood, pineapple and other organic material in its designs. Meanwhile, Britain-based Matterwhose backers include Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcherdebuted filtration technology to catch the harmful flood of miniscule plastic fibers typically released in wastewater from washing machines. Ambient Photonics, whose early investors included Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, demonstrated a solar cell capable of charging from indoor lighting, eliminating the need for batteries in devices. "Connected electronics require ongoing power, which too often derives from disposable or rechargeable batteries," said Photonics chief executive Bates Marshall. South Korean conglomerate SK Group devoted its exhibit to playfully showcasing how environmentally friendly technologies could bring about a happier future. Visitors could ride on a train capable of being powered by hydrogen or go for a "magic carpet ride" in a clean energy vehicle guided by artificial intelligence. The idea is for the influential telecom, chip and energy company to encourage others in the industry to join its mission to be carbon neutral, according to Ah Cho at the SK booth. 2024 AFP Ishikawa, Jan 14 ( NHK ) - Weather officials in Japan say a strong winter pressure pattern will intensify beginning Sunday night and continuing through Tuesday in the areas stricken by the deadly earthquake that hit central regions of the country on New Year's Day. At least 220 people had been confirmed dead as of Sunday. Thirteen of those individuals are believed to have died from conditions related to the disaster. Weather officials say the low pressure system with a front is forecast to pass over the areas, causing unstable atmospheric conditions. Very strong winds and rough seas are expected in northern and eastern parts of Japan beginning Sunday night. The forecast for Sunday night includes rain that will gradually turn to snow. Northern and eastern parts of Japan, mainly in the areas facing the Sea of Japan, could see heavy snow. More people are falling ill, as they spend prolonged periods in shelters. An 86-year-old man with a chronic illness died at an evacuation center in the town of Noto, after his health deteriorated. The evacuation center where the man was staying had heaters. But the man's relatives say it was difficult for him to stay warm and he couldn't sleep because he was so cold. The relatives note the elderly man became unwell on Tuesday night and then died. The town has reported that his death may be related to the disaster. Power and water outages continue to affect the region. Over 55,000 households in the prefecture are currently without water. The earthquake also damaged the local water purification plant and other facilities. But little restoration work has been done so far. Local officials have been focused on distributing water and other supplies to residents. Recovery efforts are now moving more quickly, thanks to personnel dispatched from municipalities across the country. Damaged roads and landslides have left people in some communities isolated. Work is underway to evacuate them. The Fukami district of Wajima is among the places that have been cut off and all residents were moved out earlier this week. The authorities decided to evacuate them, as there is a risk of further mudslides. Soil has been loosened in the areas affected by the quake and even a small amount of rain could trigger landslides. Weather officials are warning that buildings which were damaged by the quake could give way under the weight of accumulated snow. They are calling on residents to be on the lookout for any structural abnormalities in their houses. Source: ANNnewsCH Blog Archive: Mar 2024 (90) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) The Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education met Monday evening with a relatively light agenda. However, one of the action items in question the updated budget reduction plan drew more than an hour of conversation between those in attendance. GIPS Chief Financial Officer Virgil Harden presented the plan to the board, going over a budget document that depicted a line-by-line list of targeted reductions and their estimated savings. Before the board heard the presentation by Harden, four GIPS staff members spoke before the board during public participation. Each voiced concerns regarding suggested staffing reductions. District staff members were made aware of the projected plan toward the end of last week, ahead of the school board meeting. First up to speak was John Schultz, a 23-year veteran of the district and middle school band teacher. Im here because over the course of those years, weve been asked to do things differently multiple times and in every one of those times weve been given a voice as to how we can continue to do things at the highest level for our students, he said. Last year, he said, they were asked to reduce to one band teacher and one orchestra teacher at each school, out of necessity. Thanks in part to the board, a floater position was approved in order to help with beginning students and each of the buildings. That position has been awesome, he added. Those guys arent just there as crowd support, Schultz said. I say that because we were informed on Friday, that part of the budget cut will eliminate those two positions. Schultz asked the board to look at any ways to not eliminate said positions. Im not here to advocate against my coworkers, he said. Im not here to say that what band and orchestra do is more important than anyone else in the district, because it simply isnt. But we cant do what we do without those (floaters)... (What) were talking about is a small piece of the pie, but for what we do, this is the whole pie. The three remaining GIPS staff members that took time to address the board all did so on behalf of the social workers within the district, to which they explained were to be at least two of the other certified staff members cut in the proposed budget reduction plan. It is important to note that a Reduction in Force (RIF), specifically listing positions intended to be cut, has not been presented to the board as of Jan. 12. Its set to be presented for potential approval at the districts February meeting. Josie Lindell, a social worker for the Skills Academy within Grand Island Public Schools, was next to the podium. The Grand Island Public school social workers have been following the budget concerns that will be presented to you tonight and are concerned about proposed options that affect the middle school budget, she said. The proposal includes eliminating two middle school social workers, which would result in one social worker providing services to all three middle schools. This would eliminate two full-time social work positions that were established based on the districts own recognition that social workers serving individual middle schools is in the best interest of their unique needs and their student populations. For 18 years school social workers have addressed systematic issues for staff, families and most importantly, GIPS students, she added. GIPS social workers have a multitude of responsibilities that go beyond our job descriptions. You will be told that our main priority is monitoring attendance and addressing academic barriers or concerns before students get to high school. We work hard to identify and address the underlying factors that may contribute to a students reluctance or ability to attend school regularly. Factors that may include lack of transportation and/or childcare, physical health, mental health and child abuse and neglect. Lindell spoke toward the number of suicide risk screenings that happen in a year, done by GIPS social workers. An average of 375, she attested. We are supporting individual students through potentially fatal situations, she said. It would be detrimental not only to the students but (to) our community if social work positions were eliminated, Lindell concluded. It is time that administrators advocate for the social workers as it is the social workers who have advocated for the district and families for many years. Fellow GIPS social worker Aly Alexander, and Dana Holz (an English language newcomers teacher at Barr Middle School) also shared their concerns, including reading letters from those in both social work and the Grand Island community who agreed with their views. Budget discussion A few more agenda items passed with little discussion before Harden approached to deliver the presentation surrounding the proposed budget reductions in question. A full breakdown of the contents of the budget reduction sheet can be heard via Harden on the districts YouTube page, within the recorded Monday board meeting. The floor was then opened to board comments and questions. Weve been talking about this ad nauseam for weeks now and its been painful and certainly given me a stomachache or two, board member Lisa Albers said after thanking Harden and his team for the work they had done to prepare it. Im highly concerned about doing away with the social workers. It really makes me physically ill, because I remember fighting for those social workers. And I feel like some of the cuts, although unintentionally, are really impacting some of our most vulnerable students. Key budget reductions District adjustments The District Leadership Team will be reducing 1 position and opting not to replace two outgoing individuals for a total reduction of 3. Along with the district administrators that were not replaced last year an additional district level administrative position will be reduced. Eliminate a few vendor contracts. Adjust licensing, software, and services lifecycles for technology. (IT Team) Reduce Communications Department budget. Reductions in spending at the district level will cover between $1 and $1.5 million of the $5 million overall budget reductions needed. Elementary adjustments Overall Goal: Reduce budget spending by $500k. Because our elementary buildings significantly reduced staffing when the grade band size was increased a couple of years ago there are no intended elementary staff reductions at this time. Each Elementary School building budget will be reduced by 10%. Preschool class size will increase to 20 students (previously 15). All preschool sessions will be day. While this does not lower costs, serving more students will generate additional revenue from the state. Reduce transportation costs by eliminating general before and after school busing. Students utilizing the bus for specialized and/or special education programs will still continue. Middle school adjustments Overall Goal: Reduce budget spending by $1 million Each Middle School building budget will be reduced by 5%. Reduce 11 Certified Staff Positions. Reduce 3 Classified Staff Positions. Reduce general before and after school busing. Students using the Gates and Knickrehm bus routes to Westridge, after practice evening bussing, and students utilizing the bus for specialized and/or special education programs will still continue. Senior High adjustments Overall Goal: Reduce budget spending by $2+ million. Close and divest of the Wyandotte Learning Center. Education Pathway will move to Senior High High School Newcomers will move to the CPI building Success Academy will move to the Islander Annex High School Skills Academy will move to the Current Success Academy Facility Reduce 1 Administrative Position. Reduce 17 Certified Staff Positions. Reduce 2 Classified Staff Positions. Reduce general before and after school busing. Students utilizing the bus for specialized and/or special education programs will still continue. The students that need transportation are those likely living in poverty that dont have many other options, she added. She then questioned how this would impact attendance. I dont want to lose hope that we cant keep the social workers, because we have had two suicides in the last several months, she continued. Mental health is a big need for everyone, but particularly for students. And Im concerned about doing away with social workers, because their services are different from a counselor. When the district set out to find a way to recover the $5 million, they didnt want the cuts to impact the most vulnerable of students, Albers explained. I know none of us here wanted that. And I dont know what the answers are at this point. And I know we have to pick and choose. Is all hope lost? she asked. This plan was not without an extreme amount of thought, purpose and intent, Harden said in response. No one wants the cuts, but we have to make the cuts because we have to be fiscally responsible. All hope is not lost. There is a cyclical nature to our funding and to our processes. I can remember 10 years ago when we had to cut the money at that time. Within a number of years, we started to be able to add back the things that were the most painful to cut. There is a resiliency within the community, he added, with neighbors, parents, friends and other social services that can help fill the gap as the plan progresses. And well see what happens. Im not sure that the state has given us the resources for us to do all the things that we know we need to do, Harden voiced. So I dont know that theres a bad guy. Its just the way things are. The other concern that I think we have to wrap our heads around is that it may very shortly within a year or two be such that we cant find the staff to even have the positions that we want. And we may not have programs because we literally cannot hire people that are willing to work. We may have to close school buildings because we cant find enough teachers and we have to become more efficient with how we structure our buildings GIPS Board of Education member Eric Garcia-Mendez followed with his concerns, noting that this entire process has been hard. He posed a question to Harden and administrators in the audience about the processes they went through to make the decisions presented to the board. Harden explained that parameters were given to building leadership and many, many meetings were held to discuss the needs of the schools and levels within the district. Members of middle school leadership in attendance were invited to the podium in an effort to address other pieces of Garcia-Mendezs questions. It was not an easy decision, said Walnut Middle School Principal Rod Foley. But every day we talk about the core mission of what were doing here in our district and its really about bringing great core instruction. Its about collaborative work with our PLCs and its really about providing positive supports for our kids. As we went through that process as a middle level, we really focused on what is that. And the heart of that is our classroom teachers. Every decision you make here at this meeting, every decision that our district leadership team makes, every decision that we make, ultimately, falls on the shoulders of a classroom teacher to implement, he continued. And we dont take that lightly. So our goal was to protect our classroom teachers to the greatest degree that we could, knowing that even some of these decisions will have a great impact on them. None of the cuts were ones that they wanted to make, Foley added. Ultimately the cuts that were decided upon were those that they felt created the least impact in the lives of students. Our hope is that as the budget situation starts to resolve itself, that those positions start to come back to us, because were certainly not identifying them as not necessary, he concluded. We just know that in the light of the situation were in, were going to have to make some cuts. I am so disappointed in our state Back on the topic of transportation cuts, board member Katie Mauldin expressed her concerns about students getting to the classroom. Though cuts were wanted as far from the classroom as possible, this could hinder students getting there in the first place. I think what Virgil said is true, youre gonna have to somewhat rely on your friends and neighbors and families to help support that, Foley noted. But I will say you can learn a lot by doing bus duty. And what I learned is that our buses arent utilized in the way that we anticipated them to be used for. The consistency of our student body and using them every day for the necessity of getting home, to and from school, is not what we anticipated. A number of students that are chronically absent are not absent because of transportation, he added, but a lack of motivation and family support, he said. I had a lot of people reach out to me in the last 48 hours via text, phone call and email to communicate their concerns specifically around the loss of social workers in our middle school buildings, said board member Lindsey Jurgens, who was emotional during her comments. I was provided with examples of impact I hear you loud and clear about youre trying to keep these new vacancies away from the classroom, that makes all the sense in the world. I cant help but to link this to the classroom though. I am so disappointed in our state, she continued. So grossly disappointed in the lack of Nebraskas support to public schools. That is something to be embarrassed about. Because the victims are our kids. Other concerns shared by the board echoed disagreement with the potential staffing cuts within the fine-arts department. Newly elected board Vice-President Josh Hawley, as well as board members Dave Hulinsky and Amanda Wilson, shared their thoughts on this with those in attendance. I cannot imagine, as a solo teacher, being able to teach a brand new instrument to kids by myself, Wilson said. Impossible. And when we think about, well we can move people around, you really cant when it comes to band and orchestra. Those are very specific talents and skills. You cant just put any person in with the band teacher or the orchestra teacher and have them help teach kids that tune and how to use their instruments. Band and orchestra is an outlet for many students and often leads them toward future careers and scholarships. I hope that the city and not the city government, but the city as in the citizens, as in the parents, as in the grandmas and grandpas, the neighbors, are listening to whats going on here, Hulinsky said. Because unfortunately, we are at that point where they have to step up. Have to. Otherwise were gonna be going the wrong direction and were gonna go real quick. And so thats what I plead to the parents that are listening or see this, with grandma or grandpa, or even the neighbors who dont have kids anymore, he concluded. If you can help out by taking a kid to school, picking them up that is going to help immensely. Additional concerns, thoughts and feelings were shared across the board. Superintendent Matt Fisher added a few closing comments, including posting a reminder to those in attendance that this process is fluid and may very well look different in the months to come as things are discussed and solidified. The motion was made and seconded to approve the presented plan, with adjustments to be made on behalf of the district and the board as they arise. It passed unanimously. Apparel giant Crystal eyes $200 mln investment in northern Vietnam By Tri Duc Sat, January 13, 2024 | 10:50 am GMT+7 Hong Kong-based group Crystal International plans to invest $200 million in Vietnams northern province of Nam Dinh to manufacture cloth, fiber, and garments. Chan Chi Yuen, an executive in charge of project development in Vietnam, made the statement at a Friday meeting with Pham Gia Tuc, chief of Nam Dinh's Party Committee. In the first phase of $60 million, the project, located in Rang Dong (Aurora) Industrial Park, could reach an output of 55 million meters of garments, employ 800 people, generate a revenue of $110 million, and contribute $6 million to the state budget, the executive said. In the next phase of jean production, employment could increase to 4,000 while revenue can double, he added. Chan Chi Yuen (left), an executive of Crystal International, and Pham Gia Tuc, chief of Nam Dinh's Party Committee, at a meeting in the province, northern Vietnam, January 12, 2024. Photo courtesy of Nam Dinh TV. Welcoming the project, Tuc said Aurora Industrial Park specifically serves the apparel and textile sector. Another advantage of the province is its proximity to Noi Bai airport in Hanoi and seaports in the northern city of Hai Phong. The province also heavily invests in housing for laborers and expatriates, and facilities for employees children such as playgrounds, hospitals, kindergartens, and schools, he added. Highlighting the project as a key material supply source for Vietnams apparel-textile sectors, Tuc said Nam Dinh province would provide the best conditions for the projects implementation, from administrative procedures to operational activities. Founded in 1970, Crystal International is a partner of global major brands, including H&M, Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, Uniqlo, Victoria Secret, Puma, and Levis. It now runs 20 factories in Vietnam, China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Out of 73,095 staff as of end-2022, Vietnam accounted for the biggest portion of 49.6%. In Vietnam, the firm operates factories in Hanoi, Hai Phong city, and the provinces of Hai Duong, Bac Giang, Phu Tho, and Binh Duong, earning an export revenue of $1 billion annually. China examines over 3,000 regulations in 2023 to consolidate legal framework Xinhua) 10:08, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has seen progress in addressing prominent problems in regulations, such as violations of higher-level legislation, ensuring unity in the country's rule of law, the Ministry of Justice said on Friday. Last year, the ministry examined 3,021 sets of regulations which include 1,967 local regulations, 873 local government regulations and 181 departmental regulations. It has also received 46 review proposals from citizens and successfully processed 44 of them. Since the start of 2023, the ministry has preliminarily identified and addressed inconsistencies in 75 regulations with higher-level laws, and made corrections to 23 regulations. The ministry has also instructed five departments to repeal or modify provisions that include unreasonable fines in six regulations. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Nghe An province attracts 5 FDI projects worth $311 mln By Tri Duc Sat, January 13, 2024 | 3:15 pm GMT+7 Nghe An province in central Vietnam granted investment certificates Saturday to six projects with a registered capital of $390 million, including five foreign-invested projects worth $311 million. Provincial authorities granted the certificates at a conference held to announce Nghe Ans 2021-2030 development plan with vision until 2050. Among other things, it updates plans for the Dong Nam Nghe An Economic Zone. Nghe An Party Committee Secretary Thai Thanh Quy (right) and the province's Chairman Nguyen Duc Trung (left) pose with recipients of six investment certificates at a conference held in the central province, January 13, 2024. Photo courtesy of Nghe An newspaper. Taiwanese backlight modules maker Radiant Opto-Electronics Corporation will invest $120 million in a 6.1-hectare factory at the VSIP Nghe An Industrial Park. At the same industrial park, Hong Kong-invested Everwin Precision Technology Vietnam Co., Ltd. will pour $115 million in a 16.5 hectare factory. Luxcase Precision Technology (Vietnam) Co., Ltd, under Singapores Casetek Singapore Pte. Ltd., will invest $24 million in a 10.9-hectare factory at the same industrial park to manufacture metal components. Chinas Fujian Xinfeng Technology Co.,Ltd, a manufacturer of precision-formed CNC machining components, will invest $32 million in a 4.37-hectare factory at the WHA Industrial Park. Also at the WHA Industrial Park, another Chinese firm, Jiangxi Gaojia Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd., a high-tech manufacturer of lenses, will invest $20 million in a 4.4-hectare factory. The domestic project that has received an investment certificate is that of Hoang Thinh Dat Corp investing VND1.9 trillion ($77.54 million) in the 334.79 hectare Hoang Mai II Industrial Park at the Dong Nam Nghe An Economic Zone. In 2023, Nghe An attracted total FDI of $1.6 billion for 18 new projects and additional capital for 12 existing ones. The investment was triple the target of $500 million. Manhattan city manager Ron Fehr, left, and Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau director Karen Hibbard take a look inside an Allegiant Airlines plane before it takes off for its first flight to Phoenix from Manhattan Regional Airport on Nov. 7, 2013. Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit Slovakias longest trail turns even introverted hikers into social creatures. Encounters with strangers make this test of physical and mental strength easier. From Dennik N. One day before setting off at the Dukla mountain pass in eastern Slovakia, actor Samuel Borsik worried about whether he would be able to cope with the task at hand hiking alone in the wilderness on the Slovak National Uprising Heroes Trail. But then a theology student and a medical student joined him, and they hiked together his first three days. This happened more than once during his 27-day trek. Originally I wanted to shoot a film about a journey of an individual, he says with a smile. Now I can see its going to be a film about relationships on the trail. Some hikers form a community via social networks, sharing experiences, advice, and sometimes messages about surprises along the trail (I left a can of beer and a box of cookies for you under the bench). Some say that although they set off on their journey as introverts, along the way they enjoyed the busiest and most pleasant social contacts of the year. The 760-kilometer Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Heroes Trail starts in Slovakias northeast at Dukla pass, on the border with Poland, and ends at Devin Castle in the southwest. Part of the E8 European long-distance path, it crosses locations that played an important role during the Slovak National Uprising, one of the largest partisan operations in Europe during World War II. Another notable stop is Bradlo hill, the resting place of 20th-century Czechoslovak statesman M. R. Stefanik. The trail goes through mostly mountainous regions, including national parks. It also includes scenic cities such as Bardejov, Trencin, and Bratislava, the Slovak capital. A through-hike takes an average of 28 days. No official data are kept on how many hikers complete it each year perhaps only dozens. Most are thought to either complete only part of the route or divide it into segments. A trail buddy also can help with the physical challenges. We came across each other a couple of times, hiker Michael Kovacs says of his newfound companion, Lubos Candik. On the fourth day we decided to try to hike together. They are at the Certovica pass in the Low Tatra mountains. They set off separately from Dukla 11 days ago and have spent seven days together on the trail. This is Candiks second attempt at the SNP trail. The first time, I started out way too fast, doing 40 kilometers a day, he says. My tendons swelled up, and that was the end. Forget your ideas about what the trail is going to be like. Its your body that decides. Kovacs smiles. Im glad I met him, he says. I was going too fast, and he helped tame that. Kovacs says he tends to push through the pain, showing me his blisters. The two say they plan to stay in touch even after the hike ends. Tereza Drtilova and Veronika Borcinova completed the SNP Heroes Trail in 23 days. Photo courtesy of Veronika Borcinova. Veronika Borcinova and Tereza Drtilova already had gone on several multi-day hikes together, so it didnt surprise them that they had no conflicts during the 23 days they spent hiking the trail side by side. We know when to stay quiet and when to cheer each other on, Borcinova explains. Since they carried tents with them and didnt have to rely on shelters, they only spent three nights in the company of other hikers. Elena Balejova decided to hit the trail once she had the time to do it after she retired. She took four rest days during her 35-day trek. She spent the nights alone in her tent. Except for the days when she was joined by a friend or her daughter, she hiked mostly on her own. The mountains have been part of my life since my youth, she says. I hike and do ski mountaineering. Im not afraid of being alone. Im a visitor in the outdoors. I dont do it any harm, and I like to believe that nothing will do me any harm either. Sometimes she helped someone along the trail; sometimes she chatted with a fellow hiker. After returning to Bratislava, she went for a beer with a young woman hiker she met at the Andrejcova shelter in the Low Tatras, Slovakias longest mountain range. Most hikers on the trail were much younger than me; I felt like their mom, she says. I didnt mind that. Balejova took on the SNP trail a year after hiking the Pyrenees with a friend three years her senior, and less than a year after undergoing leg surgery. She doesnt consider mature people hiking long trails to be an anomaly. Borsik finished the trail with Stanislava Farkasova. They had met in a shelter three days prior to arriving at Devin Castle. Farkasova also was hiking on her own. As she wrote on the SNP trail website, My aim was to walk, spend time with myself, and figure out who I am when Im not with anyone. Honestly, I didnt really believe I would make it all the way to Devin. I hiked for 29 days, and in the end I spent a total of eight days and just four nights on my own. Borsik says hikers meet on the trail or at places where they want to spend the night. Then they hike together for a period of time. Stamina, tempo, or blisters are typically what separates them eventually. They share food, they help each other. The pandemic prompted more people to hike the trail than usual this summer, and the trail also received exposure from a mobile phone company ad, Borcinova says. Kovacs says he enjoyed social contacts on the trail, even though he sees himself as an introvert. In my normal life, I dont really know many people who are like me. People here dont discuss materialistic things that divide them. A love of nature brings them together. For most people, hiking the SNP trail is the fulfillment of a long-held dream. Lubos Piestansky, who is about to become a first-time father, split the hike into three parts. He cant get enough days off work to cover the route in one go. This time, he was spending 10 days on the trail. I arrived at the cabin early. For three hours Ive just been sitting here. I have my mobile phone switched off, and Im feeling good. On the Certovica pass I meet Patrik Rajcan with a group of ridge hikers. He had also set off on the trail alone. Even though he originally wanted to use the hike to think about his work and business plans, he soon realized that the only things he would be thinking about were water, food, and sleep. Piestansky says he also realized another thing: Its interesting that all you need for life suddenly fits into a backpack. Ludmila Kolesarova is a project manager and journalist at Dennik N in Bratislava. Reprinted with permission from Dennik N. Translated by Matus Nemeth and edited for clarity and concision. CHEYENNE The most creative people in Wyoming government work in the Office of Tourism. Their marketing efforts are one reason tourism is the second largest source of revenue for the state. Maybe they dont create the ads themselves, but they are knowledgeable enough to hire people who do that well. Remember the TV ads last year showing the Ford Bronco tearing up dirt while the narrator described the wonders of a visit to Wyoming? The package was part of a new competition style documentary-series called Wild Wyoming that the Office of Tourism joined with the Ford Bronco Wild Fund and Outside Television to sponsor. The deal included five episodes featuring fishing, climbing or other activities in Wyoming, culminating in $70,000 donated to local outdoor organizations. Wyoming is where bold, curious spirits discover adventure big and small, read the message on the Outside Television web site. Thats us. Or some of us. Anyway the Office of Tourism a while back became a separate state agency with its own board and revenue source from a piece of the state-wide lodging tax. During a meeting with the Joint Appropriations Committee, Diane Shober said Wyoming still is behind other states in the region in the amount of they invested in tourism. A recent study she said, shows the number of people who are aware of state tourism attractions and the unaware. The results, she suggested, may offer an opportunity to attract more of the unawares. If Wyoming lets other states overbid it there is a potential loss of revenue. When asked if she locks in an $8 million allocation for advertising in the standard budget, she say strategies may change with resources. She noted how the office changes its messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic to focus more on local travel. given that people were reluctant to fly distances at the time. Were building brand equity, she said. The brand is Wyoming. Turning to the competitive situation she said Montanas tourist marketing is designed to convince people their better journey to Yellowstone National Park is through Montana. If that works, Thats a lost visitor for us. Thats lost revenue. The lost visitors will travel to Montana from the east to the west stopping at the towns buying gas and food. Although only 3% of Yellowstone lies in Montana, the city of Gardner is only a few miles from the popular North Entrance to Yellowstone. Yellowstone Park itself is the biggest tourist enticer. The equity piece she mentioned is displayed by the distribution of $5 million allocated by the Legislature and used for destiny development to grow a local visitors economy. We are doing content stories across all 23 counties to grow the number of overnight stays As a result some smaller counties report an increase in those stays during the period from July through September. Thats a nice start for the have-not counties. It is difficult for the bright folks in the Office of Tourism to funnel some of that tourist money to these smaller, rural communities. They dont have mountains or gorgeous lakes or Grand Tetons or giant waterfalls. They have their own special attractions that they can build on with the help of professionals. The Office of Tourism has only 24 employees and would like two more slots. Im sure the request will be granted given the agencys record. I still dont like the tourism logo, though. 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. 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. This Kelly-Moore Paints store in Oakland has closed, along with the rest of its stores. The retailer has ceased operations, citing financial constraints stemming from asbestos settlements and other financial hardships. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle Kelly-Moore Paints, a paint supply giant founded in the Bay Area 78 years ago, said Friday it will cease operations immediately, citing financial constraints stemming from asbestos settlements and other financial hardships. According to its website, 61 out of its 157 stores are in the Bay Area. For more than three decades, the paint company has grappled with thousands of asbestos litigation claims due to asbestos in cement and texture products, officials said. Although the practice was discontinued in 1981, the company has paid out about $600 million over the past 20 years and could face more than $170 million in future liabilities, according to Kelly-Moore officials. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The company was founded in San Carlos in 1946 by William Kelly and William Moore and rose to become the leading independent paint company in the U.S., according to its website. Cans of paint line shelves at Kelly-Moore Paints in San Lorenzo on Saturday, a day after the company announced it would cease operations immediately. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle The company also faces insurmountable legal liabilities it said were inherited by the current ownership group in 2022, including millions of dollars in unpaid sales and use taxes. After the acquisition, the new owners moved the companys headquarters from San Carlos to Texas. The decision to terminate operations was made, the company said, after it was determined that neither bankruptcy reorganization or in-court liquidation were viable steps due to its inability to fund operations as well as the company having no assets to provide to creditors. The company said it was set to begin a wind-down process, which includes the immediate closure of all facilities, including its manufacturing facility in Hurst, Texas, and all retail stores. The company will continue to fulfill previously placed orders to the extent possible using inventory from its Union City distribution facility, officials said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Im extremely disappointed and saddened by this outcome, as the entire Kelly-Moore team made incredible efforts to continue innovating and serving the unique needs of professional painting contractors, CEO Charles Gassenheimer said. Gustavo Gomez looks in the window of a closed Kelly-Moore Paints store in San Lorenzo on Saturday, a day after the company announced it would cease operations immediately. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle The company furloughed about 700 employees across its store locations earlier this week in hopes of securing investors and resuming full operations, but the company was not able to close a deal for additional funding, officials said. Employees are still set to receive full compensation for time worked and paid time off. I could not be prouder of what our talented team accomplished under extremely challenging circumstances, Gassenheimer said. My deepest sympathy goes out to our loyal employees, customers, industry partners and the communities where we do business, who have supported Kelly-Moore throughout its long history. Unfortunately, this was the only viable alternative remaining for us after evaluating all other potentially feasible options. 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. There are some times when you need to hire a specialist. Whether its to repair your cars electronic ignition system or to replace the roof on your house, having someone on the job who has specialized knowledge, training, and experience is not just a good idea, its practically a necessity. The same is true if you have a workers compensation claim in Arizona. This is where the Matt Fendon Law Group, the law firm that this year helped one of its clients to receive the largest workers comp settlement payout in Arizona history, can help make the difference in receiving all workers comp benefits that injured workers deserve. In a Workers Compensation Settlement, You Get What You Negotiate Many law firms talk about getting clients the compensation they deserve. But the reality is that what injured workers deserve and what they actually get in workers compensation settlements do not always match. The reason for this is simple: not every Arizona law firm can cope with the Arizona system for workers compensation claims. Not every Arizona law firm knows how to negotiate from a position of maximum strength with workers compensation insurers. It is not up to employers or their workers comp insurance companies to look out for the best interests of injured workers. Their concern, and their mission, is to keep workers compensation settlement payouts as low as possible. They have attorneys of their own who specialize in looking for ways to minimize and even reject claims. For an injured worker with mounting medical bills and who is unable to replace lost income, finding out too late that the law firm he or she hired is outclassed in negotiations can have disastrous short and long-term consequences. Now that Arizona allows for full and final settlements of workers comp claims, it is critical that workers comp attorneys get things done right for their clients the first time. To do this requires a specialized workers compensation lawyer, like one you will find at the Matt Fendon Law Group. The Matt Fendon Law Group Difference Since 2008, the Matt Fendon Law Group has dedicated itself to helping injured Arizona workers maximize their benefits under workers compensation. The firm, which has offices in Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, Flagstaff and Scottsdale, has invested heavily and strategically in ensuring that its workers comp attorneys are the best possible advocates for injured workers. The Matt Fendon Law Group is an active member in several Arizona organizations that specialize in workers compensation. These include: The Arizona State Bars Workers Compensation Section The Workers Injury Law and Advocacy Group The Arizona Association for Injured Workers The founder, Matt Fendon, is certified by the State Bar of Arizona as a specialist in workers compensation law. He has earned several honors and awards from organizations including the National Trial Lawyers (one of the top 40 attorneys under 40 years of age), Martindale Hubbell (AV peer rating for professional excellence and ethical conduct), Super Lawyers, and Avvo.com (10.0 superb rating). Another Fendon Law Group attorney, Bobby Greene, has more than a decade of experience working on both sides of workers comp settlement negotiations, for employees and insurance companies. This kind of highly specialized training and irreplaceable experience makes all the difference for Matt Fendon Law Group clients. The Largest Workers Compensation Settlement in Arizona History The check of proof? In 2023, the Matt Fendon Law Group won the largest workers compensation settlement in Arizona history. The case involved a 59-year-old client who suffered a particularly serious traumatic brain injury that left him permanently disabled and unable to work for the rest of his life. Working closely with medical cost projection experts, the Stone Rose Law firm made best use of its attorneys expertise in full and final settlement negotiations, securing a $3 million workers compensation settlement in this case. Results like this are not the product of luck. They come from having foresight into changes in Arizona workers comp law, advanced training to anticipate the effects of those changes, practical experience in claim preparation and settlement negotiations, and zealous client representation that will not settle for anything less than the maximum benefit amount. Put the Best Arizona Workers Compensation Law Firm to Work for You No law firm can guarantee outcomes for its clients. But it is permissible to say that when it comes to getting the best possible outcome for an injured worker, there is no substitute for having a law firm that knows Arizona workers comp laws in detail and has both specialized training and years of practical experience in full and final settlement negotiations. This is the Matt Fendon Law Group difference. Arizona workers who are hurt on the job, or who suffer from illnesses or chronic medical conditions, can reach a Matt Fendon Law Group workers compensation attorney at 800.229.3880 at any time, day or night. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this contributor content belong solely to the contributor. Lee Enterprises newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content. A Tucson family torn apart due to the complexities of U.S. immigration law will reunite in Nogales, Arizona next Saturday. After 14 years in Nogales, Sonora, separated from her four U.S.-born children, Gloria Arellano de la Rosa was finally granted a green card this month. In 2009, on the advice of an attorney, shed traveled to Mexico to regularize her undocumented status and instead discovered she was subject to a 10-year ban on re-entry. Were all just relieved, her son, Bill de la Rosa, said on Friday. He was 15 when his mother learned she couldnt return to her husband, a U.S. citizen, and young children in Tucson. But the celebration will be bittersweet, said Bill, now 30 and a student at Yale Law School in Connecticut. Hell fly to Arizona next week to meet his mother at the Nogales port of entry. Those are 14 years that just cannot be recovered. Thats a huge part of our lives that we cannot get back, he said. And for what? Because my mom, back in 2009, tried to do things the right way, hired an attorney, paid the necessary fees and was wrongly counseled by her lawyer to go to Mexico. The de la Rosa family was the subject of a 2015 joint project by the Arizona Daily Star and Arizona Public Media called Divided By Law, which detailed the familys painful separation and the impact on Glorias four children. As a teenager, Bill had to become a caregiver to his elderly father Arsenio, who had a stroke in 2011, and help raise his younger siblings, while dedicating himself to advocating for his mothers return. On Jan. 9, when Bill told his mom her visa was in the mail, she was just in disbelief, he said. She wanted to cry. She kept saying, Its because youre stubborn, hijo. Its because you dont give up. The familys separation began in 2009 when Gloria traveled to Juarez, Mexico, to apply for a permanent resident card, called a green card, following years of living undocumented in the U.S., after her visa expired. With a U.S. citizen husband sponsoring her, four American children and the help of her attorney, it seemed the process would be straightforward. But Glorias leaving the U.S. had triggered a ban, under a 1996 law, to penalize those living in the U.S. illegally, the Star reported. Glorias youngest son, Bobby, was just 4 when she was banned from returning. Her daughter Naomi was 9, and her eldest son Jim, who was 17, joined the U.S. Marines to provide a steady income for his younger brothers and sister. Much of the siblings lives have been defined by the hole left by their mothers absence, Bill said. I cant tell you the number of times Id awake in the middle of the night because Bobby was crying, because he missed his mom, he said. In 2019, after her 10-year ban expired, Gloria began the process of applying for a green card but it took more than four years, in part due to a backlog exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill said. More delays happened at the end of 2023, when the family learned their lawyer hadnt filed a necessary form early enough to secure U.S. government permission for Glorias green-card application, which should have been finalized before her visa interview took place, Bill said. The mistake could have cost them another year. But as the de la Rosas scrambled to rectify the misstep, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalvas office was instrumental in advocating for quick relief for the family, Bill said. Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat, also advocated for Gloria to receive 30-day humanitarian pass to visit her then 85-year-old husband in 2018, after he had a second stroke and doctors said he had weeks to live. In an emailed statement, Grijalva said on Friday, Glorias upcoming reunification is the result of shared work with the de la Rosa family and our office to navigate the complexities and brokenness of the federal immigration system. After 14 years, we look forward to welcoming her home and sharing her story. Bill's younger siblings are still hesitant to fully celebrate their mothers return, he said. They dont want to believe until they see it, he said. Theyre anxiously waiting for her to cross the border and be in the U.S. And despite the good news, Bill said Gloria will be returning to Tucson with a huge void in her heart. Her husband has died, and her children are grown. Bobby is now a freshman at the University of Arizona, Jim works full-time in Tucson, and Naomi, having graduated from the UA, is working in Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalvas office. My mom is coming back, and its incredible, Bill said. But shes not coming back to the same Tucson, the same household that she left. Bill, now a first-year law student, said hes spent half his life navigating the U.S. immigration system on behalf of his mom and is training to become an immigration attorney. His dissertation, which will complete a doctoral degree from Oxford University, is focused on the punitive nature of the U.S. immigration system, which he said has caused his family so much pointless suffering. What did it accomplish? Absolutely nothing, he said of the familys separation. I knew that what had happened to my family was an injustice, that there was something fundamentally wrong with our country and our countrys immigration system. I knew I didnt want other people to suffer the same way. For now, the de la Rosas are eager to make up for lost time, and missed milestones. Bill got engaged last summer and on the first day his mother is back in Arizona, he wants to take her to a chapel that hes considering as a wedding venue. We will never recover those years we lost, he said, his voice cracking. But were trying to make up for them. You wont have to strain your neck to get a gander at some of Tucsons latest winter visitors. A record number of sandhill cranes about 42,200 of the migratory birds have descended on southeast Arizona, Arizona Game and Fish says. The number of cranes this year surpasses both five- and ten-year averages, the agency said. The cranes, known for their distinctive calls and synchronized flights, typically begin arriving in Willcox in mid-September to early October. They start to depart around mid-February, with some lingering until mid-March. The Willcox Playa boasts the largest concentration, hosting more than 24,000 cranes. Arizona Game and Fishs Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area near McNeal accommodates about 14,000 cranes, Safford Valley-Duncan has nearly 4,000 cranes and Bonita supports fewer than 300, the agency said in a news release. For bird enthusiasts, prime viewing locations include Cochise Lake, south of Willcox, and the APECO Apache Generating Station in Cochise. These sites offer an unparalleled opportunity to witness the cranes daily routine of dawn feeding in farmers fields, with most returning between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. This years annual sandhill crane count by Game and Fish coincides with the commencement of the Wings Over Willcox Birding & Nature Festival, running through Sunday. As part of the festivals Nature Expo, AZGFD will showcase live birds at the Willcox Community Center on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Go to www.wingsoverwillcox.com for more information. Photos: Sandhill cranes in southeastern Arizona, 2021 Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Eileen Wood was stuck about 7:20 p.m. as she and her husband were making their way across the street in the 15000 block of South Houghton Road near East Sahuarita Road, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Friday in a news release. A Catalina man shot and wounded one of two men who assaulted him while he cleared a homeless camp on his property, officials say. The property owner was clearing the camp Tuesday afternoon in the community north of Tucson when he was assaulted, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a news release. Deputies found James McLaughlin, 47, shot and wounded. A man identified as Clifford Bretthauer, 46, was seen running away, the release said. Detectives say the property owner was approached by the two men as he cleaned up the encampment. He shot McLaughlin while being assaulted by the pair, the release said. The name of the property owner was not released and the department provided no information about his injuries. Deputies were searching for Bretthauer. No charges have been filed and the incident is still being investigated. The campus crisis crept up quietly for months, then burst suddenly into public view. A senior administrator was held responsible and pushed out of her job. But, it turned out, she retained her salary in a newly made position. And the UA president? Well, he denied knowledge of the problem till the last minute and was not held responsible for it. In fact, the Board of Regents defended him. Sounds like a recent story, right? It's got to be the story of the UA's financial troubles that came into view in November and have dominated headlines since. Nope. I'm talking about the on-campus killing of Prof. Thomas Meixner, the chair of the UA's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, on Oct. 5, 2022. The two crises Meixner's killing and the university's financial crisis are different in kind, but it's surprising and telling how the stories share some important features. The way the chair of the faculty senate, Prof. Leila Hudson, describes it, there is a main theme that connects the two. In my opinion, the common element is a failure to perceive accurately, assess, and appropriately mitigate risk, said Hudson. The source of this failure to understand, appreciate and mitigate risk, I think, comes from having a culture of privilege, immunity, and failed systems of accountability. In the case of the eventual killing of Meixner, the ongoing threats were well-known and documented for most of a year. Members of the hydrology and atmospheric sciences warned from December 2021 forward that a graduate student, Murad Dervish, posed a risk to their lives. One faculty member even bought a bulletproof vest to wear to class, though he ultimately decided against doing so. When Meixner was shot, the campus was shocked, but members of the department were not. Meixners last words were, I knew you were going to do this. Signs of coming trouble The warnings were not quite so clear in the case of the financial crisis, but they were also months old when the story broke in early November and shocked the campus. Or years old, depending on how you measure it. One key factor in the $240 million deficit is the integration of Ashford University into the University of Arizona Global Campus, which happened July 1. But the purchase occurred three years earlier and was loudly warned against by experts at the UAs Eller College of Management. In a June 2020 memo, they called the prospect of buying Ashford a catastrophic mistake for the University of Arizona and projected that, under existing trends, Ashford would lose between $35 million to $94 million per year over the next five years. Its unclear as yet how the UA Global Campus will perform this first year, but simply incorporating it is one of the factors contributing approximately 10 days to the drop in cash on hand that signaled the crisis, UA administrators have said. The memo also warned the purchase would expose the university to liability for Ashfords misdeeds, and now the U.S. Department of Education is seeking $72 million from the UA for loans to Ashford students that the department discharged. More recently, members of the strategic planning and budget advisory committee have seen repeated signs of trouble. Johann Rafelski, a physics professor, told me hes been seeing these signs since joining the committee in 2022. Among them was when the UA, unlike other universities, decided not to pay back the $80 million saved through furloughs and cuts during the pandemic, Rafelski said. Another sign was when he brought up the increasing bloat in administration and the salaries the administrators pay each other. Then-chief financial officer Lisa Rulney clearly showed by her reaction that the administrative bloat was putting a financial strain on the university, he said. So when Rulney said at a Nov. 2 meeting of the Board of Regents that our position is precarious and already turned downward, it was a surprise to the public, but not to those clued in to UA finances. Patterns are similar In the aftermath of the attack on Meixner, UA President Robert Robbins ordered an outside review. When it came time to hold people accountable, two heads rolled sort of. Police Chief Paula Balafas resigned for real, and provost Liesl Folks, who oversaw several of the responsible departments, stepped aside. Folks, who holds a professorship in computer and electrical engineering, didnt leave like Balafas though. She was put into a new position apparently made for her: Vice president of semiconductor strategy. It appeared at a December meeting of the Arizona Board of Regents that Rulney had suffered Balafas fate. Robbins announced he had accepted her resignation and thanked her for her service. But as it turned out, Rulney has remained, retaining her $500,000 per year salary as senior advisor to business operations. Although the university described the job as temporary, it looks for now like she has enjoyed a fate more like that of Folks. Conveniently to the administration, a high-ranking official who takes blames but keeps her high salary is a lot less likely to blow the whistle on other people. So, for now, Robbins and other high administrators remain protected below them from administrators who might have stories to tell but also have new titles and good salaries to protect. And he appears protected from above by a board of regents who seems as loyal now as they were after Meixners killing. In January 2023, current Regents Chair Fred DuVal wrote an op-ed supporting Robbins, and he did the same soon after the financial crisis came into view. Independent audit needed When Robbins announced that an outside firm would investigate what went wrong in the run-up to Meixners killing, I was skeptical. But as it turned out the report by the PAX Group seemed independent and productive. It led to important changes in the security structure and practices at the UA. An independent report was a good idea last year in the aftermath of the previous crisis. And it is again. In December, the Faculty Senate approved a resolution calling for an independent audit of UA finances that explains how we got in this position. Probably not coincidentally, this idea originally came from Meixners Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, which passed a resolution calling for an independent audit in November. The UAs de facto acceptance of risk had hit them hard in 2022. An independent audit could reveal why the UA accepted so much financial risk in the years leading up to 2023 and who was responsible. That would be a positive parallel to the security crisis that burst into view in 2022. Last October, National Park Service ecologist Andy Hubbard hiked into an empty canyon on the east side of Saguaro National Park to collect water samples from Madrona Pools. There was just one problem: One of the two spring-fed pools he was there to sample was completely empty. This usually has a whole springbrook thats just dumping water in here, said Hubbard, as his boots crunched on a dry pile of coarse sediment. Holy cow. This is what another year of unusually hot, dry weather looks like on the western slope of the Rincon Mountains. Its something that might happen more and more, scientists warn, as human-caused climate change continues to heat the planet. In fact, the trend appears to be well underway. Last year marked the 25th in a row with above-average temperatures in Tucson. According to the National Weather Service, 2023 finished in a tie for third on the list of the warmest years on record. Only 2017 and 2020 saw higher annual average temperatures over the past 129 years. Nine of the 10 warmest years on record in Tucson have come since 2009. Hubbard is program manager for the park services Sonoran Desert Network, a team of scientists that collects and analyzes ecological data from 11 national park sites in the Southwest. As part of that effort, he and his fellow ecologists conduct annual surveys of springs and wetlands from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in New Mexico. What they saw in Saguaro National Park last year was not promising. Of the 21 perennial springs they routinely check there each September and October, five were completely dry and six others were down at least 80% from the flows recorded since 2017. Most of the sites we went to (last) year were much lower than expected, he said. Some sites were at least as dry or drier than they were in 2020, which ranked as the single driest year and the second driest monsoon season ever recorded in Tucson. Dry to the east At a spot called the Grotto last fall, Hubbard said, they found the lower pool reduced to about 1/20th of its normal size and the upper pool completely empty for the first time on record. Then there was the spring-fed brook in Joaquin Canyon, on the north side of the Rincons. Most years, Hubbard said, it flows along for at least a third of a mile, but in 2023 the output from the spring only made it a pitiful 12 yards or so. That one really shocked me, he said. Thats the stuff you see in June; this was in September. The Old Pueblo received slightly below-average rainfall in 2023, thanks largely to a mediocre monsoon that delivered almost an inch less rain than usual to the official weather station at Tucson International Airport. But conditions were worse on the east side of Saguaro National Park. It was a long, hot dry season, said Don Swann, a long-time biologist at the park. There was very little rain in the Rincon Mountains. The Pima County Regional Flood Control District gauges on Rincon Creek and Tanque Verde Creek, near the park boundary at the east edge of Tucson, recorded less than 2 inches of monsoon rain. Meanwhile, on top of the mountain, Manning Camp saw less than 6 inches of rain between June and October, which is really low, Swann said. Usually, that weather station will get 10 inches in July and August alone. Ive worked here 31 years, Swann said. This was the driest Ive ever seen the springs and streams with the exception of 2020. One of the worst spots he saw last year was Wildhorse Pools, a popular destination for hikers who pick up the trail at the end of Speedway. We had pretty good flow there last winter, but those pools were just really dry by the end of September, Swann said. Slowing the flow Hubbard said the hot, dry conditions last year even seemed to affect the behavior of animals in the Rincons. Usually wildlife scatters when his team approaches a spring to collect samples, but at one site high in the mountains, the white-tailed deer lingered not too far away from them as they worked. They were clearly trying to come in and use the water, Hubbard said. Its nothing hes ready to publish in a scientific journal just yet, but Hubbard strongly suspects what he and his team documented last year was the cumulative effects of extended drought and rising temperatures on spring systems that now need more than just one or two wet years to bounce back. This summer was not as dry as 2020, but the springs were at least as much affected, he said. A couple of super wet years havent made a whole lot of difference in the larger trajectory. Simply put, many of the springs in the Rincons and the wildlife they support are reeling, and the recent climate whiplash record dry conditions one year (2020) followed by near-record rainfall the next (2021) isnt helping matters. Hubbard declined to even speculate about what specific role global carbon emissions might be playing in whats happening. He said thats for other researchers to figure out using something called attribution science to tease out any clear signals of climate change there might be. Whatever the cause, the parks namesake cactus is showing the strain. Swann said researchers have charted a decline in the survival of young saguaros throughout the park since the early 1990s that seems to coincide with an ongoing long-term drought in the region. Such sharp drops in reproduction have been observed during previous extended dry spells, he said, so he isnt overly concerned by the current trend. He worries more about some of the rare, moisture-loving plants high in the Rincons. Surprisingly enough, he said, the top of the range is home to several different kinds of ferns and orchids. If conditions continue to get hotter and drier, those plants could be in trouble, because there is no higher place left for them to escape to on their sky island. The long view Meanwhile, two of the highest elevation water sources in the Rincons, Deer Head Spring and Spud Rock Spring, have become less reliable over time, Swann said, though the exact cause is unclear. He said it could be because the outflows are no longer cleaned out and maintained as they were historically, so plants now clog the manmade basins and suck up more of the water. At one time, both flowed pretty well, but they dont flow so well anymore, Swann said. Other springs in the Rincons seem largely unaffected by the recent string of dry spells and record heat. Hubbard thinks the ones that show little to no change from year to year are at least partially supplied by winter snowmelt stored up over multiple seasons. They might even flow with so-called fossil groundwater, rising up through cracks in the bedrock after centuries down below. He said future research is planned to determine the approximate age and mixture of that source water by analyzing isotopes in the springs. The Sonoran Desert Network is also busy screening water samples for traces of DNA that can be used to determine what amphibians and other wildlife are using the wetlands in the park. Swann said he is grateful for the scientific work Hubbard and company have been doing at Saguaro. After all, the only way to truly know whats happening to the deserts precious water sources is by collecting long-term data on them. These high-elevation systems, and springs in particular, havent been studied a lot, he said. Its very challenging to monitor water levels in these remote locations over time. I wish wed started this a hundred years ago. As for Madrona Pools, Swann offered a first-hand report from his own visit on New Years Eve, when he helped dig out invasive buffelgrass in the canyon with a group of volunteers. He said there was a small but promising amount of water flowing between the lower pools that day, a significant improvement over what Hubbard recorded less than three months earlier. It is recovering, Swann said. Hopefully well continue to get rain this winter. The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march and celebration will take place Monday, Jan. 15, in Tucson. The March to Reid Park starts at 8 a.m. at MLK Way and East 36th Street. The Celebration in the Park, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature live performances and food, retail and information vendors, with stage and sound provided by 4T Sounds Unlimited. The celebration is at the outdoor performance center at Reid Park, 900 S. Alvernon Way. For more information, see the MLK Celebration Tucson Facebook page. Lane closures related to the MLK march from about 8 a.m. to noon Monday will affect motorists. One lane on eastbound East 36th Street from MLK Jr. Way to South Kino Parkway will be closed. One lane on southbound Kino Parkway from 36th Street to East 22nd Street will be closed. The southbound Kino Parkway on-ramp at 22nd Street will be closed. One lane of westbound 22nd Street from South Country Club Road to Kino Parkway will be closed. One lane of northbound Country Club Road from East 23rd Street to Picnic Place will be closed. In addition, the MLK Jr. holiday on Monday is a day of service organized by AmeriCorps in honor of the civil rights leaders life and legacy. For the service day, Interfaith Community Services of Tucson is collecting essential supplies of diapers and wipes, adult incontinence supplies and menstrual products for community members in need. They will be distributed through ICS food banks. For information, see tucne.ws/service. Jordan Parker is a breaking news reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. He graduated from Sacramento State University in May 2022 with a degree in journalism. During his time there, he spent three years as a reporter and editor for the university's award-winning student newspaper, The State Hornet. He spent his senior year of college serving as The Hornet's first Black editor in chief, leading the organization to two Pacemaker awards and several other national honors from the Associated Collegiate Press. When he's not chasing down a story, he likes watching movies, traveling and trying new restaurants. He can be reached at Jordan.Parker@sfchronicle.com. Editors note: This story pulls from the Tulsa World Archive, home to more than 2.3 million stories, 1.5 million photographs and 55,000 videos. Tulsa World subscribers have full access to all the content in the archive at tulsaworld.com. Sixty-three years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. came to Tulsa. A crowd of 1,500 showed up the largest ever at that time for First Baptist Church North Tulsa. They squeezed in to hear King, a 31-year-old pastor who was changing America. Three years before the March on Washington and Kings landmark I Have a Dream speech and four years before the Civil Rights Act was signed in July 1964 King delivered an address in Tulsa. The Tulsa World published a story the next day, July 29, 1960, that included Kings main points. On the need for unity: We must all live together as brothers or we will die together as fools. On the importance of exercising the right to vote: In Atlanta, the situation is good, but there are few counties in Georgia where a Negro can register with ease and there are some in that state, and in Mississippi and Alabama, where his life is in danger if he attempts to register. The most significant step a person can make toward improving their civil rights is the short walk to the voting booth. On people who do not exercise their right to vote: You are unfair to yourselves when you have only 4,000 voters registered out of a potential 15,000. On the need for Black people to be ready for opportunities they hadnt previously had: You must be prepared to compete with people. If you have planned to be just a good Negro lawyer or doctor or a good Negro anything in this new order, you have already flunked your matriculation exams. On nonviolent action in the fight for equality: Though some have been put in jail, sometimes for months, some have been beaten and others have had lighted (cigarettes) thrown down their backs, your fellow men are acting with dignity and respect to keep an issue at the forefront of the conscience of the nation. As a result, 14 cities have opened lunch counters within six months. To have achieved this by court action would have taken three years and $200,000 to $300,000. On the need to support morally and financially all organizations pushing for civil rights: It would be one of the tragedies of history if it can be recorded that Negroes spend more money for frivolities than for their freedom. On the need for perseverance: To those who do not understand our longings and aspirations we must say, We will match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to absorb suffering. King, who was assassinated in 1968, warned the congregation about the difficult nature of change. He also inspired them with a message of hope: It may be true that old man segregation is on his deathbed, figuratively speaking, but history has proved that the guardians of status quo are always on hand with oxygen tanks to keep him alive. If we go into this new order with bitterness in our hearts, the new order soon will become the same as the old. Someone must have sense enough to know that love is better than hate. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. When Oklahomans think of an ice storm in 2007, they probably think of the one that happened in December. However, about 11 months earlier, icy weather knocked out power to about 100,000 homes in a narrow swath from McAlester to southern Delaware County. Most of the power outages were around McAlester and the Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative. Snow accumulations were an inch or two at the most, but freezing rain and sleet caused at least 15 traffic fatalities. Tulsa International Airport canceled 70 percent of its flights. President Bush ordered federal emergency assistance to the state. It was a harsh winter season already, as the area already endured icy weather in December 2006. 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 More square pizza?: At Tulsa Public Schools board of education meeting Monday night, Chief Financial and Operations Officer Jorge Robles announced that the district has submitted an application to exercise the Community Eligibility Provision of the U.S. Department of Agricultures School Meal Program at all secondary sites starting with the 2024-2025 school year. TPS already utilizes the provision at its elementary schools to allow students to eat breakfast and lunch for free. Election deadline: Friday is the deadline to register to vote in the Feb. 13 bond elections in Sand Springs and Jenks. Stay home day: Classes are not in session Monday for all area school districts and charter schools due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Classes are not in session Tuesday at Owasso Public Schools. Bartlesville Public Schools will be in distance learning Tuesday. MLK contest winners: Students from Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Union and Augustine Christian Academy are among the 2023 winners of the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Societys annual youth art, essay and oratorical contests. Augustine Christian Academy fifth-grader Ava Walters, Moore Elementary third-grader Ananya Duggirala and Centennial Middle School sixth-grader Khloe Bowman were the top three finishers in the art contest, which is open to students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Carver Middle School seventh-grader Brin Bradford, Bowman and Union Sixth and Seventh Grade Center student Nathaniel Mseti were the top three finishers in the essay contest, which is open to students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Union junior Chiedza Mahuni and Broken Arrow Vanguard Academy sophomore Collin Walters finished first and second in the oratorical contest. Open to high school students, contest participants must deliver Kings I have a dream speech from memory. New board member: Alee McLain was sworn in Monday night to seat No. 5 on Skiatooks board of education. She will serve through 2025 and replaces former board President Katy McLain, who resigned in November. Locations within the seats attendance area include the Education Service Center, Marrs Elementary School, John Zink Park and Skiatook Central Park. Student contests: The Tulsa County Bar Association and the Oklahoma Bar Association are accepting entries for their annual Law Day student coloring, art and essay contests. The theme, entry forms, coloring pages and additional information are available online through the events tab of the TCBAs website, tulsabar.com OBA entries are due by Friday. TCBA entries are due by April 19. Although students may enter both, a winning entry in the OBA contest will not be eligible for consideration in the TCBA competition. Help wanted: TPS is hosting a job fair Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1555 N. 77th E. Ave. for openings with the districts child nutrition, custodial, grounds, transportation and campus police departments. Information session: Sand Springs Public Schools is hosting a school bond information session Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Clyde Boyd Middle School. Application season: The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics is accepting admissions applications through March 8 for the 2024-2025 school year. Applications to the residential Oklahoma City high school are available online at ossm.edu. School board calendar: The boards of education for Bartlesville and Glenpool are scheduled to meet Monday. The boards of education for Glenpool and Union are scheduled to meet Tuesday, as is the board of directors for Tulsa Honor Academy. The Tulsa boards meeting has been postponed due to weather. The board of education for Sapulpa Public Schools is also scheduled to meet Tuesday. However, public notice has been issued for a special board meeting on Wednesday that would cover the same agenda should Tuesdays meeting need to be canceled due to inclement weather. The boards of education for Deborah Brown Community School, Claremore, Epic Charter School and Tulsa Legacy Charter School are scheduled to meet Thursday. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Jumpin Yemeni: Among those to publicly favor the airstrikes on Yemen was U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who said on social media: Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, only understands one thing: strength. Todays show of force against Iranian proxies that threaten American vessels in the Red Sea is long overdue. The sooner this administration embraces peace through strength in foreign policy, the safer we will be. The Biden administrations strikes against Iran-backed Yemeni militia forces disrupting Red Sea shipping reignited bipartisan arguments about presidents authority to involve U.S. forces in military operations without consulting Congress. The Constitution gives Congress the sole right to declare war, but after the terrorist attacks of 2001 Congress gave presidents broad authority to act in the name of counter-terrorism. The last formal U.S. declaration of war occurred in 1942, against Bulgaria, Hungary and Rumania. Borderline: The Hill reported that U.S. Sen. James Lankford briefed Republican colleagues and the Houses largest GOP caucus on the border security legislation he and two other senators have been negotiating for months. According to some who attended the Republican Study Committee meeting, Lankford tried to persuade members that an all-or-nothing approach will not work in the Senate. Over here, a lot of House members try to apply the House mentality (of), Well, you just cram it through, Louisiana Rep. Garrett Graves said. That doesnt work over there. He spent some time trying to condition or remind members that its an entirely different chemistry over there and youve got to put your expectations in check. The RSC is chaired by 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern. Politico, meanwhile, said Lankford believes that he needs at least 25 of the Senates 49 Republicans to sign off on a deal to get the legislation through the House. This is not just trying to barely squeak it over to them with all Democrats and a few Republicans voting yes. Lankford said a majority of Senate Republican votes are needed to give cover to House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose narrow Republican majority is effectively controlled by a small minority that has already demonstrated a willingness to dump leaders. According to The Hill story, Lankford is liked and respected in the Senate by both parties, but some wonder whether he and the other two chief negotiators or anyone can come up with something that can avoid partisan sandbagging in an election year and pass the House and Senate and be signed by the president. Mullin said Lankford is on the right side, doing the right thing and trying to get the right things accomplished, but its almost a lose-lose for him because it doesnt go far enough for some and its too far for others. Hes trying to find the perfect balance. I dont know if that exists here. Enough already: Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole, one of the Houses top appropriators, dismissed the idea of budget hawks taking out Johnson so soon after deposing his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy of California. The reality is nobody wants to go through another speakers campaign, Cole told The Associated Press. You can take somebody down once and say youre killing a tyrant. When you do it twice, you become an assassin. So I think the speaker is much more secure than people realize. Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, the longest-serving member of the Oklahoma delegation, said, When you barely control one house of Congress and you dont control the executive branch, youre not dealing with the strongest hand to begin with. I think most people who are practical understand that. Well just see how many practical people there are in the next few days. Deadline nears: As time runs short on the current continuing resolution on spending, Hern said he prefers a short government shutdown to another CR. And in a separate interview, he sounded less than optimistic about getting something acceptable to his most hard-nosed compatriots. I think that youre going to see us just try to get the appropriations bills passed, Hern told Axios. With only a one or two vote margin, its going to have to be very bipartisan, which means youre not going to get the policy riders that conservatives want. Taiwan Straits: With mainland China becoming louder and more insistent about bringing Taiwan under its control, the House passed by voice vote Lucas bill to exclude Communist China from specified economic and financial organizations should it become overly aggressive to its smaller neighbor. H.R. 803 was among several financial measures, passed with little to no opposition on Friday, targeting China and others at odds with U.S. policy. In theory, Taiwan is a breakaway province of China, not an independent country. It is, however, treated like one by just about everybody except the Communist Chinese Party. The nationalist Chinese who ruled the country from 1925 to 1948 took refuge on the island after losing the Chinese Civil War to the communist rebels of Mao Zedong. Whos the boss?: Oklahomas five House members all voted with the Republican majority in overturning a National Labor Relations Board rule broadening the definition of employer. Sought by unions and worker advocates seeking to organize fast food franchise systems like McDonalds, the rule was strongly opposed by that sector and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Hern, a former McDonalds franchisee, spoke in favor of repealing the rule. Supreme power: Mullin and North Carolinas Thom Tillis introduced legislation to give the U.S. Supreme Court sole authority to decide who is eligible to be on a presidential ballot. Dots and dashes: Mullin, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was among Republicans demanding answers about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins undisclosed hospitalization earlier this month. Lucas this week will receive one of the American Farm Bureau Federations two highest-ranking honors, the Distinguished Service Award. Second District Congressman Josh Brecheen touted impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Newsmax. As chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Lucas has asked NASA for an update on the Artemis moon missions, which were recently pushed back nearly a year. Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. In 10 years, adults 65 and older will outnumber Oklahomans 18 and younger for the first time, and officials are asking for guidance as they create a comprehensive plan for aging. The goal is for the plan to be finalized in August, but Oklahoma Department of Human Services leaders are first seeking more community input. The participation from partners and Oklahomas older citizens has been great, but we need to hear from even more people, said Jeromy Buchanan, director of Community Living, Aging and Protective Services for the state agency. We are calling for additional feedback from organizations and caregivers to help shape the future landscape for older Oklahomans. The current plan for aging has 10 focus areas, including access to services, programs and resources, wellness, and workforce. It is based on summer 2023 listening sessions in Lawton, Oklahoma City, McAlester, Woodward and Tulsa, as well as a statewide survey. The department will be conducting more listening sessions in 2024 and will release another survey. The main concerns voiced in last summers listening sessions were about the lack of quality services and resources, specifically for the aging population. This was the major concern in tribal listening sessions, as well. Participants were concerned about lack of affordable transportation, especially for those in rural areas, nutrition assistance for seniors, long-term assistance, general and specialty health care, in-home services, and services to support aging at home. While we want people to age in their home and live life on our own terms, we do recognize there sometimes is a need for nursing homes. They have a place in the aging infrastructure, said Buchanan. We want the entire infrastructure to be strong and to serve people well. Other major concerns were about the lack of sufficient numbers of health care and human services workers and the impact of economic and financial insecurity on older adults. The concerns of financial insecurity were a bigger concern in listening groups in tribal communities. In these listening sessions, Oklahomans also shared their concern about access to the services and expressed the importance of helping people age on their own terms. Hiring, training, developing the workforce to be stronger so that we have a workforce that serves older people in the community and in nursing homes is going to be a critical part of this plan, said Buchanan. The listening sessions planned for this year will be at events held by communities of faith and businesses that aging Oklahomans will already be attending, according to Buchanan. Were just trying to get as much feedback as possible and do our best to educate as many people as possible about what were doing and how they can play a role in helping develop strategies for the future, Buchanan said. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Short money: The last general revenue report before lawmakers begin this years legislative session was not terribly encouraging for those wanting a tax cut. December deposits to the general fund, state governments major operating account, fell 5.3% below expectations and 8.2% below the same month a year earlier. The good news is that general revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30 is still running about 5% ahead of projections, but income taxes were 14% below expectations for the month and sales taxes missed the mark by 3%. Those two combined to account for more than 70% of state revenue, and the No. 3 source, oil and gas taxes, missed projections by 21.5%. Sing, sing, sing: More than 100 people attended a meeting last week about plans for a 12,500-seat amphitheater in Events Park on Broken Arrows southeast side. Officials with the city and Notes Live, the developer, presented details and answered questions on such things as traffic control, the design team and some of the mitigation measures planned. The Master Plan has always had an amphitheater in the plans for Events Park, and the citizens voted for that in the bond package in 2011, Mayor Debra Wimpee said. This is probably a little larger than what we thought it was going to be, but its exciting, and the economic impact for our city is going to be incredible. A final decision on the project is expected to come before the Broken Arrow City Council in February or March, with groundbreaking this spring and completion in 2025. Campaigns and elections: State Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, said she will seek a third term representing SD 29. Under the dome: State Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, is asking for $1.5 million to begin funding the previously authorized Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail. The trail is intended to connect the states historic Black towns, including Tulsas Greenwood District, as well as sites of Native American significance. The Oklahoma Transportation Commission voted to raise Oklahoma Department of Transportation Director Tim Gatz annual salary $60,000, to $245,000. State Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, proposed legislation making strangulation an 85% crime, which means anyone convicted of strangulation would have to serve at least 85% of their sentence before they could be considered for parole. The president of the Oklahoma Rifle Association gave his support to legislation by Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, that would exempt from sales tax firearm safety devices such as locks and safes. Chief Medical Examiner Eric Pfeiffer needs a fourth forensic anthropologist and more work space, especially in Tulsa, to handle a growing case load. Ill just use plain English and say that Oklahoma is full of shallow graves and clandestine burn pits full of human remains, and our anthropologists cannot keep up, he told a Senate committee. Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Chief Angela Spurlock told the same committee her agency needs $1.8 million for mold remediation in its Oklahoma City headquarters and another $27.5 million to rehab the building or construct a new one. The Department of Corrections is looking into bringing back the popular if sometimes controversial prison rodeo at McAlester. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority said it disenrolled 270,000 Medicaid recipients no longer eligible since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Chief Executive Director Ellen Buettner said OHCA tried to steer those dropped from Medicaid access to services through other means, including the federal insurance exchanges. Superintendent to speak: A Tulsa Press Club PageOne Luncheon with Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Ebony Johnson will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at Bramble Breakfast & Bar in downtown Tulsa. Doors open at 11 a.m., with the program at noon. This is a fundraiser for the Tulsa Press Club, which is focused on building an engaged community through the pursuit and support of ethical journalism. Tim Landes, features editor of TulsaPeople Magazine, will interview Johnson at the luncheon, with questions and answers to follow. Tickets can be obtained at tulsapressclub.org. Another audit: For the second time in a month, the Oklahoma auditor and inspector reported that a small-town clerk had apparently misappropriated funds. This time it was Coyle, southwest of Stillwater. Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd said former clerk Jennifer Jones misappropriated almost $65,000 in town and utility authority funds, out of total town revenue of $301,000. In addition, the audit turned up $6,219 in questionable charges by Jones and her husband, who was also a city employee. Byrd said her report has been turned over to law enforcement officials. Bottoms up: Employers dont usually encourage drinking on the job, but Oklahoma restaurant, hotel and bar owners are happy that its being allowed again under a very specific set of circumstances. The owners were upset when last year the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission changed its policy on educational tasting for waiters and bartenders. Recently, however, ABLE promulgated and Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an emergency rule that apparently settles the dispute in the hospitality industrys favor. Meetings and events: Creek County Democrats meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at La Margarita, 1215 New Sapulpa Road, Sapulpa. The agenda includes plans for the coming election year. Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Transportation and infrastructure, including the Arkansas River levee system and a hypersonic link with the Oklahoma Spaceport in western Oklahoma, take up a substantial share of priorities listed in the Tulsa Regional Chambers OneVoice state and federal legislative agenda released Friday. The 30-item checklist also includes assistance for the oil and gas industry, education, workforce development, tourism and business incentives. The agenda was developed by representatives of individual businesses and more than 75 chambers of commerce, municipalities, counties and economic development organizations. OneVoice is among the states largest and most influential lobbying efforts. This years agenda includes a multi-part proposal to connect and broaden the areas industrial and logistics ecosystem meaning roads, highways, railroads, ports and airports. This includes money to complete the transition of U.S. 412 to an interstate highway, maintain the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, improve roads around the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and a study to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits of point-to-point hypersonic transportation of cargo, and eventually people, from the Oklahoma Spaceport. Hypersonic means speeds of at least five times the speed of sound. Aircraft capable of such speeds exist only for military, space and experimental uses presently. Tied into the infrastructure improvements is continued development of Tulsas advanced mobility cluster businesses related to designing, testing and building unmanned aircraft. Also under the same general heading, the chamber says it will lobby for more state and federal money for the Arkansas River levee system. According to the chamber document, rising costs have pushed the estimated price tag past $190 million, well beyond the amount budgeted. If one levee fails, it would be catastrophic for homeowners, nationally strategic oil refineries, multiple industries currently protected by the system, and have devastating environmental impacts for our region, the agenda summary says. Among other items, the chamber said it supports preserving the governing authority of local school boards an apparent response to threats of a Tulsa Public Schools takeover and skills-based training in schools, colleges and universities; greater incentives for the film industry; more money for tourism promotion, particularly in light of Route 66s upcoming 100th anniversary; better mental health care access; and assistance for working families, particularly with child care. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. A pair of 4-plus magnitude earthquakes were recorded in central Oklahoma late Friday and early Saturday. A 4.1 magnitude quake was recorded at 9:46 p.m. Friday near Arcadia and a 4.3 magnitude quake was recorded at 5:36 a.m. Saturday near Edmond, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The stronger quakes are part of a series of six that have shaken the metro Oklahoma City area since a 3.2 magnitude quake at 9:37 p.m. Friday near Arcadia kicked off the activity, according to the USGS. Strong shaking in the immediate area and across Oklahoma City was reported by the Oklahoma Geological Survey. Seismic activity has been occurring along the affected fault in the last month with five events ranging between 1.0 and 1.6 magnitude between Dec. 29 and Jan. 6, the state survey reported Saturday morning. Whereas most aftershocks are smaller than the mainshock, a very small fraction of aftershocks result in a larger earthquake than the main event, the state survey said in its release. The seismic hazard remains high in the area. Citizens should secure valuables that might shake during possible strong aftershocks and practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On in the event of damaging events. The area saw three quakes of 4.0 or greater in 2015 and 2017, the Oklahoma Geological Survey said in a release, corresponding to a time period when wastewater disposal volumes were higher. Matt Skinner, public information manager for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, said that as of Saturday morning there is no oil and gas activity found in the area that could account for the quakes. There are no hydraulic fracturing operations, and the deep-formation disposal of oil and gas wastewater that had been linked to quakes that occurred years ago in the area was stopped by the OCC some years ago, Skinner said. Again, however, the research continues. Magnitude 4.0 or greater earthquakes in Oklahoma are much more sporadic now than they were several years ago at the peak of seismicity induced by wastewater disposal wells from oil and gas activity. The most quakes of at least 4.0 came in 2015 at 27. The latest before Friday and Saturday was an 4.0 on April 6 in Lincoln County the only one in 2023. There also was a 4.5 on Jan. 31, 2022, in Grant County again the only 4.0 or greater that year. There was a 4.2 in Noble County and 4.0 in Ellis County in 2021. The largest quake in Oklahoma history was a 5.8 that popped off Sept. 9, 2016, near Pawnee. That quaked topped the 5.7 in 2011 near Prague at the outset of the states record rise in seismicity. For years, oil and gas operators injected vast volumes of wastewater which came up out of the ground with hydrocarbons from producing wells down into Oklahomas deepest geologic formation. That formation is in contact with the states fault-laced basement granite rock, where naturally stored tectonic energy was touched off by the injected briny wastewater. There were two other 5.0s or larger the same year as the record Pawnee quake a 5.1 on Feb. 13, 2016, near Fairview, and a 5.0 on Nov. 7, 2016, near Cushing. Since 2010, Oklahoma has experienced 82 earthquakes of at least magnitude 4.0. The most 3.0 or greater earthquakes in a year was 903 in 2015. There were 18 quakes of at least 3.0 in 2023. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo have pledged to increase the bilateral trade to US$15 billion in the near future and further promote their strategic partnership in all fields to a new height. The two leaders made the pledge at their talks in Hanoi on Friday, after President Thuong gave an official reception to Indonesian President Widodo who is on an official three-day visit in Vietnam starting on Thursday. They expressed satisfaction with the strong and dynamic developments of the bilateral strategic partnership since its establishment in 2013. In ASEAN, Indonesia is Vietnams third largest trading partner and Vietnam ranks fourth among the top countries trading with Indonesia, with bilateral trade value increasing over time, from $9 billion in 2019 to nearly $14 billion in 2023. The two presidents agreed to boost the two-way trade to $15 billion and higher soon through reducing trade barriers and facilitating imports and exports of each other's key products, including rice. President Thuong asked Indonesia to facilitate the access of Vietnams agricultural and Halal products to the Indonesian market, and encourage Indonesian investors to expand investment in Vietnam. The two sides committed to continue enhancing cooperative efficiency in the traditional fields such as agriculture and fisheries, information and communication, education and training, culture, sports, tourism, defense and security, and maritime. At the same time, the two countries will expand cooperation in new and potential fields, including smart finance, energy conversion, digital transformation, innovation, and development of electric vehicle and electric battery ecosystems. In addition, Vietnam and Indonesia will open more direct flights, connect their enterprises and localities, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges. The two leaders also laid emphasis on the sharing of experiences on transnational crime prevention and affirmed not to allow any individual or organization to use the territory of one country to conduct activities against the other. The Vietnamese leader emphasized that Vietnam treasures and wishes to further strengthen the traditional relations and strategic partnership with Indonesia on the basis of their historical traditions, similar values and interests, mutual trust and understanding, and common commitments to international law. President Widodo thanked the warm welcome by Thuong for him and his entourage, as well as for Vietnams support for Indonesia when the country took the role as the ASEAN Chair last year. He affirmed that he values and wishes to further deepen the traditional friendship and cooperation with Vietnam, Indonesia's only strategic partner in ASEAN. Exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts at all levels have been maintained overtime, most notably of which was the phone talk between Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Widodo in August 2022. Based on the encouraging cooperation results over the past years, the host and guest emphasized the need to soon bring the strategic partnership between the two countries to a new height. The Indonesian leader said that more and more Indonesian businesses are interested in investing in Vietnam and hopes that Vietnamese businesses will expand their investment in Indonesia. Regarding strategic industrial cooperation, President Joko Widodo highly valued investment commitments, especially the one for a $1.2 billion investment to develop an electric vehicle and battery ecosystem for Indonesia by VinFast, a Vietnam-based multinational automotive company founded by Vingroup, one of the largest private conglomerates in Vietnam. President Thuong expressed his hope that the Indonesian government would continue to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Indonesia to live stably, successfully integrate into the host society and contribute to promoting the relationship between the two nations. The two heads of state also agreed to beef up cooperation in preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. They also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, reaffirming the importance of peace, stability, safety, security, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Vietnam Sea. After their talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of two cooperation documents, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on information and communication technology cooperation and another MoU on fisheries cooperation. By September 2023, Indonesian investors had operated 119 projects worth over $646 million in Vietnam, centering on manufacturing, accommodations, food and beverages, while Vietnam had developed 17 projects valued at $59 million in Indonesia, focusing on commerce, information technology, agriculture and industry. Every year, Indonesia provides Vietnam with a number of scholarships in various fields including education, culture and language. Since their establishment of diplomatic relations on December 30, 1955, Vietnam and Indonesia have seen their bilateral ties developed fruitfully over the past 69 years and they are looking forward to celebrating 70 years of ties next year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the latest news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo has concurred with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue that both nations will encourage local businesses to develop an electric vehicle (EV) and EV batteries ecosystem during his separate meetings with the two top Vietnamese officials in Hanoi on Friday. Society -- A water park operator in suburban Ho Chi Minh City has voluntarily handed three black bears over to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center, located at Bach Ma National Park in the central province of Thua Thien Hue, citing changes in its business operations as the reason. -- A pickup truck slammed into two motorcycles at a red traffic light before driving onto the sidewalk and crashing into another parked pickup truck in Cam Pha City under Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on Friday afternoon, leaving three people, whose identity remains unknown, dead on the spot. -- Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar has made a public apology following a backlash from net citizens over its Facebook post on Wednesday joking about Vietnams currency. -- A 38-year-old man in Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam allegedly stabbed his wife in the chest with a sword following their verbal fight, resulting in her death on Thursday evening, local police confirmed on Friday. Business -- The agro-forestry-fishery sector contributed an estimated VND8.19 trillion (US$334 million) to Ho Chi Minh Citys gross regional domestic product growth in 2023, up 1.53 percent against the previous year, according to a report released by the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. World News -- Airlines in the United States canceled more than 2,000 flights on Friday after a massive winter storm knocked out power and affected businesses in 12 states ahead of a likely brutal freeze over the weekend, Reuters reported. -- Automakers Tesla and Geely-owned Volvo Car said they were suspending some production in Europe due to a shortage of components, the first clear sign that attacks on shipping in the Red Sea are hitting manufacturers in the region, acording to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march through the Port of Oakland on Saturday, calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march through the Port of Oakland. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally Saturday at the Port of Oakland to call on the U.S. to stop supporting Israels attacks in Gaza. They blocked the intersection of Middle Harbor Road and Seventh Street for several hours. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally at the Port of Oakland on Saturday. They disrupted morning operations. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally at the Port of Oakland on Saturday. The Israel-Hamas war marked its 100th day Sunday. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle A pro-Palestinian demonstrator sits atop a traffic light support after mounting a Palestinian flag at the Port of Oakland on Saturday. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle Protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza again descended on the Port of Oakland and shut down operations Saturday, organizers said. More than 1,000 protesters gathered early Saturday and marched at the port, waving Palestinian flags and beating drums while chanting for a free Palestine and calling for the United States to stop military aid to Israel. After disrupting the ports morning operations, protesters left around 8 a.m. and returned around 2 p.m. for the ports afternoon shift, where they again disrupted the shift, organizers said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad No business as usual while the US funds the genocide in Gaza! organizers wrote on social media. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march through the Port of Oakland. Noah Berger Special to the Chronicle After assembling by the West Oakland Bart Station, more than 300 demonstrators marched to the port on Saturday afternoon where they chanted and heard from local activists, leaving shortly before 5 p.m. The protestors shut down sections of Oaklands four maritime terminals twice on Saturday, protesting a U.S. military ship called the Cape Orlando, which, they say, will ferry weapons to Israel. The action is Oaklands second Block the Boat protest since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in Israel that ignited the conflict. The protest included members of ILWU Local 10, the local longshoremens union. Activists described the days demonstration as a win for workers around the world. They planned to return on Sunday and Monday to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Events that interrupt port activity can have far-reaching consequences, said Robert Bernardo, director of communications for the port. Lucas Miranda, 16, center, and fellow pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally at the Port of Oakland on Saturday. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle The Oakland port competes against other ports in what is a highly competitive global market, Bernardo said. When businesses that send products through Oakland hear about a disruption like this, theyll find another port to do business with, he said. Then those jobs and commodities are not going to come to the Bay Area. The Port of Oakland, the countrys ninth-biggest, is vital to Oaklands economy, he said. There are nearly 100,000 local jobs that are impacted when theres a disruption to our maritime operations, Bernardo said. Those are the very real impacts that were talking about when there are demonstrators at the Oakland Seaport. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I really want folks who dont know anything about the Port of Oakland to know that any disruption to the seaport really will impact them, he said. The everyday person will be impacted on some level. Heather, who declined to give her last name, joins several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the Port of Oakland. She said the flag is a a representation of Israel having blood on their hands. Fellow protesters asked that she not display the flag. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle The Israel-Hamas war, which marked its 100th day Sunday after Hamas militants carried out a surprise, deadly attack in Israel, has brought widespread destruction and thousands of deaths. Israels airstrikes and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip have displaced the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza, stopped operations in nearly half of Gazas hospitals, and caused widespread famine, the Associated Press reported. Nearly 24,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, as well as about 350 in the West Bank. Officials believe about two-thirds of those killed in Gaza are women and children, the AP reported. About 330 health workers and 82 journalists also have died in the conflict. In Israel, more than 1,300 people have been killed, including 790 civilians on Oct. 7, according to the AP. A police officer in Thua Thien Hue Province, central Vietnam was stabbed to death while he was on duty to restrain a local man from running riot in a public location on Friday. The deceased police officer is Tran Duy Hung, deputy chief of the police division in Thuy Van Ward, Hue City, the provincial Peoples Procuracy told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspapers on the same day. The suspected criminal was identified as Nguyen Tan Sang, 24, a native of Hue City. Earlier on the day, after being notified that Sang was causing a disturbance on Le Duc Anh Street, Hung rushed to the scene to deal with the troublemaker, who later stabbed Hung with a pointed object. Consequently, Hung succumbed to severe injuries. Other police officers then managed to put Sang under control. The local police unit had previously called on local inhabitants to keep a watchful eye on Sang, who was found to have shown signs of mental health issues and frequently caused affrays in the area. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has attributed the riverbed erosion beneath a bridge connecting Hanoi with northern Phu Tho Province over the Da River and the riverbed degradation in the Red River-Thai Binh River system to sand mining. The bottom erosion under the Trung Ha Bridge and the riverbed degradation in the Red River-Thai Binh river system is attributable to sand exploitation, the Department of Irrigation stated in a document to the Department of Transport of Phu Tho Province. In the document, the irrigation department declined the proposal to intensify water extraction from Hoa Binh hydroelectric lake in Hoa Binh Province to strengthen the safety of the bridge made by the latter. The Trung Ha Bridge, spanning the Da River along National Highway 32, is a crucial link connecting Hanoi with Phu Tho and the northwestern midland and mountainous provinces. The 743-meter-long project, constructed in 1999, commenced operations in 2002. Riverbed erosion, which is particularly affecting pillars T11 and T12 of the bridge, diminishing their bearing capacity and posing potential threats to bridge safety, has necessitated a repair, according to the Phu Tho Department of Transport. Damaged pillars compromise bearing capacity, posing a potential threat to safety of the Trung Ha Bridge connecting Hanoi and Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam. Photo: T.Quan / Tuoi Tre The transport department has installed danger warning signs, speed limits, and tonnage restrictions against tri-axle trucks, multi-axle vehicles, and passenger buses with over 29 seats attempting to access the bridge. During the restriction period, vehicles traveling between Phu Tho and Hanoi are advised to take alternative routes, including the Dong Quang Bridge, the Van Lang Bridge, the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway, and National Highway 2. While rejecting the Phu Tho Department of Transports request for additional water release into the Da River section through the Trung Ha Bridge, the irrigation department explained that the water extraction schedule is meticulously calculated, considering various factors like water demand and tidal schedules, ensuring optimal conditions for irrigation projects. Altering the schedule puts irrigation works under a risk of water shortages. The irrigation department has urged the Phu Tho Department of Transport to promptly seek solutions to the riverbed erosion from other competent authorities. Previously, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had also highlighted sand mining as the cause of the situation in a summary report on water extraction for winter-spring rice cultivation in the northern midlands and the Red River Delta region. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! 2023 drama Strife, starring Asher Keddie, has returned to the writers room ahead of its second season on Binge. Produced by award winning production company the series tells the story of a Keddie stars as publisher Evelyn Jones, tracking her journey from lounge room blogger to becoming a force in womens media, inspired by Mia Freedmans memoir, Work, Strife, Balance. The cast also features Matt Day, Jonathan LaPaglia, Tina Bursill, Emma Lung, Alex Dimitriades, Maria Angelico, Rhys Mitchell, Olivia Junkeer, BeBe Bettencourt, Bryony Skillington, Lucy Ansell, Darcy Tadich, Lincoln Younes and Willow Speers. Produced by Made Up Stories in partnership with Fifth Season, season one was written by Sarah Scheller and directed by Stuart Bowen. Alison Hurbert-Burns, Executive Director, Binge and Foxtel Group Content and Commissioning, said: Strife has connected with our audiences with Evelyns journey hitting a chord with viewers across the country. Strife has seen audience growth faster than any other Binge original, breaking records to become our biggest series launch for both first day and first week viewing and I am excited to see the writers, led by Sarah Scheller, back in the writers room to work on next season. Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson and Steve Hutensky from Made Up Stories, said: We couldnt be more thrilled with how audiences have embraced Strife and fallen in love with Asher Keddies complicated, inimitable Evelyn Jones. Thanks to our partners at Binge for supporting this story and bringing it to audiences across Australia and to our wonderful cast and crew, including the incredible Sarah Scheller and her writing team who are hard at work on season two. Its no surprise Strife is capturing a huge audience so quickly its brilliantly fresh, beautifully shot and an authentic take on women juggling work, family, and relationships. The performances from Asher Keddie and the rest of the cast are incredible, and were thrilled people are engaging with our perfectly, imperfect characters, added Prentiss Fraser, Fifth Seasons President, TV Distribution. Its been 5 years since the third season of anthology series True Detective from HBO. In that time creator Nic Pizzolatto has handed over the creative lead to Mexican writer / director Issa Lopez (Tigers Are Not Afraid), though he remains an executive producer. True Detective: Night Country, moves to a female-driven project with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis in the lead roles, and shifts from the warmer backdrops of Louisiana, California and the Ozarks, to the colder climate of Alaska. Its also far more linear than previous seasons, which were heavy in flashback. Rest assured, these are all changes for the better after some uneven seasons (I could not get through S2 with Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn). Jodie Foster plays Detective Liz Danvers in the icy outpost of Ennis, where eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace -there are even shades of a horror genre in this bold premise. Its like they went to take a leak and never came back Ennis has also entered its long winter, of days-long darkness serving as the opposite of crime dramas such as Insomnia. But Danvers has history with Det. Evangeline Navarro (Reis), an Inupiaq woman who navigates her ties to her indigenous community and the US law, at a time when there are protests over the loss of land and cultural connection. Navarro also carries the unsolved death of a Native activist, Annie -whose tongue is mysteriously found at the research facility now devoid of its 8 scientists. This will bring Danvers and Navarro uncomfortably together to try and solve both cases. You think I want to work with you. take a look in the mirror Liz. No-one can stand you, says Navarro. Ouch. Caught in between is young cop Pete (Finn Bennett), trying to forge an honest career while his father Hank (John Hawkes) is, well, the polar opposite. Hank is getting himself a mail-order bride from Russia when he isnt throwing out the policing rule book in his town. Also featuring is Fiona Shaw as Ennis resident Rose, who sees ghosts and makes a startling local discovery, plus Anchorage police captain Ted (Christopher Eccleston) who has unexpected history with Liz. It wouldnt be True Detective without a slow-burn style, shocks and a touch of the spirit world. Issa Lopez brings all of that to play, but the changes are so stark to previous seasons that Night Country feels like its own very confident beast. Jodie Foster, in her first series lead role since 1975, brings gravitas and excitement to her role as Danvers, raising a Native step-daughter whilst upholding the rule of law. Boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis is still new to performing but holds her own as the strong, silent Navarro. True Detective will surely put her on the map. Season 4 is chilly, claustrophobic and sometimes terrifying, but a welcome return to form. True Detective: Night Country 8:30pm Monday January 15 on Showcase / Binge. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home The Hague Israel reiterates most moral army claim in its defense at ICJ Shaw said this even as the Israeli Occupation Army (IOF) killed close to 24,000 Palestinians over 70 percent of them women and children, in Gaza Strip. Read More Saturday January 13, 2024 3:21 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies [British lawyer and academic Malcolm Shaw KC is leading the Israeli defense at the UN Court.] The Hague (The Netherlands): Israel on Friday January 12, 2024 while defending itself at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in Netherlands reiterated its oft-repeated claim of having the most moral army in the world. The Israeli military is the most moral army and does everything to avoid the killing of innocents", British lawyer and academic Malcolm Shaw KC quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while deposing before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on behalf of the Zionist regime Friday. Shaw said this even as the Israeli Occupation Army (IOF) killed close to 24,000 Palestinians over 70 percent of them women and children, in Gaza Strip. More than 7,000 others, again majority of them women and children, are under the debris and presumed dead. The Israeli forces continued bombing the civilian areas of Gaza even during the public hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held in response to a petition filed by South Africa which has accused the Israeli army of committing genocide and massacre of the Palestinians violating various resolutions of the Genocide Convention. The Israeli military attacks on Saturday caused many casualties near Gaza City in the north and Nuseirat in the centre, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The Israeli air strike also killed 20 Palestinians in the Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City. Wafa said Israeli shelling killed or wounded dozens in al-Dawa neighborhood near Nuseirat. Several victims are still trapped under the rubble, Wafa said. Israeli strikes have also hit areas of Maghazi and Deir el-Balah, according to the news agency, as Israeli forces moved closer to Al-Aqsa Hospital. Malcolm Shaw, who is leading the Israeli defense at the UN Court, however argued that South Africas application distorted and de-contextualised the Zionist military actions in Gaza. He also said that in accusing Israel of genocide, South Africa was diluting the meaning of the crime. While participating in the argument, Shaw on a number of times during the deposition found at loss words and seen drinking water a number of times. Two to three times during the argument, Shaw also had to stop because of missing documents. Representing the Zionist regime, Tal Becker, an advocate for the Israeli team, told the ICJ that the Genocide Convention was drawn up in the aftermath of the mass killing of Jews in the Holocaust and that the phrase never again is one of the highest moral obligations for Israel. The Israeli lawyers repeatedly cited self-defence to justify its genocide of Palestinians, also described as war crimes by South Africa, blaming Hamas for the sufferings of the Gazans. The Israeli argument however lacked merit as the ICJ had in 2003 ruled that an occupying power cannot claim the right to self-defence, in a case involving Israels construction of a separation wall in the occupied West Bank. South Africa lawyers during the first round of the argument Thursday January 11, 2024 presented before the 15 judges of the ICJ evidences in support of its petition. Representing South Africa at the ICJ, the lawyers also said that the genocide and massacre of Palestinians are articulated State policy nurtured at the highest levels . The South Africa team also accused Israeli army of celebrating genocide , killing and destructions of Palestinians in Gaza. The International Court of Justice adjourned the hearing after two days of hearing and reserved its verdict. Meanwhile, Germany, accused of killing hundreds of thousands of Jews what is described as Holocaust, has announced to intervene in support of Israel and against the South Africa case at the ICJ. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Indonesian President Joko Widodo co-chaired a high-level business dialogue in Ha Noi on January 13 morning as part of the latters state visit to Viet Nam. At their meeting one day earlier, the two leaders shared the view that economic and trade ties remain a bright spot in bilateral relations, with two-way trade reaching US$13 billion in the first 11 months of 2023, and expected to soon hit $15 billion, and even $18 billion by 2028. At the dialogue, President Widodo suggested the two countries step up dialogues and high-quality cooperation to realise their common vision of becoming high-income nations by 2045. Indonesia has opened a carbon trading exchange and is promoting the e-vehicle industry, the President said, expressing his hope that leading Vietnamese businesses will increase their investment in the country, especially in its new capital city, covering such spheres as the e-vehicle industry, aviation, tourism, real estate, science-technology, banking, finance, education, and manufacturing. For his part, PM Chinh held that President Widodos visit and his opinions delivered at the dialogue will encourage enterprises to step up their cooperation and investment. Pointing out that economic cooperation has yet to match the bilateral political ties as well as the two economies stature and the two sides' expectations, the PM called on businesses to continue their connectivity and investment in order to materialise high-level agreements between the two countries and fulfill their set targets. He appreciated Indonesian investors in Viet Nam, with many projects running successfully, noting the country is attracting investment in emerging sectors like digital economy, green economy, circular economy, knowledge-based economy and sharing economy, along with the halal industry and agriculture. The PM also expressed his hope that Indonesian businesses will support their Vietnamese counterparts to join supply chains in Indonesia and the world as well. Viet Nam always creates optimal conditions for enterprises, including those from Indonesia, to operate stably, sustainably and successfully in the country, he affirmed. Earlier the same day, the two leaders exchanged views on issues of shared concern during their working breakfast. The same day, Indonesian President Joko Widodo made a field trip to VinFast electric vehicle manufacturing complex in the northern port city of Hai Phong as part of his state visit to Viet Nam. After visiting the electric automobile manufacturing factory there, the President pledged to create conditions for VinFast, a subsidiary of private conglomerate Vingroup, to complete procedures to invest and do business in the Indonesian market. Earlier, the EV maker said it plans to invest at least $1.2 billion in Indonesia in the long-term. Apart from distributing imported cars from Viet Nam in the first phase, VinFast will build a $200 million EV factory in the country with an expected annual capacity of 30,000-50,000 vehicles. During the meeting with representatives of businesses operating in the respective markets, President Widodo and Prime Minister Chinh were reported that VinFast and GSM, which offers VinFast electric car and motorbike rental and taxi services, and PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk, an Indonesian technology company, have signed a MoU aiming to promote green transport in Indonesia. GSM is also planning to invest $900 million in Indonesia in the coming time. VNS HCM CITY The Artists Pagoda in HCM Citys Go Vap District is scheduled to reopen before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which begins on February 10. The pagoda was closed for renovation as work began in June, 2023 with funds from individuals and organisations, including the HCM City Theatre Association. Artists Pagoda was built in 1958 in Go Vap District. It is located on 6,000sq.m of land and contains a cemetery devoted to 1,000 cai luong (reformed opera) and tuong (classical drama) performers, many of whom were once stars on the stage but now need financial support. The founder, late actress Phung Ha (known as Miss Bay), is a guru of cai luong. Ha began her career in 1923 in My Tho Province (now Tien Giang Province), the cradle of cai luong art. She was at the peak of her artistry and fame in the 1950s and 60s. She performed in many plays featuring the tragedy of Vietnamese women under feudalism, focusing on beautiful and virtuous girls whose suffering was caused by village officials and landowners. She also worked hard to train younger colleagues, including cai luong stars such as Peoples Artist Bach Tuyet and Peoples Artist Kim Cuong. In 1998, Ha spent her savings to build the HCM City Rest Home for Artists on 600sq.m of land in District 8s Au Duong Lan Street. The home now serves more than 30 traditional artists aged 70-80, including theatre stars such as Dieu Hien, Ngoc ang, Le Tham and Mac Can, who performed for more than 50 years and played a role in the development of southern theatre. Free food, health care, and even funeral services, are all offered to the residents. The home receives financial support from local authorities. It was upgraded in 2006 thanks to the citys Theatre Association in co-operation with the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Ha devoted her energies to the stage, and did not marry or have children. She died in 2009. The Artists Pagoda is a spiritual tourist site in HCM City. Many artists and visitors often visit and donate funds every Tet, said Meritorious Artist Trinh Kim Chi, deputy chairwoman of HCM City Theatre Association and head of the pagodas managing board. VNS The Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, which looms over historic Jackson Square, is 52 years old. Carl Nolte/The Chronicle The Hotaling Building at 451 Jackson St. was one of the buildings still standing after the 1906 great earthquake and fire, and its survival inspired a whimsical poem. Carl Nolte/The Chronicle A display of pates and other delicacies at Maison Nico, a new French bakery and deli in Jackson Square. Carl Nolte/The Chronicle I was on the hunt for a Christmas present over the holidays, something warm for a chilly winter. To my surprise, my search for something new led me to one of the oldest parts of San Francisco. I found what I wanted at Fjallraven, a Swedish-themed outdoors store on Jackson Street in the heart of Jackson Square, a small district only 14 acres tucked between the Financial District and North Beach. Jackson Square is the oldest remaining piece of American San Francisco. The oldest parts of the city, the Presidio and Mission Dolores, date from the Spanish and Mexican period. Visitors from the East Coast always turn up their noses at the idea that San Francisco had any real history, since it was founded in 1776, when New York, Boston and Philadelphia were already cities. But San Francisco was on the edge of the western world in the 18th century. It was here when Chicago was just a fort, the historian Kevin Starr used to say. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But San Francisco does have a history of change and survival, and Jackson Square is a good example. This part of San Francisco became important just after the Gold Rush, when it became the center of the booming new city in the 1850s. The district survived the big fires that swept San Francisco in the 1850s, it survived the great 1906 earthquake and fire, and survived the citys booms and busts. Many of the old buildings are still there, put to new uses. Like most San Franciscans, Id been to Jackson Square from time to time but hadnt paid much attention. This time I took a closer look, roamed the streets and the side alleys, looked in the windows of expensive shops, and stopped in historic bars for refreshment. Its a placid district, the streets lined with trees. Jackson Square had a tumultuous past the Pony Express, Mark Twain, the Civil War general William T. Sherman, murders, vigilantes, mining tycoons, characters like Emperor Norton and the Money King. Now its quiet, like a stage when the actors have left. Jackson Square has a rarified aura, the Chronicles John King wrote. Its perfect for a quiet afternoons walk. The Jackson Square District is dominated by the 853-foot-tall Transamerica Pyramid on Montgomery Street. Even something fairly new to Jackson Street is fairly old the pyramid opened 52 years ago. The pyramid was built on the site of San Franciscos famous Montgomery Block, built in 1853 by Henry Halleck, once commanding general of the Union Army in the Civil War. It was a wonder in its day: the four-story structure was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi. It was torn down in 1959. The Monkey Block, as it was called, was full of artists and writers, the Montparnasse of the Western World, the writer Idwal Jones called it. The block was also the home of the celebrated Bank Exchange saloon where Duncan Nicol invented the Pisco Punch. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Across Washington Street is one of my favorite San Francisco alleys, Hotaling Place, which runs a single block from Washington Street to Jackson Square. I began the journey with a stop at the High Horse, once a stable and now an elegant looking cocktail lounge. The district may be old but the patrons inside the High Horse were young and well dressed. Hotaling Place has a mosaic pavement with wavy lines to mark the shore of San Francisco Bay in the 1850s. Now its lined with upscale shops like Shinola and the Villa Taverna private dining club and a wine store. The little alley has great views of the Transamerica Pyramid even in reflection on rainy-day puddles. At the corner of Jackson Street and the alley is the venerable Hotaling Building, vintage 1866. Once a hotel, later the biggest liquor warehouse in the west. When much of the city was destroyed in the 1906 fire, heroic firefighters, or perhaps U.S. Navy sailors who came from Mare Island to help, ran a fire hose from the bay over Telegraph Hill to save Hotalings warehouse. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That inspired one of the most famous little poems in San Francisco history. Charles Field wrote it: If as they say, God spanked the town for being over frisky/why did he burn the churches down/and save Hotalings whisky? Thats the story on a plaque on the wall of the Hotaling Building, now an expensive-looking clothing store. Its all part of what planners and architects call the Jackson idea to convert a rundown historic area to a higher use. The Jackson Square Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. There are plaques on nearly every wall. Even the alleys have something to see. On Gold Street is Bix, a supper club with music, dinner and a kind of romantic back alley ambiance. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Around the corner is the William Stout architectural bookstore, a rarity these days. A bit farther down at 710 Montgomery St. is Maison Nico, which describes itself as a modern epiceric and cafe serving Parisian style treats, many not available anywhere else in the United States. TIEN GIANG The Mekong Delta province Tien Giang plans to expand its marine farming area by 14,700 hectares this year with a projected output of over 200,000 tonnes as it hopes to turn aquaculture into a key economic sector. Tien Giang has high potential to foster aquaculture growth, having an optimal geographical condition and being surrounded by major rivers like Soai Rap and Cua Tieu, according to director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Van Man. The province hopes to develop local aquaculture towards adapting to climate change, enhancing productivity, and providing jobs for locals, especially in coastal and ong Thap Muoi alum-intruded areas which have extreme weather conditions. Local authorities will design more aquafarming models that can respond to climate change in freshwater, saltwater, and brackish water areas, as well as form concentrated farming areas and create quality products for domestic consumption and export. Tien Giang has also developed different shrimp farming models in coastal areas like Go ong Cong and Tan Phu ong Districts, including extensive farming, intensive farming, shrimp-rice, and two- or three-stage high-tech models. The shrimp-rice farming model breeds shrimp in the dry season and grows rice in the rainy season in the same fields, while the two or three-stage high-tech model involves one phase of nursery of 20 days and one or two phases of commercial farming. In Tan Phu ong District, certain concentrated aquafarming models have been established to farm shrimp and other aquatic species with high economic value. They include the Nam Go Cong farm in Phu Tan Commune, 30-hectare and 352-hectare high-tech farms in Con Cong Village (Phu Tan Commune), as well as a 230-hectare farm in Phu ong Commune. Go Cong ong District plans to combine marine aquaculture and tourism in the Bac Go Cong shrimp farming area and a 2,200-hectare clam farming area in Tan Thanh Commune. Upstream areas like Cai Be District, Cai Lay District, and Cai Lay Town have also focused on raising freshwater species with high economic value such as yellow catfish, pangasius, barb, and carp, while providing fish seeds and breeding aquarium fish. Tien Giang Province has been teaching farming techniques and providing technology to farmers, along with expanding aquafarming models that bring high economic efficiency, to protect the environment and the local ecosystem and bolster the general aquaculture landscape. Man said authorities have also encouraged farmers to apply several green, eco-friendly models to foster sustainable aquafarming coupled with climate change adaptation and carbon footprint reduction, which in turn creates more safe and environmentally-friendly products. In terms of shrimp farming, the province expects to increase the two or three-period models to 320 hectares, accounting for 15 per cent of the total intensive farming area. Cai Lay Town has been building a biosafety frog farming model in Tan Phu Commune and a similar eel farming model in Tan Phu, My Hanh ong, My Phuoc Tay, and Thanh Hoa Communes. In 2024, it will continue to evaluate the efficiency of each model and provide farmers with essential technologies for further development. The Cai Lay District Centre for Agricultural Extension and Agricultural Services will demonstrate sample models for farming yellow catfish in ponds in My Thanh Bac Commune and for cage-farming ca chach lau (spiny eel) in Thanh Loc Commune. "The models bring high socio-economic value and have great potential to be further expanded in 2024, helping to propel freshwater aquafarming in a biosafe and environmentally-friendly manner," said Nguyen Thi Lac, director of the district Centre for Agricultural Extension and Agricultural Services. Tien Giang Province currently has around 38 hectares of catfish farming area operating under the global Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standard and 20 caged-fish farms under the VietGAP standard. Go Cong ong Districts clam farming area has also recently achieved international certificates from the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council for sustainability, with an annual output of 18,000-20,000 tonnes. Last year, Tien Giang Province had around 114,763 hectares of cage-free marine farming with an output of 203,000 tonnes. VNS The Waco chapter of the NAACP hosted an inaugural Dialogue Dinner on Thursday evening, bringing together local community leaders and law enforcement officials with the goal of improving police-community relations. Several local police chiefs, local church leaders, elected officials, educators and activists shared a meal and had conversations in a safe space meant for leaders to learn more about each others experiences. Waco NAACP President Peaches Henry said another main goal of the event held at the Waco Multi-Purpose Center on Elm Avenue was for people in the community to get to know law enforcement officials outside of a crisis situation in a more intimate environment. In addition to the NAACP, the Waco chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, a professional education sorority, hosted the event. Henry said the event was a continuation of the NAACPs Meet the Chiefs event last year, and the NAACP hopes to host more Dinner Dialogues in the future. Cris Houston, second vice president of the Waco NAACP, said she has previously been a facilitator for the Together We Dine program, which was started in Dallas in 2017 after a man ambushed a group of Dallas-area police officers, killing five and wounding nine others, in addition to two civilians. Houston said she brought the Together We Dine program to Waco in 2020, received great feedback and wanted to find a way to expand it in the local area, with Thursdays event building on the effort. There is a need for people with different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds to come together to meet each other and build relationships, Houston said. And that is the same for community members and law enforcement officers. Where does this happen? What other forum can this happen? If you dont create the forum for it, it wont happen. The event was structured by putting multiple people together at 15 tables, each with at least one police representative. A facilitator posed questions to participants to encourage conversation. There were specific questions posed to law enforcement officials and others posed to other participants about their experiences with law enforcement, what roles they think police should serve in the community and others about their life experiences. Waco City Council Member Jim Holmes said he was intrigued by the idea of the dinner and wanted to hear personal stories and hear out different perspectives. Coming away from the dinner, he said he learned many people often do not have the same reaction to the same challenges, and said the conversations allowed him to understand the human side of police. Once you get into it, and you go around the table a few times and hear peoples ideas and peoples concerns and how events affect them, its a good forum, Holmes said. Because I met five new people today. Its fantastic. Robinson Police Chief Danny Smith also said the event helped him get to know people from all over the community. He said it showed him how police need to do a better job of getting out in the community and making connections with local residents. This is great, the idea that we get together and we talk, and we have the same issues, Smith said. These folks that we were talking to tonight have the same issues we have. On this version of Hot off the Wire: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Meta says it will start hiding inappropriate content from teenagers accounts on Instagram and Facebook. That includes posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. The social media giant based in Menlo Park, California, said in a blog post Tuesday that while it already aims not to recommend such age-inappropriate material to teens, now it also wont show it in their feeds, even if it is shared by an account they follow. Metas announcement comes as the company faces lawsuits from dozens of U.S. states for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis. LONDON (AP) The World Economic Forum says false and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence is the top immediate risk to the global economy. In its latest Global Risks Report, the organization says misinformation and disinformation as the most severe risk over the next two years. The report also says an array of environmental risks pose the biggest threats in the longer term. The report was released Wednesday ahead of the annual elite winter gathering next week of CEOs and world leaders in the Swiss ski resort town of Davos. Its based on a survey of nearly 1,500 experts, industry leaders and policymakers Earth shattered global annual heat records last year and it's flirting with the warming threshold that nations wanted to stay within to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. That's according to Copernicus, the European climate agency, which reported Tuesday that 2023 was 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.66 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. That's just a whisker below the 1.5-degree threshold nations agreed to try to stay within at the Paris climate talks in 2015. And Copernicus said this January is on track to be so warm that the world will go past that 1.5-degree threshold for the first time over a 12-month period. Climate scientists say it's imperative that humans continue trying to hold down warming. DETROIT (AP) The top U.S. telecommunications regulator is asking automakers how they plan to protect people from being stalked or harassed by partners who have access to vehicle location and other data. In a letter sent Thursday to nine large automakers, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel asks for details about connected car systems and plans to support people who have been harassed by domestic abusers. Nearly all new vehicles have features that use telecommunications to find cars in parking lots, start the engine remotely, and even connect with emergency responders. The letter asks automakers for details about the services and whether they have policies in place to remove access to connected apps and other features if a request is made by someone who is being abused. LAS VEGAS (AP) While electric vehicles are gaining the lions share of the attention for carbon-neutral technology at CES 2024, hydrogen energy has snuck its way back into the conversation thanks to two automotive giants. Hyundai signaled that it could work towards aiding a hydrogen society by expanding into energy production, storage and transportation. Meanwhile, automotive supplier Bosch Mobility plans to launch its first hydrogen combustion engine this year. Still, there was also a robust lineup of EV announcements from big name brands. Honda premiered two concept vehicles for a new global electric vehicle series. And Kia introduced a trio of electric vans that can quickly swap body modules from cargo haulers to taxis and other purposes. WASHINGTON (AP) Black, white, Hispanic and Asian adults in the U.S. largely agree that the government should focus on the economy and foreign policy issues in 2024. But recent polling shows that views diverge on some high-profile topics, including racism and immigration. That's according to two recent polls by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data. About 7 in 10 adults across backgrounds name economic issues. Black adults are less likely than others to call immigration a top priority. White adults are especially likely to name issues related to politics. ATLANTA (AP) Bomb threats and false reports of shootings at the homes of public officials, state capitols and courthouses have surged in recent weeks, including some connected to court cases against former president Donald Trump. Judges presiding over cases against him in New York and Washington have been targeted, as well as the Justice Department special counsel handling the federal charges against him. Multiple other public officials across the political spectrum as well as state capitols and courthouses around the country have also been targeted. The FBI said Thursday it takes the widespread increase in threats seriously and every hoax threat puts people at risk and wastes government resources. About 21 million children are likely to receive food benefits this summer through a newly permanent federal program. Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories and four tribes opted into the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer, known as Summer EBT. Families at or below 185% of the federal poverty line will receive $120 per child total during the summer months. Some states that opted out say there wasn't enough time to implement the program. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Cesareans are surging in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which has one of the worlds highest rates. More than half of babies born in the territory are now delivered via surgery compared with only 32% on the U.S. mainland. That's according to a federal report released Wednesday. Medical experts say reasons behind the surge in Puerto Rico vary and include the islands crumbling health care system. One doctor says ob-gyns prefer to schedule a cesarean to ensure they will have all the medical personnel required for a birth. The World Health Organization recommends a cesarean rate of between 10% to 15%. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas parliament has 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 say they plan to challenge the bills constitutionality and hold protest rallies, a sign of continued heated debate over the ban. The bill would make slaughtering, breeding and sales of dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027 and punishable by 2-3 years in prison. It doesnt provide any penalties for eating dog meat. Most South Koreans think dog meat should be banned, and a majority no longer eat it. The Associated Press About this program Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate. Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here. DES MOINES Pam Jochum, the leader of the minority-party Democrats in the Iowa Senate, announced Friday she will not seek re-election in 2024. Jochum, 69, has represented Dubuque in the Iowa Legislature since 1993. She served eight two-year terms in the Iowa House before being elected to the Iowa Senate in 2008. In 2012, she became the first female Democrat to serve as Iowa Senate president. Jochum was chosen by her fellow Senate Democrats to lead the group last year, after the group voted to make a change from the previous leader, Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville. Jochum said she will remain the Senate Democratic leader during the 2024 session of the Iowa Legislature, which began this week, and will guide Senate Democrats through the 2024 elections. Presumably, Senate Democrats will elect a new leader after the November general elections. In a statement, Jochum thanked the people of Dubuque for electing her to the Iowa Legislature, calling her time there an honor and privilege. I am excited to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders who will champion a brighter future for Iowa. Opting not to seek re-election to Senate District 36, I am creating space for fresh perspectives to guide our state forward, Jochum said in the statement. In her statement, Jochum highlighted what she believes are some of her legislative accomplishments. Among them is Iowas version of Medicaid expansion, which Jochum helped negotiate in 2013 while the Iowa Legislature was under divided party control. Iowa youth straw poll Former President Donald Trump is popular among Iowas youth as well, according to early returns from the Iowa Secretary of States latest informal Iowa Youth Straw Poll. As of noon Friday, with 41 schools reporting, Trump was the runaway leader in the Iowa Youth Straw Poll, with 58.1 percent of the votes cast. Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley was a distant second at 17.8 percent, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was third at 9.5 percent. Schools were encouraged to report results by the end of the day Friday, but those results are not the final tally. More than 20,000 students across the state are expected to participate, according to the Secretary of States office. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll also is open to Democratic candidate selections, and President Joe Biden thus far is in third place. As of Friday, author Marianne Williamson was at 38.5 percent, former Congressman Dean Philips was second at 33 percent, and Biden was at 29.3 percent. It is exciting to see so many students participate in this years Iowa Youth Straw Poll, Pate said in a news release. This is a great opportunity for students to experience firsthand the caucus and voting experience, and we look forward to seeing these students register to vote and participating in Iowas elections process once they are eligible. Iowans have held tremendous influence in the past with their Big Show, known as the first-in-the-nation caucuses. The caucuses are grassroots politics at its best, as Iowan as the Butter Cow. Besides putting our state in the spotlight, they pump millions of dollars into our economy and afford every citizen between our river borders the opportunity to meet and assess the presidential candidates. Who were everywhere. The Republican candidates still are, as their caucus has survived. The Democrats, not so much. This is largely because they bungled the results of the 2020 caucus, trying out a new app to glean additional information. Turned out it didnt give much information at all, including who the winner was. The world waited and watched and waited some more, but in the end, there were no timely or tangible caucus results to report. So, the Big Show is not as big this year, as roughly half of prospective caucus-goers are not traditionally caucusing. The Democrats are conducting their first-ever mail-in caucus, with the voting beginning in January (date not yet announced.) They will still hold a traditional caucus, but to discuss party business only. The results of this mail-in caucus will be announced March 5, aka Super Tuesday, severely diluting Iowas influence and basically treating it as one of many primaries that day. Lest Republicans think they are above such snafus, let us remember 2012 when they, too, muddled their reporting and also threatened the legitimacy of Iowas first-in-the-nation status. They, too, could not declare a winner and waffled between the top two, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, who each had garnered around 25% of the vote. In a preliminary report, they first declared Romney the winner. Two weeks later they announced the contest was, in fact, a draw. After that, they reversed themselves, and declared Santorum the winner. What? The rest of the world shook their heads in disbelief. The Iowa GOP then wrote off eight of their precincts vote counts, memorializing the fact no one will ever know who did actually win. Yet, they held on. And on Monday, Jan. 15, all registered Republicans will have a chance to again caucus in person. So, what if both parties stepped up big-time in this election and turned in definitive and researched results? With or without a caucus, everyone in Iowa and in every state has the privilege of becoming involved. Not just in this election, but in all which impacts us and the issues and people we care about. Engaging in our own life and times and caring enough to affect positive change in the world changes it already. What if Iowans started the swing to another candidate besides the usual suspect? (Literally, in this case.) If they endorsed a fresh perspective and gave their first-in-the-nation boost to someone besides the polls front-runner, refusing to accept his litany of legal entanglements and seemingly limitless propensity to create chaos? If we were not plunged back into deja vu all over again and Republicans pushed forward a viable challenger to Joe Biden, one with real answers and a real plan? Nikki Haley would fit that bill. On Nov. 5, as we vote to choose the best person for arguably the most important job on the planet, let us not have to decide between despot and doddering. Lets show the world those caucus gaffes were aberrations, that we have the judgment and good sense to be entrusted with the job. Lets regain our status as a nation, beginning with our state. Iowans are leaders. Lets lead. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Kyiv to sign a historic security agreement. How would the Western public react to the fact that the British delegation came under fire from cluster munitions in the center of Kyiv, as happened to the civilians of our Belgorod? And one more thing: I hope that our eternal enemies, the arrogant British, understand that the deployment of their official military contingent in Ukraine will mean a declaration of war on our country. Medvedev Bombings and Bandera thieves This night, the Americans opened a new front against the Houthis in Yemen, also diverting attention from their problematic Kyiv charges. And the problems with them are monstrous. They shouted at us for a long time (and in my ear personally on social networks) that the Bandera leadership of Ukraine are sinless, non-acquisitive people. That they didnt steal a single dollar. Holy Patriots. Youre lying, you have no evidence. Well, just think, some kind of machine gun was found somewhere in Afghanistan. But no, it turned out that they are banal and uncompromising thieves who embezzle huge funds for weapons allocated to the Ukrainians. Q.E.D! It turns out that, as The New York Times reports, the Pentagon did not monitor the weapons supplied to Ukraine, so $1 billion worth of weapons disappeared: almost 40,000 units kamikaze drones, MANPADS and night vision devices. Now the American puppeteers fear that the weapons could have been stolen and given to smugglers either by someone from their rotten camarilla or by Kyiv grabbers. And this is very good Theft is in the blood of corrupt Banderaites at the genetic level. They have stolen, are stealing and will steal. I remember how one of the ukropatriots was surprised when I asked why my name was going to the polls, because he had no chance. What, I heard in surprise, this is his last opportunity to steal money! And this is the whole philosophy of the Ukrainian elite (not only the Bandera spill, by the way). And here its so lucky, so lucky! So give them your billions, good gentlemen from the EU and overseas. Everything will be brilliant with stolen in the shortest possible time. Medvedev Yes it is just one man, yet he did touch my life and I did listen to him I am against the unprovoked killing of humans, encompassing much more than just Gonzalo Lira into that statement. Lately we have been able to see the death of many many humans and over the last hundred years we have watched the USA lead the pack as to killing humans unprovoked. Now us Humans are watching the latest genocide in Gaza Yet this is about one man. A 55 year old white man, a Chilean-American citizen who made some wrong decisions and made some very correct decisions also. Sounds human, doesnt he? I have seen no evidence to justify his arrest. If Gonzalo had violated Ukrainian law, they would have only to expel him from Ukraine. That is what a civilized country does. But then again he choose to resume his talks after being arrested once before. Why he was not kicked out of Ukraine then? Thus he knew what was his fate My only criticism of Gonzalo was that he sensationalized too much and expressed that he was always afraid that something would happen to him. Yet never took the moves to safeguard himself. Whilst he emphasized his freedom of expression, he probably while realizing that there was much at stake in the conflict, figured that talking about Ukraine as an American would save him. Therefore, anyone who challenged the Ukraine Narrative would pay the price, but as an American his country would get him out at that time. Yet he lost that tidbit of info about Western Narrative and the realization that he was very expendable, unless he shut up and fast From what I understand: He was expected to move to Russia once much of Ukraine had left the Kharkov region. He sent his wife and children to Russia, but remained in Kharkov. He even ran the wrong way at the very last as he ran toward Hungary and not Russia. At that time I kept asking, Why do these people run the wrong way and not allow Russia to help? Thinking back about Assange and several others in life, even Snowden was lucky and never wanted Russia. Yet Russia accepted him. Although he made valid points about the Ukrainian government and military, it was very risky to do so within the country of the people you criticized. More so when that country is a direct sponsored NATO built war machine to attack Russia. He became a liability to the USA This statement above is a personally experienced issue that I myself can attest to about the way that people who communicate in the wrong fashion get treated within the USA and for him to think that anyone in the USA Gov would ride a white horse to save him, well he was very wrong. In fact they will be the first to throw dirt on his face when they bury him It is our choice to be either a liability and or a sheep. When you country is as corrupt and immoral as 95% of all Western Countries are, it is very easy to be a liability I am under no false pretenses that America would even care if I live or die and that they would without a doubt hasten my departure from this planet when they decide to. Thus I need to be smart Gonzalos death is a message to all American journalists and bloggers living in a Western Country: they will come to your home, and it doesnt matter whether you are American or not, they will take you away and kill you. When they decide to do it, they will You should never forget, for I wont about when I went to Greece Questions that got me in trouble in Greece! https://windowstorussia.com/last-post-for-awhile-and-last-words-of-wisdom-for-now.html I shut up and got home to Russia safely (Thank You Russia) Gonzalo you should have shut up and, Got out of Dodge Rest in Peace Gonzalo WtR PS: Response by Russia We note the deliberate silence of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media T. Ribeiro regarding the death of American journalist Gonzalo Lira in a Ukrainian prison . It is not surprising that this blatant example of repression remained without reaction from the US Permanent Mission to the OSCE, which is usually very concerned about the rights of the correct media However, we are already accustomed to such pathological hypocrisy both on the part of some OSCE functionaries and countries that consider themselves model democracies. After all, the collective West has long given carte blanche to cancel, persecute and kill with impunity objectionable reporters who disseminate an alternative point of view on what is happening in the world https://t.me/MID_Russia/34203 Home insurance across California, including in San Francisco (seen here in spring 2023), is increasingly hard to find. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle UPDATE: California proposes rule that would change how insurers assess wildfire risk After getting home insurance for decades through AAA, Berkeley Hills resident Roger Carr and his wife received the dreaded notice in December: They would be not be renewed because of wildfire concerns. About two weeks into their search, theyre still reaching out to brokers and looking for a new policy. California insurance crisis: Another company stops issuing new home policies Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its a situation thats not uncommon across California, as finding and keeping home coverage becomes increasingly difficult. Even in areas with limited wildfire risk, including San Francisco, homeowners are facing nonrenewals. A drumbeat of providers, both big (like Allstate and State Farm) and small (like Motors Insurance Corp. and Kemper Corp.), have stopped writing new policies in the state. And for those that are still hanging on, rates are rising. Carr has kept his cool. Im Mr. Calm, he said. Im not concerned, thats just my personality. But local brokers reached by the Chronicle described the current homeowners insurance market (which even excludes one major risk earthquake losses) as chaotic, unprecedented and the perfect storm. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The brokers also offered tips for those caught in the crisis. Below are seven. If you have insurance, dont push it Brian Sullivan, a broker with Oakland-based Avail Insurance Solutions, spends half his day telling clients not to switch their insurance. He said people may find a company with a lower rate or premium, but switching is not a guarantee that it will work out. The new company will likely require a property inspection, after which it can cancel the policy making the move risky. If youre with a good company that hopefully will stay with you because youve got some history with them thats got some value, said Jerry Becerra, president of Barbary Insurance Brokerage, which services the Bay Area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rates are also going up for everyone, Becerra said, so if you have a policy and your rates go up 15-20% you are still likely in the right place, painful as it may be. Try a nontraditional route Major companies that may come to mind when you think of home insurance are typically admitted insurers in California, meaning they must abide by specific requirements from the California Department of Insurance and have an agreement that the California Insurance Guarantee Association will pay out if the insurer cant pay outstanding claims. Scott Johnson, a broker with Marindependent Insurance Services LLC, said he only works with a couple of admitted insurers also known as licensed insurers writing policies in Marin County, where he specializes, and a lot of his work is done with non-admitted insurers. Non-admitted insurers, also known as surplus lines companies, must prove their financial stability with the state but do not have to file their rates with the Department of Insurance. They also are not backed up by the California Insurance Guarantee Association. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The biggest risk of non-admitted insurers, Johnson noted, comes if they become insolvent. In such cases, the California Insurance Guarantee Association will not step in to compensate the homeowner. People can check the financial stability of a non-admitted insurer using online resources such as AM Best, which provides financial strength ratings for insurance companies, Johnson said. He said non-admitted insurers are typically more expensive, with complex policies that take longer to locate and become active. The process for non-admitted insurers to increase premiums or not renew is much easier compared with admitted companies, Johnson said. The non-admitted entities are much freer to come in and out of the state as they see fit, and that just seems like a more appetizing solution for an insurance company at the current moment, Johnson said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Who is still writing policies? Jay Zemansky, president of Santa Rosa based Sadler & Company Insurance Brokers Inc. said in his experience there are almost no major companies taking on new policyholders locally. Pressure has heightened for the remaining insurers as companies including Allstate and State Farm stopped taking on new customers. When youve got this much of the marketplace shutdown and you still have people shopping, the companies that are left are stressed to try and fill the void but they dont have the capacity. They may not have the staffing to handle the influx of new business, Becerra said. According to Bay Area brokers, AAA, Farmers Insurance, Chubb and USAA are still writing new policies. (AAA and Chubb confirmed they are still writing new policies in California; USAA and Farmers did not respond on Friday to a query.) Becerra added that a lot of companies have cut back on what they offer so while they may still be writing policies, there may be relatively few, and the insurers are being selective. Be prepared for high prices If someone is not renewed by their insurer and has to move to a non-admitted insurer or the FAIR Plan, a government-created fire insurance option for those who cannot find coverage from a standard provider, they will likely see a significant increase in premium, Johnson said. I consider it the crying grandmother index, and its at an all-time high, he said. Theres a lot of people on fixed incomes and Im in the unfortunate position to have to explain the situation, and it can be tough to tell somebody that. Becerra said homeowners looking for a new provider could easily see their insurance pricing double, depending on the condition of their home. Even admitted insurers have increased rates. State Farm, with the largest homeowners market share in California, plans to increase rates in 2024 by 20%. Sullivan said some people are opting for incomplete coverage of their home because that is all they can afford. Give yourself time Id start early, Becerra said. Becerra said you want to have as many options as possible to sort through when choosing homeowners insurance. He advised allowing yourself three weeks to a month to find coverage. A lot of people will wait until the last minute and give themselves a few days to replace coverage, and that can make a bad situation very stressful, Becerra said. Get help Homeowners hunting for insurance should get a broker, Becerra advised. Insurance is not self-serve or similar to buying other things online, he said, since a broker can help you shop multiple markets and speed up the process. A broker can also help the client put together a good presentation to approach an insurance company with, he said. Brokers are compensated by the insurance companies they write with, and if a broker is not used, homeowners wont necessarily save: That money may go to an agent or be absorbed as extra profits, Johnson said. There are rare cases where a separate brokers fee is charged to the homeowner, he said. Becerra said that while helpful, brokers are still at the mercy of the insurers, which can limit the number of policies they write. If youre only allowed to write a few policies a month with the company, you cant just take everybody that calls because youre running out of places to put people, Becerra said. If all else fails Options have become so slim that Zemansky often takes clients straight to the insurer of last resort, the FAIR Plan. We dont play around, Zemansky said. Six months ago we said lets see what we can do. No. We go directly to the FAIR Plan because its the only people writing. The FAIR Plan writes policies in high fire risk areas, but it is not ideal. It provides bare bones coverage with a high price tag, Zemansky said. Becerra tries to avoid the FAIR Plan when possible. The FAIR Plan does not offer coverage for water damage, theft and liability so an additional policy with another insurer is needed to fill the gaps. Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (6 12 January 2024) In the period from 6 to 12 January 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have inflicted 50 group strikes with long-range maritime and airborne high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles and UAVs, at Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities that manufacture, upgrade and repair aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, armoured vehicles, missile launchers and artillery systems. In addition, the locations of the AFU units, nationalist formations, and foreign mercenaries were hit. The purpose of the strikes has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line in several sectors, and repelled 27 attacks launched by assault groups of AFU 32nd, 43rd, and 115th mechanised, 57th mechanised infantry, 25th airborne, and 95th air assault brigades near Sinkovka, Ivanovka Peschanoye, and Berestovoye (Kharkov region). The enemy has suffered losses of more than 585 troops, three tanks, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, 11 field artillery guns, as well as one Grad MLRS vehicle. In Krasny Liman direction, the Tsentr Group of Forces units, aviation, and artillery have launched strikes at clusters of manpower of AFU 63rd, 66th mechanised, 100th, 125th Territorial Defence, 5th, 13th National Guard brigades close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Torskoye, Yampolovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Serebryansky forestry. The enemy has lost up to 995 troops killed and wounded, five armoured fighting vehicles, 25 motor vehicles, and five field artillery guns. In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces supported by air and artillery fire have repelled six enemy attacks. Fire was also launched at units of AFU 22nd, 28th, 42nd, 93rd mechanised, 3rd, 5th, 92nd assault, and 112th Territorial Defence brigades near Krasnoye, Kurdyumovka, Antonovka, Bogdanovka, Kleshcheyevka, and Andreyevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were more than 1,785 servicemen, five tanks, 20 armoured fighting vehicles, including two Bradley IFVs and five Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, 63 motor vehicles, as well as 14 field artillery guns. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces have repelled seven enemy attacks. Air strikes and artillery fire hit AFU units near Novomikhailovka, Paraskoviyevka, Pavlovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). Over the week, the enemy has suffered losses of up to 850 troops, three tanks, 11 armoured fighting vehicles, 22 motor vehicles, 15 field artillery guns, as well as one Grad MLRS vehicle. In Zaporozhye direction, the Russian Group of Forces units have taken more advantageous lines and positions, and also repelled one attack of the 3rd Operational Brigades assault group of Ukrainian National Guard close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). In addition, fire damage was inflicted on personnel and military hardware of AFU 117th, 118th mechanised, 128th mountain assault, 14th, 15th National Guard brigades near Malaya Tokmachka, Verbovoye, Novoprokopovka, and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). The enemy has lost up to 230 servicemen, three tanks, 10 armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns. In Kherson direction, the enemys attempts to cross the Dnepr River to land on the left bank and islands were thwarted by preventive actions of the Russian Armed Forces. Aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of AFU 35th, 38th Marines, 121th Territorial Defence brigades near Mikhailovka, Tyaginka, Ivanovka, Sablukovka, and Kacharovka (Kherson region). The AFU lost up to 275 troops killed and wounded, one tank, 21 motor vehicles, 15 boats and seven field artillery guns as a result of the actions of the Russian troops. Over the past week, 48 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered, 35 of them in Kupyansk direction. Russian Aerospace Forces and air defence units have shot down Su-25, Su-27 aircraft, as well as one Mi-9 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force. In addition, 35 HIMARS and Uragan MLRS projectiles, six Neptune anti-ship missiles, two MALD guided aerial missiles, and 161 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down during the week. Operational-Tactical and Missile Troops of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed two P-18 radars for detecting and tracking air targets, 10 ammunition depots, and one electronic warfare station. In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,620 unmanned aerial vehicles, 447 air defence missile systems, 14,578 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,202 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,694 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,345 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR Firefighters from several area departments participated in rigorous training exercises last weekend at a closed elementary school in Portage that allowed them to prepare for the worst. Its always worst case when you have one of your firefighters go down because it adds more emotion, which we practiced, said Portage Fire Chief Troy Haase. But all of the skills we are using for these Rapid Intervention Team trainings, we are using for the citizens as well because we are going to run into all of these same obstacles. So if you are trapped in a fire, we are going to use these same exact skills to get to you, get you removed and to a safe location, said Haase. The Columbia County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Association held its first Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) training on Jan. 6 at the former Rusch Elementary School, which closed in 2022. About 32 firefighters from departments in Portage, Pardeeville, Poynette, Columbus, Cambria, Arlington, Fall River, Randolph and Kilbourn participated. Intervention teams, which are designated crews used by fire departments as stand-by rescue teams, aid in the immediate search for and rescue of any injured, trapped or missing firefighters. Its one of those things that you very seldom use but when you need it, its important they are on top of their game, said Haase, because (rapid intervention) is used if somebody is down that is going to possibly die in a fire. Sauk County Health Care Center looking for private buyer The Sauk County Health Care Center is seeking a private buyer after the county board approved a resolution putting it out for bid with numerous stipulations requiring it to remain local and expand services. The association that held the training is made up of all fire and EMS departments in the county. Haase said its members meet quarterly to discuss issues that affect department responses, such as dispatch and mutual aid. As a member of the RIT committee for Columbia County along with Ryan Hart, lead inspector for the Cambria Fire Department, and Tim Delaney, captain of apparatus for the Columbus Fire Department Haase said he hopes to help organize a few trainings like this annually in order for area firefighters to stay prepared to fight fires. We were working in a training situation, said Haase. Everything we propose here is nothing like they are going to encounter in the real world. Its simulated, its not 1,000 degrees and there isnt really a dead patient or somebody that is hurt and cant get out. ... I think we had a lot of new people that never experienced it before, so they got a look at what its going to really be like. In order to accommodate all the skill levels of the participating firefighters, Haase said the training offered three levels of difficulty. Each firefighter eventually went through the advanced level, but some of the more experienced firefighters were able to skip the first two simulations if they went through the trainings in the past. Firefighters who started at the beginner level of training faced a simulation in which a pair of them were separated and had to find their way back to each other. The pair of firefighters also had to locate a central hose line and figure out which way it was coming from, based on the couplings, in order to get out of the building an application Haase said takes a lot of practice. They were operating in the pitch black, said Haase. We dont allow them to use flashlights or anything. ... So they have to be very familiar with the equipment because if theyre not, then theyre not able to make the connections and do what they have to do, because its all by feel. Alaska Airlines decision not to ground Boeing jet despite warning signs comes under scrutiny United Airlines said Monday it found loose bolts and other "installation issues" on a part of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jets that were inspected after a mid-flight blowout on a similar Alaska Airlines jet on Friday. The scenario also added a level of emotion, as Haase said a mayday signal on the firefighters personal alert safety systems (PASS) devices was sounding off, which in a real-life situation goes off automatically if a firefighter is down and inactive for a certain amount of time. Those in the intermediate level of training completed a similar scenario, but with the added task of delivering a portable air supply system, known as an RIT pack, to a downed team member with a mask problem, which Haase said mimicked a common real-life scenario of a firefighter who has a melted or defective mask and requires assistance. The most advanced training simulation saw teams of four firefighters tasked with navigating their way through a maze made of wood pallets and obstacles, while attempting to locate, give oxygen, harness and drag a weighted dummy out of danger, which Haase said mimicked the rescue of a firefighter who is lost in a fire or collapsed building. Obstacles that participants faced in this simulation included low clearance, crawling over rafters and squeezing through stud walls, which Haase said requires may different techniques. The toughest part is always moving that dead weight. Its one thing to get yourself through these obstacles, but then to take a patient through the obstacle is another, said Haase. Youre moving about 200 pounds up and over and around things, through small spaces. ... Getting in is difficult, but once you get in there and you get (the dummy) situated, always getting it out is the hardest part. It typically takes three RIT teams to make the rescue, he said. One team would get in and get the patient converted over and ready to go and start the removal, said Haase. Then they would have to start thinking about getting out because their air supply was low. So then we would send another team in. Waupun man placed on $250,000 cash bond for actions after his father's body was found A Waupun man was placed on a $250,000 cash bond for charges related to his alleged actions towards his brother after his brother found their father dead last week at their parents home. In addition to helping to fine tune the skills of the firefighters, Haase said the training familiarized firefighters from around the county with each others techniques, so when they come together to fight fires, they can form unified teams. Nobody ever trains the same, said Haase. Every department always does it different. So this was the first time that we brought everybody together and went through our policies and procedures and we all operated exactly the same. One of the big challenges for the firefighters in the training was to make sure they kept themselves oriented as to which side of the building they came in and out of, because as they started thinking about how they were going to get the patient out, organizers had changed around the course, which had about 10 doors that could be opened and closed. The biggest thing about this is to communicate with your partners in there, said Haase. And we make it more difficult by adding more stimuli to cause confusion. Haase said he specifically made it harder on the Portage firefighters, partly because they helped construct the course and they are more familiar than firefighters from neighboring departments with the interiors of buildings in the city. I took our firefighters and pushed them a little harder than I did the others just because they had already seen the maze and they were more familiar with it, said Haase. There are times (in real situations) that we purposefully put our Portage firefighters with other firefighters from different communities so that we can help them through the buildings that we already know. Firefighters who were looking for a little bit of extra work stayed at the end of the training and went through every possible obstacle in the maze. Haase said he sends a big thank you to Poynette EMS for standing by and providing medical care and rehabilitation for the firefighters involved, to the Portage Community School District for allowing the departments to use the building for the training, to Kruger Industries for the wood pallets, Portage Lumber for donating all the wood necessary to complete the maze and to the members of the Portage Fire Department who helped construct it. The second major winter storm in four days blanketed the region on Friday, with up to a foot of snow expected by Friday night and another inch or 2 by Saturday morning. Thats on top of Tuesdays snowstorm, which brought between 5 and 11 inches to the area, with the highest amount reported in Plain in rural Sauk County, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service on Friday said Portage, Baraboo, Mauston and Wisconsin Dells were expected to get 9 to 13 inches of snow by early Saturday. Beaver Dam and the surrounding area were expected to get 8 to 11 inches. As of 2 p.m. on Friday, Baraboo, Portage, and Wisconsin Dells had roughly 6 inches, while Mauston had 7. Bob Koch, emergency management director in Columbia County, expressed concern about high winds that are expected to last through Saturday, bringing in a cold front with overnight lows dropping into the negative teens on Monday and Tuesday and highs in the single digits from Sunday through Tuesday. We are most concerned with the potential of high winds and the potential for damage with that, Koch said. We have plans in place if that were to happen. Juneau County emergency management director Jeremy Bonikowske said some county municipalities can help with power outages due to updated infrastructure. He added that the department has plans with the countys health department, American Red Cross, and the Salvation Army to open an emergency shelter if needed. Snow plowing services are focused on the countys main thoroughfares during the most severe times of the storm, Bonikowske added. Plowing on less-traveled roads will be done as the snow subsides. We just ask folks to be safe with this snow, and the cold, he said. Take proper precautions if you need to venture outside, as the wind chills will be teens to 20-30 below zero. Take measures to protect your skin, and prevent frostbite. Any attempts to defrost water and sewer lines in homes should be done with caution, Bonikowske said, to avoid potential house fires. Jed Seidl, the Sauk County emergency management director, said his department closely monitors National Weather Service alerts and Sauk County Sheriffs Office dispatch for weather updates and related situations. The department has plans to set up shelters in the event of mass power outage areas and utilizes them based on the duration of the outage and numbers of residents affected. Public works staffing and procedures are robust in Wisconsin Dells, according to city department director Chris Tollaksen. He said current staff and operations were handling the weather conditions in the city Friday but there are mutual aid agreements with similar departments in nearby municipalities if necessary. The large snow amounts become a positive for the subsequent cold temperatures, according to Jason Puttkamer, Lake Delton public works director, who said the snow acts as an insulator against the bitter cold penetrating underground pipes and helps prevent sewer and water lines from freezing. He said staff has a handle on snow removal throughout the village. Lake Delton Police Chief Eric Thunberg said officers were out ensuring safe driving practices and traffic was light Friday. Wisconsin Dells Police Chief Nicholas Brinker said his department is closely monitoring streets where slide-offs have occurred in past winter storms. In Portage, public works will be monitoring snow issues, particularly drifts due to wind, over the weekend after the snowfall has subsided, said Philip Livingston, city public works director. Department staff is on alert for possible utility damage call-ins, he added. Baraboo planned to plow streets until 8 p.m. on Friday and resume operations at 2 a.m. Saturday, city public works director Tom Pinion said. Any blowing snow issues will be addressed as needed, he said. Kevin Wagner of the National Weather Service warned of increased wind speeds lasting through Saturday evening and advised people to avoid travel and to prepare for Arctic-like conditions in the following days. Snow totals were expected to be fairly even throughout the area, as opposed to Tuesdays storm, which brought more snow to areas southwest of the region, the weather service said. School districts in Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Mauston, Beaver Dam, Spring Green (River Valley School District), Sauk Prairie and Reedsburg were closed on Tuesday and Friday due to snow conditions. The Baraboo School District had online learning activities both days, and Portage did an online program on Tuesday. No cancellations had been announced for the beginning of the week. Portage Daily Register reporter Nicholas Walczak contributed to this report. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Dread winter? Take a tip from the Danish: Welcome the spirit of hygge into your home like an old friend. Hygge (hooo-gah) is the Danish word for a concept that has no English equivalent and is even a bit hard for a Dane to define. Think of it as a sense of cozy, comfortable, congenial and connected. If you Google it, you get a whole lot of pictures of fuzzy socks in front of fireplaces with a cup of hot cocoa and candles on the side. And thats certainly it, but its not, says Susan Loschenkohl, a member of the Board of Directors of the Danish American Center in Minneapolis, whose parents immigrated to America from Denmark. She says hygge influences home design but goes beyond candles and woolly throws. Its also about cozy relationships (and not just the romantic kind). Her teenage cousin in Denmark, for example, would host friends for tea and cookies before heading out to the movies creating a time to just sit and chat in a welcoming space. The feeling of a cozy space sets the mood for connection, says Myquillyn Smith, a North Carolina blogger, decorator, workshop teacher and author of Cozy Minimalist Home and other books. This isnt about perfection, says Alexandra Gove, co-owner of Hygge Life, a store in Avon, Colorado, and the author of Dwell Gather Be: Design for Moments. Hygge, she says, is about finding things that speak to you, inspire you, remind you of wonderful moments and that you can share with all the people you love in your life. How can you adopt the intention of hygge to create an atmosphere that helps you get through winter? Here are eight suggestions for hygge at home: Do more with less. Amber Brandt, a Michigan decorator known as the Coziness Consultant, suggests clearing a room, then being intentional about what you put back. Scandinavian design is all about creating simple, clean, warm spaces so sometimes the best thing you can do is quiet your space, by removing anything unnecessary, she says. You can go whole hog and clear off surfaces, remove art from the walls and empty the shelves; then replace things with a specific purpose, such as creating a reading nook, she says. This will require a little bit of time and energy, but it costs nothing, and it can help you reimagine your room with no financial investment. Megan Fan Munce is a reporter who joined the San Francisco Chronicle as part of the two-year Hearst Journalism Fellowship, spending her first year of the program at the Houston Chronicle. Munce grew up in San Jose before attending Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, graduating with a B.S. and M.S. in journalism and a second major in political science. She previously worked as an audience engagement fellow and a reporting fellow at the Texas Tribune, as well as an audience intelligence intern for KQED. She can be reached at Megan.Munce@sfchronicle.com. ET NOW, Indias leading English Business News Channel, hosted the 11th Season of Leaders of Tomorrow Awards in New Delhi today. Indias largest entrepreneurship platform dedicated to empowering, enabling and celebrating the entrepreneurship spirit, Leaders of Tomorrow Awards in its latest edition themed, Innovate to Elevate emphasized the pivotal role of innovation in driving the success and progress of enterprises and the role it plays in driving India's economic progress. Championing the success stories of Indias most innovative and resilient MSMEs and start-ups, Leaders of Tomorrow Awards recognized Indias most promising entrepreneurs and showcased upcoming and enterprising small businesses across 20 categories shortlisted through an exhaustive pan-India screening process and duly evaluated by an esteemed panel of jury (See Annexure for complete list of Winners and Jury Members). The selection process involved benchmarking across a range of quantitative and qualitative parameters such as Business Model, Innovation & Disruption, Clarity of Thought and Business Vision. Piyush Goyal, Hon'ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles delivered the keynote address at the event on Innovation as a Catalyst for Growth and felicitated the winners. Delivering the opening remarks, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, For over a decade, Leaders of Tomorrow, India's largest entrepreneurship platform has enabled and empowered the spirit of enterprise. Besides contributing to GDP and employment, SMEs, MSMEs and startups fortify the Industrial base through their pivotal role in economic cycles and supply chains. As we mark our latest edition, "Innovate to Elevate," we proudly recognize 20 remarkable Entrepreneurs for their trailblazing products and ingenious strategies. These champions have not only shown resilience but an unwavering commitment to innovation. From pioneering revolutionary solutions to reshaping entire sectors, they are paving the way for sustainable economic growth on Indias path to being an Economic Superpower. We are thrilled to witness and cheer the rise of this new generation of entrepreneurs. I am confident that these Awards and our commitment to showcasing such entrepreneurial talent will continue to inspire countless individuals to script their own stories of entrepreneurial triumph. Piyush Goyal, the Honourable Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles, said, I congratulate ET Now for recognising and honouring India's entrepreneurs and spirit of innovation. It is the only platform that recognises the unsung heroes, the leaders of tomorrow. There is great excitement about India globally. We are at the cusp of our nation's history that will catapult India into a high growth economy. As we celebrate Swami Vivekananda's birthday as National Youth Day, we must recall his call for action. He inspires every youth in the country. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's longest Atal Sea Link bridge, which will transform Mumbai's future. It has come up in record time due to PM's vision and drive, and a state government aligned with it. Shri Goyal highlighted India's pivotal position poised for transformative growth, stating, 'India stands at a crucial juncture, ready to catapult into a $35 trillion economy in the next 24 years, marking an era of unprecedented growth.' Goyal proudly pointed out Atal Setu, highlighting the collaborative efforts between the Modi government and the Maharashtra government, forming a double-engine government, and fostering self-sufficiency through Gati Shakti. Emphasising India's stature not just as a large economy but a trusted one, he commended the global interest in investing, citing a meeting with a US investment house planning to double their $13 billion investment. During a fireside chat V. Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO of IDFC FIRST BANK, shared insights on the Indian economy and the transformative impact of digital infrastructure for Leaders of Tomorrow. Regarding India's digital infrastructure, Mr. Vaidyanathan expressed optimism, stating, "The impact cannot be overstated. With digital connectivity, including Aadhaar and Bharat's optic network, India has achieved a remarkable feat, formalising the economy, notably for MSMEs. Over 100 million merchants now deal digitally through QR codes, facilitating trade and enabling micro-businesses. The optimistic MSME outlook stems from collective efforts of the government, RBI, and banks, coupled with robust asset quality, digitisation, and ongoing infrastructure investments, empowering micro-entrepreneurs in India." A melting pot of Enterprising Visionaries, Start-up Gurus, Business Icons, Domain Experts, Next-Gen Entrepreneurs and Disruptors, the event witnessed a distinguished line-up of speakers. Leaders in the entrepreneurial space like Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Co-founder-Info Edge(Naukri.com, Jeevansathi.com, 99acres.com & more), Prasiddhi Singh, Founder-Prasiddhi Forest Foundation, Nav Agarwal, Founder- One Step Greener and Advait Thakur, Founder Apex Infosys engaged in an inspiring panel discussion igniting the spirit of entrepreneurship. The Leaders of Tomorrow Awardees are: CATEGORY WINNER ORGANISATION NAME ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR SWARUP BOSE CELCIUS LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR MOHAMMAD HAMZA ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR JAYASHREE NAIR BDH INDUSTRIES CATEGORY WINNER TECHNOLOGY IT/ITES & TELECOMMUNICATION IOTECHWORLD AVIGATION AUTOMOBILES & OEM ROTEX AUTOMATION HEALTH, WELLNESS AND AYURVEDA ORTHOTECH INDIA PACKAGING PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS ECOLASTIC PRODUCTS TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY PRASANNA PURPLE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE TVASTA MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS TSECOND GENERATION TECHNOLOGY LOGISTICS & SERVICE DELIVERY GUJARAT LOGISTICS GREEN SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR FREYR ENERGY SERVICES GREEN SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR HASIRU DALA INNOVATIONS FASHION, JEWELLERY & LIFESTYLE SAP JEWELS LLP MANUFACTURING JS TECHNOCHEM ORGANIC PRODUCTS VANINFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES PERSONAL CARE & HYGIENE PRODUCTS NAVASHYA CONSUMER PRODUCTS (SUPERBOTTOMS) RESTAURANTS AND F&B PAGARIYA FOOD PRODUCTS HOME & DECOR DILEEP ESSENTIALS (ELLEMENTRY) EDTECH AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT ASCORB TECHNOLOGIES Jury Members Harsh Mariwala, Founder & Chairman, Marico Ltd, Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Founder & MD, Hiranandani Group of Companies, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson & CEO, Salesforce, India, D. Shivakumar, Operating Partner, Advent International , Neeta Lulla, Couturier & Founder, House of Neeta Lulla , Priti Rathi Gupta, Founder, LXME, Nikhil Vora, Founder & CEO, Sixth Sense Ventures, Ravi Saxena, Co-Founder & CEO, Wonderchef, Naiyya Saggi, Co-Founder, The Good Glamm Group, Nilesh Satish Lele, President, Chamber for Advancement of Small & Medium Businesses, Anurag Kedia, Co-Founder, Pilgrim The 11th season of Leaders of Tomorrow Awards was presented by IDFC FIRST Bank. Almond Branding, a Mumbai-based strategic branding and design agency, has worked with some major brands such as Reliance, Amul, Tata, Emami, ITC, CavinKare, Dabur, Hersheys, Berger, 3M, Kelloggs along with some existing and upcoming startups. The agency has over 10 years of experience in Strategic Branding, specialising in Brand Strategy and development, Brand Creation, and combines design thinking and branding to deliver brand design solutions that are disruptive. It assists brands in reaching their full potential through Brand Nourishment. It believes in the creation of Intelligent Design that besides looking good, functions well in the market. Intelligent Design is considered as Design for Impact which not only wins the trust of the consumer but also leaves a positive effect on the balance sheet. The design philosophy of Almond Branding reflects the harmonious blend of strategy, innovation, and creativity. Design is not only a reflection of the aesthetics of a brand, but also a strong medium to connect strongly with the consumers, expressing the true essence of a brand and helping it to stand out in the market. It is also recognized as one of the most awarded design agencies in India. It places a considerable amount of focus on Packaging design and believes in staying at the forefront of the latest Design and Innovation trends. Moreover, it has started to give huge importance to sustainability in its designs, typography, and data-driven decision-making. Having a customer-centric approach, a continuous feedback loop, and storytelling with a purpose are some of the strategies it employs to connect with the consumers on a deeper level, resonating with their preferences and aspirations. In conversation with Adgully, Shashwat Das, Founder-Director, Almond Branding, said, We strive to craft brands that not only look good but also tell compelling stories, evoke emotions, and resonate with their target audience on a deeper level. He also discusses the emerging trends in the Branding Design Industry such as Sustainable Design practices, Purpose-driven Driven Branding, and how the Design and Packaging industry has evolved over the years by leveraging technology. What is the design philosophy of Almond Branding and its brand vision? At Almond Branding, our design philosophy revolves around the belief that successful branding is a harmonious blend of creativity, strategy, and innovation. We understand that design is not just about aesthetics; it is a powerful tool to communicate a brands essence and create a lasting connection with its audience. Our approach is rooted in strategic thinking. Before we put pen to paper or pixel to screen, we invest time in understanding our client's business objectives, target audience, and market dynamics. This strategic foundation guides every design decision we make, ensuring that our creative solutions are not only visually appealing, but also aligned with our client's brand goals. In terms of our brand vision, we aspire to be pioneers in creating memorable and impactful brand experiences. We believe in the transformative power of design to elevate brands and help them stand out in a crowded marketplace. Our vision is to be a trusted brand partner for our clients, collaborating with them to unlock the full potential of their brands and achieve sustainable growth. At Almond Branding, we embrace a holistic approach to design, integrating storytelling, emotional resonance, and strategic thinking. We strive to craft brands that not only look good but also tell compelling stories, evoke emotions, and resonate with their target audience on a deeper level. Our commitment to excellence and innovation has been recognised through various awards, and we continue to push the boundaries of design to deliver unparalleled value to our clients. How has the journey of Almond Branding been so far? Our journey at Almond Branding has been nothing short of inspiring and fulfilling. Over the past decade, we have played a pivotal role in shaping the brand landscape in India as a leading Strategic Branding and Design agency. Working with esteemed companies such as Tata, Amul, Reliance, ITC, Parle, and a myriad of ambitious startups has been both an honour and a tremendous learning experience. This diverse portfolio has allowed us to delve deep into various industries, refining our strategic approach to branding and design with each collaboration. What sets our journey apart is not just the impressive client roster but the international recognition we've garnered for our work. Being acknowledged as one of the most awarded Design agencies in India is a testament to the dedication and creativity of our team. It's a proud moment that fuels our motivation to continue pushing boundaries and setting new standards in the industry. Our journey is characterised by an unwavering focus on helping brands unlock their true potential. We are driven by a deep passion for branding and design, always seeking innovative solutions that transcend conventional boundaries. As we reflect on our achievements, we recognize that our success is rooted in the relationships weve built, the challenges weve overcome, and the impact we've had on the brands weve touched. Looking ahead, we are excited about the future and the immense opportunities it holds. Our commitment to creating meaningful and impactful brand experiences for our clients remains steadfast. As we continue to grow, we carry with us the core values and principles that have been the foundation of our journey thus far. We look forward to the chapters yet to unfold in our remarkable journey. How was 2023 for Almond Branding? Reflecting on 2023 fills us with immense pride and excitement at Almond Branding. This year has truly been a pinnacle of success, marked by remarkable achievements and industry recognition. We are honoured to have played a pivotal role in the brand revamps of some of the top iconic Indian brands such as Apsara Pencils and Baidyanath. Being entrusted with the transformation of these revered names is a testament to our strategic prowess and creative vision. A particularly thrilling highlight of the year is Almond Brandings recognition as one of the most awarded design agencies. We are thrilled to have clinched the title of Indias Best Packaging Design Studio for the fifth consecutive year at the prestigious Indias Best Design Awards 2023. This consistent acknowledgment reaffirms our dedication to pushing the boundaries of design innovation. The celebration didnt stop there we were also recognised for our outstanding Visual Identity Design for HealthFab, further solidifying our position as a leading force in the industry. These accolades and many more collectively make Almond Branding one of the most awarded design agencies in India, a recognition that inspires us to continue raising the bar for ourselves. Looking ahead, the successes of 2023 catalyse our future endeavours. We are eager to build on this momentum, collaborate with more visionary brands, and continue shaping the visual language of the brands we touch. The journey of 2023 has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we are excited about the chapters that lie ahead in our pursuit of design excellence. How is Almond Branding maintaining its commitment to sustainability and minimalism? What are its USP and clients? One of the key strengths of Almond Branding lies in our focus on packaging design. We believe that packaging is not just a container for a product but a powerful form of brand communication. By studying consumer behaviour, conducting extensive research, and leveraging consumer insights, we have been able to create packaging designs that align with our client's brand values, effectively differentiate them from competitors, and give them a competitive edge in the market. Our in-house packaging and printing studio further enhances our capabilities, allowing us to deliver hassle-free experiences for our clients. At Almond Branding, we create value for brands and customers through our collaborative approach, customised solutions, exceptional service, and high-quality work. We take a collaborative approach to every project. Our team works closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and goals, allowing us to create customised branding and design solutions that deliver results. We strive for excellence in every project we undertake, aiming to exceed our clients expectations and deliver exceptional value. What are the innovations and design trends of Almond Branding? At Almond Branding, staying at the forefront of innovation and design trends is not just a commitment, but a passion that defines our agencys ethos. In 2023, weve embraced several innovations and design trends that reflect our dedication to pushing boundaries and setting industry standards. In terms of design, sustainability has taken center stage in our creative endeavours. Weve embraced eco-friendly design practices, aligning with the growing global consciousness towards environmental responsibility. From packaging solutions to overall brand aesthetics, our designs reflect a commitment to both aesthetics and sustainability. This year, we helped at least two start-ups Novus Organics, Australia, and Papel from Bellator Beverages to develop and launch completely plastic-free, planet-friendly, sustainable packaging in the market. Typography, being a timeless aspect of design, has also seen an innovative spin in our work. Experimenting with custom fonts and dynamic typography, we aim to infuse personality and uniqueness into brand identities. This approach not only captures attention but also establishes a distinctive visual language for the brands we collaborate with. Furthermore, data-driven design has become a cornerstone of our strategy. Leveraging data analytics, user behaviour insights, and market trends, we refine our designs to ensure they resonate with the target audience. This approach enhances the effectiveness of our branding solutions, ensuring they are not only visually appealing but also strategically aligned with the brands objectives. What are the strategies that Almond Branding employs to connect with the consumers? At Almond Branding, our strategies are anchored in a deep understanding of consumer needs, aspirations, and evolving behaviour. We recognise that effective branding goes beyond creating visually appealing designs; its about forging genuine connections that resonate with the target audience. Here are some key strategies we employ to connect with consumers: Consumer-Centric Research: We start by conducting thorough research to gain insights into the target audience. This includes understanding their preferences, lifestyles, and aspirations. By placing the consumer at the center of our strategy, we ensure that our designs and branding efforts are not only visually appealing, but also emotionally resonant. Storytelling with Purpose: Every brand has a story, and we believe in telling it authentically. Our approach involves crafting narratives that go beyond product features, tapping into the core values and mission of the brand. This storytelling with purpose creates a meaningful connection with consumers, fostering brand loyalty. Continuous Feedback Loop: We value feedback and actively seek it from consumers. This continuous feedback loop allows us to adapt and refine our strategies based on real-time insights. It also communicates to consumers that their opinions are valued, fostering a sense of partnership between the brand and its audience. By combining strategic thinking with creative innovation, we aim to build lasting connections that transcend the transactional and foster brand advocacy. What are the emerging trends in the Branding Design industry? Staying ahead of emerging trends is not just a commitment, but a cornerstone of our agencys philosophy. Here are some of the key emerging trends shaping the future of the brand design industry: Purpose-Driven Branding: Purpose-driven branding, where a brand aligns with social or environmental causes, is gaining momentum. Were witnessing a shift from purely transactional relationships to more meaningful connections forged through shared values. Sustainable Design Practices: Sustainability is no longer a buzzword; its a fundamental consideration in design. Brands are adopting eco-friendly materials, minimizing packaging waste, and communicating their commitment to environmental responsibility through design. Dynamic Brand Identities: Static logos are making way for dynamic and adaptable brand identities. Brands are exploring flexible logos and design systems that can evolve across various platforms, adapting to different contexts while maintaining visual coherence. This dynamism adds a layer of versatility to brand expressions. Personalization and Customization: Tailoring brand experiences to individual preferences is becoming a standard practice. Personalised packaging, targeted marketing, and customizable product offerings allow brands to connect with consumers on a more personal level, fostering a sense of exclusivity. Cultural Diversity and Inclusivity: Brands are recognising the importance of reflecting cultural diversity and promoting inclusivity in their designs. This involves using diverse representation in visuals, embracing cultural nuances, and avoiding stereotypes. Inclusivity has become a key aspect of effective and relatable brand communication. At Almond Branding, we embrace these trends as opportunities for innovation and evolution. By staying ahead of the curve, we ensure that our designs not only meet current expectations but also anticipate and exceed the needs of tomorrows consumers. How has the Design and Packaging industry evolved over the years? How is it leveraging technology and what are the latest trends in the same? Witnessing the evolution of the design and packaging industry over the years has been both enlightening and exhilarating. To touch base on some of the latest trends fuelled by technological innovations: Digital Printing and Personalisation: The advent of digital printing technology has revolutionised packaging. Brands now can personalise packaging on a large scale, enabling unique and customised designs for different batches or even individual products. This level of personalisation not only enhances brand engagement but also contributes to a more agile and responsive approach to design. Augmented Reality (AR) and Interactive Packaging: Brands are leveraging AR to provide interactive and immersive experiences, blurring the lines between physical and digital. This not only adds an element of playfulness to the packaging but also enhances storytelling and brand communication. Smart Packaging and IoT Integration: Intelligent packaging solutions equipped with sensors and connectivity are offering brands the ability to track products, monitor freshness, and even interact with consumers. This technology enhances functionality and provides valuable data for both brands and consumers. Emphasis on User Experience (UX) Design: The importance of user experience has transcended digital interfaces and extended to physical products, including packaging. Brands are focusing on creating packaging that not only looks appealing but also provides a delightful and user-friendly experience. This involves considering the tactile aspects, ease of use, and overall functionality of the packaging. Innovations in Materials and Finishes: Advancements in materials and finishes are shaping the tactile and visual aspects of packaging. From sustainable and biodegradable materials to unique textures and finishes, brands are experimenting with innovative options to enhance the overall sensory experience of the packaging. What is the formula behind a successful branding design agency? Even though we are still learning, I would say that the secret sauce involves a harmonious integration of creativity, strategy, and client collaboration. Understanding the clients essence and objectives through thorough research forms the foundation. Creative brilliance then translates this insight into visually compelling designs that resonate with the target audience. Flexibility and adaptability to evolving industry trends are crucial, ensuring relevance and innovation. Effective communication and collaboration with clients ensure their vision is not only understood but surpassed. The relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to delivering impactful, memorable designs complete the formula, creating a dynamic and successful branding design agency. Could you tell us about Intelligent Design and Brand Nourishment? At Almond Branding, we view Intelligent Design as the cornerstone of our creative philosophy. It is more than aesthetics; it is about creating designs that resonate deeply in the market. Intelligent Design, for us, is purposeful it not only captures consumer trust and love, but also drives tangible results, positively impacting the bottom line. Intelligent Design at Almond Branding is a holistic and strategic approach that marries aesthetics with functionality. It aims to create a design that not only captures the eye, but also resonates with the heart, builds consumer trust, and contributes to the brand's long-term success, both emotionally and financially. We recognised that brands, much like humans, require nourishment at the right junctures to reach their fullest potential. This insight led to the development of our unique concept of Brand Nourishment, which focuses on maintaining brand health and creating brand wealth in the long run. The name Almond is an offspring of this concept of Brand Nourishment. Brand Nourishment is integral to our approach. For startups, it strengthens the brand foundation, laying the groundwork for future success. Established brands benefit from periodic Brand Nourishment to stay agile and relevant amidst evolving consumer preferences. So, when an established brand tree-like Amul wanted to branch out into a newer category of fruit juices, we helped them create a new sub-brand called TRU, defined the brand identity and positioning, and went on to design the visual identity and packaging for the same. Or when Milma, a 42-year-old brand wanted to be like a 24-year-old, it required a different kind of nourishment that rejuvenated the brand and ensured its alignment with consumer sensibilities. Minus Zero, a Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup specializing in the development of self-driving vehicles, proudly announces its strategic partnership with The Media Manifest, a leading PR agency renowned for its innovative communication strategies. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment for Minus Zero in fortifying its communication strategies and amplifying its presence in the autonomous driving industry. The Media Manifest will oversee Minus Zero's PR presence. Through this partnership, the agency aims to ensure effective communication of Minus Zero's groundbreaking advancements and contributions to the future of mobility. Founded in 2021, Minus Zero has recently unveiled the zPod, Indias first autonomous vehicle. According to the company, Minus Zero positions itself as a technology provider. Its goal is to offer its advanced autonomous driving technology to other manufacturers, aiding in enhancing their Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) suite. Nupur Maheshwari, Co-Founder of The Media Manifest, expressed excitement, saying: "Joining forces with Minus Zero presents an exciting opportunity for The Media Manifest to contribute to the narrative of cutting-edge technology in the mobility sector. We look forward to leveraging our communication expertise to amplify Minus Zero's impact and drive the conversation around the future of autonomous vehicles. The Media Manifest is a boutique Public Relations and Digital Media agency, founded by Kinjal Shah and Nupur Maheshwari in 2021. Having a focused approach in the new age space, TMM offers tailored public relations and digital solutions in the rapidly shifting ecosystem by driving the brand narrative to achieve maximum impact. Their expertise lies in strategic analysis, collaborations, and creative outlook from the brand's perspective. Headquartered in Mumbai, the agency provides solutions like Reputation Management, Crisis Communication, Strategic Consultation, and Influencer Marketing. The practices are centered around BFSI, wealth management, personal finance, technology, startup, and hospitality amongst other spaces In conversation with Adgully, Mukund Deogaonkar, Director India Operations, Planet Smart City, speaks about strategy to revolutionise urban living by supporting security, sustainability, inclusion, and innovation. He sheds light on the inception of global prop tech company Planet Smart City in Italy, its foray into the Indian market, marketing strategies, and much more. How has the journey of Planet Smart City been so far? Planet Smart City is a global prop tech company that was founded in Italy by two entrepreneurs Giovanni Savio and Susana Marchionni in 2015. We are now headquartered in London with offices in Italy, Brazil, India, and USA. We also have plans to expand to Colombia by the end of this year. We started our first commercial project with a 700 acre land parcel in Laguna, Sierra in the north part of Brazil. In India, we have we three business units real estate, advisory, and resident interface. We have a strong hold in Pune currently where we have partnered in Kolte-Patil for 3 projects in the city. Our first real estate project Universe, part of Life Republic township by KPDL, was launched in December 2020. Our second business unit Advisory, is where we bring in Planet SIM (Smart Infrastructure Management) to these societies. This was first commercialized in December 2022. Our third business unit is our resident interface. We develop, design, build and sell large scale residential housing projects and stay within the project through our digital platform Planet App which is the resident interface. Through the Planet App, our community managers bring in the social innovation solution. We deploy these community managers to interact with the residents and help them with the adoption of the app. What are the trends observed in the prop tech industry? Developers and residential societies are now keen on adopting tech solutions into their developments. Homeowners are seeking comprehensive living experiences in housing societies, going beyond basic accommodation. Integrating smart technologies in common spaces provides convenience and efficiency, from energy-saving systems to automated water and lighting. There are a lot of innovations and advancements to the industry as well. For instance, our Planet SIM empowers communities with an IoT-driven user-friendly water management system that detects leaks and conserves water which leads to significant savings. We see an upward trend of home owners, residential societies, developers being more environmentally conscious today and opting to incorporate technology that reduces water and energy consumption. What are the major milestones achieved in the journey of Planet Smart City so far? Pune is our home ground in India. We have 3 real estate projects with Kolte-Patil Developers, while our digital business unit, Planet SIM, has been implemented in over 60 societies. Pune faces a persistent water crisis spurred by urbanization and limited water supplies. Since we first commercialised Planet SIM in December 2022, we have helped manage more than 1 billion litres of water across 15,000+ households in Pune. Planet SIM collected the data from the 60 societies to understand consumption patterns and identify anomalies to trigger corrective action. This has resulted in 20% - 25% reduction in water consumption within these societies. By leveraging these advanced analytics and real-time data insights, we empower communities to make informed decisions about their resource consumption. Through this platform we are able to provide practical, tech-driven solutions that not only address immediate concerns but also contribute to sustainable urban living. On the real estate front, we are on the very last leg of completion for our first project in India - Universe in collaboration with Kolte-Patil Developers. This project is spread across 10 acres and offers commercial and residential spaces. What are the future growth and expansion plans of Planet Smart City? We continue our focus on expanding our services to large number of societies in Pune and will be expanding to Bangalore in the first phase. We already have a few customers testing our services in Bangalore. What are the major innovations in the prop tech industry in the recent years? AI and ML solutions, that aim to generate data-driven insights for predictive maintenance and smoother operations help save time and money, are the biggest innovations. Apart from real-time water management, the one innovation we have also brought in is that most residential societies water management activities require numerous staff members, however, with Planet SIM it can be easily managed remotely by one single person, and the additional resources can be deployed in more meaningful activities. What are the challenges facing the prop tech industry right now? The smart home sector in India still holds immense scope for growth and expansion. This is possible with awareness and education among consumers about the benefits, functionalities, and long-term cost savings of these innovations. Affordability is another challenge; however, at Planet Smart City, we have brought down the cost of these products and services, making them more accessible to aspirational homebuyers, RWAs, and housing societies that are looking to upgrade their infrastructure. Furthermore, a significant ongoing challenge for homeowners is the issue of cybersecurity. Consumers remain sceptical about the potential misuse of sensitive data and personal information. Lastly, the costs associated with integrating Property Technology and smart solutions, if not meticulously planned, can pose considerable financial constraints, especially for smaller societies and residential complexes. Overcoming these challenges requires collaborative efforts from real estate developers, technology providers, policymakers, RWAs and housing societies to create a conducive environment for the widespread adoption of smart home technologies. What is the marketing strategy of Planet Smart City? As a brand, Planet Smart City stands for socially connected, sustainable and inclusive urban living. As urban living gets democratised through aspirational and affordable housing, we intend to play a significant role to modernise through cutting edge tech and social innovation solutions. For the existing communities, our focus is making as many societies aware of the fact that they dont need to live with water anxiety and bloated maintenance costs. With tech and intuitive interventions, they can manage basic infrastructure within a community in a smart way. We focus on taking this message to the stake holders and residents with a 360 degree approach. While the awareness is created with digital channels, we also participate in expos to share the same message. What are the marketing activities undertaken by Planet Smart City this year? Awareness campaigns on social media about the brand and what we stand for Participation in society expos Recommendations from existing communities about our products and services What is the brand vision of Planet Smart City? Our brand mission is profoundly founded on the desire to revolutionise urban living by supporting security, sustainability, inclusion, and innovation. We envisage thriving communities that seamlessly integrate cutting-edge technology with smart social innovation. Our dedication extends beyond creating structures; we are committed to designing places that transcend traditional limits. The goal is to build intelligent, people-centered places where inhabitants may thrive, connected not only physically but also via a shared sense of well-being and community. We recognise the importance of technology in improving lives in the digital age. As a result, our brand goal entails utilising Proptech technologies to reinvent real estate development. We want to be the first to integrate smart, scalable, and repeatable forms that meet the core requirements of families worldwide. Our dedication to R&D emphasises our forward-thinking strategy, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of innovation. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15, 2021, in Chicago. In a recent interview, the Green Day frontman discussed his sobriety, pop musics punk influences and more. Timothy Hiatt Billie Joe Armstrong is in the middle of a busy month. With Green Days 14th studio album Saviors scheduled for release next Friday, Jan. 19, he has been promoting the record and preparing for the bands upcoming summer tour. The East Bay trio also kicked off 2024 with a performance on Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve With Ryan Seacrest. In an interview with Vultures Brady Gerber, the frontman discussed how he finds new music and how he navigates sobriety, among other topics. Here are five takeaways: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hed like to work with Olivia Rodrigo I think it would be fun to work with her sometime, Armstrong said. Shes talented. Rodrigo, who has leaned into 90s pop-punk inspirations for tracks like Brutal and All-American Bitch, has long expressed her appreciation for the genre, despite her musical theater background. She even added No Doubts Just a Girl to her 2022 Sour tour set list. (The 20-year-old pop stars Guts world tour begins next month and includes two nights at San Franciscos Chase Center on Aug. 2-3.) Sometimes you can see how someone is interested in what punk rock is and maybe they dont quite have some of the influences or knowledge that I have on the history of punk rock, he said. Im kind of an encyclopedia. Green Days Billie Joe Armstrong expressed interest in working with Olivia Rodrigo in a recent interview. Charles Sykes/Associated Press Hes into underground music While the 51-year-old said he tries to keep up to date with the popular music of the times, his true passion is finding music by bands that are hard to find online. Advertisement Article continues below this ad (M)ost stuff I keep my ear to the ground on is the stuff that isnt heard, Armstrong said. The Zips, the Stiffs. Oh God, who else? The Directions. The stuff you have to go on Discogs to buy. Thats what I love doing. Finding these EPs of a lot of power-pop stuff that you cant stream. Armstrong added he often finds himself falling down YouTube rabbit holes searching for obscure music, a search that often ends in him purchasing the record from music database Discogs. Green Day performs at Amazon Music Live concert series on Oct. 26, 2023 in Los Angeles. In the bands recent New Years Eve performance, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong changed the lyrics to a song to take a dig at Donald Trump. Jerritt Clark/Amazon Music/Getty Images The Bay Area makes sobriety difficult Over the years, Armstrong has been vocal about his struggles with addiction, never shying away from discussing his experience in rehab and the lows that led him there. On Green Days upcoming album Savior, the song Dilemma delves even deeper into those challenges and his relapses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad AA was difficult for me because, especially in the Bay Area, theres the one word, anonymous. It was hard for me to maintain my anonymity, he said. He said he was sober for five years while grappling with recovery before relapsing for a few years. Armstrong says he is currently sober again after realizing how his addiction depleted his mental and physical health. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs at the SXSW Music Festival 2013 in Austin, Texas. The musician said that his fame, notably in the Bay Area, made sobriety more difficult. Jack Plunkett/Invision/Associated Press 2013 Armstrong is a fan of Heineken 0.0 The musician said that he has a solid group of sober friends with whom hell drink Heineken 0.0, the beer brands nonalcoholic option, and smoke cigarettes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its a change of pace from his past ways, noting that nothing good happens after 2 a.m. Im older, Im wiser. I have different things that make me happy, he said. I dont need to be out all night getting f up. He thinks America is such a monkey on your back No stranger to political statements, Armstrong, who recently changed the lyrics to a song during Green Days New Years Eve performance to take a dig at Donald Trump, noted the overwhelming anxiety of being an American. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs in 2012 in Las Vegas. In a recent Vulture interview, the frontman said the anxiety of being in America is one of the reasons we left to go record their new album, Saviors, somewhere else. Scott Gries/Invision for Nokia We had an insurrection. We have homeless people in the street. We have so many issues, and they come onto your algorithm (social media) feed at such a pace, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Netflix provided another update on the viewership numbers for its ad-supported tier on Wednesday. The Netflix Standard with Ads plan has now reached 23 million monthly active users globally, a substantial increase from the 15 million reported in November. While subscriber count denotes the number of paid accounts a streaming service has, monthly active users represent the number of individual profiles within a paid account. Netflix also disclosed its intention to introduce pause ads in the coming months. It seems that Netflix is finally witnessing the desired momentum in subscriber growth since it introduced ads just over a year ago. In May, the global monthly active user count for its ad-supported service was only 5 million, and by August, it had doubled to 10 million. For comparison, Disney is also undergoing a similar growth trajectory, with its last reported AVOD subscriber count around 7 million in November. Advertisers had voiced concerns about Netflix's initial lack of scale as recently as May. However, with its current growth rate, Netflix is better positioned to appeal to marketers. As buyers aim to reach a sufficient number of viewers to justify their investments, particularly in the context of allocating funds for streaming during the upfronts, media companies are already taking notice. Regarding upfronts, Netflix is expected to have a broader range of ad inventory available for negotiations in the coming months. In a few months, Netflix will launch pause ads, appearing after a viewer pauses a stream for at least five seconds, aiming to be minimally disruptive. The introduction of binge ads was also announced in November, offering brand sponsorship deals that allow viewers to access an ad-free episode in exchange for watching a sponsored message. Additionally, advertisers will soon have the option to include QR codes in their ad creatives. Actor Pankaj Tripathi has chosen to resign from his role as the National Icon of the Election Commission of India, adhering to the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Tripathi, who was appointed to the position in October of the previous year, expressed gratitude to the ECI for the honor and acknowledged the responsibility bestowed upon him as the first icon from Bihar. His decision to step down comes as he prepares to portray former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in an upcoming film. The formalities regarding his resignation are yet to be finalized through email exchanges with Honorable Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. The start of a new year is seen as bringing in new operational efficiencies, stronger strategies, a far greater emphasis on building deep bonds with various stakeholders and consumers. In keeping with the current market ecosystem, technology and a human approach are seen as going hand in hand. As 2024 kicks off, Adgully has approached key industry leaders to Crystal Gaze into 2024 to highlight the major trends and developments that they see dominating the industry in the year ahead. In an exclusive interaction with Adgully, Sanjay Sehgal, Chairman & CEO, MSys Technologies, Venture& Angel Investor, Philanthropist, highlights the key trends in the Tech industry in 2024, the challenges, as well as strategic plans and goals for the year ahead. Key trends dominating the VC industry in 2024 AI is the current most touted trend. But it is the destiny of a new trend to first reach unexpected heights, then plateau and plummet. This industry norm was rather an abrasive wake up call for the tech industry as the sheer scale of credit squeeze and staggering losses mounted. It is worth noting that news cycles of 2023 gave us an impression that all is well even after one of the biggest slumps and massive layoffs, by waving the bright torch of Generative AI. But the 2024 VC industry outlook demands tangible growth, sound business models and more than anything else, a promised fast-track of the products potential to be acquired by tech giants. Major expectations from 2024 AI startups will continue getting larger shares of the seed money, but investors are more likely to also exit them if they continue yielding low capital and looming threat of regulation in various parts of the world. This is an obscure problem to navigate the gold rush tech trends as it may be too early to bet on AI products beyond Gen AI and too late if they align well with target market demographics and policies. From this problem arises a new opportunity of identification of strong insight based start-ups that fundamentally solve problems, niche or mass, and gearing up for the 2025 phase of tech IPOs. Some vigilant investors are holding out for the IPO market to ripen, anticipating public listings of tech companies in FY25 from the April-June quarter onwards. Even the AI FOMO of the investors is expected to wear off, and global tech investments in AI will stabilise, where only the big leagues in the game would be able to demand the current level of funding. This turmoil of funding brought an eventual closure of thousands of companies that solely were dependent on VCs. According to global estimates, approximately 3,200 private venture-backed US companies have gone out of business this year. When combined, those companies raised north of $27 billion. This also resulted in massive world-wide layoffs, over 240,000 jobs lost in 2023, a total thats already 50% higher than last year and growing. The year 2023 saw mass workforce reductions that included even tech giants like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, Meta and Zoom. The trend of massive layoffs is towards its fad end as the industry and markets adjust to the macroeconomic factors and an overall course correction in light of the current situation. Key focus areas for the industry in 2024 Profitability and sustainability of the business model will be an aggressive decisive factor in deciding the fate of tech startups. AI fad will pass and investments required to power up such expensive infrastructure will eventually dry up for small companies. We are slowly going back towards the simpler times, where hyper localised solutions fixated towards solving problems of targeted communities is making a huge comeback! Vice Media, a prominent digital media and broadcasting company, recently joined forces with Docubay for its latest documentary series, titled Water Mafia. The series sheds light on the illegal trade of water prevalent across various Indian cities, serving as an expose on the black market for water. In conversation with Adgully, Anil Chaudhary, COO, and Nidhi Girish Salian, Creative Director, at Vice Media India, and Naman Govil, director of Water Mafia, provide insights into the series. The team also highlighted some of their notable projects from the previous year, discussed the content lineup for 2024, and delved into other relevant topics. Could you shed some light on the making of Water Mafia? Naman Govil: When we were researching this story, we realized that this problem is primarily prevalent in larger cities like Delhi and Bombay. Consequently, we determined that our documentary should focus on these cities to explore various aspects of the water mafiasuch as their modus operandi, organizational structure, and the economic dynamics involved. We sought to understand the scale of their operations and, ultimately, the impact on the people who fall victim to their activities. Lastly, we aimed to connect these issues to the long-term consequences of water scarcity, examining the potential future of a world where water is depleted and the water mafia continues to operate. Nidhi Girish Salian: It was important for us to understand the scale of how this operates. While it is prevalent in major cities, we also explored the impact on tier two and tier three cities within the document. This is because water mismanagement affects everyone. Although the disparity is evident, with the enormous water requirements in cities, it's crucial to recognize that water scarcity has widespread consequences. As we delved into the project, our initial ideas about the water mafia evolved. We questioned who exactly it affects. Despite living in a city like Bombay where running water is available, the reality is that many still need to rely on water deliveries, contingent on their ability to afford it. Almost everyone in the city, in some capacity, engages in these water transactions. It's ultimately a matter of affordability. In contemplating the future, we considered the potential scenario where water runs out. No matter how much money one may have, without water, survival becomes a significant challenge. Could you tell us about some of your notable projects from the year 2023, as well as your content line-up for 2024? Anil Chaudhary: We had seen two shows releasing primarily on Amazon Prime video. The first one was Cinema Marte Dum Tak which was awarded as the best non-fiction original of 2023 by Filmfare and the other one was Rainbow Rishte around LGBTQI community. For 2024 other than Water Mafia we are doing another series with DocuBay which is about monogamy. Nidhi Girish Salian: It is titled "Going Poly: love beyond monogamy," a feature-length documentary exploring the concept of polyamorous relationships within the Indian context. This phenomenon extends beyond cisgender heterosexual relationships, and the documentary aims to delve into how these relationships function. It seeks to elucidate the concept through the perspectives of individuals engaged in such relationships, ensuring it's not just an academic or outsider's viewpoint. The documentary features various polycules, throuples, and sets of people, not confined to Bombay but representing diverse parts of the country. It goes beyond expectations, including individuals across different age brackets and the gender and sexual identity spectrum. The stories presented aim to showcase the intricacies of polyamorous relationships for an audience that might not fully comprehend the dynamics of falling in love with more than one person. From a consumer perspective, what trends have you observed in Indian documentaries (non-fictional series)? Nidhi Girish Salian: In the marketplace, one of the most accessible and successful genres is true crime. It appears to be a format that platforms are enthusiastic about, given its tried-and-tested success globally and its effectiveness across all languages. Anil Chaudhary: We, as Vice Studio, started almost three to four years ago, right when documentaries were perceived as a low-budget endeavor. However, during that period, we undertook the production of "Indian Predator" for Netflix, which, at the time, was considered the most well-produced documentary in terms of budget allocation. Since then, we've played a pivotal role in shaping the market, leading to a scenario where every platform now considers documentaries a central part of their content programming. I believe this trend will continue to grow, and Vice Studios has been at the forefront, consistently pushing the envelope in terms of quality and innovation. How OTT as a platform gives Indian documentaries (non-fictional) content greater opportunities to reach wider audiences? Anil Chaudhary: Not just Netflix and Amazon Prime, we also collaborate regularly with Discovery, one of our key partners. With OTT platforms actively seeking viewership, we've observed a growing interest in nonfiction shows. These shows can be detailed or presented in a dramatized version, allowing viewers to witness events through their own eyes. For instance, in a documentary like "Water Mafia," a person shares insights into an issue, providing a firsthand account. Even on vice.com, our own platform, we've noticed an increasing attraction to this style of storytelling. Therefore, it's evident that all OTT platforms will increasingly gravitate towards this genre as this form of storytelling gains more traction. ZEE5, Indias largest home-grown video streaming platform and a multilingual storyteller, today announced the premiere of its direct-to-digital Telugu film Ajay Gadu on January 12th. The film is directed and produced by Ajay Karthurvar himself under the banner of Ajay Kumar Productions in collaboration with Chandana Koppisetty. The movie features the very versatile actor Ajay Kumar, the Bigg Boss Telugu Bhanu Shree and Shweta Mehta , winner of Roadies in prominent roles. Ajay Gadu also features other talented actors such as Prachi Thaker, Abhay Bethiganti, Jayasree Garu and Yaddam Raju amongst others. 'Ajay Gadu' narrates the story of Ajay, a middle-class struggler trying to adapt to the fast-paced world of money, fame, and love. Faced with the temptation to give up, Ajay finds inspiration in Shwetha, a drug-addicted medico. The film explores Ajay's journey as he confronts his inner demons and battles the challenges presented by the external world, making resilience and self-discovery the crux of the narrative. The film will be available to stream for free starting today on ZEE5. Expressing his enthusiasm for the film's premiere, Ajay Karthurvar remarked, "Wearing the hats of actor, producer, and director for 'Ajay Gadu' has been an incredibly thrilling journey. This project holds a special place in my heart, and I'm eager to share this amazing experience with everyone. The trailer, offers just a taste of what's in storethere's a lot more in the film! Crafting a blend of stunts, emotion, and romance has been a passionate endeavour, and I'm excited to bring this vibrant love story to audiences worldwide. I am confident that this collaboration with ZEE5 is a game-changer, allowing us to reach a global audience on the same day. 'Ajay Gadu' is a family treat that has something for everyone, and I can't wait for the audience to join me on this magical ride." Actor Bhanu Shree, set to portray the character of Nallamalla in the film, shared, "Collaborating with Ajay Karthurvar has been an absolute delight. His consistent ability to surprise audiences with unique roles and compelling scripts had already piqued my interest. In the film, I portray the character of Priya, a vibrant and free-spirited young girl who embraces life on her own terms. It's a beautiful love story that unfolds with a bold relationship between my character and Ajay's. I am hopeful that the chemistry between our characters bring a unique flavour to the story, and I am eagerly waiting for viewers to witness the movie on ZEE5. Watch Ajay Gadu exclusively on ZEE5 starting 12th January 2024 An autophage rocket engine that consumes its plastic fuselage for fuel has been built and fired by engineers at Glasgow University in Scotland. The autophage engine uses waste heat from combustion to sequentially melt its own plastic fuselage as it fires. It then feeds the molten plastic into the engines combustion chamber as additional fuel to burn alongside its regular liquid propellants. The term autophage comes from the Latin word for self-eating. The concept of a self-eating rocket engine was first proposed and patented in 1938. However, no autophage engine designs were fired in a controlled manner until a research partnership between Glasgow University and Dnipro National University, Ukraine achieved this milestone in 2018. Now, with support from Kingston University, the Glasgow engineers have demonstrated that more energetic liquid propellants can be used, and that the plastic fuselage can withstand the forces required to feed it into the engine without buckling. The teams design developments are being showcased as a paper presented at the international AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando, Florida this week. In the paper, the team describe how they test-fired their Ouroborous-3 autophage engine, producing 100 newtons of thrust in a series of controlled experiments. The Ouroborous-3 uses high-density polyethylene plastic tubing as its autophagic fuel source, burning it alongside the rockets mix of gaseous oxygen and liquid propane. The tests showed that the Ourobourous-3 is capable of stable burn throughout the autophage stage, with the plastic fuselage supplying up to one-fifth of the total propellant used. Anurita Rathore Jadeja Cover Story | March 18, 2024 | 32 min read She makes no bones about her career! At 27, she has had more than 30 fractures and 25 surgeries. The youngest female orthopaedic surgeon in Gujarat and the only one from her batch, Dr Sakshi Maheshwaris story comprises several episodes and seasons before you unravel the power of this movie-like story. A life-threatening accident towards the end of the second year of MBBS at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Karnataka, followed by the operating surgeon declaring 10 per cent chances of survival, while father Satish believing 100 per cent she will make it, heres a story that wraps you in magic. But, behind the magic, are several days and nights of pursuance, self-belief, hard work, struggle, tears, motivation and determination. While the then 19-year-old battled threat to life, was wheelchair-bound and needed a writer for exams because fingers couldnt hold a pen, it was the desire to treat others in similar situations and help them walk normally again that made her pursue MS in Orthopaedic Surgery from BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad soon after. As senior resident doctor at Civil Hospital in Asarwa now, she believes the ability to make people walk again, give a shot at life again, feels invaluable and priceless. A walkback one wishes had a different replay It was December 30, 2016, when returning from a post-exam dinner celebration, that Sakshi and her friend met with a fatal accident. Her parents rushed from Ahmedabad to be with her only to find her critical with grim chances of survival and no memory recall of the accident and the aftermath. After a battle in the ICU for close to 20 days, the family got her to Ahmedabad by train since there was no way she could travel with broken bones, shares her mother, Sneha. Close to a month of being home in Ahmedabad, Sakshi decided to go back to college and unless shed have willed it, we wouldnt have gone, she adds, pride evident in her revelation. A galaxy of goodwill Sakshis friendly disposition ensured support and prayers from so many people once she returned to campus. Those months post accident were about operations one after another. And then came exam time. She wasnt strong physically but mentally she surprised us all. Since she didnt want to take a drop, Sakshi had her attendance, exam writing, etc, on priority, points out Sneha. Also, since her fingers and thumb couldnt meet or hold a pen, a writer from a non-medical field was sought for this MBBS student! That the writer couldnt even understand her dictations (terms) well is another battle rolled in to the larger one. But she passed with distinction, says the mother, who would carry four to five pillows with her to the examination hall. For the final year, Sakshi made up her mind to write her own exam papers. While the dean tried to dissuade her considering she couldnt hold the pen easily, she began to positively communicate and speak to her hand, urging it to be able to write. The power of thought and positivity have been Sakshis driving force, be it for running, writing or becoming a surgeon, says Sneha, the backbone. Adapting to the big change Sakshis mother continued to stay with her in Manipal for the following two years, while her father was in Ahmedabad with younger sister Isha, then in class VIII. My younger one was traumatised, with me suddenly away from home, to be with her injured sister. I would come down for a few days to be with my husband and daughter. Satish, too, would come to Manipal once a month. Sakshi began walking in the third year but her gait wasnt all right. People would notice her scars and ask questions. Some friends left her and empathy wasnt something she was looking for. She was no longer part of any group, so to say, although there were certain friends whod come to be with her. Physiotherapy sessions lasted for six hours along with mental and spiritual coaching. I believe the power within her was awakened in these sessions, reveals the grateful mother. A family that runs together The numerous metal plates and screws in the body did not deter Sakshi from anything, including desire to run a marathon! In her final year of MBBS, she began training, and although it wasnt advisable, she had made up her mind. After a point, even her surgeon said Chhodo kal ki baatein kal ki baat purani, inspiring her to run. As a mother I was worried but she was adamant. Her father joined in her pursuit and now he runs about five to six marathons a year. In fact, to encourage and cheer her, we all began running. She ran that marathon with her mind, not her legs, says Sneha, recalling how the screws and nails in Sakshis body pained her immensely. I would finish the completing line in my mind every day, says Sakshi, not paying heed to anything else. I would listen to all sorts of things others had to saylike, a girl talking about overcoming menstrual pain. Perhaps that was her Mount Everest; being back on my feet and running was mine! Never give up on dreams No matter how tough it got or what roadblocks came by, Sakshi did not want to give up on my dreams. Not wanting to change the way she had imagined her life to turn out, she reasons: People ask you to accept situations but I was playing a different ballgame altogether. I had a picture in my head of how I wanted to be and then, post accident, I became very passionate about the orthopaedic branch since I could feel the pain of the patients. Those coming to me believe I understand and relate to them. And it does make me understand them better. Having undergone many orthopaedic, plastic, and neuro surgeries, Sakshi reiterates, When I was on the wheelchair, and my hand wasnt functional, it could have been the end of me. I could have collapsed but that wasnt an option. I was empowering myself and somewhere in my dairy I even wrote: I met with an accident in college and it actually made me stronger. Life does not stop for anything and there is no perfect day or body. We have to decide and shape our journey. Lessons to live by Everyone lives by certain set of beliefs and among the key ones Sakshi shares is that giving up is never an option as life stops for none. She recalls how it would be difficult for her post accident to sit through even an hour in class while the lives of those around her hadnt changed. But I also soon realised that comparison doesnt have to be with others, she emphasises, continuing, I had to know what I was yesterday and move ahead to turn better, wiser, stronger. I had to prioritise my voice over anyone elses. Tough times teach you who are truly yoursyou also figure what kind of people you must surround yourself with. And finally, know that everything is transient. Hands on! Ironically, Sakshi used her hands a lot before the accident, be it writing, painting, music on the keyboard, doing Bharatnatyam or playing volleyball. And while she has gone through a lifetime of pain in recent years, she ensures she always smiles since she knows her pain would translate and make it to her parents. Not playing victim, but being the boss of her life, thats what has made all the difference. Lawyers representing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission plan to meet with lawyers representing companies suing the commission and discuss some of the next steps in the litigation following a judges recommendation. Mark Wilkerson, an attorney for the AMCC, gave commission members an update on the lawsuits during a virtual meeting Thursday. Most of the litigation has been filed by companies that were denied licenses to participate in the states new industry. The AMCC rescinded license awards it made in June and in August because of its own mistakes and because of the lawsuits. Now, a third round of license awards made in December under a different set of rules and procedures is facing legal challenges. Some of the challenges are from companies awarded licenses earlier that did not make the cut during the latest round of awards. The process is contentious because there are more applicants than there are licenses available. Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson has consolidated most of the lawsuits under a master case filed by Alabama Always, a Montgomery-based company that was denied an integrated license. There are six categories of licenses: cultivator, processor, transporter, testing lab, dispensary, and integrated. Integrated licensees will cultivate, process, transport and dispense. The AMCC has issued licenses for cultivators, processors, transporters, and a testing lab. Anderson has issued a temporary restraining to block the issuance of licenses in the dispensary and integrated categories. Anderson granted the requests of Alabama Always and Insa Alabama, which was also denied an integrated license, for expedited discovery, which would allow the companies to take depositions from commissioners and AMCC staff and to obtain documents about the licensing decisions, including communications between the commissioners and third parties. The AMCC is hoping to block or limit the discovery process. Anderson held a virtual hearing for lawyers in the case on Thursday. Wilkerson said the judge asked the parties in the case to confer informally and try to reach an agreement on the scope of discovery and on the depositions and written documents that would be provided. Wilkerson said he expects the lawyers to report to the judge at a hearing scheduled for Jan. 24. About a half-dozen companies have asked the judge to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the issuance of licenses. Wilkerson said he does not expect the court to hold a hearing on the preliminary injunction request until some time in February. Officials have said medical marijuana products could be available later this year if the licenses process can be finished. The Legislature approved medical marijuana in 2021. Alabama was the 37th state to approve medical cannabis. The law created the AMCC to oversee seed-to-sale regulation of the industry, which is intended to operate fully intrastate. The law allows companies to make gummies, tablets, capsules, tinctures, patches, oils, and other forms of medical marijuana products. Patients who receive a medical cannabis card from a doctor will be able to buy the products at licensed dispensaries. The products can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, including chronic pain, weight loss and nausea from cancer, depression, panic disorder, epilepsy, muscle spasms caused by disease or spinal cord injuries, PTSD, and others. Related: Zoom hacker interrupts Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission meeting with porn The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday turned down an appeal by Kenneth Eugene Smith, who is scheduled to become the first person to die by Alabamas new nitrogen hypoxia method of execution in two weeks. The state tried to execute Smith by lethal injection in November 2022 but called the procedure off because of a failure to start the intravenous lines. Since then, the state has announced it is ready to use the nitrogen method, which the Legislature authorized in 2018 but which no state has ever used. The states protocol says the inmate will breathe only nitrogen through a mask, with no life-sustaining oxygen. In Smiths latest state court appeal, his lawyers claim that an attempt to execute Smith a second time constituted cruel and unusual punishment. The appeal was previously rejected in circuit court and by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. On Friday, eight of the nine justices agreed with the decision to deny Smiths request to review his claim. Justice Kelli Wise recused. Fridays decision by the court was the second to go against Smith this week. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Austin Huffaker Jr., denied Smiths request for a preliminary injunction in the case to halt the execution. Smith was twice convicted by juries for the murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett in her home in Colbert County in north Alabama in 1988. Sennett, a pastors wife, was beaten and stabbed repeatedly. Smith, who was hired by the victims husband to commit the slaying, confessed to his role in the crime and has been on death row since 1996. Smith is set to be executed sometime between 2 a.m. on Thursday, January 25, and 6 a.m. on Friday, January 26. Read more: Former sheriff recalls womans horrific murder-for-hire by pastor as Alabama prepares execution This story was corrected on Jan. 19 to say that the states failed attempt to execute Smith by lethal injection was in November 2022, not November 2023. California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to delay minimum wage increases for 500,000 health care workers approved just three months ago until the state budget has a stronger outlook. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle California health care workers banking on a state-ordered minimum wage increase later this year might have to wait a little longer. Because of the states $38 billion projected budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said he is seeking changes to a law he signed just three months ago that set the health care industry on a path to a $25 minimum wage. The first pay increases were expected to take effect in June. Its unclear how long the proposed changes could push back that schedule. Newsom wants the wage increases to take place when the states fiscal outlook is healthy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He said he signed the law, SB525, in October because he had a commitment on that trigger from proponents of the law, meaning that the bills backers had agreed to tie the wage increase to the states budget outlook. His administration did not disclose that agreement when he signed the law. Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for the governors office, said the administration publicly discussed the possibility of clean-up legislation soon after Newsom signed the law. She pointed to a Los Angeles Times article that published three weeks after Newsom signed the law in which another spokesperson said the administration was working on accompanying legislation to account for state budget conditions and revenues. Newsom included his request for a delay in the state budget proposal he released Wednesday. He said he is working with legislators and the laws proponents to craft changes that will be presented in the form of a new bill later this month. His budget proposal said he also wants the Legislature to clarify whether state health workers are exempt from the law. California minimum wage increases The law was one of two bills Newsom signed last fall raising the minimum wage for certain workers in specific industries. A separate law that raises the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour starting in April is moving forward. The California minimum wage for other workers is $16 this year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Close to 500,000 California health care workers are expected to see pay increases under the minimum wage law for their industry once it goes into effect. The bill came together late in the legislative year after SEIU, the law sponsor, and a group of health care employers, including the California Hospital Association, brokered a deal under which both sides supported the wage increase. Newsom signed it without a clear cost estimate. Newsoms Department of Finance released a price estimate in November, projecting it would cost the state approximately $4 billion in 2024-25, with $2 billion coming out of the state general fund. SEIU declined an interview after Newsoms budget remarks. It released a statement that said it would continue working with the administration and the Legislature. Lawmakers anticipated budget deficit Newsoms signature on the bill surprised some lawmakers because they anticipated a steep deficit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While we didnt know what the deficit was at the time, I, at least, was assuming that the news was going to be not good and I couldnt understand why we would be so deliberately adding to our own overhead, said Sen. Roger Niello, a Fair Oaks Republican who sits as vice chair of the Senate budget and fiscal review committee The health worker pay law aims to create more sustainable incomes as a way to retain and attract workers in a field that for years now has been dealing with serious staff shortages. The law would cost the state because it applies to workers at state-owned facilities and because the state would likely have to raise Medi-Cal rates paid to providers to offset some of their increased costs associated with the wage hikes. Click here for the latest on Alabamas winter weather threat. The coldest temperatures of the winter are on the way to Alabama, and there will likely be some snow and ice arriving along with them. Some areas in Alabama could see 1-4 inches of snow, according to forecasters. Ice could also be an issue for parts of the state: Here are the potential ice accumulations.NWS The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for several Alabama counties and is warning all of Alabama to be prepared for extreme cold through at least Wednesday. Forecasters said confidence is increasing about the potential for accumulating snow in parts of north and north-central Alabama. The area expected to see the most is northwest Alabama, according to forecasters. The cold temperatures could make travel very difficult or impossible in areas that get frozen precipitation, the weather service said. And hazardous travel could last into Wednesday or Thursday in some areas that stay below freezing. Those in north and central Alabama could experience wind chills below zero during that time, and low temperatures in the teens will be possible all the way into south Alabama. The kind of cold thats coming could result in hypothermia for those spending prolonged time outside, as well as burst pipes. The coldest night is expected to be Tuesday into Wednesday morning, according to forecasters. Here are the lows expected Tuesday into Wednesday: Temperatures will fall into the teens nearly statewide on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.NWS Heres a look at what forecasters are expecting: NORTH ALABAMA [550am] The probability of accumulating snow on Monday into Tuesday morning is increasing! As a result, a Winter Storm Watch has been issued for portions of northern Alabama and southern middle Tennessee from 12 AM Monday through 6 AM Tuesday. #HUNwx (1/3) pic.twitter.com/vXkbhIoXDQ NWS Huntsville (@NWSHuntsville) January 13, 2024 A winter storm watch has been issued for the north Alabama counties of Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison and Jackson. It will be in effect from late Sunday night through late Monday night. The National Weather Service in Huntsville said north Alabama could see 1 to 4 inches of snow, with northwest Alabama expected to get the most. CENTRAL ALABAMA There will be the potential for snow and ice far into central Alabama, but the most accumulating snow will be in the northwest.NWS A winter storm watch has also been issued for Marion and Winston counties in north-central Alabama. It will be in effect from Monday morning through late Monday night. The weather service said accumulations of up to 2 inches of snow and a light glaze of ice will be possible. The weather service added that winter weather advisories may be issued later for areas to the south, where travel could also become hazardous on Monday and Tuesday. SOUTH ALABAMA A bitterly cold airmass arrives early next week. We are watching for a potential light freezing rain event over our interior areas Mon night/Tue AM. Dangerously cold temps/wind chills are in the forecast by Tue night. Now is a good time to start making cold weather preparations! pic.twitter.com/y1GnM6ODKg NWS Mobile (@NWSMobile) January 13, 2024 There will also be the potential for some light freezing rain in parts of southwest Alabama. The weather service said the time frame for any frozen precipitation will be late Monday night into Tuesday morning. If there is frozen precipitation then roads could become slick. PROLONGED TRAVEL HEADACHES? Any winter precipitation that falls may be around for a while. High temperatures on Tuesday may not reach the freezing point for a large part of north and central Alabama, and some spots may not rise above 32 degrees until Wednesday afternoon or even Thursday. Forecasters said there is another system expected to affect Alabama by Thursday night into Friday. Forecast models are not in agreement on what temperatures will be like for that system, so its too soon to say if there will be any further winter weather concerns late next week. The suspect in a Friday robbery at Heritage South Federal Credit Union in Sylacauga was taken into custody in Mississippi. Griffin Allen Thompson, 49, of Sylacauga, is charged with first-degree robbery. He is awaiting extradition to Alabama. The robbery happened at 9:25 a.m. Friday. Authorities said Thompson entered the credit union and passed the teller a note demanding money. He was wearing glasses and a medical mask and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. Sylacauga police Chief Kelley Johnson said Thompson was taken into custody about 1:15 p.m. by the Neshoba County Sheriffs Office and the U.S. Marshals Service in Mississippi. Once back in Alabama, Thompsons bond will be set at $100,000 cash. Johnson the Talladega County District Attorneys Office, the Talladega County Sheriffs Office, and the Talladega County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force assisted in the identification and arrest of Thompson. Two prominent psephologists cautioned that some high polling results for Donald Trump among Black voters were "quirky," given the smaller sample sizes in individual polls, and emphasized the importance of aggregating such polls, ten as a minimum, for a more accurate assessment. Finding no such research available, I undertook what is, I believe, the first such analysis of the cumulative data from 17 current polls with a subset of Black voters, which revealed a striking, if not historical, shift in Black voting preferences toward the Republican Party, and particularly to Donald Trump. Collated were notable polls from reputable sources, which were included in the Real Clear Politics and 538 aggregates, such as Suffolk, Siena/NYT, BigData, Fox, I&ITIPP, CBS, Emerson, and Rasmussen. The aggregate of all 17 polls showed that 21.9% of black voters intend to vote for Donald Trump, with many individual polls showing Trump polling above 20%; for example, ActiVote had 34.4% of the black vote going to Trump. The Trump preference range of individual polls varied from Blacks Yahoo News at 7% to HarrisX at 38%, demonstrating the importance of aggregation for a more comprehensive understanding. Even if, on election day, it drifts back, I very much doubt it would drift back to the 12% Trump received in 2020. Even, say, 16% + stay-at-homes in the right cities would be a huge game changer. Pollsters, somewhat bewilderingly, struggle with their own results. The highly respected I&I/TIPP poll found Blacks Trump 23% (up 4 from previous) "Concern for Democrats is Trump now holds a shocking 23% of the black vote, more than doubling his support from that key voting bloc since the last election. Add weakening support among Asian voters, Biden could be in big trouble. The Times/Siena poll found that black support for Trump was at 22%. An NBC poll put Trumps black support at 20%. Based on these historic polling numbers, aggregated for the first time, you can expect a combination of Blacks: 3rd/4th party/stay-at-homes and direct switch to Trump equal to a minimum of a direct 15% or plus vote for him. GenForward, which is a Black/Hispanic specific pollster, has Trump at 17%, which number could be decisive. Karl Rove has taken that further, noting the possibility of Black voters choosing third-party options (Cornel West if he gets on ballots) or abstaining from voting, indicating a potential shift away from traditional Democratic support. Black voters might choose a third-party option because they want "someone else," per a Nov. 30 GenForward survey -- or they might not vote, an inclination that was 10% higher among blacks than whites in the same poll. Suffolk similarly noted, [Trump] has closed the deficit because third-party voters come off of Bidens support among Blacks. Real Clear Politics suggests the potential for Trump to double his 2020 total, with a growing percentage of Black adults indicating they may not vote at all. The potential electoral impact is clear. The concentration of Black voters in pivotal states urban areas like Philadelphia, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Detroit switching to Trump by 17% could significantly impact the election outcome. These polls are Biden/Trump head-to-head; the inclusion of Cornel West if he gets on the ballot is a further challenge to Biden. The political MSM is now starting to recognize, or cant hide any longer, that the Dems have a problem. Mainstream media outlets are beginning to acknowledge the shifting landscape, as with Vox: Dems have moved from ridiculing the notion that Blacks/Hispanics are shifting to the GOP, to now openly acknowledging it and struggling for a coherent response Thomas Edsall of the NY Times describes the situation as "grim," highlighting higher approval ratings for Trump among the Democratic base of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, LGBTQ+ community, Gen Z, millennials, unmarried, and college women. This is well understood by the Democratic leaders. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina is Very Concerned about the Black vote, prompting efforts to shore up their backing by sending him into Black areas. The historic shift in Black voting preferences, as indicated by aggregated polling data, suggests a potential paradigm shift with far-reaching consequences for the Democratic Party. High-profile Black voices, combined with these polling numbers, indicate a notable trend that, if confirmed at the ballot box, could reshape the political landscape. The upcoming election may witness a significant increase in Black support for Trump, with potential repercussions for Democratic electoral strategies. This has not come out of the blue. I noted indications of shifts among Black men in 2016 and 2020. Change usually does not come in a rush unless massive forces like the Great Depression, which shifted the Black vote nearly en masse from GOP to Democrat. But the shift from John McCain (4%) to Donald Trump (12%) -- and now polling at 21% -- shows which way the wind is blowing, and if confirmed at the ballot box, a new paradigm will be in place. Image: Library of Congress The timeline of what happened to the DEI-intoxicated Harvard president is well-known. However, the question of why it happened somehow eluded the commentariat. To answer the why question requires a deep dive into the fundamental issue of private property and its theft. While conservatism and leftism do not touch the subject (it is considered a secondary, not a primary dispute), for the proletarianized strain of leftism Marxism -- it is a fundamental, existential core belief. Since the Marxists takeover of the Ivy League institutions at the end of the last century, detailed analysis is impossible without an excursion into Marxist tenets. Victorian Marxism postulated that private property would dissipate after the proletarian revolution. Along with that, the government would gradually wither away because it is no longer needed: there is no more private property to protect. Unfortunately, that simplistic thesis managed to brainwash millions. While compulsory property reshuffle has been condemned since pre-Biblical times, orthodox Marxism offered one notable exception: the confiscation (expropriation, theft, robbery, embezzlement) of property from the oppressor and its allocation to the oppressed. Thus, Barack Obamas spread the wealth around motto has a deeply-rooted tradition in left-wing circles. He was not acting alone: during the Cold War, intellectual property (IP) theft was, for all practical purposes, legalized and normalized by the International Left. At the heart of Soviet intelligence activities lay a quest for strategic advantage; thus, IP poaching became a significant aspect of their efforts. In Soviet hands, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress became a Tupolev Tu-4 bomber. The first Soviet atomic bomb, RDS-1, modeled after the third American nuclear device nicknamed Fat Man, was dropped from the Tu-4. (So, one replica launched another.) The German V-2 rocket evolved into the R-1 rocket, a precursor to Soviet ICBMs. At the same time, the Ford Mainline was known in the Soviet Union as the Volga GAZ-21. The passenger car, Moskvich-400, was an exact duplicate of the German Opel Kadett K38. The famous Kalashnikov machine gun, AK-47, is a cheap imitation of Germanys STG-44. Its designer, Hugo Schmeisser, was brought to the USSR after World War II in a Soviet version of Operation Paperclip. That spread the IP around was not bound to technologies. There are numerous examples, like Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree by Disney, which has its corresponding rip-off version in Russian. Doctor Dolittle has its Soviet, politically correct equivalent. Pinocchio got his own name in the USSR and acquired a class-warfare background. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has a one-to-one equivalent in Russian, too. Add the Three Stooges to the list of Soviet plagiarism, all without attribution to the original authors. The list continues: popular tunes, movie plots, cartoons, art, and even fairy tales were meticulously copied by Soviet communists. Soviet borrowings are especially remarkable for their enormous scale and astounding cynicism. The vast majority of items were replicated: from huge factories, cars, tanks, planes, and missiles to cameras, household appliances, and childrens toys. It is understood that the lions share of the former Soviet Union might be an industrial-scale IP steal. According to the Soviets, public property already belonged to the people, so it was not necessary to pay for it. It was not uncommon for Soviet left-wingers to print Western bestsellers in millions without getting formal permission from copyright holders. Plagiarism on the International Left was a state-sponsored enterprise; it flourished in the Soviet Union. After its dissolution, China took over. Communist China catapulted ideology-induced IP thievery to an unprecedented level. They added computer hacks to their arsenal. One of the Chinese cyber operations is Operation CuckooBees. It siphoned a wide range of proprietary data and cutting-edge technologies, estimated in trillions of dollars. Traditionally, plagiarism is viewed as a phenomenon limited to academia. However, it is a form of IP plundering in the grand scheme of things. Moreover, note that IP is one of several types of private property, like real estate or possessions. Most intangible properties are classified as IP. The coercive restructuring of tangible property has many names: theft, fraud, confiscation, larceny, etc. Involuntary redistribution of intangible properties also has many names: copyright or patent infringement, plagiarism, etc. Plagiarism is simply an IP heist when the monetary value of the stolen goods is not immediately apparent or challenging to estimate. The term plagiarism is sufficiently vague to include errors in attribution, omission of quotations, and other linguistic tricks. However, there is a clear difference between an honest mistake occasionally committed by an overwhelmed researcher under the gun of a strict deadline and a government-sponsored, ideology-approved seizure of technologies and ideas on an industrial scale. Ideology-encouraged IP piracy is in an entirely different category from mere clerical oversight. A combination of Soviet plagiarism and Chinese cyberespionage instigated the most sizable transfer of private property from oppressors to oppressed in the history of mankind. Without a doubt, left-wing societies are the domains of widespread, unpunished plagiarism. Cultivated by decades-long Soviet active measures, Western left-wingers have adopted Soviet slogans, ideological cliches, and various methods of redistributing the properties of the oppressors with impunity. It is well-known that then-senator Biden acknowledged his serial plagiarism. The international Left demonstrates time and again that plagiarism and anti-Semitism belong to core left-wing ideological beliefs. After the Harvard presidents plagiarism became widely known, there was not even a proper, PR-dictated damage control stage. The Woke Left genuinely did not understand the uproar, for everything they do conforms to the official party line. In Harvard, for instance, the oppressed person expropriated some stuff from the oppressors, so what is the buzz? Suppose Barack Obama -- a prominent socialist and serial plagiarizer -- makes it to lead Harvard. In that case, he will be an excellent fit: he plagiarized Eisenhower, Wilson, Thatcher, and Kennedy. It certainly looks like the modern Left is transforming the United States into a country headed by plagiarists, for plagiarists, and by plagiarists. What happened at Harvard should not be considered primitive IP theft. It was an occurrence of the Lefts ideology-mandated modus operandi colliding with non-Woke reality. Gary Gindler, Ph.D., is a conservative columnist at Gary Gindler Chronicles and a new science founder: Politiphysics. Follow him on Twitter/X. This piece is adapted from Garys forthcoming book, Left Imperialism (Paragon House, 2024). Image: PxHere A recent survey showed that most Canadians see Justin Trudeau as the worst prime minister of the last five decades. Not the smallest part in this judgment can be attributed to the hypocrisy and moral relativism evident in Trudeaus's statements and actions. One obvious example of Justin Trudeaus hypocrisy is his response to the Israel/Palestinian conflict. The atrocities of October 7, 2023 in Israel, when Hamas brutally killed 1200 plus people, barbarically raped girls, burned a baby in an oven and took 240 hostages, has shocked the civilized world and triggered a justifiable response in support of Israel. On October 8, Trudeau issued a statement: the terrorist organization Hamas launched a massive, coordinated attack against Israel and our hearts break for the hundreds of innocent people whose lives were senselessly taken. To our Israeli friends, Canadians stand with you. The Government of Canada stands ready to support you -- our support for the Israel people is steadfast. This beautifully written statement loses importance and meaning when we look at the actions and statements of the Canadian head of government. Following this statement, Trudeau went on to vote for the resolution endorsing a ceasefire, harmful to the state of Israel. Trudeaus spokesman Mohammad Hussain stated that Trudeau had on October 19 attended the International Muslims Organization of Toronto to show support to the Muslim community. Did Trudeau or his official representative attended the Ottawa rally on December 04, 2023 in support of Israel and to free the hostages? The conservative opposition party member of parliament Melissa Lantsma attended the rally and passionately called for the release of hostages from Hamas captivity in her speech. On November 14, 2023 in Maple Ridge, British Columbia Trudeau made comments regarding the actions of Israel in Gaza: the killing of women and children, of babies. This has to stop. By falsely accusing Israel of crimeswhich did not happen, Trudeau legitimized the calls to attack Jewish Canadians. It gave to the NDP, the Bloc Quebecois, and Muslim and Palestinian communities the ammunition to increase pressure on the government to call for ceasefire. This statement justifiably caused negative responses from Jewish Canadian organizations. Former Liberal MP Michael Levitt, who is a CEO of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said It could further fuel antisemitism and lashing out at Jews in Canada. It is appropriate to present here the Mission and Values statements of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The soldier will not use their weapon or power to harm uninvolved civilians and prisoners and will do everything in their power to prevent harm to their lives, bodies, dignity and property. The IDF is still the most moral army in earth. The Hamas terrorists' reliance on Israels moral scruples is especially cynical. Findings by research organizations provide evidence of the difficulties the IDF is encountering on the ground in Gaza. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) conducted a poll in the West Bank and Gaza between November 22 and December 2, 2023. Findings of the poll indicate that majority of the respondents believe the Hamas decision to carry out the offensive on October 7 is correct and more than 90% of the responders stated they do not believe the Hamas fighters committed any atrocities during the attack. The majority of the respondents believe that Hamas will emerge victorious from the war and resume control over the Gaza Strip. The Arab World for Research & Development (AWRAD) conducted a poll from October 31 to November 7, 2023. 98% of responders stated they will never forget and forgive what Israel did and 59% strongly support or (16%) support to some extent the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas. On December 12, 2023 Canada, Australi,a and New Zealand along with other countries voted in the United Nations General Assembly for the resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. After the resolution was passed the official representative of Hamas, Ghazi Hamad, praised the joint statement of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He called it welcome news and a step in the right direction. There is a great deal of irony and shame in receiving praise from evil, barbaric, and despotic Hamas. The three parliamentary democracies endorsed a resolution that did not mention the Hamas murderers and not a word about the October 7 atrocities. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) president and CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel stated that Canadian foreign policy is hypocritical. He asked a question: what changed on the ground in Gaza between the time of Canadas statement containing conditions for the ceasefire to be endorsed, and the scheduled UN vote? The conditions specified by Trudeau such as to release the hostages, not to use civilians as human shields, to stop military activities, and surrender control of Gaza were not met. Nothing has changed. Trudeau still endorsed the resolution calling for ceasefire. There is a pattern of hypocritical actions and statements toward state of Israel by Trudeau going back several years. In 2019, Trudeau voted for Palestinian self-determination and was condemning Israel as an occupying power. It is important to stress there was a complete withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces (IDF} and pullout of Israeli residents from Gaza in 2005. The population of Gaza had an opportunity to choose the form of government and the way of life they want. A substantial amount of economic assistance was available to people of Gaza to build a prosperous and peaceful state. The population of Gaza elected Hamas in 2006, accepting its ideology of Palestinian statehood from river to the sea which means no to the state of Israel. Opposing Trudeaus actions and statements are those of former prime minister Steven Harper who, despite the pressure from the opposition and other governments, stood his moral ground of political honesty and integrity. Harper noted that Israel is the state based on freedom, democracy, and rule of law and that Jewish people deserve to live safely and peacefully in that homeland. The author is a Canadian who is analyzing the issues affecting Canada, U.S., and Israel. Many years ago, the author had discovered American Thinker and it was like a breath of fresh air bringing the true conservative ideas and opinions. Image: White House California is now covering the costs of genital-mutilating surgeries for illegal aliens. Leftisms slippery slope invariably leads to depraved absurdity. Consider how Governor (receding) Hairdo and the Pyrite States other communist saboteurs have greased the shifting ground under Californians feet: (1) There is no illegal immigration crisis. (2) There may be a crisis, but California taxpayers wont be paying for it. (3) Taxpayers may have to foot the bill for the illegal immigration crisis, but California will do nothing to incentivize illegal immigration. (4) After further review, these aliens arent illegal, but rather undocumented. (5) Health care is a human right. (6) California must provide undocumented aliens healthcare. (7) Mutilating the genitals to make them look like the opposite sex is health care. (8) California taxpayers must pay for undocumented aliens genital surgery. (9) Californians who object to paying for undocumented aliens genital surgery may be guilty of hate crimes and will be prosecuted. Quod erat demonstrandum. Why punish the people who illegally enter the United States when you can punish the people who do not want to subsidize immigration crimes while canceling their votes with the votes of those here illegally? Why should health care stop with free genital mutilation for the whole planet? Why not label spacious split-level homes with at least one electric vehicle in each garage health care as well? Why shouldnt California taxpayers be on the hook for each new illegal aliens green energy lifestyle? The absurdity will never end. As Sundance frequently reminds readers over at The Conservative Treehouse, We are in an abusive relationship with our government. And in California, where the Marxist globalists rule with absolute power, the government never gets tired of slapping American citizens around and telling them its for their own good. Californias decision to become a Mecca for foreign men who want to chop off their willies and hang out in womens restrooms is just the latest example of government insanity promoted as progress. While foreign nationals are invading the United States in unprecedented numbers, Department of Homeland (in)Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas continues to claim that (1) there is no crisis of any kind, and (2) if there is a crisis, Congress should just allocate more money for DHS to quickly bus the invaders into small towns throughout the country. Hear that, American citizens? The problem isnt that tens of millions of foreigners are illegally entering the country; the problem is that people are noticing the problem which would quickly disappear if DHS had the funds to hide the invaders more effectively and seed them into the counties where illegal votes from illegal aliens will do Democrats the most good. Canceling American votes one invader at a time yet none dare call it election-rigging on a massive scale! Mayorkass admission that his plan to tackle illegal immigration consists of (1) making it worse but (2) hiding it more effectively is another infuriating example of why governments (of any kind!) can never, ever be trusted. The best that any civilized society can do is shackle government power so severely that its agents feel as if they are rotting away in a dark dungeon without any prospect of public glory. Thats why our Founders worked so hard to write a Constitution that limits the powers of all the miscreants who inevitably end up running things. After all, at its core, government is nothing more than a collection of unethical people given legal immunity for performing otherwise criminal acts. In exchange for a little law and order, prosperity, and peace, the people look the other way while government bureaucrats steal their property (taxes), intimidate them with threats of force (FBI-Gestapo), and occasionally sacrifice their children for the greater good (war). As soon as government is celebrated as something wonderful (instead of something that should always be dreaded and despised), those same bureaucrats break free from their dungeons, anoint themselves as unaccountable kings, and devise the most elaborate schemes to pillage, plunder, and endanger the citizenry without remorse. No tax is too high! No government mandate or regulatory fiat is too grotesque! No life is too precious for the spoils of endless, needless war! In Mayorkass world, bureaucrats bark orders, citizens comply, the government tells you what you may own, and armed IRS agents confiscate the rest! How has the freest nation on Earth been reduced to a population of citizen-slaves begging for government scraps? Americas tyrants use the same two-pronged approach that all totalitarian regimes do: the U.S. government (1) lies about everything, while (2) intentionally inflicting emotional harm on its citizens. Everything that unscrupulous government agents such as Mayorkas shove down Americans throats is part of a psychological war meant to enfeeble, confuse, dispirit, and infantilize the adult population while indoctrinating younger generations to accept absurdities, surrender to woke ideology, and refrain from ever questioning authoritarian elites. Thats why popular actors, musicians, and athletes must all believe the same thing lest they be summarily canceled. It is absolutely essential that young minds see intellectual conformity as something to celebrate and dissent as something to abhor. It is why presidential puppet Joe Biden likes to say, Were all in this together, while simultaneously stigmatizing half the electorate as domestic terrorists who threaten democracy. Critical thinking, artistic individualism, philosophical disagreement, and public debate are not tolerated in totalitarian regimes. In an essay for the Brownstone Institute, Jeffrey Tucker describes his experience at a train station where prominent warning signs still command travelers to obey COVIDs strict social distancing requirements. For the most part, people just ignored the governments orders and went about their lives. After pondering the enormous disjunction ... between what we are told to do and what we actually do, Tucker concludes that the edicts to which no one complies serve a certain purpose. They are a visual reminder of who is in charge, what those people believe, and the presence of a Sword of Damocles hanging above the whole population: at any point, anyone can be snatched away from normal life, made a criminal, and be forced to pay a price. In a psychological war meant to obtain total control over citizen behavior, the nuttier the edicts, the more effective the message. Writer Kit Knightly aptly describes these nutty edicts as part of the governments broader propaganda campaign to cultivate a perfidious unreality, where our authoritarian ruling elite promulgate insane narratives that serve as both loyalty test and humiliation ritual. When government agents say something that is impossible to believe and people accept it as true nonetheless, then citizens demonstrate greater loyalty to the governments absurd fabrications than to reality. Humiliation is the ultimate demonstration of control because under a system where nothing is true, anything could be. Knightly concludes that the government engages in psychopathic behavior meant to do one thing: break every citizens spirit and mind. What this means is that fighting for human liberty against the governments encroaching totalitarianism requires more than civil disobedience; it requires an acceptance that everything our government says is a lie and everything our government does is destructive. The U.S. government along with most Western governments that have been captured by central banks, spy agencies, and an international cabal of Marxist elites is dedicated to destroying any notion of objective truth. That is why we are told that biological sex is a social construct, that private property causes climate change, and that popular political movements are undemocratic. To free our bodies, we must free our minds. And to free our countries, we must work to free the minds of as many of our fellow citizens as we can. When the battlefield is the human brain, revolutionary ideas are more important than bullets. Image: Don Hankins via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (cropped). From J.R. Dunns article I learned of a concept that apparently has been around a while, intersectionality, a leftist concoction, though I admit I never heard of it even though Im a former professor from academia, which is where the concept originated. As Dunn explains it: intersectionality [is] the concept that all aspects of leftist activism Blacks, Latins, gays, Muslims, and whatever -- are interwoven and must be mutually supportive. All leftists must accept and support all left-wing constituencies no matter what contradictions [my italics] might exist. Civil rights activists must support abortion, union members must support gun control, and gay rights activists must support the Palestinians (despite the fact that theyd one and all be given a brief flying lesson if they were to be caught out in much of the Muslim world). Other examples of intersectionalist contradictions are easy to find, which collectively entail that, like hypocrisy, intersectionalism is logically incoherent. Inconsistency seems not to bother the left, quite the contrary (see below). The classic case is the American writer Lillian Hellman, Jewish and a communist, who supported the 1939 Stalin-Hitler Pact despite knowing that Hitler hated Jews as well as communists. Blind loyalty was expected of all party members. As Lewis Dowland notes, all leftists must support DEI even though DEI means theftquite possibly the theft of their own work! As Olivia Murray reminded us, the left mourned the pedophile Joseph Rosenbaum after he was shot even though the creep had sexually abused preteen boys. Quite possibly, the parents of some of those boys were leftists! All leftists must side with pro-Hamas hooligans blocking airport entrances even though leftists might be among the passengers seeking to board! Intersectionalists will doubtless shrug all this off on grounds that it is unclear what if anything is wrong with inconsistent opinions. Everyone has some contradictions is a line from a movie I saw on cable. I better get back to work and explain why logically incoherent opinions should be abandoned, supplementing my January 1 blog. Here we go: Because the left is forever harping on systemic problems allegedly exemplified in a country, culture or society as a whole, lets see what happens when we treat intersectionality itself as a system, which we are free to do according to the intellectual pretensions of its proponents, and contradictions such as those cited above turn up. We start by saying what a contradiction is, logically speaking. A contradiction is a statement of a certain form, A and not-A. Yes, in logic a contradiction is a statement of a certain form. Why? Because logic is about form, not contenta fact that needs to be more widely understood (Common Core doesnt). The definition of contradiction is the same whether it is stated in Spanish, Russian, Urdu, whatever; likewise, we can plug in for A any statement we like, of any language. There is more on the formal nature of logic in my book Logic for Kids. We start the argument that intersectionality is logically incoherent by assuming that a statement of the form A and not-A has been identified. Take your pick from the examples cited above. 1. Because A and not-A is a conjunction, logic says we can infer either conjunct. 2. Lets infer A. 3. Logic also says we can infer the disjunction of A with anything we like. 4. Lets infer A or B. My book explains why this inference is legitimate. 5. Next, lets infer not-A from our conjunction A and not-A. We can do this the way we got A from A and not-A. 6. Finally, logic says we can infer B from not-A and A or B. My book explains why this inference is legitimate. This may not sound like much of a refutation of intersectionality. So what if we proved B from A and not-A? Why does that matter? It matters because B, by assumption, can be anything we like. From the demonstrated systemic inconsistency of intersectionality, we can derive anything whatever using simple logic, including propositions that intersectionalists would vehemently reject: Trump was a great president, abortion is murder, climate change is fiction, and so on. Take your pick. Yes, inconsistency proofs are that deadly. We can make the point also in mathematical terms. Deriving a contradiction in mathematics means that anything whatever is a theorem, so that there is no longer any difference between what is a theorem and what is not. Thats what happened in 1901 when Bertrand Russell proved that naive set theory was inconsistent, launching an investigation into the foundations of mathematics that lasted decades. My Ph.D. dissertation at Brown University dealt with Russells Paradox. Scientific findings based on inconsistent mathematics are worthless. Climate change gurus might want to keep that in mind as they fiddle with computer models that have been spitting out predictions that proved wrong time and again. Meanwhile, Al Gore is still laughing all the way to the bank. As for John Kerry, hes probably planning a working vacation to Paris this summer to attend the Olympics. Arnold Cusmariu, a frequent contributor to American Thinker, is the author of Logic for Kids and numerous philosophical articles, including several analyzing his own sculptures. Arnold retired from the Central Intelligence Agency in 2010, where he worked as an analyst, analytic methodologist and analytic tradecraft instructor. Image: Pexels // Pexels License Blinken's whirlwind Mideast visit futile to quench tensions Xinhua) 10:14, January 13, 2024 CAIRO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A whirlwind diplomatic tour by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to quench the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict and growing spillover in the Mideast is bound to be a futile attempt. U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday that the United States and its allies have conducted targeted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by the Houthis. On the same day, Blinken said at a press availability in Cairo, Egypt, that if the Houthis don't stop their attacks, "there'll have to be consequences." Heading home from Cairo, the final leg of his visits to 10 countries and territories, Blinken once again failed to brighten the region's dismal peace prospect, observers have said. COLD-SHOULDERS The visits came amid global cries for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli air and ground raids on Hamas targets have killed more than 23,469 people, or 1 percent of the enclave's total population, and displaced some 1.9 million. The weeklong trip was also undertaken in response to heightened concern about military escalation. This followed an Israeli drone attack that resulted in the death of a top Hamas leader and officials in southern Beirut, disruptions to shipments in the Red Sea due to attacks by the Houthi militia, and a twin bombing incident in southern Iran that claimed more than 90 lives. In the interim of back-to-back talks with Turkish and Arab state leaders, Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv to meet with senior members of the Israeli government. Following the Wednesday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken said the two sides discussed the release of more Israeli hostages as well as Gaza's displacement and humanitarian crisis. He stressed that "escalation is in no one's interest." Netanyahu's office, however, did not issue any detailed statement on his talks with Blinken, nor did the two officials attend a joint press conference. Israeli Channel 12 reported that this indicated increasingly "tense" ties and "obvious differences" between the United States and Israel, the good old buddies. Later in the day, when meeting with Blinken in Ramallah, the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated the Palestinian call for an end to Israeli aggression and complete rejection of the displacement, Palestinian official WAFA news agency reported. The appeals were echoed by almost all other state leaders who received the top U.S. diplomat, especially those of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, and Egypt. "We hope that there will be a ceasefire, but if not so, at least a humanitarian pause to end the fighting," said Gulru Gezer, a former Turkish diplomat and foreign policy analyst. SELF-SERVING INTERESTS However, local observers have treated Blinken's fourth regional tour in three months with deep skepticism as it aimed to serve primarily U.S. self-interests, rather than facilitate a ceasefire, or a real peace through the two-state solution. Meanwhile, the lack of details or tangible follow-through mechanism renders any freshly agreed consensus fragile. Bassam as-Salhi, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said that throughout the visits, Blinken has apparently dodged mentioning nor seriously considering a Gaza ceasefire, the region's core concern. In a press briefing just before Blinken embarked on his tour, the State Department on Jan. 4 outlined four diplomatic bearings -- protecting civilians, releasing Israeli hostages, facilitating humanitarian aid delivery to "civilians in Gaza," and stopping forced displacement in the enclave. "These cannot fundamentally solve the problem," Bassam as-Salhi said, adding that in the runup to the U.S. presidential election, the Biden administration wanted to roll back aggressive Mideast diplomatic moves that had eroded its approval rate. Samer Anabtawi, a Palestinian political analyst, further boiled down the trip to a diplomatic facelift for U.S. global credibility, which has been faltering since the onset of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, 2023. "Washington claims that it is seeking to contain the situation in the region and not expand the war beyond Gaza, while it is militarizing the Red Sea and ... buying more time for Israel to keep the latter's military campaign in full swing," said Oraib Al Rantawi, director general of the Amman-based Al Quds Center for Political Studies. In December, the Biden administration resorted twice to emergent executive power to skip congressional steps to sell Israel tank and artillery shells for a total worth of over 250 million U.S. dollars, despite the abject reality in Gaza. Blinken's visit is purely tactical, aimed at pacifying Gulf countries and other nations in the Middle East. The unchanged part is that the Biden administration continues to share the objective of Israel being engaged in warfare with Hamas, Steven Wright, associate professor of International Relations at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar, told Xinhua. Bearing that in mind, whatever Washington has expressed on the Palestinian issue would reduce to lip service, achieving no real result, Palestinian analyst Ayman Yousef noted. ALARMING SPILLOVER RISKS As the Gaza conflict rages on, Israel has been launching attacks on Syrian military targets and Hezbollah sites, stoking fears of regional spillover. During the past week, Israeli forces and Hezbollah escalated clashes, with two senior commanders of the Iran-backed group killed, a bleak contrast to what was touted in Blinken's tour in Turkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, Bahrain, and finally Egypt. Washington shows no real influence over appeasing the anger of the other warring sides, be it Hamas, Hezbollah, or Yemen's Houthi militants, which all demand a ceasefire in Gaza as a precondition of halting strikes against what they called Israeli targets, according to Eyal Zisser, professor at the Middle East History department, Tel Aviv University. "Once again, the gap is very wide between the actors -- and the United States has no influence over most of them -- so it will be difficult for Washington to keep the conflict from expanding," Zisser told Xinhua. In response to the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and "in solidarity with the Palestinians," Yemen's Houthi group has escalated its attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19, 2023, demanding an end to the conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday that the country has formed a multinational naval task force to deter the attacks. Though the Pentagon said several nations had now agreed to participate in the group, regional countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan have stood aloof from the U.S.-led naval coalition, out of concerns that the move may further militarize the waterway. Abdul Aziz, a Saudi political analyst believes that Washington should realize that it is no longer the only foreign power with influence in the region, and Israel alone cannot protect its interests. The United States should develop relations with regional countries, including the Gulf ones, based on friendship and mutual benefit, rather than impose its will on these countries, he said. However, the essence of Blinken's visit is still based on security concerns for Israel, while rights of the Palestinian people and regional interests are largely ignored, according to Al Rantawi. "The United States is the primary factor exacerbating regional tensions and undermining regional and international stability," said the Jordanian analyst. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Nancy Elinor Adler, known for her pioneering work revealing the connection between social stress and physical illness, founded the UCSF Center for Health and Community. She died Jan. 4 of pancreatic cancer at age 77. Susan Merrell/UCSF Its well known these days that the more we worry about paying bills and handling everyday anxieties, the more likely we are to need a doctor, perhaps for high blood pressure or heart disease. That crucial connection between social stress and physical health is understood today in large part due to the pioneering work of Nancy Elinor Adler, a UCSF health psychologist who died of pancreatic cancer on Jan. 4. She was 77. Nancy was a giant in the field of public health, a tireless advocate for social justice, and a mentor who shaped generations of researchers, Dr. Talmadge King Jr., dean of the UCSF School of Medicine, and Dr. Matthew State, chair of the department of psychiatry, wrote in a joint statement announcing Adlers death. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Not only was Adler a fierce advocate for womens health, they wrote, but she was also dedicated to improving the lives of those facing socioeconomic disadvantages. Victor Dzau, president of the National Academy of Medicine, called Adler an icon in American health and medicine. Adlers research inspired todays recognition that social determinants are the most robust predictors of physical and mental health, wrote King and State. She described societies as ladders, with people on the top rungs able to access wealth, health, safety and education, while those at the bottom more likely to be unemployed, with less money in the bank and living in substandard conditions. Your position on the ladder predicts how long you live and how healthy you are during your lifetime, Adler wrote in a report for the MacArthur Foundation, where she was the director of the Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health starting in 1996. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Adler revealed in the report, published in the late 2000s, the startling news that premature death is more than twice as likely for middle-income Americans as for those at the top of the income ladder, and more than three times as likely for those at the bottom than those at the top. She was the author or co-author of 635 papers, including a 2012 study linking childhood abuse to ovarian problems in midlife. In the 1990s, Adlers work helped inspire these double-take headlines in the New York Times: For Good Health, It Helps to Be Rich and Important and Its Called Poor Health for a Reason. Her research also helped transform the way many doctors approach their work including the addition of socioeconomic questions to many medical questionnaires for patients: Do you have stable housing? Do you have trouble paying rent? She was an amazingly warm and generous mentor, said Claire Brindis, Adlers UCSF colleague and friend. Not only was she a gifted scientist, but she had this human quality about her that made her so loved. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Brindis said Adler was among the first people to document that many differences in health outcomes by race and ethnicity were related to the level of poverty, trauma, racism and other social pressures like discrimination that begin to shape things like high blood pressure. Now we say, oh, whats the big deal, Brindis said. But in the 1970s and 80s, when Adler began her work, that was groundbreaking. Also surprising were her findings in the early 1970s about womens feelings after an abortion. Contrary to widely held assumptions that women felt traumatized and depressed by the experience, her research documented that those were not the impacts, Brindis said. Adler retired in February 2022 after 45 years at UCSF, where she founded the UCSF Center for Health and Community, and held the title of distinguished Lisa and John Pritzker Professor and Vice Chair of Psychology in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and in pediatrics. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Born in Manhattan in 1946 to Alan Adler, a clothing manufacturer and salesman, and Pauline Adler, a teacher, Nancy was a bright child who majored in psychology at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. While there, according to family lore, she befriended a girl who lived across the hallway. That girl carried a message to her own brother, saying, Ive met the girl youre going to marry. In 1975, seven years after graduating, Adler did marry that boy, who was a Harvard graduate named Arnold Milstein. He went on to become a physician at Stanford, where he now runs the Clinical Excellence Research Center that explores strategies for delivering high-quality, low-cost health care. Adler got a doctorate in social relations from Harvard in 1973. And before the decade ended, she had co-authored a foundational textbook, Health Psychology. What was so remarkable about her was how much she was able to accomplish professionally, but she was so present. She even served on the board of our elementary school for two terms, said Julia Adler-Milstein, one of Adlers two daughters, who works at UCSF researching ways to improve health system performance. I dont remember seeing her tired or annoyed or frazzled, Adler-Milstein said. She was just a good person. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Adler got her cancer diagnosis in August. This fall, her colleagues held the first Nancy Adler lecture and are raising funds to establish an annual Nancy Adler Endowed Lectureship Award for scholars illuminating the field of social and health disparities and effective social interventions. In addition to her husband and daughter Julia, Adler is survived by her daughter Sarah Adler-Milstein of San Francisco and her brother, Richard Adler, of Cupertino. Harrowing predictions of national political division for 2024 have heightened as polls show Joe Bidens approval ratings plummet. Haters of Donald Trump are froth-mouthed over his clear and growing lead, notwithstanding a pull-out-all-ethical-stops legal and propaganda campaign by Democrats to discredit him and even knock him out of the race. Neither of the traditional parties will accept their Democrat or Republican adversary as POTUS. Into that breach strides the increasingly influential third-horse option: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. His natural base begins with disgruntled Bernie Sanders supporters. It is very possible that Bernie Sanders would have defeated Donald Trump in the 2016 election had he not been cheated by the Democrat leadership of the nomination for president in lieu of Hillary Clinton. Many erstwhile Sanders supporters then shifted to Donald Trump, swinging the election away from the presumed Clinton dynastic succession. RFK, Jr. has been even more bluntly snubbed than Bernie Sanders by the Democrat establishment. Unlike the Bern, though, RFK, Jr. has not laid down and played possum he has mounted a viable, steadily expanding third-candidate challenge. When he announced his presidential candidacy, RFK, Jr. emphatically declared that he identified as a Democrat. Despite the vaunted Kennedy name, and decades of RFK, Jr.s aggressive environmental litigation against chemical pollution, the mainstream media and DNC shunned him, because of his willingness to question COVID vaccines and the wisdom of lockdowns during the pandemic. Rather than fall on his sword for Joe Bidens ascension a la Bernie redux, RFK, Jr. then tirelessly toured the alternative media world, reaching millions of American ears through Joe Rogan, Russell Brand, Bari Weiss, Jordan Peterson, and others. Kennedys favorability ratings have since grown to 52% of the American public. This has revealed the toxic bias of many media outlets to Americans intrigued by Kennedys willingness to speak truth to power. Kennedy directly fingers Big Pharma and government health agencies for their COVID-19 pandemic actions, alleging mRNA vaccines were unsafe for children and insufficiently tested, that alternative therapies were unreasonably discouraged, and that the disease was exploited to expand government powers. His recent book is titled The Wuhan Cover-Up and the Terrifying Bioweapons Arms Race. RFK. Jr. has vigorously challenged the national media, and that is giving some Americans hope. His Kennedy name is a political phoenix from the nations 1960s ashes which appeals to some. Yet plenty of Kennedy family members in the Democrat establishment disavow him, which kills the 'dynasty' vulnerability. He is growing in popularity with younger voters disenchanted with established two-party perfidy. And he is attractive to people who hate Trump but cant stomach Biden, and vice versa. When Ross Perot famously challenged the two-party establishment as an independent candidate in the 1992 presidential election, he ominously warned the nation of the giant sucking sound of lost American jobs if the North American Free Trade Agreement was enacted. Perot was right about job losses, but the nation was distrustful of third-party dark horses and the candidates (George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton) did not deliver the vitriol of the 2024 Trump-Biden battle. Now, the political climate may be warming for an odd underdog. Though many observers predicted that RFK, Jr.s run as an independent would throttle Joe Bidens election run, and it has, Kennedys popularity has also drawn from votes that would otherwise be cast for Trump. The Los Angeles Times, in a story dated January 8, projects that 16% of voters from the Democrat side would move from Biden to RFK, Jr, while 11% of Republicans would move to Kennedy from Trump. Kennedys frank depiction of globalist corporations seeking to dominate the world through control of currency, food, and health is a message that resonates even with some conservatives. Democrats who refused to contemplate Bernie Sanders in 2016 likely threw Hillary to the historical dustbin and propelled Donald Trump into the White House. With monkey-wrench RFK, Jr. robustly running as a third-party candidate, will Democrats repeat the 2016 election blunder and back Biden over Kennedy, undermining the Camelot candidate and resurrecting The Donald? That risk has escalated dramatically since Kennedy announced his independent challenge. The stakes for an American election have arguably never been higher than in 2024. RFK, Jr. is roiling the political landscape as he speaks truth to power. Not since Ross Perot has an independent candidate garnered as much electoral support. A January 10 Quinnipiac poll puts Kennedy at 11% of the vote in a five-way 2024 match-up: already enough to swing the election result. RFK, Jr. is the only candidate whose positive favorability ratings have outweighed his negatives. Bobby, Jr. is an unheard-of animal: a Democrat favorably viewed by most Republicans. This makes him a force to reckon with not ignore in 2024. The Democrat party is prepared to lose the election with Biden rather than win with Kennedy. However, Republicans too must now be wary of the implications of a three-way race for Donald Trump. Attorney-farmer John Klar hosts the Small Farm Republic Substack and podcast from his Vermont farm. His new book is Small Farm Republic: Why Conservatives Must Embrace Local Agriculture, Reject Climate Alarmism, and Lead an Environmental Revival. Image: Pexels / Pexels LIcense The Catholic Diocese of San Diego, led by progressive San Francisco Cardinal Robert McElroy, apparently doesn't care if it ends up looking stupid ... or for that matter, broke. According to the National Catholic Reporter, it's taking its cues on economics from Argentine-educated Pope Francis, who understands about as much about economics as the socialist regime in that country that was just thrown out by its voters. The San Diego Diocese has divested its financial holdings from the fossil fuel industry, the first Catholic diocese in the United States to make public such an economic move in response to Pope Francis' repeated calls for an end to the era of fossil fuels in the face of climate change. ... The Southern California diocese, led by Cardinal Robert McElroy, in 2021 began to explore the process of removing direct and indirect investments in companies involved in the extraction and production of coal, oil and gas from its portfolio of trust funds, retirement funds and health funds. By the end of 2022, it had eliminated all direct investments in fossil fuels and reduced its indirect holdings, through mutual funds, to 3%, surpassing its goal of less than 5%. The diocese does not disclose the size of its investment portfolio. Throughout the past year, diocesan officials and its investment advisors continued to monitor the funds to ensure they were clean of direct fossil fuel stocks and meeting the mutual funds targets. That monitoring alongside a desire not to prematurely declare mission accomplished led the diocese to refrain discussing its divestment until recently, Kevin Eckery, diocesan communications director, told EarthBeat. The pivot in investment policy away from fossil fuels was done, Eckery said, "in keeping with the Holy Father's ideas about stewardship of the environment and not wasting resources," along with addressing human-driven climate change. But anything for a "historic first." What a virtue-signal. What's bad here goes in all directions. First, to shun fossil fuels, which are Made By God, as something "bad" is quite an arrogant implied statement. God makes sinful things, you know, like cigarettes? God makes mistakes? Do tell. Awaiting the good cardinal's next declaration that anyone who does invest in oil and gas stocks is now a "sinner." It sounds like their religion is not Catholicism but global warming. Second, fossil fuels are critically necessary for lifting entire populations out of poverty and into development. They're saying solar panels are going to substitute? There aren't enough exploited child-miners and strip mines to supply all the batteries. And yeah, let's talk about that exploited child labor mining for cobalt out in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo while we're at it. What's more, things like electrical vehicles are run on energy supplied by coal-fired plants. So much for all that virtue-signaling about eliminating fossil fuels. We are never going to eliminate fossil fuels which is the cheapest, most effective, most energy-dense and efficient fuel out there, other than nuclear power. Meanwhile, the ESG (environmental, social, governance) virtue-signaling in the name of saving the planet is bad stuff in its own right. Stocks go up and stocks go down, but to shun and entire category of perfectly legitimate stocks when they are outperforming is kind of immoral, if you consider that the funds invested are those of pensions for elderly priests and religious, cemetery funds and health care funding. The diocese hastened to tell the Times of San Diego that it wasn't investing anything important in this manner: Our policy on divestment includes secondary sources, too, so we try and avoid investments in companies which in turn invest, he said, noting such monies are not operating funds. Were fulfilling both our fiduciary responsibility of getting a safe rate of return on these funds as well, he said. Yeah, sure. How about disclosing how well these wokester funds are doing? According to Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who monitors wokester funds that shun fossil fuels in the interest of transparency, these woke funds generally aren't doing all that well: Texas has been a leader in calling out investment firms that have been playing politics with the retirement money of hard-working Americans. Our goal has always been to bring some honesty to what has really been a one-sided and intellectually dishonest discussion. ...and... "...Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds are experiencing huge outflows and closing faster than they are opening. We are getting real data showing the underperformance of investments that shun fossil fuels. Proxy votes by big fund managers in support of ESG initiatives have dropped precipitously. Even Standard & Poors reversed course on highlighting its ESG ratings, yet more work is needed. These are wins that show the impact Texas and other states are having, and I look forward to continuing this work and giving Texans the transparency they deserve on this critical issue. Yes, we know he has an interest in his state's top industries, which is fossil fuel. But he's not citing made-up data. Green-friendly Reuters reported about a year ago that yes, money was fleeing these funds: LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Investors pulled more money from funds marketed as "sustainable" than they added for the first time in more than a decade in 2022, hit by fallout from the Ukraine war, tumbling financial markets and a political backlash against the industry. The funds, which reflect a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, are also set to lag the performance of non-ESG funds for the first time in five years, data shows, after the fossil fuel shares they typically shun soared. Leaving money on the table and letting elderly priests go without or letting health care premiums to grow depleted is, well, kind of immoral. But hey, they've virtue-signaled with their woke but underperforming funds. And take their word for it: In a later interview, he observed: We havent had any dips in return. We havent had any problems that would say: OK, we zigged when we should have zagged. Which sounds a little sheepish. They seem to know that these wokester funds are risky to returns. Meanwhile, the Diocese finances appear to be in kind of crummy shape. Last May, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune: The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, under a siege of lawsuits from 438 people who say they were sexually abused by its clergy in past decades, said it plans to file for bankruptcy protection in November. Such a move, spelled out in court papers filed this week and in a hearing in San Diego Superior Court Thursday, would halt all lawsuits against the diocese until the bankruptcy is complete and a universal settlement of all the claims is reached through the bankruptcy process. The diocese, which includes 96 parishes and serves some 1.3 million Roman Catholics in San Diego and Imperial counties, had said in February it was pondering filing for bankruptcy and would likely make a decision by late spring. It would mark the dioceses second time filing for bankruptcy. It did so in 2007, eventually settling 148 claims of sexual abuse for $198 million. The statements this week left no doubt that the diocese will seek protection under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code, which gives debtors time to reorganize their businesses, resolve debts and then restart their operation. I haven't seen any news reports confirming that they did, but it's possible the press wasn't paying attention. Even if they found a way out of this, their finances are going to be depleted by these derelictions of duty. With that the case, they ought to be seeking the best returns possible on the investments they have in order to meet their financial commitments. That they aren't -- and they have even hired a climate czar -- at what is undoubtedly a six-figure salary, given this woman's background in ritzy Coronado and in various six-figure government sinecures, is a sign of irresponsible decision-making. And in July 2022, the diocese became perhaps the first in the nation to hire a full-time climate-change fighter. But when Christina Bagaglio Slentz of Coronado began work as associate director for Creation Care Ministry under the diocesan Office for Life, Peace and Justice, the naysayers came out of the woodwork. Her salary, she says, comes from an anonymous billionaire, not church funds, and is good for a period of five years. In other words, someone wanted to get "his people" ensconced in the Catholic Church, this wasn't poor people donating their pennies to build a giant Jesus statue in Rio, it was a secretive moneybags paying for what he wants the Church to do for him, so she's not going to do anything to counter his radical agenda. It sounds like a recipe for attacking those who don't buy into the global warming garbage, and for losing money in the process. Get woke, go broke. Then raise funds from the parishioners. It calls to mind something I heard back when I took stock investing lessons at Investor's Business Daily, the real pros who understood the industry. In one lesson, our instructor encouraged us to rely on tangible evidence, hard rules and "doing our homework" to make good investment decisions. He didn't want investors to close their eyes, cross their fingers, and pray their stock investment would work out. "Don't bother God about this," he said, only half in jest. "God does not care what is in your stock portfolio." Which when you think about it, sounds about right. Too bad the doofuses at the diocese don't understand this. The mainstream media is assiduously ignoring a fascinating story: German farmers are doing what Dutch farmers did last year; namely, rising up in a massive protest against their countrys globalist, climate change policies. With luck, these protests will have the same outcome, which was a massive shift to conservativism in the Dutch government during the last election. Modern Germany is, in some ways, a very weird country thanks to the legacy of WWII. Its citizens have grown up in the shadow of their collective guilt for the Holocaust, along with the 80 million or so other deaths the Nazi war sparked. They are, in many ways, a very self-apologetic, self-loathing people. In part to make up for their collapsing birth rate and in part to atone for their sins in the 1930s and 1940s, Germany has been inviting Muslims in since the 1960s, starting with relatively Westernized Turks and now including barely civilized Middle Easterners and Afghanis. Theyve always seemed blind to the irony of atoning for the Holocaust by inviting in the only people who hate Jews more than the Nazis did. Most common immigrant in Germany pic.twitter.com/suMQjlspir Epic Maps (@Locati0ns) January 13, 2024 This dichotomy means that Germany has two weird trends currently happening. On the one hand, thanks to the increasing Islamization of Germany, theres rising antisemitism. On the other hand, Germany is one of the few nations outside of the U.S. that is standing with Israel now that South Africa (a genocidally anti-white nation) has charged Israel with genocide for fighting back against the Hamas forces that have as their stated goal the death of all Jews. Yes, its factually confusing, although morally quite clear. The other thing thats weird about Germany is its leftism. Despite electing allegedly center-right governments over the years, Germany is, in fact, a socialist nation, a legacy that goes all the way back to Otto von Bismarck in the 1880s. It was Germanys long socialist legacy, incidentally, that helped seed the genocidal antisemitism that eventually overtook it, given that Marx himself was a virulent antisemite. Despite its long history of socialism, which tends to leech away ambition, initiative, and any work ethic, the German character, one that predates socialism by almost two thousand years, is a hard-working, disciplined one. Even the post-war years havent managed to change that. Thats why Germany became the economic powerhouse of the European Union. Germans work hard and do things well. And despite the guilt of the Holocaust, the rural areas, like all rural areas in Europe, remain nationalistthat is, theyre not maddened killers, but they love their country and their ancient identity. All of the above brings us to the protests that the MSM has refused to cover. Breitbart reports: Farmers brought Germany to a standstill with Dutch-style tractor protests throughout the country on Monday in response to globalist policies of the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which they claim threaten the very existence of the agriculture industry. Farmers groups launched their planned week-long action to protest against the leftist coalition governments plans to increase taxes on diesel fuel and eliminate the car tax exemption for farmers in addition to making deep cuts on the subsidies for the farming sector. The proposed tax increases and funding cuts came as the government attempted to fill a 17-billion-euro ($18.6-billion) hole in the budget for 2024. Although the government was willing to seek to raise more money off the backs of German farmers, it was not willing to make any cuts in aid to Ukraine, which is set to double to eight billion euros this year. The weeklong protests have reached their conclusion, but its worthwhile viewing the epic photos and videos, and contemplating whether this marks another nation thats going to see its rural citizens roused enough to overthrow the dominance of global urban areas: The German farmers have successfully blocked dozens of highways with the help of the German truckers. This is my view up on a tractor on the A2 - Europes busiest highway. Im blown away. History in the making. pic.twitter.com/td4XkNACQf Eva Vlaardingerbroek (@EvaVlaar) January 8, 2024 Farmers in Germany have released the sheep to protest. Let the politicians deal with the animals. Hehe folllow us to support the movement and for updates on the field pic.twitter.com/IlIIxyZNTM RestoringOurCulture (@Migrants5O73250) January 13, 2024 Germany: Sixth day of farmers' protest The whole country has been collapsing for six days, and since yesterday doctors, teachers and children have been actively joining the protest pic.twitter.com/66TQOhJvDa S p r i n t e r (@Sprinter99800) January 13, 2024 Germany Resists Normal everyday people resisting Evil Tyranny is beautiful. pic.twitter.com/YMFxiSn4YY Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) January 13, 2024 IT'S HAPPENING Absolutely HUGE convoy of tractors protesting in Germany. The farmers are protesting for the 5th day in a row. SHARE - The media isn't showing you this pic.twitter.com/Dkb0Z7jPMn PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) January 12, 2024 INCREDIBLE SCENES The people of Germany are SUPPORTING the farmers. Gas station employees are handing out food and coffee in solidarity with the protesters. SUPPORT THE FARMERSpic.twitter.com/x0O7lmJ59u PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) January 12, 2024 Image: X screen grab. President Trump was ridiculed recently for saying that he believed negotiations could have prevented the Civil War: During the interview with Salena Zito of the conservative Washington Examiner, Mr Trump questioned why the country could not have solved the issues between the north and south, rather than embarking on four years of brutal fighting that resulted in more deaths than those in World War I and World War II combined. People dont realise, you know, the Civil War, if you think about it, why, he said. People dont ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out? Oh, really? Couldn't the war have been prevented if Democrats had been willing to negotiate to end slavery? Why were the Democrats so obstinate? That seems like logical thinking to me. This is actually quite a pattern with his ridiculers. When Trump said this: Experts at Harvard, and elsewhere ridiculed Trump for pulling away from the Iran deal. I would ask them how the Iran deal and higher oil prices have made the Mideast and World safer? I would think that the logical treatment of a country like Iran, which spreads terrorism around the World and pledges death to America and Israel, would be to cut them off, not to feed them with money. In response, the national security, nuclear, and regional experts at Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, who have been assessing the Iran nuclear situation for years Trump was right again. After all, wouldn't it also be likely that Hamas would not have had money and weapons to attack Israel if Obama, Biden, and European countries hadn't worked so hard to get Iran hundreds of billions if they just promised to behave? There also was this: Leaving the Paris Agreement Is a Bad Deal for the United States Trumps plan to quit the accord would provide serious cover for major emitters like China and India. But once again, Trump was right. The Paris climate accord, which was never presented to Congress, would greatly weaken the U.S. while allowing China and India to pollute as they pleased but, somehow, Trump was chastised for pulling out. Besides, there is no scientific data that shows that the agreement would affect the temperature. When Trump told Germany that it was dangerous to depend on Russia for their energy, we saw the same thing: Trump was clearly smarter than they were. Now, they are learning the hard way what happens when you give the very nation NATO was set up to oppose the power to cut off your energy. Remember how they ridiculed Trump for firing now-former FBI Director James Comey? They spied on my campaign: How Trump transformed a conspiracy theory into a political rallying cry They should instead have ridiculed Comey for illegally spying on people surrounding Trump and lying to the FISA court. Comey deserved to be fired. The same could be said of Russiagate: No, Russiagate Wasnt the Hoax That Team Trump Claims It Was It was a hoax, no matter how much the media lied. When Trump wanted China and the Wuhan lab investigated as the cause of COVID, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the media, and others colluded to lie to the public that it was a disproven conspiracy. When Trump finally kept the promise to move the U.S. embassy in Israel, it was somehow called controversial. And when he brought peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, all they could do was cry chicken little. When Trump and others promoted drill, drill, drill as part of their energy policy, Trump and his coevals were ridiculed, too. 5 Reasons Why the United States Cant Drill Its Way to Energy Independence The solution to high energy prices is a swift and urgent transition to clean energynot further reliance on dirty fuels controlled by dictators and profiteering oil corporations. But U.S. oil independence, which Trump showed was perfectly possible, not only happened but kept energy prices lower and the world safer. While Iran is funding terrorists to cause massive problems in the Mideast, Russia is destroying Ukraine, China is building up its military and threatening Taiwan, North Korea is threatening its neighbors, and the Mexican cartels are destroying America with massive illegal immigration and drugs, the Biden administration says the greatest existential threat is a few degrees temperature rise. And the media cheers that the adults are back in the room. Career bureaucrats sure didnt want Trumps Mideast peace accords to succeed because they were amateurs. No matter what Biden and Harris say or do, there will never be a headline in which they are ridiculed because the media don't care! Guess who looks stupid? Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License The Samsung Galaxy S24 family of devices is just around the corner as Samsung prepares for the official unveiling at Unpacked on January 17, and with just a few days left before the event weve got some exclusive leaks of official Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Ultra promo images that showcase some tantalizing camera and AI details. Samsung seems to be going all-in with AI this year and will incorporate fresh AI features to help enhance the user experience. Galaxy AI is here one image reads. This suggests that Galaxy AI will be the official name, however, we wont know for sure until Samsung reveals everything next week. That being said, if Galaxy AI is the focal point of one of the promo images, its a safe bet that AI will play a big role in what these devices can do. More to the point, AI appears to be at the very core of what makes these devices more special. Advertisement Advertisement If youre familiar with Googles latest Pixel devices, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, then youre aware that AI is a very big part of each device. Moreso than past Pixel phones Its a huge selling point for Google, and the AI-based camera features are the biggest part of that. Its unclear if Samsung will be baking AI into its cameras more than other parts of these devices, but based on the promo images, Samsung may be following Googles lead and beefing up the camera with lots of AI magic. Galaxy S24 promo leaks suggest AI camera feature to move or delete objects One of the more exciting AI camera features in the Pixel 8 series was the ability to move, shrink, and completely delete objects from a photo in post-processing. It appears that Samsung will be giving the Galaxy S24 series the same capabilities. In one of the images in the gallery above, you can see a person on a BMX bike riding up a ramp. With the power of an AI-based generate button, the person in the image is moved to show them in the air as opposed to just barely touching down on the ramp edge. This makes for a more exciting shot. Advertisement You can also see a box around the rider, with anchor points for shrinking and rotating the subject prior to hitting the generate button. So it seems users will have a decent amount of control in adjusting subjects to get a better outcome for photos. To be clear, Samsung teased this feature in one of its promo videos about Unpacked. So there was already a hint this was coming. But the leaked image actually shows what the camera UI will look like if you use the feature. Camera details confirmed: 200MP wide-angle lens, 2x Optical Quality Zoom, & more Some of these camera specs have been leaked or rumored before. So this isnt the first time weve heard about them. But this does appear to be the first time that actual details are showing up in a promo image. Two leaked images confirm the specs. One for the Galaxy S24 and one for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Advertisement Starting with the Galaxy S24, itll feature a 12MP selfie camera on the front. Which is essentially the same as last years Galaxy S23. However, Samsung could be using a new sensor here. There will most certainly be some AI features the selfie camera can use now too. For the main camera setup on the back, the Galaxy S24 will have a 10MP camera with 3x Optical Zoom, a 50MP wide-angle lens camera with 2x Optical Quality Zoom, and a 12MP Ultra Wide lens camera. Last years Galaxy S23 had a 10MP camera as well, and it provided the telephoto lens capabilities. So the 10MP camera on the Galaxy S24 may also be a telephoto lens. The Galaxy S24 Ultra bumps things up with a fourth camera on the back. The 10MP camera looks to be the same as on the regular Galaxy S24. The 12MP Ultra Wide camera looks the same as well. Where things get interesting is with the 50MP camera. This camera on the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses 5x Optical Zoom instead of 3x Optical Zoom. It also adds 10x Optical Quality Zoom. As for the fourth camera, this is the 200MP wide-angle lens and it features 2x Optical Quality Zoom. Then, of course, theres the 12MP selfie camera on the front. Advertisement In terms of camera specs, theres still some information that isnt confirmed. Such as whether or not these are the actual same sensor hardware from last year. Still, its nice to know what youre working with if you plan to upgrade to these. And the inclusion of AI features is sure to make for some more exciting images. Samsung will adopt Googles update strategy of 7 years of updates In addition to the promo images, a few more leaked details showcase Samsungs commitment to its flagship devices. For starters, Samsung will be adopting Googles update strategy launched with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. This means that if you buy a Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, or Galaxy S24 Ultra, youll get updates for 7 years. Presumably, this means not just security updates, but updates with new features and updates for the OS version of Android. This is a big deal. Because with Samsung onboard, other smaller or less popular OEMs may adopt the same strategy for updates going forward. Advertisement The leak also mentions that Galaxy AI features will be free of charge until at least 2025 on supported Galaxy devices. This suggests that Samsung may be looking to charge for some features. And that would be a strange move considering Google isnt charging for any of theirs. But, well have to wait and see if Samsungs plan is to charge for more advanced features or if it ends up looping all of them in under a subscription or one-time fee of some sort. Lastly, it seems that some AI features will require the user to login with their Samsung account credentials. Its unclear what features might require this, however. Under the tagline Galaxy AI, Samsung aims to elevate the user experience by integrating AI-technologies seamlessly into the upcoming Galaxy S24 series devices. Some previous rumors have already hinted at real-time call translation and advanced photo editing features of the upcoming flagship series from Samsung. Leaker Ahmed Qwaider sheds light on a distinctive feature called Circle Search, hinting at an innovative way to interact with photos. The leaked information suggests users will have the ability to search for items in a photo simply by drawing a circle around them. Advertisement Advertisement Moreover, insights from another reliable leaker, Alvin, indicate that Samsung is integrating Galaxy AI deeply into essential applications like Samsung Keyboard and Samsung Notes. One of the AI features in Samsung Keyboard is tone detection and conversion into a different tone. According to the rumor, Samsung Keyboard will recognize five different tones including professional, casual, and one that involves the use of emojis. The rumored capabilities seem to be compelling enough to entice users to switch from other popular keyboards, such as Gboard. This suggests that the Galaxy S24 series aims not only for technical prowess but also strives to offer a more intuitive and efficient user interface. Galaxy AI in the Galaxy S24 Ultra will also make it easier to convert handwritten notes made with the S Pen One of the standout AI features of Samsungs upcoming flagship is the ability of the new phones to summarize webpages, providing users with a quick overview. Additionally, the devices are rumored to be capable of detecting the tone of written text and offering users the option to edit it to match a specific tone, be it professional or casual. These features highlight Samsungs commitment to leveraging AI for enhancing communication and productivity. Advertisement The leaks also suggest that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will take advantage of AI in converting handwritten notes made with the S Pen into various formats, such as a professional email or a text invitation. This integration of AI into the S Pen functionality showcases Samsungs dedication to innovation across multiple aspects of the smartphone experience. As Samsung positions the Galaxy S24 series against competitors like the Pixel 8, known for its AI capabilities, the incorporation of these advanced features could give the Galaxy S24 a competitive edge. With reservations now open and the official announcement scheduled for January 17, tech enthusiasts eagerly await the unveiling of Samsungs latest flagship smartphones and the full spectrum of AI features they promise to deliver. Google shocked the tech world when it announced that the Pixel 8 phones will be supported for a whopping seven years. Were not just talking about software and security updates, this also means major OS upgrades. Well, it appears that Samsung is following in Googles shoes, as the upcoming Galaxy S24 phones could get software support for seven years. To put this into perspective, Android will run out of alphabetical letters before the Pixel 8 phones lose compatibility. This was a pretty big step for Google, as it previously supported its devices for three years. This was seen as a response to Samsung revamping its upgrade schedule to offer four major OS upgrades to its phones in five years of security updates back in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement The Galaxy S24 could get seven years of software support Fresh off of CES 2024, the Galaxy S24 is now at the center of attention for the tech world. These phones are meant to bring all the best hardware present on the market today. However, whats as important as its performance today is its performance down the road. Most people want their phones to be supported for a long time. This is especially true if theyre spending over $1,000 for them. Well, Samsung thought about this when it introduced five years of software support. However, according to a new leak, it appears that Samsung will support its devices for a whopping seven years. Whenever we talk about software support, we always have to differentiate between software updates and OS upgrades. Software updates usually refer to security patches and other minor updates. OS upgrades bring your phone to the next major version of Android. Well, it appears that Samsung is going to offer seven years of major OS upgrades. This means that the Galaxy S24 phones could receive updates up to Android version 21. This information has yet to be officially confirmed, but its still great to hear. The Galaxy S24 phones are set to be unveiled on January 17th. We dont expect too many hardware upgrades besides the latest and greatest Snapdragon and Exynos processors. However, Samsung is going to be prioritizing AI technology and incorporating that into the Galaxy experience. Sonys DualSense controller is perhaps the best controller Sony has ever released for a PlayStation console, and it appears it may have a v2 version in the works that comes with an extra accessory. A leaked product page from Best Buy Canada (the link is no longer live) as potted by X user @Lbabinz briefly showcased a listing for the new controller version, along with a short description of it. In that description, the DualSense controller was specifically referenced as a v2 version. It was also mentioned that it comes with a DualSense Charging Station. The charging station isnt included in the images. But if its coming directly from Sony, then theres a good chance that its the same one it released as a standalone accessory alongside the PlayStation 5 back in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement This accessory is a simple little stand that you can slot two controllers into. The description on the listing reads DualSense Charging Station (included) offers easy click-in charging. This is a pretty accurate description. As the controllers are very easy to click into the dock and juice them up. It also fits both the regular DualSense and the DualSense Edge. And Ive been able to fit my SCUF Reflex FPS onto it as well. The DualSense v2 Controller may cost more money Since this listing is from Best Buy Canada, the $89.99 price tag may not be what US consumers can expect to pay. Based on the conversion rate $89.99 CAD is only $67.06 USD. However, that might not be the final US price. The original DualSense is already $69.99 and it doesnt come with a charging station. You can buy the charging station separately though for $29.99, or in a bundle for $99.98. Taking that into consideration, its very possible the US will get this new controller version with the charging station included for $89.99 USD. With Sony choosing to keep the price the same. Advertisement This is speculation, of course. But if that is the route Sony takes, it would be about $10 cheaper than buying the current DualSense and charging station separately. Another possibility is that Sony is just throwing the charging station in for free here with this new version. A current DualSense (or v1 version if you will) is $89.99 CAD in Canada whereas its $69.99 USD in the US. Going off of these prices for the current models, Sony may be looking to release the v2 version with the charging station as a freebie. It would certainly be a consumer-friendly move. And one that we hope Sony makes. Other than the charging station, nothing else seems to be different about this controller. As noted by Wccftech, the listing mentioning the charging station might also be a mistake by Best Buy Canada. Gov. Gavin Newsom visits a homeless encampment on 19th Street in San Francisco on Aug. 27, 2021. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Urged on by Democrats across the Western U.S., the Supreme Court agreed Friday to hear a case that could dramatically change how far San Francisco and other cities across the country can go when it comes to clearing and removing homeless camps from their streets. But should Democrats be careful what they ask for? Even though top Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the court to hear the case, unintended consequences could emerge. Given the courts conservative majority, will they regret asking a court that rescinded the constitutional right to an abortion to take the reins on how to police a vulnerable community? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some say they had little choice but to turn to the courts. The case involves the city of Grants Pass, Ore., about 30 miles north of the California border. The city is asking the court to let city officials clear homeless tent encampments after lower courts blocked them from doing so. Newsom, along with leaders of more liberal cities like Seattle, San Diego and Honolulu, joined conservative organizations and politicians in asking the court to hear the case. The conservative justices who form the minority of the 9th Circuit, which set the rules currently in place, have also made it clear they want the Supreme Court to intervene. This cast of strange political bedfellows share a common goal: They are frustrated with court rulings, including in the Grants Pass case, that prohibit city and state governments from sweeping encampments. But putting the issue before the Supreme Courts 6-3 conservative majority, stocked with three justices appointed by Donald Trump, could lead to unexpected consequences. The case will test how far the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment goes. The 9th Circuit has ruled that punishing people who are involuntarily homeless violates that ban. Could the court use this case to take an ax to those protections, and enable behaviors far beyond how cities treat the homeless? For example, if the court weakened the Eighth Amendment, would that make it easier to torture people? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Democrats and all of us should be concerned about the Supreme Court taking the case, Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, told me Friday. There is reason for what it will mean for those unhoused and for it will mean for the Eighth Amendment. Chemerinsky doesnt think the courts ruling will implicate torture or capital punishment or length of sentences. I think it is about the ability to punish a status, behavior where a person does not have a choice. I fear the Court will weaken that aspect of Eighth Amendment protections. Given that the Supreme Court reverses lower courts 75% to 80% of the time, Chemerinsky said that alone predicts that the Court is more likely to reverse than to affirm the Ninth Circuit. That will empower local governments, which is why many local governments urged the Supreme Court to take this case, he said. But I think it will be bad for the people of the state. It is wrong to make being homeless a crime or (as in the Grants Pass case) to have blankets or cardboard to keep warm if a person has no place to sleep. Everyone must sleep, and to make it a crime to sleep in public should be regarded as cruel and unusual punishment. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu told me Friday that cities like his had little choice but to turn to the courts for clarification about what they can do. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Progressive cities throughout the West Coast all support judicial review of this case that has hamstrung our ability to grapple with the homelessness crisis, which Fox News and Donald Trump love to highlight, Chiu said. The Grants Pass case has left our cities without the necessary tools to address homelessness and keep our streets safe and accessible, he said. Newsom has been among the most vocal Democrats who have asked the court to clarify what cities can do, filing an amicus brief in September. He has said that he doesnt think that municipalities should criminalize homeless individuals for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go within that citys boundaries. On Friday, Newsom expressed hope that the Supreme Court could provide clarity to municipalities. And he didnt express concern that it could go further in a more dangerous direction. California has invested billions to address homelessness, but rulings from the bench have tied the hands of state and local governments to address this issue, Newsom said Friday. The Supreme Court can now correct course and end the costly delays from lawsuits that have plagued our efforts to clear encampments and deliver services to those in need. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has not filed an amicus brief in this case. But on Friday he, too, sought clarity from a court with which he often battles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has taken the case, my hope is that they strike an appropriate balance of humane and compassionate treatment of people experiencing homelessness, on the one hand, and allowing cities to ensure public health and safety in public spaces, on the other, Bonta said in a statement. That echoes concerns that Bonta has expressed about the courts deciding homeless policy. Last year at a Voice of San Diego event, Bonta said that while he understood the frustrations of cities like San Francisco, I dont want us to move the pendulum too far the other way. We cannot make being homeless criminal and be punitive and be inhumane about it, Bonta said. We must always maintain our humanity and compassion and provide opportunities for shelter for those on the street. And then, if after that, folks are voluntarily electing not to accept (shelter), then enforcement can be part of the actions of the cities after that. But it remains bizarre to see Newsom and Bonta, who have accused the court of a lack of humanity and compassion when it comes to abortion and gun control, remain hopeful it can summon those qualities in this case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It will likely raise more concerns among Democrats that Assembly GOP Leader James Gallagher expressed confidence Friday in the way the conservative court will approach the issue. I am confident the Supreme Court will agree there is no right to vagrancy and to fill our parks and sidewalks with trash, needles and human waste, Gallagher said. Now that the case is in the hands of the court, anything could happen, said UC Davis law professor Chris Elmendorf, an expert on housing policy. Its possible that the court would reverse it without changing much of anything about the rest of the Eighth Amendment. And its possible the court would do something else that could have broader implications, Elmendorf told me Friday. That, he said, points to the larger issue: To what extent should homeless policy be delegated to judges who are appointed for life, some of whom are extremely conservative and others who are extremely progressive, and none of whom are politically accountable? Municipalities havent been good at developing homeless or housing policies, Elmendorf said, but many are trying. Britain has welcomed the presidential election in Taiwan which saw the pro-sovereignty candidate triumph in a result bound to anger China. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron gave his warm congratulations to victor Lai Ching-te, who vowed to safeguard the islands de-facto independence from Beijing. Lord Cameron said he hoped that China and Taiwan would double down on efforts to resolve differences peacefully through constructive dialogue. Congratulations to my friend Vice President @ChingteLai on his victory in Taiwans Presidential election. It is vital that this democracy on the frontier of freedom thrives. We must do all we can to ensure Taiwan is able to defend itself. pic.twitter.com/DS8IbaY9Hd Liz Truss (@trussliz) January 13, 2024 Mr Lai, the current vice-president, has been described as a troublemaker by Beijing because of his support for independence. China, which claims Taiwan as its own, had portrayed the election as the choice between war and peace. His victory secures an unprecedented third successive term for the Democratic Progressive Party. Lord Cameron said the elections were testament to Taiwans vibrant democracy. I offer warm congratulations to the people of Taiwan on the smooth conduct of those elections and to Dr Lai Ching-te and his party on his election, he said. I hope that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will renew efforts to resolve differences peacefully through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. Conservative former prime minister Liz Truss also congratulated Mr Lai, adding: We must do all we can to ensure Taiwan is able to defend itself. Britain tells Iran to cease and desist after strikes on Tehran-backed Houthis Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has told Iran to urge its allies to cease and desist after Britain joined the US in launching airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Mr Shapps warned on Friday that the world is running out of patience with Tehrans destabilising activities, calling for it to be clearer with its many proxies in the Middle East. Overnight on Thursday, the UK and the US bombed military facilities used by the Houthis in response to the militants attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Hamas-backing Houthis claim they are targeting vessels linked to Israel in one of the worlds busiest shipping routes over the war in Gaza. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted Britain and the US acted in self-defence and that allies would not hesitate to ensure the safety of commercial shipping. But some experts warned the strikes raised the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East, as a group gathered outside the UK embassy in Tehran to burn the flags of Britain, the US and Israel. The Houthis Supreme Political Council threatened in a statement that all American-British interests have become legitimate targets for the Yemeni armed forces. They called the airstrikes a direct and declared aggression against the Republic of Yemen and labelled the UK and the US aggressors. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report of a missile attack 90 miles off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Friday afternoon. The Royal Navy initiative that provides information on security incidents to shipping operators said the missile landed between 400-500 metres away from the ship. Followed by three craft, it was unclear what nationality the ship was flagged with. No injuries or damage were reported, as vessels were advised to transit with caution. There were also reports of a suspicious approach by small boats south east of Aden. (PA Graphics) In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Shapps said that Iran has an important part to play in de-escalating tensions. Asked his message to Tehran, he said: You must get the Houthi rebels, others who are acting as proxies for you, Lebanese Hezbollah are obvious examples, (and) some in Iraq and Syria, you must get these different organisations to cease and desist because we are, the world is, running out of patience. We see you, we see through what youre doing. We see how youre doing it, particularly the Houthi rebels, and no good can come from it. He argued that the UK was acting in self-defence because of the threat to container ships and because of HMS Diamond being targeted by a drone last month. Iran has an important part to play here and needs to understand that it needs to be clearer with its many proxies in the region that no good can come from this and everyone loses if they carry on going down this track, he said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) was assessing what effect the strikes had on limiting the Houthis ability to carry out more raids. Early on Saturday, the US struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that they determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk. US Central Command said the follow-on action against a Houthi radar site was conducted by the Navy destroyer USS Carney using Tomahawk land attack missiles. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron warned that allies would do what is necessary to protect maritime freedom of navigation and important maritime pathways. He told NBC that the very clear message was that if you act in this way there arent just warnings there are consequences. (PA Graphics) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will make a statement to MPs on Monday about the strikes amid calls for greater consultation in Parliament. Downing Street said that the strikes against the Houthis may not immediately make the Red Sea safer for commercial shipping, but in the longer term would have a positive effect. A senior US military official said nearly 30 sites were struck in Yemen. Four Royal Air Force jets struck two Houthi facilities involved in their targeting of HMS Diamond and US Navy vessels on Tuesday, the MoD said. Migrants crossing the English Channel have been reported for the first time in 2024. Arrivals have not been recorded since December 16, according to Home Office figures, with poor weather conditions potentially contributing to the lack of activity at sea. On Saturday morning, a group of people believed to be migrants were brought to shore in Dover, Kent. They were seen arriving in a Border Force vessel. Previously there were 26 days of no crossings to the UK recorded up until January 11. A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA) This was the longest gap in small boat arrivals for five years. The provisional annual total for 2023, 29,437, is 36% lower than the record 45,774 crossings for the whole of 2022. It is still the second highest annual total on record, above the figure for 2021 (28,526). Labours shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said: The Prime Minister and Home Secretary spent the festive period crowing about their small boats policies, but this proves what experts said the whole time. The pause in crossings had nothing to do with them and everything to do with the wet, windy weather. Next week, instead of focusing all their efforts on the sensible interventions we know will work, like Labours plan to smash the criminal smuggling gangs and speed up returns, they will once again spend their time fighting with each other over their failing and extortionate Rwanda plan. We know the Tories have already pledged to give up to 400 million to the Rwandan government without a single person being removed to the country. Its time they stopped wasting taxpayers money and get on with the hard work needed to stop the small boat crossings. Liberty Poole has said hopefully, on my end, theres no bad blood and itll be civil if she meets Jake Cornish on Love Island: All Stars. The pair met during the seventh series in 2021 but called time on their romance just before the final and left the villa early. However, due to the contestants being kept away from social media in preparation for the ITV2 series launching on Monday, Poole and Cornish are not aware they are both in the villa. During a press call, Poole said: Obviously, I havent seen him in, gosh, it must be like, over two years (and) since I left the villa, like, I havent really spoken to him, or kept in contact at all. But obviously, theres no bad blood. For me, that was a relationship three years ago or something, and Ive dated other people since that, and so its not really like there hasnt been anyone else since him. So I think if I see him, hopefully, on my end, theres no bad blood and itll be civil and fingers crossed. I dont regret how my journey went last time, like I walked out because that was what was right for me and I havent regretted doing that at all. On her original stint, Poole broke down in tears as she questioned their suitability for each other and then ended it after their final date. The 24-year-old TV personality, from Birmingham, said she has said all she needs to say to Cornish about their romance and wants him to find love in the villa. Cornish said he could probably put my mortgage on that shell be in there and he has no plan on what he will say to her. Love Island finished and (I) kind of just went one way, (she) went the other (way) and that was it, he added. Personal trainer Cornish, 26, also said he would follow his own pace this time and not feel rushed. Poole also said that if anyone plays games this time around, then the public is so smart that theyd see just straight through it anyway. Im hoping that people are going in now with genuine intentions, she added. I dont want to get hurt again so fingers crossed, everyone in there is genuine. Thousands demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza at London pro-Palestinian march Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets of London on Saturday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Around 1,700 police officers patrolled the capital as the march made its way to Parliament Square, arresting a total of nine people. Three people were arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, by distributing leaflets. There were three arrests for inciting racial hatred one related to a placard and two for chanting while there were a further two arrests for racially aggravated public order offences. A ninth arrest was made for possession of stickers to be used for criminal damage. Thousands of people took part in the march (Lucy North/PA) The protest, part of a global day of action involving 30 countries, came after the UK and US carried out air strikes against Houthi bases in Yemen. The Iran-backed rebel group has repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea in the wake of Israels war against Hamas following the October 7 attack. Several protesters made references to the military action, with one man holding a placard claiming the UK and US want war and that Yemen supports Palestine, while one speaker told crowds at Parliament Square that RAF planes were flying where they do not belong. Demonstrators demanded an immediate ceasefire (Jamie Lashmar/PA) Other speakers at the packed event included former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the president of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald, who called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Ms McDonald told crowds that Palestinian freedom was possible, saying: When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, (having) walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen. This must happen and we will ensure that it does. More than 1,700 police officers were present (Lucy North/PA) Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, accused the British Government of complicity with Israel. He said Palestine was a nation of freedom fighters, saying: I stand before you with a broken heart, but not a broken spirit. Mr Zomlot congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UNs International Court of Justice. The protesters called for an immediate ceasefire (Lucy North/PA) The seventh National March for Palestine also featured an appearance by Little Amal, a giant puppet of a Syrian child refugee, which joined a group of Palestinian children. The 3.5-metre (around 11.5ft) puppet became an international symbol of human rights after it journeyed 5,000 miles from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021. Speaking before the march, Home Secretary James Cleverly said he had been briefed by the Mets commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to ensure order and safety during the protest. The Salesforce building known as Salesforce East at 350 Mission St. in San Francisco. Yelp has put the space up for sublease. Michael Short/Special to the Chronicle Yelp Inc. made drastic changes to its San Francisco real estate footprint in 2021 when it relocated its corporate headquarters on New Montgomery Street into a nearby office roughly one-fourth the size. Now the business review site is further shrinking its office space. About 18,000 of Yelps new, 53,000-square-foot office at 350 Mission St. is up for sublease. S.F. Bay Area property map: Heres who owns every building in the region Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a fully remote organization, we regularly evaluate our footprint to align with the needs of our business and have put a portion of our San Francisco office at 350 Mission St. on the sublease market, a company spokesperson confirmed in an email to the Chronicle on Friday. The recent listing at a building owned by Salesforce Inc. means that in just three years, Yelp has sought to reduce its office space in San Francisco by 78%. While the move is not entirely surprising given that Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman said in a 2022 blog post that the future of work is remote, its another small blow to San Franciscos struggling commercial real estate market. The citys office space vacancy rate skyrocketed from the single digits in the months leading up to when the pandemic first shuttered downtown San Francisco in March 2020 to 35.9% at the end of 2023. The space at 350 Mission is also Yelps last remaining office in the United States: In 2022 the company closed its offices in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., and the following year it shuttered its offices in Phoenix and in Hamburg, Germany, as well. Along with its shrunken San Francisco headquarters, Yelps remaining offices are in London and Toronto. As we continue to embrace a fully remote workplace and design the future of remote work at Yelp, we plan to re-allocate resources towards our employee experience, new talent, and the growth of our business, Stoppelman said in his 2021 blog post. Additionally, our in-person gatherings will continue to evolve as we reimagine the long-held paradigms around work. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After office-based employees were cleared to return to physical offices in the wake of the pandemic, Yelp gave its employees the option to return to its offices, but many did not. Stoppelman said in 2021 that globally, only about 1% of the companys workforce chose to use its offices on a daily basis. Yelps office space reduction in recent years is significant, but it is not the only company to give up space in San Francisco as a result of remote work. While several significant new office leases in San Francisco have been signed recently including artificial intelligence firm OpenAIs roughly 445,000-square-foot lease in Mission Bay, signed in October many San Francisco companies continue to shed space. Also this week, global design agency AKQA listed 67,000 square feet of its 114,839-square-foot San Francisco office at 360 Third St. on the sublease market. Over the past few years, weve transitioned to a hybrid model, which makes such a large office space unnecessary, a spokesperson for AKQA said in an email on Friday. Our commitment to flexibility not only meets the needs of our employees in todays dynamic environment but also fosters innovation and collaboration in a more adaptable work setting. Thousands of people have marched through Dublin city centre in a protest against Israels military operations in Gaza. The Pro-Palestinian march began at around 1.30pm from the Garden of Remembrance and proceeded along the citys main thoroughfare OConnell Street before arriving outside the Department of Foreign Affairs. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held placards critical of the Irish, US and Israeli governments. Protesters from the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (Brian Lawless/PA) Demonstrators accused Israel of committing genocide as they chanted free, free Palestine and from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Participants variously called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland and for the Irish government to support South Africas case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging that Israel is committing genocide. It is almost 100 days since Hamas gunmen launched an assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking about 240 hostages, to which Israeli military responded with air strikes and a ground offensive on Palestinian territory. Irelands main opposition parties, including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats, have called on the Government to endorse South Africas action. Protesters during a march in OConnell Street (Brian Lawless/PA) However, the Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said the Government does not intend to join the case. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which organised the rally, said the demonstration was part of an international day of action calling for an end to Israels operations in Gaza. The march is endorsed by dozens of Irish civil society organisations including trade unions, political parties and community groups. Protesters in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) Spokeswoman Betty Purcell told the PA news agency: Its a huge demonstration, it is the biggest one weve had so far. Weve been marching every Saturday. We need a ceasefire now but most of all we want to call out the Irish Government for its disgraceful refusal to support the South African case at the ICJ. They dont speak for the Irish people, not by any means. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign chairwoman Zoe Lawlor (Cillian Sherlock/PA) IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor said the demonstration was a total and utter rejection of Israels genocide. Ms Lawlor said: We are here today to express our outrage that this has been allowed, that world leaders have enabled, funded and green-lighted genocide and our Government has done absolutely nothing to stop it. The crowd booed and shouted shame at the Government while others joined chants calling for support of boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) actions against Israel. She added: The Palestinian people should be able to exist in a world without violence and oppression, to live in the ordinary, to live in freedom. Bernadette McAliskey addressing the demonstration (Cillian Sherlock/PA) Veteran Northern Irish civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey told the crowd that Palestine is the litmus test of our humanity. The 76-year-old activist said she had been standing up for the rights of Palestinians for more than 50 years. She called on Irish premier Leo Varadkar and deputy premier Micheal Martin, as well as Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald to boycott traditional St Patricks Day visits to Washington as she accused US president Joe Biden of enabling genocide. Who in their right mind and conscience, on the national day of a country that freed itself from oppression, would go to America and give the bastard a bunch of fecking shamrock? It is not much to ask. Weigh up the corpses of Gaza against a jolly in the United States. To applause, Ms McAliskey also encouraged the demonstrators not to give any preference vote to politicians who do travel to Washington. Protesters take part in a march organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign on OConnell Street (Brian Lawless/PA) Protesters of all ages, some wearing keffiyehs or waving South African flags, took part in the march through drizzly conditions in Dublin. Among them, Fiona Sullivan and Geraldine Lee travelled from Belfast in Northern Ireland to participate. Ms Sullivan said: Its an absolute disgrace whats going on, the world needs to show that were not going to accept it Geraldine Lee and Fiona Sullivan (right) travelled from Belfast to participate in the Dublin rally (Cillian Sherlock/PA) This is the little that we can do to show the people of Gaza and Palestine that the Irish people are 100% behind them whether our government is behind them or not we are. Ms Lee added: Theyre not in line with the public at all. The public have completely different ideas. The Government must not watch anything or see the children dying in Palestine. They dont understand whats going on I cant sleep thinking about it. UK charity workers have described the harrowing scenes inside the Gaza Strip. Staff from Humanity First UK, one of the first British NGOs (non-governmental organisations) to enter Gaza since the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas conflict almost 100 days ago, spent three days assessing the situation on the ground in Rafah City this week. Chairman of the charity, Aziz Hafiz, said it was difficult to describe the horror of the public health catastrophe in the region. Families in #Gaza search for safety where there is none. The Healthcare system on the brink of collapse. A #ceasefire is a matter of life and death.#VoicesForPeace pic.twitter.com/8sOpv4gJ2v Humanity First UK (@HumanityFirstUK) January 12, 2024 As a GP myself, its incredibly frustrating and upsetting to see so many people suffer from infections, skin conditions and injuries, without access to the most basic painkillers, antibiotics and dressings. Food supplies are extremely limited and famine looms especially in North Gaza, and as the winter draws in the internally displaced people (IDPs) face starvation and disease, Dr Hafiz said. The charity said it has established a number of infrastructure projects in the region in recent years, including water desalination plants and rooftop gardens. Osman Dean, head of emergency medical teams said the situation is becoming untenable. Chairman of the charity, Dr Aziz Hafiz, said it was difficult to describe the horror of the public health catastrophe going on in the region (Humanity First UK/PA) The scenes inside Gaza are harrowing. In Rafah, the situation is becoming untenable. In just the first few hours of visiting the multiple informal campsites, it was horrific to observe the plight of the IDPs. I was in complete shock, and my heart wept for the people of Gaza. No human being should be subjected to such suffering. Yousaf Aftab, director of fundraising for Humanity First UK, attended an informal IDP camp on the western side of Rafah. The mental health burden on the most vulnerable groups is unimaginable, he said. The lack of basic necessities is evident as I witness young people and children queuing for up to 4 hours for non-potable water. The psychological trauma will be felt for years to come. Israel began its military operation in the Gaza Strip, the smaller of the two Palestine territories, in response to Hamass deadly attacks on October 7. Just over two million people live in the densely populated area which has been under the control of Hamas since 2007. It is about 25 miles long and six miles wide, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt. UK volunteers who have sent almost 50 aid-filled ambulances to Ukraine have said they want to show civilians of the war-torn country theyre not alone as they prepare a further convoy amid another harsh winter of war. Daniel Whitehead, 51, told the PA news agency that the organisation, Medical Life Lines Ukraine, has sent 48 ambulances filled with aid, 21 generators and one all-terrain crane to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. As well as providing essential medical supplies and practical items, the group hands out smaller items like chocolate and sweets to children to provide a little ray of sunshine in the depths of winter. The volunteer-run organisation plans to drive four more ambulances to Ukraine in late January. Because its so cold, were going to be taking out a lot of cold weather gear, and clothes, thick coats, boots, were even going to be taking duvets and so on, Mr Whitehead told PA. (We want to show) Ukrainians that theyre not alone and that we care about them and were thinking about them. The group will be sending four ambulances to Ukraine in January (Medical Life Lines Ukraine/PA) The group of Medical Life Lines Ukraine volunteers have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds and liaises with pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies and hospitals across the UK to procure medical equipment and supplies. More than 40 volunteer drivers have taken on the task of driving across to Ukraine to deliver the ambulances and aid, which are distributed across the country. The most recent convoy set out in November with five ambulances sent to Avdiivka, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Zaporizhzhia. Mr Whitehead, the lead organiser and an assistant general counsel and director at Citibank, said: In the past weve taken everything from pots and pans to childrens toys, cuddly toys, nappies, sanitary ware. The group provides medical supplies and clothes as well as ambulances to Ukrainians (Medical Life Lines Ukraine/PA) We take a lot of medical equipment, so we have taken PPE, for example, but were also taking things like tubes that are disposable, for example, in the context of anaesthesia. We take a lot of crutches. They dont have enough crutches and crutches are often just used once and disposed of in the NHS, and we need to get our hands on as many of those as we can and transport them out. The group has received endless gratitude for the help it provides to Ukrainians, Mr Whitehead said. Its very, very touching. In fact, it brings tears to your eyes when you meet people, he said. Theres a possibility for small groups like ours, to have a direct impact and actually save lives, which is an incredibly powerful thing to be able to do. The group started their work in the immediate aftermath of Russias invasion. A lady who lives locally to me, Aliya Aralbayeva, decided that she was going to fundraise, buy an ambulance, fill it with aid, and get it to Ukraine, Mr Whitehead said. She reached out to her local WhatsApp groups and all the rest of it and very quickly raised a large amount of money and a lot of aid and was able to get first ambulance out to Ukraine. Since then, the group has continued to grow and receive in some cases, quite staggeringly large donations. Medical Life Lines Ukraine has provided a variety of supplies, including dog food (Medical Life Lines Ukraine/PA) Rishi Sunak announced a 2.5 billion military aid package for the coming year on Friday an increase of 200 million on the last two years which includes 18 million for humanitarian aid. Mr Whitehead, based in London, said: Im very pleased that the UK government continues to support Ukraine as so many people in the UK wish to do. Its important that as a society, we acknowledge not just that Ukraine has very significant, pressing and urgent military needs, but also huge humanitarian aid needs. Collage by Jennifer Algoo "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Typically the Emmy awards take place in September but due to the writer's strike, the delayed ceremony will air this coming Monday night. Even if the Golden Globes did just happen, we're excited to have so much red carpet glamor this early in 2024. And it's strange to think that the Emmy Awards weren't always as glamorous as they are now. For a while the ceremony's style felt a bit less put together....a bit VMA adjacent if you will. That's probably because television used to be not that big of a deal. But with the rise of prestige television and the golden age of the small screen came a major style shift. Now things are a little bit more serious and high fashion. Which is more than fine by us because it means we get to see stars like Elizabeth Olsen in The Row and Penelope Cruz in Chanel couture. Naturally, there are some looks that we are Bazaar will never forget. Ahead, 13 of our absolute favorites. Chloe Sevigny in Isaac Mizrahi, 2009 "I've never seen a Chloe Sevigny red carpet look I didn't absolutely loveand this one from the Emmys in 2019 is one of my absolute favorites. Polka dots get a bad rep sometimes (I blame the 2010s twee movement) but it's such a playful print that can still look so elegant when done right. This asymmetrical cut definitely helps elevate the pattern and makes the gown feels totally molded to her. And the gold sculptural brooch that gathers the material to her side just so makes her look like an actual floating goddess. Obsessed."Tara Gonzalez, Senior Fashion Editor Jeff Kravitz Zendaya in Vera Wang, 2019 "When I try explaining to a non-fashion person why Zendaya and Law Roach's red carpet partnership is so special, I turn to this Emmys look. The duo collaborated with Vera Wang Collection on an ivy green gown with a corseted bodice and slitted skirt, accented with diamond drop earrings and Old Hollywood waves. It's a look that serves up the fantasy and glamour we want from an awards season red carpet, without feeling conventional. Only a true fashion team could balance these elements and make it look effortless." Halie LeSavage, Fashion Commerce Editor Matt Winkelmeyer Blake Lively in Versace, 2009 "Blake Lively was deep in her Gossip Girl era when she wore this plunging Versace gown to the 2009 Emmy Awards. It's the kind of gown that didn't need much embellishment or over-accessorizing to stunand it's exactly what Serena van der Woodsen would have worn to crash a red carpet. Channeling her character really worked here." Halie LeSavage, Fashion Commerce Editor Gregg DeGuire Halle Berry, 2000 "Halle Berry's embrace of the naked dress has always been iconic but it was especially so at the Emmys in 2000. The way she embraces her sexiness on the red carpet is really powerful and she always manages to look so cool and relaxed--no heavy makeup, natural hair, and an easy, confident pose."Brooke Bobb, Fashion News Director Ron Galella, Ltd. Penelope Cruz in Chanel Haute Couture, 2018 "I recently spoke with Penelope Cruz about all of her Chanel red carpet moments and she told me she just has a "crush" on Chanel couture. I mean, who wouldn't? But I totally get what she means. Chanel is the kind of brand that makes you feel like a little girl in love again. And Cruz looks like an absolute vision in this Chanel couture number from 2018. She looks like a Swan come to life." Tara Gonzalez, Senior Fashion Editor Variety Calista Flockhart in Ralph Lauren, 1999 "I am an absolute sucker for any time a celebrity wears a white button-down shirt with slinky skirt to an awards show (hello Sharon Stone at the 1998 Oscars), so I loved Calista Flockhart's Ralph Lauren look from 1999. The menswear vibes on top balance out the hyper-feminine vibes on the bottom, and vice versait's a look that's never not cool."Izzy Grinspan, Digital Director Ron Galella Tracee Ellis Ross in Valentino Couture, 2018 "Tracee Ellis Ross looked like a walking pink orchid at the 2018 Emmys in Valentino couture. The color! The drama! Love it."Izzy Grinspan, Digital Director VALERIE MACON Elizabeth Olsen in The Row, 2021 "In 2021, Elizabeth Olsen wore a white caftan from The Row to the Emmys, and now I want to wear a white caftan from The Row to the Emmys. It's so simple, elegant, and serene."Izzy Grinspan, Digital Director Variety Emma Corrin in Miu Miu, 2021 "Nothing makes me feel more powerful than a fresh set of sharp acrylic nails. It's become a signature look of mine that I rarely see on the red carpet, which is why I so distinctly remember this Emma Corrin Miu Miu moment from two years ago. Of course their nails feel like a more exaggerated version of what someone like myself would typically wear, but they add some (literal) edge to this otherwise meek Miu Miu fit. As Corrin wrote on Instagram about the fit, it served crucible realness and I think that's a vibe more of us should aspire to channel." Tara Gonzalez, Senior Fashion Editor Dave Benett Mischa Barton in Oscar de La Renta, 2005 "In 2005, much like her Marissa Cooper character on The OC, Mischa Barton dazzled the scene at the 57th Annual Emmy Awards. Wearing an Oscar De La Renta spaghetti strap embellished slip gown, with swept back hair, she effortlessly embodied the California glamorous style that we so loved throughout the show." Jaclyn Alexandra Cohen, Senior Fashion and Accessories Editor Jon Kopaloff Tracee Ellis Ross in Alexandre Vaulthier, 2020 "The Emmys in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, with celebrities and viewers tuning in to the remotely filmed ceremony, was like no other. While guests were welcomed to dress down to the virtual event, Tracee Ellis Ross (who was nominated that year for her star role on Black-ish), captured our hearts and spirits in her Alexandre Vaulthier look that went above and beyond. Not even her matching face mask could take away from how fabulous this look and moment truly was."Jaclyn Alexandra Cohen, Senior Fashion and Accessories Editor instagram Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, 1991 "Over the years, there are countless memorable looks that the Olsen twins have graced the red carpet with, and when they stepped out in 1991 it set the tone that they werent afraid to express their personal style. Of course styles evolve, but theres something so iconic about these coordinated looks and the twin of it all!"Jaclyn Alexandra Cohen, Senior Fashion and Accessories Editor Ron Galella, Ltd. Jessica Biel in Ralph & Russo, 2018 "I was floored when Jessica wore this ethereal sculptural white strapless Ralph & Russo gown. I fell in love with the layering. Her hair, Harry Winston jewels, and make up was all just so perfect."Alicia Banilivy, Retail Credits Editor Variety You Might Also Like An internet-based propaganda campaign failed to convince voters in Taiwan to pick Beijings favorite presidential candidate Saturday, potentially showing the limits of Chinas ability to sow discord ahead of the 2024 U.S. election. Taiwans Vice President Lai Ching-te was elected president on Saturday, as voters ignored warnings from Beijing not to support a candidate it has called a separatist and a troublemaker, though his party did lose its legislative majority. Online propagandists targeted voters with falsehoods in the weeks and months ahead of Saturdays pivotal election, creating scores of fake accounts and promoting a fictional tell-all book slamming Taiwans outgoing president. Voters have been inundated with posts from fake social accounts that often disparage Taiwans outgoing president and democracy itself, analysts say, two frequent themes pushed by Chinas government. The online influence operation offered a sense of what the U.S. could be in for ahead of its November elections, said Lennon Chang, the acting director of Doublethink Lab, a nonprofit that aims to track and counter Chinese disinformation aimed at Taiwan. Taiwan has long been a test field for China in trying out different tactics, he said. These might be tactics that theyll use to manipulate or to disseminate messages. It isnt clear how much of an impact, if any, the propaganda had. Artificial pro-China messaging on social media sites often gets very little engagement online. Still, China-linked information operations have emerged in recent years as a serious threat. In November, Meta discovered a sprawling pro-China campaign that it described as the largest known cross-platform covert influence operation in the world, spanning more than 50 different platforms and websites. That campaign drew little attention or engagement. In an emailed statement, the spokesperson for Chinas embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, denied the country was behind any such activity and said that China respects the current social system of [the] Taiwan region. The so-called China-based online influence campaigns is clearly disinformation, he said. Taiwans election was in part a referendum on its appetite for eventually uniting with China. Outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, who is term-limited, is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is more in favor of independence than the Taiwans second major party, the Kuomintang. In December, the social media analytics firm Graphika published a report that found campaigns of fake social media accounts pushing anti-democracy messaging about Taiwans elections had started at least as early as May 2022. Those accounts often pretended to be real Taiwanese voters who commented on the news, often in favor of the Kuomintang and critical of the DPP. Taiwan People's Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je in Taipei on Jan. 11, 2024. (I-Hwa Cheng / AFP - Getty Images) Most of the accounts engaged in that behavior had little traction with users and were taken down last year. Still, pro-China information operations have persisted in recent weeks, even using artificial intelligence to create personas that promote the fake book about Tsai, Graphika analyst Libby Lange said in an emailed statement. The e-book, called The Secret History of Tsai Ing-wen, appeared online in recent weeks. Accounts that promoted the book have used AI-generated avatars in a series of accompanying videos a sign of how China-linked IO actors are leveraging AI technologies to produce deceptive content, Lange said. That book, published anonymously and viewed by NBC News, is hundreds of pages of salacious, unsubstantiated claims about Tsai, often aimed at denigrating her personal life and her family. Videos of people promoting the book have appeared on TikTok and YouTube, though by Friday it appeared the videos had been removed from those platforms. A Taipei Times investigation of the book found it first surfaced in December on the website Zenodo. The report cited a Taiwanese national security official who claimed that videos about the book, promoted by what they say were AI-created hosts, were initially shared hundreds of times a minute on social media. Spokespeople from YouTube, TikTok and Meta all of which are popular in Taiwan each told NBC News they have taken down fake accounts pushing such propaganda. Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te, his running mate Hisao Bi-khim and Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, center, at a rally on Jan. 11, 2024 in Taipei. (Annabelle Chih / Getty Images) A YouTube spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the company was working around the clock as we approach the Taiwanese elections and had removed a significant number of channels for violating our policies. As recently as Wednesday, China reiterated its long-standing stance that it would never compromise on its position that it has sovereignty over Taiwan and criticized the U.S. for arming the self-ruling democracy. Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office this week accused the DPP of potentially triggering confrontation and conflict if it retained the presidency. U.S. President Joe Biden said in 2022 that he would have U.S. troops defend Taiwan if China were to invade it. In a press call with reporters Wednesday, a senior White House official, who agreed to speak on the call under the condition she not be named, said that the U.S. was not formally endorsing a party in Taiwans elections but that it opposes any attempt to interfere in them. It is no secret, I think, that Beijing has views on the outcome of the election and is trying to shape and course in various different ways, the official said. Beijing will be the provocateur should it choose to respond with additional military pressure or coercion. The actor starred in the soap opera since 1970 NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Bill Hayes Bill Hayes, a longtime cast member on Days of Our Lives, has died. PEOPLE can confirm that the actor, born William Foster Hayes III, has died at the age of 98. It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved Bill Hayes. One of the longest-running characters on Days of our Lives, Bill originated the role of Doug Williams in 1970 and portrayed him continuously throughout his life, a rep for the television series told PEOPLE on Friday. Courtesy of Days of Our Lives/ JPI Studios Susan Seaforth Hayes, Bill Hayes He and his wife, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, remained the foundation of the Williams-Horton family spanning more than 50 years, the rep added. Courtesy of Days of Our Lives/ JPI Studios Bill Hayes Days of Our Lives executive producer Ken Corday said, I have known Bill for most of my life and he embodied the heart and soul of Days of our Lives. Although we are grieving and will miss him, Bills indelible legacy will live on in our hearts and the stories we tell, both on and off the screen. The Harvey, Illinois-born talent celebrated his 98th birthday on the set of the Peacock soap opera last summer. His costars marked the special occasion with a personalized cake featuring a photo of him in his younger years. Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024 Happy Birthday Bill, was written on the bottom of the sweet treat. His wife Susan, 80, was by his side for the special moment. While presenting him with the cake, she told those gathered on set that Bill was the first person to ever sing on daytime television. His cast members and on-set staff cheered on the accomplishment. Bill & Susan Hayes Instagram Days of Our Lives Star Bill Hayes Celebrates 98th Birthday on Soap Set The tribute was captured on video and posted to a joint Instagram account that the couple shares. After she told the room about his historic first, the others were cued to sing Happy Birthday to him. Thank you to our cast and crew for celebrating Billys 98th Birthday on set today. And the double chocolate cake was delicious! , the carousel was captioned. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In 2018, Bill won the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades-long portrayal of Doug Williams on the soap opera. The show had proved special to him in more ways than one. He and Susan met on the set of the soap and shared an on-screen kiss in July 1970. They eventually became a couple in real life, tying the knot in October 1974. The couple had a second wedding when their television characters also said I do to one another on Oct. 1, 1976. Bill is survived by his son William Foster Hayes IV. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Four decades after a Florida woman was murdered, the Jacksonville Sheriff's cold case unit said its investigators solved the case after connecting the suspect to three different aliases. Annie Mae Ernest, 38, was found on Sept. 9, 1985, law enforcement said. During the investigation, detectives interviewed a man named "Robert Vance," who was believed to be the last person known to have contact with Ernest. Vance agreed to take a polygraph test, but then didn't show up for the interview, detectives said. Law enforcement went to his apartment but found it empty and abandoned and attempts to locate Vance were fruitless. However, during their search, law enforcement learned that "Robert Vance" was an alias for Robert Richard Van Pelt. Detectives expanded their search for both names but couldn't locate anyone with either moniker. Annie Mae Ernest, was 38 years old when she was murdered in 1985, law enforcement said. / Credit: Jacksonville Sheriff office In July 2023, Ernest's family members reached out to cold case detectives and asked for a case review. During the subsequent investigation, Jacksonville detectives were able to determine that Van Pelt had fled to Tampa right after Ernest's murder. There he used another alias, "John Leroy Harris." While in Tampa, Harris was suspected of shooting another woman in 1988, according to local police records. That victim survived the shooting, but Tampa police records said that Harris died by suicide shortly afterward. Jacksonville investigators, using "evidence from both incidents in the separate cities, applicable state and local records and an in-depth fingerprint analysis" were able to determine all three names belonged to the one man: Van Pelt. The cold case unit presented the Van Pelt information to the Florida State Attorney's Office of the 4th Judicial Circuit. And last month, the case was determined to be "Exceptionally Cleared Death of Offender." "If Van Pelt were alive today, he would be charged with the murder of Annie Mae Ernest," the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. The Dish: Vietnamese-inspired pork noodle meal What an expansion of the child tax credit could mean for parents Jon Stewart returning to "The Daily Show" through 2024 election A former mayoral candidate in Connecticut has pleaded guilty to a charge related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a Friday court filing. Gino DiGiovanni Jr., a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Derby last year, previously reached a plea deal with prosecutors involving a misdemeanor charge. He officially pleaded guilty when he signed and submitted an acknowledgment of his actions. DiGiovanni previously served as an alderman, an elected position. Derby, CT alderman and mayoral candidate Gino DiGiovanni, Jr. and his attorney Martin Minnella appear outside New Haven federal court after DiGiovanni Jr.s first appearance before a judge in connection with his Tuesday arrest on January 6th charges. (David Mulligan / NBC News) As part of his guilty plea, DiGiovanni agreed to a charge of entering and remaining on restricted grounds. Specifically, the defendant admits that he knowingly entered and remained in a restricted building, that is, the U.S. Capitol Building, without lawful authority to do so, said a statement of offense that DiGiovanni affirmed was accurate. DiGiovannis attorney, Martin Minnella, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night, but had previously told NBC News that he expected his client to get a fine and probation, a typical sentence for Jan. 6 defendants who plead guilty to a misdemeanor, show remorse and do not have a significant criminal record. Gino was there just to express his views. He didnt do any damage, Minnella told NBC News in December. Its an infraction, its a misdemeanor. DiGiovanni is set to be sentenced in April. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening. DiGiovanni acknowledged to an NBC Connecticut reporter in October 2022 that he was in the Capitol on Jan. 6 after the reporter confronted the then-alderman with pictures of him on the day of the riot. Yeah, I was there, DiGiovanni told NBC Connecticut. And obviously, you got the pictures to prove it. I was there, I went inside there, and, you know, I didnt damage or break anything. More than 1,265 defendants have been arrested on Jan. 6-related charges, according to the Department of Justice. DiGiovanni is now one of more than 700 defendants who have pleaded guilty to federal charges pertaining to the riot. The world's largest cruise ship, complete with 20 decks and six waterslides, is getting ready to set sail for the first time. Royal Caribbean's "Icon of the Seas" is in Port Miami getting ready for its maiden voyage into the Caribbean. NBC News correspondent Sam Brock got a firsthand look at the breathtaking ship on TODAY on before it heads out to sea. Here's what to know about the record-setting cruise ship. Icon of The Seas, Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com) How big is the Icon of the Seas ship? A seven-year building process in Finland resulted in a ship that's 1,198 feet long and features 20 decks. It can carry more than 7,000 passengers, and combined with the crew, will hold nearly 10,000 people the size of a small city. Icon of The Seas, Royal Caribbean (TODAY) At 250,800 gross tons and nearly 1,200 feet long, it makes the Titanic look like a tugboat. For comparison, the Titanic was 882.9 feet long and 46,328 gross tons. What are some of the amenities on the Icon of the Seas? There are eight "neighborhoods" geared to all different experiences, from the shopping area of "Central Park" to the pools and cabanas of "Chill Island." They also are in proximity to one another so parents can relax in the pool while the kids go flying down one of the six slides in the nearby water park area of "Thrill Island." Icon of The Seas, Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com) Youre not competing with another cruise, youre competing with any other vacation a family would want to do," Royal Caribbean senior vice president Jay Schneider told Brock on TODAY. "So we purposely put a more adult-centric pool next to the slide structure so you know mom, dad can sit and immerse in the water while the kid goes on like 50 slides." In keeping with the theme of the ship, a bar named "Swim & Tonic" is the largest swim-up bar ever put on a cruise ship, according to Schneider. There also is a three-story glass structure known as "The Pearl," which Schneider said is the world's largest "kinetic" art sculpture. Icon of The Seas, Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com) The vessel also includes a theater that features performances of Broadway's "Wizard of Oz." For the more adventurous, there's the "Crown's Edge" walk, which Brock tested out on TODAY. He strapped into a harness that took him along a zipline that allows passengers to dangle along the side of the ship, 150 feet above the water. How much does a trip on the Icon of the Seas cost? A seven-night round trip from Miami to the eastern Caribbean that includes a stop at Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas costs an average of $2,019 per person, according to the cruise line's website. It's an average of $1,809 for the package without the stop at the island. Icon of The Seas, Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com) That package also includes stops in St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The demand for that journey is so overwhelming that the earliest trip currently being booked is for Oct. 11, 2025. There's also a trip to the western Caribbean for $1,759 per person with a stop at the island, which is called Perfect Day at Coco Cay. When is the Icon of the Sea's release date? The maiden voyage for the gargantuan vessel is coming up on Jan. 27, leaving out of Port Miami. Royal Caribbean is taking bookings for the alternating trips to the eastern and western Caribbean, with the earliest available being a seven-night trip that departs on Feb. 24 and costs an average of $2,297 per person, according to its website. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Louis Wright, right, stands with his sister, Darlene Hall, after his release from a Michigan prison on November 2023. A Michigan man who was wrongfully imprisoned for sexual assault is now getting a major payout from the state. The Michigan Attorney General's office approved $1.75 million in compensation to Louis Wright, who spent 35 years in prison for a sexual assault he didn't commit. The state exonerated Wright of the charges and he was released in November after a DNA test ruled him out as the suspect. Those who are exonerated based on new evidence can receive $50,000 for every year spent in a Michigan prison, but the attorney general's office will sometimes resist paying due to strict criteria in the law. A judge approved the deal Wednesday. Wright told the Associated Press he plans to use the money to buy a house for himself and a vehicle for a sister. Nothing can make up for 35 years in a Michigan prison for something he did not do," Wright's attorney, Wolf Mueller, told the Associated Press. This is a first step toward getting Louis life back at the age of 65. Mueller filed a lawsuit against Albion police, alleging Wright's rights were violated and is seeking more than $100 million in damages. DNA clears Wright's name from 1988 crime Wright maintained his innocence since being accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Albion, a town in southwestern Michigan. The Cooley Law School Innocence Project said on its website Albion police named Wright as a suspect after an off-duty officer said Wright was seen in the neighborhood before the assault happened. Police claimed Wright confessed, but the interview wasn't recorded and Wright did not sign a confession. The victim wasn't asked to identify anyone nor did police conduct identification procedures, the Innocent Project said. Thousands freed from US prisons More than 3,400 people have been exonerated of crimes they didn't commit since 1989, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. They spent more than 31,000 years in prison. The registry tracks six factors that lead to wrongful convictions: official misconduct, perjury or false accusation, false or misleading forensic evidence, false confession, mistaken witness identification and inadequate legal defense. Black people make up 53% of the 3,200 exonerations in the National Registry of Exonerations, making them seven times more likely than white people to be falsely convicted of serious crimes, according to the registry's report. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Associated Press. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Louis Wright gets $1.75 million from Michigan for wrongful conviction UC College of the Law San Francisco recently built its student housing development Academe at 198. The University of California is considering expanding its presence in San Francisco after Mayor London Breed reached out to persuade the university system to grow its footprint in the city. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle 2023 The University of California is considering expanding its presence in San Francisco after Mayor London Breed reached out to persuade the university system to grow its footprint downtown. A spokesperson for the UC Office of the President which serves as the Oakland-based headquarters for the university systems 10 campuses, five medical centers and three affiliated national laboratories said the system is exploring opportunities to advance their research, public service, and education mission through an expanded presence in San Francisco. UC Office of the President spokesperson Rachel Zaentz added that UC Berkeley is also involved in this effort. Both the president's office and UC Berkeley are looking at options in response to a letter penned by Mayor London Breed in May to the UC Board of Regents requesting that it consider opening a new campus in downtown San Francisco. More than one-third of the space inside of the citys office towers is sitting vacant due to increasing remote work in the wake of the pandemic. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is unclear whether any specific downtown commercial properties have been pitched to UC Office of the president, though it is no secret that Breed has been eager to find viable reuse options for San Franciscos largest shopping mall: the former Westfield San Francisco Centre at 865 Market St., which was seized by its lenders last year amid an exodus of its retail tenants. On Friday, new documents showed the value of the San Francisco Centre had plunged by nearly $1 billion. In the letter to the regents, Breed said that bringing students into the heart of San Francisco affords a set of remarkable opportunities and it would give young people access to a vibrant and world class metropolitan center, and could also serve to alleviate some of your critical student housing shortfalls at both UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. UC Office of the President officials met Friday to discuss the possibility. Jeff Cretan, Breeds spokesperson, said Friday that the parties are in continuing conversations, but that there are no concrete proposals. We are exploring a lot of different options. While we cannot discuss details of the conversations currently underway, as a powerful economic driver for the state, the University is committed to strategies that invigorate local economies and offer exciting educational and research opportunities for UC students and faculty, the UC Office of the President spokesperson said in an email to the Chronicle this week. Additionally, Dan Mogulof, a spokesperson for UC Berkeley, said on Thursday that the university is always interested in options that are viable for adding housing for its graduate students. The ongoing exploratory discussions also involve potentially buildings for academic purposes, Mogulof said. The only thing thats not on the table for us is undergraduate housing in San Francisco. Advertisement Article continues below this ad UC Berkeley already has one campus extension in downtown San Francisco, where it occupies space inside of a 19-story office tower at 160 Spear St. for its art and design programs. No changes are planned to that location, Mogulof said. UC Berkeley has for some time been advertising a new off campus option for graduates this fall in San Francisco at 198 McAllister, a recently developed residential building that is part of the UC College of the Law San Franciscos formerly UC Hastings academic village, though officials at the law school have cited frustration with the areas street conditions and safety. Right now, there are several paths being considered, Zaentz reiterated on Friday. In July, UC Berkeley economist Enrico Moretti told the Chronicle that the idea of bringing a campus to downtown San Francisco is one of the best directions Ive heard recently for helping downtown. The potential economic benefits are substantial, locally and citywide, and regionally. Others cautioned that an ambitious project like opening a new campus downtown would be a challenge and take time. David Faigman, chancellor and dean at UC College of the Law San Francisco, told the Chronicle in July that if a new university started with a few buildings and gradually expanded, it might open within five years. Anything less would be heroic and unlikely, he said. A recent lawsuit filed in Los Angeles alleges Mia Goth intentionally kicked a background actor in the head and "belittled" him in the bathroom while on set of the upcoming A24 film "MaXXXine." "Pearl" star Mia Goth is reportedly being sued by a background actor who is accusing the actor of intentionally kicking him in the head while filming a scene from her upcoming "X" trilogy installment, "MaXXXine." The performer, James Hunter, filed the lawsuit, in which he accuses Goth, 30, of battery, in Los Angeles Superior Court this week, according to Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone. The film's distributor, A24, and director Ti West are also named as defendants; Hunter alleges he was wrongfully terminated from the project. In the complaint, Hunter says he was hired to play a "dead parishioner" lying in a pool of fake blood, and during one of the takes last April, Goth nearly stepped on his head while running past him, according to Variety. After he reported this, in a following take Goth "intentionally kicked plaintiff in the head with her boot," which caused him to "immediately experience headache and stiffness in his neck," Rolling Stone reports. Per Rolling Stone, Hunter says that despite reporting the injury to the production crew, who informed West and Goth, he was not offered medical assistance. After the scene, Hunter alleges, Goth "laughed at (Hunter); taunted, mocked and belittled (Hunter); and dared (Hunter) to do anything about it," according to the outlet. The complaint also alleges he was diagnosed with a concussion after a trip to a hospital, Rolling Stone reports, and the next day, Hunter's casting agency informed him that he was not wanted back on set. TMZ was first to report the news. USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Goth, A24 and West for comment. "MaXXXine" is slated to round out West's slasher trilogy, which includes "X" and its prequel "Pearl," both released in 2022. The film, currently in post-production, does not have a release date yet. Goth, who also played the series' villain, Pearl, will reprise her role as Maxine. The century's best scary films, ranked: From 'Paranormal Activity' to 'X' and 'Pearl' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mia Goth sued for allegedly kicking 'MaXXXine' background actor's head MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president will propose a package of constitutional reforms early next month, he said on Friday, including measures to overhaul the judiciary, elections and pensions, four months before voters head to the polls. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's term ends in September. By law, Mexican presidents can only serve one six-year term. The leftist Lopez Obrador and his allies do not have the two-thirds super majority in Congress needed to change the constitution, but analysts speculate the reforms could still shape the political debate ahead of the June vote. Since winning a landslide election in 2018 on an anti-establishment message, Lopez Obrador has moved to centralize executive power while reorganizing government functions he considers corrupt or too costly, including the top court and electoral authorities - efforts that have at times been stymied by judges and lawmakers. The president hopes his reform proposals can help set the stage for his successor's government, arguing on Friday that they can help "facilitate the transformation process" he launched. Polls currently favor Claudia Sheinbaum, the former mayor of Mexico City who promises continuity with Lopez Obrador's agenda if elected president. Lopez Obrador did not offer details on the reform package on Friday, but earlier this week said the pension reform aims to ensure workers receive the same pay when they retire as when they were working. Eurasia Group said the pension proposal would likely cause "a massive drag on public finances" if passed. In an interview, political analyst Antonio Ocaranza said the decision to launch the package just weeks before campaigning begins could have several objectives. These include the opportunity "to demonstrate the opposition's conservatism and to maintain control of the media agenda," he said. Ocaranza added that the 11th-hour reform push could take some heat off Sheinbaum and help her potential presidency get off to a easier start. (Reporting by Raul Cortes; Writing by Isabel Woodford and Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Leslie Adler) One day after the U.S. and U.K. launched retaliatory strikes against Houthi militant locations in Yemen, President Biden said the U.S. is prepared to take action again if the Iran-backed rebels continue to attack ships in the Red Sea. We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue with this outrageous behavior along with our allies, Biden told reporters traveling with him in Pennsylvania on Friday. The strikes, which were carried out with support from various allies following several warnings from the U.S., were in response to the Houthis repeated attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, which are causing major disruptions to global maritime trade. They struck more than 60 targets in more than a dozen locations in Yemen. A British aircraft takes off to join the U.S.-led coalition to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen. (UK MOD/Handout via Reuters) (via REUTERS) I think the hope was there would be other ways to deter Houthi attacks on Red Sea targets, Mona Yacoubian, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa Center at the U.S. Institute of Peace, told Yahoo News. It was the significant barrage of missiles and drones on January 9 that finally gave the U.S. from its perspective no option but to respond directly by attacking Houthi targets in Yemen. Yacoubian spoke to Yahoo News about what these strikes mean for rising tensions in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. (Some answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.) What was the objective of the U.S. and U.K. strikes? Yacoubian: The objective is deterrence, and to put an end to the Houthi strikes on targets in the Red Sea. Whether or not that objective is achieved is a whole other question. Why are the Houthis in Yemen attacking various ships in the Red Sea? Yacoubian: The Houthis are claiming that the strikes are part of their opposition to Israel and the U.S., with respect to the conflict in Gaza. The Houthi reaction in the Red Sea comes as part of the reverberations of the conflict in Gaza, where the Houthis really have sought an opportunity to exploit that conflict, to insert themselves and put themselves on the international stage. What is the significance of the Red Sea in all of this? Red Sea location Yacoubian: The Red Sea is a critical byway to keep the international economy functioning, and functioning well. As a result of these Houthi attacks, we've seen shipping companies now opt to avoid the Red Sea and use a much longer route that takes them around the horn of Africa. This is creating significant disruptions for customers and is adding to the cost of shipping. Do you think the U.S. and U.K. strikes will lead to an escalation of a wider war in the Middle East? Yacoubian: I believe we are in the throes of a much broader region-wide conflict that has directly drawn in the United States. The Houthis are now vowing revenge on Americans. Honestly, [the Houthis are] in a position where they can sort of control a bit of the pace of escalation. They simply need to say, Hey, we're here, still standing and undertake additional strikes. This will once again put the United States in the difficult position of having to then escalate its own military intervention as a way of seeking to deter Houthi military action. And before you know it, I think we're off on a whole new escalatory cycle that very much encumbers the United States. What is Irans role in all of this? Yacoubian: Iran has been providing support to a variety of proxies in the region for years. Hezbollah is perhaps the most developed relationship. Some would refer to Hezbollah as the crown jewel of Iran's proxies. The Houthis, by contrast, are a newer relationship, but one that's proving, I think as we are seeing, to be rather potent. Its clear that the Iranians, according to [Biden] administration sources, have been providing support to the Houthis for the strikes that theyve been undertaking in the Red Sea. In some ways, to date, Iran has benefited from a degree of plausible deniability by having proxies, like the Houthis, to undertake strikes against the U.S. and other targets, by creating conundrums and problems for the United States, but not drawing a direct U.S. response on Iran, which I think would be cataclysmic for the region. Then we would be in a region-wide war and in a very dangerous place. (President Biden was asked by the press traveling with him in Pennsylvania on Friday if the U.S. is in a proxy war with Iran. No, he responded. Iran does not want a war with us.) What happens now? Yacoubian: Were at a very dangerous moment in the Middle East. Unfortunately, I think the kind of rising tensions at this flashpoint in the Red Sea have now tipped the region into the broader conflict that many fear could happen. I think the big question at this point is going to be how to move from a situation of escalating tensions and violence, to one in which the United States can restore deterrence and deescalate very, very dangerous tensions before others end up joining the fight. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday defended his comment that the state is doing everything it can to stop people from crossing the border illegally, short of shooting them. On Jan. 5, Abbott said on the radio show of right-wing conservative Dana Loesch that Texas is using every tool and strategy possible to stop people at the border. The only thing we are not doing is were not shooting people who come across the border, because, of course, the Biden administration would charge us with murder, Abbott said. Migrants Continue To Cross Southern Border As Washington Lawmakers Struggle To Find Solution (John Moore / Getty Images) At the tail end of Friday's news conference, which was on preparations for the upcoming inclement weather, Abbott said that in the interview with Loesch he was pointing out what would be illegal to do. "I was asked to point out about where the line is drawn about what would be illegal and I pointed out something that is obviously illegal," he said, before quickly ending the news conference. An audio clip of the comment was reported first by Heartland Signal, which posted it on X on Thursday. Loesch had asked Abbott to explain the hierarchy of border control: What can be done right up to the line, where maybe they would come and say, Governor you are breaking the law?' What is the maximum amount of pressure that you as governor can implement to protect the border? she asked. But critics said Abbotts comment suggested he would sanction shooting people crossing the border if he could get away with it. The only thing stopping Greg Abbott from ordering law enforcement to shoot migrant women and children are murder charges, Gilbert Hinojosa, Texas Democratic Party chairman, said in a news release and on X. Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Relations office condemned Abbott's comments in a statement. "Mexico expresses its absolute concern at any type of expression that encourages violent acts and the dehumanization of the migrant community," the statement said. "We respect human rights and denounce all types of aggressive insinuations against a persons life." When a reporter at Friday's news conference asked whether his comments could be seized upon by someone like the El Paso shooter, who in the summer of 2019 carried out an attack at a Walmart store that killed 23 people, mostly Hispanics. Abbott replied, "Absolutely not." Abbotts comments drew swift rebuke on Thursday from Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, who represents El Paso. I cant believe I have to say murdering people is unacceptable, Escobar wrote on X, tagging Abbott. Its language like yours that left 23 people dead and 22 injured in El Paso. The gunman told police his target was Mexicans and that the attack was a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. Abbott came under fire after the massacre for sending out fundraising mailers, dated the day before the massacre, that decried immigration and told supporters, if we are going to DEFEND Texas, well need to take matters into our own hands. Abbott was facing other pushback against his homegrown immigration enforcement operations, dubbed Operation Lone Star. Migrant crisis continues at the border between the United States and Mexico (David Peinado / Anadolu via Getty Images) In a document filed in its ongoing Supreme Court case against Texas, the Biden administration states that the Border Patrol is being denied access to a 2.5 mile stretch of the Rio Grande, where the state has erected razor wire. The stretch includes Shelby Park, a city-owned park in Eagle Pass that the state took over on Wednesday morning. Border Patrol can't get access to a boat ramp or a staging area at the park that it regularly uses to evaluate and inspect migrants, the court document states. Abbott said in the news conference that "Texas has the legal authority to control ingress and egress into any geographic location in the state of Texas. And that authority is being asserted with regard to that park in Eagle Pass, Texas to maintain operational control of it." Also on Friday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker sent a letter to Abbott pleading for "mercy" and urging Abbott to stop busing people from the border to Illinois as it faces a dangerous winter storm and subzero temperatures. "Chicagos temperatures this weekend are forecast to drop below zero. Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals. Hundreds of childrens and families health and survival are at risk due to your actions," Pritzker's letter states. By Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis (Reuters) -The U.N. aid chief on Friday said he was "deeply alarmed" by Israeli ministers' statements about "plans to encourage the mass transfer" of Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip to third countries and he called anew for a ceasefire. "Unless we act, it will become an indelible mark on our humanity," Martin Griffiths, the U.N. undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, told the U.N. Security Council. "I reiterate my call for this council to take urgent action to bring this war to an end." Griffiths painted a dire picture of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip as Israel presses the offensive it launched after the Oct. 7 onslaught into Israel by the enclave's ruling Hamas Islamists that claimed some 1,200 lives. Quoting Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, he said that more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 58,000 injured since Israel launched the offensive in which it vows to destroy Hamas. The "horrific" situation created by the "relentless" Israeli operation can be seen in the displacement of 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians "forced to flee again and again as the bombs and missiles rain down," Griffiths continued. There is no safe place in Gaza, he said. "We are deeply alarmed by recent statements by Israeli ministers regarding plans to encourage the mass transfer of civilians from Gaza to third countries, currently referred to as 'voluntary relocation,'" he said. Such statements, Griffiths said, raise concerns "about the possible forced transfer or deportation of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip" in violation of international law. The statements by far right-wing Israeli cabinet ministers also have prompted the United States, Israel's closest ally, to raise similar concerns. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and her British counterpart, Barbara Woodward, repeated those concerns during the meeting. "These statements, along with statements by Israeli officials calling for the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees or the destruction of Gaza, are irresponsible, inflammatory, and only make it harder to secure a lasting peace," Thomas-Greenfield said. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deny they have plans to forcibly move the Palestinian population from Gaza. Ilze Brands Kehris, U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights, said the high civilian casualty toll, massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and displacement of civilians "raise very serious concerns about the potential commission of war crimes." She warned that the risk of further grave violations, even atrocity crimes, is real. Israel denies committing war crimes. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan, in scathing remarks, criticized the council for not condemning Hamas for its heinous massacre on Oct. 7, and said the United Nations had been weaponized against Israel. The council has ignored Pakistans plan to deport up to 1.3 million Afghans while the United Nations has given the red carpet treatment to Syria, a country that has murdered hundreds of thousands of its own citizen with barrel bombs," Erdan said. No Jews, no news, he said. The council met only hours after Israel rejected as false and "grossly distorted" accusations brought by South Africa in the U.N. International Criminal Court that its offensive is a state-led genocide campaign against Palestinians. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Aurora Ellis) KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he was more positive now than he was last month that his country will secure new financial aid from the United States. But there was no indication in Washington that Congressional approval for an aid package proposed by the White House would be forthcoming anytime soon. "I am viewing this with more positivity than in December, I think we will (get it)," Zelenskiy told a news conference in Kyiv. Zelenskiy later referred again to the need for Congressional approval to meet the needs of Ukraine's war against Russia, saying the issue had been discussed with the visiting U.S. representative for Ukraines economic recovery, Penny Pritzker. "We discussed in detail the steps needed for financial stability," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "We eagerly await the decisions of the Congress regarding further support for Ukraine -- support that is not only significant for us, but also for every state whose stability depends on the strength of international law." White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday that U.S. assistance for Ukraine had stopped, as negotiations continued over an aid package that could be tied to an overhaul of border security measures. U.S. President Joe Biden's request for more military aid for Ukraine has been stalled in the Congress for months, as opposition Republicans have refused to consider any legislation unless it is tied to the immigration issue. There has been no indication that the Senate or House of Representatives will vote on assistance for Kyiv any time soon, despite weeks of talks trying to break the impasse. Zelenskiy visited Washington last month with the hope of persuading Congress to proceed quickly with approval, but came away with no such commitment. (Reporting by Max Hunder and Ron Popeski and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; editing by Mark Heinrich) A Pennsylvania woman accused of researching dangerous household items for months has been arrested in the death and alleged poisoning of her boyfriends 1-year-old. The girl, who died in June, had ingested batteries, a metal screw and water beads, the states top prosecutor announced Thursday. Aleisia Owens, 20, has been charged with criminal homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault of a child and endangering the welfare of a child, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle A. Henry said in a statement. The details of this case are heartbreaking," the AG said. "It is hard to fathom someone taking deliberate steps to harm a completely helpless child, then mislead investigators about what happened. The investigation shows that, for months, the defendant conducted meticulous research on how certain substances harm children. It was not immediately clear Friday afternoon if Owens had an attorney. The girl, Iris Alfera, died June 29, four days after she was hospitalized, the AG said. An autopsy showed her cause of death was acetone poisoning, which caused organ failure. "Medical experts who examined the babys body concluded that the child was exposed to acetone just before her hospitalization, Henry said. The 1-year-old's death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. Before the babys death, the child ingested about 20 "water beads," along with button-shaped batteries and a metal screw, officials said. In the months leading up to the girl's death, Owens searched the internet on her cellphone for information about household products that can cause harm or death to a child, the attorney general said. Her searches included beauty products that are poisonous to kids and medications leading to cause accidental poisoning deaths in children, the statement said. New Castle Police Chief Robert Salem said in the statement, officers worked tirelessly on the case, along with prosecutors in the attorney generals office, to make an arrest. I am extremely proud of the officers, detectives, and agents who were involved in investigating this complex case and arresting the person who was responsible for the childs death, Salem said. Owens has been denied bail because of the homicide charges, Henry said. The Lawrence County District Attorneys Office referred the case to the attorney general's office for prosecution, Henry said. TAIPEI, Taiwan Voters in Taiwan elected Vice President Lai Ching-te as their next president on Saturday, defying warnings from Beijing not to support a candidate it has called a separatist and a troublemaker. The election, which China had described as a choice between war and peace, could test recent efforts by Beijing and Washington to repair relations that in recent years have fallen to their lowest point in decades. The status of Taiwan, one of the strongest democracies in Asia, is among the most sensitive issues between the two superpowers, and focus will now turn to any potential show of force from Beijing in response. Supporters react after Lai Ching-te won the presidential election in Taipei on Jan. 13, 2024. (Alastair Pike / AFP via Getty Images) China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force against the island, while the U.S. is Taiwans most important international backer. The majority of Taiwans 23 million people are in favor of maintaining the status quo, neither formally declaring independence nor becoming part of China. Lais victory extends the eight-year rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is considered the least friendly to Beijing. Relations between Taiwan and China have deteriorated under President Tsai Ing-wen, who was first elected in 2016 and is limited to two terms. Voters in Taiwan, especially younger ones, were concerned not just with China policy but with economic issues such as unemployment, housing costs and income inequality. Lai won with 40% of the vote, compared with 33% for Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang, and 26% for Ko Wen-je, founder of the populist Taiwan Peoples Party. Hou and Ko, who both favor closer ties with Beijing, had argued that the DPPs policies toward China were too confrontational. It is the first time in Taiwans almost 30 years as a democracy that the same political party has won three consecutive terms. But the DPP lost control of the legislature, which experts say could constrain Lais policy options. At a news conference after his victory on Saturday, Lai said he would continue foreign affairs and national defense in line with Tsais policies. China cut off direct dialogue with Taiwan after she was elected in 2016, and has rebuffed offers of talks with Lai as well. Lai, 64, who will take office for four years starting May 20, said he hopes that China will understand that only peace will benefit both sides of the strait. In addition, global peace and stability depends on peace in the Taiwan Strait. We hope that China understands the situation, because China also has a responsibility. Taiwan Election Polling Station (Louise Delmotte / AP) After the election on Saturday, Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office said Taiwan was part of China and that the election could not stop the general trend that the motherland will eventually be reunified. It had earlier warned Taiwan voters against supporting Lai, describing him as a stubborn Taiwan independence advocate who if elected would promote separatist activities and create a dangerous situation in the Taiwan Strait. Lais victory was welcomed in the U.S., which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said was committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability in a statement congratulating Lai. The Congressional Taiwan Caucus said it looked forward to working with Lai and that in the face of escalating threats to Taiwans democracy and security, it is imperative that the United States remains steadfast in support of the people of Taiwan and our shared commitment to democratic values. House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X that he would be asking the chairs of the relevant House committees to lead a delegation to Taiwan after Lais inauguration in May. President Joe Biden said Saturday that the U.S. which recognizes Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China but maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan under its longstanding One China policy does not support Taiwan independence. The White House said this week that after the election, the U.S. would send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan, in what a senior Biden administration official said was an effort to manage tensions and prevent inadvertent conflict. The question now is how China will respond. Beijing has in the past fired missiles and staged military exercises in response to developments in Taiwan it doesnt like, and Lais victory could bring another show of force. Image: President Joe Biden and China's President President Xi Jinping (Doug Mills / The New York Times pool via AP) Taiwans government had already accused China of trying to interfere in the election through military and economic pressure as well as disinformation campaigns, while China accused it of hyping up the threat from the mainland to gain voter support. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is unlikely to accept this defeat gracefully, said Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies. It probably wont take long for Beijing to register its anger over the result, and its response could be swift and severe, he said in emailed comments, with possible actions including military drills, new trade restrictions on Taiwanese companies, and intensified cyberattacks on Taiwanese infrastructure. But while China may be tempted to punish Taiwan, it is also reluctant to provoke either Lai or Washington, said Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. Xi Jinping has invested considerable effort and credibility in tamping down tensions with the West, both to lower Chinas profile in an American election year and to buy space to deal with myriad problems at home, he said in emailed comments. Voters turning up to cast ballots in the election on Saturday, which had turnout of more than 70%, told NBC News that Taiwans relationship with China was among the issues they were most concerned about. Ryan Lu, a 32-year-old from Taipei, said the most important issue for the next leader should be ensuring peace. Confetti flies over the stage and crowd as Taiwan's Vice President and presidential-elect from the Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching-te and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim speak to supporters on Jan. 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Annice Lyn / Getty Images) These sensitive matters are what Im most concerned with, he said, referring to the possibility of a conflict with China. I know the chances are small but then again, who really knows just like with the Ukraine-Russia war, who wouldve thought it would really be like this? Lai has presented himself as Tsai 2.0, said Lev Nachman, a political scientist and assistant professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei. What that means is from a cross-Strait relations perspective, were not likely to see a lot of change in the PRC-Taiwan dynamic, which is to say its going to remain very icy, Nachman said, using the initials for Chinas formal name, the Peoples Republic of China. Beijing says it is willing to hold talks only if both sides agree that Taiwan is part of China, a policy reiterated by senior Chinese official Liu Jianchao during a visit to the U.S. this week and one that the DPP says it cannot accept. Following Lais victory on Saturday, Nachman said on X that it was less about Lai winning over hearts and minds of undecided voters and more about the opposition KMT and TPP parties failure late last year to co-ordinate a joint ticket, producing a three-way race that made Lais victory much, much easier. He added that if the two opposition parties had run on a combined ticket, I do not think Lai would have won. With Lais election, were likely to see the same level of threats we see from the PRC, but threats dont equal conflict, Nachman said, noting that neither China nor Taiwan wants to go to war. The U.S. and China, the worlds two largest economies, have increased their interaction since a November meeting in California between Biden and Xi, their first encounter in a year. A child runs across the flag of Taiwan banner during the announcement of official results in Taipei, Taiwan on Jan. 13, 2024. (Sawayasu Tsuji / Getty Images) This week, in what appears to be partly an effort to protect the fragile gains in their relationship from tensions over the Taiwan election, the U.S. and China resumed long-frozen military talks in Washington, while Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had a call with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao. Blinken also met with Liu, the senior Chinese official, on Friday. The State Department said Blinken reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and that both sides recognized the importance of continuing to maintain open channels of communication. Janis Mackey Frayer reported from Taipei, Taiwan, and Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong. Mayor London Breed speaks at a news conference Friday to announce the acquisition of the first permanent space owned by the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, at 667 Grant Ave. in Chinatown. She was joined by the Centers executive director, Jenny Leung; Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin; City Attorney David Chiu; Supervisor Connie Chan, and the former owner of the building, businesswoman Betty Louie. J.D. Morris/The Chronicle Colorful lion dancers performed acrobatics and drum songs Friday in San Franciscos Chinatown to welcome the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco to its new and first-ever permanent home. Officials and community members gathered for celebration of the purchase of a new home, currently an empty storefront that will be renovated into an exhibition space, arts studio and community hub. Theres no opening date set. The iconic arts and culture nonprofit has never been housed under its own roof during its 59-year history. Since 1971 it has sat on an upper floor of the Hilton Hotel at the fringe of Portsmouth Square, a less than ideal location, said Executive Director Jenny Leung. The hotel is connected to Chinatown by a controversial and reviled pedestrian bridge, meaning the arts organization wasnt easily accessible to the community it serves. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Founded in 1965, the center supports local art and culture through public art projects, local and international exhibitions and annual festivals such as the Spring Festival and Hungry Ghost Festival. Last year, the Center exhibited artwork from 16 working-class immigrant women in a yearlong trilingual project called How I Keep Looking Up. The new building will be part of the centers Museum Without Walls initiative that promotes art outside traditional bounds of gallery spaces. Mayor London Breed said the building signifies an important step in the economic recovery of Chinatown and will become a place where visitors can learn about the history of the community. The centers staff hopes that the new three-story, pastel building at the corner of Sacramento Street will help encourage greater investment in Chinatown. The nonprofit bought the building, which had housed a souvenir shop called Bargain Bazaar for the past decade, for $5.5 million. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This building really symbolizes community leadership and our ability to empower people to tell their own stories into perpetuity, Leung told the Chronicle. That is important, having community-owned spaces that are able to share arts and culture. The overwhelming majority of the purchase was funded by a $4.7 million city grant as part of the Asian and Pacific Islander Equity Fund. The fund, spearheaded by Supervisor Connie Chan, followed advocacy by the API Council to financially support local nonprofits that serve approximately 250,000 low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander residents. It received $30 million in the 2022 budget allocation. An additional $1 million in state funds will go toward renovating the 1908 building. Betty Louie, a retired Chinese American businesswoman who sold the building to the center, said the building was once a rooming house where her father lived before her family purchased it in 1967 for a retail store they ran until 2012. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Breed said at Fridays event that having a building to house the Chinese Cultural Center is long overdue. This purchase signifies a new beginning, a new opportunity, Breed said, to ensure that we are investing in our Chinese community in terms of a facility that they can call home, that they own, that they are able to build out and provide great cultural events, exhibitions, performances. Local organizer Selina Luo, who created artwork for the Centers How I Keep Looking Up exhibition last year, told the Chronicle in Mandarin that the new building is superior to the Hilton spot, which was harder to get to. She hopes the location, close to a Muni 1-California bus stop, will attract more artists and tourists. Luo said she hopes the new building will let local artists and new immigrants better connect with the community. She said she hopes community members can express themselves through art. After the long years of COVID-19, at the new CCC location, we can let people experience new and even better art and culture of our neighborhood and attract more people to visit Chinatown, she said. Left: Filipino passport Right: Taylor Swift in concert Getty Images A woman claims her Europe visa reapplication approved after she sent proof of Taylor Swift tickets. She was initially denied entry to Italy but then showed a ticket to Swift's Singapore show. The star's record-breaking Eras tour is coming to Asia-Pacific and Europe this year. A Filipino woman was initially rejected for a Schengen visa, but she was successful in her reapplication because she showed them proof she was set to attend a Taylor Swift concert in Asia, according to the travel blog View from the Wing. In a now-deleted Reddit post, the Swiftie wrote: "I just wanna share that I got denied in my first attempt. The comment was they don't think I'll leave the Schengen territory before the Visa expires. So when I reapplied, I said that, I'll leave BECAUSE I WILL ATTEND TAYLOR SWIFT'S CONCERT IN SG and attached the email confirmation" [sic]. SShe was applying for a visa to visit Italy, it was reported. According to the Schengen rules, the visa is generally valid for all 26 countries in the Schengen area. Travelers must apply at the country's consulate, their primary destination. She attached an email confirmation of future-dated tickets for Taylor Swift in Singapore in her reapplication. The visa application was then expeditiously approved, shr claimed. "I received an email that my VISA was processed in just 3 business days. I filed December 21. December 22, 27, and 28 are the processing days. Yesterday January 4, I was asked to visit the Embassy because I needed to sign a document. I thought it was a denial letter. But it was a letter asking me to report back to the Embassy 10 days after the Visa expires," [sic] the woman reportedly posted on social media, per the travel blog. Taylor Swift is set to take her record-breaking Eras tour to Singapore in March. She reached billionaire status last year thanks to her monumental tour. Business Insider was not able to independently verify the claims. BI reached out to SchengenVisaInfo.com and the Italian embassy in Manila for comment. 'We are going to shake it off' Taylor Swift performs onstage during "The Eras Tour" at Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos on November 17, 2023 in Rio de Janeiro. Buda Mendes/TAS23 via Getty Images The power and influence of Taylor Swift continues to rise. She was hailed as the Person of the Year by Time magazine, as the megastar broke recording records and had a sellout tour in 2023. With legions of fans worldwide, she has even invited the underhand compliment of a slew of conspiracy theories from the paranoid far-right. Last week, Fox News host Jesse Watters featured a segment on his show warning that Swift could be a "Pentagon asset." Tongue-in-cheek, a Pentagon spokesperson denied Watter's claim, referencing one of Swift's big hits in a statement. "As for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off," it said. Read the original article on Business Insider Imprisoned reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley will receive a $1,000,000 settlement from the state of Georgia, marking the end of a civil lawsuit they filed against Joshua Waites, the former Director of Special Investigations for Georgias Department of Revenue, according to court filings. CNN reached out to representatives for Waites and the Georgia Department of Revenue for comment following the settlement announcement. In the October 2019 lawsuit, the couple alleged Waites improperly shared the Chrisleys confidential tax and other information with Todd Chrisleys estranged daughter, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, in an effort to induce her to reveal compromising information about her family, according to the complaint. The lawsuit also alleged Waites conduct was specifically intended to and did in fact cause the Chrisleys severe emotional distress, anxiety, and mental anguish. Waites investigated the Chrisleys tax obligations to the state of Georgia ahead of the couple being charged with tax evasion. The state case was eventually settled in October 2019, with the Chrisleys paying just under $150,000, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported at the time. Filed Tuesday, the new settlement said the Georgia Department of Administrative Services shall issue within thirty days of this agreement: two checks totaling $1,000,000, delivered to counsel, for the couple. In a statement released Tuesday, Alex Little, the attorney representing the Chrisleys, called the settlement with the state an encouraging sign. We have been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had real problems. Its nearly unprecedented for one arm of the government to pay money to defendants when another arm is fighting to keep them in jail. The Chrisleys, known for their reality program Chrisley Knows Best, were found guilty in June 2022 on federal charges of conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans, as well as several tax crimes. The Chrisleys maintain their innocence and are appealing their criminal convictions, which according to Little are expected to be heard by the federal appeals court in Atlanta in April. Todd Chrisley is serving 12 years at a Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Florida, and Julie Chrisley is serving her seven-year sentence at a Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Lexington, Kentucky. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Marysville, CA (95901) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 76F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable. YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The latest statements coming out of Azerbaijan are a serious blow to the peace process, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Saturday. In my assessment, the statements voiced from Baku in the recent period are a serious blow to the peace process. Why? For several reasons. The first reason is the following, as you know, weve publicly agreed for several times that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the delimitation and demarcation of borders, should be based on the 1991 December Alma-Ata Declaration. This means that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each others territorial integrity with the understanding that the territory of the Republic of Armenia is precisely as much as the territory of the Armenian SSR , and Azerbaijans territory is precisely as much as the territory of the Azerbaijani SSR. Thats exactly what the Alma-Ata Declaration says, that the Soviet Union has collapsed and the Soviet republics that have joined the Alma-Ata Declaration gain independence with their territories and the administrative borders that existed between the Soviet states become state borders. This means that the border delimitation process isnt about creating a border. Meaning, our delimitation commissions must not go and create a border, but they should rather restate the borders that have existed at the time when the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration was adopted, the Prime Minister said at a meeting of the ruling Civil Contract party in Gavar. Pashinyan said that these agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan were recorded in the quadrilateral statement adopted as a result of the 6 October 2022 Prague meeting, as well as during the meeting in Sochi held afterwards, and during the Brussels meeting on 15 July 2023. Why do I find these statements voiced from Azerbaijan to be a blow? Because what they are saying on the highest level is directly contradicting this logic and this agreement, Pashinyan said. PM Pashinyan also warned that Azerbaijan is attempting to generate territorial claims against Armenia, which is totally unacceptable. The Court agreed to examine a batch of petitions challenging the new Act and issued a notice to the Centre New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to stay a recently-enacted law that allows the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners by a panel excluding the Chief Justice of India. The Court agreed to examine a batch of petitions challenging the new Act and issued a notice to the Centre. A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta instructed senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing Congress leader Jaya Thakur, who sought a stay on the new law, to serve a copy of the petition to the Centres counsel. Singh argued, Please stay this law. This is against the separation of powers. In response, the bench stated, No, without hearing the other side, we cant. We will issue a notice. Amid a political controversy over excluding the CJI from a panel empowered to choose the CECs and ECs, several petitions have been filed in the apex court. Advocate Gopal Singh has also moved the top court, seeking the quashing of the new law that grants the Centre sweeping powers for appointments to the poll body. Singh's plea seeks the apex courts direction to implement an independent and transparent system of selection, constituting a neutral and independent selection committee for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners. The new law specifies, The Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee consisting of (a) the Prime Minister chairperson; (b) the Leader of Opposition in the House of the People member; (c) a Union Cabinet minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister member. The Opposition has accused the Centre of defying the Supreme Court by excluding the CJI from the selection panel. In its March 2023 order, the Supreme Court had stated that the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the CJI would jointly pick the CEC and the ECs. A sign warns of flooding at Mark West Springs Road in Windsor on Saturday. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle A driver passes through a flooded section of Mark West Springs Road in Windsor. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle The Russian River passes under a bridge in Hopland (Mendocino County) on Saturday. The National Weather Service warned that the Russian River could rise up to 15 feet Saturday afternoon, potentially flooding Mendocino County roads. Brian Feulner/Special to The Chronicle A driver passes over the Russian River in Guerneville as a winter storm brings heavy rain to Northern California on Saturday. The National Weather Service warned that the Russian River could rise up to 15 feet Saturday afternoon, potentially flooding Mendocino County roads. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle Pedestrians head over the Russian River Bridge in Guerneville during Saturdays rain. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle Drivers make their way down a wet road through Guerneville on Saturday. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle Drivers make their way through downtown Sebastopol on Saturday during a storm forecast to bring several inches of rain to Northern California. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle Anne Rogers walks Daisy in Sebastopol as a winter storm brings rain to Northern California. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle Precipitation pounded the Bay Area over the weekend as a storm marched through the region, bringing several inches of rain to the northern part of the state. In the 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. Sunday, rainfall totals in the North Bay exceeded 2 inches in some cities, according to the National Weather Service. Rainfall was lighter in the rest of the Bay Area, with less than an inch in San Francisco and most of the East Bay and the South Bay, the agency said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The rain spread south and east Saturday, picking up in intensity and coverage, the weather service said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The National Weather Service warned that the Russian River in Sonoma County could rise up to 15 feet late Saturday, potentially flooding Mendocino County roads. The river briefly surpassed flood stage Saturday night, but by 8 a.m. Sunday, the water level receded below flood stage. Portions of Mendocino and Humboldt counties received 3 to 5 inches of rain. In Sonoma County, Caltrans announced Sunday morning that Highways 12 and 121 were closed due to flooding. Farther north, consistent, moderate rain was building throughout the northwest part of the state by morning, according to the National Weather Services Eureka branch, with 2 to 4 more inches of rain along the states northern coast. The agency also warned that flood impacts would increase throughout the day as well. Warren Pederson contributed to this report. Inaugurating the sea bridge, the PM said that the project was pending for several years under the UPA regime Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated Atal Setu, the longest sea bridge in India. The 22-km long bridge will reduce the distance from Mumbai to Pune and Goa. Inaugurating the sea bridge, the PM said that the project was pending for several years under the UPA regime. But it was accelerated by the BJP government, he said. Modi's guarantee begins where the expectation from others ends, he said. Reminding the people regarding his guarantee, the Prime Minister said that they have delivered on their promises. I laid the foundation for the Atal Setu on 24 December 2016 and vowed that Bharat will change and grow, he said. Modi slammed the previous governments for slow pace of progress on various development projects in the country. Without taking the name of the Congress, he also blamed the previous governments for not having good intentions to develop the country. He said the previous governments interest was to protect the interest of their family members. Coming down heavily on the previous government, Modi said that they have developed infrastructure in the country with Niyat aur Nishtha (good "intention" and "dedication") for the countrymen. The PM on Friday dedicated the 21.8 km Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), officially known as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Smruti Sewri Nhava Sheva Atal Setu around 4 pm and then travelled by the Atal Setu to Chirle and held a mini road show before reaching the dais of the venue of a public event at construction site of upcoming airport at Navi Mumbai. He also laid the foundation stone of multiple projects including road, rail, metro of over Rs 33,000 crore during his visit to Mumbai. Addressing the public rally at the construction site of the upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport, the Prime Minister said, "Today is a historic day for Mumbai and Maharashtra, along with the resolution for 'Viksit Bharat'. Today, the nation has received Atal Setu, one of the longest sea bridges in the world.I dedicate Atal Setu to Mumbaikars and the nation bowing before Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mumba Devi and Siddhivinayak. Comparing previous UPA government's works with his government, Modi said that Rs 12 Lakh crore had been invested in infrastructure projects of the country till 10 years before 2014, while Rs 44 lakh crore had been invested in infrastructure projects in the last 10 years. He also said that the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) project is five times less than the Atal Setu project. In the previous government's regime, the BSWL project was completed in more than 10 years. Even the cost of the BSWL project had escalated five times. "This is how the previous government used to perform," he said. The Atal Setu project is not only going to provide facilities but also provide employment opportunities to 17,000 workers and 1,500 engineers. In his 18 minute speech, he said that the government is working on two fronts. "On one hand, we are working to make the poor person's life better by running welfare schemes, on the other hand, multiple development projects are being executed across the country. We are operating the Atal pension scheme and also constructing the Atal Setu. We are running the Ayushman Bharat Scheme and also operating the Vande Bharat train...the country is witnessing all this because of our niyat and nishtha (good intention and dedication). Our government's intention is clean and our dedication is with countrymen and country. Jaisi niyat aur nishtha hoti hain, vaisi hi niti hoti hain (The intention and dedication decides the policy)....Those who have ruled the country for a long time. Their intention was always questionable. Their intention was only to come into power, to make their vote bank intact and fill up their coffers. Their dedication was not with the countrymen but to ensure the progress of their family members. Therefore, they did not think of developed India and modern infrastructure," Modi said. Pointing out the corruption in previous governments, he said that ten years ago, there were discussions about scams of Lakh crores. But today, it is being discussed about the projects worth Rs thousand crores, This is our good governance resolution, which is reflected across the country, he said. The PM said that women empowerment is the foremost guarantee of any double engine government in any state. They are going to make two crore women Lakhpati in the country. Coming forward with women and leading the movement for Viksit Bharat is very critical. Removal of every obstacle in the path of our mother and daughters and ensuring ease of life for them is a priority for our government, he added. Modi said that Maharashtra will be a strong pillar of the developed country. "We will leave no stone unturned in their efforts for this," he said. The Prime Minister also dedicated the phase 1 of the Surya regional bulk drinking water project to the Nation. He also flagged off Phase 2 of Uran-Kharkopar railway line and dedicated to Nation include a new suburban station Digha Gaon on the Thane-Vashi/Panvel Trans-harbour line and the new 6th Line between Khar Road & Goregaon railway station. He also inaugurated Bharat Ratnam (Mega Common Facilitation Centre) for Gems and Jewellery sector at Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone- Special Economic Zone (SEEPZ SEZ) and New Enterprises & Services Tower (NEST)- 01 at SEEPZ- SEZ. The Prime Minister also launched Namo Mahila Shashaktikaran Abhiyaan, which aims to empower women in the state of Maharashtra by providing skill development training and exposure to entrepreneurship development. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister visited the Shree Kalaram Temple in Nashik district of north Maharashtra. Shree Kalaram Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Ram, is also where Dr BR Ambedkar and Sane Guruji had to stage protests stating that Ram belongs to them as well. Post this, Modi also inaugurated the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik district. He paid floral tributes to the portrait of Swami Vivekanand and Rajmata Jijau. He also witnessed a march past by the states team and a cultural program on the theme of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 - Yuva ke liye, Yuva ke dwara which included Rhythmic gymnastics, Mallakhamb, Yogasana and National Youth Festival song. Addressing the youth festival in Nashik, the Prime Minister said, Today marks the occasion of Indias youth power and is dedicated to the great personality of Swami Vivekanand who filled the county with new energy and enthusiasm during the period of slavery. He also conveyed his best wishes to all youth on the occasion of National Youth Day which is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. He also noted the birth anniversary of Rajmata Jijabai, the symbol of Indias women power and expressed gratitude for being present in Maharashtra on this occasion. The Quad's strategic dance and shifting priorities: Familial bonds and geopolitical dynamics. Speaking at the launch of his latest book Why Bharat Matters, external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar conflated the great Hindu epic, the Ramayan, to put the dynamics of the Quad grouping (of the United States, Japan, Australia and India) in context. This analogical reference was after the mandatory castigation of Jawaharlal Nehru, who had allegedly put Chinas interests ahead of Indias at the UN Security Council. A month back, the proposed Quad summit in New Delhi (a day before or after Republic Day) was postponed to a later date in 2024, with scheduling constraints cited as the reason. US President Joe Biden had been invited as the chief guest for Republic Day, but his visit got cancelled. Explaining the occasional disunity, the minister likened the role of diplomats to Hanuman -- the four Quad countries as Raja Dashraths four sons, with the ally France, to Lakshman. The moot point was of familial bonhomie and fundamental alignment, but with each having occasional conflicting interests. Keeping with the times and necessities, he expounded on the Ramayan as a treatise on statecraft, just as earlier he had likened the Mahabharats Krishna to Indias stand in a turbulent world, launching his earlier book The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World. Besides being kosher in todays political environment, the referencing to ancient Indian texts cant be faulted in terms of relevance and adding to the perceptions of profound civilisational wisdom that is India. This sort of soft-diplomatic allusions has been mastered by the Chinese, who invoke their own ancient treatise and philosophers on the world stage. The alluded intra-family intrigues and cross purposes within the Quad fraternity manifests with examples of Indias strategic independence in avoiding the anti-Russia chorus as desired by the US in the Russia-Ukraine war, or with an Australia reneging on a multi-billion contract for submarines with France, in favour of the US/UK. But these frustrations dont take away from the far more powerful bind of the Quad rationality: the China-wariness that remains as serious and relevant as earlier. Importantly, the Quad democracies can create independent and unaligned sovereign agendas on some issues, but strategic competition with China has a bipartisan/universal consensus across party lines. The Chinese acknowledge the prospective force of a dedicated Quad in unifying and fructifying a formidable alternative and multilateral coalition of resistance to stiffen spines against Chinas expansionism and intimidation. Currently other blocs like Nato or AUKUS are burdened with other agendas beyond China, and therefore lack the funnel of Sino-focus. The Quad operates under the euphemistic cause of advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, without unnecessarily naming the specific and singular force that sullies it in the restive waters of the East China Sea, Taiwan Straits, South China Sea, or the larger tracts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with talk about a Quad Plus (adding South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand). But beyond the Quads hypothetical military bite, it can also trigger a domino effect of a global anti-China coalition that can derail the neologism of a Chinese century and swing the collective balance of power away from Beijing. A battle of wits, patience and (im)probabilities in coalescing the Quad is underway. However, with elections due in India and the United States this year, and in Japan and Australia next year, the reprioritisation of leadership focus to be more domestic, than having them invest their time and effort in Quad imperatives, is inevitable. A practical reality in the functioning of participative democracies, as opposed to the Chinese regime that moves unilaterally, undistracted and with a long-term focus on strategic issues, given no concern of regime change or even the popular mood, beyond a point. Therefore, President Joe Bidens desperate battle for a second term and its resultant tight political calendar that thwarted his visit to India (and postponement of the Quad meet) is symptomatic of the shifting of priorities in democracies. This is the second consecutive time that Mr Biden has pulled out of a Quad meeting, as earlier in May last year Mr Biden was fighting a debt ceiling crisis and had to put the Sydney summit on the backburner. Importantly, while China weighs heavily in public imagination and as an electoral issue, the Quad fructification is a more gradual and invisible process in outcomes and optics, that does not galvanise the public mood immediately. As the unofficial mouthpiece of the Chinese regime, Global Times reports: Neither the Quad nor the Indo-Pacific framework can increase Bidens chances of an election victory, so Biden will abandon it, at least for now. For once, the Chinese are correct, for even if all professional and serious assessment of threat perceptions to the Quad countries points to China, the natural workings of democracy disable commitment to continuous progress on the Quad journey. The possible backlash of a brazen reaction to Quad posturing also weighs on the minds of the leaders of the four democracies as not all constituents are prepared to accept the repercussions. Pursuant to the age-old Chinese maxim of killing one, to warn a hundred, Beijing had suddenly made a scapegoat out of Australia by restricting the imports of Australian coal, cotton, meat, wine, barley, timber, copper, sugar, etc, to exert painful economic pressure. Politics within the Quad countries have reckless individuals like Donald Trump, who build their electoral muscularity by threatening to undo past deals like Iran, and now promise a similar shooting on the foot by dismantling the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework should he return. Similarly, Indias grandstanding against the US over accusations of sponsoring hits against terrorists galvanises the Indian electorate more compellingly than investing in the Quad. While China remains the main enemy across Quad electorates, the competitive dynamics of democracy do derail focus. The conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis and the American coalition shall have adverse ramifications. Demonstrators hold portraits of Huthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi and Palestinian flags during a march in solidarity with the people of Gaza in the Huthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 5, 2024 amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant Hamas group in Gaza. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP) The recent attempt by the Houthis short form for Ansar-Allah to blockade the Red Sea has triggered a new inflection point in the Israel-Hamas conflagration. This unprecedented escalation has not only heightened regional tensions but also has introduced new stakeholders in the dispute. The continued aggression of the Houthis in spite of retaliation by the United States and other Western powers has further exacerbated the ongoing conflict, directly impacting maritime trade and by extension the global economy. In order to understand the Houthis and their intent behind blockading the Red Sea, some historical context is imperative. The early spread of Islam in Yemen came in the form of Zaydism, a Shiite sect, which remained prominent until the arrival of the Rasulid dynasty in Yemen. Upon their arrival, Shafii Sunnism became popular, resulting in the presence of two opposing groups in the region: the Zaydi-Shia and the Sunnis. This conflict continued till the advent of the Ottoman Empire in the region. Yemen gained independence from British and Ottoman rule in 1918, forming the Mutawakkilite Kingdom. However, political instability persisted, and in 1962, a revolution led to the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic in the north. The southern part of Yemen, formerly under British rule, gained independence as the Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1967. The two Yemens eventually unified in 1990, forming the Republic of Yemen. Yemen has a majority Sunni population, and the then-newly-formed country failed to maintain a balance between the different sections of the society. Shias felt that they were under-represented in the government. Moreover, the policies of the central government neglected the northern region where Shiites predominantly reside. The rise of the Houthi movement can be traced to this dissatisfaction with the policies of the Ali Abdullah Saleh government. The Houthi rebels launched a series of uprisings in the early 2000s. However, they were brutally repressed by the government. This changed after the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring of 2011 resulted in a power vacuum in the region. The Houthis seized the opportunity to advance their agenda and seized control of the capital, Sanaa. Consequently, an intervention by a Saudi-led coalition in 2015, seeking to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, began attacking the Houthis. In response, Iran, the vortex of the Shia crescent, came to the aid of the Houthis. Apart from a religious angle, Iran's involvement in Yemen is also a part of its broader regional strategy to counter its regional rivals Saudi Arabia. This compelled the United States and its Western allies to come to the aid of Saudi Arabia and President Hadi. The situation is further complicated by the presence of the Islamic State, and Al-Qaeda, aiming to take advantage of the current political instability. Thus, Yemen is a battleground between various powers, each aiming to assert its hegemony over the Middle-East. The current Red Sea blockade is a consequence of this rivalry playing in another theatre. Iran is allied with Hamas and Hezbollah and constantly supplies them with arms to fight against Israel. In response, Israel has started building ties with Arab countries. The Abraham Accords resulted in the creation of diplomatic ties of Israel with the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan. If the devastating attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, wouldnt have occurred, then Israel and Saudi Arabia would have been closer to a diplomatic rapprochement. In fact, many erudite analysts of the convoluted geopolitics of the Middle East believe that the objective of the Hamas attack was to subvert and demolish any possibility of a Saudi-Israel rapprochement which the Hamas believes had it fructified would have permanently taken the Palestinian issue off the Middle Eastern table. The multiple attacks on October 7, 2023, not only jeopardised Israels ties with Saudi Arabia, but has also resulted in a regional conflict. In response to the attacks on its citizens, Israel has launched a brutal invasion of Gaza, and conducted airstrikes in Lebanon. This has resulted in the Houthi blockading the Red Sea and attacking Israel/West owned shipping vessels when they approached the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait to go through the Suez Canal. In response to the increased Houthi presence, America, along with its allies, has formed a multinational coalition called Operation Prosperity Guardian. The conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis and the American coalition shall have adverse ramifications. The Suez Canal is perhaps the most critical link that provides the maritime trade connection between the West and the East. The Red Sea route via the Suez Canal handles around 12 per cent of the global trade. From an Indian perspective, the Suez Canal reduces the distance from India to Europe by around 7,000 km. Moreover, India relies extensively upon countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq to meet its petroleum demands, which all come via the Red Sea Route. Any disruption of this trade route will have serious and adverse consequences and increase the geo-political risk quotient for both petroleum importing and exporting nations. The ongoing conflict has also severely affected the global supply chain, shipping vessels are forced to reroute and go around the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing the overall cost of shipping and making marine insurance even more expensive. Further adding to the woes, the prevailing instability has empowered Somali pirates to hijack cargo ships such as the recent MV Lila Norfolk, requiring naval intervention. As Israel continues to further escalate the war by pursuing its assault on Gaza, further retaliation, interdiction and blockades by the Houthis would perhaps be the norm rather than the exception. As both sides refuse to back down and come to the negotiating table, the possibility of a wider regional conflagration increases exponentially. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict that adversely impacted global food and commodity markets, the Israel-Hamas conflict that threatens to close the maritime choke points and the growing tensions in the South China Sea/Western Pacific Ocean and, by extension, the broader Indo-Pacific region only serve to underscore the fragile and vulnerable nature of the integrated supply chains in a world that is interconnected and globalised in more ways than one. Is conflict really an option that humanity can or should afford in the 21st century? by Stefano Vecchia A community of about 50,000 individuals inhabit the valley in the far north-eastern corner of Pakistan. While accentuating the esoteric component of the Muslim faith, they have remained largely immune to pressure and threats from the Sunni majority. At the head is Karim, the fourth Aga Khan, recognised as the 49th Imam by the estimated 15 million Ismailis. Milan (AsiaNews) - A community in Pakistan has been able to take advantage of its characteristics of cohesion, isolation but also the desire of its leaders to open it to the world and to progress which has led it to be exemplary, even if often unknown. The Nizarites inhabit the Hunza valley, in the Gilgit-Baltistan area, located in the extreme north-eastern corner of Pakistan in the Hindu Kush chain. A region marked by high mountains, but also by the enchantment of its forests, its waterways and its lakes. Once isolated for several months of the year, it is now more accessible and above all more open to the rest of the country thanks to limited air services and modern roads; among these there is the Karakoram Highway which crosses it following the traces of the ancient caravan route and Buddhist pilgrimage route, climbing towards the Chinese border. The geographical isolation would have made it one of the many areas reserved for a difficult life, elite tourism or mountaineering expeditions if it had not been for a coincidence of factors. Hunza is in fact the heir of a small principality which, after cohabitation with the British power, upon Pakistan's independence opted for coexistence in the new Pakistani nation, maintaining identities and characteristics that have had a national and international projection thanks to its Aga Khan, religious and political leaders. Aga Khan is a title recognized to the local dynasty which at the time of independence was represented by the 3rd Aga Khan, Mohammad Jamal Khan, who was able to direct his small community (today we are talking about around 50 thousand individuals) giving the possibility of applying resourcefulness and ability well beyond the original location. Possibilities favored by the close solidarity and interdependence that characterizes it. This "path" is followed by his nephew, Prince Karim Aga Khan, who succeeded him at the age of twenty in 1957, and is known for his managerial skills and financial flair, but also for his participation in the international jet-set and for the huge investments that made thanks to the donations of his followers. Promoting, among other things, the tourism development of the Costa Smeralda, in Sardinia (Italy). Today the Ismailis of Hunza are drivers, guides, entrepreneurs, managers, politicians and magistrates. They cooperate with the institutions initiated or directed by the Aga Khan (mostly from abroad where he usually resides) for the development of the valley, but also with activities - schools, hospitals, social activities, infrastructures - which are shared without preclusions with the population . Therefore participation and initiative, but not exclusion, are characteristics of this community and make it a particular reality also considering the membership of a religious community of Islamic tradition - that of the Ismailis - which dates back to the historical split between Sunnis and Shiites in the seventh century and from a further subdivision of the latter in the 8th century. The community known locally as Nizarites, accentuates the mystical and esoteric component of Islam and therefore often considered heterodox, if not heretical, by other Muslim communities. Karim, the fourth Aga Khan, is recognized as the 49th imam by the estimated 15 million Ismailis in the world but, in a rare case, the pressure of the majority Sunnis which in other regions also manifests itself with discrimination and violent acts, mostly circumvents the reality of the Nazirites of 'Hunza. (Photo taken from the Aga Khan IV Facebook page) The second generation of Fords original SUV, the one and only Bronco, was a short-lived adventure that turned out spectacularly popular, with almost 182,000 vehicles sold. After a very long wait for a replacement for the original series from 1966, the new Bronco gained bulk, muscle, and weight. SUV Photo: YouTube/The Detail Geek Photo: YouTube/The Detail Geek Photo: YouTube/The Detail Geek Introduced in 1977 for the 1978 model year, the new Ford Bronco was a sales hit due to a number of favorable factors. Customer interest would probably top the list since the revisedwas vastly overdue. The nameplate debuted in 1966, and it took the Blue Oval execs a dozen years to come up with a refreshment.It wasnt entirely uncommon practice for Detroit to roll out long production runs for selected makes and models (the C3 Corvette or the second-gen Camaro come to mind first). Still, the Bronco was a different story altogether. The all-terrainer was initially planned for renewal in 1974. Still, its awaited introduction in the fall of 73 couldnt have come at a less favorable moment.That October, the oil embargo went into effect, and America had more important things on its hands than to stampede into Fords dealerships for a new V8-powered Bronco that was anything but a mileage maker. FoMoCo postponed the market launch for four years, and the delay showed in full when the new model finally hit the showrooms.By 1977, the first-generation Bronco was desperately outdated, so the big descendant was welcomed with open arms and standing ovations. Almost 78,000 units were delivered for the 1978 model year alone, 104,000 in this generation's second and final year. Ford played it safe, offering one body style, two trim levels, and two engine choices.Unlike its predecessor, it was basic but effective the Bronco put on the full-size SUV cape. Compared to the compact 4x4 of the first generation, the 78-79 models had a foot-longer (305 mm) wheelbase. Bumper to bumper, this growth spurt translated into 28 inches (711 mm) over the 1977 model while also being 10 inches (254 mm) broader at the shoulders.Power-wise, Ford put a 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) V8 as standard and stroked it to 400 cubes (6.6 liters) as the alternative . A four-speed manual and the optional three-speed Cruise-O-Matic auto were the available transmissions. The dual-range transfer case offered either part-time all-wheel drive (again, regular equipment) or permanent 4x4 (but only when teamed with the automatic gearbox).The rear gearing came in at 3.50:1 standard, or 4.11, with the Trailer Special package, and the rugged Ford could be optioned with quad heavy-duty shocks on the front and dual HDs on the rear axle. The big Bronco was 180 inches long (over a 104-inch wheelbase), 79 wide, and 75.5 tall (in metric, thats 4.57 meters in length, 2.0 meters across the front bumper, and 1.9 meters at the roof, with a 2.6-meter distance between the axles).Depending on the installed equipment, the weight of the bulky Ford ranged from 6,000 to 6,550 lbs (2.7 to 3.0 tons). A lot of Ford to carry around, especially with the choked outputs from the engines from the day. The 351 V8 was good for 156 hp (158 PS) and 262 lb-ft (355 Nm), while its bigger variant added only two hp for a total of 158 horses (160 PS) and 276 lb-ft (374 Nm).The Bronco was a tough machine (by late seventies standards). Occasional examples pop up here and there in various states. This twenty-year abandoned Custom from 1978 is one of them, and the big Ford will get a well- deserved restoration . Still, before that happens, the SUV received a mandatory clean-up courtesy of The Detail Geek. The YouTuber spent 12 hours bringing the shine back on the rough machine that is in surprisingly good overall condition, given its age and open-field-parked section of its resume.Surprisingly, rust hasnt eaten away the car, but the weather has taken its toll wherever it found a weak spot like the doors and floor panels. The fiberglass roof is impeccable, but the big and pleasant surprise comes from under the hood. The engine doesnt look like it took a two-decade sabbatical at the mercy of the elements. The crooked eye look upfront isnt a result of the outdoor retirement but a more frivolous adventure.Before it was left in the open, the Bronco took a hike on a bike trail, and the driver ended up in his grannys greenhouse. That was in the early 2000s, and the off-roading Ford was never put to work until last year when a new owner decided to remake an honest SUV out of it. He aims big, according to the detailer, going for a total overhaul and possibly a custom paint job. His money, his car, his preferences, but whats your opinion on this: does this 87,757-mile (141,201-km) Bronco need a new color, or driving it as it is would do it best justice The Lamborghini Huracan. A supercar staple, perhaps even the quintessential AWD Italian exotic, and to this day one of the fastest passenger vehicles in the world. AWD 19. LP 580-2 Coupe Photo: WheelsAge 18. LP 610-4 Coupe Photo: WheelsAge 17. LP 580-2 Spyder Photo: WheelsAge 16. LP 610-4 Spyder Photo: WheelsAge 15. LP 610-2 Evo RWD Coupe Photo: Lean Design GmbH/WheelsAge TCS Traction Control System 14. LP 610-4 Sterrato Photo: WheelsAge 13. LP 610-4 Avio Photo: Gianfranco Visentini/WheelsAge 12. LP 640-4 Evo Coupe Photo: WheelsAge 11. LP 640-4 Evo Fluo Capsule 10. LP 610-2 Evo RWD Spyder Photo: Diego Vigarani/WheelsAge 9. LP 640-4 Evo GT Celebration Photo: WheelsAge 8. LP 640-2 Tecnica Photo: WheelsAge 7. LP 640-4 Evo Spyder Photo: WheelsAge 6. LP 640-2 Tecnica 60th Anniversary Edition Photo: Wolfango Spaccarelli/WheelsAge 5. LP 640-4 Performante Photo: WheelsAge 4. LP 640-2 STO Photo: Diego Vigarani/WheelsAge 3. LP 640-4 Performante Spyder Photo: WheelsAge 2. LP 640-2 STO 60th Anniversary Edition Photo: Wolfango Spaccarelli/WheelsAge 1. LP 640-4 Evo Spyder 60th Anniversary Edition Photo: Wolfango Spaccarelli/WheelsAge This is a rare breed of car, where one could argue that all, or at least nearly all its variants are created equal. By that I mean most of them enter the production stage with all-wheel drive at their disposal, with all of them sharing the same 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 masterpiece of an engine.You could also describe them as rear mid-engine entry-level exotics, but keep in mind that youd be using the term entry level very loosely.Lamborghini first unveiled the Huracan using the world wide web in late 2013, before sending it out to the Geneva Motor Show the following year. It made its predecessor, the Gallardo, look like an antique, and for good reason. It surpassed the latter in absolutely all departments and has been going strong ever since with no signs of letting up.This begs the question, which Huracan is the best Huracan? Youve probably seen various rankings online regarding this subject matter, but its always some type of Top 5, or maybe a thread on a message board. What were looking to do here is go way beyond that and actually rank not just every single Huracan variant, but also the special editions, in order of how desirable they are to "regular" supercar buyers.This means the focus is on value and performance, more so than pure driving enjoyment, if that makes sense. What Im trying to say is that just because you personally would have more fun behind the wheel of a rear-wheel-driven Huracan (as opposed to), that doesnt mean its the better car in a vacuum.In fact, Ill argue that its not. Peak Huracan means having that all-wheel-drive system to rocket you off the line perfectly, each time you launch. Its this cars calling card. Also, lets all of us agree right now that a convertible Italian exotic is better than a coupe. Talk about a no-brainer, right?Now that we clarified that, lets jump into these rankings, starting with the worst Huracan ever made, the LP 580-2 in its fixed-roof form.Its strange how a lot of people look at the Huracan LP 580-2 Coupe as this superior product to the original LP 610-4 Coupe, just because its got rear-wheel drive. The exact opposite is true. Its an inferior product. Its slower to 60 mph by about 0.3 seconds, and its got 31 less horsepower.You can powerslide it easier, yes, but other than that, youre not launching as well, and youre not accelerating as hard, which is the whole point of a precision tool like the Lamborghini Huracan.Visually, the LP 580-2 features a slightly different front fascia compared to the LP 610-4, to go with larger vents at the rear for improved brake cooling. Its a fine supercar, dont get me wrong. But, youd be getting the least Huracan for your money with this one. If youre looking at used examples, Id recommend increasing your budget by a tiny bit and opting for an AWD variant.When new, the base level LP 580-2 sold for about $40,000 less than the base level LP 610-4. In this case, numbers do not lie.The second-to-last Huracan you should be interested in is the original LP 610-4 model in Coupe form, with its 602 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. This specification really doesnt do anything wrong. It will hit 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds, before maxing out at around 202 mph.When this first came out in 2014, Lamborghini aimed it at the likes of the Ferrari 458/488 duo, the McLaren 650S, as well as the Audi R8, its German cousin.In a way, the original Huracan was the least Lamborghini-like Lambo ever made, because of how well-engineered it was. It was relatively comfortable, quite modern, and less dramatic than its predecessors. Some people complained about this until they got behind the wheel and fell in love with what could be described as the Swiss army knife of Italian exotics.That said, Lamborghini has come a long way since then, bringing several updates to the Huracan throughout the years and building on this original model with great success. We cant rank it higher than no. 18 though.Technically, the LP 580-2 Spyder is the slowest Huracan in existence. Like its Coupe sibling, its got 571 horsepower, but because of the excess weight from the roof folding mechanism, it needs 3.6 seconds in order to hit 60 mph. This means it accelerates off the line at roughly the same pace as a BMW M240i xDrive Coupe . Rather comical, but its true.Or maybe its the Bimmer thats ridiculously fast, but lets not get caught up in all that.The only reason why I have the LP 580-2 Spyder ahead of the LP 610-4 Coupe is because the formers roof can be tucked away, allowing the driver and their passenger to enjoy the cars V10 symphony the way it was meant to be enjoyed.Maybe this is just an unwritten rule, but theres little reason why anyone would rather have a fixed-roof Italian exotic over a convertible, unless theyre specifically looking for a track-focused model, in which case the added rigidity helps.Were about to enter peak Huracan territory, which is where a lot of versions reside. It all starts with the LP 610-4 Spyder though, revealed by Lamborghini at the 2016 Frankfurt Motor Show.Yes, this weighed an extra 265 lbs compared to the coupe, and it would need 3.3 seconds in order to hit 60 mph, but lets not pretend as though its not fast enough. If the choice comes down between a base-spec Coupe or a base-spec Spyder, the latter wins 100% of the time.Its also the superior vehicle to the LP 580-2 Spyder, which only has rear-wheel drive, and this can be seen as a deficiency.Short of an Evo (and anything else thats newer), the LP 610-4 Spyder is easily the best Huracan money can buy.Speaking of the Evo, here it is in rear-wheel drive form at no. 15. By the way, the term Evo simply means that youre dealing with a mid-cycle refresh model.These came out in 2019, and feature an updated design (new front bumper, Performante-like rear, new ducktail spoiler), as well as increased performance. Its got the same engine setup as the Huracan Performante, but this RWD version, which debuted in 2020, doesnt make full use of it.Other highlights include the revised diffuser, the bespoke P-tech (Performance), and its ability to oversteer a lot more than the old 580-2 Coupe.In a straight line, the LP 610-2 Evo RWD Coupe will hit 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, the same as the LP 610-4 Spyder. You could argue the latter is still the more desirable car, but in this case, I think you have to go with the updated Huracan, simply because youre getting an overall superior product.I bet you werent expecting the Sterrato to be ranked so low, seeing as how everybody seems to be in love with it and everything it stands for. Personally, I think its cool. It is useful, but lets not pretend its a better Huracan than the regular version, because its not.The Huracans main task is to excel as a supercar, and youre not going to be doing that if you keep raising the ride height 2 inches more than the regular Huracan, in this case.The Sterrato also comes with an increase in wheel track, new wide body fender flares, tires that can handle off-roading (to an extent), a reinforced frame, integrated skidpads, fog lights, and a unique Rally Mode for driving on gravel, dirt and sand.In terms of performance, it uses the same engine as the base-level Evo, meaning 602 horsepower. But since this has all-wheel drive, you can accelerate to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, despite the extra weight. We should also note that with only 1,499 available units at $276,000, one might view this as a worthy collectible. Another way to view it would be as being overpriced, but to each their own.Most people tend to forget that the very first special edition Huracan was the Avio , paying tribute to the Air Force with its special livery.Theres not much else to say about this car, other than the fact that its worthy of being no. 13 on this list due to one simple fact. Its quite rare. Lamborghini reportedly built just 250 units the type of number that would make any supercar collector stand up and take notice. Theres nothing like a limited production Italian exotic. Its the type of character trait that overcomes many deficiencies.Not that the LP 610-4 Avio has deficiencies, although we could point to it and say that rare or not, its still not as complete a car as the Evo, which is a fair point.Were in optimal performance territory now, with the 640-4 Evo . Huracans dont get much better than this, performance-wise. Or anything-wise for that matter.The 640-4 Evos Performante-derived engine setup allows for 631 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, which in turn will get you to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds. This thing also comes with a refined exhaust, rear-wheel steering, improved torque vectoring, a better interior, revised suspension, and more.Its a complete Huracan, and certainly better than the rear-wheel drive Evo at straight-line stuff. Its not as good at power sliding, but would you really care all that much? Since when is shredding tires part of the Lamborghini experience?I told you we wouldnt just be talking about different variants here, but also special edition models. Were trying to make this a complete list, and as such, the Huracan Evo Fluo Capsule has to be on it.Its basically a regular AWD Evo, but available with a bunch of special colors such as Verde Shock, Arancio Livrea, Celeste Fedra, Arancio Dac, and Giallo Clarus. All colors stand in contrast to the matte black roof, front bumper and side skirts.Inside, the Evo Fluo Capsule comes with new sport seats, embroidered seat logos (in the same color as the exterior hue), and a start/stop flap that also matches the body color.Is it better than the regular Evo? Well, kind of. Its a little more special. However, for the life of me I cannot find how many of these were made. I suspect that it wasnt necessarily limited to a particular number, and thus, not extremely rare.Look at how much of a difference being a convertible makes. We had the coupe version of the LP 610-2 Evo at no. 15 on this list, and the Spyder sits a full 5 spots higher, above the likes of the 640-4 Evo and the limited edition Avio.Its an updated convertible Huracan, and the fact that it has rear-wheel drive and just 602 horsepower instead of 631 hp, doesnt hurt it as much as it probably should. You can still drop the top and cruise to the sound of that beautiful V10 symphony. Its a priceless experience. Well, technically not priceless, because these things cost upwards of $229,000, but in a sense, its hard to quantify the difference between the Evo Coupe and the Spyder Once youve driven a V10, or even a V8-powered convertible supercar, youll quickly realize why carmakers always charge a premium for offering either a hard-top or a soft-top.Yes, this is a fixed-roof model, but its still an Evo with all-wheel drive and extremely limited availability.Lamborghini built only 36 units of the LP 640-4 Evo GT Celebration , which was meant to pay tribute to the companys motorsport victories. They unveiled this thing alongside the Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster at Monterey back in 2019.Which motorsport victories, you ask? Specifically, the ones that occurred in 2018 and 2019, at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Meanwhile, the number 36 has meaning because its the sum time of the two endurance races, which together are known as the 36 Hours of Florida.This limited edition Huracan also pays tribute to the GT3 Evo car, hence the Verde Egeria and Arancio Aten livery just like the GRT Grasser Racing Team.All in all, this is a great collectible, if you can get it.Whoa! Your mind is about to explode, isnt it? Youve probably seen countless articles where the Huracan Tecnica ranks as the best-ever Huracan, but Im here to tell you that it just doesnt. I dont care how good it is if its not as good (or valuable) as some of the remaining specifications and special editions.Still, lets see what were working with here. The Huracan Tecnica was unveiled back in 2022, positioned between the rear-wheel drive version of the Evo, and the track-focused STO. Its a little bit longer than the regular Evo (by 2.4 inches), but just as tall and wide.Its got the same naturally aspirated V10 as the STO, to go with 35% more downforce and 20% less drag than the Evo. Sounds almost too good to be true, right? The thing is, this is still rear-wheel drive, and it will only hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Im also not sure that its a better-looking Huracan compared to the regular Evo. That newly designed front fascia is more of an acquired taste, if you ask me.One thing thats great is that Lamborghini only planned 300 units of the Tecnica, which is why it almost edged out this next Huracan. Almost.Saving the best Evo for last, its the convertible 640-4, with all-wheel drive. Consider this: the LP 640-4 Evo Spyder is more expensive to purchase than the Tecnica, which speaks to its superiority, as far as the market is concerned.With its 631 hp going to all four wheels, the Evo Spyder can rocket to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds, making this one of the quickest Huracans off-the-line to date.Compared to the coupe model, this is heavier by some 220 lbs, thanks to the folding soft-top, which takes 17 seconds to operate, and you can fiddle with it at speeds up to 30 mph.In many ways, the Evo Spyder might just be the ultimate Huracan specification. Its certainly up there in the conversation.I did tell you the Tecnica does have the LP 640-4 Evo Spyder beat at certain things, but it doesnt really matter since we can just place the 60th Anniversary Edition Tecnica ahead of the Evo on availability alone.Lamborghini only made 60 of these, which means youre looking at a seriously rare supercar, the type thats guaranteed to go up in value if you keep it stationary. Heck, itll probably go up in value even if you drive it.Each of these cars comes with unique details such as a 1 of 60 carbon fiber plate and a special logo painted on the doors and embroidered on the seats. Its gorgeous.The Huracan Performante may not be a limited-edition model, technically, but they still only made around 1,800 units combined (coupe and spyders).This is the original bad boy Huracan, and it arrived at a time when it damn-near broke the internet with its specifications. Its got new front and rear bumpers, loads of carbon fiber elements, an adjustable rear wing, repositioned exhaust, new seats, less weight than the LP 640-4 (by 88 lbs), stiffer springs (by 10%), reworked suspension, and the carmakers new (at the time) ALA system.You want to talk about fast? Zero to 60 takes just 2.9 seconds (despite the high-downforce configuration), and 0-124 mph takes place in 8.9 seconds.If youre looking for a truly collectible Huracan, its hard to do a lot better than a low-mileage Performante.Another opinion-splitter, right? This time at no. 4 where we have the track-focused STO , although let me just say that not everyone wants a track-focused supercar as their daily.STO stands for Super Trofeo Omologato, and you can tell this isnt your regular Huracan right off the bat. I mean, if the massive rear wing doesnt give it away, the roof snorkel sure will. Other novelties include the motorsport-inspired engine cover, 75% carbon fiber construction, plus racing harnesses for the bucket seats.Performance-wise, you get 631 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, a rear wheel steering system, and F1-inspired CCMR brakes like on Formula 1 cars.This is a truly special vehicle, and theyre only making 700 units, so its rare too. Meanwhile, the fact that its the most expensive Huracan speaks volumes too.Coming off what I just said about the STO, Im not sure whether that, or the Performante Spyder are going to be worth more to collectors in 20 years' time.All I know is that today, you can make the case for the Performante Spyder as being the better product. Its got all-wheel drive, the same horsepower, pretty much identical acceleration times, it too is a limited production model, and of course, its a convertible.The Spyder weighs 276 lbs more than the fixed-roof Performante, although the top speed is the same (202 mph). These were unveiled back in 2018 at the Geneva Motor Show and went on sale that same year from just over $300,000.In other words, these were rarer and more expensive than Evo Spyders, so lets not question its position in the Top 3.I think we can easily swap out no. 2 and no. 3 on this list, but Im sure none of you will mind if we leave this limited edition STO right here and walk away.Again, only 60 made as part of the 60th Anniversary Edition lot, and they look absolutely spectacular. This is arguably the most aggressive-looking Huracan out there, and its desirability is off the charts. Let me just say this: if youre looking for a Huracan thats bound to go up in value like crazy, look no further than this limited edition STO. Its no. 1 from that standpoint.Otherwise, what you see is what you get you have that nice livery over the updated aero bits, and the tried and tested naturally aspirated V10 sending 631 horsepower to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. And lets not forget how this will do 60 mph in 2.8 seconds (in optimal conditions). What a beast.Look it's an Evo, its a Spyder, its limited to just 60 units, its got all-wheel drive. This is the ultimate Lamborghini Huracan. Its like Blade from the Marvel universe, capable of walking both worlds.Its not the most valuable Huracan, but its up there. Its also not the most track-focused, but it more than makes up for that with the fact that its got all-wheel drive, and you can put the top down in order to take in the sunlight and the soundtrack.All I can tell you is that they should have made an STO Spyder, so we could rank it no.1, even with its 640-2 configuration. But in absence of that, I see no choice but to crown this limited-edition Evo Spyder as our winner. It wins by an inch, not a mile. But as Dominic Toretto would say, winning is winning! One of the advantages of electric vehicles, besides the instant torque available via the right pedal, is the improved cargo area. You see, the lack of a traditional engine and transmission and other components have freed up more space, including under the front hood (frunk). Photo: Baldauf kW kWh As a result, all of them can eat up some cargo beneath the front hood, and the capacity varies from vehicle to vehicle. But how big is the frunk of the Cadillac Celestiq ? This answer came from a prototype that broke down recently, which was immortalized by our spy photographer.The tester was spotted on the side of the road with its frunk open. We can see that the storage area is neither long nor wide, yet due to the angle, we cannot see how deep it is. Nevertheless, we reckon the car's future owners won't be able to store much there other than a small bag, perhaps, with the larger items fitting into the generous trunk at the rear.Another detail worth mentioning is the shape of the frunk, which appears to mirror the brand's crest . As for what happened to this tester that made it break down, it is unknown, yet our spy photographers state that a flatbed took it through the gates of the nearby Milford Proving Grounds in Michigan, where it seems to have been tested before something malfunctioned.Whatever it was that led to the unfortunate incident, we hope Cadillac will be able to fix it without a headache, as deliveries of the Celestiq will commence this spring. The vehicle builds on the GM Ultium platform, featuring dual-motor hardware that produces an estimated 600 horsepower (609 ps/448) combined and 640 pound-feet (868 Nm) of torque.As for the how quick it is part of the story, it apparently needs just 3.8 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph (97 kph). With the 111battery pack fully juiced up, the Celestiq has a total drive range of roughly 300 miles or 483 kilometers. And as you likely already know, it's not a car for everyone, given its eye-watering price tag.You see, the original estimated selling price was around $300,000, yet as it turns out, the Cadillac Celestiq will actually start at approximately $340,000. Mind you, that doesn't include the destination charge, dealer fees, and so on, so this model will probably get close to the $400,000 mark once factoring in everything and checking most (if not all) boxes on the options list.As a result, it falls deep into the Rolls-Royce and Bentley territory, so it remains to be seen how many copies the GM-owned premium car brand will be able to part ways with each year. Will you contribute to its sales? EV Therouting update is powered by a partnership between Google and Ford , so the feature will first launch in the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning.Google Maps will offer capabilities similar to the Apple Maps EV routing system, also available in Ford models and running on a connection between the smartphone and the head unit.Google says the new features will land later this year, and Adam Diehm, Global Product Manager for EV Routing and Range at Ford, says the carmaker will enable them in supported models with an OTA update.Diehm explains that the features will be available once drivers connect their smartphones to the head unit and enable Android Auto, with Google Maps in charge of navigation. Otherwise, Google Maps won't be able to access the EV data, such as when you run the app on the mobile device, without launching Android Auto.The EV routing will allow Google Maps to read battery information through the Android Auto connection, so users will be provided with a battery on arrival estimate. It means you'll see how much battery is estimated to be left when you arrive at a destination where you're driving with Google Maps on the screen. The battery on arrival estimate is also available for the next stop if you configure Google Maps navigation with multiple stops.Additionally, Google Maps will also offer an end-of-range indicator and automatically offer charging stops. With this latter feature, Google Maps will keep an eye on your battery range and automatically suggest a charging stop when the battery isn't enough to reach a destination.When you configure navigation, Google Maps will also display a minimum recommended charge, so you'll know precisely if you can reach your destination with the current charge.The new Google Maps routing feature will originally debut in the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning, but no further specifics were shared at this point as to when Ford plans to begin shipping the OTA update.Google Maps already offers similar capabilities, including the auto-suggested charging stops, in cars fitted with Android Automotive. Google's fully featured operating system has access to more vehicle data, so it can read the battery information too, eventually powering these capabilities without the need for a connection between the phone and the infotainment screen.Meanwhile, if you want to get a taste of how Google Maps' EV routing works, you can try out these capabilities in Apple Maps. They are available in the same Ford models, as the latest updates enable them in the F-150 Lightning too. kW AWD Photo: Liberty Walk It's easy to understand why when remembering that its engine was much more powerful than advertised. The 2.6-liter straight-six unit, assisted by a pair of turbochargers, was good for 276 hp (280 ps/206) back in the day, sending everything to thesystem through a stick shift.You may be wondering why they haven't made it punchier, and the reason was to prevent road accidents. However, it put out a heck of a lot more, as certain copies were found to have at least that much power at the wheels and that's with no outside intervention (aka tuning).The legendary model was only sold in Japan. Hence, the right-hand drive configuration of all copies save for those that have received left-hand drive conversions. It is estimated that some 11,500 R34s were made from 1999 to 2002, and since quite a few of them were involved in serious accidents, it is unknown how many are still around.As a result, it almost feels like Christmas morning whenever we stumble upon an example that's looking for a new home and which is worthy of our attention. And by that, we don't mean the numerous copies that were modified to resemble the Skyline driven by Paul Walker in Fast & Furious, as that one is an entirely different gem, one that sold last year for almost $1.4 million.Pictured here is an early copy of the R34, which features aftermarket coilovers, a custom muffler, new 18-inch alloys wrapped in 225/40 tires, a Liberty Walk steering wheel, a Clarion infotainment system, and a few other goodies. The black-on-black car is in Liberty Walk's possession, which says it has 152,400 km (94,697 miles) on the clock. Thus, it has seen a lot of action over the years, yet it still is very shiny, not to mention exciting.From what we can tell, all it needs is gas in the tank and a skilled driver behind that new steering wheel. But are you perhaps the person whose name will be written on the dotted line? If you said yes, then you must be loaded because this is not a bargain Skyline R34. In fact, with the help of Google Translate, we found out that it will set you back 38,800,000 yen. That's equivalent to a little over $265,000 at the current exchange rates, which could otherwise get you a whole bunch of other exciting machines. So, is it worth the asking price? The year 2024 might be the biggest election year in human history, with more than 50 countries and regions globally holding elections, including major countries like the United States and Russia. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his 2023 State of the Nation Address in Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 9, 2023. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua) The elections, which will involve nearly half of the world population, bear significance for the domestic politics of these countries and regions, and might also shape the global political landscape. U.S.: TRUMP FACES CHALLENGES The U.S. presidential election is scheduled for November. Currently, U.S. President Joe Biden is running for re-election, while former President Donald Trump is leading significantly in polls over other Republican presidential candidates. However, due to his alleged involvement in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Trumps eligibility for election is being challenged in several states, including Colorado. On Dec. 19, 2023, the Supreme Court of Colorado ruled that Trump be removed from the states 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot. A few days later, the state of Maine announced a similar decision. Last week, Trump appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has agreed to take up whether the former president should be disqualified from appearing on Colorados primary ballot. The decision of the Supreme Court will have a significant impact on this years presidential election. Trump has also been plagued by multiple criminal charges related to the Capitol riot and several other cases, which, TIME magazine has said in a recent article, will shape 2024 campaigns and test the justice and political systems unlike anything the country has ever seen. 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 recently. RUSSIA: PUTIN WIDELY BELIEVED TO WIN Russia will hold its presidential election on March 15-17. Nikolai Bulayev, deputy chairman of Russias Central Election Commission (CEC), told the media earlier that there are 11 names on the list of possible presidential candidates. While attending a celebration of the Heroes of the Fatherland Day at the Kremlin on Dec. 8, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his plan to run for re-election in 2024. Later, Putin submitted the registration documents to the CEC to run for president, and his campaign website was launched. In Russia, there is a widespread belief that Putin is likely to win. The level of public trust in Putin among Russians has reached 80 percent, a public opinion poll conducted in December 2023 by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center showed. EUROPE: RISING FAR-RIGHT FORCES The 2024 European Parliament election is scheduled to be held on June 6-9. It will be the first European Parliament election after Brexit, and is considered a barometer of European politics. The European Parliament election is held every five years. More than 400 million voters from the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU) will cast their votes to elect about 700 Members of the European Parliament. The European Parliament serves as the legislative, supervisory, budgetary, and consultative body of the EU. The nomination of the new president of the European Commission, who wields significant influence over the EUs internal and external decision-making, must be approved by the parliament. As last year witnessed a rise of far-right forces in European politics, experts have expressed concerns that the emergence of far-right parties in multiple countries may impact this years European Parliament election. The election in Britain is also noteworthy. Although the opposition Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats urge for a general election in May, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has recently said that his assumption is to hold the election in the second half of the year. There are various issues to address, including managing the economy, reducing taxes, and tackling illegal immigration, said the prime minister. His Conservative Party is trailing the Labour Party by an average of 18 points in the polls, said a report by the Financial Times. It is being assumed that the prime minister would wait until the autumn to allow more time for the economy to improve. MEXICO: FIRST POSSIBLE FEMALE PRESIDENT Mexico will hold general elections on June 2, and the new president will take office in October. Two female candidates are leading in several polls, with Claudia Sheinbaum, the candidate of the ruling Morena party, having a support rate of over 48 percent and Xochitl Galvez, the candidate of the opposition coalition, having a support rate of about 30 percent. Sheinbaum, 61, was a climate scientist and is considered by the media as a protege of the current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In 2018, she became the mayor of Mexico City, committed to building environmentally friendly infrastructure and fighting crime. Galvez, 60, comes from a humble background and became an entrepreneur. After entering politics, she served in various positions such as mayor of a borough of Mexico City and federal senator. She has opposed the current governments policies in traditional energy and other areas. Over the past six years, the approval rating of the current president, Lopez Obrador, has remained at 60 percent or higher. Analysts argue that with general elections approaching, Lopez Obradors stance and policies will influence the elections outcome. The country is likely to have its first female president. INDONESIA: SOCIAL MEDIA PLAY A ROLE With Indonesias presidential election a month away, the competition among the three pairs of presidential candidates has intensified. The most prominent pair of candidates are Prabowo Subianto, the current defense minister and chairman of the Gerindra Party, and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. In the 2014 and 2019 elections, Subianto lost to Widodo. This year, the pairing of the 72-year-old defense minister and the 36-year-old Gibran aims to attract Widodos staunch supporters and the younger generation. Another pair of candidates are Ganjar Pranowo, former governor of Central Java, and Muhammad Mahfud, the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs of Indonesia. The third pair consists of Anies Baswedan, former governor of Jakarta, and Muhaimin Iskandar, chairman of the National Awakening Party. Social media platforms such as TikTok have become a battlefield for the candidates to attract young voters. Pranowos official TikTok account has 7.3 million followers, and the short videos posted have garnered millions of views. SOUTH AFRICA: RULING PARTY UNDER PRESSURE South Africa, a member of the BRICS, will hold elections in 2024. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa has announced that the presidential and local elections will take place between May and mid-August. Specific details regarding the election procedures, timing, and the candidates for the 2024 elections in South Africa have not been disclosed. The IEC officially launched the process of presidential and provincial elections on Oct. 24, 2023. Voter registration is still ongoing, with the final round scheduled for February. Observers are interested in whether the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, can secure victory in the upcoming elections. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that the 2024 elections will be unprecedentedly intense, and the ANC will face significant pressure and challenges. -Xinhua Photo: SH Proshots EV ICE kW The three-pointed star brand gave a glimpse into the next-gen model with last year's CLA Concept , which had a futuristic design and a tech-infused cabin. However, the road-testing phase of the car started long before that, and more recently, our spies nabbed another prototype in Europe's freezing north.Compared to the eponymous study, the tester has a more toned-down design. It features new front and rear ends and retains the sloping roofline towards the rear, which gives it its four-door coupe shape. We reckon once the thick camouflage starts coming off, the model will look like an evolution of its predecessor, with the new lighting units making it look a bit more futuristic.It was not only the exterior design that became the focus of the camera lens here, as our photographer managed to get close enough to the prototype to snap a picture of the interior, too. The cockpit has nothing in common with that of last year's show car, as we can see a different infotainment system and a fresh digital gauge cluster. A pair of air vents can be seen below the central screen, and further down, it has a new console.The camouflage did its role in preventing us from seeing more of the premium compact model's cabin, but you can expect it to be bathed in a lot of ambient lighting once it is ready for production. After all, Mercedes has some of the flashiest mood lighting signatures in the car world, and the next CLA won't make an exception. Lesser models will probably come with a smaller central screen and will be offered with cloth upholstery, whereas the upper specs should get the larger unit and stuff such as leather upholstery, a sunroof, heated and ventilated seats with massage, and so on.Underpinned by the MMA platform, which can host bothandpowertrains, the upcoming Mercedes CLA will probably get the 800-volt tech from the concept, which would allow it to charge at 250. We expect multiple powertrain options, perhaps including gasoline units and plug-in hybrid assemblies, thus making it a very interesting proposal in the segment and inevitably upping the ante for the rivaling Audi A3 Sedan and BMW 2 Series Coupe.It is believed that the car is due towards the end of this year or perhaps in early 2025. This probably means the first copies will start arriving at dealers in selected markets sometime next year. Are you excited about the new CLA I often find myself wondering what I would do with all my money if I were some millionaire or billionaire, in particular, if I had $12.4M. If that's ever the case, one machine I could get my hands on is the 2024 MCP THD 925, a floating luxury haven designed to help us unwind and escape the daily grind. Photo: MCP Yachts Photo: MCP Yachts Photo: MCP Yachts Ladies and gentlemen, before us stands the MCP THD 925, a vessel crafted by none other than MCP Yachts. Oh, and if this name doesn't ring a bell, it's because this crew is from Brazil, a nation not necessarily known for its ability to craft luxury boats.Nonetheless, MCP has been operational for more than 43 years, making them the nation's go-to crew for a yacht done the right way. Funny enough, some millionaires and billionaires literally travel oceans to pick up their MCP ship. Why such a rush for their goods? The 925 is about to set the story straight.For starters, the 925 is currently up for grabs at a bank account-shattering 11.3M, the equivalent of $12.4M (at current exchange rates). Why so much for a ship that's a tad smaller than others within its price range? The main reason is the amount of experiences and adventures in store, but also the level of living that's been packed into the 2024 925.Now, what we're looking at is a machine that comes in with a length of 28.16 m (92 ft) and is crafted out of nothing other than aluminum. But the real design tricks that MCP has in place are the way the wheelhouse is integrated into the superstructure and the expansive platforms seen all around the ship that seemingly pop up out of nowhere, not to mention the focus on outdoor living and pleasures To make things a tad easier to understand, I want to direct your attention to the rear of the 925. Here, part of the stern is set up on a hydraulic system, allowing it to unfold and create an expansive beach club in the process. By the looks of things, you and three to five other guests can wait their turn to jump into the local waters or join hands and on "3!"This is also the same place where you'll be hopping into the tender that MCP places at your disposal as standard. Since there's no garage aboard the 925, this tender and any other toys you decide to add to your lineup will all be loaded up on the sun deck . You can also see the tender crane looming on the starboard side of the ship.Continuing with the hydraulic magic that the 925 offers, keep your attention on the right side of the ship and check out that beautiful floating platform hanging off the side of the main lounge. What do you think of it? Have you pictured yourself having breakfast here? How about some tea? A nice little private chat would go great here, or maybe asking for someone's hand in marriage, all the while hovering above the sea. It's "Oh, Jack!" all over again.Before we start to explore the interior of the 925, I also want to direct your attention to the ship's highest point, the sun deck, but let's forget about the looming tender in the background. The rest of this space is designed to accommodate both sun and shade-loving humans, placing features like a bar, lounge, and flybridge at our disposal.To enter the interior of the 925, you can either head down the stairs from the sun deck or head up from the beach club I mentioned. Once we do, we'll find ourselves enveloped in features, materials, and designs that may not be the most extravagant around but are modern and minimalist, to say the least.But don't let looks fool you because behind all the wood, LED lighting, soft-touch fabrics, and semi-precious metals is hidden everything you need to live out on the edge of civilization for as long as you have supplies.Which brings me to my next point. As I researched this vessel and what it has to offer, it dawned on me that the 925 is a bit more than just for taking out on the weekends or out at sea for a week or so. With features like a freshwater fabricator, dishwasher, washing machine, and a fully-stocked galley, you and your millionaire guests can spend as much time on the water as you want; just send one of the crew out for supplies and grow old here.Best of all, MCP also added an array of energy-capturing systems. Not only is solar power tapped into, but the Brazilian brand is setting the bar high with things like a wind generator too. If you've got the cash for other eco-friendly systems, let MCP know, but to do that, you'll probably have to drop the down payment for a new machine , one that's built from the ground up to your tastes.By the time you're done spending all that hard-earned cash, you'll be looking at your own private haven, which, with a bit of business planning and the right team behind you, can be turned into a source of cash flow. Over the years, Australia has reigned supreme in the RV game. They did this by crafting insanely capable machines with which to explore a country where nearly everything is deadly. Well, in the hunt for the perfect off-grid experience, Red Sands Campers is doing business a tad differently than other RV sources. 4WD Photo: RedSands Campers EV Photo: RedSands Campers Photo: RedSands Campers Folks, the camper before us has been dubbed the Wanderer. With a name like that, you can clearly understand what it can do: roam around without end. Or at least until you run out of gas If the name Red Sands Campers doesn't sound familiar to you, then you probably never made it out to Australia. But if you do and want to take an RV adventure like never before, give this off-road and off-grid vehicle rental service a call and buckle up for one wild vacation.Simply put, Red Sands Campers is known as one of the premium RV and camper rental services in Australia. For example, a 21-day trip around the South-West Edge in a 5-personmachine will run you around $251 Australian ($170 American at current exchange rates) per day. Currently, four machines are available for these adventures, one of which is the Wanderer, their newest addition to the family. It's a two-person machine, so get ready for some very intimate moments.This RV starts off with nothing more than a 4WD Toyota Hilux. But, just a simple Hilux isn't enough to tame the Australian outback, so Red Sands offers a machine of which nearly every inch has been custom-fitted to stand up to the treacherous outback and make it home, again and again, and again, and... you get the idea For example, the rear of the truck has seen heavy modifications in order to drop that cab-over shell onto the rear. Then, to make it across the harshest of landscapes, an "upgraded off-road suspension" is added; the sort of setup we find is not yet clear. Be sure to check out the bull-bar setup mounted to the front of this puppy and the snorkel, too. The latter unlocks wide and deep river crossings.One aspect of thisworth mentioning is its gas mileage. According to the brochure, with a turbo diesel engine, automatic transmission, and a 142-liter (37.5 gals) gas tank, this Hilux can pull in a peak of 12 liters per 100 km consumption. That's the equivalent of 19.6 miles per gallon. How far into the wild can you venture with 735 miles on a full tank? Sure, that's a peak range, but you get the idea.As for the other little knick-knacks Red Sands adds to the Wanderer, we're looking at a fully-equipped off-grid machine, so expect to find features the likes of two batteries, solar panels, an emergency locator beacon, 80 liters (21 gals) of water, two gas cans, and one of the neatest galley and storage setups I've seen in some time. A portable campsite shower is also part of the package.But what is the campsite experience like? Well, all we have to draw our conclusions from at this time are nothing more than the renderings we have in the image gallery. To do so, let's take a quick trip through Imagination Land to see what we may be up against.All of this starts with you at the wheel of this behemoth, trudging along through thick and thin and muddy or rocky terrain. Finally, you'll reach a place so secluded, so out into the wild, that the only sounds you hear are those of the natural world around you. Only the occasional jet flying overhead will remind you that you're still part of a society.Once you've reached this hidden haven, you'll stretch your legs, take in a deep breath, and proceed to expand this camper into its final form. We'll start off by unloading the exterior cargo bays of your campsite goodies. Hook up that annex shower room, throw up the outdoor dining table, and those yoga mats. Maybe you've got a couple of kayaks strapped to the roof. Extend that awning and even spark a little campfire From here, our attention moves to the interior of the Wanderer. But first, you'll need to lift the roof in place, expanding the available headroom. Once you've completed this step, you'll be able to marvel at the rather simple interior waiting for your tired bones.Just don't expect some fancy luxury living stuff; Australians are lovers of the outdoors and interior spaces such as these are only for the basics like dining, sleeping, and a bit of rocking the casbah. All we can see in the renderings is a dining area and an elevated bed partially set above the cab Once you've unrolled the quilt and fluffed the pillows, it's time to head back outside and prepare the evening meal. To complete this last and final stage in the day-to-day of an off-grid adventurer, we'll need to access the port side of the unit.Here, Red Sands includes a dry food pantry, a portable sink, the 80 liters of water I mentioned, and an 80-liter fridge. Let's not forget the two-burner top and all the little shelves and bays to store utensils and spices. If you've got a phone that needs charging, this is also one place where you can achieve this.With a hot meal whipped up, spread the table, give your significant other a heads up, and enjoy a view of the setting sun over the horizon. After the meal, you draw the short straw for the dishes, and soon after, it's time for the remaining evening plans: S'mores, anyone?Now, the beauty about teams like Red Sands is that they offer lovers of the outdoors one massive benefit: to explore our wild world without buying an account-crushing RV or even worrying about any upkeep costs. Planning an unedited trip around Aussieland? You know what to do. Telegram has become one of the top WhatsApp alternatives, with some sources claiming it has over 700 million monthly active users. With the user base growing at such a fast rate, every minor bug could eventually impact a significant number of devices. It's what happened not long ago on Android Auto, where Telegram went missing for no reason. Telegram going dark on Android Auto isn't unexpected, as users encountered similar problems throughout 2023. However, it's still a major inconvenience, with some people believing that Telegram no longer supports Android Auto.It wasn't the case, as the mysterious hiatus was caused by a bug in a previous Telegram update. The parent company never acknowledged the issue, but the latest Telegram version brought it back to Android Auto, with all features restored correctly. Telegram didn't share a changelog to confirm the bug fix, but several users who took to Google's forums to report the problems revealed that updating the app to the latest version fixes the error.Telegram is back on Android Auto, beginning with version 10.5.1. The latest version on the Play Store available today is 10.5.3, so if you check for updates and install the newest build, everything should work correctly on Android Auto in your car.Oddly, a Google Community Specialist recently joined the discussion on the official forums, asking for more information on the problem the same day Telegram shipped an update. However, Android Auto wasn't the culprit for this error.The Telegram messaging experience on Android Auto allows users to read and send messages through Google Assistant. The digital assistant can read users' messages, compose answers, and send them to contacts without touch interaction. The Telegram app doesn't allow users to write messages on the infotainment unit, as Android Auto does not allow such capabilities due to safety reasons.Meanwhile, Google is working on improving Android Auto on other fronts . The company wants Android Auto to offer a more consistent experience when switching from a mobile device, so the home screen wallpaper and the stock icon pack will migrate to the car automatically. It means Android Auto will import the data to offer a smooth transition between screens, with Google likely to refine the capabilities with more options, including support for more icon packs.The features are still in the works but should arrive later this year in Android Auto. The company hasn't announced them publicly, but several users started seeing the Samsung icon pack on Android Auto last month. The wallpaper feature was discovered in a previous Android Auto build and could serve as a way to address one of the top requests of the user base: support for third-party wallpapers in addition to the pre-loaded set of backgrounds already available on Android Auto. 13 January 2024 21:11 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The next country that expressed its "support" for Armenia was Greece. Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Gerapetritis said during a joint press conference with RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan that Athens, within the framework of the EU and UNESCO, intends to initiate a campaign to preserve Christian monuments in Artsakh. Ties between Yerevan and the European Union countries have visibly sharpened, with the latter wanting to get closer to the borders with Russia through Armenia. Up to this point, a dozen countries from the European Union as well as the West have visited Yerevan over the past few months. Each of the countries expressed their "support" for Armenia and blamed Azerbaijan for things it did not do. Countries that have voiced their support for Armenia also support the build-up of an EU "observer mission" on Armenian territory close to the borders with Azerbaijan. Surprisingly, Armenia has already entrusted a "mission of observers" from dozens of European Union countries to enter its territory, which has never been seen before in the South Caucasus information field. The Greek Foreign Minister said that it is important for them to calculate and "understand" the scale and size of the damage caused to the cultural and religious monuments of "Artsakh". Greek Minister might have reconsidered rushing to help calculate the "damage", being aware of the damage caused by 33 years of Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories. "We are ready to help Armenia and its people in every possible way to realise these initiatives. Armenia is an important part of Europe, there are rich historical ties. We will continue these steps towards rapprochement. We should not miss the moment and, along with the EU civilian observation mission, apply other instruments of rapprochement," the diplomat stressed. Countries are all adjoining Armenia's borders and declaring "assistance", but in reality, everything looks like an illusion. Each minister and official who visited Yerevan in the past few months declared about providing housing to the Armenians who left voluntarily. Only France gave an "honorable award" and "status" of the honorary citizen to several Armenians, once again, for the illusion of "help". The total amount of damage caused by Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan exceeds $300 billion. There is no doubt that the European Union will continue to move towards rapprochement with Armenia, and "promises" will continue to be made from the mouths of officials, which fundamentally contain a different nature of "aid and promises". For instance, Armenian blogger David Minasyan complains about the humanitarian food of dubious quality provided to the Armenian residents of Garabagh who voluntarily left Garabagh, which, as the blogger says, "it is better to immediately throw away". It is also worth recalling that during the visit of the Greek Foreign Minister to Armenia, the Prime Minister of Greece promised to legalise same-sex marriages. According to Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the legislative initiatives on legalisation of same-sex marriages and adoption for homosexual couples "is not something radically different from what already exists in many European countries". The current "friends" of Yerevan may be bound by a strong "male friendship", and perhaps Armenia lacks European culture and its worldview, so it distances itself from Russia and the South Caucasus to join the more "cultured world of the West" Greece has become the first Christian Orthodox country to approve same-sex marriage. Former Armenian MP Azat Arshakyan said on Armenian TV that "Armenia was created on the historical lands of Azerbaijan," and this statement is not the last among Armenians who consciously spoke out without pressure from outside. Azat Arshakyan a former member of the Armenian parliament further said: "We must recognise that these territories (of Azerbaijan) used to be the former Irevan khanate where Armenians from different parts of the world were settled. Although people of different nationalities used to live here, Russia also resettled Armenians here from the Ottoman Empire, where in the end Russia presented this territory (Irevan) as an Armenian province, and then as "Yerevan" province with Armenians living there. In reality, other people lived there. The ex-Armenian MP believes that the world powers have used the Armenian people for their purposes in different years. According to him, Russia has never been a reliable ally for Armenia. "They made these lands Armenian, but not for the sake of us Armenians, but in their interests. Russia had one goal, to provide overland communication with the countries of the Middle East. Then they swung for access to the Indian Ocean, where they also wanted access to Jerusalem. As was to be expected, the MP then named a new ally for Armenia, which will be NATO. Co-operation with the North Atlantic Alliance will nullify Yerevan's dependence on Russia, Azat A. said. "We always had to think about independence, but others decided to rely on other countries, to crawl at someone's feet, to hang on someone's neck, in a word, to be freeloaders, and it is the same today." It should also be added that the war in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine in the Gaza Strip, as well as Russia's war with Ukraine, provokes other countries to start clashes. NATO's recent buildup of forces and the formation of their bases are moving closer and closer to Russia's borders. At present, the PTEC network has 34 centers, of which 18 are located in 13 countries of the alliance and 16 in 14 partner countries. Many problems of the Greek foreign and domestic policy make the country actively participate in the modernisation of the alliance, and Greece's proximity to the Middle East makes it an important strategic partner for the US. The recent interactions of the North Atlantic Alliance countries with Armenia may have other goals than "helping" Armenia to restore and protect "their" cultural heritage on the territory of Azerbaijan. It is about the military maneuvers, which are planned to be held annually on the territory of European countries since 2020 as part of the US Army's "Defender of Europe" exercises. While in previous years NATO exercises were held alternately in Southern and Eastern Europe, this year's exercise should cover several theatres of military operations along the entire western border of Russia, including the Arctic direction. The exact list of units participating in Defender-24 has not yet been announced: it is known about 500-700 planned air sorties, the participation of more than 50 ships, and 41,000 troops from 32 countries, including Sweden, which has not yet joined the alliance. Considering the geographical scope of the "Defender-24", it can already be assumed that its scenario will be the practice of a strategic offensive operation against Russia. --- Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Disputes over the Zangazur Corridor are getting deeper day by day. Armenia and its mouthpieces in the West, especially in France, flaring up the issue by accusing Azerbaijan of unfounded invasion attempts. Thus, despite Azerbaijan's all refusal, Armenian mass media and organisations sponsored by the Armenia diaspora have tried to develop a public opinion about as if Azerbaijan aims to invade the territory for three years. So, like it or not, Azerbaijan is obliged to respond to these baseless accusations. Recently, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev clarified the issue in an interview with local TV channels. Reminding that Armenia has not fulfilled its obligations shown in the November 10 Trilateral Statement, the President once again repeated that Baku has not any intention to invade any territories. First up, President Ilham Aliyev touched on the issue of the intersection of peace presented by the Armenian Prime Minister in Tbilisi and called it PR conducted by Armenia. It was emphasized that Pashinyan's proposal entails the same concept of the Zangazur corridor that had been presented by Azerbaijan. Armenia first did not accept Azerbaijan's proposal and then represented it under a totally different name such as "Armenian crossroad," "intersection of peace" and so on. President Ilham Aliyev recalled that Armenia cannot ensure the security for Azerbaijani travelers going to and coming back from its exclave Nakhchivan. Besides, the President pointed out that Armenia and its mouthpieces deliberately misinterpreted the terminology. The President emphasized that there is a North-South Corridor that passes through the territory of Azerbaijan, and it does not mean that our sovereignty is being questioned. There is also an East-West Corridor, but for some reason, the attitude to this corridor is a little different in Armenia. This is why it was named an Armenian crossroad, a junction and then an intersection of peace, but this is actually nothing more than a PR campaign. In a comment to Azernews, a geopolitics and energy analyst in Globes, Dean Shmuel Elmas, noted that Armenia needs an announcement for the same project because they understand that they are the weakest country in the South Caucasus, especially in comparison with Azerbaijan. Baku has great relations with the EU, and great friends such as Israel and Turkiye. But who are the friends of Armenia? France and Iran, that's it. They hoped that Russia would help them in Garabagh while we all know what happened in 2020 and a few months ago. President Putin looked on Armenia as a tool, and when he didn't need them - He threw them away, the expert said. He noted that Armenia pays heed to the opening of the Zangazur corridor because of several issues: First and foremost, they like the current status of Nakhchivan, while Baku has no any direct land connection with Turkiye and then to Europe. Secondly, the Armenians understand their regional weakness, and that they would become even weaker worldwide with the Zangazur corridor. The last point is the Iranian perspective: Armenia became a true regional puppet of the Ayatollah regime. Khamenei suffered huge blows during last years when he tried to destabilize Azerbaijan. But, we all know how successful is President Aliyev in the defense sector, and at all aspects: from intelligence to the finest Israeli capabilities, the expert emphasised. He pointed out that there is no real reason to care for Armenia. This is right that they have aspirations to come back to Garabagh, but this is totally nonsense. The expert compared them to Arabic military groups and some terror organisations who think that they can conquer Israel. Armenia enslaved its economy by holding Garabagh under occupation. I've been to Garabagh and I know very well that Armenia did not care about the development of Garabagh, it cared about military infrastructure in Garabagh. When you waste all your money on political aspirations and not about your people - This is the consequence, Dean Shmuel Elmas added. --- Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 13:10 (UTC+04:00) Hidayat Azimov has been appointed the new Deputy Minister of Defense Industry of Azerbaijan, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense Industry Yashar Isakov told Azernews. Hidayat Azimov was born in 1985 in Baku. He studied at Baku State University in the Faculty of Law in 2001-2005, and in 2005-2007 he completed his Master's degree. He worked as a lawyer at a local law firm in 2006-2007. From 2007 to 2018, he worked as a lawyer, department head, and deputy chairman of the board of Ateshgah Insurance Company. During 2018-2022, Azimov served as head of legal service in the representative office of Ernst & Young CIS B.V., one of the leading international audit and consulting companies in Azerbaijan. Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Board of the State Reserves Agency. He has been a member of the bar since 2018. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 16:30 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the establishment of the Organizational Committee in connection with the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, Azernews reports. Guided by Article 109, Paragraph 32 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan and with the aim of organizing and conducting COP29, the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, it was decreed to: 1. establish the Organizational Committee in connection with the hosting of COP29, the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement in the city of Baku in 2024 with the following composition: Chairmen of the Organizational Committee: Samir Nuriyev Head of the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan Members of the Organizational Committee: Muhtar Babayev Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, appointed by the President for COP29 Jeyhun Bayramov Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Vilayat Eyvazov Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan Anar Alakbarov Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Issues of the Presidential Administration Kamaladdin Heydarov Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan Teymur Musayev Minister of Health of Azerbaijan Rashad Nabiyev Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan Arif Samadov Chief of the Protocol Service of the President of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Samir Sharifov Minister of Finance of Azerbaijan Shahin Baghirov Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Vugar Ahmadov Chairman of Azeryolservice Open Joint Stock Company Ruslan Aliyev General Director of Azerigas Production Association of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Eldar Azizov Head of the Executive Authority of Baku Vusal Huseynov Chief of the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan Anar Guliyev Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan Elchin Guliyev Chief of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan Vugar Gurbanov Executive Director of the Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units Ulvi Mehdiyev Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of Azerbaijan Saleh Mammadov Chairman of the Board of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads Zaur Mikayilov Chairman of the State Agency for Water Resources of Azerbaijan Ali Naghiyev Head of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan Fuad Naghiyev Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan Balababa Rzayev President of AzerEnergy Open Joint Stock Company Samir Rzayev First Vice President of Azerbaijan Airlines Closed Joint Stock Company The Organizational Committee, established by Part 1 of this decree, was instructed: 2.1. to prepare and implement an Action Plan related to the organization and conduct of the COP29, the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement; 2.2. to take measures to establish an operational company. 3. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan was instructed to ensure financing in connection with the implementation of the Action Plan provided for in Part 2.1 of this decree and take measures to resolve other necessary issues. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 15:20 (UTC+04:00) The management of the C and Ku frequency bands served by the Azerspace-1 satellite located in the 46 East longitude geostationary orbit (GSO) slot is registered in the name of the government of Azerbaijan. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has granted approval for the registration. As is known, the Azerspace-1 telecommunication satellite, which was launched in 2013, Malaysian's orbital slot 46 E and operated in the C and Ku frequency ranges of the orbital position. Now, the Azerspace-1 satellite is operating in the unique orbit of Azerbaijan. 46E, the activity for transferring the position to Azerbaijan started on December 8, 2020, with the submission of the necessary documents to the ITU. Although the achievement of an orbital position in global practice covers a period under the seven-year ITU rule, this process was completed in three years by Azerbaijan's specialists in this field. During the past three years, the Azerbaijani side has successfully concluded coordination negotiations on 265 satellite networks of 34 governments and reached agreements. Note that the 46 E GSO slot is the first and only orbital position that Azerbaijan has in the geostationary belt. This also allows Azerbaijan to deploy future telecommunication satellites in its unique orbital slot. The geostationary orbit, which became a restricted space for satellites operating in telecommunications, broadcasting, and weather forecasting is located at approximately 36,000 from the equator. The main importance of this height is that the satellites here rotate at the same speed as the Earth's surface. As a consequence, both satellite operators and customers, as well as those who watch television and radio from home via satellite, can receive a continuous signal from the satellite by keeping their antennas directed at one point. Lots of countries formally apply to the ITU for the use of available orbital positions in the geostationary orbit by themselves or through companies. The satellites that will be located in those positions are currently being assembled or waiting for launch. When a satellite in geostationary space reaches the end of its life of 15-20 years, the country that owns the orbital position has the opportunity to replace the satellite in that position. This principle of regulation actually allows countries to maintain their positions indefinitely. For a country which is new to space industry is not easy to place a satellite in geostationary orbit. For this, need to be agreed chosen orbital position with countries that already have other positions. As a result, among countries with limited resources such as the geostationary orbit, Azerbaijan already has its own place with its unique orbital position. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz In accordance with the plan for 2024 approved by the Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, training-methodical sessions were conducted with the staff of the Personnel Bodies of the Army Corps, formations, military units, and special educational institutions, Azernews reports. At first, the memory of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, and Shehids, who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, was honored with observing a minute of silence. The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was performed. Acting Chief of the Main Department for Personnel, Major General Elchin Khalilov delivered a speech at the sessions held with the participation of Personnel Bodies staff, officers responsible for military personnel accounting, organizational and mobilization process, and unclassified documentation. Speaking about the work done over the past year on personnel management in the Azerbaijan Army, the Chief of the Main Department informed participants about the main tasks assigned for 2024. It was emphasized that under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, successful reforms were carried out in the Azerbaijan Army to bring it in line with the Turkish model. It was mentioned that the measures implemented in this sphere will be continued this year and are constantly in the spotlight of the Defense Ministrys leadership. Measures on manning the Azerbaijan Army with qualified personnel with strategic thinking, improving the organizational and staff structure, as well as the successes achieved, including the positive impact of the work on further improving the personnel management system, were highlighted. At the training-methodical sessions, reports of officers responsible for personnel affairs of the Azerbaijan Army on activities carried out in the field of personnel training and manning were heard. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz January 12, 2024: Japan is the only foreign nation licensed to build Patriot air defense missiles for their own use. Now Japan is selling Japanese-built Patriot missiles to the United States so the Americans can rebuild their stockpiles after sending so many Patriot missiles to Ukraine. According to the post-World War II Japanese constitution, Japan has limited war making capabilities. In the last decade the rules were changed to make it easier for Japan to export weapons for allied nations that were not at war. This includes support equipment like replacement engines for jet aircraft as well as electronic equipment used in ships and aircraft. Japan is supplying Ukraine with all these items. The U.S. and other NATO countries have been supplying Ukraine with weapons and this has included Patriot missile batteries. The Ukrainians have been firing a lot of Patriot missiles at Russian warplanes and that has prevented Russian warplanes from launching attacks on Ukraine while also shooting down several Russian combat aircraft. Japan adopted the Patriot Missile systems in 1993 and eventually obtained permission to build Patriot missiles under license. Japan does this local production for several American weapons systems. The United States encourages this because Japan is willing and able to build Americans weapons under license. For the Americans, this provides a second source, besides the American manufacturer, for key weapons. The Patriot missile exports to the United States was made possible by Japan adopting a record $56 billion 2024 defense budget. This also enables Japan to continue maintaining and upgrading the Patriot systems it has built for their own use. For example, during the last decade Japan has been upgrading its 24 Patriot missile batteries and will have it completed in five or six years. The main improvement is to increase the range of the PAC-3 anti-missile missile to 30 kilometers. The upgrades are performed in Japan under license from the American manufacturer. In 2007 Japan began expanding, redeploying, and upgrading its Patriot forces in response to the growing threat posed by North Korean ballistic missiles and nukes. This was trial and error at first. For example, Japan had to move one of its Patriot anti-missile launching sites because a 38 story building going up nearby threatened to become an obstacle if any missiles were fired. Initially Patriot anti-missile missile batteries were set up inside Tokyo. This had to be done because the anti-missile version of Patriot, the PAC 3, can only defend out to about twenty kilometers. These launching sites were considered emergency launching sites. The Patriot system is mobile and built to be moved quickly and set up in new locations. Normally, Patriot, or any other type of anti-aircraft missile is positioned in a wide open space, to avoid missiles colliding with anything but their intended targets. Missiles are not really guided at take-off, just pointed in the general direction of the target. The guidance system kicks in within a few seconds, but by then the missile may have gone several kilometers. That's because the solid fuel rocket motor is basically a slow burning explosive. The fuel is often all gone very quickly. Patriot missiles are also very noisy when they launch. Basically, it's a sudden, and very loud, explosion. If you are at home asleep when that happens, you will definitely wake up. This was the experience of civilians living within several kilometers of Patriot batteries in northern Saudi Arabia in 1991. The Japanese can live with the loud noise of a Patriot missile taking off, but not with the after-effects of said missile colliding with a nearby skyscraper. The Japanese solved the tall buildings problem by moving some batteries to high ground, usually in a park. Each Patriot battery is manned by about a hundred troops, and each contains a radar and four launchers. A battery can fire two types of Patriot missile. The $3.3 million PAC 3 missile is smaller than the PAC 2 anti-aircraft version, thus a Patriot launcher can hold sixteen PAC 3 missiles, versus four PAC 2s. A PAC 2 missile weighs about a ton, a PAC 3 weighs about a third of that. The PAC 3 has a shorter range (about 30 kilometers) versus 160 kilometers for the PAC 2 anti-aircraft version used against low flying UAVs. Patriot can also take down cruise missiles or larger UAVs. 13 January 2024 17:35 (UTC+04:00) UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Regina De Dominicis has met with students and teaching staff of secondary Ashiq Shamshir school N12 in Kalbajar district. The main purpose of the meeting was to direct the attention of the teaching staff towards mastering emergency behavior protocols, enhancing their knowledge and skills in responding to the potential threats of explosive ordnance and mines. Engaging with the students, De Dominicis initiated an informative dialogue, enlightening them about the dangers posed by explosive devices and offering valuable advice. Fuad Badalov, Head of the East Zangazur Regional Education Department, provided insights into the accomplishments under the "Awareness on Explosive Devices' Danger" program. The meeting also featured a presentation on the theme "Awareness on explosive devices` danger". --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 18:05 (UTC+04:00) The meeting of the Association of Appraisers of the Turkic States will be held in Azerbaijan in May this year, said Chairman of Azerbaijan Society of Appraisers (ASA) Vugar Oruj as he addressed the forum entitled Accountability and transparency in the context of challenges of modern era, Azernews reports. According to him, ASA, as an initiator, was involved in the establishment of the Association of Appraisers of the Turkic States. "The last year was an important year for Azerbaijan Society of Appraisers. ASA has been regulating the field of valuation in the country over the years. The forums main goal is to reaffirm the transparency of the financial accountability amid the modern era challenges. We have also signed an agreement with the Chamber of Accounts at the end of last year. It is as a successful practice and we need to attract other institutions in this regard, he added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 22:25 (UTC+04:00) The Presidential decree On the approval of an international treaty was adopted in Uzbekistan, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz News Agency. According to the resolution, an agreement on cooperation on hiring workers was approved between the governments of Uzbekistan and Qatar, signed on June 6, 2023 in Samarkand. The Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction has been appointed as the responsible authority for implementing the agreement. After the entry into force of this international Treaty, the Cabinet of Ministers and the heads of the relevant ministries and departments exercise control over the implementation of its provisions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 18:40 (UTC+04:00) President Joe Biden said Friday hes delivered a message to Iran with Thursdays airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, which he now is calling a terrorist group despite his administrations 2021 decision to revoke that label, Azernews reports, citing CNN. Ive already delivered the message to Iran, Biden said when asked his message during a tour of a coffee shop in Allentown, Pennsylvania. They know not to do anything. We will make sure we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior along with our allies, he said. The US and UK militaries launched strikes against Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Thursday, marking a significant response after the Biden administration and its allies warned that the Iran-backed militant group would bear the consequences of its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. US and coalition forces struck at least 60 targets with more than 150 precision-guided munitions at 28 Iranian-backed Houthi militant locations, military officials said. The Houthi assets included command and control nodes, munitions, depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems. The strikes, which have been condemned by several leaders across the Middle East, killed five and wounded six others, according to the rebels military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, who said they would not deter further Houthi attacks on shipping. The Houthis fired at least one anti-ship ballistic missile towards a commercial vessel Friday, Director of the Joint Staff Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims II said. Hours later the US carried out further strikes against Houthi locations in Yemen, according to a US official. These strikes, carried out unilaterally by the US, were much smaller in scope and targeted a radar facility used by the Houthis, the official said. It was not immediately clear whether the additional US strikes were in response to the anti-ship ballistic missile launch or marked a continuation of the previous attacks, after the US was able to conduct a battle damage assessment and see what targets remained. The Houthis an Iran-backed Shia political and military organization that has been fighting a civil war in Yemen against a coalition backed by Saudi Arabia have been launching drones and missiles at commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea for weeks, many of which have been intercepted and shot down by US Navy ships in the area. When Biden was asked if the US is in a proxy war with Iran, he said No. Iran does not want a war with us. The president also said he believes the Houthis are a terrorist group, a designation his administration lifted on the organization but is considering reapplying. I think they are, Biden said when asked if he was willing to call the Houthis a terrorist group. In 2021, the Biden administration reversed the Trump administrations 11th-hour decision to designate Yemens Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization. Earlier Friday, the White House reiterated it was reviewing a terror designation for the Houthis. John Kirby, the national security council spokesman, said no decisions had been made and couldnt provide a timeline for how long the review would take. Biden said later it is irrelevant whether his administration formally designates the Houthis as a terrorist organization because the US and other nations would respond anyway to their attacks in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said their bombardments are showing solidarity with the Palestinian people, after Israel launched an unrelenting military campaign on Gaza following Hamas October 7 terror attacks. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 20:50 (UTC+04:00) Lai Ching-te, from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), claimed victory in Taiwans presidential election, addressing his supporters at a rally, Azernews reports. Earlier, Hou You-yi, from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party which supported dialogue with mainland China, and another opposition candidate, Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP), conceded their defeat to Lai. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 January 2024 22:59 (UTC+04:00) Previously, it was reported that the head of state signed a decree on the development of the pharmaceutical industry. The document approves a roadmap of measures to stimulate and accelerate the implementation of investment projects until 2025, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz News Agency. It is planned to allocate up to $600 million to finance new investment projects in the pharmaceutical field, according to the presidential decree. A credit line in the amount of $100 million will be allocated from the Reconstruction and Development Fund to Asakabank at a rate of 5% per annum for up to 10 years, including a grace period of 4 years. The funds will be used to attract foreign technologies, production of medicines, medical products and equipment. By the end of this year, MIIT and Asakabank will attract a loan of $500 million from foreign banks and international financial institutions. In agreement with the Agency for Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry, Asakabank will finance investment projects in the field of pharmaceuticals. In addition, the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, as well as the administrations of Tashkent, Jizzakh, Namangan, and Andijan regions will conduct an inventory of land areas in special economic zones specializing in pharmaceuticals within two months. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz January 12, 2024: Before Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Ukraine wanted F-16s because it had done what it could with its MiG-29s, heavy combat losses meant replacements were needed, and Ukraine would prefer to have F-16s. So would Russia but Ukraine had a better chance of getting them. Both Russian and Ukrainian fighter pilots were familiar with the superiority of the F-16 over the MiG-29 and even its major upgrade, the MiG-35. For a few years after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russian and Ukrainian pilots had an opportunity to fly in an F-16. Western pilots had already done this with MiG-29s because some MiG-29 pilots defected to the West while flying their Mig-29s. Since 1981 over 1,600 MiG29s have been produced and the aircraft is still produced in small quantities each year. Upgrades were added haphazardly and many of these did not work as intended. There was inadequate quality control and Russian manufacturers were not able to fix these problems. There was no uniformity in adding or maintaining upgrades. This resulted in a lot of MiG-29s with different capabilities. It was difficult just to keep track of which MiG-29 could do what and with what degree of consistency. There was also a problem with ergonomics, or ease of use. Ukrainian pilots who trained to use F-16s found the layout of the F-16 cockpit more efficiently organized and much easier to use. MiG-29 were expensive to maintain and, without adequate maintenance, became dangerous to fly. Russian warplanes were never as durable and long-lasting as western models. Western aircraft were deigned to spend much more time in the air because western pilots received a lot more training. Both the Ukrainian and Russian Air Forces had a difficult time recovering and rebuilding after the end of the Cold War. The Russian Air Force had over 10,000 military aircraft in 1991. The mighty Soviet Red Air Force instantly lost nearly half its strength because the 14 new states formed from the Soviet Union took possession of whatever warplanes were stationed within their borders. For both Russia and Ukraine, 1991 was followed by two decades of sharply lower defense budgets that cut maintenance and eliminated all but a few purchases of new aircraft. There were efforts to refurbish older aircraft. After 2000 Russia steadily increased defense spending, but it was not enough. By 2015 Russia could only put into action about ten percent of the warplanes the Red Air Force could at its 1991 peak. To make matters worse, growing development problems with its new Su-57 stealth fighter meant that Russia had to depend even more on late Cold War designs which included the Su-27/30, MiG-29, and Su-25, plus some older heavy bomber and recon aircraft. Upgrades made to those aircraft since 1991 were mainly for export customers. Russian defense firms needed the cash, not another IOU from the Russian government. Ukraine inherited 200 MiG-29s in 1991 but only kept about three dozen in service because of the high cost of maintenance. Despite that, after the Russian 2014 attack Ukraine began an upgrade program for its operational MiG-29s. The first of Ukraines MiG-29MU1 aircraft entered service in 2018 and, by the second time Russia invaded in February 2022, there were 18 MiG-29MU1s and one MiG-29MU2 with further enhancements available. The air war over Ukraine was initially a tactical win for Ukraine, but that was costly, with 47 fighters or attack aircraft lost. Twenty of these were MiG-29s, four were Su-27 fighters and the rest were twelve Su-24 and Su-25 ground attack aircraft. Russia lost four Su-24s, 13 Su-25s, ten Su-34s, successor to the older Su-24 and one Su-35 (an upgraded Su-27). The Ukrainians prevented Russia from achieving air superiority and forced them to launch their airstrikes from inside Russia using air-to-ground missiles. Four of the new Su-57 stealth aircraft were also used for this and the Su-57s never entered Ukrainian air space. Ukraine has been offered several dozen MiG-29s that were still in use, or in active storage, by NATO nations that were phasing out their MiG-29s for Western jets. Those transfers were initially stalled by disagreements within NATO about sending these MiGs or F-16s and A-10s to the Ukrainians. That hasnt prevented less visible assistance, like supplying Ukraine with MiG-29 spare parts as well as pilot transition training programs operated by American volunteers, some of them former F-16 and A-10 pilots, who know how to obtain unclassified manuals and equipment to create flight simulators adequate for pilot transition training. Programs like this have already succeeded for other types of Western weapons Ukraine wanted and anticipated getting them by selecting and training operators in advance. Meanwhile Russia had given up on its Mig-29s, which it had been unable to upgrade successfully. There were many upgrades available and some of them did not work. In 2019 Russia made a desperate effort to keep the venerable MIG company, founded in 1939 as MiG or Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau, in business. This was done out of a combination of nostalgia, national pride, and practicality. That last item is all about maintaining competition, in the form of having at least two firms designing and producing fighter aircraft. Nostalgia and national pride are also important because during the Cold War the MiG organization was the primary developer of fighter aircraft. During World War II MiG was one of three, Yakovlev, Lavochkin and MiG, developers of successful fighter aircraft. One of the earliest successes was the MiG-3 fighter. After the war, Yakovlev and Lavochkin moved on to other aerospace endeavors while the Sukhoi Design Bureau, which had worked on ground attack aircraft during the war, began developing jet fighters which were competition for MiG and eventually surpassed MiG by the 1990s. After World War II MiG was famous for developing the first two generations of Russian jet fighters. This included the first successful Russian jet fighter, the MiG-15 and several subsequent improved versions like the MiG 17 and 1919. Then came the MiG-21, the most widely used jet fighter of the Cold War. In the 1960s the MiG-23/27 showed up, along with a lot of MiG design problems. Despite that MiG manufactured most Russian jet fighters during the Cold War. For over three decades, MiG has been losing its edge and by the end of the century was in danger of disappearing. This decline continued despite efforts to turn the quality problems around. For example, in 2019 the Russian Air Force received the first two production models of the new MiG-35 fighter. Four more followed by the end of 2019. Air force tests under operational conditions were encouraging but there were no more orders. That was largely because no export customers for the MiG-35 could be found. Bad experiences with older MiG aircraft, even after 1991, had ruined MiGs reputation. For many potential export customers, the fact that the Russian Air Force did not order a lot of MiG-35s confirmed their fears. The MiG-35 was designed to replace hundreds of Cold War era MiG-29s and Su-27s but the lack of export orders proved fatal to the independence of the MiG firm, which was now known as MAC, or Mikoyan Aircraft Corporation. Soon MiG became part of the UAC or United Aircraft Corporation, a state-owned firm that now controls nearly all Russian combat aircraft development and production. In June 2022 UAC dissolved its MAC division and the Mig-29/35 became just another product line, and one with no future. The MiG-35 has been in development for nearly three decades because MiG was no longer the outstanding combat aircraft developer and manufacturer it was during the Cold War. Russia was trying to change that so that there would still be two organizations, MiG and Sukhoi developing and building fighters. The long gestation time for the MiG-35 is an example of the problems MiG has been having. The MiG-35 is basically a much-improved Cold War era MiG-29. The MiG-35 is a 29-ton, twin-engine fighter with a combat radius of 1,000 kilometers and can refuel in the air. It has an internal 30mm autocannon and nine hardpoints that can carry 6.5 tons of bombs and missiles. It has an AESA radar and a fire control system that can handle smart bombs and missiles. Max altitude is 19,000 meters and the MiG-35 can reach that altitude in about a minute. Max speed is 2,400 kilometers an hour at high altitude and 1,400 at sea level. It is a very maneuverable aircraft meant to provide superior performance in combat. Air force tests of these new capabilities against the latest Su-30 models revealed that the new MiG was not worth the expense. The Russian air force was not optimistic about the MiG-35 because its experiences with new MiG aircraft in the previous decade were disappointing. For example, in January 2016 the air force received the last of 16 MiG-29SMT jet fighters it ordered in early 2014. The Russian Air Force paid $30 million for each of these MiGs but really didnt want them. The government insisted in order to keep the MAC from going bankrupt. That became a possibility in 2013 when it was revealed that Russia would not order 37 of MACs new, and still in development MiG-35 fighters. Because of development problems the MiG-35 was delayed from 2016 to 2018 and finally showed up in 2019. You could see where this was going. Cancellation of the billion-dollar MiG-35 order put MAC in a financial bind and the best solution seemed to be purchasing more of the existing MiG-29SMTs. The 22-ton MiG-29SMT is an upgrade of the original MiG-29 with improved avionics, a more powerful engine, and the ability to use smart bombs and missiles against ground targets. It could carry 4.5 tons of bombs and missiles. All that was not enough. Meanwhile, MAC was running out of time, cash, and options. It had orders for some MiG-29Ks, for use on aircraft carriers and upgrades to Indian MiG-29s. Serbia was close to placing an order. MAC could not expect much more help from the government which was dealing with a major cash shortage as a result of record low oil prices and trade sanctions because of Russian aggression in Ukraine that began in 2014. This was not the first time Russia purchased MiGs mainly for financial, not military reasons. In 2006 Russia agreed to buy 28 MiG-29 fighters to prevent the MAC from going bankrupt. That crisis was triggered when Algeria told Russia that it was canceling their 2007 $1.3 billion order for 28 MiG-29 fighters and returning the ones already delivered. Algeria insisted that there were quality issues and that some of the aircraft were assembled from old parts. The accusation turned out to be true and Russian prosecutors tried and convicted several MAC executives for passing off defective, or used, aircraft parts as new. Many of these parts made their way into MiG-29 jet fighters that were sold to Algeria. The MiG-29 has been in service since the 1980s, but stocks of Cold War era spare parts were still around, and it was suspected in the Russian aviation community that some of these older parts were used to build the Algerian aircraft. These were supposed to be new aircraft but some of their components were definitely not. Some MiG employees were very unhappy with the corrupt practices involving aircraft parts. This sort of crime often extends to parts for airliners. The MiG employees felt personally responsible for any defective aircraft leaving their plant and didn't want to be flying in an airliner containing fraudulent parts either. Russian prosecutors, already involved in an anti-corruption program underway for several years, jumped on these allegations and quickly convicted senior executives who presided over widespread fraud in the aircraft components industry. MiG hoped that the new MiG-35 would save the company. Described as the equivalent of the American F-35, the MiG-35 would be the low-end to the high-end Su-57, seen as the Russian F-22 stealth fighter. The Su-57 was no F-22, and the MiG-35 was no F-35. The MiG-35 is a considerably redesigned MiG-29. The MiG-35 was originally designed to carry a 30mm autocannon and up to five tons of bombs. The big selling point for the MiG-35 was its offensive and defensive electronics, as well as sensors for finding targets on land or sea. All this looked very impressive on paper, but the Russians have long had problems getting the performance to match promises. This is particularly the case with the advanced electronics of the MiG-35, which was running into problems because the competing F-35 electronics set a very high bar. The MiG-35 has little stealth capability and first flew in 2007. Russia had hoped to buy a hundred or so MiG-35s after 2016 but the reality of MiG-35s poor performance halted any purchase plans. The MiG-29 entered Russian service in 1983. Some 1,600 MiG-29s were produced, with about 900 of them exported. The original MiG-29 was a 22-ton aircraft roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s. Not just adding new electronics but also making the airframe more robust. The MiG-29 was originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time, the early 80s, Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a year. Reality was different. India, for example, flew them at nearly twice that rate, as did Malaysia. Russia offered to upgrade the airframe so that the aircraft could fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extension upgrades promised. This was not easy to do, as the MiG-29 had a history of unreliability and premature mechanical and electronic breakdowns. It was also more expensive to maintain than comparable Su-27/30 and foreign fighter jets. Ukraine made the most it could out of its MiG-29s with its own upgrades. But early in the 2022 war Russian missiles damaged the Lviv facility, the only place equipped to carry out upgrades. Ukraine needed more fighters and, like most long-time MiG customers, wanted anything but more MiGs. Along the North Jetty, South Jetty (& Honeyman State Park) Florence, Oregon Coast Virtual Tour A view of the Jetty boulders, looking across the river to the South Jetty and the dunes of the area that eventually reaches Honeyman State Park. This section includes spots like Siuslaw Vista Day Use Area, Sand Dunes Road, and the South Jetty campgrounds. There's also the South Jetty Dog Ponds down Sand Dunes Road, close to the wispy, sandy beach. Then you enter Honeyman. It's technically called Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park but often shortened to the latter. Honeyman sort of comprises the large regions south of here, and is the gateway to the 40-mile-long Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The park is large enough to straddle both sides of Highway 101, but sits a ways from the beach and shore. You have to tread over two miles of major dunes to get there. Various clear water lakes are found there, sitting in the middle of the enormous, sometimes towering dunes. Campsites abound, with dozens of sites with full hook-ups, many with water and electricity and 237 primitive tent/RV sites all with fireplaces and other amenities. It's known for plenty of rhododendrons blooming, as well as blackberries. These add vibrant splashes of color to the already varied greenery. Theres also plenty of surfing to be done here, although you have to head through the park access and prove youre heading to the northern area (south jetty) to avoid the state park charges. Nearby businesses on 101 provide ATVs for your dune amusement. Cleawox Lake and Woahink Lake are the two biggies, with Woahink being the gi-normous one, sprawling for a couple of miles. There's plenty of boating, paddling and fishing to be had on these. The massive Siltcoos Lake is close by (then you've technically entered the southern Oregon coast). Much of this is listed as a Reedsport address but it's closer to Dunes City and Florence. Below: aerial photos of this part of Florence courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more Deputies Respond to Two Armed Threats on N. Oregon Coast, One on Beach Published 1/08/24 at 7:25 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Rockaway Beach, Oregon) Deputies from the Tillamook County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) along with other law enforcement agencies on the north Oregon coast had to respond to two different armed threats in the last week. One was at a residence in Hebo, but the other took place on the beach at Rockaway Beach. (Photos TCSO) No one was injured and both suspects were in taken in, but things could've gone sideways at numerous points in time. The first incident started on New Year's Eve, December 31, as Oregon State Police were called to Rockaway Beach's main wayside to investigate reports of a man pointing a gun on the beach. As Oregon coast beaches fall under the jurisdiction of OSP, they were dispatched first. They were soon joined by officers from Manzanita Police and TCSO deputies. On the beach, they found 34-year-old John Kim Vo from Watseco (near Barview), acting erratically. Vo ignored police commands and began walking south on the beach. At one point he brandished a knife and continued walking away, TCSO said. TCSO Deputy Sean Ahlers, was able to get close enough to use his taser to subdue Vo, said TCSO on social. An OSP Trooper also tased Vo and officers were then able to handcuff Vo and take him safely into custody. According to Ahlers, the entire incident took considerable time and distance: a whole hour and a half and 1.5 miles. Deputies then discovered just how dangerous things had actually gotten. "The object hidden inside the white sock that Vo pointed at officers was found to be a loaded handgun," Ahlers said. On Saturday, January 6, sheriff deputies were called to yet another incident involving weapons, this time at Hebo in south county. Deputies responded to the Salmon Drive area of Hebo, for a report that a resident of the area, James Franklin, 53, was threatening several of his neighbors with weapons and acting erratic, TCSO said. Deputies arrived to find the man passed out on a neighbor's lawn, wearing a holster with a pistol in it. They soon found more weapons on him, which included several knives and other weapons. TCSO said Franklin is a convicted felon and not allowed to have any weaponry. Eventually they discovered the pistol was a loaded pellet gun, and they found several pellet rifles. All were seized by deputies. Paramedics were called as well. Once in custody and during his medical care, Franklin wracked up a stream of victims, attacking numerous individuals and injuring them. TCSO Cpl. Barnett said he not only injured officers but two paramedics. He spit on a paramedic and firefighter, kicked a Corrections Deputy in the face, kicked an OSP officer in the chest while at the jailhouse, and he kicked Barnett in the chest while at the hospital. There were six separate victims, and Franklin was booked on eight misdemeanors and one felony charge, TCSO said. Franklin wracked up numerous charges, including Criminal Trespass 2, Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle, two counts of Aggravated Harassment, Assault of a Peace Officer and Resisting Arrest. He was also charged with Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon. Cpl. Barnett said the man gave officers a little reprieve when he passed out, though it didn't last long. Also assisting with the call were Tillamook 911, Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District, and Tillamook Ambulance. Violent incidents on Oregon coast beaches are luckily very rare. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Sea Turtle Rescued at Manzanita Dies, Says Oregon Coast Aquarium Published 1/09/24 at 6:05 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Newport, Oregon) The green sea turtle rescued in Manzanita over the weekend did not make it, the Oregon Coast Aquarium said. (Photo Tiffany Boothe / Seaside Aquarium) On Saturday, Seaside Aquarium responded to Manzanita Beach on the north Oregon coast, getting word of a stranded sea turtle. Staff made it down to the beach quickly and found the Pacific green sea turtle quite lively, which bodes well for the rehabilitation of these cold-stunned creatures. Later that day the female turtle was transferred to Newport's Oregon Coast Aquarium for further triage and care, with the hopes of sending it to California for eventual release back into the wild. However, the aquarium's Courtney Klug Tuesday reports the sea turtle died. The sea turtle succumbed to its injuries after two days of round-the-clock care, Klug said. Sea turtles often sustain damage before washing ashore; while staff could confirm the turtle was lethargic and dehydrated, a necropsy will be conducted to gain insight on its internal condition. Courtesy Oregon Coast Aquarium Staff nicknamed her Squirt because of her diminutive size, clearly bonding with the little girl fairly quickly. No matter the stature of the animal, every individual makes a difference to an endangered species, Klug said. Cold-stunned sea turtles on the northwest coastline often appear dead, but they have a way of slowing their metabolism down so far it's difficult to tell. Even in those grave conditions, some sea turtles survive this. However, that's still just a small percentage. Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium said this weekend she had hope for this one considering its more lively-than-usual state, but in the end it found its way into the category of usual statistics. Photo Tiffany Boothe / Seaside Aquarium A turtle suffering from extreme hypothermia can be unresponsive to touch and have a heartbeat so slow and weak that it is difficult to detect, Boothe said. Most sea turtles found on Oregon and Washington shores do not survive, even if found and recovered quickly. Those that do live are taken to one of two licensed rehab facilities on the Northwest Coast; the Oregon Coast Aquarium or the Seattle Aquarium. Klug said if you find a sea turtle on the beach, do not attempt to move or help for both your safety and the turtle's. Photo Tiffany Boothe / Seaside Aquarium A sea turtle placed back into the water can only wash ashore again, increasing its risk of injury and delaying potential rescue efforts, Klug said. Instead, remain nearby to observe it, and contact the Oregon State Police Tipline at 800-452-7888 or the Marine Mammal Stranding Network (MMSN) in Oregon, Washington, and California at 1-866-767-6114. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Beneath Famous Oregon Coast Town: Surprising History, Science of Cannon Beach Part II Published 1/10/24 at 4:45 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Cannon Beach, Oregon) [UPDATE WITH PART ONE LINK] ---From bunnies to birds then to geologic curiosities: there's more to Cannon Beach than the usual layers of touristy fun and repose no matter how killer of a time that already is. Part one of this series looking at a different side to the beloved U.S. travel destination began with curiosities of Lewis & Clark, the fiery even spooky beginnings of its greatest landmarks and other angles that probably never crossed your mind. Deeper Into Cannon Beach: History and Science Surprises of Oregon Coast Hotspot, Part I History, the undersides of the Oregon coast and funky little animals all play a part in what you can see and do in town. Here's part two of this unique exploration of Cannon Beach. The Bunnies of Cannon Beach. One aspect noted by many visitors is that Cannon Beach has bundles of bunnies. They're everywhere. Clearly, they breed like, well, like rabbits. They're especially prolific on the southern edges of town, but also found in abundance at Arch Cape just south of town. So, why so many bunnies in Cannon Beach? No one seems to know for sure, but one bit of lore that keeps getting passed around is that it had something to do with a local woman decades ago who apparently just let a bunch of them loose. What is for certain is that the city is adamant you don't feed them. They're existing fine on their own in the wilds of the Oregon coast. Some locals have made pets of them. This presents some care issues because they are all so inbred that their teeth grow extra long and have to be shaved down periodically or they're unable to eat. Surveying the wrecked bridge at Cannon Beach, '64 Tsunami Created the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest. Usually, no one can say anything good came out of a tsunami. However, the otherwise-tragic tsunami of 1964 had its hand in one of the largest festivals on the Oregon coast. While it hit Seaside to the north much harder, in Cannon Beach it washed out the bridge. This left it cut off from the rest of the world for a time, and once the bridge was rebuilt they found tourists didn't return. Originally, they held a sandcastle contest to keep themselves entertained while the bridge was being reconnected. They decided to hold another the following year when they realized a lot of tourists weren't coming back, and after that it snowballed quickly. By the late '60s, it was a huge attraction. You could still drive on this beach at the time, and many visitors came to the festival that way. Puffins of Cannon Beach. (Photo above courtesy Seaside Aquarium). A very distinct aspect of the north Oregon coast town is the yearly influx of tufted puffins. It's here, on Haystack Rock, where they begin their four-month stay to breed and rear their young. They arrive starting in April, with July a highlight because they are at their most visible after giving birth to their young. Once they've made their nests on top of Haystack Rock, one of the pair emerges into plain sight while the other goes off hunting for food. Until then, it takes patience to spot one as they are hiding in the nests, caring for the egg. Periodically, they do come and go, and it's then that volunteers from the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) can help you spot one. This landmark is one of the few places puffins nest on the coast now, as their population has greatly diminished in recent decades. It's by far and away the most visible area on this coastline, although Bandon has some on occasion. They even have one day a year that's similar to the full season that HRAP puts in, helping people spot them. The rock is a national wildlife refuge, and thus fireworks celebrations for Independence Day has not been allowed for decades. Ghost stumps at Hug Point / Oregon Coast Beach Connection Red Towers and Ghost Forests of the Cannon Beach Area. By far and away one of the most interesting finds on all this coastline are the ghost forests that only show up on rare occasions, and the fairly weird red towers which are even rarer. All this only happens just south of town at about Hug Point through Arch Cape, and only when sand levels get so low they're hitting bedrock in some spots. These ghost forests are much more interesting than the more well known ones at Neskowin, and they are around 4,000 years old much older than the 2,000-year-old stumps at Neskowin. Be careful of all the explanations online, however. See Explanations of Ghost Forest Wrong, Say Oregon Coast Geologists ---- Full list of ghost forests on the coast: In Search of More Oregon Coast Ghost Forests - Where to Find Ghost Forests Red Towers, on the other hand, are rarer still. These are wildly surreal structures that are formed when some chunks of sand harden beneath the surface and then oxidize into striking colors and shapes. They don't last long once exposed. They can form anywhere that sand levels have disappeared from, but it seems more often up here. Rare, Surreal Find Along Oregon, Washington Coast: Red Towers See part one: Deeper Into Cannon Beach: History and Science Surprises of Oregon Coast Hotspot, Part I MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Will It Snow on Oregon / Washington Coast? Yer Darn Tootin.' Winds Too Published 1/12/24 at 5:45 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Oregon Coast) If you enjoy things snow shutting down travel, roads becoming ice rinks and maybe even your favorite coffee shop shut down due to white conditions, then this is the weekend for you. (Above: Bandon, Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more) For the rest of us, the incoming snow and ice are reasons to hunker down, with what appears to luckily be a one-day event. Most of the Oregon coastline and south Washington coast are under an unusual winter weather advisory from now through Saturday night, with one to four inches of snow expected in the Oregon Coast Range but more of an ice problem on the beaches along with some snow. The advisories do exclude some areas, including south of Port Orford. South of Florence through Coos Bay may well be looking at much less ice, but from Yachats through to Westport the beaches will be getting a good dusting and some icy roads to watch out for. That includes Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Newport and Bandon. From Salem through to Eugene is predicted to get the worst of it, with sizable freezing rain. Portland will see plenty of snow all over its city streets, and there may be loads of unpleasantries for that region as well. Higher elevations such as the Cascade mountains are looking at 25-degree-below wind chill factors. This is why much of the inland region is under warnings for ice storms, blizzards or winter weather. For the coastline, however, it's a winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service (NWS). Mixed precipitation expected, the NWS said. Total snow accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of around one to three tenths of an inch. Greatest amounts of ice accumulation expected from Tillamook to Lincoln City. Little to no ice at all south of Yachats, as temperatures from Florence to Yachats are expected to stay slightly above freezing. See Washington Coast Weather - Oregon Coast Weather Wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph in some areas will make this extra unpleasant on the beaches. The timing of all this is not bad, considering it happens mostly on Saturday. The NWS said temps are already below freezing at this time in most areas, and as a moist system moves in late tonight so does the snow and ice. What happens next is a bit up in the air, although forecasts are leaning towards more dry conditions and it's likely this snow event dissipates by Sunday morning. Forecasters do know that temps will not warm up until Tuesday or so. Watch Beach Snow: a Large List of Oregon Coast Webcams While confidence is high for a prolonged period of widespread below freezing temperatures beginning Friday night and continuing through at least Tuesday morning, confidence remains low regarding exact snow and ice amounts Friday night through Saturday night, even this close to the event, NWS said. Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW Bandon, Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more Portland - Oregon Coast Beach Connection photo Seaside Aquarium More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted 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? January 13, 2024: The Iran-backed Shia rebels (Houthi) are losing but refuse to make peace, in part because of continued Iranian support and partly out of fear of the consequences. Yemen has proved to be an embarrassment for Iran and the Saudi/UAE backed legitimate Yemen government. The other Arabs are not willing to suffer the heavy casualties a quick victory against the Shia Houthi rebels would require. Houthi is the name of the Yemen Shia tribe leading the rebellion. The war dragged on into 2024 and wont end until Iran halts its support. There are growing anti-government protests in Iran about this. Irans expensive foreign wars in Syria and Yemen are unpopular with Iranians who had seen their standard of living decline noticeably in the last few years. Despite that, Iran smuggled more and more weapons to the Shia rebels of Yemen. These weapons were meant to be used for both the ongoing Yemen civil war and against targets designated by Iran. In late 2023 and into 2024 Iran ordered that ship traffic off the west, or Red Sea coast of Yemen, be attacked to halt or disrupt shipping headed through the Suez Canal. This route reduces shipping time by several weeks because the only alternative is to travel around the southern tip of Africa and up to the Gibraltar Straits into the Mediterranean or west to other Atlantic Ocean ports. Iran ordered the Yemen Shia rebels to make a maximum effort to disrupt shipping headed for the Suez Canal. Transit fees from ships using the canal are a major source for Egypt, bringing in nearly $10 billion a year. Ships passing through the Canal account for 15 percent of global maritime trade. Egypt and Iran are enemies and reducing Suez Canal income is a win for Iran, which supported the Yemen rebels for more than a decade to make that success possible. These attacks on Red Sea shipping brought an armed response from Western navies, especially the United States and Britain, which waited for over a month before attacking the Yemen Shia rebels and their stockpiles of Iranian weapons. Even the UN approved of military operations against the disruptive Shia rebels in Yemen. In early 2024 the attacks on the Shia rebels in Yemen began and might escalate as long as the Shia rebels continue to disrupt shipping traffic in the Red Sea. Many Yemenis trace the current crisis back to their civil war that ended, sort of, in 1994. That war was caused by the fact that, when the British left Yemen in 1967, their former colony in Aden became one of two different countries both called Yemen. The two Yemens finally united in 1990 but another civil war in 1994 was needed to seal the deal. That fix didn't really take and the north and south have been pulling apart ever since. This comes back to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa region, the normal form of government until the 20th century was wealthier coastal city states nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming or a little of both plus smuggling and other illicit sidelines. This whole nation idea is still looked on with some suspicion by many in the region. This is why the most common forms of government are the more familiar ones of antiquity like kingdom, emirate, or modern variation in the form of a hereditary secular dictatorship. For a long time, the most active Yemeni rebels were the Shia Islamic militants in the north. They have always wanted to restore local Shia rule in the traditional Shia tribal territories, led by the local imam religious leader. This arrangement, after surviving more than a thousand years, was ended by the central government in 1962. While the Shia are only a third of the population, they are united while the Sunni tribes are divided over the issue of splitting the country in two and with no agreement on who would get the few oil fields in central Yemen. Many of the Sunni tribes tolerate or even support Islamic terrorist groups. The Iranian smuggling pipeline continues to operate, and the Yemen rebels were able to buy additional weapons from other sources because they received cash from nations or groups hostile to the Arab Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Shia rebels were from northern Yemen and controlled the border with Saudi Arabia. Over the last decade the rebels launched more and more attacks on Saudi targets. The rebels obtained more powerful weapons as well, including Iranian ballistic missiles, which were disassembled so they could be smuggled from Iran to Yemen, where Iranian technicians supervised the missiles being assembled and launched into Saudi Arabia. In the last few years, the rebels have received longer range ballistic missiles that could hit Saudi and UAE oil production facilities on the Persian Gulf coast. The rebels also began firing missiles at targets passing the Yemen Red Sea coast controlled by the rebels. By L.A. Williams Christian Action League January 10, 2024 The word husband appears in 104 verses in the Bible, showing up in 29 books; the word wife, a whopping 360 verses in 38 books. But dont tell leaders of the Methodist Church in the United Kingdom. They may get offended. The denomination that just over two years ago began embracing same-sex unions and recognizing cohabitating couples has announced that words like husband and wife are not to be used in the church because they express what is not the reality for many people. And did we say embracing? Oops, thats a bad word too, according to the groups new Inclusive Language Guide. It says the term embrace could trigger people who have experienced intimate abuse. Instead, it suggests using surrounded by. Were this kind of bizarre rule-making in the name of inclusivity not so harmful, it would truly be funny, says the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. But words do matter, and words like husband and wife refer to one gender or the other because, like it or not, God made two genders. He referenced Genesis 2:24, Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh, as the first of more than 400 verses that include one of the two words. Not to mention the very specific roles of husbands and wives laid out by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians. Nonetheless, the 11-page Methodist guide, released last month, urges the church to ditch husband and wife and instead call people partners. It also recommends parent and child, since, were guessing, it goes without saying that no one should be referred to as mother or father. Another Methodist-approved word: carer to describe a primary care-giver of a child. The guide, which points users to LGBT organizations among other groups, for more direction, asserts that Good, open, encouraging conversations, based on careful listening, are central to all positive relationships. Interesting how the emphasis is all about relationships, but no one is supposed to use words that describe how anyone is related, Creech says. Whats next? The church shouldnt present the gospel? Of course, the gospel offends those who dont have a relationship with Christ. Unless we become aware that we are separated from God, we wont see a need to seek reconciliation through a savior. A representative for the Methodist denomination told The Christian Post that it is possible for couples getting married in the church to have gendered language used in their marriage ceremonies. They can discuss the matter of how they wish to be referred to with their minister, the spokesperson said. Father Calvin Robinson, known for his stand against progressivism in the Church of England, did not mince words in his response to the Methodist language guide. This is not Christianity, Robinson wrote on social media. It is Critical Theories: smash heteronormativity. It is no longer enough to acknowledge disordered lifestyles. Everything normative and ordered must be demolished for fear of causing offense. Critical Theories is neo-Marxism. It is a communist ideology, antithetical to the Christian faith. It is not possible to be a communist *and* a Christian. One must make a choice. Embrace the ways of this trendy yet toxic ideology, or embrace Gods order, he wrote, urging the Methodist Church to choose one or the other. Many physicians are wary of the rapid growth of Optum, the country's largest employer of physicians and parent company of ASC chain SCA Health. Udaya Bhaskar Padakandla, MD, president of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, joined Becker's to discuss physician workforce trends and payer behavior. Editor's note: These responses were edited lightly for clarity and length. Question: What physician workforce trend is the most concerning to you right now? Dr. Udaya Bhaskar Padakandla: The trend that currently concerns me most is the vertical integration sweeping the healthcare industry. Physician practices are being bought out or acquired in a trend that is sweeping across this nation (now 90,000 strong) with Optum. Two things about it bother me more than any other: This increasingly leads to loss of independence in the decision-making ability of physicians in patients' best interest, and second, government watchdogs (like the FTC) are passive onlookers to this dominance of the physician workforce by a monopolizing entity. But at the same time, much smaller physician groups (with 3,000 to 5,000 physicians) get sued by the same entity for "monopolizing" the marketplace. Q: What payer behavior would you like to see changed in 2024? UBP: 1. I would like to see them remove/eliminate all prior authorization of patient care. It has now become crystal clear that PA is a tool they have unleashed to contain costs and maximize their profit margin and have absolutely nothing to do with improving the healthcare of the patients. Patients are the primary victims of the compromise in healthcare and providers are the collateral victims by means of denied payments and delayed payments. 2. I would like to see them play a fair and honest game in disclosing all the factors that are involved in calculating the qualifying payment amount as part of compliance with the No Surprises Act. Transparency at all levels of payer involvement is sorely missing (be that PBM payments, GPO deals, pharmacy benefits or electronic transaction fees). Carilion Clinic opened its expanded outpatient surgical services at its Carilion Roanoke (Va.) Community Hospital. Four new operating rooms were added, doubling the number of operating rooms at the hospital, according to a Jan. 10 news release from Carilion Clinic. The addition, which also includes a new check-in space, waiting area and satellite pharmacy, totals 8,740 square feet. The operating rooms include state-of-the-art equipment used primarily for orthopedic surgery, total joint replacement and spine surgery procedures. Surgical teams will gradually transition into the new space in the coming months, the release said. Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare is expanding its hospital-at-home program to another facility. The program, called OSF OnCall Digital Hospital, will be rolled out at Rockford, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, according to a Jan. 12 news release from OSF. Patients who qualify for the program can receive hospital-level care at home for illnesses such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COVID-19, infections and pneumonia. OSF is recruiting and training nurses for the program rollout at the new facility. Four registered nurses and five other healthcare workers, who were fired from Prime Healthcare's St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif., are seeking reinstatement. A website dedicated to their effort states that two St. Francis nurses were fired in December for "purportedly 'trespassing'" during a petition delivery and rally at Ontario, Calif.-based Prime's corporate headquarters, where they raised concerns about what they said is significant understaffing, patient safety and other issues. Seven additional employees were subsequently fired for participating in the rally, according to the website. Hospital officials disagree about the reasoning behind the terminations. Gloria Allred, a social justice lawyer, announced Jan. 12 that she is taking up the matter, according to a news release shared with Becker's from United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. The union represents four of the terminated workers. The remaining terminated workers are represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West. The workers dubbed the Prime 9 by union officials also plan to attend the Lynwood City Council meeting on Jan. 16 and are urging the council to pass a resolution calling on hospital officials to reinstate the workers. "Prime owns these hospitals like St. Francis in communities of color, marginalized areas," Charmaine Morales, RN, president of UNAC/UHCP, said in the release. "They had passionate nurses and caregivers trying to be a voice for patients and Prime terminated them. They do not respect or value the healthcare professions. Those skill sets and years of experience are hard to replace. Anyone in [Los Angeles] could end up at St. Francis if we get into an accident on the freeway it's a level 2 trauma center. Prime showed a blatant disregard to the community. It's the most extreme offense they could commit against the health and safety of their own patients." St. Francis defended its actions in a statement shared with Becker's, saying that it supports the rights of workers to lawfully engage in informational picketing and did not take adverse action against its employees for doing so. "These employees were not terminated for raising any concerns regarding patients or patient safety, but rather for violations of hospital policy, which were reported and fully investigated, including abusive misconduct and trespassing," hospital officials said. "St. Francis will vigorously defend the lawsuit and continue to ensure the hospital is a safe and compassionate environment for all patients and staff and continues its award-winning dedication to social responsibility and health equity as recognized by the Lown Institute." Additionally, the hospital pointed to what it said was increased hiring and its national patient safety and quality awards, including an "A" rating in patient safety from the Lown Institute and the Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award from American Heart Association last year. The call for reinstatement by union members follows an October strike by UNAC/UHCP and SEIU-UHW-represented workers at St. Francis. UNAC/UHCP members have since approved a new labor contract with St. Francis. SEIU-UHW is still in negotiations for a new labor contract. "The recent strike exacerbated staffing challenges, but nonetheless, the hospital continued to provide quality care throughout and remains dedicated to the needs of the community, expanding services such as behavioral health, geriatric emergency care, thrombectomy-capable stroke care and OB emergency services," St. Francis said. "The hospital has since received accolades and commendation from elected officials, including 'Champion of the Year' award by the City of Lynwood. In addition, St. Francis has garnered clinical excellence recognition from national organizations including the American Heart Association." UNAC/UHCP said it has filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board alleging retaliation for protected union activity against Prime with the National Labor Relations Board. A mechanical fire at UK HealthCare's Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, Ky., led to the temporary closure of the pharmacy. The fire was detected in a mechanical room on the ground floor Jan. 11, according to a statement on the hospital's website. Sprinklers were triggered and the fire was extinguished within minutes. Emergency personnel evacuated the ground floor, which houses offices and the pharmacy. Due to electrical issues, not all hospital systems are fully operational and the hospitals have closed one entrance due to water damage. The hospital pharmacy is expected to reopen in two weeks, according to a health system statement shared with Becker's. US comedian on his respect for Ballymena actor, shooting new film Lift in Belfast, and doing impromptu comedy shows in the city Superstar comedian and actor Kevin Hart has revealed that he would happily give Ballymena actor Liam Neeson a run for his money when it comes to playing action movie heroes. The award-winning American funnyman, who was in Belfast for several months in 2022 to shoot his new heist film Lift, plays against type in the entertaining Netflix crime caper and says he is keen to continue this new direction. Lift centres on an international heist crew, led by Harts Cyrus Whitaker, who race to lift $500m in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet. The fast-paced action flick, directed by F. Gary Gray, features high-tech art thefts, cat-and-mouse chases through the canals of Venice, mid-air fights and shoot-outs, and high-energy action scenes. Hart, who normally plays more comedic or hapless guy roles, told the Belfast Telegraph that he had enjoyed playing an action figure for a change and would love to join Neeson, who reinvented himself in recent years, in the action hero ranks. Ive absolutely dreamed of doing this, said Hart. This is one of those things that Ive worked really hard to get to this space and by that, I mean a leading man. As a movie star you want to always switch it up wherever and whenever you can to put yourself in the position of being a conversation piece. Going from stand-up comedy to comedy movies to action comedy to drama to now action thriller, those are really cool steps and I hope it continues in this direction. Kevin Hart says 'Ive worked really hard to get to this space. Pic: Netflix When asked if he was planning to take over from Neeson as the go-to guy for action films, Hart said: I hope so, that would be amazing. Well, I dont want to take over, Id just like to join him. The globe-trotting film, which also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent DOnofrio, Ursula Corbero, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno and Sam Worthington, was filmed in several locations including Venice and Trieste in Italy, London and Belfast. The citys Harbour Studios doubles up as the main production base and the place where many interior scenes were shot, such as Cyruss luxurious apartment and parts of the interior of the airplane. Filming also took place at Loop Studios for the gimbal work and stealth jet cockpit as well as Titanic Studios. Kevin Hart as Cyrus in Lift. Pic: Netflix Belfasts famous Crown Bar doubles up as a bar in Belgium and other locations include Ulster University, Titanic Hotel, Ward Park, Bangor and Shackleton Barracks, Ballykelly. Hart said he and the rest of the cast had loved their time in Northern Ireland, but while hed visited some amazing restaurants and pubs, most of his nightlife was based around stand-up comedy. While in Belfast, Hart used the opportunity to develop his stand-up routines for an upcoming tour that year, doing around 40 shows in total. The Central Intelligence and Fatherhood star said he missed doing stand-up during his time here so thought it would be a great chance to practise for his new tour, while checking out the Northern Irish comedy scene at the same time. Filming in Belfast was amazing, mainly because of the warm welcome I received from the people, he said. Not only did I shoot there but at the same time, I got to work on my comedy and develop what was to become my tour by performing in places like the Limelight and Laverys. I was missing the stage and thought if I can find a place and go and do my thing, then that could be my nightlife instead of going out to pubs and clubs. I did around 40 shows. Kevin Hart and wife Eniko Hart in Belfast's The Kitchen Bar in 2021 On the local comedy scene, Hart said: I got to work with some Irish comedians who opened for me, a rotation of four to six of them, and they were great. You cant come here and not show love for the people that built the comedy scene and getting to work with those guys was a big deal and I was really happy to do it. Hart said he was impressed with the people, the production hub and the countryside and vowed to come back. I loved it and it wont be my last time there, he said. Im looking forward to coming back out and not just for the movies, but for stand-up as well. I have a big fan base there and I want to make sure I stayed tuned into that. The 44-year-old also said that while he enjoyed the Northern Irish sense of humour, he wouldnt be including any new material about the place in his upcoming shows. He described his time in Belfast as really chilled and said it was an amazing place to shoot movies, adding: I cant wait to come back. Lift arrived on Netflix on Friday, January 12. University Challenges Amol Rajan went viral on social media for his response to a question on the show (Lifted Entertainment/ Ric Lowe) Amol Rajan has said that social media can have kindness and creativity rather than conspiracy and contempt after going viral for a moment on University Challenge. The presenter and journalist, 40, was sampled for music following a question on the popular BBC quiz. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content During a Monday episode, Rajan asked: What name is given to the genre of dance music that developed in the UK in the early 1990s out of the rave scene and reggae sound system culture associated with acts such as A Guy Called Gerald and Goldie? When the team from the University of Aberdeen team got the answer wrong, he replied saying: I cant accept Drum and Bass. We need Jungle, Im afraid. Bath Spa University researcher, Nathan Filer, then posted on X, formerly Twitter, encouraging people to sample Rajans response, which is when it took off. According to Rajan, his answer led to him being invited to play at festivals, being played on BBC Radio 1, acquire a cult following in the jungle scene and even a response from Goldie who said he would look at sampling the sentence. The music form, Jungle, came to popularity in the 1990s and blends reggae and hip hop with dance music and is seen as the forefather to drum and bass. In a BBC blog, Rajan wrote: For six years, as media editor for BBC News, I reported on the threat social media posed to Western civilisation. Doubtless, it is profound, and my recent experience of Twitter/X has been dreadful. But then I work in the media, at the BBC, and cover politics, in an era of toxic culture wars. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content This week reminded me of the original vision of social media, which was more social and less media. Those of us in my trade should remember it can generate communities and pullulate with kindness and creativity rather than conspiracy and contempt. Rajan, also a presenter on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, said with four children, he does not have time for rave in the same way but the post allowed him to reconnect with his younger self. He also wrote: I can confirm, however, that jungle is massive. I note Filer has updated his profile to say: Unexpected player in a junglist revival. Me too, boss, and Im grateful for the precision with which you used the term. Because I cant accept drum n bass. We need jungle, Im afraid. China advocates military exchanges with U.S. based on equality, respect: spokesperson Xinhua) 10:23, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday said the Chinese military stands ready to engage in exchanges and cooperation with its United States counterpart on the basis of equality and mutual respect to build a sound, stable and sustainable relationship between the two militaries. Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks when asked to comment on the Pentagon spokesperson's statement that the two sides plan to hold a military maritime consultative agreement meeting in early 2024. China's attitude towards developing China-U.S. military relations is consistent and clear, Zhang noted. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic ties, Zhang said. "We expect the U.S. side to develop a right perception of China, respect the core interests and major concerns of the Chinese side, and take concrete actions to work with us in the same direction to follow through the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in San Francisco," he said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) On December 23, 2023, I bought supposedly contaminated meat from one of the butcheries in Mbabane. Shockingly and to my disappointment, stomach-upsets among members of my family began even before we ate the meat. It was already on the braai stand when I had to sprint to the rest room. It was worse after we had consumed the meat. Our Christmas party turned into a sprint race. That was not happening to us for the first time. That itself disappointed me. Anyway, our sickness did not surprise me, because a host of flies had welcomed me to this butchery. The smell inside the butchery was unbearable. I had no alternative, as I needed the meat for the Christmas braai. I remembered the December incident on Thursday, when Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka issued a statement reversing the ban on slaughtering cattle within the butchery premises or outside thereof. I wished I would have given him a piece of the meat that I ate on Christmas. He would have issued the statement from an experiential perspective, having gone through what I am talking about. I wish I could have also served Cabinet with the same meat. World Health Organisation (WHO) emphasises on food safety. Health inspectors are trained and employed to ensure people are safe from contaminated food. We all know, for sure, that food poisoning is an illness that is caused by eating contaminated food. Symptoms of food poisoning often include upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms usually start within hours or several days of eating the food. Most people have mild illness and get better without treatment, but food poisoning sometimes causes severe illness or complications. Doctors say people sometimes die from food poisoning. As a result of foodborne illness, the CDC says 128 000 Americans are hospitalised and 3 000 die each year. Illnesses Foodborne illnesses are prevalent in Africa. The continent has the worlds highest per capita rate of foodborne illnesses. In their research article titled Responsiveness to Food Safety Emergencies in Eswatini The Case of Listeriosis Outbreak in South Africa, - Tendekayi Henry Gadagal and Anthony N. Mutukumira have a clear definition of food safety. They say food safety is defined as assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer, when it is prepared and eaten according to its intended use from farm to fork or the absence of hazards in food, that may harm the health of consumers. This definition is also supported by the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and WHO. Gadagal and Mutukumira observe that consumers expect that the food they buy is safe and suitable for consumption. The two scholars point to the fact that food safety is, therefore, important to the food industry and individuals. They say the existing and emerging food safety hazards, have made it imperative that food safety be prioritised at national, as well as international level. On this basis, they quoted Eddy and Haynes, 2007). They also mention that food safety hazards of concern can be biological, physical or chemical and that trade in food constitutes a huge global business. Therefore, they warn that food safety hazards in one country, can easily find their way across borders. I hope the minister of Agriculture takes note of this super veracity. According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), decision-making in food trade disputes, should be based on scientific evidence, including risk analysis and laboratory testing data obtained from accredited laboratories. In June 2023, there was a crackdown on shops selling contaminated food around Luve. The minister of Agriculture has a mammoth task, as Luve falls under his jurisdiction as an MP for Mkhiweni. Coincidentally, the objection to reinforcement of the law on abattoirs came from a certain Luve strongman. On January 17, 2023, the Times of Eswatini reported that environmental health inspections, through the Ministry of Health, discovered that most food outlets around Luve were selling expired food products. Food inspections were conducted on 41 outlets as part of the campaign of instilling a culture of selling and buying fresh food. All 41 food selling establishments in the Manzini Region, were found not complying with set environmental and health standards. It was said that most of these were found at Luve. The analysis was presented by Manzini Regional Environmental Officer Celiwe Mkhonta. Inspected The Manzini Regional Environmental and Health Office conducted inspections at Mahlangatsha, Fakudze, Mankayane, Luve, Mliba, Bhudla and Croydon. The food establishments that were inspected were butcheries, restaurants, supermarkets and bakeries. Disclosing their findings, Mkhonta said the aim of the inspections were to create awareness to the public and to business owners on the importance of selling and purchase of safe products. Through the inspections, she said they encouraged business owners to keep their food establishments up to an acceptable health standard. The officer said the inspections were aimed at ensuring that customers were protected from foodborne illnesses that were caused by contaminated food. This is also to encourage proper waste management in those structures. This exercise will continue to encourage business owners to keep their structures clean. This pertains to clean floors, windows, clean material and equipment used in restaurants, the officer emphasised as quoted by the Times of Eswatini. Mkhonta was confident that the inspections brought a culture of upholding proper buildings. She was determined that the inspection would be fostered among all the businesses. This was to entail proper lighting and ventilation respectively, and to avoid cracks on the walls and floors. During the two-day inspections, Mkhonta said they were able to conduct the exercise in seven areas, which covered 41 food selling outlets. They inspected seven supermarkets, three grocery stores, four restaurants, one vendor cart, butchery and one general dealer. On the first day, they visited 17 outlets. On the second day, they inspected 25 food outlets at Luve, Mliba, Bhudla and Croydon. On Thursday, the Minister of Agriculture, Mandla Tshawuka, noted in his statement that the Directorate of Veterinary and Livestock Services banned the slaughtering of animals at butcheries with effect from January 1, 2024. In fact, I put to the honourable minister that inspectors are supposed to certify meat to be sold to the public. The minister said he had been assured, and had no doubt that the ban was implemented in good faith to reduce the health risks to emaSwati imposed by meat products that might be contaminated, when animals were not slaughtered in the most hygienic way. I am happy that the minister noted this very crucial fact. At least, he did not dispute this veracity health hazard. Tshawuka said the ban was based on the Veterinary Public Health Act 17 of 2013, which conferred powers to the Director of Veterinary and Livestock Services to take appropriate action to safeguard the health of the nation on these matters, among other things. This law was neither passed in 2022 or 2023. It is a pity that its enforcement or application is temporarily halted 11 years after it was enacted. Its unbelievable! Legislation There are other pieces of legislation that go with this Act, which were considered in arriving at this decision, the minister mentioned in his statement. He also noted, that this ban, as much as it might be supported by some sections of the stakeholders, had triggered what he described or defined as a general outcry from the public, especially in the primary value chains of the industry. The minister stated that the levels of distress expressed and business disruption reported, had escalated to a point where he, as the minister, the overall responsible person, had to get involved in finding a solution to an otherwise administrative issue. He then proclaimed the decision he had taken. Tshawuka said he had decided that the situation should revert to the status-quo-ante (before January 1, 2024) to allow for three processes. These three processes are meant to establish adequate and inclusive stakeholder engagements or consultations, focusing on the impediments relating to the operationalisation of this long-standing legislation and come up with a seamless way of implementing it going forward. They are to ascertain the adequacy of abattoirs from the perspectives of both sheer numbers and distribution and the Directorate of Veterinary and Livestock Services, under the supervision of the office of the Principal Secretary, shall provide assistance where required for businesses to be ready to transition to the new dispensation, without serious negative effects on their operations and the industry. The minister mentioned that the ban would be held in abeyance, until the above processes were concluded. He anticipated that the processes would take about four months from at which point a decision would be taken, based on the outcomes of these activities. Tshawuka said his ministry remained committed to delivering services to the nation and staying true to the commission by the leadership of this Kingdom - that of ending hunger and poverty in the shortest time possible. I am disappointed that his colleague at the Ministry of Health was not present. There are not so many butcheries in the country. Find out from the Municipal Council of Mbabane and Manzini, how many butchery- owners make use of the available abbaitors in the cities and towns. The minister would be surprised. The fact of the issue, is that emaSwati do not want to make use of the abattoirs. EmaSwati prefer shortcuts to what they describe as long processes to have the final product in the market. Therefore, with diseases caused by contaminated meat on the rise, we have a government that suspends adherence to law. Meat is one of the foods that can cause food poisoning. For that matter, doctors have discovered that food poisoning can cause dehydration and kidney failure. Before a person ventures into a butchery business; he or she ought to know his or her legal obligation to conform to health standards. We cannot compromise on health, just because there are insufficient abattoirs in the country. Pressures The excuse that butchery-owners travel long distances to abattoirs, does not wash at all. The minister should not have relented to pressures emanating from people who want to contravene the laws of the country at their whim. A law is useless, when it is not enforced and emaSwati deserve better treatment in terms of protection from the Eswatini Government whose minister of Agriculture is an expert in this field. Consumers outnumber the butchery-owners who successfully lodged a complaint against the application of the law. Must I go to court to force government to obey the law? I do not think it would be neater going that route. There is a growing tendency in government to disregard the law. Government ministries and their ministers, together with the Boards and their CEOs, started with contravention of the Construction Industry Council Act and Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Act. They are always at pains trying to justify why it is necessary to circumvent the law. We are soon becoming a lawless nation. Those in authority obey the law when it suits them. On the other hand, an ordinary citizen is reprimanded quickly and rebuked instantly for not adhering to the dictates of legislation. Pitifully, hypocrisy has compromised our integrity and it is no longer a laughing matter. I cannot hail a minister for suspending the application of a law that was passed to promote the health of our people. For sure, I cannot. Chris Heaton-Harris is more interested in tinkering with way RSE taught than tackling chronic underfunding in the classroom, church committee claims The Presbyterian Church has accused the Secretary of State of being more concerned with implementing changes to relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in schools than dealing with chronic underfunding. Following a meeting of its state education committee on Thursday, the Church said a pick-and-mix approach to devolution had seen changes to the curriculum take precedence over more important things. The committees Karen Jardine said members had been left astonished by the approach of Chris Heaton-Harris, who announced the changes last summer. It followed expanded guidance to schools published in May on teaching pupils about topics like pornography, sexually transmitted infections, periods and transgender issues. The age appropriate guidance from the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, which is not mandatory, is aimed at providing information and lesson plans for teaching RSE. Teachers and education staff will join thousands of others in the public sector on a huge strike next week in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. Ms Jardine said: As a new academic term begins, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland would like to express again its sincere gratitude to teachers, school leaders, governors, and all those involved in the education and nurturing of children and young people across the island of Ireland. But the recent, and impending, industrial action by school staff in Northern Ireland highlights the very difficult circumstances that characterise the sector, including pressure on budgets, long-term impact of education-at-home during Covid lockdowns, and increasing demands on staff time and resources. All of which makes the Secretary of States pick-and-mix approach to devolution even more astonishing, where making changes to the school curriculum with regards to relationships and sexuality education has taken precedence over arguably more pressing issues, like resolving school funding or delivering long-term solutions to educational underachievement. The state education committee, however, welcomes the Department of Educations common sense approach to implementing legislation on the delivery of RSE in post-primary schools, imposed by the Secretary of State on the basis of recommendations from the flawed UN CEDAW report. While we continue to regret the manner in which these changes relating to teaching on access to abortion have been introduced, it is encouraging that the Department of Education has listened to the seven out of 10 respondents to its consultation who said they did not want to see RSE taught in a morally neutral or value free environment. That both teachers and pupils will continue to be able to explore moral, ethical and spiritual issues during the delivery of RSE is to be welcomed. She said the Presbyterian Church maintained such an approach is vital not only for the delivery of holistic and inclusive education in an age-appropriate way, but also for enabling students to explore the boundaries of healthy relationships. Indeed, we advocated this approach in PCIs response to the departments consultation, she added. It is a fallacy to suggest that personal and sensitive matters such as these can be dealt with in a neutral way. The committee also welcomed the Department of Educations recognition of the importance of school ethos, alongside the vital role played by governors in relation to setting policy on RSE. While external providers can helpfully support schools in their delivery of the RSE curriculum, in its guidance the department has recognised the autonomy that governors and principals continue to have over when, how, and who is involved in curriculum delivery in this and other areas. It is important that teachers and governors are equipped with adequate support and resources in respect of the legislative requirement to provide an opt-out for those parents that request it for their children, and in the delivery of RSE within the full flexibility provided for by the curriculum. The Northern Ireland Office said: "The Secretary of State has expressed his disappointment that a new Executive is not up and running to make important decisions for Northern Ireland. "He is doing everything within his power to ensure the return of the Executive. The Secretary of State is under a statutory duty in section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 (the NIEF Act) to ensure that all of the recommendations in the specific Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, are implemented in Northern Ireland. "The duty to implement the recommendations under the Northern Ireland Executive Formation Act is a matter of domestic law." Nipsa is one of a series of unions set to take part in Thursday's strike action. Anti-strike legislation which was introduced in Great Britain last summer should be extended to Northern Ireland, a senior Tory has said. Sir Robert Buckland said it would be in the best interests of people here. He was speaking ahead of a mass strike by public sector workers next week, which is set to bring much of society to a standstill. Tens of thousands of workers, including teachers, civil servants and transport staff, will walk out on Thursday over pay. Unions say it will be the biggest strike in Northern Ireland's history. The Department of Health has already warned of unprecedented disruption to health services, while the Royal College of Nursing said it will not be staffing dialysis, chemotherapy, and elective and routine surgery. Sir Robert, who chairs the NI Affairs Committee, said legislation introduced in England, Scotland and Wales last year, setting minimum service levels, should now be considered for Northern Ireland, although it would be a matter for the Assembly. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 means that during a strike a "minimum service" must be provided across sectors such as health, education and transport. Sir Robert told the BBC: My personal view is that minimum service levels guarantee that those in greatest need, whether it be through health emergency or other dire need, will get the service that they deserve. "I think that this is not only in the interest of the people we serve but of the trade unions themselves. "It will be a devolved matter for the politicians in Northern Ireland. Unions have previously branded the legislation as anti-strike laws. Unite's deputy regional secretary, Davy Thompson, said minimum service levels are "the most invidious example of knee-jerk legislating this country has seen in a long time. Under the legislation, the government can set minimum service levels after a consultation. Employers will then be able to issue a "work notice" to unions, setting out who is required to work during a strike. Meanwhile, pressure is continuing on the DUP to agree a return to Stormont which would trigger the release of a financial package to help address pay issues. Sinn Fein is seeking to have the Assembly recalled on Wednesday - the day before the strike. Thursday is also the deadline for Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris to call a fresh Assembly election if devolved government has not been restored. Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill said her party has initiated an Assembly recall to restore the Executive and "urgently deliver a fair pay deal for public sector workers". It urges that the Assembly meets urgently to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speakers, appoint ministers and back a motion which endorses fair pay settlements for public sector workers. The DUP has insisted it will not end its boycott until it secures legislative assurances from the Government on Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trading position within the UK. Mr Heaton-Harris has said his talks with the DUP over the Windsor Framework have concluded, although leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has insisted engagement is continuing. Mr Heaton-Harris has invited the main Stormont parties to take part in bilateral talks at Hillsborough Castle on Monday about the Stormont stalemate. Previous talks between Mr Heaton-Harris and the main Stormont parties over a 3.3 billion financial package to accompany the return of devolution broke up at Hillsborough Castle in December without any agreement to restore the Assembly and Executive. The package would include money to make an outstanding pay award to public sector workers. The Northern Ireland Office has said: "Trade union relations and labour relations are a devolved matter. "It remains the government's top priority to facilitate the return of the Northern Ireland Executive and a fully functioning assembly, so these important issues can be addressed by those elected to do so." Alliance MP Farry says the joint US-UK attack highlights Wests hypocrisy over Gaza ceasefire The two largest local parties are in disagreement over the UK-US military assault launched on Yemen this week. Sinn Fein has called for urgent de-escalation, while the DUP believes the targeted action will have no bearing on whats happening in Gaza. And Alliance MP Stephen Farry questioned the Prime Ministers decision to approve the air strikes while refusing to call for a ceasefire in that conflict. Rishi Sunak said the attacks on Houthi rebels were limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence to protect shipping lanes. He faces a backlash for not to consulting Parliament amid concerns it could lead to an escalation of violence in the Middle East. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed and close to 60,000 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7, according to Gazas Ministry of Health. The Lib Dems, SNP and Plaid Cymru have called for Parliament to vote on the military action. Downing Street said there were no plans for a retrospective vote as parliamentary approval is not required for military action. Commons votes have been held on most armed interventions since the 2003 Iraq war, but constitutionally only the Prime Minister can authorise strikes. Mr Farry said: While the US and UK actions in Yemen may be appropriate and consistent with UN Security Council resolutions and wider international law, they cant be looked at in isolation. Set alongside the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, people will rightly ask how the US and UK can find the resolve to strike against the Houthis but cannot call for a ceasefire in Gaza when we are seeing ongoing massive breaches of international humanitarian law. Questions remain over the underlying rationale and what is the wider strategy for peace and stability in the Middle East. DUP deputy leader Gavin Robinson MP said: Whilst Parliament has previously voted on military action, that has not been the normal course of action, but may happen were a longer-term and more significant deployment was being considered. The operations in Yemen are limited and targeted strikes against the Houthi rebels. Their attacks on international shipping have affected more than 50 countries. Whilst armed forces from the United Kingdom and United States were involved, there are a total of 10 countries who issued a joint statement in support of the action. This targeted action does not relate to any other conflict, or represent a threat of further escalation into other areas. Sinn Feins Matt Carthy TD said: The attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and the commencement of US and British missile attacks in Yemen crystalise the need for urgent de-escalation across the Middle East. There must be immediate ceasefires on all sides. Above all, Israel must stop the bombardment of Gaza and its ongoing assault on Palestinian territory in both Gaza and in the West Bank. International pressure must be brought to bear to this end and Ireland can play a leadership role in that, including by supporting the South African case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. On Thursday night a US-led air strike hit more than 70 targets at 16 locations used by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis said five of their members were killed and six others injured. The action was the first against the Houthi militia since it started targeting international shipping in the Red Sea. The Iran-aligned Houthis have said they will continue to attack ships until Israel ends its military campaign in Gaza. The attacks in the Red Sea have forced some of the worlds biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the worlds most important maritime trade routes. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the attacks were having a real-life impact on people. He expressed concern about ships having to take longer routes which increases insurance and that gets translated into higher prices for people from everything from fuel, to medicine to food its disrupting supply chains. Garda officers at the scene in Blanchardstown, Dublin where Tristan Sherry was killed on Christmas Eve (Niall Carson/PA) A 17-year-old boy has appeared before Dublin District Court charged with the murder of Tristan Sherry at a Blanchardstown restaurant on Christmas Eve. Mr Sherry, a suspected gunman in an attack on another man on the night, was killed in the incident at Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown at around 8pm on December 24. Detective Garda Tom McCarrick told the court that the boy was arrested at 23:53 on Friday and charged under caution at 00:08 on Saturday. The court heard he made no reply to the charge. The boy appeared in court wearing black trainers and a grey tracksuit. His mother was also present in court. An application for legal aid was granted. Garda officers at the scene at Brownes Steakhouse restaurant in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Four men, aged between 17 and 22, have been charged in relation to the attack on Tristan Sherry (Niall Carson/PA) There was no application for bail due to the nature of the charge and he was remanded in custody to appear before the childrens court on January 17 at 10.30am. The boy, who cannot be identified due to his age, is the fourth person to be charged in relation to the attack on Mr Sherry. David Amah, 18, with an address in Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, has also been charged with the murder of Mr Sherry. Wayne Deegan, 25, with an address in Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, was charged with assault causing harm to Mr Sherry, producing a knife in a way likely to intimidate or injure, and committing violent disorder. At the end of December, Michael Andrecut, 22, of Sheephill Avenue, Corduff, appeared at a special sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin charged with Mr Sherrys murder. Another person who was arrested in the investigation was released without charge and a file was prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Jason Hennessy Snr, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the initial attack, died on Thursday, January 4. A second murder investigation has been launched following his death. Lord David Cameron hinted further strikes could follow if the Houthis continue their attacks (Valdrin Xhemaj/PA) Britain could strike Houthi targets in Yemen again if the rebel group continues to attack ships in the Red Sea, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron has suggested. Lord Cameron warned that the Iran-linked militants could force up prices in Britain if they are allowed to block the passage of container ships in the busy trade route. The US struck another site in Yemen early on Saturday after the Houthis vowed revenge for the bombing raid carried out by the Americans and the RAF a day earlier. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Cameron said the joint action will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing. He argued that not acting would be accepting that Houthi attacks could virtually shut a vital sea lane with relative impunity. If the Houthis deny this passage to ships, vital supply chains are threatened and prices will go up in Britain and across the globe. Lord Cameron said that the air strikes sent an unambiguous message to the Houthis that we are determined to put a stop to their Red Sea attacks. And he hinted that Britain could join the US in striking the Houthis again if they continue. We will work with allies. We will always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions, he said. The Foreign Secretary argued that the Houthi assertion that their attacks are linked to Israels war in Gaza is nonsense. Theyve attacked ships from countries all over the world, heading to destinations right across the globe, he wrote. After the first strikes, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report of a missile attack on a vessel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer defended his support for the strikes, which Rishi Sunak ordered without first consulting Parliament, as Prime Ministers sometimes do before military interventions. RAF Typhoon FGR4 taking off to launch air strikes against military targets in Yemen (Ministry of Defence/PA) Writing for the Independent, the Labour leader argued that protecting trade, security and lives are paramount to our national interest. He said the Prime Minister must make a full statement to the Commons when it returns on Monday, but stressed the need for swift military action. That is why we must retain the flexibility to react with the necessary speed to threats, while also submitting to scrutiny, he wrote. Sir Keir was facing some criticism from the left over his support for the air strikes. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content While running for the Labour leadership, he promised no more illegal wars and proposed a law that would require a Commons vote before military action. But his new comments and support for the raids contradict this. Diane Abbott, who was Jeremy Corbyns shadow home secretary but now sits as an independent, said: In 2020 Keir Starmer said no more illegal wars. He said that he would only back war if it was legal, had a viable objective and Parliament gave consent. The current military action on Yemen has none of these yet he supports it. King Charles learned about the Queens death when leaving her side at Balmoral to go and pick mushrooms, a new book has revealed. The biography states that he was first referred to as Your Majesty by a private aide after taking the call while driving back to the Royal residence in Scotland. Charles had left his mothers side to make the excursion to clear his head for a short time on September 8, 2022, according to a note written by Sir Edward Young. The aides note was published in the Daily Mail and used by royal author Robert Hardman in his new book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story. Sir Edward added that the Queens death was very peaceful, who said that she wouldnt have been aware of anything. He added that both Charles and Camilla had spent time with Elizabeth II before she died - after which her son instantly became king. In the Queens final hours she was tended to at her bedside by Princess Anne, her dresser Angela Kelly, and Rev Kenneth MacKenzie - a local minister. A note about the late Queens death was written by Sir Edward Young in a memo which has been reported by the Daily Mail. He noted: Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldnt have been aware of anything. No pain. Upon hearing the news, Charles told his sons to travel up to Balmoral as quickly as possible to say their goodbyes. The order in which they were told was procedural and carried the project name London Bridge. Queen Elizabeth II was said to have had episodic mobility problems in the months preceding her death but the book states Charles was caught out by her deterioration. He was said to have been brushing up on the London Bridge procedure as he travelled to Scotland. A London Bridge rule was that Charles could not tell anybody he had become King before his son - which meant that when he called Prince William he had to say an awkward its me before being transferred. Charles was, however, unable to contact his younger son Harry as he was in the air and learnt of the death from a television alert. Mr Hardman noted that William did not reply to texts from Harry asking how he would be travelling to Balmoral. The book also reveals how, shortly after Sir Edward wrote his note, a footman brought a locked red box of paperwork found at the late Queens deathbed which contained two sealed letters one to her son and heir and the other to Sir Edward himself, the Mail reports. The box also contained her choice of candidates for the Order of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service across the Commonwealth. Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story is set to be released on January 18. The National March for Palestine took place in central London (Lucy North/PA) Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets of London on Saturday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Around 1,700 police officers patrolled the capital as the march made its way to Parliament Square, arresting a total of nine people. Three people were arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, by distributing leaflets. There were three arrests for inciting racial hatred one related to a placard and two for chanting while there were a further two arrests for racially aggravated public order offences. A ninth arrest was made for possession of stickers to be used for criminal damage. Thousands of people took part in the march (Lucy North/PA) The protest, part of a global day of action involving 30 countries, came after the UK and US carried out air strikes against Houthi bases in Yemen. The Iran-backed rebel group has repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea in the wake of Israels war against Hamas following the October 7 attack. Several protesters made references to the military action, with one man holding a placard claiming the UK and US want war and that Yemen supports Palestine, while one speaker told crowds at Parliament Square that RAF planes were flying where they do not belong. Demonstrators demanded an immediate ceasefire (Jamie Lashmar/PA) Other speakers at the packed event included former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the president of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald, who called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Ms McDonald told crowds that Palestinian freedom was possible, saying: When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, (having) walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen. This must happen and we will ensure that it does. More than 1,700 police officers were present (Lucy North/PA) Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, accused the British Government of complicity with Israel. He said Palestine was a nation of freedom fighters, saying: I stand before you with a broken heart, but not a broken spirit. Mr Zomlot congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UNs International Court of Justice. The protesters called for an immediate ceasefire (Lucy North/PA) The seventh National March for Palestine also featured an appearance by Little Amal, a giant puppet of a Syrian child refugee, which joined a group of Palestinian children. The 3.5-metre (around 11.5ft) puppet became an international symbol of human rights after it journeyed 5,000 miles from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021. Speaking before the march, Home Secretary James Cleverly said he had been briefed by the Mets commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to ensure order and safety during the protest. Israeli soldiers take up positions near the Gaza Strip border (Ariel Schalit/AP/PA) Sunday January 14 marks 100 days that Israel and Hamas have been at war. Israel declared war in response to Hamas unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7 in which the Islamic militant group killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. It was the deadliest attack in Israels history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust. Israel responded with weeks of intense airstrikes in Gaza before expanding the operation into a ground offensive. It says its goal is to crush Hamas and win the release of the more than 100 hostages still held by the group. Israeli tanks head towards the Gaza Strip (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP/PA) Here are five takeaways from the first 100 days of a conflict that has upended the region: Israel will never be the same The October 7 attack blindsided Israel and shattered the nations faith in its leaders. While the public has rallied behind the militarys war effort, it remains deeply traumatised. Posters of the hostages who remain in Hamas captivity line public streets and people wear T-shirts calling on leaders to Bring Them Home. Israeli news channels devote their broadcasts to round-the-clock coverage of the war. They broadcast non-stop tales of tragedy and heroism from October 7, stories about hostages and their families, tearful funerals of soldiers killed in action and reports from Gaza by correspondents smiling alongside the troops. There is little discussion or sympathy over the skyrocketing death toll and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Plans for post-war Gaza are rarely mentioned. While chastened Israeli security officials have apologised and signalled that they will resign after the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains firmly entrenched. Despite a sharp drop in his public approval ratings, Mr Netanyahu has resisted calls to apologise, step down or investigate his governments failings. Gaza will never be the same Conditions before October 7 were already difficult in Gaza after a stifling blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt following Hamas takeover in 2007. The territory is now unrecognisable. Experts say the Israeli bombing is among the most intense in modern history. Gaza health authorities say the death toll already has eclipsed 23,000 people, roughly 1% of the Palestinian territorys population. Thousands more remain missing or badly wounded. More than 80% of the population has been displaced and tens of thousands of people are now crammed into sprawling tent camps on small slivers of space in southern Gaza that also come under Israeli fire. The United Nations (UN) estimates about a quarter of Gazas population is starving. Just 15 of Gazas 36 hospitals are partially operational, according to the UN, leaving the medical system close to collapse. Gaza has simply become uninhabitable, wrote Martin Griffiths, the U.N.s humanitarian chief. It is all connected The war has rippled across the entire Middle East, threatening to escalate into a broader conflict pitting a US-led alliance against Iranian-backed militant groups. Almost immediately after the Hamas attack, Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon began striking Israel, triggering Israeli retaliatory attacks. The back-and-forth fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has not erupted into a full-blown war but it has come perilously close, most recently after a January 2 airstrike blamed on Israel that killed a top Hamas official in Beirut. Hezbollah responded with heavy barrages on Israeli military bases while Israel has assassinated several Hezbollah commanders in targeted airstrikes. At the same time, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have carried out a series of attacks on civilian cargo ships in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Iranian-backed militias have attacked US forces in Iraq and Syria. The United States has dispatched warships to the Mediterranean and Red Seas to contain the violence. On Thursday, the US and British militaries bombed more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen. The Houthis vowed to retaliate, raising the prospect of an even wider conflict. Palestinians walk past buildings destroyed in an Israeli bombardment on al-Zahra, on the outskirts of Gaza City (Ali Mahmoud/AP/PA) Israel cannot ignore the Palestinians Throughout his time in office, Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly attempted to sideline the Palestinian issue. He has rejected various peace initiatives, dismissed the internationally-recognised Palestinian Authority as weak or irrelevant, and promoted policies that left Palestinians divided between rival governments in Gaza and the West Bank. Instead, he has tried to normalise relations with other Arab countries in hopes of isolating the Palestinians and pressuring them to accept an arrangement that falls short of their dreams of independence. Just before October 7, Mr Netanyahu was boasting of efforts to forge ties with Saudi Arabia. The Hamas attack, along with a spike in violence in the West Bank, have put the Israeli-Palestinian issue back on centre stage. The Saudis have revived the possibility of establishing ties with Israel, but only if this included the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. There is no post-war plan As the war drags on and the death toll mounts, there is no clear path for when the fighting will end or what will follow. Israel says Hamas can play no part in Gazas future. Hamas says that is an illusion. The US and the international community want a revitalised Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza and steps toward a two-state solution. Israel objects to this. Israel wants to maintain a long-term military presence in Gaza. The US does not want Israel to reoccupy the territory. Reconstruction will take years. It is unclear who will pay for it or how the required materials will enter the territory through its limited crossings. The UKs RAF Typhoon aircraft returning to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after joining the US-led coalition conducting air strikes against military targets in Yemen (Sgt Lee Goddard/MOD/Crown Copyright/PA) The US military early on Saturday struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that they determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk. That is according to two US officials who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press to discuss an operation that had not yet been publicly announced. US Central Command said the follow-on action, early on Saturday local time against a Houthi radar site, was conducted by the Navy destroyer USS Carney using Tomahawk land attack missiles. The first day of strikes on Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However, the US determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. RAF Typhoon FGR4 taking off to launch air strikes against military targets in Yemen (Ministry of Defence/PA) On Friday, the US Navy warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the US and Britain launched multiple air strikes targeting Houthi rebels. The warning in a notice to shippers came as Yemens Houthis vowed fierce retaliation for the US-led strikes, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israels war in Gaza. US military and White House officials said they expected the Houthis to try to strike back. President Joe Biden warned on Friday that the group could face further strikes. When Mr Biden was asked on Saturday, as he left the White House to spend the weekend at Camp David, about the message sent to Iran from the US strikes against the Houthis, he told reporters: We delivered it privately and were confident were well prepared. The US-led bombardment launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said. The US said the strikes, in two waves, took aim at targets in 28 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Mr Biden told reporters in Pennsylvania: We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour along with our allies. Asked if he believes the Houthis are a terrorist group, Mr Biden responded: I think they are. President Joe Biden speaks while in Pennsylvania (Evan Vucci/AP) The president, in a later exchange with reporters, said whether the Houthis are redesignated as such was irrelevant. Mr Biden also pushed back against some US politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, who said he should have sought congressional authorisation before carrying out the strikes. Theyre wrong, and I sent up this morning when the strikes occurred exactly what happened, he said. The White House said in November that it was considering redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist organisation after they began their targeting of civilian vessels. The administration formally delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation and specially designated global terrorists in 2021, undoing a move by former president Donald Trump. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council late on Friday, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the US, UK, and allies of blatant armed aggression against Yemen and warned that if the escalation continues, the entire Middle East could encounter a catastrophe. US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield insisted the attacks were in self-defence. Ms Thomas-Greenfield said: So de-escalation needs to happen, it needs to happen from the Houthis who are putting all of our shipping lines in jeopardy. Iran condemned Fridays attack in a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani, echoing UN concerns. Arbitrary attacks will have no result other than fuelling insecurity and instability in the region, he said. Man hit with 300 penalty following licence oversight A pest controller who disturbed and destroyed a seagulls nest wanted to make a donation to an animal welfare charity instead of paying a fine. But in court last week Terence Turkington was told by a judge, unfortunately, she could not make such an order in this jurisdiction. The 64-year-old was sentenced at Belfast Magistrates Court for disturbing and destroying the birds nest at AVA Leisure Centre on Prince Regent Road in east Belfast last May. He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two breaches of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. His barrister told the hearing Turkington was always fully licensed to carry out such work, but he was not aware the law had changed which required him to have a licence for each specific job. District Judge Amanda Henderson said he was still employed in the pest control business and it was important he kept abreast of the regulations. Turkingtons barrister said he had a clear record and it was just an oversight on his clients part. Passing sentence, Judge Henderson said as the change in the law was not known to Turkington, and he had not been refused a licence by the council to carry out such work since, she would deal with it by way of a fine. For each offence, Turkington, of Seven Mile Straight in Co Antrim, was fined 150, with time to pay. Addressing the judge, Turkington said he would rather be ordered to make a donation to a charity such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds than hand the money to the court. Judge Henderson said the law in Northern Ireland did not permit her to make such an order in place of a court fine. The offences carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison or fines not exceeding 5,000. Sunday Life spoke to Turkington after the hearing but he did not wish to comment on the matter. BABANE Not far from the Ministry of Labours headquarters, workers are subjected to unfair industrial practices. It has been established that routine labour inspections have stopped, resulting in some owners of shopping outlets, mainly owned by Asian nationals, violating the Employment Act. Investigations unearthed that gazettes regulating conditions of employment for thousands of emaSwati are violated with impunity. The gazette sets minimum wages for workers in all industries. With regard to the minimum wages for people working in urban shops, a shop assistants minimum salary is E2 164.96. A shop assistants salary in the rural areas is E1 768.99. A junior shop assistants salary in the urban area is E1 964.74, while that of an assistant in the rural areas has been fixed at E1 714.68. Discovered It has been discovered that the salary for a cashier is E2 467.94, while a merchandiser or promoter is supposed to receive a monthly pay of E2 164.96. The above salaries are paid at minimum; meaning they may be paid above but not below them. However, many Asian shops were found to be paying monthly salaries ranging from E800 to E1 500. Anybody who is paid E1 500 is considered a dedicated and committed employee, who has served the employer for over five years. In short, they said, E1 500 was a salary for loyal employees. Asian nationals have also been allowed to operate their businesses in peri-urban and rural areas. Slapped In certain shopping establishments owned by the Asian, it is alleged that workers were not only slapped in the face for being perceived to being at a snails pace, in executing duties, but they were not paid on time. Impeccable sources said they were not paid early to have money to buy for Christmas and New Years festivities. Some women told Eswatini News that they were subjected to sexual abuses, long hours and further denied annual leave. Sexual abuse, long hours, no leave and utter disrespect are just a few of what hundreds of desperate emaSwati, mainly women, allege they go through in some Asian nationals owned shops scattered across the country. In Eswatini, many supermarkets are owned by Asian nationals from countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The businesses provide employment for thousands of emaSwati who, despite complaints that the salaries are meagre have no other option but to accept. Many of these shops sell household items at very affordable prices. In the past weeks, especially during the festive season, Eswatini News investigated concerns raised by some of the employees at these shops. Concerns The concerns varied from being underpaid, working without leave or other ill treatment, including alleged sexual abuse. This is despite that in most towns, Labour officials are housed in government structures, at a walking distance from these shops. Journalists from Eswatini News spoke to some of the disgruntled employees from at least 15 shops in towns such as Mbabane, Ezulwini, Matsapha, Manzini, Buhleni, Nhlangano, Siteki and Siphofaneni. In fear of victimisation and losing their jobs they asked to remain anonymous. It was gathered that many emaSwati leave their homes and travel to other towns to seek employment at these places. One such person is *Nolwazi, who narrated her journey of over five years working at a shop owned by a Pakistan national. Nolwazi, gave an account of labour violations within the industry. She expressed concern about how in the supermarket she was employed at, they worked long hours, starting from 7:30am to 7pm, yet their salaries usually did not include overtime. In her case, she said they were paid about E1 200 to E1 500. The salary depends on what you agreed on with the employer when you were hired. As for myself I agreed on the E1 500 I was offered, she said. Overtime She said the figure normally did not change even if one worked overtime. She said she was expected to work from 7:30am to 6pm sometimes up to 7pm.She was expected to arrive earlier than the starting time. They are not provided with transport and have to walk long distances from the bus stop to their houses. She also revealed that she had worked in several similar supermarkets around the country and that it appeared the treatment was similar in most of these shops. Nolwazi added that many of the people who suffered the unfair labour practices were women, because it appeared they formed a majority of the workers. She said the shop owners took advantage of their desperation for employment to earn a living. In the major towns, she alleged that it appeared as though the abuse was being tolerated, as many workers were of the view that Labour officials had a relationship with the shop owners.Even if you report the incident to the Labour officials, they tend to trust the employer more than us, she alleged.Asked how long she had worked in her current position and if Labour officers checked the premises often, Nolwazi responded to the negative. I have been here at the Piggs Peak store for seven years and I have seen a Labour inspector come here to inspect only three times, they come in here all smiles chatting to the bosses. They sit in the office, then come out and do shallow greetings and leave. What report can you give to someone who is friendly with the bosses? she asked rhetorically. Nolwazi further said the shop she worked for in Piggs Peak was within one and a half kilometres from the Labour Offices. In another supermarket in Piggs Peak, some of the employees expressed concern over how their employers which are of Chinese origin communicated with them in public. Shouting An employee in one of the supermarkets owned by the Chinese national said it was concerning that they were ridiculed in public, as their bosses had developed a habit to disrespect them by shouting at them in front of customers. They do it in front of customers and this is embarrassing for us, said *Nosipho. She said most of the employees were afraid of shouting back at their bosses. She said any retaliation warranted instant dismissal, something they tried by all means to avoid. Nosipho was asked what steps she had taken on the matter and if she had reported this to the local Labour officials. Responding, she said she had not done anything in fear of victimisation. She said some of the employees opted to report the labour abuse to the police, but nothing had been done by them. In another incident, which allegedly happened at Buhleni, a woman working in a company owned by a Chinese national, alleged that she was slapped with an open hand across the face and subsequently fired. The human resource (HR) official from the company was contacted on the matter, but she refused to comment. The woman later called this publication and revealed that she was rehired after the Times of Eswatini reporter had called. Around Mankayane, workers at an Asian-owned company revealed how they worked throughout the year without taking leave. They revealed that their employer only allowed them to take Sundays off, however, they had to sign for the day as part of their leave. Also, they said they worked without uniforms, or safety tools even in unsafe environments like the bakery. This publication also visited some shops in Piggs Peak where some employers alleged that they had previously reported concerns of being sexually abused. *Joko, one of the employees said one of their employers, at a supermarket where she worked, would sometimes ask them to go to his house for cleaning, but he would then follow them around asking for sexual favours. Superiors Also, Joko said as employees, they had not agreed to being servants at their superiors homes as, they were not hired to be maids or housekeepers. How can we work in the shops and then end up working inside their houses as well? asked an employee. Joko alleged that they were being used as maids, yet they were employed to work in the shops. Speaking about the ordeals, many of the women expressed concern that Labour officials usually failed to handle the matters, but allegedly favoured the employer. They also said many who reported the incidents ended up being dismissed. While in Mbabane, barely three kilometres from the Ministry of Labour it was gathered in some Asian shops that employees are paid below the minimum wages but forced to sign for pay slips that show amounts that are higher than what they received as wages. They said there is usually no proof of how much they were paid as the money was received in form of cash in envelopes. The cannabis factory was operating from a shed at Clive Weir's farm on The New Road Hillsborough. A Co Down farmer accused of money laundering and involvement in a massive cannabis factory on his land will definitely be contesting the charge, a court has heard. Defence counsel Michael Chambers also told Craigavon Court on Thursday that 55-year-old Clive Weir will be obtaining a report from a forensic account regarding his legitimate business dealings. Weir, from the New Road in Hillsborough, is charged with four offences that are alleged to have been committed between January 14, 2022, and February 2, 2023. These include cultivating cannabis, using criminal property and two charges of converting criminal property. The charges allege that Weir used criminal property, namely funds in the sum of 184,536.66 for the purchase of fuel from Victor Walker Fuels and also that he converted criminal property by lodging 41,495 into a Bank of Ireland account and 132,571.50 into a Clear Bank account. Charged alongside Weir in relation to cultivating cannabis are Vietnamese brothers, 39-year-old Quy Nguyen and Anh Nguyen (35), also from the New Road in Hillsborough. Weir previously told the Belfast Telegraph he was really annoyed that the police werent doing enough to find the criminals responsible for the huge cannabis factory on his farm. The PSNI described it as one of the biggest and most sophisticated ever discovered in Northern Ireland. Three weeks after police discovered the drugs factory last February, Weir outlined how he was really annoyed at what had gone on at his farm, saying he knew nothing about it but was disgraced around the area. During a brief review of the case on Thursday, the court heard there may be delays as the only Vietnamese interpreter in Northern Ireland is no longer here. Last October, a High Court bail application for the two Vietnamese men was told that the enterprise was worth 200,000 a month equivalent to 2.4m a year. Thomas Buchanan Read / Wikimedia Commons God's angels are truly watching over us. He makes this point clear in Scriptures throughout the Bible. Read on for six Bible verses that remind us there are angels watching over you. In this article: As humans, we typically imagine Gods protection as a magical force field that keeps us from all harm. While God has the ability to stop evil, we have to remember that we live in a fallen world where we have free will. Because of this, sometimes God works in ways that we do not understand. Instead, Gods protection can come in the form of peace and strength in the middle of despair, possibly in the form of angels. As believers in Jesus, we are promised a new life covered under the protection of God and His angels in which nothing can ever separate us from His love. We can rest easy knowing that no matter what hardship we face, God is our provider and protector. He sends down His angels to watch over us and protect us from the harm of the world. These angels can give us peace so we can focus on knowing there is a bigger plan that God has chosen us for. Angels have been cited all throughout the bible for their amazing ability to protect those in harm. Here are words straight from the Book of God that remind us that we are protected by Gods angels. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. This translates literally to mean that God will instruct His angels to watch over individuals. God will give each of His angels a purpose: to guard His children. Those who are faithful will be under the constant care of His angels. For it is written, He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully. In this chapter of Luke, Satan challenged Jesus to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple by citing that God would protect Jesus with His angels. However when citing the Psalm 91:11 verse, Satan purposefully omitted in all your ways thus changing the meaning. The fact is that God sends His angels to protect those who have committed themselves to His loving care, not to those who want to put Him to the test. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. The angel of the Lord can mean any one of Gods angels. In this passage, it is noted that God would send His angels down to His true loyal children and rescue them from danger. His angels will lift us up and keep us from harm if we choose to trust in Him. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. Here, Jesus speaks of how God values each of His children. Because He loves each of us so much, God assigns angels to each of us for our protection. No matter who you are, how low you may feel in life, God doesnt discriminate who gets angels to watch over them. Instead, He tells others to not despise one another. In addition, the angels have direct access to God and are a helpful communication liaison between heaven and earth. Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Angels are sent by God to protect us so that we are able to inherit Gods kingdom in heaven. Angels are servants of God that carry out His will and work for our good. Here, we are given protection and shelter by the angels by their ability to assist us in our deliverance from sin and being gifted by eternal life in heaven. See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. This is a great example of God showing how He can use His angels to protect His children. The Lord was promising the Israelites that they would be guided by an angel to the Promised Land of Canaan. The Israelites were protected during their journey through the wilderness because they trusted in God and His promises. These bible verses serve as reminders that Gods angels will always watch over us. If we trust in God and His plan for us, we will be protected by His angels as we walk throughout life. Angels are a direct way for us to connect with the Lord, so we should accept their protection and trust in their abilities. More on Angels from Beliefnet: 7 Archangels and Their Meanings Angel Feather Colors and Their Meanings Bible Verses About Angels Watching Over Us Healing Miracles From Angel Raphael Megan Bailey is a former Social Media Specialist and Content Producer for Beliefnet. She attended James Madison University where she received a degree in psychology. A man holds a box of dolls made to look like ex-Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte during a rally held to support the former president, in Manila, Dec. 4, 2023. A Philippine prosecutor has dismissed a complaint against ex-President Rodrigo Duterte made by a congresswoman who alleged that the former leader had threatened her life on a TV program last year. House of Representatives member France Castro had filed a criminal complaint on Oct. 24 alleging that Duterte had issued grave threats against her during a television program he hosted from his political base in southern Davao City. Deputy Prosecutor Leilia R. Llanes said in a 14-page verdict that she dismissed Castros for want of sufficient evidence. The prosecution finds it quite unusual, if not ridiculous for a person to make public pronouncement of death threats especially so considering that such an individual, like [the] respondent, is already in an advanced age and not anymore immune from criminal prosecution, Llanes said in the resolution, which was publicly released Friday, but dated Jan. 9. Harry Roque, one of Dutertes lawyers, confirmed the dismissal decision, saying they already received their own copy from the prosecutors office. When asked to comment on the dismissal of the case, Castro told BenarNews on Friday that she was still consulting with my lawyers on the next step. The congresswoman, who represents a special interest group that advocates for teachers, said that on the TV program he hosted, Duterte had supported his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, who had been questioned by some on her use of millions of pesos in intelligence funds. But your first target there, using your intelligence funds, is you, France [Castro], you communists who I want to kill, Duterte had said, according to transcripts of the show that were made public. Castro had questioned the allocation of 650 million pesos (U.S. $11.4 million) in funds for the offices of the vice president and the Department of Education. Critics have said Dutertes threats should not be taken lightly, considering that more than 8,000 suspected drug addicts and dealers were killed in an anti-drugs campaign during his term as president from 2016 to 2022, according to government figures. The International Criminal Court at The Hague is investigating the deadly anti-drugs campaign under Duterte. His successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had initially said that ICC prosecutors would be barred from entering the Philippines, although there have been signs lately that they would be accommodated. MANZINI - The Thursday afternoon storm left a trail of damage in Matsapha and KaShali, Ngwane Park and some textile workers were turned back as there was no power in factories. On Thursday afternoon at around 4pm, heavy rain fell in most parts of the country, but in the aforementioned places it was accompanied by strong wind and it damaged a number of structures; including homes and power lines. During the storm on Thursday afternoon, there was a traffic jam in Mahhala, Matsapha as some of the streets were waterlogged. Also, some roads were closed by trees which were toppled by the storm, but Matsapha Town Council and some of its partners like Eswatini Electricity Company sprang into action as they started clearing the road on the very same afternoon. Also in Matsapha, several power lines were downed by the storm and some of them were fixed on the same night, while others were attended to the following morning. As such, some textile and apparel sector factories like Kasumi Apparels III and Smooth turned back its workers yesterday. This was because there was no eletricity as the power lines which brings electricity to the factories were still being attended to yesterday morning. A senior manager at Kasumi Apparels III highlighted that yesterday was supposed to be their first day back at work for 2024, but due to the issue of power, they had to postpone the opening of the factory to Monday. On the other hand, a number of homes and power lines were affected by the storm at KaShali, Ngwane Park. Some of the affected houses were rented flats. Most of the power lines which were affected were attended to yesterday morning, which meant that some parts of the area had no power on Thursday night. Here are some pictures: Bennington, VT (05201) Today Generally cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Occasional snow showers. Low 28F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Workers survey damage near the Sandman Signature hotel following an explosion on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming a 44-year-old migrant was identified as the suspect of an explosion at the historic hotel in Fort Worth. City inspectors and police officers outside the Brooklyn borough, N.Y., headquarters of the Chabad movement, on Tuesday. The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming a secret underground tunnel found connected to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters was used for child sex trafficking or other illicit activities. Democratic House impeachment managers, from left, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., walk out of the Senate Chamber in the Capitol at the end of the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump on Feb. 13, 2021, in Washington. Lenox native James Brooke has traveled to about 100 countries reporting for The New York Times, Bloomberg and Voice of America. He reported from Russia for eight years and from Ukraine for six years. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Our Opinion Our Opinion: Which is more objectionably undemocratic following the Constitution or Jan. 6? MBABANE Despite the increasing number of gender-based violence (GBV) cases, the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) is reportedly not equipped to fight it. It is not a secret that GBV continues to be a pressing issue in the country, prompting calls from mainly pro-women non-governmental organisations for it to be declared a national emergency. By classifying GBV as a national emergency, it is hoped that government would allocate the necessary resources and funding to effectively combat this pervasive problem. It is essential to note that the majority of those affected by GBV are women and children, highlighting the urgent need for action. Also, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act, 2018, was enacted to empower the police to act on offenders, while at the same time ensuring that the courts gave tough sentences to offenders, sending a tough message. Addressed To address GBV-related issues, the REPS have a specialised unit called the Domestic Violence and Childrens Protection Unit. The unit has branches at all police stations and posts throughout the country, ensuring that they reach affected community members promptly. The primary objective of this unit is to prioritise the needs for GBV survivors when they come forward with complaints, including cases of rape. In the past, rape survivors needed a specific unit to address their concerns, instead of being attended to in the presence of others, who arrived to report other crimes. However, concerning reports have emerged regarding the lack of resources available to adequately address GBV cases. The phrase: we are grounded is now being used by some police officers, whom, speaking off the record said they were concerned about the lack of tools. They said it was not only vehicles as there was also a shortage of rape kits. The kits are used to assist during traumatic situation when a person is reporting rape. The police officers also said that they sometimes used personal funds to assist. According to some police officers interviewed from various bases, nearly all police stations (and posts inclusive) had a shortage of vehicles to attend to GBV-related matters. One police officer, *Mkhaba, disclosed that he was aware of stations in the Manzini Region, such as Mankayane, Bhunya and Kapunga that they complained of lack of vehicles to go about their duties. Attend Mkhaba further revealed that, in some instances, police stations could only attend to less than 20 per cent of the reported GBV-cases, due to the lack of transportation resources. Tragically, some abuse survivors are forced to make their own way to the police station due to lack of vehicles. A police officer also revealed that this lack of vehicles, had in the past, resulted in fatal attacks. He also said the Manzini area appeared to have been hard hitting because it had a very high number of GBV cases. Recently, there had been calls to end GBV and that it should be declared a national emergency. More police officers are now saying that it would be impossible to end GBV without the necessary tools. They blamed their superiors for this, accusing them of not taking time to understand what was taking place on the ground. *Jomo, who is also a police officer in the Hhohho Region stated that the REPS did not prioritise the matters, especially those under the SODV Act 2018. He said these cases also included rape or even some cases of assault. Jomo said an area such as Buhleni was very large and that it had many case of GBV, yet they did not have vehicles specifically for matters relating to GBV. Meanwhile, some police officers are now demanding that the Prime Minister (PM) should act on this. The PM is the minister responsible for the police. Some police officers said they were of the view that the PM should treat this matter as a national disaster. Noteworthy, the PM Russell Dlamini is also the former head of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). There was hope among emaSwati that since the PM previously headed NDMA, he would be able to handle disasters effectively. Received Last Wednesday, our sister publication the Times of Eswatini reported that in an effort to end GBV, government received over 20 computers worth E500 000 to enable the country to have a system to manage it. The United National Population Fund (UNPF) handed over the hardware to the Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) Office and also the REPS. It was reported that the tools would help the country set up the digital management system for GBV cases. This, according to the report would strengthen the collection of GBV data, specifically on reported cases at all police stations. The national commissioner (NATCOM) of police was quoted having said that the donation would address the issues of limited resources that have gripped the performance of the REPS. Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni also noted that she was aware of the challenges of the vehicles. However, she said the police always made means to ensure that they attended to every matter. Also, she stated that in some instances, police officers even used their personal vehicles to make sure that they assisted the survivors who reported to the police. Further, Mnguni revealed that the office of the NATCOM was working with the government to speedily resolve the issue. Age raise for life without parole in Massachusetts stokes debate in the Statehouse. One lawmaker already plans to propose a constitutional amendment overturning it Irrespective of the origins of the conflict in Gaza, a fundamental breach is evident: the explicit violation of international rules of engagement that safeguard healthcare workers and facilities, even in times of bitter hostility. Source: Reuters. This was the message of Sarah Galle of Artsen Voor Gaza (Doctors for Gaza), which gathered outside the international Court of Justice in the Netherlands on Thursday, 11 January 2024, where pro-Palestine protesters gathered to support South Africas case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. The state called on the court to order Israel to cease military operations in Gaza. Israel, which is set to present its defense on Friday, 12 January, has strongly denied South Africas accusations. Even when people are the worst enemies and hate each other - and wage war against each other - they should be exempt from the violence," Galle said. "The rules of engagement are still clear. And [Israel] still has a duty to protect its civilians and to not strike out at hospitals. That rule is being broken here." Galle said there was a lot hanging on the outcome of South Africas landmark case against Israel. We see [what is happening to Palestinians in Gaza] not only as a humanitarian crisis, but also as a danger for the historically protected position of healthcare workers all over the world. Medics face relentless bombing Adila Hassim, one of the lawyers representing South Africa at The Hague, recounted in detail on Thursday, 11 January 2024, how healthcare workers in Gaza are subjected to relentless bombing wherever they go. "They are killed in their homes, in places where they seek shelter, in schools, mosques and churches even refugee camps - and hospitals," she said. "Furthermore, those hospitals that are still partially functional are overwhelmed with trauma cases, and inundated by desperate people seeking safety." On average, three medics are dying a day in Gaza, and those medics in the proverbial trenches are being denied access to life-saving medicine and equipment. Hassim explains how, on Wednesday, 8 January 2024, Israeli authorities denied the delivery of urgent medical supplies and vital fuel to a medical hospital and medical-supply centre in Gaza. "This marked the fifth denial of admission to the centre since 26 December, [2023], leaving five hospitals in northern Gaza without access to life-saving medical supplies and equipment," she said. The legal representatives for South Africa at the Hague noted the longstanding exposure of the population in Gaza to a situation of vulnerability, including hindrances to the importation of essential goods causing shortages of food, medicine, and other life-saving medical supplies. And the situation does not look to abate anytime soon, Hassim added. She spoke of 2,000-pound bombs - some of the biggest and most destructive bombs available - being dropped by lethal fighter jets on Palestinians in Gaza, wielded by "one of the worlds most resourced armies". Israel continues to target these attacks on infrastructure essential for survival, she said. Soaring casualties Blinne in Ghralaigh, also part of the legal team representing South Africa at The Hague, said, based on the current figures, an average of 247 Palestinians are being killed - and are at risk of being killed - each day, "many of them literally blown to pieces". They include 48 mothers - two every hour and over 117 children each day. "Each day an average of 629 people will be wounded, some multiple times over as they move from place to place desperately seeking sanctuary," she said. "Entire multigenerational families will be obliterated. "More Palestinian children will become a W C N S F - Wounded Child - No Surviving Family: the terrible new acronym borne out of Israels genocidal assault on the Palestinian population in Gaza." And the burden on healthcare workers in Gaza will increase: While first responders have spent the last three months without international assistance - trying to excavate families out of the rubble with their bare hands - experts warn of a new threat, said Ghralaigh. Deaths of Palestinians in Gaza as a result of disease, they say, will significantly outstrip the number of deaths from bombings in Gaza. "A public health disaster is unfolding in Gaza: Infectious diseases are spreading in overcrowded shelters as sewers spill over." Ghralaigh noted The World Health Organization had confirmed that "Gaza is experiencing soaring rates of infectious disease outbreaks". "Cases of diarrhoea in children under five years of age have increased 2,000% since hostilities began which - when combined and left untreated - can lead to a deadly cycle of malnutrition and disease." Doctors' urgent plea Doctors for Gaza's Sarah Galle is a poignant voice amidst the turmoil. She underscores a moral imperative ingrained in international law, which asserts that even when nations are waging war against one another, there exists an obligation to exempt healthcare workers and facilities from violence. The clarity of these rules of engagement emphasises the duty to protect civilians and prohibits the targeting of hospitals, she said. Yet, in the current conflict, this crucial rule is being shattered, with profound consequences for the people of Gaza and a direct impact on the heroic medics striving to save lives amidst the chaos. "We have no control whether people will heed that message. But I think it's important to let [Israel] know that we are not blind to what's going on - that we see how the healthcare workers [in Gaza] are struggling." To date, 23,210 Palestinians - at least 70% of whom are believed to be women and children - have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces during sustained attacks over the last three months. Moreover, an estimated 7,000 Palestinian men, women and children are reported missing, Ghralaigh confirmed. "They're presumed dead - or dying a slow, excruciating death, trapped under the rubble." Mulilo Energy Holdings announced that Jan Fourie, previously the executive vice president of Scatec ASA, will succeed Johnny Cullum as company CEO in May 2024. With a strategic focus on onshore wind, solar photovoltaic technologies, and battery energy storage systems, Mulilo Energy is committed to delivering cost-effective energy solutions that foster local economic growth and societal advancement, aligning with South Africas vision for a fair transition to renewable energy. This commitment has propelled Mulilo Energy to success in South Africas Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) program and the private market, boasting over 420MW of operational solar PV and onshore wind projects. Additionally, the company is on the brink of securing financial closure for an ambitious 1,087MW portfolio comprising solar PV, onshore wind, and battery energy storage system projects. The company did, however, have its Mulilo Coega gas to power plant cancelled along with the powership projects when budgets for outstanding Eskom projects expired in 2023. Recently (July 2023) its ability to deliver on its sustainability goals for South Africa was given substantial impetus when a majority share in Mulilo was acquired by the worlds largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), through its Growth Markets Fund I. Cullum, who has been CEO of Mulilo since it opened doors in 2008, has presided over this success, which he attributes to the exceptionally talented and committed group of people who work at Mulilo. 'Absolute confidence' He said he has known Fourie for several years and describes him as one the most respected, reputable individuals in the renewables industry. I have absolute confidence in Jans ability to lead the company as it strives to fulfil its ambitious 5-year growth target of 5GW of renewables, he said. I am thrilled to join Mulilo as CEO at this pivotal moment in its and South Africas energy history. With CIP's support, my focus will be on unlocking the potential that Mulilo has to scale its operations and deliver clean, reliable energy to millions," Fourie added. "This is about more than just business: it is about building a brighter future for all. Mulilo chairman, Jan Oberholzer, echoed Cullums belief in Fourie and mirrored the latters outlook on the future. Since 2009 and under Johnny's guidance, Mulilo has grown into a significant value-added company intent on delivering a sustainable electricity supply to South Africa. Our thanks for Johnnys unwavering dedication, outstanding leadership, and countless contributions that have shaped the success of our company are heartfelt, and we wish him every success in his future endeavours." 'Delivering excellence' Jans succession as CEO is a significant milestone in Mulilos journey. He brings with him significant experience and knowledge, and we know he will build on the foundation laid by Johnny and ensure Mulilo remains committed to delivering excellence and adding substantial value not only to our stakeholders but to the economy and the lives of the 61 million people of our beautiful country, concluded Oberholzer. We are happy to welcome Jan to Mulilo and are certain that he and the strong management team will maintain the positive trajectory of the company and deliver on Mulilos ambition of making a positive contribution to the green transition as well as local growth and job creation in South Africa, said Robert Helms, partner at CIP, the majority-owner of Mulio. Cullum will continue to serve Mulilo as a Board Member and retains his shareholding in the company. MBABANE A soldier has been arrested for allegedly raping an ingatja, aged 13, at Lobamba, during the course of traditional activities associated with the Incwala Ceremony. The soldier, identified as Patrick Mfungelwa Magonso Masilela (37) of Dlangeni is employed by the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF). Masilela is alleged to have raped minor, without the use of protection, exposing the minor to sexual transmitted infections (STIs). The rape ordeal is said to have occurred on January 9, 2024. Details of the circumstances of the rape ordeal are expected to emerge during trial. Masilela was formally charged under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act No.15 of 2018. He is alleged to have contravened Section 3(1), 3(2), 3(3) (c) as read with Section 3(9) (b) of the SODV Act, by having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old minor. Appearing When appearing before Senior Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati, his right to legal representative was explained to him by the Crown. He was represented by Attorney M Mabuza. The accused persons attorney pleaded with the court to have his client remanded at the Lobamba Police Station, due to the nature of his employment, as well as the nature of the charges he faced. The council also did not oppose the application by the Crown to have the accused person remanded in custody until the aforementioned date. The charge sheet states that the offence is accompanied by aggravating factors as envisaged by Section 185 (b) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act No. 67 of 1938, in that: The accused person did not use of protection during the commission of the offence, thus exposing the victim to the risk of contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIS) and HIV/AIDS. Also, the victim was below the age of 18, at the time of commission of the offence and thus, by law, is incapable of appreciating the nature of sexual act. The Crown then moved an application to have the accused person remanded in custody until January 19, 2024, pending committal to the High Court. Section 3(1) of the SODV Act states that a person who rapes another commits an offence of rape and, for purposes of this Act, the offence of rape is committed either by a male or female person against another person. According to Section 3 (2), rape is defined as an unlawful sexual act with a person. Also, Section 3(3) (c) states that an unlawful sexual act constitutes a sexual act committed under any of the following circumstances: (c) In respect of a person who is incapable in law of appreciating the nature of the sexual act: Also, Masilela was charged under Section 3(9) (b). It states that where it is established that the rape was committed with aggravating factors, as referred to under the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act the offender shall, on conviction, be liable to a term of imprisonment of: b) If the victim is or was between 10 years of age and 18 years of age at the time of the offence, not exceeding 25 years, in the case of a first offence and, in the case of a subsequent offence, not exceeding 35 years. The accused person was also charged based on Section 3(3) (c) of the same Act. The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Makhotso Sotyu, has launched the Cleaning and Greening Programme for the City of Mbombela with 2,000 new job opportunities in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. Image source: Tope A. Asokere from Pexels Delivering the keynote address on Thursday, the Deputy Minister explained how the programme tackles poverty and unemployment while ensuring that the environment is clean and protected. According to the department, illegal dumping and littering are some of the most common problems in South Africa that affect all municipalities, irrespective of the size and extent of the area. The prevalence of these ineffective waste management practices is being witnessed in many parts of the country. This trend, the department said, unfortunately, affects the well-being of communities. President Cyril Ramaphosa asked all of us as government leaders to come up with programmes to create jobs for our people, especially post the Covid-19 pandemic. As a department, we have responded to the Presidents call with this initiative to create jobs while contributing to a cleaner environment, said the Deputy Minister. Municipal Cleaning and Greening Programme Last year, Minister Barbara Creecy launched the national Municipal Cleaning and Greening Programme (MCGP), which is being implemented across the nine provinces. The City of Mbombela is one of the 14 prioritised municipalities for the expansion of the MCGP. The expansion will increase waste management across the participating municipalities through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP is a medium-to long-term government-funded programme that promotes the use of labour-intensive methods to create work opportunities for poor and unemployed South Africans. Workers in each municipality will enable more waste management capacity while addressing service delivery, skills development, unemployment, and creating cleaner towns. The programme prioritises employment, emphasising empowering women, youth, and people with disabilities. This programme will essentially see community members working with the government to clean their communities while earning a monthly stipend. The programme will allow you, the participants, to put food on the table, to provide for yourselves and your families while carrying out the important task of keeping our communities clean, she told the participants. Israel on Friday rejected as false and "grossly distorted" accusations brought by South Africa at the UN's top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population. A view of a live broadcast displayed on a street as pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest near the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the day judges hear a request for emergency measures to order Israel to stop its military actions in Gaza, in The Hague, Netherlands, 11 January 2024. Reuters/Thilo Schmuelgen Arguing it was acting to defend itself and was fighting Hamas, not the Palestinian population, Israel called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss the case as groundless and reject South Africa's request to halt the offensive. "This is no genocide," lawyer Malcolm Shaw said. Israel launched its war in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on 7 October by militants from Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage. "The appalling suffering of civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian, is first and foremost the result of Hamas' strategy," the Israeli foreign ministry's legal adviser, Tal Becker told the court. "If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel," Becker said. "Hamas seeks genocide against Israel," he added. South Africa asked the court on Thursday to impose emergency measures ordering Israel to immediately halt the offensive. It said Israel's aerial and ground offensive - which has laid waste to much of the enclave and killed almost 24,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities - aimed to bring about "the destruction of the population" of Gaza. Israel rejected the accusations, saying it respected international law and had a right to defend itself. "When the cannons roar in Gaza the law is not silent," Deputy Attorney General Gilad Noam told the court. The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group". Suffering Israel, its defence team argued, was doing what it could to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza, including efforts to urge Palestinians to evacuate. The court is expected to rule on possible emergency measures later this month but will not rule at that time on the genocide accusations. Those proceedings could take years. The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal, but the court has no way to enforce them. Palestinian backers with flags marched through The Hague and watched proceedings on a giant screen in front of the Peace Palace. As the Israeli delegation spoke in court, they chanted: "Liar! Liar!" Asked what she thought of Israel's arguments that the Gaza campaign was a matter of self-defence, Neen Haijjawi, a Palestinian who recently came to Netherlands said: "How can an occupier that's been oppressing people for 75 years say it's self-defence?" Israeli supporters were holding a separate gathering of family members of hostages taken by Hamas. Israel has said South Africa is acting as a mouthpiece for Islamist Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, Britain and several other nations. South Africa has rejected that accusation. Since Israeli forces started their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes at least once, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe. Post-apartheid South Africa has long advocated the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was supported by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation. "My grandfather always regarded the Palestinian struggle as the greatest moral issue of our time," Mandla Mandela, a grandson of the late South Africa president Nelson Mandela, said at a rally in support of the Palestinians in Cape Town. MBABANE Not far from the Ministry of Labours headquarters, workers are subjected to unfair industrial practices. It has been established that routine labour inspections have stopped, resulting in some owners of shopping outlets, mainly owned by Asian nationals, violating the Employment Act. Investigations unearthed that gazettes regulating conditions of employment for thousands of emaSwati are violated with impunity. The gazette sets minimum wages for workers in all industries. With regard to the minimum wages for people working in urban shops, a shop assistants minimum salary is E2 164.96. A shop assistants salary in the rural areas is E1 768.99. A junior shop assistants salary in the urban area is E1 964.74, while that of an assistant in the rural areas has been fixed at E1 714.68. Discovered It has been discovered that the salary for a cashier is E2 467.94, while a merchandiser or promoter is supposed to receive a monthly pay of E2 164.96. The above salaries are paid at minimum; meaning they may be paid above but not below them. However, many Asian shops were found to be paying monthly salaries ranging from E800 to E1 500. Anybody who is paid E1 500 is considered a dedicated and committed employee, who has served the employer for over five years. In short, they said, E1 500 was a salary for loyal employees. Asian nationals have also been allowed to operate their businesses in peri-urban and rural areas. Slapped In certain shopping establishments owned by the Asian, it is alleged that workers were not only slapped in the face for being perceived to being at a snails pace, in executing duties, but they were not paid on time. Impeccable sources said they were not paid early to have money to buy for Christmas and New Years festivities. Some women told Eswatini News that they were subjected to sexual abuses, long hours and further denied annual leave. Sexual abuse, long hours, no leave and utter disrespect are just a few of what hundreds of desperate emaSwati, mainly women, allege they go through in some Asian nationals owned shops scattered across the country. In Eswatini, many supermarkets are owned by Asian nationals from countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The businesses provide employment for thousands of emaSwati who, despite complaints that the salaries are meagre have no other option but to accept. Many of these shops sell household items at very affordable prices. In the past weeks, especially during the festive season, Eswatini News investigated concerns raised by some of the employees at these shops. Concerns The concerns varied from being underpaid, working without leave or other ill treatment, including alleged sexual abuse. This is despite that in most towns, Labour officials are housed in government structures, at a walking distance from these shops. Journalists from Eswatini News spoke to some of the disgruntled employees from at least 15 shops in towns such as Mbabane, Ezulwini, Matsapha, Manzini, Buhleni, Nhlangano, Siteki and Siphofaneni. In fear of victimisation and losing their jobs they asked to remain anonymous. It was gathered that many emaSwati leave their homes and travel to other towns to seek employment at these places. One such person is *Nolwazi, who narrated her journey of over five years working at a shop owned by a Pakistan national. Nolwazi, gave an account of labour violations within the industry. She expressed concern about how in the supermarket she was employed at, they worked long hours, starting from 7:30am to 7pm, yet their salaries usually did not include overtime. In her case, she said they were paid about E1 200 to E1 500. The salary depends on what you agreed on with the employer when you were hired. As for myself I agreed on the E1 500 I was offered, she said. Overtime She said the figure normally did not change even if one worked overtime. She said she was expected to work from 7:30am to 6pm sometimes up to 7pm. She was expected to arrive earlier than the starting time. They are not provided with transport and have to walk long distances from the bus stop to their houses. She also revealed that she had worked in several similar supermarkets around the country and that it appeared the treatment was similar in most of these shops. Nolwazi added that many of the people who suffered the unfair labour practices were women, because it appeared they formed a majority of the workers. She said the shop owners took advantage of their desperation for employment to earn a living. In the major towns, she alleged that it appeared as though the abuse was being tolerated, as many workers were of the view that Labour officials had a relationship with the shop owners. Even if you report the incident to the Labour officials, they tend to trust the employer more than us, she alleged. Asked how long she had worked in her current position and if Labour officers checked the premises often, Nolwazi responded to the negative. I have been here at the Piggs Peak store for seven years and I have seen a Labour inspector come here to inspect only three times, they come in here all smiles chatting to the bosses. They sit in the office, then come out and do shallow greetings and leave. What report can you give to someone who is friendly with the bosses? she asked rhetorically. Nolwazi further said the shop she worked for in Piggs Peak was within one and a half kilometres from the Labour Offices. In another supermarket in Piggs Peak, some of the employees expressed concern over how their employers which are of Chinese origin communicated with them in public. Shouting An employee in one of the supermarkets owned by the Chinese national said it was concerning that they were ridiculed in public, as their bosses had developed a habit to disrespect them by shouting at them in front of customers. They do it in front of customers and this is embarrassing for us, said *Nosipho. She said most of the employees were afraid of shouting back at their bosses. She said any retaliation warranted instant dismissal, something they tried by all means to avoid. Nosipho was asked what steps she had taken on the matter and if she had reported this to the local Labour officials. Responding, she said she had not done anything in fear of victimisation. She said some of the employees opted to report the labour abuse to the police, but nothing had been done by them. In another incident, which allegedly happened at Buhleni, a woman working in a company owned by a Chinese national, alleged that she was slapped with an open hand across the face and subsequently fired. The human resource (HR) official from the company was contacted on the matter, but she refused to comment. The woman later called this publication and revealed that she was rehired after the Times of Eswatini reporter had called. Around Mankayane, workers at an Asian-owned company revealed how they worked throughout the year without taking leave. They revealed that their employer only allowed them to take Sundays off, however, they had to sign for the day as part of their leave. Also, they said they worked without uniforms, or safety tools even in unsafe environments like the bakery. This publication also visited some shops in Piggs Peak where some employers alleged that they had previously reported concerns of being sexually abused. *Joko, one of the employees said one of their employers, at a supermarket where she worked, would sometimes ask them to go to his house for cleaning, but he would then follow them around asking for sexual favours. Superiors Also, Joko said as employees, they had not agreed to being servants at their superiors homes as, they were not hired to be maids or housekeepers. How can we work in the shops and then end up working inside their houses as well? asked an employee. Joko alleged that they were being used as maids, yet they were employed to work in the shops. Speaking about the ordeals, many of the women expressed concern that Labour officials usually failed to handle the matters, but allegedly favoured the employer. They also said many who reported the incidents ended up being dismissed. While in Mbabane, barely three kilometres from the Ministry of Labour it was gathered in some Asian shops that employees are paid below the minimum wages but forced to sign for pay slips that show amounts that are higher than what they received as wages. They said there is usually no proof of how much they were paid as the money was received in form of cash in envelopes. Updated at 21:55 A male in his 40s has been arrested by gardai in connection with a shooting in Limerick city. Advertisement The man is currently being held at a Garda Station in the city. Another man in his 30s was rushed to hospital after being shot, and is understood to have been shot twice in the back around 4pm on Saturday. He was rushed by ambulance from the Ballinacurra Weston area to University Hospital Limerick. His condition is described as serious, but it is not believed to be life-threatening. Gardai believe the man was outside a house on Crecora Avenue, located on the south side of Limerick city, when he was shot. They have cordoned off the road for a forensic examination, and detectives are investigating a motive for the shooting. Advertisement Gardai are conducting a number of searches in the hunt for the firearm used. Anyone with information is asked to contact gardai at Roxboro Road 061-214340 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800-666-111 or any garda station. A 17-year-old youth has become the third and youngest person charged with murdering gunman Tristan Sherry, who was killed following a Christmas Eve shooting at a Dublin restaurant where another man was fatally injured. The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was remanded to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus following a brief hearing before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Saturday morning. Advertisement He is the third and youngest person to be charged with the murder. Sherry, 26, was killed following a shooting of Jason Hennessy Snr, 48, inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown. The teenager will appear again at the Children's Court on Wednesday. He has an automatic right to anonymity because he is under 18, and mandatory reporting restrictions under section 93 of the Children Act apply. Advertisement Detective Garda, Tom McCarrick of Blanchardstown station, told Judge Kelly that the teenager was charged shortly after midnight in the presence of his mother, and he "made no reply to the charge after caution", and he was handed a true copy of the charge sheet. Advertisement The District Court does not have the power to consider bail in a murder case, which requires a High Court application. Defence solicitor Brian Tunney asked her to adjourn the case so the teenager could appear before the Children's Court in Smithfield on Wednesday morning. The judge said the teenager was entitled to legal aid and noted there was no garda objection. She assigned solicitor Simon Fleming to represent him. Advertisement The boy, wearing a grey tracksuit, sat silently at the side of the courtroom throughout the hearing. His mother accompanied him, and Judge Kelly remarked that it was "very important" that she was there. Parents, guardians, or a responsible adult must attend criminal proceedings with juvenile defendants unless they have been excused for a valid reason. The Children Act also states, "No report shall be published or included in a broadcast which reveals the name, address or school of any child concerned in the proceedings or includes any particulars likely to lead to the identification of any child concerned in the proceedings." Advertisement Father of one, Sherry, 26, was attacked after opening fire inside Browne's Steakhouse and was pronounced dead at the scene. Jason Hennessy Snr was shot in the neck and upper body while having a meal with family and friends. Mr Hennessy, from Corduff in west Dublin, was rushed to hospital, but his condition deteriorated, and he passed away last week, resulting in gardai commencing a separate murder probe. Two men were charged earlier with the murder of Mr Sherry; another had related charges; they remain in custody on remand. Co-defendants David Amah, 18, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin and Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, have been charged with the murder of Sherry. Advertisement But Wayne Deegan, 25, of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, was charged 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 Browne's Steakhouse on December 24. Mr Deegan unsuccessfully applied for bail on Friday at a hearing in which a court heard he claimed he "acted in self-defence". The three men will appear again in court later this month. Earlier this week, another male was arrested but released from Garda custody pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. A teenager has been charged in connection to the Blanchardstown restaurant shooting on Christmas Eve. The incident saw gunman Tristan Sherry killed, while Jason Hennessy Snr died in hospital from his wounds on January 2nd. Advertisement The teenager is set to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on Saturday morning. So far, five people have been arrested in relation to the incident which lead to both deaths. David Amah (18), of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin, and Michael Andrewcut (22), of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15, have been charged with Mr Sherry's murder. A third man, Wayne Deegan (25), of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, has also been charged with producing a knife, assault causing harm to Mr Sherry, and violent disorder in connection to the incident. Israel will pursue its war against Hamas until victory and will not be stopped by anyone, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said in a defiant speech as the fighting in Gaza approaches the 100-day mark. Mr Netanyahu spoke after the International Court of Justice at The Hague held two days of hearings on South Africas allegations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, a charge Israel has rejected as libellous and hypocritical. Advertisement South Africa had asked the court to order Israel to halt its air and ground offensive in an interim step. Advertisement Referring to Iran and its allied militias, Mr Netanyahu said in televised remarks on Saturday evening: No-one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil, and not anyone else. The case before the international court is expected to go on for years, but a ruling on interim steps could come within weeks. Court rulings are binding, but difficult to enforce. Advertisement Mr Netanyahu made clear that Israel would ignore orders to halt the fighting, potentially deepening its isolation. Advertisement Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim Jamie McGoldrick visiting southern #Gaza, speaking on the difficult conditions in which internally displaced persons live, on what they need, and the efforts to support them. pic.twitter.com/PFz07SXKly OCHA oPt (Palestine) (@ochaopt) January 13, 2024 Advertisement Israel has been under growing international pressure to end the war, which has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza and led to widespread suffering in the besieged enclave, but has so far been shielded by US diplomatic and military support. Israel argues that ending the war means victory for Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israels destruction. The war was triggered by an attack on October 7th in which Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians. About 250 more were taken hostage, and while some have been released or confirmed dead, more than half are believed to still be in captivity. Sunday marks 100 days of fighting. Advertisement The Israeli army is battling Palestinian militants across Gaza (AP) Fears of a wider conflict have been palpable since the start of the war. New fronts quickly opened, with Iranian-backed groups Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hizbullah in Lebanon and Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria carrying out a range of attacks. Advertisement From the start, the US increased its military presence in the region to deter an escalation. Following a Houthi campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the US and UK launched multiple airstrikes against the rebels on Friday, and the US hit another site on Saturday. This week, the international court heard arguments on South Africas complaint against Israel. South Africa cited the soaring death toll and hardships among Gaza civilians, along with inflammatory comments from Israeli leaders, presented as proof of what it called genocidal intent. In counter-arguments on Friday, Israel asked for the case to be dismissed as meritless. Israels defence argued that the country has the right to fight back against a ruthless enemy, that South Africa had barely mentioned Hamas, and that it ignored what Israel considers attempts to mitigate civilian harm. The Israeli prime minister has said no-one will stop his country as it attempts to defeat Hamas (AP) Mr Netanyahu and his army chief, Herzl Halevi, said they have no immediate plans to allow the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, the initial focus of Israels offensive. Fighting in the northern half has been scaled back, with forces now focusing on the southern city of Khan Younis, though combat continues in parts of the north. Advertisement Mr Netanyahu said the issue had been raised by US secretary of state Antony Blinken during his visit earlier this week. The Israeli leader said he told Mr Blinken that we will not return residents (to their homes) when there is fighting. At the same time, Mr Netanyahu said Israel would eventually need to close what he said were breaches along Gazas border with Egypt. Over the years of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, smuggling tunnels under Egypt-Gaza border had constituted a major supply line for Gaza. Why doesn't the ICRC stop wars? We wish it was that simple! While we can't physically stop wars from happening, here's what we do to support those affected by armed conflict. pic.twitter.com/ROz9TelEwD ICRC (@ICRC) January 10, 2024 However, the border area, particularly the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, is packed with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had fled northern Gaza, and their presence would complicate any plans to widen Israels ground offensive. We will not end the war until we close this breach, Mr Netanyahu said, adding that his government has not yet decided how to do that. In Gaza, the health ministry said on Saturday that 135 Palestinians had been killed in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall toll of the war to 23,843. Advertisement The count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, but the ministry has said about two thirds of the dead are women and children. The ministry said the total number of war-wounded surpassed 60,000. Following an Israeli air strike before dawn on Saturday, video provided by Gazas civil defence department showed rescue workers searching through the twisted rubble of a building in Gaza City by torch. I just wrapped a 10-stop trip that took us from Turkey to Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, Bahrain, and Egypt. So I wanted to take a moment to tell you about what I heard and we discussed. pic.twitter.com/LiXu3dhNwO Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 12, 2024 Footage showed them carrying a young girl wrapped in blankets with injuries to her face, and at least two other children who appeared dead. The attack on the home in the Daraj area killed at least 20 people, according to officials. Another strike late on Friday near the southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border killed at least 13 people, including two children. The bodies of those killed, primarily from a family displaced from central Gaza, were taken to the citys Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital where they were seen by an Associated Press reporter. Advertisement The Palestinian telecommunications company Jawwal said two of its employees were killed on Saturday as they tried to repair the network in Khan Younis. They company said the two were hit by shelling. Jawwal has lost 13 employees since the start of the war. Israel has argued that Hamas is responsible for the high civilian casualties, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. Since the start of Israels ground operation in late October, 187 Israeli soldiers have been killed and another 1,099 injured in Gaza, according to the military. More than 85 per cent of Gazas population of 2.3 million has been displaced as a result of Israels air and ground offensive, and vast swathes of the territory have been levelled. Only 15 of the territorys 36 hospitals are still partially functional, according to the UN, amid severe shortages of food, clean water and fuel. Sir Tony Blair was warned the IT system at the centre of the Post Office scandal was flawed before it was rolled out, a document shows. The warning appears in a memo written to the former prime minister by special adviser Geoff Mulgan in 1998, which has been released by the public inquiry into the scandal. Advertisement It said the problems which beset the Horizon system may well continue and that signing it off could leave what many see as a flawed system in place for more than a decade. Mr Mulgan said cancellation would allow the Post Office to take advantage of newer, cheaper and more flexible technology instead. Pushing ahead would be unsatisfactory and leave the government dependent on a hugely expensive, inflexible, inappropriate and possibly unreliable system, the adviser warned. Advertisement However short-term considerations and expediency pointed towards the deal going ahead, he added. Advertisement The adviser said then-work and pensions secretary Alistair Darling was against the deal, but the department for trade and industry was more supportive. The document does not reveal any concerns at the time that Horizon software could lead to subpostmasters being wrongfully prosecuted for fraud, theft and false accounting. In response, the former British prime minister said: I would favour Option 1 (pressing ahead with Horizon) but for Geoffs statement that the system itself is flawed. Surely there must be a clear view on this. Speak to me on that: ie reading the enclosed paper, it all focuses on the financial deal. Advertisement But there the risks are pretty even, probably coming down on the side of continuing. The real of heart of it is the system itself. In a separate letter released by the inquiry, then-trade and industry secretary Lord Mandelson told then chief secretary to the Treasury Stephen Byers he believed proceeding with Horizon was the only sensible choice available. Then-business secretary Lord Mandelson. Photo: Anthony Delvin/PA. Advertisement He said the system had been thoroughly evaluated by independent experts who pronounced it viable, robust and of a design which should accommodate future technological developments. Any alternative could lead to post offices being closed, damage the confidence of subpostmasters in the government and produce political fallout, no matter how carefully we try to handle it. Mr Mulgan acknowledged concerns in his memo that subpostmasters feared scrapping Horizon would lead them to lose customers and a support package would be needed if it was scrapped. A spokesperson for Sir Tony said: As the documents show, and make completely clear, Mr Blair took the issue very seriously. His response to the Mulgan note, and in other interactions, was to raise the issue of the viability and reliability of the end project as this was his overarching concern. He subsequently received these reassurances. It is now clear that the Horizon product was seriously flawed, leading to tragic and completely unacceptable consequences, and he has deep sympathy with all those affected. Forensic experts in Peru have said that two doll-like figures and an alleged three-fingered hand that customs authorities in the South American country seized last year from a shipment heading to Mexico are not aliens. The forensic experts with Perus prosecutors office said the objects were made with paper, glue, metal and human and animal bones. Advertisement The findings quash some peoples belief that the figures come from an alien centre or come from another planet, all of which is totally false, said forensic archaeologist Flavio Estrada, who led the analysis. The conclusion is simple: they are dolls assembled with bones of animals from this planet, with modern synthetic glues, therefore they were not assembled during pre-Hispanic times, Mr Estrada told reporters. Dolls that were seized by authorities are displayed during a press conference to explain what they are made of at the Archaeology Museum in Lima, Peru (Martin Mejia/AP) Advertisement Advertisement They are not extraterrestrials; they are not aliens. The prosecutors office has not yet determined who owns the objects. Officials on Friday would only say that a Mexican citizen was the intended recipient of the objects before they were seized by customs agents in October. Mexican journalist Jose Jaime Maussan and some Mexican legislators became the subject of international ridicule in September when he went before the countrys congress to present two boxes with supposed mummies found in Peru. Advertisement He along with others claimed they were non-human beings that are not part of our terrestrial evolution. In November, Mr Maussan returned to Mexicos congress with a group of Peruvian doctors and spent more than three hours pressing the case for non-human beings that he said were found in Peru, where he made similar claims in 2017. A report by the Peruvian prosecutors office that year found that alleged alien bodies were actually recently manufactured dolls, which have been covered with a mixture of paper and synthetic glue to simulate the presence of skin. They are not the remains of ancestral aliens that they have tried to present, the 2017 report stated. Advertisement A forensic archaeologist stands next to a projection of a three-fingered hand, which was seized by authorities, at the Archaeology Museum in Lima (Martin Mejia/AP) Advertisement Experts on Friday showed reporters two 2ft-long dolls dressed in red, orange and green clothes. They said examinations showed the bones of birds, dogs and other animals were used to create the dolls. Advertisement Meanwhile, an alleged three-fingered hand was subjected to X-ray examinations. Mr Estrada said the very poorly built hand was created with human bones. English tourist Michael Watson arrived at his hotel on George Street in Brisbane just as an old cast iron water pipe burst, sending high-pressure water rushing into the hotels foyer. Watson was smiling about it on Saturday as the water damage was cleared away, however one lift at the Oaks Casino Tower Suites remained out of action and power was still out in places along George Street. English tourist Michael Watson in the now-dry foyer of Oaks Casino Tower Suites. Credit: Tony Moore The road was a mess, and you couldnt step in here the water came up two to three steps, Watson said. And then the lifts were gone. Do you know the end of the Titanic movie, when they are moving through the water? It was like that. A man who was the victim of an aggravated burglary in Melbournes north-east later died in the street, sparking a homicide investigation. Victoria Police Inspector Carlie Kohler said officers found a 33-year-old Doncaster man on Eildon Street about 5.30am. He died at the scene. It is understood that this male was a victim of an aggravated burglary on Sargent Street, Doncaster, prior to being located, she said. No arrests have been made and Kohler said the investigation was in its infancy. She encouraged any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. BHEL gets EPC contract for NLC Indias 2400 MW Green field power project Bhubaneswar, Jan 13 (UNI) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) will construct a pithead green field thermal power project based on ultra super critical technology at Jharsuguda in Western Odisha. The NLC India Limited, a Navratan company under the ministry of Coal has awarded the EPC contract to BHEL to set up the 2400 MW capacity (3x800 MW) stage one after inviting tenders under the ICB route. The EPC contract scope includes Engineering, Manufacturing, supply, Erection and commissioning of equipment such as boilers, turbine, generators, balance of plants, FGD and SCR for 3 X800 MW-2400 MW Stage -1. The coal linkage for the power project will be available from 20 MTPA Talabira II& III OCP mines of NLCIL which are already operational from the year 2020 in Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts of Odisha. The entire power of 2400 MW has been tied up with Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala and Puducherry through the Power purchase Agreement (PPA) which has already been executed. The water required for the project is linked from Hirakud Reservoir and the power generated will be evacuated through ISTS and STU Network. The project will come up with the latest pollution control equipment like Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) and Systematic Catalytic Reduction (SCR) to meet the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) guidelines. Sources said the boilers will be designed to suit the co firing of Biomass as part of green initiative in line with MoP guidelines along with Biomass handling systems. The first unit of NIC India Limited project, scheduled to be commissioned in the FY 2028-29 will provide competitive and low-cost power to its beneficiaries being a pit head Thermal power project. UNI DP GNK Police have arrested a man on Sunday in connection to the sexual assault of a teenage girl at Coogee Beach in Perths south on Friday. Police said about 2.10pm on Friday, the man forced the girl into the male toilet block adjacent to the Coogee Beach reserve and sexually assaulted her. The location of the reported sexual assault at Coogee. Credit: WA Police CCTV footage was released by police showing a man they believed could help with their investigation. About 8.55am on Sunday, a 33-year-old Victoria Park man was arrested on an unrelated matter. So, as the dust settles from the defeat of the Voice, republicans should not be disheartened. There are lessons to be learnt from the Voice, but they do not include giving up on constitutional reform. It was so easy for the Voice to be represented as dividing Australia, as giving rights to some not available to all. Had the Voice been established first, voters would have at least known what they were voting for. As it happened, the Voice campaign presented a blank canvas on which its opponents could paint whatever apocalypse they liked. King Charles, then Prince of Wales, with Malcolm Turnbull, then prime minister, in Canberra in 2015. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen On the other hand, the cause of the republic is simply this; we are Australians, we believe every office under our Constitution should be open to any Australian citizen. Our head of state should be one of us not the king or queen of another country. Our Constitution requires our members of parliament be citizens of Australia, and no other country. But it also requires our head of state to be whoever succeeds Queen Victoria in the sovereignty of the United Kingdom. Indeed, if the United Kingdom became a republic, its president would be our head of state! Central Command said the strikes werent connected to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the multinational naval task force set up last month to protect ships in the Red Sea. Including that distinction in the statement show some countries in the group have been uncomfortable with the idea of retaliatory strikes and dont want to be targeted themselves. Satellite images showed destroyed shelters at Hudaydah airfield in Yemen. Credit: Maxar Technologies /AP Of the more than 100 precision-guided weapons fired at Houthi targets on Friday, more than 80 were Tomahawk missiles, according to two American defence officials, who asked not to be identified discussing details that havent been widely released. Before the allied attack, the Houthis had launched their own barrage of missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea. Neither side is looking to have an all-out war, and they are badly mismatched, Jon Alterman, a senior vice president at the Centre for International and Strategic Studies, wrote in a note of the US and Iran. But that is not to say that the Houthis will stop attacking shipping, or that the United States will stop attacking the Houthis. Earlier on Saturday (AEDT), the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees Middle Eastern waters, reported a new attack off Yemen, when a missile was fired towards a ship some 140 kilometres south-east of Aden. The vessel reported no injuries or damage, the organisation said. Earlier the US and Britain defended its strikes on Houthi targets as legal under international law and US President Joe Biden told Iran not to get involved, following a warning from Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi that further attacks were imminent. Ive already delivered the message to Iran they know not to do anything, Biden told reporters. We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis as they continue this outrageous behaviour, along with our allies. US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the strikes on more than 60 targets in Yemen were consistent with international law and the UN Charter. The operation was designed to disrupt and degrade the Houthis ability to continue the reckless attacks against vessels and commercial shipping, she said. More than 2000 ships have been forced to divert from the Red Sea since November. British ambassador Susan Woodward described the strikes as a limited, necessary and proportionate action carried out in self-defence. Biden said he considered the Houthis a terrorist group, suggesting Washington might restore its previous designation of the group that was revoked in 2021. Earlier, Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi told tens of thousands of supporters in Yemens capital Sanaa that counterattacks were imminent, raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israels war in Gaza, and putting Western naval forces on high alert. In Saada, the Houthis stronghold in north-west Yemen, protesters gathered for a rally, denouncing the US and Israel. Crowds also assembled and burnt US, British and Israeli flags in Tehran, Iran. Israel has said it wont let up its military campaign in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas October 7 incursion and massacre of about 1200 people in southern Israel and a diplomatic solution is unlikely. The strikes have brought the worlds attention back to Yemens years-long war, which began when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition that included the United Arab Emirates intervened to back Yemens exiled government in 2015, quickly morphing the conflict into a regional confrontation as Iran backed the Houthis with weapons and other support. Fighting has slowed in recent years, with the Houthis controlling territory that is home to some two-thirds of Yemens 20 million population. War and misgovernment have made the country one of the poorest in the Arab world. The UN World Food Program considers the vast majority of Yemens people to be food-insecure. Loading In March, Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated deal to restart relations with Iran in the hope of ultimately withdrawing from the conflict. However, an overall deal has yet to be reached, likely sparking Saudi Arabias expression of great concern over the strikes on Friday as it seeks to manage its delicate relationship with Iran. While the kingdom stresses the importance of preserving the security and stability of the Red Sea region ... it calls for restraint and avoiding escalation, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Iran condemned the attack in a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani. Scientists have discovered the remains of a sprawling network of mysterious ancient cities in the Amazon that may revolutionise our understanding of human civilisation in the worlds largest tropical rainforest. A little-known culture built arrow-straight roads and canals through thick jungle to connect urban settlements where they ate sweet potatoes and drank beer, excavations have revealed. Archaeologists have uncovered complexes of rectangular platforms arranged around low squares and along wide dug streets at the Kunguints site, Upano Valley in Ecuador. Credit: AP The settlements, resembling the garden cities of the Maya people and dating from around 500BC, are the largest and oldest of their type, suggesting the mysterious Upano people predated the Maya, Incas and Aztecs in the pre-colonial Americas. Although the civilisations high point would have been broadly contemporaneous with the Roman Empire, construction of the earliest buildings appears to have begun around 2500 years ago. That makes the site roughly 1000 years older than the previous earliest known city in the Amazon. Will we ever know the answer to the "Are we alone?" dilemma? (Photo: Albert Antony/Unsplash) The mystery surrounding the supposed discovery of 'aliens' in Peru has been definitively resolved, with forensic experts declaring that the doll-like figures are mere fabrications, assembled from human and animal bones using modern synthetic glue. This revelation comes after a year of speculation and conspiracy theories that captivated the imagination of many across the globe. The controversial artifacts, which captured viral attention online, were initially seized by Peruvian customs agents in October, intended for delivery to a Mexican citizen. Jaime Maussan, a Mexican journalist and self-proclaimed "UFOlogist," had previously presented similar objects to the Mexican congress, claiming their discovery near Peru's ancient Nazca Lines and dating them over 700 years old. However, the narrative took a dramatic turn when experts from Peru's prosecutor's office, led by forensic archaeologist Flavio Estrada, conducted a thorough analysis. Estrada revealed their findings in a press conference for the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, stating emphatically, "They are not extraterrestrials, they are not intraterrestrials, they are not a new species, they are not hybrids, they are none of those things that this group of pseudo-scientists have been presenting." Aliens they are not. Thats what forensic experts in Peru said Friday about two doll-like figures and an alleged three-fingered hand that customs authorities in the South American country seized last year from a shipment heading to Mexico. pic.twitter.com/tjWw2HdNcb The Associated Press (@AP) January 12, 2024 The humanoid figures, notable for their three-fingered hands and elongated heads, were crafted using bones from earthbound animals and humans, assembled in a way that mimicked non-human forms. This is not the first instance of Maussan being associated with such claims. In 2017, he was involved in a similar controversy where his supposed otherworldly discovery was debunked as a recently manufactured doll, covered with a mixture of paper and synthetic glue to simulate skin. Estrada emphasized the rich cultural heritage of Peru, stating, "Our cultures of the past made Machu Picchu, our cultures of the past made the Nazca Lines, they didn't need any alien help to do it." He accused those promoting the alien narrative of having economic or other interests, and contrasted their pseudo-science with the scientific evidence presented by his team. The discovery and subsequent analysis of these figures have sparked widespread interest and controversy. Maussan, for his part, had asserted that the remains were of non-human organisms, going as far as claiming that 30% of the DNA extracted from the figures belonged to an "unknown species." However, these claims have been effectively refuted by the latest scientific evidence. A pair of "alien mummies" that mysteriously turned up at the airport in Peru's capital last October have entirely Earthly origins, according to a scientific analysis revealed on Friday (Jan 12). Read more at https://t.co/OdAeeuF7Pt pic.twitter.com/L2D84QeqYX The Star (@staronline) January 13, 2024 The origins and transportation of these figures, especially their movement to Mexico after being seized in Peru, remain under investigation. Peruvian Culture Minister Leslie Urteaga, who initially filed a criminal complaint in September, labeled the dolls as pre-Hispanic objects, a claim now disproven by the forensic examination. The resolution of this mystery underscores the importance of scientific inquiry and evidence-based analysis in debunking false claims and conspiracy theories. The case of the Peruvian 'alien' dolls serves as a reminder of the power of pseudo-science to mislead and the necessity of rigorous investigation to uncover the truth. The Home Minister had said that he would convey at an early date the quantum of NDRF funds to be given and said that the funds would be released by January 27, Baalu added | Photo: SHINE JACOB Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured to provide NDRF funds to Tamil Nadu affected by floods in December 2023, immediately after the inter-ministerial committee submits a comprehensive report to him on January 21, DMK Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu said on Saturday. Baalu, who led an all-party MP delegation from Tamil Nadu and called on Shah at his residence in the national capital, said he was hopeful that the Centre would disburse the funds. The delegation told the Home Minister that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin spent the funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief and rehabilitation of the people affected by unprecedented rains. "We told him to take speedy action on the memorandum submitted by our Chief Minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting Rs 37,907.21 crore for the massive damages caused due to Cyclone Michaung and unprecedented rain in the southern districts," Baalu told reporters. The sum included an interim relief of Rs 15,645.59 crore and Rs 22,261.62 crore for permanent restoration. "Shah assured us that the amount will be disbursed soon. He told us that the inter-ministerial committee would submit a report to him on January 21, and thereafter he would convene a meeting to decide on the extent of funds to be allocated," he said. Also, the Home Minister had said that he would convey at an early date the quantum of NDRF funds to be given and said that the funds would be released by January 27, Baalu added. Asked if Shah had committed any specific amount, Baalu replied that it would be known only after the Finance, Agriculture, and Home Ministries discuss and decide. "This is not politics, but administration. The government has to follow certain procedures in making a decision. We are quite aware of this. The heartening thing is that Shah had set a deadline for releasing the funds," he said. MPs: K Jayakumar, Vaiko, K Subbarayan, S Venkatesan, D Ravikumar, K Navas Kani, and A K P Chinnaraj were part of the delegation that called on the Union Home Minister. A copy of the memorandum, made available to the media in Chennai, said infrastructure both public, and private, besides the livelihoods of the people was devastated by two unprecedented natural disasters in December 2023 in the form of Cyclonic Michaung in the north and extremely heavy rainfall in the southern districts. Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari districts were affected. "Inspite of adequate preparedness and precautions taken by the state, these extreme weather events have caused huge damage to public and private property, including waterbodies, drinking water systems, roads, bridges, and electricity infrastructure," it said. The magnitude of the natural disasters was colossal and without adequate and unstinted support from NDRF, full restoration and rehabilitation cannot be done. "Almost a month has gone since these twin calamities and the affected areas were struggling from the devastation. Hence, we request you to kindly take immediate action on the memoranda submitted by the state and sanction the funds sought by Tamil Nadu from NDRF without further delay," it said. "Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement," the MEA said | (Photo: Reuters) India has registered a strong protest with the UK over the visit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) by its High Commissioner to Islamabad along with another British official. The ministry of external affairs said such "infringement" of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is "unacceptable". "India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan occupied Kashmir on January 10," it said. "Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement," the MEA said. "The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India," it said in a statement. By Sidhartha Shukla and Suvashree Ghosh When Binance Holdings Ltd. acrimoniously split with its Indian affiliate WazirX in 2022, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange looked near-invincible in the local market while WazirX was flailing. A government crackdown on offshore platforms has abruptly reversed the competitive dynamics. When Binance Holdings Ltd. acrimoniously split with its Indian affiliate WazirX in 2022, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange looked near-invincible in the local market while WazirX was flailing. A government crackdown on offshore platforms has abruptly reversed the competitive dynamics. Since Indian authorities in late December began restricting access to Binance and other foreign crypto exchanges operating there without local registrations, traders have flocked to domestic rivals like WazirX. Many of them are moving deposits across from Binance, according to the local venues. Its a welcome reprieve for WazirX and competitors like CoinDCX and CoinSwitch Kuber, which were pummeled by a 2022 taxation regime that drove traders to offshore exchanges. They appear poised for further gains after Apple Inc.s App Store this week took down the apps of Binance and seven other foreign exchanges after a request from Indias government. Deposit inflows at WazirX jumped about 250 per cent in the four days following Indias Dec. 28 compliance show-cause notice to nine offshore platforms, compared with the four days leading up to it, according to the company. CoinDCX reopened for deposits right after the event and they immediately began pouring in, CEO Sumit Gupta said. WazirX and Mudrex estimated that roughly 70 per cent of their fresh inflows came from Binance, while CoinDCX put the figure at around 40 per cent. The figures we usually do in 3 months, weve been able to realize those in the past two weeks, Edul Patel, chief executive officer of Y Combinator-backed platform Mudrex, said about deposit inflows and new users. More than 30,000 customers have registered on Mudrex since Dec. 28, he added. Binance said its working hard to inform constructive policy-making that seeks to benefit every user and all market participants, repeating a statement it made after the App Store removal. It didnt respond to questions on deposit outflows. Chart Estimates for market share among exchanges catering to crypto traders in India arent available. But judging by app downloads, Binance has been dominant in the market since a transaction tax introduced in mid-2022 ruined the economics of frequent trading on local platforms. CoinDCXs Gupta has estimated that the levy drove some 95 per cent of Indian trading to offshore venues that didnt collect it. Indias government moved against offshore exchanges after months of lobbying by local competitors who argued that fresh taxes unveiled in 2022 created an unfair playing field. The late-December notice from Indias Financial Intelligence Unit said the nine exchanges are operating illegally in India without complying with anti-money laundering provisions introduced last year, inviting them to explain how they are in compliance. The FIU also asked the information ministry to block the nine platforms websites locally. On Friday evening, their URLs were not working in India. Their apps are still available on Google Play in India. The picture is more nuanced when it comes to trading volumes, which the Tax Deducted at Source that took effect in 2022 almost wiped out. WazirX said volumes havent budged much, while CoinDCX said the slight uptick its noticed in the past two weeks may be more due to overall bullish crypto sentiment. CoinSwitch, however, said trading volumes on its platform jumped 30-35 per cent in the week following the FIU notice to offshore rivals. Like CoinDCX, CoinSwitch reopened for deposits after the FIU action. China Tensions Esya Centre, a New Delhi-based think tank, wrote to Indias Ministry of Home Affairs in late October arguing for restrictions to be put on offshore crypto exchanges that dont abide by anti-money laundering regulations. It pointed out that seven of those platforms have Chinese origins or founders, according to a copy of the letter seen by Bloomberg. Esya Centre declined to comment. Bloomberg Binance was founded in China by Changpeng CZ Zhao, a Chinese-born Canadian citizen. Alluding to China, Indias main geopolitical rival in Asia, may have touched a nerve. In 2020, India banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok amid border tensions then in the Himalayas. It banished another 232 Chinese apps last year in a sign that relations remain fraught between the two nations. The current developments too are reflective of Indias ongoing scrutiny of incoming Chinese investments and the operation of Chinese companies within the country, Sana Hashmi, a visiting fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation who focuses on the foreign relations of India, China and Taiwan, said about the clampdown on offshore crypto exchanges. Washington, Jan 13 (UNI) US President Joe Biden told reporters he does not think the United States is in a de facto proxy war with Iran as it deals with violence in the Middle East. "No," Biden said on Friday when asked if the United States is in a de facto proxy war with Iran. Biden also said Iran does not want a war with the United States. Iran has already rejected accusations from Western countries over Tehran's alleged involvement in the Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. In addition, Iran emphasized that resistance groups in the Middle East, such as the Houthis, do not receive any instructions from Iran. The United States and the United Kingdom carried out strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. US officials said these strikes were meant to degrade the Houthis' capability to launch attacks. The US military said it hit more than 60 targets at 16 Houthi locations, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. The Houthis threatened that the United States and the United Kingdom would pay a "high price" for the attack. The group previously announced their plans to prevent the passage of ships linked to Israeli companies or bound for Israel in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the country stops military actions in the Gaza Strip. UNI/SPUTNIK GNK Ayodhya, Jan 13 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government has tightened security in Ayodhya ahead of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram in the grand temple on January 22 through land, air, and water surveillance. This involves extensive use of technology alongside the deployment of manual agencies. While the Yogi government has deployed a huge force of UP Police including ATS, STF, PAC, UPSSF in Ayodhya, it is also using technologies such as AI, anti-drone systems and CCTV cameras to monitor activities across the city. The NDRF contingent has been deployed along the Sarayu River and ghats. Ayodhya is also implementing bar coding for the security of guests. Inspector General of Police (IG) Ayodhya zone Praveen Kumar said that as per Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directives huge police forces have been deployed in Ayodhya for the Ram temple's consecration ceremony. "The security of the Dham has been divided into two zones, red and yellow," he said. Kumar said that central agencies such as CRPF and NDRF have also been stationed. Besides, cooperation between the Intelligence Bureau and RAW is also being taken. The security team includes over 100 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) from various districts of the state, approximately 325 Inspectors and 800 Sub-Inspectors. Additionally, before the main event, 11,000 personnel from the police and paramilitary forces will be deployed. For VIP security, three DIGs, 17 SPs, 40 ASPs, 82 DSPs, 90 inspectors, more than a 1,000 constables and 4 companies of PAC have been assigned. The IG said that the forces are being increased in view of the programme. Emphasis is placed on better coordination between all agencies involved in security operations to avoid any lapses. Special arrangements have been made for tight rail security, he said. Adequate additional security personnel have been provided for GRP. The forces deployed in Ayodhya are receiving behavioral training to ensure proper interactions with devotees and guests. 250 police guides have been appointed to provide information about the tourist spots, while a digital tourist app will be launched on January 14. The Yogi government is utilising the latest technology to tighten the security in Ayodhya. In this regard, the entire city is being monitored through ITMS of Municipal Corporation, CCTV through Police, Control Room and Public CCTV. For this purpose, 1,500 cameras of public CCTV have been integrated with ITMS. In the yellow zone, facial recognition AI-based big screens have been integrated with ITMS at 10,715 locations. Arrangements for OFC-linked cameras have been made. The entire security system is making extensive use of AI technology. Furthermore, the anti-drone system is fully active. The highly sensitive Red and Yellow zones of Ayodhya have been secured through an anti-drone system. Through this, any drone flying within a radius of 5 kilometers can be located. This anti-drone system manufactured by an Israeli company is the world's most modern technology. Through this system, any drone can be deactivated. Moreover, the entire Ayodhya is equipped with 12 anti-drone systems, allowing monitoring of all activities on land, water, and in the air. To ensure the security of VIPs during the program, without any inconvenience, bar coding is being used. UNI AB CS AKS If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Lee University School of Music will present Dr. Muen Vanessa Wei, piano, in a faculty recital on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Squires Recital Hall. Dr. Weis recital will be the second in a series of eight recitals titled Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas Concert Series, which will showcase all 32 of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonatas over the next six semesters. This performance will feature Sonata in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3; Sonata in G Major, Op. 31, No. 1; Sonata in F Major, Op. 54; and Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 Waldstein. Dr. Wei joined Lees School of Music in 2021 as an assistant professor of piano and teaches courses such as applied piano, collaborative piano, and chamber music. Prior to Lee, she served as a guest professor at China West Normal University and piano faculty at New Tampa Piano and Pedagogy Academy. She has collaborated with many great musicians including Lynn Harrell, Ian Hobson, Peter Lloyd, and Joel Smirnoff. Dr. Wei also has a debut album, Im 3/4 Takt, which has been considered one of Centaurs finest releases to date by Fanfare. Dr. Wei earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from the China Conservatory of Music. The recital is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. Livestream viewing will be available at leeu.live/. For more information about the concert, contact the Lee University School of Music at music@leeuniversity.edu or call 614-8240. Face masks are produced Sept. 17, 2021, at Cherokee Nation Businesses PPE manufacturing facility in Hulbert. CNB plans to repurpose both of its mask-making operations this year. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Has your partner ever made you so angry that you just had to get up and leave them somewhere? One man was on a road trip with his girlfriend when he found out she was cheating on him, so he left her in their hotel and drove away. Now, his girlfriend is threatening to sue him. He and his girlfriend were together for five years and met while in middle school in Michigan. His girlfriend had just moved there from Tennessee, and he immediately fell for her accent. They attended the same college after graduating from middle school and high school. Earlier this month, they decided to go on a road trip and drive from Michigan to Tennessee so his girlfriend could show him around. They planned their trip for January 2nd to the 7th, as their classes started again on the 10th. They drove in his car, and he paid for gas. We were having a great time, he recalled. We visited a bunch of the awesome sites in Tennessee, and she showed me the town her family lived in before she moved. We were staying in a hotel on the 5th, and while she was sleeping, I noticed some guy kept Snapchat-ing her. He had a bad feeling about the guy on the other side of the screen, so he took his girlfriends phone and responded to the messages as if he were her. The guy said he was thinking about her and asked when she would return to town. From his girlfriends account, he responded shed be back on January 10th and asked what the guy would want to do. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. "De-risking" against China raises prices, harms innovation in consumer electronics Xinhua) 10:23, January 13, 2024 Liu Chun, vice president of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, speaks to Xinhua in an exclusive interview during the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the United States, Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua) LAS VEGAS, United States, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), once a showcase of global tech innovation, is overshadowed by uncertainty produced by the so-called "de-risking." For Zhong Xiaojun, general manager of Allpowers, a firm based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou and a Chinese exhibitor of green energy products at the 2024 show in Las Vegas held from Jan. 9 to 12, the supply chain web is tangled by tariffs and geopolitical tensions. The difficulty stems from the United States and European politician's "de-risking" strategy aimed at reducing dependence on China in supply chains. But as Zhong and other business insiders have observed, the intended outcome isn't always the result. Zhong's company has been designing and manufacturing solar products and batteries for 12 years in China. It has 60 overseas warehouses worldwide. Despite the U.S. tariffs and restrictions on certain products from China, there are ways to bypass them via warehouses in other countries, said Zhong. Instead of building resilience as touted by politicians, "de-risking" might be lengthening and complicating the existing supply chains. He said a long supply chain means higher prices, and that the extra cost would be added to the prices for consumers in the U.S. market. Research backs up these anecdotal experiences. A study by the Centre for Economic Policy Research, a European think tank, found that the United States' shift away from Chinese imports towards Vietnamese ones led to a nearly 10 percent price hike on Vietnamese imports. Similarly, an October paper by the Bank for International Settlements revealed that cross-border supplier networks are lengthening but not becoming denser, suggesting increased complexity without necessarily enhanced resilience. The study found that lengthening of supply chains is especially significant for supplier-customer linkages from China to the United States, where firms from other jurisdictions, notably in Asia, have interposed themselves in the supply chain. The impact is felt across industries. Du Yongjie, another exhibitor at the CES, shared a similar experience. His company, an electric bicycle company in Suzhou, China, faces 25 percent tariffs from the United States. But he expressed cautious optimism. "The tariffs have been postponed three times ... it proves that Chinese products can't be replaced," he told Xinhua. But the price is likely to increase for U.S. consumers once the postponement period ends in June. The unintended consequences extend beyond price hikes. Zhong highlighted how "de-risking" would hinder green energy innovation. "If the United States wants to do it (building supply chains in the country), it must be fully automated, otherwise the cost will be too high," he said, adding that it's not easy to do. The company's cost for talent is also high. Zhong said that a large share of the company's revenue is invested in retaining talent for research and development. The extra cost would certainly impact the investment in innovation. He also expressed optimism, citing the clean energy industry. "Western companies are currently unable to achieve that because they lack a complete supply chain in their own countries, and it's expensive to source materials from other countries," he said. Zhong's words encapsulated the paradox at the heart of "de-risking." This policy, aimed at reducing dependence on China in supply chains, is generating unintended consequences: higher consumer prices, more opaque and complex chains, and even stifled tech innovation. His optimism is echoed by Liu Chun, vice president of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products. "There is no doubt that 'Made in China' will play an increasingly important role in the industrial chain, supply chain, and value chain of the electronic consumer industry and even all industries," she told Xinhua. "With the development of the Chinese economy, the expansion of the market scale, and the improvement of technological level, this status will be further consolidated," she noted. "As can be seen from CES, in recent years, more and more Chinese technology innovation enterprises have stood out by quality and technology." In addition, more and more well-established Chinese suppliers have emerged in the global consumer electronics industry chain, especially in the upstream and midstream, making Chinese enterprises "an increasingly indispensable" force in the consumer electronics industry, she said. "In the context of the Western countries' proposal of 'de-risking,' 'Made in China' provides an important foundation and confidence for opening up against closure, eliminating confrontation through cooperation, consolidating the foundation of industrial development and expanding international cooperation," said Liu. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Home Opinion Education is failing America's future by forgetting its past In 2022, eighth grade test scores in civics and U.S. history hit record lows. The decline didn't start with pandemic school closings. But they made it worse and revealed its extent. Less than half of adults can name the three branches of the U.S. government. Another 25% can't name even one. And just over one-third of Americans can pass the U.S. citizenship test. These sad facts are a reminder that the future success of our nation is far from guaranteed. We must acknowledge the imperfections of our current system and work to reform them a challenging but hardly impossible task. For starters, history curricula should be based on the United States' founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers. Some states have prioritized reading primary sources and writing assignments so that students develop background knowledge, vocabulary, and the ability to advance evidence-based arguments. The 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act, for example, prioritized the study of U.S. history through primary documents in each grade and required passing a U.S. history exam for high school graduation. South Carolina, California, Alabama, Indiana, and New York have also previously adopted rigorous state standards for history and social science. In some cases, these reforms were repealed in favor of trendier classes in "social studies." But the principles underlying the 1993 Massachusetts law and others like it got the fundamental questions right. They are worthy of revival. All states should also require a passing mark on a civics test or the U.S. citizenship exam for a high-school diploma. Today, only eight states do so. If we're to truly become the educated society the Founders envisioned, we'll have to invest in better training for teachers as well. Most states have dropped even basic requirements for people entering the teaching profession, blaming a shortage of qualified labor. Finally, the institutes of higher learning that train teachers must convey the centrality of civics and history in a curriculum geared toward producing good citizens. Education is the responsibility of state and local actors. Rather than retaining the top-down approach that has led to our current failures, school systems should engage with parents to understand their educational priorities for their children. Expanded school-choice programs can provide the means for parents to go elsewhere when they are dissatisfied with available public education options. The importance of a nonpartisan, fact-based U.S. history and civics education cannot be overstated. Without one, students will not be able to take their place as informed and engaged citizens dedicated to preserving the legacy of America's Founders. We know how to provide that sort of education. We just need the will to make it happen. The future of our great country depends on it. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Home News Christian street preacher wins settlement with police after arrest in Scotland Police Scotland are to pay thousands of pounds in damages to a street preacher who was arrested and detained in Glasgow in 2022. Angus Cameron, pastor of Cumnock Baptist Church, was told by the arresting officer that a complaint had been made about "homophobic language," a claim he strenuously denied. He was searched on the street in front of members of the public, handcuffed and told he was being arrested for "breach of the peace with homophobic aggregation." Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe He was then held in the back of a van for over an hour before being released and told that the matter would be dealt with "in due course," said The Christian Institute, which provided legal assistance to him. Cameron received a phone call from the arresting officer two days later telling him that he would not be prosecuted but that a 'non-crime hate incident report' had been logged against his name in the police database, despite no crime being committed. He has now won 5,500 ($7,000) for his unlawful detention by Police Scotland, as well as 9,400 ($12,000) in legal costs, but has decided to donate the amount in full to The Christian Institute. The organization said that the logging of a 'non-crime hate incident report' amounted to a "shadow" over Cameron's good name in police records. The Institute's Deputy Director for Public Affairs Simon Calvert welcomed the settlement. "His preaching was not targeting individuals; he did not use offensive language; he was not aggressive; he did not try to cause offense; he simply quoted the Bible. There was no criminality at all," he said. He continued, "We were pleased to be able to help Angus bring a legal action and we believe it was because of the strength of his legal claim that the police were forced to reach an out-of-court legal settlement and pay damages and legal costs." "In addition, we were able to get all reference to this unsubstantiated 'non-crime' deleted from Police Scotland's records." Police Scotland recently announced it was reviewing its policy on the controversial recording of non-crime hate incidents after figures released in December revealed that more than 3,800 had been recorded in a single year - more than the number of genuine hate crimes. Calvert welcomed the review and said that The Christian Institute hoped to contribute "constructively" to it. "We can act as a bridge between the police and street preachers in this vexed area," he said. "In light of Angus's case and Police Scotland's announcement of a review, we will be contacting them, and offering any constructive help and assistance that we can provide." This article was originally published by Christian Today. Home News Massachusetts threatens to shut down pregnancy centers that offer abortion pill reversals The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has threatened disciplinary action against pregnancy care centers that offer abortion pill reversals as the state seeks to combat what it characterizes as the "deceptive tactics" of pro-life pregnancy centers. In a Jan. 3 memo to "Massachusetts licensed physicians, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics," Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robert Goldstein outlined a list of reminders "to licensees regarding licensure obligations and providing standard of care." "Physicians and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) who practice in violation of good and accepted health care practice may be disciplined for conduct which places into question their competence to practice," he wrote. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "For example, there is strong evidence that medication abortion reversal is unproven, unethical, and unsafe to provide to patients; such that a physician or APRN who offers or provides this treatment could be found to be practicing inconsistently with accepted practice and subject to discipline." Goldstein warned that "failure to comply with recognized standards of practice is grounds for professional discipline, up to and including license revocation." The memo did not mention pro-life pregnancy centers, but a separate notice posted on the Department of Public Health's website that same day titled "Maintaining Integrity, Accessibility, and Transparency in Reproductive Care" dealt specifically with what the state described as "anti-abortion centers." "In the wake of recent complaints regarding several anti-abortion centers, DPH has initiated a review of its statutory and regulatory obligations. The purpose of this review is to make sure DPH professional licensees and facility licensees including these centers are adhering to their designated scope of practice and operating transparently and free from deceptive practices." Heartbeat International, a network of pro-life pregnancy centers, contends that the "protocol used in the Abortion Pill Reversal process is nothing new" and that "progesterone has been used routinely and safely with pregnancy since the 1950s." The pro-life organization maintains that a "2018 peer-reviewed study showed positive results," citing statistics finding that "64%-68% of the pregnancies were saved through Abortion Pill Reversal." Additionally, the study determined that abortion pill reversals caused "no increase in birth defects" and that women who underwent the procedure had a "lower preterm delivery rate than the general population." The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, meanwhile, cited information compiled by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to insist that medication abortion reversals were unsafe and unproven. The Department of Public Health signaled a commitment to a "multi-faceted awareness campaign" in 2024 with the aim of "educating the public" about what it claims are pro-life centers' "deceptive tactics to limit people's choices and prevent abortions." The Department of Public Health defined "anti-abortion centers" as facilities that "provide information and counseling to individuals who are, or may be, pregnant," with some providing "testing for sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy tests, and ultrasounds to determine how far along a pregnancy may be." The state agency claimed that "many of these centers advertise themselves as full-service reproductive health care clinics, yet they do not provide abortion care or abortion referrals, or other important reproductive health care services." "Most centers in Massachusetts, however, are not licensed as 'clinics,'" the notice states. "These non-licensed centers are largely staffed by nonmedical individuals or volunteers. Absent the provision of medical care, DPH does not have jurisdiction over these facilities and cannot oversee the quality of services they provide." Stating that it only had jurisdiction over four pro-life pregnancy centers statewide, the state agency invited the public to provide "feedback and complaints from individuals who have had concerning experiences with anti-abortion centers as well as from other stakeholders who have information about questionable practices." In Colorado, a Catholic pro-life clinic is suing the state over a new law that prohibits medical providers from offering progesterone to pregnant women seeking to reverse the effects of the abortion pill mifepristone. In its complaint, the organization contends that prescribing progesterone to women seeking to negate mifepristone's effects is "perfectly legal" in 49 states. The complaint also contends that women who are pressured or tricked into taking mifepristone to end their pregnancies should have the option to seek reversal. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Domenico issued a preliminary injunction against the Colorado law in April, stating that "plaintiffs are sufficiently likely to succeed on the merits of one or more of their claims." "While Colorado allows Plaintiffs and other health care providers to use progesterone for all other women facing threatened miscarriage, SB 23-190 makes it illegal for them to offer the same treatment for women facing threatened miscarriage because they initially took mifepristone (whether willingly or not) but now want to remain pregnant," the complaint states. "Colorado law would force these women to abort pregnancies they wish to continue." The Massachusetts Department of Public Health's warnings come as pro-life pregnancy centers across the nation have been in the crosshairs of Democrat politicians following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was one of the first to call for the crisis pregnancy centers to be shut down nationwide as the Dobbs decision made headlines. Late last year, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., derided pro-life pregnancy centers as "brainwashing cult clinics" and signaled his commitment to "do everything we can to shut down" the facilities. Crisis pregnancy centers have also become the targets of violence and vandalism dating back to when Politico published a leaked draft opinion of the Dobbs decision in May 2022. One of the most severe acts of vandalism took place in upstate New York, where the network of pro-life pregnancy centers CompassCare had one of its offices firebombed. A study conducted by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, found that 2,750 pro-life pregnancy centers across the U.S. provided $350 million worth of free goods and services in 2022. Home News Child star Ricky Schroder creates 'Patriot PBS' to counter Hollywood narratives To challenge the prevailing narratives in mainstream media, Golden Globe Award winner Ricky Schroder has launched an initiative to honor American values by focusing on the lives and stories of veterans, active soldiers, their families and first responders. Schroder, an actor, writer and director, recently founded the Reel American Heroes Foundation (RAHF) in response to what he sees as the lack of conservative values in the media. "We're a nonprofit whose mission is to tell stories, stories that entertain us, inspire us and educate us about why America is a uniquely great nation. So why is she great? Well, it's because of the people, real American heroes, past, present and future who embody the values and the principles which build this great nation," the 53-year-old said. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "Here's the plan. We're going to build a sort of 'Patriot PBS,' an army of storytellers to counteract much of the negative program coming from Hollywood these days. Our money, our stories, our legacies," he said. "Folks, never has the need been greater for a constructive vision for our collective futures. Storytelling is at the root of our shared history. I know together we can build a foundation that will inspire the world through storytelling." According to RAHF's website, the nonprofit comprises creatives with over 100 years of collective experience in writing, producing and directing films, documentaries, television series and public service announcements. They seek to "strengthen our nation and better our communities nationwide." RAHF has also established the Council on Pornography Reform (CPR), which is dedicated to creating a safer and more responsible digital environment, particularly for younger audiences. The council aims to balance "freedom of choice and the protection of vulnerable populations, fostering a more informed and responsible digital society." RAHF and CPR are actively involved in producing documentaries that highlight the impact of pornography on both adults and children, notes the website. They are also engaging with lawmakers to advocate for raising the age limit for accessing adult content. According to RAHF, these efforts are part of a broader initiative to remind society of the "foundational values of the country." Schroder, who won a Golden Globe Award as a child actor for his role in 1979's "The Champ," is best known for his roles in "Silver Spoons," "Lonesome Dove," "Scrubs" and "24." His work also extends to documenting the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, leading to series like "The Fighting Season." In recent years, Schroder has become increasingly outspoken about his political views, including expressing strong opposition to COVID-19 government mandates and vaccine policies. In February 2022, the actor posted a video on his Instagram account urging U.S. truckers to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Washington D.C. and state capitals. "There will be no peace and there will be no justice" unless "these people" are "held accountable," he said at the time. Schroder's launch of RAHF adds to the increasing number of filmmakers and TV producers developing alternative content to the predominantly left-leaning productions of Hollywood. Last month, the streaming platform Great American Pure Flix, which aims to put "God, family and country first," released "My Christmas Hero," which stars Candace Cameron Bure and pays tribute to the military. Similarly, Daily Wire recently launched Bentkey, an app featuring children's shows that seek to give parents an alternative to streaming services like Disney+, which co-founder Jeremy Boreing said "pushes all the worst excesses of the woke Left." Comedian Rob Schneider, who recently converted to Catholicism, shared with The Christian Post how the U.S. government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in part drew him to the love, compassion and peace that define Christianity. "Jesus has always been there in my life; it was just me running away. But He never ran away. He was always there. So it was just acknowledging it and also realizing there was so much evil that was happening during the COVID and the tyranny that was forcing people to do things against their will. It really did come to a head for me. You had to acknowledge that there is some sort of organized evil. And the opposite of that was much stronger, which is Jesus and God." Schneider recently lent his voice to Bentkey's new animated series "Chip Chilla" and told CP he sees the U.S. as an experiment in freedom and liberty that requires vigilance to maintain. "There is a threat to liberty," he said. "The Founding Fathers, who founded this nation under God, were very astute in saying that this freedom requires eternal vigilance. I don't think our country has been extremely vigilant, either. We've been very lax. I think it's going to take some leaders with some backbone, not just worried about getting reelected, to stand up to this tyranny and to stand up against what I can't describe in any other way but evil." Home Opinion The other January 6th Heres a quick quiz. When you think of December 25th, what comes to mind? No doubt Christmas is the answer. How about February 14? St. Valentines Day, of course. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe When you think of July 4th, the birthday of America comes to mind. But what do you think of in reference to January 6th? What comes to mind? Well, ever since 2021 in the United States, the answer for some Americans is the insurrection. Joe Biden said of January 6th (on January 5, 2024), it was on that day that we nearly lost America lost it all. But others, like Gary Bauer, argue, no one has been charged with insurrection because there was no insurrection attempted or completed on January 6th. But what if I told you that January 6th as a day on our calendar has a much more profound meaning one that has endured for at least a millennium and a half and will endure for centuries to come, if Jesus tarries in His return? There are three major branches of Christianity in the world. In the West, there is the Roman Catholic Church and the various Protestant churches. In the East, the predominant Church is the Orthodox. This has various groups associated with it. The Greek Orthodox, the Russian Orthodox, the Coptic Christians in Egypt, and so on. Numerically, the Orthodox are a smaller group than Catholics and Protestants, but were still talking tens of millions of adherents. In the West, Christians celebrate December 25th as the birthday of Jesus. Although many dispute that day as the actual birthday of Jesus, a case can be made for that as being authentic. In the East, January 6th is known as Three Kings Day and also Epiphany. Historian Bill Federer observes, Epiphany is a Greek word meaning appearance or manifestation, celebrating Christ's manifestation to the world, as foretold in Isaiah 49:6: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. It is celebrated as the day the Wise Men (the Magi) from the East came to worship Jesus and bestow him with gifts fit for a king gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is from the Magis gifts that we draw the tradition of gift-giving to mark the birth of Jesus. January 6th is celebrated each year. The celebration date does not change dates from year to year, unlike Easter. The West and East differ a bit on when they celebrate Easter as well. It took me a long time to realize how we calculate it. Easter in the West is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox, March 21. So Easter can never be before March 21. Meanwhile, in the early centuries of the Christian movement, where the Western churches celebrated Christmas on December 25th and the Eastern Christians on January 6th, there was a question as to whether they could somehow agree to celebrate the birth of Christ on one and the same day. In 567, the Council of Tours attempted to reconcile the celebrations. No agreement was made, but they did come up with a compromise of 12 holy days, starting with Christmas and continuing through Epiphany otherwise known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Christianity.com says of the Council of Tours that it proclaimed the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany as a sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in preparation for the feast. Some even argue that the famous song of the Twelve Days of Christmas was a coded way of communicating a Christian message when such messages were forbidden. Author Bill Federer writes that according to this perspective, my true love refers to God, who gives us many gifts, each gift representing some aspect of the Christian faith. According to this theory, The partridge in a pear tree refers to Christ crucified. The two turtle doves allude to the Old and the New Testaments. The three French hens are Faith, Hope, and Love. The four calling birds refer to the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The five Golden Rings allude to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. And so on. Some dispute this theory. Meanwhile, it doesnt matter exactly when we celebrate Christmas. What does matter is the recognition of the amazing story of Jesus Christ, who changed everything even the calendar itself (B.C. and A.D., Anno Domini, in the year of Our Lord). By living a perfect life and offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins and sealing the deal by rising from the dead, He has transformed lives throughout the ages. He still does this. Love Him or hate Him, Jesus Christ is the central figure of all human history. This is why I say the real January 6th needs to be reclaimed on the calendar once again. Finnish state prosecutor to appeal Christian politician's 'not guilty' verdict A protracted court battle is not over for a Finnish MP and bishop after the country's state prosecutor announced it would appeal a recent 'not guilty' verdict. Charges were brought against Paivi Rasanen, former Minister of the Interior, and Bishop Juhana Pohjola after they shared their Christian beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics in a 2004 pamphlet. Rasanen faced further charges relating to a 2019 tweet and comments she made in a radio discussion the same year. They stood trial in 2022 and were found not guilty but were forced to stand trial again last year after the state prosecutor appealed the original verdict. They were cleared of all 'hate speech' charges for the second time by the Helsinki Court of Appeals last November. In its ruling handed down on 14 November 2023, the court stated that it "has no reason, on the basis of the evidence received at the main hearing, to assess the case in any respect differently from the District Court." The Supreme Court must now decide whether it will hear the case. Commenting on the latest development, Rasanen said she was prepared to fight to the end. "After my full exoneration in two courts, I'm not afraid of a hearing before the Supreme Court," she said. "Even though I am fully aware that every trial carries risks, an acquittal from the Supreme Court would set an even stronger positive precedent for everyone's right to free speech and religion. "And if the Court decided to overturn the lower courts' acquittals, I am ready to defend freedom of speech and religion as far as the European Court of Human rights, if necessary." Paul Coleman, Executive Director of the Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF), which is supporting Rasanen's legal defence, expressed alarm at the state prosecutor's decision to continue pursuing the case. "The state's insistence on continuing this prosecution despite such a clear and unanimous ruling by both the Helsinki District Court and Court of Appeal is alarming," he said. "Dragging people through the courts for years, subjecting them to hour-long police interrogations, and wasting taxpayer money in order to police people's deeply held beliefs has no place in a democratic society. "As is so often the case in 'hate speech' trials, the process has become of the punishment." Street preacher arrested in Glasgow wins substantial damages from police Police Scotland are to pay thousands of pounds in damages to a street preacher who was arrested and detained in Glasgow in 2022. Angus Cameron, pastor of Cumnock Baptist Church, was told by the arresting officer that a complaint had been made about "homophobic language", a claim he strenuously denied. He was searched on the street in front of members of the public, handcuffed and told he was being arrested for "breach of the peace with homophobic aggrevation". He was then held in the back of a van for over an hour before being released and told that the matter would be dealt with "in due course", said The Christian Institute which provided legal assistance to him. Mr Cameron received a phone call from the arresting officer two days later telling him that he would not be prosecuted but that a 'non-crime hate incident report' had been logged against his name in the police database, despite no crime being committed. He has now won 5,500 for his unlawful detention by Police Scotland, as well as 9,400 in legal costs, but has decided to donate the amount in full to The Christian Institute. The organisation said that the logging of a 'non-crime hate incident report' amounted to a "shadow" over the Mr Cameron's good name in police records. The Institute's Deputy Director for Public Affairs Simon Calvert welcomed the settlement. "His preaching was not targeting individuals; he did not use offensive language; he was not aggressive; he did not try to cause offence; he simply quoted the Bible. There was no criminality at all," he said. He continued, "We were pleased to be able to help Angus bring a legal action and we believe it was because of the strength of his legal claim that the police were forced to reach an out-of-court legal settlement and pay damages and legal costs. "In addition, we were able to get all reference to this unsubstantiated 'non-crime' deleted from Police Scotland's records." Police Scotland recently announced it was reviewing its policy on the controversial recording of non-crime hate incidents after figures released in December revealed that more than 3,800 had been recorded in a single year - more than the number of genuine hate crimes. Mr Calvert welcomed the review and said that The Christian Institute hoped to contribute "constructively" to it. "We can act as a bridge between the police and street preachers in this vexed area," he said. "In light of Angus's case and Police Scotland's announcement of a review, we will be contacting them, and offering any constructive help and assistance that we can provide." Leonard Benardo in Issue 7 of the Ideas Letter: Nationalism is the most potent form of identity politics. So writes Pratap Bhanu Mehta, one of the worlds great policy intellectuals. With 2024 a banner year for elections across the world, Mehta asks whether liberalism stands a chance in battle with its political nemesis: nationalism. Compacts Geoff Shullenberger then deepens these themes (and intensifies the contradictions) in his lapidary review of the so-called anti-woke publishing boomlet. Power to the people, right on. The political theorist Wendy Brown, in a podcast, takes on one of the most fundamental themes of politics power which builds on her critique of neoliberalism and her reading of Max Weber. Moving from Weber to Marx, we spotlight the Marxist intellectual phenom, Kohei Saito, as he rummages through our climate crisis and arrives at one major culprit: capitalism. Corey Robin follows by eulogizing the esteemed European intellectual historian, Arno Mayer, a devotee of both Marx and Weber, and a distinctive and countervailing voice in the history wars this past half-century. Marzio G. Mian reports from Russia, something few have thoughtfully done (for good reason) in the recent past. The forever debate between Slavophiles and Westernizers seems to have reached a consensus around the former and all that that entails. His travelogue speaks volumes about the current state of play. Also speaking boldly is Chas Freemans UnHerd essay, which offers a rectitudinous realism of the first rank. But, as Iris Murdoch would have said, are the conclusions valid? More here. 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 Boeing Co. was sued by passengers on an Alaska Airlines Inc. flight that was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, last week after a mid-air blowout of a so-called door plug on the 737 Max 9 jet. The suit, filed Thursday in Washington state court by seven passengers, seeks class-action status and unspecified damages from Boeing, which manufactured the plane. The 171 passengers and six crew on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 experienced physical injuries and emotional trauma from the accident on Jan. 5, according to the complaint. The pressure change made ears bleed and combined with low oxygen, loud wind noise and traumatic stress made heads ache severely, lawyers for the plaintiffs said in the suit. Passengers were shocked, terrorized and confused, thrust into a waking nightmare, hoping they would live long enough to walk the earth again. Boeing is facing scrutiny from US regulators, who have opened a formal investigation into the companys aircraft operations following the incident. Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun said a quality escape compromised the safety of jet, but the company is still trying to understand exactly what went wrong. Boeing declined to comment on the lawsuit. Alaska Airlines took delivery of the Max 9 jet from Boeing around Nov. 11, according to the complaint. Since the blowout on Flight 1282, inspections found some bolts that secure door plugs on similar Max 9 planes owned by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines were loose. Passengers on Flight 1282 said they experienced a sudden loud explosive noise before the left door plug shot off the aircraft. The cabin suddenly and violently depressurized, according to the suit. The force of the depressurization ripped the shirt off a boy, and sucked cell phones, other debris, and much of the oxygen out of the aircraft, the passengers claim in the lawsuit, adding that some pieces of seats near the opening were torn off and expelled into the night. Oxygen masks fell from the ceiling, but many didnt seem to work, according to the lawsuit. The in-flight emergency response was impaired by the wind noise from the hole in the plane and shouting by passengers on board, according to the suit. One woman shouted: Theres a hole in the plane! Passengers feared they would not survive the flight, lawyers said in the lawsuit. Some prayed. Some texted family to express their trepidation. Some gripped and clung to one another. Some adult passengers were crying. Most were eerily subdued in their collective helpless state, muted with masks on. The case is Berry v. Boeing, 24-2-00824-1, Superior Court of Washington (King County). Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Online retailer eBay Inc. will pay a $3 million fine to resolve criminal charges over a harassment campaign waged by employees who sent live spiders, cockroaches and other disturbing items to the home of a Massachusetts couple, according to court papers filed Thursday. The Justice Department charged eBay with stalking, witness tampering and obstruction of justice more than three years after the employees were prosecuted in the extensive scheme to intimidate David and Ina Steiner. The couple produced an online newsletter called EcommerceBytes that upset eBay executives with its coverage. California-headquartered eBay accepted responsibility for the employees actions and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement that could result in the charges against the company being dismissed if it complies with certain conditions, according to the U.S. attorneys office in Massachusetts. EBay engaged in absolutely horrific, criminal conduct. The companys employees and contractors involved in this campaign put the victims through pure hell, in a petrifying campaign aimed at silencing their reporting and protecting the eBay brand, acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said in an emailed statement. The deferred prosecution agreement calls for an independent monitor to oversee the company for three years to ensure its compliance with the terms and federal law. The $3 million criminal penalty was the maximum possible fine under the charges. Ebay CEO Jamie Iannone called the companys conduct in 2019 wrong and reprehensible. Since these events occurred, new leaders have joined the company, and eBay has strengthened its policies, procedures, controls and training, Iannone said in a statement. EBay remains committed to upholding high standards of conduct and ethics and to making things right with the Steiners. The couple, who served as the newsletters publisher and editor, have sued eBay in federal court, describing how cyberstalking and upsetting deliveries of anonymously sent packages upended their lives. Ina Steiner received harassing and sometimes threatening Twitter messages as well as dozens of strange emails from groups like an irritable bowel syndrome patient support group and the Communist Party of the United States. Along with a box of live spiders and the cockroaches, the couple had a funeral wreath, a bloody pig mask and a book about surviving the loss of a spouse show up at their door. Their home address also was posted online with announcements inviting strangers to yard sales and parties. In a statement published on their website Thursday, the Steiners said eBays actions had a damaging and permanent impact on them emotionally, psychologically, physically, reputationally, and financially. They also expressed frustration that more executives were not charged. We strongly pushed federal prosecutors for further indictments to deter corporate executives and board members from creating a culture where stalking and harassment is tolerated or encouraged, they said. The harassment started in 2019 after Ina Steiner wrote a story about a lawsuit brought by eBay that accused Amazon of poaching its sellers, according to court records. A half-hour after the article was published, eBays then-CEO, Devin Wenig, sent another top executive a message saying: If you are ever going to take her down now is the time, according to court documents. The executive sent Wenigs message to James Baugh, who was eBays senior director of safety and security, and called Ina Steiner a biased troll who needs to get BURNED DOWN. Baugh was among seven former employees who ultimately pleaded guilty to charges in the case. He was sentenced in 2022 to almost five years in prison. Another former executive, David Harville, was sentenced to two years. Wenig, who stepped down as CEO in 2019, was not criminally charged in the case and has denied having any knowledge of the harassment campaign or ever telling anyone to do anything illegal. In the civil case, his lawyers have said the take her down quote was taken out of context and the natural inference should be that he was referring to taking lawful action, not a series of bizarre criminal acts. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment on Thursday to a spokesperson for Wenig. Baugh, whom prosecutors described as the mastermind of the scheme, at one point recruited Harville to go with him to Boston to spy on the Steiners, authorities said. Baugh, Harville and another eBay employee went to the couples home in the hopes of installing a GPS tracker on their car, prosecutors said. The trio found the garage locked, so Harville bought tools with a plan to break in, prosecutors said. Harvilles attorneys have said he had no involvement in or knowledge about the threatening messages or deliveries sent by his colleagues. Baughs lawyers have said their client faced relentless pressure from Wenig and other executives to do something about the Steiners. Baugh alleged he was then pushed out by the company when an army of outside lawyers descended to conduct an internal investigation aimed at saving the company and its top executives from prosecution. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. An electoral hot potato from Colorado landed at the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 3. Former President Donald Trump asked the high court to keep him on Colorados ballot and, in more than 300 pages of arguments and exhibits, contended, as usefully summarized by the independent SCOTUSblog, that the so-called Insurrection Clause in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment did not give ballot-removal power to the states, only to Congress, and that, even if the high court determined states have that power, a former president is not covered in the relevant section. Trumps lawyers also argued that Jan. 6, 2021, was not an insurrection, and that, in any case, Trump never told his supporters to enter the Capitol, only to protest peacefully. Supporters of the presidents position argued in amicus briefs that to do other than allow Trump onto the ballot would invite electoral chaos. But the Colorado defendants and their supporters contend that Trump was legitimately found to have engaged in insurrection by a state trial court, providing a clear constitutional predicate to toss him from the ballot. On Jan. 5, the high court agreed to take up the case, issuing an expedited briefing schedule with oral arguments on Feb. 8. Its possible a ruling would come very close to Ohios March 19 primary. In a recent cleveland.com op-ed, electoral law expert Mark R. Brown argued that, whatever else the outcome, the high court should resist emasculating states rights to determine their own ballot rules rights that Ohio and others have freely exercised to keep presidential candidates off their ballots in the past. So, are we headed for a 2000-like donnybrook where the nations high court effectively decides an election this time over ballot access rather than hanging chads? Or is a Supreme Court ruling needed to keep order in what could otherwise turn into an electoral free-for-all? Our Editorial Board Roundtable casts its votes. Leila Atassi, manager public interest and advocacy: Perhaps a SCOTUS ruling is the cleanest way to settle this, but can we trust the high court to do so evenhandedly, considering that three justices owe their career pinnacles to Donald Trump? He already put them on alert, saying during a Jan. 5 rally: All I want is fair; I fought really hard to get three very, very good people in. Ted Diadiun, columnist: This is not a constitutional slam dunk, either way, but I hope three things: The Supreme Court rules that voters, and not partisan judges or secretaries of state, should decide the election. The opinion is unanimous, so it is not seen as partisan. And Nikki Haley delivers a sound thumping to Trump in the primaries Colorado, Maine and everywhere else. Eric Foster, columnist: Whether Trump engaged in insurrection under Section 3 of the U.S. Constitutions 14th Amendment is a question the U.S. Supreme Court must answer. That said, it seems obvious to me how the courts Republican supermajority will answer. Admittedly, I would be less inclined to declare that Trumps Jan. 6 speech was engaging in insurrection as a matter of law. Let voters decide. Lisa Garvin, editorial board member: The Trump cult is so strong that he could choke on a Big Mac and they would call it a conspiracy. Although keeping him off the ballot sounds good in theory, it just fuels the fire of election denialism and further erodes everyones trust in the electoral process. Lets keep Trump out of office by voting, not rigging the system. Victor Ruiz, editorial board member: The former president, and many of his supporters, believe that he is above the law and do not care about the Constitution (at least as it relates to this issue). Regardless of the Supreme Courts decision, the only option is to not vote him back into office. Americans who want to save our democracy must vote against him and end his reign. Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member: The Supreme Court should rule unanimously to keep former President Trump on the ballot. The egregious Colorado high court ruling tramples Trumps due process rights and sets a dangerous precedent. Notably, even federal special counsel Jack Smith could not charge Trump with insurrection. The 2024 election should be decided by voters, not by politically motivated state courts or elected officials. Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion: Its evident the high court had to step into this legal minefield, but law professor Mark R. Brown is right to flag the jeopardy for states rights. The court best tread carefully. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this Editorial Board Roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com Chris OKane over at the blog of the Journal of the History of Ideas: The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) has led to a multitude of celebrations and reflections on Frankfurt School Critical Theory by prominent Critical Theorists at Critical Theory conferences and in Critical Theory Journals in the Anglophone world. In what follows, I focus on William Scheuermans and Samuel Moyns recently published short commentaries criticizing contemporary Frankfurt School Critical Theory for not focusing on the political economic dimensions of contemporary capitalism. Scheuermans and Moyns criticisms are largely right when it comes to what is defined as Frankfurt School Critical Theory in the Anglophone world today (what Scheuerman rightly calls Habermasian Critical Theory). Yet, in what follows, I show that Scheuermans and Moyns comments are not accurate for Anglophone work that should be considered Frankfurt School Critical Theory. In the space that permits, I first provide an outline of Scheuermans and Moyns criticisms of contemporary Frankfurt School Critical Theory. I then contextualize the emergence of the predominant understanding of the development of Frankfurt School Critical Theory into Habermasian Critical Theory in the Anglophone world alongside the development and marginalization of two subterranean lines of Frankfurt School Critical Theory, that drew on and developed what they saw as Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adornos relationship to Marxism and political economy. I then provide an overview of recent work in political economy that has drawn on and expanded these subterranean understandings of the Frankfurt School in the areas that Moyn and Scheuerman indicate contemporary critical theory should take up. I conclude with a plea that these contributions be taken seriously as Frankfurt School Critical Theory, lest it be eclipsed. More here. William Scheuermans original piece can be found here: Commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Institute for Social Researchthe Frankfurt Schoolhave taken place around the world this year, many of them at prestigious universities and featuring illustrious contemporary representatives. Yet those events have overlooked a crucial and still relevant conjuncture in the Institutes intellectual history. That oversight points to some unfortunate lacunae within recent Frankfurt-oriented critical theory. By 1941 the Institutes resident political economist, Friedrich Pollock, had embraced the idea that a qualitatively new model of state capitalism had crystallized. Pollock had spent much of the previous decade studying real-world experiments in state planning and major structural shifts within capitalism. And Sam Moyns piece here (access required). TAIPEI China dismissed the outcome of Taiwan's Saturday elections, saying its ruling Democratic Progressive Party does not represent mainstream public opinion after it failed to win a majority in the presidential and legislative votes. "Taiwan is China's Taiwan," Chen Binhua, the spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Saturday after DPP's Lai Ching-te emerged as the winner of the self-governing island's presidential contest with more than 40% of the popular vote. "This election cannot change the basic pattern and the development of cross-Strait relations, nor can it change the common desire of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to draw closer," Chen added, according to a CNBC translation of a report from Xinhua, the official state news agency. Build My Burgers founder Aly Lalani always knew that a typical desk job wasn't for him. He wanted something more challenging and unpredictable. The 38-year-old has worked in the restaurant industry for the last 16 years, spending most of that time employed by other people until 2021, when he opened Build My Burgers in Orlando, Florida. The burger joint uses an open design concept to entice customers roughly 400 per day, Lalani says who watch their meals being made up close, a more personal experience than a typical fast food chain. That first year, Build My Burgers brought in $584,000 in revenue, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Last year, that number increased to $739,000, enabling Lalani to pay himself an $84,000 salary. Very little went according to plan along the way. Between Lalani's first inklings of his big idea in 2018 and the restaurant's launch, he lost his father, penny-pinched during the Covid-19 pandemic, prepared for a new baby and pushed the big opening from April 2020 to January 2021. Here's how Lalani launched his restaurant, and what's driving its success so far, he says. 'We are big foodies' When you ask the Pakistan-born entrepreneur why he chose to open a burger restaurant, his answer is pretty simple. "We love burgers," he says. "My wife and I, we are big foodies." Initially, Lalani wanted to become a franchisee, owning and running an outpost of an extant restaurant chain. Building a brand from scratch would be too time-consuming but there was a problem. "The franchises we were looking into that had a name, they were not affordable," he says. He and his wife Zahra got "very close" to signing a deal with a particular burger chain, but it didn't work out, so "we just decided that we're going to go ahead and open our own brand and bring it to life in Orlando." Aly and Zahra Lalani at the Build My Burgers restaurant in Orlando, Florida. Andrea Desky In 2018, the two got to work. They designed the restaurant's logo and interior from the wall art to the orange and black color scheme to give off the appearance that it was already a successful chain, Lalani says. Lalani signed the lease for his storefront in 2019, and construction started immediately, he says. He was on track to open its doors the following year. Living off a single salary When Covid hit, Lalani and his family made a tough decision: All three of them including their new baby would live off the salary from Zahra's 9-to-5 job. Lalani kept working on the restaurant full-time, despite not knowing when it could open. "I was just staying at home, living off my wife's paycheck and just trying to pay all the bills that we could to stay afloat," he says. The challenge intensified when his startup budget of $200,000 doubled to $400,000, with construction fees costing more than he'd expected. Lalani used $60,000 in personal savings, took on $218,000 in credit card debt and unsecured loans, and got $22,000 from Build My Burgers' landlord to help renovate the building. The landlord spent an additional $100,000 on other renovations, Lalani notes. Only $60,000 of the credit card debt remains, says Lalani. All the while, Lalani grieved his father, who died in December 2019. As the responsibilities piled up, he used memories of his father and his own excitement of becoming a dad to keep himself going. "[It] pushed me to do more," he says, adding: "It was really difficult. But, one thing about me is I'm very motivated. I'm very positive. I had a vision. I had a goal. I wanted to do everything it takes to make sure it comes to life." Growing into the local community Build My Burgers never had a grand opening. Lalani simply turned on the "open" sign in the front window. The restaurant features special deals for its local community, from free and discounted meals for college students or police officers to free drinks for delivery drivers. "We want to make sure that we're taking care of the people that are taking care of us," Lalani says, noting that it helps build a loyal customer base. Aly Lalani serving an order at Build My Burgers. Andrea Desky Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks with French Foreign and European Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on Jan. 13, 2024. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne promised continued backing for Ukraine and support for defence manufacturing cooperation during a trip to Kyiv on Saturday, his first official visit since starting his new role this week. "Russia hopes Ukraine and its supporters will get tired before them. We will not grow weaker," Sejourne said during a press conference in the centre of the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv is seeking to maintain flows of military and financial aid from its Western allies after nearly two years of fighting a full-scale Russian invasion. Sejourne arrived in Kyiv hours after Russia launched 40 missiles and drones at Ukraine, something for which his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba expressed gratitude. "I want to thank my colleague for not being stopped (from his visit) by Russia's latest large-scale missile attack," Kuleba said, urging France and other European countries to do more to halt the use of Western-made electronics in Russian missiles. Sejourne added that he would work in the coming days and weeks to fix EU and bilateral legal issues to help French companies set up more military production facilities in Ukraine, without saying what these legal issues were. Kuleba said several Ukrainian and French defence companies had already concluded deals on cooperation. "However, the possibilities of this cooperation are far greater," Kuleba said, calling for the localisation of manufacturing in Ukraine. Sejourne also encouraged French companies to invest in Ukraine, mentioning the transport, energy, telecoms and water sectors. He said he was personally convinced additional efforts were needed in terms of military assistance and that talks between the two governments would proceed in the coming weeks. After Kyiv, his first visit abroad a day after his appointment, Sejourne is due to head to Berlin and Warsaw, saying he attached particular importance to the so-called Weimar triangle, an informal forum of discussion between France, Germany and Poland. Sejourne's visit came a day after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in Kyiv to sign a new security agreement and announce an increase in military funding for Ukraine to buy drones, including surveillance, long-range strike and sea drones. Tim Adams at The Guardian: At a time when we have become bleakly accustomed to political capital being made of militarising borders and building walls, it is a timely corrective to read a book devoted to the romance of the alternative. The Picnic re-examines events in Hungary in 1989 that precipitated the collapse of Soviet power in central Europe. In particular, it recreates, through intimate personal histories and eyewitness recollection, the ways in which one idealistic, grassroots protest the staging of a summer party in a field near the Austrian border became a catalyst for the dramatic peaceful revolutions that reunited the continent. The idea for that summer gathering was first imagined by a young Hungarian radical, Ferenc Meszaros, at a meeting organised by a European figure from a very different age: Otto von Habsburg, heir to the long-dismantled Austro-Hungarian empire, who was, in 1989, president of the pan-European movement. more here. Bald is certainly more beautiful for these social media stars. As more and more people deal with hair loss, especially after having coronavirus or taking the diabetes drug Ozempic, it's no longer a taboo topic online. Now, influencers are cashing in on their disappearing locks by making videos documenting their hair loss journeys and supporting products that are meant to bring back hair, in an effort to de-stigmatize balding. FEMAIL spoke to hair loss doctors and influencers to find out the response to revealing their loss of locks and which products and techniques actually work. Twitch star Zeph Sanders started losing his hair at 20, and wore a beanie to disguise his balding Zeph told The New York Times he makes up to $7,000 a month for his hair loss content Twitch star Zeph Sanders started losing his hair at 20, and wore a beanie to disguise his balding almost every day and in most of the videos he made. Re-growth journey: Behind hair loss surgery Dr. Hardik Doshi, the lead surgeon of hair restoration at New York City's clinic Ample, there are new advancements in hair loss surgery, like Follicular Unit Extraction FUE is minimally invasive and harvests individual hair follicles without leaving a linear scar FUE has a faster recovery time than other hair loss surgeries. Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a non-surgical option According to Dr. Doshi, PRP 'stimulates hair follicles, promotes growth, and improves overall scalp health when injected into the scalp' Advertisement Now, seven years later, Zeph is known for the 'hair journey' he documents for his 750,000 TikTok followers, which includes everything from cracking an egg on his head to trying PRP, which is when a person's blood is drawn and then injected to stimulate new hair growth. Zeph told The New York Times he makes up to $7,000 a month for his hair loss content, as well as maintaining an Amazon storefront and link tree with products available. 'I ended up revealing my hair after a video of mine went viral where a lot of people were commenting about my hairline and were calling me out for covering it,' Zeph told DailyMail.com. He gave a 'hairline warning' before removing his beanie, which became his unofficial tagline. 'I had a lot of mixed reactions. Some people were really supportive of my vulnerability, but there was also a lot of negative internet bullying as well,' Zeph said. He made it a point to respond to the negative comments and explain that they wouldn't stop him from sharing his regrowth journey. Despite being open about his hair loss, Zeph thinks 'there will always be a stigma around balding.' Zeph thinks that previously 'if you were balding there wasnt much you could do about it, so people just accepted it.' Now, he believes 'there's more awareness around looks and beauty, which has made treatments more accessible for everyone.' 'I feel like there's more pressure now to look better and keep up with the beauty standards, especially if youre in the public eye,' Zeph continued. He's trying to do his part 'in erasing the shame that goes with balding' while sharing 'solutions for those who want to try to regrow and take care of their hair. Trichologist Afsennah gained a following on social media for documenting her hair loss journey and creating hair oils and other products to help with growth Afsennah was inspired to start her own haircare brand after receiving positive feedback on social media after sharing her own journey It's not just the men who are getting in on the hair loss influencer action. Trichologist Afsennah has amassed more than 481,000 Instagram followers for her hair growth tips, which she also shares with her 838,000 TikTok followers and in more in-depth YouTube tutorials. Afsennah said she was inspired to start her own haircare brand after receiving positive feedback on social media after sharing her own journey. While people have grown more comfortable sharing their hair loss, Afsennah told FEMAIL, 'The people who contact me, both customers and followers, often express a sense of sadness due to their experiences with hair loss.' Dr. Hardik Doshi is the lead surgeon of hair restoration at New York City's clinic Ample 'It is clear how deeply it impacts their lives, emphasizing the importance of having healthy hair and a healthy scalp,' the trichologist continued. Dr. Hardik Doshi, the lead surgeon of hair restoration at New York City's clinic Ample told DailyMail.com, 'In recent years, there has been an interesting shift in the conversation surrounding hair loss, with increasing openness and transparency evident, particularly on social media platforms.' 'Historically, discussions regarding hair loss were frequently stigmatized, and those who experienced it may have felt embarrassment or humiliation,' Dr. Doshi said. 'However, modern societal views, as well as the influence of social media, have contributed to a more acceptable climate for voicing this widespread worry,' the expert continued. The human hair wig and topper company Lusta shares sweet stories on TikTok about kids undergoing chemotherapy coming in or women with alopecia Holly works with Lusta Hair and is often featured on their social media sharing her own alopecia journey or helping young women pick out the perfect wig Other hair loss influencers are companies like the human hair wig and topper company Lusta Hair, which shares sweet stories on TikTok about kids undergoing chemotherapy or women with alopecia. The company provides them with life-like hair and makes videos about their experience, showing them regain their confidence. Many times, Holly, who works with the company and has alopecia, helps these young women pick out the perfect wigs. Kimberly Di Benedetto, the founder of Lusta Hair in Australia, told DailyMail.com, 'When I started Lusta Hair almost nobody was talking about hair loss publicly. As a woman with hair loss myself, for nearly a decade I thought I was the only person with this experience.' 'The women we chat to are often in the process of losing their hair, which is a very traumatizing experience,' Kimberly, who started losing her hair because of alopecia at 19, explained. Now, Kimberly wants to 'force hair loss and hair-wearing into the mainstream.' 'Because of the content we put out every day, weve seen an increase in other women and online influencers begin to take part in the conversation,' Kimberly said. Is it dinner or tea, what do you call a bread roll and where truly is the home of British music? These are some of the hotly contested disagreements that divide the nation - marking Northerners out against Southerners and vice versa. But now an interactive map - based on responses from 5,000 adults across the country - seems set to spark an altogether different row over who is having more fun in the bedroom on average. Perhaps surprisingly, the fun-loving Northern destinations like Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle fail to make the top ten areas having the most sex per week. Instead, locations in the South feature (including Greater London, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire), while it's a real triumph for the Midlands, with six places in the West and East regions dominating the list. Your browser does not support iframes. Sleep technology firm Simba have pulled back the covers to unveil their first 'bad behaviour report' that reveals England's best and worst bedtime habits by region, from sleep and sex to Netflix binges and scrolling on social. Taking the top spot for the area enjoying the most saucy night-time activities with their partner was Rutland, with those calling the location home having sex 2.69 times per week on average. Second was Berkshire, with 2.37 times a week, and third place went to Buckinghamshire (2.31), while the fourth spot was claimed by Cambridgeshire (2.14). West Midlands (2.05) came in fifth, followed by Shropshire (2.02), Greater London (2.01), Leicestershire (1.95), Derbyshire (1.91) and finally Warwickshire (1.84). Meanwhile residents of Norfolk (0.92) are the least intimate per week, according to the research. The East Anglia area was followed shortly by Suffolk (0.96), as well as North locations Northumberland and Merseyside (both 0.97). Worcestershire (1.03), Northamptonshire (1.07), East Sussex (1.1), Essex (1.24), Gloucestershire (1.28) and Surrey (1.27) rounded up the list of places having the least sex per week on average. Simba, in collaboration with the UKs leading independent charity in sleep, The Sleep Charity, examined the data from more than 5,000 adults across England to uncover how our mattress usage impacts our quest for the perfect nights rest. Perhaps surprisingly, the fun-loving Northern destinations like Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle fail to make the top ten areas having the most sex per week (stock photo) The report delves into the best and worst bedtime habits, with The Sleep Charity explaining the impact these behaviours have on a good night's sleep. It reveals that 65 per cent of people across England regularly fail to get the bare minimum of seven hours of sleep every night, as recommended by the NHS - and 34 per cent describe the quality of their sleep as 'poor'. Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO at The Sleep Charity said: 'Sleep quality hinges on many different factors - the amount of energy we expel during the day, the regularity of it and the amount of stimulants we consume. 'But it also depends on how you use your bed and what meaning your brain learns to assign to it, preventing it from switching off. 'There is a consensus amongst sleep experts that, if we restrict our mattress activities to sex, sleep and sickness, our slumber quality will vastly improve. 'However, this new research from Simba shows that less than a quarter of adults in the country actually abide by the golden rule of the 3 Ss. Englands Top 12 worst bedtime habits Watching TV Social scrolling Online shopping Phone calls Gaming Snacking/Eating Booking holidays Creating social media content Working Studying and homework Drinking alcohol Joining virtual meetings Advertisement 'Using the bed exclusively for sickness, sleep, and sex enhances sleep quality through the psychological association of the bedroom with relaxation and reduces distractions, which will ultimately contribute to our overall well-being and happiness. 'The practice strengthens emotional bonds between partners, emphasises the importance of self-care and mental health, which is particularly important when we are unwell, and supports a healthier lifestyle by prioritising rest, relaxation, and intimacy in a dedicated space.' The new data showed nearly a quarter of adults admit to watching TV and streaming in bed (24 per cent), and a further fifth confess to scrolling endlessly on social media rather than going to sleep. Online shopping, making phone calls and gaming also scored highly as a bedtime distraction (17 per cent, 14 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively). Lisa continued: 'Technology has become a bad bed-fellow in most households, and we are increasingly seeing people sacrifice quality sleep in favour of catching up on streaming series or social media. 'More than just tiredness, lack of sleep heightens the risk of multiple health conditions including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. 'Studies have also proven that sleeping for fewer than seven hours per night can hinder required focus, allowing greater risk for accidents at work or behind the wheel.' When it comes to age, Englands 18-24 year olds notch up the most sleep stealing activities per week (6.7 on average) and are the generation who work and study in bed the most. Interestingly, Oxfordshire reports the highest levels of working in bed (18 per cent), with Derbyshire and Hertfordshire in second and third (both 10 per cent). Those aged 45-54 lead the way in using their mattresses purely for sleep, sex and sickness alone (26 per cent). 'Your bed isn't just a physical space it's a psychological cue for your brain,' said Lisa. 'By reserving it for sleep, intimacy, and recovery from illness, you're training your brain to recognise the purpose of this environment.' Steve Reid, CEO and co-founder of Simba said: 'A good night's sleep is the bedrock of building a good quality life and wellbeing, and as our study shows, using your mattress for three Ss alone plays a big part in experiencing good quality sleep. 'Life is busy though and tech habits are hard to kick - so its no wonder other activities bunk up with us in bed. 'Were on a mission to bring better sleep to all. Its often hard to switch off at night, but taking time out and considering your sleep hygiene routine and how we can create a more positive bedroom environment will only help people benefit from a good nights sleep.' The image of a bare-chested Ray Winstone lying by a pool wearing yellow Speedos, his tanned skin glistening in the sun, is a classic of modern cinema. It was the poster, as well as the opening scene, of the groundbreaking 2000 gangster film Sexy Beast. Ray played Gal Dove, a retired mobster who spends most of the day sunbathing at his Spanish villa. That is until his old mucker Don Logan, a potty-mouthed psychopath (played with unforgettable relish by Ben Kingsley), turns up and demands Gal do one last job. Most people know the film, says Emun Elliott, who starred in last years BBC Brinks-Mat heist series The Gold, and everyone who knows it, loves it. Emun certainly knows Sexy Beast hes been studying it. Thats because he has the job of filling Bens terrifying shoes as the young Don Logan in a new prequel TV series on Paramount+. James McArdle (right) plays a young Gal Dove in the new prequel TV series while Emun Elliott (left) plays the young Don Logan I went back and revisited the film and was daunted by those performances, he says. But now we get the opportunity to see where those characters in the film have come from and why they are the way they are. The result is Sexy Beast, the series. With James McArdle (Mare Of Easttown) playing a young Gal and Sarah Greene (Bad Sisters) his lover DeeDee played by Amanda Redman in the film the TV prequel rewinds to London in the early 90s. Its a time of boxy tellies, pubs filled with cigarette smoke and an explosion in the drugs trade in London. Gal is working his way up the food chain in the East End underworld. Gal is very different from the Gal we see in Sexy Beast, the film, says James. When we meet him here hes a big fish in a small pond, but he wants higher status. He thinks he can do that in a kind of Robin Hood way, without bloodshed. Its naive. Don is your man for bloodshed, prepared to do anything to help his only friend. Enter Teddy Bass, played by True Bloods Stephen Moyer here (and Ian McShane in the film). Teddy is a wannabe serious player in gangland who sees Gal as a potential protege. The only problem? Gal has Don with him at all times, laughs Stephen. Everyone has to have a chink in their armour! The series takes great pains to explain Dons back story. In the movie hes a psychotic loner, says Emun. We reveal why this terrifying man is who he becomes. Theres vulnerability and trauma. Hes basically a frightened child who lashes out when hes scared. Much of our understanding of Don comes with the introduction of a new character, his older sister Cecilia, played by Friday Night Dinners Tamsin Greig. You dont meet Cecilia in the film, so she has, er, disappeared by 2000, laughs Tamsin. But here she exerts a huge amount of emotional and physical power over her brother. The image of Ray Winstone lying by a pool in yellow Speedos was the poster, as well as the opening scene, of the 2000 gangster film Sexy Beast Cecilia runs a penny arcade and isnt afraid to get her hands dirty to get what she wants. Shes a world away from some of Tamsins comic roles. It fills me with joy when casting directors think of me outside the box, she says. But some of the things Cecilia has to do I found really upsetting. Shes intrigued by, but also fearful of, the influence of Gal over her little brother. 'I think all the relationships in this show are about love. Cecilias main focus of attention, power and a bizarre kind of subverted love is Don. It raises the question of extremes on screen. Sexy Beast the film was renowned both for its language (the f- and c-words are used hundreds of times) and its bursts of brutality. The series isnt quite as near the knuckle, but it doesnt hold back. As for what the original cast make of the newbies, Stephen Moyer, who also directs a couple of episodes, has a unique insight from Ray Winstone. I directed Ray in a film [2022s A Bit Of Light] and when I got this part I texted him to say, You wont believe this, but Im going to be in Sexy Beast. Winstone was at his villa in Sicily. He video-called me. When Rays in Sicily he never has a top on. All bronzed, living his perfect life... just like his character in Sexy Beast! Hes in his olive grove going, Awight son! Thats amazing! So Ray gave the series his blessing. How would you feel if a letter arrived out of the blue from someone claiming to be your child the result of an egg, sperm or embryo donation you made possibly decades earlier? An enthralling and emotional new ITV series, Born From The Same Stranger, follows and helps people as they seek their genetic donors. The donors receiving bombshell letters, emails and calls would never have expected to be traced, but changes in the law and in DNA tracing technology mean any anonymity offered at the time no longer applies. And individuals born as a result of donation can not only trace their genetic parents but siblings too. We meet student Isabel Paterson and her mum Sarah the woman who gave birth to her, and has raised her as they trace her embryo donor to Norway. Isabel (centre) pictured with her donor biological mother Marie (right), who she calls 'a friend for life', and her mother Sarah (left) Isabel, 26, writes to her from her home in Cheshire: My name is Isabel. I was born following the use of one of the embryos you so generously donated. In Norway, Marie Tortoise who, over 30 years earlier, had consented that a spare embryo from her successful fertility treatment could be donated to a childless couple was overcome. I broke down, she says. I thought, Ive got a daughter. We witness a highly emotional meeting as genetic mother and daughter embrace before Sarah (My mum, says Isabel, resolutely) joins them. It was extraordinary, Sarah admits. It wasnt just a hug; you could see Marie inhaling Isabel, breathing in her scent. The biological similarities were obvious to all, says Sarah. They both laugh big and hearty, throwing their heads back. What was strange at first was that I felt I knew Marie. Then I realised I did. Id carried her genetic child. When I looked into Maries eyes, I saw my darling girl. Isabel, who says she sought out her donor partly because I was intrigued about what it would be like to find someone who looked like me, also saw herself in Maries eyes. There was a bigger jolt when she met Maries son Colin, the child born from her fertility treatment. Hes Isabels genetic twin, though born seven years earlier, and the resemblance is uncanny. Pictured with his mother Julie, Liam Renouf put his DNA details on a commercial website and was shocked to discover he has four half-siblings The series is full of remarkable stories like Isabels. Liam Renouf puts his DNA details on a commercial website the real game-changer for tracing genetic histories and is stunned to find he has four half-siblings; Sam Palmer and half-sister Emma are part of a sibling group who call themselves the sperm squad. They know of 21 half-siblings. The four-part series doesnt shy away from exploring the hard conversations that have to be had when siblings appear on the databases who have no idea they are donor-conceived. Sarah Paterson, though, was always honest with Isabel about where she came from and says she always dreamed of being able to meet the woman whod made it possible for her to be a mother. Its been the happiest outcome possible, she says. Isabel and Marie have met several times and are fervent penpals. But what does she call Marie? Technically, shes my biological mother, but I only have one mother. I just call her Marie, and in her I have a friend for life. Queen Margrethe of Denmark will step down from the throne this weekend after 52 years in power. In a shock New Year's Eve speech, Europe's longest reigning monarch, 83, announced her abdication, the first in the country in nearly 900 years. Her resignation means there will be a reshuffle in the line of succession, as well as a change in royal titles. This Sunday, when the queen signs her formal abdication at a state council, her son Crown Prince Frederik will become King. But what will be made of the rest of the royal family? STEPPING DOWN: Queen Margrethe will step down from the throne on January 14 NEW MONARCHS: Crown Prince Frederick will become King Frederick X and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, will become Queen Consort CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK WILL BECOME KING Frederick, 55, formerly known as Crown Prince Frederick - is set to become His Majesty King Frederick X. Her Majesty The Queen will continue to be known as Her Majesty and bear the title HM Queen Margrethe. CROWN PRINCESS MARY WILL BECOME QUEEN Meanwhile, his wife Crown Princess Mary - who is very popular with the Danish public due to her dedication to royal duty and commitment to learning the language - will become Queen Consort. She is also set to become the nation's first Australian-born queen. The couple, who met in a bar in 2000 during the Olympics in Sydney, share four children, who each occupy the next spaces in the line of succession. PRINCE CHRISTIAN WILL BECOME CROWN PRINCE Their son Prince Christian will become the next in line to the Danish throne at just 18. His title will change to Crown Prince Christian as he will be the heir apparent. He may have to act as head of state when his father is out of the country. Princess Mary, Frederik's brother Joachim, and Princess Benedikte are able to take over as head of state should Christian be too busy - however he will certainly be required to take on more official duties. Christian is often referred to as the 'most eligible bachelor in Europe' and his new title will only elevate that status even more. The new Danish line of succession and titles MONARCH: King Frederick X (previously Crown Prince Frederick) Her Majesty The Queen will continue to be Her Majesty and bear the title HM Queen Margrethe. CONSORT: Queen Mary (formerly Crown Princess Mary) The Royal Couple will henceforth bear the title The King and The Queen of Denmark 1. Crown Prince Christian (previously Prince Christian) 2. Princess Isabella 3. Prince Vincent 4. Princess Josephine 5. Prince Joachim 6. Count Nikolai 7. Count Felix 8. Count Henrik 9. Countess Athena 10. Princess Benedikte Advertisement FIRST IN LINE: Prince Christian will become Crown Prince Christian and is the heir apparent SECOND: Christian's younger sister, 16-year-old Princess Isabella will become second in lin Christian's younger sister, 16-year-old Princess Isabella will become second in line to the throne at her father's ascension. She has already taken on some duties alongside her parents, such as visits to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. In third and fourth place are twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, both 13. The twins were born in 2011 and, as Vincent is 26 minutes older than his sister, it means he sits before her in the line of succession. The Danish primogeniture law changed in 2009 as previously Vincent would have also appeared before his elder sister Isabella. The law had previously meant that male children were preferred to succeed the throne but the rule has been changed to only consider age and not gender. After the children, Christian's younger brother Prince Joachim is then fifth in line to the throne - however it is unlikely he will ever become monarch. Last year an enormous rift broke out when Queen Margrethe stripped Joachim's children of their royal titles, reportedly with the intention to let them live normal lives. They are now Counts and Countess and referred to as Their Excellencies - and in January the Danish Royal Family updated their website to show their new status. THIRD AND FOURTH: Twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine take the next spots in the ranking (pictured with Prince Christian and Queen Margrethe last April) L to R: Felix (SEVENTH), Marie, Prince Joachim (FIFTH), Athena (NINTH), Henrik (EIGHTH) and Nikolai (SIXTH) in September TENTH: Queen Margrethe's sister Princess Benedikte, herself 79, takes the final spot in the line of succession Despite no longer being considered official members of the Danish royal family, they have maintained their positions in the line of succession. Joachim's son, Count Nikolai, 24, is sixth in line to the throne even though he is no longer a working royal. Nikolai is a model with a large Instagram following. Out of a title: The four grandchildren who are no longer TRHs Nikolai, 24, of Denmark: The Copenhagen Business School student and model regularly tops lists of the world's most eligible bachelors. He lives in Denmark but has jetted around the world to walk for designers in Paris and London. Nikolai has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia. Felix, 21, of Denmark: Following in his brother's footsteps, Prince Felix has also had success as a model and has starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. He had a short stint at the Royal Danish Military Academy but quit after two months because it 'wasn't for him'. Henrik, 13, and Athena, 11, of Denmark: The youngest of Prince Joachim's four children, Henrik and Athena are the product of his second marriage to Princess Marie. They live with their parents in Paris. Advertisement His siblings, Felix, 21, Henrik, 14, and Athena, 11, hold the seventh, eighth and ninth places in the succession line respectively. Queen Margrethe's sister Princess Benedikte, herself 79, takes the tenth spot in the line of succession. When she married, the Council of State said her children - Alexandra, Nathalie and Gustav - would need to be raised in Denmark during their years of formal education to be in the line of succession. As she did not do this, they cannot inherit the crown. Queen Margrethe's other sister, Anne-Marie renounced her right to the throne - and that of her descendants - when she married King Constantine of Greece in 1964. Anne Marie was the Queen Consort of Greece until the abolition of the monarch in 1973. Although monarchs in several European countries have abdicated to allow younger royalty to take over, there is no such tradition in Denmark. Margrethe herself insisted for years that she would not quit in her role but her health in recent years has forced her to change that. The Danish head of state shocked the nation and many royal watchers around the world when she used her annual New Year's Eve speech to announce live on television that she was stepping down as Queen after 52 years. In her address the 83-year-old said she had taken stock after undergoing back surgery last year and had decided it was it was time 'to leave the responsibility to the next generation' - namely her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik. The Danish Royal Family has been rocked by rumours in recent weeks - after photographs emerged of Crown Prince Frederik enjoying a night out with a Mexican socialite in Madrid in October. However despite the swirling rumours, Frederik and Mary have put on several loved-up displays in public. Jodie Foster's comments this week about Gen Z being 'annoying' has sparked a firestorm of commentary on the generation gulf on social media. In an interview with The Guardian, the 61-year-old didn't hold back when it came to her own experiences of working alongside Generation Z, defined as people born between the mid 90s and the early 2010. The Silence of the Lambs star, who is known for mentoring rising stars in the movie industry, told the newspaper: 'They're really annoying, especially in the workplace. 'Theyre like, "Nah, Im not feeling it today, Im gonna come in at 10:30 a.m." Or in emails, Ill tell them, "This is all grammatically incorrect, did you not check your spelling?" And theyre like, "Why would I do that, isnt that kind of limiting?"' When asked what she thought young actors needed to know, Jodie added: 'They need to learn how to relax, how to not think about it so much, how to come up with something thats theirs.' Jodie Foster didn't hold back at the Golden Globes this week when talking about working with Gen Z, also known as Zoomers, telling the Guardian she found them 'annoying' While the actress' comments sparked a negative backlash, some brave souls said they agreed with the Hollywood star While plenty of people have since leapt to the defence of the youngest members of the current workforce, there are seemingly lots of people - including both employers and employees - also happy to share anecdotes about their own frustrating experiences of earning a living alongside Gen Z colleagues. On Twitter, one person wrote: 'The line "Nah Im not feeling it today I'l come in at 10:30, thats exactly how the younger girls talk in my office. 'They call in sick for the smallest of illnesses with no guilt! Not a criticism just very jealous Ive spent my adult like doing the opposite.' Another wrote: 'Spot on. Majority of them are lazy, easily distracted, have a poor work ethic, have no accountability, are rude and answer back to authority, have to have their hands held, break down easily, lack common sense etc etc etc.' Elsewhere, one former boss said they 'gave up managing people for that very reason, saw what was coming through and changed jobs. Good luck to all managers of the future.' And over on TikTok, there's dozens of comedy skits showing the difference between Baby boomers, Gen X-ers, Millennials and Gen Zs. TikTok is awash with clips poking fun at Gen Z-ers apparent penchant for working less and pencilling in self-care breaks Stand up Adam James Bromley, a Gen X-er, frequently covers the gulf between generations on TikTok, including Zoomers apparent fear of phones, and love of voice notes Most of them involve showing the older generation to be serious and suited, with each generation getting more casual, with Gen Zs largely portrayed as working from home, dodging meetings and scheduling in events - such as mental health breaks - that make their older peers turn a shade of pale. Stand up comedian Adam James Bromley, a Gen X-er, frequently posts sketches on the lack of common ground between generations, with one skit discussing how a young male colleague has a pathological fear of phone calls, but will dole out a series of voice notes, which Bromley suggests is almost the same as a phone call. Business expert Kinga Stabryla, who owns marketing agency Brandspire, says she's experienced both the positives and the minuses of working alongside Gen Z and says they can come across as 'entitled' but employers need to do more to ensure generations work together cohesively. TikTokers frequently opine about the apparent shortcomings of the younger workforce, with this poster, @godizgoat, calling out his thoughts on Gen Z and public transport She told MailOnline: 'Jodie Foster's characterisation of Generation Z as "annoying" in The Guardian might be better framed as "challenging." 'I agree, to an extent, that Gen Z can appear entitled regarding workplace flexibility and career advancement. However, this stems from their broader market access and global opportunities, empowering them to seek better environments if dissatisfied. 'While Foster's views align with popular research, my own experience as someone close to Gen Z differs. I find this generation not annoying, but challengingly refreshing.' Might it be a case then of older people in the workplace being hamstrung by an inflexible approach? Stabryla thinks so. Foster, 61, who is known for mentoring rising stars in the movie industry, said working with young actors is sometimes frustrating (pictured last month) 'Older generations have often endured rigid structures without question. Gen Z's approach, while frustrating to those accustomed to a more traditional trajectory, is a reflection of changing times and an evolving understanding of life balance and personal fulfilment. 'At the end of the day, it's the business's responsibility to communicate the mission of the business to get younger employees on board and explain why certain things have to be the way they are.' On Twitter this week, another employer agreed, saying: 'My Gen Z employees are at work on time and deliver on their tasks and objectives. Maybe Jodie's just a bad boss and can't communicate what someone's roles, responsibilities and objectives are for the workday. Bad management always blames everyone but themselves for issues in the workplace.' Prince Harry arrived on his own for his father's Coronation on May 6 This is a big day for Denmark as it welcomes a new King and Queen consort. Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary will ascend the throne after the surprise abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe - and we can expect to see the royal family out in force to mark the occasion, along with leading lights of Danish society. Not quite everyone will be there, however. Prince Joachim, Frederik's younger brother, will attend the event to support his sibling - but he will do so without his wife, Princess Marie and their two children, Count Henrik, 14, and Countess Athena of Monpezat, 11. The Danish palace has confirmed that the family will remain in Washington DC, where they live now that Joachim has become a defence industry attache at the Embassy of Denmark. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Prince Joachim of Denmark attend the funeral of Former King Constantine II of Greece last year Prince Harry and Prince William are pictured at the unveiling of their mother's statue in 2021. The rift between the two seems as great as ever Like Prince Joachim, Harry is a second child and the 'Spare' - the title he gave to his best-selling memoir Prince Harry is pictured leaving his father's Coronation on May 6. He flew out of the country and back to California the very same day Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, left, and Prince Joachim of Denmark at the balcony of Amalienborg Palace at the 83th birthday of the Danish Queen last year Crown Prince Frederik, right, Attends The Wedding Of Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra Frederiksborg Castle Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his brother Prince Joachim (left) on board the Royal yacht 'Dannebrog' on a visit to the Baltic island of Bornholm in 1973 It is a long way for the children to come, of course - and a school day, as the palace points out. All the same, the arrangements are a reminder that the Danish royal family shares problems - and attempted solutions - with their counterparts on this side of the North Sea. Prince Harry, another 'spare' in the line of succession, is likely to sympathise in particular. Based, like Joachim in America, he left his wife and two children at home to pay a lightning solo visit to his father's Coronation on May 6. And the similarities don't end with an American link. Like King Charles, Queen Margrethe has been wrestling with the question of what to do with the members of her family placed a little further from the throne. Tensions first arose in the Danish royal household after the monarch decided to strip four of her grandchildren of their HRH titles in 2022. She subsequently apologised about the timing of the announcement but stood by the move. Joachim had spoken out against his mother's decision in the days that followed - claiming that his two children, Counts Nikolai, 24, and Felix, 21 - born from his first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg - and Henrik and Athena, had been 'harmed' in the process. Months later, the sixth-in-line to the throne said that 'communication was missing' within the Royal Family in the lead-up to the shock announcement. Joachim told Danish tabloid B.T.: 'There is a lot to work on. Communication was what was missing. Now we have met and we are on the right track.' In Britain, the idea of reducing the number of front-line royals has hit Prince Andrew in particular. He has his own problems, but the implication seems to be that his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will never enjoy senior royal privileges - something to which Andrew has objected. Prince Joachim will be in Copenhagen today to see his brother become king. But the rest of his family, including wife Princess Marie, Count Henrik of Monpezat and Countess Athena of Monpezat will in Paris, France, in May 2023 Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary are pictured together on New Year's day. His mother had announced her impending abdication the night before Prince Joachim's family, pictured with his mother, Queen Margrethe, centre. From the left: Counts Nikolai and Felix, wife Princess Marie, Countess Athena, Prince Joachim and Count Henrik. The children are scheduled to lose their titles under changes announced last year by Margrethe Shortly after Queen Margrethe's announcement that his children were stripped of his titles, Joachim claimed that he had only been given five days notice before the news was made public. Joachim spoke to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish Embassy in Paris, where he lived with his French-born wife Princess Marie and his two youngest children, and said his four children had been 'hurt' by their grandmother's decision. 'I was given five days' notice to tell them. In May, I was presented with a plan which, by and large, was that when the children each turned 25, it would happen. Now I had only five days to tell them. Athena turns 11 in January,' he clarified at the time. Speaking to B.T., Joachim and his second wife Marie also admitted their relationship with Prince Frederik and Princess Mary is 'complicated'. Meanwhile, Joachim's ex-wife Alexandra said that her sons, Nikolai and Felix, had been left feeling 'ostracised' from the institution and the decision had come like a 'bolt out of the blue'. The Royal Household released a further statement, saying: 'As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming. 'We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen's wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.' The news that Joachim will attend Sunday's event comes after a royal author claimed Denmark's Crown Princess is the real 'power behind the throne', with people in the country already calling her 'King Mary'. Trine Villemann also told Hello! that the Australian mother-of-four, 51, is a 'much better communicator and public speaker' than her husband, Prince Frederik. The Prince, 55, will become King Frederik X on 14 January, following the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe. Europe's longest reigning monarch, 83, announced her plans to step down in a dramatic New Year's Eve speech. Ahead of Margrethe's daughter-in-law becoming Queen, Danish royal author Trine said: 'Mary truly is the power behind the throne and will be for decades to come - there's no doubt about that. 'Frederik is a lovely guy and he's very popular, but Mary is a much better communicator and public speaker. She has great skill and enormous talent, and people in Demark are calling her 'King Mary'. It has been claimed that Australian-born Crown Princess Mary is a better communicator than her husband, Crown Prince Frederik. They are pictured together in November Queen Margrethe pictured during a live television broadcast to the nation on New Year's Eve in which she announced she would be stepping down in favour of her son 'Her approval ratings are higher than those of the rest of the royals, too... As we say in Denmark: Long live King Mary!' The new King and Queen of Denmark, who are set to step into their roles this weekend, enjoy the support of more than 80 per cent of Danish people, a poll recently revealed. A survey carried out for Ritzau revealed that Princess Mary enjoyed a little more popularity among the Danes than Crown Prince Frederik as the royal prepares to ascend the throne on 14 January. The poll asked how well suited Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik are to become Queen Mary I and King Frederik X, ahead of the abdication of Queen Margrethe. While 82 per cent of people believed Frederik is suited for the role of king, 86 per cent believe Mary will make a good queen. Danish royal commentator Kim Bach believes that, although Frederik is popular, Mary's slight lead over her husband is likely down to rumours of an affair that circulated after the soon-to-be king was spotted on a night out with a Mexican socialite in Madrid. Genoveva Casanova was forced to deny what she labelled 'malicious' rumours after photos surfaced of herself with the Crown Prince in the Spanish capital, where Spanish magazine Lecturas reported they had dined together and watched Flamenco dancing until 1am. Mary has remained tight-lipped about her husband's dinner with the socialite, and the royal couple have put on a united display in a number of public appearances. However, speculation is mounting that Queen Margrethe's decision to abdicate may have been a bid to keep Frederik's wife of 19 years on side. Princess Mary, who is set to become the first Australian-born queen in a number of days, has won over the Danish public with her dedication to royal duty and her fluency in the language. She and Frederik have four children together, and their oldest son Christian will take over his father's role of Crown Prince on January 14 when Margrethe abdicates. Mary and Frederik's relationship has often been dubbed a 'real-life fairytale'. Then Mary Donaldson, the Crown Princess was 28 when she met her husband-to-be in the Slip Inn in Sydney 23 years ago. After the pub encounter, then 32-year-old Frederik - who was in Australia to support Denmark's sailing team at the 2000 Olympics - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed. 'The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, 'Do you know who these people are'?' Mary revealed in an interview about meeting the heir to the Danish throne. They maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, with Frederik making secret trips Down Under before Mary moved to Denmark to study Danish language at Copenhagen's Studieskolen in 2001. In early 2003, Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged the relationship and the couple announced their engagement at Amalienborg Castle later that year on October 8. Between raising her children and appearing at diplomatic events, Mary has worked tirelessly to prove her commitment to charity, becoming a patron of more than 25 international organisations since her marriage to Frederik in 2004. Patronages include the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe and the United Nations Population Fund, where she supports their work to promote maternal health in more than 150 developing nations. In 2007, the Princess launched The Mary Foundation, a charity focused on stamping out domestic violence, bullying and loneliness. In a few days time, Crown Princess Mary will become the Queen of Denmark, as Queen Margrethe formally abdicates and leaves the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik. Crown Prince Frederik will become King tomorrow while his wife, Princess Mary, will become Queen Consort. They are pictured together at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen Margrethe confirmed the news in a shock announcement on New Year's Eve after 52 years on the Danish throne. She said: 'I have decided that now is the right time. 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father I will step down as queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.' Confirming that Prince Joachim's children will remain in the United States and will not travel for Sunday's enthronement, a spokesman for the Danish palace said: 'Prince Joachim will be there, but the children go to school, there is no special reason,' before adding that Queen Margrethe's youngest son will return home the following day. An influencer who paid 5,000 for liposuction to tackle her double chin has revealed how a botched procedure left her looking like Lord Farquaad from Shrek. Robyn McManus, 28, from Dublin, Ireland, feared for her life when she developed a haematoma - causing her face swelled up uncontrollably. The social media star - who boasts 11,000 Instagram followers - explained how she had been bullied over her double chin as a teenager and it was an insecurity that followed her into adulthood. She said: 'When I was in my third year of secondary school, I was the victim of a mass bullying attack where a group of teens from a local school sent mass text messages to my phone with the contents: double chin. 'I was sitting mock exams at this time, and it really impacted my mental health and self confidence. 'I was sitting mock exams at this time, and it really impacted my mental health and self confidence.' Robyn says that more prominent double chins tend to run in her family and also explained how her Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is another contributing factor. In January 2023, the social star - who has a combined TikTok following of 18,000 - took out a loan to pay 6,000 [5,100] to have liposuction on her chin. After being admitted to a leading clinic in Ireland, Robyn went under general anaesthetic and had Renuvion - a minimally invasive surgery - to tighten the area. However, Robyn's first surgeon did not remove enough fat - but she was repeatedly told by the clinic that it was just swelling and that she had to be patients to see results. In the months that followed, Robyn claims she had 'millions of lymphatic draining' to try and reduce the 'swelling'. She wrote in a TikTok: 'I was told I had to wait for it to heal but I just knew that there was still fat there, not swelling.' Robyn began sharing her progress on TikTok - and followers were encouraging her to take legal action against the clinic. Influencer Robyn McManus pictured after her second surgery - which caused her face to swell uncontrollably as a result of a haematoma The influencer jokingly dubbed her haematoma 'Helena' and said it took months for the swellin g on her face to go down The influencer said her swollen chin made hr resemble the Shrek villain Lord Farquaad (pictured) WHAT IS A HAEMATOMA? A haematoma is a collection of blood which is located outside the blood vessels The pooling of blood can turn into a hard and tender mass They can be found under the skin within a soft tissue. They will often display as a purple bruise Pain, swelling, redness and disfiguring bruises are the most common symptoms of a haematoma If you notice the signs of a haematoma, the NHS recommends going to your nearest A&E or call 999. Advertisement After a few months had passed, the clinic then offered to operate again for free to achieve the desired effect. Robyn continued: 'During the time in between surgeries I was feeling extremely deflated, I had taken out a loan that I will be paying back for years and was so disheartened that after everything, I still had a double chin. 'I spent a lot of money on massages to try and reduce swelling to no avail. I was also working really hard to lose weight, but my chin was not getting any better.' One week after her second surgery, Robyn was brushing her teeth when she noticed her face was starting to rapidly swell again and she was rushed to A&E at Tallaght Hospital. She recalled: 'As I noticed how terrified my stepmum was I began to believe I was going to die, I went from petrified to calm as I began to accept that something was seriously wrong, and I might not make it. In January 2023, the social star - who has a combined TikTok following of 18,000 - took out a loan to pay 6,000 [5,100] to have liposuction on her chin In the weeks that followed her second surgery, the area also became increasingly bruised and sore - and she dubbed the area 'Helena the haematoma'. Left: Robyn before the procedure. Right: Robyn after the swelling caused by the second surgery had gone down 'I remember telling myself Dont die while you are in the car wait until you get through the doors to hospital while my stepmum would have to park the car. 'I arrived at A&E and was rushed through triage and immediately seen by doctors and nurses and was sent to the radiology department for an urgent CT. 'They advised it was a bleed known as a haematoma.' After treating the haematoma, Robyn was discharged from hospital - but the star said that the swelling made her look like Lord Farquaad out of Shrek. In her TikTok, she wrote: 'Discharged home back to care of the clinic looking like Lord Farquaad. So upset and deflated.' Robyn (pictured) explained: 'She added: 'Although this procedure did not go straight forward to me, I am still absolutely delighted with the result and cant believe my face shape when I look in the mirror.' The social media star - who boasts 11,000 Instagram followers - explained how she had been bullied over her double chin as a teenager and it was an insecurity that followed her into adulthood Robyn said: ''My stomach no longer sinks when I catch a glimpse of my side profile so for that I am incredibly grateful.' In the weeks that followed, the area also became increasingly bruised and sore - and she dubbed the area 'Helena the haematoma'. But once she made it passed this stage, the star said that her jaw began looking 'snatched' and she finally achieved the results she'd been wanting in the first place. She added: 'Although this procedure did not go straight forward to me, I am still absolutely delighted with the result and cant believe my face shape when I look in the mirror. 'Its not perfect as I have some remaining fat under the muscle, but I wasnt looking for a miracle I was looking to be able to accept my face. 'My stomach no longer sinks when I catch a glimpse of my side profile so for that I am incredibly grateful. 'I have lost a significant amount of weight since this surgery, and I truly believe that the chin lipo helped as Im beginning to love myself and therefore treat my body with more love. 'I suppose I would want to make people informed of the risks, there are still risks while having my procedure whether at home or abroad however in my case being at home meant I had aftercare and follow up, something I may not have had if I flew to another country.' Shoppers have called out fast fashion retailer for 'badly photoshopped' models advertising the brand's maternity swimwear. Thousands were in hysterics over the bizarre images of Shein's thin models whose bellies appeared digitally altered to make them look pregnant. Australian model Robyn Lawley told FEMAIL the images look like 'some tech guy's idea of pregnant perfection' and present a 'layered and dangerous minefield of emotions'. The 34-year-old is calling for legislation to make consumers aware if the images they're seeing on social media and advertisements are not real, photoshopped or AI generated. 'SHEIN, you've done it again. $66billion company can't hire someone with better photoshop skills?!' a woman ranted in a Facebook post. Shoppers have called out fast fashion retailer Shein for 'badly photoshopped' models advertising the brand's maternity swimwear Australian model Robyn Lawley (pictured) told FEMAIL the images looks like 'some tech guy's idea of pregnant perfection' and present a 'layered and dangerous minefield of emotions'. She shared a sponsored ad that came up on her Facebook feed showing a model with an unnaturally ballooning stomach. 'Surely this pic is weird af?? Also clarifying, I'm not saying being pregnant is weird etc! I'm plus size, love the curves,' the woman added. 'My issue is the FAKE EDIT to show the model is pregnant when she's not!' Dozens responded to the post saying they had seen similar ads with one shopper joking the models looked like 'pregnant Barbie'. 'That's what I looked like after Xmas lunch,' one woman quipped. 'Whoever did this has clearly never seen a pregnant woman before,' laughed another. 'Yet another unrealistic expectation for pregnant women,' joked a third. 'SHEIN, you've done it again. I never shopped at Shein but WTF man. $66billion company can't hire someone with better photoshop skills?!' one woman ranted Dozens responded saying they had seen similar ads with one shopper saying the models looked like 'pregnant Barbie'. Others said they had been scratching their heads over the 'weird' Shein ads as they had been seeing them all over their feeds too. 'I keep seeing the ad and was like, 'What the actual f***?', I don't feel crazy now,' one user said. 'I've seen this ad all day, keeps popping up and I laugh every time. They couldn't have just hired a real pregnant model?' a second replied. 'I'm pregnant so these ads have been coming up basically hourly for me for the past week. Thanks algorithm, it's actually so embarrassing they use these photos,' a mum-to-be commented. Robyn weighed in on the issue saying the snaps could make real pregnant women feel insecure about their bodies. The Sydney-born beauty is mum to daughter Ripley who was born in 2015 and considered 'plus-sized' despite being only a size 12 and 6'2' tall. 'When I look at these pictures I see some tech guy's idea of pregnant perfection. Too much perfection. The baby bumps are perfectly rounded like a watermelon, no low riding babies here. The skin is so perfectly flawless, nothing like what I experienced,' she said. One use said the person who digitally alerted the images must have 'never seen a pregnant woman before' and another said the models looked like they had a 'big lunch' Robyn weighed in on the issue saying the snaps could make pregnant women feel insecure about their bodies and she fears for her daughter growing up with a skewed view of beauty 'I can't even concentrate on the fashion they are trying to entice me to buy, because I'm so put off by this and yet I still I can't help but compare what my body looked like pregnant in comparison to this idealised version, even though I know logically 'she' doesn't even exist!' Robyn said the pictures bring back memories of when she was pregnant eight years ago and trying to land modelling gigs. She thought with her extensive experience she would easily be able to find work but found it to be a very selective and competitive market seeking woman with 'the perfect bump to body ratio'. 'My gigantic bump at the time covered in fresh stretch marks wasn't their cup of tea, unfortunately. Now however, it seems you don't even need to be pregnant!' she said. 'Pregnant-looking AI creations of female-looking AI renders are being used to sell fashion to real people and these pregnancy images are supposed to represent the most beautiful time for parents, the visual representation of a woman growing a human life.' Robyn said viewing the images and other fake pictures on fashion ads trigger a 'layered and dangerous minefield of emotions'. Robyn said viewing the images and other fake pictures on fashion ads trigger a 'layered and dangerous minefield of emotions' The 34-year-old recently called out the use of AI in the modelling industry after she found fake images of herself online 'AI imagery needs to stop until we have safeguards in place. The customers and viewers needs to be told what they are seeing. These images need to be clearly labelled as AI renders,' she said. 'I'm so worried about what my daughter will go through in her lifetime. Not being able to trust her own eyes and ears because of the amount of fake people across all digital platforms. Constantly comparing herself to AI images and the false scripted narratives of their supposed reality which are all man made on a computer.' Robyn said she grew up with 'so much body hate' herself because of the 'narrow view' of beauty she was exposed to growing up. 'There was never tall, curvy women in the media. What will (my daughter) see? Who will she be interacting with? So-called perfect little AI bodies that are meant to be human girls and women?' she said. 'The consumer has the right to know what they are consuming whether it's the food we eat, the news we watch or the social and digital media we visually consume. We need legislation NOW.' Robyn recently called out the use of AI in the modelling industry after she found fake images of herself online. In response, she created a petition to urge the government to regulate the use of AI images throughout fashion, advertising and media industries which she said is 'out of control'. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Shein but they declined to comment. A woman who will suffer diarrhea for the rest of her life after using Ozempic is among dozens of patients who are suing the maker of the blockbuster weight loss drug over claims it left them with crippling stomach paralysis, a DailyMail.com investigation reveals. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, is facing lawsuits from patients across America who say they experienced extreme side effects which they were allegedly not warned about. Thousands more patients have also come forward to claim they suffered adverse reactions to the drugs and attorneys say many more could join the growing legal campaign. Most of the patients claim they suffered from gastroparesis, which is the medical name for paralysis of the stomach. The condition, which can be life-threatening, causes a build-up of food in the gut and symptoms include nausea, vomiting and severe pain. DailyMail.com reviewed more than a dozen lawsuits filed since November by patients who were diagnosed with gastroparesis after using Ozempic and Wegovy, including some who suffered 'life-threatening' bowel injuries and face lifelong consequences. In all of the lawsuits, Novo Nordisk is accused of failing to properly warn about the risk of gastroparesis on the drugs' packaging. Brea Hand, 23, told DailyMail.com she required five hospital visits before doctors diagnosed her with gastroparesis which was allegedly caused by Ozempic Zakareeya Gregory was hospitalized for four weeks and had her gallbladder removed because of complications which were allegedly caused by her use of Ozempic At least ten lawsuits have also been filed against Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, a diabetes drug which works in a similar way to Ozempic and Wegovy and is also prescribed off-label for weight loss. Eli Lilly is also accused of failing to include proper warnings about Mounjaro's risks. In one case, a woman who used Ozempic and Mounjaro claims she was diagnosed with gastroparesis which caused her to vomit so much that some of her teeth feel out. In another, a woman was diagnosed with a 'life-threatening bowel injury' after using Ozempic and underwent surgery which last nearly nine hours. Doctors said she would be in pain 'for the rest of her life' and 'will never have a solid bowel movement again'. A third case brought by a woman who used Wegovy claims she was diagnosed with 'severe gastroparesis' and was hospitalized with symptoms including going a week without bowel movement. More than 40 cases have been filed in federal courts across America and attorneys are reviewing thousands more. The cases are expected to be grouped together later this month into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which will centralize them before a single judge. Cameron Stephenson, an attorney at Levin Papantonio Rafferty, told DailyMail.com his firm currently has around 100 clients who were diagnosed with gastroparesis after using the drugs, and it is investigating 1,000 more. 'There's no doubt in my mind that there are going to be 1000s of cases that will be filed in the MDL over time,' said Stephenson, who floated the possibility that the number of individuals could run into the tens of thousands. The legal action is focused on patients who were 'medically diagnosed with obstruction or gastroparesis and required emergency treatment or hospital intervention', he added. Stephenson said there is 'no doubt' that the drugs are highly effective for many patients who want to lose weight or control diabetes. Be he added: 'The point is that if these drugs carry with them a potentially permanent side effect or a side effect that can have extreme effects on someone's health and their life... you have to put that in the warning label.' Ozempic has FDA approval for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but has been prescribed off-label for weight loss to millions of Americans. Mounjaro also has approval for diabetes but can also be prescribed off label for weight loss. Novo Nordisk said it believes the allegations against the company are 'without merit' and that it will defend itself 'vigorously'. The drug maker is the most valuable company in Europe. Pictured: Novo Nordisk's corporate headquarters in Denmark Ozempic has FDA approval as a diabetes drug but it has been prescribed off label for weight loss to millions of Americans Novo Nordisk's Wegovy has FDA approval for chronic weight management. Stephenson alleged that the companies sought initial approval for the drugs as diabetes treatments with the intention of promoting them for weight loss. 'I expect to see documents to suggest that there was going to be off-label marketing and promotion outside of diabetes,' he said. 'I expect that the clinical trials and the things that they did in the various phases to come up with these drugs before they filed with the FDA, I think that they're going to show that there was a risk of gastroparesis, and it's not in the label, and it's still isn't in the label.' Novo Nordisk said it believes the allegations in the lawsuits are 'without merit' and that the company will 'vigorously defend against these claims'. Eli Lilly said 'patient safety is Lilly's top priority' and also added that it will 'vigorously defend against these claims'. Brea Hand, 23, from Ponca City, Oklahoma, told DailyMail.com that she started using Ozempic in May 2023 and within weeks began to suffer from nausea, vomiting and constipation. Hand, a mother-of-two who was prescribed the drug to control her fluctuating weight and pre-diabetes, required five hospital visits before physicians diagnosed her with gastroparesis and diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be life-threatening. On her final hospital visit, she was admitted to intensive care. 'They said my body was so acidotic that if I would have waited one more day that I wouldn't have made it through,' said Hand, whose lawsuit was filed on December 28. 'It was scary. It was painful. I have not ever experienced that kind of pain in my entire life and I do not ever want to go through that again.' Hand, a behavior science student, said she was not made aware of the side effects she suffered and wants to warn others about the risks of Ozempic. 'I wouldn't recommend it to anybody, personally. Just taking that risk would be too much for me from what I went through,' she said. 'I think they should definitely advertise more of the risks it does have.' Brea Hand, 23, told DailyMail.com that doctors said she almost died because of the complications which were allegedly caused by Ozempic. She said she was not warned about the side effects Robin Kelly, 49, filed a suit against Novo Nordisk in her home state of Mississippi on November 28, alleging that she became violently ill with gastroparesis after using Ozempic. She said she was not made aware that the condition was a possible side effect. Kelly, a teacher's assistant, told DailyMail.com that within weeks of beginning the treatment in December 2021, she began suffering with vomiting and diarrhea. She continued using Ozempic for months, unaware it was the cause of her symptoms. 'You can pretty much set your watch that if I took my injection on Sunday, that on Tuesday, I was going to be sick with vomiting and diarrhea,' she said. Kelly was prescribed Ozempic to treat type 1 diabetes, which she has had since fourth grade and was treating with an insulin pump. She said her endocrinologist encouraged her to take Ozempic through an off-label prescription even though its FDA approval is for treatment of type 2 diabetes. 'Every doctor's visit that I went to, she kept telling me, 'I really wish you would take this Ozempic',' Kelly said. She initially believed the adverse symptoms were acid reflux, but after an emergency room visit, a gastroenterologist diagnosed her with gastroparesis and she stopped taking the Ozempic in September 2022. Cameron Stephenson, an attorney at Levin Papantonio Rafferty, told DailyMail.com that thousands of lawsuits could be filed 'The worst thing that it did for me was caused me almost to lose my job, because I was so sick with it that I could not go to work. I was so physically ill that I could not go to work. 'There were days that I would go to work, I would try and go to work, stay at work. And I couldn't and the reason why [was] because I would be at work and I would soil my clothes. 'I would just soil my clothes, and I would be sick. And I would have to come home. It got to the point where I had to pack a bag with a change of clothes so if I got sick at work, I could change clothes.' Kelly's suit alleges she suffered 'severe and permanent personal injuries, pain, suffering, and emotional distress, and incurred medical expenses'. Novo Nordisk 'knew or should have known that Ozempic was unreasonably dangerous' and 'did not adequately warn of the risk of gastroparesis', the suit added. 'I still have flare ups of gastroparesis even after coming of Ozempic,' Kelly said. 'I just think it's going to be something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life.' Kelly is represented by Morgan & Morgan, which has a leading role in the action against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and has more than 13,000 clients under retainer across the country. Paul Pennock, a litigator for the firm, told Reuters it has also turned away 40,000 more people whose alleged injuries were not deemed severe enough to partake in the action. He said the labels 'don't say clearly what could happen to you' and that clients have continued to suffer after ending treatment, with some feeling 'constantly nauseous'. The first case under the growing action is believed to have been filed last August by Jaclyn Bjorklund, 45, from DeRidder, Louisiana. She was prescribed both Ozempic and Mounjaro off label and took them for about a year-and-a-half, before stopping last summer. Ozempic, Wegovy other drugs for weight loss have exploded in popularity and celebrity users include Elon Musk (pictured in July 2022) , who has said he used Wegovy to lose weight Sharon Osbourne has opened up about her own use of Ozempic, which caused her weight to drop below 100lb. She has warned about the dangers of extreme weight loss She suffered 'severe gastrointestinal events, which resulted in, for example, severe vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning, being hospitalized for stomach issues on several occasions including visits to the emergency room, teeth falling out due to excessive vomiting,' according to the legal complaint. Pennock said: 'Ms. Bjorklund put her trust in Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company, and we believe that as a result she has gone through a hell that no one should have to endure.' He said injuries faced by some patients 'may be permanent'. Zakareeya Gregory, 46, from Walker Mill, Maryland, told DailyMail.com that her gallbladder was removed after she suffered side effects which were allegedly caused by Ozempic, which she used for seven months until February 2020. Gregory, who was prescribed Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes, said Ozempic initially helped her drop from 220lb to 170lb and lowered her blood sugar, while only causing minor complications such as stomach pain. The severe side effects like extreme stomach pain started 'all of a sudden' at the end of 2022, more than two years after she stopped taking Ozempic. Her legal complaint said she also used Rybelsus, a tablet form of the drug also made by Novo Nordisk, for a period of time during 2022. Gregory was taken to the emergency room in December, where scans revealed an issue with her gallbladder, which surgeons removed during her four-week hospital stay. 'I went home with a tube in my side that I had to keep changing [for] drainage. I kept that in for maybe like two weeks,' said Gregory, who also needed a blood transfusion. 'It was very horrible, it was horrible to have your gallbladder taken out. I never thought I would have to have my gallbladder taken out. I never had any issues with that. It was a dramatic change in my life.' She has since regained the weight that she lost and said she also suffers from gallbladder attacks, crippling pains which can still occur after the organ has been removed. 'I was never told [about the side effects]. All I [was told] is that it will make me healthy, it will make my A1C [blood sugar] go down, which it did. And I was never told the rest. I just know, I will look good. I was gonna be healthy. And I was excited about it.' Novo Nordisk's Wegovy is approved by the FDA for chronic weight management Her lawsuit states that her injuries were caused by Ozempic. Billie Farley, 47, filed a suit against Novo Nordisk in December after using Ozempic for around three months. She was prescribed the drug off label for weight loss in October 2022 after seeing marketing for the drug, her lawsuit states. 'Approximately three months after she began Ozempic, she started vomiting and having intense abdominal pain,' according to her complaint. Farley was hospitalized in January 2023 and a CT scan revealed 'a life-threatening bowel injury' which required extensive surgery that lasted nearly nine hours. 'She was told by the doctors that Ozempic had been the probable cause of her bowel injuries and to stop taking it immediately,' the suit said. Farley was told that the pain she continued to suffer 'would be permanent for the rest of her life'. The suit added: 'She has not had a solid bowel movement since her surgery and has been advised by her medical professionals that she will never had a solid bowel movement again for the rest of her life.' Her complaint also claims the label and marketing 'failed to adequately warn [her] and her medical provider of the true risks of taking Ozempic'. 'Her life is forever changed because of her usage of Ozempic,' the suit said. The current lawsuits are expected to be combined intro a multidistrict litigation at a hearing in California on January 25. Attorneys say further cases will be added to the MDL as they are filed. Many of the lawsuits include details about Novo Nordisk's 'aggressive' marketing of its diabetes and weight loss drugs, including $884 million spent on television adverts across a five-year period. The complaints also refer to the company's multi-million dollar lobbying campaign aimed at physicians in the US. The suits also refer to Eli Lilly's extensive marking of Mounjaro, including through digital and television advertisements. The active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic is semaglutide, which mimics the actions of GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone in the brain that regulates appetite. Eli Lilly has also been sued over claims it failed to warn that Mounjaro, another diabetes drug which is also prescribed for weight loss, can cause gastroparesis Eli Lilly, which is headquartered in Indianapolis, said 'patient safety is Lilly's top priority' and also added that it will 'vigorously defend against these claims' Mounjaro's active drug is tirzepatide, which also works on GLP-1 receptors. The drugs are typically taken as weekly injections and studies have shown they are highly effective at spurring weight loss and treating diabetes. The FDA told DailyMail.com it does not comment on 'possible, pending or ongoing litigation' but said it monitors drugs 'throughout their life cycle, including post-approval'. 'If newly identified safety signals are identified, the FDA will determine what actions are appropriate after a thorough review of the body of evidence,' the FDA said. In a statement to DailyMail.com, Novo Nordisk said: 'Novo Nordisk believes that the allegations in the lawsuit are without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend against these claims. 'Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines. 'GLP-1 medicines have been used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) for more than 18 years, and for the treatment of obesity for 8 years. This includes Novo Nordisk GLP-1 products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 13 years. 'Semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real world evidence studies and has cumulatively over 9.5 million patient years of exposure. 'The known risks and benefits of semaglutide and liraglutide medicines are described in their FDA-approved product labeling. Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1 medicines when they are used as indicated and when they are taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional.' Eli Lilly said: 'Patient safety is Lillys top priority, and we actively engage in monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety information for all our medicines. 'Our FDA-approved label clearly warns that tirzepatide may be associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe. The label further states that tirzepatide has not been studied in patients with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis, and is therefore not recommended in these patients. 'These risks were communicated to and widely known by healthcare providers. We will vigorously defend against these claims.' Experts have urged Ministers to buy stocks of the controversial horse deworming tablet ivermectin to halt a nightmare outbreak of scabies engulfing the UK. Worries over the disease come amid warnings that people are struggling to access standard treatments, which leading doctors claim is undoubtedly driving infections. Scabies is caused by tiny mites which burrow into the skin, triggering intense itching, a raised rash and crusted or scabbed skin. The condition is spread by close skin contact with others, so often affects whole households, as well as residents of care homes, and it can also been passed on during sex. Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic, is used in veterinary medicine which is why it is commonly referred to as a horse dewormer but it is also routinely given to children and adults in mainland Europe and beyond to treat or prevent a wide range of serious parasitic infections, including scabies. Unlike the standard treatments for scabies used in the UK skin lotions called permethrin and malathion ivermectin comes as a pill and is given in two doses a week apart. Scabies is caused by tiny mites which burrow into the skin, triggering intense itching, a raised rash and crusted or scabbed skin Unlike the standard treatments for scabies used in the UK skin lotions called permethrin and malathion ivermectin comes as a pill and is given in two doses a week apart The treatment can kill the bug and its eggs and may stop them returning for up to two years, studies have suggested. The drug became infamous during the Covid pandemic following claims by fringe medics that it might be a suitable treatment, and even an alternative to vaccination, despite a lack of credible evidence. The Mail on Sunday first reported that skin specialists were calling on Ministers to approve ivermectin as a first-line scabies treatment last summer, and the green light was given in September. GPs can now prescribe it and pharmacists are permitted to sell it over-the-counter. While supply-chain problems linked to the war in Ukraine and increased costs of raw materials have resulted in shortages of permethrin and malathion, no such problems are believed to be affecting ivermectin. Dr Tess McPherson, of the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD), says: The current outbreak of scabies was predicted last year, and in light of this ivermectin was licensed as a first-line treatment. But the Government has failed to buy in enough stocks, and many GPs and pharmacists remain unaware its even an option. It needs to urgently address this issue and make sure there are adequate supplies not just of ivermectin, but the topical creams, too. Otherwise we will have a far bigger outbreak of scabies. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, backs the calls: Weve seen a surge of scabies recently because care homes have been affected, so demand for permethrin and malathion went up and supply became patchy. Ivermectin is most commonly used as a horse dewormer, but some experts believe it could combat scabies Pharmacists welcome anything that would help support patients with their symptoms rather than making them wait. If its safe, why not make it available? Scabies is highly infectious and, if not properly treated, it can linger for months or even years. The parasite and its eggs can also live in bedsheets and towels, which can pass the infection to others. Diagnosing it can be tricky because the tell-tale red rash which affects the skin folds inside the elbow, knee, buttocks and between fingers and toes can take eight weeks to appear. It can also spread across the body and might include trails lines under the skin where the mites have burrowed to lay eggs. Scratching the marks can exacerbate other skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, too, and may lead to bacterial infections. But it is a myth that scabies is linked to poor hygiene. It most commonly affects younger people due to the way it is transmitted some of whom pick it up through sexual transmission and the elderly in care homes. Those with weaker immune systems may be vulnerable to crusted scabies, a more severe form of the disease which involves a higher density of mites. Scabies can often be passed on by close physical contact - especially when intimacy is involved Treating it generally involves rubbing an anti-parasite lotion all over the body, including under the nails, and keeping it on for between eight and 12 hours, re-applying it every time you wash your hands. The process must be repeated seven days later to ensure all mites and their eggs have been destroyed. Everyone in the same household, and any sexual partners over the last eight weeks, must also apply it, even if they dont have symptoms due to the time they take to appear. Despite suggestions that the latest outbreaks were being driven by people becoming resistant to the treatments, there is no evidence, says Dr McPherson. The more likely explanation is that people are not applying the cream properly or for long enough. It means ivermectin, which is easier to use, is an important alternative and may be particularly helpful to control outbreaks in care homes, for instance. For a lot of my young patients, the solution seems to be using the creams and taking ivermectin on top, she adds. So we need access to all of the medication thats available to get on top of the infections. Anyone who thinks they may have scabies should visit their GP or pharmacist, who may be able to diagnose it just by examining the skin. They can also prescribe ivermectin or an anti-parasitic cream. If they cant be sure, they may refer you to a dermatologist who can run tests to confirm the diagnosis before prescribing a treatment. Other ways to stop it spreading or returning in the home include washing clothes, bedsheets and towels at temperatures above 50C. Jo Middleton, an expert on scabies from Brighton and Sussex Medical School, says: Introducing ivermectin to the UK means people could control their scabies infestation more easily. But its a question of supply. Hopefully the one positive that will come out of the surge of cases is the routine adoption of oral ivermectin for managing scabies outbreaks. The Department for Health and Social Care failed to comment. Patients with a debilitating hand condition are missing out on a simple treatment that could spare them painful surgery, experts have warned. Blasts of radiotherapy, usually used to tackle cancer, can ease Dupuytrens contracture problems with hand tendons which lead to permanently bent fingers. But few hospitals offer it for the condition and many GPs are unaware its an option, say campaigners. Two million Britons have some degree of Dupuytrens, often called claw hand. Famous sufferers have included Margaret Thatcher and actor Bill Nighy. The cause is unknown but it runs in families and worsens with age, affecting about 20 per cent of over 65s. According to charity The British Dupuytrens Society, the standard approach is to wait until the condition is severe, causing the fingers to bend completely inward, before offering straightening surgery. The op involves cutting away parts of the affected tendons or removing them completely. Margaret Thatcher suffered from Dupuytren's contracture - known as claw hand - a condition which affects an estimated two million Britons According to charity The British Dupuytrens Society, the standard approach is to wait until the condition is severe, causing the fingers to bend completely inward, before offering straightening surgery A third of patients need more than one op and some may even need to have fingers amputated. But radiotherapy, offered earlier on, may prevent patients from needing to go under the knife. It is provided in ten sessions of a minute each and at a much lower dose than for cancer care. It works by breaking down the tough bands and lumps that form in the hand tendons the cause of the contracture. Anna Schurer, chairwoman of the British Dupuytrens Society, says: Radiotherapy is the only treatment that offers hope of preventing Dupuytrens from worsening. Before the pandemic we knew of many hospitals that provided the treatment, but this list has now dwindled to four in England and one in Scotland on the NHS. Dr John Glees, a private consultant clinical oncologist, provides radiotherapy for Dupuytrens and says it can improve the condition for patients with early disease. In an audit of more than 150 patients treated between 2010 and 2015, Dr Glees, who sees patients at the Nuffield Health Cancer Centre London in Wimbledon, found that there was complete resolution or major improvement in 60 per cent of cases, minor improvement in 22 per cent and just 13 per cent did not improve. It is so frustrating that more people cannot access this treatment on the NHS, he says. It is such a common condition, but patients go to their GP and get told to come back when it is much worse, and surgery results are often poor. Dr Richard Shaffer, a consultant clinical oncologist at the Cromwell Hospital in London, uses radiotherapy to treat about 400 patients with Dupuytrens each year. The private treatment costs about 3,000. He says: The evidence suggests it is a highly effective preventative treatment that reduces the risk of getting a contracture [when the fingers become completely bent inward] and needing surgery. But NHS provision is patchy, there are capacity issues in terms of the radiotherapy machines and staffing to provide this care, when it is also needed for cancer patients. But it is a concern that it is not more available. Dr Stephen Falk, a consultant clinical oncologist at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, adds: I think radiotherapy centres are anxious that if they open the floodgates to benign disease [such as Dupuytrens] they would be swamped. He says a key stumbling block was a 2016 decision by NHS watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence not to back radiotherapy for Dupuytrens. It recommended that it could be offered only under special arraignment, meaning there are uncertainties around how effective or safe a treatment is, and requires doctors offering it to collect data on outcomes. Part of the concern was a theoretical risk of radiation-induced cancer, which meant that NHS bosses stopped funding the treatment in some areas. However the Royal College of Radiologists, in guidance updated last March, reviewed the most recent research and recommended it as a treatment for Dupuytrens. A lack of knowledge among doctors that there are early treatment options is also a problem. Patients cant get referred even in areas it is offered on the NHS, as GPs dont know about it, Ms Schurer says. One happy patient is Barry Williams, 77, a retired lawyer, who says radiotherapy completely solved his early Dupuytrens, allowing him to keep playing the piano. Barry says he had been alert for signs of the condition after seeing his father and grandmother suffer with the problem. My father had many awful operations, eventually having his left little finger amputated, he says. Barry had private treatment with Dr Glees more than a decade ago when he spotted early signs of the disease. At the time his only symptom was puckering in on his palms, which occurs as the build-up of tissue starts to form beneath the skin, pulling it down. The treatment was painless, I had no side effects and I have had no problems in the 14 years since, says Barry. Without this I would have been completely disabled, my hands would be useless and I would be unable to play the piano. Some 26-year-olds, having just starred in a film that received an eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes, had a baby, nursed the baby through intensive care, got engaged, tried to buy a house, lost the house, bought a different house, adopted two dogs and won a huge acting award, might put their feet up for a minute. Stopped to take it all in. Not Mia McKenna-Bruce, the burning ball of energy from Bromley, who is gobby and funny and sweet and possibly about to take over the world. My partner Tom and I thrive on the chaos, she says. Were, like, Nothings really going on, lets see if we can kick stuff off. After Leo was born four months ago, people said, Surely youre going to have a bit of a break now? Absolutely not lets get going! Although energetic, shes not manic; theres a lot of levity to McKenna-Bruce. Things have just been a little breathless lately. Her breakout role was in November, in How to Have Sex, about a rowdy girls holiday in Malia, the party capital of Crete. The film received the sort of acclaim that was heaped on Greta Gerwigs Lady Bird and Olivia Wildes Booksmart, fellow coming-of-age dramas. Dress, Louis Vuitton. Sunglasses, Linda Farrow Jacket, top, skirt, bra, briefs and shoes, all Miu Miu It won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes Film Festival. Then last month McKenna-Bruce was awarded Best Lead Performance at the British Independent Film Awards (beating Andrew Scott, Jodie Comer and Tilda Swinton) and is tipped to win the EE Rising Star Award at next months Baftas, previously awarded to Emma Mackey, John Boyega, Daniel Kaluuya and Tom Hardy. Shes also tiny 4ft 10in. At the British Independent Film Awards, she went to the stage, stunned, to make her speech, and burst out, Im too small! as she tried to reach the lectern. What a list! I mean, what on earth? she says now, as we sit and drink tea. I was, like, someones put me in there by accident and Im just going to ride it out, keep a low profile so they dont notice. I said to Andrew Scott afterwards, But youre the greatest actor of our generation! Yeah, it was a good night. Headband, Merve Bayindir. Earrings, Mejuri. Dress, Emilia Wickstead Pregnancy made her take a break but not because she wanted one: Only because I couldnt film stuff with a bump. I look so young that people would glance at me and think, Poor child, hows she going to cope? And no one really wants to cast that. In fact, when I bought the pregnancy test I was trying to flash my engagement ring to say, Im not 12, Im an adult, I promise! Not that we had planned it if someone had said to me this time last year, Would you like to get pregnant and do all the press for How to Have Sex right after the babys born? Id be, like, Absolutely not. Are you mental? But here we are, and its worked perfectly. The film, written and directed by 30-year-old Molly Manning Walker, is beautifully made, but unsettling. McKenna-Bruce plays the lead, a GCSE student called Tara, who goes on a wild girls holiday where she and her two best friends hook up with the boys (and girl) next door in the hotel. The question of consent with a character called Paddy follows. Tara is the baby of the group, pretending to be cool enough to keep up with her friends. I burst into tears after watching it and Im not the only middle-aged person who was profoundly affected. McKenna-Bruces parents saw it, which she was nervous about, because its not an easy watch, even though her dad had initially said that it sounded more like a film for her two younger sisters. His response stunned her. To see him going, We need to step up. Everyone needs to step up, is incredible. Hes telling all his mates to watch this film. At Cannes, a man in the audience said, Ive just figured out that I was Paddy. Which makes you cold. But if he can filter that through to the younger men in his life, hopefully thats how we start to change these things. McKenna-Bruce is keen not to write off that character, though: We never wanted to put Paddy across as a villain, because theres also pressure on him to be a lad and take the lead. The fact that he hasnt learnt how to respect a woman thats not because hes a nasty person, but because hes never had that education. If we dont talk about it, hows anyone going to know? McKenna-Bruce grew up the eldest of three children. Her parents run an air-conditioning business, but she made an early beeline for the performing arts. At the age of two she was taking ballet lessons and she spoke in an affected Shirley Temple American accent for large chunks of her childhood she thought thats what actors did. She went on to dance in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical, then scored a long-running supporting role in The Story of Tracy Beaker, the CBBC adaptation of the hugely popular Jacqueline Wilson novels. Mia as Tara with Badger (Shaun Thomas) in How to Have Sex That meant being away from her grammar school for half the year, filming. This did not endear her to the other kids. People wrote me off straight away. I think they assumed that I thought I was something I wasnt. I spent a lot of time trying to get myself into trouble to impress them, then Id end up being sent out of class, which wasnt me and I actually love learning. She had hoped to go on a girls holiday after they all sat their exams, but some last-minute days of filming delayed the start of her summer and she was left behind. They said theyd wait for me. Then they didnt. I was gutted. By this time, acting had stopped being a source of happiness too. Until the age of 18, it had felt like a hobby. But she struggled to jump to the grown-up stuff. She began to suffer panic attacks after auditions. Big roles never came her way. After being passed over in the last round of auditions for the lead in the Channel 4 movie Ellen, she packed it in altogether and decided to travel to Australia with her school friend Georgia. They got jobs in a call centre in Sydney and planned to work their way up the company. They shared a flat with some other young people, bought a cheap car they named Charlie, found a favourite local coffee shop, sat next to each other at work, and it was glorious! Mia (far right) Mary in the Netflix adaptation of Jane Austens Persuasion. Back home, her mum was wondering what the hell was going on. McKenna-Bruce had said she was going to Australia for three weeks but she ended up staying for seven months. I saw a phone case that said something like lifes an adventure. And I thought, Thats it, Im not going home! She is laughing now at how absurd it sounds. I think I even said to my agent, I need to go and find myself. On the phone her mother brought her back to reality. I said: Mum, youve just got to ride the wave. She was, like, You are in so much trouble. Nevertheless, she did go home. She started attending acting workshops, and I fell in love with it again. They gave me a confidence boost and made me think, You can actually do this. But my agent didnt want me back, so it took a little while before I found a new one and got going again. They may be regretting that now. Yeah. Suckers! She was soon offered a part in The Rebels, a film about teenagers fleeing the Romans that was shooting in Wales. She was about to turn 20 and a 23-year-old named Tom Leach was playing the lead. We clicked but I didnt think anything of it. Then one day he was walking past me and tapped my back it sounds ludicrous, but it was like everything in my body was electricity. I thought, Thats not normal. It all happened quickly from there. Celebrating her Cannes win with How to Have Sex director Molly Manning Walker I moved in with him straight away, in his shared house in Leytonstone, East London we just had his one room. Everyone said we were crazy, but we had a blast. They plan to marry next year, in the beautiful historic venue Brympton House where McKenna-Bruce filmed Persuasion for Netflix. Life has changed for both of them. Leach is still a brilliant actor, says McKenna-Bruce. But with the pandemic and the uncertainty of the industry, he needed more stability. So he set up a tech business doing... I want to say SEOs? Search engine optimisation? I hear him talk about that a lot. Im not very good with it. But hes very tech-y. And he can run his company from anywhere so we can pick up our little life and move it wherever we are. She sees getting together young as another positive. Leach has now been there throughout most of her working life, during which there has been a lot of rejection. Jobs that I thought were going to be for me then they werent. The amount of times he has had to pick me up off the floor Hes seen all the hard work and the mental toll it has taken on me. So at Cannes, When we got that incredible standing ovation, I wasnt sitting with him, but I turned around and saw everyone standing up. Then I could suddenly see Tom through the crowd oh, this will probably make me cry now and he was sobbing. It was the first time Id seen that from him. Baby Leo, our little lion cub, soon followed, but the birth wasnt simple. He was expected to be big, and with his mother being so small, the doctors wanted to induce labour. (In fact he was only 7lb 6oz, but thats huge for me.) He got stuck, they both caught an infection from being in labour too long, then he had fluid on his lungs. So he was in intensive care and I was in the hospital as well. They eventually brought him to me, after hed started to get better, and that first night he just screamed. The midwives were popping in and saying, Is everything OK? And I was going, I dont know I dont know what to do! Salvation came in a surprising form. Molly-Mae from Love Island had been posting videos on TikTok and Instagram about her own baby, and they helped because she was so honest. When I heard her say, In the first couple of weeks, I didnt know if Id ever feel happy again, I was, like, OK, breathe, because its completely normal. Then you can go through the motions a bit more. Its still petrifying, though, and you think youre doing something wrong. Like, I should have that mother instinct that everyone talks about, I should know what to do. Now Leo, a chatty, giggly baby, is sleeping through the night, even though his mother isnt. Ive never been any good at sleep and my phone memory is always full because Ive downloaded every episode of Friends on to it I cant sleep without watching one. Shed be ecstatic to win the EE Rising Star Award, especially because its a public vote. Some time ago, she made a vision board a collage of dreams for the future and it had me and Tom with a baby, it had a Bafta on it, a Bifa, an Oscar and Kate Winslet because Id love to work with her one day. And her daughters called Mia! Its all starting to come to fruition. She pauses. Im almost expecting her to come out with something self-deprecating, the sort of thing women always seem to feel the need to slip in just to check themselves. But no. So lets get there, she says. Lets do the thing! Voting for the EE Rising Star Award 2024 is open at ee.co.uk/bafta until 12 noon on Friday 16 February Picture director: Ester Malloy. Fashion director Sophie Dearden. Fashion assistant: Jessica Carroll. Make-up: Florrie White at C/O Management using Chanel beauty. Hair: Davide Barbieri at A-Frame using Hair By Sam McKnight. Our fact-filled, fluff-free page of fitness. Bouldered over: the sport has the country gripped Long line On a Tuesday evening in Central London theres a queue of at least 30 hyped-up 20-somethings outside a building thats already packed to the rafters with punters. Its strictly one in, one out. But this isnt the citys buzziest new bar, its EustonWall, a climbing wall built for bouldering (climbing without ropes). It seems nights on the town rock in a different way these days. Outline Indoor climbing is big news. A decade ago, there were ten climbing= walls in the capital; in 2023 there were more than 30. But its not just a London thing or solely for youngsters. Up and down the country people of all ages are making like mountain goats and picking their way up the four-metre-high walls (then back down again) just for the fun of it. Participation in the sport is expected to rise by almost 15 per cent this year, according to the Association of British Climbing Walls. Storyline Jennifer Walsh, a 40-year-old mother-of-two, goes bouldering twice a week. Its great for my mental health as it is the one thing I do where I can really switch off it provides escapism for us midlifers. Its also meditative and completely addictive, she says. Sophia Marsh, meanwhile, got the climbing bug at 65 shes now 73. I started when my gym got a climbing wall. At my age it isnt just good for strength and balance. Climbing helps the brain, too you have to reallythink about what youre doing. I also like the social side of it in between climbs you get chatting to other climbers. Harry Styles has helped make climbing walls cool Beeline Its not just us normals who are going crazy for climbing A-listers cant get enough of it either. Actor Jared Leto is so into the sport that he became the first person to legally climb the Empire State Building last November (no one likes a show-off, Jared). Other fans include Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, Zac Efron and Lady Gaga wonder what she makes of the nerdy rubber shoes you have to wear? That said, it can only be a matter of time before Prada does them to store alongside your Prada padel racket and surfboard, obviously. Waistline Climbing burns up to 900 calories per hour, and I can well believe it following a one-hour session at EustonWall. You do need a certain level of fitness to get started Im a gym bunny yet still found it tough on my upper body (especially the forearms), and I needed a breather after each climb. Its a full-body workout, but its low impact so easier on the joints than, say, running. Offline Instructor Kamran Ullah used to be addicted to computer games until he discovered climbing. Both gaming and climbing are about problem-solving but now I get the buzz from working out a route up the wall, so I never play video games any more, he says. Incline The walls veer off at various angles and there are multiple colour-coded holds (on which to place your hands and feet) snaking up each one, so theres something for all abilities. I felt a huge sense of pride when I made it to the four-metre summit each time believe me, that feels dizzyingly high when youve not got a rope or harness. Despite the bouncy floor, I definitely didnt want to fall. But what goes up must come down, and bouldering isnt like abseiling where you glide your way down on a rope you still need some juice in the tank to descend. Next in line Climbings debut as an Olympic sport at Tokyo in 2021 gave it a big leg up and the Paris Games this summer will help it reach new heights. Look out for British hopes Molly Thompson-Smith and Toby Roberts. Fancy giving it a go? You dont need any specialist gear (they lend you the shoes) and its not expensive (from 11 per session at EustonWall, although you will need to book an instructor for your first foray). A quick google search will reveal your nearest wall. And then the only way is up, baby! Next week topline wellness: calm your mind with food London's stock market was boosted yesterday as two companies revealed plans to float. London Tunnels and Kazakhstani carrier Air Astana both said they will list on the London Stock Exchange this year. The announcements signal hope for a revival in listings after a tough year. New dawn? London Tunnels is floating on the London Stock Exchange The City was dealt several blows in 2023, including Cambridge-based chipmaker Arm's decision to float in New York. A parade of firms left the exchange after being snapped up or moving their listings to other financial hubs. London Tunnels, which plans to turn unused Second World War walkways and shelters into a tourist attraction with 2million visitors a year, hopes to raise 30million through its stock market debut this month. The firm, which has already raised 10million from investors, is targeting a market capitalisation of 123million and will price its stock a 2 per share. It hopes to open the 1940s Kingsway Exchange Tunnels in central London in 2027. It envisions 'achieving the same iconic status' as the London Eye. Chief executive Angus Murray said: 'This unique set of tunnels, owned by a British company, built by the British Government, for the defence of Britain, that can further enhance London's reputation as a leading tourist destination, should be listed in London.' Meanwhile, Air Astana, which is owned by British defence giant BAE Systems and the Kazakh sovereign wealth fund, plans to raise 94million through listing in both Kazakhstan and London. AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said the announcements showed the 'IPO machine has whirred back into action'. Figures showed 2023 was the quietest year for Initial Public Offerings in more than a decade. According to accountancy firm EY, there were just 23 listings in 2023 a 49 per cent drop on the previous year making it the slowest year since 2010. Arm's decision to float in New York in September was viewed as a snub of London. The British tech firm had been a member of the blue-chip FTSE 100 index before it was taken private in 2016. Irish building products group CRH and Smurfit Kappa have both moved their primary listings across the Atlantic. Dublin-based gambling giant Flutter is preparing for a secondary listing in the US this month. Holiday operator Tui said last week it will press ahead with plans to move its primary listing to Frankfurt. If passed, the company will delist in London in June. Meanwhile, education publisher Pearson has suggested it may move to New York. 'There has been minimal IPO activity for the last two years. We believe this needs to be actively addressed,' Peel Hunt analysts said this month. Defence stocks rose after UK and US military forces launched air strikes against the Yemen rebels responsible for attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Over the past few weeks Iranian-backed Houthis, who support Hamas, have targeted ships passing through the region in response to Israel's campaign in Gaza. The attacks by the rebels have disrupted global trade and led to vessels changing their routes in a bid to avoid passing through the Red Sea. Attacks: Iranian-backed Houthis have targeted ships passing through the region in response to Israel's campaign in Gaza Last night the UK and US hit back by striking Houthi targets in Yemen. As tensions escalates, defence stocks rallied with BAE Systems up 2.2 per cent, or 26p, to 1,189.5p, while Rolls-Royce added 2.7 per cent, or 8p, to 305p. Melrose shares increased 2.1 per cent, or 12.2p, to 584p. Gold miners also made gains as investors flocked to safe-haven assets. Fresnillo climbed 3.1 per cent, or 15.8p, to 533.4p, Centamin gained 2.3 per cent, or 2.2p, to 95.5p and Endeavour Mining increased 3.8 per cent, or 54p, to 1,479p. And the price of oil rose to its highest level this year following the Western military action. Brent crude reached $80 a barrel before dipping a touch later. It sent Tullow Oil up 1.6 per cent, or 0.5p, to 32.7p, while Harbour Energy rose 0.03 per cent, or 0.1p, to 298.5p and Energean gained 0.4 per cent, or 3.5p, to 962.5p. Sophie Lund-Yates, lead equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Overall, the oil price is looking to end the week little changed, but the risk of volatility has increased significantly.' But airline stocks endured a turbulent session following the Yemen strikes. Wizz Air dropped 2.8 per cent, or 60p, to 2,071p, Easyjet slid 2.2 per cent, or 11.2p, to 503p and British Airways-owner IAG retreated 2.9 per cent, or 4.3p, to 144.4p. On the wider market, the FTSE 100 rose 0.6 per cent or 48.3 points, to 7,625 and the FTSE 250 was up 0.5 per cent, or 89.7 points, to 19,197.6. The UK economy bounced back in November following a slump the month before. Wood Group was among the top mid-cap risers after the engineer's revenues and profits rose 9 per cent in 2023 following contract wins such as working on a green hydrogen project in Spain. Shares gained 2.9 per cent, or 4.4p, to 157p. Vistry is pinning its hopes on a surge in demand in 2024. It came as the housebuilder said it is 'encouraging' to see how mortgage rates have eased. The upbeat outlook followed a strong finish to last year, with Vistry expecting its annual profit to be above the 410m it previously forecast. Shares rose 0.5 per cent, or 4.5p to 972p. Trustpilot extended its gains a day after the review website reported a sharp jump in revenues and bookings. Shares, which soared 12 per cent on Thursday, added 2.1 per cent, or 3.5p, to 167p. Mining firm Yellow Cake traded higher after uranium prices hit a 15-year high following supply constraints. The stock gained 5.8 per cent, or 38p, to 697p. A small and mid-cap investor in London-listed firms such as THG, TheWorks and Angling Direct wants to raise fresh funds by issuing new shares. Kelso Group, which was set up in 2022 to 'unlock value in the UK stock market', has proposed placing nearly 63m shares at 3p. But this represents a 10 per cent discount to the previous day's price. Shares sank 3.6 per cent, or 0.1p, to 3.2p. Manchester-based tech group Nanoco has signed an agreement with a European electronics customer. As part of the two-year scheme, it will work with ST to develop a new product. Shares increased 3.1 per cent, or 0.6p, to 19.6p. A mother has opened up about how the online world affected her daughter's mental health, which led to her getting rid of her smartphone. Lucy Smith, 52, from Bristol, has seen firsthand how the online world can impact young people, as it fuelled her daughter's depression and restricted eating. Freya, not her real name, got a mobile phone from her parents at around eight years old and she got into filming and uploading videos onto her YouTube channel. She racked up thousands of followers and views by showing the internet her toy collection and showing her subscribers tours of her nursery. 'She even earned money from it. We helped her do that, Me and her dad, we actually helped her to create her YouTube channel, we monitored all the comments,' Lucy told MailOnline. 'We helped to upload content and those kinds of things. But she learned all those [skills] like creating videos and editing. It was all an extension of things that we thought she enjoyed and wanted to do. Lucy Smith, 52, from Bristol, (pictured) has seen firsthand how the online world can impact young people, as it fuelled her daughter's depression and restricted eating 'It was age appropriate stuff, because it was dolls and nurseries and she would do things like my nursery tour and it would be all about the dolls she had. It was things that other kids were clicking on.' Freya, who is now 17 years old, stopped making YouTube videos at 11 years old, which was around the time she was diagnosed as autistic. 'We had quite significant mental health challenges and [Freya] didn't want to be alive. So we had and number of years of trying to cope with [her] not wanting to be alive and not wanting to be part of a world,' Lucy said. READ MORE: Children should be allowed to use mobile phones after they turn 11 and the internet unsupervised at 12, parents say Advertisement The mother-of-two said it was a 'distressing' time for her, adding: 'My purpose in life became to keep her alive.' Lucy's son had also been diagnosed as autistic around the same time, and she said he was also feeling 'very sad'. 'We had a whole family of people who didn't want to be alive. That can be really hard and you just fight and you just get up each day and you look after them when they need looking after. You find strategies and ways to support to get them to where we want them to be.' Freya still had a phone and was still engaging with content online, some of which was harmful to her mental health. 'She was still online but not interacting with lots of other people at the same time. She was very, very depressed. She's written about [how] social media algorithms send you get darker and darker,' Lucy said. 'She was restrictive eating, she was exercising excessively, she was doing so many things.' 'She'd be looking at things that fuel depression or just scrolling all day long. She would look up how many calories there are in 10 grapes. There was restrictive eating, there was a lack of communication with other people, all of those things were happening.' Freya's mental health had declined so drastically by the time she was 15, that she told her mother that she did not want her phone anymore and ordered her to take it away. 'She said "take it away, I don't want it. I want a brick phone. Give me a Nokia brick",' Lucy said. Freya found that as soon as she stopped using her smartphone, she found out things about herself that she never realised before, as she was stuck in an endless cycle of scrolling online. She enjoys making her own clothing, journalling and doing arts and crafts - activities that she never realised she enjoyed until she ditched social media. 'I'd say to her now "God you're really self-aware, you're really mature in what you're saying." And she says "Mum, when you don't have social media, you've got a lot of time to think about yourself and you've got a lot of time to do lots of other things",' the mother added. About a year ago, Freya bought herself a second-hand smartphone as she needed to access her college course, but she then sold it to her brother. Freya would look up content online that would fuel her restrictive eating and depression (stock image) Lucy works for an organisation called Digital Safety Community Interest Company, who discuss the impact of smartphones on the mental health and development of young people 'She said "I don't want it anymore, I'll go back to using my Nokia, I don't need it, I don't want it.",' Lucy said. 'She still uses an iPad and accesses the apps but what she's done is get rid of everything and intentionally uses things that make sense to her and help her with her life, education or the things that she wants to achieve.' Lucy works for an organisation called Digital Safety Community Interest Company, who discuss the impact of smartphones on the mental health and development of young people. But also runs her own company called Inclusive Change, which aims to help people understand neurodiversity. 'There's a tonne of people out there who just aren't aware of how their mental health, their neurodiversity affects them and how they're being impacted by the big corporates and people out there who are trying to get our attention because it brings in advertising and money. 'There are loads of parents who email me saying "Please help me my kids are stuck in the house. My kids can't get out. My kids are really sad" all of those kinds of things. I get that all the time.' Lucy was recognised by Rishi Sunak for the organisation's work and met with the PM at 10 Downing Street earlier this year, alongside her husband and Jack Lopresti, the MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke. The Digital Safety Community Interest Company hosted a conference in September that focused on suicide prevention and will have another in 2024 to further discuss the impact of smartphones. Lucy believes that educating people on the online world is important to help influence them to make good choices. 'From the age of nine you've got something in your hand that will expose a young child to pornography, racism, homophobia, misogyny, all of those things that nine year olds and 10 year olds are not yet mentally mature enough to be able to cope with,' she said. 'They shouldn't have to be exposed to these things, but they are and we can't put the genie back in the bottle. That's not going to happen. But one of the things that we need to do is support parents and young people to make choices about their use of smartphones.' The Online Safety Bill received Royal Assent in October and has become law, meaning that legal responsibility will be put on tech companies to prevent and remove illegal content such as terrorism and revenge pornography. Companies will also have to stop children from seeing harmful material such as bullying, pornography and content that promotes self-harm and eating disorders. If they fail to follow the rules, they could face hefty fines and even prison sentences. When the bill became law, Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: 'Today will go down as a historic moment that ensures the online safety of British society not only now, but for decades to come. 'I am immensely proud of the work that has gone into the Online Safety Act from its very inception to it becoming law today. The Bill protects free speech, empowers adults and will ensure that platforms remove illegal content. 'At the heart of this Bill, however, is the protection of children. I would like to thank the campaigners, parliamentarians, survivors of abuse and charities that have worked tirelessly, not only to get this Act over the finishing line, but to ensure that it will make the UK the safest place to be online in the world.' If you need to speak to someone about an eating disorder, you can contact BEAT for free on: England Helpline: 0808 801 0677 Scotland Helpline: 0808 801 0432 Wales Helpline: 0808 801 0433 Northern Ireland Helpline: 0808 801 0434 You can also contact the Samaritans for 27/4 free support on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org On October 7 2023, Hamas launched a bloody incursion into southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking some 240 hostage. In the weeks that have followed, Israel's military has responded with an unprecedented military campaign in Gaza, displacing some 90 per cent of the population and killing more than 20,000. The violence has provoked strong international reactions, many urging a ceasefire to limit casualties and allow aid to reach the places it is needed most. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators world over have repeatedly called for a humanitarian pause, while foreign governments urge care and restraint as the Israel Defense Forces wade through residential areas of Gaza to recover hostages and depose Hamas' leaders. In Israel, too, families of hostages have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet to ensure the safe return of loved ones through negotiation with Hamas. Campaigners cite recent accounts of abuse, beatings and rape from civilians returning to Israel, as IDF troops continue to report back new challenges in finding and safely returning Israeli captives. Still, there is no clear path for de-escalation. Both sides have much to lose from the wrong deal, and their demands fluctuate with the changing state of the war. Israel has the larger military but faces mounting unrest among its allies and citizens. Hamas has large support in Gaza but a weaker conventional fighting force and a decimated population. As the war rages on with no immediate end in sight, experts spoke to MailOnline about the future of Gaza, Israel and conflict in the Middle East. The grandfather of a Palestinian girl killed in an Israeli airstrike kisses her head at a hospital in Rafah in the southern of Gaza Strip, on October 19 Israeli police officers evacuate a family from a site hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, amid Hamas' October 7 assault on southern Israel An IDF soldier stands at the scene where Israeli citizens Itay and Hadar Berdichevsky, both 30, died trying to save the lives of their 10-month-old twins in their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza after armed members of Hamas broke in on October 7 Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Saturday, December 16, 2023 Palestinians check a half destroyed building following Israeli bombardment on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 15, 2023 Israeli army Merkava battle tanks deploy along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on October 13, 2023 Israeli soldiers organize their equipment near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 4 Scores of hostages were taken into Gaza by Hamas during the initial assault into Israel in October. Hamas soon made demands for political prisoners in Israel to be released in exchange for their safe return. After weeks bombarding the Gaza Strip, Israel agreed terms for the first significant prisoner swap and a humanitarian pause in November that would allow vital aid to reach the beleaguered communities within the Palestinian enclave. Upon their return, hostages recounted the dire conditions they were exposed to in captivity. Some gave chilling accounts of rape, physical beatings and psychological torture, making clear the urgency of returning those remaining through force or negotiation. Crucially, their testimonies also uncovered some of the challenges the IDF faces working inside Gaza: Some returning said Israel's siege had made conditions worse for hostages. One warned her husband had been taken to a tunnel just as the IDF began to explore the possibility of flooding them. READ MORE 100 images that shocked the world: Three weeks after Hamas slaughtered Israeli families, the photographs that illustrate the horrors of their attack and their dreadful consequences Advertisement Israel's military faces a complex and delicate situation operating in Gaza. The accidental killing of three hostages in December, found waving a makeshift white flag and crying 'help' in Hebrew, has exposed the difficulty in operating within dense urban environments. The killing of a Christian mother and child sheltering in a church soon after fueled concerns the campaign at its current pace is unsustainable. On top of this, attacks on container ships in the Red Sea by Hamas-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen has this week seen strikes by US-led coalition forces, drawing the ire of Iran and threatening to escalate the conflict in the southern Levant into a regional war. The revelation of these new challenges has amplified calls for a ceasefire in Gaza - but remains a minority view in Israel as leaders and citizens doubt the prospects of a long-term peace process. Nevertheless, pressure from Israel's allies, experts say, has fundamentally changed the nature of the conflict and what both parties may expect a resolution to look like. 'I think there is a growing realisation among the IDF, among security services and among the public, that the military cannot free these hostages or get these hostages out alive,' explains Dr Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor of Defence Studies at King's College London. 'There is a realisation there is no military way to get them out so that increases the pressure on the government to respond and seek a deal. 'There is a realisation that this kind of operational tempo is not sustainable. It's not sustainable in terms of the casualties that are being generated. The amount of casualties among Palestinian civilians is completely unprecedented, I think, in modern warfare because ultimately [the IDF] can't leave. They're just there.' With US pressure mounting on Israel to scale back the conflict, Hamas has since requested the release of all Palestinian security prisoners in Israel in return for the remaining hostages, while turning down an ambitious proposal by Egypt to end the fighting and move towards a singular Palestinian government that could include Hamas. Where many of those released in the first ceasefire were civilians, the new list will include 'Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists and other high ranking, high profile terrorists', and demands will include 'some sort of permanent ceasefire'. These releases will be harder to justify for an Israeli government tasked with promising its citizens security. But 'Hamas has moved forwards in terms of their demands,' Dr Krieg explains. Hamas is 'realising the IDF is not making the progress that they thought they were making and the IDF is realising that this military solution is going to take years. 'But there is no stomach in the US or domestically to keep this going at the current rate so something has got to give.' Abandoned and torched vehicles at the site of the October 7 attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Reim in the Negev desert in southern Israel A car destroyed in an attack by Hamas is seen in Sderot, Israel, on Saturday, October 7, 2023, amid the first strikes into Israel An overturned pram on a street in Israel is pictured following Hamas' incursion into southern Israel on October 7 Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Saturday, December 16, 2023 An aerial view of destroyed buildings following the Israeli airstrikes in Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on October 12 Finding agreeable terms will be the next challenge. For Netanyahu, this means being able to evidence results - in returning the hostages safely and ensuring nothing similar can ever happen again by deposing senior Hamas commanders. Hamas has said it would accept a return to the borders that existed between Palestine and Israel before the Six Day War in 1967. For Israel, this would mean giving up strategic sites including the Golan Heights, from which adversaries could launch future attacks from above, and territories settled by Israelis. Philip Ingram MBE, retired British Army colonel and military intelligence specialist, told MailOnline: 'Any long term solution must be a two-state solution but what that would look like is almost anyone's guess. A certainty would be Israel handing over what is currently formally Israeli territory and this will almost certainly include the West Bank and there would have to be some for of joint arrangement around Jerusalem. 'A sticking point would be access to the sea and how you would link the West Bank to that with security guarantees.' Long-term security is challenged by neighbouring Arab states and Iran vying for influence in the region, as well as the new security challenges independent Palestinian statehood could bring, suggests Mr Ingram. 'Iran continues to stir from all directions and shows no sign of backing down. Worryingly we are seeing increasing cooperation between Iran, Russia and North Korea which brings yet another level of complexity to what is already a multi-dimensional game of chess.' Still, foreign onlookers recognise that further escalation is in nobody's interests. Dr Tobias Borck, researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, told MailOnline: 'I think we can say by now with relative confidence that there isn't an actor in the Middle East that wants this to turn into a big regional war. 'However, just because there is no one with the strategy for regional escalation, doesn't mean that there won't be regional escalation, because I think the risk of something going wrong compounds the longer this goes on. The main 'flashpoints' for escalation, Dr Borck says, are in the Red Sea, where the Houthi attacks on trade vessels risks bringing the US and UK into more direct action against Iranian proxies in Yemen, in Lebanon, where evacuated civilians risk involvement in clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, and rising violence in the West Bank. Still, many Israeli voices urge that the political forces representing Palestine are so fundamentally opposed to Israel, there is no way to successfully de-escalate and make a deal with the current administration without achieving strategic victory. Caroline Glick, host of the Caroline Glick Show, told MailOnline: 'The obstacle to negotiating a peace deal, the reason that peace is unachievable, is because all political forces in Palestinian society support and seek the annihilation of the Jewish state and the Jewish people. 'There is no constituency in Palestinian society that is willing to peacefully coexist with Israel... The conflict cannot be resolved so long as this remains the situation in Palestinian society. 'The only way that anyone in Palestinian society may one day reconsider this view is if they are defeated so completely and comprehensively that they retain no hope whatsoever of destroying Israel. 'The only way there will ever be a possibility of peace is if the international community makes clear that the Palestinians will receive no further support from anyone so long as they embrace jihad and genocide as the animating features of their society.' Ms Glick is a former IDF captain and senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington. Israeli soldiers sit in an infantry-fighting vehicle deployed at a position along the border with the Gaza Strip and southern Israel on December 27, 2023 Israeli soldiers carry the coffin of Israeli IDF soldier, Elisha Yehonatan Lober, during his funeral in Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, 27 December 2023 Relatives and family mourn as Israeli soldiers carry the coffin of Israeli IDF soldier, Elisha Yehonatan Lober, during his funeral in Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem An aerial view of burial of the 80 Palestinians who died in Israeli attacks, to a mass grave at Tel al-Sultan Cemetery in Rafah, Gaza on December 26, 2023 A general view of the Khalifa Bin Zayed School, destroyed following the Israeli attacks, in Beit Lahia, Gaza on December 26, 2023 In any outcome, Israel's leaders will look to ensure that Israel retains full control over security and that no future movement in Gaza can again acquire the means for an attack on the scale of October 7. 'With all the different solutions that are being thrown around at the moment... it is very clear that Israel will not surrender the security side of the story to a third party,' adds Dr Krieg. 'A scenario whereby a new authority in Gaza would have control over all elements of statecraft, governance and security... That's not going to happen.' What were the Oslo Accords? The Oslo Accords were a pair of agreements signed in 1993 and 1995 between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, a body internationally recognised as the official representative of the Palestinian people seeking Arab statehood in occupied Palestinian territories. The Accords began a peace process aimed at fulfilling the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and led to the creation of the Palestinian National Authority - a new body tasked with helping govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Negotiators came close to creating a deal enshrined in law that would create two separate states and appease both the Palestinians and the Israelis - but issues over land and the right of refugees who fled Palestine to return became sticking points. PLO chief and Fatah founder Yasser Arafat had accepted the premise of a two state solution in 1988 but pulled out of a deal in 2000. That year, Palestinians expelled all Israelis from the Gaza Strip in the Second Intifada - but Fatah steadily lost support with accusations of corruption. Hamas ousted Fatah in the Battle of Gaza after campaigning as a more viable alternative in the 2006 legislative elections. Advertisement Still, Netanyahu has been careful with his words so far. On November 6, the Prime Minister told ABC that he believed Israel would 'for an indefinite period have the overall security responsibility [over Gaza] because we've seen what happens when we don't have it'. 'When we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn't imagine,' he said. But this does not necessarily suggest a reoccupation, experts say, even as some elements of his government on the far-right call for it. 'I don't think that's a feasible solution because not only is the Arab League against it, I think the European Union is against it and the US is against it as well,' says Dr Krieg. 'I don't see that Israel would push this forward - at least in the short term.' Still, a partial occupation now could develop into a more mid-to-long-term status quo later on, experts say - something Hamas will be wary of as the conflict rages on, looking to the West Bank. To Gaza's east, three zones, A, B and C, were set up during the Oslo Accords while negotiations were held. When talks broke down, the zones 'became the permanent solution - and that's 30 years in the making'. Since then, Israel has built settlements in B and C, particularly in C Zone, 'which now makes statehood for Palestine - based on the current status quo - impossible,' says Dr Krieg. From the Israeli perspective, 'the fear is if the IDF doesn't have an exit route - and they don't have an exit strategy at the moment, a political exit strategy - that the IDF might just stay [in Gaza].' 'That would then create resentment across all factions within Palestine, it would cause resentment in the Arab world, and global public opinion has already shifted against Israel... So the optics on this are extremely sensitive and obviously Palestinians - whether it's Hamas or not - will turn against any sort of permanent presence, or even mid-term presence of the IDF in the territory.' Dr Borck added 'I think the conclusion that the Israeli government has drawn from October 7 is that there was simply too much space to operate for a group like Hamas and that can't be; that has to be disrupted in the future. 'My understanding is that where things are headed under the current leadership is towards a sort of re-occupation of Gaza but by a different name. I think the model that is being put on Gaza is essentially the West Bank. 'It's about carving up the rest of the Gaza Strip with the idea of maintaining overall security control. I think what that means is maintaining presences in the non-populated areas of Gaza... with the ability to go in and out of Palestinian communities a bit like [Israel] does in the West Bank.' Dr Borck added that October 7 'showed how unsustainable all of these temporary-turned-permanent solutions', as in the West Bank, are, but warns political change is unlikely so long as 'the architects of the current status quo' including Benjamin Netanyahu remain in power. But with only 15 per cent of Israelis wanting Netanyahu to stay in power after the war, many outraged October 7 was able to happen under his leadership, the end of the conflict may bring about political change, new ideas and new solutions - if parties on both sides are willing to open discussions. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant outlined proposals for the future governance of Gaza in early January, detailing plans for limited Palestinian rule in the territory with Israel retaining overall security control. Others have suggested a UN-brokered process with multiple stakeholders guarding the Gaza Strip and Arab states taking over 'some sort of mentoring role', says Dr Krieg. Under a UN-brokered mandate or a UN-Arab League mandate, Israel would have some say in decision-making in Gaza and reserve the right to intervene 'wherever necessary to push back against armed groups'. And still, some call for the return of the Palestinian Authority from the West Bank as an interim government. But the PA 'is not about to ride into Gaza on the back of Israeli tanks,' notes Dr Borck, suggesting 'that would be the political end for an organisation that's already politically half dead'. Three zones, A, B and C, were set up during the Oslo Accords while negotiations were held. When talks broke down, the zones 'became the permanent solution - and that's 30 years in the making', says Dr Krieg An Israeli soldier secures a tunnel underneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, November 22 Civil defense teams and Palestinians carry out search and rescue operations in the rubble of the buildings destroyed in an attack in Rafah, December 19 An injured man bids farewell to the body of his son as they lie in a hospital, in the aftermath of overnight Israeli bombardment, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on December 19, 2023 Wounded Palestinian children lay at the al-Shifa hospital, following Israeli airstrikes, in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, October 17. Around 3,000 people were reported to have been killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, the health ministry in Gaza that day If Hamas is ultimately displaced from power, factions in the region will wrestle with the challenge of filling the space. Experts warn this could result in a 'terrible' humanitarian situation for the Palestinians and open new security threats for Israel. 'If you remove Hamas and Hamas security infrastructure and governance infrastructure in Gaza you are left with a vacuum,' Dr Krieg says. 'And we are seeing that in some areas [already]. We have looting, people acting out because there is effectively no police, no law enforcement. 'It would be a very terrible situation if the IDF just retreated to a forward-operating base and then left the rest of the population in a completely destroyed country with no infrastructure, humanitarian crises and no government structure in place.' Some two million Palestinians living in Gaza have been internally displaced as of January 2023. In October, civilians were ordered to evacuate the north ahead of Israeli bombardment. In December, similar orders followed in the south and later the centre. Few have homes left to return to. The borders are closed with rare exceptions. Gaza's neighbours are unlikely to be willing to take in a large population of refugees post-war from precedent of international attacks. In this environment, deprived of leadership and vital infrastructure, radical forces may look to exploit the power vacuum in Gaza, as experienced in Iraq. The Washington Institute - a pro-Israel think tank - warned in November that if Israel continues its campaign without an exit strategy, chaos may become the new order. 'Criminal mobs, the rise of warlords or dominance of powerful clans, poverty, famine, diseases, the radicalisation of a resentful and beaten population... would present enormous security, geopolitical, humanitarian, and international challenges. As such, rebuilding an administrative infrastructure for Gaza should be an immediate priority.' Some 50,000 workers are employed in various public sector roles in Gaza. Their fate is unclear. But if Israel is to avoid the mistakes of America's 'De-Ba'athification' of Iraq, it must be careful with how it interacts with Gaza's most fundamental institutions, experts warn. 'In Iraq... there was not enough planning for the day after,' says Dr Borck. 'And here we have the same problem... Hamas is not going to be destroyed; it will continue to exist. But who takes over in Gaza? Who somehow provides a modicum of security, who picks up the rubbish, who hands out enough food for people not to starve? No one has an answer for that yet.' In his plan for a post-war Gaza, Gallant 'argues that the Palestinians should run themselves. But who these people are that are supposed to run themselves is very unclear,' Dr Borck adds. Presented with these challenges, the United States has left open the possibility of Hamas staying in power after the conflict. While it remains 'clear on its position' on Hamas - designated a terrorist organisation - 'Palestinians' voices and aspirations must be at the centre of post-crisis governance in Gaza,' a US government spokesperson told JNS in December. Winning support for regime change in Gaza is no small task. A survey of Palestinians in both territories in November found 63 per cent believed 'armed struggle' to be the most effective strategy for attaining independence - a ten per cent hike in three months. Only 13 per cent favoured non-violent protest and 20 per cent negotiations with Israel. Support for Hamas spikes during times of conflict and falls during peacetime, pollsters say. But Israel's current approach to Gaza 'doesn't understand the lesson here,' argues Yousef Munayyer, a senior fellow and head of the Palestine/Israel Program at the Arab Center in Washington. 'You cannot kill people into liking you. Until you sort of grasp that its impossible to break out of this unending pattern of bloodshed,' he told NBC. On the other side, Israeli sympathy for the Palestinian position has declined since the massacre of civilians in October. Support for a two-state solution among all Israelis, including Jews and Arabs, is now at its lowest since the start of the Oslo process. And despite occasional protests, only 1.8 per cent of Israelis today believe the IDF is using too much force in Gaza. The narrative around the war is further complicated by access to information. While nearly 80 per cent of Palestinians oppose the killing of Israeli civilians and the taking of hostages, 85 per cent say they have not seen footage of Hamas' atrocities against civilians on October 7 - not helped by the cutting off of internet access to Gaza. A journalist for Israeli outlet Haaretz also claimed in December Israelis were not being exposed to the 'horrifying' scenes in Gaza, making it 'much easier' for people to support the continuation of the conflict without 'critique' or 'question marks'. These challenges are among many Israelis and Gazans will have to contend with as they look to restore enough trust to build a lasting peace process. Israeli activists protest against the war and call for cease fire on December 26, 2023 in Tel Aviv Wounded Palestinians arrive to al-Shifa hospital, following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, October 16 Ruaa Hassouna plays music for Palestinian children in an activity designed to cheer them up amid continuing battles between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, December 18, 2023 A pro-Palestinian supporter wears and waves Palestinian flags along Vienna's famous Mariahilfer shopping street, decorated with the Christmas lights, on December 21, 2023 People use bullhorns as they protest following an announcement by Israel's military that they had mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages, in Tel Aviv, Israel, December 15, 2023 An Israeli flag covered in red paint as relatives and supporters of hostages held by Palestinian militants demonstrate outside the Israeli ministry of defence in Tel Aviv on December 15, 2023 For millennia, local factions have fought for self-determination and control of strategic and culturally significant parts of the southern Levant. Identities have been forged and forgotten in conflicts between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. Hamas capitalised on the perceived corruption and failure of past administrations to guarantee Palestinians freedom, security and autonomy. With or without them, Gazans will continue to seek independence and the right of return of friends and family displaced by massacres and settlements over decades of conflict. Israelis were shocked that in spite of their country's world-leading security and intelligence outfits, the brutal massacre of civilians on October 7 was possible. A resurgence of anti-Semitic attacks in Europe and the United States has once more brought into focus the threats facing Jewish people worldwide in the 21st century. Interest groups on Israel's borders threaten to disturb the status quo as intense negotiations continue around the future of the region. Peace in the southern Levant faces many obstacles. But as calls for a ceasefire grow louder on both sides, it is becoming clearer that sustaining the violence is untenable. They have brought decades of bloodshed to Italian streets, terrorised civilians and corrupted politicians with brutal murder and torture being their tactics of choice. But when more than 200 mafia gangsters were brought to justice in a historic mega trial last year there were hopes for a new dawn in a country blighted by the underworld. The landmark trial and resulting convictions were an 'important step' to rid Italy of the mafia, said Laura Garavini, a former Italian senator who spent several years of her career on the government's anti-mafia committee. She told MailOnline 'it is possible' to have a mafia-free Italy, and that she is optimistic this could be achieved within the next 20 or 30 years if her country 'continues to fight against organised crime like it has over the last decade'. 'The mafia has been created by people and, as other man-made things, can be brought to an end,' she added. Lawyers wait for the reading of the verdict during the maxi mafia 'Scott Rebirth' trial, in Lamezia Terme on November 20, 2023 Aftermath of a car bomb in Limbadi in 2018 that killed Matteo Vinci. The 'Ndrangheta mafia was linked to the bomb The landmark trial and the resulting convictions were an 'important step' to rid the country of the mafia, said Laura Garavini (pictured), a former Italian senator who spent several years of her career on the government's anti-mafia committee Referring to the success in undermining the Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafia, she explained how criminal prosecution, better legislation and the cultural reaction of the public have contributed to 'important progress' against organised crime. Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was considered the 'last godfather' of the Cosa Nostra, was finally captured in January last year after 30 years on the run and died of colon cancer just eight months later. The Cosa Nostra were a powerful player in Sicily until a 'maxi-trial' saw 338 mafiosi convicted in 1987 and pushed Messina Denaro to go into hiding. The success of the trial fired on hopes that his could be achieved again after the recent mega-trial against 'Ndrangheta mobsters, based in Calabria. 'This is proof that you can successfully fight against organised crime and win. Other groups like 'Ndrangheta, Camorra or Sacra Corona Unita are still really active, so it is necessary to not give up. But the goal? It's achievable.' Ms Garavini was among Italian MPs calling for the introduction of an anti-mafia code for candidates standing in elections in 2010. Despite her optimism about winning the fight against organised crime, she warned in an interview with German magazine Spiegel that 'we are still very far from a final blow against the mafia'. 'The trials alone won't be enough, even though they are very important to break up those structures [in mafia groups]. 'History shows that even from inside a prison, mafia bosses can still exert their power, therefore trials alone won't suffice. 'What is also valuable and necessary is a cultural revolution within the population, which was very successful in Sicily. One has to show that the mafia's power over people can be broken when victims speak out.' Professor Frederico Varese, who teaches criminology at the University of Oxford, has written extensively about organised crime and mafia associations. He agrees with Ms Garavini that 'it is certainly possible' to have a mafia-free Italy, but said 'the question is how not when'. Anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, who was assassinated in 1992 on the orders of Messina Denaro, said the mafia was a social phenomenon - a definition that is still in use now. 'Like social phenomena can emerge and thrive, they can also end,' Mr Varese told MailOnline. 'The policy to arrest these people is of course very important, but if you do not tackle the social, political and economic reasons why the mafia existed, you would have new people coming up. 'It's not enough. What we should do is to regenerate the trust between the people of southern Italy, Sicily and Calabria in particular with the Italian state. Matteo Messina Denaro, Italy's most wanted Mafia boss who had been on the run for 30 years, was arrested in January 2023. Pictured: A mugshot of Messina Denaro (left) and being led away by police officers (right) Messina Denaro was sentenced in absentia to a life term for his role in 1992 in the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Pictured: The scene of the murder of Falcone in Palermo, Sicily, in 1992 Anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone (pictured), who was assassinated in 1992 on the orders of Messina Denaro, said the mafia was a social phenomenon - a definition that is still in use now 'The problem is that the Italian state is not working. It is bankrupt and inefficient. On average, it takes 12 years for a civil dispute to be settled.' With the mafia, this was much quicker, and therefore 'there is a strong incentive for people to use the mafia to settle everyday disputes'. Mr Varese said: 'Until the states really performs that function, and it is not performed by an alternative, illegal organisation like the mafia, then I don't think we will ever settle.' 'We think of the mafia as a criminal organisation, but it's really a form of extralegal governance. They govern relationships in the territory; economic, political and also social relationships. 'They get their strength from this governance function... Until the state governs instead of the mafia, they will always be there.' However, other experts have little faith that the mafia could ever truly be eradicated. Professor Dr Anna Sergi from the Sociology Department at the University of Essex told MailOnline: 'You can maim and destroy mafia associations or mafia groups with all the convictions but you won't get rid of mafia behaviours as these are very human behaviours that exist everywhere and will tend to re-organise.' She explained that an important factor in the fight against the mafia and organised crime were behaviours like intimidation or a quest for power. 'Until there are weaknesses in society and until there is capitalism as economic policy and politics we will have mafia-type phenomena,' she added. 'At best we can try and make mafia-type organisations less active for a short while, but I am afraid I do not share the optimism - perhaps because I come from Calabria and I see that before fighting mafia groups and behaviours you need to fix society's inequalities and hunger/anger in the population.' In southern Vibo Valentia, where the more than 200 mafiosi were convicted and sentenced last November, the president of the court, Brigida Cavasino, read out the names of the guilty and their sentences for over an hour and a half. The sentences ranged from 30 years to a few months, as defendants incarcerated in prisons across the country watched via video link. Prosecutors had asked for guilty verdicts against 322 mafia members operating in the Calabrian province and their white-collar collaborators, requesting 30 years for a dozen of the 'Ndrangheta's most seasoned decision-makers including those who go by the nicknames 'The Wolf', 'Fatty' and 'Sweetie'. Officials listen as the president of the court judge Brigida Cavasino, center, flanked by judges Claudia Caputo, left, and Germana Radice, reads the verdicts of the maxi-trial An image grabbed from a video handout by the press office of the Italian Carabinieri Police Forces on December 19, 2019 shows an undated meeting of bosses of the southern 'Ndrangheta mafia But just 200 were convicted and sentenced and only four top members received the maximum penalty. The remainder were either formally or effectively acquitted. One of the trial's most high-profile defendants, 70-year-old former parliamentarian and defence lawyer Giancarlo Pittelli, accused of being a fixer for the mafia, received 11 years, short of the 17 years prosecutors requested. A few dozen family members sat in the back of the vast, narrow courtroom, squinting at the television screens for a glimpse of their loved ones, and occasionally crying out with joy over a light sentence. The verdicts - which can be appealed twice - capped Italy's largest mafia trial in decades and mark the most significant blow to date against one of the world's most powerful organised crime syndicates, which enjoys a near-monopoly on the European cocaine trade. Ms Garavini said while the landmark trial and its success was focused on a small area, it achieved that a province that 'was tightly in the hands of the 'Ndrangheta for decades' has been freed of these constraints. 'Even though it's a locally-focused success, it is still very important,' she added. Mr Varese also praised the prosecutions as 'very successful', adding: 'They have had a real effect in reducing [the mafias'] power.' The mega trial started almost three years ago inside an ultra-secure bunker courtroom in the southern region of Calabria, where the powerful 'Ndrangheta organisation was originally based. This picture shows some of the weapons and ammunitions seized by the Italian Police as part of a swoop against the southern 'Ndrangheta mafia from Vibo Valentia This July 19, 1992 file photo shows the scene of a car bomb that killed Sicily's top anti-Mafia investigator Paolo Borsellino and his bodyguards Among those accused in the mega trial were the alleged accomplices of Mafia boss Luigi Mancuso (pictured), known as 'The Uncle', who have a host of nicknames including 'The Wolf', 'Fatty', 'Sweetie', 'Blondie', 'Little Goat' and 'The Wringer'. Mancuso, 69, was cut from the defendants list in 2022 to be tried separately Since then, the court of Vibo Valentia has heard thousands of hours of testimony, including from more than 50 former mafia operatives turned state witnesses. The witnesses have detailed countless examples of the 'Ndrangheta's brutality and its stranglehold over the local population, whether carrying out violent ambushes, shaking down business owners, rigging public tenders, stockpiling weapons, collecting votes or passing kickbacks to the powerful. Those who opposed the mafia found dead puppies, dolphins or goat heads dumped on their doorsteps, sledgehammers taken to storefronts or cars torched. Some were murdered, their bodies never found, while others were beaten or fired at. Among the accused are the alleged accomplices of Mafia boss Luigi Mancuso, known as 'The Uncle', who have a host of nicknames including 'The Wolf', 'Fatty', 'Sweetie', 'Blondie', 'Little Goat' and 'The Wringer'. Mancuso, 69, was cut from the defendants list last year to be tried separately. The trial took place in a specially constructed high-security bunker. Part of an industrial park in the city of Lamezia Terme, the bunker is so vast that 20 video screens were anchored to the ceiling so participants could view the proceedings. The mobsters and their white collar collaborators were sentenced for crimes that include drug and arms trafficking, extortion and mafia association, a term in Italy's penal code for members of organized crime groups. Others were charged with acting in complicity with the 'Ndrangheta without actually being a member. The charges grew out of an investigation of 12 clans linked to convicted mafia boss Mancusco, who served 19 years in Italian prison for his role in leading what investigators allege is one of the 'Ndrangheta's most powerful crime families, based in the town of Vibo Valentia. The 'Ndrangheta of Vibo Valentia was entrenched in the local economy, feared by business owners and farmers, and protected by white-collar professionals and politicians. Indeed, based almost entirely on blood ties, the 'Ndrangheta was substantially immune to turncoats for decades, but the ranks of those turning state's evidence are becoming more substantial. In the current trial, they include a relative of Mancuso's. Several dozen informants in the case came from the 'Ndrangheta, while others formerly belonged to Sicily's Cosa Nostra. The informants - a relatively rare phenomenon within the 'Ndrangheta due to blood ties between members - recounted how weapons were hidden in cemetery chapels and ambulances used to transport drugs, and municipal water supplies diverted to marijuana crops. A view taken on December 15, 2020 in Lamezia Terme, Calabria, shows Italy's Minister of Justice Alfonso Bonafede (fifth from right) touring with officials, police and reporters a new bunker room built for the 'Rinascita-Scott' maxi-trial In this July 19, 1992 file photo, a police officer walks by the charred remains of a car bomb that killed Sicily's top anti-Mafia investigator Paolo Borsellino and his bodyguards Mr Varese analysed: 'This particular trial tackled the bond between father and son. At least six people have been testifying against their own family, so that's a certain step forward in breaking this family bond, because you don't testify against your own family. 'But we are still back to the same problem as before and we have to address them, otherwise it won't be the end of the story.' Hundreds of lawyers and a few dozen members of the media attended the sentencing on Monday in the heavily secured courtroom bunker in the Calabrian city of Lamezia Terme. Also present was Rocco Mangiardi, 67, a local businessman and one of the first to denounce the 'Ndrangheta for extortion before a judge in 2009. Mangiardi, who has lived under police escort ever since, lamented the low turnout for the trial's most important moment. 'This courtroom should be filled with citizens,' he said. 'To show the judges that we're on their side and then to tell the mafiosi with their presence 'We don't want you'.' The 'Ndrangheta organised crime syndicate now holds almost a monopoly on cocaine importation in Europe, according to anti-mafia prosecutors who led the investigation in southern Italy. Officials listen as judges read the verdicts of a maxi-trial of hundreds of people accused of membership in Italy's 'Ndrangheta organised crime syndicate, one of the world's most powerful, extensive and wealthy drug-trafficking groups, in Lamezia Terme An undated file photo shows a view of the Capaci bombing attack site, near the junction of Capaci, Sicily, Italy. The Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafia was behind the attack, which took place on 23 May 1992, killing five people and injuring 23. Among the dead was Italian magistrate Giovanni Falcone and his wife Francesca Morvillo as well their three police escort agents The organisation also has bases in North and South America and is active in Africa, Italian prosecutors maintain, and 'Ndrangheta figures have been arrested in recent years around Europe and in Brazil and Lebanon. Despite the large number of defendants, the trial wasn't Italy's biggest one involving alleged mobsters. In 1986, 475 alleged members of the Sicilian Mafia went on trial in a similarly constructed bunker in Palermo. The proceedings resulted in more than 300 convictions and 19 life sentences. That trial helped reveal many of the brutal methods and murderous strategies of the island's top mob bosses, including sensational killings that bloodied the Palermo area during years of power struggles. In contrast, this trial involving the 'Ndrangheta was aimed at securing convictions and sentences based on alleged acts of collusion among mobsters and local politicians, public officials, businessmen and members of secret lodges to show how deeply rooted the syndicate is in Calabria. 'The relevance (of this trial) is enormous,' Italian lawmaker former anti-mafia chief prosecutor and lawmaker Federico Cafiero De Raho, a former chief anti-mafia prosecutor, said. 'First of all, because every trial against the 'ndrangheta gives a very significant message to the territory, which is not only the Calabrian one, but the national territory.' 'But it has repercussions also at a European and world level, because the 'Ndrangheta is one of the strongest organizations in the world, able to manage the international traffic of narcotics, as well as many other activities,' Cafiero De Raho added. Awash in cocaine trafficking revenues, the 'Ndrangheta has gobbled up hotels, restaurants, pharmacies, car dealerships and other businesses throughout Italy, especially in Rome and the country's affluent north, criminal investigations have revealed. The buying spree spread across Europe as the syndicate sought to launder illicit revenues but also to make 'clean' money by running legitimate businesses, including in the tourism and hospitality sectors, investigators alleged. 'Arrests allow their activities to be halted for a time, but the investigations determine the need for further investigations each time,' Cafiero De Raho said. Messina Denaro was linked to bomb attacks in Florence, Rome and Milan which killed ten people in 1993. The bombs targeted some of Italy's most famous landmarks People arrive at a specially constructed bunker for a hearing of a maxi-trial of hundreds of people accused of membership in Italy's 'Ndrangheta organized crime syndicate, one of the world's most powerful, extensive and wealthy drug-trafficking groups, in Lamezia Terme, southern Italy Mafia experts estimated that the 'Ndrangheta, made up of approximately 150 Calabrian families and their associates, bring in more than 50 billion euros (43 billion) annually around the world from drug trafficking, usury, syphoning public funds and extortion. In Calabria, the 'Ndrangheta has crept into practically all areas of public life, from city hall and hospitals to the courts. But its scope is much wider and the 'Ndrangheta now operates in more than 40 countries, experts say. Relying on frontmen, shell companies and favours from the elite, the 'Ndrangheta reinvests illegal gains in the legitimate economy, cementing its power. For the first time in such trials, the defendants list includes many non-mafia members, including a high-ranking police official, mayors and other public servants and businessmen. Highest-profile is 70-year-old ex-parliamentarian and defence lawyer Giancarlo Pittelli, accused of being a fixer for the mafia and a go-between with the world of politics, finance and illegal Masonic lodges. Welcome to the high stakes game of challenging London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone when your car is compliant but Transport for London disagrees. Imagine a game of poker against a player with infinite resources and the support of a nuclear-armed state behind them against a mere mortal whose only 'crime' is to buy a bucket-list car. Since August 2023 the vast majority of the area within the M25 is covered by the Ultra Low Emissions Zone with digital centurions spying on motorists, their unblinking eye trained upon number plates, automatically sending millions of requests along a digital superhighway to Swansea. Like an Orwellian Santa Claus, TfL determines which of these cars are naughty or nice based on incomplete or incorrect data. The presumption of innocence is conveniently forgotten, abandoned because the digital cameras are in their view, close to infallible. Yet, declaring a system world class and state of the art, does not automatically make it so. Like the unsinkable Titanic, holes soon start to appear when you look a wee bit closer - as tens of thousands of Londoners have found out to their cost. MailOnline journalist Darren Boyle recently purchased a Porsche 986 Boxster The car, pictured, is on a 2002 plate and has a very extensive service history and was bought for less money than a 2013 Ford Fiesta The car, pictured, is capable of 0-60 in around six seconds and has a top speed of 155mph - on its native autobahn, rather than the streets of London In cases where the computer is wrong, the unfortunate car owners are sent a grainy photograph of their number plate and an unflattering image of their pride and joy. In my case a 2002 Porsche Boxster with the quite glorious 2.7-litre flat six Boxer engine producing 220bhp, which I picked up before Christmas for less than 5,000. Over the festive season, while others were sharing tidings of goodwill to all, TfL elves were busy sending me demands for 90 - or 180 if the fine was not paid within 14 days. City Hall would argue that the easiest way of avoiding the fine would be to pay 12.50-a-day every time I wish to use my car. But this is grossly unfair as my car is Ulez compliant. The menacing letter warns that failure to pay will lead to further action, with a rapidly escalating and puritanical range of fines to test the resolve of motorists who have not done anything wrong. Because the car is on a 2002 plate, TfL automatically say it is not up to the applicable Ulez standard, however, Porsche engineers when designing the car in the early 1990s, far exceeded the planned restrictions, future-proofing their vehicles Owners of such cars face a bureaucratic battle to prove that their cars reach the applicable standards - even though the data was available when the cars were imported more than 20 years ago Standing up against the 'computer says no' attitude could be potentially ruinous. It is a multi-million pound racket. Luckily, there is a way to fight back against City Hall and the machine that says no. In my case it is to ask Porsche UK to contact the head office in Stuttgart to find the EWG-Ubereinstimmungsbescheinigung fultig fur vollstandige Fahrzeuge for my car. This is the car's Certificate of Conformity which shows which agreed set of standards it reaches. On page three of the document, Porsche have listed the emissions data, including the crucial NOx reading. This is just below the section marked 'Hochstgeschwindigkeit'. For those that are interested, it's 250km/h. According to TfL's own information: 'The standard for compliance with the Ulez for M1 passenger cars is 0.08g/km NOx. This applies to both petrol and diesel engines and is equivalent to the Euro 4 standard for petrol cars and the Euro 6 standard for diesel cars.' Owners who must prove their cars are compliant must contact the manufacturer to supply the vehicle's Certificate of Compliance - a document which shows details - including emissions data The ULEZ NOx standard for petrol vehicles is a figure of 0.08 - which is substantially higher than the 0.055 figure for the 2002 Porsche Boxster. In fact, the Porsche's engine, despite rolling out of the factory in June 2001, it's NOx figure is within the 0.06 standard for a Euro 6 engine Yet, the figure shown on my own clearly shows the NOx reading is 0.055 - which is even within the 0.06 standard for a Euro 6 petrol car. It wasn't supposed to be this way when the public were first sold the idea of a clean air zone in the heart of the capital. 'The worlds first Ultra Low Emission Zone is an essential measure to help improve air quality in our city, protect the health of Londoners, and lengthen our lead as the greatest city on earth,' announced the Mayor of London, with great fanfare. 'Together we can ensure everyone who lives, works in, or visits our city has the cleanest possible air to breathe.' In a remarkable show of unity, warm words came from Number 10, praising the mayor, with the PM saying: 'I welcome this announcement which is a world first and great news for London, helping to enhance the quality of life and creating opportunities for companies who develop and manufacture this kind of technology.' The date was March 26, 2015 and since then the world has changed. Boris Johnson and David Cameron were lock-step behind the green technology revolution. Almost a decade later that optimism was been replaced by a deep cynicism, recrimination and bitterness. Hundreds of motorists in London could be paying unnecessary ULEZ charges or fines because of incorrect data Initially, Ulez was intended to apply to the area in central London covered by the Congestion Charge, but the lure of additional tax revenue was irresistible for City Hall, so it was expanded to cover an area including the North and South Circular Roads, and since then it has spread to cover the majority of the area inside the M25. TfL argue the restrictions are necessary, especially after the inquest into the death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in 2013. An inquest in June 2021 ruled that the nine year old, who lived 80ft from the South Circular Road in south east London, died partly as a result of pollution. According to figures from Transport for London, within its first full month of operation in September 2023, almost 1.5 million cars a day are filmed by Ulez cameras. TfL does not operate the cameras or deal with the enforcement or appeals process. This has been outsourced to Capita Business Services. The first 10-year contract was awarded on December 13, 2014 for the initial roll out in September 2016. TfL agreed to pay Capita 213,333,333 until the end of the contract in September 2026. They were tasked with 'enforcement operations including IT and other services' to support road user charging schemes and 'potential future road and infrastructure charging schemes'. London's Ulez cameras are operated on TfL's behalf by Capita as part of a 649 million 10-year contract Capita 'will provide and operate support services to include: validating potential contraventions before raising penalty charges for non-compliance'. They are also responsible for running a contact centre that will deal with payments, 'queries, representations and appeals'. A further Business Operations Service Agreement was also awarded on December 11, 2013 - worth a further 426,166,667. In a system that would make the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) - who are responsible for operating the Video Assistant Referee in the Premier League - blush, TfL outsources the appeals process to Capita - who send out the fines in the first place. In an exercise of marking their own homework, they rejected my first six appeals. TfL accepted my certificate of conformity but rejected the submission as I was not in a position to furnish my V5 at that stage. The certificate of conformity shows my car is compliant with the ULEZ limits. They sent the rejection letter on January 5, and used Royal Mail to send the notice from their office in Darlington. That letter arrived in London on January 12. The Royal Mail was this week fined 5.6 million for failing to hit delivery targets for first and second class post. A full week of the time I have to prepare my appeal has been taken by a tardy postal service. TfL said: 'Although we acknowledge the points raised in your representation, in this instance we have decided not to exercise our discretion as we do not consider the mitigation factors present to have given reason to cancel the PCN.' Obviously, I would have sent my V5 certificate to support my appeal, had it not been stuck somewhere on the M4 en-route from the DVLA's headquarters in Swansea and my house in north west London - again courtesy of the Royal Mail. No digital superhighway for the transportation of bits of dead tree. So because the 'computer says no' I have to take a case to London Tribunals Road User Charging Adjudicators - an independent and legally qualified body - rather than a private company seeking to defend a multi-million pound contract. Unfortunately, my situation is far from unique. In response to a Freedom of Information request in September 2023, TfL outlines in extensive detail the emissions limits associated with the ULEZ scheme. In the response they claim: 'The TfL vehicle checker is the most accurate tool for London... it is based on a range of data - not just from the DVLA but also information from the Vehicle Certification Agency and the vehicle manufacturers'. TfL claims there 'may be a tiny number of individual cases of vehicles that will meet emission standards ahead of time'. 'We use data from the DVLA which is updated every four weeks. We then add to that information from vehicle manufacturers and the VCA. That's why it's the most accurate tool available to the Capital and has the details for 50 million vehicles stored on it.' Yet, despite TfL's assurance that the tool is 'the most accurate available', since April 2019, when Ulez was introduced, almost 190,000 ULEZ PCNs have been successfully appealed on the basis of owners taking the risk, standing up against TfL and proving their cars are compliant. TfL suggest this represents a 'tiny number of individual cases', but each case could have cost an innocent motorist 180 - a total liability across the city of more than 20m. Porsche UK said they have a clear policy to assist owners facing TfL Ulez fines. It asks owners to provide photo ID and the car's V5 so they can contact Porsche Germany who will supply the original certificate of conformity which can be used to appeal the PCN. They advise this process can take up to 28 days. A Porsche insider told MailOnline: 'The CoC will be in German, but this is a familiar situation - and should a CoC not be available for any reason, a Technical Data Sheet will be provided. This document is also accepted by TfL.' All Porsche cars supplied since 1997 were originally supplied with a CoC - although this data was not logged by the DVLA - despite being readily available. Unfortunately, my situation is far from unique. There have been many examples of the ULEZ camera system failing and causing unnecessary stress and inconvenience on motorists. In some locations, thousands of motorists have been fined incorrectly because the cameras were pointing the wrong direction out of the zone. READ MORE: Ulez London is the world's worst city for drivers Advertisement In others, the cameras 'misread' a number plate, charging or fining an innocent motorist. In the case of those who may have an automatic payment, they may not notice the cash leaving their accounts. Partab Singh, 35, from Leicester has seen his bank account deducted five times after Ulez cameras operated by Capita on behalf of TfL misread the details of other cars - confusing the digits for those on his private plate. Between October and December, the BMW owner paid Ulez charges for a Renault and a Mercedes-Benz as they had similar - though not identical - number plates. He told MailOnline: 'It's ridiculous, I've never had any issues with that number plate before registering for ULEZ. It makes no sense, why is the newest camera network in Britain also the worst? 'The cameras and technology are in place are clearly not working and fit for purpose. Why do I keep getting charged when I live in Leicester and generally only travel within the Midlands? 'They should not have introduced the system which cost taxpayers millions until it had been tested thoroughly.' In October, almost 1,000 motorists in Harrow, north west London were unjustly fined because the ULEZ camera had been installed pointing the wrong way and was catching drivers skirting outside the zone. Last year, Professor Fraser Sampson, outgoing Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material warned the government that more than two million motorists a day could face fines for Ulez or speeding because of simple ways of gaming Automatic Number recognition cameras or errors with this system. The Tory candidate in the Mayoral election set for May 2, Susan Hall told MailOnline: 'Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion is nothing but a tax grab, which is why even compliant vehicles are being forced to jump through hoops to prove they don't owe him 12.50 per day. 'His own impact assessment found it would do next to nothing to improve air quality, and yet it is hitting families, small businesses and charities that cannot afford to replace their car. 'I will scrap the ULEZ expansion on day one of my Mayoralty, no ifs, no buts.' A TfL spokesperson said: 'We rely on DVLA records supplied by vehicle manufacturers for our road user charging schemes including the ULEZ. It is the responsibility of vehicle owners to ensure that their registered details with the DVLA are complete and up to date. 'If a vehicle owner believes that their vehicle meets the ULEZ standard and want to avoid a charge, they should contact us and provide us with a copy of the vehicle's V5C or non-UK equivalent and a letter from the vehicle manufacturer's homologation department stating the vehicle's Euro standard or a conformity certificate.' TfL confirmed they rely on information supplied by the DVLA to determine whether a car is compliant and routinely reject cars based on age alone, insisting it is up to the owner to prove compliance. They said the 'prevailing standard' 20 years ago was Euro 3 - which had an NOx limit of 0.15 - roughly double the Euro 4 limit of 0.08. 'The ULEZ standard for passenger cars is equivalent to Euro 4 for petrol cars and Euro 6 for diesel cars. Compliance is assessed on the emissions recorded by the DVLA and shown on the V5C document. Only where no data is recorded is an age-based approximation used.' A Native American speaker claimed she purposefully avoids locations that seem to be named 'suspiciously' Maine officials are coming under fire after handing a $132,000 contract to a racial justice group, only for it to conclude with a 30-minute webinar on 'problematic' place names. Taxpayers footed the bill for the lecture as part of the state's employment of non-profit Atlantic Black Box (ABB), which claims to 'engage the public in the collective rewriting of our regional history.' In footage of the webinar this week, ABB founder Meadow Dibble urged attendees to acknowledge suffering caused by 'white settler people' as she rattled off place names Maine residents should feel offended by. The towns of Norway and Mexico were seen as insulting, 'Old Maid Rock' was determined to be sexist, and Maine should be rebranded to 'Dawnland' to represent the Native American Wabanaki tribe's original name, Dibble argued. 'You could say that reading Maine's place names is something like reading a book,' Dibble said. 'And some folks will tell you it's a comedy. But when you read these names through the lens of racial equity, this book can read more like a horror novel.' The seminar also included a Native American representative claiming she researches names of places before travelling and purposefully avoids anywhere sounding 'suspicious.' Atlantic Black Box presented a slide-show on Maine's 'problematic' place names, which came after landing a $132,000 contract with the state to 'reckon with our regions complicity in the slave trade' Meadow Dibble, the founder of Atlantic Black Box, used the presentation to remark on the 'painful histories behind some of these names that normalized white supremacy and violence against BIPOC communities' The woke lecture, first reported by The Maine Wire, reportedly began with Dibble listing her pronouns as 'she/ they' before insisting attendees to re-evaluate 'what is behind the names that are all around us.' Among the names she took objection to included the small island of Nipple, Maine, and the naming of Maine itself, which she felt would be better suited to the Wabanaki tribe's 'Dawnland'. The host then displayed a standard place name sign with the sites replaced with monikers such as 'Land Thief Hill', 'Enslaver Lake' and 'White Supremacy Hill.' Certain place names were also deemed to 'objectify or denigrate women, sexualize the landscape or play on tropes of loose women and witches' - with 'Old Maid Rock' seen as particularly troubling. Dibble added that 'that is a topic that deserves its own presentation', potentially after another taxpayer-funded contract. She continued: 'Once we know what is behind the names that are all around us, once we can see what lies behind the facade, the question we have to ask ourselves is are we as eager to continue honoring them. 'Many Wabanaki elders, of course, and many of the knowledge keepers in Maine's multi-generational black families are aware of the painful histories behind some of these names that normalized white supremacy and violence against BIPOC communities. 'And we know that repeated constant exposure does harm.' The webinar called for the end of alphanumeric codes being used for certain sites in Northern Maine, as they were determined to only be named for 'resource exploitation.' 'Maine is full of the soulless quantifiers that have served to parcel out land to timber barons. And I just want to contrast those numerical names designed to facilitate resource extraction with Dawnland,' said Dibble. The small island of Nipple, Maine (pictured) reportedly came under fire in the woke presenation "When you read these names through the lens of racial equity, this book can read more like a horror novel." Maine taxpayers are paying for this... Our story:https://t.co/JBZDDi9iBW pic.twitter.com/F4eDwLJZPA The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) January 6, 2024 Dibble also took issue with Maine counties named after America's Founding Fathers, including Washington, Hancock and Franklin Counties. 'Franklin County was named after founder Benjamin Franklin, who was an active participant in the slave trade and an enslaver before becoming an abolitionist,' she said. The webinar was reportedly the final result of ABB's $132,000 contract with the state, which Maine says on its government website is intended to 'take up the critical work of researching and reckoning with our regions complicity in the slave trade.' The slide-show presentation then saw others step in to recount their struggle with Maine's place names, with Maine State Geologist Steve Dickson noting that he has to use 'offensive' maps in his work that reflect old sites before they were re-named. Native American activist and member of the federal Wilderness Society Jessica Lambert also spoke out about the direct harm the 'offensive' names have on her, as she claims to find herself unable to travel to certain places. 'When you change the name from one that's honoring into one that is denigrating people, that is racist, that is derogatory, you're changing that space,' Lambert said. Native American activist and member of the federal Wilderness Society Jessica Lambert (pictured) spoke out about the direct harm the 'offensive' names have on her, saying 'a lot of times I'll be looking on Google Maps and see like a name that Im like, thats suspicious' A woman on the taxpayer-funded "Problematic Place Name" panel claimed that she looks up places on Google Maps before traveling there, and won't visit if a name is "suspicious." Read more:https://t.co/JBZDDi8KMo pic.twitter.com/A4Yp1oF0KK The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) January 8, 2024 'You're tipping the balances of power, and I know that being an Indigenous person and going out a lot of times I'll be looking on Google Maps and see like a name that Im like, thats suspicious or oh, thats derogatory. 'And I dont want to go there. I dont feel comfortable going there.' The webinar reportedly concluded with a discussion on a piece of upcoming state legislation that would establish a State Names Authority, a move to replace names of sites the committee determines are insulting. The bill, which is up for a vote on January 23, would also mandate that going forward, members of the State Names Authority must include a black person and a Native American person. A fledgling clothing company in Maine is in the spotlight for sticking to its die-hard 'Made in the USA' commitment in the age of globalization. American Roots, founded by husband-and-wife team Ben and Whitney Waxman in 2013, is the subject of a new book out this week from author Rachel Slade, titled 'Making It in America'. Subtitled 'The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the USA (And How It Got That Way)' the book documents the vexing challenges faced by American companies that try to keep their production in the US, instead of finding cheaper labor overseas. Not only does American Roots source all of its materials domestically, its factory in the Maine town of Westbrook is fully unionized at the insistence of its owners. Ben, a former union organizer for the AFL-CIO, and his wife insisted from the start that their workers earn a living wage with vacation time and other benefits, Slade wrote in a recent New York Times guest essay. Husband-and-wife team Ben and Whitney Waxman founded American Roots clothing company in 2013, in a bid to revive Maine's defunct textile industry The company make casual and outdoor wear including hoodies, fleeces and tees 'Our company's economic philosophy is 'Profit over greed,'' Ben told Slade. 'We have to make a profit, but it will never be at the expense of our workers, our values or our products.' After working for the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of unions, for more than a decade, Ben moved with Whitney back to Maine, where he grew up. Maine was once a center of textile production, but the industry saw a steady decline in the second half of the 20th century, and was all but killed off by free trade deals including NAFTA in the 1990s. In fact, Ben's own mother Dory Waxman had once owned a small woolen goods company, until mills in Maine began closing and she was unable to buy materials locally. Against all odds, Ben and Whitney decided to do their part to revive Maine's textile industry and founded American Roots together. 'The idea was simple create American-made products, and sell to the growing number of people who value ethics, quality, and American sourcing and manufacturing,' they recalled on their company website. Finding and training workers was a major challenge, and with Dory's help the Waxmans organized a training program for stitchers, now known as Common Threads of Maine. Against all odds, Ben and Whitney decided to do their part to revive Maine's textile industry and founded American Roots together Many of the company's workers are recent immigrants from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Angola The Waxmans say that sourcing American-made components including fabrics, zippers, drawstrings and buttons is a constant challenge The training program helped produce workers with the right skills and training for American Roots and other Maine companies. Many of the company's workers are recent immigrants from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Angola, after they fled dangerous circumstances at home to build a new life in America. The author Slade followed the Waxmans during the pandemic, when the company temporarily switched to manufacturing masks and face shields to stay afloat. The company tripled its annual revenue to $3.6 million in 2020, and booked sales of $2 million in 2021 and $3 million in 2022, according to Slade. The Waxmans say that sourcing American-made components including fabrics, zippers, drawstrings and buttons is a constant challenge, but they remain committed to a 100 percent American product. American Roots products do reflect the higher costs of ethical labor practices and domestic sourcing, with zip-up hoodies from the company retailing for $108 to $120. However, the company has seen strong demand for its products from consumers who believe in its mission and are rooting for an American manufacturing comeback. 'American Roots continues to build its foundation being rooted in our community, our family, our workforce, our products and our country,' the company's website says. 'We believe that growth and success come from the nourishment of these core values, and we give a piece of that to each and every one of our customers.' A dog owner who posted a bizarre XL Bully rap singing 'No Rishi can't put me down' refuses to muzzle her 40kg hound in public - and was once convicted under dangerous dog laws. Mandy Hughes - whose TikTok videos protesting new laws banning XL Bullies have gone viral - has vowed to go to prison than apply for an exemption for her six-year-old bulldog Elsa. Footage of the 57-year-old singing lyrics including: 'Don't you put no muzzle on me, stop putting the blame on me' have racked up half-a-million views. Ms Hughes, from Allithwaite in Cumbria, rapped in remixed version of Jack Harlow's Lovin on Me: 'Why you putting a ban on me? Stop putting the blame on me. 'I'm a Bully baby, I might lick you to death. I'm no 'kill a baby'.' Mandy Hughes - whose TikTok videos protesting new laws banning XL Bullies have gone viral - has vowed to go to prison than apply for an exemption for her six-year-old bulldog Elsa Mandy's dog else is an American Bulldog but due to her size she fits the criteria to be banned Mandy raps 'No Rishi can't put me down' and 'I'm a Bully baby I might lick you to death' From January 31, it will be illegal to own XL Bully-type dogs without an exemption after a slew of fatal attacks across the UK. While Elsa is a Johnson American Bulldog, her size and dimensions meet the legal criteria for her to be included in the ban. But Ms Hughes, whose social media accounts refer to Elsa as 'the only American Bulldog in the village', refuses to apply for a waiver. She told Mail Online how children, including her two grandchildren, 10 and five, love playing with her muscly dog. Ms Hughes said: 'There's so many different dogs, innocent dogs, that fit those government measurements. 'I refuse to get an exemption because I've got DNA that shows she's not an XL Bully. 'Why should I? We have always been insured and been legit. 'If I don't get one, they could take me any from her. But I wouldn't let them - definitely not. 'I'd be going to prison. I'd rather go to prison than anyone take Elsa. 'They're asking me to say Elsa is an XL Bully when she's not. 'I'll fight it as far as I can for Elsa. I'd die if they came to take her. They wouldn't be able to take her - I'd barricade myself in the house. 'They'd take her over my dead body. If she was a truly an XL Bully I'd exempt her straight away. But she's not, she's an American Johnson Bulldog.' She added: 'I love Elsa, I want to protect her. I'm just trying to not get my dog put in the same bracket as XL Bullies. 'Elsa is never going to bite anyone. I couldn't make her if I wanted to. 'I don't want her put in the same pot as the people who have these dogs. 'The only dangerous thing about any dog is its owner.' The government announced in September it would ban XL Bully dogs, with Defra listing a set of physical characteristics used to define the type of dog. It describes the type as large and powerfully built, with a muscular body and blocky head, meaning similar dogs - such as American Bulldogs - could meet the criteria. From January 31, it will be an offence to own an XL Bully unless it is registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs and is compliant with the requirements. Dogs without exemptions could be seized and potentially euthanised by the authorities. Mandy's XL Bully rap has been viewed more than 560,000 times on TikTok Ms Hughes says she would rather go to 'prison' than give up her dog and refuses to muzzle her Mandy says Elsa is 'muzzle trained' because it is the 'responsible' thing to do but she will not put one on the American Bulldog Under the rules, the muscly animals must be muzzled in public and kept on a lead. But Ms Hughes, a former holiday park worker, says she will not muzzle Elsa, despite once being convicted of having a dog out of control. She told how she was fined after failing to muzzle a greyhound which bit another dog. She said: 'In 1993 I was done under the Dangerous Dogs Act. I was taken to court and fined but the dog was never taken from me. 'I had a racing greyhound and I didn't think and I didn't put a muzzle on him. A woman's dog came running up to mine off the lead and he bit him. 'My dog was on a lead but he should have been muzzled. It was not his fault - it was mine. 'I didn't enter my head that a dog would run up to us off the lead.' Ms Hughes added: 'Elsa is muzzle-trained just in case, because that's just being responsible. 'But I wouldn't put one on her unless I needed to. She's six years old and we know every single dog around here. We give other people and their dogs space. 'I don't see why I should have to put a muzzle on her now when I've not had to do it before. 'I don't think it's necessary for her. We're always safe. We don't go off the lead anywhere. 'And if we do go off-lead, we go to the beach where I can see for at least nearly over 500 meters away more than if anyone's coming. 'And if someone is, then we simply go back on the lead. 'I want my dog to be a dog. 'She's got to have fun. She's got a sense of humour.' Mandy says that 'all the kids love Elsa' in her village of Allithwaite in Cumbria She went on: 'All the kids round here love Elsa. We don't go out at school-time because they all run over to her and I can't get around anywhere. 'The kids down the street are always asking 'can we come around and have an Elsa play date?'.' Ms Hughes has posted an flurry of TikTok videos satirically suggesting how dangerous her bulldog is. One video showing police officers playing with Elsa is captioned: 'That dog is completely out of control! Like the owner.' Another video shows Ms Hughes telling her dog to 'attack' an Amazon delivery driver as the dog playfully jumps up for attention. And she has vowed to keep on rapping in scorn at the new legislation. Pulling out a pad of paper with lyrics for a new track, she read: 'The Karens and Darrens are out in full force. Why? Because they want to destroy all XL Bullies, of course. 'No room for discussion or serious debate. Instead, we are forced into a ban of self hate.' 'I've started writing it. I'm always singing and dancing with Elsa, we're always having a laugh. 'People have said they want the songs on Spotify but I don't know how to do all that.' Mrs Hughes said she will continue her campaign to highlight her fury at the new laws. She added: 'We need to licence dog owners, not the dogs, and regulate these backyard breeders who only care about making money. 'Elsa is my best friend but I never forget that she is a dog. And I never forget that she weighs more than me and that if she wanted to, her bite could crush my arm. 'But I've put in the work to train her and I know that she would never hurt anyone. 'I've had people come in the house with masks and helmets on. And she still flops on the floor and goes upside down for belly rubs, even with the police. 'I'm not stupid - I know that a chihuahua can't do the same damage as the dog the size of Elsa. 'But I trust her implicitly. I couldn't make her attack someone if I wanted to. She would roll over and want her tummy tickled. 'I want to set a principle. I'm fighting the cause for other dogs that are genuinely not XL Bullies.' XL Bully owners have shared videos of themselves on social media wearing muzzles in solidarity with their dogs over the new rules. Under the changes, dogs that are more than one year old after this date must be neutered by June 30 while younger dogs must receive the same treatment by December 31. They were the two twisted brothers from Trinidad who murdered a mother-of-three in a botched kidnap so shocking their waxworks were later displayed in Madame Tussaud's. Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein were found guilty of killing Muriel McKay in 1969 after carrying out a convoluted but error-strewn abduction before inflicting torturous cruelty on their helpless victim. The pair had snatched the mother and demanded a 1million ransom after mistaking her for media mogul Rupert Murdoch 's first wife Anna in December that year. They killed Ms McKay at a farm in Hertfordshire - with Nizamodeen believed to have placed her body in an unmarked grave and yet her remains were never found. Fifty five years after the murder, her bereaved family has now been confronted with a new dilemma. Police searched fields at Stocking Farm, previously known as Stocking Farm, near the village of Stocking Pelham in Hertfordshire in 2022 while looking for Muriel McKay's remains Mother-of-three Muriel McKay, went missing from her home in Wimbledon, south-west London, in December 1969 in a suspected kidnap and murder Brothers Arthur, left, and Nazamodeen Husein were found guilty of her murder Nizamodeen - from his squalid shack in Trinidad - has offered to help Scotland Yard find her body, which he is thought to have buried three days after her kidnap under a manure heap. Yet the last resting place of Mrs McKay remains a mystery haunting her family in the years since her abduction and killing. The mother-of-three, 55, was grabbed from her London home and taken to a farm which was owned at the time by killer brother Arthur Hosein. The Hosein brothers mistook Mrs McKay for Anna Murdoch after seeing their car by her house. Murdoch and Anna had loaned their chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce to Mrs McKay's husband Alick, an executive at News Limited and deputy to Murdoch's deputy, while they were on holiday, unaware a 1million kidnap plot was under way. The scheme was the brainchild of Arthur Hosein, who had arrived in Britain in the 1960s and borrowed heavily to buy his farmhouse. His brother Nizam, 12 years younger, followed him here in summer 1969 and became embroiled in the kidnap plan. The pair spent several days following the Rolls-Royce, thinking they were tracking Anna Murdoch - but instead seized Muriel as she returned to her home from dropping off her cleaning lady on December 29. Her husband arrived later to find the front door open, lights on and no sign of his wife - while in the hallway, the phone had been pulled from the wall. The contents of his wife's handbag were strewn across the stairs and a rusty meat cleaver was on the floor. The abduction is believed to have involved a case of mistaken identity - with the kidnappers intending to seize Anna Murdoch, first wife of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch Glasgow-born Anna Murdoch was married to Rupert Murdoch between 1967 and 1999 Metropolitan Police officers Det Chief Supt Bill Smith, left, and CID officer John Minors were among those on the scene at Mrs McKay's Wimbledon home after her 1969 disappearance Mrs McKay's daughter Dianne, then 29 and a mother of two young children, took a phone call the following day from a man she now knows was Nizamodeen. He told her they were 'the mafia' and had Dianne's mother, before the family then received a scribbled note in Mrs McKay's handwriting begging them to 'do something to get me home' and a ransom letter demanding 1 million. After a bodged attempt to pick up a suitcase of ransom money, the kidnappers were arrested at the farm in January - but there was no sign of Mrs McKay. The Hosein brothers refused to say where she was, leading to grisly speculation that her body had been fed to the pigs on the farm - and when they took the stand at their Old Bailey trial in September 1970, each tried to blame the other. Both were found guilty of kidnapping and murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, though Nizamodeen was released in 1990 and deported. On Wednesday the McKay family offered a farm owner $50,000 (39,000) to let them dig up land which could prove to be her resting site, according to The Times - only for him to snub the suggestion, Scotland Yard has now revealed. Ian and Caroline De Burgh Marsh, who bought the farm in 2007 for 2.2million, previously said they would only allow a search if the police forced them to. Nizamodeen refused for years to give details about Mrs McKay's fate - yet now claims she collapsed and died of a heart attack at the remote farm where he and his brother were holding her. The family of murder victim Mrs McKay, pictured, have been pushing for new information about where her body might have been left Nizamodeen Hosein served 20 years in prison before being deported to his native Trinidad The killer, now 75, was 22 when he and older brother Arthur - who died in prison in 2009 - kidnapped Mrs McKay. Hosein, convicted in 1970 of her kidnap and death, only put his name to a legal document confessing his involvement for the first time two years ago - and he accompanied it with a diagram including an X pointing to the supposed burial site. Scotland Yard detectives were unsuccessful when searching a small section of a field near the farmhouse near the village of Stocking Pelham in 2022 - but the family insists they dug in the wrong place. Hosein now claims to be certain he could remember the spot where he buried Mrs McKay's body - despite the buildings and surrounding farmyard and fields having significantly altered since the kidnap in 1969. He says he panicked and buried her body under a dung heap behind the farmhouse. His new nine-page affidavit a legally binding document witnessed by solicitors describes in painstaking detail the events of the night of December 29, 1969. That was when Mrs McKay, wife of News International executive Alick McKay, was ambushed on the doorstep of her home in Wimbledon, south-west London. The papers pinpoint what the convicted killer insists is the exact location of her body at Rooks Farm, where she was taken after the fumbled kidnapping. The convicted killer has now offered to reveal new details about where Mrs McKay was buried, after filing a nine-page affadavit describing the murder Nizamodeen Hosein was 22 when found guilty of Mrs McKay's murder Mrs McKay's grandson, property investor and inventor Mark Dyer, 59, has said in response: 'This document has been 54 years in the making. 'It has taken Nizam more than half a century to admit his part in what happened and now he has given this full admission, it is an enormous step forward.' The two brothers were locked up in 1970 for Mrs McKay's kidnap and murder, in one of the first times a murder conviction was brought without a body - though both then refused to admit their part in a crime which made headlines around the world. He and his brother were depicted in waxworks in the 'Chamber Of Horrors' at the Madame Tussaud's museum in London. But there has been more co-operation in recent months from Hosein, who prefers to be known as Nizam, and he rejected the offer of $50,000 (39,000) to tell the truth - insisting he would do so for free. Mrs McKay's daughter Dianne, 83, has told The Times how 'time is running out for me to give my mother the burial she deserves'. And in a newly-sent letter, the family said: 'We have new information as to the exact location which has been provided by the perpetrator. His brother Arthur, also convicted of the crime, was married at the time to Elizabeth Hosein Police guarded a cordon while carrying out April 2022 searches for Mrs McKay's body at Stocking Farm in Hertfordshire though her remains are still undiscovered Mrs McKay was seized outside her family's home in Wimbledon, south-west London 'We now wish to search a small, targeted and specific area with minimal police attendance. That way there will be no unnecessary searching. 'In October 2021, we decided to offer the perpetrator the sum of $50,000 under the terms of a settlement agreement in order that he provide us with information as to the whereabouts and the exact location of burial. He will not accept any of this money. 'As a family we now offer you this sum for any inconvenience caused and any legal fees incurred by a second search.' In a letter seen by Sky News last November, Hosein asked the Home Office to lift a deportation order which still bars him from Britain. Nizamodeeen wrote: 'I admit my involvement in the kidnap and death of Muriel McKay, and I have been attempting to assist her daughter Dianne in locating her body. 'I believe I am the only living person who knows where Muriel's body is and would like her body to be found before I myself die.' A deportation order insists an individual leave the UK while also barring them from re-entering the country and invalidates any leave to enter or remain in the UK before the order is made or while it is in force. A person can apply at any time for revocation of a deportation order. Nizamodeen Hosein has claimed the brothers buried her in Hertfordshire in a 'panic' Detectives launched a murder hunt in December 1969 and scoured the Hertfordshire farm Mrs McKay's son David Dyer appealed for help at a Wimbledon police station press conference Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein were remanded in custody by Wimbledon magistrates The pair would later be found guilty of murder despite no body being found Nizamodeen Hosein spoke to Sky News last November from his home in Trinidad He has suggested he can pinpoint where at Stocking Farm Mrs McKay's body is buried A Home Office spokesman said in response to the killer's claims: 'We express sympathies with Muriel McKay's loved ones. While we do not comment on individual cases, we work with the police on any requests pertaining to ongoing investigations.' Investigators called off their week-long search after failing to find any evidence of the remains. The Metropolitan Police said: 'We most recently met some members of Muriel's family in May 2023 and continue to keep in contact with them. 'An extensive search for Muriel's remains was conducted in March 2022 at a site in Hertfordshire, unfortunately it concluded unsuccessfully. We continue to review any opportunities to recover Muriel's body and return her to her family.' The jet set lifestyles of the 'sugar king' Mr Big and his sidekick brother-in-law who are behind a controversial chain of US-style candy stores taking over Britain's high streets can be revealed today. Chase 'Candy Man' Manders, 42, is the secretive owner of the Kingdom of Sweets empire, which has more than 15 branches including high profile shops in London's West End including several on world famous Oxford Street. And supporting Manders - whose empire is at the centre of a major investigation over 4.5million of alleged missing business rates - in his business as well some of his exotic foreign travels is his brother-in-law, Charles Hart, we have learned. Manders, who launched his business empire in 2004 with an American candy stall in a shopping centre in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, made his 47-year-old wife Kelly's brother Charles, 43, a director of Kingdom of Sweets Ltd last July. Details of the pair's exotic lifestyles emerged as a MailOnline investigation reveals for the first time many details of the controversial business empire Manders has built up. Chase Manders, 42, and his wife Kelly (pictured) often share pictures of their luxury holidays on social media Chase Manders (right) and brother-in-law Charles Hart (left) who run Kingdom of Sweets together pose for a picture with their wives Kelly's Facebook page shows pictures of her and Manders, her husband of ten years, enjoying the fruits of his financial success, taking a string of foreign holidays including a cruise and a separate stay at a Disney resort in 2019. Another picture shows Manders bumping into comedian Jason Manford at the five star Wynn hotel and casino in Las Vegas in 2015, with Kelly's caption saying: 'Just having a game of roulette with Jason Manford'. Further pictures on the mother-of-two's social media show the family enjoying visits to restaurants, stays in hotels and trips out in London. Until recently Manders and his wife were registered as living in a luxury apartment in a fashionable road in upmarket Kensington, south west London. Hart's love of sunshine breaks abroad is also revealed in his wife Krystle's Facebook account which includes pictures of him on two separate trips to Dubai, showing him taking a jet ski ride and swimming with dolphins at a water park. Krystle also has check-ins on Facebook at a bar and restaurant in Barbados, suggesting that she and Hart enjoyed a sunshine break in the Caribbean island in 2020. They also went on a cruise in 2017, and trips to Disneyland Paris and Las Vegas in 2015. The details of their colourful lifestyles emerged as a MailOnline investigation has discovered that Manders quit as a director or majority shareholder of at least four companies just weeks before they were formally wound up for collectively owing millions of pounds in business rates to Westminster Council. Companies House records show that 21 firms currently controlled by him personally or Kingdom of Sweets are overdue in filing accounts which can be a red flag for potential creditors. Westminster Council announced in June 2022 that it was trying to recover unpaid business rates from more than 30 candy and souvenir shops trading in the West End, including many swamping Oxford Street - which have prompted a national controversy. The amount owed reached a high point of 9million but is now understood to have been reduced to 4.5million. Many of the shops have been criticised for selling tacky and sometimes over-priced sweets which have become increasingly popular in recent years, taking over from more traditional British confectionery shops. One picture shared to Facebook, showed Manders and Hart bumping into comedian Jason Manford at the five star Wynn hotel and casino in Las Vegas in 2015 Kelly's Facebook page shows pictures of her and Manders taking a string of foreign holidays including a cruise and a separate stay at a Disney resort in 2019 The council suggested when it announced its crackdown that Manders' company was being chased for non-payment of rates. It said in a statement at the time: 'Our records show Kingdom of Sweets are not up to date with business rates. Very substantial arrears remain for which we have repeatedly demanded payment. 'Claims that individual limited companies trading as 'Kingdom of Sweets' have paid millions in business rates to the City Council are untrue. The reality is the Council is owed significant amounts in unpaid business rates by companies trading as 'Kingdom of Sweets'.' Manders, who has described himself as CEO of Kingdom of Sweets, responded with a statement saying: 'We are a respectable business paying all relevant taxes and business rates. 'The issue of rival stores opening and then closing without paying business rates has had a detrimental impact on our trading in an extremely difficult environment. As a responsible business we support plans to clamp down on this practice and will continue working with Westminster Council.' His company also threatened legal action against anyone suggesting it was being investigated over business rates or tax scams. Manders first set up a company called Kingdom of Sweets Ltd in 2011, but it was dissolved five years later without ever filing accounts. It was replaced by another company with the same name in October 2017, although to date it has only filed dormant accounts, meaning that it claims to have not traded or received any income from investments. But MailOnline can reveal that the firm controls a string of other companies listed as selling 'sugar confectionery in specialised stores' and which have Manders listed as a director. Companies House records also show that 18 companies which have Manders as a director have faced attempts to wind them up only to have the bids discontinued or suspended in recent years. Manders had been director and person in overall control of a company called Oldgreen Ltd, described as a wholesaler of chocolate and sugar confectionery, until February 2019 when he gave up his role and shareholding. Six months later the company was wound up following a petition from Westminster Council over claims that it owed nearly 1.5million in unpaid business rates and around 200,000 to other creditors. Westminster Council applied to wind up another of Manders' companies called Croftray Ltd in January 2020 due to unpaid business rates, according to Companies House records. Manders quit as director and majority shareholder of Croftray Ltd a month later, just two weeks before the windup order was granted by the High Court. The company's liquidators, accountants BDO, have suggested that the company owes 781,354 in business rates and more than 33,000 to other creditors. It also revealed that the firm had made payments of 1.1million after the petition to wind it up was made. A progress report by BDO in May 2023 said it could not establish where 450,000 of the payments had gone as it had been 'unable to identify the recipient', despite trying to get the information from Manders. The report added: 'This information has not been forthcoming. We understand that a creditor has asked the Official Receiver to apply for Mr Manders to be publicly examined. It is therefore intended to ask Mr Manders again about these transactions at the examination.' Another company called Simply Sugar 2 Ltd which was set up by Manders in 2015 was transferred to the ownership of Kingdom of Sweets in November 2021, just seven months before Westminster Council applied to wind it up for non-payment of business rates. A judge wound up the company in September 2022, but liquidators have not yet reported on the extent of the firm's debts. A fourth company called Sweet Surprise Management which was also transferred from Manders' name into the control of Kingdom of Sweets in November 2021 was wound up in May last year at the request of Westminster City Council. Liquidators for the firm have been appointed, but have not yet reported on the extent of its debts. This week Westminster Council were again in court seeking the winding up of a fifth Kingdom of Sweets company Drayhill Limited which owes the council 28,395 relating to unpaid taxes from 2017/18. Companies House records also reveal that another company called Chamberine Ltd which is owned briefly had Manders' wife Kelly as a director before he took control of it in September 2020. He again relinquished control of the company to Kingdom of Sweets in November 2021, and it faced a petition from Westminster Council to wind it up in September 2022, only for the case to be adjourned to give the company a last chance to pay. However a First Gazette listing dated November 12 last year revealed that the company faced being struck off within two months. The company had assets of 144,576 in its last accounts, but owed 140,674 to creditors in its last accounts. Kingdom of Sweets has high profile shops in London 's West End including several on world famous Oxford Street (pictured) A worker adjusts the display in an American-style candy shop on Oxford Street (stock image) The boom in often garish-looking American candy stores in high streets across the UK has led to concerns that some of them are marketing their sugary treats to children on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. There has been a rise in videos where youngsters try super-sour or sweet American treats and drinks for the first time while some shops hand out free sweets to children, just for popping in and giving a fist bump. Campaign group Action On Sugar has said the stores are exploiting a loophole that means imported US chocolates and candy do not face the same restrictions on sugar content as UK-made products. It means the American-themed superstores can sell products containing almost treble the amount of sugar a British child should consume daily, even in a small single serving. Some have faced claims that they have been selling counterfeit goods, although there is no suggestion that this is the case with shops operated by Manders or Kingdom of Sweets. Other shops are said to be set up in empty buildings to avoid the landlord having to pay business rates on an empty premises, before closing and leaving when they become liable for the tax. The rise of the colourful shops filled with loud music and bubblegum smells has come as other stores are struggling to survive with famous retailers such as Topshop, House of Fraser and Debenhams closing their doors. Twelve years ago, Rick Santorum pulled off one of the most dramatic upsets in political history by spending months driving around Iowa in a friend's pickup truck and talking to every single person he met. In the lead up to the Iowa caucuses he spent just $23,000 on TV advertising, remained stuck in single digits in the polls, and was roundly ignored by the so-called experts. But somehow, with a late surge, he upended the political establishment, humbling such Republican Party luminaries as Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. In 2024 other campaigns would kill for a bit of Santorum magic as they languish in the wake of Donald Trump. The former Iowa victor told DailyMail.com that if anyone wants to catch Trump, it will be about last-minute energy. 'I was always doing 7, 8, 9 events a day. Just, you know, buzzing from town to town and trying to reach as many people as possible to build that enthusiasm,' Santorum said. Twelve years ago Rick Santorum pulled off one of the most dramatic upsets in political history by spending months driving around Iowa in a friend's pickup truck and talking to every single person he met Somehow, with a late surge, Santorum (pictured with wife Karen in Iowa in 2012) upended the political establishment, humbling such Republican Party luminaries as Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich 'Make sure your caucus captains and the folks that you're counting on are energized to come out. 'The weather's going be terrible on Monday. I mean, it's supposed to be brutally cold. Coming down the stretch, it's you showing energy and enthusiasm. Being everywhere. Running this thing across the finish line is important.' An average of recent polls has Trump at 61 percent with Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley both on 11 percent. Santorum said: 'I think there's a big difference in this race that distinguishes it from 2012. The biggest difference is we're essentially dealing with an incumbent president. 'I think it was much easier for Romney and Gingrich voters to flip to me than it will be for Trump voters to flip the Haley or DeSantis.' 'All of the martyrdom that the Justice Department across the country have reaped upon the President has made him even more of a sympathetic figure and have helped solidify his support. So it's it's just a much harder task. It's just a much stickier voter to Trump. 'So the answer is, I think it's a lot less likely, I think the chances of DeSantis in the last week, making the run to surpass Trump, I think seems like a bridge too far. I don't think he's close enough.' Santorum said: 'I think there's a big difference in this race that distinguishes it from 2012. The biggest difference is we're essentially dealing with an incumbent president Trump is 50 points ahead in Iowa. Santorum told DailyMail.com if anyone wants to catch Trump it is going to be about last-minute energy Like Santorum, Ron DeSanatis has visited all 99 counties in Iowa Nikki Haley is hoping for a Santorum-like surge after Chris Christie dropped out. Many of his supporters are expected to defect to her Like Santorum, DeSantis has visited all 99 counties in Iowa, and the 2012 winner said the Florida governor had 'put in the time.' He said a key would be the Des Monies Register newspaper poll that comes out on Saturday night. 'If DeSantis has got within 10 points then I think there might be a chance for an upset,' he said. 'The Register poll helped me. Because it showed that I was making this surge, I think it amplified the surge, because people thought this guy can win.' He added: 'I think certainly at this point, it looks like he (Trump) is gonna win. But the key thing to watch will be whether Trump underperforms or overperforms.' Santorum said if his rivals can keep Trump below 50 per cent they could leave Iowa arguing that was a 'weak showing for an incumbent president' and he is no longer an 'insurmountable force'. It would be a 'kink in the armor'. 'You create even more doubt. he could be very wounded. He would be the 800 pound gorilla who's now extra small, is not not what it used to be. 'And that creates an opportunity that makes for a much longer race, because there is plenty of money out there to fund somebody to fight Trump till the end.' Santorum on the trail having lunch in his pickup truck in 21012 Santorum signs autographs in 2012 Santorum says candidates need to 'connect' with voters In 2012 Santorum drove through the corn fields of Iowa in a rental car, and then in a silver 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. Wearing his trademark sweater vest he held nearly 400 events across the state, including ones where a single voter showed up. It was putting in that personal time with voters that won him the state, he said. 'One thing I always found is Iowans want to connect,' he said. 'And it's hard to connect when you're in with a big entourage and look like a handled candidate. 'It's one thing if you're a Donald Trump and you're a billionaire celebrity. Then you can pull that off because that's who you are. But, it's different. If you have a former governor or current governor or whatever, you're not a star, you're not a celebrity. You've got to connect at a different level. 'I had none of the trappings of office. I was also very clear throated on my positions, particularly with evangelical voters, as to where I stood and what I was going to do. And I think a lot of these candidates have not been as clear on the issues as they couldn't have been. He said candidates should talk about their faith and 'let people in' to see 'what makes them tick.' 'I think I think Iowa voters in particular like to see that and are motivated by that,' he said. In 2012 Santorum was denied the momentum of an election night win in Iowa. The initial result was that Romney had won by eight votes. But, two weeks later, it was announced that Santorum had in fact been victorious. He went on to win a string of other states but ultimately dropped out of the race in April and Romney became the Republican nominee, losing to Barack Obama in the 2012 general election. Donald Trump spent most of the week leading to the Iowa caucuses out of the snow-ravaged state and in court, dealing with the cases sucking up his time. His lawyers argued in Washington D.C. that presidents could be immune from prosecution if they assassinated their rivals and he made an outburst in the New York fraud trial over his 'political persecution'. But the 77-year-old former president may have planned to spend the run-up to the crucial first vote of the 2024 Republican primaries facing judges. His campaign has embraced the courtroom drama because it often leads to a spike in the polls. The passion of his supporters shows that indictments and never-ending legal battles have had, if anything, a positive impact. A DailyMail.com poll in August showed half of Iowa Republicans still think he should run for president if he is in prison. Trump is trying to toss his criminal indictment over January 6 in Washington, D.C. in part on claims of presidential immunity And Trump is still polling well above his closest opponents Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley - in some surveys by well over 30 points. Trump's 25 public appearances in Iowa pales in comparison to Ron DeSantis' 125, Nikki Haley's 79 and Vivek Ramaswamy's 300, according to the Des Moines Register. But the outcome on Monday will reveal whether or not Trump's large absence from the state will make a dent in his massive lead and expected victory. Tuesday: Washington, D.C. immunity case Trump arrived in Washington, D.C., Tuesday for the first time since he was indicted for alleged crimes connected to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He is trying to toss his criminal indictment over January 6 in Washington, D.C., in part on claims of presidential immunity Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs the Waldorf Astoria where he held a press conference following his appearance in court on January, 9 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?' 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. On Tuesday evening, the former president announced that his mother-in-law Amalija Knavs died at the age of 78, calling her 'an incredible woman.' Former First Lady Melania Trump 's mother Amalija Knavs, 78, has died after being hospitalized in Miami, Florida, over the holidays. She is pictured center with her daughter and Donald Trump in 2018 'This is a very sad night for the entire Trump family!!! Melanias great and beautiful mother, Amalija, has just gone to a beautiful place in the sky. She was an incredible woman, and will be missed far beyond words!' He then shared a photo of himself standing with Amalija. Wednesday: Iowa town hall Following his legal hearing, Trump headed to Iowa to participate in a town hall hosted by Fox News. The town hall took place at the same time DeSantis and Haley came out swinging during a head-to-head debate - which he skipped. Trump was named the 'real winner' of the Iowa Republican debate even though he didn't show up, according to an exclusive Daily Mail poll. Daily Mail polling showed that DeSantis beat Haley, with 55 percent saying the Florida governor won, and 31 percent picking the former South Carolina governor. But when asked who the 'real winner' of the night was 47 percent said Trump. Of the remainder 28 percent said DeSantis, and 19 percent Haley. During the town hall, Trump dramatically revealed he already knows who he will choose as his running mate if he is the Republican 2024 presidential nominee. But the GOP frontrunner isn't telling anyone else about his thinking yet, and it wasn't clear if he has informed the person he wants to be his future vice president. During the town hall, Trump dramatically revealed he already knows who he will choose as his running mate if he is the Republican 2024 presidential nominee The town hall took place at the same time DeSantis and Haley came out swinging during a head-to-head debate Thursday: New York City civil fraud trial Trump found himself back in court on Thursday, this time in New York City for closing arguments in the civil fraud trial into his family businesses. He caused a stir in the courtroom after he decided to speak in his own defense at the conclusion of proceedings. The judge in his trial was forced to ask the former president's lawyers to 'control their client' after Trump launched into a tirade about the case. Judge Arthur Engoron had previously barred Trump from speaking because he wanted him to stay on topic. But on Thursday, the judge said he wanted to address Trump 'directly' and asked: 'If I let you speak for five minutes you promise to comment on the law, the facts, not go outside of it?' Trump did not say he would, and instead launched into a five minute diatribe from his seat. Speaking at a rapid pace, he said that his financial statements were 'perfect' and that the banks were 'as happy as they can be.' Donald Trump launched into a five minute diatribe from his seat in court on Thursday Judge Arthur Engoron had previously barred Trump from speaking because he wanted him to stay on topic. But on Thursday, the judge said he wanted to address Trump 'directly' and asked: 'If I let you speak for five minutes you promise to comment on the law, the facts, not go outside of it?' Trump said the case was a 'political witch hunt' and there was 'not one witness against us.' He said: 'We should have received damages for what we've gone through.' Trump scoffed at the idea he had to stick to the facts of the case and said: 'When you say don't go outside of these things - we have a situation where I'm an innocent man. 'I've been persecuted by someone running for office', referring to AG Letitia James. 'I have to go outside the bounds (of the case).' Saturday: Cancelled return to Iowa Trump was expected to return to the midwest on Saturday for a final push ahead of Monday. But his campaign put out guidance that due to extreme weather, he would not be returning in-person but rather conduct a series of online events. Trump is still expected to be in Iowa on caucus night for an event leading up to the results. Iowa is facing extreme cold temperatures in the lead up to Monday's caucuses. Campaigns were already scrubbing events amid cancelled school classes, nixed commercial flights, temperatures in the low single digits and predicted weekend wind gusts of 30-40 miles per hour. A Wind Chill Watch is in effect for the state from Saturday night through Tuesday afternoon, with predicted wind chills of 30 to 45 degrees below zero. The dangerous conditions could bring frostbite to exposed skin in just 10 minutes, KCCI reported. A political yard sign for former President and current Republican candidate hopeful Donald Trump sits in the snowy shoulder along a road near Reasnor, Iowa Horizon IT bugs are 'likely' to have affected all subpostmasters who may have unwittingly bolstered Post Office and Fujitsu profits from their own pockets by as much as a further 250million, experts have said. IT and legal experts told MailOnline that glitches in the accounting system would have been experienced all subpostmasters across the UK - not just by the 700 falsely accused and 2,700 who have been or are in the process of being compensated. Computing expert Dr Harjinder Singh Lallie told MailOnline that it is 'likely that the issue was widespread' as 'if the software is faulty it will be all the time'. 'If we're dealing with faulty software then I can't trust any of these transactions,' he added. Dr Lallie, a leading cyber security expert at Warwick University, said it was 'very likely' that postmasters 'may well have been postmaster with a 100 loss and they've just paid it themselves and moved on or even sacked someone they thought was stealing.' 'This is the tip of the iceberg - every postmaster could be affected by this', said Calum Greenhow, chief executive of the National Federation of SubPostmasters, the trade body which represents them. He and several experts, including Dr Lallie, have called for the Post Office and Fujitsu to allow external audits which could unearth the full scale of scandal. 'This is the tip of the iceberg - every postmaster could be affected by this', said Calum Greenhow (pictured with his wife Gillian outside his Post Office in West Linton, in the Scottish Borders), chief executive of the National Federation of SubPostmasters Computing expert Dr Harjinder Singh Lallie told MailOnline that it is 'likely that the issue [with Horizon] was widespread' as 'if the software is faulty it will be all the time' So far, nearly 92million has been paid out through the Horizon shortfall scheme to the 2,171 (of 2,745) claimants who have accepted an offer - an average of 42,275. A total of 117.6million worth of offers being made, but not all have been accepted. READ MORE: Post Office may have to pay more than 100m in tax as experts warn it may have underpaid while deducting payments to victims of the Horizon scandal Advertisement When Horizon was implemented in 1999, there were around 18,000 post offices in the UK. That figure has now fallen to around 11,600. These new revelations widen the scale to unprecedented levels, with Mr Greenhow saying that, if the experts are correct, that the thousands of postmasters who have not sought compensation are likely to have paid as much as 250million to make up for continued small shortfalls caused by Horizon. 'If the system is systemically faulty there is a potential for every postmaster to have faced unexplained small losses over a significant amount of time,' he said. 'That may add up to a significant amount of money that may have financially benefited the Post Office. As the character of Bob Carrington said in the ITV drama: "Where's the money gone? Into the Post Office's profit and loss account." ' He added: 'For someone who has been here used Horizon since 1999, over 15 or 20 years, losing 20 quid here, 20 quid there. Over those years how much is that? 'If it were 20 a month it would be 50million. If it were 100 a month on average it would be 250million.' He said that while small losses might not have been immediately catastrophic, over a sustained period it could have put subpostmasters out of business: 'If it's at the point where it's 100, 200, you have bills to pay - that might be your profit. 'What we're talking about is potentially the difference between that business being unviable or viable. 'Is it possible that because of these shortfalls people were putting in their savings to the point they had nothing more to give? 'The losses were impacting cash flow of the business, dragging it down so they weren't ever able to put products in that customers wanted to buy. 'It's an ever decreasing circle where they went into state where they couldn't function.' He added: 'If what experts say is correct, it could be the reason why so many went out of business is because the computer glitches.' Dr Lallie also said that the development of Horizon appears not to have followed the basic principles that he teaches undergraduate students. Lawyer Gareth Martin, partner and regulatory specialist at Olliers Solicitors, also said that Horizon failures are likely to have affected many more subpostmasters than currently thought but that 'we may never know the true extent of such losses'. Mr Martin, who is experienced in cybercrime law, said that there will 'undoubtedly' be many cases 'where people have dipped into their own funds to make up what on the face of it seemed like small shortfalls'. 'They themselves probably put down to human error not realising that in fact it may well have been indicative of wider systemic issues,' he added. 'We may never know the true extent of such losses because it would no doubt require an in-depth forensic analysis of each and every account relying on not only the system that has caused all the problems but also people's own memories dating back many years.' But Rupert Brown, technology chief and founder of Evidology Systems, a firm which builds systems to ensure data systems are compliant, said there could be a way to find out how much the Post Office illicitly profited from postmasters. He told MailOnline: 'I would have expected the internal auditors at the Post Office knew the *'average c**k-up factor' per sub-post office in the pre-Horizon era most accountants who audit retail companies have a *'standard c**k-up factor' that they use as threshold for suspicion. 'By extrapolating this number, they would have been able to figure out what the background error noise should have been when Horizon was installed. They then should have raised the alarm because the errors suddenly grew exponentially across the whole branch network.' All three experts and subpostmaster chief Mr Greenhow have all called for information that could reveal how much the Post Office and Fujitsu owe to be released by Horizon. Experts have called for the Post Office and Fujitsu to allow external audits which could unearth the full scale of scandal When asked if data should be made available to understand the true extent of the scandal, Mr Brown said: 'Yes, I would. Given that this case has already caused constitutional history in the UK with yesterday's announcement in Parliament about exoneration and compensation, the Post Office and Fujitsu must both come clean and expect significant restructuring of both of their businesses. 'Another question that needs to be asked is what speeding up can be achieved within the legal system so that there is no more foot dragging about appeals, etc.' Dr Lallie said: 'I would call for an independent audit, but not for the logs to be made public. This has lots of benefits in helping us learn lessons for other projects. 'I would also want to consider whether there is a call for standards/regulations to be strengthened to address potential future shortcomings. Keeping audit logs, analysing then independently if required etc should be standard practice where (1) such sins are involved at post master level and (b) such large government investment is involved.' Gareth Martin said: 'I would suggest that if the Post Office and all of those involved in what the Prime Minister has called one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in the nation's history, then full transparency should be expected. 'Anything less could leave some key questions unanswered which in turn could mean that similar issues could well be repeated in the future as lessons can only truly be learnt when all of the facts are known and properly considered.' Mr Greenhow added: 'The NFSP have been calling for Horizon to be externally audited and the report into it to be published. 'The British public are having to foot the bill, not only for the compensation but for the legal costs but the people who serve behind the PO counter need to know that the system they are using is robust.' A view of the Warrington offices of technology company Fujitsu on January 12 in Warrington A Post Office spokesperson said: 'We share fully the aims of the Public Inquiry to get to the truth of what went wrong in the past and establish accountability. It's for the Inquiry to reach its own independent conclusions after consideration of all the evidence on the issues that it is examining. 'We set up the Horizon Shortfall Scheme in 2020, which is open for current and former postmasters, who believe they may have been affected by shortfalls related to previous versions of Horizon. We have openly and transparently published data on our website about the progress we have made regarding offers and payments to Postmasters that are part of the scheme. 'All 2,417 claimants who applied before the original deadline have received an offer. Almost 108 million in offers have been made and almost 86 million has been paid to date. Offers are assessed by an independent panel. The scheme remains open to late applicants. There have been 328 late applications and so far 228 settlement offers have been made totalling 9.6 million.' A Fujitsu spokesperson 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 that of their families, and Fujitsu has apologised for its role in their suffering. Fujitsu is fully committed to supporting the Inquiry in order to understand what happened and to learn from it. 'Out of respect for the Inquiry process, it would be inappropriate for Fujitsu to comment further at this time.' Leaders of a jihadi terror cell who planned an attack to rival 7/7 and transform Birmingham into a 'little war zone' could be free to walk the streets in weeks. Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali were sentenced to life with a minimum of 18 years in 2013. But both have been granted Parole Board hearings in the coming weeks, meaning they could be released from jail. The Parole Board told Mail Online Khalid has a hearing on January 18 and Ali has one in April. The pair were leaders of the gang, along with Irfan Naseer, which was smashed by Britain's biggest ever anti-terrorism probe. Irfan Khalid, part of a Birmingham terror cell, was jailed for life in 2013 with a minimum term of 18 years but has a Parole Board hearing next week, Mail Online can reveal Ashik Ali, also put behind bars in 2013 after being part of the same plot, is set to be considered for potential release in April Irfan Naseer, Rahin Ahmed and Irfan Khalid were filmed carrying out a bogus charity collection to fund the attack, as shown in this hand-out photo from West Midlands Police after their trial They planned to set off up to eight bombs in rucksacks, using timers to detonate the charges. It was foiled in September 2011, when undercover police raided the cell amid fears the terrorist attack was imminent. Detectives said it was the most significant to be foiled since a 2006 conspiracy to blow up transatlantic airliners using bombs disguised as soft drinks. Their trial judge Mr Justice Henriques said the plot 'had the blessing of al-Qaeda' and with the intention to 'further the aims of al-Qaeda'. He told the defendants when sentencing them: 'You were seeking to recruit a team of somewhere between six and eight suicide bombers to carry out a spectacular bombing campaign, one which would create an anniversary along the lines of 7/7 or 9/11. 'It's clear that you were planning a terrorist outrage in Birmingham.' Khalid had boasted the attack would be 'another 9/11', while Ali told police he would have donned a suicide vest and shot soldiers. Naseer, who remains in prison, was singled out at sentencing as the driving force behind the plot. Naseer, Khalid and Ali, all from Birmingham, were seen collecting in the street ahead of their convictions at Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London Irfan Naseer, described as the plot's ringleader, was given five life sentences The judge added: 'Many deaths were planned by a determined team of individuals who were fully radicalised. 'No lack of assets, skill or manpower was going to stop you.' Tory MP Nigel Mills has now said: 'It is a terrifying prospect to think that these two individuals could be freed in the coming weeks. 'I sincerely hope the Parole Board takes into account the danger they posed and what death and destruction they were planning.' The group posed as legitimate charity workers on the streets of Birmingham and collected thousands of pounds from unsuspecting members of the public. Portraying themselves as Muslim Aid charity street collectors, they raised 12,000 for themselves but were forced to apply for tens of thousands of pounds in loans after losing more than 9,000 of the money playing foreign currency markets. In total, 11 were jailed for 72 years at Woolwich Crown Court. Their trial was told how ringleader Naseer was heard describing a series of blasts going off at the same time: Boom boom boom.' Irfan Khalid and Irfan Naseer were captured on camera arriving at Birmingham airport A court artist depicted Irfan Naseer, Rahim Ahmed, Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali in the dock as they went on trial for terror offences at Woolwich Crown Court in 2013 Naseer, then 28, and Khalid, 31 at the time, had travelled to Pakistan where they trained alongside al-Qaeda and learnt how to make homemade explosives. During their stay the pair also recorded martyrdom videos, praising hate preacher Abu Qatada, which were meant to be released after their deaths. When returning to Britain they then recruited Ali, 28, and transformed his one-bedroom local authority flat in Sparkhill into a bomb factory. Naseer, dubbed 'Chubbs' due to his 23st bulk, said he wanted to turn Birmingham into a 'little war zone'. The gang also planned to make what they referred to as 'The Ultimate Mowing Machine' by welding knives to a truck and driving it into crowds. Another idea suggesting cooking up poisonous hand cream and smearing it on car door handles. Naseer was ultimately given five life sentences and ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years, while Ali - who confessed to police his role was to wear a suicide vest and carry a gun - was jailed for 15 years and Khalid 18. Other members of the gang were jailed for a total of 74 years after pleading guilty at earlier hearings. West Midlands Police revealed imagery of cold pack packaging found in a safe house set up by the gang in White Street, Birmingham, as they planned to create home-made explosives There were also these collection tins seized by police as part of the major anti-terror probe Chief financier Rahim Ahmed, 26, who achieved a law degree from Coventry University, was imprisoned for 12 years. Alis brother, Bahadar, 29, and another man, Mohammed Rizwan, 34, were sentenced ro six and four years respectively after being recorded discussing attacks on Britain. Mujahid Hussain, 21, who helped with the fundraising, was jailed for four years. Shahid Khan, 21, Khobaib Hussain, 21, Ishaaq Hussain, 21, and Naweed Ali, 25, all travelled to Pakistan for terrorist training in August 2011 and were each sentenced to 40 months in prison after quickly returning home within days when shocked by the appalling conditions there. "Private investment announcements have been made in recent months, not only in mining, but also in transportation, real estate, manufacturing, and energy, among others sectors," the government official said. "Peru is once again becoming a center of attraction for investments that had not been seen. For example, assembly plants are returning, and that is very good news that has gone unnoticed, since cars will be assembled again in our country. There are enormous opportunities to develop maquilas and other productive sectors, but that requires a lot of work," he added. the role of the central government is to create the best conditions for investments and prosperity. During the Chancay-Callao Port Hub forum on Thursday, Contreras affirmed that there are evident signs of private investment recovery, including mining projects that are being reactivated, which is why "We need to work on simplifying processes, reducing paperwork, and optimizing regulations in general. We have the framework, because 13 legislative decrees were approved last year, which will help accelerate public and private investment," he said. Public investment The minister highlighted that public investment played a key role in 2023 to cushion the negative effect of internal and external shocks. "This is the first time that public investment has grown around 9% in a year in which regional and local authorities changed. We did not see this in 2019, nor in 2015, nor in 2011, which was basically due to the boost by the national government," Contreras explained. "There was also an effort from regional governments, which we must recognize. The 'Con Punche Gerentes' (Managers with Strength) strategy of providing highly specialized managers in regions has borne fruit," he added. Likewise, the Cabinet member noted that the national government has created the first securitization trust in the history of Peru, which will allow the development of Lima and Callao Metro Lines 3 and 4. "Moreover, we are now working on creating a securitization trust for megaprojects at the national level. State ministries, in coordination with regional governments, are working on the construction of those portfolios," he reported. (END) CNA/RMB/MVB A foot of snow and sub-zero temperatures are not going to stop Eli Weltman from knocking on his 22,385th door of the campaign. His Ariat cowboy boots disappear into the fresh snowfall as the 20-year-old Californian makes his way from sidewalk to doorstep in Marion, a small city in eastern Iowa. Laura Scherbaum, 39, opens the door and listens to his 30-second pitch, describing how he is working for Never Back Down, an independent group backing Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican primary. It is a win. She fills in one of his 'commit to caucus' forms and says she will turn out on Monday to give her support to the Florida governor as he seeks the Republican nomination to take on Joe Biden in the presidential election. It seems a long time ago that DeSantis was a rising star and the frontrunner to win the race. In Iowa, the first state to choose its preferred nominee, polls now put him about thirty points behind Donald Trump. Eli Weltman moved from California to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in July to campaign for Ron DeSantis. Since then he has knocked on more than 22,400 doors in sun, rain and snow READ MORE: Six key takeaways after Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley clash in Iowa Republican debate Advertisement But the super PAC Never Back Down is all in. If it can't win the state for DeSantis, then it is trying to use its huge fundraising machine and ground game to deliver him to a strong second place finish, cementing him as the best alternative to Trump. And with more snow coming and temperatures forecast for as low as minus 7F on Monday, anything could still happen if people stay home. Weltman, who swapped life as a business owner near Sacramento to take up residence in an Iowa hotel in July, said he talks to people all day long. And his experience on the doorstep suggests DeSantis is doing much better than the headlines predict. 'If he's not their first, he's typically their second choice,' he said. 'And the only reason some people are hesitant is because they get so caught up on polls.' He talked to DailyMail.com on Wednesday morning at the start of a typical ten-hour day. He described how it was the Florida governor's response to the pandemic, keeping his state open and sticking with his values, that persuaded him to back DeSantis. Meanwhile locals shovelled snow or sat in their cars, engines running, as windscreens cleared. The icy conditions can be advantage, said Weltman as he checked his Never Back Down phone app for the next address. 'The worse the weather, the more they respect you turning up.' His first six doors were a bust before Scherbaum, a homemaker, answered. 'I talk to people all day long. That's what I do. And I have fun doing it,' said Weltman. He is one of an army of doorknockers employed by Never Back Down, a super PAC backing DeSantis Weltman talks to Craig Collins in Marion, Iowa. Collins turns out to be a precinct captain for rival candidate Nikki Haley. You can't win them all Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is all in on Iowa. A poor result here could doom his presidential campaign. Now he is reliant on his ground game to get out his vote on Monday Former President Donald Trump holds a commanding lead in Iowa, while Nikki Haley is pushing DeSantis hard to finish in second place and be crowned top challenger to the frontrunner 'I feel he's the most conservative candidate,' she said. 'Nikki Haley, I feel is too liberal. 'I like Donald Trump but Ron DeSantis, I like his take on woke issues.' As he retraces his footsteps back to his rental car, where his girlfriend and one of his dogs are along for the ride, he said the people of Iowa tend to be upfront. 'If they say they are going to caucus then they will,' he said. 'They are quick to tell you if they won't.' The ground game is vast. Never Back Down says it has collected 40,000 commitments to caucus, from knocking more than 915,000 doors. By caucus day it hopes to have added another 90 volunteers to its ranks. DeSantis has taken the traditional approach to fighting for Iowa. He has visited all of the 99 counties, including a stop at the World's Largest Popcorn Ball, in contrast to Trump who has stayed with his favored big, set piece rallies. If the door goes unanswered, Weltman leaves some DeSantis reading matter His court schedule, as he fights four criminal cases, has also limited his ability to travel to the early states. Republican operative David Kochel, a caucus, veteran said Never Back Down had built an impressive ground game. Knocking doors and talking to voters was simply the best form of data collection possible. 'It's an expensive way, but a really good way of canvassing and determining who's for you and who's not for you,' he said. 'That said, it doesn't increase your support to knock on a door. You're just measuring what's out there.' Changing minds, he added, needed town hall appearances, leaflets, TV adverts and more. 'Has he done enough to persuade enough people to put him in range of Trump? Right now, you know, he's down quite a bit,' he said. A poll for DailyMail.com conducted by J.L. Partners suggests that DeSantis is reaching voters, but that his tussle with Haley may be undermining that effort. In a small sample of 100 Iowa voters, 51 percent said they had heard most from DeSantis, while 43 percent said they had heard more from Haley. (The sample is small, so conclusions should be taken with a little pinch of salt.) Some 47 percent also said that DeSantis had the better campaign of the two, compared with 43 percent for Haley. Weltman jumps back in the car with his girlfriend and dog if the addresses are too far apart The bitter weather adds another twist to Iowa's notoriously unpredictable method of picking a preferred candidate. Whose supporters will turn out in sub-zero temperature But 51 percent said they had seen more of Haley's adverts; to 43 percent who had seen more DeSantis ads. Dave Vasquez, spokesman for Never Back Down, said the organisation was ready for Monday. 'We have an extensive network of volunteers, supporters and community leaders who have helped to nearly one million doors in Iowa and theyre ready for caucus night,' he said. 'We have more than 1,700 precinct captains across the state who are excited to caucus for Gov. Ron DeSantis and there's no other operation in the state that even comes close to our organization on the ground.' After two hours trudging through the snow, Weltman had knocked on 19 doors. He had spoken to three DeSantis supporters (one of whom answered the door without any pants), one Haley precinct captain (who said: 'Please, we have to stop Trump), and two Trump households. Don't let the poll numbers put you off, he said afterwards. 'I talk to people all day long. That's what I do. And I have fun doing it,' he said. 'When we first got here, it was really explaining why I'm for DeSantis. These are the amazing things he's done,' he said with a smile. 'And over time, it's turned into people telling you straightaway they are for DeSantis.' One day when I was around three years old my mother, a music teacher who had barely touched an instrument since becoming a mum, decided to sit down and play the piano. Apparently I stumped into the room, looked crossly at her, turned to the stereo, looked back at her, and screeched: Get back in the kitchen and make the dinner! Dearie me. Out of the mouths of babes, eh? A tirade of sexist and ageist abuse before Id even learned to spell. My mother enjoys trotting out this anecdote about her supposedly feminist daughter on all sorts of occasions, most recently, and mortifyingly, at my wedding. But it serves a purpose here, I think, given the revelation this week at a Westminster probe into the rights of older people, that children as young as four display attitudes of ageism. Once revered, age is now a sign of your irrelevance to modern life. Caroline Abrahams, director of charity Age UK, cited a classic example of entrenched ageist attitudes. People have asked young children to draw what they think an older person looks like, she told the committee. You get little drawings of an old lady with a stick, when actually you have grandparents in their 40s. It goes to show children are picking it up. Stylish star seals a very Swift sellout WELL, well, well. If it isnt Times Person of the Year wearing a 58 dress from Perthshire clothing brand Little Lies, and looking absolutely fabulous in it to boot. Taylor Swift was snapped this week in a green velvet frock, made by the boutique brand, based near Perth, causing such a stampede to its website that the dress sold out in hours. Meanwhile designers Jade and Stuart Robertson say they are still in a state of shock. I dont blame them. Swift famously dated Scottish DJ Calvin Harris a few years back, and the two were even rumoured to be looking for their very own Highland castle together, before they split. She might not have a Scotsman in her life any more, but its good to see she has retained a sense of Scottish style. Taylor Swift out in New York City Advertisement I may have been ahead of the curve or just particularly cheeky for a mouthy toddler, but it seems ageism has become more prevalent in society. Once revered, age is now a sign of your irrelevance to modern life. The word boomer short for baby boomer, anyone who was born between 1946 and 1964 has become an insult for older people who are out of touch. Young people who otherwise view themselves as progressive and compassionate are guilty of ageism on a regular basis. It has become the last acceptable prejudice. Ill be honest and in saying this Im aware I may receive some ageist insults myself in response I dont think it was like this when I was young. Elders were respected. Their words carried weight and gravitas. They were more likely to be cared for within family homes when the time came, and within society, too. Most importantly they were listened to, rather than being swiftly dismissed as irrelevant. Witness the abominable way so many of our elderly were treated in the early days of the pandemic. How difficult it can be to get a job if you are over a certain age. Indeed, Age UK lists some examples of ageism as losing a job, being refused insurance or a credit card, or receiving lower quality service in a shop or restaurant I do understand that when you are young, your generation seems like the only important thing. I loved my grandparents, but as a child I didnt find them particularly interesting. By the time I did, they were all long gone. I wish I had asked more questions. All four of them lived through both World Wars, and they had stories to tell. Youth is wasted on the young, but the wisdom of elders is wasted on them too, and the internet has injected a harshness into that narrative. Young people globally can connect on an unparalleled scale and since they are more technically adept than their elders could ever be, their voices seem more amplified than ever. Is it any surprise then to learn that nearly half of over 50s have suffered age discrimination in the past year? That, according to Abrahams of Age UK, young people quite openly will say something derogatory about older people in a way that would be totally unacceptable for them to say in terms of race, gender or sexual orientation? Perhaps todays young people need to put themselves in their elders (orthopaedic) shoes, if only for a moment, and remember that age comes to us all. Riding the polar express is too much to bear My sympathies to the passengers of the early morning train service from Oban to Glasgow, where temperatures are so low at this time of the year that those travelling on it have been forced to wear thermals and extreme weather clothing, and carry hot water bottles just to avoid hypothermia. One frustrated passenger, who uses the line three days a week for work, complained: Its not comfortable unless you are a bear. ScotRail said its engineers were fully investigating the claims and will respond when they have an update. If I were one of these long-suffering commuters, Id be holding on to the thermal underwear for a while yet. Researchers say parents should smile while eating greens in front of their children as pulling a face could put them off their vegetables. Surely seeing spinach stuck in Mummys teeth will put them off even more? Too great a burden for struggling NHS It is shocking, if not surprising, to learn that Scotland now has some of the worlds worst survival rates for deadly cancers due to delays in diagnosis and treatment. In contrast, South Korea, Belgium, the US, Australia and China have the highest five-year survival rates for less survivable cancers. I have seen, within my own family, the devastation that can be wreaked by a delayed cancer diagnosis. A number of Scots will also know first-hand just how many frustrating delays are encountered when seeking treatment. It is more than a decade now since waiting time targets have been met, a period in which the SNP has frittered money away, piled more and more weight onto the NHS and failed to get a grip of the most basic services. This is the result. When patients those suffering the worst cancers out there, including pancreatic, liver, brain, lung, stomach and oesophageal cancers really need help, they find themselves stymied at every turn, often until it is too late. Its simply not good enough. Amal Clooney in London for the screening for the The Boys In The Boat Eyebrows are being raised at George Clooney describing his wife Amal as homely. Personally, I dont see the problem, given its a word defined as a woman who would enjoy being at home. Amal, pictured, is a top human rights lawyer who spends much of her life jetting round the world dealing with complex legal cases. I would imagine that spending some time at home particularly, lets face it, with Mr Clooney might be exactly what she craves. Proof this week, if proof were needed, that Princess Anne is the most down to earth Royal among them, as she disembarked from a plane in Sri Lanka carrying her own bags. Wonder if she stopped off for some duty free, too? Last week, Sammy Wilkinson embarked on his latest smuggling trip as he drove into Scotland with a solid mass of contraband strapped firmly into the passenger seat of his car. On Wednesday, he motored up the M6, past the sign at Gretna with its warm Gaelic welcome, moving his illicit cargo beyond the reach of the law. He planned to repeat the journey of several hundred miles from his home in England on Thursday while a third foray north was pencilled in for today. His actions, carried out with astonishing brazenness in the full glare of social media, have stirred up huge controversy with his vocal detractors accusing him of putting lives at real risk of serious harm. His equally fervent supporters hail him as a latter-day Scarlet Pimpernel of the canine world. XL Bully dogs have been smuggled into Scotland after being outlawed in England For Mr Wilkinson is at the vanguard of a group determined to liberate dozens of outlawed XL Bully dogs from tough new ownership laws in England and Wales and rehome them in Scotland where no such legislation yet exists. I am so against this ban, because it is targeting the wrong end of the lead, he said. It is irresponsible owners and breeders who are to blame here. And banning XL Bullies wont stop dangerous dog attacks because people will move on to different breeds. There again, it is hard to see how admitting more XL Bullies to Scotland will reduce attacks here by a breed which has a disturbing track record of fatal and near-fatal attacks. They include the horrific mauling of a 17-month-old toddler, a ten-year-old boy, and the killing of an experienced Scottish kennels owner around Christmas 2021 by an XL Bully with a violent history. Ever since the UK Government fast-tracked a crackdown at the turn of the year, there has been a growing panic Scotland will become a dumping ground for large numbers of abandoned animals as more owners south of the Border decide they cannot or will not comply with the expense and strictures of the new law. There has been growing mystification at the Scottish Governments untenable response to this rapidly unfolding crisis. The legal loophole, which encouraged Mr Wilkinsons cross-Border sorties, could and should have been swiftly plugged by Scotland immediately agreeing to roll out the same rules as the UK scheme. But that would have meant falling into line with Westminster, something which usually leaves the SNP-led administration baring its teeth. So, the First Minister opted to take a stand. A week ago, Humza Yousaf initially declared he didnt think a ban on XL Bullies was required because of existing controls. On Monday, he was forced to double down that Scotland was not a safe haven for the dogs and that a ban was still under review. The next day, Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown escalated that, announcing she was urgently reviewing the Governments policy on XL Bullies, an upgrade from last weeks continual review. Adam Watts was killed three days before Christmas 2021 by an XL Bully Less than 48 hours later, the Scottish Government had caved completely as it found itself bounced into yet another spectacular policy U-turn. Confirming his administration would now in essence replicate UK legislation banning XL Bullies without a licence, Mr Yousaf told First Ministers Questions: What has become clear is we have seen a flow of XL Bully dogs coming to Scotland. He added that ultimately, although we do have a very good system of dog control notice schemes... we have to respond to the situation as it stands and we will do what we need to do to ensure public safety. Well, quite. Although what comfort the public are supposed to take from ministers who couldnt foresee this farrago is anyones guess. As Conservative MSP Maurice Golden put it: The suspicion is the SNP has failed to introduce a ban for no other reason than it wants to be different to the UK. The UK Government, by contrast, had become so convinced by the threat posed by these big, powerful beasts that it made XL Bullies one of just five breeds now explicitly banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The breeding, selling or abandoning of XL Bullies in England and Wales became illegal on December 31. At the end of this month, it will be a criminal offence even to own an XL bully dog without a certificate of exemption, which costs 92.40 and requires owners to take out insurance, neuter their dogs and keep them muzzled and on a lead while out in public. Owners who fail to obtain an exemption certificate will be obliged to have their pet euthanised or risk committing an offence. Estimates suggest there are at least 10,000 XL Bullies in England and Wales and only around 2,000 applications for exemption certificates have so far been received. By leaving the door open to uncertificated dogs, what did Scottish ministers think would happen? In a nation of self-professed dog lovers, the vexed question of how to control dangerous breeds has always divided opinion. It is made more contentious in the case of XL Bullies which are not a recognised breed with the UK Kennel Club. Mr Wilkinson, who runs a beauty salon in the Midlands, insists XLs are no more dangerous than any other large breed powerful dog, saying: The media tend to home in on XL attacks which creates a stigma around these dogs. You dont hear about attacks by German Shepherds, but they happen too. I have been involved in 40 XL rescues in the last two months and I havent had a single incident with any of them. They get a bad rep because of bad owners. During lockdown, they became the latest status dog and would sell for 2,000-3,000 as puppies but they grew up to be these massive powerful dogs and exposed the owner as being massively out of their depth. Because of their power, you have undesirable people like drug dealers using these dogs to intimidate people. But the Governments always getting it wrong by blaming the dogs. Weve seen it before with pit bulls and Dobermanns and Rottweilers theres always a dog to blame. It will be Cane Corsos next because theyre guard dogs, very large, powerful dogs. Ms Brown suggested this week the loophole used by Mr Wilkinson opened up because the Scottish Government received no advance notice or consultation about the ban, even though Michael Gove wrote to Scottish ministers last year urging the country to adopt the laws or risk becoming a dumping ground for dangerous dogs. Kerryanne Shaw with five-year-old American bulldog, George His request was rejected in November when Ms Brown laid out the Scottish approach, focusing on imposing control notices on owners who have allowed their dogs to get out of control (the so-called deed not breed argument), which she argued was working sufficiently well to render tighter restrictions unnecessary. Her view was supported by the Scottish SPCA, which regards the new measures as misguided. A spokesman said: We are opposed to this ban on a specific dog type, which we believe is not the most effective way to protect the public. Instead, we believe any breed of dog can be potentially out of control and dangerous in the wrong hands. But campaigners against dangerous dogs have voiced doubts about whether deed-not-breed control notices are effective. Campaign group Bully Watch, which was formed in response to high-profile attacks by the dogs, pointed out that the problem with deed not breed is that by the time the deed happens, it can be too late. A spokesman said: It is not just how you raise them. Genetics matter. An XL Bully is genetically a pit bull bred for exaggerated size and musculature. Due to poor breeding, some of these dogs have a much lower threshold for arousal and a heightened one for prey. Allowing these dogs to be placed in inexperienced Scottish households is a recipe for disaster. XL Bully attacks have occurred in Scotland, one of which was fatal. Kennel owner Adam Watts, who dedicated his life to saving abused dogs, was killed three days before Christmas 2021 by a dog that had attacked before. Mr Watts, a 55-year-old widower, was killed trying to retrain the dog, which had been put into his care by police after it was seized under warrant months earlier. Mr Watts, had cared for many dogs during his 20 years running the kennels near Dundee, and took in animals from the Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland. The fatal attack by the XL Bully left his five sons aged between ten and 18 orphaned after his wife was lost to cancer in 2013. The dog was destroyed and its previous owner, Peter Fyfe, was banned from keeping animals for five years after he admitted twice being in charge of an XL Bully dangerously out of control. As the debate heats up, it emerged that one animal rescuer wants to establish a rescue centre for XL Bullies at kennels near Forfar and just eight miles from where Mr Watts lost his life. Locals have voiced deep concern at the plan by Kerryanne Shaw, chair of All Bullie Charity Rescue, who has raised 20,000 via an online appeal. One, who declined to be named, told the Daily Record: Its a disaster waiting to happen. Statistics on dog attacks by specific breeds are not recorded, but the UK Government says there have been 23 deaths caused by dog attacks since the start of 2021, with the XL Bully being disproportionately involved in this rise. In several cases, XLs have killed their owners or bystanders, including Ian Langley, 55, of Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, Ian Price, 52, of Stonnall, Staffordshire, and retired nurse Shirley Patrick, 83, of Caerphilly, Wales. Young children have also been killed. Bella-Rae Birch was 17 months old when she was attacked by the familys pet Bully XL at their home in St Helens, Merseyside, two years ago, while ten-year-old Jack Lis was mauled to death by a friends dog called Beast in Penyrheol, Wales, in November 2021. NHS consultant Richard Baker told BBC News that the dogs powerful jaws mean the wounds they inflict are worse than those from other breeds, resulting in broken bones, shredded skin and damaged nerves. Its a crushing or a tearing injury, he said. Once they grip, they dont let go. In July, Dundee pensioner John Reid was left hospitalised and covered in blood after an XL Bully pounced while he was walking his daughters nine-year-old Westie, Charlie. Mr Reid told the Courier he wanted to see increased safety measures introduced: A lot of people seem to be naive as to how strong these dogs are. You should take some safety steps to protect people, like a muzzle or harness. The public have a right to safety, he said. There are two pieces of legislation relating to the control of dogs in Scotland. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is UK-wide but requires Scottish Government agreement to enforce it north of the Border. The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, which is enforced by local authorities, was introduced to promote responsible dog ownership and cut future dog attacks by making it an offence for any dog owner to allow their dog to be out of control in such a way as to cause alarm or make another person apprehensive. Former Labour MSP Jenny Marra, who led a Holyrood inquiry into how laws over dog control were operating, disputed the First Ministers initial claims of a strict and controlled regime. This couldnt be further from the truth, she wrote on X/ Twitter. We found that dog control law in Scotland was not fit for purpose. She called for a review of the 1991 Acts requirement for reasonable apprehension, which is often called the one free bite rule, where dogs cannot be apprehended until they have proven themselves to be dangerous. The one free bite rule now comes crashing into reality, she added. With the migration of dogs into Scotland this law seems far too weak and unsafe. As reality bites, the Scottish Government has finally come to heel. He is a Michelin-starred chef who demands the very highest standards in the kitchen. But now Gordon Ramsay has come under fire over a full Scottish burger at his flagship Edinburgh restaurant. The Renfrewshire-born chef came in for criticism after sharing a short clip of the burger being prepared earlier this week. Observers took issue with the 18 cost of the square sausage burger, as well as the fact it contains salad despite being labelled full Scottish and lacks key elements of a traditional Scottish breakfast such as haggis, potato scone and black pudding. A short video shows the burger being made at the Gordon Ramsay Street Burger restaurant in Edinburghs St James Quarter. The contentious sausage burger includes salad It contains Lorne sausage, an egg, hash brown, lettuce and a slice of tomato. The 57-year-old shared the clip to social media on Wednesday, with the caption: Try the full Scottish at Gordon Ramsay Street Burger Edinburgh with Lorne sausage, a hash brown and an over easy egg. Ramsays post received more than 1,100 likes but also more than 700 comments from Scots quick to poke fun at the famous chefs latest culinary creation. Gavin Brewis said: Full Scottish with no tattie scone, haggis or black pudding and with a hash brown which is not actually full Scottish content. Gordon Ramsay has come in for ridicule for the 'Full Scottish Burger' Another said: 18 quid for a sausage and egg doubler no Scottish person would put salad on a breakfast roll. Ramsay currently owns and operates more than 58 restaurants around the world. As well as several in the UK, they include eateries in the United States, France, Dubai and Singapore. A Chicago woman has been left brain dead after she was viciously beaten by an eight-time felon, police said. The woman, 61, who has not been identified, was riding the CTA Red Line on January 4 when she was targeted by two men - one of whom was allegedly convicted criminal Mijawon Johnson, 36. As they attempted to steal her purse, Johnson pinned the woman to a seat and repeatedly punched and stomped her head and stomach, and jumped on her 'with all of his weight', prosecutors said. Johnson was on parole for armed robbery at the time of the attack, has served six stints in prison and now faces charges including attempted murder - which could be upgraded as the woman is not expected to survive. Mijawon Johnson, 36, allegedly punched and stomped the woman in a frenzied attack at around 1:30am on January 4 on a Chicago train The victim, a 61-year-old woman who has not been identified, was found by train staff at a station around 12 minutes down the line from where the attack unfolded The beating erupted at around 1:30am, when Johnson was allegedly captured on surveillance footage approaching the woman on a train car. At some point during the attempted robbery, the attacker flew into a violent frenzy and repeatedly attacked the woman's head and stomach. Officials said he 'stomped' her before leaving her for dead on the train. She was found by train staff when it pulled into Roosevelt Station - around 12 minutes down the line from where the attack took place. The victim is believed to currently be 'on a ventilator and brain dead', CWB Chicago reported. Prosecutors said she is not expected to live. After investigators identified Johnson as the suspect, a bulletin was sent to local police precincts as fears grew while the career criminal remained at large. He was arrested the day after the attack on January 5, when patrol cops caught him on a CTA bus and pulled the vehicle over to take him into custody. With seven previous convictions, Johnson is now faced with charges of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated battery. He is also facing a separate charge of violating an order of protection after he reportedly entered the Old Town home of a 27-year-old woman despite being ordered to stay away from the property. The alleged attacker was on parole for armed robbery at the time of the incident, and has served six previous stints in prison The attack has sparked outrage among the community, with many questioning why Johnson was on the streets considering his violent criminal history. At the time of the train attack, Johnson was on parole following his release from prison in August, after serving half of a six-year prison stretch for armed robbery. He was snared on St Patrick's Day in 2021 when he mugged an undercover narcotics officer, reportedly holding his hand to his side to give the appearance he had a gun. The covert officer handed over his phone and money, which had been given serial numbers to help investigators track them for drug purchases, according to a reported CPD case report. Johnson was arrested after the undercover cop gave a secret signal that he was being robbed, per the report. He had previously been sentenced to prison six times between 2007 and 2015. At the time of the armed robbery he was also on parole for the aggravated battery of a police officer at a train station, reports CWB Chicago. Thirteen-year-old Hila Rotem Shoshani who spent 50 days in Hamas captivity pled for the release of the remaining hostages as Sunday marks 100 days of the October 7 terror attack. Shoshani was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri along with her mother Raaia Rotem Shoshani, 54, and her friend Emily Hand, 9, who had been there for a sleepover. After spending nearly two months in captivity, she was released on November 25, the second day of the ceasefire. Shoshani was freed along with her friend, Emily Hand, the Irish-Israeli hostage, who made world headlines after she was initially thought to have been killed by Hamas. This week, Shoshani traveled to New York from Israel with her uncle to speak at a rally that was held near the UN at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on Friday. The first of several events taking place in New York City this weekend to mark '100 Days of Captivity,' sponsored by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. 'Life as a hostage inside Gaza is not life,' Shoshani told the crowd of demonstrators speaking for the first time about her captivity to an international audience. Thirteen-year-old Hila Rotem Shoshani who spent 50 days in captivity traveled from her home in Isreal to New York to speak at Friday's rally held near the UN 'I came all the way here to ask the whole world: 'help us bring back all of the hostages home!' 'We can't leave them there their families are waiting for them. Bring them home. Please!' Governor Kathy Hochul and Majority Leader, Senator Chuck Schumer joined the rally and called for the immediate release of the hostages and spoke of their support for Israel. 'I want the hostages brought home. I want them brought home now,' Hochul said holding up the dog tag that has become a symbol of solidarity. 'And I want the rest of the world to start saying the same thing.' 'Because it is barbaric and inhumane to hold them one day longer. Bring them home! The people of Israel have a right to defend themselves, and they have a right to bring the hostages home.' 'I want the hostages brought home. I want them brought home now,' Hochul said holding up the dog tag that has become a symbol of solidarity. 'And I want the rest of the world to start saying the same thing' United States Senate Majority Leader and NY Senator Chuck Schumer was present at the rally. He spoke with compassion as he told the families, 'I am here to say; do not give up hope' Hundreds gathered near the United Nations waving Israeli flags and holding up posters of the hostages while chanting, 'Let my people go!' and 'Bring them home now...today.' Schumer told the hostages families they were rallying to speak in 'one voice,' 'I know the last hundred days have been the worst of your lives,' he said with compassion. 'I am here to say, do not give up hope.' Many family members who have loved ones in Gaza spoke including Yair Moses Finkelstein, whose parents were violently abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Finkelstein's mother Margalit Berta Moses, 77, was released after 49 days, but his 79-year-old father Gadi Moses still remains in captivity. He began to weep when he said to the crowd that 'it has been 98 days of hell,' and said it is 'getting harder everyday.' 'We are here today to cry out for the hostage of humanity,' he said, in part. 'I haven't slept. Who can sleep when their father is kidnapped. Who can eat when their father is kidnapped. I haven't shaved or cut my hair and I won't until my father returns.' 'The longer they are away the more danger their lives are in,' he said, as he urged those to write to their congress members. The family of Edan Alexander, who turned 20 while in captivity, grew up in New Jersey and moved to Israel in 2022 after graduating high school. His family has no information about their son's well-being, though they did not speak at the rally they stood with the other families during the emotional event. Hila Roten Shoshani, 13 standing next to her uncle Yair Rotem spoke at the rally as the crowd applauded her for her bravery in attending the event and talking about her horror experience. Many chanted: 'Let my people go!' and 'Bring the home now ... today!' Edan Alexander, 20, (pictured on front posters) from New Jersey moved to Israel in 2022 with his family. He was abducted October 7 and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Many of his loved ones gathered on Friday during the demonstration calling for his immediate release Many of the hostages family members have no idea of their loved one is alive and haven't had any proof of life since they were abducted on October 7 Hundreds gathered near the UN on Friday demanding the release of the hostages A sea of Israeli flags are held up during Friday's demonstration to mark '100 Days of Captivity' Speaking through an interpreter Shoshani told DailyMail.com the days she spent in captivity was 'like hell.' The teen said the night before the attack she and her friend Emily Hand were having a sleepover, one of many the pair have had over the years. They spent time on TikTok, laughed and enjoyed themselves, and watched television before falling asleep only to be awoken hours later to the sound of rockets. They ran to the safe room and hid there for six hours, she recalled, until the terrorists stormed into their home and kidnapped them taking her, her mother Raaia, and Emily. She said the terrorists put them into a car and drove them into Gaza where she would spend the next 50 days. Though she did not reveal where she was being held, but her uncle Yair Rotem told DailyMail.com that his niece, his sister and friend were above ground during their time in captivity and were moved around to different apartments, though it is unclear whose apartments they were. Shoshani said she was 'terrified.' She described the conditions as dark, and dirty. Food was sparse. Some days, she said, would be just be some dried pita bread and other times, food from a can. As the bombings were going on around them, she said, she feared the terrorists would take out their anger on them because their families were getting killed. Though she said she did not get hurt, she said 'there were moments I was afraid I would be physically harmed.' Emily Hand, 9, had slept over her friend Hila Rotem's house when they were abducted by the terrorists and held captive for 50 days. She is pictured here with her devoted father after her release She explained that the terrorists would sometimes talk to her and ask questions though she could not clarify what type of questions they were asking her. She said that there were times she did not think she would survive. To get through it the uncertainty she was feeling, she said she'd count the days until she would be free to keep her spirits up. On November 25, 2023, that day finally came when Shoshani and Hand, were released during the second day of the ceasefire. But, Shoshani's mother, who was supposed to be released with her daughter as part of the truce, was separated from her after she was reportedly told by the terrorists that she would be leaving with her daughter. Shoshani's uncle Yair told DailyMail.com how upset he was that the terror group broke the agreement and called it 'a 'psychological game.' 'Hamas' choice, he said. 'They want to show the world that they want to control the situation and do what they want and that is what they wanted to do at the time.' His sister - and Shoshani's mother - was released four days later on November 29. He said since their release, his sister and niece seem 'physically okay,' but it is hard to know how they are really doing emotionally. According to the Missing Hostages and Family Forum, 136 hostages remain in captivity. These prisoners are nationals from over 20 countries, and belong to five different religions and range in age from a year old to 85. American airlines have not suffered a fatal crash in 15 years despite 100 million planes taking off with 10 billion passengers. Flying is so safe, you are 100 times more likely to die in a car, three times more likely on the subway, and about the same chance as being struck by lightning. Few people even think about it anymore, worrying more about whether they will be delayed, so remote is the likelihood of death. Last week's blow-out on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 where an emergency exit door fell off makes for terrifying reading, but hasn't shaken anyone's faith in flying. Air travel wasn't always like this. A series of deadly crashes in the mid-1990s had the fatal crash rate of one for every 2 million departures. Continental Airlines Flight 3407, run by Coglan Air, was the last fatal air crash on US soil when it hit a house in Clarence Center, New York, in February 2009 Investigations later revealed pilot Marvin Renslow was never properly trained to respond to a warning system designed to prevent an engine stall - and followed the exact opposite of correct procedure Coglan Air flight 3407 stalled short of Buffalo Airport, killing all 49 on board and one person on the ground Several crashes in 1994 claimed 252 lives, before 151 died when American Airlines Flight 965 slammed into a mountain in Colombia. The peak came the next year with ValuJet Flight 592 catching fire and crashing in the Florida Everglades and Trans World Airlines flight 800 exploded, killing 230. Airline bosses realized that if air travel kept growing at the same rate, there would be a fatal crash every week - an unthinkable scenario. Beyond the loss of life, a major air crash costs an airline about $1 billion in insurance payouts, legal bills, lost business, and reputational damage. A small group of regulators, airline executives, and union bosses decided to try something radical - convince staff to turn themselves in. This took some convincing. Countless mistakes that didn't lead to problems were concealed every day so pilots wouldn't get in trouble. For them to voluntarily report everything they did wrong so everyone could learn form their mistakes, they had to be assured they wouldn't be fired. The worst that could happen is them being sent for training not to make the same error twice, or be written up; no one would be fired or grounded. All 260 people aboard American Airlines flight 587, and five on the ground died when it came down in the Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York City in November 2001 Investigators struggled to piece together the remains of TWA flight 800 which crashed in 1995 ValuJet Flight 592 caught fire over the Florida Everglades and also crashed in 1995 Instead, not reporting a mistake, incident, or malfunction was grounds for sacking. Many were skeptical, but with the pilots' union pushing it, they, along with every other airline and eventually airport worker, went along with it. The result was thousands improvements across the entire aviation industry, as little as a change in process to changing airport approaches to avoid troublesome terrain. Better training now allows pilots to better understand certain warning lights, how to use radar to better avoid turbulence, and deal with fatigue. The other half of the solution was just as counterintuitive as all the airlines had to be convinced to share sensitive data so mechanical and process problems, and their solutions, could be spotted and addressed by everyone. The Federal Aviation Authority today has 10 different self-reporting and data sharing programs from engineers to ground staff and air-traffic controllers. Instead of figuring out what went wrong after a crash, the vast majority of issues are fixed before there are serious consequences. The last fatal crash was on February 12, 2009, when Coglan Air flight 3407, flying a route for Continental, stalled short of Buffalo Airport, killing all 49 on board and one person on the ground. Investigations later revealed pilot Marvin Renslow was never properly trained to respond to a warning system designed to prevent an engine stall - and followed the exact opposite of correct procedure. Renslow also failed five flight tests in his career before finally passing and being declared fit to fly the Bombardier Q400 turboprop. His co-pilot Rebecca Shaw, aged just 24, also complained during pre-flight checks that she was congested and probably should have called in sick. The only other fatal incidents since then were when a fan blade on a Southwest Airlines jet ruptured at 32,000ft in April 2018, blowing off an engine cover and killing one passenger. The following year, Alaska Airlines Flight 3296 overran the runway on an island in Alaska, killing one passenger. The self-reporting system was so successful that no only is it being emulated by aviation industries around the world, but in other fields like medicine and artificial intelligence too. American Airlines flight 965 came down on a densely forested hillside near Buga in Colombia in 1994, killing 151 people on board All 132 passengers and crew aboard the USAir Boeing 737 flight 427 died when it plunged 6,000 feet to the ground, as it was preparing to land at Pittsburgh International Airport, on September 8, 1994 However, one industry that has resisted this radical transparency is aircraft construction, including manufacturers like Boeing. Factories often have a code of silence among staff and defects frequently go unreported if they are spotted at all. Many of the incidents, including the Alaska Airlines flight last week, can largely be blamed on faulty planes and not those who operate them. The Boeing 737 Max 9 jet had two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 and a series of more minor incidents last year, and was grounded across the US on Saturday for safety checks, with all flights involving the jet canceled throughout the country until next week. Dozens of MPs in the crowded Commons chamber rose to express their disgust and outrage at the Post Office's ruthless persecution of hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters. The anger was so palpable the emergency statement and debate on the Post Office Horizon IT scandal was allowed to run for almost two and a half hours, causing the cancellation of other key government business. But there was one conspicuous absentee from Monday evening's highly charged proceedings Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey. Davey's time as Post Office minister between 2010 and 2012 coincided, of course, with the realisation postmasters were victims of a terrible injustice by the Post Office over the catastrophic failure of its Horizon IT system. He is hardly covered in roses concerning the scandal. As I revealed last September, he scornfully dismissed a plea from Alan Bates, the real life star of the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, for a meeting. There was one conspicuous absentee from the House of Commons Monday evening's highly charged proceedings Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey (Pictured) Henry Davey, 61 (Pictured), had been a corporate partner at HSF for approaching 20 years when the former minister started working there I told, too, of how the Lib Dem leader later enjoyed a lucrative consultancy with Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) one of the most prestigious and expensive law firms which just so happens to be the legal powerhouse hired by the Post Office in April 2019 to aggressively fight the litigation brought by hundreds of sub-postmasters. While Davey says he had no inkling that the law firm had been hired, creating an obvious conflict of interest, his plea of ignorance about its involvement seems surprising. For I can reveal that his brother, Henry Davey, 61, had been a corporate partner at HSF for approaching 20 years when the former minister started working there. Would not Henry, a very senior member of the firm where salaries for some partners are comfortably over 1 million, have known what was going on and passed on the information to his brother, given that Ed had been Post Office minister? After all, the brothers have always been close. So close, in fact, that in February 2015, shortly before the General Election, the lawyer donated 2,500 to Ed's constituency campaign. The 58-year-old Lib Dem leader joined HSF four months after losing his seat at the 2015 general election when he was Climate Change Secretary in the Coalition government on a 5,000 monthly consultancy. After winning back his seat in 2017, he pocketed 275,000 from HSF in addition to his parliamentary salary, before quitting in January 2022 after criticism of MPs having second jobs. So while sub-postmasters battled for justice, the former minister, who had no interest in them, was working for a firm helping the Post Office deny them justice. Davey has refused to apologise and has insisted the Post Office unleashed a 'conspiracy of lies' against successive ministers over the failures of Horizon. Indeed, in an ITV interview yesterday, he would not say sorry despite being asked more than ten times to apologise. Henry left HSF in 2017, two years before the Post Office hired them to fight the troublesome postmasters. But under a Freedom of Information request, the Post Office admitted they also employed HSF in 2017 when Davey's brother was still a corporate partner. But neither the Post Office nor HSF will say what for. Perhaps, despite his senior position, Henry did not know what was going on. His speciality was the international energy sector, and it was the in-house energy group that Ed was working for at HSF. Perhaps he felt he should remain close-lipped, to respect client confidentiality. Whatever the case, Ed Davey's protestations of ignorance have raised eyebrows at Westminster. Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir David Davis, who has been fighting for the postmasters for years, told the Mail: 'In the campaign to support the postmasters I have refrained from commenting on Ed Davey's wholly inadequate time as Post Office minister when he alleged he was lied to. 'But that excuse does not stand up when he has received hundreds of thousands of pounds from the lawyers representing the Post Office against the postal staff. 'If you are in public life you should always carry out due diligence on anyone who pays you large sums of money. 'Either he did not do that or he ignored the fact HSF was part of the Post Office machinery to deny the postmasters their proper compensation. 'He has questions to answer.' Such is the anger over Davey and his relationship with HSF that it will trigger a challenge against him at the next General Election in his Kingston constituency from the postal workers community. Councillor Yvonne Tracey, 68 (Pictured) who worked for the Post Office for 23 years and was a deputy postmistress Yvonne Tracey, 68, a councillor with Kingston Independent Residents Group, has told me she will run against Davey under a postmasters' ticket. Councillor Tracey, who worked for the Post Office for 23 years and was a deputy postmistress, said: 'I am shocked Ed thought it was acceptable to work for the lawyers brought in by the Post Office to try to do down the sub-postmasters. He's shown terrible judgment.' There is considerable controversy over the legal tactics deployed by HSF against the sub-postmasters. A pivotal moment came in April 2019 when the Post Office tried and failed to have Mr Justice Fraser recused from the three-year High Court case in which sub-postmasters challenged the state-run body over accounting errors. At the end of the case called Bates and Others v Post Office Ltd in December 2019, 550 sub-postmasters won 58 million after Sir Peter ruled that the fault lay with the computer system. But legal costs meant only 11 million was paid to the postmasters, which equated to around 20,000 each. And under the agreement with HSF, the Post Office did not have to pay compensation to claimants who had been convicted of criminal offences. HSF's reputation was roasted recently in the ongoing inquiry into the Horizon scandal by Edward Henry KC, acting for a group of sub-postmasters. He said the desperate attempt to usurp the judge was a 'massively aggravating feature of this campaign of wrongful conviction' in which the Post Office was 'aided, advised, assisted and dare I say abetted by Herbert Smith Freehills'. He added: 'HSF wasn't a new broom HSF was part of the problem.' HSF declined to comment. And although the firm has now been dropped by the Post Office, it is the subject of a complaint to the Solicitors' Regulation Authority (SRA) over the way it handled the question of compensation. Many of the sub-postmasters most of whom had no legal representation were unhappy with their financial offer which came with the warning 'without prejudice'. This meant they were not allowed to talk about the offer with other sub-postmasters. Dan Neidle, a tax lawyer, referred the Post Office's in-house lawyers and HSF to the regulation authority for apparently misleading the postal staff over their rights to discuss compensation offers. Dan Neidle (Pictured), a tax lawyer, referred the Post Office's in-house lawyers and HSF to the regulation authority Paula Vennells (Pictured), chief executive of Post Office Ltd He says: 'Without prejudice is a common law doctrine that prevents statements made in settlement discussions from being adduced as evidence in court. The assertion of confidentiality is false and misleading as a matter of law. 'The paragraph is therefore a breach of the SRA Principles something that is particularly serious when the Post Office knew that most of those receiving the offers would be legally unrepresented. 'The breach has done considerable harm. It limited unrepresented postmasters' ability to compare offers.' Of course, Ed Davey knew nothing of this. But he certainly knew the disgraced former chief executive of the Post Office Paula Vennells, who has been forced to surrender her CBE following the public outcry over her behaviour. Back in Kingston in 2014 there was a spirited campaign led by Councillor Tracey against planned staffing cuts in the biggest post office in his constituency. She twice met Davey. She told me this week: 'He was clear that he would speak to Vennells, bragging that he had her mobile number from when he was Postal Minister. He said it was a benefit of having been part of appointing her chief executive.' Today he is rather less willing to boast of his close connection to Vennells as he continues to lie low over one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history. A toddler has died in a horrific incident after her father accidently reversed over her in his SUV as he was leaving for the supermarket to buy groceries. Rishwika Salibindla died after her father Joseph Reddy Salibindla backed into her unknowingly out the front of his property in Edna Avenue, Toongabbie, in Sydney's northwest on Friday just before 5.30pm. Mr Salibindla had hopped into his Audi SUV to get groceries at his local supermarket, unaware that his one-year-old daughter had followed him out the door. He then reversed over the girl unaware she was behind the vehicle, before exiting the vehicle to find her covered in blood. Mr Salibindla's wife Sravanthi Thirumalareddy and the couple's two sons who were inside the family home at the time of the incident rushed outside following the horrific incident. Rishwika Salibindla (pictured) died after her father accidently reversed his SUV over her on Friday afternoon at a property in Sydney's north-west Mr Salibindla attempted to keep Rishwika alive until six ambulance crews from the NSW Ambulance Service arrived at the scene. The girl later died from her injuries. The distraught father of three was later taken to Parramatta police station for questioning and spent Friday night assisting officers with their enquiries. The 41-year-old was seen sobbing in the arms of one of his relatives before he was taken away by officers. No charges have been laid. Mrs Thirumalareddy spent hours looking at the crime scene as family members and locals comforted the devastated mum. Rishwika's (pictured centre) mother Sravanthi Thirumalareddy (pictured left) spent hours at the crime following her daughter's death as family and friends rushed to comfort the young mum Mrs Thirumalareddy (pictured left) was inside the family home along with her two boys (pictured centre) at the time of the incident Rishwika's uncle Joseph Salibindla said and he and his family would be by Mrs Thirumalareddy's side as she came to terms with the loss of her daughter. 'We will stay here with her, me and my wife,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'Whatever we can do.' A crime scene was set up at the property as officers continue to investigate the incident. A report will be prepared for the coroner. Chicago is due to be battered by Storm Gerri over the weekend which will send temperatures plunging to -2F The Governor of Illinois has begged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to stop bussing migrants to his state ahead of a life-threatening winter storm. Governor JB Pritzker warned carrying out the policy amid plunging temperatures is jeopardizing the safety of migrant children and families. And with the mercury set to plummet even further at the weekend, he has begged Abbott 'for mercy' on behalf of the thousands of migrants arriving in Texas who are due to be sent off to Illinois' sanctuary cities. Storm Gerri has already brought extreme weather to the Midwest. On Saturday temperatures in Chicago are expected to drop to just -2F. Many of the migrants being dropped off in Illinois are arriving without coats or winter shoes, Governor Pritzker warned. 'Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people's lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state,' he wrote in an open letter to Governor Abbot on Friday. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has written to Texas leader Governor Greg Abbott begging him to stop bussing migrants to his state as a deadly winter storm looms Pritzker warned many migrants are being dropped off on the streets ill equipped for the harsh Midwest winter Pritzker (left) acknowledged that the current border crisis is 'untenable' for southern states but urged Governor Abbott (right) to use his 'humanity' The Illinois official acknowledged the border situation for southern states is 'untenable' and agreed both states feel there is a need for federal reform on immigration. 'We should be able to come together in a bipartisan fashion to urge Congress to act,' Pritzker wrote. 'But right now, we are talking about human beings and their survival. I hope we can at least agree on saving lives right now. But he accused Abbott of using the migrant crisis to score political points 'You seem to have no interest in working on bipartisan solutions to the border crisis because that would put an end to your cruel political game, but I am writing to you today hoping to appeal to your humanity,' he added. The policy of bussing migrants north to sanctuary cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C. and New York began in 2022 under Operation Lonestar. Pritzker said the tactic had seen the state overwhelmed by drop-offs 'at improper locations at all hours of the night' without any notice. 'As we grapple with the existing challenges of your ongoing manufactured crisis, the next few days are a threat to the families and children you are sending here. I am pleading with you to at least pause these transports to save live,' Pritzker wrote. He stated that the leaders should be able to 'come together in a bipartisan fashion to urge Congress to act'. Temperatures are set to plunge to -2F in Chicago over the weekend with the arrival of winter Storm Gerri According to the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office, nearly 40 migrants from Venezuela were at Love's gas station's parking lot near an Illinois highway on December 21 'But right now, we are talking about human beings survival. I hope we can at least agree on saving lives right now,' he concluded. Abbott has sent more than 25,300 migrants to Chicago since August 2022, on buses and more recently on charter flights. About 10,000 migrants are crossing the border every day and many of them are sent to 'sanctuary cities' like Chicago, New York, and Denver. Last month, it emerged that a busload of migrants who were bound for Chicago had been abandoned near an Illinois highway. According to the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office, nearly 40 migrants from Venezuela were at Love's gas station's parking lot near an Illinois highway on December 21. Authorities found many migrants walking down the highway and expressway while wrapped in blankets. The group had been left without money, food, adequate clothing and under the impression that they had reached their destination. China ramps up financial support for technology companies Xinhua) 10:28, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The National Financial Regulatory Administration issued a circular on Friday, requiring greater efforts to improve financial services for tech companies. The circular encourages banking and insurance institutions to set up branches in places where science and technology resources are concentrated, with a focus on providing better financial services for tech firms. Tolerance of non-performing loans to small and micro technology enterprises can be relaxed by no more than 3 percentage points compared with the other loans, according to the circular. The circular also encourages banking institutions to increase credit issuance for technology startups on the prerequisite that risk is well under control, and scale up support in intellectual property pledge financing. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) ??#EEUU Delegacion de nuestras FF. AA., liderada por la @fapperu, participo en conferencia de planificacion final, del ejercicio multinacional mas importante de la region, "Resolute Sentinel 2024", que se realizara en el Peru del 27 de mayo al 14 de junio.#NuestraMisionElPeru???? pic.twitter.com/b4M4jSpOuf A murderer who battered his wife to death using an iron bar above their Post Office has claimed he is innocent and was falsely convicted after investigator's used evidence collected from the faulty Horizon IT system. Former postmaster Robin Garbutt, 57, has spent the last 12 years behind bars after being convicted in 2011 of killing his postmistress wife Diana above their store in Melsonby, North Yorkshire. A jury ruled Garbutt was guilty for killing his wife in March 2020 over fears that she was having an affair and worries that his theft of thousands of pounds from the Post Office was about to be uncovered. But Garbutt, and those close to him, say his innocent and is yet another victim to the Horizon scandal, which saw 736 postmasters and postmistresses wrongly convicted. The Post Office revealed evidence during the Crown Court case to show that Garbutt was stealing money to fund a lavish lifestyle. Former postmaster Robin Garbutt (right) and his late wife, Diana, in an undated photo The Melsonby Post Office, North Yorkshire, where the body of Diana Garbutt was found in 2010 During his trial Garbutt said it was armed robbers who attacked his wife, claiming the raider entered with a gun telling him 'don't do anything stupid we've got your wife', yet a jury ruled According to the Telegraph, Garbutt's supporters claim without the Post Office's reliance on Horizon for evidence, a large part of his motivation for killing his wife disappears. Campaigners have also said there was no forensic evidence linking the killer to the murder weapon, with the iron bar only being found by police two days later, while evidence over the time Mrs Garbutt died is also contested. While Garbutt said the robbery happened at 8.30am, the prosecution said the postmistress was killed in the middle of the night and opened the Post Office as normal serving customers. This has since been disputed as no customers noticed anything odd in his behaviour. Over the years Garbutt has taken his case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) three times to try and force a retrial. Last November, however, the commission did conclude that 'figures from the Horizon system were not essential to his conviction for murder'. Appeal documents seen by the broadsheet revealed Horizon data was used to show a 'pattern of fraud'. Dr Michael Naughton, a law academic at Bristol University who has studied the case and runs a website called CCRC, told the paper the evidence used to convict Garbutt was 'no longer reliable'. He said: 'The prosecution used the Horizon evidence to support its claim that the motive for the murder was that Robin Garbutt was stealing money from the Post Office side of the business and he needed to kill his wife to cover it up. 'Horizon was used to show he was defrauding the Post Office. I don't know if Robin Garbutt did or did not kill his wife, but I do know that the evidence that led to his conviction is no longer reliable and every aspect has been discredited.' Meanwhile, Garbutt's brother-in-law Mark Stillborn said he was '100 per cent sure Robin is innocent'. 'Everybody who knows Robin knows he's innocent,' he added. 'Robin is the nicest person you will ever meet'. Mr Stillborn said the prosecution had relied on the shortfall to give him the 'motive to stage the robbery' and that Mrs Garbutt had been 'doing the accounts', which led him to kill her. He added that in light of the Horizon scandal - which was been pushed into the public eye once again following the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office - the evidence may never have been put to the jury. At his sentencing, Mr Justice Openshaw sentenced Garbutt to life in prison and told him he would serve a minimum of 20 years. 'There was no struggle, she never awoke,' the judge said. 'He struck three savage blows, smashing her skull and causing her immediate death as clearly he intended.' The judge added that Garbutt had told the same 'ludicrous story from beginning to end'. Outside court, the victim's mother Agnes Gaylor said: 'I am not thinking about Robin now. I'm not going to let Robin enter my head after today.' Robin (L) and Diana Garbutt (R). Diana was found dead at the Melsonby Post Office in 2010 Undated picture shows investigators passing tributes outside the North Yorkshire Post Office In a statement refusing to refer Garbutt's case for retrial the CCRC said in November 2022: 'Much of Mr Garbutt's application to the CCRC focused on the Post Office Horizon scandal, which has led to a number of fraud and theft convictions of former Post Office workers being overturned, many after referral by the CCRC. 'The CCRC decided that this argument could not assist Mr Garbutt, as figures from the Horizon system were not essential to his conviction for murder. 'Other issues concerning scientific evidence were also considered, and the CCRC has now made a final decision not to refer his case for an appeal.' Hey, all you pious Dry January prigs - we're two weeks into 2024 and already the jig is up. Your annual exercise in virtue-signaling is exposed. So give it up, killjoys! 'The reality is, you can't simply reset or detox the impacts of alcohol on your health in a month,' doctors tell DailyMail.com. So, the next time you turn up at the bar and order a seltzer, I'm going to throw a Stella straight in your face. Like clockwork, as the new year strikes, chubsicles lumber back to the gym and the most social-media savvy among us announce to the world that we're going to abstain. After hitting it hard between Thanksgiving and December 31st beers, blunts, hookers and fondue the usual suspects, understandably, try to assuage their guilty consciences. But if you spent December smelling like a distillery, come February you're probably going to be drinking until you drop once again. People who participate in Dry January are 47% more likely to drinking more. You know where I got that statistic? I made it up! Is there any better evidence of this absurdity than the newest Dry January converts adulterers T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach? The next time you turn up at the bar and order a seltzer, I'm going to throw a Stella straight in your face. But we all know that briefly revitalizing your liver doesn't make you a better person or cure you of your peppermint sins. It does make you sound annoying every time a waiter asks if you'd like a glass of wine. 'Oh I can't because I'm doing DRYYYY JANUARY because I have sooooo much more self-control than yooooouuu.' Really? Wasn't that you firing off sexts from the office bathroom at the company holiday party? Let's be honest they're doing Dry January for the likes. Is it any surprise this maddening fad wasn't a thing until Instagram made us all obsessively nosey neighbors, always comparing ourselves to the family next door? Now, if you are an alcoholic and grandpa's cough medicine is ruining your life stop reading now. This column is not for you. But still, it is a terrible idea to go cold turkey to appease the Instagram Gods. To all the rest of you whiny, moralizers: (Read in slurring voice) Do you think you're better than me? Is there any better evidence of this absurdity than the newest Dry January converts adulterers T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach? The couple former Good Morning America hosts admitted on their podcast that they spent almost $3,000 on booze in December alone. To all the whiny, moralizers: (Read in slurring voice) Do you think you're better than me? Robach claims she downs 30 libations in a week. Holmes said he easily consumes 18 drinks a day! Now they're turning over a new leaf. Two weeks sober, they say they're feeling 'amazing.' Well, kudos to you love birds. I'm sure your spurned spouses are cheering you on! In fairness, I tried Dry January last year. The first two weeks were fine. It didn't feel like a stretch to slam La Croix with frozen strawberries during the week and Coke Zero on the weekends. But at a wedding, I was throwing back Old Fashioneds and blathering on about my backsliding. I wish I could go back and punch Kennedy 2023 square in the jaw. It's not just liquor that makes these Januarians insufferable, there's also Veganuary. For four weeks people swear off meat and bore their friends to tears with nonstop tales of garbanzo beans, butternut squash spaghetti and don't get them started on lentils. These annoying plant-based gas bags turn into actual gas factories just so they can feel nutritionally superior. I say to them - try this challenge: go dairyless during pumpkin spice season. Robach claims she downs 30 libations in a week. Holmes said he easily consumes 18 drinks a day! Now they're turning over a new leaf. Two weeks sober, they say they're feeling 'amazing.' Of course, I kid. How then would they pose with their $14 basic oat milk latte in an apple orchard while wearing a plaid shirt? May I also add to this list of irritating social media martyrs those who rescue dogs? Don't get me wrong. I admire people who sacrifice their comfort to better the lives of neglected canines who would otherwise go to doggy heaven far too soon. But if I hear one more nasty gripe about my perfect-in-every-way purebred French bulldog, I swear I will start a puppy mill just for spite. Bringing home a three-legged, one-eyed, mangey, mite-ridden, geriatric mutt to teach your brat children a lesson doesn't make you a saint. Trying adopting a human. Now, that's something to post about. Here's the truth, if you can quit drinking in January, and pick it up again in February, alcohol addiction is not your problem it's social media. And just because you're advertising a few weeks of angelic behavior, it doesn't mean you have engaged in any meaningful, rigorous self-examination. Although I'm sure if you did, you'd find a way to make a Reel about it. The widow of a husband who was murdered in a hit arranged by their own son spent nights following the killing rehearsing how she would shoot the gunmen if they came back to finish her off. The nightmare began when Corey Shaughnessy, 58, was awoken by gunfire in the middle of the night at her Texas home. She called 911 on the morning of March 2, 2018, to report an intruder inside her house in Austin. When police arrived, they found Ted dead of multiple gunshot wounds in a hallway. One of the family's Rottweilers, Bart, had also been shot dead. The nightmare began when Corey Shaughnessy, 58, was awoken by gunfire in the middle of the night at her Texas home Jaclyn Alexa Edison along with Nicolas Patrick Shaughnessy, right, conspired to hire a gunman to kill Shaughnessy's father, a jeweler slain in his home in March 2018. Edison was sentenced to 10 years of probation after conspiring to murder her then-husband's parents. Shaughnessy got 35 years Ted Shaughnessy was shot and killed with detectives finding his own adopted son and daughter-in-law were behind the killings to secure millions in insurance money Incredibly, Corey had managed to defend herself by firing back at the intruder, but her husband of 30 years, Ted, was mortally wounded. But that did not stop her preparing for what might happen should the killers return. 'It was crazy. It was crazy. You don't go to sleep until the sun comes up. And then you set up zones in your house. You set up lines of fire so that if someone comes for you, you'll know where you're supposed to be shooting. And it's not good,' Corey told NBC Dateline. 'I do not remember the sound of my gun,' Corey said, speaking of the moment she fought back. 'I remember seeing the muzzle from the opposite gun. He's shooting at me and I'm shooting at him.' At first, detectives believed the couple's role as the owners of a local jewelry shop owners might have been a potential motive, but the investigation took a dramatic turn when it became apparent her own son and daughter-in-law had come up with the twisted murder-for-hire plot. Jaclyn Alexa Edison and her then-husband Nicolas Shaughnessy were both 19 years old when they hired two hit men to kill his adoptive parents in the violent home invasion. Corey Shaughnessy is seen alongside her husband Ted. Both were targeted in the murder-for-hire shooting but only Corey survived. Ted died in the hallway of his own Austin home An obituary photo posted on Legacy.com of Ted Shaughnessy, right, owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin, Texas, and his wife, Corey Shaughnessy. Ted was murdered in a plot by his son Nicolas in 2018 Incredibly, Corey had managed to defend herself by firing back at the intruder after breaking into the home The home where the home invasions occurred sat in Travis County, Austin, Texas Nicolas Shaughnessy and then-wife Jaclyn Edison were both 19 years old when they hired two hit men to kill his adoptive parents in a violent home invasion The murder-for-hire plot saw prominent Austin jeweler Ted Shaughnessy shot dead in 2018 Nicolas had estimated that he'd receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for his parents, from the sale of their home and sale of the jewelry store Authorities say the plot called for Corey Shaughnessy to be killed as well, but she was physically unharmed. During their investigation, detectives did not find signs of forced entry into the home, except for one that had been opened in Nicolas Shaughnessy's bedroom. Last year, Edison was sentenced to 10 years of probation - with crime victims outraged at the district attorney who helped her avoid prison. Edison managed to cut a deal with District Attorney Jose Garza, whose election was backed by billionaire liberal George Soros. She pled guilty to conspiracy to attempt to commit capital murder years after her ex-husband, Nicolas Shaughnessy, and two hit men, Arieon Smith, 23, and Johnny Leon, took up plea deals of 35 years in prison. Steve Brittain, the attorney for Corey Shaughnessy, told KXAN-TV had never seen a similar outcome in such a crime. 'I can't put it together in my mind, and I just don't understand it,' he said. 'She is evil. And in my view, very dangerous.' The company posted on Facebook in April 2018: 'We are happy to announce that Nicolas, Ted's son, will be carrying on his legacy here at Gallerie.' He was later jailed with his murder Nicolas had estimated that he'd receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for his parents, from the sale of their home and sale of the jewelry store Nicolas Shaughnessy was quickly on the scene following the murders. During their investigation, detectives did not find signs of forced entry into the home, except for one that had been opened in Nicolas's bedroom Nicolas Shaughnessy is seen speaking to law enforcement after his father, Ted Shaughnessy was found shot and killed inside his home One of the family's Rottweilers Bart had also been shot dead Police say it was Nicolas Shaughnessy who had approached multiple people in the months before the shootings asking if they were willing to kill his parents for payment. Police said the murder-for-hire plot also called for Corey to be killed but she emerged unscathed after shooting back. Prosecutors said the young couple was motivated by money, particularly the couple's $2 million life insurance policy. Nicolas had estimated that he'd receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for his parents, from the sale of their home and sale of the jewelry store. Ted was the owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin. The company had posted on its Facebook page the month following the shooting: 'We are happy to announce that Nicolas, Ted's son, will be carrying on his legacy here at Gallerie.' An obituary for the elder Shaughnessy published in the Austin American-Statesman said he was 'a proud father to his son, Nicolas.' The couple, Jaclyn Edison and Nicolas Shaughnessy, were arrested after police found ammunition in Shaughnessy's home in College Station that matched casings found at the crime scene. The Shaughnessys adopted their killer son from Ukraine when he was 18 months old. Nicolas Shaughnessy, 22, entered a guilty plea to a murder charge. His attorneys in a statement said he accepts full responsibility for his role in his father's death. As part of her plea deal, Edison will have to report to jail for two days each year on the anniversary of the murder as part of her probation. Edison was given deferred adjudication, which allowed her to accept responsibility for the crime without the conviction being put on her record. Many have criticized Attorney Jose Garza, whose election was backed by billionaire liberal George Soros, for Edison's plea deal Theodore dead of multiple gunshot wounds in his Austin home. One of the family's Rottweilers Bart was also shot dead Nicolas Shaughnessy, and two hit men, Arieon Smith (left) and Johnny Leon (right), also took up plea deals of 35 years in prison DA Garza has been slammed by numerous families for not doing enough to punish violent offenders - including Edison's light probationary sentence. He is one of numerous district attorneys across the country whose campaigns received millions in funding from Soros, leading directly to wave of liberally-minded judicial policies and decisions. He received about $600,000 from the Soros-backed Texas Justice and Safety PAC during his campaign, leading to his appointment in 2021. Garza vowed to end 'over-prosecution' of minorities and impoverished residents. He has also drawn ire from the Austin Police Department for arresting officers for incidents which had been handled through department's internal process. Austin Police Retired Officers Association President Dennis Farris said Edison should have faced the same sentence her co-conspirators. 'They literally are just as guilty, she's just as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger,' he told Fox News. No Channel crossings recorded in past 26 days, the longest gap in five years Suella Braverman warned Rishi Sunak about the Rwanda policy's shortcomings last July and dubbed the UNHCR an 'activist witness' aiming to disrupt Government plans, leaked letters have shown. Mrs Braverman warned the Prime Minister that the scheme might need to remove about 90 per cent of small-boat migrants to achieve a 'deterrent effect', it has emerged. It comes as no Channel crossings were recorded in the past 26 days the longest gap in five years, according to the latest figures. There have been no recorded arrivals since December 16, with poor weather conditions potentially contributing to the lack of activity at sea. The Home Office statistics were revealed as Rishi Sunak faced a showdown with warring factions of his own party over the Rwanda policy. Suella Braverman warned Rishi Sunak about the Rwanda policy's shortcomings last July, leaked letters have shown Migrants in a dinghy sail in the Channel toward the south coast of England on September 1, 2020 after crossing from France Leaked documents seen by the Daily Mail show the former home secretary set out a series of the policy's shortcomings last July and urged Mr Sunak to take action. The papers appeared to back up claims by Mrs Braverman's supporters that valuable time was lost as the Government waited for the Supreme Court to rule on the policy. She wanted to set up an offshore migrant processing centre on a British Overseas Territory such as the Falkland Islands, St Helena or Ascension Island, papers show. They describe an island processing centre as Mrs Braverman's 'preference' and she told Mr Sunak a pilot scheme involving up to 500 migrants could be operational 'within six to 12 months'. Ministers have publicly stated that if removal flights to Rwanda go ahead they would immediately help to reduce small-boat crossings. But Mrs Braverman's letter to the Prime Minister, dated July 10 last year, looked at the way Australia introduced a similar policy and said: 'Nobody can say what percentage of arrivals we need to detain and remove to achieve a deterrent effect. 'It could be 10 per cent, or it could be 90 per cent. Based on Australia's experience I'd suggest it's closer to the latter than the former.' Suella Braverman warned the Prime Minister that the scheme might need to remove about 90 per cent of small-boat migrants to achieve a 'deterrent effect', it has emerged A group of people thought to be migrants are are guided up the beach after being brought in to Dungeness, Kent Mrs Braverman was also dubious about securing a Rwanda-style deal with another country. 'The number of countries that present as legally viable and politically willing are severely limited,' she wrote. 'After years of searching... I'm doubtful we will find any others.' Even if the Home Office did secure a deal with another state, it would lead to renewed legal action, she added. The letter also gave an insight into Mrs Braverman's attitude towards the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), whose evidence played a key role in the Supreme Court's decision to rule the Rwanda programme unlawful. She described the organisation as an 'activist witness' which would seek to disrupt the Government's plan in future court battles. 'I'm confident that... activist lawyers backed by activist witnesses like the UNHCR will find alternative creative arguments to stymie our intent,' she wrote. An internal Home Office memo from July 14, seen by the Mail, showed that the then home secretary wanted Mr Sunak to 'pause' the previous batch of immigration reforms and beef them up with new measures. It said the Illegal Migration Bill, which was passed by Parliament a few days later, should have been put on hold and the Government should have dropped its appeal at the Supreme Court. No Channel crossings were recorded in the past 26 days the longest gap in five years, according to the latest figures The Home Office would then have added 'new bells and whistles' to the legislation, the memo said. The memo proposed a course of action similar to what was eventually pursued by Mr Sunak after he sacked Mrs Braverman. Mrs Braverman yesterday described the new Rwanda Bill, which reaches a key stage in the Commons next week, as a 'betrayal of the British people'. 'If there are no improvements to it, I will have to vote against it,' she told GB News. Rebel Right-wing Tory backbenchers have tabled measures to strengthen the Bill, while moderate Tories have put forward separate changes, arguably weakening it. A Government source said of Mrs Braverman's letter to Mr Sunak: 'This advice predates by some months the verdict of the Supreme Court. 'Without delay and within days of that verdict, we signed a binding treaty with our Rwandan partners to address the Supreme Court's concerns and the day after that had a Bill before the House to get flights to Rwanda, which we remain determined to do.' The number of migrants crossing the Channel has fallen year-on-year for the first time since records began in 2018, with the total in 2023 down by more than a third on 2022. The provisional annual total for last year of 29,437 is 36 per cent lower than the record 45,774 crossings in 2022. But it is still the second highest total on record, above that of 2021 at 28,526. Christine Baumgartner, 49, has found love again, and is seen in DailyMail.com exclusive pictures with her new man after a brief getaway as she dropped him off at his Montecito home five minutes from her own Advertisement Just four months after their bitter divorce, Kevin Costners ex-wife Christine Baumgartner has found love again, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. She was seen in her Range Rover dropping off her new man at his palatial Montecito home less than five minutes from her own house - early Friday morning after a brief trip away. Christine's new man is financier Josh Connor, 49; himself a divorced father of three who became legally single on January 3, 2023 just five months before Baumgartner blindsided Costner, 68, by filing for divorce. The couple also traveled together at Christmastime - her new banker beau flew her to Hawaii on a private jet, sources told DailyMail.com. The pair were previously photographed laughing together on another vacation in Hawaii in July, accompanied by her daughter Grace and his youngest child Abigail, both 13, and it later emerged in court that the banker had loaned her $20,000 . Accused by an irate Costner of having a new boyfriend, Baumgartner denied dating Connor under oath during an evidentiary hearing in Santa Barbara last August. Christine Baumgartner, 49, has found love again with financier Josh Connor, also 49. The couple were photographed together Friday morning after a romantic trip away Christine's new man is himself a divorced father of three who became legally single on January 3, 2023 just five months before Baumgartner blindsided Costner, 68, by filing for divorce The glamorous blonde was seen dropping off her new man at his palatial Montecito home which is less than five minutes from her mansion early Friday morning Bearded Connor, who was wearing a black cap and sweater teamed with blue jeans, had an overnight bag with him Baumgartner was pictured chatting with Connor during their beach stroll last July. The pair were photographed laughing together while strolling on the beach but Baumgartner denied dating Connor under oath during her divorce proceedings Bearded Connor, who was wearing a black cap and sweater teamed with blue jeans, had an overnight bag with him. Later the same day, he was seen making a brief visit to Baumgartners home buzzing himself in with his own door clicker. And, last week, the pair were repeatedly seen popping in and out of each others homes despite both having their children with them. Sources have told DailyMail.com that the romance has been going on for some time, with the couple taking a trip to New York in December ahead of their tropical Christmas. The insider said: Theyre together and they have been for a while. They spent time before Christmas together in Hawaii while Kevin was presumably in Aspen with the kids. They also made a trip to New York together. She hasnt been doing much to hide whats going on from her friends. According to the source, the lovebirds met via their daughters who are themselves close friends and frequently hang out together. As a result, Connor and his ex-wife Patricia, 48, have been pals with the Costner family for years with both living in Montecito close to Baumgartners $50,000-a-month rental home and Costners $70m Carpinteria compound. Sources have told DailyMail.com that the romance has been going on for some time, with the couple taking a trip to New York in December ahead of their tropical Christmas vacation According to the source, the lovebirds met via their 13-year-old daughters who are themselves close friends and frequently hang out together But Baumgartner and Connors once-platonic friendship has now heated up, with both the July vacation and the $20,000 loan scrutinized by Costners divorce lawyers. In court, a tearful Baumgartner insisted that she and Connor are just good friends and said she shared a room with a female friend during the July vacation which she admitted had been funded by the financier. She was then forced to explain a $20,000 loan handed to her by Connor - $10,000 of which she said had been paid to her mother while the rest had been returned. The glamorous blonde then had to admit that Costner had been making monthly payments of $5,000 to help her parents which had stopped when she filed for divorce. She told court that the $10,000 had been handed over to make up the shortfall and insisted she planned to pay it back. Despite her denials, a bystander said the new couple had looked cozy during their July vacation, with photos showing them strolling down the beach and grinning ear-to-ear. The onlooker exclusively told DailyMail.com: She sat with the guy at a corner table. He was handsome. They started off across the table from each other and she was laughing a lot at whatever he was saying. 'She was showing him photos from her phone, and he moved to the seat next to her so they were both facing the water. Baumgartner's Range Rover was parked outside Connor's home on Wednesday Later on Friday Connor he was seen making a brief visit to Baumgartners home buzzing himself in with his own door clicker. Its hard to say if there was anything going on with them, but he did put his hand on her leg at one point that I saw. That was the only actual physical interaction. 'Her suite is right next to the guys suite. He had the drinks charged to his room and they left together right before sunset. Baumgartner and Connor have kept their relationship under wraps since then, with the Costners settling their divorce weeks after the evidentiary hearing. The mom-of-three had hoped to be awarded $165,000-a-month child support payments and was also fighting to overturn their prenuptial agreement which would have provided her with a one-off sum of $1.5m and no alimony. She told court of the couples lavish $11million-a-year lifestyle that included a $160,000 ranch in Colorado and a sprawling beachfront estate in Carpinteria, and said she needed to rent a property for $100,000-a-month in order to provide a comparable lifestyle for her children. Baumgartner also claimed her lavish four-bedroom Montecito rental is unsuitable because her sons have to share a bedroom and the luxury property lacks sea views. Judge Thomas Anderle was unimpressed with her arguments and slashed her child support award to $63,000-a-month, down from a temporary $129,000. Connor, known as Josh, was officially divorced last January. Baumgartner's was finalized last September Lovers or not, Josh and Christine appeared happy together during their trp to Hawaii's Big Island in July Josh was said to be a 'confidante' to Christine as she navigates her messy split from Costner Despite vowing to fight on, weeks later, Baumgartner and Costner settled their divorce which friends later told DailyMail.com she did reluctantly. Connors divorce took longer to finalize, with the banker filing to end his marriage citing irreconcilable differences in November 2022. The former couple finally agreed to an equal custody split over a year later, with Connor on the hook to pay ex-wife Patricia $16,500-a-month in spousal support unless she marries again. On top of that, Patricia was awarded $16,626 in child support, although that has now been slashed by $3,325 because elder daughter Lily has just turned 20. Younger daughter Abigail, 13, and son John, 17, remain covered by the payments with school fees shared by both parents. DeSantis is also not expected to perform well in New Hampshire, where he was polling in fourth place before former New Jersey Gov. Chris Chrisie dropped out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will fly straight to South Carolina after Monday's Iowa caucuses instead of heading to New Hampshire, which holds the next primary, in an effort to vanquish rival Nikki Haley in her home state. It's a brazen move for the 2024 hopeful who has found himself in a tight battle with Haley for second place in the Republican primary field, which former President Donald Trump still dominates. Polling out of Iowa Friday shows DeSantis tied with Haley in a state where he campaigned heavily and she spent less time, focusing more on the independent-leaning voters expected to turn out for the New Hampshire primary. Additionally, the Florida governor had fallen to fourth place in New Hampshire behind Trump, Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who exited the race Wednesday. DeSantis will fly to Greenville, South Carolina, a GOP-heavy part of the state, on Tuesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will skip over New Hampshire and head directly to South Carolina for a campaign event the Tuesday after the Iowa caucuses. The move is meant to put rival Nikki Haley on notice that DeSantis is staying the race Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses volunteers in Urbandale, Iowa on Friday. DeSantis' decision to go to South Carolina after Iowa is also because he was in fourth place in New Hampshire, which holds the next presidential primary on January 23 'This campaign is built for the long-haul. We intend to compete for every single available delegate in New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and then into March,' DeSantis spokesperson Andrew Romeo told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'That begins on Monday's Iowa Caucus, and the next day we will kick our campaign into overdrive in both South Carolina and New Hampshire,' Romeo continued. 'We hope Donald Trump is ready for a long, scrappy campaign as we work to share Ron DeSantis' vision across America.' 'Game on,' he added. DeSantis and Haley are both vying to become the Republicans' alternative to Trump. The Associated Press first reported DeSantis' action. The candidate clarified during an appearance on Fox News Friday night that he would still be focusing on New Hampshire. 'Some media was saying we weren't doing New Hampshire at all,' the Florida governor told Fox's Laura Ingraham. 'That's not true. We're going to do an event in Greenville on Tuesday morning, and then we're going to fly to New Hampshire and do a town hall on CNN later that night.' DeSantis' move mimics one made four years ago by now President Joe Biden. Biden came in fourth place in the Iowa caucuses and wasn't polling well in New Hampshire so flew to South Carolina the night of the Granite State primary to address voters there. He easily won the Palmetto State's first-in-the-south primary after clinching the endorsement of powerful Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who at the time was the highest-ranking black member of Congress. That gave Biden momentum going into Super Tuesday to help him win the nomination over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the more liberal candidate. DeSantis' move is riskier because Haley has a home state advantage, as the state's former governor. Additionally, Trump has been out-polling both Haley and DeSantis in the state. He also won't have momentum, something that Haley could capture if she comes within striking distance of Trump in New Hampshire. Still, the Republican South Carolina primary will be held on February 24, which gives DeSantis more than a month to right the ship if he has a tough Iowa caucus night on January 15. The New Hampshire primary is being held eight days later, on January 23, and then comes Nevada, which is holding both a Republican primary and a Republican caucus. DeSantis told reporters outside his Urbandale, Iowa headquarters Friday that he planned to participate in the Nevada caucuses 'though they basically rigged that for Trump.' The Nevada Republican caucuses will be held on February 8. After Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina Republican have their say, voters from 16 states or territories will vote on Super Tuesday on March 5. As victims of the white supremacist shooting that claimed the lives of 10 black Americans in Buffalo learned Friday that the Biden Administration would seek the death penalty for the 2022 massacre, victims of another hate crime are wondering why that racist murderer was spared. Federal prosecutors under the Biden Administration also sought the death penalty for the shooter in Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue 2018 massacre-- finding the victims were targeted because of their faith. However, Biden's Department of Justice did not ask for the death penalty in the 2019 Walmart mass shooting where the confessed killer hunted down Hispanics-- driving 10 hours to El Paso, Texas where he murdered 23 people. 'It's racist,' Former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo told the DailyMail.com Friday of the DOJ's decisions. 'I can't reconcile it. It's wrong. It's wrong. It can be construed as racist.' In February 2023, Patrick Crusius pleaded guilty to 90 federal hate crimes, where he admitted to driving for 10 hours from the Dallas area to El Paso, Texas to find Hispanics and kill them. In images from surveillance video, pictured above, Crusius can be seen walking into an El Paso Walmart store in 2019 armed and ready to kill Even though Patrick Crusius pleaded guilty in 2023, federal prosecutor from the Biden Administration announced they would not seek the death penalty before they reached a plea deal with the killer Republican Dee Margo (pictured at the podium) was mayor of El Paso, Texas during the August 2019 Walmart massacre Patrick Crusius, a self-described white nationalist, pleaded guilty to 90 federal hate crimes related to the Walmart shooting in 2023, admitting he was trying to kill as many Hispanic immigrants as possible, believe they were invading the US. Even before Crusius' guilty plea, prosecutors within Biden's DOJ had already made the decision not to pursue the death penalty for Crusius. At the time, federal prosecutors did not explain how they arrived at their decision, instead filing a one-sentence court motion stating the death penalty was off the table. All three cases were prosecuted as federal hate crimes, making the shooters eligible to receive a death sentence, as the Pittsburgh shooter Robert Bowers, 50, did, according to the DOJ. 'I feel like we're treated differently than Pittsburgh or Buffalo, and that's wrong,' Margo added. 'There should be consistency in the application of the law." Paul Jamrowski, father of Jordan Anchondo and father in-law of Andre Anchondo, who both died in the El Paso Walmart mass shooting, breaks down in tears while speaking to the media outside the federal court in El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, July 5. Patrick Crusius is set to receive multiple life sentences after pleading guilty to federal hate crimes in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history Margo says federal prosecutors under the Trump administration had stated their intention to seek the death penalty for the El Paso shooter Hilda Reckard, daughter-in-law of El Paso Walmart shooting victim Margie Reckard, holds a picture of her relative outside the federal court in El Paso, Texas on, July 7, The Texas Republican, who was mayor on Aug. 3, 2019-- the bloodiest day in El Paso history-- attended the funerals of all 23 people who were killed and met with many survivors who were maimed and their lives altered forever. Margo has also attended all the court hearings related to the mass shooting. When Crusius pleaded guilty, Margo said he spoke to federal prosecutors in El Paso and asked why they didn't seek federal death penalty. 'I said, "Why did you seek the death penalty? Why were you unable to." He said it was a decision made by the Biden AG,' Margo claimed. Margo said federal prosecutors in El Paso indicated they were also disappointed by the decision that had been made by higher ups in the department. Former President Donald Trump visited El Paso after the 2019 massacre and was greeted by then-Mayor Dee Margo and US Senator Ted Cruz and John Cornyn Walmart employees pay their respects at a makeshift memorial for the shooting victims, at the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart in August 2019 The attack at the El Paso Walmart left residents in the border city feeling vulnerable, since the killer's only goal was to kill Hispanics. El Paso's population is overwhelming of Mexican descent At the time of the shooting, former President Donald Trump was in office. At the time, Margo said he was promised by DOJ officials did intend to seek the death penalty. President Joe Biden is the first president to openly oppose the death penalty and campaigned on abolishing it, however, in both the Pittsburg and Buffalo shootings, his officials have stated that the death penalty is key to bringing justice to victims. 'We hope that this civil rights prosecution brings a measure of closure and highlights the determination of the Justice Department to protect people from antisemitic violence and other hate crimes in our country,' Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said after the synagogue sentencing. In Texas, Crusius still faces the death penalty at the state level. The local prosecutor has stated that convicting and securing a death sentence for Crusius is his top priority. However, the state case still has no trial date, as the local district attorney's office has been plagued with a string of prosecutors working on the Walmart case quitting and other delays. Bill Hicks, the district attorney for West Texas, was appointed to the position by Gov. Greg Abbott last month. The former DA Yvonne Rosales had handled the case before that, but was forced out of office under accusations of incompetency and mishandling of multiple cases, including the Walmart shooting. 'By far, this this is the case that impact the most people in town, there's never been a bigger case,' Margo explained. 'There's a level of disappointment, which is why there needs to be a death penalty at the state level.' A bikie has fronted court on more than a dozen charges wearing only a hospital gown after it's alleged he led cops on a wild chase in a ute before firing shots at them. Desmond Lee Kirk faced Armadale Magistrates Court in Western Australia on Friday over 17 serious offences following the dramatic chase through Kelmscott in Perth's southeast on Thursday afternoon. The 36-year-old, who is understood to have connections to the Bandidos bikie club, faced charges including stealing, reckless driving, being armed, and breaching a violence restraining order. Kirk was taken straight to the courthouse after he was discharged from the Royal Perth Hospital earlier on Friday. He had received treatment for injuries suffered during the alleged chase. He fronted magistrate Brian Mahon dressed in a white hospital gown and struggled to stand and walk before he limped to his seat to have his case heard. 'You're clearly not very well,' Magistrate Mahon said, before slamming the decision to have Kirk brought before the court given his physical state. 'I would've been expecting to deal with [this matter] by way of a bedside hearing,' he said. Kirk asked Mr Mahon what he had been charged with before the magistrate issued a blunt reply. 'What haven't you been charged with is the easier question,' Mr Mahon said. Mr Mahon ordered Kirk to remain in custody and adjourned his matter to be heard on Monday. He said he hoped Kirk would be taken back to hospital after his case was briefly mentioned and said he couldn't understand why the accused was brought before the court when he wasn't fit to do so. Desmond Lee Kirk (pictured) fronted court on Friday afternoon wearing only a hospital gown after he led police on a wild chase on Thursday Kirk (pictured) faces more than a dozen charges including stealing, reckless driving and being armed 'On what I just saw I don't think it was vaguely appropriate that Mr Kirk was brought in to the court like that.' Earlier on Thursday afternoon Kirk allegedly used a 'long arm' gun to fire shots at police as he allegedly drove a stolen Mazda BT-50 for several kilometres. Police footage allegedly showed Kirk abandoning the ute before getting behind the wheel of a large Isuzu truck and continuing to lead police on a car chase. At one point he got out of the vehicle and allegedly aimed the gun at the helicopter, with police claiming shots were fired. Police managed to run the truck off the road a short time later, they performed a pit manoeuvre. WA Police Commander Gordon Fairman told reporters at a press conference on Friday the footage gave the public 'a front-row seat to a critical incident'. 'It's one of the most dynamic and critical incidents that I have seen and the quality of the footage is outstanding,' he said. Investigations into the incident remain ongoing. A former culture minister today adds pressure on Rishi Sunak to scrap the hated tourist tax, urging him not be 'shy' to use the benefits of Brexit. Writing in this newspaper, Conservative Dame Caroline Dinenage backs the Mail's campaign to bring back tax-free shopping for overseas tourists. Dame Caroline, the chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said the absence of a competitive tax policy for tourists means British retailers are losing out and urged the Prime Minister to review it at the next Budget. She asked: 'What happened to the much-vaunted post-Brexit freedoms that we were told would make our tourism industry one of the most competitive in the world?' Calling for the Government 'not to be shy' in exploiting such freedoms, she also pointed to figures which suggest the UK is lagging behind France, Spain and Italy in attracting spending from American tourists. A former culture minister today adds pressure on Rishi Sunak to scrap the hated tourist tax, urging him not be 'shy' to use the benefits of Brexit Conservative Dame Caroline Dinenage backs the Mail's campaign to bring back tax-free shopping for overseas tourists Her intervention comes as campaigners for the end of the tax, which stops tourists claiming back VAT on their purchases, were given fresh hope after a major change in the way tax policies are modelled by the watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). It has now begun to 'score' the economic benefits of policies to get people back into work thus reducing their cost. This has already been used over expansion of free childcare and the 2p cut to national insurance. Now a Government source says this could be used for other tax policies in the future. Research commissioned in part by the Mail last year found scrapping the tourist tax could make the UK 10billion a year better off and support 200,000 jobs. Calling for the Government 'not to be shy' in exploiting such freedoms, she also pointed to figures which suggest the UK is lagging behind France, Spain and Italy in attracting spending from American tourists The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said bringing back tax-free shopping for overseas visitors would create new job opportunities and sustain existing ones. It forecast a boost to employment in transport, logistics, manufacturing and hospitality as well as the retail sector. According to the CEBR, the 'spill-over effects' of additional tourist spending would have supported 172,000 jobs in 2022 increasing to a projected 201,000 last year. Business chiefs last night issued a fresh plea for the Treasury to consider the impact of scrapping the tax. Hotelier Sir Rocco Forte said 'any sensible analysis' would show reinstating tax-free shopping would boost growth. He added: 'For decades the Treasury has been trapped in a narrow, orthodox way of thinking where it considers only the cost of tax cuts and not the dynamic positive economic effects that they have on jobs, spending and the public finances. 'No consideration has been taken of the huge amounts tourists spend in the wider economy, for example in hotels like mine, restaurants, cafes, tourist attractions and transport.' The Treasury scrapped tax-free shopping for overseas tourists in 2021. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said he will review the most recent data to see whether it is affordable to reinstate it. The Post Office may have to pay 100million in extra tax if found to have deducted payments to Horizon scandal victims from its profits, finance experts have warned. Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates said such a move could equate to a serious breach of tax law. 'The non-deductibility of compensation for unlawful acts is a well-known point,' he told the BBC. Businesses pay a rate of tax based on their profits, which can be brought down by claiming tax deductions for some legitimate business expenses. Costs accrued as a result of fines and penalties usually do not qualify for these exemptions. If required to pay HMRC an additional 100million, the Post Office - which is owned by the government - could be rendered technically insolvent. HMRC is understood to be currently investigating how the Post Office has accounted for the hefty compensation fees it is due to pay out, according to the BBC. The Post Office has said its financial information was 'appropriate and accurate'. Some 4,000 people in the United Kingdom have been told they are eligible for compensation, and new potential victims are still coming forward. Under the Group Litigation Order scheme, the victims can expect to receive 'at least 75,000 in compensation upfront', though it is expected many will ask for more. Dan Neidle (pictured) said the Post Office paid less tax by subtracting compensation payments File photo. 4,000 people may be eligible for compensation payments from the Post Office Heather Self, a consultant on corporate tax at Blick Rothenberg, told the BBC 'the payments of compensation... are almost certainly not deductible for corporation tax purposes, in my view. 'Not only is it difficult to argue that they were incurred for trading purposes, there is also a general rule of public policy that fines - or payments in the nature of fines - are not deductible,' she said. As many as 983 people have been handed convictions related to the Horizon IT programme, 700 of which were privately pursued by the Post Office. Ninety-three of those people had had their convictions overturned as of December 1, 2023, amid deeper investigations into their cases and the faulty Horizon software. Those whose convictions are overturned can choose between a 600,000 settlement in compensation and entering in negotiations to ask for more. All are entitled to an interim payment of 163,000 while talks are ongoing. But for many, no amount of compensation will repair the damage done by the scandal. Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds were accused of crimes they did not commit when the Post Office's accounting software, Horizon, reported shortfalls in cash collected at various branches. The impact of court cases, convictions, loss of work, debt and tarring of reputation saw lives irrevocably changed as innocent people were publicly charged with theft and fraud. In at least four cases, victims of the scandal took their own lives. Problems with the software were reported as early as 2009, but it would be another decade before the High Court ruled the Horizon system provided by Japanese company Fujitsu was faulty. The Post Office then agreed to settle out of court with 555 aggrieved subpostmasters for 58million. After legal costs, this left them with 'only 20,000' each, according to parliamentary documents - which estimated each sub-postmaster had accrued losses 'well in excess' of 100,000. The Group Litigation Order scheme has since been set up to ensure claimants would receive extra compensation based on their individual circumstances. HMRC is understood to be looking into how the Post Office accounted for its payments A view of the Warrington offices of technology company Fujitsu on January 12 in Warrington In January 2024, ITV aired Mr Bates vs the Post Office, dramatising the scandal and bringing attention back to the wrongly convicted subpostmasters. Since then, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to introduce new legislation for their exoneration. ? La presidenta Dina Boluarte llego al distrito de Pichanaqui, en Junin, donde destaco los beneficios del programa #LlamkasunPeru, que ha generado cerca de 198 000 empleos temporales a nivel nacional. Seguiremos impulsando #LlamkasunPeru desde #Tumbes hasta #Tacna, desde la pic.twitter.com/uo5XyoyVgc A 37-year-old woman trying to re-enter the workforce was left 'shocked and offended' after a male employer told her she was too old for the job. Maria Nielsen applied for a position at a Sydney barbershop but was turned away at the final stage when the employee she would have replaced decided to stay on. However, she saw the same shop was advertising another job a few months later so decided to apply again. Ms Nielsen texted the manager to let him know she was interested in the position but his reply left her stunned. 'Hi, I saw your ad on Indeed. I would like to apply for the job again,' she wrote. Maria Nielsen, 37, was told by an employer (above) she was too old to work at his barbershop The employer wrote back: 'I'm sorry but honestly, I don't want to be rude but, with all my respect, as I have a lot of young clients I'm looking for someone a bit younger to work with me. 'Hope you don't get offended. Thanks again.' Ms Neilsen said she was so shocked by the reply that she initially laughed. It wasn't until she showed her husband that the nastiness of the message hit her. 'I showed my husband and he was like, "Wow, that's very offensive" and I was like, "Yeah, it is",' she told 7 News on Saturday. 'Afterwards, it's just made me feel like I need to think a bit more about my future and what options I have.' It is illegal for an employer to reject someone based on their age - as well as race, religion or gender - in Australia. The offence is known as 'ageism'. The main defence for discrimination is if the candidate cannot properly perform the 'inherent requirements' of job. For example, a candidate that's too young to hold a driver's licence can't be hired as a delivery driver. Macpherson Kelley principal lawyer for employment, safety and migration John-Anthony Hodgens said applicants can sue employers for discrimination. Ms Nielsen (above) was left 'shocked and offended' by the employer's response in which he said he was looking for 'someone a bit younger' Compensation could reach up to $30,000. 'We can see an increased willingness on the behalf of courts to increase compensation with a view to sending a message of deterrence to prevent people from engaging in this sort of behaviour,' Mr Hodgens said. He warned employers: 'Be conscious of recruiting practices and procedures.' A prison warden was stabbed repeatedly by an inmate using an improvised weapon at a jail branded 'Monster Mansion'. The guard was knifed at the 850-capacity HMP Frankland in County Durham yesterday by an inmate understood to be a Muslim convert. The inmate was heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' - meaning God is Greatest in Arabic - during the attack before cells were locked down so a search could be carried out. One man was in hospital last night with non-life-threatening injuries while another was discharged - after a second prison guard was punched in the face during the attack. A source told The Sun: 'This was a pre-planned attack and the inmate had made a ''shank''. The prison guard was stabbed at the 850-capacity HMP Frankland in County Durham by an inmate understood to be a Muslim convert 'He went up behind the officer on one of the wings and stabbed him several times, including in the neck.' The source added: 'They did well to subdue him so quickly. Even the cons were shocked and everyone was talking about how it was a terror attack - and they were surprised one had not happened before.' The source also said that it was believed the inmate had converted to Islam while imprisoned at the jail - with one wing at the prison holding Islamist inmates. Many cons are believed to convert while at the jail amid threats from Muslim gangs. The jail is dubbed 'Monster Mansion' due to the many convicted murderers, rapists and terrorists imprisoned there Inmates at the prison - dubbed 'Monster Mansion' due to the many convicted murderers, rapists and terrorists imprisoned there - include Ian Huntley, Wayne Couzens and Levi Bellfield. A spokesperson for Prison Service said: 'We cannot comment on a live police investigation. 'We do not tolerate violence towards our hard-working prison officers and will always seek tough punishment for anyone found responsible.' President Joe Biden appeared confused during a visit to Pennsylvania on Friday where he received a less than warm welcome from hecklers branding him a 'loser' and urging him to 'go home'. The 81-year-old appeared baffled during a visit to a bike shop in the Allentown area, which was one of several small businesses he was there to tour. Video showed the president looking momentarily bewildered as he was introduced to staff at the store, before appearing to recollect himself and beckoning the employees over to greet them. Prior to entering he had been heckled with chants of 'Go home Joe', the New York Post reports. A few hours later he was branded 'genocide Joe' by a vocal mob of Pro Palestine supporters lining the route of his motorcade. The group chanted: 'We will remember in November,' in a reference to the upcoming election. President Biden was met with hecklers during a visit to small businesses in Pennsylvania on Friday Video of him touring a bike shop in Allentown showed him appearing confused while being introduced to staff The 81-year-old was branded a 'loser' by crowds gathered in the Allentown area, with others shouting 'Go home Joe' The president's motorcade was also hit by protesters carrying Pro Palestine placards demanding a ceasefire on Gaza Biden popped into three stores to stress the value of small businesses and talk up his economic record. 'My name is Joe Biden and I work for the governor and the senator,' the president said as he stepped into the Nowhere Coffee Co. along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania. Biden ordered what appeared to be a smoothie. Obviously, onlookers inside the coffee house knew who he was, with one of them joking, 'This is a normal day.' Elsewhere his welcome was less warm, with reporters demanding to know his true feelings on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's failure to disclose his hospitalization. Asked if he has confidence in Austin, Biden responded: 'I do.' Asked if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin to not inform him of his hospitalization, Biden said: 'Yes.' They were his first public comments on his defense secretary. The Pentagon said on Friday that Austin remains in Walter Reed Medical Center in 'good condition, that he has been in contact with senior staff and was 'actively engaged' in overseeing and directing the U.S. military's participation in strikes on Houthi targets. Biden previously has indicated he will stand by his defense secretary but White House officials agreed the situation was a head-scratcher. The angry mob branded the president 'genocide Joe' and vowed to 'remember in November' President Joe Biden also admonished Lloyd Austin for his lapse in judgment when the defense secretary chose not to reveal his hospitalization, but said he still has confidence in him Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, 70, was hospitalized on January 1, but the Pentagon waited three days to reveal the information. He is pictured December 20 in this most recent pic Austin finally announced on Tuesday he had prostrate cancer after originally refusing to say what he suffered from and facing days of questions about his hospitalization. The mishandling of the matter is now being probed by the Pentagon. Austin and Biden spoke this week ahead of the U.S. and British airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that took place on late Thursday night. Biden made Friday's trip without delivering prepared remarks ahead of a weekend getaway to the presidential retreat, Camp David in Maryland. Donald Trump is scrapping planned rally events in Iowa that were set for this coming weekend after a blizzard pounded the state just days before the Iowa Caucuses. His team put out an 'adjusted schedule' Friday evening, 'out of an abundance of caution amid severe weather advisories.' That came after rival Ron DeSantis held one event, improvised another, and scrapped the rest while ribbing other candidates and saying he 'can handle the snow.' Trump is ditching a planned rally for Sioux City Iowa, in the far northwest corner of the state. Also gone from his schedule is a planned in-person rally in Cherokee. Instead, Trump will hold a 'telerally' Saturday, with a planned rally in Indianola, which is near Des Moines, on Sunday along with another telerally event. 'One way or another I'm getting there,' Trump told supporters in a video message to Iowans from West Palm beach, where his hometown was experiencing balmy temperatures. 'You have the worst weather, I guess, in recorded history,' Trump added. Former President Donald Trump is scrapping planned events in Iowa Saturday and part of Sunday amid a blizzard and bone-chilling wind chill predictions. He said 'maybe that's good, because our people are more committed than anybody else' in Monday's Iowa Caucuses Then he shifted the the political implications, amid much speculation by the media. 'But maybe that's good, because our people are more committed than anybody else, so maybe it's actually a good thing for us,' he said. He had plans to fly into Des Moines on Saturday night. 'It's going to be a little bit of a trek. Nobody knows exactly how we're going to get there,' he said. Trump said he would see supporters on Sunday and Monday, confirming he would attend a caucus event. Trump's camp announced the plans after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a brief appearance Friday afternoon amid Iowa's blizzard in a bid to show that his 2024 presidential campaign is the most weather-resistant DeSantis, his wife Casey, son Mason and Iowa's Gov. Kim Reynolds stopped by his campaign headquarters in Urbandale, Iowa, located just outside of Des Moines, for a meet-and-greet with campaign volunteers. 'We can handle the snow even though we're a Florida-based campaign,' DeSantis said. 'We've got people knocking on doors in the snow, we're out here doing events, we're not stopping.' Less than 30 minutes before, DeSantis' Never Back Down super PAC announced that the rest of the governor's appearances Friday had been cancelled amid freezing temperatures, snow flurries and winds that have wreaked havoc across the state, three days before the Iowa caucuses. DeSantis has run what should be a successful campaign for president in Iowa, traveling to all 99 counties and earning the endorsement of Reynolds, the state's popular Republican governor, but the latest Hawkeye State poll has him fighting for a distant second place against former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley. Trump announced his plans in a video put out by his advisor Dan Scavino Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his son Mason and wife Casey arrive to meet campaign volunteers in Urbandale, Iowa, located just outside of Des Moines. The impromptu appearance was scheduled after most of DeSantis' official campaign schedule was scrubbed due to the snow Trump surrogate Kari Lake, a former candidate for governor in Arizona, stopped by the historic Hotel Fort Des Moines in Des Moines as candidates searched for new ways to meet supporters and get media attention amid the blizzard Lake greeted Iowans while Trump was in West Palm Beach, Florida Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (center) waves to campaign volunteers and reporters alongside wife Casey and son Mason (center right) and Iowa's Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds (right), who endorsed DeSantis in November A Trump media advisor listed an 'adjusted schedule' Friday's Iowa State/Civiqs poll found that 55 percent of likely caucusgoers planned to support former President Donald Trump. And then 14 percent said they'd back DeSantis and another 14 percent said they'd pick Haley when Republicans are gathered at caucus sites all across the state Monday night. Bad weather has more of an impact on caucuses than primaries because voters have to physically be on-site to participate and can't vote absentee. That has had the campaigns scrambling to make sure that their voters are energized and will show up, despite the current Des Moines weather forecast saying that the low on Monday will reach negative 17. At the same time, Friday's snowfall marked the second time this week that campaign appearances had to be scrubbed due to dangerous driving conditions. Haley announced Thursday night that all of her Friday campaign appearances would be virtual. Her campaign cited 'potentially dangerous weather conditions.' Reporters gaggle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he made a stop at his Urbandale, Iowa campaign headquarters to meet with volunteers. DeSantis had to scrap most of his Friday schedule, so made the Urbandale appearance instead DeSantis made his first event Friday morning in Ankeny, which is also located just outside of Des Moines, Iowa's largest city and the state capital, but the rest of his schedule was scrapped by lunchtime. He then made the appearance in Urbandale instead. DeSantis said he decided to show up in the snow 'because we want to win.' 'We're here to get every vote we can. Leave nothing on the table,' he said. 'We're not going to rest between now and caucus night. Look the element - I'll brave whatever we need to do.' 'So if you have to go trudge through snow, to be able to earn the vote, you trudge through snow to be able to win the vote,' DeSantis continued. Former President Donald Trump returned to Palm Beach Thursday night after spending time in court in New York City Thursday. Friday's temperatures there were in the 80s. He's set to return to Iowa Saturday for a series of weekend rallies. His surrogate Kari Lake, the failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate who's now running for Senate, was scheduled to appear in Pella, Iowa Friday night. Ralph Reed of the Faith & Freedom Coalition is already looking at how the chilly weather will impact turnout in the state, but guessed hardy Iowans would show up even in uncomfortable conditions. 'Prior to these weather reports indicating this sort of polar vortex weather pattern that we're going to have, we had it projected in our model that somewhere between 200 to 220,000' caucusgoers, he said. A blizzard and frigid temperatures are causing the cancellation of political events in the final days before the Iowa Caucuses Wind chills were predicted to hit -45 degrees, as Iowans prepare to head to caucus sites on Monday Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley scrubbed her Friday events, even as she has enjoyed a small bump in the polls Watch out! Ron DeSantis cancelled his later events Friday. He and wife Casey DeSantis are relying on a ground operation in Iowa Iowans are being warned they could face frostbite with as little of 10 minutes of skin exposure to the elements DeSantis supporters brought signs to a CNN debate in Des Moines. But can he turn out his backers on caucus day? A political yard sign for former President and current Republican candidate hopeful Donald Trump sits in the snowy shoulder along a road near Reasnor, Iowa. Trump's camp says his commited supporters will show up Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy had scheduled multiple campaign events Friday. He campaigned in Cedar Rapids on Thursday Iowa Department of Administrative Services plows snow on top of the Capitol parking ramp as blizzard conditions hit Des Moines, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Thanks for the lift: DeSantis made it to his first event in Ankeny, but the super PAC Never Back Down cancelled later scheduled appearances 'If you ended up with high winds and it's snowing sideways, you know, maybe,' there would be an impact, he told reporters on a call Thursday. But the veteran of caucuses going back to 1984 said Iowans take their role in the caucuses 'very seriously.' 'They play a cherished role in the selection of the president United States ... They'll meet these candidates multiple times ... I mean, if you've lived in Iowa for more than six months, there's nothing really particularly surprising about a cold snap.' He referenced a prediction that Trump supporters, who skew older, wouldn't turn out. 'I'm just not buying it,' he said. Trump senior advisor Chris LaCivita said Trump's supporters are 'very committed' and would turn out not matter what. 'Nothing's changed,' he said Wednesday amid the dire forecast. 'The weather changes a little bit but I'm not joking when I say just wear a coat. I mean, you know, you're literally going to the caucus, you're walking, you're going. I mean, this is Iowa, they know how to handle the weather,' he said. 'We have a very committed group of voters who as the President said on numerous times, would walk over glass to vote for him. So we know the intensity favors us.' DeSantis made a similar argument Friday in Urbandale. 'I think our voters are people that are, by and large, committed caucusgoers,' he said. 'They've signed up with us, they're in it, they're going to turn out, I think we're confident in that.' He added though that he believed overall turnout could be impacted calling the weather 'a major wildcard.' Trailing in the polls, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy kept his political schedule Friday, wrapping his decision in the flag and taking a dig at his rivals as he has previously. 'George Washington braved the weather to cross the Delaware,' he posted on X Friday morning. 'Another snow day in Iowa, another day of events for us. First event starts in 1 hour. We'll continue to every last one for as long as we can *physically* make it.' Shovel ready: Residents of Des Moines were already digging out, but being advised not to travel The state will be a the center of the action politically Monday as Donald Trump faces his rivals in the caucuses Des Moines and other Iowa cities got slammed with snow, which continued to accumulate Friday Iowans are experienced contending with snow, but wind chills will pose health hazards It takes a village: The East Village neighborhood of Des Moines was able to keep streets passable, but people were being advised to avoid travel altogether Then he cautioned: 'We honor the Iowa caucus process. I encourage everyone in these communities to be safe & respect their decisions today, as we continue to do our best to show up.' Authorities were urging Iowans not to travel, and with up to a foot of snow predicted, there were warnings that gusty winds would continue to cause hazards by blowing fallen snow on Saturday. Iowans weren't the only ones getting walloped by winter weather. Every state in the country has been issued with a weather warning, as the Midwest prepares to be hit with up to a foot of snow. Multiple weather hazards are impacting the country with the National Weather Service having now issued a weather alert for every state. Blizzard, tornado, flood, avalanche and wind alerts have all been triggered, with one wind alert stretching nearly 2,000 miles from Texas to New England. Heavy snow is currently spreading across the Midwest, with the NWS reporting that one to two inches has been falling every hour. Forecasters have already warned that areas of Montana, particularly Lewistown and Havre, will see temperatures plunge to -48F due to extreme wind chill. A transgender woman is suing the City of New York after they were placed in a men's detention center while awaiting transfer to another state on domestic violence charges. Ali Miles, who also goes by Dylan Miles, was born a biological male but is in 'the process of transitioning into a woman', wears women's clothing and is undergoing hormone therapy. Miles, a self-identified Muslim woman, is now seeking more than $22,000,000 in compensation, claiming she was discriminated based on gender identity. Miles was held at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island from June to July 2022 before being transferred to Yavapai County Jail in Arizona. Ali Miles, who is transgender, is suing the City of New York for over $22 million, alleging discrimination for being placed in a men's detention center Rikers Island jail complex stands in New York with the Manhattan skyline in the background Subsequently, she was convicted of aggravated harassment, disorderly conduct, harassment, threatening or intimidating, and false reporting to a law enforcement agency. In October of 2022, she was placed on supervised probation for a period of three years and sentenced to 312 days in jail. The lawsuit, filed on August 24, 2023, states that despite expressing a female gender identity and allegedly having a court order for her to be placed in a female unit, Miles was housed in a male facility at Rikers. The filing contends that Miles faced discrimination, assault, and human rights violations during this time despite 'wearing women's clothing and in all appearance expresses as a person of the female gender.' Following her arrest, Miles informed a judge about being transgender and the need for special housing, with the court purportedly agreeing. However, Miles alleges that after being placed in a male jail, she suffered 'shock and distress.' 'As Miles approached the inside of the building, Miles realized it was a male jail which caused shock, panic and fright to Miles,' the suit reads. Despite expressing a female gender identity and having a court order, Miles claims she was housed in a male facility, facing harassment and assault Miles has a history of litigation, including several lawsuits against businesses for alleged gender identity-based discrimination 'Miles requested and pleaded that as an LGBTQIA+ individual who was transgendered, she required and needed an accommodation, and that she should not be placed in a male population jail.' Despite pleas for her accommodation to be switched, Miles claims a staff member said, 'we don't do the trans thing here' and underwent a degrading strip search. She was then strip-searched by a male guard who said she had 'nice t***' and 'one hell of a p****', despite Miles not having undergone gender reassignment surgery. During detention at the George R. Vierno Center, Miles alleges she was subject to routine harassment, misgendering, and humiliation, highlighting 'sexual victimization' by other inmates due to placement in a male facility. Miles is demanding $22,000,000 in compensation for the alleged discriminatory practices against her and lists the City of New York together with the Department of Corrections Rikers Island, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. In a 2023 lawsuit Miles, was allegedly forced to use a men's locker room at a yoga studio in New York City and sued the company for $5million. The suit was dismissed Miles appears to have a habit of filing lawsuits when it comes to gender discrimination and has so far attempted to sue a yoga studio, a tourism company, Planet Fitness, Bagel Point, and New York Presbyterian Hospital, all alleging discrimination based on gender identity. All of the cases in the past were dismissed, but the current lawsuit against the City of New York is proceeding. Miles, who previously self-represented in court now has legal representation, and the next hearing is scheduled for February 22, In last year's suit against a city yoga studio, Miles sued for $5 million after claiming she was forced to use a men's locker room. Miles claimed to have been banned from using the women's changing rooms and bathrooms on May 4, 2023 by management at Hot Yoga Chelsea - where classes can cost as much as $1,900 per year. But Miles went in anyway and leading to complaints from the other women in there, according to the suit. Miles appears to have a habit of filing lawsuits when it comes to gender discrimination and has so far attempted to sue a yoga studio, a tourism company, Planet Fitness, Bagel Point, and New York Presbyterian Hospital, all alleging discrimination based on gender identity A yoga session at Hot Yoga Chelsea - where classes can cost as much as $1,900 per year Miles, originally from Arizona, turned up to the Manhattan studio before the 5pm class and wanted to get changed in the women's locker room. But her presence was met with complaints and she was told to stop using the facilities and leave. 'Female patrons complained and yelled at Miles about Miles' presence and use of the single-sex locker room and bathroom labeled women, and they demanded Miles leave and cease using the facilities,' the lawsuit states. A witness described Miles' behavior on that day as disturbing and said she was '150% a man' and that her genitals were hanging out in the locker room. 'We have other transgender people [at Chelsea Hot Yoga], we have several trans women and several trans men, and there's never been a problem. it's this individual,' she told the New York Post. 'This person who claims to be a transitioning woman came into the female locker room, number one, in male shorts that were down to his knees. Although there could be some hormonal addition because his bust is bigger than mine, he did not wear any feminine top to cover his bust. 'He also de-robed, and he is a full male. There's 150% man. There were things hanging out.' The witness added: 'It wasn't even like he was just standing there. He was crouched down on the floor in front of the shower stalls. 'It was very uncomfortable for one of the women that was in there and she was completely naked. 'This person started in immediately with reciting the law, and why would you do that? 'Because this person could see that there were other women, amongst myself, that were notably upset This person, I don't know if they come to these places to try to start a problem or whatever.' Miles was born a biological male but is in 'the process of transitioning into a woman', wears women's clothing and is undergoing hormone therapy Miles was also represented by lawyer Peter Sverd in her case against a Planet Fitness, where she was allegedly escorted out of the women's locker room, and a homeless shelter where she claimed she was assaulted by a security guard. Both incidents are said to have happened in the Bronx. Other suits Miles filed include $75,000 in compensation against Sedona Soul Adventures, a business based in Arizona that he had previously worked for. Miles alleged the tourism company wrongfully terminated his employment after subjecting him to 'gender identity-based harassment and discrimination.' The suit was dismissed after an out-of-court agreement was reached. Two other civil suits were filed against Planet Fitness and Bagel Point, a cafe in Brooklyn on the basis of 'gender identity-based harassment and discrimination.' Miles demanded $10,000,000 in compensation from Planet Fitness, but the suit was dismissed. All of the discrimination cases in the past have dismissed, but the current lawsuit against the City of New York is proceeding In the suit against Bagel Point, Miles sought $75,000 in damages alleging he had been wrongfully terminated and subjected to verbal abuse on the basis of his gender identity. The actions against Bagel Point and Planet Fitness were both dismissed after he failed to file the correct paperwork and pay $402 in filing fees. In New York City, places of 'public accommodation' are required to allow visitors to use the bathroom which aligns with their gender identity under a 2016 law - or they have to provide single-occupancy toilets for 'all genders'. Businesses in New York are said to be doing their best to avoid any issues that arise over bathroom use. Real estate property manager Anthony Mignano, who is not involved with the lawsuit, said: 'We've been informed by our lawyers to change everything everything has to be a neutral bathroom now to avoid it.' While another expert claims transgender bathroom and locker room claims could hurt businesses in the city with litigation in a similar way the Americans with Disabilities Act has. It led to hundreds of lawsuits, including some from claimants dubbed 'professional plaintiffs' who file dozens of claims. Not so much a walk as a pilgrimage. That is certainly how many of those who slog up this section of the Pennine Way regard the trek from Stanbury up and over Wadsworth Moor in West Yorkshire. For this is the path to Top Withens, the magnificently bleak and now ruined farmhouse which was the inspiration for one of the greatest classic novels in English literature. Emily Bronte gave it the name 'Wuthering Heights', home of the heroine Cathy Earnshaw. Though the author would superimpose a grander fictional mansion on this spot, the setting has not changed since the book appeared in 1847. It is the last remnant of a dwelling before you really are out on the 'wily, windy moors' as Kate Bush described the scene in her brilliant 1978 debut single of the same name, one which introduced Wuthering Heights to an entirely new, late 20th century audience. It is a delightful though some might say 'spooky' or even 'Gothic' coincidence that both Bronte and Bush were born on the very same day exactly 140 years apart. To this day, fans of both still flock up here on July 30 by way of homage. But will they in years to come? Lydia Macpherson (pictured) on the footpath close to her home in Haworth, West Yorkshire, that leads to the Bronte sisters' former home Top Withens farmhouse Such passions go some way to explain the sense of utter incredulity following the submission of a new proposal to build England's largest onshore wind farm on this very spot. If the scheme is approved, much of the North of England from Preston and Manchester to Harrogate will be able to see the monster, new-generation turbines earmarked for these hills. Protest groups are quick to point out that the wind turbines in question, at up to 650ft high, would not only be more than 100ft taller than the Blackpool Tower but, on a clear day, you would be able to see them from the Blackpool. Tower. Put another way, each of these will be ten times taller than the Angel of the North statue at Gateshead. And the current plan involves, wait for it, 65 of them. The Blackpool Tower stands at sea level and the Angel is on a modest hillock at 300 feet. Whereas the base of the Calderdale Wind Farm will be starting at 1,000 feet above sea level and rising to 1,500. It means that the tips of some blades will have an altitude of more than 2,000 feet. To put this into context for southerners, that is twice the height of the Shard which is visible for 40 miles around then multiply that by 65. For many living in and around towns and villages like Haworth, home to the Brontes, or Hebden Bridge, location for the hit drama Happy Valley, the wind farm threatens a gross intrusion into daily life. It doesn't help that the whole thing is being proposed by a faceless Saudi company which does not divulge so much as a telephone number and directs callers to an email address in Madrid. Top Withens on the moors above Haworth which was the inspiration for one of the greatest classic novels in English literature Even the greenest of eco-warriors will grudgingly concede that this scheme is unlikely to win hearts and minds to the wind energy cause. I've known oil spills with better PR. The proposal is so big that it is being fought across constituency and council boundaries, though it is Labour-run, Halifax-based Calderdale Council that will process the formal application. At present, the plans are at the 'scoping report' stage, with years to go before the first if any turbines see the light of day. Although the initial reports have only surfaced in recent weeks, two well-organised action groups are already up and running on either side of the moors. 'It's not about the environment. It's all about money,' says Lydia Macpherson, a poet who lives in the nearest home to Top Withens it is another 40-minute walk up the hill to the ruins. She feels passionately about this landscape since several generations of her family were tenant farmers battling against the elements at Top Withens, all through the Bronte period. 'Emily Bronte lived at the parsonage and the parsonage knew everyone in those days,' says Lydia. Her family left at some point around 1900 in pursuit of a marginally more comfortable life down the valley. On a perishing afternoon we meet in her kitchen with a small posse of locals who are all invested in what is now known as 'Bronte country' for different reasons. Lydia's partner, poet and retired Winchester schoolmaster Nick MacKinnon, says Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were both inspired by the majesty of the moors. Johnnie Briggs, a tour guide who runs 'Bronte Walks', tells me how people from around the world are enthralled by this spot. 'They come for the sound of birdsong, wind and water,' he explains. Others here include Chris Hill, a professor of shoe design whose past pupils include Jimmy Choo. They are all appalled not just by the thought of 65 turbines clunking above the skyline but also the impact down below. All point out that the wind farm would involve digging roads, foundations and cable trenches for many miles through the peat. Briggs says: 'This is what is called blanket bog full of sphagnum moss which is like a sponge. It's our rainforest.' Once you break the seal by digging it up, he argues, that water drains away and the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere. If the scheme is approved, much of the North of England from Preston and Manchester to Harrogate will be able to see the monster, new-generation turbines earmarked for these hills Lydia is involved in a charity protecting endangered curlews and even has a curlew-handled walking stick. 'They're like salmon. They nest in the same spot, generation after generation. If you disturb that, they never come back.' Indeed, one of the most vocal opponents of the plans has been the RSPB, along with the Bronte Society, which warns of 'a significant and detrimental impact'. The standard response to those protesting against any local development like this is to cry 'Nimby!' Yet the problem with wind turbines especially the new breed of mega-machines is that it goes well beyond 'not in my back yard'. Just one of these structures can intrude on tens of thousands of back yards. My initial thoughts on reading about this latest saga was almost wistful nostalgia. Back in the early Noughties, in those carefree days before Brexit, Covid and saturation social media, we were always hearing about wind farm battles. I recall going all over the country, from the Home Counties to the Borders, to chronicle toxic quarrels between residents and landowners, whose fear of social ostracism was outweighed by the weight of the wonga from the energy giants. They, in turn, enjoyed whopping government subsidies. All that changed in 2015 when the Cameron government slapped hefty restrictions on onshore wind schemes so the industry shifted its operations out to sea. Four months ago, the Government announced a relaxation of that policy, in its quest to hit Net Zero targets. First out of the traps with a new plan was this vast proposal for Wadsworth and Widdop Moors in West Yorkshire, a swathe of rugged peaty emptiness between Haworth to the north, Hebden Bridge to the south and the border with Lancashire to the west. Just like the technology, however, the arguments have moved on. Polls show that many, if not most, people now accept the need for more wind turbines. Yet, the public are more savvy, too. They don't mind projects which will genuinely benefit the community and the planet. But they won't stand for get-rich-quick schemes dressed up as 'greenwash' and paid for by the taxpayer. They are also well aware that developers will kick off with a horribly scary proposal in the hope they can then push through the watered-down scheme they were secretly planning all along. That is certainly how many view the Calderdale Wind Farm, not least the residents of Oxenhope. If the wind farm does get approved, then industrial quantities of machinery and material will pass through this village en route to the moors. I drop in on this week's meeting of the village council. The wind farm is very much on the agenda, although chairman Ken Eastwood explains that the village council cannot take a formal position until the plans have been submitted. In any case, Oxenhope is not part of Calderdale (it comes under Bradford Council) so the best they can do is to ask to be consulted. However, there is still a proper, informed discussion about the plans. One village councillor, Nick Pearce, has been for a fact-finding meeting with the scheme's agents and says many key questions remain unanswered. Another councillor, Neal Cameron, has been through the balance sheet of carbon emissions. He says that even if the wind farm hits its targets, it will still leave the environment worse off. That, he says, is because of all the emissions expended on manufacturing dozens of steel skyscrapers, building 15 miles of road across peatland to transport the hardware over the hills and installing cranes and car parks for all the kit. However, the really serious damage comes from breaking the membrane of this huge peat bog. Crack it open and that would release thousands of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. We need only look at the excavations for a similar wind farm in the Shetlands to see the impact this sort of building work has on a fragile ecosystem. The Calderdale land is currently preserved as a loss-making grouse moor by the present owner, Lancashire businessman Richard Bannister. 'Wuthering Heights' TV - 2009 - Tom Hardy as Heathcliff and Charlotte Riley as Cathy A distant cousin of the record-breaking athlete, Sir Roger Bannister of four-minute-mile fame, he is best-known for owning the Boundary Outlet chain of fashion outlets. Until recently, Bannister had been a passionate defender of grouse shooting as a sustainable form of moorland conservation. In recent years, though he has come under increasing opposition both from animal rights groups and those who claim that the controlled burning of heather to stimulate fresh growth and food for the grouse is environmentally wrong. Quite why Bannister now wants to sell is unclear. He has been contacted for comment. However, a deal has been struck with a Saudi-owned entity called Calder-dale Windfarm Ltd which will acquire the land subject to planning permission for a certain number of wind turbines. Tory MP for Calder Valley, Craig Whittaker tells me he will retain an open mind for now. He acknowledges the depth of feeling but adds: 'On paper, it could be beneficial, with 75 million for the community,' he says. 'We also have to think about energy security and the need to get prices down. 'So I think it is very much 'wait and see' for now.' Calderdale Council has already demanded environmental reports which will take two years to produce prior to any formal application. It could take at least another two years to process the plans and, even without appeals, another two years to install the first blade. In other words, it could be 2030 before anything happens. On the other side of the moor, minds are made up outside the Pack Horse Inn above Heptonstall. Steve Oldroyd, 45, founder of the Calderdale Wind Farm Action Group is here with fellow activists who show me where the pylons will go up. One will be just yards from the road, along with the three-acre industrial plant to house battery storage facilities. 'This is one of the biggest carbon sinks in Europe. How can you cover it in roads and turbines?' asks Oldroyd, who runs a courier business when not walking on the moors. 'It's one huge carbon sponge. How on earth is it progress to squeeze it dry?' asks retired paramedic Sue Wilde. 'I don't mind if anyone wants to call me a Nimby,' says retired engineer, Mark Bottomley. 'I just want to ensure my grandchildren can enjoy this landscape and the solace it brings.' These residents know the developers are over-reaching at this stage, that these plans will inevitably be scaled back. But Oldroyd takes me up to nearby (and much smaller) Ovenden Wind Farm to stand next to a turbine half the size of those envisaged for Bronte country. Quite apart from the footprint of the pylon and the whooshing, each one has a car park the size of a garage forecourt. Two days after emailing the mysterious Saudi entity in Madrid, I receive a statement via an agent in Manchester. 'Calderdale Wind Farm stands as an exciting opportunity, to deliver large scale, renewable onshore wind energy,' it says. 'During a cost-of-living crisis and the pressing climate emergency, the UK needs to explore avenues that promote home-grown, carbon-free renewable electricity generation. 'We recognise there is a range of views about the merits of our proposal, and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community over the coming months to help shape the final design of the project.' The proposals also include the planting of 300,000 trees plus 'flood reduction along the Calder Valley' and 'increased biodiversity across the moor'. Back in Haworth, I do find some people who are happy with the plan. 'It's a great idea. Get on with it,' says John Dockray, walking his dog, George. But most, it must be said, are strongly opposed. 'I can't see why you'd do that,' says ardent Bronte fan, Amy Gentry, from Bury. 'Absolutely opposed,' says hospital worker Graham Todd, who is Haworth born and bred. 'Where the Brontes walked, we don't want sullied. That's final.' Maybe it is time for Kate Bush to rework her great 1978 hit. Altogether now: 'I'm coming home to Shuddering, Shuddering Heights...' Supermarkets are to start selling smaller veg to help farmers whose crops have been swamped by recent floods. Storm Henk created substantial flooding in many areas, including Lincolnshire, East Anglia, Cornwall and Scotland. At the same time, persistent heavy rain in early January has left many root crops underwater. Farmers have raced to harvest crops before they rot, however this means they are likely to be smaller than the 'beauty pageant' standards normally demanded by supermarkets. Tesco is temporarily relaxing these standards and size requirements on sprouts, cauliflowers, cabbages and leeks - and others are expected to follow suit. Farmers have raced to harvest crops before they rot, however this means they are likely to be smaller than the 'beauty pageant' standards normally demanded by supermarkets UK growers of green winter vegetables are facing some of the worst winter conditions in recent memory due to wet weather and heavy downpours The move will help British farmers to sell crops that might otherwise have been ploughed back into the ground. It will also reduce the need to turn to more expensive imports from as far afield as Israel. A number of farmers and packing companies have warned the decimation of UK crops through the winter could lead to shortages and higher prices. Tim O'Malley, group MD of Nationwide Produce, said: 'The repercussions are anticipated to be substantial, resulting in reduced yields due to crops submerged in water.' One of the biggest growers of winter vegetables, TH Clements, based near Boston in Lincolnshire, reported that there have only had a handful of dry days since October which has made harvesting difficult. TH Clements commercial director John Moulding said: 'This is the worst flooding we have had this century and we have lost about 20 per cent of our total winter crops including sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower and leeks. A flooded field of brussels sprouts at TH Clements and Son Ltd near Boston, Lincolnshire 'It's been a very tough time for us for more than three months both physically and financially in having to pull the vegetables out of the muddy fields. 'We have literally had to race against the clock to get the vegetables pulled out of the ground to stop them from rotting. 'The flexibility that Tesco has given us has allowed us to maximise the amount of product we can get on their shelves therefore guaranteeing greater availability for shoppers.' Sprouts were a particular problem due to their size and some were growing underwater due to the flooding. In order to dry the wet sprouts Tesco worked with growers to develop a new drying method, using cool air blowers to blow the water off them in their storage pallets. Fresh Produce and Horticulture Director at Tesco, Tom Mackintosh, said: 'By accepting slightly smaller sprouts, cauliflower, cabbages and leeks, we can support the fresh produce industry while ensuring that customers are able to continue to buy British winter vegetables. 'We're pleased to be able to provide support to our growers, farmers and suppliers who are facing really challenging harvesting conditions.' Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has warned Iran to stop encouraging Yemeni Houthi rebels to intervene in the conflict between Israel and Gaza as it has emerged neither of the UK's aircraft carriers can be sent to the Red Sea due to a staffing crisis. Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Shapps urged Iran's leaders to tell the Houthis to 'cease and desist' after RAF Typhoon jets conducted joint strikes on more than 60 Houthi sites in Yemen overnight on Friday. He said the world is 'running out of patience' and that a 'limit has been truly crossed' after weeks of sustained missile attacks targeting trade vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea. Mr Shapps told the newspaper he would tell Iran: 'You must get the Houthi rebels, others who are acting as proxies for you, Lebanese Hezbollah are obvious examples, [and] some in Iraq and Syria, you must get these different organisations to cease and desist.' Iran, which sends millions to the Houthis to help arm them in a bloody civil war against the Republic of Yemen and a Saudi-led coalition, also provides aid and training to Hamas in Gaza and as much as $700mn a year to Hezbollah in Lebanon. In turn, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday's strikes on Yemen were 'happening in an effort to extend the full support of the US and UK... for the war crimes of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and the besieged citizens of Gaza'. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed Britain will 'always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade' and said later on Friday 'the Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea... to deter further Houthi aggression'. However, it has since been revealed Britain's two aircraft carriers, costing 7.6billion for the pair, cannot be sent to defend the fleet due to a Navy staffing crisis. The RFA Fort Victoria, support ship to the HMS Queen Elizabeth, is 'operating on a skeleton crew and remains in a Liverpool shipyard,' according to The Telegraph. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps leaves 10 Downing Street after attending the weekly Cabinet meeting, December 19, 2023 HMS Queen Elizabeth (pictured on her maiden voyage to Gibraltar) reportedly cannot be deployed to support the Navy in the Red Sea due to a staffing crisis Houthi fighters brandish their weapons during a protest following US and British forces strikes, in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 12, 2024 Supporters of the Houthi movement rally to denounce air strikes launched by the U.S. and Britain on Houthi targets, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Shapps also defended the decision not to allow MPs to vote on the strikes, saying 'if you had to go through a parliamentary process then it would... potentially degrade the quality of the operation itself'. Opposition leader Keir Starmer gave his support to the strikes later on Friday, overriding his own backbenchers who joined with Lib Dems to argue they should have been consulted on such an operation. Britain and the US led the series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen early on Friday morning in response to attacks against trade vessels in recent weeks that had led to a number of companies suspending operations in the area. RAF Typhoons were pictured taking off from RAF Akrotiri, a British base on Cyprus, before footage shared on social media purported to show explosions on targeted sites inland in Yemen. Footage released by the Ministry of Defence also showed grainy infrared footage of targeted strikes against Houthi military facilities. More than 60 targets were hit in the attacks, killing five and injuring six, according to local sources. The Houthis called the attacks 'barbaric' and said in a statement 'all US, UK interest have become "legitimate targets"' without elaborating. 'The Americans and the British should not believe that they will escape the punishment of our heroic armed forces,' the Houthi Supreme Political Council said in a statement on their official media. Later on Friday Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile at a trade vessel sailing through the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen. The missile missed its target by some 400-500 metres and the ship was revealed neither to be British nor American-owned. Maritime risk experts said the Houthis likely believed the ship, flying under the Panamanian flag, was British based on outdated information. It was subsequently reported to be carrying Russian oil. Protests also erupted across the country, with demonstrators sympathetic to the Yemeni opposition movement seen wielding Kalashnikov-style rifles and burning flags of Israel and the United States in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa. Yemen's internationally-recognised and Saudi-backed government, wrapped in a bitter civil war with the Iran-backed Houthis since 2014, blamed the Houthis for the coalition strikes, citing the string of attacks on vessels sailing in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia meanwhile called generally for restraint and 'avoiding escalation', adding that it was watching the situation with 'great concern'. 'The kingdom emphasises the importance of maintaining the security and stability of the Red Sea region as the freedom of navigation in it is an international demand,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the attacks, saying: 'In recent months, the Houthi militia have carried out a series of dangerous and destabilising attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, threatening UK and other international ships, causing major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices.' 'Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week,' he added. 'We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.' Mr Shapps had told The Telegraph, elaborating the point: 'We can't have thugs, essentially, harassing international shipping and running the risks. 'Its only a matter of time before there are deaths of entirely innocent people [who are] completely disconnected to whats going on in the Israel-Gaza conflict.' Yemen was hit by a number of coalition strikes following attacks on trade ships An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the U.S.-led coalition from RAF Akrotiri to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen on January 12, 2024 An RAF Typhoon aircraft returns to base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, after striking targets in Yemen Royal Navy warship HMS Richmond leaving Gibraltar yesterday en route to the Gulf to protect shipping from Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the area. A child wearing a headband with the words 'Al-Aqsa storm stands next to security soldiers who guard during a protest in Yemen's capital of Sana'a on January 12, 2024 NATO said the strikes were aimed at protecting shipping through the Red Sea and urged Iran to 'rein in its proxies'. 'These strikes were defensive, and designed to preserve freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways. The Houthi attacks must end,' Dylan White, a spokesman for the Western military alliance, said. Donald Trump's former adviser Roger Stone has branded an alleged recording of him plotting the murder of two Democrat Congressmen as an AI fake, after it was released to the public for the first time. The veteran lobbyist was accused of telling his security officer that either Jerry Nadler or Eric Swalwell 'has to die', shortly before the 2020 Presidential election. The two members of the House Judiciary Committee were planning an investigation at the time into Trump's decision to commute Stone's 40-month jail sentence for obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress. Stone demanded the alleged recording be released when Mediaite and its reporter Diana Falzone revealed its existence on Monday, and earlier today the news website obliged. 'Actually AI created click bait bull***t,' he tweeted in response, 'Why would anyone believe Diana Falzone?' Roger Stone, the former lobbyist and adviser to Donald Trump has dismissed as 'absurd' claims he plotted the assassination to two Democrat congressmen House Judiciary Committee members Jerry Nadler or Eric Swalwell were planning an investigation into Trump's decision to commute Stone's 40-month jail sentence for obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress The website said the recording was made at the Caffe Europa in Fort Lauderdale during a conversation between Stone and NYPD officer Sal Greco who was working as his security officer. In it, Stone is allegedly heard telling Greco 'let's go find Swalwell and get this over with'. 'It's time to do it, then we'll see how brave the rest of them are,' the voice continues. 'Either Swalwell or Nadler has to die before the election. They need to get the message. I'm just not putting up with this s*** anymore.' Stone reacted furiously to the story on Monday branding it 'total nonsense', and 'more AI manipulation'. He demanded the website release the tape insisting 'I never spoke about assassinating anyone'. 'Fake Mediaite can't produce the recording they claim to have,' he tweeted on Thursday. 'Mediaite has produced NO audio of me threatening 2 Dem Congressmen. Where is it? Post it!' he added. Stone (right) was a long-time friend and advisor to Donald Trump, first advising him to run for president back in 1998, but officially left his campaign in August 2015 The veteran lobbyist, seen here with former presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush, had worked for Republican candidates since the early 1970s The website then published a 19-second excerpt from the tape on Friday morning containing the words reported, but admitted it had been 'lightly edited' in order they claimed 'to protect our source, who requested anonymity out of fear of repercussions from Stone, whom they believe to be dangerous'. Stone slammed the explanation as 'Bulls***!' 'Audio is 'lightly edited' because it's fake AF - just like Mediaite and Diana Falzone,' he tweeted. And he claimed to know the identity of the website's source. 'Mediaite anonymous source for AI fabricated 'Assassination' audio has criminal record for prostitution and drug dealing,' he wrote. Stone had worked on Republican presidential campaigns dating back to those of Richard Nixon in 1972 when he began working for his long-time friend Donald Trump in 2015. He was implicated during special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and sentenced to 40 months in November 2019. Nadler reacted with fury after Trump announced he was commuting Stone's sentence in July 2020. 'A jury found Roger Stone guilty,' he tweeted. '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.' Trump eventually gave Stone a full presidential pardon in December 2020, just days before he left office. Mediaite has not yet responded to claims that the tape is an AI fake but it pointed to Stone's previous alleged calls for violence as reported in the 2023 documentary film A Storm Foretold. In one clip Stone was recorded after a rally for Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), the day before the election the day before the election. Stone was sentenced to 40 months in jail in November 2019 for obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress over his evidence to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election 'F*** the voting, let's get right to the violence. Shoot to kill, see an antifa, shoot to kill.' Mediaite did not report his immediate follow-up remark: 'I am of course only kidding. We renounce violence completely. We totally renounce violence. The left is the only ones who engage in violence.' Greco has not denied the comments but has downplayed their significance, telling Mediaite, '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. About a year ago, Deirdre Connolly and her husband Darius met with the head of the British Post Office, Nick Read, to discuss their involvement in what's considered one of the most widespread and significant miscarriages of justice in UK history. A couple of weeks later, the former sub-postmistress got home from work to find a large brown envelope lying on their doormat, boldly marked with the Post Office symbol. 'My heart sank, honestly I felt sick,' she says. 'I thought, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what's going on here? It turned out it was just a letter of apology from them, but that's what it's like for me now, for all of us, it's the trauma. We're all still living with it every day. That's why some people aren't strong enough to come forward.' That acute feeling of nausea returned when she sat down last week at her home in Strabane, Co Tyrone, to watch the explosive new ITV series shown here on Virgin Media Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. A gripping, stomach-churning drama, it charts a 20-year long scandal that has rocked one of the UK's most integral institutions. Deirdre Connolly (pictured) from Strabane in County Tyrone who has received a letter of apology from the Post Office 'It gave you a better insight into everything we've been through,' says Deirdre. 'I think that's why everyone is up in arms; people didn't really understand or care about what was going on. 'That drama was the best thing that ever happened. I could relate to a lot of things they showed, all the fear and confusion, and the shame. Trying to explain that to people is really hard. After watching it, I was emotionally drained, I couldn't look at the phone, I couldn't do anything. 'Darius said to me, 'Did you ever think we'd get to this point, where the Post Office was all over the TV and everyone was supporting us?' For a long time, well over a decade, the Connolly family felt utterly alone and cut off from their community. Like hundreds of others who worked for the Post Office, they stood falsely accused of stealing thousands of pounds from their workplace. Alan Bates (pictured) who is portrayed by actor Toby Jones in the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office Across Britain, between 1999 and 2015, around 900 people were prosecuted for theft, false accounting and fraud. The fault was never theirs, it was down to a newly-installed IT system, created by the Japanese multinational technology company Fujitsu. This flawed software system, called Horizon, was later found to have duplicated entries, lost transactions and made bad calculations. According to the Post Office, however, this massively expensive software was completely failsafe, and any reported losses or discrepancies had to be paid by the sub-postmasters themselves, according to the contracts they'd signed. Victims of the scandal have spoken out about the bullying and abuse they claim to have suffered at the hands of investigators and auditors sent out by the Post Office it's since been revealed they were offered bonuses for every successful prosecution they secured. Homes were re-mortgaged, life savings used up, relatives and loved ones gave loans to plug all the holes. Those who couldn't pay, or fought back, were taken to court. Some went to prison, including one pregnant woman who had to give birth while behind bars. The stress, shame and toxicity of the fallout led to at least four people taking their own lives. There were bankruptcies and countless broken marriages. It's a story that's been known for some time, through newspaper investigations, TV specials and a book and a podcast by the journalist Nick Wallis. But it seems it's taken this new drama series, watched by more than nine million people and which stars Toby Jones as the quietly determined former postmaster Alan Bates, to finally get a serious response from the UK government. So far, 95 of those prosecuted have had their convictions overturned in the court of appeal. On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government will now legislate to exonerate and compensate all of those involved. The British police have also stated they will investigate whether Post Office bosses should face charges. On Tuesday, after an online petition was signed by more than one million people, former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells announced she was handing back her CBE honour. A public inquiry into the scandal, chaired by retired judge Wyn Williams and launched in 2021, resumed on Thursday after the Christmas break. It's expected to sit for several more months, before handing in its report next year. In Northern Ireland, it's still unclear how many Post Office staff were caught up in this catastrophic miscarriage of justice. Belfast-based solicitor Michael Madden, who represents around 20 of the victims in Northern Ireland, said that since the ITV drama was broadcast, he's been approached by at least six more. But even now it's still not clear if Sunak's announcement on Wednesday will apply in Northern Ireland or in Scotland, where the courts system is different to the one in England and Wales. However, a Downing Street spokesman said they're 'keen' to include them. Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells (pictured) who is to hand back her CBE following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters Deirdre Connolly is hopeful, but still cautious, that clarification will happen soon. 'I watched Rishi Sunak's announcement,' she says with a tired sigh. 'Thirty seconds and that was it. Where was the apology? I know he's apologised before but today, when everyone was glued into it, why didn't he say sorry?' The 54-year-old's story is fairly typical of the chaos and devastation caused by the Post Office and its insistence that nothing could be wrong with its costly new IT system. Originally from a small townland outside Castlederg in Tyrone, close to the border with Donegal, Deirdre has been married to her husband Darius for 33 years. They live in Strabane, where Deirdre was working as accounts administer for a cooking oil company. The couple decided in 2006 to buy a grocery shop with a post office attached in the village of Killeter, near where she grew up. 'We wanted to be our own bosses and also have more time to spend with our kids,' explains the mother-of-two. During her testimony last year to the public inquiry, when it came to Northern Ireland, she told how they believed it would be their 'forever job, with a big trusted national organisation'. She also explained how the Horizon system was already installed by the time she took over, but she never got any training from the organisation on how to use it. She experienced issues almost straight away and was ringing the helpline two to three times a week. 'It was a really complicated system,' she says. 'So when there were discrepancies, I just put the money in myself to make it right.' There's a scene in the first episode of Mr Bates Vs The Post Office that she recognised only too well, when distressed postmistress Jo Hamilton watches her loss figure literally double on the screen in front of her. 'That stuff happened to me,' says Deirdre. 'I pressed the icon for a first-class stamp. When I looked at the basket it had put in 58 of them. To do that I would have had to do three movements with my finger. I know I didn't do that.' Did she have suspicions that the system was faulty? 'You don't, you just keep going on because you just don't know,' she says. 'It was kids on those helplines, they had a script to read and they'd tell you that nobody else was having any problems.' It was a striking feature of the scandal, how every person who reported issues with the system was told that they were the only one. We've learned since that the helplines were inundated with increasingly terrified post office managers begging for assistance. On the morning of June 2, 2010, an auditor arrived unannounced at the post office in Killeter. An hour into his review he told Deirdre he had found a discrepancy, there was a shortfall of almost 16,600. He demanded her keys for the Post Office and said she was suspended. 'There was no process at all,' Deirdre told the inquiry. 'I was utterly stunned.' She was subsequently called to a meeting at the Royal Mail offices in Belfast. A man 'who had flown in from England that morning to interview' her quizzed Deirdre for several hours. At one point he asked her if she'd 'taken the money for paramilitaries'. 'I began to shake and was absolutely petrified,' she told the Inquiry. 'I remember my mouth was dry. At that point in time, it was quite common for people accused of collaborating with paramilitaries to be killed.' Now fearful for the safety of her family, she felt like 'we had to pay the Post Office or risk death'. Their parents, along with loans from an elderly uncle and aunt, helped them to scrape the money together. 'I feel like we paid the money under threat to our lives,' she said at the Inquiry. 'It was like having money extorted from you with menace.' The shame of having to go to their families, 'cap in hand', still burns. The nightmare continued. They tried to keep their small grocery shop open, but 'in the eyes of the community, we were thieves'. Customers stopped coming in, their shop was repossessed, and they were declared bankrupt in 2013. Around the same time, at the age of 43, Deirdre developed epilepsy, a condition she has been assured was brought on by the stress she was dealing with. Her son was just 16 years old when he found her on the floor in the middle of a seizure. She didn't recognise him when she came to. 'He sometimes says to me even now, how he'll never forget that day, it scared him so much,' she says. 'I'm still on daily medication for it, but that's what the stress did. I couldn't drive for a year, so [the scandal] took my independence away from me on top of everything else.' She would later get one of those brown, officially-stamped envelopes from the Post Office, informing her there would be no criminal proceedings instigated against her. It was her darkest day, she told the inquiry. 'I was naive and never even thought of criminal proceedings as I knew I hadn't done anything wrong,' she says. 'I was on the brink of committing suicide that day.' Like many of the post offices involved, Deirdre's small business was at the very heart of a tight-knit community, which can be a curse as well as a blessing. 'Oh, everyone knew who I was and everything else,' she says. 'I grew up there, it's so rural that everyone knew everybody's business.' Indeed, it's the only time she gets emotional, when thinking about how people believed or suspected she was a thief. Does she think she can ever forgive them? She falls silent. 'Nobody has ever asked me that question,' she says quietly. 'Can I forgive them? I can rise above it, yes, I can. They didn't know any different. But that no smoke without fire thing, and being in a rural area, that's what comes out, so it does. I'll have to think about it.' She believed she was alone until a relative read about Alan Bates's story in a newspaper. 'I phoned him and at the end of the conversation he says to me, 'you thought you were the only one, didn't you? We'll look after you from here on in.' 'I tried to get it highlighted in Northern Ireland, which was really hard because people were very slow to come forward, but then suddenly they did.' Like many of those affected, Deirdre who now works in the accounts department of a dog food company has received some small interim payments but the process for full compensation has been agonisingly slow. 'There are three different schemes for compensation, that's how complicated they've made it,' she says. 'My claim went in before Christmas, so the government now has 40 days to make me an offer. But I'll believe nothing until I see money in my bank account and the rest of the convictions overturned, there's a guy here [in Northern Ireland] still waiting for that. They're making him jump through hoops, he's devastated.' She wants to see the entire spectrum of those responsible for the scandal held to account. 'The investigators, they put people through absolute hell, they're bully boys,' she says. 'But somebody had to give the order to do that. It all goes up the chain.' She adds: 'I do have faith in the inquiry and Williams, I really do. They're getting down to the nitty gritty now, this is when everyone will see exactly who was responsible for what.' Expectativas de inversion a 6 meses en su nivel mas alto desde 2018. El trabajo duro empieza a dar sus frutos, prevemos retornar al crecimiento pronto. #PlanUnidos pic.twitter.com/foOU8ABTtk A Christian street preacher has won compensation for wrongful arrest over an unfounded homophobic 'hate crime' incident. Police Scotland have had to pay 5,500 to Angus Cameron after he was unlawfully detained for just over an hour. The former pastor at Cumnock Baptist Church in Ayrshire also received 9,400 in legal costs with all the cash donated to the Christian Institute, which supported him during the case. The 52-year-old was preaching in Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in January 2022 when officers ordered him to stop immediately. The evangelist said he was handcuffed, searched in the presence of passers-by, then held in a police van for just over an hour. Police Scotland have had to pay 5,500 to Angus Cameron (pictured) after he was unlawfully detained for just over an hour The former pastor at Cumnock Baptist Church (pictured) in Ayrshire also received 9,400 in legal costs with all the cash donated to the Christian Institute The father of two later contacted the Christian Institute, which managed to obtain police files related to the incident. The organisation said the case notes showed the officers had no basis to suspect the preacher had committed an offence which is necessary for a lawful arrest. The Christian Institute helped launch a legal action for damages for wrongful arrest, discrimination and breach of human rights. Simon Calvert, deputy director of the Christian Institute, said: 'Mr Cameron was preaching in the street in Glasgow when he was approached by a police officer who said she had been told 'homophobic language' had been used, which Angus strenuously denied. 'The PC refused to provide any further information and refused to talk to other members of the public present who tried to offer testimony that Angus had not used homophobic language.' Police Scotland said: 'We acknowledge this case was settled on the basis of compensation being paid to the pursuer.' American preacher Franklin Graham (pictured) was awarded 97,000 in damages in 2022 after his event in the city was cancelled over his 'philosophical beliefs' Tory MSP Annie Wells said: 'This appears to have been a ridiculously heavy-handed and misjudged response from the police. 'Given the huge strain on its budget due to the SNP's savage cuts, the last thing Police Scotland needs is to squander cash on entirely avoidable compensation payouts.' It is the second time the public purse has been hit in recent years in cases linked to the rights of evangelical Christians to express their religious views in Glasgow. American preacher Franklin Graham was awarded 97,000 in damages in 2022 after his event in the city was cancelled over his 'philosophical beliefs'. A court ruled the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) had discriminated against Mr Graham by calling off his appearance at the Hydro in May 2020. Glasgow City Council the venue's majority shareholder insisted cancelling the gathering was 'the right thing' in light of the preacher's alleged views on homosexuality. However, a sheriff found the SEC had breached the Equality Act. The court was told the decision to stop the event followed a meeting of the local authority involving SNP council leader Susan Aitken. The US has unleashed a new wave of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The blitz on Friday came a day after initial strikes against over 60 targets used by the Iranian-backed rebels to attack ships in waters near the Arabian Peninsula. The second round of bombing was much smaller in scale and targeted a Houthi radar facility, an official confirmed. It came after the Houthis fired at least one anti-ship missile earlier the same day. Biden had vowed to continue the bombardment if the Houthis refused to cease attacking vessels in the Red Sea. But in New York City protests erupted after demonstrators swarmed First Avenue near the United Nations Yemen Mission to condemn the attack. The US deployed a new round of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, targeting a radar facility Shortly after protesters descended on the United Nations Yemen Mission in New York to condemn the strike The raid on the radar facility came after the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile in retaliation for the overnight strikes by US and British forces on Thursday The latest round of strikes were smaller in scale than the initial wave seen on Thursday. Protesters gathered to demand an end to all strikes. The official confirmed the latest strikes were conducted unilaterally by the US. However, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV station claimed that the US and the UK had been involved in the strikes on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. UK Ministry of Defence sources said any suggestions of UK involvement in the second round of strikes against the Houthis were inaccurate. A formal statement confirming the UK's non-involvement is expected later today. A source said: 'There was no UK participation in these strikes it was a unilateral action carried out by the US.' But Thursday's blitz, a response to attacks on cargo ships by Houthis in the Red Sea, was a cooperative effort between the US, UK and other allied nations. The assault struck more than 60 targets, killing five people and wounding six more, a spokesman for the Houthi military told CNN. But US officials determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. President Joe Biden said on Friday that the American airstrikes against the Houthi in Yemen were a success, adding that he's delivered a message to Iran with them. 'I don't think there's any civilian casualties that's another reason why it's a success,' Biden told reporters traveling with him in Pennsylvania. The White House has said the airstrikes in Yemen, most of which is controlled by the Houthis, were in retaliation for months of attacks by the movement on Red Sea shipping that the rebels cat as a response to the ongoing war in Gaza. However their targets have become increasingly random and caused disruption to global shipping channels. When asked if he has a message for Iran, Biden said: 'I've already delivered the message to Iran.' The president also noted Tehran 'doesn't want a war with us,' but said he is willing to bomb the Houthi again if they keep striking at American troops. Biden had warned of further bombardment if the Houthis did not stop attacking vessels in the Red Sea. Pictured: A northern facility along the coast in Yemen on January 12, 2024 after airstrikes by the United States and Britain 'We will make sure we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior,' he said. Joint forces from the U.S. and United Kingdom launched more than 150 munitions from both maritime and air platforms against more than 16 locations controlled by the Iranian-backed militants on Thursday. The Pentagon has since confirmed that the strikes hit nearly 30 targets a higher figure than previously announced, Reuters said. In his first public comments on the airstrikes, Joe Biden last night said they were a success. Asked by a reporter if he thought the strikes had been a success, Mr Biden said: Yes. Very. I dont think theres any civilian casualties. Thats another reason why its a success. Army Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, director of operations for the Joint Staff, said: 'At this point, we continue to conduct battle damage assessment of the various targets. We feel very confident about where our munitions struck.' The deliberate strikes, which were carried out with nonoperational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, were assessed to have hit multiple targets across each location. Those targets included command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems used by the Houthi's to carry out attacks against vessels operating in international waters. 'We know precisely the capability that the Houthis have been employing against the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandab,' Sims said. 'This was solely designed to get after the capability that is impeding international freedom of navigation in international waters. We feel pretty confident we did good work on that.' Biden was also criticized by members of his own party for failing to talk to Congress prior to executing the strikes The large scale strikes on Thursday came after the Houthis carried out their 27th attack on a vessel since November 19, by firing an anti-ship missile into the Gulf of Aden. In response the Houthis vowed to make the US and its allies 'pay absolutely and without hesitation'. President Biden also faced criticism at home for failing to appear before Congress prior to executing the strikes. Anti-war protests also cropped up including at Times Square in New York , where demonstrators called on the White House to end the bombing amid fears it could escalate into all out war. A popular social media influencer is seeking to join her boyfriend and sue the state of Queensland after a police officer allegedly stole three luxury watches from their townhouse during a raid. The designer watches are believed to be owned by influencer Kate Szepanowski and her boyfriend Jordan Roman Brennan. Senior Constable Zac Chudleigh is facing criminal charges over the alleged theft of the watches valued at $410,000, after the items had been seized in a police raid of a Gold Coast townhouse leased by the couple in August 2020. The raid was part of an investigation into allegations that Mr Brennan had assaulted a woman that trod on Ms Szepanowski's foot at a music festival. Police later dropped the charges. Detective Chudleigh is alleged to have stolen two Audemars Piguet watches and a Hublot Big Bang Unico. Chudleigh, who was part of Taskforce Maxima set up over a decade ago to investigate serious gangland activity, allegedly stole the items from a secure vault at a police storage facility. Social media influencer Kate Szepanowski (pictured) is set to join her boyfriend to sue the State of Queensland after luxury watches were stolen after they were seized in a raid on her Gold Coast townhouse in 2020 He then allegedly sold the items to a jewellery store in Brisbane for $92,000. He was charged with fraud and stealing and is yet to enter a plea with the case still ongoing. More than three years on, the case against Mr Chudleigh remains unresolved and Mr Brennan has sued the state of Queensland to get the watches returned or be compensated for their value plus legal costs. Lawyers have now sought to add Ms Szepanowski, who has almost 120,000 followers on Instagram, as a co-claimant with Mr Brennan in that action. The state of Queensland has said it is not responsible for the taking of the watches as Mr Chudleigh was not on duty at the time he allegedly took them and sold them. The state also stated in its defence that Brennan is not the original owner of the watches as Ms Szepanowski 'was in possession' of the items at the time they were seized. Ms Szepanowski (pictured) is believed to be the original owner of the missing watches The influencer (pictured) who has almost 120,000 Instagram followers is set to join her boyfriend in a court case to have the watches returned or receive a payment for the value of the watches, which are believed to be worth $410,000 Police raided the couple's townhouse as part of an investigation into Brennan who allegedly attacked a woman who stepped on Ms Szepanowski's foot at a music festival in 2019. The assault charges against Brennan were later dropped by police however the watches that were seized in the raid were never returned. Ms Szepanowski, who was leasing the property, told police the watches were in her care. Lawyers representing Ms Szepanowski are seeking to add their client to the case which will be heard in the District Court in February. Queensland Police have previously said an internal investigation is being conducted into the missing watches. 'This matter is currently under investigation by the QPS Ethical Standards Command and as such, no further comment is able to be provided at this time,' it said in a statement. Queensland Police issued a statement in May last year stating that the 30-year-old detective had been stood down from his duties. Parasite director Bong Joon-ho has accused police in South Korea of hounding the star of his Oscar-winning film to his death with their high-profile investigation into his alleged drug use. Lee Sun-kyun was hauled in for police interviews in front of the nation's media three times in as many months before he was found dead in his car on December 27. He was accused of taking ketamine and marijuana at a hostess's house but insisted he was the victim of a blackmail plot in the socially conservative country. His final police interview lasted for 19 hours through the night on Christmas Eve, and Bong used a nationally televised news conference on Friday to accuse police of leaking information to the media. 'We call for a fact-finding probe into whether there were any security problems regarding the police investigation,' he said alongside fellow directors, producers and writers. Parasite director Bong Joon-ho accused police of leaking information about their investigation Lee Sun-kyun, a South Korean actor who featured in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has been found dead at age 48 amid a police investigation into alleged drug use after a bar hostess claimed the star had taken marijuana and ketamine Lee's role in the Oscar-winning film about a poor family breaking into the home of a rich family catapulted him to stardom, winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best International Film 'Clear legislative improvements are needed to ensure that principles and exceptions are not reversed between the human rights of suspects and the public's right to know.' Lee, 48, shot to fame in the West playing a wealthy patriarch in the 2020 breakthrough film which became the first foreign language film ever to win best picture at the Oscars. He found more success last year with a best actor nomination at the International Emmy Awards for his performance in the sci-fi thriller Dr Brain. But he was ditched by his agent and dropped from a series of major projects after his arrest in October. Lee insisted he had not knowingly taken illegal drugs, and passed toxicology tests: he was demanding a lie detector test at the time of his death, to assess whether he or the hostess - known only as 'A' - was telling the truth. He claimed she was trying to blackmail him, and had filed a criminal case. 'I would like to sincerely apologize once again for causing so many people concerns,' he said after his first questioning, on October 28 at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon. 'I will answer all questions truthfully. 'A' tricked me into doing drugs. I did not know that what she handed me were illegal drugs.' Lee starred as the father of a wealthy family in the global blockbuster Parasite Parasite went on to become the first non-English movie to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards (pictured in February 2020 at the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood) Lee's wife, Jeon Hye-jin (pictured), reportedly found a suicide note from her husband before raising the alarm Lee is pictured on December 23 (left) as he arrived at Incheon Metropolitan Police station in South Korean for questioning over his drug use 'I would like to sincerely apologize once again for causing so many people concerns,' he said after his first questioning, on October 28 at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon. Police are seen covering a vehicle believed to be where Lee took his own life on Wednesday The scandal dominated front pages in Korea, and a day before his death Lee's lawyer admitted his client felt 'burdened' by appearing in public settings to discuss the allegations. Lee's wife Jeon Hye-jin, a former Miss Korea contestant, raised the alarm after finding a suicide note, and Lee's body was found in a Seoul car park. His death is the latest in a long line of premature, and often gruesome, deaths that have haunted the upper echelons of South Korea, as the country grapples with a string of deadly misfortunes and a soaring mental health crisis. 'We share the same heart that this should never happen again,' Bong's group said in a statement. 'We will call for investigation officials' probe to discover the truth, request media outlets to delete articles that do not fit their function as media, as well as urge authorities to revise the law to protect the human rights of artists.' The head of the district police force that interviewed Lee has defended his handling of the investigation. Incheon Metropolitan Police chief Kim Hui-jung told a news briefing the entire process was justified and done with Lee's consent. He said the questioning during Lee's three highly-public appearances was necessary to hear his side and was done in the presence of his lawyer. 'The investigation of the deceased was conducted based on specific reports, testimony and evidence and under legally prescribed procedures,' he added. Yoon Hee-keun, the commissioner general of the National Police Agency (NPA), denied that unreasonable investigations had caused the actor's death. He added that he would look into investigation practices, YNA reported. A hearse carrying the coffin of the late actor during his funeral ceremony in Seoul today Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was a human rights lawyer before entering politics, was among those who criticised police practice and sensational media reporting of the case. 'The practice that does huge damage to someone's honor and character, such as excessively putting them at a media photoline, and pushes them to take the extreme choice must now end,' Moon said on Facebook. The probe comes as part of a crackdown by the government of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, who called it a 'war on drugs'. There has been a string of high-profile arrests, including business conglomerate heirs and celebrities, under the country's tough drug laws, which punishes those found guilty of abusing drugs as well as drug dealing by up to 14 years in prison. A six-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after eating a cannabis edible which his parents believed were simply freeze-dried Skittles. Catherine Buttereit, 45, from North Carolina, had been eating lunch at a restaurant in Charlotte when her son spotted what he believed to be a bag of the rare freeze-dried version of the popular candy. After purchasing the packet she allowed the youngster to indulge as he began munching on the colorful treats, unbeknownst that it was in fact laced with Delta 9, a legal form of THC, the primary psychoactive compound found in cannabis. The chemical is responsible for the euphoric or 'high' effects commonly associated with marijuana use. The substance stimulates areas of the brain involved with mood, attention and memory - and triggers the release of the 'pleasure' hormone dopamine. Catherine Buttereit, 45, had no idea the sugary treats were in fact THC-laced candy and that he child had consumed 40 pieces - 13 times a normal adult dose Buttereit believed the candy to be the rare freeze-dried version of the popular candy Skittles, but they were in fact cannabis edibles The six-year-old boy from North Carolina unknowingly consumed a cannabis edible that his parents mistook for freeze-dried Skittles In small, irregular doses, THC has little little harm. But in larger hits and when taken over long periods of time, it can disturb the signaling in key brain areas. The entire party tired some of the candy including the boy's parents along with a number of other children in the family. But while most only tried one or two pieces, Buttereits kids ate almost 40 - and it wasn't long before the little boy was feeling strange. 'He grabs his head, and he said, "My mind is wobbly." And I was like, something in my mom-brain was like, there's something wrong,' Buttereit said to WSOC. Her fiance took a closer look at the label. 'He's like, 'It's Delta 9,' she said. 'And I still don't know what that means. And he's like, "It's like pot."' 'I was terrified,' Buttereit continued. 'I thought I had killed my child.' The boy complained of pain in his pelvic area, his chest was cold and his head hurt. 'He didnt exhibit symptoms of my child that was actually in pain. He kind of had like a smirk on his face,' Buttereit said. The child had consumed 13 times an adult dosage of THC and was rushed to hospital and had to spend six hours in the emergency room being treated. 'He was in excruciating pain,' Buttereit told the New York Post. Butteriet said her child was in excruciating pain before he fell into a deep sleep for 17 hours. He finally woke up free from symptoms. The packet does have a 21+ suggested marking printed on it but the warning is small and stores in North Carolina are not required to enforce age restrictions when selling such products The edibles were purchased from the Common Market restaurant in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, pictured Buttereit is keen to see better labeling in stores and for shopkeepers to keep such candies out of reach of youngster - and at the very least offer a warning to unsuspecting parents The child fell into a deep sleep for 17 hours before finally waking up when he was finally free from symptoms. 'I was never asked for an ID. I was never informed of what I was purchasing.' The packet does have a 21+ suggested marking printed on it but the warning is small and stores in North Carolina are not required to enforce age restrictions when selling such products. '[The shopkeeper] said it's marijuana pot and three pieces was an adult side serving. So by that point, he had consumed about a third of the package, which is about 30 to 40 pieces they estimated in the hospital. So he essentially had like 13 times the dose for an adult and hes like a 40-pound 6-year-old. 'I felt like it was such a crazy series of events, but it could happen to somebody else,' Buttereit said, keen to warn other unsuspecting parents. 'I completely accept my negligence as a parent. I made the mistake of not reading the package and Im dealing with those consequences. But it was 50-50 negligence. That product was not in its proper storage place.' A spokesperson for the Common Market restaurant in the South End neighborhood, where Buttereit had bought the adults-only candy, say they have now improved the signage around the products as a precaution. The store, which describes itself as an 'uncommon convenience store, deli and bar' say the usual policy is for the products to be kept in a case or behind the counter. The National Poison Data System (NPDS), which collects data for the 55 US poison centers, has recorded a sharp rise in the number of cases of minors eating edible pot to more than 3,000 cases per year Last year, pediatrician based in Portland, Oregon warned parents to keep cannabis edibles out of reach of children - following recent data showing 7,000 children under six had eaten them between 2017 and 2021. Though many of the children experienced only minor symptoms, like excessive sleepiness, researchers say nearly a quarter ended up in hospital and warn about the emergence of a new household safety hazard. 'Unintentional cannabis exposures in young children are increasing rapidly,' warned the researchers 'These exposures can cause significant toxicity and are responsible for an increasing number of hospitalizations.' Dr Beth Ebel of the University of Washington told Yahoo News: 'We are seeing this all day long. 'My emergency department friends see kids coming in and they are trying to decide, does this child have bleeding in her brain or a brain tumor? Or is this a child who really has a low level of consciousness because they have ingested something. Teenagers are lured by colorfully-packaged candy-like products that leave them vulnerable to higher rates of dependency, psychosis and school dropouts, researchers warn. Pictured: child-friendly cannabis gummy packaging He added that the risks to childrens' health could be 'irreversible. 'One of the very concerning things is that these high potency products have a strong association with schizophrenia and a psychotic break. 'Ive seen kids in the hospital whove been using some of these higher potency products: young kids doing great in school, and they come to [Harborview Medical Center] after a psychotic break. 'Sometimes this is a lifelong onset of schizophrenia, and it can be precipitated by these potent products.' Recreational use of cannabis is legal in 24 US states, with Ohio the latest to green-light the drug in November 2023. California's liberal governor Gavin Newsom has asked the Supreme Court to help him solve the state's homeless crisis by allowing him to ban rough sleeping. Justices agreed on Friday to consider whether a lower court was wrong to rule that a ban on homeless people in public places was unconstitutional. It comes after the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declared that anti-camping ordinances in San Francisco, violate the Eighth Amendment ban on 'cruel and unusual punishment'. Newsom has repeatedly promised to 'own the issue' as the city faces an exodus of businesses from a city blighted by drug use, and has urged the nation's top court not to 'tie his hands'. 'California has invested billions to address homelessness, but rulings from the bench have tied the hands of state and local governments to address this issue,' he said on Friday. California governor Gavin Newsom claims 'rulings from the bench have tied the hands of state and local governments to address this issue' The city is expected to have recorded over 800 drug deaths for 2023 - which would top its highest year on record, 2020, when 726 people died Pedestrians have to pick their way through streets full of unconscious and semi-conscious people in the streets of the Tenderloin district of San Francisco 'The Supreme Court can now correct course and end the costly delays from lawsuits that have plagued our efforts to clear encampments and deliver services to those in need.' A quarter of a million people have fled the Bay Area since the beginning of 2020, Newsweek reported in June. The governor said the state was investing in behavioral problems and mental health reform, and claims to have got 68,000 people off the streets and 6,000 encampments removed since he became governor in 2019. But many of those encampments were removed for the APEC summit in November, which saw Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, among other world leaders and thousands of delegates, descend on the city. And residents told Dailymail.com that the problem has returned with a vengeance since security barriers were removed. 'It's really bad, worse than I've ever seen it,' said Howard Ul, 60, manager of the Golden State Donut Shop in Tenderloin. 'Every corner here around here now is like garbage. They're all back.' The circuit court ruling restricted interventions in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. A separate ruling from the court halted bans on homeless people 'using a blanket, pillow, or cardboard box for protection from the elements'. A map reveals the major businesses which have left, or plan to leave, San Francisco in recent months California currently reports over 170,000 homeless individuals with 7,800 in San Francisco Drugs are openly dealt on the streets of the area which is blighted by homelessness Newsom insists he takes responsibility for California's spiraling homelessness crisis San Francisco saw 620 reported overdose deaths in the first nine months of the year Newsom's office filed an amicus brief in September urging the Supreme Court to clarify 'that state and local governments can take reasonable actions to address the homelessness crisis creating health and safety dangers for individuals living in encampments and our communities'. Theane Evangelis, a lawyer for Grants Pass, the Oregon city which launched the appeal, told Fox News: 'The tragedy is that these decisions are actually harming the very people they purport to protect. Lawyer Theane Evangelis said: 'The tragedy is that these decisions are actually harming the very people they purport to protect' 'We look forward to presenting our arguments to the Supreme Court this spring.' Around 100 retailers in downtown San Francisco have closed since the start of the COVID pandemic - a decline of more than 50 percent from 2019. Office vacancy rates hit a record high of 34 per cent in September as shops were driven out of the downtown area by heightened crime and economists warn the city is spiraling into an 'urban doom loop'. Looting specifically became a huge problem for the city while rampant theft caused the downfall of San Francisco's main shopping area - Union Square - and forced many major chains and local businesses to permanently shut their doors. Starbucks, Whole Foods, IKEA, Nordstrom and the Disney store have all shut some of their San Francisco locations down as a result of the city's drastic issues with crime. In October, LinkedIn put up the top five floors of its 63,000 square feet, 26-story building for rental till December 2027 and laid off 668 employees. A few months prior, Meta announced it was ready to abandon its 435,000 square feet San Francisco building once its lease expired in 2031. Companies such as Airbnb, Paypal, Slack, Lyft and Salesforce have also left tens of thousands of square footage buildings in the city in the past year. The city is expected to have recorded over 800 drug deaths for 2023 - which would top its highest year on record, 2020, when 726 people died. A DailyMail.com analysis of cuts faced by key departments in San Francisco reveals the police department must find savings of $18.5 million and public health budgets could lose $26 million Nearly 8,000 people were on the streets or in shelters across the city by one count last year August was the deadliest month, with someone dying from an overdose every nine hours on average - while in October, an average of two people died each day. Grants Pass has argued that homeless encampments lead to increased crime, fires, and even the 'reemergence of medieval diseases'. But lawyer Ed Johnson, who challenged the city in court, said: 'The issue is whether cities can punish homeless residents simply for existing without access to shelter. 'Nevertheless, some politicians and others are cynically and falsely blaming the judiciary for the homelessness crisis to distract the public and deflect blame for years of failed policies.' Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann is expected to appear in court next week as speculation continues to grow that he will be charged with a fourth killing. The 60-year-old has already pleaded not guilty to the murder of three sex workers whose remains were found strewn across Long Island more than a decade ago. He was officially named by police as a suspect in the murder of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, whose body was found along with the other three in December 2010. While it has not been confirmed why the disgraced architect is facing a new court date, prosecutors had previously stated a special grand jury was only being asked to consider an indictment into the killing of Brainard-Barnes, 25. Heuermann is slated to appear at Suffolk County Supreme Court before Justice Timothy Mazzei's on Tuesday morning, Newsday reports. Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann is expected to appear at Suffolk County Supreme Court on Tuesday amid speculation he could be charged with a fourth killing Prosecutors previously announced a grand jury was being directed to examine whether to issue an indictment for the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, whose remains were discovered along with those of three other sex workers who Heuermann has been charged with killing The women known as the 'Gilgo Four' were discovered close to Heuermann's Long Island home. However, other bodies - including those of sex workers - have been found in the area The married father-of-two had been due to return to court next on February 6 for a conference on the original six count indictment. His return to court prematurely has fueled speculation prosecutors could be about to him him with further separate charges. Heuermann has been held without bail since his arrest for the murders of Megan Waterman, 22, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27. All four women were among 11 found on the desolate stretch of coastline close to Heuermann's Long Island Home between 2010 and 2011. All of the victims worked as escorts who advertised themselves on Craigslist. Their remains were found on a stretch of beach wrapped in camouflage burlap and bound with belts or red tape. Heuermann was linked to the killings by DNA on the burlap used to transport the bodied which was compared to samples taken from a pizza crust and napkin that were discarded outside his Manhattan architectural firm. The samples boasted a 99.96 percent match. The first victim, 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, was discovered by Suffolk County Police on December 11, 2010. The body of Megan Waterman, 22, from Maine, was found two days later Heuermann is charged with killing Amber Costello (left) and has only been linked with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes (right) DNA found on the burlap wrapped around Waterman's body was a 99.96 percent match to samples from a discarded pizza crust and napkin in a garbage bin outside Heuermann's firm Prior to testing the DNA, cops were alerted to Heuermann as a potential suspect after a witness linked Heuermann's Chevrolet Avalanche to Costello's murder. The car was then tied to Heuermann's cellphone records, which allegedly tied him to locations related to the murders. The indictment stated that Heuermann had used different burner phones to contact each of his victims. Cops also accused Heuermann of using Barthelemy's phone to make taunting phone calls to her family from the comfort of his office. In October, it was revealed that Heuermann is being probed over the slaying of two additional sex workers. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison confirmed he had assigned additional investigators to the case of two other women, Valerie Mack and Karen Vergata. At the suspected time of the murders, Heuermann's now ex-wife Asa Ellerup was away from home. She filed for divorce less than a week after he husband's arrest. The couple have two children - daughter Victoria Heuermann, 26, who worked at her father's firm; and son Christopher Sheridan, 33. Ellerup sparked controversy after it emerged that she had accepted a $1 million documentary deal with Peacock which would involve crews filming at her husband's trial. Police are now probing Rex Heuermann, 59, for his possible involvement in the deaths of Vergata and Mack. Heuermann has been charged in the killing of three other women on Long Island Police confirmed they are probing Heuermann's potential link to the murders of two other sex workers: Valerie Mack, 25, went missing around the summer of 2000. Her remains were located that September, and more remains were discovered nearly 11 years later The family home in Massapequa Park was torn apart by authorities as they combed the property for evidence The deal was slammed by the families of the Gilgo Beach victims as 'evil', with relatives claiming it will 're-victimize' and 're-traumatize' them. The family's Massapequa Park home was ransacked by police during a search as officers dismantled their greenhouse and shredded up their couch, according to Ellerup. In September, Heuermann fought to stop at least 50 illegal weapons from being turned over to investigators. The stash included 'at least 26 unregistered handguns, 15 unregistered assault weapons and ten high-capacity magazines appear to have been possessed,' according to court documents. He had previously been placed on suicide watch but has lately been described as 'emotionless'. Second child hit by car in less than one day in Sydney A three-year-old is in a serious condition in hospital after he was hit by a car in Sydney. The boy, three, was struck by a 56-year-old woman driving a yellow MG on Wilson Street at Panania in the Canterbury-Bankstown area at 11:30am on Saturday. The toddler was rushed to the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick and the woman driver was taken to Liverpool Bankstown police station for mandatory testing. Just hours earlier on Friday night, a one-year-old girl was tragically killed in a similar incident in western Sydney. Rishwika Salibindla died when her father Joseph Reddy Salibindla, 41, unknowingly backed into her at their property in Edna Avenue in Toongabbie just before 5.30pm on Friday. The toddler, three, was rushed to the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick and the woman taken to Liverpool Bankstown police station for mandatory testing (pictured Wilson St) Rishwika was hit by her father as he backed the family's Audi four-wheel drive out of the driveway and despite paramedics rushing to the scene the child died. Her father was taken to Westmead Hospital for mandatory testing, and police are investigating. The situation prompted a spokesperson from the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to urge parents to always stay vigilant while driving. READ MORE: Father-of-two killed one kilmoetre from home Yunesh Naidu, 52, was entering Wellington Road in Rowville, in Melbourne's south east, when a truck hit him on an intersection at 8.50am on Thursday. Advertisement They said that the federal government would introduce mandated reversing technologies for all new vehicles from November 2025. 'Reversing technologies, which include reversing cameras and motion sensors, increase driver awareness of vulnerable road users such as children behind a vehicle,' the spokesperson told Sydney Morning Herald. The executive officer from child accident prevention organisation Kidsafe, Christine Erskine, said the mandate could not be wholly relied on to prevent further tragedies. 'Because of the unpredictability of children, their speed, and because they're so close to the ground they're still very hard to see, no matter what technology you have,' Ms Erskine told the publication. Ms Erskine said the best strategy was to make sure kids could not sneak behind cars in the first place. She advised parents to keep children buckled in their car seats, locked in the house or behind closed gates. Rishwika Salibindla (pictured) died after her father accidently reversed his SUV over her on Friday afternoon at a property in Sydney's north-west On average, seven children under 14 are killed each year in driveway accidents and another 60 are seriously injured. In 85 per cent of these incidents, the driver is unaware that a child is close to their vehicle at all. NSW Roads Minister John Graham chimed in on the matter and extended his sympathies to Rishwika's family. 'I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and neighbours of this beautiful little girl so tragically lost. I know all of the Toongabbie community will be feeling her loss immensely and the thoughts of the entire NSW government are with them,' he said. 'NSW Police are investigating the circumstances of Friday's incident but in general I would like to remind all drivers wherever they are to be vigilant about child safety, whether it is inside the car or out.' Last weekend another one-year-old was killed after being run over by a ute in Dubbo. The sister of one of two remaining British-Israeli hostages fears her 79-year-old mother, who was recently rescued from Gaza, 'won't survive' if she is forced to bury another son. Ayelet Svalitzky's family was abruptly torn apart on October 7 after gun toting terrorists stormed her hometown of Kibbutz Nirim. Terrorists murdered her eldest brother Roi, 54, and kidnapped her elderly mother Channah Peri and other brother Naadav Popplewell, 51. They tormented her by sending a picture of her terrified mother and brother - still in their pyjamas - with the one-word message: 'Hamas'. That was the last time Ayelet saw or heard from her brother. During the temporary ceasefire in November Channah was rescued from the Hamas terror tunnels, but Ayelet's brother Nadav, was left behind. Originally from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, he is one of two British-Israeli hostages still in Gaza. Now, nearly 100 days since he was first kidnapped, Ayelet has warned that according to their mother, her brother Nadav requires urgent medical care and needs to come home. Naadav Popplewell (pictured) is one of two remaining British-Israeli hostages held in Gaza. He was captured by Hamas on October 7 after gun toting terrorists stormed Kibbutz Nirim The terrorists tormented Ayelet Svalitzky by sending a photograph (pictured) of her terrified mother Channah Peri (front) and brother Naadav Popplewell (back) - still in their pyjamas - with the one-word message: 'Hamas'. That was the last time Ayelet saw or heard from her brother Ayelet Svalitzky, pictured holding a photo of Channah Peri, now fears her 79-year-old mother, who was recently rescued from Gaza, 'won't survive' if she is forced to bury another son Speaking exclusively to MailOnline ahead of the terrible 100 day milestone she said: 'My mother and brother were kept in the tunnels together. 'Nadav is diabetic and he needs medications. He has asthma and he needs his inhalers. 'My mum has said he's lost a lot of weight in captivity. And mentally - we can only begin to imagine. His life is in constant danger every minute of every day.' 'I am not a politician. All I know is we want our families back. There are 136 Israelis being held hostage in Gaza and we want them all home.' Channah wasn't told she was being released and sent back to Israel when her name was called by murderous terrorists. She thought she was being executed. Terrified, she clung to her son Nadav before she was eventually coaxed into letting go and following them out the tunnels. Channah, who is now living with Ayelet, hasn't seen her 'gentle and kind' Nadav since she was freed on November 24 - in the first batch of hostages to be released. They never had a proper goodbye as Channah assumed Nadav would be saved a few days later. Ayelet explained: 'My mum needs to see her son again and I want to see my brother again.' In Israel, mother-of-three Ayelet, 46, couldn't help but panic when she learned her mother was on the list of hostages due to be released. In Israel, mother-of-three Ayelet Svalitzky, now 46, couldn't help but panic when she learned her mother was on the list of hostages due to be released during the seven-day ceasefire. Ayelet is pictured alongside her family on her wedding day about 20 years ago During a seven-day ceasefire 110 people - mainly women, children and the elderly - were rescued from Gaza. Channah Peri (pictured) wasn't told she was being released and sent back to Israel when her name was called by Hamas. She thought she was being executed. During a seven-day ceasefire 110 people - mainly women, children and the elderly - were rescued from Gaza. 'For the next 24 hours all I could think was please God don't let anything go wrong,' Ayelet said. 'The time they were meant to be released kept getting delayed. It was meant to happen at 5 in the afternoon but it was pushed back to 6pm, then 7pm, then 8pm. 'It wasn't until 10pm that I was able to speak to her.' Heartwarming pictures captured the moment some of the hostages were reunited with their teary family members. But for many people it was a bittersweet reunion. 'The first thing she wanted to know was where Roi, my eldest brother, was. I was prepared for this question and we had decided in advance that I was not going to tell her over the phone,' Ayelet recalled. 'So I waited until I met her in person at the hospital and then I told her that Roi was murdered. She had no idea. She was completely devastated.' While in captivity Channah was given very little food and lost more that 10 per cent of her body weight. 'She was fed a little bit of rice for lunch and then maybe a quarter of a pita for dinner. 'Physically we can see to most things. But she's been through the most horrendous trauma - losing one son and leaving another son behind in the tunnels. Ayelet Svalitzky (pictured) will be in London on Sunday to mark 100 days since the devastating October 7 terror attacks. She is a keynote speaker at a rally where thousands are expected to attend to express their solidarity with the remaining hostages 'My mother is very strong but I worry my mum is not going to survive burying another son. 'She cannot start recovering from her trauma until Nadav is home and safe.' Ayelet will be in London on Sunday to mark 100 days since the devastating October 7 terror attacks that left more than 1,200 people dead. She is a keynote speaker at a rally in central London where thousands are expected to attend to express their solidarity with the remaining hostages. Some 136 people are still being kept hostage in Gaza. The emergency zone for a bushfire burning north-east of Perth has been expanded with residents told to evacuate immediately. More than 40 bushfires were burning on Saturday in Western Australia, with residents in the shire of Chittering, about 60km north of Perth, at risk from the uncontained blaze, fire authorities declared. 'You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,' the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on Saturday evening. Firefighters are struggling to contain the large fires as much of the state remains under heatwave warnings. Wind gusts and scorching temperatures have fueled the fires with a potentially dangerous blaze breaking out near the entrance to RAAF Base Gingin, a facility primarily used for pilot training. A large bushfire is bearing down on the WA community of Chittering north-east of Perth Residents have been told to evacuate immediately and to not return until told it is safe o do so A watch and act alert was issued for the base and areas to its north and east amid concern about changing conditions and homes in the area. The blaze was one of four significant fires in the Wanneroo and Chittering areas, where temperatures cracked 41C shortly after 2pm. Homes and lives remain under threat from an uncontrolled blaze near Chittering, population 1000, after it burned through 120 hectares in a matter of hours on Saturday morning. An emergency warning told those nearby they were in danger and needed to act immediately to survive. The warning area expanded on Saturday afternoon to include residential parts of the town and the outskirts of the more heavily populated Lower Chittering. 'There is a threat to lives and homes,' the warning said. 'Do not wait and see - leaving at the last minute could put your life in danger.' The WA fires service issued this warning as firefighter continue to battle the blaze Watch and act alerts and advice alerts are also active for parts further west of the township, including part of the Brand Highway. Residents sheltering in place are advised to choose a room with two exits and water such as a kitchen or laundry. More than 100 career and volunteer firefighters are on the ground actively fighting the fire backed by aerial support. A watch and act alert has also been issued for a west-moving bushfire north of Chittering that could threaten rural properties in Bindoon and Mooliabeenee. Another blaze was sparked in the Gnangara-Moore River State Forest near Pinjar Several fires are burning at advice level across Western Australia, including in the coal-mining town of Collie where 80 firefighters have contained a blaze that started on Thursday. Perth had reached 40.7C just before 2.30pm, marking the city's first 40C day in almost two years. In Marble Bar, where birds have been dropping dead from trees in recent days, the mercury topped 47.7C, marking the Pilbara town's 25th consecutive 43C-plus day. Its record stands at 27 days in a row, set in early 2005. YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. On January 12, Armenian Ambassador to the EU Tigran Balayan participated at the roundtable discussion with Permanent Representatives and Ambassadors of the EU member states, high-level representatives of the European Commission and EEAS, the Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union said in a press release. The meeting was organized by the Permanent Representative of Greece to the EU Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas in a follow-up to the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyans participation at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on December 11, 2023. During the discussion Ambassador Balayan presented Armenias vision on new avenues of deepening partnership with the European Union, following EU Council decisions. He touched upon the ideas and proposals that are aimed at the intensification of Armenia-EU relations with a final goal of upgrading them to a qualitatively new level. The participants expressed full support for Armenias ambitious reforms and rapprochement agenda and promised to continue the cooperation in this regard. In his introduction and while answering many questions from the colleagues, Ambassador Balayan outlined Armenias approaches for long-lasting peace in the South Caucasus region. Armenias Ambassador gave a detailed presentation on the reasons and consequences of the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, underlining that the feeling of impunity in Baku, which once again manifested two days ago with more irredentist, menacing and provocative statements of the Azerbaijani president, is already threatening the very fragile situation. An Australian family had a nasty surprise after finding a highly venomous red-bellied black snake wrapped around the ice dispenser in their fridge. Adelaide Hills resident Gail Auricht found the uninvited intruder in the family's second fridge they use as part of an outdoor entertaining area at their Callington property on Thursday evening. She had turned off a nearby radio and heard a hissing noise, which she first assumed was something mechanical in her fridge - but when she turned around she was confronted by the reptile peering back at her. Ms Auricht described the sighting as 'surreal' and said she was lucky she did not reach out to grab the fridge door handle before spotting the creature. Her husband then called their neighbour, who contacted a local snakecatcher before sending her husband and daughters to help guard the reptile with gumboots and shovels. Adelaide Hills resident Gail Auricht found the venemous snake tangled up around the ice dispenser in her second fridge (pictured) The venom of the red-bellied black snake is highly poisonous and could in theory be strong enough to kill a human, but there have been no recorded deaths despite about 35 people being bitten on average every year thanks to hospital treatment. Eventually Adelaide Hills snake catcher Simon Hempel arrived and manage to untangle to snake from the inner workings of the ice dispenser. 'I've been doing it for 25 years, I've caught them under fridges but never up in the dispenser,' Mr Hempel told the ABC. 'That's very unusual. That will probably be the one and only, I would say. I don't think I'll ever get one in there again.' The operation to bag the snake took about a few minutes with Mr Hempel saying the family reacted with 'sheer relief'. The snaked was captured by snake catcher Simon Hempel and safely relocated Mr Hempel added the hot weather across South Australia had made his job busier in recent weeks. 'I've caught them under kids' pillows, in roof spaces and in shoes, all sorts of spots. I've even caught them at my house inside my son's Xbox.' He explained that as snakes can't regulate their temperature internally they don't like particularly hot weather and try to look for refuge in cool spots, which can include people's houses. He advised people to keep water such as dog bowls elevated and if they do encounter a snake to call a professional to relocate it. A woman who was nearly killed when her ex-boyfriend throttled her and put a plastic bag over her head has revealed her painful battle to regain a normal life. James Riley, 28, was jailed for 16 years on Friday for attempted murder, after what a judge told him was a 'brutal and determined' two-minute attempt on academic Ellie Moxham's life. The former Lancashire Police officer flew into a 'jealous' rage on November 10, 2022, leaving Ms Moxham, then aged 24, with a long-lasting brain injury from oxygen deprivation, Manchester Crown Court heard. Ms Moxham, in a victim impact statement obtained by MailOnline, has now shared how Riley's 'coercive behaviour' and the 'traumatic' assault left her struggling with anxiety, night terrors, headaches, problems trusting others, and more. The Lancaster University PhD students said the 'past year has been a nightmare' and she now lives in 'constant fear of another attack'. However, Ms Moxham noted that despite the physical and emotional turmoil she battles as a result of the 'terrible' assault, she has 'real closure' now that Riley has been jailed. Ellie Moxham, (pictured) in a victim impact statement obtained by MailOnline, has now shared how Riley's 'coercive behaviour' and the 'traumatic' assault left her struggling with anxiety, night terrors, headaches, problems trusting others, and more James Riley, 28, (pictured) was jailed for 16 years on Friday for attempted murder, after what a 'brutal and determined' two-minute attempt on academic Ellie Moxham's life Riley assaulted Moxham at a Premier Inn on November 10, 2022. After fleeing the hotel, Riley spent 11 minutes on the phone to his parents (pictured) telling them 'I've killed Ellie' - before eventually calling an ambulance then fleeing the scene to 'save his own skin' Riley launched his attack on Ms Moxham in 2022 after she was 'persuaded' to go to a Sigrid concert in Manchester which the former couple had booked some months earlier, and stay the night in a Premier Inn hotel. Riley was hoping to 'rekindle' their relationship, which began when they were both undergraduate students at Lancaster University years earlier, but attacked Ms Moxham with 'murderous intent', after she texted her new partner Alex Gough. She was initially put into an induced coma and spent a day in intensive care. The assault followed 'a history of jealousy, abuse or coercive behaviour', the court heard. Ms Moxham, who is continuing her environmental studies PhD and is also a lecturer, read a victim impact statement from behind a curtain on Friday, telling the hearing how she is still suffering from the attack 14 months on. She appeared tearful after addressing the court, when she said: 'The task of putting into words how that terrible night has impacted my life seems impossible.' The brain injury had left her with a 'cognitive fatigue which affects me daily', she recalled - having to take three naps a day, falling behind with her doctorate and having difficulties with her memory. She told the court: 'I have had to seek medical help to deal with the anxiety and process what has happened as it has started to impact my daily life. 'Since the assault, I cannot focus on my work for long, I find I can't remember things that previously I would have been able to recall easily, I get frequent headaches that can sometimes only be helped by taking 3 naps a day, and I get anxious.' Ms Moxham (pictured outside Manchester Crown Court yesterday) read a victim impact statement from behind a curtain on Friday, telling the hearing how she is still suffering from the attack 14 months on Riley, pictured on CCTV, is seen at an ATM after the attack. Mxoham, in her victim statement, said Riley's crime was 'so violent and extreme in nature' that she is now distrustful of others, claiming the assault 'has made me question people's intentions' CCTV footage revealed Riley's movements after the incident, highlighting his intention to evade capture by making two 250 cash transactions from different ATMs and getting rid of his mobile phone to ensure he could not be tracked As a result, Ms Moxham said she has had to take days off of work, which is 'impacting me financially', and needed to request multiple extensions on her PhD 'just so I stand any chance of finishing it without my funding running out'. She described how she battles 'insomnia' and will often be 'up all-night worrying' about the criminal investigation and finances, as well as processing the assault. 'I have struggled with getting to sleep. When I do manage to get to sleep, I have terrible night terrors,' Ms Moxham recalled. 'Although I count myself as extremely fortunate that I cannot remember anything about that night, I frequently have terrifying nightmares in which I am being attacked, strangled, and suffocated.' The PhD student added that Riley's crime was 'so violent and extreme in nature' that she is now distrustful of others, claiming the assault 'has made me question people's intentions'. 'I find it hard to trust due to the sense of betrayal, and I constantly find myself questioning why someone would want to get to know me as I'm unable to be loved and worthless,' she said in her statement. Ms Moxham also told of her anguish at how Riley neglected to 'show remorse' and had 'dragged out' the court process, initially admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intent and only pleading guilty to attempted murder last November. 'Whilst I am beyond happy that this never went to trial and my personal life was not put out for public consumption, I feel a sense of anger that [Riley] has gotten away with people not knowing the true nature of the crime he committed,' she said. 'There are so many unanswered questions in my mind about what truly happened that night and the events leading up to it, things that only he will know, and now I will just have to get on with the not knowing. 'By pleading guilty at the last minute, he has stopped me ever getting that closure of getting all the details of what happened to me. This past year has been a nightmare, and I'll now never get answers to my questions, so he's kept some control there.' The court was told how the attack happened soon after Riley and Ms Moxham entered the bedroom just after 11pm. Riley is pictured on CCTV footage Judge Field said Riley was acting to save his own skin by fleeing and abandoning Ellie, who the paramedic judged to have a life-threatening brain injury Even after his arrest and while on remand, she said Riley 'used the house we owned together to subject me to financial abuse'. She had wanted to sell the house 'to obtain my share as soon as possible' - but she said Riley's parents told her they would instead buy her out. But this did not happen and, when Riley was later sacked and his pay stopped, she was left with responsibility for the mortgage, forcing her into debt and ruining her credit rating to the point she could not even take out a mobile phone contract. Ms Moxham added when Riley's parents arranged for the contents to be sold, they took away furniture including a mirror given to her by her aunt which she had wanted to keep. Despite the turmoil she has faced, Ms Moxham has taken steps to 'get my life back on track'. She has continued working, started renting a house with some friends and is pursuing therapy to 'help me manage the anxiety and process the past relationship so I can move forwards in a healthy way'. She told the court that she does not 'want to be defined by this' situation, which has 'felt hugely invasive' and forced her to 'disclose private life details to total strangers', such as investigators, doctors and victim services. 'It is, however, important to me that my statement ends on a hopeful note - I got away from something terrible and I have had so many moments of joy and happiness in the past year, despite everything hanging over me,' she concluded. 'I have learnt so much about myself and I am much stronger for it. I hope today is real closure for me and a chance to try to properly put all this behind me.' CCTV captured James Riley (pictured) at a store in the moments after he attacked his ex-girlfriend Ellie Moxham Riley is pictured on CCTV after he attacked Ms Moxham, who said in her victim statement that the 'past year has been a nightmare' and she now lives in 'constant fear of another attack' Riley launched his attack on Ms Moxham in 2022 after she was 'persuaded' to go to a Sigrid concert in Manchester which the former couple had booked some months earlier, and stay the night at a Premier Inn in Manchester (file photo of the hotel) Riley strangled Ms Moxham on November 10, 2022 and left her unconscious on a Manchester city centre hotel room floor as he phoned for an ambulance. She was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma before she regained consciousness the following day. On Friday, Riley, from Preston, Lancashire, was jailed at Manchester Crown Court for 16 years after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to attempted murder. Riley, who was off-duty at the time of the incident was dismissed by his employers, Lancashire Constabulary, last year. The couple had been in a relationship for several years and bought a house together in 2021, but it was effectively at an end by the date of the offence. Ms Moxham had no memory of the assault, but Judge Patrick Field KC said during sentencing it was 'clear' that Riley 'gripped her throat and strangled her with such force over a significant period that her brain was starved of oxygen'. This caused her to lose consciousness, he said, and to suffer profound injuries which has led to continuing cognitive difficulties. James Riley, (pictured) from Preston, Lancashire, was jailed at Manchester Crown Court for 16 years on Friday after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to attempted murder. He was due to go on trial last November but changed his plea to guilty a week before Judge Field told Riley: 'To your discredit - once you realised Ms Moxham was indeed very seriously injured and in need of expert medical assistance - your first reaction seems to have been to call your parents to speak to them for about 11 minutes before, almost as an afterthought, calling for an ambulance. 'You also abandoned Ms Moxham at the scene in an effort to save your own skin. 'While I accept this was not a pre-meditated attack and you acted spontaneously, this was nevertheless a brutal and determined attempt to kill your former partner.' Riley, of Jepps Avenue, Barton, was due to go on trial last November but changed his plea to guilty a week before. He was sacked by White Bus for 'gross misconduct' months after the joke A bus company manager has won more than 50,000 for unfair dismissal after busses sacked him for filming a colleague and long-time friend performing a Morecambe and Wise-esque striptease routine at work. Geoff Lovejoy recorded Sean McAleer dancing around the offices of White Bus to The Stripper, a jazz piece composed by David Rose best known in Britain for its use by the comedy duo in an iconic breakfast time sketch. Middle-aged cleaner Mr McAleer was videoed by his friend of more than 30 years playing with the zip of his cardigan before removing it, tossing it to one side before ending up 'sprawled out' on Mr Lovejoy's desk in the Windsor office. The incident was captured in a 42-second video in front of a colleague, Michelle Hughes, who appeared 'entirely unperturbed' by the banter; but the matter was only raised with company bosses months later. Grandfather Mr Lovejoy was then fired for gross misconduct for the stripping incident and another in which he used a company phone to record a tongue-in-cheek conversation he had with Mr McAleer about a death-in-service benefit. Geoff Lovejoy (left) videoed long-time friend Sean McAleer (right) performing a mock striptease at work Mr Lovejoy worked as a manager at White Bus while his friend worked as a cleaner (pictured: a White Bus vehicle) He took his bosses at White Bus the trading name of CE Jeatt & Sons, part of the Rowgate Group to an employment tribunal, which found that the comedy 'striptease' was a 'jovial, pre-Christmas act' between the pair of pals. The hearing in Reading, Berks, was told Mr Lovejoy was first employed as an operations manager for C.E. Jeatt & Sons Limited in 2017. During a shift in December 2020, Mr Lovejoy was in the office with bus company controller Ms Hughes and Mr McAleer - who worked as a cleaner. The tribunal heard the men were 'good friends' having known each other for some 30 plus years and exhibited a 'jokey relationship' whereby they would make fun of each other and play practical jokes. The bus operations manager used his phone to record a 42 second 'strip dance' performed by the cleaner to the music after it came on the radio, jokily describing it as 'his (Mr McAleer's) song'. Describing the clip, Employment Judge Naomi Shastri-Hurst said that Mr McAleer can be seen 'hovering just in the doorway, waiting for his cue, for the music to start'. 'In the video, the first shot is of Mr Lovejoy's computer screen, showing that The Stripper by Dave Rose and his orchestra is playing from YouTube,' she said. 'Shortly after the song begins to play, Mr McAleer enters the doorway to the office and proceeds to move about, initially playing with the zip of his cardigan, and eventually removing it and tossing it to the side. 'He moves to the music, and ends up sprawled on [Mr Lovejoy's] desk. I note that Mr McAleer appears to be smiling, looking into the phone camera; he clearly understands that he is being filmed.' The Stripper was popularised in Eric and Ernie's famous 1976 BBC sketch which featured the comedians performing a dance using various kitchen utensils and food items in time with the music. Mr Lovejoy (right) was sacked for gross misconduct for videoing his friend (left) as well as for recording a non-work phone call on a company device Mr Lovejoy worked at White Bus from 2017 until his dismissal in 2021. He is pictured here working from the company's office in 2020 The Stripper is best known to British audiences as the music used in Morecambe and Wise's iconic breakfast sketch (above) The tribunal heard that for a few seconds in the video, Miss Hughes can be seen in the background staring at her phone whilst looking 'unperturbed' by the actions of her colleagues. However, she then raised the incident six months later while Mr Lovejoy was under investigation for using a company phone to record a conversation between himself and Mr McAleer. She went on to accuse Mr Lovejoy of 'goading' and 'grooming' Mr McAleer, and in August 2021 he was sacked for gross misconduct. At the tribunal, the bus operator admitted that his dismissal had been unfair and wrongful. The hearing was told Mr Lovejoy then obtained another job with First Bus in February 2022, staying with the firm for eight months until it merged two of its regional businesses in a move that would have put his place of work 150 miles away. After another period of unemployment, he now works as a bus driver for another company. EJ Shastri-Hurst was critical of the bus company's HR investigation, which was found to breach the ACAS code on disciplinary procedures in the way it handled Mr Lovejoy's dismissal in a way that was 'at least in part, deliberate'. White Bus, she found, made a number of errors in how it handled the case, including not supplying Mr Lovejoy with papers on his disciplinary meeting until the meeting itself. The statement used to support his sacking was also 'inaccurate and unsigned'. As a result, the judge added an extra uplift to the total payout with the compensation also recognising the time he spent unemployed as a specialist in bus services. In a written judgement, she said: 'I accept that [Mr Lovejoy] and Mr McAleer had a jovial, jokey relationship, and that Mr McAleer was a willing participant in the [dancing incident].' 'I have found that Miss Hughes was in no way affected by the incident. 'I find that there is no culpability or blameworthiness attached to this behaviour.' She also found that his use of the company phone was 'nothing out of the ordinary'. Mr Lovejoy - who now works as a bus driver for another company, for less pay - was awarded a total of 52,190 in compensation. MailOnline has contacted Mr Lovejoy, Mr McAleer and the White Bus Company for comment. A holidaymaker has slammed the trendy travel hotspot of Bali for its horrific traffic and taken aim influencers for encouraging anyone to go there. Richard Monckton uploaded a series of TikToks where he flip-flopped between calling the whole island 'f***ing poo' and praising the locals for their hospitality. What sparked Mr Monckton's initial tirade on Wednesday was Kuta's notoriously chaotic traffic saying it 'stressed him out' and adding that he drastically preferred Thailand. The next day he followed up by explaining that the Indonesian people were 'lovely' and apologised for any offence he had caused in his first video. On Saturday however, Mr Monckton was back to hating the island and insisted that he - unlike other influencers - was telling 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth'. Richard Monckton went on a three-video tirade against the Indonesian island of Bali in a series of TikToks uploaded during his three week holiday there Mr Monckton said that despite some areas being nice, Bali's traffic was too chaotic and it made Kuta and Ubud feel like 'poo' compared to his preferred destination: Thailand Mr Monckton's main concern was that he had three weeks left in Bali but because of the chaotic traffic, he was unable to 'chill'. 'I've just come to Kuta and let me just show you what it's about because let me tell you now it is absolute carnage,' he said in the first video. 'I don't like traffic so I'm in the worst location in the world and honestly Ubud was the same. 'Everyone else's experience may be different, but for me Bali is absolutely poo... Thailand absolutely p***** all over this place.' Reactions to the video were mixed but many people agreed that the traffic in Bali was awful and that Thailand was by far the better option. Locals however took the chance to recommend other places on the island that Mr Monckton might prefer besides the metropolitan hub of Kuta. In his second video on the topic Mr Monckton apologised for his harsh tone, insisting that the people of Indonesia were hospitable and that he did not mean to offend them In response to the kind words from locals, he uploaded another video explaining that he never meant to offend anyone and that Bali had some positive aspects as well. 'I just want to do an update on my previous video moaning about the traffic in Bali, I'm offending a lot of locals and that the last thing I want to do,' he began. READ MORE: Aussie hero directs congested Bali traffic Advertisement 'You are beautiful, kind [and] caring people... All I was trying to say was that it's so busy here, it stresses me out because I hate traffic. 'I love and respect your country but it's just f****** hectic because I come here to chill. 'I know that's my decision and I made the wrong decision by coming to Kuta, so I apologise.' The reactions to Mr Monckton's follow-up were universally positive with many accepting his apology and some agreeing that he had a point in the first place. 'Apology accepted,' one local wrote. 'I'm a local, you're cool dude I hate the traffic as well,' another added. 'You were just telling the truth,' a third said. The retroactive acceptance of Mr Monckton's complaints may have had the opposite effect those who commented were aiming for however, as he quickly hopped online again re-enthused to elaborate on what really irked him about the holiday hotspot. Mr Monckton's third and final video on the subject doubled down on his original stance that Bali was 'poo', Thailand was better, and that influencers were lying about Kuta being nice In his final update, captioned 'why is telling the truth now such a problem', Mr Monckton fired off a rant to 'tell you the truth about Bali, about it being poo and about the traffic'. 'The places I visited were rubbish okay,' he started. 'So to all you influencers that are taking the p*** out of people by lying to them, you should be ashamed of yourself. 'Lying is a deadly sin, the worst sin.' Mr Monckton's 'truth' was that Thailand is amazing and Bali was again 'poo'. He continued that although Thailand is also notorious for congested traffic, 'they have a better road networks so that it moves'. Reactions to his final words echoed the mixed bag of his first video but this time many people who commented had the same message: 'calm down'. 'Please calm down, peace,' one local wrote. 'Bali not like your country bro... YOUR COUNTRY MORE THAN POO,' another added. 'We Indonesians tried to warn tourists about Bali. They just won't listens,' a third said. 'Why are you so angry? Calm down,' a fourth suggested. 'I'm really not, it's called passion,' Mr Monckton replied. Detectives are investigating after a shocking sex attack at a popular Perth beach on Friday. The incident occurred at Coogee Beach in the city's southern suburbs, with detectives told the girl was forced into the male toilet block and assaulted. On Saturday, Western Australian Police released an image of a man wanted for questioning over the attack. 'It is believed the man pictured in the images may be able to assist with the investigation,' a police spokesman said. The incident is being investigated by detectives from the Sex Assault Squad and is believed to have occurred sometime between 2pm and 3pm on January 12 near the Coogee Beach reserve. Police are appealing for public assistance identifying this man wanted for questioning The incident occurred at Coogee Beach in Perth's south on Friday The offender is described as being olive or dark skinned, about 30 to 35 years old, with tattoos on his neck and shoulders. It's believed the man may have been present at the beach and jetty area with another man and young boy. Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au. A mother-of-two accused of murdering her seven-year-old son was an assault victim when her husband battered her with their daughter's Peppa Pig book six years ago, MailOnline can reveal. Papapait Linse, 42, was arrested after the body of her son Louis was found by police at a house in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on Wednesday following a 999 call. Linse spoke only to confirm her name, address and date of birth during a five-minute hearing at Swansea Magistrates' Court today. Dressed in a grey tracksuit and wearing glasses, she appeared composed and thanked the magistrates who remanded her to Swansea Crown Court next Tuesday. MailOnline can reveal that the murder accused, who was born in Thailand, is the wife of 51-year-old Edward Linse - a former businessman who was sent to a secure psychiatric hospital following a series of attacks. Papapait Linse (pictured), 42, was arrested after the body of her son Louis was found by police at a house in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on Wednesday following a 999 call Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to an address on Upper Market Street in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, shortly before 10.45am on Wednesday MailOnline can reveal that the suspect, who was born in Thailand, is the wife of 51-year-old Edward Linse (pictured) - a former businessman who was sent to a secure psychiatric hospital after avoiding a jail sentence In 2017, Linse erupted with rage at his wife when their child burst into tears during bath time at his parents' 1.2million home in the village of Nether Alderley, Cheshire. He launched a tirade of abuse at his wife, calling her a 'b****' and hitting her repeatedly with a shoe before grabbing the Peppa Pig book and hitting on the head with it. When police arrived at the scene her husband retorted: 'It was just a flimsy Peppa Pig book'. Linse admitted assault by beating, but was spared jail time. But months later Linse attacked his wealthy parents at the same 1.2million home over a 40-year grudge that began with him being sent to boarding school. The brutal late night attack came after the 51-year-old repeatedly demanded that his parents 'compensated' him for his 'suffering' while studying at an all-boys public school in the 1980s. He admitted grievous bodily harm on his father and common assault on his mother but was spared jail and taken to a secure psychiatric hospital instead. It's believed he has been told his son is dead and that his wife has been charged with his murder. Ms Linse bought a three-storey property in Haverfordwest for 175,000 in April 2022 where neighbours said she home-schooled her son and his older sister. Linse (pictured) spoke only to confirm her name, address and date of birth during a five-minute hearing at Swansea Magistrates' Court today Ms Linse (pictured) describes herself on social media as a 'Mom and freelancer with two British kids.' Flowers left outside an address in Haverfordwest on Thursday Police were called to the property, a former physiotherapy studio, at 10.45am on Wednesday following the death of her son. Hospital doctor Sean Phelan, 69, who lives next door said: 'I was asleep when the police arrived - I woke up to find the street had been sealed off. 'All I know is that there was a serious incident involving a child. 'The lady was always quite friendly to me but I didn't know her well. I've never seen a man there. 'The children were well looked after, well-dressed and well behaved. There has never been any trouble here before.' A nearby Samaritans charity shop had to lock up for the day while police and forensic officers were at the scene. The offices of Preseli-Pembrokeshire Welsh Assembly member Paul Davies are just four doors away. A single bunch of flowers was laid outside the property while forensic officers were inside examining the scene. Ms Linse describes herself on social media as a 'Mom and freelancer with two British kids.' A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: 'We were called to an address in Upper Market Street at 10.45am on Wednesday, January 10. 'Sadly, a seven-year-old boy was confirmed to have died shortly after. Our thoughts remain with his loved ones at this tragic time.' Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray has been slapped with a 2,800 bill for parking at McDonald's, according to reports. The actor, who plays Mickey Pearce in the classic BBC comedy, said he initially received a fine costing 'less than 100' five years ago for parking in a disabled space while he picked up his food. But he claims he was told to park in the space by a staff member. Now he's been hit with a 2,800 fine after the cost grew over the years. The Only Fools actor said he is also receiving letters threatening that his personal items could be removed unless he pays up - despite there being no court order. Patrick Murray said he has received letters threatening that his property could be removed if he doesn't pay The Only Fools and Horses actor said he also worries about other people receiving similar fine amid a cost-of-living crisis It comes at an already bad time for the 66-year-old after he revealed that his cancer returned last year. He also said he worried about others who might get hit with similar bills amid the cost-of-living crisis. Writing about it on Twitter/X, he said: 'Five years ago I received a private parking ticket for parking on a disabled spot at McDonald's. 'I went back and saw the manager complaining that I was asked by the server to park up there to await my food. 'The initial ticket was less than 100. Now I am getting countless letters from a company demanding I pay 2,800 in or face having my personal goods removed. 'There was no court order to say I owed this debt. 'Suddenly getting a demand for 3,000 could be devastating for many people. Who knows some may have been driven to suicide with worry.' From left to right, Sid (Roy Heather), Trigger (Roger Lloyd Pack), Boycie (John Challis), Denzil (Patrick Barber), Marlene (Sue Holderness) and Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray) in Only Fools and Horses Although the UK economy is faring better than expected, many people are still reliant on food banks. There is speculation among some finance experts that a global recession could be looming. MailOnline contacted McDonald's for comment about the parking fine. Mr Murray was battling lung cancer and was given the all-clear in 2022. Peckham's finest: Patrick Murray as Mickey Pearce in Only Fools And Horses, circa 2002 In January 2023, he also revealed that a liver surgery had 'saved his life' as doctors removed half of the organ to take out a malignant growth. But then later that year, he revealed that it had returned and had spread to his legs and pelvis. In an online post, he said: 'Despite all the wonderful efforts by the medical and nursing teams at Medway, Guys and Kings College hospitals, the lung cancer has returned. 'I thought I had a painful groin strain a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the cancer getting into my pelvis and leg bones. It has also entered my lymphatic system.' A Victorian man has been arrested over the alleged murder of Yiel Deng Gatluak near Alice Springs on New Year's Day. The 19-year-old's body was discovered by a driver shortly after midday on January 1 lying on an unsealed road east of the town. On Saturday, Northern Territory police announced an arrest warrant had been issued for a 22-year-old Victorian resident, who was arrested by Victoria Police this morning. The man is scheduled to face court on Sunday where police will apply to extradite him from the state. The move comes after three males, two adults aged 20 and 21 and a youth, were arrested this week in connection with the Mr Gatluak's death. No charges have been laid against the trio. The 19-year-old's body was discovered by a driver shortly after midday on January 1 lying on an unsealed road east of the town A Victorian man has been arrested over the alleged murder of Yiel Deng Gatluak (pictured) near Alice Springs on New Year's Day It's understood the Victorian man will be charged with murder once he is returned to the Northern Territory. In court Yiel's father, Deng Gatluak Koutgor, previously broke down while explaining the pain he was feeling over losing a son. 'It is really painful for our whole family, we loved him dearly and to lose a young boy without any sickness or warning we cannot express this feeling,' Mr Koutgor said. as reported by the Herald Sun. 'It was very hard to travel over the holiday period, while everyone is celebrating the new year, we must face life without Yiel. 'We need answers over who did this, the police are working hard but we want to make sure there is justice.' On Tuesday, NT Police said the three males were 'assisting police with their inquiries'. A vigil was held at the site where his body was found In court Yiel's father, Deng Gatluak Koutgor, broke down while explaining the pain he was feeling over losing a son Mr Gatluak was raised in Melbourne before moving to Alice Springs two years ago after finding work as a mechanic. A GoFundMe page set up to support his family with the cost of returning his body to Melbourne and funeral, remembers Mr Gatluak as a 'wonderful and loving son'. 'His heart was pure and he was always happy and kind to everyone. He treated everyone with so much kindness,' the fundraiser reads. 'We're asking you to stretch your hands and join us give Yiel a burial he deserves and safe his family the stress of finances and give his family time to mourn him properly.' In a statement, NT Police said investigations into the death are ongoing and urged anyone with any information to contact them immediately on 131 444 and quote job NTP2400000232. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez avoided questions about migrants following New York City's controversial decision to shut down a Brooklyn school to house them. The progressive Democrat said what happened was 'not in [her] district' on Thursday when a Fox Business reporter asked if she was comfortable with thousands of Brooklyn high school students being kicked out to house migrants this week. James Madison High School students were forced to take remote classes this Wednesday so that 2,000 migrants could stay at Floyd Bennett Field, the school's gym, ahead of a forecasted damaging storm. The decision sparked outrage among many New Yorkers who said it is further evidence of Mayor Eric Adams prioritizing the thousands of migrants who have descended on the city over tax-paying residents and their families. Ocasio-Cortez had previously slammed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, accusing them of 'crimes against humanity' when the two GOP governors bused hundreds of migrants to Manhattan and Washington, DC. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez avoided questions about migrants following New York City 's controversial decision to shut down a Brooklyn school to house them The progressive Democrat stated that what happened was 'not in [her] district' on Thursday when a Fox Business reporter asked if she was okay with thousands of Brooklyn high school students being kicked out to house migrants this week James Madison High School students were forced to take remote classes this Wednesday so that 2,000 migrants could stay at Floyd Bennett Field, the school's gym, ahead of a forecasted damaging storm After she dismissed the question on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez said, 'I think it's very clear here that what's most important is that we identify a facility that's appropriate for these folks.' 'I don't anticipate this being a long-term solution, it shouldn't be a long-term solution,' Ocasio-Cortez added. Ocasio-Cortez represents New Yorks 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens where neither Floyd Bennett Field nor James Madison High School is located. However, the lawmaker has frequently spoken on issues that didn't happen within her district, including the time she famously slammed the decision to send migrants to the wealthy Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard and Washington, DC. 'It's appalling that far-right politicians seem to have decided that fall before an election is their regularly scheduled time to commit crimes against humanity on refugees,' she wrote in 2022. 'Don't normalize this. Lying to & trafficking people for TV and clicks isn't politics as usual. It's abuse,' added Ocasio-Cortez. Ocasio-Cortez slammed the move as small-minded and misguided at the time, saying, 'What a lot of Republican politicians fail to understand is that not everyone shares their zero-sum, scarcity mindset.' 'Many of us understand that immigrants and refugees are a blessing. They have so much to offer our country, & much of our growth as a nation is because of them,' she added. After she dismissed the question on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez said: 'I think it's very clear here that what's most important is that we identify a facility that's appropriate for these folks' The decision sparked outrage among many New Yorkers who said it is further evidence of Mayor Eric Adams prioritizing the thousands of migrants who have descended on the city over tax-paying residents and their families. No serious damage was done to the shelter on the following day and migrants were moved back. But school parents had already been told to make arrangements to keep their kids at home for the day The widespread heavy rain, strong winds and fierce thunderstorms which arrived on Tuesday are forecast to continue into the following day as utilities companies battle to restore power Many social media users were outraged by Ocasio-Cortez's response to the question, with many highlighting her involvement in topics that are far from her constituency. 'Didnt she famously pose at our Texas border during Trumps presidency? My how times have changed,' a user wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Another person wrote: 'Ok well Palestine, Israel and Ukraine are "not in my country."' Adams, proud of the decision to relocate immigrants, visited the site on Tuesday night and shared photos on social media afterwards that showed him surveying the gym hall where the migrants would be sleeping. Among the outraged New Yorkers was New York State Assemblyman Mike Reilly of Staten Island who said Adams had taken the issue 'beyond the threshold' of common sense. 'For more than a year, I and common sense colleagues from around New York City have been outspoken about the placement of temporary migrant shelters in our community and our public schools. 'We stressed, with great concern, the impact these types of facilities would have on public safety and quality of life. 'We were called conspiracy theorists for even suggesting the possibility that taxpaying New Yorkers would be displaced to make room for those here illegally. 'We have officially crossed the threshold. City officials are now setting a dangerous precedent for the future of this crisis,' he said. No serious damage was done to the shelter on the following day and migrants were moved back. But school parents had already been told to make arrangements to keep their kids at home for the day. An Oakland, California, woman leading a recall effort against woke DA Pamela Price accused the official of intimidation tactics to try and curb her campaign. Brenda Grisham, an activist for homicide victims, claimed Price showed up at her business this week with 'armed goons', as her fight to remove the prosecutor from office has turned ugly. The prosecutor's re-election campaign told DailyMail.com Price only walked past Grisham's business as part of a 'scheduled neighborhood walk' as part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Price became Alameda County DA in 2022, pledging to seek shorter prison sentences, more lenient criminal charges, and a refusal to charge juveniles as adults - policies Grisham says are escalating Oakland's spiraling crime issues. The city has been rocked by a citywide crimewave for over two years, with homicides up 80 percent in July 2023 compared to 2019 rates, while assaults and robberies were up 40 and 20 percent, respectively. According to crime tracker Neighborhood Scout, Oakland is essentially the most dangerous city in America, with a violent crime rate almost four times higher than the national average that makes it safer than zero percent of US neighborhoods. Brenda Grisham, a homicide victim advocate leading a recall effort against Alameda County DA Pamela Price, says the official is using dirty tactics to intimidate her into ending her campaign Alameda County DA Pamela Price entered office in 2022 as a 'progressive prosecutor', pledging to seek shorter prison sentences, more lenient criminal charges, and a refusal to charge juveniles as adults Since launching her recall effort in July, Grisham said she has been subject to a smear campaign that has seen her compared to January 6 insurrectionists, accused of spreading misinformation, and branded a racist. 'I'm African American, how is it racist?' she told the Berkeley Scanner. 'This is homegrown. This is from here. Right here in the city of Oakland.' Last month the recall effort pushed past 80,000 signatures, exceeding the 73,000 needed to qualify for a recall by March. However, she says tensions with Price came months before her recall campaign even began, when she tried to set up a meeting for recent homicide victims in March. In a move that spurred her desire to remove Price from office, Grisham said the DA was uninterested, insisting she would 'not speak to anybody that's advocating for me to be removed from my elected position.' 'Thats not what were talking about today, is what I told her,' Grisham said. 'Were talking about the families of homicide victims that are working in the streets of Oakland trying to make a difference. Thats our job.' Grisham, who lost a son to gun violence in 2010 and has advocated for victims since, said Price finally agreed to the meeting in April, only to show up 45 minutes late and allegedly refuse to answer questions from the families. 'She did not respond to the families that they were victims,' Grisham said. 'She never acknowledged that they had lost anyone.' Price, Grisham says, turned to leave after declaring there were 'people in the room that are opposing my position as the district attorney', before a victim's mother stopped her to ask about any developments in her son's case. She claimed Price said she didn't know anything about the case and walked out of the room. 'These are true victims,' Grisham concluded. 'These families have been traumatized once. And theyre gonna be traumatized again - when sentencing does not match the crime of their children.' Surveillance footage shared this week by Grisham purported to show Price arriving with 'armed goons' at her place of work, part of what she feels is an intimidation strategy Grisham lost a son to gun violence in 2010 and has advocated for victims since Data shows the city's current crime epidemic - in which rates across nearly every major category have increased dramatically since well before the pandemic In the months since, Grisham says her recall petition has gained traction and receives frequent inquiries from victims' families wanting to join the cause. At one stage last July, Price slammed the campaign as being 'supported by the Republican Party', and it was taking 'a page out of the January 6 playbook.' She has also said the recall 'amounts to a coup to undo the will of Alameda County voters' and said a 'few right-wing local leaders have been recruited as figureheads' for the recall effort. Grisham claims Price has fought her attempts and is using intimidation tactics, including a recent 'pointed' letter detailing Grisham's achievements sent directly to her home address in August. Price, Alameda County's first Black DA, has taken a public stance on reforming Oakland's criminal justice system and seeks to address racial disparities in prosecution figures. She is known to be a staunch opponent of imprisoning people and favors lenient sentencing, a stance that sparked outrage in April as she sought reduced charges against a gang that killed a toddler with a stray bullet in a highway gun battle. In the letter, she lauded how she had charged over 7,600 cases, hired 'the most diverse class of victim-witness advocates ever', and trained attorneys in the Racial Justice Act. Her campaign reportedly said it sent the letter to her home as an official answer to the recall petition, which is required by law within seven days of the recall campaign being filed. The DA added that it was sent to Grisham as her name appears first in the filing, however Grisham says she doesn't believe this was the reason and felt it was threatening to send the letter to her home. It did not mention the recall effort, and said she didn't know how Price got her home address, making her feel unsafe. 'It didnt say, this is my response to the petition,' Grisham said. 'So I took it personal. Because Im a mama. I got my kids and I have my grandkids.' 'There was no reason for that letter to come to my home,' she added. 'I took it as a message and Im gonna continue to take it as a message... but what Im not gonna do is to be intimidated to not stand up for these families.' The hostilities between the two women appeared to reach fever pitch this week, as Grisham shared surveillance footage purporting to show Price arriving at her business with 'armed goons.' Just to be clear DA Pamela Price came to my place of business 1/10/2024. She knows my email and my number. She did NOT talk to any business owners or pass out any flyers (Nola stuck 1 in a door). I took it how it looked with her armed goons. I have FULL FOOTAGE pic.twitter.com/9oOviEkyKR Brenda Grisham (@Chrisjonesmom17) January 12, 2024 Look at the time stamps on this video so where did she go and what was she doing she went upstair and came down the other stairs??? Her team said she did not know this was where my businesses were. Signing kick off was right here ask Zak! It was on every station. pic.twitter.com/XK97EOP18s Brenda Grisham (@Chrisjonesmom17) January 13, 2024 Feeling it was an attempt to intimidate her, Grisham said Price arrived with around five others, although it is unclear why she claimed the group was 'armed' and there is no indication they were carrying weapons. She also claimed that Price's team said they did not know it was Grisham's place of business, but only looked around the location before leaving as the activist was not there at the time. Price's campaign fighting the recall vote told DailyMail.com that the incident was a misunderstanding, and the DA was taking part in a scheduled walk. 'This story is a conspiracy theory,' said William Fitzgerald, spokesperson for Price's 'Protect the Win' campaign. 'On Wednesday, Alameda County District Attorney was on a scheduled neighborhood walk in a part of Oakland known for being impacted by human trafficking. 'The safety walk was part of Human Trafficking awareness month. DA Pamela Price walked with approximately 10 people from the community and safety inspectors from her office. 'This is not the first time DA Price has done one of these safety walks, and she'll continue to do them for as long as human trafficking remains an issue people in the community are impacted by.' It came after Grisham made a public plea in August to cool off tensions, saying: 'The personal attacks, I cant do that. The name-calling, I cant do all that... we gotta focus on what we gotta focus on and thats these families.' Price's campaign wrote in July that it was determined to carry out her political platform, arguing it is what the voters asked for. 'The people handily elected her to implement criminal justice reform and make our system fair and balanced, rooting out racial, gender and economic disparities,' the campaign wrote in July. 'DA Price is the Peoples DA. She remains undeterred by this undemocratic effort and will continue to focus on enacting the reforms county voters mandated.' YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The delegation headed by the Representative of the Republic of Armenia on International Legal Matters has participated in a procedural meeting at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in the framework of the arbitration proceedings initiated by Azerbaijan on 27 February 2023 under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), the Office of the Representative of the Republic of Armenia on International Legal Matters said in a statement. Azerbaijan falsely claims that Armenia violated the ECT in relation to energy resources in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia will provide evidence to the court which will dismiss the allegations. The Office of the Representative of the Republic of Armenia on International Legal Matters said "Armenia expects the finalization of the procedural rules of the mentioned arbitration proceedings, and is going to present its arguments and evidence on the groundless character of Azerbaijan's legal claims in due course during the said arbitration procedure. Elon Musk has become the 'spiritual heir' to Donald Trump for his populism, fan base and ability to spin ideas around his worldview, according to a Wall Street Journal columnist. Musk and Trump are both entrepreneurs, provocative on social issues, politically incorrect and have built a populist following 'through years of savvy use of Twitter-turned-X,' according to Tim Higgins, whose writings specialize in Musk and his companies. 'For many, Musk's evolution from a green-energy techie to self-labeled chief troll officer has made the billionaire the spiritual heir to Trump' only now 'even more influential' Higgins wrote. Musk has, Higgins writes, mastered Trump's ability to whip up a social media storm and fire up his fan base, citing an example from earlier this week in which the tech tycoon suggested corporate diversity efforts could threaten air travel safety. 'It will take an airplane crashing and killing hundreds of people for them to change this crazy policy of DIE,' Musk wrote on his X platform on Tuesday, rearranging the abbreviation for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Elon Musk has become the 'spiritual heir' to Donald Trump, according to a WSJ columnist Musk also adopts Trumps gigantean self-confidence and bravado, Tim Higgins writes During the election campaign of 2020, Trump signed an executive order against DEI initiatives such a racial sensitivity training and the teaching of critical race theory in federal institutions, which he described respectively as 'malign ideology' and 'divisive, anti-American propaganda.' Musk has adopted other rhetoric used by the former president including spreading fear about the impact of mass migration into the US. Last week, Musk wrote on X that the government would start forcing Americans to house migrants in their homes after a Brooklyn school was closed for a day. 'This is what happens when you run out of hotel rooms. Soon, cities will run out of schools to vacate,' the Tesla CEO said. Adding: 'Then they will come for your homes.' Musk's post included a video showing migrant buses pulling up to the school on Tuesday evening after officials moved students to remote learning on Wednesday in order to provide shelter for the asylum seekers currently housed at the tent shelter at the Bennet Airfield. There is no proof that any local government in the country has tried forcing people to house migrants in residential homes or has plans to do so. Furthermore, Musk has followed Trump in spreading misinformation about the results of the 2020 election. This is what happens when you run out of hotel rooms. Soon, cities will run out of schools to vacate. Then they will come for your homes. https://t.co/MQ159OlOXc Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2024 The former president refused to accept the results of the 2020 election Musk has followed Trump in spreading misinformation about the results of the 2020 election Last May he posted an article on then-Twitter which alleged that the contests was 'bought by Mark Zuckerberg.' Trump allies had pushed the unfounded idea that donations from the likes of Zuckerberg to a group called Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) amounted to partisan election interference. Musk also adopts Trump's gigantean self-confidence and bravado, Higgins writes. In response to a recent Wall Street Journal report about Musk's drug use sparking concerns among his board members and executives, Musk responded by saying he hadn't failed any drug tests and highlighted the success of his businesses. 'Whatever I'm doing, I should obviously keep doing it!' he wrote on X. The Republican pollster Frank Luntz finds that the two men are often compared and supported by the same cohort of people when he conducts focus groups. 'The reaction of people [for both men] is, 'Well, good for him, I don't always agree with what he says, I don't necessarily like how he says it but I like what he's doing, he is shaking things up,' Luntz told the Journal. Higgins goes on to say that Musk is seen by his base as the poster boy for the 'primal American dream' that because the US previously told 'the king of England more than 200 years ago to essentially go f yourself,' it has paved the way for Musk doing the same with 'the CEO of Disney.' The supporters he has built see Musk as 'an immigrant who, against great odds, gambled everything over and over again,' who has gone on 'to make it in America' after hard work and tearing down elites. A wild brawl has erupted outside a Melbourne reception centre after protesters against the regime of African nation Eritrea clashed with supporters. The gathering in St Albans in the city's north-west on Saturday turned violent when both groups began hurling rocks and bricks and ripping out fences. Inside the centre, supporters of the Eritrean government were holding a cultural festival while the protests were organised by members of the pro-democracy youth movement Birged Nhamedu who wear signature blue clothing. A fence was ripped out from the property and windows were smashed as more than 100 people from both sides joined in the brawl. More than 14 people were injured and 10 were so badly hurt they needed hospital treatment. Blood could be seen on the ground outside the centre on Saturday afternoon. A fence was pulled out of a concrete and brick wall amid the chaotic protests Some people hurled bricks with numerous windows at the centre smashed 'It wasn't supposed to turn violent,' protester Senait Habtemariam told 7News. 'I didn't take a weapon with me we went there to demonstrate in support of human rights so we can't be taking weapons.' Eritrea in north-eastern Africa is widely considered to be a corrupt government which has never had an election and the same president has been in power for three decades. Similar protests have been held in the US, London and the UK over the unpopular regime The United Nations said in a 2016 report the regime was involved in 'crimes against humanity' including the kidnappings and executions of its own citizens. 'It's considered the North Korea of Africa,' Ms Habtemariam said. Similar protests held between the Eritrean communities in the US, Canada, London and Germany have also descended into violence. Victoria Police are investigating the brawl but there have been no charges laid as of Saturday night. Not all designer brands are equally rewarding on the secondhand market, with used Louis Vuitton and Dior designs losing value on average Data has revealed that used Hermes bags cost 25 percent more than new ones Some designer handbags could be more valuable investments than real estate or stocks Re-selling coveted designer bags can make savvy investors a ginormous profit - but not all designers brands are equal on the secondhand market. Luxury brands hate the re-sale market because it can allow people to profit from fake products - especially when secondhand websites don't have strict authentication checks. However - another worry for the expensive companies is that certain designs are selling for more on the resale market and making the re-sellers a fortune - which can cause consumers to snub merchandise that doesn't hold its value. Over the past four years, shoppers dropped $1.3 trillion on new luxury goods - handbags, clothes, watches and jewelry, the Wall Street Journal reported. The re-sale market has doubled in size over the past four years and in 2023, $49.3 billion worth of luxury goods were sold worldwide. Re-selling coveted designer bags can make savvy investors a ginormous profit - but not all designers brands are equal on the secondhand market Over the past four years, shoppers dropped $1.3 trillion on new luxury goods - handbags, clothes, watches and jewelry Hermes bags are so sought-after and exclusive that aspiring owners are willing to seriously splash out on a used bag to avoid waiting on lists According to data from The Real Real, a popular online marketplace for selling luxury goods, handbags from Louis Vuitton lose an average of 40 per cent of their value when they're re-sold - even if more rare designs like this one seen on Rihanna fare better than most The brand's iconic Kelly bag was named after princess Grace Kelly and is now an expensive status symbol, which Kyle Richards is pictured clutching here in epsom leather with palladium hardware. The Real Housewives star is an avid handbag collector, and at Hermes in Paris with the brand's executive and VIP Whisperer Michael Coste Hermes bags are so sought-after and exclusive that aspiring owners are willing to seriously splash out on a used bag to avoid playing the Hermes game - which normally involves developing a relationship with a sales associate, a pricey pre-spend, and a waiting list of a year or more. A basic Birkin 25 bag costs around $10,000 at retail value - but can re-sell for $24,000 or more. The 25cm Ostrich Birkin bags from Hermes have proven to be rare - with just 25 selling at auction the the last decade. Their average selling price has been topping $35,000 since 2020 - with a 2021 Noir Ostrich Birkin 25 being sold for a generous $40,420 in 2022. Rare Hermes bags bring in even more cash - with a Himalaya Birkin setting a world record in 2020 when it was sold at an auction for a whopping $382,295. Birkin bags aren't just a fashion statement - they're an indication of not only wealth but also status and often fame. Stars like Kyle Richards, Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton, Pippa Middleton, the Kardashians and of course Jane Birkin herself have all famously clutched Birkin bags at some point. The brand's iconic Kelly bag was named after princess Grace Kelly and is now an expensive status symbol. On average, second-hand Hermes bags cost 25 percent more than brand new ones purchased directly from the store. While used products from luxury brands like Hermes, Patek Philippe, and Rolex bring in more money than their brand new versions, most other designers have lower resale values than the original price. According to data from The Real Real, a popular online marketplace for selling luxury goods, handbags from Louis Vuitton lose an average of 40 per cent of their value when they're re-sold. An ostrich Birkin like the one seen here on Jordyn Woods can fetch $40,000 on the resale market depending on size, color, hardware and condition Beth Silverberg, an expert in the re-sale market and a savvy investor, insists that designer handbags are just as lucrative as real estate, art and even stocks Christian Dior bags lose half of their value on the re-sale market. Meanwhile, other brands are seeing drops in their re-sale value - with Burberry's average falling 17 per cent since they hired their new creative director in late 2022. Paris-listed luxury group Kering, which owns Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta, have seen values slip with their top three brands slipping 10 per cent, 14 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. Chanel increased the price of its popular medium-size Classic Flap bag by a staggering 70 per cent during the pandemic - but the bag's re-sale price has yet to catch up to the new tag. Some designer brands tried to interfere with the competition of re-sale markets by partnering with them, a model attempted by Gucci, Stella McCartney and Burberry, but their efforts were short-lived and didn't pay off overall. Beth Silverberg, an expert in the re-sale market and a savvy investor, insists that designer handbags are just as lucrative as real estate, art and even stocks. Beth Silverberg is pictured with a white vintage Hermes Kelly bag which she bought for $600 but has a retail value of $15,000. She is also holding a rare hot-pink Chanel handbag bought for $6000, and an extremely rare Birkin 20 Silverberg, a former professional poker player, estimates she has made more than $100,000 by buying and selling purses from brands including Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton since she started her collection aged 16. And her earnings are only set to grow after a report by wealth manager Credit Suisse projected handbags to be one of the best 'collectible' investments of 2023 - outranking jewelry and art in terms of resale value. 'My first ever bag was a Louis Vuitton 30 Speedy which I bought for $150 from the tips I made waitressing,' the 55-year-old, from Pennsylvania, told Dailymail.com. 'I flipped mine for around $600 years ago - but they're worth $1,500 now. 'I've always invested in stocks and shares but my bags have far superseded anything I've made the traditional way.' Taiwan's president-elect has vowed to defend the self-ruled island against 'threats' and 'intimidation' from China, which has branded him as a 'severe danger' to peace in the territory. Lai Ching-te delivered an unprecedented third consecutive term for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after a raucous campaign in which he pitched himself as the defender of Taiwan's democratic way of life. Communist China claims democratic Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait, as its own and says it will not rule out using force to bring about 'unification', even if conflict does not appear imminent. Beijing has in the past slammed Lai, the current vice president, as a dangerous 'separatist' and on the eve of the vote, its defence ministry vowed to 'crush' any move towards Taiwanese independence. But on Saturday, after his two opponents conceded defeat, Lai in his victory speech promised to stand 'on the side of democracy' and 'safeguard Taiwan from continuing threat and intimidation from China'. Taiwan's president-elect has vowed to defend the self-ruled island against 'threats' and 'intimidation' from China. Lai Ching-te (centre left) and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim (centre right) are pictured speaking to supporters on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan after he delivered an unprecedented third consecutive term Lai carried out a raucous campaign in which he pitched himself as the defender of Taiwan's democratic way of life. Pictured are supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) celebrating in Taipei on Saturday after the victory of Lai Ching-te in the presidential elections Chinese President Xi Jinping's government warned this week that a vote for independence-leaning candidate Lai Ching-te - the frontrunner - poses a 'severe danger' to the island's future. Xi is pictured waving from a vehicle as he reviews the troops at a military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of People's Republic of China in 2019 Communist China claims democratic Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait, as its own and says it will not rule out using force to bring about 'unification' Lai on Saturday thanked the Taiwanese people for 'writing a new chapter in our democracy'. 'We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy,' he said, adding that he will also try to pursue exchanges with China. 'I will act... in a manner that is balanced and maintain the cross-strait status quo.' Leading up to Saturday's poll, authorities had repeatedly warned of interference from China, pointing to paid trips to the mainland for voters and flagging instances of disinformation that painted Lai in a negative light. After his win, Lai said the island had 'successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election'. The victory extends DPP's rule after eight years under outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, who had served the maximum two four-year terms. But in legislative elections held alongside the presidential ballot, the DPP lost its majority in the 113-seat parliament. According to official data from Taiwan's Central Election Commission, Lai had 40.1 per cent of the vote with ballots counted from 99 per cent of polling stations. President Lai Ching-te (left) and vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim (right) wave during a rally after winning the presidential elections in Taipei, Taiwan on Saturday Supporters of Taiwan's 2024 presidential election candidate, Taiwan vice president Lai Ching-te, cheer after his victory, in Taipei, Taiwan on Saturday Hou Yu-ih (left) presidental candidate for the Kuomintang and mayor of New Taipei City attends an election night rally on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan His main rival Hou Yu-ih of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) trailed in second place with 33.5 per cent. 'When the people have made their decision, we face them and we listen to the voices of the people,' Hou told supporters. KMT's Hou had argued for warmer ties with China and accused the DPP of antagonising Beijing with its stance that Taiwan is 'already independent'. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Chinese invasion of Taiwan would leave 500,000 dead and have 'ruinous' impact on UK economy Advertisement Ko Wen-je, who took 26.5 per cent of the vote with an anti-establishment offer of a 'third way' out of the two-party deadlock, said the results put his Taiwan People's Party (TPP) on the map as a 'key opposition force'. 'Ko Wen-je will not give up on building Taiwan into a sustainable country and I would like to appeal to you not to give up as well,' he told supporters. During the campaign the KMT and TPP tried to strike a deal to join forces against the DPP, but the partnership collapsed in public acrimony over who would lead the presidential ticket. The election was watched closely by both Beijing and Washington, Taiwan's main military partner, as the two superpowers tussle for influence in the strategically vital region. Located on a key maritime gateway linking the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan is home to a powerhouse semiconductor industry producing precious microchips - the lifeblood of the global economy powering everything from smartphones and cars to missiles. China has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, periodically stoking worries about a potential invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a recent New Year's address the 'unification' of Taiwan with China was 'inevitable'. Lai Ching-te (left) celebrates his victory with running mate Bi-khim Hsiao in Taipei on Saturday. He emerged victorious in Taiwan's presidential election and his opponents have conceded The crowd cheers at a Democratic Progressive Party rally in Taipei, Taiwan on Saturday Beijing has never renounced the use of force to take what it views as a renegade province, and Xi has said that unification is inevitable. His government warned this week that a vote for independence-leaning candidate Lai poses a 'severe danger' to the island's future. After weeks of strong rhetoric over the Taiwan vote from Beijing - but little coverage in Chinese state media to the domestic audience - the 7pm state television news broadcast Xinwen Lianbo made no mention of the vote. Chinese warplanes and naval ships probe Taiwan's defences almost daily and Beijing has also staged massive war games in recent years - simulating a blockade of the island and sending missiles into its surrounding waters. The Chinese military said the night before the polls that it would 'take all necessary measures to firmly crush 'Taiwan independence' attempts of all forms'. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met a senior Chinese official in Washington hours before the vote and stressed the importance of 'maintaining peace and stability' across the Taiwan Strait. It comes as an expert has warned in a new report that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would leave 500,000 dead, devastate the global economy and spread Beijing's already growing influence. Darren Spinck, a researcher specialising in Indo-Pacific Studies, warned that such an assault would upend sea and trade routes, disrupt global supply chains and - crucially - could destroy Taiwan's semiconductor foundries. This graphic shows areas Chinese troops are likely to launch from and where in Taiwan they are likely to land if Beijing did launch an invasion China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory, and fears have grown in recent years that President Xi Jinping is planning an invasion in the coming years, in the face of increasingly hostile rhetoric and simulated blockades of the island. Pictured: A grab from a video released by China shows soldiers participating in an invasion drill Footage released by China shows tanks and other military vehicles taking part in a drill which simulated a naval blockade and island invasion, in September 2023 The clip from the September drill featured soldiers storming beaches and driving tanks, as well as a fleet of helicopters roaring overhead (pictured) This, he said, would have a detrimental impact on the UK economy - which is increasingly reliant on maintaining relations across the Taiwan Strait as it continues to make a post-Brexit tilt into the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan produces 90 percent of the world's advanced chips, the brains in all modern electronic equipment, and any shortage in semiconductors has been described as 'catastrophic' to both the UK and the global economy by experts. What's more, Spinck warns that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would allow Beijing's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to ' project power past Taiwan in the First Island Chain and north toward Japan' and into the Second Island Chain. The human cost, too, would be devastating. The Pentagon has estimated as many as 500,000 people could be killed should a conflict between China and Taiwan occur, while millions more could be forced to flee the region. Haley and DeSantis need strong showings in Iowa to keep their hopes alive But some supporters are considering defecting over electability concerns Some of Donald Trump's Iowa supporters are expressing last-minute jitters over his electability in the general, raising the possibility of a surprise upset from challengers Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis. Ahead of Monday's first-in-the-nation caucuses, Trump holds a commanding lead of 30+ points over his rivals in polls of Iowa GOP voters, and in all likelihood will win a majority of Iowa's delegates. Haley or DeSantis would need to peel off Trump supporters if they hope to drag the former president below the 50 percent mark much less pull of an unlikely upset and seize a majority of their own. Trump's various legal woes have loomed over the primary, an issue Haley has highlighted by frequently mentioning 'chaos' following the former president, while DeSantis argues Trump's legal issues would cost votes in the general election. At least some Iowa voters who support Trump are weighing those concerns as they consider who to caucus for, according to a CNN report on Saturday. The latest poll from Iowa showed Haley surging ahead of DeSantis but both remain well behind Trump Ron DeSantis departs after speaking at a Northside Conservatives Club Meeting at The District in Ankeny, Iowa on Friday, as Arctic-like temperatures hit the state Pat Goodman, a 57-year-old voter from West Des Moines, told the outlet that he liked all of Trump's policies, but was concerned that the former president couldn't win support from independents in the general election. 'I like all of the policies that he implemented as president, and I felt like his tweets were sometimes unpresidential,' Goodman said. 'I think that that drives other voters away from him, even though I think he was an excellent president for the things that he did and accomplished.' Goodman said he is considering caucusing for DeSantis or Vivek Ramaswamy, the businessman and staunch Trump defender, whose pitch to voters is that he would immediately pardon the former president if elected. The latest poll from Iowa showed Haley, the former South Carolina governor, surging ahead of DeSantis, the governor of Florida. The USA Today/Suffolk poll on Friday has Trump at 54 points, Haley at 20, and DeSantis at 13 percent. Other recent polls have had Haley and DeSantis tied, with both still trailing Trump by more than 30 points. Iowa's delegates are awarded proportionally, making the 50 percent mark a largely symbolic victory. Although Trump heads into the Iowa caucuses on Monday with outsized expectations, the size of his win matters if he wants to deliver a knockout blow to key rivals. Trump campaign advisers have sought to temper expectations by noting that the previous record win in a contested Republican caucus was Bob Dole's 12.8-point margin in 1988. But four political analysts interviewed by Reuters said Trump needs a more convincing victory closer to the 30 point-plus margin suggested by the polls to blunt Haley's momentum. A pickup truck is driven down a snow covered road under an Iowa Caucus sign on Friday Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has pulled ahead of Ron DeSantis in a new Iowa poll ahead of Monday's caucuses Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is far ahead in Iowa surveys, was back in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday Doug Heye, a Republican strategist, said Trump needs to win by at least 15 to 20 percentage points or risk losing the air of inevitability, a situation that could allow Haley or DeSantis to pick up momentum at a critical juncture in the race. 'That's a bare minimum for Trump. Anything below that shows - and will get blown up as - vulnerability,' Heye said. Chris LaCivita, co-manager of the Trump campaign, said he was confident that the 'intensity' of the former president's base would translate into a big win despite the cold gripping the Midwestern state. But he stopped short of predicting the kind of win suggested by the polls. 'A win's a win, but no one has ever won by more than... 12.8,' LaCivita told reporters on Thursday. One wild card is turnout. Reflecting a worry that his supporters will stay home given his comfortable polling lead, Trump has warned against complacency at recent rallies. Another risk for Trump is a strong showing by Haley, who has been rising in the polls. If she were to secure second place, it could establish her as the clear alternative to Trump, giving her a boost in New Hampshire, analysts said. Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas would not quantify how close they hoped to come to Trump on Monday. 'We will have a strong showing in Iowa and ride that momentum into New Hampshire,' she said. It comes amid growing internal resentment toward the Biden administration's handling of the Middle East crisis The walk out will mark 100 days of Israel's siege on Gaza, which has killed upwards of 23,000 people, mostly civilians Hundreds of Biden administration employees and federal staffers from more than two dozen agencies are set to walk off the job next week in protest of the White House's handling of the Middle East crisis. An anonymous internal cabal calling itself 'Feds United for Peace' have organized the strike for Tuesday, marking 100 days of Israel's siege on Gaza, according to AI Monitor. The move is reportedly fueled by growing resentment inside the administration over Biden's unwavering support for Israel's military bombardment of Palestine, which has killed upwards of 23,000 people, mostly civilians. There are concerns that Biden's support for the conflict is costing him significant political currency, particularly with young voters, just as his 2024 re-election campaign heats up. The White House is bracing for a walkout of hundreds of employees in protest to its handling of the Middle East crisis and funding of Israel's war efforts President Biden (pictured January 12) is facing the internal revolt from a group calling itself 'Feds United for Peace.' There are fears his support for Israel is costing the White House significant political capital, especially with young voters, as he heads into the 2024 election The walk out is a drastic departure from how top federal employees have shown their disapproval toward White House policy in the past, which was typically reserved to media leaks or public resignations over policy. But the organizers, who have remained anonymous, say they are intent on changing direction from within, and they expect 'easily hundreds' of staffers to join their efforts on Tuesday. They say they have commitments from people inside 22 federal agencies for the strike, including from the Executive Office of the President, the National Security Agency, Homeland Security, Defense Department, and the FDA. The Biden administration has so far sent upwards of $14 billion to Israel alongside significant military support, with United Nations estimates placing the number of displaced Palestinians since at 1.9 million people - 85 percent of its population. One of the organizers of the strike told AI Monitor that they decided to launch the protest as it 'grew out of a collective desire to do what we could to influence the Biden administrations policy on this issue.' 'What you're seeing with this effort is something very unusual, and that is for dissent to be manifested via a physical act,' they added. The unrest has also reportedly seen a number of letters also drafted through the State Department's private 'dissent channel', a way for staffers to raise concerns anonymously that was set up during the Vietnam War. To curb the internal revolts, White House officials have reportedly held meetings with their aides to hear out their concerns, including 'listening sessions' between Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Arab American, Muslim and Jewish staffers. There is mounting internal backlash to Biden's approach to the crisis in Gaza, as he has sent upwards of $14 billion to Israel alongside significant military support The United Nations estimates the number of displaced Palestinians stands at 1.9 million people - 85 percent of its population The organizer said they had 'unequivocally' tried to raise their points internally, but feel the mass walkout is one of their last resorts. 'Its one thing to write letters from within, but when policy discussions and dissent cables yield no shift in policy and in some views, a double down on that policy then people feel they have no other option because theyre not being heard,' they added. While top federal staffers in years past have resigned in protest over disagreements, the organizer said they felt a 'moral obligation and patriotic duty' to change Biden's approach from the inside. Specific issues cited for the walkout also included America's obstruction of ceasefire campaigns within the United Nations, and the bypassing of Congress to send weapons to Israel. The demonstration comes as reports cite growing anger from Washington elites over the attitude of young staffers in showing their disapproval to their bosses. A series of anonymous letters penned by staffers in the White House, State Department and Biden's re-election campaign have been levied since the conflict erupted in October, a move that would have been unthinkable decades ago. Amid the internal revolt, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (pictured) has reportedly been holding 'listening sessions' with Arab American, Muslim and Jewish staffers. James Carville (pictured in 2018), a longtime Democratic operative and former campaign strategist for President Bill Clinton, said the demonstrations from staffers mark a dramatic departure from how aides showed their disapproval in years past, and a strike 'wouldn't even cross your mind' James Carville, a longtime Democratic operative and former campaign strategist for President Bill Clinton, told Politico that the letters mark a turning point to how young staffers speak their minds. 'Theres this whole, "Youre not the boss of me" attitude now. "I might work for you but I have my own views,"' he said. 'If you said you didnt like some of President Clintons policies, the idea that you would go public with that would be insane. Just wouldnt do that. It wouldnt even cross your mind.' 'The bargain a staffer strikes has always been this: You get to influence the decisions of the most powerful government in the history of the world,' added Paul Begala, who worked alongside Carville in the Clinton White House. 'In exchange for that influence, you agree to back the final decision even if it goes against your advice. If confronted with a decision that crosses ones ethical, moral, social, political lines, the choice is clear: Shut up and support it, or resign.' A 97-year-old Black Texas teacher who had been driven out of her 1939 house by a racist mob has now been gifted the same plot of land and plans to build a new house. Opal Lee, popularly known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, was 12 years old when her family moved into their Fort Worth house in an all-White neighborhood. The family only stayed for a week in their new home before a crowd of 500 people showed up and forced them out while police stood by and watched. Lee, a retired teacher and lifelong community activist, told CBS: 'They tore it asunder. They set stuff on fire. They did despicable things.' 'It was going to be the nicest place we had in Fort Worth. We were so proud of it. 'We were frightened to death when our parents sent us away from the house. To come back later to see it in shambles, that was traumatic,' she further told WFAA. Opal Lee, popularly known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, was 12 years old when her family moved into their Fort Worth house in an all-White neighborhood The family only stayed for a week in their new home before a crowd of 500 people showed up and forced them out while police stood by and watched 'We were frightened to death when our parents sent us away from the house. To come back later to see it in shambles, that was traumatic,' she said But more than 80 years later, Lee decided it was time to return to her home and contacted the land's current owner. She discovered that the plot was vacant and owned by the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, where she had once served on the organizations founding board. Lee told Trinity Habit for Humanity CEO Gage Yager, whom she has known for 30 years, what had happened with her family and requested to buy the property. He went on to tell her that she could not purchase the land, but instead, he would 'give' it to her. 'I said, "Well, we won't sell it to you Opal, but we'll give it to you." There's no option for anything else,' Yager told the channel. She discovered that the plot was vacant and owned by the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, where she had once served on the organizations founding board Lee told Trinity Habit for Humanity CEO Gage Yager, whom she has known for 30 years, what had happened with her family and requested to buy the property. He went on to tell her that she could not purchase the land, but instead, he would 'give' it to her The organization has begun drawing up plans for the house, community donations are being used as funding and volunteers are working to construct the house Gage also offered to work with donors to build a new house on the land for free, which he hopes will be ready for the activist to move in by her 99th birthday. Lee described the moment she received the news and said: 'When I get happy, I want to do a holy dance. But the kids say I'm twerking, so I don't ever do it. 'I want you to know that I've got a God who has been so good to me. I think if I ask, he'd let me have a couple more years.' The organization has begun drawing up plans for the house, community donations are being used as funding and volunteers are working to construct the house. Yager said: 'Were there to partner with a friend to build a home and in a little way erase a big negative from all those years ago. 'How can it not be, with all the hate and violence thats been out there to play a small part in a bigger story and hopefully a narrative thats going in a good direction.' After spending her life as an elementary school teacher, she decided to retire in 1977 and dedicate her life to activism In 2016, she embarked on 1,400 mile walk from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. to urge the Obama administration to make June 19th a national holiday After spending her life as an elementary school teacher, she decided to retire in 1977 and dedicate her life to activism. In 2016, she embarked on 1,400 mile walk from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. to urge the Obama administration to make June 19th a national holiday. In June 2021, President Joe Biden put pen to paper at the White House and made Juneteenth, the day marking the emancipation of slaves in the US, a federal holiday - after 155 years. Juneteenth has been considered America's 'second independence day' since June 19, 1865, when General Granger Granger walked into Galveston and declared the last 250,000 slaves in Texas free. The day has been celebrated annually and gone through many iterations - including Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day. In June 2021, President Joe Biden put pen to paper at the White House and made Juneteenth, the day marking the emancipation of slaves in the US, a federal holiday - after 155 years Lee was present at the White House for the signing alongside President Biden and VP Kamala Harris It is not clear how it came to be called Juneteenth National Independence Day, but Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said that America only 'truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave' when Union Army General George Granger freed the last saves in Texas in 1865. When she introduced the bill in 2020, she said: '[Juneteenth] commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become. 'It was only after that day in 1865, on the heels of the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever, that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.' Lee was present at the White House for the signing alongside President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. A Boeing 737-800 returned to its departure airport in Japan today after the pilot discovered a crack in the cockpit window in mid-air. Flight 1182 of Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) was en route to Toyama airport but headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport after the crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit, a spokesperson for the airline said. The plane made a safe landing and there were no injuries reported among the 59 passengers and six crew. The aircraft landed back at Sapporo's New Chitose airport at around 12.10 local time (3.10 GMT). 'The crack was not something that affected the flight's control or pressurisation,' the ANA spokesperson said. Flight 1182 of Japan's All Nippon Airways returned to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport today after the crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit, a spokesperson for the airline said (File Photo) The flight was en route from Sapporo in Hokkaido to Toyama, on Japan's main island, Honshu before the issue was discovered and the plane had to make a return Aviation expert John Strickland said the cause of the crack was as yet unknown. He told BBC News: 'These things do sometimes happen, something may have struck the window, for example a bird, a large hailstone, it's not unheard of.' 'You might occasionally get a stress fracture too, from wear and tear,' he added, 'but that's very rare'. He said the airline would have to replace the entire window, rather than just the broken layer, to make sure the aircraft was completely safe. 'It's a bit like triple glazing, it all needs to be intact,' he said. 'These things do happen, it's impossible to quantify how frequently, but they can be pretty dangerous if not they're not fixed.' The aircraft was not one of Boeing's 737 MAX 9 airplanes. These have been in the spotlight after a door plug broke off a new Alaska Airlines jet in mid-air last week. The Alaska Airlines aircraft, which had been in service for just eight weeks, took off from Portland, Oregon last Friday and was flying at 16,000 feet when the panel tore off the plane. Pilots flew the jet back to Portland, with only minor injuries among passengers. A terrified passenger on board the near-catastrophic flight revealed the moment she texted her family 'I don't want to die' after a door plug on the jet blew out. Emma Vu took to TikTok after surviving the horror Alaska Airlines flight 1282. '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.' Passenger Emma Vu said she 'felt the entire plane drop' around 20 minutes into the horror Alaska Airlines flight 1282, which was bound from Portland to California before a door plug blasted into the sky at 16,000 feet Alaska flight 1282 left Portland just after 5pm local time last Friday when a door plug blew out at 16,000 feet Vu revealed her final texts to her family pleading 'I don't want to die', and showed a selfie she took in the moment which she feared could be her last The passenger included a picture another flyer took of the blown out door plug A photo shows the blown out door plug. 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 The Boeing 737-9 MAX rolled off the assembly line just two months ago, receiving its certification in November 2023, according to FAA record posted online In an interview with 7News Australia, she added: 'I was more concerned with the plane dropping... I looked outside and it was going pretty smoothly. I think everyone freaking out inside made me freak out.' Shocking footage from inside the plane saw fliers sat in eerie silence shortly after the door plug exploded, as they looked out of a gaping hole in the fuselage with the twinkling lights of Portland below. Vu said she was asleep when the devastating safety failure erupted out of the blue and she 'felt the entire plane drop'. 'The masks dropped, and people are screaming,' she continued, next to a tearful selfie she took in the moment that she feared could be her last. She said: 'I am so grateful for the ladies sat next to me... They were so sweet at calming me down, and the flight attendants were giving oxygen tanks to those who needed it more. 'But I was freaking out because my bag wouldn't inflate - and that's literally what they tell you in the safety thing, like don't worry you're still getting air flow... When you're in fight or flight you're not thinking about that. 'It was just so scary, no one knew what was happening. The pilot came on to tell everyone to put your mask on before you help others - literally word for word what they tell you in the safety training.' 'A toddler's shirt flew off, and their phone flew out the window,' she added. 'It was just so surreal.' In audio from inside the cockpit, the pilot could be heard radioing for emergency help, saying: 'Portland approach, Alaska 1282 emergency! Aircraft is now levelling 12,000 in a left turn heading three four zero. 'We need a divert. We've declared an emergency. We are depressurized. We have 177 passengers on board and a seal is...18,900' the pilot can be heard explaining.' Another passenger, 20-year-old Elizabeth, told Oregon Live that the moment the door plug blew out 'sounded like your ears were popping like normally on a plane, but 10 times louder'. 'I couldn't believe it was real,' she added. 'We were all calm,' she said of her fellow passenger, 'but I did feel like I was about to cry, because who knows this could be my last few moments'. One of the passengers, Kyle Rinker, 29, said the plane became 'deathly silent'. 'Nobody made a noise,' he added. After the reality of the situation set in and the plane landed safely, Vu said she was left disappointed by the response of Alaska Airlines in helping the terrified passengers. She said the airline only offered her drinks and snacks and a reimbursed flight for the next day with more leg room, which she felt was 'really not enough' to make up for the ordeal. Upon landing, she said the fliers 'stood in this really long Alaska line, and it did not move for like one to two hours'. 'I even tried to call Alaska customer service to see if I could get ahead of the line, and it did not work out,' she added. In videos posted to social media passengers can be seen sitting calmly wearing oxygen masks as the plane returns to the runway Vu shared this smiling selfie that she took just moments before her brush with death After being woken up by the door plug being blown out, Vu revealed the panic-stricken text messages she sent her family, telling them: 'I don't want to die' Frightened passengers beside the hole in the fuselage on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane Despite her brush with death, Vu said she decided to still get the free flight the next day to California, because she felt it 'really cannot happen twice'. Upset with the response of the airline, she concluded: 'Alaska, would love some money, maybe some money for therapy, maybe another flight.' The US aviation regulator yesterday extended the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes indefinitely for new safety checks and announced it will tighten oversight of Boeing itself after the Alaska Airlines incident. As United Airlines and Alaska Airlines cancelled flights through Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will require another round of inspections before it will consider putting the jets back in service. Under more stringent supervision, the regulator will audit the Boeing 737 MAX 9 production line and suppliers and consider having an independent entity take over from Boeing certain aspects of certifying the safety of new aircraft that the FAA previously assigned to the planemaker. The FAA said the continued grounding of 171 planes with the same configuration as the one in the incident was 'for the safety of American travelers'. The regulator had said on Monday that the grounding would be lifted once they were inspected before saying more work was needed on planned checks. On Friday, the FAA said 40 of the planes must be reinspected, then the agency will review the results and determine if safety is adequate to allow the MAX 9s to resume flying. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two US airlines that use the aircraft involved, have had to cancel hundreds of flights in the last week due to the grounding as a widening crisis engulfed the US planemaker. Alaska and United on Friday both canceled all MAX 9 flights through Tuesday and United canceled some additional flights in the following days. On Thursday, the FAA announced a formal investigation into the MAX 9. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the Alaska Airlines MAX 9 had 'significant problems' and noted Boeing's history of production issues. Prince Andrew broke cover today to host a shooting party in Windsor for his friends - days after the humiliating Jeffrey Epstein court documents had caused the duke to 'lock himself away in a room'. The Duke of York, who was joined by around a dozen guests, was pictured at the wheel of a dark green Range Rover as he made a rare outing from Royal Lodge in the wake of the Epstein papers being released. Andrew, 63, did not even venture out for his weekly horse riding trip last Saturday as he opts to hole up inside his 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park after being thrown back into the limelight over his friendship with the late paedophile. Having only made one other outing since the files were unsealed, a source told the Mail last week: 'He doesn't have the emotional bandwidth to deal with this. He has locked himself away in a room and has no idea how to respond. He's devastated.' It comes as speculation mounts over whether Andrew will be evicted from Royal Lodge. A friend of the duke told The Times this week that King Charles will let his brother stay at the home on the Crown Estate because 'blood is thicker than water'. The bombshell papers have heaped further pressure on the duke who is alleged to have committed 'acts of sexual abuse' and taken part in an 'underage orgy'. Prince Andrew (pictured) broke cover today to host a shooting party in Windsor for his friends Andrew (pictured today) has been engulfed by scandal ever since sex abuse claims first emerged against his friend Epstein It is a rare outing for Andrew who has only been seen out and about once since the release of the Epstein court documents The duke hosted a shooting party in Windsor with some of his friends. Pictured: A group of men attending the shoot Andrew has been engulfed by scandal ever since sex abuse claims first emerged against his friend Epstein. In 2022, the royal settled out of court with Ms Giuffre, one of the paedophile's victims, after she claimed he sexually assaulted her. The duke has vehemently and repeatedly denied all allegations against him. He claims he does not even remember ever meeting Ms Guiffre. The latest tranche of newly unsealed Epstein documents revealed that Ms Giuffre claimed Epstein paid her $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17-years-old. The 40-year-old made the allegations when she gave evidence in 2016 while being questioned under oath. 'I did receive $15,000. I do not know the equivalent to what that is in pounds,' she said , before she was quizzed by a lawyer on whether she paid tax on the amount, with Mrs Giuffre replying 'no'. The papers also include sordid claims Epstein secretly filmed the royal having sex. Sarah Ransome, who gave a victim impact statement ahead of the sentencing of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell for sex-trafficking, appeared to write communications claiming Andrew, Richard Branson and Bill Clinton were all filmed. A letter from Miss Ransome states: '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 Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Richard Branson having sexual intercourse with my friend. I will be more then [sic] willing to swear under oath and testify in court.' A New Yorker article, released in 2019, reported that she admitted 'she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epstein's behaviour, and to make him believe that she had 'evidence that would come out if he harmed me'. Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts (now Giuffre) and Ghislaine Maxwell are pictured in 2001 at Maxwell's London townhouse The Duke of York, 63, was pictured at the wheel of a green Range Rover as he left Royal Lodge The latest tranche of newly unsealed Epstein documents revealed that Ms Giuffre claimed Epstein paid her $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew (pictured today) when she was 17-years-old Prince Andrew, Mr Clinton and Mr Branson have all strenuously denied any wrongdoing, and the sex tapes claim was described as 'baseless and unfounded' by the Virgin tycoon's spokesman. A Virgin Group spokesperson confirmed: 'We categorically reject all allegations made by Sarah Ransome. In 2016, Ms Ransome retracted her claims and then in 2019 after settling her claims with Epstein and Maxwell, she also admitted to The New Yorker that the 'tapes' had been 'invented'. 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.' Although many of the accusations reported in them were not new, the papers shed light on the uncomfortable closeness of the late Queen's son to Epstein, accused of abusing dozens of underage girls over several decades. It has been claimed that Andrew spent 'weeks' at a time staying with the abuser, receiving 'daily' massages from his largely female staff. Mrs Guiffre has previously claimed she was trafficked to the UK at the age of 17 by Epstein and Maxwell and forced to have sex with Andrew. She also says she slept with the royal at Epstein's homes in New York and the Caribbean, where an 'underage orgy' took place. The furore has also once again raised questions about Andrew's role within the Royal Family and his future life. The King has made clear there is now way back for his brother, already stripped of his royal duties and use of his HRH title by the late Queen, as a working royal. But he is still permitted to attend family events - such as the Coronation and the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham - in a private capacity. Last month, the disgraced duke was caught demanding to know why fans who had stood in the cold to see the Royal Family at Sandringham on Christmas Day 'have their cameras on'. It comes after an associate of the duke claimed that King Charles will not evict Prince Andrew from his Royal Lodge home because 'blood is thicker than water'. Pictured: Charles and Andrew pictured in April 2023 at Windsor Castle, with Princess Anne walking behind An associate, who is in regular communication with the duke, has claimed that while some palace officials may back the eviction from Royal Lodge (pictured), King Charles would never authorise it Prince Andrew was pictured earlier this week leaving Royal Lodge in a rare outing since the release of the papers It comes amid speculation over whether Prince Andrew will be allowed to stay in Royal Lodge. An associate of the duke claimed that while some palace officials would back the eviction, King Charles would never authorise it. 'The King is somebody with a high level of integrity,' the source told the Times. 'There are people in the royal household who would take a more aggressive stance, but in that family, blood is thicker than water.' The associate claimed that like any leaseholder, the duke has rights to the property and that the King would not favour withdrawing his brother's security and kicking him out. Prince Andrew has lived at the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park for 20 years and is entitled to carry on until 2078 under his lease with the Crown Estate. It has previously been claimed that the under-fire duke is facing calls to move to Frogmore Cottage, a five-bed home on the Windsor estate where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used to live. In 2022, Prince Andrew settled a lawsuit out of court with Giuffre for an estimated 12million without accepting liability Prince Andrew pictured walking with Jeffrey Epstein in New York's Central Park in 2011 The source, who insists he has never seen Andrew do anything 'inappropriate', does not believe that his long-time friend will return to public life unless public opinion of him dramatically changes. In the final round of documents being released, it was revealed that Epstein refused to answer questions over whether he attempted to blackmail the Duke of York after his alleged sexual encounter with Ms Giuffre. 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 Giuffre's 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. Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein. 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. Ron DeSantis fired an arctic blast at Donald Trump, saying his rival 'phoned it in' from Mar-a-Lago as the Florida governor got back on Iowa's icy roads to meet with supporters still digging out from a blizzard amid a biting wind chill and sub-zero temperatures. Were not stopping. I do have my winter coat. We have other layers. I know its going to get even colder,' DeSantis told supporters after speaking to a crowd of supporters in Council Bluffs, with the outside temperature at -5. Were in, were showing up. Donald Trump has phoned it in. Hes going to be in Mar-a-Lago. Its probably 75 degrees there,' he sneered. 'Were going to be at negative temperatures talking, making the case to Iowa voters Monday night,' he said. It was a cold frontal attack on the front-runner who DeSantis has been accused of going easy on during a campaign where he trails the former president by more than 30 points in pre-caucus polls. He also accused Trump of running on 'his issues' and says his focus will be on 2020, not the future. 'If he would be the nominee, the focus will be on the legal issues. The criminal trials on criminal convictions, January 6, all of that plays into the Democrats' hands, into Biden's hands or whoever they end up running,' he said. DeSantis was back on the trail despite warnings of hazardous conditions after a blizzard slammed into the state. His top backers looked to the sky for metaphors to fire up his supporters. Ron DeSantis said rival Donald Trump 'phoned it in from Mar-a-Lago' after Trump nixed planned Saturday events, and DeSantis scheduled a series of events 'It's 40 below, are you ready to go?' Florida first lady Casey DeSantis told a crowd of DeSantis supporters in Council Bluffs. 'Youve got a few challenges out there. Its going to be pretty cold. But we are tough resilient Iowans we care about this country,' Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has endorsed DeSantis, told a crowd who came out to see the Florida governor. 'We need to be safe. Layer up. And if you show up, he will be the winner Monday night,' she said. DeSantis pointed to his roots in the Sunshine State, but said the biting weather could provide an opportunity for his campaign, where polls have him far behind Donald Trump. DeSantis backers braved wind and cold to attend his event in Council Bluffs Saturday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was back on the campaign trail Saturday, after holding two events on Friday. 'It's 40 below, are you ready to go?' Florida first lady Casey DeSantis told a crowd of DeSantis supporters 'Look, its not going to be easy. Negative 20 wind chill, negative 30. I mean, Ive never been in those temperatures even people that have grown up in the Midwest, this is significant,' he said when he took the stage. 'But you have the opportunity to brave those elements. Go and caucus and youre never going to have a chance to have your vote count for as much,' he told a crowd of about 50 supporters at the Grass Wagon, events center in Council Bluffs. 'Youre going to pack so much punch,' he told them. 'We dont know how many people are going to turn out. Its going to be a relatively small number given that the future of our country is at stake,' he added. DeSantis, who drove in from Des Moines Saturday morning, sought and received props for campainging. 'Im a Florida boy. Born and bread. And yet here I am in negative temperatures. I am not going to be canceling, if people are willing to come out and hear from me Im going to show up,' he said. Former President Donald Trump is scrapping planned events in Iowa Saturday and part of Sunday amid a blizzard and bone-chilling wind chill predictions. He said 'maybe that's good, because our people are more committed than anybody else' in Monday's Iowa Caucuses 'Youre going to see me everywhere. You've got to earn the vote,' he said. He was picking up on a Friday pitch where he cobbled together a last-minute event even after rival Nikki Haley scrubbed hers and moved them online. 'We can handle the snow even though we're a Florida-based campaign,' DeSantis said while meeting with his supporters in Des Moines. Friday evening, the Trump campaign announced that he was scrubbing his Saturday events. 'One way or another I'm getting there,' Trump told supporters in a video message to Iowans from West Palm beach, where his hometown was experiencing balmy temperatures. 'You have the worst weather, I guess, in recorded history,' Trump added. Then Trump shifted the the political implications, amid much speculation by the media about who it would benefit. 'But maybe that's good, because our people are more committed than anybody else, so maybe it's actually a good thing for us,' he said. He had plans to fly into Des Moines on Saturday night. 'It's going to be a little bit of a trek. Nobody knows exactly how we're going to get there,' he said. As he addressed his backers, DeSantis took a few shots at Trump over his comments about COVID in a Fox News town hall Wednesday. 'Donald Trump used to brag he shut down the greatest economy of the world. He said he shut it down and he saved all these lies. now hes saying the opposite,' said DeSantis. 'He basically said oh, I'm federalist, I had nothing to do with Fauci,' DeSantis said. 'And then he blamed me for Fauci,' he said, blasting the NIH infectious disease expert. 'Literally I was the one who was selling Dump Fauci t-shirts for this thing.' He said Trump was 'just try to gaslight people.' 'He thinks youre stupid. He doesnt think you can realize what hes saying is totally totally false,' he fumed. Among the DeSantis backers who showed up was Richard Buman, 49, a Catholic conservative who likes DeSantis' positions on education and on abortion. 'His response to the coronavirus BS was right on,' he said. Buman, from Harlan Iowa, shared his own skepticism about the efficacy of vaccines, calling Trump 'disingenuous.' The former restaurant owner who now builds scenery for a commercial theater had no trouble getting to the event by truck. 'I didn't even plow,' he said. Several members of the audience of about 50 said they were from Nebraska (Omaha is just across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs). YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The Middle East has a special place in the foreign policy agenda of Armenia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a social media post about Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyans 2023 trips to the region. The Middle East has a special place in the foreign policy agenda of Armenia. In this context, 2023 was marked by several important developments. Foreign Minister Mirzoyan visited Egypt, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. "For the first time since the independence of the Republic of Armenia, the Foreign Minister of Armenia participated in the Arab League Councils foreign ministerial meeting. "Minister Mirzoyans visit to Syria, particularly to Damascus and Aleppo, took place after the devastating earthquake on February 6, and during the visit the minister conveyed the humanitarian aid provided by the Armenian government. "Among other international treaties, Armenia signed a mutual visa waiver with the UAE in 2023, which will take effect in February 2024. In multilateral platforms, Minister Mirzoyan held meetings with the foreign ministers of Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, and the secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Diplomatic relations were established between Armenia and Saudi Arabia in 2023. Political consultations were held on the level of foreign ministers of Oman and Tunisia, co-chaired by Armenian Deputy FM Vahan Kostanyan, the foreign ministry said. The decision was supported by Mayor Eric Adams but led to protests outside the institution earlier this week The principal of a Brooklyn high school that forced children to learn from home so 2,000 migrants could move in has slammed parents who criticized the decision. 'How dare someone say that I don't care about kids,' James Madison High School principal Jodie Cohen told parents on a Zoom call on Tuesday, the New York Post reported. Parents were left outraged after their children were ordered to learn from home Thursday when the migrants were evacuated from Floyd Bennett Field because of a torrential rain storm. The students returned to the school building a day later, on Friday. 'I don't understand how people who never come on a Zoom like this could take an opportunity like this evening to throw mud,' Cohen said, according to the Post. Cohen told parents on the call that she made the decision to move the children to remote learning earlier this week because she didn't know when classrooms would be ready again after the migrants were bused back to their shelter. James Madison High School principal Jodie Cohen has hit back at parents who criticized her decision to have children learn from home The students of James Madison High School in Brooklyn were forced to learn from home after a last-minute decision allowed the migrants - from the southern border - to sleep inside the school because of harsh weather conditions outside Shocking footage revealed hundreds of asylum seekers sleeping on the floor of the school's auditorium. Clips obtained by DailyMail.com show the groups of migrants, young and old, taking up space in the large room in the school, surrounded by their belongings. Alina, a mother of two kids at the high school, was among many parents, grandparents and local politicians protesting outside of the institution on Wednesday. She told DailyMail.com, 'My child texted me around 1:00 pm, that tomorrow the school is out. 'They're going to have remote learning because the migrants are going to be sleeping over in the auditorium and at the gym. 'It was mad. We're not against migrants, but this is illegal. This illegal crossing the border and everything and affecting all of us. And the worst thing is it's affecting our kids.' The concerned mother added: 'The border should be closed. We should not be allowing illegal immigrants coming to a country like this. 'And our children are affected because the education is already on the lowest levels. The remote learning from previous years show that it wasn't the best thing for us. Shocking footage has shown hundreds of asylum seekers sleeping on the floor of a Brooklyn school assembly hall, after kids were kicked out of classes so 2,000 migrants would move in Clips obtained by DailyMail.com show the groups of migrants, young and old, taking up space in the large room in the school, surrounded by their belongings Many parents, grandparents, and local politicians protesting outside of the school Connie Donahue (left) who has two grandchildren at the school, said at the protest: 'I'm livid. I'm absolutely livid' 'I do not want to allow my children to participate in any activities tonight. I don't want because I don't believe the school will be disinfected enough.' Councilwoman Jamie Williams said outside the school, 'It's not me who is letting them get away with it. We were on the ground from day one. From day one. We were on the ground. So we have to ask that question on a higher scale level. 'We need answers from the federal government and all the powers be. This is not a one person thing. Everyone who is an elected official has a responsibility to act. 'I can tell you as a parent. My daughter attends James Madison. She is home. She logged on, and they have to submit work that was missing. 'What we're seeing here today is unprecedented.' Connie Donahue, who has two grandchildren at James Madison High School, said at the protest: 'I'm livid. I'm absolutely livid. 'I'm upset that I have to live in a city where priorities are so messed up and they're taking our children's education, which has been compromised for the last three years because of Covid. 'And they're losing another day of instruction because there are other places to put the migrants. I'm not saying leave them outside in the cold' she added. Adams surveyed the gymnasium where the migrants slept on the floor. They were moved back to the shelter at 4.30 am Locals in Brooklyn have rallied together outside James Madison High School today Many were told last minute about the migrants - and noted that they are worried about how hygienic the situation is, as many of those camping out at the school were previously homeless Mirgants pick through clothes at Floyd Bennett Field Officials feared that Floyd Bennett Field was going to flood, and sent the migrants to the school to sleep Eric Adams, proud of the decision, visited the site on Tuesday night and shared photos on X afterwards that showed him surveying the gym hall where the migrants would be sleeping. The decision has outraged many New Yorkers who say it is yet more proof of Adams prioritizing the thousands of migrants who have descended on the city over tax-paying residents and their families. When asked about the controversial decision Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the incident was 'not in [her] district' on Thursday when a reporter asked if she was comfortable with thousands of Brooklyn high school students being kicked out to house migrants this week. Ocasio-Cortez had previously slammed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, accusing them of 'crimes against humanity' when the two GOP governors bused hundreds of migrants to Manhattan and Washington, DC. After she dismissed the question on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez said, 'I think it's very clear here that what's most important is that we identify a facility that's appropriate for these folks.' 'I don't anticipate this being a long-term solution, it shouldn't be a long-term solution,' Ocasio-Cortez added. A fresh airstrike hit the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeida today following two nights of attacks on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. A military source allied with the rebels told AFP 'the site from which a Houthi rocket was launched on the outskirts of Hodeida was hit', adding that it was not clear whether the strike came from the sea or the air. It comes after British and American forces launched strikes on Houthi military sites on Thursday night into Friday morning after the militants carried out several attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. After bombarding the rebel-held areas of Yemen early on Friday, the US also launched a new round of strikes last night. The strikes have added to concerns about the escalation of the conflict that has spread through the region since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and Israel went to war, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. The Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Gaza, have carried out a growing number of missile and drone attacks on what they deem Israeli-linked shipping in the key Red Sea international trade route. THURSDAY: British and American forces launched strikes on Houthi military sites earlier this week THURSDAY: An unverified image appeared to show the result and British and US airstrikes in Yemen Satellite pictures show shelters in Hodeida, Yemen, in January 2023 (top) and yesterday (bottom) following the airstrikes Around 12 percent of global trade normally passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea entrance between southwest Yemen and Djibouti. But since mid-November the rebel attacks have affected trade flows when supply strains are already putting upward pressure on inflation globally. The Houthi operations have followed Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel which sparked the war still raging in the besieged Gaza Strip. US Central Command said its forces attacked a Houthi radar site early on Saturday as 'a follow-on action' related to the previous day's strikes. The Houthi movement's TV channel Al-Masirah erroneously reported in the early hours of Saturday morning that Britain had been involved in the second round of strikes. The Houthis' official media earlier said Al-Dailami airbase in Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa had been struck in the second bombardment, early on Saturday. After the Americans struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen last night, President Joe Biden said: 'We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared.' The blitz on Friday came a day after initial strikes against over 60 targets used by the Iranian-backed rebels to attack ships in waters near the Arabian Peninsula. It came after the Houthis fired at least one anti-ship missile earlier the same day. Biden had vowed to continue the bombardment if the Houthis refused to cease attacking vessels in the Red Sea. President Joe Biden is pointing the finger at congressional Republicans over a surge in irregular migration, after they rejected his recent request for billions in new enforcement funding. 'I've been pushing them my Republican colleagues since I got in office. I think we have to make a major change in the border,' Biden told reporters on Saturday, as he headed to Camp David. 'I'm prepared to make significant alterations in the border,' the president added. After illegal crossings at the southern border with Mexico reportedly hit new record highs in December, Biden has faced tough criticism from Republicans over his handling of the situation. But the president has pushed back, blaming Republicans in Congress for failing to take up immigration reform, and denying his recent request for $3.5 billion in additional funds for border enforcement and asylum processing. 'I've been pushing them my Republican colleagues since I got in office. I think we have to make a major change in the border,' Biden told reporters on Saturday A group of migrants moves with a migrant caravan to reach the US border on the side of the highway in Oaxaca, Mexico on January 9 'On my first day in office...I sent Congress a comprehensive piece of legislation that would completely overhaul what has been a broken immigration system for a long time,' Biden said in White House remarks last week. 'But congressional Republicans have refused to consider my comprehensive plan,' he added. 'And they rejected my recent request for an additional $3.5 billion to secure the border and funds for 2,000 new asylum personnel...and 100 new immigration judges so people don't have to wait years to get their claims adjudicated, which they have a right to make a claim legally,' said Biden. Record numbers of migrants have been caught illegally crossing the border since Biden took office in 2021. The Border Patrol arrested about 2 million migrants at the US-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, similar to record-breaking totals during Biden's first two years in office. During Donald Trump's 2017-2021 Republican presidency, migrant arrests peaked at 852,000 in fiscal year 2019. Republicans say Biden has encouraged migrants by loosening Trump-era restrictions. They also oppose new Biden policies that allow certain migrants to enter legally for humanitarian reasons, saying they circumvent standard immigration channels. Mexican soldiers look on as migrants, walking with the migrant caravan moving to reach the US border, wait in line to enter the shelter in Oaxaca, Mexico on January 9 Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the target of House impeachment proceedings over allegations he has encouraged illegal immigration with overly lax policies U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) listens to testimony during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing as part of a Republican-led effort to impeach Mayorkas Border security is a core issue for Republican base voters, and the party has intensified its criticism of Bidens policies in the run-up to November 5 elections that will determine control of the White House and Congress. Republicans in Congress have refused to pass additional military funding for Ukraine and threatened a possible government shutdown unless Democrats agree to stringent new border controls. They have also targeted Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with impeachment proceedings over allegations he has encouraged illegal immigration with overly lax policies. The Biden administration has dismissed the effort to impeach Mayorkas as a political ploy and says there are record levels of migration in the Western Hemisphere as people flee poor economic conditions, violence, corruption and extreme weather. It is extremely rare for a US Cabinet secretary to be subject to impeachment. The only secretary to ever be impeached was former President Ulysses Grant's secretary of war in 1876 following allegations of corruption. When the RAF's bombs started falling on Houthi rebel positions in the early hours of Friday morning, the Prime Minister was preparing for bed in a blacked-out train heading through the Ukrainian night. Rishi Sunak made his final calls about military action in Yemen as he was boarding a private flight to Poland, where the specially-commissioned carriages were waiting to take us across the border on a nine-hour journey to Kyiv. After a brief sleep, Mr Sunak woke to convene meetings with the Government's most senior defence and security officials. Joining him in his palatial compartment complete with sofas, dining table, flat-screen television and double bed were high-powered aides including Sir Tim Barrow, his National Security Adviser, and Gwyn Jenkins, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, the UK's second most senior military officer. With documents spread out on the table in front of them, and a secure line opened back to Whitehall, they discussed the success of the joint UK-US strikes against rebels targeting the Red Sea shipping lanes, before previewing his packed programme in the Ukrainian capital. Glen Owen speaks with Rishi Sunak in Ukraine about the latest announcement of military aid British-American forces launched more than 60 air and sea strikes on 16 Houthi military and logistical sites in Yemen on Thursday An Iranian protester is holding a torn British flag while standing under a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during an anti-U.S. and anti-British protest in front of the British embassy in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 12 Mr Sunak's visit highlighted why politicians under pressure at home often seek sanctuary abroad. At bombsites, at hospitals and, in particular, at the Ukrainian Parliament he was greeted as a national hero not a sensation he experiences too often in the UK while his obvious rapport with President Volodymyr Zelensky prompts inevitable questions about whether Sir Keir Starmer would look as much at home on the international stage. 'Don't let Sir Keir take us back to square one,' is a point he makes repeatedly to The Mail on Sunday, the only newspaper to accompany him on his journey. While America and the EU are hesitating about the extent of their commitment to Ukraine in the face of a renewed Russia push, Britain has been unwavering. The Prime Minister announced a further 2.5billion in military support for the country, prompting widespread warmth on the otherwise bitterly cold streets of Kyiv. Mr Sunak is clearly concerned but also energised by the global volatility which is forcing him to deal simultaneously with Ukraine, Yemen and the war in Gaza, as well as the threat from China and the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency. 'The fact that you are talking to me in Ukraine about what we have had to do in the Red Sea illustrates that the world we are living in is becoming more challenging,' he says, describing it as 'illustrative of the world we are living in' that 'these things have happened at the same time'. Yemen was hit by a number of coalition strikes following attacks on trade ships An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the US led coalition to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen An RAF Typhoon aircraft returns to base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, after striking targets in Yemen Houthi fighters brandish their weapons during a protest following US and British forces strikes, in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 12, 2024 As snow-covered birch forests flash past the window, he declares ominously: 'I think the world is probably the most unstable it has been in decades. It is also more complex. My job is to make sure the British people are safe. Can we afford to do these things? We can't afford not to.' Mr Sunak is also preparing for a Commons battle this week over his flagship Safety of Rwanda Bill, which is intended to prevent further legal challenges to his still-defunct policy of sending migrants to the African country. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman is among more than 50 Tory MPs who want to toughen the Bill with a series of amendments. Ms Braverman says the Bill 'doesn't work' and has urged the Prime Minister to 'start again' to resurrect the legislation. The Government which is also facing opposition from Left-wing Tories who think the Bill is actually too tough - will be defeated if 32 Tory MPs vote against it. But Mr Sunak hopes to win round the Right-wing rebels by promising the legislation will prevent the European Court of Human Rights blocking extradition flights, and insists that he shares the national 'frustration' about high levels of immigration. Sounding exasperated, he says: 'I'm fed up, the country is fed up and they are fed up with the legal merry-go-round we've been on that has kept challenging the will of Parliament'. As he fiddles with two Ukrainian bracelets one in the country's colours that he picked up in a Washington coffee shop run by two Ukrainian sisters, and another, more sinisterly, made of bullets and given to him by a commander during the 2022 defence of Kyiv Mr Sunak urges voters not to channel that frustration into a Labour vote. 'The only thing that Sir Keir Starmer has talked about is a cosy deal with the EU which would see us accept 100,000 more migrants. That's not what the British people want. That's not what I'm going to do, I'm going to make the situation better, I want to stop the boats.' He concludes: 'There is a clear choice now. The alternative to that is going back to square one with Starmer. He has been Leader of the Opposition for four years now and in that time he hasn't said what he would do differently. He just snipes from the sidelines'. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have adopted one of Ellen DeGeneres' ailing chickens which was being bullied. The former talk show host, whose sprawling $25 million Montecito compound is just a five minute drive from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's $14.5 million mansion took to Instagram on Saturday morning to update her 139 million followers on the progress of 'Sinkie', a rescue chicken. Animal lover DeGeneres, 65, has been sharing regular health updates with fans about Sinkie, who suffered a broken fibula bone in her leg shortly before Christmas. Ellen revealed she and wife Portia de Rossi called the rescue bird 'Sinkie' because she took up residence in an old stone sink in her back yard. The picture of Sinkie, which was posted on Ellen's Instagram, appeared to be taken outside the Sussex's large wooden coop Ellen revealed she and wife Portia de Rossi called the rescue bird 'Sinkie' because she took up residence in an old stone sink in her back yard During her infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan revealed 'I just love rescuing' as she gave Winfrey a tour of her coop which is named 'Archie's Chick Inn' Animal lover Ellen DeGeneres has been sharing regular health updates with fans about Sinkie, who suffered a broken fibula bone in her leg shortly before Christmas 'I know it's a stupid name. You can blame Steve Carell for that, he named her,' joked DeGeneres, referring to The Office star Carell who is also a close friend. But while Sinkie's leg successfully healed, the bird was being bullied by DeGeneres' other rescue chickens, hence her relocation. Writing under a picture of Sinkie enjoying meal of fresh lettuce, DeGeneres said: 'Sinkie's leg is fixed but our chickens were still picking on her so she had to be re-homed. 'Luckily our friends Harry and Meghan's coop had room for one more. Not sure yet what her royal title will be.' The picture appeared to be taken outside the Sussex's large wooden coop. Fans immediately offered suggestions for Sinkie's new regal name. 'HRH Sinkie' offered one while another suggested, 'Lady Sinkington would be such a cute royal title for Sinkie!' Another gushed: 'Sinkie is lucky. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will spoil her.' During her infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey - when she accused members of the Royal family of being racist for questioning what color Archie's skin might be - Meghan revealed 'I just love rescuing' as she gave Winfrey a tour of her coop which is named 'Archie's Chick Inn.' The hens were rescued from a Californian factory farm. Meghan told Oprah the coop was part of her plan to 'live authentically' and 'get back down to basics.' A wealthy California heiress once accused of killing the father of her estranged daughters is set to give them $10 million in a wrongful death lawsuit settlement. Tiffany Li, 38, a real estate developer whose family in China is worth upwards of $100 million, was acquitted in a blockbuster murder trial in 2019 over the death of her ex-boyfriend Keith Green, 27, three years prior. Known as the 'Hillsborough heiress' in the media after posting a staggering $35 million bail, Li was found not guilty of murder while also facing a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the couple's daughters. Filed for approval this week, the $10 million payments would settle that lawsuit, with both daughters, currently aged 9 and 11, set to divide the money equally when they turn 18. Tiffany Li was found not guilty of murdering her ex-boyfriend and father of her two daughters Keith Green (pictured together) in 2019 Her 2019 murder trial captured national headlines, as Li became known as the 'Hillsborough heiress' after posting a staggering $35 million bail Li captured national headlines when she stood trial for Green's murder five years ago, where she was controversially acquitted of killing and conspiring to kill Green over a bitter custody dispute. The heiress told investigators that she broke up with Green in October 2015 and quickly moved him out of her sprawling $7.5 million Hillsborough mansion. Within a month, she had moved on with Green's alleged marijuana dealer, Kaveh Bayat, and he was soon living in the mansion with Li and her kids. Bayat's relationship with Li was said to have caused a rift between the trio, with Bayat seen in one video shown to the court describing one of Li's children as 'my daughter.' In audio evidence obtained by ABC7, Li, Bayat, Green and his friend Jasmine were heard arguing over the episode, where Green was heard saying: 'I'm going to kill Kav because he wasn't listening.' By April 2016 the tensions had seemingly subsided, but Green found himself out of options and financially struggling following his split with Li. He told her on April 25 that he was moving to a rental property in Ohio owned by his grandmother, as he couldn't make ends meet while finishing culinary school. In a recording of his phone call to Li, Green said: 'I mean, it sucks, I don't want to leave the kids, but I just - I don't know what to do. I've been so stressed trying to figure this out. It's been really, really bad.' She offered to bring their daughters to Ohio during the holidays if he couldn't afford flights, but the hostile nature of their split was still evident. 'I'm saying to you, we both made mistakes and that you know, let's just move on. There's nothing I can say right now,' Li told him on the call. He responded: 'It's very easy for you to sit here and say whatever you want to say because your life has not changed at all. The only thing that's different is that you have a new man that you sleep next to at night. That's it.' 'I'm very happy, aren't you happy that I'm happy? I thought you care about me. You would think that I'm happy,' she replied, before Green abruptly ended the call. Three days later, Green was missing, sparking a three-week manhunt for the father-of-two while law enforcement questioned Li and Bayat. Li had kicked Green out of her sprawling $7.5 million Hillsborough, California mansion and moved his alleged marijuana dealer in within a month, leading to a rift that prosecutors had argued led to Green's death Li is seen in her booking picture from the San Mateo Count Sheriff's office following her arrest Kaveh Bayat, the alleged marijuana dealer of Green who moved into Li's mansion shortly after their split in October 2015, was cleared after a jury was deadlocked over his murder charges Green was said to be distraught at Li's decision to leave him for Bayat, and was heard in audio evidence saying: 'I'm going to kill Kav because he wasn't listening' She was heard in a voicemail while Green was still missing saying: 'I guess you're missing or something? Like I - can you give me a call back, like, you know, I don't know if it's... give me a call back when you hear this, 'kay? Bye.' When she was taken in for questioning by the police, Li claimed to investigators that Green demanded $20 million for each of his daughters when she broke up with him. 'He asked my mom, for each kid, and my mom said, 'you're ridiculous,'' she added to the officers. The allegation seemed to spark suspicions from the investigators, as they countered: 'Would you harm Keith? Would you have anybody else harm Keith?' She denied any involvement in his then-disappearance, telling officers she met Green at a pancake diner the night he went missing to discuss their daughters, and to gift him a car seat for when he saw them. Li claimed to last see Green in the parking lot, however the police seemed to stump her as they produced cell service data showing both of their phones travelling together, back to her Hillsborough mansion. 'Keith was in the car with you, Tiffany, because it's following your same time,' one of the investigators said, to which she maintained that Green was never in the car with her. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued in court that Li drove Green to the mansion before Bayat shot and killed him. However, a bombshell revelation from 2017, before her trial, saw the couple's trainer and occasional bodyguard Olivier Adella offer a different version of events. Olivier Adella, the couple's trainer and occasional bodyguard, admitted to disposing of Green's body and pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact Green lay by a highway for two weeks before his decomposed remains were discovered in 2016. Nobody has ever been convicted for his murder Adella told ABC7 that the couple arrived unexpectedly at his apartment on the night of the killing, with Green's body in the car. 'So, they pull up with the car, Kaveh was in the back seat, Tiffany was in the front seat and Keith Green was in the front seat,' he said. 'But Keith Green was dead.' He claimed he was forced by Bayat to dispose of the body as he flashed a black handgun at him, and he said of the moment: 'What's going through my mind, well, you're a Black man in America, my friend, you're screwed. 'You get rid of the body, you're screwed. You don't get rid of the body, you're screwed.' He said he rolled Green's body down a slope off Highway 101, and it took investigators nearly two weeks to find his decomposed remains. Investigators said Li's reaction to hearing of Green's death also raised eyebrows, as she simply replied 'okay' and 'are you sure it is him?' when confronted with the news. Her attorneys argued that her voice did in fact change in the moment, showing she was shocked to find out the father of her daughters had been killed. Ten days later, Li, Bayat and Adella were all charged with Green's murder. Li was acquitted, the jury was deadlocked over Bayat, but Adella pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact. There was outrage among the local community after nobody was convicted over Green's death, with San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe saying after the trial: 'As of today, there will be nobody held accountable for Keith Green's murder. The evidence ultimately was not enough.' Li is seen during her police interview, where she denied any involvement in Green's death At trial, Li's defense argued that Adella killed green in a foiled kidnapping plot. His attorneys maintain his version of events is unchanged, and he is currently free after serving time in prison. In 2018, two years after Green's death, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Li on behalf of her daughters and Green's mother, Colleen Cudd. She reportedly settled the lawsuit in 2022, and Cudd's attorney Duffy Magilligan told SFGate the settlement was filed for approval in San Mateo Superior Court this week. He added that the substantial sums will allow the girls to have financial independence from the Li family to live their lives individually. 'If they want answers about what kind of guy their dad was, this gives them the ability to reach out to Keiths mom and to reach out to his family and learn what a great father he was,' Magilligan said. 'Obviously theyd rather have their father that loved them but this is what we can do in the civil justice system, is give them financial independence.' Cudd added that the settlement will likely 'make sure that the girls had something for themselves when they turned 18 and that they weren't controlled by their mother.' Alongside the two $5 million payments she is set to make for her daughters, Li will also pay $50,000 to Green's estate and $100,000 to Cudd. New York City was hit by floods on Saturday morning, with boardwalks and highways left underwater and Hudson River Park along piers closed. The West Side Highway was flooded by high tide, and walking paths were submerged after New York Governor declared a state of emergency ahead of predicted snow and an upcoming Arctic blast. Waves can be seen lapping walkways and buildings along the Hudson and East rivers in Manhattan and Brooklyn in photos and videos shared by social media users. A coastal flood warning is in effect until 3 pm on Saturday afternoon, as the National Weather Service warns of up to two and a half feet of inundation above ground levels along shorelines and waterfront. Much of the country is set to experience record-breaking cold as the major winter storm Gerry moves from Canada over the Northern and Central Plains, bringing up to three feet of snow to parts of Michigan and New York. New York City was hit by floods on Saturday morning, with boardwalks and highways left underwater and Hudson River Park along piers closed The West Side Highway was flooded by high tide, and walking paths were submerged after New York Governor declared a state of emergency ahead of predicted snow and an upcoming Arctic blast Waves can be seen lapping walkways and buildings along the Hudson and East rivers in Manhattan and Brooklyn in photos and videos shared by social media users In a video shared by photographer Max Guliani, numerous walkways on Manhattan's west side were flooded in the background of skyscraper. A person living in New York wrote in comments: 'Dude it's crazy our dock was level with the pier today. In my 12 years at the park I've never seen that.' Many other users expressed shock at the scene, saying that they had canceled their plans to run near the Hudson River. Water forcefully crashed against roads and buildings in Lower Manhattan, as shared by social media user Catherine Hughes. Ferries from the Battery Park to the Statue of Liberty have also been delayed due to the high tides in New York Harbor. At least three parts of Hudson Tiver Park were closed on Saturday morning as the walking path between pier 51 at 12th street to pier 40 at Houston St was flooded, as reported by the Gothamist. 'The tide is high so we've been closing for people's safety,' Miguel Quintero, a temporary worker for the park told the outlet. He closed off sections of the boardwalk, saying: 'It gets real slippery, so we're just closing it for the public safety.' 'The waves are super choppy. People are still running through it though. The water is coming up right over the walkway it's flooding the entire walkway,' resident Alyssa Perrugini who jogs the Hudson River path every weekend said. Water forcefully crashed against roads and buildings in Lower Manhattan, as shared by social media user Catherine Hughes At least three parts of Hudson Tiver Park were closed on Saturday morning as the walking path between pier 51 at 12th street to pier 40 at Houston St was flooded In a video shared by photographer Max Guliani , numerous walkways on Manhattan's west side were flooded in the background of skyscraper Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday afternoon, saying the upcoming storm is 'life-threatening'. 'I'm declaring a State of Emergency in Western New York in anticipation of a life-threatening snowstorm this weekend. We are prepared to assist those impacted,' she wrote. Since then, parts of Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, Long Island and New Jersey have been affected. The governor wrote in another post on Saturday: 'Travel will be extremely dangerous in Western New York tonight. A full travel ban starts at 9pm in Erie County.' 'Even if snow is not falling, stay home & dont try to drive. Snow can pick up in an instant & create whiteout conditions. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy warned on Friday: 'The Passaic River is already well above flood level. He wrote: 'With heavy rain headed our way, it will rise another 1-2 feet by Sunday afternoon even more than the flooding experienced last month in Passaic County.' As noted by the NWS, New Yorkers are advised to 'not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.' Travel will be extremely dangerous in Western New York tonight. A full travel ban starts at 9pm in Erie County. Even if snow is not falling, stay home & dont try to drive. Snow can pick up in an instant & create whiteout conditions. Get essentials now before snow starts. Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 13, 2024 Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday afternoon, saying the upcoming storm is 'life-threatening' New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy warned on Friday: 'The Passaic River is already well above flood level Besides the Big Apple, many parts of the continental U.S. are set to face blizzard weather in the upcoming week, with snow and bone-chilling temperatures forecasted. Heavy rain is expected to sweep across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, accompanied freezing temperatures reaching as far south as the Texas and Florida panhandles. The Weather Channel forecasted temperatures in the 20s along the northern Gulf Coast, from East Texas to Florida's Panhandle. The NWS also warned of ''numerous sub-zero low temperature records that could fall today and tomorrow' as the arctic air move in Saturday. 'Unfortunately, hazardous cold weather looks to stick around going into next week, with dangerously low temperatures and wind chills persisting through at least midweek,' authorities said. Snow and wind gusts of up to 40mph will bring blizzard conditions to the Corn Belt and Great Lake over the weekend, disrupting the final stages of campaigning for Monday's GOP caucuses in Iowa. With the record-breaking temperature covering most of the state, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump all shuffled their schedules ahead of Mondays presidential vote. The new storm, combined with one earlier in the week, created flooding worries in Maine and New Hampshire, too. Police have arrested a suspect, after a car drove through crowds of pro-Palestine protesters in Edinburgh. Police responded to reports of a crash involving a vehicle and pedestrians at Mount Place in the Scottish city at 2:30pm today. It is understood a black Seat allegedly attempted to drive through the crowds, leaving a number of people with minor injuries. Officers intervened to remove a 70-year-old woman from the vehicle. One activist at the event to call for a ceasefire in Gaza said: 'As speakers were addressing the protest, a driver tried to drive their way through the crowd. 'Police tried to forcibly clear away protesters in order to facilitate the driver to get through. People resisted and they eventually had to intervene and take the driver out of the car.' The black Seat allegedly attempted to drive through the crowds at a pro-Palestine march today A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 2.30pm on Saturday, 13 January, 2024, we were made aware of a road crash involving a car and a small number of pedestrians in Mount Place Edinburgh. 'Officers received reports of minor injuries from pedestrians, but no medical attention was required. 'A 70-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a driving offence. 'A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.' It comes as multiple protests are planned across the country today in favour of a permanent ceasefire during the Israel-Hamas war. Events are taking place in several city centre locations including in Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Dundee. At least 23,469 Palestinians have been killed and 59,604 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. In the meantime, Gaza remains under intense attack from Israel as it attempts to dismantle the Hamas terror. Aid supplies have dwindled and road closures have been enforced, according to the United Nations humanitarian aid office. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 2.30pm on Saturday, 13 January, 2024, we were made aware of a road crash involving a car and a small number of pedestrians in Mount Place Edinburgh. 'Officers received reports of minor injuries from pedestrians, but no medical attention was required. 'A 70-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a driving offence. 'A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.' An XL Bully owner has appeared on social media wearing a muzzle in solidarity with his dog, in the latest of similar protests by owners demanding the Government overturns its recently-introduced ban on the breed, as Northern Ireland considers following suit. From January 31, it will be illegal in England and Wales to own XL Bully-type dogs without an exemption after a slew of fatal attacks across the UK. But many have criticised the Government for introducing the new law, which they disagree with and say has slapped dog owners with large bills and 'very little time' to implement the necessary changes. Earlier this week, Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf made a humiliating U-turn on XL bully dogs, promising to replicate measures introduced by the UK Government south of the Border, having initially resisted the move. Northern Ireland is now also contemplating introducing the ban. An XL Bully owner has appeared on social media wearing a muzzle in solidarity with his dog, in the latest of similar protests by owners demanding the Government overturns its ban The images appeared on a Facebook support group for XL Bully owners, Save our Bully's UK The post, which has attracted nearly 100 likes, follows a slew of similar protests since the ban in England and Wales was introduced on December 31 Now XL Bully owners are openly coming out in protest and have posted videos or images of themselves wearing muzzles as they take their dogs out. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: She's no Pitbull! The XL Bully rapper who refuses to muzzle her 40kg dog in public would rather go to PRISON than give up hound Advertisement Posting on a Facebook support forum for owners, Save our Bully's UK, user Kayleigh Heath uploaded a picture and wrote: 'They sit for us WE stand for them, finally cracked the muzzle. Daddy wears one, kuba wears one, no dramas at all.' The post, which has attracted nearly 100 likes, follows a slew of similar protests since the ban in England and Wales was introduced on December 31. Dog owner Mandy Hughes - whose TikTok videos protesting new laws banning XL Bullies have gone viral - refuses to muzzle her six-year-old bulldog Elsa and has vowed to go to prison rather than apply for an exemption for her. Footage of the 57-year-old singing lyrics on the platform, which include, 'Don't you put no muzzle on me, stop putting the blame on me' have racked up half-a-million views. Ms Hughes, from Allithwaite in Cumbria, rapped in a remixed version of Jack Harlow's Lovin on Me. Earlier this month, XL Bully owners in Manchester held a protest against the imminent ban on the breed that they say has turned their lives 'upside down'. Owners of the crossbreed pups the rehoming and breeding of which has now been outlawed rallied in the city centre, 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. Elsewhere, Eamonn Mcgeady, 51, staged a one-man protest against new XL Bully laws by wearing a muzzle and guzzling a pint through a straw at his local pub. He and his six-month-old dog Lexi wore matching protective guards on their visit to the Straw Hat, in Ellesport, Cheshire, earlier this month. More than 600,000 people have also signed a UK Parliament petition calling for the ban on the breed linked to up to 14 deaths since 2021 to be overturned. The government announced in September it would ban XL Bully dogs, with Defra listing a set of physical characteristics used to define the type of dog. It describes the type as large and powerfully built, with a muscular body and blocky head, meaning similar dogs - such as American Bulldogs - could meet the criteria. From January 31, it will be an offence to own an XL Bully unless it is registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs and is compliant with the requirements. From January 31, it will be an offence to own an XL Bully unless it is registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs and is compliant with the requirements Dogs without exemptions could be seized and potentially euthanised by the authorities. Under the changes, dogs that are more than one year old after this date must be neutered by June 30 while younger dogs must receive the same treatment by December 31. The clampdown followed a wave of fatal attacks linked to XL Bully-type animals, including Ian Price who was killed in Stonnall, Staffordshire, in September, and Ian Langley, who died in Sunderland in October. Transport for London staff are being forced to work in 'cockroach infested buses' and use 'faulty equipment', a whistleblower has claimed. A bus driver who claimed to work for Arriva - a TfL bus operator - shared images with The Telegraph, showing insects allegedly found on one of their vehicles. Other footage from another bus also reportedly run by Arriva appeared to have an indicator stalk that had snapped. The driver also claimed that they were the fourth person that day to drive that particular bus and said that Arriva had told staff to continue using the faulty equipment. Another photograph showed a cockroach allegedly roaming around a driver's compartment on a GoAhead bus, another TfL operator. Former bus driver Kevin Mustafa, who campaigns for other workers, told the outlet that buses are not being cleaned properly. He added that 'at least once a week' he hears a report of 'a bus that's infested with cockroaches and bugs'. A driver shared a photograph with the Telegraph allegedly showing the insect found on a bus Another image seen by the Telegraph showed a cockroach allegedly roaming around a GoAhead bus in the driver's compartment (stock image) Neil Garratt AM, leader of City Hall Conservatives, also told the outlet: 'I have raised bus safety problems with TfL and the Mayor many times, from cab temperatures and rosters to unsafe practice and speeding.' He said that they 'hide behind the bus companies', adding that Sadiq Khan needed to 'get a grip.' Tom Cunnington, TfL's Head of Buses Business Development, said: 'Bus drivers play an essential role in keeping the capital moving and their welfare is a top priority for us. 'We committed to working together with operators to improve conditions and while we are unaware of these allegations, we would encourage any driver with concerns about welfare or safety to contact their union, or contact us directly, if they believe their concerns are not being listened to.' This comes as officials launched an investigation after one of Sadiq Khan's electric buses exploded during rush hour on Thursday. A huge blast ripped off the back of an Optare Metrodecker 1050 bus travelling from Mitcham to Raynes Park in South West London at 7.20am. It came nearly two years after all Metrodeckers were temporarily taken out of service for safety checks in May 2022 when two were involved in a fire at Potters Bar bus garage in Hertfordshire - before being returned to service days later. Amy Foster, who works opposite the bus stop for data consultancy firm Rockborne, told MailOnline: 'The response was very fast by the emergency services. The fire crew started to tackle the blaze at the back of the bus where the fire was burning very aggressively - it blew out the back of the bus at the bottom and top. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Revealed: Two electric buses caught fire in garage blaze two years before recent double decker blast Advertisement 'It took a long time for them to get it under control with flames flying out the back of the bus that often had a blue hue to them. The smoke was really thick and blew down the high street. 'The fire crews put out the flames but continued to soak the battery at the back of the bus for another hour or so due to it overheating and regularly were using a heat gun to check its temperature. Very glad no one was hurt.' More than 80 Metrodecker buses operate on eight London routes around the capital the others being the numbers 23, 28, 134, 295, 317, 626 and N28. Now, the City Hall Conservatives have called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to withdraw all the buses until the cause of the Wimbledon blaze is known. But Transport for London (TfL), which has about 1,000 electric buses across its network, said it will not withdraw any Metrodeckers and has insisted they are safe. A TfL spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'London's bus network remains safe to use and other buses in the fleet remain in service. TfL and bus operators will not hesitate to take action if required to ensure the network remains safe.' While firefighters continue to investigate the cause, fire expert Neil Pederson said it was most likely due to an electrical fault and not linked to lithium batteries. Go-Ahead and Arriva London Bus have been contacted by MailOnline for comment. By Victor Ing, Special to The Post It was an extremely busy year in the Federal Court when it came to immigration lawsuits. Under Canadian immigration law, the Federal Court has the final jurisdiction to review and overturn immigration decisions upon judicial review. In 2023, the Court saw a 20% uptick in new judicial review applications being filed, which begs the question: What happened? In this blog, I will briefly review the judicial review process and discuss the reasons for this incredible and unsustainable growth in litigation. An application to the Federal Court for judicial review is the last option available to challenge an immigration decision, whether it is a decision to refuse a visa or to deport a person already in Canada. As the name suggests, a judicial review is a request to a Judge of the Federal Court to review an immigration decision and decide whether it was reasonable and made in accordance with the law and the principles of fairness. Accordingly, the Federal Court has always played an integral role in holding immigration decision-makers accountable, and their judgments have often shaped the way IRCC makes new policies. In 2023 there were over 16,000 new judicial review applications filed in the Federal Court. On average, thats over 45 applications being filed every single day of the year, including weekends and holidays. By comparison, in 2022 there were over 13,000 applications filed. The Federal Court has become bloated with new lawsuits and it is seriously affecting how quickly cases are adjudicated at the Court. Why is this happening? There are at least three major contributors to the staggering growth in litigation: 1. Record levels of both temporary and permanent immigration We are continuing to see record levels of immigration in Canada. In 2022, Canada welcomed a record 437,539 new immigrants, which even exceeded their own lofty targets. We expect to welcome 500,000 new immigrants per year by 2025 and thats not even counting the hundreds of thousands of new students and workers that are approved for visas or permit extensions each year. With an increased number of applications come an increased number of refusals, which further clogs Canadas court system with new judicial reviews to hear. 2. Inadequate reasons by decision-makers To compound the problem, visa officers are notorious for refusing cases without adequately explaining their decision in the refusal letter. One of the unfortunate results of this practice is that many refused visa applicants will challenge a decision in Federal Court just to find out why their application was refused. This occurs because, as part of the judicial review process, the Federal Court will contact the immigration office responsible for the decision and compel them to produce the full set of reasons for the decision to the Court and to the judicial review applicant. While there are other methods to obtain the full set of reasons, those methods are slow and there are set time limits to file an application for judicial review that applicants do not want to risk missing. 3. Sloppy administrative errors I can share my own experiences that last year was a real anomaly in my practice as an immigration lawyer. I have been working on judicial review applications for 13 years and last year stood out to me because, for the first time, I often found myself going to court to fight over minor administrative errors that never used to take place with any kind of regularity. Here are just a few examples of cases I litigated in 2023: In multiple cases we argued on behalf of our clients whose applications were refused because IRCC officers incorrectly concluded that the clients did not respond to document or information requests. These cases involved miscommunications where, for unknown reasons, IRCC officers did not get the documents or information that the client sent or, in some cases, the extension of time requests they made to produce the requested documents or information later. In 2023 we represented several clients who were found inadmissible to Canada and were refused their applications for permits; however, the decisions were incorrect, or at least premature, because the clients were either not inadmissible at all or were still waiting for a hearing to decide their admissibility in Canada. We also argued several cases where immigration officers failed to follow the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenships own public policy guidelines to grant visas based upon special program initiatives such as the Hong Kong special measures to issue work permits to new graduates and their spouses. With the massive uptick in new immigration applications each year, and the equally large undertaking happening at IRCC to digitize the visa application process, which includes their controversial use of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to assist with decision-making, it was probably predictable that we would see a large increase in litigation in the Federal Court. However, what is happening now is simply not sustainable. According to a March 2023 CBC report, over 70 percent of the Federal Courts resources are already spent hearing immigration lawsuits, and we hope that IRCC will try to address some of these issues in this new year to help clear the logjam of cases at the Federal Court. Until that time, immigration clients will continue to fight at the Federal Court for their right to receive fair and reasonable decisions, and immigration applicants should be aware of this important tool in the immigration lawyers toolbox to help them when they need to turn to the Federal Court as the option of last resort. Victor Ing is a lawyer of Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre. He provides a full range of immigration services. For more information go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email victor@sasanding.com. British volunteers have said they want to show Ukrainian civilians that 'they're not alone' as they prepare to send four more ambulances of aid. Medical Life Lines Ukraine has sent a total of 48 ambulances filled with aid, 21 generators and one all-terrain crane to the war torn country since the beginning of the invasion. Now the group, who have already raised hundreds of thousands of pounds and procured medical equipment and supplies from pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies and hospitals across the UK, plans to drive four more ambulances to Ukraine in late January. The leader of the organisation Daniel Whitehead, 51, said: 'Because it's so cold, we're going to be taking out a lot of cold weather gear, and clothes, thick coats, boots, we're even going to be taking duvets and so on. '(We want to show) Ukrainians that they're not alone and that we care about them and we're thinking about them.' Medical Life Lines Ukraine has sent a total of 48 ambulances filled with aid, 21 generators and one all-terrain crane to the war torn country since the beginning of the invasion Now the group plans to drive four more ambulances to Ukraine in late January More than 40 volunteer drivers have taken on the task of driving across to Ukraine to deliver the ambulances and aid, which are distributed across the country. The most recent convoy set out in November with five ambulances sent to Avdiivka, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Zaporizhzhia. The group also prides itself on handing out smaller items like chocolate and sweets to children to 'provide a little ray of sunshine in the depths of winter'. Mr Whitehead, who is also an assistant general counsel and director at Citibank, continued: 'In the past we've taken everything from pots and pans to children's toys, cuddly toys, nappies, sanitary ware. 'We take a lot of medical equipment, so we have taken PPE, for example, but we're also taking things like tubes that are disposable, for example, in the context of anaesthesia. 'We take a lot of crutches. They don't have enough crutches and crutches are often just used once and disposed of in the NHS, and we need to get our hands on as many of those as we can and transport them out.' The group has received 'endless gratitude' for the help it provides to Ukrainians, Mr Whitehead said. They have already raised hundreds of thousands of pounds and procured medical equipment and supplies from pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies and hospitals across the UK Pictured: Medical Life Lines Ukraine ambulances which will transport the aid to the war torn country 'It's very, very touching. In fact, it brings tears to your eyes when you meet people,' he said. 'There's a possibility for small groups like ours, to have a direct impact and actually save lives, which is an incredibly powerful thing to be able to do.' The group started their work in the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion. 'A lady who lives locally to me, Aliya Aralbayeva, decided that she was going to fundraise, buy an ambulance, fill it with aid, and get it to Ukraine,' Mr Whitehead said. 'She reached out to her local WhatsApp groups and all the rest of it and very quickly raised a large amount of money and a lot of aid and was able to get first ambulance out to Ukraine.' Since then, the group has continued to grow and receive 'in some cases, quite staggeringly large donations'. Rishi Sunak announced a 2.5 billion military aid package for the coming year on Friday - an increase of 200 million on the last two years - which includes 18 million for humanitarian aid. Mr Whitehead, based in London, said: 'I'm very pleased that the UK government continues to support Ukraine as so many people in the UK wish to do. 'It's important that as a society, we acknowledge not just that Ukraine has very significant, pressing and urgent military needs, but also huge humanitarian aid needs.' The Kentucky mom who lost all her limbs to sepsis after routine kidney stone surgery has shared her story and how she is ready to return home. Cindy Mullins, 41, awoke from sedation just before Christmas to find doctors had amputated all four limbs in a desperate bid to save her life after a kidney stone infection led to blood poisoning. The mom of two young boys from Ferguson had been moved to the Cardinal Hill rehabilitation hospital in Lexington. Through physical therapy, she can now sit up, lift her arms to scratch her nose, drive with her head, booty scoot all over the place and scroll through her messages. In an interview with Good Morning America, Mullins talked about what she would do when she returned home and explained what had gone wrong with her stone removal. Cindy Mullins, 41, awoke from sedation just before Christmas to find doctors had amputated all four limbs in a desperate bid to save her life after a kidney stone infection led to blood poisoning Cindy Mullins, 41, beginning her latest round of rehabilitation after losing her limbs to sepsis Through physical therapy, she can now sit up, lift her arms to scratch her nose, drive with her head, booty scoot all over the place and scroll through her messages 'The hardest part about this is I miss my children, of course. Without my faith, I don't think I could be where I'm at today. The plan is on Sunday morning, I'm going to church, and I cannot wait for that,' she said. She explained that she had opted for an elective kidney stone and the doctor had left a temporary stent in her body following the surgery to prevent blockage. Following doctor's orders, she removed the stent at home, began to feel sick and was found on the floor by her husband, DJ. Mullins was immediately rushed to a hospital and doctors began performing tests on her. The former nurse said: 'They checked my blood pressure and it was 50 over 31, and in my mind, I knew that was not good. They started IVs on both arms, and I don't remember anything after that.' To stabilize her condition, she was placed on a ventilator before she was able to be transferred to a larger hospital in Lexington. Her family was then notified that she was in a dire situation. Mullins was then put on dialysis to help her kidneys and an ECMO machine to give her heart and lungs time to rest and heal. 'My husband and sister were there and they told them that I was on the edge of a cliff and it was about to get worse before it got better. After the surgery, I was put on ECMO and dialysis, and was still on the ventilator,' Mullins recalled. She explained that she had opted for an elective kidney stone and the doctor had left a temporary stent in her body following the surgery to prevent blockage Following doctor's orders, she removed the stent at home, began to feel sick and was found on the floor by her husband, DJ. Mullins was immediately rushed to a hospital and doctors began performing tests on her Mullins shared a moving photo of her youngest son helping feed her The determination is clear as Cindy learns to scroll a cellphone with her elbow While her organs were receiving the support they needed, her legs and arms began to develop blisters. By the time she was removed from the ventilator, her legs and arms had severely deteriorated and had to be amputated. 'When they told me that was going to happen, that I was going to lose my hands and my feet, I wasn't angry. I had a peace about me. I just felt God's presence saying, "It's going to be OK. You're alive. This is what has happened," and I wasn't upset about it. 'Doctors tell me they can't put a percentage on how close I was to actually dying, and then me doing as well as I am after being on ventilator, ECMO and dialysis... for me to be doing that well, as fast I did, is yet another miracle 'It was just one of those things where they explain all the bad things that can happen when you have surgery, and I was that rare case was really healthy,' Mullins said. 'The doctor I used to work with, he kind of was like, 'This is what they had to do to save your life. This is what's happened'. 'I just said these are the cards I've been dealt and this is the hand I'm going to play. 'I'm just so happy to be alive. I get to see my kids. I get to see my family. I get to have my time with my husband. Those are minor things at this point,' she said. Cindy, her husband DJ, and their two young sons before the sepsis that nearly killed her By the time she was removed from the ventilator, her legs and arms had severely deteriorated and had to be amputated The 41-year-old nurse is pictured being kissed on the cheek by her sister and friend Friends and family have posted regular progress updates on their appeal page and praised Cindy's spirit as she tackles her grueling rehabilitation. 'Cindy had another great day of therapy, she also had a wonderful visitor that brought her some delicious sweets,' friend Heather Beshears wrote. 'Let's pray that every day gets a little bit better.' Cindy said she had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support whch has included more than 40 hospital visitors at the same time. 'The calls and the texts, the prayers and the things people have sent. The little words of encouragement,' she added. 'I just can't fathom that people are doing things like that for me.' Once she returns home, Mullins will rely on a power wheelchair to move around independently and will be fitted for prosthetics so she can ultimately walk. Her GoFundMe has raised $256,909 out of its $300,000 goal. Standardized tests, which have been on the wane as a factor in elite college admissions since the Covid lockdowns, may be the best indicator of which students will thrive, a new study has found. A liberal focus on admissions diversity at top colleges has led to the critique of standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), for lending an advantage to more socioeconomically advanced applicants over the disadvantaged. However, a move away from such tests may have actually harmed disadvantaged students, according to new research by the group Opportunity Insights. The study, which covered the Ivy Plus colleges (the eight in the Ivy League, along with Duke, MIT, Stanford and the University of Chicago), found that standardized test scores were the best indicator of how well a student would do at college. On the other hand, the study found that high school grades showed little correlation. Standardized tests may be the best indicator of which students will thrive at college, a new study has found 'Test scores have vastly more predictive power than is commonly understood in the popular debate,' John Friedman, an economics professor at Brown and one of the authors of the Ivy Plus admissions study, told the New York Times. 'Standardized test scores are a much better predictor of academic success than high school grades,' Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, agreed. Opportunity Insights' study found that standardized tests was also a good predictor of success beyond college including whether students did well enough to earn admission to a top graduate school or be hired by a desirable company. Their data shows that within every racial group, students with higher scores do better in college. The same is true for both poor and rich students. Bruce Sacerdote, one of the scholars who worked on the research, told the Times he hoped this would alleviate some people's concern's that SAT scores are merely a proxy for income or race. 'When you don't have test scores, the students who suffer most are those with high grades at relatively unknown high schools, the kind that rarely send kids to the Ivy League,' David Deming, a Harvard economist who also worked on the research, said. Adding: 'The SAT is their lifeline.' 'It's not politically correct,' Charles Deacon, the admissions dean at Georgetown University, which does require test scores, said. Stuart Schmill, the dean of admissions at MIT, (pictured) said the reintroduction of standardized tests led to the university taking the most diverse intake of students last year Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, (pictured) supports the use of standardized tests in college admissions MIT has been so convinced by the growing body of evidence that they have reinstated their standardized tests requirements as part of the college's admission process. MIT suspended its test requirement for two years during the pandemic. However, after looking at 15 years of data, officials found that students who had been accepted despite lower test scores were more likely to struggle or drop out. They also found that the scores were useful in identifying underprivileged applicants that would succeed at MIT. Stuart Schmill, the dean of admissions at MIT, told the Times that 'just getting straight As is not enough information for us to know whether the students are going to succeed or not.' 'Once we brought the test requirement back, we admitted the most diverse class that we ever had in our history,' Schmill explained. Indeed in the college's current first-year class, 15 percent of students are black, 16 percent are Hispanic, 38 percent are white, and 40 percent are Asian American. About 20 percent receive Pell Grants, the federal program for lower-income students. The majority of Americans also support the use of standardized test scores being used as one part of college admissions, alongside other factors. A large majority of people, across racial groups agreed that they should be considered in admissions decisions, a survey by the Pew Research Center found. Theresa May's government forced through a CBE for disgraced former Post Office boss Paula Vennells despite serious concerns at the time that the Horizon IT system was defective and a group action being brought by more than 500 sub-postmasters against their employer for wrongful prosecution. However, such concerns were either 'brushed aside' or were given reassurance by civil servants backing Vennells for the honour. One senior civil servant at the time said there was a view that Vennells had 'inherited' the Horizon problem and was 'clearing up rather than being the cause', reports The Times. Vennells was recommended for a CBE, which ranks below a knighthood or damehood, by a sub-committee chaired by Sir Ian Cheshire, now chairman of Channel 4. According to sources, she was nominated by May's government prior to the sub-committee's recommendation and her name was discussed by the main honours committee in 2018, chaired by Sir Jonathan Stephens, the then civil servant responsible for Northern Ireland. Theresa May 's government forced through a CBE for disgraced former Post Office boss Paula Vennells despite serious concerns at the time that the Horizon IT system was defective One senior civil servant at the time said concerns were brushed aside and there was a view that Vennells had 'inherited' the Horizon problem and was 'clearing up rather than being the cause' Around the time of Vennells being named a CBE in 2019, a group of 555 sub-postmasters led by the Justice for Subpostmaster Alliance, won a High Court ruling, with Mr Justice Fraser condemning the Horizon system as defective. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Post Office may have profited by a further 250million from ALL postmasters paying out of their own pockets due to missed Horizon IT bugs, say experts and postmaster chief - as calls are made to reveal the full extent of the scandal Computing expert Dr Harjinder Singh Lallie told MailOnline that it is 'likely that the issue [with Horizon] was widespread' as 'if the software is faulty it will be all the time' Advertisement The ruling was upheld on appeal in 2021 and resulted in the overturning of convictions for 39 subpostmasters. The Post Office also subsequently settled the group claim for 57.75million, which after legal fees worked out as 12m shared among the group. All in all, more than 700 Post Office branch managers were wrongly convicted of fraud after Horizon, a faulty Fujitsu accounting software, made it look like money was missing from their shops. But so far just 93 have been able to clear their names in the courts, leaving hundreds unable to claim compensation. Having been named in the 2019 new year honours list, Vennells announced a month later that she was stepping down as chief executive of the Post Office. Earlier this month, Vennells came under immense pressure to hand back her CBE amid the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters. The pressure 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. Earlier this week, the shamed ex-Post Office chief confirmed she would hand back her CBE. A spokeswoman for May said: 'The honours system is an independent process which awards honours to more than 2,000 people each year. 'Recipients are announced biannually and each recommendation is considered by one of ten honours committees with the final list being agreed by the Main Honours Committee. 'As prime minister, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, always respected the independence of this system but thinks it is right that Paula Vennells has handed back her CBE.' Announcing her intention to hand back her honour, Vennells said on Tuesday: 'I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect. Having been named in the 2019 new year honours list, Vennells announced a month later that she was stepping down as chief executive of the Post Office '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. 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 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 CBE, the PM's official spokesman said: '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.' 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 On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed a new law to quash the convictions of around 700 Post Office scandal victims will be introduced within weeks. The premier said the government is determined to 'right the wrongs' as he made the dramatic announcement at the first PMQs of the year. Mr Sunak said the primary legislation will ensure that people are 'swiftly exonerated and compensated'. Victims who sign simple declarations of innocence will be entitled to money, potentially 600,000 each, by the end of the year. Criminal gangs across the UK have been targeting pubs and supermarkets to steal cooking oil as prices soar in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prices have doubled since the war broke out in February 2022, with Russia and Ukraine the biggest producers of sunflower oil. A gangland source told The Mirror vegetable oil was 'fast becoming liquid gold' as a result, linked to a string of thefts across the country over the last two years. Police have now been forced to issue warnings nationwide amid concerns gangs were stealing oils to turn into lucrative biofuels. Last year, two men were charged with the theft of used cooking oil from five pubs in the space of one day in October 2022, caught posing as agents collecting waste oil. Also in October 2022, a gang who had travelled over 100 miles to try to steal barrels of cooking oil were stopped by brave supermarket staff who trapped them on site. They later pleaded guilty to theft and were fined for the attempt - but police insiders warn cooking oil thefts are costing businesses millions. Former Met detective Peter Bleksley told The Mirror: 'I estimate tens of millions of pounds worth has been taken [in total]. This will have a massive impact on trade.' Sunflower oil has soared in value over the last few years, attracting opportunistic crooks Nikolay Yordanov, left , was one of a gang of three that tried to steal barrels of cooking oil from a Norwich Morrisons. Ian Georgiev, 43, and his accomplices were stopped by staff in 2022 In December last year, police in north Wales became the latest to issue a warning to business following reports of cooking oil thefts in Gwynedd and Anglesey. 'Due to the energy crisis, fuels and oils are being targeted. Cooking oil (and waste cooking oil) are stolen as they can be sold on to make biodiesel,' a statement read. READ MORE: Bulgarian trio travelled more than 100 miles to steal barrels of cooking oil from a Morrisons - as police warn criminal gangs are exploiting black market in heating and cooking oil fuelled by steep price rises Advertisement 'Offenders often travel in transit style vans, where they can store large drums in the rear of the vehicle. 'Therefore, we are advising businesses to keep used oil safety locked up in a storage area until your known collector can collect.' Police called on business owners to check oil levels frequently, install lockable fencing and CCTV, and to remain vigilant amid the surge in reports. The National Business Crime Centre also released a similar guidance document attributing the rising price of the oil to the relative hike in reported thefts. 'It is believed that cooking oil theft costs the Treasury, on average, 25mn a year in lost duty and this is only set to increase,' it warned. The NBCC also attributed the rise to growing interest in clean fuel alternatives. 'During this modern age and at a time where we're all looking to reduce our carbon footprints, biodiesel and other types of biofuel are sought after and are being used far more frequently than they were a decade ago.' Last April, Ellsemere Port police warned as much as 'one-fifth of the used cooking oil made in the UK is stolen' to be converted into unregulated biodiesel and sold on the black market. Mark Harris, head chef and co-director of The Pheasant at Neeton, told the Shropshire Star and Express last April 60 litres of waste oil had been stolen from its premises in a daring break-in. 'I've been a chef for 26 years but this is a very recent thing. Oil prices went crazy probably nine months or so ago and it seemed to start then,' he said at the time. File photo of various oils in a store. Prices of cooking oils have been affected by the war in Ukraine and the pandemic Global vegetable oil and cereal prices soared from April 2020, at the start of the pandemic, and continued to reach new heights with the Russian invasion in early 2022. Since then, they have come down - but remain significantly above their pre-pandemic levels. Germanys Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) said restrained demand was partly responsible for the prices coming down. Joe Biden's climate envoy John Kerry will leave the White House this winter to help the president's re-election campaign. The 80-year-old former Secretary of State told his staff he is stepping down on Saturday after speaking with Biden earlier this week, a spokesman told Reuters. The veteran Democrat will join the president on the campaign trail after spending three years telling world powers, including China, they need to cut emissions. Kerry, who lost the 2004 general election to George W. Bush, has worked as Biden's top diplomat on climate change since 2021. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry will leave the administration later this winter and plans to help President Joe Biden's election campaign, Kerry's office said on Saturday He has been around the world pushing Biden's ambitious green agenda and push to reduce greenhouse gases by 50 percent by 2030. Despite his decision to resign, he is still expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which begins next week. At the U.N. Climate Change Conference last month, he carved out a deal for nations around the world to phase out fossil fuels. In July, he went to Beijing and got the Chinese government to agree to restart climate talks. The U.S. and China are the world's two biggest polluters, and Xi Jinping has insisted that countries should 'not be swayed by others' and should determine climate policies themselves. Axios first reported on Saturday that Kerry, a former Massachusetts Senator, will leave the administration in the coming months. Special envoys now have to be confirmed by the Senate because of a provision in the 2022 defense policy. A replacement has not yet been named, but the nominee could face a tough confirmation process and interrogation by Republicans. Kerry was also instrumental in helping to broker the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The deal aimed to keep temperatures from climbing no more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The 80-year-old former Secretary of State told his staff he is stepping down on Saturday after speaking with Biden earlier this week. A disabled man lost his life when a palm tree fell on him during a walk with his caregiver from the notorious center where a nurse raped and impregnated a patient without the staff knowing a few years ago. Ryne Zehner, 29, was killed when a palm tree struck on him at Highline Park in Phoenix, Arizona, when wind gusts in the area reached up to 45mph on Thursday. The victim's family confirmed that he was residing at Hacienda Healthcare, a facility previously known for a disturbing incident where a male nurse raped and impregnated a woman in a vegetative state a few years ago. When emergency crews rushed to the scene on Thursday, cutting the tree to free Zehner, he had already died. His caregiver was not hurt. Ryne Zehner, 29, lost his life when a palm tree fell on him during a walk with his caregiver from the notorious center where a nurse raped and impregnated a patient without the staff knowing a few years ago He was killed when a palm tree struck on him at Highline Park in Phoenix, Arizona, when wind gusts in the area reached up to 45mph on Thursday The victim had been a patient at Hacienda Healthcare in Phoenix for 26 years. Her medical conditions stem from a brain disorder that caused motor and cognitive impairments and vision loss Bill Coates, a witness who frequents the park, expressed condolence in an interview with local station AZ Family, saying, 'It's sad that that's somebody that we see here every day.' Coates mentioned his recent article for a local newspaper was about interactions with people in the park. The healthcare center said Zehner's death was the result of an 'incomprehensible accident' in a statement issued afterward. 'This incomprehensible accident has all of us at Hacienda grieving at such a tragic loss. Ryne was a unique individual and someone we loved very much. Our hearts go out to Rynes family and everyone who loved him,' they wrote. Hacienda Healthcare was put under fire in 2019 after a harrowing incident where a woman in a long-term vegetative state gave birth at an Arizona care home after being raped by a male nurse. Hacienda Healthcare faced scrutiny in 2019 after a woman in a long-term vegetative state gave birth at an Arizona care home after being sexually assaulted by a male nurse. The harrowing incident in 2018 triggered global outrage, but bodycam footage was only shared by police in December last year following a Freedom of Information request. Hacienda Healthcare faced scrutiny in 2019 after a woman in a long-term vegetative state gave birth at an Arizona care home after being sexually assaulted by a male nurse The harrowing incident in 2018 triggered global outrage, but bodycam footage was only shared by police in December last year following a Freedom of Information request Another staff member revealed how it was only when she was changing the victim's diaper that she saw a baby was coming Staff at Hacienda Healthcare in Phoenix appeared completely bewildered with many seen to be in tears following the birth, as the entire pregnancy had come as a complete surprise. The footage also shows police in the room with the victim - although it is heavily pixelated and neither she nor her newborn are visible. 'And when I looked, it was a *inaudible*. The baby coming,' a distressed nurse can be heard telling an officer as she tearfully recounts the moment of birth and how she saw a baby's head poking out as she changed the victim's adult diaper. 'When she opened the diaper, there was a head. And that poor aide didn't work for a month. She was so distraught, so traumatized by the whole thing,' a former employee told AZFamily. The woman, who was 29 at the time of the rape, has been severely disabled almost all of her life - since the age of three - and has been in a coma for most of it, meaning she was in no position to consent to sex. She had lived at Hacienda for 26 years, until the child's birth. Her medical conditions stem from a brain disorder that caused motor and cognitive impairments and vision loss. She was also left with no functional use of her limbs. Former licensed nurse Nathan Sutherland, 36, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult for impregnating the woman in a vegetative state in 2018 Sutherland is seen in court following his arrest in 2019 She gave birth at the facility as staff frantically called 911 for assistance, telling the operator that they had not known the 112-pound patient was pregnant. As part of the police investigation into the sexual assault, compulsory DNA tests were conducted on male staff at the facility revealing Nathan Sutherland, a devout Christian and father-of-four, to be the rapist. Investigators arrested him and he was later convicted in court of rape and given a 10-year jail term. Sutherland blamed being sexually assaulted at an orphanage and neglected by his mother, which he said caused him to 'act inappropriately' and 'commit the evil act.' That revelation came as huge shock to staff with him being described as the unlikeliest of suspects. He had worked at Hacienda for eight years - with staff there so fond of him they expressed relief that he was working in the aftermath of the horrific discovery. At his sentencing he expressed 'sincere' remorse for his actions. 'To the victim, I am very sorry. You do not deserve to be hurt. No matter what was going on in my personal life and the demons I was fighting. I had no right to put you through that. No words can express how painfully sorry I am. I am sincerely sorry.' Major grocers have created fictitious names that give the impression that their fruit, veg, meat or honey comes from an identifiable picture-book farm or traditional British supplier. However, these products could come from any of hundreds of producers in the UK or as far away as Spain, Morocco and Chile. The tactic was highlighted by farm industry leaders in evidence last week to MPs investigating the power of supermarkets. Guy Singh-Watson, founder of the veg box delivery company Riverford Organic, said: 'Every supermarket has them, but Tesco is the worst as far as I am aware. 'Tesco has eight farms that they brand their produce from that do not exist. They are a figment of the imagination ... This is clearly misleading the consumer. Major grocers have created fictitious names that give the impression that their product comes from an identifiable picture-book farms in the UK The tactic was highlighted by farm industry leaders in evidence last week to MPs investigating the power of supermarkets, where an appeal to ban the practice was made 'Whoever buys the food needs to be properly informed about where it is coming from and how it is produced, and not lied to. The British public do want to know where their food comes from, they do care. My business is based on that, and they are willing to pay more when they know where it comes from. If they are being hoodwinked the whole time, they will go for whatever is cheapest, which drives the price down and down. 'My plea is to make that practice of a fictitious farm illegal.' Phoney brands at Tesco include Rosedene and Suntrail Farms for fruit, Redmere Farms (vegetables), Nightingale Farms (salad), Willow Farms (poultry), Woodside Farms (pork), Boswell Farms (beef) and Bay Fishmongers (fish). Aldi uses Ashfields as an invented brand for its meat, while Lidl opts for Oaklands, Birchwood and Strathvale. Farm industry leaders also complain that supermarkets have pushed up prices without giving producers a fair share. Mr Singh-Watson said: 'In my working lifetime, starting in the 1980s when I used to supply supermarkets, I used to get about 38p in the retail pound. I think the typical figure today would be 25p. 'Whoever buys the food needs to be properly informed about where it is coming from and how it is produced,' said Guy Singh-Watson, founder of delivery company Riverford Organic Defra Secretary Steve Barclay has signalled a review of labelling rules to help shoppers identify products that are genuinely sourced from British farms and suppliers 'Why is it inevitable that the primary producers' share of the retail should continuously fall?' Ali Capper, executive chairman of the industry body British Apples & Pears, said fruit producers suffered a 30 per cent increase in costs over two years but saw the prices paid to them by supermarkets rise by just eight per cent. Lizzie Wilson, chief executive of the National Pig Association, said spiralling costs means British farmers have lost money on every pig sold since October 2020. Defra Secretary Steve Barclay has signalled a review of labelling rules to help shoppers identify products that are genuinely sourced from British farms and suppliers. The British Retail Consortium said: 'Food retailers source . . . the vast majority of their food from British farmers. Some supermarkets use farm brands to help customers identify key product ranges, reassuring shoppers of the level of quality.' Tesco did not respond to a request for comment. All seven suspects that have been linked to a foiled terrorist plot in Denmark have connections to Hamas, according to the Danish police. Anders Larsson, a Danish prosecutor, confirmed the suspects 'had links to Hamas' following a court hearing yesterday. The prosecutor spoke in Denmark's Eastern High Court on Friday and the case was heard behind closed doors. Police said on December 14 that they had arrested three people in Denmark suspected of planning a 'terror' attack but provided no other details. A total of seven are now suspected of involvement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Denmark's security forces had 'thwarted an attack, the goal of which was to kill innocent civilians on European soil'. Danish Army soldiers guard the Copenhagen Synagogue on December 16, 2023 A Danish officer e stands before the court in Frederiksberg for the constitutional hearing on December 14 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Denmark's security forces had 'thwarted an attack, the goal of which was to kill innocent civilians on European soil' Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Loekke Rasmussen (C) and Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard (L) 'The Hamas terrorist organisation has been working relentlessly and exhaustively to expand its lethal operations to Europe, and thereby constitute a threat to the domestic security of these countries,' Netanyahu said. Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said Friday that the alleged connection to Hamas 'confirms that the threat against Denmark is serious, but luckily we have a strong police and intelligence service doing their best to protect us every day'. Europe has been on high alert for Islamist-inspired terror attacks, including Hamas, since the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, which killed more than a thousand Israelis. Around 23,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict started, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. In December, German authorities arrested three suspects that were allegedly involved in the same plot across Europe. The plot does not appear to have links to the UK. Bild, a German tabloid, identified them as Lebanese-born Abdelhamid Al A, Egyptian citizen Mohamed B and Lebanese-born Ibrahim El-R. The infamous diner chain where waitresses are intentionally rude to customers has launched a new hotel branch in London. Karen's Diner, which first opened in Australia in 2017, has partnered with the Hadley Hotel in Barnet, North London to give guests the 'worst hotel stay' they'll ever have. This includes swearing, personal insults and bad service, one grandmother was left mortified last year after her waitress called her a 'silly bitch'. The restaurant chain has been inspired by the viral internet trend of calling someone who always complains or gets angry at hospitality staff a 'Karen'. Karen's Diner, which first opened in Australia in 2017, asks its employees to be intentionally rude to customers when serving them Now it has launched a new hotel branch in London and guests have been promised the 'worst hotel stay' they'll ever have The chain's website describes it as 'an interactive diner and an absurdly fun experience' - you get waited upon by rude waiters and forced to play a variety of 'stupid games.' Karen's Diner is already operating in five countries and has seven restaurants dotted across the UK, including Birmingham, Angel (in London), Manchester, Sheffield, and Brighton. The Hotel have said: 'If you thought Karen's Diner is bad, you've seen nothing yet. 'Welcome to Karen's Hotel - possibly the worst hotel stay you'll ever encounter. Get ready for an absurdly fun experience. 'At Karen's hotel and diner experience, you will be greeted by rude hotel staff and waiters and taken to a room where you never know what you will find.' Karen's Diner is already operating in five countries and has seven restaurants dotted across the UK, including Birmingham , Angel (in London), Manchester, Sheffield, and Brighton . The restaurant chain has been inspired by the viral internet trend of calling someone who always complains or gets angry at hospitality staff a 'Karen'. Pictured: Hadley Hotel The entrance to Hadley Hotel, who have partnered with Karen's Diner to offer this experience to their guests YouTuber Eddie Hall recently documented his 'awful' stay at the hotel for his followers, which he calls the 'craziest overnight challenge he has done'. On arrival at the check-in desk Eddie, who went with his son were greeted by a rude staff member who told them to carry their own bags to the room. But things went from bad to worse when they found a two hotel employees in their room lying on the bed watching the TV and using their bathroom. Throughout the night Eddie claimed their door beeped non-stop, meaning they struggled to get any sleep and their pillows were filled with tissue and styrofoam. There was no toilet rolls or towels, and there was only a second-hand bar of soap for the guest to use. Prices start at 179 for the package for two people, and it includes an overnight stay at the hotel and a meal at Karen's Diner, as well as a breakfast the next morning. It appears theres no limit to how much money Roxy Jacenko will spend on gifts for her children. The PR queen and former reality TV star has surprised her followers on social media after revealing that she plans to buy her nine-year-old son Hunter a luxury watch worth over $863,000. Roxy Jacenko has revealed that she plans to buy a luxury watch worth over $863,000 for her nine-year-old son Hunter. Photo: Instagram/roxyjacenko Taking to her Instagram Stories on Saturday, Roxy shared a series of WhatsApp messages from her son - who is currently at home in Singapore while she is visiting Sydney. In the screenshot, Hunter asks his mother if she could buy him presents and surprise him while shes away. Not s**t ones tho, like cool stuff, he adds. RELATED: After Roxy replied, No problem, and asked for an example, Hunter was quick to send back a photo of the luxury gift he was hoping for. The attached image was an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar watch, which is available online for around $863,000. The Swiss watch is reportedly one of the most difficult timepieces to buy thanks to its cult status and is owned by various celebrities including Ed Sheeran, Jay Z and Travis Scott. This please, Hunter wrote. Hunter asked his mum to buy him cool stuff while shes in Sydney. Photo: Instagram/roxyjacenko Hunter's Christmas wish list Hunters expensive request comes one month after Roxy shared his 2023 Christmas wish list on social media. While its unsure how many gifts he actually received, the nine-year-old asked for a series of high-end perfumes worth a total of around $6900. Among the requested fragrances were Tom Fords F**king Fabulous, Dior Sauvage, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau, and Versace Pour Homme. SHOP: Oh how Christmas lists have changed since I was 9, Roxy captioned the post. I mean I'm sure I was satisfied with Impulse as my daily fragrance. Story continues Roxy recently moved to Singapore with her two children and her husband Oliver, but regularly returns to Australia to see friends and attend beauty appointments. Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyles daily newsletter. Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com. A gun-toting Jamaican gangster who opened fire on a busy street in broad daylight dodged deportation after a mutiny by airline passengers, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. This newspaper first reported the revolt on a British Airways flight at Gatwick in November, but the Home Office refused to disclose the identity of the criminal involved or detail his convictions. However, the MoS can today reveal he is 27-year-old gangster Lawrence Morgan, whose appalling criminal record includes two serious gun crimes and a host of hard drugs convictions. Last night, Home Secretary James Cleverly furiously lambasted 'do-gooders' who attempt to block the deportation of foreign criminals. 'The vast majority of the British people think convicted, violent thugs should be deported,' he told the MoS. 'My mission is to keep the British people safe. We must be able to remove offenders from our country without interference from misguided and ill-informed do-gooders.' A source close to the Home Secretary indicated the Government is examining new measures to stop passengers blocking deportation flights and to speed up removals. 'This is an outrageous situation,' they said. 'We will be looking at new ways to handle this issue.' Morgan's deportation was thwarted after a mutiny led by Cambridge graduate Hannah Gaffey. She boasted online that she and other passengers refused to sit down before take-off and described receiving advice from Detention Action, a Left-wing human rights charity. Lawrence Morgan had been aboard a British Airways flight to Jamaica when other passengers refused to sit down until he was taken off the plane Morgan had been engaged in a shootout with a rival gang in Birmingham in August 2020, during which an associate of his was killed Morgan had a criminal record that included various gun crimes, and he was arrested aged 19 carrying a loaded gun and drugs in his bag As he was led off the plane, the thug thanked the protesters for their intervention. But former Home Secretary Priti Patel said last night: 'Foreign national offenders are deported from our country because they have committed serious offences, are dangerous and violent. Our streets are safer without them being here and the overwhelming majority of the public support their removal. 'Those who intervene to try to stop these criminals being removed are putting the public at risk and they should face consequences for their ill-advised actions.' The revelation of Morgan's identity and shocking criminal record come after the MoS revealed how gang rapist Yaqub Ahmed was finally sent back to Somalia last summer more than five years after his deportation was scuppered by virtue-signalling holidaymakers on the same flight. An extraordinary three-and-a-half minute video clip showed passengers erupting into applause as Ahmed was hauled off the Turkish Airlines flight at Heathrow in October 2018, with one declaring: 'You're free, man!'. The botched deportation was followed by years of legal appeals as Ahmed fought to stay in the country. Read More: After Somali rapist finally deported, Jamaican gangster taken off British Airways flight Advertisement Morgan, who arrived in the UK from Jamaica on a visitor's visa in the early 2000s, was jailed in 2021 after repeatedly firing a handgun during a deadly gangland shootout in Birmingham the previous year. Shocking CCTV footage showed the thug, clad in black, blasting away at two rival gang members, one of whom had just 'executed' his friend Naasir Francis, 22, at point-blank range. At least 13 shots were fired during the terrifying gun battle on a busy street in Lozells, with a judge later saying it was 'only by luck' that no members of the public were hit. Morgan is understood to be part of a gang affiliated to the fearsome Johnson Crew, whose feud with the rival Burger Bar Boys terrorised inner-city Birmingham in the 1990s and 2000s. The bloody turf war led to the deaths in 2003 of two innocent young women Letisha Shakespeare, 17, and Charlene Ellis, 18 who were caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting outside a New Year party in the city. Last night Dr Marcia Shakespeare, Letisha's mother who was awarded an MBE for her tireless anti-gun campaigning, said the Home Office's use of commercial flights to deport offenders 'clearly isn't working' and should be reviewed. Home Secretary James Cleverly furiously lambasted 'do-gooders' who attempt to block the deportation of foreign criminals in comments to the Mail on Sunday Former Home Secretary Priti Patel said that those that intervene to stop criminals being deported 'should face consequences' The Mail on Sunday understands that the government has been seeking to deport Morgan since 2018, but has struggled with a host of human rights challenges from his lawyers She said: 'If you are trying to make a stand to say you are deporting someone, then do it right. 'If someone has committed a crime they should be punished. If someone is going to open fire in a street, they are a danger and should not be around the public.' Timeline of fight to deport gangster Early 2000s: Lawrence Morgan arrives in UK on a visitor visa 2009: Obtains a European Economic Area (EEA) residency permit as the dependant of an EU national April 2016: Jailed for five years and ten months after admitting possession of a firearm, ammunition and illegal drugs August 2016: Appeals against Home Office bid to strip him of his EEA permit February 2017: Receives another two year sentence to run consecutively for supplying heroin and crack cocaine August 2017: One of 18 men suspected of involvement in drug and gun crime hit by a 'landmark' gang injunction 2018: Home Office launches proceedings to deport Morgan from Britain. He appeals to an immigration tribunal August 2020: Morgan fires a handgun during a terrifying gang shootout in a busy Birmingham street. His associate, Naasir Francis, is killed by a rival gang member. June 2021: Jailed for five years after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm April 2023: Home Office notifies Morgan he is to be deported, classifying him as a 'very high harm' foreign offender November 10, 2023: His removal to Jamaica collapses after passengers on board his BA flight at Gatwick stage a protest Advertisement The MoS understands the Government has been attempting to kick Morgan out of the country since 2018, only to be faced with a string of human rights challenges from his lawyers. In April last year the Home Office issued him with formal notification that he was to be deported, classifying him as a 'very high harm' foreign offender due to repeated gun crimes. Morgan's lawyers, however, suggested he would be at risk from criminal gangs if he was sent back to Jamaica, and was in fear for his life. Morgan, who lived in Nechells, Birmingham, is also believed to have claimed a 'right to family life' under the European Convention on Human Rights because he had fathered a child here. He is even said to have claimed he was a positive role model and was doing voluntary work with troubled teenagers. Home Office officials resisted his appeals and on November 10 he was finally escorted on board a Boeing 777 British Airways flight to Kingston, Jamaica. But as other passengers took their seats, Morgan began struggling and shouting 'get off me'. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Gaffey, 26, from Salford, Greater Manchester, described how she and others protested at the 'injustice' of his removal despite not knowing why he was being deported. 'The BA staff were keen for us to sit down and stop talking about it, she wrote. 'So we stayed standing. The aircraft is not allowed to take off while people are standing.' Gaffey and the other passengers eventually sat down but Morgan became increasingly violent and the BA captain abandoned his preparations for take-off and returned the aircraft to the terminal. Ms Gaffey described how she phoned a case worker at Detention Action both before and after the mutiny. During the second call she was advised that if she found herself on another deportation flight she should 'refuse to sit', she claimed. At the time, Detention Action director James Wilson said the charity did not advise Ms Gaffey to stand up. He declined to comment further this weekend. Morgan was taken to Brook House detention centre near Gatwick and is believed to still be in the UK. Last night former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith called for Morgan to be 'fast-tracked' on to another deportation flight with no further legal appeals. Naasir Francis, 22, an associate of Morgan, was shot several times at close range on 26 August 2020, by a rival gang Teeko Le, a rival gang member that shot and killed Morgan's associate Naasir Francis in 2020 Morgan and Francis had been engaged in a shootout with Teeko Le and Darnall Donovan-Harris, pictured He added: 'The Home Office should make sure the public are aware at the time of the deportation that this guy is an offender who is being deported because of his offences and those passengers who protest should leave the aircraft.' A Mail on Sunday investigation has established that in February 2016, Morgan, then 19, was caught by police carrying a loaded gun and drugs in his bag. He was handcuffed but managed to headbutt a police sergeant in a bid to get away. He was jailed for five years and ten months after admitting possession of a firearm and illegal drugs namely crack, heroin and cocaine. Read More: Terrifying moment rival gangs fight in the streets Advertisement In February 2017, Morgan received another two-year sentence to run consecutively for supplying heroin and crack in what police described as a county lines gang operation in Banbury, Oxfordshire. While in jail, Morgan was one of 18 men named in a landmark legal ruling believed to be the largest group injunction ever secured against gang members in the UK. The two-year order aimed to disrupt an outbreak of violence between the Burger Bar Boys and Johnson Crew, barring gang members from associating with each other. Morgan is believed to have been a member of the GMG (Guns and Money Gang), which aligns itself with the Johnson Crew. By 2020, aged 24, Morgan was back on Birmingham's streets and once again immersed in gang violence. At lunchtime on August 26 that year, he and fellow GMG member Naasir Francis pulled up outside a row of shops in Lozells in a white Lexus, where they spotted rival gang members Teeko Le, then 17, and Darnell Donovan-Harris, then 22. Morgan and Francis, who recorded violent 'drill' music under the name Crill, jumped into the passing car of an associate, drove to an address where they collected a gun and within minutes returned to the scene, the court heard. Chilling CCTV footage showed Morgan, arriving by bicycle, firing at his rivals. Le was also armed and shot back, prompting Morgan to cycle off and Francis to leap into the Lexus. As Le and Donovan-Harris chased Morgan, they spotted Francis sitting in the driver's seat, opened the door and started punching him. Le then opened fire again, blasting Francis at 'point-blank range' and leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds in the stomach. The extraordinary video footage then showed Morgan advancing towards Le and Donovan-Harris and shooting the flash of the gun clearly visible as he held it in both outstretched hands. Morgan fled with the mortally injured Francis in the Lexus before callously abandoning his dying friend in a nearby street, a jury was later told. Morgan admitted possessing a firearm and received another sentence of five years' imprisonment. The prosecution blamed him for being liable for Francis's death, but a jury acquitted him of murder and attempted murder. Le, who was convicted of murder, attempted murder and possessing a firearm with intent, was jailed for a minimum of 20 years, while Donovan-Harris was jailed for 18 years after being convicted of manslaughter and possessing a firearm. Sentencing Le, Mr Justice Saini said: 'This was an execution. 'It is only by luck that no innocent members of the public in this busy area of Birmingham at lunchtime that day were also not shot.' Ms Gaffey did not respond to a request for comment last night. The dead body of a Texas woman was found on a hiking trail near Buffalo Bayou The body of an 18-year-old woman was found on a hiking trail and her 'toxic' girlfriend has been accused of strangling her to death. Tierra Horn, 18, disappeared on January 2 and was reported missing by a family member two days later. On January 5 the Texas teenager's body was discovered on a hiking trail near the Buffalo Bayou. Shania Turner, 24, was charged with the murder of Horn on Friday after surveillance video evidence linked her to the crime. Turner was in a 'dating relationship' with the 18-year-old victim, court records show. Tierra Horn, 18, disappeared on January 2 and was reported missing by a family member two days later Shania Turner, 24, was charged with the murder of Horn on Friday after surveillance video evidence linked her to the crime . Turner was in a 'dating relationship' with the 18-year-old victim, court records show The couple allegedly argued after Turner accused Horn of giving her a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Turner is accused of strangling her on-and-off girlfriend to death following the heated argument. Prosecutors alleged that Turner discarded of Horn's body on the hiking trail, which is just yards away from the suspect's apartment, after killing her. Horn's sisters confirmed the relationship between the two. 'It was very toxic. They used to fight and everything,' Skinesha Granville, Horn's sister, said. Granville used to share a home with the problematic couple. 'Shania used to cheat on my sister while she was in the house with her,' she said. As well as the infidelity, Granville claims that Turner was abusive and violent towards her sister. '(She) used to hit on her and beat her, beat her up and stuff, and I just had to break it up,' she said. 'I guess she didn't know how to approach us about it, or maybe she was scared to tell us, so when we did find out, it was way after the fact,' Rokeisha Calton, Horn's other sister, said. Calton said she wasn't sure if the STD rumor was true or not, or if that was the reason for the fatal argument. 'I'm not sure that's really the motive. I really don't know why it happened, honestly. I have no idea,' Calton said. Prosecutors alleged that Turner discarded of Horn's body on the hiking trail, which is just yards away from the suspect's apartment, after killing her Horn's sisters confirmed the relationship between the two. 'It was very toxic. They used to fight and everything,' Skinesha Granville, Horn's sister, said Horn's sisters suspected that her 'toxic' and 'cheating' girlfriend had played a part in her disappearance and tragic death. 'I hope she don't get to walk outside or step outside the jail any day,' Calton said. Turner's bond was set at $100,000 - although prosecutors were seeking $500,000 for the crime. The judge ordered Turner to stay away from four women at the court hearing on Friday - one of them being Horn's sister Granville. An early priority was tracking down certain key players for the funeral, not least the bearer party. It was not simply a case of picking eight strong soldiers to carry the Queen's coffin. The monarch's bearer party is, by long tradition, drawn from Queen's Company, Grenadier Guards, which always maintains a designated team. But where were they? On patrol with Kurdish trainees in Iraq, it transpired. Where were the state trumpeters? 'There are always supposed to be four state trumpeters in the country at any one time,' says Garrison Sergeant Major Andrew Stokes. 'For some reason, it turned out that all eight were on a plane to Canada for a tour with the Household Cavalry Band. We told all of them, including the band, to turn straight round and come back.' Soon, all over the world, other members of the Armed Forces were making tracks. The Band of the Irish Guards were swiftly summoned home from a tour of Holland. The monarch's bearer party is, by long tradition, drawn from Queen's Company, Grenadier Guards, which always maintains a designated team Brigadier James Stopford, a member of the sovereign's ceremonial bodyguard, was in Corfu at the wedding of his daughter, Izzie Queen Elizabeth II talks with Garrison Sergeant Major Andrew during a military parade Garrison Sergeant Major Andrew Stokes said there was always supposed to be four state trumpeters in the country at any one time One Life Guards officer had to cut short his honeymoon. Brigadier James Stopford, a member of the sovereign's ceremonial bodyguard, was in Corfu at the wedding of his daughter, Izzie. He was on his feet delivering his father-of-the-bride speech when the incessant vibrations on his mobile phone alerted him to an urgent message: 'You are commanded to return to the United Kingdom immediately to attend to your duties for Her Late Majesty's Funeral.' EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Royal aides drew up secret plans to make Charles the first regent since 1820 and step in during the final years of the Queen's reign Advertisement He concluded his speech with toasts to the bride and groom, to the late Queen and to the King, before taking the next plane home. As for the bearers, as soon as they arrived home from Iraq, they were given two orders: 'get a haircut' and 'carry a comb at all times'. Based in Aldershot, they immediately began training with a makeshift catafalque and a bedsheet, which served as a replica Royal Standard for draping over their makeshift coffin. After becoming unexpected stars of the funeral procession, they were not even allowed a spell of home-leave. They were on the next available aircraft back to Iraq. However, the following summer, The All England Club and the Garrison Sergeant Major arranged for them all to be guests of honour at Wimbledon. Robert Hardman, 2024 Palace aides drew up secret plans for Prince Charles to become regent and step in for the Queen during the final years of her reign, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The proposals which have never before been reported included soft-touch 'regency-light' and 'reversible regency' strategies had his mother become 'incapacitated'. If triggered, Charles would have been the first regent since 1820 when George III's eldest son stood in his place. Buckingham Palace played down such plans when the Queen was alive, with aides pointing to the pledge she made on her 21st birthday to serve until she died. Charles himself proved reluctant to get involved. But compelling detail in a new biography of the King by the Mail's Royal expert Robert Hardman reveals aides were anxious about how long the Queen would reign 'well before' she became visibly frail, with courtiers giving 'serious thought' to the prospect of regency. Palace aides drew up secret plans for Prince Charles to become regent and step in for the Queen during the final years of her reign Buckingham Palace played down such plans when the Queen was alive, with aides pointing to the pledge she made on her 21st birthday to serve until she died Details of the plans have been made public for the first time in the new book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, which is being exclusively serialised by the Mail and The Mail on Sunday. Other extraordinary details in today's excerpts reveal: How King Charles refused to undermine his mother in her final years by engaging with detailed plans for his accession; The Government secretly feared civil unrest after the death of the Queen; King Charles and Prince William had a private summit at Birkhall without Prince Harry on the night the Queen died; The following day a well-wisher hugged the new King outside Buckingham Palace, which broke with tradition and signalled Charles's more relaxed style of monarchy; Queen Camilla wept through Charles's televised address to the nation and worried she might 'set him off'; How the crowds were so great on the Queen's final six-hour journey through Scotland that there was just one short stretch where the Princess Royal (in the car behind) felt able to reach for a drink and snack; Behind the scenes, aides considered a regency 'almost inevitable' if the Queen had reached the same age as her mother, who died at 101. Robert Hardman reveals aides were anxious about how long the Queen would reign 'well before' she became visibly frail, with courtiers giving 'serious thought' to the prospect of regency Palace officials prepared for the Queen suffering either a slow deterioration or a 'sudden public collapse'. The options included minimal involvement, dubbed 'regency-light', and a temporary substitution for a short-term incapacitation, labelled 'reversible regency'. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Secret summits over making Charles regent in Queen's last years Advertisement An ex-private secretary to King Charles, Sir Stephen Lamport, who quit in 2002, was even recalled from his career in the City to work on the blueprints. But Charles was 'extremely' reluctant to discuss regency as he did not want to 'tempt fate' or 'dwell on the details'. Any plans that could imply he was snapping at his mother's heels would be subjected to the 'Henry V test', referring to Shakespeare's epic which portrayed a Prince jostling to steal the Crown. This meant it was not until the Queen approached her 90th birthday in 2016 that aides began seriously considering Charles's Coronation. A year earlier, Charles's Private Secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, had filmed a rehearsal of the Accession Council a ritual to become the monarch. The new King watched the video the night the Queen died with Prince William. Prince Harry who would have been automatically invited in previous years was not present. READ MORE: Kate Garraway reveals conversation she had with daughter Darcey Devastated Kate Garraway may have to sell the 4million home where she nursed husband Derek Draper after his care 'wiped her out financially'. The TV presenter's friends say she is 'facing up to the fact' she might have to put the North London house on the market because the care that long Covid victim Mr Draper needed was so expensive. They say she spent thousands of pounds a week on carers to look after him before he died this month after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 56. Ms Garraway also funded two trips to Mexico where her psychologist husband had pioneering treatment. She had to adapt the house for him and take time off work to help with his care. Mr Draper, a former political adviser, contracted Covid at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and was left with lasting damage to his organs The Good Morning Britain presenter has been 'wiped out financially' from the costs of caring for her husband Derek Draper, who died earlier this month Derek Draper had been plagued with health woes after contracting coronavirus in March 2020, which saw him put in a coma, battle sepsis and left with difficulties communicating Ms Garraway had to adapt the house for him and take time off work to help with his care The Good Morning Britain presenter, 56, suffered more financial hardship in 2022 when the couple's psychotherapy company Astra Aspera shut with 184,000 debts. The closure landed her with a 716,000 tax bill. Another company, Praespero 100, saw its assets fall by 87,000 in 2022. One friend said: 'It is so sad for Kate. 'Not only has she had to watch her beloved husband suffer for almost four years but her financial worries have never been far away from her thoughts. 'It has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to look after Derek and do everything she could to get him better but it's left her struggling. 'The house is about all she has left financially and she is now facing up to the fact it might have to be sold. 'It's where she and Derek were so happy and also where her two children grew up but bills are bills and they have to be paid. It's dreadful for Kate.' Ms Garraway admitted last year: 'It's been tough financially. 'As anyone with a loved one who is seriously ill knows, the costs go through the roof in so many ways. 'You have to make changes to your home and it affects your ability to work. 'I had to take long periods off when Derek was first sick and it affects the overall income for the family, as he can no longer work.' Ms Garraway and Mr Draper are pictured with her parents in July 2023 as she collected her MBE at Windsor Castle Mr Draper suffered a heart attack in December and died in early January, surrounded by his family. Ms Garraway held his hand as he slipped away Arriving at the National Television Awards in October 2007, it was clear to see how much the couple loved one another Mr Draper died on January 5, with Ms Garraway and children Darcy, 17, and Billy, 14, at his bedside Ms Garraway is said to have spent thousands of pounds a week on carers to look after her husband before he died this month after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 56 Mr Draper a former political adviser contracted Covid at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and was left with lasting damage to his organs. Doctors put him in a medically induced coma and he became the longest-suffering coronavirus patient in Britain after spending 13 months in hospital. He was readmitted several times with numerous health issues, including kidney failure, brain inflammation and liver damage. Mr Draper suffered a cardiac arrest before Christmas in Mexico. A friend said: 'Unfortunately, despite the doctors in Mexico getting his heart beating again, Covid damage meant further complications ultimately affected his chance of recovery'. The couple endured a traumatic 12-hour dash back to London, where Mr Draper was put in intensive care. He died on January 5, with Ms Garraway and children Darcy, 17, and Billy, 14, at his bedside. Ms Garraway announced the death of her husband of 18 years on social media, saying: 'Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.' A body has been found amid a search for a missing 65-year-old woman who went missing in Norfolk over a week ago, police have confirmed. Kim Wilde disappeared from her home in Thetford, Norfolk around 4.20pm on January 5, prompting a wide search of the area. Police announced they had found a body in the Little Ouse River, just south of Thetford Power Station, at 10:30am today. While the body was not immediately identified as Ms Wilde, police said her family had been informed. Emergency services attended the scene including police, fire, and ambulance. 'Inquiries are ongoing but the death is not believed to be suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner,' a statement read. Kim Wilde (pictured) disappeared eight days ago, prompting a police search of the area Police and fire crews search the River Thet in Thetford, Norfolk, for any sign of missing Kim Wilde, 65. Police fears are growing for her safety after she disappeared Police announced they had found a body in the Little Ouse River, just south of Thetford Power Station, at 10:30am today. In their initial appeal, Norfolk Police said Ms Wilde had last been seen leaving her home in Kimms Belt in the afternoon on Friday, January 5. They said officers were 'increasingly concerned' for her welfare. 'She is described as 5ft 3 tall, white, of proportionate build, with dark brown short hair and was possibly wearing a grey jacket with hood, dark grey leggings and carrying a white handbag when she left,' a statement read. 'Kim walks very slowly and can appear frail. Police would like to hear from anyone who may have seen Kim.' The news marks the latest tragic discovery of a missing person in a British river, following a number of high-profile searches in 2023. On December 21, Police Scotland confirmed they had found a body in the River Tay near Perth after a search for missing Clare Marshall, 64. 'Officers believe the woman to be Clare Marshall, who was reported missing from Perth on Monday, 18 December, 2023. Officers have informed her family. 'There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.' It came just days after a search for Gaynor Lord, 55, ended in tragedy with the discovery of a body in Norwich. The mother-of-three vanished on December 8, leading to a search of the area after her clothes and personal items were found in a local park. Her body was found several hundred feet from where she is believed to have entered the River Wensum. After locating her body, Chief superintendent Dave Buckley said: 'We remain open-minded to the circumstances of Gaynor's disappearance, and we'll continue to pursue all lines of inquiry to ascertain why she went missing. 'I'm keen to say this remains a missing person inquiry at this stage.' A police spokesman also said: 'A Home Office post-mortem examination carried out on Saturday found no indications of any third-party involvement and the death is not being treated as suspicious. Gaynor Lord leaving work at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement at Jarrold department store in Norwich, Norfolk at around 2.44pm on Friday December 8 Clare Marshall (pictured), from Perth, went missing in the Scottish city in Deecember Mother of two Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen on the morning of Friday January 27, 2023 when she was spotted walking her dog Norfolk Police had sought advice from Lancashire Police, which handled the investigation into Nicola Bulley's disappearance after she went missing earlier this year. Ms Bulley's body was found in the River Wyre nearly three weeks after she disappeared. A coroner concluded that she had fallen in to the water and drowned accidentally. Iowa's freezing weather forced another last minute change to Nikki Haley's campaign schedule Saturday, when the congresswoman due to introduce her was rear-ended as she drove to the event. Haley was appearing in Iowa City, where the temperature was 6F but the wind chill made it feel like -15F. Rep. Ashley Hinson, from a neighboring district, stepped in at the last minute to open the program instead of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. She explained that her colleague was 'rear-ended by semi-truck on her way here.' Afterwards she told DailyMail.com that she had spoken to Miller-Meeks, who was uninjured. Iowa 's freezing weather forced another last minute change to Nikki Haley 's campaign schedule Saturday, when the congresswoman due to introduce her was rear-ended as she drove to the event 'I think she actually slowed down to for another accident that the State Patrol was working on when the semi hit her from behind,' she said. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Meet the DeSantis supporter who has knocked on more than 20,000 doors in Iowa Advertisement 'So, she paused her duties for the day. But she's okay physically.' Miller-Meeks later released a statement thanking the Iowa State Patrol and saying she would be back to work on Monday. Haley received a warm welcome from the 60 or so people packed into the James Theater in Iowa City. Attendees were greeted by a snowman just outside the venue. A polar vortex is funneling cold air down from the North Pole, dumping a foot of snow across Iowa. It came just three days after another snow storm shut down the state. The conditions throw a question mark over Monday's caucuses, when Republicans in the state become the first in the country to pick their preferred 2024 nominee. The harsh weather will test the commitment of Iowans to get out and support their favorite. Hinson said Iowans were used to cold weather but not two storms so close together. 'It certainly has created quite the challenge for the road crews because they were still digging out when the first storm of the second one hit,' she said. 'Iowans aren't afraid of a little cold, but I'm certainly encouraging everyone to just just be safe.' The freezing weather forced all the campaigns to modify their plans for the last push. On Friday, Haley canceled in person events in favor of tele-rallies, and DeSantis thinned out his schedule for both days. Haley was appearing in Iowa City, where the temperature was 6F but the wind chill made it feel like -15F. A truck is seen in a road median in Dubuque, Iowa, after skidding off the road Blowing snow covers a highway after a blizzard left several inches of snow in Des Moines Rep. Ashley Hinson, from a neighboring district, stepped in at the last minute to open the program instead of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks Snow surrounds Nikki Haley campaign signs in Iowa City ahead of her event On Saturday he dinged former President Donald Trump, saying his rival 'phoned it in' from Mar-a-Lago while he was out on Iowa's icy roads to meet with supporters. Were not stopping. I do have my winter coat. We have other layers. I know its going to get even colder,' DeSantis told supporters after speaking to a crowd of supporters in Council Bluffs, with the outside temperature at -5F. Were in, were showing up. Donald Trump has phoned it in. Hes going to be in Mar-a-Lago. Its probably 75 degrees there,' he sneered. 'Were going to be at negative temperatures talking, making the case to Iowa voters Monday night,' he said. It was a cold frontal attack on the front-runner who DeSantis has been accused of going easy on during a campaign where he trails the former president by more than 30 points in pre-caucus polls. He also accused Trump of running on 'his issues' and says his focus will be on 2020, not the future. 'If he would be the nominee, the focus will be on the legal issues. The criminal trials on criminal convictions, January 6, all of that plays into the Democrats' hands, into Biden's hands or whoever they end up running,' he said. DeSantis was back on the trail despite warnings of hazardous conditions after a blizzard slammed into the state. His top backers looked to the sky for metaphors to fire up his supporters. The Iowa State Capitol building was surrounded in snow on Friday as blizzards blanketed the state Ron DeSantis said rival Donald Trump 'phoned it in from Mar-a-Lago' after Trump nixed planned Saturday events, and DeSantis scheduled a series of events 'It's 40 below, are you ready to go?' Florida first lady Casey DeSantis told a crowd of DeSantis supporters in Council Bluffs. 'Youve got a few challenges out there. Its going to be pretty cold. But we are tough resilient Iowans we care about this country,' Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has endorsed DeSantis, told a crowd who came out to see the Florida governor. 'We need to be safe. Layer up. And if you show up, he will be the winner Monday night,' she said. DeSantis pointed to his roots in the Sunshine State, but said the biting weather could provide an opportunity for his campaign, where polls have him far behind Donald Trump. DeSantis backers braved wind and cold to attend his event in Council Bluffs Saturday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was back on the campaign trail Saturday, after holding two events on Friday. 'Look, its not going to be easy. Negative 20 wind chill, negative 30. I mean, Ive never been in those temperatures even people that have grown up in the Midwest, this is significant,' he said when he took the stage. 'But you have the opportunity to brave those elements. Go and caucus and youre never going to have a chance to have your vote count for as much,' he told a crowd of about 50 supporters at the Grass Wagon, events center in Council Bluffs. 'Youre going to pack so much punch,' he told them. 'We dont know how many people are going to turn out. Its going to be a relatively small number given that the future of our country is at stake,' he added. DeSantis, who drove in from Des Moines Saturday morning, sought and received props for campainging. 'Im a Florida boy. Born and bread. And yet here I am in negative temperatures. I am not going to be canceling, if people are willing to come out and hear from me Im going to show up,' he said. Former President Donald Trump is scrapping planned events in Iowa Saturday and part of Sunday amid a blizzard and bone-chilling wind chill predictions. He said 'maybe that's good, because our people are more committed than anybody else' in Monday's Iowa Caucuses 'Youre going to see me everywhere. You've got to earn the vote,' he said. He was picking up on a Friday pitch where he cobbled together a last-minute event even after rival Nikki Haley scrubbed hers and moved them online. 'We can handle the snow even though we're a Florida-based campaign,' DeSantis said while meeting with his supporters in Des Moines. Friday evening, the Trump campaign announced that he was scrubbing his Saturday events. 'One way or another I'm getting there,' Trump told supporters in a video message to Iowans from West Palm beach, where his hometown was experiencing balmy temperatures. 'You have the worst weather, I guess, in recorded history,' Trump added. Then Trump shifted the the political implications, amid much speculation by the media about who it would benefit. 'But maybe that's good, because our people are more committed than anybody else, so maybe it's actually a good thing for us,' he said. He had plans to fly into Des Moines on Saturday night. 'It's going to be a little bit of a trek. Nobody knows exactly how we're going to get there,' he said. As he addressed his backers, DeSantis took a few shots at Trump over his comments about COVID in a Fox News town hall Wednesday. 'Donald Trump used to brag he shut down the greatest economy of the world. He said he shut it down and he saved all these lies. now hes saying the opposite,' said DeSantis. 'He basically said oh, I'm federalist, I had nothing to do with Fauci,' DeSantis said. 'And then he blamed me for Fauci,' he said, blasting the NIH infectious disease expert. 'Literally I was the one who was selling Dump Fauci t-shirts for this thing.' He said Trump was 'just try to gaslight people.' 'He thinks youre stupid. He doesnt think you can realize what hes saying is totally totally false,' he fumed. Among the DeSantis backers who showed up was Richard Buman, 49, a Catholic conservative who likes DeSantis' positions on education and on abortion. 'His response to the coronavirus BS was right on,' he said. Buman, from Harlan Iowa, shared his own skepticism about the efficacy of vaccines, calling Trump 'disingenuous.' The former restaurant owner who now builds scenery for a commercial theater had no trouble getting to the event by truck. 'I didn't even plow,' he said. Several members of the audience of about 50 said they were from Nebraska (Omaha is just across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs). A new poll suggests Nigel Farage could comfortably win a seat in a constituency formerly held by UKIP, beating the incumbent Tory MP for Clacton by ten percentage points. The 'Honorary President' of Reform UK polled at 37 per cent of the vote in the Essex town, based on a Survation survey of 509 people conducted through the week. The Tories were only marginally more attractive to voters than Labour, which received 23 per cent. Six per cent would have voted Lib Dem and eight per cent other parties. Were Mr Farage attempt to unsettle Giles Watling MP from the seat he has held since 2017, it would be his eighth attempt to become an MP. The poll, reported in today's Sunday Times, comes as it is revealed Reform UK has drawn up a hit-list of Tory MPs who may defect to join its ranks this year. Reform leader Richard Tice has been privately saying that he expects as many as ten MPs to 'cross the floor', quitting the Tory party and joining his. A source said some defections were likely before this year's General Election from Tory MPs who are set to lose their seats under Rishi Sunak's leadership. The source added: 'Reform will offer them money for campaigning and a lot of volunteers on the ground' and pointed out that some Tory MPs are 'struggling' to get enough campaigners out on the doorstep for them. Reform UK hopes to appeal to former Tory and Ukip voters who are disillusioned with Conservative policy over immigration and years of infighting. Potential defectors will wait to see whether the Government's Rwanda Bill fails to get flights off the ground, insiders said. Reform leader Richard Tice has been privately saying that he expects as many as ten MPs to 'cross the floor', and told The Mail on Sunday that Reform was talking to 'a number' of MPs Nigel Farage is the most prominent member of Reform, which he founded and led between 2019 and 2021 under its previous Brexit Party name A source close to MPs on the Right of the Tory Party said the threat piles further pressure on Mr Sunak: 'You're facing annihilation and need a new strategy not to just bury your head in the sand.' Mr Tice told The Mail on Sunday: 'Naturally, we are talking to a number of Tory MPs about their future. Though it would be irresponsible to say how many or who. But the fact is, they realise that we're the only party that represents reasonable centre-right policies of low tax and immigration, who believe in our country's future and culture.' Reform has previously denied promising MPs cash to defect, after Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson was recorded claiming he was offered 'a lot of money' to do so. A poll by More In Common has found that, among those who voted Conservative in 2019, almost half think Nigel Farage would be a better prime minister than Rishi Sunak. Arron Banks, who bankrolled the Leave EU Campaign, said that Nigel Farage could 'break into the Westminster cartel' and that the Conservative Party was facing an 'extinction-level event' Nearly as many former Tory voters are thinking of backing Reform as they are for Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party, the pollsters found which could translate into taking as many as 30 seats off the Tories. More In Common UK director Luke Tryl said: 'Rishi Sunak has his work cut out trying to bring Reform voters back home. The truth is the Conservatives are never going to be able to outbid Reform on policy, particularly on migration, so their one hope is convincing voters as well as their own restive MPs that a vote for Reform will only help to deliver a Labour government.' Conservative chairman Richard Holden last night warned former Tories that 'if they vote for Reform, they'll get Keir Starmer as PM'. Meanwhile, another poll found that voters in Clacton in Essex would vote in Nigel Farage over their incumbent Tory MP Giles Watling if Mr Farage were to stand. The Survation survey of 509 people gives Mr Farage a ten-point lead. Last night Arron Banks, who helped bankroll the Leave EU campaign, said the poll showed it was possible for Mr Farage to 'break into the Westminster cartel'. Reform was 'threatening to cause an extinction-level event for the Conservative Party', Mr Banks said. People should be jailed over the Horizon IT scandal, the Minister responsible for the Post Office has said. Kevin Hollinrake said those to blame 'must be held to account' once the Post Office probe, the Williams Inquiry, reaches a verdict. The scandal, which stemmed from problems with the Horizon IT system, has been described as one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in British history. It led to hundreds of subpostmasters being handed criminal convictions after the faulty accounting software made it appear as though money was missing from their branches. Currently only 93 of the convictions, which were handed out between 1999 and 2015, have been overturned. Kevin Hollinrake (pictured) said those to blame 'must be held to account' once Williams Inquiry, reaches a verdict Toby Jones (pictured centre) as Alan Bates in ITV series 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' Last night Mr Hollinrake told the MoS: 'This scandal has led to countless bankruptcies, marriage breakdowns, family crises, repossessions, mental and physical illnesses, contributed to four known suicides and around a billion pounds in taxpayer-funded compensation. 'Do I think someone should go to jail for that? Yes, I do. 'This should not be a witch hunt and this is ultimately a matter for a judge and our public prosecutor, who I'm sure is following the Williams Inquiry closely.' Mr Hollingrake told the BBC's Any Questions programme on Friday: 'I think the people [responsible] can be criminally prosecuted, potentially, and potentially can go to jail and I think we'd all like to see that kind of route taken. People must be held to account.' Last week the Prime Minister said a new law will be introduced so that those affected are 'swiftly exonerated and compensated'. Mr Hollingrake also hinted at the possibility of Japanese IT firm Fujitsu, which was responsible for the Horizon software, picking up the tab for the compensation. 'The compensation bill so far is around about 1 billion, and this is all being picked up by the taxpayer,' he said. 'We need other people responsible, potentially Fujitsu, to contribute to that bill as well.' Meanwhile a peer has urged the Government to compensate all subpostmasters who put their own money into the till while the faulty software was in place. Lord Mann said a number of Post Office branch managers were not prosecuted as they used their own money to pay down erroneous shortfalls, and now risk being left impoverished. Mary Marshall, a postmistress in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, paid thousands out of pocket to make up for erroneous shortfalls caused by the Horizon system in order to avoid prosecution, and worries she may never be able to apply for compensation like convicted postmasters. Only those prosecuted were heard in the public inquiry. She said Lord Mann's call to expand the compensation scheme was 'enormously helpful'. 'It would make a huge difference to an awful lot of people,' she said. It comes as a tax expert said the Post Office could be facing a 100 million bill and insolvency after claiming tax relief for its compensation payments to subpostmasters. A number of Post Office branch managers were not prosecuted as they used their own money to pay down erroneous shortfalls, and now risk being left impoverished, according to Lord Mann Dan Neidle (pictured) runs Tax Policy Associates and said it claimed 934 million in tax relief Dan Neidle, who runs Tax Policy Associates, said it claimed 934 million tax relief for its compensation payments and suggested this could be 'unlawful'. However a tax expert told the Financial Times, which first reported the claims, that a business 'can generally claim tax deductions for expenses incurred that are closely connected with its trade, even if it is compensation'. A Post Office spokesman said: 'The disclosed information on taxation in Post Office's Annual Report and Accounts for 2022/23... is appropriate and accurate.' Meanwhile a former postmistress, local councillor Yvonne Tracey, said she will stand against Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey in his Kingston and Surbiton constituency, running on a 'Justice for Subpostmasters' ticket. Sir Ed, served as Postal Affairs Minister between 2010 and 2012, refused to apologise ten times for his role in the scandal in an interview last week. Rishi Sunak has warned that the world is facing its most volatile period for decades. The Prime Minister told The Mail on Sunday that the attacks in the Red Sea, the Gaza war and the continuing conflict in Ukraine presented Western governments with multiple diplomatic challenges. In a dramatic escalation of the Middle East crisis, Mr Sunak signed off on British airstrikes against military infrastructure in Yemen on Friday. More than 60 targets were hit in the joint operation with the United States after Iran-backed Houthi militants ignored a final warning to stop attacking international ships in the Red Sea. Yesterday, a Houthi-controlled radar site was destroyed in a second US blitz in Yemen. Speaking to this newspaper during his visit to Ukraine, which came just hours after he ordered the airstrikes, Mr Sunak said: 'It is very telling that these things have happened at the same time. That is illustrative of the world we are living in. I think the world is probably the most unstable it has been in decades.' An Iranian protester is holding a torn British flag while standing under a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during an anti-U.S. and anti-British protest in front of the British embassy in downtown Tehran, Iran Justifying the action, he added: 'The Houthis have significantly increased their attacks on commercial shipping in the past month, and that has put lives at risk.' The airstrikes came just days after the Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond was bombarded by attack drones, and cruise and ballistic missiles. Diamond's crew launched a volley of air defence missiles to destroy the Houthis' Iranian-supplied ordnance. Mr Sunak said: 'They have carried out the biggest attack on a Royal Navy warship in decades. So it is entirely right and necessary that we respond. And we have done it in a proportionate and targeted way, acting in self-defence. It was a last resort after exhausting multiple diplomatic avenues. 'We must be prepared to defend ourselves if lives are at risk and there is a significant impact on the global economy, which in turn affects people at home.' Amid rising tensions across the Middle East: The Houthis vowed a 'strong and effective' response to the latest US missile strike; The United Nations' special envoy to Yemen expressed concern, urging 'all involved to exercise maximum restraint'; President Biden said the US had issued a private warning to Iran over its support for the Houthis; Andrew Murray, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn and former Communist, told thousands of protesters in London that the Government and Royal Navy were 'arming a genocide' adding that Mr Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer were up to 'their waist in Palestinian blood'; Raising fears of an attack on Israel, Houthi terrorists released a video of its fighters storming a compound in a mock exercise; Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside the British embassy in Tehran. Image shows the aftermath of the joint US-UK airstrike on Yemen on Friday Asked if the UK has the global reach to be involved in multiple conflicts, Mr Sunak said: 'Can we do all these things? You are talking to me in Ukraine about what we have had to do in the Red Sea which illustrates that the world we are living in is becoming more challenging. It is also more complex. My job is to make sure the British people are safe. Can we afford to do these things? We can't afford not to. It is also about economic security, because of the impact of the Red Sea attacks on the prices people pay at home. We have already seen that in the impact on oil prices of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.' After Friday's bombing, Houthi militants brazenly resumed their attacks on international shipping. But one assault went badly wrong when they mistakenly fired at a tanker carrying Russian oil. Mr Biden revealed that the US has delivered a private message to Tehran about the Iran-backed Houthis. 'We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well prepared,' Biden told reporters. 'They know not to do anything.' Despite the reassurance, Houthi rebels released a video simulating an assault on an Israeli settlement similar to the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. In the clip, their forces storm the mock-up village, with one rebel shooting a poster of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister. The video also depicts Houthi troops taking two men in Orthodox Jewish dress hostage. Yesterday, more than 100,000 protesters descended on London for the first Gaza demonstration this year. Some of the pro-Palestine activists backed the Houthis, chanting: 'Yemen, Yemen, make us proud, turn another ship around.' A woman in a red woolly hat carried a placard saying: 'Thank you Yemen'. Labour MP Zarah Sultana addressed the crowd, calling the British strikes 'shameful, deplorable, and beyond unacceptable', adding they were 'not in our name'. In the Middle East tensions continued to rise. Israel pounded the southern Gaza town of Rafah and warned Egypt it is planning a military operation to occupy the Egypt-Gaza border and take control of the Rafah crossing: the only non-Israeli controlled entry to Gaza and a symbol of Palestinian sovereignty. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it also carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon in response to attacks on the Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli jets attacked infrastructure targets in Meiss Ej Jabal and Yarine after missiles were fired at northern Israel by the Iran-backed terror group on Saturday, the IDF stated. In Tel Aviv, events were held to mark 100 days since the October 7 attacks. Desperate relatives of some of the 132 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza gathered to call for their loved ones to come home, and posed on the streets with a mocked-up Hamas tunnel. Homeless campers who have been sleeping rough during the country's housing crisis have blasted their local council for what they claim has been the heavy-handed tactics used to move them on from parklands after a council worker was seen kicking their belongings and forcibly removing their tents. Adelaide and regional South Australia has the tightest rental market in the country and few people understand that better than those who have been sleeping in city's southern parklands to get by. However the Adelaide City Council has repeatedly issued the campers with notices to move on and has now seemingly forced the issue. Council workers were filmed 'kicking' and removing tents from the Adelaide parklands/ Source: 7News Footage filmed by a "concerned witness" and obtained by 7News shows council workers rummaging through campers' belongings and removing their tents into a waiting truck. One worker can be seen allegedly kicking some of their possessions along the ground. "It's bulls***," one homeless camper, named Opal, told the network. "It's 100 per cent ridiculous." "They just picked it up and chucked it on the back of the truck, crushed it ... We asked them multiple times 'can we get our stuff out first?' and they blatantly refused." She has been sleeping in the park with her partner Charlie for weeks due to the rental crisis. According to the latest data from PropTrack, Adelaide has the lowest rental vacancy rate in the country, falling to just 0.67 per cent at the end of 2023, pushing prices up and leaving unlucky Aussies with few other choices. "We're not hurting anyone, we're out here just trying to live, trying to survive the only way we can right now," Opal said. Opal and a handful of others will be moving on from their temporary home. Source: 7News Yahoo News Australia has contacted Adelaide City Council for comment. In a statement to 7News, it said "Council always works to ensure valuables or personal belongings are claimed. However, this is not always possible." Notices left outside the camper's tents reportedly ordered them to move at least 300 metres away, but it's believed they will ultimately be able to remain in the parklands. Story continues Tent cities growing across Australia While renters in Adelaide faced the tightest market, other cities aren't far behind. A lack of supply has seen prices surge in Perth, which now has the second lowest vacancy rate in the country. The city's median rent is now 66 per cent higher than it was before the Covid pandemic, according to PropTrack data. Late last year, councils in the Perth region defended a crackdown on transient sleepers by threatening fines and issuing notices to people sleeping in their cars on public land. Brisbane has also been dealing with the fallout of its rental crisis, with tent cities swelling in it parks. Brisbane-based Norm McGillivray, founder of Beddown which helps find accomodation for rough sleepers told Yahoo in December the situation was "growing to disaster levels". In cities across the country, those on the edge are being forced to live in tents or their cars and there is little reprieve on the horizon when it comes to the rental market. The median national rent has continued to rise, increasing 1.8 per cent over the December quarter to $580 per week. That is an 11.5 per cent increase compared to the previous year, which means rents are $60 more expensive a week than they were in early 2023. Brisbane residents say tents have been popping up across the city. Source: Reddit Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Two of the RAF's most celebrated wartime flying aces were part of a 'continental smuggling ring' that supplied arms to Israel during the 1948 Arab war, newly uncovered documents show. Polish Battle of Britain pilots Kazimierz Sporny and Jan Zumbach were involved in an operation that also smuggled gold across Europe, according to the files. The smuggling ring was uncovered by a secret inquiry launched by the Metropolitan Police and the then-Ministry of Civil Aviation into a firm called Airspan Travel Ltd, which advertised as an operator of pleasure flights to Corsica. The company employed both Sporny and Zumbach after the end of the War. Airspan's managing director was former RAF Squadron Captain Basil Betts, while another director was F/Sgt Cyril Kenneth Smith, documents released at the National Archives in Kew reveal. Battle of Britain pilot Jan Zumbach, left, participated in a smuggling ring that brought weapons to Israel during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence Smuggling was uncovered following an investigation by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Metropolitan Police into a firm called Airspan, run by former RAF Squadron Captain Basil Betts This pair had relatively obscure wartime records, but Sporny and Zumbach were among the most daring heroes of the Battle of Britain. Spitfire pilot Zumbach shot down at least eight Messerschmitts while ace Sporny was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for downing at least five Luftwaffe planes. According to the Met report, Special Branch suspected that Betts had been 'supplying war materials to Jewish forces in Palestine' when Israel was engaged in the first Arab-Israeli war. A US-imposed arms embargo was in place at the time on Israel. 'It is quite clear that the directors of the company in question, and some of the pilots employed by them are engaged either wholly or in part in smuggling activities, in which aircraft owned by them play a principal part,' the report said. Betts and Smith both lived luxuriously in Dolphin Square, Pimlico, even though the nominal capital of Airspan was just 1,000 (around 30,000 today). Jan Zumbach, flying a Supermarine Spitfire, around 1943. The aircraft bears his distinctive Donald Duck symbol While Airspan offered a light aircraft travel service to Corsica via Paris, Lyon and Nice in its first year, a probe was undertaken at the ministry's request when it applied to extend the service to La Baule-Escoublac in Brittany in 1949. A subsequent police report laid bare a litany of wrongdoing. In May 1948 Smith was caught up in a smuggling case in France on board a ship named Venture. The vessel had been purchased by F/Lt. Douglas Barton Perry and Sporny. When Venture landed in Dieppe, Smith and four other crew members were arrested and charged with smuggling gold. They were kept in custody until February 1949, when they were released unconditionally after an anonymous donor paid bail of 10,000 francs. French police named Betts as a financial backer of the scheme and he was asked to attend Bow Magistrates' Court to give evidence to their inquiry. The Met's report describes how as the case widened, Smith, Betts and a man named Fred Ebel were suspected of operating a cross Channel trade in gold, share certificates and currency. Ebel was active during the wartime black market in France, and later employed as Airspan's Paris agent. By the time of the Dieppe affair, Smith had already been caught up in another smuggling probe in February 1948. After landing a light aircraft at Gatwick, his baggage was searched by Customs officers, who found certificates for shares in a precious metals mining company. Smith suggested Betts might have placed them in his bag by accident. The certificates were found to belong to an unnamed vice-consul in Switzerland. Two Navy SEALs are missing off the coast of Somalia after one of them slipped while trying to climb a ladder on board a ship. The military personnel were on an interdiction mission, climbing up a vessel when one got knocked off by high waves in the rough sea on Saturday, according to US officials. Under their protocol, when one SEAL falls overboard, the next jumps in after them. Both of them are still missing and a search and and rescue mission is underway. The SEALs have not been identified yet and it is not clear what vessel they were trying to board or why. Two Navy SEALs are missing off the coast of Somalia after one of them slipped while trying to climb a ladder on board a ship The military personnel were on an interdiction mission, climbing up a vessel when one got knocked off by high waves in the rough sea on Saturday, according to US officials. Pictured Navy SEALs on a mission The US Navy has conducted regular interdiction missions, where they have intercepted weapons on ships that were bound for Houthi-controlled Yemen. They sometimes include boarding vessels to make sure they have the proper credentials and aren't transporting illegal goods. The mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have conducted in Yemen over the past two days, the official said Saturday. It was also not related to the seizure of the oil tanker St. Nikolas by Iran, a third US official said. The US Navy has conducted regular interdiction missions, where they have intercepted weapons on ships that were bound for Houthi-controlled Yemen The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not yet been made public. Besides the defense of ships from launched drones and missiles shot from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the US military has also come to the aid of commercial ships that have been the targets of piracy. In a statement Saturday, US Central Command said that search and rescue operations are currently ongoing to locate the two sailors. The command said it would not release additional information on the Thursday night incident until the personnel recovery mission is complete. The sailors were forward-deployed to the US 5th Fleet area of operations supporting a wide variety of missions. An Aussie dad who was seriously injured in a Bali scooter crash two weeks ago has died after his family switched off his life support. Sydney man Kevin Malligan, 24, who was clinically brain dead, died with his pregnant wife Leah and his family by his side. Mr Malligan's grieving family shared the devastating update to the GoFundMe page that had raised more than $121,000. 'Our last hours with our son in law Kevin were this morning as we all said our goodbyes,' the update began. 'We had to go through a traumatic time that no wife, father, mother, dad and family should have to go through. Sydney man Kevin Malligan, who was clinically brain dead, died with his pregnant wife Leah and his family by his side. Kevin and Leah are pictured Kevin Malligan, 24, is pictured (right) with his wife Leah (left) and their daughter Ivy (centre) 'Leah and his dad made the beautiful generous choice to donate his internal organs. We hope that all these organs are going to help and save as many people as possible to live a healthier life for themselves. 'We are forever grateful for so much support over these last two weeks from family, friends, work colleagues, community and complete strangers. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Kevin Malligan's life support to be switched off after Sydney father after horrific accident in Bali Advertisement 'Leah is overwhelmed by the support to bring Kevin back home and to have the opportunity to farewell her beloved husband and father to Ivy and her soon to be bub due early February 2024. Love Jodie and Belinda French. RIP Kevin.' Mr Malligan was on holiday when he fell off the back of a moped and suffered a brain bleed on December 29. He suffered critical head and neck injuries in the fall and underwent brain surgery at a hospital in Nusa Dua, about 40km from Denpasar. After being cared for while in an induced coma in Bali, Mr Malligan arrived back in Sydney on a medivac flight on Thursday, January 4. His wife Leah had also flown home from Bali after rushing to her husband's side. Despite the best efforts of doctors, Mr Malligan's family confirmed last Wednesday that he was 'brain dead' and his injuries were irreversible. His heartbroken family was left to decide when his life support would be switched off. He will tragically never meet his second child. Instead of revelling in the approaching birth, the Malligan family, including their young daughter Ivy, are instead faced with the agonising death. 'This is the most difficult time of any of our lives and we just can't be grateful enough to have been able to get him home for everyone to see him before he leaves us,' Ms Malligan told Daily Mail Australia. Ms Malligan said her husband was a 'great dad, husband and friend' with a generous and loving nature who will be 'missed by all'. Sydney man Kevin Malligan is pictured with his daughter Ivy, aged two. Mr Malligan has died after a scooter crash in Bali Kevin Malligan is pictured (right) kissing his beloved daughter, Ivy, who he loved to spend time with 'He was always up for a good laugh and would do anything to put a smile on someone's face.' Above all else, she said, Mr Malligan was a devoted father who loved spend time with his daughter Ivy. 'There was nothing more valuable than seeing how excited he was when he got home to give his Ivy girl a great big cuddle,' Ms Malligan said. 'They then would play constantly until it was dinner and bed-time. He loved her so much and she doesn't love anyone else as much as she loved Kev.' Mr Malligan's mother-in-law and organiser of the GoFundMe, Jodie French, said the family's 'hearts are broken' when they got the terrible news about him. 'Kevin has officially been pronounced as brain dead,' Ms French's post to the page read. 'The doctors have done all relevant testing over the last few days. 'This has been a distressing experience for all of us. 'The Malligan family now has the awful decision when to turn off his life support. We are sending all our love and prayers for strength at this time to our daughter and Kevin's family.' The fundraiser got more than 1,400 donations since December 30, after Ms Malligan pleaded for help to bring her husband back to Australia. Kevin Malligan (pictured) was pronounced brain dead and his family made the heartbreaking decision to turn his life support off Mr Malligan's family, wife Leah and young daughter Ivy (pictured), faced the tragic decision of when to say their final goodbyes and turn off his life support The young father will tragically never meet his second child with Ms Malligan (pictured), who is 33 weeks pregnant and expected to give birth within weeks Ms French said her daughter is thankful to those 'who have donated, helped, (or) sent messages to help her and the family at this time'. 'Leah is so grateful for the financial support to get Kevin home and being able to spend quality time to say goodbye.' Mr Malligan was riding on the back of a moped his friend was driving when the pair 'hit a bump' and he was thrown off, Ms Malligan told Daily Mail Australia. She said that her husband wasn't doing anything silly, or drinking, when the crash happened. America quietly grew 386,000 square miles bigger last month - nearly twice the size of Spain. The US Department of State (DOS) added six regions' submerged offshore areas, or extended continental shelf (ECS), to the total landmass, allowing the country to claim more surrounding ocean-floor territory. The seven regions included the Arctic, the Atlantic (east coast), the Bering Sea, the Pacific (west coast), the Mariana Islands, and two areas in the Gulf of Mexico. DOS said the US shifted geographic coordinates defining the outer limits of the continental shelf in areas beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast. The largest area of America's ECS is in the Arctic, while all ECS regions span about twice the size of California. The US Department of State (DOS) added six regions' submerged offshore areas, or extended continental shelf (ECS), to the total landmass, allowing the country to claim more surrounding ocean-floor territory The Wilson Center think tank, based in Washington, D.C., said the announcement has important implications for securing US territorial rights in the Arctic. The ECS in the Arctic extends north to a distance of 350 nautical miles (in the east) and more than 680 nautical miles (in the west) from the territorial sea baselines of the United States. However, the shift does not conflict with a 1990 agreement with Russia over the maritime boundary that passes through the Bering Strait. 'There is no need for a future negotiation with Russia because each country has delineated the outer limit of its continental shelf consistent with the boundary established in 1990 in the Agreement between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Maritime Boundary, which has been provisionally applied by agreement between the two countries,' according to the Wilson Center. The seven other regions included the Atlantic (east coast), the Bering Sea, the Pacific (west coast), the Mariana Islands, and two areas in the Gulf of Mexico The shift does not conflict with a 1990 agreement with Russia over the maritime boundary that passes through the Bering Sea State Department project director Brian Van Pay noted that Canada will likely have an overlapping claim, which can be negotiated in the future. The State Department said the extended continental shelf claim was made according to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provisions. The US Senate has never ratified that treaty, but after 40 years, the government is announcing its continental shelf limits. The DOS led the ECS effort through the US ECS Task Force, an interagency body of the U.S. Government composed of 14 agencies. 'The continental shelf is the extension of a country's land territory under the sea,' DOS shared in a statement. 'Like other countries, the United States has rights under international law to conserve and manage the resources and vital habitats on and under its ECS.' Determining the ECS outer limits required data on the seabed and subsoil's depth, shape, and geophysical characteristics. 'Forty missions at sea, going to areas that we've never explored before, finding entire seamounts we didn't even know existed,' Van Pay told the Alaska Public. 'And, if you add up all the time that our scientists spent at sea, it's over three years of data collection. DOS said the US shifted geographic coordinates defining the outer limits of the continental shelf in areas beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast State Department project director Brian Van Pay noted that Canada will likely have an overlapping claim, which can be negotiated in the future The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Geological Survey (USGS) collected and analyzed the necessary data. Data collection began in 2003 and constitutes the largest offshore mapping effort ever conducted by the United States. 'It has long been clear that the United States has major economic interests in an undersea territory rich in oil, natural gas, minerals and sea life to which it has sovereign rights under the law of the sea as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention, said the Wilson Center, which is a nonpartisan counsel and insights on global affairs. 'It is also an important milestone reflecting US engagement with the law of the sea as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and as an aspect of advancing major US interests in the Arctic and other regions. ' A married couple who made the 'personal choice' not to have children, could not be happier with their decision and have found 'joy' through travel. Shahariath Sarmin, 45, and Rezaul Bahar, 47, said they had no regrets about not raising a family. They said: 'It was just something we did that was good for us. We didnt want to have children to be more happy or to have more joy in our lives. And now, as we travel to so many countries, we found that it was probably the right decision. We could not travel as much as we are travelling now. And theyre travelling a lot. They've ticked off all seven continents, 102 countries and have plans to see all 195. Shahariath Sarmin, 45, and Rezaul Bahar, 47, made the 'personal choice' to not have children and found it was 'probably the right decision' - as they love to travel. The two are pictured above in Antarctica The adventurous couple have visited 102 countries. The pair are pictured at The Giza Pyramid Complex in Egypt The Bangladeshi couple married in 2005 and moved from their hometown in Dhaka to Essex, Connecticut. They began travelling in 2008, with their first trip together being a visit to the Bahamas. Speaking to MailOnline Travel about their love of adventure, Bahar said: 'Travel is a kind of happiness to us.' The pair work full-time, Bahar as an engineer and Sarmin as a business consultant, and use up most of their annual leave on travel. They plan at least six to eight trips a year. Bahar revealed they have spent a total of $500,000 (393,247) on their adventures over the past 16 years. The couple moved from Bangladesh to America in 2005 and began travelling in 2008. Here they're pictured in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru Sarmin and Bahar have spent a total of $500,000 (393,247) on their adventures over the years and use up most of their annual leave on travel. Sarmin is pictured above in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia He said: 'Our investment goes to travel. We pay upfront so by the time we go to the destination, everything is paid for.' Why do they travel so much? Bahar said: 'It keeps us going.' Sarmin added: 'It is a break from my daily work. I don't have to think about my work or chores. 'Most importantly, I enjoy it with Bahar. It's a time for connecting with him.' Some of their favourite places they've visited together are Antarctica, Alaska, Mongolia, Egypt, Iceland, Kenya, Morocco, Patagonia, Jordan, Chile and the Faroe Islands. The couple explained that travelling gives them 'joy'. Here they're pictured on one of their favourite trips, in Antarctica Sarmin said she uses travel as a way to connect with her husband. She's pictured above in Antarctica Sarmin's top choices are Alaska because of its 'quietness' and Kenya due to its vast wildlife. She even got a chance to see the animals up close in Maasai Mara National Reserve. Bahar added: 'Number one for me is Antarctica. People have to understand the vastness. Everything is giant.' The couple were also blown away by Egypt, which Bahar described as 'like time travelling'. Is there anywhere they wont go? Bahar joked: 'Sometimes we tell people that you cannot pay us to go to Western Europe.' Sarmin added that they don't like big cities either, with the only exception being Dubai, where she said everything is 'shiny', including the 'people, buildings and culture'. Bahar said that travel 'keeps us going'. The couple are pictured at Cox's Bazar Beach in Bangladesh While the pair don't like cities, Dubai (pictured) is an exception. Sarmin described everything in the city as 'shiny' Next on the list for them is a visit to Bulgaria in May, and Bahar has left March open for a spontaneous trip. While some people might find travelling tiring, the couple admit they rarely think about sleeping once they've touched ground abroad. Bahar said: 'Some people see it as difficult but I think we made it our lifestyle. We thought: "This is our thing. We have to do it."' He claimed people who don't travel are 'missing the opportunity to see something they're capable of seeing' and urged anyone who is 'physically and mentally able' to explore. For more from the couple visit their YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/@CoupleTravelingTheWorld. SILVERBACK BBC iPlayer Rating: Theres a cheesy old dad joke that goes, How do you brush a crocodiles teeth? Answer: Very carefully. You could deliver the same punchline when asking, How do you make friends with a 450lb wild silverback gorilla who just wants to be left alone to take care of his family? Only this was no joke, as we saw when the silverback, named Mpungwe, charged at the humans attempting to get close to him. As the animal roared with rage and bared his huge fang-like teeth, for a second it looked as though the documentary team were goners. It was one of many heart-stopping moments in this extraordinary one-off film. It followed wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguets efforts to immerse himself in the habitat of a gorilla family in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Djenguet, who has worked with Sir David Attenborough, did this by spending three months in the park, each day inching ever closer to the impressive but terrifying primate in an attempt to habituate him. Wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguet is pictured with the silverback, named Mpungwe A combination of war, deforestation and poaching means that the gorilla population in the region stood at just 170 across 13 families and was at risk of total extinction. The best hope for preserving the species is through eco-tourism allowing visitors access which brings money to the area to fund their care and protection. But before that could happen, Mpungwe had to get used to the presence of people. He was having none of it though, and who could blame him? Which of us would be thrilled if strangers turned up seeking to crash with us for three months? The head of a family of 23, Mpungwe was a handsome 35-year-old who roamed the park beating his chest and luring females away from their families and into his tribe. For acclaimed filmmaker Djenguet, who grew up in the Congo and lost his family home during the war there in the 1990s, it was a poignant and emotional homecoming. While the female gorillas in Mpungwes family were welcoming and the adorable babies just wanted to play, it took five weeks before Djenguet and his team of rangers could get within 20 metres of the patriarch. UK writer Claudia Connell called Silverback 'sensational' Some days Mpungwe would be happy and sociable and other times hed be a right old grump who didnt want to engage with the missus, kids... or lurking humans. Just like any dad, really. Once the silverback allowed the team to sit seven metres from him without charging, hed be considered habituated enough for tourists to be introduced. Yet the closer Djenguet got, the more he doubted his mission. Mpungwe must learn to trust the very species that threatens him and his family most, he said sorrowfully. This sensational film offered a glimpse into how Mpungwes future could look as we witnessed pouting, posing tourists taking selfies with the gorillas who had already been successfully habituated. Although it may well ensure his familys future, it just didnt seem fitting that the destiny of a magnificent creature like Mpungwe is that of an Instagram star. Nothing wet about this copper AFTER THE FLOOD Wednesdays, ITV1 Rating: Following the weather weve had in recent weeks there were times when the opening episode of this new six-part drama felt more like a documentary. Flooded homes, burst riverbanks and locals furious at a council who reneged on promises to protect them no suspension of reality required. Sophie Rundle starred as PC Joanna Marshall, a somewhat green young copper in a Yorkshire town charged with evacuating residents to safety. Her curiosity was piqued when the body of a man thought to have drowned was found in an underground car park. Sophie Rundle stars as PC Joanna Marshall, a policewoman who decides to go rogue when she discovers the body of a man thought to have drowned in the flood in an underground car park When the postmortem revealed that hed actually been murdered days earlier she was like a dog with a bone. The victims DNA provided no database matches and the detectives heading the case wrote him off as a drifter. That was unacceptable to PC Marshall, who decided to go rogue. We all love a maverick cop but Marshall took things to a whole new level. She stole the mans DNA information, fed it into a genealogy site and located his sister in France. And that was just day one on the job. One could only imagine what kind of rules shed be breaking by the end of the week. The concept of a lone cop fighting against the establishment isnt new but in the hands of a talented actress like Rundle it still felt exciting and highly watchable. More cosy crime, vicar? As Grantchester (Thursdays, ITV1) returns, its hard to believe the series is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Sleuthing vicar Will Davenport is played by Tom Brittney Its an enchanting leader in the cosy crime genre, with sleuthing vicar Will Davenport (Tom Brittney) teaming up with DI Geordie Keating (Robson Green) in the 50s to collar baddies without the use of DNA evidence or any of that malarkey. But whats this? Geordies superiors insisting he retire, even though he and Will solved the murder of a biker in five minutes? Never! CORONATION STREET Warring brothers Harvey and Damon make their presence felt in Weatherfield. But while Harvey pulls the strings from his prison cell, Damons more interested in pulling Sarah again, following their tryst last week. Not that it should be a problem. The only person on the Street who makes worse decisions about men than Sarah is her mum (Gails fellas do always come off worse in the end. Be they serial killer, fraudster or adulterer, four of them are now six feet under in Weatherfield cemetery must cost her a fortune at Prestons Petals florists each year). Damon turns on the charm and Sarahs soon inviting him to meet the family. The Platts may tut in disapproval, but they spent last year harbouring an embezzling multiple-murderer, so number 8 is not a glass house for chucking rocks in when it comes to dodgy fellas. Warring brothers Harvey (right) and Damon make their presence felt in Weatherfield Out in the cold, however, is Sarahs estranged hubby Adam, who had been hopeful of rekindling things. AUSSIE RULES Ciaran Griffiths says that travelling from his home in Australia to play Damon is bad for his health. The weathers terrible here. Im never ill in Australia, yet here straight away Ive got a cold! Advertisement At the end of his tether with Damon, Adam heads to prison to visit Harvey. He makes out that he has worked out a way to get Harvey off on appeal. Why Harvey buys into this is anyones guess, considering he ran a drugs empire and shot a woman at point-blank range, but soap legal systems do operate on a looser basis than their real-life equivalent (see also most business transactions, miracle pregnancies and any employment arrangements). In return, Harvey agrees to help get rid of Damon, but leaves Adam with a sinister warning not to let him down. Adam pushes on with the plan, but his fears over what hes done soon overwhelm him. Could this all have terrible consequences for more than just Damon? Elsewhere, with Ches and Gemmas family already fractured, the last thing they need is Josephs Granny Linda jetting in. Soon, shes pouring poison into Chess ear about Gemma, but its when Joseph later collapses that the real drama starts. EASTENDERS The recent Albert Square action has been rather dominated by the dead-body-on-the-floor mystery and resulting killer cover-up (or, as it turned out, the not-dead body on the floor and the different dead body in the hall just next to where they keep the salt and vinegar crisps). So much so, in fact, that wed forgotten other secrets were waiting to be exposed. But one of those comes back to bite Phil Mitchell on the bum this week. Alfies jealousy over Kat (pictured) and Phil rears its head again this week, and he lets slip to the worst possible person Phils sister, Sam Until now, Phil has managed to keep a lock on his liaison with Lolas mum Emma. He even persuaded love rival Alfie whod normally grab any opportunity to rock the boat to stay schtum for the sake of Kat and her familys happiness. But Alfies jealousy over Kat and Phil rears its head again this week, and he lets slip to the worst possible person Phils car crash of a sister, Sam. Never one to turn down an opportunity, Sam soon gets busy blackmailing Phil. After an argument with her brother, Sam takes the mic at Phil and Kats joint birthday karaoke party, and what she has to say hits a sour note for the couple. Will Kat be doing a rousing chorus of D-I-V-O-R-C-E before the night is out? A menacing new Walford kingpin Actor Alan Ford, star of gangster movies including Snatch and Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, will add his menacing presence to EastEnders. He plays Stevie Mitchell, the estranged dad of Square favourite Billy, who arrives in Walford as the Mitchell family prepare to say goodbye to Aunt Sal. It soon becomes apparent that hes not welcome in the family fold, says executive producer Chris Clenshaw. EMMERDALE Emotions run high as Heaths laid to rest Emmerdale has felt a little overrun with teens for some time, so a trim in numbers was probably prudent. But Heaths shock death does seem brutal even if it was appropriately out on the wily, windy moors. (Although I dont recall Kate Bush singing about a smashed-up Peugeot). Surely Heath could have just packed up his guitar and gone off to college? Cathy begins to buckle under the emotional weight of seeing Heath's coffin but is grateful to find her dad Bob by her side Still, the show needs drama, and as the funeral arrives the secrets from the fateful night are dishing that up. Bobs convinced his daughter Cathy is lying about who was driving, pushing them apart just when they need each other most. While Bob decides he cant face the funeral, Cathy is determined to do right by her twin. The sight of Heaths coffin makes her start to crumble, so shes relieved when her dad has a change of heart and is by her side. Watching on is Angel, the other person in the car that night and the only one who can confirm the truth. With emotions running high, will Angel confess shes to blame? Elsewhere, a sexy encounter for Chas and Liam turns out to be a passion killer after the good doctor reveals he felt a lump in her breast. Can Chas face up to another trauma? They're the showbiz family that's produced household names like Macaulay Culkin, 43, and Kieran Culkin, 41. But the famed pair share five other siblings who are much lesser known, including actor brother Rory Culkin. And it was Macaulay's father Kit, who tried to push all six of the superstar's siblings into an onscreen career. However most of Macaulay's sibling's have preferred a life out of the limelight. In the wake of Kieran's Golden Globe triumph this week for his memorable role in HBO's Succession, we take a look at the secret lives of the Culkin clan. The Culkin show biz family name is one of the best known in Hollywood Pictured: Kieran Culkin after accepting his Golden Globe this week for Succession Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin pictured last month - he was the first of the Culkin children to reach superstardom Jennifer Adamson Born in 1970, Jennifer was Macaulay's half-sister and the only Culkin not to go into show business. Kit Culkin shared Jennifer with Adeena Van Wagoner with whom he had a relationship before marrying Macaulay's mother, Patricia Brentrup. Sadly, Jennifer died of a drug overdose in 2000, aged just 29. At the time of her passing Jennifer was building a career as a carer for those with disabilities. It was Macaulay's father Kit, who tried to push all six of Macaulay's siblings into an on screen career - but most have stayed out of the limelight Pictured: Kit and Patricia with six of their seven children in the 1990s. Back row L-R: Patricia, Kit, Shane, Dakota. Front row L-R: Maculay, Kieran, Rory, Quinn Shane Culkin Shane, 48, is Macaulay's oldest brother. Known to avoid a high profile today, it was Shane who was actually the first Culkin to hit the spotlight. As a would-be actor the handsome performer appeared in a Broadway New York production of the stage play Our Town in 1988... three years before younger brother Macaulay shot to fame in Home Alone. Kit, who managed his children's careers, would send Macaulay to auditions with Shane. And reports later surfaced that adorable Macaulay would 'steal' the role intended for his older brother as casting director's found the younger Culkin just too irresistible. Pictured: Quinn Culkin and Rory Culkin at the ceremony where Macaulay Culkin was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last month in Los Angeles Dakota Culkin Macaulay's older sister Dakota was born in 1978. After her dad encouraged her to try acting, Dakota, who went by the family nickname 'Cody', opted for a career behind the scenes. Moving to Hollywood in the late Naughties, Dakota took a role on a horror film called Lost Soul in the production design department and worked as an assistant. Later the films director Dana Schroeder told The List that Dakota was determined to build a career as a filmmaker. However Dakota's life was cut short in 2008 when she died after being hit by a car. Reports confirmed that the bright young woman was struck as she crossed the road after a night out at a bar in Marina De Rey in Los Angeles. A spokesman for the LAPD later declared that Dakota had died in hospital after suffering massive head injuries in the accident on Tuesday night. When Macaulay's son was born in 2021 he named him Dakota, after his beloved late sister. Kieran's sister Dakota was killed at the age of 30 when she stepped in front of a moving vehicle in 2008 Pictured: Quinn Culkin with her brother Kieran in New York in 2007 Quinn Culkin Macaulay's sister Quinn, 39, started off as a child star, appearing as a voice actor with her Home Alone star brother in the animated series Wish Kid in 1991. She co-starred with Macaulay again in The Good Son in 1993, but in the end escaped show business for the quiet life. Before those roles keen eyed fans could spot Quinn in one of the airport scenes featured in Home Alone. Most reports indicate that Quinn is reluctant to reveal much about her private life or career. However, she did made headlines last month in a rare appearance when she joined Macaulay as he received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Christian Culkin and brother Kieran Culkin attend the The Starry Messenger cast party in New York in 2009 Christian Culkin Christian Culkin, 36, gave up acting early in life to become a writer. The second youngest of the Culkin kids, Christian can be seen co-starring with his brother Kieran the 1994 film My Summer Story. Just as genetically blessed as his other siblings, Christian who goes by Chris, moved into writing early in life. He also studied cinema and earned a Master of Fine Arts and has published articles in Lid Magazine and The Waverly Press. Pat and Kit with Kieran and Macaulay in 1990 Rory Culkin Rory at 34 is the youngest of the Culkin clan and appears to be in hot pursuit of an acting career. The sexy young star's profile went viral last year when he appeared nude in a scene in the Amazon Prime Video series Swarm, starring Dominique Fishback. Rory sent hearts pounding in the horror-thriller in an infamous scene in which his character's penis is seen pressed up against a glass bowl of strawberries. Like his more famous brothers, Rory began as a child star, and even appeared with Macaulay in The Good Son, way back in 1993. His more recent roles include appearing in Netflix series Black Mirror and the Disney+ series Under The Banner of Heaven. Strictly's Giovanni Pernice seemingly alluded to the underlying issues that lead to his conflict with Amanda Abbington, months before her bombshell claims. Amanda, 51, who left the dancing show in October citing medical reasons, has claimed challenging 'militant' training sessions with the Italian pro, left her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to reports. The actress is said to have demanded recordings of their rehearsals to review so she can see if the video footage can 'back up' her claims. Professional dancer Giovanni, 33, who has been candid about his intense competitive nature, revealed his addiction to winning, after securing the Glitterball trophy with Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021, months before being paired with Amanda. In an interview with The Guardian, he shared: 'There are no distractions. Then came the experience of winning something I became addicted to. Strictly's Giovanni Pernice seemingly alluded to the underlying issues that lead to his conflict with Amanda Abbington, months before her surprising revelations The actress is said to have claimed challenging training sessions with the Italian pro left her with PTSD, while he admitted he 'became addicted' to winning 'The first time I won a competition, I thought, 'Being the champion feels nice. Let me have more of it!'' Last week, it was reported Amanda's request for footage from Strictly, believing it could highlight the Italian's 'tense' and 'full-on' training methods . According to The Sun, a source revealed it took months for Amanda, known for her role in Mr. Selfridge, to recover from her time on the dance show. The source said: 'Amanda has been left broken and saddened by the whole experience. She has needed therapy and was left in shock by the behaviour she was exposed to. 'Everyone else was having a fabulous time, but she was really stressed by having to spend eight hours a day with Giovanni. She spent a lot of time crying and couldn't sleep or eat properly.' Earlier this week, Giovanni spoke out about the claims as he shared a message on Instagram thanking his fans for their kind words and overwhelming support. He wrote: 'One week today we open 'LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU'. We're working hard but it is going to be epic. 'I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has sent message of support of the last week - I really truly appreciate it - thank you thank you thank you Gio.' It is claimed Amanda has sought legal advice over the dancer's alleged behaviour towards her and believes video footage could 'back up' her claims Giovanni has now spoken out about the claims as he shared a message on Instagram thanking his fans for their kind words of support Giovanni won Strictly Come Dancing with his celebrity partner Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021 The dancer was inundated with messages, with fans calling him 'amazing', telling him to 'keep smiling', 'ignore the negativity' and some begging him not to leave the show. Sources at the BBC are ready to fight the Sherlock actress over her claims the show had traumatised her, saying that at the time she told them she was quitting due to a different medical reason. A source told the Mail: 'Amanda's reason for quitting Strictly was an entirely different one to her PTSD. 'She told production of a totally different medical condition and they [were] hugely supportive of her and did all they could to help. 'Nobody seems to quite understand what is going on here.' It is understood that first BBC chiefs knew about her PTSD was late last year when they received a request for the tapes. MailOnline have contacted Amanda's representatives for comment. Todd and Julie Chrisley sold off their Tennessee estate off the market for $5.2 million - despite being behind bars. Both of them are currently serving prison sentences after being convicted of tax fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. However, even while locked up, they were able to offload their sprawling property last April and keep the transaction secret until TMZ exposed it this week. Spread across 13,279 square feet in Brentwood, Tennessee, the house belonged to the Chrisleys for four years before they sold it. When they first purchased the property in April 2019, months before they were indicted, Todd and Julie forked over $3,375,000. Todd and Julie Chrisley sold off their Tennessee estate off the market for $5.2 million - despite being behind bars Spread across 13,279 square feet in Brentwood, Tennessee, the house belonged to the Chrisleys for four years before they sold it News of the sale broke just two days after their daughter Savannah vigorously defended them on her Instagram page. She as reacting to her parents getting a $1million settlement from the state of Georgia after they claimed a Department of Revenue investigator 'specifically targeted' them. Savannah felt that was very strange. 'This should SCARE all of you! How are my parents sitting in prison but somehow are awarded a settlement? sign. Its nearly unprecedented for one arm of the government to pay money to defendants when another arm is fighting to keep them in jail,' she wrote. 'I encourage everyone to open their eyes to the corruption that is occurring EVERY SINGLE DAY!! Ill keep fighting the good fight . 'WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? #freethechrisleys.' She also said: 'You may see us struggle. But you will NEVER see us give up!' On Wednesday Todd and Julie celebrated a rare legal victory after they scored a $1 million settlement from the state of Georgia. Todd and Julie's daughter Savannah shared a new post to Instagram on Wednesday morning The reality TV star was reacting to her parents getting a $1million settlement from the state of Georgia after they claimed Department of Revenue investigator 'specifically targeted' them; seen in 2020 Todd, 54, and Julie who will be receiving a visit from her children in prison for her 51st birthday had sued the former Director of Special Investigations for Georgias Department of Revenue, Joshua Waites, back in 2019. They contended in court filings that Waites was 'specifically targeting' them with a tax evasion investigation due to their public profile and reality TV fame. 'We have been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had real problems,' their attorney, Alex Little of Burr & Forman LLP, said in a statement to People. 'This settlement is an encouraging sign.' He added: 'Its nearly unprecedented for one arm of the government to pay money to defendants when another arm is fighting to keep them in jail.' However, Little appears to be referring to different governments, as the Chrisleys were cleared of tax evasion charges by the state of Georgia but were later convicted of multiple counts of bank fraud and tax evasion by a federal jury. Savannah felt that was very strange. 'This should SCARE all of you!' she wrote; pictured with her family Todd, 54, and Julie, 51, sued the former Director of Special Investigations for Georgias Department of Revenue, Joshua Waites, back in 2019; seen in 2017 The couple are currently serving federal prison sentences for bank fraud and tax evasion; still from Chrisley Knows Best Todd was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie was sentenced to seven years behind bars, but both sentences were subsequently shortened in September of last year, and they appear to have been shortened again more recently As long as nothing else changes, Todd can now expect to be released on September 23, 2032. Julie will now be leaving prison even earlier, with a tentative release date of August 20, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' online inmate search system. Michael J. Bowers, the Chrisleys' former lawyer, who filed their lawsuit in 2019, wrote that Waites' charges against the couple were 'a shocking example of how an out-of-control public servant can abuse his office and violate the rights of innocent citizens for reasons that have more to do with securing publicity and money for his office than with enforcing the law,' according to People. The lawsuit alleged that Waites 'began to focus his efforts and desire' on the Chrisley Knows Best stars, while particularly singling out both Todd and their daughter Lindsie, who is currently estranged from her parents. Bowers and the Chrisleys claimed that Waites was only targeting Lindsie as a means to get her to share incriminating information about her parents. That approach didn't appear to pan out, and the lawsuit alleges that Waites then shared Todd and Julie's confidential tax records with Lindsie. 'Ultimately Waitess efforts failed, but in the process, the Chrisleys were forced to incur substantial personal and financial hardship,' Bowers wrote in filings. 'We have been saying for months that the criminal case against the Chrisleys was highly unusual and had real problems,' their attorney said in a statement. 'This settlement is an encouraging sign'; seen in 2019 in Nashville After the settlement was announced, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Revenue said that its 'investigators are fair and impartial,' but they admitted that revelations from the lawsuit were 'disappointing,' according to Page Six; seen in 2018 in Los Angeles Although Todd and Julie are still facing years behind bars, even with the Georgia charges coming to nothing and the settlement from the state, the couple still have legal avenues to fight their conviction. In April, their appeal against their federal convictions will be heard by an appeals court in Atlanta. Following the settlement with the Chrisleys, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Revenue said in a statement that its 'investigators are fair and impartial.' However, they admitted that revelations from the Chrisleys' lawsuit were 'disappointing,' according to Page Six. It's well and truly snake season and despite the majority of people eager to dodge the animals over the summer, one recent wildlife spectacle forced bystanders to simply stop, watch and wait. One resident found a highly venomous eastern brown snake in her backyard and called a catcher with hopes the snake would be relocated swiftly. However on arrival at the Bundamba home situated in Ipswich, Queensland Brandon Wilkinson found the snake a little preoccupied. "A brown snake was out in the open in between two bits of grass and it was curled around this water dragon," he told Yahoo News Australia. "When I first got there they were still having a bit of a tussle, it wasn't clear if it was going to get away. But eventually the snake's venom and persistence paid off and it managed to subdue the water dragon." The eastern brown snake's 'impressive' catch made things a lot easier for snake catcher Brandon Wilkinson. Source: Supplied Snake catcher had to 'bag them both together' After 45 minutes of waiting patiently and watching the two reptiles fight it out before the snake was "victorious", Wilkinson had to hurry the process along fearing others residents in need of his assistance had been waiting for too long. "I wanted to try and let the snake consume the lizard before I caught it, I didn't want to make the snake waste all that energy and perseverance for nothing," he said. "But I didn't have much choice, I had to bag them both up together." Wilkinson said this happens "from time to time" but "interesting enough" the water dragon was still in the snake's mouth long after he relocated the snake. "When you dispose of them usually whatever they have in their mouth they let go of. But obviously this snake was quite determined to eat that lizard," he said. Story continues Half consumed lizard made it 'safer' to relocate snake Despite the eastern brown being "flighty" and "thrashing around a bit" the fact that it's mouth was temporarily incapacitated allowed the snake catcher to handle it safely, with the likelihood of being bitten minimised drastically. "It actually makes the job a lot easier when their mouth is full. Snakes have recurve teeth, their teeth face backwards, so they can't really let go in an instant... It's pretty safe to work with them then," he said. "They are very defensive because they're vulnerable, but really all they can do is thrash their body about a little bit." The snake catcher relocated the snake into long grass which provided shelter so it could finish off its meal in peace. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, is now facing more serious charges in his criminal child abuse case. According to TMZ, the spouse of the Teen Mom star has been charged by one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of felony assault by strangulation. The news about Eason, whose conduct was defended by his wife earlier this year, was also confirmed by an official at the Columbus County Courthouse in North Carolina. TMZ reported that Eason, 35, had been accused by Evans' son Jace, 14, of physical abuse this past October. The 32-year-old Teen Mom star's son had run away from home on several occasions before then, and he had been returned to his parents each time. Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, is now facing more serious charges in his criminal child abuse case However, sources claimed that Jace, whose father is his mother's former partner Andrew Lewis, alleged that Eason had assaulted him following his most recent attempt to run away from home. The insiders went on to claim that Evans' son exhibited visible marks on his neck and arms, and the alleged assault was said to have taken place at an acquaintance's residence. Both the local police department and CPS were said to have obtained Ring camera footage of the incident. Following the alleged assault, Evans and Eason both became the subject of a investigation for suspected child neglect. It was reported that the latter of the two had officially been charged with a misdemeanor related to his involvement in the incident in October. Officials have since determined that a separate charge for alleged strangulation is applicable to the media figure's spouse. Although Evans was also possibly set to be charged in connection with the case, she has not been given any charges as of yet. According to TMZ, Jace was placed under the care of his maternal grandmother, Barbara, this past November. TMZ reported that Eason, 35, had been accused by Evans' son Jace, 14, of physical abuse this past October The spouse of the reality television personality has been charged by one count of misdemeanor child abuse one count of felony assault by strangulation; they are seen in 2019 Sources claimed that Jace, whose father is his mother's former partner Andrew Lewis, alleged that Eason had assaulted him following his most recent attempt to run away from home The insiders went on to state that Evans' son exhibited visible marks on his neck and arms, and the alleged assault was said to have taken place at an acquaintance's residence However, the reality television personality's son ran away from Barbara's home when she took away his cell phone after he was caught while using a vape at school. Although Evans, CPS and the foster care team had advised Jace's grandmother to restrict his cell phone usage, she did not follow the advice and felt that she would be able to handle the teen. The media figure's son was missing from Barbara's residence for approximately a day and a half before he was recovered. Jace was placed in a hospital following the incident, and there were also plans to have him placed into foster care. James Bond actor Ben Whishaw is reportedly dating Flebag star Kadiff Kirwan. The film star, 43, who portrayed Q in No Time To Die and Spectre, is said to have met Kadiff, 34, when they both played doctors in the BBC series This Is Going To Hurt. According to The Sun, the pair have been seeing each other for a few months and enjoyed a romantic trip to Greece last year. A source said: 'Ben and Kadiff are on the same page when it comes to being private with their love lives. But they are very close and have loads of mutual friends, so hang out together a lot. 'They got together after starring in This Is Going To Hurt and have quietly been an item ever since.' James Bond actor Ben Whishaw is reportedly dating Flebag star Kadiff Kirwan Ben was reported to have split from his husband of 10 years, Mark Bradshaw, in April 2022, with travel and work schedules said to be behind the breakup (pictured with Naomie Harris) The couple appear to be trying to keep their relationship under the radar as they haven't been spotted out together much. However, they did attend Margate Pride together last year where they posed for a snap together. Along with his roles in the James Bond films, Ben will also star in the upcoming live action film Paddington In Peru due for release this year. Kadiff played a hairdresser in Fleabag and he has also been featured in My Policeman with Harry Styles. Kadiff dropped a hint about his relationship during an appearance on Jessie Ware's Table Manners podcast where he referred to Ben as his 'other half'. Asked who he would like around the table for his last supper, he replied: 'All my pals, my other half and my besties.' Ben was reported to have split from his husband of 10 years, Mark Bradshaw, in April 2022, with travel and work schedules said to be behind the breakup. The couple met in 2009 on the set of Bright Star in which Ben played the poet John Keats. Mark, a composer, wrote the score for the film. They entered into a civil partnership in Sydney in 2012. It was said the pair were proud to do so and are very happy. Ben, who portrayed Q in No Time To Die and Spectre, is said to have met Kadiff, when they both played doctors in the BBC series This Is Going To Hurt Emma Stoned stunned in black and white as she attended the star-studded American Film Institute Awards Friday in Beverly Hills. The actress, 35, who won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, was on hand to support the film that helped her earn that accolade. Poor Things, in which she stars as a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist, has been included among AFI's Movies of the Year. Big studio films such Barbie, Oppenheimer, Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon were honored, along with smaller films such as The Holdovers, American Fiction, and May December and Past Lives. Spider-man Across the Spider-verse was the only animated movie to make the cut. Emma Stoned stunned in black and white as she attended the star-studded American Film Institute Awards Friday in Beverly Hills For her latest outing, the Oscar winner donned a white top with overly long sleeves and V-neck paired with an ankle length black chiffon A-line skirt. A black and white checked statement belt accentuated the actress' tiny waist. She accessorized with a simple pair of gold earrings and completed the look with a pair of black pumps. The Lala Land star's reddish-brown hair was styled in a long bob and parted on the side. She wore daytime friendly makeup with a pomegranate red lip. Accompanying the actress on her busy rounds was Poor Things co-star Ramy Youssef and director Yorgos Lanthimos, 50. Youssef, 32, chose a chocolate brown suit with a double breasted coat and a black T-shirt. The Oscar winner donned a white top with overly long sleeves and V-neck paired with an ankle length black chiffon A-line skirt A black and white checked statement belt accentuated the actress' tiny waist. She accessorized with a simple pair of gold earrings and completed the look with a pair of black pumps Accompanying the actress on her busy rounds was Poor Things co-star Ramy Youssef and director Yorgos Lanthimos, 50. Stone will also appear in Lanthimos' next movie, Kinds of Kindness The director looked stylish in a tan suit with a green shirt featuring a Nero collar. Stone will also appear in Lanthimos' next movie, Kinds of Kindness. The actress has recently listed her home in the Westwood area of Los Angeles for $3.995 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Cruella star, her husband, writer-director Dave McCrary, 38, and their daughter Louise, almost three, have been using the house as a stopping place while in Los Angeles, according to realtor Eric Lavey. The couple sold their Malibu house for more than $4.4 million in 2022 but still maintain homes in Texas and New York. Australian TV icons Jessica Rowe and Peter Overton are celebrating 20 years of marriage. On Friday, Jess, 53, paid tribute to the milestone with a gallery of sweet throwback pictures she shared to her stories, which included a charming re-staging of her original wedding photo with her beloved. Posting to Instagram, the television personality shared a black and white snap in which she can be seen posing with her then-new husband on their wedding day. In the photo, Peter, 56, held his new bride as Jess, looking radiant, showed off a gorgeous summer wedding gown decorated with sequins. Meanwhile, her groom beamed as he sported a dark suit and what appeared to be a silk tie. Former Studio 10 host Jessica Rowe celebrated 20 years of marriage with husband, Channel Nine news presenter Peter Overton (both pictured). Jess paid tribute to the milestone with a gallery of sweet throwback pictures she shared on Friday including this pic of her wedding day The former Studio 10 host captioned the post: '20 Years ago...' Jess also included a picture of the wedding 'cake' they shared with guests at the ceremony. Instead of a traditional tiered cake, Jess revealed that guests were treated to individual cupcakes decorated with cat whiskers. The elaborate decorations on the dessert table also featured ornamental cats. Jess also shared a present photo of the lovebirds re-enacting their original wedding day photo 'And this was our wedding cake... Cat cupcakes!!!' Jess explained in the caption. Jess also shared a present photo of the lovebirds re-enacting their original wedding day photo. The recent picture features a smiling Jess, dressed in a colourful pleated dress, holding hands with her husband Pete. 'And now...' Jess shared in the caption. Known as a cat lover, Jess included Tom Jones' hit song 'What's New Pussycat' to the share. Jess also shared this throwback pic of her feline-themed 'wedding cake' Jessica is best known for her co-hosting role on Studio 10, which she stepped down from in March 2018 to spend more time with her family. The couple share two daughters, Allegra 15, and Giselle, 13, and first met when Jess was doing work experience at Channel Nine when she was 19. Jess said Peter, 55, was one of the few people who spoke to her during her work experience stint, and they saw each other again years later at the Logies. 'As we were talking I was thinking, "Why can't I meet a nice man like this? Why am I not attracting really good, decent people like this beautiful man?"' she told Mamamia in May 2018. READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Rowe speaks out about Studio 10 getting axed while making a glam appearance at the Women of the Year awards Advertisement xx She's moved at pace ever since starring opposite Daniel Craig as Bond girl Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace. But Gemma Arterton is now in danger of being confined to the slow lane, after she was caught speeding in her Toyota. The British actress, 37, is accused of exceeding the 30mph speed limit on the A270, a road which alternates between dual and single carriageway. She was caught by an automatic camera while driving in East Sussex and fined by Brighton magistrates - thought to be for around 100. Gemma lives in a 1.8 million farmhouse near Brighton with her Irish actor husband Rory Keenan and their one-year-old son. The actress tied the knot to Rory who starred in Peaky Blinders, in a secret ceremony, four years after her divorce from Italian businessman Stefano Catelli, who she married in 2010. Gemma Arterton has been fined by Brighton magistrates after a speed camera snared her Toyota exceeding 30mph on the A270 Gemma shot to fame after she beat 1,500 other hopefuls to the role of Strawberry in Quantum of Solace, who becomes romantically involved with the MI6 agent. She later admitted that aged 21, she took the job to pay off her student loan because she was 'as poor as a church mouse', adding that she now sees 'so much wrong' with 007 female characters. Reflecting on the acting opportunity, she said in an interview with The Sun: 'At the beginning of my career, I was poor as a church mouse and I was happy just to be able to work and earn a living. 'I still get criticism for accepting Quantum Of Solace, but I was 21, I had a student loan, and you, know, it was a Bond film. 'But as I got older I realised there was so much wrong with Bond women. Strawberry should have just said no, really, and worn flat shoes.' Last year, Gemma spoke very candidly about sexism still present in the film industry and slammed the 'dinosaurs' still working with outdated attitudes. The actress admitted she was told to be less vocal about feminism before the #MeToo movement and shared her frustration about the 'hypocrisy' in the industry. The British actress, 37, who lives in a 1.8 million farmhouse was fined by Brighton magistrates - thought to be for around 100 The actress tied the knot with Peaky Blinders star Rory Keenan in a secret ceremony in 2019 and the pair welcomed their son three years later (pictured here in 2018) She said although things are getting better, there are still 'old dinosaurs' who have outdated attitudes and behaviours and said it is 'tragic' people are still facing sexism Speaking on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, she said: 'There are certain dinosaurs that are still working to this day. 'It has changed a lot thankfully since the sixties but there's definitely still things where I feel like it's more about the old dinosaurs that are still working where you kind of have to shake them and go, "hello this is 2023, we don't do that anymore!"' Gemma revealed she was also told to be less opinionated about feminism by a Hollywood manager and said she was told it could 'hold' her career back. She fumed over the 'hypocrisy' in the industry as she said the same manager then supported the #MeToo movement years later, when feminism became 'fashionable'. She said: 'I think back when all of this Times Up, #MeToo stuff was happening, it just felt like this is the time to speak up but even before then, I was speaking up and I remember I was speaking up about equal pay or something, you know, just feminist s**t. 'And this American manager came to see me in a show and he literally said, "can you stop the feminism thing because it's not doing you any favours". Amanda Holden and Alan Carr 'feared for their lives' as they took on a terrifying zip-line for their new series of Italian Job on Friday. The duo are back living la dolce vita in the second series of their show The Italian Job, as they purchase a bargain home in the idyllic region of northern Tuscany and raise it up from its ruins and into a luxury holiday home. Episode two saw Amanda, 52, and Alan, 47, attempt to transform the old dining room into a Tuscan living room. As they failed to reach agreement on the colour scheme, they ventured off to source some inspiration from the colourful fishing village of Riomaggiore. While out and about in the Apuan Alps they decided to face their fears and take on a 1,500 metre-long zip wire over Lake Vagli. Amanda Holden and Alan Carr 'feared for their lives' as they took on a terrifying zip-line for their new series of Italian Job on Friday 'I feel like I'm waking to the gallows!' Alan exclaimed as they made their way over the bridge. 'If it does snap you just land on the trees. I am so worried about dying because this will be my ghosts outfit.' Amanda teased: 'I'm comforted by the fact I get to scream next to you plus if we crash and I land on you, I will live.' Setting off the duo let out screams, while Alan shouted: 'Oh my God is that a graveyard? Oh my God, don't wave at it!' Alan and Amanda's renovation series Italian Job returned to BBC One earlier this month. The pair are tasked with transforming a home in Tuscany, however Amanda has admitted that filming was plagued by a ghostly 'presence' at the property. Speaking to The Sun's TV Mag, she said: 'We felt a presence, but it wasn't ominous, it felt like a friendly energy. 'Things did start happening, the lights went on and off a lot!' As they failed to reach agreement on the colour scheme for their renovation, they ventured off to source some inspiration from the colourful fishing village of Riomaggiore While out and about in the Apuan Alps they decided to face their fears and take on a 1,500 metre-long zip wire over Lake Vagli It comes as Amanda rung in the New Year in style as she joined her best pal Alan for a wild party at Estelle Manor The Britain's Got Talent judge shared a fun gallery of Instagram snaps documenting the night out, joined by her daughters Lexi, 17, Hollie, 11, and a group of their pals It comes as Amanda rung in the New Year in style as she joined her best pal Alan for a wild party at Estelle Manor. The Britain's Got Talent judge shared a fun gallery of Instagram snaps documenting the night out, joined by her daughters Lexi, 17, Hollie, 11, and a group of their pals. Amanda stunned in an eye-catching white dress with a feathered trim as she posed for snaps with her pal Alan. Sharing the photos on New Year's Day, Amanda captioned the post: 'Happy 1st Jan.' Shia LaBeouf's wife Mia Goth is reportedly being sued by one of the background actors from her upcoming film MaXXXine. An extra who worked on the third and final installment of the X trilogy with the 30-year-old leading actress claimed she kicked him in the head on purpose while filming a scene. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the background actor is suing Goth for at least $500,000 for battery as well as director Ti West and A24 for wrongful termination. DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Goth for comment. He alleged that during production last year, the Pearl and X star was filming a scene where she had to run past him, step over him and keep running. After a few takes, the background actor claimed Goth 'nearly stepped' on him. Mia Goth is reportedly being sued by one of the background actors from her upcoming film MaXXXine It is unclear by whom but she was warned to be careful as they did another take on the scene. However, the actor claimed she then 'intentionally kicked' him in the head with her boot during the next take, which he said caused him serious pain, neck stiffness and ultimately a concussion. He claimed that no medical assistance was provided on set and that he continued to get mistreated by Goth as she allegedly approached him in the bathroom and 'taunted, mocked and belittled' him. He also alleged that because he had to wear a robe and be covered entirely in fake blood for the scene, he had to suffer more uncomfortable circumstances. He said he had to lay down on the ground and play dead for several hours, which entailed him 'enduring ants and mosquitoes'. He also claimed the fake blood had dried and caused the robe to stick to his body, which became painful to remove. On the drive home, he alleged that he 'nearly passed out twice' during the trip due to headaches and pain. Following the incident, he claims he was wrongfully terminated and taken off of the production. An extra who worked on the third and final installment of the X trilogy with the 30-year-old leading actress claimed she kicked him in the head on purpose while filming a scene According legal documents obtained by TMZ , the background actor is suing Goth for at least $500,000 for battery as well as director Ti West and A24 for wrongful termination. He alleged that during production last year, the Pearl and X star was filming a scene where she had to run past him but she intentionally kicked him in the head MaXXXine the third and final installment of the X trilogy is set in 1980s Los Angeles amid an evolving adult film industry. The story follows Maxine Minx, the sole survivor of the massacre in X, as she continues her journey in Hollywood to become a famous actress An official release date for MaXXXine has not yet been announced, but the film is anticipated to premiere sometime this year MaXXXine the third and final installment of the X trilogy is set in 1980s Los Angeles amid an evolving adult film industry. The story follows Maxine Minx, the sole survivor of the massacre in X, as she continues her journey in Hollywood to become a famous actress. Production for the forthcoming slasher film began in April 2023 and wrapped the following month. MaXXXine also stars Emily in Paris' Lily Collins, Grammy-nominated musician Halsey, The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki and The Idol's Moses Sumney. An official release date for MaXXXine has not yet been announced, but the film is anticipated to premiere sometime this year. It appears Arnold Schwarzenegger has a new workout partner. On Friday, the legendary bodybuilding champion, 76, was spotted exercising at the world famous Gold's Gym in Venice with Kevin Miles, otherwise known as Jake from State Farm. It turns out the men were paired up to exercise and hit the weights hard for a new commercial shoot. At one point while the cameras were rolling, Miles could be seen standing over the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion watching him do bicep exercises. Decked out in the company's standard Jake from State Farm ensemble of tan khakis and a red long-sleeve shirt, Miles (born Kevin Mimm), 33, had a mesmerized look on his face as he watched the Terminator star pump iron. Actor Kevin Miles, 33, was spotting shooting his next Jake from State Farm commercial at a Gold's Gym with former bodybuilding champion Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76 The actor, who took over the role of Jake for the insurance company in 2020, also wore a pair of white and red sneakers. Miles and Schwarzenegger filmed together in the outdoor portion of Gold's Gym, which the Predator star helped make famous decades ago. The Austria native was dressed sporty for the shoot in black sweatpants with a matching sweatshirt and sneakers. With a chill in the air, the longtime Hollywood leading man also wore a black jacket, all while sporting some cool dark sunglasses when he went outside for part of the shoot. Being that both men have been vocal about their commitment to a healthy lifestyle, it was only fitting that the two ended the shoot by riding away together on their bikes. Miles began starring in the insurance company's commercials in 2020, replacing Jake Stone. The 2011 commercial featured a husband calling the insurance company at 3 a.m. and his wife catching him on the phone. She assumes she's caught him talking to another woman and takes the phone, asking 'Jake from State Farm' what he's wearing, to which he replies with the iconic line, 'Uhhh khakis?' At one point while the cameras were rolling, Miles could be seen standing over the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion watching him do bicep exercises Being that both men have been vocal about their commitment to a healthy lifestyle, it was only fitting that the two ended the shoot by riding away together on their bikes Some nine years later, State Farm introduced Mills as the new Jake, and he has since starred in multiple ads, and the company has seen the character's popularity take off. In fact, Miles has also become a social media influencer, in the wake of the growth of his followers on Instagram and TikTok. Miles beat out 40 other finalists vying for the gig, some of which he recognized. 'I was definitely really nervous going in just because you see these actors that you admire and have seen before going in for this role and you're just like 'Oh c**p, I know they're great,'' Miles said on the Dan Patrick Show in 2021. 'I think I just happened to test well in the focus groups and I just wanted to make something that felt close to me and close to who I am.' Before being cast as Jake, Miles was an aspiring actor who starred in a few minor roles, including an appearance in an episode of Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T. However, his work as Jake from State Farm has opened up many more doors for him over the last three-plus years. Jason Sudeikis was seen hugging his rumoured love interest Elsie Hewitt outside a nightclub in West Hollywood on Thursday night. The actor, 48, put on a cosy display with the actress, 27, who is 21 years his junior as she wrapped her arms around his neck at the Bird Streets Club. Elise has starred in TV series and modelled for a variety of designer fashion brands since kick starting her career. The couple first sparked speculation they were dating in the summer of 2023, but their relationship status is still unclear. And as sparks appear to fly between the pair, here, MailOnline has everything you need to know about Elsie Hewitt... Jason Sudeikis was seen hugging his rumoured love interest Elsie Hewitt outside a nightclub in West Hollywood on Thursday night And as sparks appear to fly between the pair, here, MailOnline has everything you need to know about Elsie... (pictured in March) Who is Elsie Hewitt? Elise was born in London on March 5 1996. Her family relocated to the US when she was 10-years-old. She is thought to be the daughter of film director Peter Hewitt. Where do we know her from? Elise began her career as a model and has since cultivated a growing film and television career. In 2014 she starred in Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? alongside Bella Thorne. It was directed by Peter Hewitt. Elise was named Playboys Miss June 2017, with her announcing the news on Instagram. She captioned the update: 'Heres a pic of me holding a huge pic of me as da june girl for @playboy. Thanks to this whole amazing team for supporting me and making this so special. I love u all.' In the accompanying interview she told the magazine: 'Ive been told no countless times because of the way I look. 'If part of me feels discouraged by that, I use it as ammunition to work harder. I just continue to shoot and create on my own.' In 2018, she got one of her biggest roles on the series Turnt, in which she played a high schooler. In 2020, she appeared in the film Teenage Bada**, and as a testament to her growing fame, she played herself in two episodes of the FX comedy series Dave. Elise was born in London on March 5 1996. Her family relocated to the US when she was 10-years-old (pictured in 2022) Elise began her career as a model and has since cultivated a growing film and television career. Most recently she appeared in the film Teenage Bada** in 2020 (pictured in 2021) She previously dated Reese Witherspoon's ex Ryan Phillippe and in 2017, Elise filed a $1 million assault and battery lawsuit against the actor (Ryan pictured in 2018) Who has she dated? Back in 2017, Elise filed a $1 million assault and battery lawsuit against the actor Ryan Phillippe, who she dated for three months. In the attached documents the Playboy model accused Phillippe of using a variety of drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and steroids. It is also claimed Phillippe would 'routinely monitor Hewitt's physical whereabouts using the Find My Friends app on his iPhone, and it allegde the actor was 'infatuated with Hewitt.' Hewitt accused the Lincoln Lawyer star of acting jealously and 'lashing out' with 'extreme anger' after he found out that two of her ex-boyfriends were at a party she attended without him in June of 2017. After her lawsuit was filed, Philippe publicly denied her claims on social media. He allegedly became intensely jealous of male attention on Hewitt at a July 3 party, he allegedly became violent with her on the following day when she came to his home to pick up some items she needed for a modelling gig. While allegedly 'drunk and high,' he confronted her after she entered his home to retrieve the items and allegedly attacked her. She claimed that he grabbed her arm tight enough to leave bruises, and then 'violently threw her down his staircase as hard as he could' before 'kicking and striking her' when she got back up and reached the top of the stairs. She claimed the actor continued to assault her, and threw her down stairs for a second time. Hewitt went to a hospital and reported the assault to police, who took a report and issued a temporary protective order. However, sources close to Phillippe insist that the model was the one who physically attacked Ryan, caused a scene and refused to leave his home after he dumped her. The case was settled out of court, but in 2019, shortly after Reese Witherspoon was called to testify about her marriage to Phillippe by Hewitt. There's no news of how much he paid Elsie. Advertisement Khloe Kardashian showcased her toned frame in a leather ensemble as she posed in eye-catching images for her latest appearance in tmrw magazine, a multi-platform and culture publication. The Good American founder, 39 who preserved modesty by holding an apple over her bare breast for the sultry cover donned a black, bralette top as well as high-waisted leather bottoms to flaunt her sculpted midriff. She added a leather skirt on top that was draped low around her hips and contained a large thigh-high cutout on the front, allowing material to fall down behind her. The TV personality slipped into a pair of open-toed, black heels that were secured with straps that wrapped around her ankles. Her long locks were parted in the middle and effortlessly flowed down past her shoulders in elegant waves. Khloe Kardashian, 39, showcased her toned frame in a leather ensemble as she posed in eye-catching images for her latest appearance in tmrw magazine, a multi-platform and culture publication The Good American founder - who preserved modesty by holding an apple over her bare breast for the sultry cover - donned a black, bralette top as well as high-waisted leather bottoms to flaunt her sculpted midriff Khloe's makeup was glammed up for the photo session, and comprised of a layer of mascara to her lashes as well as a shimmering, bronze shadow around her eyes. A light pink blush was added to her cheekbones for a radiant glow, while a glossy nude-colored tint was worn on her lips for a finishing touch. She opted to not add any flashy pieces of jewelry to allow the outfit to be the main focal point. The reality star struck a variety of poses while standing in front of a plain backdrop on set that contained hues of gray that morphed into a reddish color. In another snap, the beauty wore a separate ensemble that comprised of a sheer, black lace dress that clung to her frame and contained cutouts on the front and back. Her hair was slicked back and styled into a simply ponytail, preventing any loose strands from falling onto her face. Khloe could be seen bending forward and reached out to take a bite from an apple on a tree, while her spare hand was placed on her left side. The mother-of-two additionally took an assortment of other close-up pictures for the magazine and exuded confidence in another stylish look. The reality star struck a variety of poses while standing in front of a plain backdrop on set that contained hues of gray that morphed into a reddish color In another snap, the beauty wore a separate ensemble that comprised of a sheer, black lace dress that clung to her frame and contained cutouts on the front and back The mother-of-two additionally took an assortment of other close-up pictures for the magazine and exuded confidence in another stylish look She could be seen sporting a black, halter-styled bralette top that contained a large cutout at the front as well as floral details She could be seen sporting a black, halter-styled bralette top that contained a large cutout at the front as well as floral details at the bottom hem. A red choker was also worn that had a large, floral embellishment on the side that offered a pop of color to the monochromatic ensemble. Khloe also added a pair of sheer, black gloves that nearly reached up towards her elbows. She gazed towards the camera for the glamorous shots, and also had a bit of fun and showed off a few playful poses. In one image, The Kardashians star puckered her lips while placing her left hand on her cheek while standing in front of a plain, white backdrop. The businesswoman also went topless in a few black and white images, which showed the beauty donning a long coat as well as a pair of sheer tights and dark bottoms underneath. Her long, flowy locks fell down in front of her to partially cover her chest as she showed off her toned legs. In another snap, Khloe crouched down and placed one hand behind her to easily hold herself up as the outer layer draped down her right arm. A red choker was also worn that had a large, floral embellishment on the side that offered a pop of color to the monochromatic ensemble In one image, The Kardashians star puckered her lips while placing her left hand on her cheek while standing in front of a plain, white backdrop The businesswoman also went topless in a few black and white images, which showed the beauty donning a long coat as well as a pair of sheer tights and dark bottoms underneath In another snap, Khloe crouched down and placed one hand behind her to easily hold herself up as the outer layer draped down her right arm Khloe continued to show off her modeling skills in a separate outfit that comprised of a very sheer, lace bodysuit in another black and white photo Khloe continued to show off her modeling skills in a separate outfit that comprised of a very sheer, lace bodysuit in another black and white photo. A belt was wrapped around her midriff to better accentuate her waist, and the star also donned a pair of matching, lace gloves. She could be seen laying on her side in the picture as her hair pooled around her while resting her right hand on her forehead. Lastly, the beauty appeared in another close-up image as she covered her eyes with her hands. Her nails were painted a gold metallic color and she also wore gold bands on some of her fingers that had blue eye embellishments. Khloe wore a long-sleeved, white top that contained a high neck, and she also added a pair of long, dangly gold earrings. The media personality's hair was pulled back into a chic up do, and for a final touch, a gold cover was placed over her lips for a unique flare. On the cover image for tmrw magazine, the star preserved her modesty with a carefully placed apple covering her bare breast. Lastly, the beauty appeared in another close-up image as she covered her eyes with her hands On the cover image for tmrw magazine, the star preserved her modesty with a carefully placed apple covering her bare breast Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, reposted the cover image on her Instagram with the caption: 'wow my @khloekardashian for @tmrwmag [rose emoji].' Meanwhile, younger sister, Kylie Jenner, wrote under Kardashian's post: 'loooooove' In the striking image, she oozed confidence as she put her ample assets on full display in a plunging black minidress with a racy slit up her side. The mother-of-two, who sported a glamorous makeup look that enhanced her natural beauty, opted to style her golden locks into a chic slicked-back hairstyle. Her satin ensemble was designed by Dolce & Gabbana and statement earrings from House of Emmanuele. The magazine, featuring Kardashian on the cover, will include a full in-depth conversation, photo shoot of the socialite rocking 10 'jaw-dropping' looks and 100+ pages dedicated to her. Greg Swales served as the photographer and creative Director while Katie Mossman was responsible for styling the shoot. Los Angeles-based makeup artist, Ash K Holm, hair stylist Irinel de Leon and manicurist Chaun Legend got Kardashian all glammed up. Journalist, Juno Kelly, did the interview with Kardashian, who she described as 'being a generous, candid interviewee' on Instagram. Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, reposted the cover image on her Instagram with the caption: 'wow my @khloekardashian for @tmrwmag [rose emoji].' Meanwhile, younger sister, Kylie Jenner, wrote under Kardashian's post: 'loooooove.' During the accompanying interview, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum told the outlet: 'It's so powerful, the older you get, how secure and comfortable you get within your skin and with people.' 'I don't care who agrees with what I'm doing, you're just, you feel good,' she continued of getting older. During the accompanying interview, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum told the outlet: 'It's so powerful, the older you get, how secure and comfortable you get within your skin and with people' Still, Kardashian, who has been vocal her thirties being the 'worst decade ever,' admitted that she will 'be disappointed' if she gets 'any more s**t' in her forties. In July, the Strong Looks Better Naked author declared on her Instagram Story that she 'cannot wait to be in' her forties, like sisters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. 'I hate being in my 30s. I think it's the worst decade ever,' she wrote. Her 30s have included their share of upsides, such as the arrival of her children True, five, and Tatum, but have also as well as the finalization of her divorce from Lamar Odom, who nearly died of an overdose in a brothel during their separation. She subsequently had a rollercoaster onoff romance with Tristan Thompson, who fathered her two children, but was also serially unfaithful to her. Chinese researchers develop AI tech to help interpret animal social behavior Xinhua) 10:33, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that addresses crucial challenges in accurately detecting animal social behavior, according to the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The most difficult part of multi-animal social behavior analysis is to distinguish between animals that look very similar at the same time. The new technology, Social Behavior Atlas (SBeA), developed by researchers from the SIAT, can identify similar-looking animals with more than 90 percent accuracy, eliminating the need to define social behavior categories in advance, which may help discovery new, undefined differences in animal social behavior. The new algorithm can also effectively synthesize a large volume of new data and train models with higher accuracy, thus obtaining more accurate 3D social gesture estimation results, said Wei Pengfei, correspondence author of the study. SBeA is suitable for accurately calculating 3D social posture, identity and fine social modules in mice, birds and domestic dogs, with potential for cross-species applications, Wei said. The study was recently published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) A woman who allegedly attacked someone with a metal object in a sock and a man who allegedly possessed a gun during a fight are among recent indictments by a Cayuga County grand jury. Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said in a news release Friday that the indictments include Lenaysia Myles, 32, of Syracuse, who was indicted on second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (both class D felonies) following a call for a fight on Bostwick Avenue in Auburn earlier this month. The indictment alleged Myles intentionally injured a victim by repeatedly swinging a sock with a hard metal object inside that hit the victim's head. If convicted after trial, Myles faces seven years in prison. She was arrested pending arraignment at Cayuga County Court at a date to be determined. She was released at the county Centralized Arraignment Part over the objection of the district attorney's office, the release noted. Additionally, Chadd Clark, 38, of Dryden, was indicted on a charge of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a class C armed violent felony). According to the indictment, a call to authorities about a fight at the Genoa Hotel led them to find Clark in possession of a loaded .40 caliber handgun despite him not being allowed to legally possess a firearm in New York. Following an investigation by New York State Police, Clark was taken into custody and remanded to the Cayuga County Jail pending arraignment in county court at a later date. He faces 15 years in prison. Abraham Patterson, 33, of Auburn, was also indicted on driving while ability impaired by combined influence of drugs and alcohol (a class E felony), seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a misdemeanor) and two counts of driving while intoxicated (also a class E felony). Edwin Roberts, 42, of Auburn, was indicted on third-degree burglary (a class D felony) and one count of petit larceny (a misdemeanor). Two others who were indicted were Rashan C. Ingram, 33, and Danielle Ray, 38, who were both arrested by the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force in Auburn last week. The two were indicted on one count of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class A-1 felony) and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class B felony). The indictment alleges they both knowingly possessed over 800 grams of cocaine with the intent to sell it. Ingram faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, while Ray faces 30 years. They've both been remanded to the Cayuga County jail without bail pending arraignment at a date to be determined. Three arrested, 800 grams of cocaine seized in Auburn drug bust The Finger Lakes Drug Task Force arrested three and seized more than 800 grams of cocaine, as well as other substances, in the culmination of Abbie Chatfield has never been backward in coming forward about her romantic life. And the 28-year-old podcaster shared a bizarre story from her past involving an ex and the elaborate lie he spun so he could avoid meeting her family. Sharing the video to Instagram, as part of a sponsorship for the dating app Bumble, Abbie recalled her then-beau had turned down a holiday with her and her clan because he had already booked a trip to Antarctica. The FBoy Island host explained that the pair had been on and off - 'for years' and one Christmas she invited him on a holiday to meet her friends and family. The boyfriend - who Abbie did not identify - turned down her offer with the excuse that he was headed to the South Pole. Abbie Chatfield has shared a bizarre story from her past involving an ex and the elaborate lie he spun so he could avoid meeting her family (pictured, a scene from the video) Unable to shrug off her suspicions over his excuse, Abbie discovered the truth when she checked his friends' social media in the New Year. She found photos of her lover holidaying on the Gold Coast with his mates. 'Not quite Antarctica, is it?' Abbie questioned sarcastically as she continued the story. Eventually, the reality star confronted the shameless boyfriend. 'All this man did was go, ''I'm sorry, baby'',' she said, clearly not relishing the memory. Meanwhile, Abbie's followers were quick to call out the reality star for the genuinity of the story. Abbie said her then beau had turned her family holiday down because he had already booked a trip - to Antarctica 'Nice story for Bumble but I don't think you're silly enough to truly believe that he was going to Antartica,' wrote one fan. Another follower agreed commenting: 'Who goes to Antarctica? I would have known it was a scam to start.' 'At least pick a feasible country lol,' wrote another. It comes after news that her dating show FBoy Island Australia will be returning to screens with a second season in 2024. Abbie revealed that she caught her boyfriend out when she discovered had been spending time with his mates on the Gold Coast It comes after news that her dating show FBoy Island Australia will be returning to screens with a second season in 2024 The controversial dating show is set to make a comeback, with Abbie returning as host. Abbie told The Daily Telegraph the series is a 'perfect combination of an easy to watch dating show but also isn't afraid to make fun of itself and its contestants.' 'I think this show really gave a voice to a lot of people, particularly young women who have been f***ed around by Fboys and in myself or the contestants calling them out they felt vindicated and justified,' she said. Beverly Johnson secretly married her longtime partner Brian Maillian last year. The iconic supermodel, 71, revealed she tied the knot with her financier fiance during an intimate and spontaneous Las Vegas wedding ceremony on her birthday. During an appearance on SiriusXM's Sway in the Morning on Friday, she told the story about how they decided to elope after being together for 12 years. The actress who posed with the world's oldest supermodel Carmen Dell'Orefice, now 92, for a racy magazine shoot said he had asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She recalled: 'Two days before my birthday [on] October 13, he kept saying, "What do you want for your birthday?" Beverly Johnson secretly married her longtime partner, Brian Maillian, last year; seen together on January 4 The iconic supermodel, 71, revealed she tied the knot with her financier fiance during an intimate and spontaneous Las Vegas wedding ceremony on her birthday; seen on January 10 'I sat up in the bed on October 11 and said, "I know what I want for my birthday. I want to get married",' she continued. When Maillian agreed, she recalled feeling surprised and excited, saying to herself in her head: 'Did he say okay? Oh s***.' She also revealed that Maillian initially wanted a wedding with 1,500 guests but ended up settling for a smaller, more intimate ceremony. She added that some of her best friends joined them for the wedding and 'orchestrated' the whole thing even though it was a last minute decision. Two days later on her birthday, they exchanged their vows and officially became husband and wife. 'It was just the right moment,' she said about their spontaneous wedding, which she said they had in a 'really beautiful' chapel. As for their wedding bands, she said she had told Maillian that she wanted 'a piece of property' rather than a ring. 'I got a lot of rings!' she joked. During an appearance on Sirius XM's Sway in the Morning on Friday, she told the story about how they spontaneously decided to elope after being together for 12 years; seen in January 2023 Johnson and her now-husband have been together for over a decade and engaged since 2020. Previously, Johnson said she 'never' wanted to get married again but said she changed her mind when she met Maillian; seen in September 2015 She is a mother to daughter Anansa Sims, 45, and a grandmother to three grandkids; seen with Maillian, her daughter and her now-ex David Patterson Jr. and their daughter Ava, now 12, while filming debut season of Beverly's Full House in 2012 The pair do not have any children together, but Johnson shares one child with her ex-husband, music producer Danny Sims. She is a mother to daughter Anansa Sims, 45, and a grandmother to three grandkids. Johnson, who made history as the first black woman on the cover of US Vogue in 1974, was previously married to real estate agent Billy Potter from 1971 to 1975. She was later married to Sims from 1977 to 1979 before meeting Maillian. Johnson and her now-husband have been together for over a decade and engaged since 2020. Previously, Johnson said she 'never' wanted to get married again but said she changed her mind when she met Maillian. 'It's so profound because it's on a totally different level,' she said on the radio show. 'Most certainly on a spiritual level as we get closer to our God whoever that may be and each day and moment becomes so precious.' Bill Hayes, who was best known for his portrayal of Doug Williams on the long-running soap opera series Days Of Our Lives, has passed away at the age of 98. The news about the late performer's passing was confirmed in a statement to TVLine on Friday. The actor's who celebrated his 98th birthday on the set of the show official cause of death has not been revealed. The statement regarding Hayes' passing began by illustrating the impact that the performer had on the show. 'One of the longest running characters on Days Of Our Lives, Bill originated the role of Doug Williams in 1970 and portrayed him continuously throughout his life,' it read. Bill Hayes, who was best known for his portrayal of Doug Williams on the long-running soap opera series Days Of Our Lives, has passed away at the age of 98; seen in 2015 The performer's connection with his longtime wife and co-star, Susan Seaforth Hayes, was also illustrated in the statement, and they were described as having served as 'the foundation of the Williams-Horton family.' The show's executive producer, Ken Corday, went on to speak about how Hayes, who first portrayed Williams in 1970 and went on to intermittently reprise his role over the next five decades, would be sorely missed by his loved ones. 'I have known Bill for most of my life and he embodied the heart and soul of Days of our Lives. Although we are grieving and will miss him, Bill's indelible legacy will live on in our hearts and the stories we tell, both on and off the screen,' he said. The late performer, whose birth name was William Foster Hayes III, was born in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925. The actor enlisted in the Navy Air Corps in 1943 while attending DePauw University and trained as a fighter pilot for over two years, although World War II ended shortly before he was set to ship out to service. Hayes went on to receive Bachelor of Arts degrees in both music and English, and he went on to earn a doctoral degree from West Virginia University in 1998. The performer's first marriage was to Mary Hobbs, which lasted from 1947 to 1969, and the couple welcomed a total of five children during their union. The late actor went on to meet Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie Olson Williams on Days Of Our Lives, on the set of the soap opera, and they tied the knot in 1974. The actor's official cause of death - who celebrated his 98th birthday on the set of the show - has not been revealed; seen with wife Susan Seaforth Hayes The late performer, whose birth name was William Foster Hayes III, was born in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925; seen in 2018 The late actor went on to meet Seaforth Hayes, who plays Julie Olson Williams on Days Of Our Lives, on the set of the soap opera, and they tied the knot in 1974 Hayes portrayed Williams consistently from 1970 until 1984, and again from 1986 until 1987, after which he made recurrent appearances as the character over the next few decades; seen with Seaforth Hayes in 2018 He received two separate nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series over the length of his career; seen in 2015 Hayes portrayed Williams consistently from 1970 until 1984, and again from 1986 until 1987, after which he made recurrent appearances as the character over the next few decades. He received two separate nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series over the length of his career. The late performer also had a musical career, and he recorded a version of The Ballad of Davy Crockett that became wildly popular upon its release in 1955. A documentary centered on Hayes' life, entitled World by the Tail, was made available to the public in 2017. Nick Jonas and wife Priyanka Chopra just may have a photographer in training on their hands. On Thursday, the Quantico actress discovered that the couple's baby daughter Malti had figured out how to take selfies on an iPhone. Priyanka eagerly shared the adorable photos with her Instagram followers, writing: 'She took a few selfies.' With a sweet silver bow atop her head, Malti had snapped a blurry selfie while strapped into a carseat. In two more shots she's seen wearing pink bows in her brown hair as she struggled to get herself fully in frame. Nick Jonas and wife Priyanka Chopra just may have a photographer in training on their hands with their two-year-old daughter Malti; the couple seen in April On Thursday, the Quantico actress discovered that Malti had figured out how to take selfies on an iPhone Their baby girl looked mesmerized by the device in all three of the pictures that Priyanka happily shared with her fans this week. The family have some party planning to do as Malti will ring in her second birthday on January 15. The couple welcomed their only child together via surrogate in 2022, but she arrived 12 weeks earlier. Because of this, baby Malti had to spend her first 100 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 'I don't think it was our test. I think it was her test,' Priyanka previously said of Malti's experience in the hospital. 'I realized very, very early that I did not have the luxury to be scared or to be weak because she was scared and weak.' With her motherly instincts already in place, Chopra said she knew she had to be strong for her baby. 'I needed to make her feel at every given moment that she's not alone,' she shared, 'That we've got her.' Malti made it home for the first time right before Mother's Day in 2022. With two years of motherhood under her belt, Priyanka admitted that she's noticed some unexpected things about herself. 'It's made me a tad more sensitive and fragile, I think, and it makes me nervous a little bit. I didn't expect that,' she with People. Priyanka eagerly shared the adorable photos with her Instagram followers, writing: 'She took a few selfies' With a sweet silver bow atop her head, Malti had snapped a blurry selfie while strapped into a carseat In two more shots she's seen wearing pink bows in her brown hair as she struggled to get herself fully in frame The family have some party planning to do as Malti will ring in her second birthday on January 15 After initially being very protective with their daughter, Chopra and Jonas have begun happily showing Malti on social media 'I look at [my daughter's] smile, and I'm like, "Okay, okay. I'm doing good so far,"' she added. 'It's the greatest thing Ive ever done, but it's extremely scary.' Initially, after spending her first few months in the NICU, the couple did their best to keep her out of the media spotlight. But now, over the last year or so, Chopra and Jonas have loosened up and are now letting fans in on their family life. Malti made her first public appearance with her parents at the ceremony honoring her father's music group the Jonas Brothers with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in LA. Olivia Wilde showed off her toned figure as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday following a gym session. The House alum, 39 whose ex Jason Sudeikis was recently seen hugging 27-year-old actress Elsie Hewitt strolled along a side street as she prepared to head to her next destination. The star kept it casual in a pair of fitted, black leggings as well as a black hoodie that had 'The Apple Pan' written in white lettering on the left side - referencing to the retro diner located in L.A. She slipped into a pair of comfortable, black sneakers that were secured with black laces. Her locks were pulled back and styled into a simple ponytail, preventing any loose strands from falling onto her face. Olivia Wilde, 39, showed off her toned figure as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday following a gym session The star kept it casual in a pair of fitted, black leggings as well as a black hoodie that had 'The Apple Pan' written in white lettering on the left side - referencing to the retro diner located in L.A Olivia added a pair of dainty, gold earrings and also donned a pair of black shades that offered a stylish flare to the look. The filmmaker easily carried a black bag over her shoulder to hold a few items she needed during the weekday outing. She also held a large, blue water bottle in her hand to keep herself hydrated while working out. As Wilde exited the gym, the actress flashed a cheerful smile while making her way across a street. Her outing comes shortly after her ex-fiance, Jason Sudeikis, was spotted sharing a sweet embrace with actress, Else Hewitt - who is 21 years his junior. The pair were seen stepping outside of the hotspot, Birds Street Club, in West Hollywood on Thursday night and at one point, were seen hugging each other. Although the two were first romantically linked last year during the summer, neither stars have publicly commented on their relationship status. The Turnt star showed off her figure during the night out and donned a pair of black, leather pants as well as a sheer, cropped cardigan. Olivia added a pair of dainty, gold earrings and also donned a pair of black shades for a stylish flare to the look As Wilde exited the gym, the actress flashed a cheerful smile while making her way across a street Underneath, she sported a black, lace bra and also slipped into a pair of black boots that were secured with yellow laces. She paired her monochromatic ensemble with a black Prada purse and allowed her locks to fall down straight past her shoulders. The Ted Lasso actor sported a pair of classic, denim jeans as well as a Travis Scott x Jordan jacket to help him stay warm in the cooler temperatures. He added a black hoodie underneath and also opted for a pair of brown, Nike sneakers to complete his overall look. Before sharing an affectionate hug, Jason and Elsie were spotted holding a conversation while standing outside of the restaurant. Wilde and Sudeikis previously dated and began their relationship in 2011, and two years later, the pair became engaged. However, in November 2020, the stars split - promptly ending their engagement. During the course of their relationship, Olivia and Jason welcomed two children: son Otis, nine, and daughter, Daisy, seven. In April 2022, the actress notably was served child custody documents while on stage during CinemaCon. Amid the bitter custody battle, the beauty opened up on The Kelly Clarkson Show about raising her two kids. 'Reshaping a family is tricky. One benefit is that it's allowed for some really deep conversations with my kids, like about emotions and about happiness. It's actually allowed me to get to know them in a different way,' she stated. Her outing comes shortly after her ex-fiance, Jason Sudeikis, was spotted sharing a sweet embrace with actress, Else Hewitt - who is 21 years his junior; seen earlier this month at the 81st Golden Globe Awards The pair were seen stepping outside of the hotspot, Birds Street Club, in West Hollywood on Thursday night and at one point, were seen hugging each other; seen in March 2023 Wilde and Sudeikis previously dated and began their relationship in 2011, and two years later, the pair became engaged. However, in November 2020, the stars split - promptly ending their engagement; seen in January 2020 in Santa Monica The actress also expressed that their children's happiness was the main focus for both herself and Jason. 'My ex and I agree on that, they are everything to us.' 'There are so many families who are blended. But, you know, it's tricky because we're not doing it in private.' Last year in September, the Hollywood stars settled the custody dispute, with the pair agreeing to joint custody of their children. Sudeikis also will pay $27,000 a month in child support to his ex-fiancee. With Jason spending time with rumored love interest, actress Elsie Hewitt, Olivia notably dated former One Director member Harry Styles from 2020 until their split in November 2022. Strictly Come Dancing star Bobby Brazier was seen heading home from tour rehearsals with his dance partner Dianne Buswell on Friday. The EastEnders actor, 20, and the dancer, 34, reunited for tour rehearsals earlier this week after just missing out on the Glitterball trophy to Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola in the previous series last December. As they left the studio, Dianne donned a stylish dark grey leather trench coat which cinched her in tightly at the waist. She also opted for a pair of fishnet stockings and further elevated her height with a pair of knee-high black boots. The beauty then toted her rehearsal essentials around in a large weekend bag and donned a glowy bronzed makeup look. Strictly star Bobby Brazier departed a studio in London on Friday with his dance partner Dianne Buswell after rehearsing for the upcoming tour Meanwhile, Bobby, who plays Freddie Slater in the BBC soap, donned a casual get-up for the evening by wearing a pair of slim-fit dark blue jeans and a black Prada fleece. To smarten up the look the actor also donned a pair of black leather boots and carried a sophisticated brown leather satchel bag. As the star left the dance studio, he was also spotted carrying a variety of clothes in his arms as he made his way to the taxi after a long day of rehearsals. It comes after Bobby declared pro partner Dianne the 'love of his life' after they were reunited. And the pair were spotted as they tucked into a take away together in the back of a chauffeur driven car while heading home from the dance studio on Thursday. Dianne, who is dating YouTuber and former Strictly partner Joe Sugg, layered a black leather jacket over her work out gear while Bobby opted for a stylish trench coat. The actor made the revelation about his feelings on TikTok earlier in the day. While running to the shops he said: 'As you all know, Dianne is the love of my life. So, this morning I'm baking her some carrot muffins that she fancies.' The EastEnders actor and the dancer reunited for tour rehearsals earlier this week after just missing out on the Glitterball trophy to Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola As they left the studio, Dianne donned a stylish dark grey leather trench coat which cinched her in tightly at the waist Meanwhile, Bobby, who plays Freddie Slater in the BBC soap, donned a casual get-up for the evening by wearing a pair of slim-fit dark blue jeans and a black Prada fleece To smarten up the look the actor also donned a pair of black leather boots and carried a sophisticated brown leather satchel bag He then fed his creation to the dancer who declared them: 'Very very good!'. Other celebrities and dancers were also spotted leaving rehearsals including Angela Scanlon, Katya Jones, Kai Widdrington, Nadiya Bychkova, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, and Craig Revel Horwood. Meanwhile Angela Rippon, Graziano Di Prima, Jowita Przystal, Karen Hauer, Nikita Kuzmin and his girlfriend Lauren Jaine also joined. The Strictly Come Dancing live UK tour begins its 30-date leg on January 19 in Birmingham and will travel around the country. Celebrities including Angela Scanlon, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Angela Rippon, Layton Williams, Annabel Croft, Bobby and Ellie will join the Strictly professional dancers on the tour across the UK. Since the series ended, Dianne 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 a go. She said: 'It'll be my eighth year of Strictly next year and I've 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 transitioned to dancing from hairdressing while also designing a casual clothing range, Buswellness. As the star left the dance studio, he was also spotted carrying a variety of clothes in his arms as he made his way to the taxi and put his items into the boot of his drivers car Bobby was then spotted in the taxi looking relieved to be heading home after a long day of final rehearsals It comes after Bobby declared pro partner Dianne the 'love of his life' after they were reunited. And the pair were spotted as they tucked into a takeaway together Dancer and choreographer Katya Jones was also spotted leaving rehearsals all smiles as she donned a casual get up consisting of a warm fur coat, leggings, and a pink pair of Ugg boots Kai Widdrington and his partner Nadiya Bychkova were also spotted leaving rehearsals Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon also made an appearance and looked extremely cosy in an almost all-black ensemble The beauty donned a black turtleneck, leggings, and a camel coat as she left the studio alongside the others Nancy Xu and Carlos Gu also made an appearance and left the studio with wide grin's The Italian stallion Graziano Di Prima also left rehearsals with a cheshire grin on his face as he donned an all-black ensemble Meanwhile dancer Jowita Przystal left the studio in a cosy casual get up The beauty was all smiles as she donned a white knit cardigan, a pair of grey mom jeans, and a black and white pair of Nike trainers Karen Hauer however, opted for a more colourful ensemble for the evening and donned a bright yellow trench coat along with a pair of tight-fitting khaki leggings Dancer and choreographer Nikita Kuzmin was also spotted looking cosy with his girlfriend Lauren Jaine as he left the studio after turning up to watch the last day of rehearsals Angela Rippon also made a showstopping appearance as she donned a warm ensemble 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 to the final, while they also fell in love. She has recently returned to the UK after jetting off to her native Australia for Christmas, where 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. 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.' The TV presenter was all smiles as she headed home for the night in a white teddy fleece jacket and a pair of black leggings Andrew O'Keefe was getting some errands sorted as he dashed around Sydney on Saturday. The embattled TV host, who has faced legal woes in the past year, stood out in a loud Mickey Mouse themed shirt. The white T-shirt, with multicoloured Mikey faces throughout, was teamed with a pair of fitted rainbow shorts. The 52-year-old added a pair of white sneakers, a leather pouch and cream tote bag appeared relaxed as he collected his dry cleaning. He stopped for a smoke break at one stage, a cigarette hanging off his lip as he stood by his car. Andrew O'Keefe (pictured) was getting some errands sorted as he dashed around Sydney on Saturday The embattled TV host, who has faced legal woes in the past year, stood out in a loud Mickey Mouse themed shirt The white T-shir featured multicoloured Mikey faces throughout Andrew then stopped to enjoy a sausage roll with a friend, sitting outdoors on a low wall to consume the snack. In December, O'Keefe escaped conviction after pleading guilty to driving with methamphetamine in his system through Sydney's most exclusive suburb. The former Deal or No Deal host pleaded guilty at Downing Centre Local Court to driving with the illicit drug in his system and breaching his bail conditions. Police alleged he was driving his grey Mercedes C200 sedan on January 20 through Point Piper when he was stopped by police. The top was teamed with a pair of fitted rainbow shorts The 52-year-old added a pair of white sneakers, a leather pouch and cream tote bag He stopped for a smoke break at one stage, a cigarette hanging off his lip as he stood by his car In December, O'Keefe escaped conviction after pleading guilty to driving with methamphetamine in his system through Sydney's most exclusive suburb The former Deal or No Deal host pleaded guilty at Downing Centre Local Court to driving with the illicit drug in his system and breaching his bail conditions Police alleged he was driving his grey Mercedes C200 sedan on January 20 through Point Piper when he was stopped by police A roadside breath test allegedly returned a positive result for methamphetamine or 'ice' before Mr O'Keefe was taken to Waverley police station for a secondary test. During sentencing, magistrate Miranda Moody said O'Keefe had since returned negative screenings for illicit drugs and was being treated by a psychiatrist and psychologist. 'To his credit, he's clearly had some issues with illicit drug use and I've been provided material to his use of drugs or lack thereof,' Ms Moody told the court. 'There have been none detected for some time. I've also been provided a report by a psychologist and a psychiatrist. He's engaged in treatment. Andrew stopped to enjoy a sausage roll with a friend during his day out He was sitting outdoors on a low wall to consume the snack A roadside breath test allegedly returned a positive result for methamphetamine or 'ice' before Mr O'Keefe was taken to Waverley police station for a secondary test During sentencing, magistrate Miranda Moody said O'Keefe had since returned negative screenings for illicit drugs and was being treated by a psychiatrist and psychologist 'To his credit, he's clearly had some issues with illicit drug use and I've been provided material to his use of drugs or lack thereof,' Ms Moody told the court 'There have been none detected for some time. I've also been provided a report by a psychologist and a psychiatrist. He's engaged in treatment' she said He appeared relaxed as he collected his dry cleaning 'Given the enormous amount of work Mr O'Keefe is doing in relation to his drug and health issues I'm prepared to not record a conviction.' Ms Moody instead sentenced Mr O'Keefe to a 12-month community release order. He faced a maximum penalty of $2200 and six months disqualification from driving. Outside court, Mr O'Keefe told members of the media he was 'very pleased' with the 'sensible outcome' but said he had pleaded guilty to avoid potential delays in court. 'Two positives and two negatives (tests) such is the exigencies of the law, we had to plead guilty anyway otherwise we'd be delayed for another six months potentially,' he said. Documents tendered to court reveal Mr O'Keefe remains unemployed after leaving the Connect Global Residential Drug and Alcohol Centre in October 2022. Natalie Portman stunned in a floral Christian Dior shirt dress as she attended the AFI Awards Luncheon on Friday, following claims she's planning to divorce her husband Benjamin Millepied. The Dior brand ambassador, 42, looked effortlessly chic as she graced the red carpet at the Four Seasons Hotel in a floral Dior dress. The stunning ensemble, which also featured a belt, cinched Natalie in at the waist showing off her slender figure. To further elevate her height, the Black Swan actress also opted for teaming the dress with a pair of black strappy high-heels. Joining her on the red carpet was none other than Legally Blonde icon, Reese Witherspoon, 47, who cut a glamorous figure in a floral strapless gown. Natalie Portman stunned in a floral Christian Dior shirt dress at the AFI Awards Luncheon on Friday, following claims she's planning to divorce her husband Benjamin Millepied During the event, Natalie was also joined on the red carpet by film director Todd Haynes, 63, who looked incredibly dapper in a black blazer and shirt. The pair could be seen giving each other a close hug on the carpet as they smiled for the cameras. It comes after insiders claimed Natalie is preparing to file for divorce from Benjamin Millepied, despite trying to 'make it work' after her estranged spouse was accused of cheating with a climate activist 21 years his junior. The actress, seemingly confirmed the end of her 11-year marriage to the choreographer, 46, this week during an interview with WSJ Magazine in which she failed to mention him, while disclosing that she lives in Paris with their two children. The apparent admission came days after she flew solo at the Golden Globes, and just weeks after she was pictured once again without her wedding ring. The actress has reportedly taken time to 'process and heal' and is trying to work out the best way to navigate a divorce for their children Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, six, before officially filing. 'Natalie and Benjamin tried to make it work but she simply could not get past his cheating on her,' an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'Divorce is in the works, but nothing has been filed as of yet. They are split, however, and she is living in Paris while Benjamin continues to work in the US. The Dior brand ambassador looked effortlessly chic in a floral Dior dress as she joined Reese Witherspoon at the event Natalie was also joined on the red carpet by film director Todd Haynes, 63, with the pair sharing a sweet embrace as they posed for snaps together 'They are figuring out what is best for their children, as they both have so much love for them and are great parents.' The insider added: 'Natalie needed time to process and heal and those around her know how strong of a woman she is and how dedicated to her causes she is, including women's empowerment. 'No woman should have to put up with a cheating spouse. She has been private about it because that is who she is.' DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Natalie and Benjamin for comment. Natalie and Benjamin's marriage was rocked by cheating allegations last year, when French outlet Voici released an explosive report, claiming he had an affair with 25-year-old climate activist Camille Etienne. People magazine reported at the time that the romance with Camille was 'short-lived' - and that Benjamin was 'doing all he could' to get 'Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together.' 'He knows he made an enormous mistake and he is doing all he can to get Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together,' a source told the publication. 'Natalie is incredibly private and has no intention of playing this out in the media. Her biggest priority is protecting her children and their privacy.' In early August, however, an insider told Us Weekly that the pair were separating after failing to repair their relationship amid the bombshell cheating allegations. 'After news of his affair came out, they've been trying to work on their marriage but are currently on the outs,' the source said at the time. It comes after insiders claimed Natalie is preparing to file for divorce from Benjamin Millepied , despite trying to 'make it work' after her estranged spouse was accused of cheating However, someone close to the mom-of-two told DailyMail.com days later that the reports of them ending their marriage were just 'rumors' and 'speculation' - and that no firm decision had been made. They said that Natalie 'still doesn't know' if she wants to get a divorce, despite the rumors of his infidelity leaving her feeling 'powerless.' '[Natalie] hates that [Benjamin's] infidelity has made her feel powerless,' the source said at the time. 'She doesn't know if she can regain her power by staying with him or leaving him. It is really a struggle to have to continue to deal with it.' But the source insisted that 'deep down,' Natalie and the French dancer are still 'really in love' and are trying to work through their problems. The pair met in 2009 on the set of her psychological horror film Black Swan, for which he was the choreographer. The now-estranged couple became engaged in 2010 and were married in 2012 at Big Sur, California. Benjamin also worked on choreography for Natalie's dark musical drama film Vox Lux in 2018, in which she played a woman who survives a school shooting, only to become a pop star. Lauren Sanchez and her Amazon billionaire fiance Jeff Bezos locked hands as they arrived at Dolce&Gabbana show during Men's Milan Fashion Week on Saturday. The former news anchor, 54, flaunted her ample cleavage while making her entrance at the second day of the iconic annual fashion event. She donned a plunging black top and white shirt on top, teamed with a black and white blazer. Lauren showed off her toned legs in a black mini skirt and matching tights, adding a few extra inches with classy black stiletto heels. The media personality exuded fashion as she added a black mini handbag and accessorised with a dazzling diamond pendant necklace and matching earrings. Lauren Sanchez, 54, and her Amazon billionaire fiance Jeff Bezos, 60, were hand-in-hand as they arrived at Dolce&Gabbana show during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday The former news anchor flaunted her ample cleavage while making her entrance at the second day of the iconic annual fashion event The former host looked radiant as she rocked a pair of oversized black shades, and tied her raven tresses in a ponytail leaving two locks to frame her face. Meanwhile her billionaire fiance Jeff, 60, opted for a total black ensemble with leather bomber jacket, shirt and matching trousers. He added retro shades as he held the hand of his loved one, ahead of the Menswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 runaway. Inside the fashion event, the couple sat in front row as Lauren appeared thrilled and was captured taking snaps and videos of the male models on the catwalk. Earlier on Friday, Lauren has shared an adorable throwback photo of Jeff, along with a gushing tribute for his 60th birthday. The businessman turned 60 years old on January 12, and his bride-to-be celebrated the milestone with a touching message to him on her Instagram. The former TV star wrote about how Jeff's 'laughter fills their home,' and thanked him for 'giving her a reason to smile every single day' in the sweet post. 'Look who's turning 60,' she began. 'Happy birthday, baby. Today is another day where your laughter fills our home, and that smile of yours lights up every room. She donned a plunging black top and white shirt on top, teamed with a black and white blazer which she wore open Lauren showed off her toned legs in a black mini skirt and matching tights, adding a few extra inches with classy black stiletto heels The media personality exuded fashion as she added a black mini handbag and accessorised with a dazzling diamond pendant necklace and matching earrings Meanwhile her billionaire fiance Jeff, 60, opted for a total black ensemble with leather bomber jacket, shirt and matching trousers He added retro shades as he held the hand of his loved one, ahead of the Menswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 runaway Inside the fashion event, the couple sat in front row as Lauren appeared thrilled and was captured taking snaps and videos of the male models on the catwalk On Friday Lauren has shared an adorable throwback photo of Jeff along with a gushing tribute for his 60th birthday 'Wishing you an abundance of simple joys and quiet moments of happiness. May this year be filled with everything you love, from peaceful mornings to joyous celebrations. 'I hope each day brings you countless reasons to smile, just like you give me a reason to smile every single day. Love you, and happy birthday, my love.' Along with her loving caption, Lauren shared a snap of Jeff as a toddler, taken on what appears to be his second birthday. In the photo, young Jeff is sat at a kitchen table in front of a big chocolate cake that had two candles in it. Little Jeff donned a red, white, and blue striped T-shirt and overalls, and munched on a piece of food. On her Instagram Stories, Lauren revealed that they were celebrating his birthday in Paris, France. She posted a pictured from their hotel room - which boasted a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower out the window. In the corner, there were some white roses. 'Best morning with the birthday boy,' she captioned it. Strictly winners Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola continued to spark romance rumours as they cosied up together during rehearsals for the tour on Friday. There was much speculation over the pair's relationship status during their time on the BBC show last year, and as the duo reunite in preparation for the tour it seems their chemistry is still strong. Aside from dance practising, the Italian professional, 31, also looked to be perfecting his hairstyling skills as he played with Ellie's brunette locks. Cosying up together, Vito tied the former Coronation Street star's hair up for her in a bun before they began a run through of their routine. Vito looked deep in concentration as he struggled with the bobble while Ellie, 22, looked up at her partner. Ellie Leach, 22, and Vito Coppola, 31, continued to fuel romance rumours as they cosied up during Strictly tour rehearsals on Friday There was much speculation over the pair's relationship status during their time on the BBC show last year, and as the duo reunite in preparation for the tour it seems their chemistry is still strong It comes after the pair were spotted arriving back at their hotel in north London together on Wednesday evening. Ellie wrapped up for the cold in a long-line leather jacket and a multi-coloured scarf. She paired the outfit with baggy jeans and Ugg shoes. Meanwhile, Vito also opted for a patterned scarf, and carried a brown over-the-shoulder bag. The couple also revealed this week that they are getting matching tattoos. Appearing on Wednesday's This Morning to discuss their 'great relationship', weeks after the show ended, host Craig Doyle bluntly asked: 'Are they a couple?' Vito responded: 'We have a great relationship and we are going to have a tattoo - as a joke - before we got to the final we promised ourselves we would get one of an Aubergine.' Ellie added: 'We said if we made it to the final we would get a tattoo, but it was just a joke, we didn't expect to get there! Vito continued: 'At the end we decided to do a B with the body of an Aubergine because a B is a Brazilian insect. But that is a symbol of our bond.' Aside from dance practising, the Italian professional, 31, also looked to be perfecting his hairstyling skills as he played with Ellie's brunette locks Vito looked deep in concentration as he struggled with the bobble while Ellie, 22, looked up at her partner The pair could then be seen in hold as they practised their routine The pair looked very focused as they performed the steps Both Ellie and Vito were overcome with emotion when they lifted the Glitterball trophy together back in December Ellie and Vito's latest posts come after they broke their silence on rumours of a romance as they appeared on This Morning last year. Host Josie Gibson asked them: 'I've got to ask because the chemistry between you is magic. We've seen you on that dancefloor and it was so beautiful to watch. 'Is there any romance between you guys. Are the rumours true or not?' Ellie then replied: 'Honestly, we've just been having the most amazing time dancing and we've built a really strong bond and a friendship that will last forever.' Vito echoed: 'We have a really beautiful bond, a good bond. When you see a person and you connect with a person straight away. 'I'm a very first impression and when we met, we had that feeling that we knew each other for so long. I'm so so lucky to have you in my life.' Josie's co-host Craig Doyle then continued to probe, adding: 'There's 100 per cent romance, 100 per cent... I can see it.' Ellie and Vito then quickly exclaimed: 'No, no.' Ellie went on: 'We've been through so much together, we've spent everyday together for the past three months. 'So we're really really lucky to have that bond that we've got and we'll be friends for life.' The couple also revealed this week that they are getting matching tattoos, but insisted there is no romance LOS ANGELESWicked Sensual Care has selected Bri King of the Adam & Eve store in the Dallas area for its Retail Employee Spotlight, a column in the companys monthly newsletter. Kings background includes leadership and retail positions within the hospitality, coffee and precious stones industries, prior to her arrival at Adam & Eves DallasFort WorthArlington store. I had always felt like I would do well in the adult retail industry, but I was nervous about change, she said. But I had a really pivotal moment in life where everything changed and I wanted to try things I had previously disregarded due to fear. I saw the now hiring ad for Adam & Eve and I applied. I was nervous, but walking into my interview I instantly felt, Yup, this is it. Im where Im supposed to be. Her compassionate nature along with her interpersonal skills, product knowledge and empathy have made her a valuable asset to the company, Wicked Sensual noted. My specialty is helping people who are anxious about the idea of an adult retail environment feel at ease, King said. I want people to feel so accepted, so welcome, and so comfortable speaking about what theyre looking for that they leave feeling like they were talking to me about a handbag they wanted. I remind people that its okay to be nervous, those feelings are valid. I am a safe space, and sexuality is not something to be afraid of. King admitted she aims to inspire individuals who may be considering a career in adult retail. What I say to people is, go after the career you feel is your calling. It is okay to be scared, it is okay for you to be in a new environment and have to learn everything from the ground up. Work for a company that genuinely cares about you, your family and your well-being. Work somewhere you are appreciated and respected. Go after your dreams and I promise you will find the perfect fit for yourself and your life. Jennifer Brice, sales director for Wicked Sensual Care, hailed Kings product knowledge and ability to connect with customers. "Bri King knows that understanding and acknowledging the customer's perspective fosters a sense of connection," she said. "She empathizes with the customer's situation, demonstrating genuine concern and a willingness to assist in finding the best solution for their needs." Those working in the retail sector of the pleasure products space are invited to nominate employees and colleagues who continuously exceed expectations. To submit a retail professional for consideration, send their name, store name, location/city, store social media handles, and a brief paragraph about why they deserve to be a included (photograph optional) to [email protected], or fill out this form. Individuals may also self-nominate. For more updates from Wicked Sensual Care and sexual health and wellness tips from Resident Sex Educator Jessica Drake, visit WickedSensualCare.com and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. She is known for her outstanding fashion sense. And Eva Longoria didn't disappoint as she stepped out in Beverly Hills after enjoying a dinner date with her husband Jose Baston, 55, on Friday. The actress, 48, looked sensational as she showcased her effortless sense of style in a pair of wide-legged grey checked trousers. The filmmaker paired the tailored trousers with a simple black top and smart black blazer jacket. Beaming as she left the newly opened restaurant Cipriani, Eva stopped and signed a few autographs before heading home. Eva Longoria, 48, showcased her stylish wardrobe in some wide-legged grey trousers after enjoying a dinner date with husband Jose Baston, 55, at newly opened restaurant Cipriani in Beverly Hills on Friday The filmmaker paired the tailored trousers with a simple black top and smart black blazer jacket The star completed her look with a think black leather belt and some black mesh panelled heels. She carried her essentials in a black handbag and added a hint of glamour with a pair of dangly silver feather earrings. Eva has been incredibly busy lately promoting her biographical comedy-drama Flamin' Hot. Over the past week she has taken part in two Q&A sessions for the film which premiered on Disney+ in June 2023. Eva looked positively radiant as she posed alongside fellow actress Melanie Griffith who was hosting the event in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The star cut a chic figure in the ensemble as she opted for a cosy v-neck cross body jumper which she paired with a long matching skirt. Meanwhile Melanie, 66, matched Eva's neutral tones as she donned a beige top which she wore underneath a tailored cream blazer. Contrasting the pair, Becky G, who's single The Fire Inside features on the film's soundtrack, added a pop of colour with a satin bright orange blazer. The star completed her look with a think black leather belt and some black mesh panelled heels Eva looked positively radiant as she posed alongside fellow actress Melanie Griffith on Wednesday as the 66-year-old hosted a Q&A for her film Flamin' Hot Contrasting the pair, Becky G, who's single The Fire Inside features on the film's soundtrack, added a pop of colour with a satin bright orange blazer Flamin' Hot tells the inspiring story of Richard Montanez (Jesse Garcia) who was a Frito-Lay janitor Flamin' Hot tells the inspiring story of Richard Montanez (Jesse Garcia) who was a Frito-Lay janitor. He disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican-American heritage to turn Flamin' Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon. The film stars Jesse Garcia as Richard, Annie Gonzalez as his wife, Judy and Emilio Rivera as Richard's father Nacho. Also featuring in the cast is Dennis Haysbert as Richard's mentor, Clarence, and four time Emmy Award winner Tony Shalhoub as PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico. Other cast members include Matt Walsh, Bobby Soto and Pepe Serna. Olivia Wilde, Janelle Monae and Natasha Lyonne led a cavalcade of top-flight celebrities at a Universal party on Friday night. Stars galore flocked to the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood to indulge in an awards season bash thrown by the venerable studio. Among them was Olivia, 39, who served up a generous helping of cleavage in a slinky black dress that highlighted her supermodel frame. Teetering on a sky-high pair of stiletto slingbacks, the Don't Worry Darling director accessorized with a sleek black clutch. She accentuated her screen siren features with makeup and wore her silky curtains of caramel hair down in soft waves. Olivia Wilde (left) and Natasha Lyonne (right) led a cavalcade of top-flight celebrities at a Universal party on Friday night Janelle Monae was as fashion forward a ever in a black-and-gray look that included a crop top with suspenders and a dapper wide-brimmed hat Stars galore flocked to the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood to indulge in an awards season bash thrown by the venerable studio Meanwhile Natasha let her signature mane of fiery red hair fly free, draping her lithe figure in a floor-length earth-tone gown with a mock turtleneck. Janelle was as fashion forward as ever in a gray-and-black look that included a crop top with suspenders and a dapper wide-brimmed hat. Brendan Fraser, nearly a year on from his Oscar win for his thunderous comeback in The Whale, could be glimpsed at the party chatting with his girlfriend Jeanne Moore. Emily Blunt, her hair currently dirty blonde, appeared in bright spirits at the party, where Snoop Dogg was spotted in a splashy tracksuit. The Sunset Tower Hotel also played host to international guests, including Britain's renowned star of stage and screen, Helen Mirren. Helen, who began her career as the 'sex queen of Stratford' during her days at the Royal Shakespeare Company, exuded a refined elegance at the fete. She wrapped a midnight blue coat over basic black, accessorizing with a subtle gold pendant and a pale purple leather purse. The age-defying beauty was spotted in the company of her husband, Ray director Taylor Hackford, as well as Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, who recently won a Golden Globe for the title role. Hollywood heartthrob Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson could be seen sizzling up a storm in a suede bomber jacket over a T-shirt that clung to his musclebound torso. Edgar Ramirez, who played the title role on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, flashed his dashing smile as he swung by the knees-up. Among them was Olivia, 39, serving up a generous helping of cleavage in a slinky black dress that highlighted her supermodel frame Brendan Fraser, nearly a year off his Oscar win for his thunderous comeback in The Whale, could be glimpsed there chatting with his girlfriend Jeanne Moore Emily Blunt, her hair currently dirty blonde, appeared in bright spirits at the party, where Snoop Dogg was spotted in a splashy tracksuit The Sunset Tower Hotel played host to an international guest, including Britain's renowned star of stage and screen Helen Mirren. She was seen with her husband, Ray director Taylor Hackford, and Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy Hollywood heartthrob Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson could be seen sizzling up a storm in a suede bomber jacket over a T-shirt that clung to his musclebound torso Edgar Ramirez, who played the title role on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, flashed his dashing smile as he swung by the knees-up Robert Downey Jr. arrived at the star-studded blowout bash on the arm of his wife Susan, whom he will celebrate his 20th anniversary with next year Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman icon Jane Seymour was the image of business chic in a crisp off-white trouser suit garnished with silver floral embroidery Ron Howard's 'nepo baby' Bryce Dallas Howard, showcasing her hourglass figure in a skintight dress, got a hug from her husband Seth Gabel Allowing a distinguished touch of scruff to grow across his matinee idol features, the hunk-tastic Venezuelan thespian modeled head-to-tote black. Robert Downey Jr. arrived at the star-studded blowout bash on the arm of his wife Susan, whom he will celebrate his 20th anniversary with next year. Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman icon Jane Seymour was the image of business chic in a crisp off-white trouser suit garnished with silver floral embroidery. Ron Howard's 'nepo baby' Bryce Dallas Howard, showcasing her hourglass figure in a skintight dress, got a hug from her husband Seth Gabel. As the daughter of a billionaire who married into one of the world's most famous families, Nicola Peltz Beckham lives a life of almost unimaginable privilege. But now the actress has been lambasted for casting herself as a struggling, drug-addicted teenage stripper in a new film. The wife of Brooklyn Beckham has also been criticised for unfairly using her elite background to get her pet project, Lola, made. Ms Peltz, 29, wrote and directed the movie as well as taking the title role of a 19-year-old struggling to make ends meet while pregnant. A trailer was released online last week, triggering a fierce backlash. Nicola Peltz Beckham is the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and model Claudia Heffner, and is married to David Beckham's son Ms Peltz has written and directed a film that sees her play the role of a 19-year-old struggling to make ends meet while pregnant One user posted on Instagram: 'I wish rich people like yourself would stay away from trying to tell stories like this... You have no idea what this character's reality is like. 'I find it offensive to the working-class women who are truly living this reality that have to see a billionaire indulge themselves into a dream acting role.' Another wrote: 'This project was funded through privilege.' And a third said: 'Omg a billionaire cosplaying a poor girl.' People on X, formerly Twitter, were just as scathing, with one calling it 'poverty porn... just an escalating series of the worst cliches imaginable'. And on YouTube, one viewer said: 'What does someone like Nicola, the daughter of a billionaire, privileged since birth, know about a life like that?' Ms Peltz the daughter of 81-year-old US billionaire Nelson Peltz has previously had small parts in blockbusters such as Transformers and The Last Airbender. There has been criticism online of Ms Peltz's self-casting for the role, with some users saying that she had no experiences similar to the character she was portraying For Lola, her directorial debut, she managed to secure the services of 28-time Grammy-winning producer Quincy Jones, the man behind Michael Jackson's Thriller album, to help with the soundtrack. Mr Jones's daughter, Kenya Kinski-Jones, 30, just happens to be dating Ms Peltz's brother Will, 37. The movie has been five years in the making, and will finally be out in the US on February 9, but no UK release has yet been announced. Writing on Instagram, Ms Peltz called the film 'a heartfelt story of generational trauma, perseverance and unconditional love', adding: 'I have such respect and gratitude for the incredible cast and crew who I had the pleasure of being on this journey with. It takes a village and I love our village.' Set in 2002, the film shows Lola struggling to raise enough money to get her little brother, Arlo, out of their toxic home. Their abusive mother is played by Dune actress Virginia Madsen, 62. Despite the criticism, the film has got at least one fan. Ms Peltz's husband of two years, Brooklyn, 24, wrote on Instagram: 'I am so proud of you, I can't wait for everyone to see Lola. Love you, baby girl.' Patsy Palmer will return to EastEnders this year to reprise her role as the fiery Bianca Jackson. The actress and DJ is set to make a surprise return to the BBC One soap as the sharp-tongued character for a short stint this spring after a five year absence. Talking about returning to Albert Square, Patsy, 51, said: 'I'm so excited to be reprising the role of Bianca. 'EastEnders holds such a special place in my heart, so it's always a pleasure to be back.' Bianca was last seen in Walford in September 2019 to attend the ill-fated wedding of step-daughter Whitney Dean, (played by Shona McGarty) to Callum Highway (played by Tony Clay) amid the latter's relationship with Ben Mitchell (played by Max Bowden). Patsy Palmer will return to EastEnders this year to reprise her role as the fiery, sharp-tongued Bianca Jackson for short stint this Spring Last seen in Walford in September 2019, Patsy spoke of her fondness of the soap saying that 'EastEnders holds such a special place in my heart, so it's always a pleasure to be back' In the upcoming episodes, she will be visited by Whitney and her partner Zack Hudson (James Farrar) following her off-screen break-up with Terry Spraggan (Terry Alderton). The character will return in 'a special episode focusing on Whitney and the drama she faces in Milton Keynes' where Bianca now lives, the BBC teased. Chris Clenshaw, EastEnders executive producer, said: 'I'm thrilled to welcome the fabulous Patsy back to the iconic role of Bianca Jackson. 'Although the character was last seen on-screen in 2019, Bianca still remains a fan favourite. 'We know our audiences will be thrilled at her return as she is thrust into the heart of the drama alongside step-daughter Whitney.' Bianca arrived in Albert Square in 1993 as the daughter of Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson). She is best known for her tumultuous romantic relationship with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen), who she yelled 'Rickaaaaaaay' at. Her storylines also involved finding out that David Wicks (Michael French) was her father and discovering the abuse of Whitney. Patsy's character Bianca is best known for her tumultuous romantic relationship with Ricky Butcher, played by Sid Owen (pictured), who she yelled 'Rickaaaaaaay' at Bianca arrived in Albert Square in 1993 as the daughter of Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) Since leaving Eastenders Patsy has been living in America with her children and husband Richard, after they relocated in 2014 The actress - who is referred to as her real name Julie in the States - has calved out a successful career as a DJ Last year she featured on ITV1's Dancing On Ice where she was partnered with skater Matt Evers but was voted off after pulling out the stops for Spice Girls routine during Icons Week Bianca's sister Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) continues to be a feature of the soap. Since leaving Eastenders Patsy has been living in America with her children and husband Richard, after they relocated in 2014. The actress - who is referred to as her real name Julie in the States - has calved out a successful career as a DJ and previously competed in BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 with professional dancer Anton Du Beke. Last year she featured on ITV1's Dancing On Ice where she was partnered with skater Matt Evers. Patsy has already started filming her scenes, which will air in the Spring on BBC One. Amanda Abbington has reportedly been left 'fuming after she was denied a place on the Strictly Come Dancing tour.' The actress, 51, was paired with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, but quit the BBC One programme mid-series last year citing 'personal issues'. This week it was revealed she had 'been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder' following her stint on the show. In November it was announced which celebrities will take to the glitzy dancefloor on its 2024 live tour, with Amanda not taking part. Now sources have allegedly claimed the Sherlock star is 'furious' after not being offered a place on the 21-date run, according to The Mirror. Amanda Abbington, 51, has reportedly been left 'fuming after she was denied a place on the Strictly Come Dancing tour' The actress was paired with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice , but quit the BBC One programme mid-series last year citing 'personal issues' (pictured on the show in October) An insider told the publication: 'Amanda made it clear she was desperate to have a slot. It was a real blow for her and she was fuming. She felt snubbed.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Amanda. The BBC declined to comment. Earlier this week, it was that she has claimed the show left her with PTSD and demanded footage of rehearsals to highlight the Italian's 'tense' and 'full-on' training methods, which allegedly caused her much grief. Amanda left Strictly during week five in October and failed to return for the final, where eliminated celebrities took part in a group dance. Amanda was praised by the judges for her performances on the show but it was claimed she was struggling behind the scenes. After her departure, it was alleged she struggled with Giovanni's 'militant approach to training', with her time on the show said to have been 'plagued by difficulties'. An inside source told The Telegraph: 'It could be that she didn't know what she let herself in for. 'He [Giovanni] was quite tough and she found that difficult. If she wasn't very well, that wouldn't have helped. 'She was with a partner that had a certain training style that she couldn't cope with. Whether that came to a head or whether there's something else going on I don't know.' This week it was revealed she had 'been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder' following her stint on the show In November it was announced which celebrities will take to the glitzy dancefloor on its 2024 live tour, with Amanda not taking part An insider told The Mirror: 'Amanda made it clear she was desperate to have a slot. It was a real blow for her and she was fuming. She felt snubbed' (pictured in October) Now it has been reported that she is seeking footage of their rehearsals to back up her claims as she seeks legal advice. An on-set source told The Sun: 'The BBC have received a request for the footage they hold of Amanda and Giovanni. It is known as a data subject access request. 'There is a feeling that the recordings will lift the lid on what really goes on behind the scenes on Strictly. Things in rehearsals can become very tense. 'Giovanni is a perfectionist and he can be incredibly full-on.' A friend of Amanda told the publication it has taken her months to recover from her Strictly experience and she has needed therapy. They said: 'Amanda has been left broken and saddened by the whole experience. She has needed therapy and was left in shock by the behaviour she was exposed to. 'Everyone else was having a fabulous time, but she was really stressed by having to spend eight hours a day with Giovanni. She spent a lot of time crying and couldnt sleep or eat properly.' The pal added that Amanda found the negative response she got on social media for not mentioning Giovanni in her exit statement difficult, but insisted her family and friends had been there to support her. It was reported she had quit the show after clashing with Giovanni, but she dismissed claims of a fallout at the time. Sources at the BBC are ready to fight the Sherlock star over her claims the show had traumatised her, saying that at the time she told them she was quitting due to a different medical reason. A source told the Mail: 'Amanda's reason for quitting Strictly was an entirely different one to her PTSD. 'She told production of a totally different medical condition and they [were] hugely supportive of her and did all they could to help. 'Nobody seems to quite understand what is going on here.' It is understood that first BBC chiefs knew about her PTSD was late last year when they received a request for the tapes. There is added confusion because Amanda quickly shot down suggestions made before the show aired in September that she and Giovanni had fallen out. On Instagram, she dismissed the claims as 'bulls****' and told people to, 'Shut up, it's b******s.' During broadcasts, she and the Italian dancer who has worked on the show since 2015 were seen hugging and appearing to be friends. One Strictly source said: 'All you'd see at the studio were the pair of them hugging and kissing.' Twinkle-toed star Giovanni was also reportedly only given the news of Amanda's exit a few hours before the official statement was released. A source told the Daily Star: 'Amanda didn't tell Giovanni she had decided to quit the show. The first he heard was a call from a producer. 'This has really annoyed him. He's barely heard from her for 10 days. She hasn't been replying to messages or telling him what's happening. 'He's been complaining about it to friends. He's frustrated. He is worried the drama will be damaging for his career and make him look bad.' However, according to reports, BBC bosses are sticking behind Giovanni in the wake of the feud. According to The Sun, bosses arranged a call between Giovanni's management and Strictly executives where they offered him their full support and checked in on his mental health. Amanda left Strictly during week five in October and failed to return for the final, where eliminated celebrities took part in a group dance After her departure, it was alleged she struggled with Giovanni's 'militant approach to training', with her time on the show said to have been 'plagued by difficulties' The pal added that Amanda found the negative response she got on social media for not mentioning Giovanni in her exit statement difficult, but insisted her family and friends had been there to support her Giovanni is understood to have been assured that his place on the show is secure. A source said: 'It's no secret Gio and Amanda had a tricksy relationship but there are two sides to every story. 'Bosses arranged a call between his management and show execs to discuss recent coverage and make sure he was OK as obviously he's faced a hell of a lot of stick over the past couple of months. 'The feeling is he is a tough taskmaster, but hasn't bullied or abused anyone. The BBC see him as a key face of Strictly and will do all they can to support him.' The BBC broke their silence on the bombshell accusations on Monday, with a spokesperson releasing a new statement that read: 'The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows. 'Strictly Come Dancing has always taken duty of care incredibly seriously and there is a constant dialogue between senior members of the production team and the contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly.' The spokesperson continued to tell The Sun: 'Strictly has a proud track record as a joyful, positive experience where robust support and assistance is always made available at every stage of the production.' The Mirror also reported that BBC bosses were left bemused at Amanda's requests for the rehearsal footage as Giovanni's conduct had 'never crossed the line'. There is added confusion because Amanda quickly shot down suggestions made before the show aired in September that she and Giovanni had fallen out However, according to reports, BBC bosses are sticking behind Giovanni in the wake of the feud, checking on his mental health and assuring that his place on the show is secure The publication also reported that after speaking to Giovanni after the PTSD claims, a BBC source added the allegations were 'excessive'. According to show insiders, Amanda called for cameras to be put up in rehearsal rooms as she became increasingly unhappy with his attitude. After her request, The Sun claims BBC bosses had a meeting with Giovanni over his conduct, but no action was taken. A source told the publication: 'Some of the professionals and crew feel it needs to be dealt with and Giovanni shouldnt come back this year. 'The BBC are standing behind Giovanni and wont be pursuing an investigation, its a shock to some on the show who think something needs to be done about his behaviour. 'Amanda had a really tough time with him and she isnt the only one. Four more of his partners have either talked openly about how hard it was working with him or have made it clear in the industry.' However, his Strictly co-stars are said to be rallying around him, with a source telling the Mirror: 'There is a general feeling that the criticism is grossly unfair.' His former partner Debbie McGee, who he was partnered with on the show in 2017, came out in defence of him on Monday. The Mirror also reported that BBC bosses were left bemused at Amanda's requests for the rehearsal footage as Giovanni's conduct had 'never crossed the line' His former partner Debbie McGee, who he was partnered with on the show in 2017, came out in defence of him on Monday (pictured together in 2018) The magician's assistant, 65, shared a throwback snap of the pair on Instagram, insisting they got on well while working together, while Giovanni commented thanking her The magician's assistant, 65, shared a throwback snap of the pair on Instagram, insisting they got on well while working together. Debbie captioned the post: 'Happy memories, Giovanni and I had the best of times on Strictly.' Twinkle-toed star Giovanni took to the comments section of the post to express his gratitude, writing: 'Love you thank you'. While, Giovanni's parents also defended him, saying the ballroom dancer 'was just doing his job'. Addressing the news at the time, his father Piero and mother Rosalda admitted that their son 'trained for long hours but was just doing his job'. Speaking to The Sun, from his home in Italy, Piero said: 'We are surprised by the fact she left the show, because everything was going ok - we thought they could have won.' He added: 'My son is a really nice, polite and respectful boy. He always had good results with different partners and he has never had problems with them.' Rosalda explained: 'They have to train tough hours to get some results. Giovanni has just done what he had to do. He was just doing his job.' Giovanni has appeared on Strictly for eight consecutive years and made the final on three occasions, but Amanda is not the first celebrity to criticise his gruelling training style (pictured after 2021 win with Rose Ayling-Ellis) In 2016, TV presenter Laura Whitmore said: 'I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with and in the end, I felt broken, I cried every day' (pictured on show) Then in 2020, Giovanni fell out with Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh as she admitted to having a 'total meltdown' in rehearsals with him (pictured on It Takes Two) Giovanni has appeared on Strictly for eight consecutive years and made the final on three occasions, but Amanda is not the first celebrity to criticise his gruelling training style. In 2016, TV presenter Laura Whitmore said: 'I'm still not ready to talk in-depth about my experience on the show. 'I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with and in the end, I felt broken, I cried every day. And I was really broken, both mentally and physically, by the end.' Then in 2020, Giovanni fell out with Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh as she admitted to having a 'total meltdown' in rehearsals with him. The ITV presenter told her co-star Kate Garraway she and the dancer had a '20-minute divorce' as things became tense in training. The Sun also claim that during her show stint, Ranvir 'flagged an issue during training with Giovanni and said she was unhappy'. The year before he was partnered with Amanda, Giovanni was once again plagued by rumours of a feud between him and his partner. The 2022 series saw him partnered with Richie Anderson, but it was said that the pair 'hadn't clicked' and tensions were rising off camera. The 2022 series saw him partnered with Richie Anderson, but it was said that the pair 'hadn't clicked' and tensions were rising off camera as Giovanni was becoming frustrated with Richie not listening to him in rehearsals (pictured on It Takes Two) According to The Sun , on Sunday night the BBC Radio 2 star unfollowed Giovanni on Instagram, a day after Amanda's claims became public, while Giovanni still follows Richie Sources told The Sun at the time that Giovanni was becoming frustrated with Richie not listening to him in rehearsals. Richie later hit back at the reports and insisted there was 'no problem' between them during a joint appearance on spin-off show It Takes Two. However, according to The Sun, on Sunday night the BBC Radio 2 star unfollowed Giovanni on Instagram, a day after Amanda's claims became public. Despite the BBC standing behind Giovanni, it has thrown the show into crisis as bosses fear contestants will refuse to pair up with the dancer in the wake of the rumours. Show insiders believe Strictly will stand by the dancer but accept finding him a future partner will not be straightforward. A source told MailOnline: 'The fallout between Giovanni and Amanda is causing much concern. 'Celebrity contestants usually don't mind which partner they are coupled up with as they're just happy to be on the show. 'But Giovanni's reputation has taken a further hit following Amanda's experience and they don't want to be in a position where new contestants may threaten to quit if they're paired with him.' Ashley Benson and her husband Brandon Davis looked relaxed after enjoying a quiet dinner in Los Angeles on Friday. The actress, 34, who attended the star-studded opening of Cipriani with her spouse, kept it casual wearing a pair of black leggings and a large black sweater which skimmed her growing belly bump. The Mob Land star wore white sneakers as she exited Casa Vega in the Sherman Oaks area. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face with barrettes. The Pretty Little Liars alumna opted to showcase her natural beauty with little to no makeup. Pregnant Ashley Benson and her husband Brandon Davis looked relaxed after enjoying a quiet dinner in Los Angeles Friday. The actress, 34, kept it casual wearing a pair of black leggings and a large black sweater which skimmed her growing belly bump The Wilderness star is expecting her first child with her husband and fellow actor, who sometimes goes by the stage name Brandon Jack James. The Doubting Tom actor, 43, wore a low-key gray T-shirt with a black zip hoodie and faded black jeans and brown loafers. The pair were first linked together about a year ago in January 2023, when they were spotted sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game. They announced their engagement in July and married privately sometime after that. They revealed they were expecting in early November after being spotted shopping at the Babylist Beverly Hills Showroom. Brandon is the grandson of the late oil tycoon Marvin Davis, and an heir to his fortune. In the early 2000s, he dated The OC star Mischa Barton and partied with Paris Hilton. He has remained friends with the Hilton Hotel heiress and he and Ashley attended the annual Hilton family holiday party in December. The Doubting Tom actor, 43, who sometimes goes by the stage name Brandon Jack James, wore a low-key gray T-shirt with a black zip hoodie and faded black jeans and brown loafers The couple are expecting their first child together. They went public with their relationship in January 2023, got engaged in July and married privately sometime after that before revealing their pregnancy in November. No word on when the baby is due The couple, who try to keep their relationship private, have not revealed when they are expecting their baby to arrive. Until then, the expectant mother will have a lot to keep her occupied. Like many actresses and influencers she has created relationships with brands, including Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits. The busy entrepreneur has launched her own fragrance line called Ash. Her star power and impeccable connections have helped Samantha Cameron make a big splash with her fashion label Cefinn. But now one of Britains biggest landowners stands accused of being dazzled by the aura of the Foreign Secretarys wife in a row over the lease of her first permanent shop. Her designer brand is set to open an outlet on Belgravias upmarket Elizabeth Street in the coming months but at the expense of a much-loved family-run hair salon. The owners of Issys have to their surprise been told they wont be able to extend the lease on the prestigious premises they have occupied for the last five years, to make way for the Cefinn store. And neighbouring businesses are not impressed, fearing the new shop will not attract the same cross-section of high-spending customers as the unisex salon, which charges more than 100 for a womans cut and blow dry. This is not fair, one local owner said. Samantha Cameron has secured a location for her first permanent store for her fashion brand Cefinn Unfortunately for the owners of Issy's hair salon, the landlord will not renew their lease allowing SamCam to take over the store Issys is a great business and it brings in a lot of footfall for this street. Its very neighbourly. I know about Cefinn. Its not my style, but my main concern is it is a womens fashion store, so well lose the male customers from Issys. The salons lease with the Duke of Westminsters Grosvenor Estate expired in the autumn and it was given a short-term extension. There were hopes this would precede a new multi-year deal. But instead, Issys has been offered a property on nearby Eccleston Street, which is seen as a less prestigious location. The salon declined to comment, but a friend of the owners said: They have spent tens of thousands doing the place up, and now they are going to have to start from scratch somewhere else. I have the impression Grosvenor think SamCam has an aura about her, but her clothing is not that famous, and similar products are being sold at other stores on the street already. They have pulled the rug from under Issys and appear to have succumbed to a bit of star power. Grosvenor is understood to have offered Issys money towards fitting out the new store, but details have yet to be finalised. It added: We treat occupiers equally and fairly. Issys will be expanding to Eccleston Street in 2024. Cefinn declined to comment. As Hollywood's most bankable actresses, they certainly have the funds to look a million dollars on the red carpet. But despite their deep pockets, some still seem unable to find clothes that fit. Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt appeared at the AFI awards lunch in Los Angeles on Friday wearing a cream Louis Vuitton tuxedo-style jacket that dwarfed her tiny frame so much it looked more like a poncho. The British star, 40, of The Girl On The Train and The Devil Wears Prada, who is reportedly worth more than 60 million, paired her over-sized suit with a 5,000 calfskin Petite Malle Bag, also from the French fashion house. Emily's Oppenheimer co-star Florence Pugh followed sporting an almost identical look but appeared to have the opposite problem. Poncho penchant: Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt appeared at the AFI awards in Los Angeles on Friday wearing a cream Louis Vuitton tuxedo-style jacket that dwarfed her tiny frame Open all hours: Florence Pugh's jacket appeared unflatteringly tight and was only buttoned down halfway to her toned midriff Her jacket, by Stella McCartney, appeared unflatteringly tight and was only buttoned down halfway to Florence's toned midriff. The outfit is part of the British designer's Spring 2024 collection, which Florence, 28, paired with a silver clutch bag. Elsewhere on the same red carpet, Emma Stone who recently won the Best Actress award at the Golden Globes for her role alongside Mark Ruffalo in science-fiction comedy Poor Things displayed a set of billowing sleeves on a Louis Vuitton shirt which extended past her fingertips. Hands off: Emma Stone displayed a set of billowing sleeves on a Louis Vuitton shirt which extended past her fingertips She wore it with a black and white checkered waist belt, also from Louis Vuitton, and a flowing black skirt. They may be the toast of Tinseltown but with clothes that don't fit, they're all cash and no cachet. Unlike Hollywood, there is a dearth of female action films in Hindi cinema, says actor Shilpa Shetty who hopes the scenario would change in the coming future. Shetty, who is set to star as a cop in Rohit Shetty's maiden OTT series "Indian Police Force", said even the audiences are ready to see women actors in action avatars on the screen. "It is because of the budget that we don't make female action films here, and also, we are still in a male-dominated society. I would love to have a scenario where women in India can also portray characters like Gal Gadot and Scarlett Johansson do. I would love to do a film like, Long Kiss Goodnight'. Geena (Davis) was amazing. "These are films with emotions and power. I wish filmmakers would take this opportunity now as good content is being made. Whether it is for OTT or films, people are ready for this," the actor told PTI in an interview. Shetty, 48, essays the role of police officer Tara Shetty in "Indian Police Force", dubbed as the next chapter in Rohit Shetty's cinematic cop universe that started with 2011 movie Singham and expanded with Singham Returns (2014), Simmba (2018) and Sooryavanshi (2021). The series will also feature Sidharth Malhotra and Vivek Oberoi. The actor, who made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in "Baazigar" (1993) and then featured in films such as "Main Khiladi Tu Anari", "Dhadkan", "Phir Milenge" and "Life in a... Metro", thanked Rohit Shetty for casting her in an age-appropriate role in "Indian Police Force". "I call her a shero... I would feel odd to do a part that's not age-appropriate. Age is just a number. It's also about how you are aging. If you are going to look your age and not look the part, the maker will not cast. "But if you are not looking that age and you are looking the part, they will. We are already seeing that women are offered some really meaty roles and they are coming into their own. So, it's a great time for us." Indian Police Force is described as an ode to the selfless service, unconditional commitment and fierce patriotism of police officers across the country. According to the actor, her role was originally intended for a male actor but the filmmaker decided to cast Shetty instead. I'm the only female cop in the cop universe that he sets in the series. He has treated the character as a character and not made any changes as per the gender, which is brilliant, she said. It was so well-written, and it was tough on paper, and even tougher as an artist to portray. She is a hard nut to crack. She is in a senior position, assertive, authoritative. So, it's an amazing part to sink your teeth into, she said. To portray the part, Shetty said she subconsciously sought inspiration from former IPS officer Kiran Bedi. "I've played the part exactly the way Rohit wanted it. Maybe you will see an element of her (Bedi). She speaks in an authoritative way, so this was there at the back of my head, she said. During the show's shooting, the actor had broken her leg. As she was recuperating at home, the actor signed her next project -- the pan-India film KD-The Devil. The period action entertainer, directed by filmmaker Prem, features Druva Sarja and Sanjay Dutt among others. "When he (Prem) came to narrate the script, I was like, I'll listen to it but I don't want to do it because I'm not in that frame of mind'. He narrated the script and at interval point, with my broken foot, I got up and said, I'll do it.' Shetty also said that she has deliberately chosen to play parts that surprise the audience. "I have decided to do characters that I've not done before and surprise people. Everybody looks at Shilpa Shetty as someone who is glamorous. They forget that I've delivered so many different characters before. "It's not their fault, as I didn't do a lot of work in the last ten years. Now, since I've decided to do work, I look at it differently. So, from Indian Police Force' and then KD', it is an absolutely different avatar, my next outing I want it to be totally diverse. Indian Police Force will also feature Shweta Tiwari and Nikitin Dheer. The seven-part action series will debut on January 19 on streamer Prime Video. Hindustani vocalist Prabha Atre dies New Delhi: Prabha Atre, 92, the woman who could have been lawyer, scientist or doctor but became a globally renowned Hindustani classical vocalist instead, died in her Pune home hours before she was to leave for a concert. 1,200 JN.1 cases New Delhi: A total of 1,200 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been reported in the country so far with Nagaland becoming the latest of the 17 States and UTs. May 8, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reacts during game four of the 2023 NBA playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Fresh out of a short hospital stint over the holidays from a broken hip, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took to his newsletter this week to absolutely shred some of Hollywoods most buzzy movies as the industry prepares for the Academy Awards. In an article on his Substack, Abdul-Jabbar explained why critically adored films like Killers Of the Flower Moon and May December are actually undeserving of love. This year, because there are so many terrible but critically acclaimed films being hoisted on the shoulders of misguided critics, Im doing a preemptive strike before the Oscar nominations are even announced, he wrote. Someone has to stop the madness. Here is a sampling of Abdul-Jabbar taking a hammer to some of the biggest movies of the year: On Martin Scorceses Killers: The biggest problem is that the character played by Leonardo DiCaprio is so dumb and venal that any time we spend with him is annoying. On indie favorite Past Lives: The direction is very arty to make sure you know something important is happening. On tabloid satire May December: I could craft a bunch of crap about the deep themes of the vagaries of identity, the damage of narcissism, and other pretentious mutterings. But Id be fleshing out ideas the film never explores with any depth. Still, Abdul-Jabbar holds true to his promise to pump up some underrated favorites as well. And he is just as direct with his opinions on those movies as the ones he hates. On the lesbian high school comedy Bottoms: It does what so many of the more pretentious art films fail to do: entertain. On the animated Across the Spider-verse: The all-too-human conflicts with his parents, his love interest, and the other versions of Spider-Man that he encounters give this movie a lot of heart. Many retired athletes, entertainers and politicians claim to have media careers. But those newsletters, columns or podcasts mostly all fizzle out. Abdul-Jabbar writes multiple times a week about politics, media and sports. And his biggest enemy of all may be show business. Someone has to stop the madness! [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Substack] Ultras fire upon Army vehicles in Poonch Jammu: A day after Army Chief General Manoj Pande expressed concern about the situation in the Rajouri-Poonch region, terrorists targeted a convoy of Army vehicles near Krishna Ghati area in the Poonch district once again on Friday evening, from a nearby forested area. Fortunately, no one was injured. 7 who attacked interfaith couple booked for rape Karnataka: Seven men who allegedly barged into a hotel room and attacked an interfaith couple during their stay in Haveri district in Karnataka have been charged with gang-rape after the victim complained that she was sexually assaulted by them, police said on Friday. SC refuses to stay new law on picking CEC, ECs Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the new law that provides for appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners by a panel, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The trustees of the Lord Rama Temple at Ayodhya have selected January 22 as the day for Prana Prathishta because it is the most auspicious day according to scriptures as well as astrological science, said South Indias leading Vedic scholars and astrologers. The Sringeri Mutt and Dwaraka Mutt, established by Adi Sankaracharya, have expressed displeasure over the actions of certain entities and individuals spreading false propaganda that they were against the Prana Prathishta scheduled for January 22. Both the Mutts issued releases negating the false news. January 22, which falls on a Monday, it is Sukla Paksham, a Dwadashi day. It is a Makeeryam (Mrigaseersham) star day. Makeeryam is an Anna Prasha Nakshathra day (Auspicious day for the first feeding of an infant). Considering all other aspects of the day, it is happening during the Uttarayana, making it ideal for Mahaparivarthana Chakravarthi Yoga and Manava Shresta Yoga day. This qualifies the day as the most auspicious for rulers as well as the ruled, said Parappanangadi Unnikrishnan Panicker, Vedic scholar, and author. The opposition expressed by a section of society could be either due to ignorance or for the sake of opposition. Astrological traditions followed in the North and South of the country may show slight variations, but they have no major significance, added Panicker. P Gopala Menon, the chief priest of the upcoming Lord Rama Temple at Puthussery, said that there is nothing wrong in consecrating the temple as the works of the sanctum sanctorum have been completed. Menon serves as the chief priest (Thanthri) of the temple, where an 18 ft Lord Rama idol will soon be consecrated. Rama Chandran, a scholar and author of many books on philosophy, pointed out that the Sankaracharyas would stay out of the consecration ceremony because they are expected to step out of their Ashrams only during the Chaathur Maasya Vritham (the four-month period of meditation and prayer). The pontiffs of Sringeri Mutt in Karnataka and Dwaraka Mutt in Gujarat made it clear on Friday that they would only be able to leave the Ashrams during the Chaathur Maasya Vritham. Hindus do not consider the Puri pontiff as the last word on anything because the previous head of the Mutt was involved in the Khilafat movement, a cardinal sin as far as a Pontiff is concerned, said Rama Chandran. Backed by a new-look Central Armed Police Forces armed to the teeth, the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on Thursday at the residences of Bengal Fire Minister Sujit Bose, his senior party colleague, Trinamool Congress MLA Tapas Roy, and Subodh Chakraborty, a South Dum Dum municipality councillor. The raids were carried out in connection with the multi-crore municipal services recruitment scam that surfaced early last year when ED officials raided the house of businessman Ayan Sil due to his alleged links with the teachers recruitment scam. While an 11-hour raid concluded at Roy and Chakrabartys residences, officials were still conducting searches at Boses house at the time of the latest reports. While the first team of ED officials raided two houses and an office belonging to Bose in Birati, located in the northern fringes of Kolkata, the second team conducted raids at the residence and office of Tapas Roy on SN Banerjee Road in central Kolkata. Simultaneously, a third team carried out a raid at the residence of Subodh Chakrabarty, a councilor in Dum Dum Municipality. The TMC leadership strongly reacted to Thursdays raids, characterising them as part of pre-election vendetta politics. Bengal Minister Shashi Panja remarked, This is nothing but vendetta politics before the elections. As they cannot defeat us politically, they are resorting to this route. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh criticised Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari, stating, The ED is being prompted by Suvendu. A few days ago, he had said, Wait and see what happens in North 24 Parganas. Mamata Banerjee had earlier entrusted Sujit Bose with the charges of Basirhat and Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituencies. The ED has been manipulated to target him, preventing him from dedicating time to the organisation. The BJP aims to score in a vacant field, but that is their daydream. They will never succeed in their nefarious designs. Another TMC spokesperson, Debangshu Bhattacharya, warned the BJPs Babus from Delhi, saying, If a veteran man like Tapas Roy, who enjoys a clean image, is targeted, you can easily guess what the ED and BJP are up to. He added, Everything will be remembered in the future, and nothing will be forgotten. Roy, a former Bengal minister normally known for his integrity, however, refused to comment, said, The party leadership will react to todays developments. Insofar as I am concerned, I have never been involved in any kind of monetary transaction. The raids could be related to politics because no one would have raided my house had I not been a politician. Bengal Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury also gave a clean chit to Roy, saying, I do not believe that Tapas Roy is involved in corruption. However, none would vouch for Bose, even as BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya asked, How can a man who began his career as a fast-food seller earn so much money to construct palatial buildings and own so much property? Boses son, on the other hand, stated, We have nothing to hide. We are cooperating with the ED and answering all their questions as law-abiding citizens of the country. Reportedly, the ED discovered the names of Bose, Roy, and others in the diary of Ayan Sil, who is currently in jail. Sil, the owner of an IT company, was entrusted with conducting the selection tests for municipal services. The accidental recovery of documents from a bin at Sils house brought to light a multi-crore municipal services scam across 51 municipalities in the state, according to officials. ED officials, after arresting Sil in relation to the teachers recruitment scam, found certain names. The code names SB and Tapas Da prompted the investigators to further interrogate him when the names of senior TMC politicians came up. Sources stated, The names of Bose and Roy came up when Ayan Sil was further interrogated, adding that Boses role, particularly in the civic services scam as the Chairman of Barangar Municipality, was being looked into. Meanwhile, having been once beaten, the CAPF officials took extra security measures for Thursdays raids. Last week, CAPF and ED sleuths were attacked at Sandeshkhali by a thousand-strong group of local Trinamool Congress toughie Shahjehan Sheikh, whom they were raiding in connection with the ratio scam that led to former Bengal Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick landing in jail. Equipped with shields, head and body gear, batons, tear gas, and sound grenades, the CAPF personnel not only cordoned off areas and the TMC leaders houses but also conducted route marches throughout, according to sources. After expressing his earnest desires for the last six months to assume the role of Convener of the Opposition grouping INDIA bloc, JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declined the offer made during the virtual meeting of Opposition leaders. In that meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was named the Chairperson of the large alliance preparing to take on the juggernaut of Narendra Modi-led BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. Major stakeholders, including Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, skipped the meeting for the second time in a fortnight. Despite pressures from other allies, there has been no consensus headway in the seat sharing for the general elections. AAP, which also attended the virtual meet, had a separate meeting between Kharge and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the presence of Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, and other AAP leaders at the residence of the Congress chief. Sources said that the intense deliberation, which also saw participation by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, reached a consensus to choose Kharge as the Chairperson of the INDIA bloc. Nitish was another contender for the top post, but in the meeting, he proposed someone from Congress should assume charge. Further, when the proposal for the Bihar CM to be named as Convener was raised, the senior JD(U) leader declined, albeit mentioning that he would discuss the matter with the two big absentees, Mamata and Akhilesh, before expressing his mind. Nitish spearheaded the Opposition unification since last June, and through his party leaders, he has often made his intentions clear to secure the coveted post. Recently, Nitish effected a major change in the party by taking over the reins of JD(U) from his closest aide and party Lok Sabha MP Lallan Singh after it is believed that the former was not happy with the latter, who could not oppose the name of Congress president as the bloc PM candidate in the meeting held in Mumbai. After Nitish refused to take the post immediately in the virtual meeting, Kharge said he would discuss the issue with Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav. According to an INDIA bloc functionary, the convener of the alliance will be just below that of the chairperson. INDIA is a group of Opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the BJP and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While the partys position in the INDIA bloc continues what is worrisome is the seat sharing with bigger allies ans in states with large number of Lok Sabha seats. In Uttar Pradesh, the SP will not budge from taking the huge pie. In recent Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Congress did not honour SPs demand of assembly seats and since then the relationship between Congress and SP is at its lowest ebb and leaders from both sides washed linens in public. Congresss discussion with AAP is also proving contentious. While the party pressing for 4 seats in Delhi and seven seats in Punjab, AAP is not ready to comply. In both Delhi and Punjab, the ruling party wants the bigger share of seats. AAP also wants to contest in Goa, Haryana and Gujarat, sources said. TMC which abstained from the virtual meeting though affirmed its commitment to it but said that Congress should recognise its limitations in Bengal and permit the party to spearhead the political battle in it. We are committed to the INDIA alliance and want to work together to defeat BJP. But we sincerely wish that the Congress leadership acknowledges the limitations and weaknesses of their Bengal unit and allows us (TMC) to lead the fight in the state, a TMC senior functionary said. The TMC had already announced that Mamata Banerjee will not be able to attend the virtual meeting as she has prior engagements and will not be able to change them at 16 hours notice. We were told that no one else can attend as only one person is allowed from each of the INDIA constituent parties, the TMC member said. Earlier, TMC had declined to send representatives to meetings with the Congress national alliance committee on seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, citing its prior stance, which it had communicated to the Congress. The TMC had offered Congress two seats in West Bengal based on the result of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Congress, however, deemed the offer inadequate. Last week, TMC Lok Sabha Party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay indicated the partys willingness to collaborate with the Congress but said the party will go solo if negotiations fail. Recently, state Congress president and the partys leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is a vocal critic of TMC, asserted that his party will not beg for seats from TMC. In the 2019 elections, TMC secured 22 seats, and Congress bagged two, while BJP secured 18 seats in the State. Banerjees proposal for an alliance between TMC, Congress, and the Left in West Bengal in November last year met swift dismissal from the CPI (M) and criticism from some Congress leaders. The TMC had allied with the Congress thrice in the past - the 2001 assembly polls, 2009 Lok Sabha elections, and the 2011 assembly polls, which saw the ousting of the CPI(M)-led Left Front government of 34 years. The mystery surrounding the missing IAF plane has finally been solved after nearly eight years, as some parts of its wreckage were located at a depth of nearly 3.4 km in the Bay of Bengal recently. The ill-fated AN-32 transport plane, with 29 personnel onboard, was en route to the Port of Blair after taking off from Tambaram airbase in Chennai on July 22, 2016, when it went missing. Providing details on Friday, the Defence Ministry said that a scrutiny of the images captured by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) deployed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology recently confirmed that the wreckage located 310 km off the Chennai coast is of an AN-32 aircraft. The search images were scrutinised and found to be conforming with an AN-32 aircraft. This discovery at the probable crash site, with no other recorded history of any other missing aircraft report in the same area, points to the debris as possibly belonging to the crashed IAF AN-32, the ministry said in a statement. The IAFs AN-32 aircraft with registration number K-2743 went missing over the Bay of Bengal on July 22, 2016, during a mission. One of the most extensive search and rescue missions in the country, involving aircraft and ships, could not locate any missing personnel or the wreckage of the plane since it disappeared. The National Institute of Ocean Technology, operating under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, recently deployed an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) with deep-sea exploration capabilities at the last known location of the missing AN-32 aircraft. This search was conducted at a depth of 3,400 metres using multiple payloads, including a multi-beam SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging), synthetic aperture SONAR, and high-resolution photography, the Defence Ministry said. Analysis of search images indicated the presence of debris from a crashed aircraft on the seabed approximately 140 nautical miles (3.10 km) from the Chennai coast, it added. The transport aircraft took off from the Tambaram air base in Chennai at 8:30 am on July 22, 2016, and was supposed to land at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around 11:30 am after covering a distance of 750 nautical miles (1,300 km). When the plane failed to land, the search and rescue mission was launched at 11.45 am. Reports indicated that radars had last seen the plane about 9.15 am, 200 km east of Chennai. The service personnel on board the missing plane included four officers and 25 others, officials said. While the plane was manned by a crew of six, other passengers included 11 from the IAF, nine Navy men, two from the Army, and one from the Coast Guard. Port Blair is the home to the tri-services command. Sixteen minutes after take-off, the pilot reportedly made the last call and said, Everything is normal. The aircraft rapidly lost altitude from 23,000 feet and was off the radar around 9:12 am, 280 km off the Chennai coast. Almost eight years after the crash, debris from the crashed aircraft has been located 310 km from the coast in the same area. The massive search operation launched then included the Navys Dornier aircraft and 11 ships: Sahyadri, Rajput, Ranvijay, Kamorta, Kirch, Karmuk, Kora, Kuthar, Shakti, Jyoti, Ghariyal, and Sukanya. An astrologer was arrested in Bhubaneswar on the charge of duping a woman of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of solving her domestic issues and attempting to rape her. The Commissionerate police nabbed the accused astrologer identified as Nilambar Pani from Bhadrak district on Thursday following the allegations. According to reports, the woman victim belonging to a rich family in Bhubaneswar had come in contact with Nilambar Pani on Facebook. The accused introducing himself as an astrologer was chatting with her promising to solve her domestic issues. Assuring her of solving her problems, he charged her lakhs of rupees as consultation fee by offering her cloves. Further, he allegedly attempted to rape her on the pretext of conducting some religious rituals at her home. A complaint was filed with police in this regard, following which the accused was arrested from Bhadrak on Thursday. Former BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash flagged off Luvkush Rath from the state office today. The chariot has been taken out under the auspices of Kushwaha Mahasabha. Through which invitations will be distributed on the occasion of the consecration of Ram Lala in the Ayodhya Ram temple in the entire state. Speaking on this occasion, Prakash said that the wait of 500 years is coming to an end. The grand divine temple of Ram Lala has hoisted the flag of Sanatan in the world. Today the entire Sanatan Samaj is excited about the consecration of Ram Lala and is feeling proud. He said that Kushwaha Mahasabha has done a commendable job by ensuring its participation in Ramkaj through Rath. Kushwaha Mahasabha deserves congratulations for this noble work. On the Congress Party rejecting the Pran Pratishtha invitation, he said that Ram is the identity of India. The nature of rejecting Ram is in the history of Congress. He said that the Congress party is the party that is going to break India. Those who deny Ram can never unite India. Speaking on this occasion, MLA Kushwaha Shashibhushan Mehta said that Kushwaha community is the descendant of Luv Kush. Today, when Lord Ram is going to sit in his house after 500 years, it is a moment of pride for the society. He said that a total of 8 chariots are being taken out in the entire state through which invitations to Akshat will be distributed from village to village. He expressed gratitude towards former BJP state president and MP Deepak Prakash. On this occasion, media in-charge Shivpujan Pathak, spokesperson Pradeep Sinha, Pratul Shahdev, Avinesh Kumar Singh, Ashok Badaik, Ranjit Chandravanshi, Rahul Awasthi etc. were present. Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the state BJP office, Koderma MLA and former Education Minister Dr. Nira Yadav fiercely attacked the Hemant government. Declaring the Hemant government as a lagging government in the field of education, she said that the fraudulent Hemant government has done the most work of cheating the youth. Hemant government has worked to stop the education works by stalling the schemes during the tenure of Raghuvar government. Yadav said that of the total budget of Rs 1092 crore, only 23.12 per cent has been spent on higher technical education, while the situation is worse in school education, only 58.14 per cent of the budget of Rs 6387 crore has been spent. There are vacancies for the posts of 10 thousand teachers in high schools. There is one teacher for every 18 students in the country whereas in Jharkhand there is one teacher for every 35 students. About 70 per cent of the principal posts in high schools and plus two are vacant, out of which 50 per cent are for direct recruitment. The condition of universities and colleges of Jharkhand is from bad to worse. More than 50 per cent of professor posts are vacant. The university is running against the rules with the help of 55 per cent temporary teachers. According to the rules, only 10 per cent temporary teachers can be reinstated. The body of a 27-year-old former model Divya Pahuja, who was shot dead in City Point hotel in Gurugram, has been recovered after 11 days of her killing from a canal in Haryana's Fatehabad district, police said on Saturday. Pahuja's body was identified by a tattoo on her back. "The body in a decomposing situation was recovered from the Bhakra canal in Tohana, Fatehabad district," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya said. However, in connection with the murder, the police have also one another accused identified as Parvesh from Rohtak on Saturday for supplying a murder weapon and other illegal weapons to Abhijeet Singh who killed Divya. The police have so far recovered three illegal weapons and 40 live cartridges from the possession of Abhijeet. The murder weapon is yet to be recovered. Meanwhile, a clue regarding the whereabouts of the body was revealed after the arrest of Balraj Gill, who along with his associate Ravi Banga had fled with Divya's body. With the help of 25 teams of NDRF, and SDRF, the police launched a search for the body from Patiala to Khanauri in Fatehabad. The police sent a photo of the body to Divya's family, following which they identified it to be hers due to the tattoo, police said. After the confirmation, the police took possession of the body. Divya was shot dead in room number 111 of the City Point Hotel near the Gurugram bus stand on January 2. According to the police, Divya and Abhijeet were in a relationship and the latter killed the woman in a fit of rage after she refused to delete some of his objectionable photos from her mobile phone. Balraj had earlier said that he along with Ravi had thrown Divya's body into the Bhakra Canal near Patiala, Punjab. The body travelled 150 km from Bhakra Canal near Patiala, Punjab to Khanauri in Fatehabad after it was recovered by the police. Balraj is being brought to Gurugram on a three-day transit remand. He disclosed that after throwing the body into the Bhakra Canal, they abandoned the BMW used in the crime at the Patiala bus stand. According to police sources, Balraj revealed that on the night of January 2, he and Ravi had left Gurugram with the body in the BMW. After they abandoned the car in Patiala, they first went to Udaipur in a taxi. After this, the police traced both the accused and found out that they were staying in a hotel in Udaipur. By the time the police team reached Udaipur, both the accused escaped from there and returned to Chandigarh. From Chandigarh, Balraj and Ravi boarded a train and reached Howrah, following which they parted ways. On Thursday, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued by the Gurugram Police for Balraj and Ravi amid the possibility of them fleeing abroad. The very next day, the airport police arrested Balraj from Kolkata airport. Ravi, however, remains absconding. In connection with Divya's murder, the police have so far arrested five persons including the prime accused, Abhijeet Singh, his aides Om Prakash, Hemraj, Balraj Gill, Parvesh and a woman, Megha. The woman had helped Abhijeet in hiding, throwing away the murder weapon, documents, and personal belongings of Divya Pahuja. Om Prakash and Hemraj had helped Abhijeet to drag Divya's body into the boot of a BMW car. Later, Balraj and Ravi fled with the body. Megha told the police that when she reached the hotel on January 2, she noticed Divya's body. Abhijeet then asked her to dispose of the belongings of the deceased woman, but she was too scared to follow his instructions, sources said. The police have recovered the BMW car which was used to take the body to Patiala. During questioning, Abhijeet told the police that Divya used to blackmail him and also extorted money. Divya came in contact with Abhijeet through a jailed gangster, Binder Gujjar. Binder Gujjar is said to be the prime conspirator in the alleged "fake encounter" of gangster Sandeep Gadoli, along with the Gurugram Police, which took place in Mumbai in 2016. Divya was the prime accused in the case. Later, she was arrested in connection with the gangster's murder, and she spent seven years in jail. She was granted bail last year in June by the Bombay High Court. Divya's family has alleged that her murder conspiracy was hatched by Sandeep Gadoli's family members, along with Abhijeet. More than 10 days after she was shot dead in a Gurugram hotel,former model Divya Pahujas body was found in Bhakra canal in Haryanas Tohana on Saturday. Pahujas body was identified by a tattoo on her back. The body has been recovered from the subsidiary canal of the Bhakra canal in Tohana, said Gurugram Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya. Pahuja, 27, was murdered on January 2, over five months after she was released on bail in connection with the alleged fake encounter of a Haryana-based gangster in a Mumbai hotel room in 2016. The body in a decomposing situation was recovered from the Bhakra canal in Tohana, Fatehabad district, Dahiya said.However, in connection with the murder, the police have also one another accused identified as Parvesh from Rohtak on Saturday for supplying a murder weapon and other illegal weapons to Abhijeet Singh who killed Divya. The police have so far three illegal weapons and 40 live cartridges from the possession of Abhijeet. The murder weapon is yet to be recovered. Meanwhile, a clue regarding the whereabouts of the body was revealed after the arrest of Balraj Gill, who along with his associate Ravi Banga had fled with Divyas body. With the help of 25 teams of NDRF, and SDRF, the police launched a search for the body from Patiala to Khanauri in Fatehabad. The police sent a photo of the body to Divyas family, following which they identified it to be hers due to the tattoo, police said. After the confirmation, the police took possession of the body. According to the police, Divya and Abhijeet were in a relationship and the latter killed the woman in a fit of rage after she refused to delete some of his objectionable photos from her mobile phone. Balraj had earlier said that he along with Ravi had thrown Divyas body into the Bhakra Canal near Patiala, Punjab. The body travelled 150 km from Bhakra Canal near Patiala, Punjab to Khanauri in Fatehabad after it was recovered by the police. Balraj is being brought to Gurugram on a three-day transit remand. He disclosed that after throwing the body into the Bhakra Canal, they abandoned the BMW used in the crime at the Patiala bus stand. According to police sources, Balraj revealed that on the night of January 2, he and Ravi had left Gurugram with the body in the BMW. After they abandoned the car in Patiala, they first went to Udaipur in a taxi. After this, the police traced both the accused and found out that they were staying in a hotel in Udaipur. By the time the police team reached Udaipur, both the accused escaped from there and returned to Chandigarh. From Chandigarh, Balraj and Ravi boarded a train and reached Howrah, following which they parted ways On Thursday, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued by the Gurugram Police for Balraj and Ravi amid the possibility of them fleeing abroad. The very next day, the airport police arrested Balraj from Kolkata airport.Ravi, however, remains absconding. In connection with Divyas murder, the police have so far arrested five persons including the prime accused, Abhijeet Singh, his aides Om Prakash, Hemraj, Balraj Gill, Parvesh and a woman, Megha. The woman had helped Abhijeet in hiding, throwing away the murder weapon, documents, and personal belongings of Divya Pahuja.Om Prakash and Hemraj had helped Abhijeet to drag Divyas body into the boot of a BMW car.Later, Balraj and Ravi fled with the body. Megha told the police that when she reached the hotel on January 2, she noticed Divyas body. Abhijeet then asked her to dispose of the belongings of the deceased woman, but she was too scared to follow his instructions, sources said. The police have recovered the BMW car which was used to take the body to Patiala.w During questioning, Abhijeet told the police that Divya used to blackmail him and also extorted money. In a heartwarming collaboration, all four Inner Wheel Clubs of Jamshedpur IWC Jamshedpur, IWC Jamshedpur East, IWC Jamshedpur West, and IWC Jamshedpur Zestunited to commemorate the centenary celebration of International Inner Wheel. The ambitious project, titled "Annapurna," aimed at spreading joy and friendship as part of the legacy of service. As International Inner Wheel marked its hundredth year on January 10, 2024, the clubs came together for a special initiative. The focus was on bringing warmth and companionship to the residents of "Nirmal Hriday," an Old Age Home under Missionaries of Charity at Baradwari in Jamshedpur. The clubs organized a delightful lunch for the inmates, fostering moments of connection and camaraderie. After the heartening visit to Nirmal Hriday, all club members gathered at Utsav Resort for a celebratory lunch. The event was marked by cutting a centenary cake and releasing balloons, symbolizing the joyous spirit of 100 years of International Inner Wheel. The occasion was filled with fun and enjoyment, creating lasting memories. The project catered to the well-being of 40 individuals residing at Nirmal Hriday. The entire project was sponsored by the dedicated members of the Inner Wheel Clubs, reflecting their commitment to community service. The Contributors District Chairman: Dr. Ragini Rani, District Editor: Shubhra Gupta Club President: Sampa Upadhyay, Club Secretary: Sanchita Dey Club Editor: Sonali Mohanty. The success of the "Annapurna" project is a testament to the unity and dedication of the Inner Wheel Clubs in Jamshedpur, showcasing the enduring spirit of service and friendship as International Inner Wheel embarks on its next century. Dec 12, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after being called for a foul on Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) during the third quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports TNTs Shaquille ONeal has long been outspoken and Big Diesel did so once more with comments about Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic. During the most recent episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq called Nurkic soft and blasted him over his apparent response to the dust-up with Draymond Green that led to the Golden State Warriors stars suspension. ONeal started by saying hed have his Katt Williams moment before diving right in. Shaq calls Jusuf Nurkic soft for thinking about pressing charges on Draymond Green Youre going to ruin what i created in the big man allianceThis is something I would tell you to your face if I saw you. You cant press charges, you just gotta get your big a** up and hit pic.twitter.com/mSfUim8r8V NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 12, 2024 Per NBC Sports, I dont know if its true or not, ONeal said. But I wanna address it. Jusuf Nurkic, whatever his name is, is talking about pressing charges against Draymond Green. Now, I have a problem with that. Cause one, it just shows how soft you are as a big man, ONeal said. Youre gonna ruin what I created in the big man alliance. The reason Draymond hit you, sir, is because he knows youre not gonna hit him back. So for you to say, even think about saying youre pressing charges, youre soft. This is something I would tell you to your face if I saw you. You cant press charges, you just gotta get your ass up and hit somebody back. How bout that? With your big soft ass, he said. After the clip went viral, word got by to Nurkic, who denied saying that. Lmao first I never said that!! Nurkic posted on X. People be making sh*t up lol. Shaqilovic, Im not from here, Im not losing money, and nobody fighting in this NBA Lmao first i never said that!! People be making sh*t up lol Shaqilovic Im not from here , Im not losing money and nobody fighting in this NBA https://t.co/MuweiL317F Jusuf Nurkic ?? (@bosnianbeast27) January 12, 2024 It doesnt seem like anyone will drop the gloves here anytime soon. Nurkics denial of that report is right from the horses mouth, so any reply back now from Shaq could be interesting. [NBA Central] The Bharatiya Janata Party State president Mahendra Bhatt has alleged that the Congress is spreading confusion regarding the participation of Shankaracharyas in the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Congress which always opposed the temple is unable to participate in the occasion due to its political compulsions, he said. Interacting with media persons at the partys State office here on Saturday, Bhatt said that the Congress thrives on creating obstacles. This is why it is always busy in trying to create hurdles in works related to Sanatan Dharma. The Congress is spreading lies on the subject of the Shankaracharyas not attending the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in an attempt to spread confusion. In fact, they have not said anything of this sort themselves or to their disciples. As far as the Congress leaders not attending the ceremony is concerned, that party always opposed the construction of the Ram temple so it is stumped now when the grand temple is taking shape in front of their eyes. The scope of their appeasement politics is shrinking now. In order to retain what's left of its vote bank, the Congress leaders are not going to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. For such anti-Sanatan works, the public taught the Congress a lesson in the 2014 and 2019 elections and will do so again this time, the BJP State president said. Referring to talk of senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi not attending the ceremony, he said that this is a rumour spread by the Congress. Both of these senior leaders have been invited by the temple trust but due to health reasons, their schedule has not been confirmed yet, Bhatt added. BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo appealed to the officers working under the state government not to become complicit in the illegal and wrong actions of the state government. Pratul told the officers to work as per their rule book, in accordance with the Constitution and the law of the country. He said that the recent actions of the state government seem to have become its own CrPC. The Chief Minister should not forget that the law of the country is supreme. Pratul said that the Cabinet Secretary of the state government has written a very objectionable letter to the ED seeking information on the issue of summoning its officers. This letter is a direct violation of the decision of the Supreme Court. Pratul said that it appears that the Hemant government now wants to stop the ongoing campaign of the central government against corruption by resorting to illegal means and wants to save its favorite officers. Pratul said that the Supreme Court, while giving its verdict on July 27, 2022, had said that both FIR and ECIR are different. A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar had said in its decision that the ED does not have the responsibility to share its ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) with the person it summons. Pratul said that it is not possible to believe that the Cabinet Secretary is not aware of this very important decision of the Supreme Court. He advised the officers to act as per the law. Now this letter of the Cabinet Secretary is directly challenging the powers of the ED established by the Parliament of the country. These powers have also been upheld by the Supreme Court. Pratul said that governments keep coming and going, but officials should always work as per the law. In a curious turn of events in Uttar Pradesh, a peculiar trend is emerging as several pregnant women are choosing to have caesarean section deliveries on January 22, aligning their childbirths with the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The proprietor of Ajanta Hospital and IVF Centre in Lucknow, Dr Gita Khanna, said that three of her patients had proposed to go for caesarean deliveries on January 22, while one embryo transplant is planned for that day. Expectant mothers, considering January 22 as an auspicious day, are deliberately choosing this date for their deliveries, even if their due dates fall a few days before or after, Dr Khanna said on Saturday. The first phase of the Ram temple is approaching completion and the consecration of Ram Lallas idol scheduled for the same day has added a divine twist to the timing. There are reports that the state-run Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College in Kanpur Nagar has also got a request in writing from parents to go for delivery on January 22. Dr Madhu Gupta, who runs a nursing home in Lucknow, is no stranger to this amusing trend. She said: I too have received requests from three of my patients to arrange their delivery on that day. They genuinely believe that their child will inherit the qualities of Lord Ram if born on the day of the Ram temple consecration. However, Dr Gupta quickly points out that she has not assured all her patients that a caesarean section would be carried out on that day only. I cannot overlook potential complications in favour of adhering to auspicious times, she clarified, ensuring that medical decisions are not entirely eclipsed by religious sentiments. Renuka Sharma, a 32-year-old expecting her second child, finds herself caught in the crossroads of tradition and family wishes. With her due date of delivery on January 20, she amusingly remarked, It is not my choice; even my family wants the child to be born on January 22. This is not the first time that families have asked for the delivery of a child on a specific day. Even on ordinary days, patients, after consulting their astrologers, demand that a caesarean section be performed at a particular time. However, the comical convergence of medical and religious choices raises questions about the delicate balance between cultural traditions and healthcare priorities. What is so special about January 22, 2024. According to KD Tripathi, a prominent astrologer from Kanpur, January 22 aligns with the Abhijit muhurat, starting at 11:51 am local time and ending at 12:33 pm. This period is considered auspicious for Hindus, as it is believed that Lord Shiva defeated the demon Tripurasur during this time. He said that the time and moment of birth of a child were special as the lagna and the celestial position of stars dictate a childs future. Therefore, an auspicious time is always good for the welfare of children, he adds. As per Hindu mythology, this period removes negative energies from ones life, Tripathi explained, adding, Amrit Siddhi Yoga and Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga will also coincide on January 22, making it an auspicious time for the Ram temple consecration ceremony. As the demand for caesarean deliveries on this specific date rises, healthcare professionals find themselves navigating the intersection of religious beliefs and medical practices. It remains to be seen how this unique trend will impact both the families involved and the medical community as the region prepares for a significant day in its religious history, with newborns potentially stealing a bit of the divine spotlight. In a major move against violent crime, SP Himanshu Garg led a late-night operation in Rohtak district, resulting in the arrest of a notorious criminal under the NSA Act. This marks the first such case in the state of Haryana, sending a clear message to criminals that disruptive and dangerous behavior will no longer be tolerated. In a statement on Friday, Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur stated that the state government has established an advisory board under the National Security Act, 1980. This board aims to facilitate the prosecution of major criminals in Haryana by the Act's provisions. The action in Rohtak district is the inaugural move by the Haryana Police within this framework, sending a clear message to criminals that the police will not tolerate criminal activities. Kapur emphasized that such actions will continue in the future, targeting accused individuals under the Act. SP Himanshu Garg of Rohtak District Police said that the Rohtak Police meticulously built a case against the accused under the NSA Act. The case was then submitted to the District Magistrate Rohtak, who, following orders, detained the accused under Section (3) 2 of the NSA and placed him in Rohtak Jail. The accused faces charges in 12 cases, including murder, attempted murder, gangrape, extortion, assault, criminal conspiracy, and illegal weapons possession in Rohtak, Jhajjar, and Gohana. The accused has been involved in criminal activities since 2011, continuously committing crimes and influencing other youths to join criminal endeavors. Additionally, he was found spreading terror by posting photos with weapons on social media. Considering the imminent threat posed by the accused to the state, he was detained and jailed under the NSA Act. Garg affirmed that Rohtak Police will continue taking action under the NSA Act against criminals posing a threat to society in the future. To promote the hill state amongst the filmmakers, the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led cabinet on Friday gave its approval to Himachal Pradesh Film Policy - 2024 to promote and facilitate shooting of movies in the state. Under the policy, there is a provision to set up a film facilitation cell in the Information and Public Relations department to serve as a single window for granting all permissions for shooting of films in the state through a dedicated web portal in a fixed time frame. The cabinet in its meeting held here under chief minister Sukhu's chairmanship also gave an in-principle approval to the draft of Mukhyamantri Vidhva Avam Ekal Nari Awas Yojana-2023 to provide Rs 1.50 lakh financial assistance for the construction of the houses of widows and single women. The cabinet also decided to carry out necessary amendments in the respective Acts and Rules to increase the marriageable age of girls from 18 years to 21 years. Earlier, a committee was constituted to consider raising the legal age of marriage of girls from 18 to 21 years. The cabinet further approved restructuring of the State Taxes and Excise department by creating two separate wings -- the excise wing and the GST, and the allied taxes wing -- to streamline the functioning of the departments. It also gave an in-principle approval to engage annual period-based guest teachers in the departments of Elementary and Higher Education to enhance the educational standards. Nod was as well given to sign a memorandum of understanding for consultancy services from the National Dairy Development Board for the establishment of an automated 1.50 lakh litre per day (LLDP), expandable up to 3 LLPD, milk processing plant with value-added products at Dhagwar in Kangra district. To settle pending assessment cases and arrears, which were under litigation or were yet to be assessed under the Acts subsumed under the Goods and Service Tax (GST), the cabinet gave its approval to extend the third phase of Himachal Pradesh Sadbhawana Legacy Cases Resolution Scheme, 2023, from January 1 to March 31, 2024. An approval was accorded to the development, operation and maintenance of the ropeway from Nature Park Mohal to Bijli Mahadev Temple in Kullu district and the profit would be shared by the Union and state governments in a 50:50 ratio. A decision was also taken to give relaxation of six months in age to the children seeking admission in Class I in the state's primary schools. The cabinet decided to grant maternity leave for 180 days under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1962, to the female cook cum helper with less than than two children in the Education department. Amid speculation about what is in store for him in the future, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said he is addressed as a former chief minister but is not a rejected one, and that people's love for him has become more stronger despite stepping down from the top post in Madhya Pradesh. "I'm now addressed as the former chief minister, but I'm not a rejected chief minister. Many times, chief ministers quit the post when people start abusing them for being in power for too long. But, even after quitting the chief minister's post, people shout for me and call out 'Mama', wherever I go. The love of the people is my real treasure," Chouhan, whose popular nickname means maternal uncle, said while addressing an event at the MIT School of Government in Pune on Friday. "Stepping down from the chief minister post doesn't mean that I will leave active politics. I am not in politics for any post, but for serving the people," the BJP's longest-serving chief minister said. Speaking about his long electoral career, starting with his maiden assembly polls triumph from his home seat of Budhni in 1990, Chouhan attributed his victories to contesting elections honestly. "I don't speak the language of arrogance. I have won 11 elections but I don't campaign for myself in the elections. I go to the constituency just a day before filing the nomination, when the people of the village come to me with money and a list of contributors. If you contest elections honestly, people will side with you," he asserted. The remarks come a month after Mohan Yadav was named the chief minister in Madhya Pradesh and not Chouhan, who was looking for a fifth term. The BJP had swept the elections in the state, winning 163 out of 230 seats despite being in power there for nearly 20 years. Soon after the results were declared on December 3 and there was a buzz about a new face becoming the next Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Chouhan had said, "While other BJP leaders are going to Delhi, I won't go to Delhi. I would prefer dying rather than going to Delhi to ask something for myself." Indore collector Ashish Singh on friday inspected the Revenue Courts of Tehsil offices located in the Collectorate office. He inspected Bhicholi Hapsi and Malharganj tehsil offices. He inspected the register of various revenue cases including transfer, partition, demarcation register, copy branch maintained in the office and took information about the resolution of the cases from the concerned officers. He instructed the Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar to take action within the prescribed time limit regarding the resolution of revenue cases and expediting the court process. During the inspection, Collector Ashish Singh found that some cases were pending for a long time and the hearing on them had not been conducted. For such negligence in discharging responsibilities, he directed to issue notice to Malharganj Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar and Reader of Bhicholi Hapsi Court, Malarganj Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar Court. During inspection, it was found that the case of an applicant was kept pending for more than 6 months by former Naib Tehsildar of Malharganj Tehsil, Dharmendra Singh Chauhan. No action was taken on the matter Collector Ashish Singh gave instructions to start a departmental inquiry against the former Naib Tehsildar for showing serious negligence in discharging his responsibilities. Collector Ashish Singh said that it is our top priority that the problems of the general public be resolved in a time bound manner. Applicants do not have to visit the office again and again. No case should be kept pending unnecessarily and appearances should be made continuously. He directed that whatever cases are unnecessarily pending should be heard immediately. The Delhi University has directed its colleges to install CCTV cameras outside womens toilets and changing rooms during fests in the aftermath of an incident in which some women were secretly filmed while changing in IIT-Delhi, officials said on Friday. In a recent advisory, the administration also asked its colleges and departments to ensure that CCTV camera arrangements were made at all gates of the institutes and hostels to avoid any mishap. After recommendations by the Delhi Police, we have made relevant additions to fest guidelines in view of the recent incident at IIT-Delhi. We have asked colleges to make CCTV arrangements in front of ladies washrooms and dressing rooms during fests for the safety of students, DU proctor Rajni Abbi said. Last October, about 10 students of Delhi Universitys Bharti College complained that they were secretly filmed while changing in an IIT-Delhi washroom during a fashion show at the institutes fest. Police arrested a 20-year-old contractual sweeper in the case and sent the person to judicial custody. A case under section 354C (voyeurism) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Kishangarh police station. Under the revised guidelines, the colleges have been asked to conduct an assessment of their boundary walls before any big event and install low concertina wires to prevent outsiders from scaling the walls. The advisory also suggests a centralised public announcement system at all gates of the institute. Before any big event where students from outside are invited to any institute, the administration must hold an advanced security liaison meeting with all stakeholders. The advisory also puts a cap on the strength of students allowed during fests, suggests a check on the structural stability of the stage during a concert, hiring of door frame metallic detectors and making proper light arrangements to cover dark patches. Entry to the events should be regulated through Google Forms, copies of which have to be submitted to the police along with other departments concerned. In a remarkable display of commitment to cleanliness and sanitation, Jamshedpur has clinched the fifth position in Swachh Survekshan 2023, reaffirming its dedication to urban hygiene. The prestigious survey, conducted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the Swachh Bharat Urban Mission, recognized the city's outstanding achievements in a grand event held in New Delhi. The event was graced by distinguished figures, including President Droupadi Murmu and Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Key contributors to Jamshedpur's success in Swachh Survekshan 2023 were its effective door-to-door waste collection and processing, maintaining cleanliness in residential, commercial areas, and public toilets. The city's efforts in preserving the cleanliness of water bodies also played a pivotal role. Jamshedpur was honored with a 3-Star certificate under the Garbage-Free Cities competition. A significant factor in this recognition was the city's strides in waste processing and disposal, particularly through the Compost plant, biogas initiatives, and the promotion of on-site composting. These initiatives have effectively transformed wet waste into compost and biogas. This marks the fifth consecutive top-ranking for Jamshedpur since 2019, securing the 43rd position in India in Swachh Survekshan 2023. The city achieved an impressive total of 7042.4 marks out of 9500. Notably, in this year's survey, Jamshedpur finished among the top 1% of cities in its category, a notable improvement from its top 5% finish last year. In the 2023 survey, the category of 1 Lac to 10 Lac population, in which Jamshedpur participated, was merged with the 10 Lac plus population category. Despite the increased competition with 4477 participants in the 10 Lac plus population category, Jamshedpur secured a commendable 43rd rank. In the previous year (2022), when Jamshedpur competed in the 1 Lac to 10 Lac population category, it secured an 18th rank against 382 participating cities. This achievement underscores Jamshedpur's unwavering commitment to creating a clean and sustainable urban environment, setting a benchmark for other cities across the nation. Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday said the two-day international kite festival being celebrated in Delhi on the occasion of Makar Sankranti is also a tribute to one of our prime deities, Lord Ram. Lord Ram is said to have flown kites in his childhood, along with his brothers, Saxena said. He was addressing a gathering at the opening ceremony of the Patang Utsav being hosted at Baansera -- a sustainability-themed bamboo park located at Sarai Kale Khan on the banks of the river Yamuna. The festival, being organised by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), has major attractions including a theme pavilion, which displays history of kites, in the form of a kite gallery showing use of kites during times of war, fighter kites, and the significance of kites in India, according to officials. The Patang Utsav was inaugurated a day ahead of the Makar Sankranti festival. With more than 30 professional kitists from different states participating, the Kite festival, , also has attractions like a theme pavilion displaying the history of kites in the form of kite gallery, a classical Patang Bazaar for people to buy and fly kites and traditional food and handicrafts stalls. Besides, cultural performances by folk artists showcasing Indias cultural diversity and exclusive activities have been planned for kids in the form of a kids zone. We are celebrating today an international kite festival at a place that was reclaimed, rejuvenated and regenerated. This used to be a garbage dump of Delhis construction and demolition waste. What you see now is a beautiful abode of bamboos, Saxena said. He added that celebrating this kite festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti is also a tribute to one of our prime deities, Lord Shri Ram, who is said to have flown kites in his childhood, along with his brothers. The Delhi Lt Governor also quoted a couplet from a scripture. As a nation that possibly provided the world with its fullest experience in flying by human endeavours, this kite festival prevalent across the globe for centuries now, wouldnt have been more appropriate as a symbol of basic human endeavour of soaring and breaking free, he said. This bamboo park, Baansera, is a tribute to that human endeavour. It aims at providing people of Delhi the much-needed public spaces in the capital on one hand, and on the other ensure that the rich biodiversity of the floodplains is preserved and maintained, Saxena said. To enhance the ecological character of the Yamuna floodplains and make it more people-friendly by developing it as a recreational and cultural venue, Saxena had laid the foundation of Baansera in August 2022 and it was developed in six months. More than 25,000 special varieties of Bamboo saplings brought from Assam were planted here. A classic Patang Bazaar is also operational here for people to buy and fly kites and embrace Delhis skies with a riot of colours, Saxena, also the chairman of the DDA, said on Saturday. Besides, traditional food and handicraft stalls have also been set up for public, along with cultural performances by folk artistes to showcase our diversity. I assure you that many such events will be planned in the future to promote ease of living for the people of Delhi, he added. On the occasion, the Lt Governor also unveiled the 2024 calendar published by the DDA. It contains images of various monuments and other public spaces in Delhi. Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, Members of Parliament, Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Gautam Gambhir, MLA O P Sharma, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora were present on the occasion. Besides, foreign envoys and diplomats from countries like Seychelles, Mongolia, Mali, Burundi, Bolivia, Niger, Austria, Maldives, Libya and Peru also participated in the festival. The 2-day festival will see over 30 professional kitists from Rajasthan, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Lakshadweep and Gujarat exhibiting their art. Kites of various shapes, sizes and colours, including tricolour, train and eagle will fly during the festival. Governor CP Radhakrishnan, while addressing the program 'Tribal Youth Art and Cultural Samagam 2024' organized by Vikas Bharti Bishunpur today at Arogya Bhawan Complex, Ranchi, said that the life of Swami Vivekananda makes us confident and dedicated to make the nation more powerful and inspires to work. Vikas Bharti has been continuously working towards the uplift of tribes for the last 41 years, for this the organization deserves praise. This institute has also done remarkable work in the direction of education, employment, women self-reliance, skill development and environmental protection. The Governor said that tribal communities are nature lovers. They know a lot about herbs. Traditional skills are part of their heritage, there is a need to further hone their traditional skills. Jharkhand is the top state in terms of mineral wealth. We can make overall development by using this resource and making joint efforts. For this, youth power will also have to come forward. The Prime Minister believes that the concept of holistic development will come to fruition only when there is economic, social and cultural development of the people living in remote villages. He said that it is a matter of pride for us that a woman from the tribal community is adorning the post of President. Continuous work is being done by the Minister of Tribal Affairs and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Arjun Munda for the development of the tribes of the state. He has given more than 85 Eklavya schools to Jharkhand. The Governor visited various stalls and also saw the art of iron making by the Asur tribe. The second day of the program started today at Arogya Bhawan-1, Vikas Bharti Bishunpur, Bariatu Ranchi with garlanding the statue of Swami Vivekananda, by Principal Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Bhaveshanand. He told the youth how today's youth can be inspired by the life of Vivekananda and become aware of their future. The program was inaugurated by the chief guest Governor CP Radhakrishnan, by playing drums. The function was presided over by Union Minister Arjun Munda,. In his address, he informed the people present about the various works done by the Government of India for the promotion of tribal society and the upcoming schemes to be done and also appreciated the new works done by Vikas Bharti for the tribal promotion every day. Other guests on the occasion were Devvrat Pahan, Area Sanghchalak, Rajya Sabha MP, Sameer Oraon, Sanjay Seth, Lok Sabha MP, Ranchi, Sunil Soren, Lok Sabha MP, Dumka, Asha Lakra, National Secretary, BJP among other dignitaries. On this occasion, traditional dances, songs and musical instruments were performed through the stage by 18 different tribal groups according to their respective culture and also various projects under the organization (Agriculture Science Centre, Jan Shikshan Sansthan etc.) were organized in 19 stalls. A live exhibition was also presented through this medium. On this occasion, about 10,000 tribal youth and girls from far-flung villages of Jharkhand state arrived in Ranchi for the programme. A group of 65 students of BA & MA Psychology visited Department of Psychiatry at AIIMS Bhopal. The said educational tour was organised on the request of Dr Kranti Gowali, Prof. & Head, Department of Psychology, Bhawan's College, Andheri West Mumbai. This tour was coordinated by Dr Vijender Singh, Prof. & Head, Department of Psychiatry & his team. This educational tour was planned to assist exposure of graduate and post graduate student of psychology to make them aware of the treatment facilities at AIIMS Bhopal for persons with mental illnesses. The group of students along with their teachers who accompanied the group, visited patient care areas like outpatient & inpatient department of psychiatry and interacted with psychiatrists and clinical psychologists posted in the department. The group also visited Student Wellness Centre (SWC) at AIIMS Bhopal, to be aware of the kind of services being offered in SWC. Dr Kranti Gowali, also had a brief meeting with Prof. (Dr) Ajai Singh, Executive Director AIIMS Bhopal in presence of Dean (Academic) and HOD Psychiatry AIIMS Bhopal. Harda District Administration has constituted District Child Welfare and Protection Committee for monitoring, evaluation and review of Mission Vatsalya under the provisions given in the guidelines of Mission Vatsalya as per the instructions of the Ministry of Women and Child Development Government of Madhya Pradesh. This committee will be headed by the District Officer himself, while the District Child Protection Officer will be its Secretary and the Superintendent of Police, CEO Jila Panchayat, District Labor Officer, District Education Officer etc. will be its members.To strengthen the committee, the district administration has also nominated the country's well-known policy expert and management guru Naveen Krishna Rai as a member. It is noteworthy that various judicial, administrative and police training academies in the country country invite Naveen to take management training sessions. He provides training on subjects like Life Management, Self-Management, People Management, Decision Making, Leadership, Conflict Management, Negotiation etc. He trains officers of Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Provincial Police Service, Administrative Service, Judicial Service, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITB). Till now, he has provided training to more than five thousand officers and employees of these organisations. Apart from this, he has also been nominated as an advisor in various government committees of many states. In those committees, he provides his advice on topics related to urban development, industrial development, police training, e-governance and start-ups. Naveen is among the few people in the country who have experience of working closely with the four pillars of democracy: bureaucracy, legislature, judiciary and media. Supreme Court Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that the pendency rate of criminal and civil cases in Madhya Pradesh stands at 1:4 -- higher than the national rate of 1:3. He was addressing at the 10th Biennial MP State Judicial Officers' Confrence at Bhopal's Ravindra Bhavan on Saturday. Justice Khanna served as the chief guest of the event. Justice Khanna further said that district court disposal rate is 10 times more than the High Court. Over 8 percent of pending cases are of bail matter in MP. This is matter of concern. Now judges are getting much better salary and perks. They should also focus on delivery of justice. Justice Anirudh Bose and GK Maheshwari of Supreme Court and Chief Justice of MP Ravimalimath were also present. They stressed on speedy disposal with quality to make zero pendency by 2047. Highlighting the shortage of judges, they said, "There is one judge for every 50,000 people in country. There is need of recruitment of judges with quality to reduce pendency." SC judge Vikram Nath said that conviction rate is less than 1 percent and some cases have been pending for last 30 years in Gujarat and so in Madhya Pradesh. States should withdraw cases when they cannot prosecute, he said. Earlier, Justice Khanna further said, in the vast realm of our judicial system, the District Judiciary often finds itself overshadowed by the High Courts and the Supreme Court, receiving less limelight and coverage. This is a gravely incorrect perception. It is at the district level that justice is rendered to the masses, with the District Courts serving as the crucial first point of engagement for commoners seeking dispute resolution. To put things into perspective, let us consider the caseloads. In the calendar year 2023, the High Courts presided over 20,67,000 cases, and the Supreme Court dealt with 52,660 cases. In stark contrast, the District Courts handled a staggering 2,37,00,000 cases almost ten times more than the High Courts. This underscores the foundational role of the District Courts, in carrying the most significant weight of the entire judicial institution on their shoulders. There is also a common misconception that the District Judiciary primarily deals with statutory rights rather than the protection of fundamental rights. This perception is not only incorrect but also potentially damaging to the cause of justice. Most of the statutes in our country flow either from the fundamental rights or the directive principles of state policy. Statutes often address conflicts in two fundamental rights, prioritising one over the other. Thus any interpretation or application of a statute entails a determination with respect to the Constitution. In this manner, the District Judiciary is intimately connected with the fundamental rights of citizens - whether through preserving liberty via bail applications or upholding the dignity of both victims and the accused in a trial. Since the District Judiciary handles a far higher caseload than the appellate courts, their acts of application and interpretation of statutes become the linchpin to the protection of fundamental rights. I've previously discussed the respect and reverence that we, as Judges, command and our corresponding obligation to the public. To ensure justice and fairness, Judges must embody neutrality, imp rtiality, and an unwavering commitment to decide cases based on the lawa cardinal rule and the hallmark of a fair and independent judiciary, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Dhanbad on January 27, where he will inaugurate the revived HURL fertilizer factory located in Sindri. The Sindri fertilizer factory ceased operations on December 31, 2002, but has undergone reconstruction as a gas-based facility. The reopening of this crucial fertilizer plant is anticipated to contribute significantly to the agricultural sector. In addition to the Sindri factory inauguration, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to engage with the primitive tribal people of Gumla district through video conferencing. During this interaction, he will seek insights into the development of villages, standards of living, and the beneficiaries experiences with the PM Jan Man Yojana. The Prime Ministers proactive engagement with grassroots communities highlights the governments commitment to understanding and addressing the diverse needs of the nations citizens. State BJP president Babulal Marandi in this connection had a meeting with BJP leaders on Friday where BJP leaders from Dhanbad, Koderma and Giridih Lok Sabha constituency participated. The leaders were assigned the task of making the PM visit to the coal capital a grand success. BJPs Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu in this connection held a meeting of BJP leaders where it was informed that PM Modi will reach Dhanbad on January 27 and will address a rally at Baliapur airport. Discussions are also being held regarding a possible road show during the PM's program. Whether the program will be held at Dhanbad Airport or Balliapur Airport, it will be decided from the Bharatiya Janata Party and administrative point of view. BJP is expected to get strength in the state with the arrival of PM Modi. Earlier, PM Modi was to visit Jharkhand on January 13, but it was cancelled. The Prime Minister was about to inaugurate the Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan LTD. (HURL) factory in Sindri. As soon as the information about the postponement of the Prime Minister's visit was received, the meeting of prominent BJP leaders of Dhanbad, Giridih and Koderma Lok Sabha constituencies was also postponed. State BJP President Babulal Marandi had reached Dhanbad on Saturday night to participate in this meeting. PM Modi had come to Ranchi on 14 November. Prime Minister Modi had also come to Ranchi on 14 November and after a night rest, he addressed a program in Khunti on 15 November. In this program of Tribal Pride Day, the Prime Minister had inaugurated many big central schemes for the tribal society. Now this second tour was to be held in Jharkhand after a gap of two months, but it was postponed. Let us tell you that Shri Ram Temple is to be inaugurated in Ayodhya on 22 January. It was believed that during this visit the Prime Minister could mention the achievements related to the construction of the temple. Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Kuber Navratna Tila within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya. During this visit, the prime minister will unveil a bronze statue of Jatayu, that has been brought from Delhi. The installation of the statue, completed in December, will be part of this significant event. Prime Minister Modi will also pay floral tribute to Jatayu Raj. This idol has been installed on the Darshan Marg, a little before the peak of Kuber Navratna Tila. A key operative of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Rinda, who was supplying weapons to the associates of a terror outfit to carry out "sensational crimes" in Punjab, has been arrested, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Friday. The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police in a joint operation with Central Agencies, arrested Kailash Khichan, a key operative of Pak-based terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda and USA-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia from village Lohawat in district Phalodi of Rajasthan, Yadav said. Khichan, was wanted in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case registered in Fazilka in September 2023. Apart from this, the accused has a criminal history with a number of criminal cases pertaining to Extortion, NDPS Act and Arms Act registered against him in Punjab and Rajasthan. The DGP said that following the name of accused Khichan figuring in various terrorist modules busted by the Punjab Police in recent past, teams of AGTF headed by ADGP Promod Ban under the supervision of AIG Sandeep Goel and led by DSP Bikramjit Singh Brar, managed to track the location of the accused in Rajasthan and arrested him from village Lohawat in district Phalodi of Rajasthan with the help of Central Agencies. Police teams have also recovered one .30 calibre Chinese pistol along with eight live cartridges from the possession of the accused Khichan, he said. The DGP said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused Khichan, on the directions of terrorist Rinda, was supplying weapons to the associates of terrorist outfit Babbar Khalistan International (BKI) to carry out sensational crimes in the State. In the run-up to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, the Uttar Pradesh government has tightened security in Ayodhya through land, air, and water surveillance. This involves extensive use of technology alongside the deployment of manual agencies. While the Yogi government has deployed a huge force of UP Police, including ATS, STF, PAC, UPSSF in Ayodhya, it is also using technologies such as AI, anti-drone systems, and CCTV cameras to monitor activities across the city. Additionally, an NDRF contingent has also been deployed along the Sarayu river and ghats. Furthermore, Ayodhya is implementing bar-coding for the security of guests. Ayodhya IG Praveen Kumar said that a huge force has been deployed in Ayodhya for the Ram Mandirs consecration ceremony. The security of the Dham has been divided into two zones red and yellow. He further said that central agencies such as CRPF and NDRF have also been stationed. Besides, cooperation of Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is also being taken. The security team includes over 100 DSPs from various districts of the state, nearly 325 inspectors, and 800 sub-inspectors. Additionally, before the main event, 11,000 personnel from the police and paramilitary forces will be deployed. For VIP security, three DIGs, 17 SPs, 40 ASPs, 82 DSPs, 90 inspectors, over 1,000 constables, and four companies of PAC have been assigned. The IG mentioned that the force is being increased in view of the programme. Moreover, emphasis is placed on better coordination between all agencies involved in security operations to plug any loopholes. Special arrangements have also been made for tight rail security. Adequate additional security personnel have been provided for GRP. The forces deployed in Ayodhya are receiving behavioural training to ensure proper interactions with devotees and guests. Furthermore, 250 police guides have been appointed to provide information about the tourist spots, while a digital tourist app will be launched on January 14. The Yogi government is utilising the latest technology to tighten the security in Ayodhya. In this regard, the entire city is being monitored through ITMS of Municipal Corporation, CCTV through police, control room and public CCTVs. For this purpose, 1,500 CCTV cameras have been integrated with ITMS. In the yellow zone, facial recognition AI-based big screens have been integrated with ITMS at 10,715 locations. Additionally, arrangements for OFC-linked cameras have been made. The entire security system is making extensive use of AI technology. Furthermore, the anti-drone system is fully active. The highly sensitive red and yellow zones of Ayodhya have also been secured through an anti-drone system. Through this, any drone flying within a radius of 5 kilometers can be located. This system manufactured by an Israeli company is the worlds most modern technology with which any drone can be deactivated. The entire city has been equipped with 12 anti-drone systems, allowing monitoring of all activities on land, water, and in the air. In what can be called a New Year gift for lakhs of State government employees and pensioners, the Uttarakhand government on Saturday issued orders for increasing the Dearness Allowance (DA) by four per cent. The employees and pensioners will now get 46 per cent DA of their basic salary. The decision will benefit about two lakh employees and 1.25 lakh pensioners of the State government. The revised DA would be applicable from July 1 this last. The employees would receive the arrear of the increased salary for the period of July 1 to December 31, 2023 in cash while from January 1 this year the increased DA will be given with the salary. The orders for increase in the DA of the employees and pensioners were released by the additional secretary Ganga Prasad on Saturday. The chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had approved the proposal for increasing the DA on Friday. The order would be applicable to all employees of the State government, aided teaching institutes, workers of the local bodies and the recipients of the University Grants Commission (UGC) scales. However the order will not be applicable to the judges of High Court , chairman and members of Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UkPSC), civil/family pensioners of local bodies and Public Undertaking Corporations in respect of whom separate orders will have to be issued by respective departments. The increase in the DA would put an additional burden of about Rs 500 crore on the State exchequer. The salaries of the employees would witness an increase of Rs 800 to Rs 8,000 after the increase in DA. The order for increase in DA was being awaited anxiously by the State government employees and the employee organisations were putting pressure on the government for this. The Congress Chhattisgarh-in-charge, Sachin Pilot, on Friday said the Congress will perform well in the coming Lok Sabha elections despite suffering a shock defeat in the recent Assembly polls. The Congress leader said this while chairing an election committee meeting of the party here in Raipur. He reviewed the election preparations in Chhattisgarh. Pilot charged that the ruling BJP diverted the attention of the people to win the Assembly elections but said this gimmick won't work in the general elections. Pilot further said that there was no resentment in the Chhattisgarh Congress and it will unitedly work to succeed in the Lok Sabha battle. PCC chief Deepak Baij, Leader of the Opposition Charandas Mahant, legislators and frontal organizations took part in the meeting. With pristine white alleyways, like the picturesque streets of the Greek Isles, a plethora of various dishes and ample space, the new kid on the block, Parra-By the House of Khubani is the talk of the town. By Sharmila Chand Spread over an expansive area in the main restaurant and an impressive rooftop space, the bustling market views and the food are both compelling enough to visit, as I discovered during a recent meal. I choose to walk up to the third floor (not take the lift) and step in to be pleasantly surprised by the decor accents with terracotta tiny pots placed in the wall arches all around. I realize the interiors have been thoughtfully done keeping natural elements in mind, accentuated by pretty lamps with jute material, making it a tranquil design haven. "We aim to redefine dining in the area," I'm told by the founders, the well known names in f&b industry, Madan brothers, Sharad and Naresh, renowned for their hospitality outfits like Khubani, Habibi, and Imperfecto, "The idea is to offer Greek aesthetic and cuisine combined with live grills at the terrace for diners to enjoy laid back lunches or simply party and unwind at the main restaurant with ample space, making it ideal for families and big groups." We head towards the table at one end of the restaurant, and soon the very talented, soft spoken chef at the helm, Dipender joins us. Cuisine The menu is very extensive and balanced, offering Mediterranean, European, bit of Mexican and Progressive Indian. "We want our diners to taste dishes from various regions and that gives us a lot of leverage to cater to all kinds of palates and for me to enjoy experimenting without any limitations," chuckles Dipender with a smile. Meat lover friends at the table are excited to see an exclusive section of Turkish dishes, mostly non veg and that gives them a reason to celebrate. I start my meal with pomello salad and Japanese Ramen Bowl. The tangy, citrusy juice of the salad is the perfect accompaniment to the warm mildly flavoured bowl. It doesn't take long for me to polish the salad plate and bowl clean! Next up is the popular Mezze Platter where chef has added his own twists and touches to make it slightly different. "Instead of the usual chickpea hummus, I have taken black eye pea and added curry patta in baba ganoush," he tells. Both taste good for a change, though I missed my usual chickpea option, as I find it to have a more definite, earthy flavor. But we are going through a very interesting phase where chefs are happily experimenting and well traveled adventurous diners lapping up the innovative ideas. Chef Dipender's thought process of offering food with a twist can be seen in interesting starters as well. There is Avocado Dahi Puri where golgappa is filled with avocado relish, wasabi yoghurt mousse, perked up with raspberry chaat masala and spices. An absolute crowd puller! Then there is Chermoula Fish Tikka. Again he has made it unique by crossing all boundaries. So it is marinated with African sauce, a mix of herbs and spices, added Japanese horse radish aioli and garnished with pickled radish which gives nice pungency and sweetness to the entire dish. The taste, just as expected, is quintessentially sweet and sour! Coming to the Turkish section, my friends are encouraged to taste Chicken Adana Kebab and Lamb Adana as these are chef's specials. Lamb Beyti Kebab is the winner here - it is ground lamb, grilled on a skewer and served wrapped in lavash, topped with tamoto sauce and yoghurt. The dish is named after Beyti Guler, the owner of the popular restaurant Beyti in Istanbul. He was inspired to create his own dish in 1961 after witnessing Swiss Butcher Moller's method of preparing meat , when he was visiting Switzerland. So that's how chef drew his inspiration preparing with a touch of fusion. Even if you are not a fan of Baos, the Shaanxi Style Pulled Lamb Bao and Truffle Mushroom Bao might convert you. They are a perfect blend of Asian flavors with cumin-flavored pulled lamb and truffle oil-infused mushrooms. From the European choices, Plancha River Sole is one of chef's favourites which he calls a fusion of Asian and Italian. He pan fries the Sole and edamame, shitake, pak choy are tossed in style of aglio pasta. In this he adds parmesan to lend the dominant flavor and cooks it well with broth and spices to make a nice red curry sauce. We find its aroma so inviting with oodles of flavor. And then the Indian affair where chef has tried to incorporate signature dishes from various regions of India. So there is Ghee Murg from Mangalore. Boneless chicken pan fried slowly, braised in ghee. He serves it with Pathiri roti, taken from Kerala cuisine, delicious roti made with rice flour and coconut milk. He takes great pride in his Sindhi Gosht, a tender goat loin, charcoal broiled, served with Rogni naaan and green chutney. This preparation won over all the non veg friends. How could we not taste matar paneer which did not look anything like what one is used to seeing matar paneer? The plating came as a shock. It is presented in layers with cottage cheese having stuffings of cumin green pea rillette and believe it or not, it is baked before serving! You have to taste the rich red pepper gravy and realize its 'makhani' texture. I simply devoured it with laccha parantha. Courgette Kofta is another delight. Young zucchini balls are cooked in northern spices and kofta gravy. We like the specific taste of Amaranth crust as it lends a nice crunchy flavor besides being super healthy. The Kofta is as homely as it is gourmet. Delhi Chicken Tariwala is for those who may complain about the lack of any comforting dish in the menu. No experimentation done here, so go ahead and have it your way with garlic naan and cucumber salad. Kashmiri Morel Pilaf is a worthy pick with generous use of dry nuts and hot spices, bites of morel mushroom stuffed with paneer khurchan, served with korma gravy and walnut raita on the side. Desserts Coming to desserts, by the time we browse through the decent selection on the menu, chef pitches in with pretty looking Ghevar. No it is not the usual style. He has given it a twist by adding fresh raspberry rabri and dry nuts to garnish it. We barely stop wowing at the creaminess of the rabri, when Coconut Pannacotta lands at our table. It is again very unique, in a combo flavor of coconut served with fresh passion fruit orange chutney. It complements the creaminess of coconut milk with sweet and tangy flavor. Despite a full stomach, I savour every bite. The coconut and passion fruit pairing takes the dish to divine levels. Drinks Parras bar is impressive, offering a captivating curation of handcrafted cocktails. The mixologists infuse botanical nuances, fresh fruits, creating an immersive experience with every intoxicating blend. One of my dining companions opts for Barbados Fever - dark and white rum with luscious strawberry, passion fruit, mango juice topped up with fizzy soda. I go for standard Tropical guava with notes of fresh guava doing the trick. You also have a selection of all kinds of whiskys, gin, wine, beer, vodka and champagnes too! For weight watchers, smoothies are a perfect blend here and milk shakes to pamper the kids. To Conclude - Quick Takeaway Young Parra is a winner in both ambience and offerings. If you're looking for a swish dining experience in an ambience that's distinguished, food that is beyond ordinary then add this to your list of places to dine. The flavours shine through in all the dishes which is no mean feat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempt to personally conduct the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will prove costly given the disapproval of the four shankaracharyas who have refused to attend the ceremony, said Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. The former Union minister said it is beginning to show who is the "real Hindu" -- one who knows the difference between 'Hinduism' and 'Hindutva'. "Modi's attempt at being personally present and personally conducting the religious ceremony has received such strong disapproval from the four accepted seers of the Hindu religion, who constitute what you may call the pontiffs of the Hindu religion, that it is all going to turn back on him. It will bite back," said Aiyar at the ongoing seventh edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) on Friday. Uttarakhand's Jyotir Mutt head Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has said that none of the four shankaracharyas will attend the event in Ayodhya as the consecration ceremony will take place before construction of the temple is completed, making it against the shastras. Aiyar said while Hinduism is the most ancient religion in India practised by a majority of people in the country, Hindutva is a political philosophy dealing with Hindu majoritarianism. "Most Hindus, at least 50 per cent of them, have never voted for Hindutva. It is our way of conducting elections that has resulted in Hindutva power in the last 10 years," claimed Aiyar, adding that, unlike some people, he is not ready to write off the 2024 general elections. Discussing his latest book, "The Rajiv I knew and Why he was India's most misunderstood Prime Minister", the 82-year-old talked about how almost every charge made against the former PM was without basis in truth including the Bofors scam. The corruption scam, which led to the fall of the Congress government led by Rajiv Gandhi in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, related to alleged kickbacks in the Rs 1,437 crore howitzer gun deal signed in 1986 with Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors. Aiyar, who served as a joint secretary in Rajiv Gandhi's prime minister's office and was his senior at Doon School and Cambridge, blamed the media for the Bofors story arguing that it was a "complete lie" from beginning to end, with even the high court of India stating that there was not a "scintilla of evidence" against him. "In 2015, the identity of the former head of Swedish police (who led the investigations into the Bofors affairs)... Turned out to be man called Lindstrom and he confesses in that interview in 2015 that they had nothing that led to the assumption that Rajiv Gandhi took any money in Bofors. "And yet, this one story completely destroyed the political career of a man who had the highest vision for India. That is why today I am so angry about the media," he added. Historian William Dalrymple, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, actor Prakash Raj, American physician-author Abraham Verghese, award-winning author Perumal Murugan and comedian Kanan Gill are among the 400 noted personalities attending the Kerala Literature Festival. The discussions at the four-day festival, which began on Thursday, will revolve around several themes, including science and technology, literature, art, gender, cinema, culture and environment. The Congress will begin the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the violence-hit Manipur on Sunday, in what is being seen as the party's bid to set the narrative in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and put the spotlight on issues such as unemployment, price rise and social justice. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will travel through 100 Lok Sabha segments in 15 states and the party believes it will prove to be as "transformative" as Gandhi's earlier cross-country march. The Congress has said that it is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution. Though the Congress has stressed that this is not an electoral yatra, it comes at a crucial juncture as the party seeks to revive its fortunes after a poor showing in the last round of assembly elections. With the BJP focusing on the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony, the Congress wants to put the spotlight on bread-and-butter issues through this yatra. Gandhi had on Friday said emotional issues are being "misused" politically and attention is being diverted from real issues, in a "betrayal" of the people of the country. In a post on X, the former Congress president said, "The youth will have to think about what will be the identity of the India of our dreams? Quality of life or just emotions? Youth raising provocative slogans or the employed youth? Love or hate?". The yatra will be flagged off from a private ground in Manipur's Thoubal district, instead of Imphal, the party's initial choice. The state government had given the Congress conditional approval to flag off the yatra from the Palace grounds here, restricting the number of people. Therefore, the Congress decided to opt for another venue. Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year which has claimed over 180 lives. The violence erupted on May 3 last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and all top leaders of the party will be in Thoubal to flag off the yatra. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would traverse 6,713 km mostly in buses but also on foot. The yatra will cover 110 districts, 100 Lok Sabha seats and 337 assembly segments in 67 days, before its finale in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. The Congress has said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is being organised to raise voice against the "injustice" of the last 10 years. It has released a "Nyay anthem" with the tagline "Saho Mat, Daro Mat (do not suffer, do not be scared)". The anthem was shared on all the social media handles of the party with a video featuring protesting women wrestlers, glimpses from Gandhi's Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra and his interactions with farmers and labourers. The Congress has also invited all leaders of the Indian National Inclusive Developmental Alliance (INDIA) bloc to join the yatra anywhere along its route. According to the route released by the party, the yatra would stay the longest in Uttar Pradesh, covering 1,074 km in 11 days. It would pass through politically vital areas, including Amethi, the Gandhi family bastion Rae Bareli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency of Varanasi. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has asserted that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would prove to be as impactful and transformative as the earlier over 4,000-km Bharat Jodo Yatra. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi had raised three big issues of rising inequality, growing social polarisation and increasing political tyranny and authoritarianism, and the way out of this is to ensure justice for people, Ramesh has said. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will be in Manipur for a day. It will then enter Nagaland and cover 257 km and five districts in two days before covering 833 km and 17 districts in Assam in eight days. The yatra will then move to Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya for a day each. According to the route map, the yatra will be in West Bengal for five days, covering 523 km and seven districts, and in Bihar for four days, covering 425 km and seven districts. In Jharkhand, the yatra will cover 804 km and 13 districts in eight days. In Odisha, the yatra will cover 341 km and four districts in four days and cover 536 km and seven districts in Chhattisgarh over five days. The east-to-west yatra will spend the maximum time in Uttar Pradesh and cover 20 districts. In Madhya Pradesh, the yatra will cover 698 km and nine districts in seven days. It will cover two districts in Rajasthan in a day. The yatra will be in Gujarat and Maharashtra for five days each, traversing 445 km and 479 km respectively. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. Gandhi will address gatherings and also interact with civil society members and organisations twice a day during the yatra. The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started on September 7, 2022, was credited by the Congress for its electoral gains in assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. The Bharat Jodo Yatra covered 75 districts and 76 Lok Sabha constituencies across 12 states and two union territories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Charan community's spiritual leader Aai Shree Sonal Maa on her birth centenary celebrations being held at Madhda Dham in Junagadh district of Gujarat. Addressing the three-day long birth centenary celebrations programme via video message, Modi also urged people to light 'Shri Ram Jyoti' on January 22 to mark the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya. "Madhda Dham is the centre of reverence, power, rituals and traditions for the Charan community and Shree Sonal Mata's spiritual energy and humanitarian teachings created a wonderful divine charm in her personality that can be felt even today...I bow before the feet of Shree Aai and pay my obeisance," he said. Gujarat and Saurashtra have especially been the land of great saints and personalities, PM Modi said, adding that many saints and great souls have spread their light for the entire humanity in this region. Girnar has been the place of Lord Dattatreya and countless saints, he said. "In this eternal saint tradition of Saurashtra, Shree Sonal Mata was like a beacon of light for the modern era. Her spiritual energy, humanitarian teachings and penance created a wonderful divine charm in her personality that can be felt even today in Sonal Dham of Junagadh and Madhda," he said. "Sonal Maa's entire life was dedicated to public welfare, service to the country and religion where she worked with great people like Bhagat Bapu, Vinoba Bhave, Ravi Shankar Maharaj, Kanbhai Laheri, Kalyan Sheth," he said. She used to have a special place among the scholars of the Charan community and also changed the lives of many youths by guiding them, PM Modi said. Highlighting her contributions to society, the PM mentioned her remarkable work towards education and de-addiction. Sonal Mata worked to save the society from evil practices, he said. Apart from her spiritual and social work, Sonal Ma was also a strong guardian of the unity and integrity of the country, he said, adding that she stood up against the conspiracies that were going on to break Junagadh during the time of partition. "Shree Sonal Maa is a great symbol of the contributions of the Charan community to the country," the prime minister said. Sacred texts like Bhagwat Puran refer to the Charan community as the direct descendants of Shree Hari, the PM said. "The vast Charan literature is still proof of this great tradition. Be it patriotic songs or spiritual sermons, Charan literature has played an important role for centuries," he added. Although Shree Sonal Maa never received education through traditional methods, she had a strong command over languages like Sanskrit and had a deep knowledge of the scriptures, according to him. Sonal Mata's happiness would have known no boundaries if she came to know about the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony to be held at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, he said, and urged everyone to light Shree Ram Jyoti to celebrate the occasion that day. "The inspiration of Shree Sonal Maa gives us new energy to work towards India being a developed and self-reliant nation," he said. China on Friday denied an American think-tank report alleging that its vast fleet of scientific research ships is collecting data from the oceans, including in the Indian Ocean, for military purposes, especially for submarine operations, saying that the Chinese vessels operations are in line with the UN Convention on Law of the Seas. Separately, Chinas official media accused the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) of releasing the report coinciding with the current visit of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who reportedly plans to permit the Chinese research ships after a recent ban by Sri Lanka following concerns expressed by India. I do not know what is the basis of this report you mentioned and why (you) reached such a conclusion, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing when asked for her reaction. The scientific activities of the Chinese side are totally in line with UNCLOS (UN Convention on Law of the Seas) and we have made contributions to the marine and scientific area, she said. An editorial in the state-run Global Times on the CSIS report said: The timing of this report is delicate, coinciding with the visit of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to China, while another South Asian country, Sri Lanka, recently announced the suspension of foreign research vessels including those from China entering its waters under Indias pressure. Maldives and China signed 20 agreements during President Muizzus five-day visit during which he held talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The CSIS report rightly comes at a time when some countries need to manufacture a China threat narrative in the Indian Ocean region and provides them with ammunition, the Global Times said. India has been flagging concerns over the repeated voyages of the huge Chinese research vessels to the Indian Ocean and docking in Sri Lankas Hambantota port, which China acquired on a 99-year lease as a debt swap. Following this, Sri Lanka last month clamped a one-year ban on the research vessels, much to the chagrin of Beijing. Recent reports from Sri Lankan media said Muizzu, regarded as a pro-China leader, plans to permit Chinese research vessels to dock in Maldives port. The CSIS report said China is undertaking sweeping efforts to transform its navy into a formidable blue water force capable of projecting power far beyond its shores. As the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) ventures into less familiar waters like the Indian Ocean, Beijing has sought to deepen its understanding of the maritime operating environment by studying water conditions, currents, and the seafloor. To survey the Earths oceans, China has developed the worlds largest fleet of civilian research vessels. While these ships support scientific and commercial objectives, they are also being used to advance Beijings strategic ambitions, the report said. The study reports satellite imagery to reveal how China is quietly using submarine diplomacy to deepen its influence along the Bay of Bengal. The data collected by Chinas civilian research fleet, which is outfitted with cutting-edge measuring and monitoring equipment, can help fill in major gaps in the PLA Navys undersea capabilities, the report said. The underwater domain is critical to Chinas interests in the Indian Ocean. Chinese submarines could be called on to support a wide range of missions, ranging from intelligence collection to nuclear deterrence patrols, it said. In a crisis, Chinese attack submarines operating there could complicate attempts by US or allied forces to interdict Chinas supply lines or traverse the region to reach the Pacific. Chinas surveying operations have been heavily concentrated along its maritime periphery in the South China Sea and Western Pacific Ocean. But it has also set its sights on the Indian Ocean, an emerging arena of competition between Beijing and New Delhi, it said. Some ships have conducted survey operations within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of other countries without prior approval, which is prohibited under international law. These activities have sparked diplomatic spats, including a 2019 confrontation between an Indian warship and a Chinese research vessel operating unauthorized in Indias EEZ, it said. While Chinese surveys in the Indian Ocean contribute to scientific and commercial efforts, the data collected on research missions has clear military value - especially to submarine operations, it added. China is using civilian vessels in key strategic regions including the Indian Ocean. Over the past four years, 13 of the ships were active in the region, the report said. Tyrone McDougald wore a long-eared, leopard-style hat as he sorted through racks of warm clothes at a homeless service centre in Portland, Oregon. He was already wearing multiple layers, but with no roof of his own, he grabbed two more coats to help him face a bitter cold snap arriving in the Northwest. Im hoping that I can get in a shelter, he said. That would relieve a lot of the burden. An approaching storm was expected to deliver snow to Portland, a city more accustomed to winter rain, by Saturday. Its one of a number of sprawling storms bringing everything from what the National Weather Service called life-threatening wind chills in South Dakota to the possibility of tornadoes in the South. School and flights were cancelled in advance in parts of the South and Midwest. Republican candidates campaigning ahead of Mondays Iowa caucuses were contending with a blizzard warning covering most of the state, and Nikki Haleys campaign cancelled three Friday events and said it would be hosting telephone town halls. Advocates were particularly worried about homeless people as well as older residents who might be snowed or iced in, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where the winters are typically mild. In one hour Thursday, during the lunch service at Blanchet House, a homeless services nonprofit in Portland, about 165 warm clothing items were claimed including the coats McDougald grabbed. Julie Showers, the nonprofits spokesperson, said people were desperate for dry clothes and shoes after days of cold rain. We worry about frostbite, hypothermia, she said. There are a lot of people experiencing homelessness in Portland that are in mental health crisis ... and slowly become hypothermic laying on the street because they dont understand how cold its getting. McDougald said hes spent the past two years unhoused: Im hoping I dont have to do another whole winter out here. In the Chicago area, which could see more than half a foot (15 cm) of snow by Saturday, advocates also worried for the growing population of migrants sent up from the US-Mexico border. Hundreds are staying in eight parked warming buses to avoid sleeping outside while they await space in city-run shelters. Among them was Angelo Travieso, a Venezuelan bused up from Texas. He wore a light jacket and sandals with socks. I slept sitting because there is almost no space left, he said. The buses are also small and you practically have to stay inside because of the heating, because it is deadly cold outside. In Portland and Seattle, temperature highs were expected to hover around the mid to upper 20s (0 to -3.3 Celsius) and lows in the low 20s and teens (about -5 C to -7.7 C) from Friday through at least Monday. The homelessness agency in King County, home to Seattle, activated its highest tier of severe weather operations through at least Tuesday, working with cities to open 24/7 shelters and with transit partners to provide transportation to shelters. Seattle City Hall served as a shelter for up to 40 people Thursday night. Multnomah County, home to Portland, provided outreach groups earlier in the week with clothing and cold weather supplies to distribute to people living outside, including wool blankets, tarps, tents and sleeping bags, said spokesperson Denis Theriault. Cold spells in the past have been deadly for Portlands homeless population. Two people died of cold in 2022, an annual county report on homeless deaths found. That was down from eight deaths from hypothermia in 2021 the same year four people also died of overheating during the unprecedented and devastating heat dome that saw temperatures soar to an all-time high of 116 F (46.7 C) in Portland and smashed heat records across the region. The heat wave killed hundreds across Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Portland winters do not include regular or extended periods of snow, so the citys transportation department only salts or de-ices about a third of the street grid. Past snow and ice storms have effectively paralysed the city, including in 2017 and in 2021, when freezing rain coated roads in dangerous ice and many ice-laden trees snapped and fell on power lines, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people. Last February, nearly 11 inches (28 centimeters) fell in what amounted to the second snowiest day in the citys history, taking drivers by surprise and stranding them on freeways for hours. Norman Chusid, owner of the Ankeny Hardware in southeast Portland, said he had to keep his store open two hours past closing on Wednesday to serve all the customers. The store has been selling 3 to 5 tons of ice melt every day, he said. Snow shovels have been going like crazy, he said. At higher elevations, heavy snow, high winds and white-out conditions were expected to envelop the Cascade Mountains and make travel very difficult to impossible, the weather service said. Fresh snow, measured in multiple feet in certain areas, already blanketed the Cascades earlier in the week. An avalanche at a ski resort near Lake Tahoe in California on Wednesday swept up four people, killing one. In Idaho, a search was underway on Thursday for three people caught in an avalanche in a backcountry area near the Montana border. The area had been under an avalanche danger warning for several days because of snowfall and blowing winds that have created unstable conditions on high, steep slopes. Outside a tent in Seattles International District on Thursday, David Dodds said he had lots of experience in the cold: Hed been homeless in Alaska. During the cold snaps, maybe thatd be time to make a new friend or two, he said. Two warm bodies under the same blanket will go a long ways. ... This cold, when temperature drops, its no joke, and you can wind up dead. Taiwan is preparing to elect a president and legislature on Saturday in what many see as a test of control with China, which claims the self-governing island republic as its own territory to be unified with force if necessary. The presidential race is tight, and both China and Taiwans key ally, the US, are weighing in on political and economic issues they hope will sway voters. The election pits Vice President Lai Ching-te, representing the Democratic Progressive Party, against Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Nationalist Party, and former mayor of the capital Taipei, Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party. The US strongly backs Taiwan against Chinas military threats and the Biden administration plans to send an unofficial delegation comprised of former senior officials to the island shortly after the polls. That move could upset efforts to repair ties between Beijing and Washington that plunged in recent years over trade, COVID-19, Washingtons support for Taiwan and Russias invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn at the United Nations. Along with the tensions with China, much in the Taiwan election hinges on domestic issues, particularly over an economy that was estimated to have only grown by 1.4 per cent last year. That partly reflects inevitable cycles in demand for computer chips and other exports from the high-tech, heavily trade-dependent manufacturing base, and a slowing of the Chinese economy. But longer-term challenges such as housing affordability, a yawning gap between the rich and poor, and unemployment are especially prominent. Candidates will make their final appeals on Friday with campaigning to end at midnight. The candidate with the most votes wins, with no runoff. The legislative races are for districts and at-large seats. While dinner table issues gather the most attention, China remains the one subject that can be ignored but not avoided. The two sides have no official relations but are linked by trade and investment. with an estimated 1 million Taiwanese spending at least part of the year on the mainland for work, study or recreation. Meanwhile, China has continued flying fighter planes and sailing warships near the island to put teeth behind its pledge to blockade, intimidate or invade. Those threats were thrown into stark relief in 2022, when Beijing fired missiles over the island and conducted what was seen as a practice run of a possible future blockade of the Taiwan Strait after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping, at his most recent meeting with President Joe Biden in November, called Taiwan the most sensitive issue in US-Chinese relations. Washington is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and consider all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, while remaining ambiguous on whether it would use military forces. Over recent years, the US has stepped up support for Taiwan as Beijing ratchets up military and diplomatic pressure on the island, although the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have drawn down what US military industries can provide to customers and allies. The US government insists the differences between Beijing and Taipei be resolved peacefully and opposes any unilateral change to their status quo. While Chinese leaders and state propaganda proclaim unification is inevitable and will be achieved at any cost, Taiwanese have consistently voted in favour of maintaining their de facto political independence. Lai is considered the front-runner in the race, but Hou trails closely. While the Nationalists formally support unification with China, they say they want to do so on their own terms, a somewhat abstract concept given the Communist Partys demand for total power, but which some consider as a useful workaround to avoid outright conflict. Beijing has labelled Lai a Taiwan independence element, an appellation he has not repudiated and which carries little or no stigma in Taiwan. Lai, however, has pledged to continue current President Tsai Ing-wens policy that Taiwan is already independent and needs to make no declaration of independence that could spark a military attack from China. While running third in most surveys, the TPPs Ko said during a news conference Friday he would aim to strike a balance between Taiwan and the US that would not upset relations with China. The US is the most powerful country in the world and Taiwans most important ally, he said. So no matter who is elected, the relationship between Taiwan and the US will not change. Ko said he is the only acceptable candidate for both Washington and Beijing, adding that while theres nothing Taiwan could do to please both China and the US, it is important for the island to refrain from behavior that is intolerable to either side. An explosion is seen in Yemen's capital Sanaa after US and UK fighter jets launch strikes on January 12 local time. Photo: Xinhua (Global Times) US and UK fighter jets launched strikes against multiple targets in Yemen's capital Sanaa, the western Red Sea city of Al Hudaydah and the northern province of Saada on Friday local time. The situation in the Red Sea has seen a new round of increased tensions and faces the risk of further escalation. The air strikes took place exactly one day after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution regarding the situation in the Red Sea, giving the impression that the UN resolution gave the green light for the US and UK actions. It must be pointed out that this is an illusion. The US and the UK may have deliberately created and strengthened this illusion, but it is far from the truth. The resolution was proposed by the US and Japan and passed with a vote of 11 in favor to none against, with four abstentions. It demanded "that the Houthis immediately cease all such attacks, which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security." Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique abstained from the vote. The Red Sea is an important international trade channel for goods and energy, and its stability is related to the common interests of the international community. China emphasized that "No country should misinterpret or abuse relevant provisions in this resolution to create new tensions in the Red Sea." Unexpectedly, what China was worried about became a reality the next day. After the attack, some US allies in the Middle East, including Jordan and Oman, expressed concern that the situation might get out of control. Yemen's neighbor Saudi Arabia also called for avoiding escalation of the situation. There is also a lot of opposition in the US. Nabeel Khoury, former deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Yemen, said on X (formerly Twitter), "US/UK bombing campaign in Yemen is another failure of Biden diplomacy." The current situation in the region is dire. A cease-fire between Palestine and Israel has not yet been achieved, and the spillover conflict in the Red Sea is further escalating and expanding. The Supreme Political Committee of the Houthi armed forces of Yemen claimed that all "interests" of the US and Britain are now "legitimate targets." Retaliation and harassment against the US and the UK will start another cycle of attacks, and multiple spillover conflicts are possible. In short, the possibility of the situation deteriorating has increased and deepened, and this outcome requires all parties to do their best to avoid it. The Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington DC. Photo: Xinhua (Global Times) The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday urged the US to do more to contribute to peace and stability and not to introduce bloc confrontation, conflicts and wars into the Asia-Pacific, in response to the China-related content in the US' first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), which highlighted the need to reform its defense industry and team up with "Indo-Pacific" allies to counter China. Chinese experts said on Friday that the US' exposing the shortcomings of the defense industry does not necessarily mean that its defense capabilities are truly weakening, as the Pentagon's real intention seems to be targeting possible future scenarios of military conflict between major powers and strengthening its armed forces preparations by hyping the "China threat" theory. In the NDIS report released by the US Department of Defense on Thursday local time, the US acknowledges that a declining industrial base, supply-chain constraints and the outflow of weapons to Ukraine have left America vulnerable, as companies supplying the Pentagon face mounting frustration over its lumbering pace, according to media reports. The NDIS document includes more than 20 recommendations to build a "fully capable 21st century defense sector," including diversifying the Pentagon's suppliers, training more workers for industry-related careers, increasing commercial acquisitions, and sharing more technology with US partners, according to the Defense News. The report said that "while America continues to generate the world's most capable weapons systems, it must have the capacity to produce those capabilities at speed and scale to maximize its advantages," as US competitors, such as China, have "became the global industrial powerhouse" in many key areas. The report also called on the Pentagon to bolster safeguards against strategic Chinese investments, which could increase US vulnerability, according to a South China Morning Post report. The NDIS also recommends that the US work with countries in the "Indo-Pacific" region to build a strong defense industrial base and production capacity to prepare for any potential future conflicts and counter China. Working with close allies to make more weapons abroad was imperative, the report stated. "As the world's No.1 military power with the highest military expenditure, the US lacks not in the capacity to launch wars, but the capacity to make and uphold peace," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. "Peace and development is the shared pursuit of Asia-Pacific countries. The US needs to respect the call of countries in the region, do more things that are conducive to peace and stability, and refrain from introducing bloc confrontation, conflict and turmoil to the Asia-Pacific," Mao said. VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday asserted that in the past 56 months, his YSRC government has changed the ambience of Andhra Pradesh. He underlined that establishment of village secretariat system, volunteer system, farmers assurance centres, health clinics, government schools, government hospitals, English medium schools, digital libraries with broadband facilities and distribution of a2.46 lakh crore through direct benefit transfer has changed the entire outlook of Andhra Pradesh. The CM wished a bright and prosperous Happy Sankranti to people of the state as well as Telugu people all over the world. He pointed out that Sankranti is a big festival, when people return to their hometowns, in keeping with their family values and cultural roots. They enjoy the Bhogi bonfires, Rangolis, Kirtans of Haridasu, games of Gangireddulu, flying of kites, and greenery of crops. Pointing to the distribution of a2.46 lakh crore by way of DBT, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, Every household and every poor social group have received their maximum benefit in history. Villages are flourishing again. Our government believes that it is Sankranti if we can ensure more development than yesterday, tomorrow than today, and in the future than tomorrow. The Chief Minister said that governance, ration and pensions at the doorstep, door delivery of YSR Sampoorna Poshana, doctor visiting homes and providing quality healthcare are bringing smiles to every home. He maintained that Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha is a new chapter in preventive healthcare, where government goes to people's doorsteps, finds out their ailments and provides treatment. With these transformative development initiatives, AP state is blooming with progress, the CM declared. On the occasion, ministers Botsa Satyanaryana, Buggana Rajendranath, Amabati Rambabu, Jogi Ramesh, Ch. Venugopalakrishna, Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Adimulapu Suresh, Kottu Satyanarayana, Dharmana Prasada Rao and R.K. Roja, among others, have wished Telugu people a prosperous Sankranti. They hoped there will be more progress and development in AP in the future with people of Andhra Pradesh blessing the leadership of Jagan Mohan Reddy. Governor S. Abdul Nazeer greeted the people in Andhra Pradesh to mark the Sankranti festival. In a statement from Raj Bhavan here on Saturday, Governor said, The harvest festival of Sankranti is celebrated over three days and it occupies a significant place in our cultural tradition. The festival is celebrated with abundant joy and jubilation heralding the beginning of a new phase. The vibrant Sankranti festival celebrations bring out memories of our age-old traditions and glorious past that binds all sections of the society together. May this auspicious occasion inspire noble thoughts of love, affection, amity and brotherhood in all of us. Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday met the Union industries minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi and sought the Centres approval for a new industrial corridor connecting Hyderabad and Vijayawada via Miryalguda, among other demands. Reddy emphasised the significance of final clearances for the proposed Hyderabad-Nagpur industrial corridor, estimating a benefit of Rs 2,300 crore for Telangana state upon approval from the Centre. In the meeting, for which Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka was present, Reddy urged the Union minister to reconsider the Pharma City plan between Hyderabad and Warangal and instead endorse the Congress revised Pharma Villages proposal which would be submitted soon to the Centre. Bringing to Goyals attention the relocation of the National Institute of Design (NID) from Hyderabad to Vijayawada post bifurcation, Reddy urged him to sanction an NID for Telangana state, and also shift the Mega Leather Park designated for Nellore in erstwhile undivided AP to Karimnagar or Jangaon in Telangana state, where necessary land is available. Appealing for a greenfield status to the mega textile oark in Warangal under the PM Mitra scheme, Reddy emphasised the potential for accelerated industrial development, noting that the conversion from brownfield to greenfield would attract additional investments of Rs 300 crore. Highlighting the states readiness to establish industries related to technical textiles, such as bulletproof jackets, conveyor belts, and airbags, the Chief Minister urged Goyal to grant a Centre of Excellence for Technical Textiles/Testing Centre in Telangana. Revanth Reddy also requested the allocation of an Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) to Telangana, emphasising the positive impact it would have on training weavers in modern technology and enhancing their income levels, given that seven handloom clusters were already established in the state. VIJAYAWADA: The huge rush of commuters travelling to their native places in Andhra Pradesh has caused traffic jams on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway on Saturday. In particular, Keesara and Chillakallu toll plazas witnessed long queues of cars, buses and other transport vehicles, even as authorities tried to ease the congestion. Usually, these toll plazas witness movement of about 38,000 vehicles every day. But the number of vehicles for Sankranti has increased. It is expected that 70,000 to one lakh vehicles will pass through these toll plazas on the eve of Sankranti. Scores of vehicles got reduced to a crawl on the flyover at Nandigama. The rush is being attributed to Sankranti holidays being declared for all educational institutions beginning Friday. Entire families in Telangana, particularly from Hyderabad, have thus decided to reach their native places in AP in their personal vehicles. The Festival of Harvest will be celebrated on Monday. Special trains and buses are being operated from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and other places in AP to clear the rush. The number of travellers is likely to see a big jump over the next two days. Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is operating 6,795 special bus services for those travelling to their hometowns. APSRTC managing director Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao announced that only regular fares will be charged on these special buses. Travellers can use these buses instead of private carriers, which are charging enormously. RTC authorities estimate that around two million people from Hyderabad and other Telangana districts visit their hometowns in AP for Sankranti. Tourists visit an attraction with splendid ice sculptures in China's "ice city" Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Xu Chenglong) Tourists visit an attraction with splendid ice sculptures in China's "ice city" Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Xu Chenglong) Tourists have fun on an ice slide in China's "ice city" Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Xu Chenglong) Boasting ice and snow sculptures of extraordinary craftsmanship, fun-filled ice and snow activities, and challenging and thrilling ice and snow sports, China's "ice city" Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, becomes a magnet for tourists across the country every winter. HYDERABAD: The state government will soon seek 10 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water from Karnataka to augment storage in Telangana reservoirs to meet drinking water needs in the summer, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Saturday. He said a delegation led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would visit Karnataka to discuss the issue. He was speaking with reporters after chairing a review meeting with senior irrigation department officials at Jal Soudha, the department headquarters. Uttam Kumar Reddy also said that a special drive to clear all tanks and lakes of overgrowth of plants during the summer to clean the beds of water bodies and to clear channels. Uttam Kumar Reddy also said that the Congress government was committed to providing irrigation to 4.5 lakh to 5 lakh additional acres by the end of this year. The previous BRS government had indulged in largescale wasteful and non-productive expenditure on irrigation projects, and as a consequence, there was an urgent need to focus on creating new ayacut. The government will prioritise projects that can achieve this goal. We discussed project costs, and projects that can start supplying water in six months, and those that can do so within a year, the minister said. On the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had already written to the Telangana High Court Chief Justice seeking a judge to head a judicial commission that will probe all aspects of the project. With respect to the sinking of the Medigadda barrage, a vigilance probe was already on in the matter and those responsible for what happened at Medigadda will face appropriate action, Uttam Kumar Reddy said. New Delhi: As seat-sharing discussions carry on amongst the INDIA bloc partners, leaders of the Opposition parties will meet virtually on Saturday morning. Insiders claim that JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar might be declared as their INDIA blocs convenor. Mr Kumars name was supposed to be proposed for the convenor position, however, this did not materialise. This meeting may witness the appointment of a convenor, as well as a spokesperson and a secretariat. According to sources, the Bihar chief minister's greater focus on national politics benefits the RJDs interests in the state, hence, the party has reconsidered its earlier opposition to Mr Kumars nomination as INDIA block convenor. Opposition leaders are also likely to discuss the progress made by their respective parties in terms of seat sharing. The Congress has held meetings with Maharashtra partners Shiv Sena UBT, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA). It has also held meetings with the AAP in Delhi and Punjab. A meeting with Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has also been held. The Trinamul Congress has already stated that they have given their proposal to the Congress high command, so there is no need for a meeting. These have been preliminary meetings, a final figure will soon emerge. As many as 28 Opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the BJP and defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, there are many issues which are yet to be resolved within the alliance, including that of appointing a convenor. Seat-sharing talks with members of the Opposition bloc have also not been fruitful so far due to claims and counter-claims on the seats. New Delhi: After intense deliberations, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was chosen as the chairperson of the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. on Saturday. Leaders of the bloc met virtually and discussed various aspects of the alliance and the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to this newspaper, the CPI secretary general D. Raja said, Several constituents of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc attended the meeting. Kharge was chosen as the chairperson. The discussion was also held on seat sharing, which will soon be confirmed." Meanwhile, JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have turned down the offer to take up the key position of convener of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. A JD(U) leader disclosed that while the proposal to appoint Kumar as convener received unanimous support, he declined the offer and proposed that a credible face from the Congress should assume the key post. "The offer was made, but Kumar suggested that a credible leader from the Congress should take responsibility for the key position," JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha told reporters in Patna after the meeting. Several JD(U) leaders in Patna also highlighted Kumar's past remarks, in which he had expressed "no desire for any post" and emphasised the need for unity among the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in facing the BJP at the Centre. According to sources, the seat-sharing deal among the Mahagathbandhan partners in Bihar is likely to be announced after the Makar Sankranti festival. Today's meeting was attended by representatives from all parties, except for the Trinamul Congress and the Samajwadi Party. During the meeting, Kharge said, "Everyone is happy that the seat-sharing talks are progressing in a positive way. I, along with Rahul Gandhi, invited all I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties to join the "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra". After the meeting, NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar talked to the media. Pawar said, "We don't think there is any need to project a face, and we should ask for votes in its name (I.N.D.I.A.). We believe we can give the country an alternative." He further added, "Some leaders suggested that Kharge should be the leader of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Many agreed to the same. Also, it was suggested that the Bihar Chief Minister should become the convener of the Opposition bloc. However, Kumar refused, saying for now it is not needed." VIJAYAWADA: Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu hosted dinner for Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan at his Undavalli residence here on Saturday. The two discussed issues pertaining to the TD-JS alliance with AP going for polls in just a few weeks. Though the duo has met several times, mainly in Hyderabad and Vijayawada, their Undavalli meeting is of significance as both the leaders have decided to release a common manifesto, accommodating interests of both the parties. Chandrababu and Pawan are also expected to announce sharing of seats by both the parties. With BJP national leadership yet to announce its AP units alliance with TD-JS alliance, the two party chiefs are continuing their talks to derive the maximum political advantage in the upcoming polls. When Pawan Kalyan arrived at Naidus residence, the latter welcomed him with a bouquet of flowers. The JS chief was accompanied by the partys political affairs committee chairman Nadendla Manohar. Incidentally, Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are jointly participating in a bonfire on Bhogi at a private school in Mandadam village of Amaravati on Sunday at 7 am. The programme has been titled Telugu Jathiki Swarnayugam-Sankranti Sankalpam. The two leaders will be burning copies of government orders, which are against the interests of the people. Later, both the leaders will interact with local farmers. Jana Sena sources said Pawan Kalyan will meet Kapu Nadu leader Mudragada Padamanabham soon and hold a discussion on the political situation in the state. Ad InvestorPlace They said crypto was dead. 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Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 U.S. launches new airstrike on Houthi targets in Yemen -- report Xinhua) 13:21, January 13, 2024 WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military has launched another airstrike on Houthi targets in Yemen, CNN reported on Friday, citing anonymous U.S. officials. Launched Friday night U.S. Eastern Time, the strikes were much smaller in scale compared to those launched Thursday by the United States and Britain, said the report. The official said that the additional strikes were carried out unilaterally by the U.S. military. Thursday's strikes were believed to have degraded the Houthis' capabilities to attack vessels in the Red Sea, Director of the Joint Staff Douglas Sims told a press briefing held by the Defense Department on Friday. Sims expects possible retaliation from the Houthis after Thursday's strikes but emphasizes preparedness. "We're ready for any response," he said. Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder told reporters during the briefing that Thursday's strikes hit more than 60 targets in 28 locations. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) The statewide Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Commission has approved a recommendation to invest in credentialing care workers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The approval is part of an an effort to address staffing shortages and high turnover in the field. The 88% turnover rate for intellectual and developmental disability care workers in Montana is more than double the 43% average found in a study of 48 states. Turnover is bad for outcomes for clients (imagine if your child got a new teacher each month) and is costly for providers. Each turnover costs providers between $2,700 and $5,200, because of the costs of training and onboarding. Patrick Maddison, a commissioner who also runs an organization serving those with developmental disabilities, said his organization spent $280,000 on turnover last year. A top cause of turnover is the notably few to no opportunities for career growth other than stopping direct support and moving into management roles, according to the proposal. The initiative seeks to retain workers by offering opportunities for credentialing that could lead to advancement within the field. If approved by the governor, the initiative would provide grants to five service providers across Montana, for each to credential 25 care workers through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. The organizations will be provided with funding to cover the cost of having employees shifts covered while theyre being credentialed, and workers will receive one-time bonuses between $1,000 and $2,000 after completing credentialing. It would also allocate funding for 500 spots in an online course in intellectual and developmental disability healthcare, open to licensed healthcare and behavioral health professionals, as well as college students. Montana has a 29% vacancy rate for full-time intellectual and developmental disability care workers, compared to an average of 17% across the 48-state study. And 87% of the states intellectual and developmental disability programs stopped accepting new referrals due to staffing issues, compared to the studys average of 52%. Whether the most short-staffed providers will be able to make use of this initiative remains to be seen. How can we get staff off the floor to do training when we dont have any staff? wondered Tara Williamson, executive director of Support and Techniques for Empowering People (STEP), a Billings-based organization that has served adults and children with developmental disabilities for over 40 years. She said the organization has been presented with other opportunities for training through the Department of Health and Human Services, but was unable to use them due to lack of staff who could fill in. STEP closed its residential group home a few years back due to staffing shortages. It currently has three full-time care providers for its remaining day program. They need two more full-time employees and a few others for relief. Recently, for the first time since Ive been involved, the day program had to be shut down due to lack of staff, Williamson said. We couldnt staff it in a way that would keep everyone safe. This poses a problem for families relying on these services to be able to work themselves, and for employees missing out on a days pay which doesnt brighten the outlook for employee retention. The lack of staff has decreased the organizations ability to improve the quality of life for their clients, like getting kids to a level where they no longer need special education, for example. The return on investment there is huge, because of the cost of special education compared to regular education, Williamson said. But weve lost track of providing quality services, at this point were just trying to keep people safe. Taco Bell wages Rate increases for developmental disability services funded by Medicaid were increased last year for the first time in seven years, but wages remain low. The statewide average wage for a direct care worker in the developmental disability field is $14.80 per hour. Taco Bell is offering what our wages are, Williamson said. She said STEP is considering cutting holidays, vacation, or even health insurance an area close to home for Williamson, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. Maybe if we cut these down, we can pay a dollar more an hour, said Williamson, though she acknowledged that decreased benefits arent great for recruiting and retaining employees. Its like a snake eating its tail, she said. Leveling up Carrie Krepps, executive director at Florence Family Services, a youth maternity and recovery home in Helena, spoke during public comment at the commission meeting and voiced concerns about losing staff credentialed through the initiative to higher paying jobs. The minute you credential them they become very marketable, she said. Once theyre trained, away they go to higher paying jobs. Maddison, commission member and CEO of Flathead Industries, said that this isnt necessarily a bad thing. I understand the concern, but getting workers into higher paying jobs is the goal, he said. Medicaid needs to level up to compete and to keep up with the cost of living, he added. Thursdays recommendation allocates $600,000 of the $300 million allocated last year to improve behavioral health and developmental disabilities. It was the product of a December commission meeting in Kalispell, which focused on intellectual and developmental disabilities. The approval of the recommendation came on day two of a three-day commission meeting, beginning with a listening session at the Billings library on Wednesday followed by two days of panels and public comment on childrens mental health. The four panels, covering topics from prevention to family and caregiver support, included social workers, doctors, school administrators, and juvenile justice professionals. Other initiatives Thursdays initiative is the fifth to be approved by the commission. At an October meeting in Missoula, the commission approved an initiative to incentivize community-based court-ordered evaluations, costing $7,094,000, and another to increase the number of beds available for residential treatment, for another $7,170,000. At the Kalispell meeting, the commission approved an initiative to provide grants to support mobile crisis response services, for $7,500,000, and another to train crisis workers, for $1,500,000. Gov. Greg Gianforte approved the initiatives from Missoula in December. The court-ordered evaluations initiative is expected to launch in March and the residential treatment grant in February. A Derry councillor has urged the Irish government to back South Africa's case against Israel at the United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ), formally accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. It could take years for the court to reach a final judgement but South Africa is pursuing an emergency order against the continuing killings and destruction in Gaza and an interim sentence could be reached in weeks. "Israel is guilty of genocide," Councillor Shaun Harkin said. "The presentations by representatives for the South African government at the International Court of Justice in The Hague documented the genocidal words and deeds of the apartheid state's political and military leaders." South Africa's case against Israel focuses on five main 'genocidal acts'. These are the mass killings of Palestinians, bodily and mental harm, forced displacement and food blockade, destruction of the healthcare system and preventing Palestinian births. "The destruction of Gaza, the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians and the displacement of millions of people in the Strip is the outworking of Israel's settler colonial project," the People Before Profit councilor continued. "Israel has used terror to drive Palestinians from their homes - and is using terror now to drive Palestinians out of Gaza. "Israel must be held accountable for its barbaric actions in Gaza. "We call upon the Irish government to back South Africa's case to the ICJ. "The British government took another step this week towards ramming through legislation designed to prohibit the peaceful non-violent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel and corporations complicit in its war on Palestinians. "No matter what regressive legislation the British government puts through, people in Derry will back the struggle of Palestinians for freedom and will campaign to implement BDS. "We urge people in Derry and the North West to join the march and rally for Palestine on Saturday January 13 assembling noon at the Waterside Train Station. "From Derry to Dublin to Washington DC, this will one of the biggest global days of action for Palestine in history. "Up to a million protestors are expected to march to Freedom Plaza in Washington DC calling on Joe Biden to end US support for Israel's terror in Gaza by supporting an immediate ceasefire. "When we march in Derry, we are are marching for Palestine but for ourselves too. We don't want a world where what's happening in Gaza is condoned and justified. A new Ireland has to stand for a world opposed to apartheid and imperialism." Israel has disputed South Africa's Claims in the ICJ and said the country 'ignored' the events of October 7 and that Israel had the right to defend itself. CAPTION: Pictured (left to right), Eamon Durey (Nerve Centre), Joe Carlin (NI Science Festival Education Manager), Robert Watson (Woodland Trust), Sarah Jones (NISF), Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Patricia Logue, Jillian Thompson (NISF), and Gareth Doherty (Nerve Centre Education team) The NI Science Festival returns to celebrate a decade of exploration and discovery, a milestone in the journey to inspire inquisitive minds that has resulted in the festival becoming one of the largest science events in Europe. From Thursday 15 Sunday 25 February, scientists and enthusiasts including biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts, aerospace engineer-turned-baker Andrew Smyth, wildlife filmmaker and presenter Gordon Buchanan and Limericks own cultural phenomenon Blindboy (set to grace the stage of the Millennium Forum) join the festivals largest ever programme of archaeologists, environmentalists, psychologists, neuroscientists and much more to ignite scientific curiosity and explore the workings of ourselves and the world around us. From astronomy to autopsy, biology to beer brewing and Teeny Tiny Creatures to Tetris, the annual festival of all things science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM), will return for a jam-packed 11 days to thrill audiences in the North-West and beyond. Over 300 events are planned across Northern Ireland covering everything from the natural world, our planet, and the vast expanse of space to technology, engineering, the mind and body, food and much more. Commenting on the launch of this years festival, its director, Sarah Jones, said, We are very excited to be celebrating our tenth anniversary with a fantastic programme of events for young and old, that not only showcases the marvels of science but also explores its connections with arts and culture and beyond. Our tenth anniversary is as much about ensuring our legacy for years to come, as it is about celebrating our legacy thus far. Thats why we were so pleased to mark our launch with some tree planting with the Woodland Trust in the Faughan Valley, ahead of the Family Tree Planting Day they will host during our festival. As ever, our festival extends right across Northern Ireland and for the first time even crosses borders. For ten years we have spread the joy of science, sparked fascination with technology, engineering and maths and facilitated thought-provoking discussions regarding the arts we look forward to building upon this not only this year but for many more to come. Speaking ahead of the festival launch, Graeme Wilkinson, Director of Skills at the Department for the Economy, said, The Department for the Economy is delighted to congratulate the Northern Ireland Science Festival on reaching its tenth anniversary. The Department has been lead sponsor for the Festival since it began in 2015 and has watched it grow into the major event it is today. The Festival has engaged thousands of young people in science and introduced them to the wide range of career opportunities available in this field. This continues to be a key aspiration for the Department, given how vital science and other STEM skills are to the economy. We wish the Science Festival team every success with this milestone event and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Patricia Logue said the NI Science Festival is a hugely important event in the calendar that offers a world class programme of learning and participation across the region. I am absolutely delighted that the festival is in its 10th year and has continued to flourish and grow to bring together an exciting programme of events, talks and activities that are focused around science. The programme is designed to inspire and inform young minds and spark curiosity and interest in the world around us and I wish everyone associated with the festival every success. Professor Victoria Simms, Chair of NI Science Festival, added: We are delighted to launch your largest ever Northern Ireland Science Festival programme to celebrate our 10th anniversary. This really reflects the vibrancy of the scientific community in Northern Ireland and the creativity of our brilliant team. We cant wait for you all to join us in February at our inspiring events. On Friday 16th February, judge of Netflixs Baking Impossible, Andrew Smyth, is set to take audiences at The Playhouse on a journey to explore the surprising connections between everyday bakes and the extraordinary engineering that helps keep astronauts alive. CBeebies Grace Webb then returns to the Waterside Theatre on 17th February with all new gadgets as well as some exciting surprises for a brand-new Race Edition; discover how her Green Race Gadgets work, how they move and what makes them really amazing. The city is also set to host a range of events dealing sensitively with important matters of mental health including An Evening with Danny Quigley (Nerve Centre, 16th February), tracing his transformation from grief to fitness expert to an advocate for mental health, showcasing his incredible charity feats while delving into the science and benefits of physical challenges, with all proceeds from the event dedicated to the Lighthouse Fund supporting mental health initiatives. In Never Say At Least: Recognising the Real Loss in Miscarriage (The Playhouse, 18th February), the panel will delve into the often-hidden topic of miscarriage and pregnancy loss, drawing insights from psychology, therapy, and personal experiences to shed light on its impact on families. On Saturday 24th February, the Foyle Arena hosts The Foyle Science Showcase, an engaging and interactive free experience for all ages, featuring robotics experts discussing cutting-edge research, a mobile planetarium for solar system exploration, diverse animal encounters, and workshops exploring nature, the human body, food, psychology, and technology for young science enthusiasts. Alongside some friends from previous editions, the NI Science Festival will celebrate its tenth birthday with a takeover of the awe-inspiring surrounds of the Ulster Transport Museum. On Saturday 17th February, Scientific Sue, Strong Women in Science and many more will join a packed day of interactive activities, workshops, immersive experiences and much more that the whole family can enjoy. Alongside a wide selection of events taking place right across Northern Ireland, the festival will also take to the road with its Regional Roadshow. Join CBeebies Teeny Tiny Creatures animal experts Chantelle and Rory as they shed a light on the vital planet-saving role that our tiniest animals play in the wonderful web, and science communicator Jon Chase who will explore the science behind THE movie franchise that helped change the way we see dinosaurs. The roadshow will visit Bangor (15 February), Newcastle (16 February), Enniskillen (17 February) and Portrush (18 February). NI Science Festival is supported by the Department for the Economy, Belfast City Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Ulster University, Queens University Belfast, British Council Northern Ireland, MCS Group, The Open University NI, Arts & Business NI, Matrix NI, Film Hub NI, Institute of Physics, OCN NI and Belfast Harbour. The 2024 NI Science Festival runs 1525 February. For more information about events and bookings, visit nisciencefestival.com. Keep up to date with the festival on social media via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Billings Public Schools will implement a crisis response training program anagrammed PREPaRE, thanks to a grant the district received from the National Association of School Psychologists recently. The PREPaRE training program is designed for schools to improve and strengthen their school safety and crisis management plans and emergency response. The funding will pay for PREPaRE training for BPS administrators, counselors, nurses, and other school personnel who may be involved in crisis prevention and response. The PREPaRE training also will be available for school resources officers. Funding will also pay for four Billings Public Schools counselors to go through additional training to become PREPaRE trainers to sustain training into the future for BPS staff. Ensuring the continued training of school staff is instrumental to the PREPaRE training program. The strategy follows the belief that school-employed mental health professionals, due to their professional training and job functions, are the ones best prepared to address the mental health issues associated with school crises. Our school employees know our students and that relationship is vital when working through a crisis, said Gordon Klasna, Director of BPS Secondary Education. Students are more apt to open up and talk with someone they know rather than a stranger. According to information from the NASP website, PREPaRE is the only comprehensive, nationally available training curriculum developed by educators for educators. The educators who created the training program each have firsthand school crisis response experience and formal training. PREPaRE stands for prevent and prepare for crises; reaffirm physical health and welfare; and perceptions of safety and security; evaluate psychological trauma risk; provide interventions and respond to mental health needs; examine the effectiveness of crisis preparedness. Klasna, who works closely with Billings high school and middle school staff, is excited to implement the program. While you can never be fully prepared for every crisis that may affect the schools, you want to be as prepared as possible, stated Klasna. This training will allow for our staff to be even better equipped for a crisis than they already are. School District 2 is providing counseling support to students, staff and families impacted by the fatal crash last week resulted in the death of West High School student Gavin McCombs. McCombs 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. Back in September I remarked that the Avenger may the car to start an EV price war since its starting price was 35,995 for the Longitude model. In true NA NA NA NA NA fashion, I was proven right with some very tasty price reduction now available on the Nissan Leaf, the Renault Megane E-Tech and the Ora Funky Cat now, thankfully, renamed to GWM Ora. Im fairly sure more and more will follow. With the normalisation of EVs amongst drivers it was only a matter of time before prices would become competitive and start to fall. The Jeep Avenger car won the 2023 European Car of the Year award back in January. In the recent 2024 Irish Car of the Year Awards, it came second in its group behind the remarkably successful BYD ATTO3. It will be interesting to see how the Avenger does in a full 2024 sales year. The Avenger is the first all-electric car from Jeep and uses the same eCMP Stellantis platform that also showcases the Peugeot e2008 and Opel Mokka-e, both, arguably, with similar rugged crossover appeal. So, it really is right car, right price at the right time. It is also an incredibly attractive looking car. Ive yet to see a bad colour-roof colour-alloy combination and from every angle is really looks the part and that famous 7-slot grille gets a nice bend accentuating the overall creased look of the lines on the car making it one of the best-looking Jeeps ever launched. For your money you get a 54kWh battery, a 156hp electric motor that can give a claimed range of 400km WLTP or 550 kms in an all-urban setting and being a Jeep there are 6 drive modes. It is also claimed that it will do 600kms in pure city driving. Id dread to assess that on my own but if I had two other drivers willing, Id give it a go, especially as there is a lot of criticism of EV car range and the difference between consumer reality and what the manufacturers claim. This has always been a bit of a game, regardless of engine/motor type, but EVs get more stick than others because it takes that bit longer to replenish the fuel source which in the real-world amounts to time waiting which none of us have, right? When you do have to charge at a rapid charger it takes 24 minutes to charge from 20% to 80%. I consider recharging time as that elusive me time we all seek and see it as a plus except if I was rushing somewhere which is, alas, usually the story. The range has just 3 trim levels topping out at 42,495 for the appropriately named Summit model that has full LED headlights and taillights, advanced level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, 360-degree parking sensors as well as a rear camera with an aerial drone view. The in the middle Altitude model is probably the pick and is priced competitively. On the inside the Jeep provides an alternative take. It has an overall sense of chunkiness to match its ruggedness exterior. The layout is charming and simple with no dauting figuring out how it works pangs. Of note is a suite of button and knob controls for those most used functions like air-con and radio more of this please. My cars dashboard colour matched the exterior colour which was a nice touch. Drive select is a suite of buttons in the centre console under the 10.25-inch digital display. Of all the diverse ways Ive seen this done its not my favourite, but it does afford less cluttering of the centre console to provide more cubbyholes for a total storage capacity of 34litres that has a neat iPad type folding cover. The boot at 355litres is bigger than the Mokka-e sharing the same platform. The car fells quite spacious with the only niggle being less than desirable legroom in the rear, a small gripe. Driving the Avenger is a mix of the expected and unexpected. Expected was quietness, zippy acceleration and secure roadholding. What I did not expect was some of that electric poke seems to have been throttled back if thats an appropriate electrical reference these days. Being a Jeep, youd be thinking 4WD and an ability to go anywhere. Well in this baby it has fancy electronic control to help when you are not on smooth tarmac which is common enough in many cars these days. The Jeep name doesnt fully translate to the Avenger in terms of its traction ability as it is purely front wheel drive. It is not being offered in the US as maybe they would not consider it a real Jeep if there wasnt a 4/AWD version. Make no mistake, this is a city/urban dweller and performs perfectly there. I really liked the Avenger. It has oodles of charm and has an excellent city range where it is a joy to drive in and around. With an equally fetching price it is a car that deserves more buyers regardless of age or family size. There are not many circumstances where an Avenger wouldnt fit in and for a brand that catered for niche, off road desiring drivers, to end up offering a mainstream EV product for the masses is quite a turnaround for me. The ongoing issues facing Louths Early Years and School Age Care settings can only be addressed with a coherent 5-year plan if Ireland is going to catch up with other countries, according to Early Childhood Ireland. The group claim that while 2023 saw unprecedented investment, Budget 2024 was a big disappointment and failed to build on gains announced the previous year. The lack of proper planning is failing providers, parents, and, most importantly, the estimated 5,278 children who attend settings in Louth. As a result, the issues facing the sector continue to go unaddressed, the organisation said. There are serious issues that need to be resolved if we are to have an Early Years and School Age Care system that ranks among the best in the world, Frances Byrne, Early Childhood Irelands Director of Policy, said. Staff recruitment and retention is undoubtedly the number one challenge our 69 member settings in Louth are currently grappling with, Ms Byrne continued. Staffing pressures are caused by factors such as low pay and a lack of pensions. It is vital that government addresses this so that the sectors 30,000-strong workforce is not left at the mercy of an annual wage negotiation process, which is moving at a frustratingly slow pace, she added. She also took aim at the administrative burden applying for government funding has placed on practitioners. Our members are also concerned about the amount of time they spend on administering the various government funding programmes, as it is taking educators away from quality contact time with children, Ms Byrne said. Many providers are also dismayed by the attendance requirements. These lead to a lack of flexibility for families and are not centred, as they should be, on the lives and needs of children. We are proposing a unification of the existing funding programmes: National Childcare Scheme (NCS), Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Core Funding, to allow settings to use capacity, not childrens attendance, as is the case with one of the programmes now. This would offer improved flexibility with no financial consequences for providers or for parents, she explained. Further investment and the need for a coherent medium to long-term plan for the sector are essential, according to Ms Byrne. Significantly more investment is needed to provide an Early Years and School Age Care sector that is of high quality, adequate capacity, and that is inclusive of all children. It is vital for the interim sustainability and certainty - which children, families, providers, educators, and communities need -that a new funding target and a coherent plan to achieve it is published. We have repeatedly called on the current Minister for Children and his Cabinet colleagues to do this. It will require more than one government to agree and implement this plan, so political leadership from all sides is needed. Encouragingly, we have heard members of the Oireachtas Childrens Committee voice their support for our proposals. What we need now is action so that we can have an Early Years and School Age Care sector in this country that works for all concerned. Irelands children and families deserve nothing less, Ms Byrne concluded. The School of Engineering in DkIT was recently awarded the prestigious Bronze Athena Swan accreditation. Whilst DkIT was previously awarded the Bronze Athena Swan on an Institute level, this is the first Athena Swan School specific award for DkIT. The application was led by Dr Breda Brennan, Head of School of Engineering, who was appointed to this position in the last 12 months. Dr. Brennan worked closely with the DkIT EDI Office and a Self-Assessment Team comprising of 13 staff members from the School of Engineering. There are a very limited number of Institutes within Ireland who hold this Engineering specific Bronze Athena Swan accreditation, they include Trinity College, University of Limerick and in the Technological University sector only Carlow IT (now SETU) has previously been bestowed this award. The Athena SWAN charter is a framework that is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality in higher education and research. The charter launched in Ireland in 2015 with a specific remit to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment. The charter has since been expanded to include arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL) and staff working in professional, managerial and support roles (PMSS). The framework also now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, including consideration of the experience of trans staff and students, as well as the underrepresentation of men in particular disciplines. Dr Breda Brennan, Head of School of Engineering said: Having worked in higher education for 30 years, I have a strong interest in providing educational opportunities for all. As the new Head of School of Engineering I am committed to facilitating and driving cultural and structural changes which will remove any barriers to equality, diversity and inclusivity for both students and staff. DkIT said: "As part of the School of Engineerings commitment to the Athena Swan accreditation they will focus on several key priority areas to improve female engagement in the field of engineering. These key tasks will include, proactively increasing the intake of undergraduate and postgraduate female students into the School of Engineering. "Another key priority they will endeavour to uphold is to ensure that female students have an equal opportunity to succeed on Engineering programmes. DkIT will also continue to work closely with primary and secondary schools in the region to encourage and facilitate females to select programmes and careers in Engineering, including apprenticeships. "The Institute will also make certain to provide equal opportunities for female applicants for staff positions in the School and to increase the proportion of females on academic and technical support staff. "The School of Engineering hope to ultimately create a culture of inclusivity and equality in the School for both staff and students therefore increasing female graduates and engagement within this ever evolving and in demand industry." Dr Brennan added Id also like to extend my sincere thanks to all the Self-Assessment Team who supported me in this application who included, Ciara OShea, formerly DkIT EDI Officer, Orlagh Devine, School of Engineering Administrator, Gerard Galligan, Head of Section of Engineering Trades (Electrical and Motor Mechanics), Paul MacArtain, Head of Department of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, James Connolly, Senior Technical Officer for the School of Engineering, Gareth Kelly, Lecturer, Dept of Engineering Trades and Civil Engineering, Antoinette Rourke, Lecturer, Dept of the Built Environment and lecturers from the Dept of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering: Maryellen Kelledy, Peter Ryan, Sinead Kelly, Catherine McCloskey, Kimmitt Sayers, Rauri McCool and Paul Durcan. Thanks also to the many students who participated in and contributed to the self-assessment IT solutions company Paradyn, has today announced that following a tender process, it is now providing a proactive managed IT service to six local authorities in Ireland including Louth County Council. Led by Cavan County Council and including Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Monaghan, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown (DLR) County Councils the deal is worth 500,000 over three years. The new deal is underpinning daily operations for these local authorities by providing access to highly skilled technical engineers and managed IT support which the firm say will quickly resolve any incidents, minimising the impact on the organisations and the citizens they serve. It also says it will be delivering time savings to the local authorities by reducing the amount of time spent dealing with complex issues. In addition, Paradyn says its solution is enabling increased network and data security at the councils offices and libraries which, in turn, ensures sensitive information is protected for both employees and over 600,000 citizens across these six regions. They further say the service is also enhancing network performance and resilience, reducing downtime and boosting productivity for up to 3,500 county council employees. The company said: Internal IT teams are better able to roll out more complex projects and implementations to further enhance services and resources for citizens through advanced network support and expertise provided by Paradyns engineers. Paradyn also carried out training and onboarding of the new solution for the local authorities own IT engineers. Fergal Meehan, Chief Commercial Officer, Paradyn: We were delighted to work with these local authorities on such an important solution, which is improving the employee experience and helping to enhance the vital resources and services available to citizens. Our highly experienced and accredited senior engineers ensure that we can deliver a best-in-class service which will future proof operations for the county councils in an increasingly digital world. Enda Tiernan, Head of Information Systems, Cavan County Council: We required highly skilled engineers to support our own technical staff with complex, technology-specific tasks and issues. Paradyns impressive track record with supporting and securing organisations in the public sector made the partnership a great fit. With this solution, we have ready access to Paradyns expertise across multiple platforms and technologies and, crucially, the reliable support which gives us peace of mind that the services we provide to the public can continue uninterrupted. A homeless single Louth mother has appealed for help to save her premature son who is currently fighting for his life. Robin, originally from Zimbabwe has been moving from hospital to hospital with son Cy Maguire. Robin moved to Ireland when she was two and relocated to Drogheda last June, she is currently in emergency accommodation and travelling to Cy who is currently in Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin. Cy was born in December at 24 weeks and mother Robin said he has been in surgery and fighting for his life since birth. Robin has set up a Go Fund Me to raise funds to support her son. So far Robin has managed to raise 2,000 of her target of 70,000. Explaining Cys current condition, Robin said: Dealing with numerous profound physiological derangements secondary to his prematurity, Meningitis, Sepsis, Anemia, Blood in the Brain and heart problems. He remains intubated and is on SIMV Vitilation.I know he will survive with all these difficulties. As his still tinny but mighty. Speaking on her struggle to treat Cy under these difficult circumstances Robin said: We have been moving from hospital to hospital from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda to The Coombe Hospital to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin. He will still be needing to undergo more surgery when he's a bit stronger and picks up some weight due to his stoma. Explaining her own situation and her reasons for setting up the page, Robin said: As a single mother who is jobless, homeless and has no benefits except from SVP who have been helping me with food vouchers, I am seeking for a little bit of help regarding our situations with bills,food, travel expenses, rent and baby stuff. I wouldn't have thought I'd be someone to set up a GO Fund Me but since May of 2023 I have been having it tough throughout since the beginning of my pregnancy that came with hard challenges and stopping me from working. All I really want is for everything to be okay and comfortable for me and my little man Cy when it is time for him to come home to me. In order to do that I'd like a bit of help. For more information or to donate visit HERE. A winter storm cutting through the Northern United States will keep temperatures across Montana below freezing through the weekend. With record-setting lows that are cold enough to kill, emergency shelters in and around Billings have opened, and officials are warning those who got outdoors to take precautions. Todays definitely the coldest day, Billings National Weather Service Meteorologist Nick Vertz said on Saturday. At least for the Billings area temperatures are not expected to be above zero until Monday. Were not going to see anything above freezing until next weekend. Arctic air flowing from Canada over the past week brought snow, ice and bitter cold to a swath of the United States from Idaho to Illinois. During that time, emergency crews in that massive region have contended with avalanches, whiteout conditions and car wrecks caused by slick roads, according to the associated press. In Montana, NWS has issued winter storm, avalanche and wind chill warnings, Lee Newspapers previously reported. As of Saturday morning, the warmest town near Billings was Columbus, according to NWS, which had a wind chill of -35 degrees. In some towns, the wind chill dropped below -60. At Billings-Logan International Airport, where NSW takes its measurements for Billings, temperatures dropped to a low of -26 overnight, Vertz said, breaking a 20-year record. Along with the frigid cold, Vertz said there is a chance of some light snow in the Billings area over the next week. Temperatures in the city have been cold enough to freeze the fuel pumps and water lines for Billings Fire Department engines, BFD Battalion Chief Dan Cotrell said Saturday. In the past 24 hours, BFD crews had responded to two structure fires, frozen sprinkler systems and fire alarms malfunctioning due to the cold. The influx of calls prompted commanders to bring in two standby crews. During a house fire, Cotrell said, the city provided a bus for firefighters to stay warm. Until the weather improves, Cotrell warned Billings residents to be cautious of how they heat their spaces. Keep heaters for sheds and chicken coups away from anything combustible, like straw, and make sure that any extra heaters inside a home are approved for indoor use. On Friday, the Montana Rescue Mission announced that its emergency shelter had opened in downtown Billings at 2822 Minnesota Ave. A wind chill of -20 degrees or less can cause hypothermia and frostbite to set in within minutes. The Montana Rescue Mission went to "code blue", meaning that it allowed people other than those enrolled in its programs to stay at the shelter. As of Saturday afternoon, the organization planned on staying in "code blue" status through Wednesday of next week. No one should be left out in the cold. If you or someone you know is seeking refuge from the cold, please come to our shelter, the announcement said. Outside of Billings, emergency shelters have opened on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations through the weekend. In Lame Deer, tribal officials spearheaded an effort to build warming stations around town. The stations are canvas tents stocked with food and water, and heated by wood stoves, Northern Cheyenne Disaster and Emergency Coordinator Angel Lei told the Gazette. Northern Cheyenne residents also donated blankets, jackets and scarves for those using the warming stations, Lei said. The tribe is offering firewood for residents, Lei said, and is expecting a shipment of coal for burning by the end of Saturday. As of Saturday, the Montana Department of Transportation had road advisories for every major highway and interstate in the state. The department warned of icy roads, drifting snow and fog. COULD it be a case of love at second sight for Corkman Omo in First Dates Ireland next week? The 31-year-old happened to meet fellow Nigerian Princess, 24, from Dublin, the night before they were matched at the First Dates restaurant in the capital, and we find out how they get along in the episode on RTE2 on Thursday at 9.35pm. Also on the show, actor and writer Glenn, 71, meets fellow old-school Dub Ava, 72, and sporty garda Mike, 26, of Tipperary, meets retail manager Yasemin, 25, from Belfast. Plus, trainee Tallaght hairdresser Karl, 22, dates Aaron, 21) from the Liberties. Also, irrepressible, super-positive trainee hairdresser Karl, 22, from Tallaght, unleashes his whoppa personality on Aaron, 21, from the Liberties. Eyebrows will be raised. Youll see The National Weather Services online map of U.S. weather alerts looked like a kaleidoscope Friday afternoon as Montana and the nation braced for a holiday weekend of blizzards, avalanches, bitter wind chill and deadly cold temperatures. In Montana and northern Idaho alone, the agency issued a winter storm warning, avalanche warning, wind chill warning and a host of lesser advisories through at least Sunday. The agency predicted up to 9 inches more of snow, particularly in mountainous areas, coupled with wind chills ranging from -40 degrees to -60 degrees or colder. And an avalanche warning was in effect for the mountains of northern Idaho and far northwest Montana, one day after an avalanche southwest of Lookout Pass and south of Mullan, Idaho, killed one skier. The cold was already well settled in across the state Friday, with midday temperatures of -12 degrees in Missoula, -8 degrees in Hamilton, -13 degrees in Kalispell, -3 degrees near Libby, -21 degrees in Helena, -20 degrees in Butte, -22 degrees in Great Falls, -15 degrees in Bozeman and -10 degrees in Billings. And that was just air temperature, without wind chill. The blisteringly cold conditions were the product of an arctic airmass that flowed southward from Canada into central and eastern Montana by the middle of the week. By Thursday night the frigid air spilled westward over the Continental Divide into western Montana in what meteorologists call a backdoor front because it moves the opposite direction of normal prevailing winds and weather systems. A similar phenomenon delivered near-record lows across Montana in late December 2022. The cold elevates the risk of water pipes freezing in homes and other buildings, according to public works officials and first responders. It also will likely result in unusually high demand for natural gas and electricity used for heat, according to utility companies. And the frigid conditions are especially harrowing for people who do not have housing or other shelter, or a way to keep warm. In such conditions, frostbite can set in on exposed skin in less than five minutes, and its dangerous to travel or be outside for any amount of time. Resources available Beckett Redinger, communications coordinator at Missoulas Poverello Center shelter, said Friday that 105 people stayed at the facilitys primary shelter Thursday night and 171 people stayed at the organizations Johnson Street shelter. During warmer weather, he said, the facilities usually close for cleaning at some point each day. But with the deadly cold outside, Were not asking that anyone leave the building at this time. Information on the Poverello Center, located at 1110 W. Broadway, is available at 406-728-1809. Information on the Johnson Street shelter, located at 1919 North Avenue West, is available at 406-529-4185. And the Homeless Outreach Team, which provides assistance to people who decline to enter a shelter, can be reached at 406-728-7955. Redinger said that the outreach team was checking on people outside in Missoula on Friday and distributing supplies to help people endure the cold. The team had been tracking the incoming arctic air, he said, and was prepared for it. But the team can always use more supplies to distribute. On Thursday the Poverello Center released a plea to the community to make sure our unhoused neighbors are warm and nourished through this cold snap. Both the primary Poverello shelter and the Johnson Street facility are accepting donated blankets, coats, hand warmers, canned food, coffee and non-perishable snacks. The Poverello also maintains an online Amazon wish-list of items that people can order for delivery to the shelters. The Butte Rescue Mission, 610 E. Platinum St. in Butte, will be open 24/7 until further notice. They can be reached at 406-782-0925. "Please, if you are seeking shelter come warm up, have a meal, or stay awhile," the Rescue Mission wrote in a Facebook post Friday morning. In Kalispell, the Flathead Warming Shelter at 889 North Meridian was planning to operate day and night through the cold weather. The shelter can be reached at 406-885-3042. The Samaritan House, at 124 9th Ave. West, added additional space for people seeking refuge from the cold. More information is available at 406-257-5801. In Great Falls, the Great Falls Rescue Mission is open all day during the cold weather. The mens shelter can be reached at 406-761-0095; the womens shelter at 406-452-1483; and the Cameron Family Center at 406-761-2145. The facility is located at 408 2nd Avenue South. HRDCs Warming Center in Bozeman issued whats called a code blue, meaning that the shelter will be open 24/7 and those who have been prohibited from staying at the shelter due to behavior issues will also be allowed to return. The emergency status will run from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Monday. Information is available at 406-556-1123. A code blue is used when the high for the day is forecast to be in the single digits or lower. Having to issue a code blue is not new the shelter had to make the declaration multiple times last winter season. This is always a very necessary, but costly action to take, HRDC housing director Brian Guyer said in a statement. While our Bozeman and Livingston overnight shelters are not currently funded to be open during daytime hours, we are extremely concerned about our guests safety. We can use all the support our community can provide to help keep our doors open around the clock for anyone seeking a warm, safe place to stay. Getting people out of the elements is our top concern. Bozemans emergency shelter is constantly fundraising in an attempt to keep its doors open as much as they can. The facility can house 120 people and it has already surpassed 100 guests this season even in more favorable temperatures. The rate of homelessness Bozeman has been dramatically rising over the last couple years. According to the 2023 annual point in time count which measures how many people are unhoused on a single night the number of people experiencing homelessness in Bozeman and Livingston rose 41% from the year prior. Before that, the rate of homelessness in Bozeman increased by 35% from 2019 to 2021. Bozemans Warming Center is located at 2015 Wheat Drive. Children and families are also welcome to stay. Billings has two primary shelters serving different communities. The Montana Rescue Mission downtown is a private, Christian shelter thats operated for more than 70 years and focuses on providing shelter, training and services for those looking to get off the street, tackle addiction and find work. The shelter is located at 2822 Minnesota Ave.; more information is available at (406) 259-6079. The Community Crisis Center, at 704 North 30th St., offers one-time overnight services. The facility provides immediate crisis care and connects individuals with a case worker and services within a 24-hour stay. Information is available at (406) 259-8800. Infrastructure On Friday, Missoula Water Superintendent Mike Henehan said he wasnt aware of any issues with public water infrastructure due to cold temps, but that piping in homes and buildings was more susceptible to freezing and bursting. Problems usually arise in homes with inadequate exterior insulation, with remodeled basements that inadvertently insulate pipes from receiving interior heat, or in mobile homes with non-functioning heat tape underneath. Leaving faucets on at a trickle can prevent pipes from freezing by keeping water moving, but it also wastes water. Running water is generally advised only in homes with known pipe-freezing problems. Normally, opening cabinets and heating basements to make sure indoor heat reaches pipes is usually enough. Frigid forecasts In Missoula, the National Weather Service on Friday predicted an overnight low of -20 degrees with a wind chill of -31 degrees into Saturday. The agency forecast a high of -1 degree Saturday with a wind chill of -33 degrees. That was followed by -22 degrees with a wind chill of -32 degrees overnight into Sunday. But Sunday could be 5 degrees above zero with calm winds, then -18 degrees overnight to Monday, which was predicted to hit 7 degrees during the day before dropping to -7 degrees overnight. Kalispell was forecast to be-32 degrees Friday night with a wind chill of -43 degrees. Although the high there Saturday was predicted to be -9 degrees, the wind chill during the day was forecast to still be -43 degrees. Saturday night was predicted to see -22 degrees with a -31-degree wind chill, then 1 degree Sunday with a -19-degree low overnight into Mondays high of 1 degree. Helena was forecast to hit -37 degrees Friday night with a -45-degree wind chill. Saturday was predicted to be -10 degrees with a -35-degree wind chill, before dropping overnight to a low of -24 degrees. Sunday was forecast to hit -3 degrees, then -23 degrees overnight into Monday and a high of 2 degrees Monday. Butte was forecast to drop down to -32 degrees Friday night with calm winds, then a high of zero degrees Saturday with a wind chill of -30 degrees. Saturday night into Sunday was predicted to plunge to -34 degrees with a wind chill at -43 degrees, before Sundays high of 8 degrees. Sunday night could hit -23 degrees before a predicted high of 7 degrees Monday. Bozeman was predicted to hit -31 degrees with a -40-degree wind chill overnight from Friday to Saturday, then a high of -8 degrees with a wind chill of -40 degrees Saturday. Saturday night Bozemans low was predicted to hit -20 degrees with a wind chill of -30 degrees, before a high of -2 degrees Sunday. Then its a predicted overnight low of -20 degrees and a high of 1 degree Monday. Great Falls was predicted to be even colder, with a forecast -39 degrees Friday night and a wind chill at -50 degrees. Saturdays high was predicted to be -10 degrees with a -50-degree wind chill, before dropping to -32 degrees with a -40-degree wind chill overnight into Sunday. Sundays high was a predicted -11 degrees, then -28 degrees overnight and a high of 6 degrees Monday. Billings was forecast to hit -25 degrees with a -40-degree wind chill Friday night, then a high Saturday of -11 degrees with a -40-degree wind chill. Similarly, Saturday night was forecast to be -26 degrees with a -40-degree wind chill. Sunday could hit -5 degrees, while that night was forecast to hit -19 degrees before rising to a high of 4 degrees Monday. Victoria Eavis and Rob Rogers contributed to this story. A COMMUNITY activist has called on Cork City Council to take the lead and open up Corks first designated dog park. William OBrien, who plans on running as an Independent candidate for the citys South Central ward in this years local elections, has lent his support to an ongoing campaign to establish a public area within the city bounds where dog walkers could leave their dogs off the lead. Such spaces are already in existence in other counties in Ireland and are commonplace in some big cities abroad. I meet dog owners on a regular basis and its public knowledge that Cork dog owners have been campaigning for several years for designated recreational spaces for their pets, that are companions and a major part of ones life and family, Mr OBrien told The Echo. There have been talks in city council meetings as far back as 2014 for appropriate dog park locations. Mr OBrien credited one campaigner in particular, Mairead Casey, who in 2021 joined fellow dog owners in the Cork city area to set up an online petition to highlight the need for an area for dogs. Speaking to this publication at the time, Ms Casey said during the lockdown period, the need for such a park had become even more obvious. Especially during the pandemic, we have realised that we dont really have anywhere to take the dogs where we can just let them run, she said. What were hoping for is areas that have a fence and a gate where we can go in, leave the dogs off to run around and play with each other. That petition garnered extensive support, gathering close to 2,000 signatures. Commenting this week, Mr OBrien said he believes it is time Cork City Council invested in creating such an area. There is clearly a canine-human need for pleasure and well-being in the community and studies tell us theres a growing recognition and respect for dogs social, emotional and physical needs which can be met in designated safe dog parks where owners can let their dogs off lead, to play and be dogs, Mr OBrien said. A spokesperson for Cork City Council said while a draft plan has been created for a designated dog park in Cork city, the funding is currently not available for such an amenity to be developed. Following discussions with other local authorities, a draft plan was developed for the creation of a dog park. This would require a large area, (most Cork parks are much smaller than Dublin parks where dog parks have been provided) allowing for the segregation of small and larger dogs. The Regional Park was identified as a possible site, but the cost of provision was close to 100k, with no available budget to bring it to fruition, the spokesperson said. Should the required funding be provided going forward, this project will be progressed. A 23-YEAR-OLD Spanish student who was the victim of a violent attack when he walked home through the city has returned to Spain and reflected: I could have died there. The young mans victim impact evidence was read out by Judge Mary Dorgan at Cork District Court when a 44-year-old woman pleaded guilty to her part in the crime committing robbery by going through the students backpack as two of her accomplices attacked him. The student, who no longer lives in Cork and has returned to his family home in Spain, said in his victim impact statement: The main impact of that crime on me was the feeling of insecurity that I felt during the next two months that I had to be living in Cork and how my level of awareness increased when I had to come back home. The physical impact of the crime can be healed with time, but the psychological part still makes me wonder why me? Or what they really wanted from me. I have been going to a psychologist since returning to Spain, just to sleep better and talk to someone about the crime. Im a very shy and introverted guy, so I didnt tell my family about the incident. I didnt want to worry them more they already have their own problems. It was the first time in my life that I felt like I could have died there with a bad hit or kick in the head. Sentencing Others involved in the attack have previously been sentenced. Linda Gilhooley, aged 44, of Loretto Park, Ballyphehane, now faces sentencing on the robbery charge for her part in the crime. Judge Mary Dorgan adjourned sentencing until March 7 for a report from Arbour House. Detective Sergeant Colin Greenway said the 24-year-old Spanish student was walking home from a friends house shortly after 4am on Saturday morning, March 25, 2023. He was walking from Cork city centre to his home on Magazine Rd. On Bandon Rd, he was approached by three men and a woman. One man ran past him and turned to get into conversation with him. Another man came up behind him and punched him in the side of the head, causing him to fall. He was then kicked in the head by the first man. He lost his phone during the assault and one of the men picked it up. A woman was then seen going through the injured partys backpack. Judge Dorgan was told that this was Linda Gilhooley and that she was looking for alcohol. She was not otherwise involved in any physical manner with the victim, Sgt Pat Lyons was told. The entire incident lasted two minutes and 17 seconds and took place near Lennoxs chip shop on Bandon Rd. Looking for alcohol The Spanish student eventually managed to run away and was later taken to hospital by ambulance and was treated for injuries which included bruising to his neck and face, cut lips, and black eye. Solicitor for Ms Gilhooley, Eddie Burke, said that at no stage did she take the injured partys phone and that her participation was limited to looking through his bag. He said she had been drinking at home earlier that night, met up with others before this incident occurred, and was looking for alcohol in the backpack. Mr Burke said she had been addressing her alcohol issues in the period since this occurred in March last year. REPRESENTATIVES from Uisce Eireann are to attend a meeting of Cork City Councils Environment, Water & Amenity Strategic Policy Committee next week amid the ongoing issues around discoloured water impacting people in parts of the city. The matter was raised at a meeting of Cork City Council this week where the company was criticised by councillors for discolouration issues which have been impacting parts of the citys domestic water supply since 2022. Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan, who tabled a motion calling for Uisce Eireanns abolition, spoke to The Echo about representations made to him on the matter. 'Bathing in blood' These included complaints from a mother whose baby it was initially thought had been bathing in blood. There have been dozen of contacts about dirty water but the one with the baby was the most serious one, he said. I got the call from the womans neighbour which led to me visiting the house of the woman and her baby. The shower had been running clean, but then turned a filthy red. She initially thought it was blood, so she almost collapsed, as you can imagine. It was a very frightening experience for her. The baby developed a rash after coming out of the water so she took them straight to her GP. They said the rash had developed from contact with a toxic substance and she was given an ointment for the baby. He stressed that the seriousness of the issue cannot be played down. There are people in the city who cant drink water from their taps, he said. At Monday nights meeting of Cork City Council, councillors voted 13 to nine in support of the motion. Water services 'not meeting standards expected' Responding to the concerns, Uisce Eireann said in a statement: We acknowledge that the water services in Cork City are not meeting the standards that customers rightly expect, especially in light of the significant Uisce Eireann investment in the water infrastructure in Cork city over the last number of years. We remain committed to carrying out all necessary works to reduce instances of discolouration in the city. As a result of the works carried out to date, there continues to be a downward trend in reported cases. In the short term, Uisce Eireann continues with works to proactively flush the network in targeted areas across Cork city where reports of discolouration have been received. Areas are prioritised based on customer feedback and reports received by our customer care team. This involves isolating small sections of the network and flushing them of any dislodged sediment. The spokesperson said that freezing temperatures may be contributing to certain issues, and also limits the flushing that can be carried out due to the risk posed by icy roads and footpaths from flushed water. Commitment to solving issue The spokesperson reiterated Uisce Eireanns commitment to solving the issue, stating: Water services, engineers and drinking water compliance specialists continue to closely monitor reservoirs and the water network that supply the city. We have made operational adjustments to pumping and water storage levels to reduce discolouration. Reservoir cleaning was carried out in November and there was a subsequent improvement in water quality. Any adjustment made to the water treatment process is standard, and is the same as is done throughout the world. The company said that testing and analysis of the water remain ongoing. The results of these ongoing tests are shared with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Health Service Executive, and we continue to engage regularly with both agencies in relation to this issue, said the spokesperson. It is important to note that many of these issues are a result of the age of Cork Citys water infrastructure. There are approximately 600km of water mains in Cork city, 50% to 60% of which are made from cast iron and approximately 100 years old, dating back to the 1920s. Due to the age and deteriorating condition of the pipes, they are prone to bursts and leakage. In old cast-iron mains, sediment can become dislodged during repair or upgrade works and can occasionally be carried through to customers taps, leading to the water to appear brown or orange. The spokesperson added: Uisce Eireann representatives will be attending Cork City Councils environment, water & amenity strategic policy committee next week to update the committee on the works underway. Customers experiencing water quality issues are encouraged to contact the Uisce Eireann Customer Care helpline on 1800 278 278 or via X (formerly Twitter) @IWCare, so the issue can be logged and investigated. I WISH all my readers a belated happy new year and a thank you to all of those who took the time to shop and support their local areas for Christmas 2023. When you buy local, you are reinvesting in your local community and the families behind each business. Moving on to 2024, I want to encourage you all to take care during these icy conditions. Please ensure your tyres are roadworthy and make sure all indicators and headlamps are clean and working. Further information can be found at www.rsa.ie. Funding scheme With the new year brings new opportunities. There are several funding opportunities recently made available that I want to draw your attention to. These are the Community Fund Scheme, the Creative Communities Projects, and the Local Festival Fund. All these funds are currently now live on the CorkCoCo.ie website, and applications can be made for them. Starting with the Community Fund Scheme, the council has recently announced funding to the value of over 1.8m to support local communities in 2024. This is the councils 10th year providing the Community Fund Scheme which has helped deliver many valuable community initiatives across Cork county every year. Communities have shown immense pride in their local areas with some excellent projects undertaken through this scheme. I encourage community groups to apply for this years scheme to make a difference to your local area. A total of 85,000 is available through the Local Festival Fund for 2024, and applicants can apply for funding up to a maximum of 6,000 per festival. Funding is provided by Failte Ireland, at 50%, with Cork County Council providing the additional 50% match funding. Cork County Local Festival Fund 2024 will support some of Corks most exciting and unique festivals in 2024. Festivals have huge positive impacts on our towns and villages. Not only do they promote cultural heritage and foster community pride, they are also a huge boost to the economy. As well as bringing local communities together, local festivals can attract thousands of visitors to Cork county to experience our rich culture, deep-rooted traditions, and vibrant community spirit. Finally, Cork County Councils Creative Communities Programme Fund 2024 is now open for applications which focus on new and ambitious projects that establish cultural and creative activities with communities across Cork county. This year, for the first time, funds will be available for projects of one-, two-, or three-year duration. There will be a maximum award of 10,000 for a one-year project, 20,000 for a two-year project, or 30,000 for a three-year project, with a minimum award of 2,000, 4,000, and 6,000, respectively. Applications are open until February 23, 2024. Please visit CorkCoCo.ie to learn more about and apply for this opportunity as well as the Local Festival Fund and The Community Fund Scheme. Congratulations to Mallow On another note, I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mallow town on the commendable feat of securing the remarkable position of second place in the recent national Irish Business Against Litter survey. This accolade is a testament to the collective efforts of the community in maintaining cleanliness standards that surpass European norms. Out of 40 towns and cities surveyed, Mallows outstanding dedication to cleanliness has propelled it to its best-ever position in the Irish Business Against Litter rankings. These results are particularly noteworthy, with seven top-ranking sites highlighting the towns commitment to environmental excellence. Among the noteworthy locations contributing to Mallows success are the picturesque Tipp ONeill Park, the meticulously maintained Spa House, the enchanting River Walk, and the thoughtfully presented car park at the muddy hill. These sites exemplify Mallows commitment to cleanliness and environmental stewardship. I must extend a special mention to the communitys dedication, including business owners, Mallow Tidy Towns, Cork County Council, and all the citizens and visitors to the town who actively contribute to preserving the towns beauty. A 43-YEAR-OLD man accused of carrying out a robbery at a betting office in Togher faces the possibility of a trial by judge and jury. Sergeant Pat Lyons said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that the case proceed by indictment, but that a signed plea of guilty could be entered at Cork District Court, and if that happened, sentencing would proceed at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. John Paul Thornton, of Blackwater Grove and of St Vincents hostel, Anglesea Terrace, Cork, is accused of carrying out a robbery at Ladbrokes on Pearse Road, Cork. Garda Patrick Connery charged him with robbery of 500 on September 2. Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer applied for a precis of the evidence in order to consider the possibility of a signed plea of guilty being entered. Judge Mary Dorgan adjourned the case until January 18 at Cork District Court. LAST Saturday night, these three Cork city women did something they have done every January 6 for 40 years. Catherine Scannell, Josephine Reidy, and Rose Kelleher met up to celebrate that most Cork of festive traditions - Womens Little Christmas. The ladies, who all met while working at Dunlop in Cork city in the 1960s, laughed, chatted, and celebrated their enduring friendship at the Briar Rose in Ballinlough. Their night out is an annual tradition that began way back in 1984 - and the trio are proud to have kept their bond alive for so long, and to be retaining one of the great Yuletide customs on Leeside. Womens Little Christmas, or Nollaig na mBan, takes place on the Feast of the Epiphany - religiously, it is the day when the Three Kings brought their gifts to the baby Jesus. In some cultures on the continent, it is the day when gifts are exchanged between family and friends, rather than on December 24 and 25 here in Ireland - which makes sense, when you think about it. How and when Womens Little Christmas started out has been lost in the mists of time, but it is still popular in pockets of the country. As its name suggests, it is an annual chance for the females of the species to get together with their fellow women, and enjoy their own day of celebration, while the menfolk stay at home and handle all the chores (for once). The tradition is particularly strong in Cork, as I can attest. Last Saturday night, I was the designated driver for my wifes night out for Nollaig na mBan, and when I arrived in the pub just before midnight to collect her, I was met by catcalls and demands for me to get out of the premises! I resisted the temptation to ask them when Mens Little Christmas was taking place - partly because I value my life, and partly because it would inevitably be met with the rejoinder Thats every day! The only male around in the pub was the landlord - who had a a smile as wide as his over-worked cash register. As an added bonus, the gents loos in pubs across Cork must have been mercifully clean last Sunday morning, while I imagine it was a quiet enough shift for An Garda Siochana too! But back to the three ladies - Catherine Scannell, who lives in Ballinlough, and Josephine Reidy and Rose Kelleher, who live in Douglas. Rose says their annual Christmas outing has its roots in the distant past. The strong tradition in Cork has been passed on from each generation. My own mother used to brave the elements and have a glass of sherry for the occasion, she said. I have a WhatsApp group of five of my school friends, and first thing last Saturday morning, messages were flying wishing everyone a happy Nollaig na mBan. There were also several groups of women enjoying the night out in the Briar Rose when we were out. Rose met Catherine more than 60 years ago, in 1963, and says: We met Josephine in 1968 when we started working in Dunlop. Catherine and Josephine worked in the Wages Department and Rose in the Technical Department. We three became good friends and started going out together every Womens Little Christmas 40 years ago, in 1984, said Rose. Some of the ladies at the sell-out Women's Little Christmas lunch at the Maryborough Hotel & Spa in aid of the Cork Simon Community last week. Picture: Brian Lougheed For many years, we used to have a meal in Clouds restaurant on that night. During the early years, most restaurants would be packed with women all celebrating Womens Little Christmas. Other restaurants to which we went include the Elm Tree, Blackrock Castle, The Silver Quay, Strasbourg Goose and Johnos in Douglas. This year, the Briar Rose was the lucky one. Rose gives an insight into why the day is so special, and retains its appeal among women. The three of us were very busy when we were young and didnt meet over the Christmas period, so we treated Womens Little Christmas as a platform to grumble about our problems and how overworked we were during Christmas! Dunlop employed 1,800 at the Marina at its peak, and the closure of the factory on September 30, 1983, was a massive economic blow. However, by then, Rose and her two close friends had left the factory. In the 1970s, most women left the workforce when they got married, said Rose. Isnt that crazy? But its true, so we were out of the workforce then, rearing the children. But we were very sad when we heard the news of Dunlops closure, we thought of all the good times and the Christmas dos and all the wonderful characters with whom we had worked. Last September, as revealed on this page, the 40th anniversary of the closure of Dunlop was marked by a mass for former staff at St Michaels Church in Blackrock. Catherine, Josephine and I were present of course, said Rose. The event was a great success and we had lots of laughs and stories when we met outside the church later. The arrival of Covid-19 four years ago briefly put an end to Rose and her friends annual Christmas get-togethers, but they kept in touch. We could not meet physically, so every Wednesday we took turns at ringing the group in WhatsApp. We found it a very difficult time, said Rose. When we were allowed to mix again post-Covid, we started to meet every Monday at 10.30am for tea and home-made scones. Naturally, these three busy women have lots to discuss over their meals in the first week of January each year. We started meeting all those years ago when we were newly- married girls. We have had children and grandchildren and many interesting events. We still get excited about meeting and telling each other our latest news, said Rose. The fact Womens Little Christmas fell on a Saturday this year helped boost the numbers who celebrated it, and the event appears to be in safe hands going into the future. The next generation after Rose, Catherine, and Josephine are embracing it. Rose said: I asked my two daughters what is their memory of my celebrating Womens Little Christmas, and they said their abiding memory is me dressing up and rushing out to meet Catherine and Josephine! Will the tradition continue? Yes, I believe it will. One of my daughters was working on Saturday night, but only for that she would have gone out with her sister and friends to celebrate the night. Both Catherines and Josephines daughters were out celebrating the important date too. Ken Foxe A 150 million bypass project fast-tracked so that it would be ready ahead of the Ryder Cup in Adare, Co Limerick may not be finished in time for tournament. In internal documents, the Department of Transport was warned that time was running out for the 7km road to be finished by the time the event takes place in September 2027. A letter from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said there was no way the entire bypass scheme could be finished in time for the 2027 Ryder Cup. However, TII chief executive Peter Walsh said there was a narrow window to partially complete it to help divert traffic from Adare. His letter said: This is an ambitious target given the time remaining, and the work required, however not impossible if early approval to proceed is given, funding provided and resources provided. Mr Walsh said all state agencies working together would be essential if there was any hope of getting the partial bypass built before 2027. He also warned that risks could materialise during the planning and construction phase which would undermine delivery of the scheme before the Ryder Cup started. Traffic management plan Mr Walsh said the alternative was to put in place an enormous traffic management plan that would have to deal with an extra 17,000 vehicles passing through the town each day of the tournament. A department submission for Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan detailed the importance of the bypass scheme, stating Adare was dogged by poor air quality, lengthy journey times, and damage to its tourism prospects. It said having the full road in place prior to the Ryder Cup was unrealistic, but that a partial scheme could be built in time if it was approved. The submission said: Transport Infrastructure Ireland believes that while ambitious, it is possible to deliver this if early approval to proceed is given, and funding and resources are provided. Mr Ryan was also told that if this first part of the project went ahead, the rest of it would also ultimately need to be built to align with the planning approvals [already] in place. The submission said more than a dozen State agencies would need to work in concert to deliver on the plan, including four government departments, the local authority, and the OPW. Costs On funding the scheme, which has since been given an allocation of 150 million, officials said it would be difficult to give an accurate estimate. Parts of the submission covering costs were redacted in files released under a Freedom of Information requst, but did say land acquisition would be required and that there were significant constraints on the budget for new roads in 2024 and 2025. It said, if approved, both the department and TII would closely monitor the project to try and ensure it was completed before the Ryder Cup. Asked about the records, the department said the road project would help remove traffic from Adare and alleviate a major bottleneck on the national road network. In addition, this decision creates the possibility of delivering the bypass ahead of the Ryder Cup, which will be held at Adare Manor in September 2027. If delivered before the Ryder Cup, the bypass could assist traffic management during this busy period. It is important to point out that there are risks which may materialise during construction which could slow delivery. Fears over restaurants closing and the Goverment's immigration policy is among the headlines in Saturday's papers. The Irish Times leads with a report that shows demand will squeeze Irish electricity supplies into the next decade, and may lead the State to fall back on older fossil-burning power plants. The Irish Examiner leads with 500 restaurants are reportedly under threat from 'out of control' costs. The Echo also leads with restaurant closures, as Nash 19 in Cork is set to close its doors. The Irish Daily Mail reveals in a survey that half of the public do not approve of the Government's handling of immigration. The Irish Daily Mirror leads with tributes paid to Ashling Murphy on the second anniversary of her death. The Irish Daily Star leads with the man accused of murdering Tristan Sherry on Christmas Eve. The Yemen air strikes continue to dominate headlines on Saturday, alongside stories about the late Queen and the Post Office scandal. The Times and The Independent splash with similar leads that both tell of Houthis on the warpath in the wake of UK-US air strikes against rebels in Yemen. The Daily Express runs with a domestic take on what must be done to protect Britons in the wake of the conflict. The i weekend tells of Lord David Camerons role in the air strikes against Houthi rebels in the Middle East, highlighting that the action comes only two months after his surprise return to Cabinet to act as Foreign Secretary. Introducing #TomorrowsPapersToday from:#i Cameron played key role in bombing of Yemen rebels For a comprehensive collection of newspapers, explore: https://t.co/NNc1XQqHEw Don't forget to support journalism #buyanewspaper or #buyapaper for the latest updates! pic.twitter.com/4fhsSDuuC2 The Press Room #TomorrowsPapersToday (@channel_tsc) January 12, 2024 The Daily Mirror also leads with a piece on the Red Sea conflict from the British perspective, tallying up the cost for Britons at home due to military action abroad. The Daily Telegraph runs with the Defence Secretarys caution to Iran, as British patience is running out with the Tehran-backed Houthi thugs and their attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. TELEGRAPH: Shapps warns Iran: Patience is running out #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/l4xK3VSHlR Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 12, 2024 The Daily Mail and The Sun lead with pieces on the late Queen, with official documents made public shining a light on what her final moments were like. On tomorrow's front page: Queen Elizabeth's final moments were painless, historic memo revealshttps://t.co/6rqSAi89QE pic.twitter.com/J3vw5r8fvn The Sun (@TheSun) January 12, 2024 The Financial Times splashes with a front on the postmasters scandal, reporting tax breaks were claimed on victim compensation payments, perhaps unlawfully, which may now put the British Post Office at serious financial risk. Last but not least, the Daily Star focuses its front on something completely different for its Saturday lead: mummified alien babies. 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. The Milky Way over Brecon Beacons, a village approximately 40 miles southwest of Presteigne and Norton in Wales, UK, on Aug. 15, 2017. grahamvphoto / Flickr Presteigne and Norton, a town and neighboring village in the Welsh county of Powys, have been announced as Wales first dark sky community by DarkSky International. Lights will be dimmed or turned off earlier in order to lower light pollution in the area, allowing residents to get a clearer view of the night sky, reported BBC News. The Community has worked tenaciously over the last six years to highlight the benefits of becoming a dark sky community, said Leigh-Harling Bowen, leader of the Presteigne & Norton Dark Skies Community, a press release from DarkSky International said. These benefits include an investment in the use of efficient, low-energy dark skies streetlights that have reduced our impact on the environment. This change has resulted in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, along with a beneficial effect on wildlife, especially night-flying insects, birds, and bats. The consequential reduction in light pollution has also enabled us to see the glory of the night sky clearly, a legacy that our children and grandchildren will continue to enjoy. Powys is the largest county in Wales, and the dark sky area covers about 15 square miles. Presteigne and Norton have a total population of 2,700. Lighting tests were conducted to make sure the towns were in compliance with Dark Sky Community requirements, and feedback from residents was taken during the project. The areas 380 lighting columns were refitted with 2200K LED lights. After midnight, 40 percent were programmed to turn off, with the remainder set to switch to half their intensity. This not only lowers the brightness of the lights, but extends their longevity while reducing energy usage. [W]e are making sure that lights dont adversely affect bat routes or otter feeding areas and specifically use a colour temperature of 2200K for our lanterns so they are nature-friendly and dark sky compliant, said Cllr Jackie Charlton, Powys County Council cabinet member for a greener Powys, in the press release. The dark sky project has lowered the yearly carbon emissions of the area by nearly five tons. The approach taken to retrofit lighting using adaptive technology is unique among Dark Sky Places and will serve as an excellent example of how communities can use lighting technology to improve safety and energy efficiency. This work signals an important shift in community-level lighting design, showing that being dark sky-friendly doesnt mean turning out the lights, said Amber Harrison, program manager of Dark Sky Places, in the press release. Because of the projects success, authorities are considering similar plans across Wales. We are delighted by the outcome of Presteignes and Nortons application to Dark Sky International to become a Dark Sky Community! Without the dedicated and coordinated support of both Presteigne and Norton Town Council and Powys County Council, it would never have happened, Bowen said. Jay Tate, an observatory worker at the nearby Spaceguard Centre, said not everyone was sure about the project at first. There was a certain amount of resistance at the beginning because its new there was a bit of concern about whether it was safe, Tate said, as BBC News reported. People thought wed just switch the lights off, but once the situations explained everybodys more than happy. Part of what Tate does is scan the night sky for comets and asteroids, and he said the new changes have made his job much easier. Presteigne and Norton have plans to improve private, festive and industrial lighting, as well as organize community events so everyone can enjoy the dark skies and their wonders even more, DarkSky International said. Charlton expressed hope that the benefits of dark skies would be implemented by other local communities. For the layperson, for anyone walking in the community, you probably dont actually notice the difference, said Mayor of Presteigne and Norton Beverley Baynham, as reported by BBC News. Its just lit in a more intelligent way so theres no concerns, no worries about safety. Its better for the light pollution, its better for the environment, but its also better for our community. Calling a Wyoming landowners lawsuit unlawful and unjust in an attempt to prosecute four hunters who crossed onto public land where the corners meeting, four environmental and conservation groups filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on Friday. The groups include Great Old Broads for Wilderness, GreenLatinos, Sierra Club and Western Watersheds Project. The brief is the latest in a string of actions related to the lawsuit filed by Fred Eshelman and his appeal of an April decision by U.S. Chief District Judge Scott Skavdahl. Skavdahl ruled that four Missouri hunters did not trespass when they crossed in 2020 and 2021 from Bureau of Land Management property at the corners where the public lands meet. The men used a ladder to step from one corner to the other at a survey marker. The groups are the latest to step into the hotly contested lawsuit Iron Bar Holdings, LLC v Bradly Cape, et al that could affect access to 8.3 million acres of public land in the West. In November, the United Property Owners of Montana filed an amicus brief with the court in favor of Eshelmans arguments. Taking the opposite side of the argument is Thomas Delehanty, an attorney for Earthjustice. Delehanty wrote in his brief, "Iron Bars lawsuit aims to exclude the public from public land near Elk Mountain so that its multi-millionaire owner can have it for himself. This maneuver is part of a broader pattern across the West of private landowners attempting to control public land access via threats, force, and other unlawful methods. Eshelmans ranch contains 6,000 acres of public land. In 2022, a jury found the hunters not guilty of criminal trespass, WyoFile reported. Eshelman, a North Carolina pharmaceutical magnate, then filed a civil suit against the four men which led to Skavdahls ruling last May. A holding for Iron Bar would proclaim that private property rights to a few inches of airspace trump even the most reasonable way of passage to millions of acres of public land owned by all, Delehanty argued. Although the issue of corner crossing has largely resonated with hunters, the filing demonstrates other nonconsumptive public lands users are also concerned about the outcome of the court case. The public not just hunters but everyone should have the same right of reasonable access to their lands as private landowners have, said Erik Molvar, executive director with Western Watersheds Project, in a press release. Sara Husby, executive director of Great Old Broads for Wilderness, said a finding in favor of Eshelman would amount to the de facto privatization of public land that is rightfully held in trust for the benefit of all Americans. The groups brief can be read online at: https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/public-land-amici-brief-in-supp.-def-appellees-1.12.24.pdf. The fourth annual Mid-Winter Powwow on Sunday at the University of Mary in Bismarck will kick off the school's weeklong Life & Dignity Week. The powwow is a partnership of U-Mary and United Tribes Technical College. Highlights include a Mass, two grand entries and a buffalo feed. Last year's powwow created some online outrage because "no smudging" signs were placed indoors. Smudging is a ritual that involves the burning of sacred herbs to cleanse and purify a person or place. U-Mary Executive Vice President Jerome Richter told the Tribune that the signs aimed to prevent fire alarms from being set off and that "We have always been open to smudging." People wanting to participate in smudging this year should reach out to university staff before or during the event to be accommodated, Richter said. The Mass will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the McDowell Activity Center. It will honor Nicholas Black Elk -- regarded as a historically notable and influential Native American leader who died in 1950, according to U-Mary. The Diocese of Rapid City in 2016 officially opened his cause for canonization as a saint. Arena Director Rusty Gillette and Master of Ceremonies Whitney Rencountre will lead the first grand entrance at 1 p.m. in the Activity Center. There will be a buffalo feed from 5-7 p.m. in the Crow's Nest restaurant, followed by the second grand entry at the Activity Center at 7 p.m. Prizes for various categories of dance will be awarded. There is a $5 entry fee for people 5-65 years old who do not have a Bismarck State College, UTTC or U-Mary ID. The fee covers the meal. Week of events U-Mary's Life & Dignity Week is "a celebration of the gift of life and the inherent dignity of every human person," according to the university. Monday will feature a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with words from Danielle Brown, associate director of the ad hoc Committee Against Racism at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. A Christ in the City documentary will screen Tuesday. The Rev. Philip Bochanski will present a keynote speech on Wednesday titled A Radical Invitation: Identity, Love, and Vocation, followed by a panel discussion and breakout sessions. Roughly 160 university students will travel to Washington, D.C., for Friday's national March for Life event. There also will be an Hour of Prayer for Life observance at the U-Mary campus that day. More information about the powwow and the weeklong celebration is at umary.edu/powwow. The rise of the Zoram Peoples Movement earmarked a political change by ending the duopoly of the Mizo National Front and Congress in Mizoram. This rise needs to be understood within the long history of the Mizo public political agencyin terms of exercising their right to choose and an understanding of the vernacular politics that informs Mizo political culture. The emergence of the Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) has transformed the political landscape in Mizoram. The party has won a historic victory by winning 27 out of the 40 seats in the 2023 assembly elections in Mizoram. There are several reasons why the victory of ZPM is historic. One, the party is an agglomeration, if not a coalition, of parties such as the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), and the Mizoram Peoples Conference, among others. The party was formally registered in 2019 and entered into the electoral fray by contesting the Aizawl Municipal Council (AMC) elections. Second, elections in Mizoram remained a bipolar contest since the early years of independent India. Till the early 1970s, the Mizo Union (MU) was dominant, but with opposition parties such as the United Mizoram Freedom Organization (UMFO) and Mizo National Front (MNF). In the post-statehood era, the state was dominated by the MNF and the Congress, with the parties more or less engaging in a rotational cycle of two terms, 198898 by the Congress and 19982008 by the MNF and then again the Congress from 200818. With this trend in mind, the MNF hoped to retain another term, but the ZPM broke this old cycle. A more significant aspect is how the ZPM has taken over the political landscape, from winning eight seats in the 2018 elections to 27 seats in 2023, while the main ruling party, the MNF, ended up with only 10, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress settling for two and one seats, respectively. The rise of the ZPM can be attributed to multiple factors. For instance, in his interaction with the media, the MNF supremo Zoramthanga was quick to blame the anti-incumbency factor and the experience of COVID-19, which disrupted the normal lives of the people and Mizorams economy. This is despite the fact that major public and civil society organisations were more or less appreciative of the MNFs response to the political crisis engulfing Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the north-eastern state of Manipur, particularly the governments sympathetic response towards the displaced communities. Reflections on Assembly Elections in Telangana The recently concluded assembly elections in Telangana have resulted in a convincing victory for the Congress, which won 64 seats in a house of 119 members. The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) could win only 39 seats, down from 88 in the outgoing assembly. The shift is also evident in the vote share secured by the two parties: The Congress increased its vote share to 39% from 28%, while the BRS managed only 37%, down from 46%. It may thus be argued that the election results constitute a mandate for the Congress. How then do we interpret the mandate? A possible answer is that party systems in states are undergoing a transformation. Within states, party competition may be argued to have become increasingly polarised between national and regional parties, making alliances between the two more difficult. The political space available to regional parties for non-alignment with either of the national party-led coalitions is decreasing. In this context, the BRSs failed transition from a regionalist party, whose support and identity lay in the separate statehood movement, to a national party at the head of a non-aligned third front, is one of the main reasons for the partys defeat. It would be interesting to watch if the party would seek to return to its regionalist identity in the aftermath of this defeat.1 Is the Congresss victory in Telangana an outlier, or are there broader similarities in the partys approach to state elections compared with those in the four other states? Is Telangana an outlier to the trend of a consistent decline of state level leadership? While the two questions require a more systematic analysis, it may be noted here that the Congresss campaign in Telangana amounted to a near reinvention of the party made possible by an autonomous state party unit led by the state president Revanth Reddy. However, the unexpected defeat of the Bhupesh Bhagel-led government in Chhattisgarh and the continued factionalism and infighting in Rajasthan lead one to debate if the party leadership will continue with this strategy of decentralisation or be redrawn into managing state-level elections. With the crucial Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2024, there have been attempts to extrapolate trends from the assembly elections for clues. With the lone exception of Mizoram, the defeat of the BRS leads one to ask: What are the choices facing regional parties? How may the assembly results change the relationship between Congress and the regional parties within the opposition alliance? Some scholars argue that, in the longue dure, the Congresss turn to coalition politics since the 1990s, and especially under the presidentship of Sonia Gandhi in 2004 and 2009, eroded both the national character and the ideological ground of the party. A Congress revival, therefore, requires the party to compete on its own in 2024 (Kapila 2023). Ex post facto clearances of violations will only serve to weaken the regulatory regime. The stay order by the Supreme Court to temporarily suspend ex post facto (retrospective) environmental clearances is a welcome step. It raises hopes that the judiciary may finally permanently terminate a critical loophole in environmental law. In fact, retrospective clearances were the major lacunae that allowed violators to circumvent the regulations and cause substantial environmental damage in the last few decades. The issue of retrospective environmental clearance goes three decades back when the government first issued an environmental impact assessment (EIA) notification in January 1994. The notification under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 gave legal backing to the EIAs, which was earlier based on administrative action. EIA was thus the first legal instrument to grant green clearances after examining the expected impact of any new activity on the overall environment. The provisions related to the crime of hit-and-run in the new legal code known as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have sparked nationwide protests from transporters, truck drivers, and truck owners associations. Section 106(2) of the newly enacted BNS, which has sought to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), aims to deter hit-and-run incidents by imposing harsher penalties. According to the new law, drivers who cause serious accidents and flee the scene can face up to 10 years in jail or a fine of `7 lakh. Earlier, if the police identified someone who fled the scene of a traffic accident, they could be prosecuted under Section 304A of the IPC, which allowed for a maximum punishment of two years in prison. The union minister of home affairs informed Parliament that those who abandon the scene of the accident after causing a crash and leaving the victims to die will face harsher punishment under the new law. At the same time, those who report the incident to the police and help the injured to get medical attention can expect some leniency. The IPC did not make any distinction of this kind. The Israel-Hamas war reached a grim milestone of 100 days on Sunday, with more civilian deaths in Gaza, and relatives of dozens of hostages still awaiting their freedom. There were also casualties in the West Bank, and on the Israel-Lebanon border. The conflict, sparked by unprecedented attacks on Israel, has created a humanitarian catastrophe for the 2.4 million people in Hamas-ruled Gaza, the United Nations and aid groups warn, and reduced much of the coastal strip to rubble. The UN says roughly 85 percent of the territory's population have been displaced -- crowded into shelters and struggling to get food, water, fuel and medical care. "It's been 100 days and our situation is very bad," said Mohammad Kahil, displaced to Rafah, in southern Gaza near Egypt, from the territory's north. "There's no food, no water, no heating. We are dying from the cold." Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said diseases were spreading with "the clock ticking fast towards famine". Violence involving Iran-aligned groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria has surged since the war in Gaza began in early October. While a wider conflagration has so far been averted, fears increased following US and British strikes on scores of Yemeni rebel targets Friday. Undeterred, the Huthis have vowed more attacks in solidarity with Gaza against what they deem Israeli-linked Red Sea shipping. The Hamas government media office said Sunday that "more than 100 people were martyred in the attacks last night until 6:00 am in all areas of the Gaza Strip". Among those killed was Yazan al-Zwaidi, a video-journalist for Cairo-based Al Ghad television, "murdered by Israeli fire", the station said on X, formerly Twitter. - More civilians killed - At central Gaza's Al-Aqsa hospital, the bodies arrived piled on a donkey cart after Israeli strikes that Hisham Abu Suweh said killed one of his children. As civilians, Suweh said his family had thought they would be safe. "We're shocked by what happened," he said outside the emergency ward where his wife was being treated. "We were sitting peacefully when the missile hit us." Fewer than half of Gaza's hospitals are even partly functioning, the World Health Organization says. The war began when Gaza-based Hamas attacked on October 7, resulting in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Iran-backed Hamas is considered a "terrorist" group by the United States and the European Union. The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 132 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including at least 25 believed to have been killed. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 23,968 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry. On the Israel-Lebanon border, which has seen regular exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hamas ally Hezbollah, the Israeli army said it killed three gunmen who had crossed the frontier and "fired at the forces". The army said warplanes also hit Hezbollah positions after a missile strike on a house in an Israeli border community. The missile killed a woman and her son, local authorities said. - PM under pressure - "What has the enemy achieved in 100 days, other than killing?" asked Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a televised speech. Israel's military has said its forces have dismantled the Hamas command structure in Gaza's north. On Sunday the military said it had struck rocket launching pits in Gaza's north and hit targets across the strip, including the main southern city of Khan Yunis. Hamas's military wing reported clashes with Israeli forces in the city. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a government budget meeting on Sunday that additional security expenditures were needed. "We must conduct this war, and it will yet take many months," he said. Netanyahu is under intense domestic pressure to account for political and security failings surrounding the initial attack, and to bring the hostages home. He is also on trial for corruption charges, which he denies. - Hostages 'in tunnels, in basements' - On a cold and rainy Sunday in Tel Aviv, Israelis danced, sang and prayed at a series of events to mark the 100 days of captivity for the Gaza hostages. "I don't think we imagined a situation where we would be here on the 100th day," said Gili Dvash Yeshurun, who attended the commemoration. Israel's trade union federation, the Histadrut, said hundreds of thousands of workers joined a 100-minute strike. US President Joe Biden also acknowledged "a devastating and tragic milestone" for the hostages. "No one should have to endure even one day of what they have gone through, much less 100," he said, adding the United States would "never stop working to bring Americans home". Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, said many of the hostages are likely to have been killed recently. "The enemy's leadership and army bear full responsibility," he said in a televised statement. Hamas on Sunday also released video footage it claimed showed three hostages alive in its custody in Gaza. In the video, one woman and two men appear talking in Hebrew calling on the Israeli authorities to act for their return home. It was unclear when the footage was filmed. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant vowed earlier Sunday: "We will not let the world forget. We will not leave them behind." In the occupied West Bank, where violence has surged since early October, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians including two shot dead when their car broke through a checkpoint, sources on both sides said. Troops also detained two sisters of Saleh al-Aruri, Hamas's deputy leader killed in a strike in Beirut this month, Palestinian sources and the Israeli army said. A US defence official has said Israel carried out that strike, which stoked fears of a wider war. In Egypt, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the establishment of a Palestinian state and a ceasefire in Gaza. burs-jj/ Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te vowed Saturday to defend the self-ruled island from "intimidation" by China, after voters defied warnings from Beijing and swept him to election victory. Lai -- branded by Beijing as a threat to peace in the flashpoint region -- secured an unprecedented third consecutive term for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Saturday's poll after a raucous campaign in which he pitched himself as a defender of Taiwan's democratic way of life. Communist China claims democratic Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait, as its own and refuses to rule out using force to bring about "unification", even if conflict does not appear imminent. Beijing, which before the poll called Lai a "severe danger" and urged voters to shun him, said Saturday the result would not stop "the inevitable trend of China's reunification". In his victory speech, Lai said he would maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but pledged to defend the island from Chinese belligerence. "We are determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China," he told supporters. With votes from all polling stations counted, the Central Election Commission said Lai won 40.1 percent of votes, ahead of Hou Yu-ih of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) with 33.5 percent. The election was watched closely by both Beijing and Washington, Taiwan's main military partner, as the two superpowers tussle for influence in the strategically vital region. Lai thanked the Taiwanese people for "writing a new chapter in our democracy" by defying one-party-state China's threats and warnings. "We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy," he said, adding that he will also try to pursue exchanges with China. - 'Super, world-class happy' - Before Saturday's poll, authorities repeatedly warned of interference from China, pointing to paid trips to the mainland for voters and flagging disinformation that painted Lai in a negative light. After his win, Lai said the island had "successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election". The victory extends DPP's rule after eight years under outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, who had served the maximum two four-year terms. Supporters wearing the party's green colours celebrated at DPP headquarters. "We are very, super, world-class happy," said first-time voter Grace, 21, a student who gave only one name. "I am confident the new leaders will stick to Tsai's road and I hope they can safeguard Taiwan's democracy." - Unity plea - Conceding defeat, KMT's Hou, who had argued for warmer ties with China and accused the DPP of antagonising Beijing with its stance that Taiwan is "already independent", urged the country to unite. "When the people have made their decision, we face them and we listen to the voices of the people," he told supporters. Ko Wen-je -- who took 26.5 percent of the vote with an anti-establishment offer of a "third way" -- said the results put his Taiwan People's Party (TPP) on the map as a "key opposition force". During the campaign, the KMT and TPP tried to strike a deal to join forces against the DPP, but the partnership collapsed in acrimony over who would lead the presidential ticket. Despite his win, Lai faces a headache already -- in legislative elections held alongside the presidential ballot, the DPP lost its majority in parliament. According to Taiwan's Central Election Commission, KMT took 52 seats, with DPP on 51, TPP eight and two independents. - Chinese threats - Located on a key maritime gateway linking the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan is home to a powerhouse semiconductor industry producing precious microchips -- the lifeblood of the global economy, powering everything from smartphones and cars to missiles. Many countries engage with Taiwan through unofficial or nongovernmental channels, though without recognising it diplomatically -- instead recognising only China, in line with Beijing's "one-China" policy. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his election and hailed Taiwan's "robust democratic system," while President Joe Biden said that "we do not support independence." Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa praised Lai's victory while vowing to deepen Tokyo's nongovernmental cooperation with Taiwan. Calling for the "two sides of the Taiwan Strait" to "resolve differences peacefully", British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also congratulated Lai. The European Union's foreign policy chief praised Taiwan on the election in a statement which did not mention Lai's victory. China has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, periodically stoking worries about a potential invasion. The Chinese military said the night before the polls that it would "take all necessary measures to firmly crush 'Taiwan independence' attempts of all forms". burs-dhc/pdw/nro/md An electric service rates case before federal regulators could spell the end for a number of coal units operated by one of North Dakota's largest electric cooperatives. State regulators at the Public Service Commission are intervening in the case to try to thwart that possibility. Bismarck-based Basin Electric Power Cooperative faces three challenges to its rates request before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. What caught the eyes of state regulators in November were filings by representatives from the Sierra Club, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization, which argue that reimbursements for operations and upgrades at some of Basin's coal-fired power plants should not be allowed in its rates. In FERC filings, Basin has argued that not being allowed to collect reimbursements for the units could cause the co-op to default on some contracts -- lowering its credit rating -- and that closures, or changes to the operations, of the coal plants could hinder electric reliability in the area. The state PSC does not regulate power cooperatives' rates, but in its intervention in the case, commissioners share Basin's view that closure of coal units in the region could harm reliability for the utilities they do regulate. The intervention was accepted by FERC in December. The commission has hired John Shepherd, an attorney with Washington, D.C.-based Hunton Andrews Kurth, to provide legal services for the case. PSC attorney John Schuh told the Tribune that outside counsel is necessary due to the specialized and intensive nature of FERC proceedings. The 2023 Legislature allocated $120,000 to the PSC to contract services for representation at FERC. Schuh said the final cost will depend on the level of representation necessary, which is still being evaluated. The Sierra Club's filings argue that Basin should have retired at least three of the units at its coal-fired power plants by 2020, exited the lease for another unit in 2021 and begun to plan for the retirement of a fifth by 2030, due to various cost considerations to keep them running. The units under contention include Unit 1 and Unit 2 of Stanton-based Leland Olds Station, Unit 1 of Wyoming-based Laramie River Station, and Unit 1 and Unit 2 of Beulah-based Antelope Valley Station. The Sierra Club argues it would have been cheaper to replace these with renewable energy resources. Sierra Club North Dakota Chapter Chair Todd Leake told the Tribune that the Sierra Club is asking FERC to not let Basin charge rates that would be higher than what it would have cost if Basin had taken these steps and replaced the coal with wind and power purchasing agreements. The organization also wants some of the costs from recent years to be refunded to ratepayers. Basin argues that renewable resources are not reliable enough to make up for the baseload energy that its coal plants provide to the electrical grid, especially for an area such as northwest North Dakota which has seen more electricity demand due to increased oil production and population growth. Baseload refers to a source of electricity that provides a continuous output. A coal plant can run constantly whereas wind and solar are intermittent to varying degrees due to being weather-dependent, though advocates argue this can be offset by expanding the grid, improving forecasting, and utilizing storage technologies such as batteries. Leake said that electric generation from more flexible natural gas plants could make up for the demand that renewables alone cannot handle. He added that the Sierra Club is not asking Basin to shut the units down overnight. Andy Buntrock, vice president of strategic planning and communication for Basin, noted to the Tribune that the cooperative already has a substantial portion of renewables in its portfolio and that many of its member co-ops have filed in support of Basin's rates plans. He said Basin does not view the Sierra Club's model as feasible. The costs of utility-scale electric generation from both wind and solar power have dipped below coal and other forms of generation in recent years, according to financial advisory firm Lazard's Levelized Cost of Energy analysis. Generation, however, is just one element of getting electricity to a consumer. There are other costs including connecting the resource to the grid and balancing for demand and supply mismatches. Both Basin and Sierra present arguments regarding whether replacements would have been the best move for ratepayers in this instance. Basin provides power to 3 million customers across 141 member co-ops in nine states. The coal plants under contention provide 3,260 megawatts of electricity to the grid, according to numbers from Basin's website, though the Sierra Club is not challenging the continued operations of all of the plants' units, just the ones it argues would be less costly to replace with wind power than not, according to Leake. When the PSC decided to involve itself in the case, Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said if FERC were to grant Sierra Club's request, 2,500 megawatts of coal-generated power would be impacted. Coal was once the dominant source for electric generation in the U.S., but it has been displaced over the last decade due mostly to an abundance of cheap natural gas. A number of other factors have also been attributed to the past and projected future decline of the fuel's use. These include increased emission regulations on coal plants, falling prices for renewable power, growing storage capacity, and pledges to increase both renewable and nuclear generation. Nuclear can provide baseload power as well without directly producing planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions that have prompted increased scrutiny of coal in recent years, though it is costly and creates other environmental concerns. Still, coal has held on strong in North Dakota. It was responsible for 55% of the state's electric generation in 2022, compared to around 20% of electric generation across the U.S as a whole that year, according to numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This is in part due to the wet nature of the state's lignite coal, which dissolves quickly and has required operators build power plants close to mines, taking away transportation costs that the industry encounters elsewhere. Other challenges Basin faces two other challenges to its rates, though the PSC said it is not involving itself in these issues as they do not impact matters in its jurisdiction. One involves a dispute between Watford City-based McKenzie Electric Cooperative and Basin regarding the Great Plains Synfuels Plant in Beulah, operated by Basin's private subsidiary Dakota Gasification Co. McKenzie Electric, which purchases power from Basin, argues that some of Basin's rates increases were used to make up for losses at the plant that produces synthetic natural gas among other products derived from coal gasification. McKenzie wants these rates to be disallowed. McKenzie also wants FERC to allow it to exit its contract with Basin. Buntrock said McKenzie is free to do so when the contract expires in 2075. McKenzie's FERC filings argue that Basin misled member co-ops into signing contract extensions by saying it would raise rates if members did not sign and then proceeding to raise rates the following year after members did. Buntrock told the Tribune that the rates McKenzie wants to disallow were appropriately considered and approved by the co-op's board which McKenzie Electric has input in through elections. Another challenge comes from the Denver-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a member and customer of Basin. The Tri-State challenge is more technical than the other two. It concerns the structure of how Basin's rates for the cost of transmission and the recovery of depreciation expenses for generation and transmission assets vary by customer. McKenzie Electric and Tri-State did not respond to email requests for comment from the Tribune. The case is ongoing. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. New Northern Ireland-only TB compensation proposals have been slammed as a 'new low' for farmers in the country. The comments follow a consultation on reducing the compensation rate for cattle removed under the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) programme. NI's Department of Agriculture's (DAERA) proposals will reduce the payments farmers receive for cattle that react to a bTB test. The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) called it a 'new low point' for farmers, as many continue to be 'blighted' by the disease. The union said it was seeking legal advice on the matter. DAERA's consultation is gathering views on whether the amount of compensation payable should be reduced on a phased basis. This would be a reduction to 90% of the bovine animals market value in the first year of implementation with a further reduction to 75% of the animals market value a year later. But UFU president David Brown said there were 'serious concerns': "[bTB] is having a severe impact not only on the NI livestock industry, but on the wellbeing of our farmers. "A reduction in stock value will mean our members will not be fully reimbursed for the worth of their animals. Farmers already bear a loss of income from those animals that are removed when bTB positive. "To devalue cattles worth after the animals have fallen victim to a disease that has become rampant in our region because of our departments inability to deliver an effective eradication programme, is nothing short of barefaced robbery." The UFU previously requested a meeting with the Secretary of State for NI, Chris Heaton-Harris, following the publication of measures relating to cost savings in NI, but no response was received. The union said all of the measures proposed by the Secretary of State related to the provision of goods or services, with the only exception being the proposal to intervene on the money which farmers receive for their cattle. Mr Brown called this 'theft': "The reality is, nothing has progressed since DAERAs bTB eradication strategy announcement in 2021," he added. "This is a serious blow for the farming industry and the UFU will be robustly objecting to the proposals within the consultation." Farmers in Northern Ireland can still respond to DAERAs consultation online, with the closing date set at 8 March. Following the tremendous success of Animal, Ranbir Kapoor is gearing up for his next project, Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, alongside Yash and Sai Pallavi. According to a report, the actor is scheduled to commence shooting for the mythological drama in March 2024, with an additional schedule planned for April and May 2024. The report details an extensive shooting schedule outlined by director Nitesh Tiwari in Film City. In the initial phase, Ranbir and Sai will film scenes with substantial dialogues, while major crowd sequences and war portions are scheduled for April and May. The aim is to wrap up these sequences before the onset of the monsoon season. Director Nitesh Tiwari and VFX powerhouse DNEG have collaborated to meticulously develop the mythological universe for their epic project. The pre-production phase involved intricate look tests and 3D mapping sessions with the cast. In February, Ranbir Kapoor is set to travel to Los Angeles for crucial technical rehearsals at the DNEG office. The report also mentions that expert technicians from Los Angeles will assist the team in familiarising themselves with the process during the initial weeks of the shoot. The makers are planning to release Ramayana in the second half of 2025. In acceptance is peace. While the conformist public is creating space and opening their arms for the LGBTQ+ community, back home the attitude of a Punjab and Haryana Court judge , Pankaj Jain, throwing and outright dismissing the case file of a lesbian fighting for justice for her adult partner forced under house arrest by her family members, has left people shocked and disturbed. Filmmaker Sandeep Singh' expressed his disappointment saying, "On knowing what happened in Chandigarh court, I am disheartened. A judge makes a personal remark that is uncalled for. As citizens of India we should respect the Indian judiciary as all are equal in the eyes of the law." Singh added, "We are living in the 21st century, we shoukd not only be apart of our country's growth but also be a part of a growth where our mentality and outlook is concerned." Abhay Verma, who essayed transgender Chaandi in Safed, said, "A country wins when people living in it feel they're heard. Who are we to decide what's moral and immoral and judge a person's morality? It's high time we change our attitude and let people be, and made felt that they matter." Actress Meera Chopra, who won critical acclaim for her performance of a widow in Safed, said, "Pankaj Jain has behaved extremely reckless in handling such a sensitive subject. These kind of people are the main reason we are struggling to have a progressive humane society - where people can live with equality and love. It's a crazy coincidence that it's on this same day we have released documentary on Safed, where morality and legitimacy is what we are demanding and this judge calls them immoral. Can we do something about this is my question to everybody who has a voice." Radha of Safed, Barkha Bisht, said that the incident had her feel upset. "Honestly, we need to grow up and cultivate to look beyond our limited perspective and mentality. What happened in the Chandigarh court is sad and discouraging. I hope such incident never happens ever again. Every human has a right to dignity and needs to be treated with respect Immaterial of anything." Voicing their concern over the judge's audacious behaviour, transgender Salma said, "Don't people who are into same sex relationship have the right to live just like normal couples do? This I want to ask the Punjab and Haryana chief judge Pankaj Jain. On what basis did you dismiss the case? I want strict action to be taken against Jain and request the official authorities to do so. If no action is taken against him, we will be compelled to take a hard stand and protest against the authorities." Transgender Jeeshani said that judge Pankaj Jain who holds such a high post in the Indian judiciary system, "could be so petty in his thinking and that's appalling.." Jannat, a transgender, said concluding, "The Indian judiciary system has given legal rights to all class of people including us, how then can a judge humiliate a lawful citizen in court? Would he have behaved in a similar fashion were it to involve his own family member? What if his own family member were a transgender and in a relationship, would he still label it immoral? Why not live and let live." True Detective Release: Detective and mystery shows hold enduring popularity in India, captivating audiences eager to unravel clues alongside the protagonists. Whether it's the timeless Sherlock Holmes, the enduring CID, or recent hits like Sacred Games and Mirzapur, there's a plethora of gripping stories to keep viewers enthralled. For those seeking a fresh experience, consider True Detective: Night Country, JioCinema's recently announced show. Starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as mismatched hill station cops investigating a peculiar murder case involving six vanished men from an Arctic research center in Alaska, the series unfolds a complex tapestry of secrets, lies, and horrors that challenges their sanity and morality. True Detective: Night Country marks a stellar return for the series, presenting a chilling odyssey of brutal murders in a frozen, unforgiving setting. Here are compelling reasons to watch this exclusive JioCinema release, premiering on January 15. The Perfect combo of Jodie Foster and Kali Reis - The lead cast of the show, with their exceptional talent, is able to strike the right chords with the audience. The show highlights the chemistry and charisma of Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, portraying two very different yet equally compelling characters that forge an unlikely partnership and friendship. Women at the forefront - Jodie Foster and Kali Reis portray the roles of detectives in the show, delving into the challenges and struggles faced by women in a predominantly male profession. Set in a remote and hostile environment, the series exposes the characters to issues such as sexism, racism, and violence. It emphasizes the personal growth and development of the two detectives as they learn from each other, overcoming their flaws and fears in their relentless pursuit of truth and justice. An edge-of the seat mystery- The show weaves a gripping tale of murder, mystery, and madness, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the twists and turns of the investigation. It portrays the harsh and brutal realities of life in the frozen wilderness, where survival is a constant struggle and danger lurks in every corner for the two protagonists. Additionally, the show maintains a high relatability quotient by depicting the psychological and emotional effects of isolation, trauma, and paranoia on the characters. They are pushed to their limits and beyond by the horrors they witness and experience. Better than the best- While the show maintains the high quality and standards of the True Detective series, with excellent writing, directing, acting, and production values, it surpasses the previous seasons with a more coherent and satisfying story, that ties up all the loose ends and answers all the questions. The show also adds a new and exciting dimension to the series, with a supernatural and horror element that makes it more thrilling and terrifying than ever before. The show distinguishes itself from other detective series by skillfully blending styles and genres, including crime, drama, mystery, thriller, horror, and sci-fi. This unique approach results in a rich and diverse narrative that resonates with a broad audience. Furthermore, it defies conventional expectations within the crime genre by adopting a non-linear and non-traditional structure. This unconventional storytelling technique challenges established norms and adds an intriguing dimension to the viewing experience. Bigg Boss Tamil 7 is all set to have its grand finale tomorrow (January 14, 2024) and we can't keep calm. The popular reality show has been creating ripples ever since it was launched and has been hosted by legendary superstar Kamal Haasan. From the unique theme to an interesting ensemble of contestants, everything about Bigg Boss Tamil 7 has been making headlines. And now, with just 1 day left for the grand finale, speculations are rife about who will be winning Bigg Boss Tamil 7. Interestingly, the show got its top 5 finalists in Dinesh, Vishnu, Manichandra, Maya Krishnan and VJ Archana and it is going to be a tough fight for the winner's trophy. Among these VJ Archana has been one of the most talked about contestants on Bigg Boss Tamil 7 and has been making headlines ever since she had entered the show. To note, the Raja Rani 2 actress had entered Bigg Boss Tamil 7 as a wild card contestant and won millions of hearts with her strong game. In fact, here have been massive speculations about Archana winning Bigg Boss Tamil 7. Amid this we have got our hands on Archana's salary for Bigg Boss Tamil 7 and it will leave you surprised. According to a report published in Cinefry, Archana charged Rs 2.25 lakhs per week for her stint in Bigg Boss Tamil 7 which makes her total remuneration as Rs 24.75 lakhs While there is no official confirmation about the same, it at all, she will win the popular reality show, she will also be taking home the prize money of Rs 50 lakhs. Now that is certainly a whopping amount, isn't it? Meanwhile, the reports suggested that Archana is leading with over 50% votes. On the other hand, Manichandra has secured the second position with 17% votes. The voting trends suggest that Maya, Dinesh and Vishnu are in the bottom three with 11%, 9% and 7% votes respectively. It is evident that Vishnu has received the least number of votes suggesting that while he will be the first one to get eliminated, looks like Archana will be lifting the trophy. Bigg Boss Tamil 7, which has been one of the most talked about popular reality shows, is all set to witness its grand finale tomorrow and the audience can't keep calm about it. Interestingly, it is going to be a tough fight for the winner's trophy and the audience is busy rooting for their favourite contestant. To note, the popular reality show went on air in October 2023 and started the journey with 18 contestants. After an interesting journey with mind-boggling twists, wild card entries and more, Bigg Boss Tamil 7 went on to intrigue the audience the since the first day and came with an interesting ensemble of contestants. And now that it is just one day left for the Bigg Boss Tamil 7 grand finale, it will be a competition between top 5 finalists which include Dinesh, Manichandra, Maya Krishnan, VJ Archana and Vishnu Vijay. As the speculations are rife about who will be lifting the winner's trophy tonight, fans have been eager to know what will the winner get after winner of Bigg Boss Tamil 7. According to media reports, Bigg Boss Tamil 7 winner will get a cash prize of Rs 50 lakhs along with their total remuneration. While the Bigg Boss Tamil 6 winner also got a brand new car along with the cash prize, Bigg Boss Tamil 7 winner will be getting Maruti's Grand Vitara along with a plot worth Rs 10 lakhs Talking about the first runner up, the contestant will not be getting any prize money and will be taking home their remuneration. Interestingly, so far, the buzz states that VJ Archana will be winning the show, however, no official announcement has been made in this regard so far. As everyone is eagerly waiting for Bigg Boss Tamil 7 grand finale, the grand event will start at 6PM and will premiere on Vijay TV and Disney+ Hotstar. Photo Credit: Saindhav OTT Release Date & Platform: Venkatesh Daggubati entered the Sankranti race 2024 with a slick action thriller in which he played a never-seen-before role, under the direction of Sailesh Kolanu. Titled Saindhav, the character he played in the film, the movie showcases Venkatesh aka Venky Mama as a docile family man, anxious for his daughter's life and a ruthless assassin who hacks gangsters to death and goes to any length for that matter. Saindhav was released to a worldwide audience on January 13 with a positive response and decent openings. If the buzz continues, the movie could make decent money within the opening weekend. Saindhav Premise Saindhav Koneru aka SaiKo is a simple and endearing family man who lives with his wife Manogna and daughter Gayathri. He has a dark past unbeknownst to his wife. Suddenly, his daughter Gayathri falls sick and is diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and requires an injection that costs Rs 17 Crore. SaiKo then has no other option but to go back to his old, bad ways to do what he has to do to save his daughter. He has to then face a ruthless gangster and an enemy from the past, Vikas Malik. Saindhav OTT Release Date & Time Reportedly, if the reports are anything to go by, the digital streaming rights of Venkatesh's latest slick action thriller were sold to ETV Win. The movie will make its OTT debut 45 days after the theatrical release. As per the understanding, Venky Mama's Saindhav will only make its streaming debut in the mid-week of March. For now, the movie is getting a decent response at the theatres. Saindhav Cast Along with Venkatesh Daggubati, this family action thriller features Nawazuddin Siddiqui in his Telugu debut. He played the role of Vikas Malik. Arya played the role of Manas and Shraddha Srinath as Manogya, Saindhav Koneru's wife. Ruhani Sharma is seen as Dr Renu and Andrea Jeremiah plays the role of Jasmine. Jisshu Sengupta, Mukesh Rishi, and Jayaprakash among others played important roles in the movie. Saindhav Crew The movie was written and directed by Sailesh Kolanu. Venkat Boyanapalli bankrolled the movie under the Niharika Entertainment banner. Santhosh Narayanan composed the film's entire music and score. Saindhav has cinematography by S Manikandan and Garry BH worked as the editor. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2024) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (OTCQB: DTCFF) (FSE: DTC), ("Defence" or the "Company"), one of the leading Canadian biotechnology companies working in the field of immune-oncology is pleased to announce that it arranges a financing, and its common shares have been upgraded to OTCQB. The Company announces a non-brokered private placement of up to $2,790,000 comprised of 1.5 million units of the Company. Each unit is comprising of one common share in the capital of the Company and one share purchase warrant. Each warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional share at a price of $2.25 per share for a period of 24 months of the closing date. The Company intends to use the net proceeds to advance its preclinical and clinical programs, including as previously announced the Phase I clinical trial of Defence's AccuTOX administered intratumorally in patients with stage IIIB to IV melanoma, and for general working capital. The Company may pay a finder's fee in connection with the offering in accordance with the policies of the CSE. The securities issued in connection with the offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day following the closing date in accordance with the CSE. The Company is also pleased to announce that Defence's common shares have been upgraded to OTCQB on December 19, 2023, and since that date Defence's common shares are now trading on the OTCQB under the symbol "DTCFF". Defence's common shares are also already eligible for book entry and depository services of the Depository Trust Company (DTC). About Defence: Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases. For further information: Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director P: (514) 947-2272 Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com www.defencetherapeutics.com Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, 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 regulatory actions, market prices, and 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. Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, 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/194182 SOURCE: Defence Therapeutics Inc. As IT leaders and teams continue to push for multifactor authentication (MFA) to be integrated into their organizations daily processes, many employees are feeling the fatigue from each of the authentication steps. So, is there an easier, more effective way to use MFA? How can companies ensure better user experiences while still maintaining a high level of security? Dig into this article to discover more about the current state of MFA and learn how technologies like Microsoft E5 can help you drive success throughout your enterprise. CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2024 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a dynamic Foodtech innovation company dedicated to creating breakthrough delicious, sustainable food and beverage solutions through cutting-edge ingredient, formulation, and packaging technology, announces that it is cancelling the entirety of the options grants that were approved for issuance by the Board of Directors on December 27, 2023 and press released on December 29, 2023. The total number of options cancelled was 3,870,121. US SEC 506 Reg D Financing Update The Company would like to clarify that, per the press release issued on December 29, 2023, it has opted not to proceed with the US SEC 506 Reg D financing announced on October 7, 2023. No financing dollars have been raised and no shares of the Company have been issued pursuant to that financing. About The Planting Hope Company Inc. Planting Hope is reimagining and reinventing food today so that our planet can feed 10 billion people tomorrow. A Foodtech-driven company at the forefront of sustainable consumer food and beverage evolution, Planting Hope transforms nutrient-dense, widely cultivated crops into innovative, nutrient-rich products that reimagine pantry staples in the largest, fastest growing global food categories. Our award-winning breakthrough brands, including Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk, RightRice High-Protein Veggie Rice, and Mozaics Real Veggie Chips, are not only disrupting global markets but also significantly reducing environmental footprints. Available across the US and Canada in grocery retailers (Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Markets), through foodservice operators (CAVA Mediterranean restaurants - NYSE:CAVA), and e-commerce and alternative retail channels (Amazon, QVC), our products blend culinary innovation with advanced technology, offering breakthrough products with wide moats. Our products are poised to disrupt global food and beverage categories, make a positive impact on the world, and provide investors with valuable opportunities in the growing sustainable food market. This is the food that Gen Z is demanding and that Gen Alpha will grow up with: this is the future of food. Explore more at plantinghopecompany.com, sign up for Planting Hope news emails HERE and follow us on LinkedIn. For Planting Hope product sales and distribution opportunities, please contact James Curley, EVP of Sales, at james@plantinghopecompany.com. Contacts Company Contact: Julia Stamberger CEO and Co-Founder (773) 492-2243 julia@plantinghopecompany.com Investor Relations + Media Contact: Elyssia Patterson VP of Investor Relations (312) 675-4996 Elyssia@plantinghopecompany.com Media Contact: Corinn Williams (773) 492-2243 Corinn@plantinghopecompany.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 news release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including, but not limited to, statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans, scalability and strategies, that the Company will achieve profitability in the next few years, the timing of the Company's implementation of NetSuite, and the Company's key growth priorities for 2023 . In some cases, forward looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's internal research and analysis is indicative of broader market trends and the Company's anticipated future demand for its products, that changes in consumer preferences in the plant-based food industry will continue in accordance with the Company's expectations, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements involve 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 such forward-looking statements. 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, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated January 6, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Completes Financial Reorganization Which Significantly Improves Capital Structure and Liquidity Receives Munich Commercial Court Approval for MGG to Become Company's Sole Shareholder Spark Networks SE ("Spark" or "the Company"), a leading social dating platform for meaningful relationships, today announced that it has successfully completed its financial reorganization process, which significantly improves its capital structure and liquidity. On January 12, 2024, the Company received approval from the Munich Commercial Court (the "German Court") on its share capital reduction and share capital increase (together, the "Share Capital Registration"). As a result of the Share Capital Registration, MGG Investment Group LP ("MGG") is now Spark's sole equity owner. "Today's approval completes Spark's financial restructuring process as we move into our next chapter with momentum on a stronger financial foundation," said Colleen Brown, Chair of Spark's Board of Directors and Interim Chief Executive Officer. "With MGG's support, we are well positioned to drive forward in our transformation plan and continue igniting meaningful relationships across our portfolio of brands. We look forward to building on our partnership with MGG as we reimagine how people can safely and creatively meet their match." Kristie Goodgion, Spark's Chief Financial Officer added, "Through our financial reorganization, we have significantly improved our capital structure and are moving into the future with the resources and financial support to continue implementing our transformation efforts." Kevin Griffin, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of MGG, said, "MGG is excited to continue our partnership with Spark, which is poised for growth and expansion across its market leading portfolio. With a strengthened balance sheet in place, we look forward to working with Spark's leadership team to support the business and the execution of its ongoing transformation." The German Court's approval of the Share Capital Registration follows the January 4, 2024, approval of Spark's Restructuring Plan by the Local Court Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany pursuant to the Act on the Stabilization and Restructuring Framework for Companies (Gesetz uber den Stabilisierungs- und Restrukturierungsrahmen fur Unternehmen, StaRUG) ("StaRUG"). The Company intends to seek recognition of the German Court's approval of the Restructuring Plan in the Company's Chapter 15 Proceedings. Advisors Jones Day and Brinkmann Partner Rechtsanwalte are serving as legal counsel, Ankura Consulting serving as Turnaround Advisor, Mr. Adrian Frankum serving as Sparks Foreign Representative in the Chapter 15 Proceedings, Ernst Young GmbH serving as Financial Advisor, and C Street Advisory Group and Corecoms Consulting GmbH Co. KG are serving as communications advisors. About Spark Networks SE Spark Networks SE is a leading social dating platform for meaningful relationships focusing on the 40+ demographic and faith-based affiliations. Spark's portfolio of premium and freemium dating apps include Zoosk, EliteSingles, SilverSingles, Christian Mingle, Jdate, and JSwipe, among others. Spark is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with offices in New York and Utah. About MGG Investment Group LP Founded in 2014, MGG is a private investment firm that provides bespoke investment solutions to mid-size and growing middle market companies. MGG works with owners and management teams to help build lasting value, address immediate needs, and solve complex situations while seeking to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors irrespective of and through market cycles. For more information, visit www.mgginv.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240112703266/en/ Contacts: Media C Street Advisory Group spark@thecstreet.com For MGG Nathaniel Garnick/Sam Fisher Gasthalter Co. +1 (212) 257-4170 Make this a collective experience and assemble your squad for Lollapalooza India 2024 on January 27th and 28th, 2024 in the heart of Mumbai at the iconic Mahalaxmi Racecourse! Tired of the endless battles over the aux cord with your friends, each one vying to play their preferred tunes? The constant struggle between rock enthusiasts, hip-hop aficionados and indie music lovers can turn any car ride or gathering into a musical battlefield. But fear not! Start the New Year afresh, as you experience the ultimate solution to your diverse music taste predicaments. Advertisement Picture this: a diverse lineup of world-class artists, mind-blowing performances and an atmosphere buzzing with energy and excitement. From rock and indie to electronic and hip-hop, Lollapalooza India has it all! Theres no better way to bond with your squad than over shared musical moments. Lollapalooza India 2024 provides the perfect backdrop for you to connect, groove and create memories with your gang with the festivals infectious energy. Discover new sounds, unearth hidden gems and immerse yourself in the various stages and performances scattered throughout the venue. Its an adventure waiting to happen! Make this a collective experience and assemble your squad for Lollapalooza India 2024 on January 27th and 28th, 2024 in the heart of Mumbai at the iconic Mahalaxmi Racecourse! The second edition of the festival boasts headliners that offer a captivating blend of diverse genres, promising an exceptional and immersive experience for all, whether you come with your cool friends or your parents! Check out what the hype is all about and explore the unknowns with the big names on the board: Advertisement Jonas Brothers: The Sibling Sensation The Jonas Brothers , originally catapulted to fame through Disney Channel, have evolved into a symbol of pop royalty. Comprising Kevin, Joe and Nick, this trio has seamlessly transitioned from teen heartthrobs to mature artists, contributing significantly to the contemporary pop and pop-rock landscape. Their discography is studded with hits that resonate with fans of all ages. Sucker showcases their current pop prowess, while Burnin Up and Year 3000 serve as reminders of their earlier, infectious sound. The Jonas Brothers ability to blend catchy melodies with meaningful lyrics has solidified their status as pop icons and their debut in India will have you grooving like theres no tomorrow! Advertisement Our top recommendations to get Lolla ready include: What A Man Gotta Do, Sucker and Only Human Sting: Timeless Icon Stings musical journey is a testament to his versatility and enduring impact on the music industry. From his days as the frontman of The Police, contributing to the new wave genre, to his solo ventures in adult contemporary, Sting has consistently demonstrated a unique ability to reinvent himself. Iconic tracks like Every Breath You Take and Fields of Gold showcase his songwriting prowess and distinctive voice. Stings solo career has been marked by a commitment to exploring new sounds and pushing the boundaries of what pop and rock music can achieve. Advertisement Our recommendations to get Lolla ready include: Shape Of My Heart, Dreaming and Every Breath You Take Halsey: Electro-Pop Enchantress Halsey, born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, has emerged as a visionary in the realm of electropop, synth-pop and alternative pop. Her music is a raw and honest reflection of personal experiences, resonating with a generation that craves authenticity in every note. Fan favourites like Without Me and Bad at Love underscore Halseys ability to craft emotionally charged songs with a contemporary edge. Her genre-defying approach to music sets her apart in the pop landscape and her influence extends beyond the traditional boundaries of the genre. This ones for all the Halsey fans in the country, as her performance is all set to get them one-step Closer to seeing their idol live in India for the first time ever! Advertisement Our recommendations to get Lolla ready include: Lifes A Mess, Closer and Walls Could Talk OneRepublic: Anthems of Unity OneRepublic, led by the multifaceted Ryan Tedder, has etched a place for itself in the pop-rock genre. The bands ability to infuse melodic elements into their pop sound has garnered widespread acclaim, making them a household name in the global music scene. Chart-toppers like the ever-green Counting Stars, Apologize and Secrets showcase the bands knack for creating emotionally resonant music. OneRepublics gearing up to deliver some soulful performances and Tedders distinctive vocals will get you on your feet as they make their return to India yet again. Dont miss out on their latest hit, I Aint Worried. Advertisement Our recommendations to get Lolla ready include: Counting Stars, Good Life and Sunshine Keane: Melodic Brilliance Keane, an alternative rock band known for their emotive sound and piano-driven melodies, has carved a niche for itself in the music industry. Their approach to alternative rock is characterized by a focus on intricate compositions and poignant storytelling. Listen to their hit songs like Somewhere Only We Know and Everybodys Changing live for their debut in India as they capture the essence of their melodic prowess for the Indian audience. The bands reliance on piano as a central instrument sets them apart in the alternative rock landscape, creating a signature sound that resonates with a wide audience. Advertisement Our recommendations to get Lolla ready include: Love Actually, Somewhere Only We Know and Silenced By The Night Lauv: Modern Pop Maverick Modern pop star Lauv returns to his beloved Indian fans with a set of old and new hits like I Like Me Better and Modern Loneliness. Lauv has become a prominent figure in the pop scene, addressing themes of love and loneliness with a modern twist. His ability to connect with audiences on a personal level through his music has contributed to his rising popularity over the years. His contribution to the pop, electropop and indie pop genres is marked by a blend of introspective lyrics and contemporary production that the younger generation enjoys at large! All set to Steal the Show, you can catch him perform at Lollapalooza India alongside some of the best global musicians. Advertisement Our recommendations to get Lolla ready include: Love U Like That, All 4 Nothing and Love Somebody National Award winning filmmaker Sriram Raghavan is currently garnering immense applause for his latest directorial Merry Christmas. The crime thriller, starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, opened to positive response as cinephiles showered praises on the film and the actors. The director recently spilled beans on his upcoming film Ikkis where Agastya Nanda will be seen as a lead. He said that The Archies actor reminded him of a young Amitabh Bachchan. Advertisement Agastya Nanda, who recently forayed into the film industry with Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagtis The Archies , is all set to start shooting for Srirams film Ikkis. The upcoming film will be based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal PVC. The director of the film, Sriram, recently opened up about his first meeting with Agastya. He said, When I first met him he reminded me of Amitabh (Bachchan) in Saat Hindustani and Anand. Hes got a certain charm and he looks the part also and I am looking forward working with him. Hes a guy who is refreshingly normal and theres no bells and whistles. I have seen his The Archies and I loved the film, I loved his character and many other characters in the film. So I know he knows the process of the film and now I am looking at diving with him into more subjects. Advertisement Agastya, in response to the critically acclaimed director, shared his experience of meeting the Andhadhun director for the first time. Recalling the crazy experience that it was, the actor said that before The Archies, he went around introducing himself to a lot of people because he was not aware of what he looked like. The actor added that he went to filmmaker and producer Dinesh Vijans office to ask him for work but did not expect anything. However, he got a call from him and was asked to visit his office. Agastya went on to add that he was sitting alone in the office when Sriram Raghavan walked in, following which he realised that he would be working with the Andhadun director. Advertisement Agastya will star alongside Dharmendra in Ikkis which is produced by Maddock Films. The film will go on floors in February. Agastya was last seen in The Archies alongside Khushi Kapoor and Suhana Khan who also made their debut with the film. New York City, Long Island, and other coastal cities in the US are sinking at a concerning rate of two millimetres (.08 inches) every year, which raises questions about flooding and long-term viability. According to a new study, buildings and natural processes are causing the land to drop The unsettling truth that New York City, Long Island, and other coastal cities in the United States must face is that they are sinking. In a new study, although the sinking may appear to be slow, the researchers stress that the repercussions are genuine and pose a threat to these places future. Advertisement It serves as a reminder to both citizens and legislators to solve this escalating issue. But why are US East Coast cities sinking? Lets take a closer look. What is causing the land to sink? According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, buildings and natural processes are causing the land to drop at a concerning rate of two millimetres (.08 inches) every year, which raises questions about flooding and long-term viability. The US Geological Survey and Virginia Tech research team used radar and satellite imagery to produce digital terrain maps that pinpoint the precise locations where critical infrastructure is most at risk from land subsidence. We measured subsidence rates of two millimetres per year, affecting more than two million people and 800,000 properties on the East Coast, Virginia Tech professor and researcher Manoochehr Shirzaei said, according to NDTV. Advertisement The anticipated current rate of sea level rise worldwide is four millimetres per year, which further complicates the situation. Additionally, according to Science Alert, there is a sinking of more than five millimetres (0.2 inches) per year in various regions along the mid-Atlantic coast, spanning up to 3,700 square kilometres, or more than 1,400 square miles. That exceeds the speed of the sea level increase by four times. Advertisement The study also emphasises the effects that sinking ground can have on large cities such as Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Baltimore. The sinking soil only increases the risk for these coastal cities, which are already vulnerable to weather-related problems like storms. Lead author Leonard Ohenhen, a graduate student working with Shirzaei, said in a press release, Continuous unmitigated subsidence on the US East Coast should cause concern. This is particularly in areas with a high population and property density and a historical complacency towards infrastructure maintenance. Advertisement How dangerous is it? Here, we show that 2,000 to 74,000 square kilometres land, 1.2 to 14 million people, 476,000 to 6.3 million properties, and greater than 50 per cent of infrastructures in major cities are exposed to (these) subsidence rates, the study said. We know to some extent that the land is sinking. Through this study, we highlight that the sinking of the land is not an intangible threat. It affects you, me, and everyone; it may be gradual, but the impacts are real. Advertisement The authors highlight the serious threat that rising sea levels pose to large metropolitan regions like New York, Norfolk, and Baltimore, where valuable properties and dense populations are directly intersected. The problem is not just that the land is sinking. The problem is that the hotspots of sinking land intersect directly with population and infrastructure hubs, said Ohenhen, according to Science Alert. Advertisement For example, significant areas of critical infrastructure in New York, including JFK and LaGuardia airports and [their> runways, along with the railway systems, are affected by subsidence rates exceeding 2 millimeters per year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration reported in September that between 2016 and 2023, the areas surrounding LGA and Arthur Ashe Stadium, home of the US Open, had decreased at rates of 3.7 and 4.6 millimetres annually, as per the New York Post. In September, a widely shared video also showed a terrifying flood situation at LaGuardia Airport, with travellers having to wade through ankle-deep water. Advertisement In addition to having serious negative effects on the environment, infrastructure collapse can result in a significant loss of life. What are experts saying? All climate change models show that in the future, the storms, the hurricanes will get more intense, Klaus Jacob, a professor emeritus at Columbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, previously told The Post, adding_,_ So that probably means stronger storm surges, higher storm surges, and thats more risk and lost protection for the city. Advertisement One glaring example of these concerns is this weeks noreaster, which left a terrible amount of floodwaters in coastal areas like Long Island and Connecticut. However, Jacob cautions that the immediate tri-state region is not the only area at risk. Long Island, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronxyou name it. The Hudson Valley all the way up to Troy I would say anything at elevation 20 [feet above sea level> and below is an extreme risk. Theres a marginal risk for elevations between 20 and 30 feet. Advertisement In his opinion, New York Cityparticularly downtown Manhattanwill have to transform into a contemporary Venice by the end of the century. If we want to keep skyscrapers and other buildings functioning, they will need to become mini islands that are standing in the water, Jacob said. With inputs from agencies The Atal Setu will serve as a lifeline as it reduces the travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from two hours to 20 minutes. Already on the rise, property values in both cities are expected to grow with the bridges inauguration With the Metro and expressways, Mumbai is getting ready to eat its jam. On Friday, the much-awaited Mumbai Trans Harbour Link was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a six-lane motorway that runs 21.8 km from Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle, which is close to Nhava Sheva in Uran taluka in Raigad district. Advertisement Billed as Indias longest sea bridge, it will alter the real estate in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai by establishing unparalleled connectivity between these two important hubs. The sea bridge, also called the Atal Setu after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will serve as a lifeline as it reduces the travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from two hours to 20 minutes. Thanks to the new bridge, the financial capitals real estate market is thriving. Already on the increase, property values are expected to continue to grow with the bridges inauguration. Take a look. A game changer for real estate Experts have called the MTHL bridge a game changer since it improves accessibility and connectivity. According to them, Panvel and Ulwe, the important business centres located near the bridge, will experience explosive growth. Advertisement The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link is a game changer! As a proud Mumbai developer, I see this engineering marvel transforming connectivity and our real estate landscape. With travel times slashed to 20 minutes between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, areas like Panel and Ulwe will witness explosive growth. We anticipate a surge in demand for homes driven by professionals seeking affordable luxury close to prime business hubs, Manju Yagnik, vice chairperson of Nahar Group and senior vice-president of NAREDCO-Maharashtra, told Livemint. Advertisement The new bridge will complement already-existing vital infrastructures, like the Metro, of which 46 kilometres are currently in use, 337 kilometres are being built, and an additional 50 kilometres are in plan. Gautam Thacker, Chairman of NAREDCO Neral-Karjat unit, told Indian Express, The Mumbai address has changed as a lot of construction has begun in MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region). Many homebuyers are showing interest in properties in MMR. With the upcoming MTHL and Navi Mumbai Airport projects, untouched areas will see significant growth. It is a given, that connectivity has a positive impact on real estate development. Micro markets like Ulwe, Panvel, Kharghar among others are seeing growth in real estate pricing, and it will go up further. Advertisement Other experts also predicted that Panvel, Sewri, Navi Mumbai, and Chembur real estate markets will flourish. Property value in the neighborhoods that the MTHL passes through are geared to grow into major nerve centres of Mumbai and, consequently, the demand for real estate here, both residential as well as commercial, would see an upward trajectory, Sundeep Jagasia, managing director of the Shree Krishna Group, told Mint. Advertisement Notably, Chembur is already witnessing a boost due to key infrastructures: the Eastern Freeway, Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road, and the Bandra Kurla Complex Connector. Homebuyers will be very interested in Navi Mumbai due to its cheaper real estate costs, lifestyle, convenient commute, and recently enhanced connectivity, according to a Times of India report. In the range of Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh, there are still cheap housing options in Navi Mumbai, according to Bhavesh Shah, joint managing director of Today Global Developers, who spoke with the daily. Advertisement More on MTHL expressway: How Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Indias longest sea bridge, will ease travel in the megacity PM inaugurates Mumbai Trans Harbour Link: Who can use it, who cant? Increased connectivity and better economy On the rapidly growing eastern coast of Mumbai, the Atal Setu is the project that sticks out the most. Advertisement The Atal Setu is intimately related to projects like the Eastern Express Highway (EEH), Eastern Motorway, and Sewri Worli Elevated Corridor, according to News18. The Sewri Worli Elevated Corridor will link the citys eastern and western sectors and offer signal-free connectivity. In the meantime, the Atal Setu will be vital to the connectivity of South Mumbai, especially the Byculla neighbourhood. There will be further connectivity to the soon-to-be Navi Mumbai International Airport. Advertisement As a result, this would increase demand for nearby residential real estate by giving South Mumbai residents quicker access to Navi Mumbais new airport and the Atal Setu. The managing director of Prajapati Constructions, Raajesh Prajapati, was also reported in the paper as stating that over the next ten years, the MTHL will have a significant positive impact on Navi Mumbais overall economic development. Advertisement Enhancing connectivity, lowering traffic congestion, and cutting down on travel time have already been greatly aided by infrastructure initiatives like the Eastern Motorway and the EEH. Thus, the infrastructure developments along Mumbais east shore herald a paradigm change in the connectivity of the city. Features of MTHL Construction on this project began in 2017 and initially was expected to be completed in four and a half years time. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and technical issues pushed the opening. However, its important to note that the MTHL was envisioned around 30 years ago, with the aim of speeding up travel between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Advertisement According to Sanjay Mukherjee, the metropolitan commissioner of the Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the steel used for the construction of the bridge is 17 times that of the Eiffel Tower and equivalent to the weight of 500 Boeing aeroplanes. The structural steel used is four times that of the Howrah Bridge. The concrete used is six times that of the Statue of Liberty in the US, he said. Traffic snarls on both sides of the Mumbai Harbour would be history as vehicles will zip through the bridge in barely 20 minutes without affecting the environment or the Ramesar Site flamingo sanctuary below it, he added. Advertisement While this project is being hailed for improving connectivity, there are some who question the cost of the toll. The Rs 250 toll for a one-way crossing of the Trans Harbour Link is deemed to be high. In contrast, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link has a toll of Rs 85 for a one-way trip and Rs 127 for a return journey. With inputs from agencies The Houthis are a militia group that control most of Yemen, including the capital city of Sanaa and a few of the northern and western regions near Saudi Arabia. The group emerged in the 1990s, but it wasnt until 2014 that they gained prominence for their uprising against Yemens government The US and the UK have initiated military strikes in Yemen in retaliation for weeks of Houthi-led attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis have called these attacks barbaric. The Yemeni militant group, which has ties to Iran, has repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israels offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperilling shipping in a key route for global trade and energy shipments, according to The Associated Press. Advertisement Previously the US had withheld striking back, reflecting larger concerns about upending the shaky truce in Yemen and triggering a wider conflict in the region. But on Tuesday, the Houthis launched their largest-ever barrage of 18 one-way attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile at a host of international commercial vessels and warships in the Red Sea. In response, the US and UK struck Houthi missile, radar and drone capabilities to degrade the groups ability to conduct more attacks like Tuesdays barrage. Heres a look at the Houthis and their increasing attacks. All creatives designed by Network18 Taiwan was under martial law until 1987 and did not hold its first direct presidential election until 1996, a culmination of decades of struggle for democracy and an end to authoritarian rule. Here are some facts about Taiwans election system and how this election will work Taiwan will hold crucial elections for both its presidential post and the 113-member legislature on Saturday, under intense pressure from China. The results carry significant implications for the entire Asia-Pacific region. Most importantly, the outcomes will be closely watched by China, as it views the island as a Chinese province a claim rejected by Taiwans government. Since President Xi Jinpings re-election, China has adopted a more aggressive stance towards its neighbour. Advertisement It openly criticises Taiwans current ruling party and attempts to frame the election as a choice between war and peace, prosperity and decline. The East Asian country has also increased its military presence in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea in recent years. Taiwan, which will choose a new leader to succeed Tsai Ing-wen Taiwans first female president, who is finishing her second term after winning elections in 2016 and 2020 also remains the biggest source of tension between China and the US. Tsais Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is loathed by Chinas Communist leaders because it views Taiwan as a sovereign nation, instead of being part of China as claimed by Beijing. She cannot run again due to term limits. Taiwan was under martial law until 1987 and did not hold its first direct presidential election until 1996, a culmination of decades of struggle for democracy and an end to authoritarian rule. Advertisement Here are some facts about Taiwans election system and how this election will work: Parties: Taiwans three main parties contesting the election are the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP), only set up in 2019. The DPP currently has a majority in parliament, with 63 seats. The KMT has 38 seats and the TPP has five. Advertisement The DPP supports Taiwans separate identity from China and rejects Beijings sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwans people can decide their future. The KMT, which ruled China before fleeing to Taiwan after losing a civil war with the Communists in 1949, favours close ties with China but strongly denies being pro-Beijing. The KMT supports the stance that Taiwan and China belong to one single China but each side can interpret what that means, a position welcomed by Beijing. The TPP also wants to re-engage with China. Advertisement Several other small parties, like the pro-independence Taiwan Statebuilding Party and overtly pro-China New Party, are also standing candidates in the parliamentary elections, but most are unlikely to get many or any seats. Presidential candidates: Three people are standing for president: current Vice President Lai Ching-te also widely known by his English name William from the DPP, New Taipei city Mayor Hou Yu-ih from the KMT, and former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je from the TPP. Advertisement Lai has almost consistently led opinion polls in the run-up to the vote. New polls have not been allowed to be published from 3 January, in accordance with election law. The new president takes office on 20 May. The presidential term is four years and a president can serve a maximum of two terms in a row. Advertisement Taiwans president is commander-in-chief of the military, appoints the premier, who then forms a cabinet, and signs legislation into law. Timing: Polling stations are open from 8 am to 4 pm (0000 GMT to 0800 GMT). Taiwan media will offer their predictions based on early vote counts on who has won in the early evening. Advertisement The winning and losing candidates will either concede or accept victory later in the evening, though that depends on how close the vote is or whether there is any dispute about vote numbers. The Central Election Commission will only announce the official results much later in the evening, by which time the looser is likely to have already conceded. Advertisement Voting: Votes are cast in person by putting a mark against the preferred candidate on a slip of paper at designated voting stations, often schools. There is no absentee, early, proxy or electronic voting. Ballots are counted by hand and each vote is displayed for public scrutiny before being counted. For the presidential election, the winner needs only a simple majority to win. There is no run-off election. Advertisement For parliament, formally called the Legislative Yuan, each voter has two ballots, one for their local district candidate and the other for a party. There are a total of 113 seats in the Legislative Yuan, of which 73 are elected by simple majority in defined constituencies. Voters vote for a candidate in this case. Advertisement There are 34 seats at large, allocated proportionally to each party. Voters vote for a party in this case. A party needs to have at least five per cent of the total party votes to win seats in the Legislative Yuan. Six seats are reserved for Taiwans indigenous population. The Legislative Yuan is the main lawmaking body. The term of a Legislative Yuan member is four years. New legislators will take office on 1 February. Advertisement Some 19.5 million Taiwan citizens are eligible to vote out of a population of more than 23 million. Voters must be aged 20 or older. Turnout: During the last presidential and parliamentary elections in 2020, the turnout was around 75 per cent. With input from Reuters Todays presidential election in Taiwan will not only decide the countrys democratic fate but also act as a major flashpoint in the ongoing tensions between China and the US. Candidates running for the office are DPPs Lai Ching-te, Hou Yu-ih of KMT, and Ko Wen-je of TPP Todays presidential election in Taiwan will not only decide the countrys democratic fate but also act as a major flashpoint in the ongoing tensions between China and the United States. Beijing has dubbed the Saturdays election as a contest between war and peace. Located approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) off its east coast, the self-governing island is seen by China as a breakaway province. If needed, the Chinese government has threatened to claim the island. Advertisement All eyes are on the Taiwanese election due to the possibility of escalating military tensions across the Taiwan Strait. In addition to the threat posed by Beijing, voters concerns at home are more practical, ranging from the weak economy to high housing costs. Here are the three candidates for the presidential election: Lai Ching-te Lai Ching-te, also known as William, is the vice president of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan. The party opposes Chinas claims to sovereignty over the island. Years ago, the 64-year-old defined himself as a pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence, attracting criticism from Beijing. Taiwanese leaders declarations of independence are met with resistance from China, which also opposes Taipeis official diplomatic relations with other nations. Talks between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Lai have been repeatedly turned down by Beijing. Advertisement Lai says he is still willing to communicate with China without giving up Taiwans independence. As long as there is equality and dignity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Taiwans door will always be open, he said in December. Lai is a physician who attended Harvard University to study public health. Over the past 25 years, he has served in public office as a legislator and mayor of Tainan, a city in southern Taiwan. Advertisement Under his and Tsais leadership, Taiwan boosted its arms purchases from the US, which is required by its law to give the island the weapons it needs to defend itself. Lai has promised to carry on Tsais policy plan and boost the economy and national defence if elected president. Bi-khim Hsiao, a former US diplomat, is his running partner. Advertisement Hou Yu-ih Hou Yu-ih is the candidate from Taiwans main opposition party Kuomintang, or KMT, whose government retreated to the island in 1949 after losing a civil war against the Chinese Communist Party. Though it strongly rejects being pro-Beijing, the KMT is often softer towards China than the DPP. The party has always supported unification with China, but in recent years it has changed its position to reflect the overwhelming need of the population to preserve the status quo. Advertisement Before entering politics in 2010, Hou was the head of the islands police force. The 66-year-old took a leave of absence from his role as mayor of New Taipei to pursue a presidential campaign. Hou has described himself as an atypical KMT member and said he would not pursue unification with China if elected. He said that the people of Taiwan must decide on its destiny. Advertisement As part of his 3D strategy, which stands for deterrence, dialogue, and de-escalation, Hou has promised to bolster national defence and reopen talks with Beijing, initially through contacts with civil society and culture. He claims that he has a better chance of persuading China to hold negotiations than Lai, who he believes is driving Taiwan into conflict. Advertisement Jaw Shau-kong, a TV commentator and former legislator, is Hous running mate. Ko Wen-je Ko Wen-je, the third presidential contender, is the founder of the tiny Taiwan Peoples Party, established in 2019. An outspoken surgeon-turned-politician, Ko advocates for a middle road in relations with Beijing. Though he has stated that he would be open to negotiations with China, his main demand is that Taiwan be allowed to maintain its democracy and civil freedoms. Advertisement He describes himself as the only candidate who would be acceptable to both the US and China. Ko claims to be the only contender who could win over both China and the US. The 64-year-old, who previously cooperated with both the DPP and KMT, served as mayor of Taipei from 2014 to 2022. An attempt to contest on Hous ticket in Saturdays election was unsuccessful since the two couldnt agree on a presidential candidate. Advertisement Younger people prefer Kos straightforward approach and focus on practical issues like housing and education, making him the most popular candidate. Cynthia Wu, a business executive from one of Taiwans wealthiest families, is his running mate. With inputs from The Associated Press The UK has an Indian-origin prime minister. Will London get an Indian-origin mayor next? Two entrepreneurs Tarun Ghulati, 63, and Shyam Batra, 62, have thrown their hats in the ring as independent candidates ahead of the May election. The UK has an Indian-origin prime minister. Now, two businessmen are competing to become Londons next powerful Indian. The election for the Mayor of London is scheduled for 2 May and the battleground of candidates challenging the incumbent, Sadiq Khan, is gradually expanding. The two Indian-origin entrepreneurs have thrown their hats in the ring as independent candidates. Advertisement While businessman Tarun Ghulati, 63, had launched his mayoral campaign during a visit to India at the end of last year, property entrepreneur Shyam Batra, 62, is the latest entrant to the contest making up nearly a dozen candidates. Heres all we know about them. About Tarun Ghulati Tarun Ghulati, an investment banker, announced his candidature for the elections in Hyderabad recently. His election tagline is trust and growth. Born in Delhi, the strategic advisor has called north London home for over 20 years. His father was a former secretary in the government of India, according to PTI. He is a co-founder of the 21st Century Icon Awards in London. Ghulati has a strong family legacy of public service, spanning over 140 years, which has deeply influenced his values of humility, respect, hard work, integrity, and trust. Advertisement His commitment to public service and ability to bridge generations and cultures makes him an ideal candidate for the 2024 London Mayoral election. The ground swell support will propel me to become the next Mayor of London. I invite every Londoner to be part of a brighter future for the city we call home. Even my 90 year old father who has been a source of inspiration for me all life, hit the campaign trail with me. pic.twitter.com/QmJMC5hQvF TarunGhulati (@TarunGhulati) December 21, 2023 Advertisement Throughout his career, he has demonstrated leadership, overseeing financial operations across multiple countries and playing pivotal roles in mergers and acquisitions. He has been an advocate for mentorship and entrepreneurship, supporting startups and scale-ups in various countries. He was also extensively involved in various boards, committees, and organisations. Speaking to PTI, the 63-year-old said that his top priorities are getting the English capital moving again, by abolishing the entirety of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Advertisement He intends to do away with Ulez, the weekend and holiday congestion tax, review speed restrictions and low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), and prioritise affordable housing, according to the BBC. In addition, he plans to create more police stations in high-crime areas and increase the number of officers on the street. London is ranked the best city in the world and is a proud global city. As Mayor of London, I am determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that London, my chosen home, retains its place as the leading global city and that all Londoners feel safe, secure, and empowered with opportunities for growth, he told the news agency. Advertisement He added, I am standing as an independent candidate to become the next Mayor of London because I want to encourage the free flow of ideas and policies without party ideology and bias. I am getting ideas from the people and will accordingly work for the people, involving them where feasible in the decision-making process. Advertisement Asked about his decision to launch his mayoral campaign in India, he said: India is my janambhoomi, where I was born, and London is my karambhoomi, where I do my work. It was very important for me to get the blessings of elders, parents, family, and well-wishers. That is why I chose to kickstart and launch my campaign for Mayor of London in India. Advertisement Ghulati claims he is a catalyst for positive change, so he hopes that people will vote for him. About Shyam Batra Shyam Batra is a property and finance trader who was born and raised in Uxbridge, West London. He says that because the city is broken, he wants to be mayor of London. Batras election tagline is ambassador of hope. Advertisement According to PTI, Batra said, I am deeply troubled by the current state of the city. It saddens me to witness residents being taken advantage of and victimised by a defunct policy system. I am fully committed to devoting my energy and passion to this cause. Instead of seeing himself as a party political candidate, he told the BBC that he just wants to fix London and give people a voice. Advertisement His platform also includes abolishing the ULEZ tax, which, according to him, has burdened Londoners with unnecessary financial strain. According to Hillingdon Times, he said, Its time to put money back into the pockets of hard-working Londoners. The ULEZ tax has only added to the financial struggles of our citizens, and that has to change. Advertisement Along with this, he wants to eliminate knife crime, rapes, and killings by collaborating closely with local law enforcement agencies. As founder of a private bespoke financial business geared towards affordable property ownership and frugal business choices, the British Indian property businessman feels he has the right credentials to overcome the hurdles to take charge of running the UK capital. I understand that the road ahead will be challenging, with days and nights filled with overwhelming obstacles. It is precisely these difficulties that we must overcome to regain and restore our city to its rightful place, he said. Mayoral elections in London Those running for Mayor of London must officially nominate themselves in March and then provide a signature and deposit of the necessary number of supporters. 2 The final list of candidates will be announced on 2 April, a month before the election. Besides the two British Indians, those declaring their intention so far to challenge Labour Partys Sadiq Khan from winning a third four-year term in the post include Susan Hall (Conservative Party); Rob Blackie (Liberal Democrats); Howard Cox (Reform UK); Zoe Garbett (Green Party); Natalie Campbell (independent); Amy Gallagher (independent); Rayhan Haque (independent); and Andreas Michli (independent). With inputs from PTI The fourth summons come after Arvind Kejriwal skipped the January 3 questioning, saying that the summons issued by the ED were illegal and its only aim was to arrest him Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the fourth time in the Delhi liquor policy case. He has been asked to appear before the investigative agency on January 18. The fourth summons come after Arvind Kejriwal skipped the January 3 questioning, saying that the summons issued by the ED were illegal and its only aim was to arrest him. Advertisement Kejriwal, also the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, had earlier refused to appear before the probe agency on two occasions for November 2 and December 21. The AAP chief had been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the case in April, but had not been made an accused by the agency. Ever since the first summons was issued by the Enforcement Directorate, there has been intense speculation that the Delhi chief minister would be arrested by the agency after his questioning. With three of AAPs leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendra Jain behind bars, AAP has long been anticipating the eventuality and has discussed the possible courses of action. They even want Kejriwal to remain the Chief Minister and do his job from jail. Advertisement The CBI contends that liquor companies were involved in framing the excise policy, which would have brought them a 12 per cent profit. A liquor lobby it dubbed the South Group had paid kickbacks, part of which was routed to public servants. The Enforcement Directorate alleged money laundering of the kickbacks. Advertisement Meanwhile, the BJP has alleged that the proceeds of the alleged scam were used by the AAP to fund its large-scale campaign in Gujarat, in which it got 12.91 per cent votes and established itself as a national party. In October last year, the US envoy to Pakistan, Donald Blome, visited the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region. New Delhi conveyed to Washington its strong objection to the visit and urged the international community to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. India has registered a strong protest with the British High Commissioner after the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, Jane Marriott visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). This comes after British envoy Jane Marriott visited Mirpur city in the PoK region along with an official of the UK Foreign Office.India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on 10 January 2024, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. Advertisement Such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable, it added. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement.The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been and shall always remain an integral part of India, MEA added. In October last year, the US envoy to Pakistan, Donald Blome, visited the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region. New Delhi conveyed to Washington its strong objection to the visit and urged the international community to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. India has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for eight terms (16 years). The country is a member of the G4, a group of nations that back each other to seek permanent membership of the UNSC. The countries advocate for reform in the UNSC. Highlighting the increasing global backing for Indias permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that sometimes things are not given generously and one has to seize it. Among the five permanent members (P5) of the UNSC, China stands as the sole nation opposing Indias inclusion in the highest echelons of the UN. Ironically, India had previously supported Chinas bid for permanent membership in the UNSC. The significance lies in the fact that each of the P5 countries possesses veto power within the UNSC, requiring the unanimous approval of all members for the adoption of any resolution. Advertisement With each passing year, the feeling in the world is that India should be there, and I can feel that supportThe world does not give things easily and generously; sometimes you have to take them, the EAM said on a question regarding a permanent seat for India at the UNSC. The EAM was speaking at Manthan: Townhall meeting in Maharashtras Nagpur. Jaishankar then pointed out that India which has shown the capability of conducting a successful G20 presidency, that brought out the " New Delhi Declaration" despite differences within the member nations, will contribute to the UNSC. If a country has such a capability, such a country in the UNSC can actually contribute as well, he added. Advertisement On the relevance of the UN, the EAM said that in many ways, the limitations of the UN are now showing and that the organisation used to be more relevant in the 1950s-60s.United Nations (UN) is getting more and more ineffective in confronting key issues, he said, The UN used to be more relevant in the 1950s-60s, but as the number of countrys grew, it was easier for the permanent members to dominate the smaller countries. Advertisement However, that has not been the case in the last 30 years. Today, the five permanent members are not the five largest economies of the world.Jaishankar said that with the passage of time, other countries have developed the confidence to challenge and not agree with the permanent members. The permanent members are also fighting among themselves. In the Ukraine issue, they themselves could not come to an agreement, he said.In many ways, the limitations of the UN are showing. The normal process of renewal and change is today being denied in the UN because there are just a few countries, he added. Advertisement EAM Jaishankar recently emphasised the division of power in the global structure and the importance of negotiating and shaping narratives to create fair systems. Referring to the division of power in the global structure, Jaishankar said that those who have acquired dominance will often create a system that would appear fair, even if they are not using negotiations and narrative. Advertisement He highlighted the division of power in the UNSC and said, Those who have acquired dominance, especially economic dominance, will, through the process of negotiation and shaping of narrative, often create a system that would appear fair, even if they are not. He also said that even though there are talks of free trade, there are cases of cherry picking aiming to freeze leads acquired by the countries. He highlighted that free trade is not applicable to all sectors, such as food, clothing, drugs, and intellectual property. Advertisement India has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for eight terms (16 years). The country is a member of the G4, a group of nations that back each other to seek permanent membership of the UNSC. The countries advocate for reform in the UNSC. Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed the G20 communique under New Delhis presidency, and affirmed Moscows support for Indias candidacy as a permanent member of the UNSC. Advertisement He said that the New Delhi Declaration in September this year perfectly reflected the balance of interest of global powers.The G20 Summit in New Delhi that took place last year was truly a triumph for Indian foreign policy, a triumph for multilateral diplomacy, and it was possible primarily due to the chairmanship of G20. Advertisement It didnt allow the final communique to be one-sided, it reflects the perfect balance of interest, Lavrov said while addressing the joint press conference with EAM Jaishankar in Moscow. This is an example of how G20 and other groups should be working andthis includes the UN and the Security Council. We support Indias candidacy for the Security Council, he added. Advertisement He also said that taking note of multilateral cooperation, Russia supports Indias aspiration as a permanent UNSC member along with representatives of Latin America and Africa. With inputs from agencies. Until Pakistan wins its war against religious extremism, it is unlikely to win its war against poliomyelitis At least six police officers were killed and 27 others were injured in the Belot-Farsh Mamund neighbourhood of Bajaur district in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 10 miles from Pakistans border with Afghanistan, on January 8, when a roadside bomb exploded near the police van carrying them to provide security to polio vaccination workers. Advertisement Pakistani Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the blast. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of militants known as the Pakistani Taliban, has in the past denounced the door-to-door vaccination campaign as a government conspiracy to spy on them. Motorbike-riding militants regularly open fire on polio vaccinators, but this attack is the bloodiest since the 2014 bomb blast that killed six polio guards and a bystander in Charsadda in KP. Unfortunately, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are the only remaining countries in the world where polio is still widespread. According to Global Polio Eradication Initiative: Polio remains endemic in two countries Afghanistan and Pakistan. Until poliovirus transmission is interrupted in these countries, all countries remain at risk of importation of polio, especially vulnerable countries with weak public health and immunisation services and travel or trade links to endemic countries. Advertisement A recent survey conducted by National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) regrettably, confirmed the presence of polio virus in sewage samples collected from 12 cities of Pakistan, including Sukkur, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Mardan, Peshawar, Bannu, Kambar, and Hyderabad. Pakistan is infected with wild poliovirus type I (WPV1), circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1), or cVDPV3. The presence of viruses anywhere poses serious threats to the health of children and can place significant burdens on the health infrastructure and economy of the country. Advertisement Throughout Pakistan, teams consisting of female health workers go door to door trying to make sure every child is safe from the polio virus. Generally, women are allocated such tasks due to the traditional culture of Pakistan, where unknown men are not invited inside the household. These women go out in their campaign with the awareness that they may not come back alive. Their task is dreary, because many in Pakistan have never been vaccinated against polio, the risks are higher even for those who had the drops. Therefore, every child needs to be immunised multiple times, till they turn five. Advertisement Sadly, numerous polio workers and their guards have been killed by militants in Pakistan over anti-vaccine sentiment, which includes the belief that the vaccines contain pig fat. Moreover, hostility grew after the CIA staged a fake vaccination drive to help track down al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Recent incidents of attack on polio vaccinators and their guards are as follows: Advertisement On November 29, 2023: Mohammad Ashraf, a Frontier Reserve Police head constable, who was on way to the place of his deployment for polio duty, was killed when militants opened fire at him in Sabukhel locality of Bannu district of KP. On November 28, 2023: A policeman escorting a polio team was shot at and injured in an attack by unidentified militants in Bannu District of KP. The incident occurred near the basic health unit in Lalozai area in the limits of Basyakhel Police Station. Advertisement On November 22, 2023: A polio worker, identified as Hassan Tawab, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Miran Shah area of North Waziristan District of KP. Hassan was called out of this house by unidentified assailants and shot dead. On October 17, 2023: Four members of anti-polio eradication team were abducted from Umar Khan village in Tank District of KP. The team was conducting a quality assessment after the recently held polio campaign. Advertisement On October 5, 2023: A female polio vaccinator associated with the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative was shot at when she was returning from her duty in Charsadda District in KP. There is an absence of awareness regarding the dangers of polio, and false religious beliefs are rather prevalent in the northern areas of Pakistan, particularly in places near the Pakistan-Afghan border. Most of the population is also not familiar with the consequences and transmission dynamics of polio virus. Advertisement Recently, on November 29, 2023, the Utmanzai Jirga (an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtun social code) in North Waziristan District of KP declared a fine of PKR 500,000 on parents who allow anti-polio vaccination for their children. The Jirga spokesperson, Mufti Baitullah, announced a complete ban on the vaccination campaign, imposing heavy fines on violators. Adding to the gravity of the situation, the Jirga has closed the Bannu-Miranshah Road to all types of vehicular traffic, causing significant disruptions for commuters. Advertisement Certain areas in Pakistan also lack effective water and sanitation infrastructure, subsequently becoming breeding ground for viruses. Furthermore, myths and conspiracy theories about the vaccine are widespread in few regions, leading people to believe that the polio vaccine is a Western intervention to sterilise the population or that taking the vaccine is haram, meaning it is forbidden for Muslims under the Islamic law. Therefore, these inputs often result in attacks on health care professionals and security forces accompanying the polio vaccination team, killing dozens of people in previous years and hampering eradication efforts. Advertisement Established in 1994, Pakistans polio program demonstrated early accomplishment. From the year 2000, the eradication program was extended, counting an increase in personnel and the number of rounds, as well as the adoption of a door-to-door strategy. The national Polio eradication effort made major strides in reaching out to children with immunisation in all parts of the country as Polio cases reached a low of 28 in 2005 but the country has witnessed alarming increase in the number of Polio cases since 2009. Advertisement Moreover, the health workers have been killed in target shoot-outs in various places of Pakistan, be it the urban metropolis of Karachi or in the interiors of tribal agencies of the north. In terms of attacks, Polio eradication efforts in Pakistan suffered a serious blow in 2012, when vaccination workers were targeted directly for the first time. The Pakistan Taliban in the same year issued a threat against people working in the polio vaccination campaign, calling it a Western conspiracy. The cases involving multiple shooters suggest that there is an organised attempt to target polio vaccinators by militant groups with the capability to direct such attacks. Apart from killing, several ways of violence meted against polio vaccination teams are targeted attack, threat, shooting, abduction, explosion, etc. Shooting is the most prominent method of attack, as explained, along with kidnapping and abuse (including torture and rape), attack with an axe, bombing of a polio-vaccination centre, roadside bomb explosion, and stone pelting. There are several reasons that make polio eradication from Pakistan difficult: Pakistans weak state administration and health system, mainly in the tribal areas; movement of refugees from Afghanistan and internally displaced people from the northern tribal areas; movement of seasonal workers across the country; prejudices and misconception among the population against the polio vaccine; anger towards polio vaccinators at family and community levels; and counterattack against the use of health campaigns by security and intelligence agencies. All these factors impend the efficacy of Pakistans polio eradication efforts, and the people managing it. Nevertheless, despite over 120 supplementary immunisation activities in the last decade, polio eradication efforts in Pakistan have been inept to attain their objective of halting polio transmission. Variable governance, and unpredictable leadership and accountability have also delayed the success of the polio program and the quality of the campaigns. Unfortunately, the vaccinators have become the sufferers in a long-drawn war between the militant groups and the state of Pakistan. Killing them creates chaos and tarnishes Pakistans international image and reputation. The militants and their fundamentalist cohorts often get success in de-stabilising the already disordered society of Pakistan. Under such conditions, until Pakistan wins its war against religious extremism, it is unlikely to win its war against poliomyelitis. The author is Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Mothers who have taken the extreme step of killing their own children are often suffering from depression or other mental illnesses and dont have social, physical, or emotional support A mothers love liberates, said Maya Angelou famously. Suchana Seth seemed to have interpreted this meaningful iteration on a whole different level when she allegedly smothered her 4-year-old son to death in a hotel room in Goa a few days ago, an incident that has left the country appalled and horrified to bits. Advertisement In a society where the ideology of the mother permeates the process of nation-building and where mothers are spiritually glorified as the Matr Shakti, and in a culture that is famous for their men being mamas boys, this incident has shaken the countrys emotional core, which is solidly comforted by a high-principled value system. It has caused a scandal that is unprecedented except perhaps a decade ago when Indrani Mukerjea was accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora. This time however, the crime seems even more outrageous with the victim being a four year old toddler, seemingly on vacation with his mother. The mother, Suchana Seth herself is no outcast or misfit in high society, being the CEO of the Mindful AI lab. She is also on the list of 100 Brilliant Women in AI, a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, a Fellow at Harvard University and a Research Fellow at Raman Research Institute. Advertisement One can now add maternal filicide to this impressive resume. There are many theories behind the motive of this killing floating around, the primary one being that her estranged husband had recently been granted visitation rights to the child. A feeble motive, if not ridiculous in nature to common folks. What would drive a woman to kill a human being that she has carried inside her body for nine months and at great personal physical pain and discomfort, released to the world and nourished while they progress through stages in life? It is a question that seems unfathomable, but these incidents do take place. Advertisement Filicidal references are present in cultural and literary traditions. There are Biblical references to Abraham conspiring to sacrifice son Isaac to please a God who was only impressed by extreme tests of dedication. In Greek mythology there is the story of Medea who killed the children she had with her husband to punish him for leaving her for another woman. Advertisement In the physical world, examining a more Darwinian concept, historically, Eskimos living in their harsh environments have been known to birth twins and send one baby away on an ice flat to perish because the mother may not have enough milk for two babies to survive. Under any of these circumstances, to choose death over life, of any individual, as a logical conclusion, whatever be the reason is not pardonable nor can it be rationalised or condoned. Advertisement Philipp Resnick, psychiatry professor at Case Western Reserve University, proposed filicide types where the motivations might be altruistic (where the parent believes theyre killing the child for their own good - the most commonly found motive), unwanted child, spouse revenge, or in the throes of a psychotic episode. Disturbingly, these crimes happen more often than we think. Advertisement A National Institute of Health(NIH) study in the US found that over a 32 year period , 15 per cent of homicide cases were of filicidal nature. Male children were more likely to be killed (58.3 per cent) than female ones. Fathers were more likely to kill sons, with the mothers being more likely to kill daughters. Advertisement Researchers found that the most frequent methods of killing were personal weapons, such as choking, strangling, beating or drowning of victims. Just last year in Bengaluru, three cases of maternal filicide were reported in August, where two of the mothers were dentists. One had thrown her four year old daughter with developmental disorders, from her fourth floor apartment, while another had killed her daughter before committing suicide in their home. Advertisement Jurors mostly view mothers who have killed their children as mentally ill. Not always, there are those rare cases where the motives have turned out to be financial gain or revenge, or where the women concerned are homicidal in nature. However, more commonly, mental illness turns out to be the reason. Advertisement Postpartum depression is also a very common phenomenon where the mother is often battling depression after giving birth due to hormonal changes, coupled with the intense pressure on a mother to take care of a new human being who is completely dependent on her and the loneliness it can sometimes bring. Advertisement The burden of childcare often falls on the mother. The expectations from her are huge and from her own family and society without looking or addressing her own physical or mental health, as said by Prof Prabha S Chandra of the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS). Mothers who have taken this extreme step of killing their own children are often suffering from depression or other mental illnesses and dont have social, physical or emotional support. Advertisement In some cases, they might be suffering from domestic violence (as also alleged by Suchana Seth) by their husbands or families and take this extreme step, thinking in their unstable minds that they are doing it for the childs own good. The most common cases of maternal filicide have been for this reason, where they believe they are acting in their childs best interests or saving them from some other fate that they believe is worse. On occasion, a lack of bonding between the mother and child (which could be due to a number of underlying reasons such as stress, pressure, depression, violence, etc.) could lead to a psychotic episode that leads the mother to take such a drastic step. Ultimately, increased knowledge of psychopathology in understanding maternal filicide can help, and the more we understand about the offenders or victims of filicide, the better we will be able to identify at-risk individuals and prevent such unholy situations from taking place. The author is a freelance journalist and features writer based out of Delhi. Her main areas of focus are politics, social issues, climate change and lifestyle-related topics. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts 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 . Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was another contender for the top post, but in Saturdays meeting he said that someone from Congress should assume charge After intense negotiations, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has been chosen to be the chairperson of opposition bloc INDIA, people aware of the development said. INDIA bloc is yet to make an official announcement. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was another contender for the top post, but in Saturdays meeting he said that someone from Congress should assume charge. Advertisement INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. Several political parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Saturdays meeting was attended by representatives from all parties, except for Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party. However, choosing a chairperson is only one facet of the many challenges faced by the INDIA bloc. They still have to tackle the issue of seat-sharing between all the parties. In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is not expected to be in a forgiving mood given the state Congresss refusal to share any seats in the assembly elections. State party chief Kamal Nath had refused to honour the central leaderships commitment for six seats in the state. Advertisement Akhilesh Yadavs swipes at the Congress were followed by the partys crushing defeat in the three heartland states and the sacking of Kamal Nath from the top post. Congresss discussion with AAP is also proving contentious. While the party wants 4 seats in Delhi and seven seats in Punjab, AAP is not ready to agree. In both Delhi and Punjab, the ruling party wants the bigger share of seats. AAP also wants to contest in Goa, Haryana and Gujarat, people aware of the development said. The accident happened late at night on Friday when the bus heading to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj veered off the Rapti bridge in Bhgalubang and plunged into the river along the East-West Highway At least 12 people, including two Indians, were killed and 23 others injured after a passenger bus plunged into the Rapti River in Nepals Lumbini province, according to a media report on Saturday. The incident occurred late at night on Friday when the bus, en route from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu, deviated off the Rapti bridge in Bhgalubang and plunged into the river along the East-West Highway, according to The Kathmandu Post. Advertisement Twelve people were killed in the accident after a passenger bus fell into the Rapti River. Two Indians were among the dead, said the report. A total of 23 people were also injured in the accident. All the injured were rushed to the Nepalgunj Medical Teaching Hospital in Kohalpur for treatment, said the Deputy Inspector of Police Sundar Tiwari. Police said that the reason behind the accident is not yet clear. Bus driver Lal Bahadur Nepali, 28, has been taken into custody for investigation. With inputs from PTI. Muizzu told the media in Male after his return from a five-day high-profile state visit to China that he has directly appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping to restructure the loans provided to the Maldives. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said on Saturday that China, the largest external creditor to the country, has agreed to consider restructuring the repayment of loans taken by his country and the governments will initiate negotiations soon. Muizzu told the media in Male after his return from a five-day high-profile state visit to China that he has directly appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping to restructure the loans provided to the Maldives. Advertisement He said that the loans were direct loans and that a technical team from Chinas Finance Ministry will travel to Maldives soon to research and decide the way to offer a grace period in loan repayments over next five years, Maldives news portal Sun online reported. This will allow us great easements in loan repayment, he said. China is currently the Indian Ocean island nations largest external creditor, comprising about 20 per cent of its total public debt, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Data shows that Maldives owes China about USD 1.3 billion or more. The island countrys risk of external debt distress has been classified as high by the IMF, considering its total GDP is around USD 4.9 billion, according to recent data. There were widespread concerns about Chinese loans as Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the biggest recipients of Chinese investments and loans, faced the worst economic crisis. Advertisement India bailed out Sri Lanka with about USD four billion in assistance after the island nation went bankrupt and different its external loan repayments in 2022. With inputs from PTI. Sejourne, in a joint news conference alongside Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, reiterated his governments pledges of support for Ukraine as long as necessary but did not announce new weapon deliveries. Frances new foreign minister arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday to meet with his counterpart in a sign of support for Ukraine as Russias full-scale invasion nears its second anniversary. Stephane Sejourne noted that Ukraine was his first destination abroad since his nomination in a government reshuffle this week. Ukraine is and will remain Frances priority, Sejourne said. The defence of the fundamental principles of international law is being played out in Ukraine. Advertisement Sejourne, in a joint news conference alongside Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, reiterated his governments pledges of support for Ukraine as long as necessary but did not announce new weapon deliveries. Russia is hoping that Ukraine and its supporters will tire before it does. We will not weaken. That is the message that I am carrying here to the Ukrainians. Our determination is intact, Sejourne said. The ministers took no questions. France has been switching away from its initial post-invasion policy of providing complete weapons systems to Ukraine from its own stocks. It is increasingly pursuing what the government describes as a more sustainable effort to help defence manufacturers both at home and in Ukraine ramp up production so they can supply the embattled countrys long-term armament needs. Advertisement Sejourne said that a French defence fund to enable Ukraine to buy armaments also got fresh funding in recent weeks but he did not specify the amount. France is also working to overcome objections from Hungary to supply EU financial aid to Ukraine, needed to fund essential public services and reconstruction. Sejourne said France would use all of its weight to try to unblock the EU aid package at an upcoming summit in early February. Advertisement Kuleba thanked Sejourne for not being deterred from visiting by another massive Russian strike. He also highlighted that many Western-made components were found in Russian missiles used to attack Ukraine. According to a recent report by the Kyiv School of Economics and Yermak McFauls group, 44% of all electronic components in Russias weapons are developed by Western companies, he said, calling on the Group of Seven and the European Union to take decisive measures to block the supply of goods containing these components to Russia. Advertisement Sejourne s visit came a day after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled Friday new military funding for Ukraine, announcing a security pact with Kyiv and 2.5 billion pounds (about $3.2 billion) for its war effort over the next fiscal year. Also on Saturday, the Ukrainian Air Force said its defence system downed eight of the 37 missiles fired by Russia. Three drones were also launched. The air force said via its Telegram channel that 20 of the total attacks were prevented from reaching their target by means of electronic warfare. Advertisement Both Ukraine and Russia make use of electronic warfare technology aimed at jamming and diverting enemy drones and guided missiles. Also, in Ukraines northeastern Sumy region, a resident was wounded as a result of a morning rocket attack, the regional prosecutors office said. With inputs from Reuters. The two nations are pushing to improve bilateral trade prospects, overcoming diplomatic tensions after Washington late last year alleged that an Indian official was linked to a foiled plot to murder a Sikh separatist leader on U.S. soil. India and the United States have agreed to boost trade relations and expand cooperation, particularly in crucial sectors like critical minerals, said the United States Trade Representative, Katherine Tai on Saturday. Trade Minister Piyush Goyal and Tai engaged in their annual trade policy discussions in New Delhi on January 12, during Tais three-day visit to India. During talks between Tai and Goyal, India said it was interested in a bilateral critical mineral partnership. Advertisement Despite diplomatic tensions stemming from Washingtons allegations late last year, asserting a connection between an Indian official and a thwarted plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on U.S. soil, both nations are actively working to improve bilateral trade prospects. India has said any such action was contrary to government policy and launched its own investigation into the allegations. Washington and New Delhi would exchange information to deepen their partnership in this area, said an Indian official, who didnt wish to be named as discussions are not public. In terms of the roadmap (for critical minerals), we are going to begin with fact-finding, exploring and establishing a common vocabulary and then develop our tools and ideas from there, Tai told a news briefing in New Delhi. Advertisement India also asked the United States to improve its visa processes for business professionals from India and requested Washington restore duty-free access to some goods under the so-called generalized system of preferences, according to a joint statement issued after the Jan. 12 meeting. A U.S. trade preference program, which India had access to for decades, was ended by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Advertisement During her talks in New Delhi, Tai asked India to ensure that New Delhis policies on laptop imports do not restrict trade. With inputs from Reuters. Israel, which mounted its blistering air and ground campaign in response to Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that saw 1,200 people killed and 250 others abducted, holds the group responsible for civilian deaths by embedding militants in buildings used by non-combatants. Israel kept up bombardments in the Gaza Strip on Saturday as its deadly war on the enclaves Hamas rulers approached 100 days with no end in sight. In the southern city of Rafah, an Israeli airstrike on a house sheltering two displaced families killed 10 people, the Gaza health ministry said. Holding up a photo of a dead girl with a piece of bread in her hand, Bassem Arafeh, a relative, said the families in Rafah had been eating dinner when the house was struck on Friday night. Advertisement This child died while she was hungry, while she was eating a piece of bread with nothing on it, where is the International Criminal Court to see how the children die? Arafeh said. Where are the Muslims and the world leaders? Israel says it targets militants and does all it can to minimize harm to non-combatants as it wages urban warfare against Hamas in the densely populated Palestinian enclave. But the scale of the killing in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation has shocked world opinion and fuelled growing calls for a ceasefire. The Israeli military on Saturday said its forces had killed numerous militants in the southern area of Khan Younis and in the central Gaza Strip. It said it was looking into the reported strike in Rafah. Hamas said its fighters fired at an Israeli helicopter in southern Gazas Khan Younis. In the central Gaza Strip, residents reported intense gunbattle tank shelling and Israeli air strikes in Al-Bureij, Al-Nusseirat and Al-Maghazi, areas housing refugees and descendants of the 1948 war. Advertisement The Israeli military said it targeted militants and a Hamas command centre in those areas. Israeli forces were also seen on the edge of Deir Al-Balah, a town to the West, to which Israel had been urging residents to shelter. Witnesses said a bus was hit nearby by an Israeli missile. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Advertisement More than 20 fatalities were reported in northern Gaza, Beit Lahiya and in the Daraj neighbourhood in Gaza City. Israel has announced a new phase in the war, saying it will begin withdrawing its forces from the northern Gaza Strip where they deployed three weeks after the militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7. Advertisement The Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra said Israeli strikes killed 135 Palestinians and wounded 312 in the past 24 hours. In total, he said 23,843 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since Oct. 7. Israel says it has killed at least 8,000 fighters so far and that it has no choice but to end Hamas rule in Gaza after the militants, who are sworn to Israels destruction, killed 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and took 240 hostages. Advertisement Most of Gazas population of 2.3 million has since been displaced with much of the territory laid to waste. Sheikh Zayed City was one of the beautiful cities of Gaza before the war, it used to house thousands of people, but it is now destroyed, said Mahmoud Salama, a freelance Palestinian journalist touring the northern town after Israeli tanks had retreated. The reality is more difficult than the footage. Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport but headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport after the crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit. A domestic flight of Japans All Nippon Airways returned to its departure airport on Saturday after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft midair, a spokesperson for the airline said. Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport but headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport after the crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit, the spokesperson said, adding there were no injuries reported among the 59 passengers and six crew. Advertisement The aircraft was not one of Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes. These have been in the spotlight after a cabin panel broke off a new Alaska Airlines jet in mid-air last week. Recently, an Alaska Airlines jetliner blew out a portion of its fuselage shortly after takeoff 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) above Oregon, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing as its 171 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks. No one was seriously hurt as the depressurized plane returned safely to Portland International Airport about 20 minutes after departure. The crack was not something that affected the flights control or pressurisation, the ANA spokesperson said. The U.S. aviation regulator on Friday extended the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes indefinitely for new safety checks and announced it will tighten oversight of Boeing itself. Advertisement With inputs from Reuters. Taiwan, in response, sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the PLA activity. On the day of the election, Taiwans Ministry of National Defence (MND) detected that Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwans Southwest Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Additionally, two Chinese balloons crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. The ministry said that, within the timeframe from 6 a.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Saturday, a total of eight Chinese military aircraft, along with six naval vessels and two balloons, were identified operating in the vicinity of Taiwan. Advertisement Taiwan, in response, sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the PLA activity. China has since September 2020, increased its use of grey zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan, as per Taiwan News. Grey zone tactics are defined as an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve ones security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force. Taiwans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaushieh Joseph Wu, on Friday called on the global community to be aware of and thwart Chinas attempts to intervene in the democratic nations elections, a local weekly newspaper reported. Speaking in Taipei City during a pre-election media briefing for international journalists ahead of the presidential and legislative elections, Minister Wu highlighted the urgency of recognising and preventing Chinas interference tactics, according to Taiwan Today. Advertisement The minister warned that China is using Taiwan as a testing ground for election intervention and explained Chinas various interference tactics. He cited examples, emphasising Chinas reliance on mixed methods such as military threats, political propaganda, economic coercion, and cyber and disinformation warfare. The objective is to manipulate public opinion, framing elections as a choice between war, peace and prosperity. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. According to the Central Election Commission report, Lai received over 5 million votes and more than 40 per cent of the vote share after counting was done from over 90 per cent of polling stations as of 7:45 pm (local time). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te has secured victory in Taiwans presidential election on Saturday and is set to be the next President amid concerns of escalating tensions with China. Taiwans president-elect Lai Ching-te vowed Saturday to stand on the side of democracy and defend the self-ruled island from intimidation from China, which has branded him as a threat to peace in the flashpoint region. Advertisement The island, situated 160 kilometers (100 miles) off the coast of China, is a focal point in the delicate balance of regional peace and stability. Beijing asserts its claim over Taiwan, considering it as part of its territory and expressing the intent to reclaim it by force if deemed necessary. The election results will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of cross-strait relations between Taiwan and China in the foreseeable future. Addressing supporters after his two opponents conceded defeat, Lai thanked the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy, he said, adding that he will also try to pursue exchanges with China. Advertisement I will act in a manner that is balanced and maintain the cross-strait status quo, he said. But he also vowed to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threat and intimidation from China. According to the Central Election Commission report, Lai received over 5 million votes and more than 40 per cent of the vote share after counting was done from over 90 per cent of polling stations as of 7:45 pm (local time). Advertisement Previously undecided voters split three ways among the candidates, giving Lai a seven-point lead over Kuomintang candidate Hou Yu-ih, who received 33 per cent of the total votes. In third place, the Taiwan Peoples Party candidate Ko Wen-je took 26 per cent of the national vote, performing marginally better than expected, according to Taiwan News. Advertisement Lai, who previously served as Tainans mayor has pledged to continue bolstering national defense, the economy, and cooperation with democratic allies. He also said he would maintain deterrence and uphold the cross-strait status quo, during an election speech. Lai said he would form a new government staffed by individuals based on their capabilities rather than party affiliation, adding that this way, it could effectively respond to challenges, be open and inclusive, and unite Taiwanese to face both domestic and international challenges. Advertisement He also vowed to continue initiatives focusing on value-based diplomacy, cross-strait stability, defence self-sufficiency, economic upgrading, energy transition, youth investment, housing justice, and educational equality. This will shape Taiwan to be a stable and indispensable force in the international community, he said. Lais victory will surely cause protest from Beijing, which would have preferred the China-friendly KMT and Hou Yu-ih in power. Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office on Thursday labelled Lai as an obstinate Taiwan independence worker that would bring cross-strait confrontation and conflict, according to Taiwan News. Advertisement China has increased military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including near-daily incursions into the countrys air defence identification zone (ADIZ) and sending military ships near its maritime borders. With Lai as president, the Taiwanese have made clear they will not back down from Chinese intimidation. With inputs from agencies. Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Partys (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, and pledged both to stand up to Beijing and seek talks. President Joe Biden said that the United States does not endorse the independence of Taiwan, following the elections where voters in Taiwan, defied Chinas preferences and elected the Democratic Progressive Party for a third consecutive term. The Democratic Progressive Party has consistently aimed to curb Beijings influence. China views Taiwan, governed separately, as an integral part of its territory, advocating reunification, even if it requires the use of force. In contrast, the majority of Taiwanese favour maintaining the current status quo. Advertisement Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Partys (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, and pledged both to stand up to Beijing and seek talks. We do not support independence Biden said, when asked for reaction to Saturdays elections. Hours ahead of the polls opening, Washington had warned it would be unacceptable for any country to interfere in the election. Taiwan, a neighbouring island China claims as its own, has been a democratic success story since holding its first direct presidential election in 1996, the culmination of decades of struggle against authoritarian rule and martial law. The United States is Taiwans most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties with the island. Advertisement U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai Ching-te on his victory and said the United States is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure.He said the U.S.looks forward to working with Lai and leaders of all parties in Taiwan to advance their longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the U.S. one China policy. Advertisement The Biden administration has feared that the election, transition and new administration would escalate conflict with Beijing. Biden has worked to smooth relations with China, including agreeing to talk through differences on security matters at a California summit with President Xi Jinping in November. Taiwans government expects China to attempt to put pressure on its incoming president after the vote, including staging military maneuvers near the island this spring, two senior government officials said. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Advertisement In a show of support for the government, Biden plans to dispatch an unofficial delegation to the self-governed island, according to a senior Biden administration official. The delegation is likely to include some former high-ranking American officials, according to the official, who said the names have not been finalized. Similar delegations have been sent to Taiwan in the past. Advertisement China was angered in 2016 when then-President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, the first such conversation between U.S. and Taiwan leaders since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979. With inputs from Reuters. No Rest For The Wicked (Or the Good) - HDD's 4K UHD & Blu-ray Shopping Guide, Mar 17, 2024 Buyer Beware - Ford Quality and Parts Issues I have a 2023 Ford F250. Took delivery in November of 2023. Within 2 weeks and approximately 400 miles, it developed a coolant leak. It was a secondary cooling hose to the radiator. Waited a week for parts. Approximately 3 weeks later (1200 miles on odometer), I discovered a power steering fluid leak. Made an appointment, took the truck to the dealer, diagnosed as a leaking power steering hose to the cooler. Parts are backordered with a possible delivery time of 2 1/2 weeks. Called Ford Customer Relationship Center. Three days later, Ford Customer Relationship Center called back and said the part is on backorder and due in about the end of the month (3 weeks). I told them that delivery time was unacceptable and made a request to elevate the parts issue. Today, I received a call from a supervisor from the Ford Customer Relationship Center telling me about the same thing. The bottom line is that Ford doesn't care about quality or customer satisfaction. Neither are important to them. I have an $87K truck that has leaked most of the 8 weeks I have owned it. If you are considering purchasing a new Ford Superduty, be aware if you have problems more likely than not Ford does not have the parts and doesn't care if or when then they are available. The dealer has offered assistance in way of a loaner. They only have a F150 loaner available. If an F150 would have met my needs I would have saved a bundle of money and purchased an F150. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Three local African American women artists are coming together to present an art exhibition at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in response to the killing spree by a white supremacist that left 10 people dead and three injured at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue on May 14, 2022. Diversifying Buffalo AKG's art collection: 'A really energizing mandate' Since 2000, some 47% of all works acquired by Buffalo AKG have been artists who are people of color, compared to 10% represented in the collection between 1862 and 1999, according to Holly Hughes, senior curator for the collection. The artwork will be on exhibit for nearly seven months, from March 8 to Sept. 30, and features portraitures by Julia Bottoms, one of the artists on the Freedom Wall, prose from Tiffany Gaines and poetry from Jillian Hanesworth, who was Buffalos inaugural poet laureate, and whose poem Water was installed as part of an in-store memorial to the victims after Tops reopened to the public. The Before and After Again exhibition will offer free admission in the museums M&T Bank Gallery in the Seymour H. Knox Building, and is being presented by Tops. I believe this project can hold room for a community in mourning, while simultaneously searching for joy in the memory of those lost, Bottoms said in a statement. I believe a major component of the projects success is that which will occur in the space between the canvas and the audience: remembrance, reflection, mourning and celebration. There is nothing that could ever reconcile the immense tragedy and loss faced by our community, but art is powerful in that it offers space for reflection, healing and contemplation, Gaines said. I am honored to work with Julia and Jillian on an exhibition that I hope will honor the necessity of processing our collective grief, and will also activate the arts as a means of addressing real, systemic issues to envision a brighter, more equitable way forward. Aaron Ott, the Buffalo AKGs Curator of Public Art who is curating this exhibition, said the exhibition is the latest example of the museums commitment to greater artistic diversity. I see this exhibition not as a memorial, but a living expression of resistance, resilience, humanity and a love that prevails over all other forces, Ott said. Led by powerful local Black voices, the exhibition stands to elevate growing, critical and crucial dialogue in our city about equity, and our shared cultural responsibility to elevate and respect the lives of our Black citizens, neighbors, friends and families. Final Albright-Knox Northland exhibition celebrates living Black artists "We at the Albright talk about the transformative nature of art, and it is a truth of this exhibition," Aaron Ott said. "This exhibition, right now, is absolutely electric with work." The exhibition is made possible through support from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Office of the Governor, the State Legislature and an anonymous donor. This is one of three exhibitions opening this spring. Stanley Whitney: How High the Moon, the first career retrospective of one of the countrys foremost abstract painters, will open on Feb. 9. It will be followed by After the Sun: Forecasts from the North, an exhibition of artworks created by artists in the Nordic region that address global climate change opening April 26. In addition, the Buffalo AKG has launched the Thursday Night Live free music series on Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Ralph Wilson Town Square. Local musical acts will perform a variety of genres, including R&B, jazz, rock and soul. Cornelia, the museums cafe, has also launched dinner service, with a brand new dinner menu debuting later this month. Dennis received bachelor's degrees in communication and political science with a TAG degree in Spanish from The University of Akron in Ohio. He grew up in Ohio with 2 sisters and two brothers, one being his fraternal twin. He and his wife have 3 dogs: Duke, Bacio, and Cal. Dennis currently covers natural resource and environmental issues for The Daily Sentinel An official of a polling station holds up a ballot slip, as vote counting for the presidential elections commences, at a high school in New Taipei City on January 13, 2024. Vote counting got under way Dylan Anderson/Steamboat Pilot & Today Steam rises from the Craig Station just west of Craig, as seen from an EcoFlight tour in February 2022, of the Yampa Valley. Officials are bracing for the closure of the station and the Colowyo Mine that supplies it in 2030, and what that means for the economy of Craig and Moffat County, which has been reliant on the coal industry. Buffalo police have charged a 30-year-old city resident in connection with a Jan. 6 triple shooting inside Sahara Hookah Lounge on Hertel Avenue. Caron Fleming was charged with attempted murder, assault and weapons possession on Thursday, police said Friday in a news release. The shooting happened during a dispute between patrons shortly before 2 a.m. at the hookah lounge at 1177 Hertel, police previously said. A 36-year-old man had been listed in critical condition at Erie County Medical Center. Two other men, both 28, had been hospitalized in stable condition. No updates on their conditions were provided by police on Friday. Fleming was charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of second-degree assault. Fleming pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Buffalo City Court and was ordered held without bail, according to court records. Press release on UN evaluation of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip 11 January 2024 17:15 19-11-01-2024 On January 5, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released a report on the efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2712 (adopted on November 15, 2023), which emphasised the need to protect children in conditions of the armed conflict. The report is straight forward: "So far it is clear that implementation has been only partial at best and is woefully insufficient." It mentions the reason for this situation - the continuation of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. Statistics vividly illustrate the catastrophe "on the ground." In a bit less than one hundred days of bloodshed, the numbers of dead and wounded Palestinians in the enclave have exceeded 23,000 and 59,000, respectively, 70 percent of them women and children. Almost 2 million people in Gaza have to seek shelter, given that there are no relatively safe places or districts in the blocked enclave to which adequate supplies of humanitarian relief can be organised, as Mr Guterres confirms. Over 60 percent of buildings have been damaged. In the UN's estimate, the "nature and scale of the death and destruction are characteristic of the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas..." These weapons are used by Israel. According to the UN Secretariat, medical facilities are also being attacked. About 300 strikes have hit 94 hospitals, and about 200 strikes have hit 125 facilities under the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). These attacks have already killed 144 UN employees - the highest one-time loss in the history of the UN. People in the Gaza Strip are threatened by famine and epidemics of infectious diseases against the backdrop of the continuing hostilities, blockade, and the de facto absence of free humanitarian access. According to Mr Guterres, about 180 women give birth to babies in the enclave every day in such conditions. We have to state with growing alarm that as the main body for maintaining international peace and security, the UN Security Council has so far failed to fulfil its direct mandate because of US resistance. Due to US objections, both adopted UN Security Council resolutions (2712 and 2720) do not include the key demand for an immediate and universal ceasefire and are doomed to remain on paper for this reason. In the meantime, bloodshed in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict could develop into a regional crisis with the growing escalation of violence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Red Sea. There is the threat of mass resettlement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River to Egypt and Jordan. Russia continues to advocate, primarily, in the UN Security Council and General Assembly, an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, and the need to organise free humanitarian access to Gaza and resume the political process based on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Russia believes that Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, including the seizing of hostages, deserves to be wholly condemned. Yet, Israel, as an occupying power, cannot and should not use this to justify the collective punishment of millions of Palestinians in the occupied territory in violation of the standards and principles of international humanitarian law. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Election Results in the Democratic Republic of the Congo US Department of State Press Statement Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson January 11, 2024 The United States congratulates Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo on his re-election to a second term as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We also congratulate the Congolese people for their commitment to making their voices heard throughout the electoral process. Now the important task of building national cohesion calls for leadership, accountability, and inclusivity at all levels. Regrettably, as noted by domestic and international observation missions, insecurity, logistical issues, and preparatory shortcomings created significant delays and barriers to voting on election day. For many, incidents of fraud and corruption raised doubts about the integrity of the results. We encourage the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) to ensure greater transparency regarding the tabulation of remaining results. The United States also strongly urges Congolese authorities to launch a comprehensive review of the electoral process, investigate and hold accountable those who attempted to undermine the will of the people, and, in consultation with stakeholders, act on recommendations to improve future elections. The United States looks forward to expanding its partnership with the DRC government and working with Congolese people across the nation to advance our mutual interests. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Africa Command Head Advances U.S.-Nigeria Cooperation U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley and Sgt. Maj. Michael Woods visited Nigeria on January 10-11, 2024. They discussed strengthening U.S.-Nigeria cooperation, countering extremism, and regional security with Nigerian military leaders. Gen. Langley emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing West Africa's security challenges. By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs , United States Africa Command Stuttgart, Germany Jan 12, 2024 U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, Commander, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Michael Woods, the command's Senior Enlisted Leader, visited Nigeria, January 10-11, 2024. Langley and Woods engaged with Major General EV Onumajuru, Chief of Defense Training and Operations. The leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two nations, efforts to counter violent extremism in the region, and Nigeria's leadership when addressing regional security. Langley reaffirmed the United States' long-standing cooperation with Nigeria, which has the largest population, economy, and democracy in Africa. "Cooperation and training between the U.S. and Nigerian militaries is vital in addressing the evolving security landscape in West Africa and advancing common interests," Langley said. "This visit underscores the United States' commitment to work in partnership with West African nations in promoting security, stability and prosperity across the region." Around West Africa, extremist groups exploit weak governance and environmental stressors, causing instability. This insecurity not only affects the region but also poses a global threat by fostering terrorism and exacerbating humanitarian crises. "Instability in West Africa requires collaboration - including intelligence sharing and capacity building - to address. In partnership with Nigeria, the United States aims to counter terrorism, provide humanitarian assistance, and achieve the security needed for economic growth," stated U.S. Mission Nigeria Charge d'Affaires David Greene. Langley also met with Nigerian alumni of the embassy's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and other programs, where he shared his perspective on leadership and learned about the alumni's achievements. Langley and Woods further met with embassy diplomatic and military personnel, several of whom he recognized for their accomplishments. U.S. Africa Command is one of seven U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands. The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, and security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity. The visit highlights U.S. Africa Command's 3D approach, which leverages diplomacy, development, and defense collaboration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Radev Holds Meeting with Heads of Security Services on Red Sea Crisis and the Situation of Bulgarian Sailors on the Detained Ships in the Region President of the Republic of Bulgaria 12 January 2024 President Rumen Radev today held a meeting with the heads of the State Intelligence Agency, Antoan Gechev, the State Agency for National Security, Plamen Tonchev, and the Defence Intelligence Service, Brigadier General Venelin Venev, regarding the current security environment in the Red Sea region. During the meeting, the heads of the security services assessed the possible risks of mounting tensions in the region, as well as the development of the situation with the Bulgarian citizens, part of the crews of the hijacked ships Galaxy Leader and Ruen at the end of 2023. The diplomatic actions and coordination with our partners to ensure the security of Bulgarian citizens in the region were also discussed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by Minister Joly on South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice Global Affairs Canada Statement January 12, 2024 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs today issued the following statement: "Canada was a founding voice and remains a strong proponent of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) independence and its critical role in the peaceful settlements of disputes between countries. The ICJ is also a key participant in upholding the international rules-based order. "Canada continues to strongly and unequivocally condemn Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel. Hamas is a listed terrorist entity that continues to explicitly call for the elimination of Jews and the destruction of the state of Israel. Israel has the right to exist and to defend itself from terrorist attacks in accordance with international law. In defending itself, Israel must respect international humanitarian law. "Canada remains deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained. Canada supports urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire. This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms. "Canada's unwavering support for international law and the ICJ does not mean we accept the premise of the case brought by South Africa. We will follow the proceedings of South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice very closely. "Under the UN's 1948 Genocide Convention, the crime of genocide requires the intention to destroy or partly destroy a group because of their nationality, ethnicity, race or religion. Meeting this high threshold requires compelling evidence. "We must ensure that the procedural steps in this case are not used to foster Antisemitism and targeting of Jewish neighbourhoods, businesses, and individuals. At the same time, we will continue to stand against Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment. "Canada remains firmly committed to combatting prejudice, hatred, and violent extremism and continues to call for calm, peace and understanding." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by Minister Joly and Minister Blair on the United States' and the United Kingdom's action in Yemen Global Affairs Canada Statement January 12, 2024 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, today issued the following statement: "Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed with US Central Command supported the precisely targeted strikes undertaken yesterday by the armed forces of the United States and United Kingdom, as did Australia, Bahrain and the Netherlands, against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. "These precision strikes are consistent with the UN Charter and demonstrate the international community's commitment to defending freedom of navigation and international commerce in the Red Sea. "Despite multiple strong warnings from the international community, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have continued, including against U.S. Navy vessels. "These actions follow the adoption of UNSCR 2722 by the UN Security Council on January 10, 2024, demanding the Houthis end attacks on merchant and commercial vessels. "Canada condemns the reckless Houthi attacks against commercial ships and crew operating in the Red Sea. They directly impact the flow of food, fuel, humanitarian assistance and other essential commodities to populations around the world, which can affect the global economy. "We call on Houthis to cease their attacks immediately, and reiterate that they bear the consequences of their actions. We remain committed to working with our partners in the Middle East to help advance sustainable peace and security in the region." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Payton Gendron will never hurt anyone outside a prison wall for the rest of his life. So, Attorney General Merrick Garlands decision to seek the death penalty against the gunman who fatally shot 10 Black people at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo and is already serving life in prison without a chance for parole on his state convictions isnt about public safety, said a lawyer who has represented death-row prisoners in state and federal courts. Justice Department seeking death penalty for Buffalo mass shooter Payton Gendron Relatives of the victims were told about Attorney General Merrick Garland's decision in a private meeting with prosecutors on Friday morning at the federal courthouse in Buffalo. The reason one might pursue this as a capital case is the Department of Justice wants to send a symbolic message, said Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project at Phillips Black, a nonprofit public interest legal practice, and an adjunct professor at Temple University. But pursuing a symbolic message carries risk, Dunham said. The publicity from a protracted federal trial could embolden others with mental health issues, including those whose racism is percolating, and want to send their own messages by mimicking a mass killer, he said. White supremacist gets life in prison for Buffalo massacre A white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday after relatives of his victims confronted him with pain and rage caused by his racist attack. Capital prosecutions have not and will not deter acts of terror, acts of mental illness and acts of hatred, Dunham told The Buffalo News. The case against Gendron is the first time the Biden administration has initiated a death-penalty prosecution. The Justice Department has pursued capital punishment in a couple of cases it inherited from the prior administration. What Fridays decision represents is the Justice Department moving forward in terrorism-type cases with the death penalty, Dunham said. Prosecutors say they intend to prove several factors justifying a sentence of death, principally that Gendron intentionally killed Roberta Drury, Pearl Young, Heyward Patterson, Ruth Whitfield, Celestine Chaney, Aaron W. Salter Jr., Andre Mackniel, Margus Morrison, Katherine Massey and Geraldine Talley. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sonya A. Zoghlin, who is on the defense team tasked with defending Gendron, said the government could have chosen what she called a more productive strategy to protect the public. Tops mass shooting gunman willing to plead guilty to federal charges if prosecutors don't seek death penalty Shortly after the holidays, defense attorneys for the man who pleaded guilty to 10 state murder charges in the racist mass shooting at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue will begin to make their pitch to the Justice Department that his should be spared. We are deeply disappointed with the attorney generals decision to seek the death penalty against our client, who was 18 when he committed this crime and is already serving a life sentence with no chance of parole, Zoghlin said. Rather than a prolonged and traumatic capital prosecution, the efforts of the federal government would be better spent on combating the forces that facilitated this terrible crime, including easy access to deadly weapons and the failure of social media companies to moderate the hateful rhetoric and images that circulate online. If the Justice Department had not sought the death penalty, Gendron would have pleaded guilty to all 27 federal charges, resulting in multiple federal life sentences on top of the state prison sentence, his lawyers have said. Both the prosecution and the defense team face challenges in the capital case, said Terrence M. Connors, a prominent Buffalo attorney who has handled high-profile cases. It is of a magnitude I cannot express, Connors said of the difference in capital cases versus other criminal cases. Every trial has risks, known and unknown, Connors said, adding that hes never seen a trial unfold according to script, as lawyers might plan. They may get a speedy trial, Connors said. But the appellate process will be lengthy, protracted and take years. Reactions to decision Anti-death penalty advocates quickly criticized Garlands decision. This Biden administration has pledged to abolish the federal death penalty, and here they are, seeking it yet again, Death Penalty Action co-founder Abe Bonowitz said. The false promise of a death sentence which may not be achieved, and an execution, which may never happen, only exacerbates the waste of taxpayer dollars that we know capital punishment to be. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown called seeking the death penalty against Gendron the right decision. Ten innocent lives were taken, Brown said. Three others were injured, and the shooter traveled more than three hours away to commit this heinous crime in our community. I agree with the Justice Department for seeking the death penalty. The death penalty should apply as a deterrent to mass shootings, including racially motivated mass shootings. Mass shootings are all too prevalent in our country. While I am not ordinarily a proponent of the death penalty, I think people should know ahead of time that if you commit mass murder in the United States of America, the death penalty will apply. Erie County Sheriff John Garcia also said the DOJ made the right decision. This racist, callous individual spent a great deal of time devising a plan to terrorize the city of Buffalo, Garcia said. I cannot imagine a more appropriate case for capital punishment. Gut punch for one relative Attorneys representing the families who lost loved ones in the mass shooting have said their clients have a range of feelings about whether Gendron should face the death penalty. Some feel strongly that he should, while others were satisfied knowing he would never walk free again. Connors is among the lawyers who filed a civil lawsuit against social media companies on behalf of seven families whose loved ones were among the 10 murdered at the grocery store, plus three shoppers and three employees hurt or in the store during the racist attack. There was a split, Connors said. Several of them felt that life in prison was the appropriate sentence, let him stay there and experience that. There were others that felt harsher punishment was warranted in this case. If not in this case, then what case? Zeneta B. Everhart, whose son, Zaire Goodman, survived after Gendron shot him in the neck in the parking lot, said the trial can be a learning experience for the public. Let this trial be more than a legal proceeding; let it be a crucial lesson for America, Everhart said. I call on the nation to witness and learn from this trial, reinforcing the message that such acts of violence and racism will not be tolerated in our society. She said she hopes the trial serves as a pivotal moment for our entire nation. It is imperative that the evidence is presented transparently, so that Americans can fully comprehend the gravity of the situation and understand why the Department of Justice recommended the death penalty, she said. The intent behind the actions taken was clear an assault on our community with the purpose of harming innocent Black people my people, she added. As a nation, we must unite against such acts of hatred, and the trial should stand as a testament to our collective commitment to justice, equality and the rejection of racial violence. Mark Talley, whose mother, Geraldine Talley, 62, was killed by Gendron, said he would have preferred to see Gendron tortured for the rest of his life in a state prison. But with a trial in federal court, hopefully, the public will see what weve had to deal with now over the past close to two years, Talley said. Hopefully they can see all the pain, all the tragedy thats been caused by this white supremacist. Michelle Fryson, whose cousin Marcus Morrison and aunt Pearl Young were among those fatally gunned down, said she wasnt expecting the decision, which she described as a gut punch. She said it seems there will never be a resolution to the case. I think thats the hard part, she said. When a massacre of this magnitude occurs, everybody wants to be able to bring some closure, if you will, and it is not in sight. Pamela Pritchett, the daughter of Pearl Young, said, No matter what the decision would have been, Im working on healing, because that, for me, is whats important. January 12, 2024 Transcript Director of the Joint Staff and Pentagon Press Secretary Hold an On-Record, Off-Camera, Telephonic Press Briefing Army Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, director, Joint Staff; Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Hey, good afternoon, everyone. Major General Ryder here. We are fortunate today to have Director of the Joint Staff Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, who will be providing an update on last night's strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen to degrade and disrupt their ability to conduct future attacks. This session today will be on the record. I will call on reporters, and I would ask that you please mute your phones while we're conducting this press briefing. And with that, I will turn it over to General Sims. Thank you, sir. LIEUTENANT GENERAL DOUGLAS A. SIMS II: Thanks, Pat. Good afternoon, everyone. I appreciate the opportunity to get together and talk with you about last night's operation. I guess what I'll say, and I'll just say very shortly and then I know you're more interested in asking questions than listening to me ramble on. But I think you were tracking that last night, the United States and British elements, with the support of the Australians, Bahrainis, Canadians and Netherlands, conducted multiple strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. And just to clear things up as we get started, so the original strikes were against 16 separate locations. Each of those locations contained a number of different items, so -- and the reason I say that is there's -- I've seen and -- and heard from conjecture about total numbers of -- of targets, and I just wanted to be very clear that there were 16 locations, and on each of those locations, there might have been a number of items that were struck. So there could have been, as an example, multiple launchers for antiship ballistic missiles, as an example, in one location. Subsequent or immediately following those strikes, there were 12 other locations that had been identified as possessing articles that could be potentially used against forces, maritime and air. Those areas were also -- they were subsequently struck again. Those 12 locations consisted of multiple items. So all told -- and I say that just under 30 different locations. There were just over 150 various munitions used. Those munitions came from both maritime platforms, as well as air platforms, either British or U.S., in the air. As I know you're tracking, the U.S. Naval assets, air assets, came off of the Eisenhower Strike Group. And at this point, we continue to conduct battle damage assessment of the -- of the various targets. We feel very confident about where our -- where our -- where our munitions struck, but we don't know at this point the complete battle damage assessment, and we continue to do that as -- as we're speaking now. So I'll hold there, and look forward to your questions. GEN. RYDER: Thank you, sir. First question will go to Associated Press, Lita Baldor. Q: Thank you, and thank you, General Sims, for doing this. I realize -- it sounds like you don't have much more of a BDA, but can you give us any idea of militants killed or anything like that for the BDA? And then more broadly, the Houthis and the public, I think, to a degree were pretty aware that this was in the process of planning. Do you believe or does the U.S. believe that that had any impact on the Houthis? Were they able to hide things? Do you get a sense that they were able to move things around because they knew something was coming? And -- and what is your assessment of what they're planning to do now? Have you seen anything? GEN. SIMS: So Lita, thanks. I'm not going to get into the intelligence aspects of this, except to say, you know, this -- this was not -- first of all, in terms of -- of, you know, the numbers, not to play a numbers game with you, the number of casualties, we don't expect would be very high. In fact, the majority of the locations that we hit were in areas that were not built up at all. So think ballistic missile launchers that were in mountain areas or, you know, very lowly populated areas. So the number of casualties will likely not be very high. I will tell you, in the end, this was not about -- this was not necessarily about casualties as much as it was about degrading capability. So we know precisely the capability that the Houthis have been employing against international shipping in the Red Sea, in the Bab-al-Mandeb. This was -- this was solely designed to get after the capability that is impeding international -- you know, the freedom of navigation in -- in international waters, and that's -- we feel pretty confident we did good work on that. In terms of early notification, I can't speak to that. You know, perhaps the Houthis can answer that. GEN. RYDER: Thank you. Let's go to Eric Schmitt, New York Times. Q: General, can you just talk a little bit more about what you kind of anticipate, what you're seeing? Have you seen any kind of reaction yet from the Houthis or from any other of the so-called Axis of Resistance actors, whether it's the Shia militia in Syria and Iraq, Hezbollah, anybody else that might be responding in solidarity to the Houthis after these strikes? Thanks. GEN. SIMS: Thanks, Eric. So we did see one anti-ship ballistic missile that was fired today. That -- that did not hit any of any ships of any kind, and we're still working through that in particular. So we know that they have fired at least one missile in retaliation. My my guess is that the Houthis are trying to figure things out on the ground and trying to determine what capabilities still exist for them, but I would expect -- as, you know, their rhetoric has been pretty strong and pretty high, I would expect that they will attempt some sort of retaliation. I quite honestly, I would hope they wouldn't, and what I mean by that is there are a number of actors here who have the ability and have influence with the Houthis who recognize that continued conflict is not in their -- is not advantageous to them. Iran would be one of them. As you know, the Iranians are directly, you know, connected to this, have been connected to the Houthis for quite some time, and we know that the Houthis listen to them. So the hope would be that any real thought of retaliation is based on a clear understanding that, you know, we simply are not going to be messed with here. This is -- this is all about creating freedom of navigation for the -- for the international shipping. GEN. RYDER: Thank you. Let's go to Oren Liebermann, CNN. Q: Yeah, just two quick questions if I may. First, what is the -- the difference in timing between the initial group of 16 strikes and the subsequent group of -- of 12 strikes? And why was it determined to be necessary to take those -- those subsequent strikes? And the second question, this -- look, from our perspective, this leaked pretty badly on the UK side. Did that affect the -- the tactical outcomes? Did the Houthis have time to move what you were going after because of -- this was -- you know, this was just leaking from the UK, that this was about to happen? GEN. SIMS: So Oren, first of all, welcome home. Secondly, the -- in terms of the timing, it was -- it was near immediate. I mean, it was -- it was -- I say " near immediate." I think you're talking somewhere between 30 minutes and 60 minutes, at which time we determined that the additional 12 locations I mentioned before -- certainly, at that point, we were able to identify them and they did in fact have the ability to influence our maritime or air forces. And, you know, in self-defense, those sites were struck. The -- in terms of the early warning you were talking about, again, I can't really speak to what was known on the ground. It clearly, I understand that there is conversation about what was out there beforehand. I can't tell you what the Houthis did or didn't move. I think our continued battle damage assessment will give us an idea of that, and then we'll make decisions based on that. Q: Thank you, sir. GEN. RYDER: Let's go to Fadi, Al Jazeera. Q: Thank you, generals, for doing this. So my first question is about, first of all, impact on the freedom of navigation in the region. You probably heard three different companies that have tankers operate in the region ceased operations through the Red Sea. So how do you see these strikes contributing to enhancing the security of shipping in the Red Sea? GEN. SIMS: Yeah, Fadi, that's a great question. I -- I mean, so, you know, that's three companies. I think all told, there are somewhere around, you know, 12 companies around the world that have somehow altered their operations, whether they're going all the way around or they're limiting the movement in and around the Red Sea and the -- and the BAM. Every time they do that, that cost is incurred or is passed on to consumers around the world. And, you know, so, you know, we think certainly about the United States, but this is -- as I mentioned before, this is an international problem. I mean, of the ships since the 19th of November -- and we're talking in excess of 50 countries -- 50 countries on every continent. We've got representation on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, that have been impacted by the Houthis' desire to lob missiles into the -- into the ocean there -- into the Red Sea, and I should mention, in some cases, generally indiscriminately. And what I mean by that is, you know, that -- as you know, there is a large amount of shipping that transits the Bab-al-Mandeb and goes through the southern Red Sea there, and the missiles that are being employed in some cases by the Houthis are not the most technical. And so they have the ability to strike multiple -- you know, different locations just based on what they see at the time. So, again, this wasn't a U.S. action, this was a multinational action. It was -- you know, the Houthi action was condemned by 14 countries, plus the United States, a week or so ago. And the action last night was an international -- a multinational response to that action by the Houthis. Q: And my second question is from operational point of view. We've seen similar actions taken by the U.S. in -- in Iraq and Syria in response to attacks on U.S. forces. Nonetheless, those attacks continued. Is your assessment that these military actions by the U.S. are having an impact on the quality and the capability of what you're -- what the Pentagon called Iranian proxies in the region? What are expectations? What might come from Yemen from Houthis or Iraq and Syria? Thank you very much. GEN. SIMS: Yeah, Fadi, I think, you know -- listen, this is -- there is nothing -- there is nothing about this that is good for the Houthis. You know -- and again, this isn't just an American saying that, that's -- this, to me, is the world saying it. I mean the countries that they're interdicting. I mean, it's not like the 50-plus countries are part of the same -- are part of any of the same organization. I mean we have you know, we have -- we have country, Russian ships we've got -- we've had Chinese pieces in port, ships, or flagged ships, or crews. This is affecting the entirety of the world. The strikes that we have taken in Iraq and Syria have been designed against the Iranian-aligned militia groups. Again, we know that the Iranians have influence there. The situation is different. It's a different conversation in Iraq and Syria and -- than it is down in Yemen certainly supported by the Iranians in both cases. But there are some fundamental differences between the two. GEN. RYDER: Go to Courtney Kube, NBC. Q: Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm unclear on the targets now. So, it's the 16 locations. Was that where AFCENT said that there were more than 60 targets at 16 locations. So does that mean that the additional 12 locations meant there were more targets or is it still more than 60 total? GEN. SIMS: Yes. Courtney, I can understand the confusion. And so, there were 16 locations and on -- and I give you a you know, kind of a hypothetical on it. So, on one location, you may have had four missile launchers so launchers with ASBM -- I'm sorry Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles or Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles. You may have had one location on which there was a warehouse, housing one-way attack, UAS and, a radar. You may have had a location that had a radar plus other aspects of that radar, generators, or other pieces of equipment. When AFCENT released theirs today, they were talking more about the total number of things on those locations but there were a total of 16 locations that were targeted. And on that multiple things. Same thing with the subsequent 12 then. So, on one of the 12 there may have been you know, three or four launchers. Over. Q: I get that but so what's the total number then? Is it still more than 60 or is it more than that? GEN. RYDER: Yeah, Courtney. I mean at this point we're not going to have a specific number to provide other than to say you know, over a hundred and fifty munitions employed and multiple targets struck. Again ... Q: Well, is the number that we're using wrong because we -- I mean I think a lot of people are quoting this statement out of AFCENT that says more than 60 but now I'm concerned that that's wrong. Is it ? GEN. RYDER: That is factually. It... Q: OK. GEN. RYDER: ... is more than 60. Yes. Q: It is more than 60. OK. And then -- and then second the subsequent strike with the -- on the 12 additional locations, you mentioned Senior -- U.S. Military official that there's a -- that it was -- you mentioned self-defense. So I'm wondering did that -- was that -- did that require additional authorities like did they have to -- was it all the same aircraft and ships that were involved in that second round of strikes and then or did it require going back and getting a second approval? Because it sounds as if it was a second -- like it was a second round almost. Or was it all... GEN. SIMS: Yes. We think... Q: ... like the same package basically. GEN. SIMS: ... No. It was -- it was -- and you know, Courtney, without getting into the particulars of what aircraft were where and what ships were where, there were some of the same Maritime Forces and potentially different aircraft just based on who was flying where at the time. The authority is based on self-defense. So based on hostile act ,hostile intent, determination that those weapon systems would be employed against the Maritime or Air Forces. And as a result they were -- they struck those targets. GEN. RYDER: Thank you. And Courtney just to reconfirm, this is all on the record. Q: Oh, thank you. GEN. RYDER: But Courtney. The Senior Military Official is good, I like that. Q: OK. Sorry. There was -- there were there are quotes on the wires that were on background which made me think I was wrong that it was on record. OK. Thank you, Pat. GEN. RYDER: OK. Yes. Q: Senior Defense Official... GEN. RYDER: OK. Q: ... Senior Military Official too. Thank you. GEN. RYDER: Thank you. All right. Let's go to Phil Stewart, Reuters. Q: Oh hey there. I just wanted to follow up. You said that you expect the Houthis to you know, live up to their pledges to retaliate and keep -- and keep going. I'm -- I'm just wondering you know, what do you think -- do you think the Houthis wanted this? Do you think they wanted the U.S. to strike them? Do you think they want to fight with the U.S. and Britain and its allies? And if so you know, what do you assess why that is? GEN. SIMS: First of all, I would hope that they don't respond. Do I expect they will? There's a possibility. As I mentioned there was a -- the ballistic missile fire this morning. So you know, it seems within the DNA. What I would hope though is that they recognize that it's, you know, generally fruitless. I mean I'm not sure you know, what advantage they have to holding the international shipping in the Red Sea hostage. I think it's harmful to the region. It does not simply affect things that are directly tied to the Houthis but it affects you know, it affects many of their partners quite honestly or many of the folks that they -- they're working with. So I would hope that they don't retaliate but we're prepared in the event that they do. Q: But do you ... did you assess that they wanted the U.S. to strike? GEN. SIMS: I don't think they would want the U.S. to strike. You know, my guess is if you're operating a -- if you were operating a ballistic missile launcher last night you certainly didn't want the strike. But no I would -- I would hope they didn't want us to strike. GEN. RYDER: And folks for the sake of time please limit follow ups so we can get to several of your other colleagues here. Dan Lamothe, Washington Post? Q: Thank you. Appreciate it. I wanted to see if we could go a deeper level on how you did this particularly which ships which, which jets that sort of thing. We saw the video of the Eisenhower involved but beside that it's been pretty thin on that. And then there's a -- there's a bulletin that went out to Mariners that that was passed around pretty widely that raised the idea that the U.S. Military or the Defense Department is speaking with commercial groups and to some degree, I think trying to coordinate on safety. Sounded like there was a discussion of keeping them -- keeping them clear for another day or so and letting it settle down. Can you speak at all to the communication with the commercial side? Thanks. GEN. SIMS: Yes. So, you know, we've been talking to the Commercial Mariners for quite some time. And I say we, that is a part of you know, Prosperity Guardian and the separate operation to defend and provide defense for shipping moving through the Red Sea. And we have in fact talked Commercial Maritime personnel or companies just to provide them with a clear understanding of what we believe the situation to be, how our defenses work, what we can and can't do. And I don't have the particulars down on what's been said today. We can certainly follow up with you with anything that's come out official. I just -- I'm not tracking that, but it would not be -- I don't think that would be uncommon for us to be talking with Commercial Maritime organizations to ensure they understand the current situation. The first question you asked about the particulars, you know, I can tell you that we had a number of U.S. aircraft, U.S. Navy Aircraft from the Carrier Air Wing -- Carrier Air Wing Three, from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, the U.S.S Gravely, Philippine Sea, and Mason, all either Guided Missile Cruisers or Destroyers participated. And then finally in Ohio Class-Guided Missile Submarine also participated in the strikes last night. GEN. RYDER: Thank you. OK. We have time for just a few more. Let's go to Liz Frieden, Fox. Q: Hey thanks. My first question is, can you explain Secretary Austin's setup at Walter Reed as he was overseeing this strike? A U.S. official suggested earlier today, he was in a hospital bed. Is that true? GEN. SIMS: Liz, I mean I'll let -- I'll let General Ryder talk to that. I got to tell you I've been involved in this for you know, the entirety of it. I couldn't tell you where General Austin was, whether he was, you know, my conversation or not my conversations but my participation. I couldn't tell you if he was upstairs in his Office or anywhere else. it hasn't seemed to matter, but I'll give that to Pat. GEN. RYDER: Yes. Thanks sir. Yes. Secretary Austin has been actively engaged, overseeing and directing the strikes. Last night. On Tuesday when the Houthis were conducting their complex attack, Secretary Austin conducted a phone conference with the Chairman and the CENTCOM Commander to monitor that and to monitor the Operation Prosperity Guardian response. And then over the last two days, so between Tuesday and yesterday, he had a couple of conversations with the President, conducted multiple daily conversations with the Chairman, the CENTCOM Commander, as well as the National Security Council, to discuss the response options and the execution following the President's authorization. And then it was Secretary Austin, yesterday, who gave the CENTCOM Commander the order to execute the strikes. And then he monitored them from his hospital room in real time via a full suite of secure communication capabilities. And then following those strikes conducted a call with the National Security Council, the Chairman, and the Central Command Commander for an initial post-strike assessment. So continues to monitor the situation today. And hopefully that answers your question, Liz. Thanks. Q: Thank you. GEN. RYDER: OK. Let's go to Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg. And then we have time for one more after that. Q: Hi? General Sims one quick question. Do you assess right now or does the Joint Staff assess at this point that the strikes last night sufficiently degraded Houthi capability that they can't replicate the complex attack from Tuesday? GEN. SIMS: All right. It's a good question. I know we have degraded capability. I don't believe that they would be able to execute the same way they did the other day. But, we will see. Q: OK. You'll see. One quick follow up. How quickly did this operation come together after the complex attacks on Tuesday? Did the White House ask CENTCOM for its current operational plan? And things just progressed from there within like two days? GEN. SIMS: The -- I guess what I'd tell you Tony is you know, the beauty of the Military is we're always planning. So you know, after -- I believe the first strike on an international vessel was somewhere around the 19th of November. From the 19th of November on we've maintained a very clear awareness of what's going on with the Houthis. And as a result you know, as you would expect our military and a group of like-minded militaries were prepared to execute operations as necessary. Q: Thank you. GEN. RYDER: Thank you, sir. Final question will go to J.J. Green, WTOP. Q: General Sims, General Ryder, thank you. Very quickly, what was the logic behind the targets you chose -- radar locations, launch sites? Why did you choose those specific sites? GEN. SIMS: Hey, J. Every target we struck last night was associated with a capability that has been employed in denying freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the BAM. So, whether it was associated with radars that are providing surveillance to the Houthis to determine what ships to strike at, if it's one-way attack UAVs are being used to strike at ships or it's some sort of missile, ballistic, cruise or otherwise, that have been employed in an effort to strike those ships, all of those were capabilities that we sought to degrade with our strikes last night. GEN. RYDER: Thank you very much, sir. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. That concludes our press briefing today. Have a great evening. Thank you. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3644929/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address January 12, 2024 Release Readout of Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Ms. Melissa Dalton's Travel to the Southwest Border Department of Defense Spokesman Lt. Col. David Herndon provided the following readout: Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Ms. Melissa Dalton led a delegation to the Southwest border, Jan. 11-12, to see firsthand how the Department of Defense is supporting U.S. government efforts to secure the border. She was joined by Major General Matthew Smith, Commanding General of Joint Task Force - North; Brigadier General John Lubas, Headquarters Department of the Army Director of Operations, Readiness, and Mobilization; and Brigadier General Robert Davis, Director of Operations at U.S. Northern Command. The delegation met with service members deployed in support of San Diego Sector U.S. Border Patrol. They also received operational updates and immersions on mobile surveillance support; remote video detection and camera monitoring; and light rotary wing aircraft. Ms. Dalton's visit underscores the DoD's commitment to whole-of-government security efforts and highlights the imperative for continued collaboration in addressing dynamic challenges at the Southwest border. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3644952/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address January 12, 2024 By Joseph Clark , DOD News U.S., Partners' Forces Strike Houthi Military Targets in Yemen U.S. and partners' forces conducted defensive strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen yesterday following a series of attacks launched by the armed rebel group against commercial ships operating in the Red Sea. The joint strikes were carried out by the U.S. and United Kingdom with nonoperational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. They targeted Houthi missile, radar and unmanned areal vehicle capabilities used to carry out attacks against vessels operating in international waters. President Joe Biden said the strikes serve as a "a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical commercial routes." "I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce, as necessary," he said in a statement following the strikes. The U.S. and U.K. forces launched the strikes from air, surface and subsurface platforms and used precision-guided munitions to minimize collateral damage, a Pentagon official said during a press briefing following the strikes. The strike package included a variety of aircraft flown by U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.K. pilots. "This action is intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthis' capabilities to endanger mariners and threaten global trade in one of world's most critical waterways," Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement following the strikes. "Today's coalition action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will bear further costs if they do not end their illegal attacks." Austin added that the U.S. "maintains its right to self-defense and, if necessary, will take follow-on actions to protect U.S. forces." Since mid-November, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched more than two dozen attacks against merchant vessels operating in the Red Sea. Such attacks against the vital international shipping lane posed a vital concern and impacted international commerce across the globe. In response, Austin announced the Dec. 18 launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international maritime task force designed to defend against the attacks. The operation brought together forces from 22 nations to address the challenges in the region and ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The forces operate under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of Task Force 153, a U.S. Navy-led initiative focused on maritime security in the Red Sea. Earlier this week, the rebel group launched nearly 20 drones and several missiles targeting U.S. ships underway in the region. That attack was defeated by U.S. and U.K. forces operating in the region as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian. Yesterday's strikes launched against the rebel stronghold in Yemen were not associated with, and are separate from, Operation Prosperity Guardian, the Pentagon official said. The defensive strikes followed sustained diplomatic efforts and broad international condemnation of the Houthi attacks that have threatened global commerce. Last week, the governments of the U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement condemning the attacks and warning the rebel group against further escalation. In the statement, the nations warned that the Houthis "will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and [the] free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways." Earlier this week, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution demanding that the rebel group cease all attacks against ships in the Red Sea. In a statement following yesterday's strike, the goverments of the U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement further condemning the Houthis' actions and warning against further escalation. The nations' statement read that the strikes "demonstrated a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks. Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let our message be clear: We will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address January 12, 2024 By Joseph Clark , DOD News DOD Releases First Defense Industrial Strategy The Defense Department today released its first strategy for ensuring that the U.S. defense industrial base meets the demands of a challenging national security landscape well into the future. The 59-page National Defense Industrial Strategy lays out long-term priorities that will guide DOD actions and resource prioritization with the aim of creating a modern, resilient defense industrial ecosystem designed to deter U.S. adversaries and meet the production demands posed by evolving threats. "We are implementing the National Defense Industrial Strategy now to ensure that our defense industrial base continues to both strengthen our national security here at home while reassuring and supporting allies and partners," said Laura D. Taylor-Kale, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, in unveiling the strategy from the Pentagon. Taylor-Kale underscored the urgent need to shore up the defense industrial base as U.S. adversaries build up their military power to levels not seen since World War II. She noted China's increasing threat to upend existing international order. She also highlighted the United States' continued support for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression and for Israel in its fight against Hamas. The defense industrial base must continue to meet present demands, while at the same time remaining capable of adapting to future conflicts. "This arsenal of democracy helped win both world wars and the Cold War," Taylor-Kale said. "And long into the future, it can and must provide that same enduring advantage in support of integrated deterrence." The strategy focuses on four key areas critical to building a modernized defense industrial ecosystem over the next three to five years. Those areas include resilient supply chains, workforce readiness flexible acquisition and economic deterrence. The strategy calls for several actions to achieve resilient supply chains, including establishing public-private partnerships, risk-sharing mechanisms and technology. These are sharing structures aimed at incentivizing industry to improve resilience and invest in extra capacity. The NDIS also calls for increasing stockpiles of strategic and critical systems to decrease near-term risk, diversifying the defense industrial base supplier base, expanding production methods, and addressing evolving cyber threats to the supply chain, among other actions. In terms of workforce development, the strategy aims to develop a "sufficiently skilled and staffed workforce that is diverse and representative of America." It calls for investments in skill development programs and advanced manufacturing workforce pipelines and the expansion of recruitment efforts for nontraditional communities, among other actions. The strategy also seeks to develop flexible acquisition strategies by emphasizing interoperability with key partners and paying consideration to exportability during the system design phase. The NDIS also calls for the prioritization of commercial, off-the-shelf acquisition where applicable to drive innovation and expand the defense supplier base. Additionally, the NDIS calls for strengthening economic security agreements and creating new mechanisms for sharing technology with allies in order to achieve economic deterrence. Defense officials said the strategy was far more than an "aspirational document," noting that the department is finalizing its implementation plan, which will detail measurable actions and metrics to gauge progress on the goals. "The [implementation] plan is going to focus on actualizing the four strategic priorities laid out in the strategy, along with more than two dozen discrete, specific actions and associated outcomes and illustrative outputs that we detailed in the plan," said Halimah Najieb-Locke, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial base resilience. An unclassified overview of the implementation plan is slated for publication in February with the full classified version to follow in March, Najieb-Locke said. Officials said the strategy is the product of months of engagement from stakeholders from across industry and government, which began at the direction of Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks in March 2023. The document also reflects President Joe Biden's broader efforts to shore up domestic manufacturing and critical supply chains in the U.S. "The department's most senior leaders directed and guided development of this first ever NDIS, a part of the effort to reenergize U.S. manufacturing and build the kind of modernized defense industrial ecosystem we need to enable our national defense strategy and to meet the global challenges our nation and our allies will confront," Taylor-Kale said. "We can no longer afford to wait," she said. "The time for action has come, and we are starting it with this strategy." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guatemala: Council establishes dedicated framework of restrictive measures in support of democracy European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 12 January 2024 The Council today established a dedicated framework for restrictive measures in support of democracy and a peaceful and orderly transfer of power in Guatemala. Today's decision will allow the European Union to hold accountable those obstructing a democratic transition following the 2023 general elections, which resulted in a clear victory of President-elect Bernardo Arevalo, as attested by the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Guatemala. The EU maintains its firm and unequivocal support for democracy in Guatemala. The adoption of this framework is part of this commitment. It shows we stand with the people of Guatemala and against those who are undermining the country's democracy. The EU is looking forward to working closely with the future administration of President Arevalo and I am pleased to travel to Guatemala to personally witness the transfer of power. - Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Thanks to this new framework, the EU will be able to impose restrictive measures against individuals and entities responsible for actions that undermine democracy, the rule of law and a peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala, including through persecution or intimidation of public officials, democratically-elected authorities, civil society, media and judicial operators among others, as well as through financial misconduct concerning public funds and the unauthorised export of capital. Any targeted restrictive measures shall consist of a travel restriction for individuals and an asset freeze for individuals and entities. In addition, persons and entities in the EU shall be forbidden from making funds and economic resources available to those listed. The EU as a long-standing partner of Guatemala, remains fully committed to support inclusive and sustainable development in the country to the benefit of all. Promoting and strengthening democratic governance and the rule of law is always an indispensable part of this effort. Background On 28 August 2023, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala declared the official results of the second round of the presidential elections held in the country on 20 August 2023. On 5 October 2023, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a statement on behalf of the EU expressing deep concern over persistent attempts to undermine the election results through selective and arbitrary legal and procedural actions in line neither with Guatemala's constitution nor international and regional standards subscribed to by Guatemala and stating that further actions to overturn the outcome of the elections and undermine democracy and the rule of law would have an impact on Guatemala's relations with the EU. On 8 December 2023, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a statement condemning attempts to nullify the results of the general and presidential elections in Guatemala, based on spurious allegations of fraud and stated accountability should be sought for those obstructing a democratic transition. The EU agreed in principle to adopt a framework allowing for targeted restrictive measures against those responsible for these actions. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell will be attending the inauguration of President Bernardo Arevalo on Sunday 14 January 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guatemala: HR/VP Josep Borrell travels to the country to attend transition of power, strengthen bilateral and regional relations European External Action Service (EEAS) 12.01.2024 EEAS Press Team High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell will be in Guatemala from 13-16 January. This marks a first ever visit by the EU High Representative to the country and HR/VP Borrell's 6th visit to the Latin America and Caribbean region during his current mandate. On 13 January, the HR/VP will meet with President-elect Bernardo Arevalo to discuss strengthening the EU-Guatemala partnership and dialogue, the new government's priorities and areas of shared interest for potential cooperation. A press point will take place, which can be followed on EbS. The visit is testimony of the EU's firm support to democracy in Guatemala. It follows the deployment of an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Guatemala, to observe the 2023 general elections; the EU's support to a peaceful and orderly transition of power; and the adoption of a dedicated framework for restrictive measures, on 12 January 2024, in support of democracy. Beyond the transition of power, the EU, as a longstanding partner of Guatemala, stands ready to work closely together with the new administration on key priorities of shared interest, such as strengthening governance, the rule of law and support a national agenda for inclusive and sustainable development. On 14 January, HR/VP Borrell will attend the official swearing in ceremony of President Bernardo Arevalo of Guatemala and Deputy President Karin Herrera Aguilar. On the same day, he is due to meet with Justice Operators and Human Rights Defenders, Virginia Laparra, Claudia Gonzalez, and HaroldoVasquez, as well as members of the Indigenous Authorities and private sector representatives. He will also hold a number of bilateral meetings: with the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric; the President of the Republic of Paraguay, Santiago Pena; the Vice-President of Brazil, Geraldo Alckmin; and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Alicia Barcena Ibarra; amongst others. On 15 January, HR/VP Borrell will visit the Peten department. During his visit, the HR/VP will be meeting with local civil society leaders, local associations, and implementing partners of the EU working to preserve the rainforest. He will give a press conference at 13:30, local time (20:30 CET), regarding new EU cooperation projects in the area, broadcast on Ebs. The EU is a key partner for Guatemala, in particular in the areas of trade, cooperation, green transition and humanitarian assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US urged to 'do more on peace' as Pentagon's first industrial strategy hypes 'China threat' Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Jan 12, 2024 09:27 PM The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday urged the US to do more to contribute to peace and stability and not to introduce bloc confrontation, conflicts and wars into the Asia-Pacific, in response to the China-related content in the US' first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), which highlighted the need to reform its defense industry and team up with "Indo-Pacific" allies to counter China. Chinese experts said on Friday that the US' exposing the shortcomings of the defense industry does not necessarily mean that its defense capabilities are truly weakening, as the Pentagon's real intention seems to be targeting possible future scenarios of military conflict between major powers and strengthening its armed forces preparations by hyping the "China threat" theory. In the NDIS report released by the US Department of Defense on Thursday local time, the US acknowledges that a declining industrial base, supply-chain constraints and the outflow of weapons to Ukraine have left America vulnerable, as companies supplying the Pentagon face mounting frustration over its lumbering pace, according to media reports. The NDIS document includes more than 20 recommendations to build a "fully capable 21st century defense sector," including diversifying the Pentagon's suppliers, training more workers for industry-related careers, increasing commercial acquisitions, and sharing more technology with US partners, according to the Defense News. The report said that "while America continues to generate the world's most capable weapons systems, it must have the capacity to produce those capabilities at speed and scale to maximize its advantages," as US competitors, such as China, have "became the global industrial powerhouse" in many key areas. The report also called on the Pentagon to bolster safeguards against strategic Chinese investments, which could increase US vulnerability, according to a South China Morning Post report. The NDIS also recommends that the US work with countries in the "Indo-Pacific" region to build a strong defense industrial base and production capacity to prepare for any potential future conflicts and counter China. Working with close allies to make more weapons abroad was imperative, the report stated. "As the world's No.1 military power with the highest military expenditure, the US lacks not in the capacity to launch wars, but the capacity to make and uphold peace," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. "Peace and development is the shared pursuit of Asia-Pacific countries. The US needs to respect the call of countries in the region, do more things that are conducive to peace and stability, and refrain from introducing bloc confrontation, conflict and turmoil to the Asia-Pacific," Mao said. Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday that the Pentagon has always considered itself to be in the most critical and resource-hungry position in the strategic competition with China. Acknowledging "shortcomings" is more about offering a pressing argument for a greater allocation of financial resources. Echoing Li, a Beijing-based expert requesting anonymity said the US complaining about its own defense industry does not mean that the US has truly weakened its defense capacity. The US is probably aiming to further stimulate its own defense industry development by setting up a visible enemy, the expert said, noting that the ultimate goal is about taking the opportunity to prepare for great power competition and even possible military conflict scenarios. It is very dangerous for the US to woo its allies and form a defense industry alliance, said Li. He said that the document showed a strong intention to deeply bundle and integrate Taiwan authorities' defense industry with that of the US, which is a process of arming Taiwan secessionists to a deeper level to resist reunification. China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and stop sending wrong signals to secessionists after reports revealed that the Biden administration will dispatch a delegation comprised of former senior officials to the island of Taiwan shortly after the island's regional leader election to be held on Saturday. Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visited the US this week, urging it to abide by its commitment to not support "Taiwan independence." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's UN mission condemns US-UK military aggression against Yemen IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 New York, IRNA -- Iran's representative office at the United Nations condemned the military aggression against Yemen led by the United States and England while declaring that the illegal actions of the United States and Britain are not authorized according to international law. The representative mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations added on Friday local time that Iran condemns the military aggression led by the United States and England against Yemen. This unjustified war violates Yemen's sovereignty, international laws, the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions, and endangers the peace and security of the region, it added. Iran's representative office pointed out that the illegal actions of the United States and the United Kingdom are not authorized according to international laws or Resolution 2722 of the United Nations Security Council. Their opposition to Russia's amendments to the resolution indicates a pre-planned decision and intention to commit this aggression, it added. The United States and Britain have launched air, ship, and submarine strikes against Yemen amid tensions in the Red Sea, media outlets reported. The strikes came a day after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution against Yemen's Anarullah resistance movement for its retaliatory strikes in the Red Sea over the Zionist regime's war on Gaza. "US, UK forces launch air, ship and submarine strikes against Yemen's [Ansarullah] fighters targeting weapons storage, air defense, and logistic facilities," Al Jazeera reported on Friday. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also confirmed that the Royal Air Force, alongside US forces, and with "non-operational support" from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain, carried out the attacks on Houthi fighters in Yemen, Reuters reported. A diplomatic source has told Al Jazeera that Russia has sent a message to UN Security Council members saying that it considers the use of force in Yemen to be a violation of the United Nations Charter. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ansarullah: US-British aggression will not go unanswered IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The political office of Yemen's Ansarullah Movement announced in a statement on Friday night that the recent US and British aggression against Sana'a will not go unanswered. The political office of Ansarullah movement announced that the aggression against Yemen was carried out because of the country's support for the Palestinian people. Ansarullah's political office stated that the criminal aggression against the Yemeni people has no legal justification, and said that this aggression was carried out in response to the war crimes of the Israeli regime. Ansarullah has emphasized that the aggression of the United States and England will not go unanswered and unpunished, and has declared that the aggressor countries must bear all the consequences of this aggression. The statement of the political office of the Ansarullah Movement stated that the position of the Yemeni people in supporting and helping the Palestinian people against the aggressions (regime) of Israel and America will not change. Ansarullah has also appreciated the positions of the countries, parties and movements that opposed the American-British aggression against the Yemeni people. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US imposes sanctions targeting companies supporting Houthies IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Washington has announced new sanctions Friday on two companies in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, moving to crack down on the financial network funding Houthies in Yemen. The US Treasury Department in a statement said it has imposed sanctions on a Hong Kong-based company and a United Arab Emirates-based company shipping Iranian commodities on behalf of the Houthi financial facilitator already under US sanctions. It also targeted four vessels. The US Treasury said the revenues from the commodity sales supports the Houthis and their attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has categorically denounced the strikes launched by the US and the UK against Yemen. In a statement on Friday, Kanaani described the attacks on Yemen as a clear violation of the Arab country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also termed the attacks as a flagrant violation of international law and regulations. The military attacks are carried out in line with the full support of the United States and Britain for the past hundred days of the Zionist regime's war crimes against the innocent Palestinian people who are under complete siege in the Gaza Strip, he underlined. He warned that the arbitrary attacks will only fuel insecurity and instability in the region. 6125**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Land Conservancy executive director an advocate of WNY Wildway The Western New York Land Conservancy named Marisa Riggi, who has spearheaded the Western New York Wildway project, as new executive director. The Western New York Land Conservancy reached its fundraising goal and late last month purchased Floating Fen, a forested area with a wetland in Chautauqua County. The 223-acre boglike expanse boasts a rich array of wildlife and plants. It is located next to College Lodge Forest, a 225-acre preserve also recently purchased by the Land Conservancy outside the Village of Brocton. Both swaths add to the Western New York Wildway, a long-term project of the Land Conservancy to connect corridors of protected lands for wildlife and plants. The WNY Wildway will allow plants and animals to migrate across the land as they once did, allow those that have disappeared from our region to return home and for wildlife to move to new homes as the climate changes, Land Conservancy officials said in a statement. The Land Conservancy plans in the next year to create a walking trail at Floating Fen and open the property year-round as a publicly accessible nature preserve. The organization also announced it has acquired the 97-acre Becker Preserve in Holland. Linda Ruckdeschel donated the property, leaving the Land Conservancy to come up with only project and stewardship costs. By saving these properties the Land Conservancy community is protecting crucial links that allow wildlife to move across the landscape and expand their ranges, Executive Director Marisa Riggi said. This is a huge step in the right direction. Iran supports South Africa's genocide case against Israeli regime IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva in a statement has announced that Iran supports South Africa's genocide case against the Israeli regime. Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations office in Genevas in a message on X media platform wrote that 'Iran welcomes and supports South Africa's initiative to bring the atrocities of the Israeli #apartheid regime in Palestine under GenocideConvention to ICJ." "Int'l. community should support South Africa's efforts to hold perpetrators of the crimes to account", the message adds. South Africa filed a case against Israel at the ICJ in November, accusing the regime of crimes of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as part of a relentless bombardment which has killed more than 23,000 people and caused widespread destruction in the besieged enclave. 6125**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US base in Syria's Koniko gas field attacked by missiles IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- News sources have reported that the US military base in the Koniko natural gas field, in the northeastern Syrian governorate of Deir ez-Zur has been targeted by missiles and rockets. According to Iraqi media, the US military base has come under attacks by the Iraqi resistance groups in response to the Washington-backed Israeli war crimes in Gaza Strip. The Iraqi resistance groups have conducted similar attacks against the US positions in Iraq and the neighboring Syria ever since the Israeli regime began its war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The groups say their attacks are in retaliation for America's support of the Israeli regime's crimes against people in Gaza. 6125**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, UK aggression won't go unpunished: Yemeni Armed Forces IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Following the joint US-UK aggression against Yemen overnight, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the aggression won't go unpunished. "The American-British enemy has perpetrated a heinous attack on the Republic of Yemen, as an extension to its continued support for Israeli crimes in Gaza, with seventy-three airstrikes targeting the capital Sanaa, and the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Hajjah, and Saada," Saree announced. "These airstrikes resulted in the martyrdom of five individuals and the injury of six others from the ranks of our armed forces," he added. "The American and British enemies bear full responsibility for their criminal aggression against the Yemeni people, and it will not slide without retaliation and punishment. The Yemeni Armed Forces will not hesitate to target sources of threat and all hostile targets on land and sea, defending Yemen, its sovereignty, and independence." This heinous aggression, Saree said, will not deter Yemen from proactively supporting the Palestinian people's struggle for liberation. The spokesperson reaffirmed the Yemeni Armed Forces' commitment to preventing Israeli-linked ships from navigating the Arabian and Red seas en route to the ports of occupied Palestine. 6125**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah, Hamas slam US attacks on Yemen as contribution to Zionist crimes IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Lebanese and Palestinian resistance movements Hezbollah and Hamas say the US attacks on Yemen show Washington's full support for the Israeli regime's genocide in Gaza and the region. In separate statements on Friday, Hezbollah and Hamas slammed the recent strikes launched by the US and UK against Yemen. Hezbollah called the incident a clear invasion by Washington and London against Yemen and its security and sovereignty. "The US attacks on Yemen reiterated that the US is an all-out accomplice in the Zionist regime's killings against the oppressed people of Gaza and the region." Hamas said the attacks were blatant attempts to spread the conflict, warning that it will lead to consequences for Washington and London. US and UK forces launched air, ship and submarine strikes against Yemen's Ansarullah fighters early on Friday, allegedly targeting their weapons storage, air defense, and logistic facilities. US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the attacks, with Biden saying Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands also supported the strikes. 7129**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We will not stop attacks on Zionist regime's vessels: Ansarullah IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The spokesman for Yemen's Ansarullah movement Muhammad Abdul-Salam says that Sana'a will not stop attacking the Zionist regime's ships in support of the innocent people of Gaza amid the regime's war on the strip. Sana'a will continue to target the Zionist regime's ships or the vessels destined for the occupied Palestinian territories, Abdul-Salam said, Reuters reported. The US and the UK have made a grave mistake with these deceitful attacks, he said, adding that if they believe that Yemen will cease its support for the oppressed people of Palestine and Gaza, they are mistaken. Yemen will persist in its religious and humanitarian commitment to the Palestinian people and Gaza, he further noted. "We want to emphasize that there is no threat to international shipping in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, and the recent US and British attack on Yemen is completely unjustified," Abdul-Salam underlined. In another reaction to the attacks, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansarullah's Political Bureau, said the US and UK will realize soon that their direct invasion of Yemen was their biggest mistake in history. US and UK forces launched air, ship and submarine strikes against Yemen's Ansarullah fighters early on Friday, allegedly targeting their weapons storage, air defense, and logistic facilities. US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the attacks, with Biden saying Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands also supported the strikes. 7129**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran strongly condemns US-UK strikes against Yemen IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has categorically denounced the strikes launched by the US and UK against Yemen. In a statement on Friday, Kanaani described the attacks on Yemen as a clear violation of the Arab country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also termed the attacks as a flagrant violation of international law and regulations. The military attacks are carried out in line with the full support of the United States and Britain for the past hundred days of the Zionist regime's war crimes against the innocent Palestinian people who are under complete siege in the Gaza Strip, he underlined. He warned that the arbitrary attacks will only fuel insecurity and instability in the region. While the Zionist regime continues its war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, the US and the UK are attempting to shift global attention away from the regime's aggression against the Palestinian people by boosting their support for it, Kanaani added. He expressed concern about the consequences of repeating such arbitrary attacks for regional and international peace and security. Kanaani called on the international community to take responsible actions to prevent the spread of war, instability, and insecurity in the region. US and UK forces launched air, ship and submarine strikes against Yemen's Ansarullah fighters early on Friday, allegedly targeting their weapons storage, air defense, and logistic facilities. US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the attacks, with Biden saying Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands also supported the strikes. 7129**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zionist regime's target hit in response to US, UK strikes on Yemen: Report IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- A Zionist regime target has been hit in a retaliatory move just after the United States and Britain launched air, ship, and submarine strikes against Yemen, according to a report. The Lebanese al-Mayadeen television channel reported that the target was hit in the occupied Golan Heights. No individual or group has yet claimed responsibility, but the Islamic Resistance in Iraq warned the United States hours earlier that they would retaliate with full force against US military bases in case of an attack on Yemen. US and UK forces launched air, ship and submarine strikes against Yemen's Ansarullah fighters early on Friday, allegedly targeting weapons storage, air defense, and logistic facilities. US President Joe Biden said in a statement, "Today, at my direction, US military forcestogether with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlandssuccessfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by [Ansarullah forces] to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways." UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also confirmed that the Royal Air Force, alongside US forces, and with "non-operational support" from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain, carried out the attacks on Ansarullah fighters in Yemen. 7129**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, UK forces launch air, ship, submarine strikes against Yemen IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The United States and Britain have launched air, ship, and submarine strikes against Yemen amid tensions in the Red Sea, media outlets reported. The strikes came a day after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution against Yemen's Anarullah resistance movement for its retaliatory strikes in the Red Sea over the Zionist regime's war on Gaza. "US, UK forces launch air, ship and submarine strikes against Yemen's [Ansarullah] fighters targeting weapons storage, air defense, and logistic facilities," Al Jazeera reported on Friday. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also confirmed that the Royal Air Force, alongside US forces, and with "non-operational support" from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain, carried out the attacks on Houthi fighters in Yemen, Reuters reported. A diplomatic source has told Al Jazeera that Russia has sent a message to UN Security Council members saying that it considers the use of force in Yemen to be a violation of the United Nations Charter. 7129**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Our Infantry Fighting Vehicles are among the best what NATO Allies have, Minister of National Defence A. Anusauskas review recently completed acquisition of "the Wolves" Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2024-01-12 Development and Strengthening of the Armed Forces | Uncategorized The Ministry of National Defence has finished the procurement of the Boxer-Vilkas IFVs: last vehicles arrived in Lithuania late last year completing the delivery of the 89 purchased Infantry Fighting Vehicles and 2 prototype vehicles. Two battalions of the Iron Wolf Brigade have been full furnished with the new equipment. Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anusauskas reviewed the Lithuanian Armed Forces acquisition of critical importance saying that combat power of a brigade upgraded with such equipment matched top NATO standards. "Our Infantry Fighting Vehicles boasting superior armor and crew protection against mines are among the best across NATO. These IFVs, the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicles JLTV, PzH2000 howitzers, Javelin anti-tank unit and the RBS-70 short-range air defence unit means the Iron Wolf Brigade is a NATO brigade with the most advanced equipment and now multifold more capable," Minister says. A. Anusauskas notes that the impressive results required significant effort over the past years. The ministry of National Defence conducted intense negotiations with the manufacturers in 2021-2022 agreeing on the desired system upgrades and additional test trials because the Vilkas IFVs delivered by 2020 had flaws. As a result of the upgrades, all the Vilkas IFVs have no operation restrictions since late 2022. "The number of infantry fighting vehicles in our Armed Forces have quadrupled in three years and all operation restrictions have been fixed. The IFVs are no capable of destroying tanks and other heavy armor targets with Spike missiles and neutralize smaller, lighter or not armored targets with the 30 mm cannon at the same time. Our "Wolves" will also get drone jamming and other electronic defence upgrades," says A. Anusauskas and also underscores the importance of additional procurements carried out in the recent years in support of the Vilkas IFV use. "Last three years saw implementation of infrastructure projects that had been stuck due to low financing until 2021: garages and maintenance facilities for the Vilkas IFVs were constructed to make sure the equipment is used efficiently for many years. We have also acquired the IFV ammunition, 30 mm rounds and Spike missiles, over the past years, as well as spares," Minister points out. The Vilkas project conducted under contracts signed back in 2016 has cost Lithuania approx. EUR 670 million. The amount covers not just the IFVs but also logistical support, spare parts and the ammunition in full. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran: Instead of attacking Yemen, US should stop backing Israeli war on Gaza Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 10:30 PM Iran strongly denounces the US's earlier attacks on Yemen, which came in response to the Arab Peninsula nation's strikes in support of the Gaza Strip that has come under a genocidal and Washington-backed Israeli war. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a post on X, former Twitter, on Friday, shortly after the United States and Britain attacked targets belonging to Yemen's Ansarullah popular resistance movement. Several American media outlets reported the attacks on Thursday, saying they involved warplanes and Tomahawk missiles. During recent months, Ansarullah and the Yemeni Armed Forces have been staging missile and drone strikes against vessels linked to the Israeli regime or those heading to Israeli ports in support of war-hit Palestinians in Gaza. Since its onset on October 7, the Israeli war has killed more than 23,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children. The United States has been providing Israel with unbridled military and political support in its onslaught against Gaza, arming Tel Aviv with more than 10,000 tons of military hardware. The US has also cast its veto against all United Nations Security Council resolutions that have called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Referring to the pro-Palestinian Yemeni strikes, Amir-Abdollahian wrote, "Yemen's measure in support of Gaza's women and children and confrontation against the Israeli regime's genocide is commendable." He also reminded that Yemeni officials, including those from Ansarullah, have vowed not to target any vessel other than Israeli and Israeli-lined ones. "Sana'a is completely committed to [observing] naval and maritime security," read the post by the top diplomat. "Instead of [staging] military attack on Yemen, the White House should immediately cease its all-out military and security cooperation with Tel Aviv against the people of Gaza and the West Bank, so security would return to the entire region," Amir-Abdollahian concluded. The US-backed Israeli regime has also escalated its attacks against the West Bank since the onset of the Gaza war, killing hundreds of Palestinians throughout the occupied territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Orchard Park Police announced Saturday afternoon that a missing, endangered 51-year-old man had been found deceased in an area where a search was being conducted. No further information was given. The search for Benjamin "Trey" Randle III had been centered in the area of Abbott Road, Big Tree Road, California Road and Armor-Duells Road, police said. Residents there were asked to check their yards, sheds, home surveillance cameras and doorbell and trail cameras. Police described Randle as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with green eyes and a beard. They said he was last seen Friday night leaving a home on Abbott Road wearing blue jeans, a black jacket and sneakers. Police said he represented no threat to the community. Dale Anderson US, UK trying to turn Red Sea into 'sea of blood', says Erdogan Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 6:42 PM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the United States and Britain for launching military strikes against targets in Yemen, stating that the two countries are trying to turn the Red Sea into a "sea of blood". "All of these actions involve the use of disproportionate force. Israel is also using disproportionate force in Palestine," Erdogan told reporters on Friday in Istanbul. He added that the US and the UK try to turn the Red Sea into a "sea of blood." Erdogan also noted that Yemeni air defenses have intercepted and shot down most of the incoming missiles. "We receive information from various sources that the Houthis have made a very successful defense, provided a successful response, against both the US and the UK," the Turkish leader said. Early on Friday, US and British forces launched air, ship and submarine strikes against targets across Yemen. "American-Zionist-British aggression against Yemen launches several raids on the capital Sana'a, Hudaydah governorate, Sa'ada, and Dhamar," Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. US President Joe Biden confirmed the assaults, saying they were conducted by the United States and Britain, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. Yemeni protesters condemn joint US, UK aggression Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people staged massive rallies in Yemen, where participants denounced the joint military aggression against their country. Angered Yemeni people took to the streets in large demonstrations across the country, expressing their condemnation of the joint aggression on their soil. Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity. The relentless Israeli military campaign against Gaza has killed at least 23,708 people, most of them women and children. Another 60,005 individuals have been wounded. Reports revealed that Israeli shipping companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by Yemeni forces. Yemeni forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories after the regime's aggression on Gaza. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stressed on Friday that "the brutal aggression will not deter Yemen from supporting the oppressed Palestinian nation." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi resistance hits US base in Syria, vital Israeli sites in occupied lands Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 4:39 PM Iraqi resistance forces target a US-occupied military base in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr as well as strategic sites inside the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for Washington's support for the bloody Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip. Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network, citing local sources speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that the forces targeted the base that houses US troops at the Conoco gas field with a barrage of rockets on Friday afternoon. There were no immediate reports about possible casualties and the extent of damage caused. Later in the day, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, in separate statements published on its Telegram channel claimed responsibility for overnight strikes on an Israeli military installation in the Galilee region, as well as on a vital site at the Port of Eilat. There were no immediate reports about the extent of damage and possible casualties. The group noted that the attacks were carried out in retaliation for US support of Israel's bloody war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has killed at least 23,708 people and injured 60,005 others. The United States, Israel's biggest ally, has provided the regime with arms and ammunition since the initiation of the Gaza war. The US House of Representatives on November 2 passed a standalone $14.3-billion military assistance package for Israel. The legislation, however, is yet to clear the Senate. Washington has also vetoed United Nations Security Council resolutions that called on the occupying regime to cease its aggression. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas blasts US, UK aggression on Yemen, warns of repercussion to regional security Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 2:31 PM The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has roundly denounced the United States and Britain for launching military strikes against targets in Yemen, warning of the dangerous consequences that the attacks could have on security and stability in the West Asia region. "We in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemn in the strongest terms the American-British aggression, and aerial and seaborne bombardment of Yemeni territories. We consider it a crime and a blatant aggression against Yemen's sovereignty, and a threat to the security of the region," Hamas said in a statement on Friday. The Gaza-based group also slammed Washington and London for the militarization of West Asia, saying they are heavily protecting the occupying Zionist enemy and covering up its crimes against Palestinians and other nations in the region. Earlier on Friday, US and British forces carried out air, naval and submarine attacks on Yemeni targets. US President Joe Biden said the attacks were a joint operation by the US and the UK, with help from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. The attacks on Yemen followed Yemeni forces' strikes on several Israeli-related ships in the Red Sea. Yemen says it is conducting the operations in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, who have suffered more than 23,500 deaths in Israel's aggression since October 7. Hamas saluted the Yemeni nation and its unshakable solidarity with Palestinians throughout the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. "We affirm that the brutal aggression against Yemen is an uncalculated act of terror, under the influence of the occupying Zionist entity and its far-right administration. It will only escalate violence and tensions in the region. Washington and London bear full responsibility for potential repercussions," the Palestinian resistance movement said. Hamas stated that security and stability will not prevail across the region unless the Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands comes to an end. The Palestinian group urged Washington and London to review their colonial policies, in recognition of the rights and interests of Muslim nations, and not to turn a blind eye to the Israeli atrocities and the genocide that Palestinians are facing. Al Khalifah regime's participation in Yemen aggression slammed Moreover, the deputy secretary general of Bahrain's opposition al-Wefaq National Islamic Society strongly condemned the Al Khalifah regime's participation in the all-out strikes against Yemen. Sheikh Hussain al-Daihi told Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network that such actions reveal the dimensions of Israeli schemes and the true nature of the ruling Manama regime. He emphasized that the cooperation and participation of the Al Khalifah regime in US and UK strikes against Yemen divulges the hostile approach of Bahraini statesmen. "Bahrain's participation in the aggression clearly points to the growing rift between Al Kahlifa regime on one side and Bahraini nation as well as other Arab and Muslim peoples on the other," Daihi noted. Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity. Reports revealed that Israeli shipping companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by Yemeni forces. Yemeni forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories after the regime's aggression on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US-drafted resolution on Red Sea aims to protect Israel: Iran Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 11:31 AM The Iranian Foreign Ministry says the US-drafted resolution on the Red Sea that has recently been adopted by the United Nations Security Council is aimed at protecting Israel and supporting its genocidal war on Gaza. The UN Security Council on Wednesday approved a draft resolution, submitted by the US and Japan, which demanded an immediate end to attacks by Yemeni forces on Israeli-owned or Israeli-bound ships in the Red Sea. Nasser Kan'ani, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the resolution "apparently focuses on the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, but its main objective is to legitimize" the US-led naval coalition in order to "achieve specific political goals and create the needed shield" to allow Israel to continue with its war crimes in Gaza. He noted that the resolution was adopted after the US "exerted pressure" on the Security Council's members. Kan'ani also noted that the remarks made by the US envoy during the UNSC meeting on "freedom of navigation" in the Red Sea were aimed at diverting attention from Israel's ongoing crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. He also dismissed the US "baseless accusations", warning Washington against taking any "provocative, irresponsible" action that could endanger the security and stability of the region. The spokesman also called on the UNSC to shoulder its responsibility and address the root causes of tensions in the Red Sea. Yemen says that its retaliatory operations against Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea will continue until the regime's genocidal war on Gaza ends and the siege imposed on the strip is lifted. Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 23,469 Palestinians and injured nearly 60,000 others. Kan'ani noted that the resolution came as part of the US' unwavering support for Israel, drawing a comparison between Washington's stance on the pro-Israel resolution and its vetoing of UNSC resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. "Instead of taking a decisive action to stop the crimes committed by the Israeli regime, the US administration is still supporting the regime politically, militarily ... and diplomatically," Kan'ani said, urging the UNSC to "immediately" take "decisive" measures to force Israel to stop the war in Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US-UK strikes kill five, injure six Yemenis: Army Spokesman Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 11:28 AM The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces said that the "criminal aggression" waged by the United States and the United Kingdom against the country on Friday has left five Yemenis killed and six others injured, emphasizing that Washington and London bear full responsibility for the open act of aggression. "The American and British aggression against our country will not go unanswered and unpunished. The United States and the United Kingdom bear full responsibility for the criminal aggression," Brigadier General Saree said in a televised speech broadcast live from the Yemeni capital Sana'a on Friday. He stressed that Yemeni forces will detect and pound the sources of the ground-borne and seaborne attacks, and will continue to block the passage of Israeli-owned and Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea and the Arab Sea. Saree noted that 73 strikes hit five regions of Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, and the provinces of Hudaydah, Ta'izz, Hajjah, and Sa'ada, killing at least five people and wounding six others. The senior military official also emphasized that "the brutal aggression will not deter Yemen from supporting the oppressed Palestinian nation." Ansarullah: Response to American-British aggression out of question The Yemeni Ansarullah resistance movement also vehemently denounced the US and UK strikes against targets in Yemen, stressing that Yemeni Armed Forces would proportionally respond to the aggression. Ansarullah spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam stated that Yemeni forces will continue to block passage of Israeli-owned and Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea and the Arab Sea until the bloody onslaught against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip stops. "Yemeni forces have given a preliminary response to the aggression, and will soon deliver a crushing answer. It is impossible for US and UK attack to go unpunished," Abdul-Salam noted. He added, "There is no international coalition against Yemen, and this morning's attack was actually a joint act of aggression by the US and UK. Many member states of the US-led coalition have informed the Sana'a-based National Salvation Government that they did not have any role in the offensives." Abdul-Salam also praised Yemeni forces for blocking and targeting all Israel-bound ships, stating that the "effective measures" pushed Washington to show such aggression against Yemen. Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity. The relentless Israeli military campaign against Gaza has killed at least 23,357 people, most of them women and children. Another 59,410 individuals have been wounded. Reports revealed that Israeli shipping companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by Yemeni forces. Yemeni forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories after the regime's aggression on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, China 'concerned' after US, UK attack on Yemen Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 10:20 AM Russia and China have expressed their concerns over the situation in West Asia after the United States and Britain conducted an attack on Yemen in support of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. "The US air strikes on Yemen are another example of the Anglo-Saxons' perversion of UN Security Council resolutions," Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram on Friday. She stressed that the strikes showed a "complete disregard for international law" and were "escalating the situation in the region" with the aim of attaining "destructive" objectives. Moscow also called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the situation. Zakharova slammed the strikes as "irresponsible actions" by the US and its allies. "A large-scale military escalation in the Red Sea region could strike out the positive trends that have emerged recently in the Yemeni settlement process, as well as provoke a destabilization of the situation" in West Asia, she told reporters later on Friday. "We share the concerns expressed by our regional partners, in particular from Saudi Arabia," Zakharova said. Riyadh has urged restraint and "avoiding escalation" after the attack and said it was monitoring the situation with great concern. China also said it is "concerned", calling for protecting the "security and stability" of the Red Sea. "China is concerned about the escalation of tensions in the Red Sea," the country's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. "We urge the relevant parties to keep calm and exercise restraint, to prevent the conflict from expanding," she added. Beijing also stressed that the "Red Sea region is an important passage for international logistics and the energy trade". "We hope that the relevant parties can all play a constructive and responsible role in protecting the regional security and stability of the Red Sea, in line with the international community's shared interests," Mao said. The US and Britain launched airstrikes on several provinces across Yemen, including the capital Sana'a and Hudaydah, in the early hours of Friday in response to the Yemeni strikes on vessels linked to the Israeli regime, which has waged a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. 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 23,469 Palestinians and injured nearly 60,000 others. In solidarity with the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, 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. The US has formed a multinational military coalition against Yemeni forces in the Red Sea, through which 12 percent of global trade passes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Resistance groups condemn US, UK strikes on Yemen Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 9:18 AM Resistance groups across the region have roundly denounced the US and UK strikes against targets in Yemen, stating that the attacks confirm the countries' allegiance with Israel amid the bloody onslaught against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "We condemn in the strongest terms the blatant American-British aggression against brotherly Yemen, its security and sovereignty, as well as its freedom-loving and honorable people," Hezbollah said in a statement on Friday. It added that "the American aggression confirms once again that the US is a full partner in the tragedies and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza and the region." Hezbollah also saluted the Yemeni nation, the Yemeni Armed Forces as well as Ansarullah resistance movement. "We affirm this act of aggression will not weaken Yemen's strength. On the contrary, it will solidify the nation's determination to confront it and defend itself, and continue to tread the path of supporting the Palestinian people," the statement read. Early on Friday, US and British forces launched air, ship and submarine strikes against targets across Yemen. US President Joe Biden confirmed the assaults, saying they were conducted by the United States and Britain, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. Strikes on Yemen came after Yemeni forces targeted several Israeli-owned and -bound shipping in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians in war-torn Gaza, where more than 23,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli onslaught since October 7. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group also censured the US and UK strikes on Yemen. "We salute Yemenis for their honorable and brave position, and strongly condemn all disappointing stances in the Arab world. We call upon Arab and Muslim nations to take actions," the Gaza-based movement said. Additionally, the Iraqi Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada anti-terror resistance group denounced the strikes against Yemen. In a statement on Friday, it expressed full solidarity with the Axis of the Resistance against tyranny and vowed unconditional support for the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. "There is no more doubt about US arrogance and Washington's obsession with committing atrocities and brutalities against nations. It leads a satanic alliance against Yemeni people and our beloved brethren in the Yemeni resistance front," the statement said. "The Zionist entity and American occupation forces have turned into the main source of instability and insecurity across the entire West Asia region, which underscores the need to end their presence through all available means," the Iraqi movement pointed out. As long as these two cancerous tumors exist in the Muslim world, violations of countries' national sovereignty and shedding the blood of innocent people will continue under the pretext of defending the security of the Israeli regime, the statement also read. Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity. Reports revealed that Israeli shipping companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by Yemeni forces. Yemeni forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories after the regime's aggression on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jan. 11: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 7:31 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 23,500 Palestinians, mostly children and women. The operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Thursday, January 11, are as follows: Qassam Brigades' operations on Jan. 11: Targeted, together with Quds Brigade, an enemy command room east of Khan Yunis with heavy-caliber mortar shells. Targeted an Israeli bulldozer with a "Shuath" device east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Targeted an Israeli infantry force stationed inside a house with a "Ra'adiya" anti-personnel device, causing deaths and injuries, east of Khan Yunis. Targeted 3 vehicles with "Al-Yassin 105" shells in the vicinity of the Bani Suhaila area, east of the city of Khan Yunis. Destroyed a vehicle with two anti-armor devices east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, and it caught fire. Targeted a Merkava tank and two personnel carriers with "Al-Yassin 105" shells in the vicinity of the Islamic University, southeast of the city of Khan Yunis. Targeted a special Israeli force holed up in a building with an "Al-Yassin 105" shell and engaged it with machine guns, leaving dead and wounded in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. Targeted a Merkava tank with an "Al-Yassin 105" shell and hit the rescue forces with mortar shells northeast of the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip. Targeted a bulldozer surrounded by a number of Israeli soldiers with an anti-armor and anti-personnel device south of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah's operations on Jan. 11: Eastern sector: At around 9:50 local time, Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Metulla site were targeted. At around 11:30 local time, Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Al-Baghdadi's site were targeted. At around 12:00 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted in the vicinity of Al-Sayhat Hill and Jabal Nadhar. At around 15:00 local time, the Ramtha site in Shebaa was targeted. At around 16:00 local time, Kiryat Shmona was targeted with dozens of missiles. Western sector: At around 11:30 local time, surveillance equipment on Cobra Hill was targeted. At around 14:15 local time, the Al-Malikiyah site was targeted. At around 15:05 local time, Israeli soldiers in Tal Shaar were targeted. At around 16:30 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted in the vicinity of the Birkat Risha site. Iraqi resistance's operations on Jan. 11: Attacked the occupied US military base Al-Shaddadi in Syria with a barrage of rockets, causing casualties and widespread destruction. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ecuador 'in state of war' after reign of terror by drug cartels Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 6:50 AM Ecuador has deployed more than 22,400 soldiers to neutralize a campaign of terror waged by gangs that has claimed 16 lives, after its armed forces engaged in a savage deadlock with organized crime. In response to a government crackdown on organized crime, the drug cartels have been pursuing a bloody campaign of kidnappings and attacks since Monday, prompting Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa to declare a state of emergency. Noboa, 36, has vowed not to yield in its "war" with 22 criminal gangs, as continuous land, sea, and air patrols, random body and car searches, prison raids along an enforced curfew are in place. "Yield to evil: never!" Noboa, in office since November, said in a video message broadcast on television Thursday. "Fight tirelessly: always!" "They wanted to instill fear, but they aroused our ire," defense minister Gian Carlo Loffredo said on social media. "They believed they would subdue an entire country but forgot that the armed forces are trained for war," he further added. Straddling the equator on South America's west coast, Ecuador has been in a state of turmoil following a prolonged period of escalating dominance by multinational cartels, who exploit its ports for the transportation of cocaine to the United States and Europe. Out of a population comprising of about 17 million people, more than 20,000 are known to have been members of the criminal gangs of the country. The recent surge of aggression was ignited by the revelation on Sunday, after the jailbreak of Jose Adolfo Macias, a notorious drug lord recognized as "Fito," who holds significant influence in the nation. The gangs, who have declared a "war" against the government, have threatened to execute civilians and security forces, and additionally, have provoked multiple prison uprisings, triggered blasts in crowded areas, and carried out assaults resulting in the deaths of at least 14 individuals. According to the prison authority, more than a hundred prison guards and staff have been taken hostage by the cartels. This attack, in particular, spread panic among the general population, many of whom left work and closed shops to return to the safety of their homes. "Today we are not safe, anything can happen," said Luis Chiligano, a 53-year-old security guard in Quito who explained he was opting to hide rather than confront "the criminals, who are better armed". The drug cartel's presence in Ecuador has resulted in a significant surge in the country's homicide rate, with a fourfold increase observed between 2018 and 2022. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, UK must be ready for 'heavy price' after attacks on Yemen: Ansarullah Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 6:06 AM The Yemeni Ansarullah resistance movement strongly condemned the United States and United Kingdom after they launched full-scale strikes against targets in Yemen, warning their military bases across the region will come under attack if they opt to increase aggression. Strikes on Yemen came after Yemeni forces targeted several Israeli-owned and -bound shipping in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians in war-torn Gaza, where more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli onslaught since October 7. "Washington and London must acknowledge responsibility for aggravating the situation at the Red Sea, and the militarization of the body of water. They must be ready to embrace a heavy price, and bear all the deleterious consequences of this open aggression," Deputy Director of Ansarullah's Moral Guidance Department, Brigadier General Abdullah bin Amer, told the Qatari Arabic-language al-Jazeera television news network early on Friday. He added, "We (Yemeni Armed Forces) will target their bases across the region in case the United States and the United Kingdom increase their attacks [against Yemen]." Bin Amer noted that explosions were reported in several cities across Yemen, including the capital Sana'a and the western port city of Hudaydah, emphasizing that Yemeni forces will forcefully respond to the acts of aggression. "We will continue our operations in the Red Sea until the [Israeli] aggression against Gaza stops," the senior Ansarullah official stated. Early on Friday, US and British forces launched air, ship and submarine strikes against targets across Yemen. "American-Zionist-British aggression against Yemen launches several raids on the capital Sana'a, Hudaydah governorate, Sa'ada, and Dhamar," Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. US President Joe Biden confirmed the assaults, saying they were conducted by the United States and Britain, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. Biden said he would "not hesitate" to direct further measures against Yemeni targets. Strikes on Yemen to cost US, Britain dearly: Deputy FM Meanwhile, the deputy foreign minister in Yemen's National Salvation Government warned that the US and UK strikes against targets in Yemen will come at a price. "Washington and London must prepare to pay a heavy price. Our country came under sneak and massive air, ship and submarine strikes. Doubtless, the attacks will cost them dearly," Hussein al-Ezzi said. Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity. The relentless Israeli military campaign against Gaza has killed at least 23,357 people, most of them women and children. Another 59,410 individuals have been wounded. Reports revealed that Israeli shipping companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by Yemeni forces. Yemeni forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories after the regime's aggression on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New York State will need 180,000 new teachers over the next decade to replace those retiring. So, how does one accomplish such a feat? Answer: with careful planning, and a lot of support. Fortunately, help is on the way. A program to address the shortage, strengthen the workforce and promote diversity in the teaching ranks will deposit more than $3 million into Western New York. The money will be well spent by those eager to join the teaching ranks but who may not have the savings to acquire the necessary masters degree. That is where the Empire State Teacher Residency Program comes in. The program fully or partially funds masters degrees for aspiring teachers who sign up for a full year of residency. Erie I BOCES is the recipient of several million dollars in funding in the second round to 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. The effort boasts more than 450 teacher residents across the state who, through training and mentoring, will be prepared to educate our youth our future. The Williamsville Central Schools have taken a giant step forward in efforts acknowledging the districts diversity by adding a few new holidays next year then doubling down on the effort with new names for some traditional ones. As reported in The News, the following changes will take place: The one-day fall recess is renamed Yom Kippur/Fall Recess. Columbus Day will be changed to Indigenous Peoples/Italian American Heritage Day. Under New York State law, the Asian Lunar New Year will be added as a holiday to school calendars next school year. In addition, when Diwali, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha fall on school days, Williamsville students will not be in attendance. Those days will be designated as superintendent conference days, which are days off for students and professional development days for staff. Such changes were once rejected, as former board member Toni Vazquez said of the time back in 2016 when she attempted to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. Not quite a decade later, change that respects the diverse tapestry that make up a multicultural student body and community is being implemented. Speaking of change, the contest for the new mascot at Iroquois Central has been decided and that decision by a landslide, it seems is the Red Hawks. Iroquois Central Superintendent Douglas Scofield said, We really felt the Red Hawks would represent what Iroquois wants to represent. In other words, what the hawk is known for: determination, focus, leadership, clarity, intelligence and intuitive decision-making. Indeed, the representation is strong and respectful, which is what was intended when the state Board of Regents required Iroquois and other districts around the state to eliminate their Indigenous mascots and logos. The Regents in April approved regulations that prohibit public schools from using Indigenous names, mascots and logos by June 30, 2025. Iroquois was one of five districts in Western New York with Indigenous mascots. West Seneca West High School eliminated the Indians as its mascot, replacing it with the Warhawks. Salamanca City Central School District, sits on Seneca Nation of Indians territory and, as allowed by the Regents, received permission from the Seneca Nation of Indians to continue to use its Native American name, the Warriors, and its logo of an Indigenous man. Special permission and a unique set of circumstances should remain the only exception. These changes that show more respect to Indigenous peoples is long overdue.Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. Iran strongly condemns 'arbitrary' US, British attacks on Yemen Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 5:29 AM Iran has strongly condemned US and British military attacks on Yemen, calling them an "arbitrary" action and a clear violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of international laws and regulations. Yemen's Ansarullah officials said explosions hit the cities of Sana'a, Hudaydah, Sa'ada and Dhamar early Friday, with a US official announcing that American and British attacks against Yemen were carried out by airplanes, ships and submarines. In Iran's first reaction to the aggression, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani stressed that the "arbitrary attacks will have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region". "These military attacks are carried out in line with the continuation of the full support of the United States and the United Kingdom for the last hundred days of the Zionist regime's war crimes against the Palestinian nation and the oppressed citizens under the complete siege of the Gaza Strip," he said. "While the Zionist regime continues its attacks and war crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in Palestine, the United States and England are trying to detract the attention of the people of the world from the crimes of this fake, criminal and aggressor regime against the people of Palestine by expanding their umbrella of support for the Zionist regime," he said. Kan'ani expressed his concern about the consequences of such arbitrary attacks for regional and international peace and security, calling on the international community to prevent the spread of war, instability and insecurity in the region with responsible reactions and actions. Earlier, President Joe Biden said US and British forces launched airstrikes on Yemen, characterizing them a "defensive action" and pledging that he "will not hesitate" to order further attacks if needed. The attacks come as Israel's three months of a ferocious military campaign against the besieged people of Gaza is sputtering in the face of heroic resistance from Palestinian fighters. The economic costs of the invasion are also beginning to mount as operations by Yemeni armed forces in the Red Sea against Israeli ships and vessels bound for Israeli ports in solidarity with the Palestinian people are having a mark. Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called Yemen a part of the reality and security of the West Asian region. "Yemeni leaders, emphasizing the security of navigation, say that they will only stop the ships that are going to spread the war and send weapons to the occupied territories," he told his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide. The US-led aggression, however, came on the first of two days of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague where Israel faced the charge of being involved in genocide in Gaza. The ricochet from the case, observers say, will inevitably land at the doors of the West, especially the US and Britain which have supported the invasion with continued shipments of armament and ammunition. "America's entry into direct war against civilians, women and children of Gaza is a strategic mistake," Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone conversation with Eide late Thursday. "We have warned since the beginning of the bombing and genocide in Gaza that war is not the solution, but if the killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank continues, the scope of the war will expand. This warning is due to our understanding of the situation in support of Palestine in the region." The Norwegian foreign minister emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the sending of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the start of a political process based on the formation of an independent Palestinian government, as he welcomed Iran's constructive role in the region to reduce tensions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hanoi, Jakarta discuss South China Sea during Indonesian president's visit Joko Widodo seeks to bolster cooperation in disputed waters as he makes a three-nation ASEAN tour. By RFA Staff 2024.01.12 -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his Vietnamese counterpart agreed Friday to push towards the conclusion of a "substantive and effective" Code of Conduct for the South China Sea amid rising tensions in the region. Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, is in Hanoi on the second leg of his tour to three Southeast Asian countries - the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei. Jokowi and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong held a meeting to discuss the strategic partnership between the two countries, Vietnam's state media reported. "The two leaders reiterated the importance of peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea," said the official Voice of Vietnam (VOV), referring to the South China Sea by its Vietnamese name. "[They] underscored the importance of the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and committed to working towards the conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC) that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," VOV said. Vietnam and Indonesia will cooperate to maintain ASEAN's unity and solidarity, as well as the Southeast Asian bloc's common approach in dealing with maritime issues, it added. China and ASEAN agreed on a DOC in 2002, but progress on a legally binding COC has been slow going amid an increasing risk of conflict. Before Hanoi, while visiting Manila (Jan. 9-11) Jokowi also discussed the South China Sea with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and "affirmed our insistence on the universality of UNCLOS, which sets out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and in the seas," according to an official statement. Manila has accused Beijing of escalating aggression in the waters under the Philippines' jurisdiction, or the West Philippine Sea. China refuted the accusations and blamed the Philippines for "provocation." Maritime cooperation In light of recent developments in the South China Sea, "on Dec. 30, 2023, ASEAN foreign ministers issued a joint statement on maintaining and promoting stability in the maritime sphere in Southeast Asia," said Ristian Atriandi Supriyanto, lecturer on international relations at Universitas Indonesia. "Consistent with this joint statement, [during Jokowi's visit] the two sides - Indonesia and Vietnam - will agree to avoid actions that may further complicate the situation," said Supriyanto, who is also a fellow at Forum Sinologi Indonesia, a research institution. But much will depend on China which "does not want any of the ASEAN claimants to base their actions only on UNCLOS," according to the academic. "From Beijing's perspective, the only way to manage and settle the disputes is to negotiate with China directly. Anything else China sees as counterproductive, even provocative," he said. Six parties - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and China - claim parts of the South China Sea. Beijing's claim, the so-called nine-dash line, encircles almost 90% of the sea. Indonesia is not a claimant in the broader sea but its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) claim overlaps with those of Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as with China's 'nine-dash line.' "Indonesia too is a little bit cautious in their approach to the whole dispute in the South China Sea," said Nguyen The Phuong, a Vietnamese security analyst. "They have strong material capabilities, as well as being seen as the de-facto leader of ASEAN but not being one of the claimants makes them hesitant to push hard on the issue," said Phuong, who is currently studying for a PhD at UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy. It doesn't mean Vietnam and Indonesia can't "continue cooperation in maritime law enforcement in both bilateral and multilateral manners," according to the analyst. The Vietnamese and Indonesian navies reached an agreement on joint training procedures in 2021 and the two countries' coast guard forces at the end of 2022 also signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation. "Maybe there will be other agreements on defense cooperation, especially the defense industry," Phuong said. Agreement on boundaries In 2023, Indonesia as the rotating chairman organized a five-day ASEAN Solidarity Exercise (ASEX 23) - the grouping's first ever joint naval drills focusing on humanitarian disaster responses. Ristian Atriandi Supriyanto from Universitas Indonesia, who proposed ASEAN 'coordinated patrols' in the South China Sea, said the bloc needs "novel initiatives" when dealing with China's excessive claims. "The fact is that countries have tried for decades negotiating with China in vain," he said, "China does not back down from its nine-dash line, which others including Vietnam and Indonesia, do not recognize." "Coordinated patrols can be one of those initiatives, which can start with two ASEAN countries, like Indonesia and Vietnam, before expanding it to others," Supriyanto told RFA. Vietnamese analyst Nguyen The Phuong, however, casted doubt on the idea. "Vietnam until now has been very reluctant on joining any joint patrol with other countries, so I don't think that approach would change anytime soon," he said, adding that the two countries could still cooperate on other important issues such as fighting against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. On Friday, Jokowi and his Vietnamese host Thuong witnessed the signing of a memorandum on fisheries cooperation. Jakarta has long been complaining about illegal activities by Vietnamese fishing vessels in the waters surrounding the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea where the two countries' claims overlap. In December 2022, after 12 years of negotiations, Indonesia and Vietnam finally reached an agreement on the boundaries of their exclusive economic zones. Yet until now the two countries are still in the process of finalizing the implementing arrangements and the agreed boundary demarcation has not been made public. "If the agreement is really final, then the two sides should publish the map," said Ristian Atriandi Supriyanto. "I guess they have not published it due to concerns of provoking China like the Malaysia-Vietnam joint submission of continental shelf did in May 2009." Just one day after the joint submission of Malaysia and Vietnam to the U.N., China filed a formal communication stating that the joint submission seriously infringed China's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the South China Sea. "In this case, not publishing the map is one of the ways to avoid actions that may further complicate the situation," said the Indonesian scholar. "The way I see it, however, this plays directly into the Chinese playbook of keeping it low and subtle while Beijing persuades and pressures other claimants and non-claimants alike to accommodate its nine-dash line," he added. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Vietnam health minister gets 18-year sentence in COVID scandal Nguyen Thanh Long was found guilty of accepting bribes for substandard Coronavirus testing kits. By Mike Firn for RFA 2024.01.12 -- A court in Vietnam sentenced former Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long to 18 years in prison in connection with a Coronavirus test kit scandal, state-controlled VNExpress reported Friday. He was found guilty of accepting bribes of more than 51 billion VND (US$2.1 million). Long's secretary, Nguyen Huynh, received a nine-year sentence. Former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh was sentenced to three years in prison, the report said. Former Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee Secretary Pham Xuan Thang received a five-year term. They were prosecuted in connection with the Viet A scandal, which involved the company's chief executive officer bribing officials the equivalent of US$34 million to win contracts to sell substandard kits to hospitals at a 45% markup, earning his company US$172 million in profits. The scandal came to light when CEO Phan Quoc Viet was arrested in December 2021, along with four staff and the director and chief accountant at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention office in the northern province of Hai Duong. The revelations eventually claimed the job of Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was forced to step down in January 2023 and was removed from the Politburo to take responsibility for corruption cases that happened during his term in office. Recent high profile prosecutions are part of Vietnam Communist Party Secretary General's Nguyen Phu Trong's "blazing furnace" anti-corruption drive, which has proved popular with Vietnamese people tired of bribery and favoritism in the party. 'Bark loudly' According to Friday afternoon's verdict, Viet received the stiffest sentence at 29 years. However, the sentence given to the former health minister seemed light, United States-based lawyer Le Quoc Quan told Radio Free Asia. Vietnam's 2015 Penal Code states that a person who receives bribes of 1 billion VND ($40,000) should be given a minimum sentence of 20 years, he said. But Nguyen Thanh Long took bribes that were much more than that amount and yet only received an 18-year sentence - something that could "cause great anger and frustration for the public," Le Quoc Quan said. "Recently, the Party has tended to bark loudly and bite softly," he said. "They tend to focus on asset recovery rather than exercising the rule of law." Also sentenced on Friday was former deputy director of the Ministry of Science and Technology's Department of Science and Technology Trinh Thanh Hung, who was jailed for 14 years. Former Ministry of Health Director Nguyen Minh Tuan received eight years and another former Ministry of Health Director Nguyen Nam Lien was sentenced to seven years in prison. Pham Duy Tuyen, the former director of CDC Hai Duong, received a 13-year sentence. Edited by Taejun Kang, Elaine Chan and Matt Reed. This story has been updated to add comments from a U.S.-based lawyer. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Azadi Briefing: Why Are Afghans Rushing to Acquire Passports? By Abubakar Siddique January 12, 2024 The Key Issue Thousands of Afghan men and women are flocking to the central passport office in the Afghan capital, Kabul, after the Taliban suspended online applications, forcing people to apply for them in person. On January 10, videos circulating on social media platforms captured the desperation of Afghans seeking travel documents. "The crowd was so big that my father lost his warm scarf," said Haseebullah, who arrived around midnight to line up in the freezing temperatures. "Everyone was miserable," he told Radio Azadi. Shizer Samim, a university student from the northern Balkh Province, is seeking a passport to study abroad after the Taliban barred women from attending universities in December 2022. "I applied for a passport a year ago but I still don't have one," she told Radio Azadi. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have attempted to get passports. But the process is marred by corruption, excessive fees, and long delays. Why It's Important: The eagerness to obtain passports indicates that educated, skilled, and well-off Afghans are voting against the Taliban with their feet by seeking to escape the militants' harsh rule. Afghanistan's extensive humanitarian and economic crises, coupled with the Taliban's draconian restrictions and bans on education and work for women, have prompted many Afghans to seek a normal life elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans, mostly educated and skilled professionals, government workers, and middle-class entrepreneurs have fled Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power. Despite the Taliban promising amnesty for former soldiers and government workers, human rights watchdogs have documented extensive reprisal killings, beatings, detentions, and harassment by the hard-line Islamist group. The Taliban has established a monopoly on power by appointing its members and leaders to government positions, which leaves little incentive for most Afghans to believe in a future under the group. Last year more than 1 million "undocumented Afghans" were expelled from neighboring Iran and Pakistan, and there were also significant deportations from Turkey. Those events serve as additional incentives for Afghans to obtain documents before traveling abroad. What's Next: Without significant improvements in the Taliban's governance and the country's economy, the Afghan exodus will only worsen. The fading Afghan crisis from the international agenda and the mistreatment of Afghans in neighboring countries ensure that the four-decade cycle of Afghan displacement will continue. What To Keep An Eye On A senior Pakistani Islamist politician's visit to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to revive strained ties between the two neighbors has left many unanswered questions. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, has spent nearly a week in Kabul to meet with Taliban officials, including its reclusive chief, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, and leaders of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), otherwise known as the Pakistani Taliban. He went in an attempt to reduce tensions between erstwhile allies the Taliban and Islamabad over the group's alleged backing for the TTP. Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, TTP attacks have killed thousands and threaten elections in JUI-F strongholds in northwestern Pakistan. Rehman had claimed that while he was invited by the Taliban, his trip was sanctioned by Islamabad and the Foreign Ministry briefed him on the state of relations between the two countries. But on January 11, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Rehman's trip was private and "was not sponsored or advised by the government of Pakistan." Why It's Important: While Rehman might gain some breathing space from the TTP for his election campaign, his visit is unlikely to improve bilateral ties immediately. Islamabad remains staunchly opposed to talks with the TTP mediated by the Taliban, which is reluctant to give up on a key ideological and organizational ally. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azadi-briefing-afghanistan- taliban-passports/32772022.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S., U.K. Launch Strikes Against Iran-Backed Huthi Rebels In Response To Red Sea Attacks By RFE/RL January 12, 2024 U.S. and British forces have hit Iran-backed Huthi rebel military targets in Yemen -- -- an action immediately condemned by Tehran -- sparking fears around the world of a growing conflict in the Middle East as fighting rages in the Gaza Strip. U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that the move was meant to show that the United States and its allies "will not tolerate" the Iran-backed rebel group's increasing number of attacks in the Red Sea, which have threatened freedom of navigation and endangered U.S. personnel and civilian navigation. The rebels said that the air strikes, which occurred in an area already shaken by Israel's war with Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union, totaled 73 and killed at least five people. "Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces -- together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands -- successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Huthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," Biden said in a statement. "These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Huthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea -- including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history," Biden said of the international mission that also involved Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden approved the strikes after a Huthi attack on January 9. U.S. and British naval forces repelled that attack, shooting down drones and missiles fired by the Huthis from Yemen toward the southern Red Sea. Kirby said the United States does not want war with Yemen or a conflict of any kind but will not hesitate to take further action. "Everything the president has been doing has been trying to prevent any escalation of conflict, including the strikes last night," he said. The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting for later on January 12 over the strikes. The session was requested by Russia and will take place after a meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza. Huthi rebels have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since Israel launched its war on Hamas over the group's surprise cross-border attack on October 7 that killed some 1,200 Israelis and saw dozens more taken hostage. The Huthis have claimed their targeting of navigation in the Red Sea is meant to show the group's support for the Palestinians and Hamas. Thousands of the rebels held protests in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, where they chanted "We aren't discouraged. Let it be a major world war!" The White House said Huthi acts of piracy have affected more than 50 countries and forced more than 2,000 ships to make detours of thousands of kilometers to avoid the Red Sea. It said crews from more than 20 countries were either taken hostage or threatened by Huthi piracy. Kirby said a "battle damage assessment" to determine how much the Huthi capabilities had been degraded was ongoing. Britain said sites including airfields had been hit. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is still hospitalized following complications from prostate cancer surgery, said earlier the strikes were aimed at Huthi drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles, as well as coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the strikes were "necessary and proportionate." "Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Huthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea," Sunak said in a statement. Iran immediately condemned the attacks saying they would bring further turbulence to the Middle East. "We strongly condemn the military attacks carried out this morning by the United States and the United Kingdom on several cities in Yemen," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kannani said in a post on Telegram. "These arbitrary actions are a clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of international laws and regulations. These attacks will only contribute to insecurity and instability in the region," he added. A Huthi spokesman said the attacks were unjustified and the rebels will keep targeting ships heading toward Israel. The Huthis, whose slogan is "Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam," are part of what has been described as the Iran-backed axis of resistance that also includes anti-Israel and anti-Western militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Huthi rebels have fought Yemen's government for decades. In 2014, they took the capital, Sanaa. While Iran has supplied them with weapons and aid, the Huthis say they are not Tehran's puppets and their main goal is to topple Yemen's "corrupt" leadership. With reporting by Reuters and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/huthi-rebels-us-uk-strikes- yemen/32771307.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Announces Sanctions Against Companies That Support Funding Of Iranian-Backed Huthis By RFE/RL January 12, 2024 The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on January 12 on two companies in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates as part of a crackdown on the financial network funding Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen. The department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement that the companies had shipped Iranian commodities on behalf of a Huthi financial facilitator's network and that revenue from the sales of the commodities supported the Huthis "and their continued attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden." "The United States continues to take action against the illicit Iranian financial networks that fund the Houthis and facilitate their attacks," Treasury Undersecretary Brian Nelson said in the statement. "Together with our allies and partners, we will take all available measures to stop the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their threats to global commerce." The sanctions were announced after the United States and Britain carried out strikes on Huthi rebels to stop their attacks on Red Sea shipping. The statement identified the financial facilitator as Sa'id al-Jamal, saying he "engages in a variety of commercial activities that involve the sale of Iranian commodities" to generate revenue for the Huthis and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Quds Force. Al-Jamal was designated for sanctions by the Treasury Department in June 2021. The companies designated for sanctions on January 12 are Cielo Maritime in Hong Kong and Global Tech Marine Services in the United Arab Emirates. Cielo Maritime has shipped Iranian commodities to China in support of Sa'id al Jamal, according to the statement. Its vessel, the Mehle, used forged shipping documents to disguise the Iranian origin of the cargo, it added. Global Tech Marine Services has similarly shipped Iranian commodities in support of Sa'id al-Jamal, the statement said. Its ship, the Sincere 02, "sought to disguise the origin of the goods using forged documents," OFAC said. The sanctions also target the Mehle and the Sincere 02 and two other vessels operated by Global Tech Marine Services that the department said have shipped Iranian commodities. The sanctions freeze all property and interests owned by the companies in U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit people in the United States from dealing with the companies. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-sanctions-companies- funding-iran-backed-huthis-yemen/32772131.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Separate' They Stand: Despite Iran's Support, Huthi Rebels' Independence Gives Tehran Cover By Michael Scollon January 12, 2024 While the Huthis are using an arsenal of Iranian weapons to wreak havoc in the Red Sea and are considered part of Tehran's "axis of resistance," the Yemen-based rebel group does not necessarily follow Iran's commands. Experts say the two have separated themselves enough to allow the Huthis -- who control northern Yemen -- to act independently against Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the West, Tehran's main enemies. The distance also keeps Iran from being drawn into a broader Middle East conflict. Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin, explained that Iran's support for the Huthis does not make the nonstate militant group an Iranian proxy. "There is absolutely no doubt that, especially since the outbreak of the war in Yemen, since the Saudi invasion of Yemen in 2015, that Iran has been actively supporting the Huthis in their fight against Saudi Arabia," he said. "And it continues to support them now, in their expanding campaign against Israel. But it isn't like Iran created the Huthis or that the Huthis were a subsidiary of the Quds Force," the foreign arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East defense analyst with the global intelligence company Janes, said the question is how much influence Tehran has over what the Huthis do. That question has increasingly been asked since the Huthis began targeting Israel with missile strikes in response to Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip, and most recently following the Huthis' repeated attacks against maritime vessels in the Red Sea, a major global supply route. Many consider the Huthis to be "fairly independent and very belligerent," Binnie said, and "will actually probably go beyond what the Iranians want them to do." Another view is that considering the likely need for Iranian personnel to operate the more advanced weaponry Tehran provides to the Huthis, that Iran "would have a big say over when and how those weapons are used." The Huthis' arsenal is extensive, including sea and air drones, long-range missiles, and recently unveiled anti-ship missiles. The Huthis have used such weapons against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, leading the UN Security Council to warn against such attacks prior to the United States and Britain striking dozens of Huthi strategic sites in Yemen on January 12. The Huthis have also targeted Israel directly with drones and long-range missiles amid the latter's war against Hamas -- considered a terrorist group by the United States and European Union -- following that Iranian-backed group's deadly incursion into Israel on October 7. While the Huthis have claimed they manufacture their own weapons and Tehran has denied supplying arms to the Huthis, Iranian components for sophisticated weapons have been seized en route to Yemen. Binnie said that while the Huthis do produce some less-sophisticated weapons such as rockets, there is little doubt that their more advanced arms are of Iranian origin. "They are still largely reliant, especially for the more sophisticated weapons, on at least key components coming from Iran," he said, adding that Iranian weapons are paraded with new names and, in some cases, Iranian weapons have been seen for the first time in Yemen. While the Huthis are not directly under Tehran's thumb, the rebel group does play an important role in the so-called axis of resistance -- a loose-knit network of Iranian-backed proxies and militant groups who aid it in opposing the West, Arab foes, and primarily Israel. "From the Iranian point of view, having an ally in Yemen is great, because you can give them your missiles and drones and suddenly the Saudis are facing a threat from the south. And [the Saudis have] got to move a lot of their air defenses to the south to cover that, which means there are less air defenses pointing toward Iran," Binnie said. "You also have an ally that has the capability -- as we are now seeing -- to threaten one of the key maritime checkpoints in the world. So if Iran can threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz, the Huthis are showing what they can do," he added. "Likewise, in the southern Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab [Strait], so this increases [Iran's] ability to put pressure on the international economy, the global economy, if they need to." The Huthis, who have recently cast themselves as champions of the Palestinian cause, also fit well into the anti-Israel, anti-American ideology shared by members of the axis of resistance. One risk is that Iran's support for the Huthis could draw Tehran directly into a broader Middle East conflict should it expand beyond Israel's war against Hamas. At the moment, according to observers, that seems unlikely. Azizi said it is getting "more and more difficult for Iran to keep its distance" from the Huthis, noting that statements by the United States -- including in the UN Security Council's January 10 condemnation of Huthi attacks in the Red Sea -- and Britain about the rebel group make sure to describe them as Iranian-backed. Nevertheless, Azizi said, "I don't see any urge in any of the international actors involved in the war in Gaza to expand the scope in the sense that they would bring Iran into the conflict." Binnie also downplayed the prospect of Iran being held directly responsible for attacks carried out by the Huthis and other members of the axis of resistance. "We know the Iranians are supplying a lot of weapons to these groups, and they certainly have influence, if not a high degree of control over them," Binnie said. "So you could certainly make that case, but it is not being publicly made at the moment." It has been more than three months since the outbreak of war in Gaza that sparked the Huthi attacks, Binnie said, and the Iranians have "successfully maintained their distance, so [the actions by the members of the axis of resistance are] not too much of a problem." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-support-huthi-rebels-yemen- red-sea-strikes/32772221.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel Calls Genocide Accusations At World Court Hearings 'Absurd,' Says No Comparison To Russia Case By RFE/RL January 12, 2024 Israel has refuted South African claims at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it is committing genocide against Palestinians in its war in the Gaza Strip and called drawing similarities with Russia's war in Ukraine "absurd." Lawyers for Israel argued on January 12 that the country is doing what it can to limit the civilian impact of its battle against Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, and that Hamas and its warfare tactics are to blame for a rising death toll among the population. As part of its case urging the court to order a provisional halt to the hostilities, touched off by a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that killed some 1,200 civilians in Israel, South Africa has pointed to a March 2022 ruling it made calling on Russia to halt its military operations against Ukraine. South Africa, which accused Israel of committing "systematic" acts of genocide in the conflict, is asking the court to hand down an emergency ruling to protect Palestinians in Gaza from further harm by Israel's war against Hamas. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in the campaign, the majority of whom were women and children. But Christopher Staker, a British lawyer arguing on behalf of Israel, said the argument that the ICJ's ruling against Russia set precedent was wrong as in that case, the court found doubtful Russian claims that its military operation was to prevent and punish genocide being committed in Ukraine. "In this case, Israel does not rely on the genocide convention or prevention of genocide to justify its operations," he said. "In the Russia case, a suspension of military operations might have been necessary to preserve a right not to be subjected to military operations. But in this case, the right in issue is South Africa's claimed right to ensure observance of the genocide convention. It's absurd to suggest that the only way to ensure observance of the genocide convention in a military operation is to prevent the operation from being conducted at all." Speaking on the second day of the proceedings, Tal Becker, legal adviser to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, used similar language in calling South Africa's claims "unfounded" and "absurd." "Israel is at war with Hamas not the Palestinian people," he told the panel of judges. South Africa's heading up of the case has put a spotlight on its long-standing support of Palestinian rights, with even Nelson Mandela once saying that his country's freedom would be "incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians." The Netherlands-based court is expected to rule later this month on South Africa's request for emergency measures for Israel to halt its operations in Gaza, but a decision on the allegations of genocide, legal experts say, could take years. Decisions by the ICJ cannot be appealed, but the court itself has no means of enforcing its rulings. Analysts have previously noted that the ICJ's order for Russia to halt its military operations had no effect. With reporting by VOA and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-genocide-case-accusations-absurd- russa-comparisons-south-africa/32771858.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen's Houthis Threaten 'High Price' for US, UK Massive Strikes Sputnik News 20240112 The US and Britain have already launched 23 strikes on targets in four Yemeni provinces, local authorities told Sputnik. President Biden confirmed US and allied military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, called them a response to a threat to freedom of navigation. The United States and the United Kingdom will pay a "high price" for their airstrikes, Hussein al-Ezzi, the deputy foreign minister of the movement, said Friday. "Our country has been subjected to a massive aggressive attack carried out by American and British ships, submarines and warplanes. Undoubtedly, America and Britain will have to prepare to pay a high price and bear all the terrible consequences of this blatant aggression," al-Ezzi said on X. US said that as of 3:20am, they and UK have stopped carrying out strikes in Yemen. However, the US might resume them if threats and attacks from the Houthis continue. Later a US defense official told Sputnik that there has been no attack against the American Embassy in Iraq and no reports of US warships struck following US strikes, despite some media reported Houthis were allegedly launching retaliation strike missiles at US ships right at that time. Pentagon confirmed the strikes on Yemen, stating the targets were the drone production centres and weapons depots. Strikes on the positions of the Houthis were carried out from aircraft, ships and submarines, writes Reuters, citing a US official. "The strikes were carried out on targets in Hodeidah," the local authority source said. "Four airstrikes were carried out on Yemen's capital Sanaa," said an agency interlocutor from authorities in Saada province. The city of Taiz in central Yemen was also bombed by the United States and the United Kingdom overnight, a government source in the Yemeni governorate of Taiz told Sputnik. "Three explosions occurred as a result of bombing positions of the Ansar Allah group in the area of [the village of] Al Hawban in the Yemeni city of Taiz," the source said. Earlier, Al Arabiya TV channel quoted sources as saying that the US and Britain launched an operation on Friday night against the facilities of the ruling Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement in northern Yemen. The sources noted that the strike particularly targeted the vicinity of the port of Hodeidah. They also added that five airstrikes hit Houthi targets east of Hodeidah. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, UK Trying to Distract From Genocide in Gaza by Strikes in Yemen - Houthi Member Sputnik News 20240112 DOHA (Sputnik) - The US and the UK are trying to divert attention from the genocide in the Gaza Strip with ill-conceived airstrikes against the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, in Yemen, Hezam al-Asad, a member of the movement's political bureau, said on Friday. The US and the United Kingdom carried out overnight airstrikes against Houthi positions in four governorates of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the cities of Al Hudaydah, Saada and Taiz, provincial government officials told Sputnik. The US and UK officials confirmed the airstrikes, saying these were targeting Houthi military facilities and positions in Yemen in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and not civilian population centers. "Through these hostile and ill-conceived operations, Washington and London are trying to divert attention from the ongoing crimes of genocide. We will continue to defend our principled position on the key issue for us Palestine and neither the US nor the UK will be able to dissuade us from supporting our people in the Gaza Strip, whether in the Red or Arabian Seas," al-Asad wrote on X. The Red and Arabian Seas will remain closed to Israeli-associated ships until the conflict in the Gaza Strip ends, the political bureau member added. "Our armed forces are well prepared and the aggressors will regret their aggression against the Yemeni people," he said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A new year and another round of state budget negotiations, where numbers are tossed around like tiddlywinks, as the governor and legislators wrestle over priorities. The projected $231 billion New York plans to spend should include funding for our libraries not just public libraries. This year, libraries in New York State are seeking $147.1 million dollars in Library Systems Operating Aid, distributed among three types of library systems in New York - public, school, and multi-type systems (the latter serve academics, hospitals, and cultural organizations, as well as public and school libraries). Library System Operating aid helps fund programs and services enjoyed by all New Yorkers who visit their library of choice, whether in person or online. While local funding is a factor in how libraries operate, state funding is critical for leveling the playing field, ensuring the smallest, poorest, most remote areas of the state get a fair share of resources to serve their residents. Elections in Bhutan US Department of State Press Statement Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson January 12, 2024 The United States congratulates the people of Bhutan on a successful national election on January 9 and the People's Democratic Party and its leader Tshering Tobgay on the party's win. We look forward to working with Bhutan's incoming government to build upon the friendly relations between our countries and deepen our people-to-people ties. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Treasury Targets Commodity Shipments Financing Iran's Qods Force and Houthis U.S. Department of the Treasury January 12, 2024 WASHINGTON -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two companies in Hong Kong (PRC) and the United Arab Emirates for shipping Iranian commodities on behalf of the network of Iran-based, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)-backed Houthi financial facilitator Sa'id al-Jamal. OFAC is also identifying four vessels as blocked property in which these companies have an interest. The revenue from the commodity sales supports the Houthis and their continued attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. "The United States continues to take action against the illicit Iranian financial networks that fund the Houthis and facilitate their attacks," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "Together with our allies and partners, we will take all available measures to stop the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their threats to global commerce." Today's action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority in Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. Sa'id al-Jamal was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on June 10, 2021 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF. The IRGC-QF was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 25, 2007 for providing support to multiple terrorist groups. ILLICIT IRGC-QF AND HOUTHI COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY Houthi and IRGC-QF financial facilitator Sa'id al-Jamal engages in a variety of commercial activities that involve the sale of Iranian commodities to generate revenue for the Houthis and the IRGC-QF. The vessel MEHLE (IMO: 9191711), which is owned and managed by Hong Kong (PRC)-based Cielo Maritime Ltd, has shipped Iranian commodities to China in support of Sa'id al-Jamal. The MEHLE used forged shipping documents to disguise the Iranian origin of the cargo. Cielo Marine Ltd is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa'id al-Jamal. The MEHLE is being identified as property in which Cielo Marine Ltd has an interest. The vessel SINCERE 02 (IMO: 9226011), managed and operated by Marshall Islands-registered, United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Global Tech Marine Services Inc (Global Tech Marine Services), has similarly shipped Iranian commodities in support of Sa'id al-Jamal. The SINCERE 02 similarly sought to disguise the origin of the goods using forged documents. Sa'id al-Jamal has shipped Iranian commodities onboard the SINCERE 02 in coordination with Turkiye-based Abdi Nasir Ali Mahamud, who was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on June 10, 2021 for his support to Sa'id al-Jamal. Global Tech Marine Services also operates the vessels MOLECULE (IMO: 9209300) and FORTUNE GALAXY (IMO: 9257010), both of which have been involved in the shipment of Iranian commodities. Global Tech Marine Services is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa'id al-Jamal. The SINCERE 02, MOLECULE, and FORTUNE GALAXY are all being identified as property in which Global Tech Marine Services has an interest. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here. Click here for more information on the individuals and entities designated today. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address QA-3, 12 January 2024, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Oncu Keceli in Response to a Question Regarding a Social Media Message Posted by the Israeli Foreign Minister Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israeli occupation, Israeli expansionist mentality and actions that completely ignore human rights, international law, and moral principles have led to the catastrophic situation in Gaza. We are very concerned with the reports that Israel's war crimes may amount to genocide, and closely following the hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over Israel's breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Efforts by members of the Israeli Government to divert the attention from the atrocities they perpetrate will not yield any result. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gazans should not be subject to forcible displacement or relocation from Gaza: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza. 12 January 2024 Thank you, President, and I join others in thanking Under-Secretary-General Griffiths and Assistant-Secretary Brands Kehris for their briefings today. President, I have three points to make today. Firstly, the UK firmly rejects any proposal that Palestinians should be resettled outside Gaza, including proposals from members of the Israeli government. Our views and concerns are shared by our allies and partners that Gazans should not be subject to forcible displacement or relocation from Gaza. Second, the UK is alarmed by record levels of extremist settler violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and its devastating impact. According to OCHA, since 7 October at least 198 Palestinian households, including 586 children, have been displaced following an increase in extremist settler violence and access restrictions. We call on the Government of Israel not only condemn settler violence but also to take direct action against those responsible for it, and hold them accountable, and ensure that Palestinian civilians are protected. We also continue to call on Israel to cease immediately all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem and its Lower Aqueduct, and to respect in their absolute entirety all legal obligations. We reiterate our longstanding position that settlements are illegal under international law, and that settlement expansions hinder us from creating the conditions for a durable peace in Israel, the West Bank and across all the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Third, the UK is intensely focused on ensuring more aid gets into Gaza. The current levels are woefully inadequate for the deepening humanitarian crisis. We are deeply concerned that the World Food Programme are reporting that nine out of ten families are going with less than one meal a day. We want to see a ceasefire, but this must be a sustainable ceasefire. One that will last. A sustainable ceasefire means one in which Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel's security, aid is delivered without hindrance, and Palestinians can return to the areas of Gaza from which they have been displaced. Ahead of a permanent ceasefire, we want to see immediate and sustained humanitarian pauses. This will allow for hostages to be released and more aid to enter Gaza. In accordance with Security Council Resolution 2720, we call on Israel to allow for higher volumes of humanitarian aid, through as many routes as possible. In conclusion Mr President, we call again for the release of hostages taken on 7 October, for measures to allow humanitarian aid in to meet the desperate humanitarian need in Gaza, for a sustainable ceasefire with a political horizon towards a two-state solution. And we remain committed to working with Israelis, Palestinians, and all parties in the region and beyond to make this a reality. I thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We remain concerned by violence against human rights defenders, women and social leaders in Colombia: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Colombia. 12 January 2024 Thank you, President. Let me thank SRSG Ruiz Massieu for his briefing today. I'm grateful to Yolanda Perea for her powerful testimony, and commend the vital work of women peacebuilders and women's rights organisations working for peace and justice in Colombia. I also welcome the participation of Foreign Minister Leyva in our meeting today. As we mark the seventh anniversary of the 2016 Peace Agreement, the United Kingdom continues its unwavering support to the Colombian people along their path to peace. We welcome the Government's commitment to accelerate implementation of the ethnic chapter, including initiatives on access to land and reintegration. We urge further steps to ensure 60% of the ethnic chapter is implemented by 2026 as agreed in the recent Government pact. Full implementation of the gender and ethnic provisions of the Peace Agreement is needed to address the drivers of inequality and to protect vulnerable groups including indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities most affected by the conflict. We remain strongly concerned by violence against peace signatories, human rights defenders, communities, women and social leaders - this includes three reported killings of peace signatories and human rights defenders already in 2024. We strongly encourage the Government to step up efforts to protect these local leaders and participants in the peace process. Security guarantees are an essential component of the Peace Agreement underpinning progress in all other chapters, including reintegration. The recently approved Comprehensive Reintegration Programme is a welcome step. We also reiterate our call for the appointment of a dedicated office within the Presidency to coordinate and advance implementation of the agreement. President, we welcome the Government's commitment to expanding peace through dialogue and we note the intention to extend the ceasefire with the ELN. The ELN's commitment to abide by international humanitarian law, including refraining from kidnapping, must be reflected in a change of practice on the ground. Finally, the United Kingdom remains committed to supporting broad and lasting sustainable peace in Colombia. We look forward to a visit by the Council next month to see first hand the progress made to date and learn how we can contribute to supporting Colombia on this journey. I thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Children in Gaza still at the sharp end of unrelenting war UNICEF This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF Special representative Lucia Elmi on the situation of children in the State of Palestine - to whom quoted text may be attributed - at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva 12 January 2024 GENEVA, 12 January 2024 -- "After almost 100 days of violence, killing, bombardment and captivity for children in Gaza, all the suffering has been too much. "With every passing day, children and families in the Gaza Strip face increased risk of death from the sky, disease from lack of safe water, and deprivation from lack of food. And for the two remaining Israeli children still held hostage in Gaza, their nightmare that began on 7 October continues. "And the situation continues to deteriorate rapidly. UNICEF last week spoke of the 'triple threat' stalking children in the Gaza Strip: conflict, disease, and malnutrition. We are doing everything we can, but we are faced with a formidable challenge to address these issues. "Children in Gaza are running out of time, while most of the lifesaving humanitarian aid they desperately need remains stranded between insufficient access corridors and protracted layers of inspections. Mounting needs and a constrained response is a formula for a disaster of epic proportions. "Thousands of children have already died and thousands more will quickly follow if we don't immediately fix three urgent bottlenecks: "One, safety: Nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip. The intense bombardment and ongoing conflict in densely populated urban areas threatens the lives of civilians and humanitarian aid workers. "The bombardment is also impeding the delivery of desperately needed assistance. When I was in Gaza last week, we tried for 6 days to get fuel and medical supplies to the North and for 6 days movement restrictions prevented us from travelling. My colleagues in Gaza endured this same challenge for weeks before my arrival. Families in the north desperately need this fuel to operate water and sanitation infrastructure. They are still waiting. "Two, logistics: We still aren't getting sufficient aid in - yesterday just 139 (73 via Rafah and 66 via KS) trucks entered. The inspection process remains slow and unpredictable. And some of the materials we desperately need remain restricted, with no clear justification. These include generators to power water facilities and hospitals, and plastic pipes to repair badly damaged water infrastructure. "In addition, once aid gets in, there are significant challenges to distributing it across the Gaza Strip, particularly to the North and recently also the middle area. "Frequent communications blackouts make it extremely challenging to coordinate the distribution of aid, and let people know how to access it, and when. "The congestion in the south due to the massive displacement and the intense needs mean continued incidents of people in despair stopping trucks and trying to get their hands on whatever they can. "Shortages of fuel and trucks inside the Strip, and major damage to roads, make travel slower and less frequent. "Three, commercial: Humanitarian aid alone is not sufficient. The volume of commercial goods for sale in the Gaza Strip needs to increase, and increase fast. What is needed is at least 300 trucks of private commercial goods going in on a daily basis. This will help people purchase essential goods, relieve community tension, and stimulate the cash assistance programs offered by UNICEF and others. "But we are seeing very little change, and frankly, the consequences are being measured, daily, in the loss of children's lives. "An immediate and long-lasting ceasefire is the only way to end the killing and injuring of children and their families and enable the urgent delivery of desperately needed aid. But while we continue advocating and pushing for that to happen, we urgently need: All access crossings into the Gaza Strip to open; Approval and inspection processes for aid to be faster and more efficient, and predictable; The resumption of commercial/private sector activities; The immediate entry of increased quantity of fuel that can go across the Gaza Strip; Reliable and uninterrupted telecommunication channels; Greater trucking and transportation capacity inside the Gaza Strip; Civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals must be protected; And, access to the north of the Gaza Strip, to allow us to reach vulnerable children and families that are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. "Finally, the two abducted Israeli children must be unconditionally and safely released. "This violence must stop now. "Thank you." ##### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security Council meets over widening Middle East crisis 12 January 2024 - The UN Security Council met on Friday for briefings on the worsening situation across the Middle East, looking first at threats of forced displacement from Gaza and then the escalating conflict in and around the Red Sea - all as the war in Gaza approaches the 100-day mark. The UN relief chief told ambassadors that any Gazans forced to flee the enclave must be allowed to return "as international law demands", while a senior political affairs official warned that the cycle of violence over Red Sea shipping lanes risked major repercussions in Yemen and the wider region. That's a wrap from us at UN News on these latest emergency meetings called to address the widening crisis focused on the war in Gaza. Here are the key points from the afternoon: HIGHLIGHTS "Any persons displaced from Gaza must be allowed to return, as international law demands," said UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths, reiterating his call for a ceasefire Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said "compelled evacuations, failing to meet the necessary conditions for lawfulness, therefore potentially amount to forcible transfer, a war crime" Council members pointed to a "catastrophe" in Gaza, with some calling for an immediate ceasefire and others worrying about the conflict's spillover into the region "Silence is complicity," said Algeria's Ambassador, echoing calls for a ceasefire "The Palestinian people are here to stay; the lesson of the Holocaust is not that you should defend Israel when it is committing atrocities, but rather that one should stand against atrocities regardless of who commits them and who endures them," said the Permanent Observer of the observer State of Palestine, adding that "this is a Nakba that the world is watching unfold" Israel's Ambassador said "there is no forced displacement; Israel has no intention of displacing the population in Gaza" Senior official from the UN political and peacebuilding affairs department, Khaled Khiari, said escalating confrontation between Houthi rebels and a US-led coalition defending international shipping in the Red Sea was cause for alarm, urging de-escalation For summaries of this and other UN meetings, visit our colleagues at the UN Meetings Coverage in English and French 6:00 PM Houthi strikes, necessary and proportionate: US US Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said the strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen overnight Thursday were to "disrupt and degrade" the group's "reckless attacks" against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and in the Gulf of Aden. These strikes were necessary and proportionate, she added, noting that "they were consistent with international law and in exercise of the US' inherent right to self-defence, as reflected by Article 51 of the UN Charter." Informing the Security Council of the allies' reasons for the strikes, she emphasized that no one is immune, including Russia, from the attacks perpetrated by Houthis against ships and vessels. "So long as any one of our ships is vulnerable, all of our ships are vulnerable," she said, noting that, since November, over 2,000 ships have had to be diverted in the face of Houthi threats and that the rebels have attacked and taken hostage mariners from over 20 countries. She recalled this week's resolution adopted by the Security Council that called on the Houthis to cease their attacks and condemned those that provided arms and assistance needed to carry out those attacks. "This resolution also referenced the inherent right of Member States, in accordance with international law, to defend their vessels from attacks," the Ambassador said. "Yesterday's strike was the latest in a series of actions taken in self-defence, taken by the US alongside other countries and one that occurred against a broad diplomatic backdrop of global condemnation," she said. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that her country does not desire more conflict in the region. "Our aim is simple: to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, while upholding the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation," she said. 5:43 PM Mr. Nebenzia, Russia's Ambassador, said that given the blatant armed aggression against another country, his delegation would have preferred to see the UN Secretary-General briefing the Council. Yesterday's aggression by a so-called "international coalition" saw attacks against Yemen and its people, with aircraft and sea vessels hitting multiple cities, bombarding airports and other infrastructure. The same destruction has been unfolding in Gaza, with the war now spreading to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, he said, adding that these massive strikes by the US and UK have "nothing in common" with the right to self-defence. "The actions of the coalition violate Article II of the UN Charter," he said. "The freedom of navigation is governed by the Law of the Sea." In this vein, a dispute should be filed to the appropriate body. In line with Russia's consistent calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, he said the Council's attempts to do so have been obstructed by the US, which had given a "twisted explanation" for its criminal acts in Council discussions on the resolution it adopted on the Red Sea. The US and its allies have a record of gross violations, he said, adding that Washington is also covering up is actions in Syria with "a fig leaf". With regard to Gaza, he said the Middle East is now facing a critical situation. "If the escalation continues, the region could encounter a catastrophe," he said, adding that the responsibility for this should be on the US. As such, he called on the international community to condemn the attack against Yemen and for further global efforts to stop the violence in the Middle East. 5:37 PM Security of wider region increasingly at risk: Khiari Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), said that the cycle of violence in Yemen and Red Sea risks grave political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions not only for the war-torn and impoverished country itself but also the wider region. "Recent humanitarian improvements in the country are fragile and could easily be reversed if there are further incidents, while progress on reaching a political settlement to end the war in Yemen could also be undermined, leaving the people of Yemen facing the impact of continued conflict," he said. On Thursday, US and UK military forces, supported by four other nations, reportedly conducted over 50 air and missile strikes on targets across Yemen, following attacks by the Houthi rebel group targeting ships and vessels in the Red Sea. "These developments in the Red Sea and the risk of exacerbating regional tensions are alarming," he warned. "The Houthis' attack following the adoption of the Security Council resolution and yesterday's [Thursday's] events further demonstrate that the region is on a dangerous escalatory trajectory which could potentially impact millions in Yemen, the region and globally," Mr. Khiari added. He also recalled the UN Secretary General's call on all parties involved not to escalate the situation. "All concerned parties must do their utmost to avoid further escalation, reduce tensions and exercise restraint," Mr. Khiari said, calling on the Security Council to continue its efforts to prevent further escalation. 5:35 PM The meeting on the Red Sea crisis is now underway. Khaled Khiari from the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations is going to brief on the issue. 5:25 PM This afternoon's first meeting around the horseshoe table in the Security Council Chamber has just finished, but delegations are still in place to discuss the related escalation of violence besetting the Red Sea - a crucial international shipping lane that has recently been under attack by Houthi rebels on the coast of Yemen. Just a few hours ago, the UN chief Antonio Guterres urged all countries involved in trying to protect the waterway from the spillover from Gaza to avoid escalation following what the US and UK described as a defensive action taken to bomb Houthi positions overnight on Thursday. The Secretary-General said the Houthi's mounting attacks - there have been over two dozen in recent weeks - which the rebel group says are in solidarity with the Palestinian cause in Gaza, are unacceptable and must stop, in line with a resolution passed just a few days ago in the Security Council. 5:05 PM Israel has 'no intention' of displacing Gaza's population: Erdan Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said numerous UN meetings have been held and resolutions adopted, but not one condemned Hamas's attacks and hostage taking. Similarly, there has been no meeting held to help free those kidnapped by Palestinian militants. Israel supports efforts to supply humanitarian aid, he said. Hamas has not permitted the Red Cross to visit the hostages, he said, and the UN "can only unite on one thing: the demonization of Israel". Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority has failed to condemn the 7 October Hamas attacks. For the past 76 years, Arabs have used every means to annihilate Israel, he said. There is not a single UN body that remains untainted by anti-Israel messages. "There is no forced displacement," he said. "Israel has no intention of displacing the population in Gaza." Some prefer spreading falsehoods over the truth, he said, pointing out that Pakistan is forcibly displacing thousands of Muslims from Afghanistan. Why does the forced displacement of Muslims from a Muslim country get little attention, he asked, answering: "no Jews, no news." Israel represents one tenth of one per cent of the global population. In 2023, the UN General Assembly passed countless resolutions on Israel, he told ambassadors. One third of all commissions of inquiry the Council has established have focused on Israel, the only democracy in the region. South Africa's case at the ICJ represents a dystopia in Israel's view. The case is "baseless", he said, adding that the body that should be on trial is the UN, which has turned a blind eye to Hamas. "Israel is fighting the most just war," he said, adding that if there is a ceasefire, Hamas will continue its terror. "The time has come to take back the UN to force this institution to live up to its founding principles," he concluded. 4:52 PM 'Searching for life anywhere, met by death everywhere': Mansour Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the UN, thanked South Africa for presenting its case against Israel for alleged genocide in Gaza, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), stating that the lesson of the Holocaust is to stand against atrocities, regardless of the perpetrator. He also called for an immediate ceasefire to prevent a regional escalation of the crisis, stressing the urgency of saving Palestinian children's lives. "Palestinians are searching for safety everywhere, finding safety nowhere. Searching for life anywhere, met by death everywhere," he added. He said Israel had "deliberately destroyed everything". "It killed and maimed our children, our doctors, our journalists, our engineers, our poets, our academics. It destroyed the very requirement of life and of a life in Gaza." Mr. Mansour went on to note that there have always been two visions to end the conflict. One upholds international law, ends the occupation, fulfills Palestinian rights and achieves a just and lasting peace based on UN resolutions. The other is a supremacist, racist, criminal and delusional vision that somehow Palestinians accept death, exodus or subjugation, he argued. Stressing that the Palestinian people are here to stay and that they have a right to live in freedom and dignity in their ancestral land, he said that this is the "only path" towards shared peace and security. "All those who want to see shared peace and security should not spread fire; they must support an immediate ceasefire," he said. 4:48 PM We must work towards Palestinian State: France Nicolas de Riviere, Ambassador of France, which holds the Council presidency for January, spoke in his national capacity, saying efforts must focus immediately towards a lasting ceasefire, with the help of all regional and international partners. "This is essential to enable the delivery of more humanitarian aid," he said. "We must also remove obstacles to guarantee humanitarian access and fully implement resolution 2712 and 2720 of this Council." France will continue to provide humanitarian, financial and material aid to the civilian population, he said, reiterating his delegation's call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. "This Council must condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on October 7, including sexual and gender-based violence used as a weapon of war," he went on to say, adding that France will continue its action to establish sanctions against Hamas at the European level. On the political level, France will continue to commit to the path of a rapid exit from the crisis based on the solution of the two States, both having Jerusalem as their capital, the only one that can make it possible to build a fair and sustainable peace," he said. "We must work to build a State for the Palestinians," he said. "The Palestinian Authority has a central role to play in this process, in the West Bank as in Gaza, which aims to be part of this Palestinian State." Meanwhile, the Council recalled in its resolution 2712 that the forced displacement of civilian populations was contrary to international law. France also condemns the colonization policy, illegal under international law and a major obstacle to the prospect of a two-State solution, he said, emphasizing that it is crucial to avoid a regional conflagration. 4:15 PM 'Robust action' needed to end the war: China Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said Gaza is a stain on humanity's conscience. "Nearly 100 days into the ongoing Palestinian-Israel conflict, more than 23,000 people in Gaza and over 200 UN personnel and journalists have lost their lives...all of these are not just cold numbers, but the loss of human lives," he said. Some countries speak constantly about promoting human rights and preventing genocide, but continue to deflect attention from the situation in Gaza. "This is double standard, he said. "We need robust action to end the conflict. Any forced displacement of Palestinians must be firmly rejected." All measures must be taken to alleviate the humanitarian disaster, and a ceasefire must be declared with the utmost urgency. Only a ceasefire can prevent the two-State solution from collapsing, he argued. "We urge the international community, especially countries who have influence on the parties, to make the realization of a ceasefire, the overriding task," he said. 3:59 PM No resettlement of Gazans: UK UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward said her delegation firmly rejects any statements proposing that Palestinians should be resettled outside of Gaza, including those by members of the Israeli Government. Alarmed by the record levels of extremist settler violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its devastating impact, she called on the Government of Israel to not only condemn settler violence but also take direct action against those responsible for it, hold them to account, and ensure that Palestinian civilians are protected. The UK is also intensely focused on ensuring more aid gets into Gaza, she said. "Ahead of a permanent ceasefire, we want to see immediate and sustained humanitarian pauses," she said. This will allow for hostages to be released and more aid to enter Gaza. In accordance with resolution 2720, "we call on Israel to allow for higher volumes of humanitarian aid, through as many routes as possible," she said. 3:48 PM Immediate ceasefire, now: Russia Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the catastrophic situation in Gaza can be seen in the thousands of deaths and people buried under the rubble, widely destroyed civilian infrastructure and the two million who have been compelled to flee for their lives. Those who were forced to leave have found refuge in UNRWA facilities. While the 7 October attacks are reprehensible, they cannot legitimize Israel's use of the force in the Gaza Strip, he said. As the Council still fails to shoulder its mandate to implement a ceasefire, he regretted to note that the United States has stymied efforts to do so. Making life unbearable in Gaza leaves the Palestinians no choice, he said, warning that the current situation could have dire consequences for the whole world. Efforts are underway to prevent the mass deportation of Palestinians from their land, he said, citing international law and emphasizing that occupying Powers have clear obligations. Plans for flooding Gaza would make the enclave uninhabitable, he said, pointing to South Africa's case filed in The Hague this week and others brought before the International Criminal Court. What is striking are media reports of the idea that Israel would convince countries to take in Palestinians, he said. "Russia's approach is unchanged; we want an immediate ceasefire," he said, raising concerns about a spillover of the conflict in the region, including in Yemen. "Without an immediate ceasefire, the Middle East risks plunging into a full-fledged war." 3:40 PM 'Work together to sow the seeds of peace': US US Ambassador and Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield noted the humanitarian impact of the conflict precipitated by the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and other militants. With over 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza internally displaced, she said that the situation is "heart-breaking and untenable". "The US position has been clear and consistent - Palestinian civilians in Gaza must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow," she said, noting that her country has also made it clear that "civilians must not be pressed to leave Gaza under any circumstances." "We unequivocally reject statements by some Israeli ministers and lawmakers calling for a resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza," she added, noting that such irresponsible statements make it harder to secure a lasting peace. She also questioned why some Security Council members "still cannot bring themselves" to condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas, speak of the plight of hostages or censure the rocket attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah against Israelis. "And why have some Council members refused to hold Hamas accountable for using civilians as human shields?" she asked, urging all Member States to speak out and press Hamas and Hezbollah to "do what is necessary" to end the violence and displacement they have wrought. Condemnation of West Bank settler violence Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield drew attention to an "unprecedented rise" in violence in the West Bank. She condemned attacks by extremist Palestinian militants on Israeli civilians as well as the attacks by Israeli extremist settlers targeting Palestinians and their properties, displacing entire communities. "The US strongly opposes the advancement of settlements in the West Bank, and we strongly oppose the violence that has come to characterize them," she said. "At their core, settlements undermine the geographic viability of a two-State solution, exacerbate tensions and further harm trust between Israelis and Palestinians." 3:35 PM 'Silence is complicity': Algeria Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama said shocking images are being beamed around the world on screens every day, without any meaningful response. "What is happening in Gaza will remain a disgrace on the conscience of humanity," he said. "Is it not enough to kill more than 23,000 people?" The barbaric bombardment of the enclave and targeting of all signs of life in Gaza clearly "is a targeting of making Gaza uninhabitable" and kill the hope of returning home for Palestinians, he said, adding that this policy enjoys support from the occupying Power. The goal is to terminate the Palestinian territory, he said, emphasizing that the plan of forced displacement is unfolding now throughout the Palestinian territory through bombardment. "This plan is destined to fail," he said. "There is no place for Palestinians except on their land. Any displacement of Palestinians is a clear violation of international law." As such, the international community and the Council must speak in one voice against the displacement of Palestinians, he added. "Silence is complicity," he said, reiterating the call for a ceasefire. 3:25 PM Forcible transfer would be a war crime, warns senior human rights official Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, began by highlighting what was "preventable" as the crisis deepens in Gaza and warned about the sheer scale of suffering. Emphasizing the need for accountability for the 7 October terror attacks on Israeli civilians, she stated, "its horror will not be forgotten." She said that Gaza's situation is not a mere by-product of conflict, but a direct consequence of the conduct of hostilities. She mentioned the displacement initiated on 12 October, with Israeli authorities ordering Palestinians north of Wadi Gaza to move south. Despite Israel claiming it was for safety, Ms. Kehris raised concerns about compliance with international law, suggesting potential war crimes. "Such compelled evacuations, failing to meet the necessary conditions for lawfulness, therefore potentially amount to forcible transfer, a war crime." 'Confusing' evacuation orders "In fact, these orders have often been confusing, requiring civilians to move to so-called 'humanitarian zones' or 'known shelters' despite the fact that many such areas have been subsequently struck in Israeli military operations and the lack of any capacity in the shelters to absorb more people," she said. Ms. Kehris further informed ambassadors of a "dramatic" rise in violence by Israeli settlers and Israeli security personnel in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and of statements by some members of Israel's leadership pushing for the permanent resettlement of Palestinians overseas. Such statements have "entrenched fears that Palestinians are being deliberately forced out of Gaza and will not be able to return; this must not be permitted," she said. Need for durable solution In conclusion, Ms. Kehris stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire and the unconditional release of hostages as crucial steps towards a durable solution. "We must also look towards what comes next; this current violence comes in the context of decades of human rights violations," she said, adding that for any enduring solution to the crisis, the underlying root causes must be addressed, including "accountability for violations committed on and since 7 October and in the many years before". "Ensuring justice and that the rights of all peoples - both of Palestinians and Israelis - are respected and protected is the only basis on which an enduring peace can be built." she said. 3:20 PM Any Gazans displaced must be allowed to return: Griffiths Humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths continued saying that efforts to send humanitarian convoys to the North have been met with delays, denials and the imposition of impossible conditions. The lack of respect for the humanitarian notification system puts every movement of aid workers in danger, he said. "Providing humanitarian assistance across Gaza is almost impossible," he said. "Our access to Khan Younis and the Middle Area is largely absent." In these circumstances, the spread of hostilities further southwards would significantly increase pressure for the mass displacement of people into neighbouring countries, he said. "I want to emphasize that any persons displaced from Gaza must be allowed to return, as international law demands," he said, expressing deep alarm by recent statements by Israeli ministers regarding plans to encourage the mass transfer of civilians from Gaza to third countries, currently being referred to as "voluntary relocation". Any attempt to change the demographic composition of Gaza must be firmly rejected, he said. While Gaza is the epicentre of this crisis, he said "let us not forget the 1,200 people killed, thousands injured and hundreds taken in the brutal attack by Hamas and other armed groups on Israel on 7 October, and the accounts of abhorrent sexual violence". More than 100,000 people have been displaced within Israel as a result of the 7 October attack by Hamas and other armed groups and due to ongoing rocket fire from armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon. In this vein, he expressed continued concern about the risk of a further regional spread of this conflict. Stain on our conscience "What we have seen since 7 October is a stain on our collective conscience," he said. "Unless we act, it will become an indelible mark on our humanity." People will continue to suffer and die from the rockets, the bombs, the missiles and the bullets and in increasing numbers from starvation, disease and exposure, he said. "We cannot let this happen," he said, reiterating his call for a ceasefire, for the Council to take urgent action to end the war. He also repeated his call for far greater compliance with international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the infrastructure they depend on; the provision of essentials for survival; the facilitation of humanitarian assistance at the scale required; and the humane treatment and immediate release of all hostages. 3:07 PM 'Scenes of utter horror' in northern Gaza: UN relief chief The UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, is speaking first. He told ambassadors that what has been unfolding in Israel and Gaza is a war conducted "with almost no regard" for the impact on civilians. Relentless military operations continue in Gaza, with tens of thousands killed and injured - the majority women and children. "We can see it in the forced displacement of 1.9 million civilians, a staggering 85 per cent of the total population, traumatized and forced to flee again and again as the bombs and missiles rain down, and we can see it in the appalling conditions on ground: shelters overflowing, and food and water running out, with the risk of famine growing by the day," he said. Health system devastated The health system is in a state of collapse. Now winter has arrived in Gaza, bringing with it bitter cold, exacerbating the struggle to survive. This makes it all the more deplorable that facilities critical to the survival of the civilian population have come under relentless attack, he said. In total, 134 UN relief works agency, UNRWA, facilities have been hit and at least 148 UN personnel and non-governmental organization (NGO) staff have been killed in Gaza. Humanitarian sites have been struck on numerous occasions, despite their identification and notification to the Israeli Defense Forces. In the last few days alone, two NGO premises have been hit. Orders for evacuation are unrelenting. As ground operations move southwards, aerial bombardments have intensified in areas where civilians were told to relocate for their safety. More and more people are being crammed into an ever-smaller sliver of land, only to find yet more violence and deprivation, inadequate shelter and a near absence of the most basic services. "There is no safe place in Gaza," he said. "Dignified human life is a near impossibility." 3:05 PM France's Ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere, is chairing the Council for the month of January, and he's just gavelled it open. 3:02 PM Both of the senior UN officials will be briefing ambassadors via videolink, and they're in vision already, waiting their turn to speak on a giant screen above the iconic horseshoe table. Both Israel and Palestine are going to have the chance to speak, likely at the end of the meeting. Relief chief Martin Griffiths along with Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for the UN human rights office (OHCHR) are expected to brief ambassadors at the open meeting, called for by new Council member Algeria, whose ambassador has made clear he intends to represent the Arab voice in world affairs at this crucial time on the Council. The meeting comes as tensions and threats increase across the whole Middle East, with alarming exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on international shipping in the Red Sea. On Thursday night, the United States and the United Kingdom retaliated against Houthi positions inside Yemen, an escalation that is directly linked to events inside Gaza as the rebels make common cause with Hamas. Earlier this week, on Wednesday, the Council held closed-door consultations where it considered a report by the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2712, which among other points, called for "urgent and extended" humanitarian pauses in Gaza, as well as an immediate release of hostages. Also on Wednesday, the 15-member Security Council adopted a resolution strongly condemning the attacks by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen. The resolution passed with 11 votes in favour, with four abstentions: China, Russia, Algeria and Mozambique. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UPDATE: Selfridge ANG Base selected as next location for KC-46A Pegasus Published Jan. 12, 2024 Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- The Department of the Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, as the preferred location to host the next KC-46A Pegasus pending the outcome of a planned environmental impact analysis in 2025. Twelve KC-46As are expected to replace the aging A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and KC-135 Stratotankers at Selfridge ANGB. The A-10s at Selfridge ANGB are expected to begin divestment in 2026, and the KC-135s there are expected to begin divestment in 2027. Selfridge ANGB is slated to receive 12 new KC-46s that are projected to start arriving in 2029 and will bring enhanced capabilities, such as boom and drogue refueling on the same sortie, worldwide navigations and communication, cargo capacity on the entire main deck floor, receiver air refueling, improved force protection, and multi-point air refueling capability. Divesting the aging A-10 fleet and KC-135s and replacing them with the KC-46 ensures Selfridge ANGB has an enduring and modern mission that meets the requirements of the National Defense Strategy. Selfridge ANGB is not precluded from being considered for a fighter aircraft mission or other potential missions in the future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SECNAV Del Toro Delivers Remarks at the U.S. Second Fleet and Joint Forces Command Norfolk Change of Command Norfolk, VA US Navy Speech by Carlos Del Toro Presented on 12 January 2024 Date Published 12 January 2024 Good morning, everyone! It is wonderful to be back onboard USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75)after my last visit in March of 2022 while she was deployed to the Mediterranean Seaand now for the Second Fleet and Joint Forces Command Norfolk Change of Command Ceremony. We're here today not just to witness a change of command, but to celebrate a legacy of service and to embrace a future of unwavering resolve. Thank you, Vice Admiral Dwyer, for your service to our country and our Navy, and for your leadership of this critical command for the past two and a half years. Vice Admiral Perry, the challenges faced by this fleet should be no stranger to youafter all, you were leading operations for U.S. Fleet Forces Command when we re-established Second Fleet in 2018. General Cavoli Admiral Caudle, General Badia, and Admiral Bauer, thank you for joining us today. Admiral Chris Grady, then the U.S. Fleet Forces Commander, noted in 2018 when we re-established Second Fleet that "the days of competition at sea and challenges to our maritime superiority have returned." Well, current operations show not much has changedand yet everything has. Five and a half years ago, in August 2018, Russia had not yet begun their second illegal war of aggression in an all-out invasion of Ukraine. The Houthisan Iranian proxy group in Yemenhad not yet ramped up their aggressive campaign in the Red Sea to the unprecedented levels we see today, posing a major threat to international commercial shipping. When Vice Admiral Dwyer took command of Second Fleet in August 2021, all of that still lay in the future. But even as we gather here this afternoon, our Sailors, ships, aircraft, and submarines trained by Second Fleet operate up and down the Eastern Seaboard, in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Red Sea. The largest instrument of American naval power and the world's most advanced aircraft carrierUSS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)has been on her first operational deployment for the past eight months. Most recently, she was steaming in the Eastern Mediterranean, helping ensure the conflict between Israel and Hamas does not erupt into a larger regional conflagration. Another carrier trained by Second Fleet, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), is operating in the Red Sea as part of the same mission. Their escorts, including USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Carney (DDG 64), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Mason (DDG 87), and USS Gravely (DDG 107) have been protecting shipping from attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen throughout their respective deployments. These warships are successful in their missionsprotecting American interests, reassuring our allies, and deterring our adversariesbecause of the training they received and the operational prowess they developed here at home, led by Second Fleet. Of course, today isn't just about Second Fleet. As others have said, Joint Force Command Norfolk is responsible for ensuring the protection of the trans-Atlantic link and the Arctic. It is often said that JFC Norfolk represents the embodiment of transatlantic security - and I could not agree more. As the Secretary of the Navy I can assure you that the Department of the Navy is fully committed to doing our part to support the ongoing expansion of the Joint Force Command Norfolk headquarters. As the host nation for JFC Norfolk we are working diligently to expedite the resourcing of these new requirements and to partner with NATO to provide new facilities for JFC Norfolk at the earliest possible date. The U.S. deeply appreciates the contributions that JFC Norfolk makes to ensuring security and prosperity across the Alliance. NATO today is as important as it has ever beenand must continue to adapt to a more dangerous world. As we've seen in Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, President Putin is challenging the most basic tenets of the Alliance's shared values, that the borders of Europe cannot be redrawn with force, that international law matters, that people and nations can make their own decisions about their future. And it's up to Congress to pass legislation in the coming days to enable us to continue to support our Ukrainian partners in that fight. The continued development of JFC Norfolk in the face of an evolving strategic situation and continued Russian aggression is essential to underwrite the peace, security and prosperity that has been the hallmark of the transatlantic relationship for so many decades. Before I close, I'd like to spend a few moments to thank our most important guests present today: the families of both Admiral Perry and Admiral Dwyer. The strong foundation our families provide at home enables us as service members to go to sea with confidence and convictionand it is your strength, love, and determination that make us resilientresilient enough to endure the long, difficult, and dangerous days away and far from home. From the Perry family, we're welcoming today: His three daughters: the eldest, Maddie; the middle, Ellewho is a 2nd Class Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy; and the youngest, Georgia. His parents, Albert and Marcia. Albert, thank you for your service to our countryI know you can attest to the challenge and reward of command. Congratulations on still holding the record for shortest fast-attack overhaul during your time in command of USS Spadefish (SSN 668)if you have any tips for our current commanding officers, I'm all ears! And his in-laws, Terry and Betsy. But most importantly, we must thank JoAnne for her support of her husband over the past thirty-plus years. I think that he would agreeand Betty would say the same of methat he would not be here, taking command, today if it were not for you and your unwavering commitment to him, your family, and the Navy. From the Dwyer family, I'd like to recognize: His son, Thomas, and his wife, Camille, who are expecting their first child later this yearAdmiral, be ready, because grandchildren change everything. His daughter, Kennedy, and her wife, Peyton. His youngest daughter, Rachel. And last, but certainly most important, his wife Christina. Christina, I know your love and support has been incredibly important to Admiral Dwyer during his career. Thank you for sharing him with our Navy and our Nation, and for your continued advocacy for our service members and their mental health. Our Fleet is better off because of your efforts. To both of your families, thank you. The support, love, sacrifices, and contributions you have made over the course of your son, husband, and father's careers has been integral to their success and to the strength and security of our country. The world has indeed changed in ways none of us could ever have suspected in the past two and a half yearsand in the more than thirty years of both of your careersand it will continue to change in the near future. Preparing our Fleet to operate in an uncertain world, defending American and partner interests and our way of life is a monumental undertakingand it never stops. Every ship, every submarine, every aircraft that deploys from Second Fleet leaves for the critical juncture where training meets operations. Maintaining a world-class and deployable Navy is not something that can be created overnight when crisis develops. It's the work of every leader here to ensure that our fleet and our force is ready for whatever the future brings. Vice Admiral Perry, you have our full faith and confidence that you, your Sailors, and our NATO partners will continue to deliver the forces needed to confront the challenges ahead of us, just as Vice Admiral Dwyer has for the past two and a half years. All of us here today are looking forward to your success. Again, it is a pleasure to be with you all for this afternoon's ceremony. May God continue to grant our Nation, our allies, and our partners fair winds and following seas. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Turkey, Iran Condemn Attack on Yemeni Houthis By VOA News January 12, 2024 Thursday's retaliatory attacks by U.S. and British forces on Iranian-backed Houthis inside Yemen have prompted support and condemnation from the international community. The retaliation follows weeks of Houthi attacks against vessels in the Red Sea. U.S. defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. and British attacks were launched from fighter jets, surface vessels and submarines. The attacks were carried out with the help of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Bahrain. In a statement, a NATO spokesperson said the "strikes were defensive and designed to preserve freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways." Likewise, the French Foreign Ministry issued a statement, noting a January 10 U.N. resolution that said navigational rights and freedoms must be respected and that "states have the right to respond to these attacks, in accordance with international law." The statement added, "France will continue shouldering its responsibilities and contributing to maritime security in the area in conjunction with its partners." The Houthi rebels issued a video statement, featuring Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, who called the attacks "brutal aggression" carried out as part of U.S. and British support for "the continuation of Israeli crimes in Gaza." He said the attacks killed five people and wounded six others. "The American and British enemy bears full responsibility for its criminal aggression against our Yemeni people, and it will not go unanswered and unpunished," he said. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani "strongly slammed the military strikes by the U.S. and Britain," in a statement, calling it "an arbitrary move" that "clearly breached Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and was against international laws and regulations." NATO ally Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the strikes "a disproportionate use of force," just as Israel is doing in Gaza, and accused the U.S. and Britain of trying "to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood." He accused both countries of escalating tensions in the region. Russia also condemned the attacks, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmtry Peskov calling the strikes "illegitimate," and accused the United States and Britain of "trying to adjust the international law system to its actions." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fighting Again Disrupts Telecom Service Across Gaza By VOA News January 12, 2024 Gaza Strip telecom provider Paltel reported Friday that fighting in the enclave had caused all communications services to be cut across the territory. From its official X social media account, formerly Twitter, Paltel said, "Dear people in our beloved homeland, we regret to announce a complete interruption of all services [cellular, landline and internet] with the Gaza Strip, due to the ongoing aggression." Meanwhile, the United Nations expressed concern about new evacuation orders issued Thursday in southern Gaza by the Israeli military. The office of humanitarian affairs said the residents in a 4.6 square-kilometer area in Al Mawasi and several blocks near Salah Ad Deen Road had been told to move to Deir al Balah, where the Israel Defense Forces continue to conduct airstrikes. "More than 18,000 people and nine shelters, accommodating an unknown number of internally displaced people, are expected to be affected by this latest round of orders," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters Friday. A journalist for Agence France-Presse reported that strikes and artillery shelling had hit areas between the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, which is crowded with people who fled from the north. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported Friday that about 151 Palestinians had been killed and 248 more wounded in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours. In a statement, the ministry said at least 23,708 people two-thirds of them women and children have been killed since the conflict started. Forced displacement concerns The October 7 Hamas terror attack inside southern Israel triggered the war. Fighters killed 1,200 people and kidnapped about 240 others. Since then, Israel has told Palestinians in northern Gaza to move south as it launched a ground invasion to decapitate Hamas, which is an EU- and U.S.-designated terror group. The United Nations has said 1.9 million people nearly 85% of Gaza's population are now crammed into an ever-shrinking area in the central and southern Gaza Strip and living in horrific conditions. Food, clean water, medical supplies, even toilets are in short supply. Malnutrition is rising, and humanitarians cannot get adequate aid supplies into Gaza. "Providing humanitarian assistance across Gaza is almost impossible," U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told a Security Council meeting Friday. He and other U.N. officials are also concerned about statements from some Israeli political figures urging the mass transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to third countries. "These statements raise grave concerns about the possible forcible mass transfer or deportation of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip, something that would be strictly prohibited, of course, under international law," Griffiths said. The head of the U.N. Human Rights New York office told the meeting that Israel's evacuation orders failed "to meet the necessary conditions for lawfulness, therefore potentially amount to forcible transfer a war crime." Ilze Brands Kehris said Palestinians must have an "ironclad guarantee" that they will be able to return home. She underscored that Israel, as the occupying power, must support their return by restoring essential services and facilitating the necessary reconstruction of Gaza. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. was also clear that civilians must not be forced to leave Gaza "under any circumstances." Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington rejects statements by Israeli ministers and lawmakers calling for their resettlement outside Gaza. "These statements, along with statements by Israeli officials calling for the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees or the destruction of Gaza, are irresponsible, inflammatory and only make it harder to secure a lasting peace," Thomas-Greenfield said. VOA Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report from the United Nations. Some information came from Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Letter to the Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148) January 12, 2024 Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Madam President:) Since at least November 2023, Yemen-based Houthi militants have engaged in a series of attacks against United States military forces, including ships and aircraft, and against maritime commercial shipping, operating in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. These attacks pose a threat to the safety of United States forces and commercial ships and their crews, regional political and economic stability, and navigational rights and freedoms. On January 9, 2024, the Houthi militants perpetrated their largest attack in the Red Sea, with multiple unmanned aerial systems, anti-ship cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles targeting United States and United Kingdom Navy vessels. On January 10, 2024, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution demanding the Houthis immediately cease all attacks. The Houthi militants continue to pose a threat of future attacks against United States forces and military vessels and against other maritime traffic in the region. On January 11, 2024, at my direction, United States forces as part of a multinational operation alongside the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted discrete strikes against facilities in Yemen that facilitate Houthi militants' attacks in the Red Sea region. These facilities include air and coastal surveillance radar sites, unmanned aerial system launch facilities and launch sites, and cruise and ballistic missile facilities and launch sites. The strikes were taken to deter and degrade Houthi capacity to conduct future attacks and were conducted in a manner designed to limit the risk of escalation and avoid civilian casualties. I directed the strikes in order to protect and defend our personnel and assets, to degrade and disrupt the ability of the Houthi militants to carry out future attacks against the United States and against vessels operating in the Red Sea region, and to deter the Houthi militants from conducting or supporting further attacks that could further destabilize the region and threaten United States strategic interests. I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive and to conduct United States foreign relations. The United States took this necessary and proportionate action consistent with international law and in the exercise of the United States' inherent right of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The United States stands ready to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats or attacks. I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action. Sincerely, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials and Senior Military Official on Developments in the Middle East January 12, 2024 Via Teleconference 8:15 P.M. EST MODERATOR: Hello, everyone. Thanks so much for joining us tonight for the call. As a reminder, this call is on background. Joining us tonight we have [senior administration official], who will be referred to as a senior administration official, as well as [senior military official], who will be referred to as a senior military official. We'll have our speakers deliver some remarks at the top, and then we'll take some of your questions. This call is not under any embargo but it is on background. So with that, I'll turn it over to [senior administration official]. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great, thanks. And thanks, everybody, for being here. Today, in response to ongoing and escalating Iranian-enabled Houthi attacks against commercial shipping transiting the Red Sea, the armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted joint strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. This action is aimed specifically to disrupt and degrade Houthi capabilities to threaten global trade and freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical waterways. The target selected focused specifically on Houthi missile, radar, and UAV capabilities, the capabilities that are essential to the Houthis' campaign against commercial shipping in international waters. This collective response follows one of the largest Houthi attacks in the Red Sea to date earlier this week. On Tuesday, January 9th, nearly 20 drones and multiple missiles were launched in multiple salvos directly against U.S. ships. This attack was defeated by the U.S. and UK naval forces working jointly as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the defensive coalition established last month in response to these attacks. If not for this defensive mission, we have no doubt that ships would have been struck, perhaps even sunk, including, in one case, a commercial ship full of jet fuel. These reckless attacks have directly affected the citizens and cargo and commercial interests of more than 50 countries. Over a dozen shipping companies have now rerouted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing shipping and insurance costs and impacting the global economy. That is why we have seen broad consensus from countries around the world condemning these attacks as an unprecedented threat to global commerce. As you saw this week, the U.N. Security Council issued a resolution condemning "in the strongest terms" and that's in quotes, "in the strongest terms" the now more than two dozen attacks against commercial vessels since November 19th, as well as condemning those who would provide arms and assistance to the Houthis in these attacks, with the primary supplier being Iran. This resolution also took note of the right of states to act to defend their vessels in accordance with international law. So today's collective action comes against a broad diplomatic backdrop and global condemnation of these ongoing attacks, including, as I mentioned, the largest attack to date just three days ago, specifically targeting U.S. vessels. As I said at the top, the Houthis, with Iranian support, have targeted over 20 merchant vessels since November 19th, launching dozens of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles across the Red Sea. At least three ships have been hit. And we've been we've had extremely close calls, such as a ship, as I had mentioned, carrying U.S.-owned jet fuel that the Houthis targeted last month. I'll run through briefly some key moments from this period. On December 1st, the U.N. Security Council condemned Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and underscored the importance of the freedom of navigation. That statement called on the immediate end to attacks. On December 18th, Secretary Austin announced the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the 22-country defensive coalition, organized under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of Coalition Task Force 153, to help defend against Houthi threats in the Red Sea. On December 19th, 44 countries issued a multilateral statement condemning Houthi interference with navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea. The President, President Biden, has been deeply engaged in these developments throughout this period on a near-daily basis through Jake Sullivan and our national security team. He directed the initial diplomatic response and then the formation of Operation Prosperity Guardian as a defensive measure. The President spoke to the issue with leaders around the world, including our partners in Europe and in the region. On the morning of New Year's Day, following attacks on a Denmark-owned ship called the Maersk Hangzhou, and the direct engagements by U.S. forces to repel that attack, the President convened his national security team to discuss options and the way forward. The President directed his team to accelerate the pace of work at the U.N. in New York, to keep building out the multilateral coalition multinational coalition for potential military action, and to refine the possible targets of such action. At that meeting, the President directed his team to further develop military options should they be required, but to first issue a final warning statement together with close partners and allies. Two days later, on January 3rd, the United States and 13 other countries that represent some of the world's largest shippers issued a multilateral statement, warning that the Houthis will bear the full consequences of any further attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. That brings us to Tuesday, January 9th, where, again, we saw one of the largest Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, with nearly 20 drones and three missiles shot down by the U.S. and UK naval forces in an attack that was directly targeting a U.S. commercial vessel with U.S. military vessels alongside it. As soon as that attack was defeated, the President again convened his national security team and was presented with military options for a collective response together with close partners. At the end of that meeting, the President directed Secretary Austin to carry out this response, which led to the strikes that took place this evening. Again, this collective action was conducted by the United States and the United Kingdom, with Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain providing additional support. It has also been endorsed by countries that joined the warning statement of January 3rd, including Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. And we expect more supportive statements to come in overnight. I'll close with a word on how this action relates to the broader tensions in the Middle East region. As yesterday's U.N. Security Council resolution outlined, as well as the broad consensus that I mentioned earlier in this briefing makes clear, this is an issue about global commerce, the freedom of navigation, and threats to commercial vessels and international waterways. The United States has carried a special and historic obligation to help protect and defend these arteries of global trade and commerce. And this action falls directly in line with that tradition. That is clearly reflected in both our National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy. It is a key conviction of the President. And it is a commitment that we are prepared to uphold, acting together with partners and allies as we have done today. The Houthis claim that their attacks on military and civilian vessels are somehow tied to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. That is completely baseless and illegitimate. The Houthis also claim to be targeting specifically Israeli-owned ships or ships bound for Israel. That is simply not true. They are firing indiscriminately on vessels with global ties. Most of the ships that have come under attack have nothing whatsoever to do with Israel. And even if they were even if that were not the case, it is no justification for these illegal attacks in international waterways. At bottom, these actions present a threat to us and to the entire world. And our actions are focused on the dangers posed to the lives and crews of these vessels and the stability and security of global commerce throughout international waters. The targets we selected were focused specifically on Houthi capabilities, as my DOD colleague can brief in fuller detail, and there is no intent to escalate the situation. The aim is to degrade the ability of the Houthis to continue carrying out these reckless attacks. Thank you. MODERATOR: We'll now turn it over to our next speaker. SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIAL: Thank you. Thank you, [senior administration official]. I will keep my remarks brief I imagine there's a high number of folks here on the phone so that we can get into questions. As [senior administration official] mentioned, this was a joint strike conducted by the militaries of the United States and the United Kingdom, with non-operational support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain, targeting Houthi-controlled facilities in Yemen. The strikes were launched from air, surface, and subsurface platforms, and destroyed multiple targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. We conducted the strikes with a variety of manned aircraft from the United States Navy, United States Air Force, and the UK. Precision-guided munitions were used to destroy the targets and also to minimize collateral damage. Let's emphasize that these strikes have no association and are complete and separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, which is a defensive coalition currently comprised of 22 countries operating in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. and UK forces that participated in these strikes remain well prepared to defend themselves as well as to continue to contribute to the defense of maritime traffic and other military vessels as part of the coalition in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden. And with that, I think we can move to questions. MODERATOR: Great. Thank you so much. Our first question will go to Aamer Madhani with the Associated Press. Aamer, you should be able to unmute yourself. Q Hello. To what extent has this degraded the Houthis' capability to continue to carry out these strikes? And then secondly, the President's statement notes that the strikes were carried out with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. Can you detail what support those other countries provided? And finally, were other countries asked to actually help carry out the strikes, and did only the UK agree? Thank you. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So I'll address the very last part of the question and I'll turn the rest to my Pentagon colleague. We're not going to get into all of our consultations operationally that we've conducted with a range of partners and allies. The list of countries that were involved and participated in the strikes has been made public. Beyond that, I'm not going to speak to other countries that were consulted. But you will see, and I think already have seen, broad support for the actions taken by countries around the world. SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIAL: Thank you, [senior administration official]. With regard to the first question and to the extent to which we've degraded Houthi capability, due to operational security and, you know, the vulnerability of revealing any intelligence sources, I can't give you an exact percentage aside to say that the aim of these strikes was very clear from the start and from the President, and it was to remove capability for the Houthis to target maritime vessels, whether they be commercial or military, in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden. So I would characterize it as significant. And, unfortunately, due to operational security, I can't give you an exact percentage. With regard to the contributions of our coalition partners, I can tell you clearly that the UK participated materially with fighter aircraft that actually participated in the strikes. As to our other partners, I would refer you to them and allow them to reveal what their level of support was. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Natasha Bertrand with CNN. You should be able to unmute yourself. Q Hi there. Thanks for doing this. So a couple of questions. First, the Houthis are now claiming that they have already launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. and UK warships in the Red Sea. Have you seen signs of that? Is that happening right now? Secondly, can you just go back to what you said about the attack on Tuesday, where you said that these missile and drone strikes were specifically targeting a U.S. vessel and other U.S., I guess, Navy assets were in the vicinity? How do you know that this was a U.S. vessel being targeted specifically? And what vessel was it? Was it a commercial ship? Thanks. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks. Maybe I'll start, and then I'll turn it over to my colleague again. On the Houthi response, I will let the Pentagon speak to what they have seen as they've observed the situation since the strikes took place. But what I would say is that while we fully expect this action to diminish the Houthis' capability and degrade it, and certainly over time to reduce their capacity and propensity to conduct these attacks, we would not be surprised to see some sort of response. I'll let my colleague describe, again, what we've seen up till this point. When it comes to the attack that took place the other day, there were U.S. vessels, both naval vessels and commercial vessels, operating in the same rough area. The attack came in directly in the direction of those ships. So I will let, again, my Pentagon colleague speak to exactly what we think was being targeted. But again, those attacks were defeated and defeated at some distance from those ships both drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIAL: Thank you, [senior administration official]. To the first question on the Houthi response, as of right now, we have not seen any direct retaliatory action directed towards our U.S. or other coalition members in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, or Gulf of Aden. We remain prepared, of course, to defend ourselves. But we have not seen a response from the Houthis at this time. With regard to the second question on determining which vessels are being targeted, again, you're talking about extremely professional crews with their with exquisite equipment. They're able to detect, track, and determine nearly precisely, you know, where these weapons are headed. In the cases where they are not, then they still pose a threat based on the capability of the particular weapon. They fall certainly within an obligation to defend themselves and those around them. So they're more than able to determine that they're being targeted. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Jennifer Rubin. You should be able to unmute yourself. Q Thanks very much for doing this. Two questions. One, although Iran obviously supplies and provides intelligence to the Houthis, do you have any evidence to suggest that they were alerted before or gave any kind of approval? And secondly, is there any economic, diplomatic, or other action contemplated directly against Iran, who is the Houthi sponsor? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So I'll speak to the first part within the limits of what I can say, you know, given sources, methods, and the fact that we're speaking obviously publicly on this. We have been quite clear about the fact that Iran is a primary, if not the primary, enabler or supporter, sponsor of the Houthis and that Iran has been involved operationally in the conduct of these attacks. They provided information and intelligence to the Houthis. They provided the Houthis the very capabilities that they have used to conduct these attacks. So we believe that they have been certainly involved in every phase of this. And in terms of consequences on Iran, we have a longstanding and deep pressure campaign that the United States has conducted against Iran over a number of years, including related to their activities in Yemen and their sponsorship of other proxies around the region, other proxies who have conducted attacks on U.S. forces. And I'm not going to telegraph any additional future actions, but suffice it to say we do hold Iran responsible for the role that they have played with the Houthis and with the other groups in the region that have conducted attacks against U.S. forces, and have made them aware of that. MODERATOR: All right, next question will go to Jennifer Jacobs with Bloomberg. Q Thanks, guys. Couple things. There was a report that an embassy in Iraq was hit. Can you say if you know if that's true or false? And then on Israel, can you say what the assessment is on whether Iran will react by calling for renewed attacks on Israel? And then third thing, on the target list, can you say how many days or how many weeks it took CENTCOM to drop the target list? Thanks. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I'll leave the last question to my Pentagon colleague. On Iraq, I've seen nothing to indicate any activity along the lines that you just described in Iraq. Obviously, things unfolded in real time, and I'm now in a room talking to you all. But when I walked out of my office 15 minutes ago, I had no such information. So I guess I'll leave it at that. In terms of attacks against Israel, I guess suffice it to say Iran sponsors a number of groups that conduct attacks on Israel on a daily basis, obviously starting with and including Hamas, with whom Israel is engaged in an armed conflict right now in real time in Gaza, but also including Hezbollah, including Shia militia groups in Iraq and Syria, and obviously including the Houthis. So we have no reason to believe that there is anything related to this that we're seeing that is imminent, but nor would we be surprised if the sorts of attacks that Iran has sponsored, to the condemnation of much of the world, continue. SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIAL: With regard to targets, clearly, each of our combatant commanders across the globe is responsible for maintaining a wide variety of response options. Some of those response options would include the kinetic targeting of particular locations and capabilities. It's no different for the Houthi threat in Yemen. So the commander of Central Command has routinely maintained a series of response options. For these particular targets, due to operational security, I cannot reveal the exact amount of time that it took to develop. I can only confirm that as a course of action, each of our combatant commanders maintain response options to include kinetic operations on a variety of targets as necessary. MODERATOR: All right, last question. We'll go to Nick Schifrin. You should be able to unmute yourself. Q Thanks very much, guys, for doing this. To the senior military official, basic questions. Can you give us any more sense of how many targets there were across how many cities? And do you have an early assessment on whether the strike was successful or caused any collateral damage? And for the senior administration official, a Western official tells me this was on the menu of options for strikes, this was around the higher end. Wondering if you'd be willing to agree with that. And given what you said about expecting more attacks, do you have confidence you can degrade Houthi capabilities but less confidence you can deter future attacks? Thanks. SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIAL: Thanks, [senior administration official]. Yeah, I'll talk to the first question. As far as the number of targets and the assessment of the success of the strikes, as well as any collateral damage, those specifics will be forthcoming. So I refer you to Central Command for those as they come out here in the coming hours and days. But I don't have those exactly right now. I can reemphasize to you that these targets were very specifically selected for minimizing the risk of collateral damage. We were absolutely not targeting civilian population centers. We were going after very specific capability in very specific locations with precision munitions. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks. So, in terms of where this falls on the menu of potential options, what I will say is what my Pentagon colleague said: This was a significant action and conducted with every objective and every expectation that will degrade in a significant way the Houthis' capability to launch exactly the sorts of attacks that they have conducted over the period of recent weeks. You know, as to whether this will merely degrade or also deter, I guess I can't do better than what the President has said, which is that he will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary. So this may well not be the last word on the topic. And when we have more to say and more to do, you will hear from us. MODERATOR: Thanks, everyone. That's all the time we had. As a reminder, this call was on background, attributable to a senior military official and a senior administration official. There's no embargo on the call so you're free to report. Thanks so much. 8:36 P.M. EST NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Blinken's whirlwind Mideast visit futile to quench tensions People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:14, January 13, 2024 CAIRO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A whirlwind diplomatic tour by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to quench the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict and growing spillover in the Mideast is bound to be a futile attempt. U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday that the United States and its allies have conducted targeted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by the Houthis. On the same day, Blinken said at a press availability in Cairo, Egypt, that if the Houthis don't stop their attacks, "there'll have to be consequences." Heading home from Cairo, the final leg of his visits to 10 countries and territories, Blinken once again failed to brighten the region's dismal peace prospect, observers have said. COLD-SHOULDERS The visits came amid global cries for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli air and ground raids on Hamas targets have killed more than 23,469 people, or 1 percent of the enclave's total population, and displaced some 1.9 million. The weeklong trip was also undertaken in response to heightened concern about military escalation. This followed an Israeli drone attack that resulted in the death of a top Hamas leader and officials in southern Beirut, disruptions to shipments in the Red Sea due to attacks by the Houthi militia, and a twin bombing incident in southern Iran that claimed more than 90 lives. In the interim of back-to-back talks with Turkish and Arab state leaders, Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv to meet with senior members of the Israeli government. Following the Wednesday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken said the two sides discussed the release of more Israeli hostages as well as Gaza's displacement and humanitarian crisis. He stressed that "escalation is in no one's interest." Netanyahu's office, however, did not issue any detailed statement on his talks with Blinken, nor did the two officials attend a joint press conference. Israeli Channel 12 reported that this indicated increasingly "tense" ties and "obvious differences" between the United States and Israel, the good old buddies. Later in the day, when meeting with Blinken in Ramallah, the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated the Palestinian call for an end to Israeli aggression and complete rejection of the displacement, Palestinian official WAFA news agency reported. The appeals were echoed by almost all other state leaders who received the top U.S. diplomat, especially those of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, and Egypt. "We hope that there will be a ceasefire, but if not so, at least a humanitarian pause to end the fighting," said Gulru Gezer, a former Turkish diplomat and foreign policy analyst. SELF-SERVING INTERESTS However, local observers have treated Blinken's fourth regional tour in three months with deep skepticism as it aimed to serve primarily U.S. self-interests, rather than facilitate a ceasefire, or a real peace through the two-state solution. Meanwhile, the lack of details or tangible follow-through mechanism renders any freshly agreed consensus fragile. Bassam as-Salhi, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said that throughout the visits, Blinken has apparently dodged mentioning nor seriously considering a Gaza ceasefire, the region's core concern. In a press briefing just before Blinken embarked on his tour, the State Department on Jan. 4 outlined four diplomatic bearings -- protecting civilians, releasing Israeli hostages, facilitating humanitarian aid delivery to "civilians in Gaza," and stopping forced displacement in the enclave. "These cannot fundamentally solve the problem," Bassam as-Salhi said, adding that in the runup to the U.S. presidential election, the Biden administration wanted to roll back aggressive Mideast diplomatic moves that had eroded its approval rate. Samer Anabtawi, a Palestinian political analyst, further boiled down the trip to a diplomatic facelift for U.S. global credibility, which has been faltering since the onset of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, 2023. "Washington claims that it is seeking to contain the situation in the region and not expand the war beyond Gaza, while it is militarizing the Red Sea and ... buying more time for Israel to keep the latter's military campaign in full swing," said Oraib Al Rantawi, director general of the Amman-based Al Quds Center for Political Studies. In December, the Biden administration resorted twice to emergent executive power to skip congressional steps to sell Israel tank and artillery shells for a total worth of over 250 million U.S. dollars, despite the abject reality in Gaza. Blinken's visit is purely tactical, aimed at pacifying Gulf countries and other nations in the Middle East. The unchanged part is that the Biden administration continues to share the objective of Israel being engaged in warfare with Hamas, Steven Wright, associate professor of International Relations at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar, told Xinhua. Bearing that in mind, whatever Washington has expressed on the Palestinian issue would reduce to lip service, achieving no real result, Palestinian analyst Ayman Yousef noted. ALARMING SPILLOVER RISKS As the Gaza conflict rages on, Israel has been launching attacks on Syrian military targets and Hezbollah sites, stoking fears of regional spillover. During the past week, Israeli forces and Hezbollah escalated clashes, with two senior commanders of the Iran-backed group killed, a bleak contrast to what was touted in Blinken's tour in Turkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, Bahrain, and finally Egypt. Washington shows no real influence over appeasing the anger of the other warring sides, be it Hamas, Hezbollah, or Yemen's Houthi militants, which all demand a ceasefire in Gaza as a precondition of halting strikes against what they called Israeli targets, according to Eyal Zisser, professor at the Middle East History department, Tel Aviv University. "Once again, the gap is very wide between the actors -- and the United States has no influence over most of them -- so it will be difficult for Washington to keep the conflict from expanding," Zisser told Xinhua. In response to the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and "in solidarity with the Palestinians," Yemen's Houthi group has escalated its attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19, 2023, demanding an end to the conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday that the country has formed a multinational naval task force to deter the attacks. Though the Pentagon said several nations had now agreed to participate in the group, regional countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan have stood aloof from the U.S.-led naval coalition, out of concerns that the move may further militarize the waterway. Abdul Aziz, a Saudi political analyst believes that Washington should realize that it is no longer the only foreign power with influence in the region, and Israel alone cannot protect its interests. The United States should develop relations with regional countries, including the Gulf ones, based on friendship and mutual benefit, rather than impose its will on these countries, he said. However, the essence of Blinken's visit is still based on security concerns for Israel, while rights of the Palestinian people and regional interests are largely ignored, according to Al Rantawi. "The United States is the primary factor exacerbating regional tensions and undermining regional and international stability," said the Jordanian analyst. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Operation Iron Swords - Day 98 - 12 January 2024 "Today, at my direction, US military forces together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the worlds most vital waterways," US President Joe Biden said in a statement. He also made it clear that he will "not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary." Houthi official Abdulsalam Jahaf promised that the Ansar Allah movement "will set the whole of the Middle East on fire" in retaliation against the strikes. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in turn, said that the joint strikes were "intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthis capabilities to endanger mariners and threaten global trade." British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, for his part, said that his country "will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade" and that the UK has therefore "taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defense." This came as a joint statement by 10 governments said that they would "not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways". "The Houthis' more than two dozen attacks on commercial vessels since mid-November constitute an international challenge. Today's action demonstrated a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks," the statement added as Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and South Korea added their names to the six nations that took part in the joint strikes. The British and the US forces carried out air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, in retaliation for the militants attacks against ships in the Red Sea that has been ongoing since November 2023. US Air Force Central Commander Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich told reporters that American and coalition forces hit more than 60 targets at 16 Houthi militant locations in northern Yemen. The locations included the capital Sanaa, the Houthi Red Sea port of Hudaydah in the Dhamar governorate and the north-western Houthi stronghold of Saada. According to Grynkewich, over 100 precision-guided munitions were used in the strikes that targeted the Houthis command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. CNN cited unnamed US military officials as saying that the strikes on the Houthis' positions were carried out from aircraft, ships and submarines. According to the officials, the USS Florida, a guided-missile submarine that crossed into the Red Sea on November 23, was part of the attack, firing the Tomahawk cruise missiles on Houthi targets. US F/A-18 Super Hornet multirole fighter aircraft operating from the US aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower took part in the attack. The UK apparently used several Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft that dropped Paveway IV laser-guided bombs. Houthi leader Mohammed al-Bukhaiti tweeted that "America and Britain made a mistake in launching the war on Yemen because they did not benefit from their previous experiences." He added "Every individual in this world is faced with two choices. Either to stand with the victims of genocide or to stand with its perpetrators". The Ansar Allah Houthi group in Yemen pledged to respond to the American-British attacks that targeted a number of its sites, causing deaths and injuries. While European countries supported the attacks, Russia criticized them and called for the Security Council to convene, and Arab countries expressed their concern about the current developments. The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced "The American-British enemy has perpetrated a heinous attack on the Republic of Yemen, as an extension to its continued support for Israeli crimes in Gaza, with seventy-three airstrikes targeting the capital Sanaa, and the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Hajjah, and Saada". Saree announced. "These airstrikes resulted in the martyrdom of five individuals and the injury of six others from the ranks of our armed forces," he added. "The American and British enemies bear full responsibility for their criminal aggression against the Yemeni people, and it will not slide without retaliation and punishment. The Yemeni Armed Forces will not hesitate to target sources of threat and all hostile targets on land and sea, defending Yemen, its sovereignty, and independence." For former Israeli Intelligence Official and regional analyst Avi Melamed, the attack on the Houthis challenges the Iranian regimes hegemonic aspirations while challenging both the regimes long-term assumptions that have driven its strategies and tactics. The attack on the Houthis challenges the Iranian regimes hegemonic aspirations while challenging both the regimes long-term assumptions that have driven its strategies and tactics. "Until last night, Irans hegemonic vision and its use of proxies throughout the region was based on the assumption that the United States and its allies would not use proactive force to deter Iran or its proxies. Last nights proved otherwise sending a strong message not only to Tehran but all of its partners as well that the U.S. is resolved to proactively attack those that actively challenge its interests. "Within the context of how Tehran is pulling the strings surrounding the war in Gaza- the Houthis are an integral, if not the most integral, component of the Iranian tactic to use its proxies to manipulate the U.S. to pressure Israel to halt its progress in Gaza. The last three months have clearly shown that Hezbollah Irans largest proxy is not interested in engaging Israel in a full-scale war at this time and the Iraqi militias are limited in what they can effectuate against Israel or the U.S. "While until last night the major question reverberating throughout the region was focused on whether the U.S. would meaningfully defend its interests, today that question focuses on Tehran- will Tehran escalate and order its proxies to ramp up their efforts against Israel and the U.S., or will it protect those proxies by de-escalating at the cost of Hamas and PIJ in Gaza? The International Court of Justice adjourned its session, today, Friday, after hearing the Israeli legal team in the case of committing genocide in Gaza, while South Africa, the plaintiff, said that Tel Aviv failed to respond to the evidence presented. The court is expected to issue a ruling this month on a possible urgent decision ordering Israel to stop the war, but it will not quickly rule on genocide charges because this issue may take years. Operational Update Ayman Yousef, professor of political sciences and international relations at the Arab-American University in Palestine, said the United States and the UK do not want Israel to be involved in this kind of confrontation due to how sensitive the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip is to people in many Arab countries, so Washington and London resorted to attacking Yemen and the Houthis themselves. The professor also argued that the US and Britain want to show their leadership over the world and their ability to strike and to confront any threat not only in Europe and in the Atlantic, but also in the Middle East. I don't think the current strike will spill over to more direct confrontation between al-Houthis in Yemen and the US and the UK. It is still limited. It is still within a control, he added. We have to wait. We have to wait a bit and see if the confrontation will really have more implications for Iran, more implications for the current war in Gaza and for other actors in the region. While many Muslim countries merely condemned Israel for its invasion of the Gaza Strip, the Houthis had actually taken action against Israeli interests and are now paying the price for it, which the Yemeni movement will now wear with pride, according to Shahram Akbarzadeh, expert in the Middle Eastern politics at Deakin University. The US action has confirmed the worldview that Washington is bent on protecting Israel and has no regard for Muslims, Akbarzadeh remarked, adding that the US move will reinforce the notion that Muslims are under siege and have no recourse to justice. The legal arguments about freedom of navigation at sea will be lost in the fog of war. The impression that will remain is that Muslims are at war with the West. This impression maybe simplistic and factually incorrect, but nonetheless potent and emotive, he argued. As for how this emerging crisis might unfold, Akbarzadeh suggested that the Houthis will surely double down on their campaign in the Red Sea while Hezbollah and other anti-US paramilitary groups in the region are likely to see this escalation as a signals to strike US targets, which by definition would include soft targets outside the region. His sentiment was echoed by Yemeni political analyst Mohammad al-Qaidi who told Sputnik Arabic that Yemens response to this US aggression will not be limited to the Red Sea, with all US military installations in the region now becoming legitimate targets for the Houthis. US President Joe Biden's announcement of launching air strikes on a number of sites used by the Houthis in Yemen did not come as a surprise to many experts and commentators who Al Jazeera Net spoke to. These experts said that Washington launched these attacks in particular after the publication of a study yesterday, Thursday, by the Congressional Research Service, which is the research body that provides members of the House of Representatives and the Senate with documented research, which stated that in response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the US Navy placed multiple warships to intercept Those attacks formed the Guardian of Prosperity coalition, a multinational coalition to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea region. On January 3, the White House, along with several Washington partners, issued an official warning to the Houthi group, stating that the Houthis will bear responsibility for the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and the free flow of trade in the regions vital waterways. The study noted that "attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen on commercial ships crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait have prompted many major shipping companies to suspend or redirect shipments at great cost." To confront the threats posed by the Houthis, the United States is said to be considering different military options. Some members of Congress, led by Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee Michael McCaul, called on the US administration to reclassify the Houthi group as a terrorist group, as US President Joe Biden had previously removed the group from the list days after the start of his rule in January 2021. State Department for Terrorist Groups, which was placed there by the administration of former President Donald Trump , and the Biden administration is currently examining the possibility of putting the Houthis back on the list. In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, the director of the Gulf States Studies Foundation, Giorgio Cafiero, considered that Washingtons directing of military strikes against Houthi targets on the ground in Yemen is part of the administrations efforts to deter the group from launching further operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while showing that Washington is committed. By providing Israel with strong support amid its war on the Gaza Strip, which has many ripple effects throughout the greater Middle East. Cafiero pointed to the many risks "that the Biden administration will have to bear," and said, "There is absolutely no guarantee that this will deter the Houthis, and may even lead to more subversive behavior on their part." "It is important to see whether the Houthis will target Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in their retaliation," he added. Cafiero explained, "The risk of this happening is a major reason why the capitals of the Arab Gulf warned the Biden team against launching military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. It will also be important to see how such American strikes could affect Saudi-Iranian and Emirati-Iranian relations, amid "This is a period of detente between these countries." Ned Lazarus, a lecturer specializing in international affairs at George Washington University, also indicated, in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, that one of the risks that the Biden administration fears after launching attacks on the Houthis is that Washington will actually be drawn into a broader regional war, which is something the administration seeks to avoid. By keeping its military responses proportionate, after a series of attacks on US forces and interests by the Houthis and Iranian-sponsored militias in Iraq. Charles Dunn, a former official at the White House and the US State Department and currently an expert at the Arab Institute in Washington and a lecturer at George Washington University, spoke about the dilemma of not attacking the Houthis and attacking them. Dunn told Al Jazeera Net, "It's a devil's choice. Houthi attacks on navigation in the Red Sea may escalate if the United States does not attack them, but it is likely that the matter will escalate and attacks on shipping lines will also increase after they are attacked, and there is a risk of escalation to a broader war." "It is not necessarily limited to the Red Sea." For his part, academic Lazarus added, Since coming to power, the administration of President Joe Biden has constantly sought to calm the multilateral and long-term war in Yemen, between the Houthis, the internationally recognized Yemeni government, the Saudi-led coalition, and other parties, so there is another danger that it will lead to "These attacks could lead to new hostilities that would undo the progress that has been made on this front." On the other hand, Lazarus accused Iran of providing essential technical support to the Houthis in their recent attacks on international ships, and said, "This certainly represents an escalation in tensions between Iran and the United States, which could lead to mutual retaliation in other parts of the region as well." The ongoing Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, the renewed disturbances of US forces in Syria and Iraq, in addition to the Houthi attacks on shipping lines in the Red Sea, show that Washingtons desire to reduce its military presence in the Middle East is pure fantasy. Ironically, President Biden and his predecessors Donald Trump and Barack Obama have all sought to reduce the US military presence in the Middle East, yet recurring conflicts continue to draw the United States back in. Tarita Parsi, Vice President of the Quincy Institute in Washington, tweeted on the X platform, commenting on these developments, saying, The most effective way to avoid this escalation is not to bomb the Houthis, but rather to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, but Biden will not think about that, so instead of... "He is preparing for a regional war." Representative Rashida Tlaib, of Palestinian origin and a member of the House of Representatives from Michigan, also accused President Biden of bypassing Congress by launching attacks on the Houthis. She said in a tweet on the X website that the US President violated Article 1 of the Constitution by carrying out air strikes in Yemen without the approval of Congress. The American people are tired of the endless war. Alexandra Stark, a researcher at the Rand Corporation and author of the soon-to-be-released book entitled The Yemen Model, wrote an article in Foreign Affairs magazine and its title was directly Do not bomb the Houthis...quiet diplomacy is enough to stop the attacks in the Red Sea. It is known that the Houthis, since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7, intensified their attacks in the Red Sea against ships owned or operated by Israel or carrying goods to it. The Israeli economy is the most affected, as tankers linked to Tel Aviv are being targeted in terms of exports and imports, the Israeli economy is suffering losses in the tourism sectors, and there is talk of an expected decline in growth rates. Houthi attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea increased shipping costs between Asia, Europe and the Americas by 173% since November 2023. The world's largest shipping companies - such as "MSC" and Maersk - have suspended their commercial flights through the Red Sea since mid-December, and replaced it with the route that passes through the Cape of Good Hope, south of South Africa. Before the American-British raids on Yemen, and with the Houthis continuing to target Israeli ships or those associated with them, the United States announced on December 18 last the formation of a joint naval force from several countries called the Guardian of Prosperity. It explained that the goal of this force is to deter Houthi attacks in The Red Sea, through which approximately 20% of global trade passes. But, what were the conditions like? What led her to where she was this morning? Why did the conflict between Washington and the Houthis escalate steadily in the Red Sea on December 31? Small boats belonging to the Houthis attempted to attack a commercial ship in the Red Sea, but US naval helicopters responded to the attack. The Houthis did not remain silent and were quick to respond to these attacks, but the American forces returned fire and sank 3 Houthi boats and killed 10 of their members. On January 9, the Houthis launched one of their largest attacks in the Red Sea, using 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile. In turn, Alexandra Stark, the American researcher at Rand - who called for quiet diplomacy with the Houthis instead of a Venetian dialogue - believes that the strikes may benefit them for the following reasons: Air strikes against Houthi targets may slightly erode their ability to launch missiles and drones, but it will be much more difficult to effectively target and eliminate small, cheap manned and unmanned Houthi boats. The Houthis may have recently appeared in global headlines, but they have been challenging the United States and its partners in the region for two decades. The use of force against the Houthis in the past - whether by the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh or later - has only served to allow the group to improve its military capabilities. The strikes will allow Ansar Allah to portray itself as a heroic resistance movement, enhancing its legitimacy at home. Air strikes on the Houthis, which have continued for years, have only exacerbated the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It seems that the scene in the already troubled region after the Friday dawn raids will not be the same as it was before, and there are expectations that the waters of the Red Sea and its waves are about to increase their movement. The leader of the Ansar Allah Houthi group, Abdullah bin Amer, told Al Jazeera that the Houthis did not hesitate to respond, and stressed that the group has capabilities, which allow us legitimate self-defense, and that it will continue its operations in the Red Sea until the end of the aggression against Gaza, vowing to strike the bases. America and Britain if Washington and London expand the battle. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its deep concern about the military operations taking place in the Red Sea region and the air strikes on Yemen, stressing the importance of maintaining the security and stability of the region, and called for restraint and avoiding escalation. The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that the US-British military strikes come in the context of supporting the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and that their result will be more insecurity and instability in the region. International companies suspended the passage of their ships through the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on Israeli (French) ships. There are many fears expressed by observers of the rapid developments that the region is currently witnessing, and they are justified fears, namely the possibility of these raids expanding and the responses that may follow from the Houthis until they become a regional war. These fears are represented in the possibility of Israel entering with its planes and participating in what America and Britain have begun, and directing strikes against the Houthis similar to what it is doing in Syria. American writer Jason Radian believes in an article in the Washington Post that American raids may lead to a broader war that could be disastrous, and therefore US President Joe Biden must ensure that dealing with the Houthis does not get out of control. Arab researchers and analysts warned that the United States might inflame the conflict in the region through its use of military force against the Houthis, and said that it should have stopped the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip in order to end the tension in the Red Sea . The United States, along with Britain, launched air strikes on targets of the Ansar Allah Houthi group in Yemen. According to statements made by an American official to Al Jazeera, the strikes targeted radar sites, drone and missile platforms, and coastal monitoring sites. The senior researcher at Al Jazeera Center for Studies, Dr. Liqaa Makki, said that the United States of America went for a security solution with the Houthis, because it was unwilling to stop the main reason that led to the outbreak of tension in the Red Sea, which is the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. In this context, the director of the Jerusalem Center for Political Studies, Oraib Rantawi, believed that whoever wants to preserve the security of navigation in the Red Sea must stop the massacre in the Gaza Strip, and he said, The United States chose Israeli-style orgy in the Red Sea and resorted to mobilization, militarization, and building alliances instead. Go to the core of the problem." He added that the United States, with its military parades in the Red Sea, is prolonging the conflict in Gaza and giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government more time to implement their criminal goals against the Palestinian people in Gaza. From Rantawi's point of view, Al-Houthi presented a very easy equation: Stop the massacre in Gaza, bring in aid, and open the crossings to bring in food and medicine. Everything will end and things will return to normal. For his part, Dr. Hassan Ayoub, Professor of International Politics and Comparative Politics at An-Najah National University, pointed out - in his speech during the daily analytical segment on Al Jazeera Channel, Gaza...whats next? - that the military strike directed at the Houthis is one of the signs of the failure of American diplomacy. ", given that Washington, from October 7 until now, has announced that it seeks to prevent the expansion of the war in the region. He stressed that the United States and Britain did not have any cards to play at the diplomatic and political levels, and therefore they chose military force to deal with the Houthi attacks, which he said had caused an imbalance in global trade, 20% of which passes through Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea. Because American and Israeli policy aims primarily to deter the resistance and not allow it to achieve any victory, Washington is moving - adds the political science professor - to say publicly that it is an indispensable force and can resort to military force to protect its allies and major projects. Regarding the expected repercussions after the American and British raids on the Houthis, Dr. Makki said that as long as the Houthis have the ability, they will continue their strikes, perhaps more strongly, by expanding the circle of targeting and threats. He pointed out that they threatened to strike American and British interests, military ships, and perhaps commercial ships, and it will later extend to all ships passing through the Red Sea and may develop into specific operations in other regions and even within the Gulf states where American interests are located. On the other hand, the senior researcher at the Al Jazeera Center for Studies says that if Al-Houthi does not understand the American message, the strikes against him will continue. Makki spoke about Bahrain's role in the American attack on the Houthis, stressing that its participation was worthless and unnecessary, and its presence was outside the text. He attributed this to the fact that it does not have a military force in the Red Sea and does not have a coast there. He said that Bahrain, where there are American and British interests, may be a target for the Houthis, which may spark a security crisis in the Gulf region. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, welcomed the measures aimed at securing the region, but the two companies did not clarify whether the US-British strikes would be sufficient to restore navigational operations leading to the Suez Canal, which is the fastest route between Asia and Europe and through which about 12% of container carriers in the world pass. Shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group and the Kpler global trade information platform showed that at least 4 oil tankers diverted from the Red Sea since the strikes carried out by the United States and Britain on Houthi targets in Yemen, amid growing fears of expanding tensions. The tankers Toya, Diana-i, Stolt Zulu and Navigate Pride LHJ were seen turning around mid-voyage to avoid the Red Sea, according to ship tracking data. The data showed that one of the tankers, the Toya, a huge crude tanker capable of carrying up to two million barrels of oil, was empty. The other three ships are fuel tankers. Hafnia Shipping Company said that it had decided to immediately stop all ships heading towards or near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Hafnia's statement said that the decision was taken after advice from the joint naval forces to stay away from the area after US-British air strikes were launched against the Houthi group in Yemen. It was followed by the Stena Bulk shipping company, which told Reuters that it had stopped transit in the Red Sea. Oil Tanker Association (Intertanko) distributed a memorandum to its members in which it said that the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) are warning all ships "to stay away from Bab al-Mandab a great distance." The threat period for shipping operations is expected to continue for several days, Intertanko added. About 10% of global trade passes through the Red Sea. Oil prices jumped 4% as oil tankers diverted from the Red Sea after air and sea strikes launched by the United States and Britain on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks launched by the group since late last year. The trading price of Brent exceeded $80 due to high geopolitical risks, before falling to about $78.3. US West Texas Intermediate crude also rose 4% above $75, before falling to settle near $73 in evening trading. ING analysts said in a note that more than 20 million barrels per day of oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz, equivalent to about 20% of global consumption. Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, said that the canals dollar revenue has decreased by 40% since the beginning of the year compared to 2023, after Houthi attacks in Yemen on ships heading to Israel led to their sailing route being diverted away from this corridor. Rabei mentioned to a late television program that ship transit traffic declined by 30% in the period from the first of January to the 11th of the same month on an annual basis. He explained that the number of ships crossing the Suez Canal decreased to 544 ships so far this year, compared to 777 ships in the same period last year, according to what Reuters reported. The Suez Canal is a major source of foreign currency, of which Egypt suffers a shortage, and the authorities have been striving for years to boost its revenues, including by expanding the canal in 2015. More expansion operations are currently being implemented. Electric car manufacturer Tesla announced that it will suspend most of its production for two weeks at its European factory near the German capital, Berlin, due to a shortage of components resulting from a delay in deliveries resulting from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The significant increase in transportation times is causing a gap in supply chains, Tesla said in a statement. BMW confirmed that its supply chain was not affected by the attacks. A company spokesman said, The situation in the Red Sea has no impact on BMW Group production, as supplies to our factories are guaranteed. The spokesman added, "We are in close contact with our partners in the logistics sector, and we do not expect any problems." CEO of the Israeli maritime risk information company Windward, Ami Daniel, said that there has been a 4- to 8-fold increase in shipping rates for 20- and 40-foot containers to Israel, in addition to indications that shipping an MSC container will cost $10,000 a month. Next, an increase from the level of $1,700, as a result of the Houthi attacks on Israeli ships heading to Israel in the Red Sea, according to what was reported by the Israeli newspaper Globes. He added - according to the newspaper - that there is a significant increase in the prices of shipping goods and products from China and other Asian countries, especially furniture containers, toys, and car carriers. He explained that container prices rose due to the decline in stocks and the economic crisis over the past few years, the repercussions of the war on Gaza, and the delay resulting from taking the Cape of Good Hope route around Africa to avoid the Red Sea, as quoted by Globes. With regard to transporting cars, after the Houthi attack on the Galaxy Leader ship last November, the number of Chinese, Japanese and Korean brand car transport companies circulating around Africa tripled in December compared to the previous month, which It will soon add $1,000 to $2,000 to the price of the car, according to Daniel. The repercussions of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" were not limited to the internal Israeli scene, as the path of "unity of the squares", which was adopted by the Palestinian resistance factions during the recent rounds of combat with the Israeli army, turned during the war on Gaza into a regional model, according to the Arab and Middle Eastern affairs analyst in the newspaper " Haaretz Zvi Barel.v Barel believes that the Palestinian resistance model that developed during Operation Guardian of the Walls 2 (Sword of Jerusalem) in May 2021 was adopted by the various armed factions in the region and neighboring countries, adding that - with the war on Gaza - the various fronts were united with the "unity of the battlefields" which was invented and installed by the Palestinian resistance factions. Bar'el believes that the model of "unity of arenas" in the Middle East gave a higher advantage to the Arab and Islamic resistance factions in the region over America and the great powers, which enabled them to achieve achievements at various levels. Barel pointed out that Hezbollah, the Houthis , and the armed Islamic militias in Iraq , under the auspices of the Axis of Resistance, were able to record achievements in their independent struggles, far from the directives of Iran , saying that after the end of the war on Gaza, they do not intend to disappear from the scene. They will continue to confront America, the great powers, and Israel with more challenges. Violent clashes are taking place between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation forces, in the Maghazi camp and the Zawaida neighborhood in the central Gaza Strip, in addition to the city of Khan Yunis in the south of the Strip. 08:37 | In El Ma'azi, the brigade combat teams operating under the command of the 36th Division eliminated about 20 terrorists and found many weapons in the last day. Among the terrorists who were eliminated, a commander in the Najaba force of the terrorist organization Hamas. In Khan Yunis, an Air Force fighter jet attacked a military building of the Hamas terrorist organization directed by the fire center of the 98th Division and killed seven terrorists. Among them is a commander in the Najaba force who took part in the murderous attack on the surrounding settlements on October 7. A force of the commando brigade identified three armed terrorists in the city area who came out of the house of a Hamas operative and approached our forces, the fighters of the combat team shot and hit the terrorists. Also in the Khan Yunis area, IDF fighters located a number of Kalashnikov weapons, RPG launchers and destroyed a weapons warehouse in the last day. In the Al Buraij area, the soldiers of the 414th collection battalion identified a terrorist who shot at our forces from the window of one of the buildings in the area, the soldiers of the battalion activated a drone towards the window from which the terrorist shot and eliminated him. Following a warning about the infiltration of terrorists in the settlement of Adora in the Yehuda Division, terrorists fired at an IDF force that was on patrol in the settlement. "Adora", an illegal settlement located to the northwest of al-Khalil in the occupied West Bank, was subject to a "security breach", according to the Israeli Army Radio. According to the Israeli outlet, three Palestinians infiltrated the settlement just before sounds of intense gunfire erupted. IDF forces began a pursuit of the terrorists and extensive searches in the area. Reports indicate that three Resistance fighters infiltrated the settlement, opening fire on a group of Israeli soldiers after ambushing them. The Resistance fighters were reportedly martyred by the security forces, while two Israeli soldiers were wounded as a result. The forces continue scanning the area. Air Force fighter jets completed an attack in the areas of the villages of Lavona, Ramya and Aita al-Sha'ab. As part of the attack, several terrorist infrastructures used by Hezbollah were destroyed. Also, during the day, a number of launches were detected from the territory of Lebanon towards various areas in the north of the country. IDF forces attacked the sources of the shooting and other areas in Lebanon. Some of them were found inside a cemetery, a school and a mosque in the Gaza Strip: more than 700 Hamas rocket launchers have been destroyed since the beginning of the maneuver. View the documentation . In support of the Palestinian people in Gaza and their Resistance, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah conducted multiple operations against Israeli military sites and targets. Hezbollah announced that its first operation of the day was conducted at 11:15 am targeting a grouping of Israeli soldiers positioned in the vicinity of the Hadab al-Bustan site, confirming direct casualties among the enemy force. Later in the afternoon, the Resistance successfully targeted al-Malkiya military site, confirming direct hits to the intended targets. At 3:50 pm the Resistance conducted three simultaneous operations which extended from the "Hanita" military site near Lebanon's coast to the "Manara" military in al-Jalil Panhandle, located farther to the east. The first two operations targeted the "Hanita" military site and al-Aasi military site, while the third targeted a grouping of Israeli occupation soldiers positioned in the vicinity of the "Manara" military site opposite the Lebanese town of Houla. Hezbollah's military media confirmed direct hits on enemy soldiers. Hezbollah's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was successful in "trapping" a large number of Israeli forces in the northern front and landed an "achievement" in terms of awareness by displacing tens of thousands of Israelis from dozens of settlements for over three months. The military affairs commentator on Israel Defense website, Amir Rapaport, stated that "the most significant events this week took place in the northern front, where assassinations and attacks attributed to Israel have increased, and, in return, Hezbollah has raised the threshold of its response." Rapaport recalled that Hezbollah launched a powerful missile attack on the surveillance unit on the "Meron" air control and surveillance base, and a drone strike on the Northern Command Headquarters near Safed, pointing out that "Hezbollah may not have said its last word yet regarding its retaliatory plans." "Escalating the situation does not necessarily contradict Israeli interests; on the contrary, to understand the reason, one can go back to October 8, when Nasrallah joined the battle and opened a northern front with Israel." The expert explained that "Nasrallah's declared goal was to trap a large number of army forces in the north, thereby fulfilling his role in supporting his brothers in Hamas." According to him, a "security belt" was created inside "Israel," rather than in Lebanese territory in an unprecedented event, noting that "this is the first evacuation in the north since the beginning of Zionism." "Many in the security establishment believe that the evacuation, including even "Kiryat Shmona," was hasty and wrong. Perhaps because this is precisely what gave Hezbollah the legitimacy to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets at civilian homes, something that would not have happened if the houses were occupied." Meanwhile, statements at the political level, that the northern residents will not return to their homes without the relocation of Hezbollah's Radwan forces north of the Litani River, have "made Israel climb a high tree," Rapaport added, highlighting that such a scenario is extremely difficult as "Hezbollah's military capabilities are significant, and the geographical features of the fighting in Lebanon, when necessary, pose a bigger challenge (except for the tunnel issue. There is an unprecedented global military challenge in Gaza)." Reserve Maj. General Gershon Hacohen said that Sayyed Nasrallah "was and still is a professor in managing conflict and combat." In an op-ed published in the Israeli Hayoum, Hacohen emphasized that Hezbollah's chief "focuses primarily on undermining Israel's morale and humiliating it." In turn, Major General Itzhak Brik criticized the "deterioration of the army's readiness and preparedness" to confront Hezbollah on the northern front, denying what Israeli officials say about "unprecedented readiness." Brik explained that the significant gap in the army's readiness is revealed by the poor preparation for the "strategic scenario" of Hezbollah's attempt to take control of army positions in the north. Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced carrying out two separate operations against Israeli targets at Friday dawn using appropriate weapons, stating that the attacks came in response to the ongoing Israeli massacres in Gaza and in support of the people in the Strip. According to the Resistance group, one of the attacks struck a vital Israeli target in "Eilat" (occupied Umm al-Rashash), putting it out of service. The second attack near the Jordan River Park targeted a control center belonging to the Golani Brigade. The center is responsible for espionage and intelligence gathering balloons, the sources added. Maps All maps are lies. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. These processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, there remains the epistemological question of just exactly what are the colored in areas depicting. Naively, this might be understood as areas of Israeli control, that are no longer contested by the HAMAS. Or possibly these are areas of Israeli presence, in many of which the possibility of an RPG-wielding HAMAS militant popping out of a tunnel unexpectedly remains a live possibility. With the "zero-range" combat characterized by small unit tactics on both sides, maps may be prey to a fallacy of misplaced concreteness. Bystanders The EU, last year, initially mulled a plan to expand its Atalanta mission focused on protecting shipping off Somalia, but that move was blocked by Spain. European diplomats announced a new plan, to be discussed next week, between EU countries, aimed at setting up a naval mission allegedly to help protect Red Sea shipping following the Yemeni Armed Forces' operations in the maritime route. The proposal -- in the pipeline in Brussels for several weeks -- was mooted before US and British forces struck Yemen. All EU efforts seek to complement a US-led coalition, including numerous countries from the bloc, already operating in the vital shipping route, knowing that many chose to stay out of it. According to the diplomats, the first discussion is going to be held in Brussels next Tuesday with the exact details of the size and scope of any EU mission to be sorted later. They also added that there is a possibility of striking a new agreement, by EU foreign ministers, on establishing the new mission. The United Nations regretted the obstacles placed by the Israeli occupation authorities in the way of delivering humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip , noting that every delay costs more lives. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, said: Our humanitarian colleagues told us that between January 1 and 10, only 3 shipments out of 21 shipments of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, water and other vital goods, could be delivered to the North of Wadi Gaza. . Dujarric regretted that "the United Nations' ability to respond to the great needs in the northern part of Gaza is hampered by the repeated refusal to enter aid, and the lack of coordination by the Israeli authorities for safe access." The international press highlighted Israel's trial in the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide in the Gaza Strip. The British newspaper "Financial Times" said that the issuance of a final ruling against Israel in the complaint submitted to it at the International Court of Justice - even if it is not enforceable - deals a blow to Israel's standing and changes the way other countries deal with it. The newspaper quoted an expert in international law as saying, I do not know how Israel will be able to deal with a loss that directly harms its reputation? The Israeli newspaper "The Times of Israel" wrote that any ruling against Israel, whatever its nature, may have serious diplomatic and political consequences. It pointed out that "a ruling against Israel would affect the course of the ongoing war against the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) in Gaza, and hence Israel must be concerned about a threat to it that may come from The Hague." An article in the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" saw that war with the Lebanese Hezbollah is inevitable, "but Israel does not have to be the initiator of it." The article justifies its presentation by saying that an escalation with Hezbollah may mean the intervention of other armed groups, and if the United States does not intervene to deal with them, Israel will be alone in the forefront. It pointed out that starting a new war also means fueling anti-Israel sentiment among American voters more and more. In turn, the American newspaper "Washington Post" reported testimonies of Palestinian detainees held by the Israeli occupation army in Gaza describing what it called the violations they were subjected to inside secret detention centers. The newspaper said that some of them spent 17 days blindfolded and forced to kneel for hours on end, adding that among the detainees were those who were forced to sign a document written in Hebrew whose contents they did not understand, and among them were those who were offered money to spy for Israel. Egypt denied what it described as allegations and lies by the Israeli defense team before the International Court of Justice , that Cairo is responsible for preventing the entry of humanitarian and relief aid into the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. The head of the Egyptian Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, said that the inconsistency and lies of the Israeli allegations are clear from the fact that all Israeli officials have confirmed dozens of times in public statements since the start of the aggression on Gaza that they will not allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip, especially fuel, because this is part of the war that Israel is waging. On the sector. Writer Vincienne Joly said in a report published by the French newspaper La Croix that for the United Nations, the Gaza Strip - which has been subjected to Israeli bombing for 3 months - has become a place of death and despair and simply uninhabitable. The American Wall Street Journal reported in late December that 70% of homes and about half of the buildings in the Gaza Strip had been destroyed or damaged, which is unparalleled destruction in modern urban warfare. According to the newspaper, it will take at least a year to remove the rubble and between 7 and 10 years to rebuild the destroyed homes. The scale of the destruction prompted international law experts and some United Nations officials to describe the bombings as "domestic homicide." The concept is derived from the Latin term domestica, and describes the deliberate and systematic destruction of homes and infrastructure in order to make an area uninhabitable. The term "domestic homicide" appeared in 2001 when writers Douglas Porteous and Sandra Smith studied the cycle of violence through the destruction or confiscation of "home" in a work entitled "Domestic homicide... the global destruction of the home." At the end of 2022, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, estimated in his report that there was a major legal gap in international law, and called for domestic homicide to be recognized as a crime under this law. According to Rajagopal, killing homes causes social and psychological trauma, adding, I saw how a house was destroyed in a few seconds. This dwelling, which was the culmination of a lifetimes effort and the pride of entire families, turns into rubble. It is not just a house that was destroyed, there are also the savings of entire families. "Memories and a feeling of belonging to a place." Syrian researcher Ammar Azouz also explained how the Syrian regime used the method of killing homes during the war against opponents. In Homs, 50% of the city was completely destroyed and a quarter of it was partially destroyed. It was the neighborhoods opposed to Bashar al-Assads authority that were turned into rubble. According to Azouz, the destruction of homes has been used as a tool of punishment, displacement, and violence against opponents of the regime, and he believes that the matter is not limited to erasing buildings and physical structures, but also eliminating the conditions for the existence of their personal identities. Axis of Resistance "US airstrikes on Yemen are another example of the Anglo-Saxons distortion of UN Security Council resolutions and complete disregard for international law in the name of escalating the situation in the region for their own destructive purposes," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Iran's representation to the United Nations condemned the "military aggression against Yemen" led by the United States and Britain and said that "the illegal actions carried out by the United States of America and Britain are not permissible according to international law". The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations added: Iran condemns the American-British military aggression against Yemen . This unjustified aggression violates Yemen's sovereignty, international laws, the United Nations Charter, and Security Council resolutions, and endangers peace and security in the region. He continued: The illegal actions carried out by the United States of America and Britain are not permitted in accordance with international laws or Resolution 2722 issued by the United Nations Security Council. Their opposition to the Russian amendments to the resolution indicates a planned decision and a premeditated intention to commit this aggression. Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, strongly condemned the military attacks launched by the United States and Britain at dawn today on several Yemeni cities, and considered them an arbitrary act, a blatant violation of Yemens sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of international laws and regulations. Kanaani expressed his concern about the consequences of repeating such arbitrary attacks on regional and international peace and security, and called on the international community to prevent the expansion of war, instability and insecurity in the region with responsible reactions and measures. The Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Islamic Jihad condemned the attacks launched by the United States of America and Britain on Yemen. Hamas said in a statement, "We strongly condemn the blatant American-British aggression against Yemen, and we hold them responsible for its repercussions on the security of the region." It added, "The air and sea bombardment is a crime and a blatant aggression against Yemeni sovereignty, and a threat to the security of the region, which is witnessing American and British militarization that came to protect the Nazi-Zionist occupation and to cover up its crimes against the Palestinian people and the entire Arab region." HAMAS pointed out that the "brutal aggression" against Yemen was an "uncalculated act, under the influence of the will of the Zionist occupation and its extremist Nazi leadership, and will only increase the region's combustion and tension, and Washington and London bear responsibility for its repercussions," as HAMAS put it. Hamas stressed that "the region will not witness security and stability unless the Zionist occupation ends." The movement called on Washington and London to "review their colonial policies, and respect the sovereignty of countries and the interests of the Arab peoples, who will not stand idly by in the face of brutal Zionist crimes." In turn, the Islamic Jihad movement said, "This aggression comes in the context of the military umbrella provided by Western colonial countries to their military barracks in Palestine." The movement added that this "confirms that the American administration is the one conducting the war of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza," stressing that "it is the resistance of the peoples of our nation that will prevail in the end." The Islamic Jihad movement called on the Arab and Islamic nations to take action in rejection of the aggression against Yemen that rose in defense of Gaza and the holy sites of Muslims in Palestine. Allied for Democracy Israeli media highlighted the failures of the security services and military intelligence in concealing information and warnings from the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, and its chief, Herzi Halevy, regarding Hamas preparations and readiness to launch an attack on the south. The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper's "Saturday Supplement" investigation also revealed the secrecy of the Israeli Military Intelligence Division, Unit 8200 (AMAN), about information and signals monitored from the Gaza Strip in the months preceding the events of October 7, 2023. The intelligence information centered on the planning of the Al-Qassam Brigades , the military wing of Hamas, to carry out a military operation in the Gaza envelope, which officials in the Chief of Staff and Israeli army commanders did not know about until a few days after the surprise attack. The Commander of the Army's Southern Region, General Yaron Winkelman, and the Chief of Staff were not informed of some of the threats, and information was concealed from them about specific warnings regarding the scenario of a Hamas military operation in the south, while the movement was dealt with "with disdain" in the months preceding the "Al-Aqsa Flood" battle. This approach to dealing with Hamas, says investigative journalist Nadav Eyal, who prepared the investigation: What was behind Chief of Staff Halevys decision to create an external investigation team was that what happened in Israel about 3 months ago was more dangerous than the Yom Kippur War, underestimating Hamas in 2023. It was much greater than the belittling of Egypt and Syria before the October War of 1973. On the night of October 6, according to what the newspaper reported in the investigation, unusual events and movements began in the Gaza Strip, and it is usual for military intelligence to warn and report the presence of indicating signs of an attack or war. It added, "At the beginning of the night, an indicative signal arrives as a result of operational activity carried out by the General Security Service, the Shin Bet , which raised suspicions of the possibility of a ground attack on Israeli territory." Eyal pointed out that "such things have happened in the past. There was no raid, ground attack, or armed operations across the security fence with the Gaza Strip." Therefore, on the one hand, the Israeli journalist says: This matter is being taken seriously, as the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, arrives at the intelligence headquarters and consultations begin. But on the other hand, the consultations lead to the fact that it cannot be said that this is a sign. "It is absolutely certain that there is a ground operation, or even just an attack." Eyal adds: There are also chilling signs that were not taken seriously during the Shin Bet consultations, allegedly to reduce the possibility that this was preparation for an attack. "I do not know exactly what the signals are", the Israeli journalist continues: But I can imagine, on the one hand, a Hamas activist leaving his home in the middle of the night, and on the other hand, Israeli consultations mean that nothing will happen and end without decisions. Hours before the surprise attack, Chief of Staff Halevy, Southern Command Commander Winkelman, and Army Operations Wing Commander, General Oded Pasiuk, ask themselves: What is happening? While at the headquarters of Unit 8200 in the south, important and fundamental matters are happening that confirm the approaching moment of zero for the attack on the Gaza envelope. The Israeli military tells me, Eyal says, As the dawn hours progress, the turmoil increases. There are more signals from the enemy in the Gaza Strip, which can be estimated to have been transmitted through Hamas communications networks, raising the possibility of an imminent attack on Israel. In the same conversation conducted by the Chief of Staff in the dawn hours, the investigation indicates that no actual signals, warnings, or information appeared from Unit 8200, nor was there any senior officer from Military Intelligence in the conversation, while the Southern Command does not know what is happening in the means of communications. Hamas, despite repeated talks during the night. While the battle of Al-Aqsa Flood has its repercussions on the military and political arenas in Israel, and the fighting continues in the Gaza Strip, and it is not yet clear whether a comprehensive war will break out with Hezbollah on the northern border with Lebanon , in the meantime the Israeli army is waging a battle over the security budget for the year 2024. The New York Times reported that the US intelligence agency, the CIA, is directly involved in the war on Gaza by helping in information gathering on behalf of Israel. C.I.A. is collecting information on senior Hamas leaders and the location of hostages in Gaza, and is providing that intelligence to Israel as it carries out its war in the enclave, the newspaper said, citing US officials. This procedure is part of a task force assembled soon after the Hamas military operation on October 7. US officials who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity said that Immediately after the Oct. 7 attack, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, sent a memo to the intelligence agencies and Defense Department ordering the task forces creation and directing increased intelligence collection on Hamas leadership. Before the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas was a level four priority, meaning few resources were dedicated to collecting intelligence on the group, the newspaper said, adding that since then, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which helps oversee intelligence priorities, has raised Hamas to a level two priority. Raising the priority level provides additional funding for intelligence collection and most likely increases the range and volume of information that the C.I.A. tries to collect on Hamas, which the United States has designated a terror organization. Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib argued that Biden lacked the authority to approve the military action, saying he was violating Article I of the Constitution and that Americans were tired of endless war. Other Democrats, including Ro Khanna, Val Hoyle and Mark Pocan, made a similar case, with Khanna penning a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter) arguing that Biden needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving us in another Middle East conflict. That is Article I of the Constitution. I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House, he added. Republican Senator Mike Lee later weighed in on the strikes, saying: I totally agree with [Ro Khanna]. The Constitution matters, regardless of party affiliation. Republicans Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized the military action. Biden can not solely decide to bomb Yemen, Greene said. Democratic Party Rep. Sara Jacobs said the Biden administration had a solemn responsibility to protect our service members in harms way, and free and open laws of the sea. Jacobs said congressional leadership was briefed before the attack, and stressed that Congress alone authorizes war. Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs Palestinian armed group Hamas launched thousands of missiles at Israel and deployed its militants to infiltrate Jewish settlements near the countrys border with Gaza on 07 October 2023. The 1,200 Israelis killed on the first day would be the equivalent of 36,000 Americans killed in an attack, as a proportion to Israels population of 9.3 million people (compared to 332 million in the USA). Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: Not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day". PM Netanyahu stated "On October 7th, Hamas murdered 1,400 Israelis. Maybe more. This is in a country of fewer than 10 million people. This would be equivalent to over 50,000 Americans murdered in a single day. Thats twenty 9/11s. That is why October 7th is another day that will live in infamy." It is the second largest loss inflicted on the Israeli forces after the 1973 war, as the Palestinian resistance killed more than 1,200, wounded more than 5,132 others, and captured more than 250, most of them military personnel, some of whom were high-ranking officers in the army. The HAMAS Ministry of Health in the besieged sector announced that the number of victims of the Israeli operation its beginning had risen to about 23,708 dead [down from 23,840 martyrs four days prior], and the killing of nearly 10,000 Palestinian children and 6,600 women killed. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The number wounded was 60,050 [up from the 59,410 the previosu day]. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said much earlier that the number of missing people had risen to more than 7,500, including including 4,700 children and women, and this number had not changes in recent weeks. The IDF intensified its military operations in the West Bank, and increased the pace of incursions and raids into cities, towns, and camps, resulting in the martyrdom of 342 Palestinians, the injury of about 3,950, and the arrest of 5,780, according to official HAMAS sources. More than 130 Hezbollah fighters were killed in Lebanon during exchanges of bombing operations with Israel. Israel revised down the death toll from the October Hamas attacks in southern Israel from 1,400 to 1,200. IDF had said previously it was holding 1,500 bodies of terrorists, a total that now would increas to about 1,700. The officially announced number of deaths among the Israeli army since the start of the ground incursion on October 27th to 192, and 520 deaths since the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on the 7th of the same month. Among them are 56 with the rank of platoon commander, 43 with the rank of company commander, 9 with the rank of battalion commander, and 5 with the rank of brigade commander. These officers constitute 23% of the total deaths of the Israeli army in the war on Gaza. Israeli media reported that 27% of the Israeli military casualties in the war were officers. In detail, the media highlighted that three brigade commanders, four battalion commanders, and other senior officers have been killed in the war so far. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that 29 of the army's deaths were caused by "friendly fire" and operational incidents since the start of the ground war in Gaza, late last October. The Israeli authority explained that "18 army soldiers were killed by friendly fire, two were killed as a result of gunfire (without explanation), and 9 Israeli soldiers were killed in ammunition, weapons, or run-over accidents." The Jerusalem Post newspaper revealed that 15 soldiers were killed in the Strip without their bodies being found. According to some reports statistics indicate that 20% of the Israeli losses were due to friendly fire. Because the nature of the battle has become completely different from what was expected, and it lacks a front line. According to the latest data published by the army, the number of wounded soldiers and officers has risen to 1,042 since the start of its ground attack on Gaza on October 27, including 228 seriously wounded, while the total number has reached 2,438 wounded since the outbreak of the war on the 7th of October. The Israeli army reported that 2,438 soldiers - including 355 seriously injured - have been injured since the beginning of the war on Gaza, including earlier reports of 576 moderate, and 1,161 minor. The number of wounded since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip on October 27 had risen to 1,042. At least 12,957 Israelis were injured, according to i24 TV. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper had reported that 5,000 soldiers had been wounded since the beginning of the war on October 7, and that the Ministry of Defense had recognized 2,000 soldiers as disabled so far. An estimate by the Israeli Ministry of Defense expected that the number of soldiers with disabilities in the war taking place in the Gaza Strip since October 7 of last year would reach 12,500 soldiers. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the Soldiers' Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense has dealt with 3,400 soldiers who were classified as disabled in the army since last October 7. The Israeli army revealed that about 9,000 of its soldiers have received psychological assistance since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, and about a quarter of them have not returned to combat. This came according to a new statement revealed by the Army Medical Corps, according to Channel 12 and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. According to the statement, nearly 9,000 soldiers have applied for psychological assistance since the beginning of the war, and approximately a quarter of them have not returned to combat. The statement continued, "In total, about 13,000 regular and reserve soldiers required accompaniment or medical treatment at some level during the fighting, and thousands of them were injured in the battles." Al Jazeera military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi expressed his conviction that the numbers of dead and wounded announced by Israel cannot represent the truth, due to a discrepancy between the Israeli armys data and the Walla website, which is close to the army itself. Hostages An opinion poll released 12 January 2024 by Maariv newspaper was conducted by the Lazar Institute (private) on a random sample of 515 Israelis, with a margin of error of approximately 4.3%. Among the Israelis surveyed, more than 56% said that continuing the fight against Hamas was the best way to recover the hostages. Only 24% supported the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in exchange for the release of all hostages, even if that meant agreeing to Hamass demand to stop the fighting. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that an agreement had been reached, mediated by Qatar, to deliver medicines in the coming days to Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip . Netanyahu's office said that, under the latter's direction, "Mossad chief David Barnea led a movement toward Qatar that would allow medicines to be brought to hostages held by Hamas in Gaza." The statement said that medications would be provided to detainees "in the next few days." Israel had previously estimated there were 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody. Israel declared 20 out of 136 people in Gaza captivity dead in absentia, after announcing its forces had recovered the bodies of two hostages. By another count, 132 of them are still being held in Gaza, and 25 of them have been confirmed dead. Israel considers those still held by Hamas to be hostages regardless of whether they are dead or alive. Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy earlier had told reporters that Hamas still held 137 captives. The resistance released 10 Israeli detainees, 4 Thais and 2 Russian women, who were released outside the agreement. Over the course of 6 days, Israel has received 102 detainees, women and children, including 78 Israelis, in exchange for the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners, women and children. Eylon Levy, the Israeli government spokesperson, told reporters 01 December 2023: Hamas still held 137 hostages from the October attacks, in addition to four others who went missing before the war The hostages include two children aged four and 10 months, who, Hamas now claims, are dead 117 male hostages are still kept in Gaza, including the two children, as well as 20 females 126 hostages are Israelis, and 11 others are foreign nationals Foreign nationals are eight Thais, one Nepalese, one Tanzanian and one French Mexican citizen Ten of the remaining hostages are 75 and older. There are seven missing people since the October 7 attack Hamas had released 110 hostages so far 86 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals. Some of the rest are soldiers, seized when Hamas raided military bases in Israel. They may end up being held the longest. The Israeli military had not specified how many soldiers were captured, nor their ranks. According to some estimates, Hamas was initially holding nearly 210 of the 240 hostages, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad was holding the remaining 30. About 40 Israelis remained missing. More than 40 hostages taken from Israel into Gaza on October 7th are not currently in the custody of Hamas, the group responsible for the attack, according to a CNN report based on a diplomatic source briefed on the negotiations, CNN's prior reports had indicated that an estimated 40 to 50 hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other unidentified groups or individuals. Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said on Hamas telegram account that 23 bodies of the 60 missing Israel hostages were trapped under the rubble. It seems that we will never be able to reach them due to the continued brutal aggression of the occupation against Gaza, he said. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club revealed that about 11,000 arrests were carried out by the Israeli army during the year 2023 in the West Bank , including occupied Jerusalem , in addition to arrests from the Gaza Strip before the seventh of last October. The Prisoners' Club explained that arrests after the 7th of October amounted to more than 5,755, in contrast to the detainees in Gaza after the 7th of the same month. The Prisoners' Club stated that cases of arrest among women amounted to (300), and this toll includes women from the occupied interior detained after October 7, while the number of cases of children reached 1,085. Israel said on 09 January 2024 that, since the beginning of the war, approximately 2,650 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, approximately 1,300 of whom are affiliated with Hamas. On 08 January 2024 it was reported that more than 1,350 wanted persons had been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, more than 870 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 12 January 2024 - Day 687 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 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 Ukrainian forces operating on the east bank of the Dnipro River have been using First Person View Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (FPV-UAVs) fitted with munitions to target Russian Forces. The FPV-UAVs are being used in conjunction with artillery to target Russian Forces' vehicles, with a Russian military blogger estimating 90 per cent of Russian military equipment in the Krynky sector has been destroyed. Russia's inability to counter the FPV-UAVs is likely due to a shortage of Russian Electronic Warfare capability in the area. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of January 12, there were 68x combat engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 2x missile and 43x air strikes, carried out 25x 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 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. Russian forces launched an air strike near Vovchans'k (Kharkiv oblast). More than 30x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Sosnivka, Karpovychi, Semenivka, Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast), Marchykhyna Buda, Iskryskivshchyna, Basivka, Pokrovka, Ryasne, Velyka Pysarivka (Sumy oblast), Hur'iv Kozachok, Udy, Zybyne, Budarky, Dvorichans'ke (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 6x attacks in the vicinity of Syn'kivka (Kharkiv oblast), where the Russian occupiers made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Syn'kivka and Ivanivka (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 4x assaults near Makiivka (Luhansk oblast), Hryhorivka, Vesele (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian occupiers made attempts to improve their tactical situation. The vicinities of settlements of Novojehorivka (Luhansk oblast), Zelena Dolyna, Kolodyazi (Donetsk oblast) were under air strikes. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 15x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Serebryanka, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 4x attacks in the vicinities of Andriivka and Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike near Bohdanivka (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 4x Russian attacks near Avdiivka, and 16x more attacks in the vicinities of Pervomais'ke and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of the settlements of Oleksandropil', Novobakhmutivka and Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 15x settlements, including Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Stepove, Avdiivka, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast). Mar'inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back Russian forces in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). In that area, Russian forces, with air support, made 15x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. The settlements of Krasnohorivka, Kurakhove, Heorhiivka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, Katerynivka were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Shakhtars'ke axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 3x assaults south of Zolota Nyva and west of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Staromaiors'ke, Rivnopil' (Donetsk oblast). Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 5x assaults near Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). In that area Russian forces made unsuccessful attempts to regain lost ground. Around 20x settlements, including Zaliznychne, Charivne, Mala Tokmachka, Robotyne, Novoandriivka (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 Zolota Balka, Tyahynka, Ivanivka (Kherson oblast), as well as Dmytrivka, Ivanivka, Yaselka (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 8x unsuccessful assaults. The Ukrainian troops are holding the line and keep inflicting significant losses on the Russian enemy. During the day of January 12, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 21x concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment, 4x air defense systems. The Ukrainian missile troops hit 6x concentrations of troops, weapons and military equipment, 1x command post, 1x artillery system, 2x air defense systems, 1x ammunition depot, 1x radar station of the Russian invaders. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in the period from 6 to 12 January 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have inflicted 50 group strikes with long-range maritime and airborne high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles and UAVs, at Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities that manufacture, upgrade and repair aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, armoured vehicles, missile launchers and artillery systems. In addition, the locations of the AFU units, nationalist formations, and foreign mercenaries were hit. The purpose of the strikes has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line in several sectors, and repelled 27 attacks launched by assault groups of AFU 32nd, 43rd, and 115th mechanised, 57th mechanised infantry, 25th airborne, and 95th air assault brigades near Sinkovka, Ivanovka Peschanoye, and Berestovoye (Kharkov region). The enemy has suffered losses of more than 585 troops, three tanks, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, 11 field artillery guns, as well as one Grad MLRS vehicle. In Krasny Liman direction, the Tsentr Group of Forces' units, aviation, and artillery have launched strikes at clusters of manpower of AFU 63rd, 66th mechanised, 100th, 125th Territorial Defence, 5th, 13th National Guard brigades close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye, Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry. The enemy has lost up to 995 troops killed and wounded, five armoured fighting vehicles, 25 motor vehicles, and five field artillery guns. In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces supported by air and artillery fire have repelled six enemy attacks. Fire was also launched at units of AFU 22nd, 28th, 42nd, 93rd mechanised, 3rd, 5th, 92nd assault, and 112th Territorial Defence brigades near Krasnoye, Kurdyumovka, Antonovka, Bogdanovka, Kleshcheyevka, and Andreyevka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were more than 1,785 servicemen, five tanks, 20 armoured fighting vehicles, including two Bradley IFVs and five Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, 63 motor vehicles, as well as 14 field artillery guns. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces have repelled seven enemy attacks. Air strikes and artillery fire hit AFU units near Novomikhailovka, Paraskoviyevka, Pavlovka (Donetsk People's Republic), and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). Over the week, the enemy has suffered losses of up to 850 troops, three tanks, 11 armoured fighting vehicles, 22 motor vehicles, 15 field artillery guns, as well as one Grad MLRS vehicle. In Zaporozhye direction, the Russian Group of Forces' units have taken more advantageous lines and positions, and also repelled one attack of the 3rd Operational Brigade's assault group of Ukrainian National Guard close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). In addition, fire damage was inflicted on personnel and military hardware of AFU 117th, 118th mechanised, 128th mountain assault, 14th, 15th National Guard brigades near Malaya Tokmachka, Verbovoye, Novoprokopovka, and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). The enemy has lost up to 230 servicemen, three tanks, 10 armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns. In Kherson direction, the enemy's attempts to cross the Dnepr River to land on the left bank and islands were thwarted by preventive actions of the Russian Armed Forces. Aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of AFU 35th, 38th Marines, 121th Territorial Defence brigades near Mikhailovka, Tyaginka, Ivanovka, Sablukovka, and Kacharovka (Kherson region). The AFU lost up to 275 troops killed and wounded, one tank, 21 motor vehicles, 15 boats and seven field artillery guns as a result of the actions of the Russian troops. Over the past week, 48 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered, 35 of them in Kupyansk direction. Russian Aerospace Forces and air defence units have shot down Su-25, Su-27 aircraft, as well as one Mi-9 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force. In addition, 35 HIMARS and Uragan MLRS projectiles, six Neptune anti-ship missiles, two MALD guided aerial missiles, and 161 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down during the week. Operational-Tactical and Missile Troops of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed two P-18 radars for detecting and tracking air targets, 10 ammunition depots, and one electronic warfare station. In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,620 unmanned aerial vehicles, 447 air defence missile systems, 14,578 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,202 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,694 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,345 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sinaloa Cartel Associate Sentenced After Decades of Cocaine Trafficking Friday, January 12, 2024 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs A Mexican national was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $280 million for his role in an international conspiracy to transport tens of thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States over the span of four decades. In March 2023, Raul Flores-Hernandez, 71, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to international cocaine trafficking conspiracy. "For more than three decades, Raul Flores-Hernandez worked with the leaders of the world's largest, most violent cartels, including El Chapo of the Sinaloa Cartel, to traffic deadly drugs into the United States," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "The Justice Department has held him accountable for his crimes, and he has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Anyone who profits from the violence and devastation of the illegal drug trade at the expense of the American people should be prepared to face the full force of the Justice Department." "It may be impossible to quantify the destruction wrought by this defendant channeling vast quantities of cocaine across the globe," said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. "One thing is certaina---the world is far safer with this sentence." According to court documents, Flores-Hernandez was the leader of a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of cocaine from South America through Mexico and into the United States. For example, in 2003, Flores-Hernandez and his partners used oil tanks to smuggle more than two tons of cocaine into Mexico every week, at least half of which was imported into the United States. In 2007 and 2008, Flores-Hernandez sent tens of millions of dollars in U.S. currency to Colombia to purchase cocaine. During his time as a narcotrafficker Flores-Hernandez was closely aligned with the leaders of some of the most violent drug cartels, including Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman of the Sinaloa Cartel and Hector Beltran of the Beltran Leyva Organization. "Raul Flores Hernandez spent decades working closely with El Chapo and others to transport hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from South America, through Mexico, into the United States, knowing it would devastate American communities," said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). "He will now spend decades in prison. I commend DEA's Los Angeles Field Division and San Ysidro District Office and our law enforcement partners for their work bringing Flores Hernandez to justice." "Today's sentencing is the result of the close cooperation and dedication of HSI's domestic and international law enforcement partners," said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). "HSI is dedicated to working with our partners to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle those transnational criminal organizations that threaten national security and the safety of our communities." The DEA Los Angeles Field Division and San Ysidro Office, as well as HSI San Diego, investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service's Investigative Operations Division. Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Melanie L. Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Jonathan Hornok of the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Martin for the Southern District of California represented the United States during Flores-Hernandez's sentencing. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Flores-Hernandez. Topic: Drug Trafficking Components: Office of the Attorney General Criminal Division Criminal - Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section Criminal - Office of International Affairs Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) USAO - California, Southern U.S. Marshals Service Press Release Number: 24-44 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New skills shore up capability By Amanda Smith 12 January 2024 Army is again preparing to take to the water as a force optimised for littoral operations. The Littoral Manoeuvre Program, established in response to the Defence Strategic Review, is advancing Army's ability to deploy and sustain major combat units across the Indo-Pacific region by accelerating the delivery of Army's new fleet of littoral vessels. The program will ensure Army has a workforce trained to operate the expanded fleet. Landing craft medium will come into service in 2027 and landing craft heavy from 2028. The first six officers selected for the Accelerated Maritime Officer course began training alongside Navy this month. They will undertake 18 months of training, with nine months spent alongside in either Sydney or Perth, and then nine months at sea gaining endorsement of their skills from Navy. The officers recently toured the Henderson Shipyard facilities and saw a prototype of one of the new vessels. One of them, Captain Gemma Chmielewski, said the experience would be a first in her Army career. "We've been selected to be among the first that will crew and command these vessels. When I signed up, this wasn't on the cards, so it's incredible things are moving so quickly," Captain Chmielewski said. "I know we're all excited to be involved with a program in its early stages - to be front and centre for Army's evolution in this space." Head Land Capability Major General Richard Vagg said Army had a long history of littoral manoeuvre operations. "Army has been operating in the littoral environment since before Gallipoli and these vessels are the next step in Army's transformation for littoral manoeuvre operations by sea, land and air," Major General Vagg said. "They will significantly advance our ability to conduct operations that influence our northern approach, support our regional partners and protect our national interests. "Our people look forward to working closely with our Navy counterparts to build their maritime skills." Landing craft medium, capable of sailing 500 nautical miles, will be designed to carry one Abrams tank, or one Redback infantry fighting vehicle, or four HIMARS launchers. Landing craft heavy, capable of sailing 2500 nautical miles, will be designed to carry six Abrams tanks, or 11 Redback IFVs or 26 HIMARS launchers. They will eventually be complemented by amphibious vehicles and close support craft to deploy and sustain land forces to beach landing sites or ports in conjunction with other ADF air and maritime assets. Army's littoral capability will ensure it continues to play a vital role in responding to strategic challenges, and enhance Australia's capacity to conduct military partner engagement, rapid assistance and humanitarian and disaster relief operations in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister Joly speaks with China's Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi Global Affairs Canada Readout January 11, 2024 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada The Honourable MAlanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today spoke with China's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi. The Ministers exchanged views on a wide range of critical global and regional issues, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and ongoing challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region. Minister Joly raised concrete priorities for forward collaboration, including fighting climate change and deepening our economic and people-to-people ties, for the benefit of citizens and businesses in both countries, and both ministers tasked their respective officials to advance next steps. Minister Joly highlighted that amidst an international security crisis, Canada will pursue pragmatic diplomacy. She reiterated that Canada will continue to uphold its interests and values, as described in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, and defend the international rules-based order. Both Ministers highlighted that despite recent challenges in the bilateral relationship, it is important to keep communication channels open. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xi urges more 'bridges' to be built between China, Europe in meeting with Belgian PM Global Times Belgium encouraged to play positive role in EU's view on China By Zhang Han, Liu Xin and Zhang Changyue Published: Jan 12, 2024 04:04 PM Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with visiting Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, agreeing to enhance ties and voicing against "decoupling." The meeting carries unique significance as it opens a new year of high-level diplomacy between China and the EU in 2024, and can serve as an opportunity for the two sides to continue the momentum of engagement to deepen mutual understanding and expand cooperation, analysts said. Such contact is even more important when the world is struggling with a sluggish economy, geopolitical uncertainty and regional conflicts, they said. New momentum China and Belgium are both beneficiaries of economic globalization and share common interests in resisting protectionism and safeguarding free trade, Xi told De Croo, the Xinhua News Agency reported. China appreciates De Croo's open opposition to the decoupling or severing of industrial and supply chains on many occasions, welcomes Belgian companies to invest in China, and stands ready to provide them with a sound business environment, Xi said, expressing his hope that Belgium will also provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies. Xi said the two sides can combine their respective strengths to expand cooperation in traditional areas such as transportation, logistics and biopharmaceuticals, and explore new growth areas for cooperation such as green development and digital economy. He called on the two sides to encourage government departments, legislatures, and sub-national areas to strengthen exchanges and dialogue, expand tourism and exchange of students, organize large-scale cultural activities in each other's country, and carry out research on giant panda protection. Xi said China is willing to strengthen communication with Belgium within multilateral frameworks such as the UN and carry out cooperation on issues such as climate change and biodiversity protection. De Croo said the Belgium-China relationship is a pacesetter in European countries' ties with China in many aspects, noting that Belgium will continue to abide by the one-China policy, and have candid dialogue with China to deepen understanding and push for continuous development of bilateral relations in political, economic and other fields. De Croo said Belgium opposes decoupling or severing of industrial and supply chains, welcomes Chinese enterprises to carry out cooperation in Belgium, and hopes to strengthen personnel and cultural exchanges with China. A number of Belgian entrepreneurs accompanied De Croo on his visit, including industry leaders such as Solvay and Bekaert, said Cao Zhongming, Chinese ambassador to Belgium. "I believe they will take full advantage of the high-level visit opportunity to engage in in-depth exchanges and collaborative discussions with Chinese officials and the business community to inject new impetus into bilateral economy, trade and investment cooperation," Cao told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. China and the European Union (EU) have already conducted frequent interactions in 2023. But the visit by the Belgian prime minister carries unique significance as the country is the EU's political heartland and holds the presidency of the Council of the EU for 2024. During the Friday meeting, while stressing that China maintains long-term consistency in its policy toward Europe, Xi said China has always regarded Europe as a partner and hopes that Europe will play a positive and constructive role as an important force in a multipolar world. In the face of the changing and volatile international situation, China and Europe need to build more "bridges," he added. Xi said the two sides should work more closely to promote an equal and orderly global multipolarity and an economic globalization that benefits all, and jointly promote world peace, stability and prosperity. China is willing to work with the EU to foster progress in China-EU relations in the new year and hopes that Belgium, as the EU rotating presidency, will play a positive role in this regard, Xi added. De Croo noted that he was deeply impressed by President Xi's vivid description of "bridges" during his visit to Belgium a decade ago. Amid the changing and turbulent international situation, the world needs China and Europe to work as partners and strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas such as promoting world economic growth, addressing climate change and building a more stable world, De Croo said. Belgium, as the rotating presidency of the EU, is willing to play an active role in the development of EU-China relations and hopes that this visit will help elevate Belgium-China and EU-China relations, he added. Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance of Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Friday that China-Belgium relations remain more stable with China-EU ties witnessing major changes in the past few years. It is hoped that the country can make positive contributions to resolving some China-EU trade disputes, Cui said. The expert also underlined that China and EU should communicate on global hot spot issues including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and try to maximize common views to facilitate the settlement of those issues. Coping with changes Despite the overall momentum of engagement, noises and waves still persist in China-EU relations. The European Commission initiated an anti-subsidies probe into electric vehicles (EVs) from China in October 2023 and hyped Chinese espionage in recent months. Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times that trade disputes between China and the EU are nothing new, and there have been many cases of this. However, they have not affected bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the past. The "spy" claims were mainly hype from some media and right-wing politicians, Zhao said, as he stressed both sides should avoid escalating individual cases in certain fields to the level of overall trend of bilateral ties. It is irresponsible and shortsighted to conclude that "sound China-EU relations are over" as a result of small skirmishes, Zhao said. According to analysts, the EU shows duality in dealing with China - emphasizing cooperation while being harsh on values and ideology. Cui pointed out that Europe has to cling to "political correctness" on "political" topics such as security and human rights. "Improving the EU's public opinion environment [toward China] and dispelling misconceptions requires practical cooperation and remains a challenging task." China also recognizes that the EU's position - its economic structure and security dependence on the US - means it is difficult to maintain a completely independent policy, and handles disputes with the bloc in a way that is resilient to external disruptions, Cui said. The EU is encouraged to adjust its mind-set in front of a strong China that is different from Europe in many aspects but is a sincere and trustworthy partner, analysts said. Through a series of interactions in 2023, China and the EU have reached consensus on the importance of bilateral relations as well as the fact that the relationship is undergoing major changes. "The crux is how to cope with the changes," Cui said. China copes with them with a positive attitude, believing that changes bring about new opportunities; but the EU tends to see those changes through a negative lens as risks and challenges. Against the backdrop of a resurgence in European populism and conservatism and the European Parliament elections, the EU is in urgent need of leaders who have the strategic vision and political wisdom to guide the bloc as it goes through this concurrent turbulence, Chinese observers said. They hope that in 2024, more European politicians can come to visit China, see a real China through their own eyes and engage with China in person, so as to establish a more comprehensive and less biased view of the country on the other end of the Eurasian continent. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's 2023 rare earth exports up 7.3%, showing Western smears to be groundless: experts Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 12, 2024 10:05 PM China's rare earth exports in 2023 increased 7.3 percent year-on-year to 52,306.5 tons, with the export value narrowing by 28.3 percent, data from China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed on Friday. Experts noted that the volume increase and drop in prices of rare earth exports are normal market changes. The rising volume also proves that Western smears against China's role in maintaining the global supply chain of rare earths are groundless, they said. In December 2023, China launched a revised, shortened version of the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export, aiming to create better conditions for promoting international trade cooperation, while safeguarding national economic security and development interests, according to a statement on the website of the Ministry of Commerce. The new catalogue stipulated that rare-earth extraction technology cannot be exported and that a number of related techniques require approval before export. It stirred a new wave of conspiracy theories and geopolitical speculation about the global supply chain among Western media outlets. "The revised export controls are focused on technology that will not impact the volume of China's exports. The data is the proof," Wu Chenhui, an independent industry analyst who closely follows the rare-earth industry, told the Global Times on Friday. Wu noted that China will not weaponize rare earth exports, adding that the rare earth-related tech controls are in line with international practice. "The action is for the sake of the country's economic security and development interests amid the current complex international situation," Wu noted. The revision of the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export is a routine update for China to adapt to the latest technological advancement and better manage technology trade, said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry. "China is committed to promoting reform and development through opening-up. We are always ready to create enabling conditions for international economic and trade cooperation on the basis of ensuring national economic security and development interests," Wang noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, Russia trade soars 32.7% y-o-y in 2023, hits record high Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 12, 2024 06:08 PM Trade between China and Russia hit a record high in 2023, reaching 1.69 trillion yuan ($235.9 billion), an increase of 32.7 percent from a yearly basis, Chinese customs data showed on Friday. The bilateral trade exceeded $200 billion in November for the first time. The total value marks a milestone for bilateral economic ties, as it means the two nations have achieved their $200 billion trade goal ahead of schedule. In 2019, they set up a goal of ramping up bilateral trade to reach $200 billion by 2024. In breakdown, China's exports to Russia soared by 53.9 percent in 2023, while imports from Russia went up by 18.6 percent. "The comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries boosted the growth in bilateral trade," Song Kui, president of the Contemporary China-Russia Regional Economy Research Institute, told the Global Times on Friday. Song noted that the relationship between China and Russia has set an example of the new model of major-country relations, which is not targeted against any third party, but will benefit the global economic recovery during the post-COVID period. "China-Russia trade has evolved from a trade-based approach to a new level of industrial cooperation, including auto equipment manufacturing and agri-food processing," Song said. Noting that energy cooperation has played an important role in the two countries' foreign trade, Song said that the increasing use of yuan for trade settlements also helped. Tourism is also in spotlight amid the closer cooperation between China and Russia. Chinese tourists are arriving at Russia's snow-clad cities en masse and the number is likely to surpass 1 million in 2023, people familiar with the situation told the Global Times. In addition, Russian officials, businesspeople and tourists are visiting Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, now that it is under an international spotlight, according to Song. "Hot people-to-people exchanges will surely warm up trade and economic cooperation, as an inflow of people brings information and opportunities," Song said. Looking ahead, the expert expressed his bullish view on the future development of trade and economic ties between China and Russia, noting that cooperation in infrastructure construction, new-energy vehicles as well as high-tech manufacturing still has room to expand. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on January 12, 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China 2024-01-12 21:15 President Xi Jinping's Special Representative, Member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and Vice Premier of the State Council Liu Guozhong will attend the 19th Non-Aligned Movement Summit and the Third South Summit in Uganda and visit Algeria, Cameroon and Tanzania upon invitation from January 15 to 24. China News Service: To follow up on your announcement of the trip of Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier of the State Council Liu Guozhong, can you share more details? Mao Ning: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a platform that brings developing countries together for seeking strength and opposing imperialism, hegemony and colonialism. The South Summit is the highest-level meeting of G77 and an influential international meeting in South-South cooperation. President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has sent several letters to invite President Xi Jinping to the 19th NAM Summit and the third South Summit. China, as the biggest developing country, is a natural partner of NAM and member of the Global South. For greater solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, Vice Premier Liu Guozhong will attend the two Summits as the Special Representative of President Xi Jinping. China and Africa belong to a community with a shared future. Algeria, Cameroon and Tanzania are important countries in Africa. China stands ready to take this visit as an opportunity to work with the rest of the vast developing world, including African countries, to advance the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, champion an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, strive toward building a community with a shared future for mankind, and write a new chapter of developing countries upholding independence and seeking strength through solidarity. CCTV: It's reported that President Xi Jinping has recently replied to a letter from Ms. Sarah Lande, a friend from Iowa of the United States. In 1985, Xi Jinping, then Party Secretary of Zhengding County in Hebei Province, led a delegation to visit Iowa and Ms. Lande was one of the organizers of this visit. Could you share with us more about the reply? Mao Ning: As you described, the letter is part of the story about a friendship that has lasted nearly 40 years. Back in 2022, President Xi also replied to a letter from Ms. Sarah Lande. He recalled his two trips to Iowa and stressed that the Chinese and American people are both great people and our friendship is a valuable asset and an important foundation for bilateral relations. Last November, President Xi addressed the welcome dinner by friendly organizations in the US. Ms. Lande attended the dinner as an invited guest. In her latest letter to President Xi, she said President Xi's remarks at the dinner were welcomed by all with springing hope, and she was excited for the plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. She hoped the two countries will work together to address critical issues of the day for the common humanity of the world.a On January 4, President Xi replied to her letter. He stressed that the achievements made by the two countries are attributable, first and foremost, to the common efforts of people in both countries, and the further growth of the relationship cannot do without the contribution of the two peoples. He mentioned that the future of the China-US relationship depends on the youth, and he launched the program of inviting young Americans to China in the hope that more young people from the US could visit China, see the country with their own eyes, listen with their own ears, travel the expanse of the country with their own feet, and build more bridges of mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples.a This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-US diplomatic ties. Over the past 45 years, it is the reaching out to each other by our peoples that has time and again brought China-US relations from a low ebb back onto the right track and made it possible for the relationship to move forward despite the many storms it has experienced. As stressed by President Xi in his reply, the future of our planet requires us to stabilize and improve the China-US relationship, and China is ready to work with the US to promote stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations. Global Times: It's reported that with China's facilitation, Myanmar military held a new round of peace talks with ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, namely the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army, in Kunming. Can you brief us on the peace talks? Mao Ning: From January 10 to 11, with China's mediation and effort to drive progress, representatives of the Myanmar military and the three ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, namely the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army, held peace talks and officially reached a ceasefire agreement in Kunming of China's Yunnan province. The two sides agreed to implement the ceasefire immediately, the military personnel will disengage and the two sides will address relevant disputes and concerns through peaceful negotiation. The two sides promised not to undermine the safety of Chinese people living in the border area and Chinese projects and personnel in Myanmar. The two sides had consultations on ceasefire arrangement and other matters. Maintaining the momentum of ceasefire and peace talks in northern Myanmar serves the interests of all parties in Myanmar and is conducive to keeping the China-Myanmar border area peaceful and stable. China hopes that relevant parties in Myanmar will earnestly implement the already reached ceasefire agreement, exercise maximum restraint toward each other, continue to address the issues through dialogue and consultation and together strive for progress in the peace process in northern Myanmar. China stands ready to continue to provide support and assistance to the best of our capability and play a constructive role to this end. RIA Novosti: The Pentagon published its National Defense Industrial Strategy Report on Thursday, in which it proposed collaborating with countries in the Indo-Pacific to build up a strong defense industrial base and production capability to prepare for any potential future conflict in the region using the global experience of the Ukraine conflict. An effort to strengthen cooperation between the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region should not "wait for emergency circumstances," the report said. What's China's comment on this? Mao Ning: As the world's No.1 military power with the highest military expenditure, the US lacks not in the capacity to launch wars, but the capacity to make and uphold peace. Peace and development is the shared pursuit of Asia-Pacific countries. The US needs to respect the call of countries in the region, do more things that are conducive to peace and stability, and refrain from introducing bloc confrontation, conflict and turmoil to the Asia-Pacific. CRI: Recently the National Security Council of the White House held a press call on Taiwan elections via teleconference. An anonymous official from the White House said that the US is committed to the one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence" and supports cross-Strait dialogue. The official added that the US does not take a position on the ultimate resolution of cross-Strait differences, provided they are resolved peacefully. What is your comment on this? Mao Ning: We noted the remarks of the US official. The one-China principle is a prevailing international consensus and the political foundation of the China-US relationship. "Taiwan independence" is the biggest threat to cross-Strait peace and stability and is doomed to failure. US leaders have repeatedly said that they are committed to the one-China policy, do not support "Taiwan independence", do not support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", and do not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China. We hope the US will honor these commitments, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, stop official interactions with Taiwan, stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and refrain from interfering in the elections of the Taiwan region in any form. If the US truly hopes to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it needs to explicitly oppose "Taiwan independence" and support China's peaceful reunification. NTV: Regarding the election that is going to be held tomorrow, I understand that they have been reiterating that the Taiwan election is a domestic matter, but how do you think that the result of the election will affect the relationship between China and Taiwan? Mao Ning: The elections of the Taiwan region are China's internal affairs. Regardless of the result, it will not change the basic fact that Taiwan is part of China and there is only one China in the world. Bloomberg: On the question of Myanmar, will you be releasing any further statements or any more details about the ceasefire agreement that has been reached? Mao Ning: I have talked about the peace talks between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar held in Kunming. I have no additional information to offer. Kyodo News: After the Chinese media covered the food poisoning in Fukushima, this topic immediately became a top trending search on Weibo. Although Fukushima clearly stated that it were parasites that caused the poisoning, it was not reported by some Chinese media outlets. Many on Weibo linked the event to Japan's discharge of "nuclear treated water". What's your comment? Mao Ning: I will not comment on what's been said on the Internet. On Fukushima's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water, China's position has always been very clear. Kyodo News: When Chinese and Japanese leaders met in November last year, they discussed holding expert consultations on the ocean discharge of the "treated water" from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Has the agenda of the meeting been decided? Mao Ning: I have nothing to provide at the moment. Beijing Daily: We noted that the latest tariff adjustment plan for 2024 announced by China applies provisional import tariff rates lower than the most-favored-nation rates to 1,010 goods and zero tariffs to some products. Given the sluggish global trade, what's the consideration behind China's tariff adjustments? Mao Ning: China announced and implemented the tariff adjustment plan for 2024 and is actively advancing free trade by optimizing the environment for foreign trade. It demonstrates China's sense of responsibility as a major country in sharing development dividends with all countries. Since its accession to the WTO, China not only fulfilled its entry commitments but also reduced its overall tariff rate to 7.3 percent in 2023. China has steadily increased its level of trade liberalization and openness. Despite risks and challenges brought by rising trade protectionism and unilateralism, China will stay committed to high-level opening up, advocate a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization and work with all sides to uphold free trade and the multilateral trade system and energize global economic growth. AFP: The US launched an attack last night on Houthis in Yemen in retaliation to attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. What's China's position on this issue? And does China support this operation?a Mao Ning: China is concerned about the escalating tension in the Red Sea and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent the conflict from escalating. The Red Sea is an important artery for global trade in goods and energy. China calls on relevant parties to play a constructive and responsible role in keeping the Red Sea peaceful and stable, which serves the common interests of the international community. Bloomberg: Today the Customs Administration of China said that the Red Sea problem is an issue for Chinese trade this year, and is one of the risk factors for the economy. The actions by the US and the UK may make passage of the Red Sea easier and thus benefit Chinese commerce. Do you think that on balance these actions are good for the Chinese economy and that it will make trade with Europe safer? Mao Ning: The Red Sea is an important international trade route. We believe it is important to ensure the safety of international sea lanes. We do not want to see tensions escalate in the Red Sea, for it will not be good for the world's economy and trade. Bloomberg: It's reported yesterday a number of Chinese vessels in the Red Sea are broadcasting on their AIS transponders that they are Chinese. The AIS transponders, which generally say the destination and the cargo, are now saying we are Chinese ship. Do you have any information about this? And is this something the government has told Chinese vessels to do or is this something that the companies themselves are deciding to do? Mao Ning: I noted relevant reports but have no specific information. I think it to some extent shows the importance of deescalating the situation in the Red Sea and keeping international shipping lanes safe. Bloomberg: Has the Chinese government been in touch with the Iranian government or with the Houthis in Yemen directly to discuss the situation of the Red Sea since the attacks this morning? Mao Ning: I have no information to offer. We're ready to work with parties to deescalate the situation and keep international shipping lanes safe. Reuters: US think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has said in a report that China's scientific research vessels that have engaged in oil and gas, and marine environmental surveys in the Indian Ocean could be supporting China's "military needs". The report said Chinese submarines could be called on to support a wide range of missions, ranging from intelligence collection to nuclear deterrence patrols. We would like to seek the Ministry's comment on that report. Could the Ministry offer any information on whether these research vessels and the expeditions are in any way related to military support? Does China's military obtain research data from these expeditions? Mao Ning: I don't see what the report is based on or how it reached those conclusions. What I can tell you is that China's scientific marine surveys are conducted in full compliance with the UNCLOS and have contributed to research on ocean science. We hope relevant parties will view China's scientific surveys as they are and not through tainted spectacles. Bloomberg: The Chinese military has a naval base near the Red Sea in Djibouti. Did the US or the UK provide advanced warning to the Chinese navy in the area about the attacks that took place in the Red Sea this morning in the interest of safety? Mao Ning: I do not have that information. I'd refer you to China's competent authorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China blasts US report on Beijing's Indian Ocean research, says it bolsters 'China threat narrative' Iran Press TV Friday, 12 January 2024 10:15 AM China has blasted a report by a prominent United States think tank on the military uses of Chinese scientific research across the Indian Ocean, warning that the report gave "ammunition" to countries bent on constructing a "China threat narrative", state media said. The report unveiled by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), "comes at a time when some countries need to manufacture a 'China threat' narrative in the Indian Ocean region and provides them with ammunition", the state-controlled tabloid Global Times said in an editorial. "The timing of this report is delicate," given that the Maldives and China are upgrading ties after the election of President Mohamed Muizzu, while Sri Lanka, under Indian pressure recently suspended foreign research vessels, including from China, from visiting its ports. "The scale of China's activities is immense, and the line between its civilian and military research is heavily blurred," as a thorough study of ocean depths, currents, and temperature was vital to China's growing submarine operations, the study stated. Beijing, whose "surveying operations have been heavily concentrated along its maritime periphery in the South China Sea and western Pacific Ocean," is now also setting "its sights on the Indian Ocean, an emerging arena of competition between Beijing and New Delhi," it said. "China's dual-use approach to oceanographic research raises questions about the nature of these activities. Many vessels that undertake missions for peaceful purposes are also capable of providing the PLA with critical data about the world's oceans." "This expansion poses a significant challenge to key regional players like India, as well as to the United States and its allies." Meanwhile, the Global Times vindicated the ongoing commissioned study, stating that China and regional partners were exploring the natural ecology of the region "without any hidden agenda". "The Indian Ocean is one of the least understood oceans by the scientific community, and a fundamental reason is the lack of sufficient on-site observations," the Global Times read. "The unsolved mysteries surrounding the Indian Ocean not only result in scientific losses but also imply uncertainties faced by Indian Ocean countries in terms of climate, ocean currents, resources exploration, and other aspects," it further read. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong tables new security bill amid fears of widening crackdown Even Beijing's allies are uneasy, citing potential impact on international business confidence in the city. By Gigi Lee and Lee Heung Yeung for RFA Cantonese 2024.01.12 -- Hong Kong's government on Friday tabled homegrown national security legislation it claims is needed to eradicate "undercurrents of dissent" in the city and extend an ongoing crackdown on public speech and political activism under a draconian law imposed in 2020 by Beijing. Chief executive John Lee first flagged the controversial law - which sparked mass street protests and the earlier-than-expected retirement of then Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa when it was first tabled in 2003 - in his October policy address, vowing "eradicate the causes" of dissent that he said still lingered in the city despite a 28-month-long crackdown on criticism of the authorities. The "Bill on safeguarding national security implementing Article 23 of the Basic Law," was added to the Legislative Council's 2024 agenda on Friday, for consideration in either the first half or the second half of the year. Most tabled bills specify which half of the year they will be introduced in. According to the agenda entry, the bill will also "complete and improve upon [existing] laws safeguarding national security, and make provisions for related matters." The move comes amid a citywide crackdown in which more than 10,000 people have been arrested and at least 2,800 prosecuted in a citywide crackdown in the wake of the 2019 protest movement, mostly under public order charges. At least 230 have been arrested under the National Security Law, which criminalizes public criticism of the Hong Kong and Chinese governments, as well as ties and funding arrangements with overseas organizations deemed hostile to China. Executive Council convenor and former security chief Regina Ip, who presided over the failed attempt to introduce similar legislation in 2003, welcomed the move. "Article 23 legislation is a constitutional responsibility under the Basic Law," she told journalists. "There have been many criticisms [of this legislation] from the West, but they are extremely biased." "They have very strict national security regulations and are constantly revising them, so they are not qualified to criticize us," she said, promising that there would be plenty of time for lawmakers to scrutinize the bill. 'Patriotic' candidates only The current Legislative Council was elected under record low turnout following a change in electoral rules that allowed only "patriotic" candidates with a strong track record of supporting the Chinese Communist Party to stand, and mounts no effective political opposition to government policy. In his policy address, Lee quoted Beijing's top official in charge of Hong Kong, saying that "the root causes of chaos haven't yet been eliminated," warning that the authorities will remain on the lookout for "covert rebellions" and "soft resistance," vaguely defined concepts that will likely be used in the draft law. Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen said that while he doesn't oppose the bill, there are public concerns around it that should be listened to. "There are still quite a number of Hong Kongers feeling worried about Article 23 legislation," he said. "Their worry is whether it would affect everyday freedoms or the room for social participation." "Right now many citizens are still adjusting to the National Security Law," he said, warning of "political turmoil" if the process is rushed. Shih Wing-ching, chairperson of Hong Kong's Centaline Property Agency chain, said that while the Article 23 legislation was "inevitable," there are concerns over its impact on Hong Kong's reputation as a global financial center. "It would have been better if they'd passed it back in the Tung Chee-hwa era, it would have been better than having China impose the National Security Law on Hong Kong," he told RFA Cantonese. "It would have been more applicable to Hong Kong." "The approach Hong Kong takes towards national security affects its development ... the fact that they couldn't pass Article 23 legislation back then just turned it into a problem we as a society had to deal with later," he said. Obsessed with national security Pro-Beijing businessman Lew Mon-hung agreed, saying the addition of Article 23 legislation on top of the National Security Law makes the city appear obsessed with national security. "If there is a National Security Law and Article 23 legislation as well, it will indeed make the international community think Hong Kong is totally obsessed with talking about national security in every area, and that it isn't respecting the differences between the two systems [its own and that of mainland China]," Lew said. "Such narrowly leftist practices will only destroy Hong Kong," he said. Eric Lai, research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said global corporations would likely be affected by the new legislation. "The recent conviction and lengthy jail sentence of a Japanese national on espionage charges shows how overseas companies in the mainland are vulnerable to national security imperatives," Lai wrote in a Jan. 6 commentary for the East Asia Forum website. "The Hong Kong government's commitment to incorporating anti-espionage offenses in the new bill may prompt foreign businesses to draw parallels with the mainland's history of targeting foreign business groups," Lai wrote, adding that religious organizations could also be affected. "Article 23 of the Basic Law does not clearly define offenses related to establishing ties between local political groups and foreign political organizations," Lai warned, adding that there is considerable room for government interpretation. Translated with additional reporting 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Experts denounce trips to Xinjiang as 'genocide tourism' Beijing touts the region's 'open door' policy in the run-up to a human rights review. By Gulchehra Hoja for RFA Uyghur 2024.01.12 -- The Chinese government has thrown open the door for tourists to Xinjiang. Or at least those it deems worthy of an invite. While officials previously let in diplomats, journalists and those considered "friends of China," they are now presenting the restive far-western region as a tourist destination of sorts in a bid to remove some of the tarnish from China's image as a human rights violator in the far-western region in the eyes of the international community. Nearly 400 delegations and groups consisting of more than 4,300 people from various countries and international organizations visited the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in 2023, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on Jan. 5. Visitors included government officials, diplomats, religious figures, experts, scholars, and journalists as well as ordinary travelers, he said. Unlike travel in the rest of China, however, visits remain by invitation only and visitors are led on government-sponsored tours. These include trips to mosques and heritage sites "to see how Xinjiang's traditional culture is protected," Wang said. "They went to local factories, businesses and farms to learn about Xinjiang's production and development, and visited ordinary households where they saw the happy life of people of various ethnic groups." "Seeing is believing," he said. "People are not blind to the truth. For certain countries, they are comfortable telling lies about genocide and forced labor in Xinjiang.... Xinjiang will keep its door open to the world." The move comes as China gets ready for its fourth Universal Periodic Review, or UPR a a Human Rights Council mechanism that calls for each U.N. member state to undergo a peer review of its human rights records every 4.5 years. The review is scheduled to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan. 23. Authorities have tightly controlled who enters Xinjiang, where harsh repression of Uyghurs and other Muslims in recent years has amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity, according to the United States, the United Nations, the parliaments of other Western countries and human rights groups. Authorities in Xinjiang have detained an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, destroyed thousands of mosques and banned the Uyghur language in schools and government offices. China has said that the "re-education camps" have been closed and has denied any policy to erase Uyghur culture. A recent CBS documentary on China's "rebranding" effort shows surveillance cameras and facial recognition devices monitoring Uyghurs. The name of the ancient town of Kashgar appears in Chinese as "Kashi" on signs and billboards, while the 15th-century Id Kah Mosque a closed to local Muslims since 2016 a has been transformed into a tourist attraction. Through the scripted travel junkets, the Chinese government is spreading a narrative that Uyghurs live happy lives to cover up Beijing's severe human rights violations in Xinjiang, experts on the region said. Foreign visitors, in turn, have perpetuated the narrative through photos and posts on their social media accounts. Criticism from rights groups The dissemination of propaganda and China's efforts to enhance the image of Xinjiang have sparked criticism from human rights groups. Claudia Bennett, a legal and program officer at Human Rights Foundation, said the orchestrated visits conceal the harsh realities of forced family separations, arbitrary detentions of millions in concentration or forced labor camps, and thousands of Uyghurs living in exile and forcibly rendered stateless. "In a strategic effort to legitimize its colonization of the Uyghur region, the Chinese Communist Party carefully organizes propagandist visits for diplomats, journalists and religious scholars," she told Radio Free Asia. "These tours are designed to whitewash the CCP's gross human rights violations." The U.S.-based Uyghur Human Rights Foundation, or UHRP, called the visits "genocide tourism" in a report issued last Aug. 30, saying that they help China conceal genocide and crimes against humanity occurring in Xinjiang. Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, took the criticism of the junkets a step further. "Collaborating with China's propaganda equates to complicity in genocide - a grave crime," he said. "Humanity will not forget, and the Uyghur nation will not forget. Those involved will be held accountable before history." Travel and excursion propaganda to portray life in Xinjiang as normal is part of "Beijing's current strategy," explained Adrian Zenz, an expert on China's policies in Xinjiang. "They are showing Uyghurs and Uyghur culture, but not real and free people or culture, but a hollowed out version, a mummified version, like a CCP museum," said Zenz, director of China studies at the U.S.-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. With the U.N.'s UPR session on the horizon, there can be little doubt that Beijing is touting the visits as a way to counter criticism of its policies in Xinjiang, said Sophie Richardson, former China director at Human Rights Watch. The main problem with the UPR, however, is that there are no penalties for failing to comply or to correct abuses, Richardson added. "Beijing has proven just how easy it is to manipulate the process to keep independent civil society, both inside and outside China, out of the process ... and to submit a national report that is breathtakingly dishonest in its claims to upholding human rights." Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Abby Seiff. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Blinken Meets Top China Foreign Minister Candidate Before Taiwan Elections By Nike Ching January 12, 2024 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with veteran Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao on Friday morning, a day before Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections a a test for efforts to stabilize tensions between the United States and China. Washington has cautioned Beijing against using the elections as a pretext for instability in the Taiwan Strait. In keeping with a long-standing precedent, the United States is sending a bipartisan delegation to Taiwan after the election. The U.S. delegation includes members of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus; Laura Rosenberger, who chairs the American Institute in Taiwan; and former officials who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Direct message Liu, who heads the Chinese Communist Party's International Liaison Department, is the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit the United States since U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit south of San Francisco on November 15. A source familiar with the meeting said that in diplomacy, it is crucial to convey messages directly to China on "the importance of peace and stability in the region ahead of the Taiwan elections, and in light of recent PRC provocations in the South China Sea." In a statement, the State Department said Blinken "reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea." "The two sides had a constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues, including areas of potential cooperation and areas of difference," said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. "The secretary emphasized the importance of resolving the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China and raised U.S. concerns about PRC human rights abuses," Miller said in a statement late Friday. The sending of the U.S. delegation to Taipei after the elections is perceived as an effort to preempt a strong reaction from Beijing. A Chinese spokesperson repeated Beijing's assertion on Friday that Taiwan's elections are China's internal affairs, and that China opposes any form of official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan. China claims sovereignty over the self-ruled democracy. The U.S. acknowledges but has never endorsed Beijing's position. The winner of Taiwan's presidential election will be inaugurated on May 20. The transition period in the coming months is seen as sensitive in cross-strait relations. Liu is seen as a leading contender to be China's next foreign minister, according to some media reports and analysts. It is unusual for the minister of the International Liaison Department, a unit under the Communist Party's Central Committee, to visit the United States, according to Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund. "The most likely explanation for this visit, and the reason that he is being received by Blinken, is that Liu is likely to be China's next foreign minister. The visit provides an opportunity for the U.S. to take his measure in advance of his formal appointment, likely at the upcoming National People's Congress" in early March, Glaser told VOA. In a blog post by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS, Liu was described as China's "shadow foreign minister." "China still has the same leader, Xi Jinping, whose overall views and vision have not changed. Shifts in other personnel or a more engaging tone may not make a huge difference in the content of China's foreign policy," said the CSIS blog. Senior U.S. officials attending Friday's meeting include the State Department's top diplomat on East Asian and Pacific affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink, and its China coordinator, Mark Lambert. World Economic Forum Communication between the world's two largest economies will continue after Taiwan's elections, as senior U.S. and Chinese officials are to attend next week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Blinken and Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the annual economic meetings at the Swiss mountain resort. Blinken's talks with Chinese officials are described as efforts to maintain open lines of communication, responsibly manage differences between the two nations and address various issues. These include global and regional security concerns, such as Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. According to some estimates, about half of all global trade flows through the Taiwan Strait, and its stability is critical to the global economy. VOA's Cindy Saine contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US imposes sanctions over North Korean missiles to Russia 'We will not hesitate to take further actions,' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.01.12 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on three entities and one individual involved in the transfer and testing of ballistic missiles from North Korea to Russia for use in the invasion of Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday the U.S. "continues to closely monitor" the relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow and the possibility of further transfers occurring. The "transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia supports Russia's war of aggression, increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and undermines the global nonproliferation regime," Blinken said. "We will not hesitate to take further actions," he added. The White House has accused Russia of firing North Korean-made missiles into Ukraine on both Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, with transfers of weapons believed to have taken place since at least November. Sanctions The sanctioned entities include 224th Flight Unit State Airlines, "a state-owned enterprise that was spun off from Russia's Air Force to provide commercial air cargo transport services." The company is accused of transfering the cargo of missiles in November. Vladimir Vladimirovich Mikheychik, the general-director of 224th Flight Unit State Airlines, has also had sanctions imposed against him. The other two entities are the Vladimirovka Advanced Weapons and Research Complex and the Ashuluk Firing Range, which is used for missile test launches. Both were used for the recent transfer and testing of missiles from North Korea, the State Department says. Aircraft operated by 224th Flight Unit State Airlines and a series of cryptocurrency wallets were also blacklisted by the United States. The sanctions mean that U.S. companies and individuals are banned from doing business with those targeted, and any property or funds controlled by U.S. companies must be frozen and reported to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. On Tuesday, the United States also issued a joint statement with nearly 50 other countries condemning the transfer of missiles. "We are deeply concerned about the security implications that this cooperation has in Europe, on the Korean Peninsula, across the Indo-Pacific region, and around the world," the statement said. "Our governments stand together in resolute opposition to arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia," it said, using an acronym for the formal title of the North Korean regime. Copyright 1998-2016, 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release on developments following the terrorist attack in Iran on January 3 11 January 2024 17:11 18-11-01-2024 Russia was among the first countries to condemn in the strongest terms the barbaric terrorist attack committed in Kerman on January 3. On the very same day, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolences to Supreme Leader of Iran Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei and President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi. During his telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on January 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed his condolences following the mass killing of civilians. Moscow has reaffirmed its commitment to continue closely coordinating with Tehran to counter international terrorism in all its forms. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's navy seizes U.S. oil tanker in Sea of Oman People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:13, January 12, 2024 TEHRAN, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran's navy reported Thursday the seizure of an American oil tanker in the Sea of Oman, citing retaliation for the U.S. "stealing" of Iran's oil in April 2023, according to a statement published on the Iranian army's public relations website. The statement said the navy took control of the "St Nikolas" tanker on Thursday following a judicial order and confirmation from Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization. The vessel, previously named "Suez Rajan," had "stolen" an Iranian oil cargo under U.S. guidance last year, the statement said, adding that the Iranian oil was then transferred to U.S. ports and handed over to the United States. The "St Nikolas" tanker was carrying oil in the Sea of Oman on Thursday morning when it was seized by Iran's navy as a response to the alleged U.S. actions, the statement added. The seized oil tanker is being transferred to Iranian ports for subsequent handover to judicial authorities, the navy said. Media reports, citing Ambrey, a British maritime security firm, said the oil tanker was identified as the Marshall Islands-flagged "St Nikolas" and was "boarded by armed intruders as it sailed close to the Omani port city of Sohar," noting that its automatic identification system was turned off when "heading toward the Iranian port of Bandar-e-Jask." In a post on the social media platform X, TankerTrackers, a platform that tracks the crude oil trade, said, "The tanker which the Iranians have boarded today in the Gulf of Oman is the St Nikolas (9524475), carrying Iraqi oil." It confirmed that the ship, formerly known as "Suez Rajan," once "was seized by the U.S. government for having transported a million barrels of Iranian oil in connection to a U.S. company." Ambrey also confirmed that the tanker was previously prosecuted and fined for carrying "sanctioned Iranian oil" in a U.S. sanction operation. The U.S. Justice Department admitted last September that it seized a tanker loaded with Iranian oil in April 2023, identifying it as "Suez Rajan," a Greek-managed tanker that carried 980,000 barrels of crude oil. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address East Coast to see wintry mix and high winds throughout the weekend Another significant winter storm tracking through Eastern Canada will march its way through the Maritimes and Newfoundland this weekend, bringing conditions that will certainly impede travel and possibly power. Weve seen a ton of these lows this winter season and this one isnt different. DONT MISS: The one car accessory you shouldnt go without this winter A second storm in recent days, it will generate a similar forecast as Wednesday's system, but with lower wind gusts and less moisture. ATL Rainfall Totals Jan 13 2024 MUST SEE: Staying safe during a power outage: Infographic Ice pellets and freezing rain will give way to rainfall late Saturday evening and overnight for most areas. By Sunday, the risk of freezing rain increases across Newfoundland with colder surface temperatures in place. ATL Snow Jan 13 2024 Cold air locked across far northern New Brunswick will allow for almost all snow to fall there, while rain will likely wash away any snow that accumulates in the southern two-thirds of New Brunswick and most of Nova Scotia. The heaviest rain is expected in southern Nova Scotia where 20-30+mm is expected. Beware the likelihood of gusty winds as this low-pressure system sweeps the region through the latter half of Saturday. ATL Wind Gusts Wind gusts are expected in the 70-90 km/h range, peaking Saturday evening as the front passes. Expect some local power outages with this event. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued storm surge warnings for coastal areas of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick. Winds will peak on Saturday evening with gusts pushing into the 70-90 km/h range, especially near the southern coasts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Localized power outages are possible. Thumbnail courtesy of Getty Images. Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on this storm across Atlantic Canada. WATCH: Will you see ice or snow? The factors behind different types of precipitation Click here to view the video China mediates formal ceasefire deal between Myanmar military and armed groups Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 12, 2024 09:36 PM Under China's meditation and facilitation efforts, a formal ceasefire agreement has been reached between the Myanmar military and three ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, namely the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, and the Arakan Army, after the two sides held peace talks in the city of Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan Province from Wednesday to Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. According to spokesperson Mao Ning, the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire to end the war, a military disengagement, and the solving of relevant disputes and demands through peaceful negotiations. They also promised not to harm Chinese border residents and Chinese nationals involved in projects in Myanmar. "Maintaining the momentum of the ceasefire and peace talks in northern Myanmar is in the interests of all parties in Myanmar, and also helps to maintain peace and stability in the border areas between China and Myanmar," Mao said, expressing the wish that the relevant parties can truly implement the ceasefire deal and China's willingness to provide support and assistance to the best of its ability for northern Myanmar's peace progress. China has maintained close communication with Myanmar over the situation in northern Myanmar and has helped mediate several rounds of peace talks. From January 4 to 6, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong visited Myanmar. Sun met with Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing and held consultations with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Myanmar U Lwin Oo, stressing China's commitment to continuing to play a constructive role in supporting the peace process in northern Myanmar. On December 5, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong had a video call with Myanmar Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Yar Pyae. Earlier on January 3, an artillery shell crossed the border from Myanmar into a Chinese town in Yunnan Province, causing injuries to five Chinese people. China then lodged serious dAmarches to relevant parties and once again asked all parties in the conflict to reach an immediate ceasefire, vowing to take necessary measures to safeguard the lives and property of its nationals. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 20,000 displaced by conflict in two Myanmar townships since new year Civilians fled military raids and clashes between junta troops and ethnic rebels. By RFA Burmese 2024.01.12 -- More than 10,000 civilians have fled military raids on Kanbalu township in Myanmar's Sagaing region in recent days, while fighting between junta troops and ethnic rebels has displaced another 10,000 from Chin state's Paletwa township since the new year, sources said Friday. The evacuations are the latest by residents of rural Myanmar caught in the crossfire of widespread conflict that has engulfed the country since the military's Feb. 1, 2021, coup d'etat. On Thursday, junta troops raided and burned the Kanbalu villages of Tha Yet Kone, Koe Myo and Taunt Te Kone, before moving to nearby Min Kone village on Friday and setting several homes on fire, residents told RFA Burmese. An official with the People's Administration Committee in Kanbalu township, located around 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of the city of Mandalay, said that troops had torched 31 houses in Tha Yet Kone, but was unclear about the situation in the other villages, as military units remained in the area. "This morning, smoke was still rising from the burning villages," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. "It is the harvest season, and the farmers had to leave their crops. The rice was also set on fire. We had to take carts and cattle and run away from the area with whatever we could grab." The official noted that on Wednesday, Kanbalu township's anti-junta People's Defense Force, or PDF, paramilitaries attacked Tin Ngoke Gyi village, where members of the military-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia were based, and seized some weapons. Residents said that on Thursday morning, a 120-strong column of junta troops and Py Saw Htee fighters carried out raids on the villages near Tin Ngoke Gyi. Beginning that same morning, junta troops from the No. 6006 Armored Battalion marched to reinforce the military and Pyu Saw Htee column in Tin Ngoke Gyi, causing more than 10,000 residents from 11 villages in Kanbalu to flee their homes in fear, the official from the township's People's Administrative Committee said. When asked about the raids in Kanbalu, Sai Naing Naing Kyaw, the junta's ethnic affairs minister for Sagaing region, told RFA that he could not provide details about the situation. Clashes displace residents Meanwhile, clashes between the military and ethnic Rakhine rebels known as the Arakan Army, or AA, have forced more than 10,000 residents of Chin state's Paletwa to flee their homes since early January, according to Salai Myo Htike, an official with the Paletwa Autonomous District Council. The clashes are taking place in and around the seat of the township, while the military has carried out airstrikes in the area, he said in an interview on Friday, adding that details of the fighting were unavailable as telecommunications had been cut. "Phone service is no longer available in Paletwa," he said. "Military aircraft have been bombing the area and I know that houses have been burned down, but I don't know the details. There are some people left in the town, but we've had to flee and can't get in contact with them." Aid workers told RFA that there is an urgent need for food and medicine for the displaced. Attempts by RFA to reach Aung Cho, the junta secretary of Chin state, for comment on the matter went unanswered Friday. Between the coup and December 2023, more than 100,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Chin state to other parts of Myanmar or across the border to surrounding countries, the Institute of Chin Affairs recently told RFA. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on Wednesday that there have been more than 2.5 million people displaced by conflict across Myanmar since the military takeover three years ago. Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-junta official says Shan state ceasefire is 'not sustainable' Chinese pressure forces resistance groups and regime representatives to put fighting on hold. By RFA Burmese 2024.01.12 -- Junta officials and a resistance alliance agreed to a temporary ceasefire during talks in China, a person attending the meeting told Radio Free Asia on Friday morning. The Three Brotherhood Alliance and regime representatives reached the decision during peace talks in China's Kunming on Thursday. The agreement was signed into effect at 10 p.m., the anonymous source said, asking RFA not to disclose his name because he was not authorized to talk to the media. As a result of the discussion, the allied Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and Ta'ang National Liberation Army agreed to cease capturing cities and military camps in northern Shan state. Junta officials agreed not to instigate aerial attacks and operate heavy weaponry. Representatives from all three of the resistance groups attended the meeting, said the anonymous source. Lt. Gen. Min Naing and five members from the military council also attended, he added, as well as China's special representative Deng Xin Jun. China's border with Myanmar would be re-opened after renegotiation among the three northern alliances, junta officials and China when the area is more stable, the meeting attendee said. The agreement did not specify a given length of time, a senior northern alliance official who attended the talks told RFA. This decision is a result of Chinese pressure and would not be sustainable in the long run, said an ex-military official, who asked RFA to protect his identity for safety reasons. "This ceasefire is due to pressure from China. China definitely put pressure on both sides, because Yunnan's industrial products are affected. Because of this, a ceasefire agreement was reached before the resolution was clear," he said. "This halt is a breather for the junta council. The Three Brotherhood Alliance also breathed a sigh of relief. And China also breathes a sigh of relief. But I want to say that this is not a long-term, stable situation." Junta regime spokesman Zaw Min Tun confirmed through junta controlled-state media that a ceasefire agreement was reached. "We will continue discussions, and will work to maintain the ceasefire," he said. "Myanmar and China will discuss the resumption of bilateral border trade." Consideration for China Neither party could deny it was a result of Chinese pressure, said Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a political and military analyst based in China. "There are pros and cons. Some say this could set back the Spring Revolution. I don't think so. As for the northern group, they still need to rest in order to prepare their armies in peace, and the ceasefire is temporary," she told RFA. "It's a good thing to stop temporarily and politically discuss. They also need to be free to discuss. There may be some consideration for what China wants [from the Three Brotherhood Alliance] when China intervenes." The shadow National Unity Government, or NUG - made up of former civilian leaders and other anti-junta activists - will continue efforts elsewhere in the country to end the military dictatorship in collaboration with other resistance forces, NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said. "Fighting might be halted in a specific area due to certain reasons, but no place will be peaceful under the military regime," he said. Later on Friday, the Three Brotherhood Alliance issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to ending the junta's rule. "Significant progress made," the alliance said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "But achieving our complete goal needs more time and ongoing efforts. Our dedication remains strong with the entire Myanmar population." Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning voiced Beijing's support for the ceasefire at a regular news conference Friday. "China hopes the relevant parties in Myanmar can conscientiously implement the agreement, exercise maximum restraint toward each other and solve the issues through dialogue and consultations," she said, adding that the ceasefire was also in China's interests. "The two sides promised not to undermine the safety of Chinese people living in the border area and Chinese projects and personnel in Myanmar," she said. 'Cannot be fully trusted' A previously reported cease-fire was not honored by either side. Ko Sai, a resident of The Baw township, told RFA that artillery shelling could be heard in Lashio and The Baw Thursday night and Friday morning. "They need to keep their promise," he said, referring to the ceasefire signatories. "I have a positive view on these agreements, although it cannot be fully trusted." The result of this week's discussion is only for northern Shan state and would not apply to Rakhine state, added the meeting attendee. The Arakan Army's attacks have also impacted Chinese development projects in Rakhine. On Monday morning, the Arakan Army launched an offensive on a junta naval base in a Chinese special economic zone. Since Operation 1027 launched on Oct. 27, 2023, 15 out of 22 townships in northern Shan state have been occupied by northern resistance groups, according to data compiled by RFA. Combined troops from the Karenni National Defense Force, the People's Liberation Army and the Bamar People's Liberation Army have captured six cities across Shan state, including Chinshwehaw, Kunlong and Hsenwi. The United Wa State Army has since captured Hopang and Pan Lon cities. The Ta'ang Liberation Army also seized Namhsan and Manton, in addition to other cities in Ta'ang Self-Administered Zone, including Namhkam, Mongngawt and Namtu cities. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn, Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. This story has been updated to add comments from the junta's spokesman and a statement from the Three Brotherhood Alliance. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Laos concerned over scam ring influx amid China's Myanmar crackdown Fears rise over Myanmar-based scam groups relocating to Laos during crackdown, says source. By RFA Staff 2024.01.12 -- There has been growing concern in Laos over the potential influx and increase of scam operations pushed away from Myanmar amid the Chinese crackdown, according to a Vientiane-based diplomatic source on Friday. In recent months, China has intensified a crackdown on online scams operated by criminal syndicates in border areas of military-ruled Myanmar. Operation 1027 in Myanmar's northern Shan State, launched in October by anti-junta groups, has also advanced China's quest to eradicate forced labor scam compounds on its border. As of late November, authorities in Myanmar had handed over 31,000 suspects to China since authorities from both nations began a crackdown on online scams in September, according to China's Ministry of Public Security. The majority of those suspects were handed back after Operation 1027. However, such developments have become an unexpected headache for a neighboring nation, Laos. "There have been growing concerns that many of these scam groups might opt to relocate their operations to Laos, especially to its Golden Triangle area," the source who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons told Radio Free Asia. "Embassies are monitoring the situation closely to protect their own citizens." South Korea was among the first to take action. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that it has decided to impose a travel ban, or the level 4 alert, for the Lao Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) from Feb. 1. Authorities have decided to introduce a travel ban for the zone located in the northwestern province of Bokeo, Laos, due to the continued increase in criminal activities targeting South Korean nationals, according to the ministry. South Koreans must obtain a special passport-use permit from the government if they wish to stay in areas under level 4 alert, the highest level of the government's travel warning system. Those who remain in the country without permission will be charged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with violating the passport law and face criminal penalties. Initially lured by job ads for roles like Korean language interpretation and cryptocurrency sales, South Korean job seekers are forced into illegal activities such as voice phishing, investment scams, romance scams, and sex trafficking. Employers compound the abuse by confiscating passports for "visa processing," and then demanding payment for travel and living expenses. The victims also suffer from detention and assault, the ministry noted. In December, the Lao authorities deported 462 Chinese nationals for offenses including human trafficking from the Golden Triangle SEZ. This follows a previous action in mid-September, where 164 Chinese nationals, including 46 arrested in the Bokeo Special Economic Zone - another region operated by a Chinese tycoon sanctioned by the U.S. for human trafficking - were sent back to China. Lao residents, while appreciative of the efforts made by authorities, have pointed out that effectively eliminating scamming networks requires a joint approach. They suggest that collaboration between domestic and international security forces across the region is essential, rather than relying solely on the actions of individual countries. Yos Santasombat, a professor of social studies at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, told RFA in December that as criminal activity goes largely unchecked within the SEZs in Bokeo province, gangs are expanding their existing operations and adding new services. "I went to the Golden Triangle SEZ two months ago and I noticed that the place was huge and expanding," he said at that time. "[As it grows] it might attract other businesses besides gambling and tourism, such as money laundering." Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Additional Foreign Secretary (Middle East) meets with Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Additional Foreign Secretary (Middle East) Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, who is currently on a visit to Egypt, held a meeting yesterday with Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia, Ahmed Shaheen. Pakistan's Ambassador to Egypt, Ambassador Sajid Bilal, was also present in the meeting. The two sides reviewed the broad range of bilateral relations including political, trade and investment ties. They also discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations including by convening the next round of Joint Ministerial Commission meeting and Annual Bilateral Consultations later this year in Islamabad. Additional Foreign Secretary and the Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia appreciated the successful holding of the Fourth Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference and Single Country Exhibition held in Cairo from 9 to 11 January 2024, which coincided with the 75th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Egypt. They agreed to continue to engage further and work together to advance mutually beneficial cooperation and dialogue between the two countries. Islamabad 12 January 2024 12/2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Surging Militancy Prompts Pakistan to Review Support for Afghanistan's Taliban By Ayaz Gul January 12, 2024 Officials in Pakistan have cautioned that relentless cross-border militancy is testing bilateral relations with Afghanistan's Taliban and could eventually push Islamabad to scale back support for the de facto Kabul rulers. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces, both lining Pakistan's 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) border with Afghanistan, have experienced almost daily attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021, killing hundreds of Pakistani security forces and civilians. The violence is mostly being carried out or claimed by the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The group, listed as a global terrorist organization, is believed to be operating out of Afghan sanctuaries, allegedly with the support of Taliban authorities. Both countries have recently held repeated formal talks to discuss the issue, with the latest engagement occurring in early January when Islamabad hosted a high-powered Taliban delegation. But neither side has reported any breakthrough, nor has the diplomatic effort brought about a reduction in TTP-led extremist violence. "Don't expect immediate results; it's a process with pitfalls. However, continuous interaction can help galvanize the process," a senior Pakistani diplomat told VOA, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to interact publicly with the media. Already-troubled relationship The official said that Pakistan's stepped-up diplomatic engagement with the Taliban stems from concerns the TTP could be planning to intensify violence in the upcoming spring and target national elections scheduled for next month. He warned that the increase in violence could deal a critical blow to an already-troubled relationship between the two countries. "That could certainly be a turning point, and the government of Pakistan may also run second thoughts about maintaining their support level with the Taliban," the official cautioned. The United States this week repeated its concerns about an uptick in TTP attacks against Pakistani security forces from the group's bases in Afghanistan, saying the violence has led to a deterioration in bilateral ties. "The relationship between Pakistan and the Taliban at the moment is not good. ... This security issue is dominating the Taliban's relationship with Pakistan," Thomas West, the U.S. special Afghan envoy, told a congressional hearing Thursday while discussing the growing TTP threat to regional stability. "I am very worried about that group. I spoke about it with Pakistani leaders when I visited last month. For regional stability and our own interests and Pakistan's stability, we should hope for concerted efforts to eliminate that group inside Afghanistan," West said. Visit by prominent Pakistani leader A prominent Pakistani religious party leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is known for his traditionally close ties with the Taliban, traveled to Afghanistan this week and held meetings with the leaders of the de facto authorities. He reportedly discussed the TTP, among other issues facing the two countries. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had confirmed in the run-up to the visit that Kabul had officially invited Rehman to promote better ties between the two countries. Multiple sources confirmed to VOA that Rehman also met with reclusive Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in his southern Kandahar headquarters, although neither side commented on the reported meeting. The Pakistani cleric also reportedly met with TTP leaders at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. The host Taliban government reportedly arranged the meeting, but neither side confirmed that this happened. However, Islamabad distanced itself from Rehman's nearly weeklong trip, saying he traveled in "his individual capacity" and not "as an emissary of the government of Pakistan." No peace talks On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in Islamabad that her government had no intention to engage in peace talks with the TTP. "Our demands from the Afghan authorities haven't changed; they remain the same, which is that the Afghan authorities should take action, effective action, against terrorist elements inside Afghanistan, including TTP leadership," she said. Kabul hosted and mediated talks between Pakistan and the TTP in mid-2022, but the group withdrew from the process later that year and has since renewed its attacks, killing hundreds of security forces and civilians last year alone. Pakistani officials allege Afghan Taliban members also facilitated and joined the TTP in some of the attacks. Taliban authorities reject the charges, advising Pakistan against externalizing its "internal security problems." The violence has also led to a government crackdown on undocumented Afghans in Pakistan, forcing more than half a million to return to their home country in the past few months and straining bilateral relations. No foreign country has recognized the Taliban government in Kabul, but Pakistan is among several neighboring countries, including China and Russia, that have informally maintained ties with Afghanistan's de facto authorities. The landlocked nation has traditionally relied on Pakistani land routes and seaports to conduct bilateral and international trade. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Defence Minister inspects fulfilment of state defence order in Moscow region 12.01.2024 Russian Defence Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu inspects the fulfilment of state defence orders at the Tactical Missiles Corporation in Moscow region. The Russian Defence Minister inspected the production facilities and assembly process of high-precision ammunition. Director General of Tactical Missiles Corporation Boris Obnosov reported to General of the Army Sergei Shoigu that the enterprise has fully completed the state defence order for 2023, and since the beginning of the special military operation, the output of high-precision ammunition has been increased five times for some of the most demanded nomenclatures of products. Boris Obnosov stressed that this became possible due to the expansion and modernisation of production, an increase in the number of personnel, an increase in labour productivity and the transition to a 24/7 work schedule. The head of one of the subdivisions of the enterprise Dmitry Kovalev told the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation that due to an increase in labour productivity by 40% and the transition to a 12-hour work shift, the production output at the site headed by him was increased by three times. 'Everything needed is available. All the necessary preparations have been made. Therefore, there are no doubts,' Dmitry Kovalev reported. 'It's the times, we have to work that way. Thank you,' Sergei Shoigu answered. The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation was presented with the latest samples of high-precision ammunition launched into mass production in 2023, as well as promising ammunition. After the inspection, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu held a working meeting with the participation of the enterprise's management and relevant military authorities. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that 'guided planning and correction modules for equipping free-falling 250, 500 and 1,500 kg aerial bombs have successfully proven themselves during the special military operation.' 'The system of unified high-precision jamming-resistant ammunition is in the final stage of testing. In addition, the corporation solved the problems of improving the accuracy and jamming resistance of ammunition, organised the mass production of guided planning and correction modules, guided modular glide bombs and control units for missiles,' General of the Army Sergei Shoigu said. The Head of the Russian military department set the task not only to increase production, but also to modernise the high-precision ammunition, that is, to transfer a separate line of ammunition from the category of ordinary ammunition, which the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have in sufficient quantity to the category of high-precision ammunition, Shoigu stressed. 'There is a successful experience and there are good results. This work needs to be developed. Nowadays, the main combat work is carried out not on squares, but on specific targets,' the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation stressed. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan election: Balancing economic hopes and China relations Keeping the status quo is seen as safest option, regardless of Saturday's election outcome, experts say. By Elaine Chan for RFA 2024.01.11 -- For 40-year-old Taiwanese driver Hsiao Min-yu, Saturday's presidential election is about picking a leader who can improve his economic prospects. Like others in his community, Hsiao has struggled with stagnant salaries and rising costs of living over the past few years. He hopes the next president can boost the economy so that his financial stress is lessened. "We see the elections as a change of dynasties, the change of a government that can improve our livelihoods," said Hsiao. "The past few years have been difficult, salaries haven't increased but prices soared. If the economy improves, our stress from work may lessen." Hsiao's concerns about Taiwan's economic rebound are mirrored in key statistics, highlighting issues many voters face since the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, Taiwan's statistics bureau reported a reduction in the island's 2023 GDP growth forecast to just 1.42%, the lowest since the 2008 global financial crisis. Furthermore, Taiwan is grappling with high housing prices, ranked among the highest globally, while its wage levels were among the lowest compared to other developed economies, according to March figures. Yet while Taiwanese voters are focused on bread-and-butter issues, the election is being viewed internationally as a test of Taiwan's political relations with China. The two leading candidates have staked out positions that foreign observers see as either promoting confrontation or peace with Beijing. Relations with China have also soured under the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, hurting cross-strait trade, and the DPP candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, is now trying to project himself as the continuity candidate who will ensure stability going forward. However, the differences between the DPP, the opposition Kuomintang, or KMT, and the upstart Taiwan People's Party, or TPP, may not be as stark as commonly portrayed, especially on the defining issue of relations with China. All recognize the Taiwanese public prefers maintaining the status quo for now. "The difference between the DPP, KMT, and TPP on relations with China is actually not as large today as we are given to believe," said Joseph Liow, professor of comparative and international politics at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. "While DPP is portrayed - especially by the Chinese media - as pro-independence, I think they have restrained themselves in recent years. Even Lai Ching-te has not been very vocal on this issue, certainly less so than his previous incarnations," Liow added, noting that the KMT is very aware that its association with a pro-China stance has cost it politically, especially in 2020, in the wake of Hong Kong. "They too have shifted their narrative away from an explicit focus on China to a more ambiguous dichotomy of 'war and peace' so to speak," he said. While the TPP has positioned itself as "not KMT or DPP," he said it may not be a whole lot more different when it comes to cross-strait relations. "Underlying the position of these three parties is the simple reality that the electorate by and large prefer the status quo. Their respective positions are variations of the status quo. But that means it is shades of gray and not black or white." Maintaining the status quo is considered the safest approach regardless of the outcome of Saturday's election. Despite Beijing's ongoing threats to use force to reclaim Taiwan, there's little belief in an immediate invasion by China, according to experts who spoke to Radio Free Asia. The conditions are prevalent: China's economic and military might, Taiwan's fight to preserve its freedom and identity, and turbulent relations between the United States and China, as well as Washington's pledge to safeguard Taiwan's interests. Japan, South Korea Taiwan's strengthening ties with the U.S. is similarly playing out with its former ruler Japan. Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso warned this week that China's 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. "If Japan was to move further to treat Taiwan as an independent country and a military ally that would certainly provoke China in a way that would be catastrophic for Taiwan and Japan," said Koichi Nakano, a politics professor at Tokyo-based Sophia University. He added retired Japanese self-defense force personnel are already frequently invited to Taiwan by the DPP, as are senior politicians. "The only thing that has not been done yet is direct military-to-military contact between serving officers, and that would be a clear red flag for China." From Japan's perspective, it is one thing for the Japanese that their former colony remains friendly, Nakano said, but it is another as to whether they are ready to fight a war for the first time in close to 80 years. "The rightwing politicians in Japan are fond of making use of a possible Taiwan contingency as they seek to remilitarize Japan, but as a war with China gets more and more real, they will have to find a way to backpedal or face serious popular opposition. Few in Taiwan want a war with China. Is it surprising that even fewer Japanese want one over Taiwan?" The same goes for South Korea. If China were to start a war, the U.S. would naturally intervene, and South Korea, with its US military presence, would not be able to sit idly by, said Bumsig Ha, dean of Kaohsiung University's department of East Asian languages and literatures. "It is also important to remember that the U.S. does not want to see cross-strait relations deteriorate at this time. The U.S. is currently trying to resolve issues such as Ukraine and Israel. A war between China and Taiwan is a big risk for the U.S. to manage." Economic costs of a conflict According to Bloomberg Economics, a war would cost US$10 trillion, or 10% of global GDP. What's more, Taiwan's strategic importance is tied to its semiconductor industry, which makes the world's most advanced chips, led by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., whose customers are the biggest U.S. tech companies. "Taiwan's global significance largely lies in its role as a major semiconductor provider. Beyond that, its value in international relations is limited," said Kalim Chun, a professor at Hoseo University's Department of Innovation and Convergence, who teaches China politics, regional politics and Sino-South Korea relations. Chun added the island's complex relationship with China means that other nations might face significant losses if they choose to align with Taiwan. "After the election, Taiwan might attempt to connect with countries like South Korea and Japan to break out of its isolation. However, these countries may not be in a position to welcome Taiwan due to potential risks." For instance, he said it is unlikely that the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will include Taiwan as a member regardless of the result of the election. On the ground, geopolitics is intangible to most Taiwanese people who sit in the heart of it. Any common ground with the world's powers, according to Benjamin Ho, coordinator of the China programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University, is the extent to which developments in the geopolitical and geoeconomic spheres actually affect the practical issues, like job opportunities, ability to buy a property and the economy's performance. "Depending on which side one's bread is being buttered - some Taiwanese businessmen may be more pro-China because their businesses rely on China, while academics who cherish academic freedom may not be so enthusiastic - one would take different positions on these issues," Ho said. Additional reporting by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Edited by Taejun Kang 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPP heavyweights rally behind Lai-Hsiao ticket on eve of election day ROC Central News Agency 01/12/2024 11:34 PM New Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () and other Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leaders rallied in New Taipei on Friday evening to drum up support for the party's presidential candidate Lai Ching-te (), hours before Taiwanese head to the polls to choose the country's next leader. "In less than 24 hours, the people of Taiwan will once again make a decision" that will shape the future of the country, Tsai said of the presidential election slated for Saturday, urging the public "not to cast [their] ballots out of hatred, but to do so out of [their] love of country." Tsai, who cannot run again as she nears the end of her second term, outlined her administration's achievements over the past eight years, including pushing for defense reforms, legalizing same-sex marriage, promoting green energy, and expanding social welfare programs, among others. "We have also upheld our commitment to maintain the status quo [in the Taiwan Strait]," thus earning trust in and support for Taiwan from the international community, she told the event attended by roughly 200,000 people, according to figures provided by the DPP. "We should continue on this path," Tsai continued, as she called for support for Lai, who is also the incumbent vice president and DPP chairman, and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim (), saying the two would "be better" at leading the country than herself. "Taiwan cannot afford to take the wrong path and it cannot go backwards," she said, adding that while the DPP "is not perfect," it always learns from its mistakes and endeavors to make improvements. Meanwhile, former Premier Su Tseng-chang () seized the opportunity to attack Lai's main opponent Hou Yu-ih () of the Kuomintang (KMT), calling him "capricious." Hou has promptly distanced himself from former President Ma Ying-jeou () of the KMT, despite having previously referred to Ma as his "teacher" and pledged to continue his policy toward China, shortly after Ma drew controversy in an interview published earlier this week, Su said. Su was alluding to Ma's interview with Deutsche Welle (DW), during which Ma, when asked if he can trust Chinese leader Xi Jinping (), said "as far as cross-strait relations, you have to." Ma also said he did not think that Xi was pushing for Taiwan's unification with China, despite acknowledging it as Beijing's ultimate goal. Hou later called the former president's view "somewhat different" from his own. Su, who currently does not hold any official role, also slammed Hou, who is the incumbent New Taipei mayor, for endorsing plans to reactivate the mothballed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei's Gongliao District. Prior to entering the presidential race, Hou had strongly opposed any proposals to reactivate the power plant, Su said, while comparing the KMT candidate's fickleness with "flipping through pages." In his remarks, Lai pledged to "lead the country fearlessly forward" amid volatile international circumstances and the various challenges ahead. The country under the leadership of the DPP government is heading in the right direction, witnessing numerous successful reforms, Lai said, calling on supporters to keep the hard-won accomplishments intact and let his party continue working to bring about progress for Taiwan. "If elected president, I will continue [leading Taiwan] on the path of democracy and peace," Lai pledged, "I will stand with the world's free and democratic camp, and more importantly, I will always stand by the people of Taiwan." The DPP candidate made the most of his Friday. Shortly after canvassing in the streets of Taipei in a motorcade in the late afternoon, Lai headed south to Tainan -- a DPP stronghold and the starting point for his three-decade long political career -- for a rally. Lai then traveled back to the north again to attend the party's final rally in New Taipei ahead of the Jan. 13 elections. (By Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The basic fact that Taiwan is part of China will not change regardless of the elections result of the region: FM Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 12, 2024 10:34 PM The elections of the Taiwan region are China's internal affairs and regardless of the result, it will not change the basic fact that Taiwan is part of China and there is only one China in the world, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Friday. Mao's remarks came in response to a question about how the results of the regional leader election on the island of Taiwan, scheduled on Saturday, will affect the cross-Straits relations. During the press conference, a reporter also mentioned an anonymous official from the White House reportedly said that the US is committed to the one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence" and supports cross-Straits dialogue. Mao said that the one-China principle is a prevailing international consensus and the political foundation of the China-US relationship. "Taiwan independence" is the biggest threat to cross-Straits peace and stability and is doomed to failure. US leaders have repeatedly said that they are committed to the one-China policy, do not support "Taiwan independence," do not support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and do not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China, said Mao. We hope the US will honor these commitments, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, stop official interactions with Taiwan, stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and refrain from interfering in the elections of the Taiwan region in any form, the spokesperson said. If the US truly hopes to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it needs to explicitly oppose "Taiwan independence" and support China's peaceful reunification, said Mao. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trevor Bickford, 19, of Maine, is accused of attacking three NYPD police officers with a machete on New Years Eve near Times Square (Facebook) A man who carried out a knife attack on New Years Eve 2022 has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Trevor Bickford, who was 19 at the time, attacked three police officers with a machete just outside of New York Citys Times Square. No officers died in the attack, but all three were hospitalised for their injuries. Bickford who had travelled there from Maine was shot in the shoulder and taken into custody. According to court documents, Bickfords attack was intended as a jihadist mission. He had recently converted to Islam, and just months before the attack, he had begun consuming materials espousing radical Islamic ideology, including content related to the Taliban. Over the ensuing months, Bickford radicalized, devoting himself to violent Islamic extremism and waging jihad, the documents state. Bickford had previously suggested he was interested in committing an act of violence, telling family members he wanted to travel to Jordan or Afghanistan to be a suicide bomber. He also purchased a crossbow and regularly practiced shooting it. According to federal officials, Bickford had planned to die in the attack in an effort to achieve martyrdom, and therefore believed his attack was unsuccessful, because he did not kill any officers, and he did not die himself. Bickford targeted the iconic yearly celebration to carry out brazen acts of violence and hatred in the name of jihad, US Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York said in a statement . Bickford, as with countless others who have carried out acts of terrorism in support of misguided ideologies, is now going to spend lengthy time exactly where he deserves in federal prison. Bickford, who is now 20, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder of US government employees, as well as three counts of assault on US government employees, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. In all, he could face up to 120 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for 11 April. In court on Thursday, Bickford apologized for the attack, the New York Times reported. Since that day, he said he has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and now takes psychiatric medication. I know what I did was wrong, he said, and Im sorry. Update 205 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency 4/2024 Vienna, Austria 12 Jan 2024 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have not yet been given access to the reactor halls of units 1, 2 and 6, hindering their ability to monitor the nuclear safety and security situation at the plant, as well as the five concrete principles established at the United Nations Security Council, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. Following a successful rotation of IAEA experts yesterday - the fifteenth team of experts to arrive at the plant since the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the ZNPP (ISAMZ) was established in September 2022 - the new team repeated the request for access to the reactor hall of unit 6. The ZNPP did not give permission for that access today, stating that the reactor hall is "sealed". The ZNPP informed the team that it was not denying access and has instead proposed that the team access the area in about a week's time. In December 2023, the ISAMZ team was refused access to the reactor hall of units 1, 2 and 6 which was the first time that the IAEA experts have not been granted timely access to a reactor hall that was in cold shutdown. Until then, all ISAMZ teams had been able to access the reactor hall of any unit in cold shutdown, without the plant making any reference to the status of containment as being "sealed". "These restrictions on the experts' timely access to the ZNPP are impeding the IAEA's ability to assess the safety and security situation, including confirming the reported status of the reactor units, spent fuel ponds and associated safety equipment, independently and effectively," Director General Grossi said. Also, since 18 October last year, ISAMZ teams have been unable to access parts of the turbine hall of each unit. Most recently, access was again restricted at the turbine halls of units 1 and 2 on Wednesday, 10 January. "The nuclear safety and security situation remains very precarious, and I reiterate my request for unhindered access so that the IAEA can assess the Seven Pillars for nuclear safety and security and monitor adherence to the five concrete principles to help ensure nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP in order to prevent a nuclear accident and ensure the integrity of the plant," Director General Grossi added. The new team of IAEA experts will observe the ongoing maintenance situation at the ZNPP. Following observation of deposits of boric acid on the valves, a pump and on the floors of several of the safety system rooms of unit 6 on 22 December, the IAEA team conducted a follow-up walkdown on 9 January to assess the status. Borated water is used in the primary coolant to help maintain nuclear safety functions. Although leaks may occur, prompt investigation, repair, and clean-up are crucial to prevent further damage and avoid any impact on safety. During its walkdown, the team noted a significant reduction in boric acid deposits compared to the December 22 walkdown, with the leak also considerably diminished. However, some deposits persisted in three rooms of the unit 6 containment building, one at the same level and two showing significantly reduced levels. The team was informed that the cause of the leak was due to micro-cracks in the boron tank due to ageing, and a blockage in the leak detection pipe. Whilst the blockage has been repaired, some smaller leaks persist as a result of the micro-cracks in the boron tank. The ZNPP stated that the leak rate is currently within technical specifications, and that the micro-cracks can be repaired after draining the tank, which will be addressed during scheduled maintenance. The IAEA team will continue to monitor the situation. Additionally, this week the IAEA experts at the ZNPP accessed the pumping stations for units 3 and 4 and the main control rooms of units 1 to 6. All nine mobile diesel boilers installed at the plant were utilised during the past week to provide additional heating needs during winter. As the winter weather gets colder, IAEA experts reported that the ambient temperature at the ZNPP has dropped as low as -10AC in the mornings. The team reported that this fall in temperature had no impact on the operation of the 11 wells providing cooling water for the sprinkler ponds used for reactor cooling and other nuclear safety and security functions. The flow level of water remained constant. Five of the ZNPP's six reactors remain in cold shutdown, while unit 4 is in hot shutdown to produce steam and heat, including for the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most plant staff live. The new ISAMZ team continues to pay close attention to the staffing situation at the plant, in particular the staff operating in the main control rooms and those responsible for maintenance of critical safety infrastructure and processes. Today, the new team of experts conducted a walkdown of the site including the four new diesel boilers. They observed the new equipment and were informed that the installation has been completed and commissioning activities have commenced. These new diesel boilers are intended to generate steam to meet the ZNPP's needs. In daily reminders of the physical proximity of the conflict to the ZNPP, the IAEA experts there continue to hear loud explosions at varying distances to the plant. The IAEA teams at the Rivne, Khmelnitsky, South Ukraine nuclear power plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site continue to report that nuclear safety and security is maintained despite challenges related to the multiple missile attacks on Ukraine in the past week. The IAEA experts at the Khmelnitsky NPP were once again required to take shelter several times over the weekend of 6 and 7 January. The teams at the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs were also required to take shelter last Saturday. At the Chornobyl site, the team reported hearing explosions in the distance throughout the past week. Director General Grossi has reiterated that everything should be done to prevent a nuclear accident during this war. "It is essential that nuclear power plants and their related infrastructure are not impacted. No one would gain from a nuclear accident and it must be avoided," he said. Also this week, the IAEA delivered radiocommunication systems to the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs. The equipment was procured using funding from the United Kingdom. This was the 34th IAEA delivery of nuclear safety and security-related equipment to Ukraine that aims at ensuring diverse and reliable communication means are available at the sites when needed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Partners in the demining coalition for Ukraine met at the Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2024-01-12 International cooperation On January 11 partners in the Lithuanian-led Demining Coalition of Ukraine gathered at the Ministry of National Defence: representatives of the countries which joined the coalition or expressed interest to do so discussed coalition plans and work ahead with representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "This is the first work meeting of the coalition which we aimed to use for refining Ukraine's requirements in the area of mine clearance and the concrete contributions each coalition partner state could bring. It is a very welcome fact that besides Lithuania and Ukraine 19 other countries attended in person and 6 more joined digitally. It is a demonstration of the unity of intent between the coalition partners to not only respond to urgent needs but also to support development of demining capabilities for Ukraine in the long-term," says Defence Policy Director of the Ministry Of National Defence Dr Vaidotas Urbelis. The Lithuanian-led Demining Coalition of Ukraine is formed aiming to consolidate and coordinate the present and prospective donor assistance to Ukraine concerning demining. An assistance fund is established to further the coalition objectives, including acquisition of the technical means and equipment necessary to carry out demining in the territory of Ukraine. The Lithuanian-led coalition will assist Ukraine in both military and humanitarian mine clearance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sunak Walks Through Rubble In Kyiv, Pledges Support 'For As Long As It Takes' By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service January 12, 2024 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a surprise visit to Ukraine on January 12 to reassure Ukrainians of his country's support in their struggle to repel Russian invaders "for as long as it takes" and pledged an increase in military aid as Kyiv urgently appeals for its allies to beef up weapons deliveries amid a sharp rise in Russian air strikes. The British leader toured several bombed-out areas of the capital and spoke with Ukrainians amid the rubble before meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The two signed a key agreement on security cooperation. Sunak also pledged an increase in military aid for the embattled country, which has complained recently that it is running out of ammunition. "Our opponents around the world believe that we have neither the patience nor the resources for long wars," Sunak said. "Ukraine is not alone, and Ukraine will never be alone. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin might think that he can outlast us, but he is wrong. We stand with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes." Zelenskiy described the U.K.-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation, which follows on from an agreement by the Group of Seven nations to provide Ukraine with bilateral security assurances, as an "unprecedented security agreement." "I am in Ukraine to deliver a simple message. Our support cannot and will not falter," Sunak earlier wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in a message accompanied by a photo of himself among people in Kyiv. Ahead of arriving in Kyiv on January 12, Sunak announced an increase in military funding to $3.2 billion for Ukraine. In a statement, the British government pledged that some of the funds will be used for "the largest delivery of drones to Ukraine from any nation." "We will stand with Ukraine, in their darkest hours and in the better times to come," the statement said. Sunak first visited Ukraine in November soon after he became prime minister. Sunak, who first visited Ukraine in November soon after he became prime minister, was due to hold talks with Zelenskiy and other senior Ukrainian officials. Britain is the second-largest donor of military aid to Kyiv after the United State, with a total contribution of 4.6 billion pounds ($5.35 billion) in 2022 and last year. The British pledge to increase aid by $255 million from the previous year comes a day after Zelenskiy returned to Ukraine from a tour of the Baltics where he continued to push Western allies to boost funding for the war as it nears its two-year mark. Zelenskiy has pleaded with Ukraine's allies to keep supplying it with weapons amid signs of donor fatigue in some countries and as Russia turns to countries such as Iran and North Korea for munitions. On January 11 he said that the situation on the front line is "very complicated" and again said that Ukrainian forces lack weapons. He also said that after a March presidential election in Russia, which incumbent Vladimir Putin is expected to easily win, the Kremlin will likely undertake military action on a larger scale in Ukraine. Ukraine has been subjected to several massive waves of Russian missile and drone strikes since the start of the year that have caused civilian deaths and material damage. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-sunak-visit-uk- military-funding/32771365.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's address to the Ukrainian Parliament: 12 January 2024 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's speech at Ukraine's Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. 12 January 2024 Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of the Rada... I come from the world's oldest Parliament to address the world's bravest. And it is an honour to do so. Every Parliamentarian serving in a democratically elected chamber treasures the ideal of freedom. Your courage is defending it. Even as the enemy came within 20 kilometres of this Chamber... ...with many of you personally targeted... ...you refused to be daunted. You continued to sit and do your duty - as you have throughout this war. Because this is where you express the sovereignty and independence... ...for which your people are prepared to sacrifice everything. This is where you are keeping alive the cause of democracy... ...in defiance of the gravest threat we have faced this century. So on behalf of Britain and all your allies: Thank you. Slava Ukraini. President Zelensky, you are an inspiration, and, Volodymyr, I am proud to call you a friend. President John F Kennedy said of the great Winston Churchill that he: "Mobilised the English language and sent it into battle." Volodymyr, you have done the same... ...and English isn't even your first language! No leader this century has done more to unite liberal democracies in the defence of our values. Thank you. Above all, let me pay tribute to the people of Ukraine. I first came to Ukraine ten years ago, in the year of the Maidan protests. I remember the sense of nervous hope... ...as Ukraine looked towards a future as a sovereign European democracy. And in each of my visits since this war began... ...even amidst all the rubble and destruction... ...the people I've met are more determined than ever to realise that dream. The soldiers who even now fight to the last breath for every inch of ground. The pilots making stunning blows against Russia's Black Sea fleet. The gunners beating impossible odds to defend your skies. The engineers who defeated darkness during the most difficult winter in your history. And the ordinary people of Ukraine, who have endured... ...more than anyone should ever have to bear. Rockets and bombs deliberately aimed at homes and hospitals, shelters, and schools. Torture, rape, children kidnapped. You have met this depravity with bravery and defiance. With your unique, unbreakable Ukrainian spirit. And all of us in the free world, salute you. We meet today at a difficult moment in the struggle for Ukraine's freedom. As always during conflict, there will be difficult moments. But we must prepare for this to be a long war. But I believe there is hope for us in the echoes of Britain's own history. If 1940 was our finest hour... ....and Ukraine's was two years ago as you resisted the Russian invasion... ...then perhaps today is more like 1942. That was a point in the middle of the war... ...when progress on the battlefield was hard... ...the defence industry was under severe strain... ...and populations were becoming weary. It must have been hard to see the light ahead. But they stood firm. And although they did not know it then... ...for all the setbacks and difficulties that still lay before them... ...that was the moment the tide began to turn, and victory became assured. I believe that the same will be true of this moment. In the end, history tells us that democracies who endure will always prevail. Putin cannot understand... ...that while you can kill individuals and destroy buildings... ...no army can ever defeat the will of a free people. And that is why Ukraine will win. Think of what you have already achieved. Putin believed he could subjugate Ukraine by force in a matter of weeks. Instead, with every rocket he fires the Ukrainian people become ever more determined... ...and their sense of nationhood becomes stronger still. Russia's military vastly outnumbers Ukrainian forces. Yet you have already regained half of the occupied territory. You have held the East, reopened vital shipping lanes to help feed the world... ...and increasingly made Crimea a vulnerability for Russia, not a strength. These victories show: Russia can be beaten in its war of aggression. It's on track to lose nearly half a million men. Putin has faced an attempted coup... ...been indicted as an international war criminal... ... presides over an economy severely weakened by sanctions... ...and has succeeded in persuading countries across Europe... ...to significantly increase their defence spending. He is now reduced to begging Iran and North Korea for weapons... ...and desperately sacrificing hundreds of thousands more men... ...in the hope that Ukraine will yield, or its friends might walk away. Well, Ukraine will not yield. And the United Kingdom will never walk away. From the very beginning... ...the British people spontaneously flew the Ukrainian flag - and I tell you that it flies still. They felt moved to show solidarity with people they've never met... In a country most have never visited... Because of our shared faith in freedom, fairness and democracy. We welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open hearts. We trained tens of thousands of their Ukrainian comrades in arms. we led the way in delivering... Helicopters, ships, tanks, and armoured vehicles... Air defences and electronic weapons systems... Planeloads of anti-tank missiles like the NLAWs and Javelins... Storm Shadows to reach behind enemy lines and defend against aggression in the Black Sea. Humanitarian and economic support. And the strongest set of sanctions ever to debilitate Russia's economy. I'm proud that we've provided over A9bn of support so far. But I want to go further still. Today, President Zelensky and I agreed a new partnership between our two countries... ...designed to last a hundred years or more. Our partnership is about defence and security. It is about the unique ties between our people and cultures. It will build back a better and brighter future for Ukraine. To attract new investment in jobs and homes... To fund English language training for the Ukrainian people... ...as you make English the language of business and diplomacy. And it will hold Russia accountable for their war crimes. Because Russia must pay to rebuild what they have destroyed. Perhaps above all, it will support Ukraine to complete the historic journey you have chosen... ...to becoming a free, independent democracy at the heart of Europe. Ours is the unbreakable alliance: The nezlamni allianz. First, we will help you win the war. Russia thinks that they will outlast us; that our resolve is faltering. It is not. In each of the last two years, we sent you A2.3bn of military aid. This year, we are going to increase that... ...with the biggest single defence package so far... ...worth A2.5bn. This package will include: More air defence equipment, more anti-tank weapons, more long-range missiles... Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells... And training for thousands more soldiers... Now in total, the UK will have provided almost A12bn of aid to Ukraine. So be in no doubt: We are not walking away. Putin will never outlast us. We are here for Ukraine -as long as it takes. But the best way to make sure Ukraine has the weapons it needs... ...is to help Ukraine to produce those weapons themselves. So our second action is to work with you to massively increase defence industrial production. I believe this will be a source of huge economic strength and value for Ukraine in the future. So even as the UK donates more equipment... ...we will help make you the armoury of the free world. British companies like BAE Systems and AMS are already supporting your armed forces from within Ukraine. And we will go further. Starting today with A200m to manufacture thousands of new drones... ...both here in Ukraine and in the UK. This is the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation. Thirdly, today's agreement supports your historic choice to join NATO. Because I believe that Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO. But this isn't just about how NATO benefits Ukraine. It's about how Ukraine benefits NATO. Your understanding of modern war comes not from a textbook but the battlefield. Your armed forces are experienced, innovative, and brave. Ukraine belongs in NATO and NATO will be stronger with Ukraine. Last year's Vilnius Summit made important steps towards membership. And I want us to be even more ambitious at the Washington Summit this June. And we made you a solemn promise... ...along with 30 other countries... ...to provide new, bilateral security assurances. Today, the UK is the first to deliver on that promise. President Zelensky and I have just signed a new security agreement. If Russia ever again invades Ukraine, the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance. We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky... Sanction Russia's economy... And work closely with allies to do so. You will not have to ask. You will not have to argue for what you need. The UK will be there from the first moment to the last. I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship. With unprecedented security guarantees... ...it defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe... ...and sitting side by side among the free countries of the world. In the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko... ...you have broken your heavy chains and joined... The family of the free Because in the end, this is about even more than security. It is about Ukraine's right as an independent nation to determine your own future. And it is about the right of all nations - enshrined in the UN Charter - to determine their own future. As Churchill said, there are two kinds of nationalism: "The craze for supreme domination by weight or force" - which he called "a danger and a vice". Or the nationalism that comes from "love of country and readiness to die for country... ...love of tradition and culture... ...and the gradual building up...of a social entity dignified by nationhood". He called this: "the first of virtues". I can think of no better description of the two sides of this war. Or a better description of the battle that will define our age. Because while this war may have begun in the deluded mind... ...of a man in thrall to the mirage of a long-dead empire... ...if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop here. That's why President Biden, the EU, allies in NATO, the G7 and beyond... ...have seen the century-defining importance of this fight and they have rallied to your cause. And we cannot - and will not - falter now. Because aid to Ukraine is an investment in our own collective security. Only a Ukrainian victory will deter Putin from attacking others in the future... ...and prove our enemies wrong... ...when they say that democracies have neither the patience nor resources for long wars. This is the choice before us. These are the stakes. Waver now - and we embolden not just Putin, but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere. Or rally to Ukraine's side and defend our common cause... ...of democracy over dictatorship, freedom over tyranny, the rule of law over anarchy. That is what you are fighting for. And to echo Churchill: We must give you the tools - and I know that you will finish the job. Let me conclude with this final thought. On one of the earliest days of the invasion... In the darkness just before the dawn... As Russian bombs fell on Kyiv... President Zelensky stood outside the House with Chimaeras... ...and sent a simple, defiant message to the world: Miy tut. We are here. Today, as the world asks will your allies waver... Will our resolve weaken... Will our belief in your success falter... My reply is the same: Miy tut. We are here. As a symbol of our nezlamni allianz... ...I bring you today the United Kingdom's flag... ...signed by our country's entire Cabinet... ...to stand here until the day of your victory and beyond... ...as a sign to the world that we are here... ...and we will always be with you. Miy tut. Slava Ukraini. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister's remarks at joint press conference with President Zelenskyy: 12 January 2024 The Prime Minister's remarks at a joint press conference with President Zelenskyy on 12 January 2024. 12 January 2024 Volodymyr, thank you for the very kind honour you've just bestowed on me and for inviting me here today. It is an honour to stand with you... ...and to send a message on behalf of the United Kingdom... ...and indeed your allies around the world: Ukraine is not alone. And Ukraine will never be alone. Putin might think he can outlast us - but he is wrong. We stand with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes. Because this war is about Ukraine's right to defend itself and determine your own future. And the Ukrainian people's historic choice... ...to be an independent democracy at the heart of Europe. Your quest for freedom has inspired and moved the British people. And for the free nations of the world, aid to Ukraine is also an investment in our own collective security. Because if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there. And our opponents around the world believe that we... ...have neither the patience nor resources for long wars. So waver now, and we embolden not just Putin... ...but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere. That's why the United Kingdom - and the free world - will continue to stand with Ukraine... ...as we have since the very beginning of this war. Judge our commitment to Ukraine's freedom not by our words, but by our actions. The UK was the first to train Ukrainian troops. First in Europe to provide lethal weapons. First to commit western battle tanks. First to provide long-range weapons. But we need to do more. Our actions right now will determine the path of the war... So, far from our resolve faltering, the United Kingdom is announcing today... ...the biggest single package of defence aid to Ukraine since the war began, worth A2.5bn. This will include: More air defence equipment... More anti-tank weapons... More long-range missiles... Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells... Training for thousands more Ukrainian servicemen and women. And A200m to build thousands more drones... ...the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation. In total, since the war began, the UK will have provided almost A12bn of aid to Ukraine. And I'm proud that today, President Zelensky and I... ...have signed a new security agreement... ...that will form the core of a partnership between our two countries... ...that will last a hundred years or more. This is the first in a series of new, bilateral security assurances promised to Ukraine by 30 countries... ...at last year's Vilnius Summit. And it says that if Russia ever invades Ukraine again... ...the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance. We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky... Sanction Russia's economy... And work closely with allies to do so. You will not have to ask. You will not have to argue for what you need. The UK will be there from the first moment to the last. And of course, we continue to support Ukraine's journey to NATO membership. You belong in NATO and NATO will be stronger with you. I pay tribute to all those whose significant efforts made today's agreement happen... ...from the Office of the President, to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and many others besides. President Zelensky and his team serve not only their country but the cause of peace and justice. The UK Parliament applauded your courage, resilience, and sincere love of for your country. Even at a time of war, you are reforming Ukraine for the better. And with your leadership, Ukraine will prevail. Volodymyr, the UK stands with you. I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship. It extends security guarantees from the UK to Ukraine that are unprecedented. It defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe. And it says that Ukraine's place is, without doubt, among the free nations of the world. Be in no doubt: We are not walking away. Ours is the unbreakable alliance. The nezlamni allianz. And just as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine... ...so those same principles guide our actions around the world. Let me say a brief word about the situation in the Red Sea. Overnight, the Royal Air Force carried out strikes against two Houthi military facilities in Yemen. I want to be very clear that these were limited strikes, carefully targeted at launch sites for drones and ballistic missiles. Over recent months, the Houthi militia have repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea... risking innocent lives and causing huge economic disruption. In December, we launched Operation Prosperity Guardian with our allies to bolster maritime security. On 3 January, 14 counties issued a clear warning that attacks must cease. On 10 January, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the attacks... and highlighting the right of nations to defend their vessels and preserve the freedom of navigation. Yet the attacks have continued. British and American warships have been targeted. That's why we've taken this further, limited action today... in self defence, consistent with the UN Charter. In the face of this aggression, we will always stand up for the rule of law. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM in Kyiv: UK support will not falter The Prime Minister will reiterate the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine in a visit to the capital Kyiv today. 12 January 2024 Prime Minister to visit Kyiv today [Friday] to set out a major new package of support and reaffirm the close UK-Ukraine partnership Rishi Sunak will increase military funding for Ukraine next financial year to A2.5 billion, supporting largest ever commitment of drones The Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy will also sign a historic UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation The Prime Minister is expected to meet first responders dealing with the aftermath of Russian bombings as part of his visit Later today, the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy will sign a historic UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation. The G7 nations agreed to provide Ukraine with bilateral security assurances at the NATO Summit in Vilnius last year; the UK is the first country to deliver a final agreement. The totemic agreement is intended to be the first step in developing an unshakeable hundred-year partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation formalises a range of support the UK has been and will continue to provide for Ukraine's security, including intelligence sharing, cyber security, medical and military training, and defence industrial cooperation. It also commits the UK to consult with Ukraine in the event it is ever attacked by Russia again, and to provide "swift and sustained" assistance for their defence. Ahead of meeting President Zelenskyy, Rishi Sunak has also confirmed the UK will provide A2.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2024/25, an increase of A200 million on the previous two years. The funding will help to leverage the best of UK military expertise and defence production to ensure Ukraine's victory on the battlefield, including in critical areas like long-range missiles, air defence, artillery ammunition and maritime security. Of the A2.5 billion, at least A200 million will be spent on a major push to rapidly procure and produce thousands of military drones for Ukraine, including surveillance, long-range strike and sea drones. The technology will give Ukraine cutting edge, battle-tested capabilities to defend their citizens and target the invading Russian forces on land and sea. This will be the largest delivery of drones to Ukraine from any nation. Most of the drones are expected to be manufactured in the UK, and the Ministry of Defence will work with international partners to significantly scale up the number of drones provided for Ukraine's defence. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: For two years, Ukraine has fought with great courage to repel a brutal Russian invasion. They are still fighting, unfaltering in their determination to defend their country and defend the principles of freedom and democracy. I am here today with one message: the UK will also not falter. We will stand with Ukraine, in their darkest hours and in the better times to come. "The UK is already one of Ukraine's closest partners, because we recognise their security is our security. Today we are going further - increasing our military aid, delivering thousands of cutting-edge drones, and signing a historic new Security Agreement to provide Ukraine with the assurances it needs for the long term." During his visit to Kyiv, the Prime Minister is expected to meet emergency workers responding to the aftermath of Russian airstrikes. He will announce a further A18 million in aid for Ukraine, building on almost A340 million already provided. Some of that funding will support organisations like the UN and Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid on the frontline, and A8 million will go to fortify Ukraine's energy infrastructure against further Russian attacks. As part of efforts to cement the close bond between our two nations and Ukraine's place at the heart of Europe, the UK will also provide additional funding and resources for English language training in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Government has proposed legislation to promote English in Ukraine, boosting economic competitiveness and diplomatic ties. Today's announcement will see the UK fund online English lessons for Ukrainians of all ages, as well as providing resources and teacher training. Today's visit builds on months of direct diplomacy between the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy, as well as a world-leading record of UK military, diplomatic and economic support for Ukraine. With this latest funding, the UK has now provided almost A12 billion in support to Ukraine and has often been the first-mover on vital lethal aid, from Storm Shadow cruise missiles to a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President of Ukraine met with the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery President of Ukraine 12 January 2024 - 20:54 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker, who visited our country for the second time. The delegation from the United States also included representatives of leading U.S. financial institutions. The Head of State expressed gratitude to U.S. President Joseph Biden, Congress, and the American people for providing robust defense, financial, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the significant role of Penny Pritzker in coordinating international partnerships to support Ukraine in implementing reforms, reconstruction projects, and further strengthening the Ukrainian economy. "Your new visit to Ukraine demonstrates strong support. The past year has seen unprecedented growth in Ukrainian-American relations. We are determined to maintain this momentum, as it significantly aids Ukraine in our defense against the aggressor," said the President. Volodymyr Zelenskyy placed a particular emphasis on the substantial support that the United States provides to ensure the reliable operation of Ukraine's energy sector. Considering the ongoing missile terror against our state, the importance of strengthening air defense to protect cities, domestic export routes, and critical infrastructure was emphasized. During the meeting, the issue of ensuring macro-financial stability in Ukraine was raised. "We are grateful to the President of the United States for submitting to Congress a budget request for providing Ukraine with macro-financial and defense support in 2024. We appreciate that, in such a challenging time, we see unity among congressmen. Ukrainian society counts on Congress making a positive decision, as it will strengthen our forces," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The ways to use frozen Russian assets as an extensive source of funds for Ukraine's reconstruction were separately discussed. It was noted that 2024 should be the year of final decisions and the implementation of specific steps in this direction. The President of Ukraine informed Penny Pritzker about the Agreement on Security Co-operation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed on Friday and emphasized the importance of progress in preparing and concluding such agreements with other partners of Ukraine, including the G7 states. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President following the meeting with Rishi Sunak in Kyiv: Ukraine and the United Kingdom have signed an unprecedented security agreement President of Ukraine 12 January 2024 - 18:04 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak, who arrived in our country on a visit. During the meeting, the leaders signed the Agreement on Security Co-operation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom - the first bilateral agreement within the framework of the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine adopted in Vilnius in July 2023 by the G7 countries, which was later joined by nearly 30 countries. The agreement is valid for ten years with the possibility of extension. "Today is a day when the history of Europe has changed. Ukraine and the United Kingdom have signed a new unprecedented security agreement. This is not simply a declaration. This is a reality that will come to fruition as a result of our cooperation, including security commitments from a major global power, the United Kingdom," the Head of State told media representatives following the negotiations with Rishi Sunak in Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the two states had reached the highest and most meaningful level of relations ever. "Of course, this is now the foundation for similar work with other partners - a core document to further the relevant decision of the Group of Seven," he said. The President of Ukraine expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for his personal leadership, which surpasses others and helps Ukraine. "I would like to point out, Rishi, that you are rallying partners for the sake of the coalitions we all need - security coalitions. In particular, we especially appreciate the maritime coalition established to ensure security in the Black Sea. Ukraine is also grateful to the UK for opening numerous arms chapters in our defense. These are Storm Shadow missiles, NLAW and tanks we received, as well as crucial assistance in the cooperation of our intelligence agencies. I am grateful for all this," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Head of State emphasized that the text of this bilateral agreement demonstrates faith in Ukraine and respect for our people. "This was achieved through the courage of everyone who did not falter in the face of the enemy. It all starts with bravery. Ukrainians were not afraid to defend their freedom. Ukrainians rallied the world majority in support of defending against Russian terror. And each of our warriors, each of our citizens, absolutely everyone who strengthens Ukraine, can consider this alliance with the UK their own achievement. I thank every Ukrainian who strengthens our country, for such opportunities for Ukraine - for the solidarity that Ukraine truly deserves," he said. According to the President, the agreement envisages annual financial support for Ukraine, including A2.5 billion this year. It also provides for cooperation in building the capacity of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, the national defense industry, state institutions and social systems. "We have agreed with the UK on security in all spheres - across the land, air and sea, in cyberspace, and in extensive political cooperation. The agreement is specific on weapons. It is absolutely clear regarding our state border. Principled - on sanctions. Fair - on compensation by Russia for the damage caused by its aggression. Reliable - on reconstruction after hostilities. Of course, if necessary, Ukraine and the UK will be able to conclude additional sectoral agreements," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "This will allow us to reach a security level that, by its very existence, will serve as a deterrent to aggressive Russia," the Head of State said. He said that this agreement with the UK is valid for ten years, but it can be extended by analogy with other similar security agreements concluded by global leaders. The President also noted the United Kingdom's support for Ukraine's accession to NATO. "The provided guarantees will be valid until we join NATO. If this happens before the expiry of the agreement, the security architecture we have created will be actually incorporated into the security system of the entire Alliance," the Head of State said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Rishi Sunak the Order of Freedom for his special merits in protecting Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. "May this state award of Ukraine, the Order of Freedom, which recognizes you, Rishi, your efforts, your work, be a distinction for the entire British nation - a reliable defender of freedom," the President said. For his part, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom emphasized that Ukraine will never be left alone in its just fight for its future. According to him, Ukraine's example has become an inspiration for the people of the UK. Rishi Sunak announced the largest package of defense aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war, amounting to A2.5 billion. "This means more anti-tank weapons, more missiles, hundreds of thousands of new artillery shells. Training for thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. 200 million pounds will be allocated for the production of hundreds of thousands of new drones," he said. The British Prime Minister said that the signed Agreement on Security Co-operation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom will become the core of relations between the two states that will last for hundreds of years. According to him, this is the first document in a series of bilateral agreements on security commitments based on the Vilnius Declaration of Support for Ukraine. According to Rishi Sunak, the Agreement reaffirms that in the event of another Russian attack on Ukraine, the UK will stand with Ukraine and provide security assistance. "The UK admires your resistance and courage. We wish Ukraine all the best and believe that under your leadership, Ukraine will prevail. Volodymyr, Britain stands with you! I think this is the greatest moment in the history of our bilateral relations," he said. Rishi Sunak also said that this agreement is a signal to the allies that Ukraine definitely belongs to the family of free nations. The British Prime Minister emphasized his support for Ukraine's future accession to NATO, which, in his opinion, will be stronger with Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Agreement on Security Co-operation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland and Ukraine President of Ukraine 12 January 2024 - 16:57 Preamble The United Kingdom ('the UK') and Ukraine (hereafter 'the Participants'): determined to end forever Russia's unprovoked attacks on Ukraine since 2014 and its full-scale invasion in 2022, which have brought great suffering to Ukraine's people and threatened European and worldwide security; unwavering in our commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its borders, which have been internationally recognised since 1991, and to ensuring Ukraine's ability to defend itself, to resist future coercion, to choose its own future, and to prosper; committed to common values of democracy, the rule of law, good governance, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; reaffirming the principles of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and the Charter of Paris, including the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and the inviolability of borders, which are essential for European and worldwide security; desiring to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine as well as its economic and social recovery; reaffirming our support for reforms to strengthen Ukraine's security and economy, which are aimed at realising its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, including towards European Union and NATO membership; and recognising that Ukraine's defence, recovery, reform and European and Euro-Atlantic ambitions are mutually reinforcing and must go forward together; have jointly determined to strengthen our security co-operation by pursuing the measures set out in this Agreement. Part I. Introduction Scope 1. This Agreement is intended to further the Joint Declaration launched by the UK, Ukraine and other members of the G7 in Vilnius on 12 July 2023 and subsequently joined by a further 24 states. It builds on the Political, Free Trade & Strategic Partnership Agreement of 8 October 2020, which remains the foundation of UK-Ukraine collaboration. The Participants will continue to explore ways to further strengthen their long-term relationship including working towards a hundred-year partnership. 2. With this Agreement, the UK and Ukraine have decided to deepen their cooperation and partnership, which is based on their common interests in the defence of international law and order, peace, and the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms. 3. The UK believes that Ukraine's future membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) would make an effective contribution to peace and stability in Europe. The Participants decided on coordinating and strengthening joint efforts to support Ukraine's accession to NATO. The main components of the security commitments provided to Ukraine by the UK in this Agreement are: provision of comprehensive assistance to Ukraine for the protection and the restoration of its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, including the territorial sea and free economic (maritime) zone, reconstruction of its national economy, and the protection of its citizens; prevention and active deterrence of, and counter-measures against, any military escalation and/or a new aggression by the Russian Federation; and support for Ukraine's future integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions, including by supporting Ukraine's reform plans and interoperability with NATO. Part II. Defence and Security Defence and Military Cooperation 1. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the UK has been one of the largest suppliers of military aid to Ukraine, has been training the Ukrainian Armed Forces and security forces through Operation Orbital, and was the first European country to provide lethal aid. The UK will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it needs, so that Ukraine can effectively defend itself. 2. The Participants recall the inherent right of states to individual and collective self-defence, and the unlawfulness of all attempts to redraw borders by force. They reaffirm that Ukraine's security is integral to Euro-Atlantic and global security. Ukraine's Armed Forces and security forces are defending not only state sovereignty, independence and their territory but also the UN Charter, our shared values and fundamental principles of international law. 3. The UK is a leading defence and security partner for Ukraine. The aims of UK-Ukraine defence co-operation are to support an independent, democratic, and sovereign Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders, capable of deterring and defending against future attacks, as well as to deepen Ukraine's interoperability with NATO, and to accelerate Ukraine's transition to NATO equipment and standards. 4. The Participants will work together, and with other partners of Ukraine, to ensure Ukrainian Armed Forces and security forces are able to fully restore Ukraine's territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as to increase Ukraine's resilience so that it is sufficient to deter and defend against future attacks and coercion. This will include, but is not limited to, working together so that Ukraine's military and non-military security institutions are able to perform effectively to European and Euro-Atlantic standards and are fully accountable to the Ukrainian people, Parliament and Government. 5. Through this Agreement: the Participants will work together on ensuring a sustainable force capable of defending Ukraine now and deterring Russian aggression in the future, through the continued provision of security assistance and modern military equipment, across the land, air and sea, space and cyber domains - prioritising air defence, artillery and long-range firepower, armoured vehicles, and other key capabilities as required, such as combat air, and by promoting increased interoperability with Euro-Atlantic partners; the UK will provide long-term advice and support for defence governance and policies in order to strengthen Ukraine's Ministry of Defence; the UK will, alongside other international partners, help Ukraine to enhance its deterrence to external aggressors by developing modern Armed Forces that are increasingly interoperable with NATO and contribute to the NATO force pool. This includes development of a modern defence sector in Ukraine, and a pathway to a future in NATO through: support to capabilities and training, as well as the infrastructure needed for Ukraine to exercise domestic control of their own airspace; support to Ukraine's development of a Navy and the Sea Guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine that can execute mine clearance, and conduct maritime ISR, patrols, coastal defence and freedom of navigation, helping Ukraine to rebuild their economy; support to the development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine including (but not limited to): future force design, a move towards NATO concepts and operating procedures, command and staff training, combined exercises, and enhanced compatibility and interoperability with NATO Allies; support for border protection and defence, its engineering and fortification, surveillance, monitoring of enemy troop movements, post-war reconstruction of border infrastructure, demining, and disposal of explosive ordnance; and support to medical training and prosthetics. the UK will support plans and governance structures for Capability Coalitions, both to deliver the future force, and also to bring more coherence to the provision of capability in the current war. The UK is working with the US to develop the governance framework for the Capability Coalitions. All the Capability Coalitions will improve the interoperability of Ukrainian and NATO forces. the UK will make significant contributions to the Capability Coalitions including Maritime Security, Air, Air Defence, Artillery and Armour, as well as providing other weapons systems and ammunition agreed by the Participants. 6. In 2022, the UK provided Ukraine with A2.3bn in military aid. In 2023, the UK provided a further A2.3bn in military aid. In 2024, the UK will provide a further A2.5bn of support. 7. The Participants will seek to ensure that Ukraine's military capabilities are at such a level that, in the event of external military aggression against the United Kingdom, Ukraine is able to provide effective military assistance. The terms, format and scope of such assistance will be determined by the Participants. 8. The UK will continue its support to Ukraine for the ten-year duration of this Agreement. Maritime Security 1. The UK will jointly lead the Maritime Security Capability Coalition and will make significant contribution to Ukraine's maritime fleet development. The Maritime Capability Coalition aims to support Ukraine to become a net contributor to maritime security across the Black Sea and Azov Sea out to 2035 and beyond. This will help Ukraine deter and repel threats, restore economic activity and move Ukraine towards interoperability with NATO in the maritime sphere. Defence Industry Cooperation 1. The UK will work with its defence industry and Ukraine to contribute to the development of Ukraine's defence industrial base, and identify opportunities for closer defence industrial partnerships and collaboration including for mutual commercial benefit and co-ordination. The UK will work with Ukraine to identify the most impactful investment areas, strengthen efforts to reduce existing barriers for cooperation, encourage and support its defence industry to invest, including by supporting the localisation of production in Ukraine as well as exploring opportunities for joint production. 2. The UK will work with Ukraine to mitigate existing supply chain bottlenecks impeding the development of capacity and capability of both the UK and Ukraine for manufacturing of priority weapons and ammunition. 3. The UK will encourage its defence industry to work with Ukraine to support localising repair and maintenance and manufacturing of UK defence products in Ukraine. The UK will work with Ukraine to strengthen protection of the transferred technologies and intellectual property rights. At the same time, Ukraine guarantees the protection of these technologies and intellectual property. 4. The UK and Ukraine will promote information exchange on their respective defence related research and development efforts, in order to implement joint projects and programmes to develop new defence solutions. 5. The UK and Ukraine will work to transform Ukraine's defence industry into a powerful asset for Ukraine and Euro-Atlantic security, enabling Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity, acting as a major driver in economic recovery and contributing to effective deterrence of future aggression. Part III. Non-Military Security Protection of critical infrastructure 1. The UK will contribute to the development of Ukraine's critical infrastructure protection capabilities. 2. The UK will continue to engage Ukrainian specialists with experience in critical infrastructure security to implement relevant projects on its territory. 3. The UK and Ukraine will explore joint educational and training programmes for critical infrastructure protection specialists. 4. The UK will work with Ukraine to identify sources of funding to develop the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure in various sectors. Cooperation in the sphere of security and cyber security 1. The Participants will work together on intelligence and security co-operation to enable Ukraine to detect, deter and disrupt Russian conventional aggression, espionage and hybrid warfare, including through greater cyber resilience, with cyber advice and industry support to secure IT infrastructure from cyber-attack, while supporting the modernisation and reform of Ukraine's security and intelligence architecture, including on cyber and information security issues. This will be achieved through intelligence sharing and co-operation. 2. The Participants recognise the need to detect, disrupt and deter malign cyber operations and in particular malicious use of cyber capabilities by the Russian Federation and other hostile state and non-state actors. The Participants will work together to identify and deter the irresponsible use of cyber capabilities by the Russian Federation against the Participants. 3. The Participants will contribute to the development of Ukraine's capabilities to defend against, deter and respond to threats to critical infrastructure by facilitating the availability of modern technological solutions in the field of critical infrastructure protection for its cybersecurity actors, including through the provision of international technical assistance to Ukraine. 4. The Participants will work on the implementation of a joint protocol for deterring and responding to cyberattacks by the Russian Federation, its satellites and pro-Russian hacker groups, including pursuing shared deterrence objectives and the creation of a mechanism for the prompt provision of expert services in the field of cybersecurity. Information security, combating information manipulation and propaganda 1. The Participants recognise that the Russian Federation continues to manipulate information in support of its war on Ukraine and will seek to continue to mutually support each other's efforts to tell the truth well. To counter Russian information manipulation and propaganda globally, the UK and Ukraine will: collaborate to improve Ukraine's capabilities to counter information security threats, primarily Russian propaganda; work together with like-minded partners to communicate effectively at an international level, offering the world a truthful alternative to the Russian Federation's disinformation campaigns; co-ordinate on closer collaboration of communications output to counter disinformation; and promote the development of joint educational and training programmes for information security professionals, including improving the level of English language proficiency in this area, regular exchange of experience and professional events involving information security professionals. Cooperation in the sphere of combating serious and organised crime 1. The Participants recognise that the Russian Federation and its proxies use serious and organised crime (SOC), particularly Illicit Finance (IF), to finance actions aimed at undermining Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its internal stability. 2. The participants will take actions to counteract the activities of SOC, in particular individuals and groups that are trying to infiltrate across Ukrainian society, have criminal influence in certain regions, including the temporarily occupied ones, and are actively used as a tool of "hybrid warfare" to counteract the processes of recovery and reconciliation in Ukraine. 3. In order to counter the activities of SOC, the Participants will take measures to: conduct joint operations to detect and suppress SOC; analyse the criminal situation in the countries and identify the main risks from SOC; identify assets that may be seized in criminal proceedings or in a case of recognising assets as unjustified; create joint working groups and joint investigation teams of prosecutors and other parties; and facilitate the provision of training and sharing of best practice. 4. The above measures are not exhaustive, and the Participants may pursue other forms of cooperation to achieve their goals in combating SOC. Part IV. Political Co-operation Just peace 1.The Participants recognise that neither Ukraine nor Europe will be secure until Ukraine's territorial integrity is fully restored and there is a just peace that respects Ukraine's rights under international law and the UN Charter. Ukraine and the UK will therefore work together for a just and lasting peace that has broad global support. 2. The UK welcomes Ukraine's efforts to create a just and sustainable peace, also based on the principles of Ukraine's Peace Formula. The UK is ready to play a leading role in taking forward steps to implement peace initiatives that reflect the principles of the UN Charter. Sanctions 1. The Participants recognise the value of sanctions in restricting the Russian Federation's access to the finance, goods, technology and services it is utilising in its aggression, in bearing down on Russia's revenue streams, and to deter future attacks. Since the invasion started, the UK has delivered its most extensive sanctions package ever imposed against a major economy. 2. While the Russian Federation's aggression towards Ukraine continues, the UK will remain committed to pursuing robust sanctions against sectors of the Russian economy and those in the Russian Federation and outside who are supporting or profiting from the war, or assisting in sanctions circumvention in third countries. The UK will also take determined action with partners to tackle all forms of sanctions circumvention as well as reinforcing its own domestic resilience against Russian-linked illicit finance and Kremlin-linked elites. The UK and Ukraine will provide each other up-to-date information on the grounds for sanctions and other relevant information, in compliance with relevant obligations. Accountability 1. The Participants reaffirm their commitment to holding the Russian Federation accountable for causing losses or damage to individuals and entities, as well as to the state of Ukraine, as a result of its internationally unlawful acts in Ukraine or against Ukraine, including its aggression in violation of the Charter of the United Nations. They reaffirm that the Russian Federation must bear the legal responsibility, including making reparation for any damage, caused by such act, which will also help deter future attacks and support Ukraine's recovery. They will seek to hold to account those responsible for war crimes and other international crimes committed in or against Ukraine, consistent with international law, including by supporting the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court to ensure allegations of war crimes are fully and fairly investigated by independent, effective and robust legal mechanisms. Part V. Fiscal Support, Recovery and Reconstruction Fiscal support 1. The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to support Ukraine's immediate recovery, fiscal and humanitarian needs. Since the full-scale invasion, the UK has to date committed to provide approximately A4.2bn in fiscal support, and more than A640m in bilateral humanitarian, stabilisation, recovery and reform assistance to meet Ukraine's immediate needs. The Participants co-hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in London in June 2023 where the UK reaffirmed our commitment to Ukraine's early recovery and longer-term reconstruction. The URC sent a clear message that the UK not only stands with Ukraine to win the war and defeat the Russian Federation's aggression, but that the UK will also stand with Ukraine to win the peace. Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction 1. The UK is steadfast in its commitment to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. The UK will support Ukraine to build increased institutional, economic and social resilience, with a focus on reforms that will underpin these areas. The UK will support early recovery activities in priority sectors, where the UK has expertise and a unique offer, including energy, infrastructure, tech and demining. 2. The Participants recognise that lasting security and prosperity for Ukraine must be underpinned by a strong private sector-led economy. The UK will seek to build a modern, resilient and sustainable Ukrainian economy that is integrated into global markets, is not susceptible to hostile Russian influence, and is based on strong and accountable institutions, respect for the rule of law. 3. The Participants recognise the need to unite efforts aimed at protecting the population and territories of Ukraine from the negative consequences caused by mines and explosive remnants of war as a result of the Russian Federation's armed aggression and alleviating the devastating consequences after its completion. 4. The Participants will promote the further development of partnership in the field of humanitarian demining, the accumulation, analysis, exchange and application of practical experience in the field of humanitarian demining. 5. The UK will continue to fund demining, risk education, and capacity building (working in partnership with a national operator) through its Global Mine Action Programme. The UK will support the State Emergency Services of Ukraine through the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine to develop and sustain international demining standards in its operations. 6. The UK also undertakes to work with other donors to improve coordination and identify and implement innovative finance vehicles that bring new sources of funding into the mine action sector. The UK will work closely within the mechanisms set up by the Ukrainian government to support the implementation of the forthcoming mine action strategy. Macro-economic stability 1. The Participants recognise the importance of macro-economic stability. The UK stands behind Ukraine's IMF programme goals of sustaining economic and financial stability, restoring debt sustainability and promoting reforms that support Ukraine's recovery. Ukraine is committed to implementing the full set of policy requirements as set out in the IMF programme, including in meeting these through the quarterly review monitoring processes during the lifetime of the programme to 2027. Access to financial sector, insurance industry, technology sector and other expertise 1. The UK will seek to facilitate access for Ukraine to the UK's private finance companies and institutions, insurance industry, technology sector and other expertise. To that end, the Participants will: continue implementation of the UK-Ukraine Political, Free Trade & Strategic Partnership Agreement; develop measures to increase investor confidence, and work with commercial insurance markets to unlock private investment to meet Ukraine's long-term reconstruction needs; use the newly agreed UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement, signed on 20 March 2023, to modernise bilateral trade in the digital era and deepen our economic ties; support skills-sharing and corporate twinning initiatives that strengthen UK-Ukraine business partnerships and promote investment opportunities in Ukraine in key sectors that can drive economic recovery; and support opportunities for investment and UK-Ukraine partnerships in the tech sector, to drive a more modern, innovative economic future for Ukraine and drive excellence in e-governance. Compensation for losses, injuries and damages caused by Russian aggression 1. The Participants reaffirm that the Russian Federation must pay for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine. Russian sovereign assets in the UK's jurisdiction will remain immobilised until the Russian Federation has paid for the damage it has caused to Ukraine. The UK, working with its partners, will continue to pursue all lawful routes through which Russian assets can be used to support Ukraine. 2. As a priority, the Participants will continue to work together with others, including G7 states, to explore options for the development of appropriate mechanisms to provide reparation for damage, loss, or injury caused by Russian aggression, as envisaged by the Statute of the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine adopted by the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe CM/Res(2023)3. In this regard, the Participants will explore appropriate options for establishing a compensation mechanism to provide compensation to victims of Russian aggression. Part VI. Humanitarian Co-operation Humanitarian aid, civil defence and resilience 1. The Participants reaffirm that, as Ukraine begins early recovery and reconstruction, they will ensure the continuation of well-coordinated life-saving humanitarian aid where it is needed. The Participants will work together to ensure a better prioritised, targeted humanitarian response which delivers to those most in need, including in hard-to-reach areas. 2. The UK will continue to support stabilisation and civil defence needs through the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) where there is a strategic fit. Past support has included, for example, support to the State Emergency Services of Ukraine in multiple critical areas that bolster their emergency response and improve civil defence, and support to regional and local administrations in the provision of shelters, particularly in schools. Operational delivery of humanitarian services 1. Where possible, the Participants will progressively shift the response to a nationally-led one that sees humanitarian support transitioning to Ukrainian systems of service provision over time and puts more leadership, capacity and funding in the hands of Ukrainian organisations to drive operational delivery of humanitarian services. The Participants will also continue to play an active role through our support for refugees from Ukraine. Social recovery and territorial reintegration 1. The UK will support Ukraine to plan for the reintegration of currently occupied territories, to contribute to the vital stabilisation and socio-economic renewal, particularly in liberated and frontline areas, and areas bordering Russia, to promote an inclusive social recovery, and to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, including through work to support women, social protection systems and veterans. Part VII. Reform Inclusive reform 1. The Participants reaffirm that inclusive reform is indispensable for Ukraine's current and future security and prosperity, for its democracy, the resilience of its institutions and for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, including towards EU and NATO membership. The legacy effect created by the war, such as the liberation of occupied territory, the transition from martial law, and the need to meet public expectations, will require Ukraine's institutions to be well adapted to manage such challenges. Priority reform areas 1. The Participants reiterate their commitment to streamline reform efforts against the priority reform areas set for accessions to EU and NATO and IMF benchmarks, as well as aligning with other major donors, in particular the International Financial Institutions, European Union and G7 partners. Commitment to implement reforms 1. The UK recognises the significant progress Ukraine has made in implementing reforms. Ukraine reiterates its continued commitment to reforms, including in the areas of: governance - Ukraine will commit to continuing institutional governance reform in the interest of building a resilient and inclusive democracy, including the continued reform of its judiciary with strengthened judicial appointment procedures to build public trust in the rule of law; anti-corruption - acknowledging that this transcends all areas of reform, Ukraine commits to continuing to build its capability and capacity to prevent and tackle corruption across the public and private sectors, and civil society, including through establishing and supporting independent and well-resourced anti-corruption institutions that are able to operate with appropriate accountability but without political interference; defence and security sector - advancing security and defence sector reforms (including defence, intelligence and civilian security institutions) and modernisation including by strengthening democratic civilian control and improving efficiency and transparency across Ukraine's security institutions and defence-related industries, including through activities to support: democratic civilian control of the Armed Forces, a prerequisite of NATO membership and an important indicator of the non-politicisation of the Armed Forces; good governance within the defence and security sector, including evidence-based decision making, delegated management authority, clear directive structures, and improved recruitment, human resources and retention processes, and the corporatisation and good management of the state-owned defence industrial sector, to meet Ukraine's OECD obligations; improved defence and security procurement processes (for both lethal and non-lethal equipment) ensuring that, wherever possible, the default process is transparent, and all relevant processes are followed to enable audit and evaluation activity; and increased alignment with Euro-Atlantic values and standards, including through the development and standardisation of International Humanitarian Law, and support for relevant Ministries in implementing their obligations towards marginalised groups. economic and business environment - modernising the economy by progressing reforms that will attract private finance, boost investor confidence, tackle corruption and create a fair and level playing field for all parties, including through a reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Support in delivering reform agenda 1. The UK will support Ukraine in delivering its reform agenda, sharing the UK's strength in harnessing and coordinating public-private partnerships, enabling financial and capital markets, and our specific expertise in anti-corruption, security and defence sector reform, judicial reform and support for inclusive and democratic institutions. Part VIII. Cooperation in the event of future armed attack 1. Any future Russian invasion would violate the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law, and would grievously undermine Euro-Atlantic security, including that of the UK. 2. In the event of future Russian armed attack against Ukraine, at the request of either of the Participants, the Participants will consult within 24 hours to determine measures needed to counter or deter the aggression. 3. The UK undertakes that, in those circumstances, and acting in accordance with its legal and constitutional requirements, it would: provide Ukraine with swift and sustained security assistance, modern military equipment across all domains as necessary, and economic assistance; impose economic and other costs on Russia; and consult with Ukraine on its needs as it exercises its right to self-defence enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. 4. In order to ensure the widest and most effective collective response to any future armed attack, the UK and Ukraine may amend these provisions in order to align with any mechanism that Ukraine may subsequently agree with its other international partners, including the participants in the Joint Declaration of 12 July 2023. Part IX. Final Provisions Executive and technical agreements 1. The Participants will, if necessary, designate authorised bodies for the development and implementation of bilateral agreements in accordance with the areas of cooperation specified in this Agreement. 2. The authorised bodies of the Participants can conclude executive and technical agreements on specific areas of cooperation within the framework of the implementation of this Agreement. Timeframe of the Agreement 1. This Agreement is valid for ten years from the date of its signature. 2. At the same time, in accordance with the G7 Joint Declaration of 12 July 2023, the Participants intend this Agreement to remain in force as Ukraine pursues its path to future membership in the Euro-Atlantic community. 3. In the event that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO before the expiry of this Agreement, the participants will decide on its future status. Termination 1. This Agreement may be terminated by either Participant by giving written notice to the other. The Agreement will be terminated six months from the date of receipt of such notice. Amendments 1. This Agreement may be amended and supplemented by mutual agreement of the Participants, which will be made in writing. Entry into effect 1. The provisions of this Agreement will come into effect immediately upon signature. Signed in Kyiv on 12 January 2024 in duplicate in the English and Ukrainian languages, the English version of which is valid in the event of any discrepancy. For Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy For the United Kingdom: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Head of State had a phone call with the President of Switzerland President of Ukraine 12 January 2024 - 10:43 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a first phone call with the President of the Swiss Confederation for 2024, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport of Switzerland Viola Amherd. The Head of State congratulated the interlocutor on her election and the beginning of the presidential term. "I wish you fruitful work in this responsible position, and to the Swiss people - well-being and prosperity in the year 2024," the President of Ukraine said. During the conversation, the parties emphasized the growing dynamics of the bilateral dialogue between Ukraine and Switzerland. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Switzerland for its firm support of Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity amid Russia's full-scale aggression against our country. He particularly thanked the Swiss side for supporting the Ukrainian Peace Formula and organizing the next meeting of national security and foreign policy advisors in Davos on January 14. "After the important Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, this is the second large-scale international event in support of our country to be held in Switzerland," the Head of State noted. The parties discussed preparations for the meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the Peace Formula to be held in Davos. The leaders coordinated bilateral measures for the near future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes has failed to cooperate with an investigation into him for a slew of infractions related to his time in office, according to a report from the Chippewa County Board. The board initiated the investigation and met in closed session to discuss findings Tuesday night at the Chippewa County Courthouse. According to meeting minutes, the board reviewed communications from Hakes about his decision to not appear for an in-person interview with the boards investigator. The Board has concluded Sheriff Hakes has not cooperated with the Boards investigation. The Board directs the investigator to complete the investigation and prepare a report and the Board will treat Sheriff Hakes as noncooperative and the Board will not consider further information from Sheriff Hakes regarding this matter, the meeting minutes state. The majority of the Chippewa County Board supervisors who were present Tuesday voted yes on the matter; supervisor Dean Mueller voted no, and supervisor Peter Gehring abstained from the vote. This is the latest in a series of controversies that has plagued Hakes since he was elected as a Republican to his first term as sheriff in November 2022. Accusations have been raised about his role in a high-speed chase, inappropriate text messages to a dispatcher, pursuing private business ventures while on the job and contracting with a taxi service contrary to county purchasing policy. Hes also been accused of being dishonest with county officials. Hakes has denied the allegations and called the probe a politically motivated "witch hunt." Madison-based law firm Von Briesen and Roper conducted the investigation during the summer of 2023, but Hakes declined to be interviewed by them on three occasions, according to investigators. On Oct. 10, the board ultimately decided not to move forward with pursuing removal of Hakes and chose to continue its investigation into him. Hakes issued the following statement regarding the in-person interview. Given the deception and inaccurate statements in Attorney Jill Halls original report, I offered to respond to her questions in writing so my words could not be twisted. She declined," Hakes said. "I am disappointed in the waste of the taxpayer money spent on this witch hunt. According to a Dec. 28 memorandum from Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell, Hakes left the Chetek Police Department after he was given a choice to resign or be fired. The action stemmed from his response to a domestic violence case in 2020. He reportedly told a domestic abuse victim that body cam footage of the scene could be deleted. Newell wrote that Hakes' actions could compromise investigations in which Hakes is involved. U.S. Supreme Court rulings require that any issues about an officer's credibility and trustworthiness be provided to defense counsel. Hakes disputes the characterization of his departure from Chetek. "What is accurate is that if I would have stayed, this matter may have been subject to further review," Hakes wrote. "This means the public would have been made aware of the graphic details of the domestic abuse incident, which would have gone against the victims wishes. I am confident that if the matter had been reviewed at the time, I would have been found to be honest and acting in the best interests of the victim. Furthermore, I had developed a mistrust of assistant district attorney Matucheski given the false accusations she made without doing thorough research." Newell wrote that he was aware of the incident in late 2020 but didn't know that Hakes had been threatened with termination until recently. He wrote that Chetek police chief Ron Ambrozatis confirmed the circumstances of Hakes' departure during an Oct. 5 telephone call. Newell noted that Ambrozatis said terminating Hakes wasn't his choice. "Chief Ambrozaitis stated that he supports Travis Hakes 100% and does not believe that Travis was talking about the destruction of evidence," Newell wrote. "Chief Ambrozaitis stated that Travis Hakes was allowed to testify in other cases, and that he does not have any concerns about any evidence being destroyed by Travis Hakes." Newell wrote that the latest accusation against Hakes has the potential to undermine investigations conducted by the district attorney's office. "I don't make the ultimate decision as to whether sheriff Hakes will be allowed to be impeached with any of the information contained within this memo, at any future trial involving him as a witness. That is left up to the court to decide on a case-by-case basis," Newell wrote. "Unfortunately, the Chippewa County District Attorney's Office will now have to spend a tremendous amount of time litigating whether sheriff Hakes will be allowed to be impeached in any case involving him as a witness, with either the alleged deceptive statements in the investigative report, or the statements made by sheriff Hakes during his time as a Chetek police officer." Britain Pledges $3.2 Billion in New Aid for Ukraine By VOA News January 12, 2024 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak traveled to Kyiv Friday, where he unveiled nearly $3.2 billion in new military funding for Ukraine, Britain's largest annual commitment since Russia first invaded the country. Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sunak said the two countries also signed a long-term bilateral security agreement that he said will form the core of a partnership between their countries that "will last a hundred years or more." Sunak said the agreement was the first in a series of "security assurances" promised by NATO allies during the alliance's summit last year in Vilnius, Lithuania. Zelenskyy said with the signing of the agreement that "the history of Europe changed today." He called it "unprecedented" and said it will provide a basis for working with other partners in the future. Sunak said the military aid package will include air defense equipment, anti-tank weapons, long-range missiles, ammunition and artillery shells, along with training for Ukrainian servicemen and women. The British prime minister said it also includes $255 million for drones a what he said was "the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation." Sunak said he sought to send a message to Ukraine on behalf of his nation and Ukraine's allies around the world that they will never be alone. He said the war in Ukraine is about the nation's right to defend itself and to be an independent democracy. "If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there," Sunak said. He said wavering in support of Ukraine will embolden Putin and his allies in North Korea, Iran and elsewhere. Zelenskyy seeks support in Baltics Sunak's visit comes a day after Zelenskyy made a tour of Baltic nations Estonia, Lativa and Lithuania, where he sought support for Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia. In the Latvian capital of Riga on Thursday, Zelenskyy said that Moscow's plan was to make tactical advances on the battlefield ahead of the presidential election and that Russia would then take larger military action. Earlier on Thursday during his visit to Estonia, Zelenskyy said a pause in Russia's war against Ukraine would benefit only Russia by allowing it to boost its supply of munitions and "run us over." "A pause on the battlefield on the territory of Ukraine is not a pause in war. It is not the end of war," Zelenskyy said. "It doesn't lead to political dialogue with the Russian Federation or with someone else. This pause will only benefit the Russian Federation," he said. The Ukrainian leader said Wednesday in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, that his country's forces have shown the world that Russia's military can be stopped but that the Kyiv government badly needs Western allies to send it more air defense systems to shoot down an increased barrage of Russian drones and missiles. He acknowledged, however, that the stockpiles are low in countries that could assist Ukraine. "Warehouses are empty," Zelenskyy said. "And there are many challenges to world defense." U.S. aid still on hold In the United States, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said U.S. assistance for Ukraine's war effort has stopped amid ongoing negotiations in Washington over an aid package. "The assistance that we provided has now ground to a halt," Kirby said. Although U.S. aid to Ukraine has stopped for the time being, the U.S. State Department on Thursday imposed sanctions over the transfer of North Korean ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. "We will not hesitate to take further actions," Blinken said in a statement announcing the sanctions against three Russian entities and one individual. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metro Vancouver Properties Corp., a Vancouver-based real estate company announces the results of operations for the three months ended November 30, 2023. The results reported are pursuant to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for public companies. For the three months ended November 30, 2023, the Company is reporting net loss of $38.6 million (2022: $0.3 million); cash flows generated from operating activities before changes in non-cash operating balances of $3.2 million (2022: $3.8 million); and loss per share of $0.03 (2022: $0.00). Included in net loss is a provision for losses totalling approximately $32.9 million (2022: $nil) recognizing a tax liability for unpaid taxes and estimated interest and a provision recorded against the carrying value of the Companys cash tax deposits. Also included in net loss is a net loss on the fair value adjustment on investment properties of approximately $8.7 million (2022: $4.5 million). As previously reported in the Companys Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company had received from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration (ATRA) tax notices of reassessment for various taxation years. The reassessments deny the application and usage of certain non-capital losses, deductions and investment tax credits arising from prior years. The Company had filed notices of objection and notices of appeal to the reassessments with the CRA and ATRA. The Companys parent company, Madison Pacific Properties Inc. (Madison) had also received from the CRA tax notices of reassessment for various taxation years denying the application and usage of certain carryforward losses. The Companys and Madisons reassessments were issued on similar grounds. Madison had also appealed these reassessments (the Madison Appeal). The Madison Appeal was heard by the Tax Court of Canada (the TCC) in 2020, 2022 and 2023. The TCC released its judgement on the Madison Appeal on December 27, 2023 in favour of the CRAs position, confirming the CRAs, and by implications ATRAs, reassessments. The decision denied Madisons ability to use certain carryforward losses for certain taxation years within 2009 to 2017. Based on the decision of the TCC in the Madison Appeal and other related factors, including the accounting criteria under IFRS regarding tax contingencies, the Company has recorded a full provision of $13.6 million against the carrying value of the cash tax deposits and a liability for uncertain tax positions of approximately $19.3 million for unpaid taxes and estimated interest for the Companys reassessments. The total of these amounts, $32.9 million, was recognized to income tax expense of $25.5 million and interest expense on uncertain tax position of $7.4 million in the Interim Consolidated Statement of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the three months ended November 30, 2023. The Company and its counsel are evaluating its defense position in respect of the Companys appeal. For a review of the risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, see its most recently filed annual and interim MD&A. For more information please contact: Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This esteemed recognition, coupled with the company's recent "Freeze Dried Product of the Year" win at the Pet Innovation Awards in the United States, solidifies Kelly & Co's as a globally renowned brand, serving customers in numerous countries worldwide. The company's innovative approach to freeze-dried pet food has made it a household name across continents. By employing advanced freeze-drying technology, Kelly & Co's ensures the nutritional integrity and safety of its products, meeting the growing demand for natural and synthetic-free pet foods globally. Mr. Wichitpon Assavachamnan, CEO and Founder of Kelly & Co's, alongside Co-founder Mr. Sittipong Siritantrakool, have been instrumental in navigating their company's trajectory from a promising start-up to an international brand leader. The duo's visionary approach has harnessed the potential of freeze-dried pet food technology, setting a high bar for quality and innovation. Through countless hours of research and development, they pioneered the freeze-drying technology defining Kelly & Co's brand. It has been a long journey for them, overcoming many challenges to get the company to where it is today. However, their dedication to pet health and quality standards remained strong. This commitment has led Kelly & Co's to become a globally recognized brand and leader in the freeze-dried pet food industry. "Being named 'Brand of the Year' at the World Branding Awards is not just a recognition of our product excellence; it's a celebration of our global footprint and the trust consumers around the world place in us," remarked Mr. Wichitpon Assavachamnan, CEO of Kelly & Co's. "Our recent achievements underscore our position as an influential player in the international pet food market." Kelly & Co's rise to prominence is underpinned by its strategic sourcing from suppliers who adhere to humane and sustainable practices, ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality ingredients. This commitment to excellence has been pivotal in the brands rapid growth and wide acceptance in various international markets. Beyond its commercial achievements, Kelly & Co's is deeply dedicated to social responsibility, particularly in animal welfare. The company has forged a significant partnership with The Soi Dog Foundation, focusing on crucial issues like animal welfare, sterilization, and vaccination of animals, rescuing dogs from the meat trade, and rehoming them internationally. This collaboration reflects Kelly & Co's commitment to making a positive impact in the global community, extending its influence beyond the pet food industry. With its recognition as "Brand of the Year" at the World Branding Awards and its status as one of the fastest-growing companies in the freeze-dried pet food industry, Kelly & Co's has firmly established itself as a global brand. As the company continues to expand its market presence, its award-winning status is likely to fortify its position as a leader in the industry, trusted by pet owners worldwide for the health and wellbeing of their pets. Media Contact : Kelly and Companion Co., Ltd. Email : wichitpon@decotia.com Phone : +66 88789 6955 Address : 155 Chaloemphrakiat Rama 9 Soi 30 Dokmai Pravet 10250 Bangkok Thailand. References https://www.kellyandcompanion.com/ https://awards.brandingforum.org/winners-download-page-hp23/featured-animalis-brands-2023-2024/ https://petinnovationawards.com/2023-winners/ SAN DIEGO, Jan. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On January 4, 2024, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, was forced to make an emergency landing minutes after takeoff a panel of the plane (called a door plug) snapped off at 16,000 feet, several passengers experienced injuries requiring medical attention. Reports state that Alaska Airlines stopped 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. As a result, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, grounded 171 of the 737 Max 9 Boeing aircraft indefinitely, and has recently expanded its investigation to include Spirit Spirit AeroSystems, a major supplier to Boeing. If you are a current long-term shareholder of Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, or Alaska Air, you may have standing to hold the Companys harmless from the alleged harm caused by the Company's officers and directors by making them personally responsible. You may also be able to assist in reforming the Company's corporate governance to prevent future wrongdoing. You can click or copy and paste the link below in a browser to join this action: The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) https://www.cognitoforms.com/JohnsonFistel/TheBoeingCompany2 Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPR) https://www.cognitoforms.com/JohnsonFistel/SpiritAeroSystemsHoldingsIncNYSESPR Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK) https://www.cognitoforms.com/JohnsonFistel/AlaskaAirGroupInc Or for more information, contact Jim Baker at jimb@johnsonfistel.com or (619) 814-4471 About Johnson Fistel, LLP: Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York, Georgia, and Colorado. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com . Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Johnson Fistel, LLP has paid for the dissemination of this promotional communication, and Frank J. Johnson is the attorney responsible for its content. Contact: Johnson Fistel, LLP 501 W. Broadway, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101 James Baker, Investor Relations or Frank J. Johnson, Esq., (619) 814-4471 jimb@johnsonfistel.com or fjohnson@johnsonfistel.com VANCOUVER, Jan. 12, 2024 - Nevada Sunrise Metals Corp. ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) (OTC: NVSGF) announced today that it has negotiated an amendment to the terms of an option agreement (the "Agreement") whereby the Company has the right to purchase a 100% interest in the Coronado VMS property ("Coronado", or the "Property"), located in the Tobin Sonoma Range of Pershing County, Nevada, approximately 30 miles (48 kilometres) southeast of Winnemucca. A definitive Agreement was announced on September 28, 2018, and a first amendment to the Agreement was announced on January 31, 2022. Details of the Coronado Amended Option Agreement Terms Nevada Sunrise retains the right to acquire a 100% interest in Coronado, subject to a 2.0% net smelter returns royalty, with certain buydown provisions, in consideration for the amended cash and share payments to the vendors and minimum exploration expenditures as described below (all dollar amounts listed are in US dollars): Coronado VMS Project -Amendments to Schedule of Payments and Expenditures Payment Due Dates Cash Payments (Previous) Amended Cash Payments (2023) Share Payments (Previous) Amended Share Payments (2023) Minimum Exploration Expenditures (Previous) Amended Minimum Exploration Expenditures (2023) Sept. 25, 2021 $50,000 (paid) n/a 500,000 (issued) n/a $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2022 $50,000 (paid) n/a 500,000 (issued) n/a $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2023 $50,000 NIL 500,000 750,000 $300,000 NIL Sept. 25, 2024 $50,000 $75,000 500,000 750,000 $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2025 $50,000 $75,000 500,000 500,000 $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2026 $1,050,000 $1,050,000 600,000 600,000 NIL $300,000 Nevada Sunrise retains the right to accelerate the timing of cash and share payments to the vendors at its discretion. If minimum exploration expenditures, which include property maintenance costs, are exceeded in any year, the excess expenditures will be credited to a succeeding year. An advance royalty payment of $500,000 would be payable to the vendors upon completion of a feasibility study. The second amendment to the Agreement for Coronado is subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. For more information about Coronado, including maps and photos, click here About Nevada Sunrise Nevada Sunrise is a junior mineral exploration company with a strong technical team based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, that holds interests in lithium, gold, and copper exploration projects located in the State of Nevada, USA. Nevada Sunrise owns 100% interests in the Gemini, Jackson Wash and Badlands lithium projects, all of which are located in the Lida Valley basin in Esmeralda County, NV, located just east of the Clayton Valley basin, which hosts the only producing lithium mine in the United States operated by Albemarle Corp. at Silver Peak, NV. The Company owns Nevada water right Permit 86863, also located in the Lida Valley basin, near Lida, NV. The Company's key gold asset is an 18.74% interest in a joint venture at the Kinsley Mountain Gold Project near Wendover, NV with CopAur Minerals Inc. Kinsley Mountain is a Carlin-style gold project hosting a National Instrument 43-101 compliant gold resource consisting of 418,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 2.63 g/t Au (4.95 million tonnes), and 117,000 inferred ounces of gold averaging 1.51 g/t Au (2.44 million tonnes), at cut-off grades ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 g/t Au 1. 1 Technical Report on the Kinsley Project, Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated June 21, 2021 with an effective date of May 5, 2021 and prepared by Michael M. Gustin, Ph.D., and Gary L. Simmons, MMSA and filed under New Placer Dome Gold Corp.'s Issuer Profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Nevada Sunrise has the right to earn a 100% interest in the Coronado VMS Project, located approximately 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Winnemucca, NV. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This release may contain 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 and include disclosure of anticipated exploration activities. 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 forward looking statements. Forward-looking 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 forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Such factors include, among others, risks related to future plans for exploration at Coronado; reliance on technical information provided by third parties on any of our exploration properties; changes in mineral project parameters as plans continue to be refined; current economic conditions; future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or metallurgical recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays due to pandemic; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Nine Months ending June 30, 2023, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Nevada Sunrise has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, 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 such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Nevada Sunrise disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. 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 or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Nevada Sunrise Metals Corp. Toronto, January 12, 2024 - Stratabound Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SB) (OTCQB: SBMIF) ("Stratabound" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it will be hosting an investor presentation and reception on January 19th, 2024 ahead of several key mining conferences coming through Vancouver. Stratabound's management are available to meet in Vancouver during the Metals Investor Forum (Jan 19th - 20th), Vancouver Resources Investment Conference (VRIC January 21st - 22nd), and AMEBC's Roundup (Jan 22th - 25th). Please reach out to info@stratabound.com. Stratabound Investors Reception Date: January 19th 2024 Time: 4 - 6pm PST Place: Terminal City Club. (Wilson Beck room) 837 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6C 1B6 (Dress code applies - no jeans) RSVP by Jan 17th: info@stratabound.com / kevin@jeminicapital.com +1 (647) 725-3888 ext 702 Agenda 4:00-4:30pm Welcome & Networking 4:30-5:15pm Investor Presentation 5:15-6:00pm Reception drinks and appetizers Zoom for remote attendees: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9593297450?pwd=UnRRNDhqOUF4OWp1VGJkZ243dGV3dz09 ABOUT STRATABOUND MINERALS Stratabound Minerals Corp. is a Canadian exploration and development company with grassroots and advanced exploration properties in highly prospective and safe mining jurisdictions. Its Golden Culvert and Win Projects, Yukon, covering 99.5 km2 across a 27-km strike length, are situated in a district-scale, high-grade-gold-mineralized trend within the southern portion of the Tombstone Gold Belt. Gold deposits and occurrences within the Belt include Fort Knox, Pogo, Brewery Creek and Dublin Gulch, and Snowline Gold's Valley target on its Rogue property in the Selwyn Basin. Its McIntyre Brook Project, New Brunswick, covering 120 km2 and a 17-km strike length in the emerging Triple Fault Gold Belt, is surrounded by Puma Exploration's Williams Brook Project (5.55 g/t Au over 50m) and is hosted by orogenic rocks of similar age and structure as New Found Gold's Queensway Project. The Company is also advancing its Fremont Gold development project in the historic Mother Lode Gold Belt of California where 50,000,000 oz of gold has been produced. Fremont, located 500km north of Equinox Gold's Castle Mountain and Mesquite mines, has a PEA with an after-tax NPV of USD $217MM, a 21% IRR, 11-year LOM, averaging 118k ounces per annum at USD $1,750 gold. The project hosts an NI 43-101 resource of 1.16 MMoz at 1.90 g/t Au within 19.0 MMt Indicated, and 2.02 MMoz at 2.22 g/t Au within 28.3 MMt Inferred. The MRE evaluates only 1.4 km of the 4 km strike length of the Fremont property that features 4 gold-mineralized zones. Significantly, three step-out holes at depth hit structure, typical of orogenic deposits that often occur at depth. Fremont is located on private land in Mariposa, the original gold rush county and is 1.5 hours from Fresno, California. The property has year-round road access and is close to airports and rail. Please refer to the Fremont Gold project PEA dated Apr. 4, 2023 under NI 43-101 guidelines. The technical report has been reviewed and approved by independent "Qualified Persons" Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, and Andrew Bradfield, P.Eng. both of P&E, and Travis Manning, P.E. of KCA. The Company also holds a pipeline of early-stage exploration projects including the critical mineral Captain Cobalt-Copper-Gold Deposit in New Brunswick and the Dingman Gold Project, Ontario. QUALIFED PERSON STATEMENT The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, Director, BSc (Hons) (Economic Geology - UCT), FAUSIMM, and who is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.stratabound.com or contact: Gary Nassif Senior Vice President, Director info@stratabound.com +1 (416) 915-4157 Kevin Shum Investor Relations kevin@jeminicapital.com +1 (647) 725-3888 ext 702 Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. WARNING: The Company relies upon litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements. The information in this release may contain forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. This forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking information. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, changes in laws or regulations, failure to obtain regulatory, exchange or shareholder approval, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this forward-looking information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/194194 Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States Vancouver - Jan 12, 2024 -- Gold Basin Resources Corp. (the "Company" or "Gold Basin") - (TSXV:GXX) (OTC:GXXFF) today announced a non-brokered private placement (the "Financing") of up to 15,000,000 units at a price of $0.10 per unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000 CAD. Each unit will be comprised of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will be exercisable at a price of $0.15 for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance. The Company anticipates closing the Financing in February 2024. The proceeds of the Financing are intended to fund future and ongoing exploration campaigns at Gold Basin's mineral project, including drilling, soil sampling, and geophysics, and general working capital. The Company may pay finder's fees to eligible finders equal to 6% cash and 6% broker warrants, each broker warrant exercisable at $0.15 for a period of 12 months, on certain portions of the Financing in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). All securities issued in connection with the Financing will be subject to a hold period of four-months and one day in Canada. The Financing is subject to TSXV approval. The securities referred to in this news release have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, unless an exemption from such registration is available. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities for sale, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements. "United States" and "U.S. person" have the respective meanings assigned in Regulation S under the U.S Securities Act. 2024 Shareholder Meeting The Company announces that it has scheduled its 2024 annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "AGSM") for March 15, 2024. Further details of the AGSM will be set out in the notice of meeting and management information circular for the AGSM. At the AGSM, shareholders will be asked to, amongst other customary annual matters, ratify and approve an advance notice policy (the "Advance Notice Policy") adopted by the board of directors. The purpose of the Advance Notice Policy is to provide shareholders, directors, and management of the Company with guidance on the nomination of directors. The Advance Notice Policy includes, among other things, a provision that requires advance notice to be given by shareholders to the Company (the "Notice") in circumstances where nominations of persons for election to the board of directors (the "Board") are made by shareholders of the Company other than pursuant to: (i) a requisition of a meeting made in accordance with the provisions of the British Columbia Business Corporations Act (the "Act"); or (ii) a shareholder proposal made in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The Advance Notice Policy sets forth the information that a shareholder must include in the Notice and establishes a prescribed form of Notice. In addition, the Advance Notice Policy sets the deadline by which shareholders of the Company must submit the Notice to the Company. In the case of an annual general meeting of shareholders (a "Meeting"), the Notice must be delivered to the Company not less than 30 days and not more than 65 days prior to the date of the Meeting. However, in the event that the Meeting is to be held on a date that is less than 50 days after the date on which the first public announcement of the date of the Meeting was made, the Notice may be delivered not later than the close of business on the 10th day following such public announcement. In the case of a special meeting of shareholders (a "Special Meeting") called for the purpose of electing directors (which is not also an annual general meeting) the Notice must be delivered to the Company not later than the close of business on the 15th day following the day on which the first public announcement of the date of the Special Meeting was made. The Advance Notice Policy is in full force and effect as of the date it was approved by the Board. If the Advance Notice Policy is not approved at the AGSM by an ordinary resolution of shareholders, the Advance Notice Policy will terminate and be of no further force and effect following the termination of the AGSM. ABOUT GOLD BASIN RESOURCES CORPORATION Gold Basin Resources Corp. is advancing the 42 km2 Gold Basin Project, located in the tier one mining jurisdiction of Mohave County, Arizona. Gold Basin is accessible year-round via a 1.5-hour-drive on I-93 Highway southwest of Las Vegas, and high-power electrical lines from the Hoover Dam crosscut the southern Project area. The immediate focus of Gold Basin's highly experienced technical team is to expand and delineate multiple at-surface oxide gold deposits and prove the project's district-scale potential. For further information, please visit the Company's web site at: www.goldbasincorp.com. Gold Basin is a member of Discovery Group, an alliance of public companies focused on the advancement of mineral exploration and mining projects. For more information please visit: www.discoverygroup.ca. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Colin Smith Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Michael Rapsch VP, Corporate Development Phone: 1-604-331-5093 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. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the Financing, payment of finder's fees, the use of proceeds from the Financing, the holding of the AGSM and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the closing of the Financing, anticipated business plans, direction and timing of future activities of the Company, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSXV), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's continuous disclosure documents. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review these materials. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Vancouver, January 12, 2024 - Scorpio Gold Corp. (TSXV: SGN) ("Scorpio Gold" or the "Company") announces that it is extending the closing of the second tranche of the Company's non-brokered private placement described in the press release dated December 1, 2023 (the "Private Placement") to a date on or around January 18, 2024, with a final tranche closing for the Private Placement to be on or about January 23, 2024. As previously described, the Company intends to raise gross proceeds to the Company of up to $4,000,000 in the Private Placement by the issuance of up to 26,666,666 units of the Company at a price of $0.15 per unit. Each unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant, with each warrant exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.20 for a period of two years from the date of issuance. The Company closed a first tranche of the Private Placement raising gross proceeds of $480,000, as announced in the Company's press release dated December 13, 2023. The Private Placement is to be completed prior to closing of the Company's proposed acquisition of all the outstanding shares of Altus Gold Corp. (the "Transaction"). The Company plans to use the proceeds of the Private Placement for general working capital purposes. For further details on the Transaction, see the Company's press release dated November 8, 2023. The Private Placement is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF Scorpio Gold Corp. Chris Zerga, President and CEO Tel: (819) 825-7618 Email: czerga@scorpiogold.com Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements The Company relies on litigation protection for forward-looking statements. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding use of proceeds, anticipated closing of the remainder of the Private Placement and final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange for the Private Placement. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate, that the management's assumptions may not be correct and that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements, including financial markets generally, receipt of all regulatory approvals required for the Private Placement, the inability to complete the Private Placement and those risk factors outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on SEDAR+. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which 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. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/194201 Republicans longstanding legislative majority would be reduced under most maps proposed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday, two weeks after the current boundaries were struck down as unconstitutional. But Democratic legislative majorities arent very likely under any of the submitted map proposals, one of which the court will likely select for use in the 2024 elections. Most of the proposals would keep Republicans in charge of the Legislature, though some would give Democrats a possible path to legislative control if they secure a higher statewide vote. The series of seven proposals arose out of a lawsuit brought by liberal firm Law Forward against the Wisconsin Elections Commission and Republican legislative leaders. In addition to Law Forward and the Republican leaders, additional maps were submitted by several parties that intervened in the case including Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, Democratic lawmakers, intervenors who joined the plaintiffs cause and a redistricting consultant. In its 4-3 ruling, the courts liberal majority said the current Republican maps are unconstitutional because a large number of districts contain territory that is not contiguous. But in ordering new maps, the court added another requirement: that any new maps also not favor one party over another. That amounted to a major victory for Democrats, because experts say the current legislative maps have a baked-in Republican advantage. In submitting their maps Friday, Republican legislative leaders urged the court to select a map that does nothing more than fix the contiguity issue, instead of focusing on selecting maps that are also politically neutral. Each party submitted voluminous briefs and appendices late Friday, the contours of which will become evident as teams of experts comb through them. While hewing to the courts requirement that the maps contain contiguous districts, each also noted how its map might affect the legislative makeup in future elections given the results from past ones. Heres a first look at the competing plans. The plaintiffs The Democratic plaintiffs who brought the case proposed maps that would give Republicans an advantage in 52% of legislative seats a steep reduction from the GOPs current standing, their lawyers said. The maps would give Republicans about 52 seats in the 99-member Assembly, down from 64, and 17 in the 33-member Senate, down from a 22-seat supermajority. The plaintiffs said they abided by the courts requirements and refuted the argument that Wisconsins political geography all but ensures a Republican legislative majority. Republicans have long said theyre nearly certain to hold the majority under neutral maps because Democrats are clustered in the states biggest cities but Republicans are spread more evenly throughout the state. The states political geography cannot justify a skewed remedial map, they said. Gov. Evers Evers proposed maps could potentially led to Democrats gaining a legislative majority. If Democratic candidates under his proposed maps perform as well as he did in the 2022 election, Democrats would have a 52-47 Assembly majority and an 18-15 Senate majority. But if they perform under Evers proposed maps as well as former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes did that year, Republicans would have a 51-48 Assembly majority and 17-16 Senate majority. Were a purple state, and our maps should reflect that basic fact, Evers said in a statement. Ive always promised Id fight for fair maps not maps that favor one political party or another and thats a promise Im proud to keep with the maps Im submitting today. Legislature The Republican-controlled Legislature proposed a set of legislative maps that ensure districts are contiguous districts but dont abide by the courts preference for them to be neutral. They called fixing the noncontiguous districts the only conceivable remedy within the Courts judicial power. Attorneys for GOP legislators added that redrawing every state district would harm voters and elected officials, many of whom would be drawn into new legislative seats. The maps they proposed would give Republicans 16 likely Senate seats, 51 likely Assembly seats, eight competitive districts in the Senate and 16 in the Assembly similar to the current maps. The disagreement between Republican legislators and the Wisconsin Supreme Court sets up what is likely to become an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court over the December decision. Republican legislators say liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz should have recused herself from the case because she received funds from Democrats and called the current maps rigged while she was a candidate for the court. Republicans also allege the decision violated the 14th Amendments due process guarantee, depriving the parties of a full and fair opportunity to litigate this case. WILL An alternative Republican set of maps would likely reduce Assembly Republicans majority from 64 to 56 and the GOP Senate majority from 22 to 20, attorneys for WILL say. But the conservative firm representing the GOP proponents of those maps called on the high court to choose its maps only if it rejects the Legislatures maps or any other similar remedy that does nothing more than fix the contiguity violation this Court has identified. Republicans would still have strong majorities under the WILL maps, which the group attributes to their advantage given Wisconsins political geography. Plaintiff intervenors Another proposal offered by intervenors acting on behalf of the liberal plaintiffs would likely give legislative control to the party that wins the most statewide voters, their lawyers say. The maps would include 30 legislative districts with competitive races, court files state, with the victor between a Democratic and Republican candidate likely winning by no more than 6%. Democratic senators Maps submitted by Democratic senators would likely give Republicans 54 Assembly seats and 12 Senate seats if they get a 50% statewide vote, their lawyers said. Under those maps, Republicans would have to win 47.8% of the statewide vote for an Assembly majority and 48.9% of the statewide vote for a Senate majority. The maps would include 30 legislative districts with competitive races, court files state, with the victor between a Democratic and Republican candidate likely winning by no more than 10%. Redistricting consultant Additionally, redistricting consultant Matthew Petering asked the court to submit a map that he said very slightly favors Republicans, but would likely give legislative control to the party that wins a higher statewide vote share. Under that set of maps, there would be 29 Assembly districts and 10 Senate districts that put the winning candidate within 10% of the losing candidate. Next steps The court will now have two court-hired redistricting consultants University of California, Irvine political science professor Bernard Grofman and Carnegie Mellon University postdoctoral fellow Jonathan Cervas evaluate the maps by Feb. 1. The court would then choose maps unless the Legislature first proposes new maps that Evers signs into law. Legislative leaders havent made clear that theyll try to implement new maps through the Legislature. Wisconsin Elections Commission staff have called for the new maps to be submitted by mid-March to be ready for the August primary. Candidates will also need to check which district the new maps place them in, and the area theyll be running to represent, as the first day to circulate nomination papers for the November election is April 15. Nomination papers are due by June 1, and the partisan primary is scheduled for Aug. 13. Haiti - FLASH : Dramatic situation of the Haitian population "In 2023, the crises affecting Haiti in the security, judicial, political and humanitarian areas have worsened. The number of murders, kidnappings and sexual violence perpetrated by criminal gangs has increased considerably. The State response was weak to non-existent, and the justice system barely functioned. More than 40% of Haiti's residents have experienced serious food insecurity. Access to electricity, clean water, sanitation, medical care, and education has been severely limited," says a recent Human Rights Watch report on events in 2023. According to the World Bank, around 59% of Haiti's population of around 11.5 million lived on less than US$3.65 per day in 2023. Some 5.2 million people were in need of assistance with food and housing, an increase of 20% compared to 2022; of these, 4.9 million people were severely food insecure. Until the beginning of 2023, only a third of Haitians had access to electricity, but intermittently and at high cost. Only 55% of Haitian households had access to drinking water and two-thirds of the population had limited or no access to sanitation services, worsening the spread of cholera. International organizations estimate that 75% of the country's medical facilities have inadequate medical supplies and insufficiently trained staff. Insecurity has triggered an exodus of health providers from Haiti in recent years. For its part, UNICEF deplores "Nearly half of Haitians aged at least 15 are illiterate; in 2020, only 46% of children completed primary school. The quality and availability of public education is generally low, and 85% of primary schools and even more secondary schools were private in 2020. High schooling costs, attacks on schools and children on their way to school, as well as a lack of infrastructure and staff have deprived 4.2 million children of their right to education." HL/ HaitiLibre Columbus Community Hospital recently received a national award through the 30th anniversary National Health Information Awards, which honors the nations best consumer health programs and materials. The National Health Information Awards is organized by the Health Information Resource Center (HIRC), a national clearinghouse for professionals who work in the consumer health field. Entries were submitted by various leading organizations in the consumer health field, and the awards program is considered the most comprehensive competition of its kind. A panel of consumer health experts from across the nation judged the entries based on content, format, success in reaching the targeted audience and overall quality. Based on these criteria, the judges awarded gold, silver, bronze and merit certificates by class, division and category. The hospital received the silver award for its summer 2022 Housecall magazine in the Health Promotion/Disease and Injury Prevention Information category. To learn more about Columbus Community Hospitals services or to sign up for the Houscall mailing list, visit columbushosp.org. There is no place like Montana. Our state is defined by rugged landscapes and rugged individualism. Montanans cherish our freedoms, work hard, act with integrity, and treat each other with respect. We also know that actions speak louder than words. As the 2024 elections approach, we should use Montana values to assess our candidates and ask ourselves: Do they represent the interests of all Montanans or the interests of one political extreme or another? Do they focus on doing their job or on advancing their political careers? Do they bring people together or drive us apart? This is especia... There are four qualifications set forth in the U.S.Constitution that must be met before any Person can be placed on the ballot and run for the Office of President: 1) you must be a natural born Citizen; 2) you must have attained the age of thirty-five years; 3) you must have been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States; and 4) you cannot have violated the Disqualification Rule of the 14th Amendment which entails having previously sworn an oath to support the Constitution and subsequently engaging in insurrection against it. Theres nothing mysterious o... The Eurovision Song Contest , an annual event celebrated for its diverse showcase of musical talent across Europe and beyond, is facing a wave of controversy this year, sparked by Finnish rapper Jesse Markin 's bold statement. Markin, a finalist in Finland's UMK Contest for New Music and a contender to represent the country at Eurovision, has publicly declared that he will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete. This announcement comes amidst a backdrop of international criticism directed at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organiser of the Eurovision Song Contest, for permitting Israel's participation. Critics cite Israel's actions in Gaza as a primary concern, leading to calls for a boycott. The situation echoes a similar scenario in 2022 when Russia was banned swiftly from the contest after invasion of Ukraine. Russia's ban from the Eurovision Song Contest was a decision made by the EBU in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine, reflecting a stand against actions considered to be in stark violation of the contest's values and the broader principles of international law and cooperation. Considering that Israel has killed more civilians and children in 90 days in Gaza than were killed in the entire Ukraine war, it is surprising that EBU has not already banned Israel. Markin's stance is not isolated. Sini Sabotage, another UMK finalist, expressed similar sentiments, stating that she would reconsider her participation if she wins the qualifier, citing a reluctance to support war. The remaining five UMK finalists are awaiting further decisions from the EBU and Yle, Finland's public broadcaster responsible for organising the UMK competition. The controversy has gained momentum with over 1,400 professionals in the Finnish music industry signing a petition urging Yle to pressure the EBU to either ban Israel from this year's contest or to boycott it entirely. The petition highlights ethical concerns, stating, "It is not in accordance with our values that a country that commits war crimes and continues a military occupation is given a public stage to polish its image in the name of music." This situation reflects the complex interplay between cultural events like Eurovision and the broader political landscape. In this case, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and actions in Gaza have become focal points of international debate and protest. Anssi Autio, UMK's executive producer, clarified that Markin's announcement does not affect his participation in UMK, as it is a separate competition. Autio noted that the situation might change by the time UMK's final takes place, and the EBU might have made a decision regarding Israel's participation. Yle's response has been cautious, with Creative Director Ville Vilen stating that the broadcaster is closely monitoring the situation and awaiting the EBU's decision. The EBU, for its part, has maintained that the Eurovision Song Contest is a competition between broadcasting companies, not governments, and has not indicated any obstacles to Israel's participation, highlighting that the contest is intended to be a non-political event uniting audiences through music. This unfolding scenario presents a challenge for the EBU and national broadcasters, balancing the non-political ethos of Eurovision with the ethical and political concerns raised by participants and the public. The decision ahead for the EBU and Yle could have significant implications for the future of the contest and its role as a platform for cultural expression amid complex global issues. HT The letter, which surfaced in public domain following a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle, strongly urges Finland to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. In an unprecedented move, 79 employees of the Finnish Foreign Ministry have collectively expressed their concerns over Finland's response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza through a letter addressed to Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen . This gesture, a rarity in Finnish diplomatic circles, underscores a growing unease within the ministry regarding the nations Middle East policy. The diplomats criticise what they perceive as Israel's excessive use of force and potential violations of international law. This criticism is rooted in recent events where civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools in Gaza, have been targeted, raising serious humanitarian and legal concerns. Foreign Minister Valtonen, a member of the National Coalition Party (NCP), responded to the letter by affirming the importance of discussing Finland's foreign policies. She emphasised that Finland's stance in the Middle East is built on the pillars of human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and equality. Valtonen also highlighted Finland's support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its ongoing efforts to gather evidence of potential war crimes in the region. In a statement that indicates Finland's impartial stance, Valtonen declared the nation's readiness to condemn the perpetrators of crimes in the conflict, irrespective of their identity. She also reiterated Finland's consistent disapproval of Israel's activities in illegal settlements in the West Bank. The letter's emergence coincides with Finland's changing voting patterns in the United Nations. In October, Finland abstained from voting on a U.N. resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, citing the lack of condemnation of attacks by Hamas, labeled as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, but seen as freedom fighters by the rest of the world. However, in December, less than a month after receiving the letter, Finland voted in favour of a U.N. General Assembly resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The letter has sparked varied reactions. While some veteran diplomats view it as a brave and necessary step, others deem it inappropriate. The controversy extends to the political arena as well, with Finns Party MP Jani Makela criticising the diplomats for overstepping their authority and suggesting those involved should consider resigning. The situation highlights a generational divide within the ministry, with most signatories being younger employees. It also reflects a broader debate on the role of civil servants in shaping foreign policy, especially in matters as complex and sensitive as the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Finnish government, particularly parties like the National Coalition, the Finns Party, and the Christian Democrats, have historically shown support for Israel's policies. This stance has occasionally clashed with calls for a more balanced approach towards Israel and Palestine, as voiced by the diplomats in their letter. This development comes at a time when the conflict in Gaza continues to escalate, with mounting civilian casualties already surpassing 20 000, half of them children, and widespread destruction. Below, Helsinki Times publishes the full translation of the letter which was delivered to Valtonen in Finnish: Dear Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, We thank you for your article published in Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday, November 18. We consider the message of the article about the need to protect civilians important. At the same time, we see that Finland should act more concretely towards this goal: by condemning Israel's violations of international law and demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. We share herewith a letter from 79 foreign administration employees on the subject. The letter is intended for internal exchange of views. We hope that we can continue the discussion during tomorrow's staff info or later. Finland should condemn Israel's violations of international law and demand a ceasefire in Gaza. The brutal attacks of the terrorist organization Hamas in Israel on October 7 shocked the whole world. Israel has the right to defend its civilian population, as do all nations. The hostages taken by Hamas must be released. Military operations must comply with international humanitarian law under all circumstances, regardless of what triggered the conflict. War crimes do not justify war crimes. By November 10, the bombings by Israel in Gaza had killed an estimated 11,078 people, of which 4,506 were children and 3,027 were women. More children have already died than the average annual number of child deaths in conflicts worldwide. More UN workers have died during this time than in any other conflict ever before. The UN has repeatedly stated that there is no safe place for civilians in Gaza, not even in the south, to which Israel has urged Palestinians to move. In its countermeasures in Gaza, Israel has clearly exceeded the limits of the principle of proportionality, targeting civilian infrastructure and buildings under special protection, such as hospitals and schools. These are likely violations of international law, even war crimes. Israel has a special responsibility to protect civilians in the areas it occupies. Finland cannot forget its own long-standing demand for respect for the rule-based system. To do so would be directly contrary to our own interest. The government program states that Finland promotes a rule-based world order. One of the focuses of Finland's foreign and security policy is to engage the global south in the rule-based order, democracy, and the promotion of human rights. In addition to Hamas's terrorist attack and blatant violations of international law, such as taking hostages and using human shields, Finland must also condemn Israel's violations of international law and demand a ceasefire in Gaza. So far, Finland has not condemned Israel's disproportionate use of force in Gaza. Regarding the UN resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza on October 27, Finland abstained from voting, even though many other EU countries and Norway voted in favor. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must be brought to an end, and those responsible for the conflict must be held accountable. By consistently demanding respect for international law and condemning its clear violations, Finland can maintain its reputation as a defender of human rights, the UN Charter, and international law. More importantly, only in this way can Finland participate in maintaining the international rule-based system. It is also the foundation of our own security. The Finnish diplomats' letter is not just a call for a policy review but also a reminder of the moral and legal responsibilities that nations bear on the international stage. As the situation evolves, Finland's response will be closely watched by the international community, singling not just its stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict but also its commitment to human rights and international law. HT 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. PhotoFiles: Wounded Knee trials in Lincoln Remembering Wounded Knee trials Remembering Wounded Knee trials Remembering Wounded Knee trials Remembering Wounded Knee trials Remembering Wounded Knee trials Remembering Wounded Knee trials Remembering Wounded Knee trials Remembering Wounded Knee trials Gonzalo Lira , a Chilean-American war commentator known for his critical views on the Zelensky regime and Russia-Ukraine conflict, passed away on January 11, 2024, in a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Lira's death followed an eight-month imprisonment on charges of justifying Russia's military actions in Ukraine, sparking international controversy and raising questions about freedom of speech and human rights during wartime. Gonzalo Lira gained notoriety in 2022 as a vocal critic of what he perceived as increasing authoritarianism in Ukraine. Lira saw the conflict as a proxy war waged by US against Russia and critisised the loss of life for a futile and unwindable war. His arrest in May 2023, under the charges of "production and dissemination of materials justifying Russias armed aggression against Ukraine," was a turning point. It not only highlighted the complexities of war-time free speech but also catalysed opposition movements against US funding for the conflict. High-profile figures like tech mogul Elon Musk and Fox News host Tucker Carlson called for his release, bringing global attention to his case. The news of Lira's deteriorating health emerged from communications between his father, Gonzalo Lira Sr., and the US embassy. Documents and emails revealed attempts by Lira Sr. to alert the embassy about his son's critical condition and the lack of transparency from Ukrainian authorities regarding his health status. I cannot accept the way my son has died. He was tortured, extorted, incommunicado for 8 months and 11 days and the US Embassy did nothing to help my son, Lira Sr. stated in an email announcing the news. The responsibility of this tragedy is [with] the dictator Zelensky with the concurrence of a senile American President, Joe Biden, he wrote, adding: My pain is unbearable. The world must know what is going on in Ukraine with that inhuman dictator Zelensky. In a poignant hand written note, Lira described his health ordeal, including double pneumonia, pneumothorax, and severe oedema. This letter, believed to be his last written correspondence, detailed the neglect he faced in prison. Despite these alarming symptoms, proper medical attention was reportedly delayed until it was too late. The letter reads: I have had double pneumonia (both lungs) as well as pneumothorax and a very severe case of edema (swelling of the body). All this started in mid-October, but was ignored by the prison. They only admitted I had pneumonia at a Dec. 22 hearing. I am about to have a procedure to reduce the edema pressure in my lungs, which is causing me extreme shortness of breath, to the point of passing out after minimal activity, or even just talking for 2 minutes. Lira Sr.'s persistent efforts to seek help from the US embassy and to ensure his son's welfare while hospitalised went unheeded. His worst fears were confirmed a week later with the news of his son's death. In a heart-wrenching statement, Lira Sr. condemned both the Ukrainian and US governments for their roles in his son's demise, calling it a result of "torture, extortion, and incommunicado detention." In a significant development last August, Gonzalo Lira, after being silent on social media for months following his arrest by Ukrainian authorities, reemerged with messages claiming he was attempting to escape Ukraine. However, his efforts were reportedly thwarted, leading to rumours of his recapture. Mark Sleboda, an international relations analyst, affirmed on social media that Lira had attempted to flee to Hungary to request political asylum but was stopped at the Ukrainian border. Lira's posts detailed his ordeal, including allegations of torture and extortion for $70,000 while detained. He also expressed skepticism about receiving political asylum in any European Union country other than Hungary, fearing deportation back to Ukraine. The last communication from Lira hinted at the risk of being sent to a labor camp, with subsequent silence raising concerns about his fate. The US Department of State eventually confirmed Lira's death, extending condolences to the family but refraining from further comments. This confirmation followed Tucker Carlson's report on Lira's death and Elon Musk's earlier appeals to Ukrainian President Zelensky to explain Lira's arrest and detention. Russian authorities had previously called for the global journalistic community to defend Lira, highlighting the complex geopolitical implications of his case. The SBU maintained that Lira was lawfully arrested and detained, adding another layer to this international dispute. HT Venezuelas Petro Cryptocurrency to Cease Operations on Jan 15 Venezuelas national cryptocurrency, the Petro (PTR), is set to cease operations on January 15. The Petro, introduced in 2018 with the goal of helping the country evade United States sanctions, failed to gain widespread adoption throughout its existence. The official announcement regarding Petros shutdown was reportedly made on a government-run website dedicated to the cryptocurrency, though the website is not accessible at the time of writing. The administrative section of the Venezuelan Patria website, which was supposedly the sole platform for Petro trading, is now only accessible through a password. The Petro was initially launched as an oil-backed cryptocurrency after Venezuelas fiat currency, the bolivar, faced significant devaluation due to the pressure of United States sanctions. The move came after Bitcoin had already established a strong presence in the country. The Petro Failed to Gather Traction in Venezuela The issuance of the Petro was mandated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but it faced opposition from the parliament. Despite achieving full functionality in 2020, the Petro failed to gain traction internationally. The Maduro government made efforts to promote it to the ten member states of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, but these attempts did not lead to widespread adoption. Domestically, the Petro was never declared legal tender, meaning that its acceptance was not mandatory. Notably, even the countrys largest bank, Banco de Venezuela, would not accept Petro without a presidential order compelling it to do so. In June 2020, the situation took a more dramatic turn when the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offered a $5 million bounty for the capture of Joselit Ramirez Camacho, the head of the National Superintendency of Crypto Assets responsible for overseeing the Petro. He was accused of having ties to international narcotics trading. Ramirez Camacho was eventually arrested in Venezuela in March 2023 on charges related to financial improprieties within the national oil industry. Consequently, the agency under his leadership was closed for reorganization, and its closure was later extended until March 2024. This crackdown also led to the closure of various crypto exchanges and mining operations in the country. Its essential to note that the Petro was not a central bank digital currency (CBDC), despite the Central Bank of Venezuelas announcement of plans to create one in 2021. Unfortunately, those plans never materialized, leaving the Petro as a failed attempt at navigating the economic challenges facing Venezuela. In March last year, the state regulators ordered a halt on mining cryptocurrencies after an investigation into a corruption scheme in which crypto wallets redirected payments owed to the state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela. Makar Sankranti in 2024, which will occur on January 15 in the leap year, is significant as the sun transits to Capricorn. According to astrological predictions, let us unveil how this shift will influence all the 12 zodiac signs, from Aries to Pisces, during this auspicious time of the Hindu festival. Let us unveil how the Sun's transit in Capricorn will influence all the 12 zodiac signs, from Aries to Pisces, during this auspicious time of the Hindu festival.(Freepik) Aries (March 21 to April 19) During Makar Sankranti, you might want recognition at work. But be cautious because wanting this too much might cause problems with your bosses. And if you're married, there could be some difficulties with your mother-in-law. Also, your job path might feel a bit confusing, so Aries people need to be careful and think things through during this time. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Focusing on obedience and discipline for success is recommended during the Sun transits in Capricorn. There's a chance that some might start a long journey, possibly even moving to another country. Keep an eye on relationships with fathers, as there might be some strains, and paying attention to their health is essential. Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Partnership businesses might see unexpected success during this time. It's crucial to pay attention to health matters, as unforeseen injuries could be possible, so be cautious. There's a possibility of gaining from inheritances, and if you're involved in research or astrology, discoveries may come your way during this period. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Romantic relationships might encounter disagreements on this day. Paying attention to your spouse's health is essential, as it could lead to problems in business partnerships because of contract issues. It's a good idea to be responsible in both your personal and professional life during the time of Makar Sankranti. Leo (July 23 - August 22) The planetary positions indicate that career opportunities may brighten, opening doors to new opportunities with more responsibilities. While there might be some minor health concerns, the recovery is expected to be quick. Sticking to a routine and maintaining physical workouts during this period is recommended for Leo zodiac signs. Virgo (August 23 - September 22) The desire to explore new knowledge may arise during Makar Sankranti for the people who fall under this Virgo sign. However, it's important to be cautious when dealing with the stock market to avoid possible losses. Children might experience health issues, and they may need support. There could also be some turbulence in relationships during this period. Libra (September 23 - October 22) According to astrological predictions, Makar Sankranti may bring feelings of dissatisfaction in their emotional lives. It's advised to be cautious about investments related to land matters. Concerns about the mother's health might arise, and unexpected changes in the career front are likely to occur on this day. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) People who fall under the seventh sign on the zodiac list might have to deal with unexpected travels, whether personal or work-related. It's important to be extra careful when reading and signing documents. Transparent communication becomes crucial, especially in maintaining good relationships with younger siblings. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) Sagittarius can anticipate materialistic gains during this Makar Sankranti period, with unexpected money coming their way. Taking extra care of health, particularly guarding against eye or throat infections, is important. It's advised to avoid unnecessary arguments and choose words wisely during this time. Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) For Capricorn, internal contradictions in their personality might come to the surface during Makar Sankranti. This could lead to confusion and potential disturbances in their personal life. Navigating through this period with a careful approach becomes crucial for them. Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Aquarius might face disruptions in mental peace and sleep patterns during Makar Sankranti. Some may take on professional commitments abroad, so it's important to be cautious against eye-related ailments. Engaging in philanthropy or charitable activities is encouraged during this period. Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Pisceans are likely to receive financial gains during this auspicious time of the Hindu festival. However, be prepared for potential differences with elder siblings. It's advisable to be cautious and not blindly trust others, as an old friend may betray your trust. Children in the family may pursue higher studies, and an increase in income is on the horizon for this zodiac sign. A narrative of a rich material culture This weeks pick of interesting reads includes a fine volume on Kashmiri carpets and rugs, one on how beef eating is many things to many people in contemporary India, and a memoir about fighting to stay true to oneself. (HT Team) 236pp, 2500; Niyogi Books (From kaleens to wagoo mats, a look at cultural practices woven into the tradition of Kashmiri floor coverings) This book focuses on the floor covering traditions of Kashmir, which has been historically famous as a producer of the world-renowned pashmina shawl. However, the region also produces a variety of floor coverings that are an essential part of its households and its handicraft industry. The variety of floor coverings produced differs in design, their mode of production, the raw material used and the region of production. Kaleen-weaving is a long-standing tradition, dating back to over 600 years, while floor coverings such as wagoo mats trace their antiquity to the Indus Valley Civilization. This book intends to serve as a lasting narrative of the rich material culture of the Kashmir region. It identifies significant cultural units in design to showcase the age-old craft traditions in production that are integral to regional tangible and intangible cultural practices.* Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Totem and taboo 216pp, 399; HarperCollins (Looking at why beef eating is simultaneously a violation of a sacred taboo, an expression of marginalized identities, and a road to cosmopolitanism in contemporary India) Bovine politics exposes fault lines within contemporary Indian society, where eating beef is simultaneously a violation of sacred taboos, an expression of marginalized identities, and a route to cosmopolitan sophistication. The recent rise of Hindu nationalism has further polarized traditional views: Dalits, Muslims, and Christians protest threats to their beef-eating heritage while Hindu fundamentalists rally against those who eat the sacred cow. Yet close observation of what people do and do not eat, the styles and contexts within which they do so, and the disparities between rhetoric and everyday action overturns this simplistic binary opposition.Understanding how a food can be implicated in riots, vigilante attacks, and even murders demands that we look beyond immediate politics to wider contexts. Drawing on decades of ethnographic research in South India, James Staples charts how cattle owners, brokers, butchers, cooks, and occasional beef eaters navigate the contemporary political and cultural climate. Sacred Cows and Chicken Manchurian offers a fine-grained exploration of the current situation, locating it within the wider anthropology of food and eating in the region and revealing critical aspects of what it is to be Indian in the twenty-first century.* Struggling to stay true to herself 328pp, 499; Speaking Tiger (An inspirational story about fighting social disapproval to stay true to oneself) Santa Khurai was 17 when she decided to start dressing like a woman. Born male, she had always believed herself to be female, and she claimed her feminine identity fiercely and openly. Her bold act of wearing dresses and make-up in public brought down upon her the wrath of her father, insults and ridicule wherever she went. The humiliation and physical attacks did not deter her. My desire to be a woman, a beautiful, fashionable woman, was so strong that I was not afraid of challenging anything that came in the way I felt that I could bear anything but I could not live like a man.The price she has had to pay is high. Knocking on doors for a job, she found that most times, no one would employ her because of the way she looked. When she eventually found success as a make-up artist, with her own beauty parlour, the stress of her struggles sent her spiralling into drug abuse and penury. Fighting her way through these troubles, she became involved with the transgender movement, and in 2010, she was appointed Secretary of the All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association (AMaNA). Since then, she has worked closely with AMaNA and its sister organization, Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHII). Today, she is at the forefront of the LGBTQ movement in Manipur, travelling the world to speak for her community.Santa Khurai has known the heartbreak of an abusive marriage with a heterosexual man, and the joy of adopting a son; the highs and lows of international recognition and disownment by her own family. Through it all, she has remained true to herself, and refused to be broken. Her story is an inspiration for all humanity.* *All copy from book flap. Ali Akbar Natiq, the Urdu poet, has been the toast of the town among the Urdu literati in recent years. Accordingly, I came to his first novel Naulakhi Kothi with a great deal of excitement, not least because it also depicted a pre-Partition Punjab. Alas, I was much disappointed. View of Wah village in Rawalpindi district, Punjab, 1934. (Bristol Archives/Universal Image) 480pp, Rs599; Penguin While the translation by Naima Rashid was quite eloquent, the novel, as with much contemporary Urdu prose writing, is heavily overwritten. It could have done with careful editing, which should have reduced the novel by a hundred pages or more. The storyline and plot are cliched and avoid the immense realm of possibility that the pre-independent-state and pre-divided Punjab could have provided. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In contrast, in 2010, the Pakistani-American anglophone writer Daniyal Mueenuddin published what I consider the best English book of fiction to come out of Pakistan In Other Rooms, Other Wonders also about feudal Punjab. It won The Story Prize worth $20000 and was shortlisted for most major American prizes including the Pulitzer. The short story collection described rural (Pakistani) Punjab and its society with exquisite detail and great humanity. There was also great nuance to each characters inner life and its contradictions. The themes revolved around the collections epigraph, which is a common aphorism around mens driving forces in Punjab, zan, zar, zameen, women, money, and land. However, where Mueenuddin had worked with precision, insight and delicate balance, Natiq writes with a free and laboured hand as well as cliches. It is as if Punjab has nothing but avarice for zan, zar, zameen in Natiqs world. The story may be said to revolve around four protagonists and their life trajectories. William is a white colonial civil servant who returns at the beginning of the novel, one may surmise in the 1930s, to his land of birth, the Punjab, after his education in England. It is his investment in his ancestral mansion Naulakhi Kothi near Okara that gives the novel its name. A parallel England-returned character is Ghulam Haider, who ends up performing the role of a Michael Corleone figure to his recently deceased (God)father Sher Haiders feudal empire after the rival Sikh lord, Sardar Sauda Singh, begins attacking his lands, stealing his cattle and produce, and killing his men. The third storyline is of the grovelling Maulvi Karamat who ends up in colonial school, setting his son up who, in turn, sets up his son in colonial and subsequently Pakistani bureaucracy through recourse to a mix of the tools and skills provided by education, religion, and obsequious sycophancy. All the characters work as types, showing no real development or even proper humanity, apart from working through masculinist tropes or exhibiting their love of land and money. The land that has given us such a large repertoire of love stories and songs of the famous lovers Heer-Ranjha, Soni-Mahewal, Shashi-Punnu, and Mirza-Saheban, is devoid in Natiqs work of all tender emotion or characters with any emotional or intellectual depth. William is perhaps the only exception in his love for Punjab (which too is a piece of personally owned land as embodied in the kothi in his case) transcends his race. Partition punctuates the novel, but here too Natiq avoids the complications of character and motivation as provided by Manto, Taunsvi or Bedi and other great Urdu writers who experienced Partition first hand. Just as in the MuslimSikh feud of the Haiders and Sauda Singh, Partition remains a black and white story of Sikhs (and Gurkha army) vs Muslims where no loyalties of culture or friendship may question those of blood or religion. Natiq appears a Pakistani writer seeing a Pakistan before the political establishment of Pakistan and justifying it after, although he provides some criticism of politicians who allowed Partition but were not among the migrants to suffer in the violence of Partition. Natiqs Partition is also devoid of any dark humour, as seen in Manto and Fikr, just as the whole novel is devoid of the comic and all the people of Punjab are devoid of any good humour. Punjabis, in contrast, are in fact famous for their drollery, sense of fun and making jokes at even their own expense. Woe is me, I do not recall a single joke from the narrator or any character over its 462 pages! Author Ali Akbar Natiq (Courtesy the publisher) Naulakhi Kothi is rarely referenced in the novel, although it features a bit more towards the end, when William goes on to finally lose it. One is strained to find any serious, sustained, or deeper allegory or symbolism in the haveli, such as one delighted in EM Forsters condition of England novel Howards End, where its mixed-race inheritors could be believed to be the true legatees of a multicultural England to come. Perhaps one deplorable meaning to be extrapolated of the Naulakhi Kothi symbol could be that Punjab was better maintained by the British than the Pakistanis who have spoilt it. Some historical details of colonial Punjab, its technologies, its petty and violent feuds, its education policy, and transfer of property following Partition, may be interesting for some. Yet the lasting impression with which one leaves the novel is that Naulakhi Kothi is an uninspired, humourless delving into the past with no lessons for the future aesthetic, moral, or political. Arundhati Roy had said in an interview that her training in architecture helped her structure her majestic first novel with its sumptuous prose and voice and vivid descriptions of place. Natiq is also a trained architect but no Arundhati Roy. Maaz Bin Bilal is a poet and translator and teaches literature at OP Jindal Global University. Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai demanded the state government to form a Special Investigative Team (SIT) to probe Haveri moral policing and the alleged rape incident. He also said that the Congress government is trying to appease a section of people in the state by not imposing law and order. Ex-K'taka CM Bommai demands SIT probe into alleged gang rape incident in Haveri Also Read - Karnataka HC orders new survey to find if temple encroached on road Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Speaking to reporters, Basavaraj Bommai said, There must be a SIT probe into the Haveri incident and people involved must be given life imprisonment. A senior police officer should head the SIT team and bring all culprits behind bars. The acts of local police in this case should also be probed. Bommai further slammed Siddaramaiah led Congress government and said the state has no law and order. Congress party only focuses on politics and law and order is completely ignored. Every vulnerable section, especially Dalits feel very insecured in the state, after Congress formed the government. The ruling party is only trying to appease a section of people in the state, Bommai added. In a viral video, the men could be seen entering the hotel room where they found a Muslim woman with a Hindu man. They beat the couple, questioning their morality and then dragged them out of the room. The couple were seen pleading for help urging them to let them go. Several BJP leaders alleged that the woman in the video was later raped by a group of men. Haveri SP Anshu Kumar had said that the victims statement has been recorded and that three of the seven accused have been arrested by the police. "One is in the hospital. The other 3 are on the run. We will arrest the remaining accused as well. We weren't told about rape earlier. We came to know about this only through media report about the video by the woman. We have booked a case under the appropriate section, investigation is ongoing," he said. HARRISBURG A former Pennsylvania defense attorney who used to work as a county prosecutor has been sentenced to jail for preying on vulnerable clients for sex, state prosecutors announced Friday. Corey Kolcharno, 49, was sentenced on Thursday to four months to nearly two years behind bars after previously pleading guilty in Lackawanna County to four felony counts of promoting prostitution. Kolcharno also was required to surrender his law license. Between 2018 and 2022, when he was arrested, Kolcharno demanded sexual acts or materials in exchange for providing legal work, according to the attorney generals office. He targeted women who struggled with addiction, had been sexually abused or had financial problems, prosecutors said. Investigators have said they found hundreds of nude and sexually explicit images of Kolcharnos clients on his cellphone. The defendants behavior in these cases was despicable. He preyed on clients and their relatives who had fallen on hard times and exploited their vulnerabilities for his own gratification, Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a written statement. This sentencing holds Kolcharno accountable for his crimes. Kolcharno was an assistant district attorney in Lackawanna County from 2005 to 2011. Live telecasts, cleanliness campaigns, decoration of lights at government buildings, mass feasts, Ramcharit leela and special welcomes are some of the programmes the Madhya Pradesh government is preparing for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya on January 22. Construction underway at Ram Temple in Ayodhya ahead of the consecration ceremony (PTI Photo) The Madhya Pradesh religious trusts & endowments department on Friday released a nine-point order to make preparations across the state. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Ram Kirtan should be organised in every temple from January 16 to January 22, 2024, with public cooperation. Lamps should be lit in all the temples of the entire state. Common people should be awarded to organise the festival of lights in every house. Ram Mandalis should organised in the localities and villages, reads the order issued by Rajesh Rajora, additional chief secretary, religious endowments department. Also Read: Ayodhya in US: How and when to watch Ram Mandir consecration at Times Square Live telecast of the said program of Ayodhya should be done by installing TD screens in the main temples of the state with sending an invitation to the public to participate in the events in the said temples and necessary arrangements. The mass feast should be organised by the trust/committee in the major temples of the state on January 22, the ACS said in the order. Further, in the major temples of every district of the state, lighting lamps and cultural events based on Lord Shri Ram Janaki should be organised for the public through the trust/committee of the temple, said the order. The urban development and housing and panchayat and rural development department has been asked to organise cleanliness campaigns in all the temples, government offices, cities and villages from January 14 to 22. All the government buildings, schools and colleges should be decorated with lights. Moreover, the state cultural department will organise the Shri Ramcharit Leela Celebration program in 20 districts of MP, said the ACS. Special arrangements should be made for honouring/welcoming the pilgrims going to Ayodhya at railway stations and roads with the cooperation of local bodies and the public. Earlier, Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava had asked businessmen to decorate the shops and malls with a replica of Ram temple. On Friday, chief minister Mohan Yadav said the state will send five lakh ladoos from Ujjains Mahakaleshwar shrine to Ayodhya. He said that people will be sent to Ayodhya from different states for darshan at the Ram temple on specific dates, which the Centre will provide, he said. Police recovered the body of Divya Pahuja, the 27-year-old former model who was shot dead at a city hotel on January 2 months after she was released from prison, officials said on Saturday. The body was found in Bhakra canal near Fatehabad. (HT Photo) The body was fished out from the Bhakra Canal in Haryanas Tohana after police roped in 42 divers to scour the waters following information they received Balraj Gill, the man who got rid of Pahujas body and went on the run before he was caught from Kolkata on Friday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Six teams were deployed in Punjab including two in outskirts of Patiala. he teams were searching for the body with the help of 42 divers. The body travelled around 150 kilometres and was found in Bhakra canal in Tohana near Fatehabad, said Vijay Pratap Singh, deputy commissioner of police (DCP crime). Singh said Pahujas family confirmed the body to be hers after verifying two tattoos she had from photos that were sent to them on Saturday morning. The body was taken to a facility in Tohana for an autopsy to be carried out on Sunday. According to Singh, Gill told them that the body was thrown into the Bakhra Canal in Patiala on January 3, the day after she was murdered allegedly by Gurugram hotel owner Abhijeet Singh and two of his aides. Varun Dahiya, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that the body had not decomposed due to the cold and it was sent for post-mortem at the Tohana Civil Hospital. A board of doctors will be formed to conduct the post-mortem that will take place on Sunday. The family members of Pahuja have identified the body with the help of the two tattoos one on her shoulder and another on her lower back, he said. Pahujas family members were taken to the spot where the body was recovered, said police. Naina Pahuja, sister of the deceased, said they were on their way to the spot and had received pictures from which they made the identification. If Gurugram police conducted timely searches, the body would have been recovered the very first day. We will bring her body to Gurugram, she said. A Gurugram police team on Friday obtained Gills transit remand from a Kolkata court after he was caught at the airport. Pahuja was in prison for seven years until she received bail and came out of prison in July last year in connection with her role in the alleged staged police killing of dreaded gangster Sandeep Gadoli, with whom she was linked at the time. On January 2, Pahuja was allegedly shot dead in a hotel by its owner Abhijeet Singh, who has since said she was blackmailing him the purported motive for the crime. Dahiya said another suspect was arrested from Rohtak on Sunday: Pravesh Singh (37) of Ghilor Kalan of Rohtak, who allegedly provided the weapons used in the murder. During questioning he revealed that he was fond of keeping weapons and, in connection with the aforementioned allegations, he had provided Abhijeet Singh, the main accused, three pistols and some live cartridges. The police team seized one pistol and two live cartridges from his possession. Additionally, two pistols and 40 live cartridges related to the ballistic evidence against the main were confiscated from Delhi, he said. Police said Pravesh Singh has other cases against him with allegations including attempted murder, robbery, possession of narcotics, illegal possession of weapons. Dahiya said during interrogation in transit, Gill revealed that he and the main accused Abhijeet Singh were friends during from college at Hisar. Abhijeet had called Gill and another associate Ravi Banga after killing Pahuja for help in disposing of the body. Gill and Banga left Gurugram with Pahujas body on the night of January 2, threw the body into the Bhakra Canal the following morning at Patiala, and abandoned the car at the Patiala bus stand before fleeing the scene, he added. Police said Gill and Banga, in an attempt to evade arrest, travelled to Jaipur and Udaipur, and from there to Kanpur. From Kanpur, they took a train to Kolkata. Upon reaching Kolkata, Balraj and Ravi separated, said an official. The Gurugram police on Friday said that the body of Divya Pahuja who was shot dead at a city hotel last week was dumped in the Bhakra canal near Patiala in Punjab on January 3, a day after she was murdered. Police based their information on disclosures made by Balraj Gill, one of the men who allegedly disposed of her body. Pahuja, 27, was an accused in the alleged fake encounter of dreaded gangster Sandeep Gadoli, was out on bail after spending seven years in prison. The development comes a day after Gill was apprehended at the Kolkata airport while trying to fly to New Delhi. A Gurugram police team on Friday obtained his transit remand from a Kolkata court, and the police and the suspect were en route to Gurugram at the time this report was filed. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The deceaseds body, however, still remains missing. Assistant commissioner of police (crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya said efforts are on to find the body, and further questioning of Gill would be conducted to expedite the recovery. Pahuja, 27, an accused in the alleged fake encounter of dreaded gangster Sandeep Gadoli, was out on bail after spending seven years in prison when she was killed on January 2. Police said she was allegedly blackmailing Abhijeet Singh, a hotel owner in the city, who purportedly shot her dead at one of his properties. Police arrested Singh and three others in connection with the case. However, two of Singhs associates Gill and Ravi Bandra fled Gurugram with the body in a blue BMW sedan. While police recovered the vehicle from Patiala on January 4, the two suspects remained missing, as did Pahujas body. Subsequently, the Gurugram police issued look-out circulars (LOCs) against Gill and Bandra on January 10, and offered rewards for information leading to their arrest. The LOCs led to Gills detention at the Kolkata airport on Thursday, officers said. Dahiya said they had received specific input about Gills movement, following which they alerted the Kolkata police. Besides, Central Industrial Security force (CISF) and Airports Authority of India officials at Kolkata airport were also alerted, following which Gill was detained before he could board a flight. A Gurugram police team reached Kolkata to arrest him and took him on transit remand, Dahiya said. An investigator associated with the case, on condition of anonymity, said that Gill had bought a flight ticket to New Delhi through a digital wallet, and was attempting to board his flight when he was identified by CISF staff who detained him. He said Gill wanted to reach his home in the Capital to collect his passport and flee abroad. The investigator said that Gill was taken on a transit remand on Friday after being produced before a Kolkata court. During the transit, Gill revealed that he and Banga fled with Pahujas body from Gurugram to Punjab, and on their way, dumped the body in the Bhakra canal on the outskirts of Patiala. They then fled to Chandigarh, from where they took a train to Howrah in West Bengal, he said. About Banga, the investigator said that Gill revealed that once they reached Howrah, the two suspects went their separate ways. Gill said that Banga told him that he would go to another state and stay with a friend, the investigator said. Dahiya said Bangas pictures have been circulated in the Kolkata area so that police can receive information regarding him. Meanwhile, Pahujas sister Naina demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe in the case. We want Haryana chief minister ML Khattar to hand over the investigation to CBI, she said. Gurugram: Gurugram police on Saturday said they found the body of Divya Pahuja an ex-model who was shot dead at a city hotel last week from the Bhakra canal near Fatehabad in Haryana. The ex models body was dumped in Bhakra canal, said police (Video screengrab) Vijay Pratap Singh, deputy commissioner of police (DCP crime), said that their two teams were deployed on the stretch and the body travelled around 150 kilometres and was found in Bhakra canal near Fatehabad. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The body was thrown on January 3, a day after she was killed, Singh said. Police based their information on disclosures made by Balraj Gill, one of the men who allegedly disposed of her body. Following the information received, a search operation was launched on Friday with 42 divers and the body was found 10.30am, the DCP said. Police said that the body had not decomposed due to cold and it would be sent for postmortem at the Fatehabad Civil Hospital later in the day. The family members of Pahuja have identified the body with the help of the two tattoos one on her shoulder and another on her lower back, police said. Naina Pahuja, sister of the deceased said that they were on their way to reach the spot and had received pictures from the police and identified the body. We will try to cremate the body today after the postmortem. We will bring her body to Gurugram, she said. Police said they had formed six teams who were conducting search operations in a 200-kilometre area near Patiala. The development came a day after Gill was apprehended at the Kolkata airport while flying to New Delhi. A Gurugram police team on Friday obtained his transit remand from a Kolkata court, and the police and the suspect reached Gurugram after he was taken on a three-day transit remand. Pahuja, 27, an accused in the alleged fake encounter of dreaded gangster Sandeep Gadoli, was out on bail after spending seven years in prison when she was killed on January 2. Police said she was allegedly blackmailing Abhijeet Singh, a hotel owner in the city, who purportedly shot her dead at one of his properties. Police arrested Abhijeet and three others in connection with the case. However, two of his associates Gill and Ravi Bandra fled Gurugram with the body in a blue BMW sedan. Police found the vehicle from Patiala on January 4. Jaipur: A 14-year-old minor was allegedly abducted and raped by two distant relatives in Rajasthans Jaipur, police said on Saturday, adding they have the two accused in connection. (Representative Photo) According to the police, the incident took place on Friday night. The accused abducted the girl from near her house when she was taking a walk. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The two arrived on a two-wheeler and forcibly made her sit with them. Later, they took her to their residence and made her consume alcohol before raping her, said Anup Singh, deputy superintendent of police (DSP), quoting the first information report. Police said a complaint in this regard was filed by the girl and her father on the same night. According to the complaint, while one man raped her, the other assisted him in abduction. Following the complaint, a case was registered against the two persons under section 376 (rape) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act, said police. DSP Singh said the girls medical examination was conducted. We are questioning the accused. The arrest will be made once we get the report. Further investigation is underway, he added. Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had expressed her disapproval over the proposal of making Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar the convener of INDIA in the alliances Mumbai meeting held in September 2023, TMC leaders said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. (File) Only Mamata Banerjee will speak on this INDIA-alliance issue. But if I am correct, she has already cleared the partys stand on the proposal of making Nitish Kumar the convener, with other members of the alliance, a veteran TMC leader said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. A virtual meeting of the Opposition-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders was held on Saturday to review the seat-sharing agenda and important matters related to the alliance. In the virtual meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was named as the chairperson of the alliance. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, whose name was proposed as the convenor, turned down his appointment saying he would only accept the role when all parties reach a consensus. TMC is playing a very crucial role in the alliance and Mamata Banerjee is an important senior face of the alliance. Several processes take place when a communication is going on. It is not always rational to bring each and every of these processes out in the open and discuss them, the leader said. The West Bengal chief minister skipped the virtual meeting of the INDIA-alliance held on Saturday as she was preoccupied with prior engagements. TMC leaders said that Banerjee received the information about Saturdays meeting around 5.30pm on Friday. Mamata Banerjee received the invitation at the last moment. She already had something scheduled. The primary issue is whether there is communication between the allies or not. There is communication, said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson. The BJP took a dig at Banerjee and the alliance saying there was no consensus among the alliance partners. No one wants to become the captain of a boat with a hole. If there had been even a ray of hope of becoming the Prime Minster, Mamata Banerjee would have jumped in. She giving up the post of the INDIA-head itself means that the alliance has no chance of winning. They found Kharge as a scapegoat. Even Nitish Kumar has understood this, Sukanta Majumdar, state BJP president, told media. You may ask this question to Mamata Banerjee. It is not my job to know where each and everyone is going or not going, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress MP, told media persons in Berhampore. She has been opposing it from the very beginning. She is not being able to decide as to which boat she would take INDIA or NDA? Thats why she is creating confusion. This is being orchestrated by the BJP so that there is a negative feeling among the people about the INDIA alliance, Md Salim, CPIM state secretary, told the media. The TMC, however, has hit back saying that the BJP has pressed the panic button as the INDIA and TMC have become real headaches for them. Why is the BJP concerned about this? It is INDIAs internal matter. It was not just the TMC which was absent today. A few other party leaders also skipped the meeting. It could be that they had used alternative channels to communicate, Ghosh told media persons. Energy minister AK Sharma has directed officials to ensure uninterrupted high-quality power supply during all the programmes related to the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. AChildren from Andhra Pradesh visits to the Ram Temple premises, in Ayodhya, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (PTI) Conduct rehearsals and test preparations well in advance to ensure there is no disruption in power supply, he told officials while reviewing preparations in Ayodhya on Saturday. Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) chairman Ashish Kumar Goel and director (distribution) GD Dwivedi accompanied him. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Later, Goel held a meeting separately with the officials, stating that Ayodhyas electricity infrastructure should be world-class, aligning with the vision of the Prime Minister and the chief minister. As Ayodhya is becoming a major spiritual and tourism city not only in India but globally, the electricity system should also be reliable and ideal to attract people from all over the world, he said. The chairman said feeder-wise accountability should be fixed, avoiding transformer overloading. Replace worn-out and loose wires, ensure transformers are not burnt or damaged, and maintain them meticulously. Adhere to standards, ensure an adequate number of trolley transformers and essential equipment, he said. He said that Ayodhyas entire system should be trip-free, and if any tripping occured, immediate corrective actions should be taken. He urged for a flawless system, providing uninterrupted high-quality power to Ayodhya 24x7. He stressed the need for inspections of all lines, transformers, poles, and stations to confirm compliance with set safety standards. A massive fire was reported on Saturday afternoon in Mumbai's Dombivli East. No injuries have been reported so far, Thane Regional Disaster Management Cell said. The incident took place at the Casa Aurelia building in Phase 2 of Lodha Palava township in Dombivli East around 1:23pm. (HT Photo) The incident was reported at the Casa Aurelia building in Phase 2 of Lodha Palava township in Dombivli East at around 1:23pm. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. A Times of India report stated that the blaze was triggered by a short circuit on the 8th floor and extended to numerous apartments in the building. The report added that all occupants evacuated the building safely before the fire escalated. Since it was recently constructed, residents only occupied up to the third floor. The fire, however, reached apartments up to the 18th floor. After hours of efforts, the firefighting teams successfully brought the fire under control, and cooling operations are currently ongoing. A fire brigade official told Times of India that the fire spread to the duct area of the flats, where fibre sheets were installed on each floor. The firefighting team, with two fire vehicles, was present at the scene. The fire at the incident was completely extinguished approximately by 2:30pm. As per the information from the Palava Fire Station, there were no reported casualties in the incident at present. Viral videos on social media showed huge flares of fire erupting from the building and smoke engulfing the sky. Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday demanded that the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya be performed by President Droupadi Murmu as it is a matter of "national pride and the country's self-respect". The former Maharashtra chief minister also wrote to President Murmu, inviting her to participate in an aarti at Kalaram temple in Nashik on January 22, on the day of pran prathistha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla idol at Ram temple in Ayodhya. Uddhav Thackeray interacts with the media. (Satish Bate/HT file)(Hindustan Times) Uddhav Thackeray had earlier announced that on January 22, he along with his party leaders and office-bearers will visit the historic Kalaram temple in Nashik and perform 'maha aarti' on the banks of the Godavari river. A day later, the Shiv Sena (UBT) will also hold a convention of party functionaries in Nashik, Thackeray will address a rally. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Addressing a press conference, Thackeray said the construction of the Ram temple was also his father Balasaheb Thackeray's dream. It is a moment of happiness that the temple is being constructed today, Thackeray said. "I am a Ram bhakt, a desh bhakt, and not a andh bhakt! The construction of Ram temple was also my father's dream. There should have been consultations with Shankaracharya. We will perform aarti on the banks of Godavari river on January 22," he said. Thackeray said after the Somnath temple in Gujarat was restored, the formal restoration ceremony was held by the country's first president Dr Rajendra Prasad. "Since this (Ayodhya Ram temple) is a matter of national pride and is related to the country's self-respect, the consecration ceremony should be held by President Murmu," he said. A delegation representing the Ram Temple Trust on Friday called on President Murmu and formally invited her to attend the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. The delegation, including VHP working president Alok Kumar, RSS leader Ram Lal and Ram temple construction committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra, met President Murmu. Thackeray said Shiv Sainiks, who were part of the 'kar seva' in 1992, will also be felicitated in Nashik. MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has extended an invitation to President Droupadi Murmu to attend a pooja of Lord Ram at the Kalaram temple in Nashik on January 22. The pooja will be performed on the same day as the BJPs consecration ceremony of Ram at Ayodhya. Kalyan India - January 13 2024 Pics : 20240104_KYN_ Pic Udhav Thakreray in kalyan for loksabha Saturday.Photo by Pramod Tambe. Thursday January 13 2024 . Pramod Tambe/HT. in India 13 2024 (Photo by Pramod Tambe ) Revealing this in a press conference at his residence, Matoshree, on Saturday morning, Thackeray, in a jibe aimed at the BJP, said that when the Somnath temple was reconstructed, the then President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, was an honoured guest at the pranpratisthapana ceremony. The current President of India, Droupadi Murmu, should also be invited for the ceremony at Ayodhya, he said, adding that the BJP may or may not have invited her, but the Sena (UBT) had. In response, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said that Thackeray was not aware that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had already invited the President. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also read- What is Ramraj, the gift guests of Ram Mandir consecration event will receive? Thackeray said the Shiv Sena (UBT) would perform an aarti of the Godavari river and take out a rally of party workers at Nashik. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis appeal for a Diwali-like celebration on January 22, he said: While advocating Diwali, they should also talk about how they led the country to diwala (bankruptcy). He also said that the views of the Shankaracharyas, who objected to the consecration ceremony at an incomplete temple, must be taken into account. Thackeray also toured Kalyan-Dombivli on Saturday and launched a frontal attack on rival Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Shrikant Shinde, in the latters Lok Sabha constituency, Kalyan. Asking party workers to bury the traitors dynasty in the elections, he said he had made a mistake by trusting a turncoat. Thackeray visited the controversial Shiv Sena shakha at Kolsewadi in Kalyan (to which both factions staked a claim some months ago), Ambernath, Ulhanagar, Diva, Mumbra and Kalwa with close aide Sanjay Raut. He said the Kalyan-Dombivli Lok Sabha constituency had always been a saffron bastion and buried those who betrayed the saffron flag. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech at a youth conclave in Nashik on Friday, urging the youth to join politics to help reduce the influence of dynastic politics, Thackeray said the BJP no longer wanted the Thackeray family which had supported it, but was welcoming a back-stabbers family. We have to bury the gaddars gharaneshahi (traitors dynasty), and I am here to ask you if you are ready, he said at his public meeting in Ambernath. Also read- My fathers dream': Uddhav Thackeray targets BJP ahead of Ram temple consecration We have to bury the traitors not just in the Lok Sabha elections but in the assembly and municipal elections too. They are scared. They dont want to hold elections. Because I considered them part of my family, I gave the traitors candidature from the Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, he continued, without naming the Shindes. But I made a mistake, and you have to correct the mistake. I will choose a loyalist this time and you have to get him elected. We have to ensure that the traitors deposit is lost. Dr Shrikant Shinde is a two-time sitting MP from the Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, and has staked his claim on the seat. The BJP, which previously had the seat in its quota, had given it to Shiv Sena when it was in an alliance with the party. Craig Kents salary of $1.1 million makes him Virginias highest paid executive in higher education, but in other states, he wouldnt even be in the top three. A law passed by the commonwealth in 2019 requires all state colleges to release the salaries of executives whose earnings exceed the limit listed in the state budget for what a CEO is allowed to earn, providing Virginians some insight into how their tax dollars are being spent. University of Virginia Health CEO Craig Kents name was at the top of the list that was made public on Sept. 1, with a salary of $1,097,300, which includes a $50,000 raise he received in the past year. A few months later at a Dec. 8 meeting, the universitys governing Board of Visitors voted to extend Kents contract through Jan. 31, 2023, with the potential for additional bonuses based on his performance. As CEO of UVa Health, as well as executive vice president of health affairs at the university, Kent oversees all UVa Health operations, including the schools of medicine and nursing as well as UVa Healths primary medical center and childrens hospital in Charlottesville and satellite locations in Albemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Campbell, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson and Orange counties. Since joining UVa Health in February of 2020, Kent has also overseen the acquisition and integration of three hospitals in Northern Virginia. And in July, UVa Health announced the acquisition of a minority interest in Newport News-based Riverside Health System. All together, UVa employs more than 17,000 people and generates roughly $4.3 billion in revenue every year. Kents sizable salary is meant to correspond to his sizable stake in the states flagship health system, but his compensation may not be as large as it first appears when compared to the earnings of his counterparts elsewhere. Kents salary is determined by the Board of Visitors, which uses the salaries of other schools' executives as benchmarks to set the salaries of its own, according to Kent. The university, when it pays salaries for people, it benchmarks those salaries to what other individuals in the same roles across the country are receiving, Kent told The Daily Progress. UVa does that in a very thoughtful way. When The Daily Progress asked UVa spokeswoman Bethanie Glover what specific college health systems were used as benchmarks to determine Kents compensation, she confirmed other schools were used but would not identify which. Like all institutions of higher education, the University of Virginia seeks to attract and retain talented faculty, staff, and medical professionals in a highly competitive marketplace, Glover said via email. For University executive positions, compensation is benchmarked against other public and private institutions of comparable size and scope to the University. Glover stopped responding when The Daily Progress pressed for the names of the public and private institutions of comparable size and scope. The salaries of other executives working for other college health systems, however, are public information and readily available for those willing to take the time and effort to research them which The Daily Progress did. Speaking with The Daily Progress, Kent maintained, People are never paid more than they would be if they were at another similar state institution with health care systems. But The Daily Progress found that Kent is actually making thousands, sometimes millions, less than other college health system CEOs. Which may be for the best, considering that in some states the salaries of public health officials arent just sizable, theyre scandalous. For instance, last year, North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell brought in researchers from Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Health and Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy to investigate the compensation of executives among the states largest hospital systems. Folwell referred to the health networks as a cartel in a story published by the Raleigh News & Observer. Folwells review discovered that a majority of CEOs at North Carolina health systems doubled their already seven-figure incomes within the past five years, amid rising health care costs and a global pandemic. At UNC Health, the states flagship medical system based in Chapel Hill employing 29,000 people and generating $5.1 billion in annual revenue, CEO Wesley Burks made $2.4 million in 2021. Thats 74% more than Kent at UVa. Executives working for Tennessee medical systems also enjoy salaries higher than Kents, according to a ProPublica database. The University of Tennessee Medical Center based in Knoxville, which employs 3,747 people and generates about $1.3 billion every year, paid its CEO Joseph Landsman nearly $2 million in 2021. Over in Nashville, Vanderbilt Medical Center, which employs 20,000 employees and generates roughly $3 billion every year, paid its CEO Jeffrey Balser $5.5 million in 2022. ProPublica also shows that the University of Maryland Medical Center, which employs 10,000 workers and has an annual revenue of $2.2 billion, paid its CEO Bert OMalley $1.6 million in 2022. Those within Virginias private health care systems also have higher salaries than Kent, according to ProPublica data. Carilion Clinic, which provides medical services primarily in Southside and Southwest Virginia, generating revenues in excess of $2 billion every year and employing about 14,000 people, pays its CEO Nancy Agee $1.7 million. Norfolk-based Sentara Health, which services both Virginia and North Carolina, employs 28,000 employees, brings in $401 million every year and pays its CEO Dennis Matheis $1.7 million. The institutions that UVas Board of Visitors use as benchmarks may not be among this list, but the list itself illustrates that while Kent may be the top earner in the commonwealth of Virginia, he is nowhere near the top even in the mid-Atlantic. Silchar: Seven persons have been arrested in Assams Hailakandi district for allegedly vandalising a Hanuman temple, desecrating Ram and Seeta idols, and stealing some valuable items during the wee hours of Saturday, police said. Police said the incident happened during the wee hours of Saturday. Additional superintendent of police, Hailakandi, Samir Baruah said most of the arrested persons were found to be drug addicts. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Prime accused Raju Baishnab is still under the influence of drugs, and he is not even able to answer our questions, Baruah told HT on Saturday. The other arrested persons have been identified as Raju Baishnab, Chandal Pal, Fatik Mozumdar, Riju Borbuiya, Taj Uddin Barbuiya, Abdullah Almamun Barbhuiya and Samsul Hoque Laskar, according to the police. The temple committee registered a complaint at Hailakandi Sadar Police Station. A case has been registered against the accused under 457 (illegal trespass), 380 (theft) and some other sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police said that they have recovered some of the stolen items. We are investigating the matter further and the arrested persons are going through interrogations. Well produce them before the court after the initial investigation, police said. The committee members of the Bairab Bari Mondir located at Hailakandis Station Road, said that they had found used syringes and empty containers of drugs near the Hanuman temple several times and had written letters about this to the authorities. Secretary of the temple committee, Pritom Das, said that they had told the police and officials of district administration about the illegal activities and consumption of drugs near the temple, but no measures were taken. Drug users are involved in activities like theft in the area and we cautioned the administration about it. Now they attacked the temple. This could have been prevented if necessary measures had been taken in the past, Das said. Several organisations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded strict action against the accused persons. Silchar: Four minors suffered injuries after an explosion near a police station in Assams Nagaon district on Friday evening, people aware of the matter said. (Representative Photo) According to the people, the blast likely took place as an abandoned grenade exploded at the police firing field in Kandali. Police, however, said that it is not known if the explosion was due to a grenade. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Speaking to the media, Nagaon superintendent of police (SP) Nabaneet Mahanta said they are not sure if any explosive like a grenade caused this blast. He said the police is looking into the incident. As per the initial investigation, it was a smoke cell which was lying on the field not far from the police station and it exploded when the kids picked it up and tried to throw it away, Mahanta said. Police have identified the four injured minors as Mangaleswar Sautal, Ranju Modi, Bikas Sautal and Nitumoni Gogoi. They were admitted to Nagaon Medical College & Hospital for treatment, police said. According to the hospital authorities, some of the injuries are critical. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday asserted that women empowerment is the governments top priority. The Nari Shakti Vandan law providing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies reveals Prime Minister Narendra Modis commitment to making women self-reliant and empowering them to battle for their own rights, he said at an event in Gorakhpur. UP Chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur on Saturday. (HT Photo) By strengthening women, the society and the nation can strengthen themselves, he said. Adityanath was addressing a gathering in Gorakhpur after presenting sewing machines to 1150 women who completed training as part the Unnat Bharat Gram Abhiyan under the banner of the MP Education Council. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He listed the Kanya Sumangala, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, community marriage and other schemes introduced by the government and said these produced impressive results. He told the women that the sewing machines, coupled with their skills, can give them a source of income in garments factories of Gorakhpur and they can earn 500 to 1000 daily. The chief minister also flagged off two mobile medical van that would cater to slums and Vantangiya villages in Gorakhpur and remote hamlets on the Indo-Nepal Border. CM assures woman in distress of pension, house Addressing the grievances of 200 people at Janata Darshan in Gorakhpur on Saturday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath assured a woman that the state government would provide a pension, house, and ration card to her. The Janata Darshan was held on the second day of his three-day Gorakhpur visit at Digvijaya Nath auditorium in Goraknath temple. Mother, you dont need to worry at all. You will get a house through the governments housing programme. Additionally, youll also receive a pension and a ration card. Every concern of yours will be addressed, the chief minister said. The woman had raised concerns about her housing situation, seeking assistance from the chief minister. He enquired, Do you receive a pension? Upon the womans negative response, he said, We will arrange for your pension, provide a house, and issue a ration card. He also instructed the officials present to take swift action, resolving every issue the woman faced. A significant number of people sought financial assistance for the treatment of serious diseases during the Saturday session. Yogi Adityanath assured them that through the Chief Ministers Discretionary Fund, substantial help for their medical needs would be provided. In line with this commitment, he directed the officials to expedite the estimation process for treatment-related expenses and promptly submit it to the government for further action. Expressing his affection for the children attending Janata Darshan with their families, CM Adityanath offered his blessings, gave them chocolates and motivated them to focus on their studies. The Supreme Court has issued directions to the central government to consider enhancing the compensation amount in case of grievous injury and death caused from hit-and-run motor accident cases. The Supreme Court (HT Photo) Currently, a compensation of 2 lakh is paid in case of death and 50,000 in case of grievous injury when an accident by an unknown vehicle occurs. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Clause (d) of Section 145 of Motor Vehicle Act defines a hit and run accident as an accident involving a motor vehicle can be considered as a hit and run accident, provided the identity of the vehicle that caused the accident cannot be ascertained despite reasonable efforts. KC Jain, an advocate and road safety activist from Agra had moved an Interlocutory Application (IA No. 71387 of 2023) in Writ Petition No. 295 of 2012 S Rajaseekaran versus Union of India and others and the directions came in the said case on Friday. Jain has welcomed the order by the apex court. Section 161 of the Motor Vehicle Act, as applicable from April 1, 2022, provides for compensation by central government in respect of death of, or grievous hurt to, persons resulting from hit and run case, stated Jain. The year wise report titled Road Accidents in India published by ministry of road transport and highways revealed that there were 55,942 in 2016, 65,186 in 2017, 69,822 in 2018, 69,621 in 2019 and 67,387 in 2022 hit and run accidents with increasing trends stated Jain. The annual report of the General Insurance Council has revealed that in financial year 2022-23 only 205 claims were received under the scheme for compensation out of which 95 claims were settled, said Jain. A reply in Lok Sabha by the minister of road transport and highways had further revealed that there were 660 deaths in hit-and-run cases in five years and there were 113 injury cases for which compensation of 184.60 lakh was disbursed. A comparison of the number of hit-and-run incidents reported and the number of cases registered for compensation, it makes clear that a negligible number of victims have taken advantage of the scheme, he said. The Supreme Court in its order observed that one reason for this might be that victims were not aware about the existence of the scheme. The court directed that the officer in charge of the police station within jurisdiction of which the accident took place, shall inform in writing to the injured or legal representative of the deceased about the scheme for claiming compensation within a period of one month, if the vehicle causing the accident remains unidentified, highlighted Jain. Ahmedabad: The country is today confident that the gateway to a developed India passes through Gujarat, and it is our responsibility to maintain this trust, Union home minister Amit Shah said, as the three-day Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit that attracted investment proposals worth Rs.26.33 lakh crore concluded on Friday. The Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2024 concluded on Friday in Ahmedabad (Twitter/@sanghaviharsh) At the valedictory function of the 10th edition of the business meet, Shah said that India is the most preferred destination for production and investment and that many new beginnings were made through structural reforms initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The result of the beginning made from Gandhinagar in 2003 made India the fifth largest economy. Today, with this event, a new beginning is being made to realise the sankalp (promise) of a developed India before 2047, he said. Today, the entire country has become confident that the gateway to developed India is passing through our Gujarat. And it is our responsibility to maintain this trust, he added. Also Read: Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024: Top 10 investment announcements The Union minister said that the summit served as a platform for ideas and innovations and worked to bring investment on the ground. This has not only helped Gujarat but the economy of the entire country. The model of Vibrant Gujarat has been accepted by many states and they have adopted the same model of industrial development, he said. The 10th edition of the summit, aimed at fostering investments, business collaborations and strategic partnerships, was attended by the United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta, Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and heads of top Indian and foreign companies. The theme for this years event was Gateway to the Future. India is the most preferred destination for production and investment and within the country, it is Gujarat, Shah said. The structural reforms initiated by Modi have helped India perform and transform, he said. We will realise the imagination of a self-confident, self-reliant India that Modi ji has presented before us, he added. Shah said that some 10 years ago, India was among the fragile five economies, while it is among the top five today. On the global front, we were considered a dark spot. Today, we are a vibrant spot. The country has covered a journey from a silent prime minister to a visionary and vibrant prime minister, he said, as he took a swipe at the previous UPA government led by Manmohan Singh. In a post on X, chief minister Bhupendra Patel said Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for 41,299 projects with investment proposals worth 26.33 lakh crore were signed during the business meet. Under the guidance of Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 has created a new record, he said. In the Vibrant Summit postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic in the year 2022, MoUs worth 18.87 lakh crore for 57, 241 projects were signed. In the 10th edition of Vibrant Summit held in January 2024, MoUs for 41,299 projects have been signed attracting investments worth 26.33 lakh crore, he added. Gujarat has achieved a historic feat of signing MoUs for investment of more than 45 lakh crore for a total of 98,540 projects, the chief minister said. Also Read: Vibrant Gujarat: Ambani says Reliance to help prepare for Indias Olympics bid The summit will help realise the Prime Ministers dream to achieve Developed India @2047 through MoUs signed in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, e-mobility, green hydrogen and renewable energy, he said. Addressing reporters, Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation managing director Rahul Gupta said nearly half of the investments that were attracted were in the green sector. Twenty years ago, when our most respected Prime Minister, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, held the first Vibrant Gujarat summit, several international investors were sceptical about the kind of facilitation and support they would receive in Gujarat. Since then, the summit has come a long way and over the last 20 years, thanks to these summits and the support of the state government to industries, Gujarat has cemented its position as Indias growth engine, said Sudhir Mehta, Chairman Emeritus, Torrent Group. The group has signed four MoUs worth 47,350 crore. Pankaj Patel, chairman of Zydus Group, said the summit has created a new paradigm by focusing on technology. The idea of creating Indias first pharmaceutical SEZ took shape in the first edition of Vibrant Gujarat when the Zydus group signed an MoU to set one up at Matoda near Ahmedabad. In this edition of the summit, Zydus has signed MoUs with investments worth 5,000 crores for projects which include biotechnology-based product manufacturing, medical devices for hospitals and healthcare sector, Patel said. B K Goenka, chairman of Welspun Group, said the group will invest 40,000 crore to set up a green hydrogen and green ammonia ecosystem in Gujarat. (With agency inputs) The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has expressed its desire to contest Lok Sabha seats beyond Jharkhand wherever it has had its political and organisational footprints in the past, people aware of the development said on Saturday. JMM and Congress leaders during a meeting in Delhi. (HT photo) The issue came up for discussion in the meeting of the four-member delegation of JMM led by transport minister Champai Soren with the National Alliance Committee (NAC) of the Congress at the residence of party general secretary Mukul Wasnik in New Delhi on Saturday, the people said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Besides other NAC members, including Ashok Gehlot, Mohan Prakash, and Salman Khurshid, Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur and legislature party leader Alamgir Alam were also present. Besides contesting in Jharkhand, the party has expressed its desire to contest tribal-dominated seats in neighbouring Odisha, Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Bihar. JMM wants representation in areas where it has had its organisational and political footprints in the past. JMM contesting in some of the seats outside Jharkhand would add to the strength of the INDIA bloc due to the face value of tribal CM Hemant Soren. Now, the top leadership of the two parties would decide over the issue in subsequent meetings, a senior leader who was part of the negotiations on Saturday said. The next round of the meeting is likely to be held in a week, preferably in Ranchi. The leaders said the JMMs pitch for contesting seats outside Jharkhand could also be an effort to have more arm space for finalising the seat-sharing within Jharkhand. Besides Congress, other parties like RJD, JD (U), and left parties are also eyeing seats in Jharkhand. The JMMs pitch to contest seats outside Jharkhand would help neutralise the pressure in Jharkhand, a senior Congress leader said, requesting anonymity. At the time of the separate Jharkhand movement, the tribal-dominated parts of Bengal, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh were also included in the idea of a Greater Jharkhand state. The JMM has won Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat in Odisha in the past besides having representation in both Bengal and Odisha legislative assembly, a senior JMM leader said, requesting anonymity. While both parties refused to share the exact seat-sharing formula, leaders involved in the negotiations said that, in Jharkhand, the JMM is eyeing at least five Lok Sabha seats, including Rajmahal, Dumka, Giridih, Jamshedpur, and Koderma. Rajmahal is its sitting seat, people close to the matter said. In 2019, as part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the JMM contested the four aforementioned seats barring Koderma, which has been added to the demand list for 2024. The Congress got nine of 14 seats while JMM got five constituencies. While the Congress allocated two from its quota, Koderma and Godda, to Babulal Marandi-led JVM (P), JMM gave one seat, Palamu, to the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) from its kitty. It also came up for discussion that since the Congress was negotiating with other parties like RJD, JDU, and Left vis-a-vis seat-sharing in other states, it is the Congress that should also discuss the seat-sharing with these parties in the context of Jharkhand, another leader present in the meeting said. Speaking to the media after the meeting, JMM leader and transport minister Soren said, We have had a very constructive discussion. This alliance is strong. No party is big or small. Everything will be finalised soon, he said. Congress Legislature Party leader and rural development minister Alamgir Alam said the seat-sharing formula would be finalised soon. We are eyeing a 2004-like result (when UPA won 13 of 14 seats). Both sides have put forth their views. A decision would be taken soon, Alam said. Jan 14, 2024 8:10 PM IST Visit the official website of RBSE at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in. Click on Board exam 2024 link available on the home page. A new page will open where RBSE 10th, 12th Board Exam 2024 Datesheet link will be available. The date sheet will be displayed. Check the date sheet and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. India Optel Limited has invited applications for Technical and Financial Professionals. The application process commenced on January 13 and the deadline for submitting the application form is January 27 or 15 days from the publication of the advertisement in the employment news. Interested candidates can apply online through the official website at www.indiaoptel.in. India Optel Limited Recruitment 2024: Apply for Senior Project Engineer and other posts India Optel Limited Recruitment 2024 vacancy details: This recruitment drive is being conducted to fill 34 vacancies, 18 for technical professionals and 16 for finance professionals. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. India Optel Limited Recruitment 2024: Know how to apply Interested candidates can download the applictaion format through the official website and submit the hard copy of the applictaion form to the following address through speed post/courier: Works Manager (HR), India Optical Limited, Corporate Headquarters OFILDD campus, Raipur Dehradun (UK) 248008. In addition, candidates can submit the application form to the following email address: e-mail id recruitment@indiaoptel.in . For more details candidates an check the detailed notification here: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced final results of the Combined Geo-Scientist Examination 2023, recommending 258 candidates for appointment against group A vacancies. Candidates can check their results by visiting the commission's website, upsc.gov.in. UPSC Combined Geo-Scientist 2023 final result out (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE ) The final result has been prepared after the stage 1 (preliminary) examination held on February 19, 2023, the stage 2 main examination held on June 24, 25, 2023 and personality tests held in November-December. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Of the total 258 recommended candidates, 190 are for Geologist Group A vacancies, 26 are for Scientist B (Hydrogeology) Group A vacancies, 22 are for Geophysicist Group A/ Scientist B (Geophysics) Group A vacancies and 20 are for Chemist Group A/Scientist B (Chemical) Group A vacancies. Results of of 19 recommended candidates are provisional, the commission said. Their roll numbers have been mentioned in the notice. The offer of appointment to the candidates whose result has been kept provisional will not be issued till the Commission verifies the original documents awaited from such candidates. The provisionality of these candidates will remain valid only for a period of three months from the date of declaration of Final result. In case the candidate fails to submit the requisite documents as required by the Commission within this period, their candidature will be cancelled and no further correspondence would be entertained in this regard, it added. To check theresults, click here. Get ready for a journey back to the heart of historical Japan with Meiji Gekken: 1874. This Crunchyroll Original promises a gripping tale set against the backdrop of societal upheaval, swords clashing, and destinies intertwined. Meiji Gekken: 1874 anime blends history, action, and intrigue in upcoming episode 1. (X) Meiji Gekken: 1874 episode 1 release date and time Meiji Gekken: 1874 is set to make its debut on January 14, 2024, at 11 pm JST. For global fans, this translates to: Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Pacific Standard Time (PT): 6:00 am Central Standard Time (CT): 8:00 am Eastern Standard Time (ET): 9:00 am Indian Standard Time (IST): 7:30 pm Where to watch Meiji Gekken: 1874 Crunchyroll, your gateway to anime adventures, exclusively hosts Meiji Gekken: 1874. As a Crunchyroll Original, the series unfolds its captivating narrative on the platform. So, make sure to have your subscription ready for an immersive experience. What to expect Meiji Gekken: 1874 episode 1 As the series kicks off, anticipate a journey through a pivotal period in Japanese history. The clash between the old and the new, embodied by swordsmen facing modern armies, sets the tone for an action-packed narrative. Meiji Gekken: 1874 promises a tale of passion, loyalty, and the cost of progress. What is Meiji Gekken: 1874 about Set in 1874, Meiji Gekken: 1874 explores the aftermath of the Meiji Era's commencement. Shizuma Orikasa, a former samurai turned rickshaw puller, embarks on a quest to find his missing fiancee, Sumie Kanomata. Meanwhile, Kyoshiro Shuragami, a skilled swordsman entwined with the Moriya yakuza clan, sets his own plans into motion. The stage is set for a fateful encounter between Shizuma and Kyoshiro against the backdrop of political unrest. Also Read | Tsukimichi Moonlit Fantasy season 2 episode 2: Exact release date and time, where to watch and more Meiji Gekken: 1874 cast and characters to look out for The main cast includes: Satoshi Mikami as Kyoshiro Shuragami Tomoyo Kurosawa as Sumie Kanomata/Hinazuru Yuichi Nakamura as Shizuma Orikasa Katsuhisa Hoki as Ryuzo Moriya Kazuhiro Yamaji as Buhee Hiramatsu Lynn as Senri Kuroki A talented ensemble ready to breathe life into the characters central to this historic tale. A second ex-auxiliary deputy has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds in the alleged badges-for-bribes scheme under the previous administration at the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office. James Metcalf of Manassas, in a plea agreement Jan. 10 with federal prosecutors, admitted to paying former Culpeper Sheriff Scott Jenkins $5,000 in 2022 in exchange for being appointed a volunteer deputy and given a badge. The maximum penalty in the case against Metcalf is a fine of $250,000 and a 10-year prison term, according to court documents. He is the owner of Yona Systems Group in McLean. Washington, D.C., defense attorney Timothy D. Belevetz is representing Metcalf. He declined comment on Thursday. Metcalf agreed to cooperate against remaining defendants, including Jenkins, NBC4 Washingtons Ted Oberg originally reported Wednesday of the new plea deal. A June 2023 indictment, following an FBI wiretap, investigation and seizure of campaign funds, charged Jenkins, Metcalf and two other Northern Virginia businessman in the alleged bribery. The indictment alleges the businessmen donated to the sheriffs reelection campaign in exchange for being sworn in as auxiliary deputies. Metcalf was charged in the June indictment with conspiracy, honest-services wire fraud and two counts of federal programs bribery. Jenkins, who came in third in the November election, has maintained his innocence. The former sheriff has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, four counts of honest-services mail and wire fraud and eight counts of federal programs bribery. Jenkins is awaiting trial this spring. Metcalf showed initial interest in the alleged badges-for-bribes scheme in 2019 with an email to another businessperson, from Prince William County: I am ready to pop a little cash on somebody and get a badge brother will talk about that at lunch, the email from Metcalf said, according to the indictment. In or around late 2021 to early 2022, Jenkins, who served three terms in office, reached out to the Prince William businessman about building his war chest for his 2023 reelection campaign, according to the indictment. They agreed the Prince William businessman would recruit individuals to make payments to the sheriff and the sheriff would appoint them auxiliaries, according to the indictment. The businessman allegedly contacted Metcalf in August 2022 and told him he could get a badge for $5,000. Jenkins appointed Metcalf on Sept. 6, 2022, and the next day Metcalf came to Culpeper to have lunch with the sheriff and the businessman who recruited him, according to the indictment. After lunch, Metcalf handed Jenkins a white envelope containing a $5,000 check from his company, Yona Systems Group, made payable to Scott Jenkins for Sheriff, the indictment says. He went with the businessman to be sworn in that day in the Culpeper County Circuit Court Clerks Office. As they drove there, Metcalf said he could recruit additional pay-to-play guys to make donations to the sheriff in exchange for becoming auxiliary deputies, according to the indictment. Look, I, you heard me say it. I respect what his, I understand what the engine is, I understand how this works. You dont just get money cause you clap your hands. Back at the sheriffs office, Jenkins gave Metcalf a badge, the indictment says. The Prince William businessman told the sheriff he had other guys willing to make $10,000 donations. Sounds good to me, the sheriff said, according to the indictment. Jenkins suggested the donors make payments to his relatives versus directly to his campaign account if they didnt want their businesses and things tied. New Culpeper Sheriff Tim Chilton has disbanded the agencys auxiliary deputy program and is attempting to retrieve all the guns, badges, uniforms and vehicles assigned during the Jenkins administration. In November, Fairfax businessman Frederic Gumbinner also pleaded guilty to one count of bribery in the alleged scheme with the former Culpeper sheriff. He was indicted in June on four charges: conspiracy, honest-services wire fraud and two counts of federal programs bribery. Also charged in the June indictment was former auxiliary deputy Rick Rahim, a Great Falls businessman. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, three counts of honest-services mail and wire fraud and three counts of federal programs bribery. Rahim was additionally charged in November with tax evasion in a separate case. U.S. attorneys in the statement issued last summer announcing the indictments noted, if convicted, each defendant faced up to five years in prison on the conspiracy count, up to 20 years in prison on each of the honest-services mail and wire fraud counts and up to 10 years in prison on each of the federal programs bribery counts. A jury trial in the case for defendants not accepting plea deals is scheduled for May 13-24, in Charlottesville, before Senior Judge Norman Moon. Agastya Nanda recently made his Hindi film industry debut with the titular character in Zoya Akhtar's period coming-of-age film The Archies on Netflix India. However, in a new interview with Film Companion, the young actor revealed no one knew how he used to look before he signed his debut movie. (Also Read: Agastya Nanda makes Instagram debut; rumoured girlfriend Suhana Khan's mom Gauri Khan welcomes him) Agastya Nanda at The Archies premiere. (HT Photo/Varinder Chawla) Agastya when he was taken to be a delivery boy Agastya recalled a hilarious incident when he was actively meeting filmmakers to explore opportunities before getting a break with The Archies. I've gone to another office where the security guard was like, Idhar aa, idhar aa (come here). He said, Naam likh. package delivery time bata. (Write down your name and the delivery time of package). I said I've not come here to deliver the package, I've come here to meet the director. Then he said, Nahi nahi, jhooth mat bol (No, dont lie). This happens quite a lot. The disadvantages of not having social media, Agastya said in the interview. He also revealed another instance where he had an appointment with a filmmaker at their office. He went in and waited inside for 45 minutes before he overheard two people discussing Agastya isn't here. He had to then flag his presence. Agastya attributed his lack of recognition, despite being Amitabh Bachchan's maternal grandson, to growing up away from the limelight in Delhi with his father, a businessman. Agastya's social media debut Agastya Nanda finally joined Instagram earlier this week. On Thursday, he dropped his first post. He uploaded a picture in which he is seen donning a brown t-shirt and white pants. As soon as Agastya uploaded his first picture, his family and friends from the industry left comments below his post, welcoming the actor into the world of social media. His rumoured girlfriend and Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan commented, "Welcome." She also used a smiling face with heart-eyes emoji. Gauri Khan also reacted to his Instagram debut. "Big hug," she commented. Agastya's mamu (maternal uncle) and actor Abhishek Bachchan dropped a smiley emoji. "Welcome Aggy Boy!!!," actor Arjun Kapoor commented. "Welcome," his sister Navya Naveli Nanda wrote. Agastya will be next seen alongside legendary actor Dharmendra in the film Ekkis. Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, the film will release on January 10, 2025. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place. Dia on her career When asked if she would want to change any part of her professional journey, Dia replied, "The fact is that I came into cinema completely untrained and unprepared. I learned everything on the job. While that has its own merits, I do recognise the invaluable contribution a good, solid education in acting makes to helping an individual define their creative voice and choices. Most of my choices in the first eight to ten years of my career were made out of fear. I was ill-equipped to find my voice or the authenticity that now defines all my choices." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Dia talks about her insecurities Dia was asked what is the one thing she dislikes about the profession of acting, she replied she doesn't enjoy 'the fake news we have to contend with'. Talking about her insecurities as an actor, Dia said, "Oh yes. Absolutely! Especially when I was younger. The fear of losing out, the fear of rejection, the fear of ageism, and the loss of opportunity in an ageist industry." About Dia's projects Fans saw Dia recently in Dhak Dhak, which also stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Sanjana Sanghi and Fatima Sana Shaikh. Helmed by Tarun Dudeja, Dhak Dhak brings a bunch of four women, all different from each other, daring to ride bikes to world's highest motorable road, the Khardungla Pass. Dia made her debut with Gautham Menon directed Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, a remake of the Tamil film Minnale. She then appeared in films such as Alag, Dum, Deewaanapan, Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge, Tumsa Nahin Dekha: A Love Story, Parineeta, Dus, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Salaam Mumbai, Sanju, Bheed and Thappad. She has appeared in several web series such as Kaafir, Mind the Malhotras, Call My Agent: Bollywood and Made in Heaven. Dia is also a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development and has often been vocal for change and has contributed her efforts in the field of social change, conservation and the environment. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place The trailer release date of Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone's upcoming film Fighter has finally been announced. It will be unveiled on January 15. The film is set to hit the theatres a day ahead of Republic Day and is IMDb's most-anticipated film of the year 2024. Also read: Fighter song Sher Khul Gaye: Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone's party number is a certified banger. Watch Hrithik Roshan plays Squadron Leader Patty in Fighter. Sharing a new Fighter poster with the Sujlam Suflam song playing along with it, Hrithik wrote on Instagram on Saturday, "Ready to drop. #FighterTrailer on 15th January, 12:00 PM IST. #Fighter Forever #FighterOn25thJan releasing worldwide. Experience on the big screen in IMAX 3D." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. More about Fighter Fighter is being hailed as India's biggest aerial-action drama, which would mark Siddharth Anand's return exactly an year after his blockbuster film, Pathaan. Deepika Padukone is the common link in both the films and will be seen opposite Hrithik for the first time. The film is said to be a power-packed action spectacle that would bring a story that salutes the indomitable spirit of our IAF officers who secure our skies and protect the nation. It is primarily shot at air force bases in India with real Sukhois, Indian fighter planes. The Fighter teaser was released last year and introduced the audience to the lead cast of Hrithik as Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania aka Patty, Deepika Padukone as Squadron Leader Minal Rathore aka Minni, and Anil Kapoor as Group Captain Rakesh Jai Singh aka Rocky. It showcased the lead cast flying high in their jets and doing some aerial stunts. It also shared a glimpse of a kissing scene featuring Hrithik and Deepika. The teaser ended on a high note with the tune of Sujlam Suflam playing in the background as Hrithik unfurls a tricolor from his aircraft. Recently, an Air Force Pilot theme-based track Heer Aasmani was unveiled from the film. Talking about the same, Siddharth Anand said in a statement, "Heer Aasmani is a track that's dedicated to the special Squad of Air Dragons coming together. The song showcases the crew bonding, both during briefing and training sessions as well as during their downtime. The theme of Heer Aasmani is an Air Force Pilot expressing their unconditional love for the skies, their passion; a love so pure that it is almost unfathomable to those on the ground." Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has come out in defense of those who were called out by former Jammu and Kashmir minister Omar Abdullah for using the state assembly as a set for the show, Maharani. Omar Abdullah said it was a shame and accused the government of reducing "the symbol of democracy to a set. He also expressed outrage on a scene which showed an actor playing a chief minister in the show. Hansal Mehta has reacted to Omar Abdullah's tweet on use of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for shoots. Jammu and Kashmir does not have an elected government after Article 370 was repealed in 2019 and the state was made into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also read: Maharani 2 review: Huma Qureshi reigns supreme in a show that is a lesson in how political thrillers should be made Omar Abdullah on Maharani shoot Sharing pictures of Maharani shoot, Omar wrote on X on Friday, The true face of 'the mother of democracy', where once elected representatives of the people from all parties, religions, backgrounds & parts of J&K legislated on matters of great importance now actors & extras use it as a set for TV dramas. What a shame that the BJP driven government in J&K has reduced the symbol of democracy, where they once sat & governed, to this sorry state of affairs. They even have a fake CM coming out of an office I was privileged to occupy for 6 years. What an absolute shame! Hansal Mehta reacts to Omar Abdullah Hansal Mehta replied to Omar's tweet and wrote, Why is it a shame? How is filming of a drama demeaning democracy or the mother of democracy? Every body on a film set including actors, background actors (called extras by you) are all citizens of this country and have every right to work with dignity and deserve respect and understanding- at least from somebody as educated as yourself. He further added, In countries around the world, we are given use of public places, government buildings, council halls and the like for shooting. It is because of this unwelcoming attitude that India is considered an unfriendly shooting location and we often prefer shooting abroad. I have great respect for you but this feels very disrespectful, regressive and myopic. Maharani stars Huma Qureshi as Rani Bharti, wife of Bihar's chief minister Bheema. Her character was inspired by Rabri Devi. The show also stars Sohum Shah, Amit Sial, Kani Kusruti, Anuja Sathe and Inaamulhaq. The show was shot in Legislative Assembly Jammu complex as well as the Govt. Gandhi Memorial Science College, Jammu. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani are reportedly planning to tie the knot in February this year. Amid the countdown to the wedding, the couple was spotted offering prayers at the Ram Mandirs replica rath in Mumbai on Friday. Rakul saw the release of her Tamil film Ayalaan on Friday. (Also Read | "They don't make men like you anymore": Rakul Preet Singh wishes boyfriend Jackky Bhagnani on birthday) Jackky Bhagnani and Rakul Preet Singh at Ram Mandir replica rath on Friday. Rakul Preet and Jackky pray at temple A replica of the Ram temple has been made in Mumbai for those who may not be able to visit Ayodhya's Ram temple on its inauguration day on January 22. After the visit, Rakul and Jackky also shared a joint post on their Instagram handles. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. They shared a tiny video of them praying at the Ram Mandir replica. While Rakul was in a traditional pastel green attire, Jackky was in a yellow kurta pyjama. Jackky captioned the video, "Mesmerised with the Ram Mandir Replica Rath. Peaceful and divine. @rakulpreet @shweta_shalini #JaiShreeRam." Rakul and Jackky have been in relationship since long. As per reports, the two are gearing up for their wedding in Goa on February 22. They had made their relationship Instagram official in 2021. Rakul on chatter about their relationship Rakul recently opened up about Jackky and media coverage of their relationship. She said, My idea of love doesnt change whether its in the public eye or not. It has been the same ever since I was a teenager. What is in the public eye is the knowledge of the existing relationship and beyond that, I dont think we are people who are too much in the public or very much into PDA. We are not that unless its a birthday or an occasion, wishing each other or supporting each other. Rakul and Jackky wedding As per a Hindustan Times report, the wedding will be an intimate affair which will have their close friends from the Hindi as well as South industry in attendance. A source was quoted as saying in the report, They are closely looking over the decor and theme. One thing is certain that it will be close to who they are as individuals, with everything reflecting their personality. After Ayalaan, Rakul has Meri Patni Ka Remake and Kamal Haasan-starrer Indian 2 in her kitty. Jackky is an actor-turned-film producer whose latest project was Ganapath last year. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Ibrahim Nash'at was in an editing room helping acclaimed Syrian filmmaker Talal Derki complete his new documentary, Under the Sky of Damascus when news of the Taliban takeover of Kabul came in. "We stopped working and started watching the news on television," says Nash'at, a Berlin-based Egyptian documentary filmmaker about the cataclysmic events that unfolded on August 15, 2021, in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces from the war-torn country. (Also Read | John Abraham recalls Taliban's threat while filming Kabul Express in Afghanistan, adds 'Afghanis are loveliest people') The film documents the Taliban's transition from militia to military regime. "We saw people falling from planes at the Kabul airport while desperately trying to get out of the country. I told Talal, we need to go to Kabul. I was confident I could find a way of getting into Afghanistan to meet the Taliban," says Nash'at, recalling the point of departure of his debut documentary, Hollywoodgate. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September last year, Hollywoodgate -- co-written by Nash'at, Derki and American producer Shane Boris, who won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for Navalny last year -- tells the story of how the Taliban went about completing their grip on power by using the military infrastructure abandoned by American forces. The film was shot by Ibrahim Nash'aat in the weeks following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in 2021. Produced by Derki, Boris and American actor-producer Odessa Rae, the film documents the Taliban's transition from militia to military regime, with help from the enormous military hardware abandoned by the US military. Shot by Nash'aat in the weeks following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in 2021, the 91-minute film in Pashto, Dari and English borrows its name from the codeword, Hollywood, used for the large trailer-turned-base of American forces in Kabul. Each trailer, which housed work stations, medical supplies and even gyms, was given a numerical description like Hollywood Gate 1 and Hollywood Gate 2 by the Americans. "It had all the aspects of a CIA base," says Nash'at, a former journalist born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Egyptian immigrant parents, referring to the US spy agency. "The moment I saw the words, Hollywood Gate, I realised this is the movie I wanted to make." According to the Pentagon, the US left over 7.12 billion dollars worth of military equipment when they left Afghanistan in the middle of 2021. The Taliban, who discovered the treasure of military hardware in abandoned American bases, gleefully made it their own. The 91-minute film has been shot in Pashto, Dari and English. Filmed over several weeks by Nash'at himself carrying the camera, Hollywoodgate shows the making of the new air force of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from the vestiges of American military hardware deliberately damaged during the withdrawal. The documentary captures the consolidation of the Taliban by capturing the movements of Mawlawi Mansour, the new Taliban air force chief, and M Javid Mukhtar, a young lieutenant. "You see the propaganda in its clearest form. You see the past, the presence of the occupation (US forces) and the presence of the Taliban within the space of the occupation. It became my goal to stay within that space," says Nash'at, who has worked as a film editor in the past two years before becoming a documentary director. "Metaphorically, this space had everything I needed as a filmmaker. The Taliban were now living within a Western space, American beds, tools and even alcohol. It was a familiar space, except now the Taliban were inside. I thought the image of this space will be strong even if the story is not strong," says the director, who was raised in Cairo by parents who returned to Egypt from Saudi Arabia after the birth of their son. It borrows its name from the codeword, Hollywood, used for the large trailer-turned-base of American forces in Kabul. Nash'at, who arrived in Kabul to make a movie on the return of the Taliban, makes a cinematic observation of the new regime in Afghanistan. "These monsters spent their last days here trying to destroy everything," remarks the new air force chief Mansour, who says his innocent father was among 18 people killed in an American airstrike targeting him. "You are the heroes of our history because you have defeated American and NATO forces," Mansour, who asked his doctor-wife to abandon her medical practice as a condition for their marriage, tells the Taliban soldiers. "If we have the same American technology, we will rule the world." Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Music maestro AR Rahman recently came across a fan abroad who called him her idol and asked him if she could sing a song for him. The fan went on to sing his popular patriotic number, Maa Tujhe Salaam, while also playing the guitar on the street. AR Rahman patiently watched her performance and recorded it on his cell phone from the window of his car. He also shared the video on his Instagram Stories. Also read: AR Rahman recalls overcoming suicidal thoughts at young age; reveals 'beautiful advice' his mother gave him AR Rahman watches fan's performance. Internet loves AR Rahman's fan's performance A paparazzo shared the video on his Instagram page, inviting music lovers to react to the beautiful performance. An Instagram user wrote, She sang so nicely...India sab ki jaan hai (India is everyone's life). Another commented, The way he looks at the instrument. One more wrote, What an amazing performance. Lovely, what a voice, said an Instagram user for the fan. Many also called it a sweet gesture. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Three weeks back, AR Rahman visited the Nagore Dargah in Nagapattinam to attend the Kanduri festival. His fans were in awe as he arrived in an auto-rickshaw to participate in the festival. Earlier, he attended the UAE's 52nd National Day celebrations in Abu Dhabi and unveiled a 'song of hope'. He and a 52-member all-female Firdaus Orchestra paid a special tribute to UAE's founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. Speaking at the event, Rahman said, "The idea is to create a song of hope. This is a song to honour everyone who is selflessly working. The world needs hope today. I hope the song brings peace, understanding, and joy. My prayers to all the people who need to get healed in this hospital." AR Rahman's new projects AR Rahman continues to create good music for films. He is on board as a music composer for Aishwarya Rajinikanth's upcoming film, Lal Salaam. His latest song, Suro Suro, featuring Sivakarthikeyan and Rakul Preet Singh, from the Tamil film Ayalaan was released last week. Rahman will also be giving music for Ram Charan's next, tentatively titled RC16. He has also given music for Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra's film, Chamkila. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Veteran actor Arun Govil, who played the character of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, expressed his happiness on receiving the invitation to the Pran Pratishta ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. He said that he is looking forward to visiting the city and Ram Lalla's darshan. (Also Read | Arun Govil says Ramanand Sagar rejected him for Lord Ram's role in Ramayan; recalls being told show wasn't good for him) Arun Govil also gave credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Arun told ANI, "I am happy that I received an invitation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, and I am looking forward to going there (Ayodhya) to witness it and for the Ram Lalla darshan. It is a very big opportunity. I consider myself lucky that this has happened in my lifetime; everything is going very well, the atmosphere is positive, the energy is there, and we are all very happy." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this lifetime event. He said, "I believe that if we have to give credit to one person, then we will give it to Modi ji because of the way he has worked and spread the energy throughout, although I have accepted that whenever such work is done, it is not done by one person. The one who has spread all the positive energy is Modi ji. And the rest is collective work; everyone has worked a lot for many years, and many people have made sacrifices and are still working. So, whatever is happening, it's a lifetime event." The ceremony is scheduled to take place on January 22, 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the ceremony at the Ram Temple on January 22. The event has garnered significant attention, with several VVIP guests from India and abroad receiving invitations to participate in the auspicious occasion in Ayodhya. 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 consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav. A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand consecration. According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people. Local authorities are gearing up for the anticipated surge in visitors around the grand ceremony and are in the process of implementing enhanced security measures and making logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth and spiritually enriching experience for all attendees. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Its official. 2023 was the warmest year on record, beating 2016 by a large margin and signalling the arrival of a new climate reality. The year was 1.48C warmer than the pre-industrial average, data from the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) showed on Tuesday, a rise barely below the 1.5C mark that countries have been aiming to avoid. 2023 was the first year when every day within a calendar year was 1C warmer than the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average, and half the year 173 days was more than 1.5C warmer, C3S noted. At an average temperature of 14.98C, the year was not only 0.17C higher than the previous highest annual value in 2016 an El Nino year it also saw the largest year-on-year deviation. 2023 was 0.3C warmer than 2022. A record a day As record after record fell like dominoes, the hottest day turned into the hottest week, which led to the hottest month, and these combined to give the planet its hottest summer. But the temperature rise didnt stop there, with at least two days in November breaching the 2C threshold, and December ending as the hottest ever. "2023 was an exceptional year with climate records tumbling like dominoes, Samantha Burgess, C3S deputy director, said. When scientists combine their satellite readings with geological evidence from tree rings and ice cores, 2023 also appears to be among the warmest years in at least 100,000 years. The year was a dramatic testimony of how far the climate has come from when civilisation developed, said Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S. There were simply no cities, no books, agriculture or domesticated animals on this planet the last time the temperature was so high, he said at a news briefing. Also read: 2023: The year that broke climate records Global surface air temperature increase relative to the average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period, based on several global temperature datasets shown as 5-year averages since 1850 (left) and as annual averages since 1967 (right). Credit: C3S/ECMWF.( Credit: C3S/ECMWF.) Global impact The effects were felt across the globe, as hot weather baked much of Asia, Europe and the United States. Canada witnessed its most destructive wildfire season, with more than 45 million acres burned. The impacts extended beyond surface air temperatures, as the ice around the coasts of Antarctica failed to recuperate, reaching a mind-blowing low, with the Arctic sea ice also below average. Glaciers in western North America and the European Alps experienced an extreme melt season, further assisting the sea level rise. The sea surface continued to boil over, reaching record levels for the time of the year from April through December, as multiple marine heatwaves, in parts of the Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and North Pacific, and much of the North Atlantic ravaged ecosystems. The heat in some regions was such that off the coast of Florida, the water temperature reached around 38C conditions similar to a hot shower for humans, but fatal for corals. The reasons The main drivers for this temperature rise are obviously greenhouse gases CO2 concentrations increased by 2.4 ppm and methane by 11 ppb but experts are still looking for clues into why the year was much hotter than predicted. Global temperatures in 2023 were really weird. For almost every other year we can pretty reliably predict temperatures (red dot and bars) based on the long-term trend, the prior year, and the El Nino / La Nina conditions at the start. For 2023 this model completely breaks down, Zeke Hausfather, climate scientist at Berkeley Earth, said on X. The World Meteorological Organisation announced the onset of an El Nino in July last year. The recurrent shift in tropical Pacific weather patterns is often linked with record-setting heat globally and a dry monsoon in India. The onset of this weather pattern also usually contains a warning for a potentially worse year to follow, as El Nino reaches its peak about three months after onset and unleashes full effects in the summer to follow. In recent decades, very warm years have typically been ones that started in an El Nino state. C3S data reaching as far back as 1998 (another El Nino year, and the first that saw a positive deviation in annual average temperatures), and the most recent in 2016 are evidence of this. But last year, the El Nino didnt start until midyear which suggests that El Nino wasnt the main driver of the abnormal warmth at that point, said Emily J. Becker, a climate scientist at the University of Miami told NYT. Additionally, the temperature spike started much earlier in June. The earliest signs of how unusual 2023 was to become began to emerge in early June when temperature anomalies relative to 1850-1900 pre-industrial level reached 1.5C for several days in a row, the C3S release said. Surface air temperature anomaly for 2023 relative to the average for the 1991-2020 reference period. (Data source: ERA5. Credit: C3S/ECMWF.) Contributory factors Another contributing factor was the 2022 eruption of an underwater volcano off the Pacific island nation of Tonga that spewed vast amounts of water vapour into the atmosphere, helping trap more heat near the Earths surface. Experts, however, said it was a non-event for 2023. Early studies neglected the sulfate particles it also sent into the upper atmosphere, which reflected light and cancelled out the warming effect of water vapour, Mark Schoeberl, an atmospheric scientist at the Science and Technology Corporation, told Science. For 2022, it was a non-event. I have continued my computations into 2023still a non-event. Recent curbs on sulfur pollution from ships brought down levels of aerosols, or tiny airborne particles that reflect solar radiation and help cool the planet. Malte Meinshausen, a climate scientist from the University of Melbourne, emphasized that approximately 1.3Celsius of the warming was attributable to greenhouse gases, with smaller contributions from El Nino and other factors. Whats next? What really matters now is whether this temperature extreme will be anomalous and specific to 2023 or become the norm. 2024 has begun on an anomalous note: sea surface temperatures were highest for the time of the year, ice in most regions (including the higher reaches of Kashmir) has failed to build back, and the impact of El Nino is still unknown. While oceans are known to absorb 90% of the heat generated by GHG emissions, the ocean heat will also start escaping into the atmosphere soon enough. So while 2023 ended as the hottest year on record, it may also be the coldest this generation witnesses. Having completed 25 years in the film industry, actor Mukesh Tiwari says that he has been bad at marketing himself. He acknowledges the importance of social media but adds that its only ones talent that translates on screen. Mukesh Tiwari recently shot for Crash Boom Bang in Lucknow(Instagram) The Scam 2003: The Telgi Story (2023) actor says, Its your hold on the craft that gets you more work. Blue ticks and followers on social media wont help you with that! In the world of acting, its your talent that makes you popular. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He adds, My Instagram has only a few thousand followers till date and its okay. Im adapting to it. I became active just to connect with my audience and fans. I dont want publicity, instead I want to spread the positivity around. Honestly, on the work front it does not make any difference. Tiwari gives an example: Many social media stars, with millions of followers, were brought into films but they could not bring the audience to the theatre. For that you need to be well-versed in your craft you need to know acting, theatre and have that love for cinema. With the social media star image, you can sell/promote products and earn quick money but there is no guarantee of success in the world of acting. The audience who buys a costly ticket comes to see the performance; your followers dont matter. With the enormous love he got for his recent releases he says, With the great response to Dahan (2022), Garmi (2023), Bawaal and Scam... ek baat samajh main aai ki audience mujhe dekhna chahti hai. From my mistakes I have learnt that one should always remain at work but its equally important what freshness the actor brings to the audience. Since last four-five years I started getting the opport-unity of choosing projects which was not there earlier! So, I am doing good work in Hindi and South films which will be out soon. He recently shot the film Crash Boom Bang in Lucknow and Agra. I have done a schedule for Welcome to Jungle and will next shoot for a Kannada film with actor Vijay this month end and then start shooting for director Raaj Shaandilyaas film Vicky aur Vidya Ka Viral Video in February. My Telugu film Bheema with actor Gopichand is also set for a pan-India release in March. The films Hari Om Hari and Ground Zero will also be released this year, he ends. Two bills filed at the General Assembly say Virginia should step in where Washington has been ineffective, so far, in blocking unregulated e-cigarettes with sweet flavors that entice teenagers. The bills, House Bill 1069 and Senate Bill 550, call for a fine of $1,000 a day for each product sold that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not cleared to be marketed in the U.S. Its a public health issue, said Del. Rodney Willett, D-Henrico, who sponsored the House of Delegates bill. Theyre targeting kids with the flavors, he said. When I walk into a convenience store, Im just stunned by the number of these products that are for sale. Theyre just all over, added state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, who sponsored the Senate version. Theyre going after kids, he said. The bill says any retailer and wholesaler that sells or distributes any liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor product in the state is subject to scheduled or unscheduled compliance checks carried out by the Attorney General's Office for enforcement purposes. Manufacturers must certify, in a filing with the Attorney General, that their product is covered by an FDA marketing authorization order, or is exempt from that because it was sold in the U.S. before 2016 or subject to a premarket tobacco product application dating from before 2020. Under federal law, only those products may be legally sold in the U.S., but that law is widely flouted. The Attorney General would maintain a directory of legal products. Products not listed in that directory could not be legally sold in Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions latest youth survey found that 10% of high school students use e-cigarettes. Young people are especially attracted by the flavored disposable e-cigarettes and pods from brands the FDA has repeatedly warned are violating federal law, the survey reported. These include Elf Bar, with such products as peach-mango-watermelon flavored pods; Esco Bar, with a line that includes banana ice flavor; and Mr. Fog, which offers apple berry flavor. Elf Bar is subject to an FDA directive to staff last month advising its enforcement officers to seize any they come across. In May, the agency issued a warning letter to the maker of Esco Bar products to stop marketing them in the U.S.; it issued a similar warning to the maker of Mr. Fog products last August. Last month, Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., jointly called on the FDA and the U.S. Department of Justice to do more to address proliferation of illicit vaping products. Deeply concerning to us, in 2023, 10 percent of high schoolers and 4.6 percent of middle schoolers, or 2.1 million youth, used e-cigarettes, the two House members said in their letter to the agencies. The letter said vaping products imported from China now account for more than half of all vaping products sold in the U.S. and are driving underage use. The two added that those imports are predominantly high-volume products containing approximately as much nicotine as in several cartons of cigarettes, as well as candy and fruit flavoring that attract youth. The CDC Foundation, a congressionally chartered group that raises private funds to support the work of the CDC, has reported that flavored vape sales surged 64% over the past 3.5 years, to 18.4 million vaping products per month as of September 2023. Disposable vapes account for 57% of vaping sales in retail stores, a figure that does not include sales in vape shops or online sales. To allow for enforcement of the state ban, Willetts and Deeds bills say anyone who sells, stores, handles or transports liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products must keep all records relating to the purchase, sale, exchange, receipt or transportation for three years. Those records are subject to audit and inspection, and failing to maintain them would be a misdemeanor subject to a fine of $1,000. Henrico County-based tobacco giant Altria sells legal e-cigarette products, as well as the nations No. 1 cigarette brand. Altria spokesman Steve Callahan said the company believes legislation authorizing state registries of legal vaping products and efforts to crack down on sales of illegal ones are important steps to reining in illicit products. The company has said such products are undercutting efforts to block underage use. Public health activists worry that the products, by hooking youth on nicotine, will lead them to smoke cigarettes. Ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22, devotees in the city are already in waiting to act mode. Even before the pran-pratishtha ceremony, Lucknowites as well as people from other cities are visiting Ayodhya while many others are planning after the ceremony. The Ram Temple consecration ceremony is set to take place on January 22 in Ayodhya (ANI) The pre visitors Lucknow-based housewife Shikha Agarwal went with her son Yash, mother and niece to Ayodhya. Yash is leaving for the US on Sunday for his final year of engineering, so we went to Ayodhya to seek blessings. An adherent follower of the deity, we visited the city and attended a prayer ceremony at Kanak Bhawan. We saw the upcoming Ram temple from a distance and will come back in mid-February when the rush has lessened, she says. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Printing press entrepreneur Jitendra Singh says, I was in Ayodhya just a month back and the city has transformed. The Lata Mangeshkar Chowk along with the entire road to the temple adds on to the list of centre of attraction for the visitors. Though it will take another two years for the temple to take shape, with the inauguration nearing surely things are on roll in a big way. First timers Soon-to-be-married Nisha Madaan and her fiance Gaurav S Verma have decided to complete their Darshan before flying to Europe after their wedding on January 30. Once our ceremonies are over, we want to step into a new life seeking blessings at Ayodhya before we move ahead in our lives, shares Madaan. Yoga guru Vineet Saxena believes that earlier he couldnt visit Ayodhya was for a reason. Imagine getting an opportunity to travel to visit the city for the first time in life that to around the consecration of the Ram temple. My brother is travelling from the US with his family and our plan is set for January 28 drive down-visit to Ayodhya. For homemaker, Minal Vimal Garg it will be a first trip too but with more to follow. I never had a chance to travel to Ayodhya. But now Ill be driving down with my family from Pune. I have heard a lot about the historical changes the city underwent to come up with one of the biggest temples. Sales professional Jyoti Singh who has all plans chalked out, adds, My visit with family via public transport maybe by a train or buses especially activated for the tourists, will hopefully happen in the last week of this month. All things I feel are in place. My small request to the administration is a notch up security for female visitors. Travel set to boom For the main ceremony, a large inventor is in place to meet the taxi demand that will ferry visitors to Ayodhya. We have a requisition of cars from the state government between January 20-23 besides demand for luxury cars for invitees. The travel movement has already started and post opening of temple we will have huge movement of day-tours for locals and visitors. We are advising travellers to schedule visit after February 15, tells Rajiv Arora of Rayhan Travel House. Hotels in the state capital are getting a lot of queries for stay during the consecration ceremony and once the temple is opened to the public. An ode to the temple Lucknow based artist Pankaj Gupta who made two artworks as an ode to the temple will be travelling during the month-end with his 88-year-old mother to the temple. I have been to the city and soaked in immense spirituality from there during my visit that I have translated on my canvas with colours. Celebrate at home, for now! The temple trust has issued advisory not to visit till January 26. The series of events are set to begin from January 16 and from January 19-26, the trust has appealed not to head toward Ayodhya. The government officials too have asked to celebrate at their home and visit the temple town after the entire pran-pratishtha ceremony is over Vishva Hindu Parishad working president Alok Kumar said two of the four Shankaracharyas, pontiffs of a Hindu sect that follows the teachings of Adi Shankara, have openly welcomed the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. However, none of them would attend the ceremony, and they would visit the temple as per their convenience. This comes after a political slugfest erupted following the Opposition parties targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over reports of top spiritual leaders deciding not to attend the consecration ceremony. The Ram temple in Ayodhya (in pic) in nearing completion. (Sourced) "Shankaracharya of Shri Shringeri Sharda Peeth and Dwarka Sharda Peeth have welcomed (the consecration ceremony). Both of them have said they are happy and that they do not have any grievances with it," the VHP working chief was cited as saying by news agency PTI. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The four Shankaracharyas are the heads of four main mutts in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Karnataka, established by the eighth-century seer Adi Shankara. The Congress earlier criticised the BJP over the reported refusal of invitation to attend the ceremony by all four spiritual leaders over the incomplete construction of the temple. "Ask them (BJP) why the Shankaracharyas are not going (to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony). They said that the construction of Ram Mandir is incomplete; why are the BJP and PM in a hurry? Inaugurating the temple while it is under construction and politicising it. It is evident because elections are nearing," a Congress leader said. Meanwhile, the pontiff of the Karnataka mutt requested people to disregard false propaganda over the event and debunked reports being circulated regarding the Sringeri Mutt expressing its displeasure over the concentration event. "A social media post, which carries a photo of Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peethadheeshwara, His Holiness Paramapujya Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, conveys that the Sringeri Shankaracharya, in a message, has expressed displeasure over the Prana-pratishtha. However, the Sringeri Shankaracharya has not given any such message," the mutt said. The VHP working chief said Shankaracharya of Odisha's Govardhan Peeth has expressed his happiness over the construction of the Ram Temple. "Only Jyotirpeeth Shankaracharya has made certain remarks, he added. Head of Odisha's mutt Nischalananda Saraswati had said he would skip the ceremony earlier. On Wednesday, Uttarakhands Jyotir Mutt head, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, announced that four prominent Shankaracharya will not attend the event. In a video message, he said the ceremony is against the sacred scriptures. For the first time after a gap of four years, rebel YSR Congress Party parliamentarian Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishna Raju entered his constituency Narasapuram in West Godavari district on Saturday, a day after getting relief from the state high court, which directed the police not to arrest him in any case pending against him and instead, provide him necessary protection. Rebel YSR Congress Party parliamentarian Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishna Raju entered his constituency Narasapuram in West Godavari district a day after getting relief from the Andhra Pradesh high court. (Wikimedia Commons) Raju flew down from New Delhi to Rajahmundry in the afternoon, where he was welcomed by thousands of his followers, besides members of the Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena party. Later, he left for his native town of Bhimavaram in a big convoy of vehicles. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The MP had been facing the threat of arrest by the Andhra Pradesh police, who had foisted as many as 12 cases against him. We moved the high court on Friday, requesting the state police not to arrest him without following the proper procedure, like issuance of prior notice under Section 41-A of the Criminal Procedure Code, Rajus lawyer P V G Umesh Chandra told HT. He said Raju was apprehensive that the police might file some more false cases against him and that he might be subjected to harassment. Even on Friday, the Anantapur police registered a case against the MP under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on the charges of allegedly abusing and making derogatory statements against senior IPS officer P V Sunil Kumar, former CID chief, Umesh Chandra said. Also read- Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy meets KCR An official note sent by the chief ministers office said the comments made by the MP in one of the interviews on a television channel a few days ago had the effect of inciting violence among different sections of society and were defamatory in nature. Police teams from Anantapur district are actively searching for the MP and have deployed personnel in Hyderabad, Narasapuram, and Rajahmundry in anticipation of his possible arrival in the coming days, the CMO note said. The government pleader argued in the court that the investigating officer has discretionary authority under Section 41A CrPC either to issue notice or to arrest within the parameters and it is not an absolute bar to arrest or it is not mandatory to issue notice in all cases. After hearing arguments from both the sides, justice B S Bhanumathi ordered that the police should not arrest Raju without following the due procedure and provide him protection when he visits the constituency on Saturday. Speaking to reporters at Bhimavaram, Raju said he was overwhelmed by the love and affection showered by the people of his constituency, though he had come to his native place after four years. He said he was going to formally resign from the YSRCP in the second week of February. I am ready to contest the next general elections on behalf of TDP-Jana Sena combine, he said and thanked TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan for extending support to him during the crisis. Raju was elected on the YSRCP ticket from Narasapuram in April 2019 elections, but staged a revolt against party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in November 2019, questioning the latters decision on the formation of three capitals. Also read- Andhra: TDP supremo, Jana Sena chief meet poll panel chief, accuses ruling YSRCP of manipulating electoral roll Since then, the MP has been questioning the policies of the Jagan government. He could not step into Andhra Pradesh since then, fearing arrest by the police in one case or the other. On May 14, 2021, when he came to Hyderabad for his birthday celebrations, the Andhra CID police arrested him under the charges of sedition. A week later, the Supreme Court granted him bail. Since then, he had been staying in New Delhi. An agriculture expert died after collapsing during a live programme telecast on Doordarshan at the channel's studio here on Friday, police said. Dr Ani S Das. Dr Ani S Das, (59), who was the Director, Planning, at the Kerala Agricultural University, was an expert who occasionally appeared on the government-run channel, collapsed during a live discussion, channel sources said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The incident occurred during Doordarshan's Krishi Darshan programme at around 6.30 pm, channel sources said. Officials also said he was rushed to the Medical College Hospital here but could not be saved. Amid the current dispute between India and Maldives, Alliance Air, the sole airline serving Lakshadweep, has initiated extra flights for passengers wanting to travel to the island. In a post on its official handle X Alliance Air shared the information and wrote, Now additional flight. @PMOIndia @Officejmscindia @JM_Scindia. A glimpse from Lakshadweep.(ANI) Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Alliance Air operates a 70-seater aircraft to the island daily. The airline is running in total capacity and has sold out all of its tickets till March, an official associated with Alliance Air has said. Speaking with regard to the additional flights the official said that the flights would operate two days a week, that is, on Sunday and Wednesday. The airline runs flights between Kochi in Kerala and Agatti island in Lakshadweep. "We are getting lots of queries on phone and social media regarding tickets. Following to the huge demand for tickets, an additional flight has been added to the route. If required frequency of the flight will be increased," the official said. In an annual meeting held recently Spice Jet also informed that it would have exclusive rights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) for Lakshadweep and that will soon launch flights to the island. Travel portals have also reported a record number of queries for Lakshadweep in recent times. MakeMyTrip, the online travel company, reported a remarkable 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep on Monday. This followed Prime Minister Modi's recent visit to the union territory. "NewsFlash: We have observed a 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Honorable PMs visit," the company said in a post on X. After recording whopping queries and increased online interest about Indian beaches the company also announced the 'Beaches of India' campaign. Through this campaign the company puts forth several discounts in travel packages encouraging people to explore the beaches in the country. An assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI), deployed at Delhi's BP Marg for night picket duty, allegedly died by suicide in the wee hours of Saturday after shooting himself with his service revolver. The ASI was on duty with sub-inspector Prem Singh. The police investigation is underway. (File) Deputy commissioner of police (south) Ankit Chauhan said the ASI asked Prem Singh around 3am on Saturday to take some rest for 10 minutes, and then he sat in his car, which was parked near the barricade. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. When Singh went to check on the ASI after some time, he found the ASI dead in the vehicle. The police suspect that the ASI took his life by using his service revolver. The ASI was from Chhithroli village in Haryana's Mahendragarh district. He joined the Delhi Police in 1993. The police investigation is underway. Further gains by Myanmars anti-junta groups in recent weeks, including resistance fighters overrunning 440 military posts, have added to worries about the fragile security situation in the neighbouring country impacting Indias strategic northeastern region, people familiar with the matter said. TOPSHOT - This photo taken on December 11, 2023 shows members of the Mandalay Peoples Defense Forces (MDY-PDF) preparing to release a drone near the frontline amid clashes with Myanmar's military in northern Shan State. A squad of Myanmar pro-democracy fighters works quickly to ready drones for an attack on a nearby military base, the latest target in a wave of aerial assaults that has helped turn the war against the junta. (Photo by AFP) / TO GO WITH Myanmar-coup, FOCUS (AFP) Three powerful anti-junta groups Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Arakan Army and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) that launched an offensive against the military last October agreed to a temporary ceasefire in areas on the border with China on Thursday night, but there will be no halt in operations in other parts of Myanmar, the people said on condition of anonymity. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The truce was finalised in talks held at Kunming during January 10-11 between the groups known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance and representatives of Myanmars State Administration Council (SAC). This was the third round of China-brokered dialogue since December and another truce last month collapsed within days. The temporary ceasefire will be limited to Myanmars Shan state bordering China and will have no impact in other areas such as Rakhine state and Sagaing region, which are located close to the border with India and have witnessed intense fighting in recent weeks, the people said. There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the latest developments in Myanmar. Earlier this week, about 700 Myanmar military personnel, including officers, surrendered to the Arakan Army in Rakhine state, the people said. This followed the surrender of nearly 2,500 military personnel and their families at Laukkai in Shan state early in January. Nearly 230 officers, including six brigadier generals and three colonels, were among those who surrendered in Laukkai. In addition to capturing vast swathes of territory, the resistance forces have taken control of more than 30 important towns, including 16 in Shan state, seven in Chin state and four in Sagaing region. The anti-junta forces have also retained control of Rihkhawdar, located a short distance from Zokhawthar town in Mizoram and home to one of only two official land border crossing points with India, and Khampat, a key town located 50 km from the second border crossing point between Tamu in Myanmar and Moreh in Manipur, the people said. The fighting in areas close to the border with India has heightened concerns that militant groups from the northeast with bases in Myanmars Sagaing region may attempt to sneak back into the country, the people said. Besides Kuki and Meitei militant groups, the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), which is opposed to peace talks, has bases in Myanmar. Hundreds of Myanmarese civilians and troops have sought refuge in Manipur and Mizoram in recent weeks, and 416 soldiers were subsequently repatriated. Indian Army chief Gen Manoj Pande alluded to these concerns at a news conference on Thursday, saying the Indian side is closely watching the situation along the border and has strengthened its posture by deploying close to 20 Assam Rifles battalions. Policy-makers in New Delhi are also keeping a close watch on Chinas role in brokering talks between the Three Brotherhood Alliance and SAC, a move that will only enhance Beijings influence in Myanmar. Chinas special envoy for Myanmar, Deng Xijun, facilitated the talks in Kunming and witnessed the finalisation of the ceasefire on Thursday. Chinas former envoy to India, Sun Weidong, now a vice foreign minister, too has played a key role in Beijings efforts to end fighting in Shan state. These efforts, the people said, were primarily focused on resumption of border trade and protection of Chinese nationals and investments in infrastructure projects. Toe Kyaw Hlaing, a councillor of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), an advisory body to Myanmars government in exile, said the world community has no comprehensive approach towards Myanmar at a time when its focus remains on conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. India is very important for Myanmar and can play an important role, but it needs to understand the situation correctly and it should have a smart strategy. Instead of a one-sided relationship with the SAC it should reach out to the National Unity Government (NUG) and other stakeholders, Hlaing said. Another person close to the NUG or government-in-exile, who declined to be identified, said India shouldnt see the situation in Myanmar only in the context of China and should focus on the situation on the ground and the reasons for which the people are fighting the junta. India informed Myanmar of its security concerns, especially refugee flows, during foreign office consultations in New Delhi in December. At the time, the external affairs ministry spokesperson had said the Indian side has backed a peaceful resolution and a return to democracy as the way forward in Myanmar. After a resounding defeat in the Telangana assembly elections, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, popularly known as KCR, has been facing internal pressure to revert the party to its original avatar, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). The BRS lost the Telangana assembly elections on November 30 after it secured only 39 out of 119 seats, due to strong anti-incumbency wave, coupled with allegations of family rule and corruption (PTI) According to a senior BRS leader, several party leaders and cadres at the grassroots level have requested the state leadership to change the name from BRS back to TRS, in a bid to regain the partys original Telangana identity. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The matter has also been coming up during meetings being conducted by BRS working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) and former minister T Harish Rao, to introspect on the partys performance in the assembly elections and gear up the cadre for the Lok Sabha polls. Yes, there has been an increasing demand from party leaders across various districts to change the partys name back to TRS. The party leadership has been apprised of the sentiment of the party leaders, former minister and senior BRS lawmaker from Station Ghanpur constituency, Kadiyam Srihari, told HT. Srihari was among party leaders who raised the matter before KTR during the Warangal meeting on Wednesday and said the party has been the only voice of the people of Telangana for the last 23 years and one cannot isolate the BRS from the state. Only BRS can effectively represent the issues of Telangana, as no other party is sentimentally attached to the state, the former minister said. The BRS lost the Telangana assembly elections on November 30 after it secured only 39 out of 119 seats, due to strong anti-incumbency wave, coupled with allegations of family rule and corruption. Party leaders believe the BRS had lost its right over Telangana after the party which was primarily formed to fight for the formation of a separate Telangana state out of undivided Andhra Pradesh changed its name on October 5, 2022. The name change to BRS, with an aim to establish KCR as a national leader, was facilitated through a resolution that was passed at the partys general body meeting that day. On December 8, 2022, the Election Commission of India approved the name change, leading the former chief minister to begin expanding the partys electoral footprint beyond Telangana, to states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and even Delhi. Srihari said that many party leaders are of the view that the BRS lost its connection with Telangana once it projected itself as a national party. That had an impact on the party prospects in the recent assembly elections and it could not invoke the Telangana sentiment as it had done in the past. The party lost its connection with the Telangana people, he said. The BRS lawmaker said it should not be difficult for KCR to retain the partys original name. So far, the Election Commission of India has not registered any other party in the name of TRS. So, if we submit a representation to the ECI for change of name of the party back to TRS, it can do it within a few weeks, he said. Political analyst S A Zakir called the name change to BRS a historic blunder. He (KCR) tried to create an impression that his government has done enough for Telangana and it was time he moved to national politics, he said. Zakir said KCR ignored the simple logic that people had earlier voted for him only because of his Telangana identity, as he had played a significant role in attaining statehood for the region in 2014. But he took the people of Telangana for granted. He thought that they would vote for his party permanently and continue to elect him and his family members for several terms, he said. He said that after being called Telangana Bapu (father of Telangana), KCR wanted to emerge as Desh ki Neta (leader of the nation). But in the recent elections, the people showed him his place and stature. So, it is better he confines himself to Telangana and rebuild the party, Zakir said. Besides the partys name change, another issue that is likely to be taken up during the upcoming BRS meeting is an alleged lack of organisational structure in the party. Unlike other parties, the BRS doesnt have any units from the village level to the state level. There are no presidents, vice-presidents, general secretaries, organising secretaries or even spokespersons. It was KCR and his family members who have been running the party as a family enterprise. This has to change and in the coming days, it has to grow into a more democratic outfit, Zakir said. Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Friday launched the Congress partys fifth poll promise offering monthly unemployment stipend of 3,000 to graduates and 1,500 to diploma holders Symbolically handing over Yuva Nidhi cheques to seven beneficiaries, CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM Shivakumar launched the unemployment financial aid scheme, a guarantee that was part of the Congress manifesto during the assembly elections last year. (Siddaramaiah /X) Accompanied by cabinet colleagues, chief minister Siddaramaiah Inaugurated the Yuva Nidhi scheme in Shivamogga. Symbolically handing over Yuva Nidhi cheques to seven beneficiaries, Siddaramaiah and deputy CM Shivakumar officially launched the unemployment financial aid scheme, a guarantee that was part of the Congress manifesto during the assembly elections last year Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The initiative provides financial assistance to graduates and diploma holders struggling to secure employment, with a maximum support period of two years. The state governments Skill Connect portal will serve as the platform for eligible individuals to register, and receive training opportunities, said an official communication. The aid extends for two years, benefiting those who havent found employment in the past six months and are not pursuing higher studies. With an allocation of 250 crore for the remaining term, Siddaramaiah, also in charge of finance, has kickstarted the registration process for unemployed youth who graduated in 2023. The estimated cost from the next fiscal year stands at 1,200 crore. Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah expressed satisfaction in fulfilling all five guarantees promised by the Congress, including Shakti, Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, and Anna Bhagya schemes. He said that as many as 10.18 million women heads of families are paid 2,000 each per month under Gruha Lakshmi. Women enjoy free travel in government buses throughout the state under Shakti and 10.51 millin households are granted the benefit of up to 200 units of free power under Gruha Jyoti. The Yuva Nidhi scheme, as highlighted by the chief minister, aims to bridge the unemployment gap by not only offering financial assistance but also providing essential skill development training for youth to secure jobs in diverse sectors, both in the country and abroad. The government is not content with just paying the monthly payments to the unemployed youth. But the government is making arrangements to provide skills development training to enable the unemployed youth to get jobs in the government or private sector or take up self-employment ventures, he said. He also added that the government will provide necessary training for the youth to help them get jobs. Today we have implemented the Yuva Nidhi scheme. Along with the money, we will provide required training to the youth to get jobs in various sectors. This scheme is to give strength to the youth of the state, the chief minister added. The government has received a good response for the programme so far, with nearly 70,000 unemployed already registering for the Yuva Nidhi scheme. . On the occasion, CM Siddaramaiah announced the renaming of Shivamoggas Freedom Park after celebrated poet and Lingayat movement patron saint, Allama Prabhu. The event was attended by Shivakumar, medical education minister Sharan Prakash Patil, Shivamogga district in-charge minister Madhu Bangarappa, and power minister KJ George, among others. Shivamogga BJP MP BY Raghavendra, son of former BJP chief minister B S Yediyurappa and elder brother of state BJP president BY Vijayendra, shared the dais with the chief minister at the Yuva Nidhi launch function. Bengaluru: A Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Mandya district on Friday issued summons to 17 Bharatiya Janata Party workers in connection with a 2017 case related a bike rally held in violation of prohibition orders. The 2017 case pertains to a bike rally by BJP workers from Pandavapura in Madhya to Mangaluru in violation of prohibition orders. (PTI (Photo for representation)) The BJP workers had carried out the bike rally from Pandavapura in Madhya to Mangaluru of Dakshina Kannada district, demanding that state government ban the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The police intervened and halted the protesters in Pandavapura town. They had registered an FIR and later submitted a charge sheet in the case to the court. The court had earlier issued summons but the BJP workers had failed to appear for the hearing. The present summons were issued to the BJP workers to appear before the court as they remained absent for the court proceedings, police said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The development has triggered allegations from the opposition BJP, which said that the Siddaramaiah-led state Congress government is reopening cases against BJP workers and individuals associated with pro-Hindu organisations. The party questioned the delay in the summons and accused the state government of unfairly targeting its workers. The police clarified that the court, not the police department, issued the summons. Pandavapura sub-inspector Vivekananda said, The summons issued by the JMFC court, and not by the police department, relate to IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant). He said that once the charge sheet related to the case was filed, their role was over. N Ashok, Melukote constituency BJP president, alleged that the police are acting against BJP workers under pressure. It seems that the police are acting against BJP workers, pressurized by invisible leaders. On December 22, 2017, the police detained us in Pandavapura while we were heading towards Mangaluru to protest against PFI and SDPI on motorcycles. They detained us in the morning at 7:30 am and released us at 3 pm. We never knew they had booked us; we came to know about the case only after receiving the summons, he said. Normally, the case would close in at least three years, but serving a summons after six years seems like a conspiracy. The authorities should conduct a probe into why it was delayed to serve notices, Ashok said. In response, Mandya district Congress committee president CD Gangadhar accused the BJP of unnecessarily politicising the issue. He said, The Congress has no role in the matter. As the BJP is focused on maligning the Congress for political gain, it is diverting attention from developmental works, Gangadhar said. He asked the BJP workers to question the delay in court rather than politicizing the issue. The trial between Benton County and the former owner of a parcel the county took by eminent domain for its justice campus site has been delayed to give the parties a chance to discuss a resolution outside of court. A two-week trial to set the price the county must pay for the land was set to begin Feb. 13, but attorneys for Benton County moved for postponement on Dec. 22, and McFadden Ranch's lawyers agreed, according to court records. The additional time allows both sides to participate in mediation and explore the potential for a settlement. The postponement was granted Jan. 3. Podcasts '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. A new trial date has not been set, according to court records, which note the potential for one in September. That would fall outside of the timeframe requirement, but the countys attorney stated in his motion that theres good cause to extend the trial date due to the complexity and uniqueness of the issue. Benton County's attorney declined comment and directed questions to the county's public information officer, Cory Grogan. Grogan said via email he couldn't comment on the litigation. An attorney for McFadden Ranch declined to comment outside of what appears in court filings. In November 2022, a judge ordered the property owner to cede about 28 acres of mostly farmland to Benton County for a suite of criminal justice buildings. Debra Velure, a circuit court judge in Lane County, signed the order granting Benton County immediate possession of the property between Corvallis Wastewater Reclamation facilities and the HP Inc. campus on Highway 20. Benton County sought the property under Oregons takings law, arguing work has to start in 2023 to take advantage of $25 million in state funding and get ahead of anticipated delays in finding construction material and equipment. The county assessed and offered a little more than $5.47 million for the site, then filed in Benton County Circuit Court to condemn the land for use in public safety and welfare. County officials envision a $167 million centralized campus for the local criminal justice system, starting with replacing the 134-year-old courthouse, which is likely to collapse in an earthquake, as well as the District Attorneys Office. In May, Benton County voters shot down a $110 million bond measure that would have funded a new jail and sheriff's office second-phase construction at the campus, and the centerpiece in what the county called its Justice System Improvement Project. Despite the voters' rejection, the part that wasn't to be funded through the bond continues. The courthouse and District Attorneys Office are an $86.6 million project, of which $48.5 million is funded by the county for the prosecutor offices and half of the courthouse. Of the countys $48.5 million share, 83% or $40.6 million is generated through the issuance of $36 million in tax-exempt debt, with the remaining 17% of that coming from a combination of federal and county resources. The balance of the projects total cost $38.1 million is coming from the state. JonnaVe Stokes, a communications coordinator with the county, said by email Friday, Jan. 12, that the cost has grown by $13.1 million. Delayed construction, redesign fees, and the potential price of fiber optic lines all have escalated estimated costs, county staff previously said. Construction on the courthouse, District Attorney's Office and emergency operations center is set to start, Grogan said, in late spring and be completed in early spring 2026. The justice improvements include a new crisis center in downtown Corvallis, but construction on it was delayed because of a soils issue, Grogan said in the earlier email. Mitigation cost more than $1 million in unexpected costs, but the Oregon Health Authority was able to cover it, he added. Originally anticipated to be open last year, construction completion is now expected by spring 2025, Grogan said. Editor's note: This article was updated with the correct location of the crisis center as well as a current cost estimate and breakdown. Bengaluru: After multiple raids across the state, the Karnataka health department has shut down 34 scanning centres on charges of illegal activities like revealing the gender of the foetus. Action has also been initiated against 156 quacks found during the raids, officials aware of the matter said on Friday. After the police busted in October a racket that conducted over 900 abortions within three years, the health department ordered officials to conduct inspections in all the scanning centres and clinics to ascertain their compliance with the PCPNDT Act. (HT Archives) The action came after the police busted in October a racket that conducted over 900 abortions within three years . The health department had ordered all district health officers and community health officers to conduct inspections in all the scanning centres and clinics to ascertain their compliance with the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In the investigation that followed, one scanning centre in Hoskote was closed in December for conducting illegal abortions and the government had sought a report on similar cases. After checking 5,083 scanning centres and nursing homes over a month, health department officials submitted their comprehensive report to the government. Among the findings were 156 identified quacks, predominantly concentrated in rural areas, prompting legal action against these illegal medical practitioners. The report confirmed the closure of 34 scanning centres due to violations, with notices issued to 429 centres for discrepancies. The highest closures were reported form Bengaluru Rural district. Randeep D, commissioner, health and family welfare department, said the large-scale non-compliance was uncovered during the inspections. While some centres lacked essential registries and patient details, others failed to collect required documents, raising suspicions about their activities. These centres were closed, he told reporters . The inspection report also revealed that 429 scanning centres received notices for minor violations. Furthermore, 156 fake doctors were identified during the inspections, leading to legal action against them under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment (KPME) Act. Authorities are currently verifying their licences with the Medical Council of India, Randeep said. Despite having nearly 6,000 registered scanning centres in the state, 5,083 are operational. District officials have completed inspections to identify deviations from the law, and a state task force has been established to combat female foeticide. Going forward, regular inspections will be conducted to monitor the activities of these health facilities and ensure compliance with the law, said the commissioner. In December, the Karnataka government had transferred the investigation of a sex-determination and illegal abortion racket to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The decision came after chief minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with home minister G Parameshwara. The illegal operations in the state came to light on October 15 during a routine vehicle checking drive by the Byappanahalli police, who found a pregnant woman with a few men. During the investigation, the police found that the accused used to take pregnant women to Mandya for gender determination of the foetus and it was aborted in a few clinics in Mysuru. After the racket was exposed, the state government ordered the CID to probe the case. Three doctors and over 10 people have been arrested in the case so far Defence minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to provide insurance cover to tens of thousands of casual workers employed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to build infrastructure in the countrys farthest frontiers. Union defence minister Rajnath Singh (File Photo) This scheme will provide Rs.10 lakh as insurance in any kind of death to the family of casual paid labourers, the defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The latest welfare measure comes months the ministry rolled out a new policy in September 2023 for BROs casual workers to give them dignity in case of death. Singh had then approved the policy for the preservation and transportation of the mortal remains of casual paid labourers to their native place while also raising funeral expenses from 1,000 to 10,000 for those whose last rites are performed at the worksite. These moves by the ministry have brought into focus the risky roles these workers fill in treacherous terrain. Keeping in view the severe risk posed to the lives of casual paid labourers posted in hazardous worksites, inclement weather, inhospitable terrain and occupational health hazards, and considering the deaths occurred/reported during their engagement, the provision of insurance coverage on humanitarian grounds will prove to be a great morale booster, the statement said. BRO employs up to one lakh casual workers to build border infrastructure in areas stretching from Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. These projects include roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields and helipads. The insurance scheme will serve as a social security and welfare measure and will go a long way in securing the livelihoods of their families, it added. Welfare measures in place from these workers in forward areas include portable cabins, prefabricated shelters, bio toilets, snow tents with polyurethane insulation panels, special winter clothing and rations for high altitude, healthcare facilities, training in emergency medical management and make-shift schools for their children. The 1,800 special guests, among the 25,000 people who attended the 77th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort last year, included 50 BRO workers, again a recognition of their role. Indias infrastructure push in forward areas, a firm and focussed response to Chinas thrust on developing its border areas, has supported the militarys pursuit of robust deterrence against the neighbour with whom the country has been locked in a standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 2020. The militarys readiness, among other things, depends on infrastructure in forward areas, a landscape dotted with towering mountains, valleys and rivers. BRO has completed around 300 crucial projects during the last three years at a cost of 8,000 crore. India lags China in border infrastructure but the country is catching up fast on the back of speedy execution of strategic projects to support military operations, increased spending, and focussed adoption of technology and techniques to fill gaps that came into focus after the standoff with China began. BROs funding has increased over the years to enable faster development of infrastructure. Its expenditure, which ranged from 3,305 crore per year to 4,670 crore per year during 2008-17, has climbed steadily in recent years and is projected to be around 15,000 crore in 2023-24, according to government data. The expenditure stood at 12,340 crore in 2022-23, 9,375 crore in 2021-22, 8,763 crore in 2020-21 and 7,737 crore in 2019-20. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him to appear before it on January 18 for questioning in the money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, people familiar with the development said on Saturday. Kejriwal had last week skipped EDs third summons. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (PTI) HT had reported on January 4 that the ED would reissue the summons to the chief minister but his repeated disregard of the summons was scuttling their probe into the case. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In his response to the EDs third summons, which he termed as illegal, Kejriwal had said he was ready to cooperate but that the agencys intention was to arrest him and stop him from election campaigning. The agency has said it wants to question Kejriwal on the formulation of policy, meetings held before it was finalised, and allegations of bribery. Kejriwal had ignored two previous summons - on November 2 and on December 22 as well, calling them illegal and politically motivated. What ED said in charge sheet In its sixth charge sheet filed in the case on December 2, 2023, naming Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra, the ED has claimed that the AAP used kickbacks worth 45 crore generated via the policy as part of its assembly elections campaign in Goa in 2022. While ED has in the past alleged that bribes generated in the excise policy were used to fund the campaign for the Goa assembly elections, this is the first time that the agency has mentioned the amount of the purported kickbacks, and the first time that the AAP has been called a direct beneficiary. The findings that the AAP benefited directly are expected to be used by the ED when it names the party in its next charge sheet. the ED has claimed that total bribes worth 100 crore were paid to AAP leaders in connection with the excise policy. The December 2 charge sheet also alleges that some of the AAP leaders also personally benefited from the proceeds of crime. It cites bribes linked to jailed AAP leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia worth 2.2 crore, along with 1.5 crore to former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair, and 2 crore cash to Singh all allegedly paid by businessman Dinesh Arora. PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002) investigation done so far has revealed that the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 was formulated as part of a conspiracy by the leaders of AAP, to continuously generate and channel illegal funds to themselves and the AAP, the charge sheet states. In one of its five charge sheets, ED claimed that the excise policy was Kejriwals brainchild. Kejriwal has also been mentioned in remand papers with references to alleged meetings, commissions for private players, and the entry of political players and businesspeople from the south into Delhis liquor business. The financial crimes probe agency has so far filed six charge sheets in the excise policy probe against 31 individuals and entities, including former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Partys Rajya Sabha member of parliament Sanjay Singh. Both Sisodia and Singh are currently lodged in Tihar jail. On Kejriwals role, one of the six charge sheets filed in January 2023 states that Kejriwal told businessman Sameer Mahendru that former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair is his boy and that he should trust him. The agency cited the December 2022 statement of Sisodias then secretary C Arvind and claimed he was informed of the decision for a 12% profit margin for wholesale private entities at Kejriwals residence in March 2021. C Arvind, according to the charge sheet, told ED that there were no discussions about handing the wholesale liquor business to private players in meetings of the group of ministers (GoM) which comprised Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Kailash Gahlot before mid-March 2021. The excise policy was aimed to revitalise the citys flagging liquor business and replace a sales-volume-based regime with a license fee for traders. It promised swankier stores and a better buying experience. The policy introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor for the first time in Delhi. Lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxenas move to order a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime prompted the scrapping of the policy. The AAP has accused Saxenas predecessor, Anil Baijal, of sabotaging the move with a few last-minute changes that resulted in lower-than-expected revenues. The ED has claimed that the AAP used a part of the 100-crore kickbacks generated by the Delhi excise policy during its campaigns for the 2022 Goa assembly elections. It has also pegged the loss in the excise policy irregularities at 2,873 crore. New Delhi: Expressing serious concern over fewer claims made for compensation made in hit-and-run cases, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the police and the district legal service authority to forward details of the beneficiaries to the claims enquiry officer within specified timelines. (Representative Photo) The Court also told the Centre to decide in eight weeks on increasing the Rs.2 lakh claim limit for families of those who die in such accidents. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The central government has framed the compensation of victims of hit-and-run motor accidents scheme, 2022 which is effective from April 1, 2022. As per this scheme, a compensation of Rs.2 lakh is payable in incidents of deaths and 50,000 to the injured. Also Read: SC reinstates Himachal DGP, stay HC order A bench of justices AS Oka and Pankaj Mithal said, Within one month from the date of the accident, the officer in charge of the police station shall forward the first accident report (FAR) to the Claims Enquiry Officer... if, after making reasonable efforts, the particulars of the vehicle involved in the accident could not be ascertained. The Court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Kishan Chand Jain who pointed out gaps in the scheme. He claimed that the victims of hit-and-run accidents are unaware of their entitlement under the scheme and fail to seek monetary claims. To be sure, hit-and-run cases are those where the identity of the vehicle that caused the accident cannot be ascertained. This is defined under Section 145(d) of the MV Act. The bench was shown documents from the Union ministry of road, transport and highways (MoRTH) and the annual report of General Insurance Council (GIC) for 2022-23 which showed that in the last five years, there were 660 deaths and 113 injuries related to hit-and-run cases, for which compensation of only Rs.184.60 lakh was disbursed. There are cases where the police, as well as the claims enquiry officer (CEO), are aware of the fact that a hit-and-run accident has occurred. However, no efforts are made to ensure that the persons entitled to seek compensation file their claims, the bench noted. Tightening the process, the bench further held, If the claim application is not received within one month, the information shall be provided by the claims enquiry officer (CEO) to the concerned district legal service authority (DLSA) with a request to the said authority to contact the claimants and assist them in filing the claim applications. The CEO shall ensure documents are forwarded to the claim settlement commissioner within one month from receipt of the claim application, the order added. Also Read: Woman judges sacked: SC takes suo motu note The Courts directions formed part of suggestions received from amicus curiae advocate Gaurav Agarwal who felt that the 2022 scheme did not provide for timelines and failed to address situations where police officers do not forward the details of the hit-and-run cases for settling of claims. The Court ordered a monitoring committee to be constituted in every district of the country comprising a DLSA secretary who will be the convenor, the CEO of the district (for more than one district CEO to be nominated by state), and a police officer not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP). This Committee was required to meet at least once in two months and the Court directed member secretaries of all state LSAs to forward a report to the apex court before the Court takes up the matter next on April 22. Noting that under sub-section (2) of Section 161 of MV Act, a sum of Rs.2 lakh is provided to the kin of those who die in hit-and-run accidents and Rs.50,000 in case of grievous injury, The bench said, The value of money diminishes with time. We direct the Central Government to consider whether the compensation amounts can be gradually enhanced annually. The Central Government shall take an appropriate decision on this issue within eight weeks from today. The Court also asked the Centre to consider extending the six-month limitation period for victims to file compensation claims. For paying compensation, a separate fund the Motor Vehicles Accident Fund has been created to which all insurance companies contribute their share. Also Read: SC refuses to stay bill on CEC appointment The compensation scheme was last revised in 2022 when compensation for death cases was significantly increased from Rs.25,000 to Rs.2 lakh and for injuries from Rs.12,500 to Rs.50,000. Data provided by MoRTH from 2016- 2022 showed there were 55,942 hit-and-run motor accidents in 2016, which increased to 65,186 in 2017; 69,621 in 2018; and 69,621 in 2019. The Court also directed the Standing Committee under the Act to consider the annual report submitted by the GIC and to make recommendations to the 2022 scheme. Standing Committee shall issue elaborate directions for developing public awareness and for sensitisation of the members of the public about the scheme, the bench said, directing the Committee to report compliance in four months. Our two countries are bound in firm friendship and both are dedicated to the principles of democracy, secularism and socialism, declared President VV Giri as he welcomed Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujibur Rehman at Palam on January 11, 1972. President VV Giri and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujibur Rehman at Palam airport on January 10, 1972. (Babu Ram/HT Archive) The Bangabandhu, in his reply, described the people and the government of India under the magnificent leadership of Mrs Indira Gandhi as the best friends of Bangladesh. She is not only a leader of men, but also of mankind, he said amid thunderous applause. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. For Sheikh Mujib the stopover in the historic Capital of your great country on his way back to Bangladesh was a most gratifying moment. The cheering crowds, marigolds and chrysanthemums, a smiling Indira Gandhi and President Giri, the ceremonially dressed guards, roses in full bloom at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the correct diplomats -- they all merged with the cries of, Jai Bangla, Jai Hind. Jai Mujib, Jai Indira. And the citizens joined their countrys leaders in a wholehearted gesture to cement the declaration of brotherhood of the two nations. Six minutes after the Royal Air Force Comet, which brought the Sheikh from London, touched the airport the 51-year-old Sheikh faced the glare of television lights, the clicking of cameras and the boom of a 21-gun salute. Clad in a dark suit and an overcoat, a pipe clenched in his right hand, the Bangabandhu briskly walked down the ramp which the BOAC had lent for the purpose. Received by President Girl and Gandhi, the leader of the newly born nation burst into a smile. This was the first time that he was meeting Prime Minister Gandhi to whom, he said later, his country, his people and he personally owed an unrepayable debt. Welcoming the Sheikh, President Giri described him as the embodiment of the undying spirit of suffering and sacrifice in the cause of human liberty and freedom. Giri said he felt that the Sheikhs return to his country as its head at this historic juncture will heighten and ensure the prospects for the establishment of a lasting and durable peace in the region. In response, the President of Bangladesh thanked the government and people of India who have worked so untiringly and sacrificed so much so gallantly in making this journey possible. This journey is a from darkness to light, from captivity to freedom, from desolation to the hope that I am at last going back to Sonar Bangla, the land of my dreams. When I was taken away from my people they wept. When I was held in captivity, they fought, and now when I go back to them they are victorious. I go back to the sunshine of their million smiles, the Bangabandhu said, as a soft sunlight dispelled some of the early winter morning chill and fog. In this moment of triumph, he was going back, the Sheikh said, To join my people in the tremendous task that now lies ahead, in turning our victory into a road of peace, progress and prosperity. Later, escorted by PM Gandhi, Sheikh Mujib met the envoys of 24 countries, starting from the USSR ambassador MN Pegov, along with those of the UK, Cuba, Italy, France, Yugoslavia, Columbia, Norway, Mongolia, Bhutan, Mauritius, Denmark, the Vatican, East and West Germany and most of the other Socialist countries. The President of Bangladesh paused to speak to the Soviet Ambassador and asked him to convey his grateful thanks to his government for the help it had rendered in the liberation of Bangladesh. He also spoke to the French ambassador and the consul-general of the GDR. As he walked past to the invitees gallery, a little girl stood up on a chair and threw a garland towards the Sheikh, who in a gesture which endeared him to the crowd, bent forward and the garland fell right around his neck. All along the route, the people cheered the Bangabandhu; many of them had come in from neighbouring villages to greet him. He waved to the crowds, held back by strong police contingents and drove directly to the Cantonment Parade Grounds where a mammoth gathering kept up a continuous chant: Sheikh, Sheikh, Sheikh. The placards hailed Indo-Bangla friendship and the people of Bangladesh. There was a hushed silence as the Sheikh began his speech in English. When the crowd wanted him to talk in Bengali, PM Gandhi whispered in encouragement: Go on, speak in Bengali. He turned to face the crowd with a speech in a language which they could not understand but in a voice which they could feel. Almost as if by instinct they stood as one to cheer his remarks on the Prime Minister and pledged everlasting friendship. There were no translators, and for once, the crowd did not seem to need one. From the Parade Grounds to Rashtrapati Bhavan, thousands of people lined the routes and waited impatiently for a glimpse of the Sheikh. While the crowd waited outside, the Sheikh called on the President, breakfasted with him and later sat for a 45-minute conference with PM Gandhi. From Rashtrapati Bhavan the Bangabandhu took the road back to Palam, anxious to be back in the sunshine of their million victorious smiles awaiting him in Dacca. The crowds cheered him on the last leg of his homeward journey and the glittering festoons twinkled in the sunshine. The Goa Police on Friday took Suchana Seth, the founder of an artificial intelligence startup who allegedly smothered her four-year-old son at a resort, to the alleged crime scene to recreate the sequence of events, officials aware of the developments said. Suchana Seth was arrested on Monday. (ANI) Seth, who was arrested on Monday in the grisly case, denied killing her son but admitted to attempting to die by suicide by slashing her left wrist using a cutlery knife after the alleged crime, the officials quoted above said, adding that she signed a panchnama (a written recorded statement) at the end of the day. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The accused showed police the knife with which she slashed her wrist. She also showed how she packed the childs body in a bag. But she continues to deny that she killed her son, a senior police officer said, seeking anonymity. A second officer, who also did not wish to be named, said: She made certain voluntary disclosures, which we have recorded. We are trying to verify the disclosures as some could have been made in a bid to mislead the investigation. Seth initially refused but ultimately visited Sol Banyan Grande resort in Candolim, a coastal village in north Goa, said the officials quoted above. The 39-year-old allegedly smothered her four-year-old son with a pillow at the resort and then stashed his body in the trunk of a taxi she hired to escape from Goa to Bengaluru, before getting arrested en route, according to the police. Clues from the resort suggest the killing was pre-planned, police added, basing their theory on empty cough syrup bottles found on the premises and the post-mortem report into the morbid crime. The boys father, PR Venkat Raman, who was locked in hostile divorce and an acrimonious custody battle, returned to India from Indonesia on Wednesday and conducted his sons last rites in Bengaluru. He is expected to arrive in Goa to join the probe on Saturday. A five-sentence handwritten note in English, ostensibly scribbled by Seth and found by the police, suggested she didnt want her son to go with the father and offers insights into her state of mind, another police officer had earlier said. On Friday, police also said that an analysis of Seths phone records revealed she made and received calls from only two people possibly a resort staff who may have helped her procure the cough syrup bottles and the taxi driver whom she had hired to escape to Bengaluru. Between Lord Ram and Babur, Congress will always choose the latter and hence their refusal to attend the Ram Mandir consecration event on January 22 is good, their presence would have spoiled the event, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said carrying on the tirade against the Congress. Earlier too, Himanta led the attack on the Congress saying that they lost an opportunity to reduce their past sins. He said the Congress leaders should not have been invited to the event in the first place. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Himanta shared a 2005 photo of Rahul Gandhi at Babur Tomb in Afghanistan's Kabul. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been leading the attack on the Congress after the party declined the invitation to the Ram Temple consecration event.(HT_PRINT) Ram temple inauguration ceremony: Full coverage Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Congress called the January 22 event a BJP/RSS one planned for election gains and announced that Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury would not attend the event. "Those who have faith can go to the temple today or tomorrow," party president Mallikarjun Kharge said adding that what the controversy is BJP's conspiracy. "The Congress will bow down in front of Babur rather than Ram Lalla. The VHP gave them an opportunity to absolve their sins. What more help could they do for the Congress? They don't want to reduce their sins. From Nehru to Rahul Gandhi, all of them went to Babur Tomb," Himanta said. 'Bhoot pishach kept at bay' BJP leader Tejasvi Surya on Friday commented on a similar line and said the Congress leaders have declined the Ram temple invitation because the devotees have been chanting Hanuman Chalisa which keeps evil spirits at bay. "I asked one of our workers in Bihar, why, in his view, were leaders of the 'Ghamandia' turning down invitations for the January 22 function. The worker said devotees chant the verse 'Bhoot pishach nikat nahin aave, Mahavir jab nam sunaave' (evil spirits scamper away upon hearing the name of Hanuman, also known by the sobriquet Mahavir)," Tejasvi said. The body of former model Divya Pahuja was recovered from a canal in Haryana, reported news agency ANI quoting the Gurugram Police on Saturday. The development comes days after Balraj Gill, one of the accused in the murder of Pahuja, was arrested at the Kolkata airport. Ex-model Divya Pahuja The Divya Pahuja's body was recovered from the subsidiary canal of the Bhakra canal in Tohana in Haryana's Fatehabad district, said Gurugram assistant commissioner of police (Crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Pahuja, 27, was shot dead in a hotel room in Gurugram on January 2. She was killed because she had allegedly been extorting money from the hotel owner by blackmailing him with his "obscene pictures", according to the police Gill had fled from Patiala after dumping his vehicle near the bus stand, Gurigram Police said earlier. Another accused, Ravi Banga, is still reported to be on the run. "The accused in the murder of model Divya Pahuja, Balraj Gill, was taken into custody from Kolkata airport on Thursday. He had gone missing after abandoning his car near the Patiala bus stand. Ravi Banga, another accused, is still absconding," Varun Dahiya, Gurugram ACP (Crime), said. Who was Divya Pahuja? Divya Pahuja, a former model, was shot dead allegedly by hotel owner Abhijeet Singh in Gurugram earlier this month. Abhijeet Singh, along with two others, allegedly dragged the body into a car and dumped it in Patiala. On January 5, Gurugram Police said it had recovered the car that was allegedly used to dispose of the body of Pahuja, who was shot dead in a hotel room. "The car was captured in a security camera as being parked near the toll plaza. We learnt that the vehicle was being driven towards Patiala. We were trying to trace the vehicle that was used in the crime," Karan Singh, a constable, Crime Branch of Gurugram Police, said earlier. Police have claimed that six teams of the crime branch under SIT were engaged in the investigation of this case. The teams also searched for the body at different places in Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan. According to the police, Megha, who was arrested on Monday, was in contact with Abhijeet Singh for about one and a quarter months. After Divya's murder, Megha had come Gurugram on the call of Abhijeet. A Guwahati-bound IndiGo flight faced an unexpected diversion today as adverse weather conditions disrupted its scheduled landing. IndiGo flight 6E 5319, en route from Mumbai to Guwahati, was forced to reroute to Dhaka, with passengers stuck inside the plane expressing their frustration on social media. A Guwahati-bound IndiGo fight was diverted to Dhaka due to bad weather.(@SurajThakurINC) Attempts to land in Kolkata, the nearest airport to the intended destination, were thwarted by similar inclement weather conditions. Adding to the woes was Bhubaneswar airport's runway closure, which further complicated the diversion plan, limiting the available options for the IndiGo flight 6E 5319. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The airline is in the process of arranging an alternate set of crew to operate the flight from Dhaka to Guwahati. IndiGo flight 6E 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati was diverted to Dhaka, Bangladesh due to bad weather in Guwahati. Due to operational reasons, an alternate set of crew is being arranged to operate the flight from Dhaka to Guwahati. The passengers were kept informed of updates and were served with refreshments on board. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused, the airline said in a statement. In a social media post, former Mumbai Youth Congress chief Suraj Singh Thakur, who was on his way to join Congress's Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra commencing from January 14 in Imphal, said all the passengers are stuck inside the plane in Bangladesh. "I took @IndiGo6E flight 6E 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati. But due to dense fog, the flight couldn't land in Guwahati. Instead, it landed in Dhaka. Now all the passengers are in Bangladesh without their passports, we are inside the plane," he wrote on X. Another flyer wrote, Stuck inside aircraft with 178 passengers for 9 hours now, flying 6E 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati. We made a landing in Dhaka around 4am because of lower visibility in the North East. We have been waiting for another crew for 4 hours now, can we please expedite? Responding to the complaint, IndiGo said, The flight was diverted due to bad weather which is beyond our control too. Our team is working to assist the passengers to the best of their capabilities. We sincerely look forward to your understanding. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has described the Ayodhya Ram temple 'Pran Pratishtha' or consecration ceremony as an event for the Bharatiya Janata Party to get political mileage and if the Congress participates, it will become a political choice, and not just a personal one. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaks to the media. (ANI file) Congress bigwigs national president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi and the party's Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have turned down the invitation to the grand Ram temple opening on January 22, calling it a BJP-RSS event. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Our party has many members who believe in many faiths and they are welcome to practice them. Hindus in the party have every right to offer prayers to Ram Lalla. But the party felt that going for a political event for an incomplete temple because the work is not over (for the grand temple of Ayodhya) The timing of this ('Pran Pratishtha' ceremony) appears to be designed to benefit the political interests of the ruling party (BJP). And therefore, if we participate, then it will become a political choice, not just a personal one and people need to under this as well, Tharoor told reporters. Tharoor added, Let the Lok Sabha elections conclude and let the temple be fully constructed. I will go. I will visit Kashi Vishwanath as well. There is nothing wrong in going there to pray as a believer. The Thiruvananthapuram MP also said there was nothing wrong in Hindus celebrating the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. However, the Congress party had decided not to participate as our presence at the venue would send out a different message, Tharoor quoted as saying by The New Indian Express. Earlier in the day, in a post on social media platform X, Tharoor referred to a speech made by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 1999 at the Ramakrishna Mission, emphasising how Hindu liberal thoughts contributed to Indias secular identity. The Congress leader's move came a day after the BJP criticised the grand old party's decision to decline the invitation to its three top leaders to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, claiming it exposed the party's inherent opposition to India's culture and Hindu religion. In a post on social media platform X, where he attached Gandhi's speech highlighting Swami Vivekananda's views on Hinduism, the Congress Working Committee member expressed his belief that the teachings of Vivekananda carry a highly relevant and impactful message for the present day. Sonia Gandhi, in her speech on January 12, 1999, when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government was in power, had expressed concern and sadness over the "appropriation" of Swami Vivekananda who had admired "India's pluralistic and composite heritage" -- by certain sections of society. Tharoor, in his post, said the Indian National Congress's (INC) association with Hindu liberalism is not a recent response to events over the past decade but rather a longstanding and deeply held conviction. The Gujarat Police lodged a first information report against 14 so-called immigration agents for allegedly luring people to pay hefty sums for illegally migrating to the US with the promise of jobs, and may have even zeroed in on the mastermind of the scam, said a senior police official involved in the investigation. A passenger from Nicaragua bound Airbus A340 flight that was grounded in France on suspicion of human trafficking, evades the media as he leaves the airport after his arrival, in Mumbai on December 26, 2023 (REUTERS) The accused include two residents of Delhi and another from the United Arab Emirates who took money and helped people illegally emigrate to the US, said the official. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The grounding of the Dubai-Nicaragua Legend Airways Airbus A340 -- carrying 303 Indians -- in Vatry in France on December 21 blew the lid off a thriving racket involving private firms and touts that help people reach the US and Canada via stops in Europe and South American countries. To make the multi-hop journey, now known as the donkey route, the consultancies help create fake documents and paper trails. The FIR filed by the Gujarat Polices crime investigation department in Gandhinagar -- was based on the interrogation of 66 people on that flight. The accused include Joginder alias Jogi Paaji who emerged as the main accused in the investigations carried out so far. A resident of Delhi, he seems to have been the one who was coordinating the entire scam. He has a criminal background with multiple cases being lodged against him in the past, said a senior police official aware of the development. Another individual, Joginder Mansaram, also hails from Delhi, while an accused known as Salim Dubai resides in the UAE. The remaining accused individuals are from Gujarat. The complaint is based on the questioning and interrogation of the 66 passengers, and we will get more details once we nab the accused, the official added. The Airbus jet was allowed to return with the Indian passengers in the last week of December after French authorities questioned them for four days. Of the 303 originally on board, 276 returned, with the rest having sought asylum in France and two detained over what French police said was a human trafficking investigation. The statements of the passengers later underlined the sweeping and systematic functioning of the illegal operation. HT has previously reported that hundreds, possibly thousands, of people transacted with a syndicate spanning several states that helped Indians enter US and Canada illegally and on forged documentation. The agents told the passengers that they should purposefully attract attention and be apprehended once they crossed the border and entered the US. People from Punjab were told to seek asylum by saying they are Khalistanis. For passengers from Gujarat, each one was told to make up a different story that would lead to their arrest, said Rajkumar Pandian, additional director general of police CID-Crime and Railways, Gandhinagar. The 66 passengers from Gujarat, who were questioned as part of the FIR, hailed from different parts of the state including Mehsana, Anand and Ahmedabad. Some of the Gujarati passengers even hailed from Mumbai. The other accused named in the FIR include Kiran Patel, Raju Mumbai, Chandresh Patel, Sam Paji, Bhargav Darji, Sandeep Patel, Jayesh Patel, Piyush Barot and Arpit alias Michel Zala, among others, said people aware of the matter. Each of them admitted that they had agreed to pay 60 lakh to 80 lakh to the agents to help them cross into the US illegally after reaching Nicaragua via Dubai. These agents had instructed the passengers from Gujarat to make payments only upon reaching the US. The agents had arranged and booked air tickets for these passengers, providing USD 1,000 to 3,000 to each of the 66 passengers, said Pandian on Friday. The 66 passengers from Gujarat were personally contacted by the agents two to six months before the December 21 flight, said Pandian. The majority of the passengers from Gujarat studied till Class 8 and 12, and lacked the technical skills that could get them employment in US if they went legally. History owes a debt to members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities for the delay in providing redressal for the ignominy and ostracism they suffered through centuries, the Supreme Court had held five years ago as it decriminalised homosexuality, affirmed the rights of the community, and asked the government to sensitise all stakeholders to stop discrimination. Punjab and Haryana high court judge, justice Pankaj Jain, who joined the high court bench in 2021, stoked a controversy on Friday when he reacted sharply to a case of a same-sex couple before him (HT) Punjab and Haryana high court judge, justice Pankaj Jain, apparently didnt get the memo. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The judge, who joined the high court bench in 2021, stoked a controversy on Friday when he reacted sharply to a case of a same-sex couple before him. The petition was filed by a 23-year-old woman, who said that her 19-year-old partner was being held captive by her parents in Uttar Pradesh, one of a bevy of similar petitions that have been adjudicated favourably by high courts across the country, and even the apex court. But justice Jain flew into a temper. Is this a queer couple matter?...take this immoral thing back where it came from, the judge remarked in the open court, throwing the file. When the petitioners lawyer attempted to interject, the judge cut her off. Madam I dont subscribe to the theory that constitutionality and morality are different, justice Jain said. An order released later in the day said that the next hearing was fixed for January 15. On the mentioning of the counsel representing the petitioner, the matter has been taken up. On being asked as to how the petitioner has assumed the role of the next best friend of the alleged detenue who belongs to district Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, counsel for the petitioner refers to transcription of telephonic conversation between the detenue and mother of the petitioner. On being asked that apart from the said conversation what material petitioner has to demonstrate that the petitioner is a person who can act as next best friend of detenue, counsel for the petitioner prays for time, the order read. The petitioners lawyer refused to comment on the issue. But the judges juxtaposition of constitutionally protected rights of same-sex people and his personal morality sparked condemnation. The incident, if true, should not have occurred. The queer community is heavily relying on the judiciary to get their rights. Judiciary is their last resort because since the 2018 Navtej Singh Johar judgment, legislature has done very little to reform the system, said advocate Maninderjit Singh. The British outlawed homosexuality in colonial India with section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised carnal intercourse against the order of nature with punishment up to 10 years in jail and a fine. The Delhi high court first decriminalised homosexuality in 2009, before the apex court set aside that order in 2013. Five years later, in a watershed verdict, a Constitution bench of the apex court unanimously read down section 377, saying that the criminalisation of sex between consenting adults violated Articles 14 (equal protection before the law), 15 (no discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, gender, or place of birth), 19 (freedom of speech), and 21 (protection of life and liberty) of the Constitution. In his concurring verdict, justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, then a member of the bench and now Chief Justice of India, decried pervasive discrimination against members of the LGBT community. Individuals belonging to sexual and gender minorities experience discrimination, stigmatisation, and, in some cases, denial of care on account of their sexual orientation and gender identity.their exclusion, discrimination and marginalisation is rooted in societal heteronormativity and societys pervasive bias towards gender binary and opposite-gender relationships, he held. Fridays developments hinted that even some sections of the higher judiciary were not immune from this bias. The leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc will hold discussions today virtually to deliberate on important issues like seat-sharing and participation in the upcoming Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, an outreach programme led by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that the meeting will be convened over Zoom at 11.30am. Members of the INDIA bloc during their second meeting in Bengaluru on July 18. (AP) INDIA party leaders will be meeting over Zoom tomorrow January 13th, 2024 at 11:30 am. They will review various issues like seat-sharing talks that have begun, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that will begin from Thoubal near Imphal day after tomorrow, and other important matters, Ramesh said in a social media post on X. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee will not be part of the virtual meeting on Saturday morning as she is preoccupied with prior engagements, reported PTI citing people aware of the development. With as many as 28 opposition parties united under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), the discussions hold significant importance in determining their approach to contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The INDIA party, formed with the primary goal of challenging and defeating the BJP in the 2024 elections, faces challenges within the alliance, including the contentious appointment of a convenor. The JD(U) wants Nitish Kumar as the convenor which is being opposed by Mamata Banerjee's TMC, reported PTI. On Friday, senior AAP leaders and the Congress held talks on seat-sharing arrangements in key states, including Delhi and Punjab, for the upcoming general elections and decided to meet again. The meeting, held at the residence of senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, lasted for over two hours. Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who is part of the seat-sharing committee of the Congress, said they had a wonderful meeting. "We discussed everything under the Sun. We have very good chemistry, we open-heartedly shared everything that we believed would make our bonds stronger. It was a wonderful meeting and I believe we went much further than our expectations," he told reporters after the meeting. AAP leaders, including Raghav Chadha, Atishi, Sandeep Pathak, and Saurabh Bharadwaj, participated in the meeting. French President Emmanuel Macron will be accorded a royal Rajputana welcome when he lands in Jaipur on the afternoon of January 25 even as the two nations are poised to embark on a military-industrial partnership that is firmly anchored in local manufacturing. President Marcon is the Chief Guest for 75th Republic Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi saluting an Indian Tri-Service contingent at Bastille Day Parade on July 14, 2023. While substantive details of the two day visit of the French President to India were worked on by his diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Friday, the finer details are still being worked out on what should turn out to be a gala show for Emmanuel Macron. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Even though there is a toss-up in royal venues for Prime Minister Narendra Modis dinner in honour of his guest at Jaipur, the meal and the venue will seek to match what President Marcon did for PM Modi in July closing the fabled Louvre for a banquet. For the first time in 60 years, the museum was closed to visitors on Bastille Day with the last time this was done being back when Queen Elizabeth visited Paris in 1953. Also read: What gifts did PM Modi present to France's leaders? Sitar, Silk fabric, Marble table, and more | Full List HT learns that leading the choice of venues for the Macron dinner could be City Palace, the current residence of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, which also boasts a museum that offers a glimpse into the glorious past of the Rajputs of Jaipur and Amber, followed by Rambagh Palace, Rajmahal Palace, Amber Palace and Jalmahal Palace. There is also a possibility of a roadshow for the French dignitary with the PM after his reception at the airport. Apart from the pomp and splendor of the Jaipur dinner and the Republic Day parade, the two countries are expected to announce a military-industrial road-map, where France will help build Indian capacities and capabilities. The partnership is aimed at getting more jobs and machine tooling skills for Indian youth as well as providing an opportunity for local supply chains to tap into buyers in France and, thereon Europe. This road-map is focused on Indian requirements for the next 25 years with the emphasis on building Indias indigenous capabilities in making heavier aircraft engines, submarines, aircraft and also countering the military challenge in space with full support from France, people familiar with the matter said. The plan is that France will support India in the manufacture of nuclear and non-nuclear military platformsfrom design to certification, they added. Facing a serious challenge from China in the Indian Ocean, India is also examining the options of building Barracuda class nuclear attack submarines or SSNs in India, a move that comes even as the PLA Navy is in full expansion mode. Also read: Row erupts after Karnatakas Republic Day tableau rejected India and France have also decided to be key allies in the Indo-Pacific with both being votaries of strategic autonomy and not dependent on third nations in exercising independent foreign policy. India is already committed to buying 26 Rafale-Maritime fighters for INS Vikrant and three additional diesel-electric Scorpene class submarines, to be manufactured in MDL in Mumbai. Global electric vehicle (EV) giant Telsa is currently in advanced talks to make a significant foray into India. The company is contemplating a staggering investment of nearly $30 billion over the next five years, according to people closely involved with the companys official business plans, signalling a potential game-changer for the country's burgeoning EV landscape. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk during their meeting in New York City, New York, U.S., June 20, 2023.(via REUTERS) A substantial chunk of the envisaged investment, approximately $3 billion, is earmarked for the immediate production of a new small car from an Indian plant. This move is aimed at catering to the wider developing world. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In the event of a favourable policy environment, Tesla envisions introducing its standard brands into the Indian luxury car market. Simultaneously, the company plans to kickstart the building and testing of a charging ecosystem, a crucial component in the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. The location for Tesla's potential plant in India is under consideration, with options including Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Given the company's export-oriented plans, a coastal state in the west or south is likely. A person close to the company and involved in discussions on the project said this could well be Suzuki moment for Indias EV industry and and the Apple plus moment for Indias manufacturing aspirations. But unlike Apple, Tesla brings everything in one go. Dont think of Tesla as just an auto company. It is a tech company. It is a critical minerals mining and refining company. It makes its own semiconductors. It is a design company. It brings in a huge ecosystem. The spillover from this to other industries is enormous. Tesla's interest in India is not just a strategic diversification beyond China but also a reflection of Elon Musk's admiration for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Musk really admires what Modi has done for India and his energy. He spoke to Modi about his interest in Indian spirituality and meditation and expressed an interest in travelling there, said the person quoted above familiar with Teslas thinking. Read full report here French President Emmanuel Macrons diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne met external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday to discuss bilateral relations a fortnight ahead of the leaders visit to India to participate in the Republic Day celebrations. (Twitter/@DrSJaishankar) Glad to meet Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Advisor to President of France. Spoke about strong India-France convergence on multiple issues. Also shared perspectives on global developments of mutual concern, Jaishankar said in a post on X. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Look forward to President @EmmanuelMacrons State visit for #RepublicDay2024, he said. Bonne is visiting New Delhi as part of the preparations for the trip by Macron, who will be the chief guest for the Republic Day on January 26. In a separate post, Jaishankar congratulated Stephane Sejourne on being named Francess new foreign minister, succeeding Catherine Colonna. Congratulations @steph_sejourne on your appointment as the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, he wrote. Looking forward to working with you for further strengthening our strategic partnership and realising goals set by our leaders, Jaishankar added. Macron was invited to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations after US President Joe Biden was unable to accept amid his busy schedule. The move also reflected the strong strategic ties between India and France, especially in defence, security, civilian nuclear cooperation and emerging technologies. The Indian government last year approved the purchase of 26 naval variants of the Rafale combat jet from France. This will build on the earlier acquisition of 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force. Some important agreements are expected to be unveiled during Macrons India visit. Besides cooperating in the joint development of defence hardware, including for supply to third countries, India and France have also stepped up collaboration on maritime security in the Indian Ocean. New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was on Saturday named as the chairperson of the Opposition-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) alliance during a virtual meeting attended by the leaders of 14 Opposition parties. Meanwhile, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar turned down his appointment as the convenor saying he would only accept the role when all parties reach a consensus. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (File Photo) The meeting was attended by Congress leaders, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Delhi chief minsiter Arvind Kejriwal, among various other top leaders of parties of the opposition INDIA bloc. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. A majority of the constituents of the INDIA alliance have backed Kumar as convenor of the INDIA alliance and Kharge as the chairperson of the opposition grouping in the virtual meeting held on Saturday, HT has learnt. However, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who skipped the meeting, opposed the decision to appoint Kumar as the chief convenor that led the alliance partners to keep the decision under wraps for now until she comes on board. Kumar has said that he never aspired for any post. The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) representatives, and the the party president, Lalan Singh, also seem upset with the decision. Banerjee had refused to attend the meeting as she said that she needed to be informed much earlier instead of just 16 hours before. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, whose team had also travelled to Delhi the previous day, also did not attend the meet. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also skipped the virtual meeting. The meeting was held to review seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and other issues. Congress leader Rahul Rahul Gandhi informed the alliance partners that he was starting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Monday and wanted all other parties to participate in their states. Following the seat-sharing talks, a discussion on the appointment of a chairperson and a convenor was held in which Kharges name was proposed for the position of opposition blocs chief and Kumar as the convenor. As Kumar expressed his reservations, other members discussed whether the announcement should be made immediately. It was then pointed out that it would not be appropriate as both Banerjee and Yadav have remained absent and all 14 members must agree to the decision. An angry Lalan Singh told the meeting that the JD-U was opposed to this appointment so the Congress should choose someone else. One person suggested that the announcement today could be limited to just Kharges appointment. At least two leaders present in the meeting confirmed to HT that Kejriwal and Pawar have been asked to convince Banerjee to give her consent to appoint Kumar as the convenor of the opposition. Meanwhile, Kumars allies in Bihar, Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, would convince the chief minister to accept the post of INDIA blocs convenor. The members agreed that they would inform each other of the outcomes of these two assignments getting Kumar to accept the convenor position and Bannerji to on board with the decision. New Delhi: The Lok Sabha privileges committee on Friday adopted a resolution to revoke the suspension of three Congress MPs, who were penalised along with 143 Opposition lawmakers during the winter session of Parliament last month, a person aware of the details said. A record 146 opposition MPs were suspended over a span of six days during winter session. (ANI) The committee agreed to revoke the action after the three Congress MPs K Jayakumar, Abdul Khaleque and Vijay Vasanth appeared before it during a meeting and expressed regret over their conduct in the Lower House during the session. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. During the meeting, the committee, headed by (BJP MP) Sunil Kumar Singh, adopted the resolution that will now be sent to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Monday. Subsequently, the Lok Sabha Secretariat will announce the revocation of their suspension, the person quoted above said, seeking anonymity. A record 146 opposition MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were suspended over a span of six days during the 14-day winter session after they refused to budge on their demand for a statement from Union home minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach on December 13. Of these, 100 are from the Lower House and 46 from the Upper House. While a majority of the lawmakers were suspended for the remainder of the session, cases of the above three Congress Lok Sabha MPs and 11 Rajya Sabha MPs were referred to the privileges committee. The three MPs Khaleque from Barpeta constituency in Assam, Vasanth from Kanyakumari and Jayakumar from Namakkal constituency in Tamil Nadu were among 33 lawmakers who were suspended from the Lok Sabha on December 18. The three of them had reached the presiding officers chair during the protest in the House. Meanwhile, ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, for which the schedule was announced on Friday, an air of uncertainty still looms over the reinstatement of the 11 Rajya Sabha MPs, whose cases were referred to the privilege committee. The panel, headed by deputy chairman Harivansh, had tried but could not take up the matter on Tuesday owing to lack of quorum. On Friday, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi announced that the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha, ahead of the general elections, will be held between January 31 and February 9. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim Budget on February 1, he said in a post on X. The session will commence with the Presidents address in the Lok Sabha chamber at 11 am on January 31, and will have eight sittings. The Winter session, which began on December 4 but ended a day ahead of schedule, on December 21, was marked by disruptions and intense discord between the government and the Opposition. Fault lines between the government and the Opposition that were first on display during the expulsion of Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, over her direct involvement in cash-for-query charges, deepened after a brazen incursion into the Lok Sabha on December 13 and the suspension of a record number of Opposition members over protests and the demand that the Union home minister respond to the breach inside Parliament. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has been named as the chairperson of the opposition INDIA bloc. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar also got the post of convener after weeks of tussle among the alliance parties over the key role. The decision was taken at the virtual meeting of the top INDIA bloc leaders on Saturday. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (R), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee during an INDIA alliance meeting.(PTI / File) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, who weren't present at the meeting, will be informed about the decision, people familiar with the development said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. However, Nitish Kumar has turned down the post of convener saying someone from the Congress party should take up the responsibility, said JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha who was present in the meeting. According to a report by The Indian Express, Kumar said he would only accept the role if all parties were in agreement. The alliance, formed to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP juggernaut in the 2024 general election, had been facing challenges from within over several issues, including the contentious appointment of a convenor. The JD(U) wanted Nitish Kumar as the convener but was being opposed by the TMC, reported PTI. The virtual meeting of INDIA bloc leaders began on Saturday afternoon to review the seat-sharing agenda, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and other pressing issues related to the alliance. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar attended the meeting of INDIA bloc leaders via video conferencing in Mumbai. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi attended the meeting via video conferencing in Chennai. Saturday's deliberation was the second such attempt to hold a virtual meeting as the previous attempt a few days ago did not materialise, according to the PTI report. (With inputs from Bureau) Former Union minister and senior Congress leader of Maharashtra Milind Deora on Saturday reacted to the rumours of him leaving the party and said he has not taken a decision yet. "I am listening to my supporters," he said though he dismissed the speculations of his joining hands with the Shiv Sena faction of chief minister Eknath Shinde. The speculations have been doing the rounds for quite some time as the Uddhav faction has been claiming the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat. Uddhav faction's Arvind Sawant is the MP from the constituency. Milind Deora won the seat in 2004 and 2009. His father Murli Deora was Mumbai South MP in 1984, 1989,1991 and 1998. Milind Deora said though he is not the sitting MP but this is a traditional seat of the Congress. Former president of Mumbai Congress Milind Deora said he has not taken any decision on quitting the Congress yet.(HT photo) Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The speculation became intense after a tweet from Tehseen Poonawalla, a Congress supporter, political analyst who represents the Congress in television debates. Without naming Milind Deora, Tehseen wrote, "Totally heartbroken but I Knew this...I tried and spoke to everyone that mattered. I still hope against hope Such a tragedy to let go of such nice people. Once again the motor mouth and his terrible statements. Yet I hope, it changes." Political watchers concluded that he was speaking about Milind Deora and referred to Sanjay Raut as 'motormouth'. What is the row between Milind Deora and Sanjay Raut? The row is over the seat-sharing of the INDIA bloc for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Sanjay Raut recently said Uddhav's Shiv Sena is the largest party in Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leaders are in talks with the national leadership of the Congress. "We are speaking with the decision-makers, the central leadership -- not the state leadership. We told them that we always contested 23 seats. Congress has to start with zero in Maharashtra. Neither we have a problem, nor Congress's central leadership has a problem. Rest it does not matter who said what," Sanjay Raut said. Milind Deora gave a strong reply to this and said Congress is now the largest opposition party in the Maharashtra Assembly and is leading the opposition. "According to Sanjay Raut, even after losing 40 MLAs (to the Shinde group), Uddhav Sena is the largest party in Maharashtra. I want to tell him that no alliance can proceed without the consultation of the local leadership," Milind Deora posted on X Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated Indias longest sea bridge that stretches across 21.8 kilometres and aims to transform the journey from the island metropolis of Mumbai to its hinterland cousin Navi Mumbai, marking a potential turning point for the countrys financial capital that has struggled with crumbling infrastructure in recent years. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai on Friday. (ANI) The 17, 840 crore marvel built using enough steel to construct the Howrah bridge four times over and the Statue of Liberty six times snakes through 16.5 kms of blue ocean water and about 5.3 km of land, and trims the travel time from south Mumbai to Navi Mumbai from two hours to about 20 minutes. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Formally named the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, it is the flagship project of a broader 30,500 crore infrastructure push, also opened by Modi, that hopes to rejuvenate the region, help it regain its competitive commercial edge and relieve some of the population pressure from Indias most-populous city. Before 2014, mega scams were a topic of discussion while now mega projects getting completed is a topic of discussion Dreams are coming true 10 years later. The sea bridge is a reflection of Viksit Bharat (developed India), he said at the public rally held at Ulve in Navi Mumbai. The sleek six-lane bridge, which resembles an umbilical cord connecting the mega city to Navi Mumbai, is part of a transformative infrastructure facelift that aims to liberate Maharashtras capital from decades of chronic underfunding, rickety public services and decaying road network, helping its 21 million residents live an easier life and eliminating the growth limitations that come from being a linear city. In a day packed with ceremonies and visits in Maharashtra, the PM was accompanied by Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar as he inaugurated the Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link, in south Mumbai and drove to Navi Mumbai in a little over 20 minutes. He then travelled to the site of under construction Navi Mumbai airport where he launched various infrastructure and welfare schemes worth 33,000 crore before addressing the well-attended rally. Modi recalled that he had laid the foundation stone for the six-lane bridge on December 24, 2016. He said the project was completed despite two years of Covid. When I launched it, I had said I would inaugurate it too. This project is the proof of our resolve. This was Modis guarantee and it is being fulfilled. This is how we are changing the country, he said. The PM also laid the foundation stone of the underground road tunnel connecting Orange Gate with Marine Drive, remotely inaugurated the Bharat Ratnam mega common facility for the gems and jewellery industry and the New Enterprises and Services Tower at Seepz special economic zone, and launched sixth line of the Khar-Goregaon suburban train route. He also formally dedicated the first line of Navi Mumbai metro line and Digha gaon railway station in Navi Mumbai and Surya dam phase 1. He also launched the Namo Mahila Sakshamikaran Abhiyaan, to impart skill training to over 100,000 women, of the state government. In his 17-minute address, Modi said the Atal Setu filled everyone with pride for its size, ease of travel, engineers and scale, and thanked Japan for its assistance. Atal Setu is the acclamation of the aspirations that the entire nation made in 2014, he said. Recalling when he visited the Raigarh Fort and spent time at Shivajis resting place, Modi said that the nation had witnessed the dreams and resolutions taken 10 years ago come true today. Viksit Bharat [developed India] will consist of services and prosperity for all. It will have speed and progress which will bring the world closer. Life and livelihood will continue to flourish. This is the message of Atal Setu, he added. Modi said the sea bridge the second in the city after the 5.6km Bandra-Worli sea link will significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai as well as Raigad district. It will also bring Pune and Goa closer to Mumbai, he said. MTHL was being planned for years before we took over. We built it, he said, and compared it the Bandra-Worli sea link built during the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party regime. Atal Setu is five times bigger than Bandra-Worli sea Link. It took 10 years to complete and the cost escalated five times. We completed it in record time after kicking it off in 2016This is the difference between the two dispensations, he said. He then compared the difference between the previous regime and his tenure. Today, I launched road, rail, metro and water supply projects. Also commercial projects which would give boost to business. Most of these projects were taken up during the previous BJP rule,he said. Modi said projects such as the Navi Mumbai airport and the Mumbai coastal road will also be completed soon, Indias first bullet train will start from Mumbai, and the Delhi-Mumbai economic corridor will help the state economy. The whole country is watching how the taxpayers money is being used, he said. On an average 70,000 vehicles are expected to ply on the Atal Setu and this number is expected to cross 200,000 by 2042. The sea bridge has the daily capacity of 70,000 vehicles. It will be opened for vehicular traffic at 8am from Saturday. The 21.8-km distance between South Mumbai and Nhava Sheva in Raigad district can now be completed in 20 minutes against nearly two hours taken by road currently. Modi said that the construction of the Atal Setu involved 17,000 labourers and 1,500 engineers. Atal Setu will strengthen all business activities in the region and also boost ease of doing business and ease of life, he added. Today, India is progressing simultaneously on two frontson the one hand, the government is running mega campaigns to improve the livelihood of the poor, while major projects are being run in every part of the country on the other, he said. Referring to the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the PM said Modis guarantee begins where expectations from others end. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said that Modi has been lying about the claims related to the investments and projects. The Bandra-Worli sea link was completed in 9 years by spending just 1600 crore, whereas the Atal Setu took ten years after it was conceived in 2013 and a whopping 17800 crore are spent on it. If he claims that his government spent 44 lakh crore on infrastructure in the country, he should give its break up. He spoke about dynastic politics in the presence of Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar who represent the same politics. CM Eknath Shinde has promoted similar politics by projecting his son Shrikant Shinde, he said. Londhe said that while appealing youth to keep away from drugs, Modi should speak up about the action taken against the stock of the drugs worth 2 lakh crore seized from Mundra port two years ago. Renowned Malayalam writer and recipient of the Jnanpith Award M T Vasudevan Nair has stirred up a political controversy in Kerala with his comments on the ritualistic worship of political leaders. Referring to the stance taken by the late Marxist ideologue and Kerala's first chief minister, EMS Namboodiripad, Nair made these remarks during the opening of the seventh edition of the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode, where he shared the stage with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. MT Vasudevan Nair was alongside Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.(Source: The Telegraph) Addressing the literary gathering, MT expressed concern about the deteriorating state of politics, stating that political activities have become a sanctioned means to acquire power. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Although Nair did not explicitly mention any specific leader or government, his comments gained widespread media attention, particularly since they were made in the presence of CM Vijayan. The veteran writer's speech quickly spread across social media, with some netizens interpreting his pointed references as directed towards Vijayan, PTI reported. Amidst the ensuing controversy, senior CPM leader and LDF convener E P Jayarajan refuted the criticism, asserting that the writer's speech had been misconstrued. What exactly did MT Vasudevan Nair say? Addressing the gathering, MT criticised the transformation of governance, stating that it no longer serves the public but has turned into a more dictatorial system. While condemning corrupt politics, he refrained from explicitly mentioning the LDF government led by Vijayan in Kerala or the NDA government under Narendra Modi. We have buried the theory that identified power as an opportunity to serve the public. The decline of moral values in politics is not a new topic of discussion. And these discussions were often concluded by assuming that eligible people are not winning elections. Today, political activities have become an approved strategy to fetch power. Today, either hegemony or totalitarianism is described as power. When someone wins a seat in assembly or parliament, they find it as an opportunity to have complete control, quoted Onmanorama, expressing MT's concern over the current state of power politics. MTs response Responding to the controversy, MT clarified on Friday that he merely highlighted the current reality and did not intend to criticise anyone personally. I didn't criticise anyone. I only wanted to talk about the present reality. That's it. If my words have influenced anyone for self-criticism, I think that's a good impact, the Onmanorama report quoted him as saying. The report further said that MT mentioned he never thought that the speech would spark a political row, as he was accurately depicting the politics of his time. In the spirit of the consecration of Lord Ram on January 22, a civil engineer from Nagpur built an 11-foot replica of the grand temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya at his home. The motivation behind this project was to contribute to the significant event that is about to take place later this month, according to Prafulla Mategaonkar, the builder of the replica. Replica of Ram Temple in Ayodhya(ANI) I bought a replica, considering there must be one at every household, and decided to come up with such a replica before Diwali last year. Upon studying the replica I bought, I found several differences in its design from the real structure in Ayodhya, Mategaonkar said. He decided to mark the consecration ceremony by conducting prayers for Lord Ram in the replicated temple, as it would not be possible for him to attend the event in Ayodhya. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also read: Mauritian government approves special leave during Ram Temple launch on January 22 Mategaonkar recalled that his wife was among the youngest to participate in the Vishva Hindu Parishad's (VHP) call for karseva in the form of an aggressive campaign for a Ram temple in Ayodhya at the site of the Babri Masjid. She had just passed the Class 10th when she attended the karseva in 1990. She spent 16 days in jail as a result of the campaigning. But I couldn't do my part in that drive. Therefore, I decided to build this replica and contribute to the grand event, he said. Enthroning Lord Ram on January 22 The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other dignitaries and leaders will be present during the ceremony. The temple officials said the ceremony to begin the consecration of Lord Ram will begin a week ahead of the scheduled temple launch date. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya from January 16 As PR Venkat Raman, the estranged husband of AI startup CEO Suchana Seth, recorded his statement before the police after Suchana was arrested on the charges of killing her four-year-old son, Raman's lawyer said his client was numb with grief. He told the police that he did not know what might have led to the killing and only Suchana could say why she committed the crime. The 39-year-old AI startup CEO, however, has not admitted to having killed her son and maintained that she found him dead when she woke up. Only Suchana Seth can tell what triggered her to kill the son, the lawyer of estranged husband PR Venkat Raman said. "He can die for his son but will now have to live without him. My client has no claim for justice for himself or the child, who is no more," the lawyer told reporters, as reported by PTI. "The trigger for the offence is just a guess. Maybe she did not want the child to meet his father or have an emotional connect," the lawyer said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also read- I love my son, but: What Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth wrote on note recovered from suitcase Link between custody battle and murder of the 4-year-old Suchana Seth was fighting a bitter custody battle over her son and the investigators are considering this as a major factor behind the crime. In a crumpled note found in Suchana's luggage, Suchana wrote something about this custody battle and its frustration. Later, she tore it into pieces. Suchana checked in at a Goa hotel on January 6 with her son and left alone on January 7. On her way from Goa to Bengaluru, police on January 8 found the body of the son stuffed inside her luggage. The autopsy report said the child was suffocated to death around 36 hours ago. Also read: Was not allowed to meet son: Estranged husband of Bengaluru CEO tells police Venkat Raman's lawyer said initially the court allowed his client to speak to the child over phone or over video call. In November, the court allowed him to visit the child at home. But Suchana did not want him to visit the home and insisted on meeting outside. "Raman was supposed to meet his son on January 7 in Bengaluru. He went to the house at 10am and waited till 11am. He sent a message to Suchana but got no reply," the lawyer said. Raman told police that he was not allowed to meet his son for the past five Sundays and on January 7 too he waited and got no reply while the mother and son were in Goa. The Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration has asked Noida residents to report individuals who are purchasing alcohol from neighbouring Delhi and Gurugram, where liquor is cheaper compared to Uttar Pradesh. The identities of those filing complaints will be kept confidential in such instances. (File) Officials have made this appeal to spread public awareness about excise regulations and boost revenue from liquor sales. It has been assured that the identities of those filing complaints will be kept confidential, The Indian Express reported. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. District Excise Officer Subodh Kumar told The Indian Express, In Uttar Pradesh, bringing or consuming liquor from outside the state (Haryana, Delhi or any other state) is a punishable offence. For this act, a case can be registered against the person under Section 63 of the Uttar Pradesh Excise Act 1910 and he/she can be sent to jail, and under Section 72, the vehicle of the person transporting illegal liquor can be confiscated. He added that Uttar Pradesh allows only a single open bottle of alcohol from another state. Kumar emphasised that violations of this regulation incur a minimum penalty of 5,000. According to excise department records, the district collected 892 crore in revenue from liquor sales over the last six months (from July to December 2023), reflecting a 15.54 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022, when revenue amounted to 772 crore, The Indian Express reported. The district has set a revenue collection target of 2,324.78 crore for the fiscal year 2023-24. As of December 2023, it has already collected 1,342.87 crore, achieving 84 per cent of the target. In terms of liquor consumption, data reveals that, from July to December 2023, the district saw the sale of 75,38,735 bottles of foreign liquor, 2,74,99,400 cans of beer, and 1,11,35,996 litres of domestic liquor. These figures represent an increase compared to the same months in 2022, with the sale of foreign liquor rising by 7,15,723 bottles, beer by 67,54,497 cans, and domestic liquor by 11,18,611 litres. In the corresponding period in 2022, residents in the district consumed 2,07,44,903 cans of beer, 68,23,012 bottles of foreign liquor, and 1,00,17,385 litres of country-made liquor. The Bharatiya Janata Party has lashed out at the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, after a video went viral showing a group of sadhus (seers) being purportedly thrashed by a mob in the Purulia district. The TMC did not immediately respond to the allegations. A group of sadhus being purportedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in Bengal's Purulia district. Shame on Mamata Banerjee's deafening silence! Are these Hindu Sadhus not worthy of your acknowledgment? The atrocity demands accountability, the BJP West Bengal wrote on social media X (formally Twitter) while commenting on a video posted by the party's IT cell head Amit Malviya on Friday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In the 30-second viral footage, a group of sadhus are purportedly seen being stripped and assaulted by a mob. The police a case has been initiated on the complaint by a sadhu and 12 people have been arrested so far, while an investigation was underway. Three saints were going in a vehicle...Near Gourangdih, three girls were heading to a local Kali mandir for pooja when the car stopped near them and the sadhus asked them something. Due to some language issues, some misunderstandings happened and the girls thought that the sadhus were following them... The local public came and took the sadhus near Durga Mandir and vandalised their car. The sadhus were also manhandled... The police provided the sadhus with all possible assistance..., Purulia superintendent of police Avijit Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Equating the incident with the 2020 Palghar mob lynching, Amit Malviya, wrote, "Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal Sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC." Claiming that it was a crime to be Hindu in West Bengal, the BJP leader added, In Mamata Banerjee's regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. Meanwhile, BJP Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar also hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government over the assault. "Shocking incident from Purulia; Sadhus en route to Gangasagar were stripped and beaten by criminals linked to TMC, echoing the Palghar tragedy. Under @MamataOfficials rule, a terrorist like Shahjahan gets state protection while sadhus face violence. Being Hindu is a crime in WB. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said she was outraged by the Purulia incident. Taking to X, she wrote, Sadhus en route to Gangasagar brutally attackedshocking evidence of deteriorating safety under TMC. Mamata's regime shields terrorists like Shahjahan Sheikh, while sadhus face brutal lynching. A grim reality for Hindus in Bengal. #SaveBengal. Who is Shahjahan Sheikh? Shahjahan Sheikh is a TMC strongman and a local panchayat leader, has been reportedly absconding since the attack on a team of the Enforcement Directorate in the North 24 Parganas district of Bengal earlier this month when the officials during raids conducted in connection with the alleged ration scam in the state. The ED sleuths reached the area to conduct raids on the properties of Shahjahan Sheikh and another local TMC leader Shankar Adhya has come under attack from unidentified people, with some officials being heckled and assaulted and their vehicles vandalised. At least three ED officials sustained injuries in the incident. On Friday, the ED resumed its raids and searched the residences of state fire and emergency services minister Sujit Bose, TMC MLA Tapas Roy and another TMC leader in connection with the alleged irregularities in civic body recruitments. 2020 Palghar mob lynching On April 16, 2020, a vigilante group lynched two sadhus in Maharashtras Palghar district after allegedly suspecting them to be child kidnappers and organ harvesters. The sadhus were driving to a funeral in Surat when a group of villagers in Gadchinchle, a tribal village in Palghar, stopped their vehicle and attacked them with stones, logs and axes. More than 100 people were arrested in connection with the incident. Imphal: The Manipur police on Saturday found the body of a man who was among the four people reported missing after a gunfight at a buffer zone near the states Churachandpur district, people aware of the matter said. Manipur has been roiled by ethnic violence since May 3 last year. (AFP) Ahanthem Dara (55), Thoudam Ibomcha (53), his son Thoudam Anand (27) and Oinam Romen (45) were reported missing after residents of Bishnupur heard loud bangs of bombs and bullets being fired from the hills near Haotak Phailen village at around 3pm on Wednesday. While Ibomcha, Anand and Romens bodies were found in the jungles of Haothak Tampha Kunao in Churachandpur on Thursday, officials said they found Daras body on Saturday. A police team found the body in Haotak Mapalok Chakpi Ching, adjoining Bishnupur and Churachandpur. It was sent to a mortuary in a government hospital in Imphal, an official aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also read- Manipur: Ammunition, war-like stores recovered during joint search operation in Noney district Residents of Terakhong village, where the four lived, said they were unarmed villagers, who were shot dead for going near another village to collect firewood. As a fallout of the long-running ethnic hostilities, the Meiteis, who live largely in the plains of Imphal Valley, and the Kukis, who predominantly live in the hills, have withdrawn to their respective strongholds. In response, security forces have created buffer zones in different border districts, which have also been divided on ethnic lines. Bishnupur district is home to the Meiteis, while Kuki tribals dominate Churachandpur. Also read: Congress deplores 'arrest' of two editors in Manipur, demands their immediate release Security forces have set up camps and are posted on the highway to ensure that the groups remain separated, do not enter each others districts, and trigger violence. But many times, militants from both groups use the hills and jungle area to cross into other districts and attack each other, according to security officials. The sweeping ethnic violence has also led to the creation of community-based armed village defence volunteers, underlining how faultlines have deepened beyond the Meitei -Kuki divide, pitting different communities and groups against each other. Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra chief priest, Acharya Satyendra Das, on Saturday, hit out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee while condemning the assault of sadhus (seers) in the Purulia district. Speaking to news agency ANI, the priest pointed to the past attacks on religious processions in the state and said the chief minister gets angry when she sees the 'Bhagwa' colour. Chief Priest of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Acharya Satyendra Das(ANI) Someone had given the name Mumtaz Khan to Mamata Banerjee. Attacks have happened on processions on Ram Navami and other religious processions, Das said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. She (Mamata Banerjee) gets angry when she sees the 'Bhagwa' colour and this is why she makes these attacks happen...These incidents of attacks are highly condemnable, he added. A video showing a group of sadhus being thrashed by a mob in the Purulia district went viral, with BJP IT cell Amit Malviya claiming that the attackers were criminals affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress. In Mamata Banerjees regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. It is a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal, Malviya said. Purulia Superintendent of Police (SP) Avijit Banerjee later said that 12 suspects have been arrested in the incident which occurred near Gourangdih. According to Banerjee, the sadhus were travelling in a vehicle when they stopped near three girls heading to a local Kali mandir for pooja and asked them something. Elaborating on the incident, he said, Due to some language issues, some misunderstandings happened and the girls thought that the Sadhus were following them. The situation escalated when local residents, under the assumption that the sadhus were threatening the girls, intervened and took the sadhus near Durga Mandir, he added. The mob vandalised their vehicle and physically assaulted the sadhus, according to police. "A case has been initiated on the complaint by a Sadhu. 12 people have been arrested so far, and an investigation is underway," assured SP Banerjee. Washington is willing to consider New Delhis key concerns such as restoration of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), giving Trade Agreements Act (TAA)-designated country status, easier visa rules for professionals, resolution of social security issues and allowing exports of Indian marine products, agricultural items, medicines and medical devices, under the principle of equity and reciprocity, according to a joint statement issued by the two partners after the 14th Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting in New Delhi on Friday. Union ministers Piyush Goyal and S Jaishankar with USTR Katherine Tai on Friday. (ANI) India agreed to reciprocate by considering the American demand of strengthening the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime, easing tariff and non-tariff barriers on agriculture and industrial products, including IT hardware, computers, laptops and servers. Both partners reiterated their commitment to ensuring that technical regulations such as Quality Control Orders (QCOs) do not create unnecessary barriers to trade. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. India recently issued hundreds of QCOs and lined up stringent quality norms for over 250 more items this year including electric fans, freezers, aluminium cans and plywood. QCOs are non-discriminatory and a World Trade Organisation (WTO)-compliant mechanism that allows a country to make compliance with its standards compulsory for selling specified goods in its market to protect of human, animal or plant health, prevention of unfair trade practices and national security. The joint statement was issued late Friday night after the TPF meeting co-chaired by commerce minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai, who is on a three-day India visit. The ministers underlined the significance of the TPF in forging robust bilateral trade ties and in enhancing the overall economic relationship. They welcomed the strong momentum in India-US bilateral trade in goods and services, which continued to rise and likely surpassed $200 billion in calendar year 2023 despite a challenging global trade environment, the statement said. According to USTRs website, the bilateral trade between the two partners totalled an estimated $191.8 billion in 2022. External affairs minister S Jaishankar also met US trade representative Katherine Tai on Friday and discussed progress in two-way trade and the global economy. Delighted to meet USTR @AmbassadorTai today in Delhi. Appreciate the tremendous progress in our bilateral trade in recent years, Jaishankar said in a post on X. Also value @USTradeReps perspective on challenges to the international economy, he said. Goyal and Tai welcomed the finalisation of the Turtle Excluder Device (TED) design. India is now fully equipped with the latest technology to fish without harming turtles, one of the key concerns of the US in marine imports from India. To boost medicine trade, New Delhi emphasised the need to increase the number of inspections by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in India to reduce the backlog. In order to ensure access to affordable medical devices to patients the two agreed to the Trade Margin Rationalization (TMR) approach. The US is pushing India for lifting restricting on medical devices, including for cardiac stents and knee implants. During the meeting Tai raised the issue of Indias new import requirements for computers, tablets, and servers, the statement said. Goyal said Indias objectives involved national security. Tai expressed a willingness to collaborate with India on the shared objective of supply chain resilience in this sector. Goyal and Tai also acknowledged the role of professional services in catalysing bilateral trade between the two countries and noted that issues related to recognition of professional qualifications and experience can facilitate services trade. In this context, both sides agreed to continue discussions on promoting engagement in these sectors. The ministers noted that the movement of professional and skilled workers, students, investors and business visitors between the countries contributes immensely to enhancing the bilateral economic and technological partnership, the statement said. Goyal raised the challenges being faced by business visitors from India due to visa processing time periods and requested the US to expedite the process. A total of 12 people have been arrested for allegedly assaulting three sadhus (seers) in Purulia district of West Bengal, police said on Saturday. Purulia Superintendent of Police (SP) Avijit Banerjee said the incident unfolded near Gourangdih when three saints travelling in a vehicle stopped near three girls, who were on their way to a local Kali mandir, and asked something. A group of sadhus being purportedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in Bengal's Purulia district. Due to some language issues, some misunderstandings happened, and the girls thought that the Sadhus were following them, Banerjee said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The situation quickly escalated as local residents intervened, taking the sadhus near Durga Mandir, where their car was vandalized, and they were subjected to physical assault, he added. A case has been initiated based on the complaint filed by one of the sadhus. The police provided the Sadhus with all possible assistance...A case has been initiated on the complaint by a Sadhu. 12 people have been arrested so far and an investigation is underway. Madhur Goswami, a sadhu who claims to have been assaulted by the mob, told reporters, While we were on our way to Gangasagar, suddenly our car was stopped by a large mob which assaulted us. The incident sparked outrage on social media and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the ruling TMC. Equating the incident with the 2020 Palghar mob lynching, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya, wrote, "Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal Sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC." In Mamata Banerjees regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. It is a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal, Malviya added. Responding to Malviya's allegations, TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta shared the statement of Purulia district police and said, STOP peddling LIES, and try to create a NARRATIVE !! SHAME ON YOU !! Wholesale prices for natural gas are on the rise this week and customers are the ones who will feel it in their wallet. Xcel Energy said the higher prices are because the deep freeze across the country impacts production and also the demand for natural gas. "With the increased cost of natural gas, customers may want to consider conserving natural gas for the next few days, because the wholesale cost is passed on directly to customers," Xcel said in a news release. Xcel said the price increase will be "significantly smaller" than what customers saw three years ago during Winter Storm Uri. Most important: Lower your thermostat "The biggest step customers can take to conserve is by lowering their thermostats a few degrees if they have a natural gas furnace," Xcel said. The energy company said it is best during the winter to set the thermostat between 65-70 degrees when you're home and 58 degrees when you're away. The company also recommends using a programmable thermostat that can automatically adjust the temperature based on a schedule. Other energy-saving tips from Xcel Energy include: Maximize the sunlight Let sunlight in during the day but close your blinds at night to insulate against cold air. Close exterior doors It seems like a no-brainer, but doors that are left cracked open or not fully latched can be a major source of heat loss. Featured Local Savings Ceiling fans can help Run ceiling fans clockwise during the winter to push warm air down into your living space. Don't open the oven while cooking Opening the oven door can cause the temperature to drop, so use the oven light to check on food and a timer to know when it's done. Lower your water heater temperature Xcel says 120 degrees is the proper temperature for a water heater, but customers can save 3-5% on their water heating costs by dropping that temperature 10 degrees. Insulating your water heater can also increase efficiency. Swap out your air filter Always make sure your furnace air filter is clean. Change it monthly during the winter because dirt can reduce airflow. This could save you 5-15% on your heating costs, Xcel said. Don't let heat escape Evaluate your home for leaks around ducts, windows, doors and fireplaces. Pick up a window sealing kit at a home improvement store, if needed. Improve insulation Better insulation in your walls, floors, crawl spaces and heating ducts is "one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce energy costs," Xcel said. It can save you up to 10% on your bill. For more tips on how to stay warm and safe during extreme Colorado cold weather, click here. New Delhi The Supreme Court on Friday reinstated Himachal Pradeshs director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu, who was ordered by the high court to be shifted to some other post after a complaint by a Palampur businessman alleged that the officer had tried to exert pressure on him in an ongoing criminal probe. HC had ordered shifting Himachal DGP Sanjay Kundu to some other post after a complaint by a Palampur businessman Setting aside the high courts January 9 order, a bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, held that the high court decision suffered from patent error of jurisdiction and was not compliant with the principles of natural justice. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. This is the second time in 10 days that the top court has come to the aid of Kundu in the matter at hand. The high court first directed on December 26, 2023 that Kundu be moved out of his present post. But the Supreme Court, on January 3, stayed this order and asked the high court to give an audience to Kundu before taking a call afresh. On January 9, the high court once again ruled in favour of shifting Kundu, and rejected the IPS officers plea to recall the earlier order. Adjudicating Kundus appeal against the January 9 order, the top court on Friday lamented that instead of hearing the case from scratch with an open mind, the high court went by old status reports that indicted the officer relying upon previous proceedings. The correct course of action would have been for the high court to recall its ex parte order and hear the matter afresh. Instead, the high court in the impugned order has substantially gone by the earlier status reports. The high courts order suffers from a patent error of jurisdiction since an order of serious consequences was passed emanating from its directions that were not compliant with principles of natural justice, stated the bench, which also comprised justiced JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. A post-decisional hearing, the bench underlined, is liable to cause serious disquiet as there has been no fresh application of mind to hear Kundu who was not heard at the first instance when the December 26 order was passed by the high court. Holding that it would be inappropriate to maintain the high court order to shift the DGP out, the top court also emphasised that the consequences of shifting out an IPS officer as DGP are serious and any adverse order affect such officers career and reputation. The bench, however, chose not to interfere with the high courts order to the state government for considering the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT), comprising officers of inspector general level, to coordinate investigation in all the FIRs registered in the episode. We are now directing the state government to set up the SIT, said the bench, clarifying Kundu shall exercise no control over the SIT as the DGP of the state. The court further maintained the high court order of giving security to the complainant businessman and his family. On December 26, the high court directed the state government to shift the state police chief and the Kangra superintendent of police so that they do not influence the probe in a complaint by Palampur businessman Nishant Sharma. In his complaint on October 28, Sharma alleged a threat to him, his family and property from his business partners. He also questioned the conduct of Kundu, alleging the officer made phone calls to him, and asked him to come to Shimla. Complying with the high court order, the state government on January 2 briefly posted Kundu as principal secretary in the Ayush department. PR Venkatraman, the estranged husband of Suchana Seth, the CEO of an artificial intelligence startup who is accused of killing her four-year-old son, on Saturday deposed before the Goa police, saying he last met his son on December 10 and that she had not allowed him to meet the child for the past five Sundays in violation of the court order. Venkat Raman, husband of Bengaluru-based CEO Suchna Seth, who is accused of killing her four-year-old son, arrives at Calangute police station in Goa along with his lawyer, in North Goa on Saturday (ANI) The estranged couple also came face to face at the Calangute police station and what followed was later described by the police as a blame game. When they faced each other, it led to arguments between the two. Venkatraman asked her what have you done to my child? How could you do this to me? To which, Suchana replied she hadnt done anything, a police officer privy to the meeting said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Their meeting, which took place in the presence of police officers, lasted for around 20 minutes. Seth the CEO of an AI firm in Bengaluru allegedly smothered her son with a pillow at a resort in Candolim in north Goa and then stashed his body in the trunk of a taxi she hired to escape from Goa to Bengaluru, before getting arrested en route on January 8. Also read: Father performs last rites of boy killed by CEO mother in Goa While Venkatraman did not talk to reporters, his lawyer Azhar Meer said the news of his sons murder has left his client shattered. He has gone completely numb. His family is gone. His wife is in jail, his son is dead. What justice should he expect? What justice can be given? Meer told reporters. He can die for his son but will now have to live without him. My client has no claim for justice for himself or the child, who is no more. Venkatraman, who recorded his statement before investigating officer Paresh Naik, alleged that Seth did not allow him to meet his son for the past five Sundays. In his four-page statement, he also detailed the nature of his relationship with Seth, their first meeting in 2008 to getting married in 2010, the birth of their son in 2019 to their relationship falling apart and eventually leading to a hostile divorce case and acrimonious custody battle. Also read- Suchana Seth: Who is this Bengaluru CEO arrested over 4-year-old son's murder in Goa? The custody case has been going on in the Bengaluru family court for the last one year or so, the lawyer said. Initially the court had allowed the father to speak to the child over phone or through video call. Subsequently, he was allowed to meet once in two weeks within the court, later in a public place. In November, the court allowed the father to visit the child at home from morning till evening. Venkatraman met his son for the last time on Sunday, December 10, the lawyer said. On January 6 (Saturday), Suchana wrote an email to Venkat asking him to come to Sadashiv Nagar in Bengaluru and pick up his son from there on Sunday. He had gone there at 10am and waited for one hour before returning home. Later that evening, he left for work (to Indonesia), Meer alleged. He sent a message to Suchana but got no reply. Perhaps Seth was disappointed that the case in which she had approached the court claiming to be the aggrieved party, all orders were going in the fathers favour, Meer said, adding only Seth would be able to say why she committed such an act. The trigger for the offence is just a guess. Maybe she did not want the child to meet his father or have emotional connect, the lawyer added. The police, meanwhile, said they will conduct the DNA tests of both the parents in order to rule out any other possible motives and in order to conduct a complete investigation. Reacting to the incident involving the assault of seers in the Purulia district of West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday claimed that the BJP has imported troublemakers from neighbouring states to harass pilgrims and sadhus ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The viral video showed a group of sadhus purportedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in the Purulia district. Three seers on their way to Gangasagar Mela were stopped by a mob and assaulted near Gourangdih in Purulia district. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared the purported video of the incident on social media and alleged that the attackers were linked to the TMC, a charge refuted by the ruling party. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Government of West Bengal has long successfully organized the Gangasagar Mela without there being any mishaps, TMC state spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said in a social media post on X. Now, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP has imported troublemakers from neighboring states to harass pilgrims and sadhus, he added. Drawing parallels with past incidents, the spokesperson mentioned the brandishing of a gun by a 19-year-old during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah last year, which led to communal violence in the area. The youth, identified as Sumit Shaw, was later arrested from Munger in Bihar. This is reminiscent of their past actions, such as hiring 19-year-old Sumit Shaw to sow chaos during Ram Navami processions before the Panchayat elections, Bhattacharya said. The police will conduct a thorough investigation, and those responsible for this disruptive political strategy will be brought to justice! he wrote. Earlier today, Purulia district police issued a statement saying facts are being misrepresented from certain quarters. The fact is, on 11.01.24 afternoon, there was a misunderstanding between three Gangasagar-bound sadhus with three local minor girls near Kashipur over language problem. The girls got scared and local people manhandled the sadhus and damaged their vehicle, alleging a kidnapping attempt. Local police promptly intervened and rescued the sadhus, police said. A total of 12 people have been arrested in connection with the case. The United States government is considering proposals by India for a pact on social security pertaining to non-resident Indians and to be granted treaty country status, which will open up new E1 and E2 visa options for Indian businessfolk travelling to American cities, commerce minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal. (x/PiyushGoyal) The minister was speaking after discussions between the Indian side and visiting US trade representative Katherine Tai, in which both sides agreed on steps that will open up trade between the countries. The two countries also recently resolved seven trade disputes bilaterally. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Goyal said the visa issue is not directly linked with the commerce ministry and Tai as it pertains to ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the internal security office in the US. But we want that this matter should be considered from the angle of a trade-enabler. [Bilateral] trade should be promoted, and USTR could support our views in mutual interest, he said on Saturday after the 14th Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting. The commerce minister and USTR co-chaired the TPF meeting in New Delhi on Friday. Goyal said the commerce ministry and the MEA are on the same page with Prime Minister Narendra Modis whole-of-government approach. External affairs minister S Jaishankar met Tai on Friday and appreciated the tremendous progress made in bilateral trade recently. The Indian proposal mentions a step that will help Indians secure the E1 (treaty trader) or the E2 (treaty investor) visas. Both of these are non-immigrant visas, which means they do not open up avenues for a permanent residency or a green card, but allow for travel to the US on a temporary basis as long as the American government has recognised a travellers country as a treaty nation. The US has granted treaty country status to nearly 100 countries, including China (Taiwan), Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Then why to exclude India, which is one of the major trading partners? The issue has been well received by the US officials, one of the officials present in the TPF meeting said, asking not to be named. E1 visas are for individuals and employees who may work in roles where they enable trade between the two nations, while E2 visas are for those who invest, or set up businesses, that carry out trade. India and USA are important trade allies, particularly when most of the countries are having China-plus-one strategy and they are looking for reliable partners. Hence, by removing small impediments like visa hassles and social security problems, bilateral trade could be facilitated further, he said. New Delhi also asked Washington to allow renewal of Indian H1B visa in America for both -- primary holders and their dependents by doing away the requirement of returning India for the renewal, he said. The India-US joint statement issued on Friday also mentioned that India raised the visa issues. The ministers noted that the movement of professional and skilled workers, students, investors and business visitors between the countries contributes immensely to enhancing the bilateral economic and technological partnership. Minister Goyal highlighted challenges being faced by business visitors from India due to visa processing time periods and requested the United States to augment processing, it said. Another impediment in services sector, which is in the process of resolution, is a social security totalisation agreement, the official said, adding that Indian labour ministry has recently provided data related to social security schemes to US authorities to facilitate a proposed pact. The pact will avoid the double deduction of social security contributions from employees such as IT professionals in both nations and facilitate transfer of billions of dollars deposited in social security accounts of Indian workers staying temporarily in America on the work visa. Goyal said he is hopeful for a bigger and brighter future of bilateral trade between India and the US, especially after the two successfully resolved seven outstanding disputes pending in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) through mutual negotiations, without resorting to any legal process. While the six disputes were resolved during the visit of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US in June 2023, the last remaining dispute was resolved in September 2023 when President Biden visited India for the G20 Summit. The proposed totalisation pact and easier visa regime would further facilitate bilateral trade in services, the official mentioned above said. According to the USTR website, the US exports of services to India were about $25.9 billion in 2022, 40% ($7.4 billion) more than 2021. imports of services from India were estimated at $33.2 billion in 2022, 14.6% ($4.2 billion) more than 2021. Overall, US goods and services trade with India totalled an estimated $191.8 billion in 2022 with exports of $73 billion and imports of $118.8 billion. The US and UK on Thursday launched strikes on Houthi military capabilities and assets in Yemen in response to attacks and threats by the Iran-backed rebel group against shipping in the Red Sea corridor, a move that represents an escalation and a possible widening of the West Asian war and brings the US into greater conflict with Iran. UK, US strike Yemen In a statement, President Joe Biden said that the US and UK with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation and warned that the strikes were a clear message that the US and its partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the worlds most critical commercial routes. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. On Friday, the group acknowledged the attack and warned of retaliation. It said at least five sites, including airfields, had been attacked and at least five rebels were killed. In a recorded address, military spokesman, Brig Gen Yahya Saree said that the strikes would not go unanswered or unpunished. Biden said that the strikes were a direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history. The Houthis, which took control of most of Yemen in the past decade, have been attacking ships in the Red Sea a crucial maritime route connecting Europe, Asia and Africa which sees 15% of the worlds seaborne trade in a show of support for Hamas. It has said it wont stop the attacks unless Israel ceases its offensive in Gaza. More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy. More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times. And on January 9, Houthis launched their largest attack to date directly targeting American ships, Biden noted. Biden added that Thursdays action also followed a concerted diplomatic campaign. In December, the US launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a naval coalition with 19 other countries, to deter Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Last week, the US, with 13 other countries, warned the Houthis of consequences if their attacks didnt cease. And this week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an end to their attacks. In his own statement, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK had taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States... to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping after the group continued to carry out attacks despite warnings. In a separate statement, US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin said that the action was intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthiss capabilities to endanger mariners and threaten global trade. Todays strikes targeted sites associated with the Houthis unmanned aerial vehicle, ballistic and cruise missile, and coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities, Austin added, keeping open the option of follow up strikes if needed. Offering more background on the attacks, a senior US administration official told reporters that the immediate trigger for the strikes was the Houthi attack on US ships on January 9. Nearly 20 drones and multiple missiles were launched in multiple salvos directly against US ships. This attack was defeated by the US and UK naval forces working jointly as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian. If not for this defensive mission, we have no doubt that ships would have been struck, perhaps even sunk, including, in one case, a commercial ship full of jet fuel. Outlining the sequence of decision-making, the official said that on January 1, following an attack on a Denmark-owned ship, Biden had asked his national security team to both intensify the diplomatic campaign, build a multinational campaign for military action, identify targets, and issue a final warning statement. Following the attack on Tuesday, Biden met his national security team to discuss options and then directed Austin to carry out the strikes. The senior administration official rejected any attempt to link the Houthi attacks with the situation in Gaza. That is completely baseless and illegitimate. The Houthis also claim to be targeting specifically Israeli-owned ships or ships bound for Israel. That is simply not true. They are firing indiscriminately on vessels with global ties. Most of the ships that have come under attack have nothing whatsoever to do with Israel. And even if they were even if that were not the case, it is no justification for these illegal attacks in international waterways. The official also reiterated the special and historic American responsibility to help protect and defend these arteries of global trade and commerce. The senior official also categorically called out Iran. Iran is a primary, if not the primary, enabler or supporter, sponsor of the Houthis and that Iran has been involved operationally in the conduct of these attacks. They provided information and intelligence to the Houthis. They provided the Houthis the very capabilities that they have used to conduct these attacks. So we believe that they have been certainly involved in every phase of this, the official said. A senior military official termed the action significant and emphasised that the targets were chosen for minimising the risk of any collateral damage. The Pentagon official said, We were absolutely not targeting civilian population centres. We were going after very specific capability in very specific locations with precision munitions. The strikes prompted a range of political responses in the US. While Republicans supported the strikes, they used the moment to attack Biden for removing the terrorist designation on Houthis after coming to power and called the action overdue. While most Democrats backed the President, progressives in particular called for White House to work with the US Congress and seek authorisation for its military operations. Iran called the strikes a clear violation of Yemens sovereignty and a breach of international laws. Lebanons Hezbollah group, which has also traded fire with Israel in the months after the campaign in Gaza began, said they confirmed that the US is a full partner in the tragedies and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza and the region. While the US has spent weeks trying to reduce tensions in the region after widespread condemnation of Israels campaign in Gaza, West Asia appeared to be on the edge again on Friday. Hussein al-Ezzi, a Houthi official in their foreign ministry, that America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression. While confident that the strikes did degrade Houthi capabilities, American officials expect retaliatory attacks and acknowledge that this is not the last word on the topic. The estranged husband of Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru CEO who allegedly killed her son in an apartment in Goa's Candolim, told police that the latter had not allowed him to meet his child for the past five Sundays. Raman also added that divorce proceedings were underway between him and Seth. Suchana Seth with police officials.(HT File) Venkat Raman, the husband of the murder-accused Bengaluru CEO, was in Indonesia when the crime allegedly took place. Suchana Seth and Venkat Raman tied the knot in November 2010. However, the duo had been living apart since March 2021. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. According to police, Suchana smothered her son to death before trying to commit suicide by slashing her wrist. She packed the child's corpse in a bag and hired a taxi to go back to Bengaluru but was arrested mid-way by the Goa police in Karnataka's Chitradurga. The accused also underwent a routine medical examination under police supervision. Seth however did not admit to murdering her son. Goa DGP Jaspal Singh told news agency ANI that Seth was not cooperating with the investigation. "We have 90 days to file the chargesheet. We have collected all the pieces of evidence. The preliminary investigation is underway. We will appreciate and confront the evidence to figure out the motive of the crime. We will bring this incident to a logical end," he told ANI. Suchana Seth, the CEO of Bengaluru-based The Mindful AI Lab was arrested on January 8 after staff at the apartment in Goa's Candolim discovered a bloodstained towel while cleaning her room and promptly notified the police. Upon receiving the information, law enforcement contacted the taxi driver transporting Seth to Bengaluru and directed him to the nearest police station. According to the autopsy report, there were no signs of struggle when the child was smothered with a pillow. Authorities are considering the possibility that cough syrups may have been used to render the victim incapacitated. (With inputs from agencies) 2024 marks 75 years since the death of this Belgian artist who went down in history as the painter of masks and who is considered a pioneer of surrealism. On a December afternoon, when DW visited Ostend, the hometown of James Ensor, it did not exactly present itself as a "lovely colorful flower", as the Belgian painter once called it. The town is situated on the Flemish North Sea coast. Dark clouds hovered over the beach that stretches between the Netherlands in the east and France in the west. 'Skeletons Fighting over a Pickled Herring' (1891)(Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/picture alliance) Before its destruction during World War II, Ostend was known as the "Queen of Seaside Resorts." Today, the coastal strip is built up with modernist vacation apartment buildings. James Ensor lived in this charming, sleepy town from his birth on April 13, 1860 until his death on November 19, 1949 barring a few times he was away like spending three years studying art in Brussels, around 100 kilometers away. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Inspired by mother's souvenir shop Ensor's home in Vlaanderenstraat (Flanders Street) is in the second row from the beach. On the first floor of this souvenir shop, his mother sold stuffed crocodiles, weapons from the colonial era and carnival masks. This cabinet of curiosities has been authentically restored and is one of the main attractions of James Ensor's house. It was reopened as a museum in 2020. A tour leads past reproductions of his most important works and into the Blue Salon, which also served as Ensor's studio. A perfect introduction to the life of the loner, who lived in Ostend under one roof with his mother, aunt and sister. The family lived off the income of the souvenir shops, of which there were six in Ostend. Three of them were owned by the Ensors until his father's death. The items on sale here became an important source of inspiration for James Ensor, as did the local carnival celebrations. A mix of carnival and reality Ensor's imagery of skeletons, marionettes, skulls and carnival masks, which he captured in sharp detail, is as morbid as it is legendary. And although Ensor was an atheist, he often referred to the Passion of Christ in his paintings. His most famous painting, "Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889," hangs as a reproduction in the Ensor House. The original is in Los Angeles and no longer travels. In his drawing "Calvary," he shows that he did not think much of religion: The artist himself hangs on the cross instead of Christ and the inscription above reads ENSOR instead of INRI. The masks that made Ensor popular Once considered an eccentric, today he is counted among the icons of modern art. If he had not withdrawn into his shell in Ostend, his fame would be different today, says Xavier Tricot, curator of the Ensor House. Artistically, he was far ahead of his contemporaries. "Ensor was an oddball who always walked around with two small dogs on a leash and a yellow raincoat. People looked at the remarkably tall painter askance," Tricot told DW at the Ensor House. And the painter looked back "askance," as in the painting "The Bathers of Ostend," a caricature of the leisure-seeking summer vacationers at the beach. Inspired by cartoons and doodles, Ensor created a Bruegel-esque panorama in 1890 depicting (un)inhibited beach pleasures. Upon close examination of the frolicking beachgoers, it becomes evident that Ensor harbors no admiration for them. He creates a portrayal of infinite banality: Copulating dogs, a man groping a woman's chest, an overweight lady flaunting her naked posterior, two young men kissing and a floating obese character. Ostend showcases Ensor's still-life paintings Objects from his parents' souvenir shop appear as motifs in his paintings from the start. This is evident even in his still life paintings, as the exhibition "Rose, Rose, Rose a mes yeux. James Ensor and still life in Belgium from 1830 to 1930" currently on display in Ostend demonstrates. The MuZee Museum, just a few streets away from Ensor's residence, presents 50 of his still lifes for the first time in the context of Belgian contemporaries. "Ensor is a benchmark for what others do you can compare the quality and at the same time show that Ensor had an environment, that he was not a lone rider in the desert," curator Bart Verschaffel told DW. Ensor experimented with new styles and techniques until old age. Therefore, his still lifes cannot be pigeonholed. Change in color palette around the turn of the century James Ensor developed an early preference for travesty and confusion, draping motifs in his carefully composed paintings that became his trademarks: Shells, skulls, skeletons, chinoiserie and carnival masks. Ensor mixed them with typical vanitas motifs such as playing cards, wilting flowers or skulls. The common themes of vanitas style artwork revolve around death, mortality, the passage of time and the futility of worldly pursuits. French Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism also inspired Ensor to experiment with the atmospheric phenomena of daylight. The exhibition traces Ensor's development from academic still lifes in dark tones before 1890 to the influence of Impressionism. Towards the end of the 19th century, Ensor changed his color palette. He used pure colors red, yellow, blue and applied them thickly. In a vegetable still life, the red cabbage next to a yellow lemon on a blue tablecloth shines brightly. Ensor was not concerned with a realistic representation but with the dynamics and individuality of what was depicted, which distinguishes all his still lifes. Neither symbolist nor impressionist Bart Verschaffel sees Ensor as a "precursor to Expressionism," especially because of his provocative color combinations and strong brushstrokes. The bourgeoisie of Ostend reacted with horror to his daring still lifes, and art critics also advised him to "return to tradition," according to Xavier Tricot. With a satirical spirit, he painted bouquets of flowers on canvas as well as skulls with cigarettes in their mouths. Another grand motif is the portrait of a flirting ray almost lasciviously, it extends its lower part towards the viewer. Opened fish eyes appear repeatedly. "They are still looking, even though they are dead," says Verschaffel. In any case, Ensor boldly attacked the upper class with his works and made no friends when he painted shells as a symbol of the female gender in his pictures. Ensor, who lived under the same roof with his sister until his death, had an ambivalent relationship with sexuality. Initially, no one wanted to buy his works that tilted towards the surreal. But the excitement subsided, and Ensor became fashionable. Among artists, he was long considered a guiding star: Wassily Kandinsky, Edouard Vuillard, Erich Heckel and Giuseppe Ungaretti are among many who traveled to Ostend to visit Ensor at his home. The exhibition at MuZee traces the path of his artistic development, always in an exciting comparison with the motifs of Ensor's contemporaries, who rarely match the sophistication of the refined loner from Ostend.2024 marks 75 years since the death of this Belgian artist who went down in history as the painter of masks and who is considered a pioneer of surrealism. On a December afternoon, when DW visited Ostend, the hometown of James Ensor, it did not exactly present itself as a "lovely colorful flower", as the Belgian painter once called it. The town is situated on the Flemish North Sea coast. Dark clouds hovered over the beach that stretches between the Netherlands in the east and France in the west. Before its destruction during World War II, Ostend was known as the "Queen of Seaside Resorts." Today, the coastal strip is built up with modernist vacation apartment buildings. James Ensor lived in this charming, sleepy town from his birth on April 13, 1860 until his death on November 19, 1949 barring a few times he was away like spending three years studying art in Brussels, around 100 kilometers away. Inspired by mother's souvenir shop Ensor's home in Vlaanderenstraat (Flanders Street) is in the second row from the beach. On the first floor of this souvenir shop, his mother sold stuffed crocodiles, weapons from the colonial era and carnival masks. This cabinet of curiosities has been authentically restored and is one of the main attractions of James Ensor's house. It was reopened as a museum in 2020. A tour leads past reproductions of his most important works and into the Blue Salon, which also served as Ensor's studio. A perfect introduction to the life of the loner, who lived in Ostend under one roof with his mother, aunt and sister. The family lived off the income of the souvenir shops, of which there were six in Ostend. Three of them were owned by the Ensors until his father's death. The items on sale here became an important source of inspiration for James Ensor, as did the local carnival celebrations. A mix of carnival and reality Ensor's imagery of skeletons, marionettes, skulls and carnival masks, which he captured in sharp detail, is as morbid as it is legendary. And although Ensor was an atheist, he often referred to the Passion of Christ in his paintings. His most famous painting, "Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889," hangs as a reproduction in the Ensor House. The original is in Los Angeles and no longer travels. In his drawing "Calvary," he shows that he did not think much of religion: The artist himself hangs on the cross instead of Christ and the inscription above reads ENSOR instead of INRI. The masks that made Ensor popular Once considered an eccentric, today he is counted among the icons of modern art. If he had not withdrawn into his shell in Ostend, his fame would be different today, says Xavier Tricot, curator of the Ensor House. Artistically, he was far ahead of his contemporaries. "Ensor was an oddball who always walked around with two small dogs on a leash and a yellow raincoat. People looked at the remarkably tall painter askance," Tricot told DW at the Ensor House. And the painter looked back "askance," as in the painting "The Bathers of Ostend," a caricature of the leisure-seeking summer vacationers at the beach. Inspired by cartoons and doodles, Ensor created a Bruegel-esque panorama in 1890 depicting (un)inhibited beach pleasures. Upon close examination of the frolicking beachgoers, it becomes evident that Ensor harbors no admiration for them. He creates a portrayal of infinite banality: Copulating dogs, a man groping a woman's chest, an overweight lady flaunting her naked posterior, two young men kissing and a floating obese character. Ostend showcases Ensor's still-life paintings Objects from his parents' souvenir shop appear as motifs in his paintings from the start. This is evident even in his still life paintings, as the exhibition "Rose, Rose, Rose a mes yeux. James Ensor and still life in Belgium from 1830 to 1930" currently on display in Ostend demonstrates. The MuZee Museum, just a few streets away from Ensor's residence, presents 50 of his still lifes for the first time in the context of Belgian contemporaries. "Ensor is a benchmark for what others do you can compare the quality and at the same time show that Ensor had an environment, that he was not a lone rider in the desert," curator Bart Verschaffel told DW. Ensor experimented with new styles and techniques until old age. Therefore, his still lifes cannot be pigeonholed. Change in color palette around the turn of the century James Ensor developed an early preference for travesty and confusion, draping motifs in his carefully composed paintings that became his trademarks: Shells, skulls, skeletons, chinoiserie and carnival masks. Ensor mixed them with typical vanitas motifs such as playing cards, wilting flowers or skulls. The common themes of vanitas style artwork revolve around death, mortality, the passage of time and the futility of worldly pursuits. French Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism also inspired Ensor to experiment with the atmospheric phenomena of daylight. The exhibition traces Ensor's development from academic still lifes in dark tones before 1890 to the influence of Impressionism. Towards the end of the 19th century, Ensor changed his color palette. He used pure colors red, yellow, blue and applied them thickly. In a vegetable still life, the red cabbage next to a yellow lemon on a blue tablecloth shines brightly. Ensor was not concerned with a realistic representation but with the dynamics and individuality of what was depicted, which distinguishes all his still lifes. Neither symbolist nor impressionist Bart Verschaffel sees Ensor as a "precursor to Expressionism," especially because of his provocative color combinations and strong brushstrokes. The bourgeoisie of Ostend reacted with horror to his daring still lifes, and art critics also advised him to "return to tradition," according to Xavier Tricot. With a satirical spirit, he painted bouquets of flowers on canvas as well as skulls with cigarettes in their mouths. Another grand motif is the portrait of a flirting ray almost lasciviously, it extends its lower part towards the viewer. Opened fish eyes appear repeatedly. "They are still looking, even though they are dead," says Verschaffel. In any case, Ensor boldly attacked the upper class with his works and made no friends when he painted shells as a symbol of the female gender in his pictures. Ensor, who lived under the same roof with his sister until his death, had an ambivalent relationship with sexuality. Initially, no one wanted to buy his works that tilted towards the surreal. But the excitement subsided, and Ensor became fashionable. Among artists, he was long considered a guiding star: Wassily Kandinsky, Edouard Vuillard, Erich Heckel and Giuseppe Ungaretti are among many who traveled to Ostend to visit Ensor at his home. The exhibition at MuZee traces the path of his artistic development, always in an exciting comparison with the motifs of Ensor's contemporaries, who rarely match the sophistication of the refined loner from Ostend. A new generation is drawing its slang from sources old and new: Korean pop culture, rap, TikTok influencers, the gaming world, and, in a bit of a surprise, ballroom culture, which has its roots in 1960s and 70s New York. Read on to see how delulu, so popular with the under-27s thats Gen Z (born 1997 to 2011) and Gen Alpha (born 2012 to 2025) has its roots in Korean fandom. And how TikTokers are taking new terms to the world. But why does ballroom culture dominate, contributing a rash of terms that include mother, served, snatched, and ate and left no crumbs? Led by queer black and Latinx people, this subculture was meant to counter the inherent racism in the American drag community of the time, which was predominantly white. It has been more visible in the mainstream in recent years, with series such as RuPauls Drag Race (2009-) starting the trend, and Pose (2018-2021), which explores ballroom culture of the 80s and 90s, furthering it, says music writer Bhanuj Kappal. Mainstream culture is finally catching up and giving credit to queer artistes too, Kappal adds. Beyonces Renaissance album (2022) and 2023 tour included nods to legendary queer Black artistes such as Moi Renee and Pepper LaBeija. In February, Apple teased Rihannas performance at the Super Bowl with a short video featuring drag performers from New Yorks ballroom scene, including celebrity stylist Yusef Williams of the House of Miyake-Mugler. When icons refer to or feature drag artistes, they are making them a part of the conversation. And the youth is tapping into that, Kappal says. Pepper LaBeija at a drag ball in Harlem, in 1988. (Getty Images) So why mother? What do the other terms mean? Which ones your favourite? (We at Wknd have grown particularly fond of snatched.) Take a look. Mother (n.; iconic): The ballroom community was organised into houses or families, which competed to win grand prizes. Each house was led by a mentor called a mother. Today, the tag is used to describe someone who wields a powerful and fundamentally feminine energy to influence the lives of others for the better. It has been used to describe Madonna, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj. Drag queen Crystal LaBeija, who co-founded the House of LaBeija one of the first ballroom houses set up in 1970s New York is generally considered the first mother. In its current form, the term has acquired a rather watered-down usage too. It can be someone who simply has a lot of cultural capital, and queer or non-conforming appeal. Mother breaks norms; mother makes you feel seen; mother slays. Mother is Mothering is now used in place of slay, popularised by Taylor Swift fans. Served (v.; put together an outrageous but aesthetic look): This term was used to describe drag performers who had succeeded in communicating their personality through their attire, in ways that were particularly iconic. Today, Beyonces Renaissance Tour outfits are said to have served. Beyonce in an Agent Provocateur catsuit, described as a look that served. (Instagram) Ate and left no crumbs (v.; so perfect as to need no notes): If something eats, it is really good. But to eat and leave no crumbs is to knock it out of the park, seemingly without effort. Snatched / snatched my wig (v.; so perfect as to be astounding): A previous generation used fleek. An older generation, fierce. In the New York drag ballrooms of the 1970s, snatched was a reference to the hair weaves worn by drag performers of colour. If a performance or an outfit was truly outstanding, they might snatch your wig or weave, or simply be snatched. The co-opting of these words does run the risk of appropriating a language born out of a specific context and history, Kappal points out. For better and worse, thats a sampling of the terms drawn from ballroom culture. Now on to the rest. Cheugy (adj;. trying too hard): The term is attributed to LA-based software developer Gaby Rasson; it was popularised by TikToker Hallie Cain, who first used it in a post in 2021. Still gushing over your hustle-and-hype girlboss life? Thats cheugy (pronounced chew-gee), Cain declared. Instagram and TikTok now hold thousands of videos on cheugy and un-cheugy vacation looks; accessories; inspirational messages. (Live.Love.Laugh has understandably been cancelled). Gucci / gooch (adj.; anything that feels good): Attributable to rap culture, it entered the mainstream via the lyrics of Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane aka Radric Delantic Davis. Its Gucci is a common refrain in his tracks, including the recent Now Its Real (2023): I know we all gon make mistakes, this shit make or break (a brick) I spent a million dollars on it but still lost the case (what the f**k?) I got a loyal fanbase, they wont go away (my fans) These folks still listen to me, each and every single day (its Gucci) Delulu (adj.; delusional): Delulu was born in the K-pop fan communities of South Korea, to describe a sasaeng or obsessive fan who was so delusional that they truly believed they might end up with their idol. It was popularised via TikTok, as shorthand for a kind of unrelenting confidence. By 2023, it was one half of a fresh term: delulu is the solulu. This is the idea that sometimes, in a crazy world, it is the most radical dreamers that find a way out. Think you can find a way to make seaweed actually replace all plastic? Theres a third term ready for that too: May your delulu become trululu. GirlyPop (adj.; cute; feminine): Attributed to YouTuber Haley Pham, it is used to describe someone who is basically one of the Plastics from Mean Girls, minus the meanness. The term dates to a post from the early Aughts, but has been popularised on TikTok amid the Gen Z and Gen Alpha drive to embrace ultra-feminine aesthetics such as cottagecore and mermaidcore. A GirlyPop girl, then, is one whose vibe, look and life are quite literally peachy. Gyatt (adj.; somehow short for Goddamn!): Credited to Twitch streamer YourRage, this is an exclamation used to celebrate a curvy shape, or big body, in a person of any gender. YourRage, in his videos, can be seen screaming Gyatt! at images of curvy women. He doesnt seem to appreciate how the term has been appropriated by women like the ones he ogled. Gyatt is being destroyed, abused all over the internet, he shouted, in a recent post. Broke my scale or BMS (v.; immeasurably attractive): Derived from the idea of the 1-to-10 scale for attractiveness, the phrase is used widely on TikTok and Instagram. Variants include she / he / they broke it. Compliments are invited with the command: Rate my BMS. Mid (adj.; so mediocre as to be worse than the worst): Derived from middling. Office coffee, a new shoe drop, and the last season of The Crown have all been described as mid. The word has been in use since at least the early Aughts, originally to describe poor grades of marijuana, and music. Drakes album Certified Lover Boy was derided as mid in 2021. The fundamental idea being that bad can be so bad its good, but mid is just disappointing. Spider silk is like something out of a comic book. A golden orb weaver, from a group of spider species known to weave the biggest, strongest webs. (Shutterstock) It is superstrong. Flexible. Elastic. When compared in terms of strands of the same diameter, it is stronger than steel, tougher than Kevlar (the synthetic polymer used in bulletproof vests). Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The webs of orb weaver spiders (the group of species that weave the biggest and strongest known webs) can measure up to 1.5 metres in diameter, and can trap small birds mid-flight. If scientists could figure out how to produce enough spider silk, the possibilities would be immense. It could be used in medicines and weaponry, armoured clothing and aerospace technology. The problem is, spiders are incredibly difficult to domesticate. They dont function well in captivity. If you keep a group of them together, one of them will eat the others, says Aarathi Prasad, an Honorary Research Fellow at University College Londons Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, and author of Silk: A History in Three Metamorphoses (2023). The reason it has been so challenging to use spider silk over the centuries is because you cant get enough of it. Scientists are now aiming to get around this, by experimenting with ways to make spider silk without the spider. In a paper published in the journal Matter in September, scientists from Chinas Donghua University described how they had successfully used genetically modified silkworms to produce spider-silk fibres. The gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 was used to insert genes for spider silk protein into the DNA of the silkworms. The silk produced by these genetically modified worms showed a tensile strength and flexibility close to natural spider silk. Fibres of spider-like silk produced by silkworms. This isnt undilutedly good news, and well get to why in a bit, but the Donghua experiment was a significant improvement over other attempts. For over a decade, for instance, researchers at Utah State University had experimented with ways to extract spider silk protein from the milk produced by genetically modified goats. They too, introduced genes for spider silk protein into the goats DNA. This protein was then extracted from the milk and reverse-engineered into fibre. But the fibre was weak, the experiment has essentially been concluded, and the goats now live on a farm run by the university. Previous attempts to produce artificial spider silk in a lab, meanwhile, failed to replicate the surface layer of glycoproteins and lipids, which is a protective layer that spiders apply on their webs during secretion, to guard against humidity and sun exposure. Silkworms are a promising workaround because they have their own specialised gland which secretes a similar protective coating. But, Prasad says, it still cant be 100% spider-like. In the spiders body, the silk starts as a liquid before becoming a solid thread, says Prasad. The problem with genetically engineering spider silk has been that you are only able to replicate the chemical structure of the material partially. Its always going to be part spider, part moth. Its not going to be true spider silk because we dont yet know exactly how the spider folds the silk during the secretion process, to give it its strength. Donghua is hoping to crack that code too. The universitys research team is working on making the silkworm-generated spider silk stronger and more elastic, by adding additional amino acid chains to its molecular structure. The good news: What they have so far is certainly scalable. As Donghua biotechnologist Junpeng Mi said in a statement: Silkworm silk is currently the only animal silk fibre that has a well-established supply chain, complete with advanced rearing and processing techniques. Makar Sankranti, also known as Sankranthi, is a festival that honours Lord Surya, the Sun God, and signifies the Sun's entry into the Capricorn zodiac sign. Hindus commemorate this important harvest festival all over India, however, the names, customs, and celebrations vary from state to state. It heralds the start of the harvest season when people joyfully exchange and honour new harvests. Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Maghi in Haryana and Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Khichdi in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarayanan in Gujarat and Rajasthan. This year the holiday will be held with tremendous pomp and enthusiasm on Monday, January 15. (Also read: Makar Sankranti 2024: Delectable traditional recipes to savour with loved ones ) Happy Makar Sankranti 2024: Wishes, images, messages, to share with loved ones(HT Photo) As the festival approaches, we've put together a collection of greetings, images, and messages for you to share with your loved ones to express your best wishes and goodwill. Scroll down to check it out. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Happy Makar Sankranti 2024 Wishes, Images and Greetings As the sun transitions, may your life be filled with the brightness of happiness and the warmth of success. Happy Makar Sankranti! May the sweetness of til-gul and the warmth of the sun bring lots of happiness and success to you. Happy Makar Sankranti! Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival marking the sun's transition into the northern hemisphere.(HT Photo) May the kites of your dreams soar high, and the harvest of joy be plentiful. Have a wonderful Makar Sankranti! Wishing you a joyful Makar Sankranti! May the sun bless you with warmth and prosperity. Celebrated on January 15th, it signifies the end of winter and the onset of longer days.(HT Photo) On this auspicious day, may the sun radiate peace, prosperity, and happiness in your life. Happy Makar Sankranti! Wishing you and your family a delightful Makar Sankranti. May the kites of your dreams soar high! Kite flying is a popular tradition during Makar Sankranti, symbolizing new beginnings and good harvest.(HT Photo) As the kites fill the sky, may your aspirations take flight. Wishing you a Happy Makar Sankranti! May this Makar Sankranti shower you with everything you have wished for. May there be no trace of sorrow in your life. Happy Makar Sankranti! The festival is observed with various regional names like Pongal, Maghi, Khichdi, and Uttarayanan.(HT Photo) Sending you my heartfelt wishes for a bountiful harvest of love and joy. Happy Makar Sankranti! Wishing you a blessed Makar Sankranti. May the bright colours of kites paint this day with smiles and joy for you and your loved ones. People exchange warm wishes, sweets, and til-gul (sesame and jaggery) treats on this occasion.(HT Photo) Wishing you a day filled with laughter, delicious treats, and the joy of flying kites. Happy Makar Sankranti! May the colours of joy, jubilation, and pleasure shine upon you and your life! Wish you a very happy Makar Sankranti! In Gujarat and Rajasthan, the festival is known as Uttarayanan, marked by vibrant kite-flying competitions.(HT Photo) I hope you enjoy all of your favourite dishes today and enjoy the sweet flavour of gud. Warm Sankranti greetings from my family to yours! On this day, I pray that our friendship soars as high as our kites. Happy Makar Sankranti! Uttarayan, the festival of kites, is celebrated with various activities including kite flying and indulging in sweets and flavourful khichdi. Gujaratis look forward to shouting "Kai Po Che" to the kites flying in the sky during the Uttarayan festival, which is much more than just worship and sweets. Uttarayana, also called Uttarayanam, is derived from the Sanskrit words 'uttaram' (north) and 'ayanam' (movement). It describes the northward movement of the sun. This is "the actual movement of the Sun in relation to the Earth" according to the Gregorian calendar. Across most regions, Uttarayan celebrations span two to four days, during which time participants worship the Sun God, take holy dips in designated water sources, give alms to the poor, fly kites, make sesame and jaggery sweets, honour cattle, and more. (Also read: Uttarayan 2024: Date, history and significance of kite-flying festival ) Happy Uttarayan 2024: Best wishes, images and messages to share with loved ones(HT Photo) If you and your family are celebrating Uttarayan, here is our special collection of wishes and greetings to share with your friends and family on WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms to make the occasion even more special. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Happy Uttarayan 2024 Wishes, Images, Messages and Greetings Let the kites of happiness and prosperity fly high in your life this Uttarayan. Have a wonderful and joyful celebration! Uttarayan, also known as Makar Sankranti, is a vibrant kite festival celebrated in India(HT Photo) Sending you warm wishes for a joyous Uttarayan! May your kite fly high, and your heart soar with happiness. May the winds of Uttarayan carry away all your worries, and the kites of joy fill your life with vibrant colours. Happy Kite Flying Festival! It marks the transition of the sun into the northern hemisphere, symbolizing the end of winter.(HT Photo) On this festive day of Uttarayan, may the colorful kites paint your life with happiness and success. Happy Kite Flying! As the kites dance in the sky, may your life also dance to the tunes of happiness and success. Wishing you a Happy Uttarayan! Families and friends come together to fly colorful kites during this joyous occasion.(HT Photo) May the strings of your kite be strong, and the wind of joy guide it to new heights. Happy Uttarayan! Wishing you a day filled with the thrill of kite flying and the joy of shared moments. Happy Uttarayan to you and your loved ones! The sky becomes a canvas of fluttering kites, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.(HT Photo) May the sun bless you with warmth, the wind guide your kite, and the festival bring you moments of pure delight. Happy Uttarayan! Wishing you a sky full of vibrant kites and a heart full of joy this Uttarayan! Have a Happy and Colorful Kite Festival! Traditional foods like sesame seeds and jaggery sweets are savored during Uttarayan.(HT Photo) Uttarayan is not just about flying kites; it's about celebrating the highs and lows with a cheerful spirit. Have a fantastic day! May your spirits soar as high as the kites in the sky! Happy Uttarayan filled with fun, laughter, and endless celebrations. People exchange greetings, wishing each other happiness and prosperity on this auspicious day.(HT Photo) As the kites dot the sky, may your life be dotted with moments of happiness and success. Happy Uttarayan! On this Uttarayan, may the threads of your life be as resilient as the strings of a kite, holding strong against any challenges. Happy celebrations! Magh Bihu, also known as Bhogali Bihu or Maghor Bihu, is a harvesting festival celebrated in Assam. It marks the end of the harvesting season and falls in the first month of the year. According to the Bengali Panjika, Magh Bihu is celebrated on the first day of Magh month. While in Assam, the festival is known as Magh Bihu, it is called Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, and Makar Sankranti in Northern parts of India. People thank the God of agriculture and their ancestors for a bountiful harvest and a good life. They gather with their friends and family to feast on the new yield, engage in traditional activities, prepare traditional Assamese food and sweets, build a makeshift cottage called Bhelaghar, and build Meiji, which are burned as a sign of the end of old and the start of new. When is Bhogali Bihu? Know the correct date, history, significance, rituals of Assam's harvest festival. (HT Photo) Magh Bihu Date 2024: When is Bhogali Bihu? According to Drik Panchang, Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu falls on January 16 this year. Meanwhile, the Sankranti shubh muhurat for Magh Bihu is on January 15 at 2:54 am. Meanwhile, the date of Magh Bihu can vary from year to year based on the lunar calendar. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Magh Bihu 2024 History and Significance: Magh Bihu holds agricultural and social significance as it is time to celebrate new yield and renew ties of friendship and brotherhood. The festival has its roots in the agricultural traditions of Assam and falls in the month of Magh, which falls in January. Bihu's history dates back to ancient times (3500 BC) when people offered fire sacrifices to improve their harvest. The Dimasa Kacharis tribe is known to be the festival's first-known ancestors. Meanwhile, Bihu originates from the word 'Bishu' meaning 'to seek peace' and Bhog meaning 'eating'. The festival emphasises sharing meals with the community. While the agricultural significance of the festival marks the end of the harvesting season, celebration of new yield, and thanking the ancestors and the Gods for a bountiful harvest, the social significance is that during this time communities come together for celebrations. Magh Bihu 2024 Rituals: Magh Bihu is celebrated over two days. The first day is known as Uruka or Bihu eve. During this time, young men go to the field, to build makeshift cottages, 'Bhelaghar', preferably near the river. They use hay from the harvest fields to make the cottages. They also construct Meiji (bonfire), which is burnt on Uruka with people singing Bihu songs, beating Dhol, and celebrating with their loved ones. The main Magh Bihu is observed the next day. People take a bath early in the morning and play traditional Assamese games like Tekeli Bonga (pot-breaking) and buffalo fighting. There are also cock fights and egg fights. People also give out rice cakes to their friends, relatives and neighbours. Laru, a coconut-based sweet, is also produced. Sesame, coconut, and murmura, or puffed rice, are also used to make the laddoo. Uttarayan 2024: The Sanskrit terms "uttaram" (north) and "ayanam" (movement) are the source of the term Uttarayana, also known as Uttarayanam, which refers to the northward movement of the Sun. In the Gregorian calendar, this means "the actual movement of the sun in relation to the earth". Also known as the six-month period between the winter and summer solstices (roughly 20 December - 20 January). The harvest festival, Uttarayan, also known as Makar Sankranti, is one of the most anticipated occasions in Gujarat. Activities include flying kites, making sweets and indulging in delicious khichdi. The Uttarayan festival is much more than just worship and sweets, as Gujaratis look forward to shouting "Kai Po Che" to the kites flying in the sky. From date to history, here's all you need to know about this auspicious occasion. (Also read: Uttarayan 2024 date and time: Will it be celebrated on January 14 or 15? Know shubh muhurat ) Celebrated with colourful kites filling the skies, Uttarayan brings communities together in a spirited display of unity and festivity.(Twitter/DharaBhalara) When is Uttarayan 2024? Uttarayan is observed one day after Lohri celebrations and on the same day as Makar Sankranti. While Makar Sankranti, also known as Uttarayan festivities, is usually commemorated on January 14, this year it is being observed on January 15. Additionally, Lohri has been moved to January 14. In Gujarat, the following day of the celebration is known as Vasi Uttarayan or Stale Uttarayan. The Uttarayan Sankranti Moment is scheduled for 2:54 am, according to drikpanchang. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. History of Uttarayan The Hindu epic Mahabharata tells the story of Bhishma Pitamah, who embraced death by waiting for the sun to be in Uttarayana. Bhishma Pitamah was granted the gift of choosing his own time and day of death. At this time, the sun also starts to migrate northward and shines on the southern hemisphere before Uttarayan. This season, known as Uttarayana or Winter Solstice, is considered auspicious by Hindus. The harvest festival, which honours Surya, the Sun God revered by the Hindu community, is a seasonal celebration as well as a religious one. Uttarayana signifies the sun's entry into Makara (Capricorn) raashi (zodiac sign). Hindus believe that those who pass away on Uttarayana do not undergo rebirths; instead, they enter paradise directly. The celebration of Makar Sankranti is thought to have been named after the goddess Sankranti, who slain the demon Sankarasur. The Devi, also known as Karidin or Kinkrant, is said to have killed the evil Kinkarasur on the day after Makar Sankranti. Significance: The day the sun moves from Sagittarius to Capricorn, signalling the arrival of spring and the harvest season, is known as Uttarayan, and it is a significant astrological and traditional event. In many respects, Uttarayan is India's answer to Thanksgiving in the West as, like Thanksgiving, it's a time of year when people get together to rejoice with their loved ones and it also heralds a harvest, prosperity, and hope. There are health benefits to kite flying, and it's one of the main attractions of Gujarat's Uttarayan festival. Despite the fact that kite flying is today considered a sport, it was once thought to be linked to good health since it involved prolonged sun exposure. Makar Sankranti, the celebration of sun's transit into Capricorn, is the time for new beginnings, warmer days and rejoicing over fresh harvest. Dedicated to sun God the festival is celebrated across India and parts of South Asia too. While the festival usually falls on January 14 each year, this year it is delayed by a day and is being observed on January 15. The word Sankranti means 'to cross over' or transition. It is believed that a person who passes away on this day gets salvation from the cycle of birth and death. (Also read | Bhogali Bihu 2024: 3 delicious sweet and spicy recipes to enjoy on this day) Makar Sankranti 2024: From Pongal to Pooran Poli, delectable traditional recipes to savour with loved ones(Pinterest) During Makar Sankranti festivities, farmers celebrate the abundance of crops and express gratitude for a good harvest. The day is also considered auspicious for new beginnings and is often associated with various cultural and religious activities. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. People celebrate Makar Sankranti by flying kites, taking ritual baths in holy rivers, and preparing traditional sweets made with sesame seeds and jaggery. Susmita N, Clinical Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bellandur, Bangalore shares traditional Sankranti delights to enjoy the festivities: 1. Sweet Pongal Ingredients Moong dal- half cup Rice -1 cup Milk- 1 cup Jaggery - 200-240g Cashew, raisins as required Cardamom powder - half teaspoon Method Take 1 tsp ghee and roast the moong dal till aroma and keep aside. Add rice and soak for 15-20 minutes. Remove the excess water and add the rice dal mix to pressure cooker. Add milk and pressure cook it to soft mushy form. Melt the jaggery in water and boil for 2 minutes. Strain it and keep aside. Take a pan, add ghee and roast cashew, raisins and add the cooked rice-dal mixture. Add the jaggery syrup, cook on low flame. Add cardamom powder, grated coconut and mix well. Serve hot. 2. Kajjaya/Adhirasa Ingredients 2 cups sona masuri rice 2 tsp sesame seeds 2 tsp poppy seeds 1.5 cup jaggery 1 tsp cardamom powder cup crushed pepper Method Soak rice for 4 hr and remove excess water and dry it on a cloth for 30 minutes. do not dry the rice completely, but just to remove dripping water. Blend the rice to fine powder and sieve it. Keep it aside In a dry pan roast sesame seeds and poppy seeds to get aroma. Keep aside. Melt jaggery in water and boil in low flame for 5 minutes. Test the consistency by dropping syrup into bowl of water, it should a soft ball and holds the shape. This is the right consistency. Start adding the rice flour to the jaggery mix. Add in small batches and mix thoroughly to avoid any lumps. Add the roasted poppy seeds, roasted sesame seeds, cardamom powder and pepper powder. Mix well the mixture so that it forms a thick paste and holds the consistency. Transfer to other bowl and rest it for 12 hours. Apply ghee on top to prevent drying. After 12 hours combine the mixture to form soft dough. If its hard, mix mashed bananas. If the dough is watery add rice flour. Grease a plate with oil/ghee, take the dough mix ball and flatten it with hands to small thick roti size. Size can be a big as your palm. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry in medium heat. Splash oil on all side to cook evenly. Cook it crisp to golden brown and gently press to remove excess oil. Cool it down. Use a tissue paper to remove oil. You can store it up to 14 days in airtight container. 3. Corn roti Ingredients Corn flour-3 cups 1 teaspoon ajwain 1 tsp salt Method Take corn/maize flour, ajwain seeds, salt and mix well. Add hot water to knead into soft dough. Roll the dough into rotis. Use maize flour for dusting. Heat the pan, add ghee and cook the roti to golden brown on both sides. Serve with hot curry of choice. 4. Puran poli Ingredients For the dough - 1 cup maida 3 tbs rava 2 tbs hot oil Pinch of salt For the stuffing- 1 cup roasted peanuts cup powdered jaggery Ghee Method NASA and Lockheed Martin, an American aerospace company, officially unveiled the agency's X-59 Quesst supersonic aircraft on Friday. This unique experimental airplane is designed to collect data that could potentially transform air travel, ushering in a new era of commercial aircraft capable of travelling at speeds exceeding the sound barrier, according to NASA. X-59 Quesst supersonic aircraft(NASA) The space agency's Quesst mission aims to showcase the X-59's ability to achieve supersonic flight without producing disruptive sonic booms. The mission will also involve gathering public feedback on the quieter sonic thumps generated by the aircraft when flying overhead. The responses to these subdued sounds will be shared with regulators, who may then consider developing new sound-based regulations to lift the current ban on supersonic flight over land. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. 10 things to know about X-59 -The X-59 is anticipated to reach speeds of 1.4 times the speed of sound, equivalent to 925 mph, according to NASA. Its design, structure, and technologies are engineered to enable the aircraft to achieve these speeds while producing a less audible sonic thump. -Having concluded the rollout phase, the Quesst team will now progress to the subsequent stages in readiness for the maiden flight. This includes conducting integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing for the X-59. -The aircraft is scheduled to have its inaugural flight later this year, followed by its first quiet supersonic flight. -Operated by a single pilot, the 99.7-foot-long, 29.5-foot-wide aircraft is powered by a single jet engine. Its designated research speed is Mach 1.4, flying at an altitude of 55,000 feet. -NASA aims to use the experimental X-59 to gather data that could potentially lead to a reevaluation of regulations prohibiting supersonic flight over land. The goal is to demonstrate that a sonic boom can be minimised to a barely audible sonic thump when heard on the ground. -After completing flight tests, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over selected cities in the US gathering public input on the sound generated by the aircraft and how it is perceived. The collected data will be shared with the Federal Aviation Administration and international regulatory bodies. -The X-59 is categorised as a unique experimental airplane rather than a prototype. Its technologies are designed to inform the development of future generations of quiet supersonic aircraft. -The thin, tapered nose of the X-59, constituting nearly one-third of its length, is engineered to disrupt shock waves that would typically result in a conventional supersonic aircraft producing a pronounced sonic boom. -With this arrangement, the cockpit is situated nearly midway along the aircraft's length, and it lacks a conventional forward-facing window. Instead, the Quesst team introduced the eXternal Vision System, incorporating high-resolution cameras that feed into a 4K monitor within the cockpit. -The team implemented an innovative design for the aircraft, placing its engine on top and ensuring a streamlined underside. - Many parents love to take family photos with their Gen Z kids, but the teens are not so keen on it. They have a new trick to avoid showing their faces: the nose cover. Gen Z explains the new face of privacy in photos(Paris Fury/Instagram) This is when they use their hands to hide the middle part of their face, leaving only their eyes and mouth visible. They do this to please their parents, who want them in the picture, but also to protect their privacy. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. One of the teens who does this is Venezuela Fury, the daughter of famous boxer Tyson Fury. She and her cousin, Valentino, have been seen doing the nose cover in several recent photos, making some people wonder: Why? Why the 'Nose Cover'? Michelle Harris, a parent who also faced this issue with her son, told The Sun how she tried to understand his behaviour. I asked him, Why? after many failed attempts to get a nice Christmas family photo, she said. Are you OK? Why dont you want to be in the family photos anymore? You are such a handsome boy. And then the big question- Are you being bullied? She was surprised by his answer, No, but I will be if you post pictures of me online without my permission! ALSO READ| Friends script from 1998 found in trash, now up for auction According to Harris, teens today are very active online and often look for embarrassing photos of their peers on social media to make fun of them. By covering their faces, they can avoid being mocked or harassed. Harris said, As parents, we want to document everything. Their first step, every tooth, the braces, the pimples and then we proudly share them online without thinking how harmful this can be for our kids in their own online communities. Amanda Jenner, a parenting expert, also explained that the nose cover trend is related to the teens self-consciousness about their appearance, especially during their acne-prone phase. She told The Sun, We need to remember that this phase is normal and part of growing up, where they want to be independent and have their own boundaries. These are important developmental steps. Online world is hard for teens She added that the online world can be hard for teens, especially when their parents post unflattering or unedited photos of them on Facebook. The nose cover gives them some control over their image. She said, Its sad that we cant share and celebrate our family photos, but this is how it is now. ALSO READ| Swedish woman's hair freezes as she steps out in -30 degrees Celsius temperature. Watch Harris recalled that in the past, photos were only kept in albums and rarely seen by others, but now, even changing your WhatsApp profile picture with your child in it can be circulated online and used against them. Maybe we should ask our teens for their consent and agree on what we can and cant post, she continued. After all, I wouldnt like it if someone posted a spotty photo of me online either would you? A passenger plane of Japan's largest airline All Nippon Airways returned to its departure airport after a crack was found in the cockpit window, news agency Reuters reported citing local media. The flight 1182 was flying from Sapporo to Toyama when a crack was discovered in the cockpit window, Kyodo News reported. The plane was a Boeing 737 and has returned and landed at Sapporo's New Chitose Airport, it added. Boeing There were no injuries to the 65 passengers and crew members, the airline said. Alternative flights were arranged, it added. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "The crack was not something that affected the flight's control or pressurisation," the spokesperson said. The aircraft was not one of Boeing's 737 MAX 9 airplanes which have been in the spotlight after a cabin panel broke off a new Alaska Airlines jet in mid-air last week. The US aviation regulator extended the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes indefinitely for new safety checks. The Alaska Airlines aircraft, which had been in service for just eight weeks, took off from Portland, and was flying at 16,000 feet when the panel tore off the plane. Pilots flew the jet back to Portland with only minor injuries among passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will require another round of inspections before it will consider putting the jets back in service as the regulator will audit the Boeing 737 MAX 9 production line and suppliers. Nearly two years after the fire of Yemen's civil conflict had largely been quelled, Manal Faqirah awoke at dawn Friday to the sound of bombs raining on her coastal home city of Hodeida. Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters wave flags and carry placards, including a "Stop Bombing Yemen" sign, during a National March for Palestine in central London on January 13, 2024.(AFP) "When I heard the first blast, I was terrified, I thought it was a dream," the 36-year-old civil servant told AFP, saying she was awakened from her sleep by the strikes. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "When the second blast came, I knew this was a strike, this was war," she continued, recalling how she curled up underneath her covers at the sound of the third strike. Also read- US, UK carry out fresh strikes against Houthis in Yemen's Sanaa: Reports She said she was so afraid of the sound of bombing that it felt "like Armageddon". Faqirah is a resident of Hodeida, a strategic port city overlooking the Red Sea that saw a large share of the strikes by US and British forces targeting Huthi rebels over their attacks on shipping. The Houthis have launched a series of attacks on vessels suspected to have links to Israel in a bid to push for a ceasefire in the war that has raged in the Gaza Strip for more than three months. "I thought about the children and mothers and fathers. Who is being struck?... I feared for my country, for my family members," Faqirah said. Hodeida province, whose seaports are a lifeline for millions in the Huthi-controlled parts of Yemen, is a key launch site for rockets and drones targeting Red Sea shipping. The rebels have also been holding the Galaxy Leader, a merchant vessel linked to an Israeli businessman that was seized on November 19, at Salif Port, north of the city. Also read- Houthi spokesperson mocks Washington: US strikes on Yemen had no impact Nowhere to hide Pharmacist Assem Mohamed, 33, was awoken at 2:30 am by the sound of not only the blasts but the cries of his child. "When the strikes hit, my youngest son awoke crying in fear and screaming 'firecrackers'," the father of three said. At first, he "thought there was a wedding in the alley". The three-year-old boy was too young to remember the days of fierce fighting in Hodeida between a Saudi-led coalition and the Huthi rebels. Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 on behalf of the internationally recognised government against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels who had overrun the capital Sanaa the previous year. The war raged for years, killing hundreds of thousands and resulting in what is dubbed by the United Nations as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, but a ceasefire has largely held since April 2022. "There is nowhere to hide... but we all gathered in one room," Mohamed said, adding that he did not really expect the West to follow through with their threats to strike the rebels. The sound of the strikes revived memories of the bloody war that for years gripped the Arab Peninsula's poorest country. "When the strikes hit, we didn't know they would only target military sites. We thought they would target everywhere as it was in the past nine years," Mohamed said. We don't want wars Faqirah told AFP that her husband's friend lives in the capital Sanaa, another city targeted by the US and British strikes. When they called to check on them, he told them "Sanaa is burning". Faqirah fears returning to the battles that gripped the country for years after the return to relative normality over the past two years. "God willing, the war will not return. Our hope in this world is to live in health and peace," she said. But Mohamed is less optimistic. "The situation is very tense and the next days do not bode well," he said, pointing to the Houthis' vows to respond to Washington and London. Also read- Houthi Attacks: Mia Khalifa claims US bombed a country', gets brutally fact-checked Yemenis -- grown accustomed to preparing for crises by stocking up on food and supplies -- began forming queues on Friday at petrol stations in Hodeida and Sanaa before eventually dispersing, AFP correspondents reported. The cooking gas company in Sanaa said it was "continuing to provide citizens with their needs", calling on residents to report back on any outlets that had interrupted supplies or raised prices. On Saturday morning, rebel forces in north Sanaa had imposed strict security measures around Al-Dailami airbase, which was targeted with fresh strikes at dawn, an AFP correspondent said. The surrounding area was shut and no one was allowed to enter except residents with permits from neighbourhood chiefs. Glass was scattered around the buildings surrounding the base, with some residents having fled to areas considered to be safer. But across Sanaa, business had largely resumed as usual. Paediatrician Yousra Sanan, 30, said: "We weren't very scared of the strikes because we've grown used to these sounds for years." But she added: "We want to live in safety and stability. We don't want wars." WASHINGTON (AP) Secretary of State Antony Blinken met a senior Chinese diplomat on Friday, as the Biden administration seeks to mitigate tensions over Taiwan as the island holds its presidential election. HT Image Blinken sat down with Liu Jianchao, the Chinese Communist Party's international minister. Hours later, he met with Yoko Kamikawa, the foreign minister of Japan, one of the United States' strongest allies in Asia. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Biden administration is seeking to keep down tensions in the Taiwan Strait if the governing Democratic Progressive Party, known to lean toward independence, should prevail in Saturday's election. Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory, has suggested to voters that they could be choosing between peace and war. The U.S. is not supporting any candidate in Taiwan's presidential election and plans to send an unofficial delegation to the island shortly after the election. In addition to Taiwan, Blinken and Kamikawa discussed the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and preparation for a state visit by Japan's prime minister to the U.S., possibly in early March, according to the news site Japan Today. As the world reaches a turning point, the role of the Japan-U.S. alliance in dealing with various issues has never been greater, Kamikawa said, as reported by Japan Today. Blinken told Kamikawa that the alliance is truly the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, according to a State Department transcript. Liu's meeting with Blinken was part of a U.S. trip that took the veteran Chinese diplomat to New York earlier this week when he said Beijing is serious about the U.S. statements not to support Taiwan's independence. And we hope that the U.S. side will honor this commitment," Liu told the Council on Foreign Relations. For China, the Taiwan question is at the very core of the core interests. Its the red line that mustnt be crossed, said Liu, who is likely to become China's next foreign minister when the Chinese congress convenes in March. Beijing has slammed Washington for supplying the island with weapons that it says could embolden those seeking Taiwan's independence. The U.S. has a security pact with Taiwan to protect the island from any armed attack from the mainland, and any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait could draw in the U.S. Liu, when speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations, said Beijing does not wish to have a war. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace and is committed to peaceful development," Liu said. "President Xi Jinping reiterated during his recent visit to the United States that China will not fight a cold war or a hot war with anyone. Liu assured his audience that China does not seek to alter the world order. 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. Beijing's goal, Liu said, is to deliver a better life for the Chinese people." So we dont really have any hidden agenda. Overtaking the United States is not our goal, he said. Liu signaled that Beijing could move away from its wolf-warrior diplomacy that critics say has alienated China from the West. I think that the fundamental goal of Chinas diplomats would be to contribute their efforts in making sure that Chinas relations with other countries be warm and cooperative, Liu said. And by that, we mean that we try to create a favorable international environment for Chinas modernization. Tractor blockades by farmers in Germany have sparked fears that far-right extremists are seeking to exploit the protest movement. German farmers have been protesting against cuts in subsidies. During the demonstrations, the police separated several dozen far-right supporters from the main demonstration as extremists from "Freie Sachsen" group brandished royalist flags and mocked-up pictures of German politicians dressed as prisoners. Authorities warned that these protests could turn violent as radical groups are seeking to co-opt the demonstrations that began in December and have spread nationwide. Germany Famers' Protests: Numerous tractors are parked at the Volksfestplatz during a farmers' association rally against the federal government's austerity plans, in Nuremberg, Germany.(AP) What German chancellor said on the farmers' protests German chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a warning against the extremists saying, "When the protests, legitimate by themselves, turn into anger and contempt for democratic procedures and institutions, we all lose. Disagreement is a part of democracy but that anger is being stirred up in a targeted way". Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "The extremists... show contempt for any compromise and poison democratic debate. It's a toxic mix which should concern us and which also concerns me greatly," he said. Why are German farmers protesting? The protests escalated last week as farmers blockaded roads with tractors and caused widespread disruption against cut in subsidies and tax breaks on diesel and agricultural vehicles. Another major rally is planned in Berlin while the farmers and some of their supporters have sought to distance themselves from the far-right groups. What are the far-right groups seeking to harm the protests? The "Freie Sachsen" group has posted messages of support for the farmers online. Other groups like neo-Nazi outfit "Third Voice" and nationalist movement "Ein Prozent" (One Percent), have called for strikes and riots as well. These groups have also been accused of being behind stunts such as setting up gallows on the side of motorways. Stephan Kramer, intelligence service head in Thuringia, accused the far-right groups of "constantly and systematically seeking to subvert any form of legitimate public protest". The settlement resolves a 2021 lawsuit brought by Campbell alleging Grubhub illegally overcharged fees to Massachusetts restaurants in violation of a state fee cap put in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency. HT Image Under the terms of the settlement, Grubhub will pay a combined total of over $3.5 million to impacted restaurants, Campbell said. Grubhub will also pay $125,000 to the state. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "Grubhub unlawfully overcharged and took advantage of restaurants during a public health emergency that devastated much of this industry," Campbell said in a statement. A spokesperson for the company said serving restaurants is "at the heart of everything Grubhub does". "Our success depends on these valuable merchant partners. While we have always complied with Massachusetts' temporary price control, we're ready to move forward from this situation and continue providing Massachusetts restaurants with the best possible service, the spokesperson said in a written statement. Grubhub contracts with restaurants to provide online customer ordering and delivery services and charges fees to contracted restaurants per customer order. The fees are generally charged as a certain percentage of the restaurant menu price of each order. Massachusetts declared a public health state of emergency during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the emergency when public traffic to restaurants plummeted and diners increasingly relied on delivery lawmakers approved legislation barring Grubhub and other third-party delivery service platforms from charging fees to restaurants exceeding 15% of an order's restaurant menu price. The fee cap remained in effect between January 14, 2021, and June 15, 2021, when former Governor Charlie Baker lifted the state of emergency in Massachusetts. The AG's lawsuit, filed in July 2021, alleged Grubhub repeatedly violated the 15% fee cap by regularly charging fees of 18% or more, leading to significant financial harm to restaurants by often raising their operational costs by thousands of dollars. In March 2023, Suffolk Superior Court ruled in favor of the state. The ruling indicated Grubhub's conduct had violated both the 15% statutory fee cap and the state's primary consumer protection statute, according to Campbell. Restaurants who may be eligible to receive funds from the settlement will be contacted, Campbell said. Stephen Clark, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said restaurants are grateful for the settlement and that funds will go back to the restaurants that were working hard to survive and serve customers during the pandemic. While the dark days of the pandemic are behind us, the impacts are still being felt across the restaurant industry. Delivery, especially third-party delivery, is not going away. Restaurants and third-party delivery companies will need to continue to work collaboratively to survive and grow, he said in a statement. (AP) TIR TIR Houthis' spokesperson said that US strikes on Yemen had no significant impact on its capabilities. Houthis will continue to prevent Israel-affiliated vessels from passing through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, Mohammed Abdulsalam told news agency Reuters following the latest strike on a military base in Sanaa. Another Yemen's Houthi group Ansarullah's official told Al Jazeera that there were no injuries in the strike and the group has vowed a "strong and effective" response. "There were no injuries, no material nor human losses," Nasruldeen Amer said as per Al Jazeera. US, UK Houthi strikes: An area of Sanaa International Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen after airstrikes by the United States and Britain.(AFP) Japan offered congratulations for Lai Ching-te's election as president of Taiwan and the smooth implementation of the democratic election, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a statement on Saturday. Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te, with Bi-khim Hsiao by his side, celebrates with supporters in New Taipei City, Taiwan.(AP) "We expect that the issue surrounding Taiwan will be resolved peacefully through dialogue, thereby contributing to the peace and stability in the region," the statement said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "For Japan, Taiwan is an extremely crucial partner and an important friend, with which it shares fundamental values and enjoys close economic relations and people-to-people exchanges," it said, repeating Japan's regular lines about Taiwan. The European Union "welcomed" Taiwan's presidential election Saturday and "congratulates all the voters who participated in this democratic exercise", a statement said, without mentioning president-elect Lai Ching-te. "The EU remains concerned about growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and opposes any unilateral attempt to change the status quo," said the statement by a spokesperson for EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell. "The European Union underlines that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are key to regional and global security and prosperity." Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu took an indirect jibe at India amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions with New Delhi. In a press conference following his five-day visit to China, Mohamed Muizzu said, "We may be small but this doesn't give them the license to bully us." India-Maldives row: Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu delivers a statement.(Reuters) The statement comes amid a diplomatic row between India and Maldives after politicians from the island nation made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep after which three ministers were suspended from their posts on January 7. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 900,000 square km. Maldives is one of the countries with the biggest share of this ocean, he said, adding, This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This (Indian) Ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it. We arent in anyones backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state. This comes as China said that it "firmly opposes external interference" in the internal affairs of the Maldives and supports the island nation's sovereignty and independence. "The two sides agree to continue firmly supporting each other in safeguarding their respective core interests," a joint statement by China ad Maldives said, adding, China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, respects and supports the Maldives' exploration of a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives. In China, the Maldives president appealed to Beijing to "intensify" efforts to send more tourists to the island nation. "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. China and Maldives signed 20 agreements which include cooperation in tourism to increase Chinese tourists to the island nation. The two sides also signed the Action Plan for Building a China-Maldives Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2024-2028) and inked documents on cooperation in areas such as the Belt and Road, the joint statement said. "Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 52 years ago, the two countries have always respected and supported each other," it said. The Mauritian government on Friday granted a one-off special leave for two hours to public officers of the Hindu faith to attend local events marking the concentration of Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya later this month. A shopkeeper looks for an order amidst flags and pennants depicting Hindu deities Lord Ram and Hanuman, at a shop in Mumbai.(AFP) "(The) Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday 22 January 2024 from 1400 hours to public officers of Hindu faith, subject to exigencies of service, in the context of the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India, which is a landmark event as it symbolises the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya," the Mauritian government said in a statement. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. There has been growing public anticipation across India surrounding the pran pratishtha of Lord Ram inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple in Ayodhya. The ceremonial installation ceremony will take place on January 22 and will be attended by dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Spectacle for the world The consecration ceremony will reportedly be telecast at Times Square in United State's New York City the second time since Lord Ram was displayed on the Times Square billboards during the Bhoomi Pujan (ground-breaking ceremony) in 2020. Meanwhile, Thailand's ambassador to the US, Tanee Sangrat, said the opening of Ram Mandir is a delight for the people of many countries. "It is the delight of people not only in Thailand but with many countries across Southeast Asia and across Asia Pacific that our common culture is being celebrated and the coming home of the Rama," the Thai envoy said. The state of Michigan has agreed to pay $1.75 million to an innocent man who spent 35 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of sexual assault. HT Image Louis Wright was released in November after authorities said DNA tests ruled him out as the perpetrator in an attack on an 11-year-old girl in Albion, a small town in southwestern Michigan, in 1988. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. People who are exonerated based on new evidence are eligible for $50,000 for each year spent in a Michigan prison. The attorney general's office sometimes resists paying, based on strict criteria in the law, but quickly agreed to compensate Wright. The deal was approved by a judge Wednesday. Wright told The Associated Press that he'll likely use some money for a house as well as a vehicle for a sister. Nothing can make up for 35 years in a Michigan prison for something he did not do," Wright's attorney, Wolf Mueller, said. This is a first step toward getting Louis life back at the age of 65. Albion police investigating the assault settled on Wright as the suspect after an off-duty officer said he had been seen in the neighborhood. Police said he confessed, though the interview was not recorded and he did not sign a confession, according to the Cooley Law School Innocence Project. The victim was never asked to identify Wright, the Innocence Project said. Wright eventually pleaded no-contest to the charges and was sentenced to 25 years to 50 years in prison. He then tried to withdraw his plea at sentencing, but the request was denied. Wright was repeatedly eligible for parole consideration, starting in 2008. But he refused to take a sex offender therapy class, a key condition for release, and remained behind bars until DNA cleared him, Mueller said. He said, I didnt do this crime. I'm not taking a therapy class.' He cost himself several years, just standing on principle," Mueller said Friday. Not a lot of guys would do that. Wright said he knew he would eventually be cleared when his mouth was swabbed last summer for DNA testing. I spent the last couple months in prison with a smile on my face. Everyone thought I had something up my sleeve, he said. Since his release, Wright has been reuniting with family and enjoying simple things, such as shooting pool in a bar. Thanksgiving was special, he said, because it meant having a genuine turkey dinner not the white slab slime stuff. I had the real thing, said Wright, adding: I'm just taking it one day at a time right now. Separately, Mueller filed a lawsuit against police seeking more than $100 million. The lawsuit claims Wright's rights were violated during the investigation in 1988. ___ Follow Ed White at https://twitter.com/edwritez Pakistan effectively closed a key northwestern border crossing with Afghanistan to truck drivers on Saturday, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said. Trucks are pictured at the zero point Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Nangarhar province.(AFP) Noor Mohammad Hanif, director of Information and Culture department in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province said that officials at the Torkham began asking for passports and visas from Afghan drivers. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Truckers have for years been able to pass the border without documents so they generally do not have them. Hanif said that, in response, Afghanistan is now asking Pakistani drivers for passports and visas. In a separate statement, the Nangarhar governors office said that officials from both sides are in talks to solve the problem, and a decision will be made soon, it added. The Torkham border crossing has been closed a number of times in recent months, including in September when it was shut for nine days due to clashes between border forces. On Saturday, dozens of trucks carrying perishable items, including vegetables and fruits, waited on each side of the border for the reopening of the crossing, which is a vital commercial artery and a trade route to Central Asian countries for Pakistan. Pakistan is concerned about the presence in Afghanistan of the Pakistani Taliban, which is a close ally of the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan has said many Pakistani Taliban leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan and have been emboldened to carry out more attacks on security forces in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban government insists it does not allow the Pakistani Taliban to use its soil to launch attacks in Pakistan. This comes just days after one of Pakistans most senior politicians, Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam party is known for backing the Afghan Taliban, visited Kabul in an attempt to reduce lingering tensions between the two countries. Rehman was the first senior Pakistani politician to visit Kabul since the Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from the country after 20 years of war. Tensions also exist around Pakistans ongoing expulsion of Afghans. Pakistan has deported more than half a million Afghans without valid papers in recent months. Pakistan has long hosted about 1.7 million Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation. More than half a million fled Afghanistan when the Taliban seized power. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Federal prosecutors urged a judge Friday to reject former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin's attempt to overturn his civil rights conviction in the 2020 murder of George Floyd. HT Image Chauvin filed his motion in federal court in November, saying new evidence shows that he didnt cause Floyds death, and alleging ineffective counsel by his defense lawyer. He said he never would have pleaded guilty to the charge in 2021 if his attorney had told him about the idea of two doctors, who weren't involved in the case, who theorized that Floyd did not die from Chauvins actions, but from complications of a rare tumor. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, kneeled on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. A bystander video captured Floyds fading cries of I cant breathe. Floyds death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism. Chauvin asked U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson, who presided over the federal case, to throw out his conviction and order a new trial, or at least an evidentiary hearing. Chauvin filed the motion from prison without a lawyer. In a response filed Friday, lawyers from the U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division urged Magnuson to deny the request without a hearing. They pointed out that Chauvin knowingly and voluntarily waived his appeal rights when he changed his plea to guilty. And they said he failed to show that his attorney's performance was deficient, even if the outside doctors had contacted him and even if the attorney did not tell Chauvin. They said the evidence proved that Chauvin caused Floyd's death. The claims Defendant argues that counsel failed to raise are baseless, and counsel cannot be ineffective for failing to raise baseless claims, they wrote. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Chauvins appeal of his state murder conviction in November, a few days after Chauvin filed his motion to overturn his federal conviction. He is recovering from being stabbed 22 times by a fellow inmate at the federal prison in Tucson, Arizona, in late November. He is serving his 20-year federal civil rights and 22 1/2-year state murder sentences concurrently. Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 in September 2022, left a sealed death-bed letter for her son King Charles III, a new book claimed. Royal biographer Robert Hardman claimed in his book that the late monarch was working on her traditional red boxes of official correspondence till the very end. The last red box included a private letter for her son and was brought down by staff at Balmoral Castle in Scotland where she breathed her last on September 8, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II: Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace balcony.(AFP File) What the book claims on Queen Elizabeth II? Robert Hardman described that when private secretaries Sir Edward Young and Sir Clive Alderton settled down to work their way through official business, a footman appeared with a red box the last one that had gone up to the Queen before her death. As Sir Edward was not sure what to expect as he turned the lock. Inside, he found that Elizabeth II had left a sealed letter to the Prince of Wales and a private letter to himself. Were they final instructions or final farewells? Or both? We will probably never know what they said. However, it is clear enough that the Queen had known that the end was imminent and had planned accordingly. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Read more: King Charles wants Kate Middleton to be promoted to this role that he once had What did the box include other than the letter? The box included late Queen Elizabeths approved shortlist of candidates to receive the Order of Merit, one of the highest honours in the gift of the British monarch. It was the last document ever handled by Queen Elizabeth II. Even on her deathbed, there had been work to do. And she had done it," the royal biographer wrote in the book titled Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story'. What other claims about Queen Elizabeth are made in the book? The late Queen seemed energised by a win for her horse Love Affairs at the Goodwood races just days before, the book claimed. She appeared buzzy over pre-dinner drinks and decided to have dinner alone in her room after a tiring day of holding audiences with outgoing prime minister, Boris Johnson, and incoming prime minister Liz Truss. Port Louis [Mauritius], January 13 (ANI): Amid the growing public anticipation in India around the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, later this month, the Mauritian government announced the grant of two hours of special break for practising Hindu public officers on January 22 to enable them to participate in local events marking the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Shri Ram Lalla in the Indian temple town. HT Image The Mauritian Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, on Friday, issued an official statement that read, "(The) Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday 22 January 2024 as from 1400 hours to public officers of Hindu faith, subject to exigencies of service, in the context of the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India, which is a landmark event as it symbolises the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the ceremonial installation of the idol of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on January 22. A host of leaders and dignitaries from all walks of life have been invited to the grand temple opening in Ayodhya. According to temple officials, the ceremony will be held over a span of seven days starting January 16. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. Earlier, on Wednesday, the Indian envoy to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu said Ramayan is a bridge across geographies and teaches people about the complexities of human relationships and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Speaking at an event at the US Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, titled 'Ramayana across Asia and Beyond', the Indian envoy said, "Ramayan and its shared heritage across the Indo-Pacific. The lessons and tales from Ramayan are passed down from generations, and it is hard to say exactly when one learns them. It's as if one was born with them. The epic gives insights into the complexities of human relationships, governance and spirituality, dharma or duty, justice, sacrifice, loyalty, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. The Ramayan has something to teach us about each of these themes, among many other things." "The Ramayan is also a bridge across geographies. Stories from the epic are well known in many countries across Indo Pacific, from Cambodia to Indonesia, from Thailand to Laos. The epic has been reimagined, retold, included in the artistic, literary, and religious traditions of various societies incorporating their unique cultural nuances. I have been personally witness to this influence of Ramayan across boundaries," Ambassador Sandhu added. The top diplomat added the epic also gives insight into the significance of dialogue and having a measured and strategic approach for working with partner countries." The epic speaks to something fundamental, our shared humanity, and reminds us that despite our diverse backgrounds, we share a common need for ethical principles. It has something to teach us all, to householders, to families, to policymakers, and of course to diplomats as well. If we look deeper into the epic, we can see the elements such as importance of dialogue, of having a measured and strategic approach, and of working with dependable and likeminded partners," Ambassador Sandhu added. The event assumes significance as it was organised amid the ongoing countdown to the opening of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Thailand's ambassador to the US, Tanee Sangrat, said the opening of Ram Mandir is a 'delight' for the people of many countries and cekebrations are already underway as the event draws near. "It is the delight of people not only in Thailand but with many countries across Southeast Asia and across Asia Pacific that our common culture is being celebrated and the coming home of the Rama," the Thai envoy said. "It's an excellent occasion for me to come and share our culture together on the Ramayana, which is the great story that we share in the Asia-Pacific region. It is also an excellent opportunity to exchange our views with the diplomatic core, with the members of the community, congress and staff about the story that we all know too well about good and evil," he added. (ANI) Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now! Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times. Russia's Ministry of Justice late on Friday designated one of the country's most popular fiction writers a "foreign agent" because of his opposition to Moscow's war in Ukraine. Boris Akunin(AFP) The historical detective stories of Boris Akunin, the pen name of Georgian-born Grigori Chkhartishvili, used to be best sellers in Russia before the authorities turned on him for what they said were his unacceptable anti-Russian views. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The justice ministry cited Chkhartishvili's opposition to what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine and accused him of distributing false and negative information about Russia and of helping raise money for the Ukrainian military. The 67-year-old author lives in Britain. The "foreign agent" designation carries a negative Soviet-era connotation and obliges people to identify themselves as foreign agents on social media and in other publications as well as exposing them to burdensome financial reporting requirements. Other writers and cultural figures who have angered the authorities by speaking out against the Ukraine war have received the same designation. Books by "Boris Akunin" - best known for his fictional Tsarist-era detective Erast Fandorin - have already been removed from sale in Russia after the authorities added him to a list of people they accuse of being involved in terrorism or extremism. Chkhartishvili, who makes no secret of his opposition to Russia's war in Ukraine, made light of his foreign agent designation in a social media post. "They are writing that I have been declared a foreign agent today. Me, a terrorist and extremist?! I feel like Bin Laden who has been given a ticket for parking illegally," he wrote. Russia launched dozens of attacks over Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Saturday, as Kyiv pushes for more air defence. Russia-Ukraine War: A firefighter works to extinguish a fire after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine.(AP) "A total of 40 means of enemy air attack were recorded," the air force said, adding it destroyed eight missiles. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked with a wide-range of weapons including cruise, ballistic, anti-aircraft missiles as well as drones. "More than 20 devices" failed to reach their targets due to "active measures by means of electronic warfare," it added. Spokesperson Yuri Ignat later clarified. "Either they fell in the fields, they were detonated in the air, or they were affected by means of radio-electronic warfare of our defence forces," he said on television. Authorities have not yet reported any fatalities. A missile attack in the northeastern Sumy region wounded one civilian and damaged 26 buildings, Ukraine's prosecutor general said. "There is damage" in the northern region of Chernigiv, its governor Vyacheslav Chaus said, adding authorities were "not disclosing the places yet". In the central Poltava region, an unexploded missile fell in a residential house's backyard, governor Philip Pronin said. Ukraine's neighbour Poland had briefly activated air defence systems due to the increased level of threat. Ukrainian territory close to the frontline was also targeted by Russian artillery. Shelling wounded one civilian in Beryslav, on the shores of the Dnipro river in southern Kherson, on Friday evening. "A 71-year-old woman was found under the rubble of an apartment building" and is being provided with medical help, the region's governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Saturday. Polls closed Saturday after Taiwanese cast their votes for a new president and legislature in an election that could chart the trajectory of the self-ruled democracy's relations with China over the next four years. An official of a polling station examines a ballot slip, as vote counting for the presidential election commences. (AFP) At stake is the peace and stability of the island 160 kilometers (100 miles) off the coast of China that Beijing claims as its own, to be retaken by force if necessary. Domestic issues such as the sluggish economy and expensive housing also featured prominently in the campaign. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Vice President Lai Ching-te, representing the governing Democratic Progressive Party, known as the DPP, seeks to succeed outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen and give the independence-leaning party an unprecedented third term. Lai cast his vote in his hometown of Tainan. He remarked on the sunny weather, suggesting it's a good time for Taiwanese people to go out and vote. I encourage everyone around the country to vote with enthusiasm and show the vitality of Taiwan's democracy, he said. Hou Yu-ih, the candidate of Beijing-favored Kuomintang, also known as the Nationalist Party, cast his ballot in New Taipei City, a municipality bordering the capital, Taipei. Hou is the mayor of New Taipei, a position from which he took leave to run for president. What we need during the election campaign process is chaos," Hou told reporters after casting his vote. "But after the vote, we must be united and face the future of Taiwan together. Alternative candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party, who has shown popularity among young voters seeking an alternative to the two major parties, voted in Taipei. Asked by journalists how he felt, Ko, in his well-known dry manner, said he aimed to try his best every day and plan for the next stage when we get there. Voting began at 8 am (0000 GMT) Saturday and ended eight hours later at 4 pm (0800 GMT). Candidates concluded their campaigns Friday night with stirring speeches, but younger voters were mostly focused on their economic futures in a challenging environment. Speaking in his hometown of Tainan in the island's south, Lai reflected on why he left his career as a surgeon because of China's missile tests and military exercises aimed at intimidating Taiwanese voters before the first open presidential election in 1996. I wanted to protect the democracy that had just gotten underway in Taiwan. I gave up my well-paid job and decided to follow the footsteps of our elders in democracy, Lai said. Hou, a former head of Taiwan's police force, said Lai's view on relations with Beijing could push the two sides to war. I advocate pragmatic exchanges with China, the defense of national security, and protection of human rights. I insist that Taiwan's future will be decided by the 23.5 million (people of Taiwan), and I will use my life to protect Taiwan, Hou said. China's military threats could sway some voters against independence-leaning candidates, but the United States has pledged support for whichever government emerges, reinforced by US. President Joe Biden's administration's plans to send an unofficial delegation made up of former senior officials to the island shortly after the election. Taiwan's election is seen as having real and lasting influence on the geopolitical landscape, said Gabrielle Reid, associate director with the global intelligence consultancy S-RM. The outcome of the vote will ultimately determine the nature of ties with China relative to the West and will have strong bearing on the state of play in the South China Sea, she said. Besides the China tensions, domestic issues dominated the campaign, particularly an economy that was estimated to have grown just 1.4 per cent last year. That partly reflects inevitable cycles in demand for computer chips and other exports from the high-tech, heavily trade-dependent manufacturing base, and a slowing of the Chinese economy. But longer-term challenges such as unaffordable housing and wage stagnation topped voters' concerns. The candidate with the most votes wins, with no runoff. The legislative races are for districts and at-large seats. China's Taiwan Affairs office said that the victory of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate William Lai Ching-te in the presidential elections would not change the basic landscape of cross strait relations. Spokesperson Chen Binhua said that the results showed the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent mainstream public opinion on the island, as per news agency Reuters. Taiwan Election Results: The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China.(Reuters) China affirmed that its reunification with Taiwan was "inevitable", despite the election of independence-leaning William Lai as the vote "will not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification", the spokesperson said repeating remarks made by China's president Xi Jinping who had said in his New Year's address that the "unification" of Taiwan with China was "inevitable". Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Taiwan's new president-elect, William Lai Ching-te, is likely to face his toughest task yet as he takes office in May amid China threats as Beijing has repeatedly denounced him as a dangerous separatist. Although William Lai said, even during his campaign that he wanted to keep the status quo with China. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and William Lai has offered to talk to Beijing. "We don't want to become enemies with China. We can become friends," William Lai, said. China lashed out against Taiwan's president-elect William Lai Ching-te vowing that Beijing would not tolerate "separatist activities" in the island. "We will adhere to the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle and firmly oppose the separatist activities aimed at 'Taiwan independence' as well as foreign interference," Beijing said. What William Lai said on his election victory? William Lai Ching-te said, I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy. "The Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election," he added. We are determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China, he asserted, continuing, "I will act... in a manner that is balanced and maintain the cross-strait status quo. Taiwan's president-elect William Lai Ching-te said that the self-ruled island will stand on the side of democracy as he spoke after winning a crucial election. He said thanking his two opponents for conceding, "I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy." Taiwan Election Results: Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate William Lai Ching-te speaks to the media.(AP) The self-ruled island has managed to see off attempts to influence its election, he said, in a swipe at China. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "The Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election," he said, adding, "We don't want to become enemies with China. We can become friends. We are determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China. The president-elect also pledged to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait saying, I will act... in a manner that is balanced and maintain the cross-strait status quo. But I will safeguard Taiwan from continuing threat and intimidation from China, he said. China claims democratic Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a strait, as its own as Beijing has said that it will not rule out using force to bring unification. Beijing has also slammed William Lai earlier as a dangerous "separatist" as China's defence ministry vowed to "crush" any move towards Taiwanese independence ahead of elections. Chinese president Xi Jinping also said in his New Year's address that the "unification" of Taiwan with China was "inevitable". As per Taiwan's elections commission, William Lai won 40.1 percent of the vote with ballots counted from 99 percent of polling stations while his main rival Hou Yu-ih of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) trailed in second place with 33.5 percent. "When the people have made their decision, we face them and we listen to the voices of the people," Hou Yu-ih said as he conceded. William Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party is set to become Taiwan's new president as the presidential candidate for Taiwan's main opposition party the Kuomintang, Hou Yu-ih, conceded defeat in the polls. William Lai's Democratic Progressive Party supports Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims. The party has won a third term which is unprecedented under Taiwan's current electoral system. Taiwan Elections: Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te, who also goes by William, votes during the elections in Taiwan.(AP) On his win, William Lai said, We have shows the world how much we cherish democracy. We will continue to stand with the democracies of the world." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Taking a veiled jibe at China, he said, Taiwan's people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election. In the elections, William Lai was facing two opponents for the presidency - the KMT's Hou and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the small Taiwan People's Party. Ahead of the results, William Lai encouraged people to cast their ballots saying, Every vote is valued, as this is Taiwan's hard-earned democracy. Lai Ching-te won the presidential election with partial results showing he had taken 40.2 percent of ballots cast. The results were counted from 98 percent of polling stations across the island, according to figures from the Central Election Commission, as per news agency AFP. William Lai's main opponent Hou Yu-ih trailed behind with 33.4 percent of the vote count. Read more: Flight returned to Japan airport after crack found in Boeing 737 window Taiwan's opposition candidate Hou Yu-ih conceded while apologizing to supporters for not being able to oust the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. "Here I congratulate (frontrunner) Lai Ching-te and (running mate) Hsiao Bi-khim on getting elected," he said. What China has said on William Lai? China has repeatedly denounced William Lai as a dangerous separatist and countered his calls for talks while William Lai has asserted that he is committed to preserving peace. This comes after Taiwan's defence ministry said that it had again spotted Chinese balloons crossing the strait, one of which flew over Taiwan itself. Taiwan is set to choose its next president in the elections being held on Saturday. The results are expected to be known by Saturday evening, reported news agency Bloomberg. The elections in Taiwan are being held amid tensions with China which claims the country to be a part of it. In recent times, China has undermined Taiwan's sovereignty as its fighter jets entered what the country claims to be its territory. Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, casts his vote at a polling station during the presidential and parliamentary elections in Tainan, Taiwan (REUTERS) Taiwanese voters are well aware of the threat posed by China whose president Xi Jinping recently talked about intentions to unify China, hinting at invasion of Taiwan if necessary. Notably, China is increasingly wary of Taiwan's growing ties with the US. Taiwan's proximity to the South China Sea is of strategic importance to both China and the US. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. ALSO READ| US confirms second strike on another Houthi-controlled site Meanwhile, economic issues, unaffordable housing and wage stagnation are the other major issues which are set to influence the voters in the Taiwan presidential elections. Main candidates in Taiwan presidential elections: Lai Ching-te Vice President Lai Ching-te is a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. He is vying to become president and pave the way for the party to grab power for an unprecedented third term. He favours warmer ties with America and has been branded a separatist by China. Lai was earlier a surgeon and left his job before entering politics in a bid to protect democracy in Taiwan and deter China's ill intentions. On Saturday, he cast his vote in his hometown of Tainan and encouraged the people to vote. I encourage everyone around the country to vote with enthusiasm and show the vitality of Taiwans democracy, he said. Hou Yu-ih Hou Yu-ih is a key candidate in the presidential elections in Taiwan. A member of the opposition Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, he took leave as the mayor of New Taipei to run for president. Hou has promised to enhance Taiwan's defense capabilities while restarting dialogue with China. Notably, Beijing led by its president Xi Jinping cut talks with Taiwan, eight years ago. Ko Wen-je Former mayor of Taipei, Ko Wen-je is a member of the Taiwan Peoples Party. Besides the two major parties in Taiwan, he is trying to provide an alternative to the Taiwanese people. He is a popular face among the youth of the country who are concerned about their economic prospects amid tensions with China. Ko is the first-ever presidential candidate of the Taiwan Peoples Party. Taiwanese are casting their votes Saturday for a new president in an election that could chart the trajectory of its relations with China over the next four years. A woman is assisted in casting her vote at a polling station during the presidential and parliamentary elections in New Taipei City, Taiwan January 13, 2024.(REUTERS) At stake is the peace and stability of the 110-mile-wide (177-kilometer-wide) strip of water between the Chinese mainland and the self-governed island claimed by China as its own. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Vice President Lai Ching-te, representing the governing Democratic Progressive Party, known as the DPP, seeks to succeed the outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen and give the independence-leaning party an unprecedented third term. Lai will be voting in his hometown of Tainan. Hou Yu-ih, the candidate of Beijing-favored Kuomintang Party, also known as the Nationalist Party, will be casting his ballot in New Taipei City. Alternative candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party, who has shown popularity among young voters who seek an alternative to the two major parties, will be voting in Taipei. Voting began at 8 a.m. (0000 GMT) Saturday and was to wrap up eight hours later. Candidates wrapped up their campaigns Friday night with stirring speeches, but younger voters were mostly focused on their economic futures in a challenging environment. Speaking in his hometown of Tainan in the islands south, Lai reflected on why he left his career as a surgeon because of Chinas missile tests and military exercises aimed at intimidating Taiwanese voters before the first open presidential election in 1996. I wanted to protect the democracy that had just gotten underway in Taiwan. I gave up my well-paid job and decided to follow the footsteps of our elders in democracy, Lai said. Hou, a former head of Taiwans police force and mayor of the capitals suburbs, said Lais view on relations with Beijing could bring uncertainty and even the possibility of war. I advocate pragmatic exchanges with China, the defense of national security, and protection of human rights. I insist that Taiwans future will be decided by 23.5 million (people of Taiwan) and I will use my life to protect Taiwan, Hou said. Chinas military threats could sway some voters against independence-leaning candidates, but the U.S. has pledged support for whichever government emerges, reinforced by the Biden administrations plans to send an unofficial delegation made up of former senior officials to the island shortly after the election. That move could upset efforts to repair ties between Beijing and Washington that plunged in recent years over trade, COVID-19, Washingtons stepped-up support for Taiwan and Russias invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn at the United Nations. Apart from China tensions, the Taiwan election largely hinges on domestic issues, particularly an economy that was estimated to have grown just 1.4% last year. That partly reflects inevitable cycles in demand for computer chips and other exports from the high-tech, heavily trade-dependent manufacturing base, and a slowing of the Chinese economy. But longer-term challenges such as housing affordability, a yawning gap between rich and poor, and unemployment are especially prominent. Lai Ching-te has spent the past year convincing voters he can keep the peace, despite being despised by Beijing. His ability to deter conflict will be tested now his Democratic Progressive Party has won a record third straight presidential victory. Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, center, celebrates his victory with running mate Bi-khim Hsiao, right, and supporters in Taipei, Taiwan.(AP) Lai has a daunting task ahead. The 64-year-old former kidney doctor, who entered politics after military tensions flared with Beijing in the mid-1990s, is responsible for balancing his islands delicate relationships with Washington and Beijing. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. That challenge comes as the Taiwan Strait faces fresh tensions. Chinese President Xi Jinping is ramping up pressure on the self-ruled island, which the ruling Communist Party claims as its own. Thats a threat for the world: Taiwan sits at the heart of the global semiconductor supply chain, meaning any conflict poses a $10 trillion risk to the international economy. Lai is mindful of the danger. During his measured campaign he walked back old claims that hes a pragmatic worker for independence a declaration that incensed Beijing. His stated position now is that Taiwan is already a de facto state, and therefore doesnt need to declare its independence. In a celebratory speech Saturday night in Taipei, Lai indicated hed maintain close ties with the US and pledged to keep peace across the Taiwan Strait. Washington would like to be able to work with whoever wins, said Jennifer Welch, chief geo-economics analyst with Bloomberg Economics, who previously served as director for China and Taiwan on the US National Security Council. It would like for them to continue to invest in Taiwans defense and not pursue unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo, she added. Lai checks all three boxes. Because China views Lai with deep distrust some degree of tension is likely, she said. Lai urged voters to support Chinas least favorite candidate during his campaign, after Beijing branded the Harvard-educated doctor a separatist. Earlier in his political career, Lai played a key role in expanding Taiwans high-tech chip manufacturing industry, which has helped the island prosper and raised its global profile. While serving as mayor of the southern city of Tainan, one of his major triumphs was securing a new Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant in a local science park. The outgoing vice president has also held roles in local and central government, including in the legislative branch where Lai showed that despite being soft-spoken and mild-mannered, he can take a strong stand. In 2005, he clashed with a Kuomintang lawmaker in the legislature after the opposition party repeatedly boycotted the budget for arms procurement. A video showed him swearing at the lawmaker and shouting: The country is being destroyed by you people. Only a small fraction of the more than $15 billion budget was passed in the years immediately after. Another incident that highlights his hard-nosed some may say stubborn character was when he challenged President Tsai Ing-wen for the presidential ticket in the last election, a surprise move against an incumbent leader that struck many observers as insubordinate. What he worried about at that time was whether the DPP would lose the 2020 presidential election, said Chen Jyh-hong, who taught Lai when he worked at a hospital in Tainan three decades ago. Tsai won a landslide. Spats and surprise challenges are likely a thing of the past, as Lai embarks on a diplomatic career on the world stage. That feat is all the more impressive given his tough start in life. Lai was born in 1959 into a coal-mining family on the northern coast of Taiwan. His mother raised six children by herself after Lais father died in an accident when the vice president was age two. Despite that, Lai attended top schools and eventually became a doctor, fulfilling his mothers dreams. She was upset when he quit for politics. My mother did not approve, Lai told Bloomberg News last year. But she loved me, and she said to me that if the people support what youre doing, then continue doing it. Its a mantra hell need to keep in mind as the democratically elected leader of 23 million people. Thai legislators are reportedly seeking to ban the recreational use of cannabis, just two years after Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize the plant. A close-up shot of a pair of hands holding cannabis. Illustration photo by Pexels The draft legislation, introduced by the Thai Health Ministry on Jan. 9, aims to impose stringent restrictions on the use and sale of cannabis for non-medical purposes, as reported by Singaporean news site Mothership. According to Bloomberg, the proposed bill aims to confine the use of cannabis to medical and health-related contexts only. Individuals found using cannabis recreationally could face fines up to 60,000 baht (US$1,711), while providers of recreational cannabis risk up to a year in prison, a fine of 100,000 baht, or both. The bill also seeks to criminalize the marketing and advertising of cannabis. It is open for public feedback until Jan. 23. As per The Guardian, Thailand decriminalized cannabis in 2022, ruling that anyone over the age of 20, who is not pregnant or breastfeeding, is legally allowed to use cannabis. This decriminalization has since positioned the country as a major destination for cannabis tourism in Asia. However, the current government under the administration of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has expressed concerns about the potential for addiction and the impact of widespread cannabis recreational use, according to a report by the Bangkok Post. Thavisin stated in September last year that he was committed to cracking down on the recreational use of cannabis within six months of taking office. Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te vowed Saturday to defend the self-ruled island from "intimidation" by China, after voters defied warnings from Beijing and swept him to election victory. Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's vice president and presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, speaks at an election night rally outside the party headquarters during the presidential election in Taipei, Taiwan, on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024.(Bloomberg) Lai -- branded by Beijing as a threat to peace in the flashpoint region -- secured an unprecedented third consecutive term for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Saturday's poll after a raucous campaign in which he pitched himself as a defender of Taiwan's democratic way of life. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also read- China shrugs off Taiwan elections: Reunification still inevitable Communist China claims democratic Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait, as its own and refuses to rule out using force to bring about "unification", even if conflict does not appear imminent. Beijing, which before the poll called Lai a "severe danger" and urged voters to shun him, said Saturday the result would not stop "the inevitable trend of China's reunification". In his victory speech, Lai said he would maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but pledged to defend the island from Chinese belligerence. "We are determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China," he told supporters. With votes from all polling stations counted, the Central Election Commission said Lai won 40.1 percent of votes, ahead of Hou Yu-ih of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) with 33.5 percent. The election was watched closely by both Beijing and Washington, Taiwan's main military partner, as the two superpowers tussle for influence in the strategically vital region. Lai thanked the Taiwanese people for "writing a new chapter in our democracy" by defying one-party-state China's threats and warnings. "We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy," he said, adding that he will also try to pursue exchanges with China. Super, world-class happy Before Saturday's poll, authorities repeatedly warned of interference from China, pointing to paid trips to the mainland for voters and flagging disinformation that painted Lai in a negative light. After his win, Lai said the island had "successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election". The victory extends DPP's rule after eight years under outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, who had served the maximum two four-year terms. Supporters wearing the party's green colours celebrated at DPP headquarters. "We are very, super, world-class happy," said first-time voter Grace, 21, a student who gave only one name. I am confident the new leaders will stick to Tsai's road and I hope they can safeguard Taiwan's democracy. Also read- Hong Kongers hoping to settle down in Taiwan, immigration policy change after election: Report Unity plea Conceding defeat, KMT's Hou, who had argued for warmer ties with China and accused the DPP of antagonising Beijing with its stance that Taiwan is "already independent", urged the country to unite. "When the people have made their decision, we face them and we listen to the voices of the people," he told supporters. Ko Wen-je -- who took 26.5 percent of the vote with an anti-establishment offer of a "third way" -- said the results put his Taiwan People's Party (TPP) on the map as a "key opposition force". During the campaign, the KMT and TPP tried to strike a deal to join forces against the DPP, but the partnership collapsed in acrimony over who would lead the presidential ticket. Despite his win, Lai faces a headache already -- in legislative elections held alongside the presidential ballot, the DPP lost its majority in parliament. According to Taiwan's Central Election Commission, KMT took 52 seats, with DPP on 51, TPP eight and two independents. Chinese threats Located on a key maritime gateway linking the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan is home to a powerhouse semiconductor industry producing precious microchips -- the lifeblood of the global economy, powering everything from smartphones and cars to missiles. Many countries engage with Taiwan through unofficial or nongovernmental channels, though without recognising it diplomatically -- instead recognising only China, in line with Beijing's "one-China" policy. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his election and hailed Taiwan's "robust democratic system," while President Joe Biden said that "we do not support independence." Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa praised Lai's victory while vowing to deepen Tokyo's nongovernmental cooperation with Taiwan. Calling for the "two sides of the Taiwan Strait" to "resolve differences peacefully", British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also congratulated Lai. The European Union's foreign policy chief praised Taiwan on the election in a statement which did not mention Lai's victory. China has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, periodically stoking worries about a potential invasion. The Chinese military said the night before the polls that it would "take all necessary measures to firmly crush 'Taiwan independence' attempts of all forms". Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the US and UK for using disproportionate use of force following strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The Turkish leader accused the two countries of trying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood after Ankara, a NATO member, has repeatedly criticised Israel over Gaza war. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has repeatedly slammed Western countries for supporting Israel's campaign against Hamas, said that air and sea strikes by US and UK across Yemen in retaliation against Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping are not proportionate. US, UK Houthi strikes: Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan is seen. (Reuters) "All that has been done is a disproportionate use of force," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, adding, At the moment, they are trying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood and Yemen, with the Houthis and by using all of its force, says it is and will give the necessary response in the region to the United States, Britain. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Ankara heard from various channels that the Houthis were carrying out a "very successful defence, response" against the United States and Britain, he said, adding that Iran was looking at "how it can protect itself against all that is happening". What has been Turkey's stand on Yemen? Turkey supports Yemen's internationally recognized government and has also backed the United Nations-led process to bring peace between it and the Houthis who have gained control of much of the country. Earlier, Ankara condemned Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. What's happening in the Red Sea and how are Houthis involved? The Houthis have been attacking shipping lanes in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians against Israel amid Hamas war. Turkey does not consider Hamas, which launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, a terrorist organisation. US President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term. Taiwan Election Results: Taiwan's William Lai speaks.(AP) Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, and pledged both to stand up to Beijing and seek talks. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "We do not support independence..." Biden said, when asked for reaction to Saturday's elections. Hours ahead of the polls opening, Washington had warned "it would be unacceptable" for "any" country to interfere in the election. Taiwan, a neighbouring island China claims as its own, has been a democratic success story since holding its first direct presidential election in 1996, the culmination of decades of struggle against authoritarian rule and martial law. The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties with the island. The Biden administration has feared that the election, transition and new administration would escalate conflict with Beijing. Biden has worked to smooth relations with China, including agreeing to talk through differences on security matters at a California summit with President Xi Jinping in November. Taiwan's government expects China to attempt to put pressure on its incoming president after the vote, including staging military maneuvers near the island this spring, two senior government officials said. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. In a show of support for the government, Biden plans to dispatch an unofficial delegation to the self-governed island, according to a senior Biden administration official. The delegation is likely to include some former high-ranking American officials, according to the official, who said the names have not been finalized. Similar delegations have been sent to Taiwan in the past. China was angered in 2016 when then-President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, the first such conversation between U.S. and Taiwan leaders since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979. The Federal Aviation Administration says it will increase oversight of Boeing and audit production of the 737 Max 9 jetliner after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines plane in midflight last week, the latest in a string of mishaps at the troubled aircraft maker. HT Image The FAA said Friday that it would judge whether Boeing and its parts suppliers followed approved quality procedures. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Amid reports of continued manufacturing problems, the FAA also said it's reconsidering a longstanding practice of relying on employees at aircraft manufacturers to perform some safety analysis of planes. Members of Congress criticized the practice of deputizing Boeing employees as inspectors after two deadly crashes involving Boeing 737 Max 8 planes in 2018 and 2019. It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks, said new FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. The FAA is exploring the use of an independent third party to oversee Boeings inspections and its quality system. Whitaker suggested that the FAA might find a technical, nonprofit organization to help oversee Boeings work. The agency also said it will increase monitoring of problems reported on Max 9 flights. He told CNBC Friday that the FAA will also step up its oversight of Spirit AeroSystems, which supplies Boeing with fuselages for the 737 Max. We know there are problems with manufacturing, there have been problems in the past, but these are continuing, Whitaker said. This is a brand-new aircraft, it has just come off the line and it had significant problems, and we believe there are other manufacturing problems. In a statement, Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing said it will cooperate with the FAA. "We support all actions that strengthen quality and safety, and we are taking actions across our production system, the company said. Spirit also said its supporting the FAA actions. Spirits top priorities are quality, product integrity and compliance, a company statement said. The FAA's intensifying focus on safety at Boeing comes just a day after the agency announced an investigation into whether the manufacturer failed to make sure a fuselage panel that blew off was safe and manufactured to meet the design that regulators approved. The National Transportation Safety Board is focusing its investigation on plugs used to fill spots for extra doors when those exits are not required for safety reasons on Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners. One of two door plugs on an Alaska Max 9 blew out shortly after the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, a week ago, leaving a hole in the plane. The cabin lost pressure and the plane was forced to descend rapidly and return to Portland for an emergency landing. No serious injuries were reported. Whitaker said the FAA in the past used to do a lot more aircraft-manufacturing inspections, but legislation moved those to the private sector. Sometimes that works, but at times it doesnt. The third party, he said, is just an option. "It may not be the right option, but I think we need to have that debate. Legislators criticized the designated inspector program after the Max crashes overseas, contending the inspectors were still paid by Boeing and beholden to the company, not the FAA. But in 2019, then-acting FAA administrator Dan Elwell said replacing the use of company workers for safety-certification work would require the agency to add 10,000 employees at a cost of $1.8 billion a year. That all but ended consideration of FAA doing the work. Criticism of the inspector program resumed Friday after the FAA's actions were announced. It should not have taken a near catastrophe for the FAA to review its use of the (designated inspector) program, which effectively lets the fox guard the hen house," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Former congressman Peter DeFazio, who chaired the House committee that investigated the Max crashes, said Friday that the FAA's actions are needed to rein in quality and safety problems at Boeing. This an extraordinary step by the administrator of the FAA, one that is long overdue, he said. The possibility that Boeing will lose the (deputization of its employees) and be subject to independent third party oversight and I would expect that will have to be paid for by Boeing that would be a massive, unprecedented step to force the unwilling executives at Boeing to shape up the company. DeFazio said that in the aftermath of the crashes, Congress changed the law so the inspectors would report to the FAA rather than Boeing supervisors, and that all future inspectors be approved by the agency. But given the Alaska Airlines case, it's clear that failed as well, he said. "So I think were looking at a whole new way of doing this with a totally independent entity not people who work for Boeing and handing Boeing the bill because of their malfeasance, would be warranted, he said. After the panel blew off the plane, the FAA grounded all Max 9s equipped with the door plugs, forcing Alaska and United to cut flights. The aircraft remain grounded while the NTSB and the FAA continue their investigation. Since then, the FAA was told of other problems on the Max 9. Alaska and United reported finding loose bolts on door plugs that they inspected in some of their other Max 9 jets. NTSB investigators said this week they have not been able to find four bolts that are used to help secure the 63-pound door plug. They are not sure whether the bolts were there before the plane took off. On Thursday, the FAA asked Boeing to respond within 10 business days and tell the agency the root cause of the problem with the door plug and steps the company is taking to prevent a recurrence. The door plugs are installed by Spirit, but investigators have not said which companys employees last worked on the plug on the Alaska plane that suffered the blowout. The day after the blowout, the FAA grounded all 65 Max 9s operated by Alaska and 79 used by United Airlines, until Boeing develops inspection guidelines and planes can be examined. Alaska canceled all flights by Max 9s through Saturday. The incident on the Alaska plane is the latest in a string of mishaps for Boeing that began in 2018, with the first of two crashes of Max 8 planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia and more than four months apart that killed a total of 346 people. Max 8 and Max 9 planes were grounded worldwide for nearly two years after the second crash. Since then, various manufacturing flaws have at times held up deliveries of Max jets and a larger Boeing plane, the 787. Last month, the company asked airlines to inspect their Max jets for a loose bolt in the rudder-control system. US President Joe Biden on Friday said Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had a lapse in judgement by not informing him about his hospitalisation, but added that he still has confidence in him. US President Joe Biden (left) and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (AFP) During his tour to a coffee shop in Allentown area in Pennsylvania, reporters asked the commander-in-chief if Austin had made a mistake by not telling him about his prostate cancer care. Yes, Biden responded. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. However, when asked if he still had faith in Austin's leadership, the President replied, I do. It is to mention that these were Biden's first public comments on Austin since his hospitalisation. Austin, 70, is currently receiving treatment in the hospital for post-prostatic cancer surgery complications. Members of both political parties have severely criticized him for failing to report his hospitalisation, and some have even called for his resignation. On Thursday, the Pentagon's internal watchdog announced that it will examine the secrecy about Austin's hospitalisation and the reason that why the Defence Department withheld information from the White House for several days after he transferred authority to his deputy. Read more: White House assures US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will keep his position amid secretive hospital admit Llyod Austin even kept his cancer diagnosis secret Austin's cancer was detected during a regular examination. He was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22, 2023, and underwent surgery to treat the cancer. A week later, he faced some complications and was admitted to intensive care on January 1. Austin didn't disclose his hospitalisation to Biden or other top administration officials until January 4 and kept his cancer diagnosis secret until Tuesday. Following the incident, the Pentagon and White House promptly established guidelines whereby authorities will receive notification whenever a Cabinet member transfers responsibility to one of their deputies due to their incapacity for any reason. Did Austin order strikes on Houthis in Yemen from hospital? Meanwhile, a CNN report revealed the US Defence Secretary's key role in strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The report citing US Defence officials claimed Austin ordered strikes on Houthis from the hospital. In a statement, Pentagon said the US-British assault reduced the Houthis' capacity to launch fresh attacks. The US military said 60 targets in 28 sites were hit. The Houthis, who have controlled most of Yemen for nearly a decade, said five fighters were killed, but they vowed to continue their attacks on regional shipping. A group of "rogue" Orthodox Jews erected the secret underground tunnel connected to a historic Brooklyn synagogue in New York City in an attempt to send a message to "geezers" in their sect that they required more rooms to pray, NY Post reported. A historic Brooklyn synagogue that serves as the center of an influential Hasidic Jewish movement was trashed this week.(AP ) A historic Brooklyn synagogue that serves as the powerful Hasidic Jewish movement was thrashed this week, leading to a brawl between worshippers and police after the discovery of tunnel. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. One of the excavators on the condition of anonymity told The Post that at least 50 other like-minded Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement members took to shoveling as a bold statement to their community's elders "to get off their tuchuses" and widen the sanctuary at their Crown Heights headquarters. We were sick and tired of being stuck in a cramped synagogue that could take 15 minutes to leave during the high holiday services, said the 30-year-old member, whose family has been offering prayers at the religious site in Eastern Parkway for generations. The point was to start an initiative on our own and then we put the old geezers in a spot where they . . . can take the initiative and go ahead to finish the expansion, he added. The Chabad group started excavating tunnel as early as 2020, believing that the late Lubavitcher Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson wanted to expand the synagogue. The thing was way overdue, he asserted, insisting that 90% of Chabad agrees expansion [of the synagogue] needs to happen, and quickly. The group received donations for tools and other supplies, such as support beams, and Hasidic professional contractors were called in to make sure the excavation "was done safely," according to the digger. Over the course of three and a half years, the Talmudic tunnelers succeeded in hollowing out forty feet. However, in November, the group hired migrants who spoke Spanish to "finish the job," he said. He acknowledged that the migrants worked harder and more frequently than the Chabad men, but they also produced more noise, which eventually alerted the neighbours and synagogue leaders. Also Read: Brooklyn synagogue: Orthodox Jewish students hired 'Mexicans' to dig secret tunnel Shawshank style Brooklyn synagogue tunneler's claims bashed by Chabad spokesperson Rabbi Motti Seligson, a Chabad spokesperson, slammed the 30-year-old members claim that he and other diggers were part of a movement in Chabad. He called their attempt to associate their underground illegal activity with the desires of the Rebbe an abomination. This is a small group of rogue, and frankly, unwell youths who in their delusion demolished a potentially load-bearing wall, desecrated a synagogue and caused an enormous amount of pain and damage, he said. Brooklyn synagogue tunnel was constructed without permits The 60 feet long illegal tunnel -- dug under the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights -- was inadequately fortified and jeopardised structural integrity of two buildings, NY Times reported. According to New City building inspectors, the tunnel was constructed without approval or permits. On Monday, the Jewish youth staged a protest when the leader of the group tried to seal it off. The protest gradually escalated as police moved in to make arrests. The officials stated that young men in the community recently built the passage to the sanctuary in secret. The Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters is a highly respected Jewish facility that welcomes thousands of visitors annually, including religious leaders and international students. However, police barricades kept the synagogue closed on Tuesday while building safety inspectors examined whether the illegal tunnel may have caused structural damage to the renowned site. Charlie Kirk, the conservative leader and founder of Turning Point USA, has undergone a dramatic shift in his views on Martin Luther King Jr. From calling him a "hero" in 2015 and a "civil rights icon" in 2022, Kirk made a sharp turn at America Fest in December 2023, declaring, MLK was awful. He's not a good person. He said one good thing he actually didn't believe. Charlie Kirk plans controversial 'truth' reveal on King's birthday.(Reuters/AFP) This about-face extends to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, closely associated with King. Kirk now views it as a mistake, claiming it created a permanent DEI-type bureaucracy and ultimately aims to re-found the country and get rid of the First Amendment. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. This perspective finds resonance within the right wing, but critics like scholar Jonathan Rauch find it alarming. If that isn't racist, I don't know what is, Rauch says. This is the federal law that ended segregation. Kirk's personal attack on MLK isn't limited to a single event The Turning Point USA founder plans further attacks on King's birthday, stating, We're gonna be hitting him next week...on MLK Day. We're gonna do the thing you're not supposed to do. We're gonna tell the truth about MLK Jr. This truth, according to Kirk and his collaborator Blake Neff, involves portraying King as linked to violence after the Civil Rights Act. Turning Point USA has even profited from King's image, selling merchandise featuring him before removing it following inquiries. This shift highlights a broader trend, according to Nick Surgey, who studies TPUSA. ALSO READ| CNN staffer alleges explicit remark by Chris Cuomo, claims network axed her after the confrontation Kirk used to avoid hot-button issues...He now seems totally unrestrained, aligning with people like Blake Neff who exist in a particular subculture on the right. This is not dog-whistle politics, it's blatant and intended to cause outrage. Whether Kirk and TPUSA's tactics will attract new voters or further alienate them remains to be seen. However, their efforts to rewrite history and demonize a central figure in the Civil Rights movement are undeniably a significant development in American politics. The US governments knowledge of UFOs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) as they are officially called, remains shrouded in mystery, as House lawmakers learned in a classified briefing on Friday. L-R, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). House members on both sides of the aisle are calling for more transparency surrounding UAPs, saying that sightings could negatively impact national security. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Drew Angerer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP) The briefing, which was attended by House Oversight and Accountability Committee members and Thomas Monheim, inspector general of the intelligence community, was supposed to increase transparency on the UAP issue, but left some lawmakers dissatisfied and others hopeful. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The briefing followed a public hearing in July, where three former Defense Department officials testified before the panels national security subcommittee that UAP sightings could threaten national security. The hearing also followed allegations from former military intelligence officer and whistleblower David Grusch, who claimed that the Pentagon and other agencies are hiding information about UAP, including a multi-decade program to reverse engineer alien technology that the U.S. government has recovered from crash sites and possesses. The Pentagon denies his claims. ALSO READ| Harvard expert debunks alien, UFO sightings, says they wouldnt survive However, some lawmakers who attended the briefing said they did not get any new information about Gruschs accusations. All they know is just right in that little circle Lets just say that all of us were very interested in the substance of his claims, and unfortunately, I didnt get the answers that I was hoping for, said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who was one of several members frustrated with the lack of new material at the briefing. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who said the briefing was just more of the same, echoed his sentiment. Its very compartmentalized; its like looking down the barrel of a .22 rifle. All they know is just right in that little circle, he told reporters. Now its just whack-a-mole you go to the next [briefing], until we get some answers. ALSO READ| Netflix US February 2024 releases: UFO-inspired The Last Prophet to Love is Blind Season 6 and more Burchett, who believes in extraterrestrial life and accuses the U.S. government of covering up evidence of it, added that what was discussed Friday verified what I thought. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who is part of the UAP Caucus but not the Oversight Committee, said what most Americans fear is true, alleging that there is a concerted effort to conceal as much information as possible both in Congress and to the general public. I asked very specific questions and was unable to get specific answers, he said. And so thats a problem, and were not going to stop until we get the truth. Some lawmakers are satisfied with the briefing But not all lawmakers were pessimistic, with Rep Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) telling reporters that the briefing gave lawmakers a direction to go next, and thats the key thing. I think that some people were looking for things. This was not the venue to determine those things, but for me, I got a lot of clarity, he added. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who said its reasonable to contend that everyone that was in the room received probably new information, also expressed optimism. ALSO READ| It was a vivid sighting, Actor Dan Aykroyd claims he had 'spectacular' UFO encounters four times Garcia introduced the Safe Airspace for Americans Act earlier this week, along with Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.). The bill is intended to close the gap in UAP reporting by allowing civilian pilots and personnel to report encounters with the Federal Aviation Administration, which would send reports to the Pentagons All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, in exchange for legal protections. Delta Airlines finds itself in hot water after an alleged note from their DEI department went viral on social media. The note supposedly addresses racial sensitivity but has sparked accusations of bias. FILE - A Delta Airlines plane flies into Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore., Monday, July 20, 2009. A former Delta Airlines pilot accused of threatening to shoot a commercial airline captain if they diverted their flight to give a passenger medical attention is will make his first court appearance in Utah, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)(AP) Accusations on social media: Social media erupted with claims that Delta's DEI department instructed employees to capitalize "Black" and "Brown" but use lowercase for "white." Critics voiced their concerns, branding the airline as racist. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Twitter outrage: Twitter users expressed shock and frustration, with one tweet exclaiming, "WTF is wrong at Delta Airlines?" The alleged directive sparked heated debates about the airline's commitment to diversity and inclusion. Inclusive language guide criticism: The controversy deepened as users shared details from Delta's "inclusive language guide." The guide reportedly supports capitalizing racial identifiers for Black and Brown individuals but using lowercase for white. Some users fact-checked the accusations, arguing that "white" is a descriptor, not a race. A tweet explained, "Delta Airlines is trending because conservatives don't understand grammar," emphasizing the distinction between race and description. Also Read: Delta airline pilot flies over 1000 km to return lost book Delta Airlines lauds passenger's efforts in resolving error with customer care In 2020, the Associated Press explained its decision to not capitalize 'white.' The AP's vice president for standards, John Daniszewski, clarified that capitalizing "white" could inadvertently lend legitimacy to certain beliefs, cautioning against such language use. The controversy underscores the nuanced discussions around language and race. While some criticize Delta, others engage in grammar debates, highlighting the complexities of addressing racial issues within language guidelines. As of now, Delta Airlines has not responded to the allegations, leaving the situation unresolved. The authenticity of the alleged note remains unverified, but the incident raises questions about the airline's stance on racial sensitivity. On Friday, a New York judge ordered former President Donald Trump to pay almost $400,000 to The New York Times and three of its journalists who wrote a 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning article about his familys wealth and tax practices. The article was based on confidential tax records that Trumps niece, Mary Trump, had given to the reporters. Judge hits Trump with $400K tab for challenging NYT's Investigative article. (Photo by Peter Foley / POOL / AFP)(AFP) The judge, Robert Reed, dismissed the lawsuit against the newspaper and the three reporters - Susanne Craig, David Barstow and Russell Buettner - in May. He said that Trumps lawsuit against his niece, who he claimed violated a previous settlement agreement by sharing the tax records, is still ongoing. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Reed said that the legal fees of $392,638 that Trump had to pay to the Times and the reporters were reasonable, considering the complexity of the issues and other factors in the case. He also praised the states anti-SLAPP (Strategic lawsuit against public participation) law, which protects journalists from frivolous lawsuits intended to silence them. ALSO READ| 'Never Nikki': Rand Paul goes all-out against Haley's 2024 presidential bid, but will he endorse Trump? Todays decision shows that the states newly amended anti-SLAPP statute can be a powerful force for protecting press freedom, said Danielle Rhoads Ha, a spokesperson for the Times. The court has sent a message to those who want to misuse the judicial system to try to silence journalists, she added. Court rejects Mary Trump's plea In another ruling on Friday, Reed rejected Mary Trumps request to pause the case while she appeals his June decision that allowed Trumps lawsuit against her to continue. Alina Habba, a lawyer for Donald Trump, said they were unhappy that the Times and the reporters were no longer part of the case. She said they were glad that the court has once again affirmed the strength of our claims against Mary and is denying her attempt to avoid accountability. We look forward to proceeding with our claims against her, she said. Donald Trump filed the lawsuit in 2021, alleging that the Times and the reporters had pursued Mary Trump as a source of information and persuaded her to hand over the tax records. He said the reporters knew that she was not allowed to disclose the documents, which she had obtained in a dispute over the estate of Fred Trump, the family patriarch. ALSO READ| Donald Trump cries, 'This is no fraud, it's a fraud on me' in New York fraud trial after judge allows him to speak The Times article revealed that the former president had received at least $413 million from his father over the years, including through tax avoidance schemes. Mary Trump confirmed in a book published in 2020 that she was the source of the documents. The article also reported that Donald Trump and his father had dodged gift and inheritance taxes by creating a fake corporation and undervaluing their assets to the tax authorities. The Times said its report was based on more than 100,000 pages of financial documents, including secret tax returns for the father and his companies. ELKO Elko County School District, in collaboration with the Elko County Fire Protection District, Nevada Division of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, will provide an opportunity for high school seniors to receive training to become a wildland firefighter during the school year, which includes both classroom instruction and field training. The Wildland Firefighter Academy is a five-week program, and allows for several make-up days for required fieldwork. The course is taught in a hybrid format to allow students from all ECSD high schools to participate. Agencies will coordinate mandatory field days at or near locations of students school of attendance on Fridays and/or Saturdays. Two cohorts will be offered. The first is Feb. 9 to March 22, with applications due by Jan. 24. The second cohort is April 12 to May 31, with applications due March 20. Seniors interested in applying for either cohort can log in to their Schoolinks account, which can be accessed via the Clever portal on District Chromebooks. Once students complete the program and become 18 years old, they will have received all certificates necessary to become a wildland firefighter and could also join a local volunteer fire department. The total course will be 40-48 hours and include: ICS-100- Introduction to Incident Command System (4 hours online/ homework) ICS-200- Basic Incident Command System (4 hours online/ homework) S-110- Basic Wildland Fire Orientation (.25- 1 hour video) S-130- Firefighter training (37-41 hours) S-190- Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior (6-8 hours) L-180- Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service (4 hours) For questions or more information, contact Heather Steel, ECSD CTE Facilitator/Work Based Learning Coordinator at hsteel@ecsdnv.net or 775-753-5575 ext 1554. February/March cohort link to application due Jan. 24 https://app.schoolinks.com/program-exploration/candidate/mVgLke May/April cohort link to application due March 20 https://app.schoolinks.com/program-exploration/candidate/qGqk6e The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the online application filing period for H-1B applications for the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) will begin in February. The H-1B registration process will be made easier with the introduction of organisational accounts by the USCIS. The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.(File Photo) The organisational accounts will allow several individuals within an organisation, including a company or other business entity, and their legal advisors to collaborate on the preparation of H-1B registrations, Form I-129 (petition for a non-immigrant worker) and associated Form I-907 (request for premium processing service), stated USCIS on its website. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. USCIS is always striving to improve and streamline our processes, and this is a big step forward, said Ur M. Jaddou, the USCIS Director. Once we launch the organisational accounts and online filing of I-129 H-1B petitions, the entire H-1B lifecycle becomes fully electronic -- from registration, if applicable, to our final decision and transmission to the Department of State. Three different modes available for submission of H-1B visa petitions By the end of January, the USCIS is anticipated to formally disclose information about the availability of organisational accounts and dates for H-1B registration. Three different methods are available for submitting H-1B visa petitions: online via the petitioner's organisational account, the petitioner's legal representation, or conventional paper-based plea. USIS to conduct two national engagements on organisational accounts Before starting the H-1B registration process, the USCIS will hold two nationwide engagement sessions on organisational accounts on January 23 and January 24 to assist organisations and legal counsel. These sessions will offer an opportunity to the individuals to ask questions regarding the organisational accounts in preparation for the FY 2025 H-1B electronic registration process and launch of online filing of Form I-129 for H-1B petitions. This development comes after the Biden administration made changes to improve the H-1B system's effectiveness while keeping the 60,000 visa annual cap in place. The proposed modifications seek to simplify qualifying requirements and provide F-1 students, business owners, and others connected to nonprofit organisations more flexibility. The proposed regulation also forbids linked companies from submitting numerous registrations for the same beneficiary, addressing concerns about fraud and misuse and supporting the program's integrity procedures. Former adult star Mia Khalifa came under fire recently for her comments on the US and UKs strikes on the Houthis. Khalifa, who has been vocal about her support for Palestine since the October 7 attack, where she asked, freedom fighters to shoot horizontal videos and called a picture of Hamas terrorists a Renaissance painting. A Houthi helicopter flies above Galaxy Leader (Left) and Mia Khalifa (Right)(Hand Out and X) Recently, Khalifa posted on X: Imagine bombing a country for seizing a ship in their own waters that THEY have jurisdiction over . The news was fact-checked by Community Notes which pointed out that 1) Ships were boarded and seized by Houthis when it was in international waters and 2) Territorial sea extends to 12 nautical miles from the baseline. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. X ScreenGrab X user Drew Pavlou also pointed out: The US did not bomb a country, they carried out air strikes on the military infrastructure of an unrecognised terror group. Launching missiles at civilian cargo ships in INTERNATIONAL WATERS is a war crime. Mia Khalifa is truly a stupid person. Another user pointed out: Imagine being from the Middle East and not knowing the Houthis arent the government of Yemen. A third wrote: The Houthis have jurisdiction over Yemeni waters? Why do we normalize the idea that every person, regardless of intelligence or station, should have an opinion on everything? Khalifa has been vocal about the Israel-Palestine conflict and her statements saw her cause significant outrage. What is the Galaxy Leader incident? On 19 November 2023, Houthi militants seized Galaxy Leader, a cargo vessel travelling from Turkey to India in the southern Red Sea, claiming it had Israeli affiliation. This was followed by a warning by Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al Houthi that the Houthi forces would target any Israeli ships in the Red Sea. While reports suggest that the UK company Ray Car Carriers, that owns the Japanese-operated vessel is co-owned by Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar, the seizure of the vessel was seen as the first sign of extension of the Israel-Palestine conflict beyond Gaza. On 19 November 2023, Houthi militants seized Galaxy Leader, a cargo vessel travelling from Turkey to India in the southern Red Sea, claiming it had Israeli affiliation. This was followed by a warning by Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al Houthi that the Houthi forces would target any Israeli ships in the Red Sea. While reports suggest that the UK company Ray Car Carriers, that owns the Japanese-operated vessel is co-owned by Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar, the seizure of the vessel was seen as the first sign of extension of the Israel-Palestine conflict beyond Gaza. So far, the US has carried out two strikes on Houthi-controlled sites. The U.S. military early Saturday struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that it had determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk, a day after the U.S. and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. Associated Press journalists in Sanaa, Yemens capital, heard one loud explosion. U.S. Central Command said the "follow-on action" early Saturday local time against a Houthi radar site was conducted by the Navy destroyer USS Carney using Tomahawk land attack missiles. The first day of strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. President Joe Biden had warned Friday that the Houthis could face further strikes The latest strike came after the U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the initial airstrikes. The warning came as Yemens Houthis vowed fierce retaliation, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza. U.S. military and White House officials said they expected the Houthis to try to strike back. With inputs from agencies Two US Navy sailors, who were deployed in area of operation of 5th Fleet, have been reported missing off the coast of Somalia, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday in a statement without disclosing the names of the sailors who went missing. The United States 5th Fleet area of operations support a wide variety of missions".(Representative Image/AFP File Photo) On the evening of January 11, two US Navy sailors were reported missing at seat while conducting operations off the coast of Somalia, CENTCOM wrote. Search and rescue operations are currently ongoing to locate the two sailors. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Citing security concerns, officials stated they would not provide any further details until the rescue operation gets concluded. The command affirmed that private details on the sailors will likewise be kept secret from the public out of consideration for the families. For operational security purposes, we will not release additional information until the personnel recovery operation is complete," the CENTCOM stated. The United States 5th Fleet area of operations support a wide variety of missions" and oversees operations in 2.5 million square miles of water in the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. According to the Navy's website, it consists of 21 nations and three "critical choke points"the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb in southern Yemen. This comes amid the Israel-Hamas war and the attack by Houthi rebels on cargo vessels in the Red Sea, increasing tension in the region. Following this United States and the United Kingdom carried out airstrikes against Houthi rebels, who in turn, have pledged to retaliate. US, UK launch fresh strikes against Houthis in Yemen's Sanaa: Report The United States and Britain are targeting the Yemeni capital Sanaa with raids, news agency Reuters reported citing the Houthi movement's TV channel Al-Masirah early on Saturday. The strikes come a day after US President Joe Biden vowed more military action against Yemen's Houthi rebels if they kept up their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea despite dozens of American and British airstrikes on the Iran-backed group's facilities. US and British warplanes, ships and submarines earlier this week launched missiles against targets across Yemen controlled by the group, which has cast its maritime campaign as support for Palestinians under siege by Israel in Hamas-ruled Gaza. "We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour," Biden told reporters. There were reports of explosions early on Friday, Yemen time, at military bases near airports in Sanaa and Yemen's third city Taiz, a naval base at Yemen's main Red Sea port Hodeidah and military sites in the coastal Hajjah governorate. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 35,800 hospital admissions related to COVID-19 last week, marking the ninth straight week of increases. The United States has "very high" COVID-19 virus levels, according to wastewater surveillance data. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Respiratory virus activity continues to remain high as people with symptoms of cough and fever were seen visiting health care providers in 35 states in addition to New York City and the District of Columbia. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The week-over-week surge has mostly leveled off after the winter holidays, when people usually take part in social gatherings and travel coinciding with higher dissemination of coronavirus. However, hospital admissions in the United States are at a level not seen since the winter of last year. Despite test positivity (percentage of tests conducted that were positive), emergency department visits, and hospitalisations remaining elevated nationally, the rates have stabilized, or in some instances decreased, after multiple weeks of continual increase, the CDC stated in an update on Friday. The United States has "very high" COVID-19 virus levels, according to wastewater surveillance data. The COVID-19 virus is killing over 1,600 Americans every week, according to preliminary CDC statistics. JN.1, an omicron subvariant that is the predominant strain circulating in the nation, is mainly responsible for the present COVID-19 outbreak in the US. Though it is the variant that is spreading the fastest in the nation, according to the CDC, "there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants." What is JN.1 COVID variant and how dangerous it is? The Omicron subvariant at present accounts for 44 percent of Covid cases in the US. Its rate of transmission has doubled only in two weeks, the CDC's last month data showed. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified JN.1 as a "variant of interest. It has led to hospitalisations across the country, and has proved fatal in some cases. Reportedly, as per recent evidence, the strain does not possess a greater threat to public health than other variants that are circulating. This variant possesses over three dozen mutations in its spike protein in comparison with XBB.1.5, the variant that dominated most of this year. COVID vaccines, however, will increase protection against JN.1 just like it does for the other variants, it is believed. Across all variants, COVID symptoms are mostly similar. They include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and Diarrhoea. On Friday night, Donald Trump received a major endorsement for his 2024 presidential bid from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, a blow to the campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been trailing Trump in the polls. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah throws weight behind Donald Trump for 2024's presidential bid. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)(AP) Lee praised Trump on Fox News, saying, Look, whether you like Donald Trump or not, whether you agree with everything he says, or not, he is our one opportunity to choose order over chaos and putting America first over America last. Its time to get behind him. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He added, If you are not content with the status quo, the status quo of lawlessness, of putting America last. Its time to get behind Donald Trump and I wholeheartedly endorse Donald J. Trump in his bid for the presidency in 2024. DeSantis, who has been positioning himself as the heir apparent to Trumps populist base, has seen his popularity wane in early-voting states, especially in Utah, where Lees endorsement could sway many voters. ALSO READ| Donald Trump has to pay nearly $400K to The New York Times and its three reporters, says judge Recent polls puts DeSantis on the defensive According to a September poll by the Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics, Trump leads the Republican field in Utah with 33% support, followed by DeSantis with 15% and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley with 11%. Florida Gov. has tried to appeal to Utah voters by claiming that Florida shares the same values of freedom and conservatism as the Beehive State. At the Utah Republican Convention in April, he said, I think underlying the success of Utah has been a commitment to freedom like Florida. Utah proves that freedom works. People have looked to Florida for leadership He also said, Now over the last few years since Ive been Governor, people have looked to Florida for leadership in a variety of different ways. He even suggested that Florida was the Utah of the Southeast, a claim he repeated during a visit to Iowa, where he said, Iowa, theyre really the Florida of the Midwest with all the conservative stuff theyre doing. However, DeSantis has also faced criticism for his controversial stance on the teaching of slavery in Florida schools, which he defended during a Utah press conference where some legislators endorsed him. He said, Theyre probably going to show that some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life. ALSO READ| Charlie Kirk plans to tarnish Martin Luther King Jr. on King's birthday DeSantis has also clashed with Utahs other Senator, Mitt Romney, who has been a vocal critic of Trump and his allies. Last year, DeSantis attacked Romney for favouring Haley over him in the 2024 race. With Lees endorsement, Trump has gained another advantage over DeSantis, who will have to work harder to win over the voters who still support the former President. The United States and Britain are targeting the Yemeni capital Sanaa with raids, news agency Reuters reported citing the Houthi movement's TV channel Al-Masirah early on Saturday. A child holds up a mock RPG, as supporters of the Houthi movement rally to denounce air strikes launched by the US and Britain on Houthi targets in Sanaa, Yemen. (REUTERS) The strikes come a day after US President Joe Biden vowed more military action against Yemen's Houthi rebels if they kept up their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea despite dozens of American and British airstrikes on the Iran-backed group's facilities. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. US and British warplanes, ships and submarines earlier this week launched missiles against targets across Yemen controlled by the group, which has cast its maritime campaign as support for Palestinians under siege by Israel in Hamas-ruled Gaza. "We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour," Biden told reporters. There were reports of explosions early on Friday, Yemen time, at military bases near airports in Sanaa and Yemen's third city Taiz, a naval base at Yemen's main Red Sea port Hodeidah and military sites in the coastal Hajjah governorate. White House spokesperson John Kirby said the airstrikes had targeted the Houthis' ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used in recent months to threaten Red Sea shipping. The Pentagon said the US-British assault reduced the Houthis' capacity to launch fresh attacks. The US military said 60 targets in 28 sites were hit. The Houthis, who have controlled most of Yemen for nearly a decade, said five fighters were killed, but they vowed to continue their attacks on regional shipping. Day 1 strikes hit over 60 targets The first day of strikes on Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. The US, however, claimed that another location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, news agency AP quoted an official as saying. The US Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the US and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. Biden's warning came as Houthis vowed fierce retaliation for the US-led strikes, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza. Biden also pushed back against some lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, who said he should have sought congressional authorisation before carrying out the strikes. They are wrong, and I sent up this morning when the strikes occurred exactly what happened," Biden said. Why is US targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen? Since November last year, the Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas militants. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel. The Houthis military spokesman, brigadiar general Yahya Saree said in a recorded address that the US strikes would not go unanswered or unpunished. "This action is intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthis' capabilities to endanger mariners and threaten global trade in one of world's most critical waterways," secretary of defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement following the strikes on Friday. "Today's coalition action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will bear further costs if they do not end their illegal attacks," he added. Austin added that the US maintains its right to self-defence and, if necessary, will take follow-on actions to protect US forces. Since mid-November, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched more than two dozen attacks against merchant vessels operating in the Red Sea. Such attacks against the vital international shipping lane posed a vital concern and impacted international commerce across the globe, the Pentagon said. In response, Austin announced the December 18 launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international maritime task force designed to defend against the attacks. (With inputs from agencies) South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in a case pleaded before the UN International Court of Justice on Thursday. They're requesting the court to order an immediate halt to the IDF's operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel, of course, has denied this claim. South African lawyers argue that the current iteration of the Gaza conflict is part of a decades-long campaign of oppression of the Palestinians by Israel, according to the Associated Press. The hearing, which lasted two days, is seen as one of the most significant cases heard in the international court on this issue and cuts deep into the matter. South Africa is looking for a binding order that will compel Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza and the West Bank. 1,200 Israelis lost their lives during the October 7 assault on the country's southern region. Current estimates are that 23,000 Palestinians have died since the Israeli invasion of Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The filing pits the Israeli military campaign's effect on the Palestinian population against Israel's right to defend itself. "Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies as a plausible claim of genocidal acts," South African lawyer Adila Hassim told the judges and audience at the Peace Palace in The Hague. "Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court," she said. Israel's counter is that it is battling an enemy that attacked its territory, causing the deaths of more people than any attack since the modern state of Israel was created in 1948. They also blame Hamas for the high death tolls. South Africa, however, insists that Israel's imprecise destruction is by design. "The scale of destruction in Gaza, the targeting of family homes and civilians, the war being a war on children, all make clear that genocidal intent is both understood and has been put into practice. The articulated intent is the destruction of Palestinian life," said lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi. "What state would admit to a genocidal intent? Yet the distinctive feature of this case has not been the silence as such, but the reiteration and repetition of genocidal speech throughout every sphere of the state in Israel," he said. The state of Israel was created after the Holocaust, which was genocidal and widespread and resulted in the deaths of millions of Jews. The African National Congress, once led by pro-Palestinian resistance fighter turned leader Nelson Mandela, has a history on such matters after decades of white minority rule with apartheid being the official state policy. Israel denies the accusations and it is unclear that they will heed an UN ruling to halt operations in Gaza. If not, they would likely face sanctions and those sanctions would likely be vetoed by the United States. "The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023. The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years," said South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola. South Africa argued that Israel's actions in Gaza are an inevitable part of its history since it declared independence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video statement Wednesday night defending his country's actions and insisted they had nothing to do with genocide. "Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population," he said. "Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law." Russia fears that F-16 fighters will enter service with AFU Estonian intelligence In recent weeks, Russian troops have bombed various Ukrainian military objects, including airstrips, and this indicates that Russia considers the entry of F-16 fighters into the Ukrainian arsenal dangerous, said the head of the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center, Colonel Ants Kiviselg, ERR reports. Throughout the country, electric power facilities, port and railway infrastructure, military airfields, weapons and ammunition depots, military educational institutions and defense industry enterprises involved in the production and repair of weapons were damaged, Kiviselg said. The disruption of flight trajectories indicates that the Russians consider the entry of F-16s into the Ukrainian arsenal dangerous, he emphasized. The head of Estonian intelligence added that more massive Russian missile attacks are expected in the near future. Kiviselg noted that Russia's ongoing tactic is to suppress Ukrainian air defense. Artificial intelligence has been a big star during CES 2024. During this year's various presentations, we have seen various presentations regarding the integration of AI into gaming, home appliances, and even cars. Now, AI is making its way into childcare. A new company called Capella has developed a new app for your phone that can transcribe your newborn baby's cries informing you whether they are hungry, tired, uneasy or simply need a diaper change. All through the use of AI and machine learning. How Accurate Is The App? In an article published by CNET, it says that Capella states that their application is 95% accurate as opposed to humans who are only 30% correct. However, one should take these stats with a grain of salt and better yet if you think Capella's assessment is wrong you can just tap the "I disagree" option on their app. The app itself will cost you $10 a month and is even looking into seeing if your baby is crying because it's too hot or too cold. During their demonstration of the app, they used a baby doll crying to show off its capabilities. However, Capella is not the only product in the childcare market that uses AI to support you in your childcare endeavors. Last year at CES there was the device Qbear+ and it even received an award for its innovation. For more on Qbear+ Mashable has gone into more detail. But as previously stated, Capella's product isn't an entirely new device and is instead an app you can get for your phone. CNET pulled a statement from their site that says "With our groundbreaking AI-powered baby cry translator, we accurately understand your baby's needs and use AI-generated sounds to soothe your little one without requiring your constant attention". This year's CES has made it abundantly clear that artificial intelligence is not just a passing trend but is likely here to stay for the long term. As our understanding of AI and its diverse applications deepens, it is inevitable that we will see the implementation of more regulations and restrictions surrounding the use of this burgeoning technology. (Photo : -/AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT - A picture taken on May 14, 2019, shows a general view of the Hodeida port in the Yemeni port city, around 230 kilometres west of the capital Sanaa. - Yemen's Huthi rebels have handed over security of key Red Sea ports to the "coastguard" but much work remains to remove military equipment, the UN said. On Thursday night, the UK is expected to join the US in launching air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen 'within hours' to protect global shipping in the Red Sea. UK aircraft and Royal Navy ships were scheduled to participate in the operation within hours, approved by Cabinet ministers in an emergency joint call. UK, US to Fire Air Strikes Against Houthis The decision was confirmed after a frenetic behind-the-scenes activity in Whitehall that included a National Security Council meeting and an urgent Cobra meeting of senior ministers. On Thursday, Rishi Sunak warned Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Egyptian president, that the UK would continue to take action to defend freedom of navigation and protect lives at sea. A Downing Street spokesman said they had discussed the rise in Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the disruptive impact on global shipping, including the Suez Canal. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron traveled to Downing Street at 8 pm on Thursday to brief ministers on the call. UK Labour Leader Keir Starmer, the shadow Defense Secretary John Healey, and the Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle also received a briefing on the situation. The briefing indicated that there would be no time for a parliamentary vote to support military action. The US National Security Spokesperson for the White House, John Kirby, said, "We will take all necessary measures to oppose and eliminate the threats that the Houthis continue to pose to commercial shipping in the Red Sea." He added that they will continue to consult with allies and partners about the appropriate next steps. The UK Defense Secretary, Grant Shapps, gave a hint earlier this week that the Houthi rebels should "watch this space" and warned that Iran was "guiding what is happening there in the Red Sea." Shapps' hint comes after Cameron's warning last month that Britain would not put up with Tehran's malign activities, either in the Middle East or on home soil. Read Also: South Korea To Provide $3 Million Aid to Quake-Hit Japan as Death Toll Reaches 206 US, UK Shoot Down Houthi Drones, Missiles The Houthis launched several drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles that were purportedly all Iranian-designed. Centcom has reported that the weapons were fired from areas in Yemen under Houthi control. Centcom said on Tuesday night that the Houthi missiles and drones were aimed at an area through which numerous merchant vessels were passing. The Houthis carried out 26 attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes since November 19. The Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier sailing from Turkey to India, was their most recent target. The group claimed responsibility for initiating the attacks and said that they were against Israel's military actions in Gaza. Four destroyers, one from the UK and fighters from the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, participated in the operation. No damage or injuries were reported. Last month, the US established an international marine coalition to address the attacks. Due to the attacks, several shipping companies have used the longer maritime route around southern Africa instead of the Red Maritime. The Houthis stated that they intend to continue attacking until a resolution is reached regarding the conflict in Gaza. US soldiers successfully intercepted a drone launched from Yemen over the weekend. Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US naval forces in the Middle East, reported about the Houthis' recent use of an explosive-laden sea drone in commercial routes. Related Article: Yemen's Houthis Say They 'Targeted' Israeli Ship, No Damage Reported On Thursday, the officials announced that the US Virgin Islands will soon build its first artificial reef to boost coastal protection against future storms. According to the island's department of planning and natural sources, the 18-foot by 12-foot reef will be installed near the coast around St. Thomas and is expected to be completed by July. US Virgin Islands to Build First Artificial Reef Over $760,000 in federal funding will support the project awarded to the University of the Virgin Islands following the 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria that devastated the US territory. The department's commissioner, Jean-Pierre L. Oriol, said university officials will select the strongest specimens from over a dozen coral nurseries to attach to the artificial reef. He noted that the officials would work with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts to create an environmentally sensitive design. "The goal is to provide enhanced habitat for corals struggling from climate change and provide added shoreline protection as we work to restore natural coral reefs," Marilyn Brandt, project manager and a research professor at the University of the Virgin Islands, said. According to Fox News, the US Virgin Islands initiated the project due to the rising water temperatures causing stronger Atlantic hurricanes. Read Also: US Treasury's Yellen Vows Support for Egypt's Economic Reforms US Military 'Reefense' Program The US military intends to establish artificial reefs to safeguard coastal bases from storm surges amid rising sea levels and climate change. Three contracts have been given under the 'Reefense' program, which aims to bolster the protection provided by concrete breakwaters and human-built sea walls utilizing natural and manmade defenses. The project comes after catastrophic events such as Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that struck some of the Air Force's costly F-22 Raptor fighter jets in 2018. The hurricane also destroyed every building at Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base, resulting in $4.7 billion in damage overall. According to Catherine Campbell of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, they are creating engineered reef-mimicking structures, hybrid biological and self-healing, with a living component to reduce coastal erosion and floods. DARPA's Defense program envisioned an artificial structure that could disperse some of the power of incoming waves and storm surges. Furthermore, the program would enhance the capacity for coastal protection by creating an environment beneficial to the growth of oysters and corals on the artificial foundation. Although natural reefs typically take five to ten years to develop fully, DARPA hopes these artificial reef structures will spur serious oyster and coral settlement within just a few years. Its plan could use new laboratory methods for growing corals and oysters. One Rutgers University team in New Jersey has been awarded $4.5 million to build defenses modeled after oyster reefs in the Gulf of Mexico near Tyndall Air Force Base. More than $7.3 million was given to the University of Hawaii team to test out coral reef-promoting structures in the Pacific. The University of Miami's third team received about $7.5 million to create an artificial reef using a different kind of coral for the Atlantic Ocean. Related Article: Historic Oyster Reef to be Restored; About 85 Percent Have Disappeared Over Past Century US officials have raised concerns about an escalating risk of Hezbollah militants conducting attacks against American targets, both in the Middle East and potentially within the United States. These warnings come from four officials with knowledge of intelligence matters, who shared their insights with Politico. US Officials Warn of Home and Abroad Attack Risks The Iran-backed Hezbollah is believed to be inclined to target US personnel primarily in the Middle East, with intelligence agencies collecting data indicating potential attacks on American troops or diplomatic staff abroad. There is also a heightened alert for the possibility of strikes within the United States as tensions escalate. Officials acknowledge that Hezbollah possesses unique capabilities distinct from groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda. While details on potential attacks were not disclosed, concerns were expressed over the group's abilities and the potential impact on US interests. Given the recent exchange of cross-border fire between Israel, a key US ally in the Middle East, and Hezbollah following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, officials suggest that American military and diplomatic personnel in the region are likely initial targets. However, there is a growing apprehension regarding the potential for Hezbollah to carry out attacks on US soil. "Hezbollah could draw on the capability they have to put people [in] places to do something," emphasized one official in discussions with Politico. The officials stressed the need for vigilance, noting that Hezbollah's international network might be utilized for attacks against the US The situation adds complexity to the Biden administration's efforts to keep US troops out of Middle Eastern conflicts. Since October 7, American forces have faced numerous attacks from Iranian proxy groups, prompting US responses, including drone strikes, as per to Politico. Read Also: Former VP Mike Pence's Brother Rep. Greg Pence Announces Retirement From US House US Acts Amid Proxy Ties, Regional Tensions While it remains unclear if these proxy groups collaborate with Hezbollah, officials believe they share common goals in undermining American influence in the region. The US State Department has responded by heightening security at its embassy in Lebanon in anticipation of escalating tensions. Former State Department official Andrew Tabler highlighted the broader context, pointing out ongoing conflicts in eastern Syria and Iraq. The US administration is actively working to mitigate tensions and redirect Hezbollah away from Israel's northern border. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his recent visit to the Middle East, characterized the situation as a "moment of profound tension" with the potential to escalate further. The risk of an all-out war on Israel's northern border is a significant concern as hostilities persist. In response to recent events, Hezbollah described its rocket barrage as an "initial response" to the targeted killing of a top Hamas leader. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have signaled a diminishing tolerance for cross-border clashes, expressing readiness to use force if diplomatic resolutions fail. Israeli military chief Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi emphasized the rising military pressure on Hezbollah, indicating a potential shift towards a more forceful approach. The situation remains fluid, and the international community closely watches the developments in the region, according to Daily Mail. Related Article: Antony Blinken Announces UN Assessment Mission in Northern Gaza as Cost of Conflict on Children Far Too High The United Nations' top court commenced hearings on Thursday regarding South Africa's case against Israel for genocide. Israel and its key ally, the US, strongly deny these allegations, further complicating US relations with nations that hold differing views. During the court proceedings, South Africa's legal team presented their case, asserting that Israel's actions can be characterized as a consistent pattern of genocide. Netanyahu Slams Genocide Accusations An urgent request has been made to halt the ongoing Israeli campaign, which was initiated in response to a devastating attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7. The attack resulted in the loss of approximately 1,200 lives and the capture of 240 hostages. Per VOA News, Israel is set to present its arguments on Friday. It is possible that judges may take a significant amount of time to reach a decision. "Our government has taken the initiative to address the urgent situation in Gaza by seeking assistance from the International Court of Justice," stated South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, speaking outside the court. The global community is deeply moved by the commitment to justice and the efforts to end the humanitarian atrocities in Palestine. South Africa has accused Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention and drawing parallels to a similar situation within its own borders. Meanwhile, Israel has rejected the allegations as baseless. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli forces are making every effort to reduce civilian casualties, while also condemning Hamas militants for exploiting civilians as human shields. "Israel is engaged in combatting Hamas militants, rather than targeting the Palestinian civilian population, and we are carrying out our actions in complete accordance with international law," stated Netanyahu. However, opinions in Washington are divided, as certain politicians and labor leaders are backing South Africa's plea for a cease-fire, while also criticizing the Israeli forces for their perceived excessive actions. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the counteroffensive by Israel has resulted in the deaths of over 23,300 Palestinians. The aftermath has left large areas of Gaza in ruins and forced 85% of its population, totaling 2.3 million people, to be displaced. Josh Paul, a former director in the US State Department's Bureau of Political and Military Affairs, made the decision to resign in October as an act of protest. Recently, he submitted a document to the court in support of South Africa. South Africa has a history of strong support for the Palestinian cause, as former President Nelson Mandela once emphasized "the interconnectedness of our freedom with that of the Palestinians". However, experts argue that there are larger factors at play beyond Israel's actions. With an increasing number of countries and entities aligning with Pretoria's perspective instead of Washington's, the potential for significant diplomatic consequences looms large. This is particularly true if the UN-backed court were to deliver a verdict against Israel. According to Netanyahu, South Africa's hypocrisy is extremely evident and deserving of strong criticism. "We are fighting terrorists, we are fighting lies... Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide," he stated. Israel's foreign ministry strongly criticized South Africa, claiming that the country is supporting the Hamas terrorist organization with unfounded allegations. The White House also dismissed the allegations of genocide as baseless. Palestinians expressed their desire for the court to intervene and bring an end to the conflict. In Rafah, in southern Gaza, the bodies of members of the al-Arjany family killed overnight were laid out outside a morgue. Neighbor Khamis Kelab tenderly held the smallest of three children, wrapped in shrouds, and gently cradled the lifeless infant. Read Also: US Raises Concern on Hezbollah's Escalating Attacks, Warns Assault Inside Washington Israel-Gaza Conflict Since the start of the year, Israel has declared a new stage in the conflict, planning to gradually reduce its presence in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, where its military operation was initiated. Nevertheless, the level of conflict has escalated in the southern regions. Residents are cautiously returning to devastated cities in the north, only to find a desolate landscape where their homes once stood. Although Washington has expressed support for Israel's military campaign, it has also urged its ally to reduce the intensity of the conflict, prioritize the safety of civilians, and work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the future. This week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a visit to the region, engaging in discussions with Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as leaders of neighboring Arab States. During these meetings, he expressed support for Israel's efforts to combat Hamas while also urging for collaboration between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which acknowledges Israel's existence. During his visit to Egypt, he emphasized that providing a pathway to a Palestinian state would be crucial for stabilizing the broader region and countering the influence of Iran and its allies. According to Reuters, Blinken received updates on the ongoing efforts by Egypt and Qatar to mediate between Hamas and Israel, aiming to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of over 130 Israeli hostages in Gaza, as reported by Israeli sources. Family members of the hostages gathered near the Gaza fence on Thursday, expressing their love and support through a microphone, hoping that their messages would reach the captives. Related Article: Gaza Hostages: Israeli Military Claims Traces of Captives in Underground Tunnel Thousands protested in nearly 20 towns and cities on Thursday to condemn Prime Minister Robert Fico's efforts to close graft's prosecutor office. The disbandment of the special prosecutor's office, which handles serious crimes such as graft, organized crime, and extremism, was proposed by the three-party coalition government. Thousands of Slovaks Protested The police reported that about 20,000 protesters in a Bratislava central square opposed the plan. The first small protest in Bratislava involved hundreds on December 7 and has now spread to 20 towns and cities. Michal Simecka, head of liberal Progressive Slovakia, the strongest opposition party, was among the crowd. "You're making the same mistake as any other unsuccessful dictator," Simecka said in a message to Fico. She noted that Fico underestimated people's desire for freedom and justice. "Mafia, mafia," and "We've had enough of Fico," the protesters repeatedly chanted. The legislation approved by Fico's government requires parliamentary and presidential approval. Fico returned to power for the fourth time after his scandal-plagued leftist party won Slovakia's legislative election on September 30 on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. His critics fear that Slovakia could abandon its pro-Western course and instead follow the direction of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban if he returned. Since Fico's administration came to power, some elite investigators and police officials who handle high-profile corruption cases have been dismissed or furloughed. The planned changes in the legal system also include reduced penalties for corruption. Numerous high-ranking government employees, law enforcement personnel, judges, prosecutors, politicians, and business associates of Fico's party have been accused and found guilty of corruption and other crimes under the previous administration in 2020 after campaigning on an anti-corruption platform. Read Also: North Korea's Kim Jong Un Inspects Arms Factories Following Criticism of Russia's Weapon Transfers Former President Caputova Criticizes Fico's Plan President Zuzana Caputova has criticized the plan to close the office as a "step backward," which will be closely monitored in Brussels for potential damage to the rule of law. The issue has pitted neighbors Poland and Hungary against the European Union. The three-party coalition can override an expected veto by Caputova. Caputova declared she would be open to using a constitutional challenge to the legislation. It was unclear how the Constitutional Court might rule. Fico told a press conference that the USP had violated human rights in its processes and had to be dismantled. "This evil in the form of Lipsic must end, and we are doing that forcefully and thoroughly," he said. In 2018, he was forced to resign by mass protests after the murder of a journalist investigating corruption. He has long accused the USP of being politically biased against his SMER party and has spoken in favor of removing Leipsic. Furthermore, the USP also oversaw the murder investigation. Related Article: EU Migration Policy: Member States Agree on Series of New Procedures (Photo : Spencer Platt/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 11: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media at one of his properties, 40 Wall Street, following closing arguments at his civil fraud trial on January 11, 2024 in New York City. The former president, who is currently the front runner for the Republican nomination, attended the closing arguments for the trial which will now go to the judge for the penalty phase in which New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370 million in damages and to prohibit Trump from doing business in the state. Former President Donald Trump disclosed on Wednesday that he has already chosen a potential running mate for his 2024 general election campaign, contingent on securing the Republican nomination for president. Despite this revelation, Trump opted for secrecy during a televised town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, refusing to disclose the identity of his preferred running mate, as per to New York Post. Trump's Secretive VP Selection Adds GOP Suspense "I can't tell you that really. I mean, I know who it's going to be," Trump hinted when pressed for details. The former president's decision to withhold the name added an air of suspense to the political landscape. When questioned about considering individuals from the primary race, Trump expressed openness to the idea. Notably, he teased a potential preference for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who withdrew from the primary race that day and had been a vocal critic of Trump's, particularly targeting fellow candidate Nikki Haley. However, the lack of an official announcement leaves room for speculation, as a Trump campaign adviser emphasized that no final decision has been made regarding the vice-presidential pick. This clarification from NBC News underscored the fluidity of the situation, indicating that Trump might still be evaluating his options. Trump's standing as the dominant front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination is evident in polling data, with comfortable leads in both national and state-level surveys since announcing his candidacy in November 2022. According to polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Trump enjoys a 53-percentage-point lead in national surveys, a 36-point advantage in Iowa, and an 11-point margin in New Hampshire over his GOP rivals. While Trump has been relatively discreet about his potential running mate, he has mentioned South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as a consideration. Notably, there is an expectation that Trump will not select his previous running mate and vice president, Mike Pence, for another campaign. The push for a female running mate within Trump's circle has gained traction, with names like Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), and Nikki Haley being floated. However, Trump has yet to provide concrete details on his choice, maintaining an air of mystery around his decision-making process, according to The Hill. Read Also: More Than 20 Million Enroll for Obamacare, Breaking Record for Third Consecutive Year Trump Keeps VP Pick Secret During a Fox News town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump reiterated his reluctance to disclose the chosen running mate, even when pressed by host Martha MacCallum. The former president's comments revealed a willingness to consider reconciliation with former primary opponents. Trump playfully mentioned Chris Christie as a potential pick, despite their past differences. This jesting tone continued when asked about Christie as a vice-presidential candidate, with Trump dismissing the notion as an "upset." Christie, who was a finalist for Trump's running mate in 2016 but lost out to Mike Pence, predicted earlier on the day of the town hall that Nikki Haley would face difficulties in the race, a sentiment Trump echoed. While speculation continues about Trump's running mate, names like Kristi Noem and Senator Tim Scott have emerged as favorites. However, the official decision remains pending, and Trump's inner circle remains tight-lipped about the details. In response to queries about Trump's decision-making process, campaign advisors Chris LaCivita and Jason Miller emphasized that the president knows the qualities he is seeking in a vice president. Despite this insight, the specifics remain undisclosed, adding an element of intrigue to the unfolding narrative. As the 2024 election season progresses, Trump's eventual choice for a running mate will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of the Republican ticket and influence the dynamics of the presidential race. The anticipation surrounding this pivotal decision remains high, as the political landscape awaits further developments, Daily Mail reported. Related Article: Donald Trump Defies Judge, Gives His Own Closing Argument US Navy sailor, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison by a federal district court in California for engaging in espionage activities on behalf of China. Thomas Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of receiving a bribe related to his official duties. The Monterey Park resident, aged 26, received a fine of $5,500, significantly less than the maximum 20-year sentence that could have been imposed for the combined charges, as per to Newsweek. Former US Navy Sailor Zhao Sentenced for Spying Zhao, arrested in August, had worked as a petty officer at a US naval base in Ventura County, California. Born in China, he immigrated to the US in 2009, became a naturalized citizen in 2012, and enlisted in the US Navy in 2017. The sentencing came after Zhao admitted to accepting nearly $15,000 in 14 separate payments from a Chinese intelligence officer, betraying his country and compromising classified information. The espionage activities involved Zhao "collecting" and "transmitting" photographs and videos between August 2021 and May 2023. The stolen material included specific details of naval movements, logistical information, and operational support, along with diagrams and blueprints for a radar system installed on a US military base in Okinawa, Japan. The court proceedings revealed that Zhao's sentencing took into account his cooperation and guilty plea, resulting in a prison term lower than the maximum penalty. His sentence began from the day of his arrest, and he was also fined $5,500. United States Attorney Martin Estrada emphasized the severity of Zhao's actions, stating that he had betrayed his country by accepting bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer. The FBI's Los Angeles field office, represented by Donald Alway, highlighted the consequences for those who collaborate with foreign adversaries, reinforcing the message that such actions will be held accountable, according to The Star. Read Also: Former VP Mike Pence's Brother Rep. Greg Pence Announces Retirement From US House Chinese Embassy Denies Espionage Amid Tensions The Chinese embassy in Washington responded to the case, stating that it was not aware of the details but expressing opposition to what it deemed "groundless slander and smear of China" by the US government and media. This comes amid rising tensions between the two countries, with accusations and counter-accusations becoming increasingly common. Zhao's case is not isolated, as another US sailor, Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, faced similar charges in August for allegedly spying for China. Wei, born in China and naturalized as a US citizen in 2022, pleaded not guilty. The court has scheduled further proceedings for his case on March 18, and US officials view these incidents as evidence of China's espionage operations on American soil. These espionage cases underscore the broader shadow war between China and the United States, with both nations actively engaged in intelligence activities. The US government is particularly concerned about China's efforts to recruit individuals with security clearances, targeting military personnel to obtain sensitive information. While Zhao's sentencing serves as a legal consequence for his actions, it also reflects the ongoing challenges the US faces in countering foreign espionage and maintaining national security. As the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China intensifies, these cases highlight the importance of vigilance and security measures to protect sensitive information and military capabilities, The New York Times reported. Related Article: Japan Tightens Air Traffic, Pilot Protocols with New Rules After Haneda Collision The Biden Administration confirmed the early wave of student debt cancellations, boasting that they are six months ahead of their plan. This was announced by the White House on Friday, Jan. 12. As of writing, the U.S. has an outstanding student loan debt of almost $2 trillion. On Jan. 5, the Biden Admin approved over $130 billion in student loan forgiveness to assist more than 3 million borrowers. U.S. President Joe Biden said that this is a part of his promise to bring higher education to more hardworking Americans. Now, the Biden Admin announced a fresh wave of student loan debt cancellations for the government's SAVE program. Biden Admin Confirms Early Student Loan Debt Cancellations Joe Biden said that is proud that the Biden Administration is starting to implement one of the SAVE plan's impactful provisions. He boasted that they are implementing it six months ahead of their expected schedule. The American leader confirmed that they will start canceling all student loan debt of those who are enrolled in the SAVE plan as early as February. But, the early student loan debt cancellations will only apply to those who took out less than $12,000 in federal loans. Aside from this, they also need to be in repayment for at least 10 years, as reported by NBC News. "Starting next month, borrowers enrolled in SAVE who took out less than $12,000 in loans and have been in repayment for 10 years will get their remaining student debt canceled immediately," said Biden via his White House official statement. Read Also: Student Loan Forgiveness: 813,000 Americans To Have Debt Wiped Out; How To Determine If You're Included? Why Enroll in Biden's SAVE Plan The U.S. president said that the early student loan debt cancellations that his SAVE plan offers can help many Americans. These include low-income borrowers, community college borrowers, as well as those who are still struggling to settle their loan debts. "And, it's part of our ongoing efforts to act as quickly as possible to give more borrowers breathing room," explained Joe Biden. He added that this will help U.S. citizens escape the burden of student loan debt and move on with their lives to pursue their dreams. This is why the American leader is highly encouraging those who have student loan debts to enroll in the SAVE program. The Biden Administration said that the SAVE plan can cover around 30 million Americans. As of press time, only around 7 million U.S. residents are enrolled. This means that the slots occupied are just a small portion of the SAVE plan's enrollment capacity. "Today's announcement builds on all we've been able to achieve for students and student loan borrowers in the past few years," said the U.S. president. Related Article: President Joe Biden Announces $9 Billion Student Loan Debt Cancellation for 125K Borrowers Thailand was the first Asian nation to legalize cannabis 18 months ago, but the country's new administration is doing a dramatic turnaround and is planning to prohibit its recreational usage. The Southeast Asian nation's cannabis sector boomed under the previous administration's lenient regulations, benefiting both residents and tourists. However, a conservative coalition government took office late last year, promising to impose stricter regulations and limit cannabis usage to medicinal purposes only. Heavy Penalties, Prison Sentences On Tuesday, January 9, the Thai Ministry of Health unveiled a proposed law that would subject violators to heavy penalties, jail terms of up to a year, or both. It was open to public comments. In keeping with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's September 2023 commitment to "rectify" cannabis regulations within six months, the bill specifies that cannabis and cannabis-related goods would be restricted to medicinal and health uses exclusively. Despite the loosened regulations, public marijuana smoking was still banned. However, new legislation is also being considered that would prohibit ads for cannabis buds, extracts, and other related items. In November 2023, lawmakers rejected a previous legislative draft. In many interviews with the media, Thavisin has called drug misuse a big problem for the nation and has advocated for a ban on recreational cannabis usage. Cholnan Srikaew, the health minister, told Reuters this week, "We drafted this law to prohibit the wrong usage of cannabis. All recreational usage is wrong." See Also: Ukraine Legalizes Medical Marijuana to Help Treat Traumatized War Survivors Changes to Cannabis Policies Legalizing cannabis was a long-awaited policy shift in Thailand in June 2022, becoming the country the first in Asia to do so. According to CNN, this decision was a rare development in a region where many nations imposed severe punishments, including the death penalty, for marijuana-related offenses. Travelers visiting Thailand who partake in cannabis use while abroad should be aware that they may still face prosecution upon their return to Singapore, a country that upholds the death sentence for drug trafficking. Although medical marijuana has been legal in Thailand since 2018, the country went much further in 2022 when it decriminalized the production, sale, and use of all hemp products and components. Since then, an array of cannabis-themed companies, including shops, cafes, spas, and beauty treatments, have appeared all over Thailand. Decriminalization has been a huge boon to tourism, and some cities, including Chiang Mai and Bangkok, have even hosted cannabis festivals. Those in favor of legalization have pointed out that many Thais, including farmers, small company owners, and counter employees, have benefited from the country's recent cannabis growth. Nonetheless, according to a prior interview with CNN by Anutin Charnvirakul, the country's former health minister and a staunch advocate for cannabis legalization, the goal was never to let Thais and visitors smoke marijuana recreationally in public. See Also: Joe Biden Issues Federal Marijuana Pardon! How Broad Is Its Scope? Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that during the next meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda he would discuss his upcoming visit to Kyiv, he said this in an interview with Polish media on January 12, Polsatnews reports. I will go to the president, in particular to talk about the nature of my mission - I will be in Kyiv in the coming days, Tusk said. He emphasized that for both him and the president, the situation in Ukraine and at the front is the number one issue for the security of Poland. There are other issues that need to be resolved, for example, related to the interests of Polish carriers, the prime minister said. According to Tusk, the meeting with Duda will take place on Monday. Anthony Fauci revealed that social distancing, one of the safety measures they suggested during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, was not based on science. This is just one of the COVID-19 revelations he shared when the former White House medical adviser was interviewed by the House select subcommittee on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 regarding the coronavirus health crisis. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability published its press release on Wednesday, Jan. 10, to share what Dr. Fauci admitted during the two-day interview. Anthony Fauci Admits Social Distancing Not Based on Science When the global pandemic was at its peak, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), CDC, and other health agencies urged Americans and other people across the globe to do social distancing to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Anthony Fauci and other leading health officials supported this COVID-19 safety measure, claiming that social distancing was crucial to slow down COVID-19 infections. However, the ex-NIAID director confirmed that social distancing wasn't really based on scientific data, as reported by Fox News. Committee Chair Brad Wenstrup, who transcribed Dr. Fauci's interview, said that the health leader explained that social distancing recommendations "sort of just appeared." Anthony Fauci said that social distancing suggestions were likely not based on science. What the former White House health adviser said is clearly disappointing for many Americans and other people across the globe who blindly followed the safety measures. Read Also: Men Live 6 Years Shorter Than Women After COVID-19 Crisis, New Study Finds Anthony Fauci's Other COVID-19 Revelations Aside from social distancing not being based on scientific data, Anthony Fauci also testified that the COVID-19 lab leak hypothesis wasn't a conspiracy theory. What he revealed is a big deal since Fauci and other health officials were criticized for pushing the natural origin theory, which argues that COVID-19 came from animals, just to protect China. "Dr. Fauci's transcribed interview revealed systemic failures in our public health system and shed light on serious procedural concerns with our public health authority," said Wenstrup. "It is clear that dissenting opinions were often not considered or suppressed completely," he added. The U.S. representative of Ohio further stated that if ever another serious health crisis hit the world, the response of the United States should be guided by conclusive data and scientific facts. If you want to learn more about the latest COVID-19 revelations during the two-day interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, you can click this link. Related Article: Fauci Responds to Criticism After Study Shows Masks Had Little Effect During COVID-19 Pandemic Thousands of Yemeni citizens protested in cities across the country to listen to leaders condemn the air strikes carried out by the United States and Britain in response to attacks by Houthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea, reports Reuters. Dozens of airstrikes were carried out overnight. This action significantly widens the theater of combat in the region that was initially set off by Israel's response to the Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7. "Your strikes on Yemen are terrorism," said Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council. "The United States is the Devil." The Houthis began attacking shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza. They fired drones and missiles toward Israel and targeted ships bearing the Israeli flag. However, they've since attacked any vessel they feel is vulnerable. The Houthis hold the United States partly responsible for the war in Gaza because they're the country's closest ally. This recent action has upped the stakes significantly, though. "We did not attack the shores of America, nor did we move in the American islands, nor did we attack them. Your strikes on our country are terrorism," said Al-Houthi."They are terrorists and they are amazing at lying to the people of the world, but the awareness of the Yemeni people is a different awareness. Do you, Yemeni, think that America is defending itself or is it a terrorist?" US and UK warplanes, ships, and submarines launched 73 airstrikes on 60 targets at 16 different locations using 100 precision munitions on military bases and other targets. "These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation," U.S. President Joe Biden said. In December the United States and its allies formed a naval task force to the region. US attack helicopters sank three boats and killed several Houthi fighters who were attempting to board a ship. On Tuesday, the United States and Britain shot down 21 missiles and drones that targeted them. Al Gore is stepping down from Apple's Board of Directors after more than two decades, announced the company on Thursday. Apple has a longstanding policy that its directors cannot stand for reelection after reaching the age of 75-- ruling Gore, who is now 75, ineligible for renomination. Additionally, Gore is known as the 45th Vice President of the United States, and for his fervent activism on climate issues. The noble honoree received $376,894 as compensation for serving on Apple's Board of Directors in 2023, according to an SEC filing, reported CNN. Per Reuters, Gore's resignation coincides with Microsoft overtaking Apple as the world's most valuable company for the first time since 2021, after the iPhone maker's shares made a weak start to the year on growing concerns over demand. Microsoft and Apple have been head-to-head for the top spot for years. Microsoft's shares have risen sharply since last year, thanks to the early lead the company has taken in generative artificial intelligence through an investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Reuters also revealed Microsoft's stock closed 0.5% higher, giving it a market valuation of $2.859 trillion. However, shares of Apple closed 0.3% lower, giving the company a market capitalization of $2.886 trillion. "It was inevitable that Microsoft would overtake Apple since Microsoft is growing faster and has more to benefit from the generative AI revolution," said D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria. Microsoft has integrated OpenAI's technology across its suite of productivity software, a move that helped spark a rebound in its cloud-computing business in the July-September quarter. Meanwhile, Reuters went on to report Apple has been grappling with weakening demand, including for the iPhone, its biggest cash cow. In a statement obtained by CNBC, the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, wrote, "For more than 20 years, Al has contributed an incredible amount to our work - from his unconditional support for protecting our users' privacy to his incomparable knowledge of environment and climate issues." CNBC announced that Gore, along with former Boeing CFO James Bell, will retire at the company's annual shareholder meeting next month. They'll be replaced by former Aerospace CEO Wanda Austin, pending a shareholder vote, the company said in an SEC filing. Bell, who was on Apple's audit and finance committee, owns shares worth over $7 million. His annual compensation was similar to Gore's pay. (Photo : Alex Wong/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - NOVEMBER 29: The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on November 29, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and the worlds largest office building. On Thursday the Pentagon's inspector general released a report that said the United States military could not or did not track $1 billion in weapons sent to Ukraine. The inspector's report revealed that before December 2022, the delinquency rate was at 59% on weapons that needed close monitoring. That number fell to 27% in February and persisted until June 2023. Weapons are considered to be delinquent if they are not recorded as part of an inventory within a particular amount of time. "While the DoD (Department of Defense) has improved execution of EEUM (enhanced end use monitoring) since the fullscale invasion began in February 2022, the DoD did not fully comply with the EEUM program requirements for defense article accountability in a hostile environment." Congress has approved over $110 billion in military for Ukraine since Russia invaded and President Joe Biden has asked for $61 billion more. What Are The Republicans Doing? However, Republicans are refusing to allow this without an agreement from Democrats for funding to strengthen security along the United States border with Mexico. It was also revealed on Thursday that military aid to Ukraine has "completely stopped" due to the inability of Congress to come to an agreement on continuing support for Ukraine. "The aid we were providing until now has completely stopped," said White House spokesperson John Kirby at a press conference. Democrats control the Senate and Republicans control the Lower House. Republican opposition has stated that they will only approve the new aid package if it contains border security measures. US President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve an additional $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but the Republican opposition has said that it will only approve this new aid package if Democrats agree to implement a series of measures on border security. "The attacks that the Russians are carrying out are only increasing. And now they are using North Korean ballistic missiles to carry out those attacks," Kirby stressed. As the world's attention focuses on Ukraine and Gaza, tens of thousands of opposition supporters gathered in Warsaw, Poland to protest against the new government's sweeping changes to state media and the imprisonment of two former ministers who were convicted of abuse of power. Former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski and his deputy Maciej Wasik were arrested on Tuesday in a high-profile raid on the presidential palace and taken to prison. A new, pro-European Union coalition government headed by Donald Tusk is looking to undo the policies of the previous Law and Justice party administration, which is nationalist. However, President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the former government, said he had already begun proceedings to pardon the two ministers. This, by any measure, is seen as an escalation. "We have to win this great battle for a sovereign, independent Poland," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told the crowd. State-run news agency PAP put the number of people in the crowd at 35,000, while a spokesperson for the previous government (PiS) put the number at closer to 200,000. Protesters heard speeches from PiS lawmakers and marched to the offices of state TV. Leadership changes have been made by the new government in a bid to restore balance to outlets that had simply become propaganda engines for the prior government during its eight years in power. The former ruling party also introduced reforms that critics have said undermine the courts. The reforms are so urgently sought by Donald Trusk to unblock billions in funding that has been frozen by the European Union due to the policies of the prior government. "I decided to initiate pardon proceedings," the president told a press conference on Thursday. He said he was applying to the prosecutor general to suspend the men's sentences. Kaminski and Wasik were convicted of abuse of power in 2015, alleged to have allowed agents under Wasik's command to use entrapment in an investigation. They denied wrongdoing and were pardoned, allowing them to take up their government posts. Now lawyers are questioning whether Duda even has the power even has the power to pardon Kaminski before an appeals court reaches a final ruling. Morality is facing threats and suppression on a global scale, impacting people everywhere, from wars to selective government outrage about some abuses and silence about others because of "political expediency," said a leading human rights group to The Associated Press on Friday. "We only have to look at the human rights challenges of 2023 to tell us what we need to do differently in 2024," Human Rights Watch recorded in its annual global report. Armed conflicts have grown rapidly, notably the Israel-Hamas war, and have escalated rapidly. The core issues often stem from how governments choose to address these hostilities. Tirana Hassan, the New York-based watchdog's executive director, said in a news conference. "It needs to be an end to double standards," reported AP. Using an example, she said many governments quickly and justifiably condemned the "unlawful" killings and atrocities by the Palestinian militant Hamas group when it attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. After the attacks, Israel "unlawfully blocked" aid to Gaza residents and its ongoing offensive in the territory has killed more than 23,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, while reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. "Yet many of the governments that condemned Hamas' war crimes have been muted in responding to the war crimes committed by the Israeli government," Hassan continued. Per The Associated Press, she elaborated that declaring such selective outrage sends a dangerous message that some people matter more than others and shakes the legitimacy of the international rules that protect everyone's human rights. The report highlighted obvious trade-offs on human rights in the name of politics, specifically mentioning the failure of numerous governments to denounce the Chinese government's repression and control over civil society, the internet, and the media. The report detailed the United States and European Union as ignoring their human rights obligations in favor of politically advantageous results. "U.S. President Joe Biden has shown little appetite to hold responsible human rights abusers who are key to his domestic agenda or are seen as bulwarks to China," it said. "U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia, India, and Egypt violate the rights of their people on a massive scale yet have not had to overcome hurdles to deepen their ties with the U.S.," the report went on. "Vietnam, the Philippines, India, and other nations the U.S. wants as counters to China have been feted at the White House without regard for their human rights abuses at home." Yet amid the darkness, there are signs of hope showing the prospect of an unprecedented trajectory. "If the people at the center whose human rights are being abused are still prepared to fight then human rights matter," Hassan concluded. After the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)approved the first-ever spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), cryptocurrency investors predicted that bitcoin's value might surpass $100,000 this year. In 2024, the impacts of the adoption of a bitcoin ETF, which would widen the range of investors who may obtain exposure to the crypto, would start to become more obvious, according to many crypto investors CNBC talked with. Although the regulator has given the green light for the ETFs to launch, they have been quite clear that this does not mean they would be approving listing criteria for crypto asset securities. The market has responded strongly to that news since Wednesday, January 10, when the SEC's decision was publicized. On Friday, January 12, one bitcoin was selling for $46,118, a decrease of around 0.4%. It hit $49,000 for a moment, the most it has been since December 2021. Nevertheless, it is anticipated that Bitcoin will have significant price increases in the future due to ETFs and other changes in the cryptocurrency market. What is Bitcoin ETF? Forbes defines ETFs as a kind of investment vehicle that represents a group of assets, including stocks, bonds, or commodities. Like individual equities, ETFs are traded on stock exchanges. Nevertheless, ETFs provide investors with a diversified portfolio of assets, reducing the chance of individual equities falling to zero. Now that the Bitcoin ETF has been approved by the SEC, investors may use their brokerage accounts to acquire shares of the fund instead of buying and holding Bitcoin directly on a cryptocurrency trading platform. Shares of the ETF reflect a stake in the fund's total holdings of Bitcoin, and the ETF holds Bitcoin on behalf of investors. Also Read: South Korea Urges To Ban Crypto Sales Using Credit Cards; Here's Why! What do experts say? The creator of SkyBridge Capital, Anthony Scaramucci, has said that he has been expanding his exposure to several cryptocurrencies in the last year. "I think this is a really big breakthrough for Bitcoin as a digital asset, it's a much broader story for digital property in general," he told CNBC. " Scaramucci has predicted that bitcoin would reach $100,000 in the next year as far as its price goes. "Could bitcoin be $100,000, which is more or a little bit more than a double over the next year? I do believe that." However, he also made a disclaimer that he had been wrong for some time before. Meanwhile, Vijay Ayyar, the vice president of international markets for the Indian cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX, said that ETF approvals have already been factored in. Since October 2023, the price of Bitcoin has risen from around $25,000 to over $47,000. "The next leg up is when we start seeing Bitcoin purchases for the ETF itself. That could happen in the next week or two," Ayyar stated. Also Read: New IRS Rule Takes Aim at Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency Tax Reporting, Drawing Ire From Industry Groups Cape Verde has been certified as malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO), which experts have hailed as a significant accomplishment in global health. The certification has been awarded since no local transmission has been documented in the nation in the past three years. It has been 50 years since a country in sub-Saharan Africa was officially declared malaria-free. Prolonged Fight With Malaria Africa has a disproportionately high malaria death toll. In 2022, WHO reported 233 million cases of malaria and 580,000 fatalities in the region. In this case, mosquito bites are the vector for the complicated parasite that causes the illness. Even if vaccines are starting to be introduced in certain areas, the best approach to prevent malaria is to keep an eye on the condition and stay away from mosquito bites. Over the course of many years, the small country of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa, has worked to improve its healthcare services and ensure that all cases may be diagnosed and treated. Early case detection and mosquito control have both been accomplished by surveillance personnel. Also Read: COVID-19 Revelations: Anthony Fauci Admits Social Distancing Not Based on Science What Actions Did Cape Verde Take? According to BBC, Cape Verde has instituted a program to combat malaria that provides free medical treatment and diagnostics to foreign travelers and migrants in an effort to reduce the number of cases brought in from Africa. The many healthcare providers, community members, and foreign partners who have worked tirelessly toward this goal deserve much of the credit for the accomplishment. Dr. Filomena Goncalves, health minister of Cape Verde, told the BBC that this exemplifies what can be done when people work together to improve public health. Dr. Dorothy Achu Fosah, who works for the WHO's Africa office, went on to say that the team was "excited and pleased" with the result that eliminated malaria in the nation. According to health professionals, Cape Verde's success demonstrates the efficacy of containment and eradication strategies, which is a great lesson for other small African nations. Dr. Achu Fosah said that one of the country's key success factors is its status as an archipelago. It is simpler to pinpoint the disease's hotspots and track its spread among islands than it would be on a continuous land mass. Due to the large number of people that often travel across borders in nations like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Nigeria, it will be very difficult for any one nation to completely get rid of the illness. Only Sao Tiago, out of the nine inhabited islands of Cape Verde, has shown signs of malaria in recent years, and this is where the last efforts were focused. Mauritius, an island republic in sub-Saharan Africa, was the last country to be certified malaria-free in 1973. In 2019, the North African country of Algeria also received this certification. Also Read: CDC Identifies Possible Cause for Salmonella Outbreak; Sam's Club Meat Samplers Now Under Investigation Relatives of the victims in a racially motivated mass shooting have been called to federal court Friday for a "substantial update" in the case against the gunman, their attorney told The Associated Press. The families have been waiting to hear whether or not prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Payton Gendron, the then 19-year-old gunman who is charged in a federal indictment with hate crimes and weapon charges. On May 14, 2022, a White gunman, Payton Gendron, murdered 10 people at a Tops Friendly Markets grocery in a predominately Black neighborhood. Gendron wore bullet-resistant armor and a helmet armed with a live streaming camera as he executed his attack with a semiautomatic rifle. Authorities revealed to AP that the weapon was purchased legally but had been modified so that Gendron could load it with illegal high-capacity magazines. Those killed in Gendron's attack ranged in age from 32 to 86. They included a church deacon, the grocery store's guard, a man shopping for a birthday cake, a grandmother of nine, and the mother of a former Buffalo fire commissioner. Lawyers for Gendron previously said he would consider pleading guilty to the federal charges if the death penalty was taken off the table. He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on state charges in February 2023, after pleading guilty to 15 charges, including domestic terrorism activated by hate, murder, and attempted murder. New York does not have capital punishment, however, executions are possible in federal cases. In an article published by ABC News, the filing noted that the "United States believes the circumstances in Counts 11-20 of the Indictment are such that, in the event of a conviction, a sentence of death is justified." Justice Department officials have been deliberating on whether Gendron will face the death penalty in the federal case, which has delayed the start of the trial, CNN reported. The United States Department of Justice did not provide any further information to CNN when pressed on the announcement. Attorneys for Gendron and his parents did not respond to emailed requests for comment, nor did the U.S. attorney's office in Buffalo. The status hearing is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. Airlines across the United States have canceled over 1,600 flights on Friday after winter storms knocked out power to homes and business across 12 states. In total, 1,238 flights were delayed and 1,643 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware.com. "We expect some operational challenges due to the weather in the Midwest today and potentially tomorrow due to the winter weather in the region," a Delta Air Lines spokesperson said. The Federal Aviation Administration warned that clouds, snow, and strong winds would delay flights at certain airports, but a new day hammered on the fact that the reality of the matter was more dire than could have been predicted. Southwest canceled 355 flights, while SkyWest canceled 275. United has canceled 258 flights thus far but more cancelations are expected on Saturday as it waits for clearance to resume flying the Boeing 737 MAX 9, which has come under fire lately. United is attempting to meet its obligation by switching to other aircraft types. The FAA recently launched a formal investigation into the 737 MAX 9 airplane after an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing when a cabin panel blew off while the plane was in flight. All planes of this type were grounded across the nation. An agreement needs to be reached between the FAA and Boeing before Alaska Airlines and United Airlines can begin their final inspections of their respective MAX 9 aircraft. Alaska and United may cancel flights that are non-MAX 9 to use those planes on flights that are affected by the MAX 9 grounding. "Alaska and United may cancel non-MAX 9 flights to free up aircraft to cover high-volume routes that were to be served by MAX 9s," said Henry Harteveldt, president and travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group. The widespread cancellations and delays continue to plague U.S. airlines, with over 1,600 flights affected due to winter storms causing power outages in 12 states. Delta Air Lines anticipates operational challenges, acknowledging the Midwest's adverse weather. Southwest, SkyWest, and United have collectively canceled hundreds of flights, the latter awaiting clearance for Boeing 737 MAX 9 operations amid a formal FAA investigation following an emergency landing. Grounded MAX 9 planes add complexity, prompting Alaska and United to potentially cancel non-MAX 9 flights to reallocate aircraft. As the FAA-Broeing resolution unfolds, the industry grapples with uncertainties, emphasizing the storm's disruptive impact on air travel. The new head of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stephane Sejourne, arrived in Kyiv on Saturday, January 13. For almost two years, Ukraine has been on the front line of defending its sovereignty and ensuring the security of Europe. Frances assistance is long-term. Thats what I came to Kyiv with on my first trip, the minister wrote on X (Twitter) on Saturday. In response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea, the United States and British militaries struck at more than 60 targets in 16 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, said The Associated Press. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, claiming they were avenging Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. But they have frequently targeted vessels with no clear links to Israel, jeopardizing shipping in a key route for global trade and energy shipments. As airstrikes illuminated the sky over various sites held by the Iranian-backed rebels, it redirected global attention to Yemen's prolonged conflict initiated by the Houthi seizure of the country's capital. The Houthis' military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a recorded address that the strikes would "not go unanswered or unpunished," according to an article published by the AP. "These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea - including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history," Biden said in a statement obtained by TIME. He noted the attacks endangered U.S. personnel and civilian mariners and jeopardized trade, and he added, "I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary." What Does President Biden Have To Say? Biden said the strikes were meant to demonstrate that the U.S. and its allies "will not tolerate" the militant group's ceaseless attacks on the Red Sea. And mentioned they only made the move after attempts at diplomatic negotiations and careful deliberation. According to reports from Independent, Houthi rebels have verified that the airstrikes resulted in the death of at least five individuals and left six others wounded. The call for retribution adds to growing apprehensions about a potential escalation of tensions in the Middle East. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and U.S. President Joe Biden have both condemned the Houthis' "reckless actions" in targeting dozens of international cargo ships since the start of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, reported Independent. The Pentagon has increased its military presence in the region after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel to discourage Iran from expanding the war into a regional conflict. Several weeks ago it was reported that former President Donald Trump received more than $7.8 million while in office from at least 20 foreign governments, according to a report revealed by the House Oversight Committee. The 156-page report, titled "White House For Sale," details evidence of thousands of Trump business records obtained from Mazars USA, an accounting firm that has worked for Mr. Trump for years, after the Supreme Court ruled against the former president's claim that he has absolute immunity back in 2020. Now, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is demanding that the former president return the $7.8 million his companies received while in office in a letter. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee Democrats allege the payments violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. "Your acceptance of foreign emoluments while in office was a stunning violation of the U.S. Constitution - and a profound betrayal of the interests of the United States and the trust of the American people," Raskin wrote in a letter. The vast majority of the funds, some $5.6 million, came from China and went to Trump hotels in Washington and Las Vegas, as well as Trump Tower in New York, according to The Hill. Raskin further believes the total amount is yet to be determined because it does not account for money Trump received directly and that the investigation was stymied by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky) when he became committee chair in January 2023. What Did The Report Say? "Critically, the report was unable to provide a full accounting of the total amount of foreign emoluments you accepted as President, and thus, was unable to determine precisely what you owe to the American people," Raskin wrote. "You spent years litigating against the Committee to prevent us from obtaining any documents regarding the foreign emoluments you received while in office." Raskin believes the countries his business holding received money from "sought - and in many cases obtained - favors and specific policy outcomes from you and your Administration" in exchange. Raskin and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) debated the matter in a committee hearing on Thursday. "There is no hotel exception, Mr. Donalds, to the foreign emoluments clause," Raskin said. "There is no international real estate syndicate exception to the foreign emoluments clause, Mr. Donalds." HNGN will further update this story as details to continue to emerge. The Federal Aviation Administration said that it will closely monitor Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes once they return. FAA's Administrator Mike Whitaker announced this effort on Friday, Jan. 12. Recently, the American airplane manufacturer Alaska Airlines made headlines after an alarming in-flight blowout happened during an AS flight involving a 737 Max 9 aircraft. Passengers shared their traumatizing experience, saying that they could feel the gush of air while they made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport. To ensure that this won't happen, the Federal Aviation Administration will thoroughly check all 737 Max 9 airplanes once they are operational again. FAA To Closely Monitor Boeing 737 Max 9 Airplanes Once Operational During a telephone interview, the FAA head claimed that a manufacturing issue caused the Alaska Airlines mid-flight blowout incident. Mike Whitaker added that it's clear that the alarming incident wasn't caused by a design problem. Because of this, he vowed that the Federal Aviation Administration would conduct a comprehensive audit of Boeing production issues. Whitaker said that this will start with the 737 Max 9 airplanes. After that, the FAA will closely monitor other airplane models. "This has been going on for a while and whatever's happening isn't fixing the problem," said the FAA administrator via Yahoo News. He added that "there's no chance of this happening again." Mike Whitaker promised that they would not approve any Boeing 737 Max 9 to return until the American aircraft developer convinces them to do so. Read Also: Alaska Airlines, United Airlines Discover Unsecured Parts on Grounded Boeing 737 Max Aircraft: Report When Will Boeing 737 Max 9 Airplanes Return? As of writing, it is still unknown when will Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes will return to duty. Boeing also hasn't made any comment regarding the comprehensive audit that the FAA will conduct. However, the American manufacturer said that it would cooperate with the FAA and NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) on their investigations and other activities to ensure that the in-flight blowout will not happen again. FAA recently said that if Boeing wants its 737 Max 9 airplanes to become operational again, it needs to provide instructions to airlines. Boeing must properly guide air travel service providers on how to inspect and maintain plugs. "Boeing offered an initial version of instructions yesterday which they are now revising because of feedback received in response," said FAA on Jan. 10. "Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing the FAA will conduct a thorough review," it added via Los Angeles Times. Related Article: Winter Weather Causes Cancellations, Exacerbated by 737 MAX 9 Grounding by FAA The sitcom hit TV series Friends has a widespread appeal that is hard to dispute, particularly when fans have shown they are willing to pay five-figure sums for a piece of the show's archives. On December 12, 2023, the original screenplays for two episodes from 1998, The One With Ross' Wedding I and The One With Ross' Wedding II, were put up for sale by Hanson Ross, an auction house in Hertfordshire, England. The scripts were estimated to be worth between 600 (about $765) and 800 (about $1,020). Although the buyer's identity was withheld, the auction company did state that there had been intense competition, with 219 bids submitted in advance from various locations across the globe, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Spain, Australia, Ukraine, Dubai, and Switzerland. The hammer price was 22,000 (around $28,000) but reached 28,864 (over $36,000) due to several fees. "Online international bidder" was listed as the buyer, as reported by BBC. "I just can't believe the result and the impact this find has had. Bidders went crazy for these scripts. The global interest was phenomenal," said Amanda Butler, Hanson Ross' head of operations. Discovered in Trash Bin 26 Years Ago According to Hanson Ross, the screenplays were first discovered in a garbage can 26 years ago, after the completion of production at the now-defunct Fountain Studios in Wembley. An employee of the site, who is now 60 years old and retired, said that she found the scripts weeks after the shooting had ended, USA Today reported. Actors were meant to destroy them to prevent the endings from leaking. "It was part of my job to ensure everything was tidy and no rubbish was left around. I wasn't sure what to do with them so just put them in my office drawer. I remember wondering which member of the cast they might have belonged to," the lady told Hanson Ross. Not long ago, she rediscovered the scripts from her possessions and discovered a studio audience member's ticket inside one of them. She ultimately opted to have the scripts assessed at that point. "These scripts deserve to be owned by a big Friends fan," she stated. See Also: Chandler's Fans Shocked by Matthew Perry's Sudden Death Scripts From Two-Part Storyline In this two-part storyline, Ross (David Schwimmer) and Emily (Helen Baxendale) are getting married in London. Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) went there to witness it. The pregnant Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) remains at home in New York, and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) stays behind, too, avoiding further drama when her ex-boyfriend gets married. Rachel, who initially did not plan to go to London for the wedding, comes to the realization at the conclusion of Part 1 that she must proclaim her love for Ross before the ceremony. Ultimately, Rachel chooses to keep her feelings from Ross. Unfortunately, Ross ruins his own wedding by accidentally saying Rachel's name at the altar during the vows instead of Emily's. The two-part season finale left viewers hanging, eagerly awaiting the premiere of the next season. See Also: Warner Bros Discovery and Tom Cruise Announce New Joint Deal Italy's justice minister, Carlo Nordio, has ruled against the extradition of a former chaplain sought in Argentina on charges of murder and torture during the South American country's last military dictatorship, human rights advocates told The Associated Press Friday. (Photo : FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP via Getty Images) This picture taken on January 19, 2022, shows the Palazzo di Giustizia (Palace of Justice), so-called Palazzaccio, seat of the Supreme Court of Cassation in Rome. In October, Italy's top criminal court had approved the extradition of the Rev. Franco Reverberi, an 86-year-old Italian priest who had served as military chaplain during Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship. Reverberi, who has joint Argentinian and Italian citizenship, left Argentina in 2011 after trials against pro-junta figures began in Argentina, returning to his hometown near Parma, Italy. Since then, he has lived mostly undisturbed, where he continued to celebrate mass until recently. Nordio, however, ruled against extradition, citing the priest's advanced age and poor health. A copy of the ruling, obtained by The Associated Press, was made available by rights advocates who have followed the case. "The Italian justice minister's move is in contrast to the judicial decisions against Reverberi," said Arturo Salerni, a lawyer who represented Argentina in the case. "Our last hope is that Reverberi can be prosecuted in Italy," The Guardian reported. Jorge Ithurburu, president for 24 Marzo - an NGO based in Rome representing the relatives of victims of the Argentinian dictatorship - called for Reverberi to face trial in Italy. "Impunity is not provided for by the law," said Ithurburu quoted by The Guardian. "We are already in contact with the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights in San Rafael, Argentina, which is ready to file a complaint with Italian authorities for Reverberi's crimes. If the priest is not extradited, then he should be prosecuted in Italy." Following the 1976 coup, Argentina's military systematically obliterated any prospective opposition and ultimately, murdered around 30,000 people, almost all of them unarmed non-combatants. Pregnant prisoners were only kept alive long enough to give birth. According to The Guardian, it is believed that roughly 500 babies were given to childless military couples to raise as their own. So far 133 of these children born in captivity, now in their 40's, have been reunited with their biological families. Rev. Franco Reverberi faces charges related to the alleged murder in 1976 of the 20-year-old political activist, Jose Guillermo Beron, and his alleged participation in torture. Like many of the criminals who were part of those regimes at the time, Reverberi fled to Italy, taking advantage of his Italian origins and dual nationality. Reverberi continues to deny any wrongdoing and has not been convicted by the courts or excommunicated by the Vatican. Jewish students file a lawsuit against Harvard University for what they claim is "antisemitism cancer" that has spread throughout the campus. The plaintiffs accuse the institution of "hir[ing] professors who support anti-Jewish violence" and "ignoring students' pleas for protection." The lawsuit also argues that the school as well as its administrators directly and indirectly discriminate against Jewish Harvard students. Lawsuit Against Harvard University A major New York City law firm, Kasowitz Benson Torres (KBT), was the one that filed the lawsuit against Harvard on Wednesday. The firm has been investigating colleges for allegedly violating Jewish students' Title VI civil rights. The law firm also recently hit New York University with litigation, which was the first of what is expected to be a series of legal actions from the firm against elite universities. Title VI prohibits any institution that receives federal funding from discriminating against groups on the basis of race, color, or national origin, as per Fox News. The latest lawsuit claims that the antisemitism at Harvard University is "severe and pervasive" and that it created a "hostile environment" where Jewish students are "unsafe against their abusers." It also noted that not only did students face antisemitism within the institution, but the school also avoided taking action and enforcing its policies to protect Jews in particular. It alleged that Harvard and its administrator were responsible for discriminating against Jewish students. The lawsuit is calling for courts to force the institution in question to take immediate action, which includes disciplinary action such as "termination" of professors, and "suspension" of students. The plaintiffs of the lawsuit include members of the Students Against Antisemitism group, which accused Harvard of tolerating Jewish students being harassed, assaulted, and intimidated. These types of actions have intensified following the Oct. 7, attack of Hamas on Israel, according to The Guardian. The lawsuit claims that mobs of pro-Hamas students and faculty have marched by the hundreds through Harvard's campus as they shouted vile antisemitic slogans and called for the death of Jews and Israel. It remains unclear what the mention of mobs in the lawsuit refers to but Harvard University has been rattled by protests since the initial Hamas assault. There was also one point where pro-Palestinian students occupied a campus building for 24 hours. Read Also: More Than 20 Million Enroll In Obamacare, Breaking Record for Third Consecutive Year Spread of Antisemitism A partner at the law firm that brought the lawsuit against Harvard, Marc Kasowitz said that the litigation was necessary because the institution would not "correct its deep-seated antisemitism problem voluntarily." A school spokesperson noted that the institution does not comment on pending litigation. Currently, roughly a dozen students are potentially facing disciplinary charges for violations of protest rules related to pro-Palestinian activities, but the spokesperson said that Harvard could not comment on their cases as well. The situation that Harvard is facing now is similar to what other schools have been experiencing in recent months. It was exacerbated after the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT testified in December last year at a congressional hearing. That particular hearing was investigating campus antisemitism amid the continued war between Israel and Hamas. The president of Harvard at the time, Claudine Gay, faced fierce criticism over her remarks, which became factors in her resignation this month, said the New York Times. Related Article: Exonerated NC Man Gets $25m Settlement After 44-Year Wrongful Jail Time Brunei Prince Abdul Mateen made headlines as he married his commoner partner, Anisha Rosnah Isa-Kalebic, during a lavish 10-day ceremony. Matee, who was considered to be Asia's most eligible bachelor, is a real-life prince of an Islamic sultanate steeped in centuries-old traditions. However, on Instagram, he is more Hollywood than royalty as he is seen flying in fighter jets, driving speed boats, and posing bare-chested after workouts. Brunei's Royal Wedding The 32-year-old married his 29-year-old fiancee Anisha on Thursday in what was a male-only ceremony held inside a mosque in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. Mateen is the 10th child and fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, which makes him unlikely to ever ascend the throne of the oil-rich country found on the northern edge of Borneo island. However, the royal prince's idol looks, rippling six-pack, and sense of adventure has turned him into a public relations asset for his family, which has been facing mounting pressure due to scandals and global censure in the past few years, as per NDTV. In a statement, a resident from Brunei, Amyra Syahira Awang Ahmad, who works at a snack store, said that Mateen is a "breath of fresh air." A pre-wedding photograph of the royal prince and his fiancee was posted on Instagram on Dec. 31, 2023. The image showed Mateen wearing an open-neck white shirt under a dark, double-breasted blazer while Anisha had a cream pantsuit and no hijab. The photo drew in more than 11,000 comments with some being smitten and lamenting that 2024 was starting with "heartbreak," which was a reference to their own rather than Mateen's or Anisha's. The post appeared to be part of an effort to burnish a more modern image of the conservative country and make the royal family relevant to a younger generation that has grown up on social media. The lavish wedding ceremony began on Jan. 7 and is scheduled to end on Tuesday next week. Mateen and Anisha's engagement was announced in October and the latter is the granddaughter of the sultan's special advisor, according to Yahoo News. Read Also: Rishi Sunak Makes Official Visit to Kyiv as UK Prepares to Boost Military Aid to Ukraine Lavish 10-Day Ceremony The royal prince's Instagram account has roughly 2.5 million followers and Anisha reportedly owns a fashion brand and tourism business. The main wedding reception is to be held on Sunday at the 1,788-room palace. It will see an array of international royalty and dignitaries and will have a parade through the capital. Throughout the years, Mateen has drawn comparisons with Britain's Prince Harry and was previously dubbed the "hot royal." During the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the royal prince represented his country in the sport of polo. Mateen is often seen with his father abroad on official royal engagements and the two attended the coronation of Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla in London last year. They also paid their respects at Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022. While not much is known about Mateen and Anisha's dating history, they have reportedly been together for several years. The couple was previously seen at the wedding ceremonies of Mateen's sisters Prince Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah last year and Princess Fadzilah in 2022, said Firstpost. Related Article: Tens of Thousands Protest in Poland Over Sweeping Changes Made By Donald Tusk-Led Government United States President Joe Biden's administration tapped the Supreme Court on Friday to intervene after Texas was said to be effectively blocking federal access to parts of the Mexico border. Officials claim that the Republican-led state was barring federal agents from doing their duties, stressing that new barriers recently erected by the state "reinforce" the need for intervention. In a statement, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said that Texas' new actions demonstrate measures to block the Border Patrol's ability to patrol or survey the border. Migrant Crisis Prelogar added that such actions have changed the situation on the ground, adding that the recent developments only work to reinforce the need for the Supreme Court to vacate the court of appeals' injunction as soon as possible. The latest filing came shortly before 2:00 a.m. ET on Friday and underscores how urgent the federal government views the high court's intervention in the issue. The Justice Department last week asked the court to step in on an emergency basis to effectively throw a lower-court order that directed Border Patrol agents to stop removing concertina wire put in by Texas, as per CNN. The filing also argues that the new barriers that Texas erected last week included not only more concertina wire along a part of the Rio Grande River but also "new fencing, located further inland than the original concertina wire," gates, and military Humvees, among others. Prelogar noted that because Border Patrol was no longer able to access or view that particular stretch of the border, Texas has effectively prevented it from monitoring the region to determine whether or not a migrant requires the emergency aid that the court of appeals expressly excepted from the injunction. The situation comes amid rising tension between the federal government and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the latter's increasingly aggressive border security efforts. The Justice Department claims that the Texas National Guard fenced off a 2.5-mile stretch near Eagle Pass and deployed armed soldiers and vehicles to block Border Patrol agents from accessing the Rio Grande. Read Also: New York Faces Calls To End 60-Day Shelter Time Limit as Evictions of Migrants Begin Texas' Border Security Efforts Texas soldiers were allegedly preventing Border Patrol agents from reaching a key staging area under an international bridge. They also supposedly blocked them from using a boat ramp in the public park, according to Express News. The filing claimed that the National Guard said it would not allow federal agents to apprehend migrants in the area or allow state troopers to turn migrants over to federal agents for processing. The situation comes as the park was the center of Abbott's migrant crackdown last summer. The Border Patrol has a legal responsibility under federal law to process migrants on U.S. soil and determine whether or not to detain them, transfer them to another agency, deport them, or release them into the country, pending a court hearing. The situation comes as Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas said that the small city did not give Texas state officials permission to take over the area. He added that this was not something that they wanted to happen or asked for as a city, said CBS News. Related Article: NYC: 2,000 Migrants Sheltered in School Force Students to Remotely Study A second round of airstrikes has been conducted by the US against Houthi rebels in Yemen, following the initial attacks carried out by American and British forces. Earlier on Friday, news broke of another missile attack on a Red Sea ship. This comes after Houthi rebels issued a warning, stating that British interests were considered "legitimate targets" in response to recent airstrikes carried out by the RAF and the US. US Carries Out More Strikes Against Houthi Rebels In response to a series of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, US and UK warplanes, ships, and submarines carried out an extensive overnight bombardment. The Houthis have promised to respond with great force. In response to the strikes, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson, emphasized that there would be consequences for these actions. On Friday evening, there was news of a fresh missile attack off Yemen, as reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations, the authority responsible for overseeing Middle East waters. According to reports, a missile was launched towards a ship located 90 miles southeast of Aden, Yemen. Fortunately, the ship confirmed that no injuries or damage occurred. The militants made an error by attacking a tanker that was transporting Russian oil, as per The Independent. During a recent briefing, Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Staff, provided an update on the recent attacks. According to Sims, a total of 28 locations were targeted, with over 150 munitions being used. "We have definitely seen a decline in their capability," Sims stated. "I have doubts about their ability to replicate their previous performance." "But we will see," he added. Sims was discussing an incident on Tuesday involving an Iran-backed group, which resulted in US and British naval forces intercepting and neutralizing 21 missiles and drones launched from Yemen. This was the most significant attack in the region carried out by the organization so far. Read Also: US Raises Concern on Hezbollah's Escalating Attacks, Warns Assault Inside Washington Yemen Airstrikes In a recent development, the Houthis, who have maintained control over a significant portion of Yemen for almost ten years, have reported the unfortunate loss of five of their fighters. These casualties occurred as a result of a series of 73 air strikes. They have made a commitment to retaliate and persist with their assaults on shipping, claiming that their objective is to provide support to Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.Sims mentioned that there is an expectation for the Houthis to retaliate, as they had already launched an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Red Sea earlier in the day. According to his statement, the missile failed to strike any ships.According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations information hub, there have been reports of a missile landing in the sea approximately 500 meters (1,600 feet) away from a ship. This incident occurred about 90 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni port of Aden. During the assessment of the damage caused by the strikes, Sims expressed his belief that the number of casualties would be relatively low, as the targets primarily consisted of rural areas, Reuters reported. In the ongoing situation in the Middle East, President Joe Biden has issued a warning to the Houthis, stating that the United States and its allies are ready to take action against Yemen if the Iran-backed militia continues its assaults on Red Sea shipping. During a visit to Pennsylvania on Friday, he emphasized the need to address the Houthis' unacceptable actions and work together with our allies to respond appropriately. In addition to the Biden administration's stance on deterrence, White House spokesman John Kirby emphasized that the United States has no plans to escalate the situation into a larger conflict with the Houthis or Iran. This comes after the American and British militaries carried out several air strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Thursday. "We have no intention of engaging in a conflict with Yemen. We have no interest in engaging in any form of conflict," Kirby stated earlier today. Indeed, the president's actions have consistently aimed to avoid any further escalation of conflict, as evidenced by the recent strikes. Related Article: Iran Retakes Cargo Vessel That Was Seized By the United States Zelenskyy after meeting with Pritzker: This visit is powerful signal of strong support for Ukraine President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker. "I met with the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, Penny Pritzker. This visit is a powerful signal of strong support for our state. Last year was a record-breaking year for the development of Ukrainian-American relations. We are determined to continue to maintain such dynamics, this significantly helps Ukraine fight with the aggressor, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Friday evening. The Ukrainian head of state thanked U.S. President Joe Biden, Congress and the American people for the powerful defense, financial, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. According to the press service of the president of Ukraine, during the meeting the importance of strengthening Ukraine's air defense was noted. Separately, the parties discussed ways to use frozen Russian assets as a significant source of funds for the restoration of Ukraine. It was noted that 2024 should be the year of making final decisions and taking concrete steps in this direction. Zelenskyy also briefed Pritzker on the Security Cooperation Agreement between Ukraine and the UK, signed on Friday, and stressed the importance of progress in preparing and concluding such agreements with Ukraine's other partners, in particular the G7 states. Chicago, IL (60637) Today On and off snow flurries are possible along with variably cloudy skies. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 29F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Hudson, NY (12534) Today Cloudy. High near 45F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. A few flurries are possible. Low 31F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Kuleba calls on G7 states, EU to take decisive measures to cut off supply of goods with military components to Russia Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba calls on all G7 and EU countries to listen to Ukraine and take decisive measures to cut off the supply of goods containing military components to the Russian Federation. During a joint statement to the press with his French colleague Stephane Sejourne in Kyiv on Saturday, Kuleba recalled todays Russian shelling, emphasizing that many Western-made components have already been repeatedly found in Russian missiles flying at the heads of Ukrainians. Thus, according to a recent report by the Kyiv School of Economics and the Yermak-McFaul Group, 44% of all electronic components of Russian weapons are developed by Western companies, the minister emphasized. By the way, we have the fewest complaints against France in this matter. However, I want to take this opportunity and call on all G7 and EU countries to finally listen to Ukraine and take decisive action to cut off supplies to Russia of goods containing these components. Russia uses washing machines, microwaves and other household appliances not for washing and food, but to extract individual spare parts from them in order to then build them into their missiles and kill Ukrainians, Kuleba said. The foreign minister noted that the lists of components that Ukraine finds in downed Russian missiles are regularly transmitted by partners. He emphasized that the Ukrainian side has repeatedly called for measures to block the supply of components. National Grid Prepared for a Third Winter Storm of the Week WALTHAM, MA National Grid is prepared for a third winter storm of the week to impact Massachusetts Friday evening through Saturday, bringing hazardous wind gusts and heavy rains into the region. The primary concerns associated with this storm include heavy rains, the potential for flooding in coastal and low-lying areas, and significant sustained wind, including the possibility of hazardous peak wind gusts of up to 60 mph in coastal areas. Saturated grounds from heavy rainfall and recent snow melting along with gusting winds can damage trees and knock down power wires, causing power outages in impacted locations. The storm will arrive late Friday and is predicted to depart mid-day Saturday, and calmer weather is expected Sunday. Forecasts for next week indicate another storm could be arriving Tuesday, with colder temperatures and the possibility of snow. National Grid is closely tracking that storm as well. "Over this past week, National Grid has restored power to over 100,000 customers across Massachusetts in the wake of back-to-back winter storms," said Tim Moore, Vice President of Electric Operations for New England. "We appreciate that some customers have been impacted multiple times from this series of storms, and our team is committed to working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service." National Grid continues closely monitoring weather forecasts and has crews and personnel in place across Massachusetts. In preparation for this storm, National Grid has secured over 600 crews and more than 1,400 field-based personnel as part of the company's emergency response operations and preparedness activities. This includes overhead line, forestry, contractors, underground, damage assessment, wires down, transmission, and substation workers. As forecasts and conditions evolve, the company will continue to assess resource needs. As always, the safety of our customers, communities, and crews is the top priority during any power restoration process. Our crews will begin the restoration process when it is deemed safe to conduct work. For example, it is not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts. The company has been preparing for the storm and continues monitoring the weather and communicating with local officials, first responders, and life support customers. iciHaiti - Earthquake 2010 : Message from Civil Protection "This January 12, 2024, the Haitian National Disaster Risk Management System (SNGRD) commemorates the devastating earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010. Fourteen years later, we continue to remember the lives lost, the weakened communities, destroyed infrastructure while building the resilience of our people. On this day of commemoration, the General Directorate of Civil Protection stands alongside every Haitian to pay tribute to the victims, continue to express its solidarity with the survivors, and renews its commitment to supporting the entire population in the reduction of our multiple vulnerabilities. Now is also the time to build on the fruits of this commitment to move forward. We highlight the progress made towards building a more resilient country. In order to ensure continuity, the SNGRD, through Civil Protection, continues to strengthen the capacity of departmental, municipal and local actors for better responses in emergency situations. We take this opportunity to honor the brigadiers, volunteers and partners who work tirelessly to rescue and support our fellow citizens in difficult times. This day must be a double reminder : first, as a duty of remembrance, then, a reminder to all sectors and partners of the crucial importance of planning to anticipate and respond effectively to the multiple risks facing the country is facing, at all levels. Whether facing seismic threats, extreme weather events or other dangers, planning is an essential tool to protect communities and save lives, and engagement, a major lever of our strategies. For this, we therefore reaffirm our commitment to disaster preparedness, building community resilience and a secure future. By working together, we can continue to anticipate dangerous events, better cope with them (like during the earthquake of August 14, 2021), overcome the challenges that arise and build a more resilient Haiti. Let's commit to honoring the memory of the victims by working proactively for a future where our country, with its planning, can resist and recover in the face of adversity. May the memory of those we have lost inspire us to work tirelessly for a better future." IH/ iciHaiti The Polish Armed Forces on the morning of Saturday, January 13, used increased security measures during the Russian missile attack on Ukraine, reports the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces. "We inform you that there is increased activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, which is associated with the intention of attacks on the territory of Ukraine. All necessary procedures have begun to ensure the safety of Polish airspace. We warn that Polish and allied aircraft has been activated, which may lead to an increase in noise levels, especially in the southeastern part of the country," the message said on Twitter. Later, the department reported that due to a decrease in the threat level, aircraft and air defense forces were returned to normal duty. The mobilized forces and means have returned to standard actions, the message emphasizes. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate for Taiwans ruling party, has won a crucial election that will chart the trajectory of the islands democracy and relationship with China over the next four years. Mr Lai, Taiwans vice president, said he was determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threat and intimidation from China in his victory speech. Both rival parties have now conceded defeat. Mr Lais Democratic Progressive Party rejects Chinas territorial claims over Taiwan and he has been denounced by Beijing. His win will deliver an unprecedented third term for the ruling party. The Chinese government responded to his win by calling Taiwan Chinas Taiwan and adding that their commitment to reunification remained as firm as rock. At stake is the peace and stability of the island with a population of 23 million people that has repeatedly witnessed threats from Beijing. Voting began at 8am local time (12am GMT) and wrapped up eight hours later as eligible Taiwanese voters lined up to cast their ballots. The counting of votes began soon afterwards. At least 18,000 polling stations were set up across the temples, churches, community centres and schools, where voters must go in person to cast their ballot as the rules do not allow postal votes. Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te greets supporters in New Taipei City, Taiwan. (AP) The electorates were mainly choosing between the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which champions Taiwans separate identity and rejects Chinas territorial claims, and the opposition Nationalist Party, Kuomintang, that wants to expand trade ties with China. The DPPs Mr Lai, who will now succeed outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen, said after his victory that through our actions, the Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence our elections. He told the crowds in Taipei: I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We have shown the world how much we cherish out democracy. This is our unwavering commitment. Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te, of Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim wave as they hold a press conference (REUTERS) Early results showed that Mr Lai had won more than 40 per cent of the vote, ahead of Kuomingtang party and the Taiwan Peoples party. Mr Lais predecessor won the last election with a majority of the vote, so his partys share of the vote has decreased despite their historic win. Earlier in the day, Mr Lai cast his vote in his hometown of Tainan. He remarked on the sunny weather, suggesting its a good time for Taiwanese people to go out and vote. "I encourage everyone around the country to vote with enthusiasm and show the vitality of Taiwans democracy," he said. Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je casts his ballot at a polling center on 13 January 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan (Getty Images) Hou Yu-ih, the candidate of Beijing-favored Kuomintang, also known as the Nationalist Party, cast his ballot in New Taipei City, a municipality bordering the capital, Taipei. Mr Hou is the mayor of New Taipei, a position from which he took leave to run for president. "What we need during the election campaign process is chaos," he told reporters after casting his vote. "But after the vote, we must be united and face the future of Taiwan together." Kuomintang (KMT), or the Chinese Nationalist Party, presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih reacts after conceding defeat during the 2024 general election, in New Taipei city, Taiwan (EPA) Alternative candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party, who has shown popularity among young voters seeking an alternative to the two major parties, voted in Taipei. Asked by journalists how he felt, Mr Ko, in his well-known dry manner, said he aimed to try his best every day "and plan for the next stage when we get there". In the run-up to the election, China repeatedly denounced Mr Lai as a dangerous separatist and rebuffed his repeated calls for talks. Mr Lai says he is committed to preserving peace across the Taiwan Strait and boosting the islands defences. Voters cast their ballots in the presidential election on 13 January 2024 in Tai, Taiwan (Getty Images) Besides the China tensions, domestic issues dominated the campaign, particularly an economy that was estimated to have grown just 1.4 per cent last year. That partly reflects inevitable cycles in demand for computer chips and other exports from the high-tech, heavily trade-dependent manufacturing base, and a slowing of the Chinese economy. Taiwans defence ministry said on Saturday morning it had again spotted Chinese balloons crossing the sensitive strait, one of which flew over Taiwan itself. The ministry has denounced the spate of balloons reported over the strait in the past month as psychological warfare and a threat to aviation safety. Chinas military threats could sway some voters against independence-leaning candidates, but the United States has pledged support for whichever government emerges, reinforced by US president Joe Bidens administrations plans to send an unofficial delegation made up of former senior officials to the island shortly after the election. Taiwans election is seen as having "real and lasting influence on the geopolitical landscape," said Gabrielle Reid, associate director with the global intelligence consultancy S-RM. "The outcome of the vote will ultimately determine the nature of ties with China relative to the West and will have strong bearing on the state of play in the South China Sea," she said. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Bruneis Prince Abdul Mateen, one of Asias most popular royal figures, has married his longtime girlfriend and fiancee Anisha Rosnah in an elaborate 10-day ceremony. The 32-year-old prince, sixth in line to Bruneis throne, tied the knot with the granddaughter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiahs special adviser, in an Islamic marriage ceremony held inside a fold-domed mosque in capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The 10-day-long celebrations that began on 7 January will end on Sunday with the family hosting the main wedding reception at the 1,788-room palace. A pilot and polo player, prince Mateen is the fourth son and 10th child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the worlds richest men. The sultan announced the engagement in October of Mateen and Anisha, who reportedly owns a fashion brand and tourism business. Currently serving as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Brunei Air Force and holding the rank of major, he has in past drawn comparisons with Britains Prince Harry. He has in fact met many members of Britains royal family himself, and often accompanies his father Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on official visits including to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. A keen polo player, Mr Mateen also represented Brunei at the South East Asian Games in 2017 and 2019. His wife Rosnah has carved her own path as a thriving entrepreneur in Brunei, according to the local media. In addition to leading her fashion brand Silk Collective she co-owns a tourism enterprise called Authentirary along with a close friend. This picture taken by Brunei's Information Department on 10 January 2024 shows the royal powdering ceremony for Brunei's Prince Abdul Mateen's, center, at Istana Nurul Iman, ahead of his wedding with Anisha Rosnah, in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (AP) Mr Mateen and Ms Rosnah both share a passion for fitness and enjoy an active lifestyle, according to local media reports. Rosnah has a reputation for being something of a culinary enthusiast, maintaining a page on Instagram where she offers cooking advice to her followers. The royal couple will embark on a procession in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan after the reception on Sunday. Bruneis royal family is the ruling monarchy of Brunei a small sovereign state located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The family is one of the wealthiest and most influential in the world, primarily due to the countrys substantial oil and natural gas reserves and with the sultan having a net worth of 24bn. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Taiwan has elected Lai Ching-te to become its next president, securing a historic third consecutive term for the pro-sovereignty ruling Democratic Progressive Party in a result that has angered China. Mr Lai, 64, a former doctor who had served as vice-president to Tsai Ing-wen since 2020, said the election result showed Taiwan will continue to walk side by side with democracies around the world, and emphasised that the election highlighted the Taiwanese peoples desire to safeguard their democratic way of life. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy, said Mr Lai. China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory, has been increasing pressure in recent months ramping up its military presence and raising fears of a possible invasion. Beijing had cast the election as a choice between war and peace and in the wake of the result China released a statement saying nothing would stop what it called the ultimate and inevitable unification with Taiwan. I hope the other side of the Taiwan Strait can thoroughly understand this kind of voice in Taiwan, Mr Lai said in remarks on Saturday, promising that he will prioritise dialogue with Beijing on the basis of dignity and parity. Only peace, reciprocity, democracy and dialogue can best serve the interests of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and is the only way out for a win-win situation, he told more than 100 journalists. Lai and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim speak to supporters after their victory (Getty Images) Mr Lai won 40 per cent of the vote, ahead of Hou You-yi from the China-friendly opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), and former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP). The latter is a newcomer with strong support among younger people. During his concession speech, Hou You-ih, the presidential candidate from the KMT urged all sides to remain united following the election. As hundreds of thousands of DPP supporters chanted slogans to celebrate Mr Lais victory, some Taiwanese voters say the election outcome proves that the Taiwanese people have chosen a leader who can bravely and honestly face the threats posed by China. I think the strategy of resisting China and safeguarding Taiwan will still be the main theme of the next Taiwanese governments foreign policy, Roger Liu, a 36-year-old engineer in the Taiwanese city of Hsinchu, told The Independent. In the run-up to the election, China denounced Mr Lai as a dangerous separatist and troublemaker, and called on the people of Taiwan to make the right choice while noting the extreme harm of the DPPs Taiwan independence line. They have also repeatedly rebuffed Mr Lais calls for talks. A supporter of Taiwan's presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party (AFP) In the run-up to election day, China also suspended tariff cuts on 12 petrochemical products imported from Taiwan and repeatedly deployed military aircraft and weather balloons to areas around Taiwan. In light of the strongly worded comments from Beijing, some Taiwanese people say they expect the Chinese government to continue the pressure campaigns against Taiwan. I think Beijings intimidation against Taiwan has never stopped, Alfred Wu, 27, said. Others think the election outcome on Saturday should be able to prevent Beijing from taking any impulsive moves against Taiwan. While Im still concerned about Beijings pressure campaigns against Taiwan, I think Taiwan should try to further strengthen its defence capabilities and international visibility, Ellen Liu, a 37-year-old marketing professional in the capital city of Taipei, said. However, the DPP lost control of Taiwans 113-seat parliament. Taiwan's media reported the DPP won 51 seats to the KMT's 52, while the TPP got eight. With [the] DPP failing to secure a majority in the legislature, it will be much harder for them to implement policies in the next four years, Roger Lui, the 36-year-old engineer said. China has repeatedly threatened to use military force against Taiwan (Xinhua) While some voters have expressed excitement about the DPPs fresh term, others think the public will use a much higher standard to evaluate their performances in the next four years. There is quite a lot of discontent about the DPP after eight years in power, so if they make any serious mistake in the next four years, Taiwanese people will definitely try to vote them out of power in the 2028 presidential election, Rita Chu, 36, from Hsinchu, said. With a significant proportion of voters casting ballots for the two opposition parties, Mr Lui said the ruling party should re-evaluate how they promote their domestic policies to the Taiwanese people. Over the last eight years, theyve initiated reforms in key areas such as energy, pension reform, gender equality, and economic enhancement, but their lack of expertise in promoting these achievements through social media made their efforts unnoticed by the general public, he said. They need to find a way to win back the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese people, especially those who voted against them. While some voters think its important for the DPP to highlight their efforts to counter the threat from China, they think the new government needs to think about how to shift some focus to address social and economic issues that have dominated this particular presidential election. The DPP is often criticised for only focusing on efforts to counter the threat from China while having no solutions for social and economic problems that have been troubling the Taiwanese people, Ms Chu in Hsinchu said. They should prioritise those longstanding social and economic issues in their third term and figure out a way to efficiently tackle the issues. Britains foreign secretary, David Cameron, congratulated Mr Lai following his victory and said he hoped Taiwan and China would renew efforts to resolve their differences peacefully. The elections... are testament to Taiwans vibrant democracy, Lord Cameron said in a statement. I hope that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will renew efforts to resolve differences peacefully through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. France is determined to jointly strengthen Ukraine's ability to manufacture weapons systems on Ukrainian territory, said the newly appointed French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, who arrived in Kyiv. We are determined to jointly strengthen Ukraines ability to manufacture weapons systems on its territory and are ready to come to your aid in this area, he said during a joint statement to the press with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday. He also recalled the visit of Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu with French defense companies to Ukraine. We will continue to try to improve the legal framework so that this cooperation can develop even better, Sejourne added. The minister also noted that he knows how much Ukraine values French technologies supplied to counter Russian aggression. We see how the Russian Federation is hitting civilian infrastructure and houses, contrary to all provisions of international law. It alone bears responsibility for this escalation, which we strongly condemn. Referring to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, I want to assure that France will stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as long as necessary. This attitude is unchanged, he assured. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Not all surprises end up working out. In a recent Reddit post shared to the popular Am I The A**hole? subreddit, one man explained the story of how he met his now ex-fiancee and their process of looking for a house. We began looking for a house. EX always wanted to live in her grandparents house on the lake near our town. Her family was forced to sell house when her grandparents died because of an inheritance dispute, he explained in the Reddit post. However, the couple who ended up purchasing the house decided they could no longer handle the snowy winters and the man decided to pool together nearly all of his savings in order to purchase the house for his fiancee. It was going to be my surprise wedding present so I didnt dare tell her or anyone in her family my plans, the post read. One month before their wedding, his bride-to-be went on a bachelorette trip to Miami with her friends. I am not sure all of what happened there, part of me doesnt really want to know, but I do know her high school BF was there, the Reddit poster clarified. When she got back from the trip, she broke down and confessed she was afraid to get married and wanted to call it off. It was a mess. She later moved to Florida and eventually married HS BF. https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/1913ylc/aita_for_not_telling_my_former_fiance_i_bought/ Although the two of them never got married, the Reddit user was still left with the house. After spending some years fixing it up, he ended up living there full-time. Recently, they spent the fourth of July at the house and one of the posters family members used photos from that vacation for their Christmas card which made its way to his ex-fiancees cousin. The Saturday before new years EXs Mother and Sister were at my front door. After pleasantries and answering their initial questions, they made an offer to buy it. I refused. They were not happy, the story continued. This led to a text from his former partner who called him an a** and that her family is blaming her for losing the house in the first place. He was once again asked to sell the house to which he refused. Now her and her family are complaining on social media that this is some sort of revenge, the post read before he asked commenters what they thought about the situation. Many people took to the comments to express that the Reddit poster did the right thing. Your intention was to surprise your ex with the house at the wedding. If you had called off the wedding, Id reconsider my judgement but she is the reason why she doesnt have access to that house. On top of that, youve made the house your own. Enjoy it! one comment read. Another commenter agreed, writing, I would be petty and post on social media the date on the contract when you purchased the house and explain that if it wasnt for Ex cheating on you and leaving you for her now husband this would have been her house as a wedding gift but instead of having it be a painful memory of the hurt she caused you with the help of your family you were able to bond with your family even more working on the house together and that this house will now always stay on YOUR family for generations to come. The comment continued: The audacity of your ex and her family is crazy, now after you and your family spent a decade fixing it up they are trying to low ball you out of the house (I assume their offer wouldnt cover the cost of the renovations and any appreciation on the house because that seems on brand for people like that) and when that didnt work they took to social media to complain. NTA, I would post the entire story on social media and then block everyone in that family. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} On Sunday 14 January, there will be a new king and queen of Denmark after the current ruler, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, steps down. On New Years Eve, Queen Margrethe II announced she was abdicating the throne and her son Crown Prince Frederik would become King Frederik X, while his wife Crown Princess Mary, his queen consort, will be known as Queen Mary. Unlike King Charles IIIs coronation, the Danish royal household will be opting for a simple ceremony. Instead of having a formal coronation, there will be a proclamation ceremony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on 14 January, exactly 52 years after Margrethes coronation. Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will announce the royal couple at the palace, and the pair will appear on the balcony in front of the public. A special cannon salute will celebrate the occasion, and the national flag is lowered and raised again at the royal palaces. Prior to the unveiling of the new monarchy on the balcony, the new king and queen, in addition to Queen Margrethe, will join the Danish Government, Council of State Secretary in the Council of State for the formal transfer of power and the queen will sign an official declaration of her abdication. The royal family will also participate in a special session of parliament on 15 January, as well as a celebratory church service at Aarhus Cathedral on Sunday 21 January. Royal festivities will kick off midday in Denmark on 14 January, around 7.30am ET. There will be no television broadcast of the events, but many news outlets will be reporting live throughout the day. The newly appointed King Frederik is also expected to make a speech to the public, after which the king and queen will hold an event with a small number of guests. Another person in attendance will be Frederiks brother Prince Joachim of Denmark, who is set to attend his mothers abdication without his wife and children, nearly two years after his wife and children were stripped of their royal titles. Prince Joachim will be there, but the children go to school, there is no special reason, a palace spokesperson told Hello Magazine. Last year, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie relocated to the United States, just nine months after the monarch stripped the princes four children, Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena, of their His/Her Highness royal titles. Queen Margrethes second son shares Count Henrik and Countess Athena with Marie, and his older sons Count Felix and Count Nikolai with his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. At the time, Queen Margrethe apologised to the members of her family who were left saddened by her decision. In recent days, there have been strong reactions to my decision about the future use of titles for Prince Joachims four children. That affects me, of course, she wrote. My decision has been a long time coming. With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look ahead. It is my duty and my desire as Queen to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in keeping with the times. She continued: Sometimes, this means that difficult decisions must be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Following the abdication of Queen Margrethe II, her son - Crown Prince Frederik - has ascended the throne as Denmarks new monarch. His wife Crown Princess Mary has officially become Denmarks newest queen - making her the first Australian-born queen of a European monarchy. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark shockingly announced her abdication in her traditional New Years Eve speech earlier this month. In the televised speech, she explained that her decision came after back surgery she underwent in February 2023. Her eldest son succeeded the throne on 14 January - 52 years to the day she became queen following the death of her father, King Frederik IX, in 1972. The King of Denmark, whose full name is Frederik Andre Henrik Christian, has been married to his wife since 2004. They share four children together: Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, and 13-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. Prior to their relationship, Queen Mary led a successful career outside of the monarchy. Ever since her chance encounter with King Frederik at a pub, she has become a vocal advocate for several social issues - including taking part in anti-bullying campaigns, advocating for immigrants, and voicing her support for LGBTQ+ rights. Not only has the new queen worked with many charities and organisations, but shes also been recognised numerous times as one of the worlds most fashionable people. Heres everything to know about Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark Mary, Queen of Denmark was born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson on 5 February 1972 at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Battery Point, Hobart - the capital city of Tasmania. She is the youngest of four children to Scottish parents, Henrietta (nee Horne) and John Dalgleish Donaldson. Her mother served as an executive assistant to the vice-chancellor of the University of Tasmania, while her father was a mathematics professor. Henrietta died in November 1997 following complications from heart surgery. In 2001, her father married British author and novelist Susan Elizabeth Donaldson (nee Horwood). At two years old, Marys family moved from Australia to Texas when her father began working as a professor of applied mathematics at NASAs Lyndon B Johnson Space Centre in Houston. She then moved back to Tasmania where she continued her primary education and secondary schooling. From 1990 to 1994, Mary was a student at the University of Tasmania, where she graduated with a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws degree. She then enrolled in a graduate programme and completed her certificates in advertising from the Advertising Federation of Australia and direct marketing from the Australian Direct Marketing Association. King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark visit Seoul, South Korea, on 10 May 2012 (Getty Images) Following her education, Mary embarked on a career in advertising and worked for several Australian and global advertising agencies. In Melbourne, she was promoted from trainee to account executive at DDB Needham - a worldwide marketing communications network. After her mothers death, she relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland, and began working as an account manager with Rapp Collins Worldwide. However, soon after she moved back to Australia and worked multiple jobs as an account director. The King and Queen of Denmark first met in 2000. They came across each other at the Slip Inn in Sydney, where Frederik was visiting with his brother - Prince Joachim - and other members of European nobility during the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the time, Mary was working at real estate firm Belle Property as a sales director. The pair were reportedly introduced through a mutual friend; Prince Felipe of Spain, who was travelling with then-Crown Prince Frederik, and who knew the sister of Marys flatmate. Frederik and Mary felt an instant connection and began a long distance relationship shortly after first meeting, with Frederik making discreet visits to Australia. The couple were able to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, until Danish weekly magazine Billed Bladet named Mary as Frederiks girlfriend. By 2002, Mary was teaching English at a business school in Paris. When it came time to make her permanent move to Denmark, she began working for Microsoft Business Solutions as a project consultant for business development, marketing, and communications. On 24 September 2003, the Danish court announced that Queen Margrethe II intended to give her consent to their marriage at a State Council meeting the following month. In October that year, Frederik and Mary became officially engaged. He reportedly proposed with an engagement ring that featured a 1.5 carat emerald-cut diamond and two emerald-cut rubies, invoking the colour of Denmarks flag. Their wedding took place on 14 May 2004 at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, the citys cathedral. Prior to their nuptials, Mary was granted Danish citizenship and had converted from Presbyterianism to the Lutheran Church of Denmark. Marys two sisters, Jane and Patricia, served as bridesmaids, while Fredericks younger brother, Prince Joachim, was his best man. Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark wave from the balcony of Christian VIIs Palace after their wedding on 14 May 2004 in Copenhagen, Denmark (Getty Images) The future crown princess wore a wedding dress crafted by Danish fashion designer Uffe Frank, while her veil was previously worn by Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden in 1905 and her daughter Ingrid in 1935. The veil, made from Irish lace, was even worn by her mother-in-law during her wedding to French diplomat, Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, in 1967. Mary was the first and only person not born into the royal family to wear the veil, while her tiara was a gift from Queen Margrethe II. Upon their wedding day, Mary was given the title of Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Denmark. The event was celebrated by the public as a fairy tale union between a member of the royal family and a commoner. Their first child, Crown Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, was born on 15 October 2005 in Copenhagen, followed by Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe on 21 April 2007. Mary then gave birth to twins Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda on 8 January 2011. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark with Queen Margrethe II and their children in April 2022 (Getty Images) In September 2007, she established her own charitable organisation, The Mary Foundation, which focuses on initiatives such as anti-bullying, advocating for domestic violence survivors, and combating loneliness. To mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in 2016, Mary delivered a speech on LGBTQ+ rights in Copenhagen. During her speech, she called for an end to discrimination, oppression, and violence against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Two years later, she delivered another address about LGBTQ+ rights at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. That same year, she became the first member of the royal family to attend the Danish Rainbow awards - an annual award ceremony organised by Rainbow Business Denmark, to pay tribute to individuals and organisations that are creating better living conditions for the LGBTQ+ community. She attended subsequent awards ceremonies in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, she served as patron of WorldPride Copenhagen - carrying out numerous engagements in connection with the event and even giving the closing speech for the week-long celebrations that August. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark delivers speech during WorldPride parade in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 August 2021 (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima) Marys sense of fashion and style was acknowledged by Vanity Fair in 2010, when she was named on its International Best-Dressed List. Shes been featured in several fashion magazines, including Vogue Australia and German Vogue. During a Council of State in October 2019, her mother-in-law requested to appoint Mary a rigsforstander - a person who functions as regent when the monarch is unable to perform royal duties. After having sworn to respect the Danish constitution, Mary became the first person not born into the royal family to assume the position of rigsforstander since Queen Ingrid of Sweden in 1972. Following Frederiks ascension to the throne on 14 January, her husband has assumed the new title of King of Denmark while Mary will be henceforth known as the Queen of Denmark. The Danish Royal House has confirmed that their eldest child, Prince Christian, will also be given the title change of Crown Prince Christian. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The King was informed of his mothers death at the wheel of his car after leaving her side in Balmoral to pick mushrooms, a new book has revealed. Charles pulled over while his most senior aide took the call, before he was addressed as Your Majesty for the first time. At the time, he was returning to the royal familys Scottish residence after foraging for mushrooms in a bid to clear his head, after spending a final hour at the late Queens bedside. King Charles III was first addressed as Your Majesty by his private aide (PA Wire) Details of Elizabeth IIs final moments have been revealed for the first time in a new biography of the King by royal author Robert Hardman. In a memo written by her private secretary, her death is recorded as very peaceful, who said that she wouldnt have been aware of anything. King Charles was returning from picking mushrooms when he was informed of the Queens death. (PA) The note was written by Sir Edward Young on 8 September 2022 and has been published by the Daily Mail. The document, which is now in the Royal Archives, forms part of a new biography of the King Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story and reveals that the King and Queen Camilla had spent time with the late monarch privately before she died. Her children and grandchildren had rushed to Balmoral to say their goodbyes (PA) Princess Anne and the late Queens senior dresser, Angela Kelly, alternated at her bedside, along with Rev Kenneth MacKenzie, a minister at nearby Crathie Kirk. The biography adds that Charles had called both of his sons and told them to travel up to Scotland as soon as possible to say their goodbyes. While the Queen had suffered episodic mobility problems in the months before her death, her eldest son had been caught unaware by her sudden deterioration and had travelled to Balmoral by helicopter while reading his London Bridge notes on the journey. London Bridge was the code word for the logistical plans in place for the Queens death, which included the order of people to be informed in the immediate aftermath. Then, when Charles called William via the palace switchboard to break the news, he told the operator its me as he realised he could not reveal to staff that he was king yet, before informing his heir. Prince Harry pictured arriving at Balmoral after the Queens death (AP) The King did try to contact his younger son to tell him personally, but Harry was already in the air and he could not get through, the book reveals. The Duke of Sussex discovered that his grandmother had died through a breaking news alert upon arriving by plane. Hardman also claims that the Prince of Wales had failed to respond to text messages from his younger brother which asked how he was travelling to Balmoral. Neither the Princess of Wales nor the Duchess of Sussex travelled with their husbands, while the Duke of York and the Duke of Edinburgh made the journey to Scotland. The biography also discloses how the late Queen worked her way through her final red box diligently, even as she was confined to her bedroom, leaving a sealed letter for her son and a second for Sir Edward. The box contained her choice of candidates for the Order of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service across the Commonwealth. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A small business owner has called out beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira for her alleged lies regarding a product review. In a video that has received over seven million views, Matthew Stevens (@mvstevens) - the owner of the custom sunless self-tanner brand, Illusion Bronze - accused Nogueira of costing his business $10,000 in a video. In 2022, Stevens explained that he had asked the influencer if she could review his tanner, a self-tanning product formulated for each persons eye, hair, and skin colour that celebrities like Taylor Swift reportedly swear by. His video promoting his product went viral in 2022, but because he believed a bigger company was trying to steal his idea, he reached out to influencers like Nogueira to spread the word about his product. After he posted his video asking her to review the product, Nogueira reviewed the very brand that Stevens believed to be copying his creation. Then, several users in the comment section of Nogueiras video began to tell the influencer that she should review Stevens self-tanner product. After the influx of comments, Stevens said that Nogueira reached out to him and allegedly stated according to a screenshot that she would review his product ASAP. Anticipating the influencers review, Stevens said that he bought $10,000 worth of his product because the influencer mentioned in a previous video that when she reviews indie brands, they tend to run out of stock quickly. However, nearly two months after their exchange, Stevens found himself still waiting to see the review. He said he initially considered sending her donuts, but ultimately decided reach out to her about the situation, informing her that he bought $10,000 in stock because he had been anticipating a review. Stevens shared with viewers screenshots of the following conversation he had with the influencer, showing that Nogueira claimed that she had tried the product, but said that she didnt want to rush and make a shitty review. He noticed that in some of her videos posted after allegedly using his product, she looked orange. When asked about it, she claimed that she had slept in his product for twelve hours, when instructions said that the product was only meant to be worn for a few. The small business owner, however, claimed in his video that the influencer didnt use his product at all, but instead got a spray tan. Nogueira responded to his claims in her own video, apologising to him for not posting the review, but denying that she got a spray tan. He cannot rely on me for the success of his brand, she added, noting that his decision to spend $10,000 on his product was his own and at the end of the day, she wasnt contractually obligated to review his product. Stevens posted a follow-up video alleging that he made his first video because she was blocking his followers. Nogueira rose to TikTok fame during the 2020 pandemic, winning over viewers with her popular tutorials on covering up acne. Since then she has grown her account to amass a 15mil following, but not without her fair share of controversies along the way, including fielding accusations of wearing false eyelashes in an ad promoting LOreals Telescopic Lift mascara and faking her thick Boston accent. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A pensioner ploughed into a small number of pro-Palestine protestors during a march in Edinburgh on Saturday, causing minor injuries. Police Scotland said that no-one required medical attention, and a 70-year-old woman was arrested and charged with a driving offence. Photographs on social media showed a black Seat Leon surrounded by protesters and police officers on The Mound in the city centre on Saturday afternoon. A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: Around 2.30pm on Saturday, we were made aware of a road crash involving a car and a small number of pedestrians in Ramsay Lane, Edinburgh. A 70-year-old woman was arrested and charged with a driving offence (Jim Orr/PA Wire) Officers received reports of minor injuries from pedestrians, but no medical attention was required. A 70-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a driving offence. A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal. The demonstration was one of several pro-Palestine protests taking place across the UK and Ireland on Saturday, including in London and Dublin. Organisers of the Edinburgh demonstration said several thousand people attended. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of London calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with around 1,700 police officers patrolling the capital on the walk to Parliament Square. In total, nine people were arrested, with three arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, by distributing leaflets. There were three arrests for inciting racial hatred one related to a placard and two for chanting while there were a further two arrests for racially aggravated public order offences. A ninth arrest was made for possession of stickers to be used for criminal damage. The protests were part of a global day of action involving 30 countries, which comes after the UK and US carried out air strikes against Houthi bases in Yemen. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of protesters took to the streets of London on Saturday to march against the ongoing attacks in Gaza, as part of a global day of action against Israels invasion. Large demonstrations also took place in Dublin and Edinburgh, with a 70-year-old woman arrested and charged after a car ploughed into a small number of protesters. More than 1,700 police officers were on duty for the march that went through central London to Westminster, with nine people arrested in the capital. Of these, three people were arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, while three were arrested for inciting racial hatred, which related to offensive placard and chanting. Thousands of protestors have taken to the streets of London today to march against the ongoing attacks in Gaza (Reuters) A further two arrests were made for racially aggravated public order offences while a ninth arrest was made for possession of stickers to be used for criminal damage. Protesters had been warned that they faced police action if they intentionally push the limit on slogans and placards, with a number of arrests made in previous protests. The demonstration comes after the UK and US carried out dozens of airstrikes against Houthi bases in Yemen. The Iran-backed rebel group has repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea in the wake of Israels war against Hamas following the 7 October attack. Protesters carried banners and placards saying: Ceasefire now and End the siege. Some were recorded seemingly chanting in favour of Yemens Houthi rebels, chanting: Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around. Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters hold olive branches as peace symbols (AFP via Getty) A number of conditions were in place for the march, the police said, with protesters not allowed to deviate from the route and speeches given a strict end time. Home secretary James Cleverly said he had been briefed by the Mets commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to ensure order and safety during the protest. I back them to use their powers to manage the protest and crack down on any criminality, the MP said. Speaking at Parliament Square, Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, accused the British government of complicity with Israel. It has been 100 days since the conflict began in Palestine (Reuters) Mr Zomlot told the protesters Palestine was a nation of freedom fighters, saying: I stand before you with a broken heart but not a broken spirit. He congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UNs International Court of Justice. Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters display a large Palestinian flag during a national march for Palestine in central London (AFP via Getty) The seventh national march for Palestine also features an appearance by Little Amal, a giant puppet of a Syrian child refugee, which will join a group of Palestinian children. The 3.5-metre puppet became an international symbol of human rights after she journeyed 8,000km from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021. The London march was one of several others being held in European cities including Paris, Rome, Milan where thousands also marched along the Irish capitals main thoroughfare to protest Israels military operations in the Palestinian enclave. During the march in Edinburgh, a 70-year-old woman was arrested and charged with a driving offence after her car ploughed into protesters, with no injuries reported. Photographs on social media showed a black Seat Leon surrounded by protesters and police officers on The Mound in the city centre on Saturday afternoon. In Dublin, a thousands-strong protest march reached the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. Demonstrators waving Palestinian flags joined chants calling for the Irish government to support boycott, divestment and sanction actions and Israel. Protesters take part in a march organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign on OConnell Street, Dublin (PA) Organisers also demanded that the Irish government support South Africas case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Irelands main opposition parties, including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats, have called on the government to endorse South Africas action. However, the Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said the government does not intend to join the case. The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which organised the rally, said the demonstration was part of international day of action calling for an end to Israels operations in Gaza. Protests were also held around the world, with demonstrations in South Africas Johannesburg, Indonesias Jakarta and Malaysias Kuala Lumpur. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Snow is forecast to fall across parts of the UK on Sunday as a blast of Arctic air hits the country, the Met Office says. Ice and snow warnings are in place across northern Scotland, where motorists are warned to expect some travel disruption. Forecasters say up to 5 centimetres of snow could fall in some places by the end of the day. A separate warning for ice is in place for Northern Ireland on Monday, where brisk northerly winds will drive showers inland. Cold air is forecast to remain firmly in place over the UK through the middle of the week, increasing the chance of snow, the Met Office says. The weather service says that on Tuesday there is the potential for areas of snow to move inland over parts of Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England. Snow could then spread to southern parts of the UK on Wednesday. There are a couple of weather systems for Tuesday and Wednesday which we are keeping an eye on that bring the potential for disruptive snow for some regions, Chris Bulmer, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said. Any weather systems that move across the country next week will bring mainly snowfall inland. Models are currently showing us a variety of options for both systems and well be able to add more details to in the coming days. The mercury dipped to -10.4C in Aviemore, near Inverness, on Wednesday and temperatures are forecast to struggle to get above 0C across much of the country this week. Highs of 3C are forecast for Glasgow, 4C in Manchester and 7C in London. South Wales is expected to be the warmest part of the country, with highs of 8C in the Cardiff region. File photo: A man walks through snow (PA Wire) Temperatures will then fall to -1C or -2C in most urban areas overnight on Monday. On Thursday and Friday, forecasters say it will remain very cold with the potential for severe overnight frost. Northerly winds will bring snow showers inland at times, remaining most frequent across northern Scotland. Inland areas will be mainly dry with a good deal of clear or sunny weather. Towards the end of the week, its likely there will likely be a transition back to less cold conditions as Atlantic weather systems start to arrive from the west. This will see a return to unsettled conditions with spells of rain and strong winds across all areas at times, forecasters say. While the conditions should gradually turn milder, this transition brings the chance of further spells of snow. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An influx of lethally strong synthetic opioids could fuel a second wave of the UKs drug deaths crisis, leading public health experts have warned. Britain already suffers thousands of drug deaths every year, despite so far being spared a US-style opioid epidemic. But the esteemed Faculty of Public Health (FPH) warned on Friday that global drug markets are rapidly evolving, reflecting growing alarm that the UK may soon be awash with super-strength drugs. Synthetic opioids particularly nitazenes, which can be 500 times stronger than heroin are now becoming increasingly prevalent in Europe, as the Talibans crackdown on opium production chokes heroin supplies, FPH experts wrote in commentary for The Lancet Public Health. They warned that the 54 nitazene-related UK deaths reported in the past six months by the National Crime Agency are likely just the tip of the iceberg, as the emerging drugs are still not routinely tested for in post-mortem toxicologies. Urging that governments must find the political capital to take the more radical steps needed to prevent many more deaths, the experts issued the stark verdict: Actions taken now will not have been taken soon enough. These include expanding heroin-prescribing and drug-checking facilities and introducing overdose prevention centres. Widespread calls for the latter are opposed in England by both the Tories and Labour but are now being pursued in Scotland, where there is a political outcry over the scale of the crisis north of the border. In the context of an existing drug-related deaths crisis, the increase in deaths associated with nitazenes is extremely concerning, said co-author Dr Adam Holland. Drug users use an unsanctioned safe consumption van set up by activist and recovering addict Peter Krykant in Glasgow in 2020 (Getty) While many colleagues are already doing brilliant work responding to the emergence of nitazenes, we are overdue a broader rethink of our approach to drugs. The evolving drug-related death crisis will not be solved with more stigma and criminalisation. The UKs first nitazene-related death was recorded in 2019 and was followed by a spate of overdoses in the southeast of England in 2021. However, a big influx last summer saw nitazenes detected all over the country and increasingly sold in counterfeit tablets, co-author Dr Caroline Copeland told The Independent in December. While many recent nitazene-related deaths have been linked to contaminated batches of heroin, the opioids are now being detected in a range of prescription products being traded illegally including fake oxycodone (OxyContin), diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) as well as in cannabis and illicit vapes. This means many consumers are using nitazenes inadvertently, unaware of the risks they face, Dr Holland, Dr Copeland and four other experts from the FPH, Association of Directors of Public Health, and National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths warned on Friday. Actions taken now will not have been taken soon enough, the experts warn (Getty/iStock) Without concerted action, nitazenes could devastate communities of people who use a range of drugs, including those who use drugs infrequently or source benzodiazepines and opioid painkillers from the internet, they wrote. Warning that European law enforcement attempts to crack down on the heroin trade may have exacerbated the growing problem of nitazenes, they lamented that proven public health interventions are often opposed by politicians fearful that the media and public might view them as condoning drug use. Similar arguments were used to oppose the introduction of other harm reduction interventions such as needle and syringe programmes that subsequently saved countless lives, they wrote. Governments today must again find the political capital to facilitate the policies needed to prevent many more deaths. Actions taken now will not have been taken soon enough. A government spokesperson said: We are highly alert to the threat from synthetic drugs and have already established a cross-government taskforce to coordinate our response to the risk from synthetic opioids, including nitazenes, to the UK. Our drug strategy is focused on tackling the supply of illicit drugs through relentless policing action as well as building a world-class system of treatment and recovery to turn peoples lives around and prevent crime. The government pledged a record 780m to make Englands drug services world-leading in December 2021, after a damning Home Office-commissioned review found the countrys treatment system was not fit for purpose, with services left on their knees by funding cuts. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A grieving mother who lost her husband and son in theTitanic sub catastrophe has shared her heartbreaking final moments with them. Christine Dawood, 48, spoke of the tragedy as she remembers her husband Shahzada Dawood, 48, and son Suleman Dawood, 19, who would have been turning 20 this Monday. I turned to her and said: Im a widow now, Christine said to her daughter (Sky News ) Last June, her adventurous family members set aboard the Titan submersible whose mission was to travel to 13,000 feet below the surface to explore the Titanic wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean. However, just one hour and 45 minutes into the voyage, disaster struck when the submersible lost contact with the surface ship, the Polar Prince, around 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Four frantic days unfolded as a search and rescue mission attempted to locate the submersible. Five people died in the catastrophic implosion on 22 June 2023 (OceanGate Expeditions) But Ms Dawoods worst fears were confirmed when the US coast guard discovered the five crew members had died in a catastrophic implosion on 22 June 2023. The prominent business man and his son, who was studying a business degree at Strathclyde University in Glasgow were joined by French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet and OceanGate Expeditions chief executive Stockton Rush on the underwater expedition. The moment we knew theyd found debris and there were no survivors, Alina and I went on deck, she told the Daily Mail. Until that moment wed had hope. We took some cushions with us and just sat there looking out at the ocean. We were both crying. I turned to her and said: Im a widow now. She said: Yes, and Im a single child. Then we cried even more. Shahzada Dawood, 58, and 19-year-old son Suleman share a tender hug before their doomed deep sea trip on the Titan submersible (Sourced) Ms Dawood explained how she was supposed to go on the Titanic submersible trip but after Covid delays, when her son Suleman turned 18 he was eager to join his father. The day before the doomed trip, Ms Dawood explained she was so sea sick on the Polar Prince and had not been able to spend a lot of time with her family, but recalled her husband glowing from excitement. Her son had decided to keep himself entertained by solving a Rubiks Cube 3,700 metres below the ocean surface, the mother told the paper. Before losing her husband of 20 years, Ms Dawood said they rarely spent any time apart, other than when he returned to his native Pakistan. Shahzada and Suleman Dawood smile in the final photo taken before their doomed dive on board the Titan submersible (Sourced) The couple shared two children Suleman and their daughter Alina, 17. The heartbroken mother spoke of the incomparable devastation of losing a child. She described how she nearly lost her son giving birth to him during an emergency C-section 20 years ago, but medics saved him. Ms Dawood, originally from Germany, described her son who would have turned 20 this Monday, as an old soul who made everyone feel special. To commemorate her sons 20th birthday she is going to blow up balloons so they rise to their glass atrium roof. The mother remembered long walks around the Surrey Hills with Suleman and their dog Stig, a Burmese mountain dog, who he adored. Ms Dawood said despite what happened, she would not have denied her daring son and husband the chance to go on the trip, she said if they had returned the story would have been very different. Zelenskyy will speak in Davos on Jan 16 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make a special address at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) on January 16, the forums press service reported. As the organizers note, the president of Ukraine will personally attend and speak at the discussion entitled Achieving Security and Cooperation in a Fragmented World. Along with Zelenskyy, the panel will be attended by economist and founder of the World Economic Forum in Davos Klaus Schwab, as well as forum president Brge Brende. The World Economic Forum in Davos will take place from January 15 to January 19. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak has been urged to turn his attention to other long-standing injustices in the wake of his action to exonerate wrongly convicted postmasters over the Horizon IT scandal. After the prime minister paved the way for hundreds of postmasters wrongly prosecuted by the Post Office to receive compensation, he has been told to roll out compensation to victims of the infected blood scandal. In the 1970s and 1980s, thousands died in what is widely recognised as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS after being given blood products contaminated with HIV and Hepatitis C. Under an initial compensation scheme, only victims themselves or bereaved partners can receive an interim payment of about 100,000. Victims of the infected blood scandal have been waiting years for proper compensation (Factor 8) And ministers have said they will not take action to further compensate victims until an official inquiry into the scandal published its report, expected in March. But Dame Diana Johnson, chair of parliaments home affairs committee, said victims cannot wait as people are dying. She joined senior politicians in calling for ministers to act over the infected blood scandal, after the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, led to change after years of inaction in the postmasters cases. Dame Diana told The Independent: Its really frustrating. And obviously, its great the publicity that Mr Bates and the Post Office got and that the government has now done something quickly. But it is a bit galling when you can see that they could do the same if they wanted to, because its all set out very clearly by the judge what they need to do. Urging the PM to take action quickly, she added: The recommendations have all been made to the government. Theres no need to wait. They could pay out now. The key point everyone keeps saying is that one person dies on average every four days people are dying. Dame Diana Johnson (fourth from left), Jason Evans (fifth from left), Damian Green (sixth from left) and other campaigners in Downing Street with a letter calling for faster compensation for victims of the infected blood scandal (PA) Meanwhile the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, told The Independent that MPs need to look at how it looks to the country leaving long-running scandals unresolved. This week, the whole country has seen how the government and parliament only do their job when forced to do so by a TV drama. It is not a good look, he said. Addressing the infected blood scandal, Mr Burnham said: Thousands of lives have been cut short, many more people have been forced to live with life-limiting conditions and hundreds of thousands have been ruined. The way they have been treated is a terrible stain on this nation. It is a downright disgrace. Mr Burnham, who served as health secretary during the last Labour government, also said people have not got time to wait for Sir Brian Langstaff to publish his inquirys report. And he said the number of people who have died waiting for compensation is shameful. The contaminated blood scandal has been running since the Seventies right under the nose of successive governments, with thousands of letters written by MPs, countless debates, he told The Independent. Sir Brian has said relatives, including parents who lost children and children orphaned when their parents died, remain unrecognised when it comes to compensation. Jason Evans, whose father died due to Aids after being infected by dangerous Factor VIII blood products, said the governments response to the Post Office drama has brought hope but also a sense of urgent disparity. While I applaud the governments actions to rectify the injustices faced by the victims of the Post Office scandal, I cant help but draw parallels to the plight of those affected by the infected blood scandal, he wrote in The Independent. Mr Evans said it is time for the government to step up and right the wrongs of the past, as justice for the victims of the infected blood scandal has been delayed too long. Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt said last week it will not take an ITV drama for compensation to be paid to victims of the infected blood scandal. While she defended the governments actions in trying to resolve some very difficult and long-running issues, Ms Mordaunt said she would speak to the Cabinet Office to ensure lessons are learned particularly from the last few weeks. Meanwhile, Des Collins, senior partner of Collins Solicitors advising 1,500 victims and families affected by the infected blood scandal, said governments have been expert at avoidance and delay over many, many years. He told The Independent: First there was a refusal to admit mistakes had been made in the use of infected blood products. More recently, the government has talked of accepting the moral case for compensation, yet these words have not been matched by action. Those victims left are still dying without proper compensation and the families of the bereaved continue to be treated shoddily, despite all they too have suffered. He said infected blood victims need an apology and full compensation, as well as lessons being learned to ensure similar scandals can never happen again. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Suella Braverman has taken her latest shot at Rishi Sunak, accusing the PM of relying on bad weather to stop small boat crossings. The former home secretary lashed out at the PM after Britain saw the first arrivals cross the channel this year. The country had seen zero arrivals in 26 days, which was the longest period of no small boat crossings since 2020. But, as the poor weather eased, around 50 people were reported to have been brought ashore from the channel by the UK Border Force. Braverman says bad weather is not a sustainable policy for stopping the boats (PA Wire) Bad weather is not a sustainable policy for stopping the boats, Ms Braverman said. Labour took advantage of the infighting, saying Mr Sunak and home secretary James Cleverly spent the festive period crowing about their small boats policies, but [crossings resuming] proves what experts said the whole time. The pause in crossings had nothing to do with them and everything to do with the wet, windy weather, shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said. The interventions come days before MPs vote on Mr Sunaks backup Rwanda bill, aimed at reviving plans to deport asylum seekers to the east African nation. It was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court in November, but Mr Sunak is seeking to pass a fresh bill to get planes in the sky. It is a key part of the PMs pledge to stop the boats, set out last January. Right-wing MPs are demanding a that 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. But moderate MPs from the One Nation caucus have threatened to vote the bill down if it risks breaching Britains international obligations. Her latest attack on the PM came after Ms Braverman threatened to vote against Mr Sunaks Rwanda bill next week unless he commits to toughening up the flagship legislation. She told GB News that the British people are fed up with the boats and fed up with broken promises and that this is the last chance for the government to get it right. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has called for tougher measures to stop the boats (PA) She said: What my objective is, is to deliver a bill that works. And its far better to defeat this bill, because it doesnt work, and start again with a new bill that will work than proceed on a false premise, than proceed on a basis that amounts to something that wont stop the boats. She was joined by fellow right-wing rebel and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who said the bill will not work without amendments. And he said the measures failing would lead to an illegal migration catastrophe. He wrote in The Daily Telegraph: In short, as currently drafted, every single small boat arrival will be able to concoct a personal reason for why Rwanda is unsafe for them and they cant be removed. This will lead to individuals being taken off flights, the courts being overwhelmed and the operational collapse of the policy, with illegal arrivals being released on bail from detention as the backlog of hearings grow. He added: As legislators, we have the power to avert this catastrophe, for in our sovereign parliament the law is our servant, not our master. We owe it to our constituents whose interests we are sent to parliament to advance to deliver. They will tolerate nothing less. Mr Jenrick has tabled amendments to the bill to strengthen it, which are backed by 10s of right-wing MPs. But if the bill is toughened up, it risks losing the support of more than 100 moderate One Nation Conservatives and failing. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Keir Starmer has reaffirmed his support for British and American bombing raids in Yemen and denounced Iran for sponsoring terrorism. In an article for The Independent, the Labour leader defended his decision to offer strong support to Rishi Sunak for sending British forces into action against Houthi militants and acting in the national interest. He appeared to give the green light to further US and UK military action saying we must retain the flexibility to react with the necessary speed to threats. Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer backed UK and US bombing raids in Yemen (PA Wire) In a signal that he will not shirk from similar military action if he becomes prime minister, he warned those who seek to damage Britain, to attack its interests and to threaten its people that they should be in no doubt as to the seriousness of our countrys resolve in response to their aggression. But he repeated his call for the prime minister to explain his actions to MPs in parliament on Monday. He spoke out after being criticised by left-wingers close to Jeremy Corbyn for endorsing the bombing raids. Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, who now sits as an Independent MP, accused Sir Keir of going back on a pledge in his leadership campaign against Mr Corbyn. A staunch critic of Nato, Mr Corbyn has repeatedly opposed military intervention by western nations and declined to call Hamas a terrorist organisation in a television interview in November. She claimed Sir Keir had said he would only back war if it was legal, had a viable objective and parliament gave consent. Ms Abbott said the current action in Yemen has none of these, yet he (Starmer) supports it. In his article for The Independent, Sir Keir did not mention his predecessor as Labour leader by name but emphasised he took a very different approach to military matters. The Houthi raids on shipping must stop and it was right that Britain plays its part in ending them, he said. Sir Keir Starmer sought to distance himself from predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, whose record on defence was seen as damaging to the party (AP) Sir Keir added pointedly: Under my leadership, the Labour Party has never wavered from its commitment to Britains defence and leading on the international stage. As thousands gathered in cities across the UK and Europe to protest against Israels war in Gaza, as well as strikes on Yemen, Sir Keir said taking military action is the most serious and grave decision facing any government. He added: The attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea threaten one of the worlds most important trade routes and put the lives of British civilians and military personnel in danger. They must stop, and it is right that Britain plays its part, alongside our allies, in deterring these attacks. His intervention came after a second day of strikes against rebel-controlled sites in Yemen, with the US launching a follow-on action against a Houthi radar site. In the early hours of Friday morning, in response to weeks of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the strategically crucial Red Sea, US and UK warplanes, ships and submarines hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. The Hamas-backing Houthis claim they are only targeting vessels linked to Israel in one of the worlds busiest shipping routes, because of the war in Gaza. The Labour leader urged Britain to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the crisis to bring about peace and regional security, but he called out Iran for playing a destabilising role. He said: Alongside essential military action, the UK must continue to pursue a diplomatic track at the UN and through our discussions with regional players that reduces the risk of a dangerous further escalation of the conflict. The Iranian regime continues to play a destabilising role in the region, as a sponsor for terror. His words echoed those of foreign secretary Lord Cameron, who said the strikes sent a very clear message to the Houthis but also to Iran as well. This escalation has been caused by the Houthis. And this action is in response to that to send a very clear message that if you act in this way, there arent just warnings there are consequences, the former prime minister told NBC. Amid criticism of Mr Sunak for authorising strikes without consulting MPs, Sir Keir said he understood Britain had to react with the necessary speed to threats. But he called on Mr Sunak to make a statement in the House of Commons on Monday to reassure the public as well as explain how we will protect British interests and guard against the threat of escalation. Sir Keir will press Rishi Sunak on Monday to explain how he will protect British interests and guard against the threat of escalation in the region (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) As the strikes began, a joint statement from countries including the UK and the US said the action had been taken in accordance with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence. Mr Sunak added: Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week. The PM said the Houthis actions cannot stand, and that his government had decided to take limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence alongside the US. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Frances new foreign minister arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Saturday to meet with his counterpart in a sign of support for Ukraine as Russias full-scale invasion nears its second anniversary. Stephane Sejourne noted that Ukraine was his first destination abroad since his appointment in a government reshuffle this week. Ukraine is and will remain Frances priority, he said. The defense of the fundamental principles of international law is being played out in Ukraine. Sejourne, in a joint news conference alongside Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, reiterated his government's pledges of support for Ukraine as long as necessary but did not announce new weapon deliveries. Russia is hoping that Ukraine and its supporters will tire before it does. We will not weaken. That is the message that I am carrying here to the Ukrainians. Our determination is intact, Sejourne said. The ministers took no questions. France has been switching away from its initial post-invasion policy of providing complete weapons systems to Ukraine from its own stocks. It is increasingly pursuing what the government describes as a more sustainable effort to help defense manufacturers both at home and in Ukraine ramp up production so they can supply the embattled country's long-term armament needs. Sejourne said that a French defense fund to enable Ukraine to buy armaments also got fresh funding in recent weeks but he did not specify the amount. France is also working to overcome objections from Hungary to supply EU financial aid to Ukraine, needed to fund essential public services and reconstruction. Sejourne said France would use all of its weight to try to unblock the EU aid package at an upcoming summit in early February. Kuleba thanked Sejourne for not being deterred from visiting by another massive Russian strike. He also highlighted that many Western-made components were found in Russian missiles used to attack Ukraine. According to a recent report by the Kyiv School of Economics and Yermak McFauls group, 44% of all electronic components in Russias weapons are developed by Western companies, he said, calling on the Group of Seven and the European Union to take decisive measures to block the supply of goods containing these components to Russia. Sejourne s visit came a day after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled Friday new military funding for Ukraine, announcing a security pact with Kyiv and 2.5 billion pounds (about $3.2 billion) for its war effort over the next fiscal year. Also on Saturday, the Ukrainian Air Force said its defense system downed eight of the 37 missiles fired by Russia. Three drones were also launched. The air force said via its Telegram channel that more than 20 of the total attacks were prevented from reaching their target by means of electronic warfare. Both Ukraine and Russia make use of electronic warfare technology aimed at jamming and diverting enemy drones and guided missiles. Also, in Ukraines northeastern Sumy region, a resident was wounded as a result of a morning rocket attack, the regional prosecutors office said. In Russia, a local resident received shrapnel wounds when Ukrainian forces attacked a village in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov. ___ Associated Press writer John Leicester in Paris and Elise Morton in London contributed. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A judge overseeing the University of Idaho quadruple murder case has ordered prosecutors to turn over DNA records to Bryan Kohbergers defence. Mr Kohberger, the sole suspect in the 13 November 2022 stabbings, was arrested seven weeks after Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found brutally murdered in their off-campus home in the town of Moscow. According to an affidavit for his arrest, genealogy databases yielded a link to Mr Kohberger from DNA on a knife sheath found next to Mogens body. For months, the defence fought to obtain all the information about those DNA records, arguing that it essentially led to the capture of their client. On Thursday, Judge John Judge ordered in favour of the defence motion to compel discovery. However, only a portion of the IGG (Investigative genetic genealogy) information is subject to the defence request. It remains unclear the specific material set to be released as it is outlined in a sealed order to protect the privacy of individuals on Mr Kohbergers family tree. The court has now completed its review of the information provided by the State and orders the State to discover to the defence a portion of the IGG information, the judge wrote in the ruling. Mr Kohbergers attorneys have cast doubts about the use of genealogy DNA in the case. In August, the defence submitted an affidavit by a DNA expert who argued the science behind genetic genealogy is not always flawless. Prosecutors then contested that the DNA profile created from the knife sheath evidence, which produced a link to Mr Kohberger through somebody in his family line, was not the only evidence used to secure Mr Kohbergers arrest. Mr Kohberger was also tied to the scene of the crime through cellphone data and surveillance video that placed his Hyundai Electra near the victims home around the time of the murders, according to the affidavit unsealed last year. At the time of the murders, Mr Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University, which is a short drive from the scene of the killings across the state border. He was arrested at his parents home in Pennsylvania on 30 December 2022. Although an initial trial date had been set for October, several motions filed in the case have delayed the proceedings. Last month, prosecutors asked the judge that a new date be set for summer 2024. Close Which big names are on Epsteins list? The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Over the past week thousands of pages of court documents relating to late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, have been made public after US judge Loretta Preska ordered the release of filings in a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell. The documents named scores of prominent figures including, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Victorias Secret boss Les Wexner. Being identified through the court documents does not mean that the individual was involved in or aware of any wrongdoing by Epstein. The final batch of documents, released on Tuesday, included depositions from Ms Giuffre, Maxwell and Epstein. In Epsteins deposition, he was questioned about his campaign of abuse of young and underage girls. He pleaded the Fifth over 1,000 times. In Maxwells deposition, she was confronted with disturbing messages left for Epstein one of which referenced what appeared to be code for procuring an underage Russian girl for Epstein. She is two times eight years old. Not blond. Lessons are free and you can have your first today if you call, it read. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man who carried out a knife attack on New Years Eve 2022 has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Trevor Bickford, who was 19 at the time, attacked three police officers with a machete just outside of New York Citys Times Square. No officers died in the attack, but all three were hospitalised for their injuries. Bickford who had travelled there from Maine was shot in the shoulder and taken into custody. According to court documents, Bickfords attack was intended as a jihadist mission. He had recently converted to Islam, and just months before the attack, he had begun consuming materials espousing radical Islamic ideology, including content related to the Taliban. Over the ensuing months, Bickford radicalized, devoting himself to violent Islamic extremism and waging jihad, the documents state. Bickford had previously suggested he was interested in committing an act of violence, telling family members he wanted to travel to Jordan or Afghanistan to be a suicide bomber. He also purchased a crossbow and regularly practiced shooting it. According to federal officials, Bickford had planned to die in the attack in an effort to achieve martyrdom, and therefore believed his attack was unsuccessful, because he did not kill any officers, and he did not die himself. Bickford targeted the iconic yearly celebration to carry out brazen acts of violence and hatred in the name of jihad, US Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York said in a statement . Bickford, as with countless others who have carried out acts of terrorism in support of misguided ideologies, is now going to spend lengthy time exactly where he deserves in federal prison. Bickford, who is now 20, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder of US government employees, as well as three counts of assault on US government employees, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. In all, he could face up to 120 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for 11 April. In court on Thursday, Bickford apologized for the attack, the New York Times reported. Since that day, he said he has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and now takes psychiatric medication. I know what I did was wrong, he said, and Im sorry. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The US has launched further military strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen, the day after attacking nearly 30 sites linked to the group. US officials say that the second wave of strikes was carried out on Friday night and targeted a radar facility used by the Houthis, reported CNN. It came after the Houthis fired an anti-ship missile towards a commercial vessel in the Red Sea. Pentagon officials said earlier on Friday that the first wave of strikes had come from an aircraft carrier, two destroyers, a cruiser and a submarine. Those strikes were carried out by the US and UK, with the support of Canada, Australia, Bahrain and the Netherlands. Officials said that the second strikes were carried out by the Americans alone from a US Navy ship. The US had warned that it would carry out further strikes if the Houthis continued to attack commercial and military shipping in the Red Sea. The US had threatened the possibility of additional military action if the Houthis continued to carry out drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. We will make sure we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour along with our allies, President Joe Biden said on Friday while in Pennsylvania. In total, the first strikes targeted 28 Houthi-controlled locations in Yemen, with more than 150 bombs and missiles, according to The New York Times. Fighter jets launched raids from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower, with other attacks coming from the USS Gravely, the USS Mason and the USS Philippine Sea, according to Lt Gen Douglas Sims of the Pentagons Joint Staff. An Ohio class submarine also took part in the strikes, according to Lt Gen Sims. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump blasted a New York City judge after being denied a delay to his civil trial against E Jean Carroll to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law. In a searing post on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, the former president described judge Lewis A Kaplan as a bad person and a worse judge, and accused him of suffering from Trump derangment syndrome. He had argued he needed to do so to console his wife Melania following the recent death of her mother, Amalija Knavs. Judge Kaplan issued an order on Friday, denying Mr Trumps motion for a one-week delay to his civil trial, which will determine the amount of damages he must pay to journalist E Jean Carroll. The trial is due to begin on Tuesday. Crazed, Trump hating Judge, Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the Election Interference Witch Hunt, disguised as a trial, of a woman I have never met before (celebrity photo line does not count - I had no idea who she was!), was asked if he could delay this Rigged Political Scam for one day so that I could attend the FUNERAL OF MY BELOVED MOTHER-IN-LAW WITH MY WIFE, THE FORMER (AND NEXT!) FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES AND HE SAID NO, Mr Trump wrote. Mr Trump described the New York judge as a bad person' (@realDonaldTrump/ TruthSocial) He is a bad person and an even worse Judge. Appointed by, and friends with, Clinton, he purposely scheduled this HOAX right in the middle of the important New Hampshire Primary. This is the second trial concerning the same person, who is represented and financed by POLITICAL OPERATIVES. It could have taken place at any time, including months ago. Can anyone imagine a husband not going to his wifes mothers funeral over a MADE UP STORY - A story that has been allowed to simmer by a really bad Judge who suffers from TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME! Knavs death was announced on 9 January. She died at the age of 78 after an illness. Ms Trump announced with deep sadness on Twitter/X that her mother passed away. Mr Trump described Knavs as a great and beautiful mother who will be missed by the family. This is a very sad night for the entire Trump family!!! Mr Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social. Melanias great and beautiful mother, Amalija, has just gone to a beautiful place in the sky. She was an incredible woman, and will be missed far beyond words! Trump Columnist Lawsuit (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) But in a court order issued on Friday, Judge Lewis A Kaplan denied the former presidents last-minute request for delay. The Court offers its condolences to Mr and Mrs Trump and the rest of Ms. Knavs family, the order stated. Today [Friday], at 3:59pm, the start of the holiday weekend, Mr Trumps counsel emailed a member of the Courts staff a request for a one-week postponement of the trial, long scheduled to begin on January 16, 2024. The reason given was that Mr Trump proposes to spend January 17 and 18 traveling to and attending the funeral, which the family has scheduled for January 18, 2024 in Florida. The application is DENIED. The trial shall begin at 9:30am on January 16 2024 as scheduled. Mr Trump is free to attend the trial, the funeral, or all or parts of both, as he wishes. The application for postponement came as Mr Trump geared up for presidential campaigning in Iowa ahead of the state Caucus next week. In a video released to supporters on Friday, he told them that despite extreme weather conditions, he wouldnt miss it for anything. Attorneys for E Jean Carroll previously warned that Mr Trump would seek to sow chaos at the civil trial, which will determine how much he owes the US journalist in damages for defaming her in 2019 after she came forward with accusations of rape. It is related to the other defamation case that went to trial last year in which a jury determined the former president was liable for sexual abuse and defamation when he made statements denying he assaulted her in 2022. The jury awarded Ms Carroll $5m in damages for that. If Mr Trump appears at this trial, whether as a witness or otherwise, his recent statements and behavior strongly suggest that he will seek to sow chaos, Roberta Kaplan, an attorney for Ms Carroll said in a filing on Friday. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. A meeting of the Association of Appraisers of Turkic-speaking States will be held in Azerbaijan in May this year, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Appraisers Society (AQC) Vugar Oruj said at the forum "Reporting and Transparency in the Context of Challenges of the New Era" held in Baku, Trend reports. The powers of the President of the Union of Appraisers of the Turkic States will be transferred from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, and the vice-president - from Azerbaijan to Turkiye," he explained. "The creation of the union was a new stage in the development of cooperation between appraisers of the Turkic States, and AQC participated in this process." "Last year, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan joined this union, while Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus joined in an associative manner, Oruj reminded. Overall, according to him, last year was a big year for AQC. At the end of last year we signed an agreement with the Accounts Chamber, Oruj noted. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has been forced to make adjustments to his campaigning schedule in Iowa ahead of Mondays caucuses, due to severe weather conditions in the state. The changes were made out of an abundance of caution amid severe weather advisories and to ensure the safety of Maga patriots across Iowa, according to a campaign press release. The former president was originally set to hold campaign events on Saturday and Sunday in Atlantic, Sioux City, Indianola and Cherokee. On Friday, his team announced that several live appearances would be replaced with tele-rallies, with only one in-person event still taking place in Indianola. It comes as blizzard warnings remain in place for large parts of the state, according to the National Weather Service, with Iowans advised to avoid outdoor activity if possible. The former president was originally set to hold live campaign events on Saturday and Sunday in Iowa (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) In a video Mr Trump said that despite the worst weather in recorded history for the state, he and his team would figure it out. Im leaving very shortly for your beautiful state. I love that state. I love the people in the state, he said. Ill get there sometime around Saturday night or something, one way or the other You have the worst weather, I guess, in recorded history, but maybe thats good because our people are more committed than anybody else. He added: Nobody knows how exactly were gonna get there, but were going to figure it out. And we wouldnt miss it for anything. So we have record cold weather, record snowfall, record everything, but we will not miss it. According to the former presidents new schedule, he will hold a tele-rally on Saturday at 7pm CT with Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. After the Indianola event on Sunday, Mr Trump will hold another tele-rally with state representative Bobby Kauffman at 5pm. He is set to hold one last tele-rally at 12pm on the day of the Iowa caucuses Monday 15 January. Elsewhere, Trump supporters offered somewhat interesting suggestions as to the cause of the poor conditions. Right-wing conspiracy theorist and anti-Muslim activist Laura Loomer appeared to suggest rival presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, along with the Deep State may have manipulated the weather. Is the Deep State activating HAARP (High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program) to disrupt the Iowa Caucus? We all know @NikkiHaley has a lot of friends in the defense industry and Military industrial complex, Ms Loomer wrote on X. Shes losing in Iowa, and now Iowa is set to get hit with a ONCE IN A DECADE blizzard as Donald Trump is set to dominate the Iowa Caucus. Is the Deep State using HAARP to rig the Iowa Caucus? Looks like weather manipulation to me. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former president Donald Trump will be back in a New York City federal courthouse on Tuesday for a trial to determine the damages he owes columnist E Jean Carroll after defaming her, again. The trial arrives approximately four months after Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that Mr Trump defamed Ms Carroll in 2019 when he denied sexually assaulting her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodmans in the mid-1990s. Ms Carroll first came forward with allegations of rape during Mr Trumps presidency in her book What Do We Need Men For? He denied the allegations and claimed, Shes not my type. Now, next weeks trial will focus only on the damages that Mr Trump owes Ms Carroll for making the defamatory statements. Judge Kaplan made the decision after the jury in a separate defamation trial found Mr Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The previous defamation trial focused on statements Mr Trump made on Truth Social in 2022 in which he called Ms Carrolls rape allegations a Hoax and a lie. After Ms Carrolls grueling testimony about Mr Trumps assault, the jury in that case found that Mr Trump was liable for sexual abuse (but not rape) as well as defamation and awarded Ms Carroll $5m. Judge Kaplan ruled that because the 2019 statements are substantially the same as the 2022 statements, this trial and case are limited to the issue of damages only. Now Ms Carroll must show a jury what damages, if any, Mr Trump owes her for claiming he had never met her, she was not his type and that her allegations of rape were false. So far, Mr Trumps legal team has sought to dismiss or delay the case by countersuing, claiming the jurys awards were excessive, claiming he had presidential immunity and more. So far, Judge Kaplan and a US Court of Appeals have denied those requests. Judge Kaplan has also made it clear to Mr Trumps legal team that they may not present evidence challenging the facts of the case that have already been determined by a jury in the case last year. The former president said he will attend opening statements at the New York City courthouse on Tuesday. He told reporters he would go To explain I dont know who the hell [Ms Carroll] is a claim he has often made about the columnist. Ms Carrolls lawyer has asked Judge Kaplan to limit what Mr Trump may testify about to prevent him from speaking contrary to the facts of the case which have already been determined. The trial is set to begin at 9.30am on Tuesday. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The US failed to track around $1bn in military aid to Ukraine for the war against Russia, an internal government watchdog has said. The aid included advanced US weaponry, the tracking of which fell short of the Department of Defences standards regarding sensitive technology or weapons that may be misused or diverted, a 92-page report published by the departments inspector general revealed. The accounting for US aid has improved since Russia first invaded in February 2022, but as of June 2023, the tracking of more than half of the Javelins, Stinger missiles, night-vision equipment, and other items sent to Ukraine for which enhanced end-use monitoring standards were required remained delinquent, according to Inspector General Robert Storch. The total value of the equipment amounts to an estimated $1.7bn, the report released on Thursday states. It doesnt claim that any of the equipment was misused. It was beyond the scope of our evaluation to determine whether there has been diversion of such assistance, the report says. Ukrainian civilians attend their final military training after a five-day course near Kyiv, Ukraine, 12 January 2024 (EPA) Biden administration officials have noted that the report is based on more than six months old data, ABC News reported. Officials also argued that extensive monitoring is often difficult to adhere to during a raging conflict. Mr Storch told Congress in March last year that the enhanced end-use monitoring was vitally important to ensure that the lethal and non-lethal tools the US supplies to its partners are accounted for appropriately and being used for their intended purpose. Ukrainian civilians attend their final military training after a five-day course near Kyiv, Ukraine, 12 January 2024 (EPA) This raised issues surrounding whether the systems used can reach those goals if the requirements are not followed. Mr Storch said at the time that enhanced end-use monitoring was being conducted largely in accordance with the law. However, weeks later, Mr Storchs office shared concerns regarding compliance. Ukrainian service members of 79th brigade fire a L119 howitzer towards Russian troops near the front line town of Marinka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine January 12, 2024 (REUTERS) The report states that the failures stemmed from the small number of staff doing that work as well as their limited ability to travel within Ukraine. They also noted that until December 2022, there were no procedures for end-use monitoring. It also states that compliance went up by 27 per cent between February and June of last year. But it also noted that significant personnel limitations and accountability challenges remain. Amidst the publication of the report, President Joe Bidens request for additional aid to Ukraine is at a standstill in Congress, where Republicans are baulking at spending more money on the conflict, saying that they wont agree to new aid being sent until stricter measures are put in place to secure the US southern border with Mexico. The US has sent more than $75bn in aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Crown Prince Frederik, the popular 55-year-old who will become king of Denmark on Sunday in Copenhagen, must find the right balance between renewing the royal familys bond with a new generation of Danes while maintaining the relevance of the 1,000-year-old monarchy. And being himself. He has had two weeks to gather his thoughts, after his 83-year-old mother shocked the nation in her new year address. At 6pm on 31 December, it is the norm in Denmark to watch Queen Margrethe IIs speech with friends and family while toasting with some bubbly. Such is the esteem in which the queen is held, the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, in her own new year speech, declared that the monarch had converted her from a republican to a royalist. The audience for the queens new year address regularly surpasses 2 million and in 2021, more than 3.3 million Danes watched her speech almost 60 per cent of the population. Close Moment Russian plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war appears to crash For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least seven people, including three children, have been killed overnight after a Russian drone hit a petrol station in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv. The strike caused a massive fire that burned down 15 private houses, while 50 people were evacuated as emergency workers tackled the blaze. It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sacked army chief Valeriy Zaluzhny and replaced him with Oleksandr Syrsky. It follows days of speculation that Zelensky was considering dismissing Zaluzhny, who is seen by many Ukrainians as a national hero for overseeing the war effort since February 2022. We discussed what renewal the Armed Forces of Ukraine need. We also discussed who could be in the renewed leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The time for this renewal is now, Zelenskys statement said on Telegram. In other developments, Ukrainian troops have shot down a Russian attack helicopter in eastern Ukraine near the city of Avdiivka as soldiers step up street fighting, Kyiv claimed. Meanwhile, Russian forces launched the second largest combined drone and missile strike on Ukraine this year with around 64 munitions hitting the country, according to a US think tank. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} After two months of continual Iran-backed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, the US and the UK have launched more than 100 strikes against the militant groups positions across western Yemen. Huge explosions were seen in Yemeni cities including Sanaa and Hodeidah in the early hours of 12 January, with the US military saying 60 strikes were launched against 16 sites linked to the Houthis military operations. Below, The Independent looks at how the attacks unfolded and what weapons were used in the strikes. An overview Lt General Alex Grynkewich, a senior Air Force commander overseeing forces in the Middle East, said in a statement that more than 100 precision-guided munitions were used to hit 60 targets at 16 Houthi locations in Yemen overnight. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed this morning that the Royal Air Force were responsible for hitting two of those sites. One was a site at Bani in north-western Yemen used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones, the statement read. A number of buildings involved in drone operations were targeted by our aircraft. The other location struck by our aircraft was the airfield at Abbs. Intelligence has shown that it has been used to launch both cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. Several key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by our aircraft. What weapons were used? James Heappey, the UK armed forces minister, revealed this morning that four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters were used in the attack, supported by two Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft. The single pilot, twin-engine Typhoon jets are a mainstay of the RAF fleet. They fly at speeds of roughly 1,380 miles per hour (Mach 1.8) and as high as 55,000 feet, according to an RAF fact sheet The Ministry of Defence (M0D) later confirmed that Paveway IV guided bombs had been used in the strikes. A source at RAF Northolt suggested to The Independent that 18 missiles had been used in the attacks. An RAF fact sheet describes the 227kg warheads, which cost roughly 30,000 each, as having the ability to engage targets in all types of weather with laser guidance for high terminal accuracy. Gen Alex Grynkewich said the US fired roughly 100 precision-guided missiles, inlcuding Tomahwaks, from warships and submarines in the region. The US Navys Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), worth up to 1.5 million each, are low-flying cruise missiles capable of delivering a 450 kg conventional warhead hundreds of miles inland. The bulk of the firepower will have come from US jets. The US has an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, as well as several air bases in the region. (The Independent/Datawrapper) How did the attacks happen? James Heappey, the UK Armed Forces minister, said the four Typhoons took off at 7.30pm on Thursday evening from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The base is located on the southernmost tip of the island, about 150 miles from the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Our source said that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak phoned Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Thursday evening to request clearance for the Typhoons to fly over the eastern Mediterranean. The crew then flew west of Israel before descending the Red Sea and carrying out strikes on the Houthi positions in western Yemen. Mr Heappey said this morning that both targets were successfully prosecuted. The four Typhoons and two Voyagers safely returned to RAF Akrotiri at 3am. Footage released by US and UK showed fighter jets and aircraft taking off from various locations on Thursday evening. What targets were hit? Footage released by the UK MoD shows strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen (Ministry of Defence) Gen Alex Grynkewich said the strikes hit command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defence radar systems. Our map above shows the exact locations of the strikes. The MoD claimed the strikes had been a success and that particular care had been taken to minimise risk to civilians in the area. The detailed results of the strikes are being assessed, but early indications are that the Houthis ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow, a statement read. How have the Houthis reacted? Houthi leader warns Sunak and Biden: Your involvement will never go unanswered A Houthi military spokesperson said 73 strikes had killed five of the groups fighters and wounded six others. These reports have not been confirmed. Experts have warned that the Houthis are likely to claim the strikes killed civilians as part of its informational war against the US and the UK. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed to confront American aggression after the attacks. Their Iranian backers have also called out the strikes. Foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said: These attacks are a clear violation of Yemens sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of international laws. Russia, meanwhile, condmended the strikes and called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the issue. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The US and the UK have carried out military strikes with aircraft, ships and missiles against targets linked to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The attacks came after the Houthis launched their largest attack yet on Red Sea shipping, one of 27 such assaults since 19 November. Officials said that 21 missiles and drones were fired at warships and commercial vessels near the Bab al-Mandab Strait early last week, the southern bottleneck of the Red Sea, with US and UK warships blowing them out of the sky. Since the US-UK strikes, the Iranian-backed Houthis have vowed to expand their Red Sea raids to include US ships, and successfully struck an American-owned cargo vessel off Yemen on Monday night. The ship doesnt necessarily have to be heading to Israel for us to target it; it is enough for it to be American, Nasruldeen Amer, a spokesperson for the Houthis, told Al Jazeera. The United States is on the verge of losing its maritime security. Here is what we know so far: What targets were hit in the strikes? The US said that it carried out strikes at more than 60 targets at 28 Houthi locations, with the Pentagon saying that radar systems, drone and missile storage and launch sites, plus Houthi command centres were all hit. Strikes were reported in the Yemen capital Sanaa - which is controlled by the rebels - as well as the Houthi Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Dhamar and the group's north-western stronghold of Saada. Britains Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that it had identified key facilities involved in Houthi targeting of HMS Diamond and US Navy vessels earlier this week "and agreed to conduct a carefully coordinated strike to reduce the Houthis' capability to violate international law in this manner". It said fighter jets conducted precision strikes on two of these Houthi facilities. "One was a site at Bani in north-western Yemen used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones. A number of buildings involved in drone operations were targeted by our aircraft. The other location struck by our aircraft was the airfield at Abbs. Intelligence has shown that it has been used to launch both cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. Several key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by our aircraft. The Houthis said there were more than 70 strikes in total. How have the Houthis responded? The Houthis have continued to target ships since the US-UK strikes, saying that as well as Israel-linked vessels they now see British and American ships as legitimate targets. The US military said it repelled a missile attack on one of its warships over the weekend, an anti-ship cruise missile that was fired by the rebels towards the USS Laboon in the Red Sea. It was drowned by a US fighter jet off the coast of Hodeidah. And the Houthis also claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a US-owned cargo ship off the south coast of Yemen on Monday 15 January. The attack involved three missiles, one of which struck the Gibraltar Eagle and caused a fire. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which oversees Middle East waters, issued an advisory to all vessels in the region and urged caution during transit through Red Sea. The assaults have prompted prominent shipping firms to reroute ships from the Red Sea, opting for a more extended journey around southern Africa instead. On Monday, QatarEnergy, the second-largest oil company globally, declared a temporary halt to shipping through the route as it sought security guidance. What weapons did the US and UK use? US Navy warships fired Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, which are GPS-guided and can be programmed to fly evasively, the US military says. While no specific figures have been given for how many missiles were fired, the US says more than 100 precision-guided munitions "of various types" were used. The UK said it sent four RAF Typhoons from Cyprus, carrying Paveway IV guided bombs. It has not said how many were released. The two UK Navy warships in the Red Sea cannot fire land attack missiles, hence the need for aircraft. The UK and US had non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. Who are the Houthis and why are they attacking in the Red Sea? The Iran-backed Houthis armed group from a sub-sect of Yemen's Shia Muslim minority, the Zaidis. They take their name from the movement's founder, Hussein al-Houthi. They have been fighting a civil war since 2014 against Yemen's government. The government has been backed against the Houthis by a coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Houthis are part of what Tehran labels an axis of resistance against Israel, the US and the wider West which includes Hamas and Hezbollah from Lebanon. A Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October that killed 1,200 people and saw 240 taken hostage triggered Israel to bombard Gaza aiming to eradicate the group. Health officials in the Hamas-run territory say the Israeli military operation has killed more than 23,000 people. The Houthis claim they are targeting all ships bound for Israel through the Bab al-Mandab Strait in support of the Palestinian people. The Houthis subsequently began targeting commercial vessels indiscriminately, triggering the mobilisation of a US-led naval coalition at the end of last year to counter this threat. The Houthis have launched a number of attacks since November, carrying out at least 27 attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea. Why is the Red Sea important? It is one of the major waterways for global trade; roughly 12 to 15 per cent of shipping traffic passes through the Red Sea. Many shipping companies have been forced to reroute their vessels, taking the longer journey around Africa, although several oil majors, refiners and trading houses have continued to use it. Alternative routes cause delays in supply chains, while increased insurance costs for sailing through the Red Sea threaten to have a knock-on effect to end costs. Insurance premiums roughly doubled in the wake of the Houthi attacks. German shipping group Hapag Lloyd said on Tuesday it would continue to avoid the Suez Canal and go around the Cape of Good Hope for security reasons, while its Danish rival Maersk has said it would avoid the route for the foreseeable future. Thus far, spikes in energy prices as a result of the attacks have been short-lived and increased insurance costs have remained manageable, but experts have warned that if a few ships were sunk by a future assault, the situation could worsen. What have Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak said about the strikes? President Biden said the strikes were in "direct response" to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. "These attacks have endangered US personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardised trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," he said. Mr Sunak said that the action was "necessary and proportionate" to protect global shipping. "Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week," he said. "This cannot stand." Could the attack escalate regional tensions? A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said the latest Houthi attacks showed the militant group were clearly focusing on escalation against international merchant shipping. Before the US and UK airstrikes, British defence secretary Grant Shapps described the situation in the Red Sea as unsustainable and said that the HMS Diamond, the British warship stationed in the area, had been specifically targeted in the latest attack. The Houthis have vowed to continue their assaults until Israel halts the conflict in Gaza, and warned they would attack US warships if the militia group itself was targeted. Mohammed al Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, wrote on X in December: Even if America succeeds in mobilising the entire world, our military operations will not stop... no matter the sacrifices it costs us. But the Houthis have no formal naval warships with which to impose a serious blockade of the waterway, while the defence capabilities of the coalition forces are more than able to cope with the threat of drones and missiles. However the UK and the US have had to weigh their determination to keep the shipping lane open against the risk of spreading war in the region. The strikes were the first by the United States on Yemeni territory since 2016, and the first time it has attacked the Iran-backed Houthis at any such scale. Saudi Arabia called for restraint and "avoiding escalation" as it looks to withdraw from the civil war in Yemen. The conflict has lately been in a delicate state of UN-backed peace negotiations. Saudi Arabia have been anxious about any response from the US and others that could complicate those efforts. Close Biden and Sunak spoke about Red Sea attacks, Gaza on phone call, according to White House For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Houthi rebels have vowed that the latest round of US and UK strikes against them in Yemen will no go unanswered - as their allies Hamas killed nearly two dozen Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The US launched their eighth attack on Houthi positions in western Yemen overnight, firing up to 30 munitions. UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said four Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons were involved in the strikes. Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthis supreme revolutionary committee wrote on X, after the joint strikes by the US and the UK: Trust well that every operation and every aggression against our country will not be without a response. It comes as 21 soldiers have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the deadliest attack on Israels forces since the 7 October Hamas raid that triggered the war, the military has said. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the soldiers but vowed to press ahead with the offensive until "absolute victory" over Hamas was achieved. The soldiers were killed after a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank stationed next to two buildings being prepared for demolition. The area was packed with explosives. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alaska Airlines passengers are suing Boeing in response to last weeks incident involving a domestic flight that resulted in a door-plug, a panel of the fuselage near the rear of the aircraft, blowing out of the plane mid-air. The suit lists seven plaintiffs and was filed in the Superior Court of Washington for King County, where part of the emergency occurred. The 5 January incident took place at 16,000 feet as flight 1282 was departing from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California. The aircraft made an emergency landing and returned to the airport it had departed from. Its the first lawsuit to be filed in response to the explosive episode. While its not yet known what caused the blowout on the Boeing 737 Max 9, officials have said that the incident stemmed from the plane depressurizing. As a result, a shirt, iPhones and other items were sucked out of the aircraft. Several passengers were injured, but were medically cleared after professionals examined them, Alaska Airlines said in a statement. The complaint alleges that those on board suffered bleeding ears, bruises and headaches. One passenger said her ears had so much pressure she thought her head would explode, the complaint states. Many oxygen masks also appeared to not be working during the flight. The suit does not list a specific monetary amount being sought. Approximately 171 people and six crew members were on board the flight. Four of them were minors, while three were lap children. Passengers were shocked, terrorized and confused, thrust into a waking nightmare, hoping they would live long enough to walk the earth again, the court filings say. Alaska Airlines offered passengers $1,500 in compensation, in addition to mental health resources and counseling sessions. The airline has not been named as a defendant. In a written statement, Daniel Laurence, the attorney representing the plaintiffs said This nightmare has caused economic, physical and ongoing emotional consequences that have understandably deeply affected our clients, and is one more disturbing black mark on the troubled 737-Max series aircraft. The 737 Max 9 series has been at the centre of recent tragedies. In October 2018, a faulty sensor on a Max 8 jet activated an anti-stall system that caused a plane to crash near Jakarta Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board. In 2019, a Max 8 plane operating under Ethiopian Airlines crashed, resulting in the deaths of 157 people. During a town hall this week, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, said the company would be acknowledging our mistake and would be working under complete transparency. After the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) moved to pull all Max 9 models out of service. Since the decision was made, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines both reportedly found loose bolts on their models. On Thursday, the agency announced it would be opening an investigation into the incident. It is the second probe levelled against the company in response to the emergency. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the company. On Friday evening, the FAA announced it would be asking Boeing to provide additional data before the aircrafts can return to the sky. It was originally thought that the planes would be cleared in inspections this week. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled due to the grounding. We are working to make sure nothing like this happens again, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. Our only concern is the safety of American travelers and the Boeing 737-9 MAX will not return to the skies until we are entirely satisfied it is safe. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 12. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov has held a telephone conversation with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria Maria Gabriel, Trend reports. During the talks, the sides discussed the current situation and prospects of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria in political, economic, energy, transport, and humanitarian spheres, as well as cooperation within international organizations. It was emphasized that last year's high-level visits and political consultations between the foreign ministries in December positively contributed to bilateral relations. The role and importance of effective cooperation in the energy sector, Azerbaijan's ensuring Europe's energy security and diversification of energy supply was noted. The sides also exchanged views on other regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest. It began with the faintest glimpse of fur, sighted through rain-splattered binoculars one cold, pink morning. I stood on the ice-rimed deck of the ship, fingers numb from the merciless wind, and raised the lenses to look again. There was no mistaking it: peeking out from the top of a snowdrift on a shingly beach, hundreds of miles from the nearest settlement, was the fur of a polar bear. The first I had ever seen. That trip to the east coast of Greenland, through the tendrilous, otherworldly fjord systems of Scoresbysund, changed my life. We were a small ship of just 13 passengers, without contact with any other humans for the best part of two weeks. It was just us and inky waters roiling with humpbacks, icebergs passing like cathedrals of geode crystals and shaggy muskoxen dotting the mountainsides. It was a place where time stood still, where we were able to explore fjords that hadnt seen visitors since Inuit hunters paddled their canoes through hundreds of years ago. And as that polar bear took to its huge paws and raised a coal-black nose to the air, I knew a new love affair was about to begin. The Arctic had me in its grip. This wasnt my first time in the Arctic, but it is the moment my interest tipped over into obsession. After that, I travelled north whenever I could, taking on any commission that meant I could spend more time in this beguiling part of the world. In the very north of Icelands Troll Peninsula, kissing the outer edges of the Arctic circle, I hiked mountains and watched the silky green northern lights perform their dance. From the deck of an electric ship in Norways Skjervoy, I marvelled at hunting orca and mighty sea eagles dive-bombing fat bait balls for their dinner. An epic trip to sub-Arctic Canada and the remote town of Churchill, on the banks of Hudson Bay, gifted me the chance to helicopter over polar bear habitat, gawping at land striated like Vienetta, and dozens of bears making their way across the ice. The Traitors' Jaz candidly opened up to his fellow contestants about the moment he found out his father was leading a double life. The national account manager, 30, from Manchester, told the group that he discovered his father had a second family aside from his own, and was even a grandfather. Jaz said he would use winnings from The Traitors to "rebuild" his family. "That level of betrayal is difficult to experience at a young age. You start to think, can you trust people?" he said. Jaz added that he hopes "nobody else in the world" goes through what he did. New satellite images show the before and after of the Houthi sites hit by US-led airstrikes, which come as the group continually disrupt cargo in the Red Sea. The Houthis claim to be targeting Red Sea vessels which are either owned by or heading to Israel, in support for Hamas in Gaza. The group have already promised both the UK and US will face retaliation for this weeks strikes, which they say has killed five and injured at least six. Joe Biden has already said the US would not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary. Rishi Sunak has shared a highlights compilation from his trip to Ukraine, where he made a speech vowing to stand with the war-torn country for as long as it takes. The footage showed his train ride to Kyiv and his meeting with Zelensky, as well as a trip to a military hospital. Ronald Reagan once said that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction, he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), alongside the powerful montage. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on to our children for them to do the same. A petition to bankrupt Oisin Fanning, the executive chairman of embattled oil and gas firm San Leon, was filed in London on Thursday but a spokesperson insisted last night that the matter has now been resolved. The petition was filed by Brian McMaster. It was not possible to confirm the background of Mr McMaster yesterday. A spokesperson for Mr Fanning said on Friday afternoon: No bankruptcy petition has been served on Mr Fanning. However, yesterday evening, the spokesperson said the matter has been resolved. A bankruptcy petition can be filed in the UK where a person can prove that they are owed at least 5,000 (5,818) or a share of debts totalling at least 5,000. In certain circumstances, where the alleged debtor is not resident in England or Wales, the bankruptcy petition must be presented to the High Court. Company filings in Ireland list Mr Fannings residential address as being in Dubai. Last year, Mr Fanning lost an effort to reverse a 250,000 tax bill he was hit with after buying a luxury 5.2m (6m) flat in Londons upmarket Grosvenor Square in 2011. A UK court can decide to dismiss a bankruptcy petition if its satisfied the debtor can pay the money owed or where the creditor has unreasonably refused offers of payment to secure the debt. A legal firm representing Mr McMaster did not respond to a query about the bankruptcy petition. Other efforts to ascertain Mr McMasters background were unsuccessful on Friday. Earlier this week, San Leon said that it was in talks with a new potential investor after a deal inked with a different backer last year faltered. The company said that funds from a $187m (171m) deal hailed by it last year as transformative have so far failed to materialise, The firm said its already in talks with a new potential investor. Its likely an announcement regarding funding could be made in the coming days. San Leon signed the $187m agreement last year with Tri Ri Asset Management (TRAM). San Leon said this week that it is still in dialogue with TRAM to understand the reasons for the delay in releasing the funds. The company said that it is now prudent to seek an alternative solution in case the delays with TRAM persist. Shares in San Leon have been suspended since last June on the Alternative Investment Market in London. Its business is primarily focused on assets in Nigeria. Ms Cassidy has extensive experience in the retail sector The Football Association of Ireland is about to lose its director of marketing and communications, with Louise Cassidy moving to take up a position with Aldi. A member of the FAIs senior leadership team, Ms Cassidy joined the association only 18 months ago. She had overseen the launch of its new brand identity, including redeveloped logos and a new crest featuring a green shamrock for the national teams. The association was plunged into controversy late last year when the CEO, Jonathan Hill, admitted he had wrongly received payments of 12,000 for holidays in lieu. Mr Hill apologised for accepting the payments, which were discovered by auditors, and which prompted Sport Ireland to suspend public funding to the association for a time. However, it is understood that Ms Cassidys decision to leave the FAI and take up the position of marketing director with Aldi had nothing to do with the controversy. An honours graduate in marketing from the Michael Smurfit Business School, she has extensive experience in the grocery retail industry. Before joining the FAI in the summer of 2022, she was head of grocery marketing at Dunnes Stores for five years, and was brand and communications marketing manager for Tesco for two years prior to that. The rebranding of the FAI, launched last spring, included creating a new identity for the association itself, separate to that of the national teams. The idea was to highlight its role as the governing body of the sport, and to create a professional look and feel for the organisation and how it engaged with stakeholders. Mr Hill said at the time that he had inherited different and very disparate brands when he came into the organisation, which have been growing over 20 years or so, and there is no real logical marketing or brand approaches to them. Meanwhile, the media regulator Coimisiun na Mean has announced that Celene Craig has decided not to seek a new term as broadcasting and video-on-demand commissioner when her current stint ends in March. A former CEO of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, the forerunner to the Coimisiun, Ms Craig was appointed as commissioner for a one-year term last March by Media Minister Catherine Martin. The role will now be publicly advertised, with the recruitment process being run by the Public Appointments Service, and the position is expected to be filled by the summer. Cause of the blaze believed to be accidental Firefighters were called to reports of a house on fire at Dunraven Park. Stock photo A four-year-old child has been rescued from an early-morning house fire in east Belfast. The cause of the blaze at Dunraven Park is thought to have been accidental. Fire crews responded to the incident shortly before 8am on Saturday morning. A spokesperson for the NI Fire & Rescue Service said: Firefighters were called to reports of a house on fire at Dunraven Park, Belfast. Two appliances from Knock station, one appliance from Central station and one appliance from Whitla station attended the incident. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued a four-year-old child from the house. The child has been transferred to the care of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Firefighters extinguished the fire using hose reel jets. The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental and the incident was dealt with by 7.48am. Tents used by homeless asylum-seekers in Dublin city last year. Photo: Collins The Irish Red Cross has urged the Government to consider creative ways of tackling the accommodation crisis, including the use of office blocks and shipping containers for emergency situations. This week, representatives from the Irish Red Cross (IRC), along with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, visited emergency accommodation centres in Brussels. This included a village of shipping containers and converted office blocks that house asylum-seekers. The report by the IRC, written after the visit, comes at a time when Ireland is experiencing its highest rate of office vacancies since 2013. Currently, the Belgian Red Cross runs 35 centres which have the capacity to house more than 8,000 asylum-seekers. These asylum-seekers are a mixture of people with temporary protection status (TPS) and international protection status (IPS). The report said it was clear that accommodation can be provided rapidly either in containers or ex-office buildings. The report also said that with the co-operation of local and central government, additional temporary or longer-term accommodation facilities can be put in place to accommodate refugees from all cohorts at pace. Liam ODwyer, who authored the report and is migration adviser to the IRC, said the IRC believes there are other options than putting people in tents. Obviously the Government are under pressure with accommodation, he said. What we have suggested to them is that there are plenty of options out there rather than the traditional ones of putting people in tents. As part of the visit, the delegation attended the Ariane Emergency Centre and office block that houses 250 Ukrainian TPS refugees and 850 IPS refugees. Residents remain at the centre from one week to eight months, depending on the success of matching them with suitable long-term accommodation. Emergency camp beds are also available for those who have recently arrived in the country. However, the report noted that the numbers seen on the streets in Brussels in severe cold weather indicated that more of these beds are needed. It stated that within two weeks of taking over the office building, the Red Cross accommodated 200 people. The delegation also visited a shipping container village in the Belgian city of Mechelen, which accommodates 500 Ukrainian refugees. A full service centre, it provided asylum-seekers with meals, education and a facility for cooking. While there is no water supply in the containers, there are site taps. The report said it was a quick-build facility and was successful in providing shelter and safety for Ukrainians and is superior to having any TPS or refugees sleeping in tents. Mr ODwyer said: The suggestion that weve come up with really is to look at this from a short-term perspective, as a way of ensuring that people are not on the street. People should not be on the streets and this sort of accommodation is easy to put up its quick. Thats number one. But number two, as a country, we certainly need to look at a longer-term solution for our own people and for the people who are coming to join us. Amid mistruths being peddled online, heres a deep dive of available asylum-seeker and refugee statistics The current debate around migration and asylum is becoming increasingly toxic. On social media in particular, disinformation and false narratives are gathering traction. Among the most popular myths associated with asylum-seekers are claims that they are all here illegally, that Ireland is taking in more than any other EU country and they arent garda vetted. Here is a deep dive into the facts around international protection applicants that dispels the many mistruths. What is the difference between an asylum-seeker and a refugee? Is there a difference between an international protection applicant and a refugee? An asylum-seeker is a person who has made an application to be a refugee. An international protection applicant is a different term but refers to the same situation. A refugee is someone who has had to leave their country of origin because of a well-founded fear of persecution because of reasons including their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. Ireland is a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which obliges the State to provide protection to people fleeing their country for the reasons above. Refugees are entitled to apply for family reunification to bring their immediate family members (within certain criteria) to Ireland. Who is coming into the country? A total of 13,227 people sought international protection in the State last year, figures show, down by 400 on the previous year. The numbers do not include the 102,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Ireland since Russia invaded their homeland in February 2022. The EU Temporary Protection Directive was activated by the EU Council in March 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The process for granting Temporary Protection in Ireland to those fleeing the war is totally separate from international protection. Where are international protection applicants arriving in Ireland coming from? Figures for last year show of the 13,277 international protection applicants, 2,084 came from Nigeria (15.7pc of the total) while 1,462 came here from Algeria (11pc). Meanwhile, 1,106 came from Afghanistan, 1,098 from Somalia (8.3pc each), and 1,065 came from Georgian (8pc). The remaining 6,462 people came from other locations (48.7pc). What is the breakdown of men, woman and children among these applicants? There were 6,983 adult men and 3,393 adult women arriving last year. There were 1,526 male minors and 1,364 female minors. 11 people were non-specified including 10 adults and one minor. Arrival trends: September to December 2023 In September, arrivals included 621 single men, 169 single females, 66 couples and 375 families. In October, arrivals included 690 single men, 231 single females, 76 couples and 385 families. In November, arrivals included 593 single men, 192 single females, 120 couples and 472 families. In December, arrivals included 676 single men, 248 single females, 312 couples and 501 families. Up until the end of December, 44pc of International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) residents here were single males (11,469), 13pc were single females (3,376) and 43pc were families with children and couples (11,434). What happens when an international protection applicant arrives here? Every person seeking international protection in Ireland registers with the State at the port of arrival. They also register with the office dealing with asylum applications the International Protection Office (IPO) and gardai. They go through detailed vetting and interview processes as part of their application. The State checks details of their past lives. Where does the State house international protection applicants? Ireland is currently accommodating more than 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and international protection (IP) applicants. This includes over 74,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and over 26,000 IP applicants currently in IPAS accommodation. The types of accommodation managed or provided by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) include hotels, B&Bs, hostels, or similar, as well as rest centre facilities (often working with local authorities), and rapid/build or modular accommodation. It is currently providing tented accommodation for 346 IPAs. There are currently almost 600 IP applicants who have not been offered anywhere to stay by the State since arriving in Ireland. Population v occupancy breakdown by county For the period up until December 2023, 35.4pc of IPAS occupancy was in Dublin. The next county with the largest percentage was Donegal (6.4pc) followed by Cork (5.9pc).The county with the lowest percentage of IPAS occupancy was Leitrim (0.34pc), followed by Longford (0.54pc) and Kilkenny (0.57pc). How are IP applicants accommodated and do they get automatic housing? An applicant has no entitlement to social housing or to be on the social housing waiting list. If they do not have money to rent, they receive accommodation. This is often referred to as direct provision. In recent years this accommodation has included emergency accommodation, such as office blocks, hotels, convention centre halls and tents. In January of last year the Government said that it may no longer accommodate some adults. If, after their protection application is considered, someone is recognised as a refugee and they need housing, they must apply to go on the social housing waiting list. They have no priority access to the list and are subject to the same waiting times as others. What are their entitlements? What social welfare do they get? When can they work? An asylum-seeker is not entitled to social welfare support. They are subject to a means test and if they cannot live independently, they receive payment referred to as the Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA). An adult in the asylum process in receipt of the DEA gets 38.80 a week (5.54 a day); a child gets 29.90. These rates were last changed in 2018. Child asylum-seekers do not receive child benefit. IP applicants can apply for an exceptional Needs Payment for items such clothes. They can also receive Back to Education Clothing and Footwear Allowance. A person can apply for permission to work if they have not had a decision on their asylum application within six months of making it. Work permits are issued for a 12-month period and must be renewed at intervals. How long does it take to process an international protection application? According to the Department of Justice, the median processing time for first-instance decisions reduced from 18 months in 2022 to 15 months last year. Justice Minister Helen McEntee signed a regulation in November 2022 to introduce an accelerated decision process for applicants from recognised safe countries of origin in November 2022. Since its introduction, most applicants from safe countries of origin have received a first-instance decision within 10 weeks, a reduction from a norm of 17 to 24 months in previous years. What happens when an application isnt accepted? If a person is refused refugee status they have one right of appeal to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal. Some 1,140 refusals on asylum applications were made in 2022 and 539 deportation orders were signed. What is the picture like in other EU countries? Applications for asylum in the EU in 2022 soared to nearly one million, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). EU+ countries received around 996,000 asylum applications in 2022, a 53pc increase on 2021. Around 70pc of applications in 2022 were lodged in five receiving countries, including Germany (244,000), France (156,000), Spain (118,000), Austria (109,000), and Italy (84,000). Applications for international protection in Ireland accounted for 1.3pc of the EU total (13,651). Housing Minister Darragh OBrien introduced the transparency legislation Sinn Fein will be forced to provide details of the partys vast property portfolio under new electoral rules that come into effect this year. The partys director of finance, Des Mackin previously said the party owns more than 50 properties north and south of the Border. A major overhaul of electoral legislation enacted by Housing Minister Darragh OBrien means Sinn Fein will have to provide precise details of all these properties when the party files accounts. Sinn Fein will also be affected by new laws requiring the party to detail the financial returns of subsidiary companies run by the organisation. Sinn Fein and its members run a number of companies including those that oversee the partys merchandise and even a registered company that still exists which was set up to run an alternative Easter Rising event to coincide with the 1916 Centenary in 2016. The new legislation set out in the Electoral Reform Act 2022 will apply to all political parties seeking election to the Dail but Sinn Fein is the only party currently operating wings in different countries. Sinn Fein also has fundraising entities in America, Canada and Australia. The new political transparency rules mean Sinn Fein will have to detail the activities of all the arms of their organisation and specifically highlight what properties the party owns within and outside the State. The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) issued guidelines to all parties before Christmas outlining their obligations under the new Electoral Reform Act. There are new offences of failing to keep proper and usual books of accounts, failing to prepare an annual statement of accounts, failing to furnish the Commission with the statement of accounts and auditors report and knowingly furnishing a false or misleading statement of accounts to the Commission, Sipo said. The new rules will require all political leaders to sign off on party finance declarations saying they adhere to the new legislation. A party leader could be found guilty of an offence under the act if they sign off on accounts that do not adhere to the new laws. Sipo will have new powers of investigation to probe any breaches of the act. The laws include specific powers for an authorised officer to obtain documents and information, to conduct interviews, and to enter and search property. Following an investigation, a report must be provided to Sipo for consideration of prosecution. Sipo will also have powers to prosecute summary offences. Indictable offences continue to be referred to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). Meanwhile, Sipo will be given powers to issue fixed payment notices of 200, in lieu of prosecution, in respect of late returns of donations statements, election expenses statements and statements of accounts, as well as late returns of associated documents such as statements and statutory declarations. Certain offences, such as non-returns of donation statements, statements of election expenses and statements of accounts and non-remittals of prohibited donations, are now new separate offences which are subject to higher maximum penalties and potential prosecution on indictment. Separately, Minister OBrien has been given the green light by the EU to introduce stricter regulations on political advertising ahead of a series of elections later this year. Mr OBrien was in negotiations with Brussels before Christmas on new laws setting out requirements for greater transparency regarding party advertisements. The EU has drafted its own guidelines for member states and Mr OBrien will now have to ensure his law is in line with Brussels demands. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. Test exams on evaluation the mastery level of officers, warrant officers, and long-term active military servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army are underway in accordance with the training plan of the current year, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Defensek, on the next day of the test exams, the servicemen's capabilities on performance practical tasks on driving and fire training was assessed. The servicemen accomplished the tasks on driving armored combat vehicles, destroying imaginary enemy targets in motion and motionless states. Dr Martin Schranz said he was given a letter from University Hospital Kerry raising 18 allegations against him, all of which he refuted. Photo: Fran Veale A consultant radiologist who was suspended by University Hospital Kerry (UHK) before Christmas is expected to return to his post following a meeting with management yesterday. Dr Martin Schranz (57) was suspended from the hospital on December 22, 2023. He has been a full-time consultant there for 14 years. Dr Schranz met with hospital management yesterday but declined to comment afterwards on the outcome of the talks. However, it is anticipated that the specialist will return to his position in the hospital. Last week, Dr Schranz said he still remained in the dark about the reasons for his suspension. If there is an overwhelmingly valid reason for the suspension that makes sense to me, I will not contest it, he said. But if it is frivolous, I will fight it. After removing some of his belongings on the day he was suspended, Dr Schranz tried to return to retrieve some Christmas presents but was blocked. He believed the manner in which the suspension was carried out, in full view of patients and staff, was inappropriate. He said he has previously raised concerns about the outsourcing of radiology services by the hospital to private companies, claiming six radiologist posts at the hospital are unfilled. Dr Schranz is the only full-time radiologist in the hospital. He said that five days before being suspension, he was given a letter from the hospital raising 18 allegations against him, all of which he refuted. These included previous claims made by the hospital relating to his mental health. He said he had attended the occupational health department three times about this and no problem was found. He was requested to go a fourth time, early last month, but could not do so due to patient needs and it was rescheduled for this month. It was claimed I complained about the high volume of work, said Dr Schranz. That is not correct; I complained about the low volume. He added: There was reference to the quality of my work but they could not provide specific examples. In the letter, issue was taken with his reference to UHK on his website for his private clinic. He said he amended this. Last summer and in the autumn, Dr Schranz met with HSE officials, including HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster, to express his concerns, including about outsourcing of radiology services. Minister visits site of new surgical hub aimed at reducing delays Health Minister Stephen Donnelly with Craig Doyle, project manager at HSE Capital and Estates, at the Mount Carmel surgical hub development in Dublin. Photo: 1IMAGE/Bryan Brophy More than 670,000 public patients face a new year stuck on a hospital waiting list, including 1,894 children in need of surgery. But how soon they are treated depends on which hospital queue they are in. The end-of-year active hospital waiting lists showed there are 85,755 adults and children facing surgery delays, with over 562,000 in a long line for a first outpatient consultation with a specialist and another 23,619 needing a gastrointestinal scope. The scale of the logjam came as Health Minister Stephen Donnelly visited the site of a proposed surgical hub which is under construction in south Dublin at the old Mount Carmel Hospital in Churchtown. The hub, due to be opened in the second quarter of the year, will carry out day-case procedures and relieve some delays faced by patients from hospitals such as St Vincents. Were also delivering further hubs in north Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford, Mr Donnelly said. It means fewer waiting-list patients will be at the mercy of hospitals imposing cancellations to free-up beds for patients on trolleys. He said there had been an 57,082 reduction last year in the numbers on waiting lists facing delays of 10 to 12 weeks, the targets set by Slaintecare. Since the pandemic peaks, there has been a 27pc reduction in the number of people waiting longer than the Slaintecare targets, which equates to nearly 170,000 people, he added. However, at the end of year there were over 12,800 patients waiting more than a year for surgery and figures show patients face a lottery depending on which hospital they are referred to. The numbers waiting over a year for surgery in Cork University Hospital come to 408. They are lower in Letterkenny Hospital, Donegal, at 248. In Galway University Hospital, it is as high as 2,277 and in St Jamess Hospital, the total reaches 1,674. Although University Hospital Waterford is credited with having low emergency department trolley numbers, it has 1,347 patients waiting over a year for surgery. This compares with just 23 in University Hospital Limerick, which is regarded as the most overcrowded hospital in the country. When it comes to outpatient lists and backlogs of patients needing to see a specialist there are major disparities, with nobody facing a delay of over a year at Cavan and Connolly hospitals. But the backlog is as high as 9,565 at Cork University Hospital; 9,145 at Tallaght Hospital, Dublin; and 8,818 at Waterford University Hospital. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly at the Mount Carmel surgical hub development in Dublin. Photo: PA Around 9,595 children have been waiting over a year in the Dublin childrens hospitals to see a specialist. University Hospital Limerick reduced the number of patients waiting over 15 months for an outpatient appointment by 82pc in the last year. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said around 104,696 patients removed from lists last year were not treated but deleted through a validation process, including some who went private. IHCA president Dr Rob Landers said the Government needs to expedite its waiting list plan for 2024 and show more ambition. Aftermath of the fire on Dublin's Sandwith Street last year where a group of asylum seekers had been sleeping rough. Pic: Fergal Phillips The vacant Shipwright pub in Dublin was gutted in an arson attack When ignorance and inaction combine, the consequences can be combustible especially if bad actors exploit the void. The repeated targeting of premises earmarked for migrants is an example of how situations can be exploited due to a failure to take practical steps or offer effective plans to deal with immigration. But demonising either the Government or local communities is facile. The country has accommodated 104,000 Ukrainians and up 14,000 people seeking international protection. This is an achievement, but clearly, all surplus capacity has been used up. Consequently, we must explore creative and effective alternatives. Of the 659 male asylum-seekers who arrived here since the start of last month, the State has had nothing to offer 512. Many now sleep on the streets. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is right to call out the anti- migrant trope that says Ireland is full. It is not, but we have not prepared for new arrivals we are committed to protect. Our obligation to produce new emergency accommodation is clear. Last summer, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights raised concerns about the issue of homelessness among international protection applicants here. Dunja Mijatovic said we may not be meeting the minimum requirements under EU law. Aftermath of the fire on Dublin's Sandwith Street last year where a group of asylum seekers had been sleeping rough. Pic: Fergal Phillips She also called for a whole of government app-roach to solve the problem. The broad range of the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth means it is not in the position to address all the issues that appear relevant to secure a holistic response alone, she added. Roderic OGorman, the minister responsible for integration, has again pledged to deliver extensive state-run refugee centres. But where, and when? The urgency to act renders vague aspirations redundant. This week, a homeless man died on the streets of the capital. Will the minister have the enforcement powers to make sure such centres cannot be blocked? As Mr Varadkar has warned, it is only a matter of time before someone dies at the hands of arsonists. But lynch mobs do not get to drive our immigration policy. John Lannon, of Doras, a group that helps refugees, said: We have 13,000 Irish people homeless and we have communities struggling with lack of services, and people are taking their anger out on asylum-seekers people who havent caused any of the problems. Temporary emergency measures to deliver security and shelter must be implemented. January was named after the Roman god Janus, who guarded gates and doorways. He had two faces, one looking to the future, the other to the past. Some politicians dealing with migration are also using two faces. It is time to be honest about what is achievable and put a workable plan in place to accommodate those we have committed to assist. The vacuum is currently being filled with disinformation and distrust. An Post has announced that from February 1, the price of a standard national stamp will increase by 5c to 1.40. Photo: Getty The price of stamps is rising again. It now appears the days of the writing pad are numbered. Christmas and birthday cards will soon be on the way out as a result of these increases in postage. Writing letters will soon be a thing of the past, along with post being delivered by a man on a bicycle. Leo Gormley, Dundalk, Co Louth Dun Laoghaire leads the way, but car owners are trying to derail progress There is a significant number of people who dont live in Dun Laoghaire (but do live nearby) who love to find fault with it: complaining about the baths not being right; dissing the run-down empty lots and abundance of second-hand shops; and now annoyed about the new modal filters in the Living Streets plan. They want the convenience of Tivoli Road remaining as a route for their vehicles to bypass Dun Laoghaire on their way home or in to town. I believe the changes in the Living Streets plan will be good for businesses in Dun Laoghaire as more and more tourists coming to Dublin will include it in their itinerary. The Happy Out cafe at the new pier, part of the Together Academy supporting the employment and training of young adults with Down Syndrome, is a phenomenal success. I can see that model being taken up in other EU countries and internationally. Dun Laoghaire can lead the way, with being green (by reducing its dependence on fossil fuels), with having a social and community-led conscience, with having a sustainable vibrant town centre. Car owners are not special people deserving of more accommodation than non-car owners. Alison Hackett, Dun Laoghaire Learning tactical voting should be a priority for the entire Irish electorate In the past decade, a week has rarely passed without a letter in the Irish Independent about the lack of housing and high rents. Their impact on any politician has been absolutely zero. Having said that, this situation is replicated around the world, including in Australia. The electorate of Ireland has a magnificent constitutional right to avail of, and that is the vote. In proportional representation, each vote equates to a No 1 when it comes into play in the count, irrespective of the actual number on the ballot paper. Between now and the forthcoming local and European elections, teaching and learning tactical voting should be a priority for the entire electorate. The dry run in these elections will prepare the way for tactical voting in the next general election. The Latin name for Ireland, Hibernia land of winter is connected to the word hibernate, meaning to sleep through winter. Let the electorate sing some paraphrased words from The Dubliners anthem The Wests Awake: But, hark. A voice like thunder spake, the Irish electors are awake. Declan Foley, Melbourne, Australia Any calls for a ceasefire must be conditional on the release of every hostage This Sunday will mark the 100th day of captivity for the 132 Israelis kidnapped last October 7 and still held hostage by Hamas and its civilian supporters in Gaza. It is time to bring them home. Those captives already released have suffered enormous trauma. The children will need years of treatment to recover. Meanwhile, witness accounts, medical reports and video evidence of the atrocities committed by Hamas on and after October 7 are denied or minimised as propaganda, in much the same way the world ignored news of the Holocaust. Calls for a ceasefire must be conditional on the release of all the hostages, including the two men Avera Mangistu and Hisham al-Sayed who have been captive in Gaza for years. The Irish Government must use every avenue to press for the release of the hostages. Teresa Trainor, Dublin 16 It is disappointing Ireland did not join South Africa in its case against Israel The outcome of the case that South Africa has laid before the International Court of Justice alleging genocide in Gaza is clearly a significant concern for Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government. The war in Gaza has now been placed under a judicial spotlight. It is disappointing that Ireland did not join South Africa in this legal case. Instead, Leo Varadkar poured cold water on a much-needed intervention by saying he would be a little bit uncomfortable about accusing Israel, a Jewish state, of genocide. It really shouldnt matter whether Mr Varadkar feels uncomfortable or not. The extent of the suffering in Gaza is plain to see, and those enduring Israels relentless bombardment certainly do not feel comfortable. More than 23,000 people have died, an extraordinary number that includes thousands of children. If a genocide or ethnic cleansing is under way, then this must be named and stopped. With regard to ethnic cleansing, it is accepted that a wholesale internal displacement of the civilian population has occurred within the Gaza Strip and the Israeli strategy has been to press people southwards in huge numbers towards the Egyptian border. If it were possible for terrorised Palestinian civilians to exit into Egypt, they almost certainly would. Fintan Lane, Lucan, Co Dublin Despite risks, migration is vital survival strategy for humans and animals alike Sixty-thousand years ago, humans left Africa for the first time. Since then, we havent stopped travelling to every corner of the world our journey is just one of many, and the health of our planet depends on it. Migration is the most vital survival strategy, whether to feed, to breed or to find a new home. But its not without risk. Extraordinary journeys occur in a world that is changing faster than ever, and only now are we beginning to understand that all life on Earth depends on the freedom to move. These are words taken from the introduction to David Attenboroughs Our Planet series, which I watched again yesterday as a flock of brent geese landed and fed on the grass outside my window. Pondering, with my usual amazement, the birds 6,000-mile flight from Arctic Canada, news came in of a group of migrants who arrived in Ireland from France in a refrigerated container with little oxygen. David OReilly, Eyre Square, Galway A High Court application seeking the removal of alleged trespassers from an historic Co Tipperary building has been adjourned following a challenge to the credibility of an export report describing the property as a fire safety hazard. Mr Justice Brian Cregan put the matter back in order to seek clarification on claims that the reports author may be the same person who was previously convicted and fined by a criminal court for misrepresenting himself as a building surveyor and an architect. Joshua Wilson, who owns Marlfield House, near Clonmel in Co Tipperary, has asked the Court for an injunction restraining several named individuals from continuing to trespass on the property. He claims they have no legal right to reside at Marlfield House, a protected Palladian Style dwelling house, built in the 1780s, and 33 acres of land. Mr Wilson also contends the application is urgent, and that the property needs to be vacated for health and safety reasons. While several of the defendants have left the property two of the defendants have opposed Mr Wilson's action and claim they enjoy a valid tenancy agreement they entered into with the building's former owner. The two are Stephen Ghizdavu, who is represented by lawyers in the action, and Patrick Fogarty, who represented himself. who both reside in separate units within Marlfield House. Mr Wilson is also seeking orders against Mr Jason Capone, who has resided in a chalet on the grounds of the property. He was neither present at court nor legally represented in the proceedings. In support of his claim Mr Wilson's lawyers have submitted a report to the court from a consultant stating that the building is a fire hazard, and needs to be vacated so that renovation works can take place. The matter came before Mr Justice Brian Cregan on Friday The judge said that the credibility of the report, compiled by a Willian Doran, has been challenged by Mr Ghizdavu, who is represented in the action by barrister John Madden. The judge said that Mr Ghizdavu does not accept that the building is unsafe to live in. It was also stated in a sworn statement that the Mr Doran who compiled the report may also be the same William Doran who pleaded guilty before a District Court judge in 2021 and 2015 to charges for misrepresenting himself as being an 'architect' and "a building surveyor." The judge said that the issues over the credibility of the expert report needs to be clarified. He adjourned the matter to later this month and put a timetable in place for the exchange of documents. Mr Wilson, originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico in the United States, claims that last October he purchased the property from receivers appointed over assets of the previous owner. Mr Wilson claims that no valid tenancy agreement could have been created under a clause included in the original 2007 mortgage agreement entered into between the lender and the former owners, it is claimed. Represented in the action by Patricia Burke Bl, instructed by Kenny Boyd & Co Solicitors Mr Wilson accepts that he was made aware that people had been living at the property when he acquired it, but says they have no legal entitlement to be there, and has never accepted rent from them. Through his lawyers, Mr Ghizdavu claims to have paid rent in respect of the unit and enjoys the benefit of valid tenancy. Mr Fogarty, representing himself, told the judge that he has lived at the property for approximately seven years, and paid approximately 300 a month in rent. He said that at present he has nowhere to go, and faced the prospect of being put out on the street if the injunction is granted. He told the judge that he was looking for alternative accommodation, but it was difficult to find somewhere else to reside in the current housing environment. Appeal for past and present students to contribute to book A major celebration is planned for New Ross CBS secondary school in New Ross later this year as it celebrates 175 years educating the people of the town and area. A book is being compiled featuring the history and stories about the Mountgarrett based school. Past and present students are invited to submit stories, poems, photographs etc about their memories of their own secondary school years, or anything which would add to what will surely be a fascinating book. Principal Pat Rossiter said all entries must be submitted to the school by the end of January, preferably by email to secretary@cbsnewross.ie As the longest established second level school in the town of New Ross, the school prides itself on carrying on the very best traditions of the early founders of the school, while at the same time adapting to the considerable demands of an ever changing and complex educational environment. The Christian Brothers first came to New Ross just after the Famine in 1849 and dedicated their school to St Joseph. The school was the first Christian Brothers school in Co Wexford and one of the first in the country as a whole. This is Wexford Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wexford newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The Christian Brothers gradually consolidated their position in the town with the help of the hard-pressed local population. By 1926 things were looking up when staff and pupils proudly moved into new buildings which eventually became the CBS Primary School. While the school made steady progress in the 1940s and 1950s, the next significant development occurred in the 1960s with a large increase in pupil numbers and a big spread in the geographical areas from which the pupils were drawn. This was partly due to the development of free school transport but also to the fact that the school was blessed with gifted and dedicated teachers, both lay and clerical. One of the latter, Brother Long, pioneered the construction of the original part of the present secondary school building in 1971 and also achieved notable success in Gaelic Games. Later in the same decade, the school came to national prominence due to its success in the Slogadh competitions. It was in the late 1980s and early 1990s that the school underwent its most profound changes to date, when a Board of Management took over the running of the school. This period saw staff and student numbers double, an expanded range of subjects on offer to pupils, the introduction of co-education and the construction of an extension to the school building. In 2010, the construction of two new classrooms and a general purpose room began and was officially opened in 2011 by Minister Brendan Howlin. Numbers continued to grow steadily over this time and this saw the granting of another new building which included four general classrooms, an Art room, a Music room and a Science lab. This building was officially opened in 2019 by Minister for Education Joe Mc Hugh. September 2021 saw the construction of a new lunchroom for students. The Department of Education then approved the construction of four further general classrooms, a new DCG room and a Home Economics room, which will see the introduction of this subject for the first time in the school. Further works expected to start this year at the school which has seen huge growth in its student numbers over the past decade. Mr Rossiter said: We are looking for as many past or present students as possible to submit their memories of their time here. There will be several events in the late autumn to celebrate the 175th anniversary including Tolton Games (celebrating ancient Irish culture) at Kennedy park, a concert most likely at St Michaels Theatre, exhibitions and more at venues including St Mary & St Michaels Parish Church and the CBS school premises. The book will be available to buy by late September with an official launch being planned. Jeremy Clarkson's farm has more going for it than the Rosslare district. While the Jeremy Clarkson version serves the best hamburgers in the world and the hosts very own Hawkstone beer, the Rosslare Municipal Districts (RMD) resources are, unfortunately, more limited. Offering fellow councillors an insight into his viewing habits of an evening, Councillor Ger Carthy referenced his favourite show when discussing housing shortages in the RMD. Speaking at a special meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC), Cllr Carthy asked how many of the promised houses for the county were coming to his district. The figures say theres 1675 coming before 2026, how many of those are going to the RMD? he queried. We have 12 under construction in Rosslare Strand, 18 due to commence in Tagoat, and five for Ballygillane, and we have 26 in the pipeline under Approved Housing Bodies (AHB), is that us maxed out then in this plan? "Many of ye may watch Jeremy Clarksons show on ITV called Diddly Squat Farm, if you ask me theres diddly squat coming to the RMD in the next few years which concerns me. However, Cllr Carthy said the blame didnt rest solely with council officials. Theres a lack of investment from Uisce Eireann (formerly Irish Water) in wastewater treatment systems in rural areas. Uisce Eireann, WCC and the government of Ireland are complicit in the urbanisation of Wexford because youre pushing people on the social housing list into Wexford town, possibly Rosslare Harbour, with a piecemeal allocation of a few houses down there and thats it, so its bye bye to rural Ireland, to the rural schools, and to the GAA clubs. Diving deeper into the councils housing figures, staff officer Anita McLoughlin said there were 771 houses which may fall outside of the governments Housing First 2022-26 plan and that, of those, 142 were earmarked for the RMD. However, those 142 did include the 35 houses currently under construction in the district. Wicklow Uplands Council have issued a request to dog owners asking them to ensure their pet is properly managed at all times to ensure the safety of livestock. Owners are asked to keep their dogs on a lead during visits to the uplands to minimise the risk of distress to livestock, ensuring their safety, and the livelihoods of local farmers. Wicklow IFA Chairman and Wicklow Uplands Council committee member Tom Byrne said: We are forever raising the issues of dogs in the uplands. Its a huge problem in Wicklow. We encourage walkers, but not dogs off the lead, especially at a time when we are coming in spring and ewes are heavy in lamb or have a lamb at foot. There have been umpteen kills of sheep in recent months as a result of dogs. I have had personal experiences of having to go around a filed after dog attacks and having to collect the carcasses of dead sheep or having to euthanize a half-eaten ewe. Its a horrible experience. There was a recent incident outside Aughrim where there were three attacks on neighbouring farms and in one of the incidents a dog was killed. I visited one of the farms where they had a ewe who had both of her ears eaten off. Dog owners need to also realise that they are liable for any damage their dogs cause and most dogs these days are very traceable. Wicklows farming community has also been disappointed with the Governments response to the issue. In late 2022 Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue was tasked with carrying out a review of the relevant legislation after a young boy was badly injured by a dog in County Wexford. The review was to bring in new bye-laws but we have been left less than impressed with the outcome, said Mr Byrne. Minister McConalogue said he would allocate a further 40 dog wardens, and with County Wicklows density, I think we would have been entitled to two additional dog wardens. Unfortunately, the Minister never supplied the funding for the additional dog wardens, so Wicklow farmers were thrown under the bus again. Dog control also falls under two Departments, the Department of Environment and the Department of Agriculture. We have been saying for some time that it should be the single remit of the Department of Agriculture, rather than falling between two stools. Chef Michel Roux Jrs two Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche is closing its doors for the last time after more than half a century. The French fine dining venue at 43 Upper Brook Street in Mayfair, central London, will run its final service on Saturday, and has been hailed as a true icon of British gastronomy. There will also be a charity dinner in aid of hotel and catering industry charity Hospitality Action, sight charity Victa and youth charity Bigkid Foundation on January 18. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Roux Jr announced in August that the restaurant, originally founded in 1967 by French restaurateur his father Albert Roux and uncle Michel Roux Sr, would shut up shop. The MasterChef: The Professionals star said at the time he wanted to spend more time with my family and on my other business ventures. In a short post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Roux Jr wrote: One last dance (kiss emoji), and shared an image of his chef outfit. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Michelin Guide posted a statement on X saying: On the day of Le Gavroches final service, we bid farewell to a true icon of British gastronomy. Many restaurants have been a success, some can even claim to have been influential, but very few can say they shaped an industry like Le Gavroche. London wont be the same without it. Roux Jr, son of Albert Roux, has run the restaurant since the 1990s, earning two Michelin stars one of the most prestigious accolades in the restaurant business. Before the final service, Michelin-starred French chef Jean-Francois Piege joined Roux Jr at the restaurant. Piege, known for French cooking shows, wrote on Instagram that the restaurant was immensely mythical. He called it a big moment for French cuisine and a big moment of emotion. When it first opened, Le Gavroche was the only French restaurant of its kind in London, offering classical French food and the highest standards of cooking and service. It is where Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Pierre Koffmann and Marcus Wareing worked and composer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber once reportedly spent 13,000 on dinner. Roux Jr was a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals and has appeared as a guest chef on MasterChef Australia. He has also appeared on Ramsays show Hells Kitchen, and presented two series of Michel Rouxs French Country Cooking. The brand of Le Gavroche is expected to continue as Roux Jr previously said there will be pop-ups in the future. Thats going to be the least of it: Donald Trump claims US is facing a bloodbath if he loses November election BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. We took note of the report/observations by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in regard with her visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan on 16-23 October 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports. "As highlighted in the Commissioners observations, the visit was first time ever human rights mission to Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in decades, which had been prevented for the past 30 years due to the occupation of Azerbaijans territories by Armenia. Moreover, the visit, conducted by the invitation and agreement of the Government of Azerbaijan, demonstrates the transparency and cooperation by Azerbaijani authorities towards international human rights institutions. Overall, the report nullifies baseless insinuations related to so-called ethnic cleansing or forcible displacement in the aftermath of counter-terror measures of local character undertaken by the armed forces of Azerbaijan on 19-20 September 2023 in its sovereign territories with stringent precautions to civilian areas. Thus, the visit of the Commissioner to the region and her observations point to the fact that it was local Armenians own decision to leave the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan voluntarily without any application of force by Azerbaijani authorities. The report specifies a number of concrete steps taken by the Government of Azerbaijan in order to ensure the right to return and other human rights, particularly after counter-terror measures. This underscores a positive intent and attitude of Azerbaijan with respect to the issue of reintegration of local Armenian residents and measures envisaged within this process. The report by the Commissioner also contains the long-lasting impact of the conflict and Armenian occupation, including on civilian infrastructure still in ruins, ongoing demining and reconstruction works being undertaken with a view to ensuring the right to safe and dignified return of internally displaced Azerbaijanis to liberated regions. Furthermore, the report also highlights the acute problem of massive landmine contamination in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan and the impediments it poses to the rehabilitation of these territories and the pace of return of former internally displaced persons to their homes in safety and dignity, as well as serious risks to their health and life. To this end, the Commissioner welcomes the steps taken by the Azerbaijani government to facilitate the process of return. In this context, the indication in the report of accuracy rate (only 25%) of minefield maps submitted by Armenia so far must be particularly noted. As a matter of fact, Armenia deliberately engaged in massive landmine deployment in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan in order to pursue its aggression policy in the region and sustain the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan. Nonetheless, the document unfortunately does not genuinely reflect fundamental realities related to the overall human rights situations of all people affected by the conflict unleashed by Armenia, which resulted in nearly 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories. Thus, it was Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan that led to systematic acts of ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and forcible displacement of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis, including vulnerable children, elderly individuals, and women. Armenias aggression gravely deprived tens of thousands of children of their essential human rights, including the right to life, education, safety, protection, and health. We wished such evidences that triggered enmity between the two nations in the region were duly highlighted in the observations of the Commissioner. It is deplorable that the report includes references to so-called blockade of the Lachin road, which is far from the reality and has not been acknowledged by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) either. In this regard, the observation fails to indicate the facts underlying the civilian protests on the Lachin-Khankendi road, and later establishment of border crossing point in the Azerbaijan-Armenia border. The Azerbaijani side has on numerous occasions provided substantiated evidences regarding a wide-range and systematic abuse by Armenia of the Lachin road for various illegal purposes throughout the past three years in gross violation of the trilateral statement of 10 November 2020 and international law, including for sustaining and rotating more than ten thousand-strong illegal armed formations in the territory of Azerbaijan, and illegal transfer of landmines. This inflicted serious civilian and military casualties to the Azerbaijani side. As to the establishment of border crossing point by Azerbaijan on 23 April 2023 in response to the aforementioned wrongdoings and failure of Armenia to honor its obligations, Azerbaijan exercised its sovereign right to fully control the Lachin road based on international law, which was also duly reflected in the ICJ ruling of 6 July 2023, when Armenian claims were unanimously rejected. Moreover, while the Commissioner refers to December 2021 Order of the ICJ, she overlooks that fact of indication of provisional measure requesting Armenia to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination against Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side regrets that the meetings of the Commissioner with the survivors of Khojaly genocide perpetrated by Armenia, as well as with members of Western Azerbaijani Community expelled from their homes in modern day Armenia were not reflected in the report. This would have ensured accurate reflection of the visit of the Commissioner, as well as a more comprehensive approach to human rights issues that the report aimed to cover, including the right to return. It is of particular importance, since the Commissioner herself reiterates in the observations that all persons displaced by the long-lasting conflict have the right to return to their homes or places of habitual residence, regardless of whether they have been displaced internally or across borders. Finally, it is essential to mention that Azerbaijan extended the invitation to the Commissioner to visit the region, expecting that it will make observations based on neutrality, impartiality, equality and universality of all human rights. While noting the visits outcomes, Azerbaijan emphasizes that the observations of the Commissioner lack complete fairness and impartiality. It focuses the issues on narrow and sole perspective that overlooks comprehensive review of the situation. In this regard, Azerbaijan considers that the findings rely not on the Commissioners direct observations during her visit but primarily on information obtained from other incomplete and biased sources," the statement reads. Queen Elizabeth II left a sealed letter for her son and heir in her final red box, according to a new biography. The late Queen included a private letter for the new King in her final set of signed papers, brought down by staff from her deathbed at Balmoral. Ukraines ground forces commander said yesterday that Kyiv needed more military aircraft for its war effort, such as US A-10 attack jets to support infantry and planes that could fire long-range cruise missiles. Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi said: I would talk about A-10s as an option if theyll be given to us... this is not a new machine, but a reliable one that has proven itself in many wars, and which has a wide array of weapons for destroying land targets to help the infantry. Yemens Houthi rebels have vowed fierce retaliation for American and British strikes against them, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israels war in Gaza. The bombardment, launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said. Shipping in the Red Sea has been targeted by Houthi rebels, who claim this is in response to Israel's continuing attacks on Gaza. Photo: Reuters The Iran-aligned Houthis of Yemen vowed to respond to attacks by the US and Britain, but the prospect of these Western strikes igniting a regional war seem limited for now as Tehran seeks to avoid getting sucked directly into all-out conflict. Trump on track for Iowa victory but can he deliver the knockout punch he needs? Former president needs massive win to quieten rivals for GOP nomination Republican presidential candidate and former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley at a campaign event ahead of the caucus vote, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday. Photo: Sergio Flores/Reuters Nathan Layne Sat 13 Jan 2024 at 03:30 Donald Trump appears headed to victory in Iowa, but the size of the win matters if the former US president wants to deliver a knockout blow to key rivals heading into Republican Party nominating contests in other states. How Honduras first performed genomic sequencing of COVID-19 virus to detect circulating variants. Photo Courtesy: WHO/PAHO The public health risk from COVID-19 remains high, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday. The virus is still circulating globally but relatively few countries are following infections closely, meaning the actual threat due to the coronavirus and its variants could be anything from two to 19 times higher than what is being reported to WHO. The agencys COVID focal point, Dr Maria Van Kerhove, told journalists in Geneva that data from just 50 countries indicates there are still 10,000 deaths per month due to the virus. On the positive side, the numbers of deaths have reduced drastically since its peak a couple of years ago, the senior official said. Among the 10,000 deaths reported in December, more than half were reported from the United States with a further 1,000 from Italy. She said it was clear that other deaths were simply not being recorded but that doesn't mean that they're not happening. Dr Van Kerkhove also noted with concern a steep rise in hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions and warned that these numbers are likely to have increased over the holiday season. The UN health agency official said that many countries continue to suffer unnecessarily from COVID which can be prevented with adequate testing and antivirals, along with appropriate clinical care, oxygen and vaccination. More than 336,000 in need of urgent aid in the Republic of Congo Widespread flooding due to unusually heavy rainfall in the Republic of Congo has left more than 336,000 people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, the World Health Organization said on Friday. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Arvind Kejriwal New Delhi/IBNS: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the fourth time in the Delhi liquor policy case, media reports said. He has been asked to appear before ED on January 18. Kejriwal has snubbed all three summons which were issued previously by the central probe agency. The politician who heads the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of political vendetta claiming it wants him to be arrested. Kejriwal said BJP, which runs the Centre but not in power in Delhi, wants to stop him from campaigning in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls by getting him arrested. The Chief Minister, who is a staunch opponent of BJP, said the saffron brigade wants to bring an attack on his "asset" which is "honesty". Kejriwal, who heads the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said, "A lot of my party leaders have been arrested on fake charges. Anyone is picked up and sent to jail. It's an open goondaism. "Now BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest asset is my honesty. BJP wants to defame me by making false allegations against me and attacking my honesty." ED Summon CM @ArvindKejriwal Important Press Conference l LIVE https://t.co/sIFMLikMBh AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 4, 2024 Stating his reason behind snubbing the summons thrice, Kejriwal said the notices sent to him were "illegal". "I have received summons, which my lawyer has said are illegal. I have explained to ED how the summons are illegal but they haven't answered. This means they have no answer and also agree that the summons are illegal," Kejriwal said and added, "I will fully cooperate with legal summons." "The summons have been sent before Lok Sabha polls because BJP doesn't want me to campaign in the elections," he said. Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from video Kolkata/IBNS: Three sadhus (religious ascetic) from Uttar Pradesh were assaulted by a mob suspecting them of abductors in West Bengal's Purulia district while they were en route to the Gangasagar Mela, media reports said. In a video which went viral on social media, one of the sadhus was stripped of his clothes and was harassed while he tries to save his modesty. In another video, one of the sadhus was folding hands and pleading. Locals, as reports say, had suspected them of kidnappers while sadhus claimed they were going to Gangasagar Mela, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself earlier this week. The sadhus had hired a vehicle to reach Gangasagar Mela on the occasion of Makar Sankranti Festival. When they asked for the route, some locals became suspicious and attacked them. Twelve people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Purulia Police said in a statement, ".. there was a misunderstanding between three Gangasagar-bound sadhus with three local minor girls near Kashipur over language problem. "The girls got scared and local people manhandled the sadhus and damaged their vehicle, alleging a kidnapping attempt. Local police promptly intervened and rescued the sadhus." The incident has triggered a political slugfest with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of attacking the Hindus. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, "Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal. In a Palghar kind lynching, sadhus traveling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti, were stripped and beaten by criminals, affiliated with the ruling TMC. "In Mamata Banerjees regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. It is a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal." Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal. In a Palghar kind lynching, sadhus traveling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti, were stripped and beaten by criminals, affiliated with the ruling TMC. In Mamata Banerjees regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh pic.twitter.com/DsdsAXz1Ys Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 12, 2024 Rebutting the claims, police said, "Facts are being misrepresented from certain quarters about a recent incident in Purulia." "There is no communal overtone whatsoever regarding the incident. Anyone trying to fuel communal passions will be strictly dealt with as per law," it added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. Observations made by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in regard with her visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan on 16-23 October 2023 lack complete fairness and impartiality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports. "Azerbaijan extended the invitation to the Commissioner to visit the region, expecting that it will make observations based on neutrality, impartiality, equality and universality of all human rights. While noting the visits outcomes, Azerbaijan emphasizes that the observations of the Commissioner lack complete fairness and impartiality. It focuses the issues on narrow and sole perspective that overlooks comprehensive review of the situation. In this regard, Azerbaijan considers that the findings rely not on the Commissioners direct observations during her visit but primarily on information obtained from other incomplete and biased sources," the statement reads. Photo Courtesy X page video grab A massive fire broke out in a multi-storied building of the Lodha housing complex in Kalyan district near here on Saturday. There were no casualties reported from the incident, officials said. According to the fire brigade, the fire began around 11 am on Saturday morning in the Casa Aurelia building, and spread to the 18th floor. The building is still under construction and only the first three floors are currently occupied. All the residents and other persons have been safely evacuated. A team of firefighters along with water tankers rushed there and managed to douse the fire. The cooling operations have been launched. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and further probe is underway by the police and the fire brigade, officials added. (With UNI inputs) India has lodged strong protest over British envoy's visit to POK (Photo Courtesy: twitter.com/JaneMarriottUK) New Delhi: India on Saturday lodged a strong protest over the visit of British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Islamabad to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), terming the visit objectionable and infringement on India's territorial integrity The Ministry of External Affairs has said that the infringement on India's territorial integrity is unacceptable, and reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir has been and shall always remain an integral part of the country. The ministry said, "India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan occupied Kashmir on 10 January 2024. Such infringement of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable." "Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India," the ministry said. Mariott took to X, to share her visit to Mirpur in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir along with some images to detail her experience. "Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistan's people-to-people ties! 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality!" she wrote. Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistans people to people ties! 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality! pic.twitter.com/3LyNFQan9H Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottUK) January 10, 2024 The British High Commission in Pakistan also posted a video featuring Marriott's visit to the area. The footage depicted her visit to a bakery and interactions with district officials. In October of the previous year, India expressed its concerns to the US over the visit of American Ambassador to Islamabad, Donald Blome, to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs has appealed to the international community to uphold India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It was noted that the US ambassador had also visited Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the year 2022. In a parliamentary address in December, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that 24 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had been reserved for representatives from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, underscoring that "PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) belongs to us." Male: Following his five-day trip to China, President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday said that no nation has the authority to "bully" the island nation, media reports said. This statement was made amid a diplomatic dispute between India and the Maldives, triggered by derogatory comments from Maldivian politicians over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep. "We may be small, but that doesnt give you the licence to bully us," Muizzu said during a press conference. "Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 900,000 square km. Maldives is one of the countries with the biggest share of this ocean," he told the media after his return from China. "This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This (Indian) Ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it," he said, in a veiled jibe at India. "We aren't in anyone's backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state," he was quoted as saying by the Maldives Sun Online portal. The controversy escalated when certain Maldivian politicians, including ministers, made disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. The ministers opened a verbal attack, saying that it was an attempt to divert tourists from the island country. After India raised the issue with the Maldives, three ministers were removed from their positions on January 7. On the following day, the Maldivian representative to India was summoned to the External Affairs Ministry, where strong reservations were conveyed over derogatory social media posts targeting PM Modi. The comments made by Maldives' ministers have stirred discontent among Indians, leading to the cancellation of their scheduled vacations to the island nation. Amid the escalating tensions, EaseMyTrip, an online travel company, opted to suspend flight bookings to the Maldives. Notably, President Muizzu of the Maldives, who was on a state visit to China, has urged the nation to "intensify" efforts in attracting more tourists to the island. "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. In October of the previous year, the Maldivian President won the elections riding on his "India Out" campaign, during which he promised the withdrawal of Indian troops from the archipelago. People pass by their destroyed homes and in the northern the Gaza Strip.Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/Omar Al-Qattaa As the Gaza conflict approaches the 100-day mark, an immediate ceasefire is more urgent than ever, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday. Speaking ahead of Sundays grim milestone, Spokesperson Liz Throssell reiterated the need for OHCHR staff to have access to Israel and all parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory to investigate human rights violations by all parties. Fourteen weeks have passed since Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups carried out bloody attacks against Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 others hostage, 136 of whom are still believed to be in captivity in Gaza. End the suffering In response, Israel launched a massive and destructive military response. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed to date, mainly women and children, while civilian infrastructure including homes, hospitals, schools, bakeries, places of worship, water systems, and UN facilities, have been damaged or destroyed. The majority of Gaza's 2.2 million population are now displaced. Tweet URL Ms. Throssell recalled that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire to end the appalling suffering and loss of life, and to allow the prompt and effective delivery of humanitarian aid to a population facing shocking levels of hunger and disease, adding this is more urgent than ever. Addressing the conduct of hostilities, she said OHCHR have repeatedly highlighted Israels recurring failures to uphold the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, namely distinction, proportionality, and precautions in carrying out attacks. War crimes risk The High Commissioner has stressed that breaches of these obligations risk exposure to liability for war crimes and has also warned of the risks of other atrocity crimes, she said. She noted that intense Israeli bombardments from air, land and sea are continuing across much of the Gaza Strip, particularly in the Deir al Balah and Khan Yunis governorates, where tens of thousands of people had previously fled in search of safety. Meanwhile, Palestinian armed groups have continued to launch indiscriminate rockets towards Israel, some of which have been intercepted, she said. Obligation to protect Ms. Throssell urged the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to take immediate measures to protect civilians, in line with international law. Ordering civilians to relocate in no way absolves the IDF of its obligations to protect those who remain, regardless of their reasons, while carrying out its military operations, she said. Israel also must immediately end arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in Gaza, she added, noting that hundreds of people are reportedly being held in several unknown locations both within and outside the enclave. Desperation and dire shortages OHCHR also highlighted the desperate scenario in northern Gaza, where people face dire shortages of food, water and other basic items. Access to humanitarian aid remains extremely difficult, despite repeated pleas by the UN to the IDF to facilitate movement of humanitarian aid convoys, said Ms. Throssell, before turning to the situation in the south, where over 1.3 million displaced people are now crammed into the city of Rafah, which previously had 300,000 inhabitants. Situation in the West Bank Moving to the West Bank, she said OHCHR has verified the deaths of 330 Palestinians, including 84 children, since the start of hostilities. The majority, 321, were killed by Israeli security forces, while eight were killed by settlers. She added that entire herding communities have been forcibly displaced due to settler violence, which may amount to forcible transfer. Last month, OHCHR issued a report on the West Bank which stressed the need for an immediate end to the use of military weapons and methods during law enforcement operations. It also called for an end to arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of Palestinians, and the lifting of discriminatory movement restrictions. Lack of accountability for unlawful killings remains pervasive, as does impunity for settler violence, in violation of Israels obligations as the occupying power to ensure safety of Palestinians in the West Bank, said Ms. Throssell. OHCHR's office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which continues to monitor and document the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank, will submit two reports to the UN Human Rights Council during its next session in February in Geneva. Attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea have severely disrupted international shipping. (file) Photo Courtesy: Unsplash/Angus Gray UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged countries to avoid an escalation in the situation in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels in Yemen have been attacking commercial vessels amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The UN chief's appeal came a day after the United States and the United Kingdom, with the support of other countries, launched airstrikes across multiple parts of Yemen in response. The UN Security Council is meeting in New York to discuss the crisis, just days after adopting a resolution demanding an end to the Houthi attacks. Respect and compliance The Secretary-General underscored that resolution 2722 must be fully respected in its entirety, his spokesperson said in a statement. The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area are not acceptable as they endanger the safety and security of global supply chains and have a negative impact on the economic and humanitarian situation worldwide, it said. Additionally, all Member States defending their vessels from attacks must do so "in accordance with international law, as stipulated in the Resolution. He also called on all parties involved not to further escalate the situation in the interest of peace and stability in the Red Sea and the wider region. The Secretary-General stresses the need to avoid acts that could further worsen the situation in Yemen itself. He calls for every effort to be made to ensure that Yemen pursues a path towards peace and that the work undertaken thus far to end the conflict in Yemen should not be lost, the statement concluded. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay Nine British Parliamentarians recently expressed support for a motion addressing the human rights situation in Balochistan, media reports said. Labour MP John McDonnell tabled the motion on December 19 last year. It commends the bravery of Baloch women leading a march to Islamabad in protest against enforced disappearances, abductions, and killings associated with the operations of Pakistans Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Balochistan, reported Balochistan Post. According to reports, the motion received backing from various MPs. Co-sponsors included Rachael Maskell (former UK Shadow Minister of Defence), Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party), Labour MPs Mary Kelly Foy and Nadia Whittome, and Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party), the Balochistan-based news portal reported. The motion calls on the UK government to express its concerns about the violation of fundamental human rights in Balochistan and the violent attacks on Baloch protesters by the police to the Pakistani government, the news portal reported. Photo Courtesy: Jane Marriott X Page India on Saturday took strong objection to the recent visit of British High Commissioner in Pakistan to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), terming it as "highly objectionable" and "unacceptable". The Government of India lodged a strong protest with the British government over the development. British High Commissioner in Pakistan Jane Marriott visited Mirpur in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on January 10 and met its so-called 'President" Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry. India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on January 10, External Affairs Ministry said in a statement here. "Such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable," it said. The Statement said Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has "lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement. (With UNI inputs) Photo Courtesy: @heyBarsee X page In a seaside ceremony, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently married his partner Oliver Mulherin, media reports said. Altman, 38, confirmed the news in a text to NBC News after photos of the wedding began circulating on social media Thursday (January 11, 2024). Sam Altman just got married today. Congratulations pic.twitter.com/kbUvGbLHOa Barsee (@heyBarsee) January 11, 2024 In the viral images, Sam and Oliver could be seen exchanging wedding vows during an intimate ceremony. Who is Oliver Mulherin? Oliver Mulherin is reportedly an Australian software engineer. Last year, Altman and Mulherin attended a state dinner at the White House that President Joe Biden hosted for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports NBC News. Why Sam Altman was making headlines in recent months? Sam Altman was recently sacked as the CEO of AI startup OpenAI. Within a span of five days, he was rehired by the firm after the board reached an agreement with him. He shot to fame with the launch of ChatGPT platform. US launches fresh strikes against Houthi locations in Yemen. Photo Courtesy: US Centcom X page The United States launched fresh strikes against Houthi locations in Yemen on Friday, media reports said. The additional strikes carried out Friday night (Eastern Time) were much smaller in scope than the previous night. They targeted a radar facility used by the Houthis, a US official told CNN. Confirming the development, US CENTCOm posted on X: "At 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time) on Jan 13., U.S. forces conducted a strike against a Houthi radar site in Yemen." At 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time) on Jan 13., U.S. forces conducted a strike against a Houthi radar site in Yemen. This strike was conducted by the USS Carney (DDG 64) using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and was a follow-on action on a specific military target associated with strikes pic.twitter.com/YE5BKJLGBv U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 13, 2024 "The strike was conducted by the USS Carney (DDG 64) using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and was a follow-on action on a specific military target associated with strikes taken on Jan. 12 designed to degrade the Houthis ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels," the post said. The US said since November 19, 2023, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have attempted to attack and harass vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden 28 times. "These strikes have no association with and are separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of over 20 countries operating in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden," the X post said. The US and the United Kingdom carried out 23 overnight airstrikes against Houthi positions targeting the Yemeni capital Sanaa as well as the provinces of Al Hudaydah, Taiz, Hajjah, and Saada, provincial government officials told Sputnik. The airstrikes have further triggered the political scenario in the region. "Your strikes on Yemen are terrorism," Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, was quoted by Reuters, referring to the United States. "The United States is the Devil," he said. Houthi's Response The Iran-backed Shia Islamist political and military organisation in Yemen has vowed strong retaliation against the United States and Britain for airstrikes carried out earlier on Friday in areas under their control. According to a statement from Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea, the American and British forces launched a "brutal aggression," with 73 raids targeting the capital along with the four governorates. The raids have resulted in the deaths of five people, with at least six injured, said Sarea. He strongly condemned the strikes and said the Houthis "will not hesitate to target all sources of threat." He also warned that "American-British aggression will not go unanswered and unpunished." The spokesman reiterated the Houthis' stance in support of the Palestinian cause, saying the raids "will not deter us from our position in support of the oppression of the Palestinian people." Additionally, the Houthi representative confirmed the rebel group will continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Arabian and Red Seas. The Houthis have previously announced their plans to prevent the passage of ships linked to Israeli companies or bound for Israel in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the latter's military actions in the Gaza Strip end. 1. Everything You Need To Know About Loic Chapoix, The Mystery Man Holding Kangana Ranaut's Hands Instagram Going by his Instagram profile, Loic Chapoix is a hairdresser. He is currently working as Creative Art Director at a popular French spa and salon in Mumbai. He started his journey as a hairstylist in Dessange in France and has worked with Bollywood actresses like Alia Bhatt, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kiara Advani, Deepika Padukone, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and more. In fact, on Ranbir Kapoor's wedding day, he dolled up his mother Neetu Kapoor and sister Radhima Kapoor. 2. The King Of Neo-Noir Films! 5 Sriram Raghavan Movies You Must Watch After 'Merry Christmas' AFP His recent movie Merry Christmas, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif has been released in theatres on January 12, and everyone is going gaga over it. If you loved the film too, here are some of his best movies you might want to watch again. 3. Anurag Kashyap Thinks Sandeep Reddy Vanga Is 'Misunderstood', Calls Him A Lovely Human Being twitter "Had a great evening with @sandeepreddy.vanga. The most misunderstood, judged and reviled Filmmaker at the moment. To me, he is the most honest, vulnerable and lovely human being. And I really dont give a f*** what anyone thinks of him or his film," he said and added that they discussed about Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna. He said, "I wanted to meet the man and I had questions and he answered everything I asked of him about his film that I actually saw twice. Thank you for being patient and being yourself." 4. Descended From Royalty! 11 Bollywood Celebrities You Didn't Know Were Related To Royal Families BCCL Aamir Khan's ex-wife Kiran Rao comes from the royal family of Nizam in Hyderabad. Her paternal grandfather J Rameshwar Rao, the erstwhile Raja of Wanaparthy state, was the from 1944 until 1971. It was during that time when the Indian government abolished Privy Purse, the payments made to the ruling families of erstwhile princely states. He later joined Indian Foreign Service and established Orient Longman, the publishing company. 5. 'Captain Miller' True Story: Is Dhanush's Movie Based On Real-Life Events? Here's What We Know Sun TV Ever since the trailer of the movie was released, people on social media discussed if the movie was in any way inspired by a true story. Now, the director of the movie, Arun Matheswaran, has spilled the beans on the same. The director-writer said that he first got the idea of making a film on this topic when his uncle, who was in the military, narrated to him about this incident. "I was young motivated me a lot to make this film. The genesis of this thing... it came to mind after hearing about a true incident that took place in 1987, during the Sri Lankan civil war," he told Tamil Guardian in an interview. For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences to Turkiye, following the deaths and injuries of servicemen, Trend reports. "The news of the deaths and injuries of Turkish servicemen in the area of the anti-terrorist operation "Penche Kilit" has deeply grieved us. We express our deep condolences to brotherly Turkiye and the families of the martyrs. May the Almighty God rest the souls of the heroically killed Turkish soldiers," the ministry wrote on its page on X. Note that, nine Turkish soldiers were killed in a shooting attack opened by members of a terrorist organization in the Penche Kilit anti-terrorist operation area in northern Iraq. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his longtime boyfriend Oliver Mulherin recently exchanged vows in a touching celebration of love. The union represents a watershed in the tech sector as famous Silicon Valley player Altman publicly declares his love for Mulherin. The wedding illuminates the changing climate of inclusiveness and acceptance in the IT sector and is a monument to both personal and professional accomplishments. In addition to being a celebration of love, Altman and Mulherin's narrative also serves as a symbol of advancement and transparency in a field that is frequently characterised by change and innovation as they begin this new chapter of their relationship. Many on social media have been wondering whether or not AI created this image. But Altman has acknowledged to NBC News that he is married. Who Did OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Get Married To? A Silicon Valley Love Story Sam Altman's Marriage To Oliver Mulherin Unveiled | Credit: X In front of a small group of close friends and family and amid palm trees, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wed Oliver Mulherin, his longtime partner, in a private ceremony by the sea. What Are The Details About Altman's Partner, Mulherin? Mulherin was born in Australia and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a bachelor's degree in computer science, according to his LinkedIn profile. It's interesting to note that Mulherin participated in several AI initiatives while attending college. He attended Melbourne's John Monash Science School for his high school education. A Silicon Valley Love Story Sam Altman's Marriage To Oliver Mulherin Unveiled | Credit: X Mulehrin works as a software engineer. According to The New York Times, he and Altman own a property in Napa, California, and he resides in San Francisco. He has held positions with businesses like SPARK Neuro, Broadwing, and Meta. In a 2023 interview with New York Magazine, Altman discussed Mulherin and their joint childbearing. When Did The Couple Get Married? The specific location and time of the wedding remain undisclosed. Where Can You Check Out Their Wedding Pictures? Wedding pictures were posted on X by many users; one post by @Barsee is given below. Sam Altman just got married today. Congratulations pic.twitter.com/kbUvGbLHOa Barsee (@heyBarsee) January 11, 2024 How Did The Internet React? A Silicon Valley Love Story Sam Altman's Marriage To Oliver Mulherin Unveiled | Credit: X Given that Altman and Mulherin have not made a lot of noise about their relationship, a lot of people are now asking questions on social media about Oliver Mulherin. Internet Reacts To Openai Ceo Sam Altman Ties The Knot With Oliver Mulherin | Credit: X Internet Reacts To Openai Ceo Sam Altman Ties The Knot With Oliver Mulherin | Credit: X What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. In a compelling union that surpasses societal standards, Prince Mateen of Brunei, heir to one of the world's biggest fortunes, exchanged vows with a commoner in a beautiful wedding ceremony this week that has set the internet ablaze. A global hit, the tale of royalty tying their love with common people is being captured on cameras as stunning pictures from the lavish event go viral on social media, winning many over the romantic idea. Prince Mateen's decision to wed outside of the customary aristocratic circles represents a contemporary story, demonstrating that love has no boundaries and that even the most lavish societies may come together over the basic need of genuine affection. Who Is Abdul Mateen? Picture of Mateen during his wedding ceremony | Credit: Instagram One of Asia's most eligible bachelors, Prince Abdul Mateen, plays polo in Brunei. Mateen is well down the line of succession and the tenth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the longest-reigning monarch in history and once the richest man on Earth. The 32-year-old major in the Royal Brunei Air Force is a skilled helicopter pilot who has amassed 2.5 million Instagram followers in addition to his polo medals and relationship with tigers. What Made Prince Abdul Mateen The Talk Of The Town? The prince got married to his 29-year-old fiance, Anisha Rosnah Isa-Kalebic, during a 10-day royal nuptial celebration that started on January 7 and will conclude on January 16. Fun Fact: Mateen is the eighth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who was once the richest man on earth and the king with the longest reign. Picture of Mateen during his wedding ceremony | Credit: Instagram Despite being part of the royal lineage, Mateen is unlikely to ascend to the throne in this oil-rich nation. However, owing to his impressive physique and adventurous personality, he has emerged as a valuable asset for the royal family's public relations endeavours, notwithstanding being entangled in various scandals and facing substantial criticism throughout the years. Picture of Mateen during his wedding ceremony | Credit: Instagram On December 31, Mateen and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, his fiance, posted a pre-wedding Instagram picture. He was dressed in a dark, double-breasted blazer over an open-neck white shirt, while his fiance was seen wearing a cream pantsuit with no hijab. The pictures attempt to modernise the royal family for Bruneians who grew up with social media and portray a more modern vision of the traditional country. Where Can You Check Out The Pictures? You can check out the post on Mateen's Instagram handle. What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. An unusual star of the pre-wedding celebration, an electric scooter, drew the attention of the Ola CEO, showcasing a distinctive touch of desi 'Jugaad.' As the electric scooter demonstrated its significance in the cultural celebration, the blending of traditional festivities with technological creativity came to life. The Ola CEO's response captures the meeting point of innovation and tradition, recognising the spirit of innovation inherent in the desi jugaad methodology. What Happened At This Pre-Wedding Celebration That Made Olas CEO React? Pre-wedding Jugaad With Electric Scooter Draws Attention From Ola's CEO | Credit: Instagram The online community celebrated an incident where an Ola electric scooter became the hero at a pre-wedding event in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra, labelling it "desi jugaad at its best." Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal responded to the video when it became popular, stating, "Keep the creativity going." Here is the narrative as it is told in the caption of the popular video that Instagram user Saurav Rokade uploaded. The scene was prepared. The bride was getting ready to perform a dance performance, so everyone gathered and was seated. All of that, nevertheless, came to an end when police ordered the event's organisers to cease playing music; there was an interruption, but not a spirit disturbance. That's when Saurav's friend had an epiphany. Instead, he chose to play music on his Ola Scooter. Ola Ceo Bhavish Aggarwal Reacted To The Viral Video | Credit: X Other than two speakers, the Ola S1 Pro has Bluetooth connectivity. It can be linked to the device so that music can be played. He just executed a straightforward act of "jugaad," which is just what he did, creating a moment that is now trending on social media. The bride's "wish was fulfilled to dance at her wedding," as stated in Saurav's caption, thanks to the Ola Scooter. Evidently impressed, Bhavish Aggarwal remarked, "4 baj gaye lekin party abhi bhi baaki hai! LOL. I adore how Ola scooters are becoming a feature of Indian community festivals! Bravo, community! Continue your creative spirit!" When Did The Video Go Viral? Pre-wedding Jugaad With Electric Scooter Draws Attention From Ola's CEO | Credit: Instagram Just a few days ago, the video went viral. Where Can You Watch The Video? You can watch the video on Instagram posted by a handle named "saurav_rokade_ssr_official." What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has hinted that he is ready to spearhead a coalition of opposition parties to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), come 2027. This is as he commended the Supreme Court judgments affirming the election of Governors under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The apex court, on Friday, affirmed the election of three Governors elected on the platform of the PDP. They include Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau). The Supreme Court also upheld the election of Umo Eno, as the duly elected PDP Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Reacting via a statement issued by his media office, Abubakar said the decision of the apex court is good news to the people of Bauchi, Plateau, Akwa Ibom and Zamfara states, and indeed, a win for constitutional democracy. READ ALSO: SCourt Reverses Yusuf, Lawal, Mutfwangs Sack; Upholds Nwifuru, Otu, Bala Mohammeds Election The 2023 presidential candidate furthee congratulated Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) whose election was also affirmed. According to him, the victory at the court reaffirms his position that only a united opposition force can strengthen democracy in Nigeria. I am as prepared as ever, to lead the charge, alongside all our leaders and governors, for the good of our country. Where justice is seen to have been substantially rendered, we, as patriots and citizens, will always applaud, the statement read. Abubakar said by the Courts verdict, there is a guaranteed continuation of the standards of good governance which the PDP has brought to the respective states. He however urged the Governors to see their triumph as an opportunity to consolidate and expand the scope of the good governance they have already established. Atiku expressed confidence that the PDP will focus on its role as the major opposition party in the country. Former Osun State Governor, Adebisi Akande, has revealed that it is hard to fight corruption in Nigeria due to the corrupt mindset of the people. It was gathered that Akande stated this while speaking with newsmen in his Ila-Orangun country home, on Saturday as part of activities marking his 85th birthday. He opined that corruption is not the first thing to fight in Nigeria because one can perish, stressing that successive administrations in the country have failed to defeat corruption. He said: In Nigeria, corruption is not the first thing to fight otherwise you get perished. The mindset is corrupt. The man who wants prosperity by miracle is corrupt. You want to own a car or house by miracle, you are already a corrupt man. In a country where everybody is corrupt, who is that leader, who will bell the cat? READ MORE: PDP Has Military Mindset, They Didnt Want To Leave Power Unlike APC Bisi Akande So you are only blaming the leader, but you are corrupt yourself. Go to religious circle, everybody wants comfort without work. The present generation doesnt want to work. They want everything by miracle. Such a community can never be prosperous. No leader can make them prosperous. They will just be blaming government. A country where everybody is corrupt like Nigeria, nobody can solve the problem. The Governor of Plateau state, Caleb Mutfwang, has said that the Supreme Court judgement that affirmed his electoral victory is proof that Nigeria can get it right. Recall that a five-member panel led by Justice Emmanuel Agim reversed the decision of the appellate court which sacked him. However, the Governor called the verdict perverse because the issue of the primary election that produced Mutfwang was outside the jurisdiction of the lower court. According to Mutfwang, during an interview on Channels Televisions Politics Today, last night, said that the judiciary will get it right once the apex court gets it right. He said: It has brought out in me some positive energy that we can be able to change the Nigerian system. I have always been an incurable optimist that Nigeria can change. READ MORE: High Security As Kano, Plateau, 6 Other Govs Know Fate At SCourt Today With what I saw in the Supreme Court, it raises that hope further that if the Supreme Court can get it right, the judicial system will get it right, the administration of justice will get right. It therefore means that we can cascade this into other spheres of our national development. I believe that with the lot of things that are happening now, some of the corrective measures Mr President is taking means that change is possible. Abdulaziz Jandor Adediran, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, has expressed disappointment at the affirmation of the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu by the Supreme Court. Recall that the apex court, on Friday, affirmed the election of Sanwo-Olu as earlier ruled by the Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in the State . A five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by Jandor and the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, for lacking in merit. Reacting to the development in a Friday statement, Jandor who expressed disappointment however, congratulated Sanwo-Olu on the victory and wished him a peaceful, development and people-focused tenure in office. Jandor also urged his supporters not to allow their disappointment to overcome their love for Lagos state, adding that the verdict will not deter him from contributing to the development of the State. His words: I also use this opportunity to congratulate Sanwo Olu. I wish him a peaceful, development and people-focused tenure. READ ALSO: Lagos Guber: SCourt Affirms Sanwo-Olus Victory, Dismisses LP, PDPs Appeals We have expressed our reservations about the conduct and the outcome of the election. This, we did, by taking advantage of the provisions of the constitution and the electoral law to file a petition at the election tribunal through to the Appeal court and finally, the Supreme Court. This is not the outcome we envisaged or worked so hard for. But I am very proud of the values we share and the vision we hold for our dear state. And for the very robust, vast, diverse, people-centred and rural network campaign that we built and executed together. I know how disappointed you are with the outcomes of the election because I feel it too. The frustration, intimidation, and betrayal, but our disappointment must be overcome by our love for our dear state. We need to let the declared winner govern on the basis of his vision for the development of our state. Let the electorate be the judge of their performance. The Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has reacted to the Supreme Court verdict which affirmed the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the States Governor. Recall that Rhodes-Vivour had on October 7, 2023, filed 21 grounds of appeal challenging the decision of the State Governorship Tribunal which upheld Sanwo-Olus re-election. The LPs candidate in grounds 4 & 5 contended that the Tribunal erred in law when it held that the burden of proof of the specific Oath of Allegiance subscribed to by the Deputy Governor as well as the evidence of his renounced citizenship rests on the Appellant and that exhibits placed before the tribunal on this issue were deemed abandoned. However, Justice Garba Lawal, who read the lead judgment of the apex court, yesterday, dismissed the appeal filed by Rhodes-Vivour and his party for lacking in merit. Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment in a post via his official X handle on Friday, Gbadebo described the ruling of the apex court as sad and shocking. He said the apex court had set a shocking precedent where a governor or president could have multiple allegiances to countries other than Nigeria and still be the commander-in-chief of Lagos State. READ MORE: Lagos Guber: SCourt Affirms Sanwo-Olus Victory, Dismisses LP, PDPs Appeals He wrote: Today, the Supreme Court set a precedent, a governor or president can have multiple allegiances to states other than Nigeria and still be the chief security officer of Lagos or Nigeria. While I submit to this shocking decision of the Supreme Court, I worry about what this precedent holds for future generations being led by leaders with conflict of interest and loyalty. There is no Liberal Democracy that will accept to be led by an individual who has sworn an oath of allegiance to another country. Citizens should not have to contemplate the loyalty of their commander in chief or the chief security officer of their state. That said, as the court pleases. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday, posited that the nation has no reason to be poor, highlighting divisiveness as a significant challenge. He noted that Governors elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform should consider all Nigerians above any political affiliation. Tinubu spoke on Friday when he hosted members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) at the Aso Rock villa, according to Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson. During the meeting, Tinubu emphasized the need for a collective national vision and unity to address the nations challenges. While urging APC Governors to prioritize policies benefiting all Nigerians, Tinubu stressed the importance of inclusivity, ownership, and sustainability in development policies. He expressed confidence that Nigeria, with its abundant human, natural, and material resources, can overcome challenges such as infrastructural decay, inadequate education, and healthcare facilities. Tinubu called for a re-engineering of the financial system to ensure inclusivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. He encouraged the governors to enhance the school feeding program, emphasizing the role of education in national development. The President also proposed the deployment of forest guards, modern technology, and special police to secure the solid mineral and marine economic sectors. READ ALSO: Tinubu Approves N683bn Intervention Fund For Public Varsities In addressing security concerns, Tinubu expressed willingness to invest in security measures, including securing and storing the countrys minerals in reserves. The President emphasized the potential economic benefits, particularly in foreign exchange, by safeguarding valuable resources like gold. President Bola Tinubu has implored governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to design and implement policies that prioritise all Nigerians and to always consider the national interest above political affiliations, Ngelale said. We have no reason to be poor. Looking back on where we are coming from, where we have been, why we are facing infrastructural decay, a lack of quality and comprehensive education, as well as a lack of health facilities. We are not a cursed country but blessed. We have children of school age who are out of school. The way to promote education is to get all governors, including the opposition governors, involved in the school feeding programme. Please, take it seriously. We should not measure the children as statistics. We should measure their return to classrooms as our achievement. We should see economic growth in terms of value and empowerment. We should set up a committee to look into the methods. I am ready to invest in school feeding. The school-feeding programme would encourage more investments in agriculture, particularly in livestock farming and dairy, the President was quoted as saying. Governor Hope Uzodinma, Chairman of the Forum, commended President Tinubu for involving Governors in policy design and implementation. He pledged continued support from APC Governors as ambassadors for the Presidents vision. Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for not meddling in the Supreme Court verdicts on litigations that arose from the outcome of last years governorship elections. He also commended Tinubu for allowing the judiciary to adjudicate on matters independently, which saw him and other Governors win their cases at the apex Court on Friday. While addressing newsmen after the Supreme Court affirmed his victory he said that some verdicts would have been different if the President had decided to interfere with the Nigerian judiciary. Dedicating his victory to God and the Abia electorate, Otti lauded the Nigerian judiciary for standing firm and not allowing desperate politicians to truncate the will of the common man. I want to thank His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for remaining firm in his resolve that the judiciary should be independent. If he had not done that, perhaps some of the judgements and verdicts that were given today would have been different. READ ALSO: Supreme Court Affirms Alex Ottis Victory As Abia Governor I want to encourage him to continue in that light. I believe that his non-intervention in the judiciary has produced positive results in the country today. A few places where people were getting ready to burn down places today, [they] have sheathed their swords because the rule of law prevailed, the All Progressives Congress Governor noted. He thanked all the governorship candidates, especially those that did not go to court, for being supportive as well as anointed men of God for their prayers. The Governor extended the olive branch to those who took him to court, asking them to sheath their swords and supply their ideas for the positive development of Abia now that the battle is over. From now on, division cannot be allowed in Abia State. We are all in one boat; anybody who wants the good of our state should join us in this boat and the boat is large enough to accept and receive everyone, he enjoined BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. Martin Ryan, a French businessman, has been arrested in Baku on accusations of spying in a bizarre case related to Baku's expulsion of two French diplomats, the editor-in-chief of the La Gazette du Caucase online newspaper based in Paris, renowned French journalist Jean-Michel Brun wrote in his article, Trend reports. He reminded that, on December 26, Azerbaijan expelled two French diplomats for activities "incompatible with their status." France had declared two Azerbaijani diplomats "persona non grata" as a "reciprocal measure." "This "exchange of courtesies" illustrates the tensions between the two countries over France's unconditional support for Armenia, or at least for Karabakh separatist groups, since the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have decided to embark on a process of normalizing their relations. At the end of December, the French ambassador in Baku, Anne Boillon, was summoned to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be notified of "a firm protest against acts by two employees of the French embassy that are incompatible with their diplomatic status." The two diplomats were asked to leave Azerbaijan within 48 hours, with the Azerbaijani diplomatic press release giving no further details on the reasons for the expulsion. On December 4, a French national from Baku, Martin Ryan, was arrested for spying activities. After an initial hearing, "the courts have ordered his detention for four months," announced Azerbaijan's ambassador to France, Leyla Abdullayeva, adding that "as soon as he was arrested, the French embassy in Baku was informed by a verbal note." Martin Ryan is the CEO of the Baku-based Merkorama company, which specializes in wine trading. He made a name for himself by writing an open letter to the President of the French Republic on May 26, 2023, which was published on YouTube and in the French magazine Causeur. The letter called on France to change its policy of denigrating Azerbaijan, insisted that Azerbaijan was not the aggressor but the aggressed, and pointed to the threats made by Armenian activists against the French press if it did not adopt their point of view. He pointed out that France and Azerbaijan were two countries of great culture that should be brought closer together, condemned the slander leveled at Azerbaijan by certain politicians, and called for the rebuilding of friendly ties between the two countries. He also pointed out that French people living in Azerbaijan were being treated in the best possible way and that France's unconditionally pro-Armenian policy was clearly harming them. The young Frenchman, therefore, appeared to be a clear supporter of Azerbaijan. But according to information leaked to the media at the end of December, he was approached by a French agent from the 2nd DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), who engaged him in secret cooperation. According to the same information, Martin Ryan admitted having been manipulated by this agent, who was one of the French diplomats subsequently expelled from Baku. As French specialist Francois Heisbourg remarked on LCI: "Intelligence activities by embassies are commonplace and implicitly accepted. The main thing is not to get caught with your hands in the jam pot, which seems to have been the case this time. Since the arrest of the French businessman, consular officials from the French embassy in Baku have visited him several times and "have all the information on the investigation," according to a statement from the embassy. "We spoke to him four times, each time for two minutes. He says he is well treated and gets along well with his lawyer; the detainee's father assured AFP shortly after his arrest," the article reads. Jean-Michel Brun also pointed out that Paris is extremely annoyed to see Azerbaijan, which until this year chaired the organization of non-aligned countries, hosting the "Baku Initiative Group," whose mission is to give a voice to territories that are, or consider themselves to be, colonized. Representatives of the Baku group include the leaders of the independence parties in the French West Indies, Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Corsica. It also includes countries that consider themselves to be victims of the remnants of "Francafrique." "Azerbaijan took back the lands it had occupied for almost thirty years. France has shown unconditional support for the Armenian version of events, even though it was supposed, by virtue of its membership in the mediation group known as the "Minsk Group," to adopt an attitude of strict neutrality. This support can of course be explained by the presence of a powerful Armenian diaspora in France, which is heavily involved in politics and the media, but also by the exploitation of the conflict by the French Right, which is increasingly influencing French politics. In this context, how and in what way was Martin Ryan 'manipulated' by the French services? Promises, threats? And for what information? For the moment, nothing has come from the Azerbaijani judiciary, which is continuing its investigation. We may know more in a few days or weeks... or not," he concludes. Yul Edochie, a Nollywood actor and movie producer, has been mocked online after celebrating his colleague Ali Nuhus recent appointment. President Bola Tinubu had approved the nomination of Ali Nuhu, a Kannywood actor and director, as Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation. The presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, made the announcement in a statement on Friday, January 12th, 2024. Yul took to Instagram to congratulate him on his new appointment, which he said was well-deserved. He prayed to God to give him all he needed to govern effectively. He composed, Congratulations brother @realalinuhu on your appointment as MD of Nigerian Film Corporation. Many mocked him in the comments section for being snubbed by the President despite his countless campaigns and displays of affection for him. READ MORE: Ajoke Was Adopted And Not His Biological Child SCOAN Refutes Claim Of Lady Who Poses As TB Joshuas Daughter See some comments below Olikeze Amaka Jane wrote, Bros which day will I be expecting your own appointment? Our president is a gangster, he knows who is real and who is an opportunist Emmy Osa wrote, See how u mumu reach with all ur noise still nothing for u Maxico4real wrote, After all your clouts Jagagban will fix Nigeria, dem no give you appointment?. Fada Fada Official wrote, Why them no appoint you? Since you don dey pursue the appointment, na another person wey no be social media wahala con give! Bro change your ways Highest Popori wrote, After all your eye service dem no still appoint Yul Dorcas Munyen wrote, Your friends are achieving great things it reach your turn you achieve person wife and kids welcome ma Official Frank wrote, Na you dey shout. Na smart ones dey get appointments. Theres something called respect and eye service SEE POST Artist Alvin Pettit speaks in October at the unveiling of his winning sculpture design of Harriet Tubman. When completed, the statue will stand outside City Hall. Read more The Philadelphia Art Commission has voted unanimously to give final approval to the concept and design for the new Harriet Tubman statue proposed by sculptor Alvin Pettit. Last Wednesday, Art Commission members, who praised Pettits presentation for its ideas, voted unanimously to approve the design of the statue after just one meeting to discuss it. Seven members of the commission were present. The commissions website lists nine members. Pettit is a Jersey City-based sculptor whose statue design, A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter, was selected from five finalists in October 2023 after a yearlong process. At the virtual meeting Wednesday, Pettit said he researched Tubmans history and also looked at existing statues featuring her. He concluded that most statues depict her as either running away from enslavement, or helping others escape. Advertisement I wanted to take it in a new direction that I had not seen before and that was unique to Philadelphia, Pettit said in the recorded meeting. I wanted to change the narrative and to show her not necessarily on the run anymore. I wanted to show her as a conqueror, as a woman who defied the odds and actually conquered her oppressors. Thats why, he said, he based the statues design on an aspect of Tubmans history that is not told as often: that she was a Civil War soldier, nurse and spy. He specifically drew from her actions leading a battalion of 150 men in the Combahee Ferry Raid in South Carolina, where she helped lead about 700 enslaved people to freedom. She was a military soldier and she led men into battle, he said. With the Tubman statue added to the northeast apron of City Hall, he said, Tubman would join two other Civil War soldiers: Gen. George McClellan and Major Gen. John Fulton Reynolds. He described this as a three-soldier sentry of guardians outside the palace of City Hall. Pettit also explained the inspiration for the pose of the statue, which shows Tubman in an almost kneeling position with her hands in a prayer-like clasp. He pointed out that, to some, the Tubman figure may appear to be in prayer, but a viewer getting closer to the statue will see that one hand is clasped over the other, which could also be interpreted as a woman who is showing determination. Another inspiration was a painting of Gen. George Washington, The Prayer at Valley Forge, which depicts Washington bending on one knee, praying in the woods. The maquette, or two-foot model, of Pettits design doesnt show Tubman actually kneeling, but she has one knee bent at the same angle, while standing on a mound of broken chains and shackles. Pettit said he was motivated to nod to the George Washington painting by telling the commissioners that if Washington is seen as a father of the country, then Tubman can be seen as a mother of freedom. The artist also said there would be community involvement by his participation in lectures at Philadelphia schools. And it might be possible to allow Philadelphia students to visit his Jersey City studios to watch or assist in some of the preparation of the statue. Pettit said he is working with the citys Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) to allow the public to help decide which of Tubmans quotes may be inscribed on the statues base. For example, two of the quotes he presented to the commission were these: For no man should take me alive. I should fight for my liberty as long as my strength lasted. And: " I would give every drop of blood in my veins to free them. The Tubman statue is to be 11 feet tall, in bronze with a graying-brown patina. It will be installed on a granite base, 2 to 3 feet high. One commissioner questioned whether the installation would interfere with SEPTA infrastructure running beneath the City Hall plaza. Another was concerned whether any part of the statue, especially the mound of broken chains, could be broken off or stolen, or whether people could sit on the pedestal while taking a cigarette break. Pettit said that he has considered those possibilities and that there would be no flat surfaces where people could sit. After his presentation, commission member Sarah McEneaney, who is an artist, said: I think its absolutely beautiful. READ MORE: Sculptor Alvin Pettit will design the new Harriet Tubman statue in Philadelphia Commissioner Malcolm Jordan-Miller Kenyatta asked whether the plaque accompanying the statue would include more specifics about Tubmans history in Philadelphia. Im really proud of this piece and I love the community engagement, Kenyatta said. Chair Robert Roesch also praised the design and said, Im inclined to let this go through without having him come back. That means he was in favor of giving Pettits design final approval right away. But the commission did ask that it get to review the wording on the plaque before it is installed. Marguerite Anglin, the citys public art director, agreed that the wording on the plaque will be brought back to the commission. Theres no question that Philadelphia played a significant role [in Tubmans life]. Its the place where she first found freedom. The citys OACCE said Friday that with the Art Commissions approval, it now has the authority to enter into a contract with Pettit for a $500,000 commission. But it could take a few months for the contract to be signed. The statue is expected to be completed in 2025. READ MORE: Who is Alvin Pettit, the artist chosen for Phillys Harriet Tubman statue? Pettit was chosen following a controversy that arose in 2022 after then-Mayor Jim Kenney and the OACCE selected another artist, who is white, to create a permanent statue of Tubman without having a public call to seek other designs, particularly from Black sculptors. In a news release about the commissions approval, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said: Her recognition and this work of art in her honor, created by an artist of color, is overdue and welcomed. As the first-ever woman mayor of Philadelphia and as a Black woman, I am thrilled that the first piece of public art to be approved under this administration will be this statue of a Black woman who fought for freedom here in Philadelphia Harriet Tubman. This story has been updated to correct the last name of Civil War U.S. Army Major General John Fulton Reynolds. Sharon Thompson-Schill, left, dines out with friends, including best friend and fellow neuroscientist Anna Jenkins, right. Read more It was a cold Wednesday night, and Sharon Thompson-Schill was between drinks at Bloomsday and a pop-up dinner at Little Fish, taking a quick shot of amaro with friends at a third restaurant, Kampar, that has not yet officially opened. Yam seng! the group said, clinking glasses. Cheers! The five-course, 3.5-hour meal to follow at Little Fish, cooked by rising star Jacob Trinh, would be a once-a-year highlight for many. But for Thompson-Schill, a neuroscience professor at Penn and perhaps the most enthusiastic diner in Philadelphia, it was simply the latest in a string of extraordinary meals she eats 365 days a year. The same week, Thompson-Schill had dinner at The Kitchen Table at Ambra, the 16-seat tasting room; a rare lunch at Pietramala, the vegan hotspot that typically opens at 5; casual dinners at Pub & Kitchen and Royal Tavern; a special four-course tasting menu at Le Virtu; and not one but two separate meals at Her Place Supper Club, one of the most difficult-to-get reservations in the city. She attended nine Feasts of the Seven Fishes in December. Advertisement Though she posts all of her meals to Instagram and carries a portable light to better illuminate her photos, Thompson-Schill is not a traditional influencer. She only has 1,000 followers. Instead, shes more like the Godmother of the Philly dining scene, in both the fairy and also the mafia sense, according to Liz Grothe, the chef behind the popular supper club Couch Cafe. She knows whats opening and whos leaving, the up-and-coming chefs and the most interesting food events. Shes loyal and she likes to matchmake. Im really passionate about the people, said Thompson-Schill. Fast talking and intensely curious, shes also just as high-energy at the end of a long night as at the beginning of one. (Im going to interrupt myself to tell a funny story, she said in a recent conversation). Since meeting Grothe, Thompson-Schill has attended nearly every one of her pop-up events, a feat that even Grothes best friends and parents have not achieved. She recently connected Grothe with the general manager and wine buyer at Bloomsday, DOnna Stubblefield, and the two are now collaborating on wines for Grothes BYOB dinners. She is so involved in the careers of so many young chefs as a true friend and supporter, Grothe said, adding that unlike hired consultants, Thompson-Schill shows up because she just genuinely enjoys the people and the food. If she stopped coming to dinners tomorrow I would know that I had gravely [messed] up. At the end of 2021, Thompson-Schill left a 16-year relationship, partly because her partner would not get vaccinated. Her three children were grown and she moved into an apartment by herself. She had always been the opposite of a homebody, but she was thrilled by the chance to eat out, and by all the new pop-ups and events in the city. She was finally able to visit restaurants that were not open to her unvaccinated boyfriend. I was newly free, she said. Thats when she became a dining world fixture. At Little Fish, Thompson-Schill hugged Chef Trinh and ordered the prix fixe, plus everything on the menu that was not included in the prix fixe. She estimates that she spends about $1,000 a week dining out. (She was delighted when she recently learned Louis C.K.s term bang bang, for eating two full meals in a row.) She sometimes eats alone, but she also relishes bringing as many people as possible, to maximize dish-sharing. At Little Fish, she ordered for her best friend Anna Jenkins, a fellow neuroscientist at Penn; Ange Branca, the chef of Kampar; and Nathan Winkler-Rhoades, co-owner of Pitruco Pizza. Branca said they met when Thompson-Schill visited her old restaurant Sate Kampar at least twelve times. That restaurant, which Craig LaBan named one of the best in Philadelphia, closed in May 2020 after a proposed rent hike during the pandemic. Since then the two have become friends; Thompson-Schill helped organize Brancas Kickstarter campaign to launch the new Kampar. Jenkins is her most frequent dining companion, and the person who most closely understands her passion for food. To celebrate Thompson-Schills 53rd birthday, Jenkins organized a way for her to eat the one animal part she hadnt previously consumed, a pig uterus. I knew she never had it, I knew it was highly desirable, Jenkins explained. It was really great, Thompson-Schill said. (She left vegetarianism for good about 10 years ago, after attending a transformative live goat slaughter in rural Pennsylvania). I love feeding her, said Branca, who cooked the pig uterus. She literally eats everything. Thompson-Schill grew up the daughter of a working mom, not knowing much about fresh food or fancy restaurants. When she moved to Philadelphia in the 90s, her first discovery was the farmers market. I would harass the people at the stands. Im like, What is this? And theyre like, its a radish, she recalled. She began to experiment at home, cooking for her kids. In 1999, she joined the Penn faculty and her career took off. She traveled the world to share her research, and found herself getting wined and dined at high-end restaurants. She started learning about food, with the rigor of a scientist. These days, she doesnt go to places where the menu doesnt change on a regular basis; she tends to skip Stephen Starr and Michael Schulson operations in favor of smaller chefs. She often brings Tupperware to dinner, and cooks elaborate breakfasts with the leftovers, tagging all the local farmers, butchers, and cheesemongers involved on her Instagram. Among her favorite current places are Heavy Metal Sausage Co., which she rented out for her birthday, and Mawn, both in South Philly. She typically has an easy time getting reservations, sometimes direct-messaging friends in the industry to assist, but she did struggle at the end of last year with Royal Sushi Omakase, the tiny eatery that is notoriously difficult to get into because it allows regulars to book their next reservation at the end of a meal. She even enlisted the personal concierge that comes with her American Express card to no avail. Then a friend on Instagram gave Thompson-Schill her own reservation. For these hard-to-get reservations, it takes a village, she said, laughing. Always eager to make connections, Thompson-Schill introduced Trinh to Winkler-Rhoades at the end of the meal at Little Fish. It was 11 p.m. and she had the energy of someone ready to attend another five-course meal. You have to try his pizza! Hes Pitruco! she said. You should do staff meal! A radiologist uses a magnifying glass to check mammograms for breast cancer in Los Angeles, May 6, 2010. Annual mammograms are now recommended indefinitely for breast cancer survivors in many countries including the United States. Now a large British study finds that less frequent screening is just as good. The findings were being discussed Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) Read more As I checked in at a Manhattan radiology clinic for my annual mammogram in November, the front desk staffer reviewing my paperwork asked an unexpected question: Would I like to spend $40 for an artificial intelligence analysis of my mammogram? Its not covered by insurance, she added. I had no idea how to evaluate that offer. Feeling upsold, I said no. But it got me thinking: Is this something I should add to my regular screening routine? Is my regular mammogram not accurate enough? If this AI analysis is so great, why doesnt insurance cover it? Im not the only person posing such questions. The mother of a colleague had a similar experience when she went for a mammogram recently at a suburban Baltimore clinic. She was given a pink pamphlet that said: You Deserve More. More Accuracy. More Confidence. More power with artificial intelligence behind your mammogram. The price tag was the same: $40. She also declined. In recent years, AI software that helps radiologists detect problems or diagnose cancer using mammography has been moving into clinical use. The software can store and evaluate large datasets of images and identify patterns and abnormalities that human radiologists might miss. It typically highlights potential problem areas in an image and assesses any likely malignancies. This extra review has enormous potential to improve the detection of suspicious breast masses and lead to earlier diagnoses of breast cancer. Advertisement While studies showing better detection rates are extremely encouraging, some radiologists say, more research and evaluation are needed before drawing conclusions about the value of the routine use of these tools in regular clinical practice. I see the promise and I hope it will help us, said Etta Pisano, a radiologist who is chief research officer at the American College of Radiology, a professional group for radiologists. However, it really is ambiguous at this point whether it will benefit an individual woman, she said. We do need more information. The radiology clinics that my colleagues mother and I visited are both part of RadNet, a company with a network of more than 350 imaging centers around the country. RadNet introduced its AI product for mammography in New York and New Jersey last February and has since rolled it out in several other states, according to Gregory Sorensen, the companys chief science officer. Sorensen pointed to research the company conducted with 18 radiologists, some of whom were specialists in breast mammography and some of whom were generalists who spent less than 75% of their time reading mammograms. The doctors were asked to find the cancers in 240 images, with and without AI. Every doctors performance improved using AI, Sorensen said. Among all radiologists, not every doctor is equally good, Sorensen said. With RadNets AI tool, its as if all patients get the benefit of our very top performer. But is the tech analysis worth the extra cost to patients? Theres no easy answer. Some people are always going to be more anxious about their mammograms, and using AI may give them more reassurance, said Laura Heacock, a breast imaging specialist at NYU Langone Healths Perlmutter Cancer Center in New York. The health system has developed AI models and is testing the technology with mammograms but doesnt yet offer it to patients, she said. Still, Heacock said, women shouldnt worry that they need to get an additional AI analysis if its offered. At the end of the day, you still have an expert breast imager interpreting your mammogram, and that is the standard of care, she said. About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, and regular screening mammograms are recommended to help identify cancerous tumors early. But mammograms are hardly foolproof: They miss about 20% of breast cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. The FDA has authorized roughly two dozen AI products to help detect and diagnose cancer from mammograms. However, there are currently no billing codes radiologists can use to charge health plans for the use of AI to interpret mammograms. Typically, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would introduce new billing codes and private health plans would follow their lead for payment. But that hasnt happened in this field yet and its unclear when or if it will. CMS didnt respond to requests for comment. Thirty-five percent of women who visit a RadNet facility for mammograms pay for the additional AI review, Sorensen said. Radiology practices dont handle payment for AI mammography all in the same way. The practices affiliated with Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital dont charge patients for the AI analysis, said Constance Lehman, a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School who is co-director of the Breast Imaging Research Center at Mass General. Asking patients to pay isnt a model that will support equity, Lehman said, since only patients who can afford the extra charge will get the enhanced analysis. She said she believes many radiologists would never agree to post a sign listing a charge for AI analysis because it would be off-putting to low-income patients. Sorensen said RadNets goal is to stop charging patients once health plans realize the value of the screening and start paying for it. Some large trials are underway in the United States, though much of the published research on AI and mammography to date has been done in Europe. There, the standard practice is for two radiologists to read a mammogram, whereas in the States only one radiologist typically evaluates a screening test. Interim results from the highly regarded MASAI randomized controlled trial of 80,000 women in Sweden found that cancer detection rates were 20% higher in women whose mammograms were read by a radiologist using AI compared with women whose mammograms were read by two radiologists without any AI intervention, which is the standard of care there. The MASAI trial was great, but will that generalize to the U.S.? We cant say, Lehman said. In addition, there is a need for more diverse training and testing sets for AI algorithm development and refinement across different races and ethnicities, said Christoph Lee, director of the Northwest Screening and Cancer Outcomes Research Enterprise at the University of Washington School of Medicine. The long shadow of an earlier and largely unsuccessful type of computer-assisted mammography hangs over the adoption of newer AI tools. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, computer-assisted detection software promised to improve breast cancer detection. Then the studies started coming in, and the results were often far from encouraging. Using CAD at best provided no benefit, and at worst reduced the accuracy of radiologists interpretations, resulting in higher rates of recalls and biopsies. CAD was not that sophisticated, said Robert Smith, senior vice president of early cancer detection science at the American Cancer Society. Artificial intelligence tools today are a whole different ballgame, he said. You can train the algorithm to pick up things, or it learns on its own. Smith said he found it troubling that radiologists would charge for the AI analysis. There are too many women who cant afford any out-of-pocket cost for a mammogram, Smith said. If were not going to increase the number of radiologists we use for mammograms, then these new AI tools are going to be very useful, and I dont think we can defend charging women extra for them. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. Prosecutors moved to withdraw charges after saying they'd been unable to get a key witness to appear at Holmes' trial. Read more The criminal case against former Philadelphia police commander Carl Holmes, who had been accused of sexually assaulting women at work, effectively collapsed Tuesday when a key accuser failed to show up to testify at trial. Assistant District Attorney Clarke Beljean said at a brief hearing that prosecutors and detectives had taken extensive steps in recent days to find the witness and persuade her to come to court. They had even asked a judge to issue a bench warrant Monday, when the trial had been scheduled to begin. But none of those efforts was successful. And without the womans testimony, Beljean said, I cannot put on a case. The charges connected to that witness Michele Vandegrift, who said Holmes sexually assaulted her in his office in 2007 were the only offenses still standing against Holmes, who had been charged in 2019 with assaulting two other subordinates. The cases connected to those witnesses had already fallen apart in court due to questions about their credibility or availability to testify. Advertisement Holmes, 57, who has denied the allegations, showed little reaction as prosecutors moved to withdraw the latest charges. He and his lawyer, Gregory Pagano,declined to comment as they left the courtroom. Prosecutors left open the possibility of reviving the case if they are able to find Vandegrift and compel her to appear in court. But even the judge was skeptical that Vandegrift who in 2017 settled a lawsuit over the allegations for $1.25 million would ever testify again. Shes no longer interested in being part of this case, said Common Pleas Court Judge Shanese Johnson. Shes ducking you. Holmes was once one of the Police Departments highest-ranking commanders, a chief inspector who spent nearly three decades on the force and was also a lawyer. But during his career, he had been publicly accused of sexually assaulting women he worked with allegations detailed extensively by The Inquirer and the Daily News. In 2019, District Attorney Larry Krasners office accused Holmes of crimes including attempted sexual assault and indecent assault after a grand jury investigation. At the time, Krasner said he believed the investigation showed that powerful men in the Police Department had operated with impunity, particularly if they were accused of wrongdoing by women. But Krasner said his office would not shy away from prosecuting cases even if he believed they had been mishandled in the past. The case against Holmes ran into frequent trouble as it moved through the courts. In March 2021, prosecutors were forced to withdraw charges connected to former officer Elisa Diaz after she failed to appear at a preliminary hearing. (The Inquirer doesnt typically identify people who say they were sexually assaulted, but Holmes accusers spoke publicly to help bring attention to how they believed the Police Department had mishandled allegations of workplace sexual harassment and assault.) A week after that, charges connected to another accuser Christa Hayburn were also withdrawn. Holmes trial, scheduled to begin this week, was to center on the testimony of Vandegrift, who had sued Holmes in civil court over his alleged assault, and who had filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2014 alleging multiple years of sexual harassment by male colleagues including Holmes. Beljean, the prosecutor, said Tuesday that the DAs Office had not heard from Vandegrift as the case approached trial, even as the office made a variety of attempts to reach her over the last several days contacting her by phone, sending letters to her house, having detectives deliver subpoenas there, and reaching out to her civil lawyer. When none of those methods succeeded, he said, prosecutors secured a bench warrant, which still did not lead her to appear. Witnesses reluctance to testify is not a new or rare phenomenon particularly in cases in which they will be expected to relive experiences that can be painful or traumatizing. Hayburn, another of Holmes accusers, said being part of the case was extremely difficult for her in part because she felt like a pawn in a court battle, not a victim worth supporting during an emotional ordeal. We need people to surround us, people who actually care about what happens to us, she said, calling collapse of the case frustrating, sad, disappointing, and adding: Ive lost a lot of faith in the justice system. Beljean said it was unclear why Vandegrift may have been apprehensive. He said she had acknowledged at least two text messages from an office detective trying to reach her but was otherwise unresponsive to the recent efforts. We dont know why shes not here, said Beljean. Pagano, Holmes lawyer, had sought to persuade the judge to force prosecutors to put on their trial without her an attempt to secure a not-guilty verdict for Holmes and end the case completely. This case is entitled to finality, he said. Mr. Holmes is entitled to finality. Johnson, the judge, declined to do so, but she expressed doubt that the case against Holmes would ever move forward. Carl Holmes, a former high-ranking commander in the Philadelphia Police Department, has won an arbitration case to be reinstated nearly a year after a criminal case against him fell apart. Holmes was fired in 2019 after he was charged with sexually assaulting three women at work. The criminal case involving two of the women had already been withdrawn when the final accuser failed to show up to court last January. I can confirm that Mr. Holmes is being reinstated following an arbitration hearing between the City of Philadelphia and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5, Sgt. Eric Gripp, spokesperson for the police department, said in an email. The arbitrator ruled in favor of Lodge #5s position, meaning Mr. Holmes will be reinstated to the department, and will return to his previous rank of Chief Inspector, Gripp said. The reinstatement process is still underway, Gripp said, adding that he could not say when Holmes would return to the department. Advertisement Roosevelt Poplar, president of the FOP, the union for city police officers, said in a statement Friday: As part of this officers due process rights, his case was presented to an arbitrator where the City of Philadelphia and the Fraternal Order of Police presented their respective cases. The arbitrator ruled in favor of the officers re-instatement. Holmes could not be reached Friday for comment. The city did not immediately respond to a request Friday asking for details of the arbitration decision. The arbitration process has helped overturn sanctions for dozens of officers over the years. READ MORE: Fired, then rehired Last January, a prosecutor from the District Attorneys Office told a judge that the remaining accuser in the criminal case could not be reached, despite attempts to contact her by phone, by letters, or having detectives attempt to hand-deliver subpoenas. Prosecutors obtained a bench warrant, but she still failed to appear. The lawyer for Holmes tried to convince the judge to force prosecutors to put on a trial without the woman in order to secure a not-guilty verdict. The judge declined, but expressed doubt that the case against Holmes would ever move forward. READ MORE: Former Philly cop Carl Holmes sexual-assault case has been tossed out of court Holmes spent nearly three decades on the force and was also a lawyer. During his career, however, he had been publicly accused of sexually assaulting women he worked with allegations detailed extensively by The Inquirer and the Daily News. In 2017, the city paid $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit by a woman who said that Holmes sexually assaulted her when she was an officer in the department. Craig LaBan As a restaurant critic and columnist, I cover culinary stars and the evolution of a dining scene that helps define our identity, one plate at a time. The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. But scientists worry that whats behind those numbers could be even worse. The Associated Press asked more than three dozen scientists in interviews and emails what the smashed records mean. Most said they fear acceleration of climate change that is already right at the edge of the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) increase since pre-industrial times that nations had hoped to stay within. The heat over the last calendar year was a dramatic message from Mother Nature, said University of Arizona climate scientist Katharine Jacobs. Scientists say warming air and water is making deadly and costly heat waves, floods, droughts, storms and wildfires more intense and more likely. This last year was a doozy. Advertisement Average global temperatures broke the previous record by a little more than a quarter of a degree (0.15 degrees Celsius), a big margin, according to calculations Friday from two top American science agencies, the British meteorological service and a private group founded by a climate skeptic. Several of the scientists who made the calculations said the climate behaved in strange ways in 2023. They wonder whether human-caused climate change and a natural El Nino were augmented by a freak blip or whether theres something more systematic afoot, as NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt put it including a much-debated acceleration of warming. A partial answer may not come until late spring or early summer. Thats when a strong El Nino the cyclical warming of Pacific Ocean waters that affects global weather patterns is expected to fade away. If ocean temperatures, including deep waters, keep setting records well into the summer, like in 2023, that would be an ominous clue, they say. Nearly every scientist who responded to APs questions blamed greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels as the overwhelmingly largest reason the world hit temperatures that human civilization has not likely seen before. El Nino, which is bordering on very strong, is the second-biggest factor, with other conditions far behind, they said. The trouble with 2023, NASAs Schmidt said, is it was a very strange year ... The more you dig into it, the less clear it seems. One part of that is the timing for when 2023s big burst of heat began, according to Schmidt and Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Europes Copernicus Climate Service, which earlier this week put warming at 1.48 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. Temperatures are typically highest above normal in late winter and spring, they said. But 2023s highest heat kicked in around June and lingered at record levels for months. Deep ocean heat, a big player in global temperatures, behaved in a similar way, Burgess said. Former NASA climate scientist James Hansen, often considered the godfather of global warming science, theorized last year that warming was accelerating. While many of the scientists contacted by AP said they suspect it is happening, others were adamant that evidence so far supports only a steady and long-predicted increase. There is some evidence that the rate of warming over the past decade or so is slightly faster than the decade or so previous which meets the mathematical definition of acceleration, said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain. However, this too is largely in line with predictions that warming would accelerate at a certain point, especially when particle pollution in the air decreases. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculated that Earth in 2023 had an average temperature of 59.12 degrees (15.08 degrees Celsius). Thats 0.27 degrees (0.15 degrees Celsius) warmer than the previous record set in 2016 and 2.43 degrees (1.35 degrees Celsius) warmer than pre-industrial temperatures. Its almost as if we popped ourselves off the staircase (of normal global warming temperature increases) onto a slightly warmer regime, said Russ Vose, global monitoring chief for NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Information. He said he sees acceleration of warming. NASA and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office had the warming since the mid-19th century a bit higher at 2.5 degrees (1.39 degrees Celsius) and 2.63 degrees (1.46 degrees Celsius) respectively. Records go back to 1850. The World Meteorological Organization, combining the measurements announced Friday with Japanese and European calculations released earlier this month, pegged 2023 at 1.45 degrees Celsius (2.61 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial temperatures. Many of the climate scientists saw little hope of stopping warming at the 1.5-degree goal called for in the 2015 Paris agreement that sought to avert the worst consequences of climate change. I do not consider it realistic that we can limit warming (averaged over several years) to 1.5C, wrote Woodwell Climate Research Center scientist Jennifer Francis in an email. It is technically possible but politically impossible. The slow pace of climate action and the continued disinformation that catalyzes it has never been about lack of science or even lack of solutions: it has always been, and remains, about lack of political will, said Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy. Both NASA and NOAA said the last 10 years, from 2014 to 2023, have been the 10 hottest years theyve measured. Its the third time in the last eight years that a global heat record was set. Randall Cerveny, an Arizona State University scientist who helps coordinate record-keeping for the WMO, said the big worry isnt that a record was broken last year, but that they keep getting broken so frequently. Its the rapidity of the continual change that is, to me, most alarming, Cerveny said. Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald said, This is just a taste of what we can expect in the future, especially if we continue to fail to cut carbon dioxide fast enough. Thats why so many scientists contacted by The Associated Press are anxious. Ive been worried since the early 1990s, said Brown University climate scientist Kim Cobb. I am more worried than ever. My worry increases with every year that global emissions move in the wrong direction. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the establishment of the Organizational Committee in connection with the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, Trend reports. Guided by Article 109, Paragraph 32 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan and with the aim of organizing and conducting COP29, the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, it was decreed to: 1. establish the Organizational Committee in connection with the hosting of COP29, the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement in the city of Baku in 2024 with the following composition: Chairmen of the Organizational Committee: Samir Nuriyev Head of the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan Members of the Organizational Committee: Muhtar Babayev Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, appointed by the President for COP29 Jeyhun Bayramov Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Vilayat Eyvazov Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan Anar Alakbarov Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Issues of the Presidential Administration Kamaladdin Heydarov Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan Teymur Musayev Minister of Health of Azerbaijan Rashad Nabiyev Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan Arif Samadov Chief of the Protocol Service of the President of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Samir Sharifov Minister of Finance of Azerbaijan Shahin Baghirov Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Vugar Ahmadov Chairman of Azeryolservice Open Joint Stock Company Ruslan Aliyev General Director of Azerigas Production Association of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Eldar Azizov Head of the Executive Authority of Baku Vusal Huseynov Chief of the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan Anar Guliyev Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan Elchin Guliyev Chief of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan Vugar Gurbanov Executive Director of the Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units Ulvi Mehdiyev Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of Azerbaijan Saleh Mammadov Chairman of the Board of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads Zaur Mikayilov Chairman of the State Agency for Water Resources of Azerbaijan Ali Naghiyev Head of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan Fuad Naghiyev Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan Balababa Rzayev President of AzerEnergy Open Joint Stock Company Samir Rzayev First Vice President of Azerbaijan Airlines Closed Joint Stock Company The Organizational Committee, established by Part 1 of this decree, was instructed: 2.1. to prepare and implement an Action Plan related to the organization and conduct of the COP29, the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement; 2.2. to take measures to establish an operational company. 3. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan was instructed to ensure financing in connection with the implementation of the Action Plan provided for in Part 2.1 of this decree and take measures to resolve other necessary issues. Style It! Donegal family business Triona is one of our favourites for great tailored pieces made with Irish tweed. If youd like to bag yourself one of their timeless pieces, their winter sale continues until the end of the month with discounts of up to 70% on selected pieces. A key style in the collection, as spotted on Sarah Jessica Parkers character Carrie Bradshaw in And Just Like That, is the double-breasted Faye trench coat. Available in this black and white colourway, as well as in a brown houndstooth fabric, it is made from fine lambswool tweed and will transcend any passing trend. Currently reduced to 518, this investment piece is available in sizes six to 20. trionadesign.com Eat It! The Hawksmoor restaurant made a big splash when it opened last year on Dublins Dame St. If you havent yet made it to the restaurant, then now might be your chance to go as they are offering some great value January deals. Their lunch deal Wednesday to Saturday means youll pay 22 for a 250g Irish rump steak with a side dish. How about an express two (29) or three course (33) menu, or their popular Monday Wine Club where you can bring your own wine for just 5 corkage? Meanwhile, their mouth-watering Sunday roast is the ultimate in comfort food at 23 per person and, if youre avoiding the wine for Dry January, you can opt for a booze-free cocktail for just 6. hawksmoor.ie Rewind It! Much like fashion, music taste is cyclical just look at Kate Bush and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. With all things 80s and 90s now de rigueur, its the perfect time to book tickets for this summers Rewind Festival in St Annes Park, Dublin. 2024 is offering you the chance to re-live the music moments of decades ago. Yes, dreams can come true (sorry) with a line-up that includes international acts Gabrielle, Nik Kershaw, T-Pau, Go West, and The Christians as well as iconic Irish acts Hothouse Flowers, Jerry Fish, and Something Happens. A fun, nostalgic start to the summer walkmans, banana clips (yes, theyve come back too) and perms are optional for guests. Tickets from 49.90. ticketmaster.ie Read It! If January is a time to reflect, to meditate on past and present, and to anticipate longer days, then Windfall: Irish Nature Poems to Inspire and Connect is a timely read. This anthology of poetry, selected by award-winning poet Jane Clarke, includes nature poetry by some of Irelands most acclaimed poets including Seamus Heaney, Eavan Boland, Michael Longley, Paula Meehan and Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. The poems reflect the richness and diversity of Irelands flora and fauna capturing the natural world with a sense of wonder. Beautifully illustrated by artist Jane Carkill, this is a contemplative read for nature lovers. Hachette Books Ireland. Hardback. 24.99. In all good bookshops now. Love It! Irish designer and founder of Tidings, Niamh Gillespie, had over 20 years experience working for brands such as Paul Smith, Liberty, and Alexander McQueen before establishing her own successful accessories business. With her distinctive style of pattern design, Gillespie has teamed up with viral interiors sensation (and former refugee and asylum seeker) Paboy Pojang to create a limited collection of beautifully-made cushions landing just in time for Valentines Day. Celebrating love and luxury, they combine trademark Tidings flair with impeccable construction by the Paboy team. 180 each or 350 per pair. Available from tidings.ie and incasabypaboy.com. Learn It! We know that pets arent just for Christmas, but if youve recently adopted a new furry family member then youll love the free puppy care classes running at Petmania stores today. The one-hour classes help provide useful information on how to integrate your new pet into your home, with advice on everything from care and feeding to health and wellbeing. Pups are welcome if theyve had their shots, but really this class is for their humans to get to grips with things like training, feeding, and dental care. You can register for todays event on petmania.ie and dont worry if todays classes are booked out as they will take place on the second Saturday of every month, with the next event running on February 10. Organise It! If youre suffering from severe stuffocation (to borrow James Wallmans phrase), then you might want to enlist the help of Kim and Lyn of A Sorted Affair to help with your post-Christmas purge. These two decluttering queens are ready to take on all sorts of clients in 2024, with a range of services including a new online course Your Life Organised. They offer a full decluttering service whereby theyll both come to your home and work with you to address your individual needs, helping you to sort and responsibly discard unwanted items to gain more (head)space. Guideline pricing is 650 per half day or 1,000 per full day. Follow them on social media (Instagram: @a.sorted.affair) for ongoing tips, tricks, and before-and-after projects theyve completed. asortedaffair.ie Its been described as the last safe place on the internet by publishing magazine The Bookseller but what began as a small group of TikTok users who wanted a community to chat about books, has suddenly turned into a hugely influential powerhouse. And its driving the bestsellers youll read this year. BookTok is the nickname for videos on TikTok in which books are discussed, analysed, and obsessed over. The community not only represents a compelling way for reaching potential readers outside of traditional book-buying, but it also has the ability to shine a light on lesser-known authors. It has been described as a type of viral book club, which catapults certain novels onto bestseller lists. Its a collective din that causes retailers to sit up and pay attention. It also has a strong effect on what publishers look for in a novel, literary agent Eleanor Swanson explains. Its driven huge sales of YA [young adult] and romance books including titles like The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller, as well as authors like Colleen Hoover. An image of BookTok shelves in Chapter's Bookstore in Dublin. Picture: TikTok The latter who has earned the nickname The Queen of BookTok has sold more than 20m books in recent years, which many believe has been driven by her popularity with readers on TikTok. BookTok is also having a material impact on the high street. Since re-opening in March 2022, Chapters bookshop in Dublins Parnell St now has multiple prominent BookTok recommended bookcases. You can tell which books are trending by the speed at which they sell, Chapters manager, Sara Phelan, says. Its a safe community thats really only getting bigger and better. I think its brilliant for bridging the gap between where people have aged out of being a confident reader, but are unsure of where to go next on their reading journey. A platform like this opens up reading to so many and gives readers the confidence to find their niche within it whether its fantasy, LGBT+ themes, or even a rediscovery of classics. And its not just for the younger generation. There was a man who came into Chapters recently. He was a similar age to my dad, Phelan says. He asked: Whats all this BookTok thing about? and when we explained, it just opened up a whole new community to him. TikTok Irelands content partnerships manager, Rebecca OKeeffe, believes the pandemic really drove home the need to [feel] connected. Many of us want to feel as if we are part of something, and TikTok is great at helping people to find their tribe, she says. Now its easier than ever to be active within these online communities. Anyone with a telephone is a creator. Thats brought down a lot of barriers. But its not just about increasing book sales, BookTok has also been responsible for the discovery of new writers. Writer Joseph Murray. Picture: Panmcmillan Author Joseph Murray, who writes as J. F. Murray, lost his job and was evicted from his apartment during the early days of the covid-19 pandemic. He says that part of his success as a debut author was learning to make videos about book content on the platform. Like so many, I moved home with mammy and daddy, he laughs. I started making TikToks, which gave me a bit of a lift. Then the likes started pouring in and, from there, I was able to take that confidence and to pursue writing which was a dream of mine. A few months later, I got my book deal. From then, my feed was increasingly book focused. I came across The Song of Achilles and Fourth Wing (by Rebecca Yarros), and it re-sparked my love of reading. As an author, Im interested in seeing whats popular and whats engaging across all different age groups. Murray is now the author of two books Fling and Hitched (due for release next month) and has over 93,000 followers on his TikTok account, @j.f.murray. Sometimes its actually easier to talk about other peoples books on my platform, Murray admits. But what is unique about this online community is that theres no hard sell. Thats not what BookTok is about. We are using memes, templates, or readings to engage readers who are simply booklovers or potential booklovers in a non-traditional space. These potential booklovers that Murray describes are often those who seek a more meaningful relationship with the authors they choose to champion. To date, the #BookTok community has generated 214.2bn views connected to that hashtag alone. #IrishBookTok has 20.8m views, while the smaller #LeabharTok has an additional 292.6k views. As well as the content of the books themselves, a lot of content is based around the craft of writing itself. Claire Wright, author Claire Wright is the author of Irish fantasy books Realm of Lore and Lies and Realm of Trials and Trickery. She says she gets a lot of queries on her TikTok @clairewright.author about her process when it comes to writing books. I think theres a deep-seated curiosity as to how a book is crafted, she points out. Many of my interactions are with those who also want to publish a book and who have questions about what that might look like for them. BookTok is a great way to have that immediate connection, Wright says. There is no barrier between me and my audience, and I really value the direct feedback I get from them. But Wright says authenticity is key on the platform. If you arent having fun on it, you can tell, she explains. But it definitely adds value to you as an author. I dont think my books would be as successful without my engagement on TikTok and Instagram. Being able to forge that relationship directly with readers spreads the word to more readers. But besides all that, I just love those interactions; almost as much as I love writing books. Theres something so special about someone talking to you about the storyline of one of the characters that came alive in your imagination. Its just magical. Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have taken to the streets of London, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Around 1,700 police officers patrolled the capital on Saturday, making two arrests for offensive placards, as the march made its way to Parliament Square. The protest, part of a global day of action involving 30 countries, came after the UK and US carried out air strikes against Houthi bases in Yemen. The Iran-backed rebel group has repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea in the wake of Israels war against Hamas following the October 7 attack. Several protesters made references to the military action, with one man holding a placard claiming the UK and US want war and that Yemen supports Palestine, while one speaker told crowds at Parliament Square that RAF planes were flying where they do not belong. Demonstrators demanded an immediate ceasefire (Jamie Lashmar/PA) Labour MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana described the air strikes as shameful, deplorable, and beyond unacceptable, adding that they were not in our name. Other speakers at the packed event included former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the president of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald, who called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Ms McDonald told crowds that Palestinian freedom was possible, saying: When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, (having) walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen. This must happen and we will ensure that it does. More than 1,700 police officers were present (Lucy North/PA) Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, accused the British Government of complicity with Israel. He said Palestine was a nation of freedom fighters, saying: I stand before you with a broken heart, but not a broken spirit. Mr Zomlot congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UNs International Court of Justice. The seventh National March for Palestine also featured an appearance by Little Amal, a giant puppet of a Syrian child refugee, which joined a group of Palestinian children. Only two arrests were made, police said (Lucy North/PA) The 3.5-metre (around 11.5ft) puppet became an international symbol of human rights after it journeyed 5,000 miles from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021. In an update on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Met Police said: So far two arrests have been made. Both in relation to offensive placards being carried. Speaking before the march, Home Secretary James Cleverly said he had been briefed by the Mets commissioner Mark Rowley on plans to ensure order and safety during the protest. A 23-year-old Spanish student who was the victim of a violent attack when he walked home through the city has returned to Spain and said: I could have died there. The mans victim impact evidence was read out by Judge Mary Dorgan at Cork District Court when a 44-year-old woman pleaded guilty to her part in the crime committing robbery by going through the students backpack as two of her accomplices attacked him. The student, who no longer lives in Cork and has returned to his family home in Spain, said in his victim impact statement: The main impact of that crime on me was the feeling of insecurity that I felt during the next two months that I had to be living in Cork and how my level of awareness increased when I had to come back home. The physical impact of the crime can be healed with time but the psychological part still makes me wonder, why me? Or what they really wanted from me. I have been going to a psychologist since returning to Spain, just to sleep better and talk to someone about the crime. Im a very shy and introverted guy so I didnt tell my family about the incident. I didnt want to worry them more they already have their own problems. It was the first time in my life that I felt like I could have died there with a bad hit or kick in the head. Others involved in the attack have previously been sentenced. Linda Gilhooley, aged 44, of Loretto Park, Ballyphehane, Cork, faces sentencing now on the robbery charge for her part in the crime. Judge Mary Dorgan adjourned sentencing until March 7 for a report from Arbour House. Detective Sergeant Colin Greenway said the Spanish student was walking home from a friends house shortly after 4am on Saturday, March 25, 2023. He was walking from Cork city centre to his home on Magazine Road. On Bandon Road, he was approached by three men and a woman. One man ran past him and turned to get into conversation with him. Another man came up behind him and punched him in the side of the head causing him to fall. He was then kicked in the head by the first man. He lost his phone during the assault and one of the men picked it up. A woman was then seen going through the injured partys backpack. Judge Dorgan was told that this was Linda Gilhooley and that she was looking for alcohol. She was not otherwise involved in any physical manner with the victim, Sgt Pat Lyons was told. The entire incident lasted two minutes and 17 seconds and took place near Lennoxs chipper on Bandon Road. The Spanish student eventually managed to run away and was later taken to hospital by ambulance and was treated for injuries which included bruising to his neck and face, cut lips and black eye. Solicitor for Ms Gilhooley, Eddie Burke, said that at no stage did she take the injured partys phone and that her participation was limited to looking through his bag. He said she had been drinking at home earlier that night, met up with others before this incident occurred, and was looking for alcohol in the backpack. Mr Burke said she had been addressing her alcohol issues in the period since this occurred in March last year. A 17-year-old youth has been charged with the murder of gunman Tristan Sherry, who was killed following a shooting at a Dublin restaurant in which another man was fatally injured on Christmas Eve. The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was remanded to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus following a brief hearing before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Saturday morning. He is the third person to be charged with the murder. Sherry, 26, was killed following a shooting inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown in which another man, Jason Hennessy Snr, 48, was fatally injured. The teenager will appear at the Children's Court on Wednesday. He has the automatic right to anonymity because he is under 18, and mandatory reporting restrictions under section 93 of the Children Act apply. Detective Garda, Tom McCarrick of Blanchardstown station, told Judge Kelly that the teenager was charged shortly after midnight in the presence of his mother, and he "made no reply to the charge after caution", and he was handed a true copy of the charge sheet. The District Court does not have the power to consider bail in a murder case, which requires a High Court application. Defence solicitor Brian Tunney asked her to adjourn the case so the teenager could appear before the Children's Court in Smithfield on Wednesday morning. The judge said the teenager was entitled to legal aid and noted there was no garda objection. She assigned solicitor Simon Fleming to represent him. The boy, wearing a grey tracksuit, sat silently at the side of the courtroom throughout the hearing. His mother accompanied him, and Judge Kelly remarked that it was "very important" that she was there. Parents, guardians, or a responsible adult must attend criminal proceedings with juvenile defendants unless they have been excused for a valid reason. The Children Act also states, "No report shall be published or included in a broadcast which reveals the name, address or school of any child concerned in the proceedings or includes any particulars likely to lead to the identification of any child concerned in the proceedings." Father of one, Sherry, 26, was attacked after opening fire inside Browne's Steakhouse and was pronounced dead at the scene. Jason Hennessy Snr was shot in the neck and upper body while having a meal with family and friends. Mr Hennessy, from Corduff in west Dublin, was rushed to hospital, but his condition deteriorated, and he passed away last week, resulting in gardai commencing a separate murder probe. Two men were charged earlier with the murder of Mr Sherry; another had related charges; they remain in custody on remand. Co-defendants David Amah, 18, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin and Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, have been charged with the murder of Sherry. But Wayne Deegan, 25, of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, was charged 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 Browne's Steakhouse on December 24. Mr Deegan unsuccessfully applied for bail on Friday at a hearing in which a court heard he claimed he "acted in self-defence". The three men will appear again in court later this month. Earlier this week, another male was arrested but released from Garda custody pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan is holding its regular meeting chaired by Mazahir Panahov, Trend reports. Opening the meeting, CEC Chairman Mazahir Panahov noted that the agenda includes four items. They include the approval of the protocol of the Central Election Commission meeting on January 9, 2024; the establishment of a commission for drawing lots to distribute free airtime in connection with the extraordinary presidential election of Azerbaijan scheduled for February 7, 2024, determining the place and time of the draw; and amending the composition of some district election commissions; current issues. He emphasized that the list of registered candidates for participation in the presidential election in Azerbaijan will be published by January 18, 2024. The election campaigning will start on January 15 and will be suspended at 08:00 (GMT +4) on February 6. On December 7, 2023, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on holding an extraordinary presidential election in the country on February 7, 2024. The Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) on Dec. 19 approved the candidacy of Ilham Aliyev, nominated by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), for participation in the extraordinary presidential election. A total of 17 candidates have been registered to run in the extraordinary presidential election. Azerbaijan has seven registered presidential candidates. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel WHEN Andrew Haigh was shooting his new film, All of Us Strangers, in his parents old house in Croydon, something strange began to happen. I started getting eczema again, and Id not had eczema since I was a kid, says the director, who is now 50. It was coming up in the exact same places. I thought, What the fuck is happening to me? I feel there is a sense that your body remembers trauma. Somehow things get almost embedded in your DNA, and they find ways to leak out. In All of Us Strangers, this leakage happens to Adam, a 46-year-old gay man exquisitely played by Andrew Scott. Hes a blocked, depressed screenwriter whose parents died in a car crash when he was 12, and who lives in a mysteriously empty tower block in London. One night after a fire alarm, a younger man called Harry, played by Paul Mescal, drunkenly comes to his door. Although Adam initially rejects him, the pair later embark on the love affair he has always yearned for and Mescal and Scott are explosively convincing as a couple. Casting is like running a dating agency, says Haigh. I have to be careful to pick the people who will be good together. When Adam decides to return to the house he grew up in, he discovers that his mum and dad played by Jamie Bell and Claire Foy are still living there, the same age they were when they died, in a perpetual 1987. The film which won Best Film and Best Director at the British Independent Film Awards in December somehow blends a love story, a ghost story, and a time-flipped coming-of-age narrative. Masterful exploration The result is a masterful exploration of loneliness and grief, the relationship between children and their parents, and a demonstration of the fact that time, far from healing, can bring childhood trauma rearing up stronger than ever in middle age. But its also a tender, aching expression of the insatiable human need for love and connection, which Haigh depicts as being so powerful that it can annihilate the border between life and death. All the people in the film are longing for something to be understood, to be known, Haigh says. All of Us Strangers is a very free adaptation of the Japanese novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada (who died last month aged 89), which the film-maker wrote during the pandemic while living in Los Angeles. Theres a pandemic emotion at the heart of it, he says. We all spent a lot of time staring out of the window, didnt we? Director Andrew Haigh and DoP Jamie Ramsay on the set of All Of Us Strangers. Sitting in a Soho hotel suite, Haigh whose previous films include Weekend and 45 Years, and who also made the TV series Looking and The North Water was keen to make the film as personal as I could. Its about someone having a reunion with their own past, so it made sense that I had to do the same thing. "As I was writing about the home Adam goes back to, I started thinking about my own childhood home, and when we were talking about where to shoot I thought, Ill just go down and see if its still there. I couldnt remember where it was on the street because I left there when I was nine or 10 when his parents divorced but I had the photo that Adam lifts up in the film, with Claire Foy put in instead of my mum. Haigh found the house and the owner agreed to let him film there. It was a strange choice, emotionally, because I knew it wouldnt be the easiest place to be. But I wanted the film to have a certain honesty and vulnerability, to feel grounded in some kind of reality. "The only way was to make it my own reality, as a way to make it specific in the hope that it would speak to all those details of life that end up feeling universal. "The reality hes talking about is that of a middle-aged gay man who was a young teenager at the end of the 80s, when the Aids crisis unleashed a wave of savage homophobia (a survey in 1987 discovered that 75% of the UK thought homosexuality was always or mostly wrong). I wanted it to be very specific about a certain generation of gay person, which was our generation, Haigh says when I tell him Im also gay, and a year younger than him. It wasnt an easy time. Growing up, I felt, If Im going to become a gay person Im not going to have a future, and the only other alternative is not to be gay which of course you cant not be. So I wanted to tell that story. Prejudice and hatred All of Us Strangers depicts someone struggling with the lasting effects of a childhood disfigured not only by bereavement, but also by prejudice and hatred. Theres a generation of queer people grieving for the childhood they never had, Haigh says. I think theres a sense of nostalgia for something we never got, because we were so tormented. It feels close to grief. It dissipates, but its always there. Its like a knot in your stomach. Much of All of Us Strangers emotional power comes from the brutally repressed Adam attempting to dispel his feelings of shame and isolation in order to be seen and loved for the person he truly is. To this end, he takes the opportunity, denied to him by their death, to come out to his mum and dad, separately. His mum is shocked Isnt it a very lonely life? and worried about Aids. His dad, not unkindly, says: We always knew you were a bit tutti-frutti. Says Haigh: The coming-out scenes are about the importance of being known. Its very hard to move through life if you feel youre not understood. And if youre not understood, you feel youre alone. Adam asks his father why he would never come into his room to comfort him when he was crying after being bullied at school something else Haigh suffered. I was about nine, and the kids around me knew something was different about me before I really did, he says. So youre like, I dont understand why youre calling me these names. But they could feel it somehow. When my mum saw the film, she was like, Is this what happened to you? "And I was like, Yes. If youre a queer kid, you dont want to tell your parents youre being bullied, because theyre going to think youre different, and thats the last thing you want. Its the hardest thing, sometimes, about being queer within a family youre not like your parents and you have a secret. Haigh came out to his parents in his mid-20s. His father now has dementia, and went into a care home during the making of All of Us Strangers. Visiting him one weekend, the film-maker discovered his dad no longer remembered his son was gay. He was like, Are you married? Have you got a wife? Ive been out to my dad for a very long time and hes been beautifully accepting, and it had completely gone from his mind. "I found myself suddenly having the same fear I had when I was in my 20s, of having to come out to him again. And I realised I couldnt do it because I didnt want to upset him. "But in the end, he was quiet for a while and then he said, Well, as long as you have found love. It felt like such a beautiful thing for my dad to say. He just understood what was the important thing, and in so many ways it spoke so much to what the film is about. "And then I had to come down again and shoot that scene with Jamie and Andrew in my old lounge, so it was emotionally complicated. My childhood self would have been amazed Im telling a story about queerness, and not be terrified for others to see it. The film also draws on Haighs relationship with his own children, who are 10 and 12. They dont live with me full time, but when Im with them and Im their parent, Im always worried. Am I doing the right thing? Am I saying the right thing? Am I helping them? As Ive got older Ive realised you dont need a parent to give advice, necessarily. You dont need them to solve things because sometimes you can only solve it yourself. Being a queer parent Beyond fulfilling the needs of a child, there is something about being a queer parent that makes one wonder how you and your children will fit into broader society. Andrew Haigh arrives at a screening of All Of Us Strangers in December at Vidiots in Los Angeles. Picture: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Its like, Are we different? Haigh asks. Do we have a new way of being? Do we have a different way that our families can exist, because we dont have a model? I know a lot of queer people who have kids and theyre all trying to navigate that. Are we trying to be like our parents were to us, or are we trying to be something else? All of Us Strangers is particularly acute in its use of 80s hits such as The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Johnny Come Home by Fine Young Cannibals, and Build by the Housemartins, all of which Adam listens to while mulling over his childhood, and which then becomes part of the supernatural world he visits (he and his parents joyfully put up festive decorations to Pet Shop Boys Always on my Mind, Christmas No 1 in 1987). To young gay boys denied role models especially when section 28 made it illegal for schools and local authorities to offer positive representations of homosexuality and who were too terrified to disclose our queerness to our dads, gay pop stars like Neil Tennant and Holly Johnson, and also gentle straight frontmen such as Roland Gift and Paul Heaton, were the only people who seemed to point the way to how we might be able to live as grown men. Paul Heaton and Roland Gift arent queer artists, but they so spoke to me, Haigh agrees. Im sure my political viewpoints are based on listening to the Housemartins who were avowedly socialist at the time of the Thatcher government. Pop music was so important it gave me hope as a kid. "I used to sing The Power of Love to myself in my bedroom, not really understanding anything about myself at that point, but knowing that it was longing for something, and believing that something could be possible. "When I put this song in the film, I was thinking that my childhood self would have been so amazed that Im doing what Im doing now able to tell a story about queerness for other people to see, and not be terrified. Both characters are not lonely because theyre gay. They are lonely because the world has made them feel different. I never dreamed that I would get to be / The creature that I always meant to be, as Pet Shop Boys put it in Being Boring? Dont! Haigh says, who is a diehard fan. I cant even listen to that line it makes me want to burst into tears. Coming out As he comes out to her, Adam explains to his mother that things are much better for gay people now, and his relationship with Harry, a northerner in his 20s, allows Haigh to explore the personal effects of those changes and whether they have really gone as far as one might think. For instance, Harry identifies as queer, and when Adam says he uses the term gay, Harry tells him the word was a ubiquitous insult when he was at school: Your haircuts gay. Your schoolbags gay. Harry says his family are relaxed about his sexuality, but their focus is on his heterosexual siblings and their children, not the tache-wearing, whiskey-swigging black sheep of the family. Is Haigh saying that to be gay is to be alienated? I dont think so, he says. Andrew Scott with Paul Mescal. I know a lot of young gay people who do not feel alienation. I imagine some of them will watch this film and be like, Why are they all complaining? Theres nothing to moan about, life is absolutely fine. But I also know people close to me, younger than me, whove found it very difficult. "So I dont want to pretend that everything is all great either. But also, its important to me that both characters are not lonely because theyre gay they are lonely because the world has made them feel different. Harry has moved to London, which can be a very alienating place. There are lots of reasons why you can slip gently into aloneness and if you cannot find something to get you out of that, you can stop caring about yourself, which is Harrys problem. Like Weekend, All of Us Strangers is frank about drug use. In a moment of gay inter-generational misunderstanding, Harry gives Adam white powder on a key, which Adam lustily sniffs thinking its cocaine but its ketamine. To pretend that drug use isnt part of the gay scene is just an absolute lie, Haigh says. I think Ive always tried not to glorify drug-taking, but to be honest drugs can feel wonderful and also make you feel paranoid and afraid and alone. You can slip away, you can lose your grounding. Im certainly not saying that everyone should go out and take drugs! As its narcotic, dreamlike feel sets in, All of Us Strangers increasingly wrongfoots the audience. I saw the film as a spiral, and it kept getting woozier and stranger, Haigh says. Adam starts to get feverish, which is unexplained in the film, though Haigh points out that it happens after his mother mentions Aids. I think all of us gay men of that generation know that every time we had a bit of a sweat if we were having sex with other people, we were suddenly terrified that we were going to have HIV, Haigh says. A ghost story A swollen gland was not just a swollen gland. I wanted to have that trickling under the surface, that Aids is another fear that Adam has buried. Im telling a ghost story what are the things that haunt him? The films more surreal moments include a trippy, time-warping scene set to Blurs Death of a Party and filmed at gay pub the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London, where Haigh used to go to the club night Duckie; and a setpiece in which the adult Adam, wearing his childhood pyjamas, gets in bed between his parents. However old you are, you feel like a kid, Haigh believes. You cant escape that feeling of wanting to be with your parents again and have them look after you. I loved the idea that these pyjamas didnt fit, because we want to go back to our childhood, but of course it doesnt fit. Andrew Scott in a scene from All Of Us Strangers. Towards the end of the film, Adams parents take him to a deserted diner in the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon, Haighs childhood haunt (at Fairfield Hall next door I saw Bucks Fizz, which was the first concert I went to, which may be the gayest thing anybodys ever done). In this tacky, mundane setting, something painfully bittersweet occurs. Then theres the films conclusion, which can either be read as romantic and hopeful, or a vision of overwhelming sadness. More than anything, I wanted you to leave the cinema and have the film continue on within you, Haigh says. 45 Years was the same, and even Weekend. Last month month, the LA Times named All of Us Strangers as the best film of 2023; at the New York film festival, the critic Mark Harris said the cinema was awash. The consensus so far appears to be not only that it is a masterpiece, but a profoundly moving one. Haigh is relieved: When you make something personal, youre putting it out into the world, and if the world turns round and says, I dont like that and I dont care about it, you cant help but think, OK, you basically dont care about me. Although the film has a particular, queer point of view, he believes its universal themes make it accessible to everyone. All of us are children, a lot of us are parents, a lot of us are in a relationship or not finding love. Look, I want 15-year-olds to see this movie, not just people our age. If I had seen this film when I was 15, it would probably have made a big difference to me. All of Us Strangers is released on January 26. Britain is agog over Mr Bates vs The Post Office and rightly so. The ITV drama has depicted the struggles and strife of sub-post masters who were wrongly accused of defrauding their employer. What resulted was what is now being described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. Over 700 people were pursued relentlessly across 15 years up to 2015 for financial losses that didnt occur. At least four took their own lives. More were sent to prison, including a woman who was pregnant. Dozens were subjected to bankruptcy and the enormous human toll was spread right across Britain, with at least another dozen in Northern Ireland implicated. Ultimately, there was no fraud, certainly not by the vast majority of those accused. It was all down to a computer glitch in a new system. What has appalled the British public was the manner in which the Post Office, a beloved national institution, treated the sub-post masters, telling each one who got into trouble that they were the only ones with such an issue. Once the alleged fraud was discovered, the victims were relentlessly pursued through the courts. In todays vernacular, what unfolded was a mass exercise in gaslighting followed by the persecution of hardworking people who were putty in the hands of a powerful state organisation. The outworking of this miscarriage of justice had been bubbling away under the surface of the public square until the drama came along and set it out in clear, human terms. Outrage and the sound of politicians scrambling for cover followed. On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak announced that the British government would bring in legislation exonerating the hundreds who were wrongly prosecuted. This is a dodgy move. The principle of separation of powers between a states legislative arms and the judiciary is a sacred tenet of liberal democracy, designed ostensibly to protect the citizen. British prime minister Rishi Sunak. File Picture: PA Now the UK government is overturning convictions imposed by the judiciary simply to alleviate public outcry and deflect any blame away from Downing Street. Apart from that, what if one or two or even more of the hundreds convicted actually may be guilty? Do they now get a free pass simply because its an election year? We do things differently here. Don't we? We can, on this side of the Irish Sea, look over across the water and say that Old Blighty has gone to pot. Such long-running miscarriages could not happen here. It would not take a drama or some big revelation way down the line to highlight any injustice that had unfolded in plain sight. We do things differently here in a smaller, more intimate society where the citizen is more valued. Dont we? Unfortunately not. Many of the threads woven together in the UKs Post Office scandal will be familiar to anybody who has observed the outworkings of scandal in this country. Look first at the uncovering of a scandal that rebounded on the reporter who did the leg work. For decades, the Sweepstakes were considered a national institution. Tickets were bought on the premise that the money gathered was going towards the upkeep of hospitals. Irish Independent reporter Joe MacAnthony investigated it in 1975 and found that just 10% of the monies were set aside for the good cause. There were huge expenses being accumulated, a nice circle of people getting wealthy, and a racket in which tickets were illegally sold in the USA. The expose was top-class journalism. The outcome was that MacAnthony was frozen out of work, had to emigrate to Canada to earn a living, and the crooked aspects of the Sweepstakes were quietly and slowly worked out behind closed doors. It was about as Irish a scandal as it was possible to have. Just as with the Post Office in Britain, so also the women who had been infected by the national blood transfusion board in this country were told for years that they were not part of any systemic fault. So also were those devastated by the tracker mortgage scandal, as the banks attempted to keep a lid on things and minimise their exposure despite the huge human suffering that had resulted. The State and its institutions using the courts and any other means to long-finger the outworkings of a scandal will be familiar to anybody who has taken legal action for negligence or malpractice in the area of health. The victim is treated not like a wronged citizen but as an opponent against whom all the resources of the State must be deployed to defeat them. Garda scandals have had many of the same characteristics as what has happened in the UK, particularly in how they have occurred in plain sight but did not receive traction for a long time. In that vein, there was a tendency in this country to look at miscarriages carried out in the UK against Irish people, particularly during the Troubles, yet simultaneously look away at the same thing happening here. The Sallins mail train robbery The most notorious case in that respect was the events that followed the Sallins mail train robbery in 1976. A number of men, members of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), were allegedly beaten in custody. The only evidence against them in subsequent charges were confessions which they said were beaten out of them. Three were convicted of the robbery after a protracted trial process that had highly dubious aspects to it. Two were released on appeal, and the third, Nicky Kelly, was finally released on humanitarian grounds in 1984. The State paid out large sums in damages to the men involved but no inquiry as to what happened ever took place. Osgur Breathnach, one of three men convicted and subsequently cleared of the Sallins mail train robbery in 1976. File Picture: Moya Nolan The late Supreme Court judge Adrian Hardiman, writing in 2007, referenced the case which he said, led to massive settlements and grave damage to the reputation of our policing and criminal justice systems. But we have never, as a country or as a community, internalised the lessons of that event or of the other declared miscarriages of justice which have taken place since. Seventeen years on, the same observation applies. One of those caught up in Sallins, Osgur Breatnach, has been attempting for decades to have the matter addressed. His campaign has attracted many high-profile and legal figures yet successive governments have looked the other way. Sometimes a miscarriage of justice just works through the system and is addressed as speedily as possible. Other times, the victim is put through the ringer before arriving at a place where justice can be accessed. And then there are those, like Sallins, which are allowed to wither, simply because they dont ignite the imagination of the public, which in turn applies pressure. Thats the reality and there is no difference in that respect between Britain and this country. Everything changes, nothing is lost are the words of the poet Ovid. Nothing can stay the same forever. Although it can be a worrying thought, he urges us to find courage in its sentiments. However, the Catholic Church might not agree with him. Judging by Pope Franciss attack on surrogacy earlier this week, the Churchs hierarchy would appear to be resistant to change, even after all these years. On Monday, Pope Francis called for a ban on surrogacy, claiming that the practice, which helps individuals and couples to have children, exploits the women who carry them. I deem 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, the pontiff said in a speech. Surrogacy turns a child into an object of trafficking, he said. Pope Francis is the spiritual leader of more than a sixth of the worlds population, 1.3bn people; although in reality its difficult to know just how many of those would still see him as their leader. However, it is worth a reminder of how far he has come since taking the highest office in the Catholic Church in 2013. He has made it his personal journey to transform its time-hallowed ultra-cautious image, and he has succeeded so far. Less than a month ago, he made headlines by formally giving Catholic priests permission to bless same-sex couples without subjecting them to an exhaustive moral analysis, hopefully paving the way for further support towards the LGBTQ community. He has publicly stated that parents must not shun their children if they are gay, instead embracing them with love. He also stated that homosexuality is not a crime. He deplores and condemns the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, appealing for peace while celebrating Mass in the Vatican last Christmas Eve: Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, he told the audience of almost 6,500, referring to Jesus Christ, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war. He has urged those in the fields of science and industry to be mindful of the dangers of AI, while also harvesting the good it can bring to developing a better humanity. A new constitution for the Holy Sees central administration that came into effect in June 2022 allows any baptised Catholic, including lay men and women, to head most Vatican departments. He has invited lay people to take up senior roles within the Vatican, a move that would never have been acceptable to his predecessors. He has also said he welcomes criticism and complaints from lay people. He appears to be only too aware that we live in a constantly changing world, unlike those worlds of previous popes. Most notably, over the last three years, he has stated publicly that he wants more women to directly support him in his mission to overhaul the Churchs central administration, known as the Curia, and the way it manages the day to day workings of the church. I am open to giving [women] an opportunity, he said in an interview with Reuters in July 2022. A year before, he named a woman, Sr Raffaella Petrini, to the number two position in Vatican City, making her the highest-ranking woman in the worlds smallest state. He also wants women to have a strong say in the selection of bishops, who are all men. Lay women already holding senior positions in the Vatican include Barbara Jatta, the first female director of the Vatican Museums, and Cristiane Murray, the deputy director of the Vatican Press Office. Both were appointed by Francis. Sweeping change To anyone who might have doubted the ability of a pope to instigate serious sweeping change, this must be seen as significant mostly, solely on his part: a man who makes up his own mind, who makes very serious decisions without consulting or listening to his aides. This is a man who has a deep, well-educated vision, who regards the Church as a dynamic and energetic institution, rather than a stagnant, frumpish theology. So why did he say what he said last week? Its well known that the Pope has no time for surrogacy. Two years ago, he condemned it as an inhumane and increasingly widespread practice, which he called uterus for rent. Yet, despite his criticisms, the Vatican has clarified that same-sex couples who use surrogate mothers can have their children baptised. Needless to say, the reaction to his speech has been strong, if only because so many people who feel directly impacted see his sentiments as an opposition to the joy they are also entitled to feel when becoming parents, by means of a gestational carrier, when other ways of having children are not possible. Surrogacy , with the opportunity it gives to couples to become parents,brings to mind the age-old story of Jesus, central to the Christian message, and how Mary, his mother, became pregnant. The baby she was carrying was not Josephs. So are we led to believe that Mary was no different to a surrogate mother? Her baby, we are reminded every December, was born without original sin, a belief which strangely only emerged in Christian teachings in the third century. Original sin, we are told, can only be erased through the waters of baptism; so why then did Jesus feel the need to be baptised by John the Baptist in 29AD? The notion of any baby being born tainted by any form of sin, especially by one that dates back over 3,000 years, is both far-fetched and unthinkable today. Mother's bravery It must be so very brave for a mother to hand away her biological baby to parents who will raise that child beyond her say and jurisdiction, in the same way that it must be a rollercoaster of emotions for a couple to watch another woman allow their soon-to-be child to gestate in her womb. Theres a powerful scene in the movie The Two Popes, where the soon-to-be Francis, played by Jonathan Pryce, asks Pope Benedict, played by Anthony Hopkins: Did Jesus build walls? He then says to his soon-to-be predecessor: Mercy is the dynamite that blows down walls. Perhaps compassion towards women who reach out to childless people, giving them an opportunity to feel the joy of raising a child who they believed they might never have, is better for a beleaguered Church whose clerics feel as lost as those they try to reach out to, than condemnation from the man who is striving to pull down the walls his predecessors built. This is a man who has a deep vision, who regards the Church as a dynamic and energetic institution, so why did he say what he said about surrogacy? When the ESRI issued a report raising concerns about the closures of rural nursing homes and privatisation of the sector, it was echoing the fear of many families and smaller nursing homes. The ESRI said the closure of small independently-owned homes in rural areas meant 40% of nursing home beds are now provided by 14 large private operators. Yesterday, families linked to a HSE nursing home in Dublin protested against plans to transfer residents like a piece of furniture to a private facility while works take place. Julie Watson from Clondalkin at the Ballyfermot protest. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins At the end of the day closures, public or private, ripple through communities. In recent times, dozens of residents in rural Cork, Waterford, and Kilkenny had to suddenly move when Aperee Living closed centres in the wake of scathing Hiqa reports. Majella Beattie of advocacy group Care Champions says some residents have to move up to 40 miles away. I was often told by family members that their loved one had experienced transfer trauma and was in hospital. Theres been quite a negative effect. Of the ESRI report, she says: Older people appear not to be a priority of Government. Its poor value for enormous sums of public money where we are funding large profit-driven multinational organisations to warehouse older people. Sandra Farrell, co-owner of three Tipperary nursing homes with less than 30 beds each, said while reforms are happening, a lot more help is needed. Its a big step going into a nursing home because you are leaving your home, she said. What people want to experience is a home-from-home environment but if youre going into a 150-bed nursing home, that is not home-from-home. Referring to one of their Ormond Healthcare sites, she said: If my residents in St Theresas nursing home go outside the gate, someone will know them and they will have the chat, thats what its about growing old in your community. She was among owners who met Minister of State for Older People Mary Butler recently to discuss funding. Nursing home co-owner Sandra Farrell said while reforms are happening, a lot more help is needed. Picture: Brian Arthur I wasnt surprised with the figures, she said of the report, adding her big concerns are differences in funding for urban vs rural homes, and private vs public homes. However, she sees the National Treatment Purchase Fund which manages this funding as changing their model. Some rural sites received significant increases in the current round of funding compared to the last decade, she said. In Dublin, passing cars beeped in support as families of residents at Cherry Orchard Hospital protested against transfers from some units while structural issues with flooring are addressed. Ann Sweeney, whose father John, 96, is a resident, explained that the site offers a higher level of care than is usual. There are doctors on site 24/7, they can provide IV drips, they can provide drips for hydration and medication, she said. Ann Sweeney campaigns on behalf of her father John Sweeney, Ballyfermot, and is frustrated that modular buildings appear not to have been maintained. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins She is extremely frustrated the modular buildings appear not to have been maintained. My dad worked very hard for the people of Ballyfermot back in the day, so one of the bonus points of coming here was I could say Daddy youre still in Ballyfermot, she said. Likewise Christine Marten, whose mother has dementia, said: My mam has received great care here, and the continuity care is very, very important; the carers know all her needs. The shock to her system of being moved into a private facility, I firmly believe it would just hasten her death. The hospitals multi-disciplinary team, in a document released to families, told Hiqa the move poses a high clinical risk for residents with potential high mortality. Hiqa said: The HSE has committed to the chief inspector to addressing all identified risks as quickly as possible, and that residents will be offered the choice of returning as soon as possible following completion of the works. The minister recently opened a public consultation on design of nursing homes, a spokesman said. Minister Butler is fully aware of the important role smaller and voluntary nursing homes play in their communities, and conscious they may not have access to the same economies of scale as larger homes or groups, he said. A HSE spokeswoman said: "The decision to temporarily close the Willow and Sycamore Units in Cherry Orchard Hospital is to address the current safety risks associated with the flooring in these units and to enable permanent remedial works to be completed." She said plans to keep residents on site while works were carried out were assessed and found not suitable. All residents will be invited to return to Cherry Orchard once the renovation works have been completed. "The project design team has advised that the project timeline for completion of works will be 12 months," she said. The US military early on Saturday struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that they determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk. That is according to two US officials who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press to discuss an operation that had not yet been publicly announced. The first day of strikes on Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However, the US determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. RAF Typhoon FGR4 taking off to launch air strikes against military targets in Yemen (Ministry of Defence/PA) On Friday, the US Navy warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the US and Britain launched multiple air strikes targeting Houthi rebels. The warning in a notice to shippers came as Yemens Houthis vowed fierce retaliation for the US-led strikes, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israels war in Gaza. US military and White House officials said they expected the Houthis to try to strike back. President Joe Biden warned on Friday that the group could face further strikes. The US-led bombardment launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said. The US said the strikes, in two waves, took aim at targets in 28 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Mr Biden told reporters in Pennsylvania: We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour along with our allies. Asked if he believes the Houthis are a terrorist group, Mr Biden responded: I think they are. President Joe Biden speaks while in Pennsylvania (Evan Vucci/AP) The president, in a later exchange with reporters, said whether the Houthis are redesignated as such was irrelevant. Mr Biden also pushed back against some US politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, who said he should have sought congressional authorisation before carrying out the strikes. Theyre wrong, and I sent up this morning when the strikes occurred exactly what happened, he said. The White House said in November that it was considering redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist organisation after they began their targeting of civilian vessels. The administration formally delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation and specially designated global terrorists in 2021, undoing a move by former president Donald Trump. The Israel-Hamas war has exposed the people of the Gaza Strip to a scale of violence and horror unlike anything they had seen before, a doctor has warned. Health officials say more than 23,400 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the conflict, which reaches the 100-day mark on January 14. Dr Suhaib Alhamss described the event as a disaster thats bigger than all of us. His hospital, donated and funded by Kuwaits government, is one of two in the city of Rafah. With just four intensive care beds before the war, it now receives some 1,500 wounded patients each day and at least 50 people dead on arrival. To make room for the daily rush of war-wounded, Dr Alhamss, 35, has crammed a few dozen extra beds into the intensive care unit. He cleared out the pharmacy, which was largely empty anyway since Israels siege has deprived the hospital of IV lines and most medicines. Still, patients sprawl on the floors. The situation is completely out of control, he said. A urologist by training and a father of three, Dr Alhamss has watched as his city and hospital have transformed over the course of the war. With its low-rise concrete buildings and rubbish-strewn alleys teeming with unemployed men, Rafah, the strips southern-most city, long has been a squalid place straddling the Egyptian frontier. Notorious as a smuggling capital during the Israeli-Egyptian blockade, it contains Gazas only border crossing that does not lead into Israel. It is now the flashpoint in one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises. Dr Suhaib Alhamss speaks with patients at the hospital (Fatima Shbair/AP/PA) Israels evacuation orders and expanding offensive have swelled Rafahs population from 280,000 to 1.4 million, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians jammed into flimsy tents smothering the streets. Most people spend hours each day in search of food, waiting in motionless lines outside aid distribution centres and sometimes plodding miles on foot to carry back canned beans and rice. Dr Alhamss said: You can see the exhaustion, the nervousness, the hunger on everyones faces. Its a strange place now. Its not the city I know. Aid trucks have trickled through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, but it is nowhere near enough to meet the besieged enclaves surging needs, humanitarian officials say. Each day I have people who die before my eyes because I dont have medicine or burn ointment or supplies to help them, Dr Alhamss said. His thoughts turn to his own children 12-year-old Jenna, eight-year-old Hala and seven-year-old Hudhayfa sheltering at their grandmothers Rafah flat. He sees them once a week, on Thursdays, when they come to the hospital to give him a hug. I am terrified for them, he said. Now 100 days old, the latest Israel-Hamas war is by far the longest, bloodiest, and most destructive conflict between the bitter enemies. The fighting erupted on October 7 when Hamas carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip with air strikes and a ground offensive that have wrought unprecedented destruction, flattening entire neighbourhoods. Here is a look in numbers at the toll of the Israel-Hamas war, sourced from Palestinian health ministry and Israeli officials as well as international observers and aid groups. An injured Palestinian boy cries as rescuers try to pull him out of the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in Bureij refugee camp, Gaza Strip. File picture: AP Photo/Mohammed Dahman Total deaths Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza: 23,708 Number of people killed in Israel: Over 1,300 Number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank: 347 Civilians Civilians killed in Gaza: The civilian toll of the war is unknown. It is believed that two-thirds of those killed in Gaza are women and minors. Number of civilians killed in Israel on October 7: 790 UN staff killed in Gaza: 148 Health workers killed in Gaza: at least 337 Journalists killed in Gaza: 82 Soldiers/Militants Number of Israeli soldiers killed on October 7: 314 Number of militants killed by Israel: More than 8,000 Number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive: 187 Number of Israeli soldiers killed on the northern front: Nine Number of Israeli soldiers killed by friendly fire or accidents in Gaza and the north: 29 Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip arrive at a hospital in Khan Younis. Picture: AP Photo/Mohammed Dahman Destruction/Humanitarian situation in Gaza Percentage of Gazas buildings likely damaged/destroyed: 45-56% Hospitals in Gaza partially functioning: 15/36 Palestinian civilians facing catastrophic hunger and starvation: 576,600 (26% of the population) Percentage of school buildings in Gaza damaged: more than 69% Mosques damaged: 142 Churches damaged: Three Ambulances damaged: 121 Pupils out of school: 625,000 (100% of students) Injuries Palestinians injured in Gaza: 60,005 Palestinians injured in West Bank: more than 4,000 Total Israeli injuries: 12,415 Israeli soldiers injured in ground offensive: 1,085 Israeli soldiers injured since October 7: 2,496 A Palestinian child walks past factories destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Deir al Balah. Picture: AP Photo/Adel Hana Displacement Number of Palestinians displaced in Gaza: 1.8 million (85% of Gazas population) Number of Israelis displaced from northern and southern border communities: 249,263 (2.6% of the population) Number of West Bank Palestinians displaced: 1,208 Hostages/Prisoners Hostages taken by Hamas on October 7: around 250 Hostages released: 121 Hostages remaining in the Strip: 136 Hostages who were killed or died in Hamas captivity: 33 Palestinian prisoners released during weeklong pause in fighting: 240 Munitions Number of rockets launched toward Israel: 14,000 BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. A meeting of the Central Election Commission (CEC) has discussed the issue of setting up a commission for drawing lots to distribute free airtime in connection with the extraordinary presidential election, determining the place and time of the drawing of lots, the CEC Deputy Chairman Rovzat Gasimov said, Trend reports. According to the Electoral Code, pre-election campaigning by candidates registered to participate in the presidential election, their authorized representatives and proxies, as well as authorized representatives and proxies of political parties whose candidate has been registered must begin 23 days before voting day and terminate 24 hours before the start of voting. The election campaigning will start on January 15 and must be suspended at 08:00 (GMT +4) on February 6. Gasimov noted that Public Television (ITV) channel should provide three hours of free airtime per week. "Usually, based on the CEC's request, twice the amount of time is provided - six hours, and this year, a relevant request will be made in connection with this. Yesterday, there was a meeting with the presidential candidates, and the free airtime will be in a roundtable format. Public Television will provide free airtime on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, starting at 21:00 and lasting for one hour." A commission was set up to distribute free airtime, with its members being CEC members Gabil Orujov, Fuad Javadov, Almaz Gahramanli, and the head of the CEC Media and Communications Department Shahin Asadli. The draw will take place on January 15 at 14:00 in the CEC building. The following media outlets will provide free airtime and space for publication to conduct pre-election campaigning for registered presidential candidates in connection with the extraordinary presidential election of Azerbaijan scheduled for February 7, 2024: - Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company; - "Azerbaijan" newspaper; - "Khalq qazeti"; - "Republic" newspaper; - "Bakinski Rabochiy" newspaper. Seven registered candidates will compete in the presidential election on February 7. They are: - Ilham Aliyev (New Azerbaijan Party); - Independent candidate Zahid Oruj; - Razi Nurullayev (National Front Party); - Fazil Mustafa (Great Creation Party); - Elshad Musayev (Great Azerbaijan Party); - Gudrat Hasanguliyev (Unified National Front of Azerbaijan Party); - Independent candidate Fuad Aliyev. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel District 2 Imperial County Supervisor Luis Plancarte, was elected Chairman of the Board for 2024 on Tuesday, January 9. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 12. Tactical-special exercises on increasing the professionalism of Operations Commando units are being held in accordance with the training plan for 2024, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Defense, on the next day of the exercises, the commandos clarified the tasks and accomplished tactical redeployment activities in difficult terrain areas. The tasks on breaching the imaginary enemy defense and capturing the base point were successfully fulfilled. Commandos are demonstrating high professionalism during the execution of tasks in tactical-special exercises, which are focused on further improve the practical skills of military personnel. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, sent his condolences to the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkiye, Mr. Yashar Guler, Trend reports. His condolences read: "I was extremely saddened by the news of the martyrdom and injury of Turkish Armed Forces military personnel as a result of a treacherous attack by members of a terrorist organization in the area of the Penche-Kilit anti-terrorist operation on January 12 of this year. Your pain is ours. We absolutely denounce all types of terrorism. We will always stand with and support the fraternal Turkish Armed Forces in their courageous fight against terrorism. I pray for mercy for the heroic Turkish soldiers who were killed in this incident, share their loved ones' suffering, and extend my heartfelt condolences to their families. I pray for God's healing for all the wounded. May all martyrs rest in peace." Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. Weather Alert ...INCREASED FIRE DANGER FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... After coordination with local land managers, a Fire Danger Statement has been issued for Alleghany, Surry and Wilkes Counties in northwest North Carolina, as well as Virginia Counties along and east of the Blue Ridge, and parts of the southern Shenandoah Valley. In these affected areas, gusty winds will coincide with low humidity and dry fuels. Fires will have an easier time starting and spreading. Refer to your local burn-permitting authority on whether you may burn today. If you do burn, exercise extreme caution. By Mahad Darar, Colorado State University | The U.S.- and U.K.-led strikes on the rebel Houthi group in Yemen represent a dramatic new turn in the Middle East conflict one that could have implications throughout the region. The attacks of Jan. 11, 2024, hit around 60 targets at 16 sites, according to the U.S. Air Forces Mideast command, including in Yemens capital Sanaa, the main port of Hodeida and Saada, the birthplace of the Houthis in the countrys northwest. The military action follows weeks of warning by the U.S. to the Houthis, ordering them to stop attacking commercial ships in the strategic strait of Bab el-Mandeb in the Red Sea. The Houthis an armed militia backed by Iran that controls most of northern Yemen following a bitter near-decadelong civil war have also launched missiles and drones toward Israel. As an expert on Yemeni politics, I believe the U.S. attacks on the Houthis will have wide implications not only for the Houthis and Yemens civil war, but also for the broader region where America maintains key allies. In short, the Houthis stand to gain politically from these U.S.-U.K. attacks as they support a narrative that the group has been cultivating: that they are freedom fighters fighting Western imperialism in the Muslim world. For Houthis, a new purpose The Israel-Gaza conflict has reinvigorated the Houthis giving them a raison detre at a time when their status at home was diminishing. By the time of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in Israel, the Houthis long conflict with Saudi Arabia, which backs the Yemeni government ousted by the Houthis at the start of Yemens civil war in 2014, had quieted after an April 2022 cease-fire drastically reduced fighting. Houthi missile strikes on Saudi cities ceased, and there were hopes that a truce could bring about a permanent end to Yemens brutal conflict. Guardian News: Explosions in Yemen as US and UK launch airstrikes on Houthis after Red Sea attacks With fewer external threats, domestic troubles that surfaced in Houthi-controlled areas poverty, unpaid government salaries, crumbling infrastructure led to growing disquiet over Houthi governance. Public support for the Houthis slowly eroded without an outside aggressor to blame; Houthi leaders could no longer justify the hardships in Yemen as a required sacrifice to resist foreign powers, namely Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. But Israels attacks in Gaza have provided renewed purpose for Houthis. Aligning with the Palestinian cause has allowed Houthis to reassert their relevance and has reenergized their fighters and leadership. By firing missiles toward Israel, the Houthis have portrayed themselves as the lone force in the Arab Peninsula standing up to Israel, unlike regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The militia is presenting to Yemenis and others in the region a different face than Arab governments that have, to date, been unwilling to take strong action against Israel. In particular, Houthis are contrasting their worldview with that of Saudi Arabia, which prior to the October Hamas attack had been looking to normalize ties with Israel. Houthis PR machine The U.S. and U.K. strikes were, the governments of both countries say, in retaliation for persistent attacks by Houthis on international maritime vessels in the Red Sea and followed attempts at a diplomatic solution. The aim is to disrupt and degrade the Houthis capabilities, according to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. But regardless of the intent or the damage caused to the Houthis militarily, the Western strikes may play into the groups narrative, reinforcing the claim that they are fighting oppressive foreign enemies attacking Yemen. And this will only bolster the Houthis image among supporters. Already, the Houthis have managed to rally domestic public support in the part of Yemen they control behind their actions since October 2023. Dramatic seaborne raids and the taking hostage of ships crews have generated viral footage that taps into Northern Yemeni nationalism. Turning a captured vessel into a public attraction attracted more attention domestically. Following the U.S.-U.K. strikes on Houthi targets, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree has said the group would expand its attacks in the Red Sea, saying any coalition attack on Yemen will prompt strikes on all shipping through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects to the Arabian Sea at the southern end of the Red Sea. Weaponizing Palestinian sympathies Meanwhile, the Houthis have successfully managed to align the Palestinian cause with that of their own. Appeals through mosques in Yemen and cellphone text campaigns have raised donations for the Houthis by invoking Gazas plight. The U.S.-U.K strikes may backfire for another reason, too: They evoke memories of Western military interventions in the Muslim and Arab world. The Houthis will no doubt exploit this. When U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin initially announced the formation of a 10-country coalition to counter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on Dec. 18, 2023, there were concerns over the lack of regional representation. Among countries in the Middle East and Muslim world, only Bahrain home to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet joined. The absence of key regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Djibouti where the U.S. has its only military base in Africa raised further doubts among observers about the coalitions ability to effectively counter the Houthis. Muslim-majority countries were no doubt hesitant to support the coalition because of the sensitivity of the Palestinian cause, which by then the Houthis had successfully aligned themselves with. But the lack of regional support leaves the U.S. and its coalition allies in a challenging position. Rather than being seen as protectors of maritime security, the U.S. rather than the Houthis are vulnerable to being framed in the region as the aggressor and escalating party. This perception could damage U.S. credibility in the area and potentially serve as a recruitment tool for terrorist organizations like al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and similar groups. The U.S.s military and diplomatic support for Israel throughout the current conflict also plays into skepticism in the region over the true objectives of the anti-Houthi missile strikes. Reigniting civil war? The Houthis renewed vigor and Western strikes on the group also have implications for Yemens civil war itself. Since the truce between the two main protagonists in the conflict Saudi Arabia and the Houthis fighting between the Houthis and other groups in Yemen, such as the Southern Transitional Council, the Yemen Transitional Government and the National Resistance, has reached a deadlock. Each group controls different parts of Yemen, and all seem to have accepted this deadlock. But the U.S.-U.K. strikes put Houthi opponents in a difficult position. They will be hesitant to openly support Western intervention in Yemen or blame the Houthis for supporting Palestinans. There remains widespread sympathy for Gazans in Yemen something that could give Houthis an opportunity to gain support in areas not under their control. The Yemeni Transitional Government issued a statement following the U.S.-U.K. strikes that shows the predicament facing Houthi rivals. While blaming the Houthis terrorist attacks for dragging the country into a military confrontation, they also clearly reaffirmed support for Palestinians against brutal Israeli aggression. While Houthi rivals will likely continue this balancing act, the Houthis face no such constraints they can freely exploit the attacks to rally more support and gain a strategic advantage over their local rivals. An emboldened Houthi group might also be less likely to accept the current status quo in Yemen and seize the moment to push for more control potentially reigniting a civil war that had looked to be on the wane. The Houthis thrive on foreign aggression to consolidate their power. Without this external conflict as a justification, the shortcomings of the Houthis political management become apparent, undermining their governance. During the civil war, Houthis were able to portray themselves as the defender of Yemen against Saudi influence. Now they can add U.S. and U.K. interference to the mix. Mahad Darar, Ph.D. Student of Political Science, Colorado State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. ( Middle East Monitor) After almost 100 days of violence, killing, bombardment and captivity for children in Gaza, their suffering continues, a UNICEF official said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. With every passing day, children and families in the Gaza Strip face increased risk of death from the sky, disease from lack of safe water and deprivation from lack of food, UNICEF Special Representative on Children in Palestine, Lucia Elmi, said at a UN press conference. She said for two remaining Israeli children still held hostage in Gaza, their nightmare that began on 7 October continues, and they must be unconditionally and safely released. And the situation continues to deteriorate rapidly; UNICEF last week spoke of the triple threat stalking children in the Gaza Strip: conflict, disease, and malnutrition, said Elmi. UNICEFs formidable challenges The UN childrens agency representative said UNICEF is doing everything it can but faces a formidable challenge addressing the issues. The National News: Hundreds of children becoming amputees amid Israel-Gaza war Children in Gaza are running out of time, while most of the lifesaving humanitarian aid they desperately need remains stranded between insufficient access corridors and protracted layers of inspections, said Elmi. She asserted that mounting needs and a constrained response is a formula for a disaster of epic proportions. Thousands of children have already died, and thousands more will quickly follow if urgent bottlenecks are not immediately fixed, said Elmi, as she warned that nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip. The intense bombardment and ongoing conflict in densely populated urban areas threatens the lives of civilians and humanitarian aid workers, she said. The ongoing bombardment is also impeding the delivery of desperately needed assistance. When I was in Gaza last week, we tried for six days to get fuel and medical supplies to the North, and for six days, movement restrictions prevented us from travelling, said Elmi. Her colleagues in Gaza endured this same challenge for weeks before each arrival. Families in the north desperately need this fuel to operate water and sanitation infrastructure. They are still waiting. Elmi said that the UN still needs to get sufficient aid into Gaza and that on the preceding day, just 139 trucks entered. She said that the inspection process needs to be faster and more predictable, as some desperately needed materials are restricted. The materials include generators to power water facilities and hospitals and plastic pipes to repair badly damaged water infrastructure. In addition, once aid gets in, there are significant challenges to distributing it across the Gaza Strip, particularly to the North and recently also the middle area, said Elmi. Frequent communications blackouts make it extremely challenging to coordinate the distribution of aid and let people know how to access it and when. Elmi said that the congestion in the south due to the massive displacement and the intense needs meant continued incidents of people in despair stopping trucks and trying to get their hands on whatever they can. Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Palestinian group, Hamas, on 7 October, killing at least 23,210 Palestinians and injuring 59,167 others, mostly women and children, according to health authorities. Around 1,200 Israelis believed to have been killed in the initial Hamas attack . . . Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Joe Biden and his administration believe that they can support the extremist Israeli government in its genocidal assault on the innocent noncombatant Palestinians of Gaza without a political cost at home. They also believe that they can manage the conflict, so that it does not spiral into a wider Middle East war. These assumptions may be deeply flawed. The Houthi or Helpers of God government of northern Yemen can likely go on harassing container ships attempting to ply the waters of the Red Sea. Biden is bombing them, but the Saudis bombed them for 7 years and finally gave up on accomplishing anything that way. Yemen is among the poorest countries in the world, and cant be crippled by destroying infrastructure, since they dont have much of it. Little unmanned aerial vehicles can be hidden and it is difficult to take out the launchers. An Israeli general once complained that he wished Hezbollah in Lebanon had larger rockets, since those would be easier to find and destroy. Both the Houthi drone strikes on container ships and the Biden response in bombarding Yemen have spooked the shipping industry. Around 10% of world trade goes through the Suez Canal on some 17,000 ships per year. On the order of 12% of world energy supplies also are shipped through the Red Sea. So after two days of US and UK aerial strikes on Yemen, which elicited further Houthi threats, oil prices at one point hit $80 on Londons Brent exchange on Friday. If the conflict with the Houthis heats up further, Americans could feel it at the pump. Biden should ask Jimmy Carter whether Americans forgive a president who gets involved in fruitless Middle East conflicts and causes their gasoline prices to soar. One thing Biden could do is halt the Israeli destruction of all of Gaza, which anyway cant destroy Hamas. The Houthis would likely settle down if the Gaza war wound down. Shooting missiles at them will just stir them up. Moreover, Bidens position on Gaza is deeply unpopular in his own party, and particularly among young people a swing vote in recent years. A UC Berkeley Opinion poll reported by David Lauter and Jaweed Kalim at the LA Times finds that 55% of voters under 30 say that Israel should announce a ceasefire even if it means that Hamas remains significant in Gaza. Only 18% disagree. NBC News from 3 weeks ago: Poll shows Biden losing support among young voters ahead of 2024 election In contrast, a slight majority of voters over 65 believe that Israel should fight on until Hamas is taken down entirely, though about a third of elderly voters disagree. According to the Pew Research Center, Barack Obama got 66% of the youth vote in 2008, and 60% of it in 2012. He outperformed Mitt Romney by 24% among those under 30. The Center writes, In Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania, Obama also failed to win a majority of voters 30 and older. Yet he swept all four battleground states, in part because he won majorities of 60% or more among young voters. Just as critically, young people made up as large a share of the overall electorate as they did in 2008, according to the national exit poll (19% in 2012, 18% in 2008). So Obama benefited from the under-30 vote in two absolutely essential ways. First, they came out to vote in large numbers, and mostly voted for him. Second, they provided the margin of victory in four swing states where Obama did not win 51% of the over-30 vote. Candidates should not underestimate the possibility of youth apathy. Famously, the under-30 set declined to go to the polls in big numbers in 2004. They had largely turned on Bush because of the Iraq War, but they werent brought out to vote by enthusiasm for John Kerry. Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, a Democrat, lamented, The little bastards screwed us again. The youth arent enthusiastic about Biden. At all. And the campaign to wipe Gaza off the map is one reason. In backing the odious Binyamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich in their creepy annihilation of tens of thousands of Palestinian women, children and noncombatant men, Biden doesnt only risk becoming unpopular with the under-30 crowd but risks reducing their enthusiasm to vote. The young voters see the horrors of the Israeli campaign on Tiktok and YouTube in a way that the older set does not, since US corporate news is corrupt and distinctly pro-Israel. The Biden team believes that the voters have nowhere to go because his opponent will be Trump. Hillary Clinton benefited from fear of Trump among youths, who voted in 2016 in numbers similar to 2012. But her percentage of the under-30 vote fell to 55%. It was only a 5% fall from Obama in 2012, but in a race where she lost some swing states by tiny margins, this youth deficit may have contributed to her defeat. The Trump boogey man was not enough she needed to elicit the enthusiasm of the youth. Is the administration really so convinced that they cant be Kerry-ized or Carterized? Doing and saying deeply unpopular things that anger key parts of your base just because you think the rival candidate is unelectable is a hell of a gamble. Ask Mrs. Clinton. VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - Nevada Sunrise Metals Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) (OTC: NVSGF) announced today that it has negotiated an amendment to the terms of an option agreement (the "Agreement") whereby the Company has the right to purchase a 100% interest in the Coronado VMS property ("Coronado", or the "Property"), located in the Tobin Sonoma Range of Pershing County, Nevada, approximately 30 miles (48 kilometres) southeast of Winnemucca. A definitive Agreement was announced on September 28, 2018, and a first amendment to the Agreement was announced on January 31, 2022. Details of the Coronado Amended Option Agreement Terms Nevada Sunrise retains the right to acquire a 100% interest in Coronado, subject to a 2.0% net smelter returns royalty, with certain buydown provisions, in consideration for the amended cash and share payments to the vendors and minimum exploration expenditures as described below (all dollar amounts listed are in US dollars): Coronado VMS Project Amendments to Schedule of Payments and Expenditures Payment Due Dates Cash Payments (Previous) Amended Cash Payments (2023) Share Payments (Previous) Amended Share Payments (2023) Minimum Exploration Expenditures (Previous) Amended Minimum Exploration Expenditures (2023) Sept. 25, 2021 $50,000 (paid) n/a 500,000 (issued) n/a $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2022 $50,000 (paid) n/a 500,000 (issued) n/a $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2023 $50,000 NIL 500,000 750,000 $300,000 NIL Sept. 25, 2024 $50,000 $75,000 500,000 750,000 $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2025 $50,000 $75,000 500,000 500,000 $300,000 $300,000 Sept. 25, 2026 $1,050,000 $1,050,000 600,000 600,000 NIL $300,000 Nevada Sunrise retains the right to accelerate the timing of cash and share payments to the vendors at its discretion. If minimum exploration expenditures, which include property maintenance costs, are exceeded in any year, the excess expenditures will be credited to a succeeding year. An advance royalty payment of $500,000 would be payable to the vendors upon completion of a feasibility study. The second amendment to the Agreement for Coronado is subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. For more information about Coronado, including maps and photos, click here About Nevada Sunrise Nevada Sunrise is a junior mineral exploration company with a strong technical team based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, that holds interests in lithium, gold, and copper exploration projects located in the State of Nevada, USA. Nevada Sunrise owns 100% interests in the Gemini, Jackson Wash and Badlands lithium projects, all of which are located in the Lida Valley basin in Esmeralda County, NV, located just east of the Clayton Valley basin, which hosts the only producing lithium mine in the United States operated by Albemarle Corp. at Silver Peak, NV. The Company owns Nevada water right Permit 86863, also located in the Lida Valley basin, near Lida, NV. The Company's key gold asset is an 18.74% interest in a joint venture at the Kinsley Mountain Gold Project near Wendover, NV with CopAur Minerals Inc. Kinsley Mountain is a Carlin-style gold project hosting a National Instrument 43-101 compliant gold resource consisting of 418,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 2.63 g/t Au (4.95 million tonnes), and 117,000 inferred ounces of gold averaging 1.51 g/t Au (2.44 million tonnes), at cut-off grades ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 g/t Au 1. 1 Technical Report on the Kinsley Project, Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated June 21, 2021 with an effective date of May 5, 2021 and prepared by Michael M. Gustin, Ph.D., and Gary L. Simmons, MMSA and filed under New Placer Dome Gold Corp.'s Issuer Profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Nevada Sunrise has the right to earn a 100% interest in the Coronado VMS Project, located approximately 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Winnemucca, NV. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This 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 and include disclosure of anticipated exploration activities. 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. Such factors include, among others, risks related to future plans for exploration at Coronado; reliance on technical information provided by third parties on any of our exploration properties; changes in mineral project parameters as plans continue to be refined; current economic conditions; future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or metallurgical recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays due to pandemic; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Nine Months ending June 30, 2023, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Nevada Sunrise has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, 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 such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Nevada Sunrise disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. 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 or accuracy of this release. In an exclusive interview with Ten Asia, the talented actress Soo-hyun peels back the curtain on the formidable hurdles she faced while stepping into the shoes of Yukiko Maeda for the Netflix original series 'Gyeongseong Creature.' Beyond the captivating narrative of survival in the spring of 1945, Soo-hyun found herself grappling with a linguistic challenge that added another layer of complexity to her role. Actress Soo-hyun's Linguistic Odyssey: Mastering Japanese Kyoto Dialect for 'Gyeongseong Creature' Soo-hyun takes us behind the scenes of her linguistic journey, sharing the intense process of learning the Japanese Kyoto dialect. With not one but three Japanese teachers guiding her through the nuances of the language, the actress reveals the meticulous efforts poured into each scene. Surprising perhaps even herself, Soo-hyun reflects on the determination that saw her repeating simple Japanese phrases at least five times for a single scene, practicing on set while donning a kimono, and even engaging in language drills during phone conversations. Her passion for languages shines through as she describes the appeal of embracing challenges, particularly in mastering an Asian language over a Western one. YOU MIGHT ALSO INTERESTED IN: Goddess Alert: Han So-hee Stuns in Mesmerizing Photoshoot Unveiling Deadly Elegance and Diverse Charms Soo-hyun's Linguistic Triumphs Unveiled: Joyful Surprises and Cultural Insights in Mastering Kyoto Dialect As Soo-hyun recounts her linguistic triumphs, she shares intriguing insights into the reactions she received from Japanese individuals. Despite initially seeking validation for her linguistic prowess, the actress found joy in the genuine surprise and compliments from her Japanese teacher. She provides a unique perspective on the intricacies of the Kyoto dialect, drawing parallels to Korea's Jeju dialect, and emphasizing its elusive nature for native Japanese speakers. Soo-hyun's journey unfolds as not just a personal triumph but a cross-cultural exploration. Soo-hyun's Emotional Journey on Set: Unveiling Tears, Triumphs, and Linguistic Struggles in Japanese Filming The interview takes a poignant turn as Soo-hyun delves into the emotional toll of filming, particularly during a scene with Choi Young-jun, portraying Lieutenant General Kato. She vividly describes the challenges of filming a substantial Japanese dialogue, the struggles with NGs (no goods or mistakes), and the emotional aftermath that led her to quietly sobbing after the scene. lady maeda is really the if i cant have you, no one can type. hope she can find a good man someday that will treat her with love and respect she's been looking for #GyeongseongCreature # pic.twitter.com/J3jVEMUeqL slow #2 (@ttojunie) January 6, 2024 "The big revelation of Maeda's secret and the one who swallowed Najin. Myeongja/Akiko is facing her tragic fate." https://t.co/6l5Ef5gnPr 'Gyeongseong Creature' Part 2 has been released on Netflix. Be with us, everyone! pic.twitter.com/P4nciM17qi Jiwoo (@hi__jiwoo) January 5, 2024 The actress bares her vulnerability, admitting that the difficulty of the Japanese language left her both greedy for perfection and occasionally disappointed. In this candid moment, Soo-hyun invites us to witness the emotional peaks and valleys that come with the pursuit of linguistic excellence in the world of acting. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Park Seo-joon Opens Up About 'Gyeongseong Creature' Criticisms: 'There are always fans who are disappointed...' KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Michelle Williams. Workers lay pipe during construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The Canada Energy Regulator is slated to hear oral arguments Friday from the company building the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on its request for a pipeline variance.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Friday, January 12, 2024 Chicago rapper G Herbo was sentenced Thursday, Jan. 11, in Massachusetts to three years probation on federal wire fraud charges in a conspiracy to use stolen identities to fund private jets, a Jamaican villa, designer puppies, and other exotic services and lied about it to authorities. G Herbo, whose real name is Herbert Wright III, was ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture, as well as a $5,500 fine. The sentence marks a win for his defense team, who had asked for a probationary period after the music artist pleaded guilty in the case. The prosecution requested a sentence of one year and one day in prison, along with 36 months of supervised release. The sentencing comes more than three years after it was reported that Wright had been indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. The 28-year-old was again indicted in 2021 for lying about the scheme to federal agents. Wright eventually admitted in his plea to over a million dollars of fraudulent purchases for goods and services including private chefs, car rentals and the puppies. As part of the plea, prosecutors dismissed two counts of identity theft. Five others were charged as alleged co-conspirators, including his promoter and manager Antonio T-Glo Strong. Wrights main involvement, the prosecution said, was paying Strong to arrange flights and other accommodations that he knew were bought through stolen credit card information. Strong has pleaded not guilty. The defense contended that Wrights contact with him was minimal. In their sentencing memo, the defense noted that Wright fully accepts responsibility in the case. The memo painted his troubled childhood in a Chicago neighborhood plagued by gang violence and dubbed by police as Terror Town. Along with his childhood, the defense stressed Wrights commitment to his community and family to justify a lesser sentence. The father of three has established a nonprofit, Swervin Through Stress, to provide mental health resources to young people of color in Chicago. Wright is also willing to undergo substance abuse treatment, the defense said. Initially, Wright had denied the charges against him even mocking the investigation in a song he released in 2020. Ask about me, I aint never been a fraud, he rapped. Wright also was hit with gun charges after he and three others were stopped by Chicago police, who allegedly found four firearms in the vehicle. Friday, January 12, 2024 Iran on Friday condemned strikes in Yemen by US and British forces, saying that the attacks against Tehran-backed Houthi rebels were arbitrary and a violation of international law. US and British forces launched the overnight strikes following weeks of missile and drone attacks by Houthi forces on vessels in the Red Sea, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement that Tehran strongly condemned the military attacks of the United States and the United Kingdom this morning on several Yemeni cities. He said the strikes were an arbitrary action, a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen, and a violation of international laws and regulations. The United States and its allies said in a joint statement following the air strikes on Houthi targets that their goal remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea. The attacks by the Houthis have disrupted traffic through the vital maritime route, with some companies suspending passage through the area. Kanani warned that the attacks will have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region as well as diverting the worlds attention from the crimes in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting the Palestinian territorys Hamas rulers. The Iranian spokesman urged the international community to take action to prevent the spread of war. The Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7 with attacks by Palestinian militants on southern Israel, resulting in about 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Iran, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, has hailed the attack but denied any involvement. Israel has responded with a relentless military campaign that has killed more than 23,000 people in the besieged Gaza Strip, the majority of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Friday, January 12, 2024 Israel has presented graphic images of the victims of Hamas's October 7 attacks as it hit back at what it called a 'profoundly distorted' and 'malevolent' genocide case against it at the UN's top court. This comes after South Africa launched an emergency case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) arguing that Israel stands in breach of the UN Genocide Convention, signed in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust. Justice Minister Ronald Lamola told the court on Thursday that Israel had 'crossed the line' and that not even the brutality of the Hamas attack, which Pretoria condemned, could justify breaches to the convention. But Israel and its ally the United States have dismissed the case and vowed a robust defence, while UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday labelled it 'completely unjustified and wrong' and reiterated Israel's 'right to defend itself'. Tal Becker, a top lawyer representing Israel, said Israel's military campaign in Gaza amounts to acts of 'self-defence' against Hamas and other terror groups. Using videos and pictures, Becker painted a graphic image of the horrors of the October 7 attacks on the robed judges in the Peace Palace in The Hague. He told the court that during the attacks, Hamas militants 'tortured children in front of parents, parents in front of children, burned people... systematically raped and mutilated.' He stressed that Israel's response was in self-defence and not aimed at the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip. 'Israel is in a war of defence against Hamas, not against the Palestinian people,' said Becker. 'In these circumstances, there can hardly be a charge more false and more malevolent than the allegation against Israel of genocide.' He showed a reel of shocking images of some of the roughly 240 people taken hostage on October 7 and asked: 'Are these faces not deserving of our protection?' The presentation included pictures of Noa Argamani, a 26-year-old who was snatched by Hamas from the Supernova music festival and filmed begging for her life on the back of the bike, screaming 'Don't kill me!' Haunting images were also shown of teenage hostages Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, and Agam Berger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in the run-up to the hearings: 'The State of Israel is accused of genocide at a time when it is fighting genocide. 'A terrorist organisation carried out the worst crime against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and now someone comes to defend it in the name of the Holocaust? What brazen gall. The world is upside down,' he added. In Washington, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the South African case was 'unfounded'. The ICJ will likely rule within a matter of weeks on South Africa's request. Its rulings are final and legally binding but it has little power to enforce them. A month after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the ICJ ordered a halt to the military operation - to no avail. For this emergency proceeding, the court will not rule on the fundamentals of the case - whether Israel is committing genocide. Friday, January 12, 2024 Superstar comedian, Kevin Hart has explained why he will no longer host the Oscars. The comedian who stated that he's fine doing standup in packed arenas and stadiums, stated that a theater full of A-listers is a tough room for comedians. Kevin Hart told Sky News that the Oscars got it right one year, which is in 2019, the year he backed out, by using a bunch of personalities to cohost the ceremony throughout the evening. They haven't gone back to that formula. He admitted he would have an advantage hosting award shows because he has so many established relationships with the guests. Hart was initially named as the host for the 2019 Oscars. Ahead of the ceremony, previous homophobic tweets surfaced and sparked controversy. The posts have since been deleted from X. Following the backlash, the actor stepped down from his hosting duties. Friday, January 12, 2024 A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a seven-year-old boy was found dead in a gym building. The woman and her two young children had lived at a flat on the property for the last 18 months. Following the shocking discovery, police sealed off the terraced three-storey building in the quiet market town of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. The ground floor was formerly a physiotherapy studio and gym called TriExercise in the town's Upper Market Street. Neighbours said the woman was Asian and had never mixed with locals, sometimes not replying if they said Good Morning in the street. Hospital doctor Sean Phelan, 69, who lives next door said: 'I was asleep when the police arrived - I woke up to find the street had been sealed off. 'All I know is that there was a serious incident involving a child. 'The lady was always quite friendly to me but I didn't know her well. I've never seen a man there. 'The children were well looked after, well-dressed, and well-behaved. There has never been any trouble here before.' Police sealed off the street at 10.45am on Wednesday morning after a 999 call. A nearby Samaritans charity shop had to lock up for the day while police and forensic officers were at the scene. The offices of Preseli-Pembrokeshire Welsh Assembly member Paul Davies are just four doors away. Another neighbour, who didn't want to be named, said: 'I've heard the child was strangled, it's too dreadful to think about. 'Children went back to school earlier this week so I don't know why the child was at home - unless whatever happened took place the night before.' A single bunch of flowers was laid outside the property which was still sealed off by police tape today (Thurs) Lee Evans, 39, who lives opposite, said: 'I've seen the woman in the street with her two children. I'd say hello or good morning but she wouldn't reply. 'It used to be a quiet street but it's got a lot worse around here lately.' A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said:'We are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of a child in Haverfordwest. 'Officers were called to an address in Upper Market Street just before 10.45am on Wednesday, January 10. 'Sadly, a seven-year-old was confirmed to have died shortly after. 'Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this tragic time. 'A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.' Friday, January 12, 2024 A woman is accused of fatally poisoning her boyfriends 18-month-old daughter by feeding her batteries, screws and nail polish remover after she researched the harmful effects the items could have on a child before the killing. Aleisia Owens, 20, was arrested Thursday, Jan. 11, for the suspected homicide of Iris Rita Alfera after an autopsy determined the child died due to fatal levels of acetone in her blood, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced. Owens had been living with Iris father, Bailey Jacoby, when he left the house to go to the store on June 25, 2023. Jacoby, who had visitation rights with Iris, then received a call from Owens that something was wrong with his daughter. He rushed to the New Castle home to find his baby girl unresponsive and quickly called 911, according to the criminal complaint obtained by WPIX. Iris was rushed to UPMC Jameson Hospital in New Castle, Pennsylvania, for treatment but she was later airlifted roughly one hour away to UPMC Childrens Hospital in Pittsburgh. The toddler died four days later due to organ failure. Iris lived with her mother, Emily Alfera, and her grandparents while her father, Jacoby, had visitation rights. Owens had told police that the girl had hit her head after she cramped up and fell off her bed, according to the complaint. However, the autopsy showed that Iris had ingested numerous water beads, along with button-shaped batteries and a metal screw, months before she died, according to the Attorney Generals Office. A search of Owens phone revealed she had been looking up information on household products that could cause a child serious harm or death, including water beads, batteries, and nail polish, from February to June 2023. Police found she had also searched beauty products that are poisonous to kids and medications leading to cause accidental poisoning deaths in children. Acetone is found in nail polish remover. New Castle Police Chief Robert Salem said the wicked findings on Owens phone were a crucial piece of the evidence against her. The details of this case are heartbreaking. It is hard to fathom someone taking deliberate steps to harm a completely helpless child, then misled investigators about what happened, Henry said in a statement. The investigation shows that, for months, the defendant conducted meticulous research on how certain substances harm children. She then allegedly acted on her findings. Jacoby had been living with Owens for about a year before she allegedly killed his daughter. Police did not arrest Jacoby in connection with his daughters death because at this time, there is no evidence at all linking him or anyone else to the babys death, Salem told New Castle News. There was nothing throughout the investigation to show that he had any knowledge or involvement about what happened to the baby. He was questioned multiple times and was cooperative. Owens faces a homicide charge and was also slapped with attempted homicide, aggravated assault of a child, endangering the welfare of a child, and other offenses regarding conduct leading to the babys death and other acts of abuse in months prior. The alleged child-killer appeared in front of Judge Richard A. Russo on Thursday to be read her charges, where she sat dry-eyed and expressionless, the New Castle News reported. Owens was taken to Lawrence County Jail and is being held without bond. Were happy that theyve finally arrested her. Thats the first step. It will be a long process in the court system, the childs grandfather, Frank Alfera, told the outlet. Emily Alfera, meanwhile, posted heartbreaking tributes to her daughter since her alleged murder. I have no words for what has currently happened to my beautiful angel baby, never in my life I thought I would be saying goodbye to the biggest light in my life, Emily Alfera posted on her Facebook a day after Iris died. Friday, January 12, 2024 British and American forces rained bombs on Iran-backed rebels in Yemen last night using warships, fighter jets, and submarines. According to Mail Online, the RAF launched targeted strikes against Houthi military facilities in response to a series of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. Rishi Sunak insisted the move was in 'self-defence' and said the UK will 'always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade'. President Biden also hailed the 'successful' blitz - which was aided by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands and vowed more action if it was needed. The Ministry of Defence said coalition forces identified key facilities involved in the rebels' targeting of HMS Diamond and US Navy vessels on Tuesday 'and agreed to conduct a carefully coordinated strike to reduce the Houthis' capability to violate international law in this manner'. Explosions were heard in the capital Sana'a and other major cities including Hodeida and Saada shortly before midnight, with US officials admitting they were expecting a response from rebels. More than a dozen sites were bombed by Western forces, in raids which included submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets. The four RAF Typhoons used Paveway IV guided bombs to 'conduct precision strikes' on two targets that had been chosen to 'reduce the Houthis' capability to violate international law'. They were assisted by an RAF Voyager refuelling plane. US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said the airstrikes also targeted sites associated with the Houthi's unmanned drone, ballistic and cruise missile, coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities. Officials said the Houthi rebels, who have carried out a series of attacks in the Red Sea to disrupt shipping, had ignored a 'final warning' as Mr Sunak signed off on the raids during an emergency cabinet meeting last night. Iran has been involved in 'every phase' of the Houthi attacks in recent months, a US official added. The rebels' official media said the capital Sana'a, Hodeida, and Saada were all targeted and blamed 'American aggression with British participation'. Mr Sunak said in a statement: 'Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week. 'This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. 'The Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter further Houthi aggression, and we urge them to cease their attacks and take steps to de-escalate.' Defence Secretary Grant Shapps added: 'The threat to innocent lives and global trade has become so great that this action was not only necessary, it was our duty to protect vessels & freedom of navigation.' The coordinated military assault comes just a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to cease the campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships, which has been in progress since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, or face potential military action. Friday, January 12, 2024 The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially certified Cape Verde as a malaria-free country. This achievement places Cape Verde among the elite group of 43 countries and 1 territory that has received such certification from the WHO. Cape Verde is the third country in the WHO African region to attain this status, following Mauritius and Algeria, certified in 1973 and 2019, respectively. The official certification by WHO is granted when a country demonstrates, with rigorous evidence, the interruption of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes nationwide for at least the past three consecutive years. Additionally, the country must showcase the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission. In the world, the African continent bears the highest malaria burden, accounting for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths as of 2021. The WHO certification is expected to have wide-ranging positive effects on Cape Verdes development including combating other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and boosting socio-economic activities in a country where tourism constitutes approximately 25% of GDP. WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, commended the commitment and resilience of the government and people of Cape Verde. Dr. Tedros expressed optimism about the possibility of a malaria-free world with existing tools and new advancements, including vaccines. Friday, January 12, 2024 A woman may have unknowingly passed the ghost of a supposed ancient Hawaiian warrior while running through a rainforest. The lady, Kay Borleis was running the Hawaiian Ultra Running Teams Trail 100-Mile Endurance Run on the Honolulu Mauka trails in Oahu in January 2019 when she had the scary encounter. 'To this day, we still dont know what it was,' said Borleis, a senior art director, in a blog post. The race, known as HURT 100, is a 20-mile loop through the rainforests that participants run five times. Borelis' friend Cassie was running the fourth lap with her when Cassie snapped the photographs, which she shared with friends and family. The dark figure is said to be a Night Marcher, which are ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors who protected people so sacred that the common man was never allowed to look at them. 'After dinner, we drive back to our Airbnb and Cassie receives a text from her mom. It was about one of the photos Cassie had sent,' Borelis explained. 'It was a live (moving photo) that showed a dark figure dressed in a cloak moving past me while I was running.' 'Now, I know my memory is quite shotty after the race and even while racing, but I did not remember passing a person on that strip of trail. Cassie didnt either and she had her wits to her.' Borelis said there were other bizarre aspects from that day. She said she has been an avid runner since she was 14-years-old and had previously never dropped out of a race. However, while running that fourth lap with Cassie, she experienced a sharp pain in her foot. She said it was so painful she started wailing and had to drop out of the race. After the race, Borelis and Cassie asked friends to help them decipher what was in the photo, that was when they learned about the Night Marchers. 'According to legend, there are ghosts of Hawaiian warriors that roam the island and theyre called, Night Marchers. They are, murderous shades, demons, revenants that haunt the island. They are the rabid galvanized specters of ancient Hawaiian fighters, heroes, and warriors,"' Borelis said. 'Upon further research, we found out that, ancient Hawaiian tenets assert that any mortal gazing upon or being viewed in defiance to the marchers will die horribly and violently. Some people declare that if the mortal lies still, down on the ground, prostrated to the marchers they are giving proper respect, fear, and reverence to the Night Marchers; and they will be forgiven and spared.' Borelis said: 'Luckily, we did not see the supposed Night Marcher.' According to Honolulu Magazine, Night Marchers are the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors. 'In life, these warriors supposedly traveled at night to protect people so sacred that the common man was never allowed to look at them. Breaking that rule meant death,' said the magazine. 416 Shares Share Reports sent back to Washington during the Vietnam War made it clear to everyone. The U.S. was winning. There could be no debate or doubt. It was right there in the numbers. When searching for a metric to measure success, U.S. politicians and the military had come to rely on body count comparisons. Defining winning as having a higher body count. And by that measure, the U.S. was indeed winning. We were killing over seven North Vietnamese soldiers for every one of ours. The prevailing thought in the U.S. government was that our opponent could not possibly sustain those losses. What they failed to understand was that once this metric was chosen, those responsible would redefine combatants as essentially anyone on the battlefield. To raise their numbers. The concern for civilian casualties was lessened, and bombings became less precise. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre were not as exceptional as we would like to think. Americans were, therefore, stunned during the Tet Offensive when it became clear that the will of the Vietnamese people had not been broken. Indeed, it had been honed to a fine edge. After losing over 1.4 million citizens to our 58,220, the U.S. withdrew. The DEA is making the same mistake today. Tasked by the Attorney General with reducing the diversion of prescribed medications, they have become obsessed with those numbers only, becoming completely oblivious to the harm they are inflicting on the American people. According to the recently released DEA-determined quotas on opioid pain medications for 2024, commonly used pain medications like morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, will be cut again from their 2023 levels. This is at a time when many chronic pain sufferers already report not being able to find a pharmacy to fill their prescriptions. Since 2015, the DEA has reduced oxycodone by 68 percent and hydrocodone by 73 percent, stating as their primary goal the reduction of diversion of these medications. This is where they completely miss the mark. Like government officials during the Vietnam War, they are obsessed with the wrong metric. What they should be focused on is reducing patient deaths, and by that metric, they have clearly failed. Lets look at what these reductions have wrought. As can clearly be seen in this graph, the dramatic increase in patient deaths correlates perfectly with reductions in pharmaceutical pain treatment. Why might reducing the diversion of prescribed medications cause more deaths? It wouldnt if they were truly targeting diversion. The problem is that they have chosen to target the risk of diversion, prosecuting doctors under the theory that, even if diversion cant be proven to have occurred, it could have. Because the doctor ignored the risk. Even when a doctor can prove they stopped controlled medication therapy when they suspected diversion, thats not good enough. The DEA will find patients with unflattering histories that jurors may not like. Someone who has spent time in jail, someone who looks like a drug dealer. In fact, the DEA allowed testimony to be presented to a grand jury stating that some of his patients looked like junkies. What did they mean by that? That was made clear by another physician who reviewed the same records. He prescribed codeine cough syrup to Black men! was handwritten in the margins. Doctors are supposed to be aware of implicit bias. Implicit bias causes more people of African descent to receive substandard pain treatment in hospitals and clinics. It also kills women who go to the ER with a heart attack, as their complaints are more often disregarded. For this reason, physicians should think twice about denying a patient effective treatment because they look like someone who might sell their medications. But the fact that you are trying not to discriminate doesnt mean the DEA and its AI algorithms will do the same. In fact, the algorithm they are using has been proven to discriminate against physicians of color. Knowing exactly why would require access to the AI training documents and query results. As doctors became too terrified to treat anyone with pain medications, and the few treated could not find their medications due to quota reductions, more and more people ended up trying to get pain relief through unofficial channels. Family and friends at first, but very quickly, the street. And here is where we find the perfect storm of false metrics and illicit fentanyl. The federal governments failure to stop fentanyl from flooding across border checkpoints allowed true pill mills to create fake hydrocodone and oxycodone tablets. These fake pills often have just a little too much fentanyl in them, and people, thinking they are taking their regular dose of medication, die. What is the solution to this problem? The real question is, why does the attorney general of the United States abrogate their responsibility to set these quotas by granting this power to nonmedical personnel? The DEA has no clue about proper medical practice and is completely ignorant of which patients truly need what medications. Physicians must, in accordance with their beliefs, do no harm. The DEA continually confuses do no harm with have no bad outcomes. Health care providers know that our treatments will sometimes kill a patient. A certain number of patients put on aspirin after a heart attack will die of a bleeding stroke. Intent is everything, as the U.S. Supreme Court tried to make clear in Ruan, but this ruling has fallen on deaf ears, with the persecution of physicians who treat pain and addiction continuing under the theory of ignoring the risk of addiction and diversion. These risks are not ignored in most cases. Just decided in a manner that a medically ignorant government official does not agree with. They think that if there is a warning letter to use caution combining benzodiazepines with opiates and the doctor doesnt stop them, the physician has ignored the risk, when in fact, stopping benzodiazepines in patients using opiates is more likely to kill them. I draw your attention to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, stopping benzodiazepines can be deadly. This study showed that, among those with opioid exposure, the mortality risk for those discontinued from their benzodiazepines was 1.6 times that of non-discontinuers. This means that as dangerous as it is to keep someone on opiates and benzodiazepines at the same time, it is more dangerous to take them off. It needs to be recognized that physicians and health care providers need the same immunity given by our society to priests and attorneys. They must be allowed to practice according to their education, training, experience, and conscience. In addition, the power to set medication quotas must be taken back from law enforcement and given to qualified medical personnel. Physicians and other prescribing health care professionals. They are the only ones trained to make those decisions. Not the DEA, whose practice of doubling down every time they fail is proof of faulty cognition pursuing false metrics. L. Joseph Parker is a distinguished professional with a diverse and accomplished career spanning the fields of science, military service, and medical practice. He currently serves as the chief science officer and operations officer, Advanced Research Concepts LLC, a pioneering company dedicated to propelling humanity into the realms of space exploration. At Advanced Research Concepts LLC, Dr. Parker leads a team of experts committed to developing innovative solutions for the complex challenges of space travel, including space transportation, energy storage, radiation shielding, artificial gravity, and space-related medical issues. He can be reached on LinkedIn and YouTube. With Uganda poised to host the highly anticipated 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and G77 + China Third South Summits, MTN Uganda has been designated as the official telecommunications partner to provide essential internet connections. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT, Dr Amina Zawedde, today communicated the government of Ugandas appreciation to the telecommunication company. She says working in collaboration with the Uganda Communications Commission, and the Ministry of ICT, MTN has provided 500 tourist sim cards with free voice (120 minutes) and a superfast data (5G) combo to ensure that delegates enjoy Ugandas widest voice and data service. The tourist sim innovation was pioneered by MTN during the 2nd Uganda South Africa Trade and Investment summit held in September 2023. Welcoming delegates to the Republic of Uganda, MTNs Chief Executive Officer, Ms Sylvia Mulinge noted that Uganda is not just a location for MTN; it is our home. And, in turn, MTN is a home for Uganda. We warmly welcome all delegates to the Pearl of Africa, and invite you to experience the warmth, beauty, and potential that our beloved nation embodies. MTN Uganda is honored to be recognized and designated as the official telecommunications provider of the NAM/ G77 Summits; and we are committed to ensuring their success. She went on to affirm that, this collaboration is the evidence of our dedication to playing a crucial role in fostering unity, the economic growth of our country, and overall well-being of its people. Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, expressed gratitude for MTNs exceptional dedication, stating, We thank MTN for continuously investing in the progress of our country both in the sector and through other collaborative initiatives with the government. The Non-Aligned Movement is a forum of 120 developing countries that advocate for peace, security, and development. Founded in 1961, it aims to promote cooperation among nations, independent of major power blocs. The Group of G77 + China is a coalition of developing nations established in 1964 that focuses on economic cooperation and sustainable development. It aims to promote the collective interests of its member countries and enhance their negotiating capacity in international forums. China, as a major global power, plays a significant role in international affairs and has observer status at the G77. This significant gathering is set to bring together global leaders and stakeholders from the 15th to 20th of January 2024 and the 21st to 23rd of January 2024, for the NAM and G77 + China Third South Summits, respectively. 1 of 1 , ' ' khaskhabar.com : , 13 2024 5:32 PM TAP '>' ARROW ABOVE FOR NEXT PIC Today, the Tanaiste and Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin TD reviewed the members of the 123rd Infantry Battalion who will shortly deploy to Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL). The Tanaiste was accompanied by the Secretary General of the Department of Defence, Jacqui McCrum and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy. The Tanaiste had special words for the families of the members of the 123rd Infantry Battalion. I know that the current situation in the Middle East, including in the area of South Lebanon and Northern Israel is a matter of grave concern to you and I understand that this is a worrying time for you. I want to reassure you that the troops standing before us today your sons, daughters, partners, dads and mums are well trained, well prepared and well equipped for this deployment, he said. Soldiers from 25 counties around Ireland are represented among the 342 strong contingent deploying to UNIFIL. More than a quarter of the group are about to deploy on their first tour of duty overseas. Addressing the 123rd Infantry Battalion, the Tanaiste reflected on the value of Peacekeeping against the backdrop of escalating activity in South Lebanon. Peacekeeping is the most important international action for good that any nation can participate in. Your role, as part of UNIFIL, is to provide a safe and secure environment and to support local communities where they are deployed. This commitment to those communities and to vulnerable citizens lies at the heart of Irelands engagement in UN-Mandated crisis management operations and it has never been more relevant in light of the ongoing situation in the Middle East. The Tanaiste went on to say In my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I am particularly conscious of the importance of this tradition as an essential component of Irelands foreign policy and your participation in UNIFIL illustrates the very positive and practical difference that small countries like Ireland can make in the worlds trouble spots. Supporting the cause of protecting human rights and promoting peace became the core mission of our Defence Forces and they have, in turn, brought great honour to our country throughout the world. In his concluding remarks the Tanaiste congratulated the members of the 123rd Infantry Battalion led by Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Mac Eoin on their achievements to date and wished them a safe and successful mission. Simon Jeans is an Australian lawyer specialising in immigration. He was appointed as a member of the australian Migration Review Tribunal & Refugee Review Tribunal so could be considered an expert. As a member he made decisions on migration and refugee visa applications so this is an area he has specialist knowledge of. Last week he tweeted Green MP Golriz Ghahraman to disagree with her statement that no human right is absolute (she was supporting the deplatforming of Southern) and said what Ghahraman wasn't true as some human rights are absolute such as the right not to be tortured. In return Ghahraman blocked him on Twitter. He had never been blocked before, let alone by an MP. And merely for saying the right not to be tortured is an absolute right. So he started to scrutinise Ghahraman, and has now done this blog post. In it has casts serious doubts on her claims about her life in Iran. Some of these issues have been canvassed previously, and as I recall Ghahraman has conceded where she lived was never bombed, but she visited relatives in Tehran that was bombed. Jeans points out that even Tehran only had bombing for a relatively brief 52 day period. So hard to match that up with the statement Most of Golriz Ghahraman's childhood memories are of war. Others previously have scrutinised these claims, but what is somewhat different here is Jeans is a expert lawyer on Iranian refugees as he has represented Iranian refugees since 1994, and has sat on a tribunal deciding on applications. He also disagrees with her portrayal of her family as refugees and asylum seekers saying if they were allowed to leave on holiday, they were not regarded by the Iranian government as hostile to the regime. But against that is the fact they were given asylum by the NZ Government, indicating they must have had a credible case. I'm not sure the blog posts tell us anything we didn't already know, which is at best a well documented tendency to exaggerate. But there is perhaps a lesson in this, about not blocking fellow human rights advocates on Twitter, just because they disagree with you. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 13. The European Investment Bank's activities in Kazakhstan focus on supporting development of the local private sector, a source at the EIB told Trend. "The Banks operations in Kazakhstan started in 2013. To date, a total of four loans have been signed for 269.5 million euros. The EIBs activity in Kazakhstan has focused on supporting the development of the local private sector by enabling access to finance to local SMEs while incentivizing them to adopt more sustainable and environmental-friendly practices," the source said. The bank said the projects supported by the EIB aim to enable access to micro-loans (Kazakhstan Micro Lending), as well as finance directed towards the agricultural sector (Kazagro Climate Loan for SMEs Midcaps & MSMEs), and in support of impacted business in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis (DAMU COVID-19 Loan for SMEs). "The EIB will continue working in Kazakhstan in line with the principles and priorities of the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement," the source said. Edvardas Bumsteinas, the head of Asia and Pacific Division at EIB, previously stated that EIB also interested in supporting projects related to developing transport infrastructure in Kazakhstan. In this regard, Bumsteinas noted the importance of developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor (TITR, or Middle Corridor), which, in his opinion, will become an additional tool for strengthening regional infrastructure between Europe and Asia. Furthermore, the EIB is currently active in four Central Asian countries: Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and most recently Uzbekistan. 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%.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. 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 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 26F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. In SNS, fans complained that THIS AAA's segment was truly harsh crushing rookies & "underrated" idols' confidence which became even worse after seeing STAYC & ZEROBASEONE's heartbreaking reactions. Earlier on December 14, 2023, the annual Asia Artist Awards (AAA) was held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, Philippines. The ceremony was attended by a star-studded lineup of K-pop idols and actors including Kim Jae Joong, EXO Suho, NewJeans, ITZY, Stray Kids, LE SSERAFIM, and more. AAA Attendees Select Stars They Look Forward to Work With: ZEROBASEONE & STAYC React on Earning Low Votes Even after the event, AAA's official YouTube channel has been uploading clips from the awards ceremony, including a segment called "CHAAART (Chart)" 2023 on the 8th. In this segment, all participants backstage were asked about the artists that they look forward to doing a challenge with, or actors that they are excited to see in their next film or drama. While there are fans who were delighted to know that their favorites have the desire to collaborate or work with their respective mentioned stars, viewers were heartbroken to see rookies and "underrated" idols with low to no votes being received. ALSO READ: Asia Artist Awards 2023 Winners: EXO Suho, NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, Stray Kids, MORE! For instance, when ZEROBASEONE came to the board to cast their votes, Kim Gyuvin was surprised to see them getting a few votes and shouted: "Not many people voted for us!" The members went silent for a few seconds, and to lift the group's spirit, Jiwoong immediately said: "Then we should vote for us." Seok Matthew then showed appreciation to those who voted for them, adding: "Thank the people who voted for us. We are deeply moved." In the second part of "Chart 2023," the girl group STAYC appeared and showed vibrant energy while greeting and thanking fans through the camera. Before even starting, Yoon immediately asked: "How many stickers do we have?" Seeun was perplexed and said: "We didn't get a single vote. Let us vote for ourselves!" Seeing that they got none, the members decided to give all of their three votes to STAYC, their group and asked viewers to give them more support in the future. AAA Doing 'CHAAART' 2023 Criticized by K-pop Fans Upon seeing the "CHAAART" video, viewers and K-pop enthusiasts felt sorry for groups like ZEROBASONE and STAYC, who had to vote for themselves after earning low votes. Fans are particularly frustrated that such a segment existed, knowing that it would be upsetting for idols and actors not to see them being voted as much as they expected. On top of it, the votes can be seen by other artists as well and vice versa, which can crush their pride and confidence. While the votes were selected based on the personal preferences of the AAA attendees and were not intended to determine their popularity, knowing that not many artists or idols don't look forward to working with them is somehow dispiriting, especially for rookies and underrated acts. In fact, both are not really "nugu" groups, but are actually popular as well. ZEROBASEONE is considered one of the current most anticipated 4.5-gen boy groups. As for STAYC, while they are called "underrated" compared to A-list groups like NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM, they established their name in the music scene with bops like, "Poppy," "ASAP," "STEREOTYPE" and more. As a result, many fans claimed that the segment was uncalled for and hoped for it to be disregarded during this year's ceremony. Fandoms also consoled ZB1 and STAYC by posting their warm messages to them. READ MORE: No Weak Vocalist? Media Praise STAYC for Best Live Singing Skills Among 4th-Gen Idols For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson. Following a recent appearance at the airport, a post was made pointing out how aespa member Karina. Want to know what people have to say? Then keep on reading. aespa Karina Departs for Milan + Did Her Face Change? On January 12, 2024, aespa member Karina was seen leaving South Korea from Incehon Airport to head to Milan. Karina reportedly left for Italy to attend the 2024 Fall/Winter Men's Fashion Show for Prada. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Korean Teens Name Their Ideal Type Among Female Idols - aespa Karina, IVE Ahn Yujin, MORE! Karina showed off her airport fashion by matching a refreshing light blue cropped convertible down jacket with a shoulder bag, a black midi dress, and leather loafers. Following her appearance, many took to social media to express their opinions on the idol's visuals. While many praised her for her gorgeous looks, others were not as positive. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: All the Rumored Dispatch 2024 Couples Since the Outlet Remains Tight-Lipped: Giselle & Park Hyung Sik, Karina & Lee Junho, More! On January 13, a post titled "Wow, Karina has really aged" was posted to a popular South Korean community forum. The post included a photo of Karina heading to Milan as well as another airport photo. On top of that, the user wrote, "She aged so much in 2-3 years and she got wrinkles. If you remove her make-up, she's seriously just... She looks like some girls in their mid to late 20s." FOR YOU: K-Netz Wonder What NCT x aespa's TikTok Challenges Are For: 'Majority of fans hate it' After the post was uploaded, many rallied to defend Karina from the author. MYs Defend aespa Karina From Comments Claiming Her Face Changed Many swarmed the post with comments defending the "Drama" songstress, saying that it was laughable that they were calling someone in their early 20s "old." For reference, Karina is only 23 years old. READ MORE: aespa Karina's Converse Ambassadorship Praised for 'Relatable' Reason: 'Finally, something non-luxury & affordable' Others shared several photos of Karina that prove her face "changing" was due to bad angles and lighting. In other candid shots, she looks the same as usual. Some comments read, "You're really calling a girl in her 20s and calling her old. Is your IQ low?" "You're calling a girl in her 20s old. That's laughable." "Guys, let's not feed the trolls." "Stop gaslighting. If Karina is considered old, then you must be old enough to retire soon." What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below! CHECK THIS OUT: 5 Fourth-Gen Female Idols With Small Faces: aespa Karina, (G)I-DLE Miyeon, More! KpopStarz Owns This Written by Alexa Lopez ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 13. Kazakhstan and the Italian airline Neos have agreed to continue working to further expand cooperation in the field of air communications, Trend reports. The corresponding agreement was reached during a meeting between the Vice Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, Talgat Lastayev, and the General Director of the airlines representative office in Kazakhstan and the President of the Italian-Kazakh Trade Association, Marco Beretta. In general, the parties noted with satisfaction the operation of flights by Neos Airlines between Kazakhstan and Italy and discussed issues of air communication between the two countries. Meanwhile, Italy is one of Kazakhstan's three largest trading partners in the world and ranks first among the EU countries. Thus, bilateral trade grew by almost 55 percent last year, reaching about $15 billion. However, Kazakhstan sees significant potential for increased trade. The country is ready to increase the export of products to Italy by 110 commodity items worth over $900 million. In addition, Italy is consistently among the top five largest investors from the EU in the economy of Kazakhstan. The total inflow of investments over the past 17 years has reached $7.3 billion. At the end of last year, their volume increased by almost 2.5 times and amounted to about $300 million. Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 13 (ANI): A high-level delegation led by Karnataka Heavy and Medium Industries Minister MB Patil will on Sunday leave to attend the "World Economic Forum-2024" Annual Meet scheduled to be held in Davos, Switzerland from January 15 to 19. This delegation having "Innovation Will Impact" as its theme comprises Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister LK Athiq, Secretary ITBT Ekarup Kaur, Principal Secretary Department of Commerce & Industry Dr. S Selvakumar, Commissioner of Commerce & Industries Gunjan Krishna and CEO of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) Mahesh among others, as per an official release. Also Read | Prabha Atre Dies: Renowned Classical Singer Passes Away at 91; President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi Mourn. MB Patil on Saturday said that during the meeting, we will draw the attention of businessmen from the world over to the Karnataka government's business-friendly policies, evolved ecosystem, potential areas for investment, availability of human resources, priority to imbibe skills among students, and efficient single window system. "The government aims to develop Karnataka as the leading manufacturing hub in Asia. In addition, we are focussing on areas such as semiconductors, electric automotive, space and defence, clean energy, research and development and artificial intelligence. Keeping this in mind, we aim to attract more investment and to achieve collaborations" he added, as per the release. Also Read | Lohri 2024 Date: Is Lohri on January 13 or 14 This Year? Know All About the Harvest Festival of Punjab. The World Economic Forum is an international non-governmental organisation for public-private sector collaboration based in Cologny, Switzerland. The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability, as per the forum's official website. This annual meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organisations, 1000 forum's partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), January 13 (ANI): The Culture Department is making extensive preparations for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony to be held in Ayodhya on January 22. To make the event unique and unforgettable, 2,500 folk artists will perform on 100 stages in Ayodhya on January 22, according to an official statement from the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday. Besides, over 5,000 artists from across the country and the world will perform in Ayodhya over a period of 70 days from January 14 to March 24. Also Read | Rajasthan: Cancer Patient Dies After Oxygen Supply Stops Due to Power Cut at Hospital in Jodhpur; Probe Ordered. Artists from over 15 countries will stage Ramlila during this period. Also, 25 Ramlila troupes from Uttar Pradesh and 10 from other states will showcase the grandeur of the Tretayug through their performances, added the offical statement. On January 22, Lord Ram will be seated in his divine and majestic temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM will be accorded a grand welcome on the occasion. For the performance on 100 stages by 2500 artists on January 22, a rehearsal will take place on January 21. Additionally, artists at many other locations will spread the fragrance of Indian culture through their performances. Also Read | Sikkim Road Accident: Three Killed, One Critically Injured As Vehicle Falls Into Gorge in Namchi District. Notably, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to provide a platform for both new talents and established artists to perform. Over 5,000 artists will perform at 10 public locations over a period of 70 days. The finalized locations for the cultural programs include Bharatkund, Suryakund, Guptar Ghat, Jhunki Ghat, Badi Devkali, Gulabbadi, Ramghat Halt- Saptarangi Bridge, near Saket Petrol Pump, Parag Dairy, and near Ayodhya Dham Railway Station, read the official statement further. In Ayodhya, artists from Uttar Pradesh and other states will participate. In Tulsi Udyan, Haryana's Rakesh Ganguli will present Shiv Stuti, Odisha's Ashok Behera will present Shriram Natya, Maharashtra's Yashwant Madhav, Tamil Nadu's T.S. Morgan, and Punjab's Jaswant Singh will present Jhumar. The team led by K.S. Satyanarayana from Karnataka will present a Bal Yatra of the entire Ramayana. In addition to this, there will be presentations by many other artistes as well. Padma Shri Malini Awasthi, MP and film actor Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur, and Kanhaiya Mittal, will present their performances on the evening of January 22 from 5 to 8 PM. Malini Awasthi and Ravi Kishan's program will take place at Tulsi Udyan. On Ram Ki Paidi, Sharma Brothers from Ujjain and Kanhaiya Mittal from Chandigarh will present their performances. Ram Katha Park in Nagpur will witness a presentation by the Watekar Sisters. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kota (Rajasthan), Jan 13 (PTI) Three home guards of the forest team were injured allegedly in an attack by 15-20 villagers in the Baran district on Friday afternoon, officials said. A tractor trolley, seized for alleged illegal sand mining in the Parvati river bed, was also freed in the attack which took place under the Bapcha police station area. Also Read | Divya Pahuja Murder Case: 11 Days After Murder, Ex-Model's Body Recovered From Canal in Haryana's Fatehabad District. Police lodged a case against three identified and 17-20 others under various sections of the IPC on Friday evening and began investigation. Around 15-20 villagers attacked the forest team on the way near the Allapura village when it was heading to its office with a tractor-trolley seized for alleged illegal sand mining in the Uchavad village. The villagers freed the tractor-trolley, ASI and investigating officer of the case Narendra Kumar said. Also Read | China Shouldn't Expect Other Aspects To Move Ahead Normally, Says EAM S Jaishankar. Three home guards in the forest team, identified as Jitendra Singh, Ramavtar and Ramswroop Sen sustained minor injuries in the attack, he added. Police lodged a case against Raghuveer Dhakad, Devkishan and Ramkishan Kishan under sections 143, 341, 332, 353 of the IPC and began investigation, the ASI said, adding the tractor-trolley was later seized by the forest team after the villagers left it abandoned. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Imphal, Jan 13 (PTI) Asserting that the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is an ideological yatra and not an electoral one, the Congress on Saturday said it was being taken out against the "anyay kaal" of 10 years of the Narendra Modi government. The yatra will begin from Thoubal district near here and is being seen as the Congress' bid to set the narrative in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and put the spotlight on issues such as unemployment, price rise and social justice. Also Read | Rajasthan: Cancer Patient Dies After Oxygen Supply Stops Due to Power Cut at Hospital in Jodhpur; Probe Ordered. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the biggest challenge before the country is that it is facing an ideology which believes in polarisation, economic inequalities and political authoritarianism. "The prime minister shows golden dreams of 'amrit kaal' but what is the reality of the last 10 years - 'anyay kaal'. No mention of 'anyay kaal' is made while big boasts of 'amrit kaal' are projected," Ramesh said. Also Read | Sikkim Road Accident: Three Killed, One Critically Injured As Vehicle Falls Into Gorge in Namchi District. He was addressing a press conference here along with former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, state party chief Keisham Meghachandra Singh, former Arunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki and Congress Working Committee member Gaikhangam. "The yatra is being taken out keeping in mind political, economic and social injustices committed in the last 10 years," Ramesh said. "This is a yatra by a political party. It is an ideological yatra and not an electoral one," he stressed. The yatra will pass through 100 Lok Sabha constituencies in 15 states and the party believes it will prove to be as "transformative" as Rahul Gandhi's earlier cross-country march. The Congress has said that it is taking out the yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution. The yatra will traverse 6,713 km, mostly in buses but also on foot. It will cover 110 districts, 100 Lok Sabha seats and 337 assembly constituencies in 67 days, before culminating in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. Though the Congress has repeatedly stressed that this is not an electoral yatra, it comes at a crucial juncture as the party seeks to revive its fortunes after a poor showing in the last round of assembly elections. With the BJP focusing on the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony, the Congress wants to put the spotlight on bread-and-butter issues through this yatra. Gandhi had on Friday said emotional issues are being "misused" politically and attention is being diverted from real issues, in a "betrayal" of the people of the country. In a post on X, the former Congress president said, "The youth will have to think about what will be the identity of the India of our dreams? Quality of life or just emotions? Youth raising provocative slogans or the employed youth? Love or hate?". The yatra will be flagged off from a private ground in Thoubal district, instead of Imphal, the party's initial choice. The state government had given the Congress conditional approval to flag off the yatra from the Palace Grounds in the state capital, restricting the number of participants. Therefore, the Congress decided to opt for another venue. The Thoubal district administration has also imposed some restrictions on the event such as the duration should not exceed an hour and the number of participants should not cross 3,000. The yatra will be in Manipur for a day. The state has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year which has claimed more than 180 lives and rendered thousands of people homeless. At the press conference, Ramesh lashed out at the BJP-led central and state governments for the situation in Manipur. "What can be a bigger 'anyay' (injustice) than the prime minister not visiting the state even once," he said and slammed PM Modi for maintaining "silence" on the violence in this northeastern state. The prime minister spoke during the no-confidence motion in Parliament for hours but talked about Manipur only for a few minutes, what can be a bigger injustice, he asked. Ramesh alleged that there is no 'loktantra' but just 'ektantra (one-man rule)', and asserted that the yatra is aimed at strengthening democracy and democratic institutions of the country. During a virtual meeting of the Indian National Inclusive Developmental Alliance (INDIA) on Saturday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge invited all leaders of the bloc to join the yatra anywhere along its route, Ramesh informed. According to the route released by the party, the yatra would stay the longest in Uttar Pradesh, covering 1,074 km in 11 days. It would pass through politically vital areas, including Amethi, the Gandhi family bastion of Rae Bareli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency of Varanasi. From Manipur, the yatra will proceed to Nagaland and cover 257 km and five districts in two days, before covering 833 km and 17 districts in Assam in eight days. It will be in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya for a day each. The yatra will then move on to West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Gandhi will address public gatherings and interact with civil society members and organisations twice a day during the yatra. Before starting the yatra, Gandhi will pay homage to martyrs at the Khongjom War Memorial in Thoubal, built in memory of those killed in the last Anglo-Manipur War in 1891. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 13. Kazakh airlines have been advised to avoid flying over Yemen, Trend reports, referring to the statement of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan. "Based on the results of the assessment, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan has sent relevant recommendations to the airlines of Kazakhstan not to fly aircraft over the airspace of Yemen," the agency reported. Meanwhile, the US and the UK have launched a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen. Several cities were struck by air and missile strikes. New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Consensus emerged on the appointment of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of the opposition INDIA bloc while JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar's name was proposed for convener's post, pending approval of parties absent at the alliance meeting on Saturday, according to sources. Leaders of the INDIA bloc met virtually and discussed various aspects of the alliance like seat-sharing and preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, due in April-May. The sources said leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Samajwadi Party did not attend the meeting. Also Read | Divya Pahuja Murder Case: 11 Days After Murder, Ex-Model's Body Recovered From Canal in Haryana's Fatehabad District. According to the sources, a consensus emerged on Kharge's appointment as the chairperson of the bloc. The leaders also decided to make Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar the convener of the alliance, but a final call will be taken after consulting the parties whose representatives were not present in the meeting, the sources said. Also Read | China Shouldn't Expect Other Aspects To Move Ahead Normally, Says EAM S Jaishankar. However, no announcement was made till this evening. Many see the alliance chairperson and convener having an upper hand in the race for the prime ministerial candidate, but leaders of various parties maintained that the PM candidate of the INDIA bloc would be decided only after the elections. In a post on X, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka D K Shivakumar said on Saturday evening that Kharge "has been named Chairperson of INDIA bloc, which shows dependability and trust in his leadership and vision". "AICC President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge is not just Karnataka's pride, he is the country's pride, and one of the most experienced leaders we have right now. Today, he has been named Chairperson of INDIA bloc, which shows dependability and trust in his leadership and vision. "My best wishes to him, and I know that he will steer INDIA bloc with immense commitment and dedication, like he has led Congress Party," Shivakumar said. NCP president Sharad Pawar who attended the meeting told reporters that Nitish Kumar's name was suggested for the post of convener, but the JD(U) leader was of the view that a team of party chiefs should be formed and that there is no need to appoint a convenor. Sources added that talks are continuing between Congress chief Kharge and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee as also with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray have said that there is no dispute over the issue. Sources said the alliance leaders would be meeting physically soon later in the month to chalk out further plans. In the evening, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also met Kharge at his residence, where Rahul Gandhi was also present. AAP leader Raghav Chadha also attended the talks which related to seat-sharing between the two parties, the sources said. Kharge later said in a post on X that the leaders of the INDIA Coordination Committee met online and had a fruitful discussion on the alliance. "Everyone is happy that the seat-sharing talks are progressing in a positive way. We also discussed about joint programs in the coming days by INDIA Parties. "I, along with Rahul Gandhi ji invited all INDIA Parties to join 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' at their convenience and use the opportunity to raise the social, political and economic issues plaguing common people of this country," the Congress chief said. Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is beginning on Sunday from Imphal, Manipur. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who addressed a press conference on the Yatra in Imphal, refused to answer queries on the appointments in the INDIA alliance. Talking to reporters at Junnar in Pune district after attending the meeting, Pawar said there was no dispute among the INDIA bloc members over appointing its convener. "There was a suggestion made by the bloc members (during the meeting) that Nitish Kumar be appointed as its convener, but the latter (Kumar) said that a team of party chiefs should be formed and that there is no need to appoint a convenor," he said. At the same time, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president said, "There is no need to project one face to seek votes. We will select the leader after the elections and we are confident of providing an alternative. In 1977, Morarji Desai was not projected as the prime ministerial face by the opposition." "Candidates (for the Lok Sabha elections) were not discussed... We will discuss seat-sharing. For Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, seat-sharing was discussed and we will announce once it is finalised," he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray did not attend the virtual meeting citing a scheduled programme. "There shouldn't be any misunderstanding in this regard. I have expressed my inability to attend the meeting as I had to attend a scheduled programme which involved a lot of moving around," he said. However, BJP chief J P Nadda took a swipe at the opposition bloc INDIA, saying it is a virtual alliance that is doing virtual meetings as a mere formality and that its leaders' two-point agenda is to save their families and properties. Addressing a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha to launch 'Namo Navmatdata Abhiyan' to connect with first-time voters, he said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for a developed India, empowering the youth, farmers and women, and removing poverty, the opposition stands for "removing Modi". "A virtual alliance will do virtual meetings only. It will do so for the sake of formalities," he said. A close aide of Nitish Kumar on Saturday confirmed that a "proposal" to make the JD(U) president convener of the INDIA bloc came up at the meeting of coalition leaders through virtual mode. JD(U) national general secretary Sanjay Kumar Jha, however, said Kumar had "so far not given approval" to the offer which will be deliberated upon within the party even as he claimed that the Bihar CM was in favour of a Congress leader becoming the chairperson. Trinamool Congress on Saturday affirmed its commitment to the alliance but said that Congress should recognise its limitations in West Bengal and permit the party to spearhead the political battle in it. "We are committed to the INDIA alliance and want to work together to defeat BJP. But we sincerely wish that the Congress leadership acknowledges the limitations and weaknesses of their Bengal unit and allows us (TMC) to lead the fight in the state," a TMC MP, familiar with the talks, said. As the bloc faces the challenging task of deciding on a seat-sharing arrangement for Lok Sabha polls, the Saturday meeting was the second attempt to hold a virtual meeting after the first one a few days ago did not materialise. As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections. (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 13 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued its fourth summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday for questioning into the alleged Delhi excise policy case. He has been asked to appear before the central probe agency on January 18, sources said. The summon comes after the Delhi Chief Minister refused to depose before the ED for the third time on January 3 Also Read | Bus on Fire in Telangana: One Killed, Four Injured After Volvo Bus Catches Blaze on Hyderabad-Bangalore National Highway Near Erravalli (Watch Video). The ED issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal on December 22 last year, in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3. Delhi CM was earlier summoned by the ED in connection with an excise policy case on December 18, asking him to appear before the central agency for questioning on December 21. Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal Summoned by ED: Enforcement Directorate Issues Fourth Summons to Delhi CM in Excise Policy Case for January 18. The Delhi CM was first called by the central agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose, alleging that the notice was "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law." After skipping the third summons of the investigating agency Kejriwal, in his reply to the ED, expressed his readiness to cooperate with the investigation but declined to appear on the summoned date, calling the notice "illegal." Kejriwal further questioned the agency for not responding to his earlier replies when the summons was sent to him and he had raised certain queries on the nature of the agency's investigation. In his written reply to the ED, the Delhi CM said "As a premier investigating agency the non-disclosure and non-response approach adopted by you cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice. Your obstinacy is tantamount to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner at the same time which is not acceptable in our country governed by the rule of law." Delhi Chief Minister was also summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April this year, in connection with the case. However, Kejriwal was not named as an accused in the first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI on August 17, last year. In February 2023, Arvind Kejriwal's Deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi's new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Puri (Odisha) [India], January 13 (ANI): Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the inauguration of the Jagannath Heritage Corridor project on January 17, a top police officer said. Jagannath Heritage Corridor project is a much-awaited and prestigious project that is going to be inaugurated on 17th January, for which the police department has made "very elaborate arrangements" said Ashish Kumar Singh, IG, Central Range in Cuttack, Odisha. Also Read | China Shouldn't Expect Other Aspects To Move Ahead Normally, Says EAM S Jaishankar. The police officer said that ultra-modern technology has been deployed to monitor the safety and security of the project and the inauguration ceremony. "We are using ultra-modern technology to monitor the safety and security of the entire project and the inauguration ceremony. K9 teams, BD teams and 44 platoons will be deployed," Singh said. Also Read | Bestiality Horror in Alwar: Man Rapes Cow in Rajasthan, Arrested For Unnatural Sex. Meanwhile, the erstwhile king of Puri, Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb told ANI that after the inauguration the 'parikrama' will be open to the general public. "Because of COVID-19 there was some delay, but now it is ready and on the 15th, 16th and 17th January, there is going to be the 'Pratishtha Yagya' and the 'Lokarpana' of the entire project...On the 17th, CM (Naveen Patnaik) will unveil the plaque of the project and the 'Purnahuti' will take place. After that, the 'parikrama' will be open to the general public, who will enjoy the facilities and amenities of the parikrama," Gajapati Maharaj said. Shree Mandir Parikrama' also called the Jagannath Heritage Corridor Project of Lord Jagannath temple in Odisha's Puri has been completed by the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC) and handed over to the temple administration Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). The Heritage project includes parking places, Shree Setu (a bridge), pilgrimage centres, a new road to facilitate the movement of pilgrims, toilets for male, and female devotees and servitors, clock rooms and electrical work with other visitors' amenities. The rituals for the dedication of the mega project began on Friday. The first phase of the 'Yajna' (Gua teka ritual) and the 'Anukra Ropana' ritual also commenced. As a part of this, Yagnya and various other rituals will be carried out for three days (January 15, 16, and 17) before the inauguration ceremony on January 17. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the project while Puri Gajapati Maharaj Divyasingha Deb will give 'purnahuti' (final offering) at the three-day-long yagna. The corridor aims to enhance the visual appeal and surroundings of the iconic Jagannath Temple. The inauguration comes just five days ahead of the Ram temple coronation. Jagannath Temple is one of the 'dham' that every Hindu is advised to visit. Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath, along with sister Devi Subhadra and elder brother Mahaprabhu Shri Balabhadra, are being worshipped in Puri (the Purusottama Kshetra). Though no changes have been made in the temple, the area within the 75-metre corridor of the boundary wall of the Jagannath temple has been developed. (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 13 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a two-day visit to Iran beginning Monday to discuss with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian a range of key issues including the unfolding security situation in the Red Sea. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two ministers will deliberate on bilateral, regional and global issues. Also Read | Rajasthan: Cancer Patient Dies After Oxygen Supply Stops Due to Power Cut at Hospital in Jodhpur; Probe Ordered. "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Iran on January 14 to 15 as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides," it said on Saturday. "He will meet Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues," the MEA said in a statement. Also Read | Sikkim Road Accident: Three Killed, One Critically Injured As Vehicle Falls Into Gorge in Namchi District. It said political cooperation, connectivity initiatives and strong people-to-people ties will constitute important aspects of the agenda of the talks between Jaishankar and Amir-Abdollahian. Jaishankar's planned visit to Tehran comes against the backdrop of growing global concerns over Houthi militants targeting merchant vessels in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. The US and the UK have already launched air strikes targeting the Houthi positions in Yemen. India has been closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the Red Sea. The issue figured in a phone conversation between Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday. The Indian Navy has already enhanced deployment of its frontline ships and surveillance aircraft for maritime security operations in view of the maritime environment in the critical sea lanes including the North and Central Arabian Sea. Following the airstrikes targeting the Houthi positions, US President Joe Biden said he will not hesitate to direct further measures. "The response of the international community to these reckless attacks has been united and resolute," he said. Jaishankar and Amir-Abdollahian are also likely to deliberate on boosting regional connectivity through the Chabahar port. Located in Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast, the Chabahar port is being developed by India and Iran to boost connectivity and trade ties. India has been pushing for the Chabahar port project to boost regional trade, especially for its connectivity to Afghanistan. At a connectivity conference in Tashkent in 2021, Jaishankar projected the Chabahar port as a key regional transit hub, including to Afghanistan. The Chabahar port is also seen as a key hub for the INSTC project. The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Tehran in November to co-chair a meeting of India-Iran Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) along with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for political affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ernakulam (Kerala) [India], January 13 (ANI): Youth Congress Ernakulam district committee led a protest march to the police commissioner's office today to protest against the arrest of Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil. Lok Sabha MP from Ernakulam district, Hibi Eden inaugurated the march which started from the District Congress office at 11.45 am on Saturday. Also Read | Tamil Nadu's All-Party MPs' Delegation To Meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah Seeking Disbursal of Flood Relief. DCC President Muhammad Shiyas along with other MLAs K Babu, TJ Vinod, Anwar Sadath, Roji M John, Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Eldhose Kunnappilly and other Congress leaders also attended the protest march. The Congress leaders claimed 'political vendetta' as the reason behind arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil. Also Read | India-US Trade Policy Forum Meeting: New Delhi Urges White House To Restore GSP Status, Scrapped by Former US President Donald Trump, for Duty-Free Exports. Kerala Assembly, leader of opposition, and Congress leader VD Satheesan alleged that the Kerala police is doing injustice to the youngsters of the state. "Yesterday in Kannur a young girl was brutally attacked by the police. This was at the request of the Chief Minister. When there was an attempt to murder the youth congress people in Kannur, the Chief minister of Kerala appreciated this attack, and he made a call to continue this type of criminal activities," claimed Congress leader VD Satheesan. Earlier, On Tuesday, the police apprehended Rahul Mamkoottathil for his role in the Secretariat march, aimed at drawing attention to purported injustices against Youth Congress workers. The cantonment police visited the residence of the Youth Congress leader in Pathanamthitta to officially record the arrest. Preceding this, 31 Youth Congress workers had already been arrested in relation to the incident. Rahul Mamkoottathil stands as the fourth accused, while opposition leader VD Satheesan holds the position of the first accused in this case. The Youth Congress Secretariat organized a protest march on December 20 to condemn the assault on Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers by activists from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Chief Minister's security personnel during the Nava Kerala Yatra conducted by the state government. Condemning the arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil, the Indian Youth Congress said "Attack on free speech will not be tolerated. We condemn the arrest of our IYC Kerala President Rahul Mamkootathil for peacefully protesting against the brutality of government. CPM in Kerala has created a fascist administration under the illusion of 'free left." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jan 13 (PTI) Two civic staffers were arrested in Mumbai for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from an NGO to clear bills, a Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau official said on Saturday. Satish Dagadkhair and Nitin Sable of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's L Ward had sought Rs 12,000 to clear a bill of Rs 84,000 from an RTI activist who runs an NGO, the official said. Also Read | India Registers 'Strong Protest' Against Visit by British Envoy Jane Marriott to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Calls It 'Infringement of Sovereignty'. "The NGO had worked under the Swachh Mumbai Prabhodan Abhiyan. Dagadkhair and Sable were arrested in an ACB trap in Safedpul area of Sakinaka while accepting Rs 10,000. The two were charged under Prevention of Corruption Act and have been remanded in police custody for further probe," the official said. "We had worked in December as part of the cleanliness drive after our tender bid was accepted. However, the two officials were seeking bribes to clear our bill and harassing us," NGO functionary and complainant Vinod Sonkamble said. Also Read | India Secures Second Spot in Asia in 2023 for Most Internet Exchange Points Per Country, Says Report. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) South 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], January 13 (ANI): Keeping in view the safety of the devotees who have gathered in large numbers for the Gangasagar Mela in the South 24 Parganas of West Bengal, five teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed as part of search and rescue operations. The NDRF teams deployed in the area are well-equipped with the life-saving gear required for search and rescue operations and the teams also consist of women personnel. Also Read | Maldives May Be Small But It Doesn't Give Other Countries License To Bully Us, Says President Mohamed Muizzu Amid Diplomatic Row With India. "5 teams of NDRF are deployed here. 200 personnel are a part of the teams deputed here. Drone cameras are being used for security and surveillance," Deputy Commandant, NDRF 2nd Battalion, Pushpendra Kumar, said. Gangasagar Mela is the second-largest fair after Kumbh Mela. It is observed on the pious day of Makar Sankranti, which generally falls between January 14 and 15 every year. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: Three Alleged Snatchers Thrashed, Stripped After Being Paraded Naked in National Capital, Police Files Case. The Gangasagar Mela witnesses many spiritual devotees every year who visit, especially to take a dip in the sacred waters of the river Ganga at Sagardwip, from where it finally merges into the Bay of Bengal. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting regarding preparations for the Gangasagar Mela 2024 at the State Secretariat, Nabanna. The meeting was attended by cabinet ministers and secretaries of different departments. During the meeting, Mamata Banerjee announced that the fair would be held with extensive security and amenities. This includes a strict police vigil, 200 km of barricades, 1150 CCTV cameras, 20 drones, 2400 civil defence forces, and 50 fire engines. Additionally, there will be accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh per person, 6,500 volunteers, and 10,000 toilets. "There will be strict police vigil... 200 kilometres long barricades to control the crowd, 1150 CCTV cameras, 20 drones, 2400 civil defence forces, and 50 fire engines will be there in the fair from January 9-17. There will be accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh per person. 6,500 volunteers and a provision of 10,000 toilets will also be there," Mamata Banerjee said. The Chief Minister also directed the administration to keep a close watch to avoid any untoward incidents in this regard. Mamata also asked the media to make arrangements to telecast this aarti live. Apart from this, she also informed that the number of buses is being increased for the convenience of pilgrims. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati (Assam) [India], January 13 (ANI): Ignoring the chilly winter conditions, Assam is gearing up to celebrate Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu. Markets are crowded with people buying various dishes, including Pitha (rice cake), fresh cream, thick creamy curd, golden honey, and different types of Laddus, made from coconut, jaggery, sesame seeds, rice flour, puffed rice, etc. Also Read | Sikkim Road Accident: Three Killed, One Critically Injured As Vehicle Falls Into Gorge in Namchi District. Bhogali Melas have been organized in various parts of Assam's capital of Guwahati. Dhrubajyoti Das, a shopkeeper, said that preparations are in full swing to celebrate Magh Bihu and people are coming here to buy traditional delicious food items. Also Read | 'World Does Not Give Things Easily, You Have To Take Them', Says EAM S Jaishankar on India's Permanent UNSC Membership (Watch Video). "We have prepared curd and fresh cream in our own house. We are selling curd at Rs 150 per liter and fresh cream at Rs 600 per liter," Dhrubajyoti Das said, adding that the customers' response is good. Manikut Bayan said that the organizers have organized this Bhogali Mela and given us a place to sell our products. "Everyone is now in celebration mode. We are selling various delicious food items here and we have received a good response from the customers," Manikut Bayan said. On the other hand, Alkas Hussain, a customer, said that the people of Assam are now gearing up to celebrate Bhogali Bihu. People have now thronged to the markets in Guwahati to buy delicious foods and have made all preparations to celebrate the biggest festival in the state. Magh Bihu, or Bhogali Bihu, is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam which marks the end of harvesting season in the local month of Magh during mid of January and the people of the state celebrate the festival with community feasts after the annual harvest. The night before Magh Bihu is known as Uruka, or Bihu Eve and the people of the state are gearing up to celebrate Uruka on Sunday. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 13 (ANI): Ahead of the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lala in Ayodhya's Ram Temple, the Uttar Pradesh government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Yogi has tightened the security in Ayodhya through land, air, and water surveillance. This involves extensive use of technology alongside the deployment of manual agencies, said an official statement by the CMO. Also Read | Rajasthan: Cancer Patient Dies After Oxygen Supply Stops Due to Power Cut at Hospital in Jodhpur; Probe Ordered. The official statement further mentioned that the UP government has deployed a huge force of UP Police including Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Special Task Force (STF), Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and UP Special Security Force (UPSSF) in Ayodhya. The government is also using technologies such as AI, anti-drone systems, and CCTV cameras to monitor activities across the city. Additionally, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) contingent has been deployed along the Sarayu River and ghats. Furthermore, Ayodhya is implementing barcoding for the security of guests. Also Read | Sikkim Road Accident: Three Killed, One Critically Injured As Vehicle Falls Into Gorge in Namchi District. Ayodhya IG Praveen Kumar said that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's direction, huge police forces have been deployed in Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir's Pran Pratishtha ceremony. The security of the Dham has been divided into two zones, red and yellow. He further mentioned that Central agencies such as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and NDRF have also been stationed. Besides, cooperation of the Intelligence Bureau and RAW is also being taken. According to the information from IG Kumar, the security team includes over 100 DSPs from various districts of the state, approximately 325 inspectors, and 800 sub-inspectors. Additionally, before the main event, 11,000 personnel from the police and paramilitary forces will also be deployed. He further mentioned that for VIP security, three DIGs, 17 SPs, 40 ASPs, 82 DSPs, 90 inspectors, more than a thousand constables and 4 companies of PAC have been assigned. The IG mentioned that the forces are being increased in view of the program. Moreover, emphasis is placed on better coordination between all agencies involved in security operations to avoid any lapses. Special arrangements have been made for tight rail security. He also informed that adequate additional security personnel have been provided for GRP. The forces deployed in Ayodhya are receiving behavioural training to ensure proper interactions with devotees and guests. Furthermore, 250 police guides have been appointed to provide information about the tourist spots, while a digital tourist app will be launched on January 14. The official statement by the CMO mentioned that the UP government is utilizing the latest technology to tighten security in Ayodhya. In this regard, the entire city is being monitored through ITMS of the Municipal Corporation, CCTV through Police, Control Room and Public CCTV. For this purpose, 1500 cameras of public CCTV have been integrated with ITMS. In the yellow zone, facial recognition AI-based big screens have been integrated with ITMS at 10,715 locations. Additionally, arrangements for OFC-linked cameras have been made. The entire security system is making extensive use of AI technology. Furthermore, the anti-drone system is fully active. The highly sensitive Red and Yellow zones of Ayodhya have been secured through an anti-drone system, said the official statement, adding that through this, any drone flying within a radius of 5 km can be located. As per the information from the CMO, this anti-drone system manufactured by an Israeli company is the world's most modern technology and any drone can be deactivated through this system. Moreover, the entire city of Ayodhya is equipped with 12 anti-drone systems, allowing monitoring of all activities on land, water, and in the air and bar coding is being used to ensure the security of VIPs during the program without any inconvenience. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jan 13 (PTI) Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said his ministry is looking at a template to restructure the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Besides, the minister said the workforce at BCAS, the country's aviation security body, will be increased by 400-450 people. Also Read | JEE Mains Exam 2024: Exam City Slip for Session 1 of Joint Entrance Examination for One Paper Released at jeemain.nta.ac.in, Know How To Download. Passenger traffic, fleet size and number of airports are growing, but the back-end infrastructure also has to grow to support this high rate of growth in the civil aviation sector, he said. "And therefore, all our agencies, whether it is air traffic controllers, we have in the last 15 months, increased their capacity by almost close to 33-45 per cent, from close to 2,796 to almost 3,940," he said here. Also Read | Who Are Houthis? Everything About Rebel Group That Sparked US and UK Strikes Amid Red Sea Crisis. He was addressing a media briefing after taking a review meeting of the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. "We are in the process of hiring new ATCOs, most of whom have been hired. The process of training is going on, and deployment will take place by October-November this year," he said. A similar situation is at BCAS, which is responsible for security, Scindia said, adding, "I am, right now, looking at a template for the restructuring of the organisation itself...in addition to increasing the capacity by almost 400-450 staff". "I have always maintained that safety and security for us is paramount," he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, January 13. The European Union (EU) has given 3 million euros grant to the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyrgyzstan to support the country's budget for digital transformation, Trend reports. These grant funds are designated to assist the work of the Kyrgyzstan's Innovation Centre of Digital Competences under the High Technology Park. The funds will also contribute to the promotion of the Sanarip Aimak (Digital Region) system across all regions of the country to provide electronic services to the population, enhance the country's cybersecurity, and ensure the protection of personal information. The budgetary support will be directed towards the development of software, maintenance of databases in sectoral ministries, and the promotion of the digital economy countrywide. Furthermore, the budgetary support is complemented by educational programs for government agencies with the assistance of EU member states, aiming to promote electronic governance, transparency, and accountability. The Ministry emphasized that accessible digital transformation, including high-speed internet, is one of the key priorities in the collaboration between the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and the EU. New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, traders in the national capital are working round the clock to meet the rising demand for saffron flags and posters bearing images of the deity and the temple. As Ayodhya gears up for grand celebrations on January 22, 40,000 workers and printing presses are working overtime to meet the requests of devotees here, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, president of the Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association, told PTI on Saturday. Also Read | JEE Mains Exam 2024: Exam City Slip for Session 1 of Joint Entrance Examination for One Paper Released at jeemain.nta.ac.in, Know How To Download. "When Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the people to light special diyas -- Shri Ram Jyoti -- in their homes to celebrate the consecration ceremony as as 'Deepawali', we expected a hike in demand for religious items related to the event. So, we started our preparation accordingly," said Yadav. He also said the markets will be decorated from January 15 evening, and a procession would be taken out in which around 700 businessmen are expected to participate. Also Read | Who Are Houthis? Everything About Rebel Group That Sparked US and UK Strikes Amid Red Sea Crisis. As the consecration ceremony approaches, the demand for these saffron flags is increasing from all corners of the city, with event planners and religious institutions placing bulk orders. Ajay, a shopkeeper from Malviya Nagar, said many religious organisations and temple management authorities are buying these saffron flags in bulk to distribute among the crowd. "People are not just coming for the flags, caps, or posters, they are also looking for items to decorate their vehicles, such as bikes, cars, and autos," Ajay said. "Previously, I used to make flags for political parties and the Tricolour. However, we started printing saffron flags due to the high demand, and now have two to three lakh orders," Ajay mentioned. Another trader Anil, a printing press owner in Karkardooma, said, Flags, especially those with Lord Ram's name printed on them, are in high demand. These include small flags for motorbikes and cars, as well as large flags featuring a picture of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir that are being sought after for temples and houses, he added. "We knew that people would be excited about the 'Pran Prathistha' but we didn't anticipate this high level of demand in the Delhi markets to celebrate the occasion in the national capital," Anil said. Printing presses are operating round the clock to meet the public's demand and fulfilling their requests on time is our concern, he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday met Union Industries and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and sought his approval for setting up a new industrial corridor connecting Hyderabad and Vijayawada via Miryalaguda. Reddy, who was in the national capital to attend the Congress' meeting on Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, said that he discussed with the Union minister various proposals for industrial development in Telangana. Also Read | JEE Mains Exam 2024: Exam City Slip for Session 1 of Joint Entrance Examination for One Paper Released at jeemain.nta.ac.in, Know How To Download. Reddy urged Goyal to reconsider the earlier plan of establishing a pharma city between Hyderabad and Warangal and instead endorse the forthcoming proposal for a pharma city to be submitted to the Center. He also said that the grant of final approval for the proposed Hyderabad-Nagpur industrial corridor is estimated to benefit Telangana by Rs 2,300 crore. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka accompanied CM Reddy to the meeting with Union Minister Goyal. Also Read | Who Are Houthis? Everything About Rebel Group That Sparked US and UK Strikes Amid Red Sea Crisis. The Telangana chief minister also brought to the Centre's attention the issue of relocation of the National Design Center from Hyderabad to Vijayawada after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The chief minister also sought approval for a Mega Leather Park, already designated for Nellore district in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, to be relocated to Telangana, where land has been acquired in Karimnagar and Jangaon districts. Reddy also appealed to Goyal to accord greenfield status to the Mega Textile Park in Warangal under the PM Mitra scheme. He highlighted the potential for accelerated industrial development, noting that the conversion from brownfield to greenfield would attract an additional fund of Rs 300 crore. Highlighting the state's readiness to establish industries related to technical textiles, such as bulletproof jackets, conveyor belts and airbags, the Telangana chief minister urged Goyal to grant a Centre of Excellence for Technical Textiles and testing centre. He also requested the allocation of a National Handloom Technology Center to Telangana, emphasizing the positive impact it would have on training weavers in modern technology and enhancing their income levels, especially with seven Handloom Clusters already established in the state, the statement added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Peshawar, Jan 13 (PTI) Four terrorists were killed by security forces on Saturday in two separate operations in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan, the army said. An intelligence-based operation in the Mir Ali area of the North Waziristan district left two terrorists dead in an intense exchange of fire with the security forces, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army. Also Read | Japan: Crack Found on Cockpit Window of ANA Boeing 737-800 Aircraft Mid-Air, Plane Safely Lands at Sapporo-New Chitose Airport. In another joint operation conducted by the security forces and police in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district, two terrorists were eliminated, it said. The ISPR said the security forces recovered weapons, ammunition and explosives from the possession of the terrorists. Also Read | UK Shocker: Mother, Her Ex-Partner Kill 18-Month-Old Boy in 'Cruel and Brutal' Attack, Jailed For Life. The terrorists, highly wanted by law enforcement agencies, were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as extortion and target killings of innocent civilians. Sanitization operations are being carried out in the area to eliminate remaining terrorists, the ISPR said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Balochistan [Pakistan], January 13 (ANI): The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has started a social media campaign #IStandWithBalochMarch to increase support for their movement throughout the world against enforced disappearances of the Baloch people. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the situation in Balochistan and bring together voices in support of justice, The Balochistan Post reported. Also Read | Colombia Mudslide Video: Landslide in Colombia's West Kills at Least 18 People and Injures Dozens Others. In a statement, BYC called upon people worldwide to join the solidarity campaign. They emphasised the nonviolent character of their public campaign and voiced worries about purported false information and attempts at internet restriction aimed at the Baloch March. Also Read | Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Marries Clarke Gayford After Five-Year Engagement (See Pics). BYC emphasised the need to dispel false information, alter damaging myths, and raise public awareness of the problems with extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances in Balochistan. In a post on X, political activist Mahrang Baloch said that she is "deeply touched" to see Baloch women and children from Malir and Lyari standing against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. "I am deeply touched to see Baloch women and children from Malir and Lyari standing against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. For years, Lyari has remained the intellectual hub of Baloch nationalism in all its diverse expressions. The way peaceful residents of Lyari were treated and detained by Karachi police on Friday is a sheer violation of the law," she wrote on X. "I am writing to the United Nations Special Rapporteur about this mistreatment soon. Together, we can stand to stop grave abuses of rights in Balochistan. Be with us and strengthen our fight against this injustice. Thank you, Lyari. Thank you, Malir," she added. https://x.com/MahrangBaloch_/status/1746087600929079350?s=20 The campaign seeks to spread awareness of the situation in Balochistan and encourage a broad range of people, including the general public and human rights activists, to support the Baloch March. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, January 13: Eleven days after she was shot dead in a Gurugram hotel, the body of ex-model Divya Pahuja was recovered from a canal in Haryana's Fatehabad district on Saturday, police said. The body was recovered based on information provided by accused Balraj Gill (28), who along with another person, had disposed of the body. He was arrested from an airport in Kolkata on Thursday, police officials said. Police said the body was identified through a tattoo on Divya's back, which could be seen in one of her old pictures. On January 2, Pahuja was taken to Hotel City Point by five people and shot in the head inside room number 111 because she had allegedly been extorting money from the hotel owner, Abhijeet Singh (56), by blackmailing him with his "obscene pictures", police had said earlier. Divya Pahuja Murder Case: Body of Ex-Model, Who Was Shot Dead at Hotel in Gurugram, Recovered From Haryana Canal (Watch Video). Gurugram Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya said Pahuja's body was recovered from the subsidiary canal of the Bhakra canal in Fatehabad's Tohana. It will be sent for a post-mortem examination, he said. CCTV footage from Hotel City Point showed the accused, including Singh, purportedly dragging Pahuja's body wrapped in a white sheet through the lobby. They later fled the hotel in a car with the body in the boot. According to police, Singh handed over the car with the body to Gill around a kilometre from the hotel. The car was later found abandoned at a bus stand in Punjab's Patiala. Police launched an extensive operation to find Pahuja's body after disclosures made by Gill following his arrest, they said. He disposed of the body with another accused, Ravi Banga at the behest of Abhijeet, they said. Divya Pahuja Murder Case: Gurugram Police Recover Former Model's Body From Canal in Haryana. Police had earlier arrested four people -- Abhijeet, Hemraj, Omprakash and Megha -- in connection with the case. ACP Dahiya said Banga was yet to be arrested. Later speaking to reporters in Gurugram, he said Gill is being brought back to Gurugram on transit remand. ACP Dahiya said Abhijeet took help of Megha for disposing of the weapon and some material evidence of the case. Megha was arrested on January 8, he said, adding that Abhijeet procured the weapon, used in the crime, from Parvesh who was arrested on Friday. During his questioning, Parvesh said he had supplied three more weapons to Abhijeet sometime back as he was fond of keeping weapons, said police. A case for keeping an illegal weapon had been registered against Abhijeet in 2021, the ACP said. Following the questioning of Abhijeet and Parvesh, the special investigation team of the Haryana police Saturday recovered the weapons which were provided by Parvesh. Two illegal weapons and 40 live cartridges have been recovered, Dahiya said. One weapon from Parvesh and two live cartridges have also been recovered, he said, adding that six teams have been formed to recover the body. Divya was in jail for over seven years for conspiring a fake encounter of her partner gangster Sandeep Gandoli in Mumbai with Gurugram police and rival gang leader Virendra Kumar alias Binder Gujjar on February 6, 2016. At the time of Gandoli's killing, Gujjar was in prison but had hatched the plan with the help of his brother Manoj and roped in Divya. Mumbai Police registered an FIR against five police personnel, Divya, her mother and others. The Bombay High Court granted bail to Divya in June, 2023. Hyderabad, January 13: The Animal Welfare Board has issued emergency advisory to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to stop cockfights during Makar Sankranti. The advisory has been issued on a complaint by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India that despite a ban on cockfighting in the country, arenas have been set up and steroids and alcohol administered to roosters. According to PETA, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) swiftly issued a letter to the Andhra Pradesh Animal Welfare Board and the Telangana State Animal Welfare Board to direct authorities to take appropriate actions under the law and furnish an action taken report. Cockfighting is prohibited under Sections 11(1) (m) (ii) and (n) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Makar Sankranti 2024: HSI-India Urges Citizens to Report Illegal Cockfighting Events Ahead of Festival PETA India also sent letters to state police in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana urging action and offering to take in seized birds. The Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police has issued instructions to unit officers to be vigilant against cockfighting during Makar Sankranti. PETA India urges anyone who learns about a cockfight to report it to the police, says PETA India Director of Advocacy Projects Khushboo Gupta. Cockfight Breeders Resort to Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Administer Viagra and Shilajit to Boost Roosters Ahead of Sankranti Festival PETA India has informed state police that it stands ready to find a safe home at a sanctuary for any seized roosters. Roosters raised for fighting are often kept in cramped cages and tormented in practice fights. Their eyes may be gouged out, their wings and legs broken, their lungs punctured, or their spinal cord severed. In fights, one or both birds may die and both are often critically injured. At these events, roosters who are fitted with blades for cockfighting have accidentally killed humans and gambling is common, PETA said. Mumbai, January 13: The Mumbai police recently arrested a 21-year-old woman for allegedly kidnapping a 20-day-old boy from his mother at Shatabdi Hospital. The alleged incident occurred on Thursday, January 11, when the woman reportedly kidnapped the infant. In her complaint, the victim, identified as Rinki Anil Jaiswal, told cops that a woman kidnapped her child after engaging her in a conversation. Jaiswal, a resident of Virar, also claimed that the woman offered to hold her child and even suggested she wash her face while showing concern for her, reports Hindustan Times. An officer from Kandivali police said that Jaiswal trusted the woman and went to the washroom only to return to find her child and the woman missing. Mumbai: Youths Self-Kidnapping Plan Goes Awry as He Demands Rs 30,000 via UPI from His Father. After searching the hospital and being unable to find her newborn son, Jaiswal approached the police and lodged a complaint against the unknown woman. "Since the woman was wearing a burkha and the child was wrapped in a red blanket, CCTV footage from the hospital was of no use to identify the woman," the officer said. Later, cops scanned CCTV footage of the nearby areas and found a burka-clad woman taking an autorickshaw. They followed the auto through CCTB cameras, which showed the woman first heading to Malwani and later to Vanrai police station in Goregaon East. The woman falsely told cops that she found the baby abandoned on a road. Lawyer Kidnapped in Borivali: Clients Abduct Advocate in Broad Daylight for Not Providing Promised Ration Cards, Hold Him Captive in Charkop Village; Arrested. However, the woman was caught when the Kandivali police arrived at the police station and intervened. Following this, the woman confessed to kidnapping the child. She told cops that she did not have a child despite being married for two years. She also stated that she resorted to stealing the boy as she was facing constant taunts about her childlessness. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 13, 2024 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Sultanpur, January 13: A 25-year-old man allegedly killed his aunt by crushing her using a grinding stone and stabbing her with a knife, police said here on Saturday. The deceased's husband, who reached home after the incident, filed a murder case against his nephew Arif in the Kadipur police station, following which the accused was arrested. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 17-Year-Old Girl Kidnapped From Barabanki, Drugged and Raped in Lucknow; Two Arrested According to police, Altaf's wife Sufina (30) was alone in the house on Friday afternoon when she was stabbed with a knife and crushed using a 'sil-batta' (grinding stone). Police said Sufina was lying dead on the ground soaked in blood when Altaf reached home. Altaf alleged that Arif's intentions were "not good" towards his wife. When Altaf returned home, his nephew was allegedly running out of the house with a knife. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Strangles Wife to Death in Meerut Over Suspicion of Infidelity, Attempts To Conceal Body in Forest; Arrested Superintendent of Police Somen Burma said that the woman was murdered in on Friday. A case has been registered against Arif on the basis of the complaint lodged by the deceased's husband. The accused was arrested on Friday evening, and the body of the deceased was sent for post-mortem examination, police said. Lohri, also known as Lohadi or Lal Loi, is a popular Punjabi folk festival celebrated primarily in the northern states of India. The festival of Lohri is closely linked to the Hindu festival Makara Sankranti, and it is celebrated one day before that. Lohri is celebrated one day before Maghi (Makar Sankranti), and the date of the Lohri festival is determined as per the Hindu Solar Calendar. The popular festival falls in January in the Gregorian calendar. However, every year, people are confused about Lohri dates and wonder if the popular Sikh festival falls on January 13 or 14. Is Lohri 2024 on January 13 or 14 This Year? This year, Lohri 2024 will be celebrated on Sunday, January 14. The Lohri Sankranti Moment is at 02:54 AM on January 15. It is believed by many that the festival marks the passing of the winter solstice. Lohri marks the end of winter and is a welcome of longer days and the sun's journey to the Northern Hemisphere. Makar Sankranti 2024 Date in India In 2024, Lohri will fall on January 14, and Makar Sankranti or Maghi will fall on January 15. The festival of Lohri is celebrated with great enthusiasm and pomp by lighting bonfires, eating festive food, dancing and collecting gifts. The lighting of a bonfire during this winter festival is an ancient tradition as since ancient times, people lit the bonfire to reignite the return of longer days. Lohri is celebrated to mark the last of the coldest days of winter and holds great importance in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir since Mughal times. The festival is observed as Lal Loi in the Sindhi community. Lohri 2024 Most families in North India usually have private Lohri celebrations in their houses. Lohri rituals are performed with the accompaniment of special Lohri songs. As per records, the date of Lohri changes every 70 years. In the late 19th century, Lohri used to fall on 11th January. In the mid-20th century, the festival used to be celebrated on 12th January or 13th January. In the 21st century, Lohri generally falls on the 13th or 14th of January. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 13, 2024 09:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Two men have been arrested for allegedly gang-raping a 12-year-old girl after abducting her from a village here, police said on Saturday. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 13. The South Korean ISAN Corporation, the South Korean company, will provide consulting services for the construction of bridges in Tajikistan, Trend reports. The corresponding document was signed by Tajikistan's Minister of Transport, Azim Ibrohim, and the director of ISAN Corporation's branch in Almaty (Kazakhstan), John Hee De. The consultations will be part of the state investment project titled "Tajikistan Preparedness and Resilience to Disasters Project", funded by the World Bank (WB). The main goal of the agreement is to prepare technical and economic justifications, detailed work plans, tender documentation, and environmental measures for the construction of two bridges in the Rudaki district and two bridges in the Vose district. The two bridges in the Dushanbe-Rudaki highway will be built over the Kofarnihon river and the Elok river. The other two bridges on the Dushanbe-Kulma highway will be built over the Kizilsu river and across the Yahsu river. Consultation services are expected to commence in early January 2024 and will continue for 12 months. An on duty Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Delhi Police committed suicide by shooting himself with his service revolver in south Delhi, an official said on Saturday. India has requested the US to restore its status under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program which was scrapped by the former Donald Trump administration in 2019. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has granted bail to Nitin Dhaberao, a 26-year-old man who was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The court, while granting relief, observed that the two had a love affair and the alleged sexual relationship appeared to be out of love and not lust. The case was filed by the father of the minor girl. In its observations, the court stated, The applicant is also of the tender age of 26 years, and out of the love affair, they come together. The court further noted that the alleged incident of a sexual relationship seems to be out of the attraction between the two young individuals, and it is not the case that the applicant subjected the victim to sexual assault out of lust. Madras HC on Porn Addiction: Viewing Porn Can Have Negative Consequences on Teenagers, Society Needs to Educate Rather Than Punish Them. Bombay HC Grants Bail to Pocso Accused Sexual relationship was out of love not lust: Bombay High Court allows bail to man booked for raping minor report by @NarsiBenwal https://t.co/fzeaBe7iTs Bar & Bench (@barandbench) January 12, 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 Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwans ruling party, achieved a historic victory on Saturday, securing a third term in office. Vice President Lai Ching-te won the closely watched presidential election with over 40 percent of the vote. The election, framed by China as a choice between peace and war, comes at a critical juncture amid escalating tensions between Taipei and Beijing. China has previously expressed its view that the DPPs governance is incompatible with cross-strait peace. Despite this, Lais victory signifies a significant moment for Taiwans political landscape. Taiwan Presidential Elections 2024: Polling Begins As Over 19 Million Voters To Elect President, Vice President Amidst Escalating Tensions With China (See Pics and Videos). Taiwan Elections 2024 Results (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.) Another US winter storm is happening, and millions are in the path of a massive blizzard, with winter storm warnings being issued for various areas around the country. Blizzard warnings have been issued from the Plains to the Midwest, with the massive winter storm expected to hit big cities like Chicago and batter these areas with heavy snow and strong winds. In the plains, whiteout conditions with nearly a foot of snow are expected. Over in the Midwest, some cities were able to escape the previous winter storm, but with this latest one, they would not be able to, according to the New York Post. This is evident in Chicago as the FAA reported that the O'Hare International Airport was forced to issue a ground stop because of the heavy snow, which covered much of the airport so much that no arrival runways became available. In addition, Thundersnow was also reported around downtown Chicago on Friday. Speaking of flight delays, Chicago's O'Hare was not the only airport that experienced delays, as the Quad City International Airport (MLI), Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), General Mitchell International Airport (MKE), and Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB) also reported flight delays due to the heavy snowfall. Blizzard Warnings Issued Across Midwest and Plains as US Winter Storm Rages On Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued blizzard warnings for several states, including South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with widespread wind chill advisories and watches. People have also been advised to take precautions to avoid frostbite and hypothermia. READ MORE: US Winter Storms Cripple Much of Country, Leave Over 500,000 People Without Electricity Amid Cold Winter Millions of Americans are in the path of that massive blizzard, and the weather conditions were so strong that Republican candidates running for president were forced to cancel their events originally scheduled for Friday. According to USA Today, Nikki Haley was forced to cancel three in-person events in Fort Dodge, Le Mars, and Council Bluffs due to the weather. Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis also canceled two events Friday morning. However, Vivek Ramaswamy said he would continue despite the bad weather "as long as we can physically make it." Meanwhile, hundreds of public schools have been closed due to the winter storms from Idaho to Illinois, with some transitioning to e-learning. 'Bomb Cyclone' Expected Across US Over the Weekend as US Winter Storm Rages The US winter storm is also causing what meteorologists call a "bomb cyclone" that is expected to happen across the United States over the weekend and is expected to continue into early next week. The warning came on a day when each and every state in the lower 48 received some form of weather warning, from high wind alerts to blizzard warnings. According to NBC News, this is the first significant Arctic outbreak of the winter, and it is expected to move from the northern Rockies and Plains to the South and Midwest. Temperatures by tomorrow morning are expected to be in the minus 20s Fahrenheit, minus 30s, and as low as minus 40. READ MORE: Donald Trump Tried To Spread Fake News About New York Judge Overseeing Fraud Trial But Gets Exposed This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Bomb Cyclone Hitting the United States; Winter Storm Bringing Snow, Powerful Winds and Arctic Cold - WRAL More than 8 million children in 15 states, including Florida and Texas, governed by Republican leaders, will miss out on a new US food aid designed to support families in need during the summer months. The program, scheduled to commence this summer, aims to provide low-income families $120 per eligible child for purchasing food at approved retailers, including grocery stores and farmers' markets when school assistance is unavailable. The deadline for states to opt into the program, approved by Congress with bipartisan support, was January 1, according to The New York Times. This week, the federal Agriculture Department disclosed that 35 states, five US territories, and four tribal nations, primarily in Oklahoma, had enrolled in the US food aid, allocating $2.5 billion in federal funds for an estimated 21 million children qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches. All 35 participating states were led by Democratic governors. Along with Florida and Texas, other Republican-led states, including Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming, chose not to apply. Some Republican governors cited concerns about the US food aid mechanics, administrative costs, ideological objections, and a lack of trust in the federal government as reasons for non-participation. READ NEXT: Florida Teen Kills Sister After Argument Florida Opts Out, Forfeiting Over $250 Million Florida has opted out of the US food aid or the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT), a federal initiative assisting low-income parents in covering grocery expenses over the summer. Beginning in the summer of 2024, eligible families in participating states will receive $40 per month per child, WFSU noted. However, Florida's failure to apply for the program resulted in forfeiting over $250 million in nutritional aid. Mallory McManus, from the Florida Department of Children and Families, justified the decision, stating that the state already relies on successful government programs like SNAP and summer break spots. "We anticipate that our state's full approach to serving children will continue to be successful this year without any additional federal programs that inherently always come with some federal strings attached," McManus said in an email. The federal nutrition program could have aided over 2 million children in Florida, potentially generating up to $466 million in economic activity. Texas Cites Timing Challenges Texas also declined participation in the US food aid, citing challenges with the program's timing, KUT reports. Lena Wilson, Assistant Commissioner for Food and Nutrition at the Texas Department of Agriculture, explained that the late release of program details in December hindered the state's ability to implement the initiative for the summer of 2024. The USDA requires participating states to cover 50% of administrative costs; agencies have yet to request that funding. Texas agencies responsible for implementing the program deemed it unfeasible for 2024 due to resource constraints, late guidance, and the need for legislative appropriations. Despite the current challenges, Texas plans to collaborate with stakeholders to assess the possibility of participating in the Summer EBT program in the future. The state must process applications for another food assistance program, adding to the hurdles in meeting the program's requirements. READ MORE: Ohio Grand Jury Drops Criminal Charges vs Woman Who Miscarried at Home This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Missouri opts-in to federal Summer EBT program one day before deadline - From KMOV St. Louis The US Justice Department is saying that Customs and Border Patrol agents in Texas cannot patrol an area frequented by migrants crossing into the US because Texas is blocking them from doing so. This is happening amid an ongoing row between President Joe Biden and Texas Governor Greg Abbott regarding jurisdiction on whether the state can enforce immigration laws as that falls on the duties of the federal government. According to The Texas Tribune, Border Patrol agents claim they cannot access roughly 2.5 miles of the border and a boat ramp in Eagle Pass because the Texas National Guard and state troopers are blocking them from doing their jobs as clashes between state and federal authorities continue. Texas state troopers and National Guard members reportedly began to take "full control" of the 47-acre Shelby Park and placed concertina wire and fencing there, closing it off not just to the public but also to federal authorities. This was confirmed by Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, who added that "the park would be closed indefinitely and the state took the action to prevent immigrants from illegally crossing into Texas." Border Patrol agents usually use a boat ramp at the park to launch their boats to patrol the Rio Grande. They also use the area to inspect migrants who have been apprehended in this part of the border. However, they are being prevented from doing this, and this has prompted the federal government to ask the US Supreme Court to intervene. The state and federal governments are currently battling things out at the Supreme Court, with the federal government asking the highest court in the land to overrule a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that prevents Border Patrol agents from cutting the concertina wire Texas has strung along the Rio Grande. READ MORE: Texas Immigration Law Violates Constitution, Says DOJ Texas Using Military Equipment To Prevent Border Patrol Agents From Doing Their Jobs In one stretch of the border that the CBP usually patrols, Texas National Guard members reportedly used their vehicles to stop Border Patrol agents from accessing the Rio Grande so they could patrol it. The DOJ court filing also revealed that the Texas National Guard also used a military Humvee to keep Border Patrol agents from accessing a road. "Because Border Patrol can no longer access or view this stretch of the border, Texas has effectively prevented Border Patrol from monitoring the border," said the DOJ in its filing. "Texas's new actions since the government's filing demonstrate an escalation of the State's measures to block Border Patrol's ability to patrol or even to surveil the border and be in a position to respond to emergencies," wrote Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar in the filing. Texas Asserts It Has Authority To Block Access to the Border After the filing, Governor Greg Abbott insisted to reporters that Texas has the authority to control access to any geographic location in the state, with the Republican governor adding, "That authority is being asserted." Patrolling the border and implementing immigration laws has always been the job of the federal government. However, Abbott has recently stepped up his anti-immigration efforts, and this has not only prevented Border Patrol agents from properly patrolling the border but also hurt and injured immigrants, with Texas state authorities being accused of inhumane practices such as pushing tired migrants back to the river and not allowing them to drink amid the summer heat. READ MORE: Donald Trump Claims He Does Not Know His Rhetoric Mirrored Adolf Hitler, But Reports Say Otherwise This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Texas blocking federal agents from processing migrants in border town park - CBS News Suriname authorities are actively seeking former President Desi Bouterse after he failed to surrender himself for a 20-year prison sentence related to the 1982 murders of 15 activists, Reuters reports. A three-judge panel in December upheld convictions against Bouterse, now 78, and four others involved in the execution of government critics, including lawyers, journalists, union leaders, soldiers, and university professors. Suriname ex-president Desi Bouterse, a dominant political figure in Suriname for decades, left office in 2020 but denies the charges against him. The public prosecutor's office confirmed the initiation of the process to locate those convicted in the December 8 criminal case who have not complied with the order to report to the penal institution. Among them is Bouterse, who has consistently refuted the accusations. Another co-defendant has also failed to appear at the designated prison. Advocates, including Sunil Oemrawsingh, president of an association representing victims' relatives, and international observers expressed little surprise at Bouterse's absence. Reed Brody, a lawyer monitoring the case for the International Commission of Jurists, affirmed the authorities' commitment to upholding the rule of law, expecting the prompt enforcement of the arrest warrant. Current President Chan Santokhi, who previously investigated the case as a police commissioner and later pushed for its progression as justice minister, continues to emphasize the importance of justice prevailing. In 2019, the court determined that Bouterse had overseen an operation in which 16 leading government critics were abducted, and all but one were murdered at a colonial fortress in Paramaribo. Suriname ex-president Bouterse, who seized power in a 1980 coup, claimed that the victims were linked to an invasion plot involving the Netherlands and the United States. A spokesperson for Bouterse's party alleged interference from both countries, echoing similar sentiments expressed by the former president. READ NEXT: Suriname Ex-President Desi Bouterse Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison Legal Drama Unfolds as Desi Bouterse Evades Prison Lawyer Irvin Kanhai, arriving at the prison in Paramaribo with two other convicted individuals, expressed his intention to speak with Desi Bouterse about his refusal to surrender, according to Devdiscourse. "I am going to talk to him now, and then we will see what we are going to do," said Kanhai. When asked if efforts were being made to locate Bouterse, the prosecutor's office spokesperson Joelle Zaalman declined to provide details, citing strategic considerations. The reluctance of Bouterse to comply with the sentence did not surprise advocates and international observers. Reed Brody reiterated his confidence in the authorities' determination to enforce the arrest warrant. Bouterse's past claims of a politically motivated plot involving the Netherlands and the United States remain contentious. Another individual convicted alongside Bouterse also failed to report to prison, according to the prosecutor's office. Desi Bouterse's Defiance and Public Support Suriname's ex-president, Desi Bouterse, at the age of 78, has announced that he will not surrender for his 20-year prison term related to the decades-old murders of political opponents, NonStop Local noted. His wife, Ingrid Bouterse, characterized the situation as a political process and provided a political response when questioned about her husband's non-compliance. Supporters from the country's poorer and working-class communities gathered at Bouterse's residence, expressing solidarity through singing and dancing. Ramon Abrahams, deputy chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Bouterse's party, conveyed unwavering support. He cryptically stated that Bouterse is "between the Atlantic Ocean, the Tumuk Humak Mountains, the Courantyne River, and the Maroni River," referring to Suriname's border points. In light of Bouterse's refusal to report to prison, Abrahams urged supporters to remain level-headed and attentive to unfolding events. The party staunchly stands behind Suriname Ex-President Desi Bouterse, emphasizing its full support for the former president. READ MORE: Suriname Festivals That Every Traveler Should Not Miss This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: The Surinamese Military Dictatorship of Desi Bouterse and the Civil War - From History Hustle Former President Donald Trump's penchant for frivolous lawsuits has come back to haunt him as he loses another case, this time to the New York Times, which he tried suing again in his latest legal defeat. This latest legal trouble for the former president stemmed from his frivolous lawsuit against the New York Times in 2021. He has now been ordered by a New York state judge to pay the newspaper $392,638.69 in legal fees after the court found the lawsuit to be frivolous. Trump often sued companies and individuals who said bad things against him in an effort to silence or intimidate them. However, those who push back against these suits, such as the New York Times, often find themselves on the winning end after courts find these lawsuits to be frivolous. "This just happened: A New York State judge has ordered Donald Trump to pay The New York Times $392,638.69 for legal fees connected to a frivolous lawsuit he brought against the paper, two of my colleagues and me," tweeted Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Susanne Craig soon after the verdict was made. Trump sued the newspaper because of a piece that Craig wrote that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2019. In that story, she exposed that Trump was not actually a self-made millionaire as he claimed, but instead inherited millions from his father, real-estate mogul Fred Trump. She also reported that Trump only paid $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and did not pay any federal taxes in 10 of the previous 15 years. Along with the New York Times and Susanne Craig, the former president also sued senior writer David Barstow, investigative journalist Russell Buettner, various John Does, and "ABC Corporations 1 through 10." Also named in the suit is Mary Trump, his own niece, who has now become a critic of her uncle and wrote the anti-Trump book "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man." READ MORE: Donald Trump Claims He Does Not Know His Rhetoric Mirrored Adolf Hitler, But Reports Say Otherwise Donald Trump Loss Shows New York's New Anti-SLAPP Laws Protect Journalists This latest case Trump lost was praised as a win for press freedom as the former president tried to suppress reporting on where his wealth actually came from, infamously trying to prevent the public from accessing his tax records while president. In a statement to CNBC, New York Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said that the order for legal costs issued in Manhattan Supreme Court "shows that the state's newly amended anti-SLAPP statute can be a powerful force for protecting press freedom." "The court has sent a message to those who want to misuse the judicial system to try to silence journalists," she added. As for Trump's attorney, Alina Habba told CNBC, "We are disappointed that the NY Times is no longer in this matter." Donald Trump Turning Legal Problems Into Campaign Spectacles Despite losing case after case, Donald Trump still leads in the Republican primaries, with a massive lead against his nearest rival. The reason may be that he has turned his supporters against the rule of law and turned his trials into spectacles. As the BBC noted, "Mr Trump is treating his court appearances as though they are campaign events, blending his legal defense with his re-election bid as a US presidential race like no other kicks into high gear." By claiming that his legal problems are all part of a plot by Joe Biden to steal the 2024 election, even without any evidence, he has effectively made his cases into campaign tools as his supporters eat up whatever he is claiming, no matter how unbelievable. READ MORE: Donald Trump Received Millions of Dollars From China, Other Countries While US President This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: BREAKING: Trump gets what he DESERVES in major court loss - Brian Tyler Cohen ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 13. The delegation of Turkmenistan took part in the 3rd Future Minerals Forum held on January 9-11 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trend reports. According to Turkmenistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this year's major focus was the development of sustainable and responsible mineral value chains in Africa, Western and Central Asia. The Turkmen delegation took part in a ministerial round table and different topic sessions, where they discussed the future of minerals and how to reduce the environmental impact of production. Furthermore, an exhibition was held on the sidelines of the event, during which the Turkmen delegation had direct contact with representatives of important firms in promising areas of collaboration. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan continues to vigorously expand the minerals sector, which is an important part of the country's economy. The strategic focus on diversification and modernization has resulted in increased natural gas and oil production, as well as the active use of new technology in the mining industry. On Monday, the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the country will reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King served as one of the figureheads for the civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his murder in 1968. He led movements like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, using his philosophy of nonviolent protest to change the fabric of the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is held on the third Monday in January, which this year falls on Jan. 15, Kings birthday, and is used as a day to reflect on his vision for America and the struggle of minority communities in achieving equality. For those in the area looking to attend and participate in an MLK Day event to celebrate the civil rights leader, there are plenty of options across the region: Mens Day of Mental Health Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Boys & Girls Club of Easton As part of a day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., the Boys & Girls Club of Easton will be hosting an event for adult and young men on managing stress and finding resources for help with mental health struggles. As Dr. King devoted his life to serving others, we will pay it forward by giving and providing services to others as a tribute to his legacy, said a news release from Boys and Girls Club of Easton Executive Director Dean Young. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration 9:30 a.m., Monday, Dubbs Memorial Community Center, Allentown The Lehigh Conference of Churches is hosting a program on Monday open to all. Hosted by Pastor Genie Watson, the programs theme is It Starts With Me. NAACP Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday, St. James AME Zion Church, Allentown The NAACPs annual celebration of the civil rights leader is hosted by the Allentown branch this year, and has chosen a theme of Thriving Together making a commitment to build a more equitable and inclusive society for everyone. The events keynote speaker is State Attorney General candidate Keir Bradford-Grey. Dr. Martin Luther King Civil Rights Movement March 11:30 a.m., Monday, South Bethlehem Comfort Suites The march will depart at 11:45 a.m. from the Comfort Suites at 120 W. Third St. and head towards Martin Luther King Park on Carlton Avenue. Speakers and guests at the march will include the mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, representatives for local politicians and officials, and more. All residents, municipal employees, law enforcement agencies and public and private school employees are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served at Comfort Suites following the march. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Program and Celebration Noon, Monday, Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, Allentown The museum will host a special lecture program and celebration of King. The lecture, titled The Books of MLK, will look at the civil rights leaders writing. The program will explore what Dr. Kings inspirational philosophy of brotherhood and nonviolent protest can teach us for our time, a time of increasing unrest, culture wars, and disdain for perspectives that differ from our own, according to a release from the museum. NAACP Bethlehem 2024 Celebration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 3 p.m., Monday, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem The program called Stony the Road We Trod will feature a guest speaker, music performances by Nitschmann and Northeast middle school students and a presentation from En LAir Dance Company. Greater Shiloh Church Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration 6:30 p.m., Monday, Greater Shiloh Church of Easton The celebration at the Greater Shiloh Church of Easton will have music and youth presentations, as well as a keynote address. This years keynote speaker will be Lt. Governor Austin Davis. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Monday The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley has volunteer opportunities available for those looking to participate in the MLK Day of Service. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 13. Turkmenistan will begin work on the creation of a modern plant equipped with advanced technologies for the production of various products, including steel pipes, Trend reports. According to an official source, the creation of this enterprise was approved by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. Furthermore, it became known that the enterprise would be created on the basis of a public-private partnership. Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Baymyrat Annamamedov has reported ongoing efforts in Turkmenistan aimed at boosting the production of goods that can substitute imports and cater to export markets. These endeavors actively engage local business representatives, emphasizing a collaborative approach in the country's construction and industrial complex. Meanwhile, the construction of an enterprise for the production of these products is particularly relevant against the background of the expansion of the energy network connecting Turkmen deposits with the main consumer markets of the continent. Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Bats in the attic could put a spanner in the works for planned construction at Emo Court House. A planning application has been lodged with Laois County Council to carry out extensive but primarily conservation works at the historic State run property. The popular local landmark which was designed by eminent architect James Gandon, is in the care of the Office of Public Works(OPW) since 1994. Once the largest country estate in Ireland, it is now one of Irelands leading tourist attractions. Latest figures show 350,000 people visited Emo Court in 2022 and it ranked in the top 10 free visitor sites operated by the OPW. However, works undertaken at the Emo Court House in recent years were harshly criticised due to their potential impact on protected bat species living in the property. The National Parks and Wildlife Service(NPWS) inspected the property in late 2019 amid claims that work had been carried out to the basement without the appropriate derogation from the NPWS. This led to criticism of the OPW, both from politicians and from the Irish Wildlife Trust. New plans lodged with Laois County Council for Emo Court House are accompanied by an ecological impact assessment of the attic and second floor works. The assessment was carried out by FERS (Forest, Environmental Research and Services Ltd) on behalf of the OPW. The purpose of the survey was to establish if existing attic spaces are being utilised by bats in advance of a comprehensive roof replacement and refurbishment package of works, which are currently at design stage. Bat passes of six species were recorded, the vast majority of which were of Brown Long-eared and Whiskered Bat, the assessment noted. FERS undertook a year-long survey of the attic and second floor of Emo Court. It indicated that the space is used all year-round, primarily by a small population of Brown Long-Eared Bats. There was no evidence of a maternity colony present, although it is likely that individuals may move between the basement roost habitat and the second floor/attic. The numbers of Brown Long-eared bats varies likely between 10 and 15 individuals, with other species observed using the habitat irregularly including Soprano Pipistrelle and Whiskered Bat, the assessment states. Any works to the roof/attic/second floor will require application for a derogation licence from NPWS. The Wildlife Licensing Unit have adopted a new policy for all derogation licences issued under Regulation 54 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, the assessment states. The plans lodged with Laois County Council are extensive and include conservation of the roof and facade of the protected building. They are outlined as follows: Conservation of the Michael Scott designed roof structure, including reinstatement of the original south elevation, installation of new zinc roof deck closely following the original design, renewal of flat roof structures and the conservation of existing steel windows. Renewal of the natural copper to the 19th-century dome. Reinstatement of original roof pitches and profiles to the east and west wing roofs, along with the renewal of all natural slate and subsidiary roof coverings. Installation of two automatic opening vents to the east wing and central flat roofs. Conservation of facade fabric includes repairs to high-level stonework, including decorative stone cornices, corbelling, friezes and column capital. Installation of a new lead weathering over the parapet and projecting stone cornices. Repair of the semi-circular balustrade over the eastern elevation, along with removal of inappropriate cementitious render and conservation of chimney stacks. The plan, lodged in the name of Albert Jordan, has been deemed an incomplete application by Laois County Council. Meetings between staff and management of the Racket Hall Hotel were held on Friday afternoon against the backdrop of protests at the entrance to the premises, after it was announced yesterday the hotel will close to the public and begin providing accommodation for international protection applicants. All 40 rooms at Roscrea's only hotel will begin providing accommodation for asylum seekers after it was revealed on Thursday the facility is designated to accommodate 160 people described as "families of international protection applicants". Protest barricades were soon erected by local people and manned overnight as protestors refuse to leave the car-park of the hotel. Gardai are present at the scene. The issue was raised at the monthly meeting of Tipperary County Council at 3pm on Friday, when CEO, Joe MacGrath, said communities in Tipperary and particularly Roscrea have been "exemplary" in their response to accepting refugees from Ukraine and around the world. A multi-agency meeting that had been due to take place later this month has been brought forward to deal with Roscrea next week, Mr McGrath said, adding that the Department of Integration and Equality are under extraordinary pressure to find emergency accommodation. Roscrea based Fianna Fail Councillor, Michael Smith, said his main concerns are for members of staff, some of whom have lost their jobs. Some staff members showed up at the hotel today and complained at the dearth of information about their jobs or any update from management. Cllr. Smith said the integration of Ukrainian families in the former Sacred Heart Convent in Roscrea has proceeded smoothly after some concerns and protests around the issue when the news broke last year. But, he said, the decision to place asylum seekers in Roscrea's only hotel overnight has eroded people's trust and shocked the community. Weddings and family functions planned for the coming year were cancelled. Thats very difficult for families at any time of the year, Cllr. Smith said condemning the treatment of staff. "It leaves a lot to be desired and is quite shocking. Its a severe blow to the town. The only active hotel in Roscrea, is going to host international protection applicants for the next 12 months, he said. The decision was also condemned by local Fine Gael Councillor for the Roscrea area, Cllr. Noel Coonan, who said the situation is unfair on the people of Roscrea and the people already seeking asylum in Roscrea. Protestors pictured at the entrance to Racket Hall this morning. Photo: PJ Wright I know Racket Hall fairly well, but Im amazed that it can accommodate 160 beds. We were told there was 40 bedrooms there, he said. The whole situation is crazy. Id like to know the actual role of the Council? The contact that can be made? A name, a phone number. We must listen to the voice of the people and those in authority are doing that at the moment in relation to this, Cllr Coonan said. Its a tragedy waiting to happen, he said. Roscrea currently has a direct provision facility already accommodating 200 international asylum seekers in a building which is a former mother and baby home at Coville House in Sean Ross Abbey and 400 people fleeing the war in Ukraine at a repurposed former Convent in the centre of the heritage town. People seeking asylum in Ireland are also accommodated in several houses in the town centre, where locals say it is extremely difficult to find any rental property and education and healthcare services are overburdened. Tipperary TD, Michael Lowry, has warned government he will retract his support over the issue unfolding in Roscrea and said the Racket Hall issue has brought Roscrea to "a tipping point". Deputy Lowry said Roscrea's Garda Station is closed at night and people feel the town has become unsafe at night. Roscrea women Margaret Collison, Fiona Dunford, Alison Lee and Catriona Queally pictured at the protest at Racket Hall. Photo: PJ Wright Those concerns were echoed by Derek Russell, founder of local activist group Roscrea Stands Up, who said crime has mushroomed in the town and local people will not let their children into the town after dark. Roscrea Stands Up are leading the protest planned for Roscrea town centre at 3:30pm on Saturday and have invited elected representatives and all concerned people from the town and surrounding areas to support the demonstration. More on this unfolding story as it happens. A man has been seriously injured following a shooting in Limerick City. Gardai are investigating the incident in the Ballincurra Weston area of Limerick City on Saturday. A man, aged in his 30s, was seriously injured and taken to University Hospital Limerick. A man, aged in his 40s, has been arrested and detained under Section 30 Offences Against the State Act, 1939 at a garda station in Limerick City. The scene was held for technical examination on Saturday evening. Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward. Anyone who was in the Hyde Avenue, Crecora Avenue and Ballinacurra Weston areas of Limerick City between the hours of 4:00pm. and 4:45pm this afternoon and who may have camera footage is asked to make this available to gardai. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Roxboro Road Garda Station on 061 21 4340, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Investigations are ongoing. Cllr Paddy O'Rourke asked that Leitrim County Council write to the Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath TD, asking him to inform all state agencies to maintain systems which accommodate cash transactions between them and citizens. He stated at the January Council meeting, "Surely the Government has learned something from the closure of the rural post offices and Garda stations, and they cant contribute further to the isolation of elderly people who are the ones most likely to lose out with the creeping agenda to cease cash transactions. "Already, we are hearing of elderly people who have been taken advantage of by persons purporting to assist them with online transactions." He noted that the NCT attempted to move to cashless payments in August, announcing the decision on its social media channels, however the move was quickly shot down by Minister of State for the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers who said the service would not be changing. "Since then, there have been a few other agencies who indicated their preference for card payments, etc," he said. Cllr O'Rourke continued that in his view, such agencies need "to be reminded that they have an obligation to provide a system that still allows cash transactions" as he said that he knew of a number of instances where people had "lost a good deal of money" through entrusting others to make payments with their credit cards. He said it was vital to try and prevent the situation now rather than trying to fix it later and asked that the motion be circulated to other councils. Cllr Mary Bohan supported the motion and said "we are supposed to be living in a democracy and not a dictatorship" and said it was "outrageous" for a government agency to take away the option for people to pay by cash. She said she was told recently that a person went into a coffee shop in Dublin and couldn't pay for their coffee because the shop didn't accept cash. She said she knew of an elderly man who was used to getting his cash over the counter and was told that he would have to get it from the machine. Cllr Bohan remarked, "The man had a severe shake in his hand and was hardly able to use the machine so someone had to come and assist him with using the machine." Cllr Sean McGowan also supported the motion and said it was "unfair on the older people" and private agencies also need to make sure that they provide the option for people to pay in cash if they wish. Cllr Paddy Farrell said that he believed the GAA also needed to "allow people to use cash at the turnstiles" with Cllr Des Guckian too supporting the motion. Cllr Felim Gurn said there has been a lot of stress in communities in Ireland with regard to International Protection applicants being located in communities and there is regularly a lack of infrastructure and stretched resources in terms of health care, schools and community facilities, and a lack of consultation with community groups on this issue. He called on the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to engage in much greater detail on this issue with the local communities involved, so that successful solutions and satisfactory infrastructure and resources can be delivered to meet the needs of the community. Cllr Gurn said: "There's misguided information and I think that's a lot of the problem going on here." Cllr Gurn said that he has had dealings with many Ukrainians who've come to the county and said many of them are highly qualified professionals but can't work in Ireland "as they're outside Europe." He said he felt that the lack of communication and lack of infrastructure in many of the towns and villages where they are being housed, were the key issues. He said there needs to be joint thinking between councils, "that we actually know, as elected representatives, what's going on?" Cllr Padraig Fallon had a similar motion at the meeting asking for extra support to make available Government Departments to help accommodate and integrate those seeking International Protection refuge in County Leitrim. He said: "There is a greater need for support to be made available to communities where such individuals or families are located." He said he believed that direct provision is "degrading" and "not a nice place to be" and said that in his view, "the system around accommodating and processing asylum seekers is broken". He said that the housing crisis "affects almost every family in this country and intense competition for stretched health services and school places." He said the communication is an issue and "we've seen that in north Leitrim" and "misinformation is then an issue because there is a lack of information". He said more funds need to be made available in Leitrim from the Communities Integration Fund. Full story in next week's Leitrim Observer... Skunk Works Rolls Out X-59, NASA's Newest X-Plane PALMDALE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (NYSE: LMT) rolled out the X-59, a unique experimental aircraft designed to quiet the sonic boom, at a ceremony in Palmdale, California. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Lockheed Martin's and NASA's decades-long journey to solve one of the most persistent challenges of supersonic flight ? the sonic boom. "We're thrilled to take on this challenge alongside NASA, whose quiet supersonic technology mission will have lasting, transformational impacts for people around the world," said John Clark, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. "This project is just one example of the broader ingenuity of our industry as we continually strive to push the envelope of what's possible." Rollout ceremonies are a long-standing aviation tradition, and in the case of the X-59, it celebrated technical advancements, collaboration and innovation that stemmed from years of research, development and production of a one-of-a-kind technology demonstrator aircraft that will reduce the loudness of sonic booms to a gentle thump. "The entire X-59 team leaned into the expertise of both legendary organizations, NASA and Lockheed Martin, to ensure success for this program. I am extremely proud of everyone who made this historic moment possible," said Greg Ulmer, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. Lockheed Martin, NASA and government leaders attended the ceremony to include: Greg Ulmer, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics John Clark , vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works , vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Free , NASA Associate Administrator , NASA Associate Administrator Bob Pearce, NASA Associate Administrator Dee Dee Myers , California's Senior Economic Advisor to the Governor An X-59 media kit containing photo and video from the ceremony and more is available here. Next, the aircraft will complete ground tests including engine-run and taxi tests before its next major milestone, first flight, later this year. After the aircraft is validated in initial flight tests, it will move into the acoustic testing phase. This phase will include flights over populated areas to provide U.S. and international regulators with statistically valid data required to help approve new rules that could allow quiet commercial supersonic flight over land. This would cut commercial flight times to half of what they are today, transforming travel for people around the world. For additional information, visit our website: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/x-59-quiet-supersonic/x-59-rollout-event.html About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Please follow @LMNews on X for the latest announcements and news across the corporation. SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics 12 january 2024 at 16:29 News published onand distributed by: ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 13. Major US companies such as John Deere, Boeing, General Electric, Visa Card International and Coca-Cola are interested in expanding their activities in Turkmenistan, Trend reports. This was stated by the US Ambassador to Turkmenistan Matthew Klimow during an official press conference held at the residence of the embassy in Ashgabat. He expressed hope that the Turkmenistan-US Business Council will be transformed into the US Chamber of Commerce in Turkmenistan. Matthew Klimow confirmed that the embassy actively supports the activities of Eric Stewart, Executive Director of the US-Turkmenistan Business Council, and the efforts of the Council through the forum of business leaders of Turkmenistan and the US, and also mentioned that last December Ashgabat hosted two trade delegations from the US. He noted that the US Embassy in Turkmenistan facilitates the establishment of contacts between US buyers interested in Turkmenistan's exports, including petrochemical products, carbamide, and fertilizers, and their Turkmen counterparts. At the end of his speech, the Ambassador confirmed his readiness to continue working in the field of trade and commerce, building on the foundation laid by the Turkmenistan-US Business Council and the Turkmenistan-US Business Leaders Forum. Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Gene Therapy Global Market is Projected to Grow at a CAGR of ~19% by 2028, Predicts DelveInsight The increasing occurrence of severe genetic disorders like spinal muscular atrophy, hemophilia, retinitis pigmentosa, and others, along with a rising number of pharmaceutical trials in gene therapy, advancements in gene editing tools, and other factors, are driving the demand for gene therapy. This is expected to contribute significantly to the overall growth of the gene therapy market from 2023 to 2028. LAS VEGAS, Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Gene Therapy Market Insights report provides the current and forecast market analysis, individual leading gene therapy companies' market shares, challenges, gene therapy market drivers, barriers, trends, and key market gene therapy companies in the market. Key Takeaways from the Gene Therapy Market Report As per DelveInsight estimates, North America is anticipated to dominate the global gene therapy market during the forecast period. is anticipated to dominate the global gene therapy market during the forecast period. Notable gene therapy companies such as Novartis AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Ferring B.V., bluebird bio, Inc., Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., PTC Therapeutics, BioMarin, Biogen, Prevail Therapeutics, CSL, and several others, are currently operating in the gene therapy market. and several others, are currently operating in the gene therapy market. In January 2024 , Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has disclosed that CASGEVYtm (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel]), a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited therapy, has received Marketing Authorization from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) for addressing sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT). has disclosed that CASGEVYtm (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel]), a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited therapy, has received Marketing Authorization from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) for addressing sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT). In January 2024 , Precision BioSciences, Inc. has unveiled a pioneering alliance with TG Therapeutics, Inc., valued at $17.5 million . Under this partnership, TG Therapeutics secures an exclusive license to advance Azercabtagene Zapreleucel (azer-cel) for applications beyond cancer, specifically focusing on autoimmune diseases. has unveiled a pioneering alliance with TG Therapeutics, Inc., valued at . Under this partnership, TG Therapeutics secures an exclusive license to advance Azercabtagene Zapreleucel (azer-cel) for applications beyond cancer, specifically focusing on autoimmune diseases. In January 2024 , Kriya Therapeutics, Inc., a major player in the biopharmaceutical industry, has unveiled an ambitious initiative to advance its groundbreaking gene therapy candidate to clinical trials by 2024. The company aims to have as many as five programs undergoing clinical testing by the conclusion of 2025, marking a significant transformation in the field of medicine. a major player in the biopharmaceutical industry, has unveiled an ambitious initiative to advance its groundbreaking gene therapy candidate to clinical trials by 2024. The company aims to have as many as five programs undergoing clinical testing by the conclusion of 2025, marking a significant transformation in the field of medicine. In January 2024 , Bayer AG , in collaboration with Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc., a gene therapy firm fully owned and autonomously managed under Bayer AG, declared the conclusion of the 18-month data gathering in the Phase Ib clinical study for AB-1005 (AAV2-GDNF). This investigational gene therapy aims to address Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients. , in collaboration with a gene therapy firm fully owned and autonomously managed under Bayer AG, declared the conclusion of the 18-month data gathering in the Phase Ib clinical study for AB-1005 (AAV2-GDNF). This investigational gene therapy aims to address Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients. In January 2024 , MeiraGTx , a company specializing in gene therapy, has disclosed a noteworthy financial decision. They are divesting their remaining financial stake in a collaborative eye-disease treatment with Johnson & Johnson. As part of the arrangement, MeiraGTx will receive an initial payment of $65 million , with the possibility of an extra $65 million in the following year. This strategic move involves relinquishing any future earnings from sales royalties associated with the eye-disease treatment. , a company specializing in gene therapy, has disclosed a noteworthy financial decision. They are divesting their remaining financial stake in a collaborative eye-disease treatment with Johnson & Johnson. As part of the arrangement, MeiraGTx will receive an initial payment of , with the possibility of an extra in the following year. This strategic move involves relinquishing any future earnings from sales royalties associated with the eye-disease treatment. In January 2024 , Genascence Corporation, a biotechnology company in the clinical stage that is transforming the approach to treating common musculoskeletal disorders through gene therapy, has declared the commencement of its Phase 1b clinical trial for GNSC-001, aimed at addressing knee osteoarthritis (OA) under the name DONATELLO. This study is currently accepting participants at ten clinical facilities across the United States , with an anticipated total enrollment of around 50 patients. The enrollment process is projected to conclude by the first quarter of 2024. To read more about the latest highlights related to the gene therapy market, get a snapshot of the key highlights entailed in the Global Gene Therapy Market Report Gene Therapy Overview Gene therapy is a groundbreaking medical approach aimed at treating or preventing diseases by modifying the genetic material within a person's cells. Unlike traditional treatments that focus on alleviating symptoms, gene therapy addresses the root cause of the ailment at the molecular level. The fundamental principle involves introducing, removing, or modifying specific genes to correct or replace faulty genetic information. This innovative technique holds immense promise for a wide array of genetic disorders, including inherited conditions and certain types of cancers. Researchers are actively exploring various delivery methods, such as viral vectors or CRISPR-Cas9 technology, to safely and effectively edit genes within target cells. While gene therapy has demonstrated remarkable success in some clinical trials, challenges remain, including ethical considerations, potential unforeseen consequences, and the need for rigorous safety assessments. Despite these challenges, gene therapy represents a transformative avenue in modern medicine, offering the potential to revolutionize the treatment of genetic diseases and pave the way for personalized, precision medicine. Gene Therapy Market Insights In 2022, North America held the largest portion of the gene therapy Market among all regions. This can be attributed to several key factors driving growth, including a growing patient population with genetic disorders, an increasing incidence of cancer, well-developed healthcare infrastructure, the presence of major industry players, and the swift regulatory approval process for new products. The region is expected to experience substantial growth in the field of gene therapy due to these influential factors. In January 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement following an evaluation of the gene therapy pipeline and the clinical success rates of these products. The FDA projected that by 2025, it would approve 10 to 20 gene therapy products annually. Additionally, the FDA estimated that by 2020, they would receive 200 investigational new drug (INDs) applications each year. Consequently, the rising number of product development initiatives in the region is poised to expedite the expansion of the gene therapy market. To know more about why North America is leading the market growth in the gene therapy market, get a snapshot of the Gene Therapy Market Outlook Gene Therapy Market Dynamics The growth of the gene therapy market is primarily propelled by the increasing number of individuals affected by genetic disorders and the rising therapeutic significance of gene therapy in their treatment and control. According to the 2021 report from the World Federation of Hemophilia, there were approximately 347,026 reported cases of bleeding disorders globally in 2020. Specifically, in the same year, around 209,614 individuals were diagnosed with hemophilia, comprising 165,379 cases of hemophilia A, 33,076 cases of hemophilia B, and 11,159 cases of hemophilia with an unknown or unreported type. Notably, Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec) has received CE marking and approval from the US Food and Drug Administration as a gene therapy for treating adults with Hemophilia B, a congenital Factor IX deficiency. The gene therapy market is anticipated to witness further expansion due to a rapid increase in the gene therapy pipeline. For instance, in January 2024, Bayer AG, in collaboration with Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc., a gene therapy firm fully owned and autonomously managed under Bayer AG, declared the conclusion of the 18-month data gathering in the Phase Ib clinical study for AB-1005 (AAV2-GDNF). This investigational gene therapy aims to address Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients. Moreover, in January 2024, Genascence Corporation, a cutting-edge biotech firm transforming how common musculoskeletal diseases are treated through gene therapy, has launched the Phase 1b clinical trial of GNSC-001 for knee osteoarthritis (OA) treatment (named DONATELLO). This trial is currently recruiting patients at ten medical centers across the US, aiming for about 50 participants. Enrollments are projected to finish by the first quarter of 2024. Nevertheless, the growth of the overall gene therapy market may face constraints due to ethical concerns associated with gene therapy diagnostics and the high costs associated with gene therapy treatments. Get a sneak peek at the gene therapy market dynamics @ Gene Therapy Market Dynamics Analysis Report Metrics Details Coverage Global Study Period 2020?2028 Gene Therapy Market CAGR ~19% Key Gene Therapy Companies Novartis AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Ferring B.V., bluebird bio, Inc., Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., PTC Therapeutics, BioMarin, Biogen, Prevail Therapeutics, CSL, among others Gene Therapy Market Assessment Gene Therapy Market Segmentation Gene Therapy Market Segmentation By Vector Type: Viral and Non-Viral Viral and Non-Viral Gene Therapy Market Segmentation By Delivery Type: Ex Vivo and In Vivo Ex Vivo and In Vivo Gene Therapy Market Segmentation By Indication: Neurological, Oncological, Hematological, Ophthalmological, and Others Neurological, Oncological, Hematological, Ophthalmological, and Others Gene Therapy Market Segmentation By Geography : North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of World : , , , and Rest of World Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Product Profiles, Case Studies, KOL's Views, Analyst's View Which MedTech key players in the gene therapy market are set to emerge as the trendsetter explore @ Gene Therapy Companies Table of Contents 1 Report Introduction 2 Executive summary 3 Regulatory and Patent Analysis 4 Key Factors Analysis 5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 6 COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Gene Therapy Market 7 Gene Therapy Market Layout 8 Global Company Share Analysis ? Key 3-5 Companies 9 Gene Therapy Market Company and Product Profiles 10 Project Approach 11 About DelveInsight Interested in knowing the gene therapy market by 2028? Click to get a snapshot of the Gene Therapy Market Trends Related Reports Gene Therapy Competitive Landscape Gene Therapy Competitive Landscape ? 2023 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key gene therapy companies, including Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Fibrocell Technologies, Pfizer, HELIXMITH Co., Ltd., Sarepta Therapeutics, REGENXBIO, Solid Biosciences Inc., Lexeo Therapeutics, Spark Therapeutics, Xalud Therapeutics, uniQure, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Nanoscope Therapeutics, among others. Gene Therapy In CNS Disorder Market Gene Therapy In CNS Disorder Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast ? 2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key gene therapy In CNS disorder companies, including UniQure Biopharma, Brain Neurotherapy Bio, NeuroGeneration, Eli Lilly and Company, Sio Gene Therapies, among others. Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors in Gene Therapy Market Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors in Gene Therapy Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast ? 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key adeno-associated virus vectors in gene therapy companies, including Pfizer, CSL Behring, Spark Therapeutics, Freeline Therapeutics, RegenxBio, Amicus Therapeutics, among others. Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors in Gene Therapy Pipeline Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors in Gene Therapy Pipeline Insight ? 2023 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key adeno-associated virus vectors in gene therapy companies, including Pfizer, CSL Behring, Spark Therapeutics, Freeline Therapeutics, RegenxBio, Amicus Therapeutics, among others. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant, and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Contact Us Shruti Thakur [email protected] +91-9650213330 https://www.delveinsight.com/medical-devices Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/DelveInsight_Logo.jpg 12 january 2024 at 17:01 News published onand distributed by: Israel's Foreign Ministry legal adviser, Tal Becker, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, January 12, 2024. REMKO DE WAAL / AFP Israel's second day at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing on its war in Gaza played out like a national drama. On Friday, January 12, Israeli radio stations broadcast the pleadings of the country's lawyers before the highest court of the United Nations. On December 29, 2023, South Africa filed a complaint against Israel, accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Very few Israeli citizens considered this complaint legitimate. A few hundred of them did sign the South African petition, many of them doing so anonymously. These are the same people who have tried to protest against the war in the streets, at rallies that provoke hostile reactions from passers-by, and which the police banned again on Saturday in Haifa (northern Israel), arguing that they cannot guarantee security. The right-wing political faction condemned these hearings and the official state response was outrage. The center, as personified by journalist Nadav Eyal, saw them as "a perversion" and deplored the fact that the country had already "lost" by the mere fact that these hearings were taking place. Read more Subscribers only Israel-Hamas war: South Africa brings 'genocide' case before international courts This rejection of the hearings stemmed from a widely shared perception of a war of "necessity," imposed by Hamas, and which remains a defensive act no matter how it is being waged. It stemmed from the horror of the attack of October 7, 2023, the worst massacre perpetrated against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, which undermined the raison d'etre of the protective state. "If there were acts of genocide, they were perpetrated against Israel," said Israel's legal adviser, Tal Becker, at the opening of the hearing. Claiming that "South Africa enjoys close relations with Hamas, even after the October 7 atrocities," Becker denounced a procedure that would "thwart Israels inherent right to defend itself to let Hamas not just get away with its murder, literally, but render Israel defenseless as Hamas continues to commit it." During the three hours of arguments, Israel tried to convince the 17 judges to reject the "provisional measures" demanded by Pretoria. In particular, South Africa asked them to order Israel to "suspend its military operations" as a matter of urgency, to improve the living conditions of Gazans by opening up access to humanitarian aid, and to allow commissions of inquiry access to the territory. 'No genocidal intent' The matter of intent is what lies at the heart of the crime of genocide and makes it unique. In response to South Africa's claims on Thursday, Israel's lawyers replied that the state had no intention of exterminating the Palestinians of Gaza, despite the more than 23,000 deaths, the displacement of 2 million people, the systematic destruction of the enclave and the partial siege to which Gaza remains subjected to, which has triggered famine, raised fears of the spread of disease and threatens to force Gazans to flee to Egypt. Israel's adviser rejected this death toll estimate, provided by the Hamas-administered enclave's Ministry of Health, even though the Israeli army itself no longer questions it. You have 58.82% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. A GROUP of students have joined forces to help their dance teacher get the crucial surgeries he needs. Students from the Limrockers Cru have appealed for help after their teacher, Barry Baz Burke was injured. Barry is a full-time dance teacher in Limerick with the Limerockers Cru, a hip-hop group located in Limerick city. He teaches dance styles such as bboying (breakdancing), popping, locking and house. Hi, we're b-boy students of Baz (Barry Burke). We started this fundraiser so our teacher can undergo the crucial surgeries he needs to recover from knee and shoulder injuries gradually sustained during his 20 year legacy teaching kids and serving the community, read their message. Speaking of their teacher, the Limrockers Cru said: Barry is an invaluable breaking and hip-hop teacher in the dance community throughout Ireland. He also created the syllabus for the Irish Olympic Breaking Organisation, providing specific training, hope and opportunity for the youth of Ireland to make Olympic level and represent Ireland someday. Speaking of the teacher's injuries, they explained: Barry is a full-time dance teacher. As teaching is his only means of income, and he is self-employed, no external aid is available to him during times of need. The nature of these injuries will continue to worsen without intervention and render him incapable of continuing to teach or partake in this passionate sport. According to Barry's students, the dance community wouldn't be the same without him. This would not only be a massive loss and devastation to the dance community as a whole, but primarily the countless children who's lives he has touched, and continues to change for the better. Please give whatever you can to help Baz towards his healing journey, read their appeal. If you wish to help Barry, you can donate here: www.gofundme.com/f/teacher-barr y-burke-receive-crucial-surgery. A 17-year-old boy has appeared before Dublin District Court charged with the murder of Tristan Sherry at a Blanchardstown restaurant on Christmas Eve. Mr Sherry, a suspected gunman in an attack on another man on the night, was killed in the incident at Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown at around 8pm on December 24. Detective Garda Tom McCarrick told the court that the boy was arrested at 23:53 on Friday and charged under caution at 00:08 on Saturday. The court heard he made no reply to the charge. The boy appeared in court wearing black trainers and a grey tracksuit. His mother was also present in court. An application for legal aid was granted. There was no application for bail due to the nature of the charge and he was remanded in custody to appear before the childrens court on January 17 at 10.30am. The boy, who cannot be identified due to his age, is the fourth person to be charged in relation to the attack on Mr Sherry. David Amah, 18, with an address in Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, has also been charged with the murder of Mr Sherry. Wayne Deegan, 25, with an address in Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, was charged with assault causing harm to Mr Sherry, producing a knife in a way likely to intimidate or injure, and committing violent disorder. At the end of December, Michael Andrecut, 22, of Sheephill Avenue, Corduff, appeared at a special sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin charged with Mr Sherrys murder. Another person who was arrested in the investigation was released without charge and a file was prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Jason Hennessy Snr, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the initial attack, died on Thursday, January 4. A second murder investigation has been launched following his death. Conor McGregor has pledged to donate 50,000 to the Ashling Murphy Fund, on the second anniversary of her death. Urging everyone to donate, the MMA fighter said the fund aims to develop Traditional Irish Arts. "The main objective for the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund is for the further enhancement, development and advancements of The Traditional Irish Arts, Culture and Heritage for young people. With your support, this may be done through the provisions of tuition, facilities and equipment where required. In short, the provision of an environment to continue and enhance this culture where Ashling grew up and was very much part of," he said in a social media post. He pledged his own donation of 50,000 to the fund. Hundreds of people gathered for a walk along the Grand Canal in Cappincur on Friday afternoon, exactly two years after the murder of Offaly schoolteacher Ashling Murphy. Speaking to the Tullamore Tribune at the shrine to Ashling on the canal bank, her father Ray thanked the public for keeping the memory of his daughter alive. Every day is sad," he said. "We don't come down here that often now because there's nothing only pain and misery and hardship." Pausing to look at his watch he added: Now, she died about a minute after half three according to her Fitbit. It's sad and I do go every day to the graveyard and that's not a big ask. 2 year anniversary of Ashling Murphy today Here is a link to her memorial fund that I urge us all to donate to today. The main objective for the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund is for the further enhancement, development and advancements of The Traditional Irish Arts, Culture and Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 12, 2024 Ray, who was accompanied by his wife Kathleen, daughter Amy and son Cathal, along with Ashling's boyfriend Ryan Casey, joined in a decade of the rosary after leading wellwishers from Digby Bridge to the memorial shrine. A number of musicians, including James Hogan, principal of Durrow National School where Ashling taught, and Paddy Buckley, from Ballyboy Comhaltas, performed some traditional tunes accompanied by Ray. The emotion was palpable as many of those present joined in a rendition of the song 'When You Were Sweet Sixteen'. Long before the harrowing Alaska Airlines blowout on Jan. 5, there were concerns within Boeing about the way the aerospace giant was building its planes. Boeing, like so many other American manufacturers, was outsourcing more and more of the components that went into its complex machines. A Boeing aerospace engineer presented a controversial white paper in 2001 at an internal technical symposium. The engineer, John Hart-Smith, warned colleagues of the risks of the subcontracting strategy, especially if Boeing outsourced too much work and didnt provide sufficient on-site quality and technical support to its suppliers. The performance of the prime manufacturer can never exceed the capabilities of the least proficient of the suppliers," Hart-Smith wrote. These costs do not vanish merely because the work itself is out-of-sight." The paper became a sensation within Boeing. It was passed among engineers. Posted on factory walls. Hart-Smith, after he later retired from Boeing, said of his warning of excessive outsourcing: Its common sense." Two decades later, Boeing is reckoning with the fallout from its outsourcing strategy. The Alaska accident is the latest in a string of quality problems at Boeing, whose engineering prowess created the 747 that helped usher in the global jet age. The companys reputation has suffered from a pair of fatal 737 MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 that grounded hundreds of jets for nearly two years. More recently, Boeing has been dogged by issues with various modelsmisdrilled holes, loose rudder bolts, and this months MAX 9 door-plug blowoutlapses the company failed to catch. Many of the problems with Boeing jets since the deadly crashes can be traced back to a production system adopted by Boeing and its aerospace rivals before Hart-Smiths paper. Dozens of factories build key pieces of 737 and 787 jets before they are assembled by Boeing. One of them is a sprawling fuselage plant in Wichita, Kan., that Boeing owned until 2005. At the time, then-Boeing executive Alan Mulally said selling the factory to a private-equity firm would let Boeing focus on final assembly, where it could add the most value to its airplanes. The factory is now run by a public company called Spirit AeroSystems and it has been plagued by production problems and quality lapses since Boeing ceded so much responsibility for its work. Spirit was once held up by Boeing brass as an exemplary partnerwhere staff pulled together after a tornado ripped through the facility in 2012. Spirit is the sole supplier of the fuselages used in many Boeing jets, including the Alaska plane that made the emergency landing. It is heavily dependent on Boeing for revenue, and the two companies have battled for years over costs and quality issues. The earlier MAX grounding and Covid-19 pandemic sapped Spirits finances, and the company slashed thousands of jobs, leaving it short-handed when demand bounced back. Some Spirit employees said production problems were common and internal complaints about quality were ignored. In a given month, at a production rate of two fuselages a day, there are 10 million holes that need to be filled with some combination of bolts, fasteners and rivets. We have planes all over the world that have issues that nobody has found because of the pressure Spirit has put on employees to get the job done so fast," said Cornell Beard, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers chapter representing workers at Spirits Wichita factory. Spirit said that it remains focused on the quality of each aircraft that leaves our facilities." Boeing said it would work to reassure officials that every airplane that Boeing has its name on thats in the sky is in fact safe." Federal probes Federal investigators are still trying to figure out what specifically caused an emergency-door plug to detach from the Alaska Airlines jet at 16,000 feet, leaving the MAX 9 flying with a gaping hole. In the wake of the accident, regulators have grounded roughly 170 MAX planes. Airlines are frustrated. Travelers are spooked. The investigations could take months, though officials have focused their initial efforts on the door plug itself and the bolts and other components that attach it to the fuselage. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines say they have found loose hardware on other MAX 9 jets they have checked, suggesting that problems go beyond one plane. Both Boeing and Spirit say their staff are cooperating with investigators and ensuring all aircraft meet safety requirements before they return to service. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said it would increase oversight of Boeings manufacturing, including an audit of MAX 9 production. FAA chief Mike Whitaker, who was confirmed to his job in October, said in an interview that an initial examination of MAX 9 problems would extend to other aircraftand how the agency regulates Boeing production. Whatevers happened over the previous yearsbecause this has been going on for yearshas not worked," he said. All indications are its manufacturing" that led to the Alaska accident, he added, not a design flaw. A few days after the near-catastrophe, Boeing Chief Executive David Calhoun told staff at the Renton, Wash., plant that assembles 737s that they were fortunate that the Alaska pilots were able to save the passengers and the company needed to take responsibility for our mistake." He didnt specify what he meant but made clear that whether the problem originated with work done by Spirit or Boeing, Boeing ultimately is responsible for checking planes that leave its plants. At the same meeting, Stan Deal, head of Boeings commercial airline business, said: We build the airplane and we have to own it." It was the first admission that Boeing saw itself as being at fault for the safety lapse and that Calhoun hasnt been able to clean up the companys manufacturing since he took the helm in early 2020. The longtime Boeing director and former General Electric executive was brought in following the ouster of the prior CEO in the wake of the MAX 8 crashes. At the Boeing all-hands meeting, Calhoun, 66 years old, said he had worried about the Alaska passengers in the seats next to the hole. Ive got kids, Ive got grandkids and so do you," he said. This stuff matters. Every detail matters." Outsourced parts Much modern manufacturing has become atomized. From hot tubs to iPhones, machines are built in small pieces by different companies, then delivered to another factory for final assembly. The system has sliced costs from the process by letting production lines maximize output and eliminate waste. But the strategy also stretches oversight and adds risks, since the final product is only as good as the least-good supplier. If were not successful, theyre not successful," Spirit CEO Pat Shanahan said in an interview last fall. The former Boeing executive took over as Spirits leader in October. Boeing is proud of its supply chain. It says it can bring in the best technology from around the globe while reducing costs and maintaining flexibility. A poster in its South Carolina assembly plant features a diagram of a 787 showing what companies and countries supply the various parts. Yet Boeing executives regularly evaluate whether to move production of major components, including fuselages, back in-house. They opted to build the aft section of the 787 at the companys South Carolina factory. Calhoun last year shot down suggestions that the jet maker might acquire Spirit after the production flaws from the supplier led to delivery delays. I dont think you acquire a company to solve it," he said at a press conference last year. European rival Airbus follows a similar manufacturing approach, sourcing from factories across the globeincluding fuselages and other key parts from Spirit. Last year, Airbus faced a major problem with an engine supplier whose metal contamination is sidelining hundreds of Airbus jets worldwide for repairs. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, in a June interview, said the plane maker faces similar risks with its own suppliersmany of which Boeing shares. But he said Airbus has largely been able to avoid major problems with its quality-assurance approach. We are quite intrusive on what suppliers are doing," Faury said. We always have to remain very prudent and very humbleyou dont know what could hit you tomorrow." Boeing doubled down on the outsourcing approach in the 2000s with the 787 Dreamliner, which was the first jet in its history that was heavily designed by suppliers. To lower costs and risks of a new design, Boeing authorized dozens of suppliers to design and build major sections of the 787, including mostly completed fuselage sections. The strategy sped up development of the new model but resulted in production delays and billions in unplanned costs. In 2011, former Boeing executive Jim Albaugh said that the approach had backfired. In hindsight, we spent a lot more money in trying to recover than we ever would have spent if we tried to keep many of the key technologies closer to Boeing," he said in an address at Seattle University. The pendulum swung too far." The MAX is not a brand-new jet design. It is the latest major version of the 737, a single-aisle workhorse that first entered service in 1968. More than 11,000 737s have been delivered to airlines over the decades. The MAX had new engines that promised to boost fuel savings and range. It entered service in 2017, but was grounded in 2019 and 2020 after the accidents. The distributed manufacturing system was tested during the pandemic, when factories were short-handed, demand was distorted and transportation was tangled. Those disruptions were acute in the aerospace business. Travel stopped. Planes were grounded. Factories were stalled. Then, the industry struggled to restart quickly enough to meet resurgent travel. Spirit itself was hard hit. The company, which had 15,900 workers in four U.S. factories at the end of 2019, laid off thousands of people in Wichita at the height of the pandemic. When it needed to ramp back up, not only did Spirit have fewer people on site, the company had lost years of expertise. There were fewer experienced mechanics, but also fewer experts who could inspect the quality of their work. Shanahan, the Spirit chief, said the quick production ramp-up and the earlier MAX grounding left the company short of experienced workers. When you have disruption, you have instability," he said. Boeings Calhoun said he has confidence in Shanahan. I know that Pat knows the seriousness," he said in an interview on CNBC. I also know he knows how to interrogate a manufacturing process." Spirit struggles For more than a decade, Spirit and Boeing battled over costs, quality and the pace of production. Boeings demands for lower prices left Spirit strapped for cash as managers panicked over meeting increasingly demanding deadlines. Boeing routinely had employees on the ground in Wichita and conducted audits of the supplier. The result, some current and former employees say: a factory where workers rush to meet unrealistic quotas and where pointing out problems is discouraged if not punished. Increasingly, they say, planes have been leaving Wichita with so-called escapements, or undetected defects. It is known at Spirit that if you make too much noise and cause too much trouble, you will be moved," said Joshua Dean, a former Spirit quality auditor who says he was fired after flagging misdrilled holes in fuselages. It doesnt mean you completely disregard stuff, but they dont want you to find everything and write it up." His account is included in a shareholder lawsuit filed in December against Spirit that alleges the company failed to disclose costly defects. A Spirit spokesman said the company strongly disagrees with the assertions and intends to defend against the suit. After being laid off during the pandemic shutdown, Dean returned to Spirit in May 2021. By then, he said, the company had lost many of its most experienced mechanics and auditors. Spirit already was under more intense scrutiny from Boeing. The jet maker placed Spirit on a so-called probation, in which the company more closely scrutinized the suppliers work. To get off probation, Spirit needed to reduce the number of defects on the line. At one point, Dean said, the company threw a pizza party for employees to celebrate a drop in the number of defects reported. Chatter at the party turned to how everyone knew that the defect numbers were down only because people were reporting fewer problems. On the Spirit factory floor, some machinists building planes say their concerns about quality rarely get conveyed to more senior managers, and that quality inspectors fear retaliation if they point out too many problems. Union representatives complained to leaders last fall that the company removed inspectors from line jobs and replaced them with contract workers after they flagged multiple defects. This is leaving them with great quality and safety concerns," one of the representatives wrote in an email to union officials. Also feeling retaliated against for doing their jobs." The union also has clashed with Spirit over whether machinists should ever be responsible for checking their own work. Workers say having separate inspectors sign off on individual work is critical for quality control; Spirit and Boeing executives say that technological advances have reduced the need for separate inspectors in some cases. Regulatory runaround Boeings latest manufacturing mess first came to light after the two MAX 8 jets crashed five years ago. Crash investigators blamed the accidents, which took 346 lives, in large part on a faulty flight-control system designed by Boeingnot production problems. The ensuing congressional hearings featured testimony from a former production manager at the 737 factory in Renton. U.S. House investigators revealed a memo the manager wrote complaining of production pressures leading to dangerous factory flaws. Frankly right now all my internal warning bells are going off," Ed Pierson wrote to a Boeing executive July 19, 2018. And for the first time in my life, Im sorry to say that Im hesitant about putting my family on a Boeing airplane." Soon thereafter, the FAA launched a probe of Boeings factory quality and tightened its oversight by revoking the companys ability to perform final safety checks on newly produced airplanes on regulators behalf. Delegating certain FAA authorities is common in aviation. In the years since, manufacturing problems have emerged not only in the 737 but at other factories where Boeing makes its 787 Dreamliner, a U.S. military refueling tanker and Air Force One replacement jets, as well as at some of its key suppliers. As some problems on both the 787 and 737 were traced back to Spirit, Boeing executives said in 2023 that the plane maker would be ratcheting up oversight of the supplier it once owned. Therell be some residual activity that we do that is important from a quality-management system," Deal, the Boeing commercial chief, said at a May 2023 press conference. Boeing would bolster training and inspections with more boots on the ground with suppliers, he later said, because that always becomes an area of risk." Write to Sharon Terlep at sharon.terlep@wsj.com and Andrew Tangel at andrew.tangel@wsj.com It is hard not to see echoes of Donald Trump in Elon Musk these days. Both are world-famous entrepreneurs who have faced operatic dramas. Both are provocative on social issues, can be politically incorrect and, at times, even crude. And both excel at the art of the sellthemselves and their companiesand the ability to spin the world around their vision of it. The greatest similarity, though, comes from how they built a populist following through years of savvy use of Twitter-turned-X. That populist support, in many ways, has made Musk even more influential, though his provocations risk turning off his customers at Tesla and alienating his advertisers on X. For many, Musks evolution from a green-energy techie to self-labeled chief troll officer has made the billionaire the spiritual heir to Trump on Xthe social-media platform that banned him under previous leadership and reinstated him soon after Musk took control of it in late 2022. The past few days, in particular, are full of examples of Musks embrace of Trumpian ways: He devolved to name-calling in a feud with the billionaire Mark Cuban. He questioned the sanity of the nations election system. He reiterated concerns over illegal migration by suggesting the government would take peoples homes to house migrants. And he amplified claims that corporate diversity efforts, known as DEI, threaten the safety of air travel. It will take an airplane crashing and killing hundreds of people for them to change this crazy policy of DIE," Musk tweeted on Tuesday, rearranging the abbreviation for diversity, equity and inclusion. Cuban, the billionaire and former majority owner of the NBAs Dallas Mavericks, drew Musks wrath after defending the principles of DEI. Having a workforce that is diverse and representative of your stakeholders is good for business," Cuban replied to Musk at one point. It is especially easy to see shades of Trump in Musk when he used the former presidents own words as missiles against foes. The attack came this past Monday, when Musk nuked a philosophical disagreement with a simple tweet declaring that Cuban is a racist (a post later deleted). To spice up his tweet storm even more, Musk resurfaced a 2014 posting from Trump throwing shade on Cuban over a failed business deal. Was it his financials or the fact that hes an asshole?" Trump tweeted at the time. On which Musk posted almost 10 years later: Epic." Musk then engaged with a user calling for Trump, the front-runner to be this years Republican presidential candidate, to start firing off posts again on X in 2024." Musk deemed that worthy of fire and tears-of-joy emojis. All of that came in a week when Musk criticized reporting by my colleagues that said some executives and board members within his business empire are worried about his drug use. Musk responded by saying he hasnt failed drug tests and touted the success of his businesses. He even included a Trumpian-like boast: Whatever Im doing, I should obviously keep doing it!" That was a line reminiscent of classic Trump bravado, including a comment during the 2016 presidential campaign, in the midst of chaos, when he touted: I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldnt lose any voters." The two mens defiance and aggressive rebuttals are just one approach they share. They can be, at the core, showmen, weaving together stories first sold to investors, then customers and, eventually, the public at large. Trumps narrative as a great businessman helped launch a TV career on NBCs The Apprentice." He secured lucrative branding opportunities that attached his name to deals around the world. Musks ability to sell investors on a future of driverless cars and Mars missions helped get Tesla and SpaceX off the ground, and ultimately helped make him the worlds richest man. They dont always appreciate what they see in each other, however. Ahead of Musks move to buy Twitter in 2022, Trump called him another bullshit artist." In turn, Musk told the biographer Walter Isaacson in Elon Musk," published last year, that Trump might be one of the worlds best bullshitters ever." Others see them as being cut from the same tweet. The Republican pollster Frank Luntz finds that the two men are often compared and supported by the same cohort of people when he conducts focus groups. The reaction of people [for both men] is, Well, good for him, I dont always agree with what he says, I dont necessarily like how he says it but I like what hes doing, he is shaking things up," Luntz said. In Political Tribes," the author, Amy Chua, a Yale University law professor, suggested that Trumps populist success came by tapping into supporters who were antiestablishment. They harbored deep resentments against elite professionals such as professors, politicians and journalists, while also being pro-rich and identifying with his wealth because they aspired to it for themselves. Trumps base identifies with him at gut level: with the way he talks (locker room), dresses, shoots from the hip, gets caught making mistakes, and gets attacked over and over by the liberal media for not being politically correct, for not being feminist enough," she wrote. His enemies, they feel, are their enemies." In another way of putting it, Trump represents the primal American dream: That, in this country, we have a history rooted in the possibility of amassing enough power to tell the king of England more than 200 years ago to essentially go f yourself." Or, in a modern twist, your boss. Or, in Musks case, the CEO of Disney. In that regard, Musk is the poster boy of such ideals: an immigrant who, against great odds, gambled everything over and over again, sleeping on factory floors and fighting the forces of big business, big media and big governmentthe elites out to keep him downto make it in America. For many of Musks fans, his enemies have become their enemies. While some of them might wish he spent more time this past week touting Teslas updated Model 3 sedan, others are cheering him on for championing opinions and topics that, they say, were recently forbidden. They argue that he has moved the so-called Overton Window, or essentially the range of policy ideas that are acceptable within mainstream political debate. The Overton Window has shifted so severely over the past three years that its difficult to even wrap my mind around," Austen Allred, co-founder of an education startup called BloomTech, posted this past week. There are just a bunch of positions people take publicly now that they wouldnt take before. They were actually untouchable." Another user agreed: Elon has pried the Overton window open." To which Musk replied: Youre welcome." Write to Tim Higgins at tim.higgins@wsj.com A new Communist Party slogan was born on January 9th. The phrase, which appeared on the front page of the Peoples Daily, a party mouthpiece, defies easy interpretation. A loose translation might read nine issues that must be grasped". As is typical of party-speak, it has been abbreviated into a three-syllable catchphrase: jiu ge yi. The issues it refers to include other slogans, such as breaking free from the historical cycle of rising and falling" and taking the lead of the great social revolution as the fundamental purpose". Only by fathoming such principles can one engage in self-revolution"yet another slogan, focused on combating corruption. These buzzwords do not roll off the tongue. They are oblique and often resistant to decryption. Normal folk frequently ignore them. They represent, however, the language of party power"the very currency on which [the party] to a large extent depends", says David Bandurski of China Media Project, a research group. The jargon sets the tone for economic campaigns. It even defines entire epochs of growth. At a time when Chinas leaders are attempting to drag the economy from the doldrums, there is even more reason than normal to pay attention to party-speak. Apparatchiks reserve the right to define their buzzwords. But Xi Jinping, Chinas supreme leader, has elevated the importance of ideology in everyday life and business, meaning that economists and industry analysts have spent more time poring over the language, often making interpretations of their own. Common prosperity", for example, became the most-discussed phrase of 2021. It was interpreted by some investors as a backlash against the wealthy. Then it seemed to fizzle out. To date, no official definition has been given. High-quality development" courted similar controversy in the first week of 2024. Its mention in Mr Xis New Years address, and the fact that he uttered the phrase twice as often in 2023 as in the previous year, according to Bloomberg, a news service, has both pleased and perplexed economists. Some believe that it signals greater investment in advanced technology, which could help stimulate growth. Others think it might de-emphasise Chinas traditional growth engines, such as low-end manufacturing, and indicate increased tolerance for slower growth. Such confusion is not enough to stop party-speak spreading. Since Mr Xi first used the words profound changes unseen in a century" during a policy address in 2018, they have become common in local policy documents. Officials in Hong Kong have started using them. Chinese brokers drop the phrase into notes for clients. Although the term is often thought of as a political buzzword, some experts are now trying to fit it into economic policy. Analysts at CICC, an investment bank, have offered up a succinct definition. According to them the changes unseen" include competition among major countries, the outbreak of a once-in-a-century pandemic, climate change and green transformation, the wealth gap and ageing population". Who knows whether they are right? Many of the partys phrases have become sweeping ideologies that cover swathes of society and the economy. An increasingly popular onenational rejuvenation under the new-era system"is focused on restoring Chinas economic and cultural place in the world. Despite this fearsome designation, it can nevertheless be used to explain many positive trends that have taken place under the leadership of Mr Xi, not least Chinas rapid economic growth. The Chinese path to modernisation" is similarly expansive and vague. At a state-organised salon in Shanghai on January 10th, a panel of experts talked at length about how foreign investment, private enterprise and even youth travel all fit into this Chinese path. For the moment, it is unclear what the party has planned for jiu ge yi. It may become part of the war on corruption, says Manoj Kewalramani, who publishes a newsletter interpreting the Peoples Daily. If so, it will start appearing on banners across the country. Its omnipresence will not make it any easier to understand. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has in a report released on January 12 forecast that India's "affluent" class is set to reach 100 million in the next three years. This it says will lead to premium goods companies in the country faring better compared to broader competitors. The report titled Rise of 'Affluent India' said robust economic growth, a stable monetary policy, and high credit growth over the past decade have boosted the purchasing power of high-earning Indians. It adds that 60 million people or 4.1 percent of the population now earn over $10,000 per annum, compared to 24 million in 2015. To be sure, however, this is a small percentage of the overall population. Who comprises Affluent India? Goldman Sachs has classified the top 4 percent of the working-age population in India with per capita income exceeding $10,000 annually as 'Affluent India'. They contrast with India's average per capita income of approximately $2,100. The 'Affluent India' group, amounting to about 44 million in the working-age category, is projected to reach around 60 million when considering the total population of 1.42 billion. This growing demographic, consisting of approximately 60 million consumers and 12-14 million households, is indicative of the widespread adoption of discretionary products and services in India. Notable statistics include around 40 million air travelers annually, approximately 30 million monthly users engaging with online food aggregators, 30 million broadband connections, and roughly 26 million international travelers departing from India each year, the report highlighted. Strong Wealth Effect a Factor The increase in wealth, the report notes comes from various factors. India's market capitalisation has surged by more than 80 percent in the last three years, driven by increased retail participation. From 2020 to 2023, the price of gold also witnessed a substantial 65 percent rise. Consequently, the combined value of Indian holdings in equities and gold has grown from $1.8 trillion to $2.7 trillion. Property prices experienced a notable increase of approximately 30 percent from FY19-23, in contrast to a 13 percent rise observed from FY15-19. It added that growth in the 'Affluent India' segment is expected to cause a sustained expansion in top-end consumption, with categories such as leisure, jewellery, out-of-home food, healthcare, and premium brands across various sectors being the primary beneficiaries. In terms of equity, the report identified a strong preference for brands and network efforts such as Apollo, Devyani, Eicher, MakeMyTrip, Phoenix, Sapphire, Titan, and Zomato. It found that companies catering to top-end consumption exhibit faster growth compared to those targeting broad-based consumption. Over the last 12 months, stocks from Goldman Sach's 'Affluent India' list have seen a 7 percent upgrade in their FY24 consensus revenue estimates, while broad-based consumption names experienced a 3 percent downgrade. India's Ascension to the Third-largest Economy by 2027 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that India, currently the world's fifth-largest economy, is poised to become the third-largest by 2027. This growth is attributed to the increasing spending power of the middle class, particularly benefiting companies offering premium brands in leisure, jewelry, out-of-home food, and healthcare, according to Goldman. Goldman's report highlights a substantial increase in the value of financial and physical assets in India over the past three years, contributing to the growing wealth in the country. While traditional assets such as gold and property remain important, there has been a significant shift towards households investing in equities through direct stocks or mutual funds in the last five years. What Fuelled the Gains? The three main asset classes experiencing notable value growth from FY19-23 are gold, equities, and property. Equities and gold have seen the most substantial increase, with property prices appreciating at a higher rate in the last 3-4 years. The market cap of the Indian stock market surged by 80 percent from January 1, 2020 (just before the market decline due to COVID-19 disruptions) to January 1, 2024. During this period, there has been a rise in retail investor participation in the Indian equity market. The number of 'demat accounts' has increased from around 41 million in FY20 to approximately 114 million in FY23. Additionally, the flow of household savings into shares has significantly risen since FY17, maintaining a consistent high over FY17-23, indicating sustained increased participation in the equity markets amidst strong returns. Equity ownership by consumers is through direct retail shareholding and mutual funds, both witnessing growth in recent years. The total ownership of BSE 200 by direct retail investors has increased from 8.5 percent in Dec-19 to 9.8 percent in Sep-23, while domestic mutual funds' ownership has risen from 8.1 percent in Dec-19 to 9.2 percent in Sep-23. Further, Indian households possess approximately 25,000 tons of gold, representing about 10-11 percent of the world's physical gold stock, according to the World Gold Council. The price of gold has risen from an average of 39,900/10gm in January 2020 to an average of 62,200/10gm in December 2023, marking a ~65 percent increase. The total value of household gold stock in India has grown from $1.1 trillion to $1.8 trillion from 2019 to 2023, contributing significantly to the rising wealth effect in 'Affluent India.' While property prices haven't surged as steeply as gold and equities, there has been a noticeable change in the pace of increase in property prices in India in recent years. According to Propequity data, average property prices in India have risen by approximately 30 percent over FY19-23, compared to a slower increase of about 13 percent over FY15-19. Spending Power Disparity Persists Notably, however, despite the overall economic growth in India, a divide in spending power between the top earners and the middle class persists. With a GDP per capita of less than $3,000 a year, only 30 million Indians can afford a vehicle, even though more than 960 million debit cards have been issued, and 93 million have post-paid cell phone connections, as per the report. This indicates that while certain sectors are witnessing a surge, challenges related to income inequality and access to basic amenities still exist in the evolving Indian economy. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 13. Turkmenistan and the UN engaged in discussions on pertinent matters concerning their bilateral cooperation, Trend reports. These issues were discussed during a meeting between the Director-General of UN Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya, and the Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN Office at Geneva, Vepa Hajiyev, during which he presented his credentials. During the meeting, Vera Hajiyev outlined Turkmenistan's commitment to the values and principles laid down in the foundation of the organization, as well as the desire to maintain close contacts in order to implement the initiatives put forward by Turkmenistan on various international platforms. The sides had a constructive exchange of views on the initiatives Turkmenistan put forward during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and considered the possibilities of their joint implementation. At the same time, the prospects for strengthening relations and developing bilateral cooperation in the near future were considered. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan continues to actively cooperate with the UN, demonstrating constant interest in developing a fruitful partnership. The country actively participates in various UN program and initiative projects, including in the fields of sustainable development, health, education, and social protection, and interaction with the organization contributes to strengthening international cooperation, sharing best practices, implementing common goals in the field of sustainable development, and improving the quality of life of the population of Turkmenistan. Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel This Monday, January 15 is Makara Sankranti and as many may wonder if it is a bank holiday, the simple answer is yes in some states. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and each bank have put out their lists confirming holidays in the month, including the weekends the second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays. The harvest festival is also known by other names in different states. Uttarayana Punyakala, Makara Sankranti Festival, Maghe Sankranti, Pongal, and Magh Bihu are all celebrated on the same date January 15. Please check with your local banks for their holiday list. January has a total of 16 holidays including, Saturdays and Sundays off. Moreover, the holidays will be as per the local customs of different regions in India and will vary in different states. See | Maharashtra Bank Holidays in 2023 When are the holidays? Here are the weekend dates where banks will be shut January 7 (Sunday), January 13 (Second Saturday), January 14 (Sunday), January 21 (Sunday), January 27 (Fourth Saturday) and January 28 (Sunday). Below is the full list of other bank holidays in January 2024: Date Day Occasion Region 1 January Monday New Year Aizawl, Chennai, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Kolkata and Shillong 2 January Tuesday New Year celebrations Aizawl 11 January Thursday Missionary Day Aizawl 12 January Friday Swami Vivekananda birth anniversary Kolkata 15 January Monday Uttarayana Punyakala/Makara Sankranti Festival/Maghe Sankranti/Pongal/Magh Bihu Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad 16 January Tuesday Thiruvalluvar Day Chennai 17 January Wednesday Uzhavar Thirunal/Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Birthday Chandigarh and Chennai 22 January Monday Imoinu Iratpa Imphal 23 January Tuesday Gaan-Ngai/Netajis Birth Day Imphal and Kolkata 25 January Thursday Thai Poosam/Birthday of Md. Hazarat Ali Chennai, Kanpur and Lucknow 26 January Friday Republic Day All across India Bank Holidays List The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) releases the list of bank holidays, which is based on various factors including national/state holidays, cultural or religious observance, operational requirements, government announcements, and coordination with other banks. It's important to note that the RBI communicates its holiday schedule through official channels, including its website and notifications to banks and financial institutions. Also See | Stock market holiday 2024: Check days, dates, and trading holidays in the new year Nationwide access to online banking services will persist despite the shutdown of either private or public sector banks. It becomes imperative for individuals to cultivate a heightened awareness of scheduled bank holidays, taking note of the specific dates, thereby enabling them to meticulously plan their visits to their nearby branches. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! As much as luxury companies would love to stamp out the secondhand trade in their products, its an impossible task. All the better for fashionistas and investors, who can both benefit from this booming business. Shoppers have splashed out $1.3 trillion on new luxury handbags, clothes, watches and jewels over the past four years alone. At least some of that stuff will find its way onto secondhand websites. While in the past, unworn luxury goods would gather dust at the back of consumers wardrobes, the rise of online luxury resellers like The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective has made it easy for millions of people to sell their designer goods for cash. Secondhand luxury products worth 45 billion euros, or $49.3 billion at current exchange rates, were sold worldwide in 2023, based on Bain & Company estimates. The resale market has roughly doubled in size in four years and is now equivalent to 12% of the value of the market for new personal luxury goods. That is big enough for designers to sit up and take notice. Brands have legitimate worries that fakes may be passed off as the real thing on secondhand websites, some of which dont have stringent authentication checks. But they also dislike how easy it has become for consumers to see which goods keep their value and which ones dont. I think brands are watching their resale value very closely," says Sasha Skoda, The RealReals senior director of merchandising. They are curious to figure out how they can get more data around it." For a handful of luxury companies, resale values are flattering as buyers pay up to avoid waiting lists. On average, used Hermes handbags are 25% more expensive than new ones, and scarce designs get an even higher premium. A basic Birkin 25 bag, which costs roughly $10,000 to buy new in one of Hermes U.S. boutiques, will set shoppers back $24,000 or more from major resale dealers like Prive Porter. Similarly, used watches made by Rolex and Patek Philippe sell at average premiums of 20% and 39%, respectively, based on data from WatchCharts. But most labels show wear and tear at resale. Handbags made by Louis Vuitton lose 40% of their value on average when they are resold, according to data from The RealReal. Christian Diors bags almost halve in value. Some investors are buying detailed data from the likes of WatchCharts to get cues about which stocks to purchase or avoid. For example, although Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet are all privately owned businesses, strong resale values are usually a good omen for Watches of Switzerland. The U.K.-listed luxury watch retailer gets 60% of its revenue from sales of the three coveted brands. Resale data also provides early clues about whether or not brand makeovers are working. The secondhand value of goods from Italian luxury label Salvatore Ferragamo, which is in the middle of a revamp, has jumped on The RealReal over the past year. In contrast, Burberrys average resale value has fallen 17%. This isnt a good sign for the brand, which in late 2022 hired new creative director Daniel Lee to improve lackluster sales. The top brands of Paris-listed luxury group Kering also look weak. It owns Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta, whose used values have slipped 10%, 14% and 23% respectively over the past year. The data can also reveal whether aggressive price increases, meant to make brands seem more desirable and exclusive, are having the intended effect. In the case of Chanel, the answer seems to be no. The privately owned French brand hiked the price of its popular medium-size Classic Flap bag by more than 70% during the pandemic. The bags secondhand price hasnt kept up, widening the secondhand discount, though it is still narrower than for most peers. While this kind of information can be valuable to investors, owning resale stocks themselves hasnt paid off. Shares in money-losing The RealReal have fallen more than 90% since the companys initial public offering in 2019. For luxury companies, one question posed by the data is whether they can influence their resale values by intervening directly in the secondhand market. So far, this isnt happening much. Gucci, Stella McCartney and Burberry all dipped their toes into it through partnerships with resale websites, but the moves proved minor or temporary. Rolex is an exception. In late 2022, the Swiss watchmaker launched a certified preowned watch program that is turning out to be a savvy business move. Early signs are that shoppers are willing to pay extra for used watches that have been verified by Rolex. A Rolex 126500 Daytona timepiece costs $15,100 to buy new. As the model is scarce, an unauthorized dealer can sell a used one for $32,300 according to WatchCharts estimates. However, a used Daytona sold through the Rolex certified initiative can fetch $37,000 or more. Controlling the resale market this way can work for high-value, low-volume brands like Rolex. But clothing and handbag makers would need to buy back vast amounts of secondhand stock, which is likely to dilute their profits. That leaves most luxury companies with no good answer to the booming resale market. Shoppers will continue to find bargains, and investors can unearth a treasure trove of data. Write to Carol Ryan at carol.ryan@wsj.com In a landmark decision, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved applications for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are primarily based on bitcoin. This move, following applications from several US-based fund management firms, marks a significant shift in the financial landscape. It's been over a decade since the first proposal for a Bitcoin ETF was submitted. It marks the SEC's longstanding hesitancy and an implicit acknowledgment of cryptocurrencies as viable investment assets. So, what does this mean for individual investors? For those bullish on bitcoin, there's now an avenue to invest up to $250,000 (little more than 2 crore) annually through the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS), encompassing all overseas expenditures, including travel, education, and investments. Looking ahead, there's potential for Indian mutual funds to introduce products allowing investment in these US-based ETFs. Such 'feeder funds' would facilitate investments in the Indian rupee, with the same currency used for redemptions, and wouldn't count against the LRS limit. It's worth noting that when comparing asset class returns year-over-year, bitcoin has often outperformed traditional options like equities, gold, and fixed income. However, investing wisely requires understanding both the risks and rewards. The nature of cryptocurrencies adds a layer of complexity, especially in defining their role. While gaining acceptance as a potential currency, cryptocurrencies lack the sovereign backing that defines traditional fiat currencies. Only a few countries, like El Salvador, have officially adopted bitcoin, and widespread acceptance remains uncertain. Traditional staple asset classes like equities and fixed income, along with diversifiers like gold, have well-established investment foundations. Equities represent tangible business performance--topline, bottom-line, and earnings per share. Fixed income offers fixed returns. Gold, while lacking these features, has a long-standing reputation as a value store. Cryptocurrencies, by contrast, lack regulatory support, official exchanges, and legal frameworks, adding layers of risk. One key risk in cryptocurrency investments is the absence of a redressal mechanism in case of disputes, thefts, or technical failures. ETFs managed by established firms would not face such risks. It's crucial for investors to thoroughly understand what they're investing in and why. Cryptocurrencies aren't traditional assets like stocks, bonds, or gold, and their investment logic differs significantly. While bitcoin's value may rise, investors must assess their risk appetite and understand the nuances of this unique asset class. Remember Sam Bankman and the FTX debacle? Joydeep Sen is a corporate trainer (financial markets) and author. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has been instrumental in driving the digital payments revolution in India. The new year brings enhanced convenience, financial inclusivity, and secured transactions for Indian consumers, powered by UPI . In 2024, UPI will continue to grow at about 60% in terms of volume above 2023 UPI transactions; P2M will continue to trend higher than that of P2P transactions; P2M will be about 60% of the total UPI volume," said Mehul Mistry, Global Head-Strategy, Digital Financial Services & Partnerships, Wibmo, A PayU Company. It's essential to take note of the UPI rules that have been changed. 1) UPI transaction limit for hospitals, educational institutions payments raised High-value payments for critical sectors will get easier as the transaction limit for hospitals and education-related payments is raised to 5 lakh. To further enhance the utility of UPI, the central bank has raised the transaction limit for UPI payments from 1 lakh to 5 lakh, specifically encouraging the adoption of UPI for transactions involving hospitals and educational institutions," said Mehul Mistry, Global Head-Strategy, Digital Financial Services & Partnerships, Wibmo, A PayU Company. Overall, the higher UPI limit for these specific sectors will benefit both last-mile consumers and merchants by facilitating high-value real-time payments and instant settlements. 2) Pre-sanctioned Credit Line on UPI According to Amit Kumar, Chief Technology Officer, Easebuzz, pre-sanctioned Credit Line on UPI will bring the availability of loans to individuals and businesses, furthering financial inclusion in the country. 3) UPI for secondary market Simultaneously, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced 'UPI for Secondary Market,' currently in its Beta phase, allowing limited pilot customers to block funds post-trade confirmation and settle payments on a T1 basis through Clearing Corporations. UPI for the secondary market initiative will help in a more streamlined and efficient investing environment. Trading settlements will become faster as it works on the single-block-multiple-debit facility and gives full control and brings transparency for customers," said Amit Kumar, Chief Technology Officer, Easebuzz. 4) UPI ATMs using QR codes UPI ATMs using QR codes, which are currently in the pilot phase, will empower cash withdrawals without the need to carry physical debit cards and will bring better convenience and financial inclusion. Additionally, a notable shift in the UPI landscape includes the introduction of cash withdrawals at ATMs by scanning UPI QR codes, a move expected to reduce reliance on traditional debit cards for cash withdrawals," said Mehul Mistry. 5) Four-hour cooling period The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed a four-hour cooling period for users initiating first payments exceeding 2,000 to new recipients, enhancing the safety of UPI transactions by allowing users to reverse or modify transactions within this designated timeframe. "These measures collectively aim to streamline and secure UPI transactions in the evolving digital payment landscape," said Mehul Mistry. In 2023, UPI's integration with credit systems was a major step towards financial inclusion. This move made credit more accessible and easier to manage through UPI. Single-block-and-multiple-debits The introduction of new features, like single-block-and-multiple-debits, is particularly exciting. According to Kunal Varma, CEO of Freo, this feature simplifies transactions for customers who can now authorise multiple payments, such as monthly subscriptions or EMIs, with a single mandate. It's like setting up a one-time instruction for recurring payments, be it for your Netflix subscription or your monthly mobile plan, making life much easier. UPI services to feature phones Another groundbreaking development is the extension of UPI services to feature phones, vastly increasing financial inclusion. Imagine a small vendor in a rural area seamlessly accepting digital payments without needing a smartphone - that's inclusivity in action. The NPCI has instructed payment apps to deactivate inactive UPI IDs after one year. Users of platforms like Google Pay and PhonePe must verify and ensure their UPI IDs remain active, also reviewing associated phone numbers for inactivity. In a series of recent developments, the National Payments Corporation of India has issued directives to banks and Third Party App Providers (TPAPs) to deactivate inactive UPI IDs that have remained dormant for over a year, starting from January 1, 2024," said Mehul Mistry. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Former US President Donald Trump was ordered to pay around $400,000 in legal fees to The New York Times and three investigative reporters on January 12 over a lawsuit about a Pulitzer Prize-winning story. The New York Times and three investigative reporters won a Pulitzer Prize for a 2018 story about Donald Trump's family's wealth and tax practices. Earlier in 2021, Donald Trump had filed a lawsuit over this story. However, the newspaper and reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow and Russell Buettner were dismissed from the lawsuit in May. Trump accused his estranged niece, Mary Trump of giving tax records to the reporters and breaching the settlement agreement. A verdict over this suit is still pending. Trump claimed that the reporters were aware prior settlement agreement with Mary Trump that barred her from disclosing the documents. Mary Trump had received these documents in a dispute over family patriarch Fred Trump's estate. The 2018 story stated that Donald Trump and his father avoided gift and inheritance taxes by undervaluing assets to tax authorities and by methods including setting up a sham corporation. The news report mentioned that it was based on more than 100,000 pages of financial documents, including confidential tax returns for the father and his companies. In 2020, Mary Trump identified herself in a book published as the source of the documents. New York Judge, Robert Reed said that given the complexity of the issues" in the case and other factors, it was reasonable that Donald Trump be forced to pay lawyers for the Times and the reporters a total of $392,638 in legal fees, reported AP. While referring to a New York law that bars baseless lawsuits designed to silence critics, Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoads Ha said, Today's decision shows that the state's newly amended anti-SLAPP statute can be a powerful force for protecting press freedom," reported AP. Such lawsuits are known as SLAPPs or strategic lawsuits against public participation. Danielle Rhoads Ha added, "The court has sent a message to those who want to misuse the judicial system to try to silence journalists." In a separate ruling Friday, Robert Reed denied a request by Mary Trump now the sole defendant that the case be put on hold while she appeals his June decision that allowed Donald Trump's claim against her to proceed. Also read: Why People Feel So Much Angst When the Economy Is So Good Robert Reed denied a request by Mary Trump to put the case on hold in a separate ruling on January 12. Donald Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, said they were disappointed that the Times and its reporters were dropped from the case. Alina Habba mentioned they were pleased that the court has once again affirmed the strength of our claims against Mary and is denying her attempt to avoid accountability," reported AP. She added, We look forward to proceeding with our claims against her." (With inputs from AP) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday confirmed that he received an invite to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony and further asserted that he would visit the temple along with his family after the event. He also thanked Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai for the invite. Akhilesh did not cite any reason for not attending the pran-pratishtha event. The development comes amid political row over attending the event. The CPM was the first in the INDIA bloc to decline the invitation, while the Congress labeled the January 22 inauguration as a BJP/RSS event in their statement. "While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event," the statement issued by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. Thousands of VIP guests receive invitation The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple will be held on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on that day. As per temple officials, the ceremony will be held for seven days starting on January 16. Thousands of VIP guests have received invitations from Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the ceremony. The Trust has made elaborate arrangements to welcome and honor all attendees, presenting them with gifts that include 'Ram Raj.' As part of the celebration, Teerth Kshetra Trust will also distribute special 'Motichoor laddus' made from desi ghee as 'Prasad' to the guests. A member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust shared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set to attend the event, will be presented with a 15-meter picture of the Ram temple enclosed in a jute bag featuring an image of the sacred structure. More than 11,000 guests nationwide have received invitations from the Trust for the Pran Pratistha ceremony, with special arrangements underway to provide memorable gifts to all attendees. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! The United States has started preparations for the historic and religious event Ram Mandir consecration ceremony that is scheduled to take place in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh, Ayodhya, on January 22. The grand event will be live-streamed at the iconic Times Square in New York City. Giant billboards of Lord Ram and the majestic shrine have gone up in more than 10 states, thousands of miles away in the United States. The billboards have gone up in Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Georgia, among other states. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), US chapter, in association with Hindus from across the US, has put up more than 40 billboards in 10 states and more, displaying the message around the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the birthplace of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Arizona and the State of Missouri are also set to join this visual celebration starting Monday, January 15, according to the VHP, American chapter. Speaking to ANI, Amitabh VW Mittalgeneral secretary of Hindu Parishad of America said, The resounding message conveyed by these billboards is that Hindu Americans are elated and joyously participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event." "Their emotions overflow as they eagerly await the auspicious day of the consecration ceremony," Amitabh added. Teja A Shah, joint general secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, America chapter stated the Hindu community in New Jersey is brimming with joy, eagerly anticipating the upcoming Car Rally, Exhibition, Curtain Raiser, Billboards across New York New Jersey, and the grand celebration slated for the 21st night. The enthusiasm is palpable, with members from Mandirs across NJ eagerly looking forward to this once-in-a-generation event," Teja said. In addition, the Hindu American community across the US has also organized several car rallies and has planned many more events in the run-up to the 'Pran Pratishtha' in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the ceremonial installation of the idol of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on January 22. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. (With ANI inputs) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the party's IT Cell head Amit Malviya had remarked it is a crime to be Hindu in West Bengal", after a video emerged on social media platforms showing a group of sadhus (ascetics) purportedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in the Purulia district. Amit Malviya lashed out at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government helmed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the absolutely shocking incident". "Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal. In a Palghar kind lynching, sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC," Malviya posted from his official X handle on Friday. "In Mamata Banerjee's regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. It is a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal," the BJP leader added in his post. TMC did not to respond to Malviya's post or the alleged incident. Notably barbs between rivals TMC and BJP has increased in intensity with the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Describing the Gangasagar Mela as one of the world's largest religious congregations, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Thursday written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to declare it as a "national fair". CM Mamata Banerjee had expressed regret that the Centre is not giving due recognition to the Gangasagar Mela, which is visited by lakhs of pilgrims for taking a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal during Makar Sankranti every year. "Considering the uniqueness, significance, magnitude and spiritual depth associated with the Gangasagar Mela, I would earnestly appeal to you to kindly consider declaring Gangasagar Mela a National Fair," she wrote to Modi. She also urged the prime minister to pay a visit to the Gangasagar Mela. Even as the BJP gunned for the Mamata Banerjee government, alleging the collapse of law and order in the state, the TMC claimed that locals responded to 'provocation' from the raiding ED teams. The raids were being conducted in connection with the alleged ration scam in the state. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is all set to visit Iran on January 14-15 as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides, the Ministry of External (MEA) said on Saturday. Jaishankar's visit to Iran comes amid the global tension over the attacks carried out by Houthi rebels in the Red sea. Houthi rebels in Yemen are backed by Iran. Why Jaishankar's visit to Iran is significant? The visit of S Jaishankar is believed to be "very critical" in the wake of current crisis of the middle-east. The move comes after the US and UK bombed more than a dozen sites in Yemen. These "radar sites" were allegedly been used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels to launch attacks at commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The attacks by Houthi rebels have affected maritime operations in the Red sea. India has been closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the region. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has already enhanced deployment of its frontline ships and surveillance aircraft for maritime security operations in view of the maritime environment in the critical sea lanes including the North and Central Arabian Sea. Moreover, there is this war raging on between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Palestian militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, had launched suprise attacks in parts of Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking around 240 people as hotages. In retaliation, Israel declared a war against Hamas. Notably, Iran has been backing Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis. And according to Bloomberg, India could potentially play a crucial role in diffusing the tensions in the Middle East. "The Indian context is that India is very clear that while it is supportive of the Palestinian cause, it doesn't anyway justify the October 7 massacre. India wants a two-state solution, and it wants the war not to flare up," Hindustan Times reported. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! India released a statement on Saturday, objecting to the "visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan occupied Kashmir" on January 10, 2024. India's Ministry of External Affairs called the visit "highly objectionable". The external affairs ministry said, "Such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable." It informed that the foreign secretary has "lodged a strong protest" with the British High Commissioner in India "on this infringement". ALSO READ: 'Pakistan would have taken Poonch, Rajouri if...': Farooq Abdullah corrects Amit Shah on 'Jawaharlal Nehru, PoK' remark "The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India," the external affairs ministry said. Jane Marriott, the UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, had shared images from ger visit to Mirpur on January 20. She posted on X, Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistans people to people ties! 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality!" On January 8, Jane Marriott said she was "pending time in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad meeting all the main political parties". During Parliament Winter Session in Decemebr 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated Indias claim over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and said 24 seats were reserved in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly for representatives from the region. PoK is ours and no one can snatch it from us..." he had said, adding that full statehood will be given to J&K at an appropriate time. ALSO READ: PM Modi promises PoK, Aksai Chin but: Priyanka Chaturvedi's ram bharose jibe on Parliament security breach Following Amit Shah's statement in Parliament, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, ...I dont think I need to really reiterate our position on PoK. I don't need to clarify the Home Minister's statement in the Parliament. Our position on Pok is very clear, we consider it a part of India and we certainly see no reason to change our statement..." Amid the row, protests erupted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as people in the regions claimed that they have been facing load shedding of around 18 to 20 hours in the intense winter season. Despite frequent load shedding, the local residents have to pay inflated electricity bills, which has added fuel to their anger, ANI reported. The region also saw agitation against the increase in the concessional price of wheat, as thousands of people from the city and surrounding areas participated in the sit-in, Pak vernacular media reported on January 10. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 13. Uzbekistan and Japan signed 14 documents in education, IT, alternative energy and medicine spheres, Trend reports. The agreements were also signed regarding use of space technologies in geodesy and cartography. All the documents were signed during the Uzbek-Japanese Business Forum. The forum was held in Tashkent, with participation of Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov and Japan's State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosuke Kozuki. Both ministers spoke at the opening ceremony. Emphasizing the high level of trusting relations between the leaders of Uzbekistan and Japan, Laziz Kudratov outlined Uzbekistan's key achievements in the development of economy, trade, industry and improvement of investment climate. In particular, he noted the introduction of effective legislative norms aimed at protecting the rights and interests of investors, the level of provision of all necessary utilities and infrastructure, availability of energy resources, reduction of state participation in the economy and large-scale privatization processes, creation of benefits and preferences for investors, the possibility of duty-free exports to the EU markets within the framework of GSP+ and CIS markets, diversification of interregional transport corridors. The sides highlighted the importance of direct contacts between the representatives of business circles of the two countries, and expressed readiness to provide comprehensive support in the implementation of all joint projects and initiatives. The heads of Japanese companies were assured of the commitment of the Uzbek government to accelerate the scale of Uzbek-Japanese business partnership. In the ongoing money laundering investigation into the Mahadev online betting and gaming app case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two individuals, Nitin Tibrewal from Kolkata and Amit Agrawal from Raipur, officials said on January 13. Tibrewal and Agrawal face charges under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), PTI reported. They were presented before a special court in Raipur on January 12, and the ED lawyer, Saurabh Pandey said the court has remanded them to ED custody until January 17. Allegations against Nitin Tibrewal Tibrewal, described as a "close associate" of accused Vikash Chapparia, is alleged to have acquired undisclosed properties in Dubai and holds a significant stake in a foreign portfolio investment (FPI) company, where Chapparia is also a shareholder, as per the report. ED sources suspect that these assets were obtained using the proceeds of crime from Mahadev app profits, it added. Involvement of Amit Agrawal Amit Agrawal, a relative of another accused, Anil Kumar Agrawal, is alleged to have received funds from the Mahadev app via Anil, as per the PTI report. Agrawal's wife is reported to have jointly purchased properties with Anil Dammani, another accused in the case. Background Earlier the ED arrested alleged accused Asim Das, Bheem Singh Yadav, Chandrabhushan Verma, Anil and Sunil Dammani, and Satish Chandrakar. The agency stated that the illicit funds generated by the app were used for bribing politicians and bureaucrats. Several celebrities and Bollywood actors have also been summoned by the agency for questioning regarding their connections with the online betting platform and the payment methods involved. ED has filed two charge sheets in the Mahadev app case, including against the main promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal. The two promoters were recently detained in Dubai based on an Interpol red notice, and ED is working on their deportation or extradition to India. The first charge sheet alleges that Chandrakar spent around 200 crore in cash for his wedding in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023. The agency claims that private jets were hired to transport Chandrakar's relatives, and celebrities were paid for performances. The projected proceeds of crime in this case are estimated at 6,000 crore. ED previously asserted that Mahadev app promoters paid approximately 508 crore to former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. These claims, made just before the state assembly polls, were denied by Baghel, who labeled them as attempts to malign his image. The Congress party termed it as vendetta politics by the Centre. Chandrakar and Uppal, originally from Bhilai town in Chhattisgarh, are associated with the Mahadev online betting app, which is accused of facilitating illegal betting websites. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Border dispute between India and China will continue to impact the relations between the two nations on different fronts like trade, economic, etc, clarified External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday. While addressing a meeting, S Jaishankar said that he has made it clear with Beijing that unless there is no firm solution on the border, and the forces will remain face-to-face, there is no possibility of normal relations between the two nations. I have explained to my Chinese counterpart that unless you find a solution on the border, if the forces will remain face-to-face and there will be tension, then you should not expect that the rest of the relations will go on in a normal manner, it is impossible," he said while speaking at 'Manthan': Townhall meeting in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Saturday. During the interaction, Jaishankar discussed a range of issues related to Indian diplomacy. He also spoke about India's attempt to secure membership in the UNSC. World doesnt give things easily, sometimes you have to take it' While talking about India's efforts to secure a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), S Jaishankar said that over the time, more countries are showing their support for India for the UNSC. "With each passing year, the world feels that India should be there, and I can feel that support. The world does not give things easily and generously, sometimes you have to take it," he said. On being asked about India's participation in groupings like QUAD and BRICS, S Jaishankar beautifully explained how it is important to maintain ties with different nations in diplomacy. "Because we are independent, we need to learn how to manage our interests by dealing with different people," said EAM Dr S Jaishankar. To build an understanding among the public about India's foreign policy, J Shankar mentioned how people in common life try to maintain a friendly relationship with two people who might have some grudges for each other so that no one feels bad. Just like how people visit different parties to maintain good relations with other people, I follow the same practice for India's foreign policy," said Jaishankar. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Several BJP leaders are attacking the Congress party for refusing the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The latest on the list is Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma who said that the grand old party will always choose Babur over Lord Ram" and called the decision to invite the party to the ceremony wrong. Also Read: Ayodhya Ram Temple news: THESE four states declare 'dry day' on 22 January They love Babur, not Lord Ram. So the decision to invite them was wrong and only those who have faith in Lord Ram should have been invited. Among Lord Ram and Babur, the Gandhi family will offer obeisance to Babur first," he told ANI on Saturday. Also Read: Ayodhya Ram Mandir news: Ramayan actor Arun Govil receives invitation to Pran Pratishtha', says big opportunity He further added that Vishwa Hindu Parishad provided a big opportunity for the grand old party to reduce its sins, but the party missed the opportunity. How can someone help Congress in this case?," he asked. Claiming that the party, during its tenure, tried best to create an eccosystem" to oppose the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Hemanta Biswa Sarma said,"Despite Congress party's opposition to Ram temple, it got a golden opportunity to reduce its sins, but the party missed that opportunity. Also Read: Ayodhya Ram Mandir's chief priest slams Mamata Banerjee for alleged attack on sadhus: Gets angry on seeing Bhagwa The BJP Minister even went ahead and regarded the decision to invite Congress in the ceremony as wrong because of Gandhi family's proximity with Babur, Biswa Sarma claimed. Earlier, Assam's Housing & Urban Affairs and Irrigation Minister Ashok Singhal, criticised the Congress for boycotting the grand inauguration of Ram temple. Also Read: Ayodhya Ram Mandir ceremony: Mauritius grants two-hour break for Hindu public officials on 22 January "They (Congress) boycotted the inauguration of the new parliament, G20, and they will boycott anything which the country should be proud of. They will oppose everything, and they feel that opposing that means opposing BJP. But they don't understand that, opposing Ram, inauguration of the new parliament, G20; they are opposing the ethos of India, the idea of India," Singhal said. "Nobody should oppose the Ram Temple and Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Vigraha in Ram Mandir Janmasthan. It is a matter of pride. Lord Ram doesn't belong to one; Lord Ram is for everybody. Every Indian worship Lord Ram: somebody takes him as a God, someone takes him as an Adarshapurush, as a Maryada Purushottam. Those who are opposing don't understand Bharat. Those who are opposing Lord Ram and Ram Temple, they don't understand Indian culture, philosophy, spirituality; that's why they are opposing it. They don't have the roots on the ground. Any sensible person will not oppose it," he said. Another BJP leader, CP Joshi asked why the Congress has a problem" with Lord Ram. The Rajasthan BJP president said that the Congress' refusal to take part in the Ram Temple's 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya reflects that they see "appeasement" in this too. "Lord Ram is a symbol of faith of millions of people in the country and the world... opposing this programme also shows that they are seeing appeasement somewhere in this too," Joshi told reporters while replying to a question that the BJP has allegedly made 'Pran Pratishta' an "event". Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! With only a few days left for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, the flight rates and hotel accommodation charges have skyrocketed. Data from travel portals like SOTC, Thomas Cook, EaseMyTrip and others show that people are will to pay even lakhs to attend the ceremony and seek the blessings of Ram Lalla. The "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony will be held on January 22. While the preparations for the event are in the full swing, special invitations have been reportedly sent to 6,000-7,000 people, including several politicians and celebrities. Airfares approx 20,000 to 30,000 Sharing data with Mint, Indiver Rastogi, President & Group Head, Global Business Travel, Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel said that with the announcement on the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, demand trends indicate increased interest for the destination from customers across segments with an uptick of 400% vs. pre pandemic. Given the significant demand, airfares to Ayodhya from hubs like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai cost approx. between Rs. 20,000 to over Rs. 30,000." Direct return fares to Ayodhya in the week of January 22nd cost 30-70% higher compared to average return fares to the closest hubs - Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Gorakhpur, Rastogi adds. 70,000 per night in select hotels The consecration ceremony in Ayodhya is expecting an initial attendance of nearly 7,000 guests, projecting a daily footfall of three to five lakh visitors post-inauguration, presenting significant economic opportunities, EaseMyTrip told Mint earlier. Leading up to the inauguration, Ayodhya's hotels are fully booked, enabling them to leverage increased pricing. Occupancy rates have risen from 80% to 100%, resulting in substantial price hikes, reaching up to 70,000 per night in select hotels." Given the limited hotel inventory, customers are inclined to look at day trips to Ayodhya and are booking accommodations in Lucknow and Prayagraj, noted Rastogi. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Vratika Gupta, a fashion designer and founder of Maison Sia, purchased an apartment in Mumbai, Maharashtra, for a whopping 116 crore, according to IndexTap.com , a real estate data analytics firm. She recently acquired a lavish apartment in Mumbai's Three Sixty West" high-rise for a staggering 116.42 crore, the report said. The 39-year-old designer purchased the apartment on the 49th floor, including eight parking spaces, and paid a stamp duty of 5.82 crore. As per the reports, there are eight parking spaces and 12,138 square feet in this Lower Parel apartment. ALSO READ: India SIR signs agreement to sell 800 crore worth 19 ultra-luxury apartments in Mumbai Who is Vratika Gupta? Vratika Gupta is the CEO and founder of Maison Sia, a luxury home decor company. Her bio on LinkedIn says, "Interior Designer / Fashion Designer, Die Hard Fashion Addict !! Inspired by Love: Life: Fairytales, et al" She is a National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) alumna. She reportedly started her career in the fashion industry as a fashion designer at Anjuman Fashions Ltd. ALSO READ: Why would you buy apartment in Mumbai if..: Nikhil Kamath on housing market in India She graduated from the Pearl Academy of Fashion and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). She was a designer for the brand ANJU MODI between 2009 and 2011. From 2011 to 2016, she served as Two White Birds' Design Director, Indextap.com wrote in one of their blogs. Vratika entered into entrepreneurship in 2017 and established Vratika & Nakul. She tied the knot with Nakul Aggarwal. She went on to establish Maison Sia, a high-end home decor company, in 2022. ALSO READ: Preity Zinta buys apartment worth 17.01 crore in Bandra area of Mumbai The Oberoi Three Sixty West project made headlines in 2023 for a bulk deal worth 1,238 crore involving family members and associates of DMart founder Radhakishan Damani. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! China's Weibo social media platform on Saturday blocked a hashtag on the Taiwan presidential election after it became one of the site's top-trending topics following polls opening on the self-ruled island, AFP reported. When the hashtag Taiwan election was searched for at around 9.45 am local time, a notice on the website showed, "In accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies, the content of this topic is not displayed," a notice on the website showed when the hashtag." Millions of Taiwanese are voting in a presidential election following threats from China that choosing the wrong leader could set the stage for war on the self-ruled island. Voting began at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) at nearly 18,000 polling stations across the island, with almost 20 million people eligible to cast ballots. In mainland China, whose leaders are closely watching the result, "Taiwan election" was one of the highest trending items on Weibo after polls opened early Saturday morning -- at one point showing up to 163.2 million post views. Some posts also expressed hope that cross-strait ties could improve following the vote, while others called for the island to be returned to the "motherland" as soon as possible. However, the hashtag was removed by mid-morning, though users could still see posts about the topic, as per AFP reports. Results are expected Saturday evening, with the outcome watched closely from Beijing to Washington -- the island's main military partner -- as the two superpowers tussle for influence in the strategically vital region. Taiwan bans the publishing of polls within 10 days of elections, but political observers say the 64-year-old Lai is expected to win the top seat, though his party is likely to lose its parliamentary majority. The race has also seen the rise of the upstart populist Taiwan People's Party (TPP), whose leader Ko Wen-je has drawn support with an anti-establishment offer of a "third way" out of the two-party deadlock. (With AFP inputs) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! America and the United Kingdom, backed by a coalition that includes Bahrain, Netherlands, Australia and Canada, has launched military strikes on territories held by the Houthi militant group in Yemen. The strikes represent an escalation of hostilities in the region and have attracted criticism in America. Mint takes a closer look at the situation. What happened? For close to two months, attacks on ships on the vital Red Sea routes have troubled the international community. The Houthis, a rebel group in northern Yemen, have launched these attacks in an effort to punish Israel, a key link along the trade route, for its military offensive in Gaza. The US formed a coalition of countries under Operation Prosperity Guardian to restore stability in the region. On 3 January, a coalition of 14 countries warned the Houthis that there would be consequences if their attacks continued. Continued attacks led to the strikes on 11 January. What was the aim? These precision strikes were intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of international mariners in one of the worlds most critical waterways," the governments of 10 countries said in a joint statement. A number of Western powers backed the coalitions actions. However, the reaction in other parts of the world has been mixed, with major Middle Eastern powers such as Saudi Arabia voicing concern about the escalation. Other regional powers such as Iran and Oman have criticised the strikes. Will the Houthis stop their attacks? Some experts are not convinced the Houthis will be deterred by these strikes. They argue that the Houthis have experienced a wave of popularity in the Arab world for their missile attacks on Israel and for standing up to the West. Houthi leaders such as Abdul Malek Al-Houthi said the group's attacks on ships are likely to continue and may even escalate. The Houthis see themselves as having little to lose, emboldened militarily by Iranian provisions of support and confident that the United States will not entertain a ground war," wrote Jonathan Panikoff, a former US intelligence official. How has India reacted? There has been no official statement from India thus far, though External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the day of the attacks. The secretary and external affairs minister discussed the United States and Indias shared concerns over reckless Houthi attacks in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which threaten the free flow of commerce, endanger innocent mariners, and violate international law," the US State Department said. India has increased its deployment of naval assets in the region since the Houthi attacks began and has spoken in favour of restoring freedom of navigation. Taiwan elections 2024: Lai Ching-te, candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP), won the Taiwan election held on Saturday, January 13. Both China and the United States reacted sharply to the latest polls as the DPP secured unprecedented third consecutive term in the nation. Taiwan's election took place at a time of growing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington. China claims Taiwan as its own. But Lai's party rejects China's territorial claims. It is speculated that Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te may have to deal with the ire of China which has repeatedly denounced him as a "dangerous separatist". Taiwan elections: How China reacted to Lai Ching-te's victory? China said on Saturday "reunification" with Taiwan was still "inevitable" after president-elect Lai Ching-te won the pivotal election on the self-ruled island, AFP reported. The election "will not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification", Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said in a statement published by state news agency Xinhua. The spokesperson was quoted as saying that the vote "will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations". He said Beijing "firmly oppose(s) the separatist activities aimed at 'Taiwan independence' as well as foreign interference". Chen Binhua said the results did not represent mainstream public opinion on the island" of 23 million people. ALSO READ: Taiwan ruling party's candidate Lai Ching-te wins presidential election China strongly opposes Lai. In Beijing's view, Lai, 64, is a separatist and "troublemaker through and through" for comments he first made in 2017 as premier about being a "worker" for Taiwan's formal independence - a red line for Beijing. How US reacted The US, which is Taiwan's main military partner, said it does "not support independence' of Taiwan. "We do not support independence..." US President Joe Biden was quoted by Reuters as saying when asked for reaction to Saturday's elections. Earlier, the US had pledged support for whichever government emerges. In a show of support for the government, Biden plans to dispatch an unofficial delegation to the self-governed island, according to a senior Biden administration official. ALSO READ: Taiwan spots 4 Chinese weather balloons in airspace weeks ahead of crucial presidential elections, diplomatic tensions US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai Ching-te on his victory and said the US "is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure." He said the US looks forward to working with Lai and leaders of all parties in Taiwan to advance their "longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the US one China policy." The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties with the island. How Russia reacted Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said Russia's position on Taiwan is unchanged and that the country considers it an integral part of China, TASS reported. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Taiwan Elections 2024: Polling to elect the next President and the running mate began on Saturday in Taiwan , with over nineteen million people, of which one million are first-time voters, registered to cast their ballots across almost 18,000 polling stations in the island country. The voters will receive three ballots -- a presidential ballot, a regional or aboriginal legislator ballot, and a ballot for a political party that will determine legislator-at-large seats. Taiwanese voters will be choosing a successor to Tsai Ing-wen, the nation's first female president, who cannot seek re-election due to term limits after winning in 2016 and 2020. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by Tsai, is viewed unfavorably by China, which considers Taiwan a sovereign nation. Citizens in a democratic country can decide the future of the country with one vote," Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen urged people to cast their ballots as she cast her own on Saturday morning in New Taipei City. Who are the three candidates? 1) Lai Ching-Te: Lai Ching-te is currently Taiwans vice president from the Democratic Progressive Party, which rejects Chinas sovereignty claims over the island. Years ago, the 64-year-old described himself as a pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence," drawing criticism from Beijing. If elected president, Lai has pledged to strengthen national defense and the economy and to continue in the policy direction set by Tsai. 2) Hou Yu-Ih: Hou Yu-ih is the candidate from Taiwans main opposition party Kuomintang, or KMT, whose government retreated to the island in 1949 after losing a civil war against the Chinese Communist Party. He served as the head of the islands police force before transitioning to politics in 2010. The 66-year-old is currently the mayor of New Taipei, a position from which he took leave to run for president. He has pledged to strengthen national defense and restart dialogue with Beijing. 3) Ko Wen-Je: The third presidential candidate, Ko Wen-je, represents the smaller Taiwan Peoples Party, which he founded in 2019. An outspoken surgeon-turned-politician, Ko advocates for a middle road in relations with Beijing. He describes himself as the only candidate who would be acceptable to both the US and China. The 64-year-old was mayor of Taipei between 2014 and 2022 and has cooperated in the past with both the DPP and KMT. Who will be the next president? Vice President Lai Ching-te, representing the governing Democratic Progressive Party, known as the DPP, seeks to succeed the outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen and give the independence-leaning party an unprecedented third term. Lai will be voting in his hometown of Tainan. Why Taiwan elections are significant for the world? Taiwan has over 23 million people, but the whole world is affected by the election results. China claims 36,193 sq km of Taiwan, which is home to 90% of the world's supply of cutting-edge semiconductors used in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing applications. This fact highlights Taiwan's critical economic importance to the global economy. TrendForce estimates that as of 2023, Taiwan accounted for roughly 46% of the world's semiconductor foundry capacity. In the modern era, semiconductor chips have become key components of the world economy. They are called the "new oil" of the technological age since they need to access the processing power found in every piece of contemporary equipment. The Taiwanese capital's reorganized power structures will have 'deep significance' for the nation's semiconductor industry, among other things. The Taiwanese Strait has seen an increase in Chinese military aggression as a geoeconomic hotspot in recent years. By frequently dispatching ships and warplanes to the skies and seas surrounding Taiwan, China's top leader Xi Jinping has consolidated Beijing's claim over the people of Taiwan. What's at stake? At stake is the peace and stability of the 110-mile-wide (177-kilometer-wide) strip of water between the Chinese mainland and the self-governed island claimed by China as its own, AP reported. Apart from China tensions, the Taiwan election largely hinges on domestic issues, particularly an economy that was estimated to have grown just 1.4% last year. That partly reflects inevitable cycles in demand for computer chips and other exports from the high-tech, heavily trade-dependent manufacturing base, and a slowing of the Chinese economy. But longer-term challenges such as housing affordability, a yawning gap between rich and poor, and unemployment are especially prominent. What does China say? China has suggested that Taiwan could be choosing between peace and war this time, and has openly opposed the DPP for what it sees as its separatist leanings. Beijing claims sovereignty over the island and warns it would reclaim it by force if Taiwan formally claimed its independence. China has sent fighter planes and warships near the island to put teeth behind its warnings. Any armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait would disrupt the global economy and could draw in the United States. China and Taiwan are linked by trade and investment, with an estimated 1 million Taiwanese spending at least part of the year on the mainland for work, study or recreation. (With inputs from agencies) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! The United States (US) Central Command said its forces conducted fresh strikes against "a Houthi radar site in Yemen" on Saturday, in response to the Houthi attack on international shipping. This was the second time US forces attacked Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The US Central Command forces had first conducted joint strikes on Houthi target on January 11. Why US lawmakers called Biden's actions 'unconstitutional'? Ro Khanna said in a post on X that the President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving in another Middle-East conflict. "That is Article I of the Constitution. I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House," he added. Article 1 of the US Constitution says that war be authorised by the US Congress. Besides, the much debated Section 8 of Article 1 assigns Congress the authority to declare war. It states, The Congress shall have the power to...declare war." ALSO READ: Why has the US coalition escalated hostilities with Houthis "No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay," read Section 10 of the US Constitution. However, the Biden administration informed Congress of the impending strikes, but did not seek its approval. Referring to the US Constitution, Ro Khanna alleged that for over a month, Biden consulted an international coalition to plan "strikes in Yemen", but never came to Congress to seek authorisation as required by Article I of the Constitution. Khanna further cited Section 2C of the War Powers Act, saying, "POTUS may only introduce the US into hostilities after Congressional authorisation or in a national emergency when the US is under imminent attack. Reporting is not a substitute. This is a retaliatory, offensive strike." TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 13. Uzbekistan and representatives of the World Bank discuss methods of effective water resource management and trend reports. This was discussed at a meeting between Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Adiz Boboev, and representatives of the World Bank (WB). The meeting was also attended by WB Project Manager for Water Resources Management Azad Abdulhamid, WB Senior Economist Eskender Trushin, Deputy Director of the Department of Formation and Analysis of the Social and Production Infrastructure Development Program Jamol Tukhtaev, and Head of the World Bank Group Cooperation Department Behzod Hamroyev. The main subjects of discussion were actual water supply initiatives, such as the implementation of modern water-saving technologies, efficient water resource management, and ways for metering water usage. It was mentioned that Uzbekistan's president prioritizes the adoption of urgent steps to develop and modernize the sector. On January 5, 2024, the Uzbek President issued a decree titled "On Measures to Improve the Water Resources Management System at the Lower Level and Increase the Efficiency of Water Resources Use." The bank's representatives presented proposals for the effective continuation of Uzbekistan's reforms in this area. The parties also considered the existing problems in Uzbekistan in this sphere, the management system, systemic approaches to overcoming the problems, and international experience in this field, in particular the experience of Turkiye, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Egypt. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to discuss the mentioned matters in detail. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has allocated 22 trillion Uzbek soums ($1.8 billion) from the state budget for the upgrade of the water management system from 2021 through 2023. According to Uzbekistans Minister of Water Resources, Shavkat Khamrayev, it is planned to allocate another 1.7 trillion soums ($139.2 billion) and additional loans in the amount of $300 million from international financial organizations for the improvement of water management systems in 2024. Political, business and security leaders gather in Davos next week under the mantra of rebuilding trust." Key topics include security cooperation, artificial intelligence, energy security and job growth for a New Era." Undoubtedly there will also be calls to phase out fossil fuels and aspirations for a hydrogen-based green economy. Amid this grand planning for the industries of 2050, leaders likely will pay little attention to how government pressure to reach this utopian vision is destroying the industries that made Europe the envy of the world. Over the past two years, dozens of energy-intensive manufacturers of our most basic materialschemicals, steel, ceramics, glass and fertilizershave ceased or slowed production in Europe. As the leader of a U.S.-headquartered chemical company that once had more than 50% of its revenue and employees in Europe, I have witnessed this devolution firsthand. Europes deindustrialization began at the end of the Cold War as eliminating greenhouse gases became the organizing principle for many Continental governments. Bans on hydraulic fracturing, carbon pricing and limits on energy-intensive manufacturing drove down emissions, but they, in combination with the closing of nuclear power plants, also began to kill productive industries. According to a recent report from the think tank Agora Energiewende, German greenhouse-gas emissions dropped 20% in 2023 to their lowest levels in 75 years primarily due to a collapse in energy-intensive manufacturing. Media reports largely overlook the scale of this catastrophe, but the political ramifications are beginning to show in the polls. Agricultural protests against emission crackdowns in the Netherlands helped populist Geert Wilders win a surprise election victory, and similar demonstrations in Germany killed a green budget proposal. One of the results of capitalism is that it creates such abundance that people can take for granted all the resources and work that go into everyday products. You rarely think about the plants making the chemicals that go into everything from smartphones to fertilizers that enable the global food supply chain to feed more than eight billion people. Manufacturers of our most basic materials are out of sight and out of mind, just like the regulatory pushes crushing those industries in Europe. But as the Continent will discover in the years ahead, upstream deindustrialization will spread downstream over time into the agriculture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and construction sectors, as well as the thousands of small businesses that are the backbone of Europe. Our forebears relied on forests for energy, whales for lighting, and animals for transportation. They didnt have the luxury of believing that nations shouldnt extract natural resources and convert them into useful materials. That Europe was once willing to do so led to the Enlightenment and then the Agricultural and Industrial revolutions. Through innovation, the Continent created the mass production of petroleum, chemicals, iron, steam power, fertilizer and textiles. Population growth exploded, and standards of living skyrocketed. These technological advancements, ideas and values spread worldwide and lifted humanity to unforeseen heights. The deindustrializing politics of Europe essentially seek to reverse all this by organizing the economy around limiting byproduct waste from the products that enable the world to sustain itself. Low-cost, abundant energy is the lifeblood of profitable industrial manufacturing. The production of virtually everything requires it. Every time an industrial facility closes, high-paying jobs disappear and the middle class shrinks. If Europe wont make what the world needs, then production will go elsewhere. Very few business leaders of energy-intensive companies responsible for returning capital to shareholders would invest money in new European capacity under current conditions. Unprofitable existing European facilities will lose out to lower energy cost locales such as China and the Middle East. That isnt ideological prognostication; it is cold financial reality. To stop this Continental calamity, business and government leaders must redouble their focus on basic economics and science. It will mean European governments increasing their domestic extraction of fossil fuels and minerals, as well as the refinement of these elements into chemicals, steel and the products that power advanced economies. It is environmentally and economically irresponsible for Europe to outsource its energy-intensive industry to countries with weaker regulation, employment laws and safety standards. To believe differently is naive, dangerous, and detrimental to the environment. Serious people understand this reality and must speak out. Voters already are. Mr. Huntsman is chairman, president and CEO of Huntsman Corp., a publicly traded petrochemical manufacturer based in The Woodlands, Texas. Congress is likely to contest only 255 of the total Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections, as per media reports. This would be the lowest number of seats Congress contested in the general elections, since Independence in 1947 . With Congress' declining popularity in electoral politics, and an alliance with opposition INDIA bloc as a stream to survival and a bid to defeat the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the grand old party seems to have taken up much of a compromise. Often accused of high-handedness, and refusal to accommodate other parties, Congress deciding to fight a little less than half the total Lok Sabha seats is evidently a step towards change. Let's take a look at Congress seats for Lok Sabha polls over the years Since India got Independence in 1947, the Indian National Congress has contested in 17 Lok Sabha Elections between 1951 and 2019. According to the data available, it has been seen that Congress has contested in above 450 seats on an average out of 545 seats in the Lok Sabha. The fewest seats Congress contested for was in the year 2004, when the the party fought in only 417 seats. Notably, the highest was in 1996, when Congress fought in 529 seats. This was the election India witnessed after a five year governance of PV Narasimha Rao. The absolute popularity of Congress with the Indian vote bank saw a downward trend from the 2014 Lok Sabha Polls, wherein Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came into power, usurping the UPA. Notably, in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Congress had contested in 464 and 421 seats respectively. Whereas, the BJP which won in only two seats on the debut year 1984 despite contesting in 229, now has over 290 MPs in the Indian Parliament. The saffron party has never contested in less than 300 seats since 1991. INDIA bloc report card in 2019 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's reported plan to contest 255 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls, would mean the rest of the seats (288) would be contested by the 27 parties in the opposition INDIA bloc. Of them, in 2019, an undivided Shiv Sena had contested the most number of seats, followed by CPI(M), and Trinamool Congress. However, the party which won the most number of seats they contested from was MK Stalin's DMK from Tamil Nadu, followed by Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) in Bihar. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rejected the post of convenor of the INDIA bloc, sources told news agency ANI on Saturday. Following this, JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha said, "The CM (Nitish Kumar) wanted that INDIA alliance convenor should be from Congress only." Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) is part of the opposition's alliance, INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). As many as 26-28 political parties are part of this alliance formed ahead of the Lok Sabha Election 2024. The statement by sources came after INDIA bloc leaders held a virtual meeting on Saturday afternoon to review seat-sharing agenda for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and other matters related to the alliance. ALSO READ: Surya Uttarayan, solo quests and 'respectable' seat-sharing: INDIA bloc struggles to agree as Lok Sabha Polls near Meanwhile, Congress Leader Mallikarjun Kharge was named INDIA bloc chief NDTV reported on Saturday. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi attended the meeting via video conferencing. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was absent as she was attending a pre-decided state program. In its last meeting of the INDIA bloc, Mamata Banerjee and SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav had proposed the name of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate. However, news agency PTI had reported that no final decision had been taken yet on the INDIA bloc PM face. According to the report, Kharge is of the view that winning first is important". He had said, "I work for the downtrodden. Let's win first, then we will see. I don't seek anything." Besides, parallel meeting are being held, with the Congress' alliance committee taking the lead in consulting with various parties of the INDIA bloc on state level alliances. On Friday there was a meeting of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders regarding seat sharing. The seat-sharing talks are on in many states, including West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and Haryana. ALSO READ: Is INDIA bloc making progress at seat-sharing talks ahead of Lok Sabha polls? A state-wise analysis Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! A "proposal" to make Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar the convener of the INDIA bloc came up at the meeting of coalition leaders, a senior JD(U) leader confirmed. However, Kumar had "so far not given approval" to the offer. JD(U) national general secretary Sanjay Kumar Jha said it will be deliberated upon within the party even as he claimed that the Bihar CM was in favour of a Congress leader becoming the chairperson. A virtual meeting of INDIA bloc leaders began on Saturday afternoon to review the seat-sharing agenda, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and other matters related to the alliance. Why Nitish Kumar rejected the offer? 5 things to know PTI had reported earlier that the JD(U) wanted Nitish Kumar as the convener but was being opposed by the TMC. If I am correct, Mamata Banerjee has already cleared the partys stand on the proposal of making Nitish Kumar the convener, with other members of the alliance," a veteran TMC leader said, as reported by the Hindustan Times . The leader further reiterated that it is only Banerjee who will speak on this INDIA-alliance issue. . The leader further reiterated that it is only Banerjee who will speak on this INDIA-alliance issue. Kumar, meanwhile, said he would only accept the role if all parties were in agreement, as reported by Indian Express . . However, rejecting the reports, NCP president Sharad Pawar commented, "There was a suggestion made by the INDIA bloc members (during the meeting) that Nitish Kumar be appointed as its convenor, but the latter said that a team of party chiefs should be formed and that there is no need to appoint a convenor." There is no need to project one face to seek votes. We will select the leader after the elections and we are confident of providing an alternative. In 1977, Morarji Desai was not projected as the prime ministerial face by the opposition." What were the key agendas of the meeting? On what was discussed during the meeting, Pawar said, the INDIA bloc meeting discussed programmes, policies to be taken up. It was decided that a committee would be formed that will decide on holding joint rallies of the allies all over the country However, "Candidates (for the Lok Sabha elections) were not discussed...We will discuss seat-sharing. For the Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, seat-sharing was discussed and we will announce once it is finalised," he said. The NCP president further commented it was a positive sign that several parties were coming together to ally. As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, India's political landscape is undergoing a significant reshuffling. The emerging INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) consortium is gearing up to challenge the established National Democratic Alliance, setting the stage for an electoral showdown. Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won 353 seats, the UPA stood at 91, and Others won 98. The voting was staggered in seven phases between April 11 and May 19, in which around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 members of the Lok Sabha. (With agency inputs) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! EVEN BEFORE Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza, attacked Israel on October 7th, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi was in a difficult position. In January 2023, when he became chief of general staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the most senior position in Israels army, the officer and reserve corps were rent by divisions over proposed reforms to the countrys Supreme Court . Some reservists threatened not to serve if the divisive prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and his far-right coalition passed laws weakening the powers of the court. It was one of the armys most turbulent periods in recent times. Hamass murder of 1,400 Israelis, and capture of more than 200 hostages, eclipsed all that. General Halevi is now commanding an aerial and ground offensive against the militant group in Gaza, in which more than 10,000 Palestinians have died, according to the enclaves health ministry. Popular rage at the way Israel is conducting the war has inspired protests in many countries. The UN human-rights office says that Israel may have committed a war crime when it struck the Jabalia refugee camp. A minister in the Netanyahu government raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Gaza (he was suspended for his remarks). But in General Halevi Israel has a commander with a strong reputation for upholding legal and ethical standards in the conduct of warfare. What is his background and how might it influence how he prosecutes the war? He was born in 1967 in Jerusalem and named after his uncle, who had been killed in action a few months earlier in the Six Day War. His mothers family had lived in the city for 14 generations; his paternal grandparents emigrated from Russia. His fathers father was a member of Irgun, a Zionist paramilitary group active in the years leading up to the establishment of Israel. The general began his regular army service at the age of 18, as a paratrooper, and started training to be an officer two years later. During the early years of his career he skirmished with Hizbullah, a Shia militant group in southern Lebanon that is now exchanging shellfire with Israel, and joined Sayeret Matkal, a special-forces unit that conducts secret operations deep in Arab countries, which he eventually commanded. He next headed a brigade in the occupied West Bank. In 2009, he led paratroopers in Gaza, in a ground offensive in the towns north of Gaza city where the IDF is fighting once again. As commander of the Galilee Division from 2011 General Halevi led the IDF on the border with Lebanon. He became head of military intelligence in 2014 and of the Southern Command from 2018, with responsibility for deterring Hamas. It was after his experience in the Gaza war of 2008-09, in which hundreds of Palestinian civilians died, that he became an outspoken advocate of the legal and ethical conduct of warfare. In a lecture in 2009 he criticised other Israeli field commanders for failing to set moral standards" for soldiers fighting in urban areas with many civilians present. A soldier cannot go into battle with a law book," he said, but commanders have a responsibility to ensure that moral and legal standards are upheld. General Halevis views belong to an Israeli military tradition. Yitzhak Sadeh, a leader of the Haganah, a Zionist militia that was the forerunner of the IDF, coined the term purity of arms" and warned fighters against acts of wanton retribution. But the IDF also had commanders who ignored such principles. As a young commando officer in 1953 Ariel Sharon, who was prime minister between 2001 and 2006, led a reprisal in Qibya, a village in the West Bank, then controlled by Jordan, that killed 69 Palestinians. Three decades later an Israeli commission found that Sharon, then defence minister, had not acted to prevent the massacre by Israels allies of Palestinians in refugee camps in Lebanon. General Halevi is leading the IDF at a time when the ethics of Sadeh are under challenge from the vengeful spirit of Sharon. The IDF has gone deeper into Gaza city than it did in 2009 and 2014 and Hamas is better prepared with more fortifications and tunnels. With civilian casualties spiralling, intense bombardments and close-quarters fighting under way, the concept of an ethical and legal war is being tested to the brink. After the current fighting in Gaza is over, General Halevis roles as head of the Southern Command and of the IDF overall will come under scrutiny. Hamass surprise attack in October showed an extraordinary lapse in intelligence gathering. General Halevi was the first senior official to accept responsibility, saying on October 12th that the IDF is responsible for the security of the state and its citizens" and that on the morning of the attack we failed". People close to him believe that he intends to resign in the not-too-distant future. But first he has his last war to fight. It might be time to finally schedule that mammogram. Keeping up with cancer screenings can give you a better shot at catching the disease early, but guidance on when and what to get screened for can be hard to track. Medical groups have lowered the ages for breast and colorectal cancer screenings in recent years, as more people under 50 are getting diagnosed with these and some other cancers. But screenings and tests designed to signal cancer risk have their own drawbacks, including false alarms. How often you should get screenings and when you should start can depend on your family history and individual risk, doctors said. Most recommendations apply to people at average risk, and your doctor might recommend screenings sooner if your risk is higher. Heres the current guidance on cancer screening and genetic risk tests: When should I get screened for breast cancer? Women at average risk should start getting mammograms at age 40, according to the most recent drafted guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force is a government-backed panel of volunteer experts, and its recommendations often dictate insurance coverage. The group says that women should get screened every other year, but there are other doctors who advocate for annual screening. Medical groups also disagree on when women should stop getting mammograms. The task force said they should be discontinued at age 75. Some groups and medical centers recommend that women with dense breasts get additional screening with an ultrasound or MRI. The task force said that there wasnt enough evidence for or against the practice, and it isnt always covered by insurance. Before screening, all women should talk with their doctors by age 25 to figure out if they are at elevated breast cancer risk, according to the American College of Radiology. When and how should I get screened for colorectal cancer? People at average risk should start colorectal cancer screening at age 45, down from a starting age of 50 from a few years ago, according to the task force and other health groups. How often you get screened depends on the test. For stool tests, including the ones that can be done at home, people should get screened every one to three years. Colonoscopies should be done once every 10 years, and doctors can remove precancerous polyps during that exam. Screening should continue until age 75, according to the task force, after which it depends on the individual patient and their doctor until age 85, when it is no longer recommended. What other cancer screening tests are recommended? Medical groups recommend that some people get annual low-dose CT scans to screen for lung cancer. That applies to adults between the ages 50 and 80 who have a cigarette smoking history equal to a pack a day for 20 years. They also have to either currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. The prostate-specific antigen test, called the PSA test, can help doctors screen for prostate cancer. Right now, the task force says that the decision on whether to get regular PSA testing for men ages 55 to 69 is an individual one, but it is currently reviewing this guidance. Women should also get screened for cervical cancer with a Pap smear once every three years from ages 21 through 65. Starting at 30, women can also get HPV testing once every five years. This guidance is also under review right now. Can I get a blood test to screen for cancer? Yes, there are a few blood testssometimes called liquid biopsiesincluding the Galleri test that can look for signs of cancer, and more are being developed. But doctors are split on whether people should take them now. The Galleri test looks for signals for more than 50 cancer types and came on the market in June 2021. It hasnt been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and isnt widely recommended or covered by insurance. Many doctors are excited about the potential promise of these tests but want to see more data before advocating for their use. How do I test for genetic cancer risk? Should I get tested? Around 5% to 10% of all cancers are thought to run in families. People with genetic conditions including Lynch Syndrome or BRCA mutations have an increased risk of developing cancers including colorectal, breast, ovarian and pancreatic. Not everyone needs to get tested for genetic cancer risk. People should consider counseling and genetic testing for several reasons, including if there is a strong family history, a family member with multiple cancers or a relative with a known genetic mutation, according to the American Cancer Society. Some groups including people with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry should also consider testing. You can get genetic testing through your doctors office, where it will most likely be covered through insurance if your doctor recommends it. Some companies also offer at-home test kits where people can mail-in saliva samples for testing, but they often only look for a limited number of genetic mutations. Write to Brianna Abbott at brianna.abbott@wsj.com China, Taiwan and the One-China Policy. The intricacies of international geopolitics often center around longstanding disputes and territorial claims, with Taiwans status being a focal point of contention between China and various global actors. Central to Chinas foreign policy framework is the One-China policy, which serves as a cornerstone for maintaining stability and fostering peaceful reunification. This article delves into the rationale behind Chinas unwavering stance on this policy and its implications for regional harmony. The One-China principle refers to the stance that there is only one state called China, despite the existence of two governments, namely the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) governing mainland China, and the Republic of China (ROC) governing Taiwan. Due to this principle, many countries and international organizations have established diplomatic relations with the PRC rather than the ROC. Here are some key international agreements where the One-China principle is evident: Shanghai Communique (1972): The United States acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the United States (1979): The U.S. agreed to recognize the PRC as the sole legal government of China, acknowledging the Chinese position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China. Sino-British Joint Declaration (1984): In the agreement, the United Kingdom recognized the PRC as the sole legitimate government of China and recognized the position that Taiwan is a part of China. Sino-Japanese Joint Communique (1972): Japan acknowledged the Chinese position on the One-China policy. Sino-Australian Joint Communique (1972): Australia recognized the PRC as the sole legal government of China, adhering to the One-China policy. Sino-Canadian Joint Communique (1970): Canada recognized the PRC as the only legitimate government representing China and acknowledged the position that Taiwan is a part of China. Sino-European Union Relations: While not a single agreement, many European Union member states adhere to the One-China policy in their relations with China, although the EU doesnt have a unified stance on the issue. Historical Context: The genesis of the One-China policy can be traced back to the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War, which culminated in the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland and the retreat of the Republic of China (ROC) to Taiwan. From Beijings perspective, Taiwan remains an inseparable part of its territory, bound by historical, cultural, and national ties. The Chinese Civil War, which lasted intermittently from 1927 to 1950, was a conflict primarily between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The war resulted in the establishment of two separate governments on the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Background: Early Conflicts: The roots of the civil war can be traced back to the uneasy alliance between the KMT and the CCP in the 1920s, initially aimed at unifying China and expelling foreign imperialists. However, ideological and strategic differences soon led to conflicts. First Phase (1927-1936): After the breakdown of their alliance, the KMT, led by Chiang Kai-shek, launched a series of campaigns known as the Encirclement Campaigns against the CCP. Although the KMT managed to establish a government in Nanjing, they failed to eradicate the CCP. Second Phase (1937-1945): The outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 led to a temporary truce between the KMT and CCP as both focused on resisting Japanese aggression. While the two parties nominally formed a Second United Front against Japan, hostilities persisted. Post-WWII Period: After Japans defeat in 1945, tensions between the KMT and CCP escalated, leading to the resumption of full-scale civil war in 1946. The U.S. tried to mediate between the two parties but ultimately withdrew its support for the KMT due to rampant corruption and inefficiency. Creation of Taiwan: KMTs Retreat: By late 1949, the KMT suffered significant losses on the mainland against the CCPs forces. In December 1949, Chiang Kai-shek and the remnants of his KMT government retreated to Taiwan, establishing Taipei as the temporary capital. Taiwan Strait Crisis: The CCP, having established the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in October 1949, viewed Taiwan as a renegade province. In the mid-1950s, tensions escalated in the Taiwan Strait, with both sides engaging in artillery duels and military posturing. International Recognition: While the PRC gained international recognition as the legitimate government of China over the subsequent decades, Taiwans status became more ambiguous. However, Taiwan maintained its own government, military, and democratic institutions, evolving into a de facto independent state. Modern Context: The status of Taiwan remains one of the most contentious issues in international relations. While the PRC considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory and seeks reunification, Taiwans government and people view themselves as a sovereign nation. The Chinese Civil War led to the establishment of two separate entities: the Peoples Republic of China on the mainland and the Republic of China (Taiwan) on the island of Taiwan. The complexities of this historical conflict continue to shape geopolitics in the region today. Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty: At its core, the One-China policy embodies principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. For China, upholding this policy is not merely a matter of political expediency but a reaffirmation of its national identity and historical legacy. Recognizing Taiwan as an integral part of Chinas sovereign territory aligns with Beijings commitment to safeguarding its borders and preventing external encroachments on what it perceives as internal affairs. Promoting Peaceful Reunification: Chinas approach to Taiwan underscores its dedication to achieving reunification through peaceful means. Rather than resorting to coercive tactics, Beijing has consistently advocated for cross-strait dialogue, economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. The One-China policy, in this context, serves as a diplomatic framework for bridging differences and forging a path towards mutual understanding. Stability and Regional Harmony: The adherence to the One-China policy contributes to stability in the Asia-Pacific region by mitigating potential flashpoints and reducing the risk of armed conflict. As Chinas economic and strategic importance continues to grow, maintaining a consistent stance on Taiwan reinforces predictability, fosters trust among neighboring countries, and facilitates collaborative efforts on shared challenges, such as economic development, climate change, and regional security. Global Recognition and Diplomacy: While debates persist regarding Taiwans international status, Chinas One-China policy has garnered widespread recognition, with the majority of countries aligning with Beijings position. This diplomatic consensus underscores the policys resonance within the international community and emphasizes the importance of respecting Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. Chinas One-China policy serves as a stabilizing force in cross-strait relations, encapsulating principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful reunification. As global dynamics evolve, acknowledging and understanding Beijings unwavering stance on this policy is essential for fostering dialogue, enhancing cooperation, and cultivating a harmonious regional environment. Through sustained engagement, mutual respect, and diplomatic efforts, the path towards a peaceful resolution that respects the aspirations and concerns of all parties remains achievable. Shayne Heffernan The bill will require local boards of education to adopt, implement, and enforce social media-specific policies. He spoke to our partners at Mix 104.1, saying he has heard a lot of pros and cons, which is why the idea needs to be thoroughly researched. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on all parties to refrain from actions that could escalate the situation in the Red Sea, Trend reports. "The Secretary-General calls on all UN member states that protect their ships to do so in accordance with international law, as indicated in the resolution. The Secretary-General once again calls on all parties to prevent further escalation of the conflict in the Red Sea and the region," he stressed. Three friends in Transition Year at Ballymahon Vocational School, Grace Cassells, Keira Hopkins and Lara Flood, were announced as the winners of the prestigious ABP Farm Sustainability Award at the 60th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) in the RDS. Grace, Keira and Lara all come from farming backgrounds and in addition to winning the ABP Farm Sustainability Award, their project entitled Are cow collars worth the hype?, was also bestowed with a Highly Commended Award. The three sixteen year olds have always had a love for farming and they were thrilled with their BTYSTE success. The aim of their project, Are cow collars worth the hype?, is to see if cow collars benefit dairy farmers by reducing labour and improving cows health and well-being. Grace explained, We decided to enter our project into the BT Young Scientist competition because we know that there is a lot of labour on Irish dairy farms, the age profile of the Irish farmer is also increasing and therefore any extra help is greatly welcomed. We were very intrigued as to the benefits of cow collars and wanted to get a greater understanding first hand of what farmers thought of these devices, where they worth the hype? As Irish dairy farming is a grass based pasture system unlike many other countries this can bring many benefits as well as many challenges to Irish farmers. Grace added, As I myself come from a dairy and beef farm, herd health and well-being are most important. We invested in cow collars last year and are seeing first-hand how these can be very beneficial for the farmer, but we wanted to see if this is only on our farm or do other farms think that this system is beneficial and worth the investment. The girls created two different surveys. The first survey was for farmers that are using cow collars on their farm, the second survey was for farmers that dont use cow collars on their farm. They asked farmers many different questions to try and get a greater understanding on how they felt about labour, fertility and how the overall health of the herd is. The surveys were very accessible as they were completed online, therefore they got results from many farmers across the country. The girls also approached companies who sell cow collars to discuss their products further. Grace said, All companies were very accommodating and helped us out greatly, Censortec and Lely especially. They gave us sample collars that we displayed in the RDS. Censortec then put us in contact with customers that use their products and Lely set us up on their app that links to the collars so that we could also show the app up in the RDS. We got in contact with Censortecs customers and met them on their farms. We got to see first-hand how they operate their system and got these farmers' opinions on these cow collars from their experience with them. Throughout their project journey, the girls also had to make a diary and booklet to keep track of their progress and to show the results. They also made a poster that was displayed in the RDS at their stand that shows the results and a summary of the project. Grace concluded, We really enjoyed talking to many people about our project and building relationships with many different companies and farmers. If we were to redo this project, we would love to complete our research on an even larger scale. We are very passionate about new technologies coming into farming to make farmers lifes easier and more efficient. Also check out this short video HERE Suffolk County Police Crack Down on Illegal Sales: Three Arrested for Selling Tobacco and Vapes to Minors Crime By Long Island Published: January 13 2024 Police conducted an investigation into the sale of vape and tobacco products during which 10 businesses were checked for compliance. Suffolk County Police today arrested three people for selling tobacco products and vapes to minors during compliance checks at businesses in the Fourth Precinct. In response to numerous community complaints, Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Community Support Unit and Anticrime officers conducted an investigation into the sale of vape and tobacco products during which 10 businesses were checked for compliance with the law. The Smithtown Fire Marshals Office and the Smithtown Building Department assisted in the investigations at locations within the Town of Smithtown. The Brookhaven Fire Marshals Office assisted in the investigation at the location within the Town of Brookhaven. During the investigation, three businesses were found selling tobacco products and/or vapes to minors. Police today arrested and charged the following persons for the following offenses: Minto Kar, 53, of Ronkonkoma, employed at Hashs Tobacco Shop, located at 23 Indian Head Road, Kings Park, was charged with two counts of Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree. Khondakar Anowar, 22, of Jamaica, employed at Smokeshop of Smithtown, 6 E. Main St., Smithtown, was charged with two counts of Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the 2nd Degree. Kinza Ifthikhar, 27, of Coram, employed at Hawkins Convenience & Smoke Shop, 422 Hawkins Ave., Ronkonkoma, was charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree. Smithtown officials observed numerous fire code and building violations at Hashs Tobacco Shop and Smokeshop of Smithtown. Each business received 15 summonses. Due to the lack of minimum life safety equipment, numerous electrical hazards, and/or obstructed emergency exits, both spaces were deemed unsafe for occupancy. The other businesses involved in the investigation complied and refused to the sale of vape tobacco to underage persons. Manchester, VT (05254) Today Cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Linus Ullmark wasnt a full participant, but he was back on the ice at Bruins morning skate on Saturday after an MRI showed no damage. Ullmark had to be helped off the ice 2:40 into overtime of Bostons 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday at Mullett Arena. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. He lunged for a shot with 2:20 left in overtime and fell to the ice face down and stayed there until the Bruins training staff came out to help him up. It was unclear the nature of the injury. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner skated gingerly to the bench as Jeremy Swayman came in cold to replace him. Swayman gave up the winning goal on the first shot he saw. Brandon Bussi was called up to be the No. 2 goalie until Ullmark returns. Being on the ice at morning skate Saturday indicated Ullmarks absence might be shorter than originally feared. Really good sign. Hes progressing faster than we anticipated. It was his first day on the ice, Jim Montgomery said. Hes starting his process to being a player again. Ullmark was simultaneously optimistic and impatient. It didnt feel as bad as I expected, but it didnt feel as good as I wanted it to, he said. Pleased with it for now at least. Well take it day by day. Ullmark was asked what his initial reaction to the injury was. P.G. version? Shoot. I recognized the pain from stuff I went through in the past. I know it was severe, I didnt know how severe it was, Ullmark said. You feel guilty. You feel bad because you put your partner and the team in that position. ... Everything looked good on the images (MRI). I was very happy with that. We can build on that going forward. He was glad to be on the ice at least. Its great. Its worse when youre sitting on the bench. When you have the gear on you feel like youre part of something. Its easier for your mental health and feels better like you can build on this, he said. When you go through these rough times, it takes a toll on your mental health. You really have to keep an eye on that. So Im grateful I was able to go out there. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. The Israeli military is conducting raids in a number of cities and towns in the West Bank, Trend reports. It was reported that Israeli security forces attacked several villages and settlements in the south, west and east of Jeni. According to information, the military entered the city of Yabad, where they carried out large-scale raids and house searches, set up ambushes in the surrounding areas and placed snipers on the roofs of buildings. After the occupation, clashes broke out in the city, soldiers attacked local houses with stun grenades. Avian flu was detected in a backyard flock of birds in Barnstable County, state officials announced Friday. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Division of Animal Health said in a statement that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza was detected among a flock of non-commercial, mixed-species backyard birds that showed clinical signs consistent with HPAI and tested positive for the disease. These birds were euthanized and disposed of, the agency added. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza demands a rapid response due to it being highly contagious and often fatal to chickens, according to the United States Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Between 2014 and 2015, an outbreak led to an estimated $950 million response by the Department of Agriculture, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources advises backyard and commercial poultry owners to practice strong measures to prevent their birds from having contact with wild birds, their feathers and droppings. The disease continues to circulate in the wild bird population, especially among wild birds typically in and around water. Eliminating standing water and preventing domestic birds from having access to ponds, streams, and wetland areas that attract wild waterfowl is critical, the agency said. In addition, the public should avoid contact with wild birds or touching dead birds or birds showing signs of illness. Other bird species besides waterfowl, including raptors and scavengers, are also susceptible to catching HPAI. While human infections of avian influenza is rare, they have been sporadically reported, according to the World Health Organization. Since 2003, the subtype avian influenza A(H5N1) spread from Asia to Europe and Africa, and to the Americas in 2021, becoming endemic in poultry populations in several countries. Due to the risk of growing into a global pandemic, human infections necessitate strengthened surveillance in both animal and human populations, thorough investigation of every zoonotic infection and pandemic preparedness planning, the WHO said. Signs that a bird has HPAI include showing decreased energy, a loss of appetite; producing less eggs; soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling of the head, comb, eyelids, wattles or hocks; nasal discharge, snicking, coughing or sneezing; uncoordinated gait; or diarrhea, the agency said. People who want to report sick or dead domestic birds should call the agencys Division of Animal Health at 617-626-1795 or report online at the link here. For reporting wild birds, only report observations of five or more birds found at a single location. Report if sick, injured or deceased seabirds are found. This can be done at the website form at the link found here. A Dorchester private school is suing to stop the construction of 72 affordable apartments on a neighboring property, saying that the project will hurt students and stop the school from expanding in the future. The Epiphany School, which serves children from economically disadvantaged families and grants scholarships to all of its students, according to its website, said in a civil complaint filed Friday in Suffolk Superior Court that the Boston Planning and Development Agency should not have approved zoning relief for the project at 150 Centre St. Epiphany and other members of the community have proposed an alternative project that they say would add affordable housing without hurting the neighborhood. The BPDA ... simply rubber-stamped and approved various zoning relief without any proper fact finding or consideration of the significant harms that will result from this proposed project, attorneys for the school wrote. Trinity Financial, the developer of the project which has offices in Boston and New York City, filed plans for the project in January 2023, and it received BPDA approval last Nov. 16. As approved, the development, which is located steps from the Shawmut MBTA station, the four-story building will contain 72 rental apartments affordable to residents making 30%, 50%, 60%, 80% and 120% of the area median income. It will also include an underground parking garage with 25 spaces. The site is currently used by an auto body shop for its repair facility and parking. Part of the communitys aversion to the project comes from the developers and the BPDAs characterization of the neighborhood in its proposal as blighted and substandard. In its approval, the BPDA wrote that a redevelopment of the site would revitalize the project area and the surrounding neighborhood. To deem a neighborhood with million-dollar Victorian homes, a modern independent school, and a well-tended local business as blighted is faulty on its very face, attorney Damon Seligson of Sheehan Phinney, the firm representing Epiphany, said in a statement. Epiphanys head of school, the Rev. John Finley, explained that the school is concerned about construction disrupting students and emergency access to the school on the narrow streets of the largely residential area, especially with added traffic from so many new residents. In addition, the school had granted an easement to the auto body shop, which Finley said could become overburdened, endangering students and teachers who walk there. At the same time, he stressed that the school and its allies in the community are very much in favor of the creation of affordable housing, just not in the same form that the developer has proposed. In particular, he said they would like to see larger units (about half of the proposed apartments would be one-bedrooms) and homeownership opportunities. Theres a lot of studios and small apartments coming online in Boston, Finley said. A lot of our families are homeless or housing insecure, and we would love to see housing that was family-sized on the lot. He acknowledged that the developers had started with a larger proposal and had somewhat scaled back, but said that if they worked with the school, more could be done. A petition opposing the project received more than 1,000 signatures from community members. This map shows the location of 150 Centre St. in Dorchester, near the Epiphany School and Shawmut MBTA station. (Google)Google Before the BPDA approved the project, a community group called Building Together: Shawmut developed its own alternative proposal for housing on the site. This plan would combine both the auto body shop property and Epiphanys existing parking lot to make space for affordable homeownership housing along Centre Street, while leaving room for open space and future expansion of the school. Traffic would be routed through nearby Sharp Street instead of adding more cars on Centre Street. This is not like were opposed to housing, Finley said. We are hugely in favor of housing and want it, and want to cooperate and see it happen. Read more: Land taken from Boston homeowners in 1970s now being used to ease housing crisis The civil complaint also alleges that two members appointed by the BPDA to the Impact Advisory Group evaluating the developers proposal were commercial tenants of Trinity Financial at other locations in Boston, while Finley was not allowed to join the group because of the schools interests. The school has asked for the court to annul the BPDAs approval and reopen the public hearing process for further review. Trinity Financial did not respond to a request for comment for this story. SPRINGFIELD Twenty-year-old Nickolas Lacrosse stabbed his ex-girlfriend, standout high school student Kathryn Mauke, 32 times at her home in 2015. He was convicted by a jury in 2018 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But after a landmark decision by the states Supreme Judicial Court, Lacrosse and other convicted murderers who fell between the ages of 18 and 20 at the time of their crimes will be entitled to the possibility of parole. *This story was updated on Jan. 13 at 2:45 p.m. with additional reporting. A 22-year-old man died from his injuries in a shooting at a hibachi restaurant in Brockton, authorities said. Brockton Police arrived to 718 Crescent Street following a report of a shooting at around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, according to District Attorney Tim Cruz. The victim, later identified as Joe Araujo of Brockton, was transported to Good Samaritan Medical Center and was later pronounced dead, a spokesperson for the Plymouth County District Attorneys office said. The address is where Hibachi Sushi Supreme Buffet is located, the district attorneys office said The shooting didnt appear to be random and the victim appears to have been a target, according to preliminary investigations by the district attorneys office. The investigation remains active by Brockton Police and the Massachusetts State Police, according to the district attorneys office. Another rainfall on Saturday could bring with it more flooding after two storms caused flooding through parts of the week. The National Weather Service reports a renewed or worsened risk for river flooding with strong southeast wind gusts of up to 60 mph for outer Cape Ann and Cape Cod. They have also issued a coastal flooding warning for Massachusetts until 4 p.m. on Saturday in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways, such as Eastern Essex, Suffolk, Barnstable and Nantucket. Snow melt from Sundays noreaster dropped as much as 18 inches on parts of Massachusetts, followed by a rainstorm earlier in the week that brought 2-3 inches of rain. Most of the state is on a flood watch through Saturday night, while the coast is expected to be under a coastal flood warning between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. Forecasters anticipate between an inch to 2 inches of rain falling over much of the state. Sunday will also bring scattered snow showers as the week turns to colder temperatures with snow also anticipated on Tuesday, early Wednesday and Friday into Saturday. If your area is experiencing an outage, follow the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agencys outage map for all updates. After a Quincy man was arrested after police say he tried to light a raccoon on fire, the raccoon died due to severe burns, the New England Wildlife Center said in a Facebook post. Despite our efforts and round the clock care we lost our patient today. We were so hopeful we could get her through this tragic event but the damage to her body from the burns ended up being too severe, the New England Wildlife Center said. We are all very sad today, but dont regret giving her a chance. We know she was fighting until the end, they later added. The New England Wildlife Center said the female raccoon had three surgeries where they removed damaged tissue and applied honey to help with healing. While the raccoon remained stable, in the morning the New England Wildlife Center said she was more lethargic than usual and shortly after taking her morning medications, she had a cardiac arrest. While the center said they attempted CPR and giving her emergency medications, the raccoon died. Police arrived at the backyard of a home on Royal Street in Quincy on Dec. 30, according to NBC Boston. Police told the outlet that, upon arrival, they saw two people arguing and a raccoon in a cage that appeared to have burn injuries. Police got video of a 63-year-old Quincy man making a fire in a tin can, then placing the cage with the raccoon inside on top of the burning trash can, according to NBC Boston. The man was charged with animal cruelty. We hope her story will help encourage people to co-exist with these amazing animals and will help prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future, the New England Wildlife Center said. Previous reporting by MassLive reporter Alvin Buyinza was used in this article. Fire departments across Massachusetts may find themselves trying to douse some financial flames in the wake of Gov. Maura Healeys announcement this week that shes trimming $375 million from the state budget to deal with flagging tax revenues. Some three dozen departments, from Auburn to Worcester, will see their state funding cut by as much as half, according to a letter the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts sent out on Thursday. All told, the Democratic administration plans to trim $1.65 million from that account, from the current $5.7 million to a revised $4 million, according to an analysis that Healeys office released earlier this week. The majority of these cuts are reducing local earmarks, the associations president, Richard D. MacKinnon Jr., wrote to local union leaders across the state. That means, for instance, the Easton Fire Department, which was set to receive $100,000 for equipment purchases, will receive $50,000 instead. The Taunton Fire Department, will see money set aside for upgrades to its central fire station slashed from $500,000 to $250,000, MacKinnon wrote. In addition to Easton and Taunton, the cities and towns impacted by the cuts are: Auburn, Barnstable, Berlin, Billerica, Boston, Boxford, Braintree, Dracut, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Everett, Georgetown, Hanson, Medway, Milford, Natick, Norfolk, Northbridge, Pembroke, Plainville, Quincy, Randolph, Saugus, Sharon, Southbridge, Stoughton, Stow, Tewksbury, Upton, Whitman and Worcester. Barnstable County and the Massachusetts firefighter cancer screening program also will be on the receiving end of funding cuts, according to the statewide union chiefs letter. Were always concerned about any cuts to public safety. This funding provides much needed equipment, training, and health care screenings, to departments statewide, Paul Jacques, a legislative agent for the union, which represents 12,000 union firefighters, told MassLive in a text message. As a result of these cuts, some will have to do without, Jacques said. What else is cut? Massachusetts state-run health insurance program, MassHealth, will bear the brunt of the cuts that Healey announced this week, with $294 million trimmed from its budget, according to Healeys office. Other areas targeted for reductions include grants for high school dual enrollments ($2.5 million); local public safety earmarks ($1.5 million); grants to local public health boards ($2.49 million), and grants to councils on aging ($950,000). Whats not on the table? Layoffs, a withdrawal from the states Rainy Day Fund, or any money thats supposed to be used to address Massachusetts ongoing emergency shelter crisis, a senior administration official said. The $1 billion tax cut package that lawmakers passed, and Healey signed into law last year, also will remain untouched. Speaking to WGBH-FM in Boston earlier this week, Healey said she had no regrets about the tax cut package, saying it was absolutely, in my view, imperative ... to make the state more affordable. The Democratic administrations announcement comes just weeks after Healey, who has just started her second year in office, said she did not anticipate making such cuts, according to State House News Service. Legislative leaders already were casting worried glances at the states financial health before the administrations planned action. Revenue collection numbers released last week drove Mondays announcement, officials said. The commonwealth collected nearly $3.8 billion in taxes last month. Thats $82 million, or 2.1%, less than collections at the same time in 2022; and $138 million, or 3.5%, behind official benchmarks, MassLive previously reported. Year-to-date collections totaled $17.86 billion, which was $60 million, or 0.3%, ahead of collections at the same time in 2023, but still $769 million, or 4.1%, behind projections, according to state Revenue Department data. In his Thursday letter, MacKinnon said the firefighters union will continue to dig into these cuts and advocate for the funding to be restored. We implore you to start conversations with your fire chiefs and local elected officials to determine how these budget cuts may impact your members, MacKinnon wrote. Another rainfall on Saturday has brought with it flooding across Massachusetts after two storms caused flooding through parts of the week. Boston, Provincetown and Dennis have or are forecasted to have moderate flooding, according to National Weather Service flood risk maps. Nantucket, Bridgewater, Dover, Saxonville, Maynard, Gloucester, Andover and Scituate have or are forecasted to have minor flooding, the map shows. Snow melt from Sundays noreaster dropped as much as 18 inches on parts of Massachusetts, followed by a rainstorm earlier in the week that brought 2-3 inches of rain. With the flooding on Saturday, also comes road closures. In Cohasset, Atlantic Avenue, margin and Border Street are flooded and closed to traffic, according to the Cohasset Police. In Quincy, Rockland Street and Spring Street as well as the Squantum Causeway are closed temporarily due to flooding, according to police. Read more: Car crash on Route 129 in Billerica kills man Several vehicles have become disabled attempting to pass through this area, we urge you not to drive through flowing, flooding waters you cannot determine the depth of, Quincy Police wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Duxbury Fire Department posted on X that they had recalled off-duty firefighters and were dealing with significant flooding in numerous parts of time. The fire and police departments are reminding residents to not drive through the flooded roads. In Salisbury, Beach and Ferry Road are closed and Broadway is likely to be closed due to flooding, police said on X. Route 286 in Seabrook is also closed, the Salisbury Police said. While many communities are dispatching resources to deal with the flooding, the bulk of the heavy flooding is lifting in the North and East, according to the National Weather Service. However, larger rivers will continue to rise after the rain ends and swollen rivers will likely continue into Sunday and Monday, the weather service said. If your area is experiencing an outage, follow the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agencys outage map for all updates. THE first international protection applicants have arrived at a hotel in Ballinrobe that was the subject of a high-profile protest over last weekend. JJ Gannons Hotel on Ballinrobes Main Street is to accommodate 50 international protection applicants made up of families this week, the first of whom have arrived earlier this week. Protesters stood outside the former hotel from Friday evening until Monday afternoon after it was announced that 50 male international protection applicants were to be accommodated at the hotel. It was subsequently announced on Monday that families would be accommodated at the 12-bedroom hotel. A protest organised largely through the a Facebook page called Ballinrobe Says No was subsequently disbanded. Locals have expressed concern regarding the towns ability to cope with the extra demand for services. Ballinrobe Community Development Council Chairman, Frank Keane, has called for more funding to services to help cater for an increase in population. Ballinrobe recorded a population of 3,148 in the 2022 Census, an increase from 2,786 at the previous census. The statue dedicated to Grace O'Malley, the Pirate Queen, which was unveiled this afternoon in Newport will be 'a symbol of courage and resilience' and a 'beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations'. The statue to Grace O'Malley, also known as Grainne Uaile was unveiled in Newport by the current Chieftain of the O'Malley Clan, Nano O'Malley. The unveiling of the statue located on Medlicott Street at the entrance to the town is the culmination of a Newport Business Association (NBA) strategy, developed in 2019, which was to brand and promote Newport as 'The Town of the Two Graces' Grainne Uaile from the 16th Century and Grace Kelly from the 20th Century. A key action of this strategy was to commission sculptures of the two Graces, to be located in the town, which would reflect the lives of these great women icons who still have strong connections with Newport. The statue dedicated to Grace Kelly was unveiled by her son, Prince Albert of Monaco last March. A large crowd attended the unveiling of the statue which depicts Grace O'Malley on her boat looking out over Clew Bay. Newport has had a long-standing historical link with the Pirate Queen - Grainne Mhaol, the Irish version of her name which is now more popularly termed as Grainne Uaile. Protector of Clew Bay and the Barony of Burrishoole (Newport), this larger than life figure is known for her commanding leadership and consummate bravery. A large number of O'Malley's were in attendance for the unveiling of the statue which was sculpted by Mark Rode who was commissioned to undertake this artistic endeavour. Speaking at the unveiling, Nano O'Malley, the current Chieftain of the O'Malley Clan thanked the Newport Business Association for the honour of unveiling the statue and said it will be an inspiration for future generations. As we witness the unveiling of this statue in honour of Grace O'Malley, let us remember her as a symbol of courage and resilience and determination and let us O'Malley's be inspired by her unwavering commitment to her clan, her people and her land. The statue before us stands as a reminder of the power of one individual to make a lasting impact on history. May this statue serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations and the people of mayo. Let it remind us that we the O'Malley Clan and the people of Mayo are inheritors of a very proud legacy. Let it remind us to never shy away from challenges and to embrace your unique identity and always strive for greatness. In the words of Grace O'Malley herself, 'I have heard of your great fame, I have heard of your brave exploits but I defy anyone to surpass me in valour or deeds of arms'. Let us carry her words in our hearts as we continue to forge our own path and leave our mark on the world, she said. Mary Keane, Chairperson of the Newport Business Association welcomed everyone to the unveiling and said the town was proud to honour two women who left their mark on the world in which they lived. Anne Chambers, the biographer of Grace O'Malley, told the crowd that growing up in Mayo she heard stories of the exploits of the Pirate Queen but they were not taught in schools. She said that her inspiration behind telling the story of Grace O'Malley was to ensure that people did not forget her exploits and was delighted that her story is now told in schools. Ms Chambers added that when she wrote her first draft, she was asked for a copy by Grace Kelly who sent a letter thanking her for the copy and congratulated her on her work. I have to say from that contact we had with her at the time, Grace Kelly did know about Grace O'Malley. Here in Newport is quite rightly the proper place for the two Graces, she commented. Read more about the unveiling of the statue in Tuesday's edition of The Mayo News. There is lots to catch up on this week from New Years resolutions to collaborations and exciting new releases. See what you missed in our special weekly round-up Editorial The Resolute Choice To kick off the week, our Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Wong has matched five timepieces with five of the most popular New Years resolutions, from getting back in shape to travelling the world, for an extra motivational boost to try and stick to them! A Pas de Deux of Precision and Beauty Since its inception, Van Cleef & Arpels has shared a close relationship to the world of ballet. But why? WorldTempuss Marie de Pimodan takes a closer look at the relationship between the Maisons creations and the artform that continues to inspire them. Ballet of the Grand Theatre - Geneva Van Cleef & Arpels Zenith: Ten Out of Ten for Julien Tornare Next, as last weeks news of Julien Tornares departure from Zenith for TAG Heuer was the talk of the industry, our correspondent Olivier Muller delves into the CEOs six-year tenure at the brand with the star. The Latest in Swatch Collaborations Swatch X Blancpain Ocean Of Storms Following the success of last years collaborations, Swatch and high-end luxury brand Blancpain have dropped a sixth (and final?) variant of the Scuba Fifty Fathoms. WorldTempuss Mathieu Rotzer gives us his impressions. Ocean Of Storms Swatch X Blancpain Iconic Womens Watches Moving along, some of the watch industrys most brilliant designs were for women. In celebration of these famous timepieces, our correspondent Herve Borne has curated a selection of the most iconic womens watches in their latest iterations. In other news In other news from the watchmaking world, some high-profile celebrities were spotted wearing OMEGA watches at the 81st Golden Globes and TAG Heuer announced the addition of Chinese actor Liu Haoran as its newest brand ambassador. New Releases Last but not least, for our new releases of the week, we have the Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar, the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon, the IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel and the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Tourbillon Dragon]. Hundreds of people gathered for a walk along the Grand Canal in Cappincur this afternoon exactly two years after the murder of Offaly schoolteacher Ashling Murphy. Speaking to the Tullamore Tribune at the shrine to Ashling on the canal bank, her father Ray thanked the public for keeping the memory of his daughter alive. Every day is sad," he said. "We don't come down here that often now because there's nothing only pain and misery and hardship." Pausing to look at his watch he added: Now, she died about a minute after half three according to her Fitbit. It's sad and I do go every day to the graveyard and that's not a big ask. Ray, who was accompanied by his wife Kathleen, daughter Amy and son Cathal, along with Ashling's boyfriend Ryan Casey, joined in a decade of the rosary after leading wellwishers from Digby Bridge to the memorial shrine. A number of musicians, including James Hogan, principal of Durrow National School where Ashling taught, and Paddy Buckley, from Ballyboy Comhaltas, performed some traditional tunes accompanied by Ray. The emotion was palpable as many of those present joined in a rendition of the song 'When You Were Sweet Sixteen'. Paddy Buckley spoke of his lifelong friendship with the Murphy family and their shared love of traditional music. Ashling spent her time with us in Ballyboy from the time she was five or six years of age, he said. It's easy to say it, but if there was anybody close to being the perfect person she was one. She had all the attributes of life. It's frightful the way it all panned out. It goes to show we never know what's around the corner for any of us. But you can see by the response from everybody how well she was liked. She was an unassuming girl, she was quiet, she didn't bother anybody. Before and after the prayers and music many people paused in silent reflection at the shrine and sympathisers left bouquets of flowers. An open invitation to the Ashling Murphy Second Anniversary Commemorative Walk had been posted on the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund Facebook page and people from all over Tullamore, Durrow, Killoughey and other areas gathered at the Digby Bridge car park well in advance of the 3.15pm start. On Friday morning Ashling was remembered at a special celebration Mass in St Colmcille's Church, Durrow. A message from the school said: We remember our beloved Ms Murphy, who was a very special person to us all. We pray and thank her for the great gifts of joy, music, song, sports, teaching and friendship that she left behind in our school. Ms Murphy was a beautiful, kind, loving and excellent teacher who will never ever be forgotten in Durrow NS. Ashling's second anniversary Mass took place in her family's parish church in Mountbolus on Thursday evening. Celebrant Fr Michael Meade said: This is a tragedy which will never end for Ashlings family... It will be a moment which will go on forever. Fr Meade said what keeps people going through harsh journeys like this is the support of family, friends and the community. He spoke of the great challenges of grief and pain which people face at times in their lives. God is the one who gives us hope and strength when we are feeling at our lowest ebb, he said, urging those present to never lose faith. We give thanks for the courage we have all received from Ashling, he added, even though she is no longer with us... This evening we pray for Ashling whose life was ended in tragedy, and we know that she is now enjoying and living the bliss of eternal life. Ashling Murphy, Blueball, Tullamore, was 23 when she was killed on the canal bank on January 12, 2022. Jozef Puska, a 33-year-old native of Slovakia who was living with his family in Mucklagh, was convicted of her murder in November and sentenced to life in prison. A 21-year-old Englishwoman named Amy Wiseman from Durham, who works as a nurse in a dental clinic, told how she almost lost her eyesight. According to her, hyaluronic filler was injected into an artery, which led to the clogging of the vessels. ADVERTISIMENT The girl paid almost $100 for this procedure to a cosmetologist she trusted, the Daily Mail reports. Amy said that her lips lacked oxygen and she had 24 hours to fix the situation (to see the photo, scroll to the bottom of the page). She said that something had to be done urgently, as part of her lip could have completely fallen off and she would have needed a skin graft. Subsequently, the filler was dissolved by a professional doctor. The girl went to see her general practitioner, who said she was lucky to still have her lip. She also visited a dentist, who told her that she could lose her eyesight if she didn't have the hyaluronics dissolved within 24 hours. "I was completely shocked when they said I could lose my eyesight. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know if my lips could be saved or if they would be permanently damaged. My blood flow was reduced because the filler was blocking the artery, and I had a bruise. If I hadn't visited a doctor in time, I would have lost my eyesight and the left side of my face, and I would have needed a facial tissue graft," she said. ADVERTISIMENT Amy added that she has been going to the beautician who gave her that ill-fated 0.5 ml injection into her lips since she was 17. "After the first injection, I felt a lot of pain, but I didn't think about it because I know that getting your lips done hurts. But it was worse than what I had experienced before. I told the beautician about it and she said that I hit a vein, but there was nothing to worry about," Amy recalls. After the procedure, Amy got into her car and started looking at her lips and was upset because she shouldn't have a bruise like she had. "The left side of my lip looked completely different. And there was a terrible pain. It was agony. I sent a photo to the woman, she said it was just bruising, and I trusted her because she had done my lips before," Amy said. ADVERTISIMENT Soon after, she decided to consult another specialist and sent him a photo of her severely swollen lip. He referred Amy to a plastic surgeon and therapist. She also sent the photos to her colleagues, who consulted with specialists and decided to urgently dissolve the filler. After the incident, Amy said that the injury undermined her confidence and she gave up hyaluronic fillers for life. "It put me off, and I wouldn't do it again. But if I do, I'll go to someone who has a medical degree. People take a course in a day and seem to have qualifications, but a doctor could diagnose the problem and solve it immediately," Amy Wiseman summarized. Taurus will have a great time with their family this weekend, enjoying every moment. Scorpios and Capricorns will have a lot of work to do. ADVERTISIMENT Tarotist and prognosticator Olha Solomka has compiled a horoscope for all zodiac signs for January 13-14 exclusively for AstroOBOZ. Find out what awaits you. Aries This weekend you can spend somewhere outside the city or in the country, where it will be fun in some places and heartwarming in others, there is room to roam and you can choose several ways to enjoy both fresh air and friendly communication. Taurus Your weekend will be full of love, whether it's for your family, parents, children, lover or beloved. And you spend the whole weekend with your family and loved ones, enjoying every moment of communication. Gemini Take care of your territory, clean up after the holidays, tune in to the business world and prepare your space to get back on track and start the year. Cancer Spend this weekend the way you would like to: take your time, get plenty of sleep, walk freely, meet friends, enjoy art, engage in creativity, or have a cultural vacation. ADVERTISIMENT Leo Why don't you make some money? Especially since all the conditions are now in place to improve your financial situation. And even if you have to go to work, you will be well paid for these days. Virgo If you haven't updated your knowledge base for a long time, you'll need to do so now, for example, by attending some educational conferences and master classes or listening to lectures by some interesting figures or teachers. Libra Start moving towards something new now even if the start is on the weekend. It shouldn't stop you. For example, you can arrange to move to another home or even to another city. Some of you may even get married. Scorpio You're not resting and you're not letting others rest either, constantly pulling everyone around and encouraging them to take on various adventures. And this increased activity pays off: as a result, you organize a very interesting and productive weekend. ADVERTISIMENT Sagittarius You'll be so tired after a busy week that you'll be lying down for a long time. You should spend at least one day in the state of a vegetable so that all this tension doesn't come back later. Capricorn You have no time to relax. You have so many plans for this weekend that you'll barely have time to cope with the amount of work you have to do in two days. And then there are the plans your family has for you, which you also have to cope with. Aquarius Group work this weekend will be very joyful and inspiring. You will enjoy spending time together, exchanging ideas and creating something very interesting with your hands or head. Pisces Your romantic mood is not affected by either frost or darkness, you are determined, strive for happiness with all your heart, and are ready to make your loved ones the happiest people in the world. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, January 12, 2024 The 2024 presidential election process kicks off Monday with Republican primary voting in Iowa, and Republicans have already spent $259 million in the state, according to the most recent estimates released this afternoon by AdImpact. Most of the money -- $200 million -- has been spent by issues groups, while the candidates vying for the state's nomination have spent $59 million. In total, that adds up to more than $360 ad dollars per registered Republican voter in the state (as of Nov. 20, 2023). Looked at another way, that's a gross effective CPM of $360,272. By candidates, Nikki Haley outspent the pack with $63.7 million in Iowa to date, or about $88.61 per registered Republican voter in the state. advertisement advertisement "Who's going to get a return on their investment," Chris Christie, who spent $18 million in the state, said on a hot mic just before announcing he would be dropping out of the race, adding that Haley is "going to get smoked." We'll see what Iowa's voters have to say about that, but if he's right, Christie may have a new career as a post-buy analyst. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 12, 2024 Generative AI (GAI) will have an impact on customer experiences, and that means retailers will rely more on Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Adobe, Oracle and others to get the technology into their operations. GAI will be a major focus for Google, Microsoft and others at the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference this week in New York. Separately, this week, Google and Microsoft announced a series of (GAI) technologies for the retail industry that aim to enhance online shopping experiences and streamline retail operations. Google hopes retailers will accept the Cloud as the base technology. In its announcement, the retail conversational commerce software uses GAI to enable retailers to quickly implement virtual agents that can have detailed conversations with customers. advertisement advertisement Chatbots are not new, but Google believes that models like Pathway Language Model (PaLM) -- Googles latest language model with improved multilingual, reasoning, and coding capabilities that powers the agents -- will move the technology to the next service level. These chatbots can be customized with a retailers first-party data from catalogs and websites to have an in-depth conversation with consumers. Google Cloud also introduced a new large language model (LLM) capability in Vertex AI Search for retail, which gives retailers the same quality of search, browse and recommendations that Google uses. In an example of a U.S.-based home improvement retailer whose products are only described in English online, Google says a consumer could receive the home improvement product search information in either English and Spanish. TechCrunch points out that when eBay launched a similar AI-powered product-image-to-description capability in September, it was only a short time before sellers began complaining about its performance. They pointed to misleading, unnecessarily repetitive and in some cases downright untruthful text. This past week, Microsoft also launched its own GAI product for retail. Microsoft on Thursday introduced the Retail Media Creative Studio supported by GAI to create banner ad creatives in seconds based on a products web-based link or URL. The goal, Microsoft said, is to make creative building as easy as possible. In this platform, marketers can take a product photo and turn it into a lifestyle image for a campaign that consumers can relate with by simply prompting the technology to "put this sofa in a cozy living room. Trusted Source EcoHealth Alliance Receives NIH Renewal Grant for Collaborative Research to Understand the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Spillover Emergence Go to source Trusted Source New Virus Risk of Bat-To-Human Spread Raise Pandemic Concern The unidentified new bat virus was discovered in a cave in Thailand, where farmers source bat feces as fertilizer for their crops. #batvirus #humanspread #pandemic #medindia Advertisement EcoHealth Alliance Receives NIH Renewal Grant for Collaborative Research to Understand the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Spillover Emergence - (https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/2023/05/collaborative-research-to-understand-the-risk-of-bat-coronavirus-spillover-emergence) A new deadly bat virus detected in Thailand with the potential to spread to humans through feces can be a potential zoonotic pathogen spilling infection similar to the COVID-19 pandemic , reveals a report from EcoHealth Alliance ().Dr Peter Daszak, head of the New York-based non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, reported the discovery of a never-before-seen virus with 'almost' as much potential to infect humans as COVID. EcoHealth has been linked with controversial experiments in Wuhan which some fear started the pandemic."We found a lot of SARS-related coronaviruses, but one in particular we found was quite common in bats where people were commonly exposed," Daszak, a zoologist, said while describing his findings in bats at an event held by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on future pandemic research preparedness.He said the new virus, which is yet to be named, was found in a Thai cave where local farmers source bat feces to fertilize their fields. Further,, he was quoted as saying."We consider this to be a potential zoonotic pathogen. Here we have a virus in bats, right now in a cave used by people highly exposed to bat feces, Daszak said. "And this virus is shed in bat feces, so there is a real potential for emergence."The findings come as the WHO reported a surge in coronavirus globally, with hospitalizations jumping 42 percent across 50 countries. The fresh surge in cases, majorly driven by the highly transmissible JN.1 variant , has also brought in mask mandates in several US states. JN.1, classified as a variant of interest (VOI) by the WHO is becoming the dominant variant globally, causing spikes in infections, hospitalizations as well as deaths in some countries.JN.1 is similar to its parent BA.2.86 but has an additional mutation (L455S) in the spike protein, which has immune-evasion properties. According to the CDC, JN.1s continued growth suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems than other circulating variants.However, it added that "it is too early to know whether or to what extent JN.1 will cause an increase in infections or hospitalizations". As per the CDC, existing vaccines, tests, and treatments work against JN.1.Source-IANS Feel that tingle down your spine when a bike roars past? Have you ever dreamed of just riding off into the sunset seeking adventure? Well, India offers some of the most epic motorcycle journeys for thrill seekers like you! From navigating mountain passes higher than Mt Everest to camping under starry desert nights, these rides will make your friends jealous and give you stories to tell for life. This guide shares 7 must-do tours spanning the country. Race past forts and palaces in royal Rajasthan, ride alongside beaches and backwaters down south, battle mountain hairpin bends up north and then theres the ultimate prize conquering the out-of-this-world landscapes of Ladakh. Tests for both your machine and nerves are guaranteed! 1. The Leh-Ladakh Odyssey Canva Length: Around 1,500 km over 812 days Highlights The world's highest motorable passes, like Khardung La (5,602 m) and Tanglang La (5,328 m), Surreal, high-altitude Himalayan views Ancient Buddhist monasteries dot the landscape. Challenges Extremely cold climate, with temperatures ranging from -20C to 15C High altitude (over 9,800 ft) leading to altitude sickness Steep gradients and unpredictable weather Leh-Ladakh, a name that excites every motorcycle enthusiast, has so much more to offer than just a bike ride; it's like embarking on an incredible adventure. Just picture yourself cruising through the challenging Himalayan landscape, where every twist and turn tests your stamina and riding skills. As you conquer the demanding routes of Khardung La and Tanglang La, you're not just a rider but an intrepid explorer venturing into uncharted territory. These high-altitude passes aren't just dots on a map; they mark significant milestones in your journey of self-discovery. But Leh-Ladakh isn't only about rugged terrain. It's also a place where you can immerse yourself in the rich culture of Ladakh. The peaceful monasteries, the vibrant festivals, and the warm hospitality of the Ladakhi people add layers of depth to this adventure, transforming it into a captivating story of cultural exploration. 2. The Royal Rajasthan Ride Canva Length: Around 800 km over 68 days Highlights Magnificent forts and lavish palaces at Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer Camel rides and desert camping on Sam Sand Dunes Abundance of local handicrafts and cuisine Challenges Searing heat exceeding 45C during summers Sandy and uneven desert terrain Rajasthan, a land steeped in the legacies of kings and warriors, offers a journey through the corridors of time. Every city, adorned with its magnificent forts and opulent palaces, unfolds tales of valour and grandeur. When you traverse the enchanting realms of Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer, you're not merely a traveller; you become a privileged observer of history itself. The golden sands of the Thar Desert, stretching as far as the eye can see, pose a distinct challenge. It's not just a battle against the natural elements; it's also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the unspoiled beauty of the desert. The sands gleaming under the setting sun create a spectacle that's nothing short of enchanting. 3. The Coastal Trail: Mumbai to Goa Instagram/bajajdominar Length: 600 km over 4-6 days Highlights Varkalas cliff beaches and backwaters Untouched tropical beaches Mangrove forests, rivers, and waterfalls along the coast Challenges Wet weather and slippery roads during monsoons Dense truck traffic across narrow roads Your journey begins in the bustling city of Mumbai, where the energy is palpable. As you set off towards Goa, the scenery transforms dramatically, offering a stark contrast to city life. Riding along the Konkan coast, you're treated to a symphony of sights, sounds, and smells. The small fishing villages and untouched beaches offer a glimpse into a simpler, more serene way of life. Arriving in Goa, the journey takes on a relaxed pace. The Portuguese architecture, the sun-kissed beaches, and the susegad lifestyle offer the perfect setting to unwind and reflect on the adventures that have been. 4. The North-Eastern Quest Canva Length: Around 1,500km over 812 days Highlights Otherworldly landscapes, from crystal-clear lakes to thick rainforests Colourful tribal cultures and cuisine Living root bridges and clouds sweeping misty hills Challenges Heavy rainfall and landslides are causing roadblocks. Poor off-roading infrastructure Communication difficulties due to the diversity of languages The Northeastern states, with their unspoiled beauty and mystique, offer a journey into the unknown. This is where you ride through clouds, and lush green valleys, and cross living root bridges. The varying terrain, from the rain-soaked hills of Meghalaya to the mountainous paths of Arunachal Pradesh, offers an exhilarating challenge to any rider. Each state, with its unique topography, makes this a ride of a lifetime. The cultural diversity of the North-East is as varied as its landscape. Each tribe and community you encounter adds a new dimension to your journey, making this a ride through the heart of India's diversity. 5. The Southern Spice Trail Bajaj Dominar/ Instagram Length: Around 1,200 km over 810 days Highlights Spectacular stone temples and ancient sites Backwater cruises across Keralas serene lagoons Lush highland vistas across the Western Ghats Challenges Sweltering heat and humidity Many narrow and congested roads Language barriers outside major cities The southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are a treat for the senses. Riding through the spice-scented air of the Western Ghats, you're enveloped in a world of greenery and tranquillity. The backwaters of Kerala offer a serene interlude to your journey. Gliding through the waters, you experience a different pace of life, one that's calm and contemplative. Tamil Nadu's ancient temples are not just places of worship; they're monuments to a rich historical past. Riding through these temple towns, you're on a pilgrimage through time. 6. The Heart of India: Madhya Pradesh Canva Length: Around 1,300km over 710 days Highlights Abundant wildlife sightings in lush forests Gravity-defying rock paintings and erotic temples Holy River Narmadas tranquil ghats Challenges Extreme heat with temperatures crossing 45C Rocky, uneven terrain, and slushy trails Limited gas stations across remote countryside Madhya Pradesh, the heart of India, offers a ride through dense forests and past ancient monuments. This is a journey that brings you face-to-face with India's wildlife and its historical heritage. The state's rich history unfolds in the form of the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho and the Buddhist stupas of Sanchi. Each site you visit is a chapter from India's diverse historical narrative. The changing landscapes of Madhya Pradesh, from its national parks to its river valleys, offer a ride that's thrilling and unpredictable. It's a journey that combines adventure with a deep appreciation of nature. 7. The Punjab and Himachal Pradesh Trail Canva Length: Around 850 km over 68 days Highlights Breath-taking views of the mighty Himalayas Colourful Sikh Culture and the Golden Temple Quaint hill stations and Buddhist monasteries Challenges Numerous hairpin bends and narrow hill roads Landslides and rainfall around monsoons A sudden drop in temperatures in higher reaches Punjab, the land of the five rivers, welcomes you with its lush green fields and vibrant culture. The folk songs and dances add a joyous rhythm to your journey. Moving towards Himachal Pradesh, the landscape changes dramatically. The roads winding through the Himalayas offer a challenge to your riding skills and a feast for your eyes. This journey takes you from the spiritual serenity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar to the peaceful monasteries of Dharamshala. It's a ride that blends cultural richness with natural beauty. Conclusion After almost three months of work, NASA engineers were able to create the necessary tools to open the capsule containing the bulk of the priceless samples collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Back in October, after the capsule returned to Earth, scientists discovered that they could not remove 2 of the 35 capsule fasteners. ADVERTISIMENT The space agency reported the success on its website. Earlier, scientists were still able to access some of the samples (about 70 grams) that were contained in the outer part of the capsule but the most interesting thing was under the lid. The problems with the capsule were discovered in October when the OSIRIS-REx mission delivered the sample container to Earth. It seemed that everything went extremely well, especially considering that these were the first such samples received. However, the jubilation was too early. To protect the samples from the Earth's atmosphere, bacteria, and so on, the capsule was placed in a special sealed box, where they intended to open it. However, it turned out that 2 of the 35 fasteners could not be opened using the tools that were in the box. The complication was that it was impossible to simply open the box and add a new tool as there was a risk of contaminating the samples. ADVERTISIMENT Thus, NASA engineers had to develop new instruments, taking into account the fact that they would be used in the limited space of the sealed box, so they have certain limitations in terms of height, weight, and even potential arc of motion. "The lead team showed impressive resilience and did an incredible job of getting those stubborn fasteners off the TAGSAM head so we could continue disassembly. We are very pleased with this success," said Dr. Nicole Lunning, OSIRIS-REx Project Curator at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA said that the two instruments were made of surgical steel. This is the hardest of the materials approved for use in boxes of this type, where researchers work with gloves attached. After the tools were developed, they were tested in a "test lab" to make sure that the new tools could successfully perform the required task. Only then were they installed in a sealed box and used to defeat stubborn fasteners. ADVERTISIMENT NASA is currently celebrating this small victory, saying that further steps to collect the sample from the capsule will involve "several additional disassembly steps." After these steps are completed, the samples will be photographed, extracted and weighed. The analysis of the material from Bennu, which NASA researchers did manage to get out of the capsule last fall, has already shown that the asteroid samples contain a large amount of water in the form of hydrated clay minerals, as well as carbon. This confirms the current theory of how water could have come to Earth billions of years ago. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. The U.S. and U.K. strikes on Houthi targets inside Yemen were nearly twice as large as previously disclosed, hitting a total of just under 30 different locations, a senior member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff revealed Friday. Air Force Central Command had said Thursday that American forces hit more than 60 targets at 16 locations controlled by the Iranian-backed militants. But speaking with reporters Friday, Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the Joint Staff's director for operations, said that immediately following those initial strikes, there were 12 other locations identified and struck. Meanwhile, the U.S. military's barrage in Yemen was largely viewed on Capitol Hill as a necessary response to months of Houthi aggression in the Red Sea, even as President Joe Biden took some heat from progressive members of his own party who believe he overstepped his authority as commander in chief. Read Next: Marine Corps Plans Resident Advisers in Barracks and Other Fixes as Gross Facility Photos Surface Online The U.S. and U.K. militaries, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, pounded sites in Yemen on Thursday that American officials said were integral to Houthi radar, missile and drone capabilities. While U.S. officials have so far failed to offer any specifics about any of the targets selected, a statement from the British Ministry of Defence released Thursday evening said four of its jets hit a site in the town of Bani in northwestern Yemen that was responsible for launching reconnaissance and attack drones, and an airfield at Abbs that was used to launch both cruise missiles and drones. The strikes were retaliation for a series of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea that have menanced international shipping since October, destabilizing the global economy and putting in harm's way U.S. Navy ships that are patrolling the shipping corridor. The Navy's aircraft carrier in the region, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, launched 22 fixed-wing aircraft for the strike, a U.S. official revealed to Military.com on Friday. In a video posted to social media by U.S. Central Command following the attack, the ship is seen launching an F/A-18 Super Hornet, an EA-18G Growler and an E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. The cruiser USS Philippine Sea and destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason also participated in the strike, the U.S. official added. Military.com has also learned that the guided missile submarine USS Florida was part of the strike. Sims told reporters that "there were just over 150 various munitions used" -- a figure that included both the bombs dropped by aircraft as well as Tomahawk land attack missiles launched from Navy ships -- against multiple targets at each of the 28 target locations. The U.S. official who spoke to Military.com on Friday said the Navy launched more than 80 Tomahawk missiles, apparently making them responsible for a majority of the destructive force leveled against Houthi targets on Thursday. The Pentagon is working on a battle damage assessment of the of the various targets, Sims said, but stressed that "we feel very confident about where our ammunition struck." He added that he doesn't expect the number of casualties to be very high since most of the locations that were targeted were in areas that "were not built up at all." The Houthis, which have waged a civil war in Yemen since 2014 with weapons and other support from Iran, have claimed their goal is to target Israeli ships in response to Israel's war in the Gaza Strip. But merchant ships from around the world with no connection to Israel or the war have been targeted. Capitol Hill Reaction As the Houthi attacks continued to escalate throughout November and December, Republican lawmakers grew increasingly critical that the Biden administration had yet to respond militarily. After the strikes Thursday, those Republicans cheered, though they still took the opportunity to criticize Biden for not acting sooner and to call for further action. "President Biden's decision to use military force against these Iranian proxies is overdue," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. "To restore deterrence and change Iran's calculus, Iranian leaders themselves must believe that they will pay a meaningful price unless they abandon their worldwide campaign of terror. The United States and our allies must leave no room to doubt that the days of unanswered terrorist aggression are over." Biden's Democratic allies in Congress brushed off the criticism that he should have acted sooner. Pointing to the fact that the strikes were done in concert with U.S. allies, they argued it is a difficult and slow process to build international consensus. Most Democrats supported the strikes, echoing the Biden administration's description of the military action as "necessary and proportional." "These strikes, in concert with weeks of diplomacy, send a clear signal that the United States will continue to take appropriate action to protect our personnel, our interests, and freedom of navigation for vital international waterways," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement. But progressive Democrats, as well as some anti-interventionist Republicans, bristled at the fact that Biden struck the Houthis without seeking congressional approval. While the administration notified Congress ahead of the strikes, it didn't ask lawmakers to pass an authorization for the use of military force. The U.S. and other countries that supported the strikes cited "the inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, consistent with the U.N. Charter," as the legal basis for the military action. Progressives, though, argued that striking Yemen without congressional approval overstepped Biden's constitutional authorities. "@POTUS is violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval," Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., posted on social media, referring to the section of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to declare war. "The American people are tired of endless war." Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; former caucus chair Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.; and Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Ro Khanna of California, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts made similar comments. The same lawmakers have made similar arguments after military action by presidents in both parties. With congressional leadership on both sides of the aisle supporting Thursday's action, any legislative attempt to curtail Biden's war powers is unlikely to succeed. But the criticism of the Yemen strikes marks the latest split between progressives and the White House since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, potentially adding to intraparty tensions during an election year. Some other Democrats, such as House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, walked a tightrope of supporting the strikes while expressing concerns about the potential for escalation. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., one of the upper chamber's top proponents of war powers reform, called the strikes "understandable" but expressed concern about "a back and forth that could draw the U.S. closer to war." While administration officials have made clear they want to avoid getting dragged into a broader Middle East war, they are also warning they could retaliate again if Houthi aggression continues. "These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical commercial routes," Biden said in a statement Thursday. "I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary." Austin Ordered Strike from Hospital The Pentagon's top spokesman, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder also revealed to reporters Friday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has been embroiled in controversy after failing to disclose a cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalizations to the public and government leaders, was involved in the strike. "Secretary Austin has been actively engaged in overseeing and directing the strikes last night," Ryder said, before noting that Austin was on the phone with top military officials during the Jan. 9 Houthi attack that was the catalyst for the strikes. Ryder also said that Austin had "a couple of conversations" with Biden, conducted "multiple daily conversations" with military commanders and the National Security Council, and "it was Secretary Austin, yesterday, who gave the CENTCOM commander the order to execute the strikes." "He monitored them from his hospital room in real time, via a full suite of secure communication capabilities, and then, following those strikes, conducted a call with the National Security Council, the chairman, and the Central Command commander for an initial post-strike assessment." In a written statement released Friday, Ryder added that Austin also conducted phone calls with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.; Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; and House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. Related: Airstrikes Pound Houthis in Yemen as US and UK Retaliate for Red Sea Attacks on Shipping Two U.S. sailors went missing at sea this week, and the Navy search was still ongoing late Friday evening, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. The statement said that the sailors were reported missing while conducting operations off the coast of Somalia along the horn of northeastern Africa. Central Command did not disclose the Navy ship they were from, but ABC News reported that the sailors were Navy SEALs who fell into the water during a nighttime ship-boarding mission. The Navy currently has multiple ships deployed to the area around Somalia and the Gulf of Aden as it deals with a regular stream of attacks on merchant ships that pass through the area to and from the Suez Canal by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The U.S. and U.K. launched airstrikes inside Yemen this week in retaliation for the attacks. Read Next: Marine Corps Plans Resident Advisers in Barracks and Other Fixes as Gross Facility Photos Surface Online Central Command said that search and rescue operations are currently ongoing but cited operational security as the reason for not releasing any more information. They also said that "out of respect for the families affected, we will not release further information on the missing personnel at this time." The number of sailors who go missing is small -- the Navy has about one or two instances per year but, unfortunately, in most cases they are never found. The Navy has the Eisenhower carrier strike group, which is made up of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as well as the cruiser USS Philippine Sea and destroyers USS Mason and USS Gravely, deployed to the area. Also in the area are the destroyers USS Carney and USS Laboon. All of those ships have been involved in shooting down missiles and drones that have been launched since October by Houthi rebels from sites in Yemen. The Houthis have claimed the attacks -- which have targeted international commercial shipping -- were aimed at hampering Israel as it wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Eisenhower strike group also participated in the major series of U.S. and U.K. strikes Thursday that saw more than 20 aircraft and over 150 pieces of munitions used against more than 60 targets at 16 locations in Yemen. The airstrikes launched by aircraft, ship and submarine came after the U.S., along with a coalition of international partners, issued a final warning earlier this month to the Houthis, ordering them to halt the assault on shipping through the busy trade corridor or face retaliation. It was not immediately clear whether the missing sailors were related to the operations against the Houthis. Somalia has long been a source of piracy, and the U.S. aids its government in counterterrorism missions against Islamic militants there. Related: Pentagon Reveals More Yemen Strikes Were Carried Out as Progressives in Congress Bristle State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Scientists in Iceland intend to drill a well directly into the Earth's magma chamber, which will allow for the first time a direct look at oceans of molten rock many kilometers below the surface. But in addition to scientific curiosity, this could also revolutionize geothermal energy, which could lead to the technology being used anywhere in the world. ADVERTISIMENT The details were reported by New Scientist. Such an energy source will potentially have hitherto unattainable efficiency. "This is the first journey to the center of the Earth," said Bjorn Schur Gurmundsson of the Geothermal Research Cluster (GEORG) in Reykjavik. He believes that such a well could open up potentially "unlimited energy" for humanity. Magma is extremely important to our understanding of the Earth's geology, but it is not as easy to find as it may seem, and direct, reliable data on it is extremely rare. So far, no one has even attempted to drill directly into a magma chamber. As John Eichelberger, a volcanologist at the University of Alaska, explained, discussions of this topic usually end in ridicule and statements about provoking an eruption. Not to mention that few people believe that a magma chamber can be found. ADVERTISIMENT But incredible luck proved that this was a mistaken reaction. In 2009, a geothermal drilling project for the Icelandic energy company Landsvirkjun unexpectedly stumbled upon a magma chamber near the formidable Krafla volcano. Despite the warnings, no volcanic eruption occurred, so now scientists know that drilling in magma can be safe. In 2013, the same team that made the discovery launched the Krafla Magma Testbed project to try to replicate their success. It is within this project that drilling is scheduled to begin in 2026. Scientists aim to deepen our knowledge of magma in the first place. "We don't have direct knowledge of what magma chambers look like, which is of course crucial for understanding volcanoes," explained Pao Papale of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy. ADVERTISIMENT The scientists plan to place a number of sensors in the magma that will continue to measure properties such as temperature. They also intend to study how the rock is melted into magma, as well as to find indicators that could tell us about the approach of a volcanic eruption, which is currently difficult to predict. In addition, the scientists intend to contribute to the renewable energy industry. They hope to develop a new form of geothermal energy generation called near-magmatic geothermal, which uses the extreme heat of molten rock to heat water to even higher temperatures than those possible with current technology. In order for this technology to be applied worldwide, scientists, however, need to understand how to determine exactly where magma chambers are hidden under the Earth's surface and whether their accidental discovery will contribute to this. ADVERTISIMENT Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest developments. In a move that flew under our radar last month, the Nationals re-signed first baseman/outfielder Travis Blankenhorn to a minor league contract, according to Blankenhorns MLB.com profile page. The Nats outrighted Blankenhorn off their 40-man roster in October, and he chose to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, as is his right as a player who has previously been outrighted off a 40-man roster during his career. Blankenhorn signed a minors deal with Washington last winter and spent most of 2023 at the Triple-A level, where he hit an impressive .262/.360/.517 and 23 homers over 455 plate appearances for the Rochester Red Wings. He didnt receive a callup to the big league roster until the start of September, and he amassed 37 PA over 10 games for the Nationals before his season was prematurely ended by a bout of plantar fasciitis. Originally a third-round pick for the Twins in the 2015 draft, Blankenhorn made his MLB debut in 2020 by appearing in a single game for Minnesota. He also made a one-game cameo in the 2022 season with the Mets, and overall, the 27-year-old has 36 games and 68 PA as a big leaguer with Washington, New York, and Minnesota. Over 1053 career PA at Triple-A, Blankenhorn has hit .261/.353/.485 with 48 home runs. The bulk of Blankenhorns minor league playing time has come as a second and third baseman, though he hasnt played the hot corner at any level since 2019, and he played only as a first baseman and corner outfielder in 2023. That still gives him a fair amount of defensive versatility, and Blankenhorns left-handed bat makes him an interesting possible depth complement since Joey Meneses, Stone Garrett, and Lane Thomas are all right-handed hitters. An injury or trade might be required for Blankenhorn to really get an opportunity on the Nationals active roster, but hell return to the organization as a familiar depth piece for Rochesters team. PETOSKEY, MI - Just like many motorists were quick to stay off the roads during the initial blast of Fridays storm, freighter crews knew to take shelter as storm warnings covered the Great Lakes and high waves created incredibly rough conditions. Amid all this bluster, ship enthusiasts in Northern Michigan were excited to see the Arthur Anderson motor into Little Traverse Bay to seek protection from the storm. The local ferry company announced the 767-foot freighters arrival. RELATED: Wind ramps up, gusts up to 55 mph will create dangerous blizzard-like conditions Freighter fans had been watching the Andersons progress as it made its way up Lake Michigan during the start of the storm on Friday. By the time someone got a photo of the ship passing North Manitou island, winds were howling at about 50 mph. This morning, the Arthur Anderson was already out of Little Traverse Bay and back on it route, according to the Marine Traffic website, which tracks vessels in the Great Lakes and beyond. According to its trip tracker, the big laker is heading north for the Soo Locks, then it will cross Lake Superior for its destination in Duluth. The Arthur Anderson is beloved by many freighter fans, in part because of its connection to the Edmund Fitzgerald. The two ships had crossed Lake Superior together, the captains staying in contact with each other during that terrible storm on Nov 10, 1975 that led to the Fitzgerald being lost with all 29 men aboard. When news came late that night that the Fitzgerald had vanished in those hurricane-force winds, it was the Arthur Andersons captain and crew who headed back out into the storm to search in vain. While the rest of Michigan hunkers down for a blizzard snowstorm sweeping the state this weekend, one Michigander is toasty warm in Orlando, Fla., as she competes in hopes of becoming this years Miss America. Maya Schuhknecht, 23, is one of 51 women competing for the crown at Miss America this weekend. Tune in to the finals at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, on the Miss America website at watchmissamerica.com to cheer her on. Heres what you need to know about Miss Michigan as she competes at Miss America: 1. Shes a MSU shooting survivor Schuhknecht graduated from Michigan State University in the spring of 2023 with a degree in graphic design. Just months before she was crowned Miss Michigan, she survived the MSU mass shooting on Feb. 13, 2023. Schuhknechts talked about how she uses her love for the arts to process her grief over this tragedy. RELATED: Miss Michigan wins big with speed painting talent at Miss America competition 2. Shes passionate about the arts Schuhknechts philanthropic mission is to spread her love of the arts to everyone she meets, through her social impact initiative, Art for All. Her talent in the Miss America competition is speed painting and shes created a Miss Michigan-themed coloring book for charity during her reign. Miss Spirit of the State Maya Schuhknecht speed paints "Salute" during the Miss Michigan preliminary competition on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Drew Travis | MLive.com)Drew Travis | atravis@mlive.com 3. Shes all about color! When asked during the Miss Michigan competition in Muskegon last June how she defines her personal style, Schuhknecht said she likes to be bold. Im an artist and sometimes my style is a little out of the box, she said. I like expressing myself through clothing and fashion as a type of art. Ill wear fun colors and I want little girls to embrace who they are too. 4. Shes navigating the loss of a parent Last April, Schuhknechts father died unexpectedly, just months after Schuhknecht went through the MSU mass shooting. She told MLive that she holds her dad close to her heart as she competed at Miss Michigan and will do the same at Miss America. It is hard to be a grieving Miss Michigan and Ive tried being so vulnerable about that, Schuhknecht told MLive during an interview in December. Im so excited to feel (my dad) around me in those moments of anxiety, and I just embrace him. 5. Shes already a winner During the preliminary competition at Miss America, Schuhknecht was one of three contestants to receive a Preliminary Talent Award for her speed painting. The award comes with a $3,000 scholarship. Art is my passion, hobby, career and therapy, Schuhknecht wrote on social media in a post announcing her win. I had the time of my life sharing my love for the arts with you all near and far. I hope you all were inspired, entertained and had SO much fun! RELATED: Miss Michigan 2023 ready to represent the Mitten State at Miss America 6. Shes a viral sensation Before becoming Miss Michigan in 2023, Schuhknecht also competed for the title in 2022. That year, she speed-painted a portrait of Michael Jackson for her talent. A video of her performance went viral on TikTok, getting over 3 million views. Last year, she painted a portrait of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to win the Miss Michigan crown. More from MLive: School safety, testing consolidation top priority for Michigan lawmakers Photographer sues Detroit Lions over image used to create Barry Sanders statue Judge tosses lawsuits stemming from Michigans largest-ever marijuana recall KENT COUNTY, MI Kent County is in need of more election workers, and you can sign up for the paid role. The need for more election inspectors across Kent Countys cities and townships is in part due to the states new early voting law, which mandates local clerks provide at least nine days of early, in-person voting before state and federal elections. The first of those this year is the Feb. 27 presidential primary. With the presidential primary taking place on Feb. 27, our need for additional election inspectors is now, said Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons. Please join us in this important work to deliver the secure, transparent, fair, and accurate elections Kent County voters know and deserve! Election inspectors are tasked with assisting voters and verifying voter information at polling locations, processing absentee ballots, ensuring compliance with state and federal election laws and upholding the security of the voting process and confidentiality of voters, according to Lyons. Those interested in being an election inspector during the 2024 election cycle should contact their local city or township clerk and then fill out an application, located at this link, and submit it to their clerk. Applicants must include their name, address and date of birth along with political party preference and qualifications, such as education or experience. Applicants will also complete a training session, which are offered from Jan. 16 through mid February. People can sign up for those sessions at this link. Once hired as an election inspector, the new hire will be partnered with a veteran election inspector to become more comfortable with the process. Requirements to serve as an election inspector include being a registered voter and having submitted an election inspector application to the applicants local clerk. Those ages 16 to 18 who are Michigan residents may also serve as inspectors. Election inspectors cannot be a poll challenger, candidate or a member of a candidates immediate family in an election where that candidate is appearing on the ballot. State law requires at least one election inspector of both major parties to be present within a polling location. Ensuring integrity and security, and that every eligible voter is able to make their voice heard, are the greatest priorities in our elections. And election inspectors play a crucial role in the voting process, Lyons said. They are your friends and neighbors, the friendly faces guiding voters through the process, safeguarding the sanctity of our elections. Kent County has always been fortunate to have an abundance of dedicated election inspectors, but now we need more to join their ranks in this important public service. Additional information on election inspectors, including the application form and county training schedule, is available on the county clerks website at KentCountyVotes.com. The Indian tectonic plate, which lies beneath the world's highest mountains, the Himalayas, appears to be slowly delaminating as it slides beneath the Eurasian plate. This is indicated by the analysis of earthquake waves passing under Tibet, as well as signal gases rising to the surface. ADVERTISIMENT This is stated in a study published on the Ess Open archive preprint site. Scientists admit that they had no idea that continents could behave in this way. The collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates began about 60 million years ago. At that time, India was an island that collided with Eurasia so violently that the surface was curved, forming the highest mountains on Earth. However, the formation of the Himalayas is only part of what happened during the collision of the tectonic plates. At a depth of tens of kilometers, a kind of confrontation, which now hints at the appearance of a rift, continues. As the scientists explained, continental tectonic plates are thick and buoyant, so, unlike oceanic plates, they do not easily sink into the mantle during collisions. Moreover, scientists believe that the Indian plate is either still resisting sinking into the mantle, sliding horizontally under Tibet, or is crushed along the front edge of the collision, causing the lower part of the plate to sink into the mantle. ADVERTISIMENT A new study, according to Science, indicates that something stranger may be happening to the Indian plate. Scientists have found evidence that it is "delaminating" as it slides under the Eurasian plate. As a result of this process, the dense lower part is separated from the upper part. The researchers also found evidence of a vertical fault, or rupture, at the boundary between the separated part of the plate and its intact neighbor. Douwe J.J. van Hinsbergen, a geodynamicist at Utrecht University, said that scientists did not even know that "continents can behave in this way." According to him, the discovery is "quite fundamental" for the science of the solid Earth. He believes that the study could help scientists better understand the formation of the Himalayas and perhaps even the risk of earthquakes in the region. ADVERTISIMENT For his part, Fabio Capitanio, a geodynamicist at the University of Monash, noted that there are still many uncertainties about the process, so the research will need to continue. Previously, scientists had assumed that such a separation of tectonic plates was possible because they are formed of floating crust and denser upper mantle rock, so the plate is quite capable of splitting along a weak interface between the layers. But, as van Hinsbergen noted, this is the first time that the phenomenon has been detected directly on a sinking plate. Scientists said that the Indian plate has always differed in thickness and composition, which explains the crescent shape of the 2,500-kilometer Himalayan front. The point is that the thinner "wings" of the oceanic crust surround the thick middle of the continental crust. During the collision with the Eurasian plate, the oceanic plates easily sink under it, while the thick continental crust collides with Eurasia like a battering ram. ADVERTISIMENT This difference in sinking speed ultimately led to the Indian plate being pulled and torn in different directions. Scientists also noted that the ideal location for potential faults is an area in northeastern India, near Bhutan. During the study, the researchers found evidence for this theory, as well as evidence that the lower part of the Indian plate is not just in the process of stratification but has probably already separated from the upper part. In particular, the data show that to the west of the alleged rift, the bottom of the Indian plate lies at a depth of about 200 kilometers. Here, scientists believe, the plate remains intact. While in the east, the plate is likely to have split in two as mantle rocks flow out at a depth of about 100 kilometers. Understanding how the continents collide sheds light not only on the modern landscape of the Earth but also on the danger posed by earthquakes that can occur along ancient scars from the collision of the continents. ADVERTISIMENT Subscribe to OBOZ.UA on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. LANSING, MI State utility regulators want Michigans big power providers to improve grid reliability, starting with how they communicate during outages and bad weather. The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) ordered the states largest two electricity providers to immediately begin to improve communication with emergency responders and local governments during power outages and extreme weather conditions. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Love it or hate it, the snow globe has been shaken, and true winter has finally arrived in Michigan. Heavy snow engulfed Michigan Friday afternoon and evening, Jan. 12, causing treacherous conditions and leaving tens of thousands without power. READ MORE: Storm leaves 175,000 without power Saturday before strong winds hit Michigan MLive photographers braved the winter conditions around the state to document the snowfall in their communities. As Michigan heads into day two of the bomb cyclone storm, the winds have shifted, and a drier type of snowfall is on the way. Already, more than 170,000 homes and businesses across Michigan have lost power. That number is expected to grow Saturday, Jan. 13, as the winds ramp back up. RELATED: Wind ramps up, gusts up to 55 mph will create dangerous blizzard-like conditions Wind gusts are expected to top out at 55 mph in the Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior, with 40 mph gusts or higher in the Lower Peninsula. Snowfall from the major storm blanketed the state Friday afternoon. Over a foot of snow is possible in some parts of Michigan by Sunday, Jan. 14. Below are some of our favorite MLive storm photos from across the state: Seth Kadwell, 15, sleds on an inner tube at Beachwood Park in Muskegon on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Seth, who lives in North Muskegon, had day of school in the Reeths-Puffer Public Schools system.Cory Morse | cmorse1@mlive.com Snow falls over the historic traffic signal that reads Drive Safely, Walk Right on Nine Mile at Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, Mich. on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com The beginning of a large snowstorm hit the Flint area on Jan. 12, 2024. The storm caused poor driving conditions and visibility as the night went on. It is expected that the storm will carry on through Saturday and bring multiple inches of snow to the east side of Michigan.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com Sledders play on the hill at Cascades Falls Park as a snowstorm hits the area on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. About 4 to 6 inches of snow is expected with the storm that is also bringing high winds and bitter cold to start the new week.J. Scott Park | jpark4@mlive.com Geese walk through Bigelow Park during a snowstorm in Bay City on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com A vehicle drive along Lake Michigan Drive around 6:30 p.m. in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Saturday.Joel Bissell | MLive.com People cross Division Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Saturday.Joel Bissell | MLive.com A snow storm envelops the South Pierhead Lighthouse in Muskegon on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Cory Morse | cmorse1@mlive.com Rescue workers help a driver that went off northbound U.S. 31, near the Sternberg Road exit in Norton Shores on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Cory Morse | cmorse1@mlive.com Paul Meade, 13, shovels snow during a winter storm in front of his home on Sixth Street in Muskegon on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Paul said he didnt like the weather.Cory Morse | cmorse1@mlive.com A member of the U.S. Postal Service works on Leif Ave. in Norton Shores on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Cory Morse | cmorse1@mlive.com The beginning of a large snowstorm hit the Flint area on Jan. 12, 2024. The storm caused poor driving conditions and visibility as the night went on. It is expected that the storm will carry on through Saturday and bring multiple inches of snow to the east side of Michigan.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com The beginning of a large snowstorm hit the Flint area on Jan. 12, 2024. The storm caused poor driving conditions and visibility as the night went on. It is expected that the storm will carry on through Saturday and bring multiple inches of snow to the east side of Michigan.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com A man clears snow from the sidewalk in front of Natural Food Patch, 221 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, Mich. on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Snow falls on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, Mich. on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Scenes from downtown Jackson as a snowstorm hits the area on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. About 4 to 6 inches of snow is expected with the storm that is also bringing high winds and bitter cold to start the new week.J. Scott Park | jpark4@mlive.com Scenes from downtown Jackson as a snowstorm hits the area on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. About 4 to 6 inches of snow is expected with the storm that is also bringing high winds and bitter cold to start the new week.J. Scott Park | jpark4@mlive.com Snow and ice accumulates on trees along the Saginaw River during a snowstorm in Bay City on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com A person walks into heavy wind along Michigan Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Saturday.Joel Bissell | MLive.com A snowman on the westside of Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Saturday.Joel Bissell | MLive.com 57 1 / 57 Snowstorm hits Michigan on Friday, Jan. 12 Visit the MLive Weather Page for all the latest storm updates. Join our Michigan Weather Insider text group for free, exclusive forecast details. Scientists have discovered several unexpected abilities in arachnids for such tiny creatures. It turned out that they are able to build complex strategies, wonder, analyze, and even count. ADVERTISIMENT Knowable Magazine has told us about other things that surprised the scientific world and their impressive skills. For a long time, it was believed that intellectual abilities depend on the size of the brain. Humans, dolphins, and primates are classified as very intelligent species because they also have large brains. Based on this, many scientists assumed that tiny creatures were simply not capable of complex thought processes because of the size of their brains. However, spiders have proven that things are not so simple. According to Dimitar Dimitrov, an arachnologist and evolutionary biologist from the University Museum of Bergen in Norway, it is a common belief that creatures that are too small cannot have powerful mental abilities, because this requires a certain mass of brain tissue. But he believes that spiders refute this stereotype because they are capable of amazing things. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, many arachnids are characterized by "cognitive" behavior, which can be clearly distinguished from automatic reactions. As one of the authors of a study on the diversity of arachnids published this year in the Annual Review of Entomology, he gave several striking examples. One of them is spider webs, which can build different webs depending on the prey they are waiting for. He also mentioned aniphymid spiders, which can be trained to associate rewards with the smell of vanilla. "It's not so much the size of the brain that matters, but what the creature is able to do with what it already has," said arachnologist Fiona Cross of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. ADVERTISIMENT Jumping spiders are among the smartest arachnids A scientist is studying jumping spiders, which she considers to be the most capable arachnids in terms of cognitive skills. Despite the fact that the size of the brain of these tiny creatures is comparable to the size of a pin head, the scientists' experiments have shown that these arachnids show signs of intelligence. Moreover, their mental abilities are similar to those of dogs and children. Representatives of the genus Portia are deservedly considered to be among the best hunters among arachnids, despite their tiny size, which can reach only 2.3 cm. While most arachnids wait for their prey in webs, Portia make plans to attack their prey, even using long detours. In addition, they take into account the type of their prey when building a strategy. ADVERTISIMENT It is believed that this species of arachnid shows such high intellectual abilities due to its sharp eyesight, which is the best among creatures of such tiny size. "Their eyesight has given them significant capabilities that allow them to explore their environment," explained researcher Ximena Nelson from the University of Canterbury. Jumping spiders are able to distinguish between victims, friends, and important objects in the area at great distances. Based on the data obtained, they are already analyzing whether and how to approach. The researcher believes that this is what allowed these creatures to develop their mental abilities so much. ADVERTISIMENT Building complex strategies According to Robert Jackson, a researcher of jumping spiders at the University of Canterbury, he found that many of Portia's tactics are particularly cunning in their hunting strategies. These creatures use all their cunning when they hunt other spiders. For example, when they want to catch an arachnid weaving a web, Portia uses a particular technique. The spider pulls on several threads, which provokes the owner of the web to come to the right distance. At the same time, if the jumper sees that its target is small enough, it starts shaking the web more violently, imitating the floundering of a trapped insect. This causes the predator to rush to its "prey," but in reality, it becomes a victim itself. At the same time, if the spider is much larger than Portia, it pulls the strings more slowly, imitating the movements of a fly. As soon as the giant slowly approaches to see if the victim has fallen into its trap, a jumping spider suddenly rushes at it and attacks it with poisonous chews. ADVERTISIMENT They also have another impressive strategy. If pulling the strings does not work and the victim remains in its hiding place, Portia begins to shake the entire web as if it were being swayed by the wind. These vibrations allow the arachnid to sneak up on its prey undetected. Laboratory experiments shocked the scientist even more. It turned out that the spider uses different ways of pulling the strings, varying the intensity and force to find the exact combination that will fool a particular victim. This proves that these hunters learn while hunting. Spiders are capable of creating complex routes Scientists conducted an experiment to understand how Portia build such complex routes. To do this, a special platform surrounded by water was built in the laboratory (these spiders do not like to get wet), in the center of which was an observation tower from which the spider could see the other two towers. On each top there was a box, but one contained dead spiders - a real treat for a hunter - and the other was just fallen leaves. ADVERTISIMENT The only way to get to the desired tower was to go down to the platform and choose the right one from the two paths. So the arachnids first examined the area in detail from the high tower. Only after analyzing the area did the spiders descend and choose the right path, and most of them chose the right path, even if it meant that they had to move away from the desired prey first. The formation of a kind of map in the brain, which is the size of a poppy seed, can be considered an exceptional skill of spiders. Spiders can be surprised Experiments have also experimentally tested the idea that these spiders are able to use a mental image of what they see. To do this, they chose a simple psychological experiment, which is usually conducted with infants. Just like children, spiders are unable to describe what is on their minds, so the point of the experiment is to understand whether the thing they are observing can surprise them. ADVERTISIMENT To test this, the researchers built a special display case where they placed the Portia prey. First, the arachnids were shown a dew spider, which they watched for 30 seconds. Then the display case was closed and the victim was replaced with a spider, opening the curtain after 90 seconds. It turned out that after the curtain was opened, when Portia saw a different victim, the likelihood of attacking it was significantly lower than when the prey remained the same. According to the scientists, this confirms that the spider had formed a mental understanding of the prey in its mind and already had certain expectations, but was surprised when the reality differed from the picture in its imagination. The ability to count Cross and Jackson conducted another experiment with a species of jumping spider, Portia Africana. To do this, they decided to modify the tower test. The arachnid was allowed to see several victims from the top of the tower. However, when the spider was already on its way and the prey was out of its sight, the number of victims was changed. ADVERTISIMENT It turned out that when Portia saw one spider from the tower, and there were two or three spiders on the ground, the likelihood of an attack decreased. Interestingly, the same effect was observed when the spider initially saw two prey objects, but only one was found. It is clear that arachnids are not capable of counting in the usual sense, but some of them may have a "sense" of quantity, much like humans. Arachnids are able to analyze the situation Although these spiders are predators themselves, they are threatened by other equally skillful hunters, and not only arachnids, but also birds, frogs, ants, and other creatures. As it turned out, these little smart guys are able to find a way out of dangerous situations. ADVERTISIMENT The University of Canterbury laboratory organized an experiment to find out how these spiders can make escape plans. Despite the fact that Portia can swim, they do not like water. Therefore, the arachnid was placed on a platform surrounded by water. The task was to reach the edge by jumping from island to island, which were wooden pins. And in most cases, the spiders chose the safest route, which was also the shortest distance to the goal. The scientists also noted that this test took Portia more time than other species of jumping spiders. In their opinion, this is due to the fact that the spiders sometimes spent more than a few hours analyzing the situation and studying the route. Only after assessing the risks did the arachnids start moving. ADVERTISIMENT Who knows what other hidden abilities researchers will be able to discover in spiders. But already now, such tiny arachnids have shown amazing cognitive abilities. These few facts alone are already destroying the stereotype that the intellectual abilities of a living organism depend on the size of the brain. The modern Ukrainian metropolis has a long history and an amazing number of architectural masterpieces. And even though Kharkiv is not safe for tourists now, as it is under constant shelling, the day will come when travelers will come here again. We will tell you which locations you should visit in the former capital of Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT Freedom Square We recommend starting your exploration with the largest square in Ukraine and the sixth largest in Europe. It is very beautiful here. Particularly noteworthy are the buildings that "circle in a tank" around the pedestrian avenue. Here you can see the facades of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, the former Govorov Academy, the famous hotel of the same name, the Veterinary Institute, and the Palace of Children and Youth Creativity. Before the war, mass festivities were regularly held here, with a festive Christmas tree and Christmas and New Year's fairs organized. Today, the events are suspended, and the location itself has changed significantly after an enemy shelling that claimed the lives of several people. But after the war, the authorities will reconstruct the surrounding buildings to make the square a popular vacation spot again. ADVERTISIMENT Kharkiv cable car To see the whole of Kharkiv in the palm of your hand, you should take a ride on the famous cable car. Its length is one and a half kilometers, and the highest point is located at an altitude of 30 meters. The ride itself takes about 20 minutes. During this time, you can really enjoy the scenery and take a lot of beautiful pictures.The transport system connects the Pavlovo Pole neighborhood and Sumy Street. Gorky Park One of the main locations of the city, which is loved by its guests and Kharkiv residents. It is crowded even in cool and frosty weather. After all, it is here that many cozy cafes are located, where you can drink a glass of mulled wine, a cup of coffee or a cup of warm herbal tea. It is home to the best attractions that give people much-needed positive emotions. ADVERTISIMENT This is a center where life is in full swing. It is a place where people find harmony and let go of all the problems that have accumulated over the day. French Boulevard In this neighborhood, you start to feel like a Parisian, because the pedestrian artery is very similar to the famous Champs Elysees. The best restaurants, fashionable shops and other establishments are located here. In winter, the largest ice rink is set up here. It also has its own Eiffel Tower, which, by the way, is no worse than the real thing. You can have a delicious dinner near it, accompanied by Kharkiv musicians. House with a spire There is also a piece of America in the former capital of Ukraine. The building is very similar to the architecture of New York and is considered the seventh wonder of the city. The house, which was built on Constitution Square, has an interesting design and combines several styles at once. The facade has features of late classicism, art deco, and Stalinist Empire. ADVERTISIMENT Assumption Cathedral and Alexander Bell Tower In the heart of Kharkiv there are two shrines that were built in the early eighteenth century. During the rule of the Bolsheviks and World War II, the churches miraculously managed to survive. The bombing almost did not affect the buildings; they were damaged by human ignorance. In 1924, the authorities closed the doors of churches, confiscated and even destroyed church property. Instead of icons or unique frescoes, the walls of the building were filled with radio equipment. Thus, the house of God turned into a studio. They came to their senses after the end of hostilities. In the 50s, the first repairs were carried out, and later - restoration work. Nowadays, there is an organ music hall and worship services are held here. By the way, sometimes concerts of famous Ukrainian performers take place here. ADVERTISIMENT Architects' Square The 7 wonders of Kharkiv in miniature are located here. The wonders were chosen not by deputies and officials, but by Kharkiv residents themselves. To do this, they created a list of attractions and conducted a social survey. The winners were: Assumption Cathedral, Taras Shevchenko monument, Derzhprom, Glass Stream fountain, a house with a spire, Annunciation Monastery, and the Intercession Church. By the way, there is another highlight of the city - a fountain dedicated to all lovers. ADVERTISIMENT House "Goldfish" In 1910, under the direction of architect Ginzburg, this bizarre but very beautiful building was erected. The engineer used reinforced concrete structures for the first time, and disguised their ugly outlines under sculptures of marine life. It is interesting that once upon a time there was a shop on the ground floor that sold fresh herring, capelin, herring and other delicacies. The second part was reserved for the office of the author of the house, where design and construction services were provided. Nowadays, it houses office space and ordinary apartments. But the house hasn't lost its charm. Hundreds of tourists come here. You should visit it too. Kharkiv is a modern metropolis that surprises at every turn. Historical monuments are close to new buildings. And this picture does not cause dissonance or confusion. On the contrary, all the buildings are harmoniously combined with each other. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Winter vacation time is in full swing. When choosing where to go, you should consider not only the usual factors, such as weather, prices, and the number of cultural attractions but also the level of security. Over the past year, the list of countries that meet these criteria has slightly changed. ADVERTISIMENT Therefore, USA Today, citing data from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, has compiled a list of the fifteen safest countries that welcome tourists. Among them are 10 European countries. To compile the list, the company interviewed 1,702 people about their own travel experiences in different countries and collected information on terrorism, weather emergencies, health and safety of underrepresented groups. 1. Canada This large country in North America topped this year's list of the world's safest countries for travelers due to its low violent crime rate and strict gun laws. 2. Switzerland Switzerland is known not only for its high standard of living and beautiful landscapes but also for its low crime rate. ADVERTISIMENT 3. Norway Norway has the best northern lights. In particular, the country is also famous for its safety. According to the report, Oslo, the capital of Norway, is the safest area of the country, USA Today writes. 4. Ireland Those who want to see Ireland's Cliffs of Moher or sip some Guinness can rest assured that their lives are not in danger. USA Today notes that in 2022, the country had fewer murders than 16 US cities. ADVERTISIMENT 5. The Netherlands The BHTP claims that survey participants repeatedly said they feel safe in the country and its capital, Amsterdam. The only problem may be an increased tax on tourism. 6. United Kingdom With beautiful countryside and cities with low crime rates, the UK is a great option for traveling. It is worth noting that the country is planning to introduce an entry fee to its borders soon. 7. Portugal This country is famous not only for its delicious seafood and wine but also for its fairly cheap vacations. Portugal's cities are safe and well-maintained, and the countryside is peaceful. ADVERTISIMENT 8. Denmark This country is balanced thanks to the temperament and calmness of its citizens. Last year, Denmark was the second safest country in the world for tourists, and low crime rates are still a priority. 9. Iceland Like its Scandinavian neighbor Denmark, Iceland is often considered the country with the greatest gender equality and the safest country in the world when it comes to crime, according to USA Today. Although the country is not very large in scale, it is definitely breathtaking with its landscapes of glaciers, geysers, hot springs, waterfalls, and volcanic terrain. ADVERTISIMENT 10. Australia The rugged wilderness and newest cities make Australia a desirable country for travelers. According to the report, 377 murders were reported in 2022, which is about half the number of murders in Chicago, USA Today reported. 11. New Zealand New Zealand is famous for its high prices and comfortable active seaside vacation. With a low crime rate, the country is also considered quite peaceful and safe for independent travel. ADVERTISIMENT 12. Japan In recent decades, Japan has been developing at a frantic pace. It is here that ancient traditions and the latest technologies have been combined. In particular, politeness and order are also highly valued in Japanese culture, making it a safe place for tourists. However, one should not forget that this country is "rich" in natural disasters. 13. France France has stood the test of time as one of the most popular destinations in the world. Fortunately, for travelers, the country has relatively safe transportation (except for petty theft, which is common in the subway) and protection from disease epidemics, USA Today writes. In particular, do not forget about violent demonstrations: check local media for such events and be careful. ADVERTISIMENT 14. Spain In general, the Mediterranean country has a low crime rate, but you should beware of petty theft. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recommends that people pay special attention to their documents. 15. Brazil This year, Brazil is on the list of safe countries to visit. Despite the long flight, you can enjoy the incredible beaches and warm air as it is summer in the country. However, USA Today advises to be vigilant at the borders as they are dangerous due to criminal activity. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! U.S. President Joe Biden believes that military confrontations around the world are part of a turning point in history. The US president believes that the Russian-Ukrainian war is among them. ADVERTISIMENT Biden also believes that democracy around the world is under threat. This was stated by White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby in response to a question about the Biden administration's foreign policy. According to him, democracy is under threat in different parts of the world. This is the opinion of the White House regarding the situation in the Middle East and Russia's war against Ukraine. "The president describes the current time we are living in as a turning point, and he is right. I mean, you look around the world, and one of the things that unites them is that democracy is under threat. And it is threatened in different ways," Kirby said. At the same time, he emphasized that Biden believes in a US foreign policy that supports allies and partners around the world. Kirby said that the United States cannot do it all alone, but added that American leadership is vital to solving problems. ADVERTISIMENT "What you're going to see this year is what you've seen over the last three years from President Biden. It's a very active foreign policy built on relationships - improving the relationships we need, trying to solve problems through cooperation and multilateralism," the White House official said. Earlier it was reported that representatives of the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States reached an agreement on the controversial issue of the country's migration policy, which will unblock aid to Ukraine. The text of the agreement may be published soon. As a reminder, Biden called on Congress to approve aid to Ukraine. According to the U.S. president, "it's time to act", as the decision will bring the United States closer to protecting important national priorities. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK On January 13, the newly appointed French Foreign Minister, Stephane Sejourne, paid an official visit to Ukraine. This is the first visit of a high-ranking official to our country after his appointment. ADVERTISIMENT Sejourne's arrival in Ukraine was announced on the French Foreign Ministry's page on the X network, formerly known as Twitter. It noted that the minister's visit demonstrates the state's commitment to supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. "Minister Sejourne arrived in Kyiv for his first trip to the field to continue French diplomatic action there and to reaffirm France's commitment to its allies, together with the civilian population," the statement said. This is the first foreign trip of the newly appointed minister in office, and he announced its purpose himself on the X network. "For almost 2 years, Ukraine has been at the forefront of defending its sovereignty and ensuring the security of Europe. France's assistance is long-term. This is evidenced by the fact that I came to Kyiv on my first trip," the diplomat said. ADVERTISIMENT The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also published the first photo of Sejourne in Ukraine: it was taken at the Kyiv railway station. "I came here to say that France will support Ukraine in the long term from an economic, military and humanitarian point of view," Sejourne said upon arrival in Kyiv. According to him, French representatives will make "a certain number of visits" to "understand what Ukrainians need today." Upon his arrival in Kyiv, Sejourne met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Together, they honored the memory of those who died at the Wall of Remembrance of those who died for Ukraine on Mykhailivska Square in the capital, Suspilne reports. ADVERTISIMENT The new French foreign minister is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today. As a reminder, on January 9 this year, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed a new Prime Minister of France . Gabriel Attal, 34, became the youngest head of government in the history of France. Later, it became known that the new French Prime Minister has roots in Odesa: Attal's mother, Marie de Couriss, comes from a family of Russian White Guard emigrants of Greek descent who lived in Odesa. The woman raised her son in the Orthodox faith. ADVERTISIMENT Nivedita Jayaram Pawar is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist, who writes on food, art, design, travel and lifestyle. January 13, 2024 / 09:59 PM IST Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport was witness to chaotic scenes as passengers of a Bhubaneswar-bound IndiGo Airlines flight were stuck for hours in an aerobridge, reports said. The passengers, according to an India Today report, alleged that they were not allowed to board the aircraft as the carrier's crew was not present. Among the passengers who were stranded was actress Radhika Apte, who shared her ordeal on Instagram. Read more Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he would not allow anti-Ukrainian sentiment in his government. According to him, the situation in Ukraine and, in particular, at the frontline is the number one issue for Polish security. ADVERTISIMENT He also added that both the government and the president of Poland should act in solidarity when it comes to Ukraine. Tusk said this in an interview with TVN24. The head of the Polish government noted that the situation in Ukraine and at the front is absolutely the number one issue for Polish security. At the same time, he added that there are other issues that the government and the president should address together. In particular, Tusk mentioned the situation with the strike of carriers on the Polish-Ukrainian border. "We have a lot to talk about in Kyiv. And I really want Ukrainian issues, the war and, more broadly, security, as well as policy towards Russia, to be shared. I want not only the president and the prime minister, but also the Polish state as a whole to act in solidarity on these issues," Tusk said. ADVERTISIMENT He also noted that he would not allow anti-Ukrainian sentiments to spread in his government. Tusk emphasized that Ukraine needs Poland's help and the help of the whole world in its confrontation with the Russian occupiers. "I will never in my life allow anyone in my government to base their position on anti-Ukrainian sentiments. Because there can be no doubt about the war and our, as well as the entire Western world's, commitment to Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia. Every Polish patriot should certainly recognize these reasons. In the war with Russia, Ukraine needs our help and the help of the whole world, the free world. This is not a slogan. Because as long as Ukraine is at war with Russia, we are relatively safe," the Polish prime minister said. As a reminder, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will meet with President Andrzej Duda on January 15. The Prime Minister will discuss the details of his visit to Ukraine, which will take place in the near future. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Ukraine will be in contact with the new Polish government at all levels. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Warsaw is "determined to solve problems," and the parties will look for ways to find common ground. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! 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 Manik Sharma is an independent entertainment journalist. Views expressed are personal. Faizal Khan is an independent journalist who writes on art. On the morning of January 13, the Russian terrorist army launched a massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine. Poltava region also came under fire. ADVERTISIMENT An enemy missile fell on the yard of a private house. The head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration, Fiilip Pronin, reported this on Telegram. According to the head of the Regional Military Administration, air defense was operating in the region in the morning. In Kremenchuk district, a Russian missile was recorded falling on the territory of a private house. The missile's warhead did not explode, so, fortunately, there were no casualties. At the same time, the outbuilding was damaged. All relevant services continue to work at the scene. "In the morning, Russians fired missiles at Ukraine. The enemy attacked the Poltava region in particular. Air defense was operating in the region. One of the missiles fell into the yard of a private house in Kremenchuk district but did not explode. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The outbuilding was damaged. Specialists are working at the scene," the head of the Poltava RMA said. ADVERTISIMENT Susmita Saha is an independent journalist and development sector professional based in Delhi. Views expressed are personal Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has received orders for Rs4,899.35 crore from Income Tax (I-T) authorities regarding tax demand issued by the assistant commissioner of I-T, Mumbai. So far, LIC has received tax demand notices worth Rs4,899.35 for assessment years (AYs)11-12 to AY19-20. The I-T department has also issued a refund intimation of Rs25,464.46 crore for seven assessment years to LIC. "Corporation shall file an appeal before Commissioner (Appeals), Mumbai, against the said orders within the prescribed timelines. There is no material impact on financials, operations or other activities of the Corporation due to the abovementioned orders," LIC says in a regulator filing. Pursuant to the issuance of the order giving effect to the order of ITAT, the I-T department has issued intimation for a refund of Rs25,464.46 crore. The ITAT had directed the assessing officer to examine the factual matrix or utilisation of surplus and decide in accordance with the law with respect to the issue of disallowance/addition on account of interim bonus made in the assessment order. On reconsideration, the assessing officer disallowed the same. The tax effect of such disallowance comes to Rs2,133.67 crore. This pertains to AY12-13, AY13-14, AY14-15, AY16-17, AY17-18, AY18-19, and AY19-20. The ITAT had directed the assessing officer to examine the factual matrix or utilisation of surplus and decide in accordance with the law with respect to the issue of disallowance or addition on account of interim bonus made in the assessment order. On reconsideration, the assessing officer disallowed the same. and issued a demand notice for Rs1,395.08 crore. This pertains to AY15-16. For AY11-12, LIC received tax demand worth Rs1,370.60 crore from the I-T department in Mumbai. LIC also says the I-T department has issued a refund intimation of Rs25,464.46 crore for seven assessment years. The refund pertains to the ongoing dispute between the tax department and LIC over allowing interim bonuses paid to policyholders by the corporation as deductible expenditures. "The aggregate Rs25,464 crore refund pertains to AY12-13, AY13-14, AY14-15, AY16-17, AY17-18, AY18-19, and AY19-20," LIC says in a regulatory filing. LIC had challenged the assessing officers decision in various appellate forums, including ITAT, which directed the I-T department to re-examine the case. On reconsideration, the assessing officer, while issuing the refund for seven assessment years, also made a separate demand order of Rs2,133 crore for two other years. So, as against the earlier expected refund of about Rs27,500 crore for seven assessment years, LIC has now got a refund of Rs25,464 crore after adjusting Rs2,133 crore. Journalist Tarun Tejpal, former editor of Tehelka, informed the Delhi High Court on Friday that he intends to publish an apology in a national daily retracting allegations which portrayed Major General MS Ahluwalia as an alleged corrupt middleman involved in defence deals related to the import of new equipment. The court was hearing Tejpal, along with reporter Aniruddha Bahal's case, challenging the court's 21 July 2023 order directing Tehelka, Tejpal, Bahal and a reporter to pay Rs2 crore in damages. Tejpal and Bahal said that they would make it clear that Ahluwalia neither asked for nor accepted any bribe. The duo's counsel also pledged to deposit Rs10 lakh each with the court. The bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora, accepted the undertaking by Tejpal and Bahal's lawyers. The appeal is set for hearing and disposal in April, where the court will determine the appropriate damages to be paid. The court also temporarily halted proceedings related to Ahluwalia's petition seeking execution of the compensation decree. Tejpal and Bahal's counsel expressed their willingness to deposit the specified amount within two weeks and publish an unconditional apology in a national English daily. While Ahluwalia's counsel argued for a "substantial" deposit, the bench said that in defamation matters, an apology holds significant weight. The court expressed its intent to consider the quantum of damages during the appeal hearing, recognising the pivotal role of the apology in such cases. In September last year, the court had dismissed a plea moved by Bahal and Tejpal seeking review of an order directing them to pay Rs 2 crore in damages to Ahluwalia in a defamation case filed back in 2002. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna had said that there is no error apparent on the face of the record, nor have the applicants been able to highlight any error or mistake which can be corrected within the ambit of review. The defamation suit was based on a story published by Tehelka in March 2001, which portrayed Ahluwalia as an alleged corrupt middleman involved in defence deals related to the import of new equipment. A video tape and transcript had also alleged that Ahluwalia had accepted a bribe of Rs50,000 from one of the reporters. This "false" allegation received wide publicity through various media channels and had serious repercussions, leading to a Court of Inquiry initiated by the Indian Army. Justice Krishna had observed that the article had severely damaged Ahluwalia's reputation, leading to a decline in public esteem and causing serious harm to his character with allegations of corruption that could not be easily rectified or healed by subsequent refutation. Ahluwalia had previously sent a legal notice seeking an apology, but it was refused by the defendants. The court observed that the apology at this stage has become irrelevant as the plaintiff has already suffered the Court of Inquiry and has already been punished with severe displeasure qua his conduct, which was held to be unbecoming of an Army Officer. The court had ordered: "... damages in the sum of Rs2 crore is awarded to the plaintiff to be paid by defendant No.1 to 4 for having caused defamation, along with costs of the suit." The court had said that Ahluwalia, an honest Army Officer who had rejected bribes, had suffered significant harm to his reputation due to the false statements made about him. Noting that the Court of Inquiry gave a clean chit to Ahluwalia and severe displeasure was awarded only because of his conduct of agreeing to meet with people of doubtful credentials, the judge had said: "It is a service discipline which was questioned and not the integrity or character of the plaintiff (Ahluwalia). To borrow the triple test... this false statement about the plaintiff, to his discredit, exposed him to hatred, ridicule, or contempt, or which caused him to be shunned or avoided, or which has a tendency to injure him in his office, professional or trade and consequently tended to lower the plaintiff in the estimation of right thinking members of society. "While the court had said that Tehelka's objective might have been in the public interest, it stated that this did not justify fabricating false statements to sensationalise the story among the general public. As for Zee Telefilm Limited, its former Chairman Subhash Chandra, and former Chief Executive Officer Sandeep Goyal, the court found no evidence to support Ahluwalia's claim of defamation against them. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect the views of Moneylife and hence, Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. On the morning of January 13, during a massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine, Polish military personnel went on high alert. In particular, F-16 fighter jets were taken to the skies. ADVERTISIMENT Ground-based air defense systems were also activated. This was reported by the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces on social network X. The Polish military stated that they had activated aviation and ground-based air defense systems during the heightened threat. The Operational Command warned that Polish and allied aircraft were active in the southeastern part of the country. After the shelling stopped, all assets returned to standard operations. "Due to the decrease in the threat level, the operation of Polish and allied aircraft in Polish airspace and ground-based air defense systems has been suspended. The mobilized forces and assets have returned to standard operations," the statement said. The Polish military also noted that they are constantly monitoring the situation in Ukraine and are in constant readiness to ensure the security of Polish airspace. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, on the morning of January 13, Russia attacked Ukraine with 40 different types of air def enses. Air defense forces shot down eight of them. Another 20 enemy missiles did not reach their targets. Earlier it was reported that Poland appealed to the aggressor country Russia, whose missile flew into Polish airspace during the shelling of Ukraine. Moscow was demanded to explain the incident and called for "the cessation of such activities." As reported by OBOZ.UA, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that he would not allow anti-Ukrainian sentiment in his government. According to him, the situation in Ukraine and, in particular, at the front is the number one issue for Polish security. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! During his visit to Ukraine on January 12, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visited wounded soldiers in hospital. They are being treated in a medical facility in Kyiv. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported on the website of the President's Office. The Ukrainian soldiers who were seriously injured in the Zaporizhzhia and Kupiansk sectors, as well as near Avdiivka, said they wanted to recover and return to duty as soon as possible. The defenders of Ukraine called the victory of our country over the Russian invaders their most important wish. According to the report, Sunak was impressed by the courage of soldier Illia Herasymenko. The soldier lost his leg after repelling an assault by the enemy army. He is now preparing for prosthetics and plans to lead an active life despite everything. ADVERTISIMENT Junior Sergeant Mykhailo Honderuk told Sunak and Zelenskyy that he most wants to meet his family, including his brother and father, who are also defending Ukraine at the front. Honderuk intends to devote most of his life to the military. The Ukrainian president and the British prime minister also spoke with Lieutenant Nazarii Koval, who is also preparing for prosthetics. Sunak said that the soldier's two daughters will be proud of what their father did for Ukraine. "The Head of State thanked the soldiers for defending Ukraine and wished them a speedy recovery. Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the defenders with the Order For Courage of the third class for personal courage, selfless actions in the defense of state sovereignty, territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath," the statement said. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Docomo Pacific Headquarters is seen Monday, June 26, 2023, in Tamuning. A car and a scooter collided Thursday, Jan. 11, 2023, near the building. Sen. Chris Barnett asks questions Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in the Public Hearing Room of the Guam Congress Building in Hagatna. Sacramento, CA After a lower court ruled that punishing people for sleeping on the streets with no alternative available shelter amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the case. Governor Gavin Newsom is applauding the Supreme Courts review of the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. Lower-court rulings make it harder for cities in the West when there are not enough beds in homeless shelters to prevent people from sleeping on the streets. In a September filing of an amicus brief, Newson urged the Court to clarify that state and local governments can take reasonable actions to address the homelessness crisis, creating health and safety dangers for individuals living in encampments and communities. California has invested billions to address homelessness, but rulings from the bench have tied the hands of state and local governments to address this issue, stated Newsom. The governor, as well as other Democratic and Republican elected officials struggling to deal with homelessness brought on by rising housing costs and income inequality, are backing the justices move to hear an appeal from the city of Grants Pass, in southwest Oregon. This action comes a day after a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower-court ruling blocking anti-camping ordinances in San Francisco, where Newsom once was the mayor. A separate 9th Circuit panel ruled in the Oregon case that Grants Pass could not enforce local ordinances that prohibit homeless people from using a blanket, pillow, or cardboard box for protection from the elements. The decision impacts nine western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The two rulings, similar to a 2018 decision from the 9th Circuit in a case from Boise, Idaho, found that punishing people for sleeping on the streets when no alternative shelter is available amounts to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Constitution. Urging the justices to take up the case, elected officials argue the rulings complicate their efforts to clear tent encampments, which have long existed in West Coast cities but have more recently become more common across the U.S. The Supreme Court can now correct course and end the costly delays from lawsuits that have plagued our efforts to clear encampments and deliver services to those in need, added Newsom. Homeless numbers last year across the nation reached 580,000, driven by a lack of affordable housing, a pandemic that economically wrecked households, and a lack of access to mental health and addiction treatment. Sonora Police vehicles View Photo Sonora, CA Local hospital staff was forced to sedate a Sonora man after he allegedly attacked two employees. Sonora Police recently responded to Adventist Health Sonora (AHS) for a report of a battery. A patient, 47-year-old Davin Huhtala, had allegedly physically assaulted a registered nurse and a security guard. Once at the hospital, police tried to question Huhtala but could not, as he was already unconscious due to being tranquilized by staff. The officers returned the next morning to the medical center after getting a probable cause declaration issued for his arrest, and he was taken into custody without incident. Huhtala was charged with felony battery with injuries and placed on $30,000 bail. Of note, Huhtala was arrested in February 2022, as earlier reported here, for initially threatening to kill a Sonora Police officer and then tossing a bottle at a patrol vehicle that arrived to assist with the call as he fled on foot. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will meet with President Andrzej Duda on Monday, January 15. The Prime Minister will discuss the details of his visit to Ukraine, which will take place in the near future. ADVERTISIMENT Tusk said this in an interview with Polish TV channels. This is his first conversation with journalists since last year's parliamentary elections. The prime minister touched upon the topic of security and cooperation "at the top of the government." He noted that he had spoken with President Andrzej Duda and that the two centers of executive power cooperate, in particular, on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "I intend to discuss with Mr. President the details and nature of my mission to Kyiv in the coming days. For us, the situation in Ukraine and at the front is absolutely the number one issue. This is a matter of Poland's security," the politician emphasized. He also said that during his visit to Ukraine, issues related to the interests of Polish carriers should be resolved. The Prime Minister recalled that shortly before the election, Law and Justice had significantly worsened relations between Warsaw and Kyiv. Tusk emphasized that the war in Ukraine requires a policy of solidarity in the European Union and that he will talk to Ukrainians about the "pathological situation on the border." ADVERTISIMENT The Polish prime minister said that he wants the issues of war, security in Europe, and attitude toward Russia to be common not only to the president and prime minister but also to the entire Polish state. "Every Polish patriot must recognize this truth: Ukraine needs our help in the war against Russia," Tusk said. Tusk also noted that he is preparing a series of European visits and is in constant contact with his American colleagues. Donald Tusk's government was sworn in on December 13. The politician returned to office after nine years in the opposition. On December 27, it became known that the new Polish Prime Minister was preparing to visit Ukraine. The politician did not name the date but noted that his trip would not be solely about the blockade of the Polish-Ukrainian border. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A brazen group of four armed men carried out a series of crimes in Masvingo, including robbing police officers at a roadblock and later shooting and killing a man who had unwittingly offered them transport. The audacious incidents have sent shockwaves through the community, prompting a swift response from the authorities as they work to apprehend the perpetrators. The first attack occurred on Thursday at a police roadblock along the Nemamwa-Muchakata Road. The suspects, travelling in a Honda Fit vehicle with registration number AEW 1786, targeted the police officers manning the roadblock. They robbed the officers of two cellphones, a pair of riot trousers, a grey shirt, an STU cap, and a pair of brown shoes. The criminals, posing as members of the uniformed service, carried out the robbery before making their escape. In a separate incident, the suspects boarded a Toyota Fun Cargo that was en route to Chiredzi. Unbeknown to the driver, he had unwittingly picked up the armed criminals. Realizing the danger he was in, the driver attempted to flee, but one of the suspects shot him in the chest. The driver was rushed to Masvingo General Hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the two incidents and assured the public that investigations are underway. The stolen Honda Fit vehicle used by the suspects had been taken in another robbery earlier in the day near Chikato Primary School. The suspects had hired a taxi driver, claiming they wanted to consult a prophet. However, along the way, they attacked the driver and stole the car. Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating a series of armed robbery cases which occurred on 11 January 2024 in Masvingo from the central business district to Renco and at a police roadblock site along Nemamwa-Muchakata Road in Masvingo in which police officers were attacked by four unknown suspects who were travelling in a Honda Fit vehicle, registration number AEW 1786, he said. The suspects stole two cellphones, one riot trousers, a grey shirt, an STU cap and a pair of brown shoes. The Honda Fit vehicle in which the suspects were travelling in was stolen in another robbery case which occurred on 11 January 2024 at around 10am near Chikato Primary School. The suspects had hired a taxi driver from Pick and Pay, Masvingo to Nemamwa purporting that they wanted to consult a prophet. Along the way, the suspects attacked the driver before stealing the car, said Asst Comm Nyathi. After the robbery at the police roadblock, the suspects abandoned the stolen vehicle and boarded the Toyota Fun Cargo at Gurutsime Business Centre near Renco Mine, pretending to be heading to Chiredzi. However, their suspicious behaviour raised the drivers concerns, leading him to disembark from the vehicle in an attempt to escape. One of the armed robbers shot him in the chest. The suspects then fled towards Chiredzi along Ngundu-Tanganda Road. Upon reaching Renco turn off, the complainant disembarked from the vehicle and tried to run away after suspecting that he was carrying armed robbery suspects. Subsequently, one of the suspects shot the complainant in the chest with a pistol and drove away towards Chiredzi along Ngundu -Tanganda Road. The complainant later died at Masvingo General Hospital. As police, we are all out to ensure that the suspects are arrested, said Asst Comm Nyathi Breaking News via Email Appeals court cancels Bidens CAPRICIOUS energy regulatory actions targeting dishwashers and washing machines A federal appeals court has found President Joe Biden's Department of Energy (DOE) regulatory actions on the use of dishwashers and washing machines to be " arbitrary and capricious " and would probably have the opposite of their intended effects. Thus, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down the federal ruling that is part of the administration's aggressive climate change agenda. "The 2022 DOE was required to reasonably consider the relevant issues and reasonably explain its decisions. It failed to do so." The ruling said: "Specifically, it (a) is unclear that DOE has statutory authority to regulate water use in dishwashers and clothes washers. But even if DOE has water-usage authority over the relevant appliances, the department (b) failed to adequately consider the negative consequences of [its new rule], including the substitution effects of energy-and-water-wasting rewashing, prewashing, and handwashing. In all events, the 2022 DOE (c) failed to adequately consider the impact of the energy conservation program on 'performance characteristics.'" In 2020, President Donald Trump's DOE issued a rule creating a new class of dishwashers whose normal cycle lasted less than an hour. This was done to address concerns that "burdensome regulations made dishwashers incapable of, well, washing dishes," at least at a rate that suits consumers' needs, wrote Judge Andrew Oldham. The DOE issued a similar rule for washing machines. (Related: Energy Department's proposed washing machine guidelines a dirty deal for Americans.) Right after he assumed office, Biden ordered federal agencies to reconsider all Trump-issued regulations, with the 2020 DOE rules mentioned specifically. In January 2022, the DOE promulgated its own rule revoking the 2020 rules; the court referred to this as the "Repeal Rule." "Even if DOE could consider dishwashers' and clothes washers' 'efficiency' in both 'energy use' and 'water use,' the 2020 rules likely promoted greater efficiency in both categories than the Repeal Rule," the court's decision stated. "Assuming both energy conservation metrics are on the table, the States argue, and DOE does not appear to dispute, that one important aspect of that problem is whether appliance regulations actually reduce energy and water consumption." It continued that the administrative record contains ample evidence that DOE's efficiency standards likely do the opposite because these make Americans use more energy and more water for the simple reason that purportedly 'energy efficient' appliances do not work. The decision of the three-judge panel also stated that highly efficient dishwashers that use less water often force consumers to run multiple cycles or to manually handwash dishes, leading to both more overall energy and water use. It remains unclear if the Biden administration will appeal. The ruling came amid Biden's "war with appliances" to "decrease the energy consumption" of the residential sector. According to federal data, the commercial and residential sector accounts for 30 percent of total end-use carbon emissions in the U.S., the largest share of any sector including industry, transportation and agriculture. Experts: DOE efficiency standards are part of agenda to electrify appliances Last year, Biden's government also sought to impose regulations for items like water heaters, furnaces and pool pump motors. It has also spent hundreds of millions of dollars on helping state and municipal governments pursue building codes. Their rhetoric: these will reduce carbon emissions and lower prices. DOE said its finalized and proposed regulations will curb emissions by 2.4 billion metric tons cumulatively over 30 years. "At the direction of Congress, DOE is continuing to review and finalize energy standards for household appliances, such as residential furnaces, to lower costs for working families by reducing energy use and slashing harmful pollutants in homes across the nation," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in September. However, experts have repeatedly warned over the last 12 months that these energy efficiency actions will ultimately harm consumers and drive prices even higher since manufacturers will be forced to adopt newer technologies to achieve the standards. "Ostensibly, these DOE efficiency standards are supposed to benefit consumers. That's the way the law is written," Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "But they're clearly being done as part of the climate agenda, especially this agenda to electrify everything." Last April, Lieberman and 15 other consumer organizations wrote a letter, arguing DOE's efficiency standards for stovetops proposed in February "almost certainly compromise some of the features that gas stove users want, and all for the sake of saving an insignificant amount of energy." According to the agency's analysis, those standards would effectively ban half of all available stoves. "The agency's exaggerated claims of climate change benefits do not alter the fact that the proposed rule violates the consumer protections in the statute," the comment letter stated. "For these reasons, we believe the proposed rule should be withdrawn." Visit GreenTyranny.news to read more stories on government tyrannical drives toward "green living." Watch the video below that talks about the radical greenies' war with household appliances under the pretense of fighting climate change. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: The WAR on appliances continues: Biden imposes rule to slash coolant use in air conditioning units. INSANITY: Biden administration now going after dishwashers to combat imaginary climate crisis. WAR ON APPLIANCES: Energy Department announces NEW RULES for air conditioners and air cleaners. Guess who's really behind the anti-gas stove crusade? The World Economic Forum (and their Democrat lackeys). Sources include: TheNewAmerican.com Scribd.com FoxNews.com Brighteon.com Exclusive: Gaza grandmother gunned down by Israeli sniper as child waved white flag An Israeli sniper shot dead a Palestinian woman whose grandson was holding a white flag as they attempted to flee from Gaza City to a "safe zone" in the south of the embattled territory, Middle East Eye can reveal. (Article republished from MiddleEastEye.net) Hala Rashid Abd al-Ati was walking with several other Palestinians as they attempted to flee the al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on 12 November, while her hands were interlocked with her grandson who was waving the white flag, exclusive footage of the killing obtained by MEE purports to show. https://x.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1744351540435935525?s=20 According to the video, as Abd al-Ati passed through a thoroughfare connected with al-Wihda Street, she was shot dead by a single bullet fired by an Israeli soldier. The person recording the footage from a nearby building, who MEE will not be naming for security reasons, could be heard saying: "The woman got shot. The bastards (Israeli troops) shot the woman." In the footage, a Palestinian man from the group could be seen running towards Abd al-Ati to check on her well-being as her five-year-old grandson, Taim, ran to passersby for safety. According to the family, the bullet was fired from an area where the Israeli army was located. Abd al-Ati's surviving family members, who are now scattered across the war-torn Gaza Strip, told MEE that the decision to take that route out of Gaza City came after they had liaised on multiple occasions with the Red Cross. 'My mother was holding her grandson (my sister's son) who dropped to the floor when she was killed' - Sarah Bassem Khres, daughter Following the 7 October attack on southern Israel, the Red Cross, along with several other regional countries and the United States, began working with Israel to create supposed "safe zones" which allowed Palestinians to move from northern Gaza to the southern part of the enclave. MEE has previously reported on Israeli air strikes and sniper fire killing scores of civilians who reluctantly took so-called "safe zones" to reach southern Gaza after being instructed to do so by the Israeli army and its government. Sarah Bassem Khres, one of Abd al-Ati's daughters, told MEE that a day before their family fled their home, Israeli forces had besieged their neighbourhood, positioning tanks and snipers in the densely populated residential area. "We woke up to the sounds of screams and people crying after two hours of being surrounded by tanks, we called the Red Cross to help us try to evacuate," she told MEE. "They told us they stopped working in the north of Gaza, and the area that we are in had become a red zone battlefield and that we had to leave the area immediately." Khres said the family began to lose hope as the tanks closed in but decided to call the Red Cross again, which said the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous and they needed to leave. I saw her fall to the ground According to Khres, on the morning of the killing, the entire family woke up and prayed together as the sound of Israeli bombs pounding their neighbourhood intensified. Abd al-Ati then made them breakfast as they sat and read the Quran before preparing to leave. Khres said they only agreed to venture out when their neighbours could be heard shouting and urging other residents to leave, which they said was done following instructions from the Red Cross. "At around 11am there was the sound of snipers and bombs, and our neighbours were shouting 'leave, leave,' so we picked up our things, held the white flags and left, while warplanes circled above our heads and live ammunition was being fired at us randomly," she said. According to Khres, they then left their home towards al-Shaheed Abdel Qader al-Husain Street in the direction of Omar Bin Abdul Aziz Street. Khres said they were joined by at least 100 other people, most of whom were women and children. According to Khres, as soon as they walked out into the middle of the road, she saw her mother fall to the ground as the sound of gunfire rang out. "My mother was holding her grandson (my sister's son) who dropped to the floor when she was killed," she said. "I screamed for my mother it felt like we were tasting death a thousand times every minute," she added. She was carrying bread and olive oil in case we got hungry Khres's sister Heba, a 28-year-old mother of two, told MEE that their family was repeatedly told by other local residents that they would be leaving together as it would likely be safer. "The instructions we were given were based on information from the Red Cross. We were told there would be a safe corridor to the south of Gaza. My mother was carrying my son Taim," she said. "I was at the exit of our home waiting for my husband when I heard the sound of live fire and the screams of my sister and cousin. They kept shouting 'go back and go back,' then I saw my mother's lifeless body. "My brother Mohammed, who is 22, risked his life to go and pick up my mother's body from the street and bring her back home." Heba, left, is photographed with her mother Hala and her son Taim (Courtesy of family/MEE) Heba said that when her mother was killed, she was carrying bags of bread and olive oil with her because she was unsure of how long they would be away from home and if they would receive food and other basic provisions. According to Heba, the killing has since separated her and her husband Yousef from their son Taim, adding further unmeasurable pain and agony to their suffering. "I was gathering stuff in our home and getting ready to leave when I heard the screams outside," Yousef told MEE. "I didn't think it was our family I went out to look for Taim and saw a tank very close to us. When I went back home my mother-in-law was dead inside and Taim was missing." Following the killing, Taim was taken to Nuseirat by a neighbour and then to Rafah in southern Gaza where he is with his aunt. It is unclear if and when his parents will see him again. Heba and Sarah's cousin, Malak Anwar al-Khatib, 18, also told MEE of the moment Abd al-Ati was shot dead. "After she was killed, my aunt was taken inside her home and we tried to nurse her but she was already dead. "We prayed over her body and buried her near the homeafter that, we were told the Red Cross would help us leave again but we lost trust and were not prepared to risk any more of our family." The Israeli army has not responded to questions on the killing, but a photo published by the military on the same day of the incident shows army tanks and snipers stationed on al-Nasr Street, a road parallel to Abd al-Ati's home. The photo also appears to show the army being present in the area of the intersection where the bullet was fired from. A photo published by the Israeli army on the same day of the killing shows army tanks and snipers on al-Nasr Street, a road parallel to Hala Rashid Abd al-Ati's home (MEE/Supplied) In a statement, the Red Cross told MEE that "given how dangerous and unsafe the situation was and continues to be, it's not within the ICRCs role to give instructions on evacuation, as we would not be able to guarantee their safety." "According to international humanitarian law, it is the responsibility of the warring parties to ensure safe passage to civilians irrespective of the arrangements for evacuations, safe zones, or humanitarian pauses. Even if people chose to stay, they remain protected," it added. The family have since told MEE that they buried Abd al-Ati close to their home, something they say they are grateful for, as several decomposing bodies remain littered on the streets, often being trampled over by Israeli tanks and military vehicles or eaten by stray dogs. Read more at: MiddleEastEye.net Hundreds of German farmers set up disruptive road blockades to protest punitive taxes Farmers in Germany have taken to the streets in sub-zero temperatures, blockading roads with farm equipment and trucks as they protest subsidy cuts. Reports from Berlin indicate that more than 500 trucks and tractors have been parked by the city's Brandenburg Gate, while blockades have also been set up in Bavaria, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Wurttemberg. Across the country, people are dealing with heavy traffic and struggling to reach certain locations. Several border crossings with France have also been blocked. A Volkswagen car plant in the city of Emden in northwestern Germany had to stop production because blocked access roads meant that employees were unable to get to work. A group of farmers stopped Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck from getting off of a ferry in a North Sea port when he was returning from a personal trip. The German government and the farmers association condemned the incident as politicians warned that extremists might capitalize on the unrest. The subsidy cuts in question were enacted to correct a budget crisis after a court ruled that the government's budget for next year was illegal. Enraged farmers have called on the German government to drop its plans to cut their subsidies and have said that they will endanger the country's supply of high-quality food. The tax breaks the government is seeking to end save farmers $980 million per year, and they say the plans will drive them out of business. One Bavarian farmer, Ralf Huber, told Reuters: "For a farm like mine, I would lose about 10,000 euros. For our businesses, it's a catastrophe." The country's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said that preventing people from getting to work, school or doctor's appointments will only lead to anger and disagreement. However, some Germans stuck in traffic voiced support for the farmers, with one person commenting: With the current government, Germany has been going down the drain The incompetence of these politicians just drives you nuts." In November, the German constitutional court declared a budget the government had set for 2024 illegal, and ministers have been trying to find a way to make up for a $17 billion euro hole in their budget. Chancellor Olaf Scholzs three-party coalition came up with a plan to eliminate a car tax exemption for farm vehicles and diesel tax breaks as part of a broader package to correct the budget. Last week, they scaled it back partially, announcing that the car tax exemption would remain in place and cuts in diesel tax breaks will be staggered across a three-year period to give the affected companies more time to adjust. However, the German Farmers Association is pushing for the plan to be completely reversed and has threatened to conduct a week of action this week. A spokesperson for Scholz, Steffen Hebestreit, made it clear that they were not thinking about revising their plans. He stated: There is no consideration inside the government of changing anything else about this. Blockade is only the beginning The president of the German Farmers Association, Joachim Rukwied, said the blockade was only the first step of their efforts. Our position remains unchanged: Both proposals for cuts must be taken off the table. This is clearly also about the future viability of our industry and the question of whether domestic food production is still desirable at all, he added. It is expected to be a challenging week for Germans as a three-day strike is expected to be held later this week by a union that represents German train drivers, who are taking action against the state owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn over their pay and working hours. Members are expected to walk out of their jobs from 2:00 am on Wednesday morning until 6:00 pm on Friday afternoon. Sources for this article include: 100PercentFedUp.com BBC.com APNews.com Reuters.com Sen. Lindsey Graham promises to bring Irans worst nightmare to life, unleashing his inner global TERRORIST tendencies Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF's) Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv last week, where the latter vowed to continue to actively support Israel and seek to realize a "nightmare" scenario for the Iranian leadership. Graham told Netanyahu that U.S. lawmakers and the administration of President Joe Biden would "push forward to make Iran's worst nightmare real," arguing that West Jerusalem should strive for reconciliation with Arab nations, saying such an outcome is not favorable for the ayatollah. He also described establishing ties between Israel and the Arab world to be an "absolutely essential ingredient to a better, more stable Mid-East and a safe and secure Israel and a prosperous Palestinian people." The senator also stated that he was personally "more dedicated now to bringing stability to your country and this region." Graham also said that they would strive for a safe and secure Israel and those who perished, "will not have died in vain." He added: "We're going to do everything we can, on my end and I think working with the Biden administration, Mr. Prime Minister, to push forward to make Iran's worst nightmare real: The Arabs and the Israelis move toward the light." Before the meeting, which included Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, National Security Director Tzachi Hanegbi, the prime minister's Military Secretary Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog, Netanyahu thanked Graham for the support. "Thank you. Senator Graham, Lindsey, I appreciate your personal support and the bipartisan support of the American people, represented by the administration, by both sides of Congress." Netanyahu stood his ground in being absolutely committed to achieving their war goals that is to destroy Hamas, release hostages and make sure Gaza doesn't become a threat again. He also promised that they would return their citizens to the north and the south. "For that, we'll apply maximum power with maximum precision everywhere that's needed," the prime minister continued. "And we have your back," Graham quipped as they shook hands. During the past months, Iran has publicly blamed Israel for the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, accusing it of committing "genocide" in Gaza and setting "fire to the region." Tehran also blasted West Jerusalems Western supporters, which included the U.S., for employing double standards in their assessment of the situation in the region. Last month, Graham called for a bombing campaign against Iran, calling for the country's oil fields and the Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters to be "blown off the map." "I have been saying for six months now: Hit Iran," he said during a "Fox & Friends" interview. "They have oil fields out in the open, they have the Revolutionary Guard headquarters you can see from space. Blow it off the map." He claimed that the Yemeni Houthis are "completely backed" by Tehran and without Iran, "there are no Houthis," he declared. (Related: MORE VIOLENCE: Senator Lindsey Graham wants Biden to bomb Irans IRGC headquarters.) He also accused Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of showing "weakness" and "failing our troops in the field" by not retaliating more forcefully despite the launch of airstrikes against three targets in Iraq. "I asked him a couple of months ago: Is there a red line? Would you tell our enemies publicly that if you kill an American, we are coming after you?" the senator noted. "If you really want to protect American soldiers, make it real to the ayatollah, you attack a soldier through a proxy, were coming after you." During CNN's "State of the Union" earlier in December, Graham said Austin is so naive and he has lost all confidence in the Pentagon secretary because he alleged that the latter is telling Israel things that are impossible to achieve. Graham announces he'll relaunch the Saudi normalization drive In a separate interview with reporters in Israel, Graham announced that he would resume efforts to establish a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. "I'm leaving here more optimistic than when I arrived. I asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Benny Gantz if they would want to move forward with an agreement with Saudi Arabia. Their answer was positive. I will take this message to Riyadh and convey it to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," he declared, adding that after his previous visit to Israel two months ago, he heard from the Saudi leader that he was still interested in promoting the agreement with Israel. "The ayatollah regime in Iran's worst nightmare is that Arabs and Israelis make peace," the senator once again said. "I think this [Hamas] attack was also meant to stop the reconciliation efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The crown prince asked me if there is a stable Israeli government that wants this. I told him there is a partner but that security considerations will be even more important than before. At the end of the visit here, I will go to him and update him on what I heard," Graham added. The South Carolina solon is pushing this because he believes Hamas needs to be destroyed and "must not rule Gaza. After all, that is what will prevent peace with Saudi Arabia." He also claimed that he does not trust the Palestinian Authority. "You cannot have Palestinian children continue to be taught to hate and kill Jews," Graham stressed. Check out Violence.news to read more stories on governments inciting violent actions toward one another. Sources for this article include: RT.com AllIsIsrael.com IranIntl.com JNS.org Hunter Biden WALKS OUT of House hearing as Republicans rebuke presidential son Presidential son Hunter Biden walked out of a House hearing minutes after showing up with his lawyers, resulting in Republicans rebuking him as he left. The 53-year-old Hunter walked into the joint hearing of two House committees the House Oversight Committee (HOC) and House Ways and Means Committee (WMC) on Jan. 10. He was accompanied by his lawyers Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris. The three sat down in the first row as lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle responded to the presidential son's appearance. "Who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today? You are the epitome of White privilege coming into the Oversight Committee spitting in our face, ignoring a congressional subpoena to be deposed. You have no balls to come up here," said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), a member of the HOC. "I think Hunter Biden should be arrested right here and right now. I'm looking at you. I believe that Hunter Biden should be held completely in contempt, [and] I believe he should be hauled off to jail right now." About 17 minutes after entering, Hunter and his two attorneys stood from their seats and left the hearing. This coincided with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) commencing her questioning of the presidential son over his business deals and the impeachment probe into his father, incumbent President Joe Biden. "I think it's clear and obvious for everyone watching this hearing today that Hunter Biden is terrified of strong, conservative Republican women because he can't even face my words as I was about to speak to him," said Greene, also a member of the HOC. "What a coward." Last month, the presidential son staged a press conference on the steps of Capitol Hill. He reiterated that he would testify in public, defying a subpoena issued by HOC Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) for him to appear in a closed-door deposition. (Related: Hunter Biden DEFIES House Oversight Committee subpoena.) Reporters pepper presidential son with questions about "crack" Following Hunter's walkout, GOP House members rebuked the presidential son. "The Congressional subpoena served to [him] was for a closed-door deposition, not a made-for-TV publicity stunt," WMC Chairman Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) wrote in a post on the X platform. "These terms are not negotiable." House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) also agreed with his colleague. "Another day, another ridiculous PR stunt by Hunter Biden," he remarked. "If this is the Biden family's strategy to distract the American people from their disturbing pattern of corruption, it's a pointless one." But the spectacle continued even as Hunter and his two lawyers left the hearing room. Reporters threw a flurry of questions, which mainly focused on his use of "crack" cocaine. One reporter even asked if he was high on illegal drugs when he showed up and subsequently left. A journalist asked: "What kind of crack do you normally smoke, Mr. Biden?" Meanwhile, another asked why he put his father on speakerphone more than 20 times to speak with his business associates. The presidential son nevertheless ignored these questions, as Lowell delivered a short statement denouncing the House GOP and maintaining Hunter's willingness to testify publicly. The HOC and the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) later voted to hold Hunter in contempt of Congress over his actions and his general refusal to testify before lawmakers. The HJC voted 23-14 while the HOC voted 25-11, according to the New American magazine. With the two committees' vote, the motion to hold the presidential son in contempt will go to the full chamber. If the House votes to do so, the motion will go to the Department of Justice, which could possibly throw a wrench into the GOP's plans. Head over to BidenCrimeFamily.news for more stories about Hunter Biden. Watch Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) denounce Hunter Biden after he shows up to the Jan. 10 joint House committee hearing below. This video is from the HaloRock channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Tom Fitton: Congress HAS THE POWER to ARREST Hunter Biden. House committee subpoenas bank records of Hunter Biden's associates. GOP House investigation: Biden crime family raked in $30M more than bank records indicate. Emails show Weiss, DOJ colluded to SUBVERT congressional investigation on Hunter Biden case. Top GOP chairman subpoenas FBI for record suspected of linking Joe Biden to 'criminal scheme' when he was VP. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk TheNewAmerican.com Brighteon.com ICJ begins hearings on South Africas genocide case against Israel The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday, Jan. 11, held the first of a two-day hearing in South Africa's genocide case against Israel in The Hague, Netherlands over Israel's brutal campaign in Gaza. Pretoria's goal with the hearings is to get the ICJ to pass an injunction that will legally compel Israel to suspend all military operations in Gaza. South Africa emphatically reminded the court that, since Oct. 7, Israel has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in the tiny Gaza Strip. In its arguments, South Africa contended that Israel has violated Article 2 of the 1948 Genocide Convention "by committing actions that fall within the definition of genocide," said Adila Hassim, an advocate representing South Africa. "The actions show systematic patterns of conduct from which genocide can be inferred." The South African team presented a whole host of evidence of "genocidal acts" committed by Israel, namely photos of mass graves where often unidentified bodies are buried that prove Israel is committing mass killings of Palestinians in Gaza. "No one including newborns was spared," noted Hassim. The second evidence of genocidal acts is the serious bodily and mental harm inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza, which violates Article 2B of the Genocide Convention. The South African team noted that Israel's attacks also wounded and maimed close to 60,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. They further argued that large numbers of Palestinian civilians, including children, have been arrested by invading Israeli troops. Many of them are even blindfolded, forced to undress, loaded onto trucks and taken to unknown locations where they may be being tortured or worse have already been killed. The South African team argued that Israel's leaders all know about these genocidal acts being committed in Gaza and are fully aware of the violence their troops are inflicting. "Israel's political leaders, military commanders and persons holding official positions have systematically and in explicit terms declared their genocidal intent," said Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, another lawyer on the South African team. He recalled how, on Oct. 28, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged ground troops to "remember what Amalek has done to you" when they entered Gaza. Ngcukaitobi noted that this is a reference to the biblical command by God to Saul "for the retaliatory destruction of an entire group of people." Ngcukaitobi further argued that other extremist members of the Knesset the Israeli parliament have repeatedly called for Gaza to be wiped out, flattened, erased and crushed. "Soldiers believe that this language and their actions are acceptable because the destruction of Palestinian life in Gaza is articulated state policy," said Ngcukaitobi. South Africa's case against Israel could strengthen Genocide Convention South Africa's move of bringing the genocide case to the ICJ is only the second time a state has tried to litigate the alleged atrocities of another, with the first one being the West African nation of the Gambia, which took Myanmar to the ICJ in 2019 accusing it of genocide against the Rohingya. (Related: South Africa accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention.) This case resulted in the ICJ's 2021 order for Myanmar's military junta to direct its forces not to commit genocide and to preserve all relevant evidence. "The Gambia taking Myanmar to the ICJ for its violations under the obligations of the Genocide Convention opened the gate for what is happening now with South Africa taking Israel to court," noted Savita Pawnday, executive director at the war crimes watchdog, the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect. "I think that is a fantastic step in addressing the climate of impunity that has operated for decades. For its part, Israel has rejected all accusations of genocide as baseless and is determined to fight South Africa's charges in the ICJ. Tel Aviv has also considered simply ignoring the ICJ and ignoring any measures or rulings it releases, but to do so would cause the state enormous reputational harm and loss of influence on the world stage. Watch this clip of South African lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi providing "chilling" evidence that Israel's continued indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza constitutes genocide. This video is from the Contrarian channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: LIES: U.S. asserts no genocide being committed in Gaza amid violent Israeli military campaign. Israel has dropped more than 65,000 TONS of bombs on Gaza since Oct. 7. Israeli politician suggest taking "advantage of the Holocaust" to take over Gaza and displace Palestinians. Israel KILLED more Palestinians in 2023 than in any year since the Nakba in 1948. The Palestinians were right all along: Netanyahu wants them completely expelled from the region. Sources include: AlJazeera.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com Xi, King Letsie III of Lesotho exchange congratulations over 30th anniversary of resumption of ties Xinhua) 09:15, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Lesotho's King Letsie III exchanged congratulations on Friday over the 30th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi pointed out that since the resumption of diplomatic ties 30 years ago, China and Lesotho have supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, joined hands on the journey of national development and revitalization, and helped each other in tackling challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, setting a good example of friendly coexistence and common development for large and small countries. Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Lesotho relations and is ready to work with King Letsie III to take the 30th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic ties as a new starting point to further elevate bilateral relations, expand practical cooperation areas, and push for greater development of China-Lesotho friendly cooperative relations. King Letsie III said that both Lesotho and China have achieved leapfrog development in the past 30 years, adding that the two countries have established a solid diplomatic relationship based on peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and win-win benefits, significantly promoting the well-being of people of the two countries. He reiterated that Lesotho stands ready to coordinate closely with China to continually strengthen Lesotho-China friendship and friendly cooperation, and to support the development and prosperity of both nations. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane also exchanged congratulations to each other on the same day. Li said China-Lesotho relations have maintained a good development momentum in recent years. China stands ready to take the 30th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to make concerted efforts with Lesotho to promote the sustainable development of bilateral ties, he added. For his part, Matekane said China is not only Lesotho's strategic partner, but also its all-weather friend, adding that Lesotho will continue to firmly support and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Africa Cooperation Forum. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) JUST IN: Man behind dozens of Donald Trump ballot eligibility challenges arrested John Anthony Castro, a Texas man who filed over two dozen challenges to President Trumps ballot eligibility, was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he filed 17 sets of false tax documents to the IRS. (Article by Danielle republished from 100PercentFedUp.com) Castro was indicted last week on 33 counts of aiding the preparation of false tax returns, The Hill reports. Prosecutors claim he defrauded the government by running a virtual tax preparation business that provided customers tax returns greater than what they were owed. Castro filed challenges in 27 states against Trumps ballot eligibility. ?BREAKING: John Anthony Castro who has been filing lawsuits in every state to get Donald Trump removed from the ballot has been arrested & charged with filing 17 sets of false tax documents to the IRS. pic.twitter.com/KxSeoEcK88 Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) January 10, 2024 BREAKING: The man who has been filing lawsuits in every state to get Donald Trump removed from the 2024 election ballot has been arrested & charged with filing 17 sets of false tax documents to the IRS In total, John Anthony Castro has been charged with 33 counts of aiding the pic.twitter.com/b9GX6rIDPb George (@BehizyTweets) January 10, 2024 The man who has been filing lawsuits in every state to get Donald Trump removed from the 2024 election ballot has been arrested & charged with filing 17 sets of false tax documents to the IRS In total, John Anthony Castro has been charged with 33 counts of aiding the preparation of false tax returns. Prosecutors claim he ran a virtual tax preparation business that provided customers with tax returns beyond what they were actually owed, defrauding the government. Castro announced his campaign for President in the Republican primary which was clearly all for show in order for the deep state to use him as a vehicle to file the ballot lawsuits (all of which have failed). You literally cannot make this up, this guy told judges Donald Trump was a criminal when in actuality, he was a criminal The Hill reports: Castro would promise a significantly higher refund than taxpayers could receive from other preparers and on many occasions, offered to split the additional refund with taxpayers, prosecutors said in court documents. In order to achieve these larger refunds, Castro generated false deductions, that were not based in fact, and which were submitted without the taxpayers knowledge. Castro was busted by an undercover police officer, prosecutors outlined, who posed as a customer for his tax services. While a reputable tax preparer promised the undercover agent a $373 tax return, Castro instead claimed he could get $6,007, and offered to split the difference in extra cash. The tax forms Castro then filed on behalf of the undercover officer contained nearly $30,000 in fraudulently claimed deductions, prosecutors said. Castro is also a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, a long-shot bid that has gained little attention outside his legal challenges to Trumps ballot eligibility. Castro has filed challenges to Trumps ballot placement in 27 states, claiming that Trumps involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots violates the 14th Amendment. Castros challenges have been dismissed repeatedly due to lack of standing. 100 Percent Fed Up noted from a prior challenge: A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit to remove Donald Trump from the ballot in West Virginia. U.S. District Judge Irene Berger, an Obama-appointee, ruled that Texas resident John Anthony Castro could not demonstrate standing. Castro had described himself as a candidate for president and said Trumps presence on the ballot would harm his chances, WV MetroNews wrote. The dismissal follows the Colorado Supreme Courts unprecedented ruling to boot Trump off the states ballot. Judge Berger Said The Lawsuit Was Frivolous & Without Merit As It Was Filed By Texas Resident & Write-in Candidate John Anthony Castro. Castro Claimed Trump Incited An Insurrection Without A Charge Or Conviction Should Be Disqualified Based On 14th Amendment. In A Memorandum Opinion, Judge Berger Ordered The Case To Be Dismissed Without Prejudice! John Basham said. ????????? - Judge Gloria Navarro has dismissed the lawsuit that sought to keep President Donald Trump off the Nevada ballot. She cited John Anthony Castro's lack of standing and stated that he manufactured his standing solely to file the lawsuit.? Navarro's decision pic.twitter.com/t7PH2N5a4t Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) January 10, 2024 More details from WFAA: Castro owned and operated Castro & Company LLC, a virtual tax preparation business with locations in Orlando, Mansfield, and Washington D.C., according to the indictment. Castro allegedly generated false deductions without taxpayers knowledge in order to achieve higher refunds and, on many occasions, offered to split the additional refund with taxpayers, according to officials. An undercover agent posing as a taxpayer seeking tax preparation services contacted Castro & Company for assistance in 2018, and Castro allegedly refused to meet in person without receiving a $5,000 retainer but offered to help virtually, officials said. According to the indictment, an employee of Castros interviewed the agent over the telephone regarding deductions said Castro would make any decisions on what would be included in the tax filing, and didnt identify any deductions that would apply to the agent. Castro allegedly filed the agents tax return in March of 2018, claiming $29,339 in fraudulent deductions; the IRS issued a $6,007 refund, Castro received $2,999 for his services, and the agent received the remaining $3,008, officials said. Castro allegedly continued in a similar pattern with other taxpayers, according to officials. If convicted on all counts, Castro faces up to 99 years in prison three years per count. Read more at: 100PercentFedUp.com Nevada judge rejects case to remove Trump from state ballot A federal judge in Nevada has rejected a 14th Amendment case against former President Donald Trump trying to remove him from the state's 2024 presidential ballot Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada Gloria Navarro, appointed by former President Barack Obama, determined that the man who brought the challenge longshot Republican presidential candidate John Anthony Castro does not have authentic standing to bring the suit, because he filed to run for president only to manufacture legal standing. (Related: Biden administration DIRECTLY LINKED to Colorado banning Trump from the ballot.) "In rejecting his political competitor standing argument, courts found that Castro improperly manufactured his standing merely to file this lawsuit," wrote Navarro, who cited an October 2023 article from the Associated Press noting that Castro himself admitted he had no intention to seriously pursue a presidential campaign. "I'm not going to lie and pretend my candidacy is anything more than trying to enforce the United States Constitution, and that's what I'm here to do," Castro said at the time. "I don't want to distract anything from the mission. The fight's going to be in the courtroom." Castro going around the country to file 14th Amendment cases against Trump Castro has already filed 14th Amendment cases against Trump in multiple states. Five of those states, including Florida and New Hampshire, have already rejected Castro's main political competitor standing argument. Navarro did not rule on the merits of the challenge. She instead noted that because Castro's case against Trump has no merit, "the Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to hear this case." "To have standing to sue in federal court, a plaintiff must have suffered a concrete, particularized and actual or imminent injury in fact that was caused by the defendant's challenged conduct and is redressable by a favorable action," explained Navarro. "This limitation on the judicial power prevents a plaintiff from invoking Article III jurisdiction of federal court by asserting what is merely a 'general interest common to all members of the public.'" So far, 14th Amendment cases against Trump have only succeeded in Colorado and Maine. The Supreme Court is expected to take up Trump's challenge to the former's ruling, and the court is expected to begin hearing arguments in February. Steven Cheung, spokesperson for Trump's presidential campaign, lauded Nevada's dismissal of the lawsuit against the former president in a statement wherein he alleged that President Joe Biden may be engineering these cases against his political rival. "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," noted Cheung. "President Trump is the leading candidate for not only the Republican primary, but [also] 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." Watch this clip of Trump railing against the indictments against him at a rally in Reno, Nevada, calling them "bulls---." This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump warns of "big trouble" if SCOTUS rules in favor of BALLOT BANS against him. RFK Jr.: Trump's presidential primary ballot removal in Colorado and Maine "makes us look like a Banana Republic." Trump lauds Michigan Supreme Court ruling that keeps him on the state's primary ballot. ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY: California lieutenant governor urges state secretary to find a way to remove Trump from Golden State's primary ballot, just like in Colorado. Supreme Court expected to reverse Colorado's Trump ballot ban, side with Justice Samour's dissent. Sources include: En-Volve.com TheHill.com FoxNews.com Brighteon.com Experts discover terror beast fossils in Greenland that are over half a BILLION years old Researchers have discovered the fossils of a fascinating "terror beast" marine worm Data from the preserved fossils revealed that the underwater creature had a giant jaw and dominated the seas more than 500 million years ago. The research team found the fossils of the newfound species of carnivorous worm Timorebestia koprii (T. koprii) or "terror beast" in northern Greenland. Details of the study were published in the journal Science Advances. Terror beasts existed during the early Cambrian period Researchers said the terror beast existed during the early Cambrian period 485 million to 541 million years ago. T. koprii had a row of fins flanking each side of its body and a pair of long antennae. Researchers said the terror beast could grow to be up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) long, making it one of the largest swimming animals in its time period. (Related: Experts think there are more GIGANTIC ANIMALS on Earth yet to be discovered.) In a statement, Jakob Vinther, a paleontologist at the University of Bristol in England, explained that Timorebestia were "giants of their day and would have been close to the top of the food chain." Vinther added that it makes them "equivalent in importance to some of the top carnivores in modern oceans," like seals and sharks and seals, back in the Cambrian period. The fossils were found in sediments known as the Sirius Passet formation of Greenland. The research team was ecstatic at the discovery because some of the Timorebestia samples were so well preserved that they were able to analyze the worms' digestive systems to determine some of what these carnivores were eating when they died. Data showed that most of the prey present in the worms' guts were Isoxys or marine bivalved Cambrian arthropods. The scientists also found one fossil worm with an Isoxys still in its jaw region. In the statement, Morten Lunde Nielsen, a study co-author who was a former doctoral student at the University of Bristol, said that Isoxys were very common at Sirius Passet. Isoxys had long protective spines that pointed both forward and backward to help them avoid being eaten. Nielsen quipped that the protective spines didn't always help Isoxys because Timorebestia often consumed them "in great quantities." Carnivorous worms have a unique nerve bundle After bombarding the T. koprii samples with a beam of electrons, the research team discovered a nerve center on their belly called the ventral ganglion. The presence of this nerve bundle, which possibly helped the worms control their locomotory muscles, is unique to a living group of tiny marine worms called arrow worms or chaetognaths. The study authors said this shows that the T. koprii are distant relatives of modern-day chaetognaths. They added, however, that one of the key differences between the ancient worms and living chaetognaths is the location of their jaws. In the statement, study co-author Luke Parry, a paleobiologist at the University of Oxford, said modern arrow worms have threatening bristles on the outside of their heads for catching prey. Meanwhile, Timorebestia has jaws inside its head. Parry added that Timorebestia and other fossils like it are useful because they provide links between closely related organisms that look very different now. Visit Discoveries.news for more stories about fascinating scientific discoveries. Watch the video below for a closer look at a 300-million-year old fossil. This video is from the Country Dirt Kid channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Scientists find dinosaur hatchery in India with more than 250 fossilized titanosaur eggs. Study: 360M-year-old fossil from Ireland proves plants are capable of self-defense. Study: Asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs allowed flowers to grow on the planet. Sources include: LiveScience.com Science.org Brighteon.com West steps up activities in Red Sea as Iran warns against U.S. adventurism The Red Sea is witnessing a surge in naval activities as the United States and its allies in the West strive to safeguard international shipping routes amid the looming threat of Houthi-launched missiles and drones from Yemen. To protect shipping, the U.S. Navy has launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, with the help of a coalition of 13 other nations including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, South Korea, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, all of which have dispatched naval vessels or other military assets to the Red Sea. During a recent meeting with Arab leaders, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern about the tangible impact of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. (Related: Oil prices could double as Red Sea attacks continue, experts warn.) "These attacks are having a real effect on the prices that people have to pay for food, for medicine, for energy. Ships have to get diverted to other places. Insurance rates go up," he said. Maritime and industry analyst Sam Chambers reported a significant decline in Suez Canal transits in the first weekend of January, reaching the lowest point since the Ever Given container ship caused a blockage in the Suez Canal in 2021 for six days. Iran claims U.S. destabilizing region Amid the dominant presence of Western coalition military ships, the Iranian frigate Alborz arrived in Houthi-controlled Yemen, adding to the challenges already faced by the coalition and shipping venturing through the sea. The Foreign Ministry of Iran even issued a "stern warning" against perceived "U.S. adventurism" that could endanger regional peace and escalate the conflict in the region. Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Amir Saeid Iravani emphasized Iran's commitment to maritime security, freedom of navigation and maintaining peace of the region. Iravani also dismissed accusations that Tehran supported Houthi attacks as "baseless." However, the U.S. maintains the position that Iran has been aiding the Houthis, with Deputy Ambassador to the UN Chris Lu accusing Tehran of helping the Houthis plan operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and alleging that Houthi effectiveness heavily relies on Iranian assistance. The U.S. also claims that Iran is employing surveillance ships in regional waters to aid Houthi drones and missile launches. Iravani responded to these accusations by claiming that they were meant to divert attention away from the root causes of the situation, which is Israel's ongoing genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza. Iravani urged the UN Security Council to help address the root causes of the current conflicts in the region and take decisive measures to compel Israel to end its war on Gaza. Since the beginning of the conflict on Oct. 7, Israel has killed at least 25,000 Palestinians, injured nearly 60,000 others and displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza. In solidarity with the besieged population of the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in October began targeting ships passing through the Red Sea where 12 percent of global trade passes through owned and operated by anybody with links to Israel. In November, the Houthis seized one Israel-leased cargo ship, the Galaxy Leader, and turned it into a tourist attraction for Yemenis. Watch this clip of Yemen's Houthis once again striking at targets in the Red Sea with drones. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: U.S. naval coalition's efforts to defend Red Sea shipping against Houthi attacks off to rocky start. U.S. destroyer intercepts drone, missile attacks launched by Houthi rebels toward Israel. Moscow wins again as Houthi rebels attack Western vessels, while Russian oil tankers freely navigate. Major shipping giants HALT Red Sea route following Houthi attacks on shipping vessels. U.S. warship, commercial vessels UNDER ATTACK in Red Sea, Pentagon confirms. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com PressTV.ir Brighteon.com The latest research warned that the rare black-footed cat could be at risk of population decline and extinction threat due to organ failure, habitat loss and inbreeding. Habitat loss has been a main threat to many wildlife, including the rare black-footed cat in the African deserts. They may look small, but the said cat is considered as deadliest cat that can target prey in an instant. They have a 60% success rate in predation, unlike lions with only 20% to 25%. In the 2016 report, the IUCN reported that black-footed cats are vulnerable due to increasing threats. The increasing threats are the following: Pest control and poisoning Habitat loss and habitat degradation Hunting Threats to Black-Footed Cats The population of black-footed cats is mostly seen in Southern Africa, particularly in Nambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The small cats prefer to stay in semi-desert and grassland areas. At night, the vegetation is ideal for them to hunt for birds and other prey, including rodents, mice, gerbils, and many more. The cat leaves scent in different areas to reproduce and communicate with other black-footed. With the concerns of extinction, international researchers, including those from China's Shaanxi Normal University, worked together to observe the rare species of black-footed cats. The research can be read in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. Researchers emphasized the need for conservation efforts to protect the said cat species. They looked into the genetic adaptations and inbreeding in their population. In their habitats in Africa, the report discovered a decline in the numbers of black-footed cats due to inbreeding. To observe the cat's health, the researcher analyzed the tissue samples. They raised concerns about the impact of amyloidosis. It can cause organ failures, affecting the kidneys, liver, nervous system and heart. The report explained that the cats are vulnerable to the impact of amyloidosis. When black-footed cats suffer from the said condition, their overall health is affected. The animal can die from starvation or become a prey target. With habitat loss threats, researchers found that inbreeding could cause amyloidosis. The study aims to understand more about the evolution and breeding history of the Felis nigripes. Also Read: Przewalski's Horse: Wild Horses in Mongolia Saved From Extinction Habitat Loss Impact on Environment and Ecosystem Widespread habitat loss is a major threat to wildlife and many species. When habitats become unsuitable, it will be challenging for animals to repopulate and look for potential food. It has also negative effects on biodiversity and genetic diversity. Protecting swaps, grasslands and other habitats is crucial to save species from decline. Related Article: Extreme Drought Impacts Important Peatlands Carbon Sinks That Fight Climate Change For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News A snake attack placed an Australian woman in "serious condition" after being bitten by an eastern brown snake in her hand while sleeping, according to reports on Friday, January 12. The woman in her 20s, based in the Western Downs region of Toowoomba in Queensland, encountered the reptile that seemed to have come out of nowhere on early Friday morning, the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) says. The eastern brown snake, which is native to central-eastern Australia and southern New Guinea, is not to be taken lightly since it is a species of venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. Experts in recent years explained that an untreated eastern brown snake bite can kill a person in under half an hour. However, the survival rate is increased if the victim seeks medical attention. Eastern Brown Snake Attack An unretrieved photo from the QAS shows that the eastern brown snake was lurking under the bed covers. Following the reptile attack, the Queensland woman was airlifted to a Toowoomba Hospital. The spokesperson of Darling Downs Health which owns the hospital, told the media the patient's condition is still serious, despite being reported by the QAS that she was in stable condition during the flight. According to the aeromedical organization, LifeFlight Australia, headquartered in Brisbane, the woman's family applied bandages on the snake bite before the QAS paramedic arrived. The victim somehow survived the incident after emergency responders applied an anti-venom on the patient. Furthermore, the patient reportedly believed that she was bitten by an eastern brown snake. Also Read: 80-year-old Australian Man Survives Tense Boat Ride with Deadly Tiger Snake! What is the Eastern Brown Snake? The eastern brown snake, often called the common brown snake, is a medium-sized snake with a body color ranging from any shade of brown to near black, and light tan. This Australian native snake species has grown in population due to the available supply of rodents following a widespread clearing of land for agriculture in the country, according to the Australian Museum. Australia is a place known for its unique and diverse wildlife. However, it is also a haven for venomous and deadly creatures, ranging from snakes to spiders. For decades, there have been multiple recorded attacks by different snake species on humans across the Australian landscape. One of these species includes the eastern brown snake. In October 2023, a suspected eastern brown snake attacked a 25-year-old man who was working at a grain receiving site in Nullawil, Victoria, at that time. The grain worker later succumbed to the snake's venom and died in a hospital. In September 2020, a similar eastern brown snake attack occurred in Queensland, where a 40-year-old man died in Cairns Hospital two days later after encountering the deadly venomous snake. In February 2018, a 46-year-old man in Deeragun, Queensland, collapsed after being bitten by an eastern brown snake. Prior to his collapse, the victim even managed to go to his neighbor who he was supposed to ask for help in identifying the reptile. Related Article: Brown Snake Suspected of Killing French Backpacker in Australia A cold storm is forecasted to bring snow and ice from south-central United States to the southeast. Meteorologists said that the storm is expected to ride the jet stream and along the fringe of a press of Arctic air, which is expected to expand across most of the nation into the middle of the month and in the next weeks. The snow and ice will spread out over areas in the southern and central Plains on Sunday as a storm collides with Arctic air that is expected to spread over the region. Bitter Cold Expected To Surge According to the National Weather Service, cold air will descend from western Canada across the northern Intermountain Region to the central and southern Plains as well as the middle of the Mississippi Valley. Meanwhile, a bitter cold surged in the south and affects most of areas in the US. The first significant Arctic outbreak of the winter has arrived across the northwest and northern Plains and will spread south through early next week. Weather experts said that a number of daily cold records could be expected by residents in the affected areas. Moreover, dangerously cold wind chills are also expected. Based on forecast, sub-zero wind chills will affect much of the US and reach into portions of the south. Meanwhile, wind chills this weekend is expected to fall below negative 30 degrees from the northern Rockies to northern Kansas and into Iowa. Values could also drop as low as negative 50 degrees from Montana across the western Dakotas. These extreme apparent temperatures is seen to pose a threat of frostbite on exposed skin and hypothermia. Authorities are advising travelers to have a cold survival kit during their travel in order to ensure safety. On the other hand, heavy snow will develop in the west on Friday and Saturday. Weather officials said the arctic air would gradually lower snow levels in time for the arrival of another storm system in the west. The snow levels will lead to snow and considerable impacts are predicted in valleys in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, including the Portland, Boise, and Salt Lake City metro areas. Further, significant freezing rain is likely on Saturday in northwestern Oregon. Read Also: Challenging Blizzard Conditions to Impact Chicago This Week, Forecast Warns of Travel Hazards Freezing Rain Meteorologists said that areas of snow, sleet, and freezing rain are likely on the periphery of the advancing Arctic air mass from the interior south into the northeast. ' They advised residents to be vigilant for further details and weather updates as the forecast may change. Meanwhile, on Saturday, a plume of moisture will stream into parts of the Pacific Northwest and California, which will later bring torrential rains. The Weather Prediction Center has already issued warning on a slight risk of excessive rainfall over parts of southwestern Oregon and northern California from Saturday into Sunday morning. The associated heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of flash floods, with urban areas, roads, small streams, narrow canyons/gullies, and burn scars the most vulnerable. Related Article: NWS Weather Forecast: Record Lows, Heavy Snow to Hit Pacific Northwest This Weekend A new study suggests that only 1,000 species account for half of the Earth's 800 billion trees in tropical rainforests, with the remaining 46,000 species accounting for the balance. Researchers observed that a few tree species dominate the world's largest rainforests, with thousands of rare species making up the rest, mirroring patterns found elsewhere in the natural world. Comparable Patterns of Trees Research published in the Nature journal said that only 2% of rainforest tree species account for 50% of the trees found in tropical forests across Africa, the Amazon, and Southeast Asia. The multinational partnership of 356 scientists, led by University College London researchers, discovered nearly comparable patterns of tree diversity across the world's rainforests, which are the most biodiverse locations on the globe. While African tropical forests have fewer overall species than the Amazon and southeast Asia, their diversity follows the same pattern, according to the researchers. More than 1 million tree samples were collected from 1,568 different places, spanning 2,048 hectares (5,050 acres) of rainforest. They discovered that about 2.2% of the species made up 50% of the trees in the ecosystem. "The fact that African forests do not have so many species compared with Amazonian and south-east Asia forests is well known, but we also find that they have the same proportion of species that are common, which points to the existence of fundamental rules that all the world's tropical forests comply with," said Prof Bonaventure Sonke of the University of Yaounde I in Cameroon. Read Also: Australia's Daintree: World's Oldest Tropical Rainforest Returned to its Aboriginal People Understanding Tropical Forest The study stressed that a mechanism may govern the assembly of all the world's tropical forests. Given the geographic heterogeneity of the forests analyzed, scientists intend to focus future research on discovering the potential rule. African tropical woods have a drier, cooler temperature than the other two regions, whereas those in southeast Asia are dispersed across numerous islands. The Amazon is a vast region of interconnected woods where humans have been present for a much shorter period of time than in other regions. "Our findings have profound implications for understanding tropical forests. If we focus on understanding the commonest tree species, we can probably predict how the whole forest will respond to today's rapid environmental changes," said the lead author, Declan Cooper, from the UCL centre for biodiversity and environment research. He added that this is especially critical since tropical forests store a massive quantity of carbon and serve as a global carbon sink. According to resampling analysis, the most common species are likely to be part of a manageable list of known species, allowing for targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although the findings do not diminish the importance of rare species, they do open up new avenues for understanding the world's most varied forests, including modeling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that make up the majority of their trees. Prof. Simon Lewis of UCL's geography school and the University of Leeds said that scientists wanted to look at tropical forests in a new way by focusing on a few hundred common tree species on each continent rather than the many thousands of species that can lead to fresh insights into these valuable forests. Related Article: For At Least 50 Years, Bird Population Kept on Falling in Tropical Rainforest "Now, we are asking to make it permanent, and we are asking to extend this facility not only to the original visa holder but to his/her family also so that the family does not need to come back to India for renewal of visas," the official added. According to the remand papers, Mattoo had disclosed to the cops during interrogation that Mohd Raf Abdullah Najar, one of his associates in Hizbul Mujahideen, deals with the financial aid of the outfit. Najar had been getting money from Pakistan on the pretext of doing a business of pashmina shawls and carpets, according to the cops. "The Modi government's callous attitude towards national security, which it looks at solely from the lens of electoral advantage, is also evident from the revelation in former Army Chief M M Naravane's book that the Army was 'taken by surprise' by the Agnipath scheme and that 'for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt from the blue'. IMPHAL: A day before the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur, the Congress on Saturday said it was an ideological yatra and not an electoral one, and asserted that it was being taken out against the "anyay kaal" of 10 years of the Narendra Modi government. India had expressed its disapproval last year when the US Ambassador to Pakistan had made a similar trip to PoK. We would expect the international community to respect our soverignity and territorial integrity and the areas of PoK as we consider the entire territory as an integral part of India, Ministry of External Affairs had said earlier, when a similar visit was made by the US Ambassador to Pakistan. In a departure from the previous instances in the state, a substantial contingent of central police personnel cordoned off Boses residence and prevented any gathering of party supporters near it. The central forces were equipped with additional protective gear, including helmets and automatic guns. The ED sleuths searched two residences of Bose in Lake Town area of North 24-Parganas district. Searches were also conducted at Roys B B Ganguly Street residence in central Kolkata and Subodh Chakrabortys residence atBirati, also in North 24-Parganas. "Even though the death penalty has been commuted to separate prison terms for all eight naval veterans, we are extremely concerned about their health. We had been hoping for a consular access and heaved a sigh of relief when we learnt it will happen on January 14. With continuous confinement, the health of many has been compromised, some have lost excessive weight due to diabeties and blood pressure issues, while others have mental health issues. Our only hope is repatriation," said a source. AHMEDABAD: At the closing session of the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday juxtaposed the current Indian governments achievements against the perceived inadequacies of the previous Congress administration. Shah highlighted Indias transformation from being a Dark Spot in the international sphere to a Vibrant Spot, attributing this change to the shift from a silent Prime Minister to a Visionary and Vibrant Prime Minister. The AUV picked up strong SONAR reflections from the seabed at a depth of 3,400 metres. The team at NIOT clicked pictures of the debris and sent them to the Air Force, which studied them and concluded that the debris belonged to an An-32 aircraft. This discovery at the probable crash site, with no other recorded history of any other missing aircraft report in the same area, points to the debris as possibly belonging to the crashed An-32, a statement said. The discussion on alliance is going on very well, but ball-by-ball commentary cannot be done on alliance talks, said Chadha after the meeting. Though Congress leaders were scheduled to meet Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on Friday evening, the meeting was cancelled later. According to sources, the Congress is also making aggressive overtures to the Bahujan Samajwadi party (BSP) to expand the alliance. It was learnt that top Congress leaders may visit BSP chief Mayawati on January 15, her birthday. Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistans people to people ties! 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality! pic.twitter.com/3LyNFQan9H On Friday, the US and UK, along with support from other countries, began to airstrike the Houthi bases in Yemen. India is concerned about the maritime security of the Red Sea but is not part of the group involved in the airstrikes. India and Iran are also trade partners, so this upcoming trip of Jaishankar is being viewed as crucial, said a source familiar with the matter. Intl Kolkata Book Fair to set up 100 small stalls The organisers of the International Kolkata Book Fair will be setting up close to 100 smaller stalls, measuring up to 50 square feet, to accommodate small publishers who have appealed for space to mark their presence for the first time in the fair. These will be in addition to 900 bigger stalls, measuring between 300 to 2,000 square feet, and will set up around the fair venue in Salt Lakes central park. Last year, about 40 such smaller stalls had been set up along the boundary of the fair ground. The 47th edition of the book fair will be inaugurated on January 18 and continue till January 31. Nation 'Nobody has license to bully us', says Maldivian President amid row with India In response to a question asking whether they are situation in Indias backyard, President Muizzu said the Maldives is not in anyones backyard and is an independent and sovereign state. The inauguration of the Trans Harbour Link, also known as the Atal Setu, in Navi Mumbai later on Friday afternoon was another highlight. This sea bridge, Indias longest, is expected to drastically reduce travel times and serve as a catalyst for economic growth. Named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Atal Setu is a marvel of modern engineering, featuring an open road tolling system allowing high-speed toll collection. Modis acknowledgment of Japans role and the late PM Shinzo Abes contribution added an international dimension to this achievement. He said the selection of Manipur as the yatras starting point was a deliberate choice. He said the Congress considered various options and finally, decided to start with Manipur as a reflection of our concern for what has happened here and also to highlight that the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has not met any political leader of Manipur in the last eight months. Badal said Punjabis have been betrayed both by the Congress and AAP. The Congress promised to waive off farmer loans, but did nothing, he said, adding that AAP made more grandiose promises of doubling the supply of flour and raising old age pension, but didnt keep them. US officials said warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets were used to hit Houthi targets deep inside Yemen. While both the US and the UK claimed the massive strike crippled Houthis ability to threaten ships, the battle-hardened militant group vowed to avenge the attack on their assets. They said five of their fighters were killed and six others injured in the strikes. In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on December 13, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during the Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the MPs. Muizzu suspended the three ministers after their social media postings, which stirred concern in India and calls for a boycott by Indian tourists who ranked highest in numbers followed by Russia. Lai -- branded by Beijing as a threat to peace in the flashpoint region -- secured an unprecedented third consecutive term for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Saturday's poll after a raucous campaign in which he pitched himself as the defender of Taiwan's democratic way of life. World US struggles to sway Israel over its assault on Palestinians with Netanyahu unlikely to yield Though the United States, as Israel's closest ally and largest weapons supplier, has stronger means to apply pressure on Israel, it shows no willingness to use them. PM Modi inaugurates Mumbai Trans Harbour Link - India's longest sea-bridge Mumbai, Jan 12 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated India's longest sea-bridge -- the 22-km long Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, or Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, here. PM Modi was flanked by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar at the inauguration ceremony that attracted huge local crowd to witness the unveiling of the giant engineering marvel. The MTHL is considered the most challenging sea bridge project taken up in India and executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The bridge is expected to save commuting time from south Mumbai to Panvel (Raigad) from the existing around 120 minutes to barely 20 minutes, leading to a massive saving in fuel costs besides reducing pollution and CO2 hazards. The MTHL will provide super-smooth connectivity to the Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Virar-Raigad corridor, the Navi Mumbai International Airport, the JNPA and MbPA twin ports, and serve as a new gateway to the development of the entire coastal Konkan region. The bridge is considered an engineering marvel with a total length of 21.8 km, of which 16.5 km runs over the sea and other 5.5 km on land on both sides and elevated approach roads. "Beyond simply reducing travel time, the bridge enhances our quality of life through the integration of modern and advanced technology. Environmental sustainability, longevity, security, and progress are among the fundamental purposes of this engineering marvel," the MMRDA said on the inaugural of its biggest showpiece project. With the opening of the MTHL for regular traffic from January 13, the traffic snarls on both sides of the Mumbai Harbour would be history as vehicles will zip through the bridge in barely 20 minutes without affecting the environment or the Ramesar Site flamingo sanctuary below it. The high-speed MTHL corridor starts from Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle (island) on the Navi Mumbai side (mainland) to reduce commute time, air pollution, fuel costs and other benefits with a Rs 250 toll per car one-way for the first year, after which it will be reviewed. It has been constructed of steel using the steel equivalent of 500 Boeing aircraft and weighs 17 times more than the Eiffel Tower of Paris. Constructed at a cost of over Rs 18,000 crore in seven years, the MTHL becomes the longest sea bridge built in India so far and ranks 12th of its kind in the world, including similar sea-links in China, the US, UAE and Portugal. (IANS - Posted on 12 January 2024) PM Modi inaugurates Mumbai Trans Harbour Link - India's longest sea-bridge Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! 15 kilometers of new railway lines being laid every day in Rajasthan: Ashwini Vaishnaw Jaipur, Jan 12 Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that at least 15 kilometers of new railway lines are being laid every day in the desert state. He said that the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was launched in 2023 and under the scheme work is going on to make more than 1300 railway stations across the country world class. The central government had passed a railway budget of Rs 9500 crore for Rajasthan and under this, work is going on to make 83 railway stations of the state world class under Amrit Station Scheme. Out of which the work of about 25-30 railway stations has been completed, the minister said. He said that he inspected Jaipur Railway Station and gave instructions to the officials. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma proposed to include Sanganer Railway Station in the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Bhajan Lal Sharma has also proposed to form a review committee of railways under the direction of the Chief Secretary. (IANS - Posted on 13 January 2024) 15 kilometers of new railway lines being laid every day in Rajasthan: Ashwini Vaishnaw Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! This story contains original reporting by News-Gazette staff. If you are not a subscriber, please consider becoming one, because local journalism is only possible with your support. A subscription to The News-Gazette plays a vital role in making this reporting possible. Thank you for your support and helping us continue to connect our community. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. In addition to inquiries about parking lots, stop signs, and stop signs in parking lots, we have answers about whether a popular Mahomet eatery is ever coming back whats being built behind the historic Solon House and whether Champaign County is in for a double dose of singing cicadas this spring. Changes to DNA, known as mutations, can increase the likelihood of developing cancer. Specifically, people with mutations in their BRCA 1 and 2 genes are substantially more likely to develop hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. But how do people know if they have these mutations? Genetic testing. Genetic testing allows doctors to see these microscopic changes. Knowing these mutations exist, doctors will check for signs of breast and ovarian cancers more often. Yet minorities, especially Black women, are less likely to participate in genetic testing. Even fewer engage in follow-up services, such as recommended interventions, which reduce risk. To change that, a team of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina led by Caitlin G. Allen, Ph.D., plans to teach community health workers (CHWs), who often reside in the communities they serve, how to share the importance of genetic screening with their peers. Allen is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at MUSC. "Community health workers act as a bridge between the community and researchers and clinicians and can help to answer questions, provide support services and address a lot of social determinants of health issues," said Allen, who has spent more than a decade working alongside and providing support for CHWs. As a first step, the team worked with CHWs to learn about their needs and preferences for genetics training materials. They describe these efforts in a November article in the Journal of Cancer Education. Knowing that some minority communities don't trust researchers and medical staff, Allen and her team recruited CHWs because they are already trusted members of the community. The researchers found that CHWs were already very curious about genetics and eager to learn more. There was significant interest from CHWs to learn more about cancer and genetics, but the training to support them in building these competencies and genetic literacy didn't exist." Caitlin G. Allen, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina With funding from the American Cancer Society and MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, Allen and her team were able to create this training by holding focus groups with CHWs and doctors, asking them to come to an agreement about which lessons should be included. Once the training materials were developed, the CHWs told the researchers whether they were clear and easy to understand. Incorporating feedback from these focus groups, Allen and her team finalized their 10-module CHW training called Keeping Each other Engaged Program via IT (KEEP IT). The researchers virtually delivered the 12-hour training to 26 CHWs. The training was effective in improving genetic knowledge and competencies and highly rated by the CHWs. The full outcomes of the KEEP IT training sessions will be published soon. "It was a privilege to take the idea of CHWs teaching their communities about genetics and put it into action," said Allen. But the researchers are far from being finished. They are applying for funding so they can expand the training across four other Southern states. "Designing and delivering trainings in collaboration with community members is really effective," stressed Allen, "and it's important to have community perspective across all research." Individuals with obesity are more likely to have monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a benign blood condition that often precedes multiple myeloma, according to new research published in Blood Advances. Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer of the plasma cells, a type of white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection. MGUS, characterized by an abnormal protein produced by plasma cells, is a known precursor to multiple myeloma. Most people with MGUS exhibit no significant symptoms and are not immediately ill. Rather, the presence of MGUS serves as a warning to monitor for the potential development of more critical conditions, like multiple myeloma, that MGUS can turn into. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2020 that nearly 42% of the US population is classified as obese, defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Yet, little research exists to suggest how obesity may impact cancer outcomes. While significant advancements have been made in therapeutics for multiple myeloma, it remains an incurable disease, often diagnosed after patients have already experienced end-organ damage. It's preceded by premalignant conditions including MGUS. Our research group is focused on investigating risk factors and etiology of MGUS to better understand who may be at increased risk for developing MGUS and its progression to multiple myeloma." David Lee, MD, MPH, MMSc, internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General Hospital Investigators enrolled 2,628 individuals from across the United States who were at elevated risk of developing multiple myeloma, based on self-identified race and family history of hematologic malignancies, between February 2019 and March 2022. Participants were screened for MGUS, defined by the presence of monoclonal proteins at serum concentrations of 0.2g/L or greater. Investigators measured MGUS using mass spectrometry a novel, highly sensitive method of identifying and quantifying monoclonal proteins in the blood. After controlling for age, sex, race, education, and income, the team found that being obese was associated with 73% higher odds of having MGUS, compared to individuals with normal weights. This association remained unchanged when accounting for physical activity. However, highly active individuals (defined as doing the equivalent of running or jogging 45-60 minutes per day or more) were less likely to have MGUS even after adjusting for BMI class, whereas those who reported heavy smoking and short sleep were more likely to also have detectable levels of MGUS. Limitations include that this was a cross sectional study a snapshot of how certain variables or characteristics may relate to one another at a single point in time. While investigators found a strong correlation between MGUS, obesity, and lifestyle factors, they do not have enough evidence to assume causation. Additionally, the American Medical Association recently voted to adopt a new policy that no longer uses BMI alone to assess whether someone is of a healthy weight, as previous research suggests the metric does not effectively distinguish between fat and lean mass and does not account for how fat is distributed throughout the body. The formula was created based on data from non-Hispanic white populations, suggesting its implications cannot accurately be generalized across Black, Asian, and Hispanic groups. Going forward, researchers will aim to validate these findings in other study cohorts, including individuals who are followed longitudinally, to further explore the mechanisms through which obesity and other modifiable risk factors might influence the development and progression of MGUS. "These results guide our future research in understanding the influence of modifiable risk factors, such as weight, exercise, and smoking, on cancer risk," explained Dr. Lee. "Before we can develop effective preventative health strategies to lower the risk of serious diseases like multiple myeloma, we first need to better understand the relationship between MGUS and potentially modifiable risk factors like obesity." The protein HOXA9 is overexpressed in most acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases and is associated with poor patient outcomes. However, HOXA9 is a difficult protein to target therapeutically, so researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital looked for ways to extinguish it indirectly. Using CRISPR/Cas9 screening, the researchers identified RBM5, demonstrating a causative link between RBM5 expression and leukemia cell proliferation. This link is driven by a novel dual function of RBM5 as both a DNA and RNA handler in gene expression. The research was published today in Genome Biology. Overexpression of the protein HOXA9 is a hallmark of AML, present in over 70% of cases, often with poor prognosis. While this would implicate it as a useful drug target, the protein's role as a transcription factor has left it "undruggable" because a drug that interferes with HOXA9 would likely have numerous other off-target effects. This inspired researchers to approach the problem from a different angle by investigating the proteins HOXA9 works alongside and relies on to function. Chunliang Li, PhD, St. Jude Department of Tumor Cell Biology, co-corresponding author on this paper, is one such researcher. Through his recent work devising an unbiased CRISPR screening strategy to identify targets of HOXA9, he uncovered a network of opportunities. This has been a continued effort since my lab was established in 2017. We built up this unique reporter system in early 2019, which is the first reporter authentically representing HOXA9 expression in these leukemia systems." Chunliang Li, PhD, St. Jude Department of Tumor Cell Biology The CRISPR/Cas9 screening approach is elegantly simple in design but incredibly effective. It involves attaching a fluorescent tag to the HOXA9 gene and inserting it into leukemia cell lines. This enables researchers to track differences in expression levels by looking at fluorescence in cells. "We wanted to identify a more targetable or novel regulator. So, we conducted an unbiased whole genome CRISPR screening to target all the genes expressed in cells," Li stated. This allowed the researchers to examine different pathways where HOXA9 left its fluorescent fingerprint. To the researchers' surprise, splicing factors appeared to be the most represented pathway. "This was quite surprising to us because splicing factors regulate different combinations of the transcript, but not usually the level. Our data suggested these proteins control the HOXA9 expression level," said Li. "So, we hypothesized maybe the splicing factors have another function, like a dual function." The protein that stood out was the RNA-binding protein RBM5. The researchers found that RBM5 is highly expressed in leukemia cells as opposed to other cell types and that both the DNA- and RNA-binding sites are vital to its oncogenic functions. While the RBM family comprises vital RNA splicing factors, their function in DNA transcription was unknown. To address the direct transcriptional regulation of RBM5/HOXA9, the researchers generated a system to allow the acute degradation of RBM5. "Immediately after RBM5 protein was removed from cells, HOXA9 mRNA levels were significantly reduced," Li explained, "This reduction happened as early as two hours later but did not impact splicing events of HOXA9." Additionally, leukemia cells stripped of their ability to produce RBM5 were rescued through overexpression of HOXA9, further demonstrating the link between the two proteins. These results have Li looking to explore the protein as a drug target to treat AML. "We think RBM5 is a very good dependency gene, which should be a good target based on our functional assays," he said. "If we can specifically target the DNA binding affinity of these proteins, we should be able to combine with other existing therapies in synergy to target HOXA9-driven leukemia." Authors and funding The study's first author is Mengli Zhang, Soochow University. The co-corresponding author is Peng Xu, Soochow University. Other authors include Judith Hyle, Shaela Wright, Zhenling Liu, Wojciech Rosikiewicz, Beisi Xu and Liusheng He of St. Jude; Xiaowen Chen of Shenzhen Children's Hospital; Ye Xin, Yingcai Jin, Jianxiang Zhang, Xue Yang and Xinfeng Chen of Soochow University; Hong Liu, Nana Ping and Depei Wu of The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University; and Feiqiu Wen of Shenzhen Children's Hospital. The study was initially supported by grants from ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization of St. Jude. Today, a clear path ahead has been set out for the development of new and robust regulations for medical devices in the UK. The new regulations will put patient safety first and help to ensure that patients continue to have access without delay to the devices they need, whilst enhancing the UKs position as a world-leading environment for medical technology innovators. Image Credit: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) This new 'roadmap' for new regulations, from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), will enhance the UKs ability to benefit from rapidly advancing medical technology, offering significant new opportunities for patients and healthcare. Transformative technologies such as new implantable devices, healthcare AI and software, and diagnostics for early detection and prevention of disease, all demand a new regulatory framework. The MHRAs roadmap sets out a route to deliver enabling regulation via a series of new Statutory Instruments (SIs). Priority measures to protect patient safety will be put in place this year, with core elements of the new framework intended to be in place by 2025. The planned regulations are also designed to deliver greater international harmonization, with more patient-centered, proportionate requirements for medical devices which are responsive to technological advances. Dr Laura Squire, the MHRAs Med tech regulatory reform lead and chief officer healthcare, quality and access, said: "Todays exciting medical technology advances offer important new opportunities for patient care and improvements to healthcare delivery. We are therefore delighted to begin this new year by setting out a comprehensive plan for significant improvements to the regulatory framework for medical devices over the next two years. The new framework will strengthen the MHRAs ability to keep patients safe, while at the same time contributing to an environment which encourages the launch of the most innovative healthcare products that make a real difference to the publics health. The roadmap sets out how we will work with stakeholders including patients as the process moves forward, giving early sight of what is to come and giving us feedback about the guidance they will need, to ensure the successful implementation of these wide-ranging UK reforms. International recognition will ensure that UK patients maintain access to safe and effective HealthTech, that is both life-enhancing, and life-saving. Todays publication is an important step in this regard and can help to drive innovation and growth into the UK, while enabling home-grown businesses to expand their global presence. We look forward to working with the MHRA, and maintaining our engagement through international fora, such as the International Medical Device Regulators Forum and the Global Medical Technology Alliance, to ensure successful implementation. Peter Ellingworth, Chief Executive, ABHI Helen Dent, interim CEO, BIVDA, said: "BIVDA (British In Vitro Diagnostics Association) welcomes this approach by the MHRA to charting the roadmap for new UK medical device regulations. Patient safety and accessibility are essential, and this proposed timetable of measures reflects a positive step towards achieving these goals. We look forward to continuing to collaborate closely with the MHRA, industry stakeholders and our members to ensure the successful implementation of these regulations." Edmund Proffitt, UK med tech forum & BDIA (british dental Industries association) said: It is pleasing to see the MHRA set out a clear roadmap for the future of medical devices regulation, particularly as it is so innovative and collaborative. Such an approach is a great step forward to enhancing the availability of innovative and safe health technologies to patients, as well as ensuring continuity of supply. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) said it has received an income tax refund of Rs 25,464 crore relating to interim bonuses to policyholders in the past seven assessment years. Under the order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), the Income Tax Department has issued intimation for a refund of Rs 25,464.46 crore, LIC said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. Also Read: LIC Faces Tax Heat: Why Maharashtra Sent Rs 806 Cr GST Demand Notice To LIC? For the first half ended September, LIC had reported a net profit of Rs 17,469 crore as compared to Rs 16,635 crore in the same period a year ago. In the first half of the current financial year, LICs new business premium income (individual) segment registered a 2.65 per cent growth to Rs 25,184 crore as against Rs 24,535 crore in the year-ago period, as per the filing. New business premium is the premium due in the first policy year of a life insurance contract. In terms of market share measured by first-year premium income as per the insurance regulator IRDAI, LIC continues to be the market leader in life insurance business with an overall share of 58.50 per cent. For the six months that ended September 30, LIC had a market share of 40.35 per cent in individual businesses and 70.26 per cent in group businesses. In light of the persistently cold weather, the Chandigarh administration is considering extending the school holidays by an additional one week. The Department of School Education suggested a potential winter break extension on Friday, as reported by The Indian Express. Schools were originally expected to stay closed for students in classes 1 through 8 until January 14. The Department of School Education is currently contemplating granting a further extension until January 21. It has not yet been decided whether or not schools will close for students in Class 5 or Class 8. However, once a decision has been reached, the specifics of the extension will be formally made public. HPS Brar, Director of School Education in Chandigarh, expressed the administrations consideration of extending the school holidays. He was quoted by The Indian Express, stating, Till which classes the holidays would be extended, this decision would be taken soon. Apart from the discussions held by the local government, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sent a letter to the education department. As one of its main areas of attention, the NCPCR stressed the importance of protecting school childrens safety and security. The commissions concerns about how the extreme cold affects children in schoolsespecially in states where the temperature may be unsuitable for themwere emphasised in the NCPCR letter. The committee emphasised how crucial it is to give kids the right care when they are in school and on their commute, especially considering how young they are. As a result, in order to make wise judgements based on the current weather, the NCPCR advised reviewing school calendars and timetables. In addition, the NCPCR called on state and union territory (UT) governments to guarantee that no kid experiences hardship in schools or on the way to and from school as a result of decisions made by officials and school administrations during severe weather conditions. The preemptive approach taken by the commission is indicative of its commitment to ensuring the safety of schoolchildren in the event of severe weather conditions. Paras Kalnawat rose to fame through his role as Samar Shah in the popular telly drama Anupamaa. However, his contract was terminated in July 2022 due to allegations that he signed up for the celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 without informing the producers. Currently, he is taking on the lead role in Kundali Bhagya, and most recently the actors new look caught the medias attention. During an interview with a leading media outlet, the actor discussed the impact of his transformed appearance on his character in the show. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Paras shared, I must say that this is my 2024 look. I was waiting to change my look completely. I had long hair a few days back, and I was waiting for one go-ahead from my creative team of Kundali Bhagya, and the moment they said it, I went ahead to transform my look. I wont say that its personal but there are a few professional reasons as well for the change of look. Paras Kalnawat also shared insights into the impact of his new look on the show Kundali Bhagya. He said, The new look will surely enhance the upcoming track of Rajveer and Palki. A lot of things have been planned from the Creative team and Ive been hearing about it. Lots of ups and downs for Rajveer and Palki. Its going to be a bumpy ride for them shortly. Paras recently treated his followers to a glimpse of his new look on Instagram. He donned a grey full-sleeves t-shirt that exuded charm. One photo featured him stylishly sporting glasses. In the caption, he simply wrote, Rebooted. View this post on Instagram A post shared by PARAS BHUSHAN KALNAWAT (@paras_kalnawat) The actors fans and followers expressed their admiration for his new look in the comments section. A user playfully remarked, Someone: You cant be cute and hot at the same time! Paras: Really??? Look at me carefully!! In Kundali Bhagya, Paras portrays the character of Rajeev Luthra alongside Sana Sayyad, who takes on the role of Dr. Palki Khurana. Their on-screen chemistry is cherished by the viewers. The show also features notable actors like Baseer Ali, Shraddha Arya, Shakti Anand, and more. Paras has previously showcased his talent in supporting roles in shows such as Meri Durga, Mariam Khan- Reporting Live, Dil Hi Toh Hai, and Ishq Aaj Kal. Second to the grand Ram Mandir, it is the Samadhi Sthal of Lord Rams father Raja Dasharatha that will likely be the most popular tourist destination in Ayodhya, with the UP Government planning a mega facelift of the site. As per the Ramayana and Vishnu Purana, King Dasharatha was the ruler of the Kosala Kingdom whose capital was Ayodhya. Raja Dasharatha Samadhi Sthal, despite having great historical and mythological significance, was subjected to utter neglect and apathy. Previous governments paid least heed towards the upliftment of the Samadhi Sthal that has been lying in neglect since inception. However, the UP government is going to give a mega facelift to the Samadhi Sthal in order to bring it on the tourists map, a UP government spokesperson said. The government will carry out the project in phases. The first phase that is expected to take off shortly after Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram would focus on strengthening and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the Samadhi Sthal, whereas the second phase envisages the development of the area, the spokesperson said. Sandeep Das Maharaj, the priest at Raja Dasharatha Samadhi Sthal, explained the significance of the site. As per Padma Purana, anyone who visits the Samadhi Sthal and recites the Shani Stotra composed by Raja Dasharatha is liberated from the troubles caused by shani, he said. Raja Dasharatha Samadhi Sthal will also host a series of programmes as part of the Pran Pratishtha or consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. Cultural programs, Ramlila and bhajan-kirtan by eminent artists are some of the events planned. In addition, there will be rituals, ceremonies, and cultural activities to showcase the heritage of the newly revitalised Ayodhya. Sharing the facelift blueprint, the UP government official quoted previously said: Boosting the connectivity would be the first priority. Under this, there is a plan to widen the road by 24 meters to reach the Raja Dasharatha Samadhi Sthal. It will be connected to Navya Ayodhya. It will be followed by the expansion of the campus, wherein the campus would be expanded, beautified, and strengthened, the official said. Sandeep Das Maharaj, while elaborating the historical significance of the Samadhi Sthal, said that after the demise of King Dasharatha, his son Bharat sought guidance on the most sacred location for Dasharathas final rites. Under the leadership of Guru Vashishtha, this location was then chosen for the cremation ceremony, he added. He claimed that the charan paduka of all four brothers, Pind Vedi, Guru Vashishthas footprints, and ancient historical weapons are present intact at the location. The statues of King Dasharatha, Bharat, Shatrughna, and Guru Vashishtha are also present. The UP government also plans to renovate the Satsang Bhavan, transforming it into a bhajan-kirtan venue at the Samadhi Sthal. In preparation for the upcoming inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has asked the National Security Agency (NSA) to deploy Indias ground-breaking portable hospital, the Aarogya Maitri Cube, to handle health emergencies. Based on the concept of the Rubiks Cube, Aarogya Maitri Cube is a National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS)-led inter-ministerial project under the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence, Indian Air Force and public sector drugmaker HLL. Equipped with an operation theatre, mini-ICU, ventilator, blood test equipment, X-ray machine, medicines, cooking station, food and more, Aarogya Maitri Cube is the worlds first disaster hospital that can be airlifted and packed in 72 cubes. India has built the product under project BHISHM Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri which includes three frames, each accommodating 12 mini-cubes. Based on the request from the health ministry, two Aarogya Maitri Cubes will be moved to Ayodhya by airplanes led by the Indian Air Force, three senior officials privy to the development confirmed to News18. All officials confirmed that the cubes will be deployed from January 20-24. Special orders to fill cubes with extra medicines On January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to oversee the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The final stages of preparation are underway for the event, with invitations extended to several VVIP guests from both India and abroad. Special orders have been issued to vendors to fill up the cubes with extra, multi-variety medicines, a top government officer, one of the three quoted above, told News18, requesting anonymity. The design of one cube allows joining two cages master cube one and master cube two, including 72 cubes in total with damage control capabilities for 200 survivors. Moving two Aarogya Maitri Cubes will help us deal with an emergency of over 400 people. HLL Life Care which is the governments nodal agency for sourcing the Aarogya Maitri Cube has been asked to supply these cubes to the Indian Air Force at the request of the health ministry, the official added. Preparatory chaos is on in Ayodhya ahead of the beginning of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22. The pran pratishtha will begin from January 16, before concluding on the big day. Meanwhile, UP Police has installed over 10,000 CCTV cameras and will deploy drones to ensure security on the day of the consecration ceremony. Gaurav Vanswal, SP Security, said that anti-drone system has also been installed to keep a lookout for any unauthorised drone in the region. SP Chief Thanks Shree Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Gen Sec For Ram Mandir Invitation Samajwadi Party Cheif Akhilesh Yadav thanked Champat Rai, the general secretary of Shree Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra for the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He further said that he will visit Ayodhya later with his family, after the consecration ceremony. UP CM Adityanath to Visit Ayodhya Tomorrow, Will Review D-Day Preparations Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit Ayodhya on Sunday after inaugurating the famous Makar Sankranti fair of Gorakhpur. CM Yogis helicopter will land at Ram Katha Park helipad at around 11:00 am, where he will worship Hanumangarhi and Ram Lalla and will launch a massive cleanliness campaign near Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, which will run from January 14 to January 21. He will also flag off e-vehicles near the bus stand, launch a digital tourist app and review the preparations for the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lala. Giriraj Singh Calls Cong Anti-Hindu, Slams Party for Declining Ram Temple Invite Union Minister Giriraj Singh slammed the Congress on Saturday, after its leaders declined an invitation to take part in the idol consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. He further said that anti-Hinduism is in the partys DNA. The temple trust had invited Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge but they are not going for the ceremony, he said. Liquor Shops, Bars to Remain Closed in Uttarakhand on Pran Pratistha Day On the occasion of the consecration ceremony at Ayodhyas Ram temple, liquor shops and bars will remain closed in Uttarakhand on January 22. An order to this effect was issued by Excise Commissioner Hari Chandra Semwal on Friday. City of Locks Set to Gift 50Kg lock for Ayodhya Ram Mandir Harrison locks, renowned lock-making company of Aligarh the city of locks will gift a unique 50kg lock for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, a Times of India report said. The managing director of Harrison Locks, Umang Monga said that since his city is famous for making all types of locks, we felt that this will be a good opportunity to put Aligarh on the global map". He said that the lock will be sent to Ayodhya via local MP Satish Gautam. This lock, made with the efforts of around half-a-dozen workers, took nearly six months to be completed. The lock companys manager Abhishek Saxena also pointed that the lock is mainly made of zinc and iron" and it has key weighing around 2 kg". Attempt to Conduct Consecration Ceremony Will Prove Costly: Cong Leader Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said that PM Modis attempt to personally conduct the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram temple will prove costly given the disapproval of the four shankaracharyas who have refused to attend the ceremony. Modis attempt at being personally present and personally conducting the religious ceremony has received such strong disapproval from the four accepted seers of the Hindu religion, who constitute what you may call the pontiffs of the Hindu religion, that it is all going to turn back on him. It will bite back," Aiyar said. PM Modi on Special Har Ghar Mandir Har Ghar Utsav" Song Taking to the microblogging site X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the special song Har Ghar Mandir Har Ghar Utsav, sung by Divya Kumar and composed by Siddharth Amit Bhavsar will enable people to experience the atmosphere of faith and devotion". After centuries of waiting, the moment of auspicious time is near in Ayodhya Dham. On this auspicious occasion, the praise of Lord Ram is echoing everywhere from North to South and from East to West. You will experience this atmosphere of faith and devotion through this presentation. #ShriRamBhajan" he wrote. Mauritius Govt Grants 2-Hour Break to Hindu Officials on Jan 22 The Mauritius government has granted a two hour break to public officials of Hindu faith on the day of consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. The break allows the Hindu officials to take part in local ceremonies and poojas on the day. The Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday 22 January 2024 as from 14:00 hours to public officers of Hindu faith, subject to exigencies of service, in the context of the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India, which is a landmark event as it symbolises the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya," official statement from the Mauritian Cabinet, led by PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth read. VHP Puts Up Ram Mandir Billboards in US The Vishva Hindu Parishads (VHP) US-unit, in coordination with Hindus from across the United States, put up more than 40 giant Ram Mandir billboards in more than 10 states. The billboards display the message of the pran pratishtha of Lord Ram in Ayodhya on January 22. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) of America across the United States, placed more than 40 billboards displaying messages of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya on January 22. pic.twitter.com/gpqO25i5IQ ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024 The billboards are on display in Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Georgia, among other states, an ANI report said. The VHP, American chapter, said that Arizona and Missouri will be joining the visual celebrations from January 15. The resounding message conveyed by these billboards is that Hindu Americans are elated and joyously participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event. Their emotions overflow as they eagerly await the auspicious day of the consecration ceremony," said Amitabh VW Mittal, general secretary, Hindu Parishad of America. Invite Couriered to Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Says VHP The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Saturday maintained that both Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati have been invited to the January 22 pran pratishtha ceremony. The VHP said that the invites have been couriered to both the leaders. Two days back, a war of words broke out between VHP chief Alok Kumar and the SP chief over the invite. While Kumar said that the VHP functionary had approached the SP chief with the invite for the ceremony, Akhilesh reportedly said that he would not accept such an invitation from a stranger". According to the VHP chief, it has been decided to invite all presidents of important political parties for the grand ceremony. We had seen his earlier statement that he would come if invited. An invitation has been sent to him. But now he is saying that he would go if Lord Ram calls him. If he does not come then it will become clear that even Ram does not want him to come," the VHP chief had said. Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Not Invited Due to Dispute Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, who has been the most vocal about the pran pratishtha ceremony has not been invited yet. This is because of the selection issue over Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya, which is sub-judice. There is a pre-existing dispute over who should be the Shankaracharya. In fact, the Supreme Court in 2022 had stopped his coronation. However the three other Shankaracharyas, who have been invited to the ceremony, could make a visit on a later convenient date. 40-Day Worship Programme to Mark Jan 22 Event, Says Kanchipuram Shankaracharya Vijyendra Saraswat Swamigal, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt in Tamil Nadus Kanchipuram, said that the Yagyashala in Kashi will hold a 40-day worship programme to mark the January 22 event. PM Modi Begins 11-Day Ritual Before Pran Pratishtha Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 11-day anushthan on Friday ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22. He began the anushthan by praying at Shree Kala Ram Mandir, situated along the banks of Godavari in the Panchavati area of Nashik. As to what all can part of an anushthan, saints and seers told News18 that sleeping on the floor if possible, waking up early to pray to God, doing jaap and meditation, exercise calm, staying silent for some part of a day, eating little and only satvic food, reading religious scriptures, maintaining cleanliness and doing ones own work can all be a part of it. 2 Trucks with 20 Tonnes of Veggies Sent to Ayodhya Two truck carrying 20 tonnes of vegetables were sent from Chhattisgarh to Ayodhya on Friday for the pran pratishtha on January 22. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai flagged off the two vehicles, an official said. Last month, 300 tonnes of rice was also sent to Ayodhya. Naga Seers Leave for Ayodhya With Sacred Water From Uttarakhands Holy Rivers A group of Naga Seers from Juna Akhara carrying water from the holy rivers of Uttarakhand left for Ayodhya on Friday. The sacred kalash (pot) is filled with holy river water from Ganga (Gangotri), Yamuna (Yamunotri), Mandakini, Saryu, Bhagirathi, Ram Ganga, Kali Ganga, Dhauli Ganga and Trijugi Narayan. Ram Janmabhoomi Soil to be Gifted to Invitees The soil of Ram Janmabhoomi that was taken out during the digging of the foundation was kept aside to be given as presents to the invitees attending the consecration ceremony. The soil will be packed in boxes and presented to the guests, a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be gifted a 15-metre picture of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The picture will be backed in a jute bag which also carries a photograph of the temple, the member added. The memorable gifts" will be given to over 11,000 guests and invitees to the ceremony. Apart from the soil, 100 grams of Motichoor ladoos made with desi ghee as prasad will also be presented to them, he noted. Gifts to invitees will have two boxes: One with motichoor laddoos prasad and a sacred tulsi leaf. Another with the Ram Janmabhoomi soil and water from Saryu river packed in a bottle, along with religious books provided by the Gita Press of Gorakhpur. (With PTI, ANI inputs) Bengaluru startup founder and CEO Suchana Seth, arrested for allegedly smothering her four-year-son to death in North Goas Candolim has made new revelations about the murder. A police team on Friday took back the 39-year-old to the service apartment at Hotel Sol Banyan Grande to re-create the crime scene. Seth had checked into the apartment with her son on January 6. It took nearly 2.5 hours for the police to recreate the entire scene, which was aimed at connecting any loose ties left out in the investigation done so far, a Times of India report said. Seth signed the document of panchanama record of observations on a crime in the presence of a witness after its completion. She showed us where her son was lying in the room, where she kept the suitcase into which the boy was kept and how she stuffed the body in, a police officer was quoted as saying. Present at the crime scene recreation, a data scientist also demonstrated how Seth would have slashed her wrist with a cutlery piece in a suspected attempt to take her life. Suchana had originally intended on staying at a hotel in Palolem, but since she couldnt get a room of her choice, she went with Candolim. Reportedly she only booked flight tickets for Bengaluru to Goa. She did not book a round trip as according to her plan, Seth was going to return by road after the murder, police said. ALSO READ | No Remorse, A Text to Husband: Confusion Grows on Why Bengaluru CEO Killed Her Son Venkat Raman Seths estranged husband who returned to Bangalore from Indonesia, is likely to record his statement at the Calangute police station on Saturday. Police found a cryptic handwritten note on a piece of tissue paper in Seths belongings. The note was purportedly written by Seth. The note was written using an eyeliner and had been crumpled after an attempt had been made to tear it to bits. Court and my (estranged) husband pressurising me to give custody of my son, and I cannot take it anymore. the note as quoted by ToI read. My ex-husband is violent he used to teach bad manners to (my) son. I dont want to give even a days custody to the father, it added. Earlier, the police had taken samples of Suchanas handwriting and sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), along with the note, for examination by experts. Officers involved in the probe also noted that Seth apparently sang a lullaby to her son in a bid to get him asleep before allegedly killing him. It was also being said that Seth had told her friends and family that her son, who resembled Raman, always reminded her of their troubled relationship. THE STORY SO FAR | Suchana Taken to Goa Hotel to Re-create Crime Scene, Bluru CEO Hid Sons Body Under Toys Seth hailing from Bengal and Raman from Kerala got married in 2010. The two settled in Bengaluru and had a son in 2019. Later, differences created a stir in their marriage, which ultimately led to their separation. Their divorce proceedings are currently underway. Indias apex drug regulator has granted conditional approval for producing and selling five fixed-dose combination (FDC) medicines which were previously under consideration for a ban. These drugs include antidepressants, cough syrups, cold and flu medicines and headache or body pain relievers. Some of the known brands include D Cold Total, Saridon Triple Action, Piriton Syrup and Dolo Cold. The regulator has asked drug manufacturers to provide post-marketing safety and efficacy data for three combinations. Additionally, changes to the dosage and information labels are required for the remaining two combinations. The regulator has also suggested conducting phase IV clinical trials to generate safety and clinical data for some combinations. FDC, or cocktail medicines, combine more than one drug in a single pill, and have increasingly come under the government lens as combinations of drugs, such as antibiotics, can result in resistance to the drug in the disease-causing organism. Of the 19 FDCs, in June, the Union government on orders of the drug regulatory agency Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) announced the ban on 14 FDCs after they were found to lack therapeutic relevance. These drugs have been under the scanner because a lax regulatory framework allowed several unscientific combinations to flood the market. There are also fears that this may increase drug resistance in people. The drug regulator has ordered every manufacturer permitted to manufacture the given five FDCs to submit the periodic safety update reports (PSURs) as per New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019, to the Central Licensing Authority. Failure to submit the PSURs shall be considered as contravention of these rules, according to the order undersigned by the Drug Controller General of India, Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, who heads the CDSCO. What these five combinations will be changing 1. Paracetamol IP 500mg + Phenylephrine Hydrochloride IP 10mg + Caffeine Anhydrous IP 32mg tablets The combination is used to relieve fever, congestion and body pain. Some of the medicines using the same combination include D Cold Total and Dolopar. The committee recommended continued manufacturing and marketing of the FDC with the condition of generating safety and efficacy data by way of conducting Phase IV Clinical Trial. Accordingly, a Phase VI Clinical Trial is required to be conducted to generate the data within the time frame of one year. 2. Caffeine Anhvdrous IP + Paracetamol IP + Phenylephrine Hydrochloride IP + Chlorpheniramine Maleate IP tablets This combination is also used to treat cough and cold. Micro Labs Dolo Cold and Ciplas NoCold are part of this category. The condition is that the medicine shall be sold by retail on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner only. The package insert should also mention caution for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Dose of Paracetamol in the FDC should be a minimum 500mg, the order said. Also, the committee recommended conducting a randomised comparative, phase IV clinical trial comparing the FDC with the individual ingredients present in the FDC. This trial is required to be conducted to generate the data within a time frame of one year. 3. Paracetamol IP 250mg + Propyphenazone 150mg + Caffeine 30mg tablets This combination belongs to a class of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This combination is used to manufacture Saridon Triple Action. The committee recommended continued manufacturing and marketing of the FDC for mild to moderate headache but with conditions. Firstly, this combination shall not be taken for more than 5-7 days and must be sold by retail on prescription only. Also, the manufacturers must conduct an active post-marketing study to generate safety and efficacy data within the time frame of one year. 4. Imipramine Hydrochloride IP plus Diazepam IP (25mg +2mg &25mg +continued manufacturing and 5mg) tablets The combination is used to manufacture anti-depressant medicines. FDC shall be indicated for co-morbid anxiety conditions and duration of the treatment should not exceed 6 to 8 weeks, the order stated. 5. Chlorpheniramine Maleate IP Ammonium Chloride IP + Sodium Citrate IP Syrup This includes a list of popular cough syrups, including Piriton and Redikuf. The committee noted that the firms are manufacturing the FDC in different strengths. The committee also noted that as per the literature available, sodium citrate is administrated 0.3gm to 1gm in divided doses in a day and chlorpheniramine maleate is administered 4mg to 16mg in divided doses in a day. The government order recommended for continued manufacturing and marketing of the FDC with the condition that the firm should modify the prescribing information or label by clearly mentioning the dosing schedule for adults and children keeping given the above-stated dose range without exceeding the maximum permissible dose. The body of murdered former model Divya Pahuja has been recovered by Gurugram police from a canal in Haryanas Tohna. Twenty-seven-year-old Pahuja was murdered under suspicious circumstances at a hotel in Gurugram on January 2. The recovery was made after an accused in her murder case confessed to the police that he had dumped her corpse in a canal in Punjab on January 3, a day after her alleged murder. Balraj Gill, who was arrested from Kolkata airport on Thursday when he was trying to board a flight, reportedly told the police during his interrogation that he disposed of the former models body in a canal in Patiala. Pahuja, an accused in her ex-boyfriend and gangster Sandeep Gadolis murder, was shot dead at a hotel in Gurugram on January 2. Five people took her to a hotel and shot her in the head. Police had earlier arrested three persons, including hotel owner Abhijeet Singh who is the main accused and two of his alleged accomplices, Omprakash and Hemraj in the case. According to police another accused, Ravi Bandra, is still at large and efforts are underway to trace him. Balraj Singh and Ravi Banga allegedly took away the body in a BMW car and disposed it of. Who Was Divya Pahuja? A former model, Divya was the daughter of a vegetable and fruit seller in Gurugrams Baldev Nagar. Her father is differently abled. She has one younger sister apart from her parents in her family. Divya was the girlfriend of Gurugrams most-wanted gangster Sandeep Gadoli, who was killed in an encounter by Haryana Police in a Mumbai hotel in 2016. Gadolis encounter came under scrutiny later, resulting in the arrest of Divya, her mother and five policemen, for allegedly revealing the gangsters whereabouts. After spending seven years in jail, Divya was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in June 2023. While granting her bail, the court cited her prolonged incarceration and the expected lengthy trial as grounds for her release. Five people allegedly took her to a hotel in Gurugram on the night of January 2, and shot her in the head. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been issued a summon for the fourth time by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has been asked to depose before the central probe agency on January 18. Kejriwal is scheduled to visit Goa for a three-day tour from January 18 to take stock of AAPs preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal had last week skipped EDs third summons. In his response to the EDs third summons on January 3, the 55-year-old leader had said the non-disclosure and non-response approach of the agency cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice and its obstinacy is tantamount to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner. He has said that he was ready to cooperate but that the agencys intention was to arrest him and stop him from election campaigning. He was earlier asked to appear before the probe agency on November 2 and December 21 2023. ED wants to question Kejriwal on the formulation of the Delhi governments excise policy for 2021-22, meetings held before it was finalised, and allegations of bribery. It is alleged that the policy to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). (With PTI Inputs) The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court granted bail to a 26-year-old man arrested for raping a 13-year-old girl, stating that they had a love affair and the alleged sexual relationship between the two appeared to be out of love and not lust. The accused, Nitin Dhaberao, was granted bail in the case filed by the father of the minor girl. According to an India Today report, Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke of the Nagpur bench ruled that the girl stated that she had voluntarily stepped out of her house and that the accused was also of a tender age of 26 years and out of love affair, they come together. It seems that the alleged incident of a sexual relationship is out of the attraction between the two young people, and it is not the case that the applicant has subjected the victim to a sexual assault out of lust, the court observed. The father of the victim had filed the case against the accused, Nitin, alleging that his 13-year-old daughter had gone out of the house on August 23, 2020, on the pretext of bringing books, but did not return. He filed a missing complaint with the cops after which, police traced her. Upon being found, the girl told the cops she was involved in a romantic relationship with the accused. She also told the police that the accused had promised to marry her. The girl then took ornaments and cash from her house and went along with Dhaberao, and the duo stayed at various places together. While granting bail, Justice Joshi-Phalke said, As far as merit is concerned, admittedly, the victim is 13 years of age, and her consent is not relevant. She also joined the company of the applicant (accused) and admitted her love relationship with the applicant in her statement. From her (minors) statement, reveals that she stayed along with the present applicant at various places and did not make any grievance as she was taken by the applicant using some force. Thus, it is apparent that, out of the love affair, she joined the company of the applicant, the court further stated. The accused, Nitin was booked under Sections 363, 376, 376(2)(n), 376(3) along with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 4,6 and 17 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). India on Saturday said it has taken serious note of the visit of UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The envoys visit, along with another foreign official, to Mirpur took place on January 10. Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistans people to people ties! 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality! pic.twitter.com/3LyNFQan9H Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottUK) January 10, 2024 New Delhi has said such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable. The foreign secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner to India on the matter. India further said the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India. Such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable. Mauritius is all set to celebrate the next ten days of the historic Ram Temple consecration ceremony which is set to take place on January 22 in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya. The island nation with a population of 1.26 million is set to conduct multiple programs including processions, lighting diyas, decoration on important buildings, Maha Prasad Vitaran, a grand event on January 21 and live telecast of the same at government offices. More than 68% of the Mauritian population are of Indian origin, most commonly known as Indo-Mauritians. Mauritius Santan Dharma Temples Federations request of granting a break of two hours to all government staff of Hindu belief at the time of the Pran Prathishtha of Ram Lalla was accepted by Prime Minister Pravin Kumar Jagunath and passed by the countrys Cabinet. The move was also welcomed by the citizens of Mauritius. Mauritius Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation, the largest Hindu body in the country has set a road map for the next ten days and a circular has also been sent to all 347 Temples in the country sharing the ideas to celebrate the Inauguration of Ram Temple in Mauritius. Speaking to CNN-News18, Ghoorbin Bhojraj, the president of Mauritius Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation, said, Everybody is in a Diwali mood in Mauritius. From Makar Sankranti celebrations will begin with Ramayana Chanting in every street of Mauritius and on January 21, one day before the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony, a programme has been organised wherein the Prime Minister of Mauritius will participate as a chief guest. For the first time in the history of Mauritius all Socio-Cultural organisations like Hindu Speaking, Marathi Speaking, Hare Rama Hare Krishna Groups etc have come under one umbrella to celebrate this historic occasion. Bhojraj also noted that LCD screens will be installed at various junctions in Mauritius so that people can watch the live broadcast from Ayodhya. A special juloos or procession will also be taken out in the capital city of Port Louis followed by a maha aarti and distribution of maha prasad on January 22. Anjiv Ramdhanya, a senior minister for Public Service, Administrative & Institutional reforms told CNN-News18 that all offices will have the live broadcast of the ceremony on January 22 & diyas will be lit all over Mauritius. The minister also expressed his intention to visit Ram Temple and mentioned that people in Mauritius have grown up watching Ramayana irrespective of their faith. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating Pongal in the national capital on Sunday morning. The festival, which is a huge Affair in the Southern part of the country, will see PM Modis participation at Union Minister Dr L Murugans house in New Delhi. Last year too, the prime minister celebrated the Tamilian New Year Puthandu at his cabinet colleague Murugans house in Delhi. Murugan, who is the Minister of State for information and broadcasting and fisheries in the Prime Minister Modis cabinet is looking to contest the next Lok Sabha elections from his home state. Murugan, the former BJP Tamil Nadu president and currently a member of the Rajya Sabha, is likely to Contest from Nilgiri. With the BJP, keeping its focus strongly down South, the move is expected to send a strong message to the voters. Under the PM Modis rule, the government has organised two major successful events- Kashi Tamil Sangaman and Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam. These programs were to promote cultural exchange between areas like Gujarat and Kashi with the rich culture and heritage of Tamil Nadu. PM Modi invoked the concept of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat while referencing to the newly installed Sengol in the new Parliament building. Apart from this, the promotion of Sanskrit and Tamil languages by the centre, including in the new education policy, has been one of its noted achievements. PMs Sabka Sath Mantra Recently, several opposition parties have been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his scheduled participation in the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony on January 22. The opposition leaders questioned why the PM was participating in the consecration and accused him of promoting the Hindutva agenda in the run-up to the 2024 elections. But there has always been a reach out by the Prime Minister towards various strata of society especially different communities, especially in the last few months. Just a few days back, a Muslim delegation met Prime Minister Modi at his official residence where Modi handed over a chadar which was to be placed in reverence at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. In December, Modi hosted a Christian delegation at his residence on the occasion of Christmas and the New Year. The deep-rooted connection that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has with the Sikh community has been witnessed over the last decade ever since his government has been in power. Right from the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor to reducing the GST on langars at Gurudwaras, the prime minister has been active in reaching out to the Sikh community. He also participated in the programme to pay homage to the courage and martyrdom of the sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Sikh Guru. In 2022, the Modi government announced that this day would be celebrated each day as Veer Baal Diwas. In June last year, when Prime Minister Modi travelled to Egypt, his visit to the historic Imam al-Hakim bi Amr Allah Mosque in Cairo, Egypt carried a special meaning for the community. This mosque has been restored with the help of Indias Dawoodi Bohra community. While referring to them as family members during that visit, Modi was able to reminisce about his deep, rooted personal connection, even when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. In April last year, under PM Modi, the government organised the first of its kind global Buddhist summit which saw the participation of monks, scholars, and heads of Buddhist institutions from close to 30 countries. Highlighting the contribution of Lord Buddha in modern times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated how his teachings could solve the most contemporary and contentious issues. The government, in the year 2014-2015 under the Ministry of Tourism, launched PRASAD or Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive scheme to focus on developing and identifying pilgrimage sites across India to enrich the religious tourism experience. While the Ram Mandir politics has certainly taken centre stage with the opposite parties locked in a bit battle of words, the ruling BJP and its ideological partners, VHP and RSS have maintained that the topmost priority for the government, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been that of Sabka, Vishwas and Sabka Vikas, and that too with a proven track record. Ahead of the January 22 consecration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya in India, Nepals Janakpur believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rams wife Sita is gearing up to join the celebrations with multiple cultural and religious events. Sitas other name is Janaki, daughter of King Janak of Janakpur. It is 220 kms southeast of Kathmandu and about 500-odd km east of Ayodhya. Our daughter, Mata Janaki was married to Lord Shri Ram. We are very elated and proud that the consecration of Ramlala will take place at Ayodhya. People of Janakpur were very happy when the Supreme Court of India had declared its final verdict (in the Ayodhya matter), Nepals former deputy prime minister Bimalendra Nidhi said on Saturday. For the people of Janakpur, Shri Ram is not just a deity but also their son-in-law. People are happy that their daughter and the son-in-law are entering their own house, added Nidhi, a senior Nepali Congress leader. Nepal is situated between India and China. Both India and China have an influence on Nepal and vice versa. However, in comparison, India has a deep cultural, geographical, and political connect with Nepal, he said. India and Nepal enjoy roti-beti relations (trade and marriage) but the same does not apply to China, he added. Ram Ashish Yadav, an MLA from Janakpurs Dhanusha constituency, said there will be religious gatherings in every Ram and Sita temple in his town on the occasion. There would be several stage shows based on Ramayana and people have planned to lit 1,25,000 lamps at the Janaki temple on January 22, he said. A spectacular aarti will be held for Lord Ram and Sita, he added. Celebrations are being planned across the Madhesh region, the Terai belt sandwiched between Nepals hills and plains. Yadav also said that religious tourism will increase in Janakpur after Ram temple consecration. Janakpur Dham got a new life after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths visit. Many Indian tourists started visiting this place. After Ram Mandirs inauguration, we are sure, more religious tourists will throng this place. Tourism has become a big factor in the countrys economy and plays a big role in increasing the countrys GDP. Religious tourists will increase and Janakpur will become more prosperous after the temples inauguration, said the Nepal MLA. Tapeshwar Das, the chief priest of the Janaki Temple at Janakpur, described the Ayodhya event as the meeting of two families, the families of Lord Ram and Mata Sita. More than 3,000 gifts have been sent to Ayodhya, including silver shoes, ornaments, and dresses from Janakpur, he added. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is all set to unveil a new mobile app called Mausam to bring GIS-based weather forecasts for the country and sub-city forecasts for 150 cities. This is part of the weather agencys big digital push Har Har Mausam, Har Ghar Mausam as it enters the 150th year of its foundation. We want to reach out to the common man, and provide updated information for all kinds of weather events at all locations at all times. So anywhere you click on the map, you can get all weather updates. We have covered all the pin codes, and provided sub-city forecasts for as many as 150 cities including Delhi, Director-General of Meteorology (DGM) Dr M Mohapatra told News18. So far, the weather department issues forecasts through multiple apps Damini for lightning alerts, Meghdoot for crop-specific advisories. The challenge was however, to bring it at par with global standards, and make it user-friendly. The new app would provide a 24-hour daily forecast for up to seven days. The app will allow people to add current weather observations in their areas which will eventually help IMD improve its Nowcast issued every few hours. We have developed Application Programming Interface (APIs) for the mobile apps, and provided it to all the state governments. It should be at par with global standards, he said, adding that IMD is also open to public-private partnership to disseminate weather information. GEARING UP FOR A WARMING WORLD The IMD also plans to amp up its observational network across the country in wake of the increasing challenges posed by extreme weather events. 2023 was the second-warmest year on record for India with the annual average warming of nearly 0.6, and marked by disastrous monsoon floods in several states, record summer heatwaves, and rapidly-intensifying cyclones. We have seen some of the warmest years in the last two decades. The trends are in agreement with what we are witnessing globally. But the tropical weather makes India more vulnerable to high humidity and heavy rainfall events, which are clearly on rise both in terms of intensity and frequency as we have seen during monsoons, he added. Apart from a research test-bed in Bhopal to study heavy rainfall events during the monsoon, the department is also working to improve the resolution of global weather prediction models from 12km to 5-6km. We are in the process of procuring high power computing systems. We have 10 petaFLOPS, and are going for at least 30 petaFLOPS. The regional models run at 3km resolution, and we are trying to bring it down to 1 km, he added. According to the IMD DG, the department has improved the forecast accuracy for all types of severe weather events by about 50% in 2023 as compared to 2014. The 24-hour forecast accuracy for heavy rainfall is about 80%, thunderstorm 86%, heat wave and cold wave about 88%, he said. IMDs observational network now consists of about 200 Agro-Automated Weather Station (AgroAWS), 806 automatic weather stations, 1,382 automatic rain gauges, 83 lightning sensors along with 63 pilot balloon upper air observation stations apart from INSAT 3D/3DR dedicated weather satellites providing cloud imagery every 15 minutes. Speculation Over Nitish Kumar Ends, Congs Mallikarjun Kharge Named INDIA Bloc Chairman The INDIA Bloc has proposed the name of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of the grouping on Saturday, sources said. However, the Opposition alliance is yet to make an official announcement on the matter. READ MORE No Hindu or Muslim Should Take Law Into Their Hands: Siddaramaiah & DKS | Joint Interview No Hindu or Muslim is allowed to take the law into their hands, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told News18 during an exclusive interview when asked about the three recent cases of moral policing and mob violence reported in the southern state. Siddaramaiah appeared for the interview along with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. READ MORE Oil Price Rise, Chinese Crew Tactic: Sailors Life & Big Money at Stake, How Ships Deal with Houthi Horror Shipping in the Red Sea has become perilous since October when Houthi militias in Yemen said that they will attack ships destined towards Israel or cargo ships carrying an Israeli flag. READ MORE Flying to Guwahati, IndiGo Mumbai Passengers Land in Bangladesh Without Passports | Heres Why A Mumbai to Guwahati IndiGo flight 6E 5319 made an emergency landing in Bangladeshs Dhaka due to bad weather conditions and low visibility at Guwahati airport. The flight landed in Dhaka at 4 am on Saturday. READ MORE Made to Sleep on Moist Floor, Take Bath With Cold Water: Azam Khans Son Ill-treated by UP Jail Staff Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khans son, Abdullah Azam, who is serving a seven-year jail term in two fake birth certificate cases, claimed before the MP/MLA court in Rampur on Wednesday that Hardoi jail administration was forcing him to sleep on moist floor and providing cold water for bath despite freezing conditions. READ MORE Kangana Ranaut Sparks Dating Rumours, Actress Caught Holding Hands With Mystery Guy | Photo Kangana Ranaut has left everyone wondering if she is dating a foreigner. Recently, the actress was snapped by the paparazzi in Mumbai when she was caught holding hands with a mystery man. In the photo, Kangana was seen posing in a printed blue dress with beige slippers. She was accompanied by a man who looked dapper in a black t-shirt, pants and shoes. The two were seen holding hands as they walked towards the shutterbugs. The photo has now gone viral on social media. READ MORE Violent HubbyUsed to Teach Bad Manners to Son: Bengaluru CEO Reveals Possible Motive of Murder Bengaluru startup founder and CEO Suchana Seth, arrested for allegedly smothering her four-year-son to death in North Goas Candolim has made new revelations about the murder. READ MORE Her Consent is Not Relevant: Bombay HC Grants Bail to Man Arrested for Sexually Abusing 13-yr-old The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court granted bail to a 26-year-old man arrested for raping a 13-year-old girl, stating that they had a love affair and the alleged sexual relationship between the two appeared to be out of love and not lust. READ MORE Hearing in a dowry death case at a Greater Noida court in Uttar Pradesh turned bloody on Friday after the main accused slashed his throat with a blade inside the court premises. The man was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and was stated to be out of danger. Meanwhile, the court has postponed the hearing into the case, officials said. The man is identified as 35-year-old Shivam Singh, a resident of Pawli village in Greater Noida. Singhs wife was found dead at their home, following which her parents submitted a complaint to the Jarcha police. He was arrested by the police in March 2022 and booked for suspected dowry death under section 304 B (punishment for dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and was jailed along with his brother. He is currently out on bail. On Friday, Singh was to appear before the additional district judges fast-track court I, located in Surajpur, as the statements of the complainants in the case were to be recorded. As the hearing started in the court, Singh pulled out a blade from his clothes and slit his own neck, the official said. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors said he was out of danger but under observation, according to the police. The man reportedly has a daughter who lived with her maternal grandmother after his wifes death. This was not the first time he tried to kill himself. As per a report by Millennium Post, Singh tried to kill himself when he was in jail. He had earlier told cops that everyone thinks he is a murderer because of which he does not want to live anymore. HAPPY LOHRI 2024 WISHES, QUOTES, STATUS, MESSAGES: Calling all Lohri revelers! As the flames dance and dhol beats echo, prepare to embrace the warmth of this joyous festival today on Sunday, January 14. Whether you call it Lohri or Lal Loi, share the spirit of community and good fortune with these heartfelt wishes in English and Punjabi. Lets make this Lohri one to remember! HAPPY LOHRI 2024 WISHES TO SHARE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES 1. May the Lohri flames dance away troubles, leaving only warmth, joy, and good fortune in their wake. Happy Lohri! 2. Sweet rewari, crackling dhol beats, and vibrant dances under the stars wishing you a Lohri steeped in tradition and merrymaking! ALSO READ: Lohri Di Lakh Lakh Vadhaiyaan! How to Greet People Happy Lohri in a Punjabi Way! 3. As the Lohri bonfire leaps towards the night sky, may it ignite your dreams and carry them soaring to new heights. Happy Lohri! 4. Let the rising sun on Lohri bring with it fresh beginnings, blessings, and the promise of a year bathed in sunshine. Happy Lohri! 5. Dholki rhythms, til gud treats, and the laughter of loved ones gathered around the fire may your Lohri be a feast for the senses and soul! 6. Just like the sugarcane in the Lohri flames, let your worries melt away, leaving only sweetness and success in their place. Happy Lohri! 7. May the Lohri fire illuminate your path with hope and light, filling your heart with warmth and your future with prosperity. Happy Lohri! 8. Wishing you a Lohri as sweet as gur and rewari, as colorful as kolam patterns, and as joyous as the bhangra beat. Happy Lohri! 9. May the warmth of the Lohri fire spread love and laughter through your home, bringing blessings and abundance to your doorstep. Happy Lohri! 10. Let the spirit of Lohri remind us of the power of community and togetherness. May we celebrate lifes blessings with open hearts and open arms. Happy Lohri! Happy Lohri 2024 Greetings May the warmth of Lohris positive energy dispel all your worries and bring abundant success and happiness. Wish you a very Happy Lohri. May the Lohri fire bring you joy, happiness, and love, burning away all the sadness. Happy Lohri. Wishing you abundant prosperity in this harvest season. Happy Lohri! With dance, music, and merriment, we celebrate this special day, dedicating it to a year filled with happiness, hope, and a bountiful harvest. Wish you a very Happy Lohri. On this special occasion of Lohri, may your warm nature endure throughout your life. Keep the bonfires warmth and the sweetness of rewari with you forever. Happy Lohri! I wish you happiness throughout the year. Have a great day ahead and a Happy Lohri! May we stay wrapped in the warmth of love, keeping the coldness of hatred at bay. Happy Lohri to you and your family! In the positive light of happiness, let us pray for our lives to shine with hope and love. Wish you a very Happy Lohri! May this Lohri bring delight and auspicious moments to you and your family. Wishing you all a very Happy Lohri Happy Lohri 2024 WhatsApp And Facebook Status Happy Lohri! May the bonfires warmth fill your life with happiness and prosperity. Dhol beats, bhangra moves, and sweet treatsits Lohri time! Wishing you a joyous celebration. Lohri di Lohri! May the light of the bonfire guide you to a bright and prosperous future. Sending warm wishes and joyful beats your way for a happy Lohri! Cant wait to celebrate with you. May this Lohri bring you new beginnings, sweet memories, and endless laughter. Happy Lohri! Grateful for the warmth of family, friends, and the Lohri bonfire. Wishing you a blessed celebration. Lohri vibes are heating up! Get ready for some dhol beats, bonfire fun, and maybe a few dance moves you didnt know you had. May your Lohri be as sweet as gajak and as lively as a dhol beat! Dont forget to wear your dancing shoes. Happy Lohri 2024 Messages Celebrate Lohri with joy, good music, and delicious food surrounded by friends and family. Warm Lohri greetings! May the choicest blessings of Lord Sun shower upon you, making this year truly glorious. May this Lohri bring you good health and success. Happy Lohri! Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy. Hoping this harvest season brings smiles to the faces of all your loved ones. Enjoy the festival with a bang. Happy Lohri! May this grand celebration of Lohri fill your life with the utmost love and joy. Wish you a fulfilling Lohri! The first Lohri after marriage is the most special one, and I hope it turns out to be the most beautiful memory of your life. Happy Lohri! May your life be filled with the sweetness of jaggery this year. Wish you a wonderful Lohri! Wishing you a joyous Lohri, filled with wonderful moments alongside your loved ones. May the Lohri fire eliminate all negativity in your life, bringing you happiness, love, and blessings. Happy Lohri! Pongal is a harvest festival that is grandly celebrated in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala. It is a festival in which people thank the Sun, Mother Nature, and cattle for a bountiful harvest. Apart from worshipping the Sun god, Pongal includes ritualistic worship of cattle, Indra (the God of Rain), and agricultural-related objects. The festival marks the end of the winter season and the start of the harvest season, particularly the rice harvest. ALSO READ: Happy Pongal 2024: Wishes, Images, Status, Quotes, Messages and WhatsApp Greetings to Share in English and Tamil! Pongal is observed in South India, whereas Makar Sankranti is celebrated in North India. Pongal is traditionally celebrated in mid-January, coinciding with the Tamil month of Thai. The four-day celebration usually falls on either January 14 or 15 every year. According to Drik Panchang, this year, Pongal is being celebrated today on Monday, January 15. Pongal 2024: History & Significance This festival can be traced back to the Sangam Age (200 B.C.E. to 300 A.D.). It originated as a Dravidian harvest festival, which is also mentioned in Sanskrit Puranas. It is believed that during the Sangam Era, people celebrated the Thai Un and Thai Niradal festivals. Historians believe that these events led to the current Pongal celebrations. During the Thai Niradal, maidens observed Pavai Nonbu at Sangam Era festivals. The maidens prayed for rain and a prosperous country. The festival started in December or January. Maidens were to worship the Goddess Katyayni idol, which was carved out of wet sand, after bathing early in the morning. They were instructed to avoid milk and milk products, not oil their hair and refrain from using harsh language when speaking. Their penance would end on the first day of the Thai month, which fell in January or February. According to an inscription in the Veeraraghava temple in Tiruvallur, Chola King Kiluttunga donated lands to the temple, specifically for Pongal celebrations. People offer prayers and acts of worship during the Pongal festival as a way of thanking God for a bountiful crop and prosperity. This is also said to be the start of the Tamil New Year. Pongal is a festival that honours the sun, the natural world, animals, and all gods for a bountiful harvest, an abundance of light, and a happy existence. Pongal 2024: Thai Pongal Muhurat As per Drik Panchang, Thai Pongal will be observed on Monday, January 15, 2024. The Thai Pongal Sankranti Moment is at 02:54 AM. Meanwhile, Makar Sankranti is on Monday, January 15, 2024. Pongal 2024: Puja Samagri, Rituals, Celebrations & 4 Days of Pongal Pongals traditions are similar to that of Govardhan Puja and Chhath Puja. The festival lasts four days, each with its customs. Without indulging in a dish prepared during the festivities, also known as Pongal, the celebration is incomplete. This dish is a combination of boiled sweet rice and is named after the Tamil verb pongu, which means to boil over. Indias prowess in the whisky domain has taken centre stage, and one homegrown hero, the Rampur Indian Single Malt, has emerged victorious on the global platform. Radico Khaitans Rampur Asava recently clinched the title of Best World Whisky at the John Barleycorn Awards 2023, further solidifying the countrys position as a formidable player in the world of premium malts. It beat various scotch, American, and Irish whiskies in a blind-tasting competition judged by Barleycorn Society members, including Clay Risen, Wayne Curtis, Zach Johnston, Susan Reigler, and John McCarthy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rampur Indian Single Malt Whisky (@rampursinglemalt) Made in the Rampur distillery established in 1943 in Uttar Pradesh, the Rampur Indian Single Malt Whisky Asava has a special process. It starts in American Bourbon barrels and finishes in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks, creating a unique and perfectly balanced taste. The whisky boasts a distinctive tropical fruity note characteristic of Rampur, complemented by hints of apricot, blackberry, and plum. A subtle undertone of tobacco and spices adds complexity, while the palate delights with a velvety texture, highlighted by the sweetness of manuka honey, spicy oak, vanilla, and dryness derived from Indian red wine. Rampur Asava is currently available in Duty-Free outlets for Rs 9,390. This exquisite whisky leaves a delightful, lingering trail with a medium finish. The recognition it earned at the John Barleycorn Awards underscores the competitive and prestigious nature of this international spirits competition held annually in the US. The John Barleycorn Society evaluates excellence in the spirits industry, considering aspects from seed to glass. Taste, marketing strategies (both print and digital), package design, public relations, journalism, social media, event production, filmmaking, and bar design are among the diverse categories scrutinized by their selected panels. Brands like Amrut, Paul John, Radico Khaitans Rampur, and Indri are leading the charge and are poised to dominate the $33 billion spirits market after witnessing a remarkable growth of approximately 23 per cent in 2023. According to early estimates by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), Indian Single malts, including the celebrated Rampur Asava, accounted for nearly 53 per cent of total sales in 2023. Apart from Rampur Asava, the distillery offers other exciting whiskies like Rampur Select, Rampur PX Sherry Cask, and Rampur Double Cask. Amitabh Bachchans grandson, Agastya Nanda, recently made his film debut with Zoya Akhtars The Archies. The film has garnered a good response from the audience. While the young star kid is yet to fully embark on his film career, he recently shared his thoughts after Javed Akhtar predicted that he will be the next superstar of the Industry. Speaking with the Film Companion, Agastya expressed,I dont want to be over-smart and decide what I want to do. I want to go with the flow. Let the people I am working with decide what kind of mold they want to put me in. Its very sweet of Javed sahab to say that. I dont think I am deserving of that compliment but I think Archie was that vibe , it was that young thing. Lets see what happens, lets see what happens ahead but I dont want to bottle myself down to one thing or may be try everything and fail at all and come back to the same thing but lets see. For the unversed, Javed Akhtar had said in a previous interview with Rediff, I told Agastyas mother (Shweta Bachchan Nanda), Your son is going to be a star. The concept of the hero so far has been of the toxic, macho man. Here is an unpretentious and masoom hero. Audiences have not seen a hero like Agastya since Rishi Kapoor in Bobby. Agastya will appeal to all youngsters, especially girls. Over a month after the release of Zoya Akhtars directorial, Agastya has also finally opened up about the negativity the young actors faced on social media post The Archies release. Amitabh Bachchans grandson was speaking to The Film Companion recently when he admitted that he wasnt prepared for the negative reactions to The Archies. Honestly, I didnt know how to deal with it. When you are not prepped in this area, you dont know that many people have many opinions. And thats okay, you must have your opinion but I didnt know what was going on. Some people hated it, some people liked it, some people were indifferent to it and thats ok, Agastya said. The young star further shared that The Archies was his first try and even though it did not work as expected, he is ready to work harder. On some levels, it didnt work and thats ok. Its my first try and I am going to work hard and get back up, try for the second and if that doesnt work then try for the third and then the fourth but to get to that realisation took me some time, he added. Meanwhile, Agastya has already signed his next movie, Sriram Raghavans Ekkis. It is touted to be a biopic of the 1971 war hero, Arun Khetarpal and will also star veteran actor Dharmendra in a key role. Reportedly, Agastya is reading the script these days and will begin shooting for this film soon. Mahesh Babus highly anticipated film, Guntur Kaaram, has finally hit the theatres. Srileela and Meenakshi Chaudhary have impressed audiences with their roles, while Mahesh delivered a stellar performance in his mass role. In Telangana, the release of a Mahesh Babu film is a grand celebration, marked by massive fan events, especially at Sudarshan Theatre in Hyderabad. Mahesh and his family often attend screenings at this venue. Ditching the traditional premiere, Mahesh, accompanied by his wife Namrata Shirodkar, kids Sitara and Gautam, sister-in-law Shilpa Shirodkar, directors Trivikram Srinivas and Vamshi Paidipally, producer Dil Raju, chose to watch the latest release at Sudarshan Theatre. During the screening, Mahesh and his family were surrounded by bodyguards for safety reasons. The superstar, along with his daughter, occupied the front row, while his wife, son and sisters sat behind in the actors row. A video capturing the familys entrance is gaining attention online. According to the News Minute, the Telangana government issued an order allowing a ticket price hike for Mahesh Babus Guntur Kaaram, released on January 12. The order stated that single-screen theatres could increase ticket prices by Rs 65, and multiplexes could raise them by Rs 100, resulting in a ticket cost of Rs 250 for single screens and Rs 410 for multiplex screens. The government also permitted theatres to run six shows of the film per day, starting from 4 AM, and this permission was valid for a week. Additionally, some theatres in Hyderabad were granted permission to screen shows at 1 AM on Friday. Guntur Kaaram marks Mahesh Babus return to the big screen after a two-year hiatus, with his last appearance in the 2022 film Sarkaru Vaari Paata. The movie, featuring Babu along with Meenakshi Chaudhary, Sreeleela, Prakash Raj, Jayaram, Ramya Krishnan, Vennela Kishore, and Easwari Rao in pivotal roles, revolves around Maheshs character, Rowdy Ramana, who falls in love with a journalist aiming to expose the citys criminal activities. While the film has received mixed reviews from viewers, the superstars performance has garnered widespread praise. Pankaj Tripathi has voluntarily stepped down as the National Icon of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as the actor is playing a real-life political figure in Main Atal Hoon. Tripathi, who essays the role of former prime minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Ravi Jadhav-directed movie, said he had made his mind to step down from the position before the release of the films trailer. It is a normal process. The news has come out now but I had written to the ECI before the release of the films trailer, the National Award-winning actor told PTI. The official handle of Spokesperson ECI also shared the news on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday that Tripathi has stepped down as National Icon. He was roped in for the position in October 2022. Acknowledging his role as a political leader in an upcoming film, actor @PankajTripathi has voluntarily stepped down as #ECI National Icon as per terms of MoU. #ECI expresses gratitude for his impactful contribution to voter awareness & #SVEEP since Oct 2022, the post read. Check it out here: Acknowledging his role as a political leader in an upcoming film, actor @PankajTripathi has voluntarily stepped down as #ECI National Icon as per terms of MoU.#ECI expresses gratitude for his impactful contribution to voter awareness & #SVEEP since Oct 2022 pic.twitter.com/83Ols8B9TY Spokesperson ECI (@SpokespersonECI) January 11, 2024 Tripathi, 57, said he liked being associated with the ECI and spreading awareness about their voter programmes. But as an actor, you get to play different kinds of roles and since I was playing a political icon like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, I felt it would only be appropriate for me to step down voluntarily, he added. Produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, and Kamlesh Bhanushali, Main Atal Hoon will hit theatres on January 19. Bhavesh Bhanushali and Sam Khan serve as co-producers on the movie. Bharat has been the spiritual capital of the world for times immemorial. For millennia, Indias spiritual prowess has drawn people from across the length and breadth of the planet. Some came with the intention of learning, transforming and liberating themselves, while others, like the Mughals, came to destroy Indias spiritual and civilisational soul. The realisation of the Ram Mandir dream stands as a testament to the fact that Indian civilisation has withstood repeated onslaughts and emerged stronger each time, which is why it is the only ancient spiritual civilisation of the world still in existence. Indians are a special people, which is why spiritual and religious tourism accounts for more than 60 per cent of the countrys entire tourism industry. Last year alone, the spiritual tourism segment in India grew by 35-40 per cent year-on-year. Ayodhya has emerged as a symbol of Bharats civilisational resurgence, and Bhagwan Shri Rams town is drawing more interest on the internet than even recreational hubs like Goa and Nainital. CEO of OYO, Ritesh Agarwal has revealed that the hospitality chain recorded an 80 per cent increase in app users in Ayodhya, surpassing Goa (50 per cent) and Nainital (60 per cent). MakeMyTrips co-founder and group CEO, Rajesh Magow, has separately revealed that there is a five-fold surge in searches year-on-year and a four-fold rise in bookings as compared to last year for Ayodhya. In fact, data from 2022 shows that recreational tourism is miles behind spiritual tourism in India. In 2022, close to 7.2 crore people visited Varanasi, 6 crore travelled to Mathura and 2.6 crore to Ayodhya. On the other hand, Goa was able to attract merely 85 lakh tourists. The difference is vast, one which puts Indias tourism scene in perspective. Spirituality trumps recreation in Bharat on any given day. Whats more, spiritual tourism is not just limited to older Indians. In fact, travel companies say spiritual tourism is gaining tremendous traction among young couples, millennials and Gen-Z too. OYOs 2023 booking data shows that Puri secured the top spot as Indias most booked spiritual destination, followed by Amritsar, Varanasi, and Haridwar. There is a renewed enthusiasm among Indians to visit spiritual centres of the country after the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of domestic tourists that visited places of pilgrimage was 1,433 million in 2022. About 6.64 million foreign tourists came to India to visit spiritual hubs in the same year. This represented a 60 per cent rise from 2021 when the numbers stood at 677 million for domestic pilgrims and 1.05 million for foreigners. Prahlad Krishnamurthi of Cleartrip told Moneycontrol that the growth of spiritual tourism as a segment has been noteworthy, particularly in the post-pandemic era, with a significant increase of 62 per cent in bookings. According to data released by the Ministry of Tourism, pilgrimage tourism earned Rs 1,34,543 crore in 2022, as compared to Rs 65,070 crore in 2021. Tourism experts say that last year, 70 per cent of Indian travellers showed interest in spiritual getaways which include meditation and mindfulness. The spiritual tourism market last year stood at around $56 billion, rising significantly from $44 billion in 2020. Determined Spiritual Push by Modi Government Bearing Fruit It is no secret that the Modi government has directed significant focus towards empowering Indias temple towns and spiritual hubs. Whether it be improving connectivity by making new airports, railway stations and roads or giving the urban infrastructure a major facelift the Centre is working on mission mode to draw more people to spiritual and dharmic centres. It is learnt that revamping centres of spirituality was among the top priorities of Prime Minister Modi as soon as he assumed office in 2014. The Char Dham project in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has proven to be a game changer. The nearly 900-km project was launched by the Centre with the goal of improving connectivity to the Char Dham pilgrimage centres of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in the Himalayas. Due to improved connectivity in the region, in 2019, the Char Dham pilgrimage was made by 34 lakh people. The number went up to 35.2 lakh visitors in 2022, before shooting up to 56.1 lakh last year. The Modi government has rolled out a dedicated scheme, called Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) to shore up visitor numbers in Indias spiritual hubs. Under the PRASAD scheme, 41 religious sites were identified from across 25 states for development. The revamped Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, which was one of Prime Minister Modis pet projects, has attracted over 100 million visitors since 2021. Before the corridor was completed, that number stood at about 8 million. The temple area itself has been expanded to about 5 lakh square feet, which was earlier just 3000 square feet. As a result, it can now accommodate 50,000-75,000 devotees at any given time. Also, in recent years, the vivid Deepotsavs organised in Kashi and Ayodhya on Diwali and Dev Deepawali have had a sensational impact on tourist footfalls. Similarly, in Ujjain, tourist footfall quadrupled to nearly one lakh a day after the opening of the Mahakal Lok corridor in early 2023. Built at a cost of Rs 850 crore, the corridor now allows pilgrims to visit Ujjains ancient Mahakaleshwar Temple to experience world-class amenities. Prior to the opening of the corridor, about 25,000 to 40,000 visited the shrine every day. That number has now increased to around 1 lakh on a daily basis and on weekends, it goes up to anywhere between 1.5 to 2 lakh. Needless to say, such development is having a net positive economic impact on Indias temple towns. Mathura and Vrindavan are now jam-packed with devotees on any given day. This can be attributed to improved connectivity, especially because the Yamuna Expressway now makes a one-day journey to and from these sacred towns possible for people living in and around Delhi-NCR. Meanwhile, the Vande Bharat trains, which now connect major temple towns of the country, have not only eased connectivity but also enhanced the travel experience for scores of people. Social Media: Bharats Spiritual Catalyst There is a reason why young Indians the millennials and Gen Z are flocking to spiritual shrines and centres of pilgrimage. With the advent of social media, spiritual content has become readily available online, influencing innumerable people to dive deeper into Bharats vast spiritual and civilisational treasure. Many now long for a spiritual experience, and since there is only so much that one can get out of social media, visiting dharmic shrines and making pilgrimages has become the next logical step. The mass popularisation of short-form content, such as reels and YouTube shorts, has further incentivised the youth to not just travel to spiritual centres, but also create content while there. Of course, there are obvious downsides to this phenomenon. However, one cannot ignore the fact that towns like Vrindavan and Mathura, which not very long ago had nominal footfalls, are today packed with devotees (and content creators). The government of Uttar Pradesh is working on a plan to speed up the formation of more pilgrimage development councils across the state to look into the various issues faced by temple towns and villages, while also overseeing the development and beautification drives underway there. With the consecration at the Ram Mandir, Ayodhya is all set to become perhaps the biggest spiritual centre of Bharat. Already, social media is flooded with content relating to both the Mandir and the massive development that has happened in Ayodhya. One can only imagine the number of people who will flock to the temple town in the times to come. Truly, no country can today compete with India in terms of spiritual tourism. The sense of calm and fulfilment that not just Indians, but millions of people from around the world feel in the countrys many spiritual destinations, is bound to help Bharat cement its lead in spiritual and religious tourism. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. The Congress leadership will boycott the Ram Mandirs Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had invited Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for the event. The party leadership, after deliberating over the issue for over a week, has finally decided to officially give it a miss. The Congress leadership believes that while religion is a personal matter, the January 22 ceremony is a BJP-RSS event. Interestingly, when one looks at the Congress history, its stand on matters of religion has largely been opportunistic, if not dubious. From overturning the Supreme Courts Shah Bano judgement to providing Haj subsidy, disbursing monthly salaries to Muslim clerics, and legitimising the Islamist endeavour to turn the entire country into a Waqf land through the Waqf Act of 1995, the party has often been seen to be hand in glove with fundamentalist elements. The grand old partys role in controlling and misappropriating Hindu temples in the name of their management too calls its secular bluff. Though other political parties have hardly fared any better on the issue, the role of Congress, being in power for the longest time, gets magnified the most. If Anand Ranganathans book Hindus in Hindu Rashtra is to be believed, Governments of just 10 states control more than 1,10,000 temples. Of these, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, of which the Congress is an alliance partner in the state, alone controls 36,425 temples and 56 mutts. For Karnataka, a state again run by the Congress, the figure is 34,563! So much for the Congress religion is personal remark! One could still have forgiven the party for its endeavour to take away temple freedom, had it helped the cause of the nation. According to TR Ramesh, who has been fighting for temple liberation in Tamil Nadu for decades now, the Tamil Nadu government, which should be earning a minimum of Rs 6,000 crore per annum from the 2.44 crore square feet of temple land it controls, earns a mere Rs 58 crore. This is not even 1 per cent of the income it should be earning from the acquired temple land in Tamil Nadu! As for the January 22 ceremony being a BJP-RSS event, it is far from true. The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is organising the Pran Pratishtha event, was set up by the Union government on the orders of the Supreme Court. The grand temple is also being constructed on donations from Hindus, and not public funds. This brings us to the larger question: Why is the Congress leadership uncomfortable with the idea of visiting the Ram temple in Ayodhya? Here, it needs to be reiterated that its not the party per se but its dynastic leadership, the Gandhi-Nehru to be precise, that has been uncomfortable with the Ram Mandir. Today, when Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul, showcase their distrust for the Ram temple, they simply betray the Nehruvian misgivings about temples in general, and the Ram temple in particular. On December 26, 1949, three days after when an idol of Ram Lalla had mysteriously appeared at the then disputed Ramjanmabhoomi site, Nehru sent a telegram to then chief minister GB Pant, saying he was disturbed at developments at Ayodhya. He also sent a letter a few months later, accusing the District Officer in Fyzabad of taking no steps to prevent this happening. However, it is the Somnath saga that truly exposes the anti-temple Nehruvian mindset. Its well-known how Nehru had accused KM Munshi of stocking Hindu revivalism when the latter pushed for the reconstruction-cum-renovation of the Somnath temple. What is not quite known is that the idea to reconstruct the Somnath temple had the Cabinet approval; Nehru, in fact, had presided over the cabinet meeting in which this decision was taken. He, however, took a U-turn after the death of Sardar Patel on 15 December 1950. Mahatma Gandhi, the other votary of Somnath temple, was already dead by then. After Patels death, Nehru became increasingly hostile not just to the temple project, but also to cabinet colleagues, especially Munshi and VN Gadgil, who were associated with the Somnath temple project. It was at that moment that Nehru wrote the Hindu revivalism letter to munshi, saying: I dont like your trying to restore Somnath. It is Hindu revivalism. To this Munshi replied, on April 24, 1951, strongly rebutting Nehrus claims. The letter, which is now available in Munshis book Pilgrimage to Freedom, reads thus: On 13 December 1947, the Standing Committee of the W.M.P. Ministry accepted (VN) Gadgils proposal that the Government of India should reconstruct the temple in the original form and develop roughly one square mile of the surrounding area At the time, the decision of the Government was that the W.M.P. Ministry should reconstruct the old shrines and they were doing so in the case of certain Muslim shrines and mosques. The Government of India, thereafter, deputed Government architects to visit Prabhas and prepare a report for the reconstruction of the temple. When the whole scheme was discussed by Sardar with Bapu, he stated that it was alright except that the funds necessary for re-constructing the temple should come from the public. Gadgil also saw Bapu and Bapu gave him the same advice. Thereafter, the idea that the Government of India should finance the reconstruction of the temple was given up As you will see, the Government of India not only took the initial decision to reconstruct the temple, but formulated and set the scheme going; alongside creating the agency for its further implementation. This will clearly indicate to you the extent of association the Government of India has with the scheme Yesterday, you referred to Hindu revivalism. It is my faith in our past which has given me the strength to work in the present and look forward to our future. The Congress distrust for temples, especially the Ram Mandir, is thus age-old but one confined largely to the Gandhi-Nehru family. The Congress, in that way, seems to be a victim of its own dynastism which has pushed it to take an anti-temple posturing even when most of its members have largely been sympathetic to the issue. It happened in the 1950s when soon after Patels death the Congress was totally hijacked by Nehru and his acolytes. Its happening today as well, seven decades down the line, when the mother-son duo of the family decides to push the party to extreme left, reportedly on the advice of a communist leader whose name invokes both Ram and Sita. Be that as it may, the decision to boycott the Ram Mandir ceremony on January 22 will count among the most indiscreet and ill-advised decisions of the Congress leadership in recent times. It was a great chance for the party to do away with its anti-Hindu image. Ram is the sublime manifestation of the idea of civilisational Bharat. The Congress, by refusing to resort to course correction, has squandered a great opportunity to align itself with this countrys civilisational core, thus setting the course for its further marginalisation politically and otherwise. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. This past week, West Bengal has bled. Not from the wounds of nature, but from the self-inflicted gashes of a party clinging to power by brute force. In Sandesh Khali, ED officials, tasked with upholding the law, were hounded like pariahs by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) goonsthe loyal foot soldiers of Shahjahan Sheikh, a TMC strongman whose name rhymes with impunity. Another TMC heavyweight orchestrated a symphony of political thuggery, which Bongoan echoed with similar mayhem. Yet, amidst the din of violence, Mamata Banerjees voice is curiously muted. No outrage, no apologyjust the tired, predictable refrain of blaming the Centre. This deafening silence speaks volumes. Its the silence of a leader who has lost control over her government, her bureaucracy, even her own party. The tremors of internal strife gnaw at the TMCs core. Old guards loyal to Mamata clash with Abhishek Banerjees young coterie. The battle for power bleeds onto the streets, staining Bengal crimson with political vendetta. But this internecine drama is merely a symptom, not the disease. The rot runs deeper. From rampant corruption to brazen misappropriation of funds, Bengal is a landscape of plunder. Strongman culture festers in the districts, their sway unchallenged by a toothless administration. Violence erupts with the unerring rhythm of monsoon rains, washing away any pretence of law and order. This, not the squabbles within the TMC, is the real tragedy in Bengal. The once-vibrant Ma, Mati, Manush slogan of Mamata now echoes hollowly in the empty stomachs of those who are starving as a result of poor governance. Her Khela Hobe has morphed into a macabre dance of political thuggery, where democracy is the unwilling ballerina, twirled and tossed at the whims of local strongmen. Bengal deserves better. It deserves leaders who uphold the law, not orchestrate its subversion. It deserves a government that cares for its people and does not line its own pockets. It deserves the right to dissent, not the fear of retribution. Mamata Banerjee can cling to power for as long as the ED allows, but she cannot hide the truth forever. Bengal is burning, and the smoke will not clear until she and her party acknowledge the inferno they have unleashed. Only then can Bengal hope to rise from the ashes, like a phoenix bathed in the light of genuine democracy. Dirty Underbelly of TMC Strongmen Dependent Politics The TMC, once a symbol of change in West Bengal, has transformed into a power-hungry entity nourished by political strongmen. Mamatas party now shelters the very CPI(M) goons she once opposed, ruling like warlords in districts such as Birbhum and Sandesh Khali. Anubrata Mondal and Shahjahan Sheikh wield power fueled by corruption and electoral muscle, while Mamata, once a defender of the oppressed, overlooks their tyranny for political gain. These strongmen, crafted from corruption and expedience, prioritise muscle over ideology, leaving Bengal bleeding under their rule. Gunshots and ill-gotten wealth stifle democracy, crush dissent, and obscure the rule of law. As the people of Bengal awaken to the decay and broken promises, resistance grows, demanding change and accountability. Mamatas days as a puppet master to these strongmen are numbered, and the impending reckoning could signal a brighter future for Bengal, liberated from the ghosts of its past. This cautionary tale serves as a stark warning against succumbing to the allure of strongmen in democracy, urging vigilance for the preservation of liberty. The Old vs Young Debate The TMC finds itself ensnared in a web of internal strife, an unsettling reality unveiled even on the solemn occasion of its foundation day. The cracks within the party surfaced as state president Subrata Bakshi, ostensibly aligned with Mamata Banerjee, publicly clashed with Abhishek Banerjee. This discord unfolded during an event commemorating the birth of the Trinamool Congress, with Bakshi asserting that if Abhishek contested elections, Mamata would stand out. Sudip Bandyopadhyay echoed this sentiment, emphasising the partys reliance on Mamata. In response, Kunal Ghosh, spokesperson for Abhisheks faction, criticised Bakshis remarks, deeming them detrimental to the party. Ghosh also questioned the absence of Abhisheks photograph at a party meeting, asserting his significance to the TMC. The age debate further fuels disunity, as Abhishek advocates for a retirement age in politics. With 10 out of 23 TMC MPs over 65 and internal dissent escalating, the party faces a pivotal moment. The old-versus-new debate, coupled with the spectre of age caps, threatens the partys unity ahead of crucial general elections. Mamata Banerjee grapples with an increasingly divided house, risking the very fabric of her partys solidarity. Is Bengal a puppet show? Mamata, Abhishek & the State in Shadows The air in Bengal crackles with uncertainty. The question on everyones lips is: who holds the reins, Mamata or Abhishek? Whispers echo throughout the state, comparing Abhisheks rise to Sanjay Gandhis, painting Mamata as a mere figurehead, her grip on power slipping like grains of sand through her fingers. This power play within the TMC isnt just a Shakespearean drama for political pundits. Its a tragedy with Bengal as the stage and its people as the unwilling audience. Ministers, under Mamatas supposed watch, stumble into corruption scandals like drunken dancers at a boisterous wedding. Yet Mamata feigns ignorance, her denials sounding hollower with each new arrest. This confusion, this paralysis, plunges Bengal into a twilight zone. Jobless graduates line the streets, their degrees gathering dust along with their dreams. Teachers, the supposed torchbearers of knowledge, sit in silent protest, their classrooms replaced by roads. The exodus of talent continues, draining Bengal of its lifeblood. Meanwhile, violence erupts like monsoon storms, each incident a grim brushstroke on the canvas of chaos. The Opposition, armed with Bengals despair, paints a macabre masterpiece. Every pothole, every empty stomach, and every whimper of dissent becomes a brushstroke depicting a state in decay. And while Mamata and Abhishek fiddle within their party walls, Bengal burns. But this internal squabble, while dramatic, is just the tip of the iceberg. The real monster lurks beneath its name political expediency. Shahjahan Sheikh, the Sandesh Khali strongman, is just one grotesque tentacle of this beast. These strongmen, Mamatas so-called electoral muscle, are the tumours feeding off Bengals body politic. Mamata and Abhishek must realise that their family feud threatens to cripple the state. Bengal is not a toy to be fought over in a dynastic tug-of-war. The people are not pawns in their game of thrones. A truce, thenif not for power, then for Bengal. Acknowledge the internal strife, deal with it swiftly, and turn your gaze towards the state that bleeds under your watch. Cleanse the system and let governance bloom where corruption festers. Only then can Bengal emerge from the shadows, and only then can its people reclaim their lost hope. Mamata and Abhishek have a straightforward choice either protect Bengal from their shadows or allow them to consume the state. The clock is ticking, and Bengal waits, breathless, for a leader, not a puppeteer. Mamata needs to take control Mamata Banerjees diminishing grip on both her party and governance poses a severe threat to the stability of West Bengal. The evident loss of control demands urgent attention, as the consequences could spiral into heightened unrest and various forms of violence among the people of the state. The recent internal strife within the TMC and the dissent among party members has unveiled a leadership crisis that extends beyond mere political squabbles. For Mamata, regaining control is imperative not only for the survival of her political career but, more crucially, for the well-being of the state. The inability to rein in internal conflicts risks transforming political differences into street-level clashes, jeopardising the peace and security of Bengal. A fractured TMC, torn by infighting, not only weakens Mamatas position as a leader but also opens the door to external political manipulations that could further destabilise the region. To avert the looming spectre of violence, Mamata Banerjee must address the root causes of the dissent within her party, foster internal unity, and restore confidence in her governance. Time is of the essence, and a failure to regain control swiftly may plunge Bengal into a cycle of unrest. For national politics also, Mamata does not have a strong base because if her party loses its base in Bengal, there is no existence of TMC anywhere else, so the future of TMC is very uncertain. The author, a columnist and research scholar, teaches journalism at St. Xaviers College (autonomous), Kolkata. He tweets at @sayantan_gh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Last week, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Action Committee (JKJAAC) called for observing February 5 as a day of protest against heavy taxes on electricity bills. The announcement has been nothing short of a political volcanic eruption as every year since 1990, February 5 has been observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day. First, it was the Jammu Kashmir Peoples National Party (JKPNP) which announced that it would support the February 5 general strike in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Then, the National Equality Party Jammu Kashmir Gilgit Baltistan and Ladakh (JKGBL) issued a statement in support of the strike as well. Pakistans government and its puppet legislative assembly in PoJK has been using February 5 to galvanise hate against India and legitimise and muster public opinion to favour its proxy war in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On February 5, a national holiday is observed and rallies are held in PoJK and the UK. Kashmir Solidarity Day was first proposed in 1990 by Qazi Hussain Ahmed who was the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, a far-right religious, fascist Islamic party. At the time, Nawaz Sharif was the Prime Minister who merrily approved of the protest day accompanied by a strike in PoJK. Hence, every year since 1990, a PoJK-wide strike has been observed on February 5 for the past 33 years. Therefore, when JKJAAC called for a strike to be observed not as Kashmir Solidarity Day but as a day of protest against taxes imposed by Pakistan and cuts in subsidies of essential goods, it was nothing short of a political earthquake in PoJK and its occupier country Pakistan. The ongoing civil disobedience movement that began on August 31, last year and has led to a historically successful boycott electricity bill campaign, has already cost the PoJK treasury more than Rs 3 billion. Meanwhile, Pakistan has unwaveringly been increasing the price of per unit electricity. Most recently, on January 7, an additional Rs 8.56 per unit has been added as sales tax. Pakistan and its puppet government installed in PoJK has already made several attempts to sabotage the JKJAAC civil disobedience campaign. First, they used delaying tactics by inviting the 31-member strong JKJAAC central committee members for negotiations in anticipation that the movement would show signs of lethargy and wither away. Next, they tried to threaten and use blackmail tactics to break the will of the leaders of the movement. And now, when nothing worked, they have brought their team of saboteurs and goons to create confusion and scare among the second-tier leadership of the JKJAAC. One such person is a non-state subject who arrived in PoJK 25-odd years ago after marrying a Kashmiri woman. His name is Abdul Razaq Khan and he was allegedly planted by Pakistans notorious spy agency, the ISI, among the traders association. Last year, he contested elections for the office of President of the Traders Association but was defeated by a nationalist Shaukat Nawaz Mir. Mir is leading the civil disobedience movement in most parts of PoJK. Razaq held negotiations with Pakistani officials in Islamabad and announced that all the demands of the JKJAAC, except the tariff on electricity bills, had been met. Everyone involved in the boycott movement smelled conspiracy and rightly so. After having lost the election for the office of the president of the Traders Association to Mir, Razaq set up a parallel traders organisation and joined the JKJAAC like a worm who creeps in through the cracks in the system. Once the JKJAAC had announced observing February 5 as a day of protest against Pakistans imposed taxes and cuts in subsidies, Razaq held a press conference accusing some culprits among JKJAAC for following Modis agenda. Nothing could be far from the truth. If one thing does not seem to be on Modis agenda, at least for the current term, is PoJK and G-B. The protest movement in both PoJK and G-B has, so far, not received a single word of support from the Indian government. How then can someone make such an accusation on those who are purely focused on fighting against taxes imposed on our people by Pakistan? Another goon who recently issued a statement in media against the JKJAACs February 5 call for a strike is Saqib Majeed, the gang leader of the Muslim Students Federation alias motorcycle thief (Chorr). He has threatened violence against anyone who dares to pull the shutters of their businesses down on February 5. As we get closer to February 5, competition as well as tensions between those supporting the strike as a day of protest against Pakistan or India will intensify. This is the first time in the recent history of occupation that a major protest movement is disassociating itself from Pakistan-sponsored anti-India propaganda and is using the oppressors tools of subjugation against them. The question remains could the February 5 strike become a game changer? That can only be decided during the struggle between the forces of oppression and the dynamism of change. Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a broadcaster from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in the UK. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is maintaining that both former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, have been invited to the Pran Pratishthan ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22 in Ayodhya. However, Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth has not been invited as his selection is sub-judice before the Supreme Court. Akhilesh Yadav was sent an invite by courier. There is no dispute over that. If he has not received it as per his claim, we can again send him an invite. Mayawati has received our invitation. The presidents of political parties have been invited, VHPs international working president Alok Kumar told News18. He said President Draupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar have been invited but they will not be coming on January 22. There are protocols involved in the visit of the President and Vice-President. They have indicated they will come on a later convenient date after discussing with the Ram Temple Trust, Kumar told News18. VHP is assisting the trust in the distribution of the invites. Akhilesh Yadav has been saying that he has not received the invite and sought the courier receipt of the same. Yadav earlier said he would go to Ayodhya if invited and later said he would only go if Lord Ram calls him as how can he go on the invite of someone he does not know. Sources in the VHP also say that Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth who has been most vocal against the January 22 ceremony, has not been invited as his selection issue is sub-judice and there is a dispute over who should be the Shankaracharya. The Supreme Court in 2022 had stopped his coronation but he still occupied the post, saying he had already taken over. The other three Shankracharyas have been invited, and they have welcomed the ceremony while saying they will come later. The INDIA Bloc has proposed the name of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of the grouping on Saturday, sources said. However, the Opposition alliance is yet to make an official announcement on the matter. Name of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was being considered for the top post, but in todays meeting, Janata Dal (United) said that someone from Congress should assume charge, sources said. Leaders of INDIA Coordination Commitee today met online and had a fruitful discussion on the alliance. Everyone is happy that the seat sharing talks are progressing in a positive way. We also discussed about joint programs in the coming days by INDIA Parties. I, along with Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) January 13, 2024 After intense deliberations, Kharges name was proposed for the top post. When Nitish Kumars name was suggested as convenor, representatives of JD(U) said he was not after any position. After that, Kharges name was nominated for the chairperson. But, as TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav were not present in the meeting, the final call will be taken later, sources said. Earlier in December, Mamata Banerjee had proposed Kharge as the alliances Prime Ministerial candidate, a move that was also backed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The decision was taken when the INIDA bloc leaders held a virtual meeting earlier today, to discuss the seat-sharing agenda, and participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, among other matters related to the grouping. INDIA Bloc As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the BJP and defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The INDIA party, formed with the primary goal of challenging and defeating the BJP in the 2024 elections, faces challenges within the alliance, including the contentious appointment of a convenor. The second round of seat-sharing talks between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress went on for over two hours at the residence of Congress MP Mukul Wasnik on Friday. While AAP MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj represented their party, Congress was represented by former Union minister Salman Khurshid, RS MP Mukul Wasnik, former Delhi minister Arvinder Singh Lovely and Mohan Prakash. According to sources, a three-layered discussion was on the agenda in which states will the two parties ally, what is the number of seats that each would contest and which are those specific seats. Emerging from the talks, Khurshid said there was good chemistry but talks are not yet final and would continue. Good chemistry takes time to appear as far as test tubes are concerned. So, there is good chemistry until now as there have not been any explosions. There have not been any cracks in the test tubes. Colour looks very good. So just wait for the final solution, he said. The senior leader added: We are progressing in a very satisfying manner and we are all content. Through mutual discussions, we are heading towards a decision. We hope that we will arrive at a decision soon and after placing the same in front of our leaders, we will place it in front of you. Ahead of the talks, AAP sources had indicated that discussions between the two sides will focus on Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa. Punjab, according to sources, was off the table as neither side was willing for any seat sharing. Congress already has seven sitting MPs and will not settle for less. AAP has one and wants to contest all 13 seats. The other two factors propelling the decision of the two parties to fight independent of each other is that should there be an alliance, it may open the window for the revival of the Akalis, and that BJP is not a factor in Punjab. Bhagwant Mann indicated that the AAP will contest all 13 seats in the state. This time, the result in Punjab will be 13-0. By winning all 13 seats, we will become heroes in the entire country, he said after dedicating 14 modern libraries in Sangrur, his home turf. Congress leader Pargat Singh had also signalled a solo show for the party in Punjab. Asked whether the two parties discussed just Delhi or other states also, Khurshid said: Every state was discussed. We shared an aspiration amongst ourselves in the INDIA bloc. We trust each other. We bond with each other. We share thoughts, ideas and suggestions. We dont want to reduce them to number of seats and number of states etc. So please bear with us. And understand that we believe in the beauty of the alliance. None of the leaders present on both sides elaborated on the specifics of the talks. When asked repeatedly whether seat-sharing in Punjab was discussed, especially in the context of Pargat Singhs statement, Khurshid said whatever will be done will be done by both the parties together and both AAP and Congress take the suggestions of their workers seriously which will be factored in when the final decision is taken. According to sources, what AAP and Congress may settle for in Punjab are friendly fights. Leaders on both sides remained tight-lipped but gave enough indication that the talks had progressed. AAP is serious about gaining a foothold in parliamentary polls in neighbouring Haryana. With little presence in Harayna, it may be difficult for the party to wrangle with Congress for seats from the state. While there is a rough understanding on the compulsion for the seven seats in Delhi, AAP may use its strong showing in the assembly polls to get seats elsewhere. Gujarat and Goa are the two other states where AAP has MLAs apart from Delhi and Punjab. It is looking for space within the INDIA bloc here also. Much to the consternation of the Congress, AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal has already declared jailed MLA Chaitar Vasava from the Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat. In seat-sharing talks between the AAP and the Congress, it remains to be seen whether Congress lets go of the Bharuch seat. Gujarat has 26 parliamentary constituencies all won by the BJP in 2019. As far as Goa is concerned, it sends just two MPs to Parliament. In 2019, BJP and Congress won one each. However, in the 2022 assembly elections, AAP won two assembly constituencies and does not want to throw away a chance at a parliamentary seat. Kejriwal is scheduled to travel to Goa to meet party workers between January 18 and 20. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has not yet accepted a proposal to name him the convener of the INDIA bloc, even as leaders of the opposition front held a meeting via video conferencing on Saturday where they discussed seat-sharing and preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. The Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Samajwadi Party did not attend the meeting. According to sources, a consensus also emerged that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will be appointed the blocs chairperson. The CM (Kumar) has so far not given his approval to the proposal, said JD(U) national general secretary Sanjay Kumar Jha, adding, we will let you know after discussing the matter within the party. There was no formal announcement till late into the evening about the two appointments. Heres why Nitish Kumar may have rejected the offer to be INDIA blocs convener: The leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are set to hold the crucial discussion on Saturday (January 13) regarding seat-sharing between the Congress and coalition partners for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In the virtual meeting scheduled at 11:30 am, the heads of at least 14 major parties of the alliance will also hold talks on strengthening the alliance and appointing a convener for the coalition. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee will not be part of the virtual meeting on Saturday morning as she is preoccupied with prior engagements. The pressure has also been mounting on the grouping to appoint Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the convener. As per sources, JDU wants Nitish Kumar as the convenor which is also being opposed by the TMC. According to Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, discussions will also held on participation in the upcoming Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra an outreach programme led by Rahul Gandhiduring the meeting today. INDIA party leaders will be meeting over Zoom tomorrow January 13th, 2024 at 11:30 am. They will review various issues like seat-sharing talks that have begun, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that will begin from Thoubal near Imphal day after tomorrow, and other important matters, he said in a social media post on X. Who Is Attending The Meet? This is the groupings second such attempt to hold a virtual meeting, as the previous attempt a few days ago did not materialise. Among those now expected to be present in todays meeting include heads of the Congress, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP, RJD, CPI, JMM, National Conference, PDP, JD(U), Samajwadi Party, and the CPI(M). Meanwhile, a TMC source said the party was informed about the meeting on Friday evening, and the West Bengal chief minister has some pre-scheduled appointments due to which she may not attend. The TMC had also offered that the meeting could be held next week. The source added that the party remains committed to the INDIA bloc and defeating the BJP. INDIA Bloc And Its Challenges As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the BJP and defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The INDIA party, formed with the primary goal of challenging and defeating the BJP in the 2024 elections, faces challenges within the alliance, including the contentious appointment of a convenor. There have been many issues within the alliance which are yet to be resolved, including that of appointing a convenor. Seat-sharing talks with members of the opposition bloc have also not been fruitful so far due to claims and counter-claims on the seats. The sources said the leaders of the various parties would be meeting to iron out these differences and strengthen the bloc further. Seat Sharing For Lok Sabha Polls On Friday, representatives of AAP and the Congress held talks on seat-sharing arrangements in key states, including Delhi and Punjab. The meeting, held at the residence of senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, reportedly went well and both parties decided to meet again. However, talks between TMC and Congress hit a roadblock in West Bengal. Earlier this week, the TMC signalled that it was willing to concede two or three seats to the grand old party, an offer which the state unit of Congress has already rejected. No Hindu or Muslim is allowed to take the law into their hands, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told News18 during an exclusive interview when asked about the three recent cases of moral policing and mob violence reported in the southern state. Siddaramaiah appeared for the interview along with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. No Hindu or Muslim should take the law into their hands. We are very strict when it comes to moral policing; we will not allow such things, the CM said, vowing zero tolerance on such incidents. On January 6, a mob of 17 people assaulted two cousins belonging to different faiths in Belagavi. On January 8, a group of men attacked an interfaith couple after barging into a lodge they were staying at in Haver district. On January 10, a group of men attacked boys from another community for allegedly giving chocolates to college students at a bus stand in Mudigere town. Hitting back at the BJPs campaign that portrays him as sleeping on the job, Siddaramaiah counted the schemes implemented by his government and asked: How can a sleeping government implement these schemes. Deputy CM Shivakumar, too, hit back at the BJP campaign, saying: We will complete five years. We dont encourage any moral policing. We are committed to the law and order of the state. Talking about the Congresss fifth poll promise Yuva Nidhi, which has received more than 70,000 applicants and was launched with much fanfare in Shivamogga by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, the CM reiterated the partys commitment to socio-economic welfare of the people of Karnataka. Asked to what extent these guarantees and promises are expected to held the grand old party in Lok Sabha elections, Siddaramaiah said the Congress is not launching schemes for votes or to appease people. We are not depending on guarantees for the Lok Sabha polls. These guarantees are for the people of the state. We are committed to the socio-economic empowerment of the people. That is what the guarantees are for, he said. The CM also appealed to the unemployed people who will be beneficiaries of the Yuva Nidhi scheme to not misuse it. DK Shivakumar, meanwhile, compared the five guarantees of the Congress to the five fingers of the hand. These five guarantees make a fist, and that makes us strong. Today, as the party president, I can say we have delivered every promise that we made. I also advise the youth not to be employees; they should strive to become employers in the future, he told News18. Shivakuamar, too, said the Congress does not plan to indulge in vote bank politics and is not targeting voters via its schemes. These schemes are for a stronger, brighter, and successful Karnataka; not vote bank politics. The Freedom Park in Shivamogga saw over 1 lakh young men and women attending the official launch of the Yuva Nidhi programme. Dancing to popular Kannada songs at the event, some of the attendees said they hoped to benefit from the monetary support extended by the government. We are thrilled. We hope that the money allocation comes to us soon. We will be able to support our families as well, said Shekhar who graduated this year and is looking for a job in the engineering sector. The scheme provides financial assistance to unemployed graduates and diploma-holders for a period of two years. Applicants can apply for the scheme through the states governments Skill Connect portal based on their eligibility. We also hope to get employment, and if this comes, well certainly feel empowered and happy that the government is concerned about us, said Ashwini P who is among the 70,000 applicants of the scheme. With an allocation of Rs 250 crore for the remaining term, Siddaramaiah has also estimated the cost from the next fiscal year to stand at Rs 1,200 crore. An unwilling convenor in Nitish Kumar and a reluctant chairperson in Mallikarjun Kharge is this the fate the opposition INDIA alliance is destined for ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024? While Kharges appointment as the INDIA bloc chairperson seems to be a done deal with sources saying consensus emerged on the Congress presidents name at Saturdays meeting, it might be a Herculean task to bring on board sulking JD(U) supremo and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the alliances convenor. Neither positions, however, necessarily mean its occupants would be the blocs prime ministerial candidate. The near consensus on Nitish Kumar as the convenor of the anti-BJP alliance seems to have faded as sources said a representative of the JD(U) conveyed to other constituents of the bloc at the virtual meeting that the Bihar CM is not counting himself as an aspirant to the position. One of the reasons Nitish Kumar is reportedly seeking to withdraw himself from contention is that a few leaders, notable among them Rahul Gandhi, felt the JD(U) chief as alliance convenor may not be acceptable to Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Such divisions, coupled with Nitish Kumars disappointment at not being accorded the deference as the alliances architect, have stoked speculation that the Bihar CM may be losing interest in the INDIA coalition, much to the glee of the BJP which has been maintaining that the opposition bloc was a non-starter. Initially, Rahul Gandhi and a few other Congress leaders were expecting that Nitish Kumar as the convenor would add Hindi belt heft in the alliances challenge to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of the alliance would more than make up for the southern sentiment and Dalit outreach, adding weight to the blocs pitch for a country-wise caste census. Interestingly, some leaders like JMM chief and Jharkhand CM Heman Soren casually proposed the name of Rahul Gandhi as the chairperson, but the suggestion, sources said, was met with silence. Given the competitive undertones of the intra-alliance negotiations, the chairpersonship of the alliance seems to have been thrust on Kharge, a safe choice. On paper, a North Indian convenor and a Dalit South Indian chairperson would spell gold for any political alliance, but the INDIA bloc has too many cooks with their hands in the pie. Saturdays virtual meeting was skipped by Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, both of who cited prior engagements. There are considerable differences on seat-sharing between the Congress and TMC in West Bengal and the Congress and SP in Uttar Pradesh. In fact, just before the meeting began, a TMC source told News18: We are with the INDIA alliance to defeat the BJP. But the Congress needs to understand the reality in Bengal and compromise. Saturdays meeting also comes a day before the Congress launches its grand Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Imphal in violence-hit Manipur. The election yatra is another point of discontent in the alliance as other parties feel the Congress should be holding joint rallies with allies rather than setting off a solo march that spotlights Rahul Gandhi. A political row has erupted after a group of sadhus (seers) were allegedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in West Bengals Purulia district. A video of the incident surfaced on Friday, in which three sadhus from Uttar Pradesh, who were en route to the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal, were purportedly seen being disrobed and beaten by a mob. Twelve people have been reportedly arrested in connection with the case so far. Reacting strongly to the attack, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and equated the incident with the 2020 Palghar mob lynching. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared the video on his official X handle and alleged that goons linked to the ruling TMC were behind the assault on Sadhus. Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal Sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC. Malviya wrote on X. Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal. In a Palghar kind lynching, sadhus traveling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti, were stripped and beaten by criminals, affiliated with the ruling TMC.In Mamata Banerjees regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh pic.twitter.com/DsdsAXz1Ys Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 12, 2024 Claiming that it was a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal, he said, In Mamata Banerjees regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. BJPs West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar also hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government over the assault. Shocking incident from Purulia; Sadhus en route to Gangasagar were stripped and beaten by criminals linked to TMC, echoing the Palghar tragedy. Under Mamata Banerjees rule, a terrorist like Shahjahan gets state protection while sadhus face violence. Being Hindu is a crime in WB. The ED sleuths came under attack from unidentified people in the North 24 Parganas district of Bengal earlier this month, when they went there to conduct raids on the properties of Shahjahan Sheikh a TMC strongman and a local panchayat leader. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also equated the incident with the mob attack on ED and claimed that the structure of law and order has collapsed in West Bengal. Palghar part 2 in Purulia? Sadhus en route to Gangasagar were stripped and beaten by TMC goons. In West Bengal under TMC, Shahjahan gets protection while sadhus face violence. Being Hindu is a crime? Political violence has been institutionalised by TMC. From central agencies to sadhus no one is safe! Law & order has collapsed, Poonawalla wrote in a post on X. The Vishva Hindu Parishad has also condemned the attack and demanded CM Mamata Banerjees apology over the incident. The deadly attack by TMC goons is not acceptableIt is unfortunate that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has developed an anti-Hindu environment in the stateWe strongly condemn thisCM Mamata Banerjee should apologise to the nation, said VHP leader Surendra Jain. The TMC did not immediately respond to the allegations. Why Sadhus Were Attacked? Three sadhus a man and his two sonswho were reportedly from UP, hired a vehicle on Thursday to reach Gangasagar for the Makar Sankranti festival. The sadhus had lost their way and had stopped to confirm the route with two girls. The girls got scared and ran away, prompting locals to assume that the sadhus must have harassed the girls, according to a report by India Today. As the situation escalated, local police intervened and rescued the sadhus. Quoting Abhijit Banerjee, Purulia Police Superintendent, the India Today report said that a case was registered and raids are being conducted to apprehend those involved in the assault. So far, 12 people have been arrested in connection with the assault, the police said. Madhur Goswami, one of the sadhus who was assaulted said, While we were on our way to Gangasagar, suddenly our car was stopped by a large mob which assaulted us. 2020 Palghar Lynching Two Hindu sadhus and their driver were lynched by a mob at Gadchinchale village in Maharashtras Palghar district on April 16, 2020. The mob attacked sadhus car believing a WhatsApp rumour about thieves operating in the area during the countrywide coronavirus lockdown. More than 100 villagers were arrested in connection with the lynching. BRUSSELS: The EU's antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said she met with the chief executives of Apple, Alphabet and Qualcomm to discuss regulation and competition policy compliance, in posts on social media platform X on Friday. Last week, Vestager's communications adviser said she would speak to chief executives of Apple, Alphabet, Broadcom and Nvidia in the United States, focusing on European digital regulation including the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and competition policy. Vestager published updates on X on three meetings. With Apple's Tim Cook, she said she discussed, among other things, the company's obligation to allow the distribution of its apps outside its proprietary AppStore, as well as ongoing competition cases like the one involving its music streaming service Apple Music. With Sundar Pichai, the head of Alphabet and Google, she discussed, among other things, design of choice screens, self-preferencing in relation to the DMA, and also Google adtech antitrust case. Under DMA, companies with more than 45 million monthly active users and a 75-billion-euros ($82 billion) market capitalisation are considered gatekeepers, and labelled as such, they are required for example to make their messaging apps interoperate with rivals and let users decide which apps to pre-install on their devices. Vestager did not specify what was discussed with Qualcomm's head Cristiano Amon. "#chips power more than just our #digital transition. Theyre key to our EU #economic #security. Important mtg w @cristianoamon @Qualcomm," she posted. Few people aboard a boat near Koh He in Phuket were not aware that they were probably among the first to sight a rarely seen whale. Marine biologists later confirmed that people aboard the boat Happy Ours spotted a white Omuras whale off Thailands Phuket coast. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at the Kasetsart University, told the Bangkok Post that this was possibly the first sighting of the rare mammal in Thailand and said it could have been also the first time in the world that a white Omura whale was spotted. He took to Facebook to say that based on the detailed information of the marine animal sighted on New Years Day afternoon off the coast of the southern Koh He it seemed it was an Omuras whale. Earlier, observers felt it was a Bruda whale. The Bangkok Post report, citing Professor Thon, pointed out that Omura whales and Bruda whales can be difficult to differentiate but there is one notable difference. The Omuras whale has a single defined ridge on the front of its head whereas the Bruda whale has three. A person aboard the Happy Ours boat, 9 kms south of the Koh He coast, spotted two Omuras whales at about 4pm. The whale was spotted with another Omuras whale about 4pm by a person travelling on a boat called Happy Ours, about 9km south of Koh He. Professor Thon said that these Omuras whales are a rare species primarily found in the seas in Southeast Asia and the waters south of Japan. The mammals have been sighted both in the Andaman Sea and in the Gulf of Thailand, but they are more commonly sighted in the Andaman Sea. The marine expert described a white Omuras whale as doubly rare", adding that the probability of sighting one is about one in 10 million or more. A group of tourists, in a separate incident, spotted a 7-metre white whale near Phi Phi island, Yutthapong Damsrisuk, chief of Nopparat Thara-Phi island park, said last week. The authorities are trying to verify the species. Authorities have urged tour boats and vessels to take extra precautions when navigating in areas where Omuras whales are present. They highlighted that the sighting of these rare species demonstrates the diversity of marine life in the Andaman Sea. Amid the ongoing low-key diplomatic row between India and Maldives, the island-countrys President Muizzu said on Saturday that no country had the right to bully his nation. While addressing a press conference Muizzu, who is regarded as a pro-China leader, said without naming any country, We may be small, but that doesnt give you the licence to bully us. The Maldivian President just completed his five-day visit to China and his statement came amid a diplomatic row with India over derogatory social media posts by three of his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 900,000 square km. Maldives is one of the countries with the biggest share of this ocean, he further told the media. In an apparent jibe at India, he said, This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This (Indian) Ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it. According to the Maldives Sun Online portal, he was quoted as saying, We arent in anyones backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state. During his visit to China, Muizzu held talks with President Xi Jinping after which the two countries signed 20 agreements. The two sides agree to continue firmly supporting each other in safeguarding their respective core interests, said a joint statement issued at the end of Muizzus talks with the top Chinese leaders. China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, respects and supports the Maldives exploration of a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives, the statement said, without referring to any country. A row erupted on social media few days back when a minister and some other leaders in the Maldives used derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach in Lakshadweep. While the Maldivian government on Sunday distanced itself from derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals, it also suspended three government officials whose comments on social media platform X seemingly triggered the row in the first place. In his post on social media site X, the PM had mentioned the stunning beauty of the union territory and the incredible warmth of its people. And, in doing so, advised travel enthusiasts and adventurers that Lakshadweep has to be on your list. 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. President Joe Biden is balancing political rewards and risks after launching airstrikes on Yemen right as the 2024 US election campaign ramps up. The 81-year-old Democrat will hope the strikes on Houthi rebels project an image of strength at home and abroad, countering criticism of his leadership by Republicans led by Donald Trump. But the risk of further inflaming the Middle East after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel will weigh heavily on a president who had vowed to extract America from its forever wars in the region. The immediate tone from Biden was tough, saying Washington and its allies had sent a clear message that they will not tolerate further attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, one of the worlds most important sea lanes. We will make sure we respond to the Huthis if they continue this outrageous behavior, Biden told reporters on an election campaign trip in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. I dont think the strikes will politically help or hurt Joe Biden as long as they remain limited, Garret Martin, who teaches at American University in Washington, told AFP. Joe Biden does not want to be dragged into another conflict in the Middle East and that was the same for many of his predecessors. But if he doesnt do anything, the credibility of the US will be viewed as being challenged. Dropping bombs Republicans have however repeatedly called into question Bidens personal credibility on the international stage as campaigning escalates for one of the most polarizing elections in memory. Despite the foreign policy chaos of his own time as president, Trump used the Yemen strikes to remind voters of the disastrous 2021 US military withdrawal from Afghanistan on the watch of his likely rival in November. Trump who launched air strikes on Syria in 2018 and was at the helm of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group attacked Biden for dropping bombs all over the Middle East, AGAIN. The Yemen strikes also came a day after Trumps rivals for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, had called Biden weak on foreign policy during a debate. Haley said Biden was slow in taking on Iran and the Huthis, and of hiding in a corner, while DeSantis accused Biden of kneecapping Israels military campaign against Hamas. Republicans have also zeroed in on Bidens age he is Americas oldest ever president to suggest that hes unfit to be commander in chief. A further factor in the mix is the row over US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin keeping his hospitalization for cancer treatment secret from Biden for days as the crisis in the Red Sea mounted. The White House said Austin was fully involved in the planning for the attack, but that has not stopped critics from suggesting Biden has lost his grip on his own cabinet. Nervous Driven by animosity towards Iran, many Republicans have backed the strikes on Yemen but, like US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, suggested they were long overdue. America must always project strength, especially in these dangerous times, Johnson tweeted. Biden faces opposition too from the left-wing of his own Democratic Party, which also opposes his support for Israels Gaza offensive. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, accused Biden of violating the US Constitution by carrying out air strikes in Yemen without congressional approval. The American people are tired of endless war, she added. Biden was quick to stress on Friday that he didnt think there were any civilian casualties from the strikes. Ultimately Bidens calculus may have depended on two issues that tend to concern US voters boots on the ground, and money. With US troops in Syria and Iraq repeatedly coming under attack from Iranian proxies, failure to act against the Huthis could have sent a bad sign. But a bigger issue may have been the Red Seas status as a global economic chokepoint. Continued Huthi attacks could cause prices of food and gasoline to spike for US consumers at the worst possible time for Bidens reelection hopes. Its an election year, its no surprise that the Biden administration is particularly nervous about this subject, said Martin. The counting of votes began in Taiwans presidential election which was held in the shadow of threats from China which warned that if the Taiwanese chose the wrong leader it could set the stage for war on the self-ruled island. News agencies AFP and BBC citing their journalists said counting began shortly after voting ended at 4pm (local time). The BBC said that all three presidential candidates have gained more than 1 million votes so far, citing local news media outlets. According to news agency Bloomberg and till the time of writing this report, current vice president Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is leading the polls with around 43.2% of the votes cast. Trailing him is Kuomintangs Hou Yu-ih who secured around 35.8% of the votes at the time of writing this report. The Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je is trailing behind with around 21% of the votes. The votes in Taiwan are counted by hand in each polling station, and then tallied across the island. The Taiwanese are voting for both a president and a legislature. Taiwanese news outlets said that 70.6% of the voting-eligible population in the capital city Taipei turned out for the election. Taipei had the same turnout during the last presidential elections in 2020. A separate report by AFP said that 20 million cast their ballots in fine, sunny weather. Results are expected Saturday evening, with the outcome watched closely by both Beijing and Washington. In Taiwan, the publishing of polls within 10 days of elections is barred. However, political observers tell news agencies that 64-year-old Lai is expected to win the top job but his party, the DPP, could lose its parliamentary majority. Strict election laws also effectively prevent the media from asking voters about their specific choices on polling day, news agency AFP said in a report. Shipping in the Red Sea has become perilous since October when Houthi militias in Yemen said that they will attack ships destined towards Israel or cargo ships carrying an Israeli flag. The rebels said that these actions are being taken to show solidarity with Palestinians who have been caught in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and to support Hamas fight against Israel. This could also be a tactic to make the world focus on Yemens Houthis and earn them legitimacy while also pressuring Israel to stop its siege of Gaza. Houthis have attacked several container ships prompting the US, UK and several other allied nations to launch Operation Prosperity Guardian under which the US and UK carried a round of airstrikes on Thursday to deter the Houthis from attacking commercial shipping. More strikes were conducted on Friday targeting their weapons and drone caches and their radar systems. These actions, however, have not assured shipping companies that move goods on one of the worlds busiest trade routes. The Suez Canal is the quickest sea route between Asia and Europe and more than 17,000 ships cross the Suez Canal every year. According to Lloyds List and BBC, 12% of annual global trade passes through the Red Sea which is $1 trillion worth of goods. What Options Shipping Companies Have and Will it Affect You? Shipping companies can send their ships through the Red Sea if they are ready to risk attacks by the Houthi militia, like the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned and operated container vessel en route from Singapore to Port Suez in Egypt, which was struck by a missile while transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This forced Maersk to suspend passage through a key Red Sea strait until further notice. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Torm, Hapag-Lloyd and the oil company BP are among the ones who are diverting vessels away from the Red Sea. These attacks indicate that supply chains are being weaponized, Marco Forgione, director general of the Institute of Export and International Trade, told the New York Times, adding that the problems in the Red Sea may have not caused supply chains to snag like it did during the pandemic but indicated that a similar situation could arise once more. A report by the BBC said that Houthi attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea increased 500% between November and December which forced major shipping companies, like Maersk, to suspend shipping on those lanes and take other routes which has increased insurance costs ten-fold the normal amount. This means to avoid Houthis these ships may have to sail an extra 4,000 miles around Africa and burn considerable fuel. The companies do not like the options they have and analysts are guessing that neither will the consumers who may have to ultimately bear the costs of the conflict as prices of goods will rise. Shipping Companies Take Measures to Avoid Houthis Flexiport, logistics tech company, told the New York Times that 389 container vessels, accounting for over a fifth of global container capacity, diverted from the Suez already and added that many others were following suit. These options may suit shipping giants but ships headed to or coming from ports from countries bordering the Red Sea or vessels carrying 5,000 or fewer containers or vessels who have a tighter budget may not be able to take the longer route, forcing them to face the Houthis. A report by Bloomberg said five vessels transiting the Red Sea are using their signals to say they have links to China, hoping that such a measure will help them avoid Houthi attacks. The report further added that each ship is indicating all Chinese crew in the destination field. Under normal circumstances, they would have just signalled their destination. The report said two are presently in the Red Sea, two have successfully passed through the trouble-filled waterway en route to Asia and a fifth appeared to be heading towards the Gulf of Aden. A separate report by news agency Reuters said that French forces are escorting ships with French interests through the Red Sea region, citing Rear-Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, the joint commander of French forces in the area. Will There Be Any Let Up The Houthis have said they will not stop attacking ships headed toward Israel. Though one of their spokespersons said international shipping is safe but since the Houthis in November hijacked the car carrier, the Galaxy Leader, and kidnapped 5-member crew, mainly Filipinos, and are yet to release them, it is unlikely that shipping companies will take a bet on the Red Sea passage. A separate report by Sky News said that two suspicious small boats followed a merchant vessel on Saturday in an area 80 nautical miles southeast of Aden in Yemen, citing the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The UKMTO said it received a report of a missile fired towards a vessel in a similar area but there was no damage reported. A woman and her former partner were handed life sentences for the murder of her 18-month-old son in November 2020. The court said the toddler, Alfie Phillips, had been the victim of a lengthy night of violence. According to a report published by the BBC, Alfie died on November 28, 2020 with more than 70 visible wounds and traces of cocaine in his body. His mother, Sian Hedges, was sentenced to a minimum term of 19 years while 35-year-old Jack Benham got a minimum term of 23 years. A mother and her partner have received life sentences for murdering her 18-month-old son in #Hernhill. Read the full details here https://t.co/TkWrQAzU5J pic.twitter.com/QblcqNTvw7 Kent Police (UK) (@kent_police) January 12, 2024 In his sentencing remarks, the presiding judge said Alfie had been the victim of a frenzied attack on the night of his death. You were Alfies mother and he deserved your protection, the BBC quoted the judge as saying. Alfies father, Sam Phillips, described him as good as gold and lively, adding that he had been robbed of the opportunity to see him grown up. The funeral was one of the hardest days of my life. The images of his tiny coffin will stay with me forever, he was quoted as saying. Hedges and Benham murdered Alfie overnight during the Covid lockdown inside a caravan. The nine-week trial, which ended on November 30, 2023, established that both defendants had been complicit in the crime. Alfie suffered fractures to his ribs, arms and leg; on his lips and mouth were signs that he was smothered along with traces of cocaine in his body. The BBC report said Hedges went to buy drugs from their friend and repay a debt, and also get mixers and drinks for their evening in the caravan. In court, Benham told the jury that he bit Alfie in the back and shook him in an effort to revive him when he found him unresponsive the morning after. Hedges, however, said she had not deliberately beaten Alfie and, when asked if she had seen Benham murder Alfie, she replied in the negative. During the trial, it was established that Alfie had injuries even in the months prior to his death like a cut under his eye from playing with keys and his fingers being caught in the dog gate at Benhams parents home. Alfie should have been protected and loved by his mum, instead Hedges and Benham inflicted unimaginable suffering on him during a sustained and lengthy night of violence, Det Ch Insp Kathleen Way of Kent Police was quoted as saying. The United States on Friday night (local time) carried out further airstrikes targeting Houthis in Yemen. The fresh airstrikes come after the UK and the US launched a coordinated multi-nation attack on nearly 30 locations used by Houthis. American officials told CNN that the Friday airstrikes were much smaller in scope than the one conducted on Thursday. The recent airstrikes targeted a radar facility used by the Houthis, the officials said. At 3:45 am (Sanaa time) on January 13, US forces conducted a strike against a Houthi radar site in Yemen. This strike was conducted by the USS Carney (DDG 64) using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and was a follow-on action on a specific military target associated with strikes taken on Jan. 12 designed to degrade the Houthis ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels, the US Central Command said. These strikes have no association with and are separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of over 20 countries operating in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden, the US Centcom further added. The Houthis retaliated to Thursdays airstrikes by firing at least one anti-ship ballistic missile toward a commercial vessel, the American director of joint staff lieutenant general Douglas Sims II said. The UK and the US backed by Canada, Australia, Bahrain and the Netherlands struck 28 separate Houthi sites to deter them from firing on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The US warned the Iran-backed militia of the possibility of additional military action if they carried out drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. We will make sure we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour along with our allies, US President Joe Biden said during an event in Pennsylvania. We will make sure we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour along with our allies, US President Joe Biden said during an event in Pennsylvania. The UN chief Antonio Guterres warned all parties from taking steps that will lead to a wider conflict in West Asia following the airstrikes. The US strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council John Kirby said every step that the US is taking is to ensure deescalation. Everything were doing, everything were trying to do is to prevent any further escalation, Kirby was quoted as saying by news agency CNN. The US chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Hindus across the US put up more than 40 billboards in 10 states and more inviting devotees to Ayodhya ahead of the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the birthplace of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22, news agency ANI said in a report. The report said that billboards were put up in Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Georgia. It said billboards will also be put up in Arizona and Missouri starting Monday. Amitabh VW Mittal, general secretary, Hindu Parishad of America, said that Hindu Americans are elated about this once-in-a-lifetime event and are eagerly awaiting for the auspicious day. The resounding message conveyed by these billboards is that Hindu Americans are elated and joyously participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event. Their emotions overflow as they eagerly await the auspicious day of the consecration ceremony, Mittal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Teja A Shah, joint general secretary, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, America chapter told the news agency that Hindus residing in New Jersey are eagerly waiting for the car rally, exhibition, curtain raiser and setting of billboards across New Jersey and New York and the grand celebration slated to be held on the night of January 21. The Hindu community in New Jersey is brimming with joy, eagerly anticipating the upcoming Car Rally, Exhibition, Curtain Raiser, Billboards across New York New Jersey, and the grand celebration slated for the 21st night. The enthusiasm is palpable, with members from Mandirs across NJ eagerly looking forward to this once-in-a-generation event, Shah said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the ceremonial installation of the idol of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on January 22 in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya. The temple trust has invited a host of leaders and dignitaries from all walks of life to the grand temple opening in Ayodhya. The temple officials have said that the ceremony will be held over a span of seven days starting January 16. Vedic rituals for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed The connection between the Beatles and India (now it would labeled cultural appropriation) was genuinely heartfelt. The United Kingdoms pop culture in the 1960s was captivated by its largest former colony, and Indian music for the UKs thriving immigrant community was all over the radio. It comes as no surprise that the Beatlemania sweeping the planet also made its way to India, where local bands eagerly sought to emulate the look and music of the Liverpool-born phenomenon. This bond is eloquently depicted in The Beatles and India, a well-researched and insightful British documentary film released in 2021. However, due to copyright restrictions, the film regrettably doesnt feature any of the Fab Fours iconic songs. Directed by Ajoy Bose (author of Across the Universe: The Beatles in India) and Peter Compton, the documentary interviews both Brits and Indians with firsthand knowledge of how the Beatles passionately embraced Indian music even before their first visit in 1966. Their journey to Rishikesh in 1968 to meditate with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was a transformative experience that left a lasting impact but not the one they expected. The first interaction of the Beatles with India that the world saw was in their 1965 movie Help! The villains were an Indian band who reinforced every imaginable stereotype in a series of improbable situations. The always restless George Harrison became captivated by the sitar sound, so he bought one and found a teacher. He was Ravi Shankar, a musician from Benares (India) who enjoyed a measure of fame in Europe and ended up performing at the Monterey and Woodstock music festivals. We first heard Harrisons sitar in the Lennon-penned Norwegian Wood from the Rubber Soul album (1965). The Indian influence blended seamlessly with the Beatles golden era. It was a sound that resonated with the hippie spiritual quest and especially George Harrison. The psychedelic wave of LSD experimentation further transformed the exotic, mesmerizing music. The Beatles stopped touring to concentrate on songwriting and recording, freeing themselves from the stylistic constraints of their early music. The turning point was Revolver (1966), which featured Harrisons laconic sitar on Love You To and Lennons hypnotic Tomorrow Never Knows. The Beatles briefly stopped in Delhi in July 1966 on their return from the Philippines. The legendary band performed two concerts before 80,000 rabid fans in Manila, but their apparent snub of Imelda Marcos, the countrys first lady and wife of President Ferdinand Marcos, ignited a media frenzy. George Harrison returned to India later that year to work with local musicians on his debut solo album, Wonderwall Music. He even took a selfie at the Taj Mahal. Harrison penned more Beatles songs featuring his sitar-playing, including Within You Without You, and Inner Light. However, he realized that becoming a sitar master was unlikely, as even his teacher, Ravi Shankar, was still learning the instrument. Harrison later wrote Blue Jay Way, another Indian-inspired song (without the sitar) for the trippy Magical Mystery Tour album. In early 1968, the Beatles found themselves at a crossroads. Their Magical Mystery Tour made-for-TV movie was widely panned, signaling the end of their psychedelic phase. The death of Beatles manager Brian Epstein profoundly affected the band, as he had been their glue. Seeking clarity, they traveled to India for a meditation course led by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who had become a popular spiritual figure in San Francisco. The Beatles and several of the Rolling Stones had previously met the guru in Wales. Accompanying the Beatles were notable musicians, artists and actors like Donovan, Mia Farrow, Mike Love (Beach Boys), jazz musician Paul Horn, photographer and producer Paul Saltzman and journalist Lewis Lapham. Together, they journeyed to the foothills of the Himalayas in search of solace and enlightenment. Regrettably, the quest for spiritual enlightenment was marred by human failings and worldly concerns. The guru attempted to exploit the popularity of his famous students and wanted to film a documentary with them, which the Beatles declined. When he made sexual advances toward Farrow, wanting to merge in a cosmic hug, she promptly left, shattering the purity of the experience. However, Lennon and McCartney still found inspiration and returned with almost 50 songs. Many were recorded for the White Album, and some made it onto later albums. The Beatles and India depicts very different experiences for the Beatles during their retreat with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Ringo and his wife Maureen only lasted 10 days and Paul left after three weeks. George and John stuck with the guru for about six weeks, after which Harrison stayed in India to visit Madras. Lennon left angry, feeling used. He wrote a song called Maharishi about the experience but later reworked and renamed it Sexy Sadie. You made a fool of everyone / Sexy Sadie, ooh, what have you done / Sexy Sadie, you broke the rules / You laid it down for all to see. The film ends there. It would have been interesting to analyze the White Album, recorded upon their return. The album didnt have sitars, outlandish outfits or psychedelic trips. Instead, it offered 30 songs with a leaner sound guitar, bass, drums and piano. The Indian influence is less apparent, except perhaps in Lennons single-chorded Dear Prudence, dedicated to Mia Farrows sister. The album notably excluded Across the Universe, Lennons Indian-inspired composition that made a later appearance on Let it Be. While Harrison temporarily set aside his Indian explorations, he would collaborate again with Ravi Shankar and organized the memorable benefit concert for Bangladesh. Harrison was always the Spiritual Beatle. In the White Album, you can sense that each Beatle is heading in a different direction. By mid-1969, the band had broken up. Experiencing the real India, rather than an imagined version, pushed the Beatles music in an unexpected direction. Instead of leading to more lush, exotic sounds, the band leaned toward simplicity. The influence of India became more nuanced, more authentic. But after venturing on this journey of self-discovery, each Beatle ultimately found himself making music alone. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Law Society of Zimbabwe is inundated by clients allegedly prejudiced by a Bulawayo lawyer in numerous transactions involving properties worth nearly US$1 million dollars. The clients who spoke to The Mirror in interviews castigated the Law Society for not acting despite numerous complaints. According to documents in the hands of The Mirror, Doreen Vundhla Phulu a principal partner in Vhundhla Phulu and Partners was engaged by different clients in conveyancing and other legal services who later lost properties and money through alleged forgery, misuse of money, negligence, misrepresentation and unauthorised discounts and payments in RTGS not agreed upon by clients. Clients also complained that Phulu would not bank money she received on behalf of her clients and she did not keep proper accounting records. In one case Phulu allegedly sold a property of her client twice resulting in a prejudice of US$15 000 to one of buyers. Efforts to get a comment from Phulu were futile as her number was continuously unreachable. The Mirror then spoke to the curator Vonani Majoko who has now taken over Phulus pending cases. He said its unfortunate that some people are not aware of the procedures. I have received complaints and I will finish my report as soon as they are complete and LSZ will take appropriate action. They should not think that I want to conceal the evidence before the matter is finalised, he said. Richard Chidza the Corporate Communication Manager for the Law Society of Zimbabwe said the law firm is under investigation and currently under the curator. The law firm is under curatorship and investigations are still ongoing. We will furnish you with details as soon as they are complete, said Chidza. Getrude Tshabalala of Riverside Bulawayo complained that she contracted Phulu for conveyancing for 10 plots owned by her and her three children; Leornard, Linet and Lloyd Tsabalala. The plots had a total value of US$245 000 and she was allegedly prejudiced through false documents by the lawyer, concealing important information, failure to present complete statements of accounts and failure to produce. Tshabalala said complained that Phulu failed to produce documents for the payment of US$55 000 she made to a Mr Sithole for the servicing of land in the form of construction of roads and water supply. Tsahabalala had complaints with all the 10 plots sold on her behalf by Phulu. Netsai Magunda complained to Law Society that in 2017, she and her brother Kutamahufa engaged Phulu to prepare an agreement of sale of a property that they wanted to purchase Stand 153 and 154 Matsheumhope Bulawayo. After signing the agreement of sale they only realised in 2019 that Phulu had transferred the property into another persons name. Magunda has allegedly failed to recover her US$15 750. Viola Chagweka complained that she engaged Phulu to do her appeal case at the Supreme Court. Phulu demanded payment upfront within four days and this was done. After serving the other parties the Supreme Court allegedly called her to provide a copy with the High Court stamp and this is when Chagweka realised that Phulu had not served the High Court. In May 2021 Phulu made a chamber application for reinstatement of the matter which had been struck off. She allegedly did not give Chagweka the reasons why the matter was struck off. Later Chagweka allegedly realised that Phulu was suspended from duty and her company was put under judiciary management and Majoko of Majoko and Majoko was appointed in charge of all Phulu clients. In 2018, Netsai Magunda says she engaged Phulu over a relatives property that was being auctioned. They wanted Phulu to save the property, The property was referred to private treaty with the complainant expected to get a buyer. Magunda and her relatives were surprised to be told that Geomoses Investments was the highest bidder and it got the property for RTGS$180 000. Records at the Registrar of Deeds allegedly indicate that the said company does not exist. The value of the property was US$250 000. Magunda said in her statement to the Law Society that she suspects that Phulu acted in collusion to sell the property. Masvingo Mirror A beloved landmark for selfie-seekers and photographers alike is in its final days. According to SF Gate , winter storms have ravaged the remains of the SS Point Reyes, a beached vessel that's been left to the elements for decades in Northern California. Though it's been dubbed a shipwreck by tourists who flock to the landmark, the vessel actually got mired in mud in Tomales Bay in the '90s, and the years have weathered it into rustic perfection. Photographers were responsible for saving the picturesque boat in the early 2000s, when the protected wetlands surrounding it were being restored. "It's sad, because she was just an amazing boat," says Rebecca Dixon, owner of a local wetlands restoration firm. "These boats have soul. They have stories to tell." Stories about the Point Reyes have been told all over social media, where's it's become Instagram-famous for its moldering beauty. While interest in the ship has made its town, Inverness, a destination for travelers looking to snag a shot, not everyone has treaded with care. In 2016, an amateur photographer accidentally set it on fire, and locals complain about litter left on the beach. Severe weather in December demolished much of the boat's structure, and the National Park Service says it's now "evaluating options to remove it safely." No timetable has been established. "It's completely falling apart," Inverness fire chief Jim Fox tells the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's much more dangerous than it used to be." The SS Point Reyes comes with some interesting history, notes Smithsonian Magazine. Before becoming a social media star, it was built in the '40s as a WWII launch vessel and was later repurposed as a salmon boat. (A father and daughter discovered a shipwreck while fishing in Lake Michigan.) As we settle into the new year, Republicans are beginning to take sides on who they want to win the GOP primary, and who they'd be willing to cast a ballot for in November. It's not yet clear who Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul counts as his first choice, but what is clear is who he's not keen on: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. In fact, Paul wants to make sure others don't support her, either, which is why, just days before the Iowa caucuses kick off, he has now issued what Politico calls an "anti-endorsement" via the "Never Nikki" website . "I have been watching the GOP primary closely for a while now, and I like various aspects of several candidates," Paul said in a statement featured on the site, even though he added, "I don't think I yet have a first choice." Paul, who endorsed Donald Trump in the last two elections, noted that he wasn't averse to stumping for Trump again, or for Ron DeSantis or Vivek Ramaswamy, per the Hill. It's a hard "no" for Haley, though, whom the libertarian senator disagrees with on foreign policy and spending, among other issues. Paul tells Politico he doesn't like her position on Ukraine (she wants the US to help Ukraine, Paul advocates for nonintervention) and notes she's tied up with fellow GOPers who might want to "bomb Tehran tomorrow." Paul says he'd even consider pulling the lever for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if Haley gets nominated. The senator, who Politico notes has been reticent in recent interviews about the primary, also noted the "possibility" of campaigning against Haley in New Hampshire, or running ads against her. "I'm absolutely dead certain Nikki Haley would be wrong for our country," Paul tells Politico. "And I do have some voice. I want to make sure my voice is heard." (More Rand Paul stories.) President Biden said Friday that it was a lapse in judgment by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin not to tell him about his hospitalization last week, but he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief. Speaking to reporters as he toured local businesses outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, Biden said "yes" when asked if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to tell him about his condition. He replied, "I do," when asked if he still had confidence in Austin's leadership. Austin, 70, remains hospitalized as he is being treated for complications from prostate cancer surgery. A jailed member of the Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Friday to more than four years in prison for his role in a mob's attack on the US Capitol three years ago, court records show. William Chrestman, an Army veteran from Olathe, Kansas, brandished an axe handle and threated police with violence after leading other Proud Boys members to the perimeter of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Chrestman pleaded guilty in October to obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College vote, the AP reports. He also pleaded guilty to a second felony count of threatening to assault a federal officer during the riot. US District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Chrestman to four years, seven months in prison, according to court records. Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of five years, three months, arguing that he "played a significant role during the riot due to his presence and conduct at pivotal moments during the day." They wrote, "Indeed, Chrestman regularly presented himself as a leader among the rioters including when he was part of the tip of the spear that created the breach at the Peace Circle, encouraged other rioters to move to the police barricades, told rioters to stop the arrest of a rioter, and thanked them for supporting the Proud Boys." Chrestman has been jailed since his arrest in February 2021. He'll get credit for the nearly three years he already has served in custody. Defense attorney Michael Cronkright argued that Chrestman never used his axe handle "to do anything remotely violent" on Jan. 6. Chrestman also had a gas mask, a helmet, and other tactical gear when he traveled to Washington with other Proud Boys members from the Kansas City, Kansas, area. On Jan. 6, he marched to the Capitol grounds with dozens of other Proud Boys leaders, members, and associates. Chrestman and other Proud Boys moved past a toppled metal barricade and joined other rioters in front of another police barrier. He shouted a threat at officers and yelled at others in the crowd to stop police from arresting another rioter, according to prosecutors. He also exchanged chants with the crowd, telling it to "take" the Capitol, they said. story continues below Also on Friday, a man who briefly ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor of Oregon after storming the Capitol was sentenced to nearly four years in prison, per the AP. Reed Knox Christensen, 65, charged at a group of police officers outside the Capitol and assaulted five of them before rioters breached the police line, prosecutors said. Christensen captured less than 1% of the votes cast in Oregon's May 2022 Republican primary for the governor's race. Prosecutors said he used the campaign "to obtain free publicity and brag about his participation in the riot." US District Judge Royce Lamberth sentenced Christensen, an engineer from Hillsboro, Oregon, to three years, 10 months in prison, court records show. (More Capitol riot stories.) A search and rescue operation is underway off the coast of Somalia after two sailors from the US Navy went missing on Thursday night, reports Reuters. "For operational security purposes, we will not release additional information until the personnel recovery operation is complete," read a statement from US Central Command. There's no info on what ship the sailors may have been on. Central Command simply noted, "The sailors were forward-deployed to the US 5th Fleet (C5F) area of operations supporting a wide variety of missions." Per CNN, the US maintains a small military presence in Somalia, mainly to take on the extremist Islamic group al-Shabaab. (More Navy stories.) For the first time in more than two years, Apple doesn't rule the stock valuation roost. CNBC reports that the tech giant was toppled on Friday by Microsoft as the most valuable public company. Microsoft ended the workweek with a market valuation of $2.89 trillion, compared to Apple's $2.87 trillion. Microsoft shares increased more than 3% for the week, while Apple's fell more than 3%. Bloomberg notes it's the first time since November 2021 that Microsoft has held a higher value than Apple. "When you compare and contrast the two, the growth Apple is showing is nothing special, whereas Microsoft has done a better job of executing and demonstrating earnings growth," investment expert David Katz of Matrix Asset Advisors, which has positions in both companies, tells Bloomberg. The outlet found that Apple has also been slammed with three analyst ratings downgrades, while artificial intelligence has proven valuable to Microsoft. "Microsoft ... has a much clearer roadmap with AI, and it has done a great job articulating how that will accelerate growth to make its long-term prospects even more compelling," Katz notes. The New York Times dives further into the artificial-intelligence angle, noting that "companies with the most momentum have put generative AI at the forefront of their future business plans." "It simply comes down to gen AI," a Stifel analyst tells the newspaper. "Apple doesn't have much of an AI story yet." (More Microsoft stories.) President Biden had a reminder for Taiwan on Saturday, hours after voters chose Lai Ching-te to be their next president. "We do not support independence," Biden told reporters outside the White House. The president-elect has called for independence in the past, Politico reports, which earned him China's opposition. Biden's response was consistent with the One China policy, which acknowledges China's claim that Taiwan is historically part of the mainland, per the Hill , while the US fosters informal relations with Taipei. The Biden administration has said it supports dialogue between Taipei and Beijing to resolve differences peacefully. Lai's comments after his election reflected that approach, calling for "exchanges and cooperation with China" characterized by "dignity and parity." In a post on X, Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai and the people of Taiwan "for participating in free and fair elections and demonstrating the strength of their democratic system." House Speaker Mike Johnson posted that, "to underscore the ongoing commitment of Congress to security and democracy," he'll send committee chairs to Taiwan after Lai takes office in May. The administration had said this week that a delegation would visit Taiwan after the election. (More Taiwan stories.) Police are seeking information as the search for a possible missing swimmer in Cambridge resumes on Saturday afternoon. Police were alerted at around 5:30pm on Friday after a man jumped off the Low Level bridge on Shakespeare Street, near Tirau Road. It's not yet known if he made it out of the water. Police say a couple near the boat ramp may have seen the man come out of the river and they would like to speak to them to see if that is the case. If you witnessed this incident or have dash camera footage of the area at the time, please contact Police immediately and quote job number P057410928. On Sunday, Inspector Callum McNeill, of Waitemata provided an update on the homicide investigation, revealing a third arrest had been made. Insp McNeill said police arrested a 20-year-old man on Saturday night. "We have also charged this man with Jayden's murder," he said. The 20-year-old is expected to appear in the North Shore District Court on Monday alongside the two men arrested earlier on Saturday. Insp McNeill said police cannot rule out further arrests as part of the investigation. On Saturday, Insp McNeill provided an update on the homicide investigation saying police have been searching at a a property in Dairy Flat since Wednesday, resulting in a body being found. "While we still have to carry out formal identification procedures, from all of our enquiries to-date we believe this is Jayden," he said on Saturday. "This now brings an end to the search for Jayden, which has been ongoing for more than eight months. "I would like to acknowledge the absolute determination of the investigation team, who from day one has never given up in their work to locate Jayden and to bring about answers for his whanau." It had been a devastating ordeal for Mamfredos-Nair's whanau, Insp McNeill said. "We hope that this brings them some closure, in knowing that their boy can now be returned to them so he can be laid to rest." The city of Rotterdam is the engine of the Netherlands economic activity, mainly due to its port, which moves the most shipping containers in Europe and is one of the largest in the world. It features a spectacular skyline of avant-garde buildings, and every year, it vies for the top spot in the cultural sector with Amsterdam, forever its closest competitor. But it is the new exhibitions in Rotterdams museums and galleries that are the biggest attractions for potential visitors in 2024 in addition to getting to know, or re-visiting, the citys latest buildings, designed by top architects. Perhaps the most relevant cultural landmark that awaits this winter in the port city is the vast anthological exhibition dedicated to Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, now living in exile in London. The show includes installations, paintings, dioramas that illustrate his detention by Chinese authorities, and photographs in several galleries of the appealing Kunsthal art museum, ranging from early works to his latest creations. In Search of Humanity, a concept that Ai seems to doubt he will ultimately find, brings together four decades of artistic expression, from his works related to his childhood in China, the repression suffered by his family in a labor camp during the Cultural Revolution, to the six-year imprisonment of his father. The exhibition will also include his reflections and denouncements captured on Ming vases, where images of African desert wanderers and shipwrecked boat people replace peasants and officials in the idyllic landscapes of ancient rural China. Above the heads of visitors to the exhibition zigzags a large snake made from a thousand students backpacks, rescued from underneath the rubble of schools that collapsed and that would have stayed intact, had they been built according to safety regulations during the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, which caused some 90,000 deaths and missing persons in the region. In Search of Humanity will be on view at the Kunsthal through March 4, and is a must-see on any visit to Rotterdam during the next few months. The Grapes sculpture by Ai Weiwei is one of the Chinese artists works on display in the exhibition dedicated to him at Rotterdams Kunsthal. Reiner Riedler Another gem can be found at the Stedelijk Museum in Schiedam, a municipality located alongside the westernmost neighborhoods of Rotterdam, just a few minutes away from downtown by public transportation. On display until February 25 is the Yayoi Kusama exhibition Dutch Years (1966-1970), a period in which the Japanese artist, born in in 1929, served as a reference for the countercultural Provo movement. Kusama recognizes three principal obsessions as motivations for her work, all of them the subjects of repellant hallucinations she experienced in childhood: sex, flowers and macaroni. The trio materializes in installations and collages throughout several of the museums galleries: dresses with fragments of Italian pasta attached, sculptures formed by piles of penises and the proliferation of another one of the fixations of Kusama who has been voluntarily committed to a Japanese mental health facility since the 1970s, from which she leaves for hours-long periods to work. Here too are her colored polka dots on fashion designs, mannequins, or even painted live on the naked bodies of other artists, as shown in the photos of 1960s happenings that took place in galleries in Amsterdam and other Netherlands cities, which scandalized many, even in a society as liberal as that of the Dutch. After visiting the Stedelijk, a beautiful building that once housed a hospital in the late 18th century and is located in the towns historic center, savvy travelers will stroll along the tree-lined docks of the nearby Lange Haven canal. Docked in its waters are houseboats that make for delightful scenery. Coupled with the 18th-century buildings that flank the canal, they form a classic panorama typical of several cities in the Netherlands. Not to be missed on this street is the fascinating National Museum of Jenever, dedicated to the Dutch gin. Visitors will learn how the beverage has been distilled in this very building since 1700, and about how much of its production is exported to other parts of the world. In addition, the museum will be hosting an exhibition on the industrys use of precious Delft blue pottery, through February 25. The Lange Haven canal in Schiedam. Frans Blok (Alamy / CORDON PRESS)DON PRESS) Back in the city center, Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdams primary art museum, will be closed for renovation until at least 2028, but you can see some of its works in the Depot, an impressive building that opened in 2021 in the Museumpark, next to the former Boijmans. Only a slim percentage of the 150,000 canvases, sculptures and design objects were transferred from the lavish museum to be displayed in their temporary home, but the highlights of the collection are not to be missed. Through March 24, there are 14 works by Bosch, Titian, Kandinsky, Monet, Mondrian and Basquiat, and after that date, visitors will find up to 70 masterpieces being shown on the buildings fifth floor. Its also quite interesting to take a look at the large spaces in which works are stored and restored. Of course, what will likely surprise travelers most on this visit will be the building itself. A cup-shaped structure standing at over 131 feet tall, the Depot features over 161,000 square feet of space used to store artistic treasures, hidden behind a facade of reflective glass. One of the Depots galleries, in Rotterdam. ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN (ANP / AFP / Contacto) Another stand-out showing at the Depot will be on display through January 14, tucked away in a room on the top floor accessed by glass elevators or stairs rising up between large showcases. There you will find design objects hailing from ancient cultures like Chinese porcelain and Mesopotamian vessels, late-20th century furniture, or even a medieval canvas positioned in front of the work of a Surrealist painter. It also hosts the exhibition Art Among the Ruins, which illustrates how Rotterdam artists survived (and sometimes collaborated) in the years following the bombing that destroyed the city in 1940, during the Nazi occupation. Some created oil paintings with neutral themes so as not to offend the occupying forces, of which the most common subject was landscapes (a theme that never bothered the Nazis, according to a museum guide), and others went so far as to insert a tiny, almost-imperceptible swastika in the middle of a painting of desolation, as a nearly invisible denunciation of censorship. In a city that had to rise from the ashes at the end of World War II, and that grew rich over the following years thanks in large part to the activity of its Europoort, whose commercial volume was only surpassed in 2004 by the Shanghai and Singapore ports, its highly recommended to visit Europes largest maritime entry and exit point, which stretches 26 miles long and has a total area of 41 square miles. The company Spido offers various daily hour-and-a-half-long cruises that travel through the port, via the mouths of the Rhine and Meuse rivers, that depart from next to the Erasmus Bridge. Later this year, the new Portlantis visitor center is scheduled to open at Maasvlakte 2, a site that was reclaimed from the North Sea at the westernmost end of the superport, a state-of-the-art project, a machine to reveal the incredible world of the port, according to Winy Maas, founding partner of MVRVD, the architectural firm that won the competition to design the project. Visitors during World Port Days, an annual event held at the city. JEFFREY GROENEWEG (ANP / Alamy / CORDON PRESS) Those interested in avant-garde architecture will find in Rotterdam a series of lavish buildings and skyscrapers on a walk through downtown and its other neighborhoods: the aforementioned Depot, Central Station, the iconic Cube Houses Theres also the Markthal, located in front of the houses, a striking arch that contains 200 apartments and whose interior dome features beautiful murals of flowers and fruits, sheltering a charming food market. There, one is drawn to stalls of traditional and local products: cheeses, jenever, chocolates food whose quality practically calls out to passers-by. Other architectural options are found in the impressive McDonalds pavilion in Coolsingel, designed by Robert Winkel; the Stock Exchange and the World Trade Center, the imposing Willemswerf, headquarters of the Maersk shipping company. You might also take a look at the progress of the futuristic building that will house the FENIX Museum of Immigration, slated to open in 2025, a mind-blowing metal spiral inserted into a 1920s Holland America Line maritime warehouse on the lower bank of the Meuse. Moment Contained,' a sculpture located in front of Rotterdams Central Station. OHN THYS (AFP / Getty Images) And soon, there will even be a stand-out option for Rotterdam visitors looking to unwind after experiencing the citys dazzling array of cultural offerings. Next summer will see the opening of RiF010 Urban Surfing, a site in the central Steigersgracht area, located on another one of the countrys ubiquitous canals, where you will be able to ride the waves in kayaks, bareback or even have a good time on a rafting circuit. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Supreme Council for the Environment has affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrains unwavering dedication to fulfilling its obligations under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This resolute commitment was emphasised during the inauguration of a symposium organised by the Supreme Council for the Environment in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to address the disposal of ozone-depleting chemicals used in the foam and thermal insulation sector. The symposium garnered extensive participation from manufacturers and suppliers from European and regional countries, along with the presence of distinguished specialists in the field. The symposium focused on deliberating strategies to completely eliminate chemicals that impact the ozone layer from the industrial sectors, aiming for full cessation of their usage by the year 2025. The event underscored the national plans endorsement of multiple environmentally friendly alternatives that have been developed over the past decade, ensuring a seamless transition for end users in the industrial and thermal insulation domains without encountering impediments. Collaborative efforts Over the past three years, the Supreme Council for the Environment has actively engaged with industrial sectors and investors to facilitate a smooth transition to new alternatives. Notably, in collaboration with UNIDO, the Council has successfully procured suitable quantities of alternative chemicals for use in thermal insulation. Rigorous laboratory testing has ensured their compatibility with Bahrains climate and regulatory standards, establishing them as viable replacements for ozone-depleting substances. The Council expressed gratitude to UNIDO for its ongoing environmental support and lauded the active participation of stakeholders from both local and international sectors. The Council extended its best wishes for the successful realisation of their collective goals in advancing sustainable development. The USA intelligence agencies determined that China had uncovered major corruption in it military. Xi Jinping purged many Generals and top military leaders. It was found out that there was water instead of fuel in missiles and the lids of missile silos are not reliable. This could be just the tip of the iceberg of military corruption. Russia recently found out at the start of the war with Ukraine that military trucks and other equipment were not properly maintained. There was also missing ammunition, supplies and equipment. There was widespread corruption that caused a loss of 30% of the budget over many years. China has a similar problem of military corruption but at an unknown scale. China will likely need to take many months to determine the scale and severity of the problems and it could take years to fix problems and verify quality. This means that China does not know how ready its military is to actually perform in combat operations. 2024 and every year going forward will have more and better AI. This intelligence explosion is attracting funding and resources exponentially and it revenue will go exponential. AI expert, Dr Alan Thompson, expects OpenAI to release GPT 4.5 in days and it will exceed human experts in most intelligence tests. A survey of thousands of AI experts does not expect AI to be capable of surpassing human in all tasks until about 2047 (13 years earlier than last years survey) and they do not expect AI to replace all human jobs until 2100-2150. However, most of them expect AI to accelerate technological develop by ten times within 5 years. How will technological advancement been rapidly accelerated from every month being a year of progress without complete world altering effects? An Nvidia Expert, Jim Fan, Forecasts Synthetic Data Becoming Very Important Synthetic data will be a significant research path in 2024. Many old techniques that were meant for board games and image generation are now revived with new meanings for LLMs. This papers idea is simple: self-play + GAN. Intuitively, an LLM at iteration (t+1) plays an adversarial game against its older self at (t). (t+1) tries to tell a models output from real humans output, while (t) tries to fool its opponent by generating text that looks as real as possible. Then the (t+1) parameters are copied to (t) and the self-improvement loop continues. Most importantly, this method does not require human preference data. A supervised finetuning (SFT) dataset is enough to kick-start the self-play game. I think this method is similar to GAIL in spirit. GAIL stands for Generative Adversarial Imitation Learning, which outperforms simple behavior cloning for control tasks like Robotics. It also runs this adversarial game that drives self-improvement, but with a physics simulator in the loop. Synthetic data will be a significant research path in 2024. Many old techniques that were meant for board games and image generation are now revived with new meanings for LLMs. This papers idea is simple: self-play + GAN. Intuitively, an LLM at iteration (t+1) plays an pic.twitter.com/ycIE3FToOd Jim Fan (@DrJimFan) January 3, 2024 Happy New Year everyone! 2024 will be EPIC. We are riding the vertical part of the exponential curve. Every year from now on will be state of the art, by far! pic.twitter.com/nv8XnAv4Cc Jim Fan (@DrJimFan) December 31, 2023 Smart home robots and smart home hubs are striving to be the center of the smart home. LG wants to create the Zero Labor home using these devices. The new robot devices from LG, Samsung and many others add mobility, environmental awareness, cameras and sensors. They will have superior AI that will leverage large language models. They will be part of a home device hub and network and they will gather a lot of data. The data gathering will help with AI rendered services but they will increase the privacy concerns. Voice and Home Assistants Are Common But Failed as Revenue Platforms In 2022, Amazon was losing about $10 billion on Alexa. Google reduced support for Google Assistant. Voice Assistants failed as the next computing platform that drives billions of dollars of extra revenue. Users mainly use their voice assistants to manage shopping lists, set timers, play music, and control their homes. Voice failed at being a source of revenue. In 2024, Amazon and Google are laying off a few thousand employees, combined, across various business groups as the two IT giants confirmed several different employee cuts this week as 2024 kicks off. From Googles Assistant and hardware teams to Amazons Prime and Twitch divisions, hundreds of employees from each individual business group are being let go. By the end of 2023, there were about 145 million voice assistant users in the US, according to Insider Intelligences forecast. Insider Intelligence expects growth to hover around 3% each year through the end of the forecast period in 2027. Among the top voice assistant companies in 2023, Google Assistant is the most popular with US consumers at 85.4 million users, followed by Apples Siri (81.1 million) and Amazons Alexa (73.7 million). Former Suriname president Desi Bouterse speaks after the Court Martial confirmed a 20-year jail sentence for the murder of 15 people while he ruled, in Paramaribo. Former Suriname dictator Desi Bouterse, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month for the 1982 killings of more than a dozen political opponents, has vanished after not turning himself in to authorities on Friday as planned. His wife, Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, told reporters that she did not know where he was and firmly stated, Hes not going to jail! I havent seen or spoken to him for a few days, she said as she lashed out at judicial authorities for the conviction, claiming it was politically motivated. Authorities on Wednesday had ordered Bouterse and four others convicted in the case to report to various prisons by Friday. Only three have done so. They were in frail health and shuffled slowly toward a prisons entrance as reporters followed them. By late Friday afternoon, the 78-year-old Bouterse had not yet appeared, prompting the office of the prosecutor to issue a one-sentence statement saying they were investigating those who had not reported to jail. Earlier on Friday, dozens of backers of Bouterse and the National Democratic Party he chairs arrived at his house to show their support as some yelled at journalists and played loud music, prompting government officials to tighten security measures. All necessary steps will be taken to ensure that the safety of both those involved and the wider society is guaranteed, the government said in a statement. Spokesman Ricardo Panka said the party disagrees with the sentencing and noted that Bouterse will remain as chairman. But he said the crowd was ordered to remain calm. We are not going to create an angry mob to go against the authorities, he said. Bouterse was sentenced on Dec. 20 after being found guilty in the killings of 15 political opponents, ending a historic 16-year legal process. He had previously been sentenced in 2019 and 2021 but appealed both rulings. A new team of lawyers filed an appeal Monday against the sentencing on grounds that an amnesty law Bouterse unsuccessfully tried to push through more than a decade ago would apply, but Surinames attorney general rejected the move on Tuesday. Bouterse led a bloodless coup to become dictator from 1980 to 1987. During that time, he and two dozen other suspects were accused of executing prominent people including lawyers, journalists and a university professor at a colonial fortress in the capital of Paramaribo. Bouterse has accepted political responsibility for the 1982 killings but insists he was not present. He was later democratically elected as president from 2010 to 2020. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The National Youth Service Corps has announced that 10 corps members will travel to India on Sunday, to participate in a Youth Exchange Programme organised by the Indian National Cadet Corps. The annual programme is held to commemorate the Independence Anniversary of the Republic of India, drawing participants from Europe, Asia, Africa and other continents. This was contained in a statement signed by NYSCs Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, on Saturday. During a pre-departure briefing held at the Indian High Commission in Abuja, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Y. D. Ahmed, expressed appreciation for the invitation extended to the scheme to participate in the programme. The DG said the invitation, being the second one, was another opportunity for the scheme to showcase the potential of the Nigerian youths while also giving participants the opportunity to understand the socio-economic similarities and differences between the two countries. Ahmed noted that Nigeria is a country with diverse cultures and that the Scheme was always open to collaborating with agencies both within and outside the country, for the promotion of its objectives. The DG also said the ideas the Nigerian delegation would gain from the programme, especially from the Indian National Cadet Corps, would be applied to improve the NYSC programmes while congratulating the Corps Members on their nomination for the event, and enjoined them to be of good conduct in line with the core values of the scheme. Speaking earlier, the Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria, Shri Balasubramanian, appreciated the contributions of the scheme to the development of Nigeria and revealed that its selection for participation in the Youth Exchange Programme along with other countries, was informed by its uniqueness as well as similarities with the National Cadet Corps of India. While promising the corps members memorable and impactful experiences during the programme, the High Commissioner said India would be willing to learn from the schemes experiences. He further expressed the pleasure of the Indian government with the last set of corps members who attended the countrys 75th Independence anniversary and urged the present set to emulate their predecessors, as all expenses for the trip would be catered for by the Indian Government. Balasubramanian admonished them to use the opportunity of the programme to make friends from across the globe and also explore the countrys rich cultural heritage, its historical sites, other issues of interest including Indian cuisines, the statement also read. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said that the FCT Administration will work round the clock to deliver the Abuja Rail Mass Transit, ARMT System project on May 29. Wike stated this after an inspection tour of the project in Abuja on Thursday. He said: I am not a pessimist, and I believe that if we put all our energy into it, we may achieve it. I have also disbursed the funds for access roads, so we have no excuse. Recall that FCTA announced in August 2023 the award of a N5 billion contract for the rehabilitation of the ARMT system. The contract was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd. (CCECC), to be delivered within eight months. On assumption of office, Wike identified the ARMT as one of the projects that would be commissioned on May 29 to mark President Bola Tinubus one year in office. The minister expressed dissatisfaction with the delivery of the project following the persistent vandalisation and stealing of critical facilities and equipment of the rail system. This is one project that I am so compassionate about, and you know that Mr President has given me a directive that must not be taken for granted. When we first visited the metro station, I discovered that there were many security lapses. I remember when I first came after our inauguration, I did say that we would have to work on the issue of security by putting a fence around the Metro Station to fend off criminals. Unfortunately, that has not been done and to my surprise, I discovered that the contract was not even awarded to CCECC. It is a different contractor awarded by the FCT. This is my first time hearing this, and we are going to take it up immediately to see that the fence is put in place because you cant talk of operation when you have not tackled the issue of security, he said. Music executive and CEO of Mavin Records, Michael Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy, has finally addressed the rumours about the sale of the record label. Recall that in October 2023, Billboard reported that Mavin Records is seeking investment or eying a potential full sale with bidding coming from the Universal Music Group, HYBE and strong interest from music asset investors in the financial sector, according to sources. However, speaking in the latest episode of the Zero Conditions podcast, Don Jazzy insinuated that the label isnt seeking a sale but being approached by investors. He explained that Mavin Records is lucrative and has a lot of potential, hence, the patronage from foreign investors. Don Jazzy noted that Mavin has been in business with its current partner, Kupanda Holdings for five years and the holdings wont continue the partnership forever. He said, It [the rumours about the sale of Mavin Records] is simple. We have investors, Kupanda Holdings, and they have been here for five years now, so dem go gona [laughs]. Obviously, a bunch of people are interested in investing in Mavin. If you have gold or diamonds, people will always patronise you. And Mavin Records has a lot of potential. The Pissarro case continues. The Cassirer family, which has laid a claim to the Impressionist painters piece that is currently owned by Madrids Thyssen Museum, will continue to battle for the painting, more than 20 years after the legal process began in U.S. courts. The original owners of the 1897 Camille Pisarro painting Rue Saint-Honore in the Afternoon. Rain Effect do not agree with the ruling handed down on Tuesday by the California Court of Appeal, which found that the work belongs to the Thyssen Museum. The chances of them winning this judicial battle seem slim. But in this tortuous tale of trials, rulings and arbitration sessions, the German Jewish family has found some hope in the opinion by the California courts Judge Consuelo Callahan, which has opened up a new line of debate. Spain should have voluntarily relinquished this painting, the judge stated. Is Pissarro a legal or a moral question? Callahans opinion directly implicates Spain. It poses a question to the country that, if it reaffirmed its commitment to the Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-confiscated art by signing the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets and Related Issues, perhaps it should intervene, putting an end to the continued display of the piece in the Thyssen Museum. The judge addressed the country itself, rather than the museum, because the Pissarro is national heritage, given that it has been owned by the state by 1993 and exhibited in a national arts institution. The Spanish attorney generals office appeared in litigation in 2017 in support of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation. At that time, Maria del Carmen Acedo, one of the states attorneys, signed a brief in which she defended the application of an article from the Civil Code. That is to say, the government has formed part of the museums defense, and has advocated for Spanish law being applied in the case, as the California court ruled in its decision in favor of the Thyssen Museum. Moreover, as the museums managing director Evelio Acevedo has pointed out, the cost of this long legal battle has been funded by a national museum that receives money from the states general budget. There has always been absolute state backing, he says. The Ministrys current team thinks that the case could have been handled different within the framework of international agreements regarding seizures of works of art by the Nazi regime, but we respect the judicial decision, say sources from the Ministry of Culture, headed by Ernest Urtasun. No further details were given on the way in which they would have handled years of litigation and the paintings possible return to the Cassirer family. Our opinion is compelled by the district courts findings of fact and the applicable law, but I wish that it were otherwise, added Judge Callahan, agreeing with the ruling, but indicating her discomfort with it. We are not going to enter into personal opinions and this woman, rather than a legal opinion, seems to me to be expressing a personal opinion, said Acevedo in response to the judges comments. The Thyssen spokesperson says that they are complying with the Washington Principles on art confiscated by the Nazis, because in 1976, when Baron Hans Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza bought the work for $360,000 from a New York gallery, he did so in good faith. Furthermore, Acevedo says that the Cassirers were already compensated in 1958 when Lilly Cassirer, the first owner of the painting, reached an agreement with the German government, the art dealer Jakob Scheidwimmer and D. Julius Sulzbacher in which she accepted 120,000 Deutsche marks from the German federal government to put an end to the dispute between the parties. But the Cassirers do not agree, and will appeal Tuesdays ruling by the California court. Bernardo Cremades, of the Spanish law firm that is part of a case being brought on behalf of several Spanish Jewish organizations, says that the sentence omits the fact that it is protecting someone or a government, which is much worse from keeping art that was stolen or plundered by the Nazis, contrary to all international agreements. In an attempt to prevent these litigations from dragging on years, and their cases from being scattered around the world in various courts, where they are likely to be judged in accordance with the laws of each country, the German government, led by Olaf Scholz, announced in 2022 that a central court would judge cases of restitution of art that was plundered by the Nazis. Its aim is to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and a commission more effective that has so far been receiving claims related to works in pubic collections, such as those of the Thyssen or the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At the end of 2023, the Manhattan district attorneys office set a precedent in the restitution of work of art stolen by the Nazis by forcing five major U.S. cultural institutions (including the Museum of Modern Art) to return seven drawings by Austrian painter Egon Schiele that were stolen from a victim of the Holocaust. The Cassirer family, which has spent more than 20 years in this judicial battle, will now have to file a motion for review before the California court circuit panel, and from there would have the option of bringing their complaint to the Supreme Court, which could either agree to review the matter again or let the ruling stand. The chances of this court hearing the case for a second time seems remote. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, on Thursday, said Imo people should expect action and prosperity in his second term in office. Uzodinma said this to newsmen in Owerri, through the state Commissioner for Information for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, ahead of Mondays inauguration of his second term in office. According to the Commissioner, In this respect, i want to assure you that every necessary arrangement for a successful swearing in ceremony has been put in place. The more than 100 member committee set up by His Excellency, to oversee the success of the occasion has been working round the the clock to realize a seamless swearing in ceremony. Chaired and co-chaired by Senator Chrus Anyanwu and Chief Cosmos Iwu, Secretary to the Government of Imo state, the committee has tajen all needful steps to ensure that the occasion is truly memorable. Important dignitaries from all over the country and beyond are expected to grace the occasion. Reports we have received from across the 27 local government areas of the state indicate that Imo people are eager to be part of their historic occasion. They are looking up to it with much enthusiasm and great joy. This is understandable given the fact that the people gave the governor an unprecedented massive vote support in the November 11th 2023 election, which saw him winning the 27 local government areas of the state, a feat that has never been recorded in the history of Imo state. So, the pervading mood in the state, amongst the people, is that of joy and high expectations. Because the governor has in the last four years touched on the lives of most Imo people through massive infrastructure provision, youth empowerment ans many other laudable programmes, the people believe that the next four years will be even better for them. So they are expectantly joyous. In this new year address at the church service at Omuma, the governor also made it clear that Imo people should expect Action and prosperity as the defining drive of his second tenure. So Imo people should indeed expect that better days are ahead for them in th next four years,Emelumba said. Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the supreme court "spared no words" in criticising some of the rulings of the appeal court on governorship election disputes. He said the apex court used judicial "koboko"(a flexible whip made with cow skin or horsetail) to "flog" the appeal court while giving verdicts on the matters. Delivering judgment on eight governorship election cases on Friday, the supreme court overturned the decisions of the appeal court in Kano, Plateau and Zamfara. Speaking on Saturday in an interview with Arise TV, Ozekhome said although he believes that many cases should not get to the supreme court, the appeal court's sack of Plateau lawmakers could be examined by the apex court. In November 2023, a court of appeal sitting in Abuja sacked elected members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Plateau assembly. The appeal court ruled that the "PDP structure in Plateau collapsed since 2020", and as such, the party cannot sponsor any candidate to contest an election. Ozekhome said the judgement of the court of appeal was a "miscarriage of justice". "I was one of those who felt like the supreme court should not be bothered with too many of these; the house of assembly, house of representative, and senate (cases) could end at the appeal level, but from what we have seen particularly in the Plateau scenario, there was a great miscarriage of justice," he said. "The supreme court today spared no words, they used legal and judicial koboko (cane) to flog the court of appeal for what they termed miscarriage of justice, perverse judgments. "In many of the cases, particularly the Plateau state, two senators' positions were reversed, three house of representative were reversed, and 11 house of assembly were reversed. If all these cases had gone to the supreme court, all of them would have their seats retained. "On what grounds were they reversed? The court of appeal surprisingly was saying the PDP had no structure in Plateau state. When did PDP structure, membership of a political party, nomination, congresses, and primaries become part and parcel of matters that the court can have jurisdiction? "Today, the supreme court said not even the election tribunal has jurisdiction, let alone the court of appeal. And they voided the decision of the governorship. They would also have voided the decision on the two senatorial candidates, three house of representatives, and the 11 house of assembly. "Injustice has been done to them. What is the remedy now? That is why I am going to review my stance with all respect, humility as a constitutional lawyer, to say that, yes, these cases should go to the supreme court as a final court of the land." The Peoples Democratic Party has revealed that it will be difficult to dislodge the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election without a genuine coalition. PDP 2023 Presidential candidate, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had made a merger proposition, while hosting the National Executive Committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria. The former Vice President warned against the likelihood of Nigeria slipping into a one-party state. He said, We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party. If we dont come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn. PDP Deputy Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, who stated this in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, said Atiku made the call to protect the future of Nigeria and Nigerians. Abdullahi, who alleged that the APC had impoverished Nigerians, said that only a genuine coalition of opposition political parties could boot out the President Bola Tinubu-led APC administration. He said, We believe only merger or coming together of all opposition political parties will produce a better result. So there is a need for other political parties to understand that it will be difficult to defeat the All Progressives Congress without a merger. So the other political parties must see the reason and identify with the PDPs clamour for coalition. So, if they see this, then the better for Nigerias opposition and the people. But if other political parties want to go about it individually, they are not as strong as the PDP. It is very difficult for us to attain the objective of taking charge of the government and sacking this army of occupation that has decided to inflict maximum penury and anguish on Nigerians. The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, also noted that opposition political parties would find it difficult to dislodge the ruling party without synergy with the people. President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria has no reason to be poor just as he identifies divisiveness as one of the biggest challenges the nation faces. The president stated these on Friday when he received governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) at the State House in Abuja. He, however, said that the governing party must work towards healing and unifying the country by ensuring a collective national vision, and channelling energy and resources into nation-building. You can convert people. You can appeal to people to come to your side, he stated. President Tinubu implored APC governors to design and implement policies that prioritise all Nigerians and to always consider the national interest above political affiliations. He said development policies would only find full relevance in peoples lives when there is inclusivity, ownership, and sustainability. The president said Nigeria is too blessed with human, natural, and material resources to be struggling with a dearth of quality infrastructure, quality education, and world-class health facilities. He said the entire financial system of the country would be re-engineered for inclusivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. We have no reason to be poor. Looking back on where we are coming from, where we have been, why we are facing infrastructural decay, a lack of quality and comprehensive education, as well as a lack of health facilities. We are not a cursed country, but blessed, the President said in a statement by his spokeman, Ajuri Ngelale. President Tinubu asked the governors to come up with a framework that will make the implementation of the school-feeding programme more comprehensive and successful across all states of the federation, taking into consideration the peculiarities of each locality, but working towards having all children in school. We have children of school age who are out of school. The way to promote education is to get all governors, including the opposition governors, involved in the school-feeding programme. Please, take it seriously. We should not measure the children as statistics. We should measure their return to classrooms as our achievement. We should see economic growth in terms of value and empowerment. We should set up a committee to look into the methods. I am ready to invest in school feeding, the President said. The president said the school-feeding programme would encourage more investments in agriculture, particularly in livestock farming and dairy, adding that the former Kano State Governor and APC Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, had already worked on a proposal that would be shared for input and implementation. President Tinubu equally congratulated the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, for restoring irrigation systems that provide water for year-long cultivation of crops. On security, the President said the deployment of forest guards was being considered, with better training, modern technological gadgets and weapons to strengthen security, and that the solid mineral and marine economic sectors would also be secured by special police. The president hinted that the country would buy her own minerals and keep them in reserves, especially gold, which will be effective in our foreign exchange reserve. We have a big marine economy, and I do not see why we should not have the marine police. We will have the same in solid minerals to keep the scavengers away. I am ready to invest in security. We will buy our own minerals and keep them in reserves, especially gold, which will be effective in our foreign exchange reserve, the president told the governors. The Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma, thanked the President for involving governors in the design and implementation of polices, as well as for intervening with financial support in the states. We will continue to support you as your able ambassadors, willing ambassadors, and capable ambassadors, Governor Uzodinma said. A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe deeper into the allegations of corruption levelled against the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA, Halima Shehu, and the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu. He said the duo should be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others if found wanting in a competent court of jurisdiction. As far as this matter is concerned, there are more questions than answers. All eyes are now on the EFCC to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to boost public confidence in the programme that has received more complaints than commendations, he said. Onuesoke explained that the general belief is that men intrinsically have a greater tendency for corruption than women, pointing out that the recent happenings have shown that the women folks are not as innocent as people perceive them to be. In just one week, two women of substance have been de-robed of their toga of piety for allegedly fiddling with a staggering sum of money belonging to the public. One is the National Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu accused of laundering 44billion and the other is the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu fingered in alleged attempt to divert over N585 million to a private account, he added. He said if President Bola Ahmed Tinubus government is going to fight corruption, then its officials must also be under proper scrutiny to safeguard against the pilfering of public funds. He stressed that if his government does not check, pick, and sanction its corrupt officials, then it is condoning corruption, and creating a lawless society. According to Onuesoke, The government must hang them out to dry, and send a proper message that those that were fingered to be corrupt in the previous government, along with those of the present day government, would be punished according to the dictates of our laws. Otherwise, a selective justice approach will not only deprive the government of its citizens confidence, but of the much sought after investors confidence. It would be recalled that the NSIPA boss, Halima Shehu, was accused of laundering N44 billion while Betta Edu was fingered in series of fraud allegations involving the minister and her ministry including the alleged attempt to divert over N585 million to a private account. By Zainab Suleiman Okino, Nigeria has become a vast scam zone, demanding urgent action. Just when it seemed we had reached the peak of scams and scandals with the revelation of certificate racketeering from neighbouring Cotonou in Benin Republic, allegations of outright stealing and money laundering surfaced from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Eradication. However, whether by coincidence or design, the female gender bore the brunt of a scandal involving the triumvirate of former minister Sadiya Farouq, suspended minister Betta Edu, and suspended National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) boss Halima Shehu, all linked to an N84.1 billion fraud in the same ministry. Ironically, a ministry established to provide social services, cater to the poor, and alleviate poverty is now entangled in scandals. These women succeeded in taking from the poor to feed their fantasies and enrich themselves. Considering the ministrys history, we should have been more circumspect. The ministry, created only about five years ago, seemed like a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for a powerful individual, former minister Sadiya Farouq. Connected to and protected by the highest hierarchy, all the shady dealings of the ministry were swept under the carpet. In addition, all the social intervention programmes and agencies under the VPs office were amalgamated into the new humanitarian ministry, resulting in more funds flowing into it during the Buhari administration. President Tinubu retained the ministry under Dr Betta Edu. However, the recent revelations necessitate the scrapping of the ministry and some of its agencies. There is nothing humane about the ministry; it has lost its welfare focus in the maze of corruption and has outlived its relevance. In the first instance, the idea of giving cash in an era of inclusive banking is a wrong-headed approach to poverty alleviation, indicative of backwardness and lack of critical thinking. It is also open to abuse, and the method of selecting households for inclusion in social programmes is flawed. The government must find more ingenious ways of supporting the poor without compromising the system. We must not forget the symbolism lost in the unfortunate involvement of these high-profile ladies in the fraudulent operation of the ministry. They represent two major marginalised groups in society the youth, whose inclusion in governance we have been clamouring for, and the womenfolk, who have been advocating for 35 per cent affirmative action. This is heart-breaking and speaks volumes about the political class, regardless of gender and age. The Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC) and NYSC are complicit in the fake certificate saga and the proliferation of universities. The NUC has accredited countless universities without proper scrutiny. Complaints and recommendations for the expansion and equipping of older universities for the accommodation of more students fell on deaf ears. The Mad Rush Over Cotonou Certificate Racketeering Even without official statistics, Nigeria harbours the highest number of people with legitimate certificates from other countries worldwide, especially in the last 20 to 30 years when the government began neglecting its responsibilities. It failed to address anomalies in our educational system, such as infrastructure deficit, manpower crisis, and frequent ASUU-Government face-offs that sometimes kept students at home for over a year. In no time, foreign universities, once the exclusive preserve of the rich, spread to the middle class. Without proper monitoring and regulations, scammers joined the bandwagon, acquiring degree certificates from foreign lands through the backdoor. However, since journalist Umar Audu burst their bubble in a chronicle of events that got him a degree from a university in Cotonou, Benin Republic, a few weeks ago, government agencies have been scrambling to rectify their past negligence and lukewarm oversight. Audus expose revealed how he arranged and obtained a certificate in six weeks, using it to subscribe to the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Before the expose, it was an open secret that individuals with fake certificates worked in our institutions at both the national and subnational levels. In hushed voices, people wondered how our system could be so lax as to absorb such graduates into plum jobs reserved for influential members of society. In September 2021, I heard of a lady who resumed studies in a university in Cotonou, claiming to have graduated around March 2022. Although she claimed to have obtained a diploma from a Nigerian university before the Cotonou voyage, her quick graduation in less than six months surprised her friends. Lets be truthful; no one can say theyve never heard of six-month degrees or outright fake ones from Ghana, Niger Republic, Kenya, Uganda, and Benin Republic. The authorities looked the other way, and people who engaged in it went unpunished, while others had the audacity to follow suit. The Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC) and NYSC are complicit in the fake certificate saga and the proliferation of universities. The NUC has accredited countless universities without proper scrutiny. Complaints and recommendations for the expansion and equipping of older universities for the accommodation of more students fell on deaf ears. Once the institutional framework to regulate is undermined, it becomes a free-for-all, with certificate racketeers working hand-in-gloves with government agency officials to perpetrate their frauds. This is evident because even in the Audu report causing shivers across the country, it was established that the previous government under Adamu Adamu as the minister of education set up a committee to investigate fake universities and degrees from foreign universities, but it seems the report never saw the light of day, talk less of being implemented. The established cartels of these MDAs are so powerful that it has been a roller-coaster of certificate mills for students and corrupt officials. We need to reinvent ourselves, invest more to revive our educational system, de-emphasise paper qualifications, reduce and punish corruption, and not allow impunity to hold sway. There are standard ways to do things, global best practices to emulate, and enough legal tools to weed out bad eggs. Nigeria was not like this before. Our universities were a toast of the world, and we did have foreign students in our universities. Our only hope and plan while in secondary school was to attend one of the first or second-generation universities in the country. Private universities did not even exist back then, and private secondary schools were a rarity. Admission was not difficult if you had the required credits, but even then, many were forced to study courses they did not want due to carrying capacity or exclusion by geography. This applied more to courses like Medicine, Engineering or Law. That was the era of drizzles before the rain. By the time Nigeria happened to us, corruption had taken firm root, ASUU had begun its endless strikes, potential students had to write JAMB multiple times, and the number of intending students increased exponentially, making waiting for admission in a Nigerian university like waiting for Godot. Then came foreign universities and phony degrees. As condemnable as seeking refuge in illegal universities is, it thrived because our system is dysfunctional, and offenders are never punished. The most annoying part of the Audu investigation is the NYSC. A simple biometrics validation could expose scammers and fakers. Why didnt the NYSC do that in Audus case? The answer lies in the greed of the officials and their self-serving approach to public service. It is rather shameful that all this took place under officials who obviously allowed criminality to supplant patriotism and the need to do the right thing. It is even more embarrassing that these same government agencies, with the same set of people (except the ministers), are now trying to outdo one another over the fake certificate report, to exonerate themselves or prove their innocence, after they had condoned it. We need to reinvent ourselves, invest more to revive our educational system, de-emphasise paper qualifications, reduce and punish corruption, and not allow impunity to hold sway. There are standard ways to do things, global best practices to emulate, and enough legal tools to weed out bad eggs. The easiest method is biometrics, including fingerprints and facial revalidation, similar to the bimodal system developed by INEC (before things went awry) for revalidation and authentication. Was this too much for NYSC? If evaluating certificates is too arduous for the Ministry of Education or withholding accreditation too tasking for NUC, what then is their job description? Honestly, we need to wake up and do the right thing before Nigeria becomes truly a criminal enterprise. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a courageous leader who shunned a series of pressures to interfere in the governorship elections judgement in the Supreme Court. Yusuf noted with great pleasure how Tinubu and his Deputy, Senator Kashim Shattima, refused to interfere in the apex court judgement despite stiff pressure from disgruntled quarters. Governor Yusuf, who was referring to efforts by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to allegedly use the Presidency to influence the Supreme Court judgement in favour of his All Progressives Congress gubernatorial candidate, Yusuf Gawuna, said the insistent refusals of Tinubu and his Vice Kashim Shettima shows that Nigeria is truly in good hands. Similarly, Yusuf extended hands of friendship to his arch-opponent, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the APC gubernatorial candidate who lost in the Supreme Court, saying it is time to build Kano as politicking is now over. He said now is the time for everybody, regardless of party platforms, to join hands with his administration to move Kano forward. He said, As a true democrat and progressive, I called on my opponents and their supporters to join hands with me in the crusade of developing our dear state Kano for the betterment of its citizens. People of Kano needs leaders with vision, passion, zeal, and commitment of initiating projects, policies and programmes that have direct bearing to their lives in all facets of human endeavors, as such the APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Mallam Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, should join hands with me to make Kano proud. The governor, who commended the Kano people for their support, steadfastness, prayers, sacrifices and brevity in affirming what they have elected, and the Supreme Court Judges for upholding the glory of the Judiciary, also thanked God for giving him the highest support. He also appreciated NNPP leaders at all levels particularly the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for his guidance and support during the trying period. The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has admitted the Supreme Court verdict that set aside the appeal court judgment for affirming the election of Governor Dauda Lawal. This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the partys publicity secretary, saying that politics should not be a do-or-die affair. The party encouraged its supporters to bear the judgement as Gods rightful decision, saying 2027 will be another time to test power. I do not believe that the party has lost, but I believe that the courts have cheated us, he added. But 2027 is another year, and we are very confident that we will regain our mandate from the ruling PDP government. Since the apex court judgment, no casualty has been recorded, signifying relative peace in the State. This medium also learnt that many political parties in the State were making serious efforts to form alliances with the ruling Peoples Democratic party, PDP, in the State. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in the 2023 election, has reacted to rumours that he is nursing the ambition of joining the All Progressives Congress, APC, government. He said only time would tell if joining the present government would be possible. On the issue of joining the government only time can tell, the former Kano State Governor told BBC Hausa on Friday. He spoke while reacting to allegations that he allegedly reached an agreement with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before the Supreme Court judgment that reinstated Governor Abba Kabir Yusufs victory. Recall that contrary to the verdict of the Appeal Court, which had sacked the governor, the apex court declared on Friday that Yusuf of the NNPP won the March 11 gubernatorial election in Kano State. There were insinuations that Kwankwaso, who is the national leader of the party, made an agreement with Tinubu prior to the Supreme Court judgement. But Kwankwaso told BBC Hausa that there was no agreement with anybody, stressing that the Supreme Court judges only did what is right. Kwankwaso said, To the best of my knowledge, I have not reached an agreement with anybody. We founded the APC together and we participated fully in the struggles which followed up. People should know that a lie has a short life. Despite the machinations those people staged, the judges have done what is right. He, however, said the NNPP would work with the government of the ruling party when necessary. There is no problem. They have their party; we have our own. We will work together where necessary. Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has restated the vow of his administration never to negotiate with the ravaging bandits for the purpose of peacemaking. The Governor who spoke through his Deputy, Malam Mani Mumuni said his administration was ready to welcome any opposition party in the struggle to end insecurity in the state, noting he is not for the PDP alone but the entire state. I am not only the Governor of PDP alone but I am the Governor of Zamfara as a whole, so let everyone remove segregation from my government, he added He said the Supreme Court verdict on his election was a victory for democracy and the development of the country in general. It does not matter who is APC or PDP, I am the Governor of Zamfara State irrespective of political party or tribe Dauda Lawal was represented by the States Deputy Governor, Malam Mani Mummuni at a press conference held at his office, in Gusau, the state capital. He said the judiciary has proven its integrity to be the last hope for the common man and commended them for their foresight. The Deputy Governor said the present administration was very much ready to end insecurity in the state, stressing that any act of betrayal would not be tolerated. Shortly before the time comes for citizens to go to the polls this Saturday, the streets of Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, are blanketed by the electoral atmosphere. Numerous buses display the faces of the contenders for the presidency and the Legislative Yuan (the Parliament), posters decorate buildings and stores and volunteers on street corners hand promotional material left and right. Up until that point, everything is quite familiar. Then there are the typically Taiwanese parts of the campaign: it is Wednesday, at the time when everybody usually returns home from work, and a group of about 20 people wearing the turquoise cap of the young Taiwan People Party (PPT) moves at a brisk pace through the streets of the Xinyi district, waving flags. If you want to follow them, you have to hasten your step. They are escorted by the police, who rush them through the zebra crossing while they hand out pennants all around. As they advance, the platoon of volunteers shouts the name of Ko Wen-je, the presidential candidate. They hail him with a term in the local dialect, A-bei, a-bei!, which means uncle, a common formula to address older people, reflecting the casual, down-to-earth nature of this former doctor who served as mayor of Taipei until 2022. He has risen surprisingly in the polls, mainly due to the support of young people, the dissemination of messages on social media and the anonymous people who take the time to lend a hand, like Chen Ting-wei, a 32-year-old real estate agent who came after finishing his workday to spread the message in this sort of street gymkhana. We dont know for sure if he will bring change, he says, but at least theres a chance. More information Taiwan, the hot spot where superpowers collide The group, born in 2019, presents itself as an alternative to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT), the only ones that have governed the island since the first democratic elections were held in 1996. Ko Wen-jes victory, while remote, is feasible (in the latest polls, at the beginning of January, he appeared in third position), and it would take Taiwan to uncharted territory after more than 25 years of bipartisanship. That is precisely what Chen wants, because, he complains, the two traditional parties offer no real change. For them he continues it all comes down to relations across the Taiwan Strait, with one party (the KMT) closer to China, and another (the DPP) more independent. And that means that Taiwan is not making any progress; it is stuck in the middle. Many young people see Ko as a man with experience leading the capital, with a reputation for transparent management, who talks about their daily problems, such as access to housing or low salaries issues that are often overshadowed by the geopolitical struggle between the two great superpowers: China, which considers the self-governed island an undeniable part of its territory, and the United States, Taiwans main supporter. Another volunteer explains that he joined the march because he wants to support a party with few resources. He believes that the PPT wants to change the electoral culture, without depending on donations or loans for its campaign. On the faces of these citizens, one can see the enthusiasm of the new. Do you want a pennant? It is the final stretch. Political events overlap. At one point, for instance, the squad of PPT volunteers passes in front of a parking lot where supporters of one of their rivals, the KMT, slowly begin to gather. That is the heir party of the faction that fled China in 1949 after being defeated by Mao Zedongs communists in the Chinese civil war. The defeated settled on the island of Taiwan, where they founded a kind of government-in-exile under the leader of the KMT, dictator Chiang Kai-shek. That is the origin of one of the great geopolitical conflicts of our era. The party is second in the presidential polls, although it leads in parliamentary polls. KMT supporters are, at first glance, older, and the flag they wave is different it is the official flag of Taiwan. They are waiting for an electoral caravan to start. That is another of the Taiwanese peculiarities: politicians often travel the streets in Popemobile-style vehicles, greeting the people and asking for their vote through loudspeakers. In this case, it is Jaw Shaw-kong, who aspires to the vice presidency, and Hsu Chiao-hsin, who is in the legislative race. As the caravan sets off, followers shout the name of the leader and presidential candidate: Hou Yu-ih, win the elections! Soon, the procession disappears down the street. One of those present, a 69-year-old retiree named Wang Dersong, says that the DPP (the current ruling party, which has been in power for eight years), deliberately provokes China and doesnt want to dialogue or trade with them. The KMT is the preferred party in Beijing. I would like there to be peace and friendship across the Strait, adds Hou Jun-luen, a 69-year-old former civil servant, when asked if she would be in favor of reunification with China. She positively values the progress of the Asian giant: The buildings there are taller. She has a son living in Beijing, whom she recently visited; another in Silicon Valley and a third one in Taipei. Her husband, a retired history teacher, mentions Chinas presence in Taiwan since the Qing dynasty (16441911) and assures that a change in the status quo would lead to conflict with that country. Finally, there are the massive campaign closing rallies. The favorite party, the DPP, held one on Thursday night at a boulevard next to the government headquarters in Taipei. It managed to bring together thousands of people. It felt a bit like a sporting event: streams of people flowed from the exit of the nearest subway as in the distance the giant screens showed what was happening on the stage and some powerful searchlights pointed to the sky. While some epic music resonated and one of the party leaders warmed up the crowd, Yuhsiang Ying, a 35-year-old high school teacher, expressed her reasons for her support: We all feel that China is not really friendly to Taiwan, and that we need a party that supports us and helps us defend our country. This party is the least liked in China. Andrew Woo, 45, a teacher at a business school, says: Between three bad apples, we have to choose one. And of course, one is rotten, the KMT, which is more pro-China. In his opinion, the government has done well in recent years. The GDP per capita exceeds that of Japan, he says, and the Taiwanese stock market is doing better than that of Hong Kong. He also sees no risk of conflict. Many say that China will attack if this party is elected, but it has happened before. I dont think China is a threat. Its a paper tiger. His girlfriend, next to him, adds: And if we vote for the KMT we risk becoming Hong Kong or Xinjiang. The crowd waves the flags, the loudspeakers blare and the presenter finally announces the candidate most likely to be the next president of Taiwan: Lai Ching-tee! The whole world is waiting for Taiwans decision, begins his speech Lai, the current vice president. Whether it moves forward into the future or back into the past; whether it embraces the world or locks itself in China; whether it clings to democratic values or submits to authoritarianism. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Four people were tied up and assaulted inside a Teaneck home Friday by gun-toting robbers who broke in through a rear door, according to police. Police received a 911 call about 3 p.m. reporting a home invasion in progress in the 100 block of Tyron Avenue, Teaneck police said in a news release. Police on scene located four adult victims who had been assaulted and restrained against their will while inside the residence, Teaneck Police Chief Andrew R. McGurr said in a statement. McGurr said two of the robbers were carrying firearms. The men bound and assaulted the victims while stealing personal items and fleeing before police arrived. The victims suffered minor injuries and were treated on scene by members of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, McGurr said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Teaneck Police Department at 201-837-2600, the Bergen County Prosecutors Office at 201-226-5532, or CrimeStoppers at 844-466-6789. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A Fort Lee man pleaded guilty in Ohio federal court Friday to his involvement in a nationwide off-the-road tire sale fraud schemed that caused tens of millions of dollars in losses. Ahmet Neidik, 64, of Fort Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after authorities alleged he wired money to co-conspirators that ran a $50 million Ponzi scheme, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Ohio announced. Authorities initially believed Neidik fled to Turkey before returning to plead guilty. Neidik co-owned and operated several operations, transportation and logistics companies that received money from the larger Ponzi scheme, and then would funnel it to bank accounts of the co-conspirators, the office said. As part of his plea deal, Neidik will pay back $370,000 in restitution, officials said. John K. Eckerd, Jr., 58, of Dallas was alleged leader of the multi-state conspiracy and worked with Jason E. Adkins, 46, of Jackson, Ohio in orchestrating the scheme to defraud over 50 investors, the U.S. Attorney said. Adkins has already been convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison. According to his indictment, from 2012 until late 2018, authorities said Eckerd pitched himself to investors as an entrepreneur and businessman with expertise in the off-the-road tire market. Off-the-road tires are for heavy machinery such as earth-moving equipment and mining vehicles. Authorities said Eckerd had control of many of the companies he used in the scheme, and used his co-conspirators to solicit millions of dollars in investments to purchase tires at a steep discount and re-sell them at a much higher price. Investors were promised large returns within 180 days. Tires were rarely purchased in the scheme, authorities said, and when they were, the same tires were used as the basis for multiple deals. The fraud included private planes to showcase inventory and establish the appearance of wealth while requesting large investments and loans, mostly through transfers, authorities said. Eckerd and Adkins used Neidik as a neutral third-party that handled shipping and escrow accounts that would ensure money and tires reached the right destinations, authorities said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X Prosecutors who show witnesses photos of suspects during the preparation of a criminal trial will now have to follow rules like police detectives, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled this week. The states high court laid down the new edict in the case of a Trenton man who was convicted of shooting two men at a party in Willingboro in 2017. The case against Brandon Washington was based on eyewitness identifications who identified him to police investigators, in a controlled process of displaying six pictures, known as a photo array. But when Burlington County prosecutors were prepping for his trial in 2019, they had those witnesses again look at the arrays, and a single photo of Washington taken from Facebook, the decision says. Then they identified Washington in court as the gunman, one for the first time at trial. His attorney, Robin Lord, had no idea that prosecutors had again shown witnesses the photos, and when she learned of it mid-trial, she asked for hearings to contest the maneuver. The trial judge declined to hold the hearings, and a jury later convicted Washington of two counts of passion provocation attempted manslaughter. He is currently serving a 20-year prison term. An appeals court upheld Washingtons convictions in 2022. The Supreme Court, though, found merit with Lords argument that showing witnesses the photos again was harmful, and the high court extended the rules police detectives have to follow to prosecutors who are prepping for a trial. For example, pre-trial or out-of-court identifications by police have to be well documented, recorded on video or at least audio in some circumstances, and turned over to the defense, court rules state. Prosecutors did not have such guidelines. While noting they are important for investigations, photo identifications are suggestive and could potentially distort memory, the court ruled. And a person who is repeatedly shown a photo may suffer from mugshot exposure or mugshot commitment, the decision says. Extending the existing identification rules to prosecutors makes sense, the high court ruled, in a unanimous decision authored by Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Rabner also wrote the landmark 2011 decision that laid out the existing witness identification principles called the Henderson decision. The courts new tightening says if a witness has already made an identification to police, they are not to be shown any new photos, nor the photo array, during trial preparations unless prosecutors have a really good reason. And if they do, it must be documented and handed over to the defense. It does not necessarily have to be recorded. If a witness has not yet made an identification, and prosecutors want to perform one in anticipation for trial testimony, prosecutors must use the existing police rules of documenting, recording and disclosing it. This landmark decision is a perfect example of our Supreme Courts continued commitment to protecting the criminally accused from wrongful conviction due to unreliable eyewitness identifications, Lord said in a statement. She also noted that an eyewitness identifying a suspect, especially in court, is compelling for juries, but if prosecutors give the witness an edge beforehand with photos, that has the clear capacity to convict an innocent man. This decision, the first of its kind in the country, recognizes the harm this brings to the rights of the accused and now holds prosecutors to the same standards the police are held to, when preparing their witnesses for trial, Lord said. The high courts decision stopped short of overturning Washingtons convictions, but it sent it back to the trial level in Burlington County, where Lord will get the hearing she initially sought to challenge the trial prep photo displays. The court said its still unclear which witnesses saw which photos because prosecutors did not create a record. Based on the outcome of the hearing, the trial court should determine, witness by witness, whether the testimony should have been admitted and whether a new trial is warranted, the court wrote. The Supreme Court said it offered no view on the outcome of the hearing, but concluded: If the court decides that a new trial is required, defendants conviction should be vacated and a new trial date set. The Burlington County Prosecutors Office declined to comment on the decision. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com A woman was convicted Friday of stabbing her mother to death over four years ago at the Burlington County apartment they shared, authorities said. Marisa Rivera, 27, of Mount Laurel, was found guilty of murder and weapons-related offenses, according to a statement from the Burlington County Prosecutors Office. The body of Riveras mother, 56-year-old Denise DeNapoli, was discovered in their home at the Ramblewood Village Apartments the morning of Sept. 6, 2019, by officers from the Mount Laurel Police Department, the office said. Police had gone there to conduct a wellness check after co-workers didnt hear from DeNapoli, who had been scheduled to work from home that day. Detectives said Rivera had killed her mother earlier that day around 3:30 a.m. and then fled the apartment. She was found several hours later at a Route 73 hotel and taken into custody. When police found her later at the hotel, she allegedly told them she had woken up with blood on her hands and clothes, but said she did not remember what happened the night before. An autopsy performed by the Burlington County Medical Examiners Officer determined that DeNapolis death was due to multiple stab wounds, officials said. Testimony presented at trial late last year indicated the relationship between the defendant and the victim had been steadily deteriorating. One of DeNapolis co-workers told police the woman had been having problems with her daughter, who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had stopped taking her medications, according to court documents. Rivera told police she had stopped taking her medications over the previous month because they made her feel funny. She also allegedly told them she hears voices and sometimes feels the government is watching her. She is now scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, the office said. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. An appeals court on Tuesday reversed the murder conviction of a Newark man because a prosecutor in the case invoked the Nuremberg trials of Nazis in the 1940s. Harold Colbert, 48, will get a new trial in the killing of Daquan Cuttino, a 25-year-old shot dead in Newark on Nov. 1, 2018. Prosecutors alleged he fired at Cuttino multiple times during an argument on South 18th Street. Colbert had been serving a 45-year prison term for Cuttinos slaying, for which he was convicted and sentenced in 2021, in Essex County. In that trial, the prosecutor in his closing statement quoted a United States prosecutor at the Nuremberg, Germany trials of Nazis, who were prosecuted for crimes against humanity. He said, in part, The time has come for final judgment. And if the case I present seems harsh and uncompromising it is because the evidence makes it so. If you were to save these men, that they are not guilty, it would be as true to say there are no slain, there has been no crime. In other words, Colbert must be guilty, because Cuttino was killed, Colberts attorney argued. The three-judge appellate panel said they had no sense of knowing if anyone on the jury knew the quote came from Nuremberg, spoken by Robert Jackson, who prosecuted while on leave from the U.S. Supreme Court. Indeed, we doubt that the jury hearing a case some seventy years later made the connection, but the possible connection is disconcerting, the judges wrote. And they had nothing to do with the case, the quote did not counter Colberts defense strategy, and had no relation to any evidence at the trial. The appeals prosecutor argued the quick singular brief remark at the ending of the closing statement was not enough to make the jury forget the strong case because they heard some vague rhetoric. This is a close call, the appeals judges conceded: But we conclude the remarks were so out of line and unrelated to any evidence or issue in the trial that they infected the jurys deliberation, and deprived defendant of a fair trial. They also minimized the states own case, and intruded on Colberts rights by making the jury choose between competing burdens of proof by suggesting Colbert was guilty because a killing occurred, the decision says. The decision does not name the prosecutor. The Essex County Prosecutors Office identified him as Assistant Prosecutor Frederick Elflein in a prior, 2021 news statement about the conviction. In the decision, the judges also took issue with how a detective testified at trial that Colbert had no gun permit because he had the New Jersey State Police check their database. Prosecutors never produced any evidence of the lack of a permit, nor a state police officer just the detectives hearsay testimony hed had someone else do a search. The appeals decision also found that the identifications made by Cuttinos girlfriend, who was nearby during the shooting and identified Colbert before and during the trial as the alleged shooter, were handled properly. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed legislation creating a new $12 million program to launch community crisis response teams as an alternative to police handling some emergency calls involving mental health in six New Jersey counties. The new law follows several controversial police shootings of Black men experiencing mental health crises and comes at a time when political and law enforcement leaders across the country are rethinking the police role in matters involving behavioral health and substance abuse. Pennsylvania State Troopers are investigating a fatality on the northbound side of the Route 1 Morrisville Toll Bridge heading into New Jersey. The crash occurred Thursday morning on the northbound side of the bridge after a tractor trailer struck a woman walking along the center median, police said. The bridge runs between Trenton and Bucks County. The woman killed in the accident has yet to be identified and troopers are searching for two other motorists who struck the woman and left the scene after she was initially hit by a tractor-trailer. Police said the two other motorists may not have known they hit someone. Pennsylvania State Troopers from the Trevose Barracks were called to the bridge around 6:15 a.m. Thursday for reports of a tractor-trailer truck hitting a pedestrian. Troopers determined that the woman was trying to walk across the bridge along the center concrete barrier that divides traffic when she was stuck the by truck. The woman hit the concrete barrier after being hit by the truck, landed in the left-hand lane and was hit by two other cars. The truck stopped on the New Jersey side of the bridge at the Route 29 exit. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A person who answered the phone at the Trevose barracks said that the woman had still not been identified by Saturday morning and that no motorists troopers were searching for had been identified. The Bucks County Coroner did not immediately return a message left for them. Traffic at the bridge was backed up Thursday morning, but the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission which operates the bridge said in an alert that northbound lanes heading into New Jersey reopened around 10 a.m. Troopers are asking for the publics help in identifying the victim. She is described as a Black woman in her 30s or 40s light brown highlights in her hair. She was wearing a multi-colored winter hat, black sweatshirt and a blue jacket with an FDR Services Healthcare Laundry Specialist logo on the top right side. She was wearing black leggings and black boots and was carrying a small brown purse. Troopers are also searching for a white pickup truck and dark colored SUV as the second and third motorists to hit the victim. Witnesses or anyone with information that can help in identifying the victim or motorists is asked to call the Pennsylvania State Troopers, Trevose Barracks at 215-942-3900. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X A police officer wont face charges for chasing a stolen car that crashed into multiple vehicles, killing a 33-year-old man inside one of the automobiles. A state grand jury on Monday declined to charge Marlboro police Sgt. Greg Arrone in connection to the Nov. 9, 2022, crash that killed Arturo Tlapa-Luna, of Freehold, the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office said Friday. Tlapa-Luna was the driver in a vehicle also occupied by his wife, father and two daughters, all of whom were severely injured but survived the crash. Since the crash, the family has said it considered filing a lawsuit in the case. The car involved was stolen out of New Brunswick on Oct. 23, 2022. Samuel Villar, 20, of Somerset, and an unidentified 17-year-old traveled to Marlboro in the vehicle and were allegedly trying to burglarize cars, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office and the Old Bridge Police Department previously said. Villar, who was 19 at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty to charges in the case and was sentenced last month to 12 years in prison, a term served under the No Early Release Act. The sergeant pursued Villar and his passenger in the stolen car after it was spotted. The chase ended when it crashed into the other vehicles on Route 9 south in Old Bridge in the area of Spring Valley Road shortly after 2 a.m. that day. State law requires the Attorney Generals Office to investigate the deaths during encounters with police. During its investigation, the office released video of the crash, which shows police dash-cam footage recorded at the time the stolen vehicle sped through a red traffic light, colliding with oncoming cars. The chase spanned nine miles, lasted more than seven minutes, and reached speeds of over 100 mph, authorities say. Richard Lomurro, the attorney hired by Tlapa-Lunas family, said last January he filed tort claim notices with Marlboro, the state, Monmouth County, Old Bridge Township, and Middlesex County. In doing so, the family was considering a lawsuit in connection to the crash. It was unclear Friday if litigation has been filed. A message for Lomurro left by NJ Advance Media was not immediately returned. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com. A third person was linked this week to a 2016 Neptune Township shooting that left a 20-year-old man dead, investigators said. Stephon Keys, 31, of Neptune Township, who was jailed at a New Jersey state prison on unrelated charges, was charged with felony murder, armed robbery, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and weapons-related offenses, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office announced Friday. Quashon J. McDuffie, 30, of Long Branch, and Knaliek Joshua, 31, of Asbury Park, were charged last month with felony murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and weapons-related offenses for their roles in the deadly shooting, the office said. Officers from the Neptune Township Police Department were called to the 1300 block of 7th Avenue on Feb. 8, 2016 at 8:18 p.m. for a report of a shooting, authorities said. They found Andre Thorne, 20, of Bradley Beach, in the drivers seat of 2002 red Dodge Neon suffering from a single gunshot wound, officials said. Thorne was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he later died. Detectives later discovered that Thorne was sitting the car with two other people at the time of the shooting, which eventually led to them charging McDuffie and Joshua, the office said. Keys was later identified as a third suspect in the investigation but it was unclear if he was also in the car. Later that same evening, approximately 40 minutes after the 911 calls for the shooting of Thor a second shooting incident took place near the 1300 block of Monroe Avenue, investigators said Friday. While there were no gunshot victims found there, officers recovered evidence of a shooting and discovered that a car had been struck twice near the 500 block of Myrtle Avenue, which intersects with the 1300 block of Monroe Avenue, officials said. Keys was identified as a suspect and is now facing charges related to that shooting as well, the office said. Detectives still have not said who allegedly shot Thorne. This investigation is still ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact Monmouth County Prosecutors Office Detective Sergeant Keith Finkelstein at (732) 431-7160, ext. 3019 or Neptune Township Detective Carrie Bartlett at (732) 988-8000. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. There was a slight quiver in Risa Clays voice last week as she raised her right hand and took the oath of office to become council president in the Borough of Tinton Falls. To most of the people in the council chambers, Clays shaky voice and slight rasp probably sounded like nothing more than a momentary case of the jitters. But Clay knew better. People think youre nervous, Clay said. When you have this condition, often you arent sure how your voice is going to sound. Sometimes you have a very good voice, and other times, a very bad voice. The condition is Spasmodic Dysphonia, a neurological disorder that causes the tiny muscles in the larynx to spasm, causing the voice to break up, cut out, or drop down to a faint whisper. Without treatment, speech becomes difficult or even impossible, and daily life a struggle against the isolation that comes with not be able to speak. About 50,000 people in North America have been diagnosed with the condition, although the number of actual cases is believed to be much higher, according to the Dysphonia International. Perhaps the most famous person with SD is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is running for president. Clay gave her voice a real workout on her first night as council president reading aloud the agenda of the Jan. 2 reorganization meeting, which was chock full of appointments. As the boroughs 99-year-old mayor, Vito Perillo, looked on, Clay read the appointments to town boards, then opened the floor to the public for discussion. Although Clay admitted to being a bit nervous before the meeting started, her voice remained strong throughout, and she closed with an authoritative pounding of the gavel. This meeting is adjourned, she said, when shed gone through the entire agenda. At 8:21 p.m., she added, almost for effect. Clay said she was was first diagnosed with Spasmodic Dysphonia about 17 years ago after her voice suddenly started breaking mid-sentence. A high school counselor at the time, Clay had to communicate to reach the kids and SD made the job a lot harder. The Botox injections she began receiving every three months quelled the spasms and worked to restore her voice, if only temporarily. The voice tends to falter toward the end of the cycle, so people with Spasmodic Dysphonia must plan their lives and social interactions around the treatment cycle, when they are in good voice, she said. Tinton Falls Council President Risa Clay listens to the public forum at the towns Borough Hall on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.John J. LaRosa | For NJ Advance But most people need their good voice all the time for their jobs, and Clay said the condition ultimately forced her to step down from a job she loved, as principal of Red Bank High School, in 2019. Rather than languish in early retirement, Clay took the bold step to run for Tinton Falls council in 2020. Clay said she was initially a bit intimidated at the prospect of playing the role of having to knock on doors and speak to voters. But she took a deep breath and moved forward. At first, I thought to myself, politics? No way!, she said. But then I realized it was a way to get active again and make a difference. By being elected, Clay put herself in the often challenging position of having to speak and occasionally, speak out on the issues facing Tinton Falls residents. For the most part, those issues revolve around maintaining the quality of life in the pleasant Jersey Shore town in Monmouth County, keeping the roads plowed, the parks clean, and the budget balanced. When I first joined the council, I did not have a good voice, she said. But this fall, she ran again and was reelected, albeit running unopposed on a ticket with two other candidates in a non-partisan town. During the campaign, Clay hosted a Walk to Talk event to raise money and awareness about Spasmodic Dysphonia. A lot of people have this condition and dont even know it. They think they have laryngitis, Clay said. Risa is amazing, said Kim Kuman, the executive director of Dysphonia International, which is based outside of Chicago. Shes really using her voice to raise awareness, and were excited. Kumin said the first case of Dysphonia was recorded in 1871. Research suggests the condition is caused by a neurological disorder in the brain, but so far there is no cure. We dont know what causes it. This is a brain disorder, Kumin said. When the person speaks, theres something that goes wrong. Its not life-threatening, she added. But it is life changing. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com. The lifeless body of an Indigenous man from the Ayoreo tribe was found at dusk on the last hot day of the year 2023, next to the dry trunk of a white quebracho tree on a dirt road in Paraguay. The corpse lying on thorny bushes had the skin on its legs and arms covered in black. Ayoreo men who live in voluntary isolation inside the forest traditionally paint themselves with this color. The body was at the edge of the second-largest continuous forest in South America the Gran Chaco shared with Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. The Ayoreo are the only Indigenous people in the Americas beyond the Amazon Basin with certain members living without establishing relationships with the society that surrounds them that is, sans contact with the state, NGOs, Evangelicals, poachers, anthropologists or YouTubers. This is something thats only possible in the Amazon and the Gran Chaco, due to the enormous forest mass that both regions have maintained since before colonization. On Sunday, December 31, someone notified the local police station by phone. A photo began to circulate in WhatsApp groups. This is how the image spread to the phones of the Ayoreo and other Indigenous peoples in the area, as well as to the Paraguayans and the Mennonites, whose livestock cooperatives control part of the security and infrastructure of the area, in the absence of the presence of the Paraguayan state. A little later, the photo and the news reached the cities and the Attorney Generals Office. The legs and arms were covered in black a tradition that the Ayoreo men observe when they are about to hunt. Its a forest filled with thorns, pumas and jaguars. The upper-half of the body was totally destroyed. An analysis of the chest opened and pierced by bullets revealed that the body had been there for some time. It was found just over a mile from Lageranzai, a tiny Paraguayan town in one of the most untouched natural areas of the continent. Far away from the oceans, it lies in the heart of the Ayoreo peoples ancestral territory. They are native to the forests and lagoons along the border between Bolivia and Paraguay. As soon as we saw the photo and the bare feet, we knew it was an isolated Ayoreo. Because the isolated ones dont wear shoes. [Also, we saw the] traditional black paint and the bracelet on his arm, says Guei Basui Picanerai, one of the eight community leaders who traveled to the site on January 6. Its about six hours by car from the Mennonite settlement of Philadelphia the largest in the Paraguayan Chaco and 14 hours from the capital, Asuncion. The leaders of the four Ayoreo political organizations claim that someone shot him and fled. Thats why theyre asking for an extensive investigation from the Attorney Generals Office although, due to payment issues, this institution barely has any agents. In fact, when the authorities came to remove the body on January 2, they didnt pick up key evidence, such as the hair that the Ayoreo leaders later found. This has been shown in videos that Basui has been circulating on social media. We demand that our complaint be taken into account and we demand to participate in the entire investigation process, the Ayoreo leaders affirmed in a press release. All the Ayoreo people are very sad, because [this individual could have] relatives who werent contacted, who [may still be] living in the mountains. On their titled reserves and national parks in Paraguay, the Ayoreo people are besieged by the noise of tractors that illegally uproot trees. Santi Carneri The body appeared near a tajamar a well where ranchers accumulate rainwater near one of the dusty roads in the lushest area of the Paraguayan Chaco region. There, one million hectares of Paraguayan land belonging to the Defensores del Chaco National Park and another four million hectares of the Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia provide shelter to the Ayoreo, who still live as their ancestors did before colonization. They are nomads and hunter-gatherers. Their territorys borders are drawn by the forest. From looking at the body, we think that the person tried to cross the road and drink water, but he ran into someone there. We assume that it was a rancher. Maybe he got scared and shot him. It was at the height of the Trebol Ranch, says Basui by phone, upon returning from his trip to Lagerenzai. We ask that the territory and way of life of our isolated relatives who decided not to leave their forest, which is their world be respected, because they feel safer there. In Paraguay, several isolated Ayoreo groups still live in the forest, but its being destroyed more and more their lives are not respected, added the leaders of this town of about 5,000 tribal members, who live between Paraguay and Bolivia. Prosecutors have said they will conduct a DNA test that could be ready within two weeks. The body is now in Asuncion, according to Ayoreo leaders. Our [Justice Ministry] doesnt have the [awareness that it should] properly intervene in cases that have to do with Indigenous peoples. Here, theyre not given the same treatment, they take their time theres no decisive action taken, Miguel Angel Alarcon tells EL PAIS. Hes the coordinator of the Amotocodie Initiative, an NGO dedicated to supporting the preservation of the Ayoreo people, territory and culture. What does voluntary isolation mean? The Ayoreo have always been in the heart of the Gran Chaco, living in groups of about 50 people, exercising their right to self-determination, which is recognized by the Inter-American Human Rights System and by the Constitution of Paraguay. There are 120 isolated Indigenous peoples in the Americas, the vast majority on Brazils border with Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. The Ayoreo protected by their nomadic way of life, the forest, the savanna and sheer luck survived European expeditions and modern wars well into the 20th century. Only after 1960 did the obsession of the American Evangelical New Tribes Mission now renamed Ethnos360 confront them with our reality. The evangelicals forced them away from their lands sometimes peacefully, other times not. Another leader who came to investigate the appearance of the body is Porai Picanerai, from the Chaidi community, which means refuge in the Ayoreo language. Its where many of those who were expelled from the community have lived over the last 20 years, after they were pushed out of the forest by missionaries and soldiers. Porai Picanerai says that the missionaries forced him to leave his forest and his family in 1986. He details to EL PAIS how the New Tribes Mission forced them to live in a reservation, where many died due to the lack of antibodies. They were vulnerable to the diseases of the surrounding society and they had to dedicate themselves to semi-forced labor. To this day, Porai and other Ayoreo individuals fight to get the formal rights to their territory. They defend it and travel through the hot air and dry parcels, documenting the illegal land invasions. They expel loggers and cattle ranchers who may as has happened now encounter some of their relatives living in isolation and kill them. The Gran Chaco a vast region is one of the places on the planet where deforestation is advancing the fastest. Paraguay was the most deforested country in South America from 1990 to 2015, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Now, it remains in second place, according to the Global Forest Watch (GFW) satellite system. About 250,000 hectares of forest are destroyed here every year. About 1,400 hectares per day, or seven trees per second, according to the calculation of Guyra Paraguay, a local NGO. Most of this land is cleared to produce meat and leather for export. The Chaco is so large that, to this day, a few hundred Ayoreo people manage to stay off the roads, avoiding the trucks and the yellow bulldozers that uproot the trees. They know whats out there: armed cattle ranch guards, drug traffickers, timber smugglers, religious missionaries and corrupt prosecutors. And they dont like it. Environmental conservation specialists and anthropologists from the Amotocodie Initiative agree with the Ayoreo: their survival depends on stopping deforestation in the area and guaranteeing that their ancestral territory remains a forest and, if possible, that it remains theirs. While recovering from a life-changing brain and spinal cord injury, Dr. James E. George discovered an unexpected path to healing that would later inspire him to donate $1 million to Rowan University. The former emergency medicine physician from Woodbury in Gloucester County became paralyzed in 2016 after tripping and falling while trying to open his house door for a meter reader. Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we prove it every week. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican serving as a senior advisor to Chris Christies presidential campaign, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the weeks events with editorial page editor Tom Moran. Q. Lets start with Chris Christies surprise decision to quit the race. Did he really think he might win? Or was this a patriotic kamikaze mission from the start, intended to damage Trump? Mike: Christie was only in this to win. He always knew the path was narrow, and that he would need a few breaks along the way. While catching Haley and coming in second in New Hampshire was still quite attainable, defeating Trump nationally did not seem to be. Once he believed there was no more path, he felt the right thing to do for his supporters and volunteers was to step aside. Julie: Chris Christie is a smart politician. He knows the Republican Party has long not been the party of Chris Christie or any other center-right conservative, so I cant imagine he really harbored any fantasies of being its nominee in 2024. This was about staying in the conversation, burnishing his reputation after years of enabling Trump and likely bumping up his marketability for a new TV opportunity. Mission accomplished. Q. Another theory I often hear, mostly from the Christie-haters: This was all about ego. He ran because he wanted to stay relevant, and to clean the stain on his legacy over endorsing Donald Trump in 2016. Thoughts? Mike: Christie ran because he thinks he would be a good president. Its that simple. Over the course of the campaign, he was able to vocalize that his endorsement of Trump in 2016 was a mistake. He showed courage and candor that few politicians do, and he paid a political price for it. The haters will always hate from the safety of the sidelines, and we frankly dont care what they think. If admitting mistakes and speaking truth to power help his long-term legacy, so be it, but he ran to win. Julie: You dont need to be a Christie-hater to believe that his run made him more relevant to the punditocracy, and that it did go a long way in those quarters towards cleaning up his reputation after his previous support of Trump. To be clear, Christie was one of the very rare politicians who categorically admitted that his enabling of Trump was a mistake. For that, he should be applauded. We Love a Hot Mic, Don't We, Folks? https://t.co/CQBRjQDYUH Esquire (@esquire) January 11, 2024 Q. He was caught on a hot mike saying of Nikki Haley, Shes going to get smoked, you and I know it, shes not up to this. Is he right about that? Is it possible Christie knew the mike was on and wanted to get this off his chest? Mike: Haley is running a careful campaign not to offend Trump or his supporters. Christie was the only candidate in the field who ever beat an incumbent, here in NJ in 2009. To beat an incumbent, one must relentlessly tell voters why the person in the lead should not win again. Haley has been unwilling to do this for fear of offending the Trump sycophants. Unwittingly, she has empowered Trump by saying she would pardon him, excusing his worst actions including those on January 6, and proudly saying she will support him even if he is convicted felon. Mike: Those words tell voters at home that Trump is the victim, and that they should stand with him. Haley is very smart and knows Trump is unfit to be president, but she puts her ambition ahead of telling the truth and possibly scaring away a few voters. She is 30 points behind Trump in her home state of South Carolina, where she was a two-term governor. Her own Lt. Governor, now the Governor, is supporting Trump. Sen. Lindsey Graham is supporting Trump. Sen. Tim Scott, whom she appointed to the US Senate, isnt even supporting her. If she is unwilling to take on Trump, she is simply playing for second place and is going to get smoked. Julie: Haley is going to get smoked. Anyone who keeps getting punched in the face by an opponent, while refusing to hit him back, is going to get smoked. Shes not under a legal gag order, so no one is preventing her from standing up for herself, other than her own fear of alienating a base that will never side with her anyway. Q. In federal court, meanwhile, Trump argued that presidents cannot be prosecuted for any crime -- even the murder of a political opponent -- unless he or she is impeached and convicted first. What? Does he really believe that, or is this a delay tactic? Mike: On its face, this is laughably crazy. The extrapolation of this to murder only makes the point even more clearly. The president swears an oath to uphold and enforce the laws, yet Trump thinks he can break them, too. Complete lunacy. Reason enough to move on. Julie: Why cant it be both? Why cant Trump be so genuinely unhinged that he believes a president can order the murder of his political opponent, and also view this as a delay tactic that gets him past the election and in a position to get the charges dismissed if he wins again? Q. Sen. Robert Menendez, facing corruption charges, gave a 20-minute speech on the Senate floor to rebut what he said were growing calls for his resignation. He claimed hes an innocent victim of persecution by a politically motivated Justice Department. Sounds like Trump, except that at one point Menendez seemed to be choking back tears. What did you think of the speech? Mike: I will have more sympathy for Sen. Menendez when he explains the gold bars that wound up in his pockets. Julie: There are several things to unpack here. The first unrelated to Menendez is that politically-motivated prosecutions do happen. Prosecutors have wide discretion about whom to investigate and we have seen, both here in New Jersey and at the federal level, that political consideration often enters into it. Sometimes it results in a conviction; sometimes the goal is just to muddy up a political opponent in order to hurt him or her professionally. Thats why you should not appoint agenda-driven prosecutors. The issue for Menendez is that the indictment alone has effectively cost him his political career. I understand his frustration, even if the allegations laid out by the Justice Department are appalling and he has yet to provide a good explanation, as Mike points out, about why there were gold bars in his house. New reporting by @viviannereim and @tariqpanja on what the tiny Gulf country of Qatar might have wanted most from Senator Menendez. https://t.co/SBhuW7tFk6 Tracey Tully (@traceytully) January 4, 2024 Q. Finally, Sen. Jon Bramnick, a ferocious critic of Trump, is signaling that hell run for governor next year saying he will make an important announcement later this month. Bramnick has beaten back MAGA challengers and is widely respected in both parties. If he runs for governor, can he win? Mike: Bramnick can definitely win, and I hope he runs. Bramnick has beaten back well-funded challenges by the Murphy Democrats and stood up to the MAGA Republicans who threatened him and tried to take him out. Through it all, all Bramnick does is win, win, and win again. Bramnick has a strong fiscally conservative record, been tough on crime, and fights for the little guy against big government and big corporations, all while being civil and maintaining great working relationships with Democrats in Trenton and his district. Bramnick is a throwback. Just because you disagree on policy doesnt mean you have to hate each other. I think theres a thirst for his type of politics statewide. Julie: Senator Bramnick is one of those rare elected officials who is very well liked by both sides of the aisle. He has been very effective in beating back not just MAGA challengers but also well-funded Democratic efforts. As a Democrat, I would be concerned if he were the Republican nominee. But getting the nomination may prove difficult for him, because Jack Ciattarelli is already in this race as the moderate candidate. He and Bramnick may split up the sane vote and allow a MAGA extremist to get the nomination. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. A note to readers: Mike and Julie are deeply engaged in politics and commercial advocacy in New Jersey, so both have connections to many players discussed in this column. DuHaime, the founder of MAD Global, has worked for Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and President George W. Bush, and Gov. Christie. Roginsky, a principal of Comprehensive Communications Group, has served as senior advisor to campaigns of Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg, and Phil Murphy. We will disclose specific connections only when readers might otherwise be misled. Domestic workers in New Jersey who provide invaluable services for families and elderly, disabled, and sick adults will have basic protections against discrimination and the right to unemployment, workers compensation paid leave insurance, under a new law that takes effect in July. Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act, benefitting about 50,000 part-time and full-time employees who work in peoples homes. FORECAST UPDATE SATURDAY: Snow squall threat Sunday. Latest forecast on snowstorm potential next week. Dont let your guard down, New Jersey. Another storm is drifting our way late Friday night into early Saturday, and even though it isnt expected to be as strong as the nasty storm that drenched the state just three days ago, forecasters are concerned about widespread river flooding, serious coastal flooding and scattered power outages from fierce gusty winds. Coastal areas of the Jersey Shore, from Monmouth County down to Cape May County, are under a high wind warning, because winds could be gusting as high as 50 to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The warning is active from 8 p.m. Friday through 5 p.m. Saturday. Most of the rest of the state is under a wind advisory, with gusts expected to get as high as 40 to 50 mph during the storm and also during the day on Saturday. Forecasters from the weather service say theres a threat of major coastal flooding along Barnegat Bay in Ocean County and major flooding along tidal areas of the Delaware River in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties. Thats on top of the major flooding thats expected along several sections of the Passaic River in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, new flooding near any swollen rivers, streams and creeks plus potential flash flooding on roads and highways. [Key Messages Tonight-Sat]: Moderate to heavy rain tonight, widespread minor urban/poor drainage flooding, widespread moderate river flooding to NE NJ, Lower Hudson Valley, & Southern CT, strong gusty winds tonight-Sat, & moderate coastal flooding with Sat AM/Early PM high tide. pic.twitter.com/hVqHAnde08 NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 12, 2024 Saturated areas of northern New Jersey are expected to get another 1 to 2 inches of rain from this storm, while most of the southern half of the state should get between a half-inch and 1 inch of new rain, the weather service said. While the heaviest rain and strongest winds are expected overnight Friday, gusty winds and river flooding will persist through the day on Saturday, and some rivers could remain at or near major flood stage throughout the weekend. Heres a look at the main threats posed by the storm, which areas of New Jersey are under high wind warnings, wind advisories, coastal flood warnings and other weather alerts. (The graphics below have been provided by the National Weather Service.) Main storm threats and timing The National Weather Service says the storm Friday night into early Saturday will have several "significant" impacts, including damaging wind gusts, moderate to major river flooding, flash flooding on streets, coastal flooding and rough seas.National Weather Service The National Weather Service says the storm Friday night into early Saturday will have several "significant" impacts, including moderate to major river flooding, flash flooding on streets, coastal flooding and dangerous seas.National Weather Service River flooding and flash flooding threats Although Friday night's storm isn't expected to be as strong as Tuesday night's storm, forecasters are concerned the new rain will trigger flash flooding on streets and additional flooding near swollen rivers, streams ad creeks. A few areas of the Passaic River in northern New Jersey have been steadily rising in recent days, and are expected to remain at or near major flood stage this weekend.National Weather Service Most of New Jersey is under a flood watch, with forecasters predicting flash flooding on streets and river, stream and creek flooding from the storm that will be impacting our region Friday night through early Saturday.National Weather Service Coastal flooding threats Although Friday night's storm isn't expected to be as strong as Tuesday night's storm, forecasters are concerned the new rain will trigger flash flooding on streets and additional flooding near swollen rivers, streams ad creeks. Major coastal flooding is possible along Barnegat Bay and parts of the tidal Delaware River.National Weather Service High wind forecast Forecasters say winds from Friday night's storm could be strong enough to knock down trees and power lines.National Weather Service Most of New Jersey is under a wind advisory, and coastal areas are under a high wind warning because of strong wind gusts coming from a storm Friday night, Jan. 12, into Saturday, Jan. 13.National Weather Service Storm rainfall forecast Although Friday night's storm isn't expected to be as strong as Tuesday night's storm, forecasters are concerned the new rain will trigger flash flooding on streets and additional flooding near swollen rivers, streams ad creeks.National Weather Service Current weather radar Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality. LATEST UPDATE: Snow forecast maps issued for latest winter storm. Snow squall alert today. The turbulent weather pattern in New Jersey is expected to continue through next week starting with the potential for snow squalls on Sunday as temperatures plunge, followed by the threat of a widespread snowstorm as early as Monday night, according to the latest forecasts. Rain from the latest storm on Friday night has primarily ended, though a few stray showers were still tracking across the region Saturday morning. River flooding remains a concern through the weekend with a few spots already at moderate or major flood stage with peak crests still ahead today or Sunday. Multiple Jersey Shore towns were also seeing flooded streets during high tide on Saturday. Winds of 35 to 45 mph could gust up to 50 mph on Saturday as temperatures fall through the day from a cold front. More than 3,600 homes and businesses in New Jersey remained without power as of 7 a.m. Saturday, according to NJ Advance Medias live power outage tracker. Temperatures were in the 50s early Saturday, but were expected to fall through the day from a cold front with lows overnight into Sunday expected in the low 20s and 30s. Snow squalls can create dangerous driving conditions very quickly. Here are some safety tips from the National Weather Service.National Weather Service Snow squall threat Sunday Another cold front arrives Sunday with the potential for brief an isolated snow showers or possibly even snow squalls with the front, the weather service said in its Saturday morning update. Snow squalls are intense bursts of heavy snow accompanied by strong winds that can quickly coat roads and reduce visibility for drivers. Many snow squalls are short-lived, but some can last as long as an hour or even longer. The weather service, however, expressed low confidence in the forecast for potential snow squalls. Forecasters are tracking a snowstorm threat for Tuesday that could bring widespread snow to the region, though uncertainty remains. The storm could follow a track along the coast, meaning more snow, or farther offshore, meaning just light snow showers.National Weather Service Snowstorm possible next week Forecasters continue to monitor a storm that could track up the East Coast and bring more widespread snow to New Jersey Monday night through Wednesday. Much uncertainty remains as a track closer to the coast increases the chance of measurable snow, while a track farther east could mean just a few light snow showers. Snowfall total forecast maps for the Tuesday storm have not yet been issued by the National Weather Service, which noted that models still differ widely, making for a challenging forecast. AccuWeathers forecasters said the storm track hinges on the influence of the jet stream. Should a large dip develop in the jet stream, then a major winter storm will climb the Atlantic coast from Tuesday to Wednesday, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck said. However, should only a shallow dip in the jet stream develop, the storm would be more likely to escape out to sea, off the southern Atlantic coast by midweek. Forecasters are tracking a snowstorm threat for Tuesday that could bring widespread snow to the region, though uncertainty remains. The storm could follow a track along the coast, meaning more snow, or farther offshore, meaning just light snow showers.National Weather Service AccuWeather Senior Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Lundberg favored the snowier outcome and the private forecasting firm issued an initial snowfall map calling for 1 to 3 inches across New Jersey. Based solely on the overall pattern, weighing all the options, a storm seems likely to evolve along the Atlantic coast with the potential for plowable snow in the I-95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and New England, with rain more likely over Delmarva, the New Jersey shore, Long Island, New York, and southeastern New England, Lundberg said. Cars are partially submerged in flood water on River Street in Paterson at about 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, two days after a powerful storm dumped heavy rain on the region.Richard Cowen | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com River flooding from Friday night storm Rainfall totals from Friday nights storm ranged from a half inch to up to 1.25 inches as of 4 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. That compounded flooding that has plagued spots in northern New Jersey all week. The Passaic River was reported at moderate or major flood stage in Pine Brook, Singac and Little Falls. Peak flooding was still ahead for Pine Brook as the river crests on Sunday, while the other two locations had forecasts for gradually lower amounts. The Passaic River at Pine Brook was just below major flood stage early Saturday and expected to crest Sunday.National Weather Service Latest radar Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Its almost 3:30 p.m. on Thursday and Jose Lopez, a resident of Totonicapan, uses a megaphone to encourage the representatives of the indigenous peoples who are holding a sit-in in front of the Public Ministry of Guatemala. It is day 102 of the resistance. Today it is the turn of the members of their community. They have traveled the almost 125 miles that separate their territory from the capital to stand guard in front of the gray cement mass that serves as an operations center for those they accuse of undermining democracy in his country: the attorney general, Consuelo Porras, the prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, and judge Fredy Orellana. The three have been accused by the elected president, Bernardo Arevalo, of perpetrating a coup detat through judicial attacks to prevent his inauguration. With just a few hours left before he takes office, the rally has a festive atmosphere. The goal of a peaceful transfer of power and preserving democracy in Guatemala seems to be getting closer and closer. But let no one be confused, the cantonal authorities present at the sit-in repeat over and over again with their staffs of office that distinguish them: this is an apolitical movement. We have always said it: we are not supporting any party, not even a president, we support the rule of law and democracy so that our country can breathe. We dont need anything to be given to us. We just want to work, we just want to be given the conditions to work, and that is what we demand from any government, Lopez says. And he gives way to a group of students who delight the audience with a double marimba concert: seven play the national instrument and two others support with maracas and percussion. In this movement that promotes the common good, nothing is understood without teamwork. The powerful movement was started by the authorities of the 48 cantons of Totonicapan. The indigenous organization with a long history of peaceful resistance, which represents around 140,000 people mainly the Kiche Mayan people of western Guatemala began on October 2. Its first acts were the seizure of town squares and setting up a road blockade and they were quickly joined by other communities in the country, inhabited by other Mayan peoples such as the Ixil, the Kaqchikel, and the Mam as well as the Xinka people. Although all the assemblies decisions are made by consensus, Luis Pacheco president of the 48 Cantons of Totonicapan in 2023 became the most recognized leader of these protests last year. As he explains, what moved his community to begin the strike were the attacks they saw on the part of the Public Ministry to undermine the results of elections that had been duly audited. Indigenous resistance at the heart of political power After lifting the road blockade, on November 20, the 48 Cantons decided to move the protest to the headquarters of the Public Ministry. Gladys Tzul, a doctor in Sociology originally from Totonicapan, points out that the intervention of the prosecutors office in the electoral results adds to a string of attacks against indigenous communities. For this reason, when they saw the sequestration of the ballot boxes, the indigenous movements responded in unison to the call for protest from all parts of the country. Indigenous leaders protest in front of the headquarters of the Public Ministry in Guatemala City on January 12, 2024. Monica Gonzalez Islas The Public Ministry acts as a hinge, like a kind of a gear between the three powers: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. And it is also the mechanism that gives way in administrative or research terms to the extractive model [of the exploitation of natural resources] which we are experiencing and that has caused deaths, anxiety, displacement, migration, and imprisonment in the communities, he says in an interview with EL PAIS. In the capital, the different organizations have established a rotating system to maintain the sit-in outside the prosecutors office, where protesters from the assigned towns arrive every day. This Thursday, it is the turn of the authorities from zone four of Totonicapan, among whom is the communal mayor Solomon Tax. There has been fatigue, times of tension, of provocation, but one of our slogans is always that our protests be peaceful, without becoming disorderly so that none of our authorities suffer harassment, he explains in a group with other community leaders while the marimba plays. In the more than 100 days of protest, the indigenous movements have had to overcome attempts at eviction and rejection from certain Guatemalans, but the population has rallied to them en masse and brought them food, tarpaulins, and blankets to withstand the cold of the night. Volunteers such as Lesvi Yanes, a 51-year-old woman from Jutiapa, also come to the sit-in. Yanes cooks dishes for the protesters with food donated to the indigenous resistance movements. There are only three days left! says Yanes as she passes by a sign that counts down the change of government located at the food stand. She does say she is a supporter of the Semilla Movement and supported the president-elect in the second round of the elections. We believe in change and, if they are doing all this so that [Arevalo] does not take office, it is because he is different. Otherwise they would already be celebrating, she says, pointing to the Public Ministry building. This has been kept up due to the publics unconditional support, Tax acknowledges. We have also had opposition, of course, but more people have joined us. There were up to 189 lockdowns across the country at [the protests] peak. Gladys Tzul believes that this indigenous resistance movement is going to be a watershed moment for her country, and that the Guatemalan political system has been shaken by the local government system. Serving the people means defending the collective will and defending dignity. It is not just for a salary, he points out. I feel that this trained and politically educated the population of the capital, which is not indigenous, and belongs to a certain middle class. It also made a lot of sense among the working classes that live in the cities that also have organized political and assembly structures. Furthermore, this resistance has positioned indigenous movements as interlocutors with different sectors from politics to business and they have also been taken into account by actors from the international community, who have been unusually active in responding to the Guatemalan crisis. We have had dialogues in which a better solution or an alternative has been sought to avoid creating conflicts and so that they do not believe that indigenous peoples do not know where we are going, says Pacheco, the former president of the 48 cantons. Clearly it has been widely accepted and that is why there is also support, because in the end it has been shown that it is a defense of an inherent right for all people and not just one sector of society. Challenge: the government does not ignore the indigenous peoples once again This resistance has brought the struggle and the indigenous movements ways of seeking the common good to the heart of Guatemalan politics, and it also presents a challenge for the new Arevalo Government. It must not leave behind the peoples who, according to the last census, represent 42% of the more than 17 million Guatemalans. Indigenous leaders protest in front of the headquarters of the Public Ministry (Prosecutor's Office) to demand the resignation of the attorney general, Consuelo Porras, in Guatemala City this Friday. Monica Gonzalez Islas We expect a lot from Arevalo, but the main expectation is that now there really is an inclusive government for indigenous peoples, and that they occupy the spaces that belong to them. And that the president governs with the indigenous people who are the people who managed to get him into office, says Pacheco. However, the president-elect has started the counter in the negative, as he himself acknowledged when he presented the 14 members of his cabinet, among whom there is only one indigenous woman, the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Miriam Roque. Arevalo acknowledged that they were indebted to the [countrys] multiculturalism, but showed his intention to bring these peoples into other levels of government. After meeting his government team, the Board of Directors of Communal Mayors of the 48 Cantons of Totonicapan in a statement regretted that Arevalo had not taken advantage of the historic opportunity to integrate an inclusive Cabinet with officials from the peoples that make up the country Mayan, Garifuna, and Xinka something vital for the implementation of real public policies that adhere to the living conditions of each of the ethnicities. For Tzul, Arevalos team must have the ability to respect heterogeneous autonomy. This is a country of communities and this uprising has shown us that. But the fact that the rule of law has been preserved, democratic order has not been broken, and this transition has been able to go ahead has to do with the defense of the common good that the authorities have made, he says. At the sit-in, the indigenous authorities prefer to give Arevalo a vote of confidence. Logically, these types of decisions make us a little sad, says Salomon Tax regarding the composition of the Cabinet. We cannot judge something that has not started, but we are going to be monitoring every movement and, if the results are not forthcoming, we are going to demonstrate. For the moment, their plan is to maintain the protest until January 15, one day after the inauguration. If everything goes as it should, we will be celebrating that we met the objectives of maintaining democracy in the country. Smoke rises in central Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, as seen from Israel, January 13, 2024. More than 30 Palestinians, including young children, were killed in Israeli bombardments overnight into Saturday in the Gaza Strip, officials said, while a new U.S. strike against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen heightened fears that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a regional conflict. Fears of a wider conflagration have been palpable since the start of the war, triggered by the deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas and other Gaza militants. New fronts quickly opened, with Iran-backed groups Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria carrying out a range of attacks. From the start, the U.S. increased its military presence in the region to deter an escalation. Following a Houthi campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the U.S. and Britain launched multiple airstrikes against the rebels Friday, and the U.S. hit another site Saturday. In another fallout from the war, the International Court of Justice heard allegations by South Africa this week that Israel committed genocide against the Palestinians. The complaint cited the soaring death toll and hardships among Gaza civilians, along with inflammatory comments from Israeli leaders cited as proof of what South Africa said was genocidal intent. In counter arguments Friday, Israel asked that the case be dismissed as meritless. Israels defense argued that Israel had the right to fight back against an enemy bent on its destruction, that South Africa had barely mentioned Hamas and that it ignored what Israel considers attempts to mitigate civilian harm. The court was asked by South Africa to issue interim injunctions, including calling for a halt to Israels offensive. In Gaza, where Hamas has put up but stiff resistance to Israels blistering air and ground campaign, the war continued unabated. The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that 135 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall toll of the war to 23,843. The count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, but the ministry has said about two-thirds of the dead are women and children. The ministry said the total number of war-wounded surpassed 60,000. Following an Israeli airstrike before dawn Saturday, video provided by Gazas Civil Defense department showed rescue workers searching through the twisted rubble of a building in Gaza City by flashlight. Footage showed them carrying a young girl wrapped in blankets with injuries to her face, and at least two other children who appeared dead. A boy, covered in dust, winced as he was loaded into an ambulance. The attack on the home in the Daraj neighborhood killed at least 20 people, according to Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal. Another strike late Friday near the southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border killed at least 13 people, including two children. The bodies of those killed, primarily from a displaced family from central Gaza, were taken to the citys Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital where they were seen by an Associated Press reporter. Israel has argued Hamas is responsible for the high civilian casualties, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. The Israeli military released a video Saturday that it said showed the destruction of two ready-to-use rocket launching compounds in Al-Muharraqa in central Gaza. A large grove of palm trees and some homes are seen in the frame. In the video, a rocket is being thrown into the air by the blast. The military said there had been dozens of launchers ready to be used. With the war in Gaza entering its 100th day on Sunday, the World Health Organization has said only 15 of the territories 36 hospitals still partially functional, according to OCHA, the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency. The main hospital in central Gaza, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah, went dark Friday morning after running out of fuel. Staff were able to keep ventilators and incubators operating with solar-charged batteries during the day, and received a small emergency shipment of fuel from another hospital late Friday. Fuel was expected to run out again on Saturday unless the WHO is able to deliver a promised shipment, hospital officials said. Aid deliveries were being disrupted by a renewed drop in telecommunications connectivity in much of Gaza, which began late Friday. In its Oct. 7 attack, Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians. About 250 more were taken hostage, and while some have been released or confirmed dead, more than half are believed to still be in captivity. Since the start of Israels ground operation in late October, 186 Israeli soldiers were killed and another 1,099 injured in Gaza, according to the military. More than 85% of Gazas population of 2.3 million has been displaced as a result of Israels air and ground offensive, and vast swaths of the territory have been leveled. Amid already severe shortages of food, clean water and fuel in Gaza, OCHA said in its daily report that Israels severe constraints on humanitarian missions and outright denials had increased since the start of the year. The agency said only 21% of planned deliveries of food, medicine, water and other supplies have been successfully reaching northern Gaza. These denials paralyze the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at-scale to widespread humanitarian needs, the agency said. American and other international efforts pushing Israel to do more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians have met with little success. At the same time, Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the territorys main hospital that had been shut down since November, had begun partially functioning again, the WHO said Friday. Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said his organization has delivered 9,300 liters (2,460 gallons) of fuel to Shifa, allowing a 60-person medical team to begin treating more than 1,000 patients. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Taiwan has chosen to remain on the same path. The 19 million citizens summoned to the ballot boxes have opted to make the ruling party candidate and current vice-president, Lai Ching-te, president. The leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led the race with 40.25% of the votes, according to official results with more than 96% of the polling stations counted. The nationalist party Kuomintang (KMT), inclined to a rapprochement with Beijing, came in second place with 33.39%, a greater margin than predicted in the polls. The result sends a clear message to the other side of the Taiwan Strait, and to the world: the self-governed island that China claims as an inalienable part of its territory and which the United States supports militarily, will continue along the path started eight years ago by Tsai Ing-wen, the current president. Tsai will leave power after exceeding the legal limit of two terms that have been marked by the absence of communication with the Peoples Republic, the growing tensions in the Strait and the rapprochement with Washington. He will be succeeded by Lai, 64 years old and a doctor by training, the option least favored in Beijing. The contest, much more than an election on this island where the superpowers clash, has marked the start of a crucial year of global elections, where almost half of the population is called to the voting booths from India to the United States, passing through the European Union . The next president has defined himself during the election campaign as the best guarantor of stability and the maintenance of the current status quo in relations with the Asian giant. He has spoken of deepening the strategy of deterrence so that an armed conflict is unthinkable, but has committed himself to seek dialogue with Beijing, which will not be easy. China, which considers the island a rebellious province which it intends to reunify peacefully, but without renouncing the use of force if necessary, has suggested instead that the DPP candidate hides a secessionist tendency, which harms the Taiwanese population and endangers peace in the Strait. The Peoples Republics preferred option was the nationalist Kuomintang, a party traditionally inclined to a more friendly relationship with the Beijing government. The big question is what strategy the Asian giant will follow from now on. The candidate of the Kuomintang nationalist formation (KMT), prone to a rapprochement with Beijing, Hou Yu-ih (in the center), waves after acknowledging his defeat. RITCHIE B. TONGO (EFE) The day before the elections, a spokesman for the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA, the Chinese army) criticized Taiwans latest acquisition of U.S. weapons, and assured that such purchases only serve to bring the island closer to a fierce war. The PLA is on high alert at all times and will take all necessary measures to resolutely crush any form of Taiwans secessionist plans for independence. This style of messaging is nothing new. They have been part of the campaign. And the island lives with them. The Government has denounced these days the interference of China by different means, from disinformation to military threats. But the day has passed with total normality in a young democracy, which takes the process very seriously. The polling stations opened at eight in the morning and closed at four in the afternoon, local time. Then began the counting of the votes with Taiwanese style, which is surprisingly transparent and efficient. It is publicly accessible and people come to the polling stations to watch it. Polling station members call out the votes loudly, holding up each ballot with two hands so that it is visible. They write down the results with ticks, the old-fashioned way. And finally they show the sheet with the results. Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's vice president, votes in the elections won Saturday by his party, the Democratic Progressive Party. ANN WANG (REUTERS) I wanted to bring my daughter to see it, says Shao Kai-yang, a 45-year-old architect, who dropped by Dongmen First School, a stones throw from the presidential palace in downtown Taipei. He wanted to show her that in different places there are different opinions and different results. But that they should be respected. He, who voted in another neighborhood, has opted for the winning DPP; at this polling station, however, the victory went to the nationalist Kuomintang, which will remain in opposition for a third term for the first time since 1996, when the islands first democratic elections were held. Wang ji-shun, an 81-year-old resident who has been a member of the KMT for 60 years, was still hopeful of a victory after 5 p.m. He was confident of a change of government. He was confident of a change of government: In terms of cross-Strait relations, the KMT is more secure. But as the count progressed, which went very fast in the island of semiconductors, the gap widened and PDP supporters came to the party headquarters to celebrate the victory. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Cities and towns across Northwest Indiana have opened warming shelters this weekend as temperatures continue to plummet. Below are a list of places people can seek shelter. LAKE COUNTY CROWN POINT St. Jude House 219-662-7066 EAST CHICAGO Riley Hall 1005 E. Chicago Ave. Warming shelter will be open through Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. GARY Citizens in Gary who require transportation can board any City of Gary or Gary Public Transportation Corp. bus or van using the "Code 32." The City of Gary said bus operators will make every effort to stop as close to a warming center location as possible. For city services, contact 3-1-1 by calling 219-881-1311 or visit www.gary.gov for a link to the Gary 3-1-1 mobile app. Calumet Township, multi-purpose 1900 W. 41st Ave. 219-880-4900. Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ambridge-Mann Community Center 2822 W. 4th Ave. Open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. Brother's Keeper, men's shelter 2120 Broadway. 219-882-4459. Restoration House Shelter for Men 1365 Taney St. 219-427-1587. Serenity House, men's alcoholism and substance abuse treatment center 5157 Harrison St. 219-980-1955. HAMMOND Claude Street Transitional Housing, women and children 5515 Claude Ave. 219-933-7013. Rescue Mission Shelter for Men First Baptist Church 527 State St. 219-932-2085. Jean Shepherd Center 3031 J.F. Mahoney Dr. Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hammond Civic Center 5825 Sohl Ave. Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hammond Sportsplex 6630 Indianapolis Blvd. Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. HIGHLAND Lincoln Center 2450 Lincoln St. Sat: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Fri: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. LAPORTE COUNTY MICHIGAN CITY Sandcastle Family Shelter Call between 5 and 8 p.m. for phone intake. 219-879-2552. 219-879-2442. PORTER COUNTY VALPARAISO Caring Place, Inc., men, women and families 511 Randle St. 219-464-0840. 219-464-2128. Open 24 hours. The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra will present a Sunday afternoon percussion ensemble next month in Munster. The symphony's percussion ensemble will perform at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 4 at the Theatre at the Center at 1040 Ridge Road in Munster. Percussionists Andy Cierny, Brandon Podjacek and Jeff Handley will perform in the concert. They will play with instruments like vibraphone, xylophone, congas, tom-toms, snare drum and drumset, as well as their own hands. The ensemble will perform "Stamina" by Mitch Markovitch, "Group Therapy for One" by David Wach, "Trance" by David Friedman, "Clapping Music" by Steve Reich, and other pieces. Cierny is the symphony's principal percussionist. "He is also the principal at the Illinois Symphony and New Philharmonic and holds positions with the South Bend Symphony, Lansing Symphony, and Illinois Philharmonic. He regularly plays with Chicago Philharmonic and Chicago Opera Theater," the Northwest Indiana Symphony said in a press release. "From 2004-2008, he was a member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. He also performed in high capacity with the Milwaukee Symphony for ten seasons, traveling to Carnegie Hall with the MSO in 2012 to perform in the 'Spring for Music' festival. Alongside orchestral playing, Andrew plays drums around Chicago with the jazz group Bopology." Podjasek has performed in shows like "Wicked, Mary Poppins, Legally Blond and Into the Woods" at Broadway in Chicago theaters, The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Writers Theater and the Paramount Theater in Aurora. He serves as Principal Percussion/Timpani for the Haymarket Opera, the Bella Voce Sinfonia, and the Callipygian Players. An expert in period instruments, he teaches at North Park University and The Merit School of Music. Handley is also an educator and percussionist in Chicago. He's performed in Wicked, Aladdin, West Side Story, and Beautiful," as well as with Andrea Bocelli, Johnny Mathis, Placido Domingo, Hugh Jackman and Mannheim Steamroller. He's collaborated with Chicago Sinfonietta, Fulcrum Point, Ravinia, and The DuPage Foundation and performed with the Chicago Sinfonietta, Lyric Opera, Grant Park Symphony, and Tower Brass. He's taught music education for more than 25 years and been honored with the Ford Musicians Award for Excellence in Community Service by the American League of Orchestras. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students. For more information, call (219) 836-0525 or visit www.NISOrchestra.org. VALPARAISO The tall bird moved gracefully, extending her long neck slowly before dropping it to the ground to root around for insects. "Sandy" the sandhill crane had to build her strength she had a long journey ahead of her. This weekend, Sandy, Nicole Harmon, Humane Indiana's director of wildlife rehabilitation and education, and Nicole's mom will be embarking on a 10-and-a-half-hour road trip to our nation's capital. After spending a little over two months at Humane Indiana's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Valparaiso, Sandy has found a new home at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Sandy will join the zoo's two other sandhill cranes in the Smithsonian's recently remodeled sandhill crane sanctuary. "Its very exciting for her to go to the National Zoo because its a zoo thats open to the public, it's a completely free zoo, you could go any day of the week, theres people from all over the world going there," Harmon said. Sandy came to Humane Indiana after spending five years at another rehabilitation center. The other center received Sandy after she had been hit by a car, however she did not have adequate space to fully heal. This injury left Sandy with a bowed wing that was about 10% shorter than her other wing. Over the past few months Sandy has been able to build muscle using Humane Indiana's 100-foot flight tunnel, however Harmon said the crane can still only get about two feet off the ground. Shortly after Humane Indiana took in Sandy, a veterinarian determined the crane would never be able to be released into the wild. Release is always that first outcome that we want, that we hope for ... but when that option is not available, we want that bird to have a new lease on life and a legacy," Harmon said. This bird who was taken from the wild at just over a year old now has this legacy that she can be in our nations capital and be making an educational impact." Because Northwest Indiana is located along a sandhill crane migration route, most residents have heard the bird's unique call or at least seen a cloud of cranes fill the sky, however other parts of the country are not as familiar. Though populations have rebounded in recent years, as of 1979 the eastern sandhill crane population had dwindled to about 14,385. Habitat rehabilitation and education have helped bring the eastern population back from the bring, as of 2020 there were about 94,879. Harmon said education plays a key role in wildlife conservation. The more people know about a species, the more invested they are in its protection. That's why Humane Indiana tries to reach as many people as possible by bringing ambassador animals to classrooms, workplaces and to public events. The wildlife center currently has 31 animal ambassadors. In 2023, Humane Indiana's educational programs reached some 17,000 people, making it the center's highest-impact year to date. Over the last 10 years, Humane Indiana Wildlife has become the largest wildlife rehabilitation center in the state. The center started in 2014 with 150 animals; last year the center cared for 2,800 animals. Donations to Humane Indiana can be made at humaneindiana.org/donate. PHOTOS: Sandhill cranes at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area pulaski crane crane pulaski Jasper Pulaski jasper pulaski crane pulaski sandhill crane sandhill cranes The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority named human resources director and former board member Niki Lopez its interim CEO while it searches for a long-term replacement for former President and CEO David Uran, who stepped down last month after less than two years in the job. Lopez served on the SSCVA board for eight years and has run the tourism agency's HR department for nine months. Her appointment to interim CEO was made during a board of directors meeting Thursday. "I'm just really excited for the opportunity and to play a larger role in the company," she said. "I've been involved with the South Shore for the last nine years in HR, as a board member and also as a partner when I worked for the city of Hobart. Our municipality was a partner. I'm just excited to play a larger role and see what we can get done in the next couple months here." Lake County tourism is nearly a $1 billion per year industry. "There's a high potential right now," Lopez said. "Events have been really good this year so we're going to expand on that. We're going to expand on our partnerships and just keep the ball rolling." SSCVA Chairman Andy Qunell said Lopez was well qualified for the executive role. "Niki's going to do a great job," he said. "She ran events in Hobart and did an outstanding job. If you talk to anyone out there, they will tell you." The board picked her to serve as interim CEO, its third leader in two years. "We kind of suggested her," Qunell said. "We kind of polled the board and said, 'what did you think?'" The SSCVA board plans to conduct a search for a new full-time CEO, hiring a local firm instead of the national one it brought in last time while seeking to replace longtime chairman Speros Batistatos. "It will be an application process where an outside firm will be reviewing the applicants," Qunell said. "They will winnow it down to a number we decide on, and then we'll bring the finalists to the board and then we'll decide." Last time, the search took four or five months. The job opening must be posted for at least 45 days. "We'll cast a wide net," board member Brent Brashier said. The board voted Thursday to pay Lopez the equivalent of the chief operating officer's salary while she was handling the added responsibility. It plans to reevaluate the CEO pay, which likely will be lower in the future, Qunell said. "We're going to reevaluate it based on the market and what's out there," he said. "We want to reevaluate what the market bears. We always look at these jobs every year to make sure we're paying the proper market rate." The board also voted Thursday to negotiate a severance payment with Uran, who said he was resigning to spend more time with family in a surprise move just after the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority hosted the full cast of "A Christmas Story" at the Indiana Welcome Center. He will be paid up to nine months of his salary. Qunell said a payout was contractually obligated and that it would just be base pay. "There's a clause in his contract over it," he said. "Under the terms of his contract, which is the case with any executive, there are terms in the contract with how they're compensated for their departure." Phill Niblock, an influential New York composer and film and video artist who opened new sonic terrain with hauntingly minimalist works incorporating drones, microtones and instruments as diverse as bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies, often accompanied by his equally minimalist moving images, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 90. His partner, Katherine Liberovskaya, said he died in a hospital of heart failure after years of cardiac procedures. Mr. Niblock had no formal musical training. Nevertheless, he came to be hailed as a leading light in the world of experimental music, not only as an artist himself but also, beginning in the 1970s, as the director, with the choreographer Elaine Summers, of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation for dance, avant-garde music and other media. He served as the foundations sole director from 1985 until his death, and he was also the curator of the foundations record label, XI. His loft on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan served as a performance space for the foundation. It was also a social nexus for boundary-pushing musicians and composers like John Cage, Arthur Russell, David Behrman and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a case brought by Starbucks challenging a federal judges order to reinstate seven employees who were fired at a store in Memphis amid a union campaign there. Starbucks argued that the criteria for such intervention by judges in labor cases, which can also include measures like reopening shuttered stores, vary across regions of the country because federal appeals courts may adhere to different standards. A regional director for the National Labor Relations Board, the companys opponent in the case, argued that the apparent differences in criteria among appeals courts were semantic rather than substantive, and that a single effective standard was already in place nationwide. The labor board had urged the Supreme Court to stay out of the case, whose outcome could affect union organizing across the country. Marijuana is neither as risky nor as prone to abuse as other tightly controlled substances and has potential medical benefits, and therefore should be removed from the nations most restrictive category of drugs, federal scientists have concluded. The recommendations are contained in a 250-page scientific review provided to Matthew Zorn, a Texas lawyer who sued Health and Human Services officials for its release and published it online on Friday night. An H.H.S. official confirmed the authenticity of the document. The records shed light for the first time on the thinking of federal health officials who are pondering a momentous change. The agencies involved have not publicly commented on their debates over what amounts to a reconsideration of marijuana at the federal level. Since 1970, marijuana has been considered a so-called Schedule I drug, a category that also includes heroin. Schedule I drugs have no medical use and a high potential for abuse, and they carry severe criminal penalties under federal trafficking laws. The documents show that scientists at the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute on Drug Abuse have recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration make marijuana a Schedule III drug, alongside the likes of ketamine and testosterone, which are available by prescription. The review by federal scientists found that even though marijuana is the most frequently abused illicit drug, it does not produce serious outcomes compared to drugs in Schedules I or II. More than 30 years have passed since Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and once a model for multicultural harmony, became a shooting gallery. In the 47-month-long siege of Sarajevo during the 1990s Bosnian war, more than 11,000 residents were killed and 50,000 wounded, mainly by mortar shells and snipers from Serb nationalist forces. Sixty-five percent of the citys buildings were damaged, and 80 percent of its utilities infrastructure was destroyed. Vernes Causevic, 37, was a young child during the siege. After his father was badly injured, his family escaped to London, where Mr. Causevic grew up to be an architect who never stopped looking back. We are not interested in a war against the Houthis in Yemen, we are not interested in a conflict of any kind. We want to see these attacks stop. Aware that the attack launched this Friday by the United States and the United Kingdom against targets in Yemen of Iran-backed militia risks a spread in the conflict, White House Security Council spokesman John Kirby has insisted that Washington is not looking for a direct confrontation. It was the first major act of retaliation since the Houthis began attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea through which about 15% of the worlds maritime traffic passes, according to US estimates in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The tension, which had already been increasing in the last two weeks, is now extreme, with the Yemeni rebels vowing to respond. Kirby has made it clear that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, will not hesitate to take further action to protect shipping, as a naval coalition he has led since December has done. Tehran has says that the attacks have fueled insecurity and instability in the Middle East, although experts do not foresee it becoming directly involved in the defense of its allies. The White House maintains that the military action was carried out in accordance with US legislation and international law. All [the attacked sites] were valid and legitimate military objectives, added the spokesperson aboard Air Force One, in which Biden was heading to an event in Pennsylvania. US and British forces attacked anti-aircraft surveillance systems, radars, and arsenals of drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles in different parts of Yemen under the control of the Houthi rebels. Both capitals have warned that they will repeat them if hostile incidents continue in those waters. Also on Friday, the car manufacturers Tesla and Volvo announced the temporary suspension of part of their production in Europe due to a shortage of components arising from changes in maritime traffic through the Red Sea. In the end, three months after the Hamas attack on Israel, the expansion of the conflict in Gaza has not occurred where it was most feared: countries neighboring the Jewish State, such as Lebanon, with the Hezbollah militia; or Syria, with the pro-Iranian militias. The Israeli army has been engaged in daily skirmishes on both fronts since October, but it has been at the other end of the Red Sea where two of Israels allies have sprung into action. The US and UK have opened fire against a group that is backed by Iran and controls 30% of the territory of Yemen, including the capital. The Houthis have also occasionally launched drones and missiles against the Israeli city of Eilat, at the northern tip of the Red Sea and with tens of thousands of displaced people in hotels. Since the crisis broke out in the region, following the massive surprise attacks by Hamas (resulting in about 1,200 dead and more than 200 taken hostage) and the Israeli offensive in Gaza that has already left almost 24,000 Palestinians dead (more than 1% of the population of the Strip), one of the great priorities for the United States has been to avoid the spread of the conflict. President Biden supports the Israeli campaign economically, militarily, and diplomatically, but is seeking to reduce his countrys role in the Middle East. Therefore, he does not want to get fully involved, and even less so in the middle of an electoral battle that begins this weekend with the Republican caucuses in Iowa. Tension had been rising since December 31, when US helicopters sank three Houthi boats that were trying to board a ship. On Tuesday, the Yemeni movement launched the largest of 27 attacks on ships in the Red Sea. That same day, during his visit to Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had warned that his countrys Armed Forces would respond if they were attacked or threatened. [The Houthis] are a threat not just to us or to Israel; [they are] a threat to the entire international community because theyve been attacking shipping through the Red Sea thats vital to providing about 15% of global commerce every day, he said. With abstentions from Algeria, Russia, China, and Mozambique on Wednesday, the Security Council approved resolution 2722, which ordered the Houthis to immediately cease their harassment. In theory, attacks in response to the Gaza invasion have targeted merchant ships supposedly linked to, originating from, or destined for Israeli ports, although this has not always been the case. The main maritime transport companies are avoiding the passage and choosing to circumnavigate Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, which has seen freight rates increase by 170%. Naval coalition To address the problem, the United States forged the Operation Prosperity Guardian naval coalition with 11 other countries in December. Now, the European Union has proposed creating a new special naval security mission to patrol the Red Sea. It would be independent of Prosperity Guardian, but they would share secret intelligence, according to a confidential proposal sent on Thursday by the EU External Action Service (EEAS) to the member states, and to which EL PAIS has had access. Even if it goes ahead, Spain will not send ships to patrol the Red Sea, Minister of Defense Margarita Robles clarified this Friday. The attack not only increases the scope of the conflict to other actors and geographical spaces. It also reveals the gap between the United States and almost the entire Arab world over its support for Israel. Ayman Safadi, the foreign minister of Jordan a Washington ally that has had formal relations with Israel since 1994 blamed the growing tension in the region on Israeli aggression in Gaza and the constant commission of war crimes against the Palestinian people and violations of international law with complete impunity, according to the state agency Petra. The only Arab country publicly integrated into Operation Prosperity Guardian is Bahrain, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet and forged diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, despite the importance of maritime traffic for others, such as Egypt, with over 930 miles of coastline along the Red Sea. Neither are Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, the two leading countries in the coalition that fought the Houthis since 2015 and then gradually reduced their involvement. Riyadh, which has been negotiating a definitive ceasefire with the militia for months and reestablished diplomatic relations with Tehran almost a year ago, has expressed its great concern and has called for containment to avoid an escalation. Support for the Palestinian cause on the streets of Arab countries (including the five that recognize Israel) has generated little appetite to make a significant contribution to a mission led by the United States at this time, despite the economic impact caused by the naval blockade and the differences they maintain with Tehran. In Washington, voices have emerged in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party criticizing the attack. Once Biden gave the go-ahead, the White House notified Congress. But critical legislators point out that Article I of the Constitution obliges the government not only to notify it, but also to request express authorization from Congress to carry out this type of military action. Thursdays attacks are an unacceptable violation of the Constitution. Article I requires that military action be authorized by Congress, legislator Pramila Jayapal stressed. On top of military pressure, the United States added diplomatic and economic pressure this Friday. The Treasury Department has announced sanctions against two companies, one based in Hong Kong and the other in the United Arab Emirates, for shipping Iranian goods on behalf of the network of Iran-based Houthi financial facilitator Said al-Jamal. It is supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Al Quds Brigade (IRGC-QF). The Treasurys Office for Asset Control (OFAC) has identified four vessels in which those two companies have interests. The sale of the goods they transported was going to finance the Houthi militias and their attacks against commercial ships. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Several New Jersey communities were bracing on Friday for more rain and flooding after a winter storm earlier in the week caused several rivers in the northern part of the state to overflow. North Jersey was predicted to get up to 1.5 inches of rain Friday night, adding to the residual flooding still lingering in the area, the National Weather Service said. Some areas along the Passaic and Raritan Rivers remained underwater after the heavy rains on Tuesday. Even in places where flooding had receded, the ground was still saturated, the Weather Service said. On Friday afternoon, Gov. Phil Murphy warned residents of the affected areas that the Passaic River was already well above flood level and expected to rise another one to two feet by Sunday. In messages posted online, Mr. Murphy urged residents to follow local officials guidance and to avoid driving Friday night. Inspecting flood damage in Little Falls in Passaic County on Thursday, Mr. Murphy said at a news conference that more needed to be done to address the chronic flooding that plagues many New Jersey towns. In addition, Kathleen Hicks, the deputy defense secretary, was told on Jan. 2 while she was on vacation in Puerto Rico that the secretarys power was being transferred to her, but officials have said it was not until days later that she was informed that Mr. Austin was in the hospital. The communications breakdown left broad concerns about who could answer major national security questions during wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. It has also raised questions about the Defense Departments competence and Mr. Austins credibility. The White House had previously said Mr. Biden still had confidence in Mr. Austin, and has denied that there was any breakdown in command. Mr. Austin has left intensive care, and John F. Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, has said the secretary has continued to work while hospitalized. It was seamless, it was as if his participation was no different than it would be on any other given day, except he was briefing the president on options and engaging those questions from the hospital, but he was fully engaged, Mr. Kirby said. Mr. Austin gave the final go-ahead on a major series of strikes against the Houthi militia in Yemen from the hospital on Thursday. Alien bodies allegedly hidden by the United States government. Suspected Pentagon cover-ups of secret spending programs. Retaliation against any official who dares speak out. Perhaps no congressional briefing offers up more titillating claims or does less to illuminate them than one about U.F.O.s. On Friday, members of Congress entered such a session with burning questions, only to receive hedged answers that they said did little to demystify what the government knows about extraterrestrial beings. The closed-door briefing with Thomas A. Monheim, the inspector general of the intelligence community, was supposed to help members of the House Oversight Committee understand if there was any credibility to the bombshell claims made by a high-profile whistle-blower in July. But what, if anything, was actually said was far from clear. It didnt help that the whole session was confidential, so the lawmakers were barred by law from relaying what they had heard not exactly a formula for combating the raft of conspiracy theories that has sprung up around U.F.O.s, fueled by government reports documenting unexplained incidents with what it calls unidentified anomalous phenomena and the recent whistle-blower account. A member of the Proud Boys extremist group who threatened police officers with an ax handle and breached the U.S. Capitol during the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced on Friday to nearly five years in prison, federal prosecutors said. Judge Timothy J. Kelly of U.S. District Court in Washington sentenced the man, William Chrestman, 51, of Olathe, Kan., to 55 months in prison. Mr. Chrestman pleaded guilty in October to felony charges of obstruction of an official proceeding and threatening a federal officer. The judge also ordered Mr. Chrestman to pay $2,000 in restitution, and his prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement on Friday. Mr. Chrestman was sentenced to less time in prison than the 63 months that prosecutors had recommended in a sentencing memo. They argued that Mr. Chrestman had played a significant role during the riot due to his presence and conduct at pivotal moments during the day. Former President Donald J. Trumps lawyer in Atlanta asked a judge on Friday for more time to review salacious allegations against two prosecutors leading the racketeering case against Mr. Trump, saying he may join an effort to disqualify them. The matter came up during a hearing in the election interference case against Mr. Trump and 14 of his allies. The office of Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, has yet to respond to a court filing on Monday that accused her of being romantically involved with the lead prosecutor she hired for the Trump case, Nathan Wade. Mr. Wade has reaped more than $650,000 in legal fees since Ms. Willis hired him in November 2021. The filing said that Ms. Willis had been profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers, charging that she and Mr. Wade had taken vacations together with money he made working for her office. The development has energized Republicans and raised questions about Ms. Williss judgment as she tries one of the highest-profile cases in the country. On Friday, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, a Trump ally and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, used the allegations as the basis for seeking more records from the district attorneys office. The United States carried out another strike against the Houthi militia in Yemen, the U.S. Central Command said on Friday night, bombing a radar facility as part of an effort to further degrade the Iran-backed groups ability to attack ships transiting the Red Sea. It was the second straight day that the U.S. military fired on a Houthi target, after an American-led barrage of military strikes early Friday local time that was aimed at securing critical shipping routes between Europe and Asia. The strikes come amid fears of a wider escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The strike, carried out at 3:45 a.m. Saturday local time by the U.S.S. Carney using Tomahawk missiles, was a follow-on action on a specific military target, the Central Command said in a statement posted on social media. A Pentagon official said on Friday night that the strike was meant to further the job begun by the widespread coordinated air and naval assault on a number of Houthi targets in Yemen the night before. Houthi forces in Yemen vowed earlier on Friday to retaliate for the previous strikes, which involved missiles and warplanes launched by the United States and Britain, and came in response to intensifying attacks on commercial vessels and warships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, which has said it was acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas. Dear readers, Where did all the Brendas go? The Donnas and Debbies, Sharons and Carols? I wondered that the other day after meeting a friends beautifully scrunchy newborn for the first time a tiny bread loaf fresh to the world, whose name fell refreshingly far down the current list of popular choices. According to the people who compile these things, parents of the 2020s have enthusiastically embraced the brass-fixture nomenclature of characters in an Edith Wharton novel, or at least HBOs The Gilded Age, with every Brooklyn daycare now hosting a small army of Evelyns, Elijahs, Amelias and Olivers. I grew up in a certain pocket of California kookery where unusual was the default: My best friends had names like Melon and Panama, and even the adults we knew seemed free to redefine themselves as Hindu gods or whimsical shades of the color wheel. My own birth name marked me as unconventional too, so as a teenager I took the opportunity of a family move to change it. (In junior high school, it has been empirically proved, freak flags are best flown at lower altitudes.) Overwhelmed by options should I be a bird, a tree, a TV star? I panicked and reverted to a name that already ran in the family. A perfectly fine one! Easy to spell and only occasionally mispronounced like the galactic princess with the buns in her hair. But even now, I feel a little detached from Leah, a designation that floats politely adjacent to me but is still not quite mine. I have found myself drawn to characters in fiction who exist in that liminal space as well not just because of my personal history, but for the novelistic skill it takes to sustain an unnamed hero over several hundred pages. Like the protagonists of Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man or Graham Greenes The Power and the Glory, the incognito narrators in this weeks newsletter find distinction in their anonymity: Maybe you cant call them by their names, but humanity, wily and specific, still seeps through. Leah The Quaker Oats Company added more products this week to a recall that started last month over possible salmonella contamination, raising the total number of products to more than 60. Quaker Oats, which is owned by PepsiCo, initially recalled 43 products, including granola bars, cereals and various snack foods. On Thursday, the company added 24 products to the list. The newly recalled items include Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Gatorade protein bars, Capn Crunch bars, Quaker Simply Granola Cereals, Gamesa Marias Cereal and other cereals. To date, Quaker has received no confirmed reports of illness related to the products covered by this recall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in December. It is unclear if any illnesses have been reported since then. John Kerry, President Bidens special envoy for climate, plans to step down by spring, ending a three-year run in a major diplomatic role that was created especially for him and which will face an uncertain future with his departure. Mr. Kerry, 80, has served as the presidents top diplomat on climate change since early 2021, working to cajole governments around the world to aggressively cut their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. He led the U.S. negotiating team through three United Nations climate summits, reasserting American leadership after the country withdrew from the Paris climate agreement during the Trump administration. Mr. Kerry championed cooperation on global warming between the United States and China, the worlds two largest polluters, during times of tension. On Wednesday, Mr. Kerry met with Mr. Biden in the White House to inform the president of his intention to resign, according to one person familiar with the meeting. On Saturday, his staff learned of his decision at a hastily arranged meeting, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss personnel matters. Politics is a tough business, so youd think most politicians would be tough people. In fact, in my experience, theyre often not. A lot of people go into politics because they want to be universally liked, and from Abraham Lincoln on down, many of them have detested personal confrontation. Several years ago it occurred to me that in every administration I had covered to that point from Reagan through Obama the White House staff seemed to fear the first lady more than they feared the commander in chief. This has obviously changed in recent times. Donald Trump was tough, mean and self-pitying (a nifty combination). President Biden is tougher than he looks. And the woman who is now Trumps chief challenger, Nikki Haley, is one of the toughest politicians in America by which I mean confrontational, willing to hammer her foes. When you read accounts of her days in South Carolina, her bellicosity fairly ripples off the pages. In a fantastic 2021 profile in Politico Magazine, Tim Alberta quotes a former South Carolina Republican Party chair: Listen, man. She will cut you to pieces. Nikki Haley has a memory. She has a memory. She will remember who was with her and who was against her. And she wont give a second chance to anyone who she thinks did her wrong. But the most telling quotation is the one Haley gave to Alberta herself: I dont trust, because Ive never been given a reason to trust. The wave of violence that Ecuador has suffered in recent days might be interpreted as a new phenomenon in a country that until now had been on the margins of the serious issues with criminality in neighboring nations, such as Peru and Colombia. But those days are gone. In the last three years there have been prison riots with dozens of people killed, an assault with dynamite, hostages held at gunpoint on live public television, bombs in barracks and police stations, and selective assassinations of politicians and presidential candidates. Drug trafficking has quietly emerged as a parallel power to the state that controls judges, generals, and police officers. One might think that the breakdown of the institutions has taken place in record time. However, a look at the last 40 years shows that the problems that have now emerged have been brewing since the 1980s, when large-scale drug trafficking began and the first gangs were created. Ecuador as an island of peace is a misnomer, explains Daniel Ponton, a security analyst and university professor at Ecuadors Institute of Higher National Studies. Unlike Colombia, the country had no guerrillas. The government crushed some timid attempts, but from the 1980s onwards the homicide rate began to rise. At that time, Ponton says, the presence of Mexican drug cartels was officially recorded, but was kept secret until now. Problems on the border intensified with the presence of FARC and Colombian paramilitary groups on the other side. To combat these threats, the state authorized the creation of a U.S. military base in Manta, in the north. A woman arrives at the police station after being assaulted in Guayaquil yesterday. Ivan Alvarado (Reuters) In parallel to Rafael Correas rise to power in 2007 the politician went on to govern for the next 10 years there was an explosion of violence and drug trafficking. Plan Colombia, an agreement between the the Colombian government and the United States to combat crime, sent the criminals into Ecuadorian territory. Correa then dealt with a police revolt in 2010 in which he himself was taken hostage in a police station, and resulted in a very deep law and order crisis. The president, who reduced the countrys poverty by several points, thanks to an oil and commodity boom, implemented a judicial reform that had immediate effects. Homicides, which had reached 20 per 100,000 of the population at the beginning of the century, fell drastically to 5.6 at the end of his term. Heavy-handed The prison population quadrupled, from 10,000 to 40,000. It was a heavy-handed policy, of course, although Correa now denies it, Ponton adds. A new, more punitive penal code was created, investment in the police was made with the cash from oil surpluses, police officers were rewarded for capturing high-profile criminals and thats why the most wanted ended up in prison. Correa concluded his term with a 62% approval rating and named a successor, Lenin Moreno. The latter, who would soon distance himself from his mentor, held a plebiscite to intervene in the Council of Citizen Participation and create a Territorial Council that would audit all institutions, including the judiciary. From this point on, Ponton marks a before and after. It coincides with the kidnapping and murder of three Peruvian journalists from the newspaper El Comercio by an armed group in northern Ecuador, which operated in the two countries. This was followed by terrorist attacks, such as the bombing of a police barracks, which caused a lot of commotion. This caused Moreno to remove all the Correistas from his administration, such as the head of intelligence and the ministers of Defense and the Interior. He carried out a comprehensive reform on issues of law and order, which was much more conservative and closer to the United States. Police search a suspect in Guayaquil this Friday. Ivan Alvarado (Reuters) That is not necessarily cause, but it is the beginning of what was to happen next. The prison population had created criminal structures that went beyond the ability of officials to keep under control. Prisons became a powder keg from 2019 onwards, when riots began to take place. Over the next four years, nearly 500 prisoners would be killed in these riots. The Los Choneros gang took control of the main penitentiaries, allied with the Sinaloa cartel to export cocaine on a large scale to the United States and, although it may seem contradictory, from there began to build its criminal network. Moreno never took the massacres seriously. There was never a decisive intervention. In fact, during the pandemic, prison budgets were cut, Ponton recalls. Right-wing businessman Guillermo Lasso came to the presidency in 2021 with the whole problem on the table. Experts agree that his law and order policy was erratic. The gangs greeted him with a riot that left more than 70 dead in the Guayaquil prison. The sense that everything was falling apart was total. You can clearly see it in the homicide rate. It went from six per 100,000 in 2019 to 25.6 in 2022. The country became a huge morgue. Last year it reached 45, making Ecuador one of the most dangerous places on the planet. Guayaquil residents look on while police set up a roadblock on Friday. Ivan Alvarado (Reuters) Daniel Noboa, a young businessman who has been in power for 60 days, is now facing the biggest crisis of all, one caused by criminal gangs in their desire to control all the levers of the state. Noboa said during the campaign that he had a plan to combat lawlessness, but time has passed and he has not put it into action. He has only asked the army to patrol the streets, a recipe that previous presidents had already applied. Andrea Suarez, Director of Public Affairs at LLYC, is not sure that this is the way forward: Although the people understand it as a measure of progress, its effectiveness will be tested from two main factors: operability and the availability of resources. In the first case, the dynamics of collaboration between the armed forces and intelligence of the national police will be essential. This is not an everyday situation and oiling the gear that sets the ball rolling will take some time. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Its the latest hot TV genre: a woman in a frigid outpost, bundled in puffy outerwear, trying to uncover truths buried in ice. In the new season of HBOs True Detective, Jodie Foster is a cop trudging through snow trying to solve a murder in a remote Alaska town, described as the end of the world. On FXs A Murder at the End of the World, Emma Corrin is an amateur sleuth trudging through snow trying to solve a murder in an isolated retreat in Iceland. And now I find myself in puffy outerwear, trudging through snow in glacial Iowa, trying to uncover truths buried in the ice. I dont have as much of a mystery to unravel as the TV detectives. The only thing the horde of reporters here is trying to figure out is if Donald Trump will win the caucuses on Monday with a plurality or if he can pull off a majority. No one is expecting a Jimmy Carter/Barack Obama-style upset. FRONT PAGE Because of an editing error, an article on Thursday about the start of U.N. hearings on allegations of genocide against Israel brought by South Africa referred imprecisely to South Africas accusations. South Africa said Israels actions in Gaza against Palestinians were genocidal in character, not its actions against Hamas. BUSINESS Because of an editing error, an article on Friday about charges brought against eBay for stalking, witness tampering and obstruction of justice misstated Joshua S. Levys job title. He is an acting U.S. attorney, not an acting attorney general. Because of an editing error, an article on Friday about the discontinuance of Fruit Stripe gum misstated when gum was introduced. It was the early 1960s, not the late 1960s. ARTS An article on Thursday about a Christies auction of the contents of Elton Johns former Atlanta home, using information from a publicist at Christies, misstated the last time that a major selection of his collection was offered to the public. It was at a sale in 2003, not one in 1988. She was 18, new to New York, a tenderfoot in an industry said to eat its young. But Beverly Johnson was not short on brass. She had been quick in the early 1970s to sign with the formidable model agent Eileen Ford and just as swift, at 19, to inform her, I want to be on the cover of American Vogue. When Ms. Ford asked her curtly, Who do you think you are, Cleopatra? Ms. Johnson was as curt with a comeback, murmuring, audibly enough, Thats exactly who I think I am. Ms. Johnson revisits that moment in In Vogue, her one-woman show set to open in Manhattan on Sunday. The play, largely derived from her 2015 memoir, Beverly Johnson: The Face That Changed It All, and written with the playwright Josh Ravetch, is by turns an upbeat and cautionary account of Ms. Johnsons adventures and hairy misadventures in the mannequin trade. Onstage she tells of defying expectations and defecting to a competing modeling agency, despite the warnings of peers that such a move would amount to professional ruin. When fans first glimpsed outfits in the new adaptation of Mean Girls, they were not shy with feedback on the films pink miniskirts and mesh bustiers. On social media, some said the costumes looked cheap, as if they had come from fast-fashion retailers. Others said they did not lean heavily enough on the Y2K style of the original Mean Girls, released in 2004. And one online commentator said the costumes seemed like an A.I. image generators clumsy response to the prompt: What do trendy teenagers wear today? The wardrobes for the film, which was released on Jan. 12, were not created by artificial intelligence but by Tom Broecker, the costume designer for Saturday Night Live, where he has worked for nearly 30 years. Mr. Broecker, 61, had no involvement in the original Mean Girls. He joined the crew of the adaptation after working with Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels who were involved in both films on costumes for S.N.L. and for 30 Rock. Leon Wildes, a New York immigration lawyer who successfully fought the United States governments attempt to deport John Lennon, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 90. His death, at Lenox Hill Hospital, was confirmed by his son Michael. For more than three years, from early 1972 to the fall of 1975, Mr. Wildes (pronounced WY-ulds) doggedly battled the targeting by the Nixon administration and immigration officials of Mr. Lennon, the former Beatle, and his wife, Yoko Ono, marshaling a series of legal arguments that exposed both political chicanery and a hidden U.S. immigration policy. Uncovering secret records through the Freedom of Information Act, Mr. Wildes showed that immigration officials, in practice, could exercise wide discretion in whom they choose to deport, a revelation that continues to resonate in immigration law. And he revealed that Mr. Lennon, an antiwar activist and a vocal critic of President Richard M. Nixon, had been singled out by the White House for political reasons. For three years, President Biden has been just fine with the private nature of his media-shy, introverted defense secretary, Lloyd J. Austin III. But in failing to inform the president that he required surgery for prostate cancer, and that he later had to return to the hospital suffering from severe complications, Mr. Austin, 70, has not only attracted more attention to himself than at any point in his long career. He has also drawn scrutiny and criticism to Mr. Bidens national security team during a period when it is managing multiple crises around the world. Asked about Mr. Austin on Friday, Mr. Biden said he retained confidence in him. But the president gave a pointed, one-syllable answer when asked if it was a lapse in judgment for Mr. Austin not to have informed him that he had been out of commission at times in recent weeks. Yes, he said. The entire incident has exposed Mr. Austin as that rarest of creatures in Washington: an intensely private person in a relentlessly public job. Just weeks before Ecuador descended into chaos, with prison riots, two escaped criminal kingpins and the brief siege of a television station, the countrys top prosecutor launched a major operation aimed at rooting out narco-corruption at the highest levels of government. The investigation, called Caso Metastasis, led to raids across Ecuador and more than 30 arrests. Among those charged were judges accused of granting gang leaders favorable rulings, police officials who were said to have altered evidence and delivered weapons to prisons, and the former director of the prison authority himself, who was accused of giving special treatment to a powerful drug trafficker. They had been implicated by text chats and call logs retrieved from cellphones belonging to the drug trafficker, who was murdered while imprisoned. When the attorney general, Diana Salazar, announced the charges last month, she said the investigation had revealed the spread of criminal groups through Ecuadors institutions. She also warned of a possible escalation in violence in the days to come, and said that the executive branch had been put on alert. As a boy, Blas Omar Jaime spent many afternoons learning about his ancestors. Over yerba mate and torta fritas, his mother, Ederlinda Miguelina Yelon, passed along the knowledge she had stored in Chana, a throaty language spoken by barely moving the lips or tongue. The Chana are an Indigenous people in Argentina and Uruguay whose lives were intertwined with the mighty Parana River, the second longest in South America. They revered silence, considered birds their guardians and sang their babies lullabies: Utala tapey-e, ua utala dioi sleep little one, the sun has gone to sleep. Ms. Miguelina Yelon urged her son to protect their stories by keeping them secret. So it was not until decades later, recently retired and seeking out people with whom he could chat, that he made a startling discovery: No one else seemed to speak Chana. Scholars had long considered the language extinct. When the armed men stormed into the village of lower-caste Indians, fanning out through its dirt lanes and flinging open the doors of its mud homes, Binod Paswan jumped into a grain silo and peered out in horror. Within hours, witnesses say, upper-caste landlords massacred 58 Dalits, people once known as untouchables, most of them farmworkers in the eastern state of Bihar who had been agitating for higher wages. Seven of them were members of Mr. Paswans family. The next day, he lodged a police complaint, and investigators soon filed charges. That was 26 years ago. He is still waiting after conflicting verdicts and hundreds of court hearings, with some witnesses now dead or impaired by fading eyesight for a resolution. A cry for justice turned into a lifelong nightmare for us, said Mr. Paswan, 45. In a vast nation with no shortage of intractable problems, it is one of the longest-running and most far-reaching: Indias staggeringly overburdened judicial system. She steered New Zealand through volcanic eruptions, terrorist attacks and a pandemic, won her party a record-breaking majority and, at age 37, became the worlds youngest female head of government. Yet from her earliest appearances on the world stage, fans and watchers of Jacinda Ardern, 43, the former New Zealand prime minister who announced her resignation almost exactly a year ago, have time and again returned to the same question: whether and when she and Clarke Gayford, 47, her television presenter fiance, would tie the knot. On Saturday, they finally got their answer, when the couple released official wedding portraits to the news media. The ceremony, which took place at the Craggy Range vineyard, in New Zealands spectacular Hawkes Bay, follows one canceled effort and more than five years of media speculation. In January 2019, a BBC interviewer made headlines when she pressed Ms. Ardern on whether she and Mr. Gayford would marry, or whether she would consider proposing to Mr. Gayford if he did not pop the question, prompting accusations of sexism. Since then similar questions have dogged Ms. Ardern. Vanina Berghella is a kind of megaphone the same name she gave her blog in the 2000s, when these spaces were just beginning to become popular in Latin America. There, the Argentine journalist spoke about the impact of new technologies on media and experienced what she calls the first click in her career. I understood from that moment onwards that we journalists wouldnt have the final word. Wed have to find a way to [engage] with those new voices that had suddenly emerged. Two decades ago, she began to wonder about the financial sustainability of the media. She subsequently redirected the focus of her work. Today, she continues to push others to continue in the effort to create and sustain media. Berghella is the director of the Latin American region for the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM). The organization advises, accompanies and financially supports dozens of independent media outlets in Central and South America. From her home in Buenos Aires, she speaks with EL PAIS about the polarization of Argentine society, independent journalism in the region and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the media. Question. Were experiencing extreme democratic processes in different parts of the region. In Argentina, for example, weve seen the emergence of the far-right Javier Milei. What role do you think the media has had in this? Answer. The word laboratory applies very well to whats going to happen from now on. Argentina comes from a long process of conflict, which began with economic degradation, but which has had an impact on social issues, on the political debate. Regarding the media: in recent years, [various outlets] have suffered in quality because of the polarization of society. Very few have not been impacted by this polarization. We shouldnt have been surprised by [what happened to our media]. This was merely a symptom of the problems weve had of the inability to resolve many problems that our country has had. Each media outlet has taken a political position that in some cases has ended up radicalizing certain positions [of consumers]. The agenda of what society really needs has been lost. Q. Milei also seems like a product of the media, as he was a TV panelist before entering politics. What does that tell us about how were building the leaders that end up making the decisions for our countries? A. I would divide the analysis into two parts. On the one hand, its true, [Milei] began to be known through the media as a panelist who commented and debated on economics issues. He had a lot of ratings on television due to his effervescent personality, which at times bordered on violence. Now, the media has no responsibility for him later going down the political path: they had a character who was interesting, got them ratings he began to have visibility and impact. The second part occurs once he enters politics, runs for president and launches all his proposals. There, the media did have a priority space for this candidate who was gaining ground. This past year, the media gave a huge amount of space to the candidate who eventually became the president. At first, I think this happened out of curiosity, because he also [increased viewership] like when he was a panelist but finally, in the primaries, when he became one of the most-voted candidates, it was a shock. From that moment, the media began to be more cautious [and] clearer about what this particular candidate implied. Q. What lessons can this teach us? A. For many years, weve talked a lot about the impact of social media. [But] weve somewhat left aside the analysis of the place that traditional media has. In this election [in Argentina], social media had a lot of impact, because Milei created a community on TikTok and YouTube. That was like his own space, where he engaged with his followers. But when he got a foothold in traditional media especially in the last stage of the campaign there was a huge impact. The lesson, then, is that traditional media continues to have influence and the media outlets themselves have to [embrace] that value and understand that what appears on their websites and pages is important. Q. Its often repeated that traditional media is in crisis and that people arent consuming it. A. I think that people consume it. There are two elements in recent years that have marked this tendency. One was the pandemic. Throughout the first year of Covid and during the second wave, the growth of the media audience was exponential. People stopped just getting information through social media [they began to] go and verify the information, or check it against traditional media. That was shocking. Then, they lost interest, people got tired of us [we were] only talking about the pandemic or bad things and they looked for other spaces, not only to be informed, but to be entertained. But that was proof that people in the worst moment, when there was massive fear and uncertainty went to the media and expected to at least obtain [quality] information [and hear from] scientists and doctors who would speak to them from a position of authority. The other moment took place during the elections [in Argentina]. People ended up consuming everything that was happening with this candidate (Milei)... on television, especially. Q. In addition to social media, theres now the artificial intelligence factor. How do you think AI is toying with the media and its impact on democracy? A. The media is better-prepared for AI as a technology as a phenomenon and novelty than it was when social media emerged. We all thought that social media networks were a good thing that everything would be positive, collaborative, open, beneficial. However, we hadnt foreseen the negative consequences. With AI, were more alert. Since it appeared at the end of last year, it never had the honeymoon that social media had. We began to ask about the regulations and verification of information right away. Q. What should the media focus on so as to not be swept away by AI? A. The important thing, in this instance, is learning how to validate the information thats produced with AI and check what comes from qualified sources, political parties, the government and organizations. Its not a question of demonizing technology: what we have to do is use it to our advantage and be very alert. Q. You were a pioneer of blogging. Youve written about how we need a responsible usage of social media neither censorship nor anarchy, to quote you. How responsible have we been? A. Journalists made many mistakes. At the beginning, there was a lot of rejection, they demonized social media, thinking that it was a tool that could take away their jobs. But, in the end, many managed to make their professional profiles visible [via social media] and show their work in a more human, direct and clear way to audiences. [Social media] also had an impact on capitalizing on those audiences, building their loyalty and gaining traction. Not only through comments, but also through metrics, [a journalist] can know exactly who are the people who follow them. There is, however, a complex and unresolved aspect, which is the relationship with the large platforms. Many media outlets became addicted to the distribution of their content on social media, to generate traffic. But as these platforms have modified their algorithms and priorities, theyve sentenced some small media outlets to death, or theyve taken traffic away from them. Q. When we talk about the crisis in credibility felt by audiences, do you have any hope? A. Working with journalists [from my organization] makes me fall in love with the field again, because I see something that perhaps cannot be transmitted to the audience, which is passion. A journalist is a journalist because theyre passionate about what they do, not because of what they earn, nor because of the name of their organization. Journalism, in general, should do a service to society. Unfortunately, we fail to convey this to our audiences. Doing so would generate much more empathy [for reporters]. Q. What do you recommend to bring audiences and journalists closer together? A. Society is at a point where to fall in love with journalism again and for us to consume and pay for journalism we need more transparency, self-criticism and revaluation of an old journalistic technique [that needs to be able] to make rectifications and recognize errors. Q. Your job is to guide and support small, independent media outlets that are trying to sustain themselves. Hows their health in Latin America? A. The general health of both large and small media outlets is complex. Theres a big problem with the financing model the decline in advertising revenue is constant and increasingly noticeable. The traditional ones which are generally large corporations may have other businesses that facilitate financing journalism. But in the smaller ones, if they dont get philanthropic financial support, they cannot start their operations and then, its difficult for them to maintain themselves. However, the latter are very creative: some work with membership groups, others generate events that allow them to inject funds to sustain part of the structure, or they develop services for other media outlets. Due to their size and scale, they have sufficient mobility to generate other financing models. Its a tiring path and thats why its important to support them, so that this media base doesnt deteriorate. Because what usually happens is that the largest ones survive and the smallest ones lose strength. Q. Has the presence of women in media management positions made any progress? A. Since 20 years ago when I started the situation has improved a lot. Theres a much bigger presence of women in relevant positions in the media. But of course, theres still a long way to go. Entrepreneurial [media] and digital media have a different reality: many [of these outlets] have been founded by women or have female leaders on their executive committees, or in their management areas. There are also more and more support and training programs for women. Q. And in terms of diversity? A. This is much more limited. When we talk about diversity, were referring to all kinds, including people with different abilities, or the presence of rural or Indigenous communities. They all bring a different perspective. In all countries [in Latin America], were behind in this regard. We all bear responsibility communities that have achieved space [need to contribute]: women can open space to journalists from the trans community, for example. In addition to the fact that [diversity] is a matter of law, media outlets [often forget] that its an opportunity to reach new audiences. Traditional media should have more plurality. Q. And whats surprising about the media industry in Latin America? A. [When we talk about small media outlets in the region], theyre talking about doing good to others. Journalism in general done by journalists who seek to do good for others is something that exists and will continue to exist. What we have to achieve is for this to be more visible in society. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition On Tuesday afternoon, she finally took her oath in a virtual ceremony from her home in Ottawa and became a Canadian citizen. But the moment came after what she described as a nerve-racking seven-month saga that included a frenzied effort to garner public support for her case. If she had been returned to Russia, as Canada was contemplating, an eight-year prison sentence awaited. I put all that hope in Canada only to be betrayed, said Ms. Kartasheva, 30. And so who would care about me? I was very scared that no one would want to support me. Russia attacked Ukraine with several waves of missiles on Saturday morning, the Ukrainian and Russian militaries said, putting the entire country under an air-raid alert and sending people rushing for shelter as bangs were heard in several cities. The attack, which started around 5 a.m. local time and lasted about three hours, involved nearly 40 cruise and hypersonic missiles fired from different regions, including the Russian-occupied peninsula of Crimea and the Caspian Sea, to the southeast of Ukraine. They were directed at cities including Kyiv, the capital, and Lviv, near the border with Poland. It followed Russias recent strategy for large-scale air assaults: waves of different types of aerial weapons launched almost simultaneously from multiple locations and aimed at various targets, with the goal of overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses. The Ukrainian Air Force said that it had shot down eight missiles a low interception rate compared with previous assaults but that more than 20 other missiles and drones had missed their targets because of electronic jamming. Russias Defense Ministry said in a statement that its missiles had hit Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities that produce shells, gunpowder and drones. Neither of the claims could be independently verified. The Ukrainian soldier stared at the Russian tank. It was destroyed over a year ago in the countrys east and now sat far from the front line. He shrugged and cut into its rusted hull with a gas torch. The soldier was not there for the tanks engine or turret or treads. Those had already been salvaged. He was there for its thick armor. The metal would be cut and strapped as protection to Ukrainian armored personnel carriers defending the embattled town of Avdiivka, around 65 miles away. The need to cannibalize a destroyed Russian vehicle to help protect Ukraines dwindling supply of equipment underscores Kyivs current challenges on the battlefield as it prepares for another year of pitched combat. Stuart Muszynski This year will be challenging for our nation. The divisions and conflicts that already trouble us will be intensified by the coming elections, most especially the one for President, and the power of digital platforms to spread hate, fear and confusion will be vastly increased by the addition of artificial intelligence to the mix. Can public relations can help counteract the dissension? Is there an organization with a message that deserves to be highlighted, promoted, spread? There is such a group: for 30 years, the Ohio-based Values-in-Action Foundation, which has successfully implemented its Kindland programs in schools, businesses and communities in several states. The operating principle is this: Next to unconditional love, the attribute that defines the best in humanity is kindness. Why should we engage in this seemingly altruistic behavior? What results are obtained by being kind? And how can it be an antidote to what ails America? Kindness the quality of being friendly, considerate, and compassionate has long been regarded as a fundamental human virtue. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, global interconnectedness, and societal complexities, the significance of kindness is more relevant than ever. The Kindland programs that have been put into practice in schools, businesses and communities promote the enduring importance of kindness, emphasizing its transformative power and the positive impact it can have on individuals and the world in which they live. By embracing kindness, individuals can step into others' shoes, acknowledge their struggles and seek to understand their experiences. This empathetic approach nurtures a sense of unity and bridges the gaps that often divide us. It promotes an atmosphere of inclusivity, where people are more inclined to embrace diversity and foster a spirit of acceptance and respect for one another. Psychologists have said that it takes five positives to offset one negative in the human mind. Because kindness spreads organically and multiplies infectiously in any ecosystem, it builds an awareness of the positives around us instead of the negatives that hit us every day. Kindness inspires a paradigm shift that humanity sorely needs: cup half full as a opposed to a cup half empty. Furthermore, kindness has the power to inspire positive change. Small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect, sparking a chain reaction of compassion and goodwill. This domino effect can transcend boundaries and influence broader societal dynamics. This is why Kindland developed the Just Be Kind App that allows users to record acts of kindness they do or see and upload them to social media outlets. Numerous studies have demonstrated that acts of kindness, whether received or extended, lead to increased levels of happiness, improved mental well-being, and reduced stress. Engaging in acts of kindness activates the brain's reward system, releasing neurochemicals such as dopamine and oxytocin, which contribute to positive emotions and a sense of fulfillment. When introduced and modeled in northeast Ohio, Kindland attracted more than 150 other nonprofit organizations, 500 community leaders, schools, governments, media organizations and businesses whose employees total more than 100,000. In the most violent high school in the Cleveland area, John Adams High School, Kindland programming implemented through faculty and student leaders increased the graduation rate 43%, reduced suspensions 78% and led to zero fights over a three year period. The positive effects in workplaces have been measured many times. In analyzing more than 3,500 business units with more than 50,000 individuals, on group of researchers found that higher acts of courtesy, helping, and praise were predictive of productivity, efficiency, and lower turnover rates? Another study reported that employees who are respectful and kind have 26 percent more energy, 35 percent more satisfaction with their work, and 44 percent more commitment to their organization. A study conducted at Coca-Cola showed that receivers of kindness exhibited more pro-social behaviors in the office and by the end of the study, they were reporting 10 times more pro-social behaviors than the controls. In essence a culture of kindness creates a positive work environment that is capable of transforming a company. Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think Inc., wrote on his website that when people work with a positive mindset performance on nearly every level productivity, creativity and engagement improves. Importantly positive employees build teams and cultures where people really want to work. More broadly, and more importantly, kindness has the potential to transcend cultural and societal boundaries. Regardless of differences in language, religion, or nationality, kindness is a universal language that can be understood and appreciated by all. In a world where conflicts and divisions persist, cultivating kindness can serve as a powerful tool for fostering understanding, tolerance, and peace. How do we go about creating a culture that promotes kindness? The answer will vary depending on the nature of the community, but let me offer some simple and inexpensive ways to start a culture of kindness in the workplace: Encourage employees to greet each other with a smile. Smiles improve ones mood, lower blood pressure, increase endurance and reduce pain and stress. Initiate employee recognition programs. Recognized employees feel more valued and appreciated. They are also more motivated and loyal. According to a survey by Harris Interactive, more than 80 percent of employees agreed that recognition improves their experience, relationships, engagement and happiness at work. Treat employees as individuals to make them feel more supported and cared for. At Royal Appliance/Dirt Devil, employees responded to Gallup surveys that the most significant aspect of their company was that they received a birthday card from the CEO on their birthday. Also, consider offering flexible work arrangements to improve an employees work-life balance, which increases happiness. Take the time to listen to employee ideas, sharing positive feedback with staff, finding ways to balance workloads, ensuring inclusion in meetings and most of all reminding employees what you appreciate about working with them. Set the example and encourage employees to validate each other every day by doing small intentional acts of kindness: Good Morning, How are you doing today?, Have a nice day however small - create an ongoing kindness ecosystem. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy has called upon all Americans to act urgently to dissipate an epidemic of social disconnectedness and loneliness that are linked to the negative trends plaguing America. He called on leaders, organizations, schools, businesses, media and governments to more intentionally embrace people and enable acts of kindness. The Surgeon Generals message about making kindness a core virtue is one that deserves to be heard across the United States as well as around the globe. That is, I realize, a major communications challenge. But who is more knowledgeable and more skilled when it comes to communicating messages than the American public relations industry? As we push deeper into 2024, and as the voices of anger and dissension grow louder, what greater public service can the industry provide than the message of kindness? *** Stuart Muszynski is Founder and President of Values-in-Action Foundation AR Seeks PR to Promote Soybeans Mon., Mar. 18, 2024 The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board is looking to hire a PR firm to educate the public about its activities and the health benefits associated with the "miracle bean." Roscrea town centre is expecting a major protest today agsint the decision to repurpose the heritage town's only hotel to provide accommodation for international protection applicants. Local activist group Roscrea Stands Up have organised a protest to start on Main Street in Roscrea at 3:30pm which will be attended by Dail representatives and is expected to attract large numbers of local people. Roscrea Stands Up was founded in 2014 and shot to national prominence when a public meeting organised by the group to highlight problems with drug dealing and abuse in the town resulted in an impromptu march on the local Garda Station. Founder, Derek Russell, told the Midland Tribune and Offaly Express that tension in Roscrea is at boiling point since the decision to close Roscrea's only operating hotel to the public was revealed on Thursday. Mr. Russell said he feels it is a watershed moment in Roscrea and that the protest is aimed at giving the local community an opportunity to gather and voice their concerns. All local elected representatives have been invited and Dail representatives have confirmed they will attend today's event. Meanwhile, protestors have continued to demonstrate at the entrance to the Racket Hall Hotel, located on the N7 old Dublin Road approximately two kilometers from the town centre. All 40 rooms of the hotel will now accommodate 160 people described by the Department of Integration and Equality as "families of international protection applicants". The protestors have erected a barricade and Gardai have maintained a presence at the scene since the demonstration began on Thursday night. Local Fianna Fail Councillor, Michael Smith spoke on TippFM local radio last night an called on local people to not barricade the entrance and attempt to block vehicles carrying international asylum applicants. This is a private individual company, Swiftcastle Ltd, who have decided, for commercial reasons, or whatever reasons, to enter into a contract for 12 months. They are International Protection Applicants that are coming, and I dont think that theres going to be any change in this. So I think we have to work now to ensure, to work with the owners, to work with all the different agencies to make this work", Cllr. Smith said. Meanwhile, the story has attracted national and international attention in the last 48-hours. The topic 'Roscrea' continues to be the top trending subject on Twitter in Ireland and social media is flooded with posts from people expressing strong opinions on the unfolding situation in Roscrea. More on this story as it happens. Protestors outside a hotel in Roscrea are facing into the the third night of their demonstration against plans to repurpose the premises as accommodation for international protection applicants. Protestors say they will attempt to block any vehicles carrying asylum seekers from entering the car park of the Racket Hall Hotel and have arranged shifts to ensure the barricade is manned at all times. The Racket Hall Hotel was the only hotel operating in Roscrea until it closed the doors to the public on Thursday night following the announcement the owners of the facility have signed a 12-month contract to use it's 40 rooms to accommodate 160 "families of international protection applicants". Weddings and family events, as well as several concerts and comedy shows, were abruptly cancelled and staff met management yesterday and were offered the option of retaining their jobs with additional training provided as necessary. They have until Tuesday to decide if they will accept that offer and no details have emerged of the future for the hotel's part-time staff - many of whom are students from Roscrea. The barricade at Racket Hall Hotel in Roscrea. Photo: D. Keegan Earlier today Dail representatives for Tipperary, Michael Lowry (Ind), Martin Browne (SF) and Mattie McGrath (Ind) addressed a crowd who assembled on Roscrea Main Street for a demonstration organised by local activist group Roscrea Stands Up. Deputy Lowry said Roscrea is a "welcoming town with welcoming people" and said that resources to cope with the influx of people in Roscrea (pop 6,000k) were promised and not delivered. "We got a commitment, on record in the Dail, that in advance of any relocations happening public representatives and local leadership groups would be consulted - I have to say that on this occasion there was zero consultation", Deputy Lowry told the crowd which brought Roscrea's Main Street to a standstill. "Roscrea is a traditional rural town. Roscrea is a friendly and welcoming place where people have shown great kindness already to refugees and a town of great community spirit. Roscrea is a town which has coped with a lot of setbacks and a lot of adversities - Roscrea is a town that is fighting back", Deputy Lowry said. Deputy Lowry said Roscrea has benefited immensely from over 15-million investment to try and renew the town and described the situation as "ironic that just when we are bringing all this investment to the town another state agency comes along and snatches our hotel from under us - a hotel that is central to the commercial life of Roscrea". "People need a place to stay when they visit Roscrea. That hotel has been used for birthdays, weddings, confirmations, first communions, for lunch after funerals and is a hugely important asset for the town", he said. "We have reached a situation where we have a problem with capacity. Our classrooms are full, our GPs are full, our medical centres are full, our hospital in Limerick cannot cope - we do not have the resources, we do not have the capability to afford these people what they are entitled too - accommodation, access to medical care, access to education for their children. "You can't tell me we are going to magic all these resources - it isn't going to happen. The Garda Station is closed at night - the numbers of Gardai in Roscrea have dwindled from 27 down to seven and they are under enormous pressure. They are doing their best to control the situation but they are getting no support", Deputy Lowry said. "People feel vulnerable because they don't have security at their fingertips when they require it", he added. "Roscrea has done it's bit and taken more than their fair share. Roscrea has been transformed by the influx of refugees and I am meeting people in this town who say Roscrea is losing it's identity and is losing it's character and sense of community. I've made my feelings very clear to government on this - they need to review their policy because they are at a critical stage where they need to ask is it fair to bring people fleeing war in here under the false expectation that we can continue to provide accommodation and the vital services that they need", he said. 'DICATATORSHIP' Independent Tipperary TD, Mattie McGrath told the crowd that he feels the government are behaving "like a dictatorship" and that debate on the issue of asylum seekers is being supressed. "Roscrea people are not far right, far left, or far anything - you are just people concerned about your families", Deputy McGrath said. "The government are killing the spirit of communities by not engaging or respecting the people of Ireland", he said, adding "for eight months I've tried to have a debate on this in the Dail". "This is being debated in every workplace, every office, every taxi and every bus, but we can't have a debate in our parliament. The Taoiseach is out in Davos where he is not elected. All he's interested in is the economic forum and he's niot interested in the Irish people. "The media now are just a mouthpiece for the government", Deputy McGrath said, adding that he has been "vilified" for speaking out against government policy. LOSS OF HOTEL Teresa Collins, founder of the We Are Still Here survivors group, also addressed the crowd and explained that she brings visitors from America, Canada and across Europe to Roscrea for the annual commemoration at the former mother and baby home at Sean Ross Abbey. The former mother and baby home was located in Corville House on the grounds of Sean Ross Abbey, a building which is currently in use as a direct provision centre housing approximately 200 international protection applicants for over a year and located 2km from Racket Hall Hotel. Ms. Collins said that visitors for the annual commemorative event would usually stay in Racket Hall. "I have nothing against refugees, but Roscrea needs our hotel", Ms. Collins said. Last year a former Sacred Heart Convent located in the centre of Roscrea was repurposed to house asylum seekers after lying dormant for over 15 years. The facility will accommodate 400 Ukrainian families when it reaches full capacity and has been singled out as an example of successful integration by local elected representatives. Ireland is once again bracing for plunging temperatures with lows of -7 degrees expected early next week, according to one forecaster. Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel has said temperatures will plummet over the weather and that snow could impact numerous areas. In an update, Cathal said: "Were on the cusp of the weekend, but, were also on the cusp of the coldest spell of weather so far this winter. Changes are ahead, hopefully here I can answer some of your questions as the picture becomes somewhat clearer. "That change towards much colder weather begins on Sunday as a weak cold front clears the country during the late morning, introducing clearer, colder air with some wintry showers following behind, readily turning to snow later across the north. Temperatures on Sunday night reaching -5 in some areas. "Similar conditions are likely on Monday with good sunny spells in most areas, but snow showers will continue along exposed coasts in Ulster and North Connacht with some accumulations likely here. Elsewhere its dry and sunny with temperatures struggling to break freezing. Lows on Monday night down to -6 degrees Celsius. "Tuesday for most is dry and sunny, though cloud will thicken across the north in the morning as a weak front perhaps brings some snow for a time, but more details on that in due course. Highs struggling to break freezing once again, with lows on Tuesday night down to -6 degrees Celsius again. "Wednesday sees low pressure pass to the south of Ireland, briefly switching the winds to a more northeasterly source, which will introduce the risk of some flurries for a time along coasts in Leinster. Further showers across the north and northwest with further accumulations here. Dry and sunny elsewhere. Highs -1 to +2, with lows down to -7 in some areas. "Thursday will be mostly dry and sunny right across the country as a ridge of high pressure builds in briefly, highs again struggling to break freezing, with lows down to -7 or locally -8 degrees in some places as winds fall light. "Friday begins dry and sunny for all, but high clouds builds from the west late in the day but not before temperatures again dip below freezing. "Saturday were likely to see a break in our weather with a band of rain and strengthening winds pushing in from the west. Some of the rain may initially fall as sleet or snow, but quickly turning to rain. "Sunday is a colder day with strong west to northwest winds, with a risk of heavy showers, some wintry over higher ground. In summary, its a very cold week for all with severe frosts overnight and the likelihood of that frost persisting throughout the day in sheltered areas. Mostly sunny for all, though accumulations of snow are likely across Ulster, north Connacht and possible along the Southwest also. The cold weather remains in place until Saturday, with more of an Atlantic influence thereafter." Meanwhile, Met Eireann also predicts very cold weather over the weekend and next week. Their outlook says conditions look like "remaining very cold with mixed weather." They say Friday will be a mostly cloudy and dry day, "however a few breaks in the cloud will occur allowing a few bright or sunny spells through at times. Highest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees in light northeast or variable breezes. "Calm and mostly dry tonight [Friday]. However a little patchy light rain or drizzle is possible along northern coasts overnight. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees, with some frost possible under any clear spells, coldest in Munster and Leinster where some clear spells are expected. A few patches of mist or fog possible." Their Saturday forecast reads: "Dry in many areas at first with a few bright or sunny spells, however cloudier in Ulster with rain and drizzle. The rain and drizzle will move southwards during the afternoon and evening but it may hold dry in Munster for much of the day. Highest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees, coldest in the south, in a light and variable breeze. "Patchy light rain or drizzle will continue sinking southwards [on Saturday night], with clear spells following in the north later. Cold and frosty with lowest temperatures of -3 to +2 degrees." On Sunday, Met Eireann foresee "a mix of sunny spells and cloud to start with patches of light rain or drizzle. Brightening up with further sunny spells developing through the day, with just isolated showers. Highest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees in a light to moderate northerly wind. "Very cold with clear spells and widespread frost [on Sunday night]. Most areas will be dry but there will be isolated wintry showers, mainly feeding into northern areas on a light to moderate northerly breeze. Lowest temperatures of -3 to +1 degrees. "Cold with frost slow to clear [on Monday]. Most places will be dry and sunny but it will be cloudier in the north and west, bringing scattered wintry showers. Highest temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees in a light northerly wind. "Current indications suggest Tuesday will be cloudier than previous days, with rain turning to sleet or snow at times over the northern half of the country. Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees with light to moderate southwest or variable breezes." Weather warnings are likely for snow/ice as we go into Sunday night and Monday as Ireland braces for a fresh Arctic weather blast, according to one forecaster. Met Eireann has already issued warnings via the UK Met Office for counties in Northern Ireland but further warnings now look likely across Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Cavan and Monaghan, perhaps into North Roscommon also. That's according to Offaly weatherman Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel who has been monitoring the impending cold system for the last week. He said Monday will be very cold with a risk of wintey showers in the above counties. He added: "On Tuesday, theres a risk of more widespread wintry precipitation, though snow looks reserved for Ulster and across higher ground elsewhere. Further warnings are likely for ice on Tuesday night. "Wednesday and Thursday are bitterly cold days with sunshine and scattered snow showers in the north and northwest chiefly. Elsewhere theres plenty of dry, crisp winter sunshine to enjoy. Cathal also pointed to a twist on the horizon: "On Friday we see a major change in our weather as the Atlantic takes over, and indeed theres a risk of some wet and windy weather next weekend, with stormy conditions possible into the following week," he said. New York Attorney General Letitia James leaves the courtroom, in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., November 13, 2023. With his civil fraud trial drawing to a close, Donald Trump has leveled unsupported claims of collusion against the New York attorney general for visits she made to the White House, continuing a pattern of the former president describing the multiple cases against him as a form of political persecution. New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump in 2022, alleging the former president habitually exaggerated his wealth on financial statements, deceiving banks and insurance companies. James has asked the judge to impose $370 million in penalties and to forbid Trump from doing business in New York. On the final day of the trial on Thursday, Trump shared a story from The Gateway Pundit, a right-wing website that often spreads misinformation, that claimed James visited the White House three times between April 2022 and August 2023. The website acknowledged details of her White House visits were not immediately clear. But on Truth Social, Trump called the trial a witch hunt and said, The purpose of the visit was to illegally coordinate the prosecution of your favorite President, me! There is no evidence Biden met with James during the visits, which White House logs show included many people sometimes hundreds. James attended an Aug. 31, 2023, reception for Black women elected to office from across the country at the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris, according to records released by the White House. Over 200 people attended. On July 18, 2023, James was among attorneys general from seven states and the District of Columbia who met with Harris to discuss efforts to disrupt the illicit fentanyl supply chain. And on April 8, 2022, James attended a celebration of Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Over 400 people attended the celebration, according to the visitors log. The White House said Biden did not attend the reception for Black elected officials or the discussion on the fentanyl supply chain. During the April 2022 event, Biden only made remarks on the South Lawn and didnt greet attendees in the crowd, according to the White House. Trump, the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, and his lawyers have repeatedly alleged coordination between the Biden White House and the prosecutors who have brought criminal cases against him, but there is no evidence that this is true. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 appointed a special counsel from outside the Justice Department, Jack Smith, to lead separate federal investigations into Trump. Officials have maintained that he and his team -- and not senior leaders at the Justice Department or White House -- have been solely responsible for all prosecutorial decisions. James is not an employee of the federal government or a Biden appointee. New York voters reelected her as state attorney general in 2022. The former presidents unsubstantiated claims against James also align with a long-used strategy of relentlessly attacking political opponents, including the use of racist language against Black prosecutors. Trump has previously referred to James, who is Black, as Racist A.G. Letitia Peekaboo James. The nickname is similar to a term used to insult Black people. James has said she isnt bothered by Trumps personal attacks. This case has never been about politics or personal vendetta or about name-calling, she said outside court. This case is about the facts and the law. And Mr. Donald Trump violated the law. Trump also disparaged Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the civil fraud case this week, multiple times throughout the trial, accusing him of working closely with James. Trumps campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A person wears a sweatshirt that reads 'Protect kids not guns,' during a community vigil near the Tennessee State Capitol Building months after the Covenant School shooting and protests rocked the state capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, January 9, 2024. County education boards in West Virginia could contract with military veterans and retired law enforcement officers to provide armed security at K-12 public schools under a bill passed Friday by the Republican-controlled state Senate. Republican Sen. Eric Tarr of Putnam County said the bill was brought to him by retired military officers concerned about school shootings happening across the country. Tarr, who chairs Senate Finance, said retired officers told him that we need people in our schools who are trained to run at a gun at an instant when its necessary to protect our children. The bill passed unanimously with support from the 34-member bodys three Democrats. Two Republicans were absent and didnt vote. The legislation will now be considered by the House of Delegates. The West Virginia Senate passed a similar bill last year, but it failed to advance in the House. A House committee passed a different bill last year that would allow K-12 teachers, administrators and support personnel with concealed carry permits to carry guns in schools, but it wasnt taken up again. This years Senate bill would allow county boards of education to contract with an honorably discharged veteran, former state trooper, former deputy sheriff or former federal law enforcement officer. The contractor would not be a school resource officer or considered law enforcement, nor would they have arrest power. The contractor would need to have a concealed carry permit, pass a preemployment drug screening and have undergone physical, vision and psychiatric examinations. The bill also requires potential contractors to undergo training with the West Virginia State Police and complete a course on firearms and/or lethal use of force. School boards wouldnt be permitted to hire a contractor convicted of domestic violence, driving under the influence or child abuse, among other criminal offenses. Under the bill, any county board of education could contract with as many veterans or retired officers as it deems necessary. Republican Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman of Ohio County called the bill a crucial step toward making state public schools safer. Our teachers, our staff and our children deserve to go to school every day knowing that they will come home at night, she said. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition KYODO NEWS - Jan 14, 2024 - 01:40 | World, All China said Saturday the results of Taiwan's presidential election, in which Lai Cheng-te of the ruling, independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party clinched victory, will not stop "the inevitable trend" of the unification between the mainland and the self-ruled island. "Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realizing national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock," Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua News Agency. In Taiwan's legislative election held on the same day, the DPP failed to maintain a majority. Chen said the polls revealed that the party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island. He stressed Beijing's firm opposition to the separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence" as well as foreign interference. China has slammed Lai as an independence advocate and a "troublemaker." Chen also said the mainland will work with Taiwan to boost cross-strait exchanges and cooperation and advance the peaceful development of relations. The two sides have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. Related coverage: Japan voices hope Taiwan issues to be resolved "peacefully" Taiwan ruling party's Lai declares victory in presidential race KYODO NEWS - Jan 13, 2024 - 21:12 | All, Japan, World A recently discovered U.S. official document has confirmed that 12 American soldiers were killed in the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, making it the first known acknowledgment by the United States of how many of its captured military personnel died then. A copy of the Dec. 20, 1948 report, titled "Death of 12 American fliers as a result of the atomic bombing on (Hiroshima)," had been written as part of an investigation into Japanese war crimes during World War II and whether the soldiers, who were Japan's prisoners of war, had been subject to abuses. The one-page report, written by Capt. Robert Miller of the U.S. military, said that there was "insufficient evidence to prove an atrocity and no prosecutive action was taken," referring to trials for any such abuses, therefore concluding that the soldiers had died in the bombing of the western Japan city on Aug. 6, 1945. A copy of the report was obtained by Kyodo News from the U.S. National Archives, with the findings analyzed by Hitoshi Nagai, a professor of modern Japanese history at the Hiroshima Peace Institute. Shigeaki Mori, an 86-year-old Japanese historian who is also a survivor of the bombing, was the first to mention the 12 victims in a book published in 2008, after conducting his own research and interviewing their bereaved family members. During his 2016 visit to Hiroshima, then U.S. President Barack Obama mentioned the deaths of about "a dozen Americans held prisoners" in a speech, but the source for the figure was unknown. The report did not mention the names of the 12 soldiers. Related coverage: English Hiroshima peace declaration book published amid nuke worries "Oppenheimer" film coming to theaters in Japan in 2024 Japan to recommend A-bomb photo archive for UNESCO heritage list Defence Ministry issues statement on Sri Lanka Air Force Helicopter Crash in Central Africa Posted by Editor on January 13, 2024 - 5:35 pm Sri Lankas Ministry of Defence strongly denied allegations that a group of Sri Lankans were taken hostage by the Al-Shabaab militant group after a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter crash-landed in Somalia. The SLAF MI 17 helicopter (SMH 4417) was on a routine cargo flight during a United Nations Peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic on January 12 crash-landed at Sam-Oundja during the landing phase due to rotor brownout (RWB) resulting from extreme dusty and sand conditions. At the time of the incident, five crew members and 1200 kg of cargo were on board. Two crew members sustained minor injuries. The Ministry of Defence further emphasized that the above five-member crew and the helicopter are safe within the Sri Lankan Contingent in the Central African Republic. The SLAF has appointed a panel of investigators to probe the crash of the helicopter and determine the precise cause and extent of the damage. The Ministry of Defence urges the public not to be misled by false information. Furthermore, media personnel are informed to reach out to the Ministry for any clarification. The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal from Starbucks in a dispute with the National Labor Relations Board over efforts by workers to unionize at a store in Memphis, Tennessee. The case has been among the most closely watched in the more than 2-year-old effort to unionize Starbucks company-owned U.S. stores. Read about Portland Starbucks dispute here. Starbucks fired seven employees in Memphis in February 2022, citing safety. The Seattle coffee giant said they violated company policy by reopening a store after closing time and inviting non-employees including a television crew to come inside and move throughout the store. But the NLRB intervened, saying the company was unlawfully interfering in workers right to organize and that the store had routinely allowed employees to gather there after closing time. The NLRB asked a federal judge for an immediate injunction requiring Starbucks to reinstate the workers. In August 2022, a federal judge agreed and ordered Starbucks to reinstate the workers. That decision was later affirmed by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Starbucks appealed to the Supreme Court. The legal issue in the case is the standard courts should use when deciding whether to issue an order against a business in the midst of a labor dispute. Starbucks said the lower courts in this case used a relaxed standard when deciding to grant the injunction to the labor board, while other federal courts have used a tougher standard. We are pleased the Supreme Court has decided to consider our request to level the playing field for all U.S. employers by ensuring that a single standard is applied as federal district courts determine whether to grant injunctions pursued by the National Labor Relations Board, the company said Friday. Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, said the company is trying to weaken the labor boards ability to hold companies accountable. Theres no doubt that Starbucks broke federal law by firing workers in Memphis for joining together in a union, Workers United said. The district court determined that, and the decision was affirmed by one of the most conservative courts in the nation. The Memphis store did eventually vote to unionize. It is one of at least 370 Starbucks stores that have voted to unionize since late 2021. Hundreds of Oregon Health & Science University faculty members on Friday called out the medical schools administration for its lack of transparency after allegations that one of its prominent doctors secretly photographed women students during class last year. A letter signed by OHSU faculty notes our extreme disappointment in the response to student accusations involving Dr. Daniel Marks, saying it has severely eroded confidence in OHSU leadership. Power companies reported thousands of outages around the metro area and the state on Saturday amid gusty winds and drifting snow. Portland General Electric said about 150,000 customers were without power by 4 p.m., with at least 3,700 total outages reported. The utility warned that it was experiencing interruptions to our phone service, making it more difficult for customers to report outages and said it was working to get that service back up quickly. Sunset on Saturday is scheduled for 4:50 p.m., leaving thousands facing the prospect of hours in the dark. This is a very dynamic day. We have really high winds and really cold temperatures, said PGE spokesperson John Farmer. Those present unique challenges. As of right now, we have crews actively working to restore power. The wind is the big culprit right now. That tree branch that people meant to get around to trim comes down and it takes the line with it. Pacific Power, which serves a smaller customer base in Oregon, reported 250 outages affecting around 43,000 customers late Saturday afternoon, with outages reported from Astoria to Ashland.\ Meanwhile, NW Natural is asking customers to temporarily lower their thermostat settings and limit hot water usage in response to increased demand for natural gas. To prepare for potential outages, experts suggest assembling a outage kit with a flashlight or headlamps, a battery-powered radio and clock, extra batteries, bottled water and car chargers to keep devices working. Turn off or unplug all appliances, to protect them from a surge when power is restored and keep the refrigerator and freezer doors shut to preserve food. Check in with family and friends, too, especially elderly or infirm neighbors, to make sure they are staying safe, Farmer said. Portlander Alasdair Mackenzie was out for a walk near Hoyt Arboretum when he saw a big Douglas fir tree that had fallen across SW Fairview Boulevard.Aimee Green/The Oregonian Portland resident Alasdair Mackenzie said he was out for a walk on Saturday morning near Hoyt Arboretum to check on some bee colonies that he has in the neighborhood and came across a giant Douglas Fir tree that had fallen across Southwest Fairview Boulevard, with live downed power lines nearby. Im getting home, Mackenzie said. Its way too dangerous. All the trees are coming down. All the limbs are coming down too. Both utilities maintain online maps for tracking outages that include estimates for when power might be restored in particular areas. Track your neighborhood at https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety.html and at https://portlandgeneral.com/outages. Julia Silverman, @jrlsilverman, jsilverman@oregonian.com. Oregonian/OregonLive.com reporter Aimee Green contributed to this report. There remains a critical shortage of housing in Oregon, especially for the elderly, the poor and the disabled. I believe thats inarguable. How, then, should the state and this city respond to a hard-earned opportunity to resurrect 100 affordable-living units for seniors in the Piedmont neighborhood at a cost of $60,000 for each living space? (Or one-eighth of the current $490,000 price-tag for each new affordable housing unit in Portland?) With imagination and enthusiasm? Or with the clumsy nonchalance that reminds us its one thing to declare a housing emergency, and quite another to act on one? Rosemont Court is an iconic and historic landmark in North Portland. Built in 1917, the 41,000 square-foot industrial schoolwas long maintained by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd for the care of wayward and refractory girls who are beyond the control of their parents or guardians. After the Catholics moved on in the 90s, the eight-acre property was purchased by the Portland Development Commission. It became a cornerstone of the citys 1993 Albina Community Plan. In the late '90s, Tom Walsh and the Portland Development Commission ensured that the eight-acre property, once a home for "wayward" girls, had a diverse mix of affordable housing.Steve Duin It was a different world back then, says Betsy Radigan, a key activist in the Piedmont Neighborhood Association at the time. Density and infill were the housing policy. We had to stand firm to preserve that building. It was the largest vacant piece of property in the neighborhood and we wanted anything built there to be a sustainable, long-term asset. When Rosemont Court was reimagined as a senior-living center, Ron Herndon, director of the Albina Ministerial Alliance Head Start program, sited a new Head Start school one block to the north. Ron Herndon thought it was safest environment available, Radigan says. Who makes better neighbors than the elderly and 3-and-4-year-olds? Quite a community formed at Rosemont over the next twenty years. But in January 2021, the seniors complex took quite the hit with an outbreak of Legionnaires disease, which led to one death. As problems persisted and Multnomah Countys Health Department struggled to identify the source of the waterborne contagion, Rosemonts nonprofit owner, Northwest Housing Alternatives, secured rent assistance for the 100 displaced tenants. It also settled claims by 32 former residents who were uprooted but never infected. Trell Anderson, executive director of the nonprofit, says NHA spent $3 million to support residents and carry on the operations of an empty building. Rosemont Court during its construction in 1917.Oregon Journal Pushed to the breaking point last May, he sent out a letter to the state, city and county, requesting the $6 million necessary to maintain rent assistance, replace the buildings water system which will take at least nine months and reopen the 100 living units at Rosemont Court. To give those decision makers a little incentive, Anderson also suggested there might be room at Rosemont to provide permanent supportive housing (PSH) for the citys chronic homeless. We knew we were asking for funding out of cycle, out of the box, he wrote me in an email, so he made the offer as a way to have the public investment achieve multiple public policy goals. Smart thinking. So what happened? Nothing immediately. Government operates on its own clock. But in November, city Commissioner Carmen Rubios office helped secure $2.3 million in federal pandemic recovery funds. When the Portland Housing Bureau called with the news, Anderson says, they also asked if we would consider 50 PSH units. Just last week, Jessica Vega Pederson, the Multnomah County chair, informed Anderson that the Joint Office of Homeless Services would continue providing rent assistance for those still awaiting a return to Rosemont Court. And Oregon Housing and Community Services? The agency charged by Gov. Tina Kotek to provide bold action in dealing with the housing crisis? No reply, Anderson says. No interest. Bill Van Vliet, executive director of the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, is admirably restrained: Its a head-scratcher that the state has been silent, especially given the nature of the project, its location, and how quickly this housing could be brought back on-line relative to new construction. That sentiment is echoed by Laura Golino de Lovato, executive director of Northwest Pilot Project, which is administering the rent assistance provided by the county. Rosemont Court is so clearly an asset, especially at a time when housing construction is so expensive and takes so long, she says. And you cant replace the feel of the place, the architecture, and the way it fits into the neighborhood. New owners. Same old mission.Steve Duin When I reached out to Oregon Housing and Community Services, spokeswoman Delia Hernandez replied with an email that said, in part, We were not able to fund all properties that requested resources. Additionally, OHCS does not have a funding stream that could provide assistance for the specific type of repairs needed for Rosemont Court. Which leaves Rosemont high, dry and empty, unless Anderson can secure a $3.7 million bank loan, and the city lacking 100 more low-income options for its most vulnerable residents. A tough go, that, but hell fight on. While Anderson does, Don Robinson, the new chair of the Piedmont Neighborhood Association, wants more information on how many rooms at Rosemont Court might be reserved for the homeless. Thats the new paradigm, the elephant in the room, Robinson says. There were rumors the city might buy the building and turn it into transition housing, and that freaked everyone out. Most folks want to help those who are desperately in need. We want to be part of the solution. But we need a lot more information. Anderson believes there will be time for those conversations if he can somehow secure the rest of the $6 million or the state finally does right and joins the fight to save Rosemont Court. It really comes down to some political will, Anderson says, and political focus. Too many of our city streets showcase the ruin in their absence. -- Steve Duin stephen.b.duin@gmail.com . The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning from 7 a.m. to midnight Saturday for the Columbia River Gorge. Meanwhile, travel along I-84 across the state was already hazardous Friday night, with multiple crashes leading to interstate closures in eastern Oregon. The Oregon Department of Transportation had closed I-84 eastbound between Ontario and La Grande due to multiple crashes Friday night, and the Weather Service warns of more snow and gusty winds on Saturday. In the western Columbia River Gorge, Saturdays forecast calls for winds gusting at 60 to 80 mph, and 30 to 50 mph in the central Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia gorge is expected to see 4 to 6 inches of snow. Wind chills could reach as low as 30 below zero, which can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. The Weather Service warns that travel will be very difficult with widespread blowing snow significantly reducing driving visibility and strong winds potentially causing extensive tree damage. The blizzard warning includes the cities of Corbett on the eastern edge of Multnomah County, Rooster Rock, Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks, Hood River, North Bonneville, Stevenson, Carson and Underwood. People in those areas are advised to travel only for emergencies, and to keep a winter survival kit in their vehicle. For the latest road conditions call 511, or visit tripcheck.com. -- Samantha Swindler, sswindler@oregonian.com, @editorswindler The Multnomah County Medical Examiner said Saturday it is investigating a death linked to hypothermia, the first fatality linked to the winter storm sweeping through Oregon. Bitter cold temperatures have settled over the Portland region with the forecast calling for freezing rain and snow. County officials said the person died Saturday; investigators say it will take several weeks to months to confirm the person died from the cold. Multnomah County officials say anyone who has concerns about someone who appears to be unprepared for the cold weather and does not seem to be capable of caring for themselves should call Police Non-Emergency, 503-823-3333, and request a welfare check. If it appears that the persons situation is mental health-related, the Mental Health Crisis Line can be reached 24/7 at 503-988-4888. If the situation appears to present an imminent risk to the persons health or safety, dial 911. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe A deep freeze settled over Oregon on Saturday, making travel perilous, knocking out power to thousands and sending hundreds of people into emergency shelters. Fierce winds and snow flurries ushered in the regions first major winter storm of 2024, bringing the Portland area to a near-standstill. And its not over. Temperatures in the metro area are not expected to climb above freezing until Wednesday. Across Portland, between 1 and 3 inches of snow fell, though the bigger hazards appeared to be from high winds and extreme cold. Multnomah County officials said they were investigating one death on Saturday due to hypothermia but released few details. Two people were killed by falling trees in separate incidents: a tree fell on a home in Lake Oswego and on an RV in Southeast Portland. A woman in her 30s died in the RV when the tree fell on it and trapped her inside. Fire officials said four people in the RV were using an open flame stove to keep warm when the tree fell, and that set the rig on fire. Three people managed to escape. Sunday is expected to be mostly dry with milder winds, with a high near 28 degrees and a low near 17. On Saturday, the Oregon Department of Transportation said conditions, which include whipping snow and freezing rain, are rapidly changing everywhere, said spokesperson Kacey Davey. The precipitation is here and its coming down in many different forms, she said. During a 3 p.m. update, ODOT spokesperson Mindy McCartt urged drivers to stay off the roads. A half-dozen vehicles in the ODOT fleet across the state had been hit by other drivers as they worked to clear roads, she said. She shared reports of vehicles driving over downed power lines and passing operating snow plows on the right both these practices are dangerous, and the latter is illegal. TriMet suspended all of its light-rail MAX service Saturday afternoon. Buses were still operating with chains, though riders should expect delays and detours, transit officials said. The high temperature around Portland hovered around 20 degrees Saturday but felt much colder due to the wind. The high recorded at Portland International Airport was 21. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson declared a state of emergency on Friday, opening five severe weather shelters and adding beds at an existing year-round shelter. As of Saturday, county officials said nearly 350 people sought shelter overnight. Another 59 checked into Washington Countys two emergency shelters, according to a county spokesperson. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared a state of emergency Saturday, allowing expedited response to the storm. A large tree fell onto a parked car in Southeast Portland on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. The Portland area saw high winds and temperatures in the teens. Downed trees caused damage and power outages around the region.Dave Killen/The Oregonian Power companies reported outages around the metro area. NW Natural, the Portland areas natural gas utility, asked customers to temporarily lower their thermostat settings and limit hot water usage due to increased demand during the storm. Portland General Electric said about 155,000 customers were without power at around 5 p.m., as dusk fell, with at least 3,300 total outages reported. The utility warned that it was experiencing interruptions to our phone service, making it more difficult for customers to report outages and said it was working to get that service back up quickly. In the meantime, customers should go online to report outages, the utilitys website said. This is a very dynamic day. We have really high winds and really cold temperatures, said PGE spokesperson John Farmer. Pacific Power, which serves a smaller customer base in Oregon, reported 271 outages affecting about 43,000 customers as of Saturday afternoon, including outages that stretched from Astoria to Ashland. 39 1 / 39 Portland snow, cold weather To prepare for potential outages, experts suggest assembling a outage kit with a flashlight or headlamps, a battery-powered radio and clock, extra batteries, bottled water and car chargers to keep devices working. Turn off or unplug all appliances to protect them from a surge when power is restored, and keep the refrigerator and freezer doors shut to preserve food. Check in with family and friends, too, especially elderly or infirm neighbors, to make sure they are staying safe, Farmer said. Reporters Julia Silverman and Samantha Swindler contributed to this report. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Correction: This article was updated to remove incorrect information about previous record temps. Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe KYODO NEWS - Jan 14, 2024 - 01:44 | World, All Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te, who heads the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, declared victory in Saturday's presidential election and vowed to protect the self-ruled island from the growing threat posed by mainland China. In the race closely watched by the world amid China's unrelenting pressure on Taiwan, Lai's victory means the DPP has secured a third consecutive four-year term, an unprecedented run of success in the period since the direct leadership poll was introduced in 1996. The election commission said voter turnout was 71.9 percent. Lai secured 40.1 percent of votes and Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, won 33.5 percent, according to final results released by the commission. Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party, the second-largest opposition force, got 26.5 percent. "As president, I have an important responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Lai, 64, told his supporters in Taipei. "We are also determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China." Communist-led China, which aims to bring the island into its fold, by force if necessary, has slammed Lai as an independence advocate and a "troublemaker." The two sides have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. China said late Saturday that Lai's victory will not stop "the inevitable trend" of the unification between the mainland and Taiwan. "Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realizing national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock," Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua News Agency. Lai also said Taiwan "will stand on the side of democracy," noting that the Taiwanese people have successfully resisted election interference by external forces, namely China. "We trust that only the people of Taiwan have the right to choose their own president," he said. The vice president, who will be inaugurated on May 20, pledged to inherit President Tsai Ing-wen's foreign affairs and defense policies and called on Beijing, which has shunned talks with the DPP government since Tsai took office in 2016, to work toward peace that will benefit both sides of the Taiwan Strait. "Under the principles of dignity and parity, we will use exchanges to replace obstructionism, dialogue to replace confrontation, and confidently pursue exchanges and cooperation with China," Lai said. Hou, 66, apologized to his supporters at a rally in New Taipei for failing to bring about a change of government, saying, "I let everybody down...I'm sorry to everyone." Ko, a 64-year-old former Taipei mayor, also conceded defeat and thanked his supporters for showing to the world that Taiwan has not only the two major parties of the DPP and KMT but also his own party. "Most importantly, we have demonstrated to the world that democracy has always been the most important asset of Taiwan," Ko said in New Taipei. All three candidates had called for maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait if elected, seeking neither the island's independence nor its unification with mainland China. Hou and Ko both sought dialogue with Beijing during the campaign. Japan congratulated Lai on his victory, with Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa saying in a statement that Tokyo will "work toward further deepening cooperation and exchanges" with Taipei. "We expect that the issues surrounding Taiwan will be resolved peacefully by dialogue, thereby contributing to the peace and stability in the region," she said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also congratulated Lai and expressed Washington's commitment to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure. "The partnership between the American people and the people on Taiwan, rooted in democratic values, continues to broaden and deepen across economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties," he said. In the legislative election, where 113 seats were up for grabs, the DPP failed to hold on to a majority, with the number of its seats declining from 62 to 51. Lai said the result meant "we did not work hard enough and there are areas where we must humbly review and look back on." The KMT secured the most seats at 52, 15 more than before, but still falling short of a majority, according to the official election results. The TPP won eight seats, up by three, and is forecast to hold the balance of power. Related coverage: Taiwan presidential hopeful Lai vows to keep cross-strait status quo Taiwan pres. election frontrunner Lai stresses maintaining status quo FOCUS: Taiwan poll may not affect Sino-U.S. ties, invasion unlikely in 2024 New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged countries to avoid an escalation in the situation in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels in Yemen have been attacking commercial vessels amid the ongoing war in Gaza By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - Jan 13, 2024 - 09:43 | Japan, All, World The top diplomats of Japan and the United States agreed Friday that the two countries will cooperate closely in dealing with issues relating to China and on the importance of peace and stability around Taiwan. Following a meeting in Washington, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa also told reporters that she agreed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to work toward the "success" of a state visit later this year to the U.S. capital by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Kamikawa, however, stopped short of indicating when the visit, which she said is aimed at furthering Japan's partnership with the United States in "all areas," may take place, pointing out a schedule is still being fleshed out. Sources close to bilateral relations said in late December the visit could take place in early March. Kamikawa's meeting with Blinken was held just a day before Taiwan's presidential election, which could have serious implications for the self-governing island's relations with China, other Asian countries and the United States. While confirming more steps will be taken to enhance the alliance's deterrence and response capabilities, Kamikawa said both sides "underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and urged a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues." Taiwan is an "extremely important partner" for Japan for reasons such as sharing the same values and principles of "freedom, democracy, basic human rights and the rule of law," she added. China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, does not hide its ambition to unify it with the mainland, by force if necessary. Since Taiwan's current leader Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party assumed office in 2016, China has been ratcheting up military and economic pressure on the island, which has a population of more than 23 million. Many countries are focused on how China will react if the ruling party, which rejects Beijing's aspirations for unification, wins a third term. Blinken said the alliance with Japan is "truly the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," reaching "new heights" in recent years "where we're working together not only on a bilateral basis or a regional basis but on a genuine global basis." As they began talks, he noted the longtime partnership is built on "shared values," adding, "We're together in good times and in challenging times." It was the first time Kamikawa held talks in Washington with Blinken since assuming her post in September. He had just returned from a weeklong tour of the Middle East, his fourth to the region since the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that led to its ongoing assault in the Gaza Strip. Kamikawa arrived in Washington late Thursday after visiting Ukraine and other European countries including Finland, Poland and the Netherlands. On the heels of these visits, the two top diplomats reaffirmed that Japan and the United States will continue tough sanctions against Russia, strong support for Ukraine, and diplomatic efforts to prevent the Middle East conflict from expanding beyond Israel and Gaza. She also said they discussed the situation in the Red Sea after U.S. and British forces on Thursday conducted strikes against more than 60 targets in Yemen used by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, in response to a series of recent attacks on vessels transiting one of the world's most vital waterways. Before sitting down with Blinken, Kamikawa held talks with other U.S. officials on Friday, meeting separately with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Related coverage: U.S. to provide Japan quake support including through military: envoy Japan to give Ukraine biofuel technology to support reconstruction Japan PM Kishida arranges to visit U.S. as state guest in early March Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A workshop for members of the House of Representatives (Parliament) and the High Council of State, a consultative body with certain military and security actors and civil society activists, was organized by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on strengthening security sector reform and governance in Libya Photo: (Photo : LOGAN CYRUS / Getty Images) Ohio woman Brittany Watts, who was charged with felony in a harrowing incident where she suffered a miscarriage in her bathroom, will have her charges dropped as ruled by the grand jury. Brittany Watts' miscarriage case has gained notoriety in Ohio and sparked online debate from advocates of abortion rights and residents in the community. This case emerges as a critical juncture in the discourse surrounding abortion rights in Ohio, intertwining legal, medical, and ethical considerations in the sphere of reproductive rights. The Brittany Watts Miscarriage Case The ordeal began in Warren, Ohio, when Brittany Watts endured a miscarriage in her bathroom, leading to a life-threatening hemorrhage on September 22. After being rushed to the hospital for a life-threatening complication, the police authorities immediately searched her home to gather evidence against the accusation of abusing human corpses. The subsequent legal battle placed Watts at the center of a controversial charge under Ohio law, which accused her of treating a human corpse in a manner that outraged community sensibilities. This charge of fifth-degree felony, facing one tear imprisonment, and paying a $2,500 fine, all grave legal matters, threatened significant legal repercussions. However, in a pivotal court ruling, the grand jury decided against indicting Watts. This decision, influenced by the Babies and understanding of the situation by the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office, marked a significant moment in the legal treatment of miscarriage cases. This outcome gains even more prominence in light of the complicated abortion rights landscape in Ohio. Watts' medical crisis began with a severe hemorrhage, leading to her admission to St. Joseph's Hospital. Medical records revealed complications typical of miscarriage cases, such as low amniotic fluid. The life-threatening nature of her condition, coupled with the miscarriage in her bathroom, underscores the critical need for sensitive medical care for women experiencing similar emergencies. Read Also: Florida School District Faces Lawsuit Over Book Removals: First Amendment at Stake Implications of Post-Roe V. Wade America The case has escalated into a significant point of discussion regarding abortion rights in Ohio. It underscores the intricate legal and ethical challenges that women face, especially in a state with restrictive reproductive health laws. Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, approximately 24 states have followed in implementing abortion bans. These laws also empower legal authorities to prosecute individuals who facilitate these procedures, including in instances where the fetus presents severe health risks. The Cleveland Clinic reports that miscarriages terminate between 10% and 20% of all confirmed pregnancies. However, this statistic may underestimate the actual frequency, as numerous miscarriages transpire before the pregnancy is even recognized. Research further reveals that Black women face a higher likelihood of criminal charges related to pregnancy complications. The potential criminalization of natural medical incidents like miscarriages has sparked concerns among advocates for reproductive rights. The Brittany Watts case symbolizes the challenges and uncertainties in the realm of reproductive rights in the United States, particularly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. States like Ohio, with restrictive abortion laws, have brought complex legal and personal challenges to the forefront for women experiencing miscarriages. As the nation grapples with these contentious issues, the outcome of the Watts case may herald a change in the legal and medical handling of miscarriages and related emergencies. The case calls for clearer legal guidelines and stresses the need for healthcare systems that prioritize the well-being of women in distressing situations. Related Article: Ohio Mother Arrested for Faking Daughter's Cancer for Money: Charity Fraud Uncovered Photo: (Photo : Darren McCollester /Getty Images) The Quaker oats product recall continues as the FDA flags an expanded salmonella alert. The Quaker Oats Company, owned by PepsiCo, is recalling 24 more of their products. These Quaker products include snacks, instant oatmeal, granola bars, and numerous cereals. In total, more than 60 Quaker products have been recalled since December 15 due to salmonella concerns. Many of the items are sold in multiple sizes or types of packaging. Salmonella Alert: Expanded Quaker Oats Product Recall The recent announcement by Quaker Oats Company on January 11 regarding the expansion of their December 15, 2023, recall includes a broader range of products like cereals, bars, and snacks. This update comes as further evaluations indicated possible contamination with salmonella, a harmful bacterium. These products, now subject to recall, are available in various regions, including the United States, Saipan, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Quaker's advisory on the FDA's website urges consumers to safely discard any affected items. Originally, the recall in December targeted specific lots of Quaker Chewy granola bars, granola cereals, and snack boxes. The recent extension adds more varieties of Quaker Chewy bars and cereals to this list. To assist customers, Quaker Oats is issuing refunds for these recalled items. The packaging of these products includes a SmartLabel QR code, enabling purchasers to verify if their product is part of the recall. Salmonella exposure is particularly hazardous and can be fatal, especially to certain groups like young children, elderly people, and those with weaker immune systems. Symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps typically emerge between 6 hours and 6 days after ingesting contaminated food. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and headaches. While these signs often subside in 4 to 7 days without the need for antibiotics, the infection can have more severe or even life-threatening consequences for young children, older adults, and individuals with compromised immune systems. Read Also: Ohio Mother Arrested for Faking Daughter's Cancer for Money: Charity Fraud Uncovered FDA's Recalled Quaker Oats Products On December 15, 2023, Quaker stated they had not received any reports of any illnesses associated with the items that were recalled. Additionally, Quaker Oats did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the firm has not made any public statements regarding whether or not any illnesses have been recorded after that time. All of the products that are listed below should be discarded by consumers after they have checked their pantries for any of them. In addition, customers who have any of the products listed below should call Quaker Consumer Relations at 1-800-492-9322 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday, in order to receive additional information or to request product reimbursement. The newly added products include granola bars, cereal bars, cereals, and instant oatmeal. Some of these products are: Cap'n Crunch Treats Crunch Berries Cereal Bar Cap'n Crunch Instant Oatmeal Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Quaker Chewy Granola Breakfast Cereal Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cinnamon, Gamesa Marias Cereal Gatorade Protein Bar Peanut Butter Chocolate The decision to recall these products is a sensible precautionary measure that was taken in light of the potential health concerns associated with salmonella infection. Consumers are strongly recommended to take prompt action by disposing of recalled items and requesting product reimbursement in accordance with the recommendations provided by Quaker Oats. It is possible for individuals to actively contribute to the creation of a safer and healthier community by remaining educated and by adopting the activities that are recommended. Related Article: $70 Billion Bipartisan Tax Break Nears Completion: Child Tax Credit, Business Incentives in Focus Our visit to the Nubian village of Gharb Suhayl yesterday was completely different than any of our previous visits there, and I really liked it. We landed a few hundred yards south of our previous landing spot, and never actually went to the area that we had spent our time in on earlier occasions. This time, we went to the local school, where Mr. Umar tried to teach our people the Arabic alphabet and the Arabic and Nubian numerals to great amusement on his part and on the part of our group, who were very good sports. If they didnt do well, he had a cane that he was not afraid to use. (Not really, but it was funny.) When he wrote things out in Arabic, I made every effort to appear completely clueless as to what it meant. The alternative was to be up in front of the class myself. We also visited a large, brightly colored home, where our people had a wonderful view of the eastern bank of the Nile across from us at just the time that the sun was setting in the west. It could hardly have been better. And, of course, those who wanted to do so had the chance to be photographed holding and even kissing a baby crocodile (whose toothy grin had been bound shut). Some people, Im sure, are wondering whether weve encountered any of the effects of the (current) instability in the Middle East. Were not done yet, obviously, but so far theres been virtually nothing. Except that, wonderfully for us but sadly for Egypt, tourist numbers are done. Our boat was scheduled to be full, but some groups canceled and the boat is currently at sixty percent of capacity. That seems to be about typical of the country as a whole. Our Egyptian tour guide, Bahgat, tells me that he had two tours cancel on him in December. The Nile cruise boats as a group were booked solidly through April, but there are now many vacancies during that period. Have we felt endangered? Not a bit. There has been no sign of anything worrisome. Only once the other day, when we were walking on al-Muizz Street near Khan al-Khalili did politics intrude. A sixtyish looking man, noticing that we were Amrikaan, began to address me in quite respectable English, politely exhorting us in a conversational tone to change our government. Im not at all opposed to changing our government (though I have deep concerns over the available options), and I told him so. We parted amicably. We boarded our boat, the Mayflower, last night, and it set sail from Aswan at about five oclock this morning. By 8:30, after a good breakfast, we were docked beside the fascinating dual temple of Kom Ombo (and the extraordinarily aggressive vendors who always throng the river bank). We walked over to the temple, which was sacred on one of its sides to Horus and on the other to the crocodile god Sobek and adjacent to which is a museum that is richly furnished with (what else?) mummified crocodiles. Kom Ombo is located at a bend in the River Nile where, before the dams were erected, a crocodile-infested island existed. The island is no more, these days, and there are no crocodiles north of the Aswan High Dam. This stop gave me an opportunity to talk to them very briefly about Figure 9 in Facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham, also known as the idolatrous god of Pharaoh. It strikes me as genuinely remarkable that the unlettered rural yokel Joseph Smith got that one right; the identification doesnt seem exactly obvious or intuitive. But Sobek is, indeed, the idolatrous god of pharaoh. The boat then took us further down the Nile to the city of Edfu, where a large and well preserved temple from the Ptolemaic and Greco-Roman stands. Our group exited the boat and boarded horse-drawn carriages to reach the temple (and the, umm, enthusiastic vendors who form a nearly impregnable barrier in front of it). I find two particular aspects of Edfu especially fascinating. The first is the three large statues of Horus that it features, one of which is particularly large and well-preserved. The second is the holy of holies of the temple, which is largely intact and which, therefore, provides a very clear example of that aspect of ancient Egyptian temples more generally. In it, visitors can see the boat that was kept in this innermost part of the sanctuary, with its small shrine for the image of the god, with its fore and aft images of the goddess Hathor, and with the poles that allowed it to be carried in processions. This seems to me obviously related to the holy of holies of the Israelite tabernacle or tent of meeting and of the Temple of Solomon that succeeded it. Located within the holy of holies of the Israelite temple was the Ark of the Covenant, until it was lost, which was designed to be carried in much the same way that the Egyptian boat was. The striking difference, of course, was that the Egyptian boat carried an image of the god, while no image of Yahweh was permitted to the Israelites. We then cruised further northward, which is to say downstream, from Edfu toward Luxor. Most of us spent some time up on top of the boat, where a beautiful sunset bathed the Nile and the fields on its banks in subtly changing colors. But it was, alas, just a tad chilly and breezy as the sun went down and the boat sped along, so we all eventually abandoned the top deck for warmer quarters within. However, sailing on the Nile remains one of my favorite ways of seeing this historic land. Posted from the Nile River, somewhat north of Edfu Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akyem Central, has refuted claims that he lodged a complaint with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against the Chief Executive of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Kofi Ofosu Nkansah. Mr Nkansah was arrested for allegedly distributing money to delegates ahead of the NPP Parliamentary primaries scheduled for January 27. The arrest followed a complaint reportedly filed by his rival, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, the Asante Akim Central Member of Parliament. Mr Anyimadu Antwi has however denied reporting the incident to the Office of the Special Prosecutor. "Its just speculationI know nothing about the arrest. I havent made any report to the Special prosecutor. Its just mere speculation just to destroy my image" he said in an interview on Peace FM, Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mr Nkansah has been released after being taken to the OSP's office to assist in investigations. Source: Peacefmonline.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. Featured Video The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has stated to clarify claims that he disrespected the overlord of the Ashanti Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II during NPP vetting in the region. Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi said He has and will never at any time say or do something to disdain his king. A report circulating suggests that Wontumi disrespected Otumfuo at NPP Vetting - according to the outspoken chairman is a deliberate attempt by some function of his party and opponent media to tarnish his reputation. He, however, cautioned in a statement that the news outlet paid for this agenda must retract and apologise to the Asantehene and himself or use the legal way. I am by this medium giving the PUNCH newspaper, Broadcastergh.com and AkomaFM/Onuaonline, to retract and apologize within 24 hours to my person and Manhyia Palace, through the same medium, or I will initiate legal action against them. A portion of his statement reads Read below the full statement The office of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has taken notice of a news report circulating on both the traditional and social media space, suggesting that I have acted in a manner that is disrespectful to His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Specifically, the said news report was carried on Monday, 10th January 2024 edition in the Punch newspaper and also on AkomaFM/Onuaonline, both an NDC-sponsored news outlet. Captioned Wontumi Disrespected Otumfuo at NPP Vetting on the front page of the NDCs Punch newspaper, the said story sought to suggest that, I made those comments during a vetting process of NPP Parliamentary aspirants, last week. First, I would like to record that, this story is false, malicious, misleading and a calculated attempt by some elements to pitch the ruling party and my good self against the Asantehene, the occupant of the Golden Stool, for reasons best known to them. I have never made any statement or gestures, before, during or after the vetting that should warrant such disgraceful and unfounded reportage, and, I therefore, urge party faithfuls and the good people of Asanteman to respectfully, disregard this and treat it with the contempt it deserves. What was laughable is the fact that the writers and sponsors of this malicious venture, could not even provide any evidence to buttress their points as they hid behind it is alleged, he is reported to have..., but could not make a definite statement in their reportage. This indicates that this was a calculated move targeted at my person by some NDC media outlets and their sponsors, just to tarnish my reputation. As nature would give it, I come from a home with a strong understanding of traditions and customs and respect for traditional authorities, and graciously, I have the privilege to serve my party in a capacity as the regional Chairman in the Asante Kingdom. With my years of service to the Golden Stool as the regional chairman, I have served with pride and dignity to the Asantehene, and, there have never been any moment that my actions and inactions have suggested insubordination to the occupant of the Golden Stool because I serve the NPP and ultimately the Golden Stool. I am by this medium giving the PUNCH newspaper, Broadcastergh.com and AkomaFM/Onuaonline, to retract and apologize within 24 hours to my person and Manhyia Palace, through the same medium, or I will initiate legal action against them. I am focused, well-resolved and well-placed to lead the party in the region to break the 8 and make Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the next President of the Republic of Ghana, in 2025, therefore, such detractive elements cannot weigh me down. Thank You Signed Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi) (Regional Chairman, NPP-Ashanti) Source: Peacefmonline.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. Featured Video Hamamat Africa, The No1 brand in sheabutter, has condemned the bullying of G4S Security Guard by its third-party-employed videographers. A viral video circulating online shows two videographers in Hamamat-branded shirts verbally abuse a security guard in the dispensation of his duties. A statement released by Hamamat Africa expressed their shock towards the conduct of the videographers, whom they described as third-party contractors. "Hamamat Africa is deeply troubled by a recent online video depicting unacceptable behaviour by videographers wearing Hamamat Africa-branded shirts during a scheduled production shoot. on December 27, 2023. "It is essential to clarify that these videographers were independently contracted individuals and not employees of Hamamat Africa. "Although provided with Hamamat-branded T-shirts, they are third-party contractors with no direct association with our brand. Hamamat Africa did not participate in or endorse the incident and has promptly terminated its association with the involved videographers. "We unequivocally condemn the bullying and verbal abuse directed towards a security guard, actions contrary to our core values of respect, professionalism, and ethical conduct." Hamamat Africa also apologised to the security personnel affected as well as anyone who was affected by their conduct. "We recognise the distress caused and assure you that we are taking this matter seriously. Moving forward, we will implement additional measures when contracting third-party vendors and have initiated training programmes to uphold a respectful and inclusive environment. "We value the trust of our community and customers, committing to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism," the statement said. 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. Featured Video Adansi Travels, a leading player in the travel industry in Ghana has embarked on a groundbreaking journey to revolutionize travel and elevate service delivery with the launch of The Adansi Travel House a pioneering one-stop destination catering to all travel needs, both locally and globally. Situated prominently on the La-Bawaleshie Road, East Legon, The Adansi Travel House is now home to a constellation of subsidiaries, including Adansi Travels, Adansi Health Tourism, The Boss Travel Club, See Ghana DMC, Adansi Properties, and Adansi Education and Work Consult. Gideon Asare, the Managing Director of Adansi Travels, expressed the company's readiness to provide seamless services to clients with the introduction of The Adansi Travel House, marking their impressive 6th office in Ghana. He emphasized, "To us, this isn't just a building; it's a hub of possibilities, housing five of our esteemed subsidiaries. This complex, now known as The Adansi Travel House, is designed as a one-stop shop for all travel needs, reflecting our commitment to providing integrated, seamless services." Highlighting the importance of leveraging technology to meet evolving customer needs, Mr. Asare mentioned the central role of technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), in their operations. He stated, "In the heart of this new complex lies our commitment to technology, particularly AI. We're not just using AI; we're integrating it into every facet of our operations." As the Managing Director expressed the company's forward-thinking approach, he also took a moment to express gratitude to corporate and individual clients, as well as their partners, for their unwavering support over the past decade. The Adansi Travel House stands as a testament to innovation and excellence in the travel industry, poised to reshape the future of travel and set the stage for an era of unparalleled service and customer satisfaction. Source: Peacefmonline 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. Featured Video A York County man was charged with arson and related offenses after police say he started a small fire in the lobby of Burlington Coat Factory last month. Officers with the West Manchester Township Police Department arrived at the store, located at 420 Town Center Drive, on Dec. 18 around 1:07 p.m. after a man in a wheelchair reportedly set fire to a plastic bag. The man, 60-year-old Douglas Frock, told investigators that he threw his lit cigarette into the plastic bag, which then caught fire, according to an affidavit. However, video surveillance from the store showed Frock lighting a piece of paper on fire before placing it in the plastic bag. A customer at the store also stomped out a portion of the fire after seeing Frock set the piece of paper on fire. The fire damaged the stores lobby and burned a section of nearby carpet, according to police. The arresting officer said he received a call about Frock possibly having a medical emergency at a local Walmart earlier that day and noted Frock had three half-gallon bottles of vodka on him at the Burlington Coat Factory. One of the bottles was only three-quarters full, according to police. The officer also said Frock was slurring his speech, struggled with motor functions and urinated on himself, the affidavit said. Frock was taken to a hospital before being taken to Central Booking. He was charged with arson endangering property; reckless endangerment of inhabited buildings, disorderly conduct hazardous/physical offense, dangerous burning and public drunkenness/similar misconduct. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12. Pennsylvania State Police were justified in the use of deadly force against Brandon Stine, who killed a trooper and injured another in a June 2023 ambush, the district attorney announced Friday. The Juniata County District Attorneys Office in fact said their response to a series of shootings by Stine was exemplary and likely save others from harm or death, according to a news release. The fatal shooting came a day after troopers in Lewistown were notified by Stines family of his erratic behavior, and that they believed he might need to be involuntarily committed to a mental hospital. Troopers could not find him June 16, however, to check his welfare and try to get him the help he needed. Instead, the next day, Stine started a cat-and-mouse game with troopers about 10:45 a.m. by driving into a private parking lot behind the PSP station in Lewistown, which is marked as off-limits to the public. Troopers realized the truck was registered to Stine and went outside to make contact, but he drove away before they could speak with him. Then, just before 10:55 a.m., Stine stopped his truck on Stoney Creek Drive, next to PSP Lewistowns private parking lot, and fired two shots with a .458 caliber long rifle toward the police station, hitting an unoccupied police cruiser. Stine avoided troopers by getting back into his truck and driving towards the area of Arch Rock Road, the DAs office said. Just over an hour later, Stine called 911 in Juniata County and told dispatchers there was chlorine gas in his vehicle. The dispatch center tracked his phone to the area of Butchershop Road and Brubaker Road around 12:30 p.m. Just a few minutes later, Stine began following Trooper James Wagner on Washington Avenue in Mifflintown. When Wagner stopped his patrol vehicle in the left lane, Stine pulled up next to him and fired one round through Wagners passenger window, critically injuring him. Bystanders and witnesses assisted Lieutenant Wagner while Stine drove south on Washington Avenue and unsuccessfully trired to call 911 at 12:38 p.m. State police charged Stine with attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, allowing them to ping his phone, to try to narrow down his location. At 2:38 p.m., troopers started to follow Stines truck west on William Penn Highway near Mexico in Walker Township, according to the DAs office. Stine eventually parked his car perpendicular to Swamp Road and fired at least one shot toward troopers, hitting a patrol units left rear window. Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was driving the lead vehicle as state police responded to the shots-fired call. As he stopped at the intersection of Swamp Road and Kilmer Road, Stine fired the rifle shot that killed Rougeau Jr. from his drivers side window. Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was killed in the line of duty on June 17, 2023, in Juniata County. Pennsylvania State Police Stine also fired another round, hitting a different patrol vehicle. Several troopers stayed at the intersection of Swamp and Kilmer to assist Rougeau Jr. while others continued to pursue Stine while returning shots in his direction. Stine then pulled his truck in at 127 Kilmer Road, drove around the house and drove through an open field behind the property, towards Harshbargers Sub n Malt restaurant. The DAs office said Stine again parked his truck perpendicular to Swamp Road, this time in front of the restaurant, while exchanging shots with officers. Troopers continued to chase Stine near 711 Swamp Road, where he eventually stopped his truck in a narrow strip of trees near the property. Police established a perimeter around Stine before had died from gunshot wounds. Stine was pronounced dead at the scene. Police found a .458 caliber rifle and a .22 caliber rifle in Stines truck, both of which he was prohibited from owning due to a second conviction for driving under the influence in 2005. Additional firearms that he should not have had were found in Stines home. Stine was also convicted in 2016 for attempting to buy a firearm. After the killings, Stines sister posted on Facebook that Stine was suffering a mental health crisis. She later told PennLive her brother thought people were poisoning his water, smoky skies were nerve gas from the government, and other conspiracy theories and that he hadnt eaten or slept in days. Stine was also scared for his life and refused to go to the hospital out of a fear they would put a tracking chip inside him, she said. Sen. Tolentino pushes to retain iconic jeepney design in PUJ modernization MANILA -- Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino reiterated on Saturday his call to retain the iconic jeepney design in the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization to cater to the country's history and culture related to the said staple transportation mode. "Wala kayong ine-endorse na design pero kung mage-endorse kayo iyong traditional, iconic jeepney na para maging bahagi ng ating kasaysayan, kultura, at tradisyon," Tolentino told Andy Ortega, Department of Transportation's (DOTr) Chairman of Transportation Cooperatives during his regular DZRH program. Sen. Tol added: "Lahat ito ay bahagi na ng kasaysayan then all of a sudden papalitan natin ng flat nose, kwadrado na parang refrigerator na may gulong." Ortega said that the agency is more focused on maintaining the standards in safety and environment-friendliness of the modernized vehicles. Nonetheless, the DOTr official assured Sen. Tol that they already included their encouragement for the cooperative to opt for modern jeepneys with iconic Filipino design. "We are confident that the better-looking, ika nga iyong "iconic design" will now be in our street," Ortega remarked. Meanwhile, Tolentino urged Ortega to talk with the leaders who oppose with PUV modernization, especially with the more than 30,000 public utility jeepneys that will be afflicted in the upcoming start of apprehensions on 1 February. "Pakiusap na lang, bago dumating ang February 1, pwede kayang iyong mga leader ng mga nago-oppose isang upuan lang, magkape kayo, para bago magkaroon ng implementation ng February 1 para talagang maipaliwanag ang inyong posisyon," Sen. Tol stressed. Ortega responded that DOTr is open to such talks and has been proactive in information drive for the drivers and operators even before the consolidation deadline last 31 December 2023. KYODO NEWS - Jan 13, 2024 - 08:43 | All, Japan, World Fujitsu Ltd. is under scrutiny in Britain as to whether the Japanese electronics firm should compensate post office operators falsely accused of embezzlement from the 1990s into the 2010s because of glitches in its accounting system. The system problem, which caused the balances at postal stores to appear lower than the actual amounts and suggested the operators were stealing money, was already confirmed in 2019. Postal services minister Kevin Hollinrake said 93 convictions have since been overturned. But a recent TV drama featuring the decades-old case encouraged many more of those involved to break their long silence and call for compensation by making new contact with lawyers. The growing outcry prompted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to promise Wednesday to consider a new law to help clear the names of such people and provide compensation, describing the case as "one of the largest miscarriages of justice" in the country's history. The British government has disbursed 138 million pounds ($175 million) in damages to people who were wrongly accused in the scandal, according to reports. Amid fresh calls in Britain to reexamine Fujitsu's role in the past scandal and current government contracts with it, officials from the Tokyo-based company will testify at a House of Commons committee on Tuesday. In Britain, Post Office Ltd., wholly owned by the government, has more than 10,000 stores nationwide that handle postal work and sell merchandise. Post Office introduced the Fujitsu accounting system, called Horizon, in the 1990s. More than 700 people faced charges of alleged embezzlement or accounting fraud between 1999 and 2015, and at least four killed themselves after the balances displayed in the system were found to be lower than the actual amount of cash at their workplaces. Some of the accused went bankrupt after they were required to pay the discrepancies, according to reports. In 2019, the system failures were confirmed in a civil suit ruling. Hollinrake told parliament Monday, regarding the government's view of possible compensation from Fujitsu, "Anybody who is shown to be responsible for this scandal should be held accountable, including by making payments into the taxpayer's fund." Fujitsu apologized to those who were falsely accused and pledged to cooperate in the ongoing investigation in a statement, without commenting on compensation. Rachel Lipman is a fifth-generation winemaker who has completed four vintages working at Loew Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Maryland. She is no stranger to the winery, having helped out as a child, but the hours there increased once she started to assist with the harvest after graduating college in 2015. She would begin full-time several years after that. Its a winery that her grandparents Lois and Willliam started more than 40 years ago, planting their first grapes in 1982 in a 1-acre experimental vineyard that featured Marechal Foch, Leon Millot, Seyval Blanc, Chancellor, Chardonnay and Riesling. Subsequent plantings added more Seyval, Chardonnay and Riesling, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Four years later the winery opened. The mix of varieties has changed since that original planting at the property along Liberty Road. Growing there today are Chancellor, Reliance, Vidal Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Zweigelt (an Austrian red variety). William died in 2022 at the age of 96. Today, Lois owns the winery and can be found, among other places, in the tasting room while her granddaughter splits her time between the production area and the vineyard and filling her roles as winemaker and general manager. In addition to a variety of wines (the Wolf, Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite), Lipman has continued the family legacy of making mead. Several of those meads recently have drawn awards. Its mead called Klara, a tribute to Klara Margulies Low who was the loving mother of our co-founder, William Loew, was a 2022 Maryland Governors Cup gold medal winner, best in its class, and the Jack Aellen Award winner that recognizes the best fruit wine, mead or cider. Meanwhile, its Malka, a traditional mead, was a gold medal winner in the Maryland Governors Cup competition. Last year, the Malka received a Judges Selection (1 of 19 products to earn this medal) in the TEXSOM competition in Las Colinas, Texas, where it also won a platinum medal for its Cabernet Franc. Loew Cellars is located at 14001 Liberty Road, Mt. Airy, in an area that includes nine wineries within close proximity to each other, so if you are looking for a day or weekend trip where you can put a few producers on your itinerary, thats a good area of Maryland to consider. Lipman responded this week to several questions from PennLive: Q, How did the year go overall and what were a couple of things you aimed to accomplish that you did? A, 2023 was an intense vintage because of the monsoon-like rains we had in early and late September and part of October. It required fruit to come in basically in three large rounds instead of being scattered throughout the harvest season. I made more wine [again] than I planned to make. However, it was iconic in many ways the reds made last year had deep, dark colors and great chemistry. I was hoping to make three pyments [mead made with grapes] last year with new tributes to my grandfather and his family. I was really excited to make a mead with Maryland-grown Riesling in honor of my grandfather [named Wilek, his nickname in Europe] and its beyond fantastic. Its exactly how I had envisioned it to be, and I cant wait to release it over the summer! Because of the amount of wine I made, I was able to separate fermentations to start a sparkling wine series called Festive Series with a white, red, and rose. I personally love sparkling red wines and Ive been hoping to make a sparkling Nouveau for the past two years. We just bottled it last week. Personally, I think it is going to rival the best dry Lambruscos out there. Biased opinion, I know. Q, Looking to 2024, what are a couple of things you have on your to-do list for the winery/meadery? A, Our highest priority has always been to produce and offer high-quality products. Next to that, one of the top items on my list for 2024 (business-wise) is to curate a new tasting room experience/space for our customers. We are currently deep into the research on an interim tasting room space while we get our bearings together to have a more permanent structure. Second, I want to increase our wine club membership/community. Weve been successful with increasing membership through the quality of wine and educational experience we provide to customers. My goal is to increase our membership by 40% this year. I think its doable. Q, I remember you did the wine camp, yes? Continuing that, and are there any other events you have on the schedule for 2024? A. We will be offering Wine Camp again in the beginning of June! I have an event at the end of this month called A look into the Cellar with Rachel. This experience provides customers the ability to learn how to evaluate wines, see what I produced last year, and learn how I do my preliminary/creative blending. We will be offering a few other events this year that are focused on new releases. Im really hoping my sparkling wines can be ready by May to launch for a Mothers Day event. The advertisement for last year's Wine Camp. Another one is on the June 2024 calendar. Q, When are you releasing that fantastic Cab that I tried last summer? Any other releases you are particularly excited about? A, I released 2022 Wolf, Cabernet Sauvignon to wine club members only in November 2023. At that time, I also released a very small quantity of 1.5L Wolf, Cabernet Sauvignon to wine club members. It sold out within 2 weeks. Clearly, I need to bottle more 1.5L! That wine is available to wine club members only until the spring. My red wines that I bottled over the past couple of months are pretty stellar. Every week I try them, they become more elegant. The standouts are the Chardonnay 2022 [will be released before the summer], Ancestry 2021, Petit Verdot 2022 [to be released within the next couple of months], and Posterity 2022 [to be released next fall]. Q, Winter hours now? A, Our winter hours are noon-5 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. By TERRY TANG and NOREEN NASIR, The Associated Press As communities nationwide are preparing to celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday this weekend, some will take a cue from the civil rights icons history of protest amid the war in Gaza and a looming presidential election. Monday also marks 100 days since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 and led to roughly 240 being taken hostage. Since then, more than 100 Israelis remain kidnapped and more than 23,000 Palestinians have died in Israels bombardment of Gaza. Perhaps the most massive organized event of the weekend in the U.S. will be held in the nations capital on Saturday the March on Washington for Gaza, co-hosted by the American Muslim Task Force on Palestine, comprising of some of the largest Muslim organizations in the U.S., along with antiwar and racial justice groups. The march is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. March organizers are calling on President Joe Biden to demand a permanent cease-fire and an end to the violence against civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. In 1967, one year before he was assassinated, King delivered his famous Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence speech at Riverside Church in New York City. After quietly opposing the Vietnam War for years, he took the public step to condemn it, connecting racial and economic inequality in the U.S. with increased military spending abroad. I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor, and attack it as such, King said in his speech. Kings daughter, Bernice King, has said her father was against antisemitism and also would have opposed the bombing of Gaza. The taking of lives through retaliatory violence is not the strategy he would want to see today. There is an opportunity for us to have a real breakthrough and get to some genuine conversations and actions that can allow people to co-exist in an area of the world, Bernice King said in a recent interview from The King Center in Atlanta, where she is CEO. She believes protests are critical in difficult times. King just hopes that people in general use nonviolent words and actions if they invoke her fathers name. My father had a certain manner, tone and tenor in his protest. You know, your language, your speech has to be in line, not just the physical acts, she said. But if your language is violent, that is not necessarily in sync with Dr. King. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, file)AP The center also will hold a holiday commemorative service Monday at Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the late civil rights icon served as pastor. Observed federally since 1986, the holiday occurs on the third Monday of January, which this year happens to be the Rev. Kings actual birthday. Born in 1929, the minister would have been 95. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Kings Nobel Peace Prize. The NAACP is hosting Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black person to hold the office, at the State House in Columbia, S.C. Harris visited the city in November to officially file paperwork putting Biden on the presidential ballot. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black leader of a party in Congress, will speak at an interfaith prayer service. The days events will center on a theme of Ballots for Freedom, Ballots for Justice, Ballots for Change! For many, the holiday will be an opportunity to counter the recent backlash over efforts at companies and universities to implement diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, will announce Monday a national campaign to sustain DEI measures. This comes after he led a demonstration against last weeks resignation of Claudine Gay, Harvard Universitys first Black president. Sharpton will also be hosting the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast. Members of Kings family will be in attendance. Giving back is also an intrinsic part of the MLK holiday. AmeriCorps will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of National Service. The government agency is working with the King Center and several charities, faith-based organizations and businesses on community service projects. Various cities and organizations are holding their own volunteer events such as neighborhood clean-ups, food drives and packing care kits for the unhoused. WILLIAMSPORT The Lycoming County woman who admitted abandoning a male German shepherd in frigid conditions early last year has pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to animals. Miranda Nicole Waldman, 25, entered the plea Friday in Lycoming County court. She is to be sentenced April 9. The plea agreement requires her to pay restitution and prohibits her from having animals while on probation. The length of probation has been left to the discretion of Judge Ryan M. Tira. The sentence also is to include restitution. Because the charge to which Waldman pleaded is a felony, the dog called Junior must be forfeited to the Lycoming County SPCA. The shelter has had custody of the shepherd, estimated to be nearly 5 years old, and it is in foster care, executive director Alyssa Correll said. He is doing well, she said, Hes a very sweet boy. With the exception of answering the judges questions, Waldman remained silent except for disputing the dog was malnourished. The long-haired German shepherd was found abandoned about 8:40 p.m. on Feb. 3 in a cage at the back of a parking lot near a Hobby Lobby store in the Loyal Plaza shopping center in suburban Loyalsock Twp. Waldman told police she left the dog in the lot around 5 p.m. The cage was partially covered by a blanket. An open large bag of dog food and a dish were on top. The dogs fur was wet and it was lying in its own feces and urine, state police said. The temperature at the time was about 11 degrees with a wind chill of minus 7. A veterinarian at the SPCA told the investigating trooper the dog was substantially underweight and was so malnourished it lacked the body mass necessary to produce sufficient heat to protect itself. It was the veterinarians opinion the dog would have been in imminent risk of hypothermia if subjected to the frigid conditions for a longer period, the investigating trooper wrote in the document. Waldman admitted abandoning the dog, claiming her high car payments did not leave her money to pay an SPCA surrender fee, the arrest affidavit stated. The SPCA does not have a surrender fee and if the shelter is full, staff will help make arrangements for temporary quarters for the animal, Correll said. Charges of animal cruelty, neglect, abandonment and failure to have the dog licensed are to be dismissed as part of the plea agreement. Waldman remains free on $15,000 unsecured bail pending sentencing. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The U.S. military early Saturday struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that they have determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk. Thats according to two U.S. officials who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press to discuss an operation that hadnt yet been publicly announced. The first day of strikes on Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However, the U.S. determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the U.S. and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. The warning in a notice to shippers came as Yemens Houthis vowed fierce retaliation for the U.S.-led strikes, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israels war in Gaza. U.S. military and White House officials said they expected the Houthis to try to strike back. And President Joe Biden warned on Friday that the group could face further strikes. The U.S.-led bombardment launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said. The U.S. said the strikes, in two waves, took aim at targets in 28 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior along with our allies, Biden told reporters during a stop in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Asked if he believes the Houthis are a terrorist group, Biden responded, I think they are. The president in a later exchange with reporters during a stop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, said whether the Houthis are redesignated as such was irrelevant. Biden also pushed back against some lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, who said he should have sought congressional authorization before carrying out the strikes. Theyre wrong, and I sent up this morning when the strikes occurred exactly what happened, Biden said. The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the military action from the hospital where he is recovering from complications following prostate cancer surgery. The White House said in November that it was considering redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist organization after they began their targeting of civilian vessels. The administration formally delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorists in 2021, undoing a move by President Donald Trump Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of the Joint Staff, said that the new U.S. strikes were largely in low-populated areas, and the number of those killed would not be high. He said the strikes hit weapons, radar and targeting sites, including in remote mountain areas. As the bombing lit the predawn sky over multiple sites held by the Iranian-backed rebels, it forced the world to again focus on Yemens yearslong war, which began when the Houthis seized the countrys capital. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israels offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade and energy shipments. The Houthis military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a recorded address that the U.S. strikes would not go unanswered or unpunished. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former U.S. intelligence official, welcomed the U.S. strikes but expressed concern Iran was aiming to draw the U.S. deeper into conflict. We should be worried about regional escalation, Slotkin wrote on X. Iran uses groups like the Houthis to fight their battles, maintain plausible deniability and prevent a direct conflict with the U.S. or others. ... It needs to stop, and my hope is theyve gotten the message. Biden told reporters that Iran has received a clear message. I already delivered the message to Iran. They know not to do anything, he said. Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to calm tensions in the Middle East for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes threatened to ignite one. Saudi Arabia which supports the government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting quickly sought to distance itself from the attacks as it seeks to maintain a delicate detente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. It remained unclear how extensive the damage was from Fridays strikes, though the Houthis said at least five sites, including airfields, had been attacked. The White House said the U.S. military was still assessing the extent the militants capabilities might have been degraded. U.S. Air Forces Central Command said the strikes focused on the Houthis command and control nodes, munition depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. The strikes involved more than 150 precision-guided munitions including air-launched missiles by F/A-18 Super Hornets based on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Tomahawk missiles from the Navy destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason, the Navy cruiser USS Philippine Sea, and a U.S. submarine. The United Kingdom said strikes hit a site in Bani allegedly used by the Houthis to launch drones and an airfield in Abbs used to launch cruise missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department on Friday announced it imposed sanctions on two firms in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly shipping Iranian commodities on behalf of Iran-based Houthi financial facilitator Said al-Jamal. Four vessels owned by the firms were also identified as blocked property. In a separate development, Iran released footage of its seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that once had been at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Washington. In the footage, a helicopter hovers over the deck of the St. Nikolas. Irans navy seized the vessel Thursday. The vessel had been known earlier as the Suez Rajan. The U.S. seized 1 million barrels of sanctioned Iranian oil off the vessel last year. In Yemen, Hussein al-Ezzi, a Houthi official in their Foreign Ministry, said that America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression. The Red Sea route is a crucial waterway, and attacks there have caused severe disruptions to global trade. Benchmark Brent crude oil traded up some 4% Friday at over $80 a barrel. Tesla, meanwhile, said it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea. In Saada, the Houthis stronghold in northwest Yemen, hundreds gathered for a rally Friday, denouncing the U.S. and Israel. Another drew thousands in Sanaa, the capital. Houthis now control territory that is home to some two-thirds of Yemens population of 34 million. War and misgovernment have made Yemen one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, and the World Food Program considers the vast majority of Yemens people as food-insecure. Yemen has been targeted by U.S. military action over the last four American presidencies. A campaign of drone strikes began under President George W. Bush to target the local affiliate of al-Qaida, attacks that have continued under the Biden administration. Meanwhile, the U.S. has launched raids and other military operations amid the ongoing war in Yemen. That war began when the Houthis swept into Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition including the United Arab Emirates launched a war to back Yemens exiled government in 2015, quickly morphing the conflict into a regional confrontation as Iran backed the Houthis with weapons and other support. The conflict, however, has slowed as the Houthis maintain their grip on the territory they hold. In March, Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated deal to restart relations with Iran in hopes of ultimately withdrawing from the war. Iran condemned Fridays attack in a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani. Arbitrary attacks will have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region, he said. Thank you to Gene Stilp for filing the lawsuit against Scott Perry seeking to remove him from the 2024 primary ballots using the14th Amendment. Perry clearly violated Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that a person who engaged in insurrection or rebellion after taking an oath of office to support the U.S. Constitution cannot run for office again. Many Pennsylvanians, both Democratic and Republican, are waiting to see justice come to Perry for his attempts to nullify their vote and overturn a free and fair election. He tried to disqualify the votes of his constituents by pushing lies about mass election fraud and now, thanks to the texts on Perrys phone seized by the FBI, we see the extent to which Perry supported the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6. According to Perrys lawyer in Newsweek, This lawsuit was filed by a partisan activist and is but the latest effort by an extremist to disqualify a duly elected official with whom he disagrees. Perrys lawyer attempts to discredit Stilp but instead describes the current actions of his client perfectly. Perrys actions are steeped in hypocrisy as he pushes for an impeachment of a president without any evidence of wrongdoing. House Republicans have been investigating the president for months without evidence that he committed high crimes and misdemeanors. Scott Perry is nothing more than a partisan extremist activist trying to disqualify a duly elected official with whom he disagrees. Perry should be removed from the ballot. Porter Hedge, York, Spring Garden, Pa. In a recent PennLive column, the author is correct when he states that Pennsylvania legislators should consider education a nonpartisan issue and that we know the funding exists; we just need to change our investment strategy. But this is where I respectfully part ways with his solution. Pouring more funding into the existing Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC), the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs or the out-right vouchers is not the answer. A 2023 Education Voters report revealed that the private and religious schools benefit from $340 million in taxpayer funded vouchers (EITC and OSTC). The Education Tax Credit Act of 2001 that found policies allowing for discrimination based on religion, LGBTQ+ status, disability, and more, are widespread in schools currently funded by Pennsylvanias current taxpayer-funded school voucher programs. The PA Commonwealth Courts recent decision declared the states current school funding system unconstitutional to the tune of $4.6 billion. State lawmakers need to close that gap and fix Pennsylvanias unconstitutional public-school funding. This court ruling will change the future for the 90% of students in PA who attend public school. Vouchers, including the EITC and OSTC variety, are all about ending societys shared responsibility for providing each child with a decent education. Educational freedom for parents who want to send their children to religious or private schools means freedom from paying for their childs private education. PA taxpayers cant afford that. Anita Mentzer, Derry Township, Pa. The 2023-24 English Premier League season rolls into the weekend with a slate of matches that features a battle between Manchester City and Newcastle United. The match is slated for a 12:30 p.m. ET kickoff from St. James Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Manchester City vs. Newcastle United Premier League showdown will be carried live on NBC. Live streams for the match are also available with offers from FuboTV (free trial), along with DirecTV Stream (free trial) and Sling TV (as low as $20 the first month). City vs. United is also available on Peacock, which has a huge number of future exclusive Premier League matches, as well. Peacock is available for $5.99 monthly for Premium access, which includes all live sports, as well as a Premium Plus option for $11.99 a month that is ad-free and includes access to your local NBC channel. The service is also available for lower rates if paid on an annual basis. MANCHESTER CITY VS. NEWCASTLE UNITED MATCH INFO When: 12:30 p.m. ET Where: St. James Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. TV channel: NBC and on Peacock Live stream options: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling TV | Peacock Moneyline: Manchester City -150, Newcastle United +400, draw +300. Manchester City is a real contender to win the English Premier League with a current third-place standing, a 12-4-3 record and 40 points, which trails league leader Liverpool (45) and Aston Villa (42). However, its worth noting going into todays Newcastle United match that the Citizens will play without standout striker Erling Haaland, who manager Pep Guardiola says could be out until the end of January with a foot injury. Without the Premier League scoring leader, City will turn to Julian Alvarez (6 goals, 6 assists), Phil Foden (5 goals, 6 assists) and Bernardo Silva (5 goals, 4 assists) to keep leading a diverse offense while doing more finishing work. Newcastle United catches Manchester City at an opportune time down a world-class forward as it looks to ride a wave of momentum toward the top-5 in the Premier League race. Newcastle currently sits in ninth position with its 9-2-9 record and 29 points, but the pack is tight from 7th to 11th and could bring more gains into sight with three points for wins unlocking more possibilities. But first things first and that involves the Magpies taking care of their own business with City and Aston Villa the next two opponents up on their Premier League schedule. The Manchester City vs. Newcastle United match will be carried on NBC with a 12:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Live streams for the match are also available with introductory offers from FuboTV (free trial), along with DirecTV Stream (free trial) and Sling TV. City vs. United is also available on Peacock, which offers a huge number of future exclusive Premier League matches, as well. Central Pennsylvania is under a wind advisory Saturday, a cloudy and foggy day, before snow is forecast to move in Sunday. The National Weather Service in State College warns that dense fog is possible in some areas Saturday morning. Moist air above cold and snowy ground could lead to fog in parts of central Pa., including Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, York and Adams counties. The wind advisory, which is in effect until 9 tonight, warns of winds around 20-25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph. As it did earlier this week, the wind could lead to power outages. The advisory covers a region that includes Perry, Dauphin, Cumberland and Adams counties. While Saturday is supposed to be dry, the NWS says up to an inch of snow is possible Sunday, starting with flurries early in the morning. Snow showers are expected between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Itll also be cold and windy, with gusts up to 40 mph. Dangerous snow squalls, intense periods of heavy snow, are possible Sunday as well, the weather service says. Snow squalls are possible Sunday, the National Weather Service says. (NWS graphic)National Weather Service Snow is back in the forecast for Tuesday and Friday, but its too early to say how much Live radar over Pennsylvania: Daytime temperatures, which have been in the 40s and even 50 in the past week, will barely reach 30 early next week. (It wont be as cold as Kansas City for the playoff game vs. Miami, though.) Heres the forecast for the next few days: KYODO NEWS - Jan 14, 2024 - 02:05 | World, All, Japan Japan and the United States on Saturday congratulated Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te, who heads the ruling, independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, on his victory in the self-ruled island's presidential election, pledging to maintain unofficial relations. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a statement that Japan expects Taiwan will continue to "contribute to the peace and stability in the region" and expressed hope that issues surrounding Taiwan will be resolved "peacefully by dialogue." In the closely watched race amid China's ongoing pressure on the island and Sino-U.S. rivalry, Lai defeated his rivals Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, and Ko Wen-je of the smaller Taiwan People's Party. "Taiwan is an important partner and a precious friend of Japan. We share basic values and enjoy a close economic relationship and people-to-people exchanges," Kamikawa said. Tokyo "will work toward further deepening cooperation and exchanges between Japan and Taiwan, based on the existing position to maintain Japan-Taiwan relations as a working relationship on a nongovernmental basis," she added. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed Washington's commitment to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure. "The partnership between the American people and the people on Taiwan, rooted in democratic values, continues to broaden and deepen across economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties," he said. Blinken said he hopes the United States and Taiwan will further advance the longstanding unofficial relationship. The United States, similar to Japan, adheres to a "one-China policy," in which it recognizes the Communist-ruled China as the sole legal government. But Washington continues to sell weapons to Taiwan for its self-defense. In November last year, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met near San Francisco and Biden told Xi that China should not interfere in the presidential electoral process. Related coverage: Taiwan ruling party's Lai declares victory in presidential race A Delta Police Department officer demonstrates a body-worn camera during a news conference this week held by the B.C. Association of Police Chiefs in Delta. While the Delta and Vancouver departments already use the devices, the RCMP is still studying the matter. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 17, 2023 shows the construction site of a photovoltaic project in Taizhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Duan Junli/Xinhua) HANGZHOU, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- East China's Zhejiang Province saw a new energy development boom in 2023, as part of the country's commitment to delivering on its dual carbon promises. According to State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., the province's installed solar photovoltaic capacity totaled 33.57 GW and its installed wind power capacity totaled 5.84 GW at the end of 2023. Zhejiang's installed new energy capacity, which increased by nearly 10 GW last year, accounted for over 30 percent of its total installed power generation capacity, standing at 130.77 GW, for the first time, the State Grid branch said. New energy is playing an increasingly significant role in ensuring a stable energy supply. Amid the investment boom, the province's power generation from new energy sources soared 31 percent year on year to 40.6 billion kWh in 2023, it said. In recent years, the coastal economic powerhouse province has strived to build itself into a demonstration region for clean energy development, unveiling policies to encourage enterprises and residents, particularly those in rural areas, to join in the green drive. China has made a commitment to the dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Judge Aileen Cannon refused to enforce a routine deadline in the Mar-a-Lago stolen documents case, which means it wont go to trial before the 2024 election. Her pandering to defendant Donald Trumps best interests is a clear-cut example of her working for the defense. Anyone who has been following the Mar-a-Lago documents case is familiar with Judge Cannons blatant favoritism for Trump. The question is, what should be done about it? I think it is time for a House Democrat to introduce an impeachment resolution against Aileen Cannon. She is operating as a lawyer for Trump, not as an impartial judge. Of course, it would fail, but it will put a spotlight on her treachery, Emeritus scholar at the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute Norm Ornstein wrote above a post about Judge Aileen Cannons midnight ruling. To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily. Ornstein is also, most importantly on this matter, an expert on the United States Congress. In light of the fact that House Republicans are currently trying to impeach President Joe Biden for reasons yet unknown with no evidence or even suggestion of behavior warranting an impeachment inquiry, as well as members of his administration just because they dont like Bidens policies you knows, the policies the voters chose impeachment as a political weapon is becoming a thing. This is being done by House Republicans on purpose as electoral help for Donald Trump in the upcoming election, in order to conflate the absolutely necessary two impeachments of Donald Trump with these toothless, politically-motivated impeachment noises over Biden family members repaying loans. The impeachment fan fic Republicans are creating from your tax dollars and selling for political purposes are undermining the rule of law, much as the person they are meant to help has done since he descended that golden escalator in June of 2015 to announce his candidacy. Yet, an impeachment proceeding against Judge Cannon, which will not happen, would actually be an attempt to steer the country back to the rule of law. Introducing a resolution of impeachment against her would no doubt open Democrats to more accusations from Republicans that they are politically motivated, but more importantly, would certainly give the U.S. media the both sides red meat for which it lives and on which it thrives. However, it might be time for Democrats to stop worrying about how the media is going to equivocate for anti-democracy forces because those who know already know, and those who dont arent watching cable news or paying to read The New York Times anyway. With social media, Democrats can get their message out to voters and if they dared, they could pull exactly what Republicans have for so many years by forcing the media to dance for them in order to appear. Of course, that wouldnt be good for democracy in the long run and certainly, Democrats shouldnt operate like Republicans. But when youre in a war with authoritarians, adhering to the rules and thinking they will save you is a fatal mistake. The rules only exist to be weaponized against democracy by authoritarians. As Judge Cannon is demonstrating so well, the law is weaponized to only apply to opponents in a country that is engaged in democratic backsliding. An impeachment resolution against Cannon would serve the same purpose as the impeachments of Donald Trump: A point of reference that this is not okay. An official objection to her abuse of the justice system. A warning that House Republicans have a very slim majority. Democrats have started to demonstrate unexpected adeptness at battling these anti-democracy forces primarily found in the Republican Party, far-right and far-left. Its a big fight, but its either going to happen or the country will just give in to the Dictator-in-Waiting. 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. The U.N. food agency says famine is imminent in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger. It says a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gazas total population to the brink of starvation. The alarming report came as Israel faces mounting pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and open more crossings. The European Unions top diplomat said the impending famine was entirely man-made as starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israeli forces, meanwhile, launched another raid on the Gaza Strips largest hospital, saying it killed a Hamas commander who was hiding there. Read moreUN says 'famine is imminent' in northern Gaza as Israel launches another raid on the main hospital Small businesses, like WePop Popcorn, are popping up and adding to the small business landscape. Military veteran Dionte Wilder, owner of WePop Popcorn, came up with the small business idea during injury recovery for double hip surgery. As I was recovering and taking it more seriously, I started ordering these products online and seeing how much family and friends were responding to me making popcorn and experiencing the different flavors I was trying, Wilder said. It gave me a little bit more motivation in my recovery because a lot of times I was either bedridden or I couldnt move very far, so this gave me the opportunity to mail things out to the people who I couldnt travel to see, and they gave me great responses and lifted my mood up. Over time I got more comments from people, suggestions, and I studied more about the craft of being a popcorn artisan. The idea grew into business prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilder said he focused more time on it during 2020. With over 40 flavors that rotate throughout the year, Wilder enjoys learning more about popcorn and including a variety of flavors including dill, Nigerian spices and more. A couple of the fan favorites are caramel and cheddar ... It's a great combination of salty and cheesy. Then we have a kettle corn." Wilder said some other favorite flavors use a Nigerian spice mix. "I make three flavors with it that are really popular, Wilder said. One is sweet heat, another is queso caliente and another is called Naija Grille. Wilder appreciates the Augusta community for embracing veterans and other small businesses into their community. In the military, I moved around a lot. Im from Florida but to be somewhere and retire and call it home, you build different connections with people. They are not just associated with me being here stationed as a service member, but me being stationed here as a community member, a native to everyone that is around me, Wilder said. It means a lot to be able to be a part of the community, the way that they have accepted me and brought me in and the way I am able to give back and support the efforts of the community that helps me as well. BEAUFORT Melinda Henrickson pulled a T-shirt from behind the counter of her clothing store and presented it to Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris. Across the shirt's front were the letters FABB, an acronym for the group Families Against Book Bans. Henrickson is chairwoman of FABB. Her shop, Good Aura, was the first stop in Beaufort County for Emhoff on Jan. 11. He's the most recent member of the Biden-Harris campaign to visit the Lowcountry ahead of next month's first-in-the-nation South Carolina Democratic presidential primary. Emhoff asked Henrickson and other group members about FABB's work in reinstating previously banned books and expressed his support before walking a few blocks north to Old Grace Chapel, where attendees waited in pews as the church choir performed. In a brief speech at the church, Emhoff spoke about his meeting with Families Against Book Bans and called for support of the group's mission. The group was created in January 2023 to push back against a small, but vocal, faction of community members who exhorted the Beaufort County School District to pull 97 titles from its library shelves. FABB has played a role in getting 94 of the books back on shelves. "In this year of our Lord 2024, you're telling me that you're trying to ban books?" Emhoff said. "You're telling me you're trying to prevent our students from enlightening their brains and learning about our true history and learning what they need to learn so they can be a functioning, critical adult in our society." He condemned recent remarks made by Donald Trump regarding Roe v. Wade in which he said the former president had bragged about taking away a fundamental right. The Federal Aviation Administration will increase oversight of Boeing Co. and audit production of the 737 Max 9 after a panel blew off a jet operated by Alaska Airlines in midflight last week, the latest in a string of mishaps at the troubled planemaker. The safety agency said Jan. 12 that it would judge whether the company and its suppliers followed approved quality procedures. The FAA also said it's reconsidering the industry's longstanding reliance on aircraft manufacturing employees to perform some safety analysis of planes. Members of Congress criticized the practice of deputizing Boeing workers as inspectors after two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving 737 Max 8. More than 1,000 employees companywide serve as FAA delegates under the "Organization Designation Authorization" program. "It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks," said Mike Whitaker, the FAA's new administrator. "The FAA is exploring the use of an independent third party to oversee Boeing's inspections and its quality system." Whitaker suggested his agency might find "a technical, nonprofit organization" to help oversee Boeing's work. The FAA also said it will increase monitoring of problems reported on Max 9 flights. In a written statement, Arlington, Va.-based Boeing said it will cooperate with the FAA. "We support all actions that strengthen quality and safety, and we are taking actions across our production system," the company said. The FAA's intensifying focus on safety at Boeing comes just a day after it announced an investigation into whether the aerospace giant failed to make sure a fuselage panel that blew off was safe and manufactured to meet the design that regulators approved. Whitaker told CNBC on Friday that FAA will also step up its oversight of Spirit AeroSystems, which supplies Boeing with fuselages for the 737 Max. A German automotive supplier that makes parts for air conditioners and radiators is shutting down its North Charleston factory, leaving 466 workers without jobs. Mahle Behr said it will permanently close its plant at 4500 Leeds Ave. by the end of the year, according to a notice it filed earlier this week with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. The first round of layoffs is expected to take effect April 12, with further job cuts through the rest of 2024. The company did not state a reason for the closure. Representatives at the North Charleston plant and the Stuttgart headquarters did not respond to requests for comment this week. Components and systems built at the site are also used in rail transport and marine applications. The decision to close the North Charleston plant comes about five years after Mahle Behr announced a $36 million investment at the Leeds Avenue site that added a production line and 115 jobs. Our Mahle Behr facility has long been a successful and important part of Mahles heritage and global operations and "will continue to be a key production site for the company," an executive said when the deal was announced in October 2018. The S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development gave a $250,000 grant to Charleston County to help pay for costs associated with the expansion. One of the worlds largest suppliers to the automotive industry, Mahle Behr employs nearly 72,000 workers at 152 production locations and 12 research centers worldwide. The North Charleston site was opened in 1993 by Behr Heat Transfer, which was part of a German-owned group that later acquired by Mahle's parent company. It's the second automotive business in recent months to announce it's pulling out of 4500 Leeds, a large industrial complex near the Ashley River known as Leeds Park. Diesel-engine giant Cummins Inc. announced in October that it will permanently close its 72-worker research and testing location by July 31. The company said it plans to move some of the business to an undisclosed location. BAMBERG Alan Ronald Thibodeau was lost and cold the night of Valentine's Day 2022 when he was arrested in this small rural county 500 miles away from his home. Sheriff's deputies who were called that night to a gated house along Carolina Highway saw a bedroom window had been shattered by a large stick, according to an incident report. Inside they found Thibodeau lying on a bed. Thibodeau told deputies he broke into the stranger's home "to have a place to stay and to keep warm," the report stated. Deputies charged the 51-year-old with first-degree burglary. He wouldn't live to face those charges at trial. He died after waiting months inside the Bamberg County jail for psychiatric care in a case that has drawn further scrutiny to the treatment of people with mental illness in South Carolina's detention centers. Thibodeau was one of 32 people in 2022 who died in the custody of South Carolina's county jails, according to data provided by the Department of Public Safety. It is the highest number since the federal government started collecting data on fatalities in correctional facilities. Thibodeau's arrest occurred two states south of his home of Woodbridge, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C. Two days earlier, he was abruptly discharged from a psychiatric hospital where he had been treated for delusions stemming from his diagnosed schizophrenia. His older brothers filed a missing person report after Thibodeau, who lived with their mother, took off in a family car and left his cellphone behind, the report stated. The court system in Bamberg County quickly identified symptoms of Thibodeau's mental illness. Within 24 hours of his arrest, Thibodeau appeared for a bond hearing before Bamberg County Chief Magistrate Richard Threatt. Threatt deferred ruling on bond and ordered a mental health evaluation, according to two of Alans brothers, Edward and Larry, who attended the hearing virtually from their homes in Virginia. The evaluation would determine if Thibodeau understood the charges against him and could assist in his defense. It could also lead to a commitment to a psychiatric hospital. But until the evaluation occurred, Thibodeau's care would be entrusted to jailers. The fate of the larger-than-life statue of former vice president and slavery supporter John C. Calhoun remains in legal limbo more than three years after it was removed from its 125-foot perch overlooking the Holy City. Charleston City Council voted to remove the 12-foot-tall figure from Marion Square in June 2020, about a month after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd sparking protests and a racial reckoning nationwide. The bronze effigy has sat in an undisclosed warehouse on the peninsula ever since while plans for what to do with it have been thwarted in court. A Charleston Circuit Court judge recently dismissed part of a lawsuit filed in 2022 after the city considered lending the statue to an art exhibit in Los Angeles. But the Jan. 4 order leaves the door open for the state Attorney General to weigh in on the matter, which appears unlikely. That means the statue will likely remain under wraps unless and until the city proposes a new plan that doesn't provoke legal recourse. The city's new administration of Mayor William Cogswell, which took office Jan. 8, said the figure remains warehoused, but hasn't announced plans for what it will do with the statue. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal maneuvers that various groups have filed in hopes of reinstating the statue to public display. This recent complaint was filed by several of Calhoun's descendants and the Board of Field Officers of the Fourth Brigade a historic militia formerly called the Washington Light Infantry Sumter Guards. They were the original owners of Marion Square, where the statue sat atop a stone pillar for over 100 years. They sued, saying the city would violate state law and a charitable trust by moving the figure out of the state. ISLAMABAD, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Four terrorists were killed by security forces on Saturday in two separate counter-terror operations in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the military said on Saturday night. An intelligence-based operation was conducted in the Mir Ali area in the North Waziristan district of the province, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement. During the operation, two terrorists were killed, following an intense exchange of fire, it added. Separately, two more terrorists were killed in another joint operation conducted by the security forces and police in the Kulachi area in the Dera Ismail Khan district of KP, said the ISPR. NORTH CHARLESTON Police are searching for three men who robbed a grocery store and shot one of the employees just before closing last week. North Charleston Police were initially sent out for an alarm sounding around 8:30 p.m. Jan. 7, but on the way learned they were responding to a robbery and attempted murder at the Guadalajara Supermarket #2 at 2810 Ashley Phosphate Road, according to an incident report. A 19-year-old male employee was shot during the holdup and was taken to a hospital by a private citizen before police arrived at the scene. Two other employees and a witness told officers that they were in the process of closing for the day and counting the cash when three masked men, two White and one Black, entered the store with guns. Two of the intruders held two employees and the witness at gunpoint and demanded money. The third masked man ran to the back of the store where the 19-year-old was working, according to the incident report. The employees at the front of the store didn't hear any gunfire, but when the rushed to back of the store after the robbers left they found their wounded co-worker. Police processing the crime scene found several cash bills on the sidewalk near the store, according to the police report. Attorney Isaac Garcia said on behalf of the wounded employee that shot several times and has had to have more than one surgery. He remains hospitalized. No arrests have been made as of Jan. 12. The fight to preserve historic settlement communities continues with the proposed rezoning of the Ten Mile Community. Currently, the area is zoned R4, or four homes per acre. Residents want it rezoned to S3, which is three homes per acre. They say that will prevent developers from building densely designed subdivisions that are out of character with the rest of the community. Ten Mile resident Craig Ascue, speaking at a Jan. 11 public hearing before Charleston County Council, said he has more than 100 years of lineage in the Ten Mile Community, with family on both sides still residing there. He said he's in favor of rezoning because local infrastructure wouldn't be able to support the amount of development that's coming. Over the past several years, an explosion of development has been approved to occur in Ten Mile and bring more people, more traffic, more deaths, increased erosion of roads, increased destruction of trees, (increasing) the displacement of wildlife and contributing to unprecedented flooding, Ascue said. These are actual facts, guys, I live this and I see this. The flooding we had the other day in the storm is just unprecedented, unbearable. Ten Mile resident Ed Pinckney said the amount of development has been a threat to public safety, too. We had one (fatal accident) in 2020 in which two residents were killed, and weve had a number of pedestrian accidents, Pinckney said. Carla Pinckney, Ed Pinckneys sister, lives in Atlanta now, but remains involved in Ten Mile and considers it home. She said community members are not completely against development, and that any additional development should be safe and outside of areas known for severe flooding. When you dont have the infrastructure today, adding additional homes on top of that doesnt make the problem any better, Carla Pinckney said. We want to make this safe for everyone, both the people who live there today, and people who live there in the future. When I was in third grade, my teacher had a vegetable tasting day for us. We each brought in a vegetable from home and shared it with our classmates. I remember coming home, excited, and announcing to my mother that I had fallen in love with rutabaga. After a startled moment or two, she sm Read moreStevens: For the love of rutabaga and our children If Sen. Tom Davis is right, then I will turn out to have been wrong; terribly wrong. And I will look forward to apologizing to our legislators for so grossly underestimating their willingness to ignore the special interests, challenge the status quo and improve the way South Carolinas government delivers services. This is wonky and premature and wildly optimistic, but stick with me here, because it's not the impossibility I would have told you it was as recently as a week ago, and the payoff for our state and the people who most need public services could be incredible if it happens. On Tuesday, Sen. Davis joined heavyweights of the Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler, President Thomas Alexander and the senior-most senator, Nikki Setzler, along with Senate Democratic Leader Brad Hutto in introducing a bill to consolidate six independent and overlapping health agencies into one. These arent just tiny little agencies: The massive departments of Mental Health and Disabilities and Special Needs would be folded into an awkwardly named new Executive Office of Health and Policy, along with the health side of the Department of Health and Environmental Control and the smaller departments of Aging, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services and Health and Human Services. Mr. Davis describes this moment as the first time Ive seen an opportunity to do something meaningful for public health, and not just window dressing in the two decades hes been working on government reorganization efforts. Actually, the proposal could do more to improve delivery of services than anything that happened during the big organizational overhaul in the Campbell administration, three decades ago. As DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer told senators last year, those agencies have a huge overlap in clients, so consolidation would increase coordination and improve the state's quality of care. The combination proposed Tuesday, Mr. Davis says, means therell be better access to people who need public health services, so theyre not wandering around wondering where theyre supposed to go, and the agencies are all communicating with each other. Happy Sunshine Week indeed. As we hope youve noticed, our newsroom is spending the week recounting successes its had using South Carolinas Freedom of Information Act to illumine your understanding of what your government is doing on your behalf, in your name and with your tax dollars. Read moreEditorial: SC judges support sunshine whenever they get a chance. They need more chances. Its hard to get excited about the prospect of yet another superintendents search, after the Charleston County School Board sentenced taxpayers to pay Eric Gallien more than $350,000 to stop leading our schools after he worked for less than three months in return, of course, for him dropping a lawsuit that might well have cost us more. The new search almost certainly will cost more than it should, because the board almost certainly will hire another national search firm for the job less than a year after it charged us for the search firm that brought us Dr. Gallien. Those financial costs dont take into account the even greater cost of instability, as the district starts a third year with interim leadership. But well have that at least until the board hires a new superintendent, so perhaps its best to get on with it. This time, though, the board needs to avoid the mistakes of the last search process. A small lesson: Reject any effort by a search firm to impose secrecy requirements on the process that fit badly with state law and further the distrust in our community. Beyond the buyers remorse that obviously afflicted some members of a board that had rushed to hire Dr. Gallien prematurely after both of the other finalists dropped out, the problem last year came down to the boards decision to pull a bait and switch on its chosen leader: As an investigation ordered by the board showed, the superintendent signed a contract that said he would be able to perform the duties of superintendent that state law assigns, and then he learned the day after he started work that he wouldnt be allowed to hire, fire or change the duties of any senior staff without the boards approval. FLORENCE The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. inspires South Carolina Sen. Mia McLeod. King's courage, principled leadership and selfless service encouraged her to be a pubic servant. McLeod was guest speaker at the 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Jan. 11 at Francis Marion University. The event honored the civil rights leader and showcased the talent at Francis Marion. The Xi chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority started the celebration by singing the Black National Anthem. Miss FMU 2023 Jocelyn Franks also performed, while FMU student Artist Allison Ziegenfelder painted a portrait of King. The Young Gifted and Blessed Gospel Choir also performed at the celebration. McLeod said she didn't have time to review all the ways King inspired her, but the words "courage," "principled leadership" and "selfless service" are important. Courage is first because it takes courage to lead. It takes courage to stand on your principles and speak truth to power, and it takes courage to put the interests of others above your own," she said. It's why she corrects those who call her a politician. I serve with politicians, but Ive never been one. I am a public servant," she said. The measure of a man or woman isn't determined in times of comfort and convenience. It's where the man or woman stands at times of challenges or controversies, McLeod said. "And too many of todays elected officials on both sides of the political aisle dont want to pay the price. They would much rather choose comfort and complacency over courage," she said. McLeod said the day we stay silent about things that matter, our lives begin to end. Silence is betrayal. She recalled how she and five other female senators crossed party lines to defeat a total abortion ban in South Carolina. She said she didnt do it because she is pro-abortion but because she cares about the living. Our concern and compassion dont end when the umbilical cord is cut," she said. Rescuers are seen at the site of an accident in a coal mine of the Pingdingshan Tianan Coal Mining Co., Ltd. in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 13, 2024. Ten people have been confirmed dead and six others remain missing after an accident occurred Friday afternoon in a coal mine in the city of Pingdingshan, central China's Henan Province, local authorities said Saturday. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Ten people have been confirmed dead and six others remain missing after an accident on Friday afternoon at a coal mine in the city of Pingdingshan, central China's Henan Province, local authorities said Saturday. The accident happened at 2:55 p.m. Friday at a coal mine of Pingdingshan Tianan Coal Mining Co., Ltd. Preliminary investigations show that it was caused by a coal and gas outburst. A total of 425 people were working underground when the accident took place, with 380 already lifted out of the mine. The rest of them are all safe. Rescue work is still underway. People in charge of the coal mine have been placed in custody by public security authorities. A work team dispatched by the Ministry of Emergency Management arrived at the scene on Saturday morning. The ministry called for efforts to verify the number of casualties and missing people, organize search and rescue work efficiently, prevent secondary disasters, and establish the cause of the accident as soon as possible. Rescuers prepare rescue equipment in Pingdingshan City, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 13, 2024. Ten people have been confirmed dead and six others remain missing after an accident occurred Friday afternoon in a coal mine in the city of Pingdingshan, central China's Henan Province, local authorities said Saturday.(Xinhua/Hao Yuan) PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-13 10:21:01 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 983 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 The world of the metal anodizing market is a complex and ever-evolving landscape, shaped by consumer demands and technological advancements. In this report, we delve into the depths of this market to provide a profound and comprehensive analysis, catering to a diverse audience that includes manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Our primary goal is to empower industry stakeholders with invaluable insights to make informed decisions in a rapidly changing environment. We aim to illuminate the current status of the metal anodizing market while projecting its future trends.Scope and PurposeOur report is a comprehensive guide designed to equip industry stakeholders with actionable information. It covers various aspects of the metal anodizing market, including market dynamics, competition, growth avenues, challenges, and regional variations. This information goes beyond mere descriptions; it is intended to help stakeholders make critical decisions that can shape their strategies and endeavors in the market.Request for Sample Report:Promising Comprehensive AnalysisTo fulfill our promises, we commit to providing a comprehensive analysis that leaves no stone unturned. We pledge to unravel the factors propelling the market's growth, dissecting shifts in consumer preferences and technological breakthroughs that are driving the demand for metal anodizing products. Simultaneously, we acknowledge that challenges and obstacles are part of any industry landscape, and we vow to illuminate these hurdles, be it economic uncertainties or the intense competition that often characterizes such markets.Some of the major companies in the Metal Anodizing market are as follows: Jabil Circuit, AAC Technologies, SINCOO, Chicago Anodizing, Anodics, INCERTEC, Alpha Metal Finishing, Saporito Finishing, Hillock Anodizing, McNichols Polishing & Anodizing, Archway AnodizeGuiding the Path ForwardOur report extends an invitation to its readers to explore its contents and sets the stage for uncovering the competitive landscape. It introduces the major players in the metal anodizing market and their strategies, offering insights into what makes them thrive. This insight-rich analysis is meant to guide others on their path forward whether it's to navigate the competition more effectively or to find inspiration in successful strategies.Anticipation of InsightsRecognizing that the market is not monolithic but rather a composition of various segments, the report pledges to provide a nuanced understanding of these segments. It promises to detail their sizes, potential growth trajectories, and key trends. This targeted knowledge assists stakeholders in carving out specialized strategies and ensuring optimal resource allocation.Balancing Forces and Strategic ImplicationsBy elucidating both the driving forces and potential obstacles, the report paints a holistic picture of the market dynamics. It enables industry stakeholders to navigate the competitive landscape with a deeper understanding of the forces at play. Manufacturers can align their innovation efforts with consumer preferences and regulatory trends, thereby enhancing their market position. Investors and decision-makers can be better prepared to address economic uncertainties and supply chain vulnerabilities. Overall, this section equips readers with insights to make strategic decisions that account for both growth opportunities and challenges in the metal anodizing market.Exploring the Competitive LandscapeThe section dedicated to the competitive landscape of the metal anodizing market offers an intricate exploration of the market's key players, their strategies, and their impact on the industry. This segment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the market's dynamics, the role of major companies, and the strategies they employ to thrive.Segment CharacteristicsThe report initiates the analysis by outlining the unique characteristics that define each segment. Whether these segments are categorized based on product types, customer demographics, use cases, or other distinguishing factors, the report provides a clear picture of how these segments are defined and differentiated.Market SizeUnderstanding the size of each market segment is crucial for gauging its significance within the overall market landscape. The report likely provides quantitative data to illustrate the market share and contribution of "Product Type" and "Application" segments to the entire metal anodizing market. This information helps stakeholders appreciate the relative importance of each segment.Growth PotentialBeyond current market size, the report delves into the growth potential of these segments. It explores factors such as emerging trends, consumer behaviors, technological advancements, and regulatory influences that could drive the future expansion of these segments. This forward-looking perspective aids stakeholders in identifying where the market's growth opportunities lie.Key TrendsThe analysis likely captures the key trends specific to each segment. Whether it's changing consumer preferences, evolving technology adoption, or shifting regulatory landscapes, the report provides insights into the forces shaping the behavior of "Product Type" and " Application." These trends inform stakeholders about the directions these segments might take in the coming years.Strategic InsightsThe segment analysis extends beyond descriptive data to offer strategic insights. By understanding the characteristics, potential, and trends of "Product Type" and "Application," industry participants can make informed decisions. Manufacturers can tailor their product development strategies to meet the demands of these segments, and marketers can create targeted campaigns to reach specific customer groups.Market Segmentation:Product Type: Aluminum Anodizing, Titanium Anodizing, Magnesium Anodizing, Zinc Anodizing, OthersApplication: Aerospace, Building, Computer Hardware, OtherExploring Regional DynamicsThe section dedicated to the regional analysis of the metal anodizing market provides a comprehensive exploration of how the market fares across different geographical areas. This analysis recognizes that markets are not homogenous and that regional variations can significantly impact market dynamics. The report delves into the intricacies of each region North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa to provide stakeholders with valuable insights.Closing ThoughtsIn essence, the conclusion encapsulates the report's journey. It emphasizes the report's role as a strategic tool, a navigator, and a decision-making companion in the complex world of the metal anodizing market. This report is more than just a document; it is a valuable resource that empowers industry stakeholders to thrive in a dynamic and ever-evolving market environment. GENEVA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The public health risks resulting from the COVID-19 virus remain high globally, with the virus circulating in all countries, a senior expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) said here on Friday. According to estimates based on wastewater analysis, the actual circulation of COVID-19 is two to 19 times higher than the number of reported cases, Maria van Kerkhove, the interim director of WHO responsible for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told a special briefing in Geneva. She also expressed concerns regarding the emergence of post-COVID conditions (also called "long COVID") affecting multiple organs. While there has been a drastic reduction in COVID-related deaths since the peak, around 10,000 deaths per month are still reported from 50 countries. Van Kerkhove expressed concerns about the evolving nature of the virus, with the COVID-19 JN.1 variant representing around 57 percent of global sequences analyzed by the WHO. Defined by specific criteria, including symptoms like severe fatigue, lung impairments, neurologic issues, and cardiac impairments persisting for four to 12 months or longer after the acute phase of the disease, the post-COVID condition is a matter of concern, she said. Estimates suggest that one in ten infections could lead to post-COVID conditions, including severe cases. "No treatments are available yet because it's still so new," van Kerkhove said. "There is insufficient attention and funding dedicated to this area," she added. She also warned of the rapid increase in the number of influenza infections in the northern hemisphere, with influenza positivity standing at around 20-21 percent in week 51 of 2023. The expert also emphasized the need for simultaneous flu and COVID vaccination to mitigate the burden on healthcare systems. She also called for more booster vaccination, which is at a low level globally, with only 55 percent of older adults (over 75 or 80) having received a dose. By the end of December 2023, more than 7 million people had been reported to the WHO as having died from COVID-19. This is the second part of this report. Read the first part here. Abayomi Isinleye, chairman of the farmers association at the Oluwa forest reserve, put the losses incurred from the destruction of the cocoa plantations at N500 million or more. Just one cocoa tree is generational wealth. You keep profiting from it until you age and hand it to your children. On a plot of land, you can harvest two thousand cocoa seeds annually. Right now, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited has graded up to 2,000 hectares of cocoa farms, Mr Isinleye told TheCable. In a year, one can make up to N10 million from a cocoa farm, sometimes N20 million, depending on how big your farm is. At the moment, cocoa is N3,800 per kilo. A ton is N3.8 million. Some harvest six, eight, or ten tons annually. Aside from that, we have other produce on the farm, like yam, kolanut, cassava, and vegetables that we sell to people. So, when a farm is destroyed, the loss is unquantifiable. It is the major source of wealth for many farmers in the state. Nigeria is the fourth-largest producer of cocoa in the world, according to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), making the country a leading player in the global cocoa industry. Data on the NEPC website shows that the major destinations for the countrys cocoa are the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Malaysia, and the United States, where it is used to produce chocolate. According to the Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), the state is the largest cocoa producer in Nigeria, and it is responsible for over 40 per cent of all cocoa exports in the country. The agency noted that the current cocoa production volume in the state stands at 240,000 metric tonnes per annum. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report also shows that cocoa-related exports in 2023 totalled N230 billion (about $256 million), which makes the cash crop the highest-earning agricultural export in Nigeria. This emphasises the significant role cocoa exportation plays in the countrys foreign exchange earnings. The 2023 third-quarter report of the NBS stated that the export of agricultural products was dominated by superior-quality cocoa beans valued at N42.2 billion, which were exported to Indonesia and the Netherlands. On the other hand, Nigerias palm oil production is insufficient to meet local demands. The first and second quarter reports of the NBS for 2023 show that Nigeria imported palm oil from Malaysia, Indonesia and Cameroon. In the first six months of 2023, Nigeria imported crude palm oil worth N27.8 billion from Malaysia. From 2017 to 2022, Nigeria imported N300 billion worth of palm oil, making it one of the top five imported agricultural products into the country. In summary, while Nigeria earns a lot of money from cocoa exportation, it spends a lot more to import palm oil. COCOA VS PALM OIL: CONFLICT IN A RESERVED FOREST According to a PwC report, in the early 1960s, Nigeria was the worlds largest palm oil producer, with a global market share of 43 per cent. But today, it is the 5th largest producer, behind Colombia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, with less than 2 per cent of the total global market production of 74.08 million MT. In 1966, Malaysia and Indonesia surpassed Nigeria as the worlds largest palm oil producers. Nigeria is the largest consumer of palm oil in Africa, with a population of over 197 million people. To meet the supply gap of palm oil, the country had to depend on importation over the years. From being one of the leading exporters of crude palm oil in the 1960s, Nigeria is now a net importer, the PwC report stated. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), if Nigeria had maintained its market dominance in the palm oil industry, the country would have been earning approximately $20 billion annually from the cultivation and processing of palm oil as of today. As things stand, both cocoa and palm oil are key to the agricultural policy of the government in terms of foreign exchange earnings and meeting local market needs. But the question begging for answers is: why is there an onslaught on cocoa plantations for industrial palm oil cultivation when smallholder farmers and big investors can plant separately on the land? Akin Olotu, the senior special assistant on agriculture to the Ondo governor, provided the answer as to why the cocoa farmers were asked to leave the forest reserve for SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited to grade and plant palm trees in line with the CBN initiative. They have done incalculable damage to the cocoa business in Ondo State. In the global market, it has been observed that cocoa in Ondo State is planted in the forest reserve, and the EU is of the opinion that they dont want any chocolate product that is coming from forest reserves. Those that will bear the brunt are the real cocoa farmers that are farming on community land, Mr Olotu told journalists. But the government is issuing licences to investors to plant palm trees on the same forest reserve, Tope Temokun, the farmers legal counsel, queried. The lawyer said if the government was sincere with the Central Bank scheme, it would revive the abandoned palm tree plantations and palm oil processing companies across the state to redeem Nigerias lost glory as the number one producer of palm oil in the world instead of promoting industrial cultivation in a forest reserve. A DEPLETING FOREST RESERVE Ondo is said to be the richest state in forest resources in south-west Nigeria. When the state was created in 1976, it had 16 forest reserves of about 308,000 hectares. Presently, they have depleted to about 250,000 hectares, as some have been completely encroached on. The Oluwa forest is one of the last remaining forests in the area. The Oluwa Forest Reserve, covering about 678.06 km2, is a tropical rainforest and one of the most important reserves in the country because of its rich biodiversity. A 2007 Nigerian Conservation Foundation report showed elephants and chimpanzees still inhabited the forest. Some researchers from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in the state, who were conducting a survey, were said to have had four sightings of chimpanzee groups in the forest between September 2011 and February 2012. The 2007 conservation report made a recommendation that protected areas should be established in the natural forest. According to satellite data from the University of Maryland visualised on Global Forest Watch, Oluwa Forest Reserve lost about 14 per cent of its primary forest cover between 2002 and 2020, and preliminary data showed forest loss likely surged higher in 2021. The researchers from the university said an axis of the forest reserve has been completely cultivated for farming, and there is pressure to convert other parts of the natural forest into farmlands, which would make it difficult for the chimpanzees to inhabit the forest. Mark Ofua, spokesperson for the Wild Africa Fund, an international wildlife conservation organisation, said cutting down forests to make room for agriculture is one of the major drivers of deforestation and habitat loss in Nigeria. Forest reserve clearing results in the felling of iconic trees that have taken hundreds of years to grow and may be endemic to these areas. This means some of these can never be recovered. The loss of forest cover on these reserves also means we may forever lose some of the iconic animals that inhabit these forests, Mr Ofua said. This biodiversity loss is a major driver of climate change and fosters hardships in our environment. Nigeria as a country has over the years lost a significant portion of its biodiversity, and this unprecedented level of forest reserve clearing, as is happening in the Oluwa forests in Ondo State, the Agodi area of Oyo State, will drive whats left in these areas to the brink of extinction. A state of emergency should be declared in the effort to save our forests and forest reserves. The current law that puts the powers/ownership of these forests in the hands of state authorities, who make it their primary objective to amass as much wealth as possible, even if it means driving our forests to extinction, must be reviewed. The Oluwa Forest Reserve in Ondo State must be protected at all costs. It is a natural habitat for pangolins, bats, and other fauna and flora, and a travel path for our few remaining elephants. On his part, Chinedu Mogbo, conservationist and founder of Greenfinger Wildlife Initiative, said aside from the fact that revenue will be generated from the cash crops, there are quite a lot of disadvantages to using the forest reserve for large-scale farming. It leads to the loss of large land masses of forests, rendering numerous animals vulnerable, losing carbon sinks, fostering more human-wildlife conflicts, and breaking the threshold for disease transmission from wildlife to humans. This large-scale farming will favour the use of chemicals, which will affect soil and disrupt the ecosystem and other nutrient cycles, Mr Magbo said. READ ALSO: Many of our flora and fauna are listed as threatened or critically endangered species. The consistent destruction of forests that house many of these species will ultimately lead to their extirpation. Meanwhile, the Idanre forest reserve (OA5) in the state is also facing the same conflict as the Oluwa forest with the same investor, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited. The farmers in the reserve took the state government to court over the alleged sale of their cocoa plantation to the investor. The farmers, who had cultivated cocoa in the forest for over two decades, took to the streets to protest after their farms were graded for the firm to plant palm trees. The Idanre Reserve is a protected natural forest and an important conservation area for the local flora and fauna. Information on the website of SAO Agro, the company at the heart of the conflict in the forest reserves, stated that the firm is the lead investor developing the Ondo Special Agro Processing Zone supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Ondo government in the bid to increase state IGR through national and international agricultural trade. This reporter reached out to SAO Agro through its corporate emails, website, and phone calls, seeking information on the agricultural activities of the investment company in the forest reserves in Ondo State and whether it is aware of its negative effect on the conservation of the depleting forest. Further questions were asked on the alleged involvement of the company in the assault of farmers in the forests. But there was no response from the company as of the time of this report. The Ondo State Government has also not responded to questions on its roles in the controversy. Phone calls to Ebenezer Adeniyan, chief press secretary to Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the new governor of Ondo State, were not answered. A text message to his phone number was also not replied. (This story was produced with support from the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen have reportedly abducted 23 persons in the Kawu community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The victims were kidnapped on Thursday. Kawu shares boundaries with Niger and Kaduna States. The Councillor, representing the area, Abdulmumini Zakari, who is also the deputy speaker of the council, said the gunmen, numbering about 40, came into the community through the Kuyeri Forest in Kaduna State. They divided themselves into groups and some went into the palace of the district head, Abdurrahman Ali, where they abducted his son, Lukman, and his wife, whom he married two weeks ago. Others attacked the compound of Alhassan Kawu, the Marafa of Kawu, and a former PDP Chairman of Kawu Ward. They abducted him along with his four children., he told Punch newspaper. Mr Zakari added that the bandits invaded the home of the Sarkin Pawan Kawu, Gambo Pawa, and abducted him along with his two wives and some children. When contacted, the FCT Police spokesperson, Joseph Adeh, a Superintendent of police, said she had yet to confirm the incident. I have not confirmed any kidnap case, I am currently working on recruitment, I dont know anything about the kidnap, I am solving the issue now, Ms Adeh told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday. The incident occurred a day after some terrorists reportedly abducted 85 people at Katari along the Kaduna Abuja highway in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State. READ ALSO: 15 persons kidnapped in 2024 as Abuja grapples with rising crime rate The police in Kaduna, however, debunked the story. PREMIUM TIMES reported that about 15 persons were kidnapped in Abuja in the first week of this year. Eight of the victims were kidnapped in the Sagwari Estate Layout in the Dutse-Alhaji area of Abuja by gunmen dressed in military uniform. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has assured that the success and positive impact of the newly established National Philanthropic Office (NPO) is guaranteed under the Tinubu administration. According to him, President Bola Tinubu has been a firm believer in giving back to society and as such, his enduring spirit of bettering the lot of the citizens is enough guarantee for the NPO to make a huge success and impact. Mr Shettima stated this on Friday during the inauguration of the Local Implementation Committee of the National Philanthropic Office (NPO) at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The NPO, an initiative driven 100 per cent by the private sector, with full support from the government, is part of efforts by the Tinubu-led federal government to raise alternative funding for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMSEs) and other vital economic programmes through collaboration with the private sector. The office is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the establishment of 12 industrial value-chain hubs and accelerators for startups and small businesses across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Delivering his speech titled, Philanthropy and Our Shared Responsibilities, during the inauguration of the Local Implementation Committee of the NPO, Vice President Shettima disclosed that the NPO is set to raise $200 million in grants and non-financial investment through local and international teams to provide support for start-ups in key sectors of the countrys MSMEs space. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this initiative proposes to raise $200m in grants and non-financial investment, through local and international teams, to provide support to start-ups in the key sectors within the MSMEs space that drive job creation in Nigeria, he stated. Noting President Tinubus knack for giving back to society, Mr Shettima said his bosss commitment to philanthropy had always been the mark of his identity. Long before stepping into the realm of public service, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been a steadfast believer in the ideals of giving back to society. This commitment to philanthropy has always defined his identity. READ ALSO: The Country Chairperson of the National Philanthropic Office (NPO), Mrs. Thelma Ekiyor, can rest assured that this initiative is in secure hands. Mr. Presidents enduring spirit of societal betterment is enough to guarantee its success and impact, the VP stated. He acknowledged what he called gaps existing in philanthropy, saying theres an unmistakable inadequacy of philanthropy, even as he added that this has led to the establishment of the National Philanthropic Office. Through this office, we aim to kindle a spirit of support for vulnerable enterprises and ideas that hold the key to our collective progress, he explained, noting that there is no place in the world where government thrives in isolation, and without collaboration with private individuals and organizations bound by the virtue of empathy, this practice of philanthropy. Shedding more light on the operations of the NPO, the VP said, While the NPO is 100% driven by the private sector, enjoying government support, it thrives on the reality that worldwide, governments are increasingly exploring alternative funding methods for vital projects and economic sectors through collaboration with the private sector. The objective is to create twelve industrial value-chain hubs and accelerators nationwide. This will focus on digitized shared workspaces, agro-processing, and shared industries. The overarching aim is to generate one million jobs directly and indirectly within the MSME ecosystem. Additionally, eligible MSMEs will receive grants ranging from 5 million to 10 million. Emphasis will be placed on supporting women-led businesses, constituting 50% of the start-ups. While inaugurating the Local Implementation Committee of the NPO, the Vice President implored members of the committee to do their job with a collective vision. On his part, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who spoke on behalf of the Governors of the 36 states of the federation, said the initiative would be most beneficial to businesses and individuals across the states, expressing the delight of his colleagues and pledging their support. In his remarks, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, represented by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Nebolisa Anako, commended the Vice President for the initiative, and the private sector partners for their commitment, noting that it aligns with the goals of the Tinubu administration. For her part, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Aniete, commended all the partners and stakeholders who she said worked towards actualising the first National Philanthropy Office, noting that it will go a long way in impacting lives, livelihoods and the general economy. On her part, the Country Chairperson of the NPO, Thelma Ekiyor-Solanke, said philanthropy and impact investing are two important avenues of supporting MSMEs that can encourage innovation and provide catalytic capital to entrepreneurs. She noted and commended the Vice Presidents visionary commitment to the initiative, saying it will transform philanthropy and impact the countrys investing landscape. She disclosed that among other programmes, the office will support the establishment of 12 shared office spaces for StartUps across the six geopolitical zones. Members of the Local Implementation Committee chaired by Thelma Ekiyor-Solanke include the Managing Director of Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni; Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Olasupo Olusi; Managing Director of Access Bank, Roosevelt Ogbonna; Chairman, Impact Investors Foundation, Afolabi Oladele, and Founder, Sambo Foundation HRH, Samuel Sambo. Others are the Managing Director, BUA Foundation, Ubon Udoh; Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Felix Ogbe; CEO of Brownvalley Partners, Terlumun Ikya, and Ayodele Olojede from Wema Bank, while Temitola Adekunle-Johnson will serve as Secretary of the committee. Stanley Nkwocha Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications (Office of The Vice President) 12th January, 2024 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep grief over the death of Isa Gusau, the special adviser on public relations and strategy to Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday, President Tinubu said Mr Gusau was a diligent professional who was uncompromising on his virtuous principles. He also described the deceased as an exceptional gentleman, patriotic, and dedicated to the service of the people. Mr Gusau died in the early hours of Thursday outside the country after battling a heart disease. Read the full statement It is with deep grief that President Bola Tinubu receives the news of the passing of Isa Gusau, Special Adviser on Public Relations and Strategy to Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno State. President Tinubu condoles with the Gusau family, the professional colleagues of the late Gusau, and the government and people of Borno State over this agonizing loss. The late Gusau was a diligent professional who was uncompromising on his virtuous principles. He was a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, UK; the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations; the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) UK; the International Public Relations Association, UK, and the African Public Relations Association. The late Gusau was also an exceptional gentleman, patriotic, and dedicated to the service of the people. The President prays for the repose of the soul of the departed and comfort for all those who mourn this painful loss. Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) January 12, 2024 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has fixed Feb.29 for ruling in the no-case submission filed by former Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke (SAN) and six other defendants. Mr Adoke is charged along with Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Extra Deep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited over the controversial transfer of Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited. Justice Kutigi, while ruling in an oral application for adjournment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the trial, held that the court is a temple of justice. He declared that the court could not be at the whims of anybody or institution, even asserting that lawyers, as ministers in the temple of justice, have roles to play in strengthening the capacity of the court. Mr Adoke, who served as AGF and Minister of Justice under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was sued by the EFCC in the suit, marked FCT/HC/CR/151/2020, on an amended 40-count charge over a matter that came to be known as Malabu Oil scam. Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), told the court that although the business of the day was the adoption of written addresses in the no-case submission made by the defendants, he had the mandate of the EFCC chairman to seek a short adjournment. Mr Tahir informed the court that the chairman instructed him on Thursday to appear in court in the case, adding that at the highest level, the government was looking at the case. He added that the case was of particular interest to the government as it concerned the controversial OPL 245 and wanted to look at it in the interest of all. He further said that the complainant in the case is the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that the case was initiated before the current administration came on board. The oral application for a short adjournment by the EFCC was vehemently opposed by counsel to all defendants. They submitted that it was unfair for the prosecution to make such an application when issues had been joined in the no-case submission by their respective clients. Kanu Agabi (SAN), Mr Adokes counsel, said the former AGF was brought to court under suspension and could not practise as a lawyer in the almost four years the case had been in court. Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel for Mr Abubakar, asserted that the court could not adjourn just because the EFCC chairman wanted an adjournment. He added that the Attorney-General of the Federation upon assumption of office had the power to review the case but failed to do so. The counsel for other defendants, including Adeyemi Sekoni Lawal; Isiaka Kadiri; Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN); and O Opasanya (SAN), in that order, aligned their submissions with those of Messrs Agabi and Olanipekun. They submitted that the EFCC had admitted in its written address that it had no sufficient evidence against the defendants to sustain the case. They all, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the prosecutions oral application. Ruling on the application, Justice Kutigi held that granting an adjournment is at the discretion of the court, which must be exercised judiciously and judiciously. The judge said while the charge was filed in 2020, the prosecution called its witnesses and then closed its case, paving the way for the defendants to open their defence but instead, they chose to make a no-case submission. He held that having made the submission and filed their addresses, which the prosecution equally replied to, issues had been joined. The judge noted that between the time the EFCC closed its case and now, the commission had ample time to review the case and take a decision. He added that the undefined intervention of the agencys chairman is not enough reason for the court to grant the application for short adjournment. Justice Kutigi held that the EFCC was given all the time to conduct the case the way it wanted, adding that there was no basis for the application. He held that the application failed and ordered parties to adopt their respective written addresses on the no-case submission, which they did and urged the court to discharge and acquit Mr Adoke and other defendants. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The 15-month dispute between the Lagos State government and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has been resolved. As such, operations of the RTEAN in all motor parks in Lagos state are to resume with immediate effect. The resolution was brokered at the instance of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, during a meeting with the leadership of the organised labour. The activities of the RTEAN had been banned in Lagos State following a leadership crisis. The state government subsequently appointed a 35-man caretaker committee to take over the activities of the union. But, in a statement on Saturday, RTEAN General Secretary, Yusuf Adeniyi, said certain resolutions were reached during the meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour that led to the end of the crisis. According to him, the contentious issue of RTEAN leadership has been laid to rest with the unanimous appointment of Adesina Hussaini, popularly known as Okanlomo, as the new state chairman of RTEAN in Lagos, effective from 1 January 2024. Mr Adeniyi disclosed that it was also agreed that all properties hitherto taken away from the union be returned and that operations of RTEAN in all motor parks in Lagos state are to resume with immediate effect. The RTEAN General Secretary enjoined members to comply with the peaceful resolution reached and cooperate with the government and security agencies in discharging their duties. In his reaction, the President of RTEAN, Musa Maitakobi, announced the dissolution of the unions former structure of Lagos State executives council members and adopted the appointment of Mr Hussaini as the authentic chairman of the state branch. Mr Maitakobi revealed that members who were suspended in the cause of the crisis had been recalled in the interest of peace and harmony in the state. The new state chairman of RTEAN, Mr Hussaini commended President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, Mr Ribadu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for their roles in resolving the dispute. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print FIST Africa, in collaboration with the Madiba Foundation for Good Governance, has donated desks, chairs, whiteboards, and other teaching aids to LEA Primary School in Kabusa, Abuja. This initiative is part of the two organizations commitment to improving education in the Nigerian capital. Education is a fundamental right, said Elizabeth Fred-Adetiba, executive director of FIST Africa. No child should be denied access to it due to financial constraints. FIST Africa is honoured to collaborate with the Madiba Foundation for Good Governance to contribute to the betterment of LEA Primary School, Kabusa. The donation was made in response to a previous visit by FIST Africa, during which the organization paid the school fees of nine indigent pupils. Recognizing the widespread challenge of school fees, FIST Africa also adopted six children from the school and committed to covering their fees through university level. Madiba Foundation is happy to collaborate with FIST Africa to support LEA Primary School, Kabusa as part of the organizations education intervention initiative, said Ozohu Otonoku, Programme Manager of Madiba Foundation for Good Governance. The headmaster of the school, Abubakar Mohammed, thanked FIST Africa and the Madiba Foundation for their generosity. He noted that the pupils were excited to receive the new furniture and had already begun using it. Mr. Mohammed also highlighted some of the schools remaining challenges, including overcrowding and a lack of computers and photocopiers. The donation of furniture and supplies is the first phase of a larger initiative by FIST Africa and the Madiba Foundation. The second phase will involve conducting a needs assessment of all public primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This research has already begun with 158 schools in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). ALSO READ: FIST Africa empowers women with small business grants With more support from partners and donors, the organisations hope to provide more interventions for the Kabusa school as well as others in the FCT and across the country. To support this effort, please visit www.fistafrica.org and www.madibafound.org Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two persons in connection with the death of an Akure socialite, Oladoyinbo Adebayo. The lifeless body of Mr Adebayo, popularly known as Saybayo, was found in his car in Ijapo area of Akure in December last year. Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, said in a statement on Friday that one Atinuke Adeniyi, aged 29, who was alleged to have had an affair with the deceased, was arrested on Sunday. Another suspect, Adeojo Ilesanmi, aged 50, who operates a brothel in the city, was also arrested. On 10 December 2023, the corpse of one Adebayo, popularly called Saybayo, was found abandoned in his car within Ijapo Estate, Akure, the statement read. The SWAT team through intelligence-led policing, apprehended one Atinuke Adeniyi f aged 29 who claimed she and the deceased were involved in a romantic affair. That on the 9th, a day before the corpse was dumped, she and the deceased made out at a brothel in Ijapo, after which the deceased started convulsing and out of fear she abandoned him and quietly left the room, the police further said. The suspect subsequently led the police team to the brothel where its owner, Mr Ilesanmi was arrested. Mr Ilesanmi later confessed to have driven the corpse to the scene where it was found, claiming that he was afraid when he realised the deceased died in his brothel. Police said the suspects will be charged to court when investigations are concluded. A similar incident occured in January 2023, when a middle-aged man, Fadayomi Kehinde, popularly known as Ejiogbe, slumped and died in a brothel while having an affair with a prophetess in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State. However, the woman involved at that time made efforts to get help to rescue her lover, but the efforts came too late. She was promptly arrested by the Ekiti State Police and irate youths attacked her church and destroyed properties. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe has approved over N708 million for payment of benefits to 461 retirees across the state. Mr Bunis Director-General of Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Saturday. He said the approval was granted following the successful screening of the third batch of pensioners in the 17 local government councils of the state. Mr Mohammed said payment of the benefits would be made directly into the beneficiaries accounts, while deceased retirees would be paid through their next-of-kin. READ ALSO: The payment would no doubt support the livelihood of the retirees, especially for a decent life in retirement. It would be recalled that Gov. Buni had in November 2023 approved an upward review of the monthly standing payment of gratuities from N100 million to N200 million. The governor said the review of gratuity payments was aimed at covering more beneficiaries every month. The review also provides an opportunity to ensure timely payment of benefits to retired workers in the state to support their lives in retirement, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is set to disburse N683 billion to Nigerian tertiary institutions following the approval granted by President Bola Tinubu. This is twice the N320 billion disbursed to the institutions by the intervention agency in 2023. The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Sonny Echono, disclosed this during a strategic planning meeting with heads of beneficiary institutions in Abuja on Friday, according to a copy of his speech obtained by this newspaper. Mr Echono stated that 90.75 per cent of the sum is budgeted for direct disbursement and 8.94 per cent for some designated special projects while a stabilisation of 2.27 per cent is allowed to enable the Fund to respond to emerging issues. The executive secretary also presented the allocation letters to the institutions, noting that; I am pleased to inform you that we have kept our promise to constantly improve our operations and reduce processing time. Why funds increased The TETFund boss noted that the increase was a result of the increase in education tax, which forms the source of funding for the government agency. It is pertinent to note that this represents a very significant increase above our last years intervention and indeed every other year, since inception, Mr Echono said. This remarkable success is due to sustained efforts at expanding and increasing the efficiency of collection of the Education Tax, and the gracious concurrence of Mr President for an increase in the tax from 2.5 per cent to 3.0 per cent in the year 2023. The Nigerian government had increased the Education Tax paid by all Nigerian companies from 2.5 of their profits to 3 per cent when former President Muhammad Buhari signed the Finance Act 2023, a day before the end of his tenure in May 2023. The Education Tax was previously at 2 per cent but was increased to 2.5 per cent in 2021 and to 3 per cent in 2023. Breakdown Mr Echono said each university will get N1.9 billion comprising N1.6 billion annual direct disbursement and N250 million zonal intervention fund. He said each polytechnic will get N1.1 billion; N1 billion as annual direct disbursement and N150 million for zonal intervention fund. Meanwhile, the colleges of education will get N1.3 billion each. For them, N1.2 billion is for annual direct disbursement and N150 million for zonal intervention. The increased funding may bring respite for the institutions which have for years clamoured for increased funding. Last year, most of the institutions increased the fees payable by students while insisting they did not introduce tuition. The fee hike, they say, was to help them augment the governments meagre funding to manage the institutions. Strategic planning meeting Mr Echono said TETFUND has increased the allocation for the Special High Impact Programme (SHIP), and the number of benefitting institutions had also been increased to two per geopolitical zone for each category, giving a total of 36 beneficiary institutions. He said SHIP is part of the Funds special direct disbursement. Others include provision for hostels using the public/private partnership arrangement, innovation hubs, disaster recovery, security infrastructure, and completion of abandoned projects, among others. In our bid to resolve the problems arising from the increase in exchange rates to our scholars, we have made provisions in the Year 2024 intervention to address the shortfall therein, he noted. He said the strategic planning meeting was an avenue to receive feedback from the institutions and evaluate the performance of their intervention lines. The TETFund boss, therefore, called on the heads of institutions to ensure the judicious and timely utilisation of the 2024 intervention funds to make the much-needed impact in the respective tertiary institutions. I also wish to advise that in addition to the broad-based budget and project monitoring committee stated in your letter of allocation, you should consult widely with the community in the implementation of your TETFund projects, he said. He urged heads of institutions to ensure timely payments to contractors and vendors to enable the proper completion of projects and mitigate the incidence of contractors writing letters of complaints to the Fund. 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. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print HOUSTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Texas has blocked U.S. Border Patrol agents from a section of the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a court filing released on Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which is seeking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. In the filing to the Supreme Court, the DOJ said that Texas, which borders Mexico, denied Border Patrol agents entry to a park which includes a 2.5-mile stretch of the Rio Grande border river and a boat ramp in Eagle Pass, western Texas. The federal agents routinely use a boat ramp and a staging area at the park to launch their boats to patrol the Rio Grande and inspect migrants entering this part of the border respectively, according to the document. "Texas's new actions since the government's filing demonstrate an escalation of the state's measures to block Border Patrol's ability to patrol or even to surveil the border and be in a position to respond to emergencies," Elizabeth B. Prelogar, the DOJ' s solicitor general, wrote in the filing. The DOJ is asking the Supreme Court to intervene in an ongoing legal battle between the state and the federal government and overrule a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that prevents Border Patrol agents from cutting the concertina wire Texas has strung along the Rio Grande. Texas troopers and National Guard members began to take "full control" of the 47-acre Shelby Park on Wednesday night, erecting concertina wire and fencing at the park to close off access to the public, the Texas Tribune reported. Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas said he was told that the park would be closed indefinitely and the state government took the action to prevent immigrants from crossing into Texas. Senator Lawan, no doubt stands tall in the annals of Nigerian politics. He stands tall as a beacon of visionary leadership, exemplary service, and legislative excellence. He has consistently demonstrated commitment to the progress and prosperity of our nation, leaving an indelible mark on Nigerias legislative landscape. The Ninth National Assembly under the leadership of Senator Ahmad Lawan as Chairman and President of the Senate, made history as one with many firsts from championing reforms, to improving governance and raising the bar on the passage of critical and impactful legislation. Lawan, before vying for the position of President of the Senate, understood the importance of having a legislative agenda, needed to provide direction and focus, as well as serve as an action plan for the upper chamber. His legislative agenda, tagged: A National Assembly That Works For Nigeria, adopted a more cohesive and focused legislative approach different from others, which, aligned the actions of the upper chamber in the aspect of guiding policy and lawmaking with stated agenda items in a way that ensured that proposed bills were introduced in line with the Senates goals and outlined objectives. He also understood that for Nigeria to witness improved economic stability and growth, there had to be a well-structured and balanced budgeting process that fostered fiscal discipline. Swinging into action, former Senate President Lawan pushed for the restoration of the nations deformed budget cycle to the January to December timeline, upon assuming office in June 2019. This feat was considered one of his biggest accomplishments in office, besides the passage of landmark bills. The restoration of the budget cycle enhanced Nigerias credibility in the international arena, thus attracting foreign capital to us through access to capital markets. Some other gains of the restoration of the budget cycle under Lawans leadership was that it allowed the Nigerian government to make the needed adjustments and improvements to our national budget in a way that paved the way for greater accuracy and predictability; and made the budget an effective tool for planning and decision-making. Also, Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Governments (MDAs) were foisted with a shared sense of responsibility that made the effective and efficient use of public funds mandatory. Under Lawans National Assembly, an order was given by the then-President, Muhammadu Buhari, stopping heads of MDAs from leaving the country, and compelling them to defend their respective budget estimates before the relevant standing committees or risk zero allocation. This move empowered the National Assembly to carry out oversight duties in such an aggressive way that ensured transparency and accountability in government spendings. It is on record that for the first time in a very long while, MDAs recorded over ninety percent implementation figures from the execution of capital projects captured in their respective annual budgets between 2020 and 2022. The development contrasts sharply with the very low budget implementation figures churned out by ministries and agencies between 1999 and 2019, before Senator Lawan mounted the stage. The former Senate President, in his usual genius, also demonstrated strong leadership and vision from having the foresight to introduce stop gaps to mitigate the frosty relationship between the Executive arm of government and the National Assembly, which characterised the 8th National Assembly. Such stop gaps, besides envisaging to mitigate the friction between both arms of government the Executive and Legislature also sought a leadership approach to deal with problems likely to arise from bipartisan differences amongst lawmakers that were hitherto responsible for legislative gridlocks and the non-passage of critical bills in the past. Lawans clear sense of direction and commitment earned him the full support of Senators from both the majority and minority parties in the Senate. This facilitated the smooth consideration and eventual passage of landmark legislations, which, previously, had defied passage in previous assemblies since 1999. Against moves by external forces to compromise Senators, the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract (Amendment) Act, 2019, was passed. Also passed were the Finance Act, the Companies and Allied Matters Act, which provides a regulatory framework for ease of doing business; the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act; the Petroleum Industry Act, which overhauled the oil and gas sector in Nigeria to promote transparency, and ensure the equitable distribution of revenues, amongst others. Senator Ahmad Lawan, also played a significant role in the passage of the Electoral Act 2022, which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on 25 February, 2022. The new Electoral Act introduced several reforms and changes to the electoral process in Nigeria, including granting financial autonomy to INEC; introducing the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation and authentication; and strengthening the independence of INEC by making it more difficult for the President to remove INEC commissioners. Senator Lawan, no doubt, stands tall in the annals of Nigerian politics. He stands tall as a beacon of visionary leadership, exemplary service, and legislative excellence. He has consistently demonstrated commitment to the progress and prosperity of our nation, leaving an indelible mark on Nigerias legislative landscape. Beyond his legislative accomplishments, Senator Lawan is also renowned for his diplomatic skills and ability to foster international cooperation. As a respected figure on the global stage, he has facilitated partnerships and agreements with other nations, promoting Nigerias interests and strengthening its position in the international community. Ezrel Tabiowo, the media adviser to Senator Ahmad Lawan, writes from Abuja. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigeria must heed these lessons, recognising that collaboration with criminal entities is unsustainable. Instead, focusing on legal reforms, robust law enforcement, and holistic socio-economic development is imperative for enduring progress. The example of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos is emblematic of broader challenges faced by businesses across various sectors in the country. There was a tweet that drew attention on the Nigerian section of Twitter recently because it had a young Nigerian, Vincent Adeoba, former co-founder and CEO of a transport tech startup, Transtura, describing his experience in setting up a startup in Lagos, and how he encountered unforeseen challenges and the pervasive grip of extortionate practices. Mr Adeoba had made the transition from being a senior associate at PwC Nigeria to being a co-founder of a startup, looking to help solve significant problems in the Lagos transport sector, but despite his meticulous planning, he had not grasped the severity of the challenges posed by entities like the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Taskforce, and the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. He assumed that they would be somewhat open to the idea of improving the transport sector for the people of Lagos and that that desire would at least provide some balance to the inclination for corruption and help all the parties involved find the motivation to seek common ground for a mutually beneficial way forward. But that turned out not to be the case. The lesson Mr Adeoba came away with is that the Lagos Government has no real interest in actual development but is, instead, laser-focused on the ruthless extraction of resources into private pockets, whether by looting or extortion, using bodies like the NURTW. According to him, an agreement that at some point led to the NURTW getting 20 per cent of Transturas daily revenue, in addition to dealing with a barrage of extortionate practices, was not enough to appease the powers that be. Transtura still had to deal with malicious and illegal impoundments, assaults on drivers, and vandalism of buses, that were intended to force them out of business and the company could not turn to the police for help, because the police force was in step with NURTW. Ultimately Transtura folded, and Mr Adeoba abandoned his entrepreneurial aspirations and returned to take up a position with PwC, this time in New York. Nigeria has lost yet another talented individual. This story is not an aberration. It struck a nerve with a lot of people, because it is actually closer to the norm. To a large extent, Nigerias government, at its different tiers, is controlled by people who have little or no interest in the growth and development of their areas but rather just see the government apparatuses as tools for personal enrichment at the expense of overall progress. The economic and social repercussions of the stranglehold of extortion on businesses like Transtura are far-reaching, stifling growth, deterring investors, and potentially diminishing the entrepreneurial spirit crucial for Nigerias economic prosperity. In a 2021 study, Under the hood, SBM Intelligence took a look at the various taxes pad by various groups in Nigerias informal sector, which includes most of our public transport, the area that Transtura tried to play in, and found that 63 per cent of businesses in Nigerias informal sector pay some form of dues/levies at least once a day. No matter how you cut it, these are too much and in a roundabout way the costs are passed on to consumers, making them cut back on non-essential spending, which ultimately hit the bottom line of these same businesses that we need to grow the economy. But let us be careful not to beat Lagos too much because this is such a pervasive Nigerian trend. In our country, a few people stop an entire society from taking the obvious path of progress pretty much because they know that nothing will happen. This article uses the NURTW and Lagos Transport Sector as avatars but the foundational framework found in this problem, a culture of impunity, applies to practically every Nigerian sector So much of the narrative around the Lagos State transport sector revolves around the actions of the NURTW, but a state with 20 million residents and significant economic influence in West Africa should have a much more evolved approach and structure for transport policy and management that intends to foster growth and development by sorting out infrastructure quality; public transport accessibility; traffic management; safety standards; and a properly enforced regulatory framework. The transport sectors impact on the economy, including its contribution to GDP, job creation, and overall economic development, cannot be overstated. This goes for the informal sector in general. In other parts of the world, states, regions, provinces, counties and local authorities deploy transport management structures, policies and professionals to achieve goals associated with these aspects but Lagos grapples with a chaotic structure dominated by influential informal sector actors like NURTW that are primarily focused on violent extortion and committed to keeping out a formalisation process that would make it much less relevant, just to enrich 0.01 per cent of the population at the expense of 20 million people. But let us be careful not to beat Lagos too much because this is such a pervasive Nigerian trend. In our country, a few people stop an entire society from taking the obvious path of progress pretty much because they know that nothing will happen. This article uses the NURTW and Lagos Transport Sector as avatars but the foundational framework found in this problem, a culture of impunity, applies to practically every Nigerian sector and shows why there is so much retardation and poverty in the country. I have seen this, for example in Aba, where three local governments basically taxed a burgeoning tech business to death with daily demands for spurious fees. Nigeria stands at a crossroads, contending with the oppressive influence of mafia-like groups backed or overlooked by the government, which obstruct its path to evolution and progress. Drawing insights from global experiences, there is a compelling narrative of societies elsewhere overcoming similar challenges. In Italy, the dismantling of the Mafias grip was achieved through legal reforms, anti-corruption measures, and dedicated law enforcement. During its Prohibition era, the United States tamed organised crime with the establishment of the FBI and stringent laws, showcasing the efficacy of specialised units. Then there was RICO. Colombias relative success against drug cartels is stilted and still work in progress, but it is clear that there is some political will aimed at taming the scourge. Hong Kongs transition away from the Triads influence involved a multifaceted approach, combining legal measures, societal awareness, and economic opportunities. Every one of these laws were uniformly enforced without any favouritism, and that is what brings the trust required to make them effective. In Lagos, one of the reasons why the NURTW exists is that Lagos position as a commercial heavyweight owes more to borrowed momentum than self-made governance. Decades as the federal capital showered the city with preferential treatment, masking the need to develop its own organic governance muscle. This reliance on past advantages led to apathy towards organic growth Nigeria must heed these lessons, recognising that collaboration with criminal entities is unsustainable. Instead, focusing on legal reforms, robust law enforcement, and holistic socio-economic development is imperative for enduring progress. The example of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos is emblematic of broader challenges faced by businesses across various sectors in the country. In Lagos, one of the reasons why the NURTW exists is that Lagos position as a commercial heavyweight owes more to borrowed momentum than self-made governance. Decades as the federal capital showered the city with preferential treatment, masking the need to develop its own organic governance muscle. This reliance on past advantages led to apathy towards organic growth; institutionalised inefficiencies; and tolerance of ruinous practices. The consequence? A city teetering on a precipice. Its borrowed brilliance masking the cracks in its own foundation. Lagos must shake off the comfortable cloak of inherited success and chart its own course. It needs to tame the extortion racket, streamline its bureaucracy, and invest in public services that benefit all, not just the elite. Only then can Lagos truly claim its crown, not as a relic of federal largesse, but as a self-made titan, a beacon of progress forged in the fires of its hard work and innovation. The world watches, waiting to see if Lagos can shed the borrowed brilliance and step into the sunlight of its own hard-earned success. This is also the story of Nigeria. Cheta Nwanze is a partner at SBM Intelligence. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In the last 30 years or more it has been the same faces, the same clueless set of people that have straddle the mantle of power, which can be traced to the lack of values and norms within the generality of politicians, nor respect for the principles of democracy, accountability, good governance, and the inability of Nigeria to hold occupiers of seats of power accountable. There are 18 registered political parties as Nigeria went into the general elections of 2023. However, only seven of them won seats at either the presidency, governorship, National Assembly or State Houses of Assembly level. These are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP). The Contestations There were 18 presidential aspirants vying for one seat, while 1,904 candidates vied for 109 Senate seats, 3,244 candidates for the 435 House of Representatives seats, 416 candidates for 28 Governorship seats, while about 10,240 candidates contested for the 990 State Houses of Assembly seats across the country. Hence, the total number of seats contested for in the 2023 general elections was 2,533, while 16,808 people contested for these various seats. This summary does not include the numbers for the off-cycle elections in eight states for governorship seat and those of their respective Houses of Assembly. Also, 774 local government chairmen seats, with an average of one candidate per party sums up at 13,932 candidates, alongside 14,500 councillor seats, leading to about 70,000 contestants for the 18 political parties in all the 774 local government areas of Nigeria. The APC and PDP won over 90 per cent of the seats at the federal and state levels, while the others shared the remaining 10 per cent, with most of the parties failing to win any seat or make any significant impact. The Plight of the Big Horses Humongous funding and resources: The big parties had access to huge funds from various sources, including private donors and businesses. They were able to spend lavishly on their campaigns and influence the voters with money as little as N100 and gifts as small as a packet of indome noodles, etc. Large following and hangers on: The big parties had large and diverse following. They also had the advantage of incumbency in a number of cases and experience in contending with the average Nigerian voter. Ability to manage crisis: The parties were more stable even though unorganised, and were yet able to resolve their differences and present a united front, either coercively or with some form of pressure. Yes, its possible to exit this predicament, hopeless situation, and bankrupt political ideology of 90 per cent of Nigerian politicians and several ways to counteract the vice grip of unethical Nigerian politicians whose sole aim is that of personal aggrandisement and unpatriotic personal agendas that does not portend good for Nigeria, Nigerians and the future wellbeing of the country. The Predicaments of the Smaller Horses Lack of adequate funding and resources: These parties did not have enough resources to finance their campaigns, pay for media advertisements, organise rallies, and mobilise their supporters. They also lacked the necessary logistics and infrastructure to reach out to the voters across the country. Lack of popular support and recognition: They lacked strong bases or committed supporters. They also suffered from low visibility and awareness among the electorate. The smaller parties did not have enough representation or influence in the media, civil society, and other platforms that could have helped them to gain exposure and credibility. Lack of internal cohesion and unity: The parties were often plagued by internal conflicts and divisions, which weakened their chances of winning. Some of the parties also experienced leadership crises and power struggles. Lack of electoral fairness and justice: The smaller parties also faced various obstacles and challenges in the electoral process. Some of the challenges included electoral violence and intimidation, which involved rigging, ballot stuffing, vote buying, and inefficiencies of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Electoral Act, etc. Viability, Impact and Ethics Are the smaller parties viable on Nigerias uneven political terrain, which is also defined by electoral malpractices, violence and humongous election litigation costs? Is it wise economically to continue with this venture or are the big horses the ones feeding the little ones? Is it ethically and morally right to always jump ship or cross carpets, as is the case with 95 per cent of Nigeria politicians? And should this be condoned by Nigerians? The Land of Perpetuity In the last 30 years or more it has been the same faces, the same clueless set of people that have straddle the mantle of power, which can be traced to the lack of values and norms within the generality of politicians, nor respect for the principles of democracy, accountability, good governance, and the inability of Nigeria to hold occupiers of seats of power accountable. The Way Out Is it possible to rescue Nigerians when it seems like they have found comfort in their slavery? Yes, its possible to exit this predicament, hopeless situation, and bankrupt political ideology of 90 per cent of Nigerian politicians and several ways to counteract the vice grip of unethical Nigerian politicians whose sole aim is that of personal aggrandisement and unpatriotic personal agendas that does not portend good for Nigeria, Nigerians and the future wellbeing of the country. In addition, it is left to the 10 per cent sane and patriotic politicians to change the tide of the political terrain, as the common man on the street does not have the will nor the wherewithal to do what is right for himself and his family. Final Note Many have been there and on those seats, but nature has taken its toll on them as they are either six feet down, incapacitated, immobilised or rendered out of circulation. This FINAL NOTE is for the wise to heed and for the gullible to break out of their yokes. Adamu Rabiu writes from Kaduna. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Obiora Agbasimalo, the 2021 Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Anambra State is still missing after 885 days, amidst worrying silence by the Nigerian authorities. Mr Agbasimalo was abducted on 18 September 2021, less than a month before the governorship election in Anambra State which was held on 6 November 2021. Charles Soludo, a renowned banker and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, would later win the election. Mr Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the exercise, was sworn in as governor on 17 March 2022. The missing man, Mr Agbasimalo, had resigned from Zenith Bank to join the governorship race in the state, after about 15 years of a flourishing career in the banking sector. The LP candidate was abducted at Lilu, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of the South-east state, while on a campaign tour to Azhia, another community in the council area. The former banker was abducted alongside one of the police officers attached to his convoy. Initial rescue efforts As previously reported by PREMIUM TIMES, the leadership of the LP had reportedly prevailed on Mr Agbasimalos family not to report his abduction to security agencies or speak to the media because, according to them, the abductors had promised to release him after the governorship election. But after the election passed without the LPs candidates release, his family petitioned various security agencies, including the police and the State Security Service (SSS). The petitions at the offices of the police and the SSS led to the arrest and arraignment of two suspects: Chukwudi Odimegwu, who was a driver to the missing politician, and one other suspect, Maxwell Nwokolo. READ ALSO: Messrs Odimegwu and Nwokolo are currently facing trial at the Anambra State High Court, Nnewi where they pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping filed against them by the SSS, the agency prosecuting the case. According to Eucharia Agbasimalo, wife of the abducted LP candidate, the second suspect, Mr Nwokolo had claimed in October 2021, that he is a member of the Eastern Security Network, the militant wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). IPOB, a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra from the South-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria, is linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions. Like the leadership of the LP, Mr Nwokolo also reportedly told the distraught wife that her husband was being held in an IPOB camp in the state and that the family should not report the matter to the police or speak to the media, assuring that the victim would be released immediately after the election. The court sat on 17 November 2023 when Mrs Agbasimalo was cross-examined by the defence counsel. The case was adjourned until 19 January this year for the continuation of the cross-examination of the politicians wife. Besides the arraignment of the suspects, a distressed Mrs Agbasimalo had met with and sought help from several influential people in Anambra and beyond but her husband had still not been found. Among the people she sought help from, were the senator representing Anambra South District, Ifeanyi Ubah, a chieftain of the LP, Pat Utomi, and Governor Soludo of Anambra State. Worrying silence There has been worrying silence from authorities, including security agencies and the Anambra State Government since the LP candidate went missing for over two years. Apart from the authorities, the Nigerian media appear to have abandoned the matter, with little or no coverage of the case. Peter Afunanya, the SSS spokesperson, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking his comments on the progress of the trial of the suspects and efforts to track down the abductors. Mrs Agbasimalo told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that during her last communication with Mr Soludo on 11 September 2022, the governor had assured that he was ready to provide high-level support to both the police and the SSS to try and get to the bottom of the matter. The LP candidates wife said the governor told her at the time that he has thousands of issues to deal with and might not have time for the case and asked the mother of two to take up information she has with those investigating the case. She further told this newspaper that Mr Soludo had not reached her since then and that she was unsure if the governor had truly been providing the promised support to the security agencies to rescue her husband. Anambra govt speaks When contacted on Friday to comment on the state governments efforts so far, the spokesperson to Governor Soludo, Christian Aburime, said the governor will continue to give necessary support to security agencies to ensure they succeed in their assignments, especially in the case of Mr Agbasimalo and other missing persons in the state. Mr Aburime said the Truth, Justice and Peace Committee set up by the governor and headed by a renowned human rights activist, Chidi Odinkalu had recommended that a Bureau for Missing Persons be established in order to have accurate records of missing people while security agencies keep working in the hope of finding them. Today, the Bureau for Missing Persons has been established by the Government of Prof Soludo and the Bureau is domiciled in the Ministry of Justice. This is a practical demonstration of Governor Soludos seriousness about issues in this regard, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Chevron Corporation - Digital Transformation Strategies" company profile has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides insight into Chevron Corporation's tech activities, including its digital transformation strategies, its innovation programs, its technology initiatives, its estimated ICT budget, and its major ICT contracts. Chevron Corporation (Chevron) is an integrated oil and gas company with global business presence that operates across the value chain from exploration, production, storage, pipeline, transportation, and refining to marketing and distribution of oil and gas products. Its products include crude oil, natural gas, fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and additives. Chevron operates through three reportable segments: Upstream, Downstream, and All Other. The Upstream segment involves activities like exploration, development, and production of oil and gas resources, while Downstream involves production of chemical products and lubricants. The All Other segment includes insurance operations, real estate activities, technology companies, corporate administrative functions, and worldwide cash management and debt financing activities. Chevron partnered with Plug and Play to create an innovation program dedicated to support its Energy & Sustainability strategy. Chevron Technology Ventures launched the Catalyst Program to support early stage companies that have already received seed funding to further advance their technological development through Chevron's R&D Labs. Chevron Technology Ventures partnered with The Cannon to have a permanent working space, have exposure to disruptive startups and emerging technologies by being a part of networking events taking place in the co-working community, and build long term strategic relationships to support its digital transformation strategy. Scope Chevron gathers real-time information on its operations through sensors installed in its oil wells and capturing other machine-to-machine data. Chevron is enabling real time information analysis using various digital technologies to improve quality and speed of its decision making. Chevron has employed various risk management processes to mitigate business risks related to operations, finances, commodity pricing forecasts, project approvals, geopolitical, legislative, and data security. Chevron has enabled fully automated drilling operations and inspection of pipelines. The company has inked various strategic partnerships with other technology firms to gain a competitive advantage using technologies offered by them. Chevron is using seismic imaging to run 3-D surveys and capture subsurface geology data for accelerating discovery of oil and gas. Reasons to Buy Gain insights into Chevron Corporation's tech operations. Gain insights into its tech strategies and innovation initiatives. Gain insights into its technology themes under focus. Gain insights into various product launches, partnerships, investments and acquisition strategies. Key Topics Covered: Overview Digital Transformation Strategy Tech Innovation/ Training Programs and Labs Technology Focus Technology Initiatives Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV) - A Subsidiary Venture Arm Investment Partnership & Investment Network Map ICT Budget and Contracts Key Executives For more information about this company profile visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qs4tln 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 26, 2024 to 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. Get Help Dollar General investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-dg-2/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit Dollar 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 ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SOURCE ClaimsFiler LAS VEGAS, Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the tremendous tech events on earth, CES 2024 is no doubt the place where innovation meets enthusiasm, offering a glimpse of what the future of technology holds as always and surprising techies from all over the world. If "AI" is one of the keywords in the field of technology this year, then "open-ear" is the one when it comes to headphones. EMEET AirFlow Wireless Open-Ear Design Earbuds Open-ear earbuds have gained significant traction in the market with numerous companies launching various types recently. These innovative earbuds have taken the audio industry by storm, providing a unique listening experience that allows users to stay connected to the environment around them while still enjoying high-quality sound. While most of them focus on comfort and sound quality, there seems to be a vacancy in the market, a balancing combination of exceptional sound quality and also a professional call experience. That's why the EMEET AirFlow comes into stage during CES 2024. Comfortable Fit With over 2560 types of ear shapes tested, The EMEET AirFlow offers a cmofortable fit for various kinds of ears with the ergonomic earhook design and a skin-friendly coating. Besides, its 8.5 gram lightweight per earbud gives users an insensible touch without obtrusive feelings on ears. Apart from the structural design, EMEET also provides a pair of stabilizer fins, which can be attached to the earbuds and offers an even more secure fit for ears of different shapes and sizes. The Unique Detachable Mic Boom The EMEET AirFlow's detachable microphone boom is a game-changing feature that provides crystal clear sound for professional calls. This unique design gives users flexibility to wear this pair of earbuds for varying preferences. With EMEET's exclusive VoiceCore noise cancelling algorithm that enables dual-channel noise cancellation, EMEET AirFlow can cancel out both the close-end noise when you speak and the far-end noise when the other side of the call speaks, providing mutual benefits for both sides during calls. A Different Way for Your Hearing Care Another feature that is worth mentioning of the EMEET AirFlow lies not in the earbuds but in the charging case. Featuring a UV light around the charging contact area, the charging case is able to sterilize commonly seen bacteria breed on the earbuds like colibacillus and staphylococcus aureus to an extent of 99.99%. Of course, EMEET also integrates a hearing protection reminder in the app EMEET TUNE, caring for your hearing in multiple ways. Powerful Bass Performance Though EMEET AirFlow focuses more on callling experience, when it comes to the audio performance for listening to music, it still delivers an exceptional performance thanks to the EMEET exclusive HyperBass bass boost algorithm and a 16.2mm dynamic driver. In Conclusion Besides the above-mentioned features, EMEET AirFlow also offers an 8-hour play time per fully charged and a 40-hour play time with the charging case for long time usage. With the IPX5 waterproof, it gives exercise enthusiasts another choice of work-out earbuds. With such competitive features, it's clear that products like EMEET AirFlow is going to make waves in the open-ear earbuds market. Contact: Business Cooperation [email protected] SOURCE EMEET by Xin Ping The freshly concluded 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has great significance in human history and has had a profound impact on the cause of human rights development. Since the Declaration was adopted, progress has been made to protect and promote human rights. The Declaration serves as a reminder for mankind to fulfill its commitment to the fundamental rights of human beings. However, even with sound systems to protect human rights in place within the United Nations as well as in various countries and regions, human rights tragedies are still happening. Palestinian people in Gaza are dying from bombardment or starvation. People in some African countries are deprived of the right to security due to constant local conflict or crossfire. People at the southern border of the United States are striving for their next meal or next lodge ... It seems that they have been excluded from the mechanism of human rights protection. Sadly, they are intentionally neglected by some self-styled "human rights guardians." As we usher in the new year of 2024, it is necessary to revisit the evolution of human rights and stay alert to those who are always trying to misinterpret this concept and use it as a profit-making tool. BORN WITH DISCRIMINATION Going back to the origins, the concept of "human rights" has been largely shaped by Western capitalism, which has developed based on the blood and tears of the people in the world over a long period of time. During the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, in order to overthrow the feudal autocratic system and hierarchical privileges, the Western bourgeoisie put forward the theory of "natural human rights." The U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789 both declared in the form of political programs that "all men are created equal" and advocated the sacrosanct rights of citizens. However, the reality is not quite as rosy as the Declarations suggest because here "people" only refer to "citizens." The relevant expressions of the Declaration of Independence applied merely to white men who owned certain property, while slaves, women, colored people, and white people who did not own property were unable to obtain the corresponding rights. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen refers to "citizens" only as male citizens. After the Western bourgeoisie overthrew the feudal autocracy and established the capitalist system, the dazzling slogans of "natural human rights" and "all men are created equal" gradually revealed their true face. When capitalism entered the colonial phase, Western countries turned to cruel colonial plunder and slave trade and completed the primitive accumulation of wealth by trampling on the human rights of native people in their colonies. For example, since the end of the 16th century, white colonists sold more than 22 million African slaves to South America, forcing them to plant and pick cotton day and night. During the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War, white people launched thousands of attacks on Indian tribes in an attempt to seize their land, and encouraged the massacre of Indians by "offering a bounty" on their scalps. GOING THE WRONG WAY Although the era of colonial expansion has passed, some Western countries still use the concept of "human rights" selectively. This phrase has become a banner of pretense under which too many flagrant violations of other countries' sovereignty and interference in other countries' internal affairs are committed. In the name of protecting the Croats from the Serbs, the U.S.-led NATO forces launched the Kosovo War and dropped large quantities of toxic and radioactive depleted uranium bombs on Yugoslavia, a land where people are still suffering from leukemia and other after-effects many years later. In the name of fighting terrorism, the United States launched its longest war in Afghanistan, leaving a shattered country behind after twenty years of military control, wanton killings and negligence of management. According to a survey from Brown University, since the beginning of the 21st century, the United States has carried out military operations in 85 countries in the name of "counter-terrorism" or "protecting human rights," which directly claimed at least 929,000 civilian lives and displaced 38 million people. The latest example is what happened in the Middle East. More than 20,000 Palestinian civilians, including more than 8,000 children, were killed during the current round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States has provided Israel with 14,000 bombs at a total value of 110 million U.S. dollars, constantly vetoed UN draft humanitarian resolutions on the conflict, and obstructed the efforts of the international community to promote a ceasefire, without any concern for the Palestinian people's basic right to existence and reasonable demand for an independent state, as if "human rights" were something only enjoyed by those who sided with the United States. There are still some who use "human rights" as an excuse to slander and smear others. In recent years, some Western countries fabricated "genocide" and "forced labor" in China's Xinjiang, and imposed illegal sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals without any basis, in an attempt to hinder China's development. Yet they choose to turn a blind eye to the fact that over the past 60 years and more, the total population of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang has increased from 2.2 million to about 12 million, the average life expectancy has increased from 30 years to 75 years, and the comprehensive mechanization level of crop planting and harvesting has reached over 87.6 percent. Even within Western countries, there are double standards on human rights. For example, people of African origin are the main victims of gun violence or police violence, and the elderly were the first to be given up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Minority groups are easily attacked or discriminated against in the Western world. Muslims, Asians, and Latinos are often victims of racial discrimination. Youngsters are forced to work and women are subject to sex discrimination in their education or employment. These are not old stories in the 19th or 20th century but what is taking place in many Western countries today. All human beings are born free and equal with dignity and rights, irrespective of their race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Their universal human rights are enshrined in the many conventions and treaties that govern the behavior of states, institutions and individuals. Those are not just letters on the pages but need to be put into practice every day and in every corner of the world. The original definition of human rights should not be forgotten. Human rights should no longer be used as a nasty means to make profits, both political and monetary. They should no longer belong to only white people, to "winners" and their sidekicks, to the strong who prey on the weak, but should also belong to the weak, the minorities and those from under-developed countries. Only in this way can global human rights governance get back to the fair, just, reasonable and inclusive path. Editor's note: The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News, CGTN, Global Times, China Daily, etc. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency. COCOA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, the number of launches from the Space Coast continues to increase, with a record-breaking 72 launches in 2023. That pace will continue this year, including plans for an impressive six crewed launches. Although the launch of Artemis II has been moved from November 2024 to September 2025, there are still plenty of landmark launches set for 2024: January 17 Axiom Space began private, commercially crewed space flights in 2022, and this month will make their third mission to the International Space Station. Axiom-3 features an all-European crew with chief astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria of Spain, who has flown on the space shuttle Columbia and a Soyuz craft. The paying customers include Mission Pilot Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, and Mission Specialists ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden and Alper Gezeravc, Turkey's first astronaut. Ax-3 is targeting a 14-day mission aboard the ISS and will be using the Crew Dragon Freedom capsule aboard a Space X Falcon 9. The number of launches from the Space Coast continues to increase, with a record-breaking 72 launches in 2023. Post this No Earlier Than (NET) February 2024 NASA's Commercial Crew Program will launch the SpaceX Crew-8 mission from Kennedy Space Center to the ISS aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour. The crew of the planned 180-day mission includes NASA astronauts Commander Matthew Dominick, Pilot Michael Barratt, Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin. NET mid-April 2024 Boeing CST-100 Starliner's first Crewed Flight Test is set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will head to the ISS for an eight-day mission before returning to Earth via parachute- and airbag-assisted ground landing, demonstrating Starliner's ability to achieve NASA certification and safely fly regular crewed missions to space. The crew for the Starliner-1, positioned to launch in 2025, have been chosen. TBD, Summer 2024 The Polaris Dawn program, backed by billionaire Jared Isaacman, will fly its first of up to three missions with only private citizens on board. This five-day mission plans to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown by a crewed spacecraft (breaking Gemini XI's record) and will attempt the first commercial extravehicular activity with SpaceX-designed EVA spacesuits, in addition to 38 experiments on the human effects of spaceflight and space radiation. This will be Isaacman's second flight after 2022's Inspiration4, and he will be the mission's commander. He will be joined aboard Crew Dragon Resilience by civilians and first-timers Scott Poteet (mission pilot), Sarah Gillis (payload specialist), and Anna Menon (medical officer). NET mid-August 2024 NASA and SpaceX's Crew-9 has not yet been chosen but is expected to launch to the ISS this year. NET mid-October 2024 Axiom-4 is targeting a 14-day stay at the ISS, but no crew has been announced. NASA requires these missions to be commanded by former NASA astronauts with experience on the space station. Head to VisitSpaceCoast.com to begin planning your out-of-this-world vacation at the only beach that doubles as a launch pad. SOURCE Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jamaica received a significant international accolade today as S Hotel in Montego Bay secured the coveted title of Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resort in the 2024 USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. S Hotel in Montego Bay wins Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resort in the 2024 USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Post this S Hotel Jamaica Named #1 Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resort in 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Travel Awards USA Today, a globally recognized newspaper in the United States, is known for its prestigious Readers' Choice Awards, which acknowledges excellence in various categories. This accomplishment adds to S Hotel's impressive track record, having previously attained first place as Best Hotel in the Caribbean and ranked 16th place in the Best Hotels in the World in the Conde Nast 2023 Readers' Choice Awards. "This recognition is a testament to the dedication and passion of the entire S Hotel Jamaica team in delivering a world-class, all-inclusive experience that showcases the beauty and culture of Jamaica," says Andres Cope, Hotel Manager at S Hotel, "We extend heartfelt gratitude to our loyal guests, dedicated team members, and unwavering supporters for making this remarkable recognition possible." Located on the iconic Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in Montego Bay, S Hotel is a living embodiment of Jamaican culture and heritage. The award-winning resort immerses guests in a tapestry of Jamaican history and artistry, featuring sculptures of renowned Jamaican figures, 10-foot-long Jamaican-inspired boots adorned in traditional colors, and a lively passa passa-themed reggae and dancehall nightclub named Club S, providing an authentic Jamaican nightlife experience. As the only luxury hotel gracing the pristine Doctor's Cave Beach, S Hotel Jamaica welcomes guests aged 16 and over, and offers a diverse selection of culinary delights, wellness amenities, interactive guest experiences, and local excursions. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection, S Hotel features three bars, a 24-hour chic cafe, two pools, spacious suites, and five restaurants offering authentic Jamaican and international cuisine. The resort also houses a subterranean spa with three plunge pools and a sauna, a fully equipped gym, and meticulously designed rooms that seamlessly blend modern sensibilities with the vibrant essence of Jamaica. The nominees in each award category are meticulously selected by a panel of experts, comprising editors from USA TODAY, editors from 10Best.com, relevant expert contributors, and sources from Gannett properties and other media outlets. Voting is conducted digitally on the 10Best.com website. For more information about S Hotel Jamaica and reservations, please visit shoteljamaica.com. Media Contact: Nadeige Martelly [email protected] SOURCE S Hotel Jamaica ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU) proudly announces the appointment of Rachel Rust as its new Chief Experience Officer. Rachel brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise in the financial industry, and her arrival marks an exciting new chapter for SDFCU. Additionally, SDFCU is pleased to announce the promotion of Victor Hall to the position of Chief Retail Officer. In his new role, Victor will be responsible for overseeing the credit union's retail operations and ensuring the delivery of high-quality financial services to its members. Rachel Rust, Chief Experience Officer, SDFCU Victor Hall, Chief Retail Officer, SDFCU Prior to joining SDFCU, Rachel served as an instrumental figure in Andrews Federal Credit Union (AFCU), where she held various leadership positions over the past decade including Vice President of European Operations. Her exceptional dedication, strategic thinking, and proven track record of driving growth and enhancing customer satisfaction make her the perfect fit for this influential role at SDFCU. As Chief Experience Officer, Rachel will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of member experience, ensuring that SDFCU continues to provide exceptional service and innovative solutions to its valued members. With her deep understanding of consumer needs and preferences, Rachel will lead the development and implementation of strategies aimed at continuously improving and personalizing the interactions between SDFCU and its global members. Victor Hall has a proven track record of success during his tenure at SDFCU, where he previously held the position of Senior Director of Retail Delivery. Under his leadership, the credit union witnessed significant growth and innovation in its retail delivery channels, enhancing member satisfaction and expanding the credit union's reach. As the newly appointed Chief Retail Officer, Mr. Hall will continue to leverage his expertise in digital banking to drive the credit union's strategic initiatives. He will lead cross-functional teams to develop and implement innovative retail strategies that align with SDFCU's mission of empowering its members to achieve their financial goals. Commenting on Rachel and Victor's appointments, Jim Hayes, CEO of SDFCU, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We are thrilled to have Rachel join our team partnering with Victor. Their extensive knowledge of the industry, combined with their passion for delivering outstanding experiences to members, will play a crucial role in driving our mission of empowering the financial well-being of our members. We look forward to leveraging their expertise to enhance our member-centric approach further." About State Department Federal Credit Union State Department Federal Credit Union is a member-owned full-service financial institution that is committed to serving its nearly 90,000 members worldwide. With $2.8 Billion in assets, SDFCU offers a full range of financial products and services that address the diverse and global needs of its members. SDFCU is headquartered in Old Town Alexandria, VA with 6 branch locations. Visit SDFCU at www.sdfcu.org. SOURCE SDFCU If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Jerusalem, Jan 13 : Israel has reached an agreement with Qatar to allow the delivery of vital prescription drugs to Israeli hostages in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said in a statement "The medication will be delivered in the next few days," it noted. David Barnea, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency chief, led the talks with Qatar on the Israeli side, the office was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. The high-level negotiations included talks about increasing the quantity of medicines that Israel allows into the besieged enclave for Gaza civilians. However, the statement did not mention whether progress has been achieved on the issue. About 132 people are still held in Gaza by Hamas and other militant groups after being kidnapped during Hamas' surprise attack on October 7. The Israeli bombardment and siege have created a severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 23,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. --IANS int/sha WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military has launched another airstrike on Houthi targets in Yemen, CNN reported on Friday, citing anonymous U.S. officials. Launched Friday night U.S. Eastern Time, the strikes were much smaller in scale compared to those launched Thursday by the United States and Britain, said the report. The official said that the additional strikes were carried out unilaterally by the U.S. military. Thursday's strikes were believed to have degraded the Houthis' capabilities to attack vessels in the Red Sea, Director of the Joint Staff Douglas Sims told a press briefing held by the Defense Department on Friday. Sims expects possible retaliation from the Houthis after Thursday's strikes but emphasizes preparedness. "We're ready for any response," he said. Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder told reporters during the briefing that Thursday's strikes hit more than 60 targets in 28 locations. Kiev, Jan 13 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and visiting UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have reportedly signed a security agreement. Zelensky said on Friday that the guarantees prescribed in the 10-year agreement will be in place until Ukraine joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. "We agreed with Britain on security in all areas -- on the land, in the air, at sea and in cyberspace," Zelensky noted. According to the President, the deal covers issues related to weapons, sanctions, Ukraine's border and post-conflict recovery. For his part, Sunak said that under the deal, the UK will provide Ukraine with weapons, including naval weapons, and force Russia "to pay the economic price" for conflict with Ukraine. Sunak, who arrived in Kiev earlier in the day, also pledged that the UK will provide 2.5 billion pounds (about $3.2 billion) in fresh defence aid to Ukraine. The aid would cover anti-tank weapons, missiles, artillery shells, and military training for Ukrainian troops, he said. Gaza, Jan 13 : The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 23,708, the Gaza-based Health Ministry has said. The ministry in a press statement on Friday said that the Israeli army killed 151 Palestinians and wounded 248 others during the past 24 hours, Xinhua news agency reported. It added that since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, 60,005 Palestinians were wounded as a result of Israeli attacks, noting that a large number of victims are still under the rubble, and ambulance and civil defence crews cannot reach them. Eyewitnesses and local sources told Xinhua that Israeli aircraft had earlier targeted a residential house near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, west of the city of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, killing 11 people and seriously wounding several others. Meanwhile, armed clashes continued in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, and Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, the sources added. Tel Aviv, Jan 13 : Idan Amedi, star of the popular Netflix web series 'Fauda', has been released from the ICU after he was admitted for grevious injuries he sustained in the ongoing war in Gaza. He has now been shifted to the trauma centre at the Sheba Medical Centre in Ramat Gan city. The Fauda star was a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) and had been serving in the Combat Engineering Corps when he was hit by sharpnels across the body. He has documented moments from the military service on his Instagram account and had said, "this is not a scene from 'Fauda' this is real life". He also added that he and his fellow soldiers were motivated by their concern for the victims of the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre. "May God and us avenge their blood," Amedi said. In the popular web series, Amedi portrays his role of Sagi, a member of the counter-terrorism unit headed by Doron played by actor Lior Raz. Dima Hasao: Voters stand in a queue to cast their vote during the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) elections. Image Source: IANS News Guwahati, Jan 13 : The BJP has swept the 13th North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) elections in Assam, winning 25 out of the 28 seats. Two of the three independent candidates who won seats are rebel BJP candidates. The results of the polls were announced late Friday night. In the 2019 autonomous council elections, the Congress had secured two seats. This time however, neither of the party candidates prevailed. This year's autonomous council election saw the defeat of candidates from the Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the BJP's ally in the Assam Assembly. Prior to the election, the BJP candidates won six of the council's 28 seats without facing any opposition. On January 8, the remaining 22 seats were put to a vote. According to representatives of the State Election Commission, around 70 per cent of the 1,41,124 voters had cast their ballots. Despite the calm conduct of the election, Trinamool Congress claimed that the BJP prevented voters from exercising their right to vote. Debolal Garlosa was tipped by the BJP to be the autonomous council's Chief Executive Member (CEM). The saffron camp had also fielded some surrendered insurgents. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had claimed responsibility for bringing the militants into the mainstream throughout the campaign and assured that those who turned themselves in would receive skill development training to help them find employment. According to Garlosa, the BJP's campaigns were greatly influenced by the ways in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies had improved the lives of those living in their council. "Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was also one of the main factors in our win, aside from Modi Ji's development programs. He led us in every scenario and all the major plans are being carried out under his direction," Garlosa mentioned. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev had said during the election that her party was hoping to win some seats and take the lead opposition position in the autonomous council. After the results, she said they were pleased with the votes they got and that this is a fresh start. "We see this as a positive development. We shall keep fighting for the residents of the NC Hills Autonomous Council in the upcoming years because we have gotten a sizable amount of votes," she told IANS. "We are in second place in eight of the eleven seats, and the Congress party is in second place in only one of the twenty-two seats. This demonstrates our superior strength against the Congress in Dima Hasao." --IANS tdr/ksk Taipei, Jan 13 : Some 19.5 eligible voters in Taiwan will cast their ballots on Saturday to elect a new President and Parliament amid growing warnings from China that Taipei's future was at "crossroads". Voters queued up outside polling stations across the country and voting will end at 4 p.m., reports CNN. Results are expected later in the evening. During the campaign period, candidates toured major cities and staged nightly rallies, featuring rock music, emotional speeches and the rhythmic chanting of slogans by large crowds. The three main contenders vying to succeed incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen -- the island's first female leader -- are Hou Yu-ih from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party; Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP); and Lai Ching-te from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP). Lai, who is the incumbent Vice President, is hoping to win a third term for the ruling DPP, which has always clashed with Beijing over its defence of Taiwan's sovereignty. This would be unprecedented in the island's nearly three decades of democratic history and rejecting China's strongarm tactics, CNN reported. Meanwhile, Hou, a mayor and former police chief, is the candidate KMT, which traditionally favours closer cross-strait ties. A victory for the KMT would be welcome to Beijing and signal that voters might want to de-escalate tensions. Ko, who founded the TPP in 2019 to challenge the island's political duopoly, also favors closer ties with China but says he will be less deferential to Beijing than the KMT. China's ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its territory, despite having never controlled it. On Wednesday, China warned Taiwan's voters to "make the right choice at the crossroads of cross-strait relations" while railing against the ruling DPP. President Xi Jinping has previously described the presidential poll on the self-governing island as a choice between "war and peace", reports the BBC. He has also called Taiwan's unification with the mainland "a historical inevitability." Just hours before polling began, China's Defence Ministry vowed to take "all necessary measures to crush any forms of secessionist designs for Taiwan independence". The election, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is "purely an internal Chinese matter" and Beijing refuses to acknowledge the vote is legitimate. In the past year, China has significantly stepped up its military pressure on Taiwan with the use of jets and warships. However, it has repeatedly emphasised that it would prefer peaceful "unification" over a war. Washington, Jan 13 : Migrant apprehensions at Eagle Pass, Texas, on the US-Mexico border has significantly dropped from thousands in a day to about only 500 this week, according to officials. Overall migrant encounters on the US southern border topped 10,000 per day in mid-December, then dropped to about 3,000 per day in January, CNN reported. The dip came after high-level talks between Mexico and the US in Mexico City. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has attributed the dip to enhanced enforcement actions by Mexico, including on trains and buses; Mexico moving migrants along the country's northern border to the southern border; and Mexico reinstating deportations of Venezuelans. But tensions remain high between state and federal officials, with Texas blocking the US Border Patrol from accessing miles of the border line. The state's Republican Governor Greg Abbott has said that Texas is doing everything short of shooting new arrivals to stem the migration flow. On Friday, US President Joe Biden's administration told the Supreme Court that new barriers recently erected by Texas authorities "reinforce" the federal government's need for the apex court to quickly intervene in the matter. New Delhi, Jan 13 : An on duty Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Delhi Police committed suicide by shooting himself with his service revolver in south Delhi, an official said on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Ramavtar, a native of district Mahendergarh, Haryana, had joined Delhi Police in 1993. According to police, on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, ASI Ramavtar along with Sub-Inspector Prem Singh were deployed on night picket duty at B.P. Marg. "At around 3 a.m., Ramavtar informed his fellow Sub Inspector to take rest for 10 minutes and went to sit in his car, which was parked near the barricade," said a senior police official. "When SI Prem went to check on him after some time, he found that ASI Ramavtar had shot himself with his service pistol and he was found dead," the official added. US carries out fresh strikes against Houthis in Yemen. Image Source: IANS News Sanaa, Jan 13 : Just a day after launching a coordinated multi-nation attack on nearly 30 Houthi positions in Yemen, the US on Saturday carried out fresh airstrikes against the Iran-backed militia in the war-torn nation. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the new strikes were carried out at about 3.45 a.m. on Saturday. "This strike was conducted by the USS Carney (DDG 64) using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and was a follow-on action on a specific military target associated with strikes taken on January 12 designed to degrade the Houthi's ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels," it said in a post on X. The Central Command said that since November 19, 2023, the Houthi militants have attempted to "attack and harass" vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at least 28 times. "These illegal incidents include attacks that have employed anti-ship ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles," it said. The CENTCOM also clarified that these strikes have no association with and are separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of over 20 countries operating in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden. On Friday, the US and UK struck 28 separate Houthi sites in an attempt to disrupt their ability to fire upon international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, reports CNN. The two countries were also backed by Canada, Australia, Bahrain, and the Netherlands. the US had threatened the possibility of additional military action if the Houthis continued to launch drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. "We will make sure we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior along with our allies," US President Joe Biden said on Friday while in Pennsylvania. But after the US-led strikes, the Iran-backed rebel group launched another anti-ship ballistic missile towards a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen. Saturday's strikes also come after the White House said it was trying to avoid an escalation. "Everything we're doing, everything we're trying to do is to prevent any further escalation," John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told CNN on Friday. Friday's strikes targeted radar facilities and command and control nodes, as well as facilities used for the storage and launch of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. "These are the primary weapons the Houthis have used to target commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The attacks killed five people and wounded six more, CNN quoted a spokesman for the Houthi military as saying. The Houthis vowed that their forces would respond to the attack, calling US and UK assets "legitimate targets". The militia control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The Houthis said they only attack those Israel-linked or Israel-bound ships to press Israel to stop its war on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip. BSF jawan kills self with service rifle in Bengal. Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, Jan 13 : A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan posted along the Indo-Bangladesh border at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district in West Bengal has allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle. The deceased has been identified as Satyban Singh (48). He was attached with battalion number 138 of BSF. BSF jawans posted at the camp, who heard rifle firing sound, found Singh lying in a pool of blood on Friday, sources said. The exact reason as to why he took the extreme step is yet to be ascertained. The BSF authorities have handed over the body of the slain jawan to the cops of the local Sahibganj Police station. The body has been sent for post-mortem, Cooch Behar DSP Dyutiman Bhattacharya said. Two shooters of Arsh Dalla gang arrested in Delhi, grenade recovered. Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, Jan 13 : Police in Bengaluru on Saturday arrested a woman on charges of killing her husband killed with her lover and then trying to project it as a case of heart attack. The incident was reported from the HSR Layout police station. The accused has been identified as Nandini Bai, a resident of HSR Layout, while her deceased 30-year-old husband was named Venkata Nayak. The police have also arrested her lover Nitish Kumar. According to the police, Nandini had called Nitish home on January 9 while Venkata was out. But he returned home, and caught the two red-handed, following which an arguement ensued between Nandini and Venkata. In between the quarrel, Nandini and Nitish hit the victim with a stone, leading to his death. They dragged his body near the toilet and placed the stone there. She thend called the police and claimed that her husband had collapsed near the toilet and died after banging his head on the sharp-edged stone. The police initially registered a case of unnatural death. However, the post-mortem report revealed that it was a case of murder and preliminary investigationsalso confirmed that it was not natural death. The police detained Nandini and she confessed to the crime after she was interrogated. The probe also revealed that Nandini and Nitesh were childhood friends and hailed from the Sathya Sai region in Andhra Pradesh. They developed an affair and Nitesh would come from Andhra Pradesh to meet Nandini whenever her husband was away. Yu Long (C), who holds senior positions at the China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, conducts during a concert presented by the Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate Chinese New Year in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, the United States, Jan. 12, 2024. The Philadelphia Orchestra once again brought together Western and Chinese music on Friday evening to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. The Philadelphia Orchestra presented a concert in front of over 2,000 people in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. (Xinhua/Xie E) PHILADELPHIA, the United States, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philadelphia Orchestra once again brought together Western and Chinese music on Friday evening to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. The Philadelphia Orchestra presented a concert in front of over 2,000 people in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Yu Long, who holds senior positions at the China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, made his conducting debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra. "We always try to do something that brings together Chinese music and Western music. Obviously, we're a Western orchestra but even tonight you'll see Chinese instruments such as the Erhu," said Matias Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Tarnopolsky told Xinhua that thanks to Yu's vision, the concert had more of a global feel with the orchestra performing Chinese music and music from other countries and traditions as well. The performance featured the jinghu, a Chinese bowed string instrument and the bamboo flute from the East as well as the cello, piano and violin. Artists not only presented the Spring Festival Overture, Er Huang and Jasmine Flower, which are well known to Chinese audiences, but also Fantasy on Bizet's Carmen and "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka. "It was a 10 out of 10 experience. It was so good and I'll be back next year," said Jonathan Sajy, an audience member from Philadelphia. Sajy told Xinhua he had no prior understanding of Chinese music but "after tonight's performance, it really piqued my interest." The concert not long before the Lunar New Year created a unique experience and the violinist's performance was amazing, said Guan Xiangchen, a Chinese student studying in Philadelphia. The mix of Western opera and Peking opera during the performance was amazing and he was profoundly touched when he listened to the Erhu, said Andrew Peterson, who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and attended the event with his students. There is a need for more cultural and people-to-people exchanges today and the combination of Western and Chinese music in the performance enables integration and exchange, said Yu. Tarnopolsky said, "Music expresses thoughts and ideas that words alone cannot ... We're all equal in front of the music and so music has this incredible power to make connections and to build bridges between people so that all the differences melt away and what you're left with is what unifies you." The annual Lunar New Year celebration pays tribute to Philadelphia's diverse Asian American community and is part of the ensemble's ongoing relationship with the people of China as well as its commitment to furthering people-to-people exchange through music, said an earlier release by the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Chinese Lunar New Year will fall on Feb. 10 this year, marking the start of the Year of the Dragon. Multiple concerts are scheduled to be held in the United States to celebrate. Fu Yifei (C), a percussionist from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, performs during a concert presented by the Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate Chinese New Year in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, the United States, Jan. 12, 2024. The Philadelphia Orchestra once again brought together Western and Chinese music on Friday evening to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. The Philadelphia Orchestra presented a concert in front of over 2,000 people in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. (Xinhua/Xie E) Artists of the Philadelphia Orchestra perform during a concert to celebrate Chinese New Year in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, the United States, Jan. 12, 2024. The Philadelphia Orchestra once again brought together Western and Chinese music on Friday evening to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. The Philadelphia Orchestra presented a concert in front of over 2,000 people in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. (Xinhua/Xie E) Chinese Huqin (a traditional Chinese string instrument) artist Lu Yiwen (C) performs during a concert presented by the Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate Chinese New Year in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, the United States, Jan. 12, 2024. The Philadelphia Orchestra once again brought together Western and Chinese music on Friday evening to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. The Philadelphia Orchestra presented a concert in front of over 2,000 people in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. (Xinhua/Xie E) Srinagar: A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was killed in an ongoing encounter in North Kashmir's Baramulla district on Thursday , 21 April, 2022.(Photo:Nisar Malik/IANS). Image Source: IANS News Srinagar, Jan 13 : An army soldier was killed on Saturday while performing an "operational" task in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district. Official sources said that the Army soldier identified as gunner, Gurpreet Singh, was killed while performing an "operational task" in the forward area of Baramulla district. "The soldier belonged to Gurdaspur area of Punjab," the sources said. New Delhi, Jan 13 : Picture a necklace of emerald isles scattered across the azure Arabian Sea - that's Lakshadweep, a place that has captivated the imaginations of Indians for years. Long considered a distant dream due to its remote location, this idyllic paradise is now more accessible than ever, beckoning travellers to explore its wonders. Let's delve into why Lakshadweep should be your next travel destination, and how recent developments, coupled with better connectivity, have made this hidden gem easier to access. New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANSlife) Picture a necklace of emerald isles scattered across the azure Arabian Sea a" that's Lakshadweep, a place that has captivated the imaginations of Indians for years. Long considered a distant dream due to its remote location, this idyllic paradise is now more accessible than ever, beckoning travellers to explore its wonders. Let's delve into why Lakshadweep should be your next travel destination, and how recent developments, coupled with better connectivity, have made this hidden gem easier to access. Unrivalled Beauty: Imagine yourself on pristine beaches, the gentle waves caressing the shore, vibrant coral reefs teeming with life, and coconut palms swaying in the salty breeze. Lakshadweep offers all this and more, untouched by the hustle of mass tourism. Dive into the crystal-clear waters to swim with dolphins, kayak through mangroves, or simply relax on the tranquil shores a" nature's symphony awaits your presence. Cultural Marvel: Beyond the breathtaking beaches, Lakshadweep boasts a vibrant culture woven with ancient traditions and warm hospitality. Experience the graceful movements of the Maldivian folk dance, savour the delectable flavours of locally spiced fresh seafood, and discover unique fishing techniques passed down through generations. Easier Access: Forget about the days of limited travel options. Today, direct flights from Kochi, Bengaluru, and Chennai effortlessly transport you to Agatti or Bangaram islands, the gateways to Lakshadweep. Ferry services provide a scenic journey connecting the islands, while private yachts and chartered boats cater to luxury travellers seeking a bespoke experience. Network Connectivity: While basic 2G/3G services are available on some islands, high-speed internet access has always been limited. Recently, telecom giant Airtel became the first 5G network provider to the Union territory. Most of Lakshadweep islands have been receiving 4G work since 2019 but now the tourists visiting Agatti & Kavaratti can continue using high-speed 5G network on their devices with Airtelas 5G Plus for seamless connectivity on the go. Digital Detox, Natural Reconnection: Although network connectivity is gradually improving, Lakshadweep's charm lies in its digital detox. Leave behind constant pings and notifications and reconnect with yourself amidst the breathtaking beauty. Embrace the silence, the starlit nights, and the rhythm of the ocean a" a digital cleanse for the soul. Planning Your Paradise Getaway: Lakshadweep requires permits for Indian tourists, easily obtainable online. Choose from government-run beach resorts, private eco-friendly havens, or homestays for an authentic experience. Mind the local dress code and cultural sensitivities to ensure a harmonious visit. IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in --IANS os/ lh Washington, Jan 13 : The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it will keep Boeing 737-9 MAX grounded for the safety of travellers until extensive inspection and maintenance are conducted and data from inspections is reviewed. In an online statement on Friday, the FAA said that it determined it needed additional data and is requiring Boeing to provide it after reviewing the aircraft manufacturer's proposed inspection and maintenance instructions, reports Xinhua news agency. Accordingly, the FAA is requiring plug-door inspections of 40 aircraft. If Boeing's inspection and maintenance instructions are approved, operators will be required to perform that regimen on every aircraft before it is returned to service, the FAA said. The FAA decisively grounded approximately 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX planes on January 6 after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a 737 MAX 9, lost a mid-cabin exit door plug while it was in flight. The mid-cabin door plugs the aircraft became dislodged following an abrupt depressurisation shortly after departure on January 5. 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 takeoff. The agency has launched an investigation to determine if Boeing failed to ensure that completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations. The FAA said it will continue to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which is independent of its own investigation. The two airlines that operate Boeing 737 Max 9 in the US -- Alaska Airlines and United Airlines -- later found either loose hardware or bolts in the assembly of door plugs on their aircraft. Bengaluru, Jan 13 : Concerned over the development that BJP is making a decision to give Mandya Parliamentary seat to its alliance partner JD (S) in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh will soon meet Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra in a day or two to discuss the matter, sources said. Sources confirmed that the decision was already made by BJP to field a JD (S) candidate from Mandya seat which is currently represented by Ambareesh. Ambareesh won with a whopping margin against former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamyas son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the last Lok Sabha elections. Then, BJP had supported Ambaeesh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed people to vote for her in the campaign. She had supported BJP but with the latest development, her followers are forcing her to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming polls, sources explained. Ambareesh is likely to demand a ticket for the Mandya Lok Sabha seat from Vijayendra and party leadership. On the other hand, Congress, which is searching for a winning candidate, has planned to pull her into the party and make her its candidate. Mandya is considered as the heartland of the influential Vokkaliga community and JD (S) derives its core strength from the region. However, Ambareesh was able to emerge victorious, beating JD (S) on its own turf. The Vokkaliga community has special affection towards her husband, late Kannada superstar Ambareesh. If Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Ambareesh join hands, it might upset the calculations of JD (S) and BJP to sweep the Vokkaliga votes in south Karnataka. Knowing well, BJP and JD (S) are treading carefully and are confident of assuaging Ambareesh. Gurugram, Jan 13 : The body of former model Divya Pauja, who was shot dead at a hotel in Gurugram earlier this month, was recovered from a canal in Haryana's Fatehabad district 11 days after the murder, police said on Saturday. "The body in a decomposing state was recovered from the Bhakra canal in Tohana," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya said. Divya was shot dead in room number 111 of the City Point Hotel located near the Gurugram bus stand on January 2. According to the police, Divya and Abhijeet Singh, the owner of the City Point Hotel, were in a relationship and the latter her in a fit of rage after she refused to delete some of his objectionable photos from her mobile phone. Abhijeet's friends -- Balraj Gill, a resident of Sector-5, Panchkula, and Ravi Banga, from Gurudwara Road Model Town, Hisar -- are suspected to have dumped Divya's body. The police have so far arrested five persons -- Abhijeet, his aides Om Prakash, Hemraj, Balraj and a woman, Megha. Ravi Banga is still absconding. The woman had helped Abhijeet in discarding the murder weapon, throwing away documents and other personal belongings of the victim. Om Prakash and Hemraj had helped Abhijeet drag Divya's body into the boot of a BMW car. Later, Balraj and Ravi fled with the body. Megha told the police that when she reached the hotel on January 2, she noticed Divya's body. Abhijeet then asked her to dispose of the belongings of the deceased woman, but she was too scared to follow his instructions, sources said. The police have recovered the BMW car which was used to take the body to Patiala. During questioning, Abhijeet told the police that Divya used to blackmail him and also extorted money. Divya came in contact with Abhijeet through a jailed gangster, Binder Gujjar, who is believed to be the prime conspirator in the alleged "fake encounter" of gangster Sandeep Gadoli, along with the Gurugram Police, which took place in Mumbai in 2016. Divya was the prime accused in the case. Later, she was arrested in connection with the gangster's murder, and she spent seven years in jail. She was granted bail last year in June by the Bombay High Court. Divya's family has alleged that her murder was conspired by Gadoli's family members, along with Abhijeet. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 13 : The Centre has announced a probe against Exalogic- an IT firm based in Bengaluru, owned by Veena Vijayan, daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CMRL- a Kochi based mining company and the state owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) for alleged irregularities. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs ordered the probe which will be carried out by a three-member team attached to the Director General. The probe was ordered on Friday night based on a report from the Registrar of Companies- Bengaluru that the dealings of Exalogic was not fair. After a preliminary probe by the Bengaluru ROC, it found out various violations and offences under the Companies Act and recommended an investigation into it. For the past few months, the issue has been raging both inside and outside the Assembly after a media report, quoting an Income Tax department official, claimed that Veena's firm had received Rs 1.72 crore from CMRL - a mining company. The issue was first taken up by first-time Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan. On Saturday, speaking to the media after the probe order came, he asked if Veena Vijayan had received the money as alms as neither she nor her company did any work for CMRL at all. "It's not just one company from which her firm received money. The day when this case first surfaced last year, it was the CPI(M) state secretariat which defended Veena's firm stating that everything is fair as she is a professional. Now I want to hear from them again on this new probe order. What's also very important is a state government company- KSIDC is also going to be probed, so wish to hear from State Industries Minister P. Rajeev about this," said Kuzhalnadan. Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan said they are the least excited about this probe as all knows the CPI(M) and the BJP are in an "unholy alliance". a"Just look into the gold smuggling case, the manner in which the SNC Lavalin case has been adjourned for years ( both cases where Vijayan's name surfaced) and also the Karuvannur bank scam ( where top leaders of the CPI(M) are in the dock), after an initial noise by central agencies, things went into a slumber. Just wait for things to unfurl as with the Lok Sabha polls rounds the corner, there is something cooking up between the CPI(M) and the BJP, so we are the least excited," said Satheesan. Meanwhile with the fresh probe becoming news on Saturday morning, top leaders of the CPI(M) who were arriving at their party headquarters, here when asked about this, feigned ignorance of the news and walked away. State Tourism and Public Works Minister P. A. Mohammed Riyas - son-in-law of Vijayan, the otherwise always ready with an answer, was seen walking without acknowledging the media, who crowded around him to get his reaction. Cairo, Jan 13 : Egypt had denied reports of a temporary suspension of navigation in the Suez Canal as a result of the ongoing tension in the Red Sea's strategic Bab-el-Mandeb area. Cairo, Jan 13 (IANS) Egypt had denied reports of a temporary suspension of navigation in the Suez Canal as a result of the ongoing tension in the Red Sea's strategic Bab-el-Mandeb area. Chairman of Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Osama Rabie said on Friday that navigation traffic in the canal is regular in both directions, reports Xinhua news agency. He noted that navigational services are commencing normally at the Suez Canal, revealing that 44 ships with a combined net tonnage of 2.3 million will cross from both directions on Saturday. Rabie stressed the SCA's keenness to open direct channels of communication and coordinate with companies and shipping lines to better serve the shipping community and ensure the sustainability of global supply chains. On Thursday, Rabie said the ship traffic had decreased by 30 per cent in the Canal since the beginning of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023, due to recent tensions in the Red Sea. Furthermore, the US dollar revenues from the Suez Canal have downed by 40 per cent, and the loads shrank by 41 per cent between January 1 and 11, compared to the same period of 2023, he added. Since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The US and Britain launched several airstrikes on Houthi military sites in the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other provinces under the militia's control on Friday in response to the attacks carried out by the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The Suez Canal, which carries 12 per cent of global trade, serves as one of Egypt's main sources of foreign currency. One held in connection with murder of Class 12 boy in Delhi, three absconding. Image Source: IANS News Bhubaneswar, Jan 13 : The tragic murder of a four-year-old child by his mother, who was the CEO of a Bengaluru-based startup company, has shaken the whole nation. However, this is not an isolated incident as similar cases have been reported in other parts of the country. Odisha has also witnessed several such brutal incidents of filicide -- the deliberate act of a person killing their own child -- targeting innocent minors in the recent past. A close scrutiny of some of these incidents that occurred in the state last year has revealed that a dysfunctional family, illiteracy, poverty, substance abuse and sudden provocation were the major causes behind the brutal acts. Experts also opine that as the child is considered an extended or intimate part of the self, the parents -- especially the mothers -- kill their children before committing suicide due to family discord or extremely abusive partners. In October last year, a woman was arrested by Odisha Police on charges of killing her four-year-old daughter and burying the body in a nearby forest in Gutingia village under Sarangarh police limits of Kandhamal district. "The accused Padmini Dandia along with the deceased baby girl was residing with her elderly parents after her husband left following a marital discord between the couple a few years back. She was under severe mental pressure due to marital discord and abject poverty," said Badhulika Biswal, Inspector in-charge of Sarangarh police station "One day, she decided to end her life after killing her child and left home on October 14. However, she killed her daughter but could not muster the courage to commit suicide." Biswal said she was completely traumatised by the incident and had even stopped eating. She almost became speechless, barely speaking anything following the incident. In many cases, the children are often treated as an instrument of retaliation by either of the parents in a deliberate attempt to cause the partner to suffer. The separation or estrangements of parents are considered to be the biggest causes for fatal family violence against the children. In another similar incident, police arrested a 25-year-old youth identified as K. Ganesh Patra of Adheigaon village in Ganjam district, in November last year for killing his wife and two-year-old daughter using a venomous snake. "The accused suspected his wife of having extramarital affairs while the child was the result of the illicit relationship. He would often engage in fights with her despite the counselling by the family members and police. Finally, he hatched a plan to eliminate both and killed them by unleashing a cobra," said the IIC of Kabisurya Nagar police station. Sudden provocation or use of prohibited substances also leads the parents, especially the fathers, to murder their son or daughter, often unintentionally and accidentally. A 58-year-old man stabbed his son to death when the latter protested against the accused for assaulting his mother during a fight over a petty issue in Jagatsinghpur district in July 2023. Similarly, a person under the influence of alcohol killed his five-year-old son as the chiled continued to ask him about the whereabouts of his mother who had left home following a family dispute in Rourkela on June 9, 2023. "The alarming increase in cases of filicide, where parents tragically take the lives of their own children, calls for a multifactorial approach. This complex issue is often linked to mental illness, substance abuse, family turmoil, poverty, and a history of violence," said Dr Amrit Pattojoshi, Professor & Senior Consultant Psychiatrist. Pattojoshi further said that a comprehensive strategy is necessary to effectively address this issue. "Prioritising improved access to mental health services, especially in communities affected by stigmatisation, is crucial. Early detection and assistance for families at risk, combined with educating parents on stress management, conflict resolution, and coping mechanisms, are vital measures. "Strengthening social support systems can greatly aid overwhelmed parents. In addition, a collaborative effort between legal and social services is imperative in both protecting children and providing support for families," he added. New Delhi, Jan 13 : While the recent case of the Bengaluru CEO who killed her four-year-old son, may have shocked you to the core and made you question the ultimate bond between a mother and her child, and humanity, experts stressed the importance of good relationship between parents, and seeking help for mental health. Suchana Seth, the CEO of an artificial intelligence start-up, made headlines this week after she was apprehended by Karnataka Police on Monday night for murdering her four-year-old and carrying his dead body in a bag. Seth, 39, was en route from Candolim, Goa, to Bengaluru in a cab when she was detained. While further investigation remains, mental health experts pondered over the attachment between a mother and the child, and the reason how a mother can kill her own child. Speaking to IANS, Dr Rahul Chandhok, Head Consultant- Mental Health & Behavioural Science, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon, stressed the importance of a mother's wish in having a baby. "Attachment of a parent with a child begins with a wish to have a child. But sometimes the child is not wanted, in such a scenario, the attachment does not develop in a healthy manner. After the birth, there occurs a difficulty in developing the bond between the parent and the child, which can result in severe damage to the relationship. If the person doesn't want to have a child the bond will never develop," Dr Chandhok said. He said while there are certain psychiatric disorders, where a parent can cause severe harm to the child like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, but in the absence of these, attachment issues can bring trouble. Dr Chandhok also noted that souring relationship between a couple can also make a parent harm their children. "When the relationship between the couple deteriorates, the child becomes the pawn/tussle between two adults. This can result in detachment with the child, and to such harms" he said. "At times parental alienation in the backdrop of marital discord makes one use one's own child as an object to induce suffering to one's estranged spouse," Dr Sameer Malhotra, Director and Head - Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, told IANS. This was evident in the preliminary investigations into the sensational case that revealed that Seth committed the crime to deny her former husband access to the child after a court granted him visitation rights. Health experts also stressed on the importance of the well-being of a mother during and after pregnancy, which can help develop as well as sustain the bond between a mother and her baby. A healthy and supportive atmosphere to the mother is most important post pregnancy, and any psychological symptoms during pregnancy or postpartum should be immediately addressed with a professional, they said. "Significant changes in mood and behaviour, changes in biological rhythms like sleep, appetite should not be neglected. A combination of factors: contextual, personality, paranoia / delusional beliefs and mood dysregulation can all contribute to trouble," Dr Malhotra said. The doctor stressed on the importance of a "healthy lifestyle, work life balance, positive social and family support, early identification and timely treatment of underlying psychiatric concerns" all which can have a preventive role. While reaching out for mental health support has been a taboo or stigma, Dr Sanjay Kumavat, Consultant Psychiatrist, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, said "it is incredibly vital to seek professional help if you are suffering from anxiety and other forms of depression". "Whether you are a working mother or not, seeking professional help when you have any form of stress is paramount. This is especially true if any person notices marked changes in their personality or has trouble with daily activities like eating or sleeping. "An inability to cope with problems, feelings of disconnection, or withdrawal from normal activities is something that should be brought to the attention of a mental health expert. "When a parent takes drastic steps with his/ her child, it represents a culmination of intense emotions such as rage, frustration, anger, helplessness, and a sense of worthlessness. Such actions may be impulsive and also influenced by substances like drugs," Kumavat added. Los Angeles, Jan 13 : 'The White Lotus' Season 3 has added five new cast members. Milos Bikovic, Christian Friedel, Morgana O'Reilly, Lek Patravadi and Shalini Peiris have all joined the highly-anticipated new season of the series. Los Angeles, Jan 13 (IANS) aThe White Lotusa Season 3 has added five new cast members. Milos Bikovic, Christian Friedel, Morgana OaReilly, Lek Patravadi and Shalini Peiris have all joined the highly-anticipated new season of the series. They join previously announced new cast members Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, and Tayme Thapthimthong, reports Variety. It was also announced that aThe Gilded Agea star Carrie Coon is joining Season 3, while Natasha Rothwell will return to the show in a reprisal of her role from Season 1. As per Variety, the show is set to begin production in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok, Thailand, in February. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps aside from the fact it will follow a new group of guests at a White Lotus resort property. Mike White created aThe White Lotusa and serves as executive producer and director. David Bernad and Mark Kamine also executive produce. HBO has partnered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to support the filming and promotion of the third instalment. aThe White Lotusa proved to be an immediate hit for HBO when it debuted in 2021. The first season, set in Hawaii, received 20 Emmy nominations and ten wins, including best limited or anthology series. The second installment, which premiered in December 2022 and was set in Sicily, earned 23 Emmy nominations, including best drama series. Press Release January 13, 2024 Villanueva to DMW, DFA: Ensure pay for displaced NZ OFWs; avert repeat of Saudi incident Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva exhorted the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ensure that the displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in New Zealand will get their back pay and benefits on time. "Having no job in a foreign country is a nightmare for our kababayan OFWs. For them, it's no work, no pay. And without pay, how will they survive?" Villanueva, author of the DMW ACT, said. Villanueva called the attention of the DMW and the DFA to act with dispatch on the situation of the OFWs in NZ to avoid a repeat of the experience of over 10,000 OFWs in Saudi Arabia who lost their jobs in 2015 and have yet to receive back wages and benefits to this day. "We don't want a repeat of what happened to our kababayans who were laid off in Saudi Arabia and remain waiting to get their pay and other receivables. Let's act now," Villanueva said. Some 700 workers are involved in the latest layoff in NZ, who found themselves suddenly jobless when ELE, a skilled labor agency in the construction and manufacturing sector, shut down unannounced four days before Christmas. While the firm promised to pay the OFWs, it did not give a definite date when it would do so. "We ask the DMW and the DFA to immediately make representations with the New Zealand government and the private company so that obligations to our OFWs will be fulfilled in the soonest time possible," Villanueva said. Villanueva also raised concern that while the visas of the OFWs are valid for three years, they are not allowed to switch jobs. Since the last week of December, the OFWs have been living on their own, and with the help of fellow Filipinos. "We know this is not sustainable. One of these days they will run out of food and other supplies. Worse, they have families in the Philippines who are worried and yet, in need of support as well," Villanueva said. Meanwhile, ?Villanueva also called on the DFA and DMW to be proactive in monitoring the situation of OFWs in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, following violent attacks there early this week. "Our office has received reports of the situation of our kababayans in Papua New Guinea who are seeking assistance from the government because of these violent attacks," the Majority Leader said. "Our OFWs are obviously the victims here. Swift government action will help alleviate their plight," Villanueva added. BOGOTA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were killed and dozens injured on Friday in a powerful landslide in northwestern Colombia, the government of the Choco Department said early Saturday. The landslide occurred on a road between Quibdo, the capital of the Choco Department, and Medellin, the capital of the Antioquia Department, with dozens of people and vehicles trapped in the area, Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez said on X, formerly Twitter, citing preliminary reports. At least 35 people with injuries were taken to different hospitals, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said in a statement. Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the incident as a "horrible tragedy" and asked the authorities to do their utmost to support those affected by the disaster. The Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC) used a helicopter to transport the injured and 82 rescue units had been mobilized to the affected area, the UNGRD said. Witnesses at the scene told local media that before the disaster, around 50 people were sheltering from the intense rains in a house that was then suddenly buried by the landslide. It is likely that the number of victims will increase as the rescue efforts continue. New Delhi, Jan 13 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the 8th Armed Forces Veterans' Day nation-wide celebrations on Sunday (January 14). New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the 8th Armed Forces Veteransa Day nation-wide celebrations on Sunday (January 14). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that this year, the event is being celebrated by the three services at 10 locations across the country, namely Srinagar, Pathankot, Delhi, Kanpur, Alwar, Jodhpur, Guwahati, Mumbai, Secunderabad and Kochi. For this celebration, an ex-servicemen rally is being organised at Air Force Station. The Defence Minister will also lay a wreath at the War Memorial to pay homage to the bravehearts for their supreme sacrifice and dedicated service to the nation. an official said. The event at Secunderabad will be presided over by Union Minister of State, Defence Ajay Bhatt. The event in New Delhi will be held at the Manekshaw Centre and attended by Chief of the Air Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff and Vice Chief of the Army Staff, the official added. MoD said that as a part of scaling up of the Veteransa Day, the Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors have been urged to celebrate the day in their respective states and Uunion territories. During the event, the veterans will be felicitated with a medal, souvenir, recognition certificate etc. As part of the celebrations, 'We for Veterans' Anthem, an ode to the Veterans, will also be played. The Armed Forces Veteransa Day is celebrated on January 14 every year as it was on this day in 1953 that the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who led the forces to victory in the 1947 war, formally retired from the service. The day was first celebrated in 2016 and it is commemorated every year since then by hosting such interactive events in the honour of the Ex-Servicemen, the official said. New Delhi, Jan 13 : India has requested the US to restore its status under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program which was scrapped by the former Donald Trump administration in 2019. The issue came up at the India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting here co-chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai. "Commerce Minister Goyal reiterated India's interest in restoration of its beneficiary status under the Generalized System of Preferences program. Ambassador Tai noted that this could be considered, as warranted, in relation to the eligibility criteria determined by the US Congress," a joint statement issued on Friday night after the meeting said. India was the largest beneficiary of the GSP status in 2017, with $5.7 billion worth of goods being exported duty-free to the US. About 1,900 products such as engineering goods, chemicals and textiles were allowed to enter the US without an duty being levied on them. The Ministers also noted that the movement of professional and skilled workers, students, investors and business visitors between the countries contributes immensely to enhancing the bilateral economic and technological partnership. Minister Goyal highlighted challenges being faced by business visitors from India due to visa processing time periods and requested the United States to augment processing, the joint statement said. They also identified certain areas, including critical minerals, customs and trade facilitation, supply chains, and trade in high tech products, in which the US and India will develop an ambitious and forward looking roadmap for enhanced cooperation in order to achieve economically meaningful outcomes. The Ministers committed to pursue these efforts with a view to establish the foundation to launch future joint initiatives. They also emphasised their mutual interest in furthering public health discussions to ensure safe and effective medical products. India emphasised the need to increase the number of inspections by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in India to facilitate trade and continue to reduce the backlog. The US appreciated India's remarks, noting that the FDA has increased staffing to increase pharmaceutical inspections conducted by the agency. They two ministers also welcomed the strong momentum in India-US bilateral trade in goods and services, which continued to rise and likely surpassed $200 billion in calendar year 2023 despite a challenging global trade environment. They acknowledged that considering the size of their economies, significant potential remains unrealized and expressed their mutual desire to further enhance engagement with the goal of continuing to increase and diversify bilateral trade. The Ministers reiterated their commitment to ensure that technical regulations, such as Quality Control Orders, do not create unnecessary barriers to trade by providing sufficient opportunities for stakeholder consultations and ensuring that relevant domestic standards align with international standards to the extent feasible. The US welcomed India's efforts to modernize its patent system and registration processes across its IP offices, particularly through recently proposed amendments to the patent rules which aim towards streamlining compliance requirements and easing the process of patent filing and granting. Patna, Jan 13 : The arrested accused in the horrifying rape and murder of two minor girls in Phulwari Sharif on the outskirts of Patna, was a serial offender, a top police official said on Saturday. The accused, identified as Devanand Rai alias Bhoplu, a native of Adampur village, was arrested on Friday. He committed the crime on Monday and on Tuesday, the two minor girls of the Mahadalit community, aged eight and 12-year-old, were found abandoned in a pit near Hinduni village. The accused killed the younger victim after raping her. He also attacked the 12-year-old girl with a concrete slab but she survived. She is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS Patna. "We have conducted thorough investigation scientifically and traditionally in this case. Our teams interacted and took the statements of the victims' family members and they revealed that they went to collect 'Upla' in the house of accused Devananad Rai alias Bhoplu. Their statements were cross-checked with the injured victim and she also mentioned that only one person committed the crime," district SSP Rajiv Mishra. "We have also interacted with the several minor girls and women of the village. On the basis of their statements, we zerod-in the accused Devanand Rai, During interrogation, the accused broke down and confessed to the crime. He said that the victims came to his house to take 'Upla' but he said that it was not available in the house. It would be available in the agricultural field. "He then took both the victims to that place but as a woman was coming there, he asked them to go to another place. When they reached there, another woman was coming there. Hence, he took them to a third location to provide 'Upla', where he attacked the two girls. He picked a concrete slab and smashed it on their heads. "The eight-year old victim died on the spot, while second girl became unconscious. The accused thought that both the girls were dead. He left them and fled from the spot," Mishra added. The district SSP further said that during interrogation, "the accused initially misled us by alleging two more persons were involved in it". "When we cross check with those two persons, we have found two more sensational pieces of information about the accused. One of the persons said that the accused had picked his minor daughter in the lap and went into the agricultural field but as her mother spotted him holding her daughter, she raised alarm and the villagers thrashed him. At that time, the victim did not approach the police station. "When we consulted the second person, he said that his 72-year-old mother was killed by unidentified persons on April 19, 2023. When we again questioned Devanand he said that he had raped and killed the elderly woman. He said while she was sleeping in the outhouse he dragged her into an agricultural field. He first smashed her head with a pipe and when she become unconscious, he raped her. "After committing the crime, the accused tried to bring her back to outhouse but failed and left her abandoned," Mishra said. The district SSP said that a case in this regard was registered at the Phulwarisharif police station on April 19, 2023. "Injury marks appeared on the victim's back following the in the autopsy report, but rape was not ascertained. Now, we are recommending that case as well for the charge sheet against the accused," Mishra said. "We have collected evidences, including the concrete slab which was used in the commission of crime against the two minor girls. Blood stains were found on it. We also have the FSL report, statement of the survivor and others. We will also request the court for speedy trial in this case." 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 Chennai, Jan 13 : A delegation of all-party MPs from Tamil Nadu will meet the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday seeking immediate disbursal of flood relief to the state. The Tamil Nadu MPs will be demanding disbursal of Rs 37,907 crores as flood relief to the state. It may be recalled that after two major rains and subsequent floods in December 2023, caused huge losses to the state. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier written a letter to the Union Home ministry for relief and restoration work in the four districts of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts of the state. This amounts to Rs 19,692.67 crores. The four districts were ravaged by cyclone Michaung on December 3 and 4. The state has also appealed to the Union government for an amount of Rs 18214. 52 crores for the restoration of Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts of the state. Heavy rains on December 16 and 17 had inundated the four districts leading to heavy losses. London, Jan 13 : With the Rwanda asylum bill set to return to the UK Parliament next week, sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she will vote against the legislation if there were "no improvements" in it. London, Jan 13 (IANS) With the Rwanda asylum bill set to return to the UK Parliament next week, sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she will vote against the legislation if there were "no improvements" in it. One of the toughest immigration legislation ever introduced to Parliament, the bill which aims to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK to Rwanda, will face its third reading vote after MPs debate and vote on amendments to it on January 16-17. "I'm only going to support a bill that works. As currently drafted, this bill does not work. And if there are no improvements to it, I will have to vote against it, I'm afraid," Braverman said in an interview with GB News. "I'm sent to parliament to vote for things, to be for things or to be against them, not to sit on the fence" The third reading vote is the final chance for the Commons to debate the contents of a bill before it is sent to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. Right wing Conservative MPs have been warning Prime Minister Rishi Sunak -- who narrowly won the immigration debate in Parliament last month -- that his Rwanda bill will not work unless it is significantly beefed up. Braverman said that the third piece of legislation, which the government has put through to stop the boats, will not work as it is "fundamentally fatally flawed", and "pretending otherwise betrays British people". Citing reasons, the Indian-origin former cabinet minister said that it doesn't stop the scenario, as seen in June 2022, when the first deportation flight was blocked by a last-minute injunction from the European Court of Human Rights. According to her, the bill has to "preclude individual claimants" -- that is, illegal migrants who have come to the UK on boats -- from legally challenging the government's powers to detain or to remove them. "So what we'll see is wide scale and repetitive individual claims being made through the courts time and time again only having the effect of delaying their removal to Rwanda," Braverman told the GB News. Echoing her views, Robert Jenrick, who resigned as immigration minister over the bill, told the BBC: "It's my strong view that this bill doesn't work, it doesn't create that deterrent effect and so we need to improve it." Sunak, who has said he would welcome "bright ideas" to improve the bill, stated earlier that the "endless scourge" of illegal migration is costing the UK billions of pounds and costing innocent lives. "Through this new landmark emergency legislation, we will control our borders, deter people taking perilous journeys across the channel and end the continuous legal challenges filling our courts," Sunak had said in a statement released by the Home Office last month. Once the bill receives Royal Assent, it will pave the way for the UK to begin next steps in processing people for relocation and starting removal flights to Rwanda. According to the Home Office, the British government intends to fast-track the emergency legislation through the House as soon as possible. New Delhi, Jan 13 : Global technology brand Xiaomi India has said that its latest Redmi Note 13 series clocked a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore since going on sale on January 10. The latest series surpassed Redmi Note 12 5G series revenue by 95 per cent. The new series includes three models -- Redmi Note 13 5G, Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, and Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G. According to the company, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and the Redmi Note 13 Pro offer premium and pro-level features for users seeking to maximise their smartphone capabilities, like great display, flagship-level cameras, and super-fast charging. The Redmi Note 13 further continues the Note Series legacy of constantly pushing boundaries with an immersive display and sleek design that makes it the slimmest Redmi Note to date. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ comes available at a net effective price of Rs 29,999 for 8GB+256GB, Rs 31,999 for 12GB+256GB, and Rs 33,999 for 12GB+512GB, inclusive of offers, while the Redmi Note 13 Pro comes available at a net effective price of Rs 23,999 for 8GB+128GB, Rs 25,999 for 8GB+256GB and Rs 27,999 for 12GB+256GB. Users can purchase Redmi Note 13 5G at a net effective price of Rs 16,999 for 6GB+128GB, Rs 18,999 for 8GB+256 GB, and Rs 20,999 for 12GB+256GB. New Delhi, Jan 13 : Ensuring that the recovery of assets adheres to the law, without resorting to forgery, the Delhi High Court has refused anticipatory bail to one Vipul Jain, accused of producing a forged order in an arbitration proceeding. Justice Navin Chawla stressed the severity of forging an arbitrator's order, stating it as a serious offence. The denial of bail comes in response to an FIR filed last year under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, and criminal intimidation. The complainant alleged that Jain, along with others, forcibly took possession of his car using a fabricated order from an arbitrator. Justice Chawla noted the need to investigate and ascertain the individual responsible for fabricating the order. Despite Jain's denial of the allegation, the court dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail, citing the gravity of forging legal documents. The court also addressed the argument that no loss was caused due to Jain's actions, saying that such considerations would be examined during the trial and shouldn't influence the bail decision at this investigative stage. The co-accused, taken into custody earlier, was released on regular bail, but this was not deemed a basis for granting bail to Jain. --IANS spr/ksk New Delhi, Jan 13 : It is an unusual interaction. You ask the questions, and two kind people, who know Tamil, translate them for him. He answers in his native tongue, and his replies come back in English. While this delicate ballet takes place, Perumal Murugan never takes his eyes off you. Is he even blinking? It is unnerving. He is perhaps looking inside you. Long back, he had once asked you, "Isn't life, but memories?" Maybe he will say something today too that will refuse to leave. Murugan, who has to his credit twelve novels, six collections of short stories, six anthologies of poetry, and several non-fiction books, with ten of his novels translated into English and is a recipient of the JCB Prize for Literature among several others, starts the conversation with loneliness. He says it is not a bad thing. For him, it has always been extremely important. "How will writing happen if there are too many sounds? Internal isolation magnetises words. They start coming easy. The mind willingly travels lands far and wide and looks for stories. Melancholy has a strange charm. It is only when alone that you are truly yourself," he tells IANS on the sidelines of the ongoing Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), Asia's largest literature festival being held at Kozhikode Beach. Currently working on a new set of short stories to be published soon, the author is working on the theme of how pets affect human lives and their affairs. Exploring their connection with men, he adds, "I come from an agricultural family which had lots of goats, cows, and bullocks. In those times, they helped us in their work. Now, with youngsters going abroad for work, pets serve a different purpose for their parents. They depend on them for company now... a one-way dialogue. It is tragic but see, they (animals) are in so many ways more relevant to our lives in present times" A staunch Marxist, Murugan, despite all the failings of Indian communists politically, continues to stay true to the essence of communism. "Politics is only one aspect of Marxism. It does not matter how relevant they are in terms of vote share. Look at the contribution of the ideology to literature and the arts, how it has been instrumental in making so many of us sensitive towards everything around us." The author who hit international headlines post the book 'One Part Woman', published in 2010 and translated into English in 2013 faced a lawsuit filed against him by caste-based groups accusing him of hurting their religious sentiments, and he declared on his Facebook page: "Perumal Murugan the writer is dead. As he is no God, he is not going to resurrect himself. He also has no faith in rebirth. An ordinary teacher, he will live as P. Murugan. Leave him alone." However, in 2015, the Madras High Court dismissed the case against him. In an epilogue, the bench called on the author to start writing again: "Let the author be resurrected to what he is best at. Write." Remembering that time, Murugan says that the judge was not just supporting him but also freedom of expression. "But there is still an invisible fear... of books being banned, of freedom of expression curtailed. Democracy must prevail, under all circumstances." For someone who has been translated widely, and published in English by Penguin and HarperCollins India, it is not just about the fact that the translator is proficient in both languages. "He/she needs to understand the intricacies of the village dialects too. The metaphors of the country life can be tough to put in words in another language," he concludes. --IANS/ sukant/prw New Delhi, Jan 13 : INDIA bloc has approved Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of opposition parties during a virtual meeting on Saturday. However, INDIA bloc is yet to officially announce Kharge's name. Sources said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the contender for the post of convener of INDIA bloc. However, during the meeting, he said that someone from Congress should assume the charge. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi, senior leader K.C. Venugopal; Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with Lalan Singh and Sanjay Jha; former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah; RJD President and Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav; NCP Chief Sharad Pawar; Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal; Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin besides other leaders participated in the virtual meeting. "Appointing a chairperson is just a first step only. There are many challenges ahead for the INDIA bloc. Even several parties of India bloc itself believe that one of the major challenges is the sheet sharing," political experts said. They said that it might be tough for the alliance partners to negotiate the sheet sharing formula in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar. There have also been two meetings of the INDIA bloc to discuss the Delhi and Punjab seat sharing arrangement with both parties saying that the talks are going in the right direction. However, sources said that there are some contentious issues between the two political parties. Congress wants four seats in Delhi and seven seats in Punjab, but AAP is not ready to comply. In both Delhi and Punjab, the ruling party wants the bigger share of seats. Besides, AAP also wants to contest in Goa, Haryana and Gujarat under the sheet sharing formula. INDIA bloc is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the NDA, which is led by the BJP, and to prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Kolkata, Jan 13 : The Budget Session of the West Bengal Assembly is likely to resume from February 5 and might continue till February 17. The state's budget proposals this year, according to sources in the know of things, might include some additional welfare schemes targeting women and the youth. "As usual the Budget Session will begin with the speech of the Governor. Communication between the state Parliamentary Affairs Department and the office of Governor CV Ananda Bose in the matter has already started," said a senior official of the department. However, he added, it is yet to be decided whether it will be a full-budget or an interim one. "Because of the Lok Sabha elections this year, the Union Government will have to present just an interim budget in Parliament before the elections this year. However, the state governments have the liberty to choose whether they will be presenting a full budget or an interim budget before the Lok Sabha polls," the official pointed out. As per records, before the last Lok Sabha polls in 2019, the-then state Finance Minister Amit Mitra presented an interim budget and after the polls were over he presented a full budget. However, then the interim Budget Session was just for three days. So considering a 12-day schedule has been fixed for the session next month, it can be expected that a full budget will be presented this time. Financial observers feel that in case of a full-budget the focus this year will be on two things. The first will be on whether the West Bengal Government will propose some alternative avenues to boost the state's own tax revenue besides the state excise and the second will be on the probable measures to ease the burden of huge accumulated debt. KIGALI, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan authorities have assured Burundians living in the country that it will not adopt retaliatory measures after Burundi closed its border with Rwanda. "Burundians in Rwanda, continue to go about your daily activities. Do not worry in any way. Nothing will happen to you following the decision of the Burundian authorities to close the borders with Rwanda," Alain Mukularinda, deputy spokesperson for the Rwandan government, told reporters in the capital of Kigali on Friday. "Those who want to return to their country are free to leave, and even those who want to visit Rwanda are welcome because the Rwandan border is open. Rwandans have no issues with their Burundian counterparts," he said. Mukularinda, on the other hand, advised Rwandans against going to Burundi. "Rwandans who are here must understand this: if a country says it does not want us, there's no question of going there," he said. Burundi on Thursday announced that it had severed relations and closed its border with neighboring Rwanda following accusations that Kigali supports Burundian rebels based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda said it regretted Burundi's unilateral decision, noting that it violates the principles of the East African Community. Chandigarh, Jan 13 : A Punjab and Haryana High Court judge refused to entertain a habeas corpus petition filed by a woman claiming to be in a same-sex relationship, saying that he doesn't believe that morality and constitutionality are different. Justice Pankaj Jain inquired in what capacity the petitioner could represent the alleged detenu and on being informed that it's a case involving a "queer couple", orally remarked: "Take this immoral thing back to where it came from." "I don't prescribe to the theory that constitutionality and morality are different," Justice Jain added and the next matter was called. The petitioner alleges that her partner has been unlawfully detained by the said partner's family who is opposed to their relationship. She claimed that a police officer had slapped her when she approached the force for protection. When the petitioner's lawyer attempted to interject, the judge cut her off. "Madam I don't subscribe to the theory that constitutionality and morality are different," Justice Jain said. An order released later in the day said the next hearing was fixed for January 15. "On the mentioning of the counsel representing the petitioner, the matter has been taken up. On being asked as to how the petitioner has assumed the role of the next best friend of the alleged detenue who belongs to district Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, counsel for the petitioner refers to transcription of telephonic conversation between the detenue and mother of the petitioner. On being asked that apart from the said conversation what material petitioner has to demonstrate that the petitioner is a person who can act as next best friend of detenue, counsel for the petitioner prays for time," the order read. New Delhi, Jan 13 : The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested two brothers after 24 years, who were wanted for kidnapping a worker at a shop in the Chandni Chowk area, an official said on Saturday. The fugitives were identified as Puneet Aggarwal (48) a resident of Gurugram, Haryana, and Vinit Aggarwal (50), a resident of Pitampura. The officials said that to evade arrest, the fugitives were regularly changing their hideouts. According to police, on January 29, 2000, information was received at Kotwali police station that one person named Shrinath had been kidnapped from Kinari Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Delhi. "On January 30, 2000, Shrinath arrived at Kotwali police station with his shop owner and alleged that persons named Suneet Aggarwal, Puneet, and Vinit had kidnapped him from his shop and asked for a ransom to release him. Later, accused persons left him near Tughlak Road, Delhi and fled away," said the Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav, During investigation, accused Suneet was arrested in the above mentioned case, however, Puneet did not join the investigation, therefore he was declared proclaimed offender by the court on May 22, 2000. Vinit was formally arrested in the same case. During trial, accused persons did not appear before the court and were declared proclaimed offender on October 15, 2004. The Special CP said that recently specific input was that brothers Puneet and Vinit are residing in the area of Gurugram, and Pitampura. "After tracing their specific locations, raids were conducted at the place of information and Puneet was apprehended from Sector 62, Gurugram and Vinit was apprehended from Pitampura area," said the Special CP. On interrogation, the accused disclosed that to earn easy money, they made a plan to rob the shop owner in Chandni Chowk area. "To execute the plan, they kidnapped a person who was working at that shop and made a demand of Rs 50,000 from the owner of the shop," said Yadav. They further disclosed that after committing crime, they went to Mumbai for 10 years and did not contact anyone. "Once, they ensured their safety and realised that they are far away from the clutches of law, they returned to the area of Delhi/NCR. They were continuously changing their addresses to evade their arrest," the official added. New Delhi, Jan 13 : The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday raised strong objections to the visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, had visited Mirpur on January 10 along with a UK Foreign Office official. "Such infringement of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable," a statement released by the ministry said. "The foreign secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement," the statement added. "The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India," it further stated. Hyderabad, Jan 13 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday requested Union Industries and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to grant approval for the establishment of a new industrial corridor between Hyderabad and Vijayawada via Miryalaguda. He also sought final clearances for the proposed Hyderabad-Nagpur industrial corridor, estimating a substantial benefit of Rs 2,300 crore for Telangana. In a meeting held in New Delhi, CM Revanth Reddy, along with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, presented various proposals for industrial development to Goyal. He urged the Union Minister to reconsider the earlier plan of establishing a Pharma City between Hyderabad and Warangal and instead endorse the forthcoming proposal for a Pharma City to be submitted to the Centre. Revanth Reddy also brought to Goyal's attention the relocation of the National Design Centre (NID) from Hyderabad to Vijayawada post the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and urged him to to sanction a NID for Telangana. The Chief Minister also sought approval for a Mega Leather Park, already designated for Nellore district in undivided Andhra Pradesh, to be relocated to Telangana, where the necessary land in Karimnagar and Jangaon districts has been acquired. Additionally, he appealed to Goyal to accord greenfield status to the Mega Textile Park in Warangal under the PM Mitra scheme. Revanth Reddy emphasized the potential for accelerated industrial development, noting that the conversion from brownfield to greenfield would attract an additional Rs 300 crore in funds. Highlighting the state's readiness to establish industries related to technical textiles, such as bulletproof jackets, conveyor belts, and airbags, the CM urged Goyal to grant a Centre of Excellence for Technical Textiles/Testing Centre. Furthermore, he requested the allocation of a National Handloom Technology Centre (IIHT) to Telangana, emphasising the positive impact it would have on training weavers in modern technology and enhancing their income levels, especially with seven handloom Clusters already established in the state. Union Industries Department Joint Secretary Balaji, Union Textiles Department Additional Secretary Rohit Kansal, State Textiles and Handlooms Department Director Alugu Varshini, TSIIC CEO Madhusudan, Delhi Telangana Bhavan OSD Sanjay Jaju, Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal and others also participated in the meeting. --IANS ms/vd Not believing in Lord Ram is an insult to Constitution: Dhankhar. Image Source: IANS News Jaipur, Jan 12 : Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said that not believing in Lord Ram is an insult to the Constitution as there is mention of Ram Temple in the Constitution as well. "Those who do not believe in Lord Ram are insulting the Constitution. Ram Temple is mentioned in the Constitution. If we look at the Constitution, the photos of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman are hidden," the Vice President said while addressing a gathering on occasion of World Electropathy Day in Rajasthan's International Center Auditorium. On newly elected Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the Vice President said that the future of Rajasthan is in safe hands today. "When I came to Rajasthan during the previous government, my helicopter was not allowed to land. The incumbent Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa asked the District Collector to give us the permission for landing," the Vice President said. The Vice President was in Rajasthan to attend the seminar on World Electropathy Day which was titled 'Ehrenalsemi 2024'. New Delhi, Jan 13 : Amid the ongoing row, Maldives President Mohamad Muizzu, fresh from his China visit, made another indirect jab at India, accusing it of "bullying" his "small" nation. "We may be small but this doesn't give them the license to bully us," he said at a press conference on his return from China, according to a viral video. He also said that the Indian Ocean doesn't belong to any "specific country" and that Maldives is one of the countries with "the biggest share" due to its large EEZ. President Muizzu's remarks follows bad blood between the two countries after three Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his Lakshwadeep visit While the three ministers were dismissed, the incident created tension with various Indian celebrities and companies asking people to avoid visiting the Maldives and taking other action to deter Indians visiting the Indian Ocean archipelago nation. Jaipur, Jan 13 : Rajasthan Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar on Saturday issued Awaited Posting Orders (APO) to three health officials following the death of a cancer patient after a disruption in oxygen supply due to the power cuts. The minister issued the APO orders against senior medical officer Dr. Kuldeep and two nurses Omaram and Manisha. The deceased cancer patient is a 24-year old youth who died on Friday morning after the oxygen supply was disrupted due to power cuts at Mathuradas Mathur Hospital in Jodhpur. The minister said that a proper investigation regarding the case has been ordered. Relatives of the deceased said that the oxygen supply stopped after there were power cuts which led to the death of the patient. They said that the deceased was the only son in the family. After the incident, angry family members created a ruckus outside the hospital and accused the management of negligence. A video of the dying patient has also surfaced on social media. Delhi HC grants Rs 5L to man who lost pregnant wife to a road accident. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Jan 13 : The Delhi High Court has rejected the parole plea of Ravi Kapoor, convicted in high-profile murder cases including those of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan and IT executive Jigisha Ghosh. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the plea considering Kapoor's extensive criminal record, the severity of the offences, and his conduct within the jail premises. Kapoor, currently serving a life sentence, sought parole for four weeks, citing family ties and a knee surgery. The court, however, said that Kapoor failed to provide any supporting documents for the surgery claim and noted his habitual offender status, involved in about 20 criminal cases from 2002 to 2010. The court revealed that Kapoor was convicted in two cases of murder and robbery, the most recent conviction occurring in October 2023. Despite satisfactory conduct inside jail in recent years, Kapoor received 41 major punishments, reflecting his overall unsatisfactory jail conduct. While acknowledging the Supreme Court's emphasis on convicts' rights, the court highlighted the need to balance those rights with public interest. Justice Sharma clarified that the observations wouldn't impact future parole or furlough applications Kapoor may make before competent authorities. Gurugram, Jan 13 : The Gurugram Police on Saturday arrested one more person in connection with the murder of Divya Pahuja, a former Gurugram-based model and girlfriend of slain gangster Sandeep Gadoli, for allegedly supplying the weapon which was used by the prime accused to kill the 27-year-old woman at a hotel here. The arrested individual has been identified as Parvesh, 37, a resident of Rohtak. Divya was allegedly shot dead on January 2 by Abhijeet Singh, the owner of Hotel City Point, where she was staying. According to the police, Divya and Abhijeet were in a relationship and the latter killed the woman in a fit of rage after she refused to delete some of his objectionable photos from her mobile phone. Talking about the latest arrest in the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya told mediapersons: "The accused (Parvesh) was a driver and PSO of Abhijeet Singh. During questioning, Parvesh disclosed that he was fond of keeping weapons and he had given three pistols and some live cartridges to Abhijeet in this case. One pistol and two live cartridges were recovered Parvesh's possession, while two pistols and 40 live cartridges were recovered from Delhi. Around six cases have already been registered against Parvesh for crimes like attempt to murder, robbery and Arms Act." The police are, however, yet to recover the 'murder weapon' which was reportedly thrown away by Abhijeet after killing Divya. Abhijeet's accomplice, Balraj Gill, who was arrested in West Bengal on January 11, meanwhile, revealed during transit remand that he and the prime accused were friends during college and used to study together in Hisar. "After killing Divya, Abhijeet had contacted Balraj and Ravi Banga and probably gave over Rs 12 lakh and a BMW car to dispose of Divya's body. Both left Gurugram on the night of January 2 with the woman's body in the boot of the BMW car and during the early hours of January 3, they threw the body in the Bhakra Canal in Patiala and parked the BMW car at Patiala bus stand along with over Rs 12 lakh (in cash) which was recovered by the police team," Dahiya said. To evade arrest, Balraj and Ravi went to Bhiwani, Jaipur, and Udaipur in a taxi, and from there, they took a bus to Kanpur from where they went to Kolkata by train. Balraj and Ravi then parted their ways after reaching Kolkata. Later, Balraj was arrested from Kolkata airport on January 11. Meanwhile, Divya's body, which has been recovered, was identified by her family. The postmortem would be conducted soon, the police said, adding the body would then be brought to Gurugram and handed over to Divya's family. Balraj Gill, an advocate by profession, was a close friend of Abhijeet while Amit Banga was his domestic aide. Five teams of Gurugram Police were involved in tracking Balraj and Amit who had absconded along with Divya's body since January 2. One team was look for the Divya's lifeless body with the help of Punjab Police, local divers, 25 teams of NDRF, and SDRF. "The police teams scanned around 150 km of Bakhra canal to search the body," ACP Dahiya said. Divya's body was identified by a tattoo on her back. Also, a clue regarding the whereabouts of the body was received after the arrest of Balraj Gill. In connection with Divya's murder, the police have so far arrested six persons including the prime accused, Abhijeet Singh, his aides Om Prakash, Hemraj, Balraj Gill, Parvesh, and a woman, Megha. The woman had helped Abhijeet in hiding, throwing away the murder weapon, documents, and personal belongings of Divya. Om Prakash and Hemraj had helped Abhijeet to drag Divya's body into the boot of a BMW car. Later, Balraj and Ravi fled with the body. Megha told the police that when she reached the hotel on January 2, she noticed Divya's body. Abhijeet then asked her to dispose of the belongings of the deceased woman, but she was too scared to follow his instructions. During questioning, Abhijeet told the police that Divya used to blackmail him and also extorted money. Divya came in contact with Abhijeet through a jailed gangster, Binder Gujjar. Binder Gujjar is said to be the prime conspirator in the alleged "fake encounter" of gangster Sandeep Gadoli, along with the Gurugram Police, which took place in Mumbai in 2016. Divya was the prime accused in the case. Later, she was arrested in connection with the gangster's murder, and she spent seven years in jail. She was granted bail last year in June by the Bombay High Court. Divya's family has alleged that her murder was conspired by Sandeep Gadoli's family members, along with Abhijeet. TAIPEI, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's leadership and legislature elections were held on Saturday. Candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lai Ching-te and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim won the leadership election. In the election of the island's 113-seat legislature, the Chinese Kuomintang party garnered 52 seats, the DPP won 51 seats, and the Taiwan People's Party seized eight seats. The rest two went to independent candidates. Nagpur, Jan 13 : The Bombay High Court has granted bail to a 26-year-old man charged with raping a 13-year-old girl, holding that the sexual relationship between them was out of "love, attraction and not lust". The accused, hailing from Amravati, was booked and jailed for raping the minor girl three years ago, and the court said that she stayed with the man at several places without complaining of any sexual assault. Noting that the girl was a minor and her consent was not relevant, Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke said that she had given her statement to the Investigation Officer which showed that she left home on August 23, 2020, on the excuse of buying a book, went missing and had joined the accused voluntarily, and also admitted her love for him. Justice Joshi-Phalke, of the court's Nagpur Bench, said that it was apparent she was in the company of the accused petitioner, and both were mutually in love. The accused was nabbed by personnel of the Anjangaon police station in Amravati on August 30, 2020, the charge sheet was filed on October 26, 2020, but there was no progress in the trial. Later, he applied for bail, which has been granted, after the court said that "no purpose would be served by keeping him behind bars". The complaint was lodged by the minor girlas father, who said that after she went missing, they tried to trace her after which they approached the Anjangaon police, who tracked her with the accused in Bengaluru and nabbed him. Manipur power plant fuel leak controlled, FIR lodged against theft of equipment: Official. Image Source: IANS News Imphal, Jan 13 : The fuel leakage at Leimakhong power station in Imphal West district was "effectively controlled" on Saturday, an official said, adding that the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited has lodged a complaint regarding incidents of theft and burglary of equipment. An FIR has been registered at Sekmai Police station in Imphal West district, the official said. Security forces are making all efforts to trace and apprehend the accused individuals. Manipur Police said that the perpetrators had also caused spillage of heavy oil, leading to an unceasing release of oil into the nearby rivulets and river, which has posed a significant threat to the public water supply by contaminating the river water and creating a hazardous environmental situation. A high-level team led by Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, accompanied by scientists and seven administrative secretaries, visited the site to assess the impact on nearby villages in Imphal West district. The visiting team reviewed the security situation, collected samples of the fuel and contaminated water, and investigated various aspects of the area. Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that state security forces would provide protection to the plant. He also formed a three-member panel, headed by additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Ashutosh Kumar Sinha, to probe the incident. "The scheme of the miscreants to contaminate Nambul river and Imphal river, which merge into Loktak lake, has been foiled by the grace of God," the Chief Minister said in a social media post and urged the public to remain vigilant. While the thick black oil was prevented from reaching major rivers, affecting Kantosabal, Sekmai and its adjacent villages, the contaminated water remains a concern. The Home Department asked the probe panel to submit their report within 15 days. Meanwhile, a team from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Manipur, inspected the contaminated streams in Leimakhong. Thawai Mirel, an Imphal-based organisation, alleged that the fuel leakage was intentional, part of a "genocidal campaign" against valley area residents. The group called for a thorough investigation and legal action against those involved. The fuel containing streams eventually join the Imphal river downstream, which is a vital water source for several villages, including Kantosabal and Sekmai. The Imphal river is the lifeline of Imphal valley, comprising several districts. Villagers depend on the water of the affected streams for their day-to-day needs. Soon after the mishap on January 10, machines were pressed into service to divert the flow of the water of the affected streams towards the nearby empty fields. An official said that it was yet to be known if there was any involvement of the miscreants behind the incident, or just an "accident". Imphal, Jan 13 : A day before the launching of the 66-day long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur, the Congress on Saturday released the theme song and several videos of the Yatra besides other details. The party said that the Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, is being taken out keeping in mind "political, economic and social injustices committed in the last 10 years". Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said the biggest challenge India now faces is "the immoral ideology which promotes polarisation, economic inequalities and political authoritarianism". Talking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's golden dreams of 'Amrit Kaal', he said 'Anyay Kaal' has been prevailing in the country for the last 10 years. Ramesh said this while he was interacting with the mediapersons. He was accompanied by former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, state party chief Keisham Meghachandra Singh and Congress Working Committee member Gaikhangam. The Rajya Sabha member said that the yatra, which would cover 15 states from Manipur to Maharashtra, is an ideological move and not an electoral one. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would pass through 100 Lok Sabha constituencies, 6,713 km through 110 districts in 66 days and the Congress believes it would prove to be as "transformative" as Rahul Gandhi's earlier cross-country march -- Bharat Jodo Yatra in September 2022 to January 30, 2023. The Congress leaders, criticising the BJP-led Central government, said that the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' undertaken as the government did not allow the Opposition to raise people's issues in the Parliament and the Yatra is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge would flag off the Yatra on Sunday from Thoubal district's Khongjom War Memorial. Congress' Manipur unit President Keisham Meghachandra Singh said that permission was sought on January 2 to start the yatra from the Hapta Kangjeibung palace compound ground in the state Capital but the Manipur government gave consent with certain conditions, forcing the party to move the venue to Thoubal district. He said that several leaders of the party, including Chief Ministers and MPs from across the country will gather in Manipur for a peaceful rally. AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal (Organisation) earlier said that from Manipur, the yatra will go to Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and will culminate in Mumbai on March 20 after covering 6,713 km through 15 states in 66 days. Venugopal had said that the yatra would demand justice for the women, youth, farmers and poor and it would be historic as well. New Delhi, Jan 13 : A Delhi court on Saturday sent the six accused in the December 13, 2023, Parliament security breach case to to judicial custody till January 27. Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Courts sent Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde, Neelam Devi Azad, Lalit Jha, and Mahesh Kumawat to judicial custody as they were produced before the court on expiry of their police custody. The judge passed the order on an application moved by Delhi Police seeking judicial custody of all the accused as the investigation was ongoing. During the hearing, Azad alleged that a woman officer had forcibly made her sign over 50 blank papers on the preceding Friday. Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh objected to the allegations, and the court recorded the submissions from both sides. During the last hearing, five of the six accused, except Azad, gave their consent before the court to undergo polygraph test, as sought by the Delhi Police which had moved an application seeking permission for the test, saying the investigators need to get more details to make the case strong and gather more evidence to unearth the entire conspiracy. Police had also sought permission to conduct brain mapping and narco test of Manoranjan and Sagar. The duo had burst yellow smoke canisters inside the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13, the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, after jumping from the visitorsa gallery before they were overpowered by the MPs present in the House. Two others -- Azad and Shinde -- also burst smoke canisters and raised slogans outside Parliament. Jha is believed to be the mastermind of the entire plan, who reportedly fled with the mobile phones of the four others. Taipei City, Jan 14 : Taiwanese voters have chosen William Lai as their President in a historic election, keeping the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in control for a third term, despite warnings from China over his pro-sovereignty views. The move has angered Beijing, which issued a statement shortly after the results insisting that "Taiwan is part of China", the BBC reported. While Beijing has called for "peaceful reunification", it has also not ruled out the use of force. The DPP does not represent the mainstream public opinion on the island, Beijing said after Lai was named the winner of Saturday's vote, adding that the vote "will not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification", Al Jazeera reported. Lai, 64, secured over 40 per cent of the vote in the three-way race, outpacing his closest rival, Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang, by approximately 7 percentage points, according to Taiwan's Central Election Commission. Ko Wen-je of the emerging Taiwan People's Party garnered 26 per cent of the votes. By winning an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term for his party, Lai has broken new ground. In his first remarks after his opponents conceded, he signalled that this was an irreversible trajectory, the British news broadcaster reported. "The country will continue to walk on the right path forward. We will not turn around or look backwards," Lai said during a press conference. "I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy," Lai said in a victory speech where he thanked his two opponents for conceding. "We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy," he was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying. Lai added that he hoped for a return to "healthy and orderly" exchanges with China, reiterating his desire for talks based on dignity and parity. Lucknow, Jan 14 : Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has finally received the invitation to attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. However, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that he would visit the temple, along with his family, after the inauguration event. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) late on Saturday night, Akhilesh Yadav said that he received the invitation and also assured that he would come to the Ram Temple as a visitor after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. "Thank you for the affectionate invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Ayodhya, and heartfelt wishes for the successful completion of the ceremony. We will surely visit with family as devotees after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony," the SP leader said in a letter to the temple trust. The SP leader, in the letter shared on X, also congratulated the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Akhilesh Yadav's reply came after a political row over the attendance at the ceremony by various political parties. On Friday, Yadav alleged that the BJP was humiliating the opposition parties in the name of Lord Ram. The Congress has announced that it will not be attending the January 22 ceremony, alleging that the event has been turned into a political one rather than a religious one. Congress and SP are partners in the INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP aims to project the Ram Mandir as a key election issue. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have been attacking the parties declining Ram temple invite by labelling them as "anti-Ram" parties. Kankesanturai Airport, Jaffna, Sri Lanka [ JAF / VCCJ ] If you are planning to travel to Jaffna or any other city in Sri Lanka, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Kankesanturai Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Kankesanturai Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Sri Lanka. Jaffna Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided. Jaffna Airport Info: Jaffna Airport IATA Code: JAF Jaffna Airport ICAO Code: VCCJ Latitude : 9.79233 Longitude : 80.0701 City : Jaffna Country : Sri Lanka World Area Code : 711 Airport Type : Medium Jaffna Airport Address / Contact Details : Jaffna Airport (JAF), Kankesanturai, Sri Lanka Airport Type : Military/Public Owner : Government of Sri Lanka Operator : Sri Lanka Air Force Timezone : Asia/Colombo Kankesanturai Airport Timezone : GMT +05:30 hours Current time and date at Kankesanturai Airport is 23:11:24 PM (+0530) on Monday, Mar 18, 2024 Looking for information on Kankesanturai Airport, Jaffna, Sri Lanka? Know about Kankesanturai Airport in detail. Find out the location of Kankesanturai Airport on Sri Lanka map and also find out airports near to Jaffna. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Kankesanturai Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Kankesanturai Airport, airlines operating to Kankesanturai Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Sri Lanka. Scroll down to know more about Kankesanturai Airport or Jaffna Airport, Sri Lanka. Kankesanturai Airport Map - Location of Kankesanturai Airport Load Map Sri Lanka - General Information Country Formal Name Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Country Code LK Capital Colombo (administrative/judical), Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative) Currency Rupee (LKR) 1 LKR = 0.003 USD 1 USD = 304.646 LKR 1 LKR = 0.003 EUR 1 EUR = 331.617 LKR More LKR convertion rates Tel Code +94 Top Level Domain .lk This page provides all the information you need to know about Kankesanturai Airport, Sri Lanka. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Sri Lanka or traveling to Jaffna Airport. Details about Jaffna Airport given here include Kankesanturai Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes) Coordinates of Jaffna Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Kankesanturai Airport Location of Kankesanturai Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc... Kankesanturai Airport Time Zone and Current time at Kankesanturai Airport Address and contact details of Kankesanturai Airport along with website address of the airport Clickable Location Map of Kankesanturai Airport on Google Map. General information about Sri Lanka where Kankesanturai Airport is located in the city of Jaffna. General information include capital of Sri Lanka, currency and conversion rate of Sri Lanka currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc... JAF - Kankesanturai Airport IATA Code and VCCJ - Kankesanturai Airport ICAO code In Ian Fleming (Harper, Mar.), novelist Shakespeare chronicles the life of the James Bond creator and British intelligence officer. With two major biographies of Fleming already on the market, why write another? People tend to have already made up their minds about Ian Fleming, like I had, as a sardonic, moody, wife-beating bounder who strutted about pretending to be more important than he was. What convinced me to write the book was discovering that his war work was indeed significant, as well as how much kinder he was in life than his posthumous caricature suggested. How did Flemings background in British intelligence inform his fiction? Fleming was in the inner citadel, one of only 30 officers who were cleared to receive cryptanalysts reports from Bletchley Park. When he started to write Bond in 1952, he was imagining the adventures he might have experienced had he remained in intelligence, but placing the stories in a Cold War setting. This is why the Bond books endure. They are firmly rooted in convincing details that Flemings men had risked their lives over. What was your first encounter with James Bond in print? I came late to the printed Bond, having feasted on the films. What surprised me was how well-written and fast-paced they were, which Fleming attributed to writing each thriller in eight weeks. He gave young readers of my generation license to imagine ourselves in Bonds shoes, navigating the postwar world. In addition to biography, you also write fiction. Are there novelistic tools you find useful when writing biographies? All writing depends on finding and then building the narrative arc. Ive never understood why history or biography should be less consuming in this respect than a novel. I plunder fictions arsenal where I can. Characters need to cast shadows, fling open windows; pages need to be turned, readers need to be left suspended, twisting, on narrative hooks. But I also rely on my journalistic training as a documentary maker at the BBC, and then on the staff of the Times and Daily Telegraph. With a subject as raked-over as Fleming, the challenge is to produce something fresh. Do you think Fleming created in Bond a character who, like Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes, appears to have no expiration date? The sun may have set on colonialist misogynists, but not on Flemings addictive and unmistakable conception of an attractive, patriotic British male who is impossible to pay off. As a signature of Britain, Bond has proved impervious to time and changing mores. In his most tremendous leap, he has managed to survive in our contemporary world as an emblem of Britains vision of itself, despite the tidal shift in our notions of pluralism, diversity, and sexual equality. New year, new legislative sessions, and with them, the same threats to the freedom to read. Which makes EveryLibrary's updated 2024 state-by-state Legislation of Concern tracker worth following. As EveryLibrary executive director John Chrastka told PW, many bills are carryovers from the 2023 session, including a number of proposed laws that would expose librarians, educators, and others to criminal prosecution for making allegedly inappropriate materials available to minors. EveryLibrary said it is paying the most attention to state legislative initiatives in eight categories: bills that would criminalize libraries, education, and museums (and/or the employees therein) by removing long-standing defense from prosecution exemptions under obscenity laws and/or expose librarians to civil penalties bills that change obscenity and "harmful to minors" definitions that preempt established First Amendment rights bills that would establish book rating systems, leading to segregation or expulsion of materials by topic or viewpoint bills that mandate restrictive library policies, esp. prescribing collection development or materials challenge policies bills that would limit access to school library databases bills that create onerous parental control/notification requirements that lead to segregated materials or limit free speech bills that limit or outlaw the teaching of "divisive concepts" bills that lead to defunding or closure of libraries While most of the bills being tracked are bills that threaten libraries and the freedom to read, EveryLibrary said that it is also beginning to track a number of potentially positive legislative efforts as well. Also, we'll take this chance to shout out John Chrastka and the excellent EveryLibrary team for their excellent work, which Publishers Weekly was proud to recognize in naming Chrastka a 2023 notable person of the year. On the subject of potentially positive bills, NBC10 in Boston reports on a Massachusetts bill that would prevent book removal "due to personal or political views" in municipal and school libraries. The bill would give power to school librarians and teachers to determine access to age-appropriate materials in school libraries, requiring that school library materials are selected on a school librarian's professional training and not on political or personal views, according to the report. Meanwhile, in Indiana, PBS affiliate WFYI reports on a state bill that would drastically change the way public libraries are funded and limit the types of events and activities they can host, according to the article. Senate Bill 32, authored by Sens. Jim Tomes (R-Wadesville) and Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville), would eliminate the ability for public libraries to impose property taxes. Instead, libraries would need to submit their budgets for approval to their local city or county government, in the same way that other municipal departments do, the report states. The proposal comes months after legislation that makes it easier for community members to request removals of books from schools was signed into law. I hope they remember that they still belong at the library. I hope better days are ahead of them. As we reported at Publishers Weekly, federal judge T. Kent Wetherell ruled that a lawsuit over the removal of books in the Escambia County (Florida) School District can proceed. There is a lot of local coverage, including from the Pensacola News Journal: Wetherell, explaining his decision to let the case to move forward, said that while the school board reserves the power to remove books from the district for legitimate reasons, they cannot remove them because they do not align with their moral beliefs. While the school library should be diverse in the 'marketplace of ideas,' it is ultimately up to the parents to decide what is appropriate for their own family, he said. In Wyoming, the Cowboy State Daily reports that three local family members who complained for months against sexually graphic childrens books in the public library are asking a federal judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by Terri Lesley, the popular former Campbell County Public Library director who was fired for refusing to remove books from the childrens section of the Gillette library. This is a case to watch. At Book Riot, Kelly Jensen has a good profile of Louisiana librarian, freedom to read advocate, and now author Amanda Jones, whose book, That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, comes out with Bloomsbury in August. Meanwhile, in her weekly Book Riot censorship roundup, Jensen offers the second in a series of posts offering insights and calls to action based on the results of three recent surveys conducted by Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute. From the Washington Post, a story at once demoralizing and uplifting recounts how the popular Tik Tok librarian Mychael Threets (who is a winner of a 2023 I Love My Librarian Award) became the subject of insults on social media recently, but quickly saw a groundswell of support. Threets decided to address the situation in a TikTok videowhich led to an even greater wave of support for him. He said sometimes the best way to respond to people who level insults is with empathy, the article notes. I hope those people have a much better day tomorrow. I hope they experience kindness. I hope they experience joy. I hope they remember that they still belong at the library. I hope better days are ahead of them, Threets said in the video. Over at The Conversation, Portland State professors Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda have a good piece drawn from their their recent ALA-supported study of Gen Z and millennials' media consumption habits. Though libraries have been forced to reckon with book bans and the politicization of public spaces, Gen Zers and millennials still see libraries as a kind of oasis a place where doomscrolling and information overload can be quieted, if temporarily. Library Journal has named Virginia Library Association executive director Lisa Varga its librarian of the year. Libraries in the Commonwealth of Virginia are fortunate to have the Virginia Library Association (VLA) on their side, writes LJ's Lisa Peet. Take a closer look, however, and youll see that those wheels are kept turning by one woman: VLA Executive Director Lisa Varga. And finally this week, the Los Angeles Public Library has once again landed at the top of OverDrive's list of top digital circulating libraries, with more than 12 million digital lends in 2023. But the big headline this week is about what LAPL is doing with print books. A report in the Los Angeles Times details the library's acquisition of Angel City Press via a donation by its founders, Paddy Calistro and Scott McAuley. I really cant believe that its happening because its so right, Calistro told the LA Times. The reason that this has made sense from the beginning, said Calistro, is that the missions of the two entities are the same. We have always wanted to preserve the history of Los Angeles and get people to read about it, and thats what the library does. Chief conductor Zhao Zihe makes dumplings with kids from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the train K7042, a train that departs from Mohe heading for Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2024. These cute kids are nicknamed "little sugar tangerines" (a specialty produce of Guangxi) by netizens in China. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Xu Shuai/Xinhua) Chief conductor Zhang Yong provides breakfast for kids from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the train K7042, a train that departs from Mohe heading for Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 6, 2024. These cute kids are nicknamed "little sugar tangerines" (a specialty produce of Guangxi) by netizens in China. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Xu Shuai/Xinhua) A woman displays a "Shatangju" tangerine distributed for free from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region at a shopping mall in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Zhang Chunlei/Xinhua) A woman displays a cranberry distributed for free from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province at a distribution site in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming) Children from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region meet with penguins as they visit the Harbin Polarpark in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 6, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao) Staff members load cranberries to be sent to Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on a vehicle at a planting base in Fuyuan, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 6, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Li Yongjun/Xinhua) Actors from northeast China sing a song of Hezhe ethnic group at a historic street in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. The Hezhe are one of the less populous ethnic groups in China, residing along the Heilongjiang, Songhuajiang and Wusuli rivers. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) This file photo shows workers harvest cranberries at a planting base in Fuyuan, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei) Chief conductor Zhang Yong provides dumplings for kids from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the train K7042, a train that departs from Mohe heading for Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2024. These cute kids are nicknamed "little sugar tangerines" (a specialty produce of Guangxi) by netizens in China. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Xu Shuai/Xinhua) Tourists from northeast China visit an orah mandarin base in Wuming District in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) People line up to get cranberries distributed for free from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province at a historic street in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) Staff members distribute cranberries distributed for free from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province to citizens at a historic street in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) People line up to get cranberries distributed for free from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province at a distribution site in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming) This file photo shows cranberries at a planting base in Fuyuan, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei) A kid from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region displays a dumpling made by herself on the train K7042, a train that departs from Mohe heading for Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2024. These cute kids are nicknamed "little sugar tangerines" (a specialty produce of Guangxi) by netizens in China. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Xu Shuai/Xinhua) Actors from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region perform at a shopping mall in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Zhang Chunlei/Xinhua) A tourist from northeast China picks an orah mandarin with the help of a staff member in Wuming District in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) Children from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region meet with penguins as they visit the Harbin Polarpark in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 6, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei) Tourists from northeast China visit an orah mandarin base in Wuming District in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) A staff member displays cranberries distributed for free from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province at a distribution site in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming) People taste cranberries distributed for free from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province at a distribution site in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming) Workers and volunteers sort cranberries to be sent to Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at a planting base in Fuyuan, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 7, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Li Yongjun/Xinhua) Workers sort cranberries to be sent to Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at a planting base in Fuyuan, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 6, 2024. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Li Yongjun/Xinhua) Back in 2012 a very good and entertaining writer submitted his weekly column to me. He was very specific about neither the title nor the next being edited, as his stated goal was to reach and convert left-wing readers. I gently stopped him right there. I then reminded him of the night-time satellite photos taken of North Korea next to South Korea. They were very much a thing at the time, so much so that even Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for president in 2012, brought them up in the midst of his campaign. For those who dont remember, South Korea was lit up like a candle at night, while North Korea was almost totally dark. What a contrast! More specifically, what a powerful way to convince supporters of economic intervention on the left of just how errant their thinking was. Which was why I brought it up to the columnist. Without trying to discourage him even a little from writing opinion pieces, I pointed out that if the photo of South Korea next to North Korea couldnt turn the people of the world into raging libertarians, his weekly column most certainly would not. My comment wasnt meant as an insult, nor was it taken as one. At the same time, it did open the writers eyes, or ears. While people read every day to be informed, and to enhance their understanding of the world around them, theyre not as malleable as people want them to be or imagine them to be. In a very real way, this is a good thing. What a volatile, turbulent world if the minds of people were so easily changeable. Except that theyre not. Indeed, while it would be difficult to find more compelling visual evidence of the genius of economic freedom than South Korea next to North Korea, minds are changed slowly, if at all. Romney lost to Obama despite rhetorical support for economic freedom. This is something to keep in mind as conservatives continue to wring their hands about what theyre teaching these kids today on college campuses. If we ignore that handwringing about what theyre teaching these kids today is as old as the college campus is, we cant ignore that minds arent as easily changed as increasingly alarmist conservatives imagine they are. To calm themselves, they might start with themselves. One guesses that the vast majority of conservatives fearful about what college professors are teaching attended college themselves. Some of them even attended Harvard. Yet they survived, including ideologically. They got jobs, got married, and some like centrist thinking Bill Ackman (Harvard, 88) grew remarkably rich. More than a few did this even after flirting with campus radicalism (see the 60s generation) while in college. To which some will respond college was different then, the curriculum was more varied, this time is different, dont you know!!!??? Except that the same was said about college education back then as is being said now. And if readers doubt this, they need only buy on Amazon (Jeff Bezos was class of '86 at left-wing Princeton) Changing Places by David Lodge, or The Handmaid of Desire by John LHeureux, among many other novels or books chronicling the left-wing lean on campus from long ago. Conservative worrying about education imagines kids arriving on campus either apolitical or conservative, only to depart radicalized. This is overdone. See your own college experience yet again, but also pull up the North Korea and South Korea satellite imagery. We human beings are yet again not so easily influenced. Applied to the present, the bet here is that the pro-Hamas radicals at Harvard who are generating lots of attention for being pro-Hamas radicals at Harvard, arrived at Harvard already radicalized. Alongside the previous bet, Id wager an even bigger amount that a walk of the Harvard campus today would expose the pessimists to all manner of Republican students, but much bigger numbers of Harvard students who find the arguments made by the pro-Hamas radicals rather appalling. Fringe is fringe, including at Harvard. Bet on it. After which, older conservatives should try to show a little more faith in young people. Not only is their pessimism the same as the pessimism that their elders expressed about them when they were in college, it insults todays youth in the way that elders of the past insulted youth. The pessimism imagines the spawn of evidently wiser past generations to be spineless mental midgets desperate to have their minds shaped by the mediocrities at the front of the classroom. Its not that simple, and its not simply because the Bill Ackmans (embraced by the right at the moment, Ackman used to swing rather left...) of tomorrow are sitting in those classes, and they have minds of their own. Change is slow. So is change in thinking. The kids are once again alright. Theyre much more powerful and independent in thought than their critics imagine them to be, which means theyre not about to be indoctrinated by their socialist professors. Rest easy. Property details: PALMERA VACATION CLUBHilton Head Island, SC Palmera Vacation Club helps members create customized vacation experiences year after year. The vacation club gives you the opportunity to choose to return to Hilton Head Island whenever you vacation at any of these famous resort: Coral Sands Coral Reef Island Links Port O' Call Or getaway to an array of RCI Affiliated Resorts with the exchange program. There are 4,300 RCI Resorts worldwide and all these resorts are eligible to book using your Palmera ... 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Harmon Drive City: Las Vegas State/Province: Nevada Type: Attractions Number of Bathrooms: 0.5 Zip/Postal Code: 89109 Location: 891**, Las Vegas, Nevada You will be redirected to eBay Nearby 89109 Ethiopian students display their certificate of scholarship and certificate of honor provided by the Chinese government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jan. 12, 2024. A total of 143 Ethiopian university students have won scholarships provided by the Chinese government to help them pursue graduate and post-graduate studies across different academic fields in the country's largest Addis Ababa University (AAU). (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 143 Ethiopian university students have won scholarships provided by the Chinese government to help them pursue graduate and post-graduate studies across different academic fields in the country's largest Addis Ababa University (AAU). Speaking at the awards ceremony of the China-Ethiopia Friendship Scholarship on Friday at the AAU, the university's Interim President Samuel Kifle said the Chinese government and different universities in China have had "strong and meaningful collaboration with the AAU, which helped us to train our faculties, to train our students." He said the collaboration between Chinese and Ethiopian academic institutions is reflected in the robust Sino-Ethiopia ties. Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan for his part called on the scholarship recipients to help contribute to Ethiopia's socioeconomic development. Noting that the AAU and its graduates have over the years played an important role in fostering China-Ethiopia ties, the ambassador underscored the need to further strengthen the AAU's role as a "bridge" between the two countries. Mulugeta Ayele, one of the scholarship recipients, said the opportunity will help him and his fellow students to further their studies and, eventually, contribute to Ethiopia's development. The scholarship awards ceremony also featured an awards ceremony for 22 Ethiopian students who had won the "Chinese Bridge" language proficiency competition. An agriculture expert died after collapsing during a live programme telecast on Doordarshan at the channel's studio in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, police said. Image only for representation. Dr Ani S Das, 59, who was the director, Planning, at the Kerala Agricultural University, was an expert who occasionally appeared on the government-run channel, collapsed during a live discussion, channel sources said. The incident occurred during Doordarshan's Krishi Darshan programme at around 6.30 pm, channel sources said. Officials also said he was rushed to the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram but could not be saved. Returning home after a five-day high-profile state visit to China, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday struck a defiant note saying that his country may be small but 'doesn't give them the license to bully us'. IMAGE: President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu. Photograph: Dhahau Naseem/Reuters His comments came amid a diplomatic row with India over derogatory social media posts by three of his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We may be small but this doesn't give them the license to bully us," Muizzu, who is regarded as a pro-China leader, said without naming any country. "Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 900,000 square km. Maldives is one of the countries with the biggest share of this ocean," he told the media on his arrival from China after concluding the state visit, the first after assuming office in November last year "This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This (Indian) Ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it," he said, in an apparent jibe at India. "We aren't in anyone's backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state," he was quoted as saying by the Maldives' Sun Online portal. During his visit to China, Muizzu held talks with President Xi Jinping after which the two countries signed 20 agreements. 'The two sides agree to continue firmly supporting each other in safeguarding their respective core interests,' said a joint statement issued at the end of Muizzu's talks with the top Chinese leaders. 'China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, respects and supports the Maldives' exploration of a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives,' the statement said, without referring to any country. In his media briefing in Male, Muizzu said China has granted $130 million in assistance for his country. Muizzu said the bulk of the $130 million assistance will be spent on redeveloping the roads in Male, where the mayor election is being held on Saturday. He was the former Mayor of the capital city before getting elected to the Presidency in November last year. "That is approximately $130 million in grants. This will be spent on developmental projects. The biggest spending will be on the development of the roads of Male," he was quoted as saying by local news portal Sun Online. Also, China's Ambassador to Maldives Wang Lixin said Maldives will receive support for more development projects from Beijing if they align with President Xi's initiatives. Wang, who accompanied Muizzu on his visit to China, said there are three key factors to the strong relations between Maldives and China. "The first and most important factor is mutual political trust. The second factor is to strengthen the docking of President Xi's initiatives and the national development strategy of President Muizzu. And with this docking, I think we can decide on more projects that benefit the Maldivian people," she said. Wang said that the third one is to follow the principle of extensive consultation, joint construction, and also shared benefits. "I think that with these three key factors, we will have a very fruitful and sustainable cooperation in the future," she said. "During this visit, the two heads of state have announced the elevation of our bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. This will provide a strong political guarantee for the future cooperation between the two countries," the Sun Online said, quoting her interview. Muizzu's visit to China was marred by the diplomatic row with India over derogatory remarks by his ministers against Prime Minister Modi and the release of a report by the EU Election Observation Mission of Maldives that said the ruling coalition of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC) deployed anti-India sentiments and attempted to spread disinformation in the 2023 presidential elections in which Muizzu won. The EU report cast a shadow over Muizzu's Presidential election last November as he contested as part of PPM headed at that time by former pro-China President Abdullah Yameen, who is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption. During Muizzu's visit to Beijing, the two countries signed a $50 million agreement to develop an integrated tourism zone in Hulhumale besides building 30,000 social housing units in Rasmale. China will also provide grant assistance for the development of a 100-bed tertiary hospital in Vilimale, the report said. The India-built Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male is regarded as the biggest in the country. The 300-bed hospital was built in 1992 by India well before China made its presence in the island nation with infrastructure projects. The IGMH was remodified with Indian assistance in 2018 with the addition of more diagnostic and treatment facilities. During Muizzu's visit to China, the two countries also signed an agreement to allow Maldives' national airline, Maldivian, to conduct domestic flight operations in China. The Congress will begin the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the violence-hit Manipur on Sunday, in what is being seen as the party's bid to set the narrative in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and put the spotlight on issues such as unemployment, price rise and social justice. IMAGE: Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh and Congress general secretary K C Venugopal release the road map and pamphlet of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra during a press conference, in New Delhi. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will travel through 100 Lok Sabha segments in 15 states and the party believes it will prove to be as 'transformative' as Gandhi's earlier cross-country march. The Congress has said that it is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution. Though the Congress has stressed that this is not an electoral yatra, it comes at a crucial juncture as the party seeks to revive its fortunes after a poor showing in the last round of assembly elections. With the Bharatiya Janata Party focusing on the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony, the Congress wants to put the spotlight on bread-and-butter issues through this yatra. Gandhi had on Friday said emotional issues are being 'misused' politically and attention is being diverted from real issues, in a 'betrayal' of the people of the country. In a post on X, the former Congress president said, 'The youth will have to think about what will be the identity of the India of our dreams? Quality of life or just emotions? Youth raising provocative slogans or the employed youth? Love or hate?' The yatra will be flagged off from a private ground in Manipur's Thoubal district, instead of Imphal, the party's initial choice. The state government had given the Congress conditional approval to flag off the yatra from the Palace grounds here, restricting the number of people. Therefore, the Congress decided to opt for another venue. Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year which has claimed over 180 lives. The violence erupted on May 3 last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and all top leaders of the party will be in Thoubal to flag off the yatra. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would traverse 6,713 km mostly in buses but also on foot. The yatra will cover 110 districts, 100 Lok Sabha seats and 337 assembly segments in 67 days, before its finale in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. The Congress has said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is being organised to raise voice against the 'injustice' of the last 10 years. It has released a 'Nyay anthem' with the tagline 'Saho Mat, Daro Mat (do not suffer, do not be scared)'. The anthem was shared on all the social media handles of the party with a video featuring protesting women wrestlers, glimpses from Gandhi's Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra and his interactions with farmers and labourers. The Congress has also invited all leaders of the Indian National Inclusive Developmental Alliance (INDIA) to join the yatra anywhere along its route. According to the route released by the party, the yatra would stay the longest in Uttar Pradesh, covering 1,074 km in 11 days. It would pass through politically vital areas, including Amethi, the Gandhi family bastion Rae Bareli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency of Varanasi. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has asserted that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would prove to be as impactful and transformative as the earlier over 4,000-km Bharat Jodo Yatra. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi had raised three big issues of rising inequality, growing social polarisation and increasing political tyranny and authoritarianism, and the way out of this is to ensure justice for people, Ramesh has said. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will be in Manipur for a day. It will then enter Nagaland and cover 257 km and five districts in two days before covering 833 km and 17 districts in Assam in eight days. The yatra will then move to Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya for a day each. According to the route map, the yatra will be in West Bengal for five days, covering 523 km and seven districts, and in Bihar for four days, covering 425 km and seven districts. In Jharkhand, the yatra will cover 804 km and 13 districts in eight days. In Odisha, the yatra will cover 341 km and four districts in four days and cover 536 km and seven districts in Chhattisgarh over five days. The east-to-west yatra will spend the maximum time in Uttar Pradesh and cover 20 districts. In Madhya Pradesh, the yatra will cover 698 km and nine districts in seven days. It will cover two districts in Rajasthan in a day. The yatra will be in Gujarat and Maharashtra for five days each, traversing 445 km and 479 km respectively. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. Gandhi will address gatherings and also interact with civil society members and organisations twice a day during the yatra. The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started on September 7, 2022, was credited by the Congress for its electoral gains in assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. The Bharat Jodo Yatra covered 75 districts and 76 Lok Sabha constituencies across 12 states and two union territories. A couple of days after the Congress high command decided not to attend the consecration event at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the party's Himachal Pradesh unit chief Pratibha Singh commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the initiative of constructing the temple. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the inauguration of the National Youth Festival, in Maharashtra's Nashik. Photograph: ANI Photo In a video which surfaced on X, Singh is heard saying, "The initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to construct the Ram Temple is really commendable." She also said that her late husband and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh had immense faith in gods and renovated several temples in the state. Later, talking to the PTI on Friday evening, the Himachal Pradesh Congress chief said she and her son Vikramaditya Singh have received a joint invitation and she is yet to take a call on attending the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22. In the video, she said that Hindus constitute 98 per cent of the total population of Himachal Pradesh and added that "we all have faith in Lord Ram and we want our religion to progress." Top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday "respectfully declined" the invitation to attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, with the party accusing the BJP of making it into a "political project" for electoral gains and asserting that religion is a "personal matter". The BJP said that there is nothing new in the Congress' stand as the opposition party and its allies have been "insulting" Hindus and Sanatan Dharma and claimed it will face a "boycott" from the people of India for its decision. On January 8 Vikramaditya Singh made his stand clear and said that he would attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. "This is not a political issue and I consider myself fortunate to be among the few invitees from Himachal Pradesh and thank the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishva Hindu Parishad for giving this honour to me and my family," Singh had said. A day later, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that they do not need any invitation to go to Ayodhya. "We would go to Ayodhya after the consecration ceremony," he had said. Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani has said the Ram Janmbhoomi movement, whose primary objective was construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, also became a symbol of 'reclaiming the true meaning of secularism from the onslaught of pseudo-secularism'. IMAGE: Devotees carry the havan material and incense sticks that will be sent off to Ayodhya for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Temple, in Mathura. Photograph: ANI Photo In an article, 'Shri Ram Mandir: Fulfilment of a divine dream', penned by Advani and shared by his office on Saturday, the BJP leader said a significant debate started during the movement around the difference between genuine secularism and pseudo-secularism. Advani, who had launched the epochal Ram Rath Yatra in 1990, said, 'On the one hand there was a groundswell of popular support for the movement. On the other hand most political parties were shying away from supporting it as they feared losing Muslim votes. They succumbed to the lure of this vote-bank politics and justified it in the name of secularism.' 'Thus, the Ayodhya issue, whose primary objective was the reconstruction of the Ramjanmabhoomi temple also became a symbol of reclaiming the true meaning of secularism from the onslaught of pseudo-secularism,' the 96-year-old leader added. In the run-up to the January 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Advani said, the atmosphere in the entire country has truly become 'Ram-maya'. He said this is a moment of fulfilment for him, not just as a proud member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP but also as a proud citizen of India. He said he felt blessed that he would witness the historic occasion in his lifetime. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi does the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Lord Ram's idol in Ayodhya on January 22, Advani said, he would be representing 'every citizen of our great Bharat'. 'It is my belief and my hope that this temple will inspire all Indians to imbibe Shri Ram's virtues. I also pray that our great country not only continues to accelerate on the path of becoming a global power but also presents itself as a sterling example of dignity and decorum in all walks of life,' he said. He said while a protracted legal battle went on to resolve the Ayodhya land dispute, he and every member of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar continued working towards awakening the soul of Indians to realise this dream of restoring Ram Lalla in his rightful abode. 'I am very happy that due to the decisive verdict of the Supreme Court in November 2019, the reconstruction of Shri Ram Mandir has happened in an environment of tranquillity,' Advani said. And now that the magnificent temple is in the final stages of completion, he said he is filled with a sense of deep gratitude towards the Prime Minister Modi-led government, Vishva Hindu Parishad, RSS, BJP and the countless people associated with his yatra, saints, leaders and kar sevaks. Advani said he is missing two persons -- his wife Kamla and former prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee -- immensely. He said Vajpayee was an integral part of his life, both political and personal, and he shared an 'unbreakable and everlasting bond of mutual trust, affection and respect' with the former prime minister. 'The second person is my late wife Kamla, who had been the mainstay of stability and a source of unparalleled strength to me, not only during the Shri Ram Rath Yatra, but throughout my long stint in public life,' he said. Asserting that the Ramjanmabhoomi movement proved to be a major watershed in the history of post-1947 India, Advani said he felt humbled that destiny made him perform a pivotal duty in the form of the Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990. "I believe that before any event finally occurs in reality, it takes shape and form in a person's mind. At that time, I was feeling that a befitting temple for Shri Ram in Ayodhya would indeed be a certainty one day and that it was only a matter of time," he said. Advani's Rath Yatra was cut short following his arrest in Bihar but the popular upsurge the movement sparked propelled the BJP to the centre stage of national politics, paving the way for the party to form its first central government in the late 1990s under Vajpayee's leadership. India has registered a strong protest with the United Kingdom over the visit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) by its High Commissioner to Islamabad along with another British official. IMAGE: British High Commissioner to Islamabad Jane Marriott posted photos of her visit to Mirpur on her social media. Photograph: Kind courtesy @JaneMarriottUK on X The ministry of external affairs said such 'infringement' of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is 'unacceptable'. 'India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan occupied Kashmir on January 10,' it said. 'Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement,' the MEA said. 'The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India,' it said in a statement. After being trounced in the recent state assembly polls, there is a growing demand from the Bharat Rashtra Samiti leaders and cadre to the high command to change its name to Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). IMAGE: BRS working president K T Rama Rao addresses a party meeting in Hyderabad. Photograph: ANI Photo According to party sources, several party workers voiced their suggestion to BRS working president and son of the former chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, K T Rama Rao saying removal of Telangana from the name has ostensibly created a disconnect with the state. Senior BRS leaders, including Rama Rao are currently holding a series of Lok Sabha constituency-wise preparatory meetings starting from January 3 eliciting suggestions from the cadres while brainstorming the reasons for the poll debacle. "In every party meeting some leaders and cadres are asking the senior leadership to change the name to TRS. They feel that without Telangana, the party name appears to have caused a disconnect with people," a senior leader of BRS told PTI. Another leader said though they are averse to the name change, they could not voice their mind as Rao, also known as KCR is known for taking tough decisions and emerging indomitable. The name change to TRS is one of the top five reasons being attributed for the party's defeat in the assembly polls, the leader added. In 2022, KCR renamed the TRS as BRS to expand the party's footprint beyond Telangana but the failure in the assembly election may derailed his plans and clarity would emerge in a few months. The BRS (then TRS) was a formidable force even before the formation of Telangana in undivided Andhra Pradesh with its USP being the champion of Telangana's interests. The KCR-led party secured only out of 175 assembly seats in the November 30 polls. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. High 43F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. A few flurries are possible. Low 29F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Khaled Khiari, UN assistant secretary-general for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, speaks at a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Jan. 12, 2024. Khiari on Friday warned of further escalation of regional tensions after U.S.-led strikes on Yemen. (Manuel Elias/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A UN official on Friday warned of further escalation of regional tensions after U.S.-led strikes on Yemen. The military forces of the United States and Britain, supported by four countries, reportedly conducted over 50 airstrikes and missile strikes on targets across Yemen on Thursday, following the continued Houthi targeting of vessels in the Red Sea, said Khaled Khiari, UN assistant secretary-general for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, in his remarks to the Security Council. "We are witnessing a cycle of violence that risks grave political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions in Yemen and the region," he warned. "Recent humanitarian improvements in the country are fragile and could easily be reversed if there are further incidents, while progress on reaching a political settlement to end the war in Yemen could also be undermined, leaving the people of Yemen facing the impact of continued conflict." These developments in the Red Sea and the risk of exacerbating regional tensions are alarming. The Houthi attack using an anti-ship ballistic missile on Thursday following the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2722, which demanded an end to Houthi attacks on the Red Sea, and Thursday's strikes on Yemen further demonstrate that the region is on a dangerous escalatory trajectory, which could potentially impact millions of people in Yemen, the region and globally, he said. Khiari called on the Security Council to continue its efforts in actively engaging with all concerned parties to prevent further escalation from exacerbating regional tensions or undermining regional peace, security, or international trade. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Considerable cloudiness. High 44F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A few flurries are possible. Low near 30F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. SANAA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. and British warplanes launched new airstrikes on Houthi rebel sites in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Saturday before dawn, residents and the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. The Houthi television station said the airstrikes hit the northern part of the capital, without providing further details. According to residents, the explosions were very powerful, shaking the houses. The fresh air raids came in less than 24 hours of similar massive airstrikes that targeted the Houthi training camps and arms depots in Sanaa and other northern cities, and the Houthi officials said they killed five people and injured six others. Launched Friday night U.S. Eastern Time, the strikes were much smaller in scale compared to those launched Thursday by the United States and Britain, CNN reported on Friday, citing anonymous U.S. officials. The U.S. official said that the additional strikes were carried out unilaterally by the U.S. military. Thursday's strikes were believed to have degraded the Houthis' capabilities to attack vessels in the Red Sea, Director of the Joint Staff Douglas Sims told a press briefing held by the Defense Department on Friday. Sims expects possible retaliation from the Houthis after Thursday's strikes but emphasizes preparedness. "We're ready for any response," he said. Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder told reporters during the briefing that Thursday's strikes hit more than 60 targets in 28 locations. The Houthi supreme political council said on Friday that "U.S.-British interests in the region have become legitimate targets" for the Houthi fighters. The Houthi council also vowed to launch retaliatory attacks very soon. The Houthis have escalated their attacks in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, demanding an end to Israeli attacks and the siege against the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip. But the results split between 3 parties spells a tough path for him balancing Beijings pressure and domestic issues. Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, left, celebrates his victory with running mate Bi-khim Hsiao in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. The Ruling-party candidate has emerged victorious in Taiwan's presidential election and his opponents have conceded. Updated Jan. 13, 2024, 14:05 ET Taiwanese voters elected Vice President Lai Ching-te from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, as their new president on Saturday, signaling a continuation of the islands policies aimed at preserving its de facto independence, despite increasing tensions with China. Nonetheless, the results were split between three main candidates, and Lai and his party will face a challenging journey in managing the escalating pressure from Beijing. As of 11:00 p.m. local time, Lai had received 5.58 million votes, or 40.1%, while Lais main opposition Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang, or KMT, had received about 4.67 million votes, or 33.5%. Ko Wen-je of Taiwans Peoples Party, or TPP, considered an alternative option, garnered 3.69 million votes, or 26.5%. In a press conference on Saturday night after his win, Lai thanked the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in democracy and likened it as the first victory for the global community of democracy for 2024. We have shown the world how much we cherish our democracy; this is our unwavering commitment, said Lai, thanking his opponents for demonstrating the spirit of democracy. Hou, Beijings preferred candidate, conceded the election by saying he respects the final choice that the Taiwanese people made. I would not only like to extend my congratulations to Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim [Lais running mate] for being elected, but also hope that they will live up to Taiwanese peoples expectations of a ruling party, said Hou, calling for all parties to unite, and urged the DPP to build a new and efficient government that Taiwan could trust. Taiwans presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party (L) bows beside his running mate Jaw Shaw-kong as they concede in the presidential election outside Banqiao stadium in New Taipei City on Jan. 13, 2024. (Sam Yeh/AFP) Separately, Ko noted that despite the defeat, the election has turned the TPP into a significant force, highlighting a positive outcome from the setback. Every vote represented an endorsement of us. This is also the first time in Taiwan, amid the blue-green [KMT-DPP] structure, that a three-party situation has emerged. It shows that Taiwan needs another voice. Voters from the island of 24 million people journeyed back to their hometowns to participate in the presidential and legislative elections on Saturday. They cast their votes in a variety of locations, including schools, temples, parking lots and community centers. Taiwanese also voted for representatives in the 113-seat legislature, and no party was able to command a majority, which would need at least 57 seats. The DPP won 51 seats, the KMT secured 52, and the TPP obtained eight. Two independent legislators also won seats, both of whom are ideologically aligned with the KMT, according to media reports. Viewed with suspicion Lai, a former physician and mayor of Tainan, is viewed with suspicion by Chinas ruling Communist Party. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that should be politically reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The democratic island of Taiwan has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war. China has dialed up diplomatic and economic pressure on the island since the incumbent Tsai Ing-wens administration first came to power in 2016, as Tsai and her party refuse to acknowledge that Taiwan and the mainland belong to One China. During the election period, Chinas actions, such as floating balloons through Taiwan airspace and deploying aircraft carriers in the critical Taiwan Strait, heightened its unpopularity in Taiwan. These military maneuvers, viewed by Taipei as intimidation tactics, exacerbated the already tense relationship. China also has successfully swayed several of Taipeis diplomatic allies to shift their recognition to Beijing. As a result, only 13 countries currently maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Dialogue, not confrontation Lais election triumph doesnt solve the issue of Beijings aggression and is more likely to heighten tensions. Nevertheless, Lai expressed confidence that despite dwindling official recognition on the world stage, support for Taiwans de facto independence remains robust. During his Saturday winning speech, Lai said that he has the important responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, while keeping the cross-strait status quo. We will use changes to replace obstructionism, dialogues to replace confrontations, said Lai, adding Taiwan will stand on the side of democracy between democracy and authoritarianism. Taiwanese people resisted the efforts from external influence to this election and trusted only that they themselves had the right to choose their leader, he said. The crowd cheers at a Democratic Progressive Party rally in New Taipei City, Taiwan, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) In response to the election result, Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office said on Saturday the victory of Lai would not change the basic landscape of cross strait relations. In a statement carried on China's state Xinhua news agency, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the results showed the DPP cannot represent mainstream public opinion on the island. 'One China policy' The U.S. State Department released a statement congratulating Lai on his victory, and the Taiwanese people for demonstrating their robust democratic system. The United States is committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure, the statement said. The partnership between the American people and the people on Taiwan, rooted in democratic values, continues to broaden and deepen across economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties. The statement went on say that Washington looks forward to working with Lai and the leaders of all parties to advance our shared interests and values, and to further our longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the U.S. one China policy as guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. We are confident that Taiwan will continue to serve as an example for all who strive for freedom, democracy, and prosperity. In contrast to Beijings one China principle, which holds that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that it should be governed from Beijing, Washington espouses a one China policy that takes no position on sovereignty over Taiwan. While acknowledging Beijings position, Washington does not take a stance on its validity. George Ren, a political analyst, believes that Lais win would not deal the Chinese Communist Party, or CPP, an unknown card, as a Ko victory could. Id be more concerned if the DPP was able to warrant a majority win in the legislature. If there was one, it would be easier for Lai to implement his policy, which means the CCP may have some countermeasures, Ren said. He also pointed out that the bigger worry is implementing domestic policies in the legislature that address issues critical to the voting public such as policies to improve infrastructure and housing construction. Economic worries The DPP has recently faced criticism for becoming the establishment, particularly from the younger generation. Under Tsais rule, issues like slow wage growth, high housing costs, and power shortages have become points of contention. In November, Taiwans statistics bureau reported a reduction in the islands 2023 GDP growth forecast to just 1.42%, the lowest since the 2008 global financial crisis. Furthermore, Taiwan is grappling with soaring housing prices, ranked among the highest globally, while its wage levels were among the lowest compared to other developed economies, according to March figures. Addressing these challenges will be a primary focus for Lai and the DPP moving forward. The president-elect said he will prioritize issues that have consensus with other political parties and would embrace them as long as they benefit the people. Edited by Mike Firn and Malcolm Foster. Updates to add comment from U.S. State Department, and explanation of difference between Beijing's "one China principle" and Washington's "one China policy." Some comments reference the lack of democratic process in China, while some insist the island belongs to Beijing. Social media users shared a screenshot of a Chinese Communist Party propaganda poster from the 1950s on Jan. 13, 2024, the day of Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections, which reads: "We have the right to vote, and to run for election!" Social media users and commentators in China were watching Taiwan's elections closely on Saturday, with some expressing indirect support for Taiwan's democracy, and others sticking closely to Beijing's official line. While state media appeared to be steering clear of the topic of the Taiwan elections, pro-China commercial media like Phoenix TV and Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao newspaper offered visible coverage of the poll on the social media platform Weibo. And while many comments on Phoenix TV's Weibo posts took the official Chinese Communist Party line that Taiwan is "an inalienable part of China," and that the elections are merely "provincial," there were also some who challenged that view, expressing implied admiration for the democratic process. "They're choosing their own so-called "president" again," wrote @Desert_Fish512 from Guangdong, while @Waffle_Man_Cultist_by-Akito asked, in an apparent reference to the lack of popular elections in China: "Do you get to choose your own here?" "You definitely cant understand, because everything you have is given by the party," commented @Xiaozheng 5871 from Henan. "Very interesting election," wrote @Just_you_angry_young_man from Shanghai. "We would only get such an intense battle when electing our class captain [in high school]." They spoke ahead of an unprecedented third straight term victory for Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party with its candidate Lai Ching-te, who has a strong track record of standing up to China, over the more China-friendly opposition candidates Hou Yu-ih for the Kuomintang and Ko Wen-je for the Taiwan People's Party. The elections came amid ongoing threats from the ruling Chinese Communist Party to force "unification" on Taiwan referenced in a pledge by Chinese leader Xi Jinping at New Year and rebuffed by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen along with military saber-rattling in the South China Sea and the looming threat of economic sanctions. Social media users shared a screenshot of a Chinese Communist Party propaganda poster from the 1950s on Jan. 13, 2024, the day of Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections, which reads: "We have the right to vote, and to run for election!" Late supreme leader Mao Zedong once promised that China would be a democracy if he came to power, but later went back on his word, according to Bao Tong, a former top Communist Party official. Yet even on China's tightly censored social media platforms, discussion didn't always stick to the party line. "They're not independent, but they're sure not unified either," mused @SelfportraitVanGogh from Guangdong, while @Jing_Qiao_Qiao_1314 observed that "Taiwanese people are basically independent." Others described the majority of Taiwanese as having been "poisoned," for not wanting to be ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, while others commented that Ko Wen-je had "split the [blue] vote." "They will [always] vote for the DPP, while the blue camp will always be divided," wrote Kuomintang supporter @annpika from the United States. "My family and I will still vote, but to no avail." A_real_person506 in Jiangxi wondered why the DPP kept winning, despite strong opposition from China. "Because you only see what the government wants you to see," responded @Waiting_for_a_rich_woman_every_day from Sichuan. @big-520-apple was more dismissive, commenting only: "Game of thrones," while @Hongqiang_comes_out_of_the_wall took the party line: "No matter who is elected, the motherland must be reunified and will inevitably be reunified," they commented from Sichuan. "Does each one of them get a vote?" asked @Warm_tea_like_a_dream, while @erjiguanmeipiyanchishisiquanji opined: "They dont want unification." A social media user who gave only the surname Mao for fear of reprisals said he had learned something of the differences between the main three parties by reading online exchanges, but hadn't seen any coverage of the election in China's official media. "I haven't seen any official media reports on the presidential elections in the Republic of China on Taiwan," Mao told RFA Mandarin. "Everyone I know expects victory for the Democratic Progressive Party." "We hope that Taiwan will continue to move in the direction of freedom, democracy and the rule of law," he said, adding: "Taiwan is now the only ideal land left for the Chinese people." The Global Times in English carried only a Jan. 12 report in which foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated Beijing's line, with no mention of the election on the front page. "The elections of the Taiwan region are China's internal affairs and regardless of the result, it will not change the basic fact that Taiwan is part of China and there is only one China in the world," she told a news conference in Beijing. Chinese scholar Yan Ligeng said many Chinese people privately want a DPP victory, but also believe it will lead to retaliation in the form of economic sanctions. "If Lai Ching-te of the DPP wins and is elected president, I estimate that mainland China's policy towards Taiwan will only become more severe, because Lai Ching-te's election is something mainland China does not want to see, because mainland China believes that an elected DPP president is a step closer to Taiwan independence," Yan said. Speaking before the results were announced, veteran political journalist Gao Yu said economic sanctions would be likely in the event of a Lai victory. "Warnings of sanctions against Taiwan have been issued, including the termination of the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and preferential tariffs, which have dealt a serious blow to the agriculture, fishery, auto parts and other industries in southern Taiwan," she said. But she didn't believe a Kuomintang victory would be better for Taiwan in the long run, citing Hong Kong's loss of its promised freedoms under Beijing's "one country, two systems" framework. "Only when the political system is guaranteed can the economy prosper," she said. A Hebei-based journalist who gave only the surname Gao for fear of reprisals said he doesn't expect war in the near future, even with a DPP victory. "Economic and trade sanctions will happen for sure, and there may be other actions, such as restricting the movements of Taiwanese people, and so on," Gao said, adding that the island had reduced its economic dependence on China in recent years. "But in the absence of military action, life shouldn't be too difficult for them ... Taiwan no longer needs to be restricted by Chinas economy," he said. Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Elaine Chan. The Saturday elections have been framed by Beijing as a choice between war and peace. Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih waves as he votes for the election in New Taipei City Jan. 13, 2024. (Louise Delmotte/AP) Ko Wen-je, presidential candidate of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), walks out from a voting booth before casting his ballot during the presidential and parliamentary elections in Taipei, Taiwan Jan. 13, 2024. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters) Lai Ching-te, Taiwans vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Partys (DPP) presidential candidate casts his vote at a polling station during the presidential and parliamentary elections in Tainan, Taiwan January 13, 2024. (Ann Wang/Reuters) Voting has ended and counting is underway in Taiwans presidential election, a ballot that will shape its future relationship with China and stance on independence and stability. Polls opened at 8:00 a.m. at nearly 18,000 locations, from the islands south to its capital Taipei and closed at 4 p.m with votes immediately being counted and reported to the election authorities soon after. The result for Saturdays election should be clear by late evening when the losers concede and the winner gives a victory speech. At stake is the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and the self-governed island, claimed by Beijing as its own, but equally important are bread-and-butter issues. Key candidates in the presidential race are: Vice President Lai Ching-te of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Hou Yu-ih of the Beijing-favored Kuomintang (KMT) and Ko Wen-je of Taiwans Peoples Party (TPP). Former physician and mayor of Tainan, Lai, known for his support of Taiwan independence, aims to continue President Tsais policies of maintaining Taiwans de facto independence amidst heightened tensions with Beijing. Facing challenges like slow wage growth and high housing costs, Lais DPP, once an opposition to the KMTs rule, now faces criticisms of being the establishment. Today is a glorious day, great weather to vote. I encourage everyone to go vote, demonstrate the vigor of Taiwanese democracy, said Lai after casting his vote in his hometown of Tainan. Let Taiwan continue to move forward. Hou from the KMT, a former police officer and mayor of New Taipei City, represents a Taiwanese flavor in politics, which his party believes could help attract a broader voter base beyond its traditional supporters; he advocates for dialogue with Beijing under the 1992 consensus to reduce cross-strait tensions. However, the viability of this consensus is in question since Chinese President Xi Jinpings 2019 interpretation aligned it with a stringent one China principle, echoing the increasingly restrictive model seen in Hong Kong. I am very happy to see people voluntarily come out to vote early in the morning. This demonstrates a very important voting behavior of Taiwanese democracy in the electoral process where democracy is used to select the most ideal president, vice president and legislators, said Hou after voting in New Taipei City. More importantly, no matter how chaotic the election process is, everyone must unite after the election. Ko, a former surgeon turned politician, founded the TPP four years ago, focusing on domestic issues like energy and housing, after a surprising victory in Taipei's mayoral race as an independent. While the TPP isnt strong enough to dominate the legislature, Ko aims to position it as a parliamentary power broker, advocating for a coalition with the KMT and offering a third choice to voters, with policies aligning more closely with the KMTs stance on China. Asked by journalists how he felt after casting his ballot in Taipei, Ko said: Keep a normal mind, finish what one needs to finish every day, and plan for the next stage after each is completed. An official of a polling station holds up a ballot slip, as vote counting for the presidential elections commences, at a high school in New Taipei City on January 13, 2024. (Sam Yeh / AFP) Just hours before the polls got underway China continued to assert its presence in the region. Taiwans defense ministry said eight Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and six PLA Navy vessels were detected around the island as of 6 a.m. local time, with one aircraft entering Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone. Some voters may be dissuaded from supporting independence-leaning candidates by China's military threats, but the United States has pledged support for whichever government forms. A White House official said on Wednesday that U.S. President Joe Biden will send an unofficial delegation of former officials to Taiwan following the presidential elections. Aside from tensions with China, the Taiwan election is also predominantly determined by domestic concerns. In November 2023, Taiwan's statistics bureau reported its GDP growth forecast as 1.42%, the lowest since 2008. Taiwan is grappling with soaring housing prices, ranked among the highest globally, while its wage levels were among the lowest compared to other developed economies, according to March figures. The outcome of the elections will also impact the security and economy of neighboring countries like Japan and South Korea. Taro Aso, the former Prime Minister of Japan, recently warned that Chinas territorial claims on Taiwan could lead to a dire crisis for Japan, necessitating Tokyos intervention in the Taiwan Strait during any conflict to protect its citizens. Additionally, a Bloomberg Economics report released on Tuesday indicated that South Koreas GDP would face the second-largest drop, after Taiwan, if a war were to break out between China and the democratic island. A woman casts her vote in the presidential election at a polling station in a temple in New Taipei City on Jan. 13, 2024. (Alastair Pike/AFP) Experts who spoke to Radio Free Asia said they believe maintaining the status quo is considered the safest approach regardless of the outcome of the elections. Despite Beijings ongoing threats to use force to reclaim Taiwan, theres little belief in an immediate invasion by China, they said, citing several factors at play: Taiwans determination to maintain its freedom and identity, the relations between Washington and Beijing, and the U.S.s commitment to protecting Taiwans interests. Above all, the economic cost of a conflict could be devastating for the region and the world. For one, Taiwan is the leading global producer of the most advanced semiconductors. Beyond the presidential and vice presidential elections, there are also 113 legislative seats up for grabs. More than 83% of the total population, or approximately 19.55 million voters, are eligible to cast their ballot. In 2020, DPP President Tsai Ing-wen and her running mate Lai won over 8.17 million votes, or 57.13% of the total, to defeat Han Kuo-yu and Chang San-cheng of the KMT. Additionally, a majority of seats was gained by the DPP in the 2020 legislative election. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan. Vladimir Putin has claimed a fifth presidential term with a landslide victory in a tightly controlled election that has been condemned by the West as neither free nor fair as the Russian leader seeks to prove overwhelming popular support for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and increasingly repressive policies. With 99.75 percent of ballots counted, Putin won another six-year term with a post-Soviet record of 87.29 percent of the vote, the Central Elections Committee (TsIK) said on March 18, adding that turnout was also at a "record" level, with 77.44 percent of eligible voters casting ballots. The 71-year old Putin -- who has ruled as either president or prime minister since 2000 -- is now set to surpass Soviet dictator Josef Stalins nearly 30-year reign to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries. "This election has been based on repression and intimidation," the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told journalists in Brussels on March 18 as the bloc's foreign ministers gathered to discuss the election, among other issues. The March 15-17 vote is the first for Putin since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that has killed tens of thousands of Russians and led to a clear break in relations with the West. In holding what has widely been viewed as faux elections, Putin wants to show that he has the nations full support, experts said. The vote was also held in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers are located. Moscow illegally annexed the regions since launching the invasion, though it remains unclear how much of the territory it controls. The Kremlin's goal "is to get as many people as possible to sign off on Russia's war against Ukraine. The idea is to get millions of Russian citizens to retroactively approve the decision Putin single-handedly made two years ago," Maksim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow at the Kennan Institute, wrote in a note ahead of the vote. In remarks shortly after he was declared the winner, Putin said the election showed that the nation was "one team." But Western leaders condemned the vote, with a White House spokesman saying they "are obviously not free nor fair," and EU foreign ministers roundly dismissing them as a sham ahead of agreeing to impose sanctions on individuals linked to the mistreatment and death of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told RFE/RL in an interview in Tbilisi on the second day of a visit to the Caucasus that the Russian election was "not free nor fair." He said those who have had the courage to oppose Putin "are either force to flee, to live abroad, they are jailed, or some of them are killed as we saw with Aleksei Navalny." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaking at the start of the EU foreign ministers' meeting, said Russia's election was "an election without choice." French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said the conditions for a "free, pluralistic, and democratic election were not met," and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the election outcome highlighted the "depth of repression" in Russia. "Putin removes his political opponents, controls the media, and then crowns himself the winner. This is not democracy," Cameron said. France, Britain, and other countries condemned the fact that Russia had also held its election in occupied regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Putin has become "sick with power" and he is just "simulating" elections. "This imitation of 'elections' has no legitimacy and cannot have any. This person must end up in the dock in The Hague [at the International UN Tribunal for War Crimes]," Zelenskiy said on X. Putin's allies were quick to heap praise on the Russian leader for his election success. China, one of Russia's most important allies, congratulated Putin, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian saying President Xi Jinping and the Russian leader "will continue to maintain close exchanges, lead the two countries to continue to uphold long-standing good-neighborly friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination." Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called Putin's victory "decisive," the state news agency IRNA reported, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a congratulatory message to Putin quoted by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that Russian voters had shown "unshakeable support and trust in" their president, state media reported. In the tightly controlled race, Putin was opposed by three relatively unknown, Kremlin-friendly politicians whose campaigns were barely noticeable. Prior to the election the Kremlin banned anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin from the ballot after tens of thousands of voters lined up in the cold to support his candidacy. Nadezhdin threatened to undermine the narrative of a united nation behind Putin and his war, experts said. Russias opposition movement suffered a serious blow last month when Navalny, who was Putins fiercest and most popular critic, died in unclear circumstances in a maximum-security prison in the Arctic where he was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism widely seen as politically motivated. Russian political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky said in an interview with Current Time that Putin was also frightened by the rebellion staged by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in June when Prigozhin's forces briefly took control of Rostov-on-Don and were greeted by many citizens as heroes. Prigozhin ended his rebellion before reaching Moscow and was later killed in a plane crash that many believe was retaliation by the Kremlin. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa KYIV -- New French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on a surprise visit sought to reassure Kyiv that it can count on support from Paris following the cabinet reshuffle in France over the past week and that Ukraine will remain Frances priority as it continues to battle the Russian invasion. Ukraine is and will remain Frances priority. The defense of the fundamental principles of international law is being played out in Ukraine, he told a Kyiv news conference alongside his counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on January 13. Russia is hoping that Ukraine and its supporters will tire before it does. We will not weaken. That is the message that I am carrying here to the Ukrainians. Our determination is intact, said Sejourne, who was making his first foreign journey since being appointed to the position on January 11. WATCH: After Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a "partial mobilization" in fall 2022, over 300,000 reservists were drafted into the war in Ukraine, which Russia calls a "special military operation." A year later, women formed The Way Home initiative to demand that their family members be discharged and sent back home. The women wear white shawls as a symbol of their protest. Kuleba thanked Sejourne for making his journey to Kyiv despite another massive shelling by Russia. I am grateful to him for his courage, for not turning back." Sejourne arrived in the Ukrainian capital within hours of a combined missile-and-drone attack by Russia that triggered Ukrainian air defenses in several southern and eastern regions early on January 13. Sejourne's visit represented the latest Western show of support for Kyiv in its ongoing war to repel Russia's 22-month-old full-scale invasion. "For almost 2 years, Ukraine has been on the front line to defend its sovereignty and ensure the security of Europe," Sejourne said on X, formerly Twitter. "France's aid is long-term." 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. Ukraine has struggled to secure further funding for its campaign from the United States and the European Union, the latter of which is grappling with opposition from member Hungary. The French Foreign Ministry posted an image of Sejourne and said he'd "arrived in Kyiv for his first trip to the field, in order to continue French diplomatic action there and to reiterate France's commitment to its allies and alongside civilian populations." "Despite the multiplying crisis, Ukraine is and will remain France's priority," AFP later quoted Sejourne as saying in Kyiv. He said "the fundamental principles of international law and the values of Europe, as well as the security interests of the French" are at stake there. Earlier, the General Staff of Ukraine's military said Russia had launched 40 missiles and attack drones targeting Ukrainian territory. It said Ukrainian air defenses shot down eight of the incoming attacks and 20 others missed their targets. It said the Russian weapons included "winged, aerobic, ballistic, aviation, anti-controlled missiles, and impact BPLAs." They reportedly targeted the eastern Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions. RFE/RL cannot independently confirm claims by either side in areas of the heaviest combat. Air alerts sounded in several regions of Ukraine. A day earlier, Polish radio and other reports quoted recently inaugurated Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk as saying he would visit Ukraine soon to discuss joint security efforts and to talk about Polish truckers' grievances over EU advantages for Ukrainian haulers. Tusk, a former Polish leader and European Council president who was sworn in for a new term as Polish prime minister in mid-December, has been a vocal advocate of strong Polish and EU support for Ukraine. "I really want the Ukrainian problems of war and, more broadly security, as well as policy toward Russia, to be joint, so that not only the president and the prime minister, but the Polish state as a whole act in solidarity in these issues," Tusk said. The U.S. Congress has been divided over additional aid to Ukraine, with many Republicans opposing President Joe Biden's hopes for billions more in support. An EU aid proposal of around 50 billion euros ($55 billion) was blocked by Hungary, although other members have said they will pursue "technical" or other means of skirting Budapest's resistance as soon as possible. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that delays in aid can severely hamper Ukrainians' ongoing efforts to defeat invading Russian forces. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service ISLAMABAD, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces claimed on Friday evening to have killed two terrorists during an operation in North Waziristan district of the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan on the reported presence of terrorists on Friday. During the operation, an intense fire exchange took place between security personnel and the terrorists, leading to the killing of two terrorists. The ISPR said that the killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area, including target killing of innocent civilians. "Clearance operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area," said the military, adding that the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country. U.S. President Joe Biden said Washington had sent a private message to Tehran about Yemen-based, Iranian-backed Huthi rebels responsible for attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. "We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared," Biden told reporters at the White House on January 14 hours after U.S. and other forces conducted a second strike against Huthi sites in Yemen. Details about the private message were not disclosed. The United States and Iran do not have formal diplomatic relations, and affairs between the two nations have generally been handled through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran since 1979. The Huthi rebels -- whose attacks against Israeli-linked and other commercial vessels in the Red Sea have prompted military responses from the United States and its allies against Huthi targets in Yemen -- have pledged "strong" retaliation following a second strike on January 13. The threat amplifies concerns of major military confrontations stemming from Israel's war against Hamas, the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group, in Gaza, which like the Huthi movement enjoys Iranian support. Russia also voiced accusations at the United Nations that the Western moves risk a dangerous escalation. "This new strike will have a firm, strong, and effective response," Al-Jazeera quoted Huthi spokesman Nasruldeen Amer as saying on January 13. He claimed there had been no casualties, no injuries, and no "material damages" from the second wave of strikes. The threat came after the U.S. military carried out its second strike in two days, this time against what U.S. officials said was a radar site. A day earlier, the United States and the United Kingdom conducted dozens of air strikes against Huthi targets in Yemen. The Huthis said those attacks killed five of their fighters. The Huthis have denied they are trying to interfere with international shipping but say they are targeting Israeli-linked ships in support of Palestinians amid Israel's ongoing war against Hamas. But many of the vessels they have targeted have had no clear connection to Israel. The United States has said it is not seeking a conflict in the region but has warned the Huthis that it will not tolerate further violent disruption to a crucial international shipping lane. The White House said on January 10 that the Huthi attacks were "unlawful and escalatory." Reuters quoted another Huthi spokesman, Mohammad Abdulsalam, as saying on January 13 that a strike overnight that struck a military base in Sanaa had no major effect on the group's capacity to block Israeli-linked ships from using the route. Moscow has condemned the United States' and its allies' Red Sea response. WATCH: Who are the Huthi rebels, why did U.S. and U.K. forces strike now, and what are the rebels' links to Iran? Hannah Porter is a Yemen expert and senior research fellow with the Ark social enterprise group. Russia's envoy to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, told a meeting of the Security Council late on January 12 that those countries' actions were "personally" escalating the Gaza conflict and encouraging a spread of Hamas support in the region. The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on January 12 on two companies in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates as part of a crackdown on the financial network funding the Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen. The United States continues to take action against the illicit Iranian financial networks that fund the Huthis and facilitate their attacks, Treasury Undersecretary Brian Nelson said in the statement. The Huthi group, which controls Sanaa and much of the west and north of Yemen, has also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself. With reporting by RFE/RL, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, and Voice of America Muireann Duffy Limerick student Sean O'Sullivan has been named as the winner of the 2024 BT Young Scientist. The Fifth Year student from Colaiste Chiarain won with his project, VerifyMe: A new approach to authorship attribution in the post-ChatGPT era. The 17-year-old's project looked at the challenges posed by the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has created a need to discern material made by humans from that produced by AI. Following his research on the topic, he developed a novel approach to authenticate material, by identifying stylistic differences to verify whether the creator was human or AI. Congratulations to Sean O'Sullivan from Colaiste Chiarain in Limerick on his tremendous achievement of winning top prize at @BTYSTE tonight. His win is testament to his hard work and dedication and the unwavering support of his family, teachers and school. pic.twitter.com/JDcfqpb6mi Norma Foley T.D (@NormaFoleyTD1) January 12, 2024 The chair of the technology group judging panel, Leonard Hobbs, said: "The judges were hugely impressed by Seans innovative approach to addressing a problem that has only recently emerged and his programming skills in architecting a complex software solution." Minister for Education Norma Foley presented the 7,500 top prize to O'Sullivan at the RDS on Friday evening. The Minister commended Sean on his "tremendous achievement", which will now see him represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Katowice, Poland later this year. Marking the exhibition's 60th year, Ms Foley also paid tribute to its founders, Dr Tony Scott and Fr Tom Burke, "who had the vision and determination to first establish this event in Ireland back in 1963". "The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition continues to demonstrate the breadth of whats possible in our world when open and inquiring minds ask questions and explore new opportunities and solutions," she said. Sixth Year students from Loreto Secondary School in Balbriggan, Dublin, Abigail O'Brien-Murrya, Erica O'Brian-Murray and Olivia O'Shea (all 18), won the best group prize for their project on ash trees. The exhibition continues at the RDS on Saturday, with tickets available online and at the venue. WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military has launched another airstrike against Houthi targets in Yemen, several U.S. media outlets reported on Saturday, citing two anonymous U.S. officials. Tom Tuite A 17-year-old youth has become the third and youngest person charged with murdering gunman Tristan Sherry, who was killed following a Christmas Eve shooting at a Dublin restaurant where another man was fatally injured. The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was remanded to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus following a brief hearing before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Saturday morning. He is the third and youngest person to be charged with the murder. Sherry, 26, was killed following a shooting of Jason Hennessy Snr, 48, inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown. The teenager will appear again at the Children's Court on Wednesday. He has an automatic right to anonymity because he is under 18, and mandatory reporting restrictions under section 93 of the Children Act apply. Detective Garda, Tom McCarrick of Blanchardstown station, told Judge Kelly that the teenager was charged shortly after midnight in the presence of his mother, and he "made no reply to the charge after caution", and he was handed a true copy of the charge sheet. The District Court does not have the power to consider bail in a murder case, which requires a High Court application. Defence solicitor Brian Tunney asked her to adjourn the case so the teenager could appear before the Children's Court in Smithfield on Wednesday morning. The judge said the teenager was entitled to legal aid and noted there was no garda objection. She assigned solicitor Simon Fleming to represent him. The boy, wearing a grey tracksuit, sat silently at the side of the courtroom throughout the hearing. His mother accompanied him, and Judge Kelly remarked that it was "very important" that she was there. Parents, guardians, or a responsible adult must attend criminal proceedings with juvenile defendants unless they have been excused for a valid reason. The Children Act also states, "No report shall be published or included in a broadcast which reveals the name, address or school of any child concerned in the proceedings or includes any particulars likely to lead to the identification of any child concerned in the proceedings." Father of one, Sherry, 26, was attacked after opening fire inside Browne's Steakhouse and was pronounced dead at the scene. Jason Hennessy Snr was shot in the neck and upper body while having a meal with family and friends. Mr Hennessy, from Corduff in west Dublin, was rushed to hospital, but his condition deteriorated, and he passed away last week, resulting in gardai commencing a separate murder probe. Two men were charged earlier with the murder of Mr Sherry; another had related charges; they remain in custody on remand. Co-defendants David Amah, 18, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin and Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, have been charged with the murder of Sherry. But Wayne Deegan, 25, of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, was charged 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 Browne's Steakhouse on December 24. Mr Deegan unsuccessfully applied for bail on Friday at a hearing in which a court heard he claimed he "acted in self-defence". The three men will appear again in court later this month. Earlier this week, another male was arrested but released from Garda custody pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Ayalaan Movie OTT Release Update: Know where to watch Sivakarthikeyan-starrer to online 'Ayalaan' revolves around the story of SK, a scientist whose life is turned upside down after an alien arrives in his life. Ayalaan Movie OTT Release Platform Release Date Update: One of the most anticipated Tamil sci-fi film adventure films, Ayalaan, released in theatres. Written and directed by Ravikumar, the film features Sivakarthikeyan, Allien, and Rakul Preet Singh in the main lead roles, along with Isha Koppikar, Sharad Kelkar, Yogi Babu, Bala Saravanan, and many others. The film is said to be a visually stunning film with over 4500 VFX shots. 'Ayalaan' is being considered the first full-length live-action film in Indian cinema to have such a huge number of VFX shots. Advertisement The film includes AR Rahman's goose-bumping background score along with mesmerizing melodies and Nirav Shah's visually stunning cinematography besides Ruben's sharp edits. 'Ayalaan' revolves around the story of SK, a scientist whose life is turned upside down after an alien arrives in his life. Initially, he gets scared of the alien's looks, but the alien needs help as he wants to return home. He later realizes that the alien is not a threat, and then he puts all his efforts into helping it return to its planet. However, the humans try their best to capture the alien for their selfish purposes. Will SK succeed in returning him to its place? Well, the rest of the story is what attracts the audience to the film. Advertisement Ayalaan Movie OTT Release Platform Release Date Update: As per reports, Amazon Prime Video has been officially named as the digital partner of the film and it is expected to have an OTT release in the month of February. Weather Update Today: Red alert issued in Punjab for severe cold MeT also forecast dense to very dense fog in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh till January 15. Punjab Weather Update Today: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a red alert for Punjab and Haryana besides predicting severe cold conditions across the states. In Punjab, an alert has been issued for the next 48 to 72 hours while in Haryana, the warning has been issued for Saturday. The Meteorological Department has advised people to stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities, until or unless it is necessary, given the extreme weather conditions. Advertisement It has also forecast dense to very dense fog in the two states and Chandigarh till January 15. The MeT also advised farmers to watch out for ground frost which may damage tender vegetable crops and fruits. Amritsars night temperature falls to 1.4C Advertisement On Friday, cold wave conditions gripped both Punjab and Haryana. In Punjab, Amritsar was the coldest district, with the mercury level dipping to 1.4C in the wee hours of Friday. As per Met officials, Amritsar records the lowest temperature of 1.4C. Last year, the lowest temperature in Amritsar was 1.2C. In the meanwhile, Bathinda recorded a minimum temperature of 2C while Faridkot recorded 2.8C. It has also been reported that the minimum temperatures remained in between 3-7 degrees Celsius across the state on Friday. New Sonet HTK+ is positioned as a VFM variant, offering all the necessary features in under Rs 10 lakh Kia has launched the new Sonet facelift at a starting price of Rs 7.99 lakh. The top-spec X-Line 1.5 CRDi AT variant costs Rs 15.69 lakh (ex.sh). There are a total of 7 variants HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX, HTX+, GTX+ and X-Line trims. For folks with a budget of around Rs 10 lakh, the 2nd base variant HTK+ would be an appropriate choice. A walkaround provides complete details about the exteriors and interiors and all the features of the new Sonet HTK+ variant. New Kia Sonet HTK+ 2nd base variant walkaround Kia Sonet HTK+ 2nd base variant has most of the cosmetic touch-ups introduced with the facelift model. Some of the key highlights include Kia signature tiger nose grille with knurled matte chrome surround, tusk-inspired front and rear skid plates, star map LED DRLs, ice cube LED fog lamps and star map LED connected tail lamps. However, LED headlamps are not available with HTK+. This feature is available from HTX onwards. Although HTK+ has steel wheels, the dual-tone styling effect creates largely the same look and feel as crystal cut alloy wheels available with higher trims. R16 40.56 cm wheels have been used for HTK+. The variant gets full body cladding, electrically adjustable ORVMs with integrated turn signals, body coloured outside door handles, silver roof rack and shark fin antenna. Sonet HTK+ interiors Its good that Kia is offering an electric sunroof with HTK+ variant. However, cost will be higher, as the sunroof is available with only the 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor 6iMT variant. Sonet HTK+ gets semi leatherette seats with all black interiors. Other key features include an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, type-C USB charger, 12v power outlet, Bluetooth multi-connection, steering mounted audio controls and remote engine start on smart key. A comprehensive range of comfort and convenience features are available. It includes central locking, fully automatic air conditioner, rear AC vents, follow me home headlamps, rear defogger and smart key with push button start. Sonet HTK+ performance, safety Sonet HTK+ gets three powertrain options. Users can choose from the 1.2-litre petrol motor with 5MT, 1.0-litre turbo petrol with 6iMT and the 1.5-litre diesel with 6MT. The return of diesel MT is one of the significant updates for Sonet facelift. Talking about performance, the 1.2-litre MPi petrol motor makes 83 PS of max power and 115 Nm of peak torque. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol makes 120 PS and 172 Nm. Transmission choices include 6iMT and 7DCT. The 1.5-litre diesel engine makes 116 PS and 250 Nm. Transmission options include 6MT, 6iMT and 6AT. Safety is not a worry with Sonet facelift, as 15 features are standard across all variants. The safety kit includes 6 airbags, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill start assist control, rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring system. Sonet HTK+ gets additional safety features such as a rear-view camera with guidelines and a burglar alarm. New Sonet HTK+ prices Sonet HTK+ 2nd base variant is available at a starting price of Rs 9,89,900. This is for the G1.2 5MT variant. For G1.0 6iMT, the price is Rs 10.49 lakh. The diesel MT variant will cost Rs 11.39 lakh. BELGRADE, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) of Serbia declared on Friday evening that the ruling coalition achieved a resounding victory in the Dec. 17 parliamentary elections, securing 129 out of 250 parliamentary seats. According to the official results, the winning coalition, led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and President Aleksandar Vucic, amassed 1,783,701 votes, representing 46.75 percent of the total electorate. The opposition group "Serbia Against Violence" trailed behind, securing 23.66 percent of the votes, which translates to 65 parliamentary seats. The Socialist Party of Serbia's coalition will hold 18 seats. The new parliament will also see representation from five parties that represent four national minorities: Hungarian (6 seats), Bosniak (4 seats), Albanian (1 seat), and Russian (1 seat). Out of the 18 lists that vied for seats, eight failed to cross the parliamentary threshold. The elections witnessed 3,815,007 out of the 6,500,666 registered voters casting their ballots across 8,273 polling stations. The count revealed 104,029 invalid ballots, leaving a total of 3,710,978 valid votes. The official election results, which were approved by 20 out of the 33 members of the RIK, will lead to the assignment of MP candidates within the next 10 days. SANAA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said Saturday that the recent airstrikes on their positions by the United States and Britain will not deter them from continuing their attacks on Israel, vowing to launch more strikes soon. In a statement, the rebels, who control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, denounced the airstrikes as a violation of Yemen's sovereignty and a "blatant aggression" in support of Israel. The Houthi group vowed to continue its military operation against the "Israeli enemy" in the statement carried by the state-run Saba news agency. A U.S. Navy destroyer fired a Tomahawk cruise missile before Saturday dawn at a radar site in northern Sanaa, according to the U.S. Central Command. The strike followed a series of similar attacks by the U.S. and British naval and air forces a day earlier. The U.S. and Britain said their strikes were aimed at deterring the Houthi group from launching further attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global trade. The rebel group has recently intensified attacks on what it called "Israeli-linked ships" passing through the Red Sea to show support for the Palestinians and to pressure Israel to end its attacks and blockade on the Gaza Strip. UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday warned of the consequences of forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza and stressed the importance of an immediate cease-fire. Nearly 100 days into the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, more than 23,000 people in Gaza and over 200 United Nations (UN) personnel and journalists have lost their lives, and 90 percent of the population of Gaza has been displaced, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, at a Security Council meeting. Regarding the rhetoric of "voluntary migration" out of Gaza, he said any forced displacement of Palestinians must be firmly rejected. "That would mean driving 2 million people out of Gaza and turning Gaza into a so-called safe zone devoid of human habitation. If put into practice, such a horrific idea would constitute atrocity crimes under international law and would completely destroy the prospect of the two-state solution," said Zhang. In addition, Zhang called for all-out efforts to alleviate the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Israel must fulfill its obligations as the occupying power, ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and provide full cooperation in humanitarian relief efforts, he said. China supports further action by the Security Council to remove obstacles to the safe, rapid and unimpeded entry of sufficient humanitarian supplies into Gaza, he said. Meanwhile, Zhang called for efforts to promote a cease-fire in Gaza with utmost urgency. Only a cease-fire can prevent greater civilian casualties and humanitarian disasters, and only a cease-fire can prevent the entire Middle East region from being devoured by calamity, he said. It is worrying that instead of seeing prospects for an immediate cease-fire, the conflict is expanding, he said. An immediate cease-fire has become the overwhelming call of the international community. Yet a permanent member of the Security Council has been using various excuses to block consensus on this issue in the Security Council by using its veto power. This is blatant contempt for international fairness and justice and for the authority of the Security Council, said Zhang. "Some people have constantly talked about the protection of human rights and the prevention of genocide, while, in the face of the appalling situation in Gaza, they have played dumb, kept stonewalling and attempted to deflect attention," he said, adding that this was using double standards. "It is imperative that we remove all interference and take robust action to end the fighting, save lives, and restore peace." China urges the international community, especially countries with major influence, to make the realization of a cease-fire the overriding urgent task, he said. China is concerned about the spillover effects of the Gaza conflict on the situation in the Red Sea. The military action launched by the United States and Britain against Yemen will undoubtedly exacerbate regional tensions, Zhang said. The discovery of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis, a sister species of the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, suggests that tyrannosaurid dinosaurs originated on Laramidia, an island continent that existed between 100 and 66 million years ago and stretched from modern-day Alaska to Mexico. Tyrannosaurid dinosaurs were the dominant predators in North America and Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, said Dr. Sebastian Dalman from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and his colleagues. Evolving from small-bodied ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous, they became apex predators in the latest Cretaceous, and finally saw the appearance of T. rex. T. rex, characterized by a robust skeleton and powerful, bone-crushing jaws, was the dominant carnivore in the Late Maastrichtian of western North America. Growing to 12 m long and 10 tons in weight, T. rex was the largest terrestrial predator of its time, and perhaps of all time. Where and when Tyrannosaurini (T. rex and kin) originated remains unclear. Competing hypotheses place their origins in Asia, or western North America (Laramidia). The newly-identified species, Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis, lived in what is now the United States between 71 and 73 million years ago, or between 5 and 7 million years before T. rex. The dinosaurs fossilized partial skull was found in the Hall Lake Formation of New Mexico. Although the specimen was initially assigned to T. rex and was comparable in size to those of T. rex, the paleontologists propose that it belongs to a new species due to the presence of multiple subtle differences in the shape of, and joins between, the skull bones of the specimen and T. rex. An analysis of the relationships between Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis and other theropod dinosaur species indicates that Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis may have been a sister species to T. rex, making it the closest known relative of T. rex. The authors suggest that Tyrannosaurini may have originated in southern Laramidia, an island continent that existed between 100 and 66 million years ago and stretched from modern-day Alaska to Mexico. Additionally, they propose that Tyrannosaurini may have evolved a giant body size by approximately 72 million years ago, alongside other giant dinosaurs from southern Laramidia such as ceratopsians, hadrosaurs, and titanosaurs. They speculate that the evolution of giant tyrannosaurins may have been driven by the giant body sizes of herbivores that they preyed on in southern Laramidia. Evolution of giant tyrannosaurs in southern North America, alongside giant ceratopsians, hadrosaurs, and titanosaurs suggests large-bodied dinosaurs evolved at low latitudes in North America, they said. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. _____ S.G. Dalman et al. 2023. A giant tyrannosaur from the CampanianMaastrichtian of southern North America and the evolution of tyrannosaurid gigantism. Sci Rep 13, 22124; doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47011-0 Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Jan. 13, 2024. According to statistics issued by the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Saturday, the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip killed 135 and wounded 312 others during the past 24 hours. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) GAZA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 Palestinians were killed after Israel attacked a house in Gaza City on Saturday morning, the state-run Palestine TV reported. The report, citing a statement from Palestinian Civil Defense, said that "the bodies of 20 martyrs were recovered after the Israeli bombing of a house in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City." The Al-Daraj neighborhood, a densely populated area in the center of the city, has witnessed clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in recent days, local sources told Xinhua. The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the strip has risen to 23,843, updated the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Saturday. The ministry said in a press statement that the Israeli army killed 135 Palestinians and wounded 312 others during the past 24 hours. The statement added that since its outbreak on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israel-Hamas conflict has led to 60,317 injuries among Palestinians in the enclave, noting that a large number of victims are believed to be under the rubble of destroyed buildings, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them. Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Jan. 13, 2024. According to statistics issued by the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Saturday, the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip killed 135 and wounded 312 others during the past 24 hours. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Police rescued over 200 individuals stranded on a highway following an avalanche in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang on Wednesday. The New Age Makers Institute of Technology (NAMTECH), an educational initiative by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cisco, a prominent global technology leader. This collaboration aims to establish academic programs specifically designed to cultivate experiential learning and training modules in cybersecurity, networking and artificial intelligence (AI) for the manufacturing industry. The partnership between Cisco and NAMTECH is a strategic response to the increasing need for proficient individuals in cybersecurity and networking, particularly within the manufacturing sector, which is actively pursuing digital transformation through the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. This collaboration involves the incorporation of Cisco's cutting-edge training modules into NAMTECH's current initiatives, such as the International Professional Masters Program (iPMP) and the upcoming International Professional Technologists Program (iPTP). Additionally, the collaboration aims to provide training to participants in Cisco's cyber range and a range of smart city solutions. The agreement, formalized during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 in Gandhinagar, sets forth the objective of creating a talent pool of over 5,000 engineers and technicians within the next five years. NAMTECH's vision includes the establishment of a cutting-edge, industry-standard cybersecurity center of excellence in Gujarat, and the collaboration with Cisco is a pivotal step toward realizing this goal. Additionally, this program will present opportunities for individuals to forge careers within Cisco and its network of partners. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Honble Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, and Railways said, India not only aims to become a high-tech manufacturing hub but also a global leader in the production and export of cutting-edge innovative technology worldwide. To that end, industry and educational institutions must work together just as NAMTECH and Cisco are to develop new competencies and harness the potential of new technologies". Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer, Cisco India & SAARC said As India strives to emerge as a global manufacturing hub, cybersecurity will play a crucial role in safeguarding digital manufacturing processes and preserving data integrity in interconnected systems. We are excited to partner with NAMTECH to build a future-ready, agile, and skilled workforce that can bring to life new possibilities of digital technologies, paving the way for a smarter and globally competitive manufacturing sector". STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. In the aftermath of an overnight rainstorm and the possibility of more showers Saturday afternoon, a coastal flood warning remains in effect for Staten Island and other portions of New York City. The alert about the potential for moderate flooding lasts until 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. This will result in numerous road closures and widespread flooding of low lying property including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes/businesses with basements near the waterfront, according to the National Weather Service. Vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront will likely become flooded and destroyed. Flooding will also extend inland from the waterfront along tidal rivers and bays. Staten Island is saturated with rain and there could be more precipitation heading our way early on Saturday afternoon. The good news is that temperatures are in the balmy 50s. Water was flooding and pooling on some roadways on Staten Island on Saturday. Parts of Richmond Valley, including Arthur Kill Road between Ellis Street and Richmond Valley Road, were flooded and NYPD officers directed traffic away from the flooded roadways. Police divert traffic on Arthur Kill Road between Ellis Street and Richmond Valley Road due to flooding on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 in Richmond Valley. (Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance)Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance Water also was pooling along Travis Avenue between Mulberry Avenue in New Springville and Victory Boulevard, according to emergency radio transmissions. On the border of Great Kills and Eltingville, flooding also was reported along Arthur Kill Road near Armstrong Avenue on Saturday morning, according to emergency radio communications. Flooding is most likely to happen near the waterfront, especially along the shoreline where over 2 feet of inundation is possible, according to the National Weather Service. Manhattan and Brooklyn are other borough where flooding is likely to occur on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Trees and limbs were reported down on numerous locations on Staten Island. Twigs were spotted scattered across Eylandt Street following the cleanup from a tree that fell at that location. Twigs are scattered on the asphalt after a fallen tree was cleared on Eylandt Street near Huguenot Avenue in Huguenot on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/Maura Grunlund)Staten Island Advance/Maura Grunlund Police divert traffic on Arthur Kill Road between Ellis Street and Richmond Valley Road due to flooding on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 in Richmond Valley. (Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance)Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance Police divert traffic on Arthur Kill Road between Ellis Street and Richmond Valley Road due to flooding on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 in Richmond Valley. (Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance)Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. More inmates exiting New York correctional facilities will be provided with state identification, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday. The initiative marks an expansion to the states Jails to Jobs initiative that provides non-driver ID cards to individuals released from Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) custody, and is an effort to get convicts better connected to the outside world. Having valid documentation is critical for participating in our workforce, education and health care systems, Hochul said. This program will help thousands of New Yorkers who have paid their debt to society get on the right path. The state Department of Motor Vehicle leads the ID program, the process for which begins before the inmates are released. DOCCS staff help the prisoners with gathering the necessary paperwork to apply for an ID and take their photo. They also work with the DMV to help eligible incarcerated individuals renew their driver license. Hochuls expansion has made the program available in all 43 state-run correctional facilities, and non-driver ID cards have been provided to more than 700 individuals to date. The program began in April 2022 at the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica and the Taconic Correctional Facility and Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, both in Westchester County. New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello commended Hochul for the expansion announced Friday. The Department is committed to our mission to enhance public safety by facilitating the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals into their communities, and obtaining a state-issued ID has a significant impact in removing barriers in this process, he said. The expansion of this initiative to all New York State correctional facilities is a tremendous milestone. A journalist from Maldives works in front of a screen at the Media Center of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) Over the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Maldives, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting a model for large and small countries to treat each other on an equal footing for mutual benefit and win-win results. HONG KONG, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- On Jan. 8-12, Mohamed Muizzu paid his visit to China as president of the Maldives, marking a fresh starting point for China-Maldives relations. This year is also of special significance for bilateral ties as it marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's historic state visit to the Maldives in 2014. During Muizzu's China visit, the two heads of state announced that bilateral relations would be upgraded to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, a new starting point for China-Maldives cooperation. The two Asian nations are expected to see a leap-frog development of their bilateral relations and enable their people to enjoy more win-win dividends from bilateral cooperation. The China-Maldives friendship goes back a long way. In the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese navigator Zheng He, with fleets of ships, made it to the Maldives twice. Maldivian King Yusof also sent envoys to China on three different occasions. The island country was also an important stop on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Ancient Chinese porcelain and coins unearthed in the Maldives are historical witnesses to the friendly exchanges between the two countries. Over the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Maldives, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting a model for large and small countries to treat each other on an equal footing for mutual benefit and win-win results. During President Xi's state visit to the Maldives in September 2014, the two sides agreed to establish a future-oriented all-around friendly and cooperative partnership, steering the development of ties on a fast track. Nearly a decade later, Muizzu's visit to China has once again brought bilateral relations to a new height. The two sides will take this opportunity to jointly build a China-Maldives community with a shared future. Aerial photo taken on March 24, 2022 shows bridges built by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) in Hulhumale, Maldives. (CSCEC/Handout via Xinhua) The two sides now enjoy growing political mutual trust. While Muizzu re-emphasized that the Maldivian government firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports the Chinese side in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, China expressed its respect and support for the Maldives in exploring the development path that suits its national conditions. Deepened trust catalyzes flourishing cooperation. Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge and the Hulhumale housing project undertaken by China have been completed, benefiting the economic and social development of the Maldives and the local people. More cooperation documents were signed during Muizzu's visit to China, covering such areas as joint BRI cooperation, economic and technological development, the blue economy, the digital economy, green development, infrastructure and livelihood assistance. Since China resumed outbound tourism, the number of Chinese tourists to the Maldives has been on a rapid rise, accelerating the recovery of the Maldives' tourism industry. Statistics from the Maldives' Ministry of Tourism show that in 2023, the country received a total of about 187,000 Chinese tourists, and that in 2024, the number of Chinese tourists is expected to return to the top of the list. Resurgent tourism is the epitome of the closer people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. In 2023, the China-Maldives mutual visa exemption agreement came into force, further facilitating personnel exchanges between the two countries. During Muizzu's visit, China said it would add more direct flights between the two countries and accommodate more outstanding Maldivian students to study in China, and the Maldivian side welcomed such positive measures to promote people-to-people exchanges and expects more Chinese tourists to visit the Maldives. Looking ahead, relations between the two countries, which have stood the test of time, are bound to open a new and more brilliant chapter. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Liquor license and cannabis dispensary license applications and New York Citys City of Yes,' zoning proposal will be considered among other business as two of Staten Islands three Community Boards hold in-person or virtual public meetings this week. Community Board 1 Community Board 1s West Brighton/St. George Area Committee will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 6 :30 p.m. in the Sipp Auditorium of Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton. Masks are required. During the meeting, the following liquor license applications will be considered: Las Casuelas Restaurant, Inc., 1255 Castleton Ave., West Brighton Atlixco Bakery & Deli Inc., 10-12 St. Pauls Ave., Tompkinsville Atlixco Bakery & Deli Inc., 10-12 St. Pauls Ave., Tompkinsville The following cannabis dispensary applications will be considered: Foreign Smokes & Apparel, LLC 224 Bay St., Tompkinsville John Krits Deli, Inc. Moes 1 Deli & Grill, 1147 Castleton Ave., West Brighton The Mariners Harbor, Port Richmond, Elm Park, Arlington Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at p.m. on Zoom. To join the meeting, visit Zoom at www.Zoom.us. The meeting ID is 878 6787 8755 and the passcode is 879472. Liquor licenses will be considered for the following locations: Bagel Land, 1841 Forest Ave., Graniteville Milek Olympic Grill, 1637 Forest Ave., Port Richmond Center On Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m., the Silver Lake, Sunnyside, Grymes Hill, Westerleigh, Willowbrook Area Committee will meet in Safari Realty, 1958 Victory Blvd. A liquor license application will be considered for Angels Tavern, Inc., 43B Manor Rd., West Brighton. A Clifton, Concord, Stapleton Area Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Stapleton Library, 132 Canal St., Stapleton. The notification of a new marijuana dispensary at Best Dispensary Near Me, 350 Front St. and 467 Bay St., both in Stapleton, will take place. Members will also discuss a new liquor license application for J Pizza Deli, Inc., 360 Targee St., Stapleton, and a liquor license renewal application for The Hop Shoppe, 372 Van Duzer St., also Stapleton. Community Board 2 Community Board 2 will hold a meeting of its full board on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, 1466 Manor Rd., Willowbrook. During the meeting, a representative from New York City Department of City Planning will make a presentation on the City of Yes/Economic Opportunity. City of Yes encompasses a series of zoning initiatives, and Mayor Eric Adams has stated the economic opportunity portion of the plan would support small businesses and entrepreneurs, revitalize commercial corridors, boost growing industries and bolster the industrial sector in the five boroughs. The meeting may also be joined via Zoom. Anyone interested in joining the meeting or speaking during the public session section of the meeting should fill out the Webinar Registration Form at https://www.nyc.gov/site/statenislandcb2/meetings/webinar-registration.page to receive the Zoom link. Community Board 3 There are no Community Board 3 meetings planned for this week. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC All Community Board meetings and meetings of their committees are open to the public. They provide an excellent opportunity for residents to learn about happenings in their neighborhood and surrounding areas. Below is more information about the Islands three Community Boards: COMMUNITY BOARD 1 Arlington Castleton Corners Clifton Concord Elm Park Fort Wadsworth Graniteville Grymes Hill Livingston Mariners Harbor New Brighton Port Richmond Randall Manor Rosebank St. George Shore Acres Silver Lake Stapleton Sunnyside Tompkinsville West Brighton Westerleigh. The board chairman is Nicholas Siclari. The district manager is Joan Cusack. The telephone number is 718-981-6900. COMMUNITY BOARD 2 Arrochar Bloomfield Bulls Head Chelsea Dongan Hills Egbertville Emerson Hill Grant City Grasmere High Rock Lighthouse Hill Midland Beach New Dorp New Springville Oakwood Ocean Breeze Old Town Richmond South Beach Todt Hill Travis. The phone number is 718-568-3581. The fax number is 718-568-3595. The chairman is Fred Guinta. The district manager is Debra A. Derrico. COMMUNITY BOARD 3 Annadale Arden Heights Bay Terrace Charleston Eltingville Great Kills Greenridge Huguenot New Dorp Oakwood Pleasant Plains Princes Bay Richmond Valley Richmond Rossville Tottenville Woodrow. The office phone number is 718-356-7900. The board chairman is Frank Morano; the district manager is Charlene Wagner. Support the Peninsulas only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe! Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions. Premium Subscription As low as $8.25 per month Premium Includes: Access to the Daily Journals e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. The ability to download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. The ability to clip & download articles or images to share with others. Access to the last 90 days of e-Editions with search, downloading and clipping options. Unlimited access to our award-winning online content Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community Forget the lucky country. Australians are an angry bunch, dobbing in each other in record numbers about abandoned trolleys, dumped rubbish and bad parking. Data from Snap Send Solve shows parking (49,629), abandoned trolleys (37,764), rubbish and bins (36,999) and trees (16,039) were the biggest gripes for NSW residents, who made more than 239,000 reports via the complaints app last year. Abandoned trolleys and dumped rubbish are the issues Australians complain the most about. Credit: Snap Send Solve But Victorians were the biggest whingers, sending more than half a million complaints about rubbish and bins (111,414), parking (61,102), trees (56,867) and abandoned trolleys (51,947). Parking and cars (17,283) was the number-one gripe among Queenslanders, followed by trees (12,024), rubbish and bins (11,765) and roads and signage (10,738). I am a woman. I have daughters and nieces and women friends, but internalised misogyny had me create a cognitive dissonance by outwardly expressing horror at the Weinsteins of the world, while internally qualifying it. Internalised misogyny is when women subconsciously minimise the value of other women through a misogynistic filter of prejudice and bias in favour of men: women being sexist towards women. It is with shame I admit my first thought at that time was casting couch. I knew this victim-blaming phrase that popped into my head so instantly belonged in another time and came from a younger me, and it shocked me enough to keep it to myself. In conversations Ive had with women in various vocations, it is clear internalised misogyny isnt restricted to watching the news at home. In workplaces, some women in authority who have fought hard for a seat at the table based on qualification, merit and ability, are becoming barriers for other women to succeed on the same basis. When in a position of power, these women are showing a bias in favour of men and perpetuating many of the inequities they themselves fought so hard to overcome. Loading Take heart if Ive hit a nerve: you are not a bad person. This is a learnt behaviour and comes from a lifetime of being treated as the inferior sex and having to navigate carefully to find a place in a mans world. Just because a woman personally overcomes all the pushbacks and rises to the top in a male-dominated workplace doesnt mean her subconscious believes things have changed (thats the internal bit) and she becomes the discriminator (thats the misogyny bit). Women have been pitted against each other forever. Weve been told by our families, our friends, the media that we must look prettier, younger, weigh less, and scratch each others eyes out to get a guy, a job, a place on the team. In 2022, when the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, was at a press conference with her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin, a journalist asked if they were meeting because they were similar in age and had a lot in common. As the male journalist stumbled over the words, it was obvious he was referring to their gender. Ardern replied with a question, I wonder if anyone asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were a similar age? Marin also weighed in, confirming, We are meeting because we are prime ministers. Is it any wonder that a woman who finally reaches a position of importance would then want to disassociate herself from being a woman? Tourism Australia has likely breached its ethical advertising obligations, an industry expert has warned, after it funded several trips for high-profile social media influencers who did not flag their resulting content was sponsored. The concerns come as the consumer regulator looks to release new guidelines for influencers and businesses, designed to ensure the public know when they are being advertised to in a rapidly changing online environment. In its 2022-23 annual report, the governments tourism agency listed high-profile famils including trips hosting US-based lifestyle media personality Laura Brown and her partner on King, Hamilton and Lord Howe islands, and radio and TV host Hamish Blake and his son on Kgari (Fraser Island) among the highlights from its public relations spend. Lifestyle and fashion commentator Laura Brown was among a number of social media influencers who travelled on Tourism Australia trips. Credit: Instagram A famil (short for familiarisation) is a trip paid for by a brand to provide influencers, celebrities and journalists with more information about a product, typically in return for coverage. The pilot of a light plane found one of the emptiest beaches in Sydney on which to make an emergency landing on Saturday after experiencing problems mid-flight. Three people on board the small plane landed safely on Garie Beach in the Royal National Park south of Sydney at about midday on Saturday. The plane landed safely on Garie Beach. Credit: Westpac Rescue Helicopter The Jabiru J400 took off from the nearby NSW Sport Aircraft Club in the middle of the morning before reportedly experiencing engine problems. Photos provided by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter show the planes front wheel dug into the sand with its nose point down. Its two main wheels are also under the sand. An 80-year-old man from Sydneys north is facing sexual assault charges after an alleged incident at an aged care facility. Police were called to an aged care home in Galston, in Sydneys Hills District, on Friday in response to reports an 87-year-old woman who lived at the facility had been sexually assaulted. The man, who the facility confirmed was a registered visitor, allegedly entered the womans room on two occasions before sexually assaulting her, police were told. The Sun-Herald has chosen not to name the facility to protect the identity of the alleged victim. The woman was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital by paramedics. Police said she had not suffered serious physical injuries. Foiling a spate of homegrown terror plots in Melbourne from 2016 to 2018 has already cost taxpayers more than $31 million and the bill could top $45 million by the time the convicted jihadists finish their jail sentences. The figures have been obtained through a series of freedom of information requests to the Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and Attorney-Generals Department and an analysis of data on the costs of incarcerating offenders sourced from the Productivity Commission. Five of the six convicted tinnie terrorists and the boat they planned to use to travel to the Philippines The heavily redacted documents reveal the expenses incurred by federal and state agencies to investigate, arrest and prosecute members of three Melbourne-based terror cells who were convicted of actively planning mass casualty attacks or sought to journey overseas to allegedly engage in terror-related activities. The single largest expense was the cost of Legal Aid representation for the offenders. The three plots are the so-called tinnie terrorists, who planned to sail a fishing boat to the Philippines; the ISIS-inspired 2016 Christmas Day plot to attack people in Melbournes CBD with machetes and explosives; and a planned mass shooting in 2018. A rarely seen smoked bark etching dating back to the 1800s has been briefly displayed as part of a bid to secure Commonwealth heritage protection for Victorias largest inland saltwater lake. For many of the elders and traditional owners present, it was their first opportunity to view the artefact from the Lake Tyrell area. Elders and traditional owners with the bark ethcing on Saturday. Credit: Justin McManus For me, it was first time [seeing it]. I was very emotional, trying to hold back, not to show my soft side, Uncle Bob Nicholls, a multi-clan elder, said on Saturday. My first thought... was, Why has a white institution got this control over our cultural heritage artefacts. It should be kept in our own keeping place and more accessible to its own people. BEIRUT, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Saturday urged Lebanon and Israel to de-escalate their border tension. Lacroix made the call at the end of his four-day visit to Lebanon, according to a statement carried by Lebanon's National News Agency. "We continue to urge all actors to cease fire, as each day of confrontations increases the risk of a larger and more devastating conflict," Lacroix said in the statement. The UN peacekeeping chief expressed concern over escalations across the Blue Line, saying, "The conflicts indicate a potential for a wider escalation which must be avoided." He added that since the exchange of fire began between the two sides, dozens of civilians and journalists have been injured and killed, and the UN peacekeeping mission's positions in the area have been hit several times, with three peacekeepers injured. Lacroix once again reminded the concerned parties and actors of "their obligation to avoid harm to civilians and UN personnel and premises." He also urged the conflicting parties to "cease fire, recommit to UN Resolution 1701, and work toward a durable political and diplomatic solution," stressing that "this is the only way to achieve lasting peace." The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since Oct. 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group 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. Stanley water bottles or cups, as Americans say first clanged onto my feed a few weeks ago. The metal flasks were a frequent feature of tween girls lengthy Christmas lists, requested in living room presentations alongside expensive electronics and beauty products in videos posted online. Time passed, and along came the videos of those same children being cruelly pranked under the tree on Christmas morning with news Santa had left another brand of insulated tumbler. Since then, things have escalated. Last week, The New York Times reported crowds of women and girls at Target stores across the US became violent as they fought to get their hands on a limited edition Valentines Day Stanley. Some enthusiasts have filmed instructions on how to laminate and reattach the cups label, for posterity. And now, the tween girl in your life is very likely convinced they, too, need an $80 metal water bottle. Or, at least, the $15 Kmart dupe (knock-off). Legislation will govern the use of artificial intelligence in high-risk settings such as law enforcement, job recruitment and healthcare, with the Albanese government poised to legislate mandatory safety requirements in its first steps towards regulating the technology. Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic said a new advisory body would work with government, industry and academic experts to devise the best legislative framework and define what constituted high-risk technologies and their applications across industries. Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic says a new advisory body will guide its efforts to legislate AI safeguards. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen He said the starting point for assessing high risk would be anything that affects the safety of peoples lives, or someones future prospects in work or with the law. Those are areas that are likely to be targeted by future changes. These technologies are going to shape the way we do our jobs, the performance of the economy and the way we live our lives. So what we need to ensure is that AI works in the way it is intended, and that people have trust in the technology. We have to be united, united for Taiwan, Hou said. The former police inspector warned the escalating tensions between China, Taiwan and the United States was putting residents at risk, particularly in the south of the country where fighter jets are a feature of daily life. We have to make sure the people in southern Taiwan feel safe and stable, he said. Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih on Friday. Credit: Daniel Ceng Foreign officials in Taipei who were not authorised to speak publicly said they expected Beijing to make their displeasure over a Lai victory known, with military threats escalating ahead of the scheduled inauguration in May. On Saturday, eight Chinese warplanes and six navy ships passed through Taiwans south-western air defence identification zone. They followed 15 fighter planes on Friday. Lais victory has already put his relationship with foreign governments in Beijings crosshairs after years of hostility with his DPP predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen. The DPPs win secures Tsais legacy after eight years in office, during which her popularity soared after Chinas crackdown in neighbouring Hong Kong and years of resistance to an increasingly aggressive Beijing, which has vowed to unite Taiwan with the mainland by force if necessary. Lai, who was Tsais vice president, said he would try to pick up the phone to China to replace confrontation with dialogue, but it is unlikely Beijing will answer after freezing all formal diplomatic contact with the DPP after Tsais first victory in 2016. Chinas ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, warned in an opinion piece published in The Australian on Friday that any miscalculations in Canberras ties with the new Taiwanese government would see the Australian people pushed over the edge of an abyss. Lai Ching-te (centre) campaigns for the Democratic Progressive Party earlier this month. Credit: Daniel Ceng A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday that Canberra would continue to build its unofficial relationship with Taiwan. The Australian government does not recognise Taiwan as an independent country, but it maintains economic ties with the democratic island that has become Australias seventh-largest trading partner. It is important that everyone respects the outcome of democratic elections, the spokesperson said. Peace and stability is in all our interests. Australia does not want to see any unilateral change to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Alex Chan with his wife and his daughter outside a polling station in Taipei. Credit: Daniel Ceng Despite the victory in the presidential vote, Taiwan will have a minority government in the lower house for the first time in two decades. The DPP lost youth votes to its rival Taiwan Peoples Party [TPP] after a campaign that targeted at young people and promised them economic growth while stabilising tensions with China. Loading As polls closed on Saturday, Alex Chan emerged from a polling station in Datong with his seven-year-old daughter Annie and his wife Cheng Wen-yen after voting for the TPP. Im worried about her safety, said Chan. I want to keep her away from the frontline. Younger Taiwanese workers also said they had been worn down by years of talk about conflict with Beijing. They need to stop using the idea that Taiwan is dying, said 26-year-old sales assistant Emma Ling. The DPP, which legislated same-sex marriage in 2019 and fostered a reputation as a leading progressive government in Asia, became more predictable in Tsais second term as president, and leaked youth votes to its rival the TPP, which has come from nowhere to become a threat to the centre-left government. They need to be more radical, said 27-year-old Jason Li after voting for the TPP in downtown Taipei. Taiwan Peoples Party supporter Jason Li in downtown Taipei. Credit: Daniel Ceng TPP leader Ko Wen-je said his four-year-old party had taken the fight to the two major parties that have dominated Taiwanese politics for the past three decades. We proved to the world that Taiwan has a party apart from the DPP and KMT. We are positive for the future democracy of Taiwan. The task of blunting the TPPs challenge will now fall to Lai as he takes the DPP into a history-making third term. Lai ran a campaign based largely on continuing Tsais legacy, but he will need to do more to pull in young voters if he is to see off the TPPs threat in four years time. For Beijing, Lais win is the worst-case scenario, culminating in a repudiation of its push for unification by a candidate who in 2017 described himself as a pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence. Worshippers pray at the Taipei Xiahai Chenghuang Temple after voting in Saturdays election. Credit: Daniel Ceng The comments infuriated the Chinese government. The uneasy truce between Beijing and Taipei, known as the status quo acknowledges Chinas claims to the island, while allowing Taiwanese officials to continue governing without declaring formal international independence. Outside the Xiahai Chenghuang Temple shrine in central Taipei on Saturday evening, hundreds of Taiwanese came to pray after casting their votes. More than 70 per cent turned out for the vote this year, making Taiwan one of the highest-ranking voluntary voting constituencies despite no postal, absentee or early voting system. The temple is also one of a series of religious institutions in Taiwan identified as having links to the United Front, the sprawling international network of Chinese government influence operations. Liang, a 21st-generation descendant of the Hakka people of southern China, yearns for Taiwan and the motherland to be united just not under the Chinese governments terms. Liang at the Guanghe Fude temple in Taipei. Credit: Daniel Ceng Taiwan has always been China, and when we look at the ancestors, our past generations, theyre all actually migrated from mainland China. So at the heart of the question is that we are actually Chinese people, he said. Liangs anguish typifies the conundrum faced by Beijing. His heart belongs to the mainland, but his head tells him that uniting the two neighbours is politically impossible. The philosophical sentiment ripples throughout Taiwan. In Tainan, two hours by fast train from Taipei, businesswoman Frankie Kuo says that Taiwanese and Chinese people are part of the same family and that Taiwans murky international status has not given it the outcomes it needs in the global economy. But unifying with the mainland under Xi is not worth the cost. Theres no freedom at all over there, she said. The more Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) is hoping to stop a record third term for the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) at Taiwans presidential elections this weekend. The DPP, which fiercely defends Taiwanese sovereignty without formally declaring independence from China, has been in charge during a steep decline in relations with Beijing, triggered mostly by Chinas own military threats towards its democratic neighbour. Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office said a DPP victory would continue to follow the evil path of provoking independence and take Taiwan ever further away from peace and prosperity, and ever closer to war and decline. On Friday, Beijing warned voters to make the right choice, saying the partys candidate was dangerous. But even the KMT, which theoretically claims the reverse China as part of Taiwans territory has no intention of uniting with the mainland. The partys leaders fled to the island after the Chinese civil war and have maintained their own claim to the mainland ever since. Kuomintang supporters attend a political rally in Taipei on Friday. Credit: Daniel Ceng The prospect of unification, which was once supported by a small minority, has now become such a fringe pursuit in Taiwan that it is difficult to find anyone but a small handful of older men who will publicly support it. One of them is Qi Jialin, the chairman of the Alliance for the Reunification of China. In his office in downtown Taipei, Qi is nervous about speaking publicly regarding the election because he fears he will be targeted for his pro-unification views. Once he gets going, though, it is clear he sees Taiwans future as being with Beijing. Qi says to get there, Taiwan needs to start building closer economic links with the mainland. He invokes 19th-century Germany as an example of successful unification. The Kingdom of Prussia was based on economic ties. So we can see based on history that the economy and cultural exchanges can deepen relationships, he said. The chairman of the Alliance for the Reunification of China, Qi Jialin. Credit: Daniel Ceng But in his ideal version of Taiwan, one partner has more power than the other. Theres no other option than implementing One Country Two Systems, he said, referring to the same model used by China to govern its territories of Hong Kong and Macau, both of which saw all public displays of political resistance effectively wiped out over the past three years. The only difference is Taiwan has [presidential] elections. If Taiwan was to be unified, the leaders will be elected through negotiation, he said. Taiwan should be able to enjoy a high degree of autonomy excluding these kind of supporters of separatism. Qis message is not resonating with Taiwans voters. Less than 2 per cent support unification as soon as possible and a fraction of those back Qis version of Chinese dominance. That compares to one in five who want the island to move towards formal independence, and more than 30 per cent who want to maintain the status quo, according to monthly surveys tracked by National Chengchi University. In 1996, the number who wanted Taiwan to move towards unification reached as high as 19.5 per cent. Democratic Progressive Party supporters attend a political rally in Taipei on Thursday. Credit: Daniel Ceng Far from being a unifying figure, Xi has become his dreams worst enemy. Chinas most powerful leader since Mao Zedong was mentioned more than a dozen times by DPP leaders at a rally for the partys presidential candidate Lai Ching-te in central Taipei on Thursday night. Do you think Xi Jinping will allow freedom [for] Taiwan? DPP legislator Hsu Shu-hua screamed to tens of thousands of cheering fans. My opponents attack me because they support Xi. I have to break these opponents down. COLOMBO, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry on Saturday denied reports that several Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel were captured by militants in Somalia. In a statement, the ministry said a helicopter of SLAF, carrying out UN peacekeeping duties in the Central African Republic, crash-landed on Friday due to rotor brownout resulting from extreme dusty and sand conditions. The crew and cargo are safe, the ministry said, adding that they are not involved in any operations in Somalia. The ministry urged the public not to be misled by false information. HARARE, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government will distribute 71,000 metric tons of maize to about 2.7 million people who are food insecure, state media reported Friday. The country is dealing with erratic rains caused by the El Nino phenomenon this planting season, which have resulted in farmers' late planting. Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo said that the government had set aside maize from its grain reserves which would be distributed during the lean period between January and March, according to news agency New Ziana. Moyo said that the study done in 2023 by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee had shown that 2.7 percent of the population were food insecure. He added that most of the country's 60 districts would be covered by the government program while four would be catered for by development partners such as the World Food Program. The current planting season started on a bad note as the rains came late. Some of the farmers who planted with the first rains had to replant after a dry spell killed their crops. This is the little that we can do to show the people of Gaza and Palestine that the Irish people are 100% behind them whether our government is behind them or not we are. Just over two million people live in the densely populated area which has been under the control of Hamas since 2007. It is about 25 miles long and six miles wide, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt. We take a lot of crutches. They dont have enough crutches and crutches are often just used once and disposed of in the NHS, and we need to get our hands on as many of those as we can and transport them out. The New York Times verdict concludes a bad week for the 77-year-old, whose mother in law Amalija Knavs died on Tuesday. Mr Trump also saw his former cabinet member Chris Christie take a parting pop shot at him when he exited the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Taiwan's government expects China to attempt to put pressure on its incoming president with expectations it could stage military manoeuvres near the island. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. The Met said there were a total of nine arrests. Three arrests were for inciting racial hatred - one in relation to a placard and two for chanting. Two arrests were for a racially aggravated public order offence - one in relation to a placard and one for wording on a piece of clothing. One arrest was for being in possession of items to cause criminal damage - specifically stickers, while there were another three arrests on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation (an offence under the Terrorism Act) in relation to the distribution of leaflets. Several protesters made references to the military action, with one man holding a placard claiming the UK and US want war and that Yemen supports Palestine, while one speaker told crowds at Parliament Square that RAF planes were flying where they do not belong. SHENZHEN, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Italy's top art school, Istituto Marangoni, recently expanded its presence in China by doubling the size of its campus in China's southern metropolis of Shenzhen, a move to further boost the tech hub's fashion industry. The fashion school will move its Shenzhen campus from Nanshan District to a new campus in Futian District, which will be about twice the size of its original one. "Our overall enrollment will also at least double," said Robin Fang, president of the Shenzhen School of Istituto Marangoni, at the Shenzhen campus relocation signing ceremony. Fang revealed that the school expects to welcome the first batch of new students to the new campus in September this year and has already received inquiries from students from China, South America, Europe, and other places. In 2016, with the joint support of the Italian government and the Shenzhen municipal government, Istituto Marangoni established its Shenzhen school in Nanshan District. The fashion school offers a variety of courses in the areas of fashion design, fashion communication, and fashion management, as well as luxury brand management and marketing. "If you want to learn about Chinese women's clothing, you should visit Shenzhen, especially Futian," said Fang, adding that since China's reform and opening up, Futian has gathered a large number of women's fashion brands, which demonstrated Shenzhen's advantages in the fashion industry in addition to technology and finance. Futian District boasts over 2,000 fashion brand enterprises, including Koradior, Marisfrolg, Ellassay, and Yinger -- all well-known brands at home and abroad. Its fashion industry scale has surpassed 120 billion yuan (about 16.89 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for around a quarter of Shenzhen's fashion industry scale. A research report on Shenzhen's fashion industry released in March last year showed that the metropolis has developed into one of the domestic fashion industry bases with the most comprehensive industry categories, the most original brands, the most well-developed industrial support, and the most significant agglomeration effect. Now, the industry volumes of Shenzhen's traditional fashion fields, such as clothing, watches, and jewelry, and emerging fashion fields, like consumer electronics and creative design, have both exceeded 1 trillion yuan, the report said. Emanuele Colombo, teaching director of the Shenzhen School of Istituto Marangoni, has lived in Shenzhen for nearly two years and feels that the fashion industry is quite dynamic here. "We see a lot of different trends coming out of this place, and I believe these trends will influence China and the world," he said. "Shenzhen is also a very open coastal city with a wide variety of sources of inspiration and is friendly to young local designers as they can build their brands here," he added. According to Fang, the Shenzhen school will become an important bridge connecting China and Italy, and even the world's fashion industry, bringing high-level international market education concepts, international market ideas, and global fashion resources and creating a platform for talent training, external exchanges, and fashion innovation for Shenzhen. "Istituto Marangoni will always be committed to nurturing designers with creativity, skills, and forward-thinking, and we look forward to seeing more fashion designers go out from here in the future and shine on the international stage," Fang said. BAGHDAD, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid condemned Saturday the expansion of the conflict in the Gaza Strip to a broader scope after the U.S.-led airstrikes on the Houthi military sites in Yemen, warning that such an expansion would have a devastating impact on everyone. "We strongly condemn any attempts to expand the scope of this conflict, as it will burn everyone," Rashid said in a televised speech during the ceremony commemorating the late Shiite cleric Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, who was assassinated in a bomb attack in the city of Najaf in August 2003. Rashid reiterated Iraq's condemnation of Israeli attacks on Gaza that caused the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially as most of the victims are women, children, and the elderly. He urged the international community to put an end to this conflict by taking a more decisive position to achieve peace and secure the interests of the Palestinian people by establishing their independent state. On Friday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry condemned the airstrikes by the United States and Britain that targeted Houthi military sites in Yemen. The strikes came in response to the Houthis' recent attacks in the Red Sea on what they called "Israeli-linked ships." The ministry decried the attacks as "aggression against Yemen and its sovereignty." The Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) announces that it stands in solidarity with family doctors and requests the withdrawal from the decision-making transparency of the project regarding the values of points per capita and per service in primary medical assistance and the value of points per service in specialized ambulatory medical assistance and their renegotiation with the representatives of the professional categories targeted. "We ask Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu not to knowingly contribute to the destruction of what is left of family medicine in Romania. If they go all the way with the current point values, then we can consider that from February 1 there will be no more family medicine in Romania, because we will no longer have doctors to practice," it is shown in a press release from the AUR, sent to AGERPRES on Saturday. AUR claims that, "starting from February 1, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) - National Liberal Party (PNL) Government will bring family doctors to the brink of bankruptcy and force them to close their offices if the project to reduce the amounts settled for patients on the lists, respectively for consultations, will be adopted in the version put in public transparency"."The reductions foreshadowed by CNAS are not at all negligible. We are talking about a reduction, on average, of 40% of the budget for family medicine and 25% for specialist doctors. Practically, if the plan is carried out, many of the doctors' offices family will be closed starting February 1. (...) We have fewer and fewer family doctors in Romania due to the PSD and PNL governments of the last 34 years. Despite the increased taxes of the last two years, the increase prices for utilities and equipment, family doctors did not ask for higher incomes, although it was increasingly difficult for them to support their practices and make a good living. After the representatives of the Ministry of Health and CNAS seemed to understand the difficulties last year faced by family doctors and they increased their incomes, and as a result they increased their employees' salaries and accessed loans for the development of their own practices, now what will they do if CNAS cuts the funds they promised last year? (...) At the same time, in addition to the reductions regarding the point values, the National Health Insurance House (CNAS) is going to remove the payment for home assistance. More precisely, they want to make family doctors stop going to patients' homes. The current PSD-PNL government seems to have set out to sabotage the health system in Romania through all the measures it adopts," the Alliance for the Romanian Union claims. The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, declared, on Saturday, in Timisoara, that the Russian Federation tried, throughout this period, to destabilize the order and power in Chisinau, each time trying to use the regime in the Transnistrian region, but the country undertook all actions to counter these attempts, Agerpres reports. "During this entire period, Russia tried to destabilize the order and power in Chisinau, each time trying to use the regime in the Transnistrian region. We are aware of these risks and we are taking all actions to prevent these destabilizations. We talk to them and we communicate to the citizens about these risks, as we did last year, when Russia's intention was to overthrow the Government (from Chisinau - ed.n). Together with the citizens and the state institutions, we are trying to protect ourselves from these risks, but we still have work to do, there are still vulnerabilities," said Maia Sandu, in a press conference. She emphasized that the Republic of Moldova counts on the support of Romania and the international community in this sense."We know that this spring Russia will resume its actions to try to destabilize the situation," Maia Sandu pointed out.The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, received on Saturday the "Timisoara for European values" Award, established this year by the Municipality of Timisoara to honor internationally recognized personalities who, with determination, courage and creativity, promote or defend European values within and outside the European Union. A Thruway welcome center estimated to cost $20 million is trying to show there's more for visitors to do in Western New York than drive to Niagara Falls, take a selfie and leave. The large, prairie-style building constructed along the Niagara Thruway on Grand Island is meant to draw drivers off the highway and introduce them to the history, attractions and food of the area. The regional welcome center, located off Whitehaven Road, had a soft opening Monday and hosted a steady trickle of visitors Tuesday morning. "I said I've got to go check it out because I saw it being built every day," said Jeanne Green, a retired public health nurse who lives on the island. "It's beautiful, it's gorgeous it's such a different building." Influenced by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, the center features photos and a historical display that showcases the area, ample seating, touch-screen information displays and a shop that sells everything from sandwiches and six-packs of beer to pickles and honey all made in New York. Outside, there are plaques embedded in the sidewalk honoring notable Western New Yorkers, electric car charging stations, a dog park and a small playground with nods to Niagara Falls and a historic ship. "You feel like you're walking through the history of our region," said Grand Island Supervisor Nathan McMurray, who spent much of the day Tuesday exploring the center and holding meetings there for his congressional campaign. Money for the project came from the second phase of the Buffalo Billion initiative, as part of an investment to boost tourism activity in Western New York. Thruway Authority spokeswoman Jennifer Givner said the authority doesn't yet have an update on the final cost of the project. Construction began in October and wrapped up this month on the 12,400-square-foot building and the rest of the 16-acre property. About 60,000 to 65,000 people drive on this stretch of the Niagara Thruway daily. The state built the welcome center on authority-owned land near the Whitehaven Road exit of the I-190, between Alvin Road and the southbound lanes of the highway near Fuccillo Toyota a site that McMurray said was a staging area and "a dumping ground" for the authority. There are no direct ramps taking southbound or northbound traffic into the center, and there are no plans to construct any, Givner said. Instead, drivers must exit on Whitehaven and drive over to the center. The flat lines in the wood and brick building, and the designs in some of the windows, are inspired by Wright's Prairie Style of architecture. Outside the building, the Western New York Walk of Fame includes two residents with Buffalo ties, the late Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press" and the late comedian Lucille Ball. A playground, located behind a giant "I (Heart) NY" sculpture, has a gently sloping hill with a slide that looks like a waterfall and a ship modeled after a wooden frigate perfect for children to climb. The dog park is near the three charging stations for electric vehicles. Inside, touch-screen computers steer visitors toward cultural sites, parks and restaurants. An E-ZPass store will be added later. The center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. McMurray said an early version of the center was more "chicken wings and Bills" and he lobbied the governor and state officials to broaden its approach to the region's history and its culture. There's a nod to Margaret Goff Clark's Freedom Crossing monument in Lewiston, a horse from the Herschell Carousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda and a map embedded in the floor highlighting the area's attractions. It's meant to get visitors to do more than visit the Falls, take a picture and leave, McMurray said. "It's got all these wonderful things that are here that people don't think about," he said. The welcome center doesn't have the fast-food restaurants typical of rest stops along the mainline Thruway. Instead, Taste NY offers a variety of foods made here and across the state. It's run by the Cornell Cooperative Extension and overseen by the state Agriculture and Markets Department. The store is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. It sells syrup from Merle Maple Farm in Attica, Rusty Chain beer from Buffalo's Flying Bison and pickles from Brooklyn Brine Co., among numerous other items. "We're trying to give a voice to local business," said Kris Lowden, Taste NY's assistant manager. Employees plan to rotate the product mix every couple of months. On Tuesday morning, co-owner Jenny Benz and employee Eileen Carlson from Dick and Jenny's restaurant on the island were stocking a refrigerated case with club sandwiches, turkey paninis and salads. Benz said it's meant more work for her staff but she welcomed the invitation to supply the store. "I think it's great exposure for the area," Benz said. Carlson interrupted to say to Benz, "We just sold our first ham and cheese." Visitors on Tuesday said they were impressed with the facility. Jim Nawrocki, a resident of suburban Rochester who was on his way to Michigan, said he was surprised there wasn't an information booth but he loved the design. "It's bright, airy. The different textures, the brick and the wood," said Nawrocki, who bought a cup of coffee, some pretzels and some Anchor Bar hot sauce. Sweeping proposals to change how New York residents heat their homes and operate appliances are nearing the finish line. The Climate Action Council is scheduled to meet Dec. 19 to approve the final version of a plan to meet the state's ambitious climate goals over the next two decades. The 22-member council will then forward its recommendations to Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature. The recommendations include phasing out the use of natural gas in homes and commercial buildings across New York to promote energy efficiency and cleaner air. The state is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050. Starting in 2025, newly built homes in the state would not be allowed to install equipment powered by oil, natural gas or propane for heating, cooling and hot water. The plan instead would require homes to install a zero-emission system like a heat pump, which is more energy efficient, but costs more than a conventional heating system. The target date was initially the start of 2024 but was pushed back by one year. From 2030 onward, once owners of existing homes reach the point where they need to replace their fossil fuel-powered systems and appliances, they would need to install a zero-emission system instead. The proposed changes would radically alter the way New Yorkers heat their homes, cook their meals and wash their clothes. In many cases, meeting the new rules would require costly and extensive upgrades to heating systems and duct work. And skeptics also question whether the state will be able to increase its electricity supply fast enough to meet the steep new demands that the rules would impose on the power grid. Plans call for regulations stemming from the Climate Action Council's draft recommendations to be implemented by the start of 2024. Hochul, state lawmakers and state agencies will be involved in that process next year. "This is ultimately going to impact every New York household and business, I think in a positive way," said Conor Bambrick, director of climate policy for Environmental Advocates NY. "It's not going to all going happen immediately. It's going to happen over time." But business groups and utility officials question where all the additional power will come from, and how those investments will be paid for. "There are aspirational goals, and then there's the practical realities of delivering energy to everybody that needs it reliably and affordably," said Donna DeCarolis, president of National Fuel's utility business and a Climate Action Council member. "That's what we're going to have to work through." As the recommendations move toward the next step, debate continues about the impact of the plan on homeowners, businesses, the power grid and the economy. Answers to 9 questions on New York's draft climate plan What will the plan mean for WNY, specifically? When will it be implemented? How much will it cost? Here are answers to nine common questions about the 300-page document, based on a Buffalo News review and interviews with five local and national policy experts. Conversion requirement Homeowners and businesses that rely on natural gas or oil would have to switch to zero-emission appliances like furnaces, stoves, dryers and hot water heaters, beginning in the not-too-distant future. They wouldn't be mandated to change over all of those appliances in 2030. Rather, the conversion would happen as each fossil fuel-powered appliance reaches the end of its lifespan and is replaced, starting in 2030. "It's not that they immediately have to replace all their appliances," Bambrick said. "As the gas appliances age out, they will look to adopt newer, zero-emitting appliances." Michelle Hook, executive director of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, acknowledged that all of those appliances won't have to be replaced at once. But she said the cost of making those conversions along with installing support systems in a home will add up over time. "That's still a huge chunk of change if it's spread out over five or seven years or so," she said. Whether homeowners will have access to incentives or grants to help cover the cost of those conversions to zero-emission appliances is not yet clear. "The importance of having this plan in place is it allows us to map things out and look into the future to see what programs, what incentives have to be in place to allow households to make these transitions," Bambrick said. There's also debate over the operating cost of using electricity instead of natural gas to power appliances, especially in a colder part of the state like upstate. About 90% of the homes in the Buffalo Niagara region are heated by natural gas a fuel source that despite the steep price increase in heating costs this winter is generally much less expensive to heat with than today's conventional electric heating systems. Allison Considine, senior representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign in New York state, said advocates are focusing first on the opportunity to electrify all-new buildings, "where cost savings are greatest." "For existing buildings and homes, grants and incentives can help ensure that over the next 10 years, people have access to funding to replace their existing, failing gas appliances with a new, all-electric option, when they would need to be replacing that appliance anyways," she said. Powering up Utilities such as National Fuel have raised concerns about the state's ability to generate enough electricity to meet the increased demand. National Fuel whose natural gas utility business would be threatened by the proposed changes has called for the state to embrace an alternative strategy that includes a mix of renewables and natural gas, rather than completely phasing out natural gas. Thus far, that idea has not caught hold. DeCarolis argues the state should also take into account the variations across regions. "You might need different solutions to work in a colder climate like we have (in Western New York), and one where we have a greater usage of natural gas and the gas system than other parts of the state," she said. Under the Climate Action Council's plan, the state will need to generate a much larger supply of electricity than is available today, in order to power homes, buildings and vehicles. The New York Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power grid, said in a recent report that by 2030, about 20 gigawatts of additional renewable power generation a 54% increase from the state's current generating capacity must be in service to support the state's energy policy target of 70% renewable generation. And by 2040, between 111 gigawatts and 124 gigawatts of total generating capacity will be needed to support the climate law's mandate of an emissions-free grid, roughly three times the current capacity of 37 gigawatts, according to the New York ISO. "The New York ISO remains committed to maintaining reliability as our grid transitions to a clean energy future," said Rich Dewey, president and CEO. "The scale of new resource development needed to satisfy system reliability and policy requirements within the next 20 years is unprecedented." DeCarolis said the gap between current capacity and future demand must be addressed. "We have to make sure the resources for electrifying at the wholesale grid level and the local level are there before we would be requiring somebody to electrify their heat," she said. Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, said the business group does not dispute that climate change is real. Rather, she said, the question is how to generate enough additional electricity and the cost of those investments. "We are 100% in favor of advancing clean energy and pro-climate legislation," Gallagher said. "That is not the issue here. The question is about how we could go about it, and it's realistic, and that we can continue to operate and not put New York at a disadvantage competitively and create chaos and uncertainty for every business owner in the state." Bambrick said the plan sets the targets and allows sufficient time to meet the need for additional power generation. In New York's push to renewables, big changes are coming A 22-member panel called the Climate Action Council is expected to release a report that provides a preliminary outline of how to meet this goal: 70% of the states energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2030. "It's not like we're flipping a switch," he said. "We're developing a plan. It's going to be put in action over years, to ensure we do it successfully and ensure we protect the reliability and affordability." Considine said the plan shifts the focus to generating additional power to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. "We're looking at this over a 10-, 20, 30-year time horizon," she said. "We're seeing a ton of renewable energy that's in the pipeline right now." In an appearance at the Partnership in October, Hochul was asked about the state's ability to ramp up electricity generation. "Our team's very smart," she said. "They're not going to go forward without knowing that we have a real plan not just pie in the sky, but a real plan how to deliver the energy that is required to take us to our energy and emission goals." Hochul's office in a statement on Friday said: "Governor Hochul recognizes all of the hard and diligent work of the Climate Action Council and looks forward to reviewing the final scoping plan." Economic impact Business advocates say switching to all-electric power will cause manufacturers' operating expenses to rise. The Partnership estimates it's three times more expensive for manufacturers to run their operations on electricity than natural gas. And the business group notes that natural gas is an abundant resource commonly used in upstate New York. Hochul acknowledged that industrial customers will be impacted by the transition, but emphasized the effect won't be instantaneous. "It's about a smooth transition, not an abrupt one," she said. Environmental groups say the plan will help kick-start more renewable energy business activity in the state, while also creating better air quality and health for residents. "Our entire economy is based on the use of fossil fuels," Bambrick said. "We are now transitioning to a zero-emission-based economy, and that's going to create a number of opportunities for new jobs, new industries here in the state, with New York sort of leading the way in building out the model here." Public awareness The Climate Action Council held a number of public hearings around the state, both in person and virtually, over the past year. But business groups say they believe most residents aren't aware of the changes that are coming. One of the things weve learned as we start to engage with our key stakeholders and our legislators is, even many them dont understand the size and scope of what theyre asking businesses and residents to do between now and 2050," said Bryan Grimaldi, vice president of corporate affairs at National Grid. New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, a coalition of utilities, businesses and unions, plans to conduct polling about the recommendations in January. "We're really trying to make sure we sit down with as many legislators as possible so they have a full picture, so they can't say, 'I didn't know, nobody told me that,' " Hook said. Hook noted the plan doesn't call for regulations to be implemented until the start of 2024, "so they do have a year to really dig in on this and see which pieces are most plausible." With Covid-19 cases again skyrocketing, Western New York's hospitals returned to more restrictive patient-visitation policies in recent days. Some are more restrictive than others. For instance, starting Monday, visitors coming to see inpatients at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center will be required to show proof of having received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Unvaccinated individuals who want to visit must have a negative polymerase-chain-reaction, or PCR, test taken within the past 72 hours. "Cancer patients have weakened immune systems and are at risk for severe impacts if exposed to the virus that causes Covid-19," the cancer center said Friday. "Roswell Park continues to protect its most vulnerable patients and appreciates everyone's cooperation with important public-health measures like masking and physical distancing while on campus." At Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, all visitors accompanying a patient for a service or visiting an inpatient will be required to provide proof of vaccination via the NYS Excelsior Pass app or Covid-19 vaccination card. That policy, which went into effect Tuesday. could allow exceptions for end-of-life situations. Catholic Health to limit hospital visitation amid Covid-19 surge Catholic Health System late Monday announced non-Covid patients in its hospitals will be limited to one visitor at a time during reduced hours, beginning Wednesday. Updated policies at Erie County Medical Center, Catholic Health System and Kaleida Health do not require visitors to be vaccinated. Policies at those facilities, generally, limit the number of visitors and reduce visiting hours. For example, Kaleida's updated policy, which goes into effect Monday, allows one "designated support person" per day to visit non-Covid-19 patients from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Buffalo General Medical Center and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. In end-of-life cases, two people may visit a patient at any time. Pediatric inpatients at Oishei Children's Hospital are allowed four people at the bedside at any given time. ECMC to restrict patient visitation starting Monday Beginning Monday, patients at ECMC will be limited to one visitor per day during a six-hour visitation window. Students from Central Asian countries taking part in a farmer training program learn about apple growing at an orchard managed by the Weinan Vocational and Technical College in Shaanxi province last month. [Photo provided to China Daily] A class of farmers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan graduated from a specialized training program in Weinan, Shaanxi province, last Wednesday, further cementing agricultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Central Asia. Following the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit in May, the 20-day program held by the Weinan Vocational and Technical College was designed to address the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector in Central Asian countries, combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice to illustrate the ideas of agricultural modernization in China. In Central Asia, dry farming, irrigation farming and sheep herding are the primary farming activities. Due to low rainfall and technical limitations, the output of agricultural products is relatively low with few processed agricultural products. As a prominent agricultural production hub in Northwest China, Weinan, though home to vast areas of saline-alkali soil, holds significant importance in Chinese agricultural history and has developed advanced techniques in desertification and saline-alkali soil treatment and farming, and technology for agricultural products. During a field visit, Anvar Israilov, one of the 20 graduates and a Uzbek breeding expert, observed intelligent agriculture by Chinese enterprises and experimental bases. He saw QR codes used in the growing of grape trees, modernized dairy processing and delicious apples. He said his knowledge of the agriculture sector in China was inadequate and that he craved to learn more. "I have been involved in the cultivation of wheat, grapes, peas and sheep on my farm. These are all areas covered in the training program," said Jasur Duvlaev, another Uzbek participant, adding that he intended to apply techniques such as water-saving and drip irrigation to improve his farm's productivity. "I will pass on the knowledge and techniques in various aspects I've acquired here to other farmers in my country," said Duvlaev. Abdukhalim Qodirov, a participant from Tajikistan, expressed his eagerness to utilize the skills to contribute to agricultural development in his own country. Well-chosen from experienced farmers and experts, participants brought practical problems to the courses, and were inspired by in-depth discussions with teachers while at the same time enlightening the teachers with their indigenous methods, Wang Weihua, a teacher in the training program and deputy head of the Weinan Vocational and Technical College, said in an interview with Xinhua. The college has designated dedicated teachers to proceed with communication and exchanges with the participants when they return to their countries. "China has a profound historical connection with Central Asian countries. Based on the advantage of regional agricultural resources, we will make timely adjustments to the curriculum considering the actual needs of the participants and carry out more targeted training and exchanges," said Yuan Xiangyong, deputy director of the foreign economic and technological cooperation bureau in Weinan. UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday strongly condemned Thursday night's attack on Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport which killed a member of the Ugandan UN Guard Unit. "The secretary-general strongly condemns the attack on Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport area yesterday," said a statement released by Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the secretary-general. Guterres extended "his deep condolences to the family and colleagues of the victim and to the Government and people of Uganda." The top UN official reminded all parties that "attacks against UN personnel and premises are prohibited under international law." Furthermore, Guterres expressed "the full solidarity and support of the United Nations to the Government and people of Somalia in their fight against terrorism." He reaffirmed the UN's commitment to helping Somalia on its path towards becoming "a stable, secure and prosperous country." The Al-Shabab extremist group, which has engaged the government in almost daily attacks, reportedly claimed responsibility for the latest attack on the heavily fortified facility. Health care providers across Western New York are scrambling to find employees. They are beefing up their recruiting teams, offering thousands of dollars in signing bonuses and, just to get by, ponying up hefty premiums in the battle to land traveling workers from staffing agencies. While staffing issues were at the heart of the recently concluded Mercy Hospital strike, it's something that is being felt by all health care providers across Western New York. All of the region's major health systems report having hundreds of jobs open. Kaleida Health has 450 open positions in acute care, including 305 nursing jobs, while Erie County Medical Center is hunting for about 500 new workers. Catholic Health System, emerging from a 35-day strike at Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo, has about 800 positions available. Catholic Health wants to add hundreds of nursing assistants and support staff and has agreed to specific staffing ratios as part of a new four-year labor contract. But reaching those targets will take time in a tight market for health care workers especially amid an exhaustive pandemic that has pushed some to take early retirement, chase higher wages as travel employees, trade in their scrubs for medical office jobs or quit the field altogether. "Right now, it's a workers' market," Catholic Health President and CEO Mark Sullivan said. It's a situation exacerbated by Covid-19, something health systems, nursing homes and others are tackling with near-term Band-Aids while searching for long-term fixes that would take a more collaborative effort involving government officials. "We must find immediate relief for current workforce shortages, but more importantly, we must also focus significant attention on long-range solutions," Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, said in testimony before a state Assembly committee on Wednesday. The association, which represents nonprofit and public hospitals, nursing homes and other health care organizations, requested that the state spend $1 billion in each of the next two years to help health care providers across the state face workforce challenges. It's a nationwide problem. Health care employment across the country is down by 524,000 since February 2020, with nursing and residential care facilities making up about 80% of the loss, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the Buffalo Niagara region, health care and social assistance employment slipped from 80,400 in February 2020 to 73,500 in October, state Labor Department data shows. Even before the Mercy strike, hospital employment was down by 600 from pre-pandemic levels. "Staffing shortages are placing operating and expense pressures on not-for-profit hospitals and nursing facilities even as they continue to struggle with the logistics of treating Covid-19 cases," credit rating agency Fitch Ratings warned last month. It said pressure on operating margins should become more pronounced as labor issues drag on, hitting the lower-rated, smaller hospitals even harder. Not just Mercy Just last week, a few nursing home workers stood outside Weinberg Campus in Amherst, eyeing a labor fight of their own as they work to get a long-term contract covering about 200 union members. The workers said they have had to juggle more responsibilities as colleagues have left and have watched as higher-paid workers from outsides agencies have been brought in to help fill the void. As strained as staffing is at the region's hospitals, it might be even more stressed at its nursing homes. And those challenges are often interconnected. For example, ECMC had 539 patients Wednesday morning, which included 47 people who have been cleared for discharge but can't be accommodated in post-hospitalization settings, such as nursing homes, due to staffing challenges at those facilities, spokesperson Peter Cutler said. That creates bottlenecks in hospitals and further strains capacity and staff, especially with more Covid-19 patients now coming in. ECMC Corp. sees the challenges at nursing homes firsthand at its 390-bed Terrace View Long-Term Care Facility. "While the hospital is a challenge with regard to staffing, Terrace View has been at critical levels with regard to staffing," ECMC President and CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr. said. To adapt, Terrace View closed two units to ensure there's enough staff for the remaining units, he said. ECMC also is dangling sign-on bonuses for licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants at Terrace View, and has offered incentives to employees who work extra shifts. Quatroche said ECMC also has more agency nurses currently working than he can remember at any point in the past. He estimated they have about 20 to 30 agency nurses in the hospital and another 20 in Terrace View, all at about double the rate of pay of a permanent nurse. ECMC also turned to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for some help last month: Four nurses and one tech from the New York City medical center worked at ECMC for one week, ending Oct. 22. Landing workers from staffing firms also is competitive and expensive. "There is intense competition for traveling nurses, driving costs up," said Dr. Michael Mineo, chief medical officer at Kaleida Health's Buffalo General Medical Center, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital and DeGraff Medical Park. It's a necessary investment right now. Of the jobs open at Kaleida, about 275 to 300 of the openings are above the health system's normal vacancy level, said CEO Robert Nesselbush. Of those incremental openings, about 50 are being covered through additional hours and overtime, he added. Kaleida last month agreed to an incentive program with the unions representing many of its workers that allows some employees to earn extra pay for picking up additional shifts. On top of that, Kaleida has about 100 agency personnel under contract, 70 of whom it obtained through the state staffing agency contract referral. Nesselbush said the cost of those 70 agency workers, who each work 50-hour weeks, is about $400,000 per week. That means each of those workers, on average, costs Kaleida $5,714 a week, including agency fees. And Kaleida will soon be negotiating new labor contracts with its 7,300 union workers whose contracts expire at the end of May. Long-term fix Despite the challenges, health care employers in Western New York also report some success in luring candidates. ECMC has hired 215 new staff members, including 88 registered nurses, since Aug. 1, Cutler said. Catholic Health, meanwhile, has hired 1,770 workers this year, including 353 nurses, Sullivan said. And Catholic Health has seen a significant uptick in applications since the Mercy strike ended. Of the striking workers who opted to leave Catholic Health during the dispute, Sullivan said 30% to 40% of them are back or are returning. Some workers signed multi-week contracts with traveling nursing companies and are expected back at Catholic Health after their contractual obligation ends, he added. A major problem in health care, however, is the increasing churn rate among employers. Martin Boryszak, Catholic Health's senior vice president of acute care services, said the health system's churn rate typically ranged from 7% to 9%. But from January 2020 to current, the rate is closer to 13% to 15% the result of eligible employees taking early retirement during the pandemic or venturing into travel nursing. Those nurses who have opted to travel can earn anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 a week, knowing a job will be available back home when they are ready to return, he said. Sullivan and the workers' union, the Communications Workers of America, hope their contract can help bring people back. "I think that's what's led to the increased interest in Catholic Health and having that progressive staffing blueprint really signals to those that want to work in health care that maybe there is a way of doing this," Sullivan said. While the contract could serve as a model in coming health care labor negotiations, officials know long-term changes are needed. Hospital officials take aim, in particular, at a reimbursement model that doesn't match their amount of expenses, especially with wage growth. And the pipeline of graduates and new employees hasn't been sufficient to fill the staffing gaps. CWA Area Director Debora Hayes said the union had talks with Gov. Kathy Hochul about establishing a statewide commission that dives into the development of a health care workforce. Looking to put a dent in the 9,300 job openings for registered nurses in New York, Hochul on Thursday announced a scholarship program that will cover tuition for 1,000 students who enter a nursing program through the SUNY or CUNY system. "We need to take a long, hard look at what we're doing to instill interest in younger people, get commitments from folks to go to college and learn a health care profession," Hayes said. "Then our job is going to continue to make sure that the environment of care and the work conditions inside the facilities are such that people feel really comfortable working there." Western New Yorkers who drive on the 407, the cashless toll road that runs through Ontario near Toronto, get a bill later if they don't pay what they owe electronically. So what happens when Canadians drive through the cashless tolls at the Grand Island bridges without paying? Nothing. That's why some people on this side of the border including those who fought to get rid of the tolls and reluctantly settled for the removal of the collection booths are frustrated the State Thruway Authority can't force the many Canadians who drive through the bridges to pay. "I think that's wrong and it's unfair to everybody else who pays their tolls," said island resident Glenn Bobeck, who has led a public campaign of sorts on the issue. The Thruway Authority is losing a substantial amount of revenue each year from Ontario and Quebec drivers who don't pay. The authority relies on Canadians to sign up for E-ZPass or otherwise pay their tolls online or by phone. Although Canadians are historically portrayed as polite, skeptics wonder how many really do go out of their way to make those payments. The problem is the Thruway Authority doesn't have an agreement with Ontario or Quebec to link a license plate to a vehicle's registered owner and mail a bill to an address in those provinces. The authority said it is working on resolving this issue, but the agency told another media outlet the same thing 11 months ago. The 407, however, is managed by a private operator that has the ability to bill American drivers. There's a bigger concern looming. The authority plans to convert the entire Thruway to cashless tolls by the end of next year, and the system would lose even more revenue if it doesn't have an agreement allowing it to bill Canadians by then. "The Thruway Authority has had a lot of problems, and one of the problems I'm frustrated with is this Canadian issue," Grand Island Supervisor Nathan McMurray said. The oldest of the Grand Island bridges were built in the 1930s and tolls have been in place since the beginning. The cost to cross today is $1, or 95 cents for E-ZPass account holders. In 2017, 23.6 million vehicles traveled through the toll barriers on the bridges, or nearly 65,000 vehicles per day, according to the authority. The Thruway Authority won't get rid of the tolls altogether. But, in March 2018, cashless tolling went into effect on both bridges. The system is straightforward. Motorists drive at highway speed under gantries built at each end of the island that have technology to scan vehicles and take photographs. If you have an E-ZPass, the toll is deducted from your account. If you don't, the registered owner of the vehicle is sent a bill. But they can't send them across the border, Thruway spokeswoman Jennifer Givner said. Why not? "In order to obtain vehicle registrant information, we need to have legal agreements in place with those entities," Givner said in an email. "We have them with most states and we have been working diligently toward an agreement with Ontario and Quebec." Givner, who told the same thing to WGRZ-TV a year ago, did not say what the holdup is. Most Canadian bridge travelers are from Ontario, and an Ontario Transportation Ministry spokesman declined to provide details on why there's no agreement in place 16 months after cashless tolls went live. "The Ministry of Transportation continues to discuss this issue with our counterparts in New York State," the ministry's Bob Nichols said in his own email. "As of yet, no data-sharing agreement has been reached." Bobeck asked about this issue at a May public meeting hosted by the Thruway Authority at the Western New York Welcome Center on Grand Island. He also followed up directly with Givner. "Those answers were less than satisfactory," said Bobeck, who later told a Buffalo News reporter about the exchange. Givner told Bobeck, and The News, the authority essentially is counting on the honesty of Canadian drivers. They can sign up for E-ZPass just like drivers here. If they don't, they can figure out how much they owe and pay the bill online, over the phone or through the mail. "All motorists traveling through a Thruway tolling facility are expected to pay their tolls. Canadian citizens, similar to other customers who do not have E-ZPass, have multiple options to pay their tolls," she said. How many actually go through all of that effort when they're not required to do so? The Thruway Authority could not provide data on how many Canadians travel over the Grand Island bridges and how many of them do it without paying. Islanders say it has to be a sizable, if unknown, number. "Seeing a Canadian license plate is just common here," said Amanda Pike, an island resident and environmental sustainability consultant. Pike, who regularly works from a table at the Welcome Center, said people from both countries are confused about the cashless tolls. She said motorists frequently come into the center, where E-ZPass representatives are posted, to ask how they should pay their tolls. Some even come up to her with their queries. "They think they have to come here to pay," Pike said. Bob Richardson, managing partner of Blue Cardinal Capital in South Buffalo, is an American who lives in West Lincoln, Ont., with his Canadian wife. He said most Canadian commuters and regular visitors to this country, like him, get E-ZPass accounts for the convenience. And, Richardson said, they account for the vast majority of Canadians passing over the bridges. He said, if any Canadians are traveling on and off the island without paying later, they're doing so unwittingly because this gap in the collection process isn't well-known. "The honor system presumes that you know you need to honor something," Richardson said. McMurray and Pat Whalen say they both have received bills for tolls they didn't pay when driving on the 407, the electronic toll road that carries traffic in and around the greater Toronto area. "I always assumed there was a reciprocal agreement between New York State and Ontario," said Whalen, director of the Niagara Global Tourism Institute and executive vice president of the Canadian-American Border Trade Alliance. Whalen, who has decades of experience on cross-border trade issues, said he suspects the Ontario government has concerns about sharing Canadian drivers' data with New York. Nichols confirmed the province wants any agreement to ensure "Ontarians' privacy rights are protected." He further referred The News to the toll road's operator, which did not respond to a request for comment. "When I get on their express roads, they charge me. There's got to be a way for us to charge them," McMurray said. It's different on the Thruway. If someone skips the cash lane and drives through E-ZPass lanes without an account, that's considered a violation, Givner said, and the Thruway Authority can send violation notices to Canadian drivers. The Thruway isn't a problem now because people still can pay cash at the toll barriers. But the whole system is scheduled to go cashless by the end of 2020, and that means the potential loss of more money from Canadian drivers. Bobeck said he has nothing against Canadians, but, "I would like to see the Thruway Authority take steps to ensure everybody is treated equally." With Covid-19 cases surging, hospitals across Western New York are again limiting visitation within their walls. Catholic Health System late Monday announced non-Covid-19 patients in its hospitals will generally be limited to one visitor at a time during reduced hours, beginning Wednesday. Hospital visiting hours will be from noon to 6 p.m. daily at Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Mount St. Marys Hospital and Sisters of Charity Hospital, Main St. and St. Joseph campuses. In-person visitation is not permitted in restricted Covid-19 units, aside from patients receiving end-of-life care. Catholic Health's announcement came the same day Erie County Medical Center also returned to a more restrictive patient visitation policy, limiting patients to one visitor per day during a six-hour visitation window. Kaleida Health did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment about whether it was evaluating similar visitor restrictions. The region's hospitals have seen an increasing number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19 in recent weeks. That rising caseload, paired with staffing challenges that make it difficult to operate the maximum amount of beds, has put many Western New York hospitals at or near capacity. ECMC, for one, also had, as of last week, 50 patients who are medically cleared to be discharged but remain at the hospital because of difficulty finding alternative care for them in the community, tying up more beds. Come Wednesday at Catholic Health, hospital visitors, limited to those 18 or older, will be required to undergo a health screening, complete an online registration process and follow all safety guidelines, including wearing a mask at all times and washing or sanitizing their hands before and after each visit. Those who report significant Covid-19 exposure or symptoms in the last 10 days, or have a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, will not be permitted to visit. Emergency department patients may be accompanied by one visitor for "a period of time based on patient census and other factors determined by the clinical team," the health system said. Maternity patients, meanwhile, will continue to be allowed two support persons for the duration of their hospital stay, but additional visitors will not be permitted, Catholic Health said. Kaleida Health and the unions representing its hospitals' workers have reached an agreement on an incentive program for employees who pick up additional shifts, seeking to ease a staffing crunch. Like other New York hospitals, Kaleida's staffing situation has been aggravated by the pandemic, the state's vaccine mandate and a patient volume increase stemming from an ongoing strike at Mercy Hospital. The agreement was reached Friday and went into effect Sunday, according to a copy of the memorandum of understanding posted on Communication Workers of America Local 1168's website. CWA Local 1168, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 17 and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East negotiated the "Critical Staffing Incentive Program" with Kaleida in talks that started last Tuesday. The program allows registered nurses, technical and clerical workers, and service and maintenance employees to earn an extra payment of between $225 and $450 if they sign up for an additional scheduled shift each work week "over and above their regular schedule," the agreement states. The deal comes as Kaleida and Western New York's other health care providers juggle more patients amid a strike that has hit Catholic Health System's Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, which has temporarily idled many services at the South Buffalo facility as negotiations continue. One of the primary issues that led to that strike, now in its 18th day, revolves around staffing levels, a topic that has proved difficult to remedy. Shortly before noon Monday, Catholic Health spokeswoman JoAnn Cavanaugh had no updates but said the two sides were "still talking." The union representing the striking workers, CWA Local 1133, said Catholic Health presented a new offer over the weekend, which the union characterized as containing "positive movement." "While we still have work to do, we feel that we're in a good position and will work as hard as possible this week to get to an agreement with the hospital that will benefit all of our members," the union said in an update to its members Monday afternoon. As it is, Mercy Hospital is operating with replacement workers but has suspended inpatient elective surgeries, labor and delivery services and has temporarily diverted incoming ambulances to alternate facilities. That has put more pressure on Kaleida's hospitals and, as of 4 p.m. Monday, the emergency room wait times at Buffalo General Medical Center and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital were at least an hour. In an Oct. 12 message to Kaleida's workforce, CEO Bob Nesselbush said the health system is facing challenges across its footprint. For instance, he wrote, Buffalo General is seeing record-high volumes in the ER, inpatient admissions and daily discharges. Oishei Children's Hospital, meanwhile, has seen high ER volumes, along with an additional four to six deliveries daily. And Millard Fillmore, too, is juggling high demand, while DeGraff Medical Park in North Tonawanda is seeing ER volumes not seen in four years. "There are ambulance backups at all hospitals," Nesselbush wrote. "The Kaleida Health Laboratories, the Visiting Nursing Association of WNY, our ancillary services and staff, all sites, all locations... everyone is stretched to the max but delivering for our patients." In the staffing incentive program, the first incentive period covers Sunday through Saturday. During this one-week period, registered nurses and professionals can get an incentive of $225, while technical and clerical workers can earn $162.50 and service and maintenance employees would get $112.50. In a normal biweekly pay period, those totals jump to an additional $450 for nurses, $325 for technical and clerical staff and $225 for service and maintenance employees. Moving forward, Kaleida will review the program on a pay-period-to-pay-period basis. The health system has the right to extend or end the program at any time, the agreement states, but will have to provide three days' notice to the unions. The unions and Kaleida plan to meet to review the effectiveness of the plan after the first 21 days and then periodically as needed. Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a "Billion Dollar Rescue Plan" to help small businesses including bars and restaurants endure through the pandemic. Hochul, in her State of the State address on Wednesday, proposed a tax credit for restaurants' Covid-19-related purchases, such as outdoor heating and seating. "Survival depends on whether they can create more space outdoors, a tough task during our New York winters," she said. Hochul also proposed permanently legalizing the sale of "to-go" drinks for bars and restaurants, which she called a "critical revenue stream during the lean times last year." Other small business and workforce ideas she proposed included: $100 million in tax relief for 195,000 small businesses, by widening eligibility and increasing a tax return adjustment that would reduce the gross business income of a small business. Creating an Office of Workforce and Economic Development, to focus on region-specific workforce development needs. Making it easier to qualify as a minority and women-owned business enterprise. Expanding access to apprenticeships. Sept. 27 was the day, the deadline for health care workers without an exemption to get their first Covid-19 vaccination shot as a state mandate went into effect. Some hospitals, in Western New York and beyond, terminated unvaccinated workers that day. Those employees, after all, had been eligible for their shots for more than nine months and had known about the mandate since mid-August. Other health care facilities placed unvaccinated employees on an unpaid 30-day leave, giving those workers one last chance to mull things over before losing their jobs and further aggravating a staffing crunch across the industry. It appears many of those employees reversed course and opted to get a shot or they were approved for an exemption. Catholic Health System, for instance, has terminated the employment of 26 people, a mere 0.3% of its 9,000-person payroll, spokesperson JoAnn Cavanaugh said Thursday. More than 300 Catholic Health employees had received reminder letters in mid-October of the coming 30-day deadline, she said, and more than 90% ultimately complied with the mandate either by receiving the vaccine or filing for a medical or religious exemption. Overall, nearly 700 Catholic Health workers got their first or single-dose shots in September and October, Cavanaugh added. She said there also were some other factors, such as some employees who were already vaccinated but did so under different last names than were in Catholic Health's system. "We have seen more people getting vaccinated because of the deadline," Catholic Health President and CEO Mark Sullivan said recently. "So we're trying to keep them informed, educated. Weve sent people out to the sites to work on formal education, and that's what we're doing related to the mandate. Other Western New York health systems also echoed low termination totals to The Buffalo News. At Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, for one, about 25 unvaccinated employees were no longer working there and were facing termination through processes laid out in their collective bargaining agreements, spokesperson Annie Deck-Miller said in late October. That's just 0.6% of Roswell Park's 3,700-person employment total. At Erie County Medical Center, spokesperson Peter Cutler said 25 employees were terminated Oct. 28, just 0.8% of the hospital's workforce. At ECMC's Terrace View Long-Term Care facility, he said 17 employees were terminated, 3.5% of that facility's workers. A month earlier, when the mandate went into effect, Cutler said 276 people across ECMC and Terrace View were on leave, roughly 7% of the total. Of the 42 workers terminated at ECMC and Terrace View, Cutler said nine of them were per-diem employees, most of whom hadn't worked there in more than a year. Those totals are in addition to the 100 Kaleida Health employees and the 60 Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and Schoellkopf Health Center workers who lost their jobs shortly after the mandate went into effect in late September. In many ways, the state's mandate could set the tone for what to expect in the months ahead after President Biden's administration on Thursday announced that Americans who work at companies with at least 100 employees will have to be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or get tested weekly. The requirement applies to more than 84 million U.S. workers, though that rule has a test-out provision that isn't included in New York's health care worker mandate. As more mandates pop up, so do the court filings. In one, a federal appellate court in late October sided with Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration and stayed a lower court's ruling that temporarily allowed health care workers to claim a religious exemption to get around a requirement that they must have a Covid-19 vaccine. As those battles work their way through the courts, terminations could be possible for unvaccinated employees with a religious exemption. While New York's mandate excluding religious exemptions was upheld by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, a group of New York health care workers is challenging the state's mandate in the Supreme Court. Cavanaugh said Catholic Health is continuing to monitor and evaluate various court rulings before taking any additional action. At ECMC, Cutler noted the Biden administration's directive Thursday included a policy that health care workers at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid must also be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4. That regulation, according to a news release from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which Cutler said supersedes state guidance, provides exemptions based on recognized medical conditions or religious beliefs, observances or practices. "Regarding religious exemptions, given the recent directive from CMS, we are further analyzing that issue, consulting with our industry advocacy partners to better determine next steps," Cutler wrote in an email Friday. In a statement Friday, the New York Health Department said the state's mandate "leaves employee enforcement decisions up to the covered entities," while the Health Department "ensures compliance at the facility level and encourages health care facilities to get all workers vaccinated as soon as possible." By the numbers Over the last several weeks, the number of vaccinated hospital workers in New York has increased. Specifically, among the five-county Western New York's roughly 23,700 hospital workers, the percentage of people partially or fully vaccinated increased from 94.6% on Oct. 12 to 95.7% on Tuesday, according to state Health Department data. The percentage of workers fully vaccinated jumped from 88% to 92% during that timeframe. The state data does not include how many hospital employees claimed a medical or religious exemption, but it does provide numbers for total employees, fully vaccinated employees and partially vaccinated employees. Adding the fully and partially vaccinated numbers together and subtracting that from the total employment provides at least a hint of how many employees are unvaccinated with a religious or medical exemption. Health Department spokesperson Jeffrey Hammond confirmed Friday that figure includes "those who are not yet vaccinated or have obtained a medical or other exemption." In Western New York on Tuesday, that amounted to 1,012 workers, about 4% of the total hospital employment in the region of 23,746. On Oct. 12, that figure was 1,278, or 5% of the region's hospital workforce. Among the 20 facilities in Western New York included in the state data, Cuba Memorial Hospital in Allegany County had the highest percentage of workers who weren't included in the partially or fully vaccinated categories as of Tuesday. But that only amounted to six workers, or 12% of the facility's 49 employees. Not far behind, in terms of percentage, was Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, the site of a 35-day labor strike that was suspended late Thursday night after a tentative agreement was reached. Of Mercy's 2,930 employees, 2,651, or 90%, were partially or fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to state data. That means 279 of the South Buffalo hospital's employees, or about 10%, were not in either category. "The remainder of associates in Catholic Health who have not been terminated and are not partially or fully vaccinated have either filed a medical or religious exemption," said Cavanaugh, of Catholic Health. Prior terminations While some of the region's hospitals put unvaccinated workers without an exemption on 30-day unpaid leave, others took quicker action when the mandate went into effect Sept. 27. For example, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center said Sept. 27 that 60 workers were separated from their jobs at the hospital and its Schoellkopf Health Center, about 5% of employees. The total included 12 registered nurses three full-timers, five part-timers and four were per diem. "These positions are spread out throughout the NFMMC hospital and Schoellkopf, so the lack of clustering of separations have allowed us to continue our same level of service," Niagara Falls Memorial spokesperson Andrea Gray said Oct. 27. Kaleida Health spokesperson Michael Hughes on Sept. 27 said about 100 employees "have been or will be separated from the organization this week due to lack of vaccination." That represents just under 1% of Kaleida's total payroll of 10,765. Even though it was a small percentage, losing people from the mandate and then the extra volume of patients stemming from the Mercy strike added more burden on overtaxed hospital workers, said Kaleida CEO Robert Nesselbush, noting, however, that the health system is supportive of the mandate. "It comes on the tail end of, or on 18 months of, everybody burning the candle at both ends," he said in an interview Oct. 29. "It's an incredible amount to ask of people each and every day." Within Kaleida, Hughes said Sept. 27 that about 200 other employees requested religious exemptions. On Friday, he said, "we continue to monitor, and those employees are still working." Big changes are coming to utilities across the state and the push for more renewable energy sources is behind it. With state officials pushing for 70% of the states energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2030, utilities are scrambling for ways to meet the goal. The overall target is to reduce the states carbon-based emissions by 40% by the end of the decade, compared with 1990 levels. Exactly how the state will reach those goals hasnt been decided, but a 22-member panel called the Climate Action Council is expected to release a report that provides a preliminary outline of that path by the beginning of next year. Regardless of what it says, it likely will mean significant changes to the states utility industry and for consumers. It means pushing energy efficiency for consumers both for the way buildings are designed and insulated to higher standards for the furnaces and appliances found inside. It means looking for new energy sources beyond the current renewable mainstays, such as solar and wind power. One possibility is mixing hydrogen which can be refined from water into natural gas. It means making changes to the existing electricity transmission system to make it easier to add new sources of renewable energy. It means shifting from gasoline-powered vehicles to building the extensive network of charging stations that will be needed if those carbon-fueled cars and trucks are replaced by electric vehicles. It likely means developing a plan to phase out appliances and heating systems powered by fossil fuels. But to get there, the path will be shaped by decisions that will be made in the coming years. And there isnt broad agreement on how to get there. There are different views on how much we should electrify and how fast we should electrify, said Donna DeCarolis, the president of National Fuels utility business. Most presume that, by 2030, if your furnace breaks, youre going to electrify. Utility officials are pushing for an approach that uses the existing infrastructure, especially for natural gas, that would continue to use the network of underground pipelines that they already own. In their vision, the pipes would carry natural gas mixed with hydrogen to reduce harmful emissions. That would save money, they said. But others, including some environmental groups, want to move more forcefully away from carbon-based fuels, including natural gas, and more aggressively toward a more fully electrified future. That could include a ban on new or repowered fossil-fuel powered electric generation and moving away from conventional natural gas delivery systems. Environmentalists are targeting natural gas use because of its methane emissions. The state took a big step away from fossil fuels last week when the Department of Environmental Conservation refused to allow two downstate power plants fueled by natural gas to be upgraded. "Both would be inconsistent with New York's nation-leading climate law, and are not justified or needed for grid reliability," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a tweet announcing the decision, which was quickly praised by Gov. Kathy Hochul. "We must shift to a renewable future." Environmentalists hailed the ruling. "We are at a pivotal moment in the fight against the fossil fuel industry, and New York is showing true leadership in rejecting dirty energy and committing to the clean, renewable energy system all people deserve, said Allison Considine, NY Campaign Representative with the Sierra Club. Utilities and energy producers, however, view natural gas an important bridge fuel, with an extensive infrastructure in place, until the state has built a renewable energy infrastructure to handle the new fuel sources that will be coming online. "The DECs decisions to deny permits sends a chilling signal that the business climate needed to develop technologies is at risk," said Gavin Donohue, the president and CEO of the New York Independent Power Producers. No matter what path the state takes, though, it wont be cheap. The upstate utility systems are aging and need billions in investment to keep up with todays demands, let alone tomorrows. Were going to need to make a lot of changes, said Carl Taylor, the president of New York State Electric & Gas Corp. Its going to take a lot of investment. Energy efficiency is going to be a big part of the developing program to reduce the states carbon emissions. The idea: Using less energy means burning less carbon-emitting fuels. Reducing consumption could cut emissions in half. A lot of our investments are going to be focused on getting our customers to use less of our product, said Rudy Wynter, the president of National Grids New York operations. The New York Power Authority, for instance, is starting a demonstration project next month to measure the potential for substituting renewable hydrogen for a portion of the natural gas that is used to generate electricity at a Long Island power plant. Its part of the effort to determine whether hydrogen can be a viable fuel in reducing carbon emissions. But some of the investments will be aimed at getting New Yorkers to use a different kind of utility product. National Grid, for instance, is funding a program to install 16,000 electric vehicle charging stations across upstate by 2025 in anticipation of a wave of electric vehicles hitting the roads. The company already has installed 200 stations in Western New York through the program and is in the process of building another 200, Wynter said. Much of the discussion over the next year will center around a plan being prepared by the Climate Action Council, which is expected to release a draft proposal by Jan. 1 that will outline ways to improve energy efficiency, increase electrification and encourage the use of low-carbon fuels in business and industry. Next year is going to be important. Theres going to be a whole lot of public comment, said DeCarolis, a member of the 22-member climate council. Cost and affordability is another issue that overhangs the process. Replacing appliances or upgrading heating systems will be costly. We know there are going to be more costs, but we dont know what those costs are and whos going to pay for them, DeCarolis said. Those costs could be a big burden on low-income households, eventually faced with the prospect of installing heat pumps or other more environmentally friendly appliances. The folks who have the money and can afford the transition, thats the easier part, NYSEGs Taylor said. Whats it going to cost, and how are we going to ensure that all customers are going to get the benefit of the transition? The Climate Action Council on Monday approved a series of recommendations that call for widespread changes in how New York state residents would heat and power their homes in the coming years. The final vote in favor of the energy roadmap was 19-3. The plan needed support from at least 15 of the council's 22 members to pass. The recommendations will be forwarded to Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature. The 300-plus page report contains a host of recommendations aimed at meeting the state's ambitious climate controls, in everything from homes and buildings to transportation. The state is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050. Plans call for regulations stemming from the recommendations to be in place by 2024. Proponents say the plan recommends critical targets to combat climate change, protect public health and make a shift to economic development related to clean energy. "Today is certainly a day to celebrate, but this also marks the beginning of more significant work to come as we forge the path ahead and lead by example on how to transition an economy based on the conventional energy practices of yesterday to the thriving green economy of tomorrow," said Doreen Harris, co-chair of the council and president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Opponents say the plan doesn't do enough to address how the state will maintain a reliable electric grid amid the transition. And the critics say the plan will force costly changes on homeowners and businesses by mandating a move away from natural gas regarded as the least expensive heating fuel in favor of electric heat or heat pumps, which could require costly alterations to install. A plan to phase out use of fossil fuels in NY homes is nearing approval. Here's what that means The proposed changes would radically alter the way New Yorkers heat their homes, cook their meals and wash their clothes. In many cases, meeting the new rules would require costly and extensive upgrades to heating systems and duct work. New and existing homes The plan recommends that starting around 2025, newly built single-family homes be prohibited from installing equipment powered by fossil fuels, such as natural gas. That would require a newly built home's appliances, such as hot water heaters and furnaces, to run on a zero-emission system such as a heat pump, which is more energy efficient, but costs more than a conventional heating system. The final version of the Climate Action Council's plan pushed back the recommendation by one year. It was originally recommended for 2024. The revised version of the plan also acknowledges the challenges of relying exclusively on heat pumps in colder parts of the state, and suggests natural gas may potentially be used as a backup fuel source in some places. The plan recommends that starting in 2030, once homeowners' heating systems and appliances reach the end of their lifespan, replacements would need to run on zero-emission systems. Energy road map calls for sweeping changes for WNY homeowners Big changes are looming for how WNY residents heat their homes and operate their appliances. A new statewide energy plan being debated would gradually phase out the use of natural gas in homes and buildings, in favor of greater reliance on electricity. Dueling views Backers described the plan as historic and say it sets a standard for other states to follow to combat climate change. "What we have developed as a council is a solid blueprint that will guide the public and lawmakers in how to secure the promises of our climate law," said Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY. "The plan shows the pathway forward to provide big benefits including reduced energy bills, improving our health and lowering our health care costs, and reversing decades of environmental injustice." "Our plan shows that the quicker the public, the governor and the legislature move to electrify all sectors, the faster we'll realize the benefits," he said. Opponents said the plan comes up short in key areas. Donna DeCarolis, president of National Fuel's utility business, said she supported many of the plan's recommendations, but ultimately voted against it. DeCarolis said she felt the plan doesn't adequately assure the reliability of the electric grid, relies too heavily on a single energy source, fails to use the natural gas delivery system for decarbonization and doesn't fully assess affordability for consumers. If the plan is pursued as written, she said, "there's an unfortunate possibility that consumers could end up paying more for less reliable energy. And these concerns are magnified in a region like Western New York, where it is 45% colder than downstate." Nearly 90% of homes in the Buffalo Niagara region are heated with natural gas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. What's next The recommendations will be forwarded to the governor and the state Legislature. The 2019 climate law calls for new regulations supporting the state's climate law to be in place by the start of 2024. State agencies, including the state Department of Environmental Conservation, will be tasked with developing regulations in keeping with the plan's contents in the upcoming year. Legislation is expected to be needed to implement some elements of the plan. Meanwhile, environmental advocates and business groups will keep making their respective cases to the governor and state lawmakers, to either uphold the plan's contents or amend them. "The next step is to see it fully implemented," said Raya Salter, founder and executive director of the Energy Law and Justice Policy Center, and a council member. "We will all need to work together to make this happen." Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, said the group supports the state's goal of reducing emissions, but doing so in a way that keeps energy affordable and reliable. She contends the plan doesn't achieve that balance. "Although this plan is a beast of their own creation, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature need to pump the brakes on implementing it," Gallagher said. New Yorks new energy roadmap calls for drastically altering energy use in New York State homes and businesses in the years ahead. Sweeping changes to state's energy policy gain approval The state is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050. Plans call for regulations stemming from the recommendations to be in place by 2024. It also illustrates the stark choices between the environmental benefits of reducing the use of climate-changing fossil fuels and the potential costs of making those changes. But everything isn't finalized just yet. And there are concerns that New York wont be able to build up its electricity-generating capacity fast enough to meet all the new demand that the roadmap will create. Broadly speaking, the plan contains recommendations for shifting the state away from fossil fuels toward electrification, in everything from appliances to commercial buildings. While the plan lays out the projected benefits making steep cuts in harmful emissions and protecting public health there are potentially significant costs that come with achieving those ambitious goals, for homeowners, businesses and the state's power grid. The state Department of Environmental Conservation was tasked with writing the rules stemming from the plan's recommendations. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature next year are expected to play a role in implementing some elements of the plan, opening the door to lobbying by both proponents and critics that could yield changes in the months ahead. Supporters are pushing to make the recommendations a reality, arguing that the state can't afford to wait any longer to combat climate change and start moving away from fossil fuels. The state is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050. Critics are questioning some elements of the plan, such as the cost of retrofitting homes and businesses to move away from fuels such as natural gas, and whether the state's power grid will have the capacity to handle the ramped-up demand for electricity. The cost to homeowners For homeowners, elements of the plan are expected to start taking effect around 2025. Starting then, newly built homes' appliances would have to run on a zero-emission system like a heat pump, instead of natural gas. In existing homes, that same standard would start to apply in 2030, once appliances reach the end of their lifespan. Critics say the plan doesn't give homeowners a clear picture of the conversion costs coming their way. In a study prepared for the New York State Association of Realtors, Rosen Consulting Group said the overall costs to retrofit a typical, existing natural gas-powered single-family home in the state range from $17,400 to $31,700, including an air source heat pump, water heater, cooktop range, clothes dryer and electrical modifications. Those costs wouldn't hit all at once. They would be incurred as individual appliances are replaced over time, at the end of their lifespan. "Financial incentives, such as rebates and tax credits, are likely to be key factors in terms of facilitating and expediting adoption of electrical heat pumps and other appliances," the study said. Allison Considine, senior representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign in New York, said the changeover is intended to be gradual. "All of this is about targeted, phased-in investment," she said. "Nothing in this plan is requiring a homeowner to change out their perfectly good boiler today and make that conversion, which would be expensive." The plan calls for incentives that would be aimed at low- and moderate-income communities, she said. Considine said it was premature to say with certainty the cost of converting systems starting about seven years from now. "I think we're going to see a continued decrease in the cost of these systems," she said. Another issue is homeowners' energy bills after conversion. Census data show that nearly 90% of homes in the Buffalo Niagara region are heated with natural gas, which is regarded as the least-expensive heating fuel. The Rosen Group study said that the annual energy bill could rise between nearly $450 and nearly $700, in homes that implement "relatively standard electrification upgrades with minimal additional efficiency upgrades." A plan to phase out use of fossil fuels in NY homes is nearing approval. Here's what that means The proposed changes would radically alter the way New Yorkers heat their homes, cook their meals and wash their clothes. In many cases, meeting the new rules would require costly and extensive upgrades to heating systems and duct work. On the other hand, the study said, it was "quite likely" that switching to electrification could generate "significant savings" for homes that rely on other, more expensive fuels, such as propane or heating oil. James E. Hanley, a fellow with the Empire Center for Public Policy think tank, casts doubt on the Climate Action Council plan's forecast that from 2030 onward, a quarter of a million homes annually in the state will switch to heat pumps. "What is instead likely to happen is that before 2030, homeowners will rush to replace aging gas and propane furnaces, planning to hang onto them as long as possible," he wrote in a report Tuesday. Will there be enough electricity? The energy targets in the Climate Action Council's plan will require a lot more electricity in the coming years, to power homes, buildings and vehicles. The New York Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power grid, said in a recent report that by 2030, about 20 gigawatts of additional renewable power generation a 54% increase from the state's current generating capacity must be in service to support the state's energy policy target of 70% renewable generation. And by 2040, between 111 gigawatts and 124 gigawatts of total generating capacity will be needed to support the climate law's mandate of an emissions-free grid, roughly three times the current capacity of 37 gigawatts, according to the New York ISO. "For us as a utility, it's going to be important to build an energy system that can meet those evolving needs of the energy transition," said Huck Montgomery, senior manager of regulatory delivery for National Grid. "It's a focus of our whole company." Gavin Donohue, president and CEO of the Independent Power Producers of New York, questioned how much it would cost to upgrade the state's power grid, who would pay for it, and how the grid's reliability would be assured. "Just saying we care about reliability but in essence doing nothing about it is troubling," said Donohue, who was one of three council members to vote no. "If you're going to build out this grid to the level we're talking about building it out, you're going to need a significant amount more of resources that are zero emitting." The Sierra Club's Considine said she agrees much more electricity will be needed on the grid, but believes the goals are realistic, and said the plan was designed with reliability in mind. "Right now, we are on track both with the amount of renewable energy we have contracted and with the recommendations in the plan to increase our buildout of renewable energy and strengthen the grid to have a reliable grid," she said. How will state government do it? Conor Bambrick, director of climate policy for Environmental Advocates NY, said many elements of the plan will be implemented by state agencies using their regulatory powers. "Now that the plan is approved, I anticipate the Legislature will seek to work with the governor to advance legislation as needed," Bambrick said. "Our role will be to educate the public and lawmakers to build support for the plan and its implementation." The final version of the plan says that for the "next several years and beyond, the implementation of the Climate Act necessitates an all-hands-on-deck approach across state government, with input from a broad array of stakeholders, technical advisors, and experts." "Many strategies in the (energy roadmap) also require action on the part of local governments or the state legislature," the plan says. National Fuel Gas Co. "will participate in all upcoming regulatory proceedings, strongly advocating for energy policies that prioritize consumer affordability and grid resiliency," said Donna DeCarolis, president of National Fuel's utility business. DeCarolis, a council member, voted against the plan, which would threaten the demand for the natural gas that National Fuel's utility business transports. Considine said she envisions changes being made to existing state regulations, to reflect the recommendations in the Climate Action Council's plan. "Advocates will also be looking to lock in some of the good recommendations with legislation and make sure that specificity and dates are reflected in the law," she said. The plan will also require a lot more state funding, Considine said: "Creating more revenue structures, making sure the state budget is aligned with the recommendations, is going to be another big priority." Dottie Gallagher, the Partnership's president and CEO, said now that the council has approved the plan, "state legislators will have no choice but to engage and explain to their constituents how New York state is going to ensure affordable and reliable energy, especially since the (council's) plan fails to address either in any meaningful way." New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, a coalition of businesses and utilities, plans to poll state residents about the plan's contents and share the results with state lawmakers, said executive director Michelle Hook. "I think the thing that resonates most with elected officials is public sentiment, because it's their constituents," she said. "They want to do what their constituents want." Sydney Favors went to SUNY Buffalo State College to study political science with the idea of becoming a prosecutor. Then, in her senior year, she had a change of heart. I began to think about, What if I put someone in prison unjustly? she said. So, I decided, What if I became a teacher? That way I could prevent people from going to jail.' Favors heard the University at Buffalos Graduate School of Education was launching a year-long Teacher Residency Program to increase the ranks, diversity and retention of teachers in Buffalo amid a looming teacher shortage. She joined the pilot program weeks after graduating from Buffalo State. Three years later, Favors has her masters in education from UB and is entering her second year as a social studies teacher at Frederick Law Olmsted High School in Buffalo. She plans to stay. The Buffalo Public Schools made me, said Favors, an alum of Hutchinson Central Technical High School. I come from this community, and I want to support it. That's exactly the type of commitment officials from UB and the city schools were hoping for when UB modeled its Teacher Residency Program after the medical student experience. The idea was to give aspiring teachers a deeper classroom experience and better mentoring than the traditional 15 weeks of student teaching, usually split between 7 to 8 weeks each in two different schools. In contrast, the program allows anyone with a qualifying bachelors degree to spend a year of intensive training to be a teacher, including co-teaching and being mentored by a veteran teacher in a Buffalo public school classroom for the full school year. The program assists residents with an $18,000 stipend and requires they commit to three years of teaching in city schools afterward. Favors was among the first 13 residents in 2019-20. Since then, the program has placed 70 new teachers in city school classrooms and demonstrated that residencies are the best way to train teachers and serve students, said Julie Gorlewski, senior associate dean for academic affairs and teacher education at UB Graduate School of Education. Because its a full year, you dont have that situation where you are student teaching for eight weeks, and just when youre starting to hit your stride, you go to another school, Gorlewski said. In this model, the students also benefit from having better prepared teachers all year long. The model has proven so successful that UB is moving to replace its student teaching requirement with year-long residencies for all students in its teacher education programs. UB piloted the new requirement with five students last year, and this year upped it to 24. That represents more than half of our student teachers for this year, and next year we will fully implement the residency requirement for more than 100 students, Gorlewski said. The school isnt able to offer stipends to residents outside the Teacher Residency Program, but sees that as a goal, Gorlewski said. We have applied for grant funding, and we are looking into apprenticeship models, as well as substitute teaching, to provide funding for these residencies, she said. The Teacher Residency Program is funded by the Cullen Foundation, Oishei Foundation, U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership Program and the National Science Foundations Noyce Scholars Program, said Amanda Winkelsas, director of the UB program. Besides the pilot group of 13, another 15 completed the program in 2020-21, and 23 completed it last year. Nineteen start their residencies this week. The initiative also is training more teachers from linguistically and ethnically diverse backgrounds that reflect the city student body, better preparing them to teach in an urban setting and retaining them to stay in the profession, Winkelsas said. The 2022-23 cohort is the most diverse ever 32% are white, 47% are Black/African American, 11% are Hispanic/Latinx, and 11% are Asian or multiracial. Nearly half are first-generation college graduates. The residents include students who are bilingual or have advanced proficiency in Spanish, French, Urdu, Arabic, Brazilian, Portuguese, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, and Kirundi, Winkelsas said. The program has also strengthened the partnership between UB and the Buffalo Public Schools with the goal of giving historically marginalized city school students the attention they need to succeed and producing learner-ready teachers with the support they need to do the work. We have built a community of 70 residents, 60 mentors and more than 40 UB faculty, Winkelsas told a gathering of past and current residents and mentors at UBs Teacher Residency Summer Institute last month. We are doing hard work together and moving closer to the educational spaces that matter to students. Favors and her friend Caitlin Orgek bonded as the first two social studies residents in 2019-20, and still rely on each other to plan curriculum and discuss ways to make their subject relevant to their students. The students we serve need to know, Why are we learning this? Favors said. Were teaching history and the Tops massacre, George Floyd, Asian hate, Covid and the Jan. 6 insurrection all happened while we were teaching in Buffalo public schools. We have to have those discussions. In Orgeks residency at South Park High School, she experienced every aspect of the school year. This week, she starts teaching global history at East Community High School. As residents, we were able to see from the beginning of the year to the end how teachers get to know their students, how they build on their curriculum and how they change and differentiate throughout the year and get students ready for a big exam, the Regents at the end of the year, she said. You also form relationships with the students that you wouldnt with student teaching, she added. I have a student from two years ago who just graduated high school and I still keep in touch with her. Gary Crump came through the program in 2020-21 and now teaches social studies at Olmsted High School. He changed his career from law to education for reasons similar to Favors. I was working in criminal defense, and we had one particular case with an FBI sting operation involving young people from the South Bronx, Crump said. They were found guilty and the leader was sentenced to 75 years in prison, and his two lieutenants each received 50 years. And at that point I decided to pivot to education to provide young people, especially those in urban settings, with a different option. Crump moved from New York City to Buffalo to attend the UB program, and plans to stay well beyond his three-year commitment. He knows he is making a difference to students here. After the Tops shooting, I stopped instruction for two days and created a big circle where students could express their feelings and ask anything they wanted to, he said. They had become aware in a New York minute about the segregation that enabled the alleged perpetrator to come here and do what he did. Crump said he sees the programs biggest benefit as UBs commitment to having a diverse cadre of teachers dedicated to making change and bringing joy to the classroom." This is the future of teacher education, said Will Keresztes, the Buffalo schools' chief of administration, public affairs and planning. This is the deepest dive in New York State into teacher residencies. Buffalo Schools Superintendent Tonja Williams said the Maasai people of East Africa greet one another with the question, How are the children? That is the priority and the pulse in the community, she said. Our children have experienced a lot in the last couple years, including a pandemic that has led them to experience isolation, grief, trauma and sometimes the child who needs the most love asks for it in the most unloving ways, Williams added. So its a challenge to be a teacher, but this is also a time when its possible to really make a difference. This program seems built just for this moment. KIEV, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Explosions were heard in several cities across Ukraine on Saturday morning as Russia launched missile attacks against the country, the Ukrainian air force and media outlets said. Businesses looking to get a liquor license in New York State could be facing a quicker, less arduous process. For craft brewers, the changes in a law passed late last year mean a much faster review process to obtain the liquor license needed to open, reducing what can be a six-month waiting period to a matter of as little as three to four weeks. And Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday continued to press for the proposal in her state budget to permanently allow New York restaurants to offer the to-go drinks that were temporarily permitted during the early days of the pandemic. Jimmy Butera, owner of Buteras Craft Beer & Pizza in Hamburg and chapter president of the NY State Restaurant Association, said anything that can be done to help struggling bars and restaurants is much needed, especially for businesses still trying to make ends meet. "The alcohol-to-go is a lifeline for the entire industry. It's a game-changer," he said. "This is an immediate fix to a problem." Hochul says patrons can once again buy alcohol to go from bars, restaurants Hochul said in her State of the State address she will revive the policy allowing off-premises consumption that was in effect from March 2020 to last June Hochul also has proposed spending $2 million to increase staffing to help the State Liquor Authority facing a backlog of 3,700 applications review and process filings quicker. Hochul said the effort is an attempt to bring back the states hospitality industry one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic and help update antiquated liquor laws, most dating back around a century. Laws that were set back in the days of Prohibition were literally still on the books today, Hochul said. For businesses trying to figure out how we come out of this, there was still too much red tape and a colossal hassle with laws that have been on the books too long. Some of the initiatives already are underway. A law that took effect late last year allowed craft brewers to serve and produce alcoholic beverages while their request for a full license is pending. Those temporary permits, the first of which will take effect later this month, will allow craft brewers and distillers to start operating months sooner, bringing in revenue during what otherwise was a lengthy waiting period for their license to arrive. Hochul proposes relief to small businesses hit by pandemic Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a "Billion Dollar Rescue Plan" to help small businesses including bars and restaurants endure through the pandemic. That's important, because craft breweries have been a fast-growing segment of the state's hospitality industry. New York ranks among the top five nationally in the number of craft brewers, and the growth has been a bright spot in the Buffalo Niagara region, too. More than two decades ago, when Tim Herzog was starting Flying Bison Brewing Company in Buffalo, he had to explain to state officials the business he was planning to operate. He had to work to get legislation changed and have permits and zoning classifications rewritten before he could open. It took him more than two years to get going. Anytime you can cut red tape for businesses, whether you're a brewery or candle maker, it is helping them to save money and open sooner," he said. While many craft breweries closed temporarily at the start of the pandemic, most have since reopened, and at least seven new ones opened in the Buffalo Niagara region. Most sold beer-to-go during pandemic peaks and reopened taprooms after the lockdown lifted. Sometimes, it feels like it takes 100 years to get a liquor license, said Max Bookman, council to The New York City Hospitality Alliance. Having sensible policies designed to improve the process and make it easier for small businesses to get open and operate easier is a no-brainer. The application process, which can take up to 26 weeks, will be significantly shaved down, Hochul said. She added the ability at some point in the future to apply online also will also help. Hochul also plans to form a group to look at other potential changes that would reduce the burdens on these businesses. The State Liquor Authority receives more than 75,000 applications a year, including 14,000 license applications, 30,000 renewal requests and 20,000 special event applications. About 30 of the authority's 114 employees are dedicated to reviewing those applications, Hochul said. With $2 million in additional funding in Hochul's budget proposal, the authority plans to hire 39 additional workers, most of whom will work on liquor license requests and the agency's backlog of 3,700 applications. Were constantly working to make things more efficient, said Vincent Bradley, the liquor authority's chairman. The additional resources are going to transform the review process of the applications. Hochul, speaking at a news conference at a Brooklyn wine bar, said her proposal to permanently legalize to-go drinks has been one of the most popular items to come out of her January State of the State address. Drinks-to-go were a lifeline to bars and restaurants during the pandemic, when many people were wary of going to crowded indoor spaces. The revenues from the drinks-to-go sales helped many struggling restaurants pay for upgrades to their patios or expanded outdoor dining spaces that offered another way to bring in wary consumers. The return of drinks-to-go could provide another boost to restaurants still recovering from their pandemic losses and revive a service that many customers tried after the lockdown was lifted and may use again. Bookman argued that drinks-to-go don't make consumers less likely to shop at a liquor store, many of which he said have not experienced the same challenges as the bar and restaurant industry. The liquor store industry has said that allowing bars and restaurants to sell to-go booze would upset their businesses. World War II might be the most popular subject for historical fiction, but Vanessa Chans debut, The Storm We Made, defies the typical focus on the Western front and a clear-cut distinction between good and evil that characterizes many books. Chans heartbreaking story of a family riven by war takes place in Malaya (now called Malaysia) and relies on her extensive research into the time period and her familys suffering including her great uncles kidnapping by the Japanese Army to weave together two strands. One timeline takes place in 1935, when Malaya is under British colonial rule and Chans protagonist becomes an unlikely spy for the Japanese, and the other occurs in 1945, when Japan has conquered the peninsula and the Malayan people are kept in misery by their latest rulers. Teenage boys had begun to disappear, Chan writes as the novel opens in 1945. Cecily Alcantara guards her three children nervously, particularly middle child Abel, whose Eurasian descent is evident in his light brown hair. Three years into the Japanese occupation, Chan writes that Cecilys hope for a better colonizer was short-lived and notes the Japanese occupiers killed more people in three years than the British colonizers had in fifty. Abel is abducted on his 15th birthday. Cecily worries all the things she had done would come for her, that retribution was always a day away. With Abel gone, Chan jumps to 1935 and reveals why Cecily feels such guilt. When the British were in power, Cecilys husband, Gordon, held a bureaucratic position in the colonial government that afforded them social status and invitations to parties with British officials. Cecily, then a dissatisfied mother of two, fell for a charming man who posed as an affable Hong Kong merchant but, in fact, was a Japanese officer named Fujiwara, who convinced her to spy on Gordons work. Attracted to Fujiwara, Cecily also believed in his vision for a world in which Asians could determine their own future. Cecilys children alternate as the focus of the 1945 timeline. Abel is being held in a grim Japanese work camp, where he is tortured and raped. Cecily tries to safeguard her 7-year-old, Jasmin, by tucking her in the basement; Chan details the horrors of comfort stations in which Malayan women are trafficked into sex service for the Japanese military. Chillingly, recruiters preferred younger girls, pre-pubescent, as they lay more still and did not get pregnant. Cecilys oldest daughter, steadfast Jujube, tries to hold the family together. Chan deftly parcels out secrets in the 1935 sections, which depict Cecily as a vigorous and unconventional woman in whom discontent was a constant state of being. Chans chronicles of atrocities against Malayan children serve as a bracing reminder that despite the way World War II is often depicted in fiction, it was not romantic. The Storm We Made invites reflection about who should be considered the main characters of this war. Its clear that people in every locale affected by its brutalities deserve to be protagonists, and Chans novel proves there are still fresh perspectives to reveal. Forty one years ago, Mary and I moved from an apartment on Chippewa Street in south St. Louis to a house our first and last on the eastern edge of Clayton near Demun Avenue, which was not yet fashionable. I met a young woman at a party who said she was running for the Clayton Board of Aldermen. She was very thin. We were talking about Halloween and she said she once stuck some small branches to herself and went to a party as a Thai stick. Id vote for a Thai stick, I said. Back then, Thai sticks could govern Clayton. It was an upscale city with a wonderful school district and a slightly funky downtown. The most contentious decision facing the aldermen was whether the new firetruck should be lime-green or traditional cherry red. I cannot recall their decision. Lime-green, Id bet. We like to think were edgy. Years later, the school district was still great, the downtown was less funky and a real issue confronted the city. Should Centene be given eminent domain to acquire downtown property for its headquarters? City leaders said yes, but an election loomed and a small group of anti-EmDoms converged under KMOX morning host Charlie Brennan. We supported two candidates. I wrote about our doomed efforts. Clayton is like a high school, I wrote. The popular kids rule, but now the freaks are trying to assert themselves. Our two candidates were drubbed. There were no hard feelings. Downtown lost its last vestiges of funk, but we still had a great school district. Thats a wonderful thing for a city to have. Support for the district was widespread. I cannot remember an organized effort against a school bond issue. Ever. School board elections were contested in a civilized fashion. There might be five candidates for three seats, and each candidate would send out a mailer. I couldnt tell the candidates apart. Everybody wanted great schools for all the children. Everybody had kids in the schools. These elections were decided, I think, in book clubs where everybody knew somebody. Or vice versa. What a wonderful way to decide elections smart women sharing thoughts on the candidates over a glass of wine. The district bans a few books, but marches on. It has steered clear of the culture wars. It is mostly a liberal city, yes, but it has its conservatives. After all, were taking about rich white people, a lot of them old. But why feud when life is so good? Were so polite we could be Canadians, says a friend of mine. The calm was shattered earlier this month when the school district announced it was buying the Caleres property, a nine-acre parcel near the high school and would turn it into an empowerment campus. What is that? Also, the school population is not growing. What was the district planning, and how much was this going to cost? The property was assessed at $33 million. We are not disclosing the costs until we close on the property in February, the district said. As far as plans are concerned, its too early to know, the district said. A district spokesperson released a statement: We really do hope it will be an inclusive place designed to empower our students and unite the community. Unite the community it did. The mayor came out against the idea of taking the property off the tax rolls. The school district itself will lose $500,000 a year, she said. The four previous mayors came out against the plan. Charlie Brennan and a new bunch of pals came out against it. That was a happy note. The popular kids and the freaks have finally found common cause. The Clayton Condo Building Association apparently a player in Clayton politics came out against it. A revolt against the Clayton school district. This was like a brawl at the Art Museum. Completely unexpected. I can remember one mini-scandal in the district. In 2012, the high school principal set up a Facebook account under a phony name, Suzy Harriston. She pretended to be a student and sent friend-requests to students and parents. Apparently, she wanted to know what people thought of her. It was like an episode of Mean Girls. When her plan was exposed, she resigned. Theres a lesson for the kids, we said to each other. I have often written about the magic kingdoms that used to dot the region. Famous-Barr with its holiday window displays and its French onion soup was one. So was Ralston-Purina with its annual Checker Day. And the most magical kingdom of all was the brewery. When you are inside one of those kingdoms, it seems impregnable. The fragility is stunning when it shows itself. I know that because this newspaper was a magic kingdom. So was KMOX. Financial powerhouses they were. The Clayton School District has seemed a magic kingdom. Supported by all. Above reproach. Almost Zoo-like. Even with the magic gone, its going to be fine. Wealthy school districts are always fine. Money and committed parents are all you need. Community support is only required when there is a bond issue. The next one in Clayton is slated for 2026. I made an appointment to talk with Superintendent Nisha Patel. I wondered who came up with the idea of buying the Caleres property and if anybody saw the potential blowback. She had to cancel our meeting. She is understandably busy these days. Meanwhile, the district is walking back its plans. Sort of. All options are on the table, it said in a statement. I just hope school board elections dont become partisan. I can do without Thai sticks, but I dont want to see the book-club culture devalued. Clayton School District suggests possible uses for Caleres property The districts plans for the multi-million-dollar headquarters could include selling all or part of the property to a developer. Tony Messenger Metro columnist Follow Tony Messenger 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 ST. LOUIS Meek Mill had Jomo K. Johnson figured out early on. It was 2012 and Mill, an up-and-coming rapper who would become an international star, had released Amen, a song featuring fellow rapper Drake. Johnson, a young Black pastor in Philadelphia, wasnt pleased. He blogged, went on the radio and spoke to a newspaper columnist about how the song offended his Christian sensibilities. Johnson called it blasphemous. He promised a boycott. In response, Meek went on a local radio station and called Johnson out. Its looking like youre trying to get famous or you need some attention, Mill said. A dozen years later, Johnson is still trying to get attention, but now in St. Louis. For the past couple of months, Johnson has pushed the idea that his private company would fly drones over neighborhoods to help combat crime. Hes garnered quite the media attention, just as he did when he pitched the idea in Memphis and Los Angeles, with his company called SMS Novel Films. Hes got a flashy website and he tells a good story. But its a story with holes. Take the companys location, with an alleged address in Frederick, Maryland, and another in Los Angeles. These are the addresses where the city of St. Louis recently sent Johnson cease-and-desist letters, telling him he cant operate his alleged crime-fighting drones in neighborhoods without a permit. The city shouldnt hold its breath for an answer to those letters. The address in Maryland belongs to an appliance repair business. I texted with the owner on Friday. He says he doesnt know anything about SMS Novel or Jomo K. Johnson, who at various times in his life has also gone by Joe or Kenyatta. And the address in Los Angeles doesnt appear to exist. Johnsons record of getting attention in one city and then moving on to another is quite long. Take Savannah, Georgia. Thats where Johnson was living in 2017 when he sought publicity as a social justice activist attached to the Black Lives Matter movement. At one point, NBC did a story on a hunger strike Johnson said he was undertaking to bring attention to suicides by Black people. Then he planned a protest against a sheriff for deaths at the local jail. But Black activists in Savannah saw through his act, like Mill had years earlier. They held a news conference to disassociate themselves from Johnson, saying he had bad intentions, according to a local news report. From Georgia, Johnson set his eyes on Tennessee. He pitched his drone plan in Memphis. And then he pivoted to a tactic he had used in other cities: claiming he would open in Nashville a chapter of a church he said he founded, Church for Black Men. On his Instagram account, Johnson links to the churchs so-called website, www.blackmen.church. The link goes instead to a website that sells crochet patterns; the URL is quirky, with an expletive and nastywomen included. None of this adds up to a serious company. Yet the company claims its app (which I cant find on any app store) is offering drone flight coverage in most major cities in the U.S., and lists on its website 20 countries where it is operating. There is no SMS Novel registered as a company in either Maryland or California. The good news is that St. Louis from neighborhood activists in Gravois Park to city officials called out Johnsons latest attempt to get famous. Jake Lyonfields, a Gravois Park resident who organized a petition drive against the drone idea, said residents who looked into Johnsons background found a lot of red flags. They took him seriously, though, because what he wanted to do was invasive and potentially damaging to the neighborhood, with no real benefit to public safety. We just figured that his proposal was bad on its face, Lyonfields said. If theres a silver lining in Johnsons attempt to get his 15 seconds of St. Louis fame, its that he energized a city neighborhood. The only good thing thats come from all of this is that hes brought more of the neighborhood together, Lyonfields says. Now we plan to talk about what real public safety should look like. Johnson didnt respond to any of my attempts to reach him. On Friday morning, he announced that the beta test planned for Gravois Park was off but that, rest assured, the drone service would soon be available throughout St. Louis. Sure it will. ST. LOUIS A 63-year-old man was killed Friday afternoon in the Dutchtown neighborhood of south St. Louis, police said. The victim was found about 2 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds on Osage Street near Pennsylvania Avenue, according to St. Louis police. No other details were available Saturday morning. Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide division at 314-444-5371. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis judge on Friday sentenced a 59-year-old man to 25 years in prison for shooting a man in the back of the head along an Interstate 70 ramp in 2020. Brian Williams, of St. Louis County, was convicted after a bench trial of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Leonard Ward on May 15, 2020. The men had been driving around that night, drinking and doing drugs, when Ward began to get aggressive with Williams, and Williams shot him. Ward's sister recalled that her brother was a loving partner, father, grandfather and brother who was a U.S. Army veteran and served in the National Guard. Prosecutors asked for a sentence of 30 years in prison for murder the maximum allowed by law followed by three years for armed criminal action. Williams' attorney, Terry Niehoff, asked for 15 years, noting Williams would likely spend much of the rest of his life in prison. Williams said he wished he could go back in time to that night, but at the time he felt like his life was in danger. "My heart goes out to his family because all lives matter," he said. "But I can't undo it." Lincoln University of Missouri has placed its president on paid leave as he faces calls to resign, while an outside firm investigates allegations of personnel issues after the death of a top administrator, Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey. Lincoln, one of the states two historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs), announced in a statement on Friday that President John B. Moseley had volunteered to be placed on leave while a review is conducted. The university, it said, has hired a third-party expert to investigate recently raised concerns about policy violations. The announcement comes as many students and alumni are demanding Moseleys removal following the death this week of Candia-Bailey, who graduated from Lincoln in 1998 and has served as vice president for student affairs since May. Monica Graham who said she has been close friends with Candia-Bailey since before attending Lincoln together in the 1990s told The Star she died by suicide, something that other news outlets have reported, citing information from family and friends. Candia-Baileys mother and husband reportedly told NBC News that she died by suicide in Illinois. Candia-Bailey, a Chicago native, was 49. University officials wrote in a statement that Candia-Bailey was a gifted colleague and always a passionate advocate for Lincoln University, HBCUs and other causes in which she believed. The university has declined to provide details regarding the death, but has shared mental health resources on its website, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Jefferson City Police Chief Eric Wilde said his department did not respond to or investigate the death. As a Board, we are committed to make certain the mental health of Lincoln University employees is a priority and that every employee is always treated with dignity and respect, Lincoln Board of Curators President Victor Pasley said in a statement. The Board has confidence in the leadership team we have at Lincoln, but as we all work together to serve students and the Lincoln University community, this review will fully examine important questions, concerns and gather facts. Dr. Moseley agrees those issues should be examined and has volunteered to go on leave during the review so that it can move forward in a fully independent way. Moseley did not immediately return The Stars request for interview on Friday. Graham and others have alleged that prior to her death, Candia-Bailey experienced mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, made worse by a toxic work environment. Graham said she spoke with her friend the night before her death, and woke up to a forwarded email Candia-Bailey had allegedly sent to Moseley on Monday morning. The lengthy email, which Graham shared with The Star, details a series of issues, inadequate support and ill treatment Candia-Bailey said she experienced at the university. She outlined several grievances with Moseley specifically and top leadership. It also includes what appear to be preparations for her death. She wrote that she received a poor evaluation while being harassed and bullied in her role, treatment that grew worse after she requested medical leave due to my severe depression and anxiety. Student Affairs was my love, and my love killed me, she wrote at the end of the email. I hope this message touches someone. If your soul is empty, troubled, in despair, and you see red flags, leave. Dont try to stick around. My soul can now rest. Graham said she shared the email because, Bonnie wanted me to tell her story and its the least I can do. She said Candia-Baileys family is requesting privacy at this time. In light of her death, several students and Lincoln graduates are calling for Moseley to resign or be fired. Sherman Bonds, president of the Lincoln University National Alumni Association, wrote in a letter to the board of curators this week expressing a dire concern for the health of our university. The universitys institutional care has been breached. The present administration has become a liability to the mission and health of the institution, Bonds wrote, demanding a change of leadership. Moseley has served as the universitys president since January 2022, according to its website. In the board of curators statement, officials called the loss of Candia-Bailey tragic, and added that the outside investigation will be an important part of the Boards commitment to listening and addressing important issues. A vocational education is in vogue again. Only now its called "career and technical education" CTE, for short and it looks a lot different than what you, your father or your grandfather might remember from high school. For example, machine shop is out. Advanced manufacturing is in. Auto body repair, cosmetology and nursing are still around. But now, theres also cyber security, computer-aided drafting and aviation technology. Not interested? How about studying forensics or exercise science? This isnt your grandfathers BOCES anymore, said Melody Jasen, executive director of instructional services for Erie I Board of Cooperative Educational Services, which provides career and technical education programs for students in 19 districts across the county. The nature of business has become global and computerized and high-tech. This re-emphasis on preparing students for the workforce has been percolating for a few reasons, educators say. From the industry side, theres an aging workforce. Employers need a pool of workers with diverse skills for a variety of jobs. And the skill set needed in todays labor market has changed, too. The technical competency people have to have in the trades the reading skills, the numeracy skills are a lot more demanding, said David ORourke, superintendent of Erie 2 BOCES, which offers career and technical programs for 27 districts in southern Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. From the education side, the college for all movement has petered out as the high cost of college and low four-year completion rates have students and parents rethinking their options. Whats emerged is sort of a new educational track for high school students: A wider variety of career and technical training opportunities aligned to a post-secondary degree or certification program often needed for that better-paying job. Sixty percent of our graduates go on to some kind of post-secondary education, so there still is the college option, said Clark Godshall, superintendent of Orleans Niagara BOCES. Were delivering students who have the skills employers want. This rebirth of vocational education is also changing the negative connotation that once came with it, Godshall said. I think weve seen a small increase in the number of students moving in that direction, ORourke said, but the momentum is building. Some examples: More variety At Erie 2 BOCES, programs include criminal justice, culinary arts and emergency medical services. At Orleans Niagara, theres web development and game programming, early childhood education, fashion design and interior decorating. At Erie 1 BOCES, theres cyber security and digital media. We have an aviation program. Weve gone into animal sciences, which has been hugely popular. Theres baking and pastry arts not just your standard hospitality program, said Michael Capuana, director of career and technical education for Erie 1 BOCES. We want to diversify as much as possible, not only to meet the interest of the students, but the needs of business and industry. Buy-in from New York State The state Education Department changed graduation requirements in recent years to give high school students more opportunity to explore career and technical programs. Instead of having to pass five Regents exams one each in math, science and English and two in social studies students now have an option to pass four and select a fifth pathway from a menu of choices. That menu includes a career and technical training option which requires students to pass a vocational exam. A reboot for Buffalo Career and technical education has been a key component in efforts to reform the Buffalo Public Schools and offer programs that interest this generation of students. Several of the high schools have been revamped over the past couple of years. At Bennett, theres computer coding and graphic animation. At Riverside, theres ecotourism and health and wellness. At Burgard, theres advanced manufacturing and at South Park, theres advance manufacturing of solar panels. Creation of a second Emerson school of culinary arts and hospitality is underway. In fact, the number of career and technical education programs in the Buffalo schools has jumped 29 percent over the past few years, said Kathy Heinle, director of career and technical education for the district. Almost two thirds of Buffalo's high school students are either in a four-year career and technical education program or take one of the classes as an elective, Heinle said. It also gives students a real reason to come to school, Heinle said. CTE answers the age-old question: Why do I need this math or English class? We show them why you need math to build a house or English to do the storyboard for graphic animation. Several superintendents from southern Illinois cited chronic absenteeism as a top challenge for school leaders coming out of the pandemic during the State of Education panel Friday hosted by Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. The 90-minute online event included discussion topics ranging from state regulations, social-emotional learning and workforce development to the challenges of teacher recruitment in the post-pandemic market. Schools have become more flexible after the pivot to virtual learning when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the leaders said. They now offer virtual interventions that fit into students schedules. More students can take virtual classes for dual credit at Lewis and Clark and other colleges, said Todd Dugan, superintendent of Bunker Hill Community School District. Now that were all back to in-person we have continued to take advantage of some of that flexibility, Dugan said. But the superintendents acknowledged the downside of that flexibility means student attendance has not fully rebounded. The importance of being in a classroom is no longer there for families, said Patrick Shelton, superintendent of the Edwardsville School District. The vast majority of students not being successful in our schools are the ones who are not here on a regular basis. At Bunker Hill High School with just 225 students, theyve added programs like boys volleyball to encourage more engagement with the school, Dugan said. Shelton said K-12 education also has to adapt to provide more career training opportunities to entice students to attend school. For decades, federal policy focused on standardized testing and college preparation. Im from the generation of No Child Left Behind, where everybody pushed going to college, Shelton said. In our communities we have a lot of our parents still pushing that. Its depleted some areas of our workforce. Nearly 15% of high school students have outside internships in the Jersey Community School District, said Superintendent Brad Tuttle. We did a survey of our seniors and it was interesting. We have a little under 50% that say theyre going directly to a four-year college, he said. Thats a trend thats changing for us, because the jobs are just so available right now. Jill Griffin, superintendent of the Bethalto Community School District, said another challenge is a disconnect between the state legislators in Springfield, Illinois and the needs of their communities. Sometimes the decisions that theyre making for the districts north of I-80 dont always work for this part of the state, Griffin said, referring to a new graduation requirement for two years of foreign language. Griffin said the foreign language requirement was created to match the admission standards for the University of Illinois, but high school counselors can steer college-bound students to the right curriculum. Not every student needs to take Spanish, Griffin said. I have kids who cant take welding now because they have to take two years of Spanish. Dugan said hes learned to take the missives from Springfield as a compliment. Why do public schools get so many mandates every year? I think that shows public schools can get it done, he said. UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Friday that the U.S.-led strikes on Yemen do not contribute to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. The United States and Britain have launched strikes against targets in Yemen, further escalating tensions in the Red Sea region. China expresses grave concern over this, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. "It is regrettable to see that the blatant military actions taken by the relevant countries against Yemen have not only caused infrastructure destruction and civilian casualties, but have also resulted in heightened security risks in the Red Sea. This does not contribute to the protection of the safety and security of the commercial vessels and freedom of navigation," said Zhang. "The relevant military operations could also undermine the political process in Yemen." It must be pointed out that the Security Council has never authorized any state to use force against Yemen, he said, adding that the military actions taken by the relevant countries are at odds with the recently adopted Security Council Resolution 2722. "The current tense situation in the Red Sea is one of the manifestations of the spillover effects of the conflict in Gaza. Allowing the conflict in Gaza to drag on while expecting it will not spread is wishful thinking and an illusion. What's more, calling for the prevention of the spillover of the conflict on the one hand, while adding fuel to the fire on the other hand by provoking military confrontation is self-contradictory and irresponsible," said Zhang. "The Middle East region is already on the brink of extreme danger. The last thing we need at this stage is reckless military adventurism. The first thing we need is calm and restraint to prevent a further expansion of the conflict," he said. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Nearly 20 years ago, survivors of one of the worst school fires in American history brought a novel idea to Illinois lawmakers: an arsonist registry akin to the long-established database of sex offenders. The concept was fairly straightforward. Convicted arsonists upon release from prison, plus those found not guilty by reason of insanity, would be required to disclose their address, place of employment and/or the school they attend. This information would be collected by local law enforcement, turned over to the Illinois State Police, then furnished to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, which would create the publicly accessible database on its website. Known as the Arsonist Registration Act, it passed the legislature with no opposition and was signed into law by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2004. Two decades later, the Office of the State Fire Marshal's website does in fact have a landing page titled "Arsonist Information" with a "database" tab. But click on it and all you will find is a blank space with no names. As long as the law has been in effect, law enforcement and the general public have not been getting the full picture about arsonists who might live and work in their neighborhoods, as the registry has never been established in practice. The Illinois Auditor General's Office, which examines the use of public funds and performs audits of state agencies, has repeatedly cited both the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Illinois State Police for failing to set up and maintain the database. In a report released last month, the office found that this "represents noncompliance" with the law and "limits public awareness of arsonist information." But where the blame lays for the the lack of implementation is complicated, with the fire marshal's office pinning it on state police, who have not turned over the relevant arsonist information needed for the registry. And state police blame lawmakers, saying they have not appropriated money the agency needs to build out a new registry. "Currently, the act is an unfunded mandate," said ISP spokeswoman Melaney Arnold. "In the 19 years since the act was passed, the General Assembly has never appropriated funding to ISP for this Act. ISP would need to create an extensive, new database (similar to the sex offender registration) and maintain it. This requires funding for setup and ongoing administration of the program." OSFM Spokesman JC Fultz said the agency is ready to go whenever ISP provides the data, noting the blank document waiting to be filled on the website. "We are in constant contact with our partners at the Illinois State Police in regard to funding issues they face to establish this registry," Fultz said. "Currently, ISP reports that this mandate remains unfunded." The original idea for the registry came from survivors of the 1958 fire that broke out at Our Lady of the Angels School on Chicago's Northwest Side. Ninety-two children and three nuns, trapped in second-floor classrooms, died in the blaze. Though the cause of the fire was officially ruled inconclusive, many believe it was the work of an arsonist. In 1962, a 13-year-old boy accused of setting fires in a neighboring town confessed to the crime, though he later recanted. "It was such a tragic thing in their lives, having their school burned and also losing their classmates, that they became firemen," said former state Rep. Michael McAuliffe, R-Chicago. "So they came up to me and said, 'Well, just like they have the sex offender registry, we would like one for people that are convicted of arson.'" McAuliffe sponsored the legislation in the House. An amendment attached to the final version of the bill in the Senate made the requirements for state police "subject to appropriation" and said they would not start until the Illinois Citizens and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting System (I-CLEAR) is implemented statewide. According to Arnold, that still hasn't happened. The accountant who conducted ISP's 2022 compliance audit on behalf of the auditor general's office wrote that they were "perplexed" by this, writing that ISP's "documentation stated (I-CLEAR) was implemented in 2004." ISP also told the office in 2020 that they had "turned over requirements to our vendor" for the creation of a new arsonist database. "It is in process of reviewing requirements and drafting a Statement of Work (SOW)," the department wrote. "As of now, it does not have a timeline for when that development, testing, and implementation will be complete. However, Arnold said last week that "because this has never been funded by the General Assembly, ISP has been unable to push it out to bid for an estimate." Arnold said the cost to build the sex offender registry was about $5 million. With the number of convicted arsonists (believed to be in the hundreds) much less than the number of convicted sex offenders (more than 33,000), building out the arsonist registry would likely cost less. However, there would be ongoing costs, including the hiring of two new employees to administer the program. Until then, the provisions of the law only apply to arsonists who live, work or attend school in Chicago, where the reporting system is already in place. Chicago Police Department Spokesman Tom Ahern confirmed that the department has been collecting arsonist registration information as mandated under the law. But the OSFM is the only agency allowed to make that information public, meaning it remains hidden to all besides law enforcement agencies. And, of course, the OSFM can't comply with the law until it gets information from ISP. "It's kind of beyond their control, so hopefully the state police will get them the data and they can put the arson registry up for public use," Auditor General Frank Mautino told Lee Enterprises. The answers from ISP illustrate the challenge in policymaking in marrying a law's concept and enactment with its implementation. When it comes to ensuring agencies are implementing laws, the state's auditor general said, the responsibility falls at the feet of lawmakers. "The accountability comes from the governor's office and the General Assembly," Mautino said. "They have a couple of things that they can do. They can impact the budget of the agencies. "We're a reporting agency. We show where there are weaknesses and we report them to the General Assembly." In addition to exercising the power of the purse, lawmakers can amend the laws that are in question to make it easier for agencies to comply, Mautino said. In its response to a 2018 compliance audit, ISP said that they and the OSFM in 2012 "crafted a legislative proposal to clarify the responsibilities of each party" under the law. However, it did not pass. McAuliffe, who left the legislature in 2019, said it is "a shame" that the arson registry that he helped shepherd into law had not been established. "I know some of the years when I served, we had tough fiscal times," McAuliffe said. "But now, I would say with times being better and more money in the budget, maybe it would be a good idea to talk to some of my former colleagues and see if someone would be interested in implementing a funding source for that." Illinois had a long stretch of unbalanced budgets in the 2000s, meaning lawmakers often had to pick and choose what programs get funded. The state's fiscal picture has improved dramatically in recent years but the registry is just one of many initiatives in need of financial support. Most don't even know the state is supposed to have an arson registry on the books even state Rep. Mike Kelly, D-Chicago, who's been a firefighter for more than 20 years. Upon learning about the registry, Kelly told Lee Enterprises that finding a funding source for it is worth exploring. "Personally, I think it would be good for municipalities that are looking into investigations of arson," Kelly said of the database. "If you know that within 20 miles there's six different people that have done this in the past, it at least gives you somewhere to look." 32 unsolved crimes in Illinois December 23, 1975 - Carol Rofstad Carol Rofstad, who was 21 when she was killed, lived in Normal, IL while attending Illinois State University. She was found beaten unconscious about noon December 23, 1975, outside her sorority house at 602 S. Fell Street. The suspected murder weapon, an 18-inch piece of railroad tie, was found nearby. Rofstad wasn't found until roughly 12 hours after the attack. She died Christmas Eve as a result of head injuries. Two men, one of whom carried a club, were seen between 10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. on December 22, 1975. Both were white males and between the ages of 18 and 25. At the time of the attack, most students had already left campus for the holiday break. Instead of returning to Elk Grove Village, though, Rofstad had stayed in the Twin Cities to work at a retail store. Money was found in her purse and there was no evidence of sexual assault. Two women, in the sorority house, neither saw nor heard anything unusual. Anyone with information in this case can call the Normal Police Department at (309) 454-9526, or Crime Stoppers of McLean County at (309) 828-1111. October 2,1976 - Unidentified Female On October 2, 1976, a local farmer in unincorporated Seneca, IL, discovered the victim in a ditch along U.S. Route 6, 1/4 mile east of the LaSalle County line. The victim had died from a gun shot wound. If anyone has any information, please contact Deputy Chief Coroner Brandon Johnson at The Grundy County Coroner's Office at 815-942-3792 or email: bjohnson@grundyco.org. May 26, 1980 - Diana K. Smith On May 26, 1980, Illinois State Police Investigations and the Rock Island County Sheriff's Office initiated a death investigation reference a white female (SMITH) found badly decomposed on the banks of the Rock River in Barstow, Illinois. Smith (Age 21) was last seen on May 20, 1980 leaving her house to go bowling in Rock Island. Any persons associated with Smith, or who may have knowledge of her murder are encouraged to contact the Illinois State Police, Zone 2 Investigations at 815-632-4010, ext. 232. March 30, 1984 - Lisa Ann Carnes Lisa Carnes' body was found on March 30, 1984 in a field in rural Massac County near Macedonia Church Road and US Highway 45. Anyone who has information that may be helpful in solving this crime is asked to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 7 Investigations at (618) 845-3740. April 9, 1985 - Unidentified Male On April 9, 1985, the Adams County Sheriff's Department was notified of the discovery of a deceased unidentified white male (approximately 20-30 years of age). The body was discovered by a private citizen. The body was located near an abandoned rock quarry on property rented by the Western IL Stone Company. This area is in the northwest portion of Adams County, IL (approximately 4 miles east of Meyer, IL) and is a rural area. The property was adjacent to County Road 0543E. Upon arrival officers of the ISP and Adams County Sheriff's Dept. observed the unidentified white male body which was partially covered. An autopsy was performed which concluded the cause of death was the result of multiple blunt trauma to the head and torso. The individual was found wearing "segefield" blue jeans, blue insulated underwear, gray socks (no shoes), a white printed t-shirt was located with the individual with the following printing "Captain Anderson's Restaurant Panama City Beach, FL." Investigators also noted a distinct tattoo on the victim's right forearm (a skeleton holding an inverted shotgun). If anyone has any information regarding this case they can contact Illinois State Police, Zone 4 Investigations (217-285-2034) or the Adams County Sheriff's Department (217-227-2200). May 20, 1986 - Kathleen A. Goebeler On May 20, 1986, Illinois State Police (ISP) District 01 responded to an area of abandoned railroad tracks located on the south side of I-88, milepost 28.5, wherein a citizen had discovered the decomposed skeletal remains of a white female now identified as Kathleen A. Goebeler, DOB: 11-12-1956, 5'01", 105 pounds. Kathleen's maiden name is Johnson. Her last known address was Mckees Rocks, Pennsylvania, which is a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kathleen was last seen between April 11th and 18th, 1986, in Mckees Rocks, Pennsylvania. It is known that Goebeler would hitchhike as a means of transportation. Goebeler was known to have worked in strip clubs in the Pittsburgh, Pa. area, Atlantic City, New Jersey area and possibly the northwest West Virginia area. Geographic information regarding the area wherein the female was found: I-88 is an east/west toll way which connects the Quad Cities with Chicago, Illinois (very rural in nature). This location was approximately 120 miles west of Chicago. At the time of death, I-88 was still Illinois Route 5, a four lane highway. The body was found approximately 45' south of the roadway across a barbed wire fence in a sparsely wooded area. The photo included with this unsolved crime information is a reconstructed photo. If you have any information please contact Illinois State Police, Zone 2 Investigations at 815-632-4012 or call Crimestoppers at 309/762-9500. July 20, 1990 - Unidentified Female On July 20, 1990, at 1:25 p.m., an unidentified, white female body, approximately 5'4"-5'6" tall and 120-130lbs. in weight, was found in a bean field approximately 40 feet north of Lebanon Road, 1/10th of a mile west of the Troy and O'Fallon Road in Jarvis Township, Collinsville, Illinois. The victim's death resulted from multiple cutting and stab wounds to the neck and torso; her fallopian tubes, uterus and ovaries were missing. Evidence of surgical removal could not be determined. No defensive wounds were found on the victim. The body appeared to have been placed at the site two to three days prior to discovery. An image of a heart shaped turquoise ring she was wearing at the time of her discovery is attached, as well as a photograph of a reconstructive sculpture and artist interpretive sketch of her possible appearance before death. Anyone with any information regarding the identification of the unidentified victim is urged to contact Madison County Sheriff's Department at 618/692-0871 or call Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). October 4, 1990 - Robin Renea Abrams Robin Renea Abrams was reported missing on October 4, 1990. Abrams was last seen at approximately 4:00 PM, in the area of Goodenow Road, in Beecher, Illinois. At the time of her disappearance, Abrams was 28 years old and was believed to be wearing a black leather jacket, a white, long sleeved, knit pullover, black patent leather shoes and a gold pinky ring. Abrams was also possibly carrying a small, light beige, patterned clutch purse. Abrams was last seen driving a Red 1989 Dodge Daytona Hatchback that was later recovered in Harvey, Illinois. Anyone having information concerning the disappearance of Robin Renea Abrams should contact the Illinois State Police, Zone 3 Investigations Section at 815-726-6377 August 23, 1992 - Tammy J. Zywicki On August 23, 1992, Tammy J. Zywicki departed Evanston, Illinois, for college in Grinnell, Iowa, where she was expected to arrive that evening. Later that day, Zywicki's car was found by an Illinois State Trooper and ticketed as being abandoned. On August 24, 1992, the vehicle was towed by the Illinois State Police. On that same evening, Zywicki's mother contacted the Illinois State Police and advised them that her daughter had not arrived at college. On September 1, 1992, Zywicki's body was located along Interstate Highway 44 (I-44) in rural Lawrence County, Missouri, which is located between Springfield and Joplin, Missouri. She had been stabbed to death. Zywicki was reportedly last seen with her car, a 1985 Pontiac T100 with New Jersey license plates, on Interstate 80 at mile marker 83 in LaSalle County, Illinois, between 3:10 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on August 23, 1992. It was also reported that a tractor/trailer was seen near Zywicki's vehicle during this time period. The driver of the tractor/trailer is described as a white male between 35 and 40 years of age, over six feet tall, with dark, bushy hair. Some of the victim's personal property is known to be missing, including a Cannon 35mm camera and a musical wrist watch with an umbrella on its face and it played a tune. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 3 Investigations at (815) 726-6377. January 27, 1993 - Unidentified Female On January 27, 1993, the head of a white female was found in a wooded area in the Wayne Fitzgerald State Park in Jefferson County, Illinois. Postmortem examination revealed the victim had approximately shoulder length reddish-brown hair. Analysis by the University of Illinois, Anthropology Department indicated the victim's age ranged between 30 to 50 years. Unusual skeletal characteristics of the skull and upper front cervical vertebrae indicate the victim suffered from chronic spasmodic torticollis or wryneck, a condition which causes stress on the muscles which are responsible for maintaining upright head posture. Evidence of a healed traumatic lesion on the skull suggests this condition may have been preceded by head trauma; this would have resulted in the victim maintaining a leftward tilt of the head. Anyone with any information that would help identify this unidentified victim is urged to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 7 Investigations at 618-542-1137 or call Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). June 29, 1993 - Keith L Brown On Feb. 3, 1993, the wife of Keith L. Brown 34, of Buckner reported her husband was missing. Brown's blue 1989 Plymouth hatchback, (IL. Reg. KWA682) was located two days later in a remote area near Crab Orchard Lake in Williamson County. On June 29,1993, Brown's skeletal remains were found in a hay field near Crab Orchard Lake by a farmer. Brown had been shot several times. Anyone with information is urged to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 7 Investigations at (618)542-2171. July 24, 1993 - Carmen Charneco Carmen Charneco was found murdered on July 24, 1993 on Interstate 90 in Elgin, Illinois. The Illinois State Police is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of Edwin Acevedo Rodriguez, Male/Hispanic, 12/18/72. Rodriguez is a wanted fugitive who fled the Elgin area in July 1993 and is wanted for questioning in the death of Carmen Charneco. Rodriguez should be considered armed and dangerous. Rodriguez has a history of drugs and weapons and has been identified as a member of the street gang Maniac Latin Disciples." Warrants for Parole Violation, Public Peace/Damage to Property/Mob Action, and Unlawful Flight to Avoid Confinement, have been issued for Rodriguez. Before any law enforcement action is taken, agencies should confirm the status of the warrants. The Illinois State Police will coordinate extradition proceedings if Rodriguez is apprehended anywhere. Rodriguez has relatives in and has been sighted in Brooklyn, Bronx, New York, New York and the areas surrounding Aguada, Aguadilla Puerto Rico. He was also sighted in Hialeah, Florida. Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican male, approximately 5 feet, 3 - 5 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. When last seen, his weight was approximately 132-150 pounds, but this description is dated. Rodriguez has several tattoos including ones on his left and right thighs, right arm, forearm, and shoulder. The attached photograph shows Rodriguez as he looked in 1993. No more recent information is available. Anyone having information concerning this case should contact the Illinois State Police, Zone 1 Investigations at 847-294-4314. Any request for a tip to be from an anonymous source will be honored. August 5, 1994 - Sherry Lewis On August 5, 1994, 30-year-old Sherry L. Lewis, a Decatur realtor, was found deceased in a Macon County residence that was for sale which she had an appointment to show. Anyone with information regarding the Lewis murder should contact the Macon County Sheriff's Office at (217) 424-1337. The family of Sherry Lewis is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder. Contact the Illinois State Police, Zone 5 Investigations at 815/844-1500 or call Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). October 10, 1994 - Jeffery W. Archer Illinois State Police, District Chicago Investigations is seeking assistance regarding the death of Jeffery W. Archer. He was last seen leaving his 1990 Plymouth Voyager, Illinois Registration TU5880 on October 10, 1994, at approximately 5:00 p.m. in the area of 6900 South Wolf Road, Indian Head Park, Illinois. His body was recovered on October 16, 1994, from the Sanitary Shipping Canal, one mile east of Routes 83 and 171. Anyone with any information is urged to contact ISP Zone 1 Investigations at (847) 608-3200 to provide any additional information. August 13, 1995 - Phil Christensen Phillip Christensen was found deceased on August 13, 1995 on Stouffer Road in rural Sterling, IL. An autopsy revealed he died of gunshot wounds. Christensen was a life-long resident of the Sterling-Rock Falls area and known to frequent many of the bars in that area. Many of Christensen's associates were interviewed at the time of his murder and some may have more information to offer. Anyone with information regarding the murder of Phil Christensen is encouraged to contact the Illinois State police, Zone 2 Investigations at 815-632-4010, ext. 232. November 1, 1995 - Shana M Jaros The Illinois State Police, Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, and the Nokomis Police Department are seeking assistance regarding the homicide of Shana Marie Jaros, of Nokomis, Illinois. Just before 7:00 a.m., on November 1, 1995, Jaros' deceased body was discovered in her apartment of one week at 527 South Maple, Nokomis, Illinois. A neighbor reported she heard a scuffle in Jaros's apartment at approximately 4:46 a.m. on November 1, 1995. The neighbor did not observe anyone leaving the victim's apartment immediately thereafter. Jaros received more than 50 stab-cutting wounds from just above her breasts to her neck. Death resulted from massive blood loss. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 6 Investigations at 217-324-2515, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-352-0136. April 22, 1998 - Unidentified Male On April 22, 1998, an unidentified male was found in a field near I-55 and Rt. 53 between the towns of Bolingbrook and Romeoville IL. He had been deceased for an estimated 2 to 5 years. He was wearing an extra large blue nylon Starter jacket, blue jeans and size 9 or 9 1/2 Nike shoes. This person had a distinct overbite. Dental records are available for comparison. DNA profile has been established at the Illinois State Police Crime lab in Joliet IL, and is on file in CODIS. The attached image is a facial/cranial reconstruction prepared by the FBI and is an approximation, not an exact replication, of the face and head. Please contact Will County Coroner's Office at 815-727-8455. April 25, 1998 - Jeremy "Chappy" Chappelear On Saturday, April 25, 1998, at approximately 5:25 a.m., the body of 20-year- old Jeremy "Chappy" Chappelear was found on Buckeye Trail, 200 feet south of 4th Avenue, approximately 2.5 miles northeast of Donnellson, Illinois, by a fisherman en route to Coffeen Lake. Jeremy apparently died from being struck and/or run over by a vehicle. Jeremy had last been seen around 2 a.m. (April 25, 1998) at a farmhouse party two miles away. Jeremy may have been making his 10-mile-walk home when killed. If you have any information please contact Illinois State Police, Crash Reconstruction Unit at 618-542-1116, or Crime Stoppers 800/352-0136. June 29, 1999 - Amy Warner Amy Warner, a 23-year-old single mother of two, was killed June 29, 1999, in her home at 17 7th St. in Charleston, Illinois. No one has ever been charged with her stabbing death. January 30, 2002 - Unidentified Female On Wednesday, January 30, 2002, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the Illinois State Police responded to a complaint concerning the discovery of skeletal remains near mile marker 22 on Interstate 64. The complaint originated from workers of the Illinois Department of Transportation who were working in the vicinity and discovered the remains. The skeletal remains were situated off the roadway on the east side of the Silver Creek overpass in rural Mascoutah, Illinois. At the direction of the St. Clair County Coroners office, the remains were transferred to St. Marys Hospital, East St. Louis, Illinois, where an autopsy was performed. The autopsy, performed by Dr. James Petterchak, revealed the following information: the deceased is believed to be an African-American female, approximately aged 20 to 30 years, with two rings on the left hand (one 14 ct. small gold band (size 7 1/4) and one costume style ring (size 6 ) with a light blue colored tear shaped stone), wearing a black colored sleeveless one-piece Jason Matthews brand jumpsuit. The autopsy could not determine the cause of the death and it is believed that the victim has been deceased for several months. Additional forensic examinations will be conducted to determine the identity of the woman. Anyone with information concerning the identity of the victim or the circumstances surrounding her death are urged to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 6 Investigations at 618/346-3782, or Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). March 11, 2002 - Unidentified Female On March 11, 2002, at approximately 1:57 p.m., the Illinois State Police responded to a complaint concerning the discovery of human skeletal remains near mile post 23 on Interstate 70 (eastbound) near Collinsville, Illinois. The complaint originated from workers of the Illinois Department of Transportation who were working in the vicinity and discovered the remains. The remains were removed from the scene and transported to the Madison County Morgue in Edwardsville, Illinois, where an autopsy was conducted on March 12, 2002. The autopsy did not determine a cause of death, however further examination by forensic anthropologists revealed the following information: The skeletal remains are of a black female, approximately 5'1" to 5'6" in height (5'3" believed to the most accurate). There is no estimate of weight, and the approximate age is between 24-30 years old. It is believed the remains have been at this location for approximately 4-6 months. The skeletal remains were almost completely intact and clad in a pair of gray colored Second Skins brand shorts (size: medium) with rhinestones and a red and white colored check flannel style Tommy Hilfiger button down man's style shirt (size: XL). In addition, a man's style "gold" nugget style ring with two glass stones was found with the remains. The ring originally held four stones in the setting. The ring was determined to be costume jewelry and is a size 7 1/4. Also found were two bracelets. The one bracelet is a metal hoop, approximately 3 inches in diameter, smooth on one side with a channel on the other side. A ring of black onyx beads on elastic string fits into the channel bracelet. The second bracelet is a combination of three separate bracelets. The second bracelet has numerous plastic beads (yellow, green, black, mauve, and brown) strung with thin elastic string that could be stretched. The three separate bracelets were gathered by a single, oval shaped metallic ring with a small hole at one end that appeared to be for the purpose of hanging a charm. On June 18, 2002, the Illinois State Police released computer recreation images of a black female victim that was originally discovered on March 11, 2002. The images reflect how the victim may have looked prior to her death. Anyone with information concerning the identity of the victim or the circumstances surrounding her death are urged to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 6 Investigations at 618/346-3782, or Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). March 28, 2002 - Unidentified Female On Thursday, March 28, 2002, the Columbia Police Department along with the Major Case Squad began investigating the skeletal remains found on a creek bed on Route 3 near Gall Road in Columbia. Investigators located a green shirt with a large "M" and the word "Mavericks", in orange or yellow lettering, across the front of the shirt. The shirt also had two buttons at the top similar to a softball jersey. The shirt is an adult XL. Also at the scene were a pair of khaki colored size 3 "Chazzz Credentials" shorts. A preliminary report by the Forensic Medical Investigator describes this person as a female, age 33 to 50, with African American ancestry, 5' 01" "give or take three inches", and believed to have children. The victim possibly had a scar across her forehead. Additional information will be available in the coming days. The Medical Investigator believed the person has been deceased at least six months but no more than one year. Anyone with information is asked to call the Columbia Police Department at 618-281-5151 or or call Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). October 1, 2002 - Unidentified Female The Illinois State Police, in cooperation with the Kankakee County Sheriffs Office and the Coroners Office, is seeking any information that may help identify the skeletal remains of a black female, which were found in October 2002 near the Will/Kankakee County Line, near Route 45. This reconstruction was done by a forensic artist, based on the remains. The woman was approximately 30-40 years old at the time of death and stood around 5 foot 3 inches tall. She is thought to have died in 2001. (The hairstyle and length is only an estimate.) If you can provide any information about the possible identity of this person, or the circumstances of her death, please contact Illinois State Police, Zone 3 Investigations at (815) 698-2672. All information will be treated as confidential upon request. March 26, 2003 - Dalton Mesarchik On March 26, 2003, seven-year-old Streator resident Dalton Mesarchik was reported missing from the front yard of his home. The following day, Dalton's body was located in the Vermillion River. An intense, multi jurisdictional investigation ensued. Agents from the Streator Police Department, Livingston County Sheriff's Department, and Illinois State Police interviewed dozens of people and followed up on hundreds of leads in an attempt to identify the person responsible for Dalton's murder. Physical evidence from Dalton's body and the body recovery site was sent to the ISP Crime Lab for processing. View the press release announcing the Dalton Mesarchik Task Force. Anyone with information of Daltons murder, the hammer used in the murder, or the location where Daltons body was found may contact: Illinois State Police - Dalton Mesarchik Task Force by telephone at 1-815-844-1500 (ext.2321) or email at daltonm@isp.state.il.us May 26, 2003 - Unidentified Male On May 30, 2003, the Illinois State Police began investigating a homicide in Brooklyn, IL. The vehicle and the victim were abandoned since Monday, May 26, 2003. Victim believed to be a male/Hispanic, 18-25 years old, between 5'11" and 6', weighing 200-230 lbs. Clothing victim was wearing was a light blue or light green and white striped button up shirt, black jeans, black cowboy boots, and a black belt with silver attachments that resemble Southwestern Indian style jewelry. Sizes of the clothing are available. The jewelry the victim was wearing appears to be a good quality gold bracelet with the letters "ONO" raised and studded in diamonds. There is a flower on each side of "ONO" consisting of eight petals that are diamonds surrounding a center diamond. The victim was also wearing what appears to be a good quality large man's gold ring with a cluster of six diamonds surrounding a center diamond. Victim was wearing a silver Casio brand watch with digital numbers. The unidentified victim has a tattoo on the back of his right shoulder. Victim was found in the trunk of a red 1988 Dodge Dynasty with Kansas temporary tag. Anyone with information concerning the identity of the victim or the circumstances surrounding his death are urged to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 6 Investigations at 618-346-3770 or call Crimestoppers at 1/800-371-TIPS(8477). July 6, 2003 - Jone Knapton On July 6, 2003, 47 year-old East Moline resident Jone Knapton was reported missing. Four days later, Jone's body was located in the Green River in rural Henry County. An intense, multi jurisdictional investigation ensued. Agents from the East Moline Police Department, Henry County Sheriff's Department, and Illinois State Police interviewed dozens of people and followed up on hundreds of leads in an attempt to identify the person responsible for Jone's murder. Anyone having information concerning this case is urged to contact the Illinois State, Zone 2 Investigations at (309) 752-4915 or the Quad Cities Crime Stoppers: (309) 762-9500. November 1, 2004 - LeAnne Taylor LeAnne Taylor was last seen alive Thanksgiving weekend 2004. Her body was later found by IDOT workers on December 4, 2004, along Bypass 20 outside of Rockford, Illinois. A group of individuals familiar to Taylor have been identified. Some may be responsible for her death, or may have knowledge of her murder. Not all these individuals are associated with each other. The Illinois State Police is looking for people who knew Taylor and may have provided information in the past, but now have more to offer. Additionally, any individuals who did not come forward at the time of her death, but have information to offer, are encouraged to come forward now and speak with investigators. Agents with the Illinois State Police, Zone 2 Investigations may be contacted at 815-632-4010, ext. 232. January 6, 2005 - Unidentified Male On January 6, 2005 at approximately 4 p.m., the body of a male white subject was recovered from the Illinois/Michigan Shipping Canal near Summit, Illinois. The subject is 5'9" in height, weighing 185 pounds between the ages of 50 and 60 years of age with balding brown hair and a mustache. At the time the subject was recovered, he was wearing a brown sweater, blue shirt, dark blue pants, a white t-shirt, and black size nine slip-on shoes. It is believed that the subject may have been homeless at the time. Any person having information or questions are asked to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 1 Investigations at 847-294-4600. (Case # 05-10145DP) April 5, 2007 - Barry Marcel Lowery On Thursday, April 5, 2007 at approximately 5:20 a.m., Barry Marcel Lowery, was found shot to death inside his residence at 640 North 53rd Street in East St. Louis, Illinois. Anyone with information about the murder of Lowery is asked to contact Illinois State Police, Zone 6 Investigations at (618) 346-3782 or St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers (www.stlrcs.org) at (866) 371-TIPS (8477). CrimeStoppers will pay up to $1000 for anonymous information that leads to an arrest and conviction. January 28, 2008 - Mark Prasse Northwest of Paris, Illinois and southwest of Chrisman, Illinois, was the site of the double homicide of Mark Prasse of Chrisman and Ryan Riddell of Villa Grove, who were found by police on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2008. Police suspect the two friends, both 32 at the time of their deaths, may have been victims of a targeted killing. Story from jg-tc.com: https://jg-tc.com/news/double-murder-pair-apparently-shot-to-death-found-in-rural/article_1c1015a3-1e13-5e0f-809e-4d60dafae611.html The double homicide is being investigated by the Illinois State Polices crime scene services and investigations units, the Edgar County Sheriffs Department and the Edgar County Coroners office. Anyone with information relative to the incident is asked to contact the Edgar County Sheriffs Department at 465-4166. Janury 28, 2008 - Ryan Riddell Northwest of Paris, Illinois and southwest of Chrisman, Illinois, was the site of the double homicide of Mark Prasse of Chrisman and Ryan Riddell of Villa Grove, who were found by police on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2008. Police suspect the two friends, both 32 at the time of their deaths, may have been victims of a targeted killing. Story from jg-tc.com: https://jg-tc.com/news/double-murder-pair-apparently-shot-to-death-found-in-rural/article_1c1015a3-1e13-5e0f-809e-4d60dafae611.html The double homicide is being investigated by the Illinois State Polices crime scene services and investigations units, the Edgar County Sheriffs Department and the Edgar County Coroners office. Anyone with information relative to the incident is asked to contact the Edgar County Sheriffs Department at 465-4166. June 3, 2010 - Thomas Moore On Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at approximately 10:40 p.m., Thomas D. Moore, an O'Fallon, IL resident, was found shot to death in the roadway in the 5700 Block of Portland Place in Washington Park, Illinois. Two black males were observed fleeing the scene in Moore's vehicle, which was found burned a short time later in Washington Park. Anyone with information about Moore's murder should contact Illinois State Police, Zone 6 Investigations at (618) 346-3759 or call Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). January 13, 2024: South Korea has become the seventh nation to use Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles or SLBMs. The second version of the KSS-III submarines feature a number of firsts. They were non-nuclear, the first non-nuclear submarines that not only use Air Independent Propulsion or AIP but do so using lithium ion instead of lead-acid batteries. With this AIP system the KSS-III submarines can operate submerged for about three weeks. These subs also have ten Vertical Launch Cells or VLS filled by Hyunmoo 4-4 SLBMs with a range of 800 kilometers. North Korea is developing similar technology, but the north can only manage to build crude imitations of what the South Korean created. South Korea is far wealthier and technically advanced than the north. Both Koreas produce weapons that work often enough to do some damage and kill people. The South Korean weapons do this more reliably and effectively. North Korea is content to be able to say, We have that too. South Korea joins six other nations, the United States, Russia, France, Britain, China, and India that also have SLBMs and submarines to launch them from. The United States was the first nation to develop SLBMs and install them in nuclear powered submarines. The South Korean SLBMs have conventional warheads and are launched from non-nuclear submarines. South Korea is developing nuclear weapons, after not doing so for many years to appease the United States. The Americans have pioneered the development of SLBMs and still have the most advanced and reliable models. This is the UGM-133A Trident II D5 SLBM, which has consistently set records for successful test launches. So far there have been nearly 180 of these test launches and very few failures. The 172nd successful test flight took place in 2019. No other strategic ballistic missile has been as reliable. The 58 ton, 13.58 meter long, 211cm diameter Trident II has not had a test failure since 2016, when a British D5 test was aborted after a problem was detected in the guidance system, and that was attributed to a problem with the test warhead which replaces the combat warhead containing nuclear weapons. The test warhead monitors all of the SLBM systems and continually transmits that telemetry data back to a ground station so that the exact cause of each test failure can be determined, and fixes made. Sometimes the telemetry data confirms that an older component needs an update. The Trident is a complex system with three separate stages and a warhead with up to 14 nuclear weapons aimed at different targets. For example, since 2010 over $200 million was spent to upgrade and test the Mk 6 guidance systems in over 400 Trident missiles. The original guidance systems were 1980s technology and some of them were twenty years old as well. The upgraded guidance systems are more accurate, reliable, and easier to maintain, but they are another complex item that each test launch evaluates for reliability and performance. Production of the Trident II D5 ended in 2005 because disarmament treaties are reducing the number of SLBMs the U.S. and Russia could have on their SSBNs. The U.S. and Britain, the two nations that use the D5, have enough missiles to keep their SSBNs equipped as well as allowing for regular test launches of randomly selected missiles. In 2005 it was believed the existing supply of missiles would last until the D5 was replaced with a new design in the late 2030s. Production of the D5 could resume earlier if need be and that may happen because developing a new SLBM is very expensive and the current Trident SLBM is superior to whatever anyone else has. A new SLBM would not be as reliable initially and would be a lot more expensive. The Trident had two failures during its 49 development test launches, but since then it has been the most reliable SLBM to ever enter service. Such reliability is a crucial aspect of weapons, just like range and accuracy. Each Trident II costs about $65 million and first entered service in 1990. Two or three of them are fired every year, to ensure that the current configuration of hardware and software still works as it is supposed to. Britain has complete control over its own D5 SLBMs and sometimes modifies the ones they use. However, most D5 maintenance and storage is carried out in a single U.S. Navy facility because it is cheaper and more reliable that way. Even telemetry data from a successful test provides indications of changes that must eventually be made and sometimes that means a lot of missiles have to be modified quickly. That process is best carried out in a central facility. The nuclear warheads are not included in test launches and are monitored while installed on D5s carried by SSBNs on combat patrols. That monitoring data indicated that the older W76 warheads needed some updates and upgrades as well. Such updates and upgrades are a small part of the cost of maintaining each warhead as well as the entire SLBM. Both warheads and missiles are complex systems with a lot of electronic, chemical, and mechanical components that eventually age to the point of failure or unreliability. The latest upgrade of the W76 entered production in 2019. This new model is the W76 Mod 2 and several hundred will be produced. This is a lower yield or explosive power version of the standard W76, which was originally built to provide 100 kilotons equivalent to 100,000 tons of conventional explosives of blast effect. The new W76-2 is a minor modification of the current W76 Mod 1 design. Mod 2 achieves its lower yield by eliminating the second stage of nuclear detonation, which basically amplifies the yield. The result is a warhead with a yield of 5-10 kilotons. This provides the option to respond to some kinds of nuclear attack like a few ICBMs aimed at the United States that are intercepted with a low-yield nuke to demonstrate that actions, like firing nuclear armed missiles at the U.S. have consequences and that now it is time to talk rather than face a much more devastating nuclear response with many more higher yield warheads. This capability addresses the question of what options an American president has short of a major nuclear response. It was suggested that some SLBMs be equipped with conventional high explosive warheads for demonstration of willingness purposes. It was pointed out that using a high explosive warhead on an ICBM just demonstrates that you were willing to pay a lot to deliver a non-nuclear warhead. One of the common differences in each Trident is the number, 8 or 14 and type of nuclear warheads carried by each missile. Trident has a range of from 8,000 to over 12,000 kilometers depending on how many nuclear weapons are carried in the last stage. While the W76 is an old design, it is not the only warhead used by Trident SLBMs. There is also the W88 warhead. These were designed in the 1980s and 400 were manufactured in 1988-89. The W88 has a yield of 475 kilotons and American SSBNs carry one or more missiles armed with the W88. The W76-2 warhead will equip one or two missiles on each SSBN with the rest of the missiles having the standard W76. Since the current SLBMs normally carry no more than eight warheads, the ones carrying the W76-2 might just have one warhead. The first W76-2 warheads are already in service, mounted on Trident SLBMs. The W76 is the standard nuclear weapon used on SLBM ballistic missiles carried by American SSBNs. In 2011 Britain decided to use the W76-1 upgrade to the older W76 nuclear warhead, as older generations of nuclear warheads are updated before they become dysfunctional from old age. Previous to this, Britain had used its own nuclear weapons designs for these warheads, although the current British SLBM warhead is believed to be similar to the American W76, but with some different features like selectable yield, or how big a nuclear explosion there will be. Since 2010, the U.S. has produced 2,000 W76-1 warheads. This is a minor upgrade of the original W76 and has the same yield of 100 kilotons. Upgrading these older W76 warheads was not easy. For example, American efforts to refurbish the elderly W76 nuclear warheads were held up by difficulties in manufacturing several components. The warheads were originally manufactured between 1978 and 1987. Since that time, it was discovered that the necessary details for manufacturing some of the unique components had been lost. One of those items, a chemical codenamed Fogbank, could not be created with surviving documents. This problem was eventually overcome, but then similar problems were discovered with some other components. This sort of thing was largely the result of manufacturing details being so highly classified. Normally, manufacturing details for older items can afford to be a little vague, because unclassified components have lots of similar items either still in production, or many people and documents you can consult to quickly reconstruct the needed materials and process details. Not so with highly classified components for nuclear weapons. All this W76 activity got started because the earlier ones were fast approaching the point where they would be useless. Nuclear warheads have a lot of components, explosives, various exotic chemicals, and electronics that degrade over time. The W76 had been the oldest warhead in service for a long time. In 2007 the nuclear weapons industry proposed a new warhead design for the D5 missiles. This involved replacing 3,000 W76 warheads on 336 missiles. That would have cost about $100 billion. The navy preferred to refurbish the W76s and save a lot of money, rather than coming up with a new design. While the U.S. has had some problems managing all this, other nations have often done far worse. For example, the latest Russian SLBM, the Bulava, is having an awful time when it comes to testing. While the overall failure rate for test launches of Russian rockets is eight percent, half of Bulava's development test launches failed. The U.S. Trident had a failure rate of 13 percent while in development. The 48-ton, 56 foot long Bulava costs about the same as the Trident II. The Bulava SLBM is a little shorter than the land-based Topol M missile it is based on so that it could fit into the missile tube on the submarine. Thus, Bulava has a shorter range of some 8,000 kilometers. Bulava has three stages and uses solid fuel. Currently, each Bulava carries a single 500 kiloton nuclear weapon, plus decoys and the ability to maneuver. The warhead is also shielded to provide protection from the electromagnetic pulse of nearby nuclear explosions. Take away all of these goodies, and the Bulava could be equipped with up to ten smaller 150 kiloton warheads. But the big thing is still trying to defeat American anti-missile systems. First Bulava has to get the bugs out. Russian SLBMs have long been plagued with development problems. Think of it as a tradition the Russians are still trying to lose. American military planners have always assumed that Russian ICBMs and SLBMs were less reliable. But even with that, enough of them would work, and kill millions of Americans, and cripple the economy for over a decade, if there were ever a nuclear attack. Russia finally figured out what was causing most of the failed test launches and fixed the problems. The Bulava is still less reliable than the Trident, but both are more reliable than the Chinese SLBMs. The Chinese JL or Julang 2 SLBM has failed most of its test launches. The 42-ton JL-2 has a range of 8,000 kilometers and would enable China to aim missiles at any target in the United States from a 094 class SSBN cruising off Hawaii or Alaska. Each 094 boat can carry twelve of these missiles, which are naval versions of the existing land-based 42 ton DF-31 ICBM. China had lots of problems with the JL-2, which was supposed to have entered service by 2008, but kept failing test launches. Then, in 2018 came rumors of a JL-3 that worked. There were apparently some successful JL-3 test tests in late 2018 and early 2019. China finally had a usable SLBM by 2022. The main reason for the success of the American SLBMs is the better tech to start with and using solid fuel from the beginning. The first SLBM was the U.S. Polaris A1, which entered service in 1961 preceded by about five years of development. Polaris was a two-stage solid fuel missile. The Polaris A1 weighed 13 tons with a range of 2,200 kilometers and a one-ton warhead. In 1972 the 29-ton Poseidon SLBM entered service with a range of 5,900 kilometers. In 1979 the 33-ton Trident I entered service with a range of 7,400 kilometers and finally the 59-ton Trident II in 1990 with a range of up to 12,000 kilometers. Each generation of SLBM was more reliable and accurate and could carry more warheads. When the Cold War ended there were hopes that SLBMs and ICBMs could be eliminated or at least have their number greatly reduced. Complete elimination has so far proved impossible to implement. Reducing the number of missiles and nuclear weapons on them has been accomplished. Also reduced was the amount of money spent on developing new missiles and nukes. No one was willing to cut the development budget to zero so work continues at a slower pace. Each Trident II costs about $65 million and entered service in 1990. Some of them are fired every year, to ensure that the current configuration of hardware and software still works as it is supposed to, and to give the launch crews on the subs some experience with the real thing. The Trident II needs some major upgrades. For example, the guidance system uses 1980s era electronics, and is becoming impossible to maintain. That's because many key components are not manufactured anymore, and supplies of these spares are running out. So the U.S. Navy is developing a new guidance system, using current components, and a design that makes it easier to substitute future, and more powerful, components for those that become obsolete. The United States has 18 Ohio class SSBNs, each of them carrying twenty Trident II SLBMs. Russia has been developing a missile similar in design to the Trident II and has had lots of problems. While the similar Russian Bulava is less reliable, it is using more modern components than the Trident II. But there is something wrong with the basic Bulava design, and the way it is put together. Half of the first 14 test launches failed. The original Trident SLBM, the Trident I, had a failure rate of 13 percent while in development during the 1970s. The 48 ton, 18 meter long Bulava costs about the same as the Trident II. Russian leaders insist that the Bulava will eventually succeed. But insiders say that, if you use the same criteria as for a successful Trident II launch, only two of the 14 Bulava tests were successful. While overall, out of over 5,000 Russian ballistic missile tests had a failure rate of eight percent, the Bulava uses a lot of new technology, for the Russians and the development is being done by a workforce much depleted by the best people leaving for more lucrative jobs in the private sector. In contrast, test firings of older Russian ICBMs, built before the Cold War ended in 1991, have been much more successful than Bulava. SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO / ACCESSWIRE / January 13, 2024 / Enviro Justice PR is proud to announce the official launch of its innovative online community and mobile application, bringing a wave of optimism to environmental conservation efforts worldwide. Founded by a dedicated group of high school students from the TASIS school in Dorado, Puerto Rico, the platform has quickly become a hub for sharing educational experiences and inspiring stories that make a real difference in protecting the planet. Initially, the initiative began as a local project targeting environmental issues in Puerto Rico but has since garnered attention from individuals across the globe. With hundreds of impactful stories submitted and thousands joining the online Facebook community, Enviro Justice PR is setting a new standard in environmental discourse, focusing on solutions and positive action. Isabella Muradyan, Catherine and Victor Vasnetsov, the students behind this movement, believe that highlighting the good in environmental conservation is key to motivating others to join the cause. By sharing uplifting news and successful initiatives, Enviro Justice PR is challenging the typically negative narrative surrounding environmental issues. "We realized that the constant stream of negative environmental news can lead to a sense of hopelessness," says Isabella Muradyan, co-founder of Enviro Justice PR. "Our platform is designed to break that cycle by showcasing the positive strides being made in conservation. We want to shine a light on the stories that inspire action and hope." What truly sets Enviro Justice PR apart from other environmental initiatives, however, is its commitment to promoting positive news and actionable methods to address environmental challenges - rather than merely discussing problems. The platform's unique approach is to educate, inspire, and empower individuals to take part in creating a sustainable future. To learn more, or to download the mobile app for Android or iPhone, please visit the platform's website at https://envirojusticepr.org or connect on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/envirojusticepr . About Enviro Justice PR Enviro Justice PR began with the "Go Green" Club at TASIS school in 2019, with Catherine and Victor Vasnetsov leading a campaign to eliminate single-use plastic bottles. They, have since undertaken various projects, including the installation of live plants in classrooms to foster a healthier learning environment. The catalyst for the online platform, however, was an inspiring story about a rural electric cooperative in Puerto Rico starting to supply solar energy. This story motivated the trio to create Enviro Justice PR, a website, mobile app, and social media community for environmental enthusiasts to collaborate, share ideas, and support ecological projects. The platform is a testament to the power of youthful optimism and the belief that collective, positive action can lead to substantial environmental change. Media Contact Organization: Enviro Justice PR Contact Person: Isabella Muradyan Website: https://envirojusticepr.org/ Email: [email protected] Contact Number: 17878028151 City: San Juan State: Puerto Rico Country: United States SOURCE: Enviro Justice PR View the original press release on accesswire.com LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) together with its affiliate organizations, the Healthy Housing Foundation and Housing is a Human Right, and its affinity group BLACCthe Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalitionis spotlighting housing affordability, gentrification and homelessness in its 2024 Kingdom Day Parade contingent with marchers carrying Housing is a Civil Rights Issue placards and banners and a float featuring the Downtown Los Angeles skyline. The float also prominently features a poignant quote from Dr. King, who was a moving force behind the federal Fair Housing Act, which Congress enacted after Kings assassination in 1968. Dr Kings quote: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240112413123/en/ AHF will have a float in the Kingdom Day Parade in L.A. featuring a profile of the Downtown Los Angeles skyline. The float also prominently features a poignant quote from Dr. King, who was a moving force behind the federal Fair Housing Act, which Congress enacted after Kings assassination in 1968. Dr Kings quote: We are here today because we are tired. Tired of paying more for less. AHF's contingent also includes special emphasis on the Justice for Renters Act (J4R), the November 2024 California statewide ballot measure AHF is spearheading to remove local restrictions against rent control. (Graphic: Business Wire) We are here today because we are tired. Tired of paying more for less. WHAT: MEDIA AVAILABILITYAHFs Kingdom Day Parade Housing Is A Human Right float & contingent WHEN: Monday, January 15, 2024, 9:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. NOTE: Parade kicks off at 10:00 a.m. WHERE: Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Los Angeles, CA - AHF contingent is # N-316 WHO: 40-50 AHF mobilizers and advocates with placards reading: Housing is a Civil Rights Issue While AHFs Kingdom parade theme this year focuses on homelessness, gentrification and AHFs affordable housing efforts, a special emphasis is being placed on the Justice for Renters Act (J4R), the November 2024 California statewide ballot measure AHF is spearheading to remove local restrictions against rent control. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the worlds largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 1.9 million individuals across 45 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and subscribe to our AHFter Hours podcast. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240112413123/en/ Ged Kenslea, AHF Sr. Comms Dir. +1.323.791.5526 [email protected] Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation Both leading proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis now recommend support for the Arrangement Glass Lewis highlights that the transaction represents a meaningful premium for Shareholders and an attractive strategic opportunity Q4 urges Shareholders to vote FOR the proposed Arrangement well in advance of the January 22, 2024 at 10 a.m. Toronto Time deadline TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Q4 Inc. (TSX: QFOR) (Q4 or the Company), the leading capital markets access platform, today announced that independent proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis & Co. (Glass Lewis) recommends holders (the Shareholders) of the Companys common shares (the Common Shares) vote FOR the proposed arrangement transaction (the Arrangement) whereby Q4 would be acquired by a newly formed entity controlled by Sumeru Equity Partners (Sumeru), a leading technology-focused investment firm. Previously, proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) also recommended in favor of the Arrangement. A special meeting of Shareholders (the Special Meeting) related to the proposed Arrangement will be held on January 24, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto Time). In its report recommending support for the Arrangement, Glass Lewis notes: All told, we believe the board has presented a sufficient case to support its view that the strategic opportunity presented by the Purchaser is attractive. In terms of rationale underpinning the transaction, we highlight that the all-cash offer presents certain and immediate value and liquidity for shareholders at meaningful short- and long-term market premiums... As we believe the assumptions and methodologies used by [Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc.] are broadly reasonable, we consider the fairness opinion to provide a basis to suggest that the merger consideration is within a fair and reasonable range, from the point of view of Q4 shareholders. Commenting on the post-announcement market reaction, we believe the consistently narrow and positive arbitrage spread since announcement suggests that the market expects the transaction to close and that it would be unlikely for any superior offer to emerge at this time. Previously, ISS also highlighted the merits of the transaction:1 The offer represents a significant premium to the unaffected price and the valuation appears credible. The sale process was ultimately conducted on a comparable basis to other recent notable Canadian software transactions and helped facilitate price discovery. Julie Silcock, independent director and Chair of the Q4 Board of Directors Special Committee said, Glass Lewis joining ISS in supporting the proposed Arrangement with Sumeru is further validation of the fairness of the transaction. As both independent proxy advisory firms concluded, the Arrangement reflects a significant premium, which was reached following a robust strategic review process, and delivers certainty and liquidity for Q4 Shareholders. We encourage Shareholders to vote for the proposed Arrangement at the Special Meeting. Q4 encourages all Shareholders to follow the recommendation of both ISS and Glass Lewis and vote FOR the proposed Arrangement by January 22, 2024 at 10 a.m. (Toronto Time). Due to the Essence of Time, Shareholders are encouraged to vote online or by telephone as described in the enclosed voting form and on Q4s website at: https://investors.q4inc.com/Special-Meeting. The proxy voting deadline is on January 22, 2024 at 10 a.m. Toronto Time. Shareholder Questions and Assistance Shareholders who have questions regarding the Arrangement or require assistance with voting may contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group, the Companys shareholder communications advisor and proxy solicitation agent at: Laurel Hill Advisory Group North American Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 (+1 416-304-0211 Outside North America) Email: [email protected]. About Q4 Inc. Q4 Inc. (TSX: QFOR) is the leading capital markets access platform that is transforming how issuers, investors, and the sell-side efficiently connect, communicate, and engage with each other. The Q4 Platform facilitates interactions across the capital markets through IR website products, virtual events solutions, engagement analytics, investor relations CRM, shareholder and market analysis, surveillance, and ESG tools. The Q4 Platform is the only holistic capital markets access platform that digitally drives connections, analyzes impact, and targets the right engagement to help public companies work faster and smarter. The company is a trusted partner to more than 2,500 public companies globally, including many of the most respected brands in the world, and maintains an award-winning culture where team members grow and thrive. Q4 is headquartered in Toronto, with offices in New York and London. Learn more at investors.Q4inc.com. About Sumeru Equity Partners Sumeru Equity Partners provides growth capital at the intersection of people and innovative technology. Sumeru seeks to embolden innovative founders and management teams with capital and scaling partnership. Sumeru has invested over US$3 billion in more than fifty platform and add-on investments across enterprise and vertical SaaS, data analytics, education technology, infrastructure software and cybersecurity. The firm typically invests in companies throughout North America and Europe. For more information, please visit sumeruequity.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release includes forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the purchase by the Purchaser of all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, the rationale of the Board for entering into the Arrangement Agreement, the anticipated timing and the various steps to be completed in connection with the Arrangement, including receipt of Shareholder and court approvals, the anticipated timing for closing of the Arrangement. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans targets, expects or does not expect, is expected, an opportunity exists, is positioned, estimates, intends, assumes, anticipates or does not anticipate or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, will or will be taken, occur or be achieved. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, nor guarantees or assurances of future performance but instead represent managements current beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this release, are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the proposed Arrangement will not be completed on the terms and conditions, or on the timing, currently contemplated, or at all, the possibility of the Arrangement Agreement being terminated in certain circumstances, the ability of the Board to consider and approve a Superior Proposal for the Company, and the other risk factors identified under Risk Factors in the Companys latest annual information form and managements discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022 and in the managements discussion and analysis for the period ended September 30, 2023, and in other periodic filings that the Company has made and may make in the future with the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada, all of which are available under the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company. However, such risk factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors not currently known to us or that we currently believe are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements represent the Companys expectations as of the date of this release (or as the date it is otherwise stated to be made) and are subject to change after such date. However, the Company disclaims any intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable Canadian securities laws. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements. _____________________________ 1 Permission to quote ISS was neither sought nor obtained. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240112697501/en/ Investors Laurel Hill Advisory Group North America Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 Collect Calls Outside North America: 1-416-304-0211 [email protected] Edward Miller Director, Investor Relations (437) 291-1554 [email protected] Media Longacre Square Partners Scott Deveau [email protected] Source: Q4 Inc. Completes Financial Reorganization Which Significantly Improves Capital Structure and Liquidity Receives Munich Commercial Court Approval for MGG to Become Companys Sole Shareholder BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Spark Networks SE (Spark or the Company"), a leading social dating platform for meaningful relationships, today announced that it has successfully completed its financial reorganization process, which significantly improves its capital structure and liquidity. On January 12, 2024, the Company received approval from the Munich Commercial Court (the German Court) on its share capital reduction and share capital increase (together, the Share Capital Registration). As a result of the Share Capital Registration, MGG Investment Group LP (MGG) is now Sparks sole equity owner. Todays approval completes Sparks financial restructuring process as we move into our next chapter with momentum on a stronger financial foundation, said Colleen Brown, Chair of Sparks Board of Directors and Interim Chief Executive Officer. With MGGs support, we are well positioned to drive forward in our transformation plan and continue igniting meaningful relationships across our portfolio of brands. We look forward to building on our partnership with MGG as we reimagine how people can safely and creatively meet their match. Kristie Goodgion, Sparks Chief Financial Officer added, Through our financial reorganization, we have significantly improved our capital structure and are moving into the future with the resources and financial support to continue implementing our transformation efforts. Kevin Griffin, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of MGG, said, MGG is excited to continue our partnership with Spark, which is poised for growth and expansion across its market leading portfolio. With a strengthened balance sheet in place, we look forward to working with Sparks leadership team to support the business and the execution of its ongoing transformation. The German Courts approval of the Share Capital Registration follows the January 4, 2024, approval of Sparks Restructuring Plan by the Local Court Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany pursuant to the Act on the Stabilization and Restructuring Framework for Companies (Gesetz uber den Stabilisierungs- und Restrukturierungsrahmen fur Unternehmen, StaRUG) (StaRUG). The Company intends to seek recognition of the German Courts approval of the Restructuring Plan in the Companys Chapter 15 Proceedings. Advisors Jones Day and Brinkmann & Partner Rechtsanwalte are serving as legal counsel, Ankura Consulting serving as Turnaround Advisor, Mr. Adrian Frankum serving as Sparks Foreign Representative in the Chapter 15 Proceedings, Ernst & Young GmbH serving as Financial Advisor, and C Street Advisory Group and Corecoms Consulting GmbH & Co. KG are serving as communications advisors. About Spark Networks SE Spark Networks SE is a leading social dating platform for meaningful relationships focusing on the 40+ demographic and faith-based affiliations. Spark's portfolio of premium and freemium dating apps include Zoosk, EliteSingles, SilverSingles, Christian Mingle, Jdate, and JSwipe, among others. Spark is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with offices in New York and Utah. About MGG Investment Group LP Founded in 2014, MGG is a private investment firm that provides bespoke investment solutions to mid-size and growing middle market companies. MGG works with owners and management teams to help build lasting value, address immediate needs, and solve complex situations while seeking to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors irrespective of and through market cycles. For more information, visit www.mgginv.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240112703266/en/ Media C Street Advisory Group [email protected] For MGG Nathaniel Garnick/Sam Fisher Gasthalter & Co. +1 (212) 257-4170 Source: Spark Networks SE VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Pacific Properties Inc. (the Company) (TSX: MPC and MPC.C), a Vancouver-based real estate company announces the results of operations for the three months ended November 30, 2023 and declares dividend. The results reported are pursuant to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for public companies. For the three months ended November 30, 2023, the Company is reporting net loss of $57.8 million (2022: net income of $6.6 million); cash flows generated from operating activities before changes in non-cash operating balances of $1.6 million (2022: cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash operating balances of $1.8 million); and loss per share of $0.97 (2022: income per share of $0.11). Included in net loss is a provision of $51.2 million (2022: $nil) for uncertain tax positions recognizing a tax liability for unpaid taxes and estimated interest and provisions against the carrying value of the Companys tax deposits and deferred tax assets related to unused carryforward amounts. Also included in net loss is a net loss on the fair value adjustment on investment properties of approximately $8.0 million (2022: net gain of $0.3 million). As previously reported in the Companys Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company and certain subsidiaries had received from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration (ATRA) tax notices of reassessment for various taxation years. The reassessments deny the application and usage of certain non-capital losses, capital losses, deductions and investment tax credits arising from prior years. The Company and its subsidiaries had filed notices of objection and notices of appeal to the reassessments with the CRA and ATRA. The appeal with the Tax Court of Canada (TCC) for one of the reassessed companies, Madison Pacific Properties Inc., was heard in 2020, 2022 and in 2023 (the MPP Appeal). The TCC released its judgement on the MPP Appeal on December 27, 2023 in favour of the CRAs position, confirming the CRAs reassessments. The decision denied Madison Pacific Properties Inc.s ability to use certain carryforward losses for certain taxation years within its 2009 to 2017 taxation years. Based on the decision of the TCC in respect of the MPP Appeal and other related factors, including the accounting criteria under IFRS regarding tax contingencies, the Company has recorded a full provision of $19.6 million against the carrying value of the tax deposits and deferred tax assets related to unused carryforward amounts and a liability for uncertain tax positions of approximately $31.6 million for unpaid taxes and estimated interest for all three tax reassessments. The total of these amounts, $51.2 million, was recognized to income tax expense of $36.7 million and interest expense on uncertain tax positions of $14.5 million in the Interim Consolidated Statement of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the three months ended November 30, 2023. The Company and its counsel are evaluating whether to appeal the decision issued by the TCC and will evaluate its defense positions in respect of the two other reassessed subsidiaries. As at November 30, 2023, the Company owns approximately $687 million in investment properties, including the Companys proportionate share of properties held through joint operations. As at the date of this Press Release, the Companys investment portfolio comprises 56 properties with approximately 1.9 million rentable sq. ft. of industrial and commercial space and a 50% interest in three multi-family rental properties with a total of 109 units. Approximately 98.75% of available space within the industrial and commercial investment properties is currently leased. The Companys development properties include a 50% interest in the Silverdale Hills Limited Partnership which currently owns approximately 1,400 acres of residential designated development lands in Mission, British Columbia. For a review of the risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, see its most recently filed annual and interim MD&A. The Company is pleased to announce that a $.0525 per share dividend on each of the Class B voting common shares and Class C non-voting shares will be payable February 21, 2024 to shareholders of record on February 6, 2024. The dividend is considered an eligible dividend for tax purposes. Contact: Mr. John Delucchi Ms. Bernice Yip President & CEO Chief Financial Officer Telephone: (604) 732-6540 (604) 732-6540 Address: 389 West 6th Avenue Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1L1 Source: Madison Pacific Properties Inc. HAI PHONG, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 January 2024 - On January 13, 2024, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, as part of his state visit to Vietnam, visited the VinFast electric automobile and motorcycle manufacturing complex in Hai Phong and received a firsthand look at the Vietnamese brand's premium electric vehicles. Prior to that, in Hanoi, President Widodo and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had met with partnering businesses from the two countries, including VinFast and GSM.Vingroup Chairman and VinFast Global CEO, Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong, took the wheel of an electric buggy himself, guiding President Widodo on a close-up tour of VinFast's state-of-the-art complex.After touring the complex and learning about VinFast's electric vehicle lineup, Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed his pleasure at visiting the facility and was impressed with the quality and class of VinFast's vehicles. The President said that he would create all necessary conditions for VinFast to quickly complete the investment procedures for production and business in the Indonesian market.As previously disclosed, VinFast plans to invest at least 1.2 billion USD in Indonesia over the long term. Alongside distributing vehicles imported from Vietnam to Indonesian customers during the initial phase, VinFast will invest 200 million USD to establish an electric vehicle manufacturing plant with a projected production capacity of 30,000 - 50,000 vehicles per year in Indonesia.In the morning of the same day in Hanoi, President Widodo and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with businesses which had been investing and operating in the two countries. VinFast and GSM reported to the leaders of the two countries on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GoTo, Indonesia's leading technology company, the owner of the Gojek transportation services platform.In a statement issued on behalf of Gojek, VinFast and GSM said: "Gojek has signed an MoU with VinFast and GSM, which aims to promote green transportation through the use of electric vehicles in Indonesia. Our companies will collaborate to promote the use of EVs among drivers of four wheel vehicles on the Gojek platform, ultimately aiming to provide a superior experience with VinFast's four wheel eco-friendly electric vehicles."By signing an MoU with GoTo, VinFast and GSM demonstrate their commitment to supporting the Indonesian government's ambitious goal of reducing transportation emissions. This agreement opens up opportunities for cooperation and marks a significant step for VinFast and GSM in their global market expansion in 2024.GSM, founded by Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, pioneers sustainable rental and taxi services exclusively using VinFast electric cars and scooters. Separately from the MoU, GSM also announced a plan to invest up to 900 million USD in Indonesia in the near future.Hashtag: #VinFastAuto #GSM The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Accomplished healthcare and finance leader brings strategic experience and vision to Healthcare & Life Sciences Investment Banking Team NEW YORK, NY - (NewMediaWire) - January 03, 2024 - EF Hutton, an investment bank headquartered in New York, today announced the appointment of David Sans, PhD, FAARM MBA, as Managing Director, Head of Healthcare, to lead the Companys Healthcare & Life Sciences Investment Banking Team. David Sans, PhD, FAARM MBA, brings many years of biotech and pharma experience in corporate finance, business development, operational, and commercial roles spanning both large pharmaceutical and emerging biotechnology companies. Previously, David served as Head of Market Analytics at Pfizer during the launch of Rebif (interferon beta-1a for MS) and Macugen (pegaptanib) and as Sr. Medical Scientist at Novartis in Basel, Switzerland during the launch of Glivec (imatinib), at ImClone Systems and Head of Corporate Development and David served as an Executive Officer at Mount Sinai Health Systems completing Business Development transactions with Philips, LabCorp, and Agilent. David is also a Board Member of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network in New York. Dr. Sans holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from University Ramon Lull in collaboration with the ETH in Zurich, an MBA in Business Law from Fordham in NYC, and he is the recipient of the Don Sheehan International Scholarship to the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. David holds a Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine (FAARM) from the American Academy and Board of Regenerative Medicine. We continue to see innovation and opportunity across the healthcare continuum in biotechnology, medical devices, healthcare IT, healthcare services, and therapeutics, and are privileged to have someone of Davids caliber serve as Head of Healthcare, said Joseph T. Rallo, Chief Executive Officer of EF Hutton. His deep knowledge of the healthcare industry, corporate development experience and wide-ranging relationships are ideal to further expand our coverage in the sector. He will oversee all healthcare transactions at EF Hutton, spearheading and driving a wide range of industry transactions. We believe David and our healthcare teams insight and reporting provides a critical premium for our clients and investors to keep pace with the change and new discoveries in this rapidly evolving sector, and we look forward to his leadership. About EF Hutton EF Hutton is an investment bank headquartered in New York, NY that provides strategic advice and financing solutions to middle market and emerging growth companies. EF Hutton has a proven track record of providing superior strategic advice to clients across the globe in any sector, with unique access to capital from the USA, Asia, Europe, UAE, and Latin America. EF Hutton continues to be a leader on Wall Street, having raised over $15.8 billion in capital across more than 265 transactions through a variety of product types. Since 2022, by deal count, EF Hutton has been #1 in US IPO issuance and #1 in SPAC issuance, per Bloomberg and SPAC Insider. Taken together, EF Hutton is one of the most active investment banks in the middle market space. For more information visit efhutton.com. Contact Joseph T. Rallo Chief Executive Officer 590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor New York, NY 10022 [email protected] View the original release on www.newmediawire.com BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese premier Li Qiang on Saturday sent a congratulatory letter to China-Cambodia Year of People-to-People Exchange. Noting that both China and Cambodia are ancient civilizations with splendid cultures, Li said the friendship between the two peoples has a long history. Chinese navigator Zheng He, from the Ming Dynasty, made a stop in Cambodia during maritime expeditions, Li said, adding that the carvings on the remains of the Bayon Temple depict scenes of interactions between the peoples of the two countries a thousand years ago, providing a vivid portrayal of the history of friendly exchanges between China and Cambodia. At present, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leadership of Cambodia, the construction of the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era characterized by high quality, high level, and high standards, with deepening political mutual trust, accelerating practical cooperation, and thriving cultural exchanges, which have brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries, said the premier. Noting that people-to-people exchange serves as an important pillar for the China-Cambodia "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, Li said it is hoped that both sides will take the China-Cambodia Year of People-to-People Exchange as an opportunity to promote people-to-people exchanges and to jointly implement the Global Civilization Initiative, so as to deepen bilateral cooperation in such fields as cultural heritage protection, art, education, medical and health care, and on local level. Li also called on both sides to jointly promote mutual visits by tourists, increase youth exchanges and open up new prospects for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries, so as to contribute to the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era and jointly create a model of building a community with a shared future for mankind. On the same day, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet also sent a letter of congratulations to the China-Cambodia Year of People-to-People Exchange. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2024) - Prospector Metals Corp.(TSXV:PPP) (OTCQB:PMCOF) (FSE:1ET0)("Prospector" or the "Company")announces that it has revised the size of the non-brokered private placement announced January 3, 2024. Prospector will proceed with the previously announced common share offering to raise gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000 by the issuance of up to 9,090,909 units at a price of $0.11 per Unit, and in addition, will issue up to 6,666,666 units at a price of $0.15 per Unit (the "Units"), for total gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit will be comprised of one post-Consolidation common share (a "Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable at a price of $0.30 into one post-Consolidated common share for a period of two years from the date of issuance (see January 3, 2024 press release for details on share consolidation). If the closing price of the Common Shares is at a price equal to or greater than $0.50 for a period of 10 consecutive trading days, Prospector will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants by giving notice, via a news release, to the holders of the Warrants that the Warrants will expire on the date that is 30 days after the issuance of said news release. Prospector intends to apply $1,000,000 of the net proceeds of the Offering for preliminary assessment work and prospecting of the ML Property in Yukon Territory, and the remainder of the net proceeds for detailed geophysical survey at its Devon Ni-Cu Project in Ontario, and for working capital needs. The closing of the Offering is subject to all necessary regulatory approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company may pay finders' fees under the offering in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities issued under the Private Placement Offering will be subject to a hold period under applicable securities laws in Canada expiring four months and one day from the closing date of the Offering. Members of the Company's management team may participate in the Offering including subscriptions from related parties of the Company as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The participation of management in the Offering is exempt from formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements pursuant to exemptions contained in sections 5.5(c) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Prospector Metals Corp. Prospector Metals Corp., a member of Discovery Group, is focused on district scale, early-stage exploration of gold and base metal prospects. Creating shareholder value through new discoveries, the Company identifies underexplored or overlooked mineral districts displaying important structural and mineralogical occurrences similar to more established mining operations. Prospector is led by an experienced technical and corporate team that has a proven track record of making world-class mineral discoveries. Prospector establishes and maintains relationships with local and Indigenous rightsholders, and seeking to develop partnerships and agreements that are mutually beneficial to all stakeholders. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Prospector Metals Corp. Dr. Rob Carpenter, Ph.D., P.Geo. President & CEO For further information about Prospector Metals Corp. or this news release, please visit our website at prospectormetalscorp.com or contact Alex Heath at 604-354-2491 or by email at [email protected]. Prospector Metals Corp. is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: discoverygroup.ca Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans with respect to the Company's projects and the timing related thereto, the merits of the Company's projects, the Company's objectives, plans and strategies, and other project opportunities. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective,", "strategy", "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other agency or governmental clearances, necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, risks of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/194185 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2024) - Stratabound Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SB) (OTCQB: SBMIF) ("Stratabound" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it will be hosting an investor presentation and reception on January 19th, 2024 ahead of several key mining conferences coming through Vancouver. Stratabound's management are available to meet in Vancouver during the Metals Investor Forum (Jan 19th - 20th), Vancouver Resources Investment Conference (VRIC January 21st - 22nd), and AMEBC's Roundup (Jan 22th - 25th). Please reach out to [email protected]. Stratabound Investors Reception Date: January 19th 2024 Time: 4 - 6pm PST Place: Terminal City Club. (Wilson Beck room) 837 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6C 1B6 (Dress code applies - no jeans) RSVP by Jan 17th: [email protected] / [email protected] +1 (647) 725-3888 ext 702 Agenda 4:00-4:30pm Welcome & Networking Welcome & Networking 4:30-5:15pm Investor Presentation Investor Presentation 5:15-6:00pm Reception drinks and appetizers Reception drinks and appetizers Zoom for remote attendees: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9593297450?pwd=UnRRNDhqOUF4OWp1VGJkZ243dGV3dz09 ABOUT STRATABOUND MINERALS Stratabound Minerals Corp. is a Canadian exploration and development company with grassroots and advanced exploration properties in highly prospective and safe mining jurisdictions. Its Golden Culvert and Win Projects, Yukon, covering 99.5 km2 across a 27-km strike length, are situated in a district-scale, high-grade-gold-mineralized trend within the southern portion of the Tombstone Gold Belt. Gold deposits and occurrences within the Belt include Fort Knox, Pogo, Brewery Creek and Dublin Gulch, and Snowline Gold's Valley target on its Rogue property in the Selwyn Basin. Its McIntyre Brook Project, New Brunswick, covering 120 km2 and a 17-km strike length in the emerging Triple Fault Gold Belt, is surrounded by Puma Exploration's Williams Brook Project (5.55 g/t Au over 50m) and is hosted by orogenic rocks of similar age and structure as New Found Gold's Queensway Project. The Company is also advancing its Fremont Gold development project in the historic Mother Lode Gold Belt of California where 50,000,000 oz of gold has been produced. Fremont, located 500km north of Equinox Gold's Castle Mountain and Mesquite mines, has a PEA with an after-tax NPV of USD $217MM, a 21% IRR, 11-year LOM, averaging 118k ounces per annum at USD $1,750 gold. The project hosts an NI 43-101 resource of 1.16 MMoz at 1.90 g/t Au within 19.0 MMt Indicated, and 2.02 MMoz at 2.22 g/t Au within 28.3 MMt Inferred. The MRE evaluates only 1.4 km of the 4 km strike length of the Fremont property that features 4 gold-mineralized zones. Significantly, three step-out holes at depth hit structure, typical of orogenic deposits that often occur at depth. Fremont is located on private land in Mariposa, the original gold rush county and is 1.5 hours from Fresno, California. The property has year-round road access and is close to airports and rail. Please refer to the Fremont Gold project PEA dated Apr. 4, 2023 under NI 43-101 guidelines. The technical report has been reviewed and approved by independent "Qualified Persons" Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, and Andrew Bradfield, P.Eng. both of P&E, and Travis Manning, P.E. of KCA. The Company also holds a pipeline of early-stage exploration projects including the critical mineral Captain Cobalt-Copper-Gold Deposit in New Brunswick and the Dingman Gold Project, Ontario. QUALIFED PERSON STATEMENT The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, Director, BSc (Hons) (Economic Geology - UCT), FAUSIMM, and who is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.stratabound.com or contact: Gary Nassif Senior Vice President, Director [email protected] +1 (416) 915-4157 Kevin Shum Investor Relations [email protected] +1 (647) 725-3888 ext 702 Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. WARNING: The Company relies upon litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements. The information in this release may contain forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. This forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking information. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, changes in laws or regulations, failure to obtain regulatory, exchange or shareholder approval, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this forward-looking information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/194194 Chongqing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - January 13, 2024) - Chongqing Qiulong Technology Co., Ltd., also known as SURRON, is celebrating ten years of pioneering work in the electric motorcycle industry with an event dedicated to highlighting its achievements and vision for the future. Celebrating a Decade of Milestones SURRON's anniversary event will focus on the company's journey over the past ten years, showcasing the technological milestones and the growth that has positioned it as a key player in the electric two-wheeler market. The event will also provide a platform for SURRON to introduce their future plans and how they intend to continue their contribution to sustainable transportation. A collective of motorcycle To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/194040_bf84a3fd4493281f_002full.jpg Anniversary Event Details The event is scheduled to take place at SURRON's headquarters in Chongqing, where the company will host industry leaders, media, and partners. It will feature a timeline of SURRON's key developments, unveil new projects, and discuss the company's strategies for addressing the evolving demands of the electric motorcycle market. A Look at SURRON's Future Endeavors In addition to celebrating past successes, SURRON will take this opportunity to announce upcoming initiatives designed to reinforce its commitment to innovation and sustainability. The company will provide insights into its R&D efforts and discuss how it plans to expand its international presence and product offerings. For further information about the event and to learn more about SURRON's plans for the future, interested parties are invited to contact Koki Wang for details and interview opportunities. About SURRON Established in 2014, SURRON has quickly become a notable name in the electric motorcycle industry, focused on delivering high-performance, eco-friendly two-wheelers. With a significant global footprint, SURRON continues to drive forward the potential of electric mobility. Contact Info: Name: Koki Wang Email:[email protected] Organization: Chongqing Qiulong Technology Co., Ltd. (Surron) Website: https://www.sur-ron.com/us/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/194040 The Lawsuit Alleges Central Baptist Church Youth Pastor Kenneth Travis Jewell Groomed and Sexually Abused a Youth Member of the Church LITTLE ROCK, Ark. , Jan. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Constant Legal Group and Gillispie Law Firm filed a lawsuit against the Central Baptist Church in Magnolia and former youth pastor Kenneth Travis Jewell , on behalf of Plaintiff Kailen Daniel , who claims she was sexually abused by Jewell as a minor. The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Columbia County, Arkansas. The complaint alleges that when Pastor Kenneth "Travis" Jewell was employed by Central Baptist Church, he groomed and sexually abused Ms. Daniel while she was still a minor. Central Baptist Church is also named as a defendant due to their negligence in hiring, supervising, investigating, and retaining Pastor Jewell as an employee of the Church. The Plaintiff alleges she was groomed and sexually abused by Jewell beginning when she was 15 or 16 years old and continuing for several years afterwards. The grooming began, she claims, with comments that he "loved her like a daughter," his regular attendance at her school functions, and inviting her into his home where she babysat his children. It escalated into fondling her, kissing her, and penetrating her against her wishes. According to the lawsuit, the Plaintiff reported Pastor Jewell's inappropriate actions to Central Baptist Church leadership, who responded by pressuring Ms. Daniel to keep silent and to not tell anyone else within the church, and specifically to not tell her mother. The Plaintiff claims she was told that if she reported Pastor Jewell she would ruin his marriage and cause harm to the church. Even after reporting the abuse to church agents, including specifically Rebecca McPherson , Central Baptist Church kept Pastor Jewell on staff and even continued to allow him one-on-one contact with minors, including Ms. Daniel . "By failing to take any meaningful action whatsoever in response to direct reports of the specific danger he posed, Central Baptist Church allowed Pastor Jewell to continue molesting Ms. Daniel . The Church bears responsible for our client's child sexual abuse," says attorney Joshua Gillispie , of the Gillispie Law Firm. The complaint alleges that the Central Baptist Church was negligent in their hiring practices by their failure to conduct a thorough background check of Pastor Jewell . Furthermore, it alleges Central Baptist Church was negligent in their supervision of him, their training of staff on identifying and reporting child sex abuse, their failure to investigate Jewell, and their negligence in retaining him as an employee after the Plaintiff reported his misconduct to Church staff. In a statement from Constant Legal Group, Partners Ryan Cavanaugh and Constantine Venizelos said: "As legal counsel representing the victim in a sex abuse lawsuit against Central Baptist Church, we would like to commend the bravery and resilience of those who have come forward to share their experiences. Our client has taken a courageous step in seeking justice for the harm she has endured, and her willingness to speak out is a powerful testament to her commitment to holding accountable those responsible for the alleged abuses." "It is our firm belief that every individual has the right to worship in an environment free from harm, and when such trust is violated, legal action becomes not only a means of seeking restitution but also a vital mechanism for ensuring the safety of others within the community. Our legal team is dedicated to pursuing the truth, advocating for the rights of the survivors, and holding Central Baptist Church accountable for any wrongdoing that may have occurred." "As the legal proceedings unfold, we will work diligently to ensure that the victims' voices are heard, their rights are protected, and accountability is established. We encourage anyone with information related to the case to come forward, as your cooperation may be crucial in bringing about a just resolution." The complaint asks for a jury trial and punitive damages to help deter other churches from similarly turning a blind eye to child sex abuse. Constant Legal Group is a nationally recognized plaintiff's law firm based in Cleveland, Ohio . The firm specializes in mass torts and civil sex abuse cases, and its attorneys have been appointed to leadership roles on multidistrict litigations. Partners Ryan Cavanaugh and Constantine (Dean) Venizelos have recovered multiple multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured plaintiffs, and have been recognized by national organizations for their legal excellence, including Thomson Reuters' Super Lawyers. Gillispie Law Firm is a plaintiffs' firm based out of North Little Rock, Arkansas that practices almost exclusively in the area of Arkansas child sexual abuse, representing child victims against the men who abused them and the organizations that enabled those perpetrators to commit their crimes. Attorney Joshua Gillispie has successfully handled child sex abuse cases in Arkansas against churches of nearly every denomination, against schools and daycares, against residential treatment facilities and group homes, against youth organizations like Boy Scouts of America, and against many other places where children are commonly preyed upon. For Gillispie, each case is a battle in the war on child sexual abuse in Arkansas . While child sexual abuse can never be eradicated completely, its rate of occurrence can and must be decreased. Gillispie Law Firm's mission to do nothing short of that, making Arkansas a safer place for children in the future, one case at a time. www.gillispielawfirm.com Media Contact: Caroline Cornell [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/constant-legal-group-and-gillispie-law-firm-file-lawsuit-against-central-baptist-church-for-alleged-role-in-enabling-and-covering-up-child-sexual-abuse-302034017.html SOURCE Constant Legal Group COCOA BEACH, Fla. , Jan. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, the number of launches from the Space Coast continues to increase, with a record-breaking 72 launches in 2023. That pace will continue this year, including plans for an impressive six crewed launches. Although the launch of Artemis II has been moved from November 2024 to September 2025 , there are still plenty of landmark launches set for 2024: The number of launches from the Space Coast continues to increase, with a record-breaking 72 launches in 2023. January 17 Axiom Space began private, commercially crewed space flights in 2022, and this month will make their third mission to the International Space Station . Axiom-3 features an all-European crew with chief astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria of Spain , who has flown on the space shuttle Columbia and a Soyuz craft. The paying customers include Mission Pilot Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, and Mission Specialists ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden and Alper Gezeravc, Turkey's first astronaut. Ax-3 is targeting a 14-day mission aboard the ISS and will be using the Crew Dragon Freedom capsule aboard a Space X Falcon 9. No Earlier Than (NET) February 2024 NASA's Commercial Crew Program will launch the SpaceX Crew-8 mission from Kennedy Space Center to the ISS aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour. The crew of the planned 180-day mission includes NASA astronauts Commander Matthew Dominick , Pilot Michael Barratt , Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps , and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin . NET mid-April 2024 Boeing CST-100 Starliner's first Crewed Flight Test is set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will head to the ISS for an eight-day mission before returning to Earth via parachute- and airbag-assisted ground landing, demonstrating Starliner's ability to achieve NASA certification and safely fly regular crewed missions to space. The crew for the Starliner-1, positioned to launch in 2025, have been chosen. TBD, Summer 2024 The Polaris Dawn program, backed by billionaire Jared Isaacman , will fly its first of up to three missions with only private citizens on board. This five-day mission plans to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown by a crewed spacecraft (breaking Gemini XI's record) and will attempt the first commercial extravehicular activity with SpaceX-designed EVA spacesuits, in addition to 38 experiments on the human effects of spaceflight and space radiation. This will be Isaacman's second flight after 2022's Inspiration4, and he will be the mission's commander. He will be joined aboard Crew Dragon Resilience by civilians and first-timers Scott Poteet (mission pilot), Sarah Gillis (payload specialist), and Anna Menon (medical officer). NET mid-August 2024 NASA and SpaceX's Crew-9 has not yet been chosen but is expected to launch to the ISS this year. NET mid-October 2024 Axiom-4 is targeting a 14-day stay at the ISS, but no crew has been announced. NASA requires these missions to be commanded by former NASA astronauts with experience on the space station. Head to VisitSpaceCoast.com to begin planning your out-of-this-world vacation at the only beach that doubles as a launch pad. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/major-year-of-launches-crewed-space-flights-from-floridas-space-coast-302033999.html FILE PHOTO: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo/File Photo By David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada does not accept the premise of South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday. Israel rejected as false the accusations brought by South Africa at the ICJ, the U.N.'s top court. Trudeau, pressed by reporters, stressed Canada was a strong backer of the court. But he added: "Our wholehearted support of the ICJ and its processes does not mean that we support the premise of the case brought forward by South Africa". The United States says the South African case is meritless. Later, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly reiterated Trudeau's comments in a statement. Members of Trudeau's ruling Liberal Party, which includes Jewish and Muslim legislators, have taken different positions regarding the Gaza campaign. Trudeau has consistently said Israel has the right to defend itself after the deadly rampage by militants of Gaza's ruling Hamas group into Israel on Oct. 7. But as the civilian toll mounts, he has gradually shifted his tone, and last month said Israel's close friends are worried the Gaza campaign is endangering the country's long-term safety. "Canada remains deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians," Joly said. Canada's opposition Conservative Party, which has a commanding lead in the polls, accused Trudeau of "sinister and hypocritical" double speak on the issue. "He sends out some of his MPs to claim that they support calling Israel genocidal when they're talking to one group of voters. And then he sends out another group to say that they're against calling Israel genocidal," Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Reporting by David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer; Editing by Alistair Bell) A general view shows buildings and houses, amid the ongoing wave of violence around the nation, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, January 13, 2024. REUTERS/Henry Romero By Alexandra Valencia QUITO (Reuters) -All prison staff held by inmates at prisons in Ecuador amid a sharp uptick in violence had been freed by Saturday evening, the SNAI prisons agency said. The hostages, which SNAI previously said were 158 guards and 20 administrative staffers, were held since last Monday in at least seven prisons as a security crisis escalates in the South American country. President Daniel Noboa on the social media platform X congratulated SNAI, police and armed forces for the successful release of the prison staff. There would be an investigation to determine those responsible for the hostage-taking, SNAI said in its statement. SNAI reported incidents at several prisons earlier Saturday, including an armed confrontation with inmates at the prison in El Oro province that resulted in the death of a guard. Ecuador is grappling with a security crisis that worsened this week with the on-air storming of a TV station, unexplained explosions in several cities and the kidnapping of police officers. Armed groups appear to be reacting to Noboa's plans to tackle the dire security situation, according to the government. The police and the armed forces were continuing to carry out operations around the country. More than 1,000 people have been arrested since a state of emergency began on Monday, the government said. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia, writing by Cassandra Garrison;Editing by Alistair Bell, Will Dunham and Michael Perry) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel accused Hamas on Saturday of planning to attack its embassy in Sweden as part of an expansion by the Palestinian Islamist militant group into Europe, where authorities announced the arrests of several suspects last month. In a statement following up on the arrests announced by Danish, German and Swedish authorities, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency named an alleged Hamas network member in Sweden, without specifying whether he was also in custody. There was no immediate response from Hamas, which in the past has said its policy was to limit attacks to Israel, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, all territories where it seeks a Palestinian state. The Foreign Ministry in Stockholm declined to comment on the specific security of Israel's embassy, but said: "Sweden takes its commitments under the Vienna Convention to protect foreign missions very seriously." The Mossad statement said a multi-national investigation received information that the Hamas network took orders from a group command post in Lebanon and had "intent to attack the Israeli embassy in Sweden, to procure paragliders and to activate members of criminal groups in Europe". Hamas used paragliders as part of its shock multi-pronged attack on Israel on Oct. 7 which triggered the Gaza war. (Writing by Dan Williams and Marie Mannes; Editing by Mark Potter) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern walks back to her baby Neve and partner Clarke Gayford, after speaking at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York City, New York, U.S., September 24, 2018. Pictu WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private ceremony on Saturday, finally tying the knot after cancelling ceremonies during strict COVID-19 controls she imposed on the country. Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, got engaged in May 2019 and were meant to be married in early 2022, but the ceremony was cancelled due to her go hard, go early approach to the pandemic, which allowed New Zealand to keep deaths from the virus low. She became a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in leadership as prime minister from 2017 to January last year. Ardern, one of just two women to have a baby as national leaders, took her daughter to a United Nations meeting. The wedding took place in Hawke's Bay at Craggy Range Winery on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, about 310 km (190 miles) north of the capital Wellington, an Ardern spokesperson said by email. Official photos showed a smiling Ardern wearing a white halter neck dress, while Gayford wore a black suit. They tied the knot in front of some 50 to 75 guests, news site Stuff reported. Among the guests was Ardern's successor as prime minister Chris Hipkins, the current opposition leader, the New Zealand Herald said. Hawkes Bay is home to a number of internationally known wineries and is an important horticultural area. Ardern for the past six month has been undertaking three fellowships at Harvard University. She is a trustee of Prince Williams Earthshot Prize and a special envoy for the Christchurch Call - a network seeking to "eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online". It was set up after a massacre targeting Muslims, for which Ardern's sympathetic response won applause. In her final speech in parliament, Ardern told Gayford, a New Zealand television presenter, "Lets finally get married. The couple's daughter Neve, is five years old. (This story has been refiled to correct the spelling of 'Minister' in the headline) (Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington and Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by William Mallard) People enter the polling station to cast their vote, in Taipei, Taiwan January 13, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins By Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwanese voters swept the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te into power on Saturday, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, as China said it would not give up on achieving "reunification". Lai's party, which champions Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims, was seeking a third successive four year term, unprecedented under Taiwan's current electoral system. However, in a measure of public frustration at domestic issues like the high cost of housing and stagnating wages after eight years in power, the DPP lost its majority in parliament, making Lai's job harder in passing legislation. Lai also only won 40% of the vote in Taiwan's first-past-the-post system, unlike current President Tsai Ing-wen who was re-elected by a landslide four years ago with more than 50% of the vote. Still, Lai lauded his victory. "We've written a new page for Taiwan's history of democracy," Lai, long the frontrunner in the polls, told reporters after both his opponents conceded defeat. Lai said he would maintain the status quo in relations across the Taiwan Strait, but that he was "determined to safeguard Taiwan from threats and intimidation from China". At the same time, he emphasised the need for cooperation and dialogue with Beijing on an equal basis to "replace confrontation", though he didn't give specifics. In the run-up to the election, China denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist, and called on the people of Taiwan to make the right choice while noting the "extreme harm of the DPP's 'Taiwan independence' line". They have also repeatedly rebuffed Lai's calls for talks. China's Taiwan Affairs Office struck a gentler tone in its response to Lai's election and did not mention him by name, saying that the results reveal that the DPP "cannot represent the mainstream public opinion" on Taiwan. "Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realising national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock," it said. However, it added China will work with "relevant political parties, groups and people" from Taiwan to boost exchanges and cooperation, and "advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations as well as the cause of national reunification". Taiwan's election took place at a time of growing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington. The arms race across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese military pressure on the island Beijing claims as its "sacred" territory is unlikely to end. Since the last election in 2020, China has engaged in an unprecedented level of military activity in the Taiwan Strait, including holding two rounds of major war games near the island. Lai, however, said "only peace will benefit both sides". There were jubilant scenes among a sea of cheering supporters outside Lai's campaign headquarters. "The DPP is the only party that can truly protect Taiwan," said tattoo artist Cony Lu, 28, who broke down in tears of happiness. "So many people are willing to stand together to preserve Taiwan's sovereignty." DOMESTIC CHALLENGES Lai admitted that with losing its parliamentary majority, the DPP had "many areas that need improvement". However, he offered an olive branch to his opponents in saying he would include talent from their parties. Lai said he would cooperate with his electoral rivals, Hou Yu-ih of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), in resolving the problems Taiwan faces. Taiwan's media reported the DPP won 51 seats to the KMT's 52, while the TPP got eight. Ko appeared open to working with Lai. "The TPP will play the role of a critical minority, without fixing who we collaborate with," Ko told reporters after conceding. "We'll look at the issues. Whoever speaks reasonably, we will support." During the polls, hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese youths flocked to rallies held by Ko, who has emerged as a new force in Taiwan's political landscape with roughly a quarter of the vote despite coming last. The KMT's Hou, who Lai had portrayed as being pro-Beijing despite Hou's strong protestations, bowed to a thin crowd of supporters as he accepted defeat. The turnout was around 72% of the nearly 19 million eligible voters in the island of 23 million. Tsai was constitutionally barred from standing again after two terms in office. (Reporting by Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu; additional reporting by Faith Hung, Ben Blanchard and James Pomfret; Editing by Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan and Mark Potter) Yemenis participate in a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 12, 2024. Thousands of supporters of the Yemeni Houthi rebel group held a rally in Sanaa on Friday to protest the U.S.-Britain joint retaliatory airstrikes on the group's camps. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SANAA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of supporters of the Yemeni Houthi rebel group held a rally in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Friday to protest the U.S.-Britain joint retaliatory airstrikes on the group's camps. The protesters demanded a response to Friday's pre-dawn airstrikes that heavily bombed over 60 training sites and arms depots in several northern Yemeni cities. "We support our leadership's decision," a Houthi commander shouted over the loudspeakers, and the protesters repeated his words. In a defiant response, the Supreme Political Council, Houthi's top ruling body, declared in a statement on Friday that "all American and British interests have become legitimate targets." The United States and Britain said they carried out the airstrikes to deter the Houthis from launching attacks on commercial ships in the international shipping lanes of the Red Sea, which threaten global trade and drive up the cost of commodities. The Houthis have escalated their attacks in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, demanding the end of Israeli attacks and siege against the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip. Earlier this week, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution denouncing the Houthi attacks on the shipping lines, calling for an immediate end to the group's attacks that have disrupted global trade. Yemenis participate in a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 12, 2024. Thousands of supporters of the Yemeni Houthi rebel group held a rally in Sanaa on Friday to protest the U.S.-Britain joint retaliatory airstrikes on the group's camps. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) Yemenis chant slogans as they participate in a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 12, 2024. Thousands of supporters of the Yemeni Houthi rebel group held a rally in Sanaa on Friday to protest the U.S.-Britain joint retaliatory airstrikes on the group's camps. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) Yemenis participate in a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 12, 2024. Thousands of supporters of the Yemeni Houthi rebel group held a rally in Sanaa on Friday to protest the U.S.-Britain joint retaliatory airstrikes on the group's camps. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SYDNEY (Reuters) - Residents in the state of Western Australia were urged to evacuate their homes on Saturday, as a bushfire burned out of control near the state's capital Perth, amid soaring temperatures. More than 40 bushfires were burning on Saturday in Australia's largest state, with residents in the shire of Chittering, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Perth, at risk from the uncontained blaze, according to fire authorities. Australia is in the grips of a high-risk bushfire season after the onset of an El Nino weather event, associated with extreme events such as wildfires, cyclones and droughts. "You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes," the state's Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on its website regarding the fire in Chittering, a rural area home to around 6,000 people. The emergency alert came amid a heatwave warning in place on Saturday for many parts of the state that lifted the risk of bushfire outbreaks. In Perth, a maximum temperature of 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) was forecast, almost 10 degrees above the city's average January maximum, according to data from the nation's weather forecaster. Australia's last two fire seasons have been quiet compared with the catastrophic 2019-2020 "Black Summer" of bushfires that destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. (Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te, of Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP), holds a press conference, following the victory in the presidential elections, in Taipei, Taiwan January 13, 2024. REUTERS/Ann Wang By Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's new president-elect, Lai Ching-te, is likely to face his toughest task yet when he takes office in May and has to deal with the ire of China which has repeatedly denounced him as a dangerous separatist. Lai, who won Saturday's election, repeatedly said during the campaign that he wanted to keep the status quo with China, which claims Taiwan as its own, and offered to talk to Beijing. "We don't want to become enemies with China. We can become friends," Lai, widely known by his English name William, told a Taiwanese television station in July. But in Beijing's view, Lai, 64, is a separatist and "troublemaker through and through" for comments he first made in 2017 as premier about being a "worker" for Taiwan's formal independence - a red line for Beijing. The next year he told parliament he was a "practical worker for Taiwan independence", causing one Chinese newspaper, the widely read Global Times, to call for China to issue an international arrest warrant for Lai and prosecute him under China's 2005 Anti-Secession Law. Lai maintains he simply meant Taiwan is already an independent country. On the campaign trail he stuck by President Tsai Ing-wen's line that the Republic of China - Taiwan's formal name - and the People's Republic of China are "not subordinate to each other". Under Taiwan's constitution the Republic of China is a sovereign state, a view shared by all Taiwan's main political parties. The Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists, who set up the People's Republic. What worries Beijing is the idea that Lai could try to change the status quo by declaring the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan, which Lai has said he will not do. "I think China hates him, really hates him," said Wu Xinbo, an international relations professor at Shanghai's Fudan University. "It is because if he is elected as the leader of Taiwan, he may come to advance his goal of Taiwan independence, which will provoke a crisis across the Taiwan Strait." Still, while China has announced sanctions on several senior Taiwanese officials, including Lai's running-mate Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's former de facto ambassador to the United States, it has not done so for Lai, perhaps indicating Beijing does not want to totally shut the door to one day having talks with him. LAI URGED CHINA'S XI TO 'CHILL OUT' During the campaign, Lai said he would stick to President Tsai's path of proffering talks with China and maintaining peace and the status quo, while also pledging to defend the island and reiterating only its people can decide the island's future. Stephen Tan, managing director of the International Policy Advisory Group in Taipei, said Lai's platform was similar, if not identical, to that of Tsai, who is barred from seeking re-election after serving two terms. "I would not envision from his policy and administration a big change in direction for both domestic and foreign policies," Tan said. Lai is from a humble background in northern Taiwan, the son of a coal miner who died when the president-elect was a small child. A physician, the younger Lai specialised in spinal cord injuries. He became Tsai's vice president in 2020 when they won in a landslide warning of the threat to Taiwan from China given Beijing's crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Since then, China has massively ramped up military drills near Taiwan and held war games in August 2022 and last April in response to Taiwanese engagement with the United States. Taiwan officials said this week they expected China to attempt to put pressure on the incoming president, including with military drills near Taiwan, before Lai takes office. In May, at a question and answer session with students at his alma mater, National Taiwan University, Lai said the head of state he would most like to have dinner with is Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he would advise to "chill out a little". China's Taiwan Affairs Office said his comments were "weird" and "deceitful", given that his "Taiwan independence nature" had not changed. Beijing has demanded Taiwan's government accepts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to "one China," something Tsai and Lai have refused to do. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard and David Holmes) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey carried out air strikes in northern Syria and Iraq, hitting 25 Kurdish militant targets, the Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The operations were conducted in northern Syria and Metina, Hakurk and Qandil regions of northern Iraq at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT), the ministry said. The defence ministry said many militants were "neutralised" - a term mostly used to mean killed - in air strikes that destroyed 25 targets consisting of caves, shelters and depots. Nine Turkish soldiers were killed in a clash on Friday with members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). (Reporting by Burcu Karakas; Editing by Mark Potter and Mike Harrison) FILE PHOTO: The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday said there was no evidence to suggest the breach of its X account earlier this week also involved a breach of the agency's systems, devices, data or other social media accounts. The fake post on Tuesday said the SEC had approved trading of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), sending industry executives scrambling. Bitcoin prices had whipsawed ahead of an expected announcement on Wednesday by the agency to allow trading of the products. "While SEC staff is still assessing the scope of the incident, there is currently no evidence that the unauthorized party gained access to SEC systems, data, devices, or other social media accounts," the SEC said in a statement. The SEC quickly disavowed and deleted the post. X, formerly Twitter, later said the account was compromised because of an "unidentified individual" obtaining control of a phone number. The SEC did approve the bitcoin ETFs on Wednesday. The SEC said the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has joined the FBI and the SEC's inspector general in investigating the breach. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Douglas Gillison and Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler) Troops of the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division watch a plume of radioactive smoke rise on Nov. 1, 1951, after a blast at Yucca Flats, Nevada. (Newsmakers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images/TNS) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) A lobbying blitz is expected this month from advocates for the untold thousands of Americans harmed by radiation from government nuclear projects dating back to World War II, starting with development and testing of the first atomic bomb. Senators pushing to expand aid for radiation victims were infuriated in December when a provision to reauthorize a compensation fund that expires in June was stripped from the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act prior to Senate passage, largely because of concerns about the projected price tag: $147 billion over 10 years. Now groups ranging from a coalition of mothers in the St. Louis area to the Navajo Nation are planning visits to Capitol Hill to demand expansion and a longer renewal of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a 1990 law that provided aid to uranium workers and those exposed to any of nearly 200 nuclear tests in Nevada between 1945 and 1962. The law did not cover those exposed to the first nuclear detonation in White Sands, New Mexico, in 1945. Under RECA, which was extended for two years in June 2022, workers who mined or transported uranium before 1971 and contracted certain cancers and other diseases are entitled to $100,000; participants sickened by the weapons tests could receive $75,000; and those who lived downwind in parts of Nevada, Utah and Arizona and were harmed are eligible for $50,000. As Oppenheimer hit movie theaters in July and raised awareness of the impacts of the atomic bombs development, the Senate voted 61-37 to add a proposal to expand and extend RECA to the annual defense authorization bill. The plan from Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., would reauthorize RECA for 19 years and expand eligibility for compensation to the following: More residents of Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Residents of New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Guam, where people were exposed to tests in the Pacific Ocean. Uranium workers after 1971. Veterans who cleaned up radioactive wastes in the Marshall Islands. People affected in the St. Louis area, where uranium was processed starting in the 1940s. But before the Senate voted 87-13 to pass the defense authorization bill on Dec. 14, the House-Senate conference committee removed the RECA provisions. No one said so publicly, but advocates for higher victim compensation said members were spooked by a Congressional Budget Office report that projected the cost at $147.1 billion over 10 years. That would nearly equal the bulk of the estimated $153.5 billion in increased budget outlays over the same decade from the Senate version of the NDAA. Hawley threatened to block passage of the defense bill and expressed his outrage on the Senate floor on Dec. 12. This is a grave injustice, he said. When the government causes injury, the government should make it right. Thats what the radiation compensation program does and its wrong to let it expire. It is a scar on the conscience of this body and of this nation. Aides to Hawley and Lujan worked through the Christmas break on a strategy for bringing the RECA reauthorization back to the floor. The senators are considering all potential legislative vehicles, continuing to work to build GOP support, and looking at different approaches to get something meaningful done, said Katherine Schneider, communications director for Lujan. Congress has left behind Americans whove developed illnesses at the hands of their own governments nuclear waste for decades, and time to compensate them is running out, Hawley said in an emailed statement. I am working to get RECAs reauthorization across the finish line, and Im ready to use every tool at my disposal in 2024 to do it. Advocates are awaiting details so they can start stepping up pressure on lawmakers. Were planning a trip to D.C. in the next couple of weeks, said Dawn Chapman, co-founder of Just Moms STL, by phone from St. Louis last week. Her group has long been seeking compensation for exposure to radioactive wastes from uranium processing in the St. Louis area in the 1940s and 1950s. Chapman said only about $4 billion of the $147 billion in added compensation costs would likely go to her community, but her group does not want to push for separate legislation just to help victims in Missouri. This has been happening to communities across the country, and we believe we all need to stay united, she said. Blatant act of injustice A bigger share of the aid would go to people affected by radioactive clouds in the Southwest during the decades of testing, including many Native Americans, as well as workers in uranium mining and transport from the 1940s to the 1980s. About 5,000 Navajo people worked in the uranium mines, where they were exposed to radon gas, radioactive dust and contaminated water, said Justin C. Ahasteen, executive director of the Navajo Nation Washington Office, via email. The fallout from this uranium boom was catastrophic, he said. The Navajo people have borne the brunt of the health and environmental consequences, with increased rates of lung cancer, kidney disease, and birth defects. Yet, for decades the federal government denied any responsibility for the health crises that grew out of uranium mining. Ahasteen called the decision not to reauthorize RECA a blatant act of injustice. The conditions these miners worked under were already unconscionable; to deny them and their descendants compensation for the resulting health issues is beyond morally indefensible. He also disputed the CBOs cost estimate, noting that the government has paid out less than $5 billion in RECA compensation in the past 20 years. To suggest that this will increase to $150 billion is outrageous. We believe that the cost would be roughly 10 billion dollars. Scores of other groups representing victims of radiation have been advocating for expansion of the compensation fund for years; many of them signed onto a letter organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists that was sent to congressional leaders in July. Impacted communities were unknowingly on the frontlines of World War II and the Cold War, the letter said. It is a tragic fact that, in an effort to protect us from our enemies, the U.S. government poisoned its own people. We must honor those who sacrificed their health for our countrys national security. Lilly Adams, senior outreach coordinator in the Global Security Program at the UCS, said in an email last week that its hard to estimate how many people would be eligible for aid because the government has never monitored for health effects or exposures. But ultimately this is not about numbers, its about people, Adams said. Its about taking care of the communities that were unknowingly exposed to toxic/deadly radiation by our government. The cost of chemotherapy, surgeries and end of life care is already being borne by Downwinders, miners, and those poisoned by the Manhattan Project, she added. The cost of this program is a fraction of what the U.S. government has spent and continues to spend on the nuclear weapons that created this mess. During a visit to Belen, New Mexico, in August, President Joe Biden expressed support for increased compensation. Im prepared to help in terms of making sure that those folks are taken care of, Biden said in response to a pitch from Lujan. Hawley and Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., have been especially active in seeking aid for victims in the St. Louis area, where radioactive wastes from uranium processing were dumped for decades at several sites and contaminated a creek in the northern suburbs. A Government Accountability Office report requested by Bush and released in October said much of the contamination is in underserved communities. Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers needs to improve its communications about a cleanup that is expected to continue until 2038, GAO said. Hawley has demanded testing for radioactive contamination at an elementary school that sits in the middle of the poisoned creeks floodplain. Pressure for action intensified in July when the Missouri Independent, nonprofit news organization MuckRock and The Associated Press published an extensive investigative report on threats posed by exposure to contamination in the St. Louis area since at least 1949. 2024 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Bernardo Arevalo is to be sworn in on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, as Guatemalas new president. (Facebook) After a reform-minded professor won the presidency of Guatemala - one of the Western Hemispheres most notoriously corrupt countries - governments around the world watched the fallout with alarm. Guatemalan authorities seized ballot boxes on dubious claims of fraud. They tried to dissolve the party of the winner, Bernardo Arevalo, and investigate him criminally. With months to go before he took office, the beleaguered president-elect warned of a slow-motion coup. On Sunday, Arevalo is to be sworn in, in what could be a turning point for a nation thats hemorrhaged migrants to the United States. Hes reached Inauguration Day in large part because of the determination of Guatemalan citizens fed up with corruption. But U.S. diplomats played a key role, in one of the Biden administrations most aggressive campaigns to shore up democracy in the hemisphere. Behind the scenes were career U.S. bureaucrats with decades of experience in Latin America - the sort of briefcase-toting professionals who melt into the crowds on the D.C. Metro. They targeted Guatemalan politicians and influential business people with a blizzard of sanctions, stern public statements and quiet arm-twisting. I dont think we would have made it if the U.S. didnt get as involved as they did, said Dionisio Gutierrez, one of Guatemalas richest business executives and an outspoken critic of corruption. The Washington Post interviewed 11 current and former U.S. officials, as well as analysts and business people in Guatemala, to understand the Biden administrations maneuvering. Several people spoke on the condition of anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivities. With grim predictions of waning U.S. influence around the globe - due to Chinas rise and Americas own political dysfunction - Guatemala may emerge as a rare success in promoting democracy. That such an effort occurred in Guatemala is particularly remarkable. In 1954, the CIA backed a coup to oust the countrys democratically elected leftist president, Jacobo Arbenz. President Ronald Reagan praised a military dictator, Gen. Efrain Rios Montt, who was later convicted of the genocide of Indigenous people allegedly sympathetic to Marxist-led guerrillas. (The conviction was eventually overturned; he was being retried when he died in 2018.) Guatemalas outgoing president, Alejandro Giammattei, has responded to the recent pressure by protesting foreign interference in his countrys affairs. The countries of the European Union jumped all over us, the big bosses of the North [United States] jumped all over us, he said in a speech on Monday He denied a coup had been in the works. U.S. officials say that averting a meltdown in Guatemala was critical. The Central American country is a major transit route for cocaine and irregular migrants. The Biden administration had watched democracy crumble in Nicaragua and El Salvador and feared the trend was spreading, said a retired U.S. diplomat with extensive experience in the region. We were not willing to lose Guatemala, he said. An accidental presidential victory Almost no one expected Arevalo to win the presidency. The 65-year-old professor, member of an anti-corruption party, was polling around 3 percent before the first round of elections in June. Guatemala has long been ruled by a political class steeped in corruption, with ties to drug-traffickers and influential business leaders. Electoral authorities disqualified several outsider candidates before the vote. Arevalo apparently wasnt deemed a threat. Then he scored a stunning second-place finish, buoyed by a campaign by TikTokers and young people. Arevalo cruised to victory in the August runoff, with nearly 60 percent of the vote. The [Biden] administration made quite a dramatic turn and saw they had a real opportunity, a golden opportunity to work with an elected leader regarded as honest, said Eric Olson, a Central America expert with the Seattle International Foundation. They pulled out as many of the big guns as they could. A procession of senior State Department officials visited Guatemala to show support for Arevalo. President Biden praised his victory. The Pentagon, recognizing the importance of maintaining democracy and stability in Guatemala, kept up a steady channel of communication with Guatemalan military and defense leaders, Daniel Erikson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Western Hemisphere, told The Post. The European Union and Organization of American States, which had monitored the election, also demanded the results be respected. Yet days after Arevalos victory, court authorities suspended his party, Semilla (Seed), on allegations of fraud. Investigators from the attorney generals office raided the national electoral authority, seizing boxes of vote tallies. Prosecutors began a series of attempts to lift Arevalos immunity, so he could be criminally charged. As the prospects for a democratic transition dimmed, an unlikely new political force burst onto the scene. The countrys long-suffering Indigenous communities declared a nationwide strike in early October, blocking roads and halting commerce. It scared the crap out of some people in the private sector, said Stephen McFarland, a former U.S. ambassador to Guatemala. The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala hosted talks between the Indigenous groups and business leaders, who pledged to respect Arevalos victory. Yet the drama wasnt over. On Nov. 30, the congress - dominated by the governing party - stripped the immunity of four of the nations top electoral judges, prompting them to flee the country. The move was seen as an effort to install judges hostile to Arevalos election, culminating in a legal coup. The next day, the U.S. Treasury Department slapped stiff penalties on Miguel Martinez, a Giammattei confidant and former official, accusing him of widespread bribery schemes. (Martinez called the charges spurious.) Treasury applied the Magnitsky act, which freezes the targets U.S. assets and makes it difficult to deal with banks. Guatemalans were dumbfounded; Martinez is seen as practically a member of the presidents family. It was a signal that the gloves were off regarding Giammattei, McFarland said. US senators face a train wreck Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who chairs the Senates Western Hemisphere subcommittee, was planning to travel to Guatemala once Arevalo had settled in as president. But Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) urged him to move up the trip. [They] said to me, Hey, if we wait that long, he might not get into office, Kaine said in an interview. In a Dec. 8 meeting, the U.S. lawmakers pressed members of Giammatteis cabinet to guarantee a democratic transfer of power. The Guatemalans agreed. But an hour later, a prosecutor declared the results of the August election null and void. We really felt like we were there trying to interrupt a train wreck, Kaine said. The State Department came out swinging, announcing it was canceling visas for nearly 300 Guatemalans. They included around two-thirds of the members of congress and some hard-line business executives. The measures were a game changer, said Estuardo Porras-Zadik, a progressive Guatemalan businessman. The people who have their visas revoked are put into a box marked corruption - of acting against democracy, he said. Their kids are being affected. The U.S. had never acted this way before, said Quique Godoy, an analyst. Indeed, Guatemala had developed close ties to the administration of Donald Trump, which remained largely silent as Guatemalan authorities shuttered a high-profile anti-corruption commission that had received millions of dollars in U.S. funding. Human rights advocates say the Biden administrations efforts in Guatemala, while admirable, are at odds with some of its actions elsewhere - notably, in neighboring El Salvador. U.S. officials have publicly praised relations with the government of President Nayib Bukele, even as hes led a crackdown on gangs widely criticized for its brutality. They seem to think its not worth fighting with him over anything, because hes popular, Olson said. (A senior State Department official said the administration had been clear in private and public about our concerns.) The U.S. policy in Guatemala wasnt without risks. Giammattei was so incensed he considered kicking out the top American diplomat, Charge daffaires Patrick Ventrell, according to the Guatemalan newspaper La Hora. The policy was carried out by Ventrell and a group of other veteran Latin America hands, a team that knew one another, that had a lot of confidence in each other, said Ricardo Zuniga, a former U.S. envoy to Central America. Among the key figures was Brian Nichols, the State Departments top Latin America official. Nichols was supportive of taking risks to support democracy, Zuniga said. They dont always pay off. Cars burn after a Russian rockets attack that hit a hotel in Kharkiv, Ukraine, late on Jan. 10, 2024. According to reports on Saturday, Jan. 13, some 40 Russian missiles and drones of various types were launched nationwide and air defense said it shot down eight missiles. Another 20 or more failed to achieve their targets due to active work of jamming, Ukraine said. (Ukrainian Emergency Service) (Tribune News Service) Ukraine suffered its third large-scale aerial barrage of the new year, with the escalation of attacks from Kremlin forces coming at a time harsh weather leaves millions vulnerable to power outages. Russian military jets fired Kinzhal ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at targets across the country early on Saturday, Ukrainian Air Force command said on Telegram. Forty missiles and drones of various types were launched nationwide and air defense said it shot down eight missiles. Another 20 or more failed to achieve their targets due to active work of jamming, Ukraine said. Explosions were heard in the northern region of Chernihiv, the western areas of Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Rivne, and in the Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions in central Ukraine as air defense was working, according to local authorities. Russias defense ministry said in a statement that it had targeted Ukraines military-industrial complex with major hypersonic missiles and drone strikes, but offered no additional details. After months of relatively few air strikes, Russia ramped up its bombardment campaign just before the new year. Since then it has fired hundreds of missiles at cities across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, killing more than 45 and wounding dozens of civilians and damaging houses. The air campaign coincides with the arrival of much colder weather, leaving millions of Ukrainians at risk from the loss of heat and electricity if power infrastructure is damaged. Temperatures were around -13 C (8.6 F) in central Ukraine and as low as -18 C (-0.4 F) in the east on Saturday morning, according to Weather Center. Ukraines western neighbor Poland and allies scrambled jets as Moscow launched Saturdays attack because debris of Russias missiles and drones have fallen on the European Union states territory on several occasions. Russia launched the latest strikes hours after U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a surprise visit to Kyiv to announce a new security commitment and a pledge of 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) of military aid next year. Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also signed a 10-year security cooperation agreement as Ukraine seeks to repel Russian forces who invaded almost two years ago. Stephane Sejourne, appointed this week as Frances foreign minister in a cabinet reshuffle, is also expected to visit Kyiv this weekend. Separately, Kyiv said preliminary evidence showed Moscows forces likely used missiles provided by North Korea in the Jan. 2 attack on Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city. South Koreas defense minister said on Thursday that Pyongyang is looking to step up military cooperation with Russia by sending new types of tactical guided missiles in hopes of securing substantial aid to keep its economy afloat. With assistance from Maciej Martewicz. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An F/A-18 Super Hornet launches from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on Jan. 12, 2024, to target Iranian-backed Houthi militant sites in Yemen, in a screenshot from a video posted by U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Central Command) WASHINGTON Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile into the Red Sea on Friday, a day after U.S. and British forces launched strikes in Yemen in response to weeks of attacks from the militant group on commercial shipping lanes, a Joint Staff general said. My guess is that the Houthis are trying to figure things out on the ground and try to determine what capabilities exist for them, Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of the Joint Staff, told reporters. I would expect they would attempt some sort of retaliation. Honestly, I would hope they wouldnt. U.S. and British armed forces, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, launched the retaliatory strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday at about 2:30 a.m. local time. The coordinated military assault comes just a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Iran-backed Houthis to stop attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea or face potential military action. Attacks stopped for several days. But on Tuesday, Houthis fired their largest barrage of drones and missiles targeting ships in the Red Sea. U.S. and British ships and American fighter jets responded and shot down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and an anti-ship missile. On Thursday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, which was seen by a commercial vessel but did not hit the ship. The anti-ship ballistic missile fired Friday also did not hit anything. U.S. Air Forces Central said Thursday that the U.S.-led attack against the Houthis struck more than 60 targets at 16 sites in Yemen, including command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. Sims said Friday that an additional 12 Houthi locations were targeted in addition to the 16 sites previously reported. The number of casualties we dont expect to be very high. This was not necessarily about casualties as much as it was degrading capability that is impeding the freedom of navigation in international waters, he said. Sims also said several aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Three of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group participated in the strikes. Guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and destroyers USS Mason and USS Gravely, which are part of the carrier strike group, also took part. An Ohio-class, guided-missile submarine was also involved in the attack. The strikes occurred while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he has been for nearly two weeks recovering from complications from prostate cancer surgery. Austin, 70, has come under scrutiny for failing to notify President Joe Biden and other U.S. officials about his illness and hospital stay. The White House was not told of Austins early December diagnosis or his late December surgery, which required him to go under general anesthesia, until this week. Austins hospitalization on Jan. 1 was not disclosed to top Pentagon officials, the White House, lawmakers or the public for several days. After the Houthis attack on Tuesday, Austin conducted a phone call with Air Force Gen. Charles CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, who commands U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Austin gave the order Thursday to Kurilla to execute the strikes following Bidens authorization, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman. He monitored them from his hospital room in real time via a full suite of secure communication capabilities, Ryder said. Pedestrians walk on the frozen pavement at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Jan. 12, 2024. Environment Canada issued weather warnings, statements and watches in every province and territory across the country on Friday morning. Extreme cold is an issue on the West Coast, in the Prairies and in northern Canada, where it may feel as cold as minus 55 Celsius, CTV News reported. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) OTTAWA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Another winter storm is spreading across Canada's Ontario and Quebec Friday evening through to Sunday, CTV News reported Friday. The heavy snowfall and extreme winds are expected to produce road hazards and up to 30 centimetres of snow in some regions, said CTV News. "We're talking about a system that is slowly edging its way into Ontario and Quebec," Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng was quoted as saying. "It's already affecting much of the Midwest, and much of the southern U.S. as well." Cheng said snowfall warnings were issued in southern Quebec, along with a winter storm warning for the capital city of Ottawa, north of the Ottawa Valley, and areas near Lake Huron. "We also have special weather statements from Quebec City all the way to far-eastern Quebec," he said. "We still have a winter weather travel advisory for areas along the shores of Lake Ontario towards London and also for areas in northeastern Ontario, including Timmons." Environment Canada issued weather warnings, statements and watches in every province and territory across the country on Friday morning. Extreme cold is an issue on the West Coast, in the Prairies and in northern Canada, where it may feel as cold as minus 55 Celsius, CTV News reported. A pedestrian walks on the frozen pavement at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Jan. 12, 2024. Environment Canada issued weather warnings, statements and watches in every province and territory across the country on Friday morning. Extreme cold is an issue on the West Coast, in the Prairies and in northern Canada, where it may feel as cold as minus 55 Celsius, CTV News reported. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) Pedestrians walk on the frozen pavement at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Jan. 12, 2024. Environment Canada issued weather warnings, statements and watches in every province and territory across the country on Friday morning. Extreme cold is an issue on the West Coast, in the Prairies and in northern Canada, where it may feel as cold as minus 55 Celsius, CTV News reported. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) Jon Tester attends a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on Feb. 9, 2023. (Win McNamee, Getty Images/TNS) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) Montana Sen. Jon Tester renewed his demands for the White House to clamp down on sales of U.S. farmland to China following a report this week that a Chinese billionaire is among Americas biggest landowners. Tester, a Democrat, issued a statement Friday calling for Congress to block foreign adversaries from buying U.S. farmland and agribusinesses. The Land Report on Monday listed Chinese billionaire Chen Tianqiao as the countrys 82nd-largest land owner and second-biggest foreign owner. Chen, 50, who made his fortune from a company that made online video games, owns 198,000 acres of Oregon timberland that he purchased in 2015. While we learn more about the specifics around this unfolding situation, it highlights the need for Congress to do more to protect American agricultural security, Tester said in the statement. A call to Chens California office seeking comment wasnt immediately returned. Tester said he issued a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking them to review Chens purchase and suggest ways to strengthen the tracking and vetting of large land sales to foreign buyers. Tester co-sponsored a bill last year with Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, to ban entities from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from buying U.S. agricultural land or businesses. The legislation was added to the defense spending bill and passed the Senate by a wide margin but was stripped out of the final version by House Republicans. Foreign ownership of U.S. land, particularly land used for farming, has become an increasingly contentious topic in recent years. About 40 million acres of American agricultural land was owned by non-U.S. interests as of 2021, according to the most recent Department of Agriculture data, with entities from China owning the equivalent of 0.03% of all U.S. farmland. Daniel Flatley contributed to this report. 2024 Bloomberg LP Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends a Congressional House hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 28, 2023. Ocasio-Cortez on Jan. 10, 2024, said Rep. Nancy Mace had no business purporting to speak about racism by telling Hunter Biden that he was the epitome of white privilege. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) (Tribune News Service) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wednesday trashed a white Republican colleague for saying Hunter Biden is the epitome of white privilege after President Joe Bidens son crashed a congressional hearing. The firebrand progressive lawmaker denounced Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., for playing the race card in attacking Hunter Biden. Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx, said Mace has no business purporting to speak about racism when she joined GOP allies in disbanding a subcommittee focusing on civil rights. (It) gives the whole game away, Ocasio-Cortez said. We give flowery words, but at the end of the day, participate in the structural erosion of the rights and representation of people that are marginalized. Dallas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who is Black, made her feelings about Mace even plainer. Yall dont know what white privilege looks like, she said. Mace delivered a stinging and R-rated attack on Hunter Biden after he made a surprise appearance at a Capitol Hill hearing at which Republicans moved ahead with contempt charges for his snubbing demands for a closed-door deposition. You are the epitome of white privilege. Coming into the oversight committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a congressional subpoena to be deposed, Mace said angrily as Hunter Biden sat in the gallery. What are you afraid of? Mace demanded. You have no balls. Once known as a maverick who occasionally criticized former President Trump, Mace has recently veered sharply to the right. Responding to the barbs from her Democratic colleagues, she asserted that she has long been a voice for racial justice and represents a racially diverse Charleston-based district. I take great pride as a white female Republican to address the inadequacies in our country, Mace said. The back-and-forth was mostly a side show to the hearing on Hunter Biden. He has agreed to testify but wants to do so in public, while Republicans insist on grilling him behind closed doors. The GOP-led House oversight and judiciary committees both passed contempt charges on party line votes. If the full House votes to hold Hunter Biden in contempt, it will be up to federal prosecutors to decide whether to proceed with criminal charges. 2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. He is the third person to be charged with the murder. A 17-year-old youth has been charged with the murder of gunman Tristan Sherry, who was killed following a shooting at a Dublin restaurant in which another man was fatally injured on Christmas Eve. The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was remanded to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus following a brief hearing before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Saturday morning. He is the third person to be charged with the murder. Sherry, 26, was killed following a shooting inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown in which another man, Jason Hennessy Snr, 48, was fatally injured. The teenager will appear at the Children's Court on Wednesday. He has the automatic right to anonymity because he is under 18, and mandatory reporting restrictions under section 93 of the Children Act apply. Detective Garda, Tom McCarrick of Blanchardstown station, told Judge Kelly that the teenager was charged shortly after midnight in the presence of his mother, and he "made no reply to the charge after caution", and he was handed a true copy of the charge sheet. The District Court does not have the power to consider bail in a murder case, which requires a High Court application. Defence solicitor Brian Tunney asked her to adjourn the case so the teenager could appear before the Children's Court in Smithfield on Wednesday morning. The judge said the teenager was entitled to legal aid and noted there was no garda objection. She assigned solicitor Simon Fleming to represent him. The boy, wearing a grey tracksuit, sat silently at the side of the courtroom throughout the hearing. His mother accompanied him, and Judge Kelly remarked that it was "very important" that she was there. Parents, guardians, or a responsible adult must attend criminal proceedings with juvenile defendants unless they have been excused for a valid reason. The Children Act also states, "No report shall be published or included in a broadcast which reveals the name, address or school of any child concerned in the proceedings or includes any particulars likely to lead to the identification of any child concerned in the proceedings." Father of one, Sherry, 26, was attacked after opening fire inside Browne's Steakhouse and was pronounced dead at the scene. Jason Hennessy Snr was shot in the neck and upper body while having a meal with family and friends. Mr Hennessy, from Corduff in west Dublin, was rushed to hospital, but his condition deteriorated, and he passed away last week, resulting in gardai commencing a separate murder probe. Two men were charged earlier with the murder of Mr Sherry; another had related charges; they remain in custody on remand. Co-defendants David Amah, 18, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin and Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, have been charged with the murder of Sherry. But Wayne Deegan, 25, of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, was charged 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 Browne's Steakhouse on December 24. Mr Deegan unsuccessfully applied for bail on Friday at a hearing in which a court heard he claimed he "acted in self-defence". The three men will appear again in court later this month. Earlier this week, another male was arrested but released from Garda custody pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Ciara Lynch is the partner of Dessie Dundon (40), who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of rival crime figure Kieran Keane in 2003. The girlfriend of convicted killer Dessie Dundon will be sentenced later this year after being caught with 50,000 in a cash handover during a garda surveillance operation. Limerick woman Ciara Lynch (33) and her life-long friend Kathleen OReilly (42) were arrested after the money transfer at the Midway Food Court in Portlaoise, Co Laois, on April 6, 2020. Both later pleaded guilty to a single count of money laundering and appeared before Portlaoise Circuit Court yesterday. Lynch, of OMalley Park, Limerick, is the partner of Dessie Dundon (40), who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of rival crime figure Kieran Keane in 2003. One of the Dundon brothers involved in the deadly Limerick feud, he is currently being held in the progression unit of Mountjoy Prison, where he has been visited regularly by Lynch. During yesterdays sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Ger Galway gave evidence that an investigation arose from confidential information about the transfer of a large sum of cash. At 1pm on the day of the offence, gardai were watching the Midway Food Court when a car parked up. Kathleen O'Reilly leaving Portlaoise Court Over an hour later, a white Mercedes A-class with altered registration plates and driven by Ciara Lynch arrived. OReilly, of Castletroy Halting Site, Limerick, was in the front passenger seat. Gardai observed a man approach the Mercedes with a Mr Price shopping bag and hand it through the front passenger window of the car. The car was then driven away but was stopped by gardai on the M7 travelling in the Limerick direction. Gardai recovered 50,000 in used 50 notes from the Mercedes and Lynch and OReilly were arrested. The court heard Lynch replied No comment to all questions and that an analysis of her phone showed a WhatsApp call with one of the men in the other car. Dessie Dundon In garda interviews, OReilly said only that she was in Portlaoise to go shopping and denied having any knowledge of the 50,000 cash handover. Det Gda Galway said neither woman had any history of gainful employment in many years and both are in receipt of social welfare. The court heard Lynch has three previous convictions, including for violent disorder and assault, while her co-accused has 31 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences. Under cross-examination, the detective accepted OReilly is not a member of a criminal gang in Limerick or anywhere else, and that she had no role in organising the handover of money. When Judge Keenan Johnson asked about the link between both women, he was told they are life-long friends. Testimony was given that both women work with the Limerick Traveller Network, described as a group of women working on community development programmes, with both having the highest attendances of the group. Judge Johnson described Lynch as the more culpable of the pair, adding that he had not decided yet if a custodial sentence was appropriate or not. He added that it was a serious offence involving a significant sum of money that assists serious criminals. The judge also said such offending is a serious attack on the safety of society at large, which is why the sanctions are so high, with a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment. Sentencing was adjourned to June for probation reports to be completed, with both women remanded on continuing bail. Two men charged in relation to the garda investigation remain before the courts. GAZA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 Palestinians were killed after Israel attacked a house in Gaza City on Saturday morning, the state-run Palestine TV reported. The report, citing a statement from Palestinian Civil Defense, said that "the bodies of 20 martyrs were recovered as a result of the Israeli bombing of a house in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City." The Al-Daraj neighborhood in central Gaza City has witnessed clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in recent days, local sources told Xinhua. Natahn Masinga, an apprentice electrician of Drumcairn Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assault and burglary. Nathan Masinga of Drumcairn Park, Tallaght, was charged with assault and burglary A father-of-one broke into his ex-partners home, burgled it and struck her on the ear after she refused to let him in, a court heard. Nathan Masinga (25) climbed in through the kitchen window and hit his childs mother during the dispute. Judge John Hughes gave him a four-month suspended sentence and told him to pay 1,900 compensation at Dublin District Court. Masinga, an apprentice electrician of Drumcairn Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assault and burglary. Garda Niall White said he went to the victims home in Rialto on May 31, 2022. She told him Masinga had arrived that day and when she refused him entry, he kicked the front door and climbed in through the kitchen window. He struck her on the ear before leaving the apartment with two jackets and a phone. He returned them on a later date. The victim suffered light bruising to the left side of her head and was treated in hospital. Judge Hughes asked if the assault had been a punch and the garda said it was a strike of some sort but he was not sure. Masingas only prior conviction was for a motoring offence. The court heard the accused and the victim had been in a relationship for a number of years. Masinga said he had gone to the apartment to bring supplies as requested but was then told he was not welcome. He was remorseful and accepted what he did was wrong, his lawyer said. Judge Hughes said for some extraordinary reason the accused had seen fit to climb into the victims home and assault her. He noted that Masinga had previously pleaded not guilty and protested his innocence up to the date of the hearing. The court heard gardai were called to Penneys on Mary Street after Leanne Freeman put 34 worth of cosmetics into a bag and left without paying. A shopper who forgot to pay for cosmetics, then left the store because she was under time pressure has been spared a theft conviction. Leanne Freeman (36) returned to pay when she realised her mistake, but then saw the long queue and foolishly decided to leave, her defence said. Judge Cephas Power dismissed the case under the Probation of Offenders Act. Freeman, of Deansrath Grove, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to theft. Dublin District Court heard gardai were called to Penneys on Mary Street after Freeman put 34 worth of cosmetics into a bag and left without paying. She was stopped by security, gardai arrived and she was arrested and charged. She had previous convictions. On the day, the accused had made a large number of purchases and as she left the shop, she realised she had forgotten to pay for a relatively small item, her solicitor Philip Hannon said. She went back to pay for it but there was a very long queue and she was under time pressure. She made a foolish decision to take the item and walked straight into the arms of the security staff. The accused had a difficult background, Mr Hannon said. She had been working for a number of years but took time off last year to deal with health issues. She was hoping to get back into employment. The incident occurred in the Mellowes Avenue area of Finglas shortly before 10pm Gardai are investigating after shots were fired in Finglas on Friday night in the vicinity of a property occupied by an innocent relative of a feuding criminal. The incident occurred in the Mellowes Avenue area of Finglas shortly before 10pm A spokesman for An Garda Siochana confirmed: "Gardai are investigating reports of shots being fired in the Mellows Avenue area of Finglas, Dublin 11, shortly before 10pm on Friday January 12, 2024. "No injuries were reported. The scene is being preserved for technical examination. Investigations are ongoing." A local source confirmed an innocent relative of the feuding criminal lives in the area where the shots were fired and said it is believed the incident was an attempt at intimidation. Its intimidation, pure and simple, the source said. This lad is a respectable hard-working fella. Its sickening targeting innocent people to get at a relative. May Tristans Soul Rest in Peace, the death notice reads. TRISTAN Sherrys family say he will be very sadly missed in a death notice posted three weeks after he was killed after carrying out shooting at a Dublin restaurant. Sherry, 26, was killed after he carried out a shooting inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown in which another man, Jason Hennessy Snr, 48, was mortally wounded on Christmas Eve. Tristan will be very sadly missed by his heartbroken Mam Mary and sister Savanna, beloved daughter ARIA, aunts Yvonne, Priscilla, Leona and a very wide circle of friends. May Tristans Soul Rest in Peace, the death notice reads. A teenager who appeared in court on Saturday was the third person to be charged with Sherrys murder. The 17-year-old who cannot be named because he is a minor, was remanded to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus following a brief hearing before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Saturday morning. Two other men David Amah, 18, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin and Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, have been charged with the murder of Sherry. Another man, Wayne Deegan, appeared in court on Friday accused of assaulting Mr Sherry, violent disorder and producing a knife as a weapon. Deegan, 25, of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, unsuccessfully applied for bail on Friday at a hearing in which a court heard he claimed he "acted in self-defence". A man in his 40s has been arrested in connection with the incident. Gardai at the scene of a shooting at Hyde Road Limerick. Photograph Liam Burke/Press 22 A man is in serious condition in hospital tonight after he was shot twice in the back in Limerick. The man in his 30s was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where his condition has been described as serious. He received gunshot wounds to the back and upper shoulder. After gardai arrived at the scene, it was sealed off and a male in his 40s was arrested. A number of searches were also being carried out in an effort to locate the firearm used. In a statement, gardai confirmed: Gardai in Roxboro Road are investigating following a firearms incident in the Ballincurra Weston area of Limerick City this afternoon, Saturday, 13th January 2024. A man, aged in his 30s, was seriously injured during the course of this incident and has been taken to University Hospital Limerick. A man, aged in his 40s, has been arrested and detained under Section 30 Offences Against the State Act, 1939 at a Garda station in the Limerick City. A scene is currently held and a technical examination is ongoing. Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward. Any persons who were in the Hyde Avenue, Crecora Avenue and Ballinacurra Weston areas of Limerick City between the hours of 4:00pm. and 4:45pm this afternoon and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) is asked to make this available to Investigating Gardai. This week, Patrick Caffery left the Training Unit at Mountjoy to pick up the pieces of his life having completed his sentence A man who sexually assaulted four of his nieces in a high-profile criminal case has walked free from prison after just over two years behind bars. Patrick Caffery, who abused his victims aged between 9 and 19 during visits to his Dublin home, was jailed for three years in November 2021. This week he left the Training Unit at Mountjoy to pick up the pieces of his life having completed his sentence. His sexual assaults over a 12-year period were described in court as persistent, nasty and insidious and he left it until the last minute to plead guilty. Three sisters and an older cousin, who waived their right to anonymity, gave powerful victim impact statements in court to explain how his creepy attacks had left deep psychological scars. Linda McDonagh, who had been the first and oldest of the victims, said when the abuse happened she did not know what to do. She said she was frightened, disgusted, confused, and thought he had done it to humiliate her and it created a chain of events of negativity in her life. She said the process of going through the criminal justice system after the abuse was first reported in 2016 had been so difficult it made her feel as if her life was on hold. Her cousin Fiona Odumosu said in her statement that she stood before the court to speak her truth which had caused her unbearable pain. She said the accused was an abuser who sought to prey on a young and naive child and he was such a textbook groomer he had convinced her she was the only one he had done this with. Ms Odumosu said she left Ireland for educational opportunities, but deep down she knew it was a way to get away from this predator. Siobhan Odumosu said in her statement that she repressed the memories of being sexually abused until her younger sister disclosed her abuse around Christmas in 2016. She said she started having flashbacks, her mind was instantly overcome and her world turned upside down. She said she was overcome by emotion, crying for days and could not process the enormity of what she had been through. Ms Odumosu said what she struggled most with is guilt and she has huge guilt about her younger sister. Grace Odumosu said the abuse happened for a long time and it developed. She said she was groomed and never got to have her first kiss, that it was taken from her. She said when she was a child, Christmas was her favourite time of year but that Christmas was destroyed for her because of the abuse. Ms Odumosu said when she reported the abuse in 2016 she thought she would feel free but it was extremely painful and not at all what she expected it to be. She said this process should not have been as hard as it was and the five years before the trial could have been avoided with the truth from the beginning. Caffrey pleaded guilty to a total of 22 counts of sexual assault committed against his four nieces on dates between December 1, 1991 and December 18, 2003. Judge Pauline Codd said the offences were opportunistic, but persistent and lasted for a considerable duration and involved a considerable breach of trust. She said each of the victims had shown dignity and courage by coming to court and giving accounts of the impact this has had on them. She said that at the time of the offending, the maximum sentence for sexual assault was five years imprisonment. She noted that despite his guilty pleas, Caffrey seemed to lack insight and sought to minimise his actions, meaning deterrence and rehabilitation must feature in this sentence. Caffrey was sentenced to a total of four years with the final year suspended. The attack came just a day before it emerged soldiers stationed at Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn had been banned from ordering takeaways to the base due to the dissident republican threat The owner of a takeaway pizza business has denied his shop was rammed and set alight by dissident republicans. Ciaran Kelly said such groups were not linked in any way to the arson attack on his Pizza Guyz premises on the Andersonstown Road in west Belfast on Tuesday. Its lies, I have been assured that its definitely nothing to do with that, he told Sunday Life as the rumours spread. He said the suspects are known thieves who have been operating in the Andersonstown area. In a social media post Mr Kelly said two people had been spotted filling the car with petrol just before the incident. Police said its believed a car was driven into the shutters of the shop, which was then burgled before being set alight in the early hours of Tuesday. A 31-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting arson but he has since been released on bail pending further enquiries. The attack on Pizza Guyz came just a day before it emerged soldiers stationed at Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn had been banned from ordering takeaways to the base due to the dissident republican threat. Following the attack on his shop, Mr Kelly thanked the local community for the outpouring of support he had received following the attack. 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. Rest assured we will be back up and running soon, we are going to rise from the ashes, bigger and better than before. The ban on soldiers at Army headquarters in Lisburn ordering in fast food came in a message that was circulated among squaddies stationed there that with immediate effect, all takeaways to camp are now banned. The message added: They are not to get food dropped off at the camp gates as there has been a threat made. Ministry of Defence bosses fear a repeat of the gun attack by the Real IRA which killed Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey in March 2009. They were shot dead at the gates of Massereene Barracks near Antrim as they collected a takeaway pizza delivery. Colin Duffy was arrested, charged but later acquitted of the killings while his co-accused, Brian Shivers was found guilty. Shivers conviction was later overturned on appeal and he was subsequently acquitted following a retrial in 2013. According to police, Bell has four prior bank robbery convictions, which has led to his serving more than 40 years in the Federal Department of Corrections The suspect has been identified by the Los Angeles Police Department as Bruce Edward Bell A 71-year-old serial bank robber who has already spent 40 years behind bars has been arrested after another hold-up. The suspect, identified by the Los Angeles Police Department as Bruce Edward Bell, was arrested on December 21 as he fled the scene of yet another bank robbery. According to a statement from the department, Bell entered a bank on Vineland Avenue in Sun Valley, where he grabbed an employee. He held them at gunpoint while forcing them to allow him gain entry to a restricted-access door. Police said that he had told the employee that if they didn't let him in, he would shoot them. The gunman in the bank "Once inside, Bell ordered another employee to fill his bag with cash," the LAPD statement said. "Bell fled from the location with over $60,000." On CCTV released by the LAPD, a man is seen entering the bank in Sun Valley holding what looks like a gun. A security guard is forced to crouch under a desk, as the intruder approaches another female cashier, ordering her to fill his bag with cash. The woman puts her hands up, then, after the robber speaks to her, begins using her computer. Soon afterwards, bank notes begin coming out of a cash counting machine on her desk. The suspect waits for five separate lots of notes, stuffing them into a carrier bag he has brought with him, and then leaves the bank. According to CBS News, witnesses called 911 to report that they had seen Bell fleeing from the bank in a 2002 silver Volvo sedan. Officers responding to the call spotted the car a short distance away and conducted a "high-risk traffic stop. The suspect has been identified by the Los Angeles Police Department as Bruce Edward Bell They were then able to take Bell into custody while recovering a replica firearm from inside of the car and a bag filled with $64,000 in cash. CBS News also reported that, according to police, Bell has four prior bank robbery convictions, which has led to his serving more than 40 years in the Federal Department of Corrections. He was released in 2021 and on supervised release at the time of the most recent robbery and arrest. Bell has been charged with second-degree robbery and kidnapping and was being held on bail of $1.6m (1.25m), court records showed. Investigators also believe that there may be more robbery victims and are asking anyone with more information to come forward. They have become the fifteenth and sixteenth members the criminal network which smuggled more than 104 million during 83 separate London to Dubai trips The convictions of two more men in a 100 million cash in suitcases smuggling conspiracy has marked the further dismantlement of a prolific and extensive criminal network, police in the UK have declared. Ali Al-Nawab (40) from Golders Green, London, and Mehdi Amrollahbibiyouki (41) from Finchley, London, were found guilty for their roles in the money laundering operation following a three-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court. They have become the fifteenth and sixteenth members the criminal network which smuggled more than 104 million during 83 separate London to Dubai trips between November 2019 and October 2020. The criminal conspiracy was overseen by ringleader Abdullah Alfalasi (48) who was jailed for more than nine years in July 2022. Adrian Searle, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre in the NCA, said the money carried in the suitcases was directly linked to the harm and violence associated with organised crime. The very purpose of organised crime is to make money. By going after it and those who launder it, we are targeting the heart of the criminal business model,@ Searle said. Those involved will now rightly also realise the consequences for them personally a criminal conviction. Evidence gathered from Alfalasis phone showed that Al-Nawab and Amrollahbibiyouki both worked as cash couriers who were paid up to 5,000 for each trip. They would be booked on business class flights to benefit from the extra luggage allowance and communicated on a number of WhatsApp groups including one named Sunshine and lollipops. Amrollahbibiyouki, who was arrested at his home address in April last year, made three trips to Dubai in February and March 2020. He had checked in 12 suitcases containing 4.3 million while evidence on his phones revealed that he had also been responsible for counting and packaging criminal cash totalling 11.1 million for eight trips made by couriers, including the ones he made himself. Al-Nawab was arrested in May 2022 as he was leaving the UK to travel to Turkey. He made two journeys in March 2020, checking in nine suitcases containing 3.2 million. Cash from criminal groups around the UK, which was believed to be the profits of drug dealing, was collected by members of the network who then took it to counting houses, usually rented apartments in Central London. The money was then vacuum packed and separated into suitcases. Each of these would typically each contain around 400,000 and weighing around 40 kilos. They were sprayed with coffee or air fresheners in an effort to prevent them being found by Border Force detection dogs. NCA senior investigating officer Ian Truby said: Al-Nawab and Amrollahbibiyouki were part of an industrial-scale money laundering operation that saw huge amounts of criminal cash smuggled out of the UK. Their convictions mark a further dismantlement of this prolific and extensive criminal network. Our investigation will not cease until all those involved are brought before the courts and made accountable for their crimes. Following their convictions, Al-Nawab and Amrollahbibiyouki are due to be sentenced at the same court on 8 March. Fourteen other couriers have been convicted previously. The NCA investigation has been supported by Border Force and the UAE authorities. A number of British couriers are under investigation in the UAE and have bene banned from leaving until inquiries have been completed by UAE law enforcement. She was the best mother in the whole world to her two little boys and she dressed them like two royals each and every day The funeral mass of the young Sligo mum whose body was retrieved from the River Garvoge after an 18-day search operation has been told how her two little boys were her pride and joy. Stephanie Sweeney (25) of Seaville on Finisklin Road, vanished just days before Christmas and her body was later recovered on the afternoon of Monday, January 8. At her funeral mass in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo, this afternoon, speaker Victoria said Stephanie was their hero, beautiful model and queen. I am reading this on behalf of Stephanies mother and father, Paddy and Teresa, she began, in a eulogy broadcast by Ocean FM. Paddy and Mary Teresa had six children. Stephanie was their second born. The doctors told Mary Teresa and Paddy before she was born that Stephanie was going to be a very small baby, Victoria said. On the way home from the hospital a song came on the radio with the name Stephanie in it and Paddy turned to Mary Teresa and said, that's going to be her name. And that's how Stephanie claimed her name. She was born on the 19th of January 1998, at ten past two in the day. She had the most beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair. When it came to Stephanies birthday at school Mary Teresa walked her up to the school gates and brought her into the class to her teacher. Stephanie was all excited at first with her little pigtails and school bag and thought Mary Teresa could stay. That all quickly changed when Stephanie realised that Mary Teresa couldn't stay and all war kicked out. She kicked and screamed and roared, ohh no, mommy I'm going home with you. From that day on Mary Teresa realised that she had a fighter on her hands. Victoria told how Stephanie had two sisters and three brothers, that she loved so much, just as much as they loved her. She was the most loving, funny daughter and sister, Victoria added. Stephanie was all about family and would defend her family to the last. Stephanie then went on to have a beautiful little family of her own. She first had Travis, her beautiful baby boy. He was the apple of her eye. Then she had her Angel baby Bella Mia who lived for two hours. Stephanie always talked about Bella Mia and she was heartbroken over losing her. She then went on to have baby Joe and what she used to say, (was) that he was her little birdie. She was the best mother in the whole world to her two little boys and she dressed them like two royals each and every day. Stephanie was so particular about Joe and Travis, especially when it came to the haircut. She had nearly been barred from every barbers in Sligo and had many fights with the barbers and used to say, you don't know how to cut the hair properly. They were like her pride and joy and you would only have to look at them to know it. Their eyes used to light up every time she entered the room. She used to tell Joe and Travis how beautiful they were and how much she loved them, and they loved her unconditionally as well. Stephanie had two sisters, Bridget and Margerite. They weren't just sisters they were best friends. Their bond was unbreakable and only the three of them will ever know how much they meant to each other. There was no stronger bond than a sister's bond, Victoria added. They laughed together, they cried together, they fought together and they always made up two minutes later. She used to call her sister Margerite her baby. Bridget was the big, little sis because Stephanies taller than her. Stephanie also had three brothers, John Patrick, Mark and Morching. She loved each and every one of them. She was their older sister if there was ever anything she could do she would do it for them. We could write a life story of you, our Steph, we will be here forever, love you. You played a big part in each and every one of our lives. So it's not goodbye it's see you later. Our Steph, you'll always be in our hearts. When your mother got sick a few months ago you said, mommy, you were my hero, but now Stephanie we would love to tell you that you are our hero, our beautiful model, our queen. Therell never be another like you, Victoria added. Your mother and father always want you to know you may have grown up and became a mother of your own but to them you always were and forever will be their beautiful baby girl. Victoria then asked everyone to stand up and give a round of applause for our Stephanie, our beautiful model. Stephanie was then laid to rest in Sligo Cemetery. Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula (R) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) attends a press conference with Bintou Keita, UN envoy in the DRC and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Kinshasa, the DRC, Jan. 13, 2024. UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, commonly known as MONUSCO, has started withdrawal, said Christophe Lutundula. (MONUSCO/Handout via Xinhua) KINSHASA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), commonly known as MONUSCO, has started withdrawal, said Christophe Lutundula, DRC deputy prime minister and foreign Minister. MONUSCO'S disengagement will take place in three phases, starting with a complete withdrawal of the military and police components of MONUSCO from the eastern province of South Kivu by April 30, according to a statement issued on Saturday after the joint press conference held by Lutundula and Bintou Keita, UN envoy in the DRC and head of the UN peacekeeping mission. The second and third phases of the mission's drawdown provide for withdrawal from North Kivu and Ituri, two provinces plagued by armed conflicts, with elaborated evaluation in between, reads the statement. "We are fighting for the withdrawal to be effective at the end of December 2024," said Lutundula. "After 25 years of presence, MONUSCO will definitely leave the DRC no later than the end of 2024," according to the statement. On Dec. 19, 2023, the UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 2717, setting out a comprehensive disengagement plan that includes three phases and the gradual handover of responsibility to the government. However, the UNSC has not yet set a final date for the complete withdrawal. The UN peacekeeping mission has been present in the country since 1999. It is one of the largest and most expensive in the world, with an annual budget of around 1 billion U.S. dollars. "For the first time, the UNSC adopts a mandate asking MONUSCO to begin its withdrawal from the DRC. This is a historic moment. We will spare no effort with our Congolese partners to bring this process to a successful conclusion. I welcome the desire of the Congolese authorities to make the disengagement of MONUSCO a model of successful transition of a UN peacekeeping operation," said Keita. I am of the belief that it is young people who are seeking shelter but they are old enough to know what they are doing Sinn Fein Councillor Pearse McGeough has condemned those responsible for causing damage at the local Church of Ireland in Castlebellingham. This beautiful Church has an adjacent building which is joined by a covered alcove. That alcove seems to be attracting an anti-social element as a shelter from the elements when they wish to hang out, Cllr McGeough said. Unfortunately, because the door to this alcove was locked there was damage caused to it by those who were determined to get into it. This is not the first time Cllr McGeough has been contacted in relation to damage. There have been similar occurrences in 2018 and 2019 when there was extensive damage done. What people tend to forget is that these are sacred grounds and as such there should be respect for the building and also those who are buried within the grounds. "I am of the belief that it is young people who are seeking shelter but they are old enough to know what they are doing and that the damage they are causing has to be repaired and paid for by somebody, he added. The people in Castlebellingham have no time for vandalism especially at a Church and a few mindless, immature people will not destroy our sense of community. The local councillor has asked people to keep an eye out and report any anti-social behaviour and also if you noticed anything around the Church of Ireland on the Sunday night before Christmas to let the gardai know. Stephen Henry Michael McParland and Alison Michelle McDonagh appeared at Belfast Crown Court to be arraigned on a single charge they each faced Two convicted murderers who went AWOL while on temporary jail release to "start a new life in the Republic of Ireland'' have been sentenced to six months in prison. Stephen Henry Michael McParland and Alison Michelle McDonagh appeared at Belfast Crown Court to be arraigned on a single charge they each faced. McParland (55), c/o of Maghaberry Prison, and Alison Michelle McDonagh (50), with an address at Hydebank Wood women's prison, pleaded guilty to being unlawfully at large from the prison estate on dates between January 21 and January 27 last year. The court heard McParland was jailed for life in 1997 and he was told he would spend a minimum of 16 years behind bars before he was eligible to apply to the Parole Commissioners for release. The conviction related to the murder of east Belfast man Gary Alexander McKimm following a row over 20. A previous court was told he laughed and shouted Die, die, die, you b*****d while he kicked his helpless victim. McDonagh was jailed for life and handed a minimum tariff of 12 years in 2006 for the murder of drinking friend George McDowell at a flat in the Rathcoole estate in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. McDonagh - who at the time of the conviction was known as Alison Michelle Martin - stabbed her 47-year-old victim in the neck after a row broke out. On Friday prosecution barrister Natalie Pinkerton told the court that both defendants had been out on temporary release from prison on January 21, 2023 but failed to return. A cross-border police manhunt was launched after the pair were spotted on CCTV at a train station in Belfast with a large number of bags and "boarded a train to Dublin''. CCTV footage of McParland and McDonagh "However, on January 26, 2023 they were returning to the jurisdiction on a train from Dublin to Belfast and were apprehended in Newry,'' said Ms Pinkerton. "They have been back in custody since then and that period in custody would not be taken into account as a result of any sentence imposed today. "Both defendants have been in custody longer than the minimum tariffs they received.'' Asked by Judge Mark Reel "what was this all about?'', defence barrister Stephen Toal for McParland described it as a "very, very strange case''. "He was on the cusp of early release. At three previous parole hearings the word 'sabotage' was used by various panels who believed that he had become institutionalised (in prison),'' said Mr Toal. "Each time he was just about to be released he did something minor that set back his whole release. So in this particular case it is very difficult to work out what he was doing other than that. "They went to Dublin, they met the Guards (Gardai), an unconventional extradition took place were the Guards accompanied them on the train to Newry where they voluntarily got off, met the PSNI and were arrested.'' Asked by the judge "what the large amount of luggage was about?'', Mr Toal replied: "They had plans to start a new life together in the Republic of Ireland. He deeply regrets it. "But it wasn't going to last too long. They had no recourse to funds and there were no state benefits available to them. It was always going to end up the way it ended. "He will have to earn the trust of the prison authorities again and the Parole Commissioners won't release him immediately.'' Defence barrister Patrick McTaggart said McDonagh was approaching almost 20 years in prison and is "now seven years post tariff''. "She was nine days shy of another Parole Commissioner's release when she went unlawfully at large and to say it was self-sabotage is pretty obvious,'' said Mr McTaggart. Passing the six month sentence, Judge Reel said: "Release on licence from the prison estate is an important feature of the operation of the prison system. "Prisoners who are released in such a fashion are released on trust and when that trust is breached by a prisoner there is an important public interest in ensuring that those who breach the terms of the release are appropriately punished.'' All Boeing 737-9 aircraft were grounded by the US FAA after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of its fuselage The lost door plug from a Boeing 737 Alaska Airlines flight was found in the back garden of a home (National Transportation Safety Board via AP) Japan's All Nippon Airways on Saturday returned a domestic flight to its departure airport after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737 mid-air, Kyodo news reported. Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport but headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport at around 11.20am, with no injuries reported among 59 passengers and six crew, Kyodo said citing the airline. This is the second such incident involving a Boeing 737 model aircraft in as many weeks as all Boeing 737-9 aircraft were grounded by the US FAA after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of its fuselage. The move comes after the Alaska Airlines plane blew out a window and a portion of its fuselage shortly after take-off three miles above Oregon on Friday night, creating a gaping hole that forced the pilots to make an emergency landing as its 174 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks. No-one was seriously hurt as the depressurised plane returned safely to Portland International Airport about 20 minutes after it departed. Flight data showed the plane climbed to 16,000ft before returning to Portland International Airport. The airline said the plane landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members. Earlier, Alaska Airlines chief executive Ben Minicucci said in a statement that the airline had decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft. United Airlines on Monday said it found loose bolts and other installation issues on a part of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jets that were inspected after a mid-flight blowout on a similar Alaska Airlines jet on Friday. 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. 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. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Max 9s operated by Alaska and United and some flown by foreign airlines, after a terrifying flight on Friday. 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 reappeared, Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said on Sunday. Katjas new Virgin Media One music show, Uprising, will be broadcast Friday at 9pm. Katja Mia hosts music show 'Uprising' and is on 'Dancing With The Stars'. Photo: Miguel Ruiz Television presenter and Dancing With The Stars contestant Katja Mia has said the opportunity to host a new star-studded show was a chance to prove to trolls she is more than just a diversity hire. Her new Virgin Media One music show, Uprising, will be broadcast Friday at 9pm. This is a way to knock away the haters. You do have to have self-belief, the model and influencer said. I get the same, Oh, youre the diversity hire. These are TikTok trolls and Instagram trolls. To be honest, I used to believe that for a small period, but then I remember Im doing other shows, especially Uprising. "It was such a big thing for me because its a way that I can prove myself again. Im still standing here. Im still going, Im still presenting. Im getting on to new shows as well. Its a testament to how I am on screen and how much I love to do it. Mia (27), who has had stints presenting Ireland AM and co-hosts Virgin Medias Six OClock Show with Brian Dowling, is currently being put through her paces on RTEs Dancing With The Stars. She said she was starstruck when she met fellow competitor Eileen Dunne, the retired RTE newscaster, during rehearsals. The one person I was starstruck by was Eileen, because shes just iconic, she said. I was like, Oh, my God. So excited to meet you. Youre so amazing, and she goes, Thank you. Shes so poised. And I was like, OK. You need to calm yourself down. Putting on her dancing shoes for the show has been all-consuming. Ive been dreaming of my dance. Its actually so scary, Mia said. Although she has no problem with mastering the intricate steps, it is the technique that she is most concerned about. Katja Mia on Uprising. Photo: Miguel Ruiz Picking up the steps is fine with the rhythm, but with the technique its pointing your leg that way, being flexible, which Im not, she said. Its all of those things that people are actually going to mark you on that will scare me. Mia said Wild Youths David Whelan and his dance partner Miriam Mullins were her biggest competitors. David, he can swing. Hes got rhythm. He has that stage presence naturally already, she said. It means a hectic schedule for the presenter from Blanchardstown, Dublin, who is now juggling Uprising and dance rehearsals. For the music show, she will interview some of Irelands biggest stars such as Hozier and Imelda May. Katja Mia on Uprising. Photo: Miguel Ruiz My first interview of the shooting day was with Imelda and I had to catch my breath sometimes because shes so gorgeous and so talented. She was almost telling me to calm down, she said. Presenting on her own is a milestone for the woman, who said it was a goal she wanted to achieve. It was a big challenge for me personally as a presenter in my own journey. But at the same time, being a lover of music, this almost feels like the perfect marriage. In 1987, after being diagnosed with HIV, she was given two years to live. Three decades later, she is more alive than ever, having also overcome drug addiction and a period in sex work. Rebecca Tallon De Havilland knows what it means to be different. She transitioned in 1991 and was one of the first transgender women to get an Irish passport. Between growing up in Dublin and living in London, she thinks Ireland is ahead of the curve when it comes to acceptance. Im kind of fed up with people knocking on Ireland, including ourselves. You know, Ive had the luxury to work in London and here. Do you know what? Were leaders in many ways. We need to stop looking at America and the UK and just move forward. We were a slow starter, dont get me wrong. But weve come a long way. Weve got a way to go, but were on the right road, and thats how I see it, she admits. Rebecca had a second lease of life after transitioning, as well as the second puberty that some transgender people experience as they adapt to life as their true selves. In 1987, after being diagnosed with HIV, she was given two years to live. Three decades later, she is more alive than ever, having also overcome drug addiction and a period in sex work. But youd never think from her sunny disposition and easy chat that she experienced such a turbulent life. She started out working as a hairstylist to the stars for fashion photo shoots and even the Eurovision Song Contest. She returned to these shores in 2022 after a spell in London and currently works with HIV Ireland on raising awareness of the virus in trans people. This year, she heads up Virgin Media Televisions new show, Second Chances, which will see seven people be afforded a you guessed it second shot. Rebecca helps people from all walks of life to navigate a new phase The four-part series follows the participants as they navigate a new phase of life, with Rebecca there to guide them through it. She takes them to meet professional counsellors but also puts them through immersive experiences designed to help them start over. The participants come from all walks of life, and have myriad reasons to embrace a second chance. This is my kind of second chance in life too, to be able to get it right, says Rebecca. Each person within Second Chances, theres seven different people, not one of them is trans and not one of them is HIV, which Im really delighted about too because people cant say its tokenism, you know? One is an amputee, theres another thats diabetic. One is recovering from breast cancer. Another one is a refugee who came here when she was 13 and is now 19 and studying law in Maynooth, she explains. Im hoping that people will love it and that well get a second shot at it and be able to help more people. Isnt that what life should be about anyway? You know, shouldnt we be trying to help other people? Isnt that part of who we are as human beings? she adds. The show has given Rebecca, who is now in her sixties, a chance to reflect on her own path, and consider the way things turned out in the end. She transitioned over three decades ago, but sometimes still gets people referring to her by her dead name or the name she had pre-transition. A few people have done it to me recently, and I think after 35 years, if you dont get the fact that Im Rebecca and that I have a vagina, well then theres something wrong, she laughs. Rebecca Tallon De Havilland with Marlon Every now and again I do get people reverting back to that, and I just think, what rock have you been hiding under? Sometimes I think its just ignorance, and sometimes I think people just do it just to create something. I mean, I dont fire back on it. People often say to me, Do you not feel bitter about the past? Theres no point in that. The past is the past. If situations hadnt been the same, I definitely wouldnt have ended up as a sex worker or as a heroin addict. Thats for sure, because that was never on my to-do list, she adds. For me, with drugs and stuff like that, the pain was so great that when I discovered drugs and alcohol, they numbed it. I never thought Id get 19 years sober, ever, I couldnt get 19 minutes at one stage. I remember my sponsor said to me, to keep it, you have to give it away. For a long time, that didnt mean dog s**t to me. I suppose for me, thats whats really important, is like, I am in a really wonderful place right now, she says. Second Chances is Rebeccas first turn as a TV presenter, but it never felt like work because the connections she had with the people involved made it all the easier. What I found amazing about the whole thing, its like if you said to me about these seven people at the start, what do I have in common with them? Id have probably said, well, absolutely nothing, Rebecca says. But I found identification, and they found it in me. I thought that that was wonderful, that whatever illnesses we all go through, all of a sudden they become colourless, they become genderless, none of us are exempt from any of the ailments, she adds. Its remarkable that against all odds, each and every one of them has that fight. I suppose for me, when I look at even the younger ones, even in the forties, Im 65 now, I just think wouldnt it have been great if there had been somebody there for me? Second Chances starts on Virgin Media One tonight. Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell says she is confident the new Government will address the citys remaining emergency housing concerns. She hit the mountain bike trails in The Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest, with new Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey on Wednesday. The National Party minister completed the ride in a suit, having come from a meeting with 15 Rotorua tourism operators about the challenges they were facing. He said they were still experiencing impacts stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic and use of Rotorua motels for emergency housing. Its really concerning to hear from them is that the flow-on effect now, even as the number of motels are greatly reduced with emergency housing, theres the perception and the reputational brand damage that thats done to Rotorua. He said Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka as well as Rotorua MP Todd McClay were working with Rotorua Lakes Council with its end goal of having zero emergency housing motels. Theyve come a great way, but theres still a lot more to do. This included work on wrap-around support for those in need. Doocey, the first minister for mental health, said he understood the implications mental health issues could have on housing and employment. Asked what needed to change to ensure quality visitor experiences in Rotorua, Doocey said feedback from local operators was that improving perception and promoting what the city had to offer were key. There is still quite a perception out there in New Zealand, if not internationally, that is affecting the number of visitors this area is receiving. He said visitors needed to know Rotorua was open for business. Come to Rotorua and you will get a really quality experience. Ive just been mountain biking in the Redwoods today a beautiful facility I think is second to none. He said perceptions of issues and the actual issues both needed to be addressed as they go hand in glove. I think the perception is real but youve got to address that as well. When solutions are in place and issues have been addressed, we want people to come back. He said the tourism and hospitality sector was a big part of growing New Zealands economy. He said he understood the pressures for operators in the sector as his father had been a hotel manager. Its a 24/7 job, 365 days of the year. Im here to be on the ground. Ill do whatever you ask me as a tourism minister how can I roll up my sleeves and get to work? Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell and tourism and hospitality minister Matt Doocey after a ride in the Redwoods. Photo / Andrew Warner. Tapsell, who stood for the National Party in the East Coast electorate before winning the Rotorua mayoralty, said she was stoked Doocey was game to jump on a bike. She said their conversation focused on tourism and the importance of it as Rotoruas biggest employer. We need to see continued support and investment into promoting us as a world-class destination. Asked if she felt Rotoruas challenges would be heard, she said she was impressed Doocey had visited so soon and he had showed a real willingness to listen. National vowed to end the use of motels for emergency housing on the election campaign trail. Tapsell said she spoke with ministers Bishop and Potaka late last month and discussed the need for an action plan. I do genuinely get a sense of urgency from them to address these issues. The council would confirm its own plan and the outcomes it wanted in the next few weeks. She said with a new Government there was a great opportunity to refresh the Rotorua Housing Accord, an agreement originally made between the Labour Government, the council and iwi at the end of 2022. While she said there was great progress from it, there were still concerns to be addressed. Details on this had not yet been discussed, but she said her most urgent concern was addressing any illegal tenancies in city accommodation providers and reducing emergency housing motels to zero. It is absolutely crucial we get this right. She said what it could do now was to invest and focus on promoting the city as the great destination that it is. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. In a move that has left local business owners in a Tauranga shopping plaza feeling blindsided, Tauranga City Council is proceeding with plans to remove roadside car parks and install a cycle lane in Brookfield. The owners say it is all without consulting their affected businesses. With a new school slated to open in the vicinity on Millers Road, tensions have risen as business proprietors in Jude Place express their dismay, fearing the potential fallout of diminished parking availability on their livelihoods. The Council havent consulted with us, and are meant to, says one of the Ridge Plaza business owners. They put out a message saying the community is happy about it but no one knew about it. I found out six months ago and sent them emails and I dont think they wanted me to know. They asked me how I found out and I told them. Theres a new school going in across the road, and the builders kept parking in our parking places so I went and asked them nicely if they could go in the school parking area and the guy said well youll have to get used to it as theyre taking away your parking anyway. Te Kura o Manunui School is relocating from 30 Millers Road to 72 Millers Road this month. The schools new location is larger and able to accommodate up to 750 students. Businesses at Ridge Plaza in Jude Place. Photo: John Borren/SunLive. The business owner says the absence of prior communication from the Council has fuelled frustration among these entrepreneurs, who now grapple with the prospect of losing customers unable to find convenient parking. One major concern is the safety of our staff who work late hours and would need to walk long distances to their cars in the dark, says one business owner. Staff and clients of Ridge Plaza in Jude Place use Millers Road for parking. Photo: Supplied. Weve been told theyre putting in a massive walkway and a massive cycle lane [on Millers Road]. I sent letters asking what is going on. And also saying my staff would have to park down side streets and its dangerous. They let us know just before Christmas it was happening. But theyve known for months and months and said theyre contacted everyone but havent. They sent the plans just before Christmas and we saw that there was no parking included. A map showing what works are being carried out. The business owner had previously sent a request to Council in June 2023 asking about whether yellow lines were going to be put in place along Millers Road, where currently many staff cars are parked. Tauranga City Councils Intermediate Traffic & Safety Engineer Obaidullah Noori responded on June 12 and 16. I asked around and I can say that we do not have any plan on hand at the moment. As school will built there will be some changes and yellow lines but the details are not conformed yet, writes Obaidullah on June 12. We have no plan for any yellow lines at the moment. Therefore I can not say anything at this stage. But once we have the plan then we can talk about it, writes Obaidullah, following a further request for information about parking options. The new Te Kura o Manunui School is across the road from the Ridge Plaza in Millers Road. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford. On December 7 a letter to Council from a Ridge Plaza business owner asks Can you please provide me with the plan detailing the changes to the road layout outside the Brookfield school? Obaidullah responded on December 8. We understand that you may have concerns regarding the works on Miller Road. We want to inform you that we have not shared any plans for these works with the community. However, as soon as we finalise the plans and confirm the timing of the works, we will inform the community through a maildrop. We anticipate being able to send this communication to the directly impacted community in the coming weeks and we will keep you posted, says Obaidullah in the email reply. The new Te Kura o Manunui School across the road from the Ridge Plaza in Millers Road. Photo: John Borren. On December 13, Jude Plaza owners Paul Robinson and Cheryl Renouf received a letter from Tauranga City Council about improving safety outside the Te Kura o Manunui School. The letter states: As part of the [schools] relocation, we will construct a raised pedestrian crossing and a wider shared path on Millers Road at the intersection with Jude Place as well as remove the two existing speed cushions and install raised speed tables. We will also install new yellow no stopping lines to prohibit parking within the yellow lines shown in the enclosed image. Parking outside of this area will remain unchanged. The speed limit will be lowered to 30 km/h. The council letter stated that work was scheduled to begin around mid-January 2024 and estimated to be complete by February 6, 2024. Street parking in Jude Place. Photo: Supplied. Paul says this week he has been told by Tauranga City Council that the Ministry of Education should have contacted the businesses and the owner of the building affected and completed consultation with the interested and affected parties. The council has also said that the people of the community have been contacted and are all happy about this, but no one I have spoken to in the shops and the surrounding houses have even been told about it which doesn't comply with the councils obligation to consult before commencing works, says Paul. To mitigate the effects of the proposed safety improvements Paul is proposing that the parking across the road in Jude Place be changed to diagonal parking for more client parking. He is also proposing the removal of the yellow lines on the left hand side going up Millers Road, and taking away the yellow lines down the side streets of Jude Place and Thornton Place for the staff and customers of his tenants. I am deeply concerned that the council seems to be prioritizing one ratepayer over and above the other ratepayers and businesses in the area, says Paul. My next step to consider is a legal challenge to halt the intended changes so that proper consultation can occur, and an appropriate solution be found to the benefit of all business and parties. I feel like the Council is doing it on purpose and trying to ruin all the Tauranga businesses. I wish they could just be honest with us so we could be more prepared, its so stressful, says a Ridge Plaza business owner. Ridge Plaza on the corner of Millers Road and Jude Place. Photo: John Borren. Tauranga City Council transport safety team leader Warren Budd says council informed local residents and businesses of the planned road strengthening, resealing and safety improvement works in mid-December 2023 by way of maildrop and flyers. These safety improvements were identified as part of the resource consent application seeking approval to relocate the existing Te Kura o Mananui School in Brookfield, and construct a new larger primary school down the road. The improvements include: -A new raised pedestrian crossing will be installed near the intersection with Jude Place; -A new 3m wide shared path will be installed on the southern side of Millers Road along the front of the new school; -Two new raised speed tables suitable for buses and larger vehicles will be installed. The two existing speed cushions at the top and bottom of Millers Road will be removed; -New yellow no stopping lines will be marked on the northern side of Millers Road (only the section in front of the school). With parking now prohibited, the existing shoulder on the northern side of the road will be used as a cycle lane; -A right-turn bay will be installed at the new school entrance to enable safer vehicle access; and -Update to the relevant signage to reflect the new changes. There will also be a dedicated drop-off and pick-up facility has been constructed by the Ministry within the new school grounds. Warren says the improvements will make it easier for our tamariki to cross the road, increase safety during school pick-up and drop-off as well as reduce the speed limit for cars during school pick-up and drop-off hours. Asked if a period of time was given for the community to respond with feedback and questions, Warren says: No period of time was given in the letters and flyers sent from us to the community. The entrance from Millers Road into Jude Place and the Ridge Plaza businesses is now closed off in the northbound lane. Motorists now have to drive down to the Solomon Street roundabout and return in the opposite lane in order to access the businesses affected while road works continue. Photo: John Borren. Asked how many people responded during a consultation period, Warren says: As far as we are aware, there was no consultation period. In response to Jude Place businesses concerns of revenue loss due to losing nearby parking for staff and customers, Warren says the private landlord would be responsible for ensuring parking is adequate for their tenants. However, we support local businesses, and will endeavour to work with the local businesses on a solution to their parking concerns. The work is weather dependent, but is expected to be completed by Tuesday, February 6. In response to Tauranga City Council transport safety team leader Warren Budd's comments to SunLive, business owners from Ridge Plaza say they are hopeful there will now be consultation with Council around the issues they are facing. "We are really hoping that the council does work with us and compromises to come up with a solution or it will result in loss of revenue and ultimately redundancies," says a Ridge Plaza business owner. "We look forward to the council working with us to endeavour to find a solution to the parking issue," says Jude Plaza owner Paul Robinson. MetService advises anyone out and about in the sunshine to remain sun smart: slip, slop, slap, and wrap, and make sure you have sufficient fluids to keep you hydrated, says MetService Meteorologist Clare OConnor. "Heat alerts will be issued for locations that are reaching their highest temperatures keep up with your local forecast to make sure you are the most prepared you can be for the day." But cooler air is on the horizon. A fresh southwesterly change early Monday will be in sharp contrast to the hot weather of the weekend," says Clare. "Maximum temperatures are forecast to barely reach the high teens early next week, in some places this is even lower than recent overnight temperatures, which might be appreciated by anyone who has been struggling to sleep this last week. Monday January 15 A front will move slowly northwards onto the southern and central North Island during Monday, while an increasingly humid northerly flow affects northern New Zealand. A low originating in the subtropics should also move into the area west of the upper North Island. This combination should bring areas of heavy rain to the North Island, however there is uncertainty as to which areas will most likely be affected. Consequently, there is low confidence of rainfall amounts reaching warning criteria about many northern and western North Island areas from southern Northland through the central high country to Kapiti and the Tararua Range, including the Gisborne/Tairawhiti region. Localised downpours are also possible. Tuesday January 16 The low is likely to lie west of the North Island, with a humid and wet northerly flow affecting northern and central parts of the North Island. This should bring areas of heavy rain to many northern and central North Island areas, however there is uncertainty as to which areas are most likely to be affected. Consequently, there is low confidence that rainfall amounts could reach warning criteria over all northern and central North Island areas from Taranaki, the central high country and Hawke's Bay northwards on Tuesday. Thunderstorms and localised downpours are also possible in these areas. Wednesday January 17 A humid northerly flow should continue to affect parts of the North Island on Wednesday, but there is continuing uncertainty about which areas may be affected by heavy rain There is low confidence of warnable rainfall amounts about northern and central North Island areas from Taranaki and the central high country northwards on Wednesday. Thunderstorms and/or localised downpours are also possible in these areas. Thursday January 18 2024 A weak ridge of high pressure should spread over central and southern New Zealand on Thursday, while the humid northerly flow continues to affect the northern half of the North Island. At this stage, there is minimal risk of severe weather over New Zealand, however isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms are possible over the northern and central North Island with locally heavy rain. NICOSIA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus is taking measures to prevent any retaliatory actions after air raid on Yemen by British military planes which took off from an air base on the island, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday. "We are on constant vigilance to ensure that national security remains intact. All those measures are taken from the beginning, not on the occasion of the specific event, so that there are no security issues in our country," he said. Christodoulides was replying to a question whether there was any possibility of retaliation against Cyprus following the joint American British operation against targets of the Houthi militia in Yemen, even though Cyprus was not involved in the operation. Four British RAF Eurofighter Typhoon planes stationed in the Akrotiri British Sovereign Base on the southern shores of Cyprus took part in the attack against Yemen early on Friday, along with U.S. ships and submarines which launched coordinated missile attacks against Houthi installations. The position of the British military, as stated in the British parliament, is that there is no "formal requirement" to inform Cyprus of the military and intelligence operations carried out from the bases. Christodoulides said that "unacceptable" actions by the Houthis against shipping in the Red Sea affect Cyprus and the European Union. He added that Cyprus is particularly vulnerable to the impact of the Houthi attacks on international shipping as 98 percent of its trade relies on maritime transportation. He further said that he hoped "that the conditions will be created" to end the conflict in Gaza and "for the talks to restart to resolve the Palestinian issue on the basis of the agreed framework." The launching of attacks from Akrotiri air base generated increased calls for mass participation in a protest gathering scheduled to take place outside the guarded entrance to the base on Sunday morning. The protest is being organized by the Cyprus Peace Council, a left-wing movement opposed to the presence of the British bases in Cyprus. "The USA and Britain have turned Cyprus into an aggressive launching pad against the peoples of the region. The US-British air strikes ... from the Akrotiri military bases expose Cyprus and make it part of the danger of a general flare-up in the Middle East," the Cyprus Peace Council said in a press release. It described the British bases as "a remnant of the colonial regime, crippling the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cyprus and putting the peoples of the region in constant danger, in violation of international law." The protest is being supported by left wing (former communist) AKEL party, the second largest in Cyprus, and also the Green Party, which called for the start of a debate in parliament for ending the presence of the British bases in Cyprus. Three Lotto players from Tauranga, Waitomo and Auckland will be celebrating after each winning $333,333 with Lotto First Division in Saturdays live Lotto draw. The winning Lotto tickets were sold at Clendon Postshop Lotto in Auckland and on MyLotto to players from Waitomo and Tauranga. It will be a night to remember for a lucky Strike player from Porirua after winning $1 million in Saturday nights Strike Must Be Won draw. The winning ticket Strike Four ticket was sold at Centre Food Store in Porirua. Powerball was not struck on Saturday evening and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $10 million. 17 Lotto players win Second Division Seventeen lucky Lotto players will be enjoying a boost to their bank account after each winning $15,531 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw. One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $33,158. The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold at West City Lotto in Auckland. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores: Store Location Woodys Winners Wellsford MyLotto (x2) Auckland Massey Unichem Pharmacy Auckland Royal Heights Dairy & Lotto Auckland West City Lotto (+PB) Auckland Four Square Glen Eden Auckland Supervalue Avondale Auckland Avondale Foodmarket Auckland Pak N Save Clendon (x2) Auckland Countdown Dinsdale Hamilton MyLotto (x2) Rotorua New World Otaki Otaki MyLotto Wellington MyLotto Dunedin City Anyone who bought their ticket from any of the above stores should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App. Lotto NZ exists to return 100 per cent of its profits to Kiwi communities through lottery grants programmes run by Te Puna Tahua NZ Lottery Grants Board. SUR Granada Saturday, 13 January 2024, 18:47 | Updated 20:17h. Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram It seems that the month of January in the south of Spain is quite atypical in terms of weather. The weather in Andalucia is already experiencing a more than notable change in many areas of the region. Juan de Dios del Pino, territorial delegate of the state weather agency (Aemet) in Andalucia, Ceuta and Melilla, has explained that the situation for the next few days is radically opposite to the Dana (high altitude depression) that we have recently gone through. As a result of the expected temperatures we are going to have a little bit spring in the middle of January. Del Pino maintains that the blockade situation affecting Europe is due to an anticyclone located north of the British Isles that will not weaken, in theory, until the middle of the week. This will leave a situation of stability and higher temperatures than normal for this time of year in Andalucia during the weekend. This Saturday, in fact, it was already be noticeable in cities like Granada, where 21C was reached, will climb to 22 degrees on Sunday. In Malaga, where 17C was reached on Saturday, temperatures will not drop below 20 degrees at least until Wednesday. The same is going to happen in Seville, where from 9pm on Sunday to 8pm on Wednesday there will be no significant variations. The situation in Almeria and Cadiz will be very similar to that of Malaga, with maximum values around 17-21C, while in inland provincial cities like Jaen and Cordoba the maximums will also be around 20 degrees. but minimum values of 5 degrees will be reached. Happy weekend, everyone. Were just getting into the thick of the new year, and all the promises and challenges it presents to New Yorks legal cannabis industry. Lets take a look at the stories we at NY Cannabis Insider covered. We ran a Q&A with Aaron Van Camp, owner of Dank 716 Buffalos first legal adult-use dispensary. During its first six months in business, the store has grossed nearly $5 million in sales and cultivated a larger-than-expected customer base. But while business at Dank 716 has been good, Van Camp recognizes some problems in New Yorks legal weed industry that could harm the statewide market. There are issues with product quality, regulations ranging from potency-based taxes to requirements for many cultivators to grow outdoors and business acumen among marijuana entrepreneurs, to name just a few. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider Newsletter Enter your email address to get exclusive reporting on NY's cannabis market delivered to your inbox: Tax attorney Paula Collins contributed a guest column, in which she writes about a little-known strategy (using Internal Revenue Code 471) that the states cultivators, processors and manufacturers can take advantage of to reduce their tax burden. In New York, IRC 471 might be one of the few examples in which it pays to be a cultivator, as opposed to a retail dispensary operator, Collins wrote. In another guest column Collins wrote, she explains the concept of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and whether licensed cannabis companies in New York should consider establishing one. I hate to be a buzzkill, but setting up an ESOP is a long, complicated process that starts by interacting with the IRS and 26 US Code Section 401, Collins wrote. Yes it is a lot more involved than setting up your Quickbooks for you. We took a look at a federal lawsuit filed against New York cannabis regulators by Variscite, a company that previously sued the state in a case that led to a partial injunction on the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary program. The state settled with Variscite in early December, promising the company an adult-use retail license. NY Cannabis Insider spoke to three marijuana-focused attorneys about how viable they find the new case, which Variscite filed on Dec. 18. While the plaintiff in the case has been previously successful in pausing cannabis licensing in New York via court injunction, several weed industry attorneys are nervous, but less alarmed about this lawsuit than previous court cases. Lastly, we posted attorney Jeffrey Hoffmans latest Ask Me Anything segment, in which he answered questions about the new federal Variscite lawsuit, turmoil among regulators and other topics. Have a great weekend everyone, well be back with plenty more next week. Rome, N.Y. Police in Rome police are searching for a possible rabid fox after three people were attacked by the animal, medical officials said. The fox attacked multiple people in the city of Rome, according to a Facebook post on Friday from the Oneida County Health Department. The attacks happened west along the Mohawk River and east of Black River Boulevard, officials said. The fox has not been found and the Rome Police Department is searching for it, officials said. The fox could attack more people. The fox may have attacked other animals, also exposing them to rabies, officials said. Officials said to stay away from any other animals acting strangely. The people who were attacked are receiving postexposure prophylaxis, which is a series of vaccines, officials said. The fox attacks come just a few months after a rabid fox bit people in Syracuse. At the time Onondaga County health officials begged people to come forward to receive rabies treatment. If someone is exposed and does not receive treatment they die a painful death, officials said. Onondaga officials knew people had been bitten after a video of the fox attacking someone surfaced. Oneida health officials ask anyone who sees the fox to contact Rome Police Department at 315-339-7780 or the state Department of Environmental Conservation at 1-844-332-3267. Anyone with health concerns can contact the Oneida County Health Department at 315-798-5064. Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com. BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson made remarks on the result of the election in the Taiwan region on Saturday. The spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has commented on the result of the election in China's Taiwan region, said the Foreign Ministry spokesperson in a statement. The spokesperson said that the Taiwan question is China's internal affair. Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change; the Chinese government's position of upholding the one-China principle and opposing "Taiwan independence" separatism, "two Chinas" and "one China, one Taiwan" will not change; and the international community's prevailing consensus on upholding the one-China principle and the long-standing and overwhelming adherence to this principle will not change. The one-China principle is the solid anchor for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We believe that the international community will continue to adhere to the one-China principle, and understand and support the Chinese people's just cause of opposing "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and striving to achieve national reunification, said the spokesperson. Tesla's Gigafactory in Texas is witnessing an uptick in production, particularly for the Cybertruck, since its inaugural delivery event in November. Drone footage by observer Joe Tegtmeyer showcased the bustling activity, capturing both Cybertruck and Model Y units in the outbound lot. Tegtmeyer reported a notable increase in Cybertruck production volume compared to the previous week. However, counting the trucks has become challenging as they are swiftly loaded and shipped immediately upon exiting the factory. The transportation pace is notably rapid, encompassing not only Cybertrucks but also Model Y units, Teslarati reported. The Cybertruck, which commenced deliveries at Giga Texas on November 30, initially saw a limited release of the "Foundation Series" versions. Subsequently, more units have found their way into the hands of Tesla employees and celebrities. Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk had previously provided expectations for the ramped Cybertruck production during Q3 earnings call when he said that it would be 12 to 18 months before reaching volume manufacturing and positive contributions from cash flow. Cybertrucks being loaded onto transports as soon as they arrive at the outbound lot! Production rate seems higher, but hard to quantify. More in testing & supercharger lot getting ready & 4 more on W side staging location. Cybertruck body on N end of paint shop. More in my video pic.twitter.com/VQkEtZT62E Joe Tegtmeyer (@JoeTegtmeyer) January 10, 2024 Tunneling Project Spotted Beyond the vehicle production update, the drone video also unveiled intriguing construction details. Tegtmeyer highlighted a potential shield holder-transporter or concrete liner installation figure, suggesting plans for a tunneling project at the factory. Further analysis indicated similarities to equipment from The Boring Company's Prufrock tunneling system. Tegtmeyer delved into the hardware specifics, referencing a permit discovered at The Boring Company facility in Bastrop, Texas, and exploring the implications for Giga Texas. The continuous progress in Cybertruck production and the potential tunneling project underscore the dynamism at Tesla's Giga Texas, offering a comprehensive view of the developments shaping the electric vehicle manufacturer's future. Read Also: SEC Hacking Incident Sparks Demands for Cybersecurity Investigation Red Sea Crisis Downs Tesla Stocks In a related development, the Red Sea crisis' impact on supply chains and further vehicle price cuts in China caused Tesla's stock to decline by up to 4% on Friday morning, according to CNBC. In the US, escalating labor costs and Hertz's decision to divest a significant portion of its electric vehicle fleet contributed to Tesla's challenges. Tesla intends to halt most production at its Grunheide factory near Berlin, Germany, from approximately January 29 to February 11 due to the conflict in the Red Sea. The ongoing attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia group on cargo ships and merchant vessels in the Red Sea, as a response to the Gaza Strip war, have disrupted global trade, leading to longer transportation times and creating a gap in supply chains, according to a statement by Tesla. Analysts from Baird estimate that Tesla's German assembly plant produces between 5,000 and 7,000 vehicles per week, projecting a potential impact of "a 10k-14k hit" on deliveries in the first quarter. The Baird analysts expressed caution regarding additional effects on Tesla's supply chain and are closely monitoring potential disruptions in shipping routes from China, although no delays have been reported yet. The Red Sea disruptions may lead to extended wait times as supply chains are rerouted, according to the Baird note. These challenges, coupled with other market dynamics, have contributed to the temporary decline in Tesla's stock value. According to Reuters, certain operators of tanker vessels decided to cease navigating through the Red Sea in response to airstrikes carried out by the US and British forces against Yemen's Houthi group. This cautious approach by some tanker operators is a response to the widening regional conflict stemming from Israel's engagement in the Gaza war. Additionally, contributing to the challenges in trade logistics, the Panama Canal is experiencing reduced crossings due to low water levels caused by drought, impacting another crucial maritime trade route. Related Article: Hyundai India Resolves Data Breach Exposing Customer Names, Addresses, and Vehicle Details 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The renowned electric vehicle startup from Geely and Volvo, Polestar, affirmed its commitment to keeping the Apple CarPlay for its in-car systems, unveiled in a recent interview with its CEO. Thomas Ingenlath exclaimed in their latest participation at CES 2024 that this commitment aims to offer customers in having a choice for the tech they have access to, keeping CarPlay available for all. In its recent interview, Ingenlath also emphasized that customers will get the power over the hands-free infotainment system to use, depending on their gadget. Apple CarPlay Stays in Polestar says CEO on CES 2024 According to a recent interview with Ingenlath at CES 2024 (via TechCrunch), the support for Apple CarPlay remains in Polestar vehicles, offering the system to its customers to enjoy and take advantage of from their EVs. This integration goes alongside the Android Auto, with both middleware in-car technologies highly accessible, and would be available for either device. Ingenlath also went as far as to question General Motors' decision to remove the CarPlay and Android Auto, while using the Google-built infotainment system. The CEO's announcement further strengthens its commitment to offering customers a choice, especially as it revealed in the showcase that Polestar EVs will soon roll out Google-built infotainment systems themselves. Read Also: Apple: Next-Generation CarPlay is Coming in 2024, New Cars Announced Polestar's CarPlay: Customers Have a Choice "It's still too important for our customers to have the choice," said Ingenlath. "Our priority is very clear; we have a really fantastic system together with Google." He emphasized that offering customers a choice is the right way to treat them. Ingenlath said that the Google-built system would not be a conflict with CarPlay, asking "Why would we try to dogmatically educate our customers?" Apple CarPlay and its Adoption for Cars While there are many companies that have already gone against adopting CarPlay or prioritized their self-made infotainment systems, there are still notable brands that remain with this technology from Apple. One of the most notable is Porsche, the renowned German automotive brand, and it went above and beyond by integrating more experiences into the feature. GM is one of the most notable companies that shunned the Apple CarPlay from its vehicles, particularly as the company is prioritizing the Google-built infotainment system that it is currently developing. This is something that the Ford CEO, Jim Farley, criticized in his recent statement, throwing shade regarding the decisions of their rival after the latest statement by GM defending its decision. Electric vehicles are among the top focuses of Apple and its latest developments in the CarPlay, integrating its system to wider and more intuitive displays in the cars which EVs mostly have, alongside improved features. With Polestar looking to affix itself to the car industry, one of its commitments is to keep the CarPlay in its cars, despite having a massive partnership with Google. Related Article: Polestar with StoreDot's 5-minute Charge Battery to Soon Test, Prototype Coming Next Year 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Over the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Maldives, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting a model for large and small countries to treat each other on an equal footing for mutual benefit and win-win results. A journalist from Maldives works in front of a screen at the Media Center of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) HONG KONG, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- On Jan. 8-12, Mohamed Muizzu paid his visit to China as president of the Maldives, marking a fresh starting point for China-Maldives relations. This year is also of special significance for bilateral ties as it marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's historic state visit to the Maldives in 2014. During Muizzu's China visit, the two heads of state announced that bilateral relations would be upgraded to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, a new starting point for China-Maldives cooperation. The two Asian nations are expected to see a leap-frog development of their bilateral relations and enable their people to enjoy more win-win dividends from bilateral cooperation. The China-Maldives friendship goes back a long way. In the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese navigator Zheng He, with fleets of ships, made it to the Maldives twice. Maldivian King Yusof also sent envoys to China on three different occasions. The island country was also an important stop on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Ancient Chinese porcelain and coins unearthed in the Maldives are historical witnesses to the friendly exchanges between the two countries. Over the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Maldives, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting a model for large and small countries to treat each other on an equal footing for mutual benefit and win-win results. During President Xi's state visit to the Maldives in September 2014, the two sides agreed to establish a future-oriented all-around friendly and cooperative partnership, steering the development of ties on a fast track. Nearly a decade later, Muizzu's visit to China has once again brought bilateral relations to a new height. The two sides will take this opportunity to jointly build a China-Maldives community with a shared future. Aerial photo taken on March 24, 2022 shows bridges built by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) in Hulhumale, Maldives. (CSCEC/Handout via Xinhua) The two sides now enjoy growing political mutual trust. While Muizzu re-emphasized that the Maldivian government firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports the Chinese side in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, China expressed its respect and support for the Maldives in exploring the development path that suits its national conditions. Deepened trust catalyzes flourishing cooperation. Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge and the Hulhumale housing project undertaken by China have been completed, benefiting the economic and social development of the Maldives and the local people. More cooperation documents were signed during Muizzu's visit to China, covering such areas as joint BRI cooperation, economic and technological development, the blue economy, the digital economy, green development, infrastructure and livelihood assistance. Since China resumed outbound tourism, the number of Chinese tourists to the Maldives has been on a rapid rise, accelerating the recovery of the Maldives' tourism industry. Statistics from the Maldives' Ministry of Tourism show that in 2023, the country received a total of about 187,000 Chinese tourists, and that in 2024, the number of Chinese tourists is expected to return to the top of the list. Resurgent tourism is the epitome of the closer people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. In 2023, the China-Maldives mutual visa exemption agreement came into force, further facilitating personnel exchanges between the two countries. During Muizzu's visit, China said it would add more direct flights between the two countries and accommodate more outstanding Maldivian students to study in China, and the Maldivian side welcomed such positive measures to promote people-to-people exchanges and expects more Chinese tourists to visit the Maldives. Looking ahead, relations between the two countries, which have stood the test of time, are bound to open a new and more brilliant chapter. KHARTOUM, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Saturday voiced its objection to an upcoming summit of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), scheduled on Jan. 18 in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, to discuss the situation in Sudan. "The government of Sudan believes that there is no need to hold a new summit to discuss Sudan's issue before the implementation of the outcomes of the previous summit," Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council said in a statement. What is happening in Sudan is an internal affair, and the Sudanese government's response to regional initiatives does not mean abandoning the sovereign right to solve the Sudanese issue by the Sudanese people, the statement read. It criticized the IGAD's failure to implement the outcomes of the recent summit in Djibouti regarding a scheduled meeting between the leaders of the two warring parties in Sudan: General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. On Dec. 9, 2023, the IGAD had approved during an emergency summit in Djibouti, the current chair country of the IGAD, that a meeting would be held between the leaders of the SAF and the RSF within two weeks, but later said the meeting was postponed for "technical reasons." Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023. More than 12,000 people have been killed in the fighting, according to a statement by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in early December last year. The IGAD has been intensifying pressure on the Sudanese warring parties to sign an agreement on cessation of hostilities to ensure delivery of humanitarian aid to the war-affected population, as part of regional and international efforts to stop the war in Sudan. The evolution of airplanes is soon meeting the most quiet yet to ever fly the skies, and this is with NASA's X-59 Quesst which it recently rolled out for the world to see. The plane was almost six years in the making, with NASA tapping into Lockheed Martin to co-develop and create the plane meant to be the quietest plane that can achieve supersonic speeds without loudness. Its likeness shows an impressive look at this development, with NASA looking to conduct its flight test soon for all to witness. NASA's X-59 Quesst Rolled Out from Lockheed's Facility NASA and Lockheed Martin have rolled out the X-59 Quesst airplane, and it finally shows the first look at its years-long development in creating a quiet supersonic ride in the skies. Quesst stands for Queit SuperSonic Tech, and for six years, both NASA and Lockheed worked on creating one that will not produce any noise pollution or loud sonic booms that are disruptive. The latest live stream from NASA details the progression of the project since it was conceived, and now, it offers an actual model that will soon go to greater heights. "By demonstrating the possibility of quiet commercial supersonic travel over land, we seek to open new commercial markets for U.S. companies and benefit travelers around the world," said Bob Pearce, associate administrator for aeronautics research at NASA Headquarters. Read Also: NASA and Virgin Galactic to Develop Supersonic Aircraft; Travel From NYC to Shanghai in Just 40 Minutes Test Flight Coming Soon for Quietest Supersonic Plane According to NASA, the next steps will be a test flight for the supersonic plane, and this includes integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing. The X-59 can reach up to 1.4 times the speed of sound or 925 MPH, said NASA and Lockheed. Supersonic Planes and NASA's Development Back in 2017, NASA and Lockheed Martin first revealed their plans to create the quiet supersonic technology on the X-Plane platform, and its goal is to achieve a massive feat, despite having minimal sounds. Initially, the team started by testing a 9 percent scale model of the aircraft, and it was fit inside an 8-by-6 foot wind tunnel and used mach-level wind speeds for it. After a year, NASA and Lockheed went ahead to develop the actual aircraft that would bring a significant change to how aircraft technology is made, especially for those capable of supersonic speeds. It is widely known that a sonic boom is heard from far places, but in this development, it would only have the sound of a "door closing," revolutionizing the use of these aircraft. The goal of NASA and Lockheed is to make this aircraft the quietest there ever is while going at supersonic speeds, and this has been one of the biggest challenges in making it possible. Now, the teams have rolled out the latest test prototype that embodies the years of research and work both did, soon to be running test flights that may finally debut the quiet supersonic X-59 Quesst. Related Article: [DID YOU KNOW] 'Record-Breaking Car:' Thrust SuperSonic Car Runs At 500-600 mph - The Only Vehicle To Break Sound Barrier! 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA and NOAA have officially declared 2023 as the hottest year on record, marking a concerning trend in global temperatures. The data presented by climate scientists indicates a consistent rise in temperatures, leading to extreme climate-driven weather events worldwide. The analysis by NOAA and NASA utilized surface data that included sea surface temperatures from ships and buoys, as well as air temperatures from terrestrial weather stations, providing a comprehensive view of climate change. NASA, NOAA Declares 2023 Hottest Year Since 1880 In a statement, NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record, surpassing previous records dating back to 1880. The analysis involves calculating annual global average temperatures and comparing temperature changes from 1951 to 1980. NASA said each month from June to December 2023 came in as the hottest month on record, with July ranking as the hottest month ever recorded. Scientists examined the primary factors contributing to the unprecedented heat in 2023, focusing on the long-term increase in greenhouse gases. Human activities like burning fossil fuels for over a century have significantly elevated greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. In May 2023, carbon dioxide concentrations peaked at 424 parts per million at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, marking a steady increase since measurements began in 1958. NASA noted that extending the record even further with ice cores, carbon dioxide concentrations are the highest they have been in at least 800,000 years. Read Also: NASA X-59: The Quietest Supersonic Plane Rolls Out, Flight Test Coming Soon Driven by Human-Induced Greenhouse Gases Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, noted that the warming trend over the past 50 to 60 years was primarily driven by "our changes to greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide and methane." The return of El Nino also contributed to the hot temperatures. El Nino, a natural climate variation, involves the weakening of trade winds and warmer sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific. While the recent El Nino was not as strong as those in 2015-2016 or 1997-1998, both of which caused huge global average temperature spikes. Global ocean warming, the long-term warming trend from greenhouse gases, and the start of El Nino played a crucial role in creating a new record for heat. "For the most part, it's us and El Nino... At the end of the day, humans are heating the planet, and El Nino is dancing on our heads," said Josh Willis, a climate scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The entire tropical Pacific, North Atlantic, and other parts of the ocean experienced hotter-than-normal temperatures this year. According to NASA, the ocean absorbs around 90% of the heat trapped by rising greenhouse gases, leading to a continuous increase in ocean temperatures, eventually raising global temperatures. Aerosols, which can impact climate by reflecting or absorbing sunlight, exhibited a global decreasing trend. Reductions in aerosols due to regulations aimed at improving air quality contribute to a slight warming effect. However, this effect is minor compared to the significant warming caused by rising greenhouse gases. Scientists also investigated the impact of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption in January 2022 on global temperatures. While the eruption released water vapor, a greenhouse gas, into the stratosphere and sulfate aerosols that can lead to cooling events, its overall impact on the record heat of 2023 was found to be limited. "We are very interested in the weather and extremes of any particular year because those are the things that impact us," said Schmidt. "But the key difference between this decade and the ones before is that the temperatures keep rising because of our activities, principally the burning of fossil fuels." Related Article: NASA's Fermi Detects Gamma-Ray Signal Outside Our Galaxy 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg issued an urgent appeal on Saturday, calling on all conflicting parties to exercise maximum restraint amid a dangerous escalation in regional tensions. In a brief press statement released by his office, Grundberg reiterated calls made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for all parties involved to avoid actions that would worsen the situation in Yemen, escalate the threat to maritime trade routes in the Red Sea, or further fuel regional tensions at this critical time. "The special envoy stresses the critical need at this time to protect Yemeni civilians and to maintain the momentum of the peace process that has been slowly progressing over the past year," the statement read. Grundberg's comments came amid rising regional tensions following recent attacks carried out by the Houthi group on commercial vessels off the coast of Yemen, which have threatened to disrupt vital maritime trade routes. The special envoy noted the increasingly precarious regional context and its potential to derail ongoing efforts towards a diplomatic solution to the years-long conflict that has ravaged Yemen. Grundberg urged all involved to exercise maximum restraint and to prioritize diplomatic channels over military options, according to the statement. Since taking up the post in 2021, Grundberg has been working to build on the nationwide ceasefire between the internationally recognized government and the Houthi group. Last month, the parties made renewed commitments to upholding the truce and working towards a peaceful political settlement. However, the recent uptick in violence has underscored the fragility of the situation and threatened to reverse any progress made so far. Grundberg stressed the need for continued dialogue and compromise to reach a negotiated end to the fighting. Mentioning that the country is still facing a dire humanitarian crisis, the statement called for immediate de-escalation by all sides, saying it was vital to ease the suffering of millions of Yemenis who continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. On Friday, the United States and Britain launched a series of strikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and other provinces under the group's control. The strikes came in response to the Houthis' recent attacks in the Red Sea on what they called "Israeli-linked ships" in a bid to pressure Israel to end its ongoing assaults in the Gaza Strip. 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Operation seduction of the head of Chinese diplomacy in New Zealand and Australia Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Houthi official said Saturday that U.S. and British forces flew spy drones "for hours" over the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, where conflicting reports of a new airstrike emerged. Ali Ahmed Kashar, the Houthi deputy governor of Hodeidah, told Xinhua by phone that his group saw more spy drones over the city from early morning to evening. He also denied reports from local and international media over new airstrikes on Houthi sites in Hodeidah. Earlier, local media said a navy base near the port was hit by U.S.-led coalition planes. Residents told Xinhua they heard loud explosions and ambulance sirens. They also said the Houthis deployed heavily in Hodeidah neighborhoods after the blast. The Houthi official made no comments on the explosions. The Houthis have reportedly used the Ras Kutheb base to attack commercial and military ships in the vital maritime region. Hodeidah, on the Red Sea coast, is a strategic city with one of Yemen's largest ports. The Houthis have controlled Hodeidah since 2014, and the port is a lifeline for humanitarian aid and commercial supplies entering Yemen. Earlier Saturday, U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg urged all parties to show restraint amid a dangerous escalation in regional tensions. On Friday, the U.S. and Britain launched strikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and other areas. The strikes were in response to the Houthis' attacks in the Red Sea on what they called "Israeli-linked ships" to pressure Israel to stop its assaults in the Gaza Strip. The civil war in Yemen has raged since 2015, causing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing famine. MAPUTO, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 61 young Mozambican students have graduated from Huawei's Seeds for the Future program after they finished a short-term training in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The graduation ceremony held in the capital of Maputo on Friday was attended by Mateus Magala, Mozambican minister of transport and communications, Wang Hejun, Chinese ambassador to Mozambique, and Zhang Junming, director general of Huawei Mozambique. Since the program began in the country in 2016, 15 percent of graduates have been able to work in national telecommunications companies, according to Huawei. Magala thanked Huawei for its role in developing the country's human and institutional capabilities. "We recommend Huawei to continue establishing partnerships with Mozambican companies in the telecommunications sector, paying special attention to the absorption of young Mozambican talents. The sustainability of telecommunications growth is in the hands of young talents who reveal themselves in initiatives such as the Seeds for The Future program," he said. The minister said the program tends to be more inclusive in terms of gender and regional coverage of the country. "It is our expectation that this program will continue to encourage women's participation in the area of ICT, recognizing the digital focus by gender." He added that the government attaches great importance to investing in the development of human capacity through the Seeds for The Future program, as it is necessary for achieving the desired digitalization of the country. "The Chinese side is willing to continue to plant the seeds of exchange, wisdom, and cooperation together with the Mozambican side in order to seek cooperation, share opportunities, and achieve development with the Mozambican side, continuously strengthening the basis of China-Mozambique friendship," said the Chinese ambassador. According to Wang, the aim is to firmly build a solid social foundation of Sino-Mozambican cooperation and better serve the long-term and stable socio-economic development of Mozambique, and this makes digital cooperation a significant driving force that can contribute to the improvement of the China-Mozambique Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. Alexandre Amade, one of the graduates and a student at Eduardo Mondlane University, told Xinhua that the training was incredible, and he was able to learn a lot. "It was a wonderful experience. Having this learning now opens our vision to these technologies. It has definitely opened my mind to what I can do in the future," Amade said. "May they continue to do more events like this, for us students, for young people who still want to pursue our future." Marlane Cheri Drake covers sensitive plant ahead of a cold airmass that will be blowing in from the arctic at her residence on Burdette Street in New Orleans, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, The weather could cause at least three hard freezes in a row in the New Orleans area this weekend. National Weather Service forecasters have predicted freezing cold temperatures Christmas weekend, the coldest seen thus far as fall gives way to the start of winter. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune) 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. Smartphones are approaching washing machine territory, meaning they are generally only replaced when they are broken. Ben Wood, CCS Insight Nobody is suggesting that Apple or Cook are in similar trouble. The company became the first business to hit a $US3 trillion ($4.5 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 $US97 billion in its last financial year: roughly $US11 million 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 8.5 per cent a drop worth $US260 billion in market value terms. The company is now facing a series of challenges that, together, represent perhaps the most complex in Cooks tenure. This week, analysts at Jefferies said iPhone sales in China were likely to fall by double digits this year. Supply chain sources suggest shipments were falling at a rate of 30 per cent, analysts at the investment bank said. It follows gloomy downgrades from 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. The new Huawei phone illustrates the dramatic increase in Chinas technological capabilities. Credit: Bloomberg 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 $US600 rose from 3 per cent to 5 per cent last year, while Apples fell from 75 per cent to 71 per cent a significant shift in what is a largely calcified market. Loading 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 Vision Pro mixed reality headsets. Credit: Bloomberg Yet, the launch will be a significant test of Apples selling power and its innovation credentials. At $US3499, 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. Loading 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. And so, when they were done visiting friends or shopping in town, my ancestors took great interest in Shag Rock as they plodded homewards. Was the sea level visibly high on the rock and getting higher, or was it receding? They learned to calculate what the tide was doing, and thus, what the river mouth would look like when they reached it an hour down the track. The coastal damage during heavy seas in 1994. Credit: Courtesy of the Vern McCallum Collection The rock was both tidal chart and clock. My ancestors would time their trek to reach the river at the lowest ebb of the tide. Whenever I pass Shag Rock these days, I pay attention for another reason altogether. I study it to judge whether a rising sea is beginning to engulf the ancient stone guidepost standing out in the water, left there about 36,000 years ago when a river of lava from a volcano cooled and solidified. Happily, it still stands above water when the tide is gentle, still offering a dry roost for shags, who suffer the indignity of having been lumbered with feathers that are not as waterproof as other seabirds. For how long might the rock remain a reliable guide, I wonder, a touch nervously? There is reason to worry. As anyone must know from paying even vague attention over the years to the work of climatologists, oceanographers, coastal erosion experts and practitioners of all manner of related sciences, the sea is on the rise, whatever denialists might wish. Cormorants on Shag Rock near Portland. Credit: Allen McCauley Only this week, The Age revealed the dire predictions of the Victorian governments Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment. Beaches, homes and infrastructure all around the bay are judged at serious risk of inundation over the coming decades. Almost five square kilometres of central Melbourne alone is at peril of sea level rise of 1.4 metres by 2100 and in one-in-100 year weather events. Docklands, Southbank, Fishermans Bend underwater! Multibillion-dollar challenges lie ahead for bayside communities all around the bay. And so, over a decade or so, I bore witness to what now is anticipated to be the future: the inundation of vast coastal areas through rising sea levels. The government, clearly alarmed at the implications, has only now released the report and its unnerving maps six years since the assessment was commissioned. If sheltered Port Phillip Bay is in such danger, what of the rest of Victorias wild coast, and that of the rest of the nation, and the world? Loading It happens I witnessed, a long time ago, a first-hand preview of the future. It was brutal and ugly. During the 1960s, down the coast a bit from Shag Rock, the sea began to reclaim the beach on which my brother and I, and plenty of neighbours and friends, had played happily for years. It wasnt exactly a matter of climate-driven sea rise, which we will explain, though it was caused, like climate change, by human behaviour. The effect, however, was precisely what is promised to lie ahead now for many coastal communities. Our wide and lovely beach was nibbled away. Dunes began to disappear as high tides assaulted them. Soon enough, houses were teetering where land met water. The first house to fall into the sea was undermined during a storm that came with a king tide one dark Easter night. Homeowners close to what had been a glorious beach faced a distressing choice: hoist their houses onto the back of trucks and haul them inland, or abandon the place and wait for their dreams to fall into the sea. With the sound of the ocean tearing ever closer to our home, turning nights into nightmares, my family and those neighbours who remained were saved at the last minute, though the beach was gone. Giant trucks called Euclids came bearing loads of big basalt stones. Load after load was dumped on the shore, creating a long and high rock wall. Ever since, the seas will to surge inland has been frustrated, its energy smashing itself against our stone wall. Further along the beach, however, where the wall stopped, the sea proved voracious. Streets and whole blocks of seafront land disappeared. For years, steel pipes reared above the waves a hundred metres from the shore. Here were the casings of bores sunk by householders the only evidence that the sea had gobbled house blocks away. Loading Every storm for years beyond caused more damage, until the stone wall was extended, only to imperil the beaches beyond. It was, as mentioned, not a matter of climate change, at least at the start. It was caused by disastrous planning approved by Victorian and local authorities in the 1950s. The Portland Harbour Trust, established by the Victorian government, was permitted to enclose the Port of Portland with long breakwaters built of rock. Erosion after a storm near Portland. Credit: Courtesy of the Vern McCallum Collection When the biggest breakwater, the K.S. Anderson wharf designed to harbour ocean-going ships was opened in November 1960, The Age declared it the greatest day since the first Henty landed, referring to the beginning of European settlement in Victoria in 1834. But the wharf, unseen, was trapping behind millions of cubic metres of sand that previously had swept around the coast to replenish the beach upon which my family and numerous others lived. It was a human-made disaster, this starving of the coast of its sand. But no authority revealed for many years how or why it happened. The then Victorian minister for public works, Murray Byrne, explained it away as late as 1971 as creeping erosion caused by abnormal high tides and storm conditions. It was, in fact, all because the CSIROs principal research scientist in 1956 made a fundamental error. Testing the course expected of sand drift, the scientist arranged for tonnes of rutile tailings a material easily traced to be dumped into the sea to mimic the way sand could be expected to travel. Problem was, the rutile material was of both a different shape and a different density to local sand, which rendered the experiments all but useless. How The Age reported a threat to homes in Portland in 1971. Credit: The Age The river of sand that had traditionally replenished our beach and beyond did not follow the route tracked by the rutile tailings, and piled up behind the new wharf. And so, over a decade or so, I bore witness to what now is anticipated to be the future: the inundation of vast coastal areas through rising sea levels. Loading We are, of course, already seeing the beginning of that future along great stretches of our coastline. Five years ago, The Ages Royce Millar reported the alarming news that key sections of the Great Ocean Road are at risk of being washed away, raising safety fears and calls for the Andrews government to reroute parts of the world-recognised tourist road. Things havent improved since. In late 2022, The Ages Benjamin Preiss reported that at Eastern View near Fairhaven, between Aireys Inlet and Lorne Victorias Environment Department is preparing to build a rock wall to guard against the erosion despite concerns rigid structures can worsen the problem and might even result in the beach disappearing underwater at high tide. Loading Meanwhile, the past year has been the worlds hottest on record, according to Europes top climate agency, Copernicus. The Earth was 1.48 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times, barely less than the 1.5-degree limit set under the 2015 Paris Climate Accord as the goal to avoiding the most severe effects of climate change. One of the most catastrophic consequences of the changing climate, of course, is forecast to be rising sea levels as polar ice caps and glaciers melt. ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Huge explosions rocked the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Saturday evening, local residents told Xinhua. Local media reported that the U.S.-led coalition conducted an airstrike targeting a key Houthi-controlled naval base near the city. Just when it was beginning to look like the Albanese government had chucked in the towel on improving the lives of Indigenous Australians after the failed Voice referendum, an exciting development was announced last week. Labor wants fund to help people in remote communities own their homes, The Australians headline read. In brief, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King has lent her support to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility co-investing with the Indigenous people of Bidyadanga, the remotest Indigenous community in Western Australia, to support private housing aspirations and business ventures. Making 99-year leases available on all houses on native title land in areas like Bidyadanga in Western Australia would be a huge breakthrough for Indigenous economic empowerment. Credit: West Australian Alternative Energy Bidyadanga will enable private ownership using long-term leases. Thats the exciting part. Because, as I wrote last year, the way in which the Mabo ruling on Tiwi Islands land was applied to create native title on Australias mainland produced a barrier to Indigenous people actually using the land they notionally own. The 99-year leases that will be available for private housing in Bidyadanga are a solution, alongside long-term leases of other lengths that community members will be able to access for commercial purposes. A Sydney man has been charged with grooming a child outside Australia after police searched his phone when he arrived at Sydney Airport on a flight from the Philippines. The 59-year-old, from Lurnea in the citys south-west, was detained at the airport on Friday, the Australian Federal Police said in a statement. The man was arrested at Sydney Airport on Friday (File photo). Credit: Peter Rae Australian Border Force officers stopped the man for a baggage examination upon arrival and found conversations discussing child abuse as well as child abuse materials on his phone, an AFP statement said. Police officers interviewed the man, who they say admitted to engaging in the conversations. Matt Golding Credit: . To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. Boycott call backfire The ridicule being directed rightly at Peter Dutton in relation to his call for a boycott of Woolworths for being allegedly less than enthusiastic about Australia Day may yet dovetail into the general disillusion still felt by many white Australians about the perceived injustice of the Coalitions undermining of the Voice to parliament proposal. Australia Day may arguably never be the same after what many consider to have been a massive betrayal of Indigenous aspirations. Duttons bizarre culture war diversion, evoking memories of a quaintly awkward time when it was acceptable for white men dressed up beachside in Governor Arthur Phillip costumes on January 26, runs the real risk of unravelling his PM aspirations. Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza Policy needed Here we go again. Peter Dutton accuses Woolworths of signing up to the Albanese woke agenda. Coalition culture warriors have form in developing new lexicons to confuse and divide. For example, in relation to issues like amendment of section 18[c] of the Racial Discrimination Act, what many Australians call common decency was labelled as political correctness. With 3 million Australians living in poverty, calls for a fair go have been labelled as class warfare or envy, and Australians divided into lifters and leaners. If Dutton spent more time on policy development, and less on word games, the Coalition might be in a better position, and voters might even be treated to some intelligent debate. Four men and one boy connected to the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang were arrested in raids across Melbourne after a spate of shop firebombings since Christmas Day, as police say they have begun to turn the corner in tackling Victorias tobacco wars. Detective Inspector Graham Banks from Victoria Polices dedicated illicit tobacco taskforce announced the tactical Special Operations Group helped arrest a 41-year-old patched Finks bikie in Werribee the day prior after an investigation with the Australian Federal Police. Banks said on Saturday that the arrests hurt an unnamed criminal syndicate driving the recent flare-up in the war over the illicit tobacco trade which includes five recent firebombings in Moe, Altona, Sunshine, Croydon and Altona North. He said that before this weeks arson attacks, there had been a lapse in offending as other gangs had abated some of their behaviour amid police scrutiny. A 22-year-old man was arrested in Victoria on Saturday, becoming the fourth person taken into custody after a Melbourne-raised teenager was found dead on an outback road in the Northern Territory. A driver discovered 19-year-old Yiel Deng Gatluak also known as Yoal lying on an unsealed part of Undoolya Road east of Alice Springs shortly after midday on New Years Day. Melbourne teenager Yiel Deng Gatluak was found dead on a dirt road near Alice Springs. Credit: iStock/supplied Last Monday, Northern Territory Police arrested two Alice Springs men, aged 20 and 21, and a male youth over the suspicious death. On Saturday, NT police said another man had been taken into custody by Victoria Police after an arrest warrant for murder was issued in Alice Springs on Friday. Victoria Police confirmed the 22-year-old man was arrested in Pakenham just before 9.30am. The Burnet Institute says Australias aggressive approach to suppressing COVID-19 in the first two years of the pandemic has been vindicated in saving thousands of lives, leading to a death rate 33 times lower than the United Kingdom and 46 times lower than the United States. But Australia lost its relative global advantage during 2022 and 2023 when excess deaths reached 31,000, an 18-fold increase compared to the first two years an outcome it attributes in part to the shift by governments to living with COVID without ongoing clear transmission-reduction strategies. The Burnet Institute says a comparison of global death data highlights how well Australia performed in the first two years of the pandemic. Credit: Peter Rae The analysis by the influential medical research institute whose modelling and, at times controversial, advocacy for strong suppression measures informed policy decisions taken by Victoria, NSW and the Commonwealth during the pandemic is contained in its submission to the federal governments COVID-19 inquiry. It divides Australias response into two phases: the initial pre-vaccine years of 2020 and 2021 before the Omicron variant, and the following two years, 2022 and 2023, post-vaccine and post-Omicron. If Labors stunning win in the Aston byelection came in the Albanese governments honeymoon, a looming poll in Dunkley will take place amid mid-relationship blues. Against the backdrop of nearly unprecedented mortgage rate rises, Anthony Albaneses popularity has dipped, support for the Coalition has recovered to a competitive (if not winning) position, and Labor has spent months playing defence. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he had asked Jodie Belyea to be Labors candidate in a crunch byelection. Credit: Paul Jeffers The byelection in Melbournes outer bayside prompted by the December death of much-loved Labor MP Peta Murphy will write the script for the year ahead. Murphys replacement, Jodie Belyea, was revealed by this masthead on Tuesday and presented on Thursday by Albanese as an authentic fighter who reminded him of Murphy. Both parties are privately downplaying their chances in the swinging electorate, which is of national importance because its mortgage-heavy, working and middle-class demographics reflect many swing seats crucial at general elections. DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 miners were killed and several others were missing after a gold mine collapsed following a heavy downpour in northern Tanzania's Simiyu Region on Saturday morning, said Yahaya Nawanda, regional commissioner of Simiyu Region. Nawanda told Xinhua over the phone on Saturday night that efforts to recover more bodies suspected to have been trapped in the collapsed mine in Bariadi District were being hampered by ongoing heavy rains. "Rescue work has been stopped for some time because of the rains," the official said. The mine collapsed at 5:00 a.m. local time, burying the miners whose exact number has not been established. He said most of the victims were young people between the ages of 25 and 35. Last year, tech stocks largely rebounded after the challenges of 2022, as evidenced by the fact that the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite outperformed the two other major U.S. stock market indexes. Naturally, many tech stocks performed in line -- or even better -- than the Nasdaq, but others weren't so lucky. Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) was one of those that did well, while the online learning specialist Chegg (NYSE: CHGG) wasn't so fortunate in 2023. Investors should expect more of the same for these companies this year, which is why Alphabet looks like a solid buy and Chegg is best left alone. GOOG Chart The case for Alphabet Alphabet faced several issues entering 2023. First, the advertising market -- where it makes most of its money -- was struggling. Second, the rise of OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's attempt to challenge Google's dominance in online search by creating an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Bing put downward pressure on Alphabet's stock price. However, the tech giant was able to handle these issues. As the year went by, the advertising space started rebounding, as did Alphabet's revenue growth rates. Further, Microsoft's ChatGPT-powered Bing did little to disrupt Google's empire. Alphabet should maintain much of that momentum in 2024. Analysts predict that the advertising market will rebound even faster this year, which should help propel the company's revenue even higher. Beyond this year, Alphabet boasts several important long-term growth opportunities. The first is in streaming through its video-sharing platform, YouTube. Streaming has gained significant ground on cable in recent years. And as the shift continues, companies like Alphabet will benefit. Second, Alphabet is a leader in cloud computing, another high-growth industry. Third, the tech giant is no stranger to the world of AI. Alphabet has used AI for years, notably in its various Google updates. It released a ChatGPT competitor named Bard last year. The fact that it could do so relatively quickly speaks volumes about Alphabet's abilities in this field. Further, the company benefits from a strong competitive advantage from multiple sources. Story continues Alphabet has one of the strongest brand names in the world, and some of its platforms, including YouTube and Google, display the network effect. So, even beyond this year, Alphabet can continue to deliver market-beating returns for a long time, which makes it a stop tech stock to buy today. The case against Chegg Chegg's business is struggling due to the rise of generative AI applications like ChatGPT. The company offers various forms of help to students, including homework solutions, textbook solutions, and more. However, ChatGPT can perform a lot of those tasks and does so in mere seconds. That's why Chegg's stock dropped like a rock early last year, and it hasn't even come close to recovering fully. Chegg does have a solution to this problem, namely an AI-powered (specifically, GPT-4) study helper called CheggMate, an early version of which became available to students in May 2023. As the company argued, a survey it conducted found that most students wanted a mix of help from AI and actual human experts. So, CheggMate could be the solution to Chegg's problems, but the market isn't sold yet -- and with good reason. It's hard to say whether CheggMate will be successful enough to fend off the threat from generative AI or whether Chegg's subscription and sales will stall or perhaps even decrease from here on out. In the third quarter, Chegg's revenue decreased by 4% year over year to $157.9 million. It ended the period with 4.4 million subscribers, a decrease of 8% compared to the year-ago period. That was not due entirely, or perhaps even primarily, to AI. Chegg has been struggling to keep subscribers since the worst of the pandemic ended -- its service became highly popular in the early days of the outbreak. Still, that problem, coupled with the AI challenge, does not bode well for Chegg's future, so it's best to avoid the stock for now. Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now? Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now... and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of December 18, 2023 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Prosper Junior Bakiny has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Chegg. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Tech Stock to Buy for 2024, and 1 to Avoid Like the Plague was originally published by The Motley Fool The cryptocurrency industry has been in turmoil for more than two years. It started with a rotation away from risk assets as recession fears rippled through the economy in late 2021. Then the collapse of the Terra blockchain ecosystem set in motion a series of bankruptcies and forced liquidations that dragged the market down even further. In total, the value destruction exceeded $2 trillion when the market finally hit bottom. But Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) brought the cryptocurrency market roaring back to life in recent months as two potential tailwinds caught investors' attention: the pending approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and the reduction in Bitcoin mining rewards later this year. The first catalyst has already come to fruition. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETF applications on Wednesday, including proposals from two of the three largest asset managers in the world, BlackRock and Fidelity. That could elicit a wave of interest among retail and institutional investors, and the resulting increase in demand could drive the price of Bitcoin higher. Indeed, certain Wall Street analysts expect Bitcoin to triple or quadruple in value by 2025, and another analyst believes Bitcoin could increase 10-fold in value during the next five years. The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs could boost demand The SEC began approving Bitcoin futures ETFs in October 2021. Those products invest in futures contracts rather than the cryptocurrency itself, so they do not track its price exactly. Case in point, the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF returned 39% in the past six months, but Bitcoin increased 54% during that time. Spot Bitcoin ETFs will invest directly in Bitcoin and closely track its price. The appeal of such products is direct exposure to Bitcoin without the hassle of cryptocurrency exchanges and blockchain wallets. Investors can simply buy shares of a spot Bitcoin ETF through existing brokerage accounts. That could boost demand among retail and institutional traders. Story continues To add detail, Bitcoin's price is determined by supply and demand, but the only variable of consequence is demand because its total supply is fixed at 21 million coins, of which about 19.6 million have been created. So, if the accessibility provided by spot Bitcoin ETFs translates into greater demand among retail and institutional investors, the price of Bitcoin could soar in the coming months and years. Several Wall Street analysts see that as a likely outcome -- especially in combination with the upcoming reduction in mining rewards -- given that reputable financial institutions like BlackRock and Fidelity are participating as ETF issuers. Indeed, Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani believes Bitcoin could hit $150,000 by 2025, implying 210% upside. Standard Chartered Bank analyst Geoff Kendrick says Bitcoin could reach $200,000 by 2025, implying 313% upside. And Fundstrat analyst Tom Lee says $500,000 is achievable by 2029, implying 1,000% upside. The reduction in Bitcoin mining rewards could reduce selling pressure Bitcoin mining rewards are cut in half every time 210,000 blocks are added to the blockchain, which happens about once every four years. The next Bitcoin halving event will occur in April 2024. Analysts believe that will lead to a substantial reduction in selling pressure, simply because miners will see Bitcoin inflows fall by 50%, meaning they will only have half as much cryptocurrency to sell. To quantify that, MicroStrategy former Chief Executive Officer Michael Saylor believes selling pressure will fall from $12 billion annually to $6 billion annually after Bitcoin mining rewards are cut in half in April. That reduction in selling pressure will be tantamount to an increase in demand, potentially pushing the price of Bitcoin higher. Indeed, Saylor predicted in 2022 that Bitcoin would reach $500,000 during the next decade, implying about 1,000% upside. However, he was more recently quoted as saying Bitcoin could hit $5 million at some point in the future. That implies 10,230% upside, a seemingly absurd figure. But there is a historical precedent for halving events driving the price of Bitcoin higher. The chart below lists the dates of past halving events and it details the returns generated by Bitcoin during the subsequent two-year periods. Bitcoin Halving Event Date Bitcoin Return (2 Years Later) 2012 2,964% 2016 922% 2020 348% Data source: Fidelity. Here's the bottom line: Two catalysts could send Bitcoin soaring in the coming months and years. That makes the present a good time to buy a small position. But investors should remember that cryptocurrency is a young, volatile, and risky asset class. Bitcoin has fallen by 45% or more four times in the past five years, and a similar retreat is possible (if not probable) at some time in the future. Should you invest $1,000 in Bitcoin right now? Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now... and Bitcoin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of January 8, 2024 Trevor Jennewine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Top Cryptocurrency to Buy Now Before It Soars 1,000%, According to Wall Street Analysts was originally published by The Motley Fool By Victor Ing, Special to The Post It was an extremely busy year in the Federal Court when it came to immigration lawsuits. Under Canadian immigration law, the Federal Court has the final jurisdiction to review and overturn immigration decisions upon judicial review. In 2023, the Court saw a 20% uptick in new judicial review applications being filed, which begs the question: What happened? In this blog, I will briefly review the judicial review process and discuss the reasons for this incredible and unsustainable growth in litigation. An application to the Federal Court for judicial review is the last option available to challenge an immigration decision, whether it is a decision to refuse a visa or to deport a person already in Canada. As the name suggests, a judicial review is a request to a Judge of the Federal Court to review an immigration decision and decide whether it was reasonable and made in accordance with the law and the principles of fairness. Accordingly, the Federal Court has always played an integral role in holding immigration decision-makers accountable, and their judgments have often shaped the way IRCC makes new policies. In 2023 there were over 16,000 new judicial review applications filed in the Federal Court. On average, thats over 45 applications being filed every single day of the year, including weekends and holidays. By comparison, in 2022 there were over 13,000 applications filed. The Federal Court has become bloated with new lawsuits and it is seriously affecting how quickly cases are adjudicated at the Court. Why is this happening? There are at least three major contributors to the staggering growth in litigation: 1. Record levels of both temporary and permanent immigration We are continuing to see record levels of immigration in Canada. In 2022, Canada welcomed a record 437,539 new immigrants, which even exceeded their own lofty targets. We expect to welcome 500,000 new immigrants per year by 2025 and thats not even counting the hundreds of thousands of new students and workers that are approved for visas or permit extensions each year. With an increased number of applications come an increased number of refusals, which further clogs Canadas court system with new judicial reviews to hear. 2. Inadequate reasons by decision-makers To compound the problem, visa officers are notorious for refusing cases without adequately explaining their decision in the refusal letter. One of the unfortunate results of this practice is that many refused visa applicants will challenge a decision in Federal Court just to find out why their application was refused. This occurs because, as part of the judicial review process, the Federal Court will contact the immigration office responsible for the decision and compel them to produce the full set of reasons for the decision to the Court and to the judicial review applicant. While there are other methods to obtain the full set of reasons, those methods are slow and there are set time limits to file an application for judicial review that applicants do not want to risk missing. 3. Sloppy administrative errors I can share my own experiences that last year was a real anomaly in my practice as an immigration lawyer. I have been working on judicial review applications for 13 years and last year stood out to me because, for the first time, I often found myself going to court to fight over minor administrative errors that never used to take place with any kind of regularity. Here are just a few examples of cases I litigated in 2023: In multiple cases we argued on behalf of our clients whose applications were refused because IRCC officers incorrectly concluded that the clients did not respond to document or information requests. These cases involved miscommunications where, for unknown reasons, IRCC officers did not get the documents or information that the client sent or, in some cases, the extension of time requests they made to produce the requested documents or information later. In 2023 we represented several clients who were found inadmissible to Canada and were refused their applications for permits; however, the decisions were incorrect, or at least premature, because the clients were either not inadmissible at all or were still waiting for a hearing to decide their admissibility in Canada. We also argued several cases where immigration officers failed to follow the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenships own public policy guidelines to grant visas based upon special program initiatives such as the Hong Kong special measures to issue work permits to new graduates and their spouses. With the massive uptick in new immigration applications each year, and the equally large undertaking happening at IRCC to digitize the visa application process, which includes their controversial use of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to assist with decision-making, it was probably predictable that we would see a large increase in litigation in the Federal Court. However, what is happening now is simply not sustainable. According to a March 2023 CBC report, over 70 percent of the Federal Courts resources are already spent hearing immigration lawsuits, and we hope that IRCC will try to address some of these issues in this new year to help clear the logjam of cases at the Federal Court. Until that time, immigration clients will continue to fight at the Federal Court for their right to receive fair and reasonable decisions, and immigration applicants should be aware of this important tool in the immigration lawyers toolbox to help them when they need to turn to the Federal Court as the option of last resort. Victor Ing is a lawyer of Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre. He provides a full range of immigration services. For more information go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email [email protected]. ED resumes hunt in WB Raids on residences of Minister, TMC leaders Kolkata, THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) resumed its raids on Friday and searched the residences of State Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose, TMC MLA Tapas Roy and another TMC leader in connection with the alleged irregularities in civic body recruitments. The ED raids of Friday are the first since the assault of ED officers during a raid at the residence of a TMC leader at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district just a week ago. On Friday the exercise began the exercise at 7 am and it is still on. The Enforcement Director officers initially faced resistance when attempting to enter Boses residence and gained access after about 40 minutes, sources in the agency said. We are carrying a search warrant but even after showing it, we were initially not allowed to enter, an ED officer said. In a departure from the previous instances in the state, a substantial contingent of central police personnel cordoned off Boses residence and prevented any gathering of party supporters near it. The central forces were equipped with additional protective gear, including helmets and automatic guns. The sleuths of the central agency searched two residences of Bose in Lake Town area of North 24 Parganas district. Additionally, searches were conducted at Roys B B Ganguly Street residence in central Kolkata and Subodh Chakrabortys residence at Birati, also in North 24 Parganas. Forces were dispatched to the residences of the three leaders by respective local police stations too. They cordoned off the areas around the houses. The heightened security response followed the violent attack on ED officers which left three of them injured during an attempt to raid the home of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali in connection with the ration distribution scam. We are conducting search operations at the residences of three TMC leaders in connection with the recruitments in civic bodies. We are also talking to the leaders, an ED spokesperson said. The TMC has denounced the coordinated searches at the homes of the party leaders terming them as vendetta politics and a desperate manoeuvre by BJP before the Lok Sabha polls this year. The charge was dismissed as baseless by the West Bengal BJP. Finally, Sunshine brings some relief for people Staff Reporter After continuous shower, dense fog and severe cold conditions, people in State capital got a much-needed relief with the bright sunshine on Friday. Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) forecast that there would be mild cold for next one week. A new weather system will set in State from January 16. However, there will be no rainfall or hailstorm but day would be colder. Friday morning again saw dense fog in 40 cities including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur. Weather scientists said that dense fog is due to the current western disturbance. Currently, night temperature is expected to see some dip. After January 16, new weather system will set in that would decline the night temperature. After January 16, most of the cities would be experiencing colder night and day temperature would be around 25 degrees Celsius. On Friday, Ujjain recorded visibility ranges from 200 meters to 800 meters while Bhopal, Satna, Sagar, Chambal region, Indore, Jabalpur, Ratlam, Shivpuri, Gwalior and Datia recorded visibility ranges from 50 meters to 500 meters. On January 11, temperature was high in many cities. Jabalpur recorded 6 degrees increase and temperature settled at 23.9 degrees Celsius while Indore saw 2 degrees rise and temperature settled at 25 degrees Celsius. Gwalior recorded day temperature as 20.8 degrees Celsius and Ujjain 22.2 degrees Celsius. Narmadapuram remained the coldest city with day temperature as 21.5 degrees Celsius. Khajuraho, Ratlam, Pachmarhi, Raisen, Rewa, Tikamgarh, Naugaon. Khandwa, Sidhi, Shajapur, Seoni, Malajkhand, Satna, Dhar, Damoh, Sagar and Umaria recorded day temperature below 25 degrees Celsius. Highest maximum temperature was recorded as 34 degree Celsius in Chhindwara with increase by 6.8 degrees Celsius within a day. Gothans to be developed as centres of economic prosperity in Chhattisgarh: Giriraj Singh Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh along with Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, MLAs Ishwar Sahu and Sushant Shukla holding a meeting with the officials of Panchayat and Rural Development Department at New Circuit House, Nava Raipur in Atal Nagar on Saturday. Staff Reporter : RAIPUR Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh holds a meeting with the officials of Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Government of Chhattisgarh at Nava Raipur in Atal Nagar. Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh said that Gothans would be developed as centres of economic prosperity in the villages of Chhattisgarh. Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh held a meeting with the officials of Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Government of Chhattisgarh at New Circuit House, Nava Raipur in Atal Nagar on Saturday. Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who holds the portfolio of Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Government of Chhattisgarh was also present in the meeting. Addressing the meeting, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that for the economic prosperity of the women of Chhattisgarh, action plans will be prepared to make Didis millionaires under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. Union Minister Giriraj Singh further said that the participation of women in the economic progress of the country is 56 percent, whereas in Chhattisgarh it is 50 percent. Now, there is a need to increase the participation of women from Chhattisgarh in the economic progress of the country as well as in the state. For this, along with increasing participation of women in agriculture, the women of the state should be encouraged to set up small enterprises under the National Rural Livelihood Mission It needs to set up new enterprises of women through banks, the Union Minister added. Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resolved to make Didis millionaires under the Bihan scheme. It is our pledge to make 56 lakh didis millionaires under Bihan Yojana. Officials of Panchayat and Rural Development Department should work accordingly, said he in the meeting. Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that an action plan is being prepared by National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to develop model Gothan in the state. Under this plan, one Gothan each in 4 districts of the state will be developed as a model. For this, an amount of Rs 25 lakh will be given by the NABARD to the National Rural Livelihood Mission. In these model Gothans, along with poultry farming, goat farming, pig farming, advanced breed cattle will be reared. Hybrid breeds of native chicken breeds like Kadaknath will be created, said the Union Minister. On the occasion of completion of 75 years of independence, instructions were given to systematically develop the Amrit Sarovars being built in rural areas. The Union Minister said that beautification works including tree plantation and pathways should be carried out around Amrit Sarovars. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREG) funds should be used to complete these works, he added. Saja MLA Ishwar Sahu, Beltara MLA Sushant Shukla, Principal Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Government of Chhattisgarh Niharika Barik, Chief Executive Officer of Chhattisgarh State Rural Development Agency Bhim Singh, Director of the NRLM Padmini Bhoi, Director of Panchayat Roktima Yadav, officials of NABARD, SBI and Panchayat and Rural Development Department were present in the meeting. MG Motor India launches Astor 2024 Business Reporter MORRIS Garages (MG), a British automobile brand with a 100 year old legacy, launched the MG Astor 2024, Indias most advanced SUV in its class at Nangia Cars (MG Nagpur) on Friday. The car was unveiled by Akshit Nangia, Abhimanyu Nangia and Pankhuri Nangia all directors of Nangia Cars (MG Nagpur) on Friday. The new Astor 2024 comes with a host of exciting features ventilated seats in the front row, wireless charger, wireless Android auto and Apple car play and auto-dimming IRVM for additional security and convenience, along with an updated i-SMART 2.0 with advanced user interface for a holistic driving experience. Indias first SUV with AI inside will be available in the all-new variants - Sprint, Shine, Select, Sharp Pro and Savvy Pro, starting at an attractive price of Rs 9,98,000 (ex-showroom price). The MG Astor 2024 now comes equipped with i-SMART 2.0 and 80+ connected features for a seamless and convenient driving experience. Among its standout features is the Jio Voice Recognition System, enabling advanced voice commands for weather, cricket updates, calculator, clock, date/day information, horoscope, dictionary, news and knowledge. The anti-theft feature, coupled with digital key functionality, ensures security even without a network connection. For further details, test ride and bookings, interested may visit Nangia Cars (MG Nagpur), opposite Nangia Speciality Hospital, MIDC Hingna (Mobile: 7775022000). PM plays cymbals, mops floor, pays obeisance to Lord Ram at Nashiks Kalaram temple NASHIK, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday offered prayers at the famous Kalaram temple, dedicated to Lord Ram, in Nashik and took part in bhajan and kirtan and played cymbals at the shrine. The PM held a roadshow in the city before reaching the temple situated along the banks of Godavari river in the Panchavati area of the city. Modis visit to the famous Ram temple here came just 10 days before the consecration of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Kalaram temple trustees, advocate Aniket Nikam and Dhananjay Pujari, welcomed the PM on his arrival amid chants of Jai Shri Ram by people on both sides of the road leading to the place. Modi performed pujan and aarti of Lord Ganesh and Lord Ram at the temple. Chief priest Mahant Sudhirdas Pujari performed the rituals. The Prime Minister performed pradakshina (circumambulation) of the temple. He took part in bhajan and kirtan and played taal (cymbals) along with other devotees at the temple. Temple trustee members felicitated him with a shawl, citation, memento, silver idol of Lord Ram and photographs of the temple deities Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman. He was given panjiri (prasad) at the temple. The Prime Minister heard epic narrative of the Ramayana, specifically the Yudh Kanda segment, which depicts Lord Rams return to Ayodhya. This was presented in Marathi and the PM listened to the Hindi version through AI translation. Modi also paid his respects to the statue of Swami Vivekananda near the temple. Among the places associated with Ramayana, Panchavati occupies a special place as a number of important events of Ramayana took place here. The name Panchavati means the land of five banyan trees. Legend has it that Lord Ram set up his hut here as the presence of five banyan trees made this region auspicious. After the temple visit, PM Modi left for the Tapovan ground, the venue for the inauguration of the 27th National Youth Festival. During his roadshow, which started from Hotel Mirchi Chowk, PM Modi was accompanied by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and many BJP leaders. Thousands of people thronged the roadshow route to welcome the PM. Various artists and special groups like the ones with the famous Nashik Dhol and tribals held performances during the event. Modi on Friday cleaned the premises of the Kalaram Temple in Maharashtras Nashik as part of Swachchata Abhiyan campaign. Visuals showed the Prime Minister with a mop and bucket mopping the floor of the temple. The PM appealed to the people to carry out Swachhata activities (cleanliness drives) at temples across the country ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. There will be political earthquake in Mah after LS polls: CM Shinde MUMBAI, Jan 12 (PTI) MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday claimed that there will be a political earthquake in the State after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Shinde was speaking at a public meeting in neighbouring Navi Mumbai after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Atal Behari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, the longest sea bridge in the country connecting south Mumbai with Nhava-Sheva in Navi Mumbai. The Chief Minister said under the leadership of PM Modi, the country was progressing at a bullet speed. PREPARED GENERAL Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, has aptly described the situation being dealt with by the Indian Army as stable, but sensitive. During the annual press conference, he indicated that though there was stability in certain areas, there was need for the Indian forces to keep a watchful eye. This statement itself indicates that the Indian Army is well aware of the situation. As is the case, an aware force is well prepared to tackle the challenges in a befitting manner. The Army chief made specific reference to the northern borders of India. Given the situation since the abrogation of Article 370, and making Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh as the Union Territories, there has been a great change in the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir. It has not only given a boost to development, but also deepened the process of integration of the population there with the other parts of India. The results are slowly becoming visible in the form of peace prevailing to a great extent in the Kashmir Valley area. Ladakhs development also has got a fillip, as one can see from the infusion of funds in infrastructure and tourism development. Thus, there is a stability to a large extent. At the same time, certain old concerns remain and new ones have emerged. For instance, the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and separatist elements still existing like thorn in the flesh have turned to Rajouri and Poonch areas as the focus of the Indian security establishments was more towards establishing peace in the Kashmir Valley. Besides, troops had to be mobilised along the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh region. The adversary is trying to revive terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch areas. This again highlights that the region is witnessing stability in main cities but the situation is sensitive in border areas. The no war, no peace situation still prevails there. This is quite a challenge. Hence, General Manoj Pandes statement that the situation is stable but sensitive is very apt. His statement also made it clear that the Indian forces were keeping a close eye on the prevailing situation. The measures he highlighted in his address to the mediapersons came as assurance to ordinary Indians that the Indian Army was actively working to not only establish peace in the troubled areas but also create an atmosphere conducive for giving a push to development. Of course, this is not an easy task. But, the Indian Army is a professional force known for dynamic evolution through innovative response to the existing and the emerging challenges. One of the responses has been adoption of technology to aid human efforts and intelligence. General Manoj Pande has called 2024 as the year of technology absorption for the Indian Army. India has made rapid strides in defence indigenisation and is emerging as a defence equipment exporting country. This stature unlocks the possibilities of greater co-operation and collaboration with technologically advanced countries, as well as making new friends in geopolitical chess-board. As time passes by, with greater absorption of technology, India can keep better vigil along the borders, reduce sensitivity and increase stability quotient. Another important aspect that comes along with absorption of technology is force optimisation. The Army chief has revealed the plans to optimise force strength by one lakh by 2027. The idea to have a right-sized force through restructuring is in tune with reorganising the priorities with changing times. Overall, the Indian Army is well prepared on the counts of manpower, equipment, awareness, and objectives. It augurs well for the rising stature of India. Significant issues raised, discussed on second day of JMC meeting Staff Reporter significant issues were raised and discussed on the second day of the General House meeting of Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) held at Pt Bhawani Prasad Tiwari auditorium, on Friday. Both ruling and Opposition members held detailed discussion on issues like extension of Deputy Commissioner Sankhere, who is retiring in January, discrepancies in property taxes, financial constraints of the municipal corporation, shortage of surveyors, issues like menace of monkeys and politics on river Narmada, among others. Following discussion and debate, the meeting was adjourned until Tuesday. On Friday, under other topics, matter of extension of Deputy Commissioner P N Sankhere, who is retiring in January was raised. Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh and all corporators acknowledged that the Revenue Department will not function as smoothly in his absence. The Mayor stated that the Municipal Corporation needs officials with the experience of Sankhere and therefore, a proposal for his extension will be sent to the administration after discussion it in the Mayor-in-Council, on Monday. Similarly, Corporator ward no. 79 Rajni Sahu raised the issue of discrepancies in property taxes in the House. She said her ward, which transitioned from rural to urban, lacks city-like facilities and developmental activities, so why should property taxes be similar. She stressed on the urgency of resolving significant disparity, which was also agreed upon by the Mayor. He stated that a quick resolution will provide relief to residents of wards transitioning from rural areas. Later, ruling party members also criticised the State Government for adopting step-motherly attitude with JMC. They said JMC administration blames shortage of funds for delay in various projects. They argued that if the municipal corporation is struggling with financial constraints, it is the responsibility of the State Government, not the municipal authority. Ruling party members accused the Government of bias due to the Congress Mayor in JMC. BJP corporators raised the issue of delay in regularising illegal colonies. They said residents of these colonies, after announcement, are approaching corporators to share their grievances, but the colony cell is not paying attention. They suggested that if we dont have enough Surveyors, how can we conduct a survey of illegal colonies? The Opposition members also highlighted the issue of monkey menace in the areas like Garha, Ranjhi and urged for immediate action. Moreover, they stressed the need to stop false politics and propaganda related to the river Narmada. In this article, we discuss the 13 most advanced countries in agriculture technology. You can skip our detailed analysis of the agricultural industry, key agritech players and trends to watch in 2023, and go directly to 5 Most Advanced Countries in Agriculture Technology. Why the need for Agriculture Technology? Agriculture is considered an essential ingredient for economic growth in a country. It has a 4% share in global GDP. The world population is growing and it is expected that it will reach a staggering 10 billion by 2050. In 2022 alone, 783 million people have faced hunger. In such a scenario, it becomes incumbent to be prepared for meeting the food needs of such a large number, which is estimated to increase by 50%. Furthermore, it is also felt that the aim should not be only to produce more food but to ensure that it is produced sustainably. At the end of the day, agriculture technology seems to be the answer to contemporary problems. It allows the production of food through new ways including vertical farming as well as alternative proteins dairy products. Agriculture technology can help move the world towards producing sustainable ways of food and ensuring the safety of our planet and future generations. With catastrophic climatic changes, 70% of worlds fresh water supply used in agriculture and widespread land degradation, without agricultural transformation, there is going to be no future. Thus, agriculture technology, most commonly known as agritech, has become exceedingly important for many countries. Agriculture Technology Industry forecast Spherical Insights has placed the global agritech market size at $22,142.7 million in 2022, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.1% from 2022 to 2032. Is has also been predicted that North America would grow the fastest during this period. Among various agricultural technological advancements, precision agriculture is estimated to reach a value of $12.9 billion by the year 2027. It is anticipated that this tool would help increase the crop yields by 10-20%, along with a 30-50% reduction in water and chemical input usage. Story continues Many countries like China, Brazil, Russia, the United States and India -- are playing a crucial role in changing global agriculture landscape. 1,773 agritech companies, globally, have received investment from 2000-2021. Of these 474 are headquartered in Europe. Technological Solutions There are multifarious agriculture technologies that have erupted in response to the current dilemma. These include AI, drone technology, e-commerce input markets, robotics, IoT, blockchain, GIS software and GPS agriculture, satellite imagery, merging datasets, indoor vertical farming, precision agriculture, automated irrigation systems, automated milking systems and chemical pest controls. These solutions are poised to address many problems, including low productivity, high input costs, volatile prices, lack of market access and poor infrastructure. Key Agri-Tech Players and Trends to Watch in 2023 Addressing the direst need of the agriculture sector -- sustainability -- decisive agricultural technologies are the best solution. For instance, Indoor Vertical Farming is a form of agriculture technology, which can reduce land and water usage by 99% and 70% respectively. Prominent companies adopting this technique are AeroFarms, Arcadia Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA), Origin Agritech Limited (NASDAQ: SEED), InFarm and Agricool, based in the US, China, Germany and France, respectively. Origin Agritech Limited (NASDAQ: SEED) is a vertically integrated technology company, that specializes in agricultural biotechnology research, development production, sale and distribution of crop seeds. Arcadia Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA) is a leader in science-based techniques for improving the quality and nutritional value of crops and food ingredients and applying the companys proprietary crop innovation technology -- ArcaTech. Another technological innovation that saves 50% in water usage whilst improving crop yield is N-Drip micro-irrigation systems. Major companies developing this tech include Lindsay Corporation (NYSE:LNN) and The Toro Company (NYSE:TTC), among others. Lets move on to the list of 13 most advanced countries in agriculture technology. A farmer in a field, surveying the increased yields of a crop cultivated with agricultural technology. Our Methodology For our list of 13 most advanced countries in agriculture technology, weve ranked them based on the number of agri-technology startups operating in the countries. Weve sourced the data from Tracxn, a premier platform that tracks startups in different countries across more than 230 sectors. We've also talked about some important agritech companies in each country. Most Advanced Countries in Sustainable Agriculture 13. Japan Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 120 Japan is one of the top East Asian country on the list of most advanced countries in agriculture technology. They are expected to have a $5.789 trillion GDP for the year 2023. Agricultural sector accounted for 1% of its GDP in 2022, according to the World Bank. Japan aims to double their agriculture exports from 2019, which at the time have being recorded at $9billion. In anticipation of the market need, the country aims to export $19 billion worth agricultural products by 2025. The government is also aware of the need for further development in the sector. With that in mind, the recent amendment in April 2023 of allowing corporations to own agricultural land has come in the midst of a most needed stimulus for young agriculturalists. The country is also transforming its agricultural industry through technology. Spread and Routerek are two examples of highly innovative companies that are creating waves in the industry. While Spread produces hydroponically grown lettuce, Routerek has developed sensor-based systems for drip irrigation. 12. South Korea Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 129 South Korea is one of the largest economies, ranking at number 13 and extremely advanced, as depicted by its 6th ranking in Global Innovation Index for the year 2022. It has a GDP size of $1.665 trillion as of 2022. In the same year, its agriculture sector accounted for 1.6% of its GDP. The country has rice as its main crop. Smart-agriculture ecosystem has been gaining importance in the country. In 2014, only 405 hectares of land and 23 households were involved in smart farms and smart livestock respectively. As of 2021, these figures have jumped to 6,485 hectares of land and 4,743 livestock households. South Korea has been able to ignite some startups that are bound to be conducive towards large scale agricultural sustainability. Some major companies include Tridge, N-THING, Green Labs, G+ Flas Life Sciences and EGG Tube. 11. New Zealand Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 290 Agricultural commodities have a significant role in New Zealands economy. Dairy is the biggest chunk of the countrys total exports. Aside from agriculture produce, their agri-tech sector is also strong, contributing $1.5 billion to the countrys export economy, according to the official data. The government recognizes the role that agriculture technology has to play in export, environment and commercial gain. They hope to take the sectors contribution to $8 billion in their economy, by 2030. Prominent startups include BioLumic, Robotics Plus and Sprout Agritech. BioLumic manufactures and supplies ultraviolet equipment as well as treatment solutions to enhance crops pest/disease resistance, yield and hardiness. Robotics Plus has developed robotic equipment for horticulture produce handling, while Sprout Agritech provides services to ag-tech and food tech businesses to grow globally. 10. Italy Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 329 Italy has come a long way to becoming one of the top economies of the world. It has also become one of the leading countries in agritech. Most lands under cultivation consists of hilly areas where agriculture has only been made possible through various techniques like terracing, irrigation and soil management. As one of the largest food processors and agricultural producers in the EU, the agriculture sector makes up about 2% of GDP for the country. They are also diligently pursuing agritech methods for agriculture. Only recently, Kagome Co., Ltd., NEC Corporation and DXAS Agriculture Technology LDA, has made a joint venture to introduce an ICT platform CropScope which is a combination of AI farming advice and automatic irrigation control functions compatible with pulse drip irrigation, in northern Italy for tomato fields. Some of the countrys top agritechs include xFarm -- provider of farm management solutions consisting of IoT tools and Agricolus -- a provider of technological solutions for precision agriculture decision support. 9. Israel Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 348 Israel is one of the top countries in agriculture technology. While the countrys whole economy grew substantially by 2022, the tech sector alone made-up 18.1% of the GDP. Furthermore, the country has much to boast with being foremost in technological innovations like Drip irrigation and N-micro irrigation systems. They have a major role in revolutionizing the irrigation system by greatly reducing water usage and expensive equipment like pumps and water filters. However, with the high influx of venture capital (28 times more venture capital per capita than the United States in 2021) it is no wonder that they have made leaps in producing innovative solutions. This is in spite of the fact that the US is home to some of the biggest agtech companies in the world like Lindsay Corporation (NYSE:LNN) and The Toro Company (NYSE:TTC). Some of these innovative start-ups in Israel include agritech companies like Netafim, Kaiima, Equinom and Fieldin. 8. France Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 445 Standing along with the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan and Germany, France is one of the biggest economies of the world. While agriculture makes up about 2% of the countrys GDP, France is a leading agricultural nation in Europe, making up more than one-fifth of the total value of product. They are also taking active part in technologically advanced agriculture by employing IT tools like robotic milking cows, data gathering and digital fruit and vegetable markets. There are many agritech firms in France. For instance Limagrain which is producing and distributing GMO and non-GMO seeds. Ceva- a developer and supplier of animal health therapeutics, and Agronutris which is a manufacturer of insect-based organic fertilizers. 7. Germany Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 462 Germany is the fourth largest economy of the world, after the US, China and Japan, and the largest economy in Europe. While the country has second highest agricultural output after France, their number of agritech startups is greater. As of 2023, 462 agritech startups are operating in Germany. According to Global Data, the agritech industry's value amounted to $0.6 billion in 2021, with a YoY increase of 14%. The country is very active in research and development of the agriculture technology, which is very effective for the sector. According to the National Science Foundation, the country's contribution to the global Knowledge and Technology Intensive (KTI) industries output is one of the highest in the world, at 6%. Its prominent startups include Infarm and Plantix. InFarm is a producer of herbs and vegetables using IoT-powered indoor hydroponic vertical farms. Plantix, on the other hand, is an app-based platform offering AI-based plant disease diagnosis. 6. The Netherlands Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 516 As the second largest exporter of agricultural products after the United States, Netherlands occupies an important place in the list of the most advanced countries in agtech. The country has made a great name in the technology-based sustainable agriculture sector. Famous publications like Washington Post as well as by World Economic Forum, have honored the country by labeling it as a model to follow. A twenty year old resolve for increasing food availablity to double the resource use amount, provided a strong stimulus to the farmer industry. According to National Geographic, farmers have greatly reduced water usage required for crops to a substantial degree of 90%. The country continues to invent unique ways of combating local agricultural issues like crop diversity and underground drainage systems. The reliance on pesticides have also been reduced and Duijvestijn tomatoes are grown in greenhouses using new technologies like geothermal energy and hydroponic systems where water demand is quite low. Among various companies employed in technological innovation, a few startups include Protix, DNA Genetics and PlantLab. Click to continue reading and see5 Most Advanced Countries in Agriculture Technology. Suggested articles: Disclosure: None. 13 Most Advanced Countries in Agriculture Technology is originally published on Insider Monkey. The latest analyst coverage could presage a bad day for Swiss Life Holding AG (VTX:SLHN), with the analysts making across-the-board cuts to their statutory estimates that might leave shareholders a little shell-shocked. This report focused on revenue estimates, and it looks as though the consensus view of the business has become substantially more conservative. Following the latest downgrade, the six analysts covering Swiss Life Holding provided consensus estimates of CHF17b revenue in 2023, which would reflect a stressful 22% decline on its sales over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are anticipated to drop 19% to CHF39.15 in the same period. Prior to this update, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of CHF20b and earnings per share (EPS) of CHF40.76 in 2023. Indeed, we can see that analyst sentiment has declined measurably after the new consensus came out, with a measurable cut to revenue estimates and a small dip in EPS estimates to boot. Check out our latest analysis for Swiss Life Holding SWX:SLHN Earnings and Revenue Growth January 13th 2024 Analysts made no major changes to their price target of CHF611, suggesting the downgrades are not expected to have a long-term impact on Swiss Life Holding's valuation. Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. Over the past five years, revenues have declined around 2.2% annually. Worse, forecasts are essentially predicting the decline to accelerate, with the estimate for an annualised 39% decline in revenue until the end of 2023. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 5.8% per year. So while a broad number of companies are forecast to grow, unfortunately Swiss Life Holding is expected to see its sales affected worse than other companies in the industry. The Bottom Line The biggest issue in the new estimates is that analysts have reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds lay ahead for Swiss Life Holding. Unfortunately analysts also downgraded their revenue estimates, and industry data suggests that Swiss Life Holding's revenues are expected to grow slower than the wider market. Overall, given the drastic downgrade to this year's forecasts, we'd be feeling a little more wary of Swiss Life Holding going forwards. Story continues Even so, the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for the value creation of shareholders. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Swiss Life Holding going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here. Another way to search for interesting companies that could be reaching an inflection point is to track whether management are buying or selling, with our free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. 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. In a major restructuring, Q Holding, a leading Abu Dhabi-based investment company, has appointed Jassem Mohammed Buatabh Al Zaabi as its new chairman, while Abdullah Al Sahia will take over as the managing director and Bill ORegan as the new Group CEO. The recently appointed management team contributes a wealth of expertise and experience from diverse sectors, forming a robust and dynamic team poised to propel Q Holdings' mission to new heights. Al Zaabi currently holds other key positions, including that of Chairman of the Department of Finance - Abu Dhabi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs, and Board Member of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Additionally, he also serves as the Chairman of Modon Properties. Al Sahi joins Q Holding from Modon Properties, where he served as the Managing Director and was a member of the team that founded Modon Properties back in 2018 and was the CEO. He was earlier the Undersecretary of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi in 2020, and his experience encompasses development investments, strategic supervision of project implementation, and general development activities management across various sectors, said the statement. The new group chief ORegan holds a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of South Wales, UK, and a Postgraduate Degree in International Construction Management from Bath University, UK. He has been the CEO of Modon Properties since 2020. ORegan has been responsible for delivering on a number of mega projects including Hudayriat Island, Mina Wharf, Al Dhafra Region Eco-Tourism projects, Riyadh City National Housing, Baniyas North Development, and was with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. Al Zaabi said the company will continue to work to contribute to advancing economic growth in the emirate, keeping pace with the comprehensive and accelerated development in the country, and setting new standards in the field of various strategic investments. On his new role as Chairman, Al Zaabi said the company remains committed to fostering economic growth in Abu Dhabi. He expressed the intent to align with the nations comprehensive development, while also establishing new benchmarks in strategic investments. "For the upcoming phase, our primary objectives include concentrating on the progress and economic vitality of our projects, intensifying efforts to create an integrated and sustainable system guided by a well-defined strategic vision," stated Al Zaabi. "Additionally, we aim to collaborate on the execution of high-quality projects across various sectors," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Apple (AAPL) has long avoided the government-induced antitrust headaches now plaguing Big Tech rivals like Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), and Meta (META). Until now. The Justice Department is reportedly in the final stages of deciding whether to wage a sweeping legal attack on Apple that could compound headwinds already picking up steam for the world's most valuable company in a rough start to the new year. According to the New York Times, US antitrust investigators are wrapping up a two-year probe into Apples closely guarded ecosystem. Investigators are looking into whether the integration between the companys suite of products including iPhones, the App Store, Apple Watch, iMessage, and AirTags blocks competition. "You don't ramp up unless you find that there's something significant there that you want to investigate," adjunct Columbia University Law School professor Martin Edel said about the reported probe. The multiyear probe, he said, tends to serve as a harbinger that the department found something it wants to pursue. Still, he cautioned, it's possible that the DOJ's investigation doesn't turn up any wrongdoing on Apple's part. Threatening the 'walled garden' Apple's antitrust worries come as the company faces a trio of downgrades from Wall Street analysts amid fears of weak demand for iPhones in China, where it has offered a rare discount, as that country's economy continues to sputter. On Friday, Microsoft surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable publicly traded company at the close of the trading day. Apple is also preparing to launch its most ambitious product yet, the Vision Pro spatial computer. The AR/VR headset, which goes on sale Feb. 2, is Apple's first new device category since it launched the Apple Watch in 2015 and could serve as the company's successor to the iPhone. But the AR/VR market is still incredibly small compared to the smartphone space, and consumers have tended to tire of the devices after a few months of use. Story continues A DOJ lawsuit seeking to dismantle Apples "walled garden" ecosystem would pose a major threat to the company's various revenue streams. Apple generates the bulk of its cash through the sale of its wildly popular iPhone, which accounted for $200.6 billion of the company's $383.3 billion in total revenue in 2023. But Apple's services and hardware that tie into the iPhone are also incredibly lucrative. The company's wearables, home, and accessories business, which includes its Apple Watch and AirPods sales, generated $39.8 billion last year, while its growing services business, which includes subscriptions for things like Apple Music+ and App Store sales, brought in $85.2 billion. Edel said he expects any DOJ antitrust action against Apple to look at how the company maintains its dominant position in a particular market where it holds an alleged monopoly, and not how it established prominent market position. The iPhone 15 Pro is presented during the "Wonderlust" event at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. (Loren Elliott/REUTERS/File Photo) (REUTERS / Reuters) Apple may be particularly vulnerable to a government-led antitrust challenge in the final months of the Biden administration, which has kept up an aggressive push to rein in Big Tech. "The department has been fairly aggressive after companies that it thinks has maintained a monopoly position through illegal means," Edel said. University of Miami School of Law professor John Newman told Yahoo Finance that while no antitrust case is easy, and monopolization cases are among the hardest, the DOJ brings a lot of strengths to the table. For one, he said, prosecutors can gain access to company documents and data before filing a complaint. "If I were Apple, Id be pretty worried about this," Newman said, adding that the DOJ has some of the worlds top antitrust litigators in-house. The Apple Vision Pro headset is displayed in a showroom on the Apple campus after its unveiling on June 5, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Critics say that Apple abuses its market position in a number of ways, including by charging app developers a 15% to 30% fee on app store sales. The company has also been accused of locking out competitors from using Apple services like Find My and the tech giant's payment technology. Interoperability between Apple and third-party services is also a sticking point, as app developers and hardware makers accuse Apple of purposely cutting off access to certain features that Apple's devices and services can use. The Epic effect There are currently two separate antitrust cases that could impact how the DOJ approaches claims against Apple. One is a federal antitrust case heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in October. Justice Department lawyers were permitted to present arguments in a high-stakes dispute between popular app developer Epic Games and Apple. In that case, the appeals court upheld a California trial court's ruling that said Apple did not hold a monopoly in the market for mobile app stores. However, in a minor win for Epic, the appeals court also upheld the trial court's ruling that said under anti-steering laws Apple must allow app developers to offer more ways for app users to pay for purchases. Apple and Epic are now appealing the decision to the Supreme Court, which has yet to say whether it will hear the case. What impact the case would have on a DOJ-led antitrust suit, Newman said, would depend on where the department chose to file its case. "Fortnite" creator Epic Games' chief executive Tim Sweeney leaves after a weekslong antitrust trial at federal court in Oakland, Calif, in 2021. (Brittany Hosea-Small/REUTERS) (REUTERS / Reuters) "They could take the fight to Apples doorstep, but that would cause the Epic case to loom larger over a DOJ case," Newman said. "DOJ may want to stay out of the Ninth Circuit altogether and write on a clean slate." Google's battle The second case that could that could impact how the DOJ approaches Apple is a pending antitrust suit against Google over its dominance of the search engine market. Closing arguments for the case are scheduled to take place in March. Apple plays into the conversation because in 2021 Google paid mobile phone manufactures, including Apple, a combined $26 billion to serve as their default search engines. The lion's share of those payments went to Apple. Analysts at Bernstein say the figure likely nets Apple between $18 billion and $20 billion per year. At $20 billion, the payments would represent somewhere between 5.5% and 7% of Apple's annual revenue over the last three years. If the DOJ's investigation of Apple is in fact near its end, Edel said talks are probably already underway between its attorneys and Apple. Those talks and negotiations, he said, could potentially also resolve any DOJ competition concerns without the need for litigation. Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed. Daniel Howley is the tech editor at Yahoo Finance. He's been covering the tech industry since 2011. You can follow him on Twitter @DanielHowley. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo became the latest European leader to travel to Beijing and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, with the pair pledging to boost cooperation and oppose decoupling. Xi encouraged De Croo, whose government now holds the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union, to "play a positive role" in "fostering progress in China-EU relations in the new year". On the sidelines of his meetings with officials, though, De Croo warned Chinese leaders to stop interfering in European politics - remarks taken to refer to a scandal involving a far-right Flemish politician who is suspected of being on the payroll of China's intelligence services for years. 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. "I hope that we have the opportunity to discuss a number of topics between our countries, on our positions related to human rights ... our position related to the respect, and 100 per cent respect, of each other's political systems - and respecting that without interference," De Croo told reporters in Beijing between meetings with Premier Li Qiang and Xi. The remarks were first reported by Politico. Chinese Premier Li Qiang escorts De Croo in a welcoming ceremony in the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks on Friday. Photo: Xinhua alt=Chinese Premier Li Qiang escorts De Croo in a welcoming ceremony in the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks on Friday. Photo: Xinhua> Earlier this week, Belgian authorities began a criminal investigation into Frank Creyelman, a former member of the Vlaams Belang party, who is alleged to have received money from Chinese authorities in exchange for working to influence Europe's policies towards China. Creyelman was expelled from the party in December. Story continues However, a readout carried by Chinese state media made no mention of this tension; instead the report heralded the "great importance of the development of China-Belgium relations". Xi told De Croo that "China and Belgium are both beneficiaries of economic globalisation and share common interests in resisting protectionism and safeguarding free trade", according to Xinhua. "China appreciates De Croo's open opposition to the decoupling or severing of industrial and supply chains on many occasions, welcomes Belgian companies to invest in China," Xi continued, asking the Belgian to ensure Chinese businesses were not discriminated against in Belgium. The Belgian government did not immediately issue a statement concerning the meeting. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, De Croo wrote: "Engaged openly with President Xi Jinping today. China and the EU remain important partners in tackling many of the global challenges. "Belgium promotes its interests and values in the world. Thank you to our Chinese hosts for the respectful and constructive dialogue." Earlier on Friday, Beijing opened its pork market to Belgian products after a five-year ban related to African swine fever. This had been a reported priority for De Croo ahead of the trip, on which he was joined by a small business delegation, including Boerenbond, a farmers' association in the country's Flemish and German-speaking regions. Engaged openly with President Xi Jinping today. China and the EU remain important partners in tackling many of the global challenges. Belgium promotes its interests and values in the world. Thank you to our Chinese hosts for the respectful and constructive dialogue. pic.twitter.com/bIGPrW63iG - Alexander De Croo (@alexanderdecroo) January 12, 2024 The meeting happened amid heightened trade tensions, with EU-China commerce in decline. Data released by China's customs authority on Friday showed a 7.1 per cent contraction in overall trade between the two markets over the course of 2023, compared with a year earlier. On January 24, Brussels is to release further details on its economic security strategy, a package of policies intended to bolster its supply-chain resilience and wean Europe off dependencies on China. The European Commission, the bloc's secretariat, aims to install a screening tool for outbound investments into China for hi-tech sectors like semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. According to the Chinese readout, De Croo said that "Belgium opposes decoupling or severing of industrial and supply chains". The day before the Taiwan elections that have been earmarked as one of the geopolitical events of the year, De Croo, the leader of Belgium's complex coalition government, told Xi that "Belgium will continue to abide by the one-China policy", Xinhua reported. A string of EU leaders have visited Beijing since German Chancellor Olaf Scholz broke the post-Covid deadlock in November 2022. Reports suggest that Xi will start reciprocating the visits this year. He is expected to be in Paris in the spring to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Sino-Franco relations, but there has been no official confirmation of his travel plans. 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. CEO Jane Fraser says the company had a "very disappointing" Q4 in 2023. SAUL LOEB/Getty Images Citigroup will cut about 20,000 roles over three years as its corporate restructuring continues. The bank also had a "very disappointing" Q4 in 2023, CEO Jane Fraser said. The move could save the firm billions. Citigroup will cut about 20,000 jobs over the next three years as part of its previously announced restructuring. The cuts, which were detailed in Citi's earnings report on Friday, could save the company as much as $2.5 billion. The bank also said it had suffered a "very disappointing" Q4 in 2023, partially due to about $780 million in restructuring charges "related to actions taken as part of Citi's organizational simplification." Citigroup had said in September it would be overhauling its corporate structure and cutting management layers, which was expected to include job losses. Internally, the initiative is known as "Project Bora Bora," and employees have discussed cuts that could amount to at least 10% of the company's workforce in several major businesses, according to CNBC . Redundancies related to the overhaul began in November, CNBC reported. The job cuts over the next few years will leave the company with a head count of about 180,000, minus its Mexico operations, which it's spinning off. In a press release, CEO Jane Fraser said the company "made substantial progress" simplifying Citi in 2023, and that 2024 will be a "turning point as we'll be able to completely focus on the performance of our five businesses and our Transformation." The bank is not alone in pushing forward with job cuts in 2024. Google laid off hundreds of workers, and Amazon is also laying off "several hundred" employees in its Amazon Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios divisions. Read the original article on Business Insider Today Sunny skies. Becoming windy late. High 68F. NW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 35F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow Plentiful sunshine. High 64F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies Close Brothers Group's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions 50% of the business is held by the top 12 shareholders Insiders have been selling lately A look at the shareholders of Close Brothers Group plc (LON:CBG) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 87% to be precise, is institutions. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). As a result, institutional investors endured the highest losses last week after market cap fell by UK189m. The recent loss, which adds to a one-year loss of 33% for stockholders, may not sit well with this group of investors. Also referred to as "smart money", institutions have a lot of sway over how a stock's price moves. As a result, if the downtrend continues, institutions may face pressures to sell Close Brothers Group, which might have negative implications on individual investors. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Close Brothers Group, beginning with the chart below. Check out our latest analysis for Close Brothers Group LSE:CBG Ownership Breakdown January 13th 2024 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Close Brothers Group? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Close Brothers Group. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Close Brothers Group, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Story continues LSE:CBG Earnings and Revenue Growth January 13th 2024 Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Close Brothers Group is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is abrdn plc with 10% of shares outstanding. With 5.1% and 4.9% of the shares outstanding respectively, BlackRock, Inc. and The Vanguard Group, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders. Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 50% of the ownership is controlled by the top 12 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Close Brothers Group The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Close Brothers Group plc. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own UK2.4m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership With a 12% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Close Brothers Group. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Close Brothers Group that you should be aware of before investing here. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Remembering Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary, the TMC Women Wing organised a rally to uphold his teachings on religious harmony and self realisation. The event was led by president @Chandrimaaitc and chairperson @MalaRoyAITC & aimed to celebrate Swamiji and his enduring wisdom. The ruling party too on its social media post wrote: In Bengal, the birthplace of legends who scripted history, Swami Vivekananda remains an enigma. Each day, every moment, we continue to comprehend Swamijis profound influence on the life of our nation in new ways. On the hallowed occasion of his birth anniversary, celebrated as National Youth Day, our Natl GS Shri @abhishekaitc, visited Swamijis birthplace to pay a heartfelt tribute to the great man. Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who visited Vivekanandas house in north Kolkata, wrote on X: On Swami Vivekanandas birth anniversary, I pay homage to the great icon. His timeless msg of brotherhood & unity resonates with profound relevance, especially in difficult times. May Swamijis enduring vision inspire the youth to forge ahead, realising his dream for the nation. Later, he addressed the media waiting to hear from him. Abhishek said, WE hope we can inspire the society to work on his ideals. I will not speak anything political here. I have been coming here before too and I will address your queries from another platform. If anyone comments during their visit here, it reveals their mindset, intellect and their upbringing. Advertisement The Border Security Force (BSF) apprehended a woman, resident of Karandighi in North Dinajpur, at Immigration Check Post (ICP) at Hilli in South Dinajpur yesterday for carrying huge Bangladeshi currency Taka 6,50,000 from Bangladesh to India. The BSF handed over the woman to the customs officials. The seized Bangladeshi currency and mobile from her possession were also handed over to the customs officials. According to the BSF, troops of Hili Border Outpost of 151 Battalion BSF, under North Bengal Frontier apprehended the woman while she was carrying huge Bangladeshi currency. On search the BSF recovered Taka 6,50,000 (approx Rs 4,93,253) from her possession. The woman disclosed that she had gone to Bangladesh from India on 6 November, last year with a valid passport through Hilli ICP to meet her relatives. She wanted to hand over Bangladeshi currency to her relatives in India, said a senior BSF official. In addition, according to the BSF, on 11-12 January, troops from North Bengal Frontier BSF carried out anti-smuggling drive in their respective border areas in order to thwart any attempt by anti-national elements to execute their nefarious design of smuggling and seized cattle and other contraband items from different border areas. Advertisement The total value of the seized items is Rs 5,36,972. Those items were seized by the BSF troops while smugglers were trying to smuggle it from India to Bangladesh. Troops of under command Battalions of North Bengal Frontier of BSF, deployed on Indo-Bangladesh border are maintaining high alertness of highest order on the border to thwart any attempt of antinational elements to execute their nefarious designs of smuggling, infiltration and exfiltration. In an archaeological excavation at Vadnagar, Gujarat, the consortium of scientists, led by researchers from IIT Kharagpur, ASI, PRL, JNU, and Deccan College, challenges the traditional narrative of a Dark Age in Indian history. The findings, detailed in the paper Climate, human settlement, and migration in South Asia from Early historic to medieval period: Evidence from new archaeological excavation at Vadnagar, Western India, published in the prestigious Elsevier journal Quaternary Science Reviews, presents a compelling reassessment of historical periods often depicted as obscure. The excavation at Vadnagar not only unravels a continuous record of early historic to medieval archaeology but also positions the settlement as a vibrant city that predates both Buddhism and Jainism. Professor Anindya Sarkar from IIT Kharagpur suggests that recent radiocarbon dates indicate Vadnagars potential age as old as 1400 BCE, challenging the conventional understanding of a Dark Age between the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization and the emergence of Mahajanapadas. The Dark Age has long been considered a period of scarce archaeological records and historical ambiguity, marked by the collapse of urban centers, de-urbanization, and population contractions. However, the Vadnagar excavation reveals a different story, suggesting a cultural continuity in India for the last 5500 years, with the so-called Dark Age potentially being a historical myth. Advertisement The research teams findings indicate that Vadnagar flourished during various cultural stages, encompassing the Mauryan, Indo-Greek, IndoScythian, Hindu-Solankis, Sultanate-Mughal, and Gaekwad-British colonial rule. The citys resilience and adaptation through these periods challenge the notion of a stagnant or regressive Dark Age in Indian history. The studys lead author, professor Anindya Sarkar, asserts that Vadnagars position as the oldest living city within a single fortification in India challenges existing perceptions about the continuity and dynamism of historical settlements during what has conventionally been labelled a Dark Age. As the excavation continues, the Vadnagar findings prompt a re-evaluation of historical timelines and question the existence of a prolonged Dark Age. The research teams work highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of Indias ancient history, suggesting that the socalled Dark Age may not have been as obscure as previously believed, but rather a period of cultural resilience, adaptation, and continuous development. Professor Sarkar emphasizes that Vadnagars earliest settlement predates both Buddhism and Jainism, originating around 800 BCE during the early Iron Age or Late Vedic period. The research team delved into the causes behind the settlements early inhabitants, considering the possibility of migration after the Meghalayan droughts that led to the collapse of many Harappan cities. Isotope analysis of oxygen in freshwater mollusc shells from the Vadnagar archaeological site provided valuable insights into past rainfall and seasonality, suggesting that settlers arrived during a period of strengthened monsoons post-Meghalayan. Professor A P Dimri of JNU underscores the studys significance, asserting that it provides compelling evidence of large-scale migration and invasions driven by climate change in the past, leading to societal instability. The findings offer valuable insights into the ongoing discourse on climate change and its potential impact on human migration in the future. DRAFT: Consulting Picks Up The Slack As Tech Employment Collapses For IESE's 2023 MBAs IESE has released its MBA employment report showing that despite economic headwinds, 94% of Class of 2023 graduates found employment within three months of graduation Jobs for MBAs graduating from IESE Business School at the University of Navarra were not as scarce in 2023 as they were for the graduates of many U.S. B-schools. Despite a shaky global economy, IESEs 379-student Class of 2o23 continued the employment success of its immediate predecessors, with 94% landing a job within three months of graduating, down just 1 percentage point from last years class and matching the rate of the Class of 2021. IESE continues to bury the memory of the 87% employment rate of the coronavirus year of 202o. In 2023, a number of key trends affected the global job market and the MBA recruiting scenario, says Patrik Wallen, director of the Career Development Center IESE, in the introduction to the B-schools new employment report. The global economy continued to experience a slowdown, although this took place mainly in advanced countries. DRAFT: Consulting Picks Up The Slack As Tech Employment Collapses For IESE's 2023 MBAs Source: IESE 2023 MBA employment report AVERAGE BASE SALARY FOR IESE MBAs GROWS 13.6% IN 2 YEARS Perhaps because of struggling economies, it was to the more advanced countries that fewer IESE grads chose to accept work: One of the biggest shifts reflected in this years employment report is a dramatic downturn in those finding jobs in Europe. Excluding IESEs home base of Spain which, with 25% of the class, was the single biggest destination for the Class of 2023 IESE MBAs largely looked beyond Europe to launch their post-MBA careers, with just 24% finding work there, down from 37% last year and fewer even than the 26% of 2021. The hiring landscape, Wallen acknowledges, was marked by a dip in the number of graduates moving to a new geographic location for employment, with fewer MBA alumni going to Europe. At the same time, there was an upswing in graduates heading to the Middle East, particularly Dubai, for career opportunities. More chose Asia-Pacific (12%, up from 8%), the Middle East (11%, up from 7%), and North America (6%, up from 4%), while an unchanged percentage chose Latin America (20%). Story continues One thing that didnt change in 2023: The jobs secured by IESE grads continued to be of the highly paid variety. The average base salary for the Class of 2023 was 99,500, up from 92,500 in 2022 and 87,613 in 2021. Thats about $109,100, a 7.6% year-over-year increase and an increase of 13.6% in two years. Minimum annual base salary in 2023 was 45,000 (up from 30,000 for the Class of 2022, but still down from 46,162 for 2021) and maximum annual base salary was 194,800 (up from 181,000 for the Class of 2022 and 168,652 for 2021). At current exchange rates, that max salary is about $214K. Compare IESEs salary benchmarks with the latest data available from a rival European B-school, London Business School, where the Class of 2022 reported a starting salary average of $124,822; or to a U.S. school, Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business, ranked 16th in the U.S. by Poets&Quants, which reports the average base salary for Class of 2023 MBAs was up 5.7% this year to $156,500. CMU Teppers max salary in 2023 was about $210K. CONSULTING HIRING EXPLODES TO NEARLY HALF THE 2023 CLASS DRAFT: Consulting Picks Up The Slack As Tech Employment Collapses For IESE's 2023 MBAs IESEs Patrik Wallen: IESEs reputation as a leading global business school and our vibrant alumni network both contribute to the schools high placement rate By sector, consulting grads made the most of IESEs 2023 MBAs, reporting an average salary of 108,100, up from 96,500 in 2022. Consulting was also by far the biggest sector, with 47% of the class getting work there, up dramatically from 33% in 2022 and 34% in 2021. The next-highest paid were techies, who comprised just 9% of the class half what they were only a year before and who were paid an average salary of 97,900, up slightly from 94,200. Two other sectors, finance and diversified industries automotive, consumer goods, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and retail saw their base salary averages decline this year. Finance, which increased as a percentage of the class to 24% from 20%, dropped to 92,200 from 97,000; and industry, which cratered to 20% from 28%, dropped to 82,900 from 85,700. A huge jump in consulting recruiting made up for the collapse in tech and industry jobs, Wallen says. A drop in tech and general industry recruiting was compensated by a significant increase in consultancy recruiting, he writes. The number of IESE graduates hired by consultancy firms rose from one-third of the class to almost one-half, with the top recruiters being strategy consulting firms. Among the top recruiters that hired the most IESE MBA graduates in 2023: The MBB consulting firms, Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company, and Boston Consulting Group, as well as Amazon, Citigroup, Eli Lilly. About 280 companies offered full-time jobs or summer internships to students in 2022-2023. IESEs reputation as a leading global business school and our vibrant alumni network both contribute to the schools high placement rate, Wallen writes. This year, the MBA program moved from 10th to 3rd place in The Financial Times annual ranking. The survey also highlighted the strength of IESEs Career Services, which placed 5th in the world, and the effectiveness of the alumni network, which took the 8th spot. IESE is No. 2 in P&Qs 2023 international ranking; it ranked No. 1 in 2022. DRAFT: Consulting Picks Up The Slack As Tech Employment Collapses For IESE's 2023 MBAs Source: IESE 2023 MBA employment report THE BIGGEST TRIPLE-JUMPERS: WOMEN IESE is among a handful of schools that emphasizes the extent of its grads career pivots with a focus on the so-called triple jump, which is switching industry, job function, and geography post-graduation. In 2023, 30% of the class made the triple jump, up from 22% in 2022 but still down from one-third of the Class of 2021. Overall, 45% of this years class changed geography, 63% changed sector, and 64% changed function; in 2022, 69% of graduates changing location, 58% sector, and 52% function. The biggest triple jumpers in IESEs latest MBA class were women. Nearly half the women in the class 49% achieved the triple jump, including 63% who moved elsewhere for work, 77% who switched functions, and an incredible 82% who switched industries. However, women comprised just 30% of the Class of 2023, among the lowest proportions of any elite European B-school, and the lowest at IESE in at least the last six intakes. (The Fall 2023 intake for the MBA Class of 2025 had 35% women.) As a former consultant focused on accounting standards, I knew pursuing my dream role in finance would be difficult, says Brenda Gabriela Ampuero Alfaro, IESE 2023 MBA who is quoted in the new employment report. But doing so while switching industries and geographies was definitely a daunting task. Luckily, the CDC, the Finance Club and my own peers fully supported me during the job search process with technical lectures, networking opportunities and mock interviews. Their support was key in my transformation into becoming a prime candidate to thrive in the investment banking world. Thanks to them, Ill be kickstarting my new career path at Bank of America in London. Adds classmate Qi Zhang: After accumulating a seven-year local work experience in the dynamic real estate industry within China, I made the pivotal decision to join the IESE MBA program. This journey allowed me to explore diverse career arenas and acquire a global perspective on business. Throughout the 19-month program, I had the privilege of engaging with classmates from 58 different nationalities. This experience illuminated the interconnectedness of our world and equipped me with the skills to navigate cultural disparities as a prospective global business leader. With the support from the CDC and alumni, I successfully transitioned from my previous role to the healthcare sector. DONT MISS POETS&QUANTS 2023 MBA CLASS PROFILES & EMPLOYMENT REPORTS The post Consulting Picks Up The Slack As Tech Employment Collapses For IESEs 2023 MBAs appeared first on Poets&Quants. The Kolkata Metro Railway has sent a proposal to the state government for modification of the existing skywalk near Dakshineswar Temple which is close to the Metro station. The proposed plan is aimed at increasing the efficiency of Dakshineswar Metro station that handles a considerable crowd of commuters, particularly devotees heading towards the Kali temple. In the present system, trains have to be stopped near the station for a short while before reaching the rear side. The system is prevalent as there is no cross over near the rear end, required for changing of lines. According to the general manager of Kolkata Metro Railway, P Uday Kumar Reddy, the length after the Dakshineswar Metro station is shorter than what is required for safety. Within the given constraints, we are trying to reduce the time being taken there while putting efforts to resolve the speed restrictions that are in place. We are also in talks with the state government to solve the problem for extension of the stretch so that the speed restriction can be lifted, informed Mr Reddy addressing a Press Conference today. As elaborated by the general manager, a stretch of around 90 meters is needed to solve the issue. The carrier has approached the state government with a proposal for the required land. The proposal with the recommended design also includes suggestions to widen the roads, and modification of the skywalk and construction of a maximum of two pillars by the Metro railway. According to Mr Reddy, if the plan is implemented, it would also improve the movement of visitors availing the skywalk. In a significant milestone, the Kolkata Metro Railway has received the required clearance from the commissioner of railway safety for the commissioning for automatic train operations in the operational stretch between Sealdah and Sector V of the Green Line. Once commissioned, the advanced system would help in running trains without human errors enabling faster train operations. Advertisement Notably, the East-West Metro Corridor is equipped with the technology of communication based train control system (CBCTC). This system consists of Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) facilities. In the ATO mode, a train can move from one station to the next automatically after long press of the ATO Departure push button by the motorman. Train doors and platform screen doors get opened automatically on arrival at the next station. The advanced system ensures accurate stopping at the platforms and automatic opening of correct side train doors and platform screen doors (PSD). Enabling automatic braking, motoring, coasting, and stopping of the train within the specified speed profile, the system helps in less power consumption and enhanced passenger comfort. As informed by the general manager of Kolkata Metro Railway, P Uday Kumar Reddy, the advanced technology would soon be made functional in the operation stretch of the Green Line. Trinamul Congress and its leaders have been criticising the Modi-led central government for its decision to instal Beti Bachao Beti Padhao logos at universities. This is after they took to social media to lambast the central government for selfie points at a few railway stations in India. Minister and senior leader Dr Shashi Panja wrote on X: If the Modi Govt. had displayed half the commitment to actually upholding the proposed maxim of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao as they do in meddling with academic autonomy, perhaps the distressing surge in crimes against women could have been averted. Adding her comments on the social media, finance minister and senior leader of the party Chandrima Bhattacharya wrote: The imposition of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao logos in universities is a brazen attempt to manipulate votes. Central Govt.s failure to protect daughters in BJP-ruled states reveals blatant hypocrisy and shameless propaganda. State Trinamul spokesperson and state president social media and IT cell Debangshu Bhattacharya was also caustic in his attack on the social media. He described the BJP as ??as ??hootha ??rachaar. He wrote: After suggesting selfie points with PM @narendramodis cutouts, @ugc_india, serving as a @BJP4India lackey, has mandated universities to install Beti Bachao Beti Padhao logos. Another masterclass in misusing statutory bodies to spread propaganda at the expense of institutional autonomy! Advertisement Transport department has launched the service of air ambulance for evacuating critically ill pilgrims of Gangasagar Mela from Sagar Point to Kolkata for treatment in government hospitals at Kolkata from today to 16 January. Meanwhile Sumitra Devi (55), resident of Dumra, Sitamarhi, Bihar today fell illness during her visit to Gangasagar. Doctor diagnosed her heart attack and advised immediate shifting to send Kolkata for better management and save the life. She was airlifted and later admitted to MR Bangur Hospital. Another patient, Swapna Mukherjee, resident of Durgapur, fell ill following hyperosmolar state and was sent to MR Bangur Hospital after being airlifted. Advertisement Bengaluru based corporate giant Wipro on Friday clarified that there is nothing personal about lawsuits filed against former top officials of the company. Its about contractual obligations, the company said. Thierry Delaporte, Wipro CEO, addressing media after announcement of December quarter results said that the company is sticking to business practice. Advertisement The company is not destabilised by these decisions because we have the pipeline. We have been in business for 30 years. I know how this is working and we only apply those normal terms and we are committed to our employees, Thierry Delaporte said. We realise that when you are bringing talent, we have been also promoting a lot of talent, it triggers a little bit of churn and you must be prepared for that. If you are transforming the organisation and if you are providing as much talent in the organisation as we have done over the last two to three years, you have prepared for the fact that some people will decide to go, Thierry Delaporte said. The Bengaluru-based corporate giant Wipro has filed a lawsuit against its former Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Jatin Dalal, in the Bengaluru Civil Court. In turn, Dalal, presently with Cognizant as CFO, has submitted an application to the court requesting arbitration. Wipro has sought Rs 25.15 crore damages from its former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jatin Dalal for violating the non-compete clause of his employment contract. Wipro had recently filed a complaint against its former senior vice president Mohd Haque for violating non-compete covenants by joining Wipros direct competitor, Cognizant. NLC India Ltd has awarded the EPC contract to BHEL to set up a Pit Head Green Field Thermal Power Project of 2,400 MW capacity at Jharsuguda District in Odisha. The project is based on Ultra Super Critical Technology, and the entire power of 2400 MW is tied up with the states of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala and Puducherry, and PPAs to this effect have already executed, Ministry of Coal said in a statement. Through this project, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala and Puducherry will also benefit with low cost Power. Advertisement The contract scope includes engineering, manufacturing, supply, erection and commissioning of equipment such as boilers, turbine, generators, balance of plants, FGD and SCR for 3 X800 MW- 2400 MW Stage I. The first unit of the project is scheduled for commissioning during the financial year 2028- 29. Being a Pit Head Thermal Project, the variable cost will be Competitive and NLC India, will be generating & providing low-cost power to its beneficiaries. Ministry has informed that for this thermal project, the coal linkage is available from 20 million tonne per annum (MTPA) Talabira II& III mines of NLCIL which is already operational from 2020 in Jharsuguda and Sambalpur Districts of Odisha. BHEL won the Rs 19,422-crore turnkey contract to establish a thermal power plant in Talabira, Odisha for NLC India earlier in January. The financial bids for this project were opened on 29 December 2023. The water required for the project is linked from Hirakud Reservoir and the power generated will be evacuated through ISTS and STU Network. Notably, the project will come up with latest pollution control equipment like FGD and SCR to meet the MoEF guidelines. Boilers will be designed to suite the co firing of Bio mass as part of Green initiative in line with Ministry of Power guidelines along with Bio Mass handling systems, the ministry has said. Accumulative sales of eco-friendly vehicles produced by Hyundai Motor and Kia, South Koreas leading automakers, are expected to exceed 1 million units in the first quarter, the companies said on Friday. Accumulative sales of eco-friendly units of Hyundai and Kia combined had amounted to 946,962 units as of the end of 2023. They are expected to surpass the 1 million mark in the January-March period, Hyundai and Kia officials said. Last year, the companies sold 278,122 eco-friendly cars, including electric vehicles and hybrids, combined in the United States, representing a 52.3 percent sales growth from 2022, reports Yonhap news agency. Advertisement According to company officials, Hyundai and Kias combined market share of eco-friendly vehicles in the U.S. stayed above the 20 percent mark for three consecutive years since 2021. Hyundai and Kia also said they aim to strengthen sales of premium car models, such as Hyundais independent luxury brand Genesis, as well as recreational vehicle models. Accumulative sales of Genesis models, in particular, in the U.S. are likely to surpass the 300,000 unit mark in the third quarter, company officials said. In two back to back deals, Tata Consumer Products on Friday stated it will acquire up to 100 per cent stake in Organic India, a Fabindia-owned business that sells tea, infusions, herbal supplements and packaged foods, for Rs 1,900 crore in an all cash deal. The Board of Directors approved the acquisition of up to 100 per cent of the equity share capital of Organic India Private Ltd. The company, thereafter, has entered into a share purchase agreement (SPA) with Fabindia Ltd to acquire up to 100 per cent of the companys equity share capital, Tata Consumer Products said in an exchange filing. The announcement came shortly after Tata Consumer Products first acquisition of the day, where it said it will buy 100 per cent stake in Capital Foods, which markets its products under Chings Secret and Smith & Jones brands, for Rs 5,100 crore in an all cash deal. Advertisement Estimated turnover of Organic India for FY24 is approximately Rs 360 to Rs 370 crore. In the last three fiscals, the company has seen a gradual decline in sales from Rs 394.8 crore in FY21 to Rs 324.4 crore in FY23. The deal values the company at a little over five times its FY24 sales. Against FY23 sales, the company is valued at nearly six times its sales. Tata Consumer is valued at 12 times its FY23 sales and 11.5 times its FY24 (annualised) sales. The Total Addressable Market (TAM) for the categories that Organic India is present in is Rs 7,000 crore in India and Rs 75,000 crores in international markets where Tata Consumer has a strong presence, the company said. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Saturday inaugurated the first international kite festival- Patang Utsav at Baansera, citys first bamboo-theme park at Sarai Kale Khan on the banks of river Yamuna. The two-day festival is being organised by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and will see over 30 professional kitists from Rajasthan, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Lakshadweep and Gujarat exhibiting their art. Kites of various shapes, sizes and colours including tricolour, train and eagle will fly during the festival. Speaking on the session, the L-G complimented the DDA for organising the festival and developing open green spaces in the national capital, out of hitherto degraded landscape. Advertisement He appealed to the people of Delhi to come out in large numbers to celebrate this festival along with their family and friends and enjoy the occasion in the lap of nature. I assure you that many such events will be planned in the future to promote ease of living for the people of Delhi, Saxena said. The event has been planned as a recreational opportunity for the people to visit the festival along with their family and kids to enjoy the festivals on the auspicious occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Bihu, Maghi, Uttarayani and Pongal. To enhance the ecological character of Yamuna floodplains and make it more people friendly by making it attractive as a recreational and cultural venue, the L-G had laid the foundation of Baansera in August 2022 and the same was developed in a record time of just six months. More than 30,000 special varieties of bamboo saplings, brought from Assam and other parts of the country have been planted here. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi, Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, among others were present on the occasion. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested two brothers after 24 years, who were wanted in a case of kidnapping a worker at a shop in Chandni Chowk area and demanding ransom from the owner, an official said on Saturday. The fugitives identified as Puneet and Vinit Agrawal were presently residing at Gurugram, Haryana, and Delhis Pitampura respectively, in a bid to evade arrest. The police further added that the two brothers on a regular basis kept changing their hideouts. Advertisement Way back in the year 2000, on January 29, an information was received at Kotwali police station, Delhi that a person namely Shrinath had been kidnapped from Kinari Bazar, Chandni Chowk. On the very next day Shrinath arrived at the police station with the shop owner where he worked and filed a complaint with the police alleging that Suneet Aggarwal, Puneet, and Vinit had kidnapped him from the shop where he worked and asked for a ransom to release him. The accused had demanded a ransom amount of Rs 50000 from the shop owner, the police said. It was later that the accused persons left him near Tughlak Road, Delhi and fled away, the police added. According to police, in the ongoing probe back then, one of the accused persons, namely, Suneet was arrested in the case. However, Puneet did not join the probe, and was declared as a proclaimed offender by a Delhi court on May 22, 2000. In the ongoing trial of the case, the accused persons did not appear before the court and were declared proclaimed offender on October 15, 2004. During their questioning, they also revealed about staying out of station, escaping to Mumbai in a bid to evade arrest for about ten years, before they returned to Delhi NCR assuming that they were away from the law, however they still kept changing their locations. However, police got some inputs about the two and further traced their locations, apprehending the both from Gurugram and Pitampura respectively. They have disclosed that the quest for making easy money during that point of time led them to hatch a plan to rob the shop owner in Chandni Chowk area, and in a bid to execute their plan they kidnapped a person who was working at that shop, and later demanded Rs 50,000 from the owner of the shop, the police said. After committing the crime, they escaped to Mumbai for ten years, and did not contact anyone during the period in order to evade the arrest. Two strangers meet on a fateful Christmas Eve. A night of delirious romance turns into a nightmare. Director Sriram Raghavans latest Merry Christmas opens with a scene where two sets of mixer grinders juxtaposed in two frames show two recipes: a few tablets being grounded to a powder and the other a mix of red chillies and a lentil mixed to make batter for dosa. Interestingly, its Christmas eve and the city of Mumbai (that was then Bombay) is seen celebrating Christmas Eve. The spirit of Christmas and the streets lit up give us the euphoria building up. Advertisement In the mid of all this, Albert (Vijay Sethupathia), an architect who works in Dubai, is returning home after seven long years. He could not make it to his mothers funeral. A neighbour (Tinu Anand) offers him a bottle of homemade wine and shares his bonding with Alberts mother while he is away. Albert meets Maria (Katrina Kaif) dont really meet, not in the slightest romantic way, in fact, as Albert looks at Maria with a small girl (Annie) and a teddy bear in her arms, he offers to help. As they wander the city enjoying the festivities, Marias rather sad face begins to light up and Alberts Christmas begins to look merry. Maria then takes Annie to a movie Pinocchio where she finds Albert seated too. A friendly chat later, the three of them return to Marias flat Rose apartment where she also runs a bakery named Jupiter Bakery. All this while, their conversations reveal just the bare minimum. Maria invites Albert to her home and easy banter follows between the two. After putting Annie to bed, Maria decides to go out again with Albert and leaves a note for her husband, Jerome (Luke Kenny) that she would be back in an hour. What follows is a shocking body of Jerome plonked on a single sofa seater with a gunshot wound on his chest. Taking immediate charge of the situation, Albert tries calling up the police but stops wondering how he would explain the sudden body when they had gone out for an hour. Soon, what seemed like a happy festival turns menacingly evil. Director Sriram Raghavans mastery of several twists and turns come to the fore as we see characters and a dead body making the happy ambience turn ominous. There are other people who start joining in Sanjay Kapoor tries to help out an unconscious Maria at a church and all along believes he could have a lucky day with a pretty lady. The plot gets complicated as mystery shrouds the disappearance of Jeromes body, Alberts quiet demeanour, Sanjays wily ways as inspector Vinay Pathak and his assistant Pratima Kazmi begin to find holes in the story that both Maria and Albert narrate. The nearly two hour long film reminds us of the vintage Hitchcock and his unsurpassable tone. Not saying much and yet revealing much for all those who wish to see what is not easily seen, Raghavana takes off from his much acclaimed Andhadhun starring Tabu, and leaves us with intrigue, mystery and questions that one would keep wondering about. If Madhu Neelakandans camera work beautifully captures the old Bombay of the 80s, its Pritams musical score and Daniel B Georges background music that become other significant characters in the narrative. George relies heavily on western classical influences and gives us unique pieces of music that gel so well with dramatic scenes. From among the cast, Katrina is a revelation. Her quiet moves and consciously deadpan expressions add enigmatic to Maria. Vijay Sethupati is perfectly cast as a murderer, who has spent seven years behind prison for murdering his wife (Rashika Apte). Sanjay Kapoor as an opportunist man is good too. If you want to watch a thriller with a twist, go for it! Director: Sriram Raghavan Cast: Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupati, Sanjay Kapoor Camerawork: Madhu Neelakandan Music: Pritam, Daniel B George Duration: 141 minutes The annual meeting of the World Economic Forumto be held in Davos, Switzerland, next weekis on more radars than usual this year, thanks to the name of one of the sessions: Preparing for Disease X. What is Disease X? Disease X, according to the World Health Organization, represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease. Indeed, the organizations head, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, will speak at the event, in addition to Michel Demare, chair of the board of AstraZeneca, Brazil Minister of Health Nisia Trindade Lima, and Jamil Edmond Anderlini, editor in chief of Politico Europe, among others. The run-of-the-mill pandemic preparation session was blown out of proportion late this week, leading to the phrase Disease X trending on both Twitter and Google at times. Right-wing social media accounts slammed the session, charging that world leaders would convene to discuss plans to impose vaccine mandates, restrict free speech, and even plan pandemics themselves. On Thursday night, former Trump-era Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Treasury Department and Fox News analyst Monica Crowley tweeted a baseless warning that unelected globalists at the World Elected Forum will hold a panel on a future pandemic 20x deadlier than COVID. Just in time for the election, a new contagion to allow them to implement a new WHO treaty, lock down again, restrict free speech and destroy more freedoms, she wrote. Sound far-fetched? So did what happened in 2020. Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells Fortune that those in the medical and public health professions have always conducted thought experiments and tabletop exercises to prepare for pandemics. These exercises serve the vital function of identifying strengths and weaknesses, as well as highlighting important aspects of response that merit further refinement, he says. Story continues To arbitrarily suggest these exercises and meetings are part of some kind of conspiracy evades the actual purpose they serve and the problems on which they are trying to gain traction, all for the nihilistic purpose of compromising pandemic preparedness and brazen pandering, he added. Dr. Stuart Ray, vice chair of medicine for data integrity and analytics at Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine, told Fortune that it would be "irresponsible" for world leaders not to meet at the forum. "There have been multiple such events in recorded history, and the recent coronavirus pandemic taught us that rapid response can save millions of lives," he said. "Coordination of public health response is not conspiracy, it's simply responsible planning." Such meetings should be publicized because "such planning requires oversight, appreciation for personal impact on personal and economic freedom, and impact on special populations," he added. "It makes good sense for a global public health organization, scientific leaders, and interested private individuals to be involved." The WHOs priority pathogens, aside from Disease X The WHO maintains a list of priority pathogens that pose the greatest public health risk due to their epidemic potential and/or whether there are no, or insufficient, countermeasures available. Last updated in 2018, an updated list was expected last year and is now expected during the first half of 2024, according to the group. While the list is far from exhaustive and doesnt necessarily indicate the most likely cause of the next epidemic or pandemic, here are the known pathogens global public health officials are keeping an eye on, in addition to Disease X. Ebola & Marburg virus diseases Viruses in this family cause hemorrhagic, or bloody, fevers, which are typically accompanied by bleeding from bodily orifices and/or internal organs. The family consists of five strains of Ebola in addition to Marburgan extremely similar virus that made headlines during an outbreak in Equatorial Guinea earlier this year. On average, Ebola kills about 50% of those it sickens, though case fatality rates have ranged from 25%-90%, according to the WHO. Marburg also kills around 50% of those it infects, though case fatality rates range from around 24% to 88%, experts say. While there are two licensed vaccines for the deadliest strain of Ebola, Zaire, there arent any for the four other strains. Nor is there an approved vaccine for Marburg, though some are in development. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever Like Ebola and Marburg, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness that can cause bleeding from bodily orifices. Symptom onset is sudden and can include fever, muscle ache, dizziness, neck pain, back ache, headache, sore eyes, and light sensitivity. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and sore throat may also occur, followed by sharp mood swings and confusion. Two to four days later, agitation may turn into sleepiness, depression, and lassitude; abdominal pain may concentrate in the upper right quadrant; and the liver might become enlarged, according to the WHO. Other symptoms may include fast heart rate, enlarged lymph nodes, and a petechial rash (caused by bleeding into the skin) on internal mucosal surfaces like the mouth and throat, and on the skin. The rash may grow. Hepatitis is usually present. After the fifth day of illnesses, patients may suffer the failure of organs like the kidneys, liver, or lungs. The case fatality rate for this illnessspread by ticks and the tissue of infected animals during and after slaughteris around 30%. Most patients who die do so in the second week of illness. Those who recover generally begin to improve after the ninth or tenth day of illness. Lassa fever Like Ebola, Marburg, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness. But with a case fatality rate of 1%, its far less deadly. The vast majority of those infected with Lassa fever80%have no symptoms. For the other 20%, disease is severe. Symptoms usually start with non-specific ailments not unlike COVID or the flufever, weakness, and malaiseand then progress to headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, and stomach pain. Facial swelling, collection of fluid in the lung cavity, and low blood pressure may develop, in addition to shock, seizures, tremor, disorientation, and coma. Multiple organ systems are often damaged. Those who survive may suffer from temporary or permanent deafness, in addition to transient hair loss and gait disturbance. Those who die of the virus usually do so within two weeks of onset, according to the WHO. Eighty percent of pregnant women in their third trimester who are infected die, in addition to their fetus. Rodents carry the virus and also shed it in their urine and feces. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) The worlds first known coronavirus pandemic occurred in 2002, when SARS-CoV-1 was reported in China. It spread to more than two dozen countries in North and South America and Europe before being contained seven months later. SARS is thought to have originated in an animal population, perhaps bats, before being passed to civet catsa tropical animal that looks like a mix of a dog and an ocelotand then to people. A spillover could happen again, experts say. Symptoms include headache, body aches, mild respiratory symptoms, possible diarrhea, an eventual dry cough, and pneumonia in most. SARS sickened nearly 8,100 people and killed just under 10% of them from 2002 to 2003. There is no licensed vaccine for SARS, though researchers are working on universal coronavirus vaccines that could target both SARS and COVID, among other coronaviruses. Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS) SARS was the worlds first identified killer coronavirus, and MERS was the second. Discovered in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, it caused about 2,500 cases and 800 deaths. SARS has not been detected since 2004, but MERS continues to be reported sporadically, with the latest reportof three infections and two deathsoccurring in Saudi Arabia in August 2023. COVID (SARS-CoV-2) As Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHOs emerging diseases and zoonoses unit, said at a January presser, the world is still in a COVID pandemic, whether or not it wants to recognize it. So far, the official COVID death toll sits at 7 million, though it's thought to be at least three times higher. While the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) status ended in May 2023, a WHO committee could always choose to reinstate it, especially if the virus evolved into a more severe form, according to Van Kerkhove. And that's entirely possible. We are concerneddeeply concernedthat this virus is circulating unchecked around the world, and that we could have a variant at any time that would increase severity, she said Friday. This is not meant to be a scare tactic. This is a scenario we plan for. Nipah and other henipaviral diseases Nipah is a henipavirus, the most lethal of paramyxoviruses. It was first identified in pigs in Malaysia and Singapore in the late 1980s, though its natural reservoir is fruit bats. The other henipavirus known to infect people, Hendra, was first noted in racehorses and humans in Australia in 1994. Both feature respiratory illness and severe flu-like symptoms, and may progress to encephalitisinflammation of the brainalong with other neurologic symptoms and death. Nipah kills between 45% and 75% of the people it infects. No licensed vaccines exist, though a vaccine by Moderna, in coordination with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center, is being evaluated. Rift Valley fever This virus is known for causing massive devastation among livestock. While it can be transmitted from animals to other animals and to humans as well, its not yet known to transmit from humans to other humans. But with viral evolution, that could change. Human infections occur through inoculationfor instance, via a wound through an infected knife, or through broken skin. Humans can also be infected via aerosols produced during the slaughter of infected animals. Human infection may also be possible through drinking unpasteurized or uncooked milk of infected animals, according to the WHO. Additionally, human infection could occur through the bites of infected mosquitoes or blood-feeding flies. Most infected humans dont develop symptoms; if they do, cases are mild. Symptoms include the sudden onset of a flu-like fever, muscle pain, joint pain, and headache. Neck stiffness, light sensitivity, appetite loss, and vomiting are also possible. Such cases may be mistaken for meningitis. Around 3% of cases will develop severe disease, and less than 1% will die. Severe disease usually takes one of three forms: ocular, meningoencephalitis, or hemorrhagic. Zika virus Like COVID, Zika virus-related microcephaly (a brain-related birth defect) was once declared a PHEIC by the WHO, from February through November of 2016. Most who are infected with the virustransmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoesdont develop symptoms. Those who do usually experience rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache for two to seven days. More troubling, infection during pregnancy can result in infants with congenital malformations, in addition to early birth and miscarriage. It can also result in Guillain-Barre syndrome, neuropathy, and myelitis in adults and children, according to the WHO. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Kiran Singh Deo, the recentlyappointed president of the Chhattisgarh BJP, has emerged as a prominent figure, one who is known across the state for his candid persona and proactive political strategy. Popularly called KD by friends and followers, Deo started his political journey with the BJPs youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and worked as the party president of the Bastar district unit. He served as mayor of Jagdalpur from 2009 to 2014. During his political journey, the BJP leader has demonstrated his adeptness in managing various responsibilities within the organisation. In the 2023 Assembly elections, he emerged victorious from the Jagdalpur constituency with 29,834 votes. In an exclusive interview with SHISHIR ROY CHOWDHURY, the 61- year-old leader extensively explores the BJPs strategy for the coming Lok Sabha elections. The conversation delves into the dynamics between the BJP government and the organisation in Chhattisgarh, and addresses upcoming challenges. Excerpts: Q. What is your primary focus as the Chhattisgarh BJP president? Advertisement A: As the Chhattisgarh BJP president, my focus rWhevolves around grassroots party endeavours. I express gratitude to our national leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and partys Chhattisgarh in-charges Om Mathur and Nitin Nabeen. I deeply appreciate the trust reposed in me as the state president. Engaging at the grassroots level, I seek guidance from seniors and actively connect with the public. Q. While some senior legislators of the BJP did not secure positions in Chief Minister Sais Cabinet, the younger generation did. Is the BJP undergoing a generational shift? A: Our partys initiatives aim to touch every individual with welfare schemes, extending our participation across all segments of society. Effectively implementing the Prime Ministers Jan Kalyan Yojana and ensuring that its benefits reach the intended recipients are at the forefront. Regarding the evolving second-line leadership in the BJP, our party believes in giving equal opportunities to everyone. Our senior leader and three-term CM of Chhattisgarh Dr. Raman Singh himself served in the organisation as president before he was chosen as the chief minister. Earlier, the deputy CM of the state Arun Sao also served the party organisation as president. The experience of seasoned leaders is a treasure for us and will be used in various capacities. Q. How is the party gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and what is the primary focus during this preparation? A: Gyarah mein se gyarah. We will surely win all the eleven Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh. While preparing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, our focus is on effective coordination within the party and adaptability to changing circumstances. The national leadership, guided by our respected leaders, sets the direction for us and we follow their directions with ultimate dedication. Seamless coordination between the government and organisation will be key to victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Q. How would you describe the current political dynamics in Chhattisgarh, particularly in the light of the recent Assembly elections? A:With groundwork under way for the Lok Sabha elections, our party responds to the peoples needs. Overwhelming public support, thanks to the Jan Kalyankari (public welfare) schemes, reflects the positive trajectory under Prime Minister Modis leadership. We are confident that the BJP will secure all eleven seats in Chhattisgarh. Q. The recent Assembly elections saw the BJP winning 54 seats and forming the government. What does this success signify for the BJP government and organisation in Chhattisgarh? A: Winning 54 seats in the recent Assembly elections underscored the acceptance of the BJPs government and organisation in Chhattisgarh. The positive response from the public indicates its acknowledgment and support for the BJPs governance and organisational structure. Our Sangathan will bridge the gap between the partys programmes and the grassroots, ensuring the partys message reaches every household. Q. How do you look at your role in promoting the BJPs programmes and connecting with party workers and the public? A: My focus will be on promoting BJPs programmes and connecting with party workers and the public at large while abstaining from negative discourse. My responsibility is to convey my partys agenda positively and create a meaningful impact. Q. What are the BJPs New Year resolutions and vision for Chhattisgarh in 2024? A: In 2024, the BJP in Chhattisgarh is committed to realise Prime Minister Modis guarantees to the people of the state, dedicating January to transformative endeavours. Our vision is to shape a new Chhattisgarh marked by good governance, welfare, and the eradication of injustice, terrorism, and corruption. We aim to set a positive and forward-looking trajectory for the state, focusing on inclusive development and the well-being of our citizens. Q. Could you elaborate on the initiatives undertaken by the BJP to foster innovation and employment opportunities in Chhattisgarh? A: Certainly, Chhattisgarh, under BJP governance, is on track to become the innovation hub of central India. Our initiatives go beyond traditional approaches, focusing on creating numerous employment opportunities. One notable effort is the establishment of an Atal Monitoring System, ensuring effective scheme implementation. This system is designed to adapt to the dynamic needs of our society, fostering innovation, and ensuring that Chhattisgarh thrives as a centre for new ideas and job creation. Q. What specific actions will the BJP take to address concerns raised during the Assembly elections, particularly regarding lawlessness and corruption? A: To address various concerns, particularly those related to lawlessness and corruption, the BJP is taking proactive measures. We have implemented the Atal Monitoring System, providing Chief Minister Sai direct oversight of initiative execution. This step ensures accountability and transparency. Furthermore, transparent competitive exams will be conducted to identify and nurture the talents of the youth, offering diverse employment opportunities. The BJP is steadfast in its commitment to tackling issues of lawlessness and corruption through robust and peoplecentric actions. Q. How does the BJP plan to empower women and enhance their security and dignity in Chhattisgarh? A: BJPs commitment extends to the economic empowerment of women and ensuring their safety and dignity. We are implementing initiatives focused on enhancing their economic well-being. Additionally, comprehensive measures are being put in place to address security concerns and preserve the dignity of women. These efforts collectively strengthen the social fabric of Chhattisgarh, reflecting the BJPs dedication to creating an environment that uplifts and protects the women of our state. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) boss Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday wrote to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra general secretary Champat Rai, informing him of his decision to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya after the January 22 consecration ceremony. In the letter posted on his X handle, Yadav thanked Rai for the invitation to the consecration ceremony and said that he will visit the temple along with his family after the Pran Pratishtha event. Thank you for the invitation to the consecration ceremony of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya and best wishes for the successful completion of the ceremony. We shall definitely visit temple after the completion of the consecration ceremony, he wrote. Advertisement The Samajwadi Party leader didnt mention the reason behind his decision of not attending the consecration ceremony. He, however, carefully chose not to decline the invitation like his other INDIA alliance leaders. His response came amid BJPs criticism of Opposition leaders for declining the invitation to the mega Ram temple inauguration event. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leader Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had refused to attend the consecration ceremony, terming it a BJP event for political gains. Besides Congress, other INDIA alliance partners, including CPM and Mamata Banerjees TMC, have also declined the invitation to attend the ceremony. They had also cited the similar reason behind their decision and accused the BJP of using the religious event for electoral gains. The police have recovered the body of former model Divya Pahuja, who was shot dead inside a Gurugram hotel, from a Haryana canal. The body, according to police, was thrown in the canal in Punjab and it drifted to Haryana. On January 2, Pahuja was killed at a Gurugram hotel. The CCTV footage from the hotel recovered by police showed two men dragging her body out of the hotel and put it in a car. Advertisement Since then, police was trying to find the body, which has now been sent for the post-mortem. The development comes days after Balraj Gill, one of the accused who allegedly dumped the body, was arrested earlier this week. Another accused, Ravi Banga, is still on the run and efforts are on to nab him. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has ordered a probe against a firm, Exalogic Solutions, owned by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans daughter Veena T for allegedly receiving payment from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) without providing any service. A three-member panel comprising Karnataka deputy registrar of companies Varun BS, Chennai deputy director KM Sanker Narayan, and Pondicherry registrar of companies A Gokulnath will conduct the probe. The inquiry panel has been asked to submit the report within four months. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs issued the investigation order based on the findings of the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board (ITISB) regarding the payments made to Kerala CMs daughter Veena T by the CMRL. Advertisement During the preliminary investigation conducted by the registrar of companies, Bengaluru, it came to light that the company owned by the CMs daughter had violated the law multiple times. The probe panel will also investigate the financial transactions between the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and the CMRL. Earlier, the Corporate Affairs Ministry had issued show-cause notices to both the CMRL and the KSIDC after the ITISB established that the CMRL had made illegal payments amounting to Rs 133 crore to trade union leaders, political leaders, and officials. While the CMRL reportedly gave a vague and evasive reply to the notice, the KSIDC did not even respond to it, as per the available information. In June last year, the New Delhi bench of the ITISB discovered that the firm owned by CM Vijayans daughter Veena T had received Rs 1.72 crore from the CMRL for consultancy services that were never provided. In December 2023, the Kerala High Court took suo motu cognisance and issued notices to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena, UDF leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala, PK Kunhalikutty, VK Ibrahim Kunju, and others, in response to a petition challenging the Muvattupuzha Vigilance courts order that dismissed a plea seeking an investigation into the alleged illegal payments made by the CMRL to political leaders. Meanwhile, Opposition leader VD Satheesan raised suspicion over the central governments investigation into the company owned by Chief Minister Vijayans daughter. Speaking to the media in Kochi on Saturday, Satheesan doubted the probe reaching a logical conclusion. He suggested the possibility of the investigation ending up entangled in a BJP-CPI-M nexus like the other four previous cases the diplomatic gold smuggling case, SNC Lavlin case, Life Mission scam and Karuvannur bank scam. We are wondering whether the fifth case too will end up similarly, the senior Congress leader said. The CPI-M has not responded to the Centres order to set up a panel to conduct a probe against the company owned by CM Vijayans daughter. LDF convenor EP Jayarajan told media persons here that the central governments decision didnt come to his notice. State tourism and PWD minister Mohammed Riyas, Veenas husband, refused to comment on the development. Riyas evaded media queries in this regard. Meanwhile, the CPI-M said that this was a political vendetta on the part of the central government. The tussle between INDIA bloc partners in Maharashtra the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) over South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat has sparked rumours of former Union Minister Milind Deoras exit from the grand old party. Several media reports claimed that Deora is likely to quit the Congress and join Ekanath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. The reports cited Deoras displeasure over Shiv Sena (UBT)s claim over South Mumbai, considered a traditional seat for the Congress party, as the reason behind his likely move. Advertisement Deora was an MP from South Mumbai, winning the seat twice in 2004 and 2009. Before him, his father Murli Deora won the constituency in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1998. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant is the sitting MP from South Mumbai and the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has reportedly claimed the seat during the seat-sharing arrangement talks between the INDIA bloc partners. Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced to contest no less than 23 seats, including the South Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency. Even before the finalisation of seat-sharing agreement among INDIA allies in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have started claiming the constituency. This enraged Deora, who released a video statement last week, expressing his displeasure, and suggested MVA (Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP alliance in Maharashtra) leaders should avoid such public statements. The South Mumbai seat is traditionally with the Congress. The Deora family has been serving the people of South Mumbai for 50 years. Regardless of we are MPs or not, we work for the people of the constituency. We have not been elected in any wave. We have won the seat due to our work and relationships. I wish to tell all workers from South Mumbai that for the alliance, for the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi), the Lok Sabha polls will not be easy. No one should make public statements and claims, he had said. Deora has rejected the reports of his leaving the Congress party, terming them rumours. He, however, added that a decision will be taken after consulting with his supporters. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday invited INDIA bloc partners to attend Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, begining from tomorrow, January 14. At a virtual meeting of INDIA bloc partners, the Congress chief asked allies to join the Yatra, which will begin from Manipur and end in Maharashtra, as per their convenience. I, along with Rahul Gandhi ji invited all INDIA Parties to join Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at their convenience and use the opportunity to raise the social, political and economic issues plaguing common people of this country, Kharge wrote on X. Advertisement The Congress national president also informed that seat sharing talks among INDIA alliance partners are progressing in a positive way. Everyone is happy that the seat sharing talks are progressing in a positive way. We also discussed about joint programs in the coming days by INDIA Parties, Kharge said. Earlier today, Kharge was unanimously named as the chairman of the INDIA bloc. Speaking about the decision, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that someone suggested Kharges name and everyone agreed. During the meeting, Nitish Kumars name was also proposed for the post of INDIA blocs convener but he reportedly refused saying someone from the Congress should take the job. The meeting was also attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi. They joined virtual meeting from Chennai. However, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav skipped the meeting. As many as 29 Opposition parties have stitched an alliance to take on the BJP-led ruling NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Opposition parties have resolved to fight the general elections together as much as possible to defeat the BJP. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued fresh summons to the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam, asking him to depose for questioning on January 18 this time. It is for the fourth time that the federal probe agency has summoned the Aam Aadmi Party convener in this connection, while Kejriwal has so far skipped the previous three summons that were sent to him by the agency, since October last year. Earlier, in his response to the summons by ED that were issued for him to depose on January 3, the Delhi CM had stated that he was unable to appear as the federal agencys summons were not clear on whether in which capacity he was been asked to join the questioning and the ED had not responded to his previous replies given in connection with the first two summons. Advertisement He had in his reply to ED had said that the summons did not mention any document or information required from him, while he had also urged the ED to kindly respond to his previous replies to clarify its position enabling him to understand the real intent, ambit, nature, and the scope of the related investigation for which he is being called. In his previous reply to the summons, Kejriwal had conveyed to the federal agency that he would happily respond to a questionnaire on the information and documents he could share with the agency. The CM had also mentioned that he was busy with Rajya Sabha elections and the forthcoming Republic Day preparations. Earlier, Kejriwal had also called the summons as unsustainable in law, claiming they were politically motivated. Meanwhile, the AAP has again questioned the timing of the probe agencys summons to their leader as the notices were sent on the very next day of the announcement about his Goa visit between January 18- 20 in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Speaking about the issue while addressing the media, senior AAP leader Gopal Rai on Saturday alleged that the timing of the probe agencys notice was not a coincidence, but, a bid to prevent the AAP chief from campaigning for the forthcoming general elections. The BJP does not in any way want any opposition leader to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. Therefore, the BJP has made ED its tool to stop opposition leaders from campaigning, Rai alleged. Earlier, the AAP had blamed the Centre for summons alleging that all this is part of a conspiracy against the party and its leaders to spoil their image ahead of the upcoming elections and the probe agency was being used as a weapon by the ruling dispensation in Centre. Meanwhile, Kejriwal was issued the first summons by ED in October 2023, asking him to appear on November 2, and then subsequently on sent on December 18, asking him to appear for questioning on December 21, and the third time the summons were sent on December 22, asking the AAP chief to join questioning on January 3. Amid Bharatiya Janata Partys criticism, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has defended his partys decision to decline the invitation of Ram Mandirs consecration ceremony on January 22. Speaking to reporters, Tharoor said that the Congress felt that going for a BJP event to inaugurate an incomplete temple would become a political choice and not personal one. the party felt that going for a political event for an incomplete temple because the work is not over (for the grand temple of Ayodhya) The timing of this (Pran Pratishtha ceremony) appears to be designed to benefit the political interests of the ruling party (BJP). And therefore, if we participate, then it will become a political choice, not just a personal one and people need to understand this as well, Tharoor said. Advertisement He, however, said that Hindus in the Congress party has every right to offer prayers to Ram Lalla. Our party has many members who believe in many faiths and they are welcome to practice them. Hindus in the party have every right to offer prayers to Ram Lalla, the Congress MP added. His remarks came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leader Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury respectfully declined the invitation of Ram Mandirs consecration ceremony scheduled to be held on January 22. The BJP termed Congress anti-Sanatana for declining the invitation. The Congress shot back accusing the party of inaugurating an incomplete temple for political gains ahead of the Lok Sabha elections later this year. Citing the reported refusal of the four Shankaracharyas to attend the consecration ceremony, Congress leader Alka Lamba said that the BJP is inaugurating the under-construction temple and politicising the event because elections are nearing. Ask them (BJP), why are the Shankaracharyas not going (to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony). They said that construction of Ram Mandir is incomplete, why are the BJP and PM in a hurry? Inaugurating the temple while it is under construction and politicising it; it is evident because elections are nearing, said Congress leader Alka Lamba. India has strongly objected to the recent visit of UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), saying such infringement on this countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity was not acceptable to it. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra lodged a strong protest with British High Commissioner in India Alex Ellis in this regard, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India, the MEA asserted. Advertisement The British envoy to Pakistan visited Mirpur in PoK on January 10 along with a UK Foreign Office official. She justified her visit saying 70 per cent of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistans people-to-people ties! 70 per cent of British-Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality! said the diplomat on her controversial visit. Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the US-led coalitions attacks on Houthi military targets in Yemen, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is leaving here on Sunday on a two-day visit to Iran. The visit is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two sides, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Mr Jaishankar will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues. Political cooperation, connectivity initiatives and strong people-to-people ties will constitute important aspects of the agenda, the MEA added. Advertisement It is understood that the escalating crisis in the Middle East will come up prominently during the discussions between the two sides. The visit comes days after Mr Jaishankar spoke to the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. A day after the conversation between them, the US and UK forces attacked the Houthi rebel positions in South Yemen in retaliation for their attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis are backed by Iran. Various bilateral issues, particularly the North South Trade Corridor and the Chabahar Port project, are also expected to come up during the discussions. Like the drowning scorpion slipping under the water next to the stung and dying frog, Donald Trump could not help himself to violate an explicit court order and make a political speech when Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron extended him the privilege to say a few words about his civil fraud trial after Trumps defense lawyer concluded his closing argument Thursday. Engoron warned Trump to stick to the facts and bounds of the case, as he had insisted for days when Trump indicated that he wanted a chance to speak an agreement that Trump never consented to. And so, after 11 weeks of trial and 44 days in the courtroom, Trump was given five minutes, and then promptly disregarded what the judge told him not to do. Well, I think, your honor, that this case goes outside just the facts. The financial statements were perfect, the banks got back their money and are happy as can be. When you say dont go outside of these things, we have a situation where Im an innocent man, Ive been persecuted by someone running for office and I think you have to go outside the bounds. The financial statements were perfect, there were no witnesses against us the banks were happy as can be I spoke to an executive at Zurich, and he said, You didnt defraud us This does go outside of the bounds . This is a political witch hunt we should receive damages for what weve gone through we had millions of pages of documents. They have nothing. This is a fraud on me. Whats happened here, sir, is a fraud on me. Its because I ran for office. They want to make sure I dont run again in particular, the person in the room right now [who] hates Trump. We have a situation where Im an innocent man. Ive been persecuted by someone running for office Ive built buildings all over the city. Ive never had a problem. Until now they want to make sure I dont win again. This is election interference. They dont want me here. Lets get rid of Trump. Ive done a lot of great things. Story continues When Engoron held up a finger to show that Trump had one minute to finish, Trump said: You have your own agenda. You cant listen for one minute. I understand that. Engoron finally addressed Trumps lawyer: Mr. Kise, please control your client. Said the former president, You cant listen for more than one minute. This is a persecution. Your honor, look, I did nothing wrong. They should pay me for what we had to go through. What theyve done to me reputationally and everything else. Engoron then ended the episode: Mr. Kise, this could have been done differently and you would have had a lot more time. Mr. Trump, thank you. Engoron should agree to state Attorney General Tish James request to impose a $370 million fine and permanently bar Trump from doing business in New York. Our one complaint about Engorons conduct of the trial is that he should have allowed in TV cameras for the trials opening and closing arguments, which is permissible under state law. Then the world could have seen Trumps final outburst. ___ After days of tussle among alliance partners, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Saturday appointed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the blocs chairperson. The decision was taken during a virtual meeting of top alliance leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar and MK Stalin. The virtual meeting was held to review the seat-sharing arrangment, participation in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and other matters related to the alliance. Advertisement During the meeting, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was given the INDIA bloc conveners job. However, news agency ANI reported that he has rejected the conveners post. He reportedly told the alliance partners that someone from the Congress should take the post. An official announcement of the decision is likely to be made later today. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar attended the meeting of INDIA bloc leaders via video conferencing in Mumbai. The meeting was also attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi. They joined virtual meeting from Chennai. However, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav skipped the meeting. As many as 29 Opposition parties have stitched an alliance to take on the BJP-led ruling NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Opposition parties have resolved to fight the general elections together as much as possible to defeat the BJP. Top leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Saturday proposed the name of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharges as the chairperson of the Opposition bloc. The alliance leaders held a nearly two-hour virtual meeting, which was convened by Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Among the leaders who attended the meeting were Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M K Stalin and CPI general secretary D Raja. However, no official announcement was made after the meeting. During the meeting, the leaders also discussed seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections and holding joint programmes, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which is scheduled to kick off from Manipurs Imphal on Sunday. The NCP chief later said it was suggested during the meeting by some of the leaders that the alliance should be headed by Mr Kharge and everyone agreed. We had a discussion that we all will take a decision on seat-sharing as soon as possible, Pawar said. CPI general secretary Raja said, It was a good meeting. The meeting discussed seat-sharing. It has been suggested to all the constituents of the INDIA alliance to conclude the seat-sharing negotiations as early as possible. There was a brief discussion on Rahuls Nyaya Yatra. He further said, There was a discussion on the question of chairperson and convenor. The name of Mr Kharge was proposed as chairperson, it was agreed upon. But, a suggestion was made that it should be communicated to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) and should be announced after that. Then, it was suggested to Mr Kharge to inform them about the proposal and take their consent. In response to a question on appointing Mr Nitish Kumar as convenor, Mr Raja said, He (Kumar) just said that he was not an aspirant. Earlier in the day, JD (U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha claimed that Mr Kumar wanted that convenor of the INDIA bloc should be from Congress only. Meanwhile, Mr Kharge in a post on X wrote, Leaders of INDIA coordination committee today met online and had a fruitful discussion on the alliance. Everyone is happy that the seat sharing talks are progressing in a positive way. We also discussed joint programmes in the coming days by INDIA Parties. The Congress chief added, I, along with Rahul Gandhi, invited all INDIA parties to join Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at their convenience and use the opportunity to raise the social, political and economic issues plaguing common people of this country. It may be mentioned that in the fourth meeting of the INDIA bloc last month, the leaders of the Opposition bloc discussed how to give a united fight to the BJP and its alliance in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections besides resolving issues related to seat sharing. The leaders unanimously had decided that they will unitedly to fight the general elections and focus on winning the polls. The INDIA is an umbrella of Opposition parties formed to take on the ruling BJP in the general polls. Union Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Saturday reiterated Indias position, saying Beijing should not expect normal relations with New Delhi unless they find a solution on the border. Speaking at the Manthan: Townhall meeting in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Jaishankar said that China violated the agreement in 2020 and brought troops to the LAC and India has to keep its defence in check. I have explained to my Chinese counterpart that unless you find a solution on the border, if the forces will remain face-to-face and there will be tension, then you should not expect that the rest of the relations will go on in a normal manner; it is impossible, he said, adding, Its not like you can fight here and also do business with us, you cant do that. Advertisement The MEA also accused China of violating the agreements signed between the two countries since the war in 1962. In the past years, relations between India and China have not been good or easy. The major reason behind that is that we have had some written agreements with them, he added. He further underscored that the Indo-China war happened in 1962 and it took us 14 years to send an ambassador over there. The war happened in 1962 and it took us 14 years to send an ambassador over there and then it took another 26 years when for the first time, our prime minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China, he said. Jaishankar also highlighted that two agreements were signed in 1993 and 1996, followed by prior agreements signed in 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013. The outcome of those agreements was that, since our border is not mutually agreed on, neither of our sides can deploy our troops at the border. And they have to inform the other side if there is any movement, he stated. The minister further added that China violated those agreements by bringing troops to the LAC. In 2020, they violated this despite the agreement; they brought larger troops on the Line of Actual Control. During COVID as well, we deployed a larger army over there and moved our military and since then, the armies from both sides have been there against each other, he added. (With agency inputs) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday reiterated that relations with China cant normalise until the ongoing military stand-off in eastern Ladakh is resolved peacefully. At an event in Nagpur, Jaishankar said that he has made it clear to his Chinese counterpart in no uncertain terms that unless a breakthrough is made with regard to the border row, Beijing should not expect normalisation of ties with India. The minister pointed out that the relationship with China has not been good over the past few years since Beijing violated agreements between the two countries aimed at maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Advertisement Jaishankar said China violated bilateral agreements by deploying troops along the LAC in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. This transgression resulted in the Galwan Valley incident in June 2020 that led to skirmishes between the Indian and Chinese troops, resulting in the loss of 15 Indian soldiers and an unspecified casualties on the Chinese side. Even today, the forces on the two sides are deployed face-to-face, he added. To a query regarding a permanent seat for India at the UNSC, Jaishankar said: With each passing year, there is a growing global sentiment for Indias presence in the top UN body, and I can sense that support. The world does not give things easily and generouslysometimes you have to assert your right. He said the UN used to be a relevant body in the 1950s and 1960s when the self-selected choudharys of the UNSC (its five permanent members) dominated smaller countries. But things have changed now and other nations have also gained confidence. He said the limitations of the UN system became evident during the Covid pandemic as nobody expected the world body to offer any help. On Indias growing role in global affairs, he said: Hardly any significant global issue is now addressed without holding consultations with India. Our perspectives have evolved and that of the worlds perception regarding us too has changed. In an apparent dig at India amid diplomatic row over Maldivian ministers disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday said that Male cant be bullied. Addressing a press conference at the Velana International Airport upon his return to Maldives from a five-day China visit, Muizzu said, We may be small but this doesnt give them the license to bully us. The Maldivian leader further asserted that the Indian Ocean doesnt belong to any specific country and that Maldives is one of the countries with the biggest share. Advertisement Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 900,000 square kilometers. Maldives is one of the countries with the biggest share of this ocean, he was quoted as saying by a local daily. We may be small, but that doesnt give you the license to bully us, says Maldives President @MMuizzu in an apparent reference to India.#MaldivesRow pic.twitter.com/VlZga4tuNz Shashikant Sharma (@MarwariPatrakar) January 13, 2024 This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it, he added. His remarks are seen as an indirect attack on India and comes amid a diplomatic row between New Delhi and Male over anti-Modi remarks by some of his ministers. The row erupted last week when three junior ministers in Muizzu government used derogatory language against the Indian PM over his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Following their remarks, India summoned Maldives High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb to the foreign office and lodged a strong protest over the issue. Reacting to the row, Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said the remarks against foreign leaders are unacceptable and that they do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government. He stated that Maldives remains committed to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with all its partners, particularly its neighbours. Airbnb signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), to build host capacity in untapped destinations, thereby redirecting travellers from the states traditionally popular spots to lesser-explored gems. On the signing of the MoU, Sachin Kurve, Secretary, Tourism, and CEO, UTDB, Government of Uttarakhand, said, Uttarakhand is known for its warm hospitality and its rich tapestry of pristine trekking trails, diverse wildlife, serene hill stations, pilgrimage sites, and more. This partnership with Airbnb will further expand our efforts to promote homestay culture in our state. Individuals in the tourism sector will receive training on responsible hosting which will unlock their potential to attract guests from India and abroad. Through this partnership, were confident the travelers will be presented with enriching, immersive experiences that allow them to witness Uttarakhands beauty up close. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to preserving the states cultural heritage, natural beauty, and unique traditions, while promoting responsible and conscious travel practices in the state, which further uplifts the local communities while delivering enriching experiences for the travellers. Advertisement Key elements of the MoU include: Capacity Building Airbnb will undertake capacity building activities in the select pilot locations to enhance local hospitality standards, hosting best practices, and responsible hosting. Workshops will be organized for a select group of model hosts, who will then impart their knowledge and expertise to other members of their community.Onboarding homestays The partnership will focus on onboarding homestays onto the Airbnb platform. Airbnb will conduct workshops in the identified pilot destinations to train model hosts on setting up their profiles, optimizing listing content, and capturing attractive photographs to attract travellers.Creating a robust homestay ecosystem Airbnb will conduct a thorough review of homestay-specific gaps in the identified pilot destinations and share its assessment with UTDB. This valuable input will help UTDB formulate a targeted support strategy for homestays, thus fostering inclusive growth within the region.Training and seamless integration Airbnb will work with the identified district tourism officers appointed as points of contact (PoCs) for seamless coordination, offering venue support for workshops and events, a list of registered homestays in pilot locations, shortlist and mobilize model hosts. Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan at Airbnb, said, We are proud to partner with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB). With this partnership, we aim to empower microentrepreneurs in the region by offering them training on hospitality standards, sharing hosting best practices and encouragingresponsible hosting initiatives. Airbnb has consistently placed Hosts and their empowerment at its core, and we are looking forward to working with the government to onboard homestays in the state on our platform. He was the only leader in India who was offered thrice the honour of the presidentship of the Indian National Congress and which he declined every time. He is probably the most overlooked Muslim leader of non-violence in the world. He belonged to one of the most intractable races on earth oozing sagas and memories of violence and bloodshed, yet he was a great apostle of peace and non-violence. During the freedom struggle, the organisation he formed lost a greater number of workers than most other parties fighting for independence. He fought for the freedom of his land; but when freedom came, it came with partition and he had to be away from Bapu, away from India and her people. He is Abdul Ghaffar Khan or Badshah Khan, whose death anniversary falls this month. His life and activities contain ingredients myths are made of. In one sense, he is like Tagores Kabuliwala. Under compelling circumstances, both left the land of their prime-time activities with a heavy heart. Tagores Kabuliwala left India to go home to his loved ones, but Khan left this country for a life of disillusionment, sadness and extreme hardship, always under the gaze of suspicion of his own countrymen. Advertisement A seeker of peace, brotherhood and justice, Ghaffar Khan got the strength and inspiration for his struggle from his spirituality. His life stood as an example of how the might of determination could be stronger than that of the gun even in a society that was a serious victim of diverse forms of internecine violence. Compared by many to the mighty mountains of his rugged homeland, this giant of a man stood steadfast not for a specific political group, but for universal values of love and humanity. In fact, as one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century, Frontier Gandhi epitomised the non-violent soldier who fought persuasively for human dignity. Nehru paid his tribute to this man in the following words: When the history of the subcontinent is being written, perhaps only a very few of those who occupy public attention will find a mention in it. But among those very few there will be the outstanding and commanding figure of Badshah Khan. Straight and simple, faithful and true, with a finely chiselled face that compels attention, and a character built up in the fire of long suffering and painful ordeal, full of hardness of the man of faith believing in his mission and yet soft with the gentleness of the one who loves his kind exceedingly. Hailing from a well-to-do land-owners family in Peshawar, Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988) first understood the importance of education in the service to the community under the influence of Rev. Wigram in Edwards Memorial Mission High School. His joined the Guides, an elite corps of Pashtun soldiers under the British Raj, but witnessing an incident where a family friend, also an army officer, was being insulted by a British officer, he opted out of the military out of anguish and disgust. The Pashtun society at that time was deeply wounded by colonial oppression, devastating violence and blood feuds. Moreover, the situation was aggravated by the repression of the mullahs who told the people that if their children went to school, they would go to hell. The circumstances stirred up a determination in Badshahs mind to overthrow the foreign rulers although he felt that the then Pashtun society, largely uneducated and violenceprone, could not achieve this mission. Education, he felt, would be the first step towards reform and empowerment. Khan launched his first school in Uthmanzai and soon he was initiated into the circle of progressiveminded people. But the regressive authorities, fearing the influence of these people, started repressive measures and shut down the school. In the meantime, Khan got married and was blessed with two sons. But his wifes death drew him into the arena of politics and he began his active political career by protesting the notorious Rowlatt Act in 1919 which was introduced to curb the so-called seditious activities in the country. At Uthmanzai, Khan held a protest meeting which was attended by 50,000 people. But the provincial authorities arrested Khan immediately followed by a fine of Rs 30,000 upon the villagers of Uthmanzai. Khan left India for Afghanistan for a short time during the Khilafat movement as Muslims were told that they were not safe in British India. But Khan soon returned to India to restart his social and educational activities in his hometown. With the support of likeminded Pashtuns, he embarked on preventing or at least reducing crimes in society as well as the pervasive use of intoxicants among his native people. Initiatives were taken to create awareness regarding modern education and promote Pashto language and literature in addition to inculcating true Islamic principles among the Pashtuns. Under Khans inspiration a host of schools came up offering subjects like English, Mathematics and History side by side with a number of vocational skills like carpentry, weaving and tailoring. Education was free and the schools were open to all people irrespective of their religion. Badshah Khan toured his homeland extensively, connecting with people and sowing the seeds of nationalism amongst them. When the Provincial Khilafat Committee was reconstituted, Khan was made its President. He also founded the Anjuman-i-Islam-ul-Afghania (Society for the Reform of Afghans). The rulers were prompt to jump into action sending Khan behind bars where he would be locked up day and night with his food shoved in through a barred opening in the door. The food was so bad that even dogs and cats around the prison refused to touch it. Moreover, Khan had to grind twenty seers of corn every day on a grindstone. He bore all the hardships stoically. Khans political publication Pakhtoon inspired the then king Amanullah Khan to come out with another publication Jagh Pakhtoon. (The writer, a PhD from Calcutta University, teaches English at the Government-sponsored Sailendra Sircar Vidyalaya, Shyambazar, Kolkata) There are few more high-profile and pressurised jobs than leading a country. So its perhaps not surprising that the pressure appears to be getting to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Lagging behind in the polls and with an election inexorably looming this calendar year, Sunak has recently garnered a reputation for being tetchy. He has appeared irritable when asked fairly basic questions during press conferences about his policies and his governments general record in office. In December, he became spiky with journalists asking about his Rwanda deportation plan at a press conference that he himself called on the very same subject. In November, he suddenly cancelled a meeting with Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, apparently irritated by the latter speaking publicly about the Parthenon marbles. In this case, Sunak passed up on the opportunity to discuss immigration with a key ally in what was seen as a move motivated by petulance. In historical terms, Sunaks behaviour is perhaps not surprising. Plenty of other prime ministers have shown themselves to have a short fuse. In fact, this is perhaps to be expected when an embattled premier is under extreme pressure and appears backed into a corner from a number of different directions. That doesnt however, make it a good idea. An obvious historical comparison for Sunaks current predicament is John Major, who spent much of his final term dealing with a barrage of crises. These included Black Wednesday, when the UK was forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, and a litany of sleaze scandals engulfing his MPs. Advertisement He led a poisonously divided cabinet of ministers, several of whom Major described as bastards in a hot-mic moment following a TV interview. Majors government was eventually destabilised to such a degree that he decided to resign as leader of his party and run for re-election to the position in 1995, all while still in the job as prime minister. In such hostile circumstances, Major was evidently tetchy. He became increasingly irritated by the tabloid press and its coverage of his party. His aides apparently used to hide the newspapers from him to avoid him seeing what was being written about him. This was of course the pre-internet era, when that was possible. Major has since acknowledged that he became too thin skinned during this period. He admitted to being antagonised by how former allies had turned on his premiership in the press. Majors over-sensitivity became a problem that gnawed away at his premiership, arguably distracting from his core strategy and preventing him from focusing on practical governance. This could be said to have contributed to the sense of drift and crisis that ensued up to 1997. It has been alleged that Major had an inclination towards score settling and the bearing of grudges, which is never a good use of a persons time and energy. He even fell out with media mogul Rupert Murdoch who, until that point, had been a staunch ally of the Conservatives. As Major slid from favour, Murdochs broadly right-wing media empire eventually switched allegiance to Tony Blairs New Labour. Sunak has not yet lost this battle but can hardly afford to risk replicating Majors mistakes. Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown was also accused of being irascible during his time in office. Brown lacked the personal skills and charm of his predecessor Tony Blair and was often depicted as being something of a control freak even paranoid about protecting his own public image. But that didnt stop him becoming a target for mockery. Once Browns image had shifted from the prudent iron chancellor of the Blair era to the grumpy and irritable prime minister, his poll ratings took a nosedive. In the age of intensive media attention, tetchiness is even riskier behaviour. It is too easy to be caught off guard and generate negative headlines. Every grimace and every curt reply can be turned into a clip or screenshot that can be instantly used as social media fodder. The Labour opposition has already started to do just this, clearly recognising an opportunity in Sunaks apparently easily tested temper. Sunak, Major and Brown all became prime minster in the middle of a term, having inherited the top job without a mandate of their own. Both Major and Brown ended up being the tail end of longstanding administrations. They may have become tetchy partially because of the difficulties involved in running a dying administration. But few would argue that their tetchiness was not also a source of problems. More experienced political operators like Margaret Thatcher, Blair and David Cameron often seemed to deal with pressure far better, at least in terms of maintaining calmer, less irritable public images. All notably benefited from strong media-management advice, most notably from Bernard Ingham in the case of Thatcher and from Alastair Campbell in the case of Blair. These figures were dominant in their respective administrations, with the capacity to manage and mould their PMs public image better than various others have done since. Maybe Sunak should take note. While some may empathise with prime ministerial demands to constantly respond to what are sometimes mischievous questions, thats ultimately the nature of political power. No British prime minister has a right not to be asked questions and scrutinised. Its a key part of the job. Indeed, the voting public fully expect them to be able to answer for the decisions made on their behalf. Mid-term successors like Sunak, despite senior cabinet-level experience, have ultimately been thrown in at the deep end. They assume power in chaotic circumstances in the face of growing public scepticism. This extremely challenging scenario explains Sunaks attitude but that doesnt make it understandable to voters. Major and Brown never won back the public and both lost elections something Sunak should remember the next time he is asked a tricky question. (The writer is Associate Tutor in Politics and Social Sciences, Edge Hill University. This article was published on www.theconversation.com) Engineers from Columbia University in the US have built a new AI that shattered a long-held belief in forensics that fingerprints from different fingers of the same person are unique. It turns out they are similar, only weve been comparing fingerprints the wrong way! Its a well-accepted fact in the forensics community that fingerprints of different fingers of the same person are unique, and therefore, unmatchable. Advertisement A team led by Columbia Engineering undergraduate senior Gabe Guo challenged this widely held presumption. Guo, who had no prior knowledge of forensics, found a public US government database of some 60,000 fingerprints and fed them in pairs into an artificial intelligence-based system known as a deep contrastive network. Sometimes the pairs belonged to the same person (but different fingers), and sometimes they belonged to different people. Over time, the AI system, which the team designed by modifying a state-of-the-art framework, got better at telling when seemingly unique fingerprints belonged to the same person and when they didnt. The accuracy for a single pair reached 77 per cent. When multiple pairs were presented, the accuracy shot significantly higher, potentially increasing current forensic efficiency by more than tenfold. The AI was not using minutiae, which are the branchings and endpoints in fingerprint ridges the patterns used in traditional fingerprint comparison, said Guo, who began the study as a first-year student at Columbia Engineering in 2021. Instead, it was using something else, related to the angles and curvatures of the swirls and loops in the centre of the fingerprint. The project, a collaboration between Hod Lipsons Creative Machines lab at Columbia Engineering and Wenyao Xus Embedded Sensors and Computing lab at University at Buffalo, SUNY, has been published in Science Advances. While the AI systems accuracy is not sufficient to officially decide a case, it can help prioritise leads in ambiguous situations. Columbia Engineering senior Aniv Ray noted that their results are just the beginning. Just imagine how well this will perform once its trained on millions, instead of thousands of fingerprints, said Ray. This discovery is an example of more surprising things to come from AI, said Lipson. United States Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai has urged India to ensure that its current end-to-end online system and associated import policies for laptops do not impede trade in future. The development came at the 14th Ministerial-level meeting of the India- United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in New Delhi on January 12, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement on Saturday. The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai. Advertisement Recently introduced import requirements for computers, tablets, and servers was one of the key topics discussed at the meeting. According to the official statement, Ambassador Tai expressed a willingness to collaborate with India on the mutual goal of enhancing supply chain resilience in the technology sector. In response, India conveyed its commitment to ongoing discussions with the US and other stakeholders to address these concerns. Notably, the import management system currently in operation is seen as a step down from the governments earlier stance of imposing a licensing regime. In August last year, India implemented import restrictions on various IT hardware, such as laptops, personal computers (including tablets), microcomputers, large/mainframe computers, and specific data processing machines. It aimed to boost domestic manufacturing and decrease reliance on imports from China, with the new regulations enforced from November 1, 2023. In October, India announced an import management system for IT hardware, including laptops and computers. Under this system, IT hardware companies will need to register and disclose data related to their imports, as well as countries from which they import, among other things. It came as a relief to the industry which feared that the previous licensing notification could restrict imports. Apart from this, the Ministers also appreciated the strong momentum in the India-US bilateral trade in goods and services which continued to rise and has likely surpassed $200 billion in calendar year 2023 despite the challenging global trade environment. The bilateral goods and services trade between US and India has almost doubled since 2014, it signals accelerated growth benefitting both countries. At the meeting, they also discussed the foundation to launch future Joint Initiatives in certain areas, Joint Facilitative Mechanism (JFM) to mitigate non-tariff barriers, High-Level Principles on Digitalization of Trade Documents, Social Security Totalization Agreement, and Indias designation as a TAA Compliant country among other key topics. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today A mixture of rain and snow showers. High around 40F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 26F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Key Insights B&S Group's estimated fair value is 4.92 based on Dividend Discount Model With 3.97 share price, B&S Group appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value The average premium for B&S Group's competitorsis currently 31% Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of B&S Group S.A. (AMS:BSGR) as an investment opportunity by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! 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. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for B&S Group Crunching The Numbers We have to calculate the value of B&S Group slightly differently to other stocks because it is a retail distributors company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a company's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In this case we used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.6%). The expected dividend per share is then discounted to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.8%. Compared to the current share price of 4.0, the company appears about fair value at a 19% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. Story continues Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = 0.3 / (5.8% 0.6%) = 4.9 ENXTAM:BSGR Discounted Cash Flow January 13th 2024 Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the 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 B&S Group 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 5.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.037. 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 B&S Group 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 Retail Distributors market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Dutch market. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat No apparent threats visible for BSGR. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess 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 example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For B&S Group, we've compiled three fundamental elements you should assess: Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for B&S Group you should know about. Future Earnings: How does BSGR'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. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the ENXTAM every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. The External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is on a de-escalation mission. On Monday, Jaishankar will be in Tehran on a short trip. The trip comes at a time when the region is a tinder boxwith simmering tensions over the war launched by Israel on Hamas and the combined US-UK airstrikes targeting Houthis in Yemen. There is a lot at stake. And Iran is very much at the centre of this crisis. The Houthis are backed by Iran and have vowed that the US and UK must prepare to pay a heavy price. The acceleration of this war is dangerous. Especially as there were fresh attacks launched on Saturday to degrade the Houthis' ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels, the U.S. Central Command posted on X. The strikes were termed as self defence by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The combined forces launched fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles to protect the attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea. According to news reports quoting the US Central Command, the Houthis have carried out 26 attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. In no mood to back down, US President Biden on Friday told reporters: We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour. The Tehran visit comes at this critical time. India will be interested in bringing tensions downand has the ability to make the concerns heard. Reaching out to Iran has been part of Prime Minister Narendra Modis agenda. The Chabahar Port, which will also come up for discussion, is certainly at the heart of this effort. The US too, would be hoping that India could help calm the situation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Jaishankar on January 11. Our conversation focused on maritime security challenges, especially the Red Sea region. Appreciated his insights on the ongoing situation in West Asia, including Gaza. Exchanged perspectives on developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict. Looking forward to realising our extensive cooperation agenda for 2024, Jaishankar posted on X. It is clear from the US read out that Blinken wants Indias support. The Secretary and External Affairs Minister discussed the United States and Indias shared concerns over reckless Houthi attacks in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which threaten the free flow of commerce, endanger innocent mariners, and violate international law. The Secretary emphasized the Red Sea is a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade and welcomed increased cooperation with India in defending freedom of navigation in the region, the statement read. These tensions have also come too close for comfort. India has stepped by its naval presence in the areaespecially after a drone attack on Liberian ship Chem Pluto, carrying 20 Indians 220 nautical miles outside Porbandar last month. Apart from security, reportedly, the tensions in the area have ensured that global container prices have gone up by 15 per cent since January 4. The INDIA bloc has chosen Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of the Opposition bloc, sources in the know of the development said. Reportedly, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declined the convenor role. Leaders of the INDIA alliance met virtually on Saturday to deliberate on seat sharing and chalk out strategies for the Lok Sabha elections. Participation of parties in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was also reportedly discussed. According to reports, though Nitish Kumar was offered the convenor post of the bloc, the JD(U) leader declined saying a leader from Congress should assume the role. During the previous meeting of the bloc, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee proposed Kharges name as the blocs prime ministerial face and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal backed it. Tamil Nadu CM and DMK leader M.K. Stalin attended the meeting along with party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi. Days after the murder, police recovered the missing body of former model Divya Pahuja from Haryana on Saturday. According to police, the deceased body was recovered from a canal in Haryana. Divya Pahuja, a former model and one of the accused in the murder of gangster Sandeep Gadoli in 2016, was shot dead in Gurugram hotel on January 2. Pahuja was shot in the head and she had allegedly been blackmailing the hotel owner with his obscene pictures, NDTV reported. The CCTV footage from the hotel showed three men dragging Divyas body wrapped in a sheet out of the building and keeping it in the boot of a blue BMW car. The trio later escaped the crime scene in the same car, but were arrested the next day. Gurugram police had arrested Abhijeet Singh, the owner of the hotel, and his two associates Hemraj and Omprakash on January 3. Police later arrested Megha, a 20-year-old woman from Delhi, allegedly for helping Abhijeet to hide the crime weapon and dispose off Divyas personal belongings. According to police, the body was thrown in the canal in Punjab and had drifted to the neighbouring state. The body has been sent for autopsy. Reportedly, Divyas family identified the body. Middle East CEOs are confident of embracing and responding to disruption with nearly all (90%) believing that their natural leadership style thrives in a disrupted environment, far higher than 75% globally. This is according to findings from global consulting firm AlixPartners Disruption Index (ADI), an annual survey that canvasses more than 3,000 CEOs and executives from around the world to uncover the latest global business concerns. Top defensive actions CEOs have taken to navigate disruption include developing action plans and scenario planning/analyses (80%) with 7 in 10 currently prioritising revenue growth over profitability and building core business over valuable new businesses. Executives highly disrupted Executives in the region were second-highest disrupted, after China, with 68% saying they were highly disrupted in the past year. Regional CEOs, like many of their peers in other regions, worry that their company is not adapting fast enough to the pace of change (67%), with over 60% actively changing their business models, either currently or within the next year, an indication that a significant number of regional companies are embracing transformation. Business leaders in the two countries are also investing more in digital tools and technologies than they were in the prior year, more than 5 points higher than the global average. Workforce challenges are still significant, with 85% saying that the pace of change is making their employees skills obsolete (compared to a global average of 58%), and 80% saying that their employees were not open to change (compared to 55% globally). However, they also noted that visa reforms have made hiring and retaining qualified workers easier now than it was two years ago. Optimism Meanwhile, businesses in Saudi Arabia and UAE remain optimistic about the prospects for their company (80%) and the overall economy (85%) as they continue to navigate the challenges ahead, working closely with their respective governments. It is difficult to imagine a region of the world where both the threats and opportunities of our disruptive age are more on display than the Middle East, said Gabriel Chahine, Middle East Leader at AlixPartners. While there are climate pressures across the region, and global geopolitical tensions, governments and businesses in the region are among the most forward-looking in the worldaccelerating investments into education, infrastructure, the green transition, and digital technologies. Digital adoption a priority AI and automation were the primary disruptive forces as per this years results at 87% (v/s 46% globally), with 64% planning to invest the most in digital transformation to ensure growth for their business over the next 3-5 years. 50% of CEOs are also prioritising process automation as the key technique they need to address in the coming year (twice as high as the global average), in line with the region's focus on leveraging technology for transformation. 9 out 10 executives reported that their company has the resources needed to invest in new technology and digital solutions and nearly half reported that their company is investing more in digital tools and technology than they were the prior year. For executives in the region, return on investment is the top consideration when making decisions around technology investments (55%) followed by the ability to integrate within existing systems and processes (41%). The rise of generative AI is both exciting and daunting for many leaders in the world, but from what were observing here in the region, companies are embracing this adoption as priority, following in the footsteps of the governments visions, noted Chahine. The prospects for business making this adoption are significant and often result in massive productivity gains, as well as new vectors for revenue growth, value protection, and job opportunities, and those organisations who embrace it will be the ultimate winners.--TradeArabia News Service Key Insights The projected fair value for Just Life Group is NZ$0.26 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity With NZ$0.26 share price, Just Life Group appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value The average discount for Just Life Group's competitorsis currently 34% How far off is Just Life Group Limited (NZSE:JLG) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Just Life Group Crunching The Numbers We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) NZ$2.70m NZ$2.33m NZ$2.13m NZ$2.01m NZ$1.95m NZ$1.92m NZ$1.92m NZ$1.93m NZ$1.95m NZ$1.98m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -20.44% Est @ -13.58% Est @ -8.78% Est @ -5.42% Est @ -3.06% Est @ -1.41% Est @ -0.26% Est @ 0.55% Est @ 1.11% Est @ 1.51% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 9.3% NZ$2.5 NZ$2.0 NZ$1.6 NZ$1.4 NZ$1.2 NZ$1.1 NZ$1.0 NZ$0.9 NZ$0.9 NZ$0.8 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$13m Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.4%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 9.3%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = NZ$2.0m (1 + 2.4%) (9.3% 2.4%) = NZ$29m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$29m ( 1 + 9.3%)10= NZ$12m 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 NZ$26m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of NZ$0.3, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. 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. NZSE:JLG Discounted Cash Flow January 13th 2024 Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Just Life Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.376. 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. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Just Life Group, we've compiled three essential elements you should consider: Risks: For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Just Life Group (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. 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! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every New Zealander 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. A Guwahati-bound IndiGo flight from Mumbai made an emergency landing in Dhaka due to low visibility on Saturday morning. Around 4am, the flight, 6E 5319, was forced to make an emergency landing in the Bangladesh capital city, about 400km from its destination, after dense fog reduced visibility. One of the passengers in the flight was Suraj Singh Thakur, former Mumbai Youth Congress chief, who was scheduled to travel to Imphal for the party's Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra after landing in Guwahati. Taking to X, he posted, "I took @IndiGo6E flight 6E 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati. But due to dense fog, the flight couldn't land in Guwahati. Instead, it landed in Dhaka. Now all the passengers are in Bangladesh without their passports, we are inside the plane." Another flier also expressed his frustration on X, saying, "@IndiGo6E, stuck inside aircraft with 178 passengers for 9 hours now, flying 6E 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati. We made a landing in Dhaka around 4am because of lower visibility in the North East. We have been waiting for another crew for 4 hours now, can we please expedite?" Multiple media outlets reported in the past two days that the central government is likely to roll out an immunisation campaign against human papillomavirus (HPV) later this year. As per the reports, girls in the age group of 9-14 would be administered free vaccine in three phases over the next three years. The government, however, on Saturday came up with a clarification and dismissed those reports as false and speculative. The Union Health Ministry is yet to take a decision on the roll out of HPV vaccination in the country. It is closely monitoring the incidences of cervical cancer cases in the country and is in regular touch with states and various health departments regarding this, said an official statement. What is HPV? Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection which can affect the skin, genital area and throat. Almost all sexually active people will be infected at some point in their lives, usually without symptoms. However, persistent infection with high-risk HPV can cause abnormal cells to develop, which go on to become cancer, as per the World Health Organisation. Persistent HPV infection of the cervix, if left untreated, causes 95 per cent of cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally with an estimated 604 000 new cases and 342 000 deaths in 2020. According to the WHO, women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV. The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker, developed the country's first cervical cancer vaccine in 2022. India has strongly protested the recent visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by the UKs envoy to the neighbouring country. Such infringement is unacceptable, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. In the statement, the ministry said, India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on 10 January 2024. Such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable. The ministry said India registered a strong protest with the UKs High Commissioner in India regarding it. Foreign secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India, it said. Jane Marriot, British High Commissioner to Pakistan visited Mirpur in occupied Kashmir on January 10. Mirpur and its adjoining districts of Bhimber and Kotli are home to a large number of dual nationals who constitute an estimated 70 pc of British Pakistani-Kashmiri diaspora, Dawn reported. In a decision significant in terms of the leadership structure of the INDIA alliance of opposition parties, the anti-BJP bloc on Saturday reached a consensus on making Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge its chairperson. The decision, reached at a virtual meeting of the top leaders of INDIA parties, has not been officially announced yet because the leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Shiv Sena (UBT) were not present in the meet and have to be brought into the loop. However, it is learnt that none of the INDIA alliance parties, present in todays meeting or not, are opposed to the decision to have Kharge as the chairperson of the grouping. As per sources, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury brought up for discussion the issue of appointing a chairperson and a convenor of the anti-BJP bloc of 29 parties. He suggested the names of Kharge and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as chairperson and convenor, respectively. As per sources, while there was no pre-determined agenda for the meeting, the groundwork for the structural changes had been done through interactions Kharge had with INDIA leaders in the last several days. All the 10 parties present in Saturdays meeting agreed on the proposal to make the 80-year-old Congress veteran the chairperson of the alliance. The issue of naming a convenor of the alliance was also discussed and Kumar appeared to be the popular choice for the post amongst the leaders present. However, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have said that Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee needs to be brought on board with regard to this since she may have reservations on the issue. It is learnt that Kumar said he is not an aspirant for the post and anybody can become the convenor. With the majority of the parties favouring Kumar, who had initiated the process of getting the opposition parties together and hosted the first meeting of the alliance in Patna, there is a possibility of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reaching out to her on the issue. The meeting was conducted in the backdrop of reports that Kumar is upset about his perceived sidelining in the alliance and feels that there has been an inordinate delay in making him the convenor of the alliance. Kejriwal called on Kharge after the INDIA meet. Rahul and AICC General Secretary in charge of Organisation K.C. Venugopal were present in the meeting. Kejriwal along with Mamata had in the previous INDIA alliance meeting suggested that Kharge be made the prime ministerial face of the alliance, arguing that projecting a Dalit leader for the top post would give the grouping a moral edge. The meeting also took place in the midst of seat-sharing discussions between the two parties. The Enforcement Directorate has arrested two more persons in connection with its money laundering investigation into the Mahadev online betting and gaming app case, officials said on Saturday. Nitin Tibrewal, a resident of Kolkata, and Raipur-based Amit Agrawal were taken into custody under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and produced before a special court in Raipur on Friday, ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey said. The court sent them to ED custody till January 17, he said. Tibrewal is the majority shareholder of Techpro IT Solutions Ltd, a company that was acting as a "front" for Mahadev Online Book (Mahadev app) and investing the proceeds of crime generated out of illegal operations in India by way of foreign portfolio investment, the ED said in a statement. He "tried to conceal this fact despite multiple opportunities granted to him. He also did not reveal his foreign bank accounts and assets before the ED which have been discovered during the course of investigations," the statement said. Thus, Tibrewal was found to be knowingly assisting in layering the proceeds of crime by investing it in his name and through associated Indian and foreign entities, it said. Amit Agrawal is the brother of accused Anil Kumar Agrawal, who is also a partner in the Mahadev app. "Amit Agrawal knowingly utilised the proceeds of crime emanating out of Mahadev Online Book in purchasing assets in his and his wife's name. To fund these purchases, he arranged entries totalling Rs 2.5 crore in his and his wife's bank accounts against cash," the ED said. The agency said in the statements recorded before it, Amit Agrawal maintained these bank entries are loans, however, the entry operator (hawala operator) involved in the transactions revealed the truth. Amit Agrawal was found to be "knowingly assisting" in concealing the proceeds of crime emanating out of the betting operations of the Mahadev app, the agency said. The agency had earlier arrested alleged cash courier Asim Das, police constable Bheem Singh Yadav, ASI Chandrabhushan Verma, alleged hawala operator brothers Anil and Sunil Dammani and a man identified as Satish Chandrakar in this case. The agency had said that the alleged illegal funds generated by the app were used to pay bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in the state. Many celebrities and Bollywood actors were summoned for questioning by the agency for their alleged links with the online betting platform and the mode of payment. So far, the ED has filed two charge sheets in this case, including against the two main promoters of the alleged illegal betting and gaming app -- Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal -- among others. The two were recently detained in Dubai on the basis of an Interpol red notice issued at the behest of the ED and the agency is trying to have them deported or extradited from the UAE to India. The ED alleged in the first charge sheet that Chandrakar got married at Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023 and about Rs 200 crore "in cash" was spent for this event. Private jets were hired to ferry Chandrakar's relatives from India to the UAE and celebrities were paid to perform at the wedding, the agency alleged. The projected proceeds of crime in this case are about Rs 6,000 crore, according to the ED. The agency had claimed in November, just before the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly polls, that forensic analysis and the statement of Asim Das have led to "startling allegations" that Mahadev betting app promoters have paid about Rs 508 crore to former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel so far, adding that these allegations were "subject matter of investigation". Baghel had called these charges an attempt to "malign" his image while the Congress termed it "vendetta politics" of the Centre against him. Chandrakar and Uppal hail from Bhilai town in Chhattisgarh. The Mahadev online betting app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites. A Delhi Police assistant sub-inspector allegedly shot himself in the head while on duty at a picket in south Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur area, officials said on Saturday. ASI Ramavtar and Sub-Inspector Prem Singh were deployed on night picket duty at BP Marg, an official said. "At 3 am, Ramavtar informed Prem Singh that he wanted to rest for 10 minutes and went to sit in his car which was parked near the barricade," the official said. "When Prem Singh went back after some time, Ramavtar was found dead. He had a bullet injury in his head," the official said, adding that his service revolver was also found lying nearby. Another official said Ramavtar, a native of Mahendergarh, Haryana, joined the force in 1993 and was currently posted at Kotla Mubarakpur police station. The ASI's family has been informed about his death, the officer said. The reason behind the "extreme step" is being probed, he added. The Congress will launch its Manipur-to-Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, helmed by former party chief Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday from the historic Khongjom war memorial, situated on the outskirts of the state capital Imphal. The party had planned to flag off the yatra from the Palace Ground in Imphal, but got conditional permission to do so, with the state administration placing a cap of 1,000 people attending the event. The party then decided to shift the launch of the yatra to the war memorial situated in Thoubal. The yatra will be flagged off by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. On the eve of the yatra, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said the endeavour was an ideological battle that the Congress has mounted against the politics of polarisation and social, economic and political injustice. Ramesh said it is not an electoral yatra and should not be seen through the prism of winning elections. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is the second step after the Bharat Jodo Yatra. While the Bharat Jodo Yatra was for seeking love and harmony across the country against the politics of hate and violence, Nyay Yatra is for seeking justice for the people of the country, he said. The yatra, he said, would focus on the issues of social, economic and political justice. The yatra, which will cover 6,200 km in around 66 days, will be undertaken mostly by bus, and short duration foot matches covering around eight to ten kilometres will be held every day. There are four pillars of the constitution of the country, which include justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The current regime, during the last ten years, has done everything to deny the people of the country social, economic and political justice, Ramesh said. He said Rahul, through the yatra, will spread the positive agenda on how to seek justice for the people of the country. Ramesh observed that there was an atmosphere of fear prevailing in the country with women, scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, minorities and other sections of society feeling insecure. He said while India is the largest democracy in the world, right now it has turned into a one-man show. There is no loktantra but just ektantra, he remarked, while adding, the yatra is aimed at strengthening the democracy and the democratic institutions of the country. Kharge, at Saturdays INDIA alliance meeting, formally invited all the leaders of the allied parties to participate in the yatra as it passes through various states like West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Maharashtra. During the course of yatra, Rahul will address two public meetings every day. Besides, he will meet between 20 and 25 people every day from different sections of the society. He will also be interacting with the civil society groups. During the next 11 days, the yatra will traverse through five north eastern states. On January 23, Rahul will hold a public interaction with the citizens in Guwahati in connection with the partys manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. Before starting the yatra, Rahul will pay homage to the martyrs at the Khongjom War Memorial. The historic memorial was inaugurated by the then President of India Pranab Mukherjee in 2016 when Ibobi Singh was the Chief Minister of Manipur. Giving details of the Memorial, Ibobi Singh said it was built in memory of the martyrs of the last Anglo-Manipur War that took place in 1891, where the martyrs laid down their lives against the British. Tribal households in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh face the dual challenge of low income and severe food insecurity a situation alleviated only by the government schemes of subsidised food and public infrastructure, a status report by NGO PRADAN has shown. The Status of Adivasi Livelihoods (SAL) 2022 report for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh quotes the National Sample Survey (NSS) data to mention that tribal households in Madhya Pradesh have an average annual income of Rs 73,900 and in Chhattisgarh at Rs. 53,610, which is much less than the national average annual income of Rs 122,610 per agricultural household during the agricultural year 2018-19. Also, 32 per cent of tribal households, 27 per cent of non-tribal households, and 61 per cent of particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG) households in Madhya Pradesh were severely food insecure. In Chhattisgarh, 27 per cent of tribal, 42 per cent non-tribal, and 29 per cent of PVTG households reported being severely food insecure. Similarly, the average landholding of tribal and PVTG households in Madhya Pradesh is 3.9 and 4.4 acres respectively. For Chhattisgarh, the figures are 3.2 and 3 acres respectively, the report released online on Friday shows. The report, however, reveals that the government interventions have helped the Adivasi communities lead a better life, despite earning lower income. In Madhya Pradesh, 51 per cent of tribal, 63 per cent non-tribal, and 50 per cent of PVTG villages have public distribution system (PDS) outlets providing government subsidised food. In Chhattisgarh, the figures are 63 per cent, 88 per cent, and 36 per cent respectively. The food subsidy through PDS also has reduced the stress the households would have faced due to lower income. In Chhattisgarh, the food and other items consumed by an average tribal household in a year from PDS have a market price of almost Rs 18,000, but only around 13 per cent of this amount is spent to procure those goods. The rest 87 per cent of the amount, the subsidy given by the government, contributes significantly to reducing the income stress of the households. In Madhya Pradesh, too, the tribal households in a year procures goods from PDS worth Rs 10,000 market price, spending only 22 per cent of the amount to procure them, rest being taken care by the government subsidy. In terms of road connectivity, 78 per cent tribal, 79 per cent non-tribal, and 80 per cent PVTG villages are linked to block headquarters by all-weather roads in Madhya Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, the corresponding figures are 80 per cent, 100 per cent, and 82 per cent. About 42 per cent of tribal, 63 per cent non-tribals, and 80 per cent of PVTG villages in Madhya Pradesh are linked to block headquarters by public transport. For Chhattisgarh, the figures are 30 per cent, 40 per cent, and 9 per cent respectively. The SAL Report 2022 is based on a household survey covering a sample of 6,019 households; out of these, 4,745 are tribal, 393 are PVTG, and the rest 881 were non-tribal households from the same region. Along with this, 50 Focus Group Discussions of different sections of villagers and 28 interviews of persons closely associated with and knowledgeable about the tribal issues were also conducted. The aim of the SAL report is to present the current status of tribal livelihoods. It is not intended to offer any recommendations for improving the situation of tribal or PVTGs, a statement by PRADAN said. PRADAN comes up with a periodic report covering different states of central India in a phased manner to understand the status of livelihoods of the Scheduled Tribe people from the central Indian belt. The Status of Adivasi Livelihoods Report 2021 (SAL Report 2021) covered the states of Jharkhand and Odisha, while the latest report covers Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The online release event of the report was attended by Virginius Xaxa, eminent academician and Gunjal Ikir Munda, Assistant Professor, Central University of Jharkhand. West Bengal police have arrested 12 people on Saturday for allegedly attacking a group of sadhus in Purulia district. The incident sparked outrage after videos of the attack went viral on social media, with BJP attacking the ruling Trinamool Congress. The three sadhus who were headed to Gangasagar, a pilgrimage site in West Bengal, in a car had approached a group of women for directions. The three girls were heading to a local Kali mandir for pooja when the car stopped near them and the sadhus asked them something. Due to some language issues, some misunderstandings happened and the girls thought that the sadhus were following them... The local public came and took the sadhus near Durga Mandir and vandalised their car. The sadhus were also manhandled... The police provided the sadhus with all possible assistance..., ANI quoted Purulia Superintendent of Police Avijit Banerjee as saying. Police clarified that there was no communal angle in the incident. However, BJP's Amit Malviya slammed the ruling TMC, calling the incident 'absolutely shocking'. He wrote on X, Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal Sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC. Top leaders of parties of the opposition INDIA bloc will hold discussions on January 13 on strengthening the alliance, chalking out a strategy on seat-sharing and deciding whether to have a convener of the grouping, sources said on Friday. Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not be part of the virtual meeting on Saturday morning as she is preoccupied with prior engagements, they said. The sources said that discussions would be held on appointing a convenor of the opposition alliance. They added that the JDU wants Nitish Kumar as the convenor which is being opposed by the TMC. This is the second such attempt to hold a virtual meeting as the previous attempt a few days ago did not materialise, the sources added. A TMC source said the party was informed about the meeting on Friday evening, and the West Bengal chief minister has some pre-scheduled appointments due to which she may not attend. The TMC had also offered that the meeting could be held next week. The source added that the party remains committed to the INDIA bloc and defeating the BJP. In a post on 'X', Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said INDIA party leaders will be meeting over Zoom at 11:30am on January 13, 2024. "They will review various issues like seat-sharing talks that have begun, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that will begin from Thoubal near Imphal day after tomorrow, and other important matters," he said. As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the BJP and defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, there are many issues which are yet to be resolved within the alliance, including that of appointing a convener. Seat-sharing talks with members of the opposition bloc have also not been fruitful so far due to claims and counter-claims on the seats. The sources said the leaders of the various parties would be meeting to iron out these differences and strengthen the bloc further. Chief People Strategy Officer Schaeffer Orlov S Nicole of Insmed Inc (NASDAQ:INSM) executed a sale of 3,668 shares in the company on January 9, 2024, according to a recent SEC Filing. Over the past year, the insider has sold a total of 32,432 shares and has not made any purchases of the company's stock. Insmed Incorporated is a global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to transform the lives of patients with serious and rare diseases. The company's focus is on the unmet needs of patients with diseases that are often overlooked. Insmed's dedication to developing novel therapies reflects its commitment to improving the quality of life for patients who face limited treatment options. The insider transaction history at Insmed Inc reveals a pattern of insider sales over the past year, with 28 insider sells recorded and only 1 insider buy. This trend can be visualized in the following insider trend image: Insmed Inc Chief People Strategy Officer Sells Company Shares On the valuation front, Insmed Inc's shares were trading at $28.85 on the day of the insider's recent transaction. The company's market cap stood at $4.071 billion. The stock's price-to-GF-Value ratio was 1.02, indicating that the stock is Fairly Valued when compared to the GF Value of $28.27. The GF Value is a proprietary intrinsic value estimate from GuruFocus, which is calculated based on historical trading multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor, and future business performance estimates from Morningstar analysts. The GF Value for Insmed Inc is depicted in the image below: Insmed Inc Chief People Strategy Officer Sells Company Shares Investors and analysts often monitor insider transactions as they can provide insights into the insider's perspective on the value of the company's stock. While the recent sale by the insider does not necessarily indicate a negative outlook, it is one of many factors that shareholders may consider when assessing their investment in Insmed Inc. 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. Ruling-party candidate Lai Ching-te emerged victorious in Taiwan's presidential election on Saturday and his opponents conceded, a result that will determine the trajectory of the self-ruled democracy's relations with China over the next four years. China had called the poll a choice between war and peace. Beijing strongly opposes Lai, the current vice president who abandoned his medical career to pursue politics from the grassroots to the presidency. At stake is peace, social stability and prosperity on the island, 160 kilometres (100 miles) off the coast of China, which Beijing claims as its own and to be retaken by force if necessary. While domestic issues such as the sluggish economy and expensive housing also featured prominently in the campaign, Lai's Democratic Progressive Party's appeal to self-determination, social justice and rejection of China's threats ultimately won out. It's the first time a single party has led Taiwan for three consecutive four-year presidential terms since the first open presidential election in 1996. At a post-election news conference, Lai thanked the Taiwanese electorate for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We have shown the world how much we cherish our democracy. This is our unwavering commitment. He added: Taiwan will continue to walk side by side with democracies from around the world ... through our actions. The Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election." Lai and incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen reject China's sovereignty claims over Taiwan, a former Japanese colony that split from the Chinese mainland amid civil war in 1949. They have, however, offered to speak with Beijing, which has repeatedly refused to hold talks and called them separatists. Beijing was believed to have favoured the candidate from the more China-friendly Nationalist party, also known as Kuomintang, or KMT. Its candidate, Hou Yu-ih, also had promised to restart talks with China while bolstering national defense. He promised not to move toward unifying the two sides of the Taiwan Strait if elected. In his concession speech, Hou apologized for not working hard enough to regain power for the KMT, which ran Taiwan under martial law for nearly four decades before democratic reforms in the 1980s. I let everyone down. I am here to express my sincerest apologies, I'm sorry," Hou said in front of an audience whose numbers fell well short of expectations. A third candidate in the race, Ko Wen-je of the smaller Taiwan People's Party, or TPP, had drawn the support particularly of young people wanting an alternative to the KMT and DPP, Taiwan's traditional opposing parties, which have largely taken turns governing since the 1990s. Ko said that dialogue between the sides was crucial, but that his bottom line would be that Taiwan needs to remain democratic and free. At least this time the TPP has become a critical opposition power. I would like to say thank you to every one again, as the chairman of the TPP," Ko said. Each vote represents recognition and support for us. "This is also the first time that Taiwan managed to create a whole new three-party-competition between the clash of the green and blue, he said, referring to the DPP and the KMT by the colours with which they are affiliated. Chen Binhua, spokesperson of the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Beijing wouldn't accept the election result as representing the mainstream public opinion on the island, without giving any evidence or justification. This election cannot change the basic situation and the direction of cross Strait relations, nor can it change the common desire of compatriots on both sides to get closer and closer, nor can it stop the general trend that the motherland will eventually and inevitably be reunified, Chen said. The United States, which is bound by its laws to provide Taiwan with the weapons needed to defend itself, had pledged support for whichever government emerges, reinforced by the Biden administration's plans to send an unofficial delegation made up of former senior officials to the island shortly after the election. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his victory. We also congratulate the Taiwan people for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process, Blinken said in a statement. Besides the China tensions, domestic issues such as the dearth of affordable housing and stagnating wages have dominated the campaign. For Tony Chen, a 74-year-old retiree who voted in Taipei in the hour before the polls closed, the election boiled down to a choice between communism and democracy. I hope democracy wins, he said. He added that more Taiwanese were open to China's model of governance decades ago, when the Chinese economy was growing by double digits annually, but are repulsed by the crackdown on civil liberties that has occurred under current Chinese President Xi Jinping. Stacy Chen, 43, said she has always voted for the DPP, because Taiwan is an independent country. She said she wanted her son to grow up in a country that is separate from China. Taiwan's election was seen as having real and lasting influence on the geopolitical landscape, said Gabrielle Reid, associate director with the global intelligence consultancy S-RM. The outcome of the vote will ultimately determine the nature of ties with China relative to the West and will have strong bearing on the state of play in the South China Sea, she said. Close ties with the United States will likely draw even closer under Lai's administration. A continuation of the DPP into a third term will mean that the warming-up of US-Taiwan ties that we saw in the last eight years will likely continue at pace under the next Lai Ching-te administration," said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow with the Washington-based Atlantic Council. Beijing is likely to deploy a maximum pressure campaign to influence the new administration along military, economic and political lines, Sung told The Associated Press. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private ceremony on Saturday. Ardern and Gayford has been engaged for almost five years. They had to postpone their wedding due to Covid pandemic. The ceremony, reportedly, was staged at a luxury vineyard in the scenic Hawke's Bay region, 325 kilometers (200 miles) from New Zealand's capital, Wellington. Only family and close friends were invited for the ceremony. Ardern's successor and former PM Chris Hipkins was among those who attended the function. Ardern (43) and Gayford (47) have been dating since 2014. Due to Ardern government's Covid restrictions that reduced gatherings to 100 people, the wedding planned for the summer of 2022 was postponed. Such is life, Ardern said at the time of their decision to call off the wedding. Ardern was noted for the handling of the nation's worst-ever mass shooting and the early stages of the Covid pandemic. In 2018, Ardern became the second elected world leader to give birth while holding office. Later that year, she brought her infant daughter to the floor of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which had gone viral in the social media. New Zealand, was one of the countries to impose stringent rules during the pandemic times. Her announcement of stepping down in January 2023 left many in shock. she said she was stepping down after five-and-a-half years as prime minister because she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job justice in an election year. Since then, Ardern announced she would temporarily join Harvard University after being appointed to dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School. (With PTI inputs) Taiwanese are casting their votes on Saturday for a new president and legislature in an election that could chart the trajectory of the self-ruled democracy's relations with China over the next four years. At stake is the peace and stability of the island 160 kilometers (100 miles) off the coast of China that Beijing claims as its own, to be retaken by force if necessary. Domestic issues such as the sluggish economy and expensive housing also featured prominently in the campaign. ALSO READ: Nothing but China really matters in Taiwan elections Vice President Lai Ching-te, representing the governing Democratic Progressive Party, known as the DPP, seeks to succeed outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen and give the independence-leaning party an unprecedented third term. Lai cast his vote in his hometown of Tainan. He remarked on the sunny weather, suggesting it's a good time for Taiwanese people to go out and vote. I encourage everyone around the country to vote with enthusiasm and show the vitality of Taiwan's democracy, he said. ALSO READ: Democratic consolidation in Taiwan showcases resilience of democracy Hou Yu-ih, the candidate of Beijing-favoured Kuomintang, also known as the Nationalist Party, cast his ballot in New Taipei City, a municipality bordering the capital, Taipei. Hou is the mayor of New Taipei, a position from which he took leave to run for president. Alternative candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party, who has shown popularity among young voters seeking an alternative to the two major parties, voted in Taipei. Voting began at 8am (0000 GMT) on Saturday and is to wrap up eight hours later. Candidates concluded their campaigns on Friday night with stirring speeches, but younger voters were mostly focused on their economic futures in a challenging environment. Speaking in his hometown of Tainan in the island's south, Lai reflected on why he left his career as a surgeon because of China's missile tests and military exercises aimed at intimidating Taiwanese voters before the first open presidential election in 1996. I wanted to protect the democracy that had just gotten underway in Taiwan. I gave up my well-paid job and decided to follow the footsteps of our elders in democracy, Lai said. Hou, a former head of Taiwan's police force, said Lai's view on relations with Beijing could push the two sides to war. I advocate pragmatic exchanges with China, the defence of national security, and protection of human rights. I insist that Taiwan's future will be decided by the 23.5 million (people of Taiwan), and I will use my life to protect Taiwan, Hou said. China's military threats could sway some voters against independence-leaning candidates, but the US has pledged support for whichever government emerges, reinforced by the Biden administration's plans to send an unofficial delegation made up of former senior officials to the island shortly after the election. Besides the China tensions, domestic issues dominated the campaign, particularly an economy that was estimated to have grown just 1.4 per cent last year. That partly reflects inevitable cycles in demand for computer chips and other exports from the high-tech, heavily trade-dependent manufacturing base, and a slowing of the Chinese economy. But longer-term challenges such as unaffordable housing and wage stagnation topped voters' concerns. The candidate with the most votes wins, with no runoff. The legislative races are for districts and at-large seats. Amid row with India, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday said "We may be small but this doesn't give any the right to bully us". Muizzu was addressing a press conference on the concluding day of his China visit. He also added that both Maldives and China have agreed to continue firmly supporting each other in safeguarding their core interests. "China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, respects and supports the Maldives' exploration of a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives," a joint statement by China and Maldives said. China and Maldives signed 20 agreements which include cooperation in tourism to increase Chinese tourists to the island nation. A massive row erupted after some ministers with the Maldives government made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Lakshadweep visit. Maldives took action against the ministers by suspending them. The Maldives tourism industry suffered a setback after derogatory remarks were made by his ministers against Modi. #BoycottMaldives was gaining momentum with many Indians canceling their trips to the island nation. Modi after his Lakshadweep visit urged Indians to visit the island nation and boost its tourism. 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. The US military, early on Saturday, reportedly, struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen, a day after the US Navy warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours. US Navy issued the warning after the Houthis vowed to retaliate fiercely to the multiple airstrikes launched by the US and the UK on Friday targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen, which hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. The US-led strikes were carried out in response to recent drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The route is a crucial waterway, as the vessels must travel through the Red Sea to access the Suez Canal - the only direct passage between Europe and Asia. The attacks on the commercial vessels have severely disrupted global trade. Who are the Houthis? The Houthis are a rebel group involved in the ongoing civil war in Yemen. They emerged as a cultural revivalist movement in the 1990s, but launched several insurgencies in the 2000s, alleging widespread corruption and mismanagement by the Yemen government. ALSO READ: Thousands protest in Yemen after US-UK attacks During the Arab Spring, in 2011, mass protests led to the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been ruling the country for over thirty years. He was succeeded by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who had Saudi Arabia's backing. The Houthis came to prominence in 2014 when they rebelled against the Hadi government. A Saudi-led coalition launched a war to back Yemen's exiled government in 2015, which soon became a regional confrontation, with Iran supporting the Houthis. It sparked off a civil war in the country, which is still ongoing. Currently, they control Yemen's western coast, including its capital, Sanaa. The territory is home to two-thirds of Yemen's population of 34 million. The Houthis have been in ceasefire talks with Saudi Arabia, even as Yemens official government led by President Rashad al-Alimi is based in Aden. Hadi transferred power to Al-Alimi in 2022. With Saudi Arabia restoring relations with Iran last year, there might be light at the end of the tunnel for the people of Yemen, though the shadow of Israel-Hamas war looms large. Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 13: The New Age Makers Institute of Technology (NAMTECH), an education initiative by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ITE Education Services (ITEES), a distinguished subsidiary of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) under the Ministry of Education, Singapore. The Hon'ble Minister of Education, Government of India, graced the momentous occasion and, alongside the CEO - ITEES Singapore, explored the cutting-edge laboratories and engaged with students in a comprehensive tour - all of which left an indelible impression. As India charts its course to become the third-largest global economy by 2030, the demand for competent technicians in critical sectors like advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, automobiles, energy, etc., has surged to unprecedented levels. This surge has prompted ITEES Singapore and NAMTECH to collaborate in developing a world-class TVET ecosystem in the country, with ITEES Singapore acknowledging NAMTECH as a 'Distinguished Partner.' At the heart of this first-of-its-kind collaboration for ITEES Singapore is NAMTECH's School for Social Impact, envisioned as a catalyst for change in vocational education and training. The NAMTECH campus in Gandhinagar, equipped with state-of-the-art vocational training laboratories and ITEES Skill Qualification (ISQ) programs, is poised to transform vocational education in India. Enrollment for the inaugural batch of ITI-certified and diploma engineer students for the International Professional Technologists Program (iPTP) commences in March 2024. ITEES Singapore - with a history of catalysing TVET excellence in states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, and more recognises the imperative for quality training aligned with the tenets of Industry 4.0. Therefore, this collaboration also envisions the co-creation of institutions inspired by ITE Singapore's renowned model, celebrated for TVET excellence worldwide. These institutions aim to elevate the ITI ecosystem, introducing innovative outreach models for an inclusive, nationwide impact. The MoU outlines a comprehensive roadmap, with ITEES Singapore being a strategic knowledge partner of NAMTECH in training NAMTECH staff and providing robust support for institutional project delivery with various state governments and credible private players. Simultaneously, NAMTECH will establish a dedicated project development unit, recruit and train subject matter experts, set up content creation labs, and meticulously craft world-class technicians' programs aligned with the ISQ framework. This visionary alliance further envisages the establishment of a trainer development academy at the NAMTECH campus, promising a rich tapestry of industry-connect programs and action research initiatives. It serves as a dynamic platform for industry partners to actively contribute to academic and placement initiatives, shaping a workforce that meets the demands of a rapidly evolving industrial landscape. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon'ble Minister of Education, said, "The collaboration between NAMTECH and ITEES Singapore is a commendable initiative that aligns with India's vision for vocational education and skill development. This partnership is crucial in meeting the demands of our growing economy and ensuring a competent workforce for the future." Mr Bruce Poh, CEO, ITEES Singapore, said, "ITEES is excited to contribute to India's educational landscape, leveraging our extensive experience to empower learners and enhance the competitiveness of industries. Our collaboration with NAMTECH reflects a shared commitment to excellence in vocational education and training." Mr. Sanjay Sharma, NAMTECH Board Member and Vice President, ArcelorMittal said, "This collaboration marks a significant stride towards nurturing a proficient workforce in India, aligned with global standards in education and training. NAMTECH is committed to creating an impactful experiential learning environment that meets the evolving needs of our industries." For Media queries, contact: Soumik Dey M: +91-9873519555 Soumik.Dey@namtech.ac ABOUT NEW AGE MAKERS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (NAMTECH): NAMTECH is a pioneering, industry-aligned institute built with a bold mission to resolve the disconnect between what the industry needs and the rigid, siloed educational system produces. NAMTECH seeks to reimagine education through experiential learning and an emerging technology-driven curriculum that moulds students for whatever comes and prepares them with the skills to meet future marketplace challenges. Follow Us: www.namtech.ac | Facebook: @NAMTECHOfficial | Xitter: @namtechofficial| LinkedIn: @Namtech | Instagram:@namtechofficial (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Lucknow, Jan (13) In a bid to promote sustainable solutions to combat climate change, SLMG Beverages Pvt Ltd, India's Coca-Cola bottler, plans to spend more than Rs 100 crore on sustainability, safety, and environment this year. Of the total investment, Rs 75 crore will be spent on sustainability and Rs 25 crore on quality, the company said. "Sustainability is core to our business strategy to respond to current and future challenges, while creating positive change for the planet," SLMG Beverages Pvt Ltd Chairman and Managing Director S N Ladhani said. "Our water, packaging and climate goals are interlinked. By creating a circular economy for packaging, we will minimise our carbon footprint," Ladhani said in a statement. In line with Coca-Cola's global initiative to create a "World Without Waste", SLMG aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This bold target signals the company's determination to play a central role in tackling climate change and reducing its environmental footprint. SLMG is planning to deploy an additional 20 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) in Agra, in addition to the existing 12. The company said it is committed to covering 70 per cent of its electricity consumption with solar energy. With planned capacity expansions in Ayodhya (15 MW), Unnao (5 MW) and Chhata (2.5 MW), the company is reducing its ecological footprint and focussing on clean energy solutions, as per the statement. SLMG is looking to expand its electric vehicle (EV) fleet from 2,000 to 5,000 by 2025 and to 10,000 vehicles by 2027. The company is purchasing large EVs for distribution and warehousing to align with the global trend towards sustainable transport, the statement added. Kathmandu, Jan 13 (PTI) Ahead of the January 22 consecration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya in India, Nepal's Janakpur - believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rams wife Sita is gearing up to join the celebrations with multiple cultural and religious events. Sitas other name is Janaki, daughter of King Janak of Janakpur. It is 220 kms southeast of Kathmandu and about 500-odd km east of Ayodhya. Our daughter, Mata Janaki was married to Lord Shri Ram. We are very elated and proud that the consecration of Ramlala will take place at Ayodhya. People of Janakpur were very happy when the Supreme Court of India had declared its final verdict (in the Ayodhya matter), Nepal's former deputy prime minister Bimalendra Nidhi said on Saturday. For the people of Janakpur, Shri Ram is not just a deity but also their son-in-law. People are happy that their daughter and the son-in-law are entering their own house, added Nidhi, a senior Nepali Congress leader. Nepal is situated between India and China. Both India and China have an influence on Nepal and vice versa. However, in comparison, India has a deep cultural, geographical, and political connect with Nepal, he said. India and Nepal enjoy 'roti-beti' relations (trade and marriage) but the same does not apply to China, he added. Ram Ashish Yadav, an MLA from Janakpur's Dhanusha constituency, said there will be religious gatherings in every Ram and Sita temple in his town on the occasion. There would be several stage shows based on Ramayana and people have planned to lit 1,25,000 lamps at the Janaki temple on January 22, he said. A spectacular aarti will be held for Lord Ram and Sita, he added. Celebrations are being planned across the Madhesh region, the Terai belt sandwiched between Nepals hills and plains. Yadav also said that religious tourism will increase in Janakpur after Ram temple consecration. Janakpur Dham got a new life after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit. Many Indian tourists started visiting this place. After Ram Mandir's inauguration, we are sure, more religious tourists will throng this place. Tourism has become a big factor in the country's economy and plays a big role in increasing the country's GDP. Religious tourists will increase and Janakpur will become more prosperous after the temple's inauguration, said the Nepal MLA. Tapeshwar Das, the chief priest of the Janaki Temple at Janakpur, described the Ayodhya event as the meeting of two families, the families of Lord Ram and Mata Sita." More than 3,000 gifts have been sent to Ayodhya, including silver shoes, ornaments, and dresses from Janakpur, he added. Beijing, Jan 13 (PTI) Ten people were killed and six others missing after an accident in a coal mine in central China's Henan Province, local authorities said early Saturday. The accident, a likely coal and gas explosion described as an "outburst", happened around 2:55 pm on Friday in Pingdingshan, state broadcaster CCTV said. According to the local government, ten people were killed, state-run China Daily reported. The accident happened in a coal mine of the Pingdingshan Tianan Coal Mining Co., Ltd. A total of 425 people were working underground when the accident took place, and 380 of them have been lifted out of the mine, official news agency Xinhua reported. Rescue work is still underway. People in charge of the coal mine have been kept in custody by public security authorities. Mining accidents are common in China. However, the number of deaths has reduced in recent years. China is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal. China's mining industry has long been among the world's deadliest, with frequent mine accidents. London, Jan 13 (PTI) Suella Braverman, sacked as UK Home Secretary last year, has hit out at her former boss to say Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks Safety of Rwanda Bill coming up in Parliament next week wont work. After stern statements in the House of Commons during the week, the Indian-origin former minister said in an interview with GB News' channel on Friday that she will not support the bill in its current form. The controversial bill, now going through its parliamentary process after clearing a first hurdle in the Commons last month, seeks to overcome legal hurdles in the way of deporting asylum seekers to the east African nation as a key strategy to meet Sunaks pledge to stop the boats of illegal migrants landing on Englands shores. I am only going to support a bill that works. As currently drafted, this bill does not work, Braverman said in the interview. And if there are no improvements to it, I will have to vote against it, Im afraid. I am sent to Parliament to vote for things, to be for things or to be against them, not to sit on the fence, she said. British MPs are due to debate and vote on amendments to the bill on Tuesday and Wednesday next week before its Third Reading vote, the final stage for any new legislation to clear in the Commons before it is sent to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. It could prove a big headache for the Sunak-led government, which faces defeat if 32 of his own Conservative Party MPs vote against it. Such an outcome would make history as a government bill has not been defeated at a Third Reading in the House of Commons since 1977. Many from the Tory rebel wing have tabled several amendments that aim to prevent future deportation flights being stalled by legal challenges by migrant groups. Robert Jenrick, a one-time ally who resigned as Sunaks immigration minister over the issue, is believed to be leading the group behind the amendments. I have been very concerned by the high number of ministers to whom I have spoken who have grave reservations about this bill, said Baverman. Asked for numbers, she responded: Oh, dozens. I actually havent spoken to many ministers who genuinely believe that this bill is going to work. The former home secretary said it would be far better to defeat Sunaks Safety of Rwanda Bill and start again than to proceed with legislation that wont stop the boats. We may all feel a temporary sense of achievement by passing a bill but in a few months time when we see that plane grounded on the tarmac, when we are failing to remove people to Rwanda, when we are clogged up in the courts, it will be very, very disappointing and people will ask us, rightly, what did you do to try and avoid that catastrophe? That is what I am trying to do now. I am trying to avoid the catastrophe of failing to deliver on this pledge, said Braverman. The bill is central to Sunak's pledge to take decisive action to curtail illegal migration before he faces the electorate in a general election, expected in the second half of the year. Key Insights The projected fair value for InPost is 26.62 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of 13.42 suggests InPost is potentially 50% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 104% higher than InPost's analyst price target of z13.05 Does the January share price for InPost S.A. (AMS:INPST) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for InPost Crunching The Numbers We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (PLN, Millions) z808.9m z1.24b z1.81b z2.34b z2.73b z3.00b z3.22b z3.39b z3.52b z3.62b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x7 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ 10.03% Est @ 7.22% Est @ 5.25% Est @ 3.87% Est @ 2.90% Present Value (PLN, Millions) Discounted @ 5.8% z764 z1.1k z1.5k z1.9k z2.1k z2.1k z2.2k z2.2k z2.1k z2.1k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = z18b Story continues 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 0.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = z3.6b (1 + 0.6%) (5.8% 0.6%) = z70b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= z70b ( 1 + 5.8%)10= z40b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is z58b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 13.4, the company appears quite good value at a 50% 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. ENXTAM:INPST Discounted Cash Flow January 13th 2024 Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at InPost 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 5.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.035. 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 InPost Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Dutch market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching 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. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For InPost, we've compiled three essential elements you should further examine: Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for InPost (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does INPST'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. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Dutch 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. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) The Hague (Netherlands), Jan 13 (AP) In the second day of hearings Friday at the United Nations' top court, Israel rejected allegations levied by South Africa that its campaign against Hamas amounts to genocide against the Palestinian people, saying that, if anything, it is Hamas that is guilty of genocide. Although the case is likely to take years to resolve, South Africa is asking the International Court of Justice to order an immediate suspension of Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip. It's unclear if Israel would comply with any court order. Meanwhile, the United States and British militaries have launched strikes on sites used by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen in retaliation for their attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis say their attacks are aimed at stopping Israel's war on Hamas, but their targets increasingly have little or no connection to Israel and imperil a crucial trade route linking Asia and the Middle East with Europe. The Oct. 7 Hamas attack from Gaza into southern Israel that triggered the war killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage by militants. Israel's air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 people, some 70% of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Here's the latest: US SAYS ITS MILITARY STRUCK ANOTHER HOUTHI SITE IN YEMEN WASHINGTON: The U.S. military has struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that was determined to be putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk. The strike happened early Saturday, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an operation that hadn't yet been publicly announced. Associated Press journalists in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, heard one loud explosion. The first day of strikes on Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However the U.S. determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. ISRAEL'S ORDERS FOR DISLACEMENT IN GAZA POTENTIALLY AMOUNT TO A WAR CRIME, UN SAYS UNITED NATIONS: Israel's orders for massive displacement of more than 1 million people in Gaza without ensuring access to food, health care, shelter or safety fail to meet international legal requirements and potentially amount to forcible transfer, a war crime, a senior U.N. official said Friday. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris also expressed alarm at incendiary statements by some Israeli officials pushing for Palestinians to be resettled overseas. Palestinians' right to return to their homes must be subject to an ironclad guarantee, she told a Security Council meeting on the threat of forced displacement. U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the council that what has been unfolding in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory is a war conducted with almost no regard for the impact on civilians. As a result of Israel's unrelenting evacuation orders, he said, more people are being crammed into an ever-smaller sliver of land, only to find yet more violence and deprivation, inadequate shelter and a near absence of the most basic services. Griffiths also said the statements by Israeli officials on encouraging Palestinians to go to other countries raise grave concerns about possible forcible mass transfer or deportation something that would be strictly prohibited under international law. US DEFENCE SECRETARY WAS IN HOSPITAL WHEN HE ORDERED STRIKES ON YEMEN, PENTAGON SAYS WASHINGTON: From his hospital room, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin first orchestrated and then watched in real time as the U.S. retaliatory attack on Yemen-based Houthi militants unfolded Thursday night. It was the latest in a series of responsibilities Austin has carried out from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he has been recovering from complications due to treatments for prostate cancer that he initially did not disclose. On Friday, President Joe Biden said it was a lapse in judgment for Austin to keep his hospitalisation a secret, but said he still has confidence in the Pentagon chief. Austin's delays in disclosing his prostate cancer and his hospitalization have roiled the administration, Pentagon and Congress. Pentagon officials have repeatedly said that Austin has been performing his duties for the last week, even as he remains hospitalized. GERMANY TO JOIN U.N. CASE ON ISRAEL'S BEHALF, SAYS NO BASIS' FOR GENOCIDE CHARGE BERLIN: Germany's government said Friday that it will request to join the International Court of Justice case as third party on Israel's behalf, saying there is no basis whatsoever for genocide accusations. Under the court's rules, if Germany files a declaration of intervention in the case, it will be able to make legal arguments to support Israel at the merits phase of this case to address how the genocide convention should be interpreted, legal expects say. "That would come after the court issues its decision on South Africa's request for urgent measures to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza, said international lawyer Balkees Jarrah, associate director of the international justice program at Human Rights Watch, in an interview from The Hague where she attended the ICJ hearings. Berlin's support for Israel carries some symbolic significance given Germany's Nazi history. Hamas terrorists brutally attacked, tortured, killed and kidnapped innocent people in Israel, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement Friday. Since then, Israel has been defending itself against the inhumane attack by Hamas. We know that different countries assess Israel's operation in Gaza differently, Hebestreit said. However, the Federal Government firmly and expressly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Hebestreit said Germany sees itself as particularly committed to the Convention against Genocide. He added: We firmly oppose political instrumentalisation,. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement, saying the gesture touches all of Israel's citizens. ISRAEL KILLS 3 PALESTINIANS AFTER THEY ATTACK WEST BANK SETTLEMENT, ARMY SAYS JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said Friday it killed three Palestinian men who infiltrated a West Bank settlement and fired on soldiers. The soldiers were attacked while patrolling the settlement of Adora in the southern West Bank and they returned fire, killing three men, according to Israel's Army Radio. One 34-year-old Palestinian man involved in the attack was wounded with a shot to the leg, Israel's medical rescue service said, without providing more information. The attack came amid surging violence in the occupied territory nearly 100 days into Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. Israel has held the West Bank under a tight grip ever since Hamas' deadly cross-border attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The army frequently stages deadly military raids it says are aimed at stamping out militancy. The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed 344 Palestinians in the West Bank since Oct. 7. UN SAYS DESPERATION' AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN, NEW MOTHERS AND OTHERS IN GAZA UNITED NATIONS: Returning from a week in Gaza, a senior official for the U.N. agency that focuses on sexual and reproductive rights for women warned that the situation is beyond any of our worst nightmares and it's getting worse. Dominic Allen, the U.N. Population Fund's representative covering the Palestinian territories, told reporters in a video briefing from East Jerusalem on Friday that desperation is everywhere, from pregnant women, doctors and midwives to humanitarian workers and people who have fled their homes and are moving to the southern part of Gaza. Many pregnant women who should be getting extra nutrition are suffering from thirst, malnutrition and lack of health, Allen said. If the bombs don't kill them, if disease hunger and dehydration don't catch up with them, simply giving life will and we can't let this happen. He repeated his message several times: The world needs to help Gaza. It needs to help at scale, and it needs to help now. Allen said he is terrified for the 1 million women and girls in Gaza, including 690,000 who are of menstruating age but have almost no sanitary supplies, and 5,500 pregnant women due to give birth in the coming months which means 180 births every day in Gaza. Since Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise invasion of south Israel and Israel's military response, UNFPA estimates there have been 18,000 births, he said. While the agency has been able to provide supplies for more than half of those deliveries, much more is needed. One of the few functioning hospitals in southern Gaza that he visited is overwhelmed with 70 to 80 births a day, including 20 cesarean sections, Allen said, and women can only spend a few hours in the hospital because of the overcrowding. That means the mothers and their mainly underweight babies aren't getting the post-natal care they need, he said. IRAN PRAISES YEMEN'S HOUTHIS IN WAKE OF US-LED BOMBING TEHRAN: Iran's foreign minister on Friday praised Yemen's Houthi rebels for their support for the Palestinians in Gaza, an apparent reference to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping that the Houthis say are aimed at stopping Israel's war on Hamas. However, Hossein Amir Abdollahian also said in a post on X that the Houthis are fully committed to marine and shipping security, without elaborating. The foreign minister said the United States, instead of striking Yemen, should halt its military support for Israel's operations in Gaza and the West Bank in order to restore security to the entire Mideast. In Tehran, a group of people gathered outside the British Embassy in Iran to protest London's role in this week's airstrikes on Yemen. Carrying Palestinian flags, they burnt flags of Britain, U.S. and Israel. Similar rallies were held earlier on the day after Friday prayer ceremonies in the capital Tehran and other major cities of the country. KEY HOSPITAL LOSES POWER IN CENTRAL GAZA, DOCTORS WARN PATIENTS WILL DIE WITHIN HOURS DEIR AL-BALAH: Power cut off at the main hospital in central Gaza on Friday after it ran out of fuel for its main generator, according to an Associated Press journalist at the hospital, and doctors warned that patients would soon die if electricity isn't restored. The cut came soon after Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah warned that its fuel supply was about to run out. It said the U.N. had told it a fuel delivery was expected but it had not arrived by Friday night. After the facility went black after nightfall, staff kept ventilators and incubators operating using batteries charged by solar power during the day. But they warned that would last only a few hours. In two hours at most, if the electricity doesn't come back, and the oxygen, these patients you see here will die, said one doctor, Taiseer Abu Sweirih, speaking to the AP in front of bed-ridden patients on life support. The hospital has been overwhelmed with wounded from Israel's bombardment and ground offensive across the central portion of Gaza. Last week, the WHO said half of Gaza's 36 hospitals are out of action, while the remaining 13 are only partially functional. Gaza's health sector has been decimated by the three month war between Israel and Hamas, with many hospitals unable to treat the rising number of casualties or re-stock supplies including basic medicine. UN CHIEF SAYS YEMEN'S HOUTHIS MUST HEED CALL TO STOP ATTACKING SHIPS UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations chief says Yemen's Houthi rebels must comply with the Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to all attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took note of Thursday's U.S. and British airstrikes, with support from other countries, said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday. Guterres called on all nations that are defending their vessels from attacks to do so in accordance with international law, as stipulated in the resolution. The Security Council approved the resolution by a vote of 11-0 vote Wednesday with Russia and China among the four countries that abstained. In addition to condemning and demanding a halt to Houthi attacks, it implicitly condemned the Houthi's main weapons supplier, Iran. Dujarric said the secretary-general also calls on all parties not to escalate even more the situation in the interest of peace and stability in the Red Sea and the wider region and to avoid acts that could further worsen the situation in Yemen itself. DEAL TO DELIVER MEDICINE TO HOSTAGES IN GAZA IS IN THE WORKS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND QATAR Jerusalem: Israel and Qatar are working on a deal to deliver much-needed medication to Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli government and a diplomat said Friday. Hamas and Israel have both shown willingness to allow the delivery of the medicine, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were still ongoing. Logistics are still being worked out, including the types of medications needed and how to deliver them, the diplomat said. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had assigned the head of the Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, to discuss the entry of medicines to the hostages with the Qataris, who have acted as mediators with Hamas in previous negotiations over hostage releases. In a statement, the office said the delivery could take place in the coming days. The diplomat said the move for a deal came after families of hostages met with Qatar's prime minister and raised their worry that some of their loved ones are in need of important prescription medication. Hamas and other militants abducted around 250 men, women and children during their Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. During a cease-fire, around 100 hostages were freed in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, leaving around 130, mostly men, including 10 over the age of 75. Since then, Israel has announced that 20 died in captivity, leaving around 110. The diplomat said discussions were also underway with international NGOs about delivering the medicines. During a round of swaps of hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in November, the International Committee of the Red Cross served as the go-between, receiving freed hostages from Hamas and transporting them out of the territory. The ICRC's spokesperson in Geneva, Jason Straziuso, would not comment on the reported deal but said that since the start of the war, the group has been calling for three things that the hostages be released, barring that, that we be allowed to visit them and deliver medications as needed, and that the hostages be able to communicate with their family. (AP) NSA NSA Rafah (Gaza Strip), Jan 13 (AP) More than 30 Palestinians, including young children, were killed in Israeli bombardments overnight into Saturday in the Gaza Strip, officials said, while a new US strike against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen heightened fears that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a regional conflict. Fears of a wider conflagration have been palpable since the start of the war, triggered by the deadly October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas and other Gaza militants. New fronts quickly opened, with Iran-backed groups Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria carrying out a range of attacks. From the start, the US increased its military presence in the region to deter an escalation. Following a Houthi campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the US and Britain launched multiple airstrikes against the rebels on Friday, and the US hit another site on Saturday. In another fallout from the war, the International Court of Justice heard allegations by South Africa this week that Israel committed genocide against the Palestinians. The complaint cited the soaring death toll and hardships among Gaza civilians, along with inflammatory comments from Israeli leaders cited as proof of what South Africa said was genocidal intent. In counter arguments on Friday, Israel asked that the case be dismissed as meritless. Israel's defence argued that Israel had the right to fight back against an enemy bent on its destruction, that South Africa had barely mentioned Hamas and that it ignored what Israel considers attempts to mitigate civilian harm. The court was asked by South Africa to issue interim injunctions, including calling for a halt to Israel's offensive. In Gaza, where Hamas has put up but stiff resistance to Israel's blistering air and ground campaign, the war continued unabated. The Gaza Health Ministry said on Saturday that 135 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall toll of the war to 23,843. The count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, but the ministry has said about two-thirds of the dead are women and children. The ministry said the total number of war-wounded surpassed 60,000. Following an Israeli airstrike before dawn on Saturday, video provided by Gaza's Civil Defence department showed rescue workers searching through the twisted rubble of a building in Gaza City by flashlight. Footage showed them carrying a young girl wrapped in blankets with injuries to her face, and at least two other children who appeared dead. A boy, covered in dust, winced as he was loaded into an ambulance. The attack on the home in the Daraj neighbourhood killed at least 20 people, according to Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal. Another strike late Friday near the southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border killed at least 13 people, including two children. The bodies of those killed, primarily from a displaced family from central Gaza, were taken to the city's Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital where they were seen by an Associated Press reporter. Israel has argued Hamas is responsible for the high civilian casualties, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. The Israeli military released a video on Saturday that it said showed the destruction of two ready-to-use rocket launching compounds in Al-Muharraqa in central Gaza. A large grove of palm trees and some homes are seen in the frame. In the video, a rocket is being thrown into the air by the blast. The military said there had been dozens of launchers ready to be used. With the war in Gaza entering its 100th day on Sunday, the World Health Organisation has said only 15 of the territories' 36 hospitals still partially functional, according to OCHA, the United Nations' humanitarian affairs agency. The main hospital in central Gaza, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah, went dark Friday morning after running out of fuel. Staff were able to keep ventilators and incubators operating with solar-charged batteries during the day, and received a small emergency shipment of fuel from another hospital late Friday. Fuel was expected to run out again on Saturday unless the WHO is able to deliver a promised shipment, hospital officials said. Aid deliveries were being disrupted by a renewed drop in telecommunications connectivity in much of Gaza, which began late Friday. In its October 7 attack, Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians. About 250 more were taken hostage, and while some have been released or confirmed dead, more than half are believed to still be in captivity. Since the start of Israel's ground operation in late October, 186 Israeli soldiers were killed and another 1,099 injured in Gaza, according to the military. More than 85 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million has been displaced as a result of Israel's air and ground offensive, and vast swaths of the territory have been levelled. Amid already severe shortages of food, clean water and fuel in Gaza, OCHA said in its daily report that Israel's severe constraints on humanitarian missions and outright denials had increased since the start of the year. The agency said only 21 per cent of planned deliveries of food, medicine, water and other supplies have been successfully reaching northern Gaza. These denials paralyse the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at-scale to widespread humanitarian needs, the agency said. American and other international efforts pushing Israel to do more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians have met with little success. At the same time, Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the territory's main hospital that had been shut down since November, had begun partially functioning again, the WHO said on Friday. Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said his organization has delivered 9,300 litres (2,460 gallons) of fuel to Shifa, allowing a 60-person medical team to begin treating more than 1,000 patients. (AP) PY PY Nairobi (Kenya), Jan 13 (AP) Ukraine's foreign affairs ministry says that four of its citizens were among those captured by al-Qaida-linked extremists in Somalia after their helicopter that was contracted by the United Nations made an emergency landing in territory controlled by the militants earlier this week. Officials say the helicopter went down on Wednesday because of engine failure and was then attacked by al-Shabab militants who killed one person and abducted the other passengers. Our citizens were members of the helicopter crew of the United Nations Mission in Somalia that crashed, said Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign affairs ministry said on Friday in a Facebook post. The helicopter belongs to a Ukrainian private company, which executed a contract for transport on the order of the United Nations, he said. Along with the Ukrainians, there were also five foreigners on board, Nikolenko said, without giving their nationalities. An aviation official said earlier this week that medical professionals and soldiers were on board the helicopter that had been headed to Wisil town for a medical evacuation when it was forced to land in a village in Galmadug on Wednesday. The minister of internal security of Galmudug state in central Somalia, Mohamed Abdi Aden Gaboobe, told The Associated Press by phone on Thursday that the helicopter made the landing because of engine failure in Xindheere village. He said that six foreigners and one Somali national were on board and one was shot dead while trying to escape. One was missing. Different sources give varying figures for the number of occupants in the helicopter, ranging between seven and nine. The AP hasn't been able to verify the exact number of people on board the helicopter. The extremists then burnt the helicopter after confiscating what they thought was important, the Galmudug minister said. Al-Shabab, al-Qaida's East Africa affiliate, has been blamed for the attack, but the group hasn't claimed responsibility. Separately, the United Nations in Somalia strongly condemned a mortar attack that al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for, in which a member of the UN Guard Unit was killed on Thursday. A number of mortar rounds landed inside the Aden Adde International Airport area, in which the UN compound is located, on Thursday night, according to a statement from the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, or UNSOM. In addition to the death of a UN Guard Unit member, the mortar rounds damaged infrastructure, the statement added. Al-Shabab has intensified attacks on Somali military bases in recent months after it lost control of some territory in rural areas during a military offensive that followed the Somali president's call for total war on the fighters. Al-Shabab still controls parts of southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and other areas while extorting millions of dollars a year from residents and businesses in its quest to impose an Islamic state. The widespread insecurity means the UN and other humanitarian entities travel around Somalia by air. The UN mission in the Horn of Africa nation offers humanitarian assistance in a country periodically hit by deadly drought and with one of the world's least developed health systems. The UN mission also supports a 19,000-strong multinational African Union peacekeeping force that has begun a phased withdrawal from the country with the aim of handing over security responsibilities in the coming months to Somali forces, who have been described by some experts as not ready for the challenge. Last month, Somalia's government welcomed the UN Security Council's vote to lift the arms embargo imposed on the country more than three decades ago, saying it would help in the modernisation of Somali forces. (AP) PY PY Istanbul, Jan 13 (AP) Turkiye carried out airstrikes targeting Kurdish militants in neighbouring Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the Turkish Defence Ministry said, coming a day after an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq killed nine Turkish soldiers. Turkiye often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a banned Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkiye since the 1980s. The defence ministry said that aircraft struck targets in Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil in northern Iraq, but didn't specify areas in Syria. It said fighter jets destroyed caves, bunkers, shelters and oil facilities to eliminate terrorist attacks against our people and security forces ... and to ensure our border security." The statement added many militants were neutralised in the strikes. On Friday night, attackers attempted to infiltrate a military base in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, killing five soldiers. Four others died later of critical injuries. The Turkish government said that 36 militants were killed in Iraq, and nine others in Syria, in the 24 hours following the attack. There was no immediate comment from the PKK, the government in Baghdad or the Kurdish region's administration. Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq in April 2022, during which it established several bases in Duhok Governorate. Baghdad has repeatedly protested the presence of Turkish troops and called for their withdrawal. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed his condolences for the deaths of the Turkish soldiers. We will fight to the end against the PKK terrorist organisation within and outside our borders, he tweeted. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later chaired a security meeting in Istanbul at which Turkiye's counterterrorism strategy was evaluated, the government said in statement. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced police had detained 113 people suspected of ties to the PKK following raids across 32 Turkish provinces. He added that six people were arrested after police identified 110 social media accounts that praised the separatist terrorist organization for provocative purposes or had spread misleading information. Three weeks ago, PKK-affiliated militants tried to break into a Turkish base in northern Iraq, according to Turkish officials, leaving six soldiers dead. The following day, six more Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes. Turkiye retaliated by launching strikes against sites that officials said were associated with the PKK in Iraq and Syria. Defence Minister Yasar Guler said at the time that dozens of Kurdish militants were killed in airstrikes and land assaults. It wasn't immediately clear if Friday night's attack and the one three weeks earlier targeted the same base. The Rudaw news website, based in Erbil in northern Iraq, reported that the base attacked on Friday was located on Mount Zap in Amedi district, which lies 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) from the Turkish border. Meanwhile, Turkiye's state-run news agency Anadolu said that a senior PKK militant was neutralised in Iraq. Faik Aydin was targeted in an operation run by Turkish intelligence agency MIT, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) inside the Turkiye-Iraq frontier, Anadolu reported. The PKK, which maintains bases in northern Iraq, is considered a terror organisation by Turkiye's Western allies, including the United States. Tens of thousands of people have died since the start of the conflict in 1984. Turkiye and the US, however, disagree on the status of the Syrian Kurdish groups, which have been allied with Washington in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria. (AP) PY PY Tallinn (Estonia), Jan 12 (AP) A Belarusian journalist went on trial on Friday on charges linked to his professional work covering protests, the latest move in a relentless government crackdown on dissent. Photojournalist Alyaksandr Zyankou faces up to six years in prison if convicted on charges of participation in an extremist group at Minsk City Court. Such accusations have been widely used by authorities to target opposition members, civil society activists and independent journalists. Zyankou has been in custody since his arrest in June, and his health has deteriorated behind bars, according to the independent Belarusian Association of Journalists. Zyankou was just taking pictures to chronicle brutal repressions in Belarus, but the authorities hate anyone speaking about or taking images of political terror in the country, said the association's head, Andrei Bastunets. Belarus is the most repressive country in Europe, where an attempt at free speech is punished by prison. A total of 33 Belarusian journalists are currently in prison, either awaiting trial or serving sentences. Belarusian authorities have cracked down on opponents of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko after huge protests triggered by the August 2020 election that gave him a sixth term in office. The balloting was viewed by the opposition and the West as fraudulent. Protests swept the country for months, bringing hundreds of thousands into the streets. More than 35,000 people were arrested, thousands were beaten in police custody and hundreds of independent media outlets and nongovernmental organisations were shut down and outlawed. More than 1,400 political prisoners remain behind bars, including leaders of opposition parties and renowned human rights advocate and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski. Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the crackdown on dissent and free speech. Over the past year, Belarusian authorities doubled down to create an information vacuum around raging repressions by cutting political prisoners off from the outside world and bullying their lawyers and families into silence, Anastasiia Kruope, assistant Europe and Central Asia researcher at the group, said in a statement on Thursday. Widespread repression continues in an expanding information void. (AP) PY PY Istanbul, Jan 13 (AP) Turkiye carried out airstrikes targeting Kurdish militants in neighbouring Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. This comes a day after an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq killed nine Turkish soldiers. Turkiye often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a banned Kurdish separatist group that has waged insurgency against Turkiye since the 1980s. The defense ministry said aircraft struck targets Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil in north Iraq, but didn't specify which areas in Syria. It said fighter jets destroyed caves, bunkers, shelters and oil facilities to eliminate terrorist attacks against our people and security forces ... and to ensure our border security." The statement added many militants were neutralized in the strikes. On Friday night, attackers attempted to infiltrate a military base in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, killing five soldiers. Another four died later of critical injuries. The Turkish defense ministry said 15 militants were also killed. There was no immediate comment from the PKK, the government in Baghdad or the administration in the semiautonomous northern Kurdish region in Iraq. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed his condolences on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. We will fight to the end against the PKK terrorist organization within and outside our borders, he wrote. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to hold a security meeting in Istanbul later Saturday, Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish president's communications director wrote on X. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced police have detained 113 people suspected of ties to the PKK following raids across 32 Turkish provinces. Three weeks ago, PKK-affiliated militants tried to break into a Turkish base in northern Iraq, according to Turkish officials, leaving six soldiers dead. The following day, six more Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes. Turkiye retaliated by launching strikes against sites that officials said were associated with the PKK in Iraq and Syria. Defense Minister Yasar Guler said at the time that dozens of Kurdish militants were killed in airstrikes and land assaults. It wasn't immediately clear if Friday night's attack and the one three weeks earlier targeted the same base. The PKK, which maintains bases in northern Iraq, is considered a terror organization by Turkiye's Western allies, including the US Tens of thousands of people have died since the start of the conflict in 1984. Turkiye and the U.S., however, disagree on the status of the Syrian Kurdish groups, which have been allied with Washington in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria. (AP) RUP RUP Mumbai, Jan 13 (PTI) In light of the Makar Sankranti festival, a three-day camp began on Saturday in Mumbai to treat birds and other wildlife injured due to discarded kite strings, a forest official said. The camp is being held by the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) in collaboration with RiWild Sanctuary and the forest department, the official said. Several birds, animals and reptiles are injured after getting entangled in discarded kite strings during Makar Sankranti every year, said Pawan Sharma, founder and president of RAWW and the honorary wildlife warden of the forest department. The glass-coating on kite strings proves fatal for birds and animals, and many of them lose wings and limbs, said Dr Rina Dev, president of the RiWild Sanctuary. "We are trying to spread awareness among people about celebrating the festival responsibly and ensuring that they don't use glass-coated strings to fly kites. We appeal to citizens to fly kites in open spaces and not discard strings everywhere," Sharma said. The three-day treatment camp is being held in the western suburb of Khar and will continue till Monday, it was stated. Mumbai, Jan 13 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Milind Deora on Saturday dismissed as "rumours" the speculation that he was on his way out and would join the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Deora, who recently made his displeasure over the Shiv Sena (UBT) staking a claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency public, however, told reporters that he is holding discussions with his supporters. "I am listening to my supporters...Haven't taken a decision yet," the former Mumbai South MP said when asked if he was chalking out a plan with his supporters. These are rumours, he said while responding to a query on reports in some sections of the media that he was quitting the Congress to join the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. The Uddhav Thackeray-led group had staked a claim to contest the Mumbai South constituency, represented by Deora before 2014, in the upcoming general elections, which has not gone down well with the Congress leader. In a video statement issued last Sunday, Deora said that if such statements by an alliance partner dont stop, his party too can announce candidates for seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is an alliance partner of the Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Deora had said since the formal talks on sharing of seats are yet to be concluded, nobody should make claims and counter-claims. Deora, son of Congress veteran Murli Deora, had won the Mumbai South seat in 2004 and 2009. He ended up as the first runner-up in the subsequent elections in 2014 and 2019 against Shiv Sena (Undivided) leader Arvind Sawant. Deora had said his family represented the seat for 50 years and wasn't elected on any "wave". Imphal, Jan 13 (PTI) The Manipur government has imposed restrictions on the flagging off programme of Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Thoubal district on January 14 stating that the programme should not exceed an hour and the number of participants be a maximum 3000. The permission was issued by the office of Thoubal deputy commissioner on January 11 and was shared by the party with the reporters here on Saturday, a day ahead of the yatra. The permission said the programme should not exceed an hour as the venue is just beside and along the national highway and traffic has to be diverted to alternate routes, it said. Also the number of participants should be restricted to a "manageable limit" of maximium 3000 persons, it said. The Congress had changed the venue from Imphal Palace Ground to a private ground in Thoubal after the BJP-led N Biren Singh government had given conditional approval to flag off the yatra from the Palace grounds in Imphal restricting the number of people to 1000. The order said, "There shall be no anti-national or communal or any adverse slogan during the rally and the Yatra" and the organisers should fully cooperate with the state authorities. The permission for the Yatra will stand cancelled if any situation arose "warranting such gathering to be disassembled in order to maintain peace, public order and tranquility in the area". The Yatra is slated to be flagged off from a private ground at Khongjom area in Thoubal district on Sunday and Rahul Gandhi will lead it. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and top leaders of the party will participate in the programme, which is being held at a critical juncture as the party seeks to revive its electoral fortunes after a poor showing in the last round of assembly elections. Manipur is being rocked by ethnic violence since May last year which has claimed over 180 lives. The violence erupted on May 3 last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The Congress will begin the Yatra from violence-hit Manipur on Sunday, in what is being seen as the party's bid to set the narrative in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and put the spotlight on issues such as unemployment, price rise and social justice. The Congress has said that it is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is not an electoral one but is being taken out as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will travel through 100 Lok Sabha segments in 15 states before it culminates in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. Congress believes it will prove to be as "transformative" as Gandhi's earlier cross-country march. Scrutiny is mounting on the Issas running of Asda, as billions of pounds of debt bear down on the business - Jon Super The billionaire Issa brothers are trialling a four-day week at Asda as they seek to stamp out a revolt among disgruntled store managers, The Telegraph can reveal. The British supermarket giant is attempting to rebuild relations with senior employees after a barrage of cost cuts and concerns over culture have led to managers leaving in their droves. A presentation released late last year revealed details of Asdas leadership structure trial, as management raised concerns over a 13.9pc jump in turnover among retail managers. It said the rate of attrition has impacted the stability and capability of our teams in store which in turn has impacted the colleague experience and by extension our customers. Asda said in the presentation it is pursuing a case for change among store managers, with the four-day week trial set to be concluded later this month, which will also include experimenting with other flexible working arrangements, such as shorter shifts. It comes as scrutiny mounts on the Issas running of Asda, as billions of pounds of debt bear down on the business and its market share lags behind rivals Tesco and Sainsburys. Strain at the top of the Issas empire has also led to talk of a rift between Mohsin and Zuber, with tensions said to be running high over a private family matter. A source close to the brothers rejected the speculation last month. However, issues at Asda pose an ongoing headache for the Blackburn-based brothers, particularly Mohsin who has led the supermarket since it was bought from Walmart in a debt-fuelled 6.8bn deal three years ago backed by private equity giant TDR Capital. Over the past 12 months, Asdas market share has fallen from 14.2pc to 13.6pc, according to data from Kantar. The retailer is also braced for its first-ever strike later this month, with employees at a superstore in Gosport set to walk out for two weeks from Friday 19 January. A former Asda store manager who left last year after just two years accused the Issas of running the business into the ground. Story continues The ex-employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said: I can honestly say its the worst company Ive ever worked for. You wouldnt have got away with the nonsense I saw under Walmart. In my store, there were more than 350 people. Scores of colleagues left that store alone. A manager I worked with had been there for 25 years and she left because shed had enough. When you have such a breakdown from above and no process thats being adhered to, thats when you risk a riot. And unfortunately for Asda, its now a full-scale riot. In response to the claims, a source close to Asda said: We simply dont recognise these comments from a former colleague. The current owners have significantly invested in the business in a way that Walmart chose not to do in the latter years of ownership Asda was not their priority. Nadine Houghton, a national officer at GMB Union, said she is hearing daily from disgruntled managers facing pressure to run stores with fewer resources and greater pressure from above. Mohsin Issa has been hauled before MPs on two occasions to answer questions about Asda - Jamie Lorriman She said: Asda has been forced to accept that all is not well amongst their managers and are attempting to address some of the issues by trialling a reduction in managers weekly working hours. Unfortunately, this does not address the realities on the shopfloor; traders not being left to trade to their local communities and a continuing decline in the resources available to do their job. At some point, Asda will have to accept that a radical overhaul is needed if it wants to attract the talent required to make Asda a success. The supermarkets operations have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months, as Mohsin has been hauled before MPs on two occasions to answer questions about Asda. A senior industry source said Asdas problems stem from Mohsin holding too much power at the top: This is a business with 140,000 people and armies run on leadership you want the whole army marching in step. The problem is that you have got a chief executive who doesnt understand that scale of business. There seems to be a disconnect between whats happening in his head and whats happening on the ground. You just need to look at market share. Tesco and Sainsburys are having it away while Asda is in the toilet. An Asda spokesman said: Since September 2023, we have been trialling a variety of flexible working patterns for managers in 20 stores, including a four-day working week for the same pay and benefits. There has been no reduction in the number of hours that hourly-paid colleagues are contracted to work as a result of this trial. While we are still evaluating the results, the feedback from participating colleagues has been very positive. Asda has also invested a total of 325m in increasing pay for both store-based and logistics colleagues since 2022. For the record, Asda saw a 6pc reduction in colleague turnover between 2022 and 2023. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi government of adopting a "callous attitude" towards national security and viewing it from the lens of electoral advantage and for the prime minister's "self-aggrandisement". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that Army Chief General Manoj Pande's recent remarks at his annual press conference are a timely reminder of the "serious deterioration" of India's national security environment under the Modi government. "General Pande's remark that 'our attempt is to continue talks (with China) to go back to the status quo ante which existed in the middle of 2020' is a reminder that the Chinese continue to deny Indian troops access to 2,000 square kilometres of territory in Ladakh almost four years after their intrusion," he said in a statement. Ramesh said the Army chief's observation that "Rajouri-Poonch has seen increased terrorist activities" and that "support infrastructure for proxy tandems in the Rajouri-Poonch sector from across the border continues" is a reminder that the menace of cross-border terrorism continues despite repeated false claims that it will end because of demonetisation or the removal of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. Since August 5, 2019, he claimed, more than 160 troops have been killed in terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. The latest attack occurred as recently as January 12 on the troops in Poonch, this time fortunately with no casualties, the Congress leader said. "The Modi government's callous attitude towards national security, which it looks at solely from the lens of electoral advantage, is also evident from the revelation in former Army Chief M M Naravane's book that the Army was 'taken by surprise' by the Agnipath scheme and that 'for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt from the blue'. "All of these examples show that for the PM, even national security has been reduced to an instrument of his personality cult and self-aggrandisement, at the cost of the country," Ramesh alleged. Ramesh also said that the prime minister's clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, when he said there was no incursion, was an insult to the fallen soldiers and contributed to continuing Chinese control of 2,000 square kilometres. "Meanwhile, China is making inroads across our neighbourhood. The most recent examples are the fact that President Mohamed Muizzu became the first president of Maldives to visit China before visiting India and China's continuing inroads into the territory of our close ally Bhutan. "The PM appears to believe that beach visits and social media campaigns are a substitute for real action to protect India's national interests," Ramesh alleged in his statement. The Congress has been critical of the Narendra Modi government's handling of the border issue with China and has accused the government of being soft on China. Chandigarh, Jan 13 (PTI) The body of former model Divya Pahuja, who was shot dead in a hotel in Gurugram, has been recovered from a canal in Haryana's Fatehabad district, police said on Saturday. The body has been recovered from the subsidiary canal of the Bhakra canal in Tohana, said Gurugram Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya. Pahuja, 27, was shot dead in a hotel room in Gurugram on January 2. She was killed because she had allegedly been extorting money from the hotel owner by blackmailing him with his "obscene pictures", according to police. New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) The Supreme Court has slammed the Delhi government over the delay in deciding remission plea filed by 114 convicts including a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist who was convicted for conspiring to wage war against the country and was awarded life imprisonment. A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan castigated states for mechanically rejecting remission plea of life convicts who have served more than 14 years in jail. Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee told the court that a meeting of the Sentence Review Board was held on December 21 to consider premature release of 114 eligible convicts, including Gafoor. He submitted that draft minutes of the meeting have been forwarded to the home department of the Delhi government for submission to the Lieutenant Governor. The bench then said, "What you are doing is absolute breach of the top court's December 11 order. You have not clarified which remission policy you are following. What you did was very objectionable. "When it comes to granting remission, all state governments are the same. There is a pattern. All state governments mechanically reject the first application for remission without considering it.". The top court granted two weeks to the government to decide 114 remission pleas including Gafoor's remission plea. The top court was hearing a plea by Gafoor seeking premature release on the ground that he has served almost 16 years in jail. According to the prosecution, the special cell of Delhi police had received a tip-off in January 2007 that JeM intended to carry out 'fidayeen' attack at prominent places in the national capital and would be sending its operatives through the Indo-Bangla border. Based on the tip-off, a trap was laid on February 4, 2007 and after a fierce encounter with police near Connaught Place all the four were arrested and a large quantity of explosives, grenades and cash were recovered from them. Thane, Jan 13 (PTI) The police have arrested two members of a gang involved in incidents of chain-snatching in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Saturday. Based on a tip-off, the crime branch apprehended Asif Shabbir Sayyed (52) and Bagar Asif Sayyed (32), both residents of Ambivili in Kalyan, on Wednesday, deputy commissioner of police (crime) Shivraj Patil said. The duo have been arrested under section 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Indian Penal Code, he said. Investigations revealed that the accused were part of the Irani gang, which is involved in chain-snatching incidents in the district, the official said. The gang members typically travel on two-wheelers, swiftly snatch chains and make a quick escape from the crime scenes, he said. The duo were involved in 14 chain-snatching cases registered in various police stations in Thane, and valuables worth Rs 5.4 lakh were recovered from them, the official said. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Long time coming: Six years ago, a Junior Minister - Rishi Sunak - promised to launch a fair code of practice for car park operators Mrs J.H. writes: My 82-year-old father [Mr C] is getting so upset about demands and court documents sent to a Mr Stroud at my father's home address. The demands are from car park company Parkingeye, which has used DCB Legal to get a court judgment for 304. My father has lived at the same address for 40 years and no one named Stroud has lived there. Tony Hetherington replies: This is just another example of how car park operators, their debt collection chums, and their legal pals, find it easier to churn out demands and threats than to do a decent job. Once they get someone in their sights, even if it is the wrong person, or the wrong address, their wheels keep turning. Your father has become a target for Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited, based in Runcorn in Cheshire, and its sister company DCB Legal. He told them the car registration shown on their demands is not his, and he has never heard of the car owner, Mr Stroud. The demands continued, and he reported them to the police, but got nowhere. He contacted the DVLA, but this had no effect either. When you wrote to me, you said that your father was so scared bailiffs might arrive, that he was actually thinking of paying the 304 so he could sleep easy. Not that this would have worked. The same bunch were also demanding a further 349 which the same Mr Stroud is said to owe insurance brokers. I put all this to Yasmin Mia, who, according to the watchdog Solicitors Regulation Authority, is the compliance officer at DCB Legal, tasked with ensuring correct legal conduct at the firm. I asked her to comment on why her firm continued to issue demands and threats, even when told that no one named Stroud lived at your father's home. And why was DCB Legal simply ignoring repeated warnings that they were frightening an innocent pensioner so badly? Yasmin Mia and DCB Legal failed to offer any answers. And this raised another question: had they even told their client Parkingeye about your father's protests? Parkingeye checked the original Parking Charge Notice and told me there was no sign of anything your father had told DCB Legal. I told Parkingeye that I had made my own enquiries. I gave them your father's name, address, date of birth, and confirmation he had been on the local electoral register for many years. I added that in all those records there was not a single sign anyone named Stroud had ever lived at the same address. And I asked Parkingeye to produce whatever evidence it held to show the mysterious Mr Stroud did live there. After some to-ing and fro-ing, in which Parkingeye produced not a shred of proof linking Mr Stroud to your father's address, it told me: 'When we became aware of the issue, we quickly notified DCBL to stop any further correspondence to Mr C's address.' Parkingeye refused to say exactly when it became aware, or when it called off DCBL. It did say that your father's address was supplied by the DVLA, but refused to explain why this had never been double-checked after your father protested. All of which demonstrates that car park companies and their enforcers can do as they like. Meanwhile, the Government fails miserably to act. Six years ago, a Junior Minister promised to launch a fair code of practice for car park operators. That Junior Minister is now the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. But his fair code of practice is still nowhere to be seen. Smart meter came back from the dead R.C. writes: My wife noticed that our electricity bill from Utility Warehouse (UW) started to show smart meter readings. We have never had a smart meter. We contacted UW but customer service staff insisted that readings are done automatically at their end. Bizarre: Utility Warehouse customer service staff insisted that meter readings are done automatically at their end Tony Hetherington replies: This was bizarre. You had no smart meter. You never supplied meter readings to UW. And no meter reader ever called. Yet somehow, UW was able to bill you. The explanation goes back several years to one of the first huge problems with smart meters. Many of the early meters did not allow customers to switch from one supplier to another. If the customer did switch supplier, the smart meter became a traditional 'dumb' meter. And this is exactly what your meter was an old smart meter that was dumb when you joined UW in 2017. From 2021 onwards, the Government introduced a scheme to allow these old smart meters to use the same network as newer models. This allowed UW to revive your smart meter and start accepting its readings. UW has now reviewed all your meter readings. Your monthly payments have been cut from 199 to 145, with a goodwill payment of 75 credited to your account as well. WE'RE WATCHING YOU Car number plate trader Click4Reg Limited has told its customers that it has fallen into administration. I reported last week that the Sussex company had failed to pay an MoS reader whose personalised plate it had sold to a new owner last May. It blamed DVLA delays, the loss of its phone service, and the collapse of its payment system. Click4Reg paid the reader days before I revealed that its owner Elie Fakhoury had dipped into its funds to lend more than 830,000 to another of his businesses, which had then gone bust. A statement to customers says: 'Sadly, the combined impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the current financial crisis in the UK has resulted in severe financial consequences for our company.' Outside administrators will now decide whether the business can survive under new management, or should be sold off or dissolved. They will also investigate whether Click4Reg continued trading when it was clearly insolvent, which would be an offence. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. In the grip of a January deep freeze, not only are we dreaming of sun, sand and adventure, it seems we are actually doing something about it and booking more holidays than ever. The first month of the year has always been popular to book well-deserved getaways, but record numbers of people have looked to book a getaway in the past fortnight, according to Britain's largest tour operator Jet2holidays. Bookings have surged by 150 per cent compared to last month, with both summer trips and last-minute bookings for a winter holiday the most popular. Online searches for holidays over the past month have exceeded the number made this time last year by 22 per cent, says flight price comparison website Skyscanner. And in a surprising new trend, would-be holidaymakers have an open mind for their 2024 travels rather than a specific destination they would like to visit. Well-earned break: Online searches for holidays over the past month have exceeded the number made this time last year by 22 per cent Eager sunseekers are opting to search for flights to 'everywhere' instead of naming a destination on Skyscanner. This shows them the cheapest destinations for the dates they would like to travel. These searches have spiked 73 per cent year-on-year. Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, says he expects even more people to book this weekend. Laura Lindsay, trends and destination expert at Skyscanner, says value for money is still the main priority for travellers, with the cost of the hotel and flight being the biggest factors determining where they travel. But more than a quarter of UK travellers have budgeted to spend more on travel in 2024 compared to 2023, Lindsay says. 'Those who book in advance, know how to shop around and remain flexible on times and destinations will bag the best prices,' she says. Where holidays are cheaper this year While most prices continue to rise, there are some destinations that will be cheaper to travel to in 2024. Economy class flights to Faro in Portugal were 24 per cent cheaper in 2023 than the previous year, and pricing experts at Skyscanner expect these discounts to remain. Similarly, anyone planning a Mediterranean getaway can fly to Nice in France for 19 per cent less than in the previous year. Further afield, you should be able to fly to Dalaman, home to the Turquoise Coast in Turkey, 13 per cent cheaper this year. The region is known for its unspoilt beaches, crystal-clear waters and mud spas. Bargains: Holidays to Turkey and India are set to be cheaper Bargain China and India breaks Many countries across Asia offer cheaper holidays this year, as the local tourism industries are keen to attract visitors back after the lull of the pandemic. An expert at luxury tour operator Wendy Wu says the cost of hotels and experiences are down by roughly a third this year in India and China as a result. He says: 'The world is fully open to travel again now but a lot of these countries suffered with the pandemic. They are eager to get visitors back and that is translating into cheaper prices. There are some great bargains to be had for long-haul destinations.' Wendy Wu's 14-day fully inclusive tour Inspiring India departing on October 4 costs 3,190 per person. The same departure last year cost 3,600 per person. The travel operator is running its largest ever promotion this month in a bid to attract holidaymakers. Its 'Partner Flies Free' promotion offers one set of complimentary flights. With this deal, the tour of India costs just 2,690 per person 25 per cent cheaper than last year. Similarly, the cost of travelling to and around China has fallen in recent months. The Wendy Wu spokesman says: 'If there's just one destination to have on your radar for 2024, it should be China in terms of both pricing and experience. Prices will be cheaper this year because accommodation providers are really hungry to get people back again so they are pulling out all the stops.' Hot destinations for travellers Osaka, the food capital of Japan, will be one of the most popular luxury destinations in 2024, according to Skyscanner. Searches for flights to the city have jumped 231 per cent this year. Round-trip prices range from 465 to 816 depending on the time of year you choose to visit. The 'sakura' which means cherry blossom in spring has long been one of the key attractions for tourists visiting Japan. It is so important that the country's meteorological office publishes official forecasts for the first blooms. Osaka is set to see its first flowers around March 25, with full bloom coinciding with Kyoto on April 1. The good news is that March is the cheapest month to travel to the city from the UK, at an average return price of 465, Skyscanner says. Avoid travelling in August or September when prices hit their peak. Closer to home, Vigo, in the picturesque Galicia region of Northern Spain, has surged in popularity this year and will trend as a luxury destination, according to Skyscanner. Searches for flights to the fishing port city have surged 1,235 per cent this year, with tourists attracted by its ancient Roman ruins and nearby islands. Prices range from 58 to 102 over the summer months, with August the most expensive. Adventurous travellers have this year set their sights on Chiang Mai, in mountainous northern Thailand, with searches rising 221 per cent. Flights are at their cheapest in March and May, at 506 return, when the country is sunny. Prices peak in August at 737 when Thailand experiences its rainy season. Avoid these holiday booking traps When browsing, it's easy to get drawn into imagining yourself travelling to the destinations. But don't book anything in a rush. Many holiday providers pile on pressure with messages like 'hurry, book now' or warning of 'time-limited offers'. Consumer group Which? previously investigated these 'hurry' deals and found in more than half of cases, the price was the same or even cheaper after the sale had ended. One common mistake made by eager holiday planners is to leave booking travel insurance until the last minute. But don't forget that you need the policy in place from the day you book, not just during the holidays itself. This ensures you are covered if any unexpected illnesses or problems arise that could prevent you from travelling. Consumer group Which? suggests a policy with at least 5 million emergency cover plus 2,000 (or the value of your trip) for cancellation, curtailment and missed departure. Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapos campaign against COVID-19 vaccines has intensified in the past few weeks before Gov. Ron DeSantis crucial tests in the Iowa presidential caucuses and New Hampshire primary. And experts say thats not a coincidence. Its one thing for a large states leading health officer to be an advocate for shared values, said Kenneth Goodman, the director of the University of Miami Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy. Its another to weaponize medical misinformation to trick citizens into voting for his boss. Ladapo called for a complete halt in the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines earlier this month. A few days later, he called the mRNA vaccines the antichrist on Steve Bannons War Room podcast. Ladapos growing war against the vaccines comes in the wake of a surprise appearance with DeSantis on the presidential campaign trail in November. The New Hampshire event, dubbed a Medical Freedom Town Hall, was a rare move even as the lines between official and political events have been increasingly blurred by the DeSantis administration. It is a choice to be as public as Ladapo has been, said Gregory Koger, a professor of political science at the University of Miami. It seems like an effort to kindle interest among a narrow fringe of anti-vaxxers. Ladapo claimed that DNA fragments used in the vaccines development could integrate into human DNA, resulting in various problems, including cancer. Federal leaders and others in the scientific community fired back, saying the possibility of that happening was theoretical and implausible. Florida surgeon general calls to pause COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, citing discredited theory Dr. Kenneth Alexander, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Nemours Childrens Health in Orlando, dismissed the allegation as recycled rhetoric from anti-vaccine circles. These are the claims youve heard from anti-vax people for decades, he said. Story continues He emphasized that the COVID-19 vaccines are probably the most studied vaccines in history, with over a billion doses administered. I would argue that the U.S. has the best post-marketing surveillance of vaccines in the world. Were not seeing any of this stuff, he said. DeSantis shifts his stance DeSantis, who appointed Ladapo in late 2021, shifted from a governor who traveled the length of the state to promote the COVID-19 vaccines earlier that year to one who later called for a grand jury to investigate wrongdoing by their creators. His eventual turn against what he calls the jab came after he gained national attention for his stance against most COVID restrictions, despite his shutdown of the state in May 2020 that closed bars and limited capacity at restaurants through the summer. But the same Free State of Florida pandemic-era rhetoric that propelled him to prominence has since faded as an issue in the Republican presidential primary. DeSantis, Trump seek to rewrite history on COVID response DeSantis trails former President Donald Trump by huge margins in most state polls and is battling former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for second place in Iowa and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for third in New Hampshire. There probably is a narrow market for that, Koger said of anti-vaccine sentiment. Hes campaigning for small slices of the Republican electorate in both states, and in Iowa he needs to appeal to people who want to get up out of their homes on a cold January night and go to a high school gym for a couple hours. And anti-vax people might fit that description. He can use every additional voter he can get. Dave Peterson, a political scientist at Iowa State University, said Iowas Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, a key DeSantis endorser, was very, very similar to DeSantis on COVID, and part of her popularity in the party was her COVID policy. So maybe he is trying to remind them of that. But, he added, at some point, a lot of folks have moved on from that. If that is a campaign strategy, its a surprise to me at least. I dont think it would be a very effective one. DeSantis campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin did not respond to a request for comment on whether Ladapo was doing the campaigns bidding. It just doesnt matter In New Hampshire, the Live Free or Die state, the Republican Party has a reputation for being individualistic and libertarian-leaning. But even there, said Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire, COVID is not a major issue. There is some of that kind of anti-vaccine sentiment up here, Scala said. But what Ive been more struck by is how COVID has really declined in relevance for Republican voters in this cycle. Its certainly not any sort of magic rocket fuel. It just doesnt matter. Ladapos campaign appearance in New Hampshire in November was part of the campaigns repeated attempts to attack Trump, whose administration launched the vaccine initiative called Operation Warp Speed. While Ladapo told the crowd he had nothing against Mr. Trump, according to CNN, DeSantis used the event to slam Trumps pandemic record and vowed to radically reform the nations health agencies. One group backing DeSantis even used artificial intelligence to create a fake image of Trump hugging his White House health adviser Anthony Fauci, a hated figure on the right. I think DeSantis was hoping he would be able to kind of connect Trump to Fauci and that would pay dividends, but I just dont see it, Scala said. Part of that is, no ones figured out how to make something stick to Trump. Derailing credibility In New Hampshire, Ladapo claimed to be surprised to find himself on the campaign trail. On the spectrum of where do you want to spend your time and your energy and your life, politics was about as far away as you can imagine for me, he said, according to CNN. But Ladapo has been at the center of a political firestorm over mRNA vaccines for years. His statements this month were just the latest in a series of recommendations criticized by some experts as contributing to vaccine hesitancy without adequate evidence. Previously, Ladapo advised against COVID-19 vaccines for healthy kids, then men ages 18-39, and later recommended against them for those under 65, culminating in this months call to end their use entirely. All these recommendations contradicted guidelines from the CDC and FDA, prompting leaders of those agencies to publicly rebuke him. While Ladapo has conducted analyses of vaccine safety data through the Florida Department of Health, which he says support his positions, others in the medical community have criticized these studies. I think theyre poorly done. Theyve been unpublished. And theyve been misuses of databases, Alexander said. Were doing bad research, and publishing bad guidance that contradicts what public health experts around the world are saying. In a prior interview with the Sentinel, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf questioned the quality of an October 2022 report from the Florida Department of Health on the risk of cardiac-related death post-vaccine, stating it lacked the quality of analysis needed to draw a conclusion. Public records from FDOH obtained by the Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel showed that Ladapo removed analyses from the paper, pre-publication, that would have weakened the association between vaccination and cardiac-related death. Ladapo said that was a normal part of the revision process, but others in the health research field previously told the Orlando Sentinel and Sun Sentinel his revisions took out necessary context and constituted scientific fraud. Joseph Ladapo says anti-vaccine crusade was Gods plan. It cost him his peers trust Several instances where Ladapo cited peer-reviewed, published studies by other researchers to support his recommendations against the COVID vaccine were also met with rebuttals. Researchers accused him of misrepresenting their conclusions, with one scientist accusing him of cherry-picking sentences from her paper to support his argument in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times. In his appearance on Bannons show, he called the mRNA vaccines the antichrist of all products. Its just complete disrespect to the human genome and the importance of protecting it and preserving it. And that is our connection to God. In the end, if Ladapos latest attacks on COVID vaccines were partly a continuation of his insertion into the DeSantis campaign, it would probably be for naught, Scala said. DeSantis campaign in New Hampshire is one long painful example of inability to move the needle, Scala said. This is just one more example. Jim Redman was a legend on the 1960s motorcycle circuit. Known as the thinking man's rider, he was a six-time world champion with 46 Grand Prix wins to his name. Son Jimmy may not have been as committed a biker but he inherited his father's passion for engines, inventing a solution that makes motors more efficient, saves costs and helps the planet. Having created the product, Redman founded a company to develop and sell it. Today, SulNOx is listed on the Aquis exchange, the shares are 24p and should move substantially higher this year and beyond. Plain sailing?: Green lobbyists are campaigning vigorously for measures to combat climate change and transport accounts for around a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions SulNOx offers two versions of the original technology, SulNOxEco for petrol and diesel engines and Berol for the sort of heavy fuel used by ships. The solutions improve combustion, reduce toxic emissions and cleanse engines from the inside, so cutting fuel consumption and maintenance costs. Each product is made from natural ingredients and demand is growing among customers, from German shipowners to Ghanaian bus drivers. The appeal is not hard to understand. A typical UK motorist can save more than 300 a year by using SulNOxEco and ensure their car works better for longer. For ships, annual savings can amount to more than 150,000, so fleet owners can cut costs by millions of pounds and burnish their environmental credentials at the same time. Green lobbyists are campaigning vigorously for measures to combat climate change and transport accounts for around a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. But change will take time. Today, electric cars account for little more than 2 per cent of the global market and enthusiasm is waning across the developed world. Most large vehicles, such as trucks, tractors and trains, cannot run on electricity. Nor can ships, which use particularly heavy polluting fuel. The electric vehicle sector is not entirely green either. According to carmaker Volvo, emissions from making these cars can be 70 per cent higher than those associated with traditional petrol models and they need to be driven for up to nine years to offset their carbon footprint. SulNOx reduces emissions immediately, and can be effortlessly added to a vehicle or vessel's fuel tank. Engines need no modification and improvements are instant. Products can be used for generators, tankers and trawlers too. The company has even devised a way of turning wastewater at sea into usable fuel. Estimates suggest that universal take-up of SulNOx could slash global CO2 emissions by more than 500 million tons, equivalent to Saudi Arabia's annual carbon footprint. In the UK alone, SulNOx could cut noxious emissions by 10 million tons, equivalent to taking 5 million cars off the road. The benefits go further. Every year, millions of older, lower-quality cars are exported from Europe, the US and Japan to poorer countries in Africa and Asia. Most would fail safety and environmental standards in the developed world but aspiring motorists in emerging markets are only too happy to have them. SulNOx removes harmful toxins and is already in use by bus drivers in Ghana, saving them money and improving local livelihoods. CEO Ben Richardson is also in talks with fuel traders and distributors to add the product to the pump at petrol and diesel stations across Africa. Major shipowners are trialling SulNOx products too, endorsement has been wide-ranging and commercial contracts are expected to be signed this year. Shipping magnate Constantine Logothetis invested in the firm last year, amassing a stake of more than 23 per cent in the past six months. Norwegian investment firm Nistadgruppen is a substantial investor too, using its clout to introduce Richardson to the Scandinavian shipping market. Legend: SulNOx founder Jimmy Redman's father Jim SulNOx is in transition. Revenues in the year to last March amounted to 203,000, mainly from sales to individual motorists and small fleet owners. After expenses, losses were almost 2 million. The future should look very different. Advanced discussions are underway with several large potential customers so turnover should increase materially, with profits flowing thereafter. There is also a possibility of dividends, as the business becomes more established. Midas verdict: The world is under pressure to become greener fast. SulNOx products are a quick, easy and effective way to reduce emissions and save costs for motorists and big companies alike. As a loss-making company, SulNOx is not without risk but, with a fair wind, the shares could go far. At 24p, they are definitely worth a punt. Traded on: Aquis Ticker: SNOX Contact: sulnoxgroup.com or 020 3441 5363 Greenland is one of the largest countries in the world twice the size of Britain, France and Germany combined. Sparsely populated and covered in snow for most of the year, the island can be an inhospitable place for locals and visitors alike. But Greenland is also home to vast, untapped deposits of valuable minerals. Eldur Olafsson, a geologist turned entrepreneur, is on a mission to convert some of these resources into commercial mines, benefiting investors and local communities along the way. Vast: Greenland is one of the largest countries in the world twice the size of Britain Early signs suggest the 38-year-old Icelander is making good progress. Having founded Amaroq Minerals in 2017, he has acquired assets stretching across almost 4,000 square miles of the country, making this AIM-listed business the largest holder of mineral licences in Greenland. Exploration is well underway and the firm expects to move into production at its flagship goldmine, Nalunaq, later this year. Midas recommended Amaroq in June 2022 at 44p. Olafsson and his team have been working flat out since then and the shares have soared more than 60 per cent to 72p. There have been extensive drilling campaigns for copper, nickel, gold and other valuable metals, and money has been raised so the company can carry on exploring and move towards commercial production. A processing unit should be running later this year at Nalunaq, with initial gold production coming thereafter. Olafsson will start slowly but intends to create a plant capable of delivering 50,000 ounces of gold a year. Results from last year's drilling campaign are imminent, and Amaroq's supporters are highly optimistic. Millions of years ago, Greenland was part of a landmass stretching from North America to the Nordics, so it once abutted Canada to the west and Sweden to the east. Today, Canada is home to Voisey's Bay, one of the world's largest copper asses, while Northern Sweden boasts the biggest underground iron ore mine in the world, Kiruna, a happy hunting ground for rare earth minerals too. That bodes well for Amaroq and its shareholders. The company has money in the bank to cover exploration expenses and it has amassed a keen following among Nordic investors, listing on the Icelandic stock market after joining Aim. Brokers believe the company will deliver nearly 9 million of revenue in 2024, surging to 56 million in 2025 with profits of 11 million. In a show of faith, Olafsson recently spent nearly 45,000 of his own money on Amaroq shares, taking his holding to 3.45 per cent. Midas verdict: Too often, mining seems to epitomise the triumph of hope over experience. But Amaroq seems to be delivering results. The company has already proved its mettle and updates this year should give the shares a further boost. At 72p, investors may want to bank some profits but they should not sell out completely. Olafsson is committed to making this business work and the long-term outlook is sound. Traded on: AIM Ticker: AMRQ Contact: amaroqminerals.com or Camarco on 020 3 989 5712 Just a fortnight into 2024 and it has already been an impressively awful year for corporate blunders. Bosses or former bosses thrust into the spotlight include Paula Vennells of the Post Office, Sebastien de Montessus of Endeavour Mining and NatWest chairman Howard Davies. AGM season is a way off but proxy adviser Pirc has already got a number of executives in its sights. It is considering whether to back the re-election of the bosses of Airbnb, Alphabet, BNP Paribas, British American Tobacco (over a fine in Nigeria), Meta and Boeing. Pirc is known for taking a harder line with its recommendations to investors than fellow advisers Glass Lewis and ISS. Corporate blunders: AGM season is a way off but proxy adviser Pirc has already got a number of executives in its sights But perhaps Pirc should be given more heed. As it recently pointed out, in 2020 it expressed 'serious concerns' about Vennells' suitability to serve as a director at Dunelm in light of the Post Office scandal, adding: 'Worryingly the 2020 AGM results suggest only a small minority of shareholders felt so too.' Change of fortunes for Yorkshire mine? Things could be looking up for Anglo American's potash mine in Yorkshire. It has sunk 2 billion into the project since buying it in 2020 from Sirius Minerals. Up the road, Israeli group ICL's Boulby mine switched to digging the same sort of potash that Anglo will produce. Accounts at Companies House show its turnover reached 193 million in 2022. It even unearthed a profit, turning a loss of 31 million in 2021 into a 26 million gain. Revolut still putting the cart before the horse One would expect Revolut to have learned the peril of putting the cart before the horse when it boasted about being on the brink of receiving a UK banking licence which has, er, still not arrived. Almost a year later, Revolut's deputy chief executive Andrius Biceika was let loose in an interview with the tech website Wired. In it he said the development of artificial intelligence bankers, with whom punters could discuss finances, was 'inevitable'. But beyond AI, he says Revolut has already opened five in-person outlets in Europe and is going to 'launch branches in every country in Europe and eventually every country in the world', adding: 'The sky is the limit.' Promises, promises. TDR Capital try to reassure MPs It was squeaky bum time last week for Asda co-owner TDR Capital. The private equity firm's boss Gary Lindsay tried to reassure MPs about the 6.8 billion deal backed by the Issa brothers, Mohsin and Zuber, that saddled Asda with huge debt. Lindsay said Mohsin was 'not pleased and not proud' of failing to answer MPs' basic questions. The buyout baron then pledged to make Asda's myriad accounts, filed in Jersey, more transparent. But he forgot to tell MPs that he and fellow TDR director Manjit Dale had quit three Asda units before Christmas. So much for full disclosure'. Contributor: Patrick Tooher Asda has been forced to explain to MPs who sit on the grocer's board after a union accused the private equity firm that backed a 6.8billion buy-out of misleading Parliament. The move came after the GMB tipped off business committee chairman Liam Byrne that two of TDR Capital directors had quit three of Asda's boards before they gave evidence to MPs this week. Citing Companies House filings, the GMB said managing partner Gary Lindsay and fellow director Manjit Dale had resigned as Asda directors on December 19. Shining a light: GMB tipped off business committee chairman Liam Byrne that two of TDR Capital directors had quit three of Asda's boards before they gave evidence to MPs On the same day, supermarket boss Mohsin Issa, who with his brother Zuber led the controversial buy-out, appeared before MPs to defend his running of the company. The GMB said 'at no point' did Lindsay or TDR 'disclose to the committee that they were no longer board members of Asda' despite him giving evidence as a representative of the board. In his evidence Lindsay told MPs: 'We sit on the board, we opine on a number of different matters.' GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said 'this lack of transparency may raise serious questions about the evidence given to the committee'. It also 'potentially undermines' a session with MPs designed to examine private equity's 'complex ownership and governance structures', she added. The Issas and TDR own Asda via a labyrinthine web of offshore companies based in Jersey, which MPs have struggled to unpick. Lindsay promised them more disclosure would be introduced, while several offshore subsidiaries would also be re-named. Asda yesterday wrote to Byrne to clarify that TDR remains committed to Asda and that its representation on the main board of directors had not changed. TDR partner Rob Hattrell had replaced Dale, it added. He joins Lindsay, retail veteran Stuart Rose, City grandee Alison Carnwath, the Issa brothers and a senior executive from former owner Walmart on the Asda board. However, neither Lindsay nor any other TDR director are listed as directors on Asda's website. Lindsay and Dale quit Asda subsidiaries as 'part of an ordinary rationalisation of the corporate structure,' TDR added. The finance boss of troubled Metro Bank has made a shock exit after a turbulent 12 months. James Hopkinson, chief financial officer, will step down from the British lender just months after it was bailed out following concerns over its balance sheet. Metro Bank said in a statement yesterday that Cristina Alba Ochoa will act as interim finance chief from next week, adding that it has started looking for a permanent successor. Signing off: James Hopkinson will step down just months after Metro was bailed out following concerns over its balance sheet Hopkinson will leave the bank during the first quarter 'after a period of handover,' the firm said. But his departure is yet another blow for Metro in what has been a rocky few years. The latest crisis engulfed the lender in September when it revealed it had failed to persuade the Bank of England it could be trusted to hold less cash against its mortgage risks. This sparked a major sell-off, which saw shares plunge 50 per cent in the weeks that followed. In October it secured a 925million lifeline that included the sale of 150million of new shares as well as 175million of debt on top of a 600million refinancing of existing loans. This bailout effectively handed control to its largest shareholder, Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski Bacal, who provided the bank with a 102million cash injection and saw his stake balloon from just over 9 per cent to 53 per cent. The bank founded in 2010 has said it would axe around 800 jobs as part of a cost-cutting mission. Metro Bank shares fell 2.8 per cent, or 1p to 36p, yesterday. Fujitsu, whose faulty Horizon software is at the centre of the Post Office scandal, was thrown deeper into crisis this weekend after it was forced to earmark more than 500 million to plug a black hole in its main UK pension fund, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. To add to its woes, Fujitsu's UK arm also plunged into a 99 million loss last year, despite continuing to win taxpayer-funded contracts, including a 36 million deal to extend Horizon's use until spring 2025. It comes as pressure grows on the Japanese technology giant to compensate victims of what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history. Accounts filed on Friday at Companies House also show that unlike the Post Office, Fujitsu has not set aside or paid any money to compensate victims of the Horizon fiasco because no legal action has been taken against it so far. The documents also revealed it has had to pump another 40 million into British computer firm ICL's 'gold-plated' pension scheme, where there is a huge shortfall which last year ballooned to 339 million. Under pressure: Fujitsu designed the bug-riddled Horizon IT system which falsely showed that thousands of sub-post office branch managers had stolen money Fujitsu designed the bug-riddled Horizon IT system which falsely showed that thousands of sub-post office branch managers had stolen money. The Government last week said it would use emergency legislation to overturn convictions against more than 900 sub-postmasters who were wrongly accused of stealing from the Post Office. It also offered to pay 75,000 compensation to those who were pursued by the Post Office and ordered to hand cash back, but were never convicted. Ministers have urged Fujitsu to repay taxpayers for the 'fortune' the scandal has already cost the public purse. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces calls to bar it from securing government contracts. Fujitsu bought ICL in 1998 just before the Horizon system was rolled out into thousands of Post Offices up and down the country. As part of the deal, the Japanese tech company took on the liabilities of the ICL pension scheme, which has 9,000 mostly retired members, many of whom will have worked on the Horizon project. The scheme pays a guaranteed retirement income but it is no longer open to new members. Fujitsu has committed to paying out a total 504 million in the decade to 2032 to fill the gap. Despite the black hole growing deeper last year, the ICL trustees who oversee the pension scheme expect the 3.3 billion plan to be back on track by January 2027. This, if they are right, would potentially free up millions to compensate Horizon victims. However, it is not clear why the trustees think the gap can be closed earlier than planned. 'I believe Fujitsu should urgently set aside money to pay compensation to the Post Office scandal victims and I wish they had done so already,' said former pensions minister Baroness Altmann. 'It is astonishing that they seem to believe they have no liability whatever for what happened. Even if contractually they might be receiving advice that they aren't liable, surely they should be considering their responsibility and moral obligations as well.' But she warned against using compensation 'as an excuse to short change' members of the pension scheme. MPs will quiz Paul Patterson, Fujitsu's UK boss, about the Horizon scandal on Tuesday. Patterson is also due to appear before the statutory inquiry chaired by former High Court judge Sir Wyn Williams next week. It follows ITV's acclaimed drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which charts the long-running campaign for justice led by former sub-postmaster Alan Bates. When the sub-postmasters won their legal action in December 2019, High Court Judge Sir Peter Fraser voiced 'grave concerns' about Fujitsu's honesty. He said that, 'in the interests of justice', he would send evidence heard in court to the then Director of Public Prosecutions. Fujitsu did not apologise until September 2022 18 months after the convictions of 39 innocent sub-postmasters had been quashed. Since 2019, the group has picked up 4.9 billion in Government contracts. Fujitsu declined to comment on its plans to repair the growing pension fund gap. Optimistic: Emma Walmsley says the UK is 'uniquely placed' GSK will plough hundreds of millions of pounds into the UK in the next two years, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The investment of more than 200 million between 2023 and 2025 will be used to improve the pharmaceutical group's UK sites, including constructing new facilities and assembly lines. The FTSE 100 giant, meanwhile, is embarking on a 67 million upgrade project for one of its factories in Scotland. The revamp at Montrose in the east of the country will help GSK improve production of the ingredients used to make a range of medicines. Regis Simard, head of global supply chain, said: 'GSK has a proud heritage of making innovative medicines in the UK. 'Our six UK manufacturing sites, including Montrose, are an important part of our global manufacturing network and we're continuously investing in science, technology and skills to deliver medicines faster and more efficiently.' GSK's investment spree follows an upbeat assessment from chief executive Dame Emma Walmsley on the UK economy, in a powerful counterblast to doom-mongers. Walmsley, 54, said earlier this month that Britain was 'uniquely placed' to perform well in life sciences due to its high concentration of academic skill and high-profile companies. She added that she is a 'great optimist about the UK' and that the NHS gave Britain an advantage, particularly with the 'power' of its vast archive of patient data which could potentially be used to help develop new treatments. Aside from the investment plans, GSK is preparing to open a new headquarters in central London later this year. It is also preparing to kick off production at a 65 million global facility at its site in Ware, Hertfordshire which was opened in September last year. Additionally, it is pushing ahead with plans to construct a life sciences hub in Stevenage in a 900 million venture with other firms including Swiss investment bank UBS which is estimated will create 5,000 jobs. The campus is expected to open next year. GSK, which is valued at 65 billion, has also been on a shopping spree. The group last week snapped up asthma drug maker Aiolos Bio in a deal worth over 1 billion. GSK's investment in Britain contrasts with arch rival AstraZeneca, which has recently favoured other locations. Astra boss Pascal Soriot caused a stir after saying last year that the UK's 'discouraging' tax system was behind a decision to build a 330 million factory in Ireland rather than north west England. Soriot attacked the UK once again in April when he said it is 'very unattractive for companies to invest,' He is instead prioritising China as a growth area GSK's plans also provide a boost for the Government and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who has touted life sciences as one of the UK's key industries. In his Autumn Statement in November, he outlined measures which included around 520 million for the UK's life science industry as well as changes to tax credits for research and development work. Back in 1968, Britain looked to be on the cusp of a computing revolution. Some 56 years later, it is hard to credit, but the British company at the core of what is now Fujitsu whose Horizon system sparked the Post Office scandal was a contender to become the world powerhouse in computing. Britain's ICL, which was later swallowed by the Japanese giant, was back then a serious potential rival to IBM of the US. Instead, it became a textbook case of failed industrial policy. Rather than making the UK a global technology leader, Fujitsu's Horizon has become a byword for faulty, bug-infested systems with a terrible toll of human tragedy. In the late 1960s, it was all very different. Prime Minister Harold Wilson's vision of a nation forged in the 'white heart of technology' was not just a crowd pleasing rhetorical flourish. As a gifted mathematician, Wilson was more than aware of pioneering work in computing by Alan Turing and the early adoption of the new technologies by commercial firms such as High Street caterer J Lyons. Up in flames: As is the case with all foreign ownership the transparency, accountability, governance and fiduciary duty which comes with UK public ownership simply was not there At the Ministry of Technology, the Secretary Of State in charge, Left-winger Tony Benn, steered through the Industrial Expansion Act. Using his new powers, International Computing Ltd, (ICL) was born out of a mega-merger of several smaller firms. After a starry start, it spluttered and struggled. Meanwhile, in the United States, IBM went on to become a 126 billion colossus the forerunner of the multi-trillion Silicon Valley giants it later helped spawn. ICL, the pin-up for Labour's new industrial policy, became synonymous with weak management, poor financial controls and failure. Aa has been the case with so many great British inventions Arm Holdings is the contemporary equivalent command and control ended up in overseas hands. The story of ICL and how it was swallowed by Fujitsu is a prime example of the low value successive British governments have placed on supporting UK science. Short-term thinking, flaccid boards, ineffectual bosses, unthinking asset managers and neglectful mandarins and ministers have allowed countless technologies to slip into foreign hands. Recent years have seen valuable aerospace, satellite, sonar, software and defence innovations controlled by companies such as Ultra Electronics, Inmarsat and Aveva fall under overseas control, not all of it friendly, with barely a red flag raised. No other G7 nation has been so careless. Anyone puzzling as to how Fujitsu became the go-to technology firm for Whitehall panjandrums only has to examine its history. Its DNA and systems are uniquely British. There should be no surprise that Fujitsu was company of choice when the idea of the modern, Horizon financial computing system for the Post Office was rolled out in 1999. Around 6,000 people are deployed in the UK. In spite of Fujitsu's role in the Horizon scandal system it has continued to land 4.9 billion of taxpayer contracts. Some 3.6 billion of these deals were signed after a 2019 ruling which found the Japanese company's software culpable in the sub-postmasters and mistresses scandal. These include with HMRC and the Treasury. In its earliest days, ICL looked as if it would be a rare success for government-encouraged corporate engineering. Its proprietary tech included the first transistor machines, the first computers to use core memory (now in the Cloud!) and the breakthrough 1300 series of computers. In 1981, as part of the effort to go global, it linked up for the first time with Fujitsu. Pioneering work: Alan Turing The Japanese relationship was seen as a cheaper route to acquiring components, including access to Fujitsu's large scale integration technologies of the kind later to be deployed at the Post Office. ICL initially thrived as a standalone computer champion winning early contracts with the Post Office, the Inland Revenue, the Department of Work & Pensions and the Ministry of Defence. It was regarded as uniquely capable because of its ability to accommodate new software without the need for extensive re-investment. In 1984, it was acquired by the UK's Standard Telephones and Cables (STC). It remained at the forefront of innovation and was a pioneer in small business systems. But STC stumbled, capital was in short supply and despite several injections of taxpayer funds it found it ever harder to compete with IBM and US rivals. Stealthily, as ICL needed more resources, Fujitsu became the main funder. The Japanese bought an 80 per cent stake for the bargain basement price of 740 million in 1990. U nder the leadership of Sir Peter Bonfield (who went on to become chief executive of a privatised BT) ICL forged on, becoming the biggest systems, computer manufacturer and software developer outside the United States. By 1998, Fujitsu had gained full control. There was widespread expectation that it would return ICL to the London stock market with a bumper 5billion initial public offering. That never happened. By 2001, it discarded the pioneering ICL computing and IT brand and subsumed it under the Fujitsu name. Barely a protest was raised. Fujitsu went onto win countless UK government contracts. But as is the case with all foreign ownership the transparency, accountability, governance and fiduciary duty which comes with UK public ownership simply was not there. The Japanese firm may well face 'financial sanctions'. But no UK plc possibly could have ridden out such a scandal for so long, without a punishing fall in the share price, heads rolling, full disclosure and retribution. Health insurance is not most people's favourite subject. Often it is a 'grudge purchase', with customers stumping up the premiums through gritted teeth. But Neville Koopowitz, the chief executive of insurance company Vitality, has a secret weapon: the company mascot, Stanley the dachshund. Stanley, who is possibly the best-loved canine in corporate Britain after the Andrex puppy, has been the doggy embodiment of the business strategy. This is to incentivise reluctant exercisers with a policy to work out more, eat better and take care of their mental health, in return for a range of benefits and cheaper premiums. When I arrive at Vitality's London headquarters, I almost trip over an extremely realistic, life-size model of Stanley, and the branding is everywhere. Mr motivator: Neville Koopowitz with the company mascot Stanley the dachshund South Africa-born Koopowitz, who himself owns a fleet of four dachshunds: Vinny, Coco, Lolly and Cino, says the small dogs are 'the anti-heroes of exercise'. He adds: 'They have little legs, they don't want to go outside for a walk when it is wet. They love crawling into warm blankets and sleeping. Basically, they are quite cynical, a bit pampered and they don't have owners, they have staff.' Recently, after years of mocking his humans' efforts at self-improvement, Stanley has undergone a personality change. Koopowitz says: 'He has realised exercise is quite fun and now he is more active. We got him through an agency. We have had three or four Stanleys. A lot of people send us pictures of their dogs, asking if they can be in the ad.' Vitality is owned by Discovery, a leading South African insurance company with 4.4 million customers. It began 28 years ago with what Koopowitz describes as 'a hunch'. 'We thought we could encourage people to live healthier lifestyles, that it would be good for us as an insurer because there would be fewer claims and that society would also benefit. We had no evidence at that stage, but we do now.' His data suggests that members on average increase their exercise levels by 22 per cent after joining. 'Those who engage in the Vitality programme fully have 39 per cent lower mortality risk, if they get to Platinum status,' he says. The programme works by linking a smart watch or phone to the Vitality app. Then you can accumulate points for exercise, mindfulness, check-ups and healthy eating. Customers start on bronze status, then work their way up via silver and gold to platinum. 'The real benefit is for people who are unfit when they start,' Koopowitz says. 'If you have a 60-year-old who had never exercised, even a couple of thousand steps a day would make a difference.' Vitality, says Koopowitz, is the third largest health insurance operator in the UK with 15 per cent of the market, behind Axa and Aviva. It has close to 1 million customers on its health plan and a further 750,000 with life assurance policies. Around a quarter of health policies are held by individuals, including myself, but most are via employers. 'We focus on the small and medium firms,' he says. 'That has been the biggest growth area for us. 'We are seeing seven-to-eight person companies purchasing for the first time as a way of attracting talent. Benefits such as a virtual GP are very attractive.' He argues that we need to 'consumerise' health care. 'In every other market, you get reviews. You should get the same in health. If you have a great experience with Doctor X people should know. We are getting much more focused on that sort of granular information.' Preventative health measures, he says, are key to sustaining the NHS. 'I come from a country without much of a health service. The NHS is a brilliant entity, but like all health services it is facing challenges of demand. We have ageing populations and someone has to pay for it. Prevention is the best form of protection. 'We used to be worried about communicable diseases such as TB, Aids or malaria. 'Now the issue is preventable or manageable diseases to do with lifestyle and behaviour.' Isn't it hard in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, to persuade people to take out a health insurance policy or to join a gym? 'We returned to members over 100 million of value in 2022 through the benefit programme and premium reductions,' he says. Members can receive these discounts on their premiums for being active. Koopowitz is also looking at changing rules about pre-existing conditions. In some cases, these are excluded for a limited period of, say two years. After that, if there have been no claims, the condition can be covered. The only hitch is, that the onus is left on the policyholder to inform Vitality, which means there is a big risk they will forget and lose out on valuable protection. After I raise this issue, he has set up a team looking into automating the process, so customers will automatically receive cover when the exclusion period is up. He is now changing the system so they will be covered automatically after the time limit is up. Vitality employs around 2,500 in the UK, mostly in Bournemouth, as well as in spectacular London offices overlooking the Thames and in Stockport. Might a separate float on the UK stock market be on the agenda? 'At this point we have no need for capital so we have no need to look at a float,' he says. The business, he says, has an embedded value of about 1.2bn 'which puts us firmly in the FTSE 250, in the middle to top end. We are getting close to 1bn a year premium income.' Koopowitz was brought up in Queenstown, now called Komani, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. 'It is the most economically disadvantaged part of the country. Nelson Mandela grew up there.' After a commerce degree, he joined Discovery in the mid 1990s and came to the UK in 2010 to lead Vitality. He goes back to South Africa regularly, to visit his mum, who still lives in the Eastern Cape, as do his wife's family. 'I have a holiday home there. Once a year everybody congregates.' The biggest moment of his career so far was, he says, meeting Nelson Mandela. He says: 'It was a bit surreal. He wanted to meet young white South African business people. At that time, in the mid-1990s, it was a very tenuous situation and there was a lot of nervousness about what would happen. 'There was stockpiling of baked beans and candles. The build up to the elections was scary. We met at his house, in a suburb of Johannesberg called Houghton. His secretary Zelda, who became famous herself, was very protective. We had a cup of tea, for about half an hour. 'His compassion and understanding was amazing. He wanted the country to go forward and to be as inclusive as possible. UK politics seem very tame in comparison.' ORLANDO, Fla. Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapos campaign against COVID-19 vaccines has intensified in the past few weeks before Gov. Ron DeSantis crucial tests in the Iowa presidential caucuses and New Hampshire primary. And experts say thats not a coincidence. Its one thing for a large states leading health officer to be an advocate for shared values, said Kenneth Goodman, the director of the University of Miami Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy. Its another to weaponize medical misinformation to trick citizens into voting for his boss. Ladapo called for a complete halt in the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines earlier this month. A few days later, he called the mRNA vaccines the antichrist on Steve Bannons War Room podcast. Ladapos growing war against the vaccines comes in the wake of a surprise appearance with DeSantis on the presidential campaign trail in November. The New Hampshire event, dubbed a Medical Freedom Town Hall, was a rare move even as the lines between official and political events have been increasingly blurred by the DeSantis administration. It is a choice to be as public as Ladapo has been, said Gregory Koger, a professor of political science at the University of Miami. It seems like an effort to kindle interest among a narrow fringe of anti-vaxxers. Ladapo claimed that DNA fragments used in the vaccines development could integrate into human DNA, resulting in various problems, including cancer. Federal leaders and others in the scientific community fired back, saying the possibility of that happening was theoretical and implausible. Dr. Kenneth Alexander, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Nemours Childrens Health in Orlando, dismissed the allegation as recycled rhetoric from anti-vaccine circles. These are the claims youve heard from anti-vax people for decades, he said. He emphasized that the COVID-19 vaccines are probably the most studied vaccines in history, with over a billion doses administered. Story continues I would argue that the U.S. has the best post-marketing surveillance of vaccines in the world. Were not seeing any of this stuff, he said. DeSantis shifts his stance DeSantis, who appointed Ladapo in late 2021, shifted from a governor who traveled the length of the state to promote the COVID-19 vaccines earlier that year to one who later called for a grand jury to investigate wrongdoing by their creators. His eventual turn against what he calls the jab came after he gained national attention for his stance against most COVID restrictions, despite his shutdown of the state in May 2020 that closed bars and limited capacity at restaurants through the summer. But the same Free State of Florida pandemic-era rhetoric that propelled him to prominence has since faded as an issue in the Republican presidential primary. DeSantis trails former President Donald Trump by huge margins in most state polls and is battling former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for second place in Iowa and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for third in New Hampshire. There probably is a narrow market for that, Koger said of anti-vaccine sentiment. Hes campaigning for small slices of the Republican electorate in both states, and in Iowa he needs to appeal to people who want to get up out of their homes on a cold January night and go to a high school gym for a couple hours. And anti-vax people might fit that description. He can use every additional voter he can get. Dave Peterson, a political scientist at Iowa State University, said Iowas Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, a key DeSantis endorser, was very, very similar to DeSantis on COVID, and part of her popularity in the party was her COVID policy. So maybe he is trying to remind them of that. But, he added, at some point, a lot of folks have moved on from that. If that is a campaign strategy, its a surprise to me at least. I dont think it would be a very effective one. DeSantis campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin did not respond to a request for comment on whether Ladapo was doing the campaigns bidding. It just doesnt matter In New Hampshire, the Live Free or Die state, the Republican Party has a reputation for being individualistic and libertarian-leaning. But even there, said Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire, COVID is not a major issue. There is some of that kind of anti-vaccine sentiment up here, Scala said. But what Ive been more struck by is how COVID has really declined in relevance for Republican voters in this cycle. Its certainly not any sort of magic rocket fuel. It just doesnt matter. Ladapos campaign appearance in New Hampshire in November was part of the campaigns repeated attempts to attack Trump, whose administration launched the vaccine initiative called Operation Warp Speed. While Ladapo told the crowd he had nothing against Mr. Trump, according to CNN, DeSantis used the event to slam Trumps pandemic record and vowed to radically reform the nations health agencies. One group backing DeSantis even used artificial intelligence to create a fake image of Trump hugging his White House health adviser Anthony Fauci, a hated figure on the right. I think DeSantis was hoping he would be able to kind of connect Trump to Fauci and that would pay dividends, but I just dont see it, Scala said. Part of that is, no ones figured out how to make something stick to Trump. Derailing credibility In New Hampshire, Ladapo claimed to be surprised to find himself on the campaign trail. On the spectrum of where do you want to spend your time and your energy and your life, politics was about as far away as you can imagine for me, he said, according to CNN. But Ladapo has been at the center of a political firestorm over mRNA vaccines for years. His statements this month were just the latest in a series of recommendations criticized by some experts as contributing to vaccine hesitancy without adequate evidence. Previously, Ladapo advised against COVID-19 vaccines for healthy kids, then men ages 18-39, and later recommended against them for those under 65, culminating in this months call to end their use entirely. All these recommendations contradicted guidelines from the CDC and FDA, prompting leaders of those agencies to publicly rebuke him. While Ladapo has conducted analyses of vaccine safety data through the Florida Department of Health, which he says support his positions, others in the medical community have criticized these studies. I think theyre poorly done. Theyve been unpublished. And theyve been misuses of databases, Alexander said. Were doing bad research, and publishing bad guidance that contradicts what public health experts around the world are saying. In a prior interview with the Sentinel, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf questioned the quality of an October 2022 report from the Florida Department of Health on the risk of cardiac-related death post-vaccine, stating it lacked the quality of analysis needed to draw a conclusion. Public records from FDOH obtained by the Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel showed that Ladapo removed analyses from the paper, pre-publication, that would have weakened the association between vaccination and cardiac-related death. Ladapo said that was a normal part of the revision process, but others in the health research field previously told the Orlando Sentinel and Sun Sentinel his revisions took out necessary context and constituted scientific fraud. Several instances where Ladapo cited peer-reviewed, published studies by other researchers to support his recommendations against the COVID vaccine were also met with rebuttals. Researchers accused him of misrepresenting their conclusions, with one scientist accusing him of cherry-picking sentences from her paper to support his argument in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times. In his appearance on Bannons show, he called the mRNA vaccines the antichrist of all products. Its just complete disrespect to the human genome and the importance of protecting it and preserving it. And that is our connection to God. In the end, if Ladapos latest attacks on COVID vaccines were partly a continuation of his insertion into the DeSantis campaign, it would probably be for naught, Scala said. DeSantis campaign in New Hampshire is one long painful example of inability to move the needle, Scala said. This is just one more example. Key Insights VIB Vermogen's estimated fair value is 12.38 based on Dividend Discount Model VIB Vermogen's 14.18 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate VIB Vermogen's peers seem to be trading at a higher premium to fair value based onthe industry average of -116% Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of VIB Vermogen AG (ETR:VIH1) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for VIB Vermogen The Model As VIB Vermogen operates in the real estate sector, we need to calculate the intrinsic value slightly differently. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.5%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.3%. Relative to the current share price of 14.2, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. 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. Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) Story continues = 0.8 / (7.3% 0.5%) = 12.4 XTRA:VIH1 Discounted Cash Flow January 13th 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. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at VIB Vermogen as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.374. 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 VIB Vermogen Strength Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Current share price is above our estimate of fair value. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity VIH1's financial characteristics indicate limited near-term opportunities for shareholders. Threat Total liabilities exceed total assets, which raises the risk of financial distress. Looking Ahead: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching 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. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For VIB Vermogen, we've compiled three additional items you should explore: Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for VIB Vermogen (2 are a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does VIH1'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 German 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. Microsoft is back on top. After trailing behind Apple for the majority of the past decade, Microsoft is the worlds most valuable publicly traded company as of market close on Friday. The tech giants stock (MSFT) closed at $388.47 a share on Friday, giving it a market capitalization of $2.89 trillion. Apples stock (AAPL) closed at $185.92 a share, for a market capitalization of $2.87 trillion. Market capitalization or market cap is the total value of all the shares of a publicly traded company. In other words, its the market value of the company. Microsofts rise to the top comes after the company had a stellar year thanks to its success with generative artificial intelligence. In 2023, the companys CEO, Satya Nadella, made a multi-billion dollar investment in AI, including commercializing and adding AI tools like ChatGPT into its suite of products before rivals. He even strengthened Microsofts ties to ChatGPT maker OpenAI, a major pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, during a board and leadership upheaval at the smaller company late last year. Apple, meanwhile, is facing a barrage of problems. iPhone sales are slowing in part because of the Chinese governments reported efforts to restrict purchases (Beijing denies it has put any restrictions in place). Thats helped Chinese smartphone maker Huawei to gain market share. Apple also recently contended with a brief ban from selling the latest Apple Watch models in the United States. Microsoft declined to comment, while Apple did not return CNNs request for a comment. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com They should plan on their retirement age being increased: Nikki Haley said at the recent GOP debate that she wants to raise the retirement age above 67 should you be worried? The first Republican presidential primary debate of 2024 showcased a stark divide between Donald Trumps challengers: Social Security. Former governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley has maintained throughout her campaign that shes open to raising the retirement age for younger people. Dont miss In the Jan. 10 debate, moderator Jake Tapper asked Haley point-blank if people in their 20s should expect to work into their 70s. They should plan on their retirement age being increased, yes, Haley said. Haleys opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, vehemently disagreed with her on raising the retirement age, pointing out that retirees have been paying into Social Security their whole lives and deserve to receive it. Its not a welfare program, youre being taxed for this your whole life, he said. Whats behind Haleys and DeSantis views on Social Security? And should you be worried if either receives the GOP nomination? Why does Haley want to raise the retirement age? Haley assured current and soon-to-be-retirees that they will receive their full Social Security entitlement at the current retirement age of 67. But she remained vague during the debate about the exact age she would increase it to. We want to make sure that everybody who was promised, gets it, she said. But we also want to make sure our kids have something when they get it too. Haleys statements come in light of the fact that Social Security may not be able to hand out full entitlements in the near future. According to this years Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports, the fund supporting Social Security will, at current funding levels, only be able to pay 100% of scheduled benefits until 2033. After that, the funds will become depleted and older Americans would only receive 77% of their total scheduled benefits. Story continues DeSantis take One big reason why DeSantis doesnt agree with Haley about raising the retirement age is life expectancy. Haley insists that life expectancy is increasing, so raising the retirement age just makes sense. But DeSantis says that this isnt true: life expectancy has decreased in the past five years. I will never raise the retirement age in the face of declining life expectancy, DeSantis said in the debate. That hurts blue collar folks. You get taxed your entire life, life expectancys down, you may not even be recouping very many benefits. Both are right to an extent. Longer life spans tend to belong to rich Americans, such as Haley and DeSantis. Poorer Americans dont tend to see the same life expectancy increases as wealthier Americans, according to a 2021 paper from the Congressional Research Service. Read more: Millions of Americans are in massive debt in the face of rising rates. Here's how to take a break from debt this month But something needs to be done Haley isnt wrong to raise the alarm bells over Social Securitys impending insolvency. And even current benefits often arent enough for many seniors to live on. But some commentators have other ideas for improving Social Securitys fiscal position. Nobel Memorial Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman wrote in a recent New York Times column that the best way to increase Social Security funds is to do what the majority of GOP candidates refuse to do: raise taxes. The U.S. has one of the lowest tax revenue rates in the world, according to the OECD. Higher taxes are the way that countries like Canada or Denmark provide more health care and financial support for retirees. You may not like higher taxes, but it could help out with your retirement savings long-term. In the meantime, the best thing you can do is make sure that you have enough money in the bank to fund your own retirement. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Editors Note: Sign up for CNNs Meanwhile in China newsletter, which explores what you need to know about the countrys rise and how it impacts the world. When Taiwan heads to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president and legislature, their votes will be keenly watched at home and abroad. Thats because the self-ruled island of 23 million people has an outsized impact on the global business and trade, mainly because of its world-beating chips industry. China has ramped up pressure on Taiwan in the lead-up to the elections, casting them as a choice between war and peace or prosperity and recession. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly said Beijing plans to reunify Taiwan with China. The Communist Party has claimed the island as its own territory, despite never having controlled it. Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the islands vice president and the front-runner for the top job, is openly loathed by Chinese officials for his past comments supporting Taiwan independence. He has tempered his stance to favor the status-quo of Taiwans de facto sovereignty, but Beijing has continued to denounce him as a dangerous separatist and rebuffed his calls for talks. Although Beijing is not expected to launch a war in the near term, an increase in military or economic pressure is likely to follow if Lai is elected. If Lai and DPP win, we could see a range of coercive actions from Beijing, said Charlie Vest, associate director of the Rhodium Group, who studies China. That may include major military exercises that could disrupt commercial traffic in the Taiwan Strait, the 110-mile wide waterway separating China from Taiwan, or economic sanctions on the trade-dependent island that is home to some of the worlds top tech companies, he said. Such exercises were seen during the former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island in August 2022 and when Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met then-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California in April 2023. Story continues Every year, about half of the worlds container ships pass through the strait. Key rivals and partners Taiwan and China have a complex political rivalry, but theyre also economically intertwined. China has long been Taiwans largest trading partner and a top investment destination. Last year, 35% of Taiwans exports went to China, most of which were integrated circuits, solar cells and electronic components, according to Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs. Imports from China accounted for 20% of the total imports in the same year. That pushed Taiwans trade surplus with China to an enormous $80.5 billion in 2023. According to Chinese customs data, the countrys trade surpluses mainly come from the United States and Europe. But it often runs a large trade deficit with Taiwan, along with Japan and South Korea. For Taiwan, China has been its favorite investment stop for decades. Between 1991 and 2022, Taiwanese companies invested a total of $203 billion in China, according to Taiwan government statistics. They have created millions of jobs in China. Taiwan and China are extremely important to one another, Vest said. China depends heavily on Taiwanese inputs and firms in the global electronics supply chain. For China, semiconductors produced by Taiwanese firms such as (TSM) are indispensable to its economy. The island is also a key link in Chinas trade with the world. TSMC is located at the Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. - Mike Kai Chen/Bloomberg/Getty Images The island manufactures over 60% of the worlds chips and around 90% of the worlds most advanced ones, according to estimates by the Rhodium Group. China imports electronic components or precision machine tools from Taiwan, assembles them and exports the finished products to global markets. How will China retaliate? China may respond to a DPP victory by putting military and economic pressure on the island, Vest said. However, short of a major escalation such as a full blockade, which is unlikely given the costs to Chinas own economy, these actions will not fundamentally put Taiwans autonomy or economic growth at risk, he said. If Taiwan is blockaded, that could cost the global economy over $2 trillion in annual losses, without factoring in the costs of a potential military confrontation between China and the United States or economic sanctions, Vest estimated. China has never sanctioned Taiwans semiconductor industry, a vital supplier to its own manufacturing sector. [Thats] presumably because doing so would cause appreciable pain to Chinas economy, wrote analysts from Capital Economics in a research note on Wednesday. Many Taiwanese companies, including chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) and Apple supplier Foxconn, operate in China and are closely integrated into its supply chains. However, the islands government keeps a close eye on what its companies are doing and does not allow its most advanced technology to be produced there. On January 1, China suspended tariff cuts for 12 chemical compound imports from Taiwan. On Tuesday, China said it was looking to suspend even more tariff reliefs on other Taiwanese imports, including agricultural and fishery products, machinery, automobile parts and textiles. Analysts said the move will likely backfire. High-profile economic sanction maneuvers that came just weeks before the election are more about theatrics for Beijings internal consumption than actually trying to change the electoral outcomes in Taiwan, said Wen-Ti Sung, a Taiwan-based fellow with the Atlantic Councils Global China Hub. This shows that theres probably a significant amount of internal pressure inside Beijing to be seen as doing something on Taiwan. The trade restrictions that Beijing has imposed since 2021, including on pineapple and fish, have hardly posed any critical threat to Taiwans economy. Analysts from Capital Economics expect any further economic sanctions imposed on Taiwan in response to a DPP victory would still be narrowly focused and small in scale. This has been the pattern in recent years. In 2022, China retaliated after Pelosis visit by banning imports of a range of food products from Taiwan. But the impact was limited because Taiwans total food exports to China before the ban were worth less than 0.2% of its gross domestic product. Even if China suspends the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, a free trade deal which was signed in 2010, it might not work as expected, the analysts said. The agreement hasnt boosted cross-strait trade as much as its backers had hoped for, they added. Regardless of the outcome, the election result itself will not upend Taiwans success, Vest said. CNNs Wayne Chang contributed to reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Xi, Belgian PM meet in Beijing, agreeing to enhance ties Xinhua) 09:16, January 13, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo in Beijing on Friday. Noting that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Belgium relations, Xi said bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results and benefited the two peoples since the establishment of diplomatic ties 53 years ago. China and Belgium are both beneficiaries of economic globalization and share common interests in resisting protectionism and safeguarding free trade, Xi said. China appreciates De Croo's open opposition to the decoupling or severing of industrial and supply chains on many occasions, welcomes Belgian companies to invest in China, and stands ready to provide them with a sound business environment, Xi said, expressing his hope that Belgium will also provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies. Xi said the two sides can combine their respective strengths to expand cooperation in traditional areas such as transportation, logistics and biopharmaceuticals, and explore new growth areas for cooperation such as green development and digital economy. He called on the two sides to encourage government departments, legislatures, and sub-national areas to strengthen exchanges and dialogue, expand tourism and exchange of students, organize large-scale cultural activities in each other's country, and carry out research on giant panda protection. Xi said China is willing to strengthen communication with Belgium within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and carry out cooperation on issues such as climate change and biodiversity protection. Stressing that China maintains long-term consistency in its policy toward Europe, Xi said China has always regarded Europe as a partner and hopes that Europe will play a positive and constructive role as an important force in a multipolar world. In the face of the changing and volatile international situation, China and Europe need to build more "bridges," he added. Xi said the two sides should work more closely to promote an equal and orderly global multipolarity and an economic globalization that benefits all, and jointly promote world peace, stability and prosperity. China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to foster progress in China-EU relations in the new year and hopes that Belgium, as the EU rotating presidency, will play a positive role in this regard, Xi added. De Croo said the Belgium-China relationship is a pacesetter in European countries' ties with China in many aspects, noting that Belgium will continue to abide by the one-China policy, and have candid dialogue with China to deepen understanding and push for continuous development of bilateral relations in political, economic and other fields. De Croo said Belgium opposes decoupling or severing of industrial and supply chains, welcomes Chinese enterprises to carry out cooperation in Belgium, and hopes to strengthen personnel and cultural exchanges with China. De Croo noted that he was deeply impressed by President Xi's vivid description of "bridges" during his visit to Belgium a decade ago. Amid the changing and turbulent international situation, the world needs China and Europe to work as partners and strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas such as promoting world economic growth, addressing climate change and building a more stable world, De Croo said. Belgium, as the rotating presidency of the EU, is willing to play an active role in the development of EU-China relations and hopes that this visit will help elevate Belgium-China and EU-China relations, he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Saudi Arabia's mineral wealth currently stands at $1.3 trillion, with a target to increase it to $1.5 trillion amid reports that the global demand for metals is set for a sixfold growth by 2040, said a top official of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund). PIF Governor Yasir Al Rumayyan was addressing the gathering at the third annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) held in Riyadh. He pointed out that the Maaden mining company owned by the PIF has expanded its exploration activities for gold, zinc, lithium, and other metals. The kingdom, he stated, possesses mineral reserves and additional resources that can be effectively utilized. During the forum held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, Al-Rumayyan underscored the Kingdoms role in energy transitions, a low-carbon future, and its targeted investments in vital minerals. He also highlighted how the kingdom can provide strategic support and meet the growing demand for metals. Al Rumayyan also underscored the ongoing efforts of the PIF and their significance to the kingdoms economy. "We are currently conducting the largest global exploration program," he stated. He further highlighted a joint investment project between the PIF and Maaden, aimed at accessing minerals that are not currently available in the Kingdom. Additionally, Al Rumayyan highlighted ways of cooperation in the energy sector to ensure the successful realization of the Saudi Vision 2030. "We are also introducing a new bachelor's degree in mining sciences at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, which will include a curriculum on artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications, including in the mining sector, where AI can assist in exploratory efforts for all types of minerals," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The secretive Razor5 project that's slated for construction east of New Carlisle is a tech company that develops massive data centers across the country, officials confirmed exclusively to The Tribune on Friday, declining to reveal the company's name. The multibillion dollar data center, which has the potential to generate 1,000 or more jobs, will be built on roughly 1,000 acres. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Google and Meta have been building such data centers across the country, including the Midwest. Of the three companies, AWS officials have reportedly been spotted around St. Joseph County in recent months, gathering information. But when asked if the company plans to build the data center in the area, spokeswoman Virginia Milazzo neither confirmed nor denied the information. This image shows the Amazon Web Services data farm on Houchard Road just south of Post Road outside Columbus, Ohio. "AWS has a practice against commenting on rumor or speculation. We are constantly evaluating new locations based on customer demand," she responded via email. A similarly secretive project in Allen County called Project Zodiac calls for the development of data centers on 728 acres in the southeast portion of the county, near New Haven, over the next decade. In addition, AWS reached an agreement in 2023 to build multiple data centers in Central Ohio, including the Columbus area, totaling nearly $8 billion. In St. Joseph County, economic development officials have been meeting with Razor5 since May about the potential multibillion dollar project that would be located near the EV battery plant that General Motors is developing with Samsung SDI. On Friday, the St. Joseph County Area Plan Commission received a petition to change the zoning from agricultural to industrial on a 640-acre parcel on the south side of Indiana 2. In addition, it received a request from county economic development officials to include the land in the Indiana Enterprise Center. Another big project: Another major industrial development sought for New Carlisle near GM/Samsung site Story continues That parcel is bounded by Strawberry Road on the east and Gordon Road on the south and the Navistar Proving Grounds to the west. It would be the largest piece of land used by the data center. The area that is blue in the middle of the map is the location of the GM/Samsung SDI plant. The shaded area northeast and south of the GM/Samsung plant is the proposed location of a massive data center. It will be up to St. Joseph County Council to give final approval to both proposals. If all goes smoothly, the soonest that could happen would be March, according to Bill Schalliol, the countys executive director of economic development. Being included in the IEC property ensures that the data center or any other company would have to develop the property to a higher standard than is normally found in industrial parcels including landscaping, architecture and even the position of buildings. Dubbed Razor5 for several months, the data center project also would include a smaller 280-acre parcel southwest of Edison Road and Larrison Drive that sits north of the EV battery plant that already is under construction. Schalliol said the project could potentially provide hundreds of high-paying jobs and result in an investment that could exceed the $3.5 billion being spent by GM/Samsung. Such data centers typically include servers, data storage drives and other equipment used to power the growth of cloud computing, which allows businesses and institutions to use networks of services hosted on the internet to store, manage and process data. Bill Schalliol The project would likely be built in phases with sitework potentially getting underway later this year. Schalliol said the tech company was drawn to the area because of the GM/Samsung project and the amount of water and electricity required by the battery factory. Besides those factors and the availability of land, companies also like the proximity of high-speed internet connections using the right of way along the Indiana Toll Road. Were still very early in this process, Schalliol said. Theyre still undergoing due diligence to ensure the site can meet its requirements for electricity, water and other utilities. If the tech company chooses to build here, it would require employees with a somewhat different skillset than most of those at the GM/Samsung plant, Schalliol said, adding that the county has also seen interest from potential GM/Samsung vendors about locating nearby. Though some have raised the concern about businesses like GM/Samsung finding enough workers, County Commissioner Carl Baxmeyer and Schalliol indicated that companies look at workforce as part of their due diligence. Its up to a company to determine whether there is a sufficient labor force to support their operations, Baxmeyer said. But I am amazed how quick these projects have been coming our way. I never saw a community with more opportunity. The $3.5 billion GM/Samsung project, which is slated for completion in December 2027, will consist of 3 million square feet of manufacturing space in two main buildings and is expected to create 1,700 new jobs. Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com. This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Is Amazon eyeing site for multibillion project outside South Bend? Consumers who got a taste of higher-end amenities during the last couple years travel boom arent too keen to go back to basic economy, and the travel industry doesnt want them to. If revenge travel was then, emboldened travel is now, said Erika Richter, a spokesperson for the American Society of Travel Advisors, which has seen customers continuing to take advantage of the upgraded offerings operators are dangling. With travel volumes still trending well ahead of pre-pandemic highs, premium leisure travel is definitely on the rise, said Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, which analyzes the travel industry. At the top end of the market, the most deep-pocketed consumers are still spending heavily on high-dollar getaways and exclusive experiences. Now, airlines, hotels and cruises are prodding passengers of less lavish means to go premium, too in some cases revising down what counts as luxury. Upgrading from basic Caleb Cash-Tobey and his husband have been springing for larger rooms and suites than they used to. Each year, the Fort Smith, Arkansas-based couple takes one major trip as well as smaller monthly ones that theyre increasingly comfortable enhancing with extra amenities, such as evening turndown service and in-room breakfast. Weve learned that we should take the experience when it is offered, because some experiences are no longer available in the post-Covid world that we may have really enjoyed, Cash-Tobey said, citing a Champagne-augmented tour of the British crown jewels that a favorite London hotel discontinued. Kristin Winkaffe, a travel adviser with Avenue Two Travel in Columbus, Ohio, said customers are becoming more inclined to treat themselves to experiences that they may not have considered a few years ago. Theyre now prioritizing the quality of their vacations over budget constraints. Thats a habit players across the travel industry want to spur more of. Both international and domestic airlines are increasing their premium cabin capacities, a pre-pandemic trend that shows no sign of letting up. Major carriers have been adding extra legroom in premium economy and expanding some business and first-class cabins, looking to nudge more flyers out of their cheapest seats and into pricier ones. Story continues Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein told investors in October that revenue from premium offerings jumped 17% from the prior year, outperforming main cabin by five points. Its premium select tier for long-haul flights, situated between economy options and the upscale Delta One, was revamped in late 2022 and has performed above expectations, he said. Delta's Premium Select seats (Courtesy Delta) A round-trip Delta ticket from Atlanta to Zurich in April would cost around $1,350 for a main cabin seat if booked today, compared with about $2,800 for premium select and $5,250 for Delta One. The airlines have realized that if they price these products in the right way, they can coax enough people to trade up, Harteveldt said. His firm found last year that 1 in 3 travelers either booked a premium option or considered one, down just slightly from 38% in 2022, when we were still in the throes of revenge travel and when people still had more savings. Some consumers are shelling out on upgrades that are more about practicality than self-pampering. Since the pandemic, I now only book changeable airplane tickets and hotels, said Cathy Raines of Washington, D.C. That typically adds about 15% to her bills, Raines said, but she thinks its worth it for the added flexibility. Kristin Chambers, founder of the Boston-based luxury travel agency Travellustre, said many of her clients now ship their luggage ahead of arrival and book VIP services like airside pickups, expedited service at customs and immigration, or cars to hotels. Travelers are increasingly willing to invest in aspects of their journey that will guarantee an elevated level of service, she said. Seattle resident Rebecca Ross and her husband have ruled out Airbnb-style accommodations without 24-hour staff. Life is too short to be standing around with a roller bag and a double-parked car wondering how to get in. Weve vowed that our lodging must have a front desk with a human, she said. That sometimes means spending more but often just requires a little extra time to hunt down, she added. A Morning Consult report in September put it bluntly: Forget first-class seats and penthouse suits luxury travel is about customer service. If that means redefining what counts as premium to include things like the ability to speak to a real support agent, the researchers found consumers may welcome it all the same. First-class flights, fancy hotel stays and fine dining hold less appeal now than simply feeling relaxed, experiencing comfort and great service, the report said, adding that brands can find opportunity by treating the latter as high end: The experiences that comprise new luxury dont require the traveler to be affluent. The high end gets higher Some amenities certainly do, though, and wealthy customers are scooping them up. Many ultra-high-net-worth individuals ditched first-class seats on commercial flights for private jets during the pandemic, and the habit stuck, said Doug Gollan, founder of Private Jet Card Comparisons, a buyers guide to these services. New flyers racked up record-high private flight hours in 2021 and 2022, and 95% of these newcomers have continued to fly privately, he said at an average cost of about $40,000 for a two-hour trip. Lodging operators have also seen strong demand from offerings aimed at higher-dollar guests. Booking patterns continue to overwhelmingly favor premium suites, and some categories are booked months to years in advance, said Gebhard Rainer, the CEO of Sandals Resorts International. The companys newest resort, Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines, wont open until March, but its beachfront butler villas that start at $1,111 per person per night, and two-story overwater units starting at $1,570 per person per night, have already sold out dates well into 2025, Rainer said. The Westin Poinsett hotel in Greenville, South Carolina, put together a Home Alone themed holiday package with prices ranging from $599 to more than $1,000 a night over-the-top rates for the local market during whats usually a slow holiday season there. It sold out with 93 bookings and many guests asking about reservations for next year. I have been in the industry for 25 years between Washington, D.C., and Greenville, and by far this was the most successful package I have ever seen, said John Geddes, the hotels sales and marketing director. Guests were spending a minimum of four to five times the amount they would generally spend. Tour organizations and cruise lines report much the same. Travelers are willing to pay more for exclusive experiences, said Terry Dale, CEO of the United States Tour Operators Association. As a result, organizers are curating itineraries to include personalized services and experiences with more exclusivity, going beyond the standard offerings. National Geographic's Islander II yacht. (Courtesy expeditions.com) Holland America, a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Line, is seeing more guest bookings for premium spa services like its thermal suites and hydropool, said spokesperson Bill Zucker. Our private cabanas are selling out on a regular basis. And our new direct luggage service, where guests can have their luggage shipped directly to and from their home, is proving to be very popular, he said. Lindblad Expeditions, which operates National Geographic-branded cruises, replaced its Islander I luxury yacht with the more luxurious Islander II for Galapagos voyages in 2022, raising the average fare by 45%. Some nail-biting ensued said Lindblad Chief Commercial Officer Noah Brodsky, but the Islander II is already 78% booked for this year. Thats well ahead of historical trends, he said, and an indication of the uptick in premiumization. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com There are several tragedies associated with this case but the one that stands out is that police reports indicate that defendant shot the victim in close proximity to her child. Check the basics . . . Guilty of first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, and armed criminal action for the shooting that happened in 2020. The victim fought for her life after being shot by the defendant, and it was our duty to fight for justice for her and all victims of assault, Clay County, Missouri, Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said. The jurys verdict sends a strong message to our community that violent crime will not be tolerated in Clay County. The victim of the shooting testified during the trial in a wheelchair. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Clay County man found guilty for shooting, paralyzing ex-girlfriend beside their newborn baby A jury found Lonnell James guilty of first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, and armed criminal action for the shooting that happened in 2020. Special thanks to TKC social media followers who sent us a note about the globalists MAYBE coming for your fuel, cheap coffee and laxatives disguised breakfast sandwiches. To wit . . . WILL KANSAS CITY BAN FUTURE GAS STATIONS?!? Don't worry . . . All of your tumors can still feed off microplastics. Context . . . Let's not forget that South Kansas City leaders are openly advocating against more gas stations given the Blue Ridge Blvd already resembles a nightmarish petroleum-infused Hell-scape. Of course . . . We're not downplaying legit concern about bad policy enacted on the sneak in KCMO. However . . . This horrible idea isn't even yet an ordinance proposal . . . And, some apt commenters have already noted that there are more than a few workarounds. Still, credit where it's due . . . It's comforting that citizen journalists are keeping an active watch on the antics of local government. However . . . With a couple of high profile gas stations already going up in Midtown . . . We're not sure if this move will take hold . . . Moreover . . . Even for conservatives, fighting against a new gas station unsuccessfully is a right of passage to the disappointment of middle-age going into the golden years. Here's a peek at he money line and more info . . . "Declaring a temporary moratorium on the issuance or approval of any new permits, plan review, project plans and zoning changes for gas stations within Kansas City, and directing staff to review and recommend any appropriate text amendments to the Zoning and Development Code (Chapter 88)." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com screencap of this tidbit . . . Developing . . . A nitpick . . . A person isn't REALLY a survivalist when they depend on MILLIONS in taxpayer & private funding in order to camp out most of the day. More importantly . . . CAN WE JUST ADMIT THE KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY MOSTLY SERVES AS A HOMELESS SHELTER NOWADAYS?!?! It's too bad because an urban public study space for youngsters would be beneficial for the entire community and it SEEMS like it's getting harder for the library to fulfill that mission whilst addressing politics & poverty seem to dominate the agenda of this public resource. Nevertheless . . . Here's a peek at public radio talking about our stubborn "unhoused" in a conversation that TOTALLY omits substance abuse which is typically the reason that more people don't take shelter in so many spaces that demand at least temporary sobriety for the safety of all their inhabitants . . . Check-it: "When the sun comes up, they have to move. Police and park rangers will run them off and possibly take the extra clothes, blankets and sleeping bags if they stay put under the bridge. Normally they head for the Plaza branch of the Kansas City Public Library, but thats just one of the amenities they use. "The library publishes what it calls a Street Sheet with dozens of places to get food, clothing, bedding, legal help, mental help and health care. Thompson and Gaddy are conversant with most of the organizations, know their schedules, their offerings and their quirks." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Check tough consequences for this local "protester" or "insurrectionist" depending on your point of view and unwillingness to accept that space monkey aliens really run EVERYTHING on planet Earth from a booth in the McDonald's on Massachusetts Ave: Sentenced to 55 months for both felony convictions, and the sentences will run consecutively. Following his prison sentence, he will be on supervised release for three years. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. He brought an axe handle, gas mask, helmet and other tactical gear when he traveled with other KCK-area Proud Boys members to Washington D.C. for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to the Associated Press. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . I never would have guessed that you're a mother, Lena, a fellow traveller, says to me as our collective shuttle meanders through the dizzying maze of streets that make up Guatemala City. Its the last day of my weeklong trip to Central America, and the first time I have travelled solo since giving birth to my son. Until this point, I havent been away from him for more than a couple of hours at a time. But Lenas observation reflects something Ive realized since leaving my 18-month-old toddler at home (in the care of my supportive husband) and venturing back out into the world: I havent felt like a mother here. And I have not mourned the loss of that feeling once since stepping foot in Guatemala. While I love my son, I was eager to head out on my own and rediscover who I am: not a mother, not a wife, not the person I was before. But Im also terrified of who that person might turn out to be, and guilt-stricken by the relief I feel when I say goodbye, and anxious about mentally cracking wide open like a postpartum Humpty Dumpty, unable to put myself back together again. Conflicting emotions are my constant travel companions. I catch a few restless hours of sleep when I arrive in Guatemala City and hop on another plane to Flores, in the countrys north. My destination is the ancient Mayan city of Tikal. As a collective shuttle takes me from the airport to my hostel, I relax as the arid landscape transforms into wild, lush jungle. That afternoon, as the heavy heat of the rainy season begins to ease, I wander alone through the vast ruins of the pre-Columbian city, a major archeological site originally inhabited from the 6th century B.C. to the 10th century A.D. I stroll down deserted roads, imagining what this place looked like at the height of history. I hum the theme song to "Star Wars" as I clamber up a teetering flight of wooden steps hammered clumsily into the side of Temple IV. At the top, Im wrapped in a breeze so fresh I feel reborn, and not even the murderous screams of the howler monkeys can disturb my deep sense of wonder. As a mother, its easy to defer to societal expectations: that a woman who travels alone should be young and unfettered; that there is something inherently selfish about leaving your child. At times, Ive felt as if the word mother has been tattooed so often on my body, theres no room for who I am outside the role. Could this place allow for a new version of myself, one where the warring sides of being a mother and having time for myself could peacefully coexist? As daylight wanes, I follow in the footsteps of the Mayans also searching for a new beginning. I gasp when I see the Temple of the Great Jaguar breaching the canopy of the dense foliage that has been clawed back over years of excavation. I revel in this lonely space, watching the sun sink low. Its just me and the ghost of my former self here, only now I no longer feel haunted. The whirlwind of my trip continues with a flight back to Guatemala City, and a transfer to the cobbled streets of colonial Antigua Guatemala. That night I toast the view of Volcan de Agua erupting over the rim of my locally brewed pint. My contentment bubbles over like the froth of the beer. The next morning, I join a two-day guided hike up Acatenango, Guatemalas most well known volcano. Ive opted for what the company OX Expeditions calls a Double Whammy, in order to get up close with a second volcano, Fuego, and its Instagram-famous fiery eruptions. We wind through the cloud forest, past aromatic coffee fields and packs of dogs, stopping on occasion for puppy cuddles. At one point, during our push to the summit of Acatenango, a fellow hiker asks if I miss my son. I take a beat, sucking the thin air into my heaving lungs, wondering if I should be honest with the response that punches into my gut. No. No, I dont. I brace myself: for the judgment, for the shame, for the guilt. It doesnt come. Ive always believed that time in nature is the best therapy, and its here, on the summit of a volcano, that my brain is no longer in danger of destruction. The intrusive thoughts of maternal failure for leaving my son at home have dissipated with the ash that belches fleetingly from Fuegos caldera. I realize that the deep, all-consuming love I feel for my son doesnt require sacrificing who I am on the altar of parenthood. The final leg of my trip takes me to Lake Atitlan. I run with abandon on trails behind the Laguna Lodge eco-resort. I wander through villages soaked in music and colour. I wake up early to hike up the Mayan Nose, the ombre shadows of the surrounding volcanoes reaching out across the water toward the fiery embrace of the rising sun. Before I leave, I savour every sip of the rich coffee from hole-in-the-wall cafes, eventually learning to not make the sacrilegious request for milk. I inhale juicy steak and eggs wrapped in freshly baked tortillas for breakfast, and let the tingle of chili chocolate linger on my tongue. Every moment is just for me, and me alone. And I finally feel like I deserve it. Then, sated and refreshed, I go home. Albania, known for its low-cost travel options, is making moves towards high-end tourism. The nation's tourism minister, Mirela Kumbaro, aims to attract more luxury travelers with four- and five-star hotels. Despite its history of limited tourism during its communist past, Albania is now more accessible, especially from the UK. Albania Aims for Affordable Travel, New High-End Tourism In an effort to boost tourism, Albania is setting its sights on high-end visitors, despite currently offering some of Europe's most affordable travel options. Mirela Kumbaro, the country's tourism minister, is focusing on bringing luxury hotels and experiences to the nation. Travel to Albania has become much easier and cheaper, especially from the UK. According to The Independent, flights from Luton to Tirana, Albania's capital, are available for under 50. Ryanair and British Airways also offer flights from various UK locations. Accommodations are equally affordable, with city-center hotels in Tirana costing under 30, and beachfront apartments even less. Albania's push towards luxury tourism marks a significant change from its past. For many years during the 20th century, Albania was under a strict communist regime that restricted foreign travel. Now, three decades after the end of this period, the country is welcoming tourists more freely. Related Article: Archeologists Discover 2,000-Year-Old City In Albania Once Thought To Be Just A Pile Of Rocks Kumbaro emphasizes that while Albania is affordable, it's not aiming for mass-market, beachside holidays. Instead, the focus is on sustainable tourism that avoids overcrowding. Adventure tourism is also a key focus, leveraging Albania's mountains, forests, and rivers. Efforts to improve accessibility include the construction of a new airport in Vlore, in southern Albania. This is expected to reduce car travel within the country and make southern regions more accessible. The tourism minister also addressed misconceptions comparing Albania to the Maldives, insisting that Albania should be appreciated for its unique qualities, from modern cities to ancient towns. Albania Ranks Third Globally in Tourism Growth Albania became a top tourism destination in the first seven months of 2023. The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer ranked third worldwide for tourism growth compared to 2019, before the pandemic. Tourist numbers in Albania rose by 56%, a significant increase from 2019. Qatar was the leader in tourism growth, with a 95% increase. Saudi Arabia came in second, showing a 59% growth rate. Albania's performance was outstanding, surpassing well-known European countries like Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. Even with this success, global tourism numbers are still not as high as in 2019. Other nations like Armenia, Montenegro, and Serbia also saw a strong comeback in their tourism sectors. The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer is a quarterly report that looks at travel data and gives an up-to-date view of the tourism industry. By July 2023, international tourism had recovered to 84% of its level before the pandemic. Despite economic and political challenges, people are traveling more, showing a strong and sustainable return of tourism, according to BNE Intellinews. About 700 million tourists traveled internationally in the first seven months of 2023, 43% more than in 2022. However, this is still 16% less than in 2019. The Middle East had the best recovery, exceeding its pre-pandemic levels by 20%. Europe reached 91% of its former levels, boosted by regional travel. Africa and the Americas also recovered well, while Asia and the Pacific are catching up. Read Also: What to Pack for Your Trip to Albania: Essential Tips for Every Traveler When you think of Cappadocia, it is hard not to think of its famed hot air balloon rides that have been dominating social media and travel blogs. While the experience such rides off is undoubtedly one for the books, there is more to Cappadocia than hot air balloons. For those looking to visit this part of Turkey, here are five other things you can do in Cappadocia. Visit the Goreme Historical National Park It's pretty much a sin to visit Cappadocia and not explore the rest of Goreme, where the hot air balloon rides can be found. In fact, the Goreme National Park was listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1985. "In a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion, the Goreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period," UNESCO describes. "Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century can also be seen there." Goreme is home to churches that have been carved into its rocks. Among the churches that can be found are the Dark (Karanlk) Church and Tokal (Buckled) Church. Try Testi Kebab A dish described by Go Turkiye as "unique dish to Cappadocia," Testi Kebab (otherwise known as Clay Pot Kebab) is basically a dish of meat, lentils, and vegetables that are cooked in a sealed clay pot. Needless to say, in order to eat the kebab inside, you will have to break the clay pot. It is best paired with local wine, which brings us to the third thing you can do in Cappadocia. Related Article: Turkey Sets Sights on $100 Billion Tourism Goal with Record Visitors, Projects Visit a Vineyard to Enjoy Local Wines Cappadocia's winemaking tradition has been around for thousands of years. Anatolian grapes such as Okuzgozu, Emir, and Kalecik Karas all grow within the area. Vineyards are typicall open to visitors all year long, so it shouldn't be difficult to add a vineyard or two to your itinerary. Head to Uchisar Castle Before you think that Uchisar Castle is an actual castle like those you see in Europe, that isn't exactly the case. It is actually a rock formation that is over 60 meters high. The rooms and passageways that are found within its area once served as residences, though no one longer resides there. Numerous fairy chimneys (otherwise known as hoodoos) as well as the Church of St. Basil can be found at the Uchisar Castle. Explore the Derinkuyu Underground City The region of Cappadocia is home to a couple of ancient underground cities. One of which is known as the Derinkuyu Underground City, which has a depth of around 85 meters. The multi-level underground city is said to have once accommodated 20,000 people. It likewise once had churches, cellars, wine and oil presses, refectories, and even a missionary school. Read Also: What You Need to Know About Denizli's Ancient Cities Sundry Photography / Getty Images Rebecca Chobat, the creator of TikToks popular Dollar Tree Dinners, received a question from a TikTok user who asked if Chobat could do a Walmart Meal. I only really have a Walmart near me, and we have about $50 for a weeks worth of food, the user said. Americans Are Struggling To Buy Groceries: Heres How Theyre Cutting Costs Find Out: How To Get $340 a Year in Cash Back for Things You Already Buy Here are the groceries for one week that Chobat found at Walmart, which totaled under $50. Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief. Breakfast Foods Chobat covered breakfast options first. Rachel Cruze: 12 Ways To Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half Discount Bakery Rack The first place Chobat visited in Walmart was the discount bakery rack to look for breakfast pastries. She didnt find any, but she did find some mini croissants for $1.91. However, she didnt opt to buy them. She gave a tip that you can freeze these discounted items for later use if needed. 18-Count Eggs: $3.48 Make scrambled, fried, poached or hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. You can also use some eggs and bread to make french toast as a special treat one morning. 12-Ounce Bag of Great Value French Roast Coffee: $4.47 If youre a coffee drinker, the Great Value brand of coffee can help you save at about $0.37 per ounce. A 12-ounce bag of Dunkin Donuts ground coffee is about $0.66 per ounce. Imperial Margarine: $1.48 Toast with margarine is a simple yet tasty breakfast food. Plus, you can use margarine in countless recipes. Great Value Half-Gallon Milk: $1.92 Milk can be used for pouring on oatmeal, drinking or using in recipe mixes. Great Value Flavored Oatmeal: $1.82 Great Value Flavored Oatmeal comes in a variety of flavors, including fruity ones. Chobat chose Strawberries & Cream. Other fruit-flavored options are Peaches & Cream, Blueberries & Cream and Bananas & Cream. Bananas: $0.72 Per Pound Chobat said to slice the bananas and add them to oatmeal. But you could also peel and freeze them for a snack or eat with toast and peanut butter or jam. Story continues Great Value White Sandwich Bread: $1.32 You cant make toast at breakfast without bread, and this loaf is a steal at around $0.07 per ounce. Wonder bread is over twice that price at around $0.16 per ounce. Ingredients for Dinners Here are Chobats money-saving picks for dinners. 10-Pound Bag of Chicken Leg Quarters: $7.72 Meat for around $0.77 per pound? Yes, its true. And you dont have to rely on eating it off the bone every night, either. Great Value Seasoning Packets: $0.48-$1.22 Each Never discredit the little seasonings packet section especially if youre new to cooking or learning how to cook, Chobat said. She grabbed Garlic Parmesan, Lemon & Pepper and Caribbean Jerk seasoning packets to flavor the chicken leg quarters. She also picked up brown gravy mix, spaghetti seasoning and taco seasoning in this section. 1-Pound Bag of Great Value Long Grain Rice: $0.92 One nights dinner can be classic chicken and rice. If you have a can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, you can add it to this dish to bulk it up and keep the rice moist. Chicken-Flavored Stuffing: $0.93 Chicken and stuffing is another idea for a meal. Box stuffing is fairly quick and easy to prepare on the stovetop. Great Value Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes: $1.32 Another easy side dish is instant mashed potatoes. All you need is hot water and margarine. Use the brown gravy packet to make gravy, if you like. Flour Tortillas: $1.84 Chobat mentioned making fajitas for dinner one night, so tortillas are a must. She said that tortillas are usually in multiple locations in Walmart stores and recommended checking the international food aisle, bread aisle and bakery department to find the cheapest option. Green Bell Peppers: $0.86 Each Chobat purchased two of these to round out a fajita meal one night. She said she planned on seasoning some of the chicken with taco seasoning for the fajitas. Three-Pound Bag of Yellow Onions: Price Unknown Chobat added a note in her TikTok that she forgot to record that she also put a three-pound bag of onions in her cart. She noted that buying onions in bulk is a good buy, because they are versatile and can be added to just about anything. Great Value Frozen Vegetables: $0.98-$1.16 Chobat selected the green beans, peas and broccoli. She said for broccoli, she prefers florets, but broccoli cuts are cheaper. Great Value Spaghetti: $0.98 Spaghetti is cheap and especially cheap in the Great Value brand. You might even be able to get two meals out of the box, depending on how big your family is. 28-Ounce Can of Great Value Crushed Tomatoes: $1.52 The spaghetti sauce seasoning packet recommends tomato paste, but Chobat decided that crushed tomatoes would make for a fresher-tasting sauce. This particular can also contains tomato puree. Snacks, Drinks and Desserts I believe that budgeting in treats and snacks can make a tight budget feel a lot more manageable, noted Chobat. Here are her budget picks. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix: $0.52 Corn muffins can be a meal addition or a snack. The box makes about six muffins and requires egg and milk. 4-Pack Great Value Key Lime Yogurt: $1.96 These four-packs cost less than $0.50 per yogurt. If key lime flavor is not for you, there are plenty of other flavors, including strawberry banana, peach, blueberry, vanilla or cherry. Great Value Honey, Cinnamon and Vanilla Creamer: $2.68 If you dont have room in your budget for flavored coffee creamer, Chobat pointed out that an alternative is sweetened condensed milk, which comes in a can. You can find it in the baking aisle. Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix: $0.98 Chobat said these muffins can either serve as a breakfast item or a snack. Other options include raspberry, apple cinnamon and banana. The Final Total The total for all of these groceries was $49.85. Chobat kept a running total as she shopped. She subtracted each item she put in her cart from $50, so she could keep track of how much money she had left to spend. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Walmart Shoppers: How To Buy All Your Groceries for Just $50 a Week The Poor Man Tyre Shop in Valencia and a nearby apartment building were destroyed by fire International Arctic weather workshop to be held at UAF An international group of nearly 140 military personnel and civilians with an interest in improving Arctic weather forecasting will gather at the University of Alaska Fairbanks for a four-day conference starting Tuesday. The Arctic Weather Workshop 2024 will be hosted by the UAF Geophysical Institute and held at the UAF Wood Center. Participants include numerous U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines personnel and staff and weather experts from the Geophysical Institute and the UAF International Arctic Research Center. Civilian and military representatives of the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden and Germany will also be attending. Participating Geophysical Institute units include the Alaska Earthquake Center, the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration and the Geographic Information Network of Alaska. UAF photo The time and temperature sign on Alumni Drive on a frigid January 2021 morning on the UAF Troth Yeddha campus in Fairbanks. The workshops goal is to identify cold region data and knowledge gaps and propose solutions in response to Arctic strategies of the U.S. Department of Defense and other NATO Arctic nations. Data collection and forecasting in the Arctic has many challenges, but the workshop will focus on two: The lack of available or known weather observation points to verify conditions in the vast region. The need for training and knowledge in forecasting techniques and procedures for the Arctic region that vary from those used in the mid- and low latitudes. For example, geostationary satellites have low view angles in the Arctic and little to no signal above 70 degrees latitude. Also, mid-latitude cyclone theory is not always applicable in the Arctic. And models struggle to produce viable winter forecasts for this region. This workshop is a great opportunity for all U.S. military services, contractors affiliated with Air Force Weather, academia, other U.S. government entities and our NATO partners who are interested in improving meteorological and oceanographic weather sensing gaps, forecasts and models in sub-Arctic and Arctic environments, said Gail Weaver, a meteorologist at the 611th Air Operations Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Participants will be able to discuss operational challenges and use teamwork to find solutions that can benefit everyone, she said. We also look forward to reinforcing and expanding professional relationships, along with improving collaboration with everyone in attendance. Sessions will be held Tuesday and Wednesday at the UAF Wood Center. Thursday and Friday include tours of the universitys Poker Flat Research Range, the University of Alaska Museum of the North, the Geophysical Institute, National Weather Service Fairbanks Forecast Office and the Army Corps of Engineers Permafrost Research Tunnel. The 1st Combat Weather Squadron, Detachment 3, will hold a field training exercise Thursday and Friday at Fort Wainwright to demonstrate tactical environment cold weather operations and survival techniques. Geophysical Institute Director Robert McCoy is the Tuesday lunchtime speaker. IARC Director Hajo Eicken will speak at Wednesdays lunch. Brig. Gen. Thomas Burke of the Armys 11th Airborne Division will give the opening remarks Tuesday. The day will end with remarks from Chief Master Sgt. Michael Adcock, the Air Force weather manager for readiness and logistics for the air component of both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command. Wednesdays opening remarks will come from Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base. Brig. Gen. David Moar, the Alaska NORAD Region deputy commander at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, will close out the event Wednesday. The workshop was last held in 2022 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Organizers hope to hold the workshop annually. ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Gail Weaver, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, gail.weaver.1@us.af.mil , 907-552-4303; Air Force Master Sgt. William Ledbetter, Fort Wainwright, 317-353-6357. 114-24 Udaku Special AJIRA ZA UHAKIKA NJE NJE, BONYEZA HAPA Africa Cup of Nations 2024 Things to know about the Africa Cup of Nations before the 2024 tournament kicks off on Saturday with a Group A clash between hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau: Ivory Coast are staging the biggest African sport event a second time with Cameroon winning there in 1984. Nigeria finished second and Algeria third. The 1984 edition comprised eight countries and lasted 15 days -- 40 years later the number of participants has trebled to 24. Ivory Coast flopped when they first hosted the tournament with a victory over Togo followed by losses to Egypt and Cameroon and elimination after the group stage. The 2024 tournament will comprise 52 matches over 30 days -- 36 across six groups and 16 in the knockout phase. Commercial capital Abidjan will host 20 matches in two stadiums, Bouake nine, San Pedro and Yamoussoukro eight each and Korhogo seven The opening match between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau and the February 11 final are among 10 fixtures set for the new 60,000-seat Alhassane Ouattara stadium in Abidjan. Stadiums with 20,000 capacities were built in Korhogo, San Pedro and the capital, Yamoussoukro, for the Cup of Nations. The 40-000-seat ground in Bouake and the second in Abidjan, the 30,000-capacity Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium, were renovated for the biennial tournament. Should teams finish level on points in a mini-league, head-to-head records will be the first tie-breaker, followed by goal difference then goals scored in all group matches. If teams are still inseparable, lots will be drawn to determine final placings. This last occurred in 2015 with Guinea advancing to the quarter-finals at the expense of Mali. VAR will be used in all 52 matches with 12 officials selected to monitor matches. There will also be 26 referees and 30 assistant referees at the tournament In the knockout phase, drawn matches will go to extra time, then a penalty shootout if necessary to determine winners. Matches decided by penalties are officially classified as draws. The first knockout stage -- the round of 16 -- will consist of the six group winners, six group runners-up and the four highest ranked third-placed teams. The following tie-breakers will be used to choose the best four third-placed teams: match points, goal difference then goals scored in all group matches, drawing of lots. Qualifiers were permitted squads of up 27 players. However, only 23 -- 11 starters and 12 substitutes -- can be chosen for matches. A record seven million dollars (6.4 mn euros) goes to the winners -- a 40 percent increase from the last tournament won by Senegal in 2022. The runners-up pocket four million dollars. ALSO READ:These Are 5 Teams Whose All Tickets Have Been Sold Out at This AFCON Is your taco TRULY a taco? Thats what Alberto Fenoll wants you to ask yourself. While doing market research in South Florida, the co-owner and co-CEO of Chala Taqueria was a little taken aback with the feedback he gathered for the Dec. 8 launch of his restaurant on the edge of Fort Lauderdales Flagler Village neighborhood. People were saying they love tacos, tacos tacos, but when I ask them what is their favorite taco, 90% of the people tell me a taco that is not even a taco in Mexico, Fenoll recalls. The most important thing about tacos is the products you use, the people that do the taco for you and, of course, the recipes. For nine months, Fenoll gathered ingredient lists and recipes from his home country of Mexico, avoiding touristy locales for off-the-beaten-track areas where the taco is the main food for the family and speaking with kiosk owners and street vendors about their artisanal methods. One thing came through very clearly: The corn is very important. Thats why its in the name of their restaurant. The leaf of the corn is called chala. That is why we chose Chala, he says. We also love flour tortillas, but for us the real taco, the Mexican taco, is with a corn tortilla. Our tortillas are very, very different to all the tortillas that taquerias are selling in the U.S. In the U.S., the corn is yellow that they use to make all of their products, he adds. In Mexico, it is the white corn. And that corn is perfect to have a very good tortilla with a very good temperature with a very good base for everything. THE BACKSTORY The geographic history is a little tricky to follow. Chala Taqueria started as a ghost kitchen in Miamis Coconut Grove working out of Aida, which is a restaurant owned by Colibri 4 Restaurant Group. In 2022, the culinary collective also opened a second Aida where Chala Taqueria is now (which some South Floridians may remember formerly housed American Icon Brewery Kitchen & Taproom), alongside the railroad tracks where Progresso Drive morphs into Northeast Fourth Avenue. Story continues Comparatively, mapping how Fenoll and his business partner, Marco Bardone, met in Mexico is pretty straightforward: Hes the dad of the best friend of my sister. Bardone was already in the restaurant business in South Florida with Aida. He and Eduardo Gavilan co-own Colibri 4 Restaurant Group. But Fenoll got bitten by the culinary bug while in Barcelona working in the finance field. The pandemic paused plans he had to delve into the food and beverage industry, so he eventually joined his family friend here. THE FOOD Billed as a fast-fine-dining, taco-themed restaurant chain more about that coming up Chala Taqueria also serves dishes such as Chicharron de Pork Belly, Esquites (Mexican street corn salad), and Guacamole and Chips. Fenoll says the company imports from Mexico as many ingredients as they can. When you use the best taco ingredients meat, the pork or vegetables with a good sauce and a good tortilla the flavors that you would get in your mouth are insane, are the best and are the real flavors that you would get in Mexico. So I want that, Fenoll says. I want that the people that come to Chala can have the same flavors that they will get when they are in the streets of Mexico. What they do with those ingredients in Chala Taquerias kitchen is also reflective of the methods used in Mexico. There are some tacos, like the birria for us, the authentic birria is like our star plate and the pastor, because both take more than 30 hours of work, he explains. When we receive a meat from the supplier, we have a process that we need to check the meat for more than 30 minutes with different temperatures. THE BRAND The plan is to open three Chala Taquerias in South Florida this year. In two years, we want to have between eight and 15 stores throughout Florida, at first, Fenoll says. And after that, we want to go to different states. In the future, we want to be worldwide. They also embrace technology, which is a large part of their business plan. Customers can buy our food by Instagram, Facebook, Google, all the delivery platforms, by Tik Tok, he says. All of the platforms are integrated in our kitchen, (which is) a smart kitchen because many restaurants want to do the same but they have a single iPad or a single tablet. Thats impossible for the chefs. Thats impossible for the process. We have our own technology, he continues. We have a lot of friends to the staff from the technology (world) so that we are creating our own programs. I think in time the customers will understand what we are creating with this technology. I think like in one year or two years, it would be amazing what we are doing with the technology. The aim is to create a brand. We are very ambitious. This is a very competitive industry, and tacos are a very competitive product in North America. So for us, our plan is to get (directly) to the people, Fenoll says. The first touchpoint is with our good social networks. Our social networks are like a funny, funny website. When you see different things, you can laugh. It is approachable. And then we want to say, By the way, we sell tacos.' Why Flagler Village? Fenoll says the first brick-and-mortar Chala Taqueria is coming to Flagler Village because the area has a little bit of magic. And, its in Fort Lauderdale. He adds: Fort Lauderdale, for me, is like the authentic part of South Florida. And Flagler Village, this zone for me is like a startup. Why a startup? Because it is a part of the city that is just beginning. It is a part of the city where entrepreneurs will believe. It is a part of the city where young people want to be, to know whats going on. Flagler Village, he says, is like a hidden town where you are always going to find something new. Chala Taqueria is located at 911 NE Fourth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit chalataqueria.com or call 786-464-6793. Electricity consumption is remaining at a high level, but no shortage has been registered in Ukraines energy system. Over 160 settlements were left without power across the country due to bad weather. The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Energy Ministry on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The generating capacity of Ukrainian power plants is enough to meet the needs of household and industrial consumers. Hydro power generation reserves were also put into service. During the day, Ukraine imported electricity from the neighboring countries. Power engineers managed to restore the supply of electricity across more than 90 settlements, where power supply services had been interrupted due to the worsening of weather conditions. A total of 165 settlements are remaining without electricity across five regions, namely 56 in the Dnipropetrovsk region, 40 in the Kirovohrad region, 32 in the Mykolaiv region, 28 in the Sumy region, and nine in the Zaporizhzhia region. Repair crews continue working to restore power supply services all over Ukraine. The blockade of truck traffic across the Porubne-Siret crossing point on the Romanian side of the border has been lifted. The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The blockade of truck traffic across the Porubne-Siret crossing point on the Romanian side of the border has been lifted. Trucks and light motor vehicles, buses and pedestrians are crossing the border according to the established procedure, the report states. A reminder that, on January 13, 2024, Romanian farmers blocked the movement of trucks through Romanias crossing point Siret at the border with Ukraine. Photo: open sources Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a video call with the leaders of the coalition in the Bulgarian Parliament: Boyko Borisov, Delyan Peevski, and Kiril Petkov. That's according to the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. Zelensky thanked the Bulgarian Parliament for their recent decisions to support Ukraine. I want to thank you for these decisions. They substantially strengthen Ukraine and enhance the resilience of our resistance to the aggressor. Strengthening our army means strengthening our society," he said. He also conveyed appreciation for Bulgaria's support of Ukraine on the Euro-Atlantic and European integration pathways, particularly during the opening of negotiations for Ukraine's membership in the European Union. The coalition leaders in the Bulgarian Parliament wished Ukraine victory and peace, assuring continued support from Bulgaria. Zelensky informed the participants about the situation on the battlefield and recent heavy missile attacks by Russia on Ukrainian cities. He emphasized the urgent need for more air defense systems, missiles for them, artillery rounds, and other necessities. The participants discussed further defensive support for Ukraine. They also focused on the issue of using frozen Russian assets to compensate for the damage caused by its aggression. Zelensky thanked Bulgaria for clear sanctions against the aggressor state and underscored the importance of continuing support for EU sanctions mechanisms. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine Home prices are dropping in Delaware. The median home in New Castle County listed for $400,000 in December, down 4.6% from the previous month's $419,175. In Sussex County the median listing is $539,700, down 1.9% from the previous month's $549,945. The Kent County median is $409,250, down 1.4% from the previous month's $415,000. All of the data was gathered from an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows. Listings in New Castle County moved briskly, at a median 41 days. In the previous month, homes had a median of 38 days on the market. Around 320 homes were newly listed on the market in December, a 1.2% decrease from 324 new listings last year. Sussex County homes moved a bit more steadily at a median 64 days. In the previous month, homes had a median of 56 days on the market. Around 272 homes were newly listed on the market last month, a 19.3% increase from 228 new listings in December 2022. In Kent, the median was 58 days. The December national median of 61 days on the market. What is a median home price? The median home list price used in this report represents the midway point of all the houses or units listed over the given period of time. Experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average list price, which would mean taking the sum of all listing prices then dividing by the number of homes sold. The average can be skewed by one particularly low or high price. The median home prices issued by Realtor.com may exclude many, or even most, of a market's homes. The price and volume represent only single-family homes, condominiums or townhomes. They include existing homes, but exclude most new construction as well as pending and contingent sales. In Delaware, median home prices were $474,990, a slight decrease from November. The median Delaware home listed for sale had 2,079 square feet, with a price of $230 per square foot. Regional home sales Across the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area, median home prices fell to $340,000, slightly lower than a month earlier. The median home had 1,541 square feet, at a list price of $214 per square foot. Story continues Throughout the United States, the median home price was $410,000, a slight decrease from the month prior. The median American home for sale was listed at 1,838 square feet, with a price of $220 per square foot. The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Realtor.com. Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu. New building: Just ahead of the wrecking ball, Claymont's Tri-State Liquors opens in brand-new building The latest: What we know about Delaware's measles exposure at Nemours Children's Hospital Farmers markets: As Delaware farmers markets become community events, sales top $4 million for first time This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: DE home prices fell in December. Here are the latest listing prices In a surprising move, the Biden administration recently announced an accelerated timeline for the implementation of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, providing relief for students who borrowed $12,000 or less for college and have been repaying their loans for at least a decade. This unexpected development means that eligible borrowers enrolled in the Education Department's income-driven repayment plan may see their student debt wiped out next month, well ahead of the initially scheduled July start date. While critics argue that this move could have long-term financial implications, proponents believe it's a crucial step in alleviating the burden of student loan debt, especially for community college attendees and low-income borrowers. The SAVE Plan and its Impact The SAVE plan, introduced last summer, aims to streamline the loan forgiveness process, offering a faster route to cancellation for individuals with lower loan balances. Typically, borrowers on an income-driven repayment plan witness loan forgiveness after 20 or 25 years. However, the SAVE plan provides quicker relief for those who borrowed $12,000 or less, significantly reducing the repayment timeline. President Biden expressed pride in implementing one of the most impactful provisions of the SAVE plan ahead of schedule, emphasizing its significance for community college attendees, low-income borrowers, and those struggling with loan repayment. The accelerated timeline, though not explicitly explained by the Education Department, reflects the administration's commitment to addressing the urgency of the student debt crisis. READ ALSO: Revitalizing New York's Tuition Assistance Program: Legislators Call For Reforms To Aid Lower And Middle-Class Students Notification and Eligibility Borrowers eligible for loan forgiveness under the SAVE plan will receive notifications in February, requiring no further action on their part. This streamlined process aims to simplify the experience for borrowers, ensuring that those who meet the criteria are informed promptly and can benefit from debt relief. As of now, approximately 6.9 million borrowers have enrolled in the SAVE plan. However, the Education Department has not disclosed the specific number of individuals expected to experience debt relief next month. The lack of clarity on this aspect has raised questions about the scope and impact of the accelerated forgiveness program. Political Backlash and Criticisms The Biden administration's move has not been without its share of criticism, primarily from Republicans in the House and Senate. Critics argue that this accelerated loan forgiveness could make college education more expensive and push the nation toward financial instability. Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican and chair of the House education committee, accused President Biden of attempting to gain votes by greenlighting a move that adds fuel to the existing student debt crisis. The criticism also extends to the timing of the announcement, with Republicans pointing out the alleged mismanagement of the rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The skepticism surrounding the administration's motives emphasizes the partisan divide on how to address the complex issue of student loan debt. Community College Borrowers and the Path to Free Education One notable aspect of the SAVE plan is its potential impact on community college borrowers. Analysts have suggested that the plan could pave the way for a version of free community college education. The Department of Education estimates that 85 percent of future community college borrowers will be debt-free after 10 years under the SAVE plan. This statistic underscores the potential positive effects of the accelerated loan forgiveness initiative, particularly for individuals who choose community college as their path to higher education. The Biden administration's decision to expedite the loan forgiveness process for low-balance borrowers under the SAVE plan has generated both praise and criticism. While proponents see it as a necessary step to alleviate the burden of student loan debt, opponents argue that it may have adverse long-term consequences. As the nation grapples with the ongoing debate on how to address the student debt crisis, the accelerated timeline for the SAVE plan serves as a focal point, highlighting the challenges and complexities of finding a sustainable solution to this pressing issue. RELATED ARTICLE: State Legislatures' Higher Ed Agenda: Exploring Economic Shifts, Cultural Debates, And Student Loan Dynamics In a significant move to address the escalating student loan crisis and soaring higher education costs, Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, introduced the College Cost Reduction Act. This sweeping House bill aims to reshape the student loan system, cap student borrowing, and hold colleges and universities accountable for unpaid loans. With a focus on accountability, transparency, and affordability, the proposed legislation is positioned as a bipartisan effort to tackle the root causes of the astronomical levels of student loan debt in America. The Need for Reform The introduction of the College Cost Reduction Act comes amid a growing consensus among Democrats and Republicans that student loan debt has reached unsustainable levels, hindering the aspirations of students seeking postsecondary education. Representative Foxx points to the inflated cost of obtaining a college degree as the primary culprit and underscores the pressing need for reforms. The bill is poised to become a key instrument in implementing crucial measures to benefit students and their families. READ ALSO: Georgia's Bold Fiscal Move: Governor Kemp Breaks Tradition With A $5 Billion Boost Key Provisions 1. Capping Student Borrowing The centerpiece of the bill is a cap on how much students can borrow for higher education. This move is designed to curb excessive student loan debt and ensure that students and their families are not burdened with unmanageable financial obligations after graduation. 2. Incentives for Colleges The legislation introduces new incentives for colleges and universities to control their costs. Institutions must provide upfront information about the total cost of an entire degree program, ensuring transparency, and guarantee that this cost will not change. Failure to comply may result in institutions losing access to enhanced Pell Grants and a new performance-based grant program. 3. Enhanced Pell Grants Building on bipartisan support, the bill includes the Pell Plus Act of 2023. This component aims to double the maximum Pell Grant award for juniors and seniors on track to graduate on time, enrolled in bachelor's degree programs considered to have a high return on investment. 4. Accreditation Focus on Student Outcomes The legislation calls for accrediting agencies to prioritize student outcomes in their reviews of higher education institutions. This shift towards evaluating success metrics aims to ensure that colleges are delivering on their promises and providing value to students. 5. Accreditation Process Reforms In addition to emphasizing student outcomes, the bill creates a pathway for new accrediting agencies to receive federal recognition. This change promotes diversity and competition within the accreditation process, potentially leading to improved oversight and accountability. 6. Rolling Back Regulations The College Cost Reduction Act takes aim at rolling back certain regulations, including the Biden administration's gainful-employment rule. It also restricts the Education Department's authority to issue new rules on the topic. These measures are intended to provide colleges with more flexibility while ensuring that accountability remains a priority. As the latest proposal in a series of efforts to reform the Higher Education Act of 1965, the College Cost Reduction Act seeks to address the pressing issues of student loan debt and the exorbitant cost of higher education. With its multifaceted approach, including capping student borrowing, introducing incentives for colleges, and enhancing Pell Grants, the bill aims to create a more transparent, accountable, and affordable higher education system. The ongoing bipartisan discussions around these reforms indicate a shared recognition of the need for comprehensive change to ensure the accessibility and sustainability of higher education in the United States. RELATED ARTICLE: Biden Administration Surprises Low-Balance Borrowers With Accelerated Student Loan Forgiveness Under SAVE Plan Idaho's higher education landscape has been a battleground of legal complexities and controversies, and at the forefront of this legal fray stands Hawley Troxell, the go-to law firm for colleges and universities in the state. In the past three years, their legal services, valued at over $850,000, have become a linchpin in addressing political firestorms, navigating intricate bond issues, and managing a myriad of matters for Idaho's academic institutions. However, the heavily redacted invoices and the firm's pivotal role in high-profile cases have sparked questions about transparency, outsourcing, and the cost-effectiveness of legal representation in the realm of higher education. The Role of Hawley Troxell Boise-based Hawley Troxell has positioned itself as a legal powerhouse, boasting 110 attorneys and satellite offices across Idaho. Specializing in handling specialized legal issues or projects too overwhelming for in-house legal teams, the firm has become an integral part of Idaho's higher education legal landscape. Tom Mortell, co-managing partner of Hawley Troxell, emphasized that the firm's involvement often revolves around specialized legal tasks that require a dedicated team. With higher education institutions dealing with issues such as IT contracts, construction, real estate, and particularly bond financing, Hawley Troxell's expansive expertise fills a crucial void. READ ALSO: Rutgers University Law Student Alleges Discrimination And Retaliation Over Antisemitism Concerns Legal Bills Breakdown Idaho Education News obtained invoices from eight public colleges and universities, revealing a breakdown of Hawley Troxell's legal bills from January 1, 2021, to the fall of 2023: University of Idaho: $482,857.96 Boise State University: $167,191.50 College of Western Idaho: $147,137.47 Lewis-Clark State College: $45,000 Idaho State University: $14,526.57 Total: $856,713.50 While North Idaho College, the College of Southern Idaho, and the College of Eastern Idaho did not contract with Hawley Troxell, the amounts billed highlight the significant financial engagement between the firm and various Idaho institutions. Why Outsource Legal Work Despite having in-house legal counsel at most institutions, outsourcing legal work to firms like Hawley Troxell is common. The primary reasons cited include managing workload factors, seeking specialized expertise, and addressing the intricacies of certain legal tasks, such as bond financing. The invoices, though heavily redacted, reveal a spectrum of outsourced legal work, ranging from workplace investigations to trademark issues and compliance with regulations like HIPAA. Boise State and the University of Idaho, Hawley Troxell's largest higher education client, have utilized the firm for investigations and reports on diversity issues. Controversies and Scrutiny The firm's involvement in high-profile controversies has not gone unnoticed. In the wake of Idaho's heightened scrutiny of higher education, Hawley Troxell has found itself at the epicenter of key investigations, including Boise State's UF 200 course and the University of Idaho's diversity and inclusion programs. The reports produced by Hawley Troxell, often clearing institutions of alleged wrongdoings, have faced criticism. Despite the scrutiny, Tom Mortell staunchly defends the firm's independence and commitment to thorough investigations. The Bottom Line and Legislative Response The $850,000 in legal bills has raised eyebrows, prompting a response from legislators like Rep. Wendy Horman. While some outsourcing makes sense, the significant engagement with external attorneys has led to discussions about the broader implications of legal representation in the realm of higher education. As Hawley Troxell continues to play a pivotal role in Idaho's higher education legal landscape, questions about transparency, accountability, and cost-effectiveness linger. The legal bills, controversies, and the firm's unapologetic advocacy for higher education have thrust the role of legal representation into the spotlight, prompting a broader conversation about the intersection of law and academia in Idaho. RELATED ARTICLE: FTC Sues Grand Canyon University, Alleging Deceptive Practices Targeting Doctoral Students Beijing, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2024) At least 10 people were killed and six are missing after an accident at a coal mine in central China's Henan Province, state media said Saturday. The accident, a likely coal and gas explosion described as an "outburst", happened around 2:55 pm (0655 GMT) on Friday in Pingdingshan, state broadcaster CCTV said. Search and rescue efforts were continuing, CCTV said. State news agency Xinhua said 425 people were working underground when the blast took place. Those in charge of the mine have been taken into custody by authorities, Xinhua said. Mining safety in China has improved in recent decades, as has media coverage of major incidents, many of which were once overlooked. However, accidents are still common in an industry with a poor safety record and where regulations are not necessarily enforced. In 2022, 245 people died in 168 accidents, according to official figures. Last month, 12 people were killed and 13 injured in a mining accident on the outskirts of Jixi city in northeastern Heilongjiang province. Eleven people were killed in November in an accident at another coal mine in the same province. And in September, at least 16 people were killed in a coal mine fire in southwest China's Guizhou province. Taipei, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2024) Millions of Taiwanese headed to the polls Saturday for a presidential election in the face of threats from China that choosing the wrong leader could set the stage for war on the self-ruled island. Beijing slammed frontrunner Lai Ching-te, the current vice president, as a dangerous "separatist" in the days leading up to the poll, and on the eve of the vote its defence ministry vowed to "crush" any move towards Taiwanese independence. Communist China claims self-ruled Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait, as its own and says it will not rule out using force to bring about "unification", even if conflict does not appear imminent. Voting began at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) at the nearly 18,000 polling stations across the island, with almost 20 million people eligible to cast ballots. In a Taipei school, 54-year-old professor Karen was the first in line to enter a polling booth. "I looked into the ballot box and felt that I've never been as excited as this moment, because there is one candidate I believe who can bring hope to the future of Taiwan," she told AFP. A 70-year old retiree surnamed Liu arrived early at a New Taipei City elementary school, the same station where current President Tsai Ing-wen will be voting. "I hope the next administration will do as well as the current one," she said. Taiwan has strict election laws for polling day on influencing the election that effectively prevent media from asking voters' about their specific choices. results are expected Saturday evening, with the outcome watched closely from Beijing to Washington -- the island's main military partner -- as the two superpowers tussle for influence in the strategically vital region. During a raucous campaign, Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) pitched himself as the defender of Taiwan's democratic way of life. "After I get elected as the president, I will continue to take the path of democracy and peace. I will stand with the international camp of freedom and democracy," Lai said at his final rally on Friday. His main opponent Hou Yu-ih, of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), favours warmer ties with China and accuses the DPP of antagonising Beijing with its stance that Taiwan is "already independent". Hou's KMT has said it will boost economic prosperity, while maintaining strong relationships with international partners, including the United States. Taiwan bans the publishing of polls within 10 days of elections, but political observers say the 64-year-old Lai is expected to win the top seat, though his party is likely to lose its parliamentary majority. The race has also seen the rise of the upstart populist Taiwan People's Party (TPP), whose leader Ko Wen-je has drawn support with an anti-establishment offer of a "third way" out of the two-party deadlock. Located on a key maritime gateway linking the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan is home to a powerhouse semiconductor industry producing precious microchips -- the lifeblood of the global economy powering everything from smartphones to cars and missiles. China has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, periodically stoking worries about a potential invasion. There was a renewed threat from China's military on the event of the election. "The Chinese People's Liberation Army maintains high vigilance at all times and will take all necessary measures to firmly crush 'Taiwan independence' attempts of all forms," defence ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said in a statement. Chinese warplanes and naval ships probe Taiwan's defences almost every day, and Beijing has in recent years also staged massive war games -- simulating a blockade of the island and sending missiles into its surrounding waters. A blockade would turn the key Taiwan Strait into a chokehold, affecting the transport of 50 percent of the world's containers and costing the global economy at least $2 trillion, according to one analysis. Chinese President Xi Jinping in a recent New Year's address said the "unification" of Taiwan with China was "inevitable". Critics of the DPP blame current President Tsai Ing-wen for provoking China by insisting that Taiwan is "already independent", a stance that Beijing considers a red line. Under Taiwan law, Tsai can not run again as she has served the maximum two terms. As well as a president, voters will also elect lawmakers to Taiwan's 113-seat legislature as well as a president. burs-dhc/pdw/kma UPDATED 9:35 p.m., Jan. 13 A long list of businesses in Fremont announced closures Saturday morning as the second winter storm to pummel the region this week continued into the weekend. Public safety officials also strongly suggested residents remain home and off local roads and highways. The Dodge County Office of Emergency Management also declared a local emergency at about 1:55 p.m. Saturday. "Dodge County has declared a local emergency for this winter storm. The County Emergency Declaration indicates that normal resources cannot effectively respond to the disaster, or have expended response and recovery efforts to the point that remaining resources are inadequate to meet all disaster related needs," county officials wrote in a press release. "Many local resources are attempting to clear roads and highways as well as assisting many motorists in this dangerous weather." Officials with the Fremont Police Department and Dodge County Sheriff's Office also issued repeated pleas to residents to stay home and not drive on area roads due to drifting snow and the extremely cold weather. "If we didnt have to be out in this storm we wouldnt be and neither should you unless absolutely necessary," Fremont police officials wrote on the department's Facebook page. "Per the Fremont Street Department, Hills Farm Road at the South Downing Roundabout is closed. It most likely will not be until after midday that the Street Department will be able to send a team down to clear the roadway. Road closure signs have been placed." Officials with the National Weather Service office in Valley also issued a warning to drivers. "A lot of rural roads remain closed. And it could take up to a couple of days to get all of the roads open," NWS officials wrote on Facebook. "Please don't travel in rural areas, you could be stranded. And wind chills are currently -30 to -40 degrees below 0, and will get even colder tonight." Dodge County Sheriff Dustin Weitzel advised those who did choose to venture out to check the Nebraska Department of Transportation 511 road conditions hotline. "NDOT is working very hard to clear the roadways but visibility and drifting is making it impossible. Please dont make your vehicle be an obstruction for them to safely clear the roads," Weitzel posted on Facebook. "Several roads are closed completely, all are snow packed and drifting. At times the drifting is completely covering the roadway. Check 511 for current road closings." The Dodge County Sheriff's Office also announced that the following roads and highways were closed on Saturday: * State Highway 91 east from U.S. Highway 77 toward Blair * State Highway 91 north of Scribner and westward toward Dodge * State Highway 79 from Snyder south into Saunders County * Old Highway 30 west from Dodge County Road 4 At about 5:40 p.m. Saturday. sheriff's officials also said State Highway 91 was impassable. "State Highway 91 is impassable because of drifts and several cars stuck a mile east of Snyder. Other highways in Dodge County are being cleared by road crews, and conditions are changing for the better hopefully," sheriff's officials posted online at 5:40 p.m. The Fremont Police Department also issued a request to residents in the SunRidge neighborhood to move cars off streets. "The Fremont Street Department is asking for those who reside in the Sunridge addition to remove any stranded cars from the roadway so that snow removal can begin," police department officials posted online. The Saunders County Sheriff's Office also announced that all roads within the county were officially closed all day on Saturday. Saunders County Sheriff Chris Lichtenberg said all Saunders County residents should stay home and not travel. "Do not travel. Most highways are drifted and impassable in Saunders County," Lichtenberg stated in a press release on Facebook. "Emergency personnel are risking their lives because of bad decisions and lack of judgment. Stay home. Roads are closed." Among the closures announced on Saturday were: * Chuy's Mexican Restaurant * CornHusker AutoWash * Black Label burger restaurant * The Dairy Queen on North Broad Street * Trinity Lutheran Church has cancelled all services for the weekend * The Fremont Area Art Association * Some weekend services at St. Patrick Catholic Church have been cancelled this weekend, but the 10 a.m. and noon masses will be hosted at the church and also live streamed on the church's Facebook page. * The City of Fremont Friendship Center is closed on Monday, Jan. 15. Archaeologists have uncovered a cluster of lost cities in the Amazon rainforest, an area that was home to at least 10,000 farmers around 2,000 years ago. A series of earthen mounds and buried roads in Ecuador was first noticed more than two decades ago by archaeologist Stephen Rostain. But at the time, " I wasn't sure how it all fit together," said Rostain, one of the researchers who reported on the finding Thursday in the journal Science. Recent mapping by laser-sensor technology revealed those sites to be part of a dense network of settlements and connecting roadways, tucked into the forested foothills of the Andes, that lasted about 1,000 years. "It was a lost valley of cities," said Rostain, who directs investigations at France's National Center for Scientific Research. "It's incredible." The settlements were occupied by the Upano people between around 500 B.C. and 300 to 600 A.D. a period roughly contemporaneous with the Roman Empire in Europe, the researchers found. Residential and ceremonial buildings erected on more than 6,000 earthen mounds were surrounded by agricultural fields with drainage canals. The largest roads were 33 feet (10 meters) wide and stretched for 6 to 12 miles (10 to 20 kilometers). While it's difficult to estimate populations, the site was home to at least 10,000 inhabitants, and perhaps as many as 15,000 or 30,000 at its peak, said archaeologist Antoine Dorison, a study co-author at the same French institute. That's comparable to the estimated population of Roman-era London, then Britain's largest city. "This shows a very dense occupation and an extremely complicated society," said University of Florida archaeologist Michael Heckenberger, who was not involved in the study. "For the region, it's really in a class of its own in terms of how early it is." Jose Iriarte, a University of Exeter archaeologist, said it would have required an elaborate system of organized labor to build the roads and thousands of earthen mounds. "The Incas and Mayans built with stone, but people in Amazonia didn't usually have stone available to build they built with mud. It's still an immense amount of labor," said Iriarte, who had no role in the research. The Amazon is often thought of as a "pristine wilderness with only small groups of people. But recent discoveries have shown us how much more complex the past really is," he said. Scientists have recently also found evidence of intricate rainforest societies that predated European contact elsewhere in the Amazon, including in Bolivia and in Brazil. "There's always been an incredible diversity of people and settlements in the Amazon, not only one way to live," said Rostain. "We're just learning more about them." Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa this week classified 22 gangs as terrorist groups and declared a state of war against them. The move followed an armed attack during a live television broadcast in the port city of Guayaquil on Tuesday during which hooded men took journalists hostage. Veronica Villafane reports the designation paves the way for military intervention. After the latest U.S. and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to Houthi drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, some commentators in Egypt said that more attacks could reduce Suez Canal traffic and damage the Egyptian and world economy. Former Egyptian deputy foreign minister Hussein Haridi told Arab media that the U.S. and British attacks would probably damage Egypt's already-struggling economy and cut shipping through the Suez Canal even more than the 30% decline that occurred in December. He said if the U.S.-British attacks on the Houthis continue, it's not going to resolve the problem but exacerbate it and cause a widening of the conflict to other fronts in the region and affect both the security and the economies of the [Middle East] and Europe. Haridi noted that an escalating conflict could result in an attack on a U.S. or British warship, that would force a more robust response from the U.S. or Britain. Khattar Abou Diab, who teaches political science at the University of Paris, told VOA that the U.S. and British strikes against the Houthis come after dozens of Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and are intended to dissuade them from conducting more attacks: He said that the U.S. and British strikes come after 32 Houthi attacks, not just against ships heading toward Israel but international shipping, in addition to a major attack on January 9 using 13 drones and a barrage of missiles, causing over 2,000 ships to divert from the Red Sea and Suez Canal [to take the longer route around the Horn of Africa]. Professor Said Sadek at Egypt's Japanese University in Alexandria told VOA that he thinks the U.S. would have killed Houthi leaders or commanders if it had really wanted to escalate the situation and that Yemen's tribal society would have pushed the Houthis to seek revenge. Egypt, he suggested, may also have turned a blind eye to the U.S. attack. "[Egypt] may have turned a blind eye [to the attack] because it's 3,200 kilometers from Cyprus [where there's a British base] to Yemen," he said. London-based Iran expert Ali Nourizadeh told VOA that he thinks that Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders are working closely with the Houthis to coordinate drone strikes and other attacks on Red Sea shipping. "The Iranians, one way or the other, insisted that they were not involved [in the attacks on Red Sea shipping]," he said. "While they were involved, but [Iran] doesn't want to put America in a corner and force them to attack, so they said they were not involved, and they keep saying that." Nourizadeh also said he thinks that Israel doesn't want to expand the scope of its proxy conflict with Iran, either. "One front is enough for [Israel]," he argued. "Israel hasn't even fought with [Lebanon's] Hezbollah militia group the way they thought they would fight." Israel, has nevertheless, attacked pro-Iranian militia forces in Syria on a number of occasions since the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, which ignited the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. As communities nationwide prepare this weekend to celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with events ranging from parades to prayer services, some will take a cue from the slain civil rights icons history of protest to demonstrate against the war in Gaza and draw attention to a looming U.S. presidential election. The Monday holiday also marks 100 days since October 7, when Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and resulted in about 240 taken hostage. Since then, more than 100 Israelis remain kidnapped and more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels bombardment of Gaza, as global health organizations have warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis there. Perhaps the most massive, organized event of the weekend in the U.S. will be held in the nations capital on Saturday the March on Washington for Gaza, co-hosted by the American Muslim Task Force on Palestine, comprising of some of the largest Muslim organizations in the U.S., along with antiwar and racial justice groups. The march is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EST. March organizers are calling on President Joe Biden to demand a permanent cease-fire and an end to the violence against civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. They are also calling for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners and for an end to "American unconditional financial support for the Israeli military," according to Edward Ahmed Mitchell, AMTP media coordinator and deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. A similar march held in November, the National March on Washington: Free Palestine, drew tens of thousands of participants from around the country. Some estimates suggested at least 100,000 attended. The title of Saturdays march evokes the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, at which King delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech atop the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. That history, as well as Kings vocal opposition to the U.S. role in the Vietnam War toward the end of his life, is a guiding factor for the organizers. Mitchell, who called Kings legacy "multifaceted," said King spoke up even if it meant getting vilified. "He was considered un-American and called a traitor. Even the political establishment shunned him," Mitchell said. In 1967, exactly one year before he was assassinated, King delivered his famous "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech at Riverside Church in New York City. After quietly opposing the Vietnam War for years, he took the public step to condemn it, connecting racial and economic inequality in the U.S. with increased military spending abroad. "I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor, and attack it as such," King said in his speech. Kings daughter, Bernice King, has said her father was against antisemitism and also would have opposed the bombing of Gaza. The taking of lives through retaliatory violence is not the strategy he would want to see today. "There is an opportunity for us to have a real breakthrough and get to some genuine conversations and actions that can allow people to co-exist in an area of the world," Bernice King said in a recent interview from The King Center in Atlanta, where she is CEO. She believes protests are critical in difficult times. King just hopes that people in general use nonviolent words and actions if they invoke her fathers name. "My father had a certain manner, tone and tenor in his protest. You know, your language, your speech has to be in line, not just the physical acts," she said. "But if your language is violent, that is not necessarily in sync with Dr. King." The center also will hold a holiday commemorative service Monday at Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the late civil rights icon served as pastor. Observed federally since 1986, the holiday occurs on the third Monday of January, which this year happens to be the Rev. Kings actual birthday. Born in 1929, the minister would have been 95. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Kings Nobel Peace Prize. Prominent Democrats will be commemorating the holiday in South Carolina, now the first state in the Democratic Partys reshuffled presidential primary schedule. The NAACP is hosting Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black person to hold the office, at the State House in Columbia. Harris visited the city in November to officially file paperwork putting Biden on the presidential ballot. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black leader of a party in Congress, will speak at an interfaith prayer service. The days events will center on a theme of "Ballots for Freedom, Ballots for Justice, Ballots for Change!" For many, the holiday will be an opportunity to counter the recent backlash over efforts at companies and universities to implement diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, will announce Monday a national campaign to sustain DEI measures. This comes after he led a demonstration against last weeks resignation of Claudine Gay, Harvard Universitys first Black president. Sharpton will also be hosting the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast. Members of Kings family will be in attendance. Giving back is also an intrinsic part of the MLK holiday. AmeriCorps will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of National Service. The government agency is working with the King Center and several charities, faith-based organizations and businesses on community service projects. Various cities and organizations are holding their own volunteer events such as neighborhood clean-ups, food drives and packing care kits for the unhoused. On the actual holiday, events will go beyond just Washington and Atlanta, Kings birthplace. Some will touch on the war in Gaza. Detroit will hold its 21st annual MLK Day Rally & March. The speakers list includes Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, who was censured for rhetoric over the Israel-Hamas war, and Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers president who led negotiations during six weeks of strikes. There will also be plenty of opportunities to attend events after the holiday is over. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation will hold its eighth annual National Day of Racial Healing on Tuesday. It has partnered with nonprofits, schools and communities to hold more than 200 events nationwide. These include "sing-ins" of Civil Rights era songs and neighborhood dialogues. The hope is "challenging the attitudes and assumptions that people hold about folks who are different from themselves," said Alandra Washington, the foundations vice president for transformation and organizational effectiveness. "Even a conversation can make a difference in the lives of others," she said. In life, Abigail Kawananakoa embodied the complexities of Hawaii: Many considered her a princess a descendant of the royal family that once ruled the islands. But she was also the great-granddaughter of a sugar baron and inherited vast wealth thanks to Westerners who upended traditional ways of life through the introduction of private property and the diversion of water for industrial plantations. Now, more than a year after her death at age 96 and the bitter battles over her fortune in the twilight of her life, her estate has been settled. And recently finalized court documents show that after doling out tens of millions to various people including former housekeepers, other longtime employees and her wife there will be at least $100 million left to support Native Hawaiian causes. Kawananakoa cared deeply about advancing Hawaiian culture, and resolving her estate is meaningful to Hawaiians because it is the last of what's known as "alii," or royal, trusts, which were set up by royalty to benefit Native Hawaiians, said Dr. Naleen Naupaka Andrade, executive vice president of Native Hawaiian health for The Queen's Health System. The health system was created from a trust established by Queen Emma in 1859. "Quite frankly, the needs of Hawaiians in education, in social welfare, in housing, in health far exceed the capacity of these trusts," she said. "They augment what federal and state dollars should be doing for Hawaii's Indigenous peoples." Fate of foundation Many have been watching where the money ends up because of concerns about the fate of the foundation Kawananakoa set up to benefit Hawaiians. Kawananakoa's trust will perpetuate Native Hawaiian culture and language, Andrade said. According to documents in the probate case for her estate, $40 million will go to her wife. Settlements have also been reached with about a dozen other people who had claims, including someone described in court documents as her "hanai" son, referring to an informal adoption in Hawaiian culture. Legal wrangling over Kawananakoa's trust, which now has a value of at least $250 million, began in 2017 after she suffered a stroke. She disputed claims that she was impaired, and married Veronica Gail Worth, her partner of 20 years, who later changed her name to Veronica Gail Kawananakoa. In 2020, a judge ruled that Abigail Kawananakoa was, in fact, impaired, and thus unable to manage her property and business affairs. The estate has been overseen by a trustee. She inherited her wealth as the great-granddaughter of James Campbell, an Irish businessman who made his fortune as a sugar plantation owner and one of Hawaii's largest landowners. She held no formal title but was a living reminder of Hawaii's monarchy and a symbol of Hawaiian national identity that endured after the kingdom was overthrown by American businessmen in 1893. Over the years, some insisted Kawananakoa was held up as royalty only because of her wealth. They disputed her princess claim, saying that had the monarchy survived, a cousin would be in line to be the ruler, not her. Her causes She put her money toward various causes, including scholarships, medical bills and funerals for Native Hawaiians. She supported protests against a giant telescope because of its proposed placement on Mauna Kea, a sacred mountain in Hawaiian culture; donated items owned by King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani for public display, including a 14-carat diamond from the king's pinky ring; and maintained Iolani Palace America's only royal residence, where the Hawaiian monarchy dwelled, and which now serves mostly as a museum. "Historically significant items" belonging to Kawananakoa will be delivered to the palace, said a statement issued by trustee Jim Wright on behalf of her foundation. Her trust has been supporting causes dear to her, including programming at the palace such as night tours and cultural dinners, and paying for students at Hawaiian-focused schools to visit cultural sites and experience symphony performances in Hawaiian, Wright said. After Internal Revenue Service clearance, the foundation will receive the leftover money, which Wright estimated to be at least $100 million, to fund similar efforts. Kauikeolani Nani'ole, an educator at Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School in Honolulu, said her school recently received money from the trust for busing to community events. "In those small ways, they make big impacts for schools like us," she said. She called Kawananakoa an "unsung alii" because she often donated to causes and people anonymously. Fostering culture According to documents establishing her foundation in 2001, Kawananakoa wanted it to "maintain, support, preserve and foster the traditional Hawaiian culture in existence prior to 1778" the year the first European explorer, Captain James Cook, reached the islands. That includes Hawaiian music, religion, language and art. Andrade recently visited Kawananakoa's crypt at Mauna Ala, also known as the Royal Mausoleum State Monument, which is the burial place of Hawaiian royalty. She laid an offering of maile leaves entwined with white ginger a flower Kawananakoa loved. "All of the pilikia, all of the trouble, that occurred in the last several years after she became ill what was lost in all that was her love of her people," Andrade said. "Her deep, deep love and the thoughtfulness she had, and the foresight she had before she became ill about wanting to leave a legacy for her people that could make a difference." It has become a daily ritual. Every morning, before shes even out of her pajamas, Rachel Goldberg-Polin tears a piece of masking tape off the roll, grabs a marking pen and in thick black strokes writes down the number of days her son, Hersh, has been held hostage by Hamas militants. Then she sticks the tape to her chest. I find it so remarkable how nauseating it is every single time, she said. And its good. I dont want to get used to it. I dont want anybody to get used to the fact that these people are missing. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was last seen October 7 when militants loaded him into the back of a pickup truck with other people who were abducted from a southern Israel music festival where over 300 attendees were killed. The native of Berkeley, California, lost part of an arm when the attackers tossed grenades into the shelter where a group of young people had taken refuge. Sunday will mark 100 days since he and about 250 others were taken hostage by the militants who stormed across the border from Gaza, triggering the latest war between Israel and Hamas. While dozens of women, children and foreigners were released during a weeklong November cease-fire, and a number of hostages have been confirmed dead, 132 others remain in captivity. The Red Cross hasnt been permitted to see them, and almost nothing is known about their conditions. Rachel Goldberg-Polin, 54, now spends her days trying to bring home Hersh and the other hostages. The mother of three has spent the past three months in relentless motion, crisscrossing the globe, reminding anyone who will listen that her child is more than just an inconvenient statistic: He is her only son, a music lover, a young man who deserves the chance to fulfill his dream of traveling the world. Goldberg-Polin and her family, who moved to Israel from the United States when Hersh was 7, have met with U.S. President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, Elon Musk and dozens of journalists. Shes spoken at the United Nations, gone to protests and carried placards. The plight of the hostages has gripped Israel's attention, and the tireless campaign by families has gained widespread support and sympathy, ratcheting up pressure on the Israeli government to make concessions to win their release. The Goldberg-Polin family plans to attend the start of a 24-hour rally for the hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday and another Sunday on the Jerusalem Promenade, a collection of parks and walkways overlooking the city. Similar events are scheduled in cities outside Israel, including London, New York and Paris. But so far, nothing has stopped the number on the masking tape from going up. The ritual began on Day 26, when Goldberg-Polin stuck the makeshift badge to her chest to show everyone that the excruciating, ever-increasing tally was the focus of her life, not just a factoid for news stories. It defines me anyway, she told The Associated Press on Wednesday, when her badge read 96. She likened it to a name tag, in the fashion of "Hello my name is.'' This is who I am," she said. "My identity is the number of days hes been stolen. Ahead of the 100-day milestone, Goldberg-Polin asked people around the world to adopt her routine on Sunday, hoping the show of solidarity would help her and the other families bear the pain and anguish of waiting yet another day for their loved ones to return. Goldberg-Polins masking tape badge was inspired by childhood memories from 1979, when America was transfixed by the fate of 52 people held hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Iran. ABC News opened its coverage every night with a running count of how many days the crisis had lasted. The hostages were finally released after 444 days. This makes people very uncomfortable because you know what? Human beings like a countdown, Goldberg-Polin said. We like to countdown to vacation. We like to count down in Times Square on New Years Eve. We do not like a count-up. A count-up of humanitys failure of getting these human beings out of captivity is something that makes people very uncomfortable. And you know what? Join the club. Ive been uncomfortable for 96 days. Even so, the 100-day mark has offered a moment to direct the world's attention back on the hostages. Goldberg-Polin hopes that someone, somewhere is caring for her injured son. She has a message for Hersh, just in case it might reach him. I would say: There has not been one second since you were taken that we are not working, turning over every single stone on the planet Earth and running to the ends of the Earth to get you back," she said. "So, we need you to stay strong. And survive and stay alive. And we are coming. The January meeting of the Fremont Area Association of Retired School Personnel took place at St. James Episcopal Church. The membership was served lunch by church members. The snow storm in Iowa caused the cancelation of the guest speaker. January is the associations birthday month where cake and ice cream were furnished by the board members to celebrate. The Pledge of Allegiance was said and the winner of split the pot was announced. Winner Wendy Brenner shared her part of the winnings with the people at the table. Jan Wolfe had her name drawn for a free lunch at the March meeting. Linda Betkie, communication director, and Wanda Samson, financial director, had their respective report approved by the membership. Beth Radtke, publicity coordinator, reported on the amount of food donated to the Low Income Ministry and what the new items will be for both the meetings and drive thru. Janet Kletke thanked the bell ringers who signed up and collected the most amount of money in the city that day. Norma Register thanked everyone for their donations for the holiday meals. The association again increased the number of meals they would be providing in 2023 and 2024 already. The white can donations and auction items will go toward the scholarship fund through 2024. Carol Martin, historical coordinator, brought two of her historical scrap books so all could see her work for the association. Marta Calhoun, chair of the Last Baby of the Year born at Methodist Fremont Health committee, announced that the baby born was a boy and it was the familys first child. Many, many items were donated by the committee for the baby and presented to the hospital nurses. After some discussion about the scholarship program, it was voted to award a $1,000 educational scholarship and a $500 trade scholarship. It was announced by Ruth Register, president, and Betkie, communication director, that they will not seek re-election in March for their positions after many years of service. Valentine deliveries to the veterans in the Fremont care centers will be starting in early February. Members signed up to help deliver the treats. Thank you to Mrs. Demuth at the Learning Center for your support with the chocolates and Heather Parker at Parkers Cookies for the cookie donation. The association is looking to have people recycle their Christmas bags size 10/11 by 12/14 for the groups veterans bags at Christmas. Outstanding Service Award nomination forms are due to Ruth Register by June 1. The next drive thru will be 3-4:30 p.m. Feb. 14 and the items that will be collected are syrup, pancake and waffle mix. The community is always welcome to stop by with a donation item and help out the group. The address is 2832 N. Belvedere (north of the hospital). FAARSPs next meeting is March 13 at First Congregational Church. Children joined thousands of other demonstrators making their way through central London for a pro-Palestinian march Saturday, part of a global day of action against the longest and deadliest war between Israel and Palestinians in 75 years. The plight of children in the Gaza Strip after nearly 100 days of the Israel-Hamas war was the focus of the latest London march, symbolized by the appearance of Little Amal, a 3.5-meter (11.5-foot) puppet originally meant to highlight the suffering of Syrian refugees. The puppet had become a human rights emblem during an 8,000-kilometer (4,970-mile) journey from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2001. Nearly two-thirds of the 23,843 people killed during Israels campaign in Gaza have been women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel declared war in response to Hamas unprecedented cross-border attack on Oct. 7 in which the Islamic militant group killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. It was the deadliest attack in Israels history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust. March organizers said the Palestinian children will accompany Little Amal through the streets of central London. On Saturday Amal walks for those most vulnerable and for their bravery and resilience, said Amir Nizar Zuabi, artistic director of The Walk Productions. Amal is a child and a refugee, and today in Gaza childhood is under attack, with an unfathomable number of children killed. Childhood itself is being targeted. Thats why we walk. Londons Metropolitan Police force said some 1,700 officers will be on duty for the march, including many from outside the capital. Home Secretary James Cleverly said he had been briefed by police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to ensure order and safety during the protest. I back them to use their powers to manage the protest and crack down on any criminality, Cleverly said. A number of conditions were placed on the march, including a directive that no participant in the protest shall venture near the Israeli Embassy. A pro-Israel rally is set to take place in London on Sunday. The London march was one of several others being held in European cities, including Paris, Rome, Milan and Dublin, where thousands also marched along the Irish capital's main thoroughfare. Protesters waved Palestinian flags, held placards critical of the Irish, U.S. and Israeli governments and chanted, Free, free Palestine. Following weeks of intense campaigning and numerous rallies, more than 19 million voters across Taiwan headed to the polls on Saturday to determine who will be the next president to lead the democratic island amid heightened tension across the Taiwan Strait. While Taiwan's presidential election is traditionally a referendum on its relationship with China, a wider range of issues are on the agenda, including social and economic issues such as residential justice and low-wage problems for young people. This situation makes determining which candidate has the better chance to win the election a tricky task. "It's hard to pinpoint one particular issue as the deciding factor for this election," Sarah Liu, an expert on Taiwan politics at the University of Edinburgh, told VOA by phone. In her view, this year's presidential election won't be as clear-cut as the election in 2020, during which the monthslong anti-extradition bill protest in Hong Kong exacerbated Taiwanese voters' concerns about China's influence over Taiwan. Despite the more complex nature of this election, Liu said cross-strait relations remain a salient issue in the hotly contested, three-way presidential race. During the last campaign rallies on Friday, presidential candidates from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and China-friendly opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te and former police chief Hou You-ih, respectively doubled down on their rhetoric emphasizing cross-strait relations. Whereas the third-party candidate, doctor-turned-mayor Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People's Party, tried to present himself as an alternative for young voters. At the pre-election rally in New Taipei City, the DPP's Lai urged Taiwanese to use their votes to defend the island's democratic way of life and promised to help Taiwan navigate the turbulent international situation. "If Taiwan moves closer to China again, Taiwan will lose its edge, and foreign investment in Taiwan will likely be slowed or stopped," he told tens of thousands of jubilant supporters at the scene. "Taiwan must win this battle for itself and secure the first victory of global democracy." A few kilometers away, the Kuomintang's Hou reiterated the slogan that the election is a choice between "war and peace" and promised to prevent war from happening across the Taiwan Strait. "If Lai were elected, the Taiwan Strait would probably be plunged into unrest," he told tens of thousands of supporters in New Taipei City, adding that he firmly opposed Taiwan independence as well as China's proposal to reunify with Taiwan under the "one country, two systems" model and vowed to safeguard Taiwan's interests. Presenting himself as an alternative to Lai and Hou, Ko called on his supporters, which included many young people, to use their votes to prove that the Taiwan People's Party is "the most major force in Taiwan" rather than just a third force in Taiwan politics. "Don't give up," he told tens of thousands of his supporters, urging them to save their futures. Faced with competing visions put forward by the three presidential candidates, Taiwanese voters also have different views on what's the best path forward for Taiwan. Some DPP supporters told VOA that Lai is the only candidate capable of safeguarding Taiwan's democracy and future because Hong Kong's experience helped them realize the risks that come with attempts to build closer ties with China. "I don't want Taiwan to be like Hong Kong, so we need to come out to vote for the DPP," Ashley Hsu, a 36-year-old secretary, told VOA in Taipei. "I think Lai's cross-strait policies can help Taiwan maintain its sovereignty and dignity." On the other hand, some KMT supporters criticized the DPP for pushing Taiwan to the brink of war with China as well as damaging cross-strait trade relations. "Since Taiwan and China are like brothers, Beijing used to offer us a lot of trade benefits," Lin Tsung-Hong, a 76-year-old retiree, told VOA at a KMT campaign rally in Taipei. "Instead of being thankful for Beijing's generosity, the DPP tries to taunt the Chinese government, causing Beijing to decide to suspend all the trade benefits for Taiwanese commodities," he said. While DPP and KMT supporters view cross-strait relations as the decisive factor in this election, some TPP voters told VOA that they hoped to find a new choice in Taiwan's political landscape after years of "vicious political fights" between the DPP and KMT. "The TPP represents a new possibility for young Taiwanese voters like me who are fed up by the ideological battle between the two major parties," Winnie Lee, a 23-year-old student in New Taipei City, told VOA in a written response. As the world awaits Taiwan's election outcome, Liu from the University of Edinburgh said Taiwanese voters' choice could determine whether Taiwan continues to deepen relations with like-minded democracies around the world, including the U.S., or re-establish close relations with China through trade and economic exchanges. "If Lai were to win, he would continue to build allyship with democracies and preserve Taiwan's democracy, freedom and autonomy," she told VOA, adding that Beijing may view his victory as a threat. On the contrary, if Hou helped KMT return to power for the first time in eight years, Liu thinks Taiwan would likely become more dependent on China. "Beijing may have more dictating power to decide the future of Taiwan," she said. Despite the amount of global attention on the implications of the Taiwan election, some Taiwanese voters say all they care about is whether the new leader can ensure the democratic island maintains its peaceful and stable way of life. "To me, nothing matters more than a leader who can listen to the people's demands and prioritize our interests," Shuling Hsieh, a 47-year-old engineer, told VOA in Taipei. South Korea's government recently revealed new data that shows the number of Koreans studying in China has dropped dramatically in the past six years, shrinking by nearly 60,000 students. South Korean students and observers tell VOA's Mandarin Service that strict COVID controls during the pandemic, fewer Korean companies operating in China as the world's second-largest economy slows and growing anti-China sentiment at home are among some of the factors feeding the decline. Late last month, South Korea's Ministry of Education said the total number of students studying in China dropped by 78% over the past six years. According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, the population of South Korean students in China reached a record 73,240 in 2017 and by April 2023 plummeted to 15,857. COVID lockdowns During the pandemic, China's strict lockdowns, which often lasted for weeks at a time, had a huge impact on everyday life, access to supplies and students' ability to finish assignments, Korean student Weaver-jin said. Weaver-jin has been studying art in China's Chongqing city since 2021 and lived off-campus during the city's lockdown. "I had a lot of work to do, but it was impossible to progress because of the lockdown. I needed to work on my projects, but the express delivery [service] was halted so I couldn't buy materials," Weaver-jin said. A Korean student who studied cultural and creative industries at a university in Beijing in 2021, but wished to remain anonymous so she could speak more freely with VOA about the sensitive topic, said she tested positive for COVID during the reopening at the end of 2022. Although she had no symptoms, she was still required to live in an isolation dormitory for 10 days. After checking into the dorm, she noticed that the listed passport number was not hers, suspected the test results were mixed up and requested a re-test. "The administrators [said] there were not enough testing kits to let one person test twice. So, I remained in quarantine." Soong-Chan Park, a professor at the Department of Chinese Studies at South Korea's Yong In University, told VOA in a phone interview that COVID was the biggest reason for the sudden drop in Korean students in China. "Many students who attended online classes have not returned to China; secondly, people who experienced quarantine have been traumatized," he said. "I was also quarantined for three weeks, and I felt I was going crazy," Park said. "The impact is significant for foreigners, especially Korean parents." Anti-China sentiment Park says growing anti-China sentiment among South Koreans also contributed to the decrease in students and their parents not wanting them to study in China. According to a 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center, 77% of South Korean respondents had a negative attitude toward China compared with 31% in 2002 and 61% in 2017. Relations between Beijing and Seoul been declining since 2016 following South Korea's decision to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system. At the time, China responded by rolling out unofficial restrictions on the "Korean Wave" of popular music, TV dramas and films sweeping the globe. The U.S. and South Korea say the U.S.-supplied Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, is necessary to help intercept potential incoming ballistic missiles from North Korea, if it should attack. Chinese officials say South Korea could use the THAAD system's radar to "peer into" China, which South Korean and U.S. officials have dismissed, citing the threat from Pyongyang and Seoul's right to defend itself. Korean student Weaver-jin said attitudes on both sides were frustrating. "People with anti-China and anti-Korea sentiments will deliberately look for reasons to hate China or South Korea," he said. "I hope they can calm down and think about whether these bases are reasonable or just looking for reasons to object for the sake of objecting." Fewer firms, shifting tides Professor Park said China's struggling economy, high youth unemployment, and deteriorating business environment for foreign companies have also made it increasingly less attractive to South Korean companies that often hire those who studied in China. According to The Export-Import Bank of Korea, the number of Korean companies establishing new entities in China has decreased since 2010, dropping to 138 in 2023, the lowest number in 30 years. Meanwhile, the number of Korean firms opening new entities in Japan in the first half of 2023 surpassed the number opening in China for the first time since the 1980s. "Many Korean companies have left China," Park said, "and it is currently difficult for international students to find jobs [in China] after graduation." In China, Cankao Xiaoxi picked up the story about the sharp decrease in students from South Korea, but there has been no official comment on the drop. Cankao Xiaoxi is a newspaper that publishes translations of foreign news and is owned by state-run Xinhua News Agency. VOA reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Washington for comment on South Korea's shrinking numbers. The embassy's spokesperson did not comment on students from South Korea but did note efforts to draw in more students from the United States, which has seen a similar decline. Last month, the U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, said that in the last "six to seven years" the number of American students studying in China has dropped from about 15,000 to 350 in 2022. In 2023, that number grew to 700. Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said for the U.S., China is implementing President Xi Jinping's "initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs over the next five years." Liu also noted China's efforts to make travel between the two countries more efficient. "We now provide walk-in visa application services, and have significantly optimized the visa policy for travelers from within the United States," Liu said in an emailed response. As relations between South Korea and China have struggled, trade and people-to-people ties between Seoul and Washington have improved. In 2023, the United States, for the first time in two decades, overtook China as the top destination for South Korean exports, according to South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. China, however, is still South Korea's largest trading partner. It is also the second-largest study destination for South Korean students after the U.S., which welcomes more than 43,000 Korean students each year, according to the Institute of International Education. Jun-hyeok Seo, who studied at China's Zhejiang University, told VOA he still hopes to work for a Chinese company in the future and create an entrepreneurial project connecting South Korea and China. "I think China is still an attractive market but of course, there are certainly risks for foreigners," Seo said. Weaver-jin plans to stay in Chongqing after graduation, participate in more exhibitions and run self-media on platforms such as Douyin, the Chinese version of social media app TikTok. "The work partners I met while studying for my master's degree and the professors with whom I can discuss my work are all here," Weaver-jin said. "For me now, China has more opportunities than South Korea." However, if sentiment and the Chinese economy keep fueling a drop in Korean student numbers, more are likely to look to a future with better opportunities elsewhere. Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report. Some information in this report from Yonhap news agency and Bloomberg. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to continue Israels war against Hamas militants until victory, pressing ahead with its offensive in Gaza as the war hits the 100-day mark. The war was triggered by Hamas October 7 terror attack in southern Israel, the deadliest day in the countrys history. More than 1,200 were killed in Israel and roughly 24,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have subsequently been killed in Israels counteroffensive more than 1% of Gazas population. With Hamas continuing to hold more than 100 hostages, as many as 120,000 people began a 24-hour rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, calling on the government to bring the hostages home. More than 100 hostages were released in November during a pause in the fighting but none since then. Protesters, holding pictures of abductees, gathered in "Hostage Square" opposite Israel's defense ministry, where demonstrators have frequently gathered to urge Israel to do more to free the hostages. Many Israeli companies and organizations observed the length of the war on Sunday, a workday in Israel, with a 100-minute strike in support of the hostages and their families. Hamas says it will not negotiate over the remaining hostages until Israel ends its attacks in Gaza. A defiant Netanyahu said at a news conference Saturday night that Israel will not be deterred by accusations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. "No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the Axis of Evil, no one," he said, referring to Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza, Iran-backed Hezbollah militants who have been firing on Israel from Lebanon, and Houthi militias who have been launching drones and missiles to attack commercial vessels in the Red Sea as a show of support to Hamas. The Israeli prime minister spoke after a two-day hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where South Africa accused Israel of genocide in a case before the court. Israel has rejected the accusation as libelous and hypocritical. Israel says that ending the war now would mean victory for Hamas, an Islamic militant group that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Britain, among others. It has ruled Gaza since 2007 and says it is bent on Israel's destruction. An interim ICJ ruling is expected in a few weeks. Rulings are binding but difficult to enforce. Israel would ignore any order to halt fighting, Netanyahu made that clear. Israel faces growing international pressure to end the war, which has led to widespread suffering in addition to the death toll. According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, about two-thirds of the dead are women and children. The ministry said the number of war wounded has surpassed 60,000 people. According to the United Nations, Israel continues to bombard much of the Gaza Strip, and armed Palestinian groups continue to fire rockets into Israel. Fighting on the ground between the two also continues across much of Gaza. Of Gazas 36 main hospitals, 15 are operating, albeit partially, according to OCHA, the United Nations' humanitarian affairs agency. Fuel was expected to run out again over the weekend at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza. Staff had received some emergency fuel from another hospital late Friday, while earlier they had been able to keep ventilators and incubators operating with solar batteries. It was not clear whether the World Health Organization would be able to deliver a promised shipment of fuel, hospital officials said, as aid deliveries were being disrupted in much of Gaza because of telecommunications blackouts amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment. Andrea De Domenico is the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He said Friday that Israel has been "very systematic in not allowing us to support hospitals, which is something that is reaching a level of inhumanity that, for me, is beyond comprehension." From its official X social media account, telecommunications company Paltel said cellular, landline, and internet services across Gaza were cut because of "the ongoing aggression." The Hamas-controlled territory has seen repeated telecommunications blackouts in the past 100 days because of fighting and lack of fuel for electricity. Since the start of Israel's ground operation in late October, 186 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,099 more have been injured in Gaza, according to the military. More than 85% of Gazas population of 2.3 million have been displaced due to Israel's air and ground offensive, and vast swaths of the territory have been leveled. Amid severe shortages of food, clean water and fuel in Gaza, OCHA said in its daily report that Israel's severe constraints on humanitarian missions and outright denials had increased since the start of the year. Only 21% of planned deliveries of food, medicine, water and other supplies have been successfully reaching northern Gaza. "These denials paralyze the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at-scale to widespread humanitarian needs," OCHA said. "Providing humanitarian assistance across Gaza is almost impossible," U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told a Security Council meeting Friday. VOA Correspondent Margaret Besheer reported from the United Nations. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Authorities in Pakistan said Saturday that a roadside bomb exploded near a military convoy in southwestern Baluchistan province, killing at least five soldiers. An army statement said the deadly bombing occurred during a counterterrorism operation in the remote Kech district, claiming security forces killed "three terrorists" in the ensuing fierce gunfight. In a statement, an insurgent group known as the Baluchistan Liberation Front took responsibility for the attack. BLF is one of several ethnic Baluch insurgent groups plotting attacks against Pakistani security forces in the province, claiming they are fighting for the independence of Baluchistan. The natural resources-rich, impoverished Pakistani province is where China has been or is in the process of developing major infrastructure projects as part of Beijing's global Belt and Road Initiative. Earlier on Saturday, the military said its forces had killed four militants, including two key commanders, in separate counterterrorism raids in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Both Pakistani provinces border Afghanistan and recently have experienced almost daily insurgent attacks, primarily targeting security forces. The violence is mainly claimed by the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Baluch insurgents. A regional affiliate of the Islamic State, known as the Islamic State-Khorasan, is also active in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Militant attacks killed about 500 security forces and nearly 500 civilians in Pakistan in 2023. Pakistani leaders say the bloodshed is being directed by fugitive TTP commanders and fighters from their sanctuaries in Afghanistan. The conflict-torn neighboring country's de facto Taliban government rejects the charges, though, saying it is not allowing anyone to threaten Pakistan or other countries. Russia launched a wave of missiles into Ukraine early Saturday morning, Ukraine's air force said, adding that it was able to shoot down a handful. In all, Russia launched 37 missiles and three drones, Ukraine's air force said in a statement on social media. Most of the missiles were ballistic missiles that are harder to shoot down, the statement said. "It should be noted that more than 20 of all the listed (weapons) which were not included in the number of the downed, did not reach their targets as a result of active countermeasures by electronic warfare," the statement said. The air force's spokesperson said earlier this week that Ukraine is running out of air defense missiles, but it is not clear how much of a role that played in the low hit rate. Ukraine's air defenses shot down Russian missiles in at least five regions across Ukraine, according to local officials from those provinces. Russia's defense ministry claimed it was targeting factories that make shells, gunpowder and unmanned aerial vehicles. "All designated facilities were hit," it said. Ukraine provided no target details. French official visits French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne visited Kyiv on Saturday, just hours after Russia's attack. He said France will continue backing Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia and will support defense manufacturing cooperation between the two countries. It was Sejourne's first official visit since starting his new role this week. "Russia hopes Ukraine and its supporters will get tired before them. We will not grow weaker," Sejourne said during a news conference in the center of the Ukrainian capital. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak traveled to Kyiv on Friday to unveil nearly $3.2 billion in new military funding for Ukraine, Britain's largest annual commitment since Russia invaded the country. Sunak said he was sending a message to Ukraine on behalf of his nation and Ukraine's allies around the world, that they will never be alone. He said the war in Ukraine is about the nation's right to defend itself and to be an independent democracy. "If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there," Sunak said. He said any wavering in support for Ukraine will embolden Putin and his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere. National security advisers are to convene in the Swiss ski resort town of Davos on Sunday for another round of closed-door talks on Ukraine's peace plan. The meeting on the eve of the World Economic Forum's big annual gathering excludes Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will promote his 10-point peace plan at the convention. "We are already preparing for the forum in Davos, presenting our position and joint opportunities for everyone in the world who strives to leave a world of stability and freedom for their children. Our values, not the madness of any dictator," he said in his video address Saturday. Zelenskyy also met Friday with Penny Pritzker, the U.S. special representative for Ukraine's economic recovery. "We are eagerly awaiting the decision of Congress regarding further support for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said, "support that matters not only to us, but also to every state whose stability depends on the strength of international law." Some members of the U.S. Congress are wavering on the continued support for Ukraine. Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The United States launched a follow-up strike against a Houthi target in Yemen early Saturday, after officials said they were not satisfied with the damage inflicted during the initial round of airstrikes late Thursday. U.S. Central Command said it launched the additional strike from the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, firing multiple Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles to take out a radar site that it said presented a continuing threat to maritime traffic. The strike comes a little more than a day after the U.S. and British militaries carried out dozens of strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, in retaliation for weeks of Houthi attacks that have disrupted shipping and damaged vessels transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Houthi militants did launch an anti-ship ballistic missile early Friday, U.S. military officials confirmed, though it did not hit any ships. U.S. and British officials expressed optimism Friday that the initial strikes late Thursday, which are now being described as two waves of strikes, were successful. A U.S. defense official told VOA on Friday that the initial assessment indicates the first wave of precision strikes late Thursday degraded the ability of the Houthis to launch further attacks. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss operational details, said a more comprehensive assessment of the strikes was still underway. But the sentiment echoed other early assessments by senior U.S. officials, who have described the damage to Houthi capabilities as "significant." "We feel very confident about where our munitions struck," Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Staff, told reporters Friday. "But we don't know at this point the complete battle damage assessment." U.S. Central Command late Thursday said that U.S. fighter jets, naval vessels and submarines hit more than 60 targets at 16 locations across Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, and production facilities. But Sims said Friday, the U.S. and Britain launched a second wave of strikes against another 12 locations 30 minutes to an hour after the initial strikes were carried out. The additional sites, each with multiple targets, "had been identified as possessing articles that could be potentially used against forces, maritime and air," he said, noting the strikes were taken in self-defense. U.S. officials said, in all, more than 150 precision guided munitions were aimed at Houthi targets, including Tomahawk missiles. At least three U.S. guided missile cruisers and destroyers (the USS Gravely, the USS Philippine Sea, and the USS Mason) took part in the strikes along with an Ohio-class submarine, fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, and U.S. Air Force jets. A separate statement Friday from the British Defense Ministry said four of its Typhoon fighter jets, accompanied by an air refueling tanker, used laser-guided bombs to hit two locations: a drone launch site in Bani, in northwestern Yemen, and an airfield in Abbs, used to launch cruise missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea. "Early indications are that the Houthis ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow," the ministry said. Despite the optimistic strike assessments, U.S. officials have said they believe the Houthis are likely to retaliate. "My guess is that the Houthis are trying to figure things out on the ground and trying to determine what capabilities still exist for them," Sims said. "Their rhetoric has been pretty strong and pretty high, and I would expect that they will attempt some sort of retaliation." "I would hope they wouldnt," he added, describing the Houthi efforts as "generally fruitless." But the White House repeated its warning Friday that the Houthis would face additional consequences if their attacks persist. "We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior, along with our allies," President Joe Biden said in response to reporters questions during a stop at a coffee shop in Pennsylvania on Friday. Also Friday, the U.S. unveiled new sanctions aimed at commodity shipments that have been funding the Houthis and their Iranian backers. U.S. Treasury Department officials imposed sanctions on a Hong-Kong-based company and another company in the United Arab Emirates, both of which have been working with Said al-Jamal, a financier who has been supporting both the Houthis and Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. "We will take all available measures to stop the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their threats to global commerce," Treasury Undersecretary Brian Nelson said in a statement. Since mid-November, the Houthis have launched at least 28 attacks, affecting citizens, cargo and vessels from more than 50 countries, according to the U.S. U.S. officials have said that Biden made the decision to launch Thursdays strikes following a Houthi attack on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Tuesday that involved 18 one-way attack drones, two cruise missiles and one ballistic missile. U.S. combat jets, along with U.S. and British military vessels, responded by shooting down the drones and missiles, averting any damage to ships or injuries to their crews in the area. Last week, the United States and 12 allies issued a statement warning the Houthis of unspecified consequences if their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea continued. The statement followed the launch in mid-December of Operation Prosperity Guardian by the United States, Britain and nearly 20 other countries to protect ships from Houthi attacks. Since the launch of Prosperity Guardian, at least 1,500 vessels have passed safely through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The U.N. Security Council adopted its own resolution Wednesday, calling on the Houthis to stop the attacks immediately. But Russia, which abstained in the vote, called for an emergency meeting of the council Friday evening to discuss the strikes. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the U.S.-British strikes a "blatant armed aggression against another country." He argued that the strikes did not meet the conditions for self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. "Article 51 does not apply to the situation with commercial shipping," Nebenzia said. "The right to self-defense cannot be exercised in order to ensure the freedom of shipping. Our American colleagues know this fact very well." In a statement Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area are "not acceptable" and endanger the safety and security of global supply chains and have a negative impact on the economic and humanitarian situation worldwide. He urged the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks and called for all parties to respect the Security Council resolution in its entirety. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Council that the strikes were consistent with international law and Article 51. She said Washington does not take such strikes lightly and they were only carried out "after non-military options proved inadequate to address the threat." VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara and U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. The U.S. military carried out an additional strike early Saturday against Houthi positions in Yemen in an effort to protect shipping in the Red Sea, according to U.S. media reports. News organizations citing anonymous sources said the latest strike targeted a radar site that officials said presented a continuing threat to maritime traffic. The strike came a little more than a day after the U.S. and British militaries carried out dozens of strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, in retaliation for weeks of Houthi attacks that have disrupted shipping and damaged vessels transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Houthi militants did launch an anti-ship ballistic missile early Friday, U.S. military officials confirmed, though it did not hit any ships. U.S. and British officials expressed optimism Friday that the initial strikes late Thursday, which are now being described as two waves of strikes, were successful. A U.S. defense official told VOA on Friday that the initial assessment indicated the first wave of precision strikes late Thursday degraded the ability of the Houthis to launch further attacks. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss operational details, said a more comprehensive assessment of the strikes was still underway. But the sentiment echoed other early assessments by senior U.S. officials, who described the damage to Houthi capabilities as "significant." "We feel very confident about where our munitions struck," Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Staff, told reporters Friday. "But we don't know at this point the complete battle damage assessment." U.S. Central Command late Thursday said that U.S. fighter jets, naval vessels and submarines hit more than 60 targets at 16 locations across Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems and production facilities. But Sims said Friday that the U.S. and Britain launched a second wave of strikes against another 12 locations 30 minutes to an hour after the initial strikes were carried out. The additional sites, each with multiple targets, "had been identified as possessing articles that could be potentially used against forces, maritime and air," he said, noting the strikes were taken in self-defense. U.S. officials said, in all, more than 150 precision-guided munitions were aimed at Houthi targets, including Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. At least three U.S. guided missile cruisers and destroyers (the USS Gravely, the USS Philippine Sea and the USS Mason) took part in the strikes along with an Ohio-class submarine, fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, and U.S. Air Force jets. A separate statement Friday from the British Defense Ministry said four of its Typhoon fighter jets, accompanied by an air refueling tanker, used laser-guided bombs to hit two locations: a drone launch site in Bani, in northwestern Yemen, and an airfield in Abbs, used to launch cruise missiles and drones at ship in the Red Sea. "Early indications are that the Houthis' ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow," the ministry said. Despite the optimistic strike assessments, U.S. officials have said they believe the Houthis are likely to retaliate. "My guess is that the Houthis are trying to figure things out on the ground and trying to determine what capabilities still exist for them," said Sims. "Their rhetoric has been pretty strong and pretty high, and I would expect that they will attempt some sort of retaliation." "I would hope they wouldn't," he added, describing the Houthi efforts as "generally fruitless." But the White House repeated its warning Friday that the Houthis would face additional consequences if their attacks persisted. We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior, along with our allies, President Joe Biden said in response to reporters questions during a stop at a coffee shop in Pennsylvania on Friday. Also Friday, the U.S. unveiled new sanctions aimed at commodity shipments that have been funding the Houthis and their Iranian backers. U.S. Treasury officials imposed sanctions on a Hong-Kong-based company and another company in the United Arab Emirates, both of which have been working with Sa'id al-Jamal, a financier who has been supporting both the Houthis and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. "We will take all available measures to stop the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their threats to global commerce," Treasury Under Secretary Brian Nelson said in a statement. Since mid-November, the Houthis have launched at least 28 attacks, affecting citizens, cargo and vessels from more than 50 countries, according to the U.S. U.S. officials have said Biden decided to launch Thursday's strikes following a Houthi attack on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Tuesday that involved 18 one-way attack drones, two cruise missiles and one ballistic missile. U.S. combat jets, along with U.S. and British military vessels, responded by shooting down the drones and missiles, averting any damage to ships or injuries to their crews in the area. Last week, the United States and 12 allies issued a statement warning the Houthis of unspecified consequences if their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea continued. The statement followed the launch in mid-December of Operation Prosperity Guardian by the United States, Britain and nearly 20 other countries to protect ships from Houthi attacks. Since the launch of Prosperity Guardian, at least 1,500 vessels have passed safely through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The U.N. Security Council issued its own resolution Wednesday, calling on the Houthis to stop the attacks immediately. But Russia, which abstained in the vote, called for an emergency meeting of the council Friday evening to discuss the strikes. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the U.S.-British strikes a blatant armed aggression against another country. He argued that the strikes did not meet the conditions for self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. Article 51 does not apply to the situation with commercial shipping, Nebenzia said. The right to self-defense cannot be exercised in order to ensure the freedom of shipping. Our American colleagues know this fact very well. In a statement Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area were not acceptable, were endangering the safety and security of global supply chains and had a negative impact on the economic and humanitarian situation worldwide. He urged the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks and called for all parties to respect the Security Council resolution in its entirety. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Council that the strikes were consistent with international law and Article 51. She said Washington does not take such strikes lightly and they were only carried out after nonmilitary options proved inadequate to address the threat. VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara and U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. Afghan Americans in New York Help Afghan Refugees Resettle A group of Afghan Americans in Albany, New York, have opened a community center to help resettle newly arrived Afghans in the United States. The Afghans, who fled their country after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, received help navigating the U.S. immigration system and starting a new life in the United States. VOA's immigration reporter Aline Barros reports. House Republicans Aim to Impeach US Homeland Security Secretary House Republicans held their first impeachment hearing Wednesday against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of what they call the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. VOA's immigration reporter Aline Barros reports. Illegal Border Crossings Into US Drop After Mexico Boosts Enforcement Even if temporary, the decrease in illegal crossings is welcome news for the White House. President Joe Biden's administration is locked in talks with Senate negotiators over restricting asylum, and $110 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel hangs in the balance. The Associated Press reports. US Lawmakers Back in Session, Working on Border Security, Ukraine Aid U.S. lawmakers went back into session this week after a three-week holiday break to continue work toward a deal on border security in return for Republican votes to send more aid to Ukraine. "We are closer to an agreement than we have been since the beginning of these talks," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, one of the lead negotiators on the deal, told reporters Tuesday. VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports. Trump's Vows to Deport Millions Are Undercut by His Record, History Former President Donald Trump's administration did not deport millions during his four-year presidency as he promised before and after becoming president. Just as in the 1950s, the U.S. government was limited in how many deportations it could carry out at one time. The Associated Press reports. VOA DAY IN PHOTO: Palestinians line up for free food during the ongoing Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip in Rafah. Immigration Around the World Life on the Border: Fear, Camaraderie on South Korean Island When a North Korean artillery shell slammed into his house and burned it to the ground in 2010, Jung Chang-kuan thought that war had broken out again. That attack a North Korean artillery barrage on Jung's home on the remote South Korean border island of Yeongpeong killed four people in the first such incident since the 1950-53 Korean War. Agence France-Presse reports. Rohingya Refugee Camp Fire in Bangladesh Guts More Than 1,000 Shelters A fire raced through a crammed camp of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's southern coastal district of Cox's Bazar, gutting more than 1,000 shelters and leaving thousands homeless, a fire official and the United Nations said Sunday. The fire broke out around midnight Saturday at Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhiya and spread quickly, fanned by strong winds, Shafiqul Islam, head of the Ukhiya Fire Station, told The Associated Press. The Associated Press reports. Health Catastrophe Unfolding in Gaza as Humanitarian Space Shrinks 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. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. Dinghy Carrying Migrants Hits Rocks in Greece, Killing 2 in High Winds Two migrants were killed and 30 were rescued in Greece Wednesday after a dinghy crashed into rocks in high winds on the island of Lesbos, local authorities said. The incident occurred near the resort town of Thermi on the east of the island, facing the nearby coast of Turkey. The Associated Press reports. News in brief DHS 2023 Year in Review: The U.S. immigration agency shared the department's accomplishments and future plans. Breakfast and lunch menus for the week of Jan. 15-19 Archbishop Bergan Catholic Schools Monday: Hot dog or chili dog, fries, vegetable, fruit and milk. Tuesday: Crispito with cheese sauce, tots, fruit and milk. Wednesday: Beef and noodles, dinner roll, vegetable, fruit and milk. Thursday: Chicken patty on a bun, tots, vegetable, fruit and milk. Friday: Stuffed crust pepperoni pizza, fruit, vegetable and milk. Fremont Public Schools Monday: No school. Tuesday: Garlic french bread pizza with sauce, oven tri taters, corn, fruit juice and milk. Wednesday: Breaded pork patty, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, roll, applesauce cup and milk. Thursday: Crispito, au gratin potatoes, broccoli, peach cups and milk. Friday: Mini corn dogs, oven fries, salad mix, carrots, fruit juice and milk. Cedar Bluffs Public Schools Monday: UBR cookie, juice, fruit and milk; chicken patty sandwich, California vegetables, salad bar, fruit, vegetables, and milk. Tuesday: Scrambled eggs, juice, fruit and milk; walking taco, whole grain churro, salad bar, fruit, vegetables and milk. Wednesday: Breakfast on a stick, juice, fruit and milk; deli sub, broccoli cheese soup, salad bar, fruit, vegetables, and milk. Thursday: Dutch waffle; juice, fruit and milk; spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad bar, fruit, vegetables, and milk. Friday: Breakfast pizza, juice, fruit and milk; breakfast for lunch, juice, salad bar, fruit, vegetables, and milk. Logan View Public Schools Monday: French toast; popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes and dinner roll. Preschool Cereal and fruit; popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes and dinner roll. Tuesday: Breakfast pizza; Cavatini and breadsticks. Preschool Cavatini, corn and fruit. Wednesday: Eggs and toast; Chili or chicken noodle soup. Preschool Chicken noodle soup, vegetables and fruit. Thursday: Oatmeal rounds; Tacos and breadsticks. Preschool Chicken fajita, lettuce and fruit. Friday: Doughnuts; Fiestada. North Bend Central Schools Monday: Strudel bars; crispitos with cheese sauce and California vegetables. Tuesday: Sausage biscuits; sub sandwich and a bag of chips. Wednesday: Cheese omelets and toast; chicken fajita and refried beans. Thursday: Dutch waffle; chefs choice soup and cinnamon apples. Friday: Choice of muffin; tater tot casserole and a roll. Oakland-Craig Public Schools Monday: Cheese omelet, tri taters, toast, cereal bar, fruit, juice and milk; spaghetti with meat sauce, peas, diced pears, garlic bread and milk. Tuesday: Pancakes, sausage, Pop Tart, fruit, juice and milk; pork steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and milk. Wednesday: Scrambled eggs, toast, bagels, fruit, juice and milk; chili or chicken noodle soup, cold vegetables, cinnamon roll, diced pears and milk. Thursday: Breakfast sandwiches, cereal, juice, fruit and milk; popcorn chicken, au gratin potatoes, peas and carrots, mixed fruit and milk. Friday: Doughnuts, yogurt, fruit, juice and milk; hot dogs, chips, green beans, sliced peaches, Jell-O and milk. Scribner-Snyder Public Schools Monday: Doughnuts; sweet and sour chicken, rice, stir fry vegetables and pineapple. Tuesday: Breakfast bites; tater tot casserole, broccoli, cookie and mixed fruit. Wednesday: Breakfast sandwich; beef tips over potatoes, dinner roll, California vegetables and apricots. Thursday: Apple fritter; chili, cinnamon roll, fruit cup and peaches. Friday: Cereal and toast; barbecue pork sandwich, baked beans, chips and pears. Democratic members of the House of Representatives set up a surprise appearance by Hunter Biden and his lawyers on 10 January at a session of the Oversight Committee which was poised to approve a resolution to hold the presidents son in contempt of Congress. Hunter Biden sat in the front staring icily at the lawmakers as they passed the motion, which will next land on the House floor for a vote by the whole chamber, presumably next week. Hunter Biden had twice refused to attend a closed-door meeting to testify about the role played by his father, Joe Biden, in his business interests abroad. The day after, 11 January, Hunter Biden appeared in the Los Angeles federal court on charges of tax evasion and filing false tax returns for four years. The tax charges three felonies and six misdemeanors could cost him up to 17 years in prison. The trial date is set for June 20. According to the indictment: The defendant received more than $1.2 million in financial support that was used to pay various personal expenses, including some of his federal income tax debts for 2016-2019. Between 2016 and 15 October 2020, the defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars and other personal items, in short, on everything except paying his taxes." Photo: FX/Netflix/HBO The Emmy Awards are just plain weird this year. Technically, whats weird is that this is the ceremony for 2023, which was last year. But since the categories are being awarded in 2024, that makes them this years Emmys. You know what, lets back up a second. The Primetime Emmy Awards are given out every year to honor the best work in television. Normally the ceremony is held in September and recognizes shows that aired between June 1 of the previous year and May 31 of the current year. Because of the writers and actors strikes, the 2023 Emmys ceremony and telecast was postponed from its usual September date to January 15, which means that on Monday night youre going to be hearing about shows and seasons you probably havent thought about since the Paleozoic Era. Nominees include The Bear, but for season one, which was released back when Roe v. Wade had not yet been overturned. (That would happen on June 24, 2022, the day after The Bear premiered on Hulu.) House of the Dragon is nominated for Outstanding Drama even though its first season was released when I was 9 years old. Obi-Wan Kenobi is up for Outstanding Limited Series no, really, it is! and that show came out in 1863. My point is: Predicting the Emmy winners this year is extra-difficult because it not only involves the usual attempt to read the minds of thousands of Emmy voters, but to attempt to read what was on those minds when voting closed on August 28, 2023. Basically, I have to make educated guesses and time-travel to get this right. So get into the DeLorean, losers, and lets do this. Outstanding Comedy Series Abbott Elementary Barry The Bear Jury Duty The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Only Murders in the Building Ted Lasso Wednesday For the past two years, this award has gone to Ted Lasso. Even though general, or at least critical, consensus has deemed the third and final season the weakest of the series, theres a good chance Emmy voters will go for it one last time. It received more total nominations than any other comedy (21) and it already won two at last weekends Creative Arts Emmys. A lot of people clearly like it. But there are also some newbies to the race, including one that has a pretty good shot at the prize: The Bear. Again, this award is for the first season, but its important to remember that voters would have been making their decisions late last summer, after watching the second season and listening to people talk about how great it is. If they had any doubts about rewarding The Bears initial go-round, all that goodwill couldve tipped the balance toward Carmy and Cousin. And then theres the fact that Abbott Elementary hasnt won an Emmy in this category yet. Last year it took home trophies for writing and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Sheryl Lee Ralph, but not for being the best overall show in its genre. Industry folks may want to officially-officially celebrate its excellence and send some love to traditional broadcast television. All that said, I cant shake the feeling that just enough voters will want to give Mr. Believe Sign a good-bye kiss, giving Ted Lasso the edge. Will win: Ted Lasso. Should win: The Bear. Outstanding Drama Series Andor Better Call Saul The Crown House of the Dragon The Last of Us Succession The White Lotus Yellowjackets It is deeply unfortunate that Better Call Saul has never won a major Emmy Award. It deserves many, and this year was its last year to collect. But I dont see it winning, at least not in this category. Succession has taken this award twice, its last season was perfection, and it has more nominations than any other series in any genre (27). If it doesnt win, I will be shocked and disoriented, and not because Cousin Greg caused me to get wasabi in my eye. Will Win: Succession. Should Win: Succession. Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Beef Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Daisy Jones & the Six Fleishman Is in Trouble Obi-Wan Kenobi I know we all just watched Beef win several Golden Globes, but again: That has no bearing on this, since Emmy votes have been locked in for months. That said, I still think this one will likely go to Beef, because it still feels relevant, is well acted five members of its cast were nominated and benefits from being the most recent of the group. Will Win: Beef. Should Win: Beef though I would not be mad if Fleishman Is in Trouble pulled off a quote-unquote upset. Outstanding Variety Talk Series The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Jimmy Kimmel Live! Late Night With Seth Meyers The Late Show With Stephen Colbert The Problem With Jon Stewart Perpetual winner Last Week Tonight With John Oliver moved over to the Variety Sketch category this year, releasing the chokehold its had on this Emmy for the past seven years. Without that HBO series in the mix, its hard to know what voters will do. They could go back to the other program that previously swept this category, The Daily Show, and honor Noahs final season. Or they could turn to the guy they used to reward for hosting The Daily Show and give it to The Problem With Jon Stewart, especially if they were swayed by some of the viral interview clips from season two. Then again, they could do something really radical and recognize a classic, nightly broadcast talk show like Colbert, Kimmel, or Meyers, something this category and its previous incarnation, Outstanding Variety Series, hasnt done since The Late Show With David Letterman won in 2002. My hunch is the Emmy will go to the show that has one foot in the broadcast world and one in The Daily Showadjacent realm that has dominated this space for more than two decades. Its worth noting that during that time, only one other series apart from Last Week Tonight and The Daily Show has won this thing more than once, and thats The Colbert Report. Will Win: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Should Win: It would be nice to see underdog of sorts Late Night With Seth Meyers win. I mean, none of these other hosts so willingly and regularly get drunk with celebrities during the daytime for the sake of entertaining their audience. Thats bravery, my friends. Outstanding Scripted Variety Series A Black Lady Sketch Show Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Saturday Night Live Speaking of shows that dominate in their fields, Saturday Night Live has won in this category, renamed in 2023 after previously being called Outstanding Variety Sketch Series, every year since 2016. A Black Lady Sketch Show has lost to it three times in a row, including the last two years when it was SNLs only competition in this category, so the fourth and final season of Robin Thedes half-hour unfortunately seems unlikely to win unless John Oliver and SNL split too many votes. Im also not convinced voters will immediately gravitate toward Last Week, since it really does feel more like a topical talk show than a sketch-comedy effort. Emmys tend to go with the status quo, which is why I think SNL can feel confident in its status as a sure bet walking into Saturdays ceremony. Will Win: Saturday Night Live. Should Win: Saturday Night Live. With this field having shrunk in recent years, its more blatantly the best sketch show on television. Outstanding Reality Competition Program The Amazing Race RuPauls Drag Race Survivor Top Chef The Voice Last year, Lizzos Watch Out for the Big Grrrls won here, and I think we can all look back on that award and feel totally comfortable with it. Prior to that, though, RuPauls Drag Race had racked up four consecutive wins, and I expect that habit to reemerge for this years voters though theres a chance Top Chef could take it since it was Padma Lakshmis last season. Will Win: RuPauls Drag Race. Should Win: Top Chef like, come on, Padma deserves that. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Bill Hader, Barry Jason Segel, Shrinking Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso Jeremy Allen White, The Bear Bill Hader already won this award twice for Barry, and Sudeikis won it for the past two years for Ted Lasso. As much as members of the Emmy-choosing populace may love that Apple TV+ series, I feel like they may veer away from Sudeikis this time. If they do, its because they will have been so impressed by Jeremy Allen White yes, even though they voted before the Calvin Klein ad came out. Will Win: Jeremy Allen White. Should Win: Jeremy Allen White. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Christina Applegate, Dead to Me Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face Jenna Ortega, Wednesday Quinta Brunson hasnt yet received an Emmy for her performance in Abbott Elementary, and theres a strong chance she will this year. Her biggest threats are Lyonne, whose charms are crucial to Poker Face working, and Applegate, who powered through the last season of Dead to Me and delivered one of her signature wry, emotional performances, one that will likely be her last on-camera. I do not know how this will shake out, but my gut is telling me its Quintas to lose. Will Win: Quinta Brunson. Should Win: Id be thrilled if either Brunson or Applegate got it, to be honest. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Jeff Bridges, The Old Man Brian Cox, Succession Kieran Culkin, Succession Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us Jeremy Strong, Succession Strong already has an Emmy in this category, but as the eldest and most unhinged boy in the final season of Succession, he should not be dismissed. Pascal was wonderfully restrained in the first season of The Last of Us, and has been an absolute delight as the internets daddy. Bob Odenkirk has been exceptional in every season of Better Call Saul, and it would be so lovely to see him finally get an award for it. But heres the thing: Kieran Culkin. Of the Succession actors nominated in this category, hes the only Emmy-less one. Sure, Roman Roy tends to be more of a comical character in what is (very allegedly) a drama. But (a) Culkin is an absolute master of using sarcasm as a Band-Aid for genuine pain, and (b) he actually showed us Romans genuine pain this season, particularly in the funeral scene in the penultimate episode of the series. TL;DR: He basically won this the minute he asked, Is he in there? Can we get him out? Will Win: Kieran Culkin. Should Win: Kieran Culkin (but also Bob Odenkirk, can there be a tie??). Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaids Tale Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us Keri Russell, The Diplomat Sarah Snook, Succession Like Culkin, Sarah Snook bumped herself up from supporting to lead this year, and it seems likely to pay off. The stiffest competition she faces is Bella Ramsey, who I suspect voters will decide is young enough to wait their turn, especially since Snook was exquisite in the last season of Succession and has never won an Emmy before. Will Win: Sarah Snook. Should Win: Sarah Snook. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Taron Egerton, Black Bird Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome to Chippendales Evan Peters, Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Michael Shannon, George & Tammy Steven Yeun, Beef At one time I would have said Evan Peters was a shoo-in for this, but even back in the days of yore (August) when people were voting, Dahmer felt like a distant memory. It seems more likely that Steven Yeuns intense work in Beef will lead to his first Emmy. Will Win: Steven Yeun. Should Win: Steven Yeun. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is in Trouble Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy Dominique Fishback, Swarm Kathryn Hahn, Tiny, Beautiful Things Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & the Six Ali Wong, Beef As in the previous category, my hunch is that Ali Wong will win over voters for showing her depth and range in Beef, unless Fishbacks fearless work in Swarm or Chastains typically strong performance as Tammy Wynette wins over more voters. Will Win: Ali Wong. Should Win: Dominique Fishback. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Anthony Carrigan, Barry Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso James Marsden, Jury Duty Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary Henry Winkler, Barry Goldstein has won this for the past two years, and I cant see him doing it a third time given the competition he faces, but maybe Im in Roy Kent denial. Lets assume Im right and this race comes down to three men: Moss-Bachrach, who is great in the first season of The Bear but even better in its second; James Marsden, an incredibly multitalented actor who never wins big prizes like this and morphs into a funny, much more arrogant version of himself in Jury Duty; or living legend Henry Winkler, who already has one Emmy for Barry but impressively went to the darkest places hes gone as an actor in its last season. Im betting voters decide to wait until next year to reward Moss-Bachrach and finally give Marsden his flowers. Will Win: James Marsden. Should Win: Yeah, this is wishy-washy, but any of the three I singled out: Marsden, Moss-Bachrach, or Winkler. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Janelle James, Abbott Elementary Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary Juno Temple, Ted Lasso Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso Jessica Williams, Shrinking Ralph won in this category last year, Waddingham won the year before that, and Borstein has a couple of previous wins to her credit, too. Its possible Television Academy members stick with whats worked in the past if they do, Ralph will be holding her second Emmy for Abbott Elementary, a thing I would absolutely not be mad at but Im guessing they try to honor someone new. It feels like 2023 was Ayo Edebiris year, which is why I believe shell claim her first Emmy and once again (hopefully) make an acceptance speech in which she thanks all the assistants in Hollywood. Will Win: Ayo Edebiri. Should Win: Edebiri, but also it would be super-fun if Janelle James won. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus Nicholas Braun, Succession Michael Imperioli, The White Lotus Theo James, The White Lotus Matthew Macfadyen, Succession Alan Ruck, Succession Will Sharpe, The White Lotus Alexander Skarsgard, Succession This wall-to-wall HBO category contains some strong White Lotus performances, but come on: This has to be someone from Succession. And that someone will be, for the second year in a row, Matthew Macfadyen. As Tom Wambsgans, he won the role of Waystar CEO, he won Bitey, and hes going to win another Emmy. Will Win: Matthew Macfadyen. Should Win: Do you really think Im going to say anyone other than Tommy Wambs? Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul J. Smith-Cameron, Succession Simona Tabasco, The White Lotus Does it seem as though the voters decided to include every single performance in The White Lotus on this list? It really does. If one of them wins, it seems likely to be Jennifer These gays are trying to murder me Coolidge, even though she won last year for the same role in the Limited Series category. That may not matter given how much people love her, though. If The White Lotus ladies cancel each other out, I can see Debicki winning for her first attempt to embody Princess Diana in The Crown, one of the dramas Emmy voters love as much as The White Lotus and Succession. Im going with Debicki, but will not be surprised if Coolidge winds up making another wonderfully rambling acceptance speech. Will Win: Elizabeth Debicki. Should Win: Sweet lord, would you please give Rhea Seehorn an Emmy? I am begging. (Theres a real chance I want this for Seehorn more than she wants it for herself.) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Murray Bartlett, Welcome to Chippendales Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird Richard Jenkins, Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Joseph Lee, Beef Ray Liotta, Black Bird Young Mazino, Beef Jesse Plemons, Love & Death Even though Black Bird was not a super-buzzy show, Hausers performance as a violent and vulnerable serial killer will likely stand out to voters, unless his co-star, the late Ray Liotta, gets a posthumous Emmy for one of his final roles. Will Win: Paul Walter Hauser. Should Win: Paul Walter Hauser. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Annaleigh Ashford, Welcome to Chippendales Maria Bello, Beef Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble Juliette Lewis, Welcome to Chippendales Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones & the Six Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Merritt Wever, Tiny, Beautiful Things This comes down to Claire Danes and Niecy Nash-Betts, in my opinion, and it could really go either way. Danes is devastating in the penultimate episode of Fleishman Is in Trouble, giving the kind of performance that feels like it already has an Emmy-winner watermark on it. But Nash-Betts is very good in an arguably less showy role in Dahmer. She also does not have an Emmy and Danes has three I dont know if that will factor into peoples calculations, but I am gambling it will. Will Win: Niecy Nash-Betts. Should Win: Its a very tough call, but Claire Danes destroyed me and I cannot deny that fact. Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Barry, wow, Bill Hader The Bear, Review, Christopher Storer The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Four Minutes, Amy Sherman-Palladino The Ms. Pat Show, Dont Touch My Hair, Mary Lou Belli Ted Lasso, So Long, Farewell, Declan Lowney Wednesday, Wednesdays Child Is Full of Woe, Tim Burton It is wild that Barry has never won in this category considering how consistently well directed it has been. Sadly, I dont expect that to change now that its competing against Tim Burton, the Ted Lasso finale, and, most importantly, Review, the incredibly stressful seventh episode of The Bears first season that takes place in real time. Will Win: The Bear, Review. Should Win: The Bear, Review. Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Andor, Rix Road, Benjamin Caron Bad Sisters, The Prick, Dearbhla Walsh The Last of Us, Long, Long Time, Peter Hoar Succession, America Decides, Andrij Parekh Succession, Connors Wedding, Mark Mylod Succession, Living+, Lorene Scafaria The White Lotus, Arrivederci, Mike White Ill save us all some time and say the obvious: Connors Wedding is an all-timer and if anything other than that episode wins, I will volunteer to play Bitey with an alligator. Will Win: Succession, Connors Wedding. Should Win: Succession, Connors Wedding. Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Anthology or Movie Beef, The Great Fabricator, Jake Schreier Beef, Figures of Light, Lee Sung Jin Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Bad Meat, Carl Franklin Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Silenced, Paris Barclay Fleishman Is in Trouble, Me Time, Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton Prey, Dan Trachtenberg My instinct tells me that Figures of Light, the Beef finale, will win, but I also cant rule out Silenced, the most effective and distressing episode of Dahmer that actually lives up to the shows promise to center the serial killers victims. Will Win: Im going to say Figures of Light, with the caveat that Silenced might get it. Should Win: Me Time, the finale of Fleishman Is in Trouble, was exquisite, but I doubt it will claim victory here. Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Barry, wow, Bill Hader The Bear, System, Christopher Storer Jury Duty, Ineffective Assistance, Mekki Leeper Only Murders in the Building, I Know Who Did It, John Hoffman, Matteo Borghese, and Rob Turbovsky Ted Lasso, So Long, Farewell, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, and Jason Sudeikis The Other Two, Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider There is a very real chance this will go to the Ted Lasso finale, but I suspect the chances are higher that it goes to the series premiere of The Bear, which thrust us into the high-stress, exhausting world of the Berzattos beef sandwich shop and Carmys brain. Will Win: The Bear, System. Should Win: Probably The Bear, but I also will note that The Other Twos Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play is the most consistently funny entry in a category that is supposed to be about comedy. Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Andor, One Way Out, Beau Willimon Bad Sisters, The Prick, Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer Better Call Saul, Point and Shoot, Gordon Smith Better Call Saul, Saul Gone, Peter Gould Succession, Connors Wedding, Jesse Armstrong The Last of Us, Long, Long Time, Craig Mazin The White Lotus, Arrivederci, Mike White Again, Connors Wedding seems most likely to prevail, but it sure would be nice if Peter Gould won something for the incredibly well-crafted Better Call Saul finale, Saul Gone. Will Win: Succession, Connors Wedding. Should Win: Succession, Connors Wedding or Better Call Saul, Saul Gone. Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Anthology or Movie Beef, The Birds Dont Sing, They Screech in Pain, Lee Sung Jin Fire Island, Joel Kim Booster Fleishman Is in Trouble, Me Time, Taffy Brodesser-Akner Prey, Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenberg Swarm, Stung, Janine Nabers and Donald Glover Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Weird Al Yankovic and Eric Appel It would be fun to see a win for Weird, one of two movies represented in this category. Its more likely, though, that the first Beef episode will get this, particularly because Lee Sung Jin does such a terrific job of establishing the shows intense vibes. On the other hand, the Fleishman finale is a beautiful piece of writing adapted ably for the screen by Brodesser-Akner, who wrote the novel. So Im just going to shrug and guess that Beef wins, but Im prepared to be wrong. Will Win: Beef, The Birds Dont Sing, They Screech in Pain. Should Win: Fleishman Is in Trouble, Me Time. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Kevin Hart in Lift. Photo: Christopher Barr/Netflix The secret to making a good heist movie isnt really the heist itself but the chemistry among the actors. While the mechanics of breaking into this or that vault or stealing this or that precious object can be pleasurable, if its not being done by people we sort of care about, then its useless. Do you remember the actual heists from any of the Oceans movies? More than likely you remember the actors and their sparkling repartee. Inception has a terrifically nutty scheme involving dream invaders, but it ultimately works because of its tortured protagonist and his elaborate attempt to repair his marks relationship with his dead father. Heat has one of the great bank-robbery shoot-outs, but it would completely fall flat without that mesmerizing, melancholy cast of characters. I dont even remember what the hell they were trying to steal in The Thomas Crown Affair, but I do remember Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. So the best thing to say about the new Netflix heist movie Lift is that its cast pretty well. Kevin Hart actually plays the straight man in this one, as notorious con artist and thief Cyrus Whitaker, whom we first see bidding up the auction price of a newfangled piece of NFT art before causing a commotion during which he briefly kidnaps the works mysterious, Banksy-like artist (a clever ploy to run up the value of the NFT he just bought). Cyrus is surrounded by a likable cast of accomplices, including Denton (Vincent DOnofrio), a somewhat hapless master of disguise a bit too in love with his abilities; Camila (Ursula Corbero), a spunky getaway driver and pilot; Magnus (Billy Magnussen), an adrenaline-junkie safecracker; and Mi-Sun (Yun Jee Kim), a hacker. Then theres Interpol Cultural Heritage Unit agent Abby (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who once had a brief fling with Cyrus, and for whom he still has feelings. She wants to take him down, but after that opening art heist, she enlists his aid in trying to stop murderous tycoon Lars Jorgensen (Jean Reno) from transporting a ten-ton block of half a billion dollars in gold from his vault in London to his lair in Switzerland, where he plans to pay off a group of international hackers to set off a series of terror strikes around the world, from which he will then profit. This setup is, of course, needlessly convoluted, and the heist itself even more so, involving commandeering a high-tech experimental jet from an overhyped international playboy (played by Oli Green, this character is presented in such a way as to suggest were supposed to know who he is I, for one, did not), then building some other high-tech doodad to help defeat the other high-tech doodad that Jorgensen uses to guard his gold which hes somehow transporting on a high-tech passenger jet? Technology in movies can be fun, but not when its used as a crutch to make up for a scripts lack of invention. The one saving grace of the many shenanigans in Lift is that everything is so confusing that we dont get the chance to realize how punishingly implausible it all is. Luckily, there are some nice character moments, as when Denton gently mocks Cyrus for the puppy-dog face he makes whenever he looks at Abby, or Camilas sheer terror at what shes gotten into mid-heist as she races a stealth-panel-covered jet beneath an enormous passenger airliner, or Magnuss desperate attempt to flee a gun-toting baddie that ends with someone losing a few fingers. One wishes the film had spent less time on its dumb heists and more time bouncing these people off one another. There are bits and pieces of Lift strewn throughout that hint at the better movie it could have been with some inspiration and discipline. Director F. Gary Gray is a veteran Hollywood journeyman who made Friday, Set It Off, and The Negotiator back in the day, and who knows his way around a slick set piece. (He also made The Fate of the Furious, one of the more dire Fast and Furious entries, but lets not hold that one against him.) Hes working with Netflix money here, so he hovers around the fancy locales, sending drones flying above the Swiss Alps and London and pointing birds-eye-view cameras down on palazzos in Venice. The wealth porn on display can be fabulous, with rooftop infinity pools and huge castles and private airfields and enormous first-class airplane cabins. Its all empty calories, but it certainly looks nice. In that sense, Lift is kind of the platonic ideal of a streaming flick: some eye candy, a few funny lines, and a plot that no sane person could possibly waste any time worrying about. The UAE pavilion at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (January 10-12) taking place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, saw a record turnout of business leaders and private sector representatives to discuss trade and investment opportunities between the Emirates and India, a report said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the UAE pavilion at the summit that is central to taking ties to new levels under the umbrella of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between the two countries, and which will complete its second year in May 2024, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said in the report. The high-level participation is marked by the presence of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who addressed the summit on January 10. "The presence of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the summit is a testament to the importance the UAE leadership attaches to the bilateral relationship between the two countries, said Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, who is leading a high-level UAE delegation to the summit. "The two countries will continue to work together to explore the limitless opportunities provided by the UAE-India CEPA. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is an important platform for discussions, communication, and exchange of knowledge and expertise. The state of Gujarat embodies these opportunities, as it is a major commercial gateway for UAE products entering India and a major destination for UAE investments looking for promising opportunities, Al Zeyoudi said. Al Zeyoudi held talks with Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry in India, and Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, and to explore ways to stimulate investment flows opportunities in sectors of common interest. Al Zeyoudi also met Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Kingdom of Morocco, on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, and they discussed ways to enhance trade and investment between the two nations. In the meantime, the UAE Ministry of Economy, in cooperation with the UAE Embassy in New Delhi and the Confederation of Indian Industry organised the UAE-India Business Summit on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which was attended by a number of ministers and officials from the two countries. Al Zeyoudi highlighted the benefits and achievements of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries, aat the summit. He urged business leaders from both sides to continue exploring shared opportunities. A new website of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Council was launched during the summit. Designed to encourage cooperation between SMEs and start-ups in the two countries, the website will be supported by a promotional campaign conducted in partnership with national and regional industry associations throughout India, covering 11 states through 17 separate events. Saturday Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. Alcoholics Anonymous womens heart-to-heart group, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Fremont Eagles Club open, noon to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Spiritual 12-Step Recovery Program, 7 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous The Lie is Dead meeting, 8 p.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Sunday Alcoholics Anonymous Happy Sober Sunday Group, 9 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous Seekers of Serenity meeting, 10:30 a.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511. Fremont Eagles Club open, noon to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Alcoholics Anonymous Sunday speaker, 7:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Monday TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), 9 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 850 N. Broad St., Fremont. Weigh-ins begin at 8 a.m. Visitors (preteens, teens and adults male and female) are welcome. The first meeting is free. For more information, call 531-281-9288. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. Lightkeepers Womens Group, 10 a.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Fremont Eagles Club open, 3 p.m. to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open or close early depending on business. There will be a trustees meeting at 4 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Celebrate Recovery, 6:30 p.m., Fremont Church of the Nazarene, 960 Johnson Road. Fresh Hope Mental Health Support Group, 7 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 854 meeting, 7 p.m., Fremont Eagles Club. Alcoholics Anonymous 12x12 meeting, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. Costa Concordia ran aground off west coast of Italy on 13 January 2012. Italy marks 12 years since the Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground off the Tuscan island of Giglio, resulting in 32 deaths, in one of the worst maritime disasters in modern Italian history. The accident occurred in calm seas on the night of 13 January 2012 when the luxury liner carrying 3,206 passengers and 1,023 crew deviated from its planned route during a seven-day Mediterranean cruise. Captained by Francesco Schettino, the Costa Concordia was making its way between the port of Civitavecchia, 60km north of Rome, and Savona in Italy's northern Liguria region, when disaster struck. Giglio sail-past salute In an act of bravado, Schettino steered the 292m-long vessel towards the shore to "salute" Giglio, a small island off Italy's west coast, running the ship aground on jagged rocks in shallow waters at around 21.45. The impact caused a 53-m long gash in the port-side hull, along five compartments, including the engine room. The 114,500-ton cruise liner soon began taking on water, resulting in a loss of power, propulsion and electrical systems. The rudder was also out of action, meaning the ship could not be steered. Plunged into darkness, the vessel quickly listed to the port side, before strong winds pushed it back inland, about 500m from the village of Giglio Porto.There it grounded, resting on its starboard side, with almost half the ship left above water. A frantic passenger contacted her daughter on the mainland, and at about 22.15 the Italian coast guard telephoned Schettino, who downplayed the situation, noting only that there was a blackout aboard. Francesco Schettino When the coast guard called back 10 minutes later the crew admitted that the ship was taking on water, with Schettino requesting tugboats. The first rescue boat arrived at 22.39 and a chaotic evacuation operation ensued. Some passengers said that the signal to deploy the lifeboats and abandon ship was not given until nearly 23.00. Abandoning ship Schettino left the bridge at around 23.20 and shortly afterwards he abandoned ship.He would subsequently claim that he slipped off the Concordia and landed in a lifeboat. The rescue effort was also reportedly hampered by the fact that some 600 passengers had not received evacuation drills and a large part of the crew did not speak Italian. The last crew member left the bridge about 15 minutes after Schettino, even though there were still roughly 300 people still on the ship. By midnight the Concordia was listing severely, compromising the release of lifeboats and forcing many to escape by clambering down rope ladders over a distance equivalent to 11 stories. Gregorio de Falco At 12.40 an enraged coast guard captain, Gregorio de Falco, telephoned Schettino, who was in a lifeboat with other Concordia officers, ordering him repeatedly to return to his ship and oversee the evacuation. Frustrated with Schettino's excuses, de Falco shouted down the phone: "Vada a bordo, cazzo!" (Get on board, for fuck's sake!). Schettino refused. Search for survivors The rescue operation at this stage comprised dozens of boats and numerous helicopters.By dawn 4,194 people were evacuated and taken on shore to Giglio, a holiday island whose permanent population was less than 1,000. That day, 14 January, divers rescued the last three survivors trapped inside the Concordia.Over the following two weeks rescue divers searched the ship for missing people and recovered most of the bodies. The body of the last missing person, an Indian crew member, was not recovered until 3 November 2014. Captain Coward After the accident Schettino was vilified in the Italian media, referred to as Captain Coward, Captain Calamity and even Italy's most hated man. In 2015 he was convicted of manslaughter and causing the shipwreck, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Schettino appealed the sentence, blaming members of his team for the crash, however in May 2017 Italy's highest court upheld the earlier verdict and Schettino began his jail term shortly afterwards. Salvage operation The ship wreck was the subject of a complex and unprecedented salvage operation, during which a Spanish diver lost his life, bringing the total death toll from the disaster to 33. The ship made its final voyage in July 2014 when it was successfully towed away from Giglio and taken to Genoa, where it was dismantled for scrap in an operation completed three years later, in July 2017. The Costa Concordia wreck recovery was one of the most expensive in history (about $2 billion), costing more than three times the vessels building cost in 2004 (about $612 million). Cover photo credit: dvoevnore / Shutterstock.com. Now that the sod has been turned, the whole operation should be up and running in around three years. But, says John, they were first approached to host a wind farm way back in 2007. It was finally approved by the NSW government in May 2021. Not a single other wind farm was approved by the NSW planning department until December last year, despite the avowed support of the industry by the current and previous state governments and the current federal government. The building of a port to support the development of a wind farm in Victoria clashed with the protection of Ramsar-listed wetlands. Meanwhile, community and political resistance to some renewable projects appears to be hardening in some areas. This resistance poses a particular threat to wind projects and the transmission lines needed to carry their power to cities because they impose themselves so obviously on the landscape. This week the project that is expected to be Australias first offshore wind farm, the Star of the South, planned to built off the Gippsland coast, hit troubled waters when its application to build a port, needed in turn to build and maintain the wind farm, was rejected by federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on the grounds that it would damage a wetland that Australia is obliged to protect under an international treaty. The decision prompted Victorias Climate Action and Energy Minister Lily DAmbrosio to call out her federal colleagues, who she blamed for failing to create a national plan to deploy renewables. Bowen has declined to respond in kind, saying only that the government would welcome a revised application. Either way, according to Star of the South chief executive Charles Rattray, the decision will not materially delay the project, but only because there is so much else to be done over so many years before construction can begin. Loading The studies it is conducting for environmental approvals include detailed analysis and monitoring of tide and sediment movements, seafloor plant and organisms, marine mammals such as turtles and whales. It has studied the movement of great white sharks and conducted surveys of fish and invertebrates. It has studied the movement, nesting and foraging of seabirds and shorebirds. It has studied soil and rock samples, studied wind and wave patterns and conducted seafloor LIDAR testing. All of this takes years to complete, says Rattray, but is crucial not only to securing approvals, but to gain and maintain the projects social license the willingness of the community to accept the new industry. Social license, he says, is one of the key risks that the industry is seeking to manage here and around the world. Wind energy is capital intensive, says Rattray. In order to secure finance, proponents must demonstrate they have the publics broad support so they can win over politicians who must develop the regulatory framework to allow them to operate. Capital markets want stability, and given that most of the world is chasing near-term emission reduction targets, they are happy to go to the jurisdictions where they can find it. Just as the wind industry is a global race for specialist parts and technology, expertise and infrastructure, it is competing for finance. Protests against wind farms off the south coast include those with genuine environmental concerns along with opponents to renewables. Credit: AAP At present, community groups and political activists are gearing up to fight proposed wind farms off the coast of NSW. Looking at the concerns raised on their social media feeds it appears clear that opponents include locals concerned about the impact on their environment as well as political and ideological actors opposed to renewable energy. So far, it is not yet clear how successful campaigns against on and offshore wind will be. Bowen has already approved two areas for offshore wind in NSW, but shrunk them and pushed their boundaries further away from the coast. A decision on a third zone off Illawarra is expected soon. It is clear, though, that if Australia is to meet its renewable energy and emission targets, both onshore and offshore wind will be crucial. Australia has been a world leader in deploying solar, particularly on residential rooftops. As a result cheap and clean energy is flooding the market on bright days. Onshore wind will compliment that energy, providing power when the sun is not shining. Offshore wind will provide even more consistent power overnight. Loading According to an International Energy Agency report published this week the global deployment of renewables is happening at a staggering rate. Global renewable grew by 50 per cent in 2023. Last year China alone deployed as much solar as the entire world had the year before. It predicts that renewables will overtake coal as the worlds largest source of electricity by 2025. But when it comes to wind energy, Australia was one of the few countries where deployment predictions were downgraded by the IEA. Outside of China, onshore wind additions are not advancing considerably in other large markets such as India and Australia, and the forecast has been revised down for the ASEAN region, Africa and the Middle East due to slow project progress and ongoing policy uncertainties, said the report. 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. Experts suggest removing the pressure of a new year and remembering you can take stock of your life any time. Credit: iStock 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. Police have breathed a huge sigh of relief after getting in contact with the owner of an orange kayak found overturned about 34 kilometres off Perths northern coast on Saturday morning. A bulk carrier reported the kayak west-northwest of Two Rocks believing it may have been an upturned life raft. Police Air Wing and DFES Marine Rescue Two Rocks were deployed to investigate. WA Police are searching for the owner of this kayak. Credit: WA Police They arrived to find the vessel but found no signs of anyone in distress. A kayak tour is one of many scenic ways to enjoy the Brisbane River. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland Heres another thing no one tells you about Brisbane: the river is lovely. It might not rival Sydney Harbour for physical beauty, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy it. You can take a cruise (CityCat or otherwise), go kayaking, walk its boardwalks, or just sit in New Farm Park and watch the boats go by. You can go rock climbing in the city Find us another city in the world where you can scale actual cliffs with views of the CBD. The Kangaroo Point cliffs are 18-metre-high rock walls on the riverbank opposite downtown Brisbane, with climbing and abseiling options for people of all levels of experience. The craft beer scene is buzzing Sea Legs in Kangaroo Point is among the best urban breweries in the city. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland Brisbane is jam-packed with breweries, with taphouses everywhere churning out full rosters of IPAs, XPAs, lagers and seasonal brews. Some of the best include Sea Legs in Kangaroo Point, Soapbox Beer in Fortitude Valley, Range in Newstead, and Catchment in West End. You need to get out of the CBD Though plenty of accommodation options are CBD-based, theres far more to Brisbane than the downtown area. Be sure to get to Fortitude Valley and New Farm for upmarket eateries and relaxed vibes, West End for alternative culture, Paddington for suburban charm, Kangaroo Point for riverside fun, and Teneriffe for great food and drink. The art gallery is world-class Brisbanes Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) is truly world-class. Credit: Tourism and Events Querensland Thats right friends: Brisbane has a truly world-class art gallery. The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) has hosted exclusive exhibitions by the likes of Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Picasso and more. Theres also an excellent permanent collection. Theres plenty of hiking and biking Bring your exercise gear when you come to Brisbane. Theres the Brisbane Riverwalk, a scenic boardwalk running from New Farm to Howard St Wharves; more riverside walking tracks from Kangaroo Point to West End; bushwalking to the Mt Coot-tha summit; and seaside strolls from Wynnum to Manly. Moreton Island is just a ferry ride away The turquoise shores of Tangalooma on Moreton Island are only a short ferry ride away. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland Moreton Island is a gorgeous spot: think giant sand dunes, shallow-water shipwrecks and flawless beaches. Its also an easy 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane, with services departing the Pinkenba wharf four times a day. You can climb the Story Bridge Sydney is famous for its Harbour Bridge climb, but visitors to Brisbane might be surprised to discover they can have a similar experience on the Queensland equivalent, the Story Bridge. The climb affords views of Moreton Bay to the east and the Glass House Mountains to the north, as well as unrivalled vistas of Brisbane River and the CBD. The food scene is popping Diners at Agnes restaurant, enjoying the citys vibrant food scene. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland For a while there it seemed like Brisbane was far too relaxed to ever fully embrace the fine-dining scene. But there are now many options for those who would like to take their eating to the next level. Fortitude Valley, in particular, has a host of exciting eateries, though youll never get bored dining in West End, South Brisbane and New Farm. Yes, theres alternative culture Again, you may not immediately associate the banana-bending Sunshine State with alternative culture but youd wrong. Check out street art and LGBTQ-friendly bars and clubs in Fortitude Valley; laneways and art galleries in South Brisbane; and plenty of vegan cafes, music venues and breweries in the West End. Youre in the home of Bluey Parents (and kids) may notice something oddly familiar about Brisbane. Yes, this is the home of the fictional Heeler family, and the perfectly observed renderings of the buildings, parks and vistas of Brisbane on Bluey will make you feel instantly comfortable. You can hear live music any night of the week The Triffid: Theres a reason so many great music acts come out of Brisbane. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland Lets talk about great bands that have come out of Brisbane: Powderfinger, Regurgitator, the Saints, the Go-Betweens, Ball Park Music, DZ Deathrays These acts dont just appear out of nowhere. They need places to play. And Brisbane has plenty of live music venues, so much so that youre bound to find a decent gig on any night of the week. Try the Triffid, Black Bear Lodge, the Prince Consort, the Tivoli or the Zoo. Pub culture is booming Brisbane loves a pub. The Brekkie Creek remains beloved, but there are so many others to check out. Call by Queensland classics such as the Regatta, the Normanby and the Pineapple Hotel, soak up history at the Alliance, take in views from the Story Bridge Hotel, and visit a CBD icon at the Transcontinental. Accommodation has gone fancy Crystalbrook Vincents rooftop pool, next to the Story Bridge, is hard to beat. You want to stay somewhere unique? A small hotel filled with charm and character? Somewhere luxurious, but not outrageously expensive? Then Brisbane has you covered. Check into the Calile, the Inchcolm by Ovolo, Crystalbrook Vincent, or the Johnson. You can enjoy some park life Brisbane is filled with parks. Theres green space everywhere you look, and usually perfect weather in which to enjoy it. Roma Street Parkland is gorgeous, New Farm Park is always a good time, the City Botanic Gardens are worth a stroll, South Bank Parklands are also excellent and thats just the start. Suncorp Stadium is right in the city Brisbanes Suncorp Stadium is smack-bang in the centre of the city. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland Sydneysiders will be shocked at this: you dont need to schlep to the outer suburbs to enjoy world-class sporting and musical events in Brisbane. The 53,000-seat Suncorp Stadium is in Milton, walking distance from the CBD, and right beside pubs and restaurants on Caxton Street and Given Terrace. This is a city that grows on you But adolescence is a period of transformation, during which we are more vulnerable. These are years when we learn a lot and make mistakes. I hope they continue to have the freedom and space to make these mistakes. Several Danish royal commentators have this week described Marys role in the transformation of her husbands public profile as vital. The man who will become King Frederik X was regarded as a sometimes lost and rebellious teenager who did not want to take the throne. He once told a journalist that his father had occasionally subjected him to gifles French for slap although he later denied he had ever been beaten. In the late 1980s and 90s, Frederik had a public profile not dissimilar to that of Britains Prince Harry. He was visibly irked by the media attention and more comfortable partying than making speeches. In 1988, he broke his collarbone and required stitches to his head after swerving his car off the road in the south of France, falling out of the vehicle and landing in a brook. He has had a very difficult and unhappy upbringing, a strict one, says royal expert Trine Villemann, whose book 1015 Copenhagen K named after the postcode of the Danish royal palace is widely viewed as the definitive biography of the princes childhood. He was brought up by a distant mum and Frederik used to hide in the corridors if he heard his fathers voice. Villemann says for much of their marriage Frederik enjoyed a party and spending time with his large group of friends, while Mary was often seen to be left at home caring for their children. She locked herself up in the royal palace and threw the key away. For a long time we hardly knew much about her, she says. But Queen Margrethe is grateful to her daughter-in-law for the steady hand she has shown her son and doesnt want to lose her. Without her, Frederik is lost. Then-Prince Charles, Denmarks Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik attend the enthronement ceremony of Japans Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in 2019. Credit: AP As a young mother, Mary was still mastering the Danish language and was subject to some sneering criticisms in the media. While she put effort into her eponymous foundation and charity events, the spotlight was, more often than not, on her husband. But it was Marys speech at a gala banquet at Christiansborg Palace on May 26 in 2018 that ensured the Danes fell in love with this Australian woman all over again. Loading People still talk about the speech, says Villemann. It was personal and it gave us an insight into her and her family life that we as Danes had never really seen. Speaking in her adopted tongue, Mary lifted the lid on their home life, painting her husband as a devoted father idolised by his children, while also acknowledging the complexities of his childhood and once reluctance to fulfil his destiny. And according to your children, you are also a very successful father, she said. They describe you as sweet, fun, wonderful, wise, brave, helpful, cool and handsome. You are their hero. They know that you believe in them [even] when they doubt themselves. You encourage them to believe in themselves. And when on the rare occasion you get cross, you quickly put it behind you, just as your father did. Days before the pair become king and queen, Mary had to confront rumours in a Spanish tabloid that Frederik had had an affair with a Mexican socialite. Mary and Frederik in 2003. Credit: AP In November, Lecturas published photographs of the prince strolling around Madrid with Genoveva Casanova. It claimed the images showed him leaving Casanovas apartment the morning after an alleged dinner date. Casanova has denied any romantic liaison and has threatened legal action. Apart from one cryptic social media post, Mary has remained quiet. She has been particularly protective of her eldest son, Prince Christian, who is destined to succeeded his father but appeared reluctant to fully launch himself into royal life. Royal commentators now agree he is more confident and at ease publicly than his father ever was. Mary gets the credit for this. Loading After allegations of sexual abuse and bullying surfaced at Christians boarding school, Herlufsholm, in 2022, his parents announced the then 16-year-old would be leaving and his sister Princess Isabella would not start as planned. Christian was not connected to the allegations. Bullying, violence and indignities are never acceptable. We must respond to the painful and devastating incidents by insisting on changes that ensure a safe environment for all, they said in a statement at the time. We must recognise the courage of those who have shared their violent experiences. Mary once said that being royal came more naturally to her children than people expect. From a young age, the children have accompanied the couple, when appropriate, to give them an insight into their future work. It is essential that they are proud of who they are, of belonging to this family and of what it means to the Danes, she said in 2022. Prince Christian has a more defined trajectory than his brother and sisters, but it is up to him to build this destiny as best he can. Marys own 50th birthday nearly two years ago was marked on national television with a short film featuring her children. Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, Isabella and Christian praised their mother for her ability to sing and dance. I think she is very good at dancing, Vincent said. Christian added: She is especially fond of the air guitar when rock music is played. Isabella replied: She is good at playing drums. The children also mocked their mothers Australian accent and conceded that after 20 years she still has some expressions that sound funny in Danish words like apple and little. But Christian said his mum had placed a big emphasis on doing her work thoroughly. It must be absolutely perfect, he said at the time. If she has been on a journey, she comes home and tells us what she has experienced, what she has done and where she has been. If she has been to Africa, she tells a little about the schools. How the children experience it. And it gives the four of us an insight into how well we actually have it here in Denmark. Loading Isabella said she was always on hand for support. If you have a hard time with something, or it has been a hard day at school, she is always good at just talking about it, she said. Mary lost her own mother when she was in her mid-20s and has said on several occasions that Henrietta remains a guiding light in her life. Losing my mother changed my outlook on life, my way of thinking. It also helped shape me into the person I am today, with added depth, she once said. If my mother looks at me, I think she wont really need to say anything her warm smile will speak for her better than anything. By the 2020 election, voters had a clear sense of what a Trump presidency looked like. The norm-busting. The rule-flouting. The threats to wipe entire countries off the map (although he did not start any wars). The adulation of authoritarians, such as Vladimir Putin. The self-satire of his appearance on the White House balcony after recovering from COVID-19, when he adopted the buffoonery of an American Il Duce. Certainly, this election is markedly different than the previous two contests involving Donald Trump. In 2016, he was an unknown quantity, and for all his bluster and braggadocio, there was a sense that assuming the powers of the presidency would have a humbling effect. I believe that every man whoever occupied it, within his inner self, was humble enough to realise that no living mortal has ever possessed all the required qualifications, President Lyndon Johnson once observed. Trump, however, experienced the opposite of imposter syndrome. In his first television interview after taking office in 2017, he immediately compared himself to Abraham Lincoln. Two years shy of its 250th birthday, America is about to face one of the most fateful decisions in its history. Presidential candidates quadrennially serve up the platitude that voters confront the most consequential choice of their lifetimes. But in 2024 its no drill. This truly is an epochal election. DEFCON 1 for democracy. A harbinger, feasibly, of an American form of dictatorship. Still, voters in 2020 had little idea that January 6 was in the offing: an American insurrection incited by a sitting US president. Now, then, they are not only being asked to cast judgment on his four years in office, but also the four criminal indictments against him, two of which stem from his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. So this year, the road to the White House will be more like a mammoth multi-lane freeway. Some paths will go through the traditional caucus and primary states, such as Iowa, which kicks off the Republican nominating process on Monday. Others will go through the courts. At various points these ribbons of highway will intersect. On the eve of Super Tuesday a red letter day in the primary calendar when 15 states hold contests Trumps trial for allegedly conspiring to defraud the United States in his bid to overturn the 2020 election is due to begin in Washington DC. If, as Trumps legal team hopes, those proceedings are delayed, they could well start in late-July, just after the Republican convention. Each day, it seems, brings extra layers of legal complication. Two states, Colorado and Maine, are already trying to remove the former president from their primary ballots, citing a provision of the 14th Amendment ratified after the Civil War which was designed to disqualify from office candidates who supported the rebel confederacy. That has brought into early play the US Supreme Court, the countrys conservative-dominated constitutional adjudicator, which will consider the Colorado case in early February. Legally, then, we are already witnessing something of a demolition derby. It brings to mind the Florida pile-up in 2000, when right-wing justices appointed by Republican presidents ruled along nakedly partisan lines to hand George W. Bush victory. That ended up being a milestone in Americas democratic decline and the diminution of its rule of law. Dressed in their black jurist robes, it felt like the Supreme Courts conservative majority had pulled off an electoral heist. Faced with the jailhouse rather than the White House, Trumps legal and political strategies have become entwined. His hope is to delay the trials against him until after the election. As president, his hand-picked attorney-general could instruct the Justice Department pursuing the federal cases against him to drop the charges. Alternatively, he could try to pardon himself, which would take us into a constitutional grey area. In Georgia, where he has been targeted by state prosecutors beyond the control of Washington and where presidential pardon powers do not apply, he would hope the convention that sitting presidents should not face trial while in office would be upheld. An Air Force Academy cadet was found not guilty Friday afternoon of sexually assaulting a woman who is now an Air Force officer. Lt. Col. Judge Dayle Percle ruled Cadet Tony Heidelberger not guilty of any sexual assault charges in a court-martial that started on Wednesday. Heidelberger was initially facing three charges related to the incident from August 2022. The prosecution only asked the judge to rule on one of them. The judge did not provide comment on her ruling. During the court-martial, the woman said she met Heidelberger at Hap's Place, a bar on the base, on a Friday night and made plans to meet up with him the next day. After drinking vodka and Gatorade on Aug. 20, 2022, the two went back to the bar on campus, where they spent about three hours and continued drinking with another cadet, she said. She did not have dinner. Around midnight, she went back to Heidelberger's room to watch a movie with him. Both the prosecution and defense agreed the two later had sex. The woman went in for a sexual-assault examination the day of the incident, and it found evidence of Heidelbergers DNA and another substance used to lubricate condoms, said Maj. Jay Peer during closing arguments. So, the case hinged on consent. The womans memory of events was hazy. But she said remembered being uncomfortable through kissing, touching, oral sex and intercourse, although she did not say anything at the time. Two of the charges related to the oral sex and intercourse, and the prosecution asked the judge not to rule on those. The woman said she remembered telling Heidelberger she wanted to go to sleep and waking up to him having sex with her. She said that she said "ouch" a few times and tried to take his penis out. When he didnt stop, she went limp, because she knew that a sleeping person cant give consent. The prosecution's case focused on this portion of the night. Featured Local Savings Defense attorney Carol Thompson recounted a different series of events based on Heidelbergers testimony in her closing statements. Heidelberger recalled the woman was awake as sexual activities escalated and asked him for a condom. When she experienced pain from the intercourse and said ouch, he withdrew, Thompson summarized. Its possible the woman now believes the sex was not consensual because it hurt, Thompson said. She has convinced herself she was assaulted, she said. The attorney also pointed out various inconsistencies in the womans testimony and how she believed she was injured in the assault and told people about injuries, even though the exam showed she was not hurt. Maj. Jay Peer noted in his closing arguments that the woman reported her experience to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response hotline the same day as the assault and admitted to facts that would not play in her favor, such as her spotty memory. She also testified she had suffered from suicidal thoughts a year before the assault. She is telling you the whole truth, he said. The woman had never even held a mans hand before she spent the night with Heidelberger and so, Peer said, it seems unlikely that she would be able to pleasure him with her hand, as he described in his testimony. His testimony is not grounded in reality, he said. Cillian Sherlock, PA A four-year-old child has been rescued from a house fire in Belfast. Firefighters were called to the house fire at Dunraven Park on Saturday morning. A representative from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said: Two appliances from Knock station, one appliance from Central station and one appliance from Whitla station attended the incident. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued the four-year-old child from the house. The child has been transferred to the care of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Firefighters extinguished the fire using hose reel jets. The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental and the incident was dealt with by 07:48am. Most days, when I am either sitting at home or out on the hills, I hear the distant murmur of Rescue 118, the rescue helicopter based at Sligo Airport near Strandhill. It is a reassuring sound and as it draws closer and closer, I never fail to be impressed by its power and speed. I try to imagine the men and women that are in that helicopter and the mission they are taking on; an emergency call or a regular manoeuvre. The sight of 118 conjures up urgency and essential life-saving work in a great swirl of excitement and then it has passed over, and the sound of its beating rotors fade away as it speeds to Galway or Dublin. Rescue 118 Sligo Airport provides the following information about Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue. The Helicopter Search & Rescue Base at Sligo Airport is operating since 2004. CHC Ireland currently provides 24 Hour Search and Rescue, on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard, using a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. The helicopter is operated by a crew of four, maintained by a team of engineers, and supported by a team of dedicated airport staff all year round 24/7/365. The most northerly base in Ireland (Sligo), it deals with the stern challenges posed by the Atlantic Ocean and the clifftop environment along the north-west coast. The aircraft is often called upon to rescue casualties from remote rural areas in the west of Ireland which greatly reduces their transfer time to hospital. The base also carries out rescues from the many islands of the west coast and also within Northern Ireland. History The following is a brief chronology of the history of the Irish Coast Guard. The Coast Guard Service, as we know it today, has been in existence for over 200 years. The Irish Coast Guard can trace its roots to 1822 after the passing of the Coast Guard Act in London. Initially, the Coast Guard took on revenue protection and coastal defence duties and acted as a reserve force for the Royal Navy. By 1860, there were approximately 200 Coast Guard stations around the country however, many of these were attacked and destroyed during the War of Independence and Civil War. After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, the Coast Guard along with its 109 remaining stations were handed to the Irish Free State and remained as the Coast Life Saving Service. In 1990, the Irish Marine Emergency Service was established and in February 2000, this became Garda Costa na hEireann or Irish Coast Guard. Afloat, Ireland's sailing, boating and maritime magazine, issued a commemorative article on the Coast Guard in 2022 and it provided further information that helps to complete a more complete picture of the service we have today. Staff and volunteers from 44 Coast Guard units across Ireland provide a national maritime search and rescue service and a maritime casualty and pollution response service. Together, they respond to almost 3,000 call-outs and save on average 400 lives a year. Of the callouts, approximately half are maritime incidents, a quarter are inland search and rescue and another quarter involve assisting the National Ambulance Service. Modern volunteer Coast Guard units provide a combination of rescue boats, cliff rescue, shoreline search capabilities, and emergency community support in conjunction with other emergency services. Irish Coast Guard Helicopter 118 operates from the most northerly base in Ireland. Lives saved and lost The Irish Coast Guard responds to, and co-ordinates, maritime accidents which require search and rescue and ship casualty operations. On average, each year, the Irish Coast Guard can expect to handle 3,000 marine emergencies, assist 4,500 people and save about 200 lives. The men and women who operate this service and who volunteer within it, often risk their lives every day. This was painfully brought to our attention when in the early hours of March 14, 2017, rescue helicopter 116 crashed into the sea while supporting a rescue operation off our own Mayo coast. All four crew members on board, Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Chief Pilot Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby, and winchman Ciaran Smith were lost. Rescue 116 was on a night flight in poor weather conditions at the time of the accident. They had travelled cross-country from their base in Dublin. For anyone to lose their life in such conditions is terrible but to lose these heroes, rushing to the aid of others, was utterly heart-breaking. Rescue missions I once witnessed a nighttime search of a portion of the river Moy conducted by Rescue 118. Our whole valley was roused from our beds at midnight as the crew searched from on high for a person who had been reported missing. As it happened, it was a false alarm but the work was very real; the crew followed procedure as if a life depended on them. It was a most impressive scene with their powerful lights illuminating the familiar fields we only ever saw in daylight. I have also had the experience of seeing a hill walker, who sustained a bad leg injury, being taken off a mountainside by the rescue helicopter crew. It wasnt in the Ox Mountains but on a mountain in West Cork. Our group was instantly paralysed by the accident; unable to move forward or return to base. Often, when such accidents happen, the victim is far from public roads and so, they are beyond the assistance offered by regular ambulance crews or even a mountain rescue team. In such a situation, the rescue helicopter of the Coast Guard comes into its own. As a group of fellow walkers keep vigil, the distant hum of the helicopter is heard. It beats closer and closer, until one imagines that the sound and the power cannot possibly get any stronger. But it does. The helicopter approaches, making its first survey of the scene. Will they be able to land nearby or will they have to hover? In one circle of the scene, they have decided; the mountainous terrain is too rocky, too uneven for them to attempt a landing. The rotors beat louder and the tornado created by them makes waves of the heather and the long grasses of summer. Then, like a giant kestrel, the helicopter hovers overhead. Soon, a crew member is dropped to make a quick assessment. Then a stretcher is dropped and then a second crew member. In a matter of minutes, the patient is secured and lifted to safety. I often think how thrilling it must be to be lifted and spirited away in such a fashion but the reality is that most accident victims are almost completely unaware of the thrilling experience. But those of us who have waited at the scene are thrilled and impressed beyond measure. If you live along the daily flight path of Rescue 118, close to the Ox Mountains, the next time you hear that distant but distinctive hum, stop to imagine their mission. The crew of 118 may simply be on practice manoeuvres or they may be on their way to save a life - a premature baby or an injured fisherman at sea - and as the beating draws closer, remember the crew of Rescue 116 that were lost in our service in March 2017. 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. Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade on Friday released a framework that intends to track the city's work and its progress in 2024 on a number of action items. Developed around five priorities public safety, infrastructure, housing solutions, economic vitality and community activation the Strategic Doing Framework, as it is called, will "move ideas and plans into action-oriented collaborations that result in measurable outcomes," according to the plan's webpage, coloradosprings.gov/2024strategicdoing. The strategic priorities are among those Mobolade touted during his mayoral campaign last year, but they also reflect areas the community asked the city to focus on this year, officials said in a Friday news release. Mobolade's administration used feedback gathered from residents during the Listening Tours he and city councilmembers held this summer, as well as recommendations from solutions teams, councilmembers and city staff to develop the focused action plan, officials said. It lists 20 total initiatives across all five identified priorities, which will be supported by cross-departmental teams and detailed workplans. The framework is a non-exhaustive list of actions Mobolade's administration plans to take this year, according to the webpage. It will help inform the city's long-term Strategic Plan officials are still developing. The framework will also be updated annually, officials said in the release. "Through these focus areas, we will move the city forward. It is how we will transparently build a more inclusive, culturally rich, economically prosperous, safe and vibrant Colorado Springs together," Mobolade said in part in the release. The initiatives include: 1. Public safety. Mobolade's objective is to enhance public safety by increasing community support, funding, innovative programming and staffing to Colorado Springs first responders. Five public safety goals this year include expanding community and behavioral public health safety programs; leveraging and implementing technology to enhance public safety efforts; establishing a plan to better retain and recruit first responders, including continuing efforts to build a new police academy; expanding community outreach and engagement; and finding funding to build two additional fire stations in the city. Featured Local Savings 2. Infrastructure. The overarching goal in local infrastructure is to invest in core public infrastructure that will meet demand as Colorado Springs keeps growing, as well as maintaining current infrastructure. Six infrastructure-related goals for 2024 include exploring and implementing "smart growth" policies; reforming the Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax; enhancing and expanding mass transit and multimodal transportation; preserving, enhancing and upgrading aging city facilities; seeking funding for roads and parks maintenance and upgrades; and beginning to activate local waterways. 3. Housing solutions. Mobolade hopes to implement policies and foster community partnerships to increase the variety of housing options in Colorado Springs, as well as to provide more affordable and attainable housing. Three housing goals include using regional partnerships to improve housing affordability; pursuing building technologies like 3D printing or panelized construction, and adopting guidelines that will encourage and incentivize development of accessory dwelling units; and removing barriers to affordable and attainable housing. 4. Economic vitality. The city's economic objectives in 2024 are to grow new and existing businesses with a business-friendly environment, attracting and retaining employees to support business growth, and expanding Colorado Springs' Olympic City USA brand and Pikes Peak region outdoor recreation to promote quality of life. Four goals include bolstering collaboration and resources to maintain a business-friendly environment and support new and existing local businesses; working with educational leaders, workforce partners, employers and the military to advance the future workforce; reimagining the city's Olympic City USA brand to attract talent and promote quality of life; and collaborating with regional partners to attract new workforce talent by promoting outdoor activities and quality of life. 5. Community activation. Mobolade wants to enhance the city's work on these goals through community partnerships and engagement, and focus on mental health. Two action items in this area include advancing the city's "Mental Health COS" campaign the mayor's wife, Abbey Mobolade, is leading, and using technology to engage residents and improve quality of life. To track the city's progress across all 20 initiatives, and for more information on each action item, visit coloradosprings.gov/2024strategicdoing. Bethlehem Township's Board of Commissioners will vote Monday on the huge warehouse proposed for the township's border with Freemansburg. The proposal is big and its financial backing is immense. The 866,350-square-foot warehouse is planned for 1600 Freemansburg Ave., the site of an old quarry and dump. The building alone will cover almost 20 acres. The township may not favor the idea of adding more traffic, but the land is privately owned and the zoning allows warehouses. "The use is allowed," attorney Catherine Durso, representing developer Trammell Crow, said at a township meeting in November. Trammell Crow is the same company that is putting up warehouses at the former Dutch Springs water park. It has a track record of big projects and it is backed by big money: Trammell Crow is a division of CBRE Group, the world's largest commercial real estate company. CBRE's 2022 revenue was $30.8 billion. Bethlehem Township's budget for 2024 is $20.9 million, about equal to CBRE's revenue for six hours. Residents have objected at meetings, saying that Freemansburg Avenue is already congested. The avenue is also home to what has been dubbed the township's worst intersection, the double T-junction where Farmersville Road crosses Freemansburg Avenue. According to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, much of the traffic from the warehouse will go east on Freemansburg Avenue to Route 33. No Bethlehem Township officials have spoken in favor of the warehouse, but they do not have to like it. The commissioners are sworn to uphold the law, not fight off traffic or favor one group of property owners over another. The township's Planning Commission voted in November against recommending the plan to the commissioners. The Planning Commission is an appointed advisory body. Final decisions are made by the elected commissioners. The land is near two difficult intersections. Main Street coming from Freemansburg meets Freemansburg Avenue in front of the property. Just to the east of the site, Freemansburg Avenue veers right and uphill, while Willow Park Road splits off to the left. "If we don't fix those intersections, we're going to have gridlock," Planning Commission member Barry Roth said in November. In bad weather, he said the downhill approaches to the site can be dangerous. The Board of Commissioners has faced similar tough calls where property rights and zoning trumped the objections of residents concerned about trucks and traffic. In 2022, the board had to vote for apartments proposed for the old Bethlehem Drive-In. James Broughal, an attorney advising the board, said the township's governing body cannot reject a legal plan based on popularity. "If you deny a plan, you can't just say, `I don't like the plan.' You have to state chapter and verse of what provisions of the zoning and subdivision or stormwater ordinance the developer failed to meet," Broughal said. "You can't just say, `I don't like it.'" The Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at the township municipal building, 4225 Easton Ave. A link to a webcast of the meeting and the agenda are posted on the township website. CBRE Group, based in Dallas, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CBRE. The closing price Friday was $85.26, giving the company a market capitalization (share price times number of shares outstanding) of $26 billion. EASTON, Pa. A fire on Vista Drive in Easton left a home uninhabitable on Saturday morning. According to Easton Fire Department officials, the fire was reported just after 7 a.m. The fire went to a second alarm, officials said. Officials said that two people were inside the home at the time of the fire, but both managed to escape by the time crews arrived and were not injured. Firefighters made a "quick, aggressive interior attack" to put out the flames, officials said. According to officials, the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region is assisting the victims. ALLENTOWN, Pa. - President Joe Biden spent the afternoon in our area Friday. He landed in the smaller Air Force One, a modified Boeing 757 used for shorter trips. Then the president made a couple stops. After visiting businesses in Emmaus, his tour of the area took him to a fire training center in Allentown. When he pulled into the Mack Southside Fire Station, the president was greeted by dozens of protesters calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. One organizer we spoke with said people here in Pennsylvania are directly affected. "We've had several families in the Lehigh Valley that have family in Gaza that have not been able to get them out or communicate with them, and some of their family members have also passed away," said Raya Abdelaal. Inside the fire house, the president did not address the war in Gaza. Instead he celebrated the federal investment in the building where he was standing. "Guess what? They've got a fire school now here. Guess who's paying for it? Not local, the federal government is paying for it, and guess what? It's changing the dynamic," said President Biden. President Biden also talked about the jobs he said his administration's policies helped create in the Keystone State. "We're talking about 26,000 manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania just since we became president," said President Biden. Biden said he believes talking about these accomplishments will help win over voters. "People are beginning to figure out what it is that, the reason why they got these opportunities. Why it occurred, and that's my job, and our job to make sure that people know," said President Biden. The president sees the message of a strong, improving economy as a key to victory in the general election this November, but the protesters told us they will continue organizing and trying to convince people not to vote for him if he doesn't change his stance on a ceasefire in Gaza. "If Biden does not change his stance on a ceasefire, I will tell you this right now, every single one of these people will not vote for him, not a single person. So if he wants Trump to run this country, he can keep going with his stance," said Abdelaal. SALISBURY TWP., Pa Two people were injured in a head-on crash Saturday morning in Salisbury Township, police said. The accident occurred at approximately 9:23 a.m. at the intersection of East Emmaus Ave. and Linda Lane in Salisbury Township. Police said Emmaus Avenue would be closed from Fairview Road to Gaskill Road for an extended period of time after the crash. The road was reopened Saturday afternoon, according to a Facebook post from the Salisbury Township Police Department. 5:50 p.m. - Air Force One departs LVIA, after an hours-long visit to the Lehigh Valley that included stops at three businesses in Emmaus and a visit to Mack Southside Fire Station And Training Academy in Allentown. 5:15 p.m. Biden departed Mack Southside Fire Station And Training Academy in Allentown. Biden has been making stops in the Lehigh Valley since around 1:15 p.m., when Air Force One landed at LVIA. 5:07 p.m. - Biden is taking questions from reporters at the fire station. He is addressing questions about citizens' feelings about the economy and the country's military operation in Yemen. 5:05 p.m. - Biden highlighted manufacturing and job growth in remarks at the fire station. He said having a job is about having dignity and opportunity, not just about a paycheck. The administration still "has more to do," Biden said. 5:00 p.m. - In remarks at the fire station, Biden said he spoke with the coffee shop owner in Emmaus about how at one point she struggled with losing her hope and faith, but that she and her husband wanted to invest in the community. He said his administration's policies helped her and other small-business owners. Biden said funding under his administration helped in hiring more firefighters. 4:55 p.m. - We will have a roundup of Biden's visit to some Emmaus businesses on 69 News at 5. 4:28 p.m. - Biden visits Mack Southside Fire Station And Training Academy in Allentown. American Rescue Plan funds helped pay for some upgrades at the fire station. Protesters are gathered near the area. They are protesting the Israel-Gaza war. Biden visited Montgomery County last Friday. Pa. is going to be a battleground state in this year's presidential election. The state has the fifth most electoral votes up for grabs in the country. 4:25 p.m. - Mack Southside Fire Station And Training Academy on Lehigh Street in Allentown awaits an expected visit from President Biden. 3:50 p.m. - During his Emmaus visit, a member of the White House press corps asked Biden about his defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, who's being treated for prostate cancer. Austin drew criticism earlier this week for not immediately telling the White House about his hospitalization. In his first public comment on the issue, Biden said it was a lapse in judgment on Austin's part, but he still has confidence in him as defense secretary. The president also addressed the military operation in Yemen. Officials say U.S. and U.K. forces struck more than 60 Houthi targets last night. It was in response to the Iran-backed group's attacks on commercial shipping vessels along the Red Sea trade route. Those threaten to drive up the cost of oil, gas and other goods around the world. Biden called the operation a success, especially since there have been no reports of civilian casualties. He told reporters in Emmaus that Iran "does not want a war with us." 3:28 p.m. - During his visit to Emmaus, Biden said it was a lapse in judgment for his Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, to not tell him about his hospitalization last week, but that he still has confidence in his defense chief. 3:09 p.m. - Anyone want a coffee?" Biden asks people at the coffee shop. A person at the coffee shop mentions food has been sent to firefighters at Mack Southside Fire Station And Training Academy in Allentown. 2:58 p.m. - Employees at Nowhere Coffee Company in Emmaus chat with President Joe Biden. Biden joked, "You're not going to make the president make his own espresso, are you?" Biden asked employees about the most popular coffees they sell. 2:42 p.m. - Biden visits Nowhere Coffee Company in Emmaus. 2:38 p.m. - Biden continues to speak with employees at South Mountain Cycle in Emmaus. 2:15 p.m. - People were seen protesting across the street from Mack Southside Fire Station And Training Academy in Allentown, as Biden visits the area. 2:06 p.m. - Biden visits South Mountain Cycle bicycle shop, on Main Street in Emmaus. He appears to be shaking hands with employees. Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Bob Casey and Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk are also visiting Emmaus as part of the president's delegation. 2:04 p.m. - Biden's motorcade arrives in Emmaus. There is a large crowd in the area. 1:50 p.m. - Exactly where he will visit is still under wraps, but there is a police and Secret Service presence in downtown Emmaus. Crowds have been gathering since Friday morning. Barricades were set up in the area starting Thursday night. Some roads in the area are closed Friday afternoon. Temporary no parking signs have been placed in parts of Emmaus. Biden is expected to deliver a message about how small businesses have fared under his administration over the last three years. The Biden administration has previously touted the number of small-business applications over the last three years. The administration has also talked about manufacturing growth in the Lehigh Valley. 1:35 p.m. - Biden's motorcade leaves LVIA. 1:15 p.m. President Joe Biden lands at LVIA. Biden is arriving ahead of the November election. Pennsylvania is expected to be a battleground state. Several school districts dismissed early Friday in anticipation of Biden's arrival, and 69 News reported Thursday that a general sense of energy had filled the air in Emmaus. WASHINGTON The U.S. military early Saturday struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that it had determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk, two U.S. officials said, a day after the U.S. and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. Associated Press journalists in Sanaa, Yemens capital, heard one loud explosion. The first day of strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However, the U.S. determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. The officials spoke anonymously to the AP to discuss an operation that hadnt yet been publicly announced. President Joe Biden had warned Friday that the Houthis could face further strikes. The latest strike came after the U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the U.S. and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. The warning came as Yemens Houthis vowed fierce retaliation for the U.S.-led strikes, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza. U.S. military and White House officials said they expected the Houthis to try to strike back. The U.S.-led bombardment launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea killed at least five people and wounded six, the Houthis said. The U.S. said the strikes, in two waves, took aim at targets in 28 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior along with our allies," Biden told reporters during a stop in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Asked if he believes the Houthis are a terrorist group, Biden responded, I think they are. The president in a later exchange with reporters during a stop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, said whether the Houthis are redesignated as such was irrelevant. Biden also pushed back against some lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, who said he should have sought congressional authorization before carrying out the strikes. Theyre wrong, and I sent up this morning when the strikes occurred exactly what happened," Biden said. The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the military action from the hospital where he is recovering from complications following prostate cancer surgery. The White House said in November that it was considering redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist organization after they began their targeting of civilian vessels. The administration formally delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorists in 2021, undoing a move by President Donald Trump Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Friday's U.S. strikes were largely in low-populated areas, and the number of those killed would not be high. He said the strikes hit weapons, radar and targeting sites, including in remote mountain areas. As the bombing lit the predawn sky over multiple sites held by the Iranian-backed rebels, it forced the world to again focus on Yemen's yearslong war, which began when the Houthis seized the country's capital. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade and energy shipments. The Houthis military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a recorded address that the U.S. strikes would not go unanswered or unpunished. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former U.S. intelligence official, welcomed the U.S. strikes but expressed concern Iran was aiming to draw the U.S. deeper into conflict. We should be worried about regional escalation, Slotkin wrote on X. Iran uses groups like the Houthis to fight their battles, maintain plausible deniability and prevent a direct conflict with the U.S. or others. ... It needs to stop, and my hope is theyve gotten the message. Biden told reporters that Iran has received a clear message. I already delivered the message to Iran. They know not to do anything," he said. Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to calm tensions in the Middle East for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes threatened to ignite one. Saudi Arabia which supports the government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting quickly sought to distance itself from the attacks as it seeks to maintain a delicate detente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. It remained unclear how extensive the damage was from Friday's strikes, though the Houthis said at least five sites, including airfields, had been attacked. The White House said the U.S. military was still assessing the extent the militants' capabilities might have been degraded. U.S. Air Forces Central Command said the strikes focused on the Houthi's command and control nodes, munition depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. The strikes involved more than 150 precision-guided munitions including air-launched missiles by F/A-18 Super Hornets based on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Tomahawk missiles from the Navy destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason, the Navy cruiser USS Philippine Sea, and a U.S. submarine. The United Kingdom said strikes hit a site in Bani allegedly used by the Houthis to launch drones and an airfield in Abbs used to launch cruise missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department on Friday announced it imposed sanctions on two firms in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly shipping Iranian commodities on behalf of Iran-based Houthi financial facilitator Said al-Jamal. Four vessels owned by the firms were also identified as blocked property. In a separate development, Iran released footage of its seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that once had been at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Washington. In the footage, a helicopter hovers over the deck of the St. Nikolas. Irans navy seized the vessel Thursday. The vessel had been known earlier as the Suez Rajan. The U.S. seized 1 million barrels of sanctioned Iranian oil off the vessel last year. In Yemen, Hussein al-Ezzi, a Houthi official in their Foreign Ministry, said that America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression. The Red Sea route is a crucial waterway, and attacks there have caused severe disruptions to global trade. Benchmark Brent crude oil traded up some 4% Friday at over $80 a barrel. Tesla, meanwhile, said it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea. In Saada, the Houthis' stronghold in northwest Yemen, hundreds gathered for a rally Friday, denouncing the U.S. and Israel. Another drew thousands in Sanaa, the capital. Houthis now control territory that is home to some two-thirds of Yemens population of 34 million. War and misgovernment have made Yemen one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, and the World Food Program considers the vast majority of Yemens people as food-insecure. Yemen has been targeted by U.S. military action over the last four American presidencies. A campaign of drone strikes began under President George W. Bush to target the local affiliate of al-Qaida, attacks that have continued under the Biden administration. Meanwhile, the U.S. has launched raids and other military operations amid the ongoing war in Yemen. That war began when the Houthis swept into Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition including the United Arab Emirates launched a war to back Yemen's exiled government in 2015, quickly morphing the conflict into a regional confrontation as Iran backed the Houthis with weapons and other support. The conflict, however, has slowed as the Houthis maintain their grip on the territory they hold. In March, Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated deal to restart relations with Iran in hopes of ultimately withdrawing from the war. Iran condemned Friday's attack in a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani. Arbitrary attacks will have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region," he said. Read more: Sometimes you need a safe haven.. and Hannah's Hope Ministries is providing that for women and children in Berks County. Hannah's Hope Ministries Co-Director Mary Marks visited Sunrise to talk about their mission in the community. During a legislative oversight hearing on Friday, judicial leaders revealed that a man who broke into the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center earlier this month caused $35 million in damages, resulting in several offices being off-limits for months to come. Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright told members of the House and Senate judiciary committees that he was confident the break-in on Jan. 2 was a "random act," disconnected from any recent cases justices have tackled. The gentleman just picked that building, the chief justice said. The police said a man, later identified as 44-year-old Brandon Kyle Olsen, crashed a vehicle in an adjacent street around 1 a.m., made his way into the portion of the Carr Center that houses offices for various agencies and then pointed a gun at a security officer. Responding officers surrounded the building and reported shots fired from inside, a dramatic scene detailed in the an arrest affidavit, which redacted Olsen's answers to investigators' questions. Olsen ultimately surrendered to the officers, the police said. Olsen "set a fire on the seventh floor and there was extensive damage. The sprinkler system went off and ran for a couple of hours," Boatright told lawmakers. The presentation from the Judicial Department came amid the multi-day oversight hearings that legislative committees hold annually. Boatright and State Court Administrator Steven Vasconcellos alerted lawmakers that the water and fire damage, and resulting effects to air quality, has resulted in the court side of the Carr Center being closed to the public until next week and the office side facing more extensive rehabilitation. "In terms of timelines to reoccupy the facility, for the floors that were substantially undamaged or lightly damaged, all they require for reoccupation is cleaning," said Vasconcellos, estimating those areas would open around March 1. Featured Local Savings For the heavily damaged floors, they would be off-limits for the next year, affecting the Colorado Attorney General's Office and the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Vasconcellos called the building a "disaster recovery site and not a workplace at the current moment." "The numbers you shared and the timeline just seems extraordinary," acknowledged Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, asked whether Olsen's alleged actions damaged legal records or otherwise compromised the "ability to serve justice." "The honest answer is it's too early to know," responded Vasconcellos. During their presentation on Friday, court officials emphasized that nobody was hurt during the break-in. They said smoke from the fire permeated the entire building through its HVAC system and that damages at varying levels occurred from the basement to the 7th floor with the 5th, 6th and 7th floors having to be "substantially rebuilt from scratch, all of which will take time and resources." The Attorney General's Office is located on the seventh floor of the building. Vasconcellos said the Colorado State Patrol security guard who was confronted at gunpoint is "healthy and well, has had some time away, and is getting full support from his team at the State Patrol. The court officials said the courthouse side of the Carr Center will reopen to the public via the 2 E. 14th Avenue entrance at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, and the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments during the week of Jan. 16 as docketed. Reporters Luige del Puerto, Jonathan Ingraham and Sage Kelley contributed to this article. An El Paso County judge on Friday ruled that all charges against one of the four teenagers accused of killing 32-year-old Gabriel Villanueba last year could be bound over to trial. Santiago Dominguez, 18, appeared in court on Friday afternoon for the completion of his preliminary hearing, which began on Tuesday. Dominguez is one of four teenagers arrested in connection to Villanueba's death, the other three include 18-year-old Ali Talib and two juveniles aged 15 and 13 at the time of the shooting. Prosecutor Rachael Powell called two witnesses to testify at Dominguez's hearing on Tuesday: the police officer who initially responded to the incident on the night of Aug. 21 and the lead detective on the case, Rebecca Joines. Joines spent more than an hour discussing the investigation that led to the arrest of Dominguez, Talib and the two teens Joines said are related to Dominguez. Joines spoke about how she used video surveillance from outside Villanueba's apartment, phone data and interviews with various neighbors and friends of Villanueba to determine that Dominguez, Talib and the two juveniles were allegedly responsible for killing Villanueba. Joines reiterated the statements from Dominguez's arrest affidavit that the shooting sparked from an incident the night before, in which Dominguez and Talib got into an argument with Villanueba that became violent when he tried to "pistol whip" Dominguez. Joines went on to state in her testimony that multiple individuals informed her that Dominguez, Talib and the two juveniles went to Villanueba's apartment the night of the shooting in an attempt to steal his gun. Fourth Judicial District Judge Marcus Henson opted to hear argument from the attorneys and give a ruling on Friday, rather than at the completion of the hearing on Tuesday. Featured Local Savings Powell presented no argument and rested on the facts presented at the hearing on Tuesday, but Dominguez's attorney Josh Tolini briefly made argument against binding over the charge of second-degree murder. Tolini argued that the prosecution had shown no evidence over the preliminary hearing that proves Dominguez was responsible for killing Villanueba, and not any of the other three teenagers arrested in the incident. Henson acknowledged the lack of concrete evidence proving Dominguez was the one who pulled the trigger, but still ruled to have all charges bound over stating that the circumstantial evidence showing Dominguez was at Villanueba's apartment that night and was likely present for the shooting was sufficient to establish probable cause. Henson added that the issues regarding the lack of evidence over which of the four teenagers actually shot Villanueba could be a big factor in the future for a jury at trial. Dominguez will make his next appearance in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court on March 5 for an arraignment hearing. Talib and Dominguez were arrested in September on a $75,000 bond but have since posted surety bonds to be released from custody, Talib the day after his arrest on Sept. 12 and Dominguez on Dec. 1, according to court records. Dominguez and Talib each face 11 charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated robbery, motor vehicle theft and several violent crime sentencing enhancements. Dominguez also faces an additional open criminal case in which he faces charges of aggravated robbery and menacing for an incident dated on Aug. 29, 2023, according to court records. HunnyB, the miniature touch-therapy horse and ambassador for the National Western Stock Show, stood patiently outside the Stock Show merch store, waiting to bring joy and peace to anyone and everyone. Her owner, Audra McNicholas, sat close by to tell visitors about touch therapy and her horses. Her daughters Avalynn, 8, and Arlilia, 10, and their cousins Mabel Fitzgerald, 9, and Ivy Fitzgerald, 7, stand beside HunnyB. They were beaming. Audra McNicholas is a trustee for the National Western Stock Show. Her husband, Sean, is owner of SSA Group that has catered Stock Show food and beverages for the past 50 years, as well as the NWSS gift shop. She started raising and training miniature therapy horses in 2019 and today has two horses that are fully trained. Another one is in training at her facility in Greenwood Village. They are specifically trained for touch therapy, said McNicholas in an interview with The Denver Gazette. They've done a lot of medical research and came to the findings that the simple act of petting an animal whether it's a dog or a horse releases all the same endorphins into your brain that you get when you eat chocolate or you laugh or you drink, or you get a hug from somebody that you love." "It's just a powerful tool to help people feel joy and feel happy and give them that endorphin drop, she said. She said they visit schools, nursing homes, hospitals and community special events, such as the Denver Nuggets games. St. Anthony's (hospital) is the one that we go to most often, but we've been to Littleton Adventist, we've been down to St. Joe's, McNicholas said. We regularly partner with a place called Lighthouse Living Facilities. They have seven of those facilities here in the Denver metro area. We visit each house once a month, or once every other month, depending on weather and what they have going on. Featured Local Savings During the COVID-19 pandemic, McNicholas said they visited St. Anthonys three or four times just to help the staff cope with the stress. They went to the Colorado Veterans' Home to visit servicemembers who are permanent residents there. The horses are also part of the mounted unit of the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office and wear their own badges. We just do a wide range of things throughout the community, a lot of mental health stuff, a lot of encouraging kids and seeing our elderly friends, she added. McNicholas and her family love farm animals, especially horses. She said giving back to the community is important year-round not just at Christmastime or Thanksgiving. As trainers and handlers, we get so much joy out of it, bringing joy to others. Everything ranges from people just being so excited that they start to laugh, bringing out emotional things sometimes in our friends and they just cry with tears of happiness or tears of remembering their childhood, McNicholas said. The emotions range all over the board, but I can tell you that wherever they're at on the board, they definitely stem from just the joy that comes from seeing them and touching them and getting to experience the wonderful love that a miniature horse and the calmness and the joy. While under the Americans with Disabilities Act miniature horses can be authorized service animals, hers are touch-therapy animals and not specifically trained to perform some tasks as required for service animals. The ADA says that only dogs and miniature horses can fall under the authority of the law to be permitted anywhere a member of the public can go. That includes airliners, restaurants, stores and public buildings. The ADA has no requirement for service animals to be 'certified.' Service animal certificates provide the individual with a disability no more rights than an individual without one. And, while there are several online registries, including official looking ones, there is no need or requirement to register, the ADA National Networks website says. The ADA National Network provides information, guidance, and training on how to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information on the ADA, visit the ADA Infoline. To contact McNicholas Miniatures, visit the website at www.McNicholasMiniatures.com. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. 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. We are publishing here a tribute to Helen Halyard written by Richard Phillips, a writer and editor for the World Socialist Web Site and long-time member of the Trotskyist movement in Australia. 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. Helens sudden death has come as a great shock and one that we are all still coming to terms with. My heartfelt condolences go out to all her comrades in the Socialist Equality Party in the US, and especially to those who most closely collaborated with Helen during her decades of unwavering struggle. Helen Halyard with Richard Phillips in Detroit, in early November 1993. Helen was a product of the partys fight for Trotskyism and against national opportunismStalinism, black nationalism, the labour and trade union apparatus and the various manifestations of Pabloite liquidationisma conscious and fully committed fighter for the political independence of the working class. She was a living expression of the revolutionary nature and fighting capacities of the working class. As many here have already noted, it is impossible to think about the political struggle waged by the Workers League and the Socialist Equality Party in the US and not have a kaleidoscope of thoughts and images of Helen come rushing into ones mind. Photographs of Helen speaking with youth, auto workers, Detroit bus drivers and other industrial workers, campaigning with Tom Henehan, in the forefront of the Free Gary Tyler campaign, addressing national and international meetings of the movement, and her exceptional work with Nadezhda Joffe and Soviet historian Vadim Rogovin. And perhaps the most electric image of all, Helens beaming smile as she is surrounded by scores of women workers at a Sri Lankan free trade zone in 1992. I first met Helen in late January 1979 in London after being sent to work with the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) in Britain. My first contact with the Socialist Labour League in Australia was in mid-1975, just prior to the November 11 sacking of the Whitlam Labor government by the governor general, and I joined the party in early 1976. Helen was the first American Trotskyist that Id ever directly campaigned with and her revolutionary optimism and energy, her thirst for knowledge and devotion to historical and political truth was inspiring and, like her all-embracing sense of humour, very infectious. Helen explained to me the divisive political role of the Black Panthers in the US and the dead-end of black nationalism. It was a revelation. Helen Halyard, right, meets workers in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone in Sri Lanka, during her world tour as the Workers League candidate for US president, in 1992. Wije Dias is on the left. We worked for a couple of weeks in Londonin Brixton and East Hamand then along with other international comrades, including Barry Grey, Peter Schwarz, Uli Rippert, Wolfgang Weber, travelled to the WRPs Marxist College of Education in Parwich, Derbyshire. It was a bitterly cold winterEnglands worst since 1963and we were snowed in at Parwich for about two weeks. No one could get in or out of the college, which meant that we had to conduct our own education classes. We studied Lenins What is to Be Done and One Step Forward, Two Steps Back and presented lectures to each other on these Marxist classics. I remember discussions with Helen and Barry on the Workers Leagues 1979 Perspective document and its pamphlet The Fourth International and the Renegade Wohlforth. These weeks were seminal in my political development and a world away from the political confusion being created nationally and internationally by the WRP leadership. Within days of the WRPs fourth party congress in March 1979, the minority Callaghan Labor government fell, and an election was held that brought the Thatcher Tory government to power. Helen stayed on in Derbyshire and I was sent to South Yorkshire, both of us participating in the WRPs election intervention. We remained in these areas following the election, regularly coming into contact with each other on a fortnightly basis when I was assigned to security at the Parwich college during the rest of that year. Helen and I were both engaged in distribution of the WRPs daily Newsline and other organising work in our respective areas with little time for political discussion. Helen returned to the US later that year. I returned to Australia in July 1980, in the aftermath of the betrayal of the national steel workers strike by their union leadership, a rotten sellout endorsed by the Newsline and the WRP. These were difficult and politically confusing times inside the WRP. Gerry Healy, Michael Banda and Cliff Slaughter were increasingly repudiating Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolutionpromoting the bourgeois nationalist leaderships in the Middle Eastand orienting towards the British Labour Party lefts, the Stalinists and the trade union leaderships. The WRP leadership did all it could to block discussions between members of different sections of the ICFI. And, in the aftermath of David Norths Marxist critique of Healys dialectics and the WRPs opportunist political line in 1982 and 1984 respectively, the WRP leaders threatened a split with the Workers League. David North was eventually able to present his analysis of the political degeneration of the WRP leadership to the British party membership and all other sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International in 1985, following the eruption of a political a crisis inside WRP in the aftermath of the betrayal of the British miners strike. Norths analysis politically clarified many, many things and won a clear majority in the WRP and the ICFI and there was a decisive break with all the nationalist and liquidationist factions inside the British section. This opened the way for a renaissance of Marxism inside the Trotskyist movement and an unprecedented expansion of its work internationally. Helen, as assistant national secretary of the Workers League, played a key role in this development, fighting for audacious new interventions in the working class in the US, and collaborating closely with international comrades to develop the work in their sections. Helens US presidential election campaign tour that included visits to Sri Lanka and Australia in late 1992 were awe inspiring and had an indelible impact on the hundreds of workers she spoke to. Helen Halyard with Australia Post workers in Sydney, during the last leg of her world tour as US presidential candidate in October 1992. [Photo by WSWS] In the aftermath of the split with the WRP, I had the privilege of visiting the US in the late 1980s and several occasions during the 1990s working with Helen and other US comrades on various ground-breaking campaigns. I also had the good fortune of staying with Helen, enjoying her legendary generosity and good humour. We discussed at length the political lessons of the degeneration of the WRP. Helen approached this with the utmost objectivity. Every stay with Helen was an eye-opening cultural experience, enriching my understanding of the democratic gains of the American Revolution and the Civil War, the cultural achievements of the Harlem Renaissance and the significance and political limitations of the civil rights movement. And always a deeper immersion into and appreciation of Americas greatest blues and jazz performers. The last time we spoke together in person was in 2004, a day before I returned to Australia, having spent three months in the US. We had coffee and she generously gave me a wonderful multi-CD collection of Nina Simone, one of her all-time favourites. It was a memory that Ill never forget and is always rekindled whenever I hear Nina Simone. Helen stands tall as a powerful foundational figure in the struggle for Trotskyism in the past fifty years and lives on in the growing and combative reality of the International Committee of the Fourth International and its fight for world socialist revolution. In his October 1938 speech On the Founding of the Fourth International, Trotsky declared: We are not a party as other parties. Our ambition is not only to have more members, more papers, more money in the treasury, more deputies. All that is necessary, but only as a means. Our aim is the full material and spiritual liberation of the toilers and exploited through the socialist revolution. This was Helens raison detre, and she gave to the party, its program, and the international working class, the full measure of her life. She leaves behind an enduring political contribution to that struggle and one that must be studied and emulated by all who follow. Four British Typhoon fighter jets took part in Thursday nights US-led strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, maintaining Londons role as Washingtons chief attack dog. Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Bahrain were also involved and the European governments, with the exception of Spain, have all since endorsed the attack. But the UK was the only other country besides America to have its forces launch missiles. More than sixty targets were hit in total, in 16 different locations across the impoverished country. Five Houthi fighters were killed. RAF Typhoon fighter jet at an airshow in Bournemouth, England, September 2021 The Royal Air Force (RAF) was deployed without any public discussion or democratic accountability. Workers in the UK went to bed Thursday with the news having broken just a few hours earlier, around 7pm, that a cabinet meeting had been called to discuss military action in Yemen and woke to the news that airstrikes had been carried out around midnight. That such a deeply unpopular governmentthe ruling Conservative Party trails by 13 points in the pollsis ready to act so recklessly points to British imperialisms desperate need to cleave to America. That it is able to do so depends on the total support for its war policy provided by the opposition Labour Party. Especially since Brexit cut the UK off from potential allies in Europe, ending its primary usefulness to Washington as the staunchest pro-US voice within the European Union, Britain has doubled down on staging military provocations to curry favour with American imperialism. It has played a leading role in Ukraine against Russia and is now doing the same in the Red Sea against Iran, which backs the Houthis, where it has deployed two warships, HMS Diamond and HMS Richmond. Another, HMS Lancaster, is in the Gulf of Oman. HMS Diamond in waters off Bournemouth, England in 2018 The morning after the bombing raid, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. He pledged 2.5 billion of military aid to Ukraine over the coming yearthe UKs largest annual commitment since Russias invasion in February 2022. Sunak said the support was vital because, if President Vladimir Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his shadow defence secretary John Healey were briefed on planned action Thursday night. They appeared first thing Friday on the morning news shows to make clear their agreement. Starmer told BBC Breakfast, We are supporting this action We do support this action. He explained, When Rishi Sunak became prime minister I had a phone call with him the first day, the first night We agreed that we would robustly challenge each other on the politics of the day, but when it comes to national security issues of defence of the country that we would seek to cooperate and work together. He was even more effusive later in the day, declaring, I do support, Labour does support, this operation against the Houthi rebels We support this action were fully supportive of the action thats needed. Healey told ITVs Good Morning Britain, We back this action, and used the occasion to raise his concerns about the underfunding of the military. Saying Labour would always do whats required to defend the country, will always spend whats required to defend the country, he referenced the fact that military spending under Labour in 2010 was 2.5 percent of GDP, sustaining a full-time army of over 100,000. Starmer and Healey stepped in as chief spokespeople for parliaments single party of war. Starmer would not even call for a recall of parliament, saying instead that there should be a debate at the first opportunity, i.e., when parliament reassembles Monday. The Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) have asked for the recall of parliament so that, in Liberal Democrat leader Ed Daveys words, the government can put their case. Davey was sure to add that his party was minded to support the government. All that is being requested is the opportunity for a democratic rubber stamp. SNP leader Humza Yousaf was marginally more critical, noting that the UKs record on military intervention, particularly in the Middle East, is not a good one, before adding, the correct and appropriate thing to have done would have been to have recalled parliament. Labours left rump went no further. John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn tweeted Thursday night, There is a risk of setting the region alight, but only argued, There should be no military action without Parliamentary approval. Zarah Sultana MP said, Parliament must be recalled for a vote before British military action, as did John Trickett, The Commons should immediately reconvene if we are deploying armed forces. Jeremy Corbyn, now an Independent, called the failure to recall parliament utterly disgraceful, but said nothing to criticise Starmermerely urging all MPs to learn from our mistakes and realise that war is not the answer. Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary who now also sits as an Independent having been kicked out like Corbyn from the Parliamentary Labour Party, was alone in even noting that In 2020 Keir Starmer said no more illegal wars. He said that he would only back war if it was legal, had a viable objective and Parliament gave consent. The current military action on Yemen has none of these yet he supports it. The Corbynites all know full well that the overwhelming majority of MPs, and, most importantly, of the Labour Party, stand in favour of the genocidal assault in Gaza and now military intervention in Yemen, and that appeals directed to Parliament without any call for independent political struggle by workers and young people are purely for the record. Above all, the starting point of any real opposition to the war in the Middle East is a challenge to Starmer and his shadow cabinet. British imperialisms rapid shift to the right, and the role played by Corbyn and the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs, is clearly marked by the three bombing campaigns planned by the RAF in the last decade. In 2013, Parliament was consulted on and failed to support Prime Minister David Camerons participation in US-led strikes on Syria. The vote reflected divisions in the ruling class over the wisdom of such an intervention, heavily influenced by the threat of a backlash in a population deeply affected by the Iraq War and opposed to further imperialist bloodshed in the Middle East. That popular sentiment was a major factor in the landslide election of Corbyn as Labour leader two years later. But just months into his leadership, he trampled that mandate to allow the pro-war Labour Party a free vote on the Tory governments revived proposal for airstrikes in Syria. The vote went through, and fighter jets were carrying out raids within hours. This set the tone for Corbyns period in office and the systematic demobilisation of anti-war sentiment he presided over, completed with the handing of the Labour Party back to its Blairite masters led by Sir Keir The party of NATO Starmer. Starmers commitment to NATO and the Labour lefts capitulation to Starmer have been so total that even the fig leaf of a parliamentary vote has been dispensed with this time around. The rapidly expanding war in the Middle East, with Iran in the imperialist powers sights, will not be stopped by any political force represented in the House of Commons; that requires the mobilisation of the international working class by a socialist, anti-imperialist party. A wave of respiratory infections is rapidly spreading across Spain since the last weeks of 2023. The wave has been dubbed tripledemiaa combination of infections of three different viruses, COVID-19, Influenza A and RSV, a virus that can cause bronchiolitis that mainly affects children. The latest report posted January 4 from the Carlos III University Health Institute states that the rate of respiratory infections now stands at a total of 952.9 cases per one hundred thousand inhabitants at national level, 78 percent more than a month ago. Medical staff members attend to a COVID-19 patient in the ICU department of the Hospital Universitario, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) [AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos] In some regions the figure is much higher. In Castilla La Mancha there are 1,710 cases per hundred thousand and in Valencia it is 1,501. Spains hospitals have come under immense pressure, as hospitalisations grew 60 percent in a week. In Madrid, the Hospital Universitario La Paz, which serves a population in excess of 500,000 people and is one of the largest in Spain by the number of beds, has been forced to suspend operations to make room for new patients. Emergency services are saturated due to the avalanche of patients. The health authorities ask patients not to go to the emergency room and go to primary care centers, which face shortages of doctors after 15 years of spending cuts in the healthcare sector. With the prospect of taking several days or even weeks to be treated, many patients are going directly to the emergency rooms out of desperation. The situation is becoming especially complicated with the flu, which saw a 75 percent increase in cases in the last week alone. The forecast is that the combination of the cold and Christmas gatherings, which in Spain last until January 6, the day of the Three Magic Kings, means the flu is expected to peak in the third week of January. The same naturally holds true for COVID. Epidemiological forecasts calculate that at least 4,000 people will die by the end of February. These viruses are dangerous for a large part of the population, but especially for children and people over 65 years of age, pregnant women, immunosuppressed or those who suffer from other ailments that may make them vulnerable. To this we must add those affected by Long COVID, which according to studies may be around 10 percent of the people who have been infected by COVID and rises with each subsequent infection. In Spain, this would mean around two million people affected. According to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID infections are on the rise worldwide, with an increase of 52 percent in the last month that is likely greater due to the decrease in reports and the dismantling of monitoring systems. WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters this amounts to 850,000 new daily cases. The true figure is likely much higher. He stated, You know that all throughout the world and you've seen it in many of your own countries, the reporting has dropped, the surveillance centers have dropped, the vaccination centers have dropped, have been dismantled as well or shut down. This is the result of capitalist policies of prioritising profits over lives. Across the world, governments are systematically seeking to hide the spread of COVID and other respiratory viruses by insisting on the non-use of masks, eliminating containment measures and dismantling information and control systems. The anti-vaccine propaganda strongly disseminated by the media is causing the population to vaccinate less, not only against COVID, but also against flu and other diseases. The spread of respiratory diseases was predictable. Spain experienced something similar last year, although with less intensity. North America, China and Northern Europe are all experiencing a wave of respiratory infections with hospitals saturated. Rather than heeding the continued dangers posed by the viruses and recognise the need for billions of euros investment in the depleted healthcare system after 15 years of austerity measures, the new government of the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Sumar coalition formed by pseudo-leftists and Stalinists is debating whether to introduce the most rudimentary health measures, like masking in health facilities. It has adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards the tripledemia, six months after it declared the COVID pandemic officially over. On Tuesday, the government finally mandated minimal measures like mask-wearing in health facilities, after six regions had already imposed this over the past weeks. 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 of the first order.' This is the same Garcia who in December 2021 said that masking was a useless measure, echoing the worst and dangerous anti-scientific lies. Instead of contracting more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, the latest proposal of the PSOE-Sumar government is to allow workers themselves to self-diagnose and take sick days without pay and without seeing a doctor. Once again, workers are being abandoned to their fate. They are pursuing continuing the same criminal and reckless policies of its predecessor, the PSOE-Podemos government (2019-2023), which systematically dismantled some of the most basic facets of public healthtesting, contact tracing and reporting of disease outbreaks. According to The Lancet calculations, these policies have already cost 162,000 lives in Spain as per excess deaths, even though official data remains at over 122,000. Meanwhile, the government continues to spend billions of euros on the military and NATO's war against Russia in Ukraine, while showering large banks and corporations with billions from European funds. This is the money that could be used to fund vaccines, therapeutics and the renovation of infrastructure to prevent airborne diseases. The fight to end the pandemic is inseparable from the struggle by the working class against capitalism and its subordination of everything to the profits of big business. It is to the working class that principled scientists and epidemiologists must turn. Across Europe, health workers have been at the forefront of opposition to the capitalist offensive against public health care, as the ruling class privatises, dismantles and sacks thousands of staff. In Spain, they have participated in massive strikes to improve their working conditions and the medical care they give to their patients. Last month, 55,000 nurses went on strike in Catalonia against low wages and precarious working conditions. These strikes have received mass support, with healthcare workers protests being joined by tens of thousands of people like in Madrid in November 2022 when hundreds of thousands demonstrated against the right-wing Popular Party (PP) regional government of Isabel Ayuso. Their struggles have been constantly betrayed by the trade union bureaucracy, which has refused to organize unified strike actions, instead calling them on different dates and regions. Union leaders have also sought to shut down strikes as soon as they break out, seeking agreements with the different regional governments that include pay raises below workers' demands and do not improve the public healthcare situation. Workers must join their brothers and sisters internationally. In every school, factory, warehouse and other workplace, they must form rank-and-file safety committees to take up the struggle in defense of the health and well-being of society. The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), formed in 2021 in part to organize a working-class movement to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to lead this struggle and fight for all forms of workplace safety. On Monday, the Culture Committee of the Berlin Senate agreed on the introduction of a clause that effectively abolishes artistic freedom and represents a major step towards the type of cultural conformism imposed by the Nazis. Under the pretext of combating extremism, terrorism, discrimination and antisemitism, anyone who criticises Germanys war policy or Israeli crimes is to be silenced. Cultural workers are to be placed under general suspicion. In the future, funding decisions from the Senate Committee for Culture will contain a so-called anti-discrimination clause, which obliges the recipients of funding to take all necessary steps to ensure that the state funding does not benefit any organisations classified as extremist and/or terrorist. The basis for this measure is the terror list drawn up by the European Union (EU) and the constitution protection reports of the German domestic intelligence service, explained Culture Senator Joe Chialo (Christian Democratic Union, CDU). Demonstration against the "anti-discrimination clause" of the Berlin Senate of Culture in front of the Berlin Senate Building, Monday, 8 January 2024 - Large Banner reads Senate Department for Censorship and Social Repression In particular, the clause is directed against any content alleged to be antisemitic according to the definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Chialo claimed the aim was to further sensitize institutions and cultural professionals by anchoring the definition into the funding guidelines along with an obligatory self-declaration for applicants. In fact, the IHRAs definition lacks any scientific credibility and has been criticised by hundreds of academics and historians around the world. Hundreds of demonstrators protested against the introduction of the clause in front of the Berlin Senate on Monday. An open letter from creative artists, which gathered over 4,000 signatures in just a few days, warned: The withdrawal of financial support and public platforms is currently being used as a means of pressure to exclude from public discourse those critical of the policies of the Israeli government and the war in Gaza. The planned clause will make it easier for the administration and politicians to use this means of pressure and restrict the space for necessary discourse. Participant in the demonstration against the Berlin Senate's "anti-discrimination clause": "NSU - Hanau - AfD - NSU 2.0 - Halle: How should we trust your judgement?" Gulya, who took part in the demonstration with two friends, told the WSWS: I am an artist and rely on public funding. I am appalled that people are trying to silence us when we stand up for something so important. I fear Germany is moving in a far right direction and Im angry with the German left. Media outlets like the taz newspaper are attacking us and supporting Israel. They are all part of the problem. When Chialo took the microphone at the rally in order to condemn the protesters and defend his censorship measure, he was met with a chorus of booing, forcing him to quickly quit the podium and hurry into the Senate building. Participant in the demonstration against the Berlin Cultural Senate's "anti-discrimination clause". During the subsequent meeting of the Berlin Culture Committee, representatives of all the political parties represented in the Senate expressed their full support for Chialos frontal attack on culture. Melanie Kuhnemann-Grunow (Social Democratic Party, SPD) began by agreeing with the CDU-led initiative and bluntly threatened cultural workers: We have noticed a resounding silence in the arts and culture sector after 7 October. She then called for the Senates intervention to also be reflected in artistic output. There could no more blatant way to formulate the demand for thoroughly conformist art and culture! Daniel Wesener (Greens) boasted that the citys previous coalition of the SPD, Left Party and Greens had already implemented key elements of Chialos initiative: The clause is already in force. The self-declaration is already part of funding applications. However, he added, he had sent Chialo a multi-page catalogue of questions on implementation in order to help the Senator avoid coming into conflict with constitutional issues. Martin Trefzer from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also thanked Chialo for his initiative. Trefzer praised the Green parliamentary groups list of questions and summarized the committees position: We must react to the Israel-related antisemitism that we experienced after 7 October. The AfD and the Greens agreed that it was now a matter of making the clause legally tight. Elke Breitenbach (Left Party) merely criticised the enactment, but not the content of the clause. It should have been implemented in consultation with the heads of cultural institutions and churches, who had all taken up the censorship and war propaganda of the German government in past weeks. We would have done it differently, explained Breitenbach meekly. In reality, Chialos initiative ties in seamlessly with the policies of the Left Party and its former coalition partners. The Berlin State Concept for the Prevention of Antisemitism, which the former SPD-Left Party-Green Senate adopted in 2019, states: The working definition of antisemitism of the International Alliance for Holocaust Remembrance, as expanded by the federal government, forms the basis of Berlins administrative action to deal with antisemitism. Re-interpreting the fight against antisemitism as a weapon against critics of Israels murderous policies is a prime example of a political process described by WSWS International Editorial Board chairman David North as a semantic inversion in his lecture at Humboldt University on December 14, 2023. Under the leadership of far-right forces, commemoration of the Holocaust is now being misused to legitimise new crimes and criminalize opponents of war - especially socialists and Jewish-Israeli opposition activists. The association of the Jewish population with the crimes of the Israeli government carried out in this manner is itself deeply antisemitic in character. What is at stake is nothing less than the destruction of artistic freedom. The wording of the clause implies that applicants may not invite, employ or allow people to speak whose perspectives do not coincide with the interests of the Interior Ministry, the Foreign Office or the European Commission. Anyone who organises anti-war protests, publishes works of criticism or provides a stage for opponents of war must reckon with the withdrawal of the funding upon which independent art is so dependent. The desired consequence is state censorship and peremptory self-censorship. This is most clearly demonstrated by the Berlin Senates attempts to shut down the Oyoun cultural Centre in Neukolln after meetings were held there by the Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East and the Socialist Equality Party (SGP) opposing the massacre in Gaza. With the support of all parties, the Senate decided at the end of November to stop funding the renowned cultural centre, contrary to existing promises, and to rent the property to someone else. Since then, several employees of the migrant centre have been threatened with deportation. In a widely circulated statement, the SGP warned of the far-reaching implications of the Senates action against the Oyoun cultural centre: Anyone who criticises the governments war policy must expect arbitrary arrests, house searches and secret service surveillance. Demonstrations against the massacre in Gaza are being banned by the dozen, the demand for equal rights for Palestinians is being criminalized and Muslims are being placed under general suspicion. The working class is confronted with a phalanx of the entire ruling class determined to silence all those who oppose the governments war policy. Culture Senator Chialo referred on Wednesday to a similar clause that has already been passed by the state of Schleswig-Holstein and predicted threateningly: All federal states and the federal government will follow suit. At a closed meeting last weekend, Bavarias ruling, deeply conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) called for critics of Israel to be punished with at least six months in prison for antisemitism and for foreign citizens who take part in a hostile, antisemitic crowd to be deported. The purges in the art and cultural world are already well underway, the SGP statement goes on to warn. Any institution that criticises the governments policy must now fear losing any basis for its work. This development cannot be tolerated. We call on all artists, students and workers to protest against the introduction of the censorship clause and to take part in the strike against the genocide in the Gaza Strip to be held on January 14. The growing social struggles of the working class must be linked to the immense opposition to the war - and requires an international and socialist orientation and perspective. Sign up today to support the participation in the European elections of the SGP, which is fighting for precisely this perspective and defending artistic freedom on this basis. Since Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott has deployed armed Texas National Guard troops and vehicles to seize control of Shelby Park in the city of Eagle Pass. The National Guard troops are physically blocking US Border Patrol police from using the park, which borders the Rio Grande River, as a staging area for processing immigrants coming into the US. Guardsmen watch as immigrants try to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into the U.S. near in Eagle Pass, Texas, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. [AP Photo/Eric Gay] The Biden administration has called the move an attempt to politicize the border. White House spokesperson Angelo Hernandez said, Governor Abbott continues his extreme political stunts that not only seek to demonize and dehumanize people, but that also make it harder and more dangerous for Border Patrol to do their jobs. This statement is in line with efforts of the Democrats and Biden to cast the Republicans provocative agitation against the supposed open border policy of the federal government as a boon to illegal aliens and the drug cartels, by blocking White House proposals to allocate billions of additional dollars to further militarize the border. Abbotts move is a major escalation of his systematic assertion of the state governments authority over the border in violation of the US Constitution, which explicitly reserves to the federal government the management of US borders. His so-called Operation Lone Star is the spearhead of a fascistic and racist campaign to demonize migrants, incite the far right against Biden and the Democrats and promote the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. In recent months, Abbott has unilaterally placed buoys in the Rio Grande and strung razor wire along the border in order to maim refugees and deter them from traversing the river and reaching the US shore. In December, he enacted a new state law, SB4, that empowers state and local police to arrest people suspected of being illegal aliens, in violation of federal law. This week, he boasted of having bused over 100,000 migrants to Democratic-controlled sanctuary cities. Immigrants attempt to climb over concertina wire after they crossed the Rio Grande and entered the U.S. from Mexico, Saturday, September 23, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. [AP Photo/Eric Gay] On Friday, the Biden Justice Department filed an addition to a previously filed appeal to the US Supreme Court of a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling enjoining federal border officers from taking down razor wire strung by the Texas state government. The new filing argued that the state National Guards seizure of Shelby Park blocked Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Border Patrol from apprehending, detaining and processing immigrants crossing the border. The Justice Department has separately appealed to the Supreme Court to allow federal agents to remove buoys placed in the Rio Grande by Abbott and to overturn SB4. One part of the Department of Justices appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn the Fifth Circuits ruling on razor wire speaks to the inhumane and sadistic character of the attacks on migrants and refugees. The filing states that Texass razor wire layers are so dense as to take 10 to 30 minutes to cut through. It adds that by the time a medical emergency is apparent, it may be too late to render life-saving aid. In other words, the razor wire may be killing refugees trying to reach the US. The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), the union representing the Border Patrol police, issued a statement Friday supporting Abbotts illegal usurpation of the Border Patrol by the state National Guard. The union is affiliated with the American Federation of Government Employees, which is part of the AFL-CIO. It supported Trump for president in both 2016 and 2020. Its president, Brandon Judd, is a fascistic opponent of the Biden administration who is constantly featured on right-wing media. Judd said in a statement: His seizing control of Shelby Park allows our agents to deploy to trouble spots that experience high numbers of gotaways. Governor Abbotts actions should be seen as a force multiplier. Judd is an advocate of the antisemitic Great Replacement Theory, which asserts that Jewish globalists who control the Democratic Party are deliberately encouraging a flood of immigrants into the US to overwhelm white Christian Americans and permanently shift the electorate in favor of the Democratic Party. The NBPC wrote on X: Biden is intentionally flooding the country with millions of illegal aliens. Judd publicly touted the Great Replacement Theory line during an April 2022 interview with anchor Bill Hemmer on Fox News. He said: I believe that theyre trying to change the demographics of the electorate; thats what I believe theyre doing. Republican Congressman Chip Roy of Texas, a leading member of the fascistic House Freedom Caucus, tweeted Friday: The Governor has my full support to go as far as is necessary (from a legal perspective) to secure Texas border. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, from left, Rep. Dan Bishop, D-N.C., Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. [AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite] Roy issued a press release on January 2 in which he openly broached the possibility of Texas seceding from the United States. He wrote: My fellow Texans rightly ask whether Texas and similarly minded Americans should remain part of a federal government forsaking their well-being, safety, and security in violation of the compact under which we entered the union. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the fast combat support ship USNS Supply transit the Strait of Hormuz, Dec. 14, 2023. [Photo: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Keith Nowak] The World Socialist Web Site unequivocally condemns Thursdays attack by the United States and United Kingdom against Yemen. With no popular mandate, with no congressional or parliamentary authorization, without even an attempt at a serious explanation, the Biden administration in the US and the Sunak government in the UK have carried out an illegal act of war against an impoverished nation. The attack on Yemen is a major escalation of the developing war in the Middle East. Since the beginning of Israels genocide in Gaza, the US and its imperialist allies in NATO have overseen a massive militarization of the region, directly targeting Iran. This is itself part of an expanding global war, including the US-NATO war against Russia and the developing economic and military conflict against China. US President Joe Biden did not even see fit to go on national television to explain the launching of a new war, under conditions in which there is overwhelming popular opposition to the expansion of war in the Middle East. As the Pentagon was planning to attack Yemen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was admitted to the intensive care unit of Walter Reed Hospital, with the knowledge of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff but unbeknownst to the president. This bizarre episode underscored the reality that US war-making is operating on autopilot, increasingly outside the pretense of civilian oversight. As always, the rationale provided to justify the war is a pack of lies. Biden declared that the missile strikes were defensive and a direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks. The American media, with the same breathless reporting that has accompanied every US military operation, proclaims that a country with a gross domestic product 700 times smaller than the United States is carrying out intolerable actions, against which the American military is forced to defend itself. Overnight, Yemens Houthis have been turned into a new bogeyman, requiring urgent military action without any discussion or explanation. In coordination with the Israeli genocide in Gaza, the United States has dispatched to the Middle East a massive military armada, consisting of two aircraft carrier battle groups, multiple guided missile destroyers, an unknown number of submarines and dozens of warplanes. These forces have provided logistics, reconnaissance, and target selection to Israel in a deliberate effort to provoke retaliation from Iran and its allied forces such as the Houthis. Yet, supposedly it is Yemen that is the aggressor, carrying out unprecedented attacks on US military forces deployed in the Red Sea, thousands of miles from the US border. American imperialism, which has a military larger than that of the next 10 countries combined, claims to be waging a defensive war on the other side of the world against a small, oppressed and impoverished country. Were not interested in a war with Yemen, asserted the Pentagon on Friday, Were not interested in a conflict of any kind. In fact, the imperialist powers have been waging a war against the population of Yemen for nearly a decade. The Houthis in Yemen have been subject to ruthless slaughter, waged by Saudi Arabia but armed and financed by the United States. According to the United Nations, 377,000 people have been killed in a genocidal campaign that has involved blockades resulting in mass starvation and disease. First under Obama and then under Trump, the US financed this assault with more than $54 billion in military equipment, aided and abetted by its imperialist allies, including the UK. The devastation of Yemen is part of more than 30 years of unending and expanding war, spearheaded and led by American imperialism, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990-91. This included the first Gulf War in 1990; the dismantling of Yugoslavia, culminating in the war against Serbia in 1999; the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001; the second war against Iraq in 2003; the war against Libya in 2011; and the CIA-backed civil war in Syria that began the same year. Every single administration since that of Bill Clinton has authorized military operations, airstrikes, and destabilization operations in Somalia, across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, seeking to control the critical waterway leading to the Suez Canal. The launching of military strikes against Yemen marks a new stage in the deepening imperialist military offensive throughout the Middle East and beyond. The US and its imperialist allies are waging a de facto war against Iran, working to eliminate Irans military allies throughout the Middle East. The strikes against Yemen are directed at encircling Iran and provoking it into retaliation against US forces, which could be used to justify a full-scale war against Tehran. The immediate antecedent for the escalating war in the Middle East, of which the genocide in Gaza is a part, is the collapse of Ukraines spring offensive. But the imperialist powers are doubling down. Backing Ukraine is key to the Wests security, declares The Economist, while Foreign Affairs asserts that Victory Is Ukraines Only True Path to Peace. Overriding all of this, the United States is involved in a struggle to fend off the challenge posed by China to its global hegemony, which threatens to trigger a shooting war in the Pacific. In the US media and political circles, there is growing talk of a new axis of evil involving Iran, China and Russia. Each one of these conflicts cannot be understood in isolation. The bombing of Yemen is part of a global counter-revolution, in which the imperialist powers are seeking to reestablish direct control over their former colonies. The countries carrying out this agenda are the old imperialist powers: the US, UK, France, and Germany. The British ruling class, unable to carry through its policies independently, seeks to exploit the so-called special relationship, that is, Britains role as the principal ally of American imperialism, to advance its own interests on a global stage. Every war launched by the US and its imperialist allies has ended in one bloody debacle after the other, with millions of people killed. But each disaster only reinforces the determination of US imperialism to use war as a means to secure its global hegemony. American Imperialism, to paraphrase the words of Leon Trotsky, is tobogganing towards disaster with eyes closed. Over the past three months, millions of people all over the world have marched in protest of the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. The US strikes on Yemen occurred on the same day as the International Court of Justice heard devastating evidence that Israel, and by extension the United States, were responsible for genocide in Gaza. The response of US imperialism to these mass popular protests and exposures of its war crimes has been to accelerate its war plans. This is because the eruption of war, genocide and political repression is not an aberration. Imperialism, as Lenin explained, is not merely a policy, but rather a specific historical stage of capitalist development. Opposition to imperialism is, therefore, a revolutionary question. It is not a matter of appealing to the capitalist governments responsible for these crimes to alter course, but rather mobilizing the working class, fusing the struggle against war with the developing struggles of workers all over the world against inequality and exploitation. The logic of these struggles requires the conquest of political power by workers all over the world, the expropriation of the capitalist oligarchs and war criminals, and the socialist reorganization of economic life on a world scale. In their last major television appearances before the Iowa caucuses, to be held on January 15, the three major Republican presidential candidatesex-President Donald Trump, his former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantiscentered their campaigns on fascistic anti-immigrant agitation. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, right, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaking at the CNN Republican presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. [AP Photo/Andrew Harnik] The latest polls project Trump to be the winner of both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the latter scheduled for January 23. However, some polls have Haley within single digits of Trump in New Hampshire. DeSantis has cratered in polling since first announcing his campaign last year. Reports are emerging that should DeSantis have a poor showing in Iowa, his presidential run will be over. Trump, Haley and DeSantis are all proposing the same basic anti-immigrant policy, effectively ending the right to asylum and carrying out mass deportations and detentions of undocumented workers. In the CNN debate held Wednesday night between Haley and DeSantis, moderator Jake Tapper dedicated several questions to the war on immigrants. Tapper provided ample airtime for the right-wing candidates to compete for the mantle of being the most brutal and sadistic enemy of refugees. This has been one of the biggest years for illegal border crossings into the United States, Tapper fear-mongered. Referring to Trumps incomplete border wall, Tapper asked DeSantis, How will you succeed where [Trump] failed? We will build the wall, DeSantis replied, adding that he would impose the cost on migrants living in the US. We are going to charge fees on remittances that workers send to foreign countries, he boasted. Promising to deport millions of people, DeSantis added, Biden has let in 8 million people in four years. They have to go back. Turning to his Republican rival, DeSantis hissed, Do not trust Nikki Haley with illegal immigration. Thats like having the fox guard the hen house Shes weak on immigration. Shes bankrolled by people who want open borders and she said there shouldnt be a limit on immigration DeSantis made a point of denouncing Haley for humane comments she previously made regarding immigrants while speaking at the Aspen Institute, a capitalist think tank. The CEO of the Aspen Institute at the time was Walter Isaacson, the former chair and CEO of CNN and one-time editor of Time. Tapper then asked Haley if she stood by her 2015 comments, in which she said, We dont need to talk about them, referring to immigrants, as criminals. They are not. They are families that want a better life and they are desperate to get here. Replying to Tapper, Haley said that she saw them, but it doesnt mean we should let them into our country. The former South Carolina governor called for building the wall and putting 25,000 Border Patrol and ICE agents on the ground and let them do their job. She spoke in favor of defunding sanctuary cities and reinstituting remain in Mexico so no one even steps foot on US soil. Tapper turned back to DeSantis for a reply. The governor, who has campaigned on a shoot on sight policy for the southern border, claimed that military-aged males were coming from all over the world, including China, Iran, Russia, the Middle East. Calling migration a ticking time bomb, he added, Of course, there are going to be terrorist cells. Throughout the back and forth, Tapper never raised the plight of immigrants or even hinted at humanitarian or democratic concerns. Instead, he asked DeSantis, There are currently 10 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, according to Pew Research. Will any of them be allowed to stay in the United States under your administration? DeSantis said zero people would be granted amnesty under his presidency. Asked the same question, Haley replied, You have to deport them. At a question-and-answer town hall held at the same time on Fox News, which registered double the ratings of the CNN event, Donald Trump reiterated his desire to carry out the biggest deportation operation in US history. All the questions from the audience were pre-screened by Fox prior to airing. Asked by an audience member how he would gather the several millions that have already entered our country illegally and return them to their country of origin? Trump replied, Great question. Its not sustainable for our country, we have millions and millions of people here, it is not sustainable. Did you see in New York City where they are getting the regular students out and they are putting migrants in their place? We are going to have the largest deportation effort in the history of our country. We are bringing everybody back to where they came from. We have no choice, we have no choice. As he does on the campaign trail, Trump claimed during the program, without evidence, that many immigrants were from mental institutions and insane asylums, many were terrorists and the Trump travel ban had prevented terrorists from coming into the country. In the friendly confines of Fox News, every lie Trump told, no matter how big, went by without any push-back. At one point, Trump ludicrously claimed that there was very little political violence in the United States during his term, ignoring the very violent failed coup he led on January 6, 2021, which resulted in hundreds of injuries and multiple deaths. Coinciding with the televised Republican campaign events, on Wednesday the House Homeland Security Committee held its first formal impeachment hearing against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the House Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Washington. [AP Photo/Evan Vucci] Despite the fact that the border police under Mayorkas are holding some 37,000 immigrants in detention as of December 31, over 10,000 more than capacity, and deportations doubled in Fiscal Year 2023, matching Trump-era levels, Republicans have accused Mayorkas, the son of a Cuban Jew, a former prosecutor and the first Latino head of the department, of abandoning the border. If Mayorkas were to be impeached, it would be the first impeachment of a cabinet secretary in over 150 years and only the second in US history. US Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached on March 2, 1876, for corruption. He was acquitted at his Senate trial. In his opening remarks, Homeland Security Committee Chair Rep. Mark Green (R-Tennessee) cast Mayorkas as the architect of the devastation we have witnessed for nearly three years. Seeking to meet the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors required for impeachment, while also appealing to fascists, Green accused Mayorkas of intentionally enacting policies that kill Americans. Green held up former President Barack Obama, known as the deporter-in-chief, as an example for Mayorkas to follow. In Fiscal Year 2013, Green said, according to DHSs own numbers, the Obama administration detained 82 percent of illegal aliens from the moment they were encountered until their case was decided, and another 9 percent were held for some portion of time after that. Thats a pretty good track record, and under a Democrat administration, Green chortled. The remarks of the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, showed that the Democratic Party, no less than the Republicans, is an enemy of immigrants. In his opening statement, Thompson launched into a right-wing defense of Mayorkas, accusing Republicans of blocking funding to expand border security. But for all their border security bluster, Thompson said, the Republicans oppose funding necessary to secure the border. They tried to cut money from Customs and Border personnel and have refused to take up the presidents supplemental funding request. Rep. Bennie Thompson. [AP Photo/Susan Walsh] The $110 billion supplemental funding bill, which includes $14.3 billion for military equipment to Israel and another $65.5 billion for the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, also provides $14 billion for the border. According to the White House, the Department of Homeland Security funds would be used to hire an additional 1,300 border patrol agents, 375 immigration judge teams and 1,600 asylum officers, and deploy over 100 cutting-edge inspection machines. Thompson attacked Green for not supporting the war/border package. It should be unthinkable that a chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security would threaten to defund DHS, but that is exactly what happened, Thompson said, adding, This is funding our front line border and immigration agencies need. On Thursday, the Palestine Festival of Literature posted to its Twitter/X account a poem by young Palestinian poet Mohammed al-Qudwa, currently trapped in Gaza and exposed, like the rest of the population, to the threat of death, mutilation, hunger or expulsion by the Israeli regime. The poem, read by US actor Mahershala Ali, has received more than 560,000 views as of this writing. Not only does this reception of the poem on social media demonstrate the publics abiding anger and horror at the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza by the Israeli murder machine, but it also shows that poetryoften declared as a marginalized or dead art formcan move masses of people when it speaks of the deep feelings of the oppressed. Mahershala Ali reading poem This is the reason the Zionist state is not only waging war against civilians, but against the very recognition and memory of its crimes. One of the main goals of the Israeli government has been to exterminate the journalists in Gaza who report on it. At this writing at close to 200 journalists have been killed, in addition to members of their families. The situation of artists in Gaza and Palestine in general is similar. It is not only the current genocide trial before the International Court of Justice that will cast infamy on the Zionist state, but the possibility of significant poems, novels, plays and films that will document the agony of the Palestinian people and inspire millions to oppose Zionism and imperialism. As the WSWS noted last week, The Zionists are acutely aware of the need to wipe out both witnesses of their murder spree in general and, specifically, anyone who might be capable of representing the terrible events in important creative work. To this end, On December 6, the Zionist state assassinated Dr. Refaat al-Areer, a prominent author and academic in Gaza, along with his brother, sister and four of his nephews and nieces, after the Israel Defense Forces made several death threats. The poet Mosab Abu Toha was detained and beaten by the IDF as he was fleeing Gaza. He was released only after an international outcry. The Palestine Festival of Literature, which produced the video, takes place annually in several Palestinian cities, such as Jerusalem, Ramallah, Haifa and Nablus, because the Israeli occupation limits the ability of Palestinians to travel. Its events in Gaza have been restricted because of the Israeli blockade in recent years. The festival presents readings and performances by Palestinian writers and other artists. Festival patrons have included Chinua Achebe, John Berger, Mahmoud Darwish, Seamus Heaney, Harold Pinter, Philip Pullman and Emma Thompson. After the assassination of Refaat al-Areer, the festival, on December 12, posted on its Twitter/X feed a reading of al-Areers poem If I Must Die read by British actor Brian Cox. The reading has been viewed 13 million times. Mohammed al-Qudwas poem is read memorably and powerfully by Mahershala Ali, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as other honors, for his role in Moonlight (2016) and again for Best Supporting Actor in 2019 for his role in Greenbook. He is well known for his starring role as Arkansas police state detective Wayne Hays in the 2017 HBO series True Detective. Ali is a member of Artists4Ceasefire, which has called on the US government to demand a ceasefire to the Israeli devastation in Gaza. He notes on the video clip before reading the poem: If we work for a ceasefire and freedom for Palestine, one of the many things we can do is help families who are trying to reach safety today. Mohammed al-Qudwa says in a GoFundMe appeal for funds to evacuate his family and himself from Gaza: I have a sister and a brother. My sister is a dental student in Egypt, but she finished her studies the previous year and had an internship year in dentistry, so she had to leave the country, but the war broke out, and my brother suffered from a head injury and a tumor. His Longing for Haifa, speaks of the longing for this city, and by implication the desire of Palestinians to return to their land. The city which was taken by the Hagenah, the predecessor of the Israel Defense Forces in a campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing in 1947-48. Today Haifa is the third largest city in Israel, notable for its mixed Jewish and Palestinian population. Al-Qudwas poem expresses feelings through images and metaphors of the current genocide in Gaza. The WSWS is publishing the poem in its entirety in English in a translation from the Arabic supplied by the Palestine Festival of Literature. Longing for Haifa by Mohammed al-Qudwa I comb with my eyes the seafront for the last time I wait for a ship. A sail. Or even the stalk of an orange tree. I want to cross to break through the barriers of the sea that my orange should grow fruit to be eaten by the deep. Perhaps it will save me from the death of a shark. I smile at the sea for the last time or the one just before it I wait for Noahs miracle The sea starts to move with me to pull me towards the sun who every day I hear calling for help for the last time. How many times have I compared them: The sea, to my beloved? Those first threads that each morning stream like hair to her waist. How many times did she believe me? She knew from our coastal town That we cant see those dawns. The sea still tears me apart. Steals my limbs from me I use one arm to swim, the other to push away the waves. In spite of all this I will cross I will leave, for tomorrow, an orange That the sea pushes out to shore. Perhaps it will land at Haifa And I can take root and grow there again. The sea cannot stop my love of her hair Nor make me forget the final sound of the sun. As American and British bombs struck 60 locations in Yemen yesterday, the Australian Labor government declared its full support for the act of war and stated that it had provided unspecified assistance to the attack. In his written statement confirming the strikes, US President Joe Biden named only four countries aside from the UK as having given support to the bombardmentAustralia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles with Adm. Samuel Paparo at Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2023 [Photo: US Navy] Together with the US, the UK and eight other states, Australia issued a statement, justifying the bombing as it was unfolding. Presenting the US-led attack as a defensive reaction to Houthi operations targeting shipping in the Red Sea, the document proclaimed: Todays action demonstrated a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks. In reality, the shared commitment is to the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The stated aim of the Houthi attacks has been to obstruct and block the Zionist regimes slaughter of Palestinian civilians, over 30,000 of whom have been killed in the past three months. In doing so, they have invoked the Geneva Convention, which formally obligates the international community and nations to take concrete actions to prevent genocide from occurring. The involvement of Australia in the bombing of Yemen demonstrates that while Labor leaders seek to avoid mentioning Gaza at all costs, they remain de facto participants in the genocide. Last year, Labor approved more than 50 weapon export permits to Israel, and is doing everything it can to keep their contents hidden from the population. Labor has protected the Zim shipping line, one of those targeted by the Houthis because it committed its entire fleet to the Israeli war effort last October. Aggressive police-state mobilisations have been orchestrated against those protesting the presence of Zim vessels at Australian ports. More generally, Labor is signaling its support for the US escalation of the Gaza onslaught into a broader, regionwide war targeting Iran and all those forces in the Middle East, such as the Houthis in Yemen, who are aligned with it. That the bombing of Yemen marks a turn towards a Middle Eastern conflagration has already been acknowledged by corporate pundits and foreign policy think tanks. Yesterdays bombing was not a one off. Fresh US attacks have taken place today, reportedly aimed at civilian infrastructure, including the international airport in Sanaa, Yemens national capital. As in Britain and the US, where there was no parliamentary or congressional approval for the bombardment, Australian participation in the attack on Yemen has proceeded without even a fig leaf of democratic discussion, much less a mandate sought and approved. It remains entirely unclear what the participation concretely consists of, and the Labor government is keeping that information hidden. In comments to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation this morning, Defence Minister Richard Marles said only that there were Australian military officials at the US-led joint headquarters in Bahrain, where the strikes were planned or orchestrated from. Marles gave an open-ended commitment of Australian support for any actions that the US would take going forward, but said he would not elaborate on what role Australia was playing. There is every likelihood that the joint US-Australian Pine Gap spy base in Central Australia is involved in targeting the strikes on Yemen. The facility is not only for surveillance, but functions as a war-planning centre. It is the central collection point for data from US satellites covering a vast expanse of the globe, including much of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. In comments to Declassified Australia last November, a former US National Security Agency employee who previously worked at Pine Gap said it was almost certain that the base was being used to assist the targeting of Israeli strikes in Gaza. That report, buried by the official media, has never been responded to by the Labor government. The Department of Defence has refused to comment. While Labor has placed Australia front and centre in the political and diplomatic backing of US aggression against Yemen, it has not dispatched warships to the region. This is despite an unusual public appeal from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last month, as the American state was assembling the coalition that carried out yesterday and todays strikes. Along with Australia, other close US allies have also rebuffed Washingtons requests or indefinitely delayed any positive response. The reluctance itself underscores the immense implications and recklessness of the US assault, threatening as it does the eruption of a much broader conflagration potentially involving Iran. The strikes have intensified demands for Australian warships to be sent. For weeks, the Liberal-National opposition has condemned Labors failure to deploy vessels as an indication of weakness that sends the wrong message to the US. Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie declared: The prime minister continues to put at risk important alliances with the US and the UK by failing to provide a maritime contribution to the Red Sea. While our AUKUS partners defend vital trade routes against Houthi rebels, Australia is sitting on the sidelines letting our allies do the heavy lifting. Whatever element of politicking is involved, there is little doubt that the opposition is channeling the frustrations of sections of the American and Australian military-intelligence establishment that no ship commitment has been forthcoming. Commentators, particularly in the Murdoch-owned Australian newspaper with close ties to the American state have advanced the same complaints. What is striking about Hasties comments, as well as the statements by Marles, is how closely they tie the US-led aggression in the Middle East to the escalating American military-build up in the Indo-Pacific directed against China. AUKUS, mentioned by Hastie, is the tripartite alliance between the US, Britain and Australia, unveiled in September 2021, and deepened since then. It is a cockpit of war planning, the integration of the three militaries and their expansion, explicitly directed against Beijing. Under AUKUS, Australia is acquiring a fleet of US nuclear-powered submarines. That goes hand in hand with a vast expansion of US basing arrangements in Australia, and the development of other military capabilities. Last year Labor committed to the recommendations of a Defence Strategic Review (DSR) for the country to acquire strike capabilities that can be projected throughout the region and internationally, centering on a major program of procuring and developing missiles for all branches of the armed forces. While the DSR was hailed by hawkish commentators, there have been ongoing complaints about the speed with which it is being enacted, especially for the navy. That feeds into the agitation against Labor over its failure to dispatch warships to the Red Sea to this point. Marles said Australia was supporting the US strikes, as part of its commitment to global freedom of navigation. That is the banner under which the US and its allies, including Australia, have conducted provocative incursions near or into waters claimed by China in the Indo-Pacific, including in the South and East China Seas. This morning, a commentary by former diplomat David Livingstone in the Sydney Morning Herald obliquely pointed to the real motives for the US attacks. He wrote: There is the more subtle question of whether the actions against the Houthis are purely to protect the lives of seamen and keep trading routes open, or whether the coalition is acting as a shield for Israel. However, Livingstone added, it was unlikely that this distinction will be closely examined, or if it is, greatly cared about. That is true of a political and media establishment that unanimously backs the Israeli genocide, as well as the US-led threats against Iran. Livingstone drew a direct connection between Australian support for the strikes on Yemen and preparations for war against China. Indeed, one of the important outcomes of Australias involvement may be for Australia to gain a deeper appreciation of the new balance shift in favour of military capabilities required for effective area denial, he wrote. Australias Department of Defence and the ADF will reflect carefully on the implications of this, both for Australias defence of its mainland and operations further from homeespecially in and around the first island chain that is a key to military competition with China. In other words, even as the military planners and strategists of imperialism are backing the worst war crimes of the past 80 years in Gaza and again setting the Middle East ablaze, they are preparing still greater catastrophes on a global scale. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined Washington in denouncing the case that South Africa has brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) charging Israel with genocide against the Palestinians. Our wholehearted support of the ICJ and its processes does not mean we support the premise of the case brought forward by South Africa, Trudeau told a press conference Friday. The head of Canadas Liberal government blithely ignored the evidence that South Africa has presented to the ICJ in a meticulously researched and referenced document of more than 80 pages and a series of oral presentations before the court Thursday. Global Affairs Canada, Trudeau claimed, would soon issue a more expansive response. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, shortly after his Liberal government came to power in Nov. 2015. [Photo: Twitter/Trudeau] Trudeaus statement is a stamp of approval for the far-right Netanyahu regimes genocidal onslaught on Gaza. The case brought by South Africa is a devastating indictment of the mass slaughter Israels military has inflicted on the 2.3 million people of the tiny Gaza enclave since October 7. It lays out the horrific death toll, which now exceeds 30,000, the systematic destruction of housing and social infrastructure, and the universal suffering among the territorys population almost half of whom are children and all of whom have been subjected to a brutal blockade of lifes necessities. The complaint documents in great detail the statements of genocidal intent which have come from those leading the Israeli government and its military, beginning with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself. Trudeaus full-throated support for the slaughter and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is at one with the actions of his and previous Canadian governments. Canadian imperialism is no less complicit in Israels genocide than its American ally, upon whose military might Ottawa has relied for over eight decades to assert its imperialist interests around the globe. Canadas political elite has backed Israels brutal oppression of the Palestinians for decades, including the bloody wars waged by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2009 and 2014. Canadas armed forces has close ties to the IDF and Ottawa is a major military supplier for the Zionist regime. It was also one of the first countries to join the US-led coalition that mounted the provocative air strikes on Yemens Houthis early Friday morninga major escalation towards a regional war throughout the Middle East targeting Iran and its allies. At home, the Liberal government has encouraged a witch-hunt of pro-Palestinian and anti-genocide protesters under the bogus guise of combatting antisemitism, while asserting time and again that it upholds Israels right to defend itself and cavalierly brushing aside any and all evidence of Israeli war crimes. Prior to Friday, Trudeau, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and other cabinet ministers had sought to evade taking a public position on South Africas case before the ICJ, prompting growing consternation within the corporate media, the official opposition Conservatives, and many within the Liberal government and caucus. On Thursday, when asked about the governments position on the case, all that Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland could bring herself to tell reporters was that government officials were reviewing it carefully. After three months of non-stop savage bombardment of Gaza, the deliberate starvation of its 2.3 million inhabitants, and a chorus of incendiary and fascistic declarations from Israeli government officials justifying mass murder and ethnic cleansingone could only ask in response how much more evidence does one need to review? But in reality the government was not conducting a review. Rather it was debating how best to publicly cast and mount its defence of Israel. The Trudeau governments equivocation was bound up with concerns about the domestic repercussions of taking a position. Mass opposition exists among the population to Israels genocide. The ruling elite agrees that Canada must deepen its military-strategic partnership with US imperialism to secure its place at the table in the imperialist redivision of the world, but tactical differences persist over how best this can be realized under conditions where working people are hostile to militarism and war. Popular opposition to the Israeli genocide in Gaza has found expression in continued mass protests across the country to demand an end to the onslaught, which has been made possible through a steady supply by the US of high-powered weaponry. Protesters have become increasingly critical of the governments refusal to call for a ceasefire. Differences within the minority Liberal government have existed since the early days of Israels onslaught. In late October, some 30 MPs, most of them Liberals, signed a letter calling on the Trudeau government to call for a ceasefire. On the ICJ case itself, Liberal MP Salma Zahid has urged the government to back South Africas application and support the process at the International Court of Justice and the tenets of international law. The social democratic New Democratic Party (NDP), on whose votes the Liberal government depends for its parliamentary majority and implementation of its agenda of war abroad and public spending austerity at home, has urged the Trudeau government to adopt an official pose of neutrality vis-a-vis the case before ICJ. Earlier this week NDP foreign affairs critic Heath McPherson wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister Joly to ask the government not to intervene in opposition to this case, and to support the decision of the court. The position taken by the NDP would commit it and the government to absolutely nothing, as the case could take years to wind through the ICJs legal process. Although the eventual decision is binding on Israel, the ICJ lacks any means to enforce it. Parties can appeal to the UN Security Council to enforce a ruling, but the US would certainly veto any resolution aimed at holding Israel to account for its genocidal onslaught. The governments attack on the ICJ case exposing Israels genocide will no doubt draw upon and echo the vituperous attacks issued in recent days from within the ranks of the Liberal Party and liberal circles, as well as those of the Netanyahu regime itself. On Tuesday, Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino released an incendiary statement that dismissed the genocide case against Israel as baseless and unconscionable, and declared that it was up to Hamas to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Housefather and Mendicino endorsed a Globe and Mail op-ed by former Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Abella. A Liberal appointee who has been lionized by the Canadian establishment as a liberal beacon, Abella made no attempt to rebut the legal charge of genocide. Rather she resorted to special pleading. She justified Israels mass slaughter and deliberate displacement of the Palestinians in Gaza as a legitimate response to what she termed Hamas genocidal October 7 attack; denounced its supposed use of the civilians of Gaza as human shields; and invoked the Zionist national myth that justifies the dispossession of the Palestinians by invoking the Nazis extermination of 6 million European Jews. Similar to Abella, Irwin Cotlera former Liberal Justice Minister and until recently the governments Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism and Holocaust Remembrancehas denounced the scrupulously documented evidence in the South African-led case as 'false charges.' A staunch Zionist and long-time advocate of war on Iran, Cotler justified Israels continuing onslaught in Gaza in an interview on the CBCs Power & Politics. I don't understand, he declared, South Africas weaponization of international law, which not only ends up being defamatory of Israel, not only incentivizing antisemitism, but effectively undermining the whole rules-based international legal order. The response of the Trudeau government and the Canadian political establishment to the ICJ case against Israel is a devastating self-exposure of Canadian imperialisms complicity in the Gaza genocide and the predatory character of its actions on the world stage as a whole. It comes amid escalating efforts to criminalize opposition to the Canadian governments pro-genocide policies. On Wednesday, Trudeau met with the head of the Toronto Police and declared that it was necessary to intensify efforts to combat antisemitism. On Thursday, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw announced that a weekly pro-Palestinian overpass protest at Avenue Road would be banned, threatening those who gather with arrest. He slandered the peaceful protesters who have been confronted by pro-Israel groups as hateful and criminal, declaring in a statement, Hate and intimidation can have no space in our city and we have been unwavering in our commitment to restore the sense of public safety, and not tolerate behaviour that crosses the line to criminal activity. At the same time, the group of Toronto anti-genocide, pro-Palestinian activists known as the Peace 11 continue to be pursued on criminal charges and face up to 10 years in prison over protests targeting the CEO of Indigo book stores over her financial support for members of the Israel Defence Forces. The protesters have been slandered as antisemitic, with claims of a supposed wave of anti-Jewish hate being deployed to justify a far-reaching assault on democratic rights to protest across Canada. As the Socialist Equality Party declared in a statement defending the Peace 11 earlier this week, The waging of war by Canada in alliance with the US and its NATO partners is taking the form of a third world warwith fronts against Russia in Ukraine, in the Middle East, where genocide has been adopted as state policy in preparation for war against Iran, and against China in the Indo-Pacific. This imperialist redivision of the world, driven by the irreconcilable contradictions of the capitalist system, is incompatible with democratic rights at home. As the working class enters into mass struggle on a scale not seen for decades, ruling elites everywhere feel the need to turn to authoritarian forms of rule to uphold their vast wealth at the top of societies riven by monstrous levels of social inequality. The Trudeau governments rallying behind the Netanyahu government underscores that the defence of the Palestinian people and the struggle against war cannot be advanced through appeals to the political representatives of the Canadian ruling class. Rather it requires a turn to the working class and the fight to mobilize it as an independent political force on an anti-capitalist program, by linking the opposition to genocide and war with the defence of working peoples democratic and social rights, and the fight for social equality. For a long time, wrestling fans wanted to know why Eric Bischoff made the bizarre decision to let go of some of his top performers. One such talent was Mick Foley. Recently, Bischoff was interviewed by Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes. During the interview, Bischoff mentioned that one of the main reasons he fired Foley was because of his need to take risks. Context is absolutely key. You have to look individually. I let Mick Foley go because Mick Foley was determined. I liked Mick. Mick and I were friends. We socialized outside of wrestling a little bit.Our wives I liked Mick But Mick was determined to do things that were so high-risk. And in some cases not only to himself, well for sure to himself. But he also put fans at risk. He put the company, Turner Broadcasting at risk. He wanted to dive-off balconies outside of the ring, on the ring apron or on the floor outside of the ring. And theres always a chance that something could go wrong and a fan sitting at ringside could get hurt. Eric Bischoff compares lawsuit policies between U.S and The UK During the same interview, the WWE Hall of Famer compared the lawsuit policies in both the United Kingdom and the United States of America. In a company like Turner Broadcasting and its I think its different here in the UK. UK has an interesting way of dealing with lawsuits and litigation. If I decided to sue Kenny and I win, good for me, but if I lose, I have to pay his attorneys fees. I think thats the way it is here in the UK. In the US its completely different. If I could find some shitty scumbag f***ing creepy attorney, thatll file a lawsuit against Kenny, hell say, Oh Im not going to charge you anything Eric. We are just going to try to sue Kenny. And if I win Ill take 30% 33%. And if we lose that doesnt cost you any money. That encourages frivolous lawsuits. And theres so much of that in the United States and the bigger the company is, the more money they have, the deeper their pockets are as they say in the States. The more likely theyre going to be hit with frivolous lawsuits. Firing Mick Foley was not personal for Eric Bischoff Bischoff also mentioned that his decision to let go of Foley was a business decision and not a personal one while he thinks the Hardcore Legend may have taken it personally. And now I got a 300-pound guy that wants to jump of a f***ing balcony and splatter himself outside the ring and he may or may not hit somebody or hurt somebody thats at ringside. And I expressed that to Mick. Mick, we cant do a lot of the stuff that you want to do. And Mick I think took that personally and as a result he left. It wasnt personal to me. I liked Mick. It was just, he was a risk to himself. And also to the company. So that was Mick, Eric Bischoff said. Do you agree with Bischoffs reasoning to fire one of the fan favorites in Mick Foley? The post Eric Bischoff Explains Why He Fired Mick Foley appeared first on Wrestlezone. Provincetown, a place where artists, creatives and members of the LGBTQ+ community flock to and where some, if theyre lucky enough, stumble upon love. With such a rich queer history, Provincetown caught the attention of Fine Arts Work Center resident, Miguel Braceli, who is seeking love stories made in Provincetown. As part of his seven-month-long residency at the Center, Braceli is looking for love stories for a community-based art project, Map of Love. With those stories, Braceli plans to create a large-scale map of the town dotted with places where people fell in love. Whether it be a one-night stand, a summer fling or a long-term relationship, Braceli hopes to memorialize those stories and share the beauty of queer love. I came (to Provincetown) with the idea to do a queer project because it's something that I owe to myself and I thought that Provincetown will be a good environment for that, he said. Fine Arts Work Center resident seeks Provincetown love stories for community-based art project Growing up in Venezuela, Braceli said he wasnt exposed to queer love. He hopes this project not only provides exposure to queer love for younger generations but gives him access to love stories he didnt have in his youth. Submissions poster for "Map of Love." It's an intimate project where I'm rebuilding the stories that (I) would have learned that I didn't learn, especially in my home country in Venezuela, which is a totally different environment, he said. While I'm navigating this project about love, its related to my own story but at the same time learning from different stories. Fine Arts Work Center resident Miguel Braceli is seeking Provincetown love stories for a community-based art project. Provincetown captivated him not only because of the residency offered by the center but also how in his months of living in the town, the community has embraced him into its fantasy-esque world. I am obsessed about how this place is like a fairy tale, Braceli said. Not only for the environment and architecture but especially because of the community. It's (a) very welcoming community with its own logic, universe, way of being and way of relating to each other. That led me to love. In his project, Braceli hopes to capture the fairy-tale nature of the town through its love stories giving younger people exposure to queer love. A fairy tale is a learning tool, he said. It's (a) way different way that you relate with the world as a kid, to be inspired by other stories. For me, Provincetown is a place that also can inspire different stories and where you can grow up with different role models. He also hopes by sharing more queer stories, it continues to facilitate conversation both nationally and internationally about the treatment of queer people and the need for these stories to be shared, especially for younger generations. There is a lack of these stories, he said. Even In the present, there are challenges, especially in the US where you can see this debate like people trying to ban these stories from school, from education (and) ban drag queens. I think it's politically inserted in the current climate of the US, but at the same time, it's kind of the current climate of the world. At least here, we're having this discussion. But in other places, there is not even room for that. Stories can be submitted via an online form www.miguelbraceli.com/map-of-love/ and will be taken until Jan. 22. Map of Love will debut Mar. 15 to 29 at the Hudson D. Walker Gallery at the Fine Arts Work Center as part of True Loves Kiss: A Queer Fairy Tale, a multi-pronged art project inspired by Provincetowns queer history and legacy. I'm more interested in a diversity of love stories. I'm interested in learning in what different ways people have experienced love and also reframe those stories so there is more than one role model idealized story about romance. Frankie Rowley covers entertainment and things to do. Contact her at frowley@capecodonline.com. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: 'Map of Love,' an art project about falling in love in Provincetown You've probably heard of Chinese horoscope and the Chinese zodiac signs. Alongside Western astrology (you know, star sign dates, rising signs and moon signs etc), theres a whole other astrological system at play in the world (specifically China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand): the Chinese zodiac. And its been around even longer - for well over 2,000 years. Both the Western and Chinese zodiac systems have 12 signs (at least the majority of which are animals). Each sign provides personality attributes for the person born under it, and both systems also refer to the elements. However, thats where the parallels end. 2024's Chinese zodiac sign On 10th February 2024, we move into the year of the Wood Dragon. The Dragon is the fifth animal in the Chinese zodiac and represents good luck, strength, charisma, and ambition. So, 2024 babies are expected to possess these traits! Upcoming years will bring the year of the Snake on 29th January 2025, and the year of the Horse on 17th February 2026. Chinese zodiac signs How does the Chinese zodiac work? The animals of the Chinese zodiac are not associated with constellations in the sky. Its 12-part cycle corresponds to years rather than months (mirroring Jupiters cosmic path around the Sun, which takes 12 years), and the elemental aspect is used differently. The Chinese New Year begins on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice (this changes each year, so if youre a January or February baby make sure you check which year you fall into) and each year comes under the influence of a different animal (see more on those below). Origins of the Chinese zodiac system One legend says that the origins of these animals selection came about because long ago, the Jade Emperor wanted to appoint 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being to Earth to spread the message, and put it out there that the earlier an animal got through the Heavenly Gate, the better rank it would receive. So, the Earths animal kingdom embarked on a race to the gate- the first 12 were the first knighted. Rat was the smartest/fastest, and got there first. The rest came in the below order, and their stories kind of dictate the characteristics each are said to possess. Since the Chinese zodiac cycle repeats every 12 years, its easy to figure out if its your year just check if your age is a multiple of 12! MirageC - Getty Images Finding your animal in the Chinese zodiac Rat The rat won the Emperors race by using guile and wit - riding on the back of the ox and jumping off at the finish line - so people with this sign are perceived as insightful, shrewd, charming, persuasive. Years of the rat: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 Ox The ox almost won the race but was outwitted. However second place is still a prize so not too shabby. Oxens are generous and determined, kind and strong, always there to do what needs doing with good grace. Years of the Ox: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 Tiger Tiger people are considered lucky. Perhaps wed all like to be a rare, beautiful tiger and they KNOW IT, so there's a tinge of cockiness for sure, well as a flair for drama. Years of the tiger: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 Rabbit Many consider the rabbit the luckiest of the animals. Some think rabbit folk are almost too kind and sensitive for this world, but their elegant, peaceful, clever and caring nature helps them get along great in life. Years of the rabbit: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 Dragon Apparently many people in China want a dragon baby, so birth rates rise in those years! Dragon people are vital, charismatic, brave, bold, and powerful. Chinese culture reveres dragons so this figures. Years of the dragon: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 Snake Far from being an undesirable ally, the snake is seen as graceful, smart, shrewd, and charming. Snake people are wise beyond their years and can charm anyone they meet which is a potent super power. Years of the snake: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 Horse Horses are powerful animals, much loved allies to humans, and people born with this sign adopt the best horse-y traits: wildness, high energy, independence, enthusiasm. Horse people are natural leaders. Years of the horse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 Goat Goats are cautious, kind, and like to lead a quiet, simple life, sticking to the basics, keeping things on an even keel and not rocking any boats. Always hardworking, always doing the right thing. People like to be around the goat folk. Years of the goat: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 Monkey Literally the cheeky monkey of the pack, in perpetual high spirits and good humour, cracking jokes and running around on-the-go. A live wire. A character. A good time person! Years of the monkey: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 Rooster Roosters are enviable characters with a lot of self respect, confidence, discipline and strength. They like to look good, literally rooster-strutting, but they can back it all up too with their big, charismatic personality Years of the rooster: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 Dog Happily adopting all of the best qualities of mans BFF- patience, loyalty, lovability, honesty and kindness. Everyone loves people born under this sign and they love ya right back, with bells on. Years of the dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 Pig Turns out nice guys do finish last - the pig came last in the Emperors race - because the pig is said to be one the nicest and happiest signs. Marked out by honesty and directness, they say whats on their mind, but theyre so lovable and positive that no one minds. Years of the pig: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 LoulouVonGlup - Getty Images But your Chinese zodiac animal is not the only thing you need to know. Your birth year also corresponds to one of the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire, earth). In Chinese philosophy, these five elements are seen as the foundation of everything in the universe and all natural phenomena. They have their own characteristics, and which one you fall under determines your personality as well as your animal. Finding your Chinese horoscope element Discover your element by matching the last numeral in your year of birth to the element below: 0 or 1: Metal 2 or 3: Water 4 or 5: Wood 6 or 7: Fire 8 or 9: Earth So, for example if you were born in 1990, your element is metal; if you were born in 1982, your element is water. To put it all together and discover your in-depth personality analysis, click here (all you need to provide is your birth date). For your own unique and personal tarot forecast, visit Kerry's TarotBella page. You Might Also Like MyPillow ads have disappeared from Fox News, as Mike Lindell complains that hes being silenced but the network says its because his company has not paid its bills. As soon as their account is paid, we would be happy to accept their advertising, a Fox News spokesperson said on Friday. More from Deadline Lindell talked about the situation on Steve Bannons podcast and in his own video message on his site, FrankSpeech.com. Lindell said that Fox News has cancelled MyPillow. We dont know why. We can only make a couple of guesses. Maybe it was because Lou Dobbs was added here over at Lindell.com. Dobbs is the former Fox Business Network host who was pulled from the lineup in 2021. Dobbs had amplified claims that the 2020 election was rigged, and was named as a defendant in election systems company Smartmatics defamation lawsuit against the network. I believe this is all about stopping me from talking about the election platform and the elections, Lindell said. He himself is a defendant in the Smartmatic lawsuit and another one brought by Dominion Voting Systems. But a source familiar with the matter said that the ad partnership was paused because Lindell has not been able to finance the commercial spots, something that was communicated at length to his media agency. Lindell told The Washington Post that his company had paid $4 million for ads in December alone, but a source said that the payment was for ad spots that aired in June and July of last year. Lindells MyPillow spots have for years proliferated on Fox News, as he himself became known as one of the chief adherents to former President Donald Trumps claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. But about a month after the election, Trumps attorney general, William Barr, concluded that those claims were unfounded, while Trumps legal team lost more than 60 legal challenges. In October, attorneys who have represented Lindell sought to be released from cases because of unpaid legal bills. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Ruth Ashton Taylor, a pioneering TV and radio journalist who worked with Edward R. Murrow at CBS News and was a fixture on the air in Los Angeles for decades, has died. She was 101. Taylors family confirmed her death to KCAL-TV Los Angeles. Taylor, who grew up in Long Beach, was the first woman to have an on-air news role in Los Angeles when she joined what was then CBS KSTL-TV in late 1951. At the time, she was hired to deliver a womens segment for the stations daily half-hour newscast. Taylor bristled at the notion of covering only womens stories and delivered stories produced with solid journalistic principles. Soon, she was hired to produce a similar segment for CBS Los Angeles news radio powerhouse KNX. Taylor says she always approached her stories any way she liked. She justified her attitude by saying she must be giving the womans view because it was her view and she was, of course, a woman. Thus she would do stories on things such as cars and airplanes, but she would also do pieces on what would classically be described as womens stories, such as on fashion, according to Suzanne Haibach Marteney, who wrote a doctoral thesis on Taylors career for Cal State Northridge in 1986. However, Taylors reasoning for doing these stories would not always fit the classical stereotype. For instance, she says she always enjoyed doing fashion stories because fashion was a reflection of our changing society. Taylor left TV in 1952 in favor of working for KNX and hosting The Womens News Desk program that was syndicated to other CBS-affiliated stations in Western states. Within a few years she was hosting The Ruth Ashton Show, a half-hour KNX program mixing news headlines and feature stories. By 1959, however, she quit KNX out of frustration over sponsor pressures and the stations decision to push her to cover department store openings and other events, according to Marteneys An Oral History of Ruth Ashton Taylor: Broadcast News Pioneer. Taylor joined Claremont Colleges in a public relations role, tasked with promoting the schools under the Claremont umbrella as the Oxford of the West, according to Marteney. But by 1963 she was back on KNX radio hosting various programs. Three years later, she rejoined the TV station which by then was known as KNXT-TV (today the stations call letters are KCBS-TV). Taylor hosted a number of different programs for KNXT-TV, including weekend newscasts, a weekly program on religon and a weekend newsmaker interview program that she co-hosted with another Los Angeles broadcast legend, Bill Stout. Taylor remained a fixture on KNXT until the mid-1980s. After high school, Taylor attended Scripps College, a liberal arts womens school that is part of the Claremont system, where her interest in journalism was first piqued. After graduating, she headed to New York to attend Columbia Universitys graduate school of journalism. She joined CBS News as a radio newswriter after graduating in 1944. That was just in time for Taylor to be in place help cover historic events ranging from D-Day to the atomic bombs dropped on Japan at the end of World War II. Later she worked with Murrow on CBS News documentaries and other projects before she returned to the West Coast. In an interview with Marteney, Taylor described the environment in broadcasting when she first started out in New York. There werent any women on the air so it was just a thing you accepted. Every so often Id hear women say in British broadcasting or other countries that they had women on the air, but we never did and youd sort of think about it, Taylor said. But I didnt have any great aspiration because it wasnt something that you really put as your goal if there arent any jobs. And I didnt feel like a pioneer in forging my way in that direction. I was doing well and having fun. Broadcast journalists were quick to pay tribute to Taylor on social media following the news of her death. Saying goodbye to an LA LEGEND: Ruth Ashton Taylor first TV newswoman @goodnewswendy @patharveynews http://t.co/G2s9W4w3 Ana Garcia (@AnaGNews) October 8, 2011 Taylor was married from 1950 to 1960 to broadcast journalist Ed Conklin, with whom she had two daughters. In 1968, she married cameraman Jack Taylor. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 32 Sounds, the innovative documentary that explores the power of sonic experience, pulled off a shocker at the Cinema Eye Honors Friday night, winning Outstanding Nonfiction Feature over Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie and other prominent nominees. The film directed by Sam Green won two other awards: Outstanding Sound Design, recognizing the work of Mark Mangini, and Outstanding Original Score, which went to composer J.D. Samson. More from Deadline 32 Sounds is one of 15 documentaries shortlisted for the Academy Awards, along with Still, Four Daughters, The Eternal Memory, and 20 Days in Mariupol, all of which took home prizes at the Cinema Eye Honors. Four Daughters Outstanding Direction resulted in a tie between two filmmakers, Kaouther Ben Hania of Four Daughters, and Maite Alberdi, director of The Eternal Memory. Alberdis film explores the love story of two of Chiles most prominent figures in the arts and media, Paulina Urrutia and Augusto Gongora, a bond that continued after Augusto was diagnosed with Alzheimers. The Eternal Memory was important for me as a director because I learned that the memory, its not information, Alberdi explained as she accepted the Cinema Eye Honor. The eternal memory are our emotions. And as directors, we have to narrate emotions. The Cinema Eye Honors trophy Ben Hania is familiar with sharing prizes, having done so at the Cannes Film Festival last May, where Four Daughters and Asmae El Moudirs documentary The Mother of All Lies were jointly awarded the LOeil dor (Golden Eye award), as the festivals best nonfiction films. We won the Golden Eye and now I have another eye, Ben Hania said as she accepted the trophy, an ocular-shaped statuette with pronged lashes. She joked, I was in Palm Springs, attacked by a bee, so I have a problem with my eyes. Ill borrow this until my eye heals. The Cinema Eye Honors Awards, now in their 17th year, recognize achievement in many disciplines within documentary including production, sound, editing, cinematography, visual design, and score. 20 Days In Mariupol Outstanding Production, an award that goes to producers, was earned by 20 Days in Mariupol, the documentary directed by Mstyslav Chernov that shows Russias devastating attack on civilians in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in the early days of Russias invasion in 2022. Chernov, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Ukraine war, was en route to New York for the Cinema Eye Honors but wasnt able to make it in time for the ceremony. A colleague read an acceptance speech in which he wrote, We live in a world full of tragedies. It can be easy to lose track of them. It is easy to forget them. My hope is that documentary films, if not change the world for the better, at least preserve the stories and honor the memories of those we have lost, so that perhaps future generations will not let these terrible things happen again. Davis Guggenheim, Michael J. Fox and Michael Harte of Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Still, the film about Michael J. Foxs career and his battle with Parkinsons disease, didnt leave empty-handed. Michael Harte repeated his Outstanding Editor win at the Emmys last Sunday by earning that award from the Cinema Eye. Its hard to talk about Michael [J. Fox] because he would hate it if I stood up here and told you all how much of a hero he is, Harte said in his acceptance remarks. He doesnt want that, but Im going to do it anyway because he deserves it. In a world where gratitude and optimism is hard to find, I watch Michael and the way he has navigated his life and the way he navigates it today is sort of f*****g mind blowing. He really, truly is a hero, and Im very grateful for being part of his storytelling process. Directors Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson. Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson, who are Oscar-shortlisted for both their feature documentary Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and their short documentary Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games, won the Cinema Eye for the latter film, in the Outstanding Nonfiction Short category. Going to Mars was honored for Outstanding Visual Design, recognizing the contributions of Thomas Curtis and Sean Pierce. The Audience Choice Prize went to National Geographics Bobi Wine: The Peoples President, directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp. Their film documents the titular Ugandan pop star, who became a popular politician in his country, and then risked his life to oppose Ugandas dictator in the election for president. Wine and his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi were on hand at the Cinema Eye Honors ceremony. Bobi Wine with his wife Barbara ltungo Kyagulanyi as they campaigned in Kasanda district, Central Uganda on November 27, 2020. Ladies and gentlemen, my wife and I are not the real heroes in this film, Wine said. No, the true heroes are the hundreds of men, women, and children that have paid the ultimate price in our struggle for freedom in Uganda. Those that are lying in unmarked graves, scattered all over the country, the political prisoners and those that are missing those are the true heroes. We salute them. The 1619 Project followed up its Emmy win last weekend with the Cinema Eye prize for Anthology Series, honoring a team that includes Nikole Hannah-Jones, Roger Ross Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Shoshana Guy, and the New York Times Kathleen Lingo. The six-part Hulu series, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times series created by Hannah-Jones, explores the origins of racist ideology in America, from the arrival of the first African captives on the shores of America in 1619 through to today. The 1619 Project key art detail The 1619 Project has been hailed for reframing our common understanding of American history, and the vital role African Americans have played in the culture and to preserve democracy. Many conservatives, however, have attacked its message; in 2020, then-President Trump went out of his way to declare the print iteration of The 1619 Project toxic propaganda. Accepting the Cinema Eye trophy, Hannah-Jones alluded to the backlash against the series, which prompted some Southern states to sanitize the way slavery is taught in schools. We know how important it is to tell the truth right now in the country, and this has been the most attacked work Ive ever done, she said. We hope that what well do is just continue to show the importance of telling stories and fighting back and not allowing powerful people to suppress our story. This is the full list of winners for the 2024 Cinema Eye Honors Awards, held at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem: Outstanding Nonfiction Feature 32 Sounds Directed by Sam Green Produced by Josh Penn and Thomas O. Kriegsmann Outstanding Direction Maite Alberdi The Eternal Memory Kaouther Ben Hania Four Daughters Outstanding Editing Michael Harte Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie Outstanding Production Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson Rath, Derl McCrudden and Vasilisa Stepanenko 20 Days in Mariupol Outstanding Cinematography Ants Tammik Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Outstanding Original Score JD Samson 32 Sounds Outstanding Sound Design Mark Mangini 32 Sounds Outstanding Visual Design Thomas Curtis and Sean Pierce Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project Outstanding Debut Kokomo City Directed by D. Smith Outstanding Nonfiction Short Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games Directed by Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson Outstanding Nonfiction Film for Broadcast The Stroll Directed by Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker Outstanding Nonfiction Series Paul T. Goldman Directed by Jason Woliner Outstanding Anthology Series The 1619 Project Executive Producers: Nikole Hannah-Jones, Roger Ross Williams, Shoshana Guy, Caitlin Roper, Kathleen Lingo, Helen Verno and Oprah Winfrey Outstanding Broadcast Editing Sara Newens, Anne Yao and David Teague Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields Outstanding Broadcast Cinematography Heloisa Passos Nothing Lasts Forever Audience Choice Prize Bobi Wine: The Peoples President Directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp Spotlight Award Q Directed by Jude Chehab Heterodox Award The Buriti Flower Directed by Joao Salaviza and Renee Nader Messora The Unforgettables (Non-Competitive Honor) Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad American Symphony Apolonia Sokol Apolonia, Apolonia Bobi Wine Bobi Wine: The Peoples President Penny Lane Confessions of a Good Samaritan Shere Hite The Disappearance of Shere Hite Augusto Gongora & Paulina Urrutia The Eternal Memory Nikki Giovanni Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project Bethann Hardison Invisible Beauty Joan Baez Joan Baez I Am a Noise Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell and Dominique Silver Kokomo City David Cornwell aka John le Carre The Pigeon Tunnel Michael J. Fox Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie Margaret Mati Engel A Still Small Voice Aaju Peter Twice Colonized Ravish Kumar While We Watched Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Awards prognosticators are, for the most part not, the audience voting for the Oscars. But the consensus upon the announcement of the 2024 PGA Awards nominations is that the Producers Guild of Americas picks for the prestigious Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures hit the nail on the head in terms of the direction the Best Picture race has been trending toward. In other words, it sure seemed like we just got an advance notice of the 10 films that will fill up nomination slots for the Academys highest honor come January 23. For context, the PGA Awards are one of the most accurate bellwethers for Best Picture, with 15 of its last 20 guild winners (including Everything Everywhere All at Once last year) going on to win the Oscar. Other honors like the Critics Choice Awards and the AFI Awards have a similar reputation for accuracy, but the former has a voting body with almost no overlap with the Academy, and the latter focuses on productions that were on a certain level based in the United States. More from IndieWire Coincidentally, the PGA Awards nominations actually were announced the same day as the star-studded luncheon celebrating the AFI Awards 2023 honorees. When that list was announced, there was a similar sentiment around how it seemed to speak almost exactly what the Best Picture frontrunners were. It featured massive productions like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon; smaller critical darlings like American Fiction, Past Lives, and Poor Things; and more traditional prestige fare like Maestro and The Holdovers. The only difference between the AFI list and the newly released PGA nominees list? While the American Film Institute went for May December and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the guild gravitated toward international productions Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Palm dOr and Grand Prix winners, respectively. For the past few years, the push to diversify and expand the Academy has resulted in a powerful bloc of international voters, mostly based in Europe, creating upsets in the director and screenplay categories (think Cold War helmer Pawel Pawlikowski, or The Worst Person in the World filmmaker Joachim Trier.) Though AFI often does like to throw an honor to an international production like The Banshees of Inisherin last year, they refrained from awarding both Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. Maybe they had just as much trouble picking between the two as the Cannes jury did. But by now, nearly four years after Korean film Parasite won Best Picture, the Oscar category is bound to have one or two films made outside the United States making the cut on nominations morning. As far as the guilds TV nominations go, nothing was too surprising outside of a snub for Abbott Elementary in the Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television Comedy category. Ignoring the nominations from the 2022-2023 TV season, which crossover with Emmys on Monday, January 15, the new shows nominated that have become awards contenders are mostly limited series All the Light We Cannot See, Lessons in Chemistry, and Season 5 of FX anthology series Fargo. The PGA Awards nominations for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture were actually announced prior to when the Academy shortlists were released, so the update would be that 20 Days in Mariupol, American Symphony, and Beyond Utopia are the frontrunners simply based on the fact that those are the only PGA nominees the Academy recognized. Last year, the PGA winner Navalny ultimately won the Academy Award, so this specific voting body does have sway in that Oscar race. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While you've probably never seen the words banana and ketchup used in the same sentence, let alone recipe, it's actually a common condiment in the Philippines. As the name suggests, banana ketchup swaps tomatoes with bananas, using their sugary, overripe pulp instead of tomatoes and sugar as the foundation for aromatics, spices, and vinegar. Banana ketchup is sold bottled in the Philippines, and at first glance, it looks exactly like ketchup thanks to artificial food dye. Banana ketchup has the same utilities as its tomato-based counterpart; the bananas act as both a sweetener and textural component to which a wealth of spices, aromatic powders, and vinegar are added to assimilate the tangy and sweet profile of tomato ketchup. While banana ketchup doesn't taste like tomatoes, it doesn't taste like banana, either. One of the most popular uses of banana ketchup is as a glaze or marinade for barbecued pork ribs or a cooking sauce for slow cooker pork. It's the perfect sweet and tangy complement to pork's robust umami flavor. Plus, it's only one of the ingredients in a marinade that you can balance with soy sauce, fresh aromatics, and chilies for a more well-rounded profile. While banana ketchup isn't a common bottled product in Western grocery stores, you can make it at home by stewing banana pulp with onions, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and allspice. Some recipes even include soy sauce, tomato paste, diced jalapeno, and a splash of rum for a richer depth of flavor. Read more: 21 Delicious Ways To Use Up Leftover Rice History Of Banana Ketchup In The Philippines bottles of banana ketchup on shelf - MDV Edwards/Shutterstock The age-old adage "necessity is the mother of invention" certainly applies to the creation of banana ketchup. Tomato ketchup had been a popular condiment since the turn of the 20th century in the Philippines thanks to American colonization. However, World War II had all but eliminated American exports, and the Philippines' tropical climate wasn't suitable for tomato cultivation. Bananas, on the other hand, were a plentiful and successful tropical crop. The famed Philippine heroin, innovator, and recipe creator Maria Orosa used the tropical climate and local crop availability to her advantage by substituting bananas for tomatoes. Orosa is credited with creating over 700 recipes using local ingredients, many of which helped the Philippine soldiers and general populations survive wartime food scarcity and eventually gain their independence from Japanese occupation. To convince Phillipinos of banana ketchup's worthiness as a tomato ketchup substitute, Orosa and manufacturers employed red food dye to create the illusion of the condiment they were used to. Banana ketchup's popularity soared during World War II and remains a mainstay of Philippine cuisine that rivals tomato ketchup in popularity. A bottle of banana ketchup is a staple at restaurants and kitchen tables to spread over burgers, drizzle over french fries and omelets, and incorporate into barbecue marinades and spaghetti sauces. Read the original article on Tasting Table. Portugal's notorious big wave spot Nazare is home to the biggest waves in the world. Need proof? In 2020, German big wave surfer Sebastian Steudtner surfed an 86-foot wave at Nazare and made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the "Biggest Wave Ever Surfed." While the wave itself is not for the faint of heart, neither is navigating the lineup on a jet ski, as shown in the video below. Red Bull Surfing captioned the clip above: "@natxogonzalez1 takes you for a drivers seat view of what its like to navigate the waters of Nazare " In the clip above, European big wave surfer and Basque countryman Natxo Gonzalez invites viewers along to witness the chaos of navigating a jet ski around Nazare. And it's nuts, to say the least. Narrating the clip, he says: "Focus, focus, no stress. "The waves are coming from all sides, you know? When you want to jump in the whitewater you have to go really straight. But when you want to cross a line that is standing up, you have to go sideways, like surfing the waves to not jump and don't lose the ski or don't hurt yourself, you know? "When I started to surf Nazare, I used to paddle out from the south beach, like a 45-minute paddle because I didn't have a jet ski at that time. I was young, you know? That was a little unconscious. "I think the safety is the most important thing in big wave surfing." Most recently, Gonzalez appeared in a new release by Tim Bonython and Surfing Visions with a big wave crew surfing mental Morocco. Watch it here. *** Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos. Monsieur Spade Who doesn't love a good mystery? There are plenty of crime and mystery movies and series to watch with new ones debuting all the time, but we love returning to our old favorite private eyes. Do we ever get tired of watching a show with Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, or even Jessica Fletcher or Veronica Mars? One of the most famous fictional detectives and probably the namesake of the "hard-boiled" detective, Sam Spade has a long fan following. Created by author Dashiell Hammett, the character appears in several short stories from Hammett but only one novelThe Maltese Falcon. In Monsieur Spade, a new series coming to AMC, Spade is now retired and living in the south of France, but a local mystery pulls him back into his detective duties as he tries to solve a heinous crime. The series was produced in conjunction with the Dashiell Hammett estate. Here's everything we know about Monsieur Spade. What is Monsieur Spade about? In this six-episode limited series, legendary Detective Sam Spade (Clive Owen) is enjoying his retirement in the South of France. By contrast to his days as a private eye in San Francisco, Spade's life in Bozouls is peaceful and quiet. But the rumored return of his old adversary will change everything. Six beloved nuns have been brutally murdered at the local convent. As the town grieves, secrets emerge and new leads are established. Spade learns that the murders are somehow connected to a mysterious child who is believed to possess great powers. Related: The 101 Best Mystery Books of All Time Is Monsieur Spade based on other material? Yes. The character of Sam Spade is based on the detective featured in Dashiell Hammett's famous 1930 crime mystery novel, The Maltese Falcon. Spade also appears in several other lesser known Hammett writings. Have other actors played Sam Spade? Yes, several actors have portrayed Sam Spade on screen and stage including parody versions of the hard-boiled detective. The most famous portrayal of Sam Spade is from Humphrey Bogart, who played the detective in 1941 film, The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston. Related: The 15 Best Murder Mysteries of All Time Who are the creators behind Monsieur Spade? Monsieur Spade is co-created by Scott Frank and Tom Fontana. Frank also serves as writer, director and executive producer and is best known for The Queen's Gambit and Minority Report. Fontana is best known for his work on Homicide: Life on the Streets, Copper and Oz, which he also created. Where was Monsieur Spade filmed? Monsieur Spade was filmed in France. Meet the cast of Monsieur Spade Pictured: Clive Owen Clive Owen (Sam Spade) Clive Owen has been working on stage and film for over 35 years and is most recognized for his roles in King Arthur and Children of Men on film and The Knick and Chancer on television. He also played President Bill Clinton in the third season of American Crime Story. Cara Bossom (Teresa) Denis Menochet (Chief of Police Patrice Michaud) Louise Bourgoin (Marguerite Devereaux) Chiara Mastroianni (Gabrielle) Stanley Weber (Jean-Pierre Devereaux) Matthew Beard (George Fitzsimmons) Jonathan Zaccai (Philippe Saint Andre) Rebecca Root (Cynthia Fitzsimmons) When does Monsieur Spade premiere? Monsieur Spade will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. It will also be available to stream on AMC+ and Acorn TV. How many episodes are there of Monsieur Spade? There are six episodes in this initial season of Monsieur Spade. Will there be a Season 2 of Monsieur Spade? It's unlikely the six-episode limited series will have a second season, but never say never! Check back here for updates. How to watch and stream Monsieur Spade Monsieur Spade will air on AMC and stream on AMC+. Is there a trailer for Monsieur Spade? Yes. Check out the official trailer for Monsieur Spade below. Related: 25 Best Suspenseful Thrillers to Binge-Watch on Netflix Right Now A mixture of Black and French traditions, Creole cuisine is synonymous with New Orleans, distinguishing its culinary originality from the rest of America, the Deep South, and even the other parts of Louisiana. While you've probably heard of jambalaya and crawfish etouffee, Creole cream cheese is a forgotten part of New Orleans' culinary history that modern chefs and local institutions are trying to revive. It's a soft, tart, creamy young cheese made with buttermilk, skim milk, and rennet; it's curdled and fermented for two days, then finished with cream or half-and-half. Its mascarpone-like texture is thinner than regular cream cheese, while it tastes closer to sour yogurt with a subtly sweet finish and it adds the perfect tang to creamy desserts like cheesecake. The recipe for Creole cream cheese dates back to the 18th century and was originally eaten as a breakfast dish, sprinkled with cream and topped with fresh fruit or spread over toast. But by the late 1990s, yogurt and regular cream cheese had completely replaced Creole cream cheese and all but eliminated its production in Louisiana dairies that is, until nostalgic Louisiana natives began showcasing Creole cream cheese's unique flavor in novel ways. Cheesecake was one of their many vessels to put Creole cream cheese back on the culinary radar. Its tart-sweet taste and delicate creamy texture add sophistication and decadence to cheesecake. In fact, the iconic New Orleans fine dining institution Commander's Palace even proudly features its own Creole cream cheese cheesecake on the dessert menu. Read more: 30 Types Of Cake, Explained How To Use Creole Cream Cheese In Cheesecake Creole cream cheese curd strained in cheese cloth - johnlck/Shutterstock You won't need to head to a fine dining establishment to taste Creole cream cheese cheesecake, given how simple it is to mix this luscious ingredient into your own homemade version of the dessert. Should you try it, note that it's not a 1-to-1 substitution: While Creole cream cheese will provide a distinctly tart flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture to your cheesecake, it works in conjunction with regular cream cheese and sugar. For a balance of sweetness and tang, use a ratio of around one cup of Creole cream cheese to four cups of regular cream cheese. That said, Creole cream cheese is still a regional specialty, found in select grocery stores and dairies in and around New Orleans. Consequently, it won't be an easy product to find in stores outside of Louisiana. But the same advocates for its resurgence have broadcast and posted scratch-made Creole cream cheese recipes to try at home; if you don't have the time to make your own, you can also substitute a mixture of four parts sour cream and one part buttermilk. Because Creole cream cheese was a popular sweet breakfast foundation for fresh fruit and sugar, Creole cream cheese cheesecake would benefit from a fruity topping. The addition of Creole cream cheese could work well with a classic New York cheesecake recipe topped with glazed strawberries. Caramel apple or brown sugar-glazed pecans would also pair well with the tanginess for a fall-inspired topping. Read the original article on Tasting Table. When you think of fish in a can, tuna is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But it is so much more than that. Whether it's Andrew Zimmern's favorite tinned fish brand Jose Gourmet, which makes a smoked trout in olive oil that has converted plenty of skeptics, or prefer King Oscar's lightly smoked herring fillets as a snack with your crackers, there are so many options. These fish have not only inspired hunger but also startup. After spending time in Europe, Becca Millstein was delighted at all the different colors and styles of tinned fishes she found while studying in Spain and wished there was something similar in the U.S. In 2020, Millstein was working for a music startup and living with her friend, Caroline Goldfarb, when Covid hit. To avoid going to the grocery store as often, they began eating a lot of conservas, which is what canned fish is called in Spain and Portugal. "It's one of the only shelf-stable, very nutritious, protein-rich foods, and it's also just as easy to eat quickly between Zoom meetings," she told Mast. "I just could sense that tinned fish was a moment that was about to happen." When she noticed friends on social media also eating tinned fish, and realized there were no U.S.-based tinned seafood companies yet, she knew what she had to do. "It was a destiny moment," she said. By December 2020, Millstein and Goldfarb's new company, Fishwife, officially launched. Read more: The Truth About The Worst Cooks In America They're Fully Committed To Sustainability Fishwife tin cans and fruits and vegetables - fishwife / Instagram While it's common to hear companies throw around words like ethically sourced and sustainable lately, Fishwife's actions back them up. "We started working with a cannery in Spain on some sardines, but we discontinued them because we felt that we couldn't stand behind the fishery that we were sourcing from at the time," she told Mast. "So we've taken a year to connect that cannery with a sustainable sardine fishery. We're really, really excited about that. Because it's pretty hard to find certifiably sustainable sardines." This commitment to sustainability was also what made her get in touch with Wes Taylor, who runs Taylor Shellfish Farming, a cannery in Bay Center, Washington in her search to find more sustainable companies to work with. Millstein takes pride in researching companies and canneries and also says she looks for and trusts MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification for wild seafood, and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certifications for farmed seafood. She also suggests consumers who are interested in making sure they are buying sustainably check out the Monterey Bay watch list, to find out all the details on the species of fish, where it was caught, and how (via "Sea Moss Girlies" podcast). They're Proudly Woman-Owned Fishwife collaboration with Fly By Jing - fishwife / Instagram She also sees the enthusiasm from fans when they know Fishwife is woman-run, or partnering with other women-run businesses. When Fishwife was launched in LA's new woman-owned store, Wine + Eggs, she knew they were on the right track. "People are so excited about this place, they're running to it in droves, and then they hear about our company and they're like, 'Oh my god, like, two female-run businesses,' and it's just like those sort of partnerships that just feel so right, just pop off and get people super excited," she told Female Startup Club. It's no surprise that Fishwife has partnered with several women-owned businesses in the three years since they launched, and each has been a hit with fans. Whether in their affiliation with Talea Beer or Fly By Jing, which was so popular they even released a shirt to commemorate the collaboration, fans are thrilled to see Fishwife and other women-owned businesses working together. Fishwife also regularly posts about other women-owned brands, lifting and helping each other succeed by encouraging their consumers to try their products. And then when tinned fish went viral on TikTok and began to be called "hot girl food," Millstein and Fishwife leaned into it. "It was so crazy. We made a line of merch that was 'Hot girls eat tinned fish.' And the day that we launched it, another piece in Vice came out," she told Acid League. "I was like, 'A publicist could not have concocted this moment.'" Cofounder Caroline Goldfarb Is A Busy Television Writer Caroline Goldfarb, Christmas Tree, and Fishwife - porkchop.biz / Instagram Millstein and Goldfarb created Fishwife during Covid when everything was shut down or slowed down with their regular jobs, which helped them have the time needed to start up a new business. But when things started returning to normal and comedy writer Goldfarb got busier and busier, Millstein took on a larger role, becoming CEO of the company as well. "Caroline has an insane job as a very successful TV writer, writing on Mindy Kaling's new show, so we have to be extremely thoughtful about how we use our energy and resources," Millstein told Female Startup Club. Goldfarb was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020 and worked as a writer for Max's "The Sex Lives of College Girls," "The Late Late Show with James Corden," "The Eric Andre Show." She also runs the hilarious @OfficialSeanPenn Instagram account that has over 380,000 followers and hosted the podcast "The Renner Files" in 2020, which was a humorous true crime-type podcast about the fate of an app that Jeremy Renner had made. What Happened To Fishwife On Shark Tank Becca Millstein on Shark Tank - ABC / YouTube Becca Millstein appears in Season 15, Episode 10 seeking $350,000 for a 4% stake in Fishwife. Her exuberance about the tinned cans of smoked rainbow trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies is contagious, and she presents the sharks with her favorite pairings. They're all blown away by how good it tastes, with guest shark Candace Nelson referring to the smoked salmon as a "flavor bomb." Nelson also gives the rest of the sharks a brief lesson on conservas and the "hot girls eat tinned fish" trend, with Millstein excitedly nodding in the background. When she informs them that she's on track to make more than $5 million that year, you can tell all the sharks are interested in getting a piece of Fishwife's business. Kevin O'Leary is the first to make an offer of a $350,000 debt deal for 36 months at 11% interest, with him getting 5% equity. Next is Daymond John, who offers $350,000 for a 15% royalty. Mark Cuban says it's not a fit for him, but congratulates her on her success. Nelson then says she wants to make an offer with Lori Greiner of $350,000 for 10%. She counters with $350,000 for 6% with 1% advisory shares, and the three women make a deal. Millstein is over the moon about the deal, and John jokes that she should've just come in and said, "Ladies, let's talk?" With Fishwife launching throughout Whole Foods soon, Millstein is ecstatic to have two more fishwives in her corner. Read the original article on Mashed. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Just a few days after TikTok influencer Keith Lee arrived in the Bay Area for his food tour, his visit to the region has come to a sudden end. The social media star addressed the abrupt cancellation in a video uploaded to TikTok that details the reasons why he chose to suddenly cancel the tour. Before providing a bit of background info, he offered his thanks to all the residents of the Bay Area who showed him and his family love. You can watch his full announcement here: "Unfortunately, the Bay Area stop on the Keith Lee and family food tour is officially over prematurely...I truly want to say from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every single bit of love. The people of the Bay were absolutely amazing, And I'll never forget the hospitality and the love that y'all showed me," Keith Lee said in the video. One of the reasons Keith Lee cited was safety, explaining to fans that he truly doesn't believe the Bay is "a place for tourists right now." "The people of the Bay are just focused on surviving," he added. "The amount of tents and living structures and burnt-out cars that we saw people living in was shocking to say the least." As has been widely reported, the Bay Area's reputation has dipped in the past few years due to high rates of crime and homelessness, among other issues. The TikToker, who is allergic to shellfish, was also hospitalized during the tour due to an allergic reaction that he said was caused by food he was served at one of the stops. His video announcing the tour has been met with over 10,000 comments and plenty of mixed feelings. Some people commended Keith Lee for putting safety first, while others questioned why he didn't explore other parts of the Bay Area. "Not even mad at this. When the vibe is off.. just roll out," said one person on TikTok. "Theres more spots then just Oakland and sf, mom and pops shops that needed exposure outside of our two major cities:(," another user commented. Well, we've got our fingers crossed for his next food tour stop. You Might Also Like A Portuguese treat has made its way to Fort Collins by way of Hawaii. Ollie's Malasadas a food trailer serving up malasadas, or Portuguese doughnuts opened Dec. 5. The fried treat, known for its eggy dough and chewy center, is typically described as a mixture between a doughnut and a beignet, according to Michelle Olander, who co-founded Ollie's with her husband, Sean. After originating in Portugal, malasadas were brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants in the 1950s and 1960s, Sean said. They found a foothold there and remain a popular treat in the state. Michelle was first introduced to them when she moved from Fort Collins to Hawaii to attend college. After Michelle moved back to her hometown and met Sean, the two traveled to Hawaii often to see friends. They always had to grab some malasadas while there, Sean said. Last year, the couple was mulling a career switch. After meeting at The Rio Grande the Old Town staple Michelle's father, Andre Mouton, co-founded and later helping Michelle's family launch Restaurant 415, Sean had left restaurants to work in mortgage lending. Wanting to get back into the food industry, the couple decided to open Ollie's and bring their beloved malasadas home, Sean said. They fry up the treats to order in sunflower oil and serve them warm and rolled in sugar. "Purists will say you should always eat them rolled in sugar," Sean said, before noting that they also offer them rolled in cinnamon sugar and their household favorite, lemon sugar. Michelle also works on special malasada fillings, which rotate in and out. So far, she's whipped up espresso, chocolate salted caramel, lemon and a champagne filling. Sugar-rolled malasadas cost $2.50 each and filled varieties cost $3.50. Ollie's Malasadas has been making stops at Fresh Foods Market, Madwire and OtterBox since opening. The trailer's hours typically range from 10 or 11 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. Its schedule is posted on olliesmallies.com or on Ollie's Malasadas' Instagram page. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Food trailer Ollie's Malasadas brings Portuguese doughnuts to NoCo Garrison Brothers, the first distillery to legally make bourbon in Texas, just announced the release of the new edition of its Guadalupe Bourbon. The 2024 release marks the fourth time this port cask-finished whiskey has been available, and we have all the details to share about this years expression. Guadalupe is named after the Texas river that runs from the south-central part of the state down to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2015, master distiller Donnis Todd first launched this limited-release as Estacado, a four-year-old bourbon aged in port barrels from a local Texas winery. Fast-forward to 2021 when the whiskey became known as Guadalupe and was finished in barrels sourced directly from Portugal. This wheated bourbonmade from a mashbill of 74 percent corn, 15 percent wheat instead of rye, and 11 pecent malted barleywas matured for four years in new charred oak barrels and then finished in tawny port casks for an additional two years. It was bottled at 107 proof, and has really soaked up the flavors from its secondary maturation in the dry Texas climate with hot days and cool nights. More from Robb Report Garrison Brothers Guadalupe 2024 release is a bold, beautiful bourbon, said Todd in a statement [It] demonstrates the symphony of amazing Texas sized temperature swings in Hye paired with four years in white American oak casks then two more years in port casks. Official tasting notes describe a creamy mouthfeel with notes of berry fruit, ripe plums, strawberry butter on flaky morning biscuits, toasted coffee bean, chocolate, and cinnamon on the palate. Guadalupe is always a popular whiskey from Garrison Brothers, and past releases have won awards from competitions like the TAG Global Spirits Awards, San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge, and ASCOT Awards. The 2024 Guadalupe will be released on February 3, with 1,000 bottles available to purchase at the distillery (SRP $150), and another 9,500 distributed around the rest of the country later that month. You can find the rest of the lineup, including the flagship Small Batch and high-proof Cowboy Bourbon, available now from websites like ReserveBar. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A member of the SI Swimsuit family since 2015, Hailey Clauson first posed for the annual issue in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her breathtaking rookie features earned her the cover of the magazine the following year, after an incredible photoshoot in Turks and Caicos with James Macari. The 28-year-old California native has returned to the fold plenty of times since, traveling to Finland, Indonesia, the Bahamas, Australia, Barbados and the Dominican Republic with the publication. Clauson has also worked with notable brands like Jean Paul Gaultier, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton and Versace throughout her time in the industry. Modeling since the age of 13, the industry veteran also took on a new role last spring, as the co-owner and creative director of Margaux, a boutique modeling agency based in Los Angeles. I have been modeling for 15 years and I got this opportunity to become a partner of an agency and I thought it was a really unique opportunity, coming from somebody thats been in the models shoes, using all my good and bad experiences with modeling agencies and being a model, kind of bringing that to the agency, she told us last summer of her new career opportunity. I really feel like Im taking my power back in the industry, really making the change that I want to see. In honor of Clausons continued success both in front of the lens and behind the scenes, were throwing it back to a few of our favorite pics from her 2018 photoshoot in the Bahamas, courtesy of Ben Watts. Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube! If you're not a native Californian (or current resident of the Golden State), you're probably not familiar with their stance on the controversial dish, foie gras. And let's face it -- even if you are a Californian, you probably aren't aware of its decades-long beef with the production and sale of duck and goose liver. As it turns out, foie gras is a touchy subject when it comes to California state legislature, which banned the food in 2004. By 2012, California residents were outlawed from either buying or producing foie gras in-state. Why? Because of animal welfare laws, or the lack thereof. The production of foie gras is considered to be cruel, and that's something that simply won't fly with California lawmakers. Foie gras translates from French to "fatty liver" for a reason: Foie gras production involves force-feeding ducks and geese with an esophageal tube to the point of engorging its liver to be far larger than its normal size. The birds are usually farmed in inhumane conditions during their brief, excruciating lives. Most ducks and geese are slaughtered within 13 weeks of hatching -- a fraction of their natural 10-year life expectancy -- all while enduring skin infections and bone fractures due to the unsavory environments they're kept in. Read more: French Cooking Tricks You Need In Your Life U.S. Vs. California Animal Welfare Laws ducklings bred for foie gras - Bloomberg/Getty Images It isn't only California that has banned the sale and production of foie gras. Many European countries have outlawed the pate as well due to the cruelty of its production. However, foie gras currently remains legal in America's other 49 states, and there is an ongoing debate about the California ban being unconstitutional. In May of 2023, the Supreme Court was asked to weigh in on the law but refused, passing it off to the lower courts, where California won, as reported by CNN. There are no federal welfare laws in place for farm animals or animals that are bred for consumption, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This means that these kinds of protections come down to the rulings of state legislators, and California enforces some of the only farmed animal welfare laws in the country. Only recently have issues of humane captivity been addressed, like the 2018 Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, which, as stated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, prevents business owners and operators from patronizing producers that they know to be unethical in their farming practices. For The Love Of A Loophole Hudson valley farm ducks - Bloomberg/Getty Images There are efforts to produce foie gras more humanely: A Spanish producer has been cultivating wild geese for small-batch, "ethical" pate. But it's unlikely that American foie gras farmers will be following suit, as this business model seems to be less lucrative for major producers. This is why companies like Hudson Valley Foie Gras were among the entities who attempted to get the Supreme Court to strike down California's foie gras ban. That 2023 lawsuit wasn't the first time people have tried to go above California's head in the name of foie gras. In July of 2012, the year the ban was enacted, San Francisco's Presidio Social Club continued to sell foie gras to patrons, claiming that because the restaurant is situated on federally-owned land, they weren't obligated to adhere to state law. This stunt lasted less than a year after the ban was made effective, due to public pushback and animal rights activists protesting outside the restaurant. It's hard to believe that foie gras and its associated cruelty have been such a hot topic for 20 years now, but it seems that there won't be any rest in the fight for people's right to eat fatty liver for years to come. Read the original article on Daily Meal. You should see the sunsets. James de Givenchy stands before the floor-to-ceiling windows in his new showroom on the upper level of a building on Miamis Bayshore Drive, gazing west. You just get the most amazing sunset, he says, momentarily mesmerized by the view. More from Robb Report Givenchythe French-born, New York-based jeweler beloved by the cognoscenti for his elegant, sumptuous and unconventional styleis talking about his new 2,000-square-foot salon, which soft-opened in May but had a grander reception for press and clients during Art Basel Miami in December. Taffin Miami Showroom Its easy to understand why hes charmed by the space, and the second life that comes with it. (Givenchys New York showroom, high above Madison Avenue, remains the headquarters for his brand, Taffin.) Technically, the salon is located south of Miami, in the community of Coconut Grove, a historic enclave on the shores of Biscayne Bay thats long attracted artists and nature lovers. Taffin Miami Showroom Givenchy, who lives a short walk from the showroom, deliberately chose the neighborhood because it offers something the gleaming glass and steel towers of Miami do not: a village vibe. Its so sweet, he says. The Coconut Grove location represents the culmination of a two-year odyssey that began in 2021 when Givenchy, whod remained in New York during the height of the pandemic, ventured south to the Sunshine State in part to understand why so many of his clients had flocked there. As soon as things kind of relaxed, we did a show in Palm Beach, he tells Robb Report, and that was a revelation. Taffin Miami Showroom When he returned to New York, Givenchy began to ponder the idea of opening a second location. I was going to be turning 60 and it had always crossed my mind. I was going to do California for a while. But you know, California, its a very strange market. I kind of knew Los Angeles because I lived there for three years when I worked at Christies, but I didnt really know the market. With half of his clients in Palm Beach, Givenchy considered it the obvious place, he says. But ultimately, he wanted something more international. Miami proper didnt feel quite right, but Coconut Grove didso much so that Taffin is planning to open a second workshop here in the spring and will fly his bench jewelers down as needed. Taffin Miami Showroom The natural light that floods the art-filled showroom is a major selling point. As he walks around the space, Givenchy plucks jewels displayed inside tomato red lacquer forms and highlights the details that have made his work sought after by tastemakers: gemstones so limpid, inviting, and large, you want to dive right in, paired with unexpected materials, including rope, wood, pebbles, and Taffins signature ceramic, rendered in a rainbow palette of delightful hues. A dramatic necklace featuring twin aquamarines weighing more than 80 carats each offers a trademark example of Taffins deft combination of colossal gems and minimalist styling. As Givenchy holds the piece in his hands, he seems as bewitched by the stones, which come from Brazil, as the necklaces eventual owner is bound to be. This materialits crazy, he says. The crystal is so pretty. Another, more subtle necklace showcases Givenchys talent for giving new life to old stones. What is, a first glance, a simple diamond pendant reveals itself upon further inspection to be an antique gem that Givenchy purchased at auction, placed on a backing of mother-of-pearl inscribed with the Arabic word for love and framed in black ceramic. Taffin Antique Stone Necklace The sentiment embodied in the piece is a fitting comment on the renewed sense of optimism Taffins new Coconut Grove address has instilled in him. Im excited to see how this new view is going to inspire me, he says. I mean, this is really new. I enjoy being here. I know that Im working in a slightly different way. The stress of New York delivered certain pieces. And I think here is a very different pace. So once the manufacturing is here, Im very excited to see what comes out of it. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Modeling industry staple Barbara Palvin made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2016 in Turks and Caicos and totally blew the brand and photographer James Macari away, earning the title of Rookie of the Year. She returned to the fold the following three years, traveling to Curacao and also posing on the beaches of the Bahamas. Her most recent feature with the magazine was in 2019 in Costa Rica, and it was certainly one to remember. The former Victorias Secret model married actor and longtime boyfriend Dylan Sprouse in a gorgeous ceremony in her home country of Hungary last year. Her bridal look was truly magnificent, and she opted for a stunning Vivienne Westwood corset gown, Jimmy Choo heels, opera gloves and tons of diamonds as accessories, all while keeping her glam natural and glowy. [I believe] that less is more and to let your inner beauty shine. I know it sounds cheesy, but I see it on myselfwhen Im in a good mood, my pictures look much better, the 30-year-old said of her aesthetic for her nuptials. I just wanted something timeless and natural. We wanted to highlight my features and not overpower them. The process was stress, stress, stress and then you try to calm down on the day of the wedding. And then cry! You need a lot of waterproof mascara. Palvin is one of the faces of Giorgio Armani Beauty and just nailed her latest steamy lingerie campaign with For Love and Lemons. Below are six of our favorite photos from her 2019 SI Swimsuit photoshoot with Macari in Costa Rica. James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated James Macari/Sports Illustrated Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube! What's your favorite type of bagel? Sesame seed? Everything? Onion? These are just a few of the many, many different types of bagels the United States is celebrating on Jan. 15 for National Bagel Day. With this delicious holiday coming up, we made a list of the best bagel shops in town to grab a bagel at on the 15th. Photo of Straight from New York bagel sandwich 1. Straight from New York Bagels Located at 4550 Executive Drive in Suite 101, this bagel shop specializes in traditional, baked, kettle boiled bagels. The shop was founded in 2007 after the owner couldn't find a "decent bagel" in Naples. But Straight from New York Bagels doesn't just sell bagels. They offer pastries, cinnamon rolls, New York-style deli sandwiches, and salads. Check out the shop Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Photo of Brooklyn Dough bagels 2. Brooklyn Dough Brooklyn Dough, located at 935 3rd Ave. N., offers hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, fresh-baked bagels daily. Purchase them plain or get bagel sandwich loaded with egg, cheese, and whatever meat you like. They're open Tuesday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can order ahead for same-day pickup online. Photo of Empire Bagel Factory bagels 3. Empire Bagel Factory Empire Bagel Factory has several local locations including North Naples, Marco Island, Fort Myers, and East Naples. The shop sells 21 types of bagels along with coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch sandwiches. Here's the locations and their hours: North Naples, 7273 Vanderbilt Beach Rd. Unit 22: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Marco Island, 239 N. Collier Blvd.: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fort Myers, 9961 Interstate Commerce Dr. 195: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. East Naples, 9995 Tamiami Tr E. inside Pump and Munch Car Wash: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Photo of Hole in 1 Bagels lox sandwich 4. Hole in 1 Bagels Hole in 1 Bagels specializes in fresh-baked bagels, deli sandwiches, and smoothies. The shop offers curbside pickup and you can order ahead by calling (239) 319-0825. Based in Bonita Springs at 28441 S Tamiami Trail, the shop is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Sunday, when they're open until 1 p.m. Photo of Einstein Bros. Bagel bagels 5. Einstein Bros. Bagels This popular bagel chain, owned by Panera Brands, has three locations between Naples and Fort Myers. The shop offers specialty bagels, gourmet bagels, breakfast sandwiches, coffees, and juices. Einstein Bros. has several types of bagels available, from classics like sesame and everything to specialties like pretzel and French toast. Here's their local locations and hours: Naples - 5311 Airport Pulling Rd. N: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Naples - 1210 Tamiami Trail N: 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Florida Gulf Coast University - 10501 FGCU Blvd. S. Student Union: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Celebrate national bagel day in Naples, Fort Myers, Marco Island A group of onlookers cheered as almost two dozen bison descended a ramp out of a semi-truck and ran free into their new wild home on First Nation lands in Canada. The moving moment from February 2023 was shared by TikTok creator onefivefive_films (@onefivefive_films) with the caption, Bringing them home! The Mosquito, Grizzly Bears Head, Lean Man First Nation community (MGBHLM) in Saskatchewan, Canada, received 22 bison from Elk Island National Park through Parks Canada, per Battlefords Now. The bison will run freely within a 1,000-acre fenced area on MGBHLM land. We truly believe that the spirit of the buffalo is going to help us, each and every one of you, nation to nation, MGBHLM Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman told Battlefords Now. At one time, more than 30-60 million bison lived in North America, according to Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS). By 1888, no wild bison remained in Canada, and only one wild herd was left at Yellowstone National Park in the United States. A number of conservation organizations have been working to reintroduce bison to their native territories, and today, about 2,200 plains bison and 11,000 wood bison roam Canada. WCS noted that one of the biggest challenges conservationists face is the loss of grasslands across the bisons historic range. At the same time, reintroducing bison to an ecosystem actually improves the land. One study by Kansas State University found that the presence of bison more than doubles plant diversity and richness, leading to more drought-resistant lands. This release was part of a larger movement to get bison back onto tribal lands in Canada and the United States. In 2021, bison herds were released at Poundmaker Cree Nation and Onion Lake Cree Nation. In 2023, the Blackfeet Nation in Montana released a herd of wild bison onto its land, sharing a video of the momentous event. Since 2014, a number of First Nations in the U.S. and Canada have signed the Buffalo Treaty, which has been described as a pact of cooperation in order to return bison to the Prairies and First Nation communities. The treaty also outlines knowledge gathering and conservation, among other things. BUFFALO is part of us and WE are part of BUFFALO culturally, materially, and spiritually, the treaty says. Our ongoing relationship is so close and so embodied in us that Buffalo is the essence of our holistic eco-cultural life-ways. TikTokers were moved by the bison release video. They knew they were home the second they heard the heartbeat of Mother Earth, one person said. Wow I can only imagine the feeling to be able to witness this in person, another commented. This gave me full-body goosebumps, another commenter wrote. What an incredible thing to see! Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Just because its cold outside, doesnt mean you cant bring the heat. Eyewear maker Jacques Marie Mage (JMM) has teamed up with Union, the streetwear retailer to drop a limited-edition collection of frames. The two Los Angeles-based brands bonded over their mutual love of Japanese fashion, and they bring that inspiration to the fore with stylish shades they dubbed the Union that sport a bit of a 1960s retro vibe as well. More from Robb Report The collection will be released with two drops: one this January and another to come in the fall. Designed in L.A. and handcrafted in Japan, the acetate frameswhich are fitted with JMMs signature precious metal hardware and hingescome in four colors. This includes Agar (tortoiseshell frame with faded blue lens), Beige, Regal (black with blue lenses), and Eclipse 2 (black with light-brown lenses) variations. The Union sunglasses by Jacques Marie Mage and Union L.A. in Eclipse 2 (left) and Agar (right). Founded in 1989 in New York City, Union later ventured west to Los Angeles where its lone store remains and is owned and operated by a former employee of the N.Y.C. shop Chris Gibbs. The place is no stranger to stellar collabs, like the sneakers it released with Jordan Brand that were going for $225 a pop. Meanwhile, JMM launched a decade ago focusing on luxury eyewear handcrafted in Japan and Italy. The special packaging for the limited-edition offering. The first drop is available now at Jacques Marie Mage and Union L.A.s websites for $895. But if these glasses dont catch your eye, head to our roundup of the 15 of the best sunglasses you can buy right now from Ray-Ban to Carrera, to find the shades youll need to protect you from the winter sun. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Cuban food is beloved around the world for its amazing array of dishes and wide-ranging, diverse influences, and yet, two of its most popular creations are both beef recipes that don't seem to have many differences upon first glance. Cuba's cuisine comes from its long history as a colony and destination for world trade, bringing together Spanish and African ingredients and cooking techniques with local Caribbean traditions. Many Cuban foods, like arroz con pollo and picadillo, mix a common Latin American heritage with local twists, but some have become more uniquely associated with Cuba. Two of the biggest are the shredded beef dishes vaca frita and ropa vieja, both delicious testaments to the creativity and history of Cuban cooking. Both vaca frita and ropa vieja are based on a unique method of cooking that involves boiling and shredding steak. They are also both served as the main course centerpiece of traditional Cuban meals with rice and beans, as well as plantains, salads, and bread. But, despite their similar beginnings and accompaniments, the texture and flavor of the two dishes can be quite different, with ropa vieja ending up as a hearty stewed mixture with tomatoes, while vaca frita is served crisp with sharper, acidic flavoring. The two dishes show how different influences can produce unique results from the same core ingredients. Read more: Your Guide To The Different Cuts Of Steak What Is Ropa Vieja? ropa vieja with rice - Veselovaelena/Getty Images Ropa vieja is Cuba's famous dish of shredded steak and tomato sauce, which traces its origins back hundreds of years. According to Revolucion de Cuba, the dish is thought to have first come from Spain, where it was eaten by the Sephardic Jewish community. Similar to dishes like baked beans in New England, ropa vieja was a slow-cooked dish made with affordable staple ingredients that could be made the day before the Sabbath, when people were forbidden to work. There is evidence that it dates back over 500 years on the Iberian Peninsula, and it eventually made its way across the Atlantic to the island of Cuba after Spain colonized the island, and many Jewish settlers moved there to escape persecution in Europe, according to ReformJudaisim.org. The name ropa vieja, itself means "old clothes," and comes from the wet and shredded appearance of the dish. Traditionally ropa vieja is made by poaching or boiling flank steak in water with vegetables. Separately, a sauce is made using tomatoes, onions, and peppers with spices like cumin, oregano, and paprika. The steak is taken out of the water, shredded, and then added to the sauce, which helps keep the lean meat moist and tender after boiling. Some modern variations of the dish keep the ingredients mostly the same but braise the steak directly in the tomato sauce instead of cooking it separately. Either method produces a deeply savory, meaty stew mixture, perfect for serving alongside rice and beans. What Is Vaca Frita? vaca frita against green background - Eloi_omella/Getty Images Unlike the more imaginative name of ropa vieja, the translation of the name vaca frita tells you exactly what you are getting: fried cow. It's also a shredded beef dish, but it has no tomato sauce and gets cooked in oil to produce a crispy final texture. The origins of vaca frita trace back to enslaved people in Cuba and the Canary Islands, another colony of Spain. Flank and skirt steak was the meat reserved for slaves because it was cheap and tough. Vaca frita was developed by cooks as a way to use skilled techniques and other simple, easily available ingredients to transform a difficult chunk of beef into something flavorful and delicious, and it has endured through the years to become a favorite among Cubans. Like ropa vieja, vaca frita starts with the steak being boiled with aromatics, then taken out and shredded once it's cooked through. The shredded meat then gets marinated with a simple mixture of oil, salt, lime juice, and garlic to add flavor and keep it moist. The marinated beef shreds are pan-fried in oil with sliced onions until they are crispy and brown on the edges. Although usually served with rice and black beans, vaca frita also gets used as a sandwich filling or as a topping for bean stews. Ropa Vieja Is Flavored With Tomatoes And Vegetables chopping onion pepper and tomato - Wundervisuals/Getty Images Despite starting with the same base, the flavors of ropa vieja and vaca frita can end up quite different. Ropa vieja has a deeper, more umami taste reminiscent of beef stews. The combination of cooked tomatoes, onions, and peppers gives it a light sweetness and more vegetal notes. It also frequently uses more spices than vaca frita for additional complexity. If ropa vieja is made by braising the meat directly in the sauce, it becomes even richer, as the beefy flavor will more thoroughly meld with the whole dish. Vaca frita has a simpler flavor but is no less tasty. The lime juice marinade lends it a bit of brightness and a cleaner acidity in contrast with ropa vieja. While some recipes do call for additional spices like paprika or oregano, you don't want to make this dish too complex. Without the saucy mixture and extra vegetables, it's much more beef-forward. But the real defining taste is the salty, fatty element the beef gets from the pan-frying in oil. The sauteed onions add a little sweetness and bite themselves, but, with vaca frita, you are first and foremost getting fried meat, with all the greasy, comforting flavors that entails. Vaca Frita Is Crispy And Pan-Fried frying shredded beef - SteveChristianPhotography/Shutterstock Beyond the fried flavor, the texture really sets vaca frita apart from ropa vieja. The double cooking process for vaca frita creates a unique contrast of tender and crispy, even compared to other pan-fried dishes. Because vaca frita must be boiled until it can be shredded, it loses a lot of its moisture and it's made from a cut of meat that already isn't very fatty to begin with. While the marinade will add some of this back, the lack of moisture means it browns up quickly and gets incredibly crispy. The shreds, however, are still thick enough that, while one side gets crispy, the rest of the meat stays relatively juicy. Ropa vieja has no such contrast or crispness, aside from a little bite from the vegetables. It's a quintessential stewed meat with a softer, more buttery texture. It also has much of the moisture boiled out like vaca frita, but the sauce more than replaces it and really rehydrates the beef. However, this also makes it more versatile as a pairing for dishes that can use a saucy topping, especially ones that are crispy themselves. While rice is common, ropa vieja's texture means it can be spooned over crispy smashed and fried plantains, mashed plantains, or even yucca fries. Both Dishes Make Use Of Cheap Flank Or Skirt Steak flank steak and rosemary - Andrei Iakhniuk/Shutterstock Flank steak is the basis of both ropa vieja and vaca frita first and foremost for its affordability but also its unique texture. Flank steak is from the abdominal area of the cow, which gets a lot of work. This means it has long, prominent muscle fibers clearly running through the meat. While this makes it tough, it's also why flank steak shreds into long strands in such a satisfying way. That's important for both dishes because the long shreds provide lots of surface area to more easily reabsorb liquid after being cooked, which is great for such a lean cut. Skirt steak is similarly lean and cheap, so it is sometimes substituted in these dishes, but it doesn't shred quite as well as flank. Beyond that, the use of flank steak speaks to both dishes' origins and place in Cuban society. Both vaca frita and ropa vieja trace their roots back to marginalized groups who needed to subsist off of substandard cuts of meat. They are versatile dishes that are made from cheap ingredients, while still being delicious and beloved. While they are no longer directly tied to the people that originated them, the affordability and functionality of both dishes are what has helped them endure as cultural symbols of Cuba, both in the country and in the Cuban diaspora in the United States. Read the original article on Tasting Table. The origin of North Dakota's most treasured recipe has its roots in the story of immigrants to the area. In the late 1800s, a wave of northern European settlers arrived in the Dakota Territories to make land claims. German-Russian farmers who had lived in Russia and Ukraine for decades were among the largest of all the immigrant groups, settling in widespread areas of the state. And, naturally, they brought their hearty foodways with them, including the famous cheese dumplings (kase knopfen, or kase knepfla), which may have been influenced by Ukrainian varenyky. The German-Russian population tended to live in close-knit communities and, consciously or not, protected their unique heritage and culture for many decades. The recipe for the dish now known stateside as cheese buttons was passed down through families for generations, making use of wheat grown by local farmers and homemade cottage cheese produced by farm wives. As descendants of those early immigrants continue to celebrate their roots, the cheese dumpling remains a symbol of cultural continuity and a delicious reminder of the blending of traditions in the American heartland. Read more: 25 Most Popular Snacks In America Ranked Worst To Best Cheese Buttons Are A Link To Immigrant History cheese buttons with onion - Iurii Bukhta/Getty Images Dumplings of any type, are a good way to stretch costly protein ingredients further to feed more at the table, an important feature for hard-working farm families, and so variations of cheese-filled dough are common in many northern European communities. Cheese button dumplings are typically made from a simple dough mixture of flour, eggs, and water, encasing a generous filling of flavorful cheese, similar to Ukrainian varenyky or Polish pierogi ruskie, but without additional potato. The cheese used can vary, with some recipes favoring milder options like farmer's cheese, but today most cheese buttons are filled with dry cottage cheese. The dumplings are typically boiled until they float to the surface, indicating their readiness. Once cooked, they can be enjoyed in various ways -- some prefer them with a drizzle of melted butter and onions, while others savor them with a sour cream or toasted breadcrumb sauce. Dumplings are comfort food around the world, and in this case, a flavorful bridge to previous generations of immigrant communities who shaped and enriched the culinary landscape of North Dakota. Read the original article on Tasting Table. This past weekend in Jacksonville, I was able to spend time with my 4-year-old granddaughter, Carter, who loves to play in my car. She pretends to drive and then invites me to be the driver. She straps her baby doll into the back seat and climbs in announcing, We are going to the zoo. She turns every knob that turns and pushes every button she can access. Pretending in Grandmas Car is almost as fun as the trampoline park. As she sat in the passenger seat, I encouraged Carter to look through the windshield to watch the trees waving to us and was reminded of a song I used to sing at church when I was her age: The trees are gently swaying, swaying, swaying. The trees are gently swaying, swaying in the breeze. It was fun to sing it with her. Parade goers watch local groups participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Tallahassee, Fla. on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. Witness to the energy of wind On Tuesday morning in Tallahassee, I woke to the sounds of trees that were not gently swaying but bending violently. The severe weather that had been predicted on Monday, with most of Leon County public facilities closed for Tuesday, crossed the Panhandle with a vengeance, spawning tornadoes, a fierce squall line, devastation, and howling winds. As I first listened to the storm from my bed and then went to the windows to see the evidence of it, bending trees and snapping dead branches, I realized how little I know about wind, what it is, and how it is created. My curiosity piqued, I looked online for some reliable information about wind. I thought National Geographic and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) websites might be helpful. What I found, even on the site explaining wind that is designated for 6-12th grade teachers from National Geographic, was remarkably complex. The NOAA site suggests that wind is simply air in motion, but in the explanation that follows, there is nothing simple about it. According to the National Geographic website, the earth contains five major wind zones. Traveling at different speeds, altitudes, and over water or land, wind creates seven types of patterns and storms, several of which we experienced in Tallahassee this week. Wind is measured in terms of wind sheer, the difference in wind speed and direction over a set distance in atmosphere. Weather and climate are determined in part by wind, and wind has an important impact on ecology. For at least a thousand years, wind has been a source of energy for travel by ship and to pump water by windmills for irrigation. Wind has assisted in grinding grains, making paper, sawing logs, and crushing ore, as well as generating electricity. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. discusses Cleveland during a 1967 news conference. A mighty force capturing the imagination Wind is an honored feature in literature, poetry, music, and cinema. From Gone with the Wind, to The Answer is Blowing in the Wind, it a natural force that has captivated the human imagination. The wind is believed to have spiritual connotations, referenced in various faiths and spiritualities. Our English language is replete with references to wind in various levels of sophistication, from windbag to winds of change, to an ill wind, throwing caution to the wind, getting a second wind, all adding to the interest in and meaning of wind. In February 2020, David Wallace of The New Yorker Magazine reviewed a book, Heavens Breath: A Natural History of the Wind, that was published in 1985 by the scientist and author, Lyall Watson. Wallace writes, Watson begins with the simplest of definitions 'Wind is defined as air in motionbefore spinning out into a dizzying series of explanations, factoids, mini-histories, and cosmic contemplations, confirming the complexity of wind. King using wind as a metaphor A collection of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sermons includes "Shattered Dreams" preached in 1959. What I have found interesting on this weekend when we honor the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., remembering his life, his example, his words, and his impact on our nation for the good, is the way in which he used the concept of wind to convey his hope. In a sermon he preached in 1959 called Shattered Dreams, he speaks to the universal experience of disappointment. He tells of once asking a pilot about the differential in flight times between New York City and London. He reports that the pilot said, You must understand something about the winds. When we leave New York, a strong tail wind is in our favor, but when we return, a strong head wind is against us. Then he added a word of assurance, Dont worry. These four engines are capable of battling the winds. In his sermon, King compared the illustration to our lives. He noted, At times in our lives the tail winds of joy, triumph, and fulfillment favor us, and at times the head winds of disappointment, sorrow, and tragedy beat unrelentingly against us. Shall we permit adverse winds to overwhelm us as we journey across lifes mighty Atlantic, or will our inner spiritual engines sustain us in spite of the winds? King encouraged us then and now to not allow the winds of adversity to blow away our hope. He encouraged us then and now to face the chilly winds of adversity until we solve the problems before us, as he said in a 1965 speech to students at Penn State University. And in his most famous speech, I Have a Dream (1963), warned, The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. Our hearts go out to all of those who experienced loss and devastation in the recent severe winds we experienced in our region. And our hearts go out to all who, 61 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. shared his hopeful dream calling for the end of racism in America, are still facing winds of adversity. I pray we all can make 2024 a time of tail winds in pursuit of the bright day of justice for which our nation yearns. The Rev. Candace McKibben The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Winds of change: King harnessed metaphors to shape hope It was a message from one of those newish TV news channels who get in touch most weeks to the effect of: Would you come and say something offensive about so-and-so, so our supporters can rub their hands together with fetid glee and Twitter can then go berserk with outrage? (Quite why they ask me I cant fathom) Today were doing a segment on South Korea looking to ban dog meat. Have you eaten dog, and if so can you come on and tell us about it? Well, I had to let the nation down because I havent in fact betwixt veloute of lobster tail scented with essence of hand-dived scallop topped with bonito flakes smoked in sea urchin and a pistachio souffle ever eaten dog. And rather like you, I dont really want to eat dog, because we have a dog he watches telly with us on the sofa and sleeps in our bedroom and hes family, and to eat dog would thus be a bit like eating Cyrus and there would be outrage, at the very least, from his followers on Instagram (@cyrusthehound). So yes, Im a bit squeamish about the idea and my first reaction was to think how jolly, civilised and sensible South Korea is to introduce legislation that will ban this centuries-old tradition. Impetus for the ban, I gather, came after the release of a fact-based drama that told the story of a family who, having run out of sausages, decide to eat their dachshund; the dog was played by the British character actor Toby Jones. OK, so I made that bit up The law wont come into effect until 2027, to enable dog butchers and those in related dog-rearing industries to find alternative employment, and so that the older generation, who eat dog as a matter of habit, can have the chance of dying off. And then I pulled myself together and told myself to stop being so pathetic and Gen Z about this. In addition to traditional meats, Ive eaten horse, python and crocodile. Ive eaten ants (used to add crunch and a touch of lemony zest to sashimi) and have had grasshopper (in gold leaf on an avocado taco). I also, during Covid, raised a pig called Warwick and gained much pleasure in eating him as everything from sausages to cheeks, trotters and tail. So, frankly, dog should be no different. Most consumers are protected from the unsavoury aspects of the meat industry the growing, slaughter and butchery instead being presented with nice-looking cuts on the supermarket shelves or as appetising cooked meat in restaurants. And when someone is exposed to the reality of the bolt-into-the-head of the beef cow or bull or the conveyer-belt-killing of chickens, they find themselves compelled to stop eating meat for about three of four days, before the irresistible smell and sight of a roast chicken or a grilled steak makes them forget that horrid slaughterhouse. The unavoidable conclusion of all this being that our aversion to the eating of one or other animals is pure silliness. The horse I ate was in a restaurant in Slovakia. It was presented on the menu as fillet of horse. With a peppercorn sauce, a little mustard, chips, salad and lashings of local wine, it was wonderful. Very similar to beef indeed, Im sure I wouldnt be able to tell the difference in a blind tasting. The only difference being that of sentiment, in the mind. If we can eat a pig that has looked us straight in the eye, then why not a dog? When I sat next to a woman at breakfast this week at the Birley Bakery in Chelsea, and watched as she stroked her pet rabbit, I thought how very nice it would be to roast its legs in butter and serve it with a thick mustard sauce, al dente green beans and a potato fondant. We have earnt the right to eat rabbit, or dog, in just the same way as that of a sheep. We have evolved to be the dominant species. We won the competition to run the planet and so our prize is to eat what we want to eat and in the way we wish to eat it; cured, grilled, roasted or boiled. Because you can bet that if dogs had won the evolutionary race then we would similarly exist at their pleasure be it as companion, hunter or main course with some sauteed onions and a sprinkle of garam masala. That, as Seouls newly outlawed dog boilers know, is just natures way. 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. President Joe Biden had a blunt message after voters in Taiwan elected a new president Saturday: "We do not support independence" for Taiwan. Bidens words, delivered as he departed for Camp David, reinforced the administrations position to Taiwans new president Lai Ching-te, who has faced strong opposition from China over his calls for independence. The administration has clarified that while it does not support Taiwanese independence, it favors dialogue between Taipei and Beijing and expects differences to be resolved peacefully and without coercion. Lai, Taiwans vice president who won a third successive term for the Democratic Progressive Party, on Saturday delivered a measured call for exchanges and cooperation with China with dignity and parity. Lais sense of victory will likely soon be overshadowed by an extended period of uncertainty over Beijing's next move against its neighboring territory. China called the election a choice between war and peace. The U.S. previously warned that China was interfering with the democratically held election. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai in a post on X, adding that we also congratulate the Taiwan people for participating in free and fair elections and demonstrating the strength of their democratic system. House Speaker Mike Johnson also welcomed the election results, writing in a social media post that the United States is eager to work with President-elect Lai and build on the strong partnership weve enjoyed with President Tsai. To underscore the ongoing commitment of Congress to security and democracy, I will be asking the chairs of the relevant House Committees to lead a delegation to Taipei following Lais inauguration in May, Johnson continued. Republican lawmakers including Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) broadly welcomed the development. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), respectively chair and ranking member of the House committee on China, said in a statement that, "During this transition period and into President-elect Lais forthcoming term in office, the United States will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our friends in Taiwan." Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan in 2022, the first visit by a high-ranking U.S. official in decades, prompting China to launch days of military drills around the self-governing island. Two weeks after her trip, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) led another congressional delegation to Taiwan, and several more have followed since. Lawmakers have made clear that such trips telegraph a firm stance against Chinese aggression in the region. The U.S. stands with you and will protect you, House Foreign Affairs committee chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told Taiwanese officials during a visit in April . That trip was Congress largest bipartisan trip to the island since the 1979 passage of the Taiwan Relations Act, a measure that codified the American commitment to support the islands democracy without direct antagonism of China. Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November in an attempt to ease tensions between the two global powers. During the meeting, Xi demanded the U.S. stop arming Taiwan and said that its reunification with China was unstoppable, while Biden reiterated that U.S. policy on Taiwan had not changed. Phelim Kine and Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing contributed to this report. Lakeland Care Inc. is seeking individuals to be part of its Volunteer Program. FOND DU LAC Lakeland Care Inc. is seeking individuals to be part of its new Volunteer Program. LCI is a managed care organization that provides long-term care services and support to eligible elders and individuals with physical and intellectual or developmental disabilities through Wisconsins Family Care program. Volunteers are needed for various roles including: companionship through visits and/or phone calls; transportation by providing rides to social events or activities; and administrative services to assist with routine and project-based tasks. Volunteers can spend anywhere from one hour to 29 hours a week helping others. For more information or to apply, contact 920-906-5100 or volunteer@lakelandcareinc.com or visit lakelandcareinc.com/volunteer-program. Froedtert clinic: Froedtert's first footprint in Fond du Lac is open. What to know about the east-side clinic. Welcome to your weekly dose. Here is more news from throughout Fond du Lac County. Open Circle leads session on 'Overturning Citizens United' A public meeting on Overturning Citizens United will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at Open Circle Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 19 Third St. An amendment to the Constitution aims to get big money out of politics. In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled limiting the political spending of corporations and labor unions violates the First Amendment. The session is led by Wisconsin United to Amend, a local affiliate of Move to Amend, and seeks to make this change to the U.S. Constitution. UWO Fond du Lac holds auditions for 'The Good Doctor' UW-Oshkosh at Fond du Lac will hold student and community wide auditions for its spring 2024 production of The Good Doctor by Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov. Auditions will be 6-9 p.m. Jan. 18 and 19 and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Prairie theater on the UWO-Fond du Lac campus, 400 University Drive. Both males and females are needed between the ages of 18 and 75. All students, faculty and staff of any area school, college or university as well as members of the community are welcome to audition. Rehearsals begin the week of March 18. Performances will run April 25-May 4. In this play, Neil Simon dramatizes short stories written by Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov. Holy Family offers two free showings of Sound of Freedom In an effort to raise awareness about the international and local impact of human trafficking, Holy Family Catholic Community will host two free showings of the film Sound of Freedom. The showings are free and the public is welcome. The showings will be at 2 and 6 p.m. Jan. 18 in Holy Family Hall, 271 Fourth Street Way. The 2 p.m. showing will feature a special talk on human trafficking from ASTOP Sexual Abuse Center Executive Director Isabel Williston, Fond du Lac Area Women's Fund Executive Director Jolene Schatzinger, and Solutions Center Domestic Violence Child and Teen Program Coordinator Rachel Wichowski. Both showings will include a short discussion led by Holy Family Catholic Community Associate Pastor Fr. Matthew Kirk as well as an opportunity to purchase fair trade items supporting victims of human trafficking. The 2023 film follows a U.S. Special Agent as he attempts to rescue children from human trafficking. Known as modern-day slavery, human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor or services against his or his will, according to federal law. January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Audubon member to lead trek through Kiekhaefer Park Enjoy a winter exploration of the hilly trails at Kiekhaefer Park Jan. 20, guided by an Audubon member. The group will meet at 1 p.m. at the park, 4235 Kiekhaefer Parkway. If there is good snow, participants will snowshoe; otherwise, they will hike. If its raining, the event will be canceled. If you dont have snowshoes, a limited number will be available by reservation at no charge, courtesy of Attitude Sports. For trail conditions or to reserve snowshoes, call Diana at 920-922-7931 or email dianahbeck@gmail.com. Audubon programs are free and open to the public. Red Cross urges community to donate at local blood drives The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood and platelet donors are urged to make a donation appointment. The next blood drive will run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 23 at The American Legion, 500 Fond du Lac Ave. To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800-733-2767. 2024 look ahead: 2024 in Fond du Lac will continue construction, other projects to enhance the area's vitality. Here's what to watch for. Sheriff's office announces results of 'Drive Sober' campaign The Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office has announced the results of the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over holiday campaign. Deputies with the Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office made 14 OWI arrests between Dec. 15 and New Years Day. While the focus of the initiative was to eliminate impaired driving, deputies also issued citations and made arrests during traffic stops for: 33 speeding violations; 46 operating after revocation or suspension violations; 38 drug arrests; 30 felony arrests; and 34 misdemeanor arrests. For more information and resources on impaired driving in Wisconsin, visit WisDOTs Zero in Wisconsin website at zeroinwisconsin.gov. Stitches 'N Tyme celebrates new ownership Envision Greater Fond du Lac hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new owner, Amanda Bauer-Frisch of Stitches 'N Tyme, a fabric store at 203 S. Main St., Oakfield. For more information, visit https:// www. stitchesntyme.com. Contact Mara Wegner at mwegner@gannett.com or 920-996-7241. This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Lakeland Care launches new volunteer program in Fond du Lac A manhunt has been launched after a worker fell into an enormous crack created by the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in Iceland. The missing man was working to fill in crevasses formed by earthquakes and volcanic activity in the fishing town of Grindavik when he fell on Wednesday, according to local media. The search, involving hundreds of rescue workers, had to be called off overnight on Thursday after landslides dropped tonnes of rocks on the area. The volcano erupted in December after hundreds of earthquakes (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) At midnight, we had to stop the search because we could not guarantee the safety of those who were working down in the crevasse, Ulfar Ludviksson, the police chief in South Iceland said. There was a rockfall at the top. Its deep down. This runs tens of metres down to the bottom. There is water far below this work area where rescuers are working, he said. There are two men who go down in a basket and stay down for about 10 minutes. Then they come up and the other two take over. The missing man was being lowered to work on filling cracks in town with soil and compacting before he fell. A fissure in Grindavik spewing lava (AP) Scientist of the University of Iceland take measurements and samples standing on the ridge in front of the active part of the eruptive fissure of an active volcano in Grindavik (AP) Rescue efforts are being hampered by the conditions and the fact that the tight gap only fit two people at the time to look for him. What is absolutely clear is that we are sending people into life-threatening situations, so we have to spend more time on the safety of those who are going to work on this, field manager Hjalmar Hallgrimsson told local outlet RUV. People are clambering around this and trying to get to it, and the work area is for two people, we cant get more people in. That is why we are replacing people and bringing in fresh hands. These are the conditions we are trying to work with. (Icelandic Met Office) Mayor of Grindavik Fannar Jonasson says that the accident took everyone by surprise and shows how serious the cracks in the town which was evacuated in November. The accident came as the risk due to cracks within the town limits of Grindavik is estimated to be higher than before, according to a news report on the Norwegian Meteorological Agencys website. Japan successfully placed a new spy satellite into orbit on Friday, and say it could provide important intelligence tracking movements at military sites in North Korea. The satellite was launched on an H2A liquid-fuel rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southwestern Japan. The satellite will capture coloured photographs of the Earths surface and a radar satellite will capture photographs at night, in overcast and severe weather. Japan says the satellite could also help improve responses to a range of major natural disasters. It comes just days after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake with its epicentre in Ishikawa killed more than 200 people. Officials at the space centre initiated the launch at 1.45pm local time and confirmed later that its payload had reached orbit, reported The Asahi Shimbun. With Fridays successful mission, Japan now has five operational reconnaissance satellites in space. One of the satellites can transmit high-definition data to Earth. The H2A launch was closely watched, at a time when Japan is developing a new flagship rocket the H3 as its long-term successor. The new rocket, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, failed its first test flight in March last year. Another attempt is scheduled to take place next month. Mitsubishi Heavys rockets, including Fridays, have two solid-fuel sub-rockets and are known for their remarkable 98 per cent success rate. It has recorded 41 consecutive successes after a failure seen in 2003. Japan is aiming to develop a network of as many as 10 operational spy satellites in orbit, in part to watch for early warning signs of possible missile launches from North Korea. Pyongyangs missile tests last year at times sent Japanese citizens scrambling for bomb shelters, and there is no indication that Kim Jong-un is planning to abandon the weapons programme in the near future. Prime minister Fumio Kishidas government, under its national security strategy adopted in 2022, is pushing to deploy long-range US-made Tomahawk and other cruise missiles as early as next year to build up more strike capability, breaking from the countrys exclusively self-defence-only postwar principle, citing rapid weapons advancement in China and North Korea. By any objective measure, 2024 is off to a pretty good start for Nikki Haley. The former South Carolina governor and onetime Trump administration cabinet member has been steadily gaining ground in Republican primary polls, and is for now enjoying that ineffable narrative of political "momentum" which fuels a positive feedback loop for more quantifiable data such as polling numbers and fundraising stats; the better Haley seems to do, the better she will ostensibly do when voters head to their caucus sites and polling locations, starting next week. But as Haley's momentum both narratively and on the ground intensifies, so does the level of scrutiny applied to her and her campaign. With her potential viability against former President Donald Trump, the party's decisive primary frontrunner for the time being, coming into clearer focus, she has increasingly become a target for the rest of a GOP pack who are eager to fend her off from above, or overtake her from below. Now, in the shadow of the looming Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Haley's rising star faces a political crucible unlike anything she's experienced in the race thus far. Does she have what it takes to survive the onslaught of opposition that comes with pulling ahead in the polls? And if so, can Nikki Haley really go all the way to the White House? What the commentators said After teasing that he had something "very important to say" earlier this week, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul launched a blistering blindside into Haley's campaign on Friday, claiming on X that he didn't see how "any thoughtful or informed libertarian or conservative should vote for" Haley while directing followers to the alliterative NeverNikki.net. Paul's seemingly out-of-the-blue attack on Haley follows her rise in New Hampshire, and other early primary states a dynamic that "helped motivate him to get involved" according to Politico, which called his forceful denunciation a "change of tactics for him to get involved at all." Trump, too, has taken note of Haley's ascendency, making "a notable turn" from attacking his previously reliable adversary Ron DeSantis toward her in a sign that he's "clearly afraid that a real alternative is gaining on him," The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote this week. In particular, Trump has attacked Haley over her stance on Social Security, even as he'd "previously used the issue to attack Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis," CNN reported. Now he's using the subject to "blunt Haleys momentum in the final days before voting begins." He has also "reached back into his brand of nativism" by amplifying false allegations that Haley is eligible to run for president in an echo of his previously debunked "birther" conspiracy against former President Barack Obama, according to The New York Times. He had also leveled a similar bogus allegation against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who was his "closest rival" during the 2016 presidential primaries. Some of Trump's most notably vocal allies have followed suit and beyond. On Thursday, former Republican congressional candidate Laura Loomer accused Haley of conspiring to manipulate a cold weather front in the Midwest to damage Trump in the Iowa caucuses. Perhaps most brutal, however, was an apparent hot-mic moment from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who opined that Haley was "going to get smoked" and "not up to this" just moments before he ended his own candidacy for the GOP nomination in a move widely seen as being particularly to Haley's advantage. What next? Despite the uptick in attacks against her, and the proximity to Iowa and New Hampshire, Haley may have lost "her nerve" and "wasnt really going to go after Trump" during this week's GOP debates, leaving her and the state of the race "pretty much the same," according to The New Yorker's Benjamin Wallace-Wells. At the same time, her rising polls contain signs of trouble ahead, analysis from ABC News concluded, pointing to her poor standing with evangelicals in particular as a potential pitfall, given they're "overrepresented among Iowa caucusgoers." Ultimately, Politico reported, coming in third behind DeSantis in Iowa would "blunt her momentum both in New Hampshire" and her home state of South Carolina, where Trump "remains nearly 30 points ahead." Semafor Signals Insights from Der Spiegel, CNN, and Foreign Policy The News Seven people linked to a foiled terror plot in Denmark last December have links to Hamas, Danish authorities said Friday. Police arrested three people in the Scandinavian country on Dec. 14 under suspicion of planning a terror attack, but revealed this week that four more people were part of the group detained, without providing further details. Hamas is a designated terror group in the U.S. and Europe. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Hamas could have used Germany as theater of operations to attack Europe Source: Der Spiegel The Denmark arrests coincided with similar detainments in Germany, where three suspects linked to Hamas were taken into custody for allegedly plotting to attack Jewish sites across Europe. Another Hamas-linked suspect was also arrested in Rotterdam. While Hamas has long viewed Germany as a safe haven where members could raise funds and expand networks, there was nothing to suggest that it had plans to attack the country, Der Spiegel reported. But with the recent arrests, it appears that Germany could have become a theater of operations from which the group planned terror attacks across Europe, the outlet said. According to internal government documents reviewed by Der Spiegel, Hamas-affiliated groups are conducting a coordinated influence campaign on supporters in Europe, with a focus on Germany due to its large Palestinian diaspora. Hamas influence and global footprint have grown since the Gaza war Sources: CNN, Foreign Policy Surveys and U.S. intelligence reports have shown that Hamas influence has grown since its October attack on Israel, with different assessments showing that the group has effectively positioned itself as a defender of the Palestinian cause across the Arab and Muslim world. U.S. counterterrorism officials are also concerned that Hamas success in its Oct. 7 attack could serve as inspiration for other global terrorist groups. Some analysts believe that the militant group, which has Islamic roots, wants its ideology, cause, and brand to go global the way the Islamic State did. But Hamas ideology is not the global jihad embraced by al Qaeda, the Islamic State, or their respective affiliates worldwide, an expert on religious extremism wrote for Foreign Policy, explaining that the Islamic State views Hamas and its members as apostates for participating in elections and relying on Iran for patronage. Semafor Signals Insights from The Washington Post, Hong Kong Free Press, and The Japan Times The News Taiwans Vice President William Lai of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) claimed victory in Taiwans presidential election Saturday securing a historic third term for his party in a ballot framed as a battle between democracy and autocracy. Lai received more than 40% of the total votes beating the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT), its primary rival. The Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP), which disrupted the traditional two-party race and sought to attract the youth vote, came in third. Both KMT candidate Hou Yu-ih and Ko Wen-je of the TPP conceded in the election before official results were announced late Saturday. Earlier in the day, Chinese social media platform Weibo blocked a hashtag containing discussions of the election after it became one of the most talked-about topics on the site. Taiwans Ministry of National Defense also said that it had detected eight military aircraft and six ships in the Taiwan Strait Saturday morning, amid mounting intimidation from China which has engaged in an unprecedented level of military activity around the territory over the past year and a half. On the eve of the election, Chinas military warned against any efforts to promote Taiwan independence what Lais party stands for. Beijing has not ruled out a future military attack, which would bring the U.S. to Taiwans defense and in confrontation with its biggest military rival. Beijing has previously described the now-president of Taiwan as a separatist and regards the self-governing island as a breakaway province. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Historic DPP streak signals a rebuke of cozy ties with Beijing Sources: The Washington Post, Hong Kong Free Press, CNBC Taiwans government has historically rotated between the Beijing-friendly KMT and the DPP, but Lais win marks the first time a political party has retained power for more than two consecutive terms since direct presidential elections began in 1996. The DPPs landmark victory may also suggest that skepticism of closer ties with Beijing persists. In a press conference following his election win, Lai said that he was very willing to engage in discussions with China, so long as there was dignity and parity. He added that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was of the utmost importance and that his government would continue to safeguard Taiwan against threats from the mainland. China has in the past refused to engage with outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen on cross-strait issues and dismissed the outcome of the Saturday elections. Lai ran a campaign on continuity, but will need to address young peoples frustrations Sources: Reuters, The Japan Times, The Economist Under outgoing President Tsai Ing-wens leadership, the DPP failed to address young Taiwanese peoples concerns about stagnant wages and steep housing prices, one China columnist wrote for Reuters, arguing that Lais win could mean that these issues persist. While past presidential elections in Taiwan were seen as de facto referendums on China policy, this one was more about change versus continuity, Wen Ti-sung, an expert in Taiwanese politics, told The Japan Times. Sung added that domestic issues like job growth and housing prices have therefore been cast under a bigger spotlight. Lai now faces the dual challenge of tackling the China issue while alleviating Taiwans economy, but some voters see the two as being connected. One DPP supporter told The Economist before the election that as Beijings economy slows, it makes little sense for the territory to forge closer ties with the mainland and that she would vote for the party most able to resist Chinas pressure. Officials are advising people to stay indoors and keep warm as cold, arctic air descends on the Pacific Northwest. The National Weather Service and Yakima Health District encourage Yakima Valley residents to stay safe as temperatures plunge below freezing. A wind chill advisory is in place across Central Washington through 4 a.m. Sunday. Christel Benesse, meteorologist at the NWS office in Pendleton, Ore., said the cold weather will be around through the start of the week in the Yakima Valley. "Unfortunately, we're going to have this stuff locked into place," Benesse said Saturday. "It looks like Wednesday we might get up to maybe outside freezing." Benesse said the high temperatures could be around 17 degrees on Sunday and 19 degrees on Monday, before approaching 30 degrees Wednesday. Benesse recommended Yakima residents take safety precautions, like wearing proper winter attire and watching for hypothermia and frostbite. She said people should stay inside if possible. "If you can, stay indoors," Benesse said. "That's one of our biggest pushes right now: If you don't have to be outside, don't." Staying warm Symptoms of hypothermia, when body temperature is too low, include shivering, memory loss, exhaustion or feeling very tired, slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness and fumbling hands, according to the Yakima Health District. In babies, symptoms could include bright red skin and low energy. YHD recommends taking a person's temperature if they are exhibiting these symptoms and, if it's lower than 95 degrees, to seek medical assistance. Frostbite leads to a loss of feeling or color in affected areas and usually is first seen in the body's extremities, like fingers, toes and ears. If a person notices redness or pain on any exposed skin, YHD recommends seeking shelter from the cold immediately. NWS recommends wearing multiple layers of clothing if people do need to be outdoors, including hats and gloves to cover any exposed skin. The agency also recommends checking road conditions for those who plan to travel and storing food or blankets in vehicles in case of emergency. Winter weather shelters For Yakima County residents who cannot stay indoors or need winter shelters, there are several places they can go, according to YHD. People can call 2-1-1 for utility, food and housing assistance. Shelters are available at the following locations: Yakima Union Gospel Mission, 1300 N. First St., Yakima, front porch heaters available. The mission has some exceptions for overnight placement in colder weather on a case-by-case basis. Camp Hope, 2300 E. Birch St., Yakima, open 24 hours. Rods House, 204 S. Naches Ave., Yakima, overnight emergency shelter for ages 18-24. Because of the extreme weather, Rod's House is open additional hours this weekend. The resource center is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Monday. The extreme winter weather shelter is open from 3 p.m. to 10 a.m. through Tuesday. Regular hours are 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. Noahs Ark, 117 E. Second St., Wapato, extreme weather outreach and overnight shelter. Yakama Nation, 50 Wishpoosh Road, Toppenish, Iniitnut winter shelter open 24 hours. Sunnyside Community Center, 1521 S. 1st St., Sunnyside, overnight warming center open 24 hours until Jan. 15 at 8 a.m. Food and clothing are available for residents who need shelter from the cold. Call 509-790-9729 for more information. A wee bit more snow Yakima County could receive a half-inch to 2 inches of snow on Saturday and possibly Sunday morning, according to the weather service. The Simcoe Highlands in southern Yakima County and Klickitat County could receive 3 to 4 inches of snow. Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the overnight warming center in Sunnyside. Jasper Kenzo Sundeen'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. A proposal being debated by Washington state lawmakers would limit annual rent increases to 5% and cap late fees at $10. Above, Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood. (Luke Johnson / The Seattle Times) You are the owner of this article. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Barbat mort dupa ce autocamionul pe care il conducea s-a izbit de un mal de pamant Un barbat in varsta de 45 de ani a murit, luni, dupa ce a pierdut controlul autocamionului pe care il conducea, iar mastodontul a iesit de pe carosabil si s-a izbit de un mal de pamant.La fata locului, pe raza localitatii Dorna [citeste mai departe] New Delhi: Hard work is a cornerstone of success, and today we delve into the inspiring story of Poonam Gupta to underscore this vital principle. Poonam's journey exemplifies the transformative power of unwavering dedication and perseverance. Poonam performed exceptionally well in her studies from a young age securing admission to respected institutions such as Lady Irwin School, Delhi Public School, and Lady Shri Ram College. Her educational journey resulted in earning a degree in Economics with honors, followed by an MBA in International Business and Marketing. These qualifications were obtained from esteemed institutions, including Delhi University, FORE School of Management, and Maastricht School of Management. In 2002, Gupta tied the knot and relocated to Scotland with her spouse, Puneet Gupta. Despite her qualifications and determination, she encountered multiple rejections, a common experience for immigrants globally. She later decided to venture into entrepreneurship. Poonam initiated PG Paper Company Ltd in 2003, starting the business from her family residence in Kilmacolm, Scotland, with a modest fund of Rs 1 lakh provided by the Scottish Government. While searching for a job, Poonam Gupta observed a common sight of accumulated waste paper in offices. This observation led to a business idea that aimed to tackle environmental issues and open up a fresh market opportunity. Poonam Gupta began her journey to recycle scrap paper from her family home in Kilmacolm. Her company started collecting discarded paper from companies in Europe and America. Currently, PG Paper operates in more than 60 countries including Scotland, Europe, America, and India, turning waste into top-notch paper products. Nineteen years have passed since Gupta started her business. With initial funding of Rs 1 lakh, Poonam's relentless effort and commitment have grown it into an Rs 800 crore firm. Besides its roots in the IT sector, the company is involved in various industries like hospitality, real estate, and medical. Based in Scotland, the company currently employs around 350 people. Despite facing challenges in the job market after moving to Scotland, Poonam didn't give up. Instead, she leveraged her observations and entrepreneurial spirit to establish PG Paper Company Ltd with just Rs 1 lakh in 2003. Through her relentless dedication, she transformed a small venture operating from her family residence into a substantial enterprise. Boasting a current position as the world's fourth-largest beauty market, India is primed for a significant upsurge, with experts predicting a 40% surge in its size by 2026. The Indian cosmetics market, already a $1.35 billion powerhouse in 2023, is projected to balloon to $2.3 billion by 2028, witnessing a remarkable compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 11% throughout this period. The cosmetics industry expects robust expansion signs in the coming years. The Indian cosmetics industry is flooded with foreign brands, but soon, in the coming five years, it will have a huge population attracting domestic brands. The Indian cosmetics products market size is estimated at USD 1.35 billion in 2023. It is projected to reach USD 2.27 million by 2028, registering a CAGR of 10.91% during the forecast period (2023-2028). Increasing purchasing power represents a key factor influencing market growth. According to World Bank data, consumer expenditure in India increased to USD 2.4 trillion in 2022, propelling the market demand. The demand for color cosmetics is being influenced as many people unleash the potential of cosmetics in their daily makeup routine. The transformation in the millennial and young generation lifestyle attributed to the increased influence of social media platforms creating more demand for color cosmetics products in the country. Consumers are discovering products and brands via advertisements and promotional campaigns on various social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. Before purchasing, they consider product reviews, other consumers recommendations, celebrity endorsements, expert blog posts, and social media comments. In addition, with the increasing internet penetration, the online market for purchasing cosmetics products has seen rapid growth in India in recent years. Furthermore, the demand for luxury cosmetics is increasing among millennials and Gen Z consumers, owing to their preference for grooming up regularly to look presentable and fashionable. The cruelty-free and vegan beauty market has exploded globally and in India in recent years. Cosmetic manufacturers are opting for natural and environmentally friendly ingredients to manufacture products. The green cosmetics trend pushes the need for sustainable and clean beauty products. Manufacturers and third-party e-retailers are taking an interest in launching or offering clean beauty in their product portfolio. Moreover, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India has imposed the cosmetic testing ban, which is added to the new rule "148-C. prohibition of testing of cosmetics on animals, such that no person shall use any animal for the testing of cosmetics" in the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Rules. Therefore, with Gen Z reshaping the market for color cosmetics in India, owing to their broad experimentation with a variety of products and their planet-friendly approach, the demand for eco-friendly, natural, organic, and clean color cosmetic products is anticipated to rise in the coming years. Online retailing plays a vital role in the sustenance of the cosmetics market in India. Online platforms help sell and offer a range of product portfolios, and brands can cultivate an identity to promote product launches and influence consumers. Brands are chasing Indian celebrities or influencers to target young consumers through endorsements. Online shopping is a convenient platform for consumers to buy products online, avoiding crowded stores. It gives customers the luxury of browsing and shopping for products 24/7 from the comfort of their homes. Moreover, these websites create opportunities for color cosmetic brands to rapidly shift toward e-commerce platforms that enable these beauty brands to showcase greater product visibility in various rural and urban regions in the country. Speaking on the successful conclusion of Cosmoprof India, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India said, Cosmoprof India stands as the premier platform gathering for the dynamically shifting beauty market, showcasing exhibitors nationwide. Notably, Cosmoprof India witnessed a remarkable 20% growth in footfalls and an impressive increase of exhibitor participation by 44% as compared to last year. Cosmoprof India provided a strategic overview to both the development of the local industry and international trends and brandnew solutions, owing to the presence of 5 country pavilions namely, Australia, Korea, Italy, Taiwan, and UK. The 4th edition of Cosmoprof India, delivered impressive results. The show, dedicated to the fastgrowing Indian beauty market took featured over 450 brands from 19 countries and region of origin. Over 9,000 stakeholders from 55 countries and regions gathered at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, registering a 20% growth compared to the previous edition. The beauty industry has experienced significant growth, reaching approximately $430 billion in revenue in 2022 and projected to reach $580 billion by 2027. This growth is attributed to the industry's resilience in the face of economic challenges and a changing macroeconomic environment. The beauty market is characterized by a shift towards "premiumization," with the premium beauty tier expected to grow at an annual rate of 8 percent. The competitive landscape is intensifying, with independent brands seeking to scale, and new challengers emerging. Consumer preferences are evolving, driven by younger generations, and the importance of sustainability, influencers, self-care, and new brand discovery is increasing. E-commerce in the beauty industry has seen substantial growth, with a projected 12 percent annual growth between 2022 and 2027, he further added. The industry's dynamics are shifting, requiring brands to reassess global strategies and adopt more nuanced and tailored approaches. Geographic diversification is crucial, with growth opportunities in emerging markets like the Middle East and India. The top tier of the pricing pyramid, the true luxury and ultraluxury beauty market, is expected to double from $20 billion to $40 billion by 2027. The industry's growth map is changing, with slowing growth in China and increased local competition. The US market will become more crucial, with the Middle East and India emerging as new growth hotspots. The lines between beauty and wellness are blurring, with consumers seeking products that not only make them look good but also contribute to their overall well-being. Wellness-inspired products, such as skincare with probiotic ingredients, are gaining popularity. Gen Z consumers are scrutinizing brands for value, focusing on sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. They demand authenticity, transparency, and a brand story that goes beyond products. Many new and independent beauty labels struggle to achieve meaningful scale. To scale successfully, brands must focus on omnichannel expansion, internationalization, and category expansion. Mergers and acquisitions will continue to play a major role in the industry, but the focus will shift from high-growth independent brands to those with innovative product pipelines and sustainable long-term growth. In conclusion, the beauty industry offers significant growth opportunities for both established leaders and challengers. Success will depend on developing and executing tailored strategies that align with the evolving dynamics of the beauty landscape. NEW DELHI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday backed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after consensus emerged among the INDIA bloc members over the latter's name as the chairperson of the opposition bloc. "A meeting of INDIA Alliance was held under the chairmanship of Mallikarjun Kharge. We had a discussion that we all will take a decision on seat sharing as soon as possible. It was suggested by some that the alliance should be headed by Mallikarjun Kharge and everyone agreed.'' Pawar further revealed that a committee has been formed to strategize plans in the upcoming days. On the matter of who should assume the role of convenor, Pawar mentioned, "Everyone suggested that Nitish Kumar should take responsibility as the convenor, but his opinion is that the one who is already in charge should continue." Pune, Maharashtra: On INDIA alliance meeting held today NCP chief Sharad Pawar says, "A meeting of INDIA Alliance was held under the chairmanship of Mallikarjun Kharge. We had a discussion that we all will take a decision on seat sharing as soon as possible. It was suggested by pic.twitter.com/srau7LH9QW January 13, 2024 In response to a question about the post-election scenario, Pawar expressed, "After the elections, if we get the majority, then we would be able to give a better option to the country..." The remarks from the veteran Maharashtra politician came shortly after a consensus emerged on appointing Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson of the opposition bloc. The decision was reached during a virtual meeting of I.N.D.I.A. leaders. Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge conveyed his satisfaction with the ongoing seat-sharing discussions. In a social media post, he shared, "Everyone is happy that the seat-sharing talks are progressing in a positive way. I, along with Rahul Gandhi, invited all INDIA Parties to join Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra." Nitish Kumar Declines Convenor Role Notably, INDIA bloc leaders aimed to make Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar the convenor, but he declined the position. The meeting, attended by representatives from various parties, excluding Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, emphasized the importance of national unity and discouraged state-level rifts within the alliance. The coming together of 28 opposition parties under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) signals a formidable challenge to the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. New Delhi: Police have found the body of former model Divya Pauja, who was killed at a hotel in Gurugram on January 2, in a canal in Haryanas Fatehabad district on Saturday, news agency IANS reported. The body was in a decomposed state when it was recovered from the Bhakra canal in Tohana, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya. Divya was shot dead by Abhijeet Singh, the owner of the City Point Hotel near the Gurugram bus stand, where she was staying in room number 111. The police said that Abhijeet and Divya were in a relationship and he killed her in a fit of rage after she refused to erase some of his compromising photos from her phone. Abhijeets friends, Balraj Gill from Sector-5, Panchkula, and Ravi Banga from Gurudwara Road Model Town, Hisar, are believed to have disposed of Divyas body. The police have arrested five people in connection with the murder Abhijeet, his associates Om Prakash, Hemraj, Balraj and a woman named Megha. Ravi Banga is still on the run. Megha had assisted Abhijeet in getting rid of the murder weapon, the documents and other personal items of the victim. Om Prakash and Hemraj had helped Abhijeet lift Divyas body and put it in the trunk of a BMW car. Balraj and Ravi then drove away with the body. Megha told the police that she saw Divyas body when she arrived at the hotel on January 2. Abhijeet asked her to throw away the belongings of the dead woman, but she was too afraid to do so, sources said. The police have seized the BMW car that was used to transport the body to Patiala. Abhijeet told the police during interrogation that Divya used to extort money from him and blackmail him. Divya had met Abhijeet through Binder Gujjar, a gangster who is in jail for allegedly masterminding the fake encounter of another gangster, Sandeep Gadoli, with the help of the Gurugram Police, in Mumbai in 2016. Divya was the main accused in the case. She was arrested for the murder of Gadoli and spent seven years in prison. She got bail from the Bombay High Court in June last year. Divyas family has claimed that Abhijeet and Gadolis family members plotted her murder. New Delhi: LK Advani, the former Home Minister and BJP stalwart, has penned an article on the Ram Mandir, which he calls a fulfillment of a divine dream. Advani, who led the Ram Janambhoomi movement in the 1990s, will also attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. In his article, he recounts his experience of the Rath Yatra and his devotion to the chariot that carried the message of Ram to his birthplace. Article Starts Here I am elated beyond words that we are on the verge of realising my most cherished dream of having a grand Shri Ram temple at Ramjanmabhoomi, the birthplace of Shri Ram. On 22nd January 2024, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will install the idol of Shri Ram at the beautiful temple in Ayodhya, and I feel blessed that I will witness this historic occasion in my lifetime. I have always believed that faith is the foundation on which rest both a meaningful life of a person and the whole society at large. Faith not only infuses energy and confidence into a persons life, but also helps give it direction. For me and for crores of Indians, this faith has been our deep reverence for Shri Ram. Shri Ram embodies the spirit of India. The true spirit of India and Indianness is discipline, truth, honesty, ethics, moral values, acceptance and celebration of diversity, respect for elders, strong family bonds and all such fine human values and Shri Ram is the epitome of all these impeccable human qualities. Hence the title Maryada Purushottam (an exemplar among good human beings) by which he is known. He is an ideal for Indians aspiration to live a life of higher values. Shri Ram was also an ideal king- the living embodiment of Dharma. Hence the concept of Ram Rajya, the epitome of good governance, was extolled as the ideal for India. Although Shri Ram is the holy religious figure worthy of worship for the Hindus, he is a pre-eminent symbol of Indias cultural heritage and national identity -which belong to all citizens alike. The story of Shri Rams life, the Ramayana, is both a source and a carrier of the continuity of Indias cultural traditions and has greatly influenced the Indian mindset generation after generation, century after century. Therefore, for the last almost 500 years, the reconstruction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been a deep desire for countless Indians. The Ramjanmabhoomi movement for the reconstruction of the temple at the Janmasthan of Shri Ram in Ayodhya proved to be a major watershed in the history of post-1947 India. Its impact on our society and polity, and on our sense of national identity has been tremendous. In my own political journey, I have always said that the Ayodhya Movement was the most decisive transformational event, which allowed me to discover India anew, and in the process, rediscover myself. I feel humbled that destiny made me perform a pivotal duty in the form of the Shri Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990. I believe that before any event finally occurs in reality, it takes shape and form in a persons mind. At that time, I was feeling that a befitting temple for Shri Ram in Ayodhya would indeed be a certainty one day, and that it was only a matter of time. A grand Mandir for Shri Ram at Ramjanmabhoomi had been a desire and mission for the Bharatiya Janata Party. When in the mid-1980s the Ayodhya issue rose to the centre-stage of national politics, I was reminded of the time how political stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad and K M Munshi had, against all odds, effectively steered the reconstruction of another landmark temple in independent India- the Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat. Somnath was both a witness to, and a target of, multiple foreign invasions during the medieval period. And reconstructing the Somnath temple was a proud testimony of Indias determination to erase the history of bigoted alien attacks and regain its lost cultural treasure. Sadly, as in the case of Somnath, the temple at the birthplace of Shri Ram in Ayodhya had also become a target of attack by an invader, Babar, who founded the Mughal empire. In 1528, Babar ordered his commander Mir Baqi to erect a mosque at Ayodhya to make the spot a place for descent of angels- hence the name Babri Masjid. It is widely believed, and later even confirmed by compelling archeological evidences that there was a pre-existing temple at Ayodhya which was demolished for establishing the mosque. So in many ways, the Ayodhya movement was the continuation of the spirit of Somnath. When the BJP decided in 1990 that I, as its President, should lead the Shri Ram Rath Yatra to mobilise peoples support for the Ayodhya movement, it took no time for me to choose Somnath as the starting venue of this historic journey. On 12th September, 1990, I called a press conference at the party office at 11 Ashoka Road, New Delhi and announced my decision to undertake a 10,000-kilometre-long Rath Yatra, starting from Somnath on 25th September and reaching Ayodhya on 30th October to join the kar seva in Ayodhya, planned by the saints associated with the movement. 25th September was special to me as it is Deendayal Upadhyaya jis birth anniversary. In my autobiography- My Country My Life, I have extensively talked about the Ayodhya Movement and the Shri Ram Rath Yatra that I undertook in 1990. On this momentous occasion today, I would like to recall some significant portions from it. On the morning of 25th September 1990, I offered prayers at the jyotirlingam in Somnath temple. I was accompanied by the present Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi (who was then a promising leader of the BJP), Shri Pramod Mahajan, (who was the General Secretary of the party) other senior functionaries of the party in Gujarat, and members of my family. Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and Shri Sikander Bakht, both Party VicePresidents then, had come to flag off the Rath. Before the Rath was flagged off, we all paid floral tribute to the imposing statue of Sardar Patel just outside the temple. In my mind, I thanked and drew inspiration from all the great men who had toiled for the reconstruction of the temple. Amidst a large crowd that had gathered to greet and bless us, we climbed the Shri Ram Rath which had been decorated with marigold flowers. Then, to the accompaniment of the sound of the ceremonial conches and full-throated slogans of Jai Shri Ram and Saugandh Ram ki khate hain mandir wahin banayenge (In the name of Ram, we resolve: We shall build the temple thereat Ramjanmabhoomiitself), the Rath rolled on. In subsequent days, these slogans became identified with my yatra and a song- Ram Naam Mein Jaadoo Aisa, Ram Naam Man Bhaaye, Man Ki Ayodhya Tab Tak Sooni, Jab Tak Ram Na Aayein sung by late Smt. Lata Mangeshkar, Indias Nightingale, became the signature tune of the Rath Yatra wherever it went. I was truly overwhelmed by the response to the yatra within the first few days of our journey in Gujarat. The Rath was received by tumultuous crowds everywherein villages, towns and even along roads where people from nearby hamlets would gather under trees eagerly waiting for the Rath to arrive. The response reached a crescendo in bigger towns and cities, where it would take hours for us to reach the venue of our meetings. This response was as big, even bigger, in Maharashtra as well as in all the subsequent states that we travelled through. People everywhere greeted the Rath by erecting ceremonial arches and showering flowers. The most astonishing sight for me was the manner in which people, especially women, would come forward and perform aarti and throw coins, as if they were praying in a temple. What I soon realized, was, that for many people, I was secondary and incidental to the campaign. I was only a sarathi or a charioteer; the principal messenger of the Rath Yatra was the Rath itself. And it was worthy of worship as it was headed for Ayodhya for the sacred mission of construction of the Shri Ram Temple at his birthplace. At this point, I would like to talk a bit about the Rath that I travelled in. It was a actually a mini truck that was redesigned to take the shape of a Rath and was provided with basic amenities. Travelling in a Rath was indeed a novel experience for me, but it presented its own set of challenges. For one, it had a small room-cumwashroom at the rear of the vehicle, which could only be used when the vehicle was not in motion, otherwise it was very bumpy. So I recall standing most times on the platform of the moving vehicle, holding on to the front and side grip bars in order to maintain my balance. Of course, this also meant being constantly subject to heat and dust as the platform was open from three sides. Also while in motion, it was impossible for me to sip water, juice or tea without spilling. So a special sipper bottle was arranged to overcome this issue. As for food, although arrangements were made that the dinner would come from some party workers home in whichever city we were to reach for night halt, invariably the last public meeting would only end up close to midnight. So I would usually have just a glass of milk with marmalade on toast. Another problem we often faced was due to the height of the Rath. Although the party officials had circulated the information about the height of the vehicle to various destinations along the route of the yatra, as we moved through small towns and cities, one of the frequent hold ups used to be the overhead hanging electrical wires. So party workers then arranged for extra long wooden poles to get the wires out of the way and also started moving along with the Rath. Well, all these were really miniscule issues which form just a small part of the beautiful memory of my Shri Ram Rath Ratra. The most touching moments of the yatra were witnessed in villages and remote hamlets where the piety on the faces of the village folk was of a purer and deeper kind than what I saw in cities. Many of them were either illiterate or nominally educated. They had not learnt about Shri Ram by reading; it was as if the knowledge flowed through them, passed on from one generation to the other, through folk tales or word of mouth, as usually happens in the Indian society. At many places, I found an odd villager who would come quietly, without shouting any slogans, perform a puja before the Rath, greet me and walk away. I was truly humbled by experiences like these as it gave me a first-hand insight into how deep-rooted religiosity is in the lives of the Indian people. It was the Rath Yatra that made me realise that if I were to communicate the message of nationalism through the religious idiom, I would be able to transmit it more effectively and to a wider audience. My speeches, delivered mostly from the specially designed raised platform on the vehicle were just about five minutes long, because I had to address nearly twenty to twenty-five such roadside receptions each day. In most towns and cities, I had to get down and address public meetings attended by tens of thousands of people. I would explain the purpose of the yatra and the circumstances that compelled the BJP to actively participate in the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. Although the peoples response to the Rath Yatra was mainly religious, the focus of my speeches was on nationalism, as I have always believed that the Shri Ram temple issue is intrinsically connected to our sense of Indianness. A recurrent theme in my speeches was that the power of a positive approach to religious faith can contribute greatly to social transformation and nation-building. I stressed on the equal status that our Muslim brethren enjoyed in independent India as India chose to remain non-theocratic and secular. This, I added, was principally due to the age-old secular ethos of Hinduism. I also appealed to leaders of the Muslim community to respect the Hindu sentiments over Ayodhya. My yatra was scheduled to enter Deoria in Uttar Pradesh on 24th October 1990. However, as I had anticipated, it was stopped at Samastipur in Bihar on 23rd October and I was arrested by the Janata Dal government in the state, then headed by Shri Laloo Prasad Yadav. I was taken to an inspection bungalow of the irrigation department at a place called Massanjore near Dumka, on the Bihar-Bengal border. This action invited angry and spontaneous protests all over the country. This was a time when there were no mobile phones. The news of my arrest reached my daughter Pratibha, who was in Kolkatta then, in quite an interesting manner. She was looking to hire a cab on way back to her home when the taxi driver told her to hurry up. On her enquiring from him why he was saying so, the taxi driver told her that Advani Baba had been arrested and people were fearing a backlash in the form of riots in the city! Two days later, Pratibha spoke to Laloo Prasad Yadav ji, who facilitated her coming to meet me at Massanjore during my detention. I spent five weeks in detention before being released. Thus ended my Shri Ram Rath Yatra, which was indeed an exhilarating episode in my political life. I felt happy that the Yatra helped in galvanising the aspirations, energies and passions of its countless participants. A significant debate that started during the course of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was the difference between genuine secularism and pseudo-secularism. On the one hand, there was a groundswell of popular support for the movement. On the other hand, most political parties were shying away from supporting the movement as they feared losing Muslim votes. They succumbed to the lure of this vote-bank politics, and justified it in the name of secularism. Thus, the Ayodhya issue, whose primary objective was the reconstruction of the Ramjanmabhoomi temple, also became a symbol of reclaiming the true meaning of secularism from the onslaught of pseudo-secularism. It has been 33 long years since my Shri Ram Rath Yatra. A lot has happened since, including the legal battle which had implicated me and many of my colleagues from the VHP, RSS and the BJP. However, after almost three decades, on September 30, 2020, the CBIs special court acquitted me and others and released us from all charges. It is pertinent to note that while on one hand the protracted legal battle was going on, on the other, not only I, but every karyakarta of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar continued working towards awakening the soul of Indians to realise this dream of restoring Ram Lalla at His rightful abode. I am very happy that due to the decisive verdict of the Supreme Court in November 2019, the reconstruction of Shri Ram Mandir has happened in an environment of tranquility. And now that the magnificent Shri Ram Temple is in its final stages of completion, I am filled with a sense of deep gratitude towards the present Government headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, all organisations, particularly the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bharatiya Janata Party, the countless people associated with my yatra, saints, leaders, kar Sevaks and all the people from India and the world, who made valuable contributions and sacrifices in the Ayodhya movement over many decades. There are two persons who I am missing immensely today. The first one is late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had been an integral part of my life- both political and personal, and with whom I shared an unbreakable and everlasting bond of mutual trust, affection and respect. The second person is my late wife Kamla, who had been the mainstay of stability and a source of unparalleled strength to me, not only during the Shri Ram Rath Yatra, but throughout my long stint in public life. In the run-up to the upcoming special occasion of 22nd January 2024, the atmosphere in the entire country has truly become Ram-maya. This is a moment of fulfilment for me, not just as a proud member of the RSS and the BJP, but as a proud citizen of our glorious motherland. My greetings to all my countrymen! When Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi does the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ram Lallas idol at Ayodhya, he would be representing every citizen of our great Bharat. It is my belief and my hope that this temple will inspire all Indians to imbibe Shri Rams virtues. I also pray that our great country not only continues to accelerate on the path of becoming a global power, but also presents itself as a sterling example of dignity and decorum in all walks of life. I bow at the lotus feet of Shri Ram. May He keep everyone blessed. JAI SHRI RAM! Written By - Lal Krishna Advani New Delhi: In a significant move the Mauritius government has approved a request by Hindu socio-cultural organizations to grant a two-hour break for officials on January 22, 2024. This decision allows devotees across the country to actively participate in prayers organized to mark the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in India. A Govt statement said, "Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday 22 January 2024 as from 1400 hours to public officers of Hindu faith, subject to exigencies of service, in the context of the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India, which is a landmark event as it symbolises the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya" The Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, convened on Friday to consider the appeal from Hindu socio-cultural groups. Responding favorably, the government recognized the cultural significance of the Ram Mandir inauguration and acknowledged the importance of facilitating the participation of devotees in the celebrations. The Mauritius Sanatan dharma temples federation had written to PM Pravind Jugnauth to allot 2 hours off to the while working class people to follow the live telecast of the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya and to perform the rituals. Hinduism holds a prominent place in the religious landscape of Mauritius, with Hindus constituting approximately 48.5% of the population, according to 2011 statistics. Remarkably, Mauritius stands out as the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the most practiced religion. In terms of percentage, the nation ranks third globally in the prevalence of Hinduism, following Nepal and India. The roots of Hinduism in Mauritius trace back to the colonial era when Indians were brought as indentured labor to both French and British plantations. The migration wave, primarily from Indian states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, contributed to the establishment and growth of Hindu communities in Mauritius and neighboring islands of the Indian Ocean. As the Ram Mandir, a symbol of cultural and religious significance, is inaugurated in India, the decision to grant a special break aligns with the government's commitment to respecting and promoting the diverse religious practices within the nation. The special break enables devotees to actively engage in prayers and celebrations, fostering a sense of unity and communal harmony. New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) national president Nitish Kumar has turned down the offer to be the convenor of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, a coalition of opposition parties that aims to take on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, news agency ANI quoted sources as saying. Nitish Kumar has reportedly recommended that the Congress party should take up the responsibility of the convenor post. This development came to light during a virtual meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders that took place on Saturday afternoon. The meeting was attended by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar from Mumbai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi from Chennai, and other prominent leaders from various states. The meeting discussed the seat-sharing formula, the participation in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, a nationwide campaign to demand justice and development for all sections of society, and other issues of common interest. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could not attend the meeting as she was busy with a pre-decided state program. The INDIA bloc, which includes the Congress party, was formed last year as a platform to unite the opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA government, which is seeking a third consecutive term at the Centre. The bloc claims to represent the aspirations and grievances of the people, especially the farmers, workers, minorities, women, and youth. The bloc has been vocal in criticizing the government's policies on the economy, agriculture, education, health, and foreign affairs. In the last meeting of the bloc, Mamata Banerjee and SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav had proposed the name of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Meanwhile, the Congress party's alliance committee is holding parallel meetings with various parties of the INDIA bloc on state level alliances. On Friday, there was a meeting of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders regarding seat sharing at Mukul Wasnik's house. The meeting lasted for about two hours and the leaders of both parties described the meeting as a positive move, as per sources. On Saturday, the Congress alliance committee is meeting leaders from Jharkhand to continue efforts to stitch up the alliance. As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, India's political landscape is undergoing a significant reshuffling. The emerging INDIA consortium is gearing up to challenge the established NDA, setting the stage for an electoral showdown. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won 353 seats, the UPA stood at 91, and Others won 98. The voting was staggered in seven phases between April 11 and May 19, in which around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 members of the Lok Sabha. New Delhi: In a resolute effort to curb Pakistan's escalating terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army has launched Operation Sarvashakti. This operation will strategically target terrorists on both sides of the Pir Panjal mountain ranges in the Union Territory. In recent months, Pakistani proxy terrorist groups have sought to revive terrorism in the southern region of Pir Panjal, particularly in the Rajouri-Poonch sector. Tragically, around 20 troops have fallen victim to these attacks, with the latest incident on December 21, where four soldiers lost their lives in the Dera ki Gali area. In a major step towards thwarting #Pakistan's attempts to increase terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army is launching #OperationSarvashakti, where the security forces will be targeting the terrorists operating on both sides of the Pir Panjal mountain ranges pic.twitter.com/zsEMBlUigw DD News (@DDNewslive) January 13, 2024 Simultaneous Counter-Terrorist Operations Operation Sarvashakti involves coordinated counter-terrorism efforts from both sides of the Pir Panjal ranges, with the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps and the Nagrota-headquartered White Knight Corps conducting simultaneous operations. The Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, Special Operations Group, and intelligence agencies will collaborate closely to thwart Pakistani designs, especially in the Rajouri-Poonch sector. Inspired By Operation Sarpvinash The operations draw inspiration from Operation Sarpvinash, initiated in 2003, aimed at eliminating terrorists from the same areas in the southern Pir Panjal range. Army Chief General Manoj Pande emphasized the need to address the resurgence of terrorist activities in the region during detailed discussions with Corps Commanders. High-Level Security Review In J&K The operations come after a security meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah, involving key stakeholders like National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army officials, and intelligence agencies. Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi has coordinated with security forces in both the Jammu and Kashmir regions to ensure cohesive action against terrorists. The Indian Army has initiated the induction of additional troops in the Rajouri-Poonch sector, complemented by the reinforcement of the intelligence setup in the region. This strategic move aims to fortify efforts to combat terrorism effectively. Despite provocations, security forces have exhibited restraint. In an incident in the Krishna Ghati area, troops refrained from firing back due to the presence of civilians. The Indian Army's swift action against its own officers and personnel following civilian casualties post-December 21 encounter reflects a commitment to accountability and minimizing collateral damage. Operation Sarvashakti stands as a testament to India's unwavering commitment to national security, aiming to quell the resurgence of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The comprehensive strategy involves synchronized efforts across various security agencies, with a focus on precision and local cooperation. IMPHAL: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to kick off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur's Thoubal district on Sunday, starting a monumental journey spanning 6,713 km across 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments. KHONGJOM WAR MEMORIAL: A SYMBOL OF NATIONAL REVERENCE The Yatra will commence with a visit to the historic Khongjom War Memorial, emphasizing its significance not only for Manipur but the entire nation. Jairam Ramesh, addressing reporters, highlighted the memorial's importance, setting the stage for the transformative journey. CONDEMNATION OF PAST INJUSTICES Jairam Ramesh criticized the central government, urging it to address past injustices rather than making promises about the future. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra aims to shed light on the grievances of the last decade, emphasizing the need for justice and accountability. INDIA BLOC PARTIES INVITED TO JOIN YATRA Following positive progress in seat-sharing talks, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge invited INDIA bloc parties to join the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The alliance discussions, conducted virtually, exhibited optimism, and Kharge extended the invitation for a unified front against prevalent social, political, and economic issues. 'NYAY YATRA ANTHEM': A CALL FOR JUSTICE Rahul Gandhi shared the anthem of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, titled 'Nyay Yatra Anthem,' expressing the essence of the march. The anthem resonates with a powerful message of reaching every household until justice prevails, calling for collective action against suffering and fear. 6,713 KM JOURNEY ACROSS KEY CONSTITUENCIES Covering 110 districts, the Yatra will traverse significant Lok Sabha constituencies, including Amethi, Rae Bareli, and Varanasi. Rahul Gandhi aims to culminate the march in Mumbai on March 20 or 21, underlining the Yatra's slogan, "Nyay ka haq milne tak." NYAY YATRA: LOGO AND SLOGAN The Congress unveiled the logo and slogan of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 6, marking the official launch of this monumental journey. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, and KC Venugopal were present at the unveiling event held at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in Delhi. New Delhi: A group of terrorists opened fire on a convoy of Army vehicles in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening. The soldiers retaliated and engaged in a gunfight with the attackers, who reportedly fled from the scene. No casualties have been reported among the security forces. A joint search operation by the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police is underway. The incident occurred near Krishna Ghati area, where senior Army officers, including Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, the Northern Command chief, are stationed to devise ways to counter the rising terror incidents. Taking to its official handle on X, the Indian Army's White Knight Corps informed there were no casualties in the incident and a search operation by the troops and Jammu and Kashmir Police was underway. "At around 1800h today, a Security Forces convoy of vehicles was fired upon by suspected terrorists from a jungle near the Krishna Ghati Poonch sector. No casualties to own troops. Joint search operations by the Indian Army and JKP are in progress," the White Knight Corps of the Army posted on X. At around 1800h today, a Security Forces convoy of vehicles was fired upon by suspected terrorists from a jungle near Krishna Ghati #Poonch sector. No casualties to own troops. Joint search Operations by #IndianArmy and #JKP are in progress.@adgpi @NorthernComd_IA pic.twitter.com/jR0ytWRy88 White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) January 12, 2024 Security was beefed up and checking of vehicles intensified in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir after suspected terrorists attacked a convoy of vehicles on Friday. Visuals showed vehicles being checked by alert security personnel. This is the second such attack on the Army in this region in recent weeks. Earlier, four soldiers were killed and five others were wounded in a terrorist ambush in Dera Ki Gali area of Poonch, 40 km away from the site of todays attack. The Pir Panjal region, comprising Rajouri and Poonch districts, had been free of terrorism since 2003, but major attacks have resumed since OctoberSome possible headlines for your news story are: NEW DELHI: In a move labelled as "unacceptable," the Government of India (GoI) has expressed deep concern over the recent visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, Jane Marriott, to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on January 10, 2024, accompanied by a UK Foreign Office official. Violation Of India's Sovereignty: MEA The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) swiftly issued a statement condemning the visit, emphasizing that such actions represent a blatant infringement of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Foreign Secretary lodged a robust protest with the British High Commissioner in India regarding this matter. ''Such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable. The Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement,'' the MEA statement said. India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on 10 January 2024. Such infringement of Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity is pic.twitter.com/2wIDNKMvhA January 13, 2024 Justification And Backlash The controversy arose after Marriott visited Mirpur in PoK, where she defended her presence by stating, "70 per cent of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests." However, her statement did little to quell the backlash, as social media users in India criticized her visit, with some deeming it "shameful." Public Outcry And Comparison With Previous Incidents This isn't the first time such a diplomatic incident has occurred. In October of the previous year, India expressed discontent over the tour of PoK by the US envoy to Pakistan, Donald Blome. Pictures of Blome interacting with locals in PoKs Gilgit-Baltistan last month heightened tensions, as India considers the region an integral part of its territory. The US envoy's visit, kept under wraps initially, further fueled objections from the Indian government. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, at the time, expressed India's objections, stating, We have objections regarding the visit and the meetings in PoK by the US envoy and we have conveyed the same. Historic Appointment Amidst Controversy Notably, Jane Marriott holds the distinction of being the first woman British High Commissioner to Pakistan. Her groundbreaking role has, however, been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding her visit to PoK, raising questions about diplomatic protocol and the implications for Indo-UK relations. This incident adds to a series of diplomatic challenges in the region, prompting a reassessment of the norms and guidelines governing diplomatic visits to disputed territories. The repercussions of such actions on international relations remain to be seen as India firmly asserts its objection to any encroachment on its territorial integrity. MALE: Returning from his high-profile five-day state visit to China, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu took an apparent dig at India, emphasizing that the size of his nation doesn't grant others the authority to bully them. Muizzu's statement follows a diplomatic dispute with India over derogatory social media posts by three Maldivian ministers targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Oceanic Sovereignty President Muizzu, known for his pro-China stance, asserted Maldives' significance, highlighting its extensive exclusive economic zone of 900,000 square km. He declared, "This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This (Indian) Ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it," in a veiled reference to India. 'We Aren't In Anyone's Backyard' Addressing the media on his return, Muizzu emphasized, "We aren't in anyone's backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state," reaffirming Maldives' autonomy amidst regional tensions. Strategic Agreements With China During his visit to China, Muizzu engaged in discussions with President Xi Jinping, culminating in the signing of 20 agreements. The joint statement highlighted mutual support in safeguarding core interests, emphasizing China's backing for Maldives' sovereignty and opposition to external interference. China's Financial Assistance To Male China has extended substantial support to Maldives, granting USD 130 million in assistance. Muizzu revealed that the funds would primarily be allocated to the redevelopment of roads in the capital, Male. This support follows the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. China's Ambassador to Maldives, Wang Lixin, outlined three key factors contributing to the robust ties between the two nations: mutual political trust, alignment with President Xi's initiatives, and adherence to the principles of extensive consultation, joint construction, and shared benefits. Diplomatic Challenges With India Muizzu's visit to China was overshadowed by a diplomatic row with India, stemming from derogatory remarks by Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi. Additionally, a report by the EU Election Observation Mission accused the ruling coalition of deploying anti-India sentiments and spreading disinformation in the 2023 presidential elections. Despite the diplomatic tensions, China and Maldives signed a USD 50 million agreement for an integrated tourism zone in Hulhumale' and the construction of 30,000 social housing units in Rasmale'. Further collaborations include the development of a 100-bed tertiary hospital in Vilimale', signaling an expanded and sustained cooperation between the two nations. Agreement On Flight Operations During the visit, an agreement was reached to permit Maldives' national airline, Maldivian, to conduct domestic flight operations in China. This move adds a new dimension to the growing partnership between the two countries. The significance of this collaboration becomes even more pronounced considering the historical context, with India's substantial contributions to the development of Maldives, including the establishment and enhancement of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male. New Delhi: Garnering massive acclaim from both critics and audiences for its compelling storyline and breakthrough performances, National Award-Winning Director Sudhanshu Sarias masterpiece Sanaa has been making waves at varied film festivals in India and internationally. Starring Radhika Madan in the lead, the film recently received a standing ovation and rave reviews at the 54th International Film Festival of India held in Goa. While Sanaa has already earned itself a vast fanbase globally, its now Actor Sukant Goel, known for his role in Netflixs Web show Kaala Paani amongst more, who has joined the list, expressing his desire to have starred in the film and applauding filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria. Recently present for Netflixs The Series Actors roundtable, when asked about a role that he yearned to play, Sukant Goel spoke about Sanaa and shared his experience of auditioning for the film saying, Theres a friend of mine, Director Sudhanshu Saria, who sent me the script of Sanaa. Coincidentally, he was my senior in school and after many years, we met, and he suggested we should work together. He mentioned that its not a role he would typically cast me for, but urged me to try it out and see what happens. He insisted I read the script.Then, one day, he met me, and we did a thirteen-minute take in the casting office. It was a lovely experience. The character was originally supposed to play the guitar, but I insisted on playing the harmonium. A couple of days later, Sudhanshu called and informed me that the character would play the harmonium. However, he mentioned being stuck because, after seeing my audition, he realised it should be a younger guy. He further added, Post that, I have been messaging him about the film. I always ask him how it's going, if its good and request to see it. I am still thinking about it, so clearly, I am affected by it. Produced by Sudhanshu Sarias banner Four Line Films, Sanaa explores the theme of mental health trauma and narrates the journey of an ambitious woman grappling with internal turmoil triggered by unresolved trauma. The film co-stars Soham Shah, Shikha Talsania and Pooja Bhatt in pivotal roles. The Narendra Modi government will present its last budget of this term on February 1. While India is looking to become the third-largest economy in the world in the next few years, government policies and budget provisions will certainly play a key role in it. At present, the global economic landscape is dominated by the United States of America, China, Japan, Germany, and India. The United States leads the pack with an impressive GDP of $26.9 trillion while closely behind, China holds the second position with a robust GDP of $17.7 trillion. Germany, with a GDP of $4.4 trillion, and Japan, with $4.2 trillion, contribute significantly to the global economy. India, with a GDP of $3.7 trillion, underscores its growing influence and economic potential, making it a key player in emerging markets. According to projections from S&P Global, India is anticipated to ascend to the position of the world's third-largest economy by the year 2030. However, can the real estate sector help India achieve the target? Current Size And Future Projection As per industry estimates, the market size of the real estate sector was touted to be approximately $180 bn as of FY 2020 with current projections to touch USD 650 bn as of FY2025. "Back in FY 2017, the real estate sector consisted of nearly 6% of the Indian GDP while in FY 2025 it is estimated to be 13%. Real estate, which is an integral part of the economy, will be one of the large contributors to the Indian economy since we can already see significant growth across various segments of real estate, particularly the housing sector," said Anuj Puri, Chairman - ANAROCK Group. Role Of PropTech Onkar Shetye, Executive Director at Aurum Proptech, said that the Indian real estate sector is set to grow to $1 trillion by 2030, owing to increased demand for homes, office spaces, manufacturing hubs and infrastructure. "For creating developments at such a large scale, the institutionalization of technology across all stakeholders, including capital allocators, developers, service providers, and consumers, will be inevitable. PropTech will play a pivotal role in the sector witnessing accelerated growth and throughout all the asset classes and usage types, the Indian PropTech sector size could be $100 billion by 2030," he said. Policy Decision Push Experts believe that several policy decisions taken by the Narendra Modi government including the digitization of land records and real estate transactions under the Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), transparency in real estate transactions under demonetization and Goods and Services Tax implementation, regulation of real estate development and licensing of service providers under RERA (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016), and reforms of the rent control act under the Model Tenancy Act 2021 has increased the foreign institutional inflows to $26.6 billion between 2017 and 2022. Industry Status Demand Currently, only the affordable segment in the real estate sector has been accorded industry status by the government even though it (industry status) has been in long-pending demand by the real estate sector. Year after year the sector has been demanding industry status for Indian real estate given that the sector has been one of the major contributors to the Indian economy. "By being accorded the status, the sector will benefit both legally and administratively including capital and interest subsidies, a single-window or fast-track approval process and various exemptions or relaxations from stamp duty and other levies. Given that financing at lower rates is one of the major hurdles for many developers, particularly the smaller ones, industry status will help iron out the issue of high interest and thereby help keep prices also under check," said Puri. G Hari Babu, National president of NAREDCO, said, "Industry status for real estate would be a key milestone if approved by the government. Firstly, it would help in getting easy and low-cost loans from banks. Further, it would also open up more avenues for finance for the segment, including equity investors working as a catalyst for the sector." Is There Any Regulatory Hurdle? Venkat Rao, founder and managing partner, Intygrat Law Offices LLP and an RERA expert feels that the real estate sector is over-regulated. "There is a need for harmonisation which at times is a complicated process considering land is a state subject and states have different approval processes though broadly being the same. However, the issue of Title certification is still a work in progress. Further, the opaqueness in real estate dealings by unorganised players and poor enforcement by authorities leaves a huge gap in having a clean and standard format in this industry, thus complicating the process. This appears to be a deterrent factor for the real estate sector in gaining an Industry status," said Rao. Therefore, while the real estate players badly want the government to accord it an industry status, there appears a need to bring in more transparency to make the sector a strong pillar of the Indian economy. Taipei: Taipei: In a historic win, Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate, has triumphed in the highly anticipated Taiwanese presidential polls, securing his position as the nation's next leader. This marks the third consecutive victory for the DPP, following Tsai Ing-wen's two terms as Taiwan's President since 2016. Dominant Victory For Lai Ching-te According to the Central Election Commission report, Lai garnered over 5 million votes, securing more than 40 per cent of the vote share, based on counts from over 90 per cent of polling stations as of 7:45 pm (local time). The previously undecided voters split three ways, giving Lai a substantial seven-point lead over Kuomintang candidate Hou Yu-ih, who received 33 per cent of the total votes. Taiwan People's Party candidate Ko Wen-je secured third place with 26 per cent of the national vote, surpassing expectations. Lai's Pledges For The Future Former Tainan Mayor Lai, in his election speech, pledged to prioritize national defense, economic growth, and collaboration with democratic allies. Emphasizing his commitment to maintaining the cross-strait status quo, he vowed to form a government based on individuals' capabilities rather than party affiliations. This, he believes, will enable an effective response to challenges, fostering unity among the Taiwanese people. Comprehensive Policy Initiatives Lai outlined a comprehensive agenda, focusing on value-based diplomacy, cross-strait stability, defense self-sufficiency, economic upgrading, energy transition, youth investment, housing justice, and educational equality. He envisions shaping Taiwan into "a stable and indispensable force in the international community." Beijing's Expected Disapproval Anticipating Beijing's displeasure, Lai's victory is likely to spark protests from China, which favored the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) and candidate Hou Yu-ih in power. The Taiwan Affairs Office in China has labelled Lai as an "obstinate Taiwan independence worker," predicting "cross-strait confrontation and conflict." Taiwan's Defiance Against Chinese Intimidation With China increasing military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including frequent incursions into the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and naval presence near maritime borders, Lai's presidency signals a clear stance against Chinese intimidation. Elections In Taiwan Earlier in the day, outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen encouraged citizens to cast their ballots, emphasizing the importance of the democratic process. The voter turnout, described as positive, reached 70 per cent in major cities, despite minor incidents reported at several polling stations. Global Attention On Taiwan As Taiwan witnesses a change in leadership amidst escalating tensions with China, the world is closely watching the election results and anticipating Taiwan's response to its authoritarian neighbour's increasing threats. The upsurge in rail and road traffic as citizens returned home to cast their votes underscores the significance of this election on the international stage. New Delhi: The US launched new strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday night (local time), a US official told CNN. The strikes hit a radar site used by the rebels, who have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The official said the strikes were more limited than the previous ones, which targeted about 30 Houthi locations on Thursday. The US and UK, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, carried out the Thursday strikes to stop the Houthis from disrupting international trade lanes. Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims II, Director of the Joint Staff, said the Houthis had fired at least one anti-ship ballistic missile at a commercial ship earlier on Friday, CNN reported. The US acted on its own in the latest strike, the official said. The US also warned that it would take more military action if the Houthis continued their outrageous behaviour along with their allies, CNN reported. US President Joe Biden said on Friday in Pennsylvania that the US would respond to the Houthis, who have been escalating their attacks recently. However, the rebels, who are backed by Iran, fired another anti-ship ballistic missile at a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, after the US-led strikes. It was unclear if the US strikes were a reaction to the missile launch or a follow-up to the earlier attacks. The US President said in a statement on Thursday that the US and its partners conducted the strikes against the Houthis, who had launched their largest attack to datedirectly targeting American ships on January 9. He said the rebels had used anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history, endangering US personnel, civilian mariners, and their partners, and threatening trade and freedom of navigation. The Houthis have said they are retaliating for Israels Gaza conflict, which started on October 7, when thousands of Hamas terrorists killed scores of Israelis. The Houthis have fired several drone and missile attacks at Israel, most of which were intercepted. Last week, I was hanging out with some of my favorite people: Kids, all 10 or 11. The only people in my life who are never mad at me. It was a birthday party. Speaking of birthdays, one casually asked the others what they would be doing with their day off from school Monday for Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday. Only she didnt say his name. She said the initials out of order. The reporter in me had to know, so I asked these kids, who make up a swath of beautiful skin tones: Who was MLK Jr.? There was some faint recognition. None of them knew anything definitively. That got me wondering when I first became aware of the great civil-rights leader whose contributions we collectively now celebrate every Jan. 15 whether we know why or not. Theres so much talk these days about what should and should not be taught in schools. But my grade-school nuns in Arvada certainly did not shield us from difficult topics like Vietnam or civil rights or Watergate. I distinctly recall knowing about bombings at West High School. Still, I had to know. When did it start really knowing what was happening in the larger world? Back home, I unpacked the shoebox that contains copies of The Moore Newspaper, which, sadly, has gone the way of hundreds of folded newspapers. This one lasted only the summer of 1974. As the masthead vainly trumpeted, the writer, editor, printer, staff, publisher and typist was John Moore. (I was 10, going on Cronkite.) Every day that summer, I typed up the days news onto a single, lined piece of school paper. I typed up as many copies as I had 10-cent subscribers (a figure that exploded with the mid-summer discovery of carbon paper all the way to nine). Daily features included Interesting TV Programs, neighborhood foosball scores and a word jumble. Alongside serious roundups of national and world news culled from that days Denver Post, which my seven siblings and I fought over each day with elbows and fists. The first copy I pulled out of the box was Issue 28, dated July 8, 1974. On that nights Medical Center, I promised readers, a knife-happy lady goes under surgery. The section on U.S. News led with John D. Ehrlichman denying having approved the Watergate break-in. What comes next, I will copy verbatim, bad typing and all: As you probably know Mrs. Martin Luthar King Sr. was shot Monday as she was playing the organ during a mass while her 20 year old grandson said the mass. The murderer was a non-catholic, and he claimed to police after he was caught that god told him that anyone a christian is his enemy and his god told him to destroy all enemys. So he walked in the church in Atlanta Georgia and waved his gun all around shooting. Apparently he shot Mrs. Martin Luthar King. I am glad I knew at age 10 that we live in a world where a woman might be shot in church for her religious beliefs. That the Liberal Democratic Party was taking power in the Japanese Parliament. That the French government was testing nuclear devices off the coast of Australia. And that McHales Navy would be on at 5:30 p.m. I was troubled enough by the birthday girls near-total ignorance of MLK to reach out this week to a few of the Black leaders in our performing-arts community I now routinely cover as part of my job. I asked what turns out to be not such a simple question: What does MLKs birthday mean to you in 2024? And what would you like young people to know about who he was and what he represented? The first person in Denver you want to pose that question to is Cleo Parker Robinson, legendary founder of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Growing up in an interracial family in segregated Denver in 1958, it was not uncommon for the Parkers to be followed by police while driving in the family station wagon. Cleo grew up at the old Bonfils Theatre, where she watched as some people objected to her Black father even being allowed to work as a janitor at the fancy theater that is today the flagship Tattered Cover Bookstore. But thanks to producer Henry Lowensteins convictions, Cleo later saw her father, Jonathan Parker, play the starring role in A Raisin on the Sun at that very theater. Featured Local Savings I want young people to know that Martin Luther King was a global leader, Robinson said. That he believed in humanity. That he believed in practicing peace at home, in our community, in our city, state and world. That he was concerned about war anywhere. That he fought for civil rights for all people. That he did not judge a person by the color of their skin, their language or their religion. That he accepted all human beings as deserving the right to a good life. Like Robinson, Curious Theatre Artistic Director Jada Suzanne Dixon is the daughter of a legendary figure in Denver history. Her father was Deputy Mayor Bill Roberts, just the second African American elected to Denver City Council and considered a visionary for pushing for the construction of Denver International Airport. Dixon remembers her father being involved in the conversations about the iconic MLK statue that is located, significantly, where Denvers massive MLK Day events begin each Jan. 15. The hand-wringing was over how to pay for it. I remember standing next to my father and seeing a draft image of the sculpture in the park and knowing that there was something big on the horizon, she now remembers fondly. That is to say: The annual honoring of MLKs birthday honors his legacy and positive impact and it asks us to collectively reaffirm our commitment to social justice and equity. Robinson would like young people to know what MLK knew: That your words are sometimes the most powerful things you have, she said. Many of the things he said were principles we all should live by. And the greatest thing that he believed in was peace. As an American, as a Black man born in the South, no matter what he had been through he was able to talk about how we lift each other up. About how the ability to love one another is one of the greatest gifts we have. Children can emulate Dr. King, she added, by living their lives while standing for something anything with strength and integrity. Stand up for something that is righteous, she said. Stand up for something that is good for others not just for yourself. Robinson is particularly proud that, after a decade of futility, state representative Wilma Webb successfully passed the legislation that made MLKs birthday a state holiday in 1984. Wellington Webb, Denvers first Black Mayor, calls his wife the mother of Colorado MLK Day. She worked directly with Coretta Scott King in planning the first Denver Marade in 1986. That same year, Robinson and her dance company were invited by the King family to the kickoff of Dr. Kings birthday celebration in Atlanta. There were attendees from all over the world, including Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. I danced Mary Dont You Weep, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child and Holy Moses for Dr. Kings family, Robinson said, demonstrating for the world how the arts loudly speak the values Dr. King embraced. We influenced South Africa with the principles of the civil-rights movement. All of us have the right to civil rights and we are fighting for them today. The Denver Marade, she said, is a continuing reminder that every person comes with a gift. And that every person has the right to vote. Something every 10-year-old girl ought to know. John Moore is The Denver Gazettes senior arts journalist. Email him at john.moore@gazette.com. In case you were wondering how long it would take for the shenanigans of the 2023 legislative session to show up in 2024, the answer is: Day 3. House Republicans launched a brief filibuster Friday morning over House Bill 24-1084, which is a repeal and re-enactment of a measure from the 2023 special session in November. That was House Bill 23B-1002, which doubles the Earned Income Tax Credit, using TABOR surplus dollars. Rep. Scott Bottoms, R-Colorado Springs, filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court on Dec. 28 against House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Gov. Jared Polis, who signed the bill into law, claiming he had been denied his constitutional right to have the bill read at length on Nov. 9 during its final vote. That was the day the House devolved into chaos for about an hour, when pro-Palestinian protesters shouted at the House from the gallery, later joined by Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver, who has since been reprimanded for her behavior. In his lawsuit, Bottoms said he had expressed his views that the protest was not a peaceful one. He claimed McCluskie reprimanded him and told him he would not be recognized to speak the rest of the day during the third reading. It was at that point that Bottoms asked for the bill to be read at length, a request he submitted to a House clerk via a business card. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The lawsuit then said Jennifer Gilroy, the revisor of statutes, "informed Rep. Bottoms that his request for a reading of HB-1002 was legitimate but not fulfilled due to the rapid proceedings...The lawyer's explanation to Rep. Bottoms about the unacknowledged request indicates a recognition of the procedural missteps during the legislative session." The lawsuit seeks to have the law declared null and void. No action has been taken on it since it was filed on Dec. 28. HB 1084 notes Bottoms' lawsuit, although it does not mention him by name. On Friday, Republicans challenged the bill during second reading debate, including a filibuster that lasted about 45 minutes. Bottoms said he "always appreciates it right before I get up to speak on a bill what I can and cannot say." At the conclusion of the Republicans' remarks, the bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, asked that it be read at length. That earned her a thank-you from Bottoms, who said it strengthens his lawsuit, HB24-1084, which passed the House Appropriations Committee on a party-line 6-4 vote Friday morning, won a preliminary vote of approval from the full House just before noon Friday. It heads to a final vote in the House on Tuesday and is then off to the state Senate. A year after Kimball Bayles' death, his Kimball's Peak Three Theater remains vacant. Property owners Murphy Constructors has received multiple proposals over the last dozen months from different parties interested in leasing the 9,500 square feet of space at 115 E. Pikes Peak Ave., but none have come to fruition. There's no debt on the building and very minimal upkeep costs, so no rush to fill the downtown Colorado Springs space. 'We're picky about tenants," said property manager Ryan Murphy. "We want to try to keep it something theater or theater-related, though not necessarily a movie theater." All the proposals have been local, though there has been some interest from outside entities, such as bigger movie theater groups. "There have been a lot of people who say they want to make it a concert venue, a skating rink, everyone has a pipe dream, but only a couple have been close to being economically viable for us and the tenant," said Murphy, of the longtime Colorado Springs contractor. There are three or four proposals in flux right now, including one that's still in negotiations between real estate brokers, but getting closer. Most parties want to be open by May or June, which means they would need to sign a lease by March. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Once a lease is signed, depending on the tenant, interior renovations are the next step, including changing the lights and paint, updating seating and possibly the bathrooms and HVAC and electrical upgrades. "We want to keep the marquee," Murphy said. "The building is over 100 years old. Its been pretty much untouched since Kimball passed." Bayles spent $1.5 million to renovate and open Kimball's Twin Peak Theaters in 1994. For many years, his theater was the only place to watch a movie downtown and to see independent and more obscure films, such as "Pulp Fiction, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and March of the Penguins. Around 2009 he installed a third movie screen and changed the name to Peak Three Theater. Dangerously cold weather has arrived in Colorado. And it's going to stick around until Tuesday. A wind chill warning is in effect for Colorado Springs, the Front Range and the eastern plains until 11 a.m. Tuesday. The four-day stretch of bone-chilling cold is thanks to a polar vortex a large area of cold air mass and low pressure being pushed from both poles toward the continental United States, according to meteorologist Alan Rose with Gazette news partner KOAA. The arctic blast will bring single digit highs and subzero lows to the region over the next few days. Saturday will see a high around 10 degrees before overnight temperatures plummet to minus-9 degrees, according to the Weather Service forecast. Wind chills between minus-5 and minus-10 degrees are expected during the day today; wind chills between minus-10 and minus-20 are expected overnight. Forecasters warn that the bitterly cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in just 30 minutes. Sign Up for Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Elsewhere in Colorado: A winter storm warning has been issued for the Continental Divide, and travel conditions will be dangerous in the mountains this Martin Luther Day weekend. Heavy blowing snow is expected this weekend in the south and central mountains, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo. Monarch Pass is closed due to avalanche concerns and many areas on the Western Slope will pick up more than 2 feet of snow, according to meteorologist Casey Dorn with Gazette news partner KOAA. Travelling through Denver International Airport or Colorado Springs Municipal Airport this weekend through early next week may prove difficult with cancellations and delays. As of 12:30 p.m. Saturday, 138 flights have been canceled and 381 flights have been delayed out of DIA, according to FlightAware. There are 69 flights already canceled for Sunday. As of 12:50 p.m. Saturday, two flights have been canceled and 12 flights have been delayed out of COS, according to FlightAware. Nationwide, there have been over 2,000 flight cancellations as of 12:40 p.m. Saturday. Before making your way to DIA or COS, check with your airline for your flight's status. The trial of an Algona man accused of shooting and killing Algona police officer Kevin Cram last September has been pushed back in order to accommodate the schedule of Crams family. Authorities say Cram, 33, was shot and killed while on duty just before 8 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2023, as he tried to serve an arrest warrant to 43-year-old Kyle Lou Ricke. Cram was pronounced dead at Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona. According to court records, Ricke will now face trial on first-degree murder charges at 9:30 a.m. June 25 in Kossuth County. Ricke pleaded not guilty Oct. 5, 2023, and waived his right to a speedy trial later that same month. First-degree murder convictions carry a mandatory life sentence in the state of Iowa. Re: University president: Research institutions have an obligation [ #permalink 1 Kudos I believe the answer is E, since it can lead to increased understanding on the structure of proteins that cause diseases, which in turn could lead to better way to deal with or manage diseases. Option A is not relevant as the university presidents only highlights the obligation to promote research, and not the obligation to deny research. Option B is not relevant as it does not impact practical problems that affect people's quality of life. Option C is not relevant as it does not indicate an impact on practical problems that affect people's quality of life. Option D is not relevant as it does not indicate an impact on practical problems that affect people's quality of life. Even if we consider "aspects of economic behavior" as a type of practical problem that affects people's quality of life, deciding not to fund it goes against what the university president is arguing for. University president: Research institutions have an obligation to promote research in any field of theoretical investigation if that research shows some promise of yielding insights into the causes of practical problems that affect people's quality of life. The principle stated by the university president, if valid, most helps to justify which one of the following actions? (A) A university denies a grant application from a faculty member for work on a solution to a famous mathematical puzzle that has no relation to practical concerns. (B) A government agency funds a research project in astrophysics designed to determine whether there are theoretical limits on the magnitude of planets in distant solar systems. (C) A university funds a research position in the physics department that involves no teaching but has the responsibility for managing all the grant applications by members of the physics faculty. (D) A foundation decides not to fund a research proposal in applied mathematics that sought to model certain poorly understood aspects of economic behavior. (E) A research institute funds an investigation into the mathematical properties of folded structures that is likely to aid in understanding the structure of proteins that cause disease. The Hughes Center, which treats children with autism and intellectual disabilities, celebrated the completion of its newly built facility Thursday in Mount Hermon. The $38 million project broke ground in April 2022 and was finished this month. It includes a 70,000-square-foot learning and residential care center with an additional 32 beds for its residents, for a total of 96 beds. What has been created here is an amazing state-of-the-art, 96-bed facility serving children and adolescents struggling with autism and intellectual disabilities throughout the commonwealth and nationally, Hughes Center CEO Mark Howard said during remarks at the event. The Hughes Center has a long history of serving children. Nearly a century old, the center originally was an orphanage and has been providing its current residential mental-health treatment to children since 2006. The new facility features classrooms and other types of rooms with sensory tools to address its residents special needs. The building has 14 sensory rooms and five exploratory rooms, including an art room, a study, a music room, a gaming room and an indoor space for physical activities. These spaces are designed and outfitted with essentials that the youth we serve need to reach their treatment and educational goals, according to a news release from the center. The newly completed building is next to the Hughes Centers campus on Franklin Turnpike. The centers children will relocate from the old location on the property into the new facility soon. Our plan is to move them in in the next two to three weeks, Alison Waymouth, director of business development at the Hughes Center, told the Register & Bee. During the ceremony, officials pointed out the vital role the facility plays in Danville and Pittsylvania County. Today marks a significant step forward as the doors are officially opened, not just as a facility, but as a vibrant community presence and a hub for partnerships, said Anne Moore-Sparks, president and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. The Hughes Center is more than just a building, its a symbol of commitment to all who call this building home. Mike Lyons, vice president for specialty education with Universal Health Services (the Hughes Centers parent company), said of the new facility, Its going to bring a tremendous amount and an abundance of joy for so many. Its going to bring an abundance of joy for the great city of Danville and the commonwealth of Virginia who has supported the Hughes Center over the last 100 years. Its going to bring an abundance of joy for our dedicated staff and the centers children. Universal Health Services has more than 400 facilities across the United States. Darrell Dalton, chair of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, said the new facility will allow this century-old institution to serve more young people, not only from this region throughout Virginia, but across the country. The Hughes Center offers a unique specialized program that assists these young people with vital skills and we are proud to have it located right here in Southside Virginia, Dalton said. Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones said of the project, The completion of this beautiful new facility serves as a symbol of hope for those children and adolescents that are important, and people are about them tremendously. Also, the completion of this new facility serves as a symbol of hope for parents and families, that their children are residing in a modern facility with the very best resources and support available. Bindy Gralow always wanted to go fast. At 102 years old, she was finally able to check it off her bucket list. On Thursday, Gralow sped around Richmond Raceway, which has been graced by NASCAR legends like Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace and Jimmie Johnson. She told the raceway that her wish was to go 102 mph, plus one for good measure. Sitting in the passenger seat, she rode along in a pace car for five loops around the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval. The first lap was slow. Then after circling once and reaching the finish line, the car took off. A bouquet of flowers was ready for her when she got out of the car at the checkered flag finish line. Gralow was both in awe while also unfazed by the speed, although the track said it would not kiss-and-tell her top speed. Oh no, I could have gone even faster, Gralow said when asked if she was surprised by the speed she was racing around the track. Born in Scotland, Gralow left for Canada after World War II with only $200 to her name. She worked three jobs including a stint as a clerk in a gift shop while going to school for her teaching credentials in a new country after having taught for several years in Scotland. She then married and raised five children, moving to Bermuda for a few years before ultimately settling in Richmond in the late 1960s. Her love for racing started when she was a young girl in Edinburgh. She tells her family that her parents used to take her to the nearby motorcycle races at a course the locals dubbed the circle of death. She never lost that love for speed. After settling in the Richmond area, she became a racing fan but never picked a favorite driver, although she enjoyed the sport as a whole. In more recent years, she and her caretaker would drive past Richmond Raceway on her way to feeding feral cats in the area an activity that became fairly routine. She kept saying every time she drove past that she really wanted to go fast, said daughter Nancy Gralow. That bucket list item has now been fulfilled. Gralows family says she has always been curious and fearless, having lived a life of achieving bucket list-worthy activities. She became a travel agent at 60 years old and became heavily traveled herself. At 76, she climbed Uluru, known as Ayers Rock, in Australia. At 80, she hiked alongside a mid-20s guide in the Himalayas. And around the same time, she also trekked to the Antarctic, where she got to see penguins. Shes just very curious, Nancy Gralow said. Shes always had a lot of self-confidence, and shes a hard worker that enjoys learning. Shes always kept moving forward. Shes not a whiner or a complainer and is a positive person. Bindy Gralow said she hopes to come to a race later this year. Richmond Raceway says it has got her a special ticket to the Presidents Suite. It was a nice experience, she quipped. I would do it again. Photos: A NASCAR weekend at Richmond Raceway TAIPEI, Taiwan Using military threats, diplomatic pressure, fake news and financial inducements for politicians, China is being accused of deploying a broad strategy to influence voters in Taiwans elections to pick candidates who favor unification. China's ultimate goal is to take control of the self-governing island democracy, whose high-tech economy supplies key components for computers, cellphones and other electronic devices and ships much of the world's goods out from the Taiwan Strait. Beijing has long insisted Taiwan is part of China and must be regained, by military force if necessary, regardless of the views of the island's people. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says China's global objective is that they want to use Taiwan as a test ground. If they are able to successfully shape the results of the Taiwan elections, they will try to apply their tactics on other countries. China has been sending warships and fighter jets near Taiwan on a near-daily basis in recent years, hoping to intimidate the islands 23 million people and wear down its military, which relies heavily on support from the United States. China has described Saturday's elections as a choice between war and peace. While the numbers of such missions have dropped off slightly in recent days, Taiwan has reported a number of suspicious balloons traveling over the island from China. The Defense Ministry also sent out an air raid alert via cellphones about a Chinese rocket launch Tuesday that it later amended to describe as the placement of a satellite into space but on an "abnormal trajectory." It said the alert was justified by the potential threat to civilians on the ground in Taiwan. Previous efforts to intimidate Taiwanese voters with missile launches and direct threats were largely seen as backfiring after the election of China critics in 1996 and 2000. China has also restricted imports from Taiwan and invited local leaders on all-expenses-paid visits aimed at persuading them to press colleagues to support pro-China candidates in the elections for the island's president and 113-member legislature. Cases have been opened against dozens of ward officials for accepting such gifts in violation of Taiwanese law. China in general refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of Taiwans political institutions in keeping with the Communist Partys insistence that the democracy does not exit. In line with that policy, China has not commented on Taiwans upcoming elections. However, the head of the Chinese Cabinets Taiwan Affairs office, Song Tao, said on Jan. 2 that China would continue to unswervingly oppose Taiwans independence while also working to safeguard peace, expand exchanges, enhance cooperation, deepen integration and advance reunification to ensure that cross-Strait relations move in the right direction of peaceful development, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Surveys show most Taiwanese embrace their current de facto independence including compulsory military service for all men, the ability to travel worldwide on Taiwanese passports, and the right to choose their leaders in democratic elections at all levels. While the race remains tight, support is strong for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, even though China has refused to engage with the government since President Tsai Ing-wen was elected in 2016. She is unable to run again due to term limits. The DPP favors closer ties with the United States as a way to preserve Taiwans separate status and has refused to agree that Taiwan falls under the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China, which has never exercised political control over the island or its outlying territories. The DPP's presidential candidate, current Vice President William Lai, leads most pre-election surveys. The main opposition Nationalist Party candidate, Hou Yu-ih, is appealing to voters who fear a military conflict with China that could draw in the U.S. and disrupt the global economy. Hou opposes Taiwanese independence and agrees with Beijings view that Taiwan is part of China, although under separate governments. A third candidate, Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party, has sought to straddle the differences by appealing to young voters turned off by the rivalry between the Nationalists, also known as the KMT, and the DPP. However, Taiwanese elections are often decided on the basis of local issues such as housing, employment, education and healthcare that are separate from relations with China. Taiwan, long a melting pot of Asian and European cultures, was a Japanese colony for 50 years until 1945, when it was handed over to Chiang Kai-sheks Chinese Nationalist government at the end of World War II. The Nationalists relocated their government and military to the island in 1949 after the Communists under Mao Zedong took power on the mainland amid a civil war in which millions were killed and which has yet to be formally resolved. China accuses the U.S. of encouraging Taiwan to raise tensions between the sides by supplying it with military weapons. Any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to failure, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Wu Qian said at a briefing in Beijing last week. Seeking independence by military force is a dead end. Keller named to Federal Reserve's Helena board Bill Keller, president and CEO of Independence Bank in Havre, has been appointed to a three-year term to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Helena Branch board of directors, it was announced this week. Current Helena Branch Board Chair Al Ekblad was reappointed to a second three-year term as a branch director. Keller succeeds William Coffee, CEO and chairman of Stockman Financial Corp. and Stockman Bank of Montana. Coffees term ended on Dec. 31. Keller was appointed by the Minneapolis Banks board of directors. Each branch of a Federal Reserve Bank has its own board. Located in Helena, the Minneapolis Feds only branch has a five-member board, with three members appointed by the Reserve Bank and two appointed by the Board of Governors. Other Helena board members are Jason Adams, Bobbi Wolstein and Mary Rutherford. Its members share their perspectives on economic conditions with bank leadership, and they also serve as liaisons between the Fed and their communities. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that, with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the Federal Reserve System, the nations central bank. The Ninth Federal Reserve District includes Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It participates in setting national monetary policy, supervises numerous banking organizations, and provides a variety of payments services to financial institutions and the U.S. government. WINS event set for Helena College Airport Campus Helena WINS, in collaboration with Helena College, invites high school students and parents to Manufacturing & Mechanics Night on Feb. 21. This 5:30-7:30 p.m. event at Helena College Airport Campus, 2300 Airport Road, offers an opportunity to learn about rewarding careers from college faculty and industry professionals. Students will meet auto mechanics, aviation mechanics, CNC & Manual machining, diesel mechanics, welding and more. Helena Area Chamber awards night coming in February The Helena Area Chamber of Commerce's combined Chamber Night + Awards Event, will be Feb. 16 at the Helena Civic Center. This event is the primary fundraising drive for 2024, blending celebration with community support. This year's Annual Chamber Business Awards for categories of Business, Non-Profit, Businessperson and Entrepreneur of the Year will be presented during the gala instead of the typical luncheon. Nominate for the awards before Feb. 19, and be part of recognizing businesses and individuals who've made a lasting impact on Helena by attending Chamber Night. Nominate at https://forms.gle/wJUuhbTWYNgBYwyn6 Along with the option of individual tickets and full tables, businesses can donate tables to nonprofits, spotlighting their generosity during the event. The night offers a VIP reception, dinner, dessert auction, live painting by Leah Cupino, and an after-party with live music. RSVP for Chamber Night: https://cvent.me/Eo9ymD A Helena firearms manufacturer announced Friday he plans to invest nearly $50 million into his company in the next 10 years and grow his workforce from 12 to nearly 60 employees. And there are plans for more growth and investment. Michael Merino, president of Olympus Arms Inc., discussed his companies' goals and firearms during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Cole Avenue business attended by Gov. Greg Gianforte, who earlier in the morning tested Olympus Vulcan Recoilless Rifle. There are plans to develop a high-tech industrial park in Helena and a facility where Olympus can manufacture the Vulcan and associated companies will invest nearly $150 million and add nearly 200 employees over the next decade. The Vulcan is described as a modular, multi-caliber firearm, using recoil action, that can be configured as either a rifle, carbine or pistol. The rifle, which retails for $3,857, can be converted to fire other calibers with a 60-second, no-tool barrel change. The long-barrel .308 version of the Vulcan was named the new firearm of the year at the 2023 SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade) show in Las Vegas, Merino said. He said it can be used for military purposes or as a sporting rifle. Developing the Vulcan was a 15-year endeavor. Merino said he is expecting excitement when he returns to the SHOT show Jan. 2326 and will seek "serious" purchase orders. The current price of the rifle is only good for orders placed prior to the SHOT show, after which it will increase. "This is one of the most innovative rifles I have seen in a while, Gianforte said while touring the Olympus plant. Olympus is one of three entities of Merino Enterprises, which includes Blue Sky Inventors Inc. and Mars Inc. Blue Sky did the research and development of the Vulcan. It was based in St. George, Utah, and moved to Montana in 2023. A media packet provided by Olympus described Blue Sky as a world class precision machine shop Mars Inc. was described as having a relationship with the U.S. Army, stating it recently provided versions of the Vulcan for testing. It also works with law enforcement and allied military. According to a fact sheet provided by Olympus on Friday, as Blue Sky grows it expects to invest up to $100 million and have 150 employees in its research, design and business innovation efforts over the next 10 years. Mars Inc. expects to invest up to $50 million in capital and have nearly 50 employees over the next 10 years. Merino said he starts his workers at $20 an hour and hopes they stay and the job becomes a longtime career. Merino said he is an Army veteran, inventor and entrepreneur. He is a Montana native in Melrose. He enlisted in the Army at 19. He was asked why his business is located in Helena. I live here, this is my home, he said. This is where I served in the military and my kids go to school. This is where I want to be. Gianforte thanked Merino and his employees for their investment in Montana. He said they are building on a very strong firearms and ammunition industry in Montana. The governor said the state is home to more 150 firearms and ammunitions businesses, the highest per capita in the country. We are thrilled to have you here, he said. Were just happy to be here and thank you for all the opportunities, Merino said. There was other firearms news this week in Montana. Brixtel Defense, a Virginia-based ammunition company, on Wednesday announced it decided to build a $125 million facility in Glendive. The expansion is expected to create hundreds of jobs. Nearly 350 jobs are expected to be created by 2028. Editor's note: Updates to say current price of rifle is only good on orders placed prior to SHOT show. The Helena Police Department is warning residents of a telephone scam in which someone representing law enforcement demands money for missing jury duty. They said information about their agency and the Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office is being used as part of the scam. People have received a call from a phone number that appears to be the Helena Police Department, saying that they are a Helena police officer or sheriffs deputy. They then demand money for missing jury duty or because they have an arrest warrant, authorities said. Please know your local law enforcement agencies will never call and demand payment over the phone, police said. If you receive a call and are unsure, hang up, look up the phone number for the Police Department or Sheriffs Department and call that number. Police are asking the public to let them know if they receive those calls, 406-442-3233. CHARLESTON Cadet Christian Wood enrolled in Eastern Illinois University's ROTC Panther Battalion in fall of 2022 after having already served as both an infantryman and field artillery fire support officer with the U.S. Army. Maj. Michael Andersen, who became the new commander for EIU ROTC this year, said the Terrell, Texas native has been putting his years of experience as a non-commissioned officer to work on campus. "Cadet Wood has been a stalwart leader in the Panther Battalion," Andersen said. He added as examples that Wood has, "served as a formal and informal mentor and leader to the cadets and is currently serving as the cadet battalion commander." Those mentorship and leadership traits were among the factors that led to Wood being presented with the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross Award for Achievement during a ceremony on Thursday in Eastern's Coleman Auditorium. Andersen said the Legion of Valor of the United States of America, founded in 1890, is the oldest veteran service organization in the nation. He said the Legion of Valor awards the Bronze Cross to ROTC and Junior ROTC cadets from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Only 60-80 cadets, less than .004% of the 20,000 cadets nationwide, per year receive Bronzes Cross Awards, Andersen said. Wood, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, said after the ceremony that he is grateful to be recognized by the Legion of Valor, a group that includes those who have earned the nation's highest recognitions for valor in combat the Congressional Medal of Honor and Individual Armed Services awards. "I would not have been able to achieve this recognition without the support of my family, the mentorship I have received throughout the years from great leaders, and the trust and confidence that EIU Army ROTC has placed upon me," Wood said. EIU College of Health and Human Services Dean John Storsved presented the Bronze Cross to Wood during the ceremony before an audience of his fellow JROTC cadets and other well-wishers. "We are all very, very proud of him," Storsved said. "He represents the best of this program here at Eastern." Wood joined the Army after graduating in 2011 from Terrell High School. His military schools include Army basic training, infantry advanced individual training, basic and advanced leaders courses, air assault course, joint fires observer course, and special forces assistance advisor course. Andersen said Wood's accomplishments with the EIU ROTC Panther Battalion have included being a member and team captain of the ranger challenge team, placing fourth in the brigade. He also has been a member of the northern warfare team, color guard, and cannon crew. Wood completed advanced cadet summer training last summer with the highest rating, reserved for the top 15% of cadets in the country. He has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average, plus physical excellence with the second-highest score in the battalion. "Cadet Wood will graduate this May and commission as a second Lieutenant in the infantry and will leave us, but the impact and example he has set will last for years after his departure," Wood said. URBANA As the 2024 election season draws near, voters in Illinois will once again choose whether they want to cast their ballots in person or by mail. But one lawmaker is proposing a bill in the Illinois House that could make that decision a lot easier, making voting by mail the default option for people in counties and cities that choose to go that route. State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, said voting by mail has been shown to be a more convenient and efficient way of running elections. Vote-by-mail has been proven by way of court order, as well as people's utilization of vote-by-mail I vote by mail that it has been safe, she said during an interview. There have been no problems. I have not missed a single election. And people who use it increase their voter participation. Voting by mail, often referred to as absentee voting, was originally intended for people who planned to be away from home on Election Day, particularly military personnel, as well as college students and people whose jobs required them to travel. That often required voters to ask their state or local election official for an absentee ballot and, in some cases, explain why they wanted to vote by mail. In more recent years, Illinois and other states have made voting by mail an option for anyone by adopting no-excuse absentee voting laws, meaning anyone could request a mail ballot without giving a reason. Illinois also gives voters the option of asking to be placed on a permanent vote-by-mail list so they can automatically receive a mail-in ballot without having to fill out a new request for one each election cycle. And in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Assembly passed a law requiring local election officials automatically send vote-by-mail applications to every voter in their jurisdiction, instead of requiring voters to ask for one. During a special meeting of the House Ethics and Elections Committee Wednesday in her hometown of Urbana, Ammons said voting by mail has become increasingly popular. But she said the multi-step process of voting by mail is still inefficient because it requires voters to fill out and send in a vote-by-mail application to receive a ballot. But when we went back to look at the utilization of the ballots, the number that came back, and the cost associated with mailing a ballot, we realized as we talked to other jurisdictions that you would actually save the money if you simply mailed them the ballot, she said. Ammons is the sponsor of House Bill 4198, which would allow county clerks and other local election authorities to make voting by mail the default option in their jurisdiction. It would give them the option of mailing ballots to all registered voters in their jurisdiction, without requiring voters to ask for one. But it would still require local election authorities to offer in-person voting as well for those who prefer to cast their ballot in person. Currently, eight states and Washington, D.C., operate elections almost entirely by mail. William Cavecche, an election administrator in King County, Washington, which includes the city of Seattle, said that state passed a similar law in 2005 and immediately, two-thirds of the counties in the state shifted to vote-by-mail systems. Speaking to someone who has run both polling-place elections and vote-by-mail elections, I can tell you from experience that vote-by-mail elections are significantly easier to administer, he said. Among other benefits, Cavecche said, in a vote-by-mail election, there is no need to worry about problems that commonly occur at in-person polling places such as running out of ballots, voting machines breaking down or poll workers failing to show up. He also said vote-by-mail elections are more secure because all ballots can be counted in a centralized location. He said ballot counting can also be livestreamed on the internet to provide more public transparency. Wednesdays meeting was a subject matter hearing, meaning the committee only heard testimony and did not take action on the bill. But Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, who chairs the panel, said he intends to hold additional hearings during the upcoming legislative session, which begins Tuesday, and its possible lawmakers could vote on the measure in time to take effect for the 2024 general election in November. Politicizing the census may be acceptable. But when it turns into a game of tribes belittling others. we may overstep the point. The census is constitutionally required. It determines where our emphases need to be. Why wouldn't we want every person possible counted? Why do we grumble over re-counts and make every discussion political? To be sure, this isn't a new trend. Going back more than two centuries, disputes have surrounded the U.S. Census. A 1787 compromise counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person to apportion representation and taxation. Minorities can be sometimes conveniently ignored by census-takers. Or minorities can point to the World War II practice of locating individuals of Japanese descent using information from the census. In advance of the 2020 census, the Supreme Court rejected a Trump administration proposal to add a question about citizenship. By the time people were able to knock on doors, the world had turned into a place that actively rejected interaction. The COVID pandemic negatively affected many things, including the 2020 Census Four years after the last census, almost a dozen small communities in the Midwest -- including Urbana -- are going to be counted again in hopes of getting a new grocery store or more state funding to build roads, fire stations and parks. In the majority of these cases, city officials don't think the numbers from the original count were inaccurate. Their populations have grown so fast in three years that officials believe they are leaving state funding for roads and other items on the table by not adding the extra growth to their population totals. That's the way the system is supposed to work. This isn't designed as a census that counts people who aren't there. The federal dollars that are dealt to cities, counties and states are designed to go to the places that need those dollars. Local municipalities have to foot the bill for their special censuses. The cost ranges from just over $370,000 to almost $500,000 for the communities. Unlike the 2020 census, the second counts won't be used for redrawing political districts or determining how many congressional seats each state gets. Instead, they will be used to determine how much the communities will get in state funding that often is calculated by population size. Nothing nefarious here. Just attempts to acquire as much of the pie as they're allocated. She designed her own line of luggage and clothes and became an advocate for women in politics and business. She appeared in front of Congress to lobby for increased funds for aviation and was named the first female vice president of the countrys National Aeronautic Association. There were many firsts in the life of Amelia Earhart. As a child, she collected stamps and began a scrapbook to honor famous women. She displayed a strong independent streak and could not quite settle on the things she wanted to accomplish. She attended some college and later served as a nurse, social worker, telephone clerk, truck driver and photographer. After taking her first flight in California in 1920, she vowed to train as a pilot. Taught by world famous instructor, Mary Neta Snook-Southern, she eventually became the 16th woman in America to be certified as a pilot. Snook-Southern was the first American woman to be accepted at the Curtiss Flying School in Virginia. She was the first woman to run her own aviation business and commercial airfield. In short, Earhart trained with the best. She and Snook-Southern became good friends and corresponded after Snook-Southern left the aviation business following her marriage. When asked later if Earhart was a good flyer, she seemed to suggest she displayed average capabilities and was not the best female to command a plane. Still, Earhart grew to national prominence. She wanted to fly both fast and far. She purchased a plane and began entering various flying competitions across the country. She finished third in the 1929 Womens Air Derby while flying from California to Ohio. Pushed by her manager and publicist and later husband, George Putnam, she was asked to set her sights on following the flight of Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic Ocean. She bought a new aircraft and planned her route. In the spring of 1932, she became the first woman to complete the transatlantic crossing at the controls of a plane. She had actually accompanied male pilots across the Atlantic four years earlier. Flying from Newfoundland, she landed in Northern Ireland. Even battling fatigue, a leaky fuel tank, various engine issues and ice formations on the wing of her plane, she completed her fight in two days. Like Lindbergh, she returned to New York City to a ticker-tape parade. The same year, she became the first woman to fly across the country. Then, she turned her attention to crossing the Pacific Ocean. Three years later, she flew her plane from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California. Earhart won a $10,000 prize and became the first female pilot to make the journey. Through the 19-hour flight, she traveled 600 more miles than Charles Lindbergh had in flying over the Atlantic. Earhart was always a determined person. She decided she wanted to follow up the Pacific flight by circumnavigating the world in a plane. In 1937, she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, began their journey. Somewhere near Howland Island in the Pacific their communications failed, and they missed their refueling stop. The disappearance of Noonan and Earhart remains a mystery. Did they crash land in the ocean and die immediately or perish later on a nearby island from dehydration? A newer theory is they might have been eaten by voracious land crabs on the island. Still, someone had to go first. Mary Neta Snook-Southern was a pioneer. She arguably trained one of the best and most well-known female pilots. Even before the sensation of Lindberghs flight, female pilots were dazzling audiences in air shows and competitions. When Earhart flew across the Atlantic too, she showed women across the globe that women could be successful in fields they had been previously excluded from. Moreover, her flight fame paved the way for her to broaden American discussions on womens roles and gender equality. She grew to be a unique individual. She argued for birth control, a draft for all Americans and more political opportunities for women across the country. She even founded an organization for female pilots which still exists: The Ninety-Nines. Heroes tower over others for many reasons. By the standards of the 1930s, Earhart was about four inches taller than the average American woman. Her perseverance, presence, determination and individualism are hallmarks of her life. Today, Earhart memorabilia is displayed all across the country. The Smithsonian Museum houses many of these artifacts including one of her flying jackets and some of her stamps. Susan Butlers East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart is considered a fair and good account of her life. When she finished her Honolulu to Oakland flight in January of 1935, she said, I could only hope one more passage across that part of the Pacific would mark a little more clearly the pathway over which an air service of the future will inevitably ply. Rightly so. SPRINGFIELD Last year, Illinois recreational cannabis dispensaries sold a record $1.6 billion of product, accompanied by a record number of sales to Illinois residents. Sales to out-of-state residents, however, fell by $71 million from 2022s total, marking the first drop in that category since cannabis was legalized on a recreational basis in January 2020. The growth in 2023 marked a 5% increase from the year prior, meaning the pace of the industrys growth is slowing. From its first year of legalization to its second, sales grew by 106%, while in 2022, growth was marked at 12% from the year prior. There are 177 recreational cannabis dispensaries operating in Illinois, including 68 that were social equity applicants, 64 of which opened last year. Thats a term the law gives to individuals who are impacted by cannabis-related offenses, those who have lived in a disproportionately impacted area within the last decade, or dispensaries that employ at least 10 full-time employees and at least half of them meet the previous standards. State revenue from cannabis taxes, licensing costs and other fees feed into the Cannabis Regulation Fund, which is used to fund a host of programs including cannabis expungement, the general revenue fund, and the R3 campaign aiming to uplift disinvested communities. For the 2024 fiscal year, nearly $122 million has been paid out from that fund for related initiatives, including $42 million in transfers to the states general revenue fund, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. An O'Reilly's Auto Parts store was robbed Thursday night in Winston-Salem following thefts at the chain's other locations across the Triad earlier this week, authorities said. According to police, the incident occurred around 8:50 p.m. at the store's 6041 University Parkway location. Store employees told officers that a masked gunman forced them to get into a rear office and then robbed the business of an undisclosed amount of money. Investigators later learned that similar armed robberies had occurred at OReilly's stores on Wednesday in Thomasville and Archdale. Services Ardmore Baptist Church, 501 Miller St., Winston-Salem, will have services at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Pastor Tyler Tankersley will preach about the Light of the World from Isaiah 60:1-7. His sermon is titled Vision: Developing Disciples. The 10:45 service will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook. Information about upcoming All Together Ardmore and other church activities is available on the church website. For more information, go to www.ardmorebaptist.org. Mount Carmel Methodist Church, 4265 Ebert Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 8:45 a.m. and a worship service 10 a.m. Green Street United Methodist Church, 639 S. Green St., Winston-Salem, will have an in-person service at 8:45 a.m. Sunday. The 11 a.m. service is held in-person and is streamed online via Facebook and YouTube and is a blended service featuring jazz and blues musicians as well as hymns, spirituals and elements of social gospel. The 8:45 a.m. service is a quiet, contemplative space including prayer, scripture, preaching and communion. Masks are optional in the building for services with some exceptions. For more information, go to www.greenstreetumc.org. New Unity Missionary Baptist Church, 2946 Ivy Ave., Winston-Salem, invites you to join Pastor Willie Davidson and the New Unity Church Family each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. for in-person worship service. Masks are available. Trinity Methodist Church, 3819 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, invites you to worship at 10 a.m. each Sunday. The Rev. Doug Miller is the lead pastor ordained in the Global Methodist Church. During worship there will be special music, busy bags for children, and prayers for the community and our congregation. There are two Sunday school classes for adults. One is at 9 a.m. and the other is at 11 a.m. You are invited to the Connection Cafe which consists of light refreshments and coffee at 9:15 a.m. in the fellowship hall. For more information, call the church office at 336-765-0150. First Baptist Church East, 700 N. Highland Ave., Winston-Salem, will have a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. Pastor A. Ray Campbell, the interim pastor, will deliver the message. The service is available on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, go to fbcwinston.org. Parkway United Church of Christ, 1465 Irving St., Winston-Salem, will continue exploring the idea of salvation with a discussion at 9:30 a.m. There will be a worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday on the theme, looking at salvation from a liberation theology perspective. There will be an informal community time after the service. For more information, go to www.parkwayunited.org, or call 336-723-1395. Lewisville United Methodist Church, 6290 Shallowford Road, Lewisville, will have contemporary worship at 9 a.m. Sunday in the fellowship hall. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. and traditional worship is in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. For more information, go to lewisvilleumc.org. Unity Moravian Church, 8300 Concord Church Road, Lewisville, will have adult Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. and worship service at 11 Sunday. The service at 11 is in-person and live streamed. A nursery is provided. Childrens church is offered during the worship service. For more information, go to www.unitymoravianchurch.org or call 336-945-3801. Mount Tabor United Methodist Church, 3543 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, offers two Sunday services: 9 a.m. modern worship in the Alspaugh Worship Center, and 11 a.m. traditional worship in the sanctuary. Both services are available online at http://youtube.com/MountTaborUMCVideoStreaming and the Mount Tabor United Methodist Church Facebook page. For more information, visit www.mttaborumc.org or call 336-765-5561. Winston-Salem Friends Meeting, Quaker church, meets at Fairview Moravian Church, 6550 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem. Sunday morning live services begin with Unprogrammed (silent) Worship at 9:15, First-Day (Sunday) school for adults at 9:30, and Meeting for Worship at 10:30. David Teague will bring the message Sunday. We are a community of seekers who meet together to worship God. We seek to express our faith through action, focusing on peace and social justice. We seek to find the Light of God in ourselves and in others. We seek to treat all persons with equality and integrity. For more information, email mary.simmons51@icloud.com. New Philadelphia Moravian Church, 4440 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, will meet in-person at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday and will live stream its 9:30 service on Facebook.com/newphiladelphiamoravianchurch. You do not need a Facebook account to view the service. If you are unable to view the live stream, a recorded version is on the churchs YouTube page. Ardmore United Methodist Church, 630 S. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, has a traditional service at 10 a.m. and a contemporary service at 11:15 each Sunday. The Rev. Kelly Carpenter is the pastor. Services are streamed on YouTube. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ArdmoreUnitedMethodistChurch/ or call the office at 336-723-3695. Lewisville Baptist Church, 125 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Lewisville, invites all to celebrate Jesus Christ at 10 a.m. Sundays. Services are live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Sunday school is at 9 a.m. There will be midweek activities for all ages at 6 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information, go to lewisvillebaptist.com. Kingswood Church, 6840 University Parkway, Rural Hall, welcomes all to their Sunday services. Sunday school for all ages begins at 10 a.m. The traditional worship service begins at 11 and is led by the Rev. Mark Muckler. Weekly worship services, and other ministry related events, are also available online on the Kingswood Facebook page. For more information, call the church at 336-969-5437. Olivet Moravian Church, 2205 Olivet Church Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall and an inside worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The worship service will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, call the church office at 336-924-8063. Salem Creek Friends Meeting (Quakers) meets in the parsonage of Fries Memorial Moravian Church, 271 N. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem. The unprogrammed meeting for worship starts at 10 a.m. each Sunday. For more information, email clerk@salemcreekfriends.org. Burkhead United Methodist Church, 5250 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, invites you for worship at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday. Sunday school classes begin at 9:15 and 9:30. The service is also available on the website and the Facebook page. For more information, go to www.burkheadumc.org or call 336-765-6590, ext. 3. Konnoak Hills Moravian Church, 3401 Konnoak Drive, Winston-Salem, will have a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The church receives a drive-thru food offering for Sunnyside Ministry each Sunday. Drop off non-perishable donations from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Primary needs are canned vegetables, crackers, pasta, rice, cereal, dry/powdered milk and bread. For more information, call 336-788-9321. Union United Methodist Church, 8935 Shallowford Road, Lewisville, will have a Sunday worship service at 9:30 a.m. For those who cannot worship in person, the service is live streamed and archived on Facebook. Live and archived services may also be viewed on the churchs website, unionumclewisville.org. Clemmons First Baptist Church, 3530 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, Sunday school will be at 9:15 a.m. There will be an in-person worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. David Pace will bring the message. The service will be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, call 336-766-6486 or go to cfbctoday.org. First Waughtown Baptist Church, 838 Moravia St., Winston-Salem, doors will open at 8 a.m. for Sunday school at 8:15 a.m. This weeks lesson is trusting God to Lift Us Up (Scriptural Reference Proverbs 3:1-8; Key verse Proverbs 3:5). The worship service begins at 9:45 with devotion and announcements. Senior Pastor Dennis W. Bishop will deliver the sermon continuing the message on evangelism. Base Scripture Matthew 28:19-20. Masks are optional. Services are posted on YouTube, www.youtube.com (First Waughtown); Facebook, www.facebook.com/FirstWaughtown/; and the First Waughtown website, www.firstwaughtown.org. Services posted online are a one-week delay. Home Moravian Church, 529 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, will have in-person and live stream worship at 10 a.m. Sunday. Bible discussion via Zoom and in-person will be held after the service using the adult programing link on the churchs website. Unity Church of Winston-Salem, 108 Hewes St., Winston-Salem, will have a service at 11 a.m. Sunday. Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, there will be Sunday school Bible study at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 11 a.m. Sunday. COVID guidelines are followed, and masks are worn. Paul W. Hart is the pastor. Pfafftown Christian Church, 3323 Transou Road, Pfafftown, invites everyone to worship in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. each Sunday. The Rev. Rodney Stilwell is the pastor, and the Rev. Timothy Shoaf is the minister of Music and Programs. Other events and ministries are listed online at www.pfafftownchristian.org. For more information, call 336-692-5214 or the church office at 336-924-9925. New Friendship Baptist Church, 4258 Old Lexington Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. A morning worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call the church office at 336-788-3112. Clemmons Presbyterian Church, 3930 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, the service will be in-person and live streamed on YouTube at youtube.com/ClemmonsPresbyterianChurch. For more information, go to www.clemmonspresbyterian.org or call 336-766-4631. First Baptist Church of Stanleyville, 851 Ziglar Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday services at 8:45, 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. On Wednesday, a prayer and worship service is at 6:30 p.m. and Children in Action and Mission Friends are at 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.stanleyvillebaptist.com. Rural Hall Christian Church, 280 Bethania-Rural Hall Road, Rural Hall, will hold the following in-person services on Sundays: The BLEND at 10 a.m. with Christian classes for all ages and congregational worship at 11 a.m. Youth ministries will continue at 6 p.m. Sundays, unless otherwise announced. For more information, go to RuralHall-church.org and the churchs social media pages. Shallowford Presbyterian Church, 1200 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Lewisville, will have a worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The service is in-person and live streamed. For more information, call 336-766-3178 or go to www.shallowfordpresbyterian.org. New Hope Church, 5125 Shattalon Drive, has joined the Global Methodist Church. The Rev. J.F. Howard Sr. is the pastor. The worship service is at 11 a.m. Forsyth Park Baptist Church, 1600 S. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, has Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. and a traditional worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. Bible study is at 11 a.m. Thursday. The ser-vice can also be seen on the churchs Facebook page and a video of the service is available at https://forsythparkbaptistchurch.com. Bill Horton is the pastor. Central Tabernacle Church, 715 Waughtown St., Winston-Salem, invites you to worship Sunday. Refreshments will be served during hospitality time at 9:30 a.m. Sunday school begins at 10. Morning worship is at 11. Pastor Sandra Bovender will have the message. Wednesday the pastor will lead the congregation in a prayer service. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4055 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, will have a service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Kayla Parker will present Conversations and Context, a look at the historical context of our work as Unitarian Universalists to bring about social justice. The Forum will be at 9 a.m. Christina Saldanah (Camel City Womens Wellness) will discuss a more integrated approach to healthcare/a hormone-focused approach to womens health. For more information, go to www.uufws.org. St. Philips Moravian Church, 911 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, is worshipping regularly in the brick church in Old Salem at 11 a.m. Sundays. All are welcome for traditional Moravian worship in the historically African American church. Union Cross Baptist Church, 4350 High Point Rd, Kernersville, will have Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. and a worship service, led by the Rev. Adam Woods at 11 a.m. Sunday. Bible Fellowship Baptist Church, 4950 Warner Road, Pfafftown, will have services at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be Bible study at 4 p.m. Wednesday. For more information, go to BFBCnow.org or call 336-462-4844. Hopewell Moravian Church, 701 Hopewell Church Road, Winston-Salem, has adult only Sunday school at 9:30 and worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The 10:30 service is live streamed. Childrens church is available. For more information, go to www.HopewellMoravianNC.org. Faith and Family Baptist Church, 105 Nathan Ave., Winston-Salem, schedule of services: Sunday worship services are at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday school is at 9:45 a.m. and the midweek service is at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The church live streams all services at www.facebook.com/faithandfamilybaptist. A Facebook account is not required to access the video, scroll down for the live stream. Archive services are available there if you are unable to watch live. For more information, contact Pastor Robert Hutchens at 336-782-3747. Liberty Baptist Church, 1548 Old Hollow Road, Winston-Salem, invites you to join them for services. They offer Facebook live for all services on the Facebook page of Gary Styers. For their schedule of services and more information, go to www.libertybaptistnc.org. Rural Hall Moravian Church, 7939 Broad St., Rural Hall, has in-person Sunday School for all ages at 10 a.m. Sundays, followed by worship service at 11 with the Rev. Andrew Craver. Worship services are also available via online streaming at https://www.youtube.com/user/RHMoravian. For more information, go to www.rhmc.org. St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 357 Old Hollow Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 10 a.m. and worship with Pastor Emily Schlaman Larsen at 11 a.m. Sunday. The nursery is open. Weekly sermons are available on YouTube for people who prefer to join worship remotely. Search for: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Winston Salem NC. For more information, go to www.standrewsnc.org. First Christian Church, 2320 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, will have an in-person worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. Childrens worship and youth worship are available. A noon-day prayer service will be held at noon Wednesday. Worship services are also available by online streaming at www.wearefcc.church. For more information, go to www.wearefcc.church or call the church at 336-722-2714. St. Paul United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, will live stream its 11 a.m. worship service Sunday at www.facebook.com/stpaulumcws/live. Facebook does not require an account for access to the page. Additional information regarding prayer services and Bible study may be found on the churchs website www.stpaulumcws.org or by calling the church at 336-723-4531. Fundraisers Unity Church of Winston-Salem, 108 Hewes St., Winston-Salem, is raising money for its HVAC system. Continual Love Offerings can be made at unityofws.org. Special activities The Forsyth County United Usher Board will meet at 3 p.m. Sunday at New Light Baptist Church, 1535 E. 15th St., Winston-Salem. For more information, call Bobby Clinkscales at 336-987-1027. Mount Carmel Methodist Church, 4265 Ebert Road, Winston-Salem, is offering GriefShare at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. It is a 13-Week grief recovery support group. The program began Jan. 10, but you may join anytime. For more information, call 336-788-4183. Shallowford Presbyterian Church, 1200 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Lewisville, will have the first of its 2024 Shallowford Series Concerts at 3 p.m. Jan. 21. Violinist Sebastian Leczky, cellist Gustavo Antoniocomi, and violist Joshua Forbes will perform works by Georg Philipp Teleman, Eugene Ysaye, Evaristo Felica DallAbaco, and Johann Sebastian Bach. All are artists from the UNC School of the Arts. The concert is free, but donations to benefit the UNCSA Outreach Program will be accepted. The Center for Liturgical Art (CLA) at Concordia University in Seward recently received 12 mosaics chiefly created by former professor of art Reinhold Marxhausen from St. John Lutheran Church in Forest Park, Illinois. The church, located 10 miles outside of downtown Chicago, recently closed its associated school where the mosaics resided for nearly six decades. Last July, CLA staff transported the mosaics from Illinois to Concordia. Emeritus professor of art William Wolfram, as well as a third artist, assisted Marxhausen in creating the mosaics in 1964, following a commission from the church that, at the time, was preparing to open its school. Each of the 12 mosaics depicts one of Jesus' disciples, and a final one titled "The Great Catch of Fish" is in the church's narthex and illustrates Jesus' calling of His disciples. St. John faculty placed one disciple's mosaic in each kindergarten through eighth grade classroom, as well as in confirmation rooms and the school's library. According to current Concordia art professor James Bockelman, the mosaics featured Venetian and Byzantium-style tiles as well as additional materials such as glass, pebbles, metal pieces and clay tiles. He added that Marxhausen wanted each mosaic to be unique, just like each of Jesus' disciples. "In order to portray the ideas, thoughts and concepts of the original disciples, the following order would determine which words or visual symbols would be used [in the mosaics]: first, the words that the disciples spoke to Jesus; second, words that have been attributed to the disciples; and third, if no words, then a scene that depicted either their work or ministry," Bockelman said. Before the mosaics were created, the church in Forest Park also wrote a statement of purpose for the pieces, making sure that they would accomplish theological goals in addition to their artistic ones. "The mosaics should be decorative - and they should teach," was one point that the document, now contained in Concordia's archives, made. "Jesus said much to the disciples, which is pertinent to all disciples of Him," was another point made in the statement, adding a layer of theological explanation to Bockelman's description of how the words in each mosaic were chosen. Upon their arrival at Concordia, the mosaics required some age-related repairs. CLA Interim Director Michael Scheer, along with several student employees, eagerly accepted the task. "Since I am a studio art major, being able to be a part of the restoration process and learning from Marxhausen's style has been very beneficial to my art education," said junior Hannah Helmer, one of CLA's employees. "The process is rewarding but also has its challenges." Helmer explained that due to the age of the mosaics, pieces that fell off were hard to color-match with new replacement tiles. "Thankfully at the CLA, we have access to a lot of the original tiles that Marxhausen used, so we can accurately restore the missing pieces," she said. The mosaics were on display in Concordia's Marxhausen Gallery of Art through Dec. 13. According to CLA staff, the mosaics "will be moved to a permanent location" somewhere on Concordia's campus. Information on the mosaics from St. John Lutheran Church is available on the church's website. Restorating the mosaics "will likely take the rest of the calendar year to complete," Scheer said in late 2023. Afterward, they will move to their more permanent home. For more information about Concordia University, visit cune.edu. The Nebraska Department of Insurance is investigating a Lincoln claims examiner in connection with $885,000 in claims suspected to be fraudulent, according to newly filed court documents. Because the Lincoln man hasn't yet been charged, the Journal Star isn't naming him. But in an affidavit to obtain a search warrant, served at the suspect's home Jan. 2, Investigator Charles Starr with the Department of Insurance's fraud prevention division said it started with a tip Nov. 13 about a claims examiner who had worked for American Heritage Insurance Group. Starr said the man, who worked from home reviewing insurance claims on policies, was only allowed to review claims that didn't exceed $20,000. He said that when it was discovered last year that he had handled a claim that exceeded $20,000, it triggered an audit of his own accident policy with the company. As of Nov. 3, more than $935,000 in claims had been submitted on the policy without supporting documentation for the "alleged medical services," with $885,230 paid out to accounts he controlled, the investigator alleged. Starr said that when the man was asked about the allegations in an interview Dec. 26 at his home in the University Place neighborhood, he said, "It's really complicated," and went on to describe having to come up with a ransom for a friend who had been kidnapped in Brazil last summer. Starr came to believe the claims adjuster had invested some of the money, about $500,000, with someone in Seattle who he has never met, after connecting on a dating website. On Jan. 2, Lancaster County Court Judge Laurie Yardley granted law enforcement officers permission to search his home for his cellphones, laptops and other electronic devices for evidence of the use of digital currency, texts and instant messages over the past year. They seized three laptops and two phones among other things, according to the search warrant return. Top Journal Star photos for January 2024 The University of Nebraska-Lincoln was among nearly 400 universities recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for excellence in community engagement. The Carnegie Engaged Campus designation signals UNL's commitment to outreach in a wide array of areas, including providing programming for underrepresented youth, economic development, public health and the performing arts. Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, said in a statement the designation recognizes institutions that commit to transforming knowledge into action. "They exemplify the true spirit of the Carnegie endorsement and the power of serving the public good," Knowles said in a statement. UNL reported several examples in its documentation submitted to the Carnegie Foundation, including a partnership between the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Lincoln Northeast High School that taught teachers and students about 21st-century agriculture. The Food, Energy, Water, and Society Systems, or FEWSS, "really opened students' eyes to all the post-high school possibilities out there," said Northeast Associate Principal Ben Haney. Other programs, including a UNL College of Law's Housing Justice Program, which provides free legal representation to tenants facing eviction, and the Community and Regional Planning Studio, which partnered with area towns to provide economic development recommendations, were also cited. Achieving the designation was the focus of a team of faculty, staff and students over the course of 14 months and was part of UNL's N2025 strategic plan, a five-year outline that started in 2020. It will also help the university build into the future, said Kathleen Lodl, associate dean of Nebraska Extension. "We see the designation as a springboard," she said. "It allows us to ramp up in places where we can do better, to bring more public presence to the engagement work that we're doing, to reward those people who are doing it well and to really enhance our capacity in engagement." Chancellor Rodney Bennett called the designation "a testament to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's ongoing commitment to advance communities across Nebraska." "This designation is a significant milestone in our university's 154-year land-grant mission that includes engagement and outreach," he added. Top Journal Star photos for January 2024 The land John Childears farms near North Platte is sandy and not particularly fertile. Its value largely lies beneath his feet: the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest in the world. Childears recently harvested corn at 225 bushels per acre, using center pivots and irrigation wells, including one dug before he bought the land three decades ago. The farmer says he couldnt grow without those pivots all his land would be far less valuable rangeland. Water is what gives life, what allows the deer to be there, what allows man to be there, and what allows men to grow crops, he said. And, in Nebraska, water is a linchpin of the ag economy. Childears land is even more valuable today because local water regulators no longer allow additional irrigation wells to be drilled. Childears, also a land appraiser for more than 40 years, says he cant put a price tag on water. I'm a really smart guy, but I can't tell you what that value is. Except it's a heck of a lot, he said. As out-of-state investors spend big dollars buying up large amounts of Nebraska farmland, some worry about what that could do to the states water resources. Could these landowners claim, strain and deplete the finite resource and leave Nebraskans out to dry? Regulators, legal experts and farm brokers say that concern is overblown. Landowners dont own the water in Nebraska, they said. Regulators closely scrutinize water use. They dont allow large amounts of water to be transported across property lines or state lines without a permit. Most everyone acknowledges that out-of-state buyers are attracted to Nebraska land, and that attraction is largely based on the natural resource beneath it. Recently, farmland Realtor Steve Linden has seen an uptick in interested buyers from Oklahoma and Texas states where groundwater is becoming increasingly scarce. They just continually do not have any crops, Linden said. They don't have hay for their cattle or pasture for cattle to graze, and so they want to come up here. Oklahoma and Texas treat groundwater rights as property rights, rarely restricting water use which hastened the aquifers decline in some places, said Dean Edson, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts. It's what I call The guy with the deepest and biggest well wins, said Edson. That doesnt happen in Nebraska. In Nebraska, landowners instead have the right to use water, often with restrictions, because state leaders designed it that way decades ago. Surface water falls under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, while local natural resources districts a system unique to Nebraska manage groundwater. NRD leaders monitor water levels, account for water usage in their districts and often lay down restrictions. Some districts have put into place a well moratorium, where no new irrigation wells can be drilled. Others dont allow a farmer to add more irrigated acres, or limit the amount of water producers can put on crops. These restrictions have often led out-of-state investors to buy irrigated land that comes with a well, Childears said. The Department of Natural Resources has granted a limited number of out-of-state transfers, said Tom Riley, the agencys director. These transfers were meant to help ag producers use water more efficiently, he said, like allowing a center pivot straddling state lines to irrigate land in a neighboring state. The South Platte NRD is home to three Panhandle counties that attract some of the highest percentages of out-of-state buyers, according to a Flatwater Free Press analysis of farmland sales data gathered by a UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications data journalism class. South Platte NRD manager Galen Wittrock says those out-of-state buyers do come for the water but only to use it to farm the land. The NRD system, it's great because within the groundwater controls that we have, we can be proactive and work towards restricting what can and cannot be done, Wittrock said. Many investors do come to Nebraska knowing the abundance of ground and surface water gives them more yield and offers drought protection, brokers told Flatwater. Irrigated farmland is worth more than $12,000 an acre on average in eastern Nebraska. Dryland with no irrigation potential is worth about two-thirds of that price, according to a UNL annual survey. In the Panhandle, irrigation can triple the size of a corn crop or make it possible to grow corn at all, Childears said. In parts of Nebraska that ban adding new irrigation wells, dryland fields that cant be irrigated lose roughly 9% of their value, according to initial research by Aakanksha Melkani, researcher at the University of Nebraskas Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute and the National Drought Mitigation Center. But a water allocation system, including a cap on how much water the landowner can use to irrigate, doesnt appear to impact farmland value, her research shows. In the North Platte river basin in the Panhandle, farmland with access to both groundwater and surface water costs $1,000 to $1,500 more per acre when compared to parcels with only one type of irrigation, said NRD manager Scott Schaneman. The dual water source has enabled producers to grow corn, dry beans, sugar beets and alfalfa. It also holds an appeal to potential buyers, Schaneman said. I think a lot of investors are really starting to look at the western end of the state saying, Hey, the land prices are still pretty reasonable and they have the capability of growing 200-bushel corn (per acre) with the water. Maybe this is a place I need to look at, he said. As western states grapple with water shortages and eye Nebraska farmland, Melkani said it may drive up Nebraska's farmland value. Colorado farmers have been paid to fallow their irrigated acres to cut down water usage. Some Colorado farmers then moved to Nebraska or bought Nebraska farmland that gives them access to surface water to irrigate, said Dan Lindstrom, Kearney-based water attorney. In Arizona, the governor terminated a lease with a Saudi-owned company that used groundwater unchecked to grow alfalfa, a violation of their lease terms. But in Nebraska, NRD managers interviewed by Flatwater said they havent noticed any excessive water use on farms tied to out-of-state owners. Many of these owners employ local operators and farm largely in the same way as others. In some cases, landowners can sell water rights, striking a deal to transfer water rights on acres theyre not using. It's not like one guy is selling 20 acres of his water, and then pump it 5 miles to the other guys property. That is not happening, said Central Platte NRD manager Lyndon Vogt. They're really selling their right to irrigate that ground. The transfers dont happen regularly, usually involve small plots of land and need NRD approval, NRD leaders and brokers said. In Vogts district, new irrigated acres cant be transferred upstream for more than a mile, he said. Sometimes the irrigation rights can be transferred to non-ag use too, Vogt said. A Wood River ethanol plant bought irrigated acres and dried up a number of acres to offset the plants own water use. The cities of Gothenburg and Grand Island also acquired irrigated acres because of growing industrial water demand, he said. Cities water needs will likely expand as industrial developments and urban residents demand more water, said Dave Aiken, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor and extension water law specialist. With all the challenges that we're going to be dealing with in terms of global warming, we can have a lot worse problems than not being able to irrigate as many acres here and there in Nebraska, Aiken said. 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. The Journal Star's most memorable photos of 2023 MONDAY Al-Anon: 8 p.m., Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 3350 Lathrop Ave. Retired Nurses Association: Meets first Monday of every month. For more information, call Marge Orth, secretary, 262-884-0742. WEDNESDAY Caledonia Senior Card Club: Sheepshead, for ages 55 and older, noon to 3 p.m., Franksville Memorial Park, 9614 Northwestern Ave., Franksville. For more information, call 414-856-9550. Kiwanis Club of West of Racine: 7:30 a.m., in-person at Living Faith Lutheran Church, 2915 Wright Ave. Kiwanis is an international organization dedicated to serving the children of the world. To attend a meeting, contact Shirley Meyer, membership chair, at 262-260-8101 or email aquashirl4@yahoo.com. FRIDAY Racine Founders Rotary Club: 7 a.m., Racine Country Club, 2401 Northwestern Ave. DAILY/OTHERS Caledonia Historical Society Meeting: 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Franksville Park, 9614 Northwestern Ave. The meeting is open to the public. There will be no meetings December through March. https://caledoniahistoricalsociety.org. Overeaters Anonymous: 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday, Living Faith Lutheran Church, 2915 Wright Ave., a free fellowship group for all eating disorders using the 12 steps and 12 traditions. For more information call 262-652-5635. Racine Duplicate Bridge Club: Each week two ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge games are played in Racine at 12:15 p.m. Monday and Friday at The Lanes, 6501 Washington Ave., Mount Pleasant. People must have proof of COVID-19 vaccination to play. Call Henry Kensler, club manager, at 262-652-6173 for reservations. Recent winners are: Jan. 5 (299 N/S):David Easley and Paula Meisner, first place; Patti Gross and Kathryn Schneider, second place; Pete Christensen and Rose Christensen, third place. Jan. 5 (299 E/W): Sue Helland and Judy Leslie, first place; Marge Mauer and Nancy Riederer, second place; Joann Zupfer and Marge Brown, third place. Jan. 5 (Open): Mark Langer and Donald Urquhart, first place; Mary Matthews and Marilyn Wescott, second place; Richard Arneson and Gloria Arneson, third place. Jan. 8: George Urquhart and Janet Urquhart, first place; Donald Urquhart and Mark Langer, second place; Mary Matthews and Henry Kensler, third place. Lighthouse Quilters Guild: Open to quilters of all skill levels, 7 p.m., on the last Monday of each month at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 322 Ohio St. For more information, lighthousequiltersguild.com. VFW Post 10301: VFW Post 10301 meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at Fifth Street Yacht Club, 761 Marquette St. Racine Welcome Club: Drop in coffee 9-11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19, at Red Onion, 555 Main St. The group is open to women interested in making new friends, learning about community resources, and being involved in philanthropic and social activities. Call 262-994-0957 for more information. Ladies New Heart Luncheon: The Ladies New Heart Luncheon will meet at noon Tuesday, Jan. 16, at Parkway Chateau, 12304 75th St., Kenosha. Deborah Rodriquez will discuss From Insignificance to Royalty. The cost is $14 and no child care is provided. For reservations call Nancy at 262-914-1821 or Kathy at 262-653-0503. Racine Catholic Womans Club: The Racine Catholic Womans Club will hold its monthly luncheon and meeting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at Infusinos Banquet Hall, 3201 Rapids Drive. The speaker will be Nick Demske, interim director of the Racine Public Library. The club is open to all Catholic women and meets monthly from October through May. In addition to offering opportunities for the sharing of faith and friendship, the Catholic Womans Club provides philanthropic support for numerous local organizations. For more information, call 262-758-6187 or 262-632-8960. AURORA OFFERS CLASSES BURLINGTON Aurora Health Care is offering the following programs: Free Blood Pressure Clinic 8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. every Wednesday. To make an appointment, call 262-767-8000. Childbirth and Beyond Get ready for a new addition through free, ongoing classes, including Preparing for Labor and Birth, Bringing Baby Home, Breastfeeding Basics and Infant CPR & Safety. Learn more by visiting https://bit.ly/ALMCchildbirth. Movement and Music This free class for people with Parkinsons disease incorporates stretches, strength training, posture, balance and walking drills, as well as vocal exercises. Manage Parkinsons symptoms and improve quality of daily life while having fun. Modifications will be provided to ensure a safe and effective setting for all participants. Caregivers are also welcome. Register at mail@wiparkinson.org or 414-312-6990. Stroke Support Group This group provides emotional support through opportunities to interact with others who have experienced a stroke. Informational programs also will be provided about stroke/brain attack. The group welcomes individuals newly diagnosed, those with a history of stroke and caregivers. Learn more by visiting https://bit.ly/ALMCstroke. Memory Cafe Memory Cafe is a comfortable, free social gathering that allows people experiencing memory loss and a loved one to connect and build new support networks at the Aurora Wellness Center, Classroom C. For information, or first-time attendees, contact Chad at 262-212-3596 or csutkay@touchinghearts.com. Walk with a Doc Get out, get active and enjoy good conversation on the third Saturday of the month at Burlington High School, 400 McCanna Parkway. Learn about a current health topic, then spend the rest of the hour enjoying a walk at your own pace and distance with a medical provider. The program is free, and no registration is required. Meet at the front entrance vestibule by the flagpole. Art Therapy Open Studio Open Studio is an art group designed to aid in self-expression relaxation, and personal growth. Open Studio is open to current and past cancer patients, companions and caretakers. Each session is facilitated by a credentialed art therapist and will include a featured project. All supplies provided. Learn more by visiting https://bit.ly/AMCBarttherapy. For more information about Aurora Health Care programs, www.aurorahealthcare.org/classes-events/ or call 800-499-5736.l SPECTRUM OFFERS CLASSES RACINE Spectrum School of the Arts and Community Gallery, located in the East Building of the DeKoven Center, 2000 Wisconsin Ave., is offering winter fine arts classes for adults and high school students. All classes are small (between four and 10 students per class) and are highly instructional according to the individuals needs, goals and abilities. All levels of experience are welcome. Drawing and/or Painting: 9 a.m. to noon, flexible scheduling Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays through March 13. Individualized instruction for all levels. Instructor: Denise Zingg. Five classes: $150; 10 classes: $250.00. Beginning Digital SLR Photography: 6:308:30 p.m., Mondays from Jan. 15 through Feb. 12. Learn the controls of you SLR (not for point-and-shoot cameras) and take excellent photographs. Bring your camera and instruction manual. Instructor: Denise Zingg. Five weeks: $125. Ceramics: 9:30 a.m. to noon, Saturdays from Feb. 3 through March 23. Learn how to work clay with creative hand-building or throwing pots on the wheel. Includes 25 pounds of clay, use of equipment, firings and glazes, plus extra studio time. Instructor: Mark Hyde. $200. Intro to Black and White Film and Darkroom Photography: 6:309 p.m. Wednesdays from Feb. 21 through March 20. Learn all about the fundamentals of photography in this classic medium and create stunning black and white prints in the darkroom. Two rolls of film, chemicals and extra darkroom time included. Camera rentals available. Five weeks: $175. Customized classes and workshops are provided for three or more adults, children or family combination. Private art and music lessons for adults and children also are available. Half-hour lessons are $30, or $1 per minute. Traditional darkrooms, a matting and framing room, and ceramics studios are available for individual work. The cost is $65 each per month or $180 for a three-month pass. (Ceramics studios include firings; darkrooms include chemicals.) Call 262-634-4345 to register. Space is limited to 10 students. Material lists are available at www.spectrumschoolandgallery.org. Nonprofit organizations can submit class/workshop press releases to to community@journaltimes.com. 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 View Results KEARNEY Sometime this spring, two six-unit apartment buildings will begin rising just east of the overpass on 30th Avenue, north of the Union Pacific tracks. They will be Kearneys first independent transitional housing for people who are moving from acute crisis situations into stable life situations. Eventually, 12 such buildings with a total of 72 apartments will be built. They are the brainchild of a two-year-old nonprofit, Kearney Community Sustainable Housing. Its founder and executive director is Kearney City Councilwoman Tami Moore, who is also professor of family science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. It all started five years ago, when she sat in on a listening session of the state Unicameral at UNKs Student Union. The topic was housing specifically, the serious shortage of low-income housing here. As she listened, her eyes were opened. Kearney doesnt look like it has a non-housed population, but in reality, we have a lot of it. Nobody is building that kind of housing for low-income people, she said. She rolled up her sleeves, recruited people to help and created several boards. COVID slowed the effort, but in 2022, Kearney Community Sustainable Housing was chartered. Several excellent service agencies here are addressing these issues, but there is no organization actually addressing the shortage of housing units dedicated to this population, Moore said. She noted, too, that one of the fastest-rising low-income groups are people over 55. That includes the aging and the disabled, who may be working but cannot afford to fully support themselves as costs keep rising. She added, I wanted the word sustainability in our title. Too often, people assume housing for low-income people will be cheap materials and bad design, but I know that if you build it well and use quality materials, it lasts forever. Phase One All suites will be fully furnished. Rent will include utilities. Four of the 12 units in each two-building complex will be handicapped-accessible. Some will be reserved for immigrants, refugees and clients from the S.A.F.E Center. Each building will cost $1.5 million to build, with units costing $250,000 each. Construction will take roughly 12-15 months. Patrick Moore, a principal architect at Goodlife Architecture, and Scott Kralik, a member of BD Constructions business team, are both on KCSHs building advisory committee. BD submitted the only bid, Moore said. The site, near North Railroad Street and 30th Avenue, is designated as a Qualified Census Tract. Thats an area federally defined as one where at least 50% of households earn 60% less than the annual area median income. Eventually, 12 such buildings, or a total of 72 two-bedroom units, will be built around Kearney. Moore wants to spread them out across town so transitional housing isnt shuffled off to a forgotten corner of the city. Each unit will ideally serve up to three to 10 families in a five-year period. This means that the 12 units in Phase One could serve between 36 and 120 families in the first five years. Moore said tenants will stay for a maximum of two years, but as soon as they move in, they will receive mentoring in financial literacy, health and wellness, and career development/job placement so they are able to move to independent living. KCSH is not competing with Crossroads or RAFT or any other housing programs, Moore said. We are just increasing placement options. The need is there The need for transitional housing in Kearney is critical. It is available in only a few places in the city. From September 2022 through September 2023, the Jubilee Center and the Salvation Army provided 190 hotel rooms to Kearneys unhoused population. Crossroads Mission Avenue, a homeless shelter, opened 15 such units on its campus at 1409 E. 39th St. in the spring of 2022. The one-room suites are available to anyone for $475 per month, including utilities and programming. We keep it affordable so the individual can also participate in programming focused on life skills and financial literacy, Daniel Buller, executive director at Crossroads, said. Crossroads does not set a length of stay because it recognizes that all situations and people are different, but residents must build a savings account to prepare for independent living. Transitional housing is a foundation of RAFT, or Residential Assistance to Families in Transition. This structured residential program assists homeless families with temporary housing, education, employment and budgeting. The S.A.F.E. Center also provides temporary housing for those escaping violence and other harmful situations. Nikki Gausman, executive director of the S.A.F.E. Center, serves on the KSCH board. Several units in the new apartments will be set aside for S.A.F.E. Center clients. Kearney Village Transitional Housing program also provides shelter and sober living for homeless people. It is headquartered in the old Episcopal church on A Avenue that formerly was home to the Jubilee Center. Funding To get funding for the project, We turned over every rock, Drew Blessing, chairman of the KCSH board, said. Blessing, a senior software engineer at GitLabs and a member of the Kearney Board of Education, offered to assist with the project when he learned about Moores efforts. I know how challenging it can be for families in a crisis, he said. Board vice president is Erin Davis, whom Moore had as a student at UNK. Davis is a human and legal rights coordinator for Liberty Health Care and strongly believes in this effort. We want to spread these all over town, but we want to ensure that sites are walkable, near stores, Davis said. KCSH leadership Tami Moore is executive director of KCHS. Its website is www.kearneysustainablehousing.org. Board members include: Drew Blessing, president Kelly Christensen Erin Davis, vice president Sara Frias, secretary Nikki Gausman Shelly Kyle Lisa Lieth Shawna Meyer Karen Rhoads Judi Sickler Theresa Yaw Last month, KCSH received a $1 million Pandemic Relief Grant that will fund about one-third of the cost of Phase One. Applications are in progress for additional grants and private funding. Moore said a new round of Nebraska Opportunity grant funding begins in a few months. That money will be essential to building Phase Two in 2025, which will be two more buildings for a total of 12 units. Moore has hurdled several setbacks, including a lengthy wait to be granted non-profit status. We lost $3 million in grants because we hadnt been designated a 501 3, she said. To remedy that, she connected with Sarah Mills, who worked for Sen. Pete Ricketts. Mills quickly waded through the paper logjam and got the KCSH group designated a 501(C)3 non-profit in 2022. KCSH applied for and received a workforce development grant of $1.5 million. City support Currently, KCSH operates under the umbrella of the Kearney Area Community Foundation, but it will soon open a small office that will focus on grant writing, fundraising and grant management. KCSH raised $8,505 in Decembers Give Where You Live campaign. Moore also has the support of the city, which assisted in the planning process and helped search for locations. Interim City Manager Brenda Jensen said, The city appreciates the efforts the board is taking to try to fill a real housing need in the community. Moore is delighted with her great board and its progress. She has climbed over several hurdles, including that lengthy wait to be granted non-profit status. We lost $3 million in grants because we hadnt been designated a 501 3, she said. Applications for more grants are in progress. Now, nearly shovel-ready, the project is starting to sprout. The groundbreaking is expected to happen this spring. Lynn Yamada Davis, a social media star known for her fast-paced and kooky "Cooking With Lynja" online tutorials, has died. Hannah Shofet, Davis' eldest daughter, confirmed Friday to The Times that her mother died Jan. 1 at Riverview Medical Center in New Jersey from esophageal cancer. She was 67. In a phone interview, Shofet celebrated Davis for being a "real poster child of having a family and also pursuing your dreams." She also praised her mother for representing older women and Japanese culture on social media. "When she would go to award shows or was invited to these amazing things, it's kinda cool that she was this older Asian American woman that was doing these things in the spotlight," Shofet said. In a tribute published Friday on Davis' YouTube channel, her son Tim Davis recalled her "peaceful" final moments and shared several photos of the social media sensation throughout her life. Holding a recent photo of his mother, Tim said she looked "so intelligent and elegant in this picture." "When I think of my mom, this is who I think of," he said. "The Internet's grandma. She was the best. So glad you guys got to experience how wonderful of a person she was and that you guys treated her so well." Davis, a third generation Japanese American, was a maverick when it came to bite-sized cooking tutorials on social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. In 2020, Davis started her "Cooking With Lynja" YouTube channel, in collaboration with Tim, who was a freelance videographer at the time. Amid the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, she served up mouth-watering recipes and Gen Z humor in the form of wacky, over-the-top edits and cheeky jokes. She amassed a following of more than 9.6 million subscribers on YouTube, 2.2 million Instagram followers and 17.6 million TikTok followers. An MIT alumna and former engineer, Davis said in 2021 that stay-at-home orders during the pandemic offered an opportunity to share her family recipes. Her first videos were straightforward (and relatively calm) instructional clips that walked her followers through the process of "deconstructed sushi," keto hamburgers and lasagna. But like a true content creator, Davis adapted to the changing trends of social media. Expanding to Instagram and TikTok, "Lynja" took her cooking videos to new heights and audiences. Davis' shorter-form Instagram and TikTok videos tackled trending foods with flair, sharing her takes on McDonald's "Rick and Morty" Szechuan sauce, strawberry tanghulu and fellow food creator Emily Mariko's viral salmon bowl. Stylized quick cuts, miniature "Lynjas," blown-out audio and the throwing of ingredients into her backyard quickly became staples of Davis' later videos. In recent years, Davis collaborated with a number of other food content creators including YouTube star Nick DiGiovanni. Their super-sized collaborations broke several Guinness World Records the world's largest cake pop, chicken nugget and sushi roll among them. The duo also documented their travels to Japan, and most recently, Italy. DiGiovanni, 27, honored Davis by celebrating another side of the internet star. In a video posted on his Instagram account Friday, DiGiovanni shared his favorite memories with Davis including their Guinness successes, ice-skating and go-kart racing. "Love you Lynja," he said at the end of the video. Cooking influencers including Ahmad Alzahabi, Alessandra Ciuffo and Sam Way also paid tribute to Davis on Instagram. In 2021, Davis earned her first food nomination for the Streamy Awards, which recognize online content creators. The next year, she won her first Streamy. She was nominated again in 2023, but the prize went to YouTube star MrBeast and his video with actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Forbes also honored Davis on its Top 50 Creators list in 2022. Davis was open about her battle with cancer, telling her fans (the "Lynja-turtles") in May 2021 that she was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019. She said the cancer caused her voice to sound like a number of animated characters, including Marge Simpson from "The Simpsons" and Nintendo's Toad. In 2021, she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, but also completed treatment that year. "Long story short, I'm doing great and I love making these videos for you," she said. "If I have any advice for you, it's get check-ups annually, drink lots of water and stay close to your friends and family. Lynja out!" In addition to Shofet, Davis is survived by husband Keith Davis, daughter Becky Steinberg, sons Tim Davis and Sean Davis and siblings Jay Yamada and Karen Yamada Dolce. Davis was laid to rest in California during an intimate funeral service on Jan. 9, her son Sean Davis said on Instagram. The family noted that fans can donate to the Monmouth County, N.J., SPCA or the Monmouth & Ocean chapter of food charity FulFill in Davis' honor. The first person who saw it was working overnight. The worker, a shovel operator, saw something white as he placed a large amount of dirt into the back of a truck. The driver of the truck put the dirt in the road. Another worker operating a bulldozer was ready to flatten it. But the worker stopped for a closer look when he, too, saw a piece of white. Only then did the mining workers realize they had found something special: a 2-meter-long mammoth tusk that had been buried for thousands of years. A mammoth is a kind of animal that lived in ancient times and had very long tusks. The animal went extinct, or disappeared, about 10,000 years ago in what is now the American state of North Dakota. The miners unearthed the tusk at the Freedom Mine near Beulah, North Dakota. The mine produces up to 14.5 metric tons of coal each year. We were very fortunate, lucky to find what we found, said David Straley. He is an executive of North American Coal, which owns the mine. After finding the tusk, the workers stopped digging in the area and called in experts. The experts estimated the tusk to be anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 years old. Jeff Person is a paleontologist with the North Dakota Geologic Survey. A paleontologist is an expert on ancient remains. Person was one of the experts that examined the tusk. He said it was miraculous that the tusk had not been more damaged, considering the large equipment that miners use at the site. Another dig at the discovery site found more bones. Experts found more than 20 bones. It is likely the most complete mammoth found in North Dakota, where it is more common to find one mammoth bone, tooth or piece of a tusk. Person said it is not a lot of bones compared to how many make up the animals skeleton. But he said, its a lot more than weve ever found of one animal together. Mammoths once were found across parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Paul Ullmann, a University of North Dakota paleontologist, said mammoth remains have been found throughout the United States and Canada. The discovery at the mine is somewhat rare in North Dakota and in the area. Many remains of the animals alive during the last Ice Age were destroyed by movements of ice sheets, Ullmann said. Other areas have produced more mammoth remains, such as in Texas and South Dakota. People have even found frozen mammoth bodies in Canada and Russia, Ullmann added. The tusk weighs more than 22.6 kilograms and can break easily. Experts covered the tusk in plastic in order to control how fast the tusk loses water. If it loses water too quickly, the bone could break apart, Person said. The experts covered the other bones in plastic and stored them. The bones will remain in plastic for at least several months until the scientists can get the water out safely. The paleontologists will identify what kind of mammoth the tusk came from later, Person said. The mining company plans to donate the bones to the state for educational purposes. Our goal is to give it to the kids, Straley said. Im Gregory Stachel. Jack Dura reported this story for Voice of America. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________ Words in This Story shovel n. a tool with a long handle that is used for lifting and throwing dirt, sand, or snow bulldozer n. a powerful and heavy vehicle that has a large curved piece of metal at its front and that is used for moving dirt and rocks and pushing over trees and other structures tusk n. a very long, large tooth that sticks out of the mouth of an animal (such as an elephant, walrus, or boar) fortunate adj. having good luck miraculous adj. very wonderful or amazing like a miracle kid n. a young person After a two-day hiatus caused by snowstorms, Lexington High School resumed its activities with an academic pep rally Wednesday. The rally acknowledged LHS students who excelled in the classroom during the fall semester, achieving good grades and a high grade point average. It also celebrated students involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports. High School Principal Eric Bell expressed gratitude to the Lexington Community Foundation for their support of the program. They help provide a lot of the financial backing of this program, he said. This is the fourth grant that the high school has received from the Community Foundation, Bell said. He highlighted LCFs ongoing commitment, having pledged $20,000 for the next four years. During the event, Bell encouraged students and teachers to recognize LCF members present with a round of applause. Bell said the academic pep rally recognizes students progress toward graduation and future success. This academic pep rally is about showcasing that you guys are on the march. This is where you guys are here for your marching towards graduation and then of course, later on in life. Bell said. Dean of Students Jeff Rowan encouraged students support for the yearbook, urging students to buy them in support of LHS teacher Erica Brockmoller and her staff. Various fun activities were led by choir teacher Brian Botsford, including having students answer questions related to the high school and the city, with correct responses unlocking clues to a riddle and opportunities to win prizes. Throughout the rally, teachers spoke about the importance of student involvement in activities outside the classroom. Rowan highlighted that 452 out of 923 LHS students are engaged in at least one activity and noted the positive impact of participation on academic performance and attendance. Rowan also recognized students from different sports, emphasizing academic performance, leadership and contributions to LHS. Awards were presented by Tom Ward to students involved in the one-act play, Jungle Book, acknowledging their efforts in various roles. Teacher Allie Prososki recognized students with As and Bs, with 282 receiving awards for their fall semester grades. Additionally, 47 students were acknowledged for achieving all As in every class. Teacher Laura Benson highlighted the Triple Threat Award for students achieving all As or Bs, perfect attendance and participation in at least one extracurricular activity. Journalism adviser Brockmoller thanked teachers for their contributions and recognized yearbook members. Toward the end of the rally, teachers Peg Fisher and Mike Zarate acknowledged students with awards for consistent As, maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.7, and academic teams receiving the Manny Award. This award is given to several homeroom classes that overall have good weekly grades, attendance record and participation in school activities. The event concluded with students participating in the school fight song. Efforts last year by Senate Republicans to oust Wisconsins top election official have no legal effect, a Dane County Circuit Court judge ruled Friday. Judge Ann Peacocks ruling declared Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe was lawfully holding over in that position. The ruling allows Wolfe to continue in her role following efforts last summer by the six-member commissions three Democratic members to abstain from voting on Wolfes nomination in a bid to prevent the Republican-controlled state Senate to deny her nomination. In her ruling, Peacock pointed to a 2022 state Supreme Court decision that allowed an appointee of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker to serve on the state Department of Natural Resources board long after his term had expired until the Senate confirmed his Democratic successor. Peacock concluded in her ruling that state statute does not create a duty for WEC to appoint a new administrator in the event of a holdover. She also ruled that the Republican-led Joint Committee on Legislative Organization has no power to appoint an interim administrator while Wolfe remains in the position. The elections commission in June split on a vote to reappoint Wolfe, with the three Republican members voting to nominate her and the three Democratic members abstaining. Senate Republicans said the deadlocked vote actually constituted a majority since the three commissioners who did cast votes voted in favor of appointing Wolfe. The Senate then voted Sept. 14 to fire her. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed the lawsuit shortly after, arguing Wolfes appointment was not legally before the Legislature because the commission did not secure the four votes needed to send the matter to the Legislature. Todays decision confirms that any claims that the WEC administrator has been or must be replaced are baseless, Kaul said in a statement Friday. This is a resounding victory for fair and impartial election administration and the rule of law. In a statement, Wolfe said she was grateful for the clarity and stability the decision provides for state elections. I hope this will put an end to attempts by some to target nonpartisan election officials and fabricate reasons to disrupt Wisconsin elections, Wolfe said. In October, attorneys representing Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester; Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg; and Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, asked the court to require the six-member bipartisan commission to promptly appoint an administrator for the four-year term. However, attorneys also conceded in court filings that the Senates September vote was symbolic and meant to signal disapproval of Administrator Wolfes performance. Attorneys went on to state that the vote thus had no legal effect on Administrator Wolfes status as a lawful holdover. Peacocks decision follows her October ruling temporarily blocking legislative Republicans from ousting Wolfe from her position. The Legislature has fanned the hyper-partisan flames by engaging in several high-profile unequivocal official acts to purportedly remove Administrator Wolfe without publicly disclosing for months that their acts were symbolic rather than supported by the law, Peacock wrote in the Friday ruling. That lack of transparency and their willingness to attempt actions contrary to the law are precisely the reasons why a permanent injunction is appropriate in this case. Legislative Republicans have targeted Wolfe since the commission made changes to certain procedures in the 2020 general election in response to the COVID-19 pandemic changes that have spurred some conservatives to falsely accuse her of malfeasance. GOP criticism over the states 2020 election has been largely fueled by former President Donald Trump, who continues to make baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 vote. A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Amid the Wolfe debate, Senate Republicans last year voted to reject Democratic Gov. Tony Evers appointment of Joseph Czarnezki to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Evers promptly appointed former Eau Claire city clerk Carrie Riepl to fill the vacancy. However, LeMahieu told the Wisconsin State Journal last month Republicans may vote to fire Riepl if the agency continues to refuse to send the chamber an administrator appointment. The offices of LeMahieu and Vos did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Elections 101: Video series explains how elections are carried out in Wisconsin The Wisconsin Elections Commission put together the following series of instructional videos and accompanying lesson plans for use in high school civics classes and the general public. Elections overview An overview of elections administration in Wisconsin. Voting Security Let's take a look at how we maintain security and integrity with all of our elections. Nuts and bolts The ins-and-outs of voter processes like registering to vote and requesting a ballot to vote absentee. A Day at the Polls See what it is like to go to the polls and vote. The state Senates Republican-controlled utilities committee voted Friday to reject Democratic Gov. Tony Evers appointment of Tyler Huebner to Wisconsins utility regulation commission. Huebner was appointed by Evers to the states three-member Public Service Commission in March 2021. Fridays vote sends the matter to the Republican-controlled state Senate, which has voted to oust several of the governors appointments in recent years. If rejected by the full Senate, Huebner would essentially be fired from the role hes held for almost three years. The chamber is scheduled to vote Tuesday on Huebners appointment. The committees three Republican members, Sens. Julian Bradley, R-Franklin; Van Wanggaard, R-Racine; and Romaine Quinn, R-Cameron, voted to reject Huebners appointment. Democratic Sens. Brad Pfaff, of Onalaska, and Jeff Smith, of Brunswick, voted in favor of the appointment. Bradley said in an email Friday that, based on conversations hes had with Huebner, including at last Septembers public hearing on his appointment, it is clear to me that he should not serve in this role. He has acted contrary to the law on issues such as income based rates and has rejected an all of the above approach to energy for Wisconsin, Bradley said. Speaking before the committee on Sept. 28, Huebner said decisions made by the commission are informed by its legal counsel and he denied claims that the agency has operated outside of its legal authority. I dont seek to do anything thats outside of the legal bounds of what we are allowed to do, Huebner said. The vote was taken via paper ballot, meaning the lawmakers were not present for the vote. Huebners executive staff assistant did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday. Instead of playing partisan political games with appointments, we should be focusing on the issues that matter to Wisconsinites, Pfaff said in an email. This is an unnecessary attack on clean energy, our environment, and the overall democratic process. Smith said in a statement Republicans vote to reject Huebners appointment was as spiteful as it was stupid. Huebners renewable energy experience is incredibly valuable for keeping rates lower for consumers across Wisconsin, Smith continued. Republicans need to stop playing politics and allow qualified people to serve our state. If the Senate votes to oust Huebner, Evers would name a new appointee to the agency. Before joining the PSC, Huebner served as executive director of renewable energy nonprofit organization RENEW Wisconsin. He also spent time with the state Division of Energy Services and U.S. Department of Energys energy efficiency and renewable energy division, where he worked in the low-income weatherization program helping individuals reduce their energy bills. Huebner earned his bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the University of Iowa and his masters in civil and environmental engineering at Stanford Universitys atmosphere and energy program. Valcq leaving The committees vote comes after Rebecca Cameron Valcq, who Evers appointed to the Public Service Commission five years ago, announced she will leave the agency early next month. Valcq, who has spent the majority of that time as the commissions chair, will step down on Feb 2. Commissioner Summer Strand, who Evers appointed to the commission last March, will take on the role of PSC chair, Evers said in a statement. The governor has not yet named a commissioner to fill the seat left vacant by Valcqs departure. Other rejections Huebners appointment is one of several to come under fire from Republicans who hold a 22-11 majority in the state Senate. Appointees can and have served in their respective roles without formal approval from the chamber, but a vote to reject an appointment essentially constitutes a firing. Senate Republicans in October voted to reject eight appointments made by Evers, including Joseph Czarnezki, one of the Democratic members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission who abstained from voting on commission administrator Meagan Wolfes reappointment last year in a bid by Democratic commissioners to block her nomination from reaching the Senate. The Senate ultimately voted in September to fire Wolfe, but Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul promptly sued the Legislature, arguing Wolfes appointment was not legally before lawmakers because the commission did not secure the four votes needed to send the matter to the Legislature. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Ann Peacock ruled in October that Wolfe will remain as the election commissions administrator until the court makes a final ruling on the status of her position. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, told the Wisconsin State Journal last month Republicans may vote to fire former Eau Claire city clerk Carrie Riepl, who Evers appointed to the commission to replace Czarneski. Evers told the State Journal earlier this month Republican votes to oust his executive appointments has had a dampening effect on the number of individuals willing to take on such roles. In order to get somebody approved is just a herculean effort, Evers said. Weve talked to all sorts of people who say, Id love to help you, Id love to serve in this position, but I dont want to go through this, I dont want my family to go through this, Evers said. Today in history: Jan. 12 1932: Hattie W. Caraway 1945: World War II 1959: Motown Records 1966: Lyndon B. Johnson 1969: The New York Jets 2010: Haiti 2016: Iran 2017: Barack Obama 2017: James Comey 2021: Mike Pence 2021: The CDC 2022: Kevin McCarthy It is 1:30 p.m. on New Years Day. Emmalyn Freeze, who at 14 is a veteran of 54 surgeries on her brain and spinal column, had been hoping for a happy holiday at her rural Mount Morris, Illinois, home, about 80 miles south of Madison. But now she is stretched out in the fully reclined front seat of her single moms charcoal SUV. She has one ice pack behind her head. Another covers her eyes, which are weeping. Between her ice packs, Emmalyn, who usually takes things in stride, tells her mom, Stephanie, something unusual about her pain: Its 10 out of 10 extreme! The single mom stays steady at the wheel, but she will later admit she was feeling quite nervous as she headed north up the interstate toward the quality emergency room thats an hour and 40 minutes away, at University of Wisconsin Childrens Hospital in Madison. You may think the familys trusty Jeep probably knows that route by heart by now. But it has every reason to be confused. After all, the Freeze family has criss-crossed America by car for surgeries in some of the finest hospitals from New York to California, and most recently, to Duke University in North Carolina. OUR VIEW: Don't loosen Wisconsin's labor laws for children Sawmills, meatpacking plants, bars have much better solutions to filling jobs than putting teens in peril For our purposes today, this is another way of saying: The Freeze family vehicle has been driven from the eastern edge to the western edge of a huge (but often-overlooked) hole in Americas health care system that Stephanie Freeze has found herself trapped inside for too many years. Today we are looking at their story as a way of finally getting a clear view of just how easy it ought to be to fix that problem by getting rid of that unfair and downright inhumane hole. Stephanie discovered that Emmalyn and her brother Colton, who is two years older, suffered from a rare congenital health disorder Chiari malformation, in which part of the brain protrudes through an opening into the spinal column. Emmalyn later was diagnosed with several other rare disorders: Adhesive Arachnoiditis, Ehlers Danlos syndrome, tethered cord syndrome, plus a series of infections, spinal fluid leaks and problems with surgically inserted shunts. Think about all that: For every operation and treatment, Stephanie and Emmalyn (and often Colton too) had to go to a hospital in a distant city, and then after the procedure, remain nearby often for weeks for frequent examinations to assure success. When that happens for children with major problems that are well known, such as cancer, many financial and living assistance programs are available for the ill childs families. Among them: the excellent widespread Ronald McDonald House programs that offer living accommodations to families of children with cancer. But families of children with rare disorders often find no programs are available offering free or vastly discounted living facilities and meals. Stephanie found herself trapped in that hole having to eat in restaurants and stay with Emmalyn and Colton in discounted hotels that still cost almost $100 a night. Pay parents to stay home with babies STATE JOURNAL VIEW: State leaders should guarantee and standardize leave in wake of Roe ruling I met Stephanie in a made-for-Hollywood kind of moment. I had gone to New England and said goodbye to my childhood friend, Armand LaValle, who was just hours from dying of cancer. Then, walking sadly through the Providence, Rhode Island, airport concourse, I saw a young girl whose head was immobilized in a metal brace that extended from her skull to her shoulders. I smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. She erupted in a smile that seemed to light up the entire airport. I walked over and met Emmalyn and her mom, Stephanie. Ever since, I have watched that courageous single mom struggle to raise money through donations just to provide for her familys basics while they followed the medical advice of some of the most highly respected surgeons and other physicians. Last week, Emmalyns world-renowned surgeon at Duke studied the imaging done in Wisconsin and has recommended no more surgeries now, but treatment at a neurological and chiropractic pain control institute. To fund that treatment, Stephanie has set up a new donation website: emmalyns-journey.com. Meanwhile, Washingtons political leaders, back on the job after rediscovering the spirit of holiday humanity at home, can start now by jointly embracing a very similar spirit of family-oriented problem-solving. Perhaps the spirit of Emmalyns Journey can inspire Republicans and Democrats to unite behind incentives that encourage institutions and private enterprise to provide mere room and board basics that can finally help thousands of desperate families who feel trapped by realities of rare health disorders. And who knows? If Republicans and Democrats can unite to help families help their loved ones fight to live, perhaps Washingtons pols will remember how they used to actually live with each other. Idaho State District 26 Democrats Reps. Ned Burns Sen. and Ron Taylor, and Republican Rep. Jack Nelsen met with the Times-News Editorial Board on Dec. 12 to talk about the states 2024 legislative session. With topics of the LAUNCH program, protecting libraries and wanting to help defending local communities, they seemed to be going in with a clear focus. Defending local governments Taylor, elected in 2022, said he feels more prepared heading into the legislative session this year after spending his summer preparing to represent District 26 and trying to figure out how to maintain freedoms that Idahoans need. As a legislature, we need to trust our local governments to do what they need to do, and give them the latitude to do just that, Taylor said. We need to take care of the state; we dont need to be micromanaging. In agreement with Taylor, Nelsen said it was important for people to remember and read the bottom of a bill instead of the top half because it could change the way they vote. Im a local government guy came up through P&Z, CSI, different things, Nelsen said. I have huge respect for our local communities. Theyre not an accident. Nobodys going to straighten things out better by themselves than local government. Sometimes its a little messy, the old sausage making analogy, but local people have plenty of common sense, they do a nice job. Burns said with the amount of issues that are happening, we need to focus on the important things and not focus on issues that are very popular in May. I think that weve got really big issues that we got to be dealing with. And instead, were mired down in, you know, niche social issues and minutia and whether or not Oregon should be a part of Idaho, Burns said. Weve got a lot of water issues that we need to be dealing with. Weve got crumbling school facilities all across the state that we need to be dealing with, weve got an extremely small, sort of unallocated surplus of funds this year, we need to spend that very, very smartly. He added that he believes micromanaging local governments can come from fear of loss of control and not wanting to allow decisions being made because they might disagree with them. The polarity of two parties With question of how we can fight polarity between two parties, Taylor was the first to answer. Theres that perception of, oh, you have an R or D, youre either righteous or demonic, so I think for me, theres a disconnect in the fact that people who are hoping to be represented, look at it as youre a public servant and the people who get elected look at it as, wow, okay, now I can push my agenda. Taylor said. Nelsen added that many times people dont talk about the issue, theyll attack somebody instead. The bottom line, for him is figuring out how to address an issue. How do we solve problems? I mean it wouldnt be a decision if there werent two sides. .. I think a lot of people that are good legislators that I respect, their first thing is not just whats good about this bill but whats the bad side. Burns said that he thinks it has to do with how we become informed and how thats changed over the years, specifically remembering how thick the Sunday paper was growing up in Twin Falls. With social media now a big factor in communities, hes looking to help make the policies in Idaho and that means working across the aisle with the other political parties. If were going to create good policy, Burns said, weve got to work together. The LAUNCH Program For me, the LAUNCH program is really important. Not as legislation, not as just another education scholarship program to encourage kids to go on, but its that respect for the trades, Nelsen said. You get to give back again to our community were in. He also said theres a clawback on the LAUNCH scholarships. If a student flunks a class or they change majors, the state will want the money back. Burns said, adding to Nelsens point, two-thirds of student makeup at CSI is female and not enough graduating men are continuing their education after high school. Idaho LAUNCH gives an opportunity for young men to also go and learn a very valuable, very necessary, very potentially money-making skill, Burns said. The attack on libraries Earlier in the conversation, Burns said he expects to see more heavy-handed approaches to government this year, being related to what books people are allowed to read and what medical treatments people can get based on their gender. I think this is the third year in a row that we will be hearing bills on how weve got to protect our kids from pornography and libraries, Burns said. There is not one single bit of pornography in any library in this state. Pornography fails the Miller Doctrine. Theres not a single book at the Twin Falls Public Library that will fail Miller. He later added that if a kid is going to the library to find any of this information, then you have won as a parent. ..Theyre not going to their phone, theyre not going to the library, or theyre not going to the internet, you have absolutely won; you have done everything right Taylor said that it bothered him that there is confusion of words indoctrination and education. Our schools and our libraries do not indoctrinate, they educate. They let people have the ability to look at more than one subject to think themselves, Taylor said. When you take a child out of that environment, and put them in a room and say, this is what youre learning, this is what youre learning, and theres no accountability for that? For me, thats indoctrination. Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Monica Carrillo-Casas is the Hispanic life and affairs reporter at the Times-News. Carrillo-Casas can be contacted at monica.carrillo-casas@magicvalley.com or at 208-735-3246. Water rights, education and a third bridge across the Snake River Canyon are important issues that could come to the forefront of this years legislative session, Magic Valley lawmakers told the Times-News. Rep. Lance Clow, Rep. Greg Lanting, Rep. Chanel Dixon and Sen. Linda Hartgen recently discussed matters with the Twin Falls Kiwanis Club and the Times-News Editorial Board. Clow hopes for a quick resolution to a SNAFU in an education funding formula that left a shortfall in public schools, and Hartgen said with it being an election year, legislators could deal with a few nonsensical bills, and hoped constituents let her know their feelings about legislation. Lanting pledged to Kiwanis Club members that he would do no harm. The legislative session began Monday and usually lasts about three months. Water rights Eastern Idaho is coming after our water, Lanting told Kiwanians on Thursday. They truly are. He said Magic Valley lawmakers will need to be vigilant to protect water rights. Twin Falls Irrigation District has the top water right in the state, but Lanting said many people in the eastern part of Idaho dont think that is right. They think they can better use (water) to grow spuds in Eastern Idaho, he said. It seems pretty simple as to what the problem is, said Lanting, a Republican from District 25, when he spoke to the editorial board. There are too many straws in the ground. Even when Idaho has strong water years, water supplies can be a bit uncertain for farmers, he said. And in lean water years, as there was two years ago, it can mean cutting water back, sending tens of thousands of acres out of production. Maybe a farmer will get a first cutting of hay but after that leave it dry, Lanting said. Lanting wondered if there was a way to find more storage capacity for Magic Valley farmers. Even if there is, he said, some ground is going to have to be fallow because theres not enough water to farm all the land. Canal efficiency should also be examined, noted Clow, also from District 25. Typically, canals can lose a large share of water they carry through leakage. Granted, he said, the water that leaks from the canals might make it to the aquifer, but he pointed to eastern Idahos Great Feeder Canal system, where he said water loss is dramatic. The canal system supplies irrigation water for much of the Upper Snake River Valley. Lining the canals could be considered, although Clow acknowledged it would be an expensive proposition. A water methodology order issued in April by the Idaho Department of Water Resources left many eastern Idaho farmers in a lurch, wondering if they would have adequate water for their crops. Relief came in July when IDWR Director Gary Spackman determined that there wasnt a water shortfall, although it could be relief only for the short term. With Idaho facing a lean water year, with many southern Idaho watersheds sitting at 60% or less of average snowpack, the water situation for next summer is unclear. Education funding formula Clow said he expects legislators will quickly address the funding formula for public schools, which under-delivered in promises after legislators met in a special session in November 2022, approving a historic investment in public education appropriated $330 million for Idaho schools this year. Much of that money up to $165 million, Lanting said didnt didnt go out due to a miscalculation as the state returned to an attendance-based formula, ending almost three years of using an enrollment-based calculation. I think we will get that corrected pretty quickly, Clow said, either through a change in the funding formula or appropriation bill. While the average teachers salary in Idaho increased 9.1% to $61,516 this school year, according to the Idaho Department of Education, much of that pay came from school districts supplemental levies or surplus funds, Lanting said, due to promised money not arriving because of the glitch. Clow said he supports the recently created Launch program, which provides graduating high school seniors up to $8,000 to supplement higher education, but wants the program to be focused on sending students into in-demand careers. I imagine the Launch program will be evaluated quite strongly by various members of the legislature, Clow said. I want to protect the Launch program, but do want to make sure that we are doing it so we actually end up getting more students into the in-demand careers. Another bridge Although it doesnt deal with a legislative bill, lawmakers expressed frustration that a plan for a third bridge across the Snake River Canyon seems to be spinning its wheels, although there appears to be broad support for it in southern Idaho. We have kicked it down the road way too long, said Hartgen. Studies seem to be slow in progressing, and legislators want it to be sent over the hump. Dixon noted that plan for a third bridge started 20 years ago, and it will take the work of multiple entities county commissioners, legislators, Idaho Transportation, governor and federal officials for it to become a reality. Federal legislators from Idaho, including Sen. Mike Crapo and Rep. Mike Simpson, have gotten behind the project and have said they will push for federal dollars. Total cost of the bridge, when including cost of the roadway, could hit almost $1 billion, Hartgen said. Legislators agreed that the best placement of the bridge would be an extension of U.S. Highway 93. Law enforcement Dixon, a member of the Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee, said she is in favor of passing a law that would require a mandatory minimum prison sentence for trafficking fentanyl. A bill introduced by Rep. Chris Allgood, R-Caldwell, didnt make it out of committee last year, due to opposition, much of it out of state, Dixon said. She said an untrue story came out about a 19-year-old woman who faced a mandatory minimum sentence for light involvement of drugs, when she had actually been more heavily involved in drugs. Allgoods bill would have imposed a mandatory sentence of three years for people possessing between 7 and 14 grams of fentanyl, and a sentence of 10 years of prison for having between 14 and 28 grams. Hartgen said she would pursue passage of a law that allows for a charge of aggravated reckless driving charges, that would bring harsher penalties for reckless conduct. Current laws involving dangerous behaviors such as street racing dont have any teeth, she said, and several people in Treasure Valley have been injured. She attempted to pass a similar bill last year related to inattentive driving as she heard reports of motorists using their cellphone when driving, including taking video. Idaho State Police trooper Mike Wendler was severely injured in Jerome County in 2022 when he was struck by a woman who was taking video of an incident along Interstate 84. He has since taken a medical retirement. Property taxes Clow said many homeowners in the Magic Valley were likely pleased with a cut to property tax assessments this year, due to legislators passing a $192 million relief plan. Most people Ive talked to in Twin Falls County have seen nice property tax reductions, he said. Relief to that extent, however, is not guaranteed to be there next year. He said he would monitor the situation. Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. There were teddy bears galore when a nonprofit organization made a couple of visits to Gooding this month. But handing out stuffed animals isnt all the organization does. McCall-based Courageous Kids Climbings primary mission is to travel throughout the western United States while sharing rock wall climbing with people with special needs. They will be at Gemstone Climbing in Twin Falls this spring and fall to help with that goal. But Courageous Kids Climbing also gives out teddy bears to first responders, who then give them to kids involved in traumatic events. They are great for calming kids, the nonprofit says. On a Monday visit to Gooding, Gooding County EMS received 20 teddy bears, while the Gooding Fire District got 30. Fifty stuffed animals were provided to the Gooding County Sheriffs Office and another 50 to Gooding County Juvenile Probation. The organization paid a visit to the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind before leaving town. Here, they provided 20 patient mover rescue chairs to the schools special education department. The lifting devices are provided to children with mobility issues as a Plan B should they experience a situation in which their wheelchair breaks down or other situations in which the child must be carried, said Jeff Riechmann, executive director of Courageous Kids Climbing. The lifting device is made of vinyl and fits in a backpack or bag on the wheelchair. With the assistance of two or more helpers, the child can be carried comfortably and safely, Riechmann said. The funding to purchase the chairs was provided by the Payette Lakes Progressive Club in McCall and the Boise Sunrise Rotary, and the teddy bears were provided by PetSmart and other Boise businesses. Adaptive Recreation Fair looks to connect people of all abilities TWIN FALLS Eight-year-old Kathryn Krieck is eager to show off her hands. After climbing for an hour a week every summer at Gemstone Climbing After delivering the lifting devices, Riechmann was invited to visit the special education classes and meet some of the students. They also received teddy bears. Courageous Kids Climbing returned to Gooding on Wednesday. During this visit, they provided an additional six patient mover rescue chairs to the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind. These additional lifting devices will be placed on the school buses and will provide a means of safely removing students from the school bus in the event the wheelchair lift becomes inoperable. Bank foundation focuses on community well-being, quality of life Content by First Federal Bank. Established in 2003, this foundation is part of First Federal Banks deep commitment to the well-being and quality of life of people who live and work in the communities the bank serves. That evening, Riechmann spent about two hours training with members of the Gooding Fire District. Training included a presentation on rescuing someone suspended in a fall-arrest harness. Riechmann also shared some of his experiences from working with kids with special needs. For more information on Courageous Kids Climbing, contact Riechmann at courageouskidsclimbing@gmail.com. PHOTOS: Dawn of the Climb Dawn of the Climb Dawn of the Climb Dawn of the Climb Dawn of the Climb Dawn of the Climb Dawn of the Climb Dawn of the Climb PHOTOS: Dawn of Climb Boulder Comp Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb Dawn of Climb PHOTOS: Indoor activities to help get past winter blues Indoor activities to help get past winter blues Indoor activities to help get past winter blues Indoor activities to help get past winter blues Indoor activities to help get past winter blues Indoor activities to help get past winter blues Indoor activities to help get past winter blues Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. May 22, 1948Dec. 31, 2023 JEROME On December 31, 2023, William D. Allred passed away after a long battle with Alzheimers. He was born in Harrison, Arkansas, in 1948. Not long after, his parents Denver Den Allred and Emma Louise Villines moved to Idaho. Bill, his younger sister, Kathy, and his father settled in King Hill, Idaho, where they were surrounded by family. Bill gained another mother plus new siblings: Dolph, Nita, Joe and Sue when Den later married Audrey Hitesman. He graduated from Glenns Ferry High School in 1966 and promptly enlisted in the Navy. During the Vietnam War, he traveled throughout the Pacific and was honorably discharged. When he returned home the GI Bill provided for his education. While attending CSI and working in the Jerome County Courthouse, he met the love of his life, Sharon LaFray. They were married. Bill commuted from Jerome to Boise State and earned a BS in Public Health, becoming a first-generation college graduate. After his mother Audreys death, Den married Alice Finlayson. Bill gained yet another set of new siblings: Lucile, Cheri, Craig and Mark. Bill began his career working for South Central Public Health District in Jerome. After building a life in Jerome, he became the proud father of a little girl, Elizabeth Ann. He also began a life of service to the City of Jeromevolunteering for the Jerome Fire Department, working as an Instructor for Fire Service Training, teaching HazMat classes throughout Idaho and later became the Assistant Chief of the volunteer firemen. He also served on the Jerome Public Library Board and on Jerome City Planning and Zoning Board. He eventually left the health district and began working for the Department of Environmental Quality, becoming Regional Director before his retirement in 2014. Bill was not only a hard-working, community minded individual but an avid fly fisherman and self-taught woodworkerbuilding beautiful picture frames, furniture and sought after custom fishing nets. He was also a great storyteller and person that loved to laugh. He rarely met a person that he did not enjoy; the feeling was mutual, as he was loved by so many. There was no such thing as a quick trip to the store for Bill as there were many people stopping him for a chat, often to the dismay of his wife and daughter. He truly enjoyed Pepsi the elixir of life, all music, and animals. Bill had several treasured pets throughout his life, many that had been previously homeless, but found a loving home. Yet, Bills greatest joy in life was his family. Bill and Sharon celebrated their 50th Anniversary in March of 2023. He adored his daughter, Elizabeth and her husband, Adam Sullivan. In his later years, while suffering from Alzheimers, he still found much joy in the company of his family. Even in his final days, he kept his sense of humor, was kind to those caring for him and enjoyed laughing with the people who mattered to him the most. He will be dearly missed! Bill was preceded in death by his father, Den, mothers: Emma Louise and Audrey, brothers: Dolph and Joe Hitesman and sister, Nita Betty. He is survived by his wife, Sharon; daughter, Elizabeth Allred and son-in-law, Adam Sullivan; sister, Kathy (Tom) Huber; stepmother, Alice Allred; stepsisters: Sue Southwick, Lucile Allen, and Cheri Hulo; stepbrothers: Craig and Mark Finlayson; brothers-in-law: Chuck and David (Susan) LaFray; and many additional family members. A Celebration of Life will be held for close friends and family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Jerome Public Library Foundation or the Alzheimers Association. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Demarays Jerome Memorial Chapel. demaraysjerome.com I have two boys at home. Im used to repeatedly hearing something that isnt true, in hopes that Ill believe it. So, I guess I shouldnt be surprised by the misleading phrasing from those opposed to giving families more education options. When a new proposal was announced last week to provide Idaho families with an education tax credit something that exists in both red and blue states and would not take any funding from public schools those opposed to more education options called it a universal school voucher scheme. (Sounds scary!) During the last legislative session, every time legislators put forward various ideas to expand options for students, those opposed screamed voucher. Sometimes, even the media would call a proposal a voucher even if it really wasnt. It seems no matter what policy is introduced, there are some who will always call it a voucher. Why the constant refrain? The simplest explanation is that the term voucher is not popular in public opinion research. The dictionary defines voucher as a form or check indicating a credit against future purchases or expenditures. By the very definition, tax credits are not vouchers. Education Savings Accounts are not vouchers. In fact, no one in Idaho has proposed a school voucher. A voucher program would only let parents use taxpayer dollars to pay for tuition at a private school approved by the state. Typically, the state writes a form or check to a school in the name of a student to cover tuition. An Education Savings Account is much different. First, money is held in an account by the state it is not given directly to schools. Second, an ESA allows parents to use a portion of state funding on a variety of education services. Yes, it can include private school tuition, but it can also include tutoring, special needs services, curriculum, mental health treatment and much more so long as it is for an educational purpose. Tax credits are even more simple. Essentially, its no different than a tax credit for your mortgage interest or even a child tax credit. Its completely separate from any public school funding. In the end, tax credits are given to parents directly, ESAs are given to parents via a state fund, and vouchers are given to schools or a specific institution by form or check. No one who supports or opposes education choice options or covers the topic should use the term voucher unless an actual voucher bill is introduced. Doing so is simply inaccurate and on such an important topic, the clarity is crucial. Regardless of the proposal, the goal is to meet the educational needs of all children in a fair, responsible, transparent, and accountable way. The debate around efforts to expand options for students and families with enhanced education choice opportunities whether through ESAs, tax credits, or by expanding eligibility for Empowering Parents grants should focus on the policy and not be shrouded in misleading terms. There will be a variety of education choice bills introduced in the 2024 Idaho Legislative session. Hopefully, lawmakers can come up with a plan that uniquely fits Idaho and helps more students succeed. But no matter what they come up with, like the little boy who cried wolf, those opposed to new education options will still likely cry voucher. The Idaho Republican Party held its 2024 Winter Meeting last weekend at Harvest Church in Meridian. I am proud to say it was one of the best run meetings Ive ever had the pleasure of attending. The Rules and Resolutions Committees worked hard into Friday night, and their work paid off when the State Central Committee approved their reports on Saturday morning. In fact, the Committee finished its work before lunch! Ive never seen that happen before, and its a testament to the unity we have fostered in the Idaho Republican Party. Contrary to what you might have heard on the news, the Idaho Republican Party is growing. Idahoans, whether they have lived here for five generations or recently escaped a blue state like California, believe in our message of faith, family, and freedom. Old and young alike understand how close we are coming to losing the freedoms that our ancestors fought and died for, and they are looking for people to stand up for those freedoms. While the new rules we adopted last weekend are regarding internal party organization, the nine resolutions approved by the State Central Committee express the will of the grassroots in the party for the Legislature this session. The first resolution seeks to raise the threshold needed to approve a citizens initiative. It takes a supermajority for your local school district to increase taxes, so why should major structural changes to our election system or billions of dollars in welfare be decided by a simple majority? This resolution asks the Legislature to codify a supermajority for initiatives going forward. The next calls upon the Legislature to make sure that only legal US citizens are allowed to be peace officers. Other states are seeking to allow guest workers or even illegal aliens to be part of law enforcement, and thats a very bad idea. The Idaho GOP wants to see porn filters on by default when children are given mobile devices as well as the ability of county central committees to recommend one name to the governor when filling a county commissioner vacancy, rather than three. The party wants to stop cities from forcing landlords to accept Section 8 vouchers or other rental assistance measures, and condemns the use of so-called dark money to fund attack ads. The party also wants to maintain Idahos strong laws that keep marijuana out of the hands of our children, and seeks mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking fentanyl. Finally, the Idaho GOP says that if a private organization wants to infringe upon your 2nd amendment rights in public places, then they need to provide for your security, or face the consequences. We urge our Republican legislators to take action on these resolutions this session before returning to the voters for the next legislative primary election on May 21, 2024. - Advertisement - Leading Canadian insurer Sun Life announced the appointment of Nathalie Bernardo as vice president and site head for Sun Life Global Solutions (SLGS) Philippines. Bernardo will be responsible for leading SLGS Philippines organization and furthering strategic imperatives. Her core responsibilities will include driving technology and digital solutions/outcomes for Asia and business operations and client care for Canada and the US. We are excited to have Nathalie Bernardo on board. She brings strong leadership credentials and rich experience in multi-functional operations management, client engagement, global solutions delivery, building organizational capabilities and delivering technology solutions for the business. I am looking forward to Nathalie playing a key role in this strategic evolution and wish her great success, said SLGS managing director Tarun Sareen. With more than 20 years of experience, Nathalie comes with strong leadership credentials in global delivery models, IT service management and customer service delivery. She has a proven track record in multi-function operations management, multi geography support, shared services, global delivery center management, customer engagement, and vendor management, skills acquired during her tenure as managing director at Accenture, Inc. - Advertisement - I am honored to be a part of Sun Life Global Solutions. As I undertake this new journey, I look forward to driving SLGS Philippines in alignment with SLGS vision and SLGS Next Strategy. My primary focus will be enabling business growth and ensuring the delivery of top-quality services. I will also work towards harnessing the strength of our dynamic workforce to enhance our value proposition and foster essential business partnerships across various markets, Bernardo said. China's foreign trade ends 2023 on solid footing with new driving forces Xinhua) 09:18, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade closed 2023 with better-than-expected performances and new driving forces adding to the upward momentum despite challenges on both domestic and international fronts. The country's total imports and exports of goods expanded 0.2 percent year on year to 41.76 trillion yuan (about 5.88 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2023, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said Friday. Exports grew 0.6 percent year on year to 23.77 trillion yuan, while imports edged down 0.3 percent from a year earlier to 17.99 trillion yuan, the data showed. The trade data has demonstrated that China's export products hold solid competitive advantages, with tech-driven products serving as new growth engines of the exports, GAC deputy head Wang Lingjun told a press conference. The total export value of China's new tech-intensive green trio, namely solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, surged 29.9 percent to 1.06 trillion yuan in 2023, with the figure topping the one-trillion-yuan mark for the first time. The export value of machinery and electronic products, accounting for 58.6 percent of total exports, increased 2.9 percent during the period. Although the overall 2023 export growth eased compared with that of the previous years, GAC spokesperson Lyu Daliang highlighted the fact that China's export figure has reached a new high on a high base. The country has achieved reasonable growth in trade volume and retained its global share, Lyu said, citing the latest World Trade Organization data that had anticipated China's global share in terms of exports to remain at a high level of 14 percent in 2023. In response to a media query on the drop in import value, Lyu said that it can be attributed to falling commodity import prices. "China's imports in terms of quantity in fact grew, reflecting the continued uptick in production and booming consumption demand." Friday's GAC data also showed that private businesses have played a bigger role in prompting the growth of foreign trade. According to Wang, total trade business entities with import and export records surpassed 600,000 for the first time in 2023, and private enterprises stood at 556,000, taking the lion's share. The trade value of private enterprises took up 53.5 percent of the total, up 3.1 percentage points from 2022, while that of the foreign-invested enterprises constituted 30.2 percent. Wang also noted that there's been an increase in the share of trade with Belt and Road Initiative participating countries in total foreign trade. Last year, China's trade with these countries accounted for 46.6 percent of the total, up 1.2 percentage points from 2022. Looking ahead, Wang was optimistic about the 2024 trade prospects. "A recent survey on major trade enterprises revealed that three-fourths of the firms expected their imports and exports to stay flat or register an expansion this year," Wang said. Despite trade protectionism, heightening geopolitical tensions and other unpredictable factors, China has the confidence, capability and conditions to continue the sound development momentum of foreign trade in 2024, Wang added. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) - Advertisement - AirAsia Philippines has issued a warning to the public about an online travel fraud syndicate. AirAsia Head of Travel, Rowena Rivera, urged travelers to use only legitimate booking apps such as the airlines Superapp, which follows the highest standards in data handling, safety, and security. She also advised avoiding unverified groups and pages offering discounts on flights and hotels. The warning comes after the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) reported that the number of travel-related online scams has increased by 16 times in two years, with 842 victims reported in 2023. Recent reports revealed that half of the victims lost their money to scammers who offered discounted flights and accommodation. In 2023 alone, travel-related online scams resulted in a loss of at least P13.2 million. - Advertisement - The PNP classifies travel scams into two categories. The first is fakebooking, where scammers steal travelers personal information. The second classification covers those who lost their money to scammers or illegitimate online travel agents. In many cases, victims were asked to send a downpayment or even a full payment to avail of a fake discount, only to discover later that they had been scammed. PNP-ACG spokesman Lt. Col. Jay Guillermo urged air travelers to visit legitimate sites and official pages or applications to be more secure and aware of suspicious communication. Travelers should conduct due diligence, read reviews, and hold off on sending payment, personal information, or identity documents until they are certain that the platform, seller, or agency they are dealing with is genuine. Guillermo also advised travelers to avoid offers that seem too good to be true, as they could be scams if the prices are much less than the listed rates. - Advertisement - US President Joe Biden is set to send his first trade and investment mission to the Philippines on March 11, the White House announced on Friday. In a statement, White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the delegation would be led by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and will be in Manila until March 12 to engage with Filipino stakeholders. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. today announced he will send a Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to Manila, Philippines March 11-12, 2024 to enhance US companies contributions to the Philippines innovation economy, connective infrastructure, clean energy transition, critical minerals sector, and the food security of its people, she said. The visit, she added, would reinforce the Philippines as a key hub for regional supply chains and high-quality investment. Watson said this trade mission follows on Bidens commitment to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to advance US-Philippines economic ties and internationally recognized labor rights. - Advertisement - Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier told the Philippine News Agency that a representative of the US International Development Financial Corp. (DFC) would also be part of the mission. The envoy had previously disclosed that the US has offered assistance for the stalled Mindanao Railway Project, with financing expected to come from the DFC. This Biden-curated trade mission also comes on the heels of the 123 Agreement signing, which will pave the way for nuclear power projects between the Philippines and American providers. The 123 Agreement, signed in November 2023, allows the transfer of information, nuclear material, equipment, and components directly between the two states. - Advertisement - President Marcos on Saturday said there are no more active guerilla fronts of the National Peoples Army. Now we can report that there are no more active NPA guerilla fronts as of December 2023, the President said in a short video message. These accomplishments underscore our steadfast commitment to peace and stability, he added. Mr. Marcos noted that in 2023, around 1,398 members of communist and local terrorist groups were neutralized and some 1,751 firearms were seized. President Marcos previously issued a series of proclamations granting amnesty to rebels as part of the governments push to secure long-term peace. - Advertisement - In November, the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front also agreed to resume peace talks to end a decades-old insurgency, six years after negotiations were terminated by the Duterte administration. The parties agree to a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict, read a joint statement issued by both sides, signed in Oslo, Norway on Nov. 23. The ongoing armed struggle, launched in 1969, grew out of the global communist movement, finding fertile soil in the countrys stark rich-poor divide. At its peak in the 1980s, the group boasted about 26,000 fighters, a number the military says has now dwindled to a few thousand. Make Some Noise returns After a brief winter break, the Make Some Noise Open Mic Night returns at Piedmont Arts at 7 p.m. Feb. 8 in the galleries when Martinsville Bulletin Reporter Monique Holland will host the event. The community is invited to come share original poetry, comedy or spoken word. Anything written or created can be showcased at this series. Slots will be capped at five minutes to ensure everyone gets a chance to share their work. Foundation announces new leaders The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has announced new board officers and members to its Board of Trustees and Council of Advisors and to of them are from Patrick County. Former Vice Chair Whitney Brown of Meadows of Dan has been elected chair of the Board of Trustees. She is a dry-stone waller, folklorist and writer. Its an honor to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation during such an exciting time. This year is already shaping up to be significant for us, thanks to the strategic vision and hard work of the Foundations wonderful staff, Brown said in a release. We all look forward to continuing to support the National Park Service in its mission, and further expanding that supportive reach into communities along all 469 miles of the Parkway. Patrick County Director of Tourism and Marketing James Houchins was named to the Foundations Council of Advisors. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the nonprofit fundraising partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping to ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach, and visitor enjoyment. 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. 13 The 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast will be held today 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 today 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. FRIDAY, JAN. 19 The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer a class about making a large stained glass feather with Catherine Bruggeman as the instructor. The class will be held Friday, Jan. 19, from 1-4:30 p.m. The class will cost $28 for A3L members, $38 for nonmembers, plus a $12 supply fee. Students will construct a feather using precut stained glass. Students will clean, flux, solder glass and apply wire work to enhance design. All feathers are multicolor. The class is limited to eight students. To register, 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 Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer a class about making a standing wire tree of life sculpture and large jewelry stand (display size) with Catherine Bruggeman as the instructor. The class will be held Saturday, Jan. 20, from 1-5 p.m. The class will cost $35 for A3L members, $45 for nonmembers, plus a $20 supply fee. Learn to construct a tree of life 3-D sculpture using aluminum-coated copper wire. Multiple colors of wire to choose from. Once the technique is learned it can be applied to smaller and larger sculptures. All supplies and tools included. This wire tree is large and strong enough to display jewelry, small ornaments, etc. Bring a set of gloves if you have tender fingers. To register, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100. 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. MONDAY, JAN. 22 McDowell Democrats will hold their monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, at the Marion Community Building. Cailan Calloway and Shannon Jones from the McDowell Emergency Services Community Care Paramedic Team will give a presentation. A meal will be served at 6 p.m. The meeting starts 6:30. As an act of kindness, McDowell Democrats request attendees bring a nonperishable food item(s) for donation to support the Friendship Home For Women & Children. Additional info can be found at mcdems.com. 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 Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer a class about making a glass on glass mosaic with Diane Enger as the instructor. The class will be held Thursday, Jan. 25, from 1-4 p.m. The class will cost $45 for A3L members, $55 for nonmembers, plus a $15 supply fee. In this class, students will create a glass-on-glass mosaic, using a precut heart as our focal point. Students will use all transparent glass and the light passing through will reflect the glass colors in all directions. There will be minimal glass cutting for this project and it is a great opportunity to learn to cut glass or practice your cutting skills. The finished glass piece measures 8-inch by 8-inch and is mounted in a shadow box frame which allows it to sit in front of a window. The frame is not a part of the materials cost but will be available for purchase for $15. To register, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100. 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/. Madagascars will witness a 4.8 per cent economic growth this year, the World Bank says in its economic outlook for the African country for 2024. The forecast published this month is relatively more positive compared to 4.5 per cent projected by the ministry of economy and finance of the African country. According to the ministry, the 4.5 per cent forecast will hinge on vital sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and mineral resources. The department argues that the expected growth will also leverage the implementation of the new investment law adopted in 2023, the new mining code and the overhaul of the regulatory framework for the telecommunications sector, as well as the revival of investment and the removal of uncertainties thanks to greater visibility of the national context. The national forecast will not be risk-free, the ministry however stressed. International geopolitical conflicts, new waves of covid-19, a spike in the prices of energy products and food or strict international financial conditions could hamper the projection. Domestically, the ministry also argues that climatic shocks, and socio-political developments in the context of the 2023 presidential elections might also affect negatively the 2024 outlook. The country lost since the beginning of the month at least 12 people killed by Tropical Cyclone Alvaro. 9,500 other people have been displaced due to flooding and landslides and are living in temporary shelters. Re-elected leader Andry Rajoelina has begun a second term following heated elections marred by violence and a low turnout. Most opposition figures called for boycott. 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: U.S. doctors are prescribing antifungal creams to patients with skin complaints at rates so high they could be contributing to the rise of drug-resistant infections, new research shows. These are "severe antimicrobial-resistant superficial fungal infections, which have recently been detected in the United States," noted a team led by Jeremy Gold, a researcher at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the biggest emerging threats: Drug-resistant forms of ringworm (a form of dermatophytosis). In Southeast Asia, major outbreaks of this itchy, circular rash have occurred that are not responding to either topical antifungal creams or pills. Cases of ringworm resistant to drugs have also now been spotted in 11 U.S. states, Gold's team noted. This is leading to "patients experiencing extensive lesions and delays in diagnosis," the team said. As is seen with the overuse of antibiotics, fungi naturally build up resistance to antifungal meds the more they are exposed to them. The CDC team believes that antifungal topical creams are being overprescribed. Looking at 2021 Medicare Part D data, they found that 6.5 million prescriptions for creams containing antifungals, such as ketoconazole, nystatin and clotrimazole-betamethasone, were prescribed that year. The findings were published in the Jan. 11 issue of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In sheer numbers, primary care doctors wrote the biggest percentage of these prescriptions, but dermatologists and podiatrists had much higher rates on a prescriptions-per-doctor basis. One of the big issues, according to Gold's team, is that most doctors diagnose a skin condition simply by looking at it, a method that is "frequently incorrect," even among board-certified dermatologists. "Confirmatory diagnostic testing" of a skin lesion beyond just looking at it is rarely done, they added. A small percentage of physicians are prescribing antifungal drugs at exceedingly high rates. In 2021, "10% of antifungal prescribers prescribed nearly one half of these medications," Gold's group found. The new study probably only captures a fraction of the overuse of antifungals, since "most topical antifungals can be purchased over the counter without a prescription," the researchers noted. The high use of clotrimazole-betamethasone, in particular, is thought to be a big factor in the emergence of drug-resistant ringworm. This drug (a combination of a steroid and an antifungal) can also "cause skin damage if applied to intertriginous areas," meaning areas where the skin folds onto itself, such as occurs around the groin, buttocks and armpits. Long-term, extensive use of clotrimazole-betamethasone can also trigger hormonal problems, Gold's team said. The bottom line, according to the CDC team, "Health care providers should be judicious in prescribing topical antifungals" for suspected fungal skin infections, and go beyond a visual diagnosis when possible. Doctors should also try to "educate patients about the correct use of topical antifungals and combination antifungal-cortoicosteroids" to help reduce overprescribing and the danger of drug-resistant fungal disease, they added. Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Missoula Reads 2024 New Year, new list! Can you read 50 books in 2024? Join us for this fun and popular challenge, now in its eighth year. The 2024 reading categories are posted online and reading logs are available on Level Three. For more information about the 2024 reading challenge visit: missoulapubliclibrary.org/home/programs-events/ongoing-programs/missoula-reads/. Missoula Public Library holiday closure The library will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15. Patrons can access their accounts at missoulapubliclibrary.org/ to renew materials and place holds. Read with Dogs Registered Pet Partners Therapy Dog teams are just waiting for your child to read them a book at Missoula Public Library! Your child can read a favorite book from home or pick one of the many picture books we have to offer. This program is held on Jan. 16 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library and is great for hesitant readers or kids who just love dogs. Talk Time On Jan. 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library come in and practice speaking with other English language learners. Learn about U.S. culture and meet people from around the world. Child care enrichment activities are provided onsite in collaboration with Families First Learning Lab. MCATs All About Podcasting Distribution On Jan. 16 from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. in the MCAT Studio join tech savvy instructor Kathleen Shannon to learn how to distribute your podcast on Apple Music, Spotify and more. Kathleen will show you how to conform your podcast to standards used by all the popular podcast platforms. YMCA Yoga at the Library Missoula Public Library is thrilled to partner with Missoula Family YMCA to offer free yoga at the library! On Jan. 18 from noon to 1 p.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four of the library we will focus on basic yoga postures, alignment principles and breathing techniques that help balance, strengthen and stretch the body. This class is recommended for those wishing to strengthen the foundation of their practice, or who simply want an ongoing practice in harmony with their level of strength, balance, and flexibility. Beginners are welcome! Participants must sign a liability waiver prior to class by downloading and printing it or by signing a provided copy before class begins. Download the waiver (PDF) here tinyurl.com/2994wjww. Participants are welcome to bring their own yoga mat or use one of ours. Missoula Scholastic Chess Club at MPL Join the Missoula Chess Club for this meeting held the first and third Thursday of each month throughout the school year. Students from grades 2 to 12th are welcome to come play and learn new moves and beginners are welcome. The next club meeting will be held on Jan. 18 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library. Young Adult Writers Group For writers and aspiring writers ages 16-19. We share our work aloud including poems, stories, songs, rants, novels and give and receive respectful feedback. All genres, tones and styles are welcome. We laugh, we shiver, we cringe, we swoon and we enjoy words! The next group is held on Jan. 19 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Art Box and virtually on Zoom. Questions or to join this group, email Dana at danam@missoulapubliclibrary.org. Dungeons & Dragons Guild for Adults Missoula Public Library offers an ongoing online Dungeons & Dragons game for adults aged 18 and older every other Saturday. The next meeting will meet virtually on Jan. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. Beginners are welcome but space is limited. If youre interested in joining, please contact us at bdoyle@missoulapubliclibrary.org and we can help you get started! Western Montana Genealogical Society Work Day The Western Montana Genealogical Society will host a Work Day on Jan. 20 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Blackfoot Room on Level Four of the library. Bring a part of your genealogical project to the gathering. Other genealogists will be working on their projects and can lend a hand if needed, and share websites and advice on research problems. MCATs Stop Animation Workshop for Kids Kids can have fun together, learn some computer skills, and express themselves artistically in MCATs free two-hour workshop session for education and play. This workshop offers Lego Stop Animation, animated drawing, and live-action skits suitable for kids ages 9 to 13. The next workshop is held on Jan. 20 from 2 to 6 p.m. in MCAT on Level One of the library. For more information call 406-542-6228. 16th Annual Missoula Writes Contest The 16th annual community writing contest, Missoula Writes, is open for submissions. The contest is open to all Montana residents. We are seeking fiction, non-fiction and poetry submissions from the following age groups: 8-10, 11-14, 15-18 and 19+. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three contestants in each category and age group. The submission link, full contest rules, and more are available at: missoulapubliclibrary.org/home/programs-events/ongoing-programs/missoula-writes/. Unionized teachers at the Second City Training Center in Old Town have reached a tentative deal with the comedy company, halting a strike planned for next week and ending a two-year dispute for a labor contract. After an 11-hour bargaining session Friday that resulted in the tentative contract agreement, the strike planned for Tuesday has been officially suspended, according to a social media post Saturday by the Association of International Comedy Educators (AICE), part of the Illinois Federation of Teachers. We appreciate [Second City] leadership returning to the table, and seeing this through. And it would not have happened without the support of our allies! AICE said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The contract still needs to be voted on by the union, and terms of the deal were not publicly available. 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. A representative for ZMC could not be immediately reached for comment. Second Citys actors and stage managers are separately represented by the Actors Equity union. aguffey@chicagotribune.com WASHINGTON House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted Friday he will stick with the bipartisan spending deal he struck with other congressional leaders, but offered no clear path for overcoming hard-right opposition within his own party to prevent a partial government shutdown next week. Johnson, R-La., emerged from days of testy meetings behind closed doors at the Capitol to read a terse statement. Just months on the job, the new speaker is trying to set the record straight that he will not renege on the budget deal he made this week. But in his first big test as the new leader, he has yet to show how he will quell the revolt from his right flank that ousted his predecessor. "Our top-line agreement remains," Johnson said, referring to the budget accord reached Jan. 7. "We are getting our next steps together, and we are working toward a robust appropriations process," he said. "So stay tuned for all that." It's the same political dilemma that led a core group of right-flank Republicans to boot Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the speaker's office last year as they revolted against the deal he struck with other congressional leaders and that President Joe Biden signed into law. Lawmakers are furious that, after spending much of 2023 watching hard-right Republicans fight the leaders, they are quickly careening toward another crisis with just a week to go before the Jan. 19 deadline to fund parts of the government or risk a shutdown yet again. As some Republicans from the Freedom Caucus again raise the threat of a motion to oust the speaker over the deal, other Republicans are furious they are starting 2024 with the same problems of governing. In the morning before Johnson made his statement, he met with about two dozen House Republicans, more of them centrist-leaning voices, urging him not to go back on his word and stick with the deal. The centrists assured Johnson they have his back. "I just can't imagine the House wants to relive the madness," said Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., who helped McCarthy negotiate the initial agreement with Biden and other leaders. "We're here to bolster him up," said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. "This concept of trying to break a deal that was negotiated, it's a foreign concept," said Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. "What you would be asking is for the speaker to basically break his word and lie. That's just something you can't ask him to do." Since Congress resumed from the holiday break, Johnson has been holed up in his office at the Capitol receiving a steady stream of Republican lawmakers trying to force his hand. Just two days into the workweek, the House hit a crisis Wednesday when hard-right Republicans forced the chamber to a standstill. They voted against a routine procedural rules package as a way to demand the speaker's attention. On the House floor, Johnson was seen several times surrounded by Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and others, some in animated finger-pointed discussions with him. They are pressing Johnson to refuse the deal, with its $1.66 trillion in spending for the year, and to instead consider a temporary measure that would keep the government open but force 1% across-the-board cuts that are required to kick in if the broader package falls apart. The hard-right flank also insists that new immigration policies be included, which they say would stop the record flow of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said in floor remarks that Republicans should "shut the government down until you shut the border down." But by Friday it was more centrist lawmakers making their way to Johnson's office, many of them who serve on the appropriations panels writing the spending bills, urging him to hold firm to the deal he struck. Some suggested that Johnson should consider trying to pass a temporary measure that would fund the government for several more weeks, into March. Biden signed the spending framework into law as part of a deal he struck last spring with McCarthy. It was agreed to by the other congressional leaders from both parties and approved by the House and Senate as part of an effort to raise the nation's debt limit to avert a federal default. In the time since, congressional leaders tried to devise the top-line spending numbers. McCarthy could never deliver on the final numbers before he was ousted after reaching across the aisle to pass a temporary measure in September and prevent a shutdown at that time. Johnson and leaders of both parties in the House and Senate picked up where they left off and reached a top-line deal at the start of the year that the speaker is now trying to have approved. About 50 people braved subzero temperatures and attended the Montana State March for Life 2024 event held Friday inside the Capitol Rotunda in Helena. Organized by ProLife Montana, the annual anti-abortion rally included remarks from former Montana House District 84 candidate Kaitlyn Ruch and Montana Family Foundation representative Derek Oestreicher. Ruch said as the national spokesperson for Students for Life, she has taken on the mission to "abolish abortion in our lifetime." She said the organization boasts more than 1,400 pro-life student groups on college campuses across the country. Ruch applauded the state Senate's Republican majority for signing or at least attempting to sign into law "countless pieces of pro-life legislation." "But time and time again, the pro-abortion infiltrated courts have struck down or enjoined our efforts again and again and again," she said. Abortion is legal in Montana under a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling known as Armstrong that found the Montana Constitutions right to privacy protects a persons ability to access an abortion. In 2023, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed several bills aimed at limiting access to abortions in Montana. Several of the new laws are stalled because of legal challenges. That includes a ban on the most commonly used abortion procedure after 15 weeks, as well as a ban at 24 weeks. Those bills came on the heels of an attempt in the 2021 session to ban abortion at 20 weeks in Montana, which is also blocked. Another bill signed by Gianforte aims to clarify the state constitution's right to privacy does not protect abortion. Other laws blocked by litigation include changing what qualifies as a medically necessary abortion covered for those on Medicaid and another bill that would have enacted a law similar to the federal Hyde amendment, prohibiting any public funds for abortions in nearly all cases. Supporters of access to abortion are seeking to put a measure on the ballot this fall that would amend the state constitution to clarify it allows for access to abortion. In 2022, a so-called born-alive measure failed to muster support from voters. "When our born-alive initiative made it to the ballot two years ago, the pro-abortion movement turned out in droves to make sure that this commonsense protective effort was defeated at the ballot box," Ruch said Friday. Ruch, a teenager, encouraged the crowd to stem the tide of pro-life failures by "show(ing) up ready to educate, inform and win my generation for life." "We must not be afraid to show the real, damaging effects that abortion has on pre-born children, their mothers and even our environment," she said. A judge in Gallatin County recently blocked two bills aimed at addressing Montanas housing crisis, siding with a radical anti-housing interest group. The decision to block Senate Bill 323 and Senate Bill 528 is misguided and unfortunate. These bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and were signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte. Housing affordability is a major issue in Montana. Many Montanans can no longer afford to live in the communities where they grew up. To protect our Montana way of life, we need to find ways to increase housing options in ways that respect our history and existing communities. These bills are part of that solution to allow more options for property owners and would-be homeowners. SB 323 would allow people to build duplexes on single-family zoned lots in larger cities, increasing the supply of affordable housing. SB 528 would allow accessory dwelling units, commonly called mother-in-law apartments, to be built in residential areas. These are common-sense housing reforms that expand property rights and offer an alternative to urban sprawl. These bills do not force anyone to build anything, but simply allow for market-based solutions for homeowners and homebuyers. Unfortunately, Judge Mike Salvagni issued a bizarre opinion that limits property rights and sides with wealthy, out-of-touch elites. Wealthy out-of-staters will benefit from this decision, while hard-working Montanans will continue to struggle to find housing. We are hopeful that this misguided decision will be overturned and that these and other laws will ultimately be upheld. We are committed to continue to support reforms that will increase housing options and affordability while protecting private property rights. We are at a crossroads. We can either continue to incentivize McMansions eating up agricultural lands, forever changing the Montana landscape while the super-rich use our state as their playground, or we can encourage responsible development in existing communities that make it possible for our children to live here and for our elderly population to age in place. Judge Salvagnis irresponsible decision is an affront to our Montana values and should not be allowed to stand. Muscatine police have charged Justin Francis Miller, 43, of Muscatine, with domestic assault and false imprisonment. According to a press release, officers responded at 10:44 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, to a report of a disturbance near the intersection of Schley Avenue and Oregon Street in Muscatine. It was reported that an adult male had an individual pinned to the ground who was screaming and in distress. As officers were enroute, the caller saw the male subject release the individual and begin to walk away. A passerby had stopped and picked up the individual who had been on the ground and started to drive away. Arriving officers stopped the vehicle and began an investigation. A preliminary investigation determined the subject who had been on the ground was an adult female. The disturbance had been the result of a domestic violence situation and the female had been trying to escape. An attempt was made to locate the male subject, who was identified as Miller. The case was picked up by investigators on Thursday. A search warrant was obtained for Millers residence at 1714 Miles Ave. The warrant was served shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday. Miller was located in the residence and taken into custody without incident. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Detective Adam Raisbeck at (563) 263-9922, Ext. 665. Updated at 9:34 p.m. Friday Northbound Highway 29 was closed south of Yountville for an hour and a half following a three-vehicle collision that injured six people Friday evening, the California Highway Patrol reported. The wreck occurred at about 5:51 p.m. near the highways intersection with Hoffman Avenue, according to CHPs online incident log. A 65-year-old Yountville man driving a Toyota Prius was heading south on Highway 29 when, for unknown reasons, the car crossed the median into the path of two northbound vehicles, according to CHP spokesperson Gary Talaugon of the Napa bureau. The driver of a Tesla Model 3 sedan in the northbound left lane, a 22-year-old St. Helena man, swerved right to avoid a head-on collision. However, the Prius sideswiped the Tesla and struck a Ford Expedition SUV driven by a 51-year-old Fairfield man in the northbound right lane, Talaugon said. All three vehicles sustained major damage. Six people the three drivers and three passengers in the Ford were taken to hospitals after the wreck, all with minor injuries, Talaugon said Friday night. Highway 29s northbound lanes were shut down from Hoffman north to the Washington Street interchange before reopening at 7:21 p.m. Photos: Napa Valley Faces and Places, January 6, 2024 A 23-year-old Napa man who robbed several local small businesses in 2022 and 2023 has received his punishment: four years in a state prison. Steven Jose Paulino, 23, pleaded no contest to nine felony counts of second-degree burglary and one felony count of grand theft, in connection with several commercial burglaries in Napa, according to Carlos Villatoro, spokesman for Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley. In addition, Paulino pleaded no contest to resisting arrest, a misdemeanor. Napa County Superior Court Judge Monique Langhorne on Dec. 29 sentenced the defendant to four years in state prison. Due to time already served in jail, Paulino is likely to remain imprisoned for half of the sentence, or about two more years, said Villatoro. In addition, Paulino must also pay $14,400 in restitution, plus 10% annual interest, to the businesses he robbed. Paulino targeted small Napa businesses or mom-and-pop stores. They included Tacos El Cunado Food Truck, Fairview Market, El Sabor Serrano, MOs Hot Dogs, Napa Valley Hot Tubs, Squeeze Inn, New York Pizza Kitchen, Round Table Pizza, Foodshed, and Napa Valley Vacuum and Sewing, Villatoro said. One of Paulinos crimes was caught on video. At 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2023, Paulino stopped in front of MOs Hot Dogs at the River Park Shopping Center on Imola Avenue. Holding a screwdriver in his right hand, he shattered the front window of MOs Hot Dogs with two quick backward chops of his arm. Paulino then kicked and pushed his way through the opening, grabbed the cash register and quickly exited the eatery through the same broken window. Paulino was arrested on Feb. 2, 2023 and charged with five counts of second-degree commercial burglary. At that time, Napa Police said Paulino could have been responsible for break-ins at as many as 27 other businesses. Martin Olsen, owner of MOs Hot Dogs, said that he wishes Paulino had been arrested sooner and kept in jail longer to prevent more robberies. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Napa County adopted an emergency bail schedule that allowed some people to be released from jail without bail. That emergency order ended in February 2023. I think it's an injustice to the citizens of Napa, Olsen said. Olsen is due $1,903.52 in restitution, but he's not counting on it. I probably won't receive any money, he said ruefully. Cathy Holmes, co-owner of Foodshed, said she was happy that Paulino was convicted. As for the length of the sentence, Ill just have to trust that (is) the right amount of time. Holmes said Foodshed was robbed at about 11 p.m. one night about a year ago. The break-in was especially frightening because we had an employee in there working and that had to hide for safety while Paulino was inside the store. That employee hid in an office area and called the police, according to Holmes. According to the district attorney's office, Holmes is eligible for restitution of $770, but she doesnt know if she will ever receive any money from Paulino. Jay Bakker, owner of Napas Squeeze Inn Hamburgers, said that Paulino caused about $1,500 in damage when he broke into the restaurant last year. And he knows he wasnt the only victim. He hit other people multiple times, Bakker said. Today, hes happy that the case has come to a conclusion and hopes justice is served by this sentence. Well see in the long term, said Bakker. Paulino is young and he has a lot of life yet. So maybe he can turn it around, said Bakker. Was justice served? I hope so, he said. David Mitchell, owner of Napa Valley Vacuum & Sewing, was robbed twice by Paulino. Mitchell attended Paulinos sentencing on Dec. 29 in person. I wanted to see it finalized and make sure he gets his due for what hes done, he said. This small business owner thinks the four-year punishment is a little low, but hopefully this will be a lesson learned and he will straighten his life out. Mitchell said he is eligible to receive $6,291.49 in restitution, but its doubtful thats going to happen. Was justice served? Mitchell hesitated. As good as it could have been, he allowed, reluctantly. Every time he locks up and arms his new security systems, I think of the burglary. Its a violation. But I have to let it go. Local business owners have a right to do business in Napa without the fear of being burglarized, said Colleen McMahan, Napa County deputy district attorney. The Napa County District Attorneys Office will continue to hold individuals accountable for committing burglaries and negatively impacting our quality of life. As of this past week, Paulino remained at the Napa County jail awaiting transport to the North Kern State Prison reception center in Delano. There are thousands more migrants who have arrived in Chicago than previously reported, city officials announced this week. A spokesperson for Chicagos Office of Emergency Management reported an additional 4,468 migrants in its total census count of migrants Thursday morning. The total number of asylum-seekers who have come to Chicago since August 2022 was reported as just over 30,000 the day before. The new uptick accounts for migrants who have arrived at OHare International and Midway airports since June. People have arrived in planes on free tickets paid for by religious charities in Texas and flown on chartered flights by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. OHare has turned into a makeshift shelter for hundreds of migrants who sleep on cots behind a black curtain or blankets on the floor. Migrants who have spoken to the Tribune say they have stayed for days or weeks at the airport waiting for placement in one of the citys 28 active shelters. As of Friday morning, 263 were staying at OHare, according to city data. Migrants bathe in the airport bathroom and say they havent been eating enough. With near-blizzard conditions Friday and more than 400 migrants still waiting for shelter placement, advocates are concerned about a humanitarian crisis for those who have come to the sanctuary city looking for assistance. The migrants mostly from Venezuela are fleeing economic disaster in their country of origin and often have no connections or recourse. nsalzman@chicagotribune.com The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether homeless people have a constitutional right to camp on public property when they have no other place to sleep. Acting on appeals from city officials in California and the West, the court will review decisions of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which held it was cruel and unusual punishment for cities to deny homeless people a place to sleep. As a result of the 9th Circuit rulings, public officials in California and the eight other Western states under its jurisdiction face greater scrutiny and legal challenges when they move to clear encampments or relocate homeless people. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and city attorneys from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Phoenix were among two dozen government and business groups that urged the high court to restore their authority over sidewalks and parks, or at least to clarify the law. City attorneys said it remains unclear whether encampments may be removed from sidewalks or parks if the people living on the street refuse an offer to move into temporary shelter. They blame the 9th Circuit rulings in cases from Boise, Idaho and Grants Pass, Oregon for the worsening homelessness crisis in West Coast states. California alone is "home to half of the nation's unsheltered population," they said in their appeal in Grants Pass vs. Johnson. The court said it would hear arguments in the case in April and issue a ruling by the end of June. Newsom welcomed the court's decision to hear the case. "California has invested billions to address homelessness, but rulings from the bench have tied the hands of state and local governments to address this issue," he said. "The Supreme Court can now correct course and end the costly delays from lawsuits that have plagued our efforts to clear encampments and deliver services to those in need." Theane Evangelis, the Los Angeles attorney who represents the city of Grants Pass, said she hopes the high court will agree the 9th Circuit's rulings "are legally wrong and have tied the hands of local governments as they work to address the urgent homelessness crisis." But an Oregon attorney who sued on behalf of several homeless people in Grants Pass argued that cities have not been denied all authority to regulate encampments. "The issue before the court is whether cities can punish homeless residents simply for existing without access to shelter," said Ed Johnson, director of litigation at the Oregon Law Center. "Nevertheless, some politicians and others are cynically and falsely blaming the judiciary for the homelessness crisis to distract the public and deflect blame for years of failed policies." In the past, the Eighth Amendment's bar against inflicting "cruel and unusual punishments" has been applied by the Supreme Court to limit how the government deals with those convicted of crimes. Advocates for the homeless point to a 1962 ruling that limited what can be considered a crime. In Robinson vs. California, the Supreme Court struck down part of a California law that made it a crime to be addicted to narcotics. Lawrence Robinson had been arrested by Los Angeles police officers, who said his arm was discolored by "numerous needle marks." He was tried, convicted and sentenced to 90 days in jail. The Supreme Court later reversed his conviction and ruled it was cruel and unusual to punish someone, not for using or selling drugs, but for the "illness" of "narcotics addiction." In 2006, that ruling was cited by 9th Circuit judges to strike down a Los Angeles sidewalk ordinance that authorized police to arrest people who "lie or sleep" on the streets. The three-judge panel said homeless people were being punished simply because they had nowhere to sleep. Rather than appeal to the Supreme Court, the city settled the case and agreed not to enforce its ordinance during overnight hours. The 9th Circuit issued a broader ruling in 2018 that struck down ordinances in Boise, Idaho, that authorized police to arrest or fine people who were sleeping or camping on public property. The judges said the Supreme Court's Robinson decision established the "principle that the Eighth Amendment prohibits the state from punishing an involuntary act or condition if it is the unavoidable consequence of one's status or being." Grants Pass, a city of 38,000 people in Southern Oregon, was estimated to have between 50 and 600 people who were homeless. In response to a suit by homeless advocates, a federal judge and 9th Circuit panel struck down its anti-camping ordinance because the city did not have "adequate shelter" for all of them. "We affirm the district court's ruling that the city of Grants Pass cannot, consistent with the Eighth Amendment, enforce its anti-camping ordinances against homeless persons for the mere act of sleeping outside with rudimentary protection from the elements, or for sleeping in their car at night, when there is no other place in the city for them to go," said Judge Roslyn Silver, who wrote the lower court opinion. When the court's conservatives moved to have the full 9th Circuit reconsider that ruling, they fell short by a 14-13 vote. In their appeal to the Supreme Court, lawyers for the city emphasized the practical problems of homelessness. "Across the West," they said, "hundreds of thousands of people camp in public, their tents and belongings overtaking sidewalks, parks, and trails. Cities want to help those in encampments get the services they need while ensuring that our communities remain safe, but they find themselves hamstrung in responding to public encampments and the drug overdoses, murders, sexual assaults, diseases, and fires that inevitably accompany them." The closest the Supreme Court has come to ruling on the issue came in 1982. A group called the Community for Creative Non-Violence sought a permit for a demonstration in Lafayette Square across the street from the White House. Their request included a "symbolic tent city" where about 50 people would sleep. The Park Service approved the permit to demonstrate, but refused the request for sleeping in the park. The advocates sued, contending the ban on camping violated the First Amendment's protection for free speech. They lost before a federal judge, won in the U.S. appeals court and finally lost 7 to 2 in the Supreme Court in 1984. Writing for the court, Justice Byron White said the First Amendment permits reasonable limits on the "time, place and manner" of demonstrations. "We have very little trouble concluding that the Park Service may prohibit overnight sleeping in the parks involved here," he wrote. 20 facts about homelessness in the US 20 facts about homelessness in the US According to HUD, there were 582,462 people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. in January 2022 The U.S. has seen a 0.3% increase in homelessness since 2020 Conversely, the U.S. has seen an 8.6% decrease in homelessness since 2010 Experts from HUD believe that resources from the American Rescue Plan directed toward homelessness assistance lessened the impact of COVID-19 on homelessness The end of the federal eviction moratorium in August 2021 made millions of Americans' housing situations more precarious during the long tail of the COVID-19 pandemic As of August 2022, one year after the federal eviction moratorium was lifted, nearly 12% of Americans experienced a rent increase of $250 or more per month The marked increase in rental prices during COVID-19 likely contributed to the recent rise in homelessness HUD's Emergency Rental Assistance program received more than 12 million applications for assistance between August 2021 and January 2022 A greater proportion of people experiencing homelessness were unsheltered in 2022 compared to 2020 40% of all people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. during 2022 were unsheltered Chronic homelessness has increased 15.5% since 2020 Veteran homelessness has decreased by 11% since 2020 and more than 50% since 2010 Family and youth homelessness have both decreased since 2020 50,767 families with children experienced homelessness in 2022 Since 2020, unaccompanied youth homelessness has decreased by 12% 6,398 parenting youth taking care of 7,898 children experienced homelessness in 2022, down 13% since 2020 In 2022, 37% of people experiencing homelessness identified as Black, while only 12% of the overall U.S. population identifies as Black From 2020 to 2022, the number of people who identified as Hispanic or Latino who experienced homelessness rose by 8% The number of people who identify as Hispanic and experienced unsheltered homelessness in 2022 rose 16% since 2020 Natural disasters often have a significant impact on the number of people using shelters 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 Armenia opposition MP: PM told Tavush Province residents that 4 villages must be handed over to Azerbaijan immediately 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 Armenia, Kazakhstan FMs discuss new logistical opportunities Armenia 2041 Foundation launches Galvanizing Diaspora program Kazakhstan FM notes Armenias Crossroads of Peace projects importance for Middle Corridor Armenia, Kazakhstan FMs sign 2024/25 action plan Armenia PM is in Tavush Province, meeting with residents of Voskepar, Baghanis, neighboring villages Archaeologists find inscription of King Antiochus I of Armenian Yervanduni Dynasty, in Turkey Kazakhstan FM is in Armenia (PHOTOS) Rolls-Royce Ghost to be retired and replaced by new Alpina sedan Ardshinbank cardholders can now enjoy a 10% cashback! Withdrawal from lawsuits against Azerbaijan in international courts will cause irreparable damage to Armenia, Armenians EU Council to discuss assistance to Armenia, Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization 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? Young lords 1,200-year-old tomb with treasure discovered in Panama 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 Russia MFA spox: We are concerned by Armenia leaderships sometimes offensive rhetoric on CSTO topics Armenia government plans to have Kapan city airport serve international flights as well Zakharova on Russian border guards removal from Yerevan airport: Hardly meets Armenia security interests Armenia defense minister, Austria envoy, military attache discuss enhancing cooperation (PHOTOS) Armenia official: Those 4 villages in Tavush Province are not in our administrative territorial division Russia has launched a massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine in the early hours of January 13, RBC-Ukraine has reported. It is noted that the Russian forces used airborne Daggers, cruise missiles, and more. The Ukrainian Air Force reported missile launches from strategic aircraft from the Caspian Sea area at 05:32. Russian forces also reportedly fired cruise missiles from Tu-95MS aircraft. An air alert was declared across Ukraine. Later, the Ukrainian Air Force reported a MiG-31K fighter jet taking off from the Savasleika airfield in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, followed by several more MiG-31Ks. There were launches of aeroballistic missiles "Kinzhal". It is noted that the "Kinzhals" were moving in the direction of Dnieper, Kyiv, Rivne, Kryvyi Rih. Cruise missiles, in turn, moved as far as the western regions. There were also launches of Kh-31P missiles in the direction of the Berislavsky district of the Kherson region. During the massive attack in many areas of Ukraine worked air defense, and explosions were heard. It is noted that in the Sumy region, as a result of shelling, a 47-year-old woman was injured. 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 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 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 Armenia, Kazakhstan FMs discuss new logistical opportunities Armenia 2041 Foundation launches Galvanizing Diaspora program Kazakhstan FM notes Armenias Crossroads of Peace projects importance for Middle Corridor Armenia, Kazakhstan FMs sign 2024/25 action plan Armenia PM is in Tavush Province, meeting with residents of Voskepar, Baghanis, neighboring villages Archaeologists find inscription of King Antiochus I of Armenian Yervanduni Dynasty, in Turkey Kazakhstan FM is in Armenia (PHOTOS) Rolls-Royce Ghost to be retired and replaced by new Alpina sedan Ardshinbank cardholders can now enjoy a 10% cashback! Withdrawal from lawsuits against Azerbaijan in international courts will cause irreparable damage to Armenia, Armenians EU Council to discuss assistance to Armenia, Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization 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 SRV Media New Delhi [India], January 13: Mera Market, an emerging player in the Ecommerce market, is rapidly gaining popularity among startups in India as their preferred platform for launching their first online stores. The platform has become a force to be reckoned with achieving multimillion-dollar sales figures and has been dedicated to assisting startups in building their brands from scratch through its innovative 'LIFETIME ECOMMERCE STORE FEATURE'. Mera Market proudly identifies itself as a "creative branding" company, emphasizing its commitment to shaping and enhancing the brand identities of its clients. Currently, the platform boasts collaborations with over 3000 clients and operates through a network of 28 or more franchises nationwide, underscoring its significant influence on the ecommerce landscape. In March 2022, the company celebrated the achievement of serving 500 clients through a dynamic portfolio website. Following with a major milestone that was reached in December 2022, as it successfully launched its own ecommerce platform, integrating Google CMS, experiencing a remarkable surge to 1500 clients by March 2023. As of January 12th, 2024, Mera Market closed its 30th franchise, with major states like Kerala, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Uttar Pradesh contributing significantly - 12, 8, 7, and 3 franchises respectively. "We're excited to be the preferred choice for Indian startups entering the ecommerce space. We aim to be a transformative force, supporting entrepreneurs in building successful online ventures, said Nilesh Rajendra Barnawal, Founder and CEO of Mera Market. Nilesh has introduced a revolutionary strategy that enables startups to establish comprehensive ecommerce ventures without the encumbrance of regular fees. This distinctive offering distinguishes Mera Market from other platforms in the industry. With more than 7 years of experience, Nilesh has strategically positioned Mera Market as a transformative force for startups in India. In a pivotal moment for the company's growth, Sharookh Anis Ahmad joined Mera Market as a company director during its learning phase. Serving as the backbone of the organization, Ahmad oversees the seamless execution of all tasks, meticulously managing records, tracking submission deadlines, client meetings, and ensuring the timely delivery of creatives. Mera Market proudly serves a diverse clientele of over 30 clients from Bahrain, the UK, and Vanuatu. The company envisions and strives to empower small to medium-sized businesses with intelligent and affordable business growth through its super-responsive website template. Furthermore, Mera Market is dedicated to facilitating the expansion of digital presence for individuals and startups, regardless of their scale or industry. At present, the company is driven by a team of 23 dedicated employees who are actively propelling its vision and mission forward. The head office, situated at C4, Mahavir Dham, Saibaba Nagar, Borivali West, Mumbai 400092, anchors the company's operations, while the Gorakhpur branch at 159, Rampur Buzurg, near Wireless, Hata, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh 274203, stands as a testament to an expanding reach and commitment to providing exceptional services. Over the past year, Mera Market has expanded its team, reinforcing its operations and generating significant media attention. Clients laud the company for its user-friendly approach, particularly its utility for startup ecommerce ventures seeking to enter the online business arena without extensive financial commitments or coding expertise. The application process is straightforward - aspiring entrepreneurs can simply apply for ecommerce, share their business plans, and let the Mera Market team handle the rest. As Mera Market continues to reshape the ecommerce landscape in India, the company's dedication to fostering creative branding and providing accessible solutions for startups is driving its success. With a commitment to lifetime ecommerce stores and a proven track record of success, Mera Market stands as the go-to platform for startups venturing into the world of online business. For more information, please visit: https://meramarket.in/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) The actor's ex-wife Nadine Kijner took to social media to share that Crombie died Wednesday morning. She later told TMZ that he had a brief illness, but didn't share any additional details, as per The Hollywood Reporter. "It is with shock and extreme sadness that I share my Ex-husband died this morning," Kijner wrote on Instagram, followed by photos from their wedding day. "Thank you for so many wonderful memories and being such a good man. Fly free into the Un-boundless source of light, Peter. May you be greeted with love by your parents, and Oliver. So so many people loved you because you were a kind, giving, caring and creative Soul." Crombie made a recurring appearance as "Crazy" Joe Davola in season four of Seinfeld in 1992, where his character frightens and threatens Jerry Seinfeld over the course of five episodes. He also played Frankenstein's Creature in the 1997 mini-series 'House of Frankenstein'. He also appeared on different shows such as 'Perfect Strangers', 'American Playhouse,' 'As the World Turns', 'H.E.L.P.', 'Law & Order', 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine', 'L.A. Law', 'L.A. Firefighters', 'Picket Fences,' 'NYPD Blue and Walker,' 'Texas Ranger', reported The Hollywood Reporter. (ANI) The official trailer of 'Fighter' is all set to be out on January 15. Helmed by Siddharth Anand, the film stars Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi in the lead roles. Taking to Instagram, Hrithik shared a new motion poster of the film and announced its trailer release date. He captioned the post, "Ready to drop. #FighterTrailer on 15th January, 12:00 PM IST. #Fighter Forever #FighterOn25thJan releasing worldwide. Experience on the big screen in IMAX 3D." https://www.instagram.com/p/C2B8fqKCCxy/ The film marks Hrithik and Deepika's first-ever on-screen collaboration. 'Fighter' is all set to hit the theatres on January 25. Recently, the makers unveiled the official teaser of the film which received a massive response from the fans. The 1 minute 14-second teaser features Hrithik as Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania aka Patty, Deepika as Squadron Leader Minal Rathore aka Minni, and Anil as Group Captain Rakesh Jai Singh aka Rocky fighting for the country. The teaser showcased the lead cast flying high in their jets and doing some aerial stunts. It also shared a glimpse of a party track featuring the lead cast and a smouldering kissing scene featuring the lead pair -- Hrithik and Deepika. The teaser ended on a high note with the tune of 'Sujlam Suflam' playing in the background as Hrithik unfurls a tricolor from his aircraft. The film is primarily shot at air bases in India with real Sukhois, Indian fighter planes. Hrithik will also be seen in the action thriller film 'War 2'. Deepika has the sci-fi action film 'Kalki 2898 AD', and 'The Intern' in her kitty. (ANI) Delhi's Patiala House Court on Friday extended the police custody of Hizbul Mujahideen operative Javed Ahmed Mattu for five days. Delhi police sought five days' custody of Mattu on the ground that the associates of accused Javed Ahmed Mattu are also required to be verified from Jammu and Kashmir who are indulged in channelling the funds through hawala from Pakistan. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Nabeela Wali extended custody of Javed Ahmed Mattu alias Irshad Ahmed Malla alias Ehsan after his seven days of custody was over. He was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi police last week. Delhi police said that in the course of investigation accused Javed Ahmed Mattu disclosed that one of the associates in Hizbul Mujahideen Mohd Rafi Najar resident Mumkak Mohalla, Batpora, Sopore, Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir looks after the financial affairs of Hizbul Mujahideen. It was submitted that he indulged in providing the money through hawala for terror activities from Pakistan on the pretext of Pashima Shawls and Carpet business. The money received through hawala was used to finance the activities of Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu and Kashmir. The accomplices of Javed Ahmed Mattu are required to be verified and traced in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir who were to assist him in carrying out terror strikes, Delhi police submitted. Delhi police said that to trace the source of Arms and Ammunition provided and to carry out further sustained interrogation of accused Javed Ahmed Mattu further custody is required. As per Delhi police, Mattu is allegedly involved in 11 known terror cases including an attack on residence of an SP and CRPF personnel. He was evading his apprehension for the last 13 years. Advocate Rahul Sahni appeared for the accused Javed Ahmed Mattu. Court allowed him to meet the accused once in police custody. Mattu is allegedly been involved in multiple cases of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. As per Delhi police Mattu is an operative of the banned terror organisation Hizbul Mujahideen. He is involved in 11 known terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir. On January 4, 2024 information was received that Javed Ahmed Mattu, a resident of Sopor would be coming to Delhi to collect arms and ammunition from his associates at the behest of PAK ISI, Delhi police said. Delhi police were also informed that his Pakistan-based handler Abdul Majid Jergar alias Shaheen would be coordinating the delivery of arms and ammunition, and Javed Ahmed Mattu would carry out some audacious terror strikes in J & K and another place on the instructions of his Pakistan-based handler. Delhi police arrested Mattu and recovered one 9 mm Star pistol with six live cartridges, one extra magazine, and one stolen Santro car from him. A case has been registered in this regard at PS Special Cell. Delhi police also stated that Javed Ahmed Mattu is a college dropout. He is a member of the gang of seven dreaded terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen operating in the area of North Kashmir, particularly Sopore, J&K. After getting injured in an exchange of fire with security forces, he went underground and fled to Nepal on the instructions of Pak ISI, as J&K police were hotly on chase of him, Delhi police said on Thursday. It is alleged that he was involved in the killing of HC Mohd. Yousf of CID, Sopore, near Police Station Sopore in 2010. He was also allegedly involved in an attack on the residence of SP, Sopore, in 2010, resulting in the residence being partially damaged. It is also alleged that he committed the killing of two CRPF personnel in Pattan and the snatching of their service rifles in 2010. As per Delhi police, he was also involved in a case FIR of PS Sopore, relating to fire upon the patrolling party of police at Bough, Sopore in 2011. He along with his associates, was also involved in the killing of one police constable, Mohd Shahfi Lone in 2011, Delhi police stated. He, along with his other associates, was also involved in an IED blast at Police Station Sopore, in which one police personnel Morifat Hussain of PS Sopore was killed in 2011, Delhi police said. It is also alleged that he was involved in a Grenade attack on PS Sopore, which involved Ishfaq Kana and Saleem Beig in 2011. Police said that he was also involved in a grenade-throwing incident at the CRPF stationed in the SBI Complex in Hathishah, in which many civilians got injured. He was also involved in a grenade-throwing incident at the BSNL office and at Chankhan Chowk, Sopore, said Delhi police. (ANI) After a video went viral showing a group of seers being purportedly thrashed by a mob in the Purulia district, BJP leader and the party's IT Cell head, Amit Malviya, on Friday lashed out at the ruling Trinamool Congress, claiming that it was a crime to be Hindu in West Bengal. A viral footage showed a group of sadhus (ascetics) purportedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in the Purulia district on Friday. "Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal. In a Palghar kind lynching, sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC," Malviya posted from his official X handle on Friday. "In Mamata Banerjee's regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. It is a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal," the BJP leader added in his post. The TMC did not to respond to Malviya's post or the alleged incident till the time of filing this report. Further details are awaited. A TMC strongman and a local panchayat leader, Sheikh Shahjahan has been reported absconding since the attack on teams of the Diectorate of Enforcement (ED) in the North 24 Parganas district of Bengal earlier. The sleuths, out to raid Shahjahan Sheikh and another local TMC leader, Shankar Adhya, came under attack from unidentified people, with the officials heckled and assaulted and their vehicles vandalised. Two ED officials sustained injuries in the incident. Even as the BJP gunned for the Mamata Banerjee government, alleging the collapse of law and order in the state, the TMC claimed that locals responded to 'provocation' from the raiding ED teams. The raids were being conducted in connection with the alleged ration scam in the state. (ANI) With the Lok Sabha Polls around the corner, the ruling BJP on Friday organised a state-level convention in Agartala under the guidance of Chief Minister Manik Saha, the party's state president Rajib Bhattacharya and the state in-charge Mahesh Sharma. According to sources, the deliberations at the convention centred on various issues, with an eye on the upcoming general elections. The event was also attended by former deputy chief minister Yishnu Debbarma and state cabinet minister Pratima Bhowmik. Tripura comprises two Lok Sabha seats--East Tripura and West Tripura Constituencies. The ruling BJP currently holds both these Lok Sabha segments. Meanwhile, the BJP has launched nationwide media workshops to discuss ways to enhance the party's outreach among people ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, with these interactions expected to continue until January 20. Union ministers have been entrusted with the task of holding these 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. Similar workshops have already been held in Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Karnataka and more are to be held in other states. The BJP's national and state spokespersons and Lok Sabha media conveners are taking part in these media workshops. Party sources said these workshops will help the BJP create awareness about welfare schemes of the party-led NDA government and help the party's state leaders and spokespersons 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 the BJP. (ANI) WASHINGTON Thousands of demonstrators converged opposite the White House on Saturday to call for an end to Israeli military action in Gaza, while children joined a pro-Palestinian march through central London as part of a global day of action against the longest and deadliest war between Israel and Palestinians in 75 years. People in the U.S. capital held aloft signs questioning President Joe Bidens viability as a presidential candidate because of his staunch support for Israel in the nearly 100-day war against Hamas. Some of the signs read: No votes for Genocide Joe, Biden has blood on his hands and Let Gaza live. Vendors were also selling South African flags as protesters chanted slogans in support of the country whose accusations of genocide against Israel prompted the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands, to take up the case. Dan Devries, a New York resident said he attended the protest because he wants to see a free Gaza, but that he wouldnt vote for either Biden or possible Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. I see this war as part of the U.S.s drive to offset its economic decline by engaging in continual war, said Devries. Washington resident Phil Kline held up a sign calling for Pope Francis to excommunicate Biden. I know hes a devout Catholic. Maybe he will take this issue seriously when the pope removes him from the church. Theres no justification for bombing civilians, Kline said, though he added he still intends to vote for Biden in the November elections. Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of anti-war group CodePink, told The Associated Press that the moniker Genocide Joe will stick with Biden for a certain segment of the community because of his handling of the war in Gaza. I think the Democrats are playing with fire in many ways playing with fire in that theyre supporting a genocide in Gaza but also playing with fire in terms of their own future, Benjamin said. Jake and Ida Braford, a young couple from Richmond, Virginia, who brought their two small children to the protest, said they were unsure of whether to vote for Biden in November. Were pretty disheartened, Ida Braford said. Seeing what is happening in Gaza, and the governments actions makes me wonder what is our vote worth? The plight of children in the Gaza Strip was the focus of the latest London march, symbolized by the appearance of Little Amal, a 11.5-foot puppet originally meant to highlight the suffering of Syrian refugees. The puppet had become a human rights emblem during an 4,970-mile journey from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2001. Nearly two-thirds of the 23,843 people killed during Israels campaign in Gaza have been women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel declared war in response to Hamas unprecedented cross-border attack on Oct. 7 in which the Islamic militant group killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. It was the deadliest attack in Israels history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust. March organizers had said the Palestinian children would accompany Little Amal through the streets of central London. On Saturday Amal walks for those most vulnerable and for their bravery and resilience, said Amir Nizar Zuabi, artistic director of The Walk Productions. Amal is a child and a refugee and today in Gaza childhood is under attack, with an unfathomable number of children killed. Childhood itself is being targeted. Thats why we walk. Londons Metropolitan Police force said some 1,700 officers would be on duty for the march, including many from outside the capital. Home Secretary James Cleverly said he had been briefed by police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to ensure order and safety during the protest. I back them to use their powers to manage the protest and crack down on any criminality, Cleverly said. A number of conditions were placed for the march, including a directive that no participant in the protest shall venture near the Israeli Embassy. A pro-Israel rally was set to take place in London on Sunday. The London march was one of several others being held in European cities including Paris, Rome, Milan and Dublin, where thousands also marched along the Irish capitals main thoroughfare to protest Israels military operations in the Palestinian enclave. Protesters waved Palestinian flags, held placards critical of the Irish, U.S. and Israeli governments and chanted, Free, free Palestine. In Rome, hundreds of demonstrators descended on a boulevard near the famous Colosseum, with some carrying signs reading, Stop Genocide. At one point during the protest, amid the din of sound effects mimicking exploding bombs, a number of demonstrators lied down in the street and pulled white sheets over themselves as if they were corpses, while others knelt beside them, their palms daubed in red paint. Many hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Paris Republic square to set off on a march calling for an immediate cease-fire, an end to the war, a lifting of the blockade on Gaza and to impose sanctions on Israel. Marching protesters waved the Palestinian flag and held aloft placards and banners reading, From Gaza to Paris. Resistance. Kirka and Hadjicostis reported from London. Associated Press TV producer Francesco Sportelli in Rome and AP writer John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report. "We have arrested different varieties of banned Gutkha and Pan Masala worth Rs 12 crore from the Kasa area of Palghar and arrested seven people in this connection. Further investigation is underway," an official told ANI. "The arrested persons were identified as Ibrahim Inamdar, Santosh Kumar Singh, Kamil Khan, Heera Lal Mandal, Nasir Yalgar, Zameer Sayad, and Sanjay Khairat," the official added. "Three of the accused persons were arrested earlier. While interrogating them, it was learnt that the other accused were about to supply the banned Gutkha and Pan Masala to Palghar. A trap was laid and we caught hold the other accused from the said area before the shipment could change hands." Meanwhile, the accused were presented before a local court that remanded them in police custody. Further details are awaited. (ANI) Visuals showed vehicles being checked by alert security personnel. Earlier in the day, a security convoy came under fire from suspected terrorists in the Poonch sector of the Union Territory. Taking to its official handle on X, the Indian Army's White Knight Corps informed there were no casualties in the incident and a search operation by the troops and Jammu and Kashmir Police was underway. "At around 1800h today, a Security Forces convoy of vehicles was fired upon by suspected terrorists from a jungle near the Krishna Ghati Poonch sector. No casualties to own troops. Joint search operations by the Indian Army and JKP are in progress," the White Knight Corps of the Army posted on X. On Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a meeting with the senior officers, deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police (SSP) and discussed issues concerning the development and security in the Jammu division. The meeting emphasised the need for a comprehensive strategy for crackdowns against drug smugglers, drug hot-spots and cross-border smuggling. (ANI) Weighing in on attacks on merchant ships by Yemen-backed armed Houth rebels in the Red Sea, Raajesh Bhojwani, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RBB Ship Chartering, on Friday said the shipping costs have gone up manifold in the wake of these incidents. RBB Ship Chartering deals in ship chartering services, including dry bulk cargo shipping and various types of vessel charters. "These incidents in the Red Sea are a cause for concern for the shipping industry. The Europe-bound containers of cargo companies are taking the Cape of Good Hope route instead of the Suez Canal after these incidents on sea came to light. However, this re-routing of the shipping assets has led to a trippling of the transportation cost," Bhojwani told ANI on Friday. "Several insurance companies have jacked up premiums by 100 times for the ships sailing in the Red Sea while some have stopped offering an insurance cover altogether. If ships use the Cape of Good Hope route, their journey time increases by 8-10 days, leading to excessive use of fuel. The prevailing situation has put Indian exporters at risk of becoming non-competitive in other market segments," he added. The Houthi rebels earlier owned up to the attacks in the Red Sea, claiming that they were in retaliation for Israel's ongoing military operations in Hamas-controlled Gaza. The Yemen-backed armed group said they would not stop targeting shipping assets trawling in the Red Sea until the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza end. The Houthis have launched several drone and missile attacks on Israel since it went to war with Hamas in Gaza. However, the majority of these projectiles were intercepted. Israel launched air strikes in Gaza and later rolled out its cavalry across the border in response to the Hamas attacks on October 7 last year. Moreover, US military forces, along with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, successfully carried out strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also emphasised that these were "self-defense strikes, and in keeping with our obligations," to defend US troops overseas and protect the flow of commerce, CNN reported. (ANI) According to officials, ASI Ramavtar and SI Prem Singh were deployed on night picket duty at B.P. Marg in New Delhi. Officials said that at around 3 AM, ASI Ramavtar informed his fellow Sub Inspector to take rest for 10 minutes, and went to sit in his car, which was parked near the barricade. When SI Prem went to check him after sometime, he found that ASI Ramavtar had shot himself by his service pistol and he was found dead, they said. He was originally from VPO Chithroli, District Mahendergarh, Haryana and joined the Delhi Police in 1993, they added. A probe into the incident has been initiated, and the police were further looking into it. (ANI) International Joint General Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Surendra Jain on Saturday condemned the incident of fatal attack on Sadhus (ascetics) in West Bengal's Purulia and said that the attack was by Trinamool Congress goons for the sake of Muslim votes. VHP leader Surendra Jain's reaction came after a video went viral showing a group of sadhus (seers) being purportedly thrashed by a mob in the Purulia district. In the 30-second viral footage, a group of sadhus are purportedly seen being stripped and assaulted by a mob. Speaking to ANI, Surendra Jain said that the way TMC goons have carried out fatal attacks on Hindu saints in Purulia, West Bengal, is condemnable and cannot be accepted at all. "West Bengal is the land where 'Maa Kali' is worshipped in every year. Bengal is the land where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born. Where great saints like Bankim Chatterjee, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Aurobindo Ghosh were born. Today, the kind of anti-Hindu environment the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has created on the same land for the sake of a few Muslim votes is very unfortunate," he said. Listing out the attacks by TMC goons on Hindus, Jain said, "Kali Puja pandals are attacked, idols are insulted, workers of Hindu organizations are tortured, workers are even burnt alive by TMC goons.." "The people of the country do not accept the atrocities of Mamata Banerjee at all. We will strongly oppose it," he added. VHP Leader Surendra Jain demanded an immediate apology from the Chief Minister for the crime committed by her party's goons. "We want to warn Mamata Banerjee that she should apologize immediately for this crime by her party's goons and apologize to the entire country. Otherwise, Vishva Hindu Parishad will have to launch a nationwide movement against Mamata Banerjee. "People from the entire country, even the people of West Bengal are unhappy with Mamata Banerjee and will give her a befitting reply. TMC should understand that for the sake of a few Muslim votes today, the country will not accept insult done to Hindu society under any circumstances," he added. (ANI) Youth Congress Ernakulam district committee led a protest march to the police commissioner's office today to protest against the arrest of Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil. Lok Sabha MP from Ernakulam district, Hibi Eden inaugurated the march which started from the District Congress office at 11.45 am on Saturday. DCC President Muhammad Shiyas along with other MLAs K Babu, TJ Vinod, Anwar Sadath, Roji M John, Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Eldhose Kunnappilly and other Congress leaders also attended the protest march. The Congress leaders claimed 'political vendetta' as the reason behind arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil. Kerala Assembly, leader of opposition, and Congress leader VD Satheesan alleged that the Kerala police is doing injustice to the youngsters of the state. "Yesterday in Kannur a young girl was brutally attacked by the police. This was at the request of the Chief Minister. When there was an attempt to murder the youth congress people in Kannur, the Chief minister of Kerala appreciated this attack, and he made a call to continue this type of criminal activities," claimed Congress leader VD Satheesan. Earlier, On Tuesday, the police apprehended Rahul Mamkoottathil for his role in the Secretariat march, aimed at drawing attention to purported injustices against Youth Congress workers. The cantonment police visited the residence of the Youth Congress leader in Pathanamthitta to officially record the arrest. Preceding this, 31 Youth Congress workers had already been arrested in relation to the incident. Rahul Mamkoottathil stands as the fourth accused, while opposition leader VD Satheesan holds the position of the first accused in this case. The Youth Congress Secretariat organized a protest march on December 20 to condemn the assault on Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers by activists from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Chief Minister's security personnel during the Nava Kerala Yatra conducted by the state government. Condemning the arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil, the Indian Youth Congress said "Attack on free speech will not be tolerated. We condemn the arrest of our IYC Kerala President Rahul Mamkootathil for peacefully protesting against the brutality of government. CPM in Kerala has created a fascist administration under the illusion of 'free left." (ANI) Assam's Housing & Urban Affairs and Irrigation Minister Ashok Singhal on Saturday criticized the Congress party after its leaders declined to attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Singhal expressed his disapproval, stating that the Congress has lost its sense, and opposing Lord Ram is tantamount to opposing India, Bharat, Bhartiya culture, tradition, and spirituality. "Nobody can survive in the country by opposing Lord Ram. People have seen the results. They still have not realized that the place of Prabhu Ram is in the hearts of the Indian people. The day they realize, they will realize that they are mistaken. Still, there is time; they should realize their mistake and should participate in the event," Ashok Singhal said while speaking to ANI. In a critical remark directed at the Congress, he said that they oppose every good thing in the country and link that to BJP. "They (Congress) boycotted the inauguration of the new parliament, G20, and they will boycott anything which the country should be proud of. They will oppose everything, and they feel that opposing that means opposing BJP. But they don't understand that, opposing Ram, inauguration of the new parliament, G20; they are opposing the ethos of India, the idea of India," Singhal said. "Nobody should oppose the Ram Temple and Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Vigraha in Ram Mandir Janmasthan. It is a matter of pride. Lord Ram doesn't belong to one; Lord Ram is for everybody. Every Indian worship Lord Ram: somebody takes him as a God, someone takes him as an Adarshapurush, as a Maryada Purushottam. Those who are opposing don't understand Bharat. Those who are opposing Lord Ram and Ram Temple, they don't understand Indian culture, philosophy, spirituality; that's why they are opposing it. They don't have the roots on the ground. Any sensible person will not oppose it," he said. Talking about the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony, the Assam Minister said that it is a matter of a proud moment for every Indian that the Bhavya Mandir of Lord Ram is ready for inauguration. "Everybody should participate in it, and those who are not able to go to Ayodhya should participate in the community, temples, or in devalayas. This is the turning point of Indian history; after the struggle of 500 years, finally, as the result in a glorious temple," the minister said. Recalling his participation in the 1990 Kar Seva, Singhal said, "A lot of people participated in the Kar Seva, and he also participated in the 1990 Kar Seva when the Mulayam Singh Yadav government was there, and they killed 100 Kar Sevaks, and he was there when that incident happened. It is a proud moment for him, his family, and the entire country. Lots of programs are going on. With his mother and family, he would definitely like to go to Ayodhya in the month of February." The Assam Minister asserted that, ahead of the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha, the Assam government will also conduct Swachh Tirtha Abhiyan - a sweeping cleanliness initiative to enhance the sanctity of pilgrimage sites across the state. "Swachh Tirtha Abhiyan or Mahotsav will start in Assam from January 16 because of the celebration of Magh Bihu in the state. This will go on from January 16 to January 21. In the urban areas, lots of initiatives have been taken to make this campaign successful Abhiyan with Jan Bhagidari. We will clean our temples, devasthan," he added. (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy along with Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, called on Union Minister of Industry and Commerce Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Saturday. Revanth Reddy has urged Piyush Goyal to approve the establishment of a new 'Industrial Corridor' connecting Hyderabad to Vijayawada via Miryalaguda, the Telangana government said in an official statement. The Chief Minister emphasised the significance of final clearances for the proposed Hyderabad-Nagpur industrial corridor, estimating a substantial benefit of Rs 2,300 crore for Telangana State upon approval by the central government. CM Reddy, along with Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, presented various proposals for industrial development to Piyush Goyal. "Notably, the Chief Minister urged the Minister to reconsider the earlier plan of establishing a Pharma City between Hyderabad and Warangal and instead endorse the forthcoming proposal for a Pharma City to be submitted to the centre," the Telangana government said in an official statement. CM Revanth Reddy brought to the Union Minister's attention the relocation of the National Design Centre (NID) from Hyderabad to Vijayawada after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Urging the sanctioning of NID for Telangana, the Chief Minister also sought approval for a Mega Leather Park, already designated for Nellore district in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, to be relocated to Telangana, where the necessary land in Karimnagar and Jangaon districts has been acquired. Additionally, the Chief Minister appealed to Minister Goyal to accord greenfield status to the Mega Textile Park in Warangal under the PM Mitra scheme. CM Revanth Reddy emphasised the potential for accelerated industrial development, noting that the conversion from Brownfield to Greenfield would attract an additional Rs 300 crore in funds. Highlighting the state's readiness to establish industries related to technical textiles, such as bulletproof jackets, conveyor belts, and airbags, the CM urged Piyush Goyal to grant a Centre of Excellence for Technical Textiles/Testing Centre. Furthermore, he requested the allocation of one National Handloom Technology Centre (IIHT) to Telangana, emphasising the positive impact it would have on training weavers in modern technology and enhancing their income levels, especially with seven handloom clusters already established in the state. Union Industries Department Joint Secretary Balaji, Union Textiles Department Additional Secretary Rohit Kansal, State Textiles and Handlooms Department Director Alugu Varshini, TSIIC CEO Madhusudan, Delhi Telangana Bhavan OSD Sanjay Jaju, Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal and others also participated in the meeting. (ANI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday dismissed speculation that his son Udhayanidhi Stalin is being elevated to the Deputy CM post. M K Stalin in a letter addressed to the party workers said, "When youths across Tamil Nadu were getting ready for the Party Youth Wing Conference, few spread rumours about my health condition. I am in good health and vivacity. Working, working and working. " He also added that "After this lie was shattered, rumours were being spread to create a sensation, that deputy CM post was going to be given (to Udhayanidhi)," he said. Meanwhile, Youth Wing Secretary Udhyanithi Stalin himself gave a befitting reply and said, "All Ministers are supporting our Chief Minister' and he has shut the mouth of whoever spreads such rumours. We shouldn't deviate from the Salem Youth Wing Conference. Rumours are being spread as deviations." Earlier while addressing, World Tamils Diaspora Day held at Chennai Trade Centre on Friday, Tamil Nadu CM expressed pleasure over welcoming the Tamil diaspora. The CM assured that he would facilitate all those Tamils who want to come back. "Steps are being taken to bring back Tamils who want to return home due to medical conditions and various other reasons", said Stalin. "It was published in a newspaper that I am unwell, and my health condition was bad, but nothing is wrong with me when the people of Tamil Nadu are happy. I am someone who puts aside all such news and works beyond my strength," he added. (ANI) A total of 100 chartered planes, which will land in Ayodhya on the occasion of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla, will be parked in nearby airports, an official said on Saturday. Vinod Kumar, Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Director, after holding a meeting with Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai said that the parking facilities for the chartered aircraft are made in nearby airports including Lucknow, Varanasi and Prayagraj. "It was just a review meeting on how we have to handle the aircraft. And the arrangements regarding all of them were discussed in the meeting. The 100 chartered aircraft would be parked in nearby airports including Lucknow, Varanasi, and Prayagraj," the official said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth said on Thursday that 100 chartered planes will land in Ayodhya on the 'Pran Partishtha Day'."Around 100 chartered planes will land at the Ayodhya airport on 22nd January to attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple. This will also show us the path of checking the potential of the Ayodhya airport" said CM Adityanath. "I am grateful to PM Narendra Modi for giving the fourth international airport to Uttar Pradesh. The Ayodhya airport was inaugurated on December 30th" the Uttar Pradesh CM added. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister VK Singh, and other senior officials launched the first tri-weekly flights on Thursday between Ahmedabad and Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath received the boarding pass for the first tri-weekly flights between Ahmedabad and Ayodhya. In the first phase, the airport can handle 10 lakh passengers annually and after the second phase, Maharishi Valmiki International Airport will cater to 60 lakh commuters annually. Phase 1 of the state-of-the-art airport is developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore. The airport's terminal building will have an area of 6500 sq m, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually. The facade of the Terminal Building depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took over the security of Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya on Wednesday. The unit will be headed by a Deputy Commandant rank officer. The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple will be held on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on that day. As per temple officials, the ceremony will be held for seven days starting on January 16. (ANI) Friday saw Mayor Brandon Johnsons first news conference in three weeks, which, even accounting for the holiday season, is way too long an absence from the podium. Nonetheless, we wholly concur with Johnsons emergent purpose: to announce that the 60-day rule for migrants occupying city shelters had been suspended in the light of the frigid weather. Whatever your opinion of how the Chicago migrant crisis is being handled, all reasonable Chicagoans can agree that no family should be kicked out into this kind of cold and left to fend for themselves, let alone folks from a much warmer country. When the weather turns this chilly, any and all such rules should wait for a thaw. We were similarly glad that Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, imploring him to suspend his busing program. Wed called for that too. Texans are decent, compassionate people. Few would want Abbott to be so reckless with human lives. We hope youre staying warm this weekend. And to our Republican Iowa readers, a hardy crew, we say that there might just be only one good reason to leave the house on what is forecast to be a frigid Monday in the Hawkeye State: to cast your vote in Iowas leadoff caucuses. Americans who care about our democracy are counting on you to keep your skin covered and your democratic instincts at the fore. 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. Ahead of the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lala in Ayodhya's Ram Temple, the Uttar Pradesh government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Yogi has tightened the security in Ayodhya through land, air, and water surveillance. This involves extensive use of technology alongside the deployment of manual agencies, said an official statement by the CMO. The official statement further mentioned that the UP government has deployed a huge force of UP Police including Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Special Task Force (STF), Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and UP Special Security Force (UPSSF) in Ayodhya. The government is also using technologies such as AI, anti-drone systems, and CCTV cameras to monitor activities across the city. Additionally, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) contingent has been deployed along the Sarayu River and ghats. Furthermore, Ayodhya is implementing barcoding for the security of guests. Ayodhya IG Praveen Kumar said that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's direction, huge police forces have been deployed in Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir's Pran Pratishtha ceremony. The security of the Dham has been divided into two zones, red and yellow. He further mentioned that Central agencies such as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and NDRF have also been stationed. Besides, cooperation of the Intelligence Bureau and RAW is also being taken. According to the information from IG Kumar, the security team includes over 100 DSPs from various districts of the state, approximately 325 inspectors, and 800 sub-inspectors. Additionally, before the main event, 11,000 personnel from the police and paramilitary forces will also be deployed. He further mentioned that for VIP security, three DIGs, 17 SPs, 40 ASPs, 82 DSPs, 90 inspectors, more than a thousand constables and 4 companies of PAC have been assigned. The IG mentioned that the forces are being increased in view of the program. Moreover, emphasis is placed on better coordination between all agencies involved in security operations to avoid any lapses. Special arrangements have been made for tight rail security. He also informed that adequate additional security personnel have been provided for GRP. The forces deployed in Ayodhya are receiving behavioural training to ensure proper interactions with devotees and guests. Furthermore, 250 police guides have been appointed to provide information about the tourist spots, while a digital tourist app will be launched on January 14. The official statement by the CMO mentioned that the UP government is utilizing the latest technology to tighten security in Ayodhya. In this regard, the entire city is being monitored through ITMS of the Municipal Corporation, CCTV through Police, Control Room and Public CCTV. For this purpose, 1500 cameras of public CCTV have been integrated with ITMS. In the yellow zone, facial recognition AI-based big screens have been integrated with ITMS at 10,715 locations. Additionally, arrangements for OFC-linked cameras have been made. The entire security system is making extensive use of AI technology. Furthermore, the anti-drone system is fully active. The highly sensitive Red and Yellow zones of Ayodhya have been secured through an anti-drone system, said the official statement, adding that through this, any drone flying within a radius of 5 km can be located. As per the information from the CMO, this anti-drone system manufactured by an Israeli company is the world's most modern technology and any drone can be deactivated through this system. Moreover, the entire city of Ayodhya is equipped with 12 anti-drone systems, allowing monitoring of all activities on land, water, and in the air and bar coding is being used to ensure the security of VIPs during the program without any inconvenience. (ANI) The Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday celebrated the festival of Lohri at his official residence in Shimla with his friends, party leaders and workers. He said that it was a proud moment for him and the people living in this era to witness the big Ram temple, which will be opened for the people after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22. Greeting the people of the state on the occasion of the festival, he said that the Lohri is a festival celebrated in a big way in the neighbouring Punjab, but the festival has its influences in Himachal also. He said that people in Himachal Pradesh also celebrated this festival of a new beginning and change of season. On the Lohri festival, Jai Ram Thakur also performed the traditional Nati dance of Himachal here. The Organization secretary of BJP HP Siddharthan, former minister Suresh Bhardwaj, MLA Balveer Verma, BJP leader Sanjay Sood along with BJP, BJYM workers officials and scores of workers and others were present with him. Every year in January, India celebrates the Lohri festival on 13 January. In addition to celebrating the crop harvest, Lohri marks the end of the winter season. The nation as a whole, but especially Punjab and Northern India, celebrate Lohri with great fervour and happiness. One of the happiest and most widely celebrated festivities in India, Lohri also includes the warmth of bonfires, delicious foods, and the sounds of old-fashioned folk melodies. It is celebrated on the eve of Makar Sankranti to mark the conclusion of the winter solstice and the beginning of longer days. (ANI) Stating that it is impossible to get justice for the sexually assaulted victims from the local police of various districts, former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday demanded that a Special Investigation Team be constituted to probe the gang rape incidents. Addressing a press conference at the party office here on Saturday, he wanted the government to get the incidents investigated by the senior police officers, complete them within the stipulated time, and then file a charge sheet to ensure the maximum punishment for the accused. Speaking on the recent incident in Haveri, where a couple was assaulted, he said, "So far, only three persons have been arrested in connection with the Haveri incident, and why not all the miscreants? The BJP women's delegation would visit Haveri to collect information. The court also be requested to seek a proper inquiry." Bommai said law and order machinery has collapsed completely in the state, and the common people, including women, were unable to move freely. "In Bengaluru alone, the crime against women has increased by 30 percent. Rape, extortion, and violence have increased. Women were not safe, even in rural areas. Many cases pertaining to women have been hushed up. The police have become mute spectators. Even while the Belagavi session was going on, a woman in a village near the Suvarna Soudha had been allegedly beaten up and stripped in public. This shows that the miscreants have no fear of the government or the police. Is visiting the hospital to meet the victim sufficient? So far, a proper inquiry has not been done and many of the accused are still at large. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hasn't taken any steps despite what has happened to a Dalit woman," Bommai said. Bommai characterized Karnataka as having descended into a state of "Jungle Raj," attributing the rise of illegal clubs to local Congress leaders. He raised questions about the arrests of individuals in Hubballi without filed cases, the sexual assault of a five-year-old girl in Kolar, and the gang rape of a minority community woman in Haveri. Bommai criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's silence on these incidents and concluded by deeming Karnataka a state under "Jungle Raj." "In Hubballi, the Kar Sevaks had been arrested even though cases were not filed against them. Even the leader of the opposition has been arrested and booked. In Kolar, a five-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted by five people, and she was undergoing treatment. A similar gang had gang-raped a minority community woman in Haveri. Why CM Siddaramaiah has been tight-lipped in this incident," he added. Former Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol, Ashwath Narayana; MLA SRVishwanath, and other leaders were present. (ANI) Amid attempts on the lives of Pakistani leaders ahead of the upcoming general elections, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested two 'suicide-bombers' planning to target the Jamiat- Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Awami National Party's (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan, Geo News reported on Friday. According to Geo News, the CTD Superintendent of Police (SP), Najam-ul-Hussain announced the arrest of two suspected suicide bombers affiliated with Daesh Khorasan from the Matni area. He said the apprehended terrorists were planning suicide attacks targeting JUI-F leader Fazl. Further, the sleuths disclosed that the terrorists had intentions to target the ANP leader through a suicide bombing. During the security operation, suicide jackets, three hand grenades and propaganda material associated with Daesh were recovered. The bomb disposal unit (BDU) has successfully neutralised the weapons and explosive devices. Geo News reported that the arrested suspects had visited the JUI-F's center and investigations revealed that they had undergone training in the Paktia region of Afghanistan. The SP added that the outlawed organisation had previously been linked to targeted killings of individuals representing various schools of thought in the region six months ago. In a related development, authorities have made progress in identifying the individual responsible for planting a bomb on the Warsak Road. SP CTD said that the arrest of the terrorist involved in the Warsak Road bomb blast was imminent. It is pertinent to mention here that the JUI-F chief's convoy was fired upon from multiple sides in Dera Ismail Khan's Yarik interchange last month. He, however, remained unhurt in the attack. Earlier, a leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Shah Khalid, was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Swabi, The News International reported on Wednesday. According to the report, unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle fired shots at Khalid's car at Swabi Assa, resulting in the death of the Opposition leader on the spot. The independent candidate, identified as Kaleemullah Khan, was looking at contesting the general elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly's PK-104 segment. In a separate incident on the same day, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) candidate for NA-258 Aslam Buledi sustained injuries during a firing incident in Turbat City, officials said. The deadly attacks on Opposition candidates and Independents come as the country gears up for the February 8 general elections. With the general elections drawing near, the menace of violence is rearing its head in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), as another local political leader was gunned down in the province, The News International reported. (ANI) It said that the security forces launched the intelligence-based operation after they received information about terrorists' presence. The two terrorists have been identified as Abdullah Khadri and Khalid alias "Janan" who were killed by the forces. "The killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area including target killing of innocent civilians," the ISPR stated. ARY News reported that security forces in Pakistan are carrying out a sanitisation operation to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. "The security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country", the military's media wing noted. The operation comes amid a surge in terrorist activities across the country, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Earlier on January 10, two Pakistan Army soldiers were killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Lakki Marwat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). According to ISPR, the intense exchange of fire took place in Lakki Marwat, where Pakistan Army troops killed two terrorists identified as Aftab aka Malang and Masood Shah. Whereas, two soldiers Sepoy Muhammad Afzal (resident of district Bhimber, Azad Kashmir) and Sepoy Ibrar Hussain (27 years old, resident of district Mansehra) were also killed in the operation. (ANI) US President Joe Biden on Friday said Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin lapsed in his judgment by not informing him of his hospitalisation, The Hill reported on Friday. Asked if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to have informed him of his ongoing treatment for prostrate cancer, he told reporters, "Yes." Addressing the controversy around Defence Secretary Austin for the first time, President Biden said he still has confidence in the former. To a question on whether he continues to repose trust in the Defence Secretary, Biden replied, "I do". Austin underwent surgery in an initial December 22 hospital visit after prostate cancer was detected and he was released the next morning, the Pentagon revealed Tuesday. He returned to the hospital following complications on January 1, but Biden was unaware of his hospitalization until January 4. The Hill reported that US President Biden got to know about Austin's prostate cancer diagnosis until Tuesday morning, the same day it was revealed to the public in what some are calling an extraordinary breach of protocol. The White House has said Biden isn't considering firing Austin despite mounting criticism, including from some Republicans who have called for Austin to step down. Austin acknowledged that he failed to notify Biden for multiple days when he was hospitalized following complications. The White House announced on Tuesday it was launching a review of protocols for how Cabinet officials delegate authority. White House Chief of Staff Jeff 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 travelling to areas with limited communication, during hospitalization, or when undergoing a medical procedure requiring anaesthesia. (ANI) Amid ongoing events and celebrations across the globe ahead of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, giant billboards of Lord Ram and the majestic shrine in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh have gone up in more than 10 states, thousands of miles away in the United States. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), US chapter, in association with Hindus from across the US, have put up more than 40 billboards in 10 states and more, displaying the message around the the grand 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the birthplace of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22. The billboards have gone up in Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Georgia, among other states. Additionally, Arizona and the State of Missouri are set to join this visual celebration starting Monday, January 15, according to the VHP, American chapter. "The resounding message conveyed by these billboards is that Hindu Americans are elated and joyously participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event. Their emotions overflow as they eagerly await the auspicious day of the consecration ceremony," Amitabh VW Mittalgeneral secretary, Hindu Parishad of America, told ANI. To commemorate the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Hindu American community across the US has organised several car rallies and has planned many more events in the run-up to the 'Pran Pratishtha' in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the ceremonial installation of the idol of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on January 22. A host of leaders and dignitaries from all walks of life have been invited to the grand temple opening in Ayodhya. According to temple officials, the ceremony will be held over a span of seven days starting January 16. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. Earlier, on Wednesday, the Indian envoy to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu said Ramayan is a bridge across geographies and teaches people about the complexities of human relationships and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Speaking at an event at the US Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, titled 'Ramayana across Asia and Beyond', the Indian envoy said, "Ramayan and its shared heritage across the Indo-Pacific. The lessons and tales from Ramayan are passed down from generations, and it is hard to say exactly when one learns them. It's as if one was born with them. The epic gives insights into the complexities of human relationships, governance and spirituality, dharma or duty, justice, sacrifice, loyalty, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. The Ramayan has something to teach us about each of these themes, among many other things." "The Ramayan is also a bridge across geographies. Stories from the epic are well known in many countries across Indo Pacific, from Cambodia to Indonesia, from Thailand to Laos. The epic has been reimagined, retold, included in the artistic, literary, and religious traditions of various societies incorporating their unique cultural nuances. I have been personally witness to this influence of Ramayan across boundaries," Ambassador Sandhu added. Moreover, amid the growing public anticipation in India around the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the Mauritian government announced the grant of two hours of special break for practising Hindu public officers on January 22 to enable them to participate in local events marking the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Shri Ram Lalla in the Indian temple town. The Mauritian Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, on Friday, issued an official statement that read, "(The) Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday 22 January 2024 as from 1400 hours to public officers of Hindu faith, subject to exigencies of service, in the context of the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India, which is a landmark event as it symbolises the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya." (ANI) Polling to elect the next President and the running mate began in Taiwan on Saturday, with over nineteen million people, of which one million are first-time voters, registered to cast their ballots across almost 18,000 polling stations in the island country. The world is keenly watching Taiwan as its citizens prepare to vote for a new President and Parliament amidst escalating tensions with China. Beijing's increasing threats towards Taipei over the past eight years have raised concerns, and the world awaits not only the election results but also the response from Taiwan's 'authoritarian neighbour,' as reported by CNN. In terms of age groups in the presidential election, 40-49-year-olds make up the largest voting bloc with 3.88 million eligible voters, or 19.88 per cent of the electorate, followed by 50-59-year-olds with 3.53 million eligible voters, who account for 18.06 per cent of the electorate, Taiwan's Central Election Commission (CEC) said in a statement. Around 2.84 million of age from 20-29 year-olds are eligible to vote in the presidential election this time, the CEC said. The voters will receive three ballots -- a presidential ballot, a regional or aboriginal legislator ballot and a ballot for a political party that will determine legislator-at-large seats. Taiwanese voters will be choosing a successor to Tsai Ing-wen, the nation's first female president, who cannot seek re-election due to term limits after winning in 2016 and 2020. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by Tsai, is viewed unfavourably by China, which considers Taiwan a sovereign nation. The election takes place under Chinese threats, with President Xi Jinping emphasizing the inevitability of Taiwan's unification with the mainland, even if by force. The last change of government in 2016 saw Beijing severing most communications with Taipei and escalating economic, diplomatic, and military pressure, turning the Taiwan Strait into a major geopolitical flashpoint, according to CNN. The opposition comprises of Kuomintang (KMT) -- the Chinese nationalist party that fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war and ruled the island with an iron fist for almost 40 years -- and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), a centrist alternative party founded only in 2019, according to CNN. There are three major candidates in the fray -- Lai Ching-Te from DPP, Hou Yu-Ih from KMT and Ko Wen-Je from the TPP. A fourth potential contender, billionaire Terry Gou, the founder of Apple's major supplier Foxconn, withdrew hours before the deadline to formally register as a candidate. However, the KMT and TPP failed to join forces to run against the ruling DPP after their leaders quarrelled on live television and ended up registering separate presidential bids. All three candidates are selling themselves as the best choice for avoiding that doomsday scenario, pledging to maintain peace and the status quo - which polls have consistently shown is what most people in Taiwan want, CNN reported. But the three men hold very different visions for how to achieve that goal. They all cite the need to boost Taiwan's defence capabilities to deter China's aggression but disagree on their policy priorities, particularly how to deal with Beijing. Current DPP Vice President Lai Ching-te emphasises bolstering Taiwan's ties with like-minded democratic partners, such as the United States and Japan, while maintaining his administration's stance that Taiwan is already a de facto sovereign nation - a view Beijing deems unacceptable. Hou Yu-ih, from the main opposition party, Kuomintang (KMT), places more weight on resuming dialogue and de-escalating tension with China. Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), meanwhile, has called for a more "pragmatic" approach to seeking a "new way out in the US-China rivalry," though he has been less clear about what that means in practice. Initially, Taiwan was ruled under KMT-imposed martial law. It held its first direct presidential election only in 1996. Since then, only candidates from the two major parties - the KMT and the DPP - have captured the presidency. Taiwan's presidential elections are won by a simple majority of votes and take place every four years. The presidency has a two-term limit, CNN reported. Notably, China's ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it. While successive Chinese Communist leaders have vowed to eventually achieve "reunification," Xi has repeatedly said the Taiwan issue "should not be passed down generation after generation," linking the mission to his mid-century goal of "national rejuvenation." "This election marks a change in leadership at a moment when cross-strait tensions are high and preserving stability has become more of a challenge," Amanda Hsiao, senior China analyst for the International Crisis Group said." A conflict involving Taiwan is unlikely in the near term. But if one were to break out, the ramifications would be globally felt," Hsiao added. In a New Year's message, Zhang Zhijun, the head of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, a quasi-official body that handles ties with Taiwan, urged the people of Taiwan to make the "correct choice" on January 13. According to Al Jazeera, Beijing has also been engaged in its usual online misinformation campaigns to stir up controversy. Its more analogue tactics include reaching out to voters through religious networks for prominent Taiwanese temples and deities, relying on shared cultural and historic ties to sway voters' minds. Earlier on January 9, Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaushieh Joseph Wu, called on the global community to be aware of and thwart China's attempts to intervene in democratic nations' elections, according to Taiwan Today, a local weekly newspaper reported. The minister warned that China is using Taiwan as a testing ground for election intervention and explained China's various interference tactics. He cited examples, emphasising China's reliance on mixed methods such as military threats, political propaganda, economic coercion, and cyber and disinformation warfare. The objective is to manipulate public opinion, framing elections as a choice between war, peace and prosperity. Meanwhile, China has made no secret of its preference in the tight race, framing the election as a choice between "peace and war, prosperity and decline."Notably, Beijing's preferred candidate is Hou from the KMT, which traditionally favors closer ties with China, according to CNN. Hou has blamed the DPP for "provoking" China and vowed to restart dialogue and repair economic ties with Beijing. He has also pledged to revive a controversial trade deal with China, which sparked huge student-led protests in 2014 during the previous KMT administration. Beijing openly loathes the DPP and Lai. The latter once described himself as "a practical worker for Taiwan's independence." Although he has moderated his position to favour the status quo, Beijing has continued to denounce him as a dangerous separatist. Earlier on Wednesday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office warned Taiwan's voters to "recognise the extreme danger of Lai Ching-te's triggering of cross-strait confrontation and conflict" and "to make the right choice at the crossroads of cross-strait relations."CNN reported, citing experts, that Beijing's response may vary depending on the election results, but tension could rise further down the road regardless of who takes office, as China's "reunification" plan has become a nonstarter for the vast majority of Taiwan's 24 million people. In addition to the threat from Beijing, livelihood issues such as low wages, high property prices and Taiwan's slowly growing economy are expected be key factors in how they vote. Significantly, the Taiwanese voters are unhappy with key domestic issues such as Taiwan's stagnant economy, the high cost of housing and the future of the island's energy policies, the presidential election is often overshadowed by the bigger question of Taiwan's political status, Al Jazeera reported. Another unusual factor that has surfaced just before the elections is the settlement of Hong Kongers in Taiwan. According to a report by Voice of America (VOA), Hong Kong immigrants in Taiwan are seeking increased support through the upcoming Taiwan elections. During Taiwan's last presidential election, in 2020, protests were held against the Hong Kong government's proposal to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance that critics said would allow Hong Kongers to be sent to China for trial. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan emphasized the need to support Hong Kongers, and the slogan "Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow Taiwan" gained prominence. Taiwan's 113-person legislature is made up of 73 legislators based on geographic constituencies, 34 based on party lists and six seats reserved for Indigenous Taiwanese representatives, all of whom will serve four-year terms, according to Al Jazeera. In the last two elections, the turnout was relatively high, at 66.27 per cent in 2016 and 74.9 per cent in 2020. (ANI) Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen urged people to cast their ballots as she cast her own on Saturday morning in New Taipei City, Channel News Asia reported. The leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cast her ballot at the Xiulang Elementary School voting place in New Taipei. Hsiao Bi-khim, the vice presidential candidate, and several party officials were present. Greeting an early group of voters, Tsai hailed the excellent weather and encouraged everyone to vote. She said, "citizens in a democratic country can decide the future of the country with one vote," according to Taiwan News. Tsai also advised voters to carry along the documents that are needed to finish the registration procedure, along with their national ID and chop (stamp), Taiwan News reported. Taiwanese voters will choose the country's next president on today. Every four years, elections are scheduled in Taiwan. Earlier today, the three presidential contenders for Taiwan in the 2024 general election also cast their ballots. The presidential candidates from the three major parties are: the Democratic Progressive Party's Lai Ching-te and his running partner Hsiao Bi-khim; the Taiwan People's Party's Ko Wen-Je and his running mate Wu Hsin-Ying; and the Kuomintang's Hou Yu-ih and his running mate Jaw Shaw-kong. According to Taiwan-based SET news, Lai travelled to Anping Elementary School in Tainan's Anping District, Tainan City, to cast his ballot. Whereas, at the Da'an district of Taipei's Jinou Girls' High School, Ko cast his ballot, Taiwan news reported citing Channel News Asia. Meanwhile, Hou visited Banqiao Elementary School in New Taipei City's Banqiao District to vote.The election will not only determine Taiwan's president, and vice president, but also 113 legislators, which will include 73 district lawmakers, six Indigenous lawmakers, and 34 legislators-at-large. The polls opened at 8 a.m. and will close at 4 p.m. Notably, 70 per cent of the island's 19.5 million voters are registered to vote, and they are spread throughout the five biggest cities: Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, according to Al Jazeera. There are 17,795 polling stations, the majority of them in schools. The world is keenly watching Taiwan as its citizens prepare to vote for a new President and Parliament amidst escalating tensions with China. Beijing's increasing threats towards Taipei over the past eight years have raised concerns, and the world awaits not only the election results but also the response from Taiwan's 'authoritarian neighbour,' as reported by CNN. In terms of age groups in the presidential election, 40-49-year-olds make up the largest voting bloc with 3.88 million eligible voters, or 19.88 per cent of the electorate, followed by 50-59-year-olds with 3.53 million eligible voters, who account for 18.06 per cent of the electorate, Taiwan's Central Election Commission (CEC) said in a statement. Around 2.84 million of age from 20-29 year-olds are eligible to vote in the presidential election this time, the CEC said. (ANI) Maldives is facing a boycott from Indian tourists, one of its biggest sources of tourism income, after three of its officials made derogatory remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India after his recent visit to Lakshadweep. But this will certainly see an increase in tourist flow to the Indian islands like Lakshadweep and the Andamans, according to the Indian tourists visiting the Maldives. While speaking with ANI, the tourists who were in Male showed optimism and confidence in the Indian islands, attracting more visitors than earlier. After PM Modi's promotion of Lakshadweep, there have been massive social media campaigns to boost its tourism and to shun the Maldives with hashtags like 'boycott Maldives' trending. 'What the Prime Minister is doing for India is that he is promoting Indian tourism, so that is a positive thing for India. People should go and explore India. It's not that Lakshadweep was not there before; people, of course, knew about it. But after the Prime Minister's visit there, going and promoting is very positive', said Kunal Somaiya, a visitor from Mumbai in Male who had a pre-booking before the spat began. Refraining from commenting on the political debate, Kunal was, however, sure that the current rift going on between India and Maldives could see a dip in footfall in Maldives. 'What I see in Maldives is that they are, in many ways, dependent on India when it comes to tourism. I don't have the exact numbers, but a good percentage of the foreign tourists here would be Indians. Because of this (ongoing spat) we are seeing some impact. What I am hearing is that flights are getting cancelled', added Kunal. For a tourist in Maldives, coming from Dehradun, the ongoing rift was surprising. DK Agarwal was, like many other Indians, dismayed by the remarks made by the Maldivian officials against the Indian PM and believed that this could, of course, result in a change in the minds of tourists who had earlier chosen the Maldives. 'When there has been nothing said or mentioned against your country (Maldives), why should they (Maldivian officials) react in such a way and make such derogatory remarks against our Honourable Prime Minister and India? They shouldn't have done this', said DK Agarwal. 'Maldives will see that (dip in footfall) in a year or so that what is the affect of doing all this. Because once the Indian tourists change their way to Lakshadweep or any other island, all will follow the same', he added. PM Modi's recent visit to the Indian island has sparked global interest in the destination which is seeing a spike in Google searches about Lakshadweep. PM Modi, during his visit, shared pictures of himself taking a morning walk, relaxing in an armchair and snorkelling, which has since piqued the interest of Indian tourists. For Rajan Sharma, things were a little different. He was a little apprehensive about travelling to Maldives for his friend's anniversary. But because the trip was planned much before the rift began, he had to turn up for the event from Mumbai. 'I had to attend my friend's anniversary in an island here (Maldives). After all these incidents, my wife asked me to cancel my plan. When I had a telephone conversation with my friend here, he said 'You can come'. So, I had to', said Rajan, who was due to take his flight back home from the Velana International Airport on Thursday. 'I hope that things will be sorted out soon. But I must say, that here it is very expensive. Our Indian islands are very economical and they can provide you with the same services in a very low price as compared to what I saw here. So, I would urge all the Indians to explore our Indian islands', added Rajan. A diplomatic row was triggered between India and Maldives after three Maldivian leaders, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, posted derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mocked him over his recent trip to Lakshadweep. The matter was strongly raised by India with Male and the top opposition leaders of the island nation slamming the ruling establishment over the row. (ANI) It is an American tradition to shout from the rooftops that the United States is the greatest country on earth. It is apparently also a tradition for Americans to react with shock and dismay when large groups of people cross our borders because they want to live in the greatest country on earth. We cant have it both ways. Currently, thousands of migrants are coming across our southern border in search of a better life. This is a chaotic and confusing situation for American citizens and for the migrants. However, it does not need to be this way. Instead of regarding these newcomers as threats and liabilities, we could view them as assets to our nation and treat them accordingly. The fact is we have a chronic labor shortage, and Americas birthrate is not sufficient to alleviate that shortage, not now and not in the future. Jobs go begging. Employers in our country bitterly lament the lack of workers. The migrants entering the United States could be the workers we need. They probably wont make a seamless transition into the workforce, but they are motivated, and they are here. Vet these people. Give them job permits and get them to work. We need them. They are a godsend. Francis Pauc, Oak Creek, Wisconsin Fix the immigration system I listened to Pope Francis in a recent speech say that children are a gift. Most people say that babies are a gift from God. When do people stop being gifts from God? Apparently when they are migrants crossing our border. My grandparents fled Eastern Europe in the 1920s. bringing their talents and love of family, hoping, striving, and yearning for a better life. They took jobs in the coal mines of Pennsylvania and the meat packing stockyards in Chicago and as carpenters and cleaning ladies. They worked hard, saved money, built houses and families, and sent their kids to school, and we did the same thing. These are the same types of jobs that migrants from south of our border seek and take today. The United States has flourished with the influx of immigrants over the last 100 years. Yet we are treating immigrants as a pestilence, not a gift from God. We will continue to flourish if we fix our immigration system and build a system that recognizes the benefits that immigrants represent. We can assimilate immigrants into our country as we have for well over 100 years, and our economy and diverse culture will continue to flourish. The immigration situation is an opportunity that we can benefit from, not a crisis. We make it a crisis by ignoring the opportunity, as our politicians play the blame game. The Statue of Liberty inscription says: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Those words seem to be even more appropriate today. Gregg A. Kulma, Lakewood, Colorado Cartoon unfair to Texas The Jan. 9 editorial cartoon from Mike Luckovich about someone leaving Texas for their mental health is moronic at best, as well as inaccurate. Look, I am not defending Texas or its governor or political climate. But the numbers tell a different story. People are leaving Illinois, not Texas. I have relatives living in Texas. They are liberals and dont feel guilty at all about admitting it. They have no plan to leave. The taxes are lower, the cost of living is lower and the climate is better. And even if they did leave, Illinois is one of the last places where they would relocate. Even cartoonists should exhibit some type of fairness and accuracy. By the way, I note that the cartoonist is from an Atlanta paper. Perhaps he should stick to cartoons about Atlanta, a place he might reasonably know something about. Laurence Siegel, Manteno Creating historical context I agree with Maryellen Spore Krammers letter Speaking truth to power (Jan. 3). It is an intelligent, concise and well-written comment. Most importantly, she mentions Boston College history professor Heather Cox Richardsons newsletter, which should be on everyones reading list for its calm information, factual explanations and comparisons of historical facts with whats occurring today. Cox provides the perfect details and explanations, backed up by reliable sources. It would be great if the Tribune could create a section in the newspaper to post these newsletters for the greater good of the public. She is fantastic! I wish I had her for history when I was in school but am grateful for the time she takes now to spell it out in an easy way to subscribers of her newsletter those interested in facts versus alternative facts. Jean Brennan, Chicago Planned Parenthood facts Regarding the the letter Abortion as a service in the Jan. 4 Tribune: The writer takes issue with Planned Parenthood being included in a list of charities recommended by Amy Dickinson and asks to whom the abortions provided by Planned Parenthood are a service. The answer is they are a health care service to people who do not wish to carry a pregnancy to term. The writer also states that Planned Parenthood already receives government funding and should not need more handouts to support its activities. To be clear, Planned Parenthood receives no federal funding for abortion due to the Hyde Amendment, which has blocked Medicaid funding for abortion since 1976, although in 1994, exceptions were added for cases in which continuing the pregnancy would threaten the patients life or for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. As to Planned Parenthoods activities, besides abortion, it offers services such as contraception, vasectomies, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, pap tests and sexual health education. Finally, most charities rely on private donations in addition to government funding; there is nothing unusual about this. Laurie Garrett, Chicago Playing nice with Iran President Joe Bidens administration is reluctant to use offensive military power against Iranian proxies such as the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. Biden and Barack Obama as president believed, forlornly, that if they make nice with Iran, then Iran will play nice with them. This has been the failed policy for years, ever since Obama and his Foggy Bottom Boys at the State Department conjured this fantasy. Now that the United Kingdom is ready to go after the Houthis, will Biden play nice with this close ally and join in? Paul Bloustein, Cincinnati, Ohio Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has started a social media campaign #IStandWithBalochMarch to increase support for their movement throughout the world against enforced disappearances of the Baloch people. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the situation in Balochistan and bring together voices in support of justice, The Balochistan Post reported. In a statement, BYC called upon people worldwide to join the solidarity campaign. They emphasised the nonviolent character of their public campaign and voiced worries about purported false information and attempts at internet restriction aimed at the Baloch March. BYC emphasised the need to dispel false information, alter damaging myths, and raise public awareness of the problems with extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances in Balochistan. In a post on X, political activist Mahrang Baloch said that she is "deeply touched" to see Baloch women and children from Malir and Lyari standing against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. "I am deeply touched to see Baloch women and children from Malir and Lyari standing against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. For years, Lyari has remained the intellectual hub of Baloch nationalism in all its diverse expressions. The way peaceful residents of Lyari were treated and detained by Karachi police on Friday is a sheer violation of the law," she wrote on X. "I am writing to the United Nations Special Rapporteur about this mistreatment soon. Together, we can stand to stop grave abuses of rights in Balochistan. Be with us and strengthen our fight against this injustice. Thank you, Lyari. Thank you, Malir," she added. https://x.com/MahrangBaloch_/status/1746087600929079350?s=20 The campaign seeks to spread awareness of the situation in Balochistan and encourage a broad range of people, including the general public and human rights activists, to support the Baloch March. (ANI) A three-member bench of the high court headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi heard the petition against the Appellate Tribunal's decision. The petition was filed by Pakistan Awami Mahaz Chief Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry. Chaudhry had challenged the acceptance of the nomination papers of Nawaz Sharif on the grounds of his lifetime disqualification from the Supreme Court in the Panama case. The court observed that the Supreme Court has already given its verdict over the eligibility. As per the petition, the tribunal dismissed the appeal against Nawaz Sharif's nomination papers in contravention of the facts of the case. "Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified for life and could not contest the election," the petitioner argued. "The Supreme Court's decision against disqualification for life was given after approval of Nawaz Sharif's nomination papers and this decision could not apply to Nawaz Sharif's case," the petitioner said. He pleaded with the court to reject Sharif's nomination papers. The Pakistan Supreme Court recently ended the lifetime disqualification of lawmakers, recalling its earlier order disbarring politicians from running for office ever. The decision has come as a major boost for several big names who are aiming to contest the general elections on February 8. The latest judgement allows PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) chief Jahangir Tareen to run for office as they were disqualified for life, Dawn reported. The Supreme Court declared that no person can be barred for a lifetime from running in elections if they are disqualified under Article 62 (1)(f), setting aside its landmark judgement in the Samiullah Baloch case. A seven-member larger bench -- headed by CJP Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Justice Musarrat Hilali -- conducted the hearings of the case, which were broadcast live on the apex court's website. The bench announced the verdict with a 6-1 majority as Justice Yahya Afridi disagreed with his fellow judges, backing the apex court's previous judgement. (ANI) The US congratulated Taiwanese President-elect Lai Ching-te on his victory in Saturday's elections, vowing to cooperate and work closely with the island nation. In his congratulatory message to the newly elected leader, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability as well as a peaceful resolution of differences with a belligerent neighbour in the form of China. "The United States congratulates Dr. Lai Ching-te on his victory in Taiwan's presidential election. We also congratulate the Taiwan people for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process," Blinken said in his congratulatory message to Taipei. "The United States is committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure. The partnership between the American people and the people of Taiwan, rooted in democratic values, continues to broaden and deepen across economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties," the official statement quoted Secretary of State Blinken as saying further. He also reiterated the US's commitment to working closely with newly elected Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and strengthening relations between the two countries. "We look forward to working with Dr. Lai and Taiwan's leaders of all parties to advance our shared interests and values, and to further our longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the U.S. one China policy as guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. We are confident that Taiwan will continue to serve as an example for all who strive for freedom, democracy, and prosperity," Blinken said. Earlier, on Saturday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te won the much-anticipated Taiwanese presidential polls and is set to be the next President amid concerns of escalating tensions with China, Taiwan News reported. This marks the historic third-straight victory for the DPP after Tsai Ing-wena completed her two terms as Taiwan President since 2016. According to the Central Election Commission report, Lai received over 5 million votes and more than 40 per cent of the vote share after counting was done from over 90 per cent of polling stations as of 7:45 pm (local time). Previously undecided voters split three ways among the candidates, giving Lai a seven-point lead over Kuomintang candidate Hou Yu-ih, who received 33 per cent of the total votes. In third place, the Taiwan People's Party candidate Ko Wen-je took 26 per cent of the national vote, performing marginally better than expected, according to Taiwan News. Lai, who previously served as Tainan's mayor has pledged to continue bolstering national defense, the economy, and cooperation with democratic allies. He also said he would maintain deterrence and uphold the cross-strait status quo, during an election speech. Lai said he would form a new government staffed by individuals based on their 'capabilities' rather than 'party affiliation', adding that this way, "it could effectively respond to challenges, be open and inclusive, and unite Taiwanese to face both domestic and international challenges". He also vowed to continue initiatives focusing on value-based diplomacy, cross-strait stability, defense self-sufficiency, economic upgrading, energy transition, youth investment, housing justice, and educational equality. (ANI) PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A woman is dead after her vehicle crashed into an ambulance near the Oregon Coast Thursday evening, according to authorities. At around 5:30 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to reports of a two-vehicle crash on Highway 101 in Lincoln County, near milepost 163. Authorities say an ambulance, driven by Casey Wittmier, was responding to a call with emergency lights activated when it attempted to turn southbound onto Highway 101 from a driveway. 1 dead in Old Town neighborhood stabbing: police A woman driving northbound in a Kia Soul then crashed into the drivers side of the ambulance, officials say. The driver of the Kia, identified by police as 25-year-old Kelsey Seibel, was declared dead at the scene, while the Kias passenger, a 16-year-old boy, suffered critical injuries and was taken to a local hospital, police said. According to OSP, Neither occupant of the Kia was properly restrained and airbags failed to deploy. Dont be a hazard: ODOT shares safety tips on abandoning cars in snow The ambulance driver and passenger were not injured and there was no patient in the ambulance at the time of the collision, officials say. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. The Orange County Sheriffs Department is investigating a fatal shooting reported Saturday morning in an Orlando neighborhood. Deputies responded to the 7300 block of Woodhill Park Drive around 11:50 a.m., according to an email from the department. Upon arrival they located a man and woman, both in their 30s, who had been shot, the email stated. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The man was transported to the hospital where he is in stable condition. No additional information is available at this time but the investigation is active and ongoing, the email stated. VERMILION TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) A 33-year-old Pickerington man was killed when his SUV went off the road and crashed, rolling over multiple times. It happened just after 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, on U.S. Route 30, according to a news release from the Ashland post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Family says toddler hospitalized after Elyria police raid home in mistaken identity case The driver, identified as 33-year-old Richard Arias of Pickerington, was headed west when his SUV went off the left side of the road, struck the raised median, rolled over multiple times and ended up in the oncoming eastbound lanes. Arias was thrown from the vehicle, suffering fatal injuries. SWAT standoff ends with alleged gunman dead: Sheriff Neither drugs nor alcohol are considered to be factors in the crash. The highway was closed for about two hours for investigation and cleanup. The crash remains under investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. SHOSHONE COUNTY, Idaho (ABC4) One person is dead and two others rescued after an avalanche in Shoshone County, Idaho on Thursday, according to the Shoshone County Sheriffs Office. At around 2:50 p.m. on Jan. 11, authorities received a GPS alert of a possible death near Stevens Peak in Shoshone County. Officials said a rescue effort was made to retrieve three males that were believed to have been caught in an avalanche. Wrestler airlifted after injury at Herriman tournament The Shoshone County Sheriffs Office, United States Air Force, Kootenai County Sheriffs Office, Silver Valley Search and Rescue, and Silver Mountain Ski Patrol responded to the incident, establishing contact with two of the three individuals. Officials said they began a targeted search in the area near their last known location, located the two males, and brought them back to receive medical care. Through talking with the two males, authorities had reason to believe that the third male was possibly deceased at the site of the avalanche. Search efforts were then called off for the evening for the safety of all those involved, according to a release. On Friday, Jan. 12, the Shoshone County Sheriffs Office conducted a retrieval mission for the third individual. Pedestrian suffers broken legs after being hit in Layton Authorities found the skier, identified as Corey J. Zalewski, deceased, and extracted him from the area. The two other skiers rescued from the incident have been identified as Landon E. Crecelius and David R. Sittser. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Coreys family as they are remembering the life of this great man, the sheriffs office stated. No further information is available at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Israeli soldiers take up positions near the Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. The army is battling Palestinian militants across Gaza in the war ignited by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack into Israel. Israel and Hamas have been at war for 100 days. The war already is the longest and deadliest between Israel and the Palestinians since Israels establishment in 1948, and the fighting shows no signs of ending. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File) JERUSALEM (AP) Sunday marks 100 days that Israel and Hamas have been at war. The war already is the longest and deadliest between Israel and the Palestinians since Israels establishment in 1948, and the fighting shows no signs of ending. Israel declared war in response to Hamas unprecedented cross-border attack on Oct. 7 in which the Islamic militant group killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. It was the deadliest attack in Israels history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust. Israel responded with weeks of intense airstrikes in Gaza before expanding the operation into a ground offensive. It says its goal is to crush Hamas and win the release of the more than 100 hostages still held by the group. The offensive has wrought unprecedented destruction upon Gaza. But more than three months later, Hamas remains largely intact and hostages remain in captivity. The Israeli military says the war will stretch on throughout 2024. Here are five takeaways from the first 100 days of a conflict that has upended the region. ISRAEL WILL NEVER BE THE SAME The Oct. 7 attack blindsided Israel and shattered the nations faith in its leaders. While the public has rallied behind the militarys war effort, it remains deeply traumatized. The country seems to be reliving Oct. 7 when families were killed in their homes, partygoers gunned down at a music festival and children and older people abducted on motorcycles every day. Posters of the hostages who remain in Hamas captivity line public streets, and people wear T-shirts calling on leaders to Bring Them Home. Israeli news channels devote their broadcasts to round-the-clock coverage of the war. They broadcast nonstop tales of tragedy and heroism from Oct. 7, stories about hostages and their families, tearful funerals of soldiers killed in action and reports from Gaza by correspondents smiling alongside the troops. There is little discussion or sympathy over the skyrocketing death toll and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Plans for postwar Gaza are rarely mentioned. One thing has remained constant. While chastened Israeli security officials have apologized and signaled that they will resign after the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains firmly entrenched. Despite a sharp drop in his public approval ratings, Netanyahu has resisted calls to apologize, step down or investigate his governments failings. Netanyahu, who has led the country for almost all of the past 15 years, says there will be a time for investigations after the war. Historian Tom Segev said the war will shake the country for years, and perhaps generations, to come. He said the failures of Oct. 7 and the inability to bring the hostages home have fomented a widespread feeling of betrayal and lack of faith in the government. Israelis like their wars to go well. This war doesnt go so well, he said. Lots of people have the feeling that something very, very deep is wrong here. GAZA WILL NEVER BE THE SAME Conditions before Oct. 7 were already difficult in Gaza after a stifling blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt following Hamas takeover in 2007. Today, the territory is unrecognizable. Experts say the Israeli bombing is among the most intense in modern history. Gaza health authorities say the death toll already has eclipsed 23,000 people, roughly 1% of the Palestinian territorys population. Thousands more remain missing or badly wounded. Over 80% of the population has been displaced, and tens of thousands of people are now crammed into sprawling tent camps on small slivers of space in southern Gaza that also come under Israeli fire. Jamon Van Den Hoek, an Oregon State University mapping expert, and colleague Corey Scher of the City University of New York's Graduate Center, estimate that roughly half of Gazas buildings have likely been damaged or destroyed, based on satellite analysis. The scale of likely damage or destruction across Gaza is remarkable, Van Den Hoek wrote on LinkedIn. The human cost is equally mind-boggling. The United Nations estimates that about one-quarter of Gazas population is starving. Just 15 of Gazas 36 hospitals are partially operational, according to the U.N., leaving the medical system close to collapse. Children have missed months of school and have no prospects for returning to their studies. Gaza has simply become uninhabitable, wrote Martin Griffiths, the U.N.s humanitarian chief. ITS ALL CONNECTED The war has rippled across the entire Middle East, threatening to escalate into a broader conflict pitting a U.S.-led alliance against Iranian-backed militant groups. Almost immediately after the Hamas attack, Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon began striking Israel, triggering Israeli retaliatory attacks. The back-and-forth fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has not erupted into a full-blown war. But it has come perilously close, most recently after a Jan. 2 airstrike blamed on Israel that killed a top Hamas official in Beirut. Hezbollah responded with heavy barrages on Israeli military bases, while Israel has assassinated several Hezbollah commanders in targeted airstrikes. At the same time, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have carried out a series of attacks on civilian cargo ships in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Iranian-backed militias have attacked U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. The United States has dispatched warships to the Mediterranean and Red Seas to contain the violence. Late Thursday, the U.S. and British militaries bombed more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen. The Houthis vowed to retaliate, raising the prospect of an even wider conflict. ISRAEL CAN'T IGNORE THE PALESTINIANS Throughout his time in office, Netanyahu has repeatedly attempted to sideline the Palestinian issue. He has rejected various peace initiatives, dismissed the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority as weak or irrelevant, and promoted policies that left Palestinians divided between rival governments in Gaza and the West Bank. Instead, he has tried to normalize relations with other Arab countries in hopes of isolating the Palestinians and pressuring them to accept an arrangement that falls short of their dreams of independence. Just before Oct. 7, Netanyahu was boasting of efforts to forge ties with Saudi Arabia. The Hamas attack, along with a spike in violence in the West Bank, have put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back on center stage. The war now tops the newscasts worldwide, has prompted four visits by Blinken to the region and resulted in a genocide case against Israel in the U.N. world court. The Saudis have revived the possibility of establishing ties with Israel, but only if this included the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The painful developments of the last 100 days have proven beyond doubt that the Palestinian issue and the Palestinian people cannot be ignored, said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. THERES NO POSTWAR PLAN As the war drags on and the death toll mounts, there is no clear path for when the fighting will end or what will follow. Israel says Hamas can play no part in Gazas future. Hamas says thats an illusion. The U.S. and the international community want a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza, and steps toward a two-state solution. Israel objects. Israel wants to maintain a long-term military presence in Gaza. The U.S. does not want Israel to reoccupy the territory. Reconstruction will take years. It is unclear who will pay for it or how the required materials will enter the territory through its limited crossings. And with so many homes destroyed, where will people stay during this lengthy process? Our lives 100 days ago was excellent. We had cars and houses, said Halima Abu Daqa, a Palestinian woman who was displaced from her home in southern Gaza and is now living in a tent camp. We have been deprived of everything, she said. Everything has changed and nothing remains. ___ Najib Abu Jobain contributed reporting from Muwasi, Gaza Strip. 15K fentanyl pills disguised as OxyContin seized from stolen, cloned Mercedes: FHP Related video: Polk deputies seize enough fentanyl to kill 5 million people in Florida. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A 22-year-old driver was arrested and charged after fleeing troopers in a stolen Mercedes on Thursday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Woman found wrapped in sheet, dumped in alley after overdosing in St. Pete motel Troopers said a traffic stop was conducted after a white Mercedes SUV cut off the trooper while changing lanes, and had illegal tint along with an attached temporary tag that was not registered to any car. As they tried to pull the Mercedes over, the driver, identified as 22-year-old Jonathan Nicola of Kissimmee, fled at speeds over 100 mph, side-swiping another vehicle and driving the wrong way multiple times. FHP said Nicola then tried to turn but instead crashed the car. Florida intersection sees second deadly Brightline train crash this week Troopers searched his car and found a 9mm handgun, a digital scale, drug paraphernalia, and 15,000 fentanyl pills in a vacuum-sealed bag made to look like OxyContin. The Mercedes was confirmed to be a stolen vehicle out of Lee County with a fake tag and cloned VINs on the car door and window. Florida Highway Patrol Florida Highway Patrol Nicola was arrested and charged with trafficking in four grams or more of fentanyl, synthetic narcotics manufacturing schedule, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug equipment or paraphernalia to manufacture or transport drugs, grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a car with altered numbers, weapons/displaying a firearm, fleeing and eluding with injury or damage, and reckless driving with damage. Despite the unabated flow of Fentanyl flowing into our nation through the open southern border, State Troopers wake up every day willingly putting themselves in high-risk situations like this, so that they can put evil people behind bars, Executive Director Dave Kerner said. Despite the advantages the drug cartels reap from the open border, the Florida Highway Patrol will never back down from the mission Governor DeSantis has assigned us; keep our communities safe and fight back against the cartel-driven devastation. This remains an ongoing investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. CLEVELAND (WJW) Two Cleveland officers were taken to the hospital after a suspected drunk driver crashed into their police cruisers Thursday night. According to the Cleveland Division of Police, Third District patrol officers responded to the area of East 46th and Broadway around 9:40 p.m. for reports of a fight in progress, possibly with guns involved. Ohio Turnpike travel restrictions due to weather When they got there, investigators say a driver trying to leave the scene crashed into two police cruisers. The driver, a 43-year-old man believed to be intoxicated, was taken into custody, according to a police report. Man waited for woman, shot her in driveway: Deputies Investigators say two police officers went to the hospital with minor injuries from the crash. They have since been released from the hospital. The incident remains under investigation at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. An Aurora City Council committee has recommended a contract for another light feature to be included in the first Aurora Public Art Light Festival. Aldermen on the Finance Committee on Thursday recommended a $98,000 contract with Jen Lewin Studio LLC of Brooklyn, New York, for the pool, a light feature only the Lewin studio can provide, officials said. According to a memo from Jennifer Byrne, Aurora Public Art director, the pool is made up of 106 interactive pads, each housing custom LEDs, custom electronics, custom wireless control and custom roto-molded components. The diameter of each pad is 34 inches, and the total diameter of the installation is 50 feet. The glowing pads change colors in complex patterns as participants walk, dance and jump on them. This would be the fourth feature contracted for the new fall festival of lights, planned for four weeks between Oct. 4 and Nov. 1 in downtown Aurora. Both Oct. 4 and Nov. 1 are first Fridays of the month, meaning the festival will tie in with the First Fridays celebrations downtown both months. Last year, the City Council approved accepting a $192,779 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which the city would match with its own funds from the Public Art budget, to fund the new light festival. Officials have said the event is modeled after festivals in places like Cincinnati; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Baltimore. The previous installations approved include the Sonic Runway, which would include 23 LED-lined arches along a 400-foot-long runway the length of the Water Street Mall. Walking down the corridor, sound and light are always in sync. Looking back from the far end, walkers can see the sound waves coming at them, and hear the music as the pattern reaches them. Also approved were inflated spheres called Xposure on which people can paint with light, as well as a feature called Shadowing, which is four streetlight-like things that record someones shadow, then plays it back. The festival was chosen for a time of year when it gets dark early enough to highlight the light features, but the weather still is not too severe. The event is a nod to Auroras City of Lights nickname, and is designed as another downtown event. slord@tribpub.com Two people who worked at a South Carolina assisted living center in Chester in 2023 were arrested Tuesday after allegedly stealing from facility residents, according to reports from The Herald. Rebecca Jean Workman, 47, and Sherard A. Feaster, 40, were charged Tuesday for alleged crimes that happened between May and October. Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a written statement. Both Workman, of Hickory Grove in York County, and Feaster, of Chester, were previously employed at Palmetto Village of Chester at the time in 2023, according to reports from The Herald. According to prosecutors and jail records, Workman and Feaster allegedly used their positions of trust as facility employees in 2023 to steal residents money, according to the statement and the warrants. ALSO READ: Postal worker faces federal charges for allegedly stealing checks worth $8.3M Workman faces 15 total charges, including eight counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, three counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, three counts of financial transaction card fraud, and one count of conspiracy. Workman was in the Chester County Detention Center after her arrest on $80,500 bail after an initial court appearance, jail records show. Feaster faces 10 charges, including three counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, three counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, three counts of financial transaction card fraud, and one count of conspiracy. Feasters bail was set at $68,000, records show. Neither Workman or Feaster has been convicted of any charge in connection with the arrests. According to reports from The Herald, each of the charges is a felony that carries up to five years in prison for each count, according to prosecutors. This case was reported to law enforcement by Palmetto Village of Chester, which cooperated fully with investigators, the attorney general said in the statement. Officials said the case was investigated by the Chester County Sheriffs office and the attorney general Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. VIDEO: Postal worker faces federal charges for allegedly stealing checks Two US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles took out a Russian T-90. A video shows the burned-up tank spinning out of control after being bombarded by the Bradleys. The T-90 is Russia's most advanced battle tank. A video shows two US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles taking out one of Russia's main battle tanks. In the drone footage shared online, two of Ukraine's vehicles can be seen engaging a Russian T-90 tank in the village of Stepove, on the outskirts of Avdiivka in northeastern Ukraine. Reports say the tank was a T-90M Proryv, the latest in the series, with the most advanced armor, mobility, and firepower. Bradley IFV of the 47th Brigade of Ukraine engages in a battle with Russian T-90M, Avdiivka front. (Bradley is in foreground while T-90M is in the middle of the village). At the end of the video its visible that tank most likely received significant damage as the crew cannot pic.twitter.com/uutTexfXf5 Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) January 12, 2024 The Russian tank fires first at the fighting vehicles, and misses. The two Bradley fighting vehicles spray the tank with 25mm one-pound shells. The Bradleys aimed at the juncture of the hull and the turret housing the gun systems, the weakest point on any tank, said Bulgariamilitary.com. The Bradleys, firing at close range from different directions in a combat lasting 10 minutes, eventually caused the burned-up tank's turret to spin uncontrollably and then veer into a tree. Drones also help the vehicles on the ground by firing from above throughout the exchange. The Bradley vehicles were likely being operated by Ukraine's 47th Brigade , as it is the only brigade fighting with the US-supplied vehicles, according to Forbes. Russia's T-90s are the main battle tanks used by the Russian military. The three-crew vehicles typically have a 125 mm smoothbore gun and thick composite armor. Independent analysis suggests that Russia might have lost two-thirds of the tanks it began its invasion of Ukraine with. Bradleys are also three-crew vehicles, that can also carry an additional seven infantry, armed with a 25 mm cannon that can fire at 200 rounds per minute. Gunner 'Molfar', 39, a Bradley IFV crew member of the 47th Magura Mechanized Brigade. Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images The US provided Ukraine with around 200, of which at least 31 have been lost, per Forbes. Russian soldiers are "afraid" of facing against Bradleys , a Ukrainian commander said, Newsweek reported. The Ukrainian soldier, who goes by his call sign of "Kach," said that Russian troops in tanks and troop carriers fear going into battle against the tracked armored fighting vehicles. The Bradley is fast and "very maneuverable" and protects soldiers with its heavy armor, Kach told Newsweek. The Ukrainian commander also praised its "powerful machine gun." Avdiivka has become a flash point of fighting in Ukraine, as Russian forces have been trying to capture the city in Donetsk in large numbers. Russia has reportedly lost scores of tanks and armored vehicles in its attempted assaults on Avdiivka. Read the original article on Business Insider Miran, left, and Marilyn Kasken are holding out hope that their two brothers will one day be able to join them in St. John's. (William Ping/CBC - image credit) Miran, left, and Marilyn Kasken are holding out hope that their two brothers will one day be able to join them in St. John's. Miran, left, and Marilyn Kasken are holding out hope that their two brothers will one day be able to join them in St. John's. (William Ping/CBC) For Marilyn Kasken, the weekly pro-Palestine protests in St. John's have an especially personal meaning. "I'm from Gaza and my family are in Gaza," Kasken said. "I only have my sister here." However, Kasken is hoping to change that soon, as she's raising money to bring her brothers to Newfoundland. "My two brothers made it to the south," she said. "They are evacuating in a tent in the south in Rafah." A GoFundMe with a goal of $50,000 has been set up to raise funds for the lengthy and expensive process that would be necessary for the brothers to come to Canada. "The government is not covering the travel expenses," Kasken said. "The money is raised to cover their residency in Egypt while they're waiting for the biometrics and the visa to be issued and their flight tickets to Canada and to Newfoundland, and their first year settling in here in Newfoundland." WATCH I Rally for a ceasefire in Gaza draws crowd in St. John's: As of Saturday, just under $16,000 has been raised. "This is the only thing that we can do," Kasken said. "It was going good, but we need so much more and I hope that people help us so we can bring them here safely as soon as possible." However, there is only a limited number of visas available to Palestinians. John Harris, media liaison for the St. John's Palestine Action Committee, says that puts a lot of people in tough positions. "Canada is only giving 1,000 visas for temporary visits from people in Gaza and it's only for family reunification," Harris explained. "A thousand visas is really not enough. We have families competing against other families for these visas and it really is hurtful when you know that if you bring your brothers over then maybe other families might not get to bring their family over. So it's putting Palestinians in a very tough situation when all they're trying to do is to seek safety, seek help and be reunified with their families." Marilyn Kasken is addressing the crowd of protestors who gathered outside the Supreme Court in St. John's. Marilyn Kasken addresses the crowd of protestors who gathered outside the Supreme Court in St. John's. (William Ping/CBC) Harris is hopeful that some politicians might support the Kasken family in their efforts and said the federal government could be doing more. "Our country can be doing more for calling for peace. It can be doing more to help those reunify with their families. And so far, we've seen a lot of inaction," he said. Saturday's rally was the 12th in St. John's since the latest iteration of the Israel-Hamas war began. Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. Since then, Israeli forces have killed over 23,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. John Harris, media liaison for the St. Johns Palestine Action Committee, says the Canadian government could be doing more to support families like the Kaskens. John Harris, media liaison for the St. Johns Palestine Action Committee, says the Canadian government could be doing more to support families like the Kaskens. (Sarah Blackmore/CBC) "That's why we're protesting every week," Harris said. "This is so important that we have peace and stop the invasion of Gaza and the bombardment of civilians. It is a horrific, horrific scenario for anyone's family to be in. That's why we need a permanent ceasefire now." Focus on journalists This week's protest was focused on the number of journalists who have been killed in the conflict. Rhea Rollman, a journalist for The Independent, was among this week's speakers. She said Western media has not focused enough on the deaths of journalists. "The Committee to Protect Journalists has pointed out this is the most dangerous, most bloody conflict for journalists in modern history," Rollman said. "It's important for journalists around the world, especially Western journalists, to speak up about that, to point out the threat against press freedom, the threats against their colleagues who are reporting in Gaza." Rollman said many journalists have been afraid to speak for fear of repercussions, such as losing their job. "Journalists need to know they're gonna be protected when they call it like it is, when they the world know what they're seeing and provide the analysis to understand what's going on," she said. "And media agencies need to protect journalists when they're doing that." Rhea Rollman is pictured here, addressing the crowd of protestors. She said western media needs to stand up for journalists being killed in the Israel-Hamas war. Rhea Rollman is pictured here, addressing the crowd of protestors. She said western media needs to stand up for journalists being killed in the Israel-Hamas war. (Sarah Blackmore/CBC) For people like Kasken, the war is much more than just a headline. Kasken said she has lost contact with family members who are stuck in the northern part of Gaza. "I can't describe how it feels because since Oct. 7, we've been feeling so frustrated, tired, angry," she said. "We have so much rage because this is not fair. This is not supposed to be." "People are being punished just for being Palestinians from Gaza and it's so draining for us," Kasken said. "Every minute passing without having a permanent ceasefire, we are losing another chance of saving them." Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador The Lexington Herald-Leader is profiling 24 individuals this month that you should be keeping an eye on in 2024. The selected group represents a cross-section of industries, political parties, missions and the state itself. We believe each is notable for their contributions to Kentucky, as well as their plans for the next 12 months. Who: Daniel Whitley, a private Lexington defense attorney for more than 10 years who plans to run for state representative. Background: Whitley is a Lexington native who attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, continuing on to the University of Kentucky. He received his Juris Doctorate from Florida A&M College of Law. Whitley began his career at the Louisville Public Defenders Office, and later opened his own firm, Whitley Law. Whitley takes pride in representing people who he feels are good people put in bad situations. Why 2024 will be notable: Whitley consistently represents and advocates for clients who are underserved minorities. His work in courtrooms often underlines power imbalances between defendats and prosecutors, and he advocates for educating the public about racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal legal system. In 2024, he hopes to take his fight to Frankfort, telling the Herald-Leader he plans to run for the 77th District seat, which covers a northern portion of Lexington. Why do you think he will be successful? Marisha Hines, Whitleys office manager, said she hopes to see Whitley continue to motivate and inspire people to work hard and set goals to achieve success in 2024. It has been my pleasure working for Mr. Whitley for the past five years, and I have found him to be an extraordinary leader that strives to meet the needs of his clients and staff. Why is 2024 such an important year for you and your organization? Whitley has a passion to continue his work in the new year and take it a step further by running for office. I grew up in Coolavin Apartments as a child. I love politics and have spent my time in Lexington living in the 77th District. I feel like I have a voice and have a great passion to make my community better, Whitley said. I believe as an advocate I have used my voice to stand up for the voiceless in the courthouse and I think my ability to do the same in Frankfort is needed. Ill continue to practice law but the ability to speak and create laws that will benefit my community outside of the courtroom excites me! An event at South Suburban College commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is among events and activities planned Monday in the south and southwest suburbs. The event at the college, 15800 State St., South Holland, is at 10 a.m. in the performing arts center in collaboration with Thornton Township High School District 205. The program includes speakers from the community, student performances from South Suburban College and District 205, and refreshments. Marking the 95th birthday of Dr. King, the event will revolve around the theme of Letting Freedom Ring from Stone Mountain, 60 Years Later, according to the college. Homewood and Homewood Elementary District 153 are again collaborating in a Day of Service event that will collect needed items for three organizations. The kickoff event will be from 9 a.m. to noon Monday at Homewoods Village Hall, 2020 Chestnut Road, and donations will continue to be collected there through the end of January as well as at Churchill School, 1300 W. 190th St., James Hart, 18220 Morgan St., Willow School, 1804 Willow Road, and at the District 153 administration center, 18205 Aberdeen St. District 153 started the initiative in 2022, and this is Homewoods second year of participating with the district. Donations will benefit Anew, which assists victims of domestic violence, as well as the South Suburban Humane Society and Respond Now, which helps families in need with food, health services and housing. Information about items being sought by each organization is at the villages website, www.village.homewood.il.us/. Flossmoor Community Church is distributing 110 Kindness Kits to residents of Bria Nursing Home in Chicago Heights and will assemble them from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday at the church, 2218 Hutchison Road. The church will host a free concert of classical music at 4 p.m. Sunday. Monetary donations will be accepted at the concert to benefit Open Access, which supplies food to children in the south suburbs facing food insecurity, and donations will also benefit community closets in Richton Park and South Holland that supply clothing to those in need. Flossmoor is also putting the word out for volunteers for Day of Service events Monday in that suburb and elsewhere. From 9 a.m. to noon at Village Hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road, volunteers are sought to package and deliver donations with Plan 4 Success. From 1 to 4 p.m. Monday at Village Hall, volunteers are needed to crochet or knit water filter covers for Water by Women. From 9 to 10:30 a.m., volunteers will gather at Serena Hills Elementary School, 255 Pleasant Drive, Chicago Heights, to create Valentines for residents of long-term care facilities. Volunteers will work from 10 a.m. to noon at Heather Hill Elementary, 1439 Lawrence Crescent, Flossmoor, to make lunches for South Suburban PADS, which works to prevent homelessness, and to create tie blankets for Project Kennedy. Volunteers will meet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at Flossmoor Hills Elementary, 3721 Beech St., Flossmoor, to create cards supporting veterans living at the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno. The Chicago Southland Green Committee for PCs for People will collect new, used and broken electronics from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Park Place at Flossmoor Park, 2523 Flossmoor Road, Flossmoor. Items accepted include desktop and laptop computers, televisions, computer monitors, printers, phones and computer accessories such as keypads. mnolan@tribpub.com TAMPA (WFLA) A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of a 2022 murder suspect. 34-year-old Alex Martinez is wanted for the murder of 26-year-old Diomicio Primitivo Ibarra-Hernandez, whom Martinez shot and killed during a drug deal at the Sunshine Skyway South Fishing Pier in October 2022, the Manatee County Sheriffs Department said. Woman found wrapped in sheet, dumped in alley after overdosing in St. Pete motel According to investigators, Martinez is believed to be hiding in Hillsborough County and is known to stay in the Plant City area. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the sheriffs office at 941-747-3011, or to remain anonymous and to be eligible for additional reward money, contact Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 866-634-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Even if the first flakes are just starting to fall, its never too early to think about winter yard care and cold weather safety for those who are aging in place. Limited mobility, combined with treacherous conditions, can be the perfect storm for older adultsespecially if they have health problems and live alone. But, being proactive with plans to curtail or cut down on shoveling, chipping ice, and buying supplies can make a huge difference. We talked to some experts for their best tips on yard and cold-weather safety for seniors during the winter months. 1. Pretreat walkways and driveways A pedestrian walks on the sidewalk in Price Hill on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Pretreating walkways and driveways with salt or ice melt goes a long way, advises Missy McAuley, a nurse and director with Bethesda Home Health, a St. Louis-based senior living and service organization. Sprinkling it preemptively can help prevent back-straining shoveling of wet, heavy snow. Michelle Glass, Bethesdas vice president of senior living and in-home services, recommends snow-melting mats like these made by HeatTrak. Many models melt up to 2 inches of snow per hour, and are designed to be left out for the entire winter. 2. Mitigate tripping hazards Falls are one of the top risks endangering seniors ability to age in place, which is why preventing winter slips and trips is vital. McAuley recommends investing in waterproof boots with non-skid, non-slip soles to be worn whenever seniors leave the house. Glass advises replacing rubber tips on canes and walkers to provide additional traction. Its also important to remember that winter stumbles can easily occur inside the homeusually at entrances and exitssays Glass. Removing shoes when entering the home will prevent water pooling and potential slips. As for what to put shoes on or wipe them on, Hen Truong, the founder of Honoring Our Precious Elders, Inc. (H.O.P.E.), says those aging in place should ditch their flimsy welcome mats and opt for something as industrial as possible. Ive seen so many mats that roll up when the wind blows, which put form over function and are a real tripping hazard, he says. Truongs Oregon nonprofit organization provides seniors with free, regularly scheduled yard maintenance and outdoor services. 3. Ask others for help Credit: Getty Images / Nes You don't have to handle snow removal alone. While organizations like Truongs arent common, H.O.P.E doesnt have the only volunteers motivated to assist in assuring older adults stay safe. He recommends reaching out to local senior centers for area shoveling and plow resources. McAuley says senior centers are where elders can get information about programs through their local governments, and adds that church youth groups often provide assistance in inclement weather and during the winter season. In many communities, tweens and teens looking to earn spare cash can also be found via requests for recommendations on social media. You can also negotiate a contracted rate with local landscapers for shoveling snow, and this is often easiest, says Glass. In many situations, the same companies or people who cut grass in the spring, summer, and fall will offer snow removal services in the winter. 4. Clean out the gutters Since wet, slippery leaves under snow can be a trip hazard, Truong advises a thorough bundling and removal of fallen leaves in autumn. Its also important to clear gutters of leaves and debris before cold temperatures take over and heavy snow starts to fall, says Truong. Not only can clogged gutters cause extensive structural damage to homes, but it can lead to slippery ice forming below due to improper drainage. Truong cautions that gutter checks should be performed by othersnot the elders. Elders can have a hard time climbing ladders, because of balance and sight issues, he says. 5. Install outdoor flood lights Dark winter nights call for flood lights. Because of vision impairment and reduced daylight in winter, its essential to illuminate walkways and driveways, says Truong. He recommends adding flood lighting ($40), for this season in particular. Truong advises thinking from the top down, since many shorter outdoor lamps along walkways and driveways can easily be covered by snowfall. While solar lights are easy to install (with no wires that require digging), they may not get the full power of the suns rays during winter and are often less brilliant and durable. If you live in a cloudier area or would prefer not to leave your walkway lighting up to the weather, we recommend a set of LED flood lights instead. These LED Flood Lights from Lepower may be a solid alternative. 6. Shore up the walkway Credit: Getty Images / Andrey Nikitin Add railing to your porch to give you support. Installing or upgrading handrails in addition to lights before the ground hardens is advisable, says McAuley, who adds that its also a good time to look for other debris or chipped concrete. These can cause falls or injury if not addressed in a timely manner, before the snow or ice arrives, she says. 7. Ask for municipal accommodations Reducing risk is important, says Mike Peck, the vice president of installation at Leaf Home Safety Solutions, and a certified aging in place specialist. Peck suggests that seniors work with their city to see if mailboxes can be installed closer to the door, for instance, which would eliminate a treacherous walk down a driveway to the box, allowing important older family members to stay warm when its most important. It never hurts to ask if sanitation workers can pick up your trash cans closer to your garage or door, he says. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 7 winter safety tips for older people living through cold weather Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Courtesy ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson ACT UP NYC participated in a rally last weekend calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, reviving some of its historic slogans in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The group marched in Manhattan alongside organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace NYC and the NYC Palestinian Youth Movement to take a stand against pinkwashing. "We refuse to stand by idly as a mass genocide is being committed with our tax dollars, tax dollars that could be spent on HIV/AIDS research, treatment and prevention," ACT UP wrote in a post to its Instagram. Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Courtesy ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson ACT UP took its first action for Palestine on World AIDS Day in December and has now had its bloc at several protests across New York City. The group first used its iconic pink triangle symbol in a watermelon at the World AIDS Day rally, while reviving their "Fund Healthcare, Not Warfare" slogan. The phrase was originally created in 1991 by the group to protest policies during the Persian Gulf War. Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Courtesy ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson Organizers also used the group's iconic SILENCE=DEATH logo, invented by Gran Fury in 1987 around the time of ACT UP's founding. The grassroots political action group's activism is widely credited with spurring the development of HIV treatments and forcing the U.S. government to acknowledge the AIDS epidemic after years of silence. "We love borrowing from our legacy here at ACT UP to re-inspire younger generations," a spokesperson for ACT UP NYC told The Advocate via email. Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Courtesy ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson Since Hamas' October 7 attacks, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and another 240 taken hostage, Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed over 23,000 Palestinians more than 1.2 percent of the total population. Almost 2 million people have been displaced, accounting for 90 percent of Gaza's population. The vast majority of the dead are women and children, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health and reported by NPR. "Over 22,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been slaughtered under the guise of safety for queer people, but we say no to pinkwashing!" ACT UP's Instagram post continued. "As queer people, people living with HIV/AIDS, and allies, we say 'not in our names!' "Pinkwashing" is a term that refers to the strategy of promoting LGBTQ+ rights as a way to distract from violence against other communities. The term has been applied to Israel by activists, as its government frequently promotes the country as a safe-haven for LGBTQ+ people in the Middle East, despite same-sex marriage not being legal. Interfaith marriage is also not legal in Israel. See more of the powerful photos from ACT UP's rally below. Photos are courtesy of ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Courtesy ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Courtesy ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson Photo Gallery ACT UP NY marched for Palestine to say once again SILENCE EQUALS DEATH Courtesy ACT UP NYC/Alexa Blair Wilkinson THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 11: Vusimuzi Madonsela, South African Amabassador in the Netherlands, and Ronald Lamola, South African Minister of Justice prepare to attend a heraring as South Africa has requested the court to indicate measures concerning alleged violations of human rights by Israel in Gaza on January 11, 2024 in The Hague, Netherlands. Over the dates of January 11 and January 12 at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the judicial body of the United Nations, in The Hague, has been asked by South Africa to rule on possible acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip by Israel. THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 11: Vusimuzi Madonsela, South African Amabassador in the Netherlands, and Ronald Lamola, South African Minister of Justice prepare to attend a heraring as South Africa has requested the court to indicate measures concerning alleged violations of human rights by Israel in Gaza on January 11, 2024 in The Hague, Netherlands. Over the dates of January 11 and January 12 at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the judicial body of the United Nations, in The Hague, has been asked by South Africa to rule on possible acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip by Israel. South Africa delivered three hours of landmark testimony against Israel at the Hague on Thursday accusing the global power of committing genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Both nations appeared before the International Court of Justice this week to determine whether Israels military actions in Gaza violate the United Nations 1948 genocide convention. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied the allegations, saying theyre the ones fighting genocide by targeting Hamas and that the hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens. Read more As a part of their genocide case, South Africa argued that Israels military campaign extends to all 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The level of Israels killing is so extensive that nowhere is safe in Gaza, said South African attorney Adila Hassim. As I stand before you today, 23,210 have been killed by Israeli forces over the last three months. At least 70% of whom are believed to be women and children. Hassim continued arguing that there was nowhere for Palestinians to go in the densely populated region that was safe from the bloodshed. Palestinians in Gaza are subjected to relentless bombing wherever they go. They are killed in their homes, in places where they seek shelter, in hospitals, in schools, in mosques, in churches, and as they try to find food and water for their families, she said. They have been killed if they failed to evacuate, in the places to which they have fled, and even while theyve attempted to flee along Israeli-declared safe routes. 2. South Africa Evokes Apartheid The historical significance of South Africas case against Israel is lost on no one certainly not the South Africans. In 1994, the nations current governing party, the African National Congress, toppled the apartheid regime. During their testimony, South African representatives made the case that Israel is an apartheid state. We are also particularly mindful of Israels institutionalized regime of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices designed and maintained to establish domination subjecting the Palestinian people to apartheid, said Vusi Mandonsela, South Africas ambassador to the Netherlands. 3. South Africa Argues This Didnt Start On Oct. 7th Vusi Mandonsela argued that the roots of the genocide were seeded before Hamas October 7th terrorist attack. South Africa has recognized the ongoing Nakba of the Palestinian people through Israels colonization since 1948, which has systematically and forcibly dispossessed, displaced and fragmented the Palestinian people, deliberately denying them the internationally recognized inalienable right to self-determination and their internationally recognized rights of return as refugees to their towns and villages in what is now the state of Israel, he said. 4. South Africa Calls Out United Nations and World Leaders South Africa also took a moment to call out the United Nations and other global powers. Decades-long impunity for widespread and systematic human rights violations has emboldened Israel in its recurrent and intensification of international crimes in Palestine, said Vusi Mandonsela, South Africas ambassador to the Netherlands. 5. Genocidal Intent Genocides are never declared in advance, said Adila Hassim, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies a plausible case of genocidal acts. Hassim laid out four reasons for South Africas belief that Israels actions consitute genocide: 1. Targeting Palestinians living in Gaza using weaponry that causes large scale, homicidal destruction, as well as targeted sniping of civilians. 2. Designating safe zones for Palestinians to seek refuge and then bombing these. 3. Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of basic needsfood, water, health care, fuel, sanitation, and communications. 4. Destroying social infrastructure, homes, schools, mosques, churches, hospitals, and killing, seriously injuring, and leaving large numbers of children orphaned. 6. This Is Being Broadcast In Real Time During their testimony, representatives from South Africa emphasized the visibility of the genocide against the Palestinian people on social media. The international community continues to fail the Palestinian people, despite the overt dehumanizing genocidal rhetoric by Israeli governmental and military officials matched by the Israeli armys actions on the ground, said Blinne Ni Ghralaigh. Despite the horror of the genocide against the Palestinian people, being live-streamed from Gaza to our mobile phones, computers, and television screens, the first genocide in history where its victims are broadcasting their own destruction in real-time in the desperate, so far vain hope that the world might do something. 7. Israel Responds On Friday, Israel had their chance to respond to South Africas allegations. Tal Becker, the legal adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke in Israels defense. He argued that South Africa was deliberately ignoring Hamas October 7th terrorist attack and that Israel the right to defend itself. Israeli representatives also denied bombing hospitals. Whats Next? Its likely well get a ruling on the injunction from the international court within the next few weeks. The international court moves slowly, and it could take years for a final verdict. If they rule against Israel, the Biden administration has not indicated whether theyll continue to support Israels military actions. National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby on Thursday said that there was no basis for accusations of genocide against Israel. More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Depression can be an incredibly isolating experience, one that is challenging to fully grasp without experiencing it yourself. A quote about depression, whether brutally honest or hopeful and uplifting, can help explain the disorder and create a sense of understanding. First, what is depression exactly? A person living with depression can feel sad or hopeless, lose interest in previously enjoyed activities, experience negative changes in sleep or appetite, and struggle to complete tasks, according to Saba Harouni Lurie, a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Take Root Therapy. The disorder can also lead a person to distance themselves from others, engage in negative self-talk, or attempt to act like they dont experience depression something that can exacerbate it further. In some instances, individuals living with depression might think about dying, have suicidal ideation or attempt to die by suicide. It can be challenging to explain to others what youre experiencing when you are depressed, and there is still a lot of stigma around mental illness. While depression may make people feel alone and prompt them to isolate further, sharing your experience with depression, while difficult, can be helpful, Lurie tells TODAY. The supportive people in your life want to know what youre experiencing and want you to be honest with them. This vulnerability can allow for connection, which will not necessarily fix the depression but can offer a balm. Not sure where to start? Try sharing a quote about depression from one of your favorite celebrities to break the ice. Once in motion, these conversations can create room for other people in your life to share their mental health experiences, providing you both with a safe space. Whether youre living with depression and looking for a connection or want to better understand the disorder, theres a quote for that. Here are the most useful quotes about living with depression, coping with it and getting support plus a few big names sharing their own experiences. Before we dive into the quotes, please keep in mind that help is available if you're experiencing depression or struggling with your mental health. Some of the resources to contact: Quotes about what depression feels like Thats the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that its impossible to ever see the end. Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds. Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistrals Kiss Depression is melancholy minus its charms. Susan Sontag, Illness as Metaphor Depression Quotes Depression is like a bruise that never goes away. A bruise in your mind. You just got to be careful not to touch it where it hurts. Its always there, though. Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot Sometimes, all you can do is lie in bed, and hope to fall asleep before you fall apart. William C. Hannan Behind every sweet smile, there is a bitter sadness that no one can ever see and feel. Tupac Shakur Sometimes pain is so unmanageable that the idea of spending another day with it seems impossible. Other times pain acts as a compass to help you get through the messier tunnels of growing up. But the pain can only help you find happiness if you can remember it. Adam Silvera, More Happy Than Not I dont want to do anything. I dont even want to start this day because then Ill just be expected to finish it. Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl Depression Quotes As the light begins to intensify, so does my misery, and I wonder how it is possible to hurt so much when nothing is wrong. Tabitha Suzuma, Forbidden If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say fine. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you hadnt spoken to another person for two consecutive days. Fine is what you say. Gail Honeyman, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Breathing is hard. When you cry so much, it makes you realize that breathing is hard. David Levithan, Love Is the Higher Law I saw the world in black and white instead of the vibrant colours and shades I knew existed. Katie McGarry, Pushing the Limits Depression Quotes They always call depression the blues, but I would have been happy to waken to a periwinkle outlook. Depression to me is urine yellow, washed out, exhausted miles of weak piss. Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects When youre happy, you enjoy the music but when youre sad, you understand the lyrics. Frank Ocean Some people feel like they dont deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past. Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow. Bob Marley The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms Depression Quotes Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything. Thats how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen, Anthem The sun stopped shining for me is all. The whole story is: I am sad. I am sad all the time and the sadness is so heavy that I cant get away from it. Not ever. Nina LaCour, Hold Still Quotes about coping with depression Depression isnt a war you win. Its a battle you fight every day. You never stop, never get to rest. Its one bloody fray after another. Shaun David Hutchinson, We Are the Ants Dont judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. Robert Louis Stevenson What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah Depression Quotes I believe that words are strong, that they can overwhelm what we fear when fear seems more awful than life is good. Andrew Solomon, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist Depression Quotes I was so scared to give up depression, fearing that somehow the worst part of me was actually all of me. Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water. Christopher Morley There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isnt. John Green Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment. Grenville Kleiser Maybe its not about having a beautiful day, but about finding beautiful moments. Maybe a whole day is just too much to ask. I could choose to believe that in every day, in all things, no matter how dark and ugly, there are shards of beauty if I look for them. Anna White, Mended: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Leaps of Faith Depression Quotes In three words I can sum up everything Ive learned about life. It goes on. Robert Frost We must understand that sadness is an ocean, and sometimes we drown, while other days we are forced to swim. R.M. Drake It will never rain roses: When we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses. George Eliot Depression, suffering and anger are all part of being human. Janet Fitch Depression Quotes I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott, Little Women The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keep out the joy. Jim Rohn Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. James Baldwin I will be stronger than my sadness. Jasmine Warga, My Heart and Other Black Holes Depression Quotes Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it. Fyodor Dostoevsky "You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness. Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Dont try to solve serious matters in the middle of the night. Philip K. Dick There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have a feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well. So I take the memories as they come, accepting them all, letting them guide me whenever I can. Nicholas Sparks, Dear John Deep breathing is our nervous systems love language. Dr. Lauren Fogel Mersy Depression Quotes Quotes from famous people with depression I found that with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is that youre not alone. Dwayne Johnson People who have never dealt with depression think its just being sad or being in a bad mood. Thats not what depression is for me; its falling into a state of grayness and numbness. Dan Reynolds Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us. Steven Tyler I would cry and cry and cry. Just have to change and put on clothes, I said, I cant do this. I cant go outside. I have nothing that I want to do. Sophie Turner Depression Quotes I tell myself, Youve been through so much, youve endured so much, time will allow me to heal, and soon this will be just another memory that made me the strong woman, athlete and mother I am today. Serena Williams I didnt know where to put myself. Angelina Jolie Its my mission to share this with the world and to let them know that there is life on the other side of those dark times that seem so hopeless and helpless. I want to show the world that there is life surprising, wonderful and unexpected life after diagnosis. Demi Lovato If you have been brutally broken but still have the courage to be gentle to other living beings, then youre a badass with a heart of an angel. Keanu Reeves I disliked myself so intensely. It was just a mindset. I didnt know how to love myself. I didnt know how to love anybody. Anne Hathaway A big part of depression is feeling really lonely, even if youre in a room full of a million people. Lilly Singh The hardest thing about depression is that it is addictive. It begins to feel uncomfortable not to be depressed. You feel guilty for feeling happy. Pete Wentz Depression Quotes Its more of an issue than people really want to talk about. Because people dont know how to talk about being depressed that its totally OK to feel sad. Miley Cyrus Depression on my left, Loneliness on my right. They dont need to show me their badges. I know these guys very well. Elizabeth Gilbert It was like my perspective of the world changed about three degrees, and everything I saw was different. Sarah Silverman I didnt eat. I stayed in my room. I was in a really bad place in life, going through that lonely period: Who am I? Who are my friends? Beyonce It is OK to have depression, it is OK to have anxiety and it is OK to have an adjustment disorder. We need to improve the conversation. We all have mental health in the same way we all have physical health. Prince Harry Every human walks around with a certain kind of sadness. They may not wear it on their sleeves, but its there if you look deep. Taraji P. Henson Depression doesnt take away your talents it just makes them harder to find. Lady Gaga Depression Quotes Asking for help is the first step. You are more precious to this world than youll ever know. Lili Reinhart Depression was my life for five years straight. Selena Gomez I felt like I didnt want to be alive anymore, and I felt for me that I was causing a lot of stress and issues for other people around me, so I thought the best thing for me to do was just leave. Michael Phelps I just accepted depression as something thats part of my anatomy; its part of my chemistry, its part of my biology. Gabourey Sidibe Theres something dark within me I cannot shake. Cara Delevingne I always like walking in the rain so no one can see me crying. Charlie Chaplin In my opinion, living with manic depression takes a tremendous amount of balls. Not unlike a tour of Afghanistan (though the bombs and bullets, in this case, come from the inside). At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if youre living with this illness and functioning at all, its something to be proud of, not ashamed of. Carrie Fisher, Wishful Thinking When youre surrounded by all these people, it can be lonelier than when youre by yourself. You can be in a huge crowd, but if you dont feel like you can trust anyone or talk to anybody, you feel like youre really alone. Fiona Apple Im very available to depression. I can slip in and out of it quite easily. It started when my granddad died, when I was about 10, and while I never had a suicidal thought, I have been in therapy, lots. Adele Depression Quotes I just want these kids to know that the depth that they feel as human beings is normal. We were born that way. Lady Gaga Songs about being depressed or suicidal or completely just against yourself some adults think thats bad, but I feel that seeing that someone else feels just as horrible as you do is a comfort. Its a good feeling. Its someone to scream with. Billie Eilish Its debilitation was all-consuming, and it shut down my mental circuit board. I felt worthless, like I had nothing to offer, like I was a failure. Now, after seeking help, I can see that those thoughts, of course, couldnt have been more wrong. Kristen Bell I had to go through several therapists that I felt comfortable talking to, or that I felt was moving me forward and that I was making some progress with, and that takes time. Taraji P. Henson Supportive quotes about depression You say youre depressed all I see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesnt mean youre defective it just means youre human. David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it. Emery Lord, When We Collided And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, If this isnt nice, I dont know what is. Kurt Vonnegut Jr., A Man Without a Country Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage arent always comfortable, but theyre never weakness. Brene Brown Depression Quotes There is no standard normal. Normal is subjective. There are seven billion versions of normal on this planet. Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive Never give up on someone with a mental illness. When 'I' is replaced by 'We,' illness becomes wellness. Shannon L. Alder If we start being honest about our pain, our anger and our shortcomings instead of pretending they dont exist, then maybe well leave the world a better place than we found it. Russell Wilson Take a shower, wash off the day. Drink a glass of water. Make the room dark. Lie down and close your eyes. Notice the silence. Notice your heart. Still beating. Still fighting. You made it, after all. You made it, another day. And you can make it one more. Youre doing just fine. Charlotte Eriksson, Youre Doing Just Fine In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. Albert Camus Lifes under no obligation to give us what we expect. We take what we get and are thankful its no worse than it is. Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind Even for me life had its gleams of sunshine. Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre Try to understand the blackness, lethargy, hopelessness and loneliness theyre going through. Be there for them when they come through the other side. Its hard to be a friend to someone whos depressed, but it is one of the kindest, noblest and best things you will ever do. Stephen Fry Depression Quotes Even if we dont have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower Just because you dont understand it doesnt mean it isnt so. Lemony Snicket, The Blank Book People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle. Julian Seifter Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow And still, I rise. Maya Angelou We are not our trauma. We are not our brain chemistry. Thats part of who we are, but were so much more than that. Sam J. Miller, Destroy All Monsters This feeling will pass. The fear is real but the danger is not. Cammie McGovern, Say What You Will Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle. Christian D. Larson Depression Quotes There is no point treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, There now, hang on, youll get over it. Sadness is more or less like a head cold with patience, it passes. Depression is like cancer. Barbara Kingsolver, The Bean Trees Your now is not your forever. John Green, Turtles All the Way Down There is no normal life that is free of pain. Its the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth. Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember Be dedicated to change the way in which people see mental illness, at all levels of society. If not for yourself, advocate for those who are struggling in silence. Germany Kent "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. Helen Keller This article was originally published on TODAY.com Ukrainian air defenses shot down eight missiles launched by Russia overnight and interrupted the trajectories of over 20 other weapons using electromagnetic countermeasures, the Air Force reported on Jan. 13. According to the Air Force, Russia used 37 missiles, including six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and three attack drones to target regions across Ukraine in a mass attack on the morning of Jan. 13. One person was reported injured in Sumy Oblast. Air defense forces shot down seven Kh-101 cruise missiles and one Kh-59 guided cruise missile. The Air Force believes Russia launched as many as 12 Kh-101 missiles and four Kh-59 missiles. More than 20 other weapons "did not reach their targets as a result of active countermeasures by means of electronic warfare," the Air Force said. "The "unparalleled" Russian missiles are getting worse and worse and fly wildly," the Air Force said, but reiterated this does not mean they do not pose a threat. Missiles were downed in regions across the country. In central Ukraine, a missile was shot down over Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast, damaging a building, but no casualties were reported. The rocket had not exploded, Governor Filip Pronin said. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak reported that "two enemy missiles are now scrap metal" after two cruise missiles were downed over the district of Kryvyi Rih. In Khmelnytskyi Oblast in the west of Ukraine, the local authorities said that a missile was downed above the region and that "critical infrastructure and the civilian population were not affected." Chernihiv Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Chaus confirmed that air defense had been at work in the region and that Russia's attack had caused damage in an unspecified location. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. In Colwyn Bay, amid the sweeping splendour of the North Wales coast, Suzanne Sercombe and Alan Bates are allowing themselves to dream of moving on. The extraordinary reaction to ITVs drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office means its real-life stars might, at long last, be awarded compensation, after two decades of struggle against an institution that has shown itself to be as corrupt and malignant as any in Britain. Ask Sercombe, 68, what she and her partner Bates, 69, will spend any money on, and her reply is emphatic. We will move, she says, speaking in the art gallery where she volunteers. Maybe somewhere local. Maybe not. We both love North Wales Alan the mountains and me more the sea. But we both want to move house. Definitely. Her answer is forceful, uncompromising and not very surprising. After a fortnight that has turned their lives upside down, Sercombe is wary of granting interviews Bates demurs. Its not that we dont want to speak, she explains. But its been crazy since the drama. Alan is busier than ever. People need to remember that weve still had no compensation. Theres been talk of all this and that, but weve had no money. So Alan is just spending more time than ever on the campaign. As the long-term partner of the most prominent campaigner of the Post Office scandal, Sercombe has been through the mill and not just financially. Suzanne Sercombe met Alan in 1990 at an Appalachian clog-dancing event in Exeter - John Lawrence In the drama that has shaken the country, she is portrayed by Julie Hesmondhalgh, while dogged Bates now considered a national treasure is played by Toby Jones. The couple, who ran the post office in Llandudno, are depicted throughout the harrowing 20-year ordeal caused by the faulty Horizon IT system: first, spuriously served three months notice of termination of contract; then moving to a new home from where they ran and still run the campaign for justice. In the drama, their fictional home is a remote cottage in the picture-postcard Eryri National Park (formerly Snowdonia). Set at the top of a dramatic pass with glorious views, it has a painting room for Sercombe and hikes from the doorstep. Presumably it was chosen for dramatic purposes, but it is the kind of property that could leave viewers under the impression that the couple are prospering financially. Thats not the case. In fact, they live in a tiny village of 25 houses just outside Old Colwyn on the North Wales coast. Yes, the views are spectacular, but their home is as far from a rural cottage as you can get. It is a tiny terraced house with a drab, pebbledash front. They bought it in 2007 for around 150,000 using all the money they could scrape together after their lost Post Office investment. There is certainly no painting room, or anywhere Sercombe can get away from Batess paperwork, as was depicted on screen. They share the space with their black cat Missy. Sercombe says: We lost all the money that we put into the Post Office. We had to move and go into rental and pay rent, which was a wrench. We then managed to buy a cheap house that were still in. Every bit of our cash went into it. We had nothing. We had no income. We got low-paid, part-time jobs just to put food on the table, but it was not the same salary as running a Post Office. Finding the right tone The couples involvement in the scandal began in 1998, when they bought the Llandudno Post Office. By the end of 2000, after the introduction of the Post Offices new Horizon computer system, unexplained losses began appearing in Batess accounts. But Bates who kept scrupulous accounts refused to accept the Post Offices version of events, even as it threatened his livelihood. He knew he was right and they were wrong, and one day, David would beat Goliath. In 2003, his contract was terminated and the couple lost their 65,000 investment. Since then, Bates, who was born in Liverpool, has taken on the campaign as a full-time job, impacting his own potential earnings. In 2019, a High Court judge ruled that the Horizon IT system was to blame for the accounting discrepancies a huge triumph. But his group of 555 claimants only secured around 8,000 in compensation each meaning the campaign for justice goes on. Alan Bates speaks outside the High Court after the first judgment was handed down - PA Images / Alamy Sercombe, meanwhile, has done various odd jobs to make ends meet. She used to do illustrations you can see her artwork on her villages information board but now paints bold watercolours, as well as volunteering at the gallery. She has been at her partners side, not just as moral support but as a sounding board and editor, helping him find the right voice for his campaign. She explains that his biggest problem in leading this campaign was his tone. She says: He kept wanting to distance himself when he was talking to victims. I would say to him, You sound too distant, like you might be the Post Office. I brought out the way for him to address himself, to be warmer. Not cuddly, but just well-informed and warmer with people. Her role in fighting this injustice even two decades on is still evident. She says she and Bates still talk about the Post Office all the time. If we go out to eat, I think people must be looking at us all the time, because we must look like two conspirators, she says. Were always in the thick of it, bouncing ideas off each other. Hes the driving force, definitely the brains behind it, but Im the one helping him along to look after it as well. She clearly doesnt like the fuss, but does she like the drama? Well, yes, she says. The drama has made people identify with us all and thats what we needed. The meticulous everyman It is the understatement of the week. The Horizon Post Office scandal, as recounted by Mr Bates vs the Post Office, has caught the national imagination like no drama in recent memory. Some injustices are so outrageous that they need to be seen from above. Since the first episode aired on January 1, the ITV series has shown that drama can still be a force for change in Britain. Millions of viewers have watched Jones, Hesmondhalgh and the rest of an excellent cast play out events we know to be true. As Gwyneth Hughes, the seriess writer, told The Telegraph this week: Theres been a lot of comment about how shameful it is that its taken a TV drama to get people to sit up and notice this scandal. But thats what drama was invented to do. Viewers have switched on, in vast numbers. The programme has been ITVs most watched programme of the year so far, with the first episode attracting an audience of 9.2 million. Knowing how the story ends does nothing to dim the sense of outrage as we see the Post Office double down on its campaign against the sub-postmasters, who find themselves accused of theft, fraud and deceit. They knew, the viewer thinks, agog. And it has made Bates, the meticulous everyman who refused to be browbeaten into submission, and who took up a cause he knew to be right, into an overnight folk hero. Calm, methodical and unbending, Bates is not a crusading lawyer or a politician, but the kind of bearded, anorak-wearing beer drinker you might find in any British pub. Just as Doreen Lawrence fought the case against a police force she knew to be racist, Bates shows that an ordinary person acting with courage, dignity and a sense of humour in the face of adversity can resonate with millions. The outrage has gone straight to the highest levels of government. Paula Vennells, the villain of the series, who ran the Post Office during the Horizon scandal, has volunteered to return the CBE that she was awarded in 2019. Paula Vennells, left, giving evidence at the Select Committee hearing - pixel8000 The police have said they would investigate whether Post Office officials ought to face charges. While an official enquiry has been running since 2020, and 148 million has already been paid out to victims, of the 700 criminal convictions of postmasters, only 93 have so far been overturned. Kevin Hollinrake, a Conservative minister, said that there was evidence of not only incompetence but malevolence in many of the Post Offices prosecutions. Finally the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said he was looking at ways to fast-track compensation and planned to introduce a new law to exonerate and compensate all known victims. Bates said it was not before time. Theres no reason these things cant be sorted quickly if enough pressure is brought to bear, he said this week. And its the compensation of the original people that fought the court case that needs resolving now. Its been going on for almost 20 years for a number of these people and theyve got to be able to get on with their lives. The sub-postmasters were honest, hard-working Britons, who wanted nothing more than to perform a vital job at the heart of their communities. What could be more respectable than running a local Post Office? Knuckling down to such a career ought to be a respectable way to live. Instead, the Post Office treated hundreds of its sub-postmasters as criminals. As one character says in episode one: Everyone thinks of the Post Office as warm and cuddly. It was nothing of the sort. The old Post Office in the village - John Lawrence The Post Office ought to have trusted and supported its sub-postmasters, who were the front line of its operations. Instead, motivated by blind trust in its computer system and profit-first management techniques, it prosecuted a campaign of harassment in the worst possible faith. In total, more than 700 postmasters were convicted of crimes related to the Horizon system between 1998 and 2015. One woman was sent to prison while she was pregnant. There were bankruptcies, broken marriages, lives left in tatters. About 60 have died waiting for justice, while four postmasters died by suicide. Sercombe says: When you hear about the people who took their own lives, rather than say Oh, they shouldnt have done that, or anything stupid like that, you think I know how they feel. I know how they felt. As a fellow victim, you know what position they are in and you can understand what drove them to do it, because you can identify with them. This is especially true when youve got people who have got dependants or children. Theyve got families, big families, all looking at them. Theyve got too much of an audience, people whove relied upon them in the past and now they cant do a thing, because theyve been messed up big time. More details of the scale of the cover-up have emerged this week. The BBC has reported that the Post Office lied and threatened it over a 2015 episode of Panorama, in which it broadcast an interview with a whistleblower from Fujitsu, the Japanese computer company that made the faulty Horizon software. Post Office lawyers sent intimidating letters to the BBCs expert interviewees, and threatened to sue Panorama. Post Office managers also briefed the corporation that neither its staff nor Fujitsu could access sub-postmasters accounts, when Post Office directors had been warned years earlier that it was possible. As the public inquiry goes on, it seems likely more and worse details will come out. Mr Bates vs the Post Office has chimed with the public not just because of the specific outrages against sub-postmasters, as egregious as they are. The scandal speaks to a wider climate in the UK, in which individuals feel powerless in the face of corrupt institutions. The seriess executive producer, Patrick Spence, said this week that he thinks the programme speaks to a bigger truth, which is that we dont feel heard, and we dont trust the people who are supposed to have our backs. From Windrush to Grenfell to Test & Trace to PPE, the latter as exemplified by the allegations against Michelle Mone, British public life is awash with cases where ordinary people are powerless in the face of apparent institutional corruption and cover-ups. Whatever the supposed safeguards, checks and balances, they see time and time again that institutions are incapable of reporting on themselves. These stories only come out thanks to whistleblowers, while the institutions do whatever they can to look after their own. It is no surprise that populists thrive when the populace feels alienated from the institutions that are meant to be acting in its interests. We need every Mr Bates we have. Theres no bluster or anger to the man Back in North Wales, Sercombe hopes that she and Bates will soon be able to move on. They met in 1990 at an Appalachian clog-dancing event in Exeter. It was clear they were birds of a feather. She recalls a time soon after they got together when they were messed about by an airline. We bought a holiday to Tenerife, she says. But when we got to the terminal, the plane was in the wrong place, and then didnt leave on time. Then on the way back, the plane also didnt leave on time. And I was meant to be starting a new job the next day, which got messed up a new job! Alan reckons we spent five years chasing the money down, and we even took it to the small claims court. We got some of our money back. It was quite nerve-racking but he and I both hate injustice. This story sums up Alans doggedness, and also his sense of right and wrong. He doesnt want fuss, Suzanne says. He just wants whats right. Its a view of Alan thats echoed around the village. At the local pub, the award-winning White Lion Inn, a charming 15th-century building with timber beams and a fire, manager Joshua Ward, 31, says Alan is a reluctant celebrity. He and Suzanne keep themselves to themselves, but theyre often in for a pint and some food, he says. Hes very down-to-Earth and respected. Im pretty sure hell never have to buy a pint again. People will be buying him drinks for the rest of his life. Joshua Ward, manager of the village pub - John Lawrence Batess old friend Lewis Arnold, 75, a former teacher, says: Alans a solitary man who loves walking. Theres no bluster or anger to the man. He just cant abide injustice. Its a small village, and everyone seems to know Bates. In fact, the only person who claims not to is the local postman. He doesnt live round here, he says. Clearly, they still cant be trusted. In the pub, the couples friends joke about whether, if offered, Bates will accept a CBE or knighthood. Bates was offered an OBE last year but refused because Paula Vennells still had her own honour. Nah, says Arnold. Not his style. After two decades of campaigning, it seems that Bates, Sercombe and the other campaigners, helped by the blockbuster drama, have forced the Government into finding a way to fast-track compensation for the victims of the Horizon scandal. It is years overdue, and meaningless for the dozens who died in unfair despair and disgrace, but it is at least something. The sub-postmasters owe the campaigners more than a pint. Millions more around the country are grateful that there are still people like Alan Bates, who will crusade for what they believe in, whatever the personal cost. One is Richard Branson, who has offered the couple a free trip to Necker, his private island in the Caribbean. Will the famously salt-of-the-Earth couple be taking the Virgin boss up on his glamorous offer? Of course, Sercombe cries. Ive got a new swimming costume. She has renewed her passport, too. You must understand, this injustice has meant Alan and I have been immobilised. We cant go anywhere or do anything because of financial constraints. Ive just renewed my passport a year overdue and I looked in it and there was nothing in it. We havent been on a single holiday for at least 11 years. And what else will she and Alan spend the compensation money on? Living, she says. We just need this money. Weve not been living. Nobody would begrudge Bates and Sercombe a holiday. Except, perhaps, the Post Office. 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. An Elgin police officer shot a man who came at him with a knife during an incident Saturday in which the officer was trying to stop the man from injuring himself, a city of Elgin news release said. Responding to a call for a suicidal person about 1:30 a.m. in 900 block of Oak Ridge Boulevard, the unnamed officer found a 29-year-old man with wounds to his neck and torso, a news release said. When the officer tried to provide assistance, the man began to struggle with him, grabbed a knife and used it to stab himself, the release said. He then turned on the officer with the weapon, resulting in the officer pulling his gun and shooting the man, the report said. The man was hospitalized for treatment of his injuries. Per police department policy, the officer also was taken to a local hospital for observation and testing and has been placed on paid administrative leave, the release said. An investigation will be conducted by the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force. Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley said in a statement that the department will provide more information in conjunction with the state review. We will be sharing information as soon as possible, including the release of body camera video, after the Public Integrity Task Forces investigation and other critical investigative procedures have been completed, she said. Alaska Airlines says it has canceled all 737-9 MAX Flights through Sunday. The continuing cancellations come after a door plug blew out of a plane midflight. We regret the significant disruption that has been caused for our guests by cancellations due to these aircraft being out of service, said a spokesperson. However, the safety of our employees and guests is our highest priority and we will only return these aircraft to service when all findings have been fully resolved and meet all FAA and Alaskas stringent standards. Alaska says the cancellations are so crews can inspect the planes before they return to service. At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, dozens of Alaska flights have been canceled each day since the 737 MAX 9 was grounded, including 75 on Friday. Inspectors will be searching an estimated 110 to 150 planes per day. We hope this action provides guests with a little more certainty, and we are working around the clock to re-accommodate impacted guests on other flights, said a spokesperson. There is still a three-step process that needs to be finished before the planes can be placed back in operation: A final Multi-Operator Message provided by Boeing which covers inspections as approved by the FAA. A global Method of Compliance published by the FAA with details for continued operations. A list of detailed inspection instructions developed by Alaska Airlines for maintenance technicians to follow per the FAAs specifications. Summer flights from the UK to Albania are on sale for under 50 return. Beachfront apartments in the resort of Durres can be rented for less than 20 a night. A full meal with drinks comes in at under 10. But the nations tourism minister insists: We are aiming for high-end tourism in Albania. Mirela Kumbaro, whose brief also includes the environment, was speaking exclusively to The Independent. In a wide-ranging interview, the tourism minister says she is pushing for four- and five-star hotels with international brand names and hits out against comparisons between Albania and the Maldives. For most of the second half of the 20th century, Albania received only a handful of foreign tourists. Ms Kumbaro says her nation lived under the wildest dictatorship in Europe for half a century. Visitors could only join organised and closely supervised tours, with mandatory shaves and haircuts at the border for male tourists with long hair or beards. The hard-line communist dictatorship ended three decades ago, but only this year is Albania easily accessible from the UK. Research by The Independent shows widespread availability of flights between Luton and the capital, Tirana, for under 50 return in May, on the multiple daily departures on Wizz Air. Ryanair will also compete to the Albanian capital in summer 2024 from five UK airports Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and London Stansted while British Airways continues to operate from London Heathrow to Tirana. Living costs are the lowest in Europe, with rooms in a good city-centre hotel in Tirana selling at under 30, including breakfast. Beachside apartments on the Adriatic shore are even cheaper. Distant dream: the beach at Durres in 1989, when tourism to Albania was strictly controlled (Simon Calder) But Ms Kumbaro is determined to avoid overtourism and maximise high-spending visitors, saying: You will not have mass-market holidays on the beach at Albanian resorts. We think that we are complementary in this map of tourism between Croatia, Italy and Greece. So we are not going to see lots of hotels being built. Much store is being put on adventure tourism away from the coast. Three quarters of Albania is mountains, forest and rivers, says the minister. Tiranas Mother Teresa International Airport is currently the only air gateway to Albania, but a second airport is being built at Vlore in the south of the country. Ms Kumbaro says: To avoid having many cars travelling through Albania, we need this second airport to attract people. Some tourists visiting southern Albania currently fly into the Greek island of Corfu and take the ferry across the narrow strait. The tourism minister takes exception to reports last summer describing Albania as the Maldives of Europe because of its pristine white-sand beaches. Fighting against the cliche is the most difficult task, she said. We have never called Albania the Maldives of Europe. Albania is Albania. You can go from the the modern city of Tirana, which is already a laboratory of modern architecture, to cities which are 2,000 years old. (KRON) An alleged burglar was arrested after being caught in a closed retail store with stolen merchandise and a weapon on Wednesday, the Fairfield Police Department said. Fairfield police were dispatched to the area of the 1200 block of Travis Boulevard for a report of a burglary at 6:11 a.m. on Jan. 10. A manager of a retail store alerted police of a man inside the closed business from the security footage. Pacifica PD investigates armed robbery of two teenagers Upon arrival, officers noticed the glass in one of the store windows had been broken out (pictured above). Police subsequently established a perimeter and searched the building. According to police, a man was found with a backpack filled with the stores electronics and a pruning knife near him. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Fairfield resident Devante Arnold-Crew. Arnold-Crew was arrested and transported to Solano County Jail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Over 40% of the world's population is expected to vote in more than 50 national elections this year. Some look to be tight races and will have massive impacts on global affairs. These are nine elections to watch. More people will be voting in 2024 than ever before. Over 40% of the world's population about 2.8 billion people is expected to vote in more than 50 national elections this year. Voters will face diverse political landscapes with varying degrees of electoral choice. Some countries going to the polls are established democracies, some are partly democratic, and some are authoritarian regimes with little real choice. Some elections, such as those in the US, Mexico, and Taiwan, are poised to have massive impacts on global affairs. Bangladesh has already gone to the polls, with the incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina securing a fourth term in an election whose credibility has been questioned. These are some of the key races to watch. United States President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images; Scott Olson via Getty Images The November 5 presidential election in the US will likely be the most closely watched and globally influential. It's likely to be a rematch of the 2020 presidential election, with President Joe Biden running for a second term and Donald Trump likely to become the Republican nominee. Trump's Republican rivals, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, are still in the running but increasingly look to be in a race for second place. Several indictments and potential criminal convictions have marred Trump's campaign, but he still appears to have rock-solid support among Republicans. The polls are extremely tight, with Biden and Trump neck and neck, and voters appear unenthusiastic about either choice. The results of the election will have huge domestic and global ramifications. If reelected, Trump has promised a crackdown on immigration and has hinted at another trade war. He has been critical of NATO and would likely reduce support for Ukraine. Voters have also raised concerns about both candidate's ages Biden is the oldest US president in history at 81, and Trump is not far behind at 77. Taiwan Taiwanese flags during a campaign rally of the main opposition Kuomintang Party ahead of the presidential election in New Taipei City on January 12. I-Hwa Cheng / AFP via Getty Images The self-ruled island of Taiwan, claimed by China, faces a critical election on January 13. Fears of a possible invasion by China are always looming on the horizon, with Taiwan's powerful neighbor intensifying pressure by extending military activities around the island in recent years. Incumbent Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has reached her term limits, and the frontrunner is the incumbent Vice President Lai Ching-te from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP. The main choice is between pro-Western and pro-China candidates. The DPP advocates for Taiwan's sovereignty and rejects China's territorial claims. The main opposition is Hou You-yi from the Kuomintang Party, which promises better ties with Beijing. China has warned Taiwan's voters that they could be choosing between peace and war. Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People's Party is also running. The election outcome may have significant geopolitical consequences. The US acknowledges China's claim to Taiwan but maintains strong unofficial ties with the island. The growing US-China rivalry has encouraged many American politicians to express support for Taipei, and President Joe Biden said last year that US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Mexico President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, left, and his Morena party's presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, right. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Mexico will likely have its first woman president this year. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known by his initials AMLO, cannot run again due to term limits and is backing his Morena party's candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum. AMLO is incredibly popular in Mexico his approval rating of 66% is second only to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among global leaders. Sheinbaum is the former mayor of Mexico City and has a comfortable lead in polls. She will be running against Xochitl Galvez, a former senator leading a coalition of opposition parties. This election is Mexico's largest all 32 states will be holding elections simultaneously for the first time on June 2. The election will shape US-Mexico relations, with pressures stemming from a high number of migrants arriving at the US southern border and the flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl. India Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images Modi, who has been in power since 2014, is seeking a third term and is likely to get it. Modi is from the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, and has been criticized for eroding democratic institutions and marginalizing minorities, particularly Muslims. Despite these concerns, Modi has extremely high domestic approval with an approval rating of 78%, he is the world's most popular democratically elected leader. Around 900 million voters will head to the polls between April and May in what will likely be a multiweek affair. Modi's main political opponent is Rahul Gandhi from the dynastic family that heads the Indian National Congress party who leads a coalition of 28 parties. The Indian National Congress, once India's main political force, has performed poorly in recent elections against the BJP. UK Left to right: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party. Leon Neal/Getty Images UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will face his first election this year since he became leader of the Conservative Party in 2022. The Conservative Party has ruled the UK for 14 years but is trailing behind the main opposition Labour Party in the polls. The Conservative Party has been through three prime ministers in 18 months amid a sluggish economy and a series of ethical scandals. If Labour wins, its leader, Keir Starmer, will become prime minister. It is also possible that the election could result in a hung Parliament with no clear majority. The election date is yet to be confirmed, but Sunak has said it will be held sometime this year. Pakistan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders speak during a press conference in Islamabad on January 4. AAMIR QURESHI/Getty Images Pakistan's postponed elections are due to take place on February 8 amid a turbulent political landscape. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the country's most popular political figure, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022 and is currently jailed and barred from politics for five years. Following an intense crackdown on Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, analysts have raised concerns about the election's credibility and the role of the country's all-powerful military. The election will be mainly between the Pakistan Muslim League, or PML-N, and the Pakistan People's Party, with PML-N appearing poised to win. The former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from the PML-N is not running again, with his brother, the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, being their party's top candidate. Indonesia Left to right: Prabowo Subianto, an Indonesian presidential candidate, and his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Tatan Syuflana/AP Photo Indonesia, the fourth most populous country with 273 million people, will have the world's largest single-day election on February 14. President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, has reached his term limit and three candidates are competing to succeed him. Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, who is running for the nationalist right-wing Gerindra Party, is the frontrunner. He has chosen Jokowi's son as his running mate. The ruling party, the Democratic Party of Struggle, has selected Ganjar Pranowo as its candidate. The former governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, is running as an independent candidate. South Africa South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Reuters The African National Congress, or ANC, has been in power since apartheid ended in 1994 and will likely face its tightest election yet. Led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is seeking a second term, the ANC's support has dipped amid the country's economic struggles and corruption scandals linked to government officials. The ANC's primary rival is the Democratic Alliance, led by legislator John Steenhuisen, who has formed alliances with smaller parties to try and beat the ANC in a long shot attempt. The elections are expected to be held between May and August. European Union Parliament Flags of Europe waving on poles. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images The European Parliament will hold elections from June 6 to June 9 across all 27 EU member countries. The election involves selecting 720 members who shape laws governing various aspects of life in the EU and electing the President of the European Commission. The European Parliament is the only EU institution that gives citizens a direct say in decision-making but has limited power compared to national parliaments. European voters will vote for candidates from national parties who join larger pan-national coalitions by political leaning. The election will be the first EU-wide vote since the UK left the EU amid rising concerns about the far right and EU expenditures. Read the original article on Business Insider (BCN) The city of American Canyon will hold a public hearing later this month to consider approval for the construction of a new ecology center. The hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 at city hall. Celebrity food critic Keith Lee cuts highly anticipated Bay Area trip short The permit applicant, Napa River Ecology Center Design Permit Project, aims to repurpose an existing 5,000-square-foot city corporation yard and 3-acre parcel at 205 Wetlands Edge Road into an ecology center. The goal is to facilitate both indoor and outdoor instructional uses and community activities, according to the notice for the hearing. These activities would focus on conservation and environmental science, nature art and wellness programs, according to the public hearing agenda. Adjacent to wetlands along the Napa River and surrounded by a field, the parcel also houses the American Canyon Public Works building. The city is accepting public comment online and by mail until the scheduled hearing. The notice for the hearing warns that if someone were to challenge the proceedings in court, they may be limited to issues raised at the public hearing or in written correspondence. Comments on the project can be submitted online or by mail to Nicolle Hall at 4381 Broadway, Suite 201, American Canyon, CA 94503, prior to the hearing. Online commenting can be accessed at www.cityofamcan.org/ProjectReview. Copyright 2024 Bay City News, Inc. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. When politicians take sides in a controversy, they offend one side or the other. It goes with the job. Only rarely does a politician pull off the rare feat of offending both sides on an issue. It happened in Fort Lauderdale this week and it wont soon be forgotten with an acrimonious city election on the horizon. Slowly but surely, Commissioner Warren Sturman has lost faith in City Manager Greg Chavarria. His grievances include poor communication, massive last-minute dumps of agenda materials, the managers co-signing of a letter to the county (with Mayor Dean Trantalis) endorsing a tunnel under the New River even though the commission didnt approve it or know about it, and his hiring of a pro-tunnel consultant (allowed by the city charter) but without vetting it with his bosses. Rumors ran rampant that Sturman would be the crucial third vote to fire Chavarria, along with John Herbst and Pamela Beasley-Pittman. Instead, all three commissioners denied Chavarria a 3% raise in what was in effect a no confidence vote. Chavarria survived thanks to a big show of support from nearly three dozen people, from civic association leaders to the Fraternal Order of Police president. They praised the manager as caring, humble, professional and a good listener. The cheering section included a developer with issues pending before the city. Chavarria now owes them all a debt of gratitude an untenable position for a city administrator. The orchestrated show of support for Chavarria achieved its desired result. Sturman lost his nerve and Chavarria kept his $290,000-a-year job. But nobody is happy. The people who like Chavarria will be ticked off at Sturman for denying him a modest raise and Chavarrias critics are livid that Sturman backed off and refused to fire him. As for the manager, the handwriting is on the wall: Hes one more misstep from being fired, so he would be wise to polish his resume. As for Sturman, he has three opponents as he campaigns to keep a seat he won by 49 votes two years ago. But as the clock approached midnight Tuesday, there was more ugliness to come. After the 3-2 vote to reject a raise for Chavarria, Commissioner Steven Glassman, never a graceful loser on close votes, said: Shame. Shame on you. Shame on you. Then, by his own account disgusted by the no-raise vote, Glassman walked off stage to cool off, faced Sturmans aide, Jeri Pryor, and confirmed that he said to her: F your boss. A shaken Pryor burst into tears and left after she said she told Glassman: You need to apologize. As she recalls it, Glassman said: Im not apologizing. F you and your boss. Sturman claims he heard it, too. Not true, Glassman told me Pryor and Sturman are both lying. Its all fabricated, Glassman said. The words that came out of my mouth were not directed at a person. They were directed at a situation, Glassman said. He admits to using the F-word, but claims he said the word F as an expression of frustration to himself, then told Pryor: Your boss, referring to Sturman. Glassman said he was standing at a safe distance. Pryor said he wagged his finger in her face. During the meeting, Sturman excoriated Glassman for his behavior, telling him: You have no right to disrespect my staff. WATCH: Angry words between Fort Lauderdale commissioners over a colleagues use of the F-word to a city employee. I think this is harassment, Herbst said in an interview later. I think it violates our bullying policy. I think she (Pryor) should file a police report. On Friday, Pryor, represented by attorney Barbra Stern, filed a formal complaint with the city, accusing Glassman of verbal harassment and volunteering to take a polygraph. Im so sick of working for a city that does this, Pryor told me. Personnel rules for general city employees list bullying and verbal harassment as major rules violations, subject to disciplinary action. The catch is that as an elected city official, Glassman is not considered a general city employee, so it may be up to the commission whether to punish him. What happened backstage is, for now, in the hands of City Attorney Tom Ansbro, who said he will confer individually with the mayor and commissioners. But even though Ansbro is a highly experienced attorney whose work for the city dates to the 1980s, an outside law firm should be brought in to handle this matter. The issue could be discussed at the next commission meeting on Jan. 23. As this ugly episode shows clearly, city government in Fort Lauderdale has become dysfunctional. Taxpayers and voters do not have to tolerate this conduct and they shouldnt. In an interview, I gave Glassman an opportunity to apologize, to voice regret, admit he was out of line for using highly inappropriate language to a city employee. Heres what he said: I dont regret anything. What Im being accused of is absurd. Thats not how I behave. Steve Bousquet is Opinion Editor of the Sun Sentinel and a columnist in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. Contact him at sbousquet@sunsentinel.com or (850) 567-2240 and follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @stevebousquet. The Village of Northbrook is reorganizing the village managers office and will have a new human resources division (not department) amid a revised employee flowchart for 2024. The village also has a new employee handbook which took effect on Jan. 1 for nonunion employees. A Feb. 1, 2024 effective date was projected for union employees. The employee handbook revisits standard operating procedures but now within a handbook format, viewable at https://www.northbrook.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/7188/Employee-HandbookJanuary-1-2024. To consider reorganizing the village managers office, the Northbrook Village Board of Trustees approved last July 11 a consultant agreement with HUB International, a Chicago-based firm providing employee benefits consulting services, for a fee not to exceed $39,500, according to the consent agenda-placed resolution. Handout Village of Northbrook On Jan. 9, the board of trustees Committee of the Whole (COW) discussed next steps in the Village Halls Terrace Room. Reorganization includes the hiring of GovHR USA, a recruiting firm, for an approximate $72,000 fee. Northbrook Village Manager Cara Pavlicek said on Jan. 9 the GovHR contract amount, would be covered with salary savings from vacancies. The GovHR resolution is tentatively scheduled for the Jan. 23 regular board of trustees meeting agenda. Creating a human resources division comes after the Dec. 1, 2023 retirements of two full-time Northbrook Village Hall employees, Debra J. Ford and Judy Butch, who handled human resources as part of their duties. According to the HUB report, the Village of Northbrook has an estimated 292 employees. The report indicates the director of administrative services (formerly Ford) spent 20 % of time on HR duties. The executive assistant (formerly Butch) spent 50 % of time on HR duties. The director of administrative services is proposed to be replaced with a director of human resources title. The executive assistant would become office manager, not part of a human resources division. The new flow chart of the village managers office identifies the new office manager reporting to the deputy village manager (Madeline Farrell). Northbrook Village Manager Cara Pavlicek addresses meeting attendees at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting on Jan. 9. 2024 in the Terrace Room at Northbrook Village Hall. Reporting to the village manager (Cara Pavlicek) would be the director of human resources with two subordinate positions identified as an employee support coordinator and a senior human resources generalist. The flow chart has 11 boxes as positions in the village managers office (including Pavlicek) and 10 positions are full-time. The 11th box for the management intern is a part-time position active only in the summer and for a few weeks during the holiday break (college students). The HUB report recommended three combination options ranging from three to four human resources positions. The preference shown in the flow chart is three HR division positions (HR director, two HR generalists) with estimated base wages as a total expense of $306,800. The HR director is proposed to have a compensation benchmark salary of $152,000, according to the HUB report. The report does not indicate if base salary estimates include employee benefits costs. The organizational chart, I think works best, Pavlicek said, was that you really go to a three person specific structure for human resources. The HR director would be chief negotiator for collective bargaining and overseeing the whole mission and vision, of human resources, Pavlicek said. Fords and Butchs base salaries added to more than $261,000. No salary numbers were available regarding what a future office manager would earn. Both Ford and Butch started village employment as part-time administrative clerks and were promoted to full-time status with opportunities to pursue certifications as job scopes and salaries increased. Ford started village employment in 2000 and Butch in 2005. We had some unique circumstances happen with retirements of a couple key people that were doing pieces of HR, Pavlicek said. The report was helpful, Pavlicek said, in that, And so luckily, because we had a lot of advance notice on those retirements, and we knew this was coming, and we knew they were going to give us some recommendations what to do, we held off on trying to make some decisions on backfilling those vacancies permanently because were like, Well, lets see what this says, and then, maybe were restructuring. Northbrook Village Trustee Robert P. Israel addresses attendees at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting on Jan. 9. 2024 in the Terrace Room at Northbrook Village Hall. Pavlicek indicated the current budget authority of funding the village managers office of 10 full-time positions, more than covers us hiring these three people with the vacancies. Pavlicek also told trustees regarding the, salary and benefits authority for the full 10 people, (that) I think youll have some say with this new structure just because of how we were with some of the way things were plugged in with long tenured, and some of that salary structure. So I think well be very competitive, Pavlicek said. Informal conference room discussion during Tuesday evenings COW meeting included Trustee Johannah K. Hebl who said, I think this is a no brainer and Im so glad this is being presented. So Im 100 % in. Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press. Steve Buraczyk emailed me about a story he remembered as a young man: I remember a story about someone who was arrested for shooting and killing ducks at Ascarate Lake. I believe it was in the late 70s or before 1981. I would love to see the story again, but I cant find it online. My research found several instances of the ducks at Ascarate Lake being the target of hunters, nimrods and vandals. The first mention was Nov. 15, 1940: County Attorney Finds Nimrods Are In Park Legally Regarding Texas law, El Paso hunters can shoot wild ducks on partly-filled Ascarate Lake or in any other public park outside the city limits. This was the opinion today of Assistant County Attorney Dave Heath after he studied statute books to determine whether the dozens of hunters swarming around Ascarate Lake were within the law. Water was turned into the 40-acre lake Monday, and by Wednesday, the lake was covered with wildfowl. It didnt take duck hunters long to take advantage of the situation. As far as I can learn, there is no law against hunting on the lake, as long as hunters dont shoot more than the state limit, Heath said. More: 18 miners, 17 American, murdered on orders by General Pancho Villa Commissioners Court Acts Although no state law prevented hunters at the park, Commissioners Court was worn down to a frazzle with noise complaints from residents in the Ascarate district. The court passed an order forbidding hunters in the park area. County Judge M. Scarborough asked the Sheriffs Department to keep an eagle eye on the lake and to arrest anyone caught shooting ducks on the property. Roast Duck For Jail Employees In October 1944, three juveniles were arrested by a special policeman for shooting ducks at the lake. The report made by deputy sheriffs concluded with, One dead duck in the ice box in County Jail kitchen. Bryan Anthony Singh, 2, throws bread for the ducks at Ascarate Lake early Saturday morning, March 19, 2022. Ducks Injured, Mistreated By Nov. 2, 1967, the ducks were being mistreated: Ascarate Lakes flock of domestic and wild ducks are being molested, mistreated and cruelly handled, officials at El Paso Humane Society said. Within the month, two ducks have been brought into us, one with a leg cut off and one with both legs cut off, an official said. If the mistreatment does not stop, we will have to remove the ducks from the lake, Mrs. Juanita Velasco society shelter manager said. Vandalism Kills Ascarate Ducks Other mentions of killing of Ascarate ducks: June 14, 1969: Citizens reported, several children and adults for the past two weeks have been seen wringing birds necks, tying their feet together with weights and flinging them into the lake, and destroying nests and eggs. Dec. 15, 1969: An assistant supervisor at the lake saw a boat whose occupants were chasing ducks around the lake. He called the Sheriffs Department, but before a deputy arrived the boaters had loaded their craft and departed. The next day, employees found a large oil slick on the water, apparently dumped there. They found a duck that had apparently died from the pollution. Nearby they found another that had been struck and killed by a boat. Sept. 26, 1972: County Parks Superintendent Salvador Quintana said six ducks have been killed at Ascarate Lake over the past two weeks. He said the ducks were apparently hit by rocks and at least one of them had a fishhook embedded in its body. Sept. 29, 1973: The Sheriffs Department today was investigating the slaughter of at least 14 ducks at Ascarate Lake over the past weeks time. The birds were found shot with air rifle pellets and their necks wrung. More: Hotel Dieu hospital was answer to growing need due to tuberculosis, tent city in El Paso Duck Killings Point To Park Problems This April 21, 1981, article is the one that I believe answers the emailed question. Although I did not find that anyone was arrested for the dead ducks: No one heard the gunshots that must have echoed across Ascarate Park at least no one bothered to report them but county park employees arrived at work recently to find 32 ducks shot or beaten to death. Commissioner Court learned Monday of the grisly discovery, made two Saturdays ago, from park foreman Hortencia Stretch Lopez, who also reported that nearly $1,000 was spent last month to repair vandalism at Ascarate Park. Nobody ever sees anything they dont want to get involved, Ms. Lopez complained. She said most of the ducks domestic whites and wild mallards were shot with a .22-caliber weapon, but some apparently were beaten to death with stones. I dont know why such a cruel thing would happen, she said. All of us were upset about it. I was darned mad. Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com or 915-546-6179. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Ascarate ducks injured, mistreated, killed over the years: Trish Long Have you heard the one about the U.S. government wanting a rules-based international order? Its a grimly laughable premise, but the nations major media outlets routinely take such claims seriously and credulously. Overall, the default assumption is that top officials in Washington are reluctant to go to war, and do so only as a last resort. That framing was in evidence when the New York Times published this sentence at the top of the front page: The United States and a handful of its allies on Thursday carried out military strikes against more than a dozen targets in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, U.S. officials said, in an expansion of the war in the Middle East that the Biden administration had sought to avoid for three months. So, from the outset, the coverage portrayed the U.S.-led attack as a reluctant action taken after exploring all peaceful options had failed rather than an aggressive act in violation of international law. On Thursday, President Biden issued a statement that sounded righteous enough, saying that these strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea. He did not mention that the Houthi attacks have come in response to Israels murderous siege of Gaza. In the words of CNN, they could be intended to inflict economic pain on Israels allies in the hope they will pressure it to cease its bombardment of the enclave. In fact, as Common Dreams reported, Houthi forces began launching missiles and drones toward Israel and attacking shipping traffic in the Red Sea in response to Israels Gaza onslaught. And as Trita Parsi at the Quincy Institute pointed out, the Houthis have declared that they will stop attacking ships in the Red Sea if Israel stops its mass killing in Gaza. But that would require genuine diplomacy not the kind of solution that appeals to President Biden or Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The duo has been enmeshed for decades, with lofty rhetoric masking the tacit precept that might makes right. (The same approach was implicit all the way back to 2002, when then-Sen. Biden chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committees hearings that promoted support for the impending U.S. invasion of Iraq. Blinken was the committees chief of staff.) Now, in charge of the State Department, Blinken is fond of touting the need for a rules-based international order. During a 2022 speech in Washington, he proclaimed the necessity to manage relations between states, to prevent conflict, to uphold the rights of all people. Two months ago, he declared that the G7 nations were united in support of a rules-based international order. But for more than three months now, Blinken has provided a continuous stream of facile rhetoric to support the ongoing methodical killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Days ago, behind a podium at the U.S. embassy in Israel, he defended that country's actions in the face of abundant evidence of genocidal warfare, claiming that the charge of genocide is meritless. The Houthis are avowedly in solidarity with Palestinian people, while the U.S. government continues to provide massive arms supplies to the Israeli military as it massacres civilians and systematically destroys Gaza. Blinken is so immersed in Orwellian messaging that, several weeks into the Gaza slaughter, he tweeted that the U.S. and its G7 partners stand united in our condemnation of Russias war in Ukraine, in support of Israels right to defend itself in accordance with international law, and in maintaining a rules-based international order. Theres nothing unusual about extreme doublethink being foisted on the public by the people running U.S. foreign policy. What they perpetrate is a good fit for the description of doublethink in George Orwells "1984": To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it ... Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. After news broke about the attack on Yemen, a number of Democrats and Republicans in the House quickly spoke up against Bidens end-run around Congress, which flagrantly violated the Constitution by effectively going to war on the president's say-so. Some of the comments were laudably clear, but perhaps none more so than a statement by then-candidate Joe Biden in January of 2020: A president should never take this nation to war without the informed consent of the American people. Like that disposable platitude, all the Orwellian nonsense coming from the top of the U.S. government about seeking a rules-based international order is nothing more than a brazen PR scam. The vast quantity of official smoke-blowing now underway cannot hide the reality that the U.S. government is the most powerful and dangerous outlaw nation in the world. With incoming freezing weather, Austin-area animal shelters are preparing for the low temperatures and are looking for the community to foster pets to keep them warm. Forecasts from the National Weather Service office at Camp Mabry say there's a 30% chance of freezing rain late Sunday night and into Monday morning, with sleet a possibility. Austin Pets Alive has more than 200 dogs that need to be fostered by Sunday. Sign up here to foster one. The shelter also has 30 barn cats that are in need of a foster home. If people cannot foster a pet, the shelter is asking for monetary donations or these items: a portable charging station, extension cords of 50 or more feet, work light extension cords, snuggie disc bedding warmers, heating pads, hand warmers, headlamps and straw. Austin Pets Alive has more than 200 dogs that need foster homes because of the arctic cold headed into the area. The shelter advises pet owners to keep their animals warm by bringing them inside and using sweaters or blankets. People are advised to check their engines for cats before they start their cars. Trinity Surles, a spokesperson for the shelter, said during a Facebook livestream that most dogs needing emergency foster care are larger or older ones in outdoor enclosures at the shelter. She said the emergency fostering would be needed for a short time. Freezing temperatures: Central Texas school officials prepare "What we are really needing is for the community to come forward and foster some of these larger, 40-plus (pound) pets," Surles said. "We are really grateful to those who are just willing to step forward and foster any pet that we need out. That would really mean the world to us." The Austin Animal Center is preparing for the cold front by asking the community to donate XL dog sweaters for its short-haired pets. Sweaters can be dropped off at the shelter at 7201 Levander Loop, Building A, in East Austin from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shelter has put other needs on its Amazon wish list at bit.ly/aacwishlist. We are getting ready for the upcoming cold snap and find ourselves low on XL sweaters for our short-haired pitties! New or gently used sweaters can be dropped off at the shelter from 11 am to 7 pm daily. We also added some to our Amazon Wishlist: https://t.co/iJ0BKMchP4 pic.twitter.com/fzTzAxkuCs Austin Animal Center (@austinanimals) January 10, 2024 NWS warns: Freezing rain could cause dangerous road conditions in Austin on Monday The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is seeking help to foster more than 200 dogs and 30 cats during the cold weather. If people cannot foster, they may donate towels, blankets and paper bags to the shelter. "The drop in temperatures poses challenges for our furry friends, and fostering provides a cozy retreat for them to weather the cold with the love and care they can only get in a home," said April Peiffer, a spokesperson for the shelter. "Many of our adoptable dogs are in search of temporary shelter during these frigid temps, and your open heart can make a world of difference." Peiffer said shelter staff members are working to place the animals in one area to make caring for them easier, and they have added insulation to the outdoor and indoor kennels. She said staffers are monitoring the situation to see if they will have to stay overnight with the animals. Peiffer said that if the shelter has to close or staffers cannot make it to the shelter, they are ensuring that dogs and cats have enough enrichment and toys. Those interested in fostering can visit the shelter at 1855 SE Inner Loop in Georgetown between noon and 6 p.m. People can see dogs that are available at wilcotx.gov/pets. Texas freeze tips: How to stay safe and avoid the ER during Austin's cold weather This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Central Texas animal shelters seek foster homes as cold front nears As an arctic blast is poised to dominate Central Texas, those who need a place to stay out of the cold can find refuge in city of Austin facilities. The cold front will bring temperatures well below average through Wednesday, with a small chance of freezing rain. Here's what you need to know to stay safe during Austin's frigid weather spell: When will overnight cold weather shelters be open? The city of Austin was set to open cold weather shelters beginning Saturday evening. Shelters will remain open at least through Wednesday morning, officials said Monday. Registration for shelter will occur between 5 and 8 p.m. each day at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road. The center will act as the "central embarkation point" for people seeking an overnight shelter, the city said in a news release. More information about the shelters can be found online at austintexas.gov/alerts or by calling 512-972-5055. More: Austin, Travis County leaders advise residents to prepare for arctic cold front The city might also open overnight cold weather shelters for families with children if the need arises. Updates about family shelters will also be posted online. CapMetro offers rides to cold weather shelters People can take Capital Metro buses on route Nos. 1, 7, 10, 20, 30, 105 and 142 and Rapid Route 801 to One Texas Center to register for a spot in a shelter. Anyone seeking cold weather shelters who is not able to pay the bus fare will still be given a ride. CapMetro will take people who have registered from One Texas Center to a cold weather shelter. Austin weather forecast: Freezing rain could cause dangerous road conditions in Austin on Monday, NWS warns Where are Austin's warming centers? In addition to providing overnight shelters, the city will make some of its facilities available as warming centers during the day. In times of extreme cold, branches of the Austin Public Library and facilities of the city's Parks and Recreation Department are used to keep people warm during normal business hours. Though most city facilities will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the library system plans to open three locations as warming centers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday: Little Walnut Creek Branch , 835 W. Rundberg Lane Ruiz Branch , 1600 Grove Blvd. Terrazas Branch, 1105 E. Cesar Chavez St. The Central Library Special Events Center, at 710 W. Cesar Chavez St., will also open as a warming center from 6 to 9 a.m. Tuesday. Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson discusses preparations for the cold weather at City Hall on Thursday. Freezing temperatures and extreme wind chills are expected for several days. Texas freeze tips: How to stay safe and avoid the ER during Austin's cold weather This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Warming centers opening in Austin ahead of cold weather snap Explainer: How the global election year might shape world politics Xinhua) 09:22, January 13, 2024 BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The year 2024 might be the biggest election year in human history, with more than 50 countries and regions globally holding elections, including major countries like the United States and Russia. The elections, which will involve nearly half of the world population, bear significance for the domestic politics of these countries and regions, and might also shape the global political landscape. Photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, the United States on Oct. 22, 2020 shows C-SPAN live stream of U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden attending their final debate in the 2020 presidential race. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) U.S.: TRUMP FACES CHALLENGES The U.S. presidential election is scheduled for November. Currently, U.S. President Joe Biden is running for re-election, while former President Donald Trump is leading significantly in polls over other Republican presidential candidates. However, due to his alleged involvement in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump's eligibility for election is being challenged in several states, including Colorado. On Dec. 19, 2023, the Supreme Court of Colorado ruled that Trump be removed from the state's 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot. A few days later, the state of Maine announced a similar decision. Last week, Trump appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has agreed to take up whether the former president should be disqualified from appearing on Colorado's primary ballot. The decision of the Supreme Court will have a significant impact on this year's presidential election. Trump has also been plagued by multiple criminal charges related to the Capitol riot and several other cases, which, TIME magazine has said in a recent article, "will shape 2024 campaigns and test the justice and political systems unlike anything the country has ever seen." 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 recently. Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed his plans to run for reelection in 2024, said the Kremlin on Dec. 8, 2023. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua) RUSSIA: PUTIN WIDELY BELIEVED TO WIN Russia will hold its presidential election on March 15-17. Nikolai Bulayev, deputy chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC), told the media earlier that there are 11 names on the list of possible presidential candidates. While attending a celebration of the Heroes of the Fatherland Day at the Kremlin on Dec. 8, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his plan to run for re-election in 2024. Later, Putin submitted the registration documents to the CEC to run for president, and his campaign website was launched. In Russia, there is a widespread belief that Putin is likely to win. The level of public trust in Putin among Russians has reached 80 percent, a public opinion poll conducted in December 2023 by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center showed. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) talks with European Council President Charles Michel as they attend the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) EUROPE: RISING FAR-RIGHT FORCES The 2024 European Parliament election is scheduled to be held on June 6-9. It will be the first European Parliament election after Brexit, and is considered a barometer of European politics. The European Parliament election is held every five years. More than 400 million voters from the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU) will cast their votes to elect about 700 Members of the European Parliament. The European Parliament serves as the legislative, supervisory, budgetary, and consultative body of the EU. The nomination of the new president of the European Commission, who wields significant influence over the EU's internal and external decision-making, must be approved by the parliament. As last year witnessed a rise of far-right forces in European politics, experts have expressed concerns that the emergence of far-right parties in multiple countries may impact this year's European Parliament election. The election in Britain is also noteworthy. Although the opposition Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats urge for a general election in May, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has recently said that his assumption is to hold the election in the second half of the year. There are various issues to address, including managing the economy, reducing taxes, and tackling illegal immigration, said the prime minister. His Conservative Party is trailing the Labour Party by an average of 18 points in the polls, said a report by the Financial Times. It is being assumed that the prime minister would wait until the autumn to allow more time for the economy to improve. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reacts during his morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, June 6, 2022. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) MEXICO: FIRST POSSIBLE FEMALE PRESIDENT Mexico will hold general elections on June 2, and the new president will take office in October. Two female candidates are leading in several polls, with Claudia Sheinbaum, the candidate of the ruling Morena party, having a support rate of over 48 percent and Xochitl Galvez, the candidate of the opposition coalition, having a support rate of about 30 percent. Sheinbaum, 61, was a climate scientist and is considered by the media as a protege of the current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In 2018, she became the mayor of Mexico City, committed to building environmentally friendly infrastructure and fighting crime. Galvez, 60, comes from a humble background and became an entrepreneur. After entering politics, she served in various positions such as mayor of a borough of Mexico City and federal senator. She has opposed the current government's policies in traditional energy and other areas. Over the past six years, the approval rating of the current president, Lopez Obrador, has remained at 60 percent or higher. Analysts argue that with general elections approaching, Lopez Obrador's stance and policies will influence the election's outcome. The country is likely to have its first female president. Indonesian presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo (L, front) delivers a press statement at the elections commission building in Jakarta, Indonesia, Oct. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) INDONESIA: SOCIAL MEDIA PLAY A ROLE With Indonesia's presidential election a month away, the competition among the three pairs of presidential candidates has intensified. The most prominent pair of candidates are Prabowo Subianto, the current defense minister and chairman of the Gerindra Party, and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. In the 2014 and 2019 elections, Subianto lost to Widodo. This year, the pairing of the 72-year-old defense minister and the 36-year-old Gibran aims to attract Widodo's staunch supporters and the younger generation. Another pair of candidates are Ganjar Pranowo, former governor of Central Java, and Muhammad Mahfud, the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs of Indonesia. The third pair consists of Anies Baswedan, former governor of Jakarta, and Muhaimin Iskandar, chairman of the National Awakening Party. Social media platforms such as TikTok have become a battlefield for the candidates to attract young voters. Pranowo's official TikTok account has 7.3 million followers, and the short videos posted have garnered millions of views. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his 2023 State of the Nation Address in Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 9, 2023. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua) SOUTH AFRICA: RULING PARTY UNDER PRESSURE South Africa, a member of the BRICS, will hold elections in 2024. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa has announced that the presidential and local elections will take place between May and mid-August. Specific details regarding the election procedures, timing, and the candidates for the 2024 elections in South Africa have not been disclosed. The IEC officially launched the process of presidential and provincial elections on Oct. 24, 2023. Voter registration is still ongoing, with the final round scheduled for February. Observers are interested in whether the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, can secure victory in the upcoming elections. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that the 2024 elections will be unprecedentedly intense, and the ANC will face significant pressure and challenges. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) A new study reports that a quarter of Americans believe the FBI, not Donald Trump, instigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That one-fourth of the country is so grossly misinformed actuates Ben Franklins wry quip about Americans having a republic, if you can keep it. We cannot keep it, and we wont, if half the country continues to consume disinformation-for-profit as news. As we begin the 2024 election season in earnest, media neutrality or the lack thereof may shape voters perceptions and candidate preferences more than reality. Propaganda is dividing the country Mainstream medias performative neutrality, as the Guardians Margaret Sullivan put it, doesnt result in the delivery of neutral news. Neutrality, nationwide, isnt possible if only moderate and center-left media outlets such as CNN and upstarts Scripps News and NewsNation strive to eliminate bias, while media outlets on the right embrace it. If it wasnt already obvious, the Dominion voting case made clear that Fox News so profits from extremism that it buries or distorts mitigating facts along the way. This means the only counterweight to center and left attempts at media neutrality is a network on the right that peddles barely disguised propaganda. The net national effect on the news is not balance but imbalance, an imbalance that hews hard right. Throw in some sensationalized reporting to generate outrage about crime, immigrants, gays and a stolen election, and pretty soon, a fascist who tried to overthrow the government and terminate the constitution gets invited back for another round. Truth cannot prevail where it isnt even presented The quality of public discourse began to tank with the end of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, with a heavy assist from the rise in social media. Todays scorched earth political landscape is anchored by Fox News, the Epoch Times and the Washington Examiner on the right, where opinions predominate the news, inflicting immeasurable damage on the depth and breadth of public knowledge. The rise in extremism makes clear that the absence of state interference in the cable news cycle does not deliver market balance. In addition to make-believe about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, one third of the country still believes Trump won the 2020 election, despite consistent judicial rulings to the contrary. It is no coincidence that Trumps base gets most of its news from Fox, despite Foxs nearly $800 million admission that it repeatedly lied to them about the election The cost of extremism The societal cost of allowing political propaganda to masquerade as news is rising extremism. The national cost, if we dont address it, could either be another civil war, or the ascendance of a fascist or even neo-Nazi government with all its brutal implications. Recognizing the importance of honesty in the news, the Supreme Court, in 1969, unanimously affirmed the Fairness Doctrine in the Red Lion Broadcasting case, which required all news broadcasters to give fair coverage and opposing views on matters of public importance. Given Americas escalating division, the governments interest in an impartially informed electorate has never been higher. Balancing publishers First Amendment rights against the right of the public to be well informed, the Red Lion court determined that the publics right to access full information took priority over the First Amendment concerns of broadcasters, writing, It is the purpose of the First Amendment to preserve an uninhibited market-place of ideas in which truth will ultimately prevail, rather than to countenance monopolization of that market. Consider Britains due impartiality requirement, which requires both accuracy and impartiality in the news. Both Trump and his former UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, call efforts to subject them to the rule of law witch hunts. But Johnson was dramatically censured by his own party for lying, while Trump was not. As a former member of Parliament told the New York Times, the severity of Johnsons censure demonstrates Parliaments commitment to the fundamental importance of truth in British politics. Observing the corrosive effects of disinformation is easy. Fixing it, is not. Networks will invoke the First Amendment as grounds for avoiding government intervention, but the First Amendment has never served as a blanket shield from regulatory oversight. The First Amendment does not shield electoral fraud, threats, obstruction, incitement to riot, defamatory speech, or yelling fire in a crowded theater unless theres an actual fire. Those profiting from them will not curb these ratings-boosting excesses voluntarily. Democracy depends for its survival on an informed public. Addictive anger-tainment is the opposite of information, and it is ripping us apart. Returning truth to the networks wont be easy, and will require thoughtful construction of a workable regulatory framework, but the effort is essential if our union is going to hold. Whether moneyed interests who profit from disinformation want our union to hold is a topic for another day. Sabrina Haake is a Chicago attorney and Gary resident. She writes the Substack newsletter The Haake Take. A former constitutional court president has warned against banning the Alternative for Germany, after protests calling for the poll-leading far-Right party to be outlawed. AfD members attended a secret November meeting of far-Right groups, where extremists drew up plans for expelling millions of immigrants. The echoes of Nazi ideology at a time when the AfD is leading the polls in all five East German states ahead of local and European elections in June shocked Germany. Calls for party to be banned Centre-Right and centre-Left politicians have called for the party, which is also polling higher nationally than any of the three coalition government parties, to be banned. The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe decides on any ban but its former president Hans-Jurgen Papier warned the legal hurdle was too high for any attempt to be successful. That would only play into the hands of the AfD, he told the Tagesspiegel newspaper. Right-wing extremist The AfD has been classified as Right-wing extremist in three East German states but for it to be banned it must be proved that it is plotting to overthrow democracy. Former president Hans-Jurgen Papier warned the legal hurdle was too high for any attempt to be successful - Getty Images Europe Applications for a ban can be submitted by the federal government, the parliament and the Bundesrat, which is the body representing the German states. Mr Papier warned an application should only be made if you have sufficient information to really substantiate all of the points mentioned and there is a high probability of success. Ban proposal is wrong Based on my information, I currently believe that a ban proposal is wrong, he added. On Friday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Chancellery in Berlin in support of calls for a ban from members of Olaf Scholzs ruling centre-Left SPD and the opposition CDU. They brandished placards reading democracy in danger and never again after the expose into the secret Potsdam meeting by German investigative group Correctiv earlier this week. The fact we learn from our history is not just lip service, the Chancellor had said after the revelations and the SPD is currently considering the ban. The AfD said the meeting discussing remigration did not reflect its policy on immigration, which was set out in their manifesto. Completely absurd Calls for the AfD to be banned are completely absurd and expose the anti-democratic attitude of those making these demands, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the party, told Politico earlier this week. The constitutional court has only banned a party twice before. In 1952, the far-Right Socialist Reich Party was outlawed and in 1956 the Communist Party of Germany was forbidden. In 2017, the court said the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party was not popular enough to endanger democracy and so should not be banned. 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. An Arctic cold front bringing frigid temperatures arrived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Its barreling down, said NWS meteorologist Juan Hernandez said Saturday morning. Temperatures, which were in the mid-50s around noon Saturday, began quickly plummeting when the cold front hit and a mix of wintry precipitation such as freezing rain, sleet and snow was expected to follow, according to Hernandez. By Saturday night, temperatures were expected to be drop below 32 degrees and will remain at or below freezing through Wednesday afternoon. Hernandez encouraged residents to take care of their last-minute preparations for the cold Saturday morning before the front hit. The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for North Texas, including Fort Worth and Dallas, from midnight through 10 a.m. Sunday. Wind chill is expected to be at or below zero for most areas along and north of I-20. According to Hernandez, low temperatures in the teens will continue for the next few days, with the wind chill making it feel colder than the actual temperature. Overnight Sunday the wind chill is predicted to be around 2 degrees. Overnight Monday the wind chill could plummet to as low as 10 degrees below zero. There is also a 40-50% chance of precipitation for the DFW Metroplex starting Sunday afternoon, but most of it will be a freezing drizzle, according to Hernandez. It could mix with some snow Sunday night into Monday morning, but no accumulation is expected in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to a NWS winter weather advisory in effect from noon Sunday to noon Monday for most of North and Central Texas, a mix of mainly freezing rain and sleet is expected in the advisory area. Today's top stories: Atmos says hotel explosion wasnt caused by its gas lines Fort Worth teen mom who murdered newborn sentenced to 15 years It will be frigid in DFW this weekend. Heres when snow will fall Get free alerts when news breaks. Total ice accumulations of up to a tenth of inch are forecast. Additionally, up to half an inch of snow is likely in some areas northeast of the Metroplex. Slippery road conditions are likely. While elevated roads and bridges will be the most susceptible to the ice, untreated surface roads may also become icy. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from noon Sunday to noon Monday for most of North and Central Texas. The National Weather Service urged residents to take steps to protect their pipes, including dripping indoor faucets and covering outdoor ones. Outdoor activities should be avoided, and those who have to be outside should wear appropriate appropriate clothing. An Arctic cold front bringing freezing temperatures is expected to arrive in the Dallas/Fort Worth area around 1 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Environmental campaigners have called on Belgian environment minister Zakia Khattabi to push for a deal on rules for Europe-wide monitoring of forever chemicals PFAS and two dozen other harmful substances, after the incoming EU Council presidency omitted the issue from its programme. In October 2022 the European Commission proposed the first update in nearly a decade to a watch list of pollutants that affect surface and groundwater across Europe, which are subject to mandatory monitoring and legal limits, adding the plastic additive BPA, certain agricultural chemicals including the herbicide glyphosate, as well as a range of pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, among 25 new priority substances. But although the European Parliament adopted a position on the proposal last September calling for even tighter maximum concentration limits, or environmental quality standard, for chemicals such as the herbicide glyphosate governments have yet to find common ground ahead of negotiations with MEPs. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a Brussels-based NGO umbrella group, warned on Monday (8 January) that several critical pollutants go un-surveyed at present, including the group of chemicals that have been the centre of concern in Belgium, with revelations of PFAS pollution in both the northern Flanders region, and, more recently, Wallonia. Recent revelations of PFAS-polluted water, in Belgium, but also elsewhere in the EU, show the urgent need to improve monitoring and regulations of water pollutants to protect human and environmental health, EEB Secretary-General Patrick ten Brink wrote to Khattabi and other Belgian government officials. The EUs own watchdog, the European Environment Agency, reports that less than a third of rivers and lakes across the bloc meet current criteria for good chemical status, despite a 2027 final deadline under the Water Framework Directive, which dates back to the turn of the millennium. This risks delaying the action on tackling water pollution even more, which is something we cannot afford, ten Brink said of the delay in the EU Council. The presidency declined to comment on the letter, but an official told Euronews that Belgium would definitely work on the proposal during its six-months chairing inter-governmental negotiations. Conservationists are not alone in criticising the parlous state of Europes rivers, lakes and groundwater. The consistent failure of governments to meet pollution limits is also a bugbear for water utilities, who must remove them when purifying drinking water. The trade association Eureau supports the proposal to extend the priority list, and welcomed the European Parliaments call to make polluters cover the additional costs. EurEau policy advisor Sebastien Mouret also shared the EEBs concern that any further delay could put in doubt the adoption the new pollution limits before EU countries start working in 2025 on new river basin management plans, which must be updated every six years. We agree with the EEB that control at source should come first when seeking to reduce pollution, and that the Council should align its position with that of the [parliament], Mouret told Euronews, referring to the proposal for extended producer responsibility provisions. It is also essential that persistent, mobile, toxic and bio-accumulative substances are all classified as priority hazardous substances, he added. Doing this will protect the environment, human and animal health, and help keep our water services affordable for everyone. The European Commission is expected to publish in March a water resilience initiative in response to increasing periods of drought linked to climate change. Environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius told MEPs in October that widespread pollution meant an enormous reduction in the quantity of water that is fit for use and that support for the extended list of water pollutants, as well as a proposed reform of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, were fundamental to tackling the problem. I met my best friend Penny when her son, Josh, was in my high school English class. After he was diagnosed with cancer, I visited him in the hospital, and she and I became friends. She's 20 years older than I am and while we have many differences, we also have a lot in common. My best friend Penny Castle has two decades on me. With those decades, she has some sound advice: for example, you know the 'good' candle? The expensive one you got as a gift that smells absolutely incredible? Don't save it burn the good candle. Wear the pricy perfume for no reason other than how much you like it. Order dessert. Take the trip. These were all things she told me, and I live by her advice. When I met Penny in 2017, a year after I started teaching her son, Josh, high school English, I didn't realize I was meeting my best friend. Josh was a star English student who loved cats and enjoyed learning easily likable, much like his mom. Penny and I had a quick, simple exchange when handing over stationery for the coming year ("Oh, YOU'RE the teacher Josh won't shut up about"), but I came to know Penny better soon in an unexpected way. When Josh was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer seldom seen in kids his age, I went to visit him in the hospital after he'd requested visits from his teachers if they were willing. I adored him, and one visit turned into weekly visits both at the hospital and at home once he was discharged. What began as small talk with his mom at the start of visits became one of the most important relationships in my life. I became close with Penny while visiting her son Penny knew she couldn't get rid of me after I became the designated tea maker for visitors, knowing where the nice mugs were kept in the kitchen cupboards. Afternoons would roll into dinners with takeout, and soon, we were chatting into the early morning hours. Penny's husband, Shannon, would be there, as would Josh and his younger brother, Chris. My husband, Chris (dubbed "Chris the Elder"), started joining, and we all became inseparable. When we lost Josh a year after his diagnosis, we supported each other through the unbearable loss. Even after they emigrated to London (from Johannesburg, where we met), we stayed just as close. Penny and I are both writers she's a novelist and screenwriter, whereas I'm a copywriter and journalist. She points out that our other similarities include the fact that we both think I have a hot husband, that mac-and-cheese is the elixir of life, and we both know Josh was one of the coolest kids around. She also notes that we are both perpetually covered in animal hair all true. Tayla and Penny are 20 years apart in age. Courtesy of the author And though we do have a lot of similarities, we also have plenty of differences. I love Bruce Springsteen, and Penny thinks he's awful. I don't love the Pixies, while Penny would erect a shrine to the band if she could. Her shelves are full of nonfiction, while mine have books about dragons or the odd classic like "The Great Gatsby" a book Penny loathes. Our relationship is special to me With 20 years between us, we're often asked if it's a surrogate mother-daughter relationship. Penny says it is, albeit one where I'm the mom, or even an almost Mary Poppins-like figure trying to make her look after herself, even though I'm younger. That doesn't mean I haven't learned from her. In fact, she's one of the most influential people in my life. She has taught me what genuine courage looks like. Her deliciously dark humor makes her a phenomenal comedian, and she helps me see the lighter side of everything. We got each other through various bouts of COVID-19, leaving groceries and medication outside each others' doors. I remember opening the bag of 'essentials' that Penny left us and pulling out a massive chocolate cake. Josh's favorite quote was the Theodore Roosevelt quote about being the " man in the arena " it was even an excerpt at his memorial, an apt choice given how damn hard he fought to stick around. If we aspire to be the man in the arena, then Penny is the person you want on your side. She is relentlessly supportive. "Ray of sunshine" is an abused cliche, but Penny truly is one. Her warmth, wit, and generosity know no bounds. Penny embodies the ethos of paying it forward, which has, in turn, impacted my life where I emulate her and do the same. Having lost Josh when he was just 15, she is a fervent believer in celebrating the everyday moments. That's why we burn the good candles and don't save bubbly for special occasions. Though I stopped teaching in 2023, seven years after Josh's diagnosis, I was given so many gifts in those nine years I spent in the classroom. My best friend and her gorgeous family are one of the few gifts that keep on giving. Read the original article on Business Insider Luxury train travel is gaining popularity, travel expert Jan Luescher told BI. Luescher said it has all the amenities of first-class travel with less harm to the planet. Read on for the best luxury rail experiences across the world in 2024. Luxury rail travel is having a moment. Whether you're looking to devour a five-course meal while enjoying panoramic views or fancy something a little more splashy, there are plenty of options for the opulent train enthusiast. This method of travel will continue to gain popularity in 2024, according to luxury travel expert Jan Luescher, who told Business Insider that luxury travelers have had a "shift in attitude" regarding the environmental impact of their trips. "The obvious answer is extravagant train vacations. This mode of traveling promises all the luxuries associated with first-class plane travel, such as excellent food, service, and amenities, all the while taking along some of the most scenic and underexplored regions of the world in a way that is kinder to the environment," Luescher, Chief Executive Officer of luxury travel-focused social network A Small World, told Business Insider. Read on for the best luxury train rides across the world in 2024. Switzerland's Glacier Express is Europe's ultimate luxury winter train. Switzerland's Glacier Express surrounded by snowy mountains and trees. Arthur Mallett/Getty Images The Glacier Express in Switzerland is known for more than just luxury it's also famous for its panoramic views on the route which spans eight hours between St. Moritz, a resort town in southeast Switzerland, and Zermatt, another town in southern Switzerland. For those looking for a luxury train experience, it's recommended to purchase the Excellence Class ticket which includes a five-course meal, a concierge service, and a guaranteed window seat. Prices start at 470 Swiss Franc, or around $529. However, travelers can also purchase a standard adult ticket, known as the Glacier Express classic , which begins at 159 Swiss Franc, or around $179, for the entire route. If you can, Luescher suggests trying the Glacier Express twice once in summer and once in winter as the landscape is completely different in both seasons. South Africas Blue Train has a two-year waitlist. The interior of South Africa's Blue Train in 2015. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Getty Images South Africa's Blue Train is one of the world's most sought-after rail experiences; it currently has a waitlist of two years, Luescher told BI. The two-night, or around 31-hour route, spans 1,600 kilometers, or around 994 miles, between Pretoria and Cape Town, according to the global tourism operator Audley Travel. According to Luescher, tickets begin at $1,499 and include a luxury butler and fine dining. Japan's Twilight Mizukaze has live music and a unique menu. Japan's Twilight Express Mizukaze train crosses the Amarube Bridge. STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images The Twilight Mizukaze, also known as the Twilight Express, offers various routes around western Japan. The train is known for its Art Deco-inspired decor and observation decks that allow passengers to view landmarks, national parks, and striking viaducts. Guests are treated to live music and a food and drinks menu sourced from local ingredients that are specific to each route. Tickets range between $2,800 and $5,500 and must be purchased in Japan, according to Luescher. Each journey hosts 34 passengers and there's often a waitlist spanning six months or more, Luescher added. Belmond's British Pullman is beloved by royalty. Prince Harry is pictured on Belmond's British Pullman train for a charity event in 2017. WPA Pool/Getty Images Step aboard Belmond's British Pullman train for the quintessential British experience. Some restored parts of the train date back to the 1920s, according to the website, and over the years it has been boarded by members of the royal family including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry. Guests are treated to live cabaret performances and afternoon tea on board. Routes vary and prices for 2024 journeys begin at 400, or around $510. Experience the US and Canada on the opulent Rocky Mountaineer. The Rocky Mountaineer train At Cisco Crossing. Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The Rocky Mountaineer offers luxury train rides across western Canada and the American southwest and is best known for its glass-dome windows offering panoramic views of major landmarks. Prices for the Rocky Mountaineer's 2024 packages begin at $1,500 and depend on the journey's length and the type of package purchased. For example, the Gold Leaf service includes additional luxury perks, such as unlimited drinks and menu dining. In contrast, the Silver Leaf service includes pre-selected meals in the ticket price. Belmond's Venice-Simplon Orient Express has various routes across Europe. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Belmond The Venice-Simplon Orient Express has hosted a range of versatile guests through the years, from ambassadors and royals to authors and spies. Like Britain's British Pullman train, parts of the train date back to the 1920s, and each carriage's classic interior will make guests feel as though they've stepped back in time. The train offers routes from major European cities including Amsterdam, Rome, and Venice. Ticket prices vary. For example, an overnight stay in one of the train's grand suites begins at 10,165, or around $13,000, and includes 24-hour butler service, unlimited champagne, and private in-cabin dining. Meanwhile, an overnight stay in a historic cabin, or a standard cabin, begins at 3,530, or around $4,500. Luescher told BI that this train is "extremely popular" among their clients and that it's common for some people to rent out a full carriage or the entire train. "This is a great idea for a very special private event, if you have the money to do so of course," Luescher said. "The experience itself is much more than just a train ride, it's a journey back in time to the opulence and style of the Golden Age/Art Deco era," they added. Read the original article on Business Insider President Joe Biden on Friday notified Congress of his strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen, writing in a letter that they were taken to deter and degrade Houthi capacity to conduct future attacks. The air and missile strikes Thursday came in response to repeated attacks on commercial ships by Iran-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea. Biden had been facing growing pressure to respond to the attacks, which began two months ago. I directed the strikes in order to protect and defend our personnel and assets, to degrade and disrupt the ability of the Houthi militants to carry out future attacks against the United States and against vessels operating in the Red Sea region, and to deter the Houthi militants from conducting or supporting further attacks that could further destabilize the region and threaten United States strategic interests, Biden wrote in his letter, which he is required to send in accordance with the War Powers Resolution. Members of Congress from both parties criticized the president on Thursday for not seeking congressional approval for the strikes. This is an unacceptable violation of the Constitution, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who chairs the Progressive Caucus, wrote on social media Thursday night. Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, echoed Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, writing The Constitution matters, regardless of party affiliation. Alexander Ward contributed to this report. On Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he had ordered airstrikes against areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthi movement, one of the sides in the Yemeni Civil War. The airstrikes immediately led to bipartisan backlash from members of Congress claiming that Biden had overstepped his bounds and that the airstrikes were unconstitutional without congressional aproval. Missouri Democrat Cori Bush expressed her concern on X (formerly Twitter). (X User @RepCori) Arizona Republican Andy Biggs also expressed reservations. (X User @RepAndyBiggsAZ) Here's what you need to know about what's going on in Yemen and the airstrikes: The Yemeni Civil War The Houthi movement started in the 1990s as a response to ongoing corruption in Yemen and as a protest against Saudi Arabian influence in the country. Beginning in 2004, the Houthis started actively rebelling against the Yemeni government, which continued for 10 years. In 2014, the Houthis captured Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, and since then, the county has been in a state of full civil war. In 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia attempted to restore the Yemeni government to power and failed, and the conflict has since stagnated into the most notable proxy war between Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and Iran, which backs the Houthi movement. The war has killed over 150,000 and led to widespread famine in the country, the poorest in the Middle East. In April 2022, the United Nations helped to broker a ceasefire between the two sides, which has largely held up, as of this writing. According to reports from The Associated Press, there has since been a prisoner exchange and a Houthi delegation was invited to Saudi Arabia in September 2023 for peace talks that ended with "positive results." Why Did Biden Order Airstrikes? Ships wishing to use the Suez Canal to transport goods between Europe and Asia must pass through Yemeni waters in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have occasionally launched missiles at ships passing through the area, and following the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, the group upped the attacks, justifying them as a response to Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip. On Dec. 18, 2023, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational mission to protect ships traveling through the area. However, the attacks continued. On Jan. 10, 2024, the Houthis launched 18 drones, two cruise missiles and one anti-ship missile, the largest attack thus far, which the British and American navies shot down. No damage was caused in the attacks. The next day, the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council voted 11-0 for a resolution condemning the Houthi attacks, with China, Russia, Algeria and Mozambique abstaining from the vote. On the same day, President Biden ordered the airstrikes with support from the U.K., Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. The War Powers Act Under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, only Congress is given the power to declare war, a power it has exercised only 11 times, most recently in World War II. However, Article II, Section 2 reads "[t]he President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." As a result of that separation of power, how much the President can do militarily without an official declaration of war has been long and fiercely debated. Since World War II, all the conflicts currently labeled as wars have been fought without the official war declaration (possibly due to the threat of nuclear retaliation), but just how far a president can go without an official declaration of war was first challenged during the Vietnam War. Although both Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy placed troops in South East Asia, it was not until the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964 that Congress authorized Lyndon B. Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression" in Vietnam. By the time Richard Nixon was elected, public sentiment had started to turn against the war. So, when Nixon ordered the bombing of Cambodia in March 1969, he did so in secret. The revelation that the United States had been secretly bombing a neutral country was only revealed to the public a few months later in The New York Times. In April 1970 (after a U.S.-backed coup, by the way), Nixon ordered a ground invasion of Cambodia to target North Vietnamese supply routes in the country. That invasion was announced publicly two days after it began. It was the last straw for war-weary Americans and their congressional representatives. The Kent State Massacre and Jackson State Shootings happened at protests against the invasion of Cambodia. Congress agreed that Nixon had overstepped his boundaries and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was repealed in June 1970. The Vietnam War continued regardless. It was not until 1973 that Congress passed the War Powers Act (over Nixon's veto). That act requires the president to communicate to Congress a committal of U.S. troops within 48 hours of the order being given, and to withdraw the troops after 60 days if Congress has not expressly approved the action. Over the last 50 years, the War Powers Act hasn't proved to be that effective. According to Cornell University's Legal Information Institute, presidents since the law was passed have considered the act to be unconstitutional and therefore simply ignore it as they see fit. So, Were Biden's Airstrikes Unconstitutional? There are two options for how the Biden Administration could choose to justify the airstrikes. The first is precedent, because the airstrikes on Houthi territories were not the first time a President has ordered a military action without seeking congressional approval. An article from Al Jazeera listed Biden's first military action in Syria, Trump's drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Obama's 2011 bombing of Libya and Bill Clinton's bombing of Serbia in 1999 as examples of times the president has ordered airstrikes without consulting Congress. The second is by citing one of a few different pieces of legislation. He might cite the War Powers Act itself, claiming that it gives him the power to retaliate against an attack made against the United States. He could also refer to the Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF) against terrorism signed by Congress after 9/11, which was used to justify the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the Houthis are not currently listed as a terrorist organization, making it much harder to justify the attacks using the AUMF. On Jan. 11, the White House issued a statement co-signed by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the UK claiming that the strikes were an "inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, consistent with the UN Charter." However, Biden faced backlash from both sides of the aisle for his decision. Since most presidents consider the War Powers Act to be unconstitutional, it very well could be a future court decision that ultimately decides exactly how much power the president has. For now, the question of whether Biden's airstrikes in Yemen were constitutional or unconstitutional is a matter of opinion. Sources: 50 U.S. Code 1541 - Purpose and Policy. LII / Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1541. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Biden Pledges US Support against Houthi Attacks to Saudi King. Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/9/biden-pledges-us-support-against-houthi-attacks-to-saudi-king. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. CNN. READ: President Joe Bidens Statement on Strikes against Houthi Targets in Yemen | CNN Politics. CNN, 12 Jan. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/11/politics/read-biden-statement-airstrikes-houthis-yemen/index.html. Commander in Chief Powers. LII / Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commander_in_chief_powers. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Congress Reacts to Bidens Bombing of Houthis. TIME, 12 Jan. 2024, https://time.com/6554747/congress-reactions-bombing-houthis-yemen-red-sea/. First US Military Action under Biden Draws Criticism. Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/26/unconstitutional-us-airstrikes-on-syria-draw-strong-criticism. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - Definition, Cause & Significance. HISTORY, 6 July 2023, https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/gulf-of-tonkin-resolution-1. Has Biden Violated the US Constitution by Bombing Yemen? Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/12/did-biden-violate-the-us-constitution-in-bombing-yemens-houthi-sites. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. House, The White. Joint Statement from the Governments of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States. The White House, 12 Jan. 2024, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/01/11/joint-statement-from-the-governments-of-australia-bahrain-canada-denmark-germany-netherlands-new-zealand-republic-of-korea-united-kingdom-and-the-united-states/. ---. Remarks by President Biden on Americas Place in the World. The White House, 5 Feb. 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/02/04/remarks-by-president-biden-on-americas-place-in-the-world/. How Nixons Invasion of Cambodia Triggered a Check on Presidential Power. HISTORY, 11 Sept. 2023, https://www.history.com/news/nixon-war-powers-act-vietnam-war-cambodia. Https://Twitter.Com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/Status/1745806962342736045. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1745806962342736045. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Https://Twitter.Com/RepCori/Status/1745614952855949622. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/RepCori/status/1745614952855949622. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Milestones: 19691976 - Office of the Historian. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1969-1976/ending-vietnam. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Press, The Associated. Yemens Houthis Launch Their Largest Red Sea Aerial Attack, but No Damage Is Reported. NPR, 10 Jan. 2024. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223906769/yemens-houthis-red-sea-attack-missiles-drones-us-navy-un-resolution. Red Cross: Yemen Rebels, Saudi Coalition Begin Prisoner Swap. AP News, 14 Apr. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-war-prisoner-exchange-saudi-arabia-houthis-fe9d0d3cbfaad81818534d7f0b41cecd. Saudi Arabia Praises positive Results after Yemens Houthi Rebels Visit Kingdom for Peace Talks. AP News, 20 Sept. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-yemen-war-peace-talks-d2a9ad9efe1ab0b4f5d51597098f46a2. Statement from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Ensuring Freedom of Navigation. U.S. Department of Defense, https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3621110/statement-from-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-ensuring-freedom-of-n/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.defense.gov%2FNews%2FReleases%2FRelease%2FArticle%2F3621110%2Fstatement-from-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-ensuring-freedom-of-n%2F. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Statement on the Truce in Yemen. OSESGY, 2 Apr. 2022, https://osesgy.unmissions.org/statement-truce-yemen. The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription. National Archives, 4 Nov. 2015, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript. UN Security Council Demands Houthis Stop Red Sea Shipping Attacks. Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/11/un-security-council-demands-houthis-stop-red-sea-shipping-attacks. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. US, British Militaries Launch Massive Retaliatory Strike against Iranian-Backed Houthis in Yemen. AP News, 11 Jan. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2. War Powers. LII / Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/war_powers. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024. Who Are the Houthis? And Why Did the US and UK Retaliate for Their Attacks on Ships in the Red Sea? AP News, 12 Jan. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11. Who Are Yemens Houthi Rebels? TIME, 12 Jan. 2024, https://time.com/6554861/yemen-houthi-rebels-history-cause-israel-hamas-war/. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s work wasnt as simple as black and white, Kevin Powell said Thursday. Following in Kings footsteps means being concerned not just about racism but also ageism, sexism and other ways of treating others as less than equal human beings, Powell said. Its not good enough to say you love all people if you discriminate based on sexual identity or preference, he stressed. Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson-Deuitch speaks at Purdue Northwests Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at the Westville campus on Jan. 11, 2024. (Michael Gard/Post-Tribune) Powell, a Grammy-nominated poet and author of 16 books, was keynote speaker for Purdue University Northwests MLK Day recognition at the PNW campuses in Westville and Hammond. He spoke on Thursday in Westville. What kind of human being do you want to be? Do you care about love or do you care about hate, Powell asked. He urged the audience to be bridge builders and not bridge destroyers. He opposes the term illegal alien, which diminishes the value of others as fellow human beings. How dare you shut the door when you know the time Irish folks were called all sorts of names, Italian Americans were called all sorts of names, he said. Many Americans suffer from historical amnesia, forgetting what has happened in the past. Powell has encountered many people outside this country who know more about American history than a lot of Americans do. Powell repeatedly urged the audience to read so they can understand other points of view. He decried efforts to restrict what children can be taught. We sometimes have to talk about racism. We sometimes have to have that uncomfortable conversation, he said. We have some very serious things happening in our country and our world right now, Powell said. The civil rights movement, from 1955 to 1968, did much in just 13 years to change the nation, he said. Without it, attendee Angie Nelson-Deuitch could not have become Michigan Citys first Black female mayor, he said. Nor could the nation have Kamala Harris as its first Black female vice president. Still, theres a long way to go. Hip hop wouldnt even exist without the civil rights movement, Powell said. The same poor people King worked so hard to help still exist. Its a multimillion-dollar industry now but it was created by poor people. Poet Kevin Powell speaks at Purdue Northwests Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at the Westville campus on Jan. 11, 2024. (Michael Gard/Post-Tribune) In his travels, Powell sees poor people struggling in cities across the country. Kings work emphasized uplifting poor people, regardless of their race. He moved to Chicagos west side in 1966 to address issues there. Powells own family was poor. We didnt have any books in the house except a Bible. Books were a luxury, We didnt have any money, he said. Before King was assassinated in 1968, he was helping sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. If you dont speak to people like janitors and secretaries, youre going the opposite direction of King, Powell said. He never thought he was better than anyone. He thought there was dignity in all work. Powell wants to hear from all kinds of people, not just people like him. I want to learn about all these folks. I want to learn all these histories, he said. Bob Dylan, who wrote Blowin in the Wind, was influenced by Dylan Thomas. Sam Cooke, who heard Dylans song, wrote A Change is Gonna Come. We are all influenced by others, Powell said. Have the courage to cross cultural boundaries, he urged. Vote, but also know whats going on in your community. Be aware. Youve got to change things. Decide if you want to live a full life or if you want to live life in a box, he said. Do something in your community, Powell added. Help them belong. Dont other them. Dont act like theyre invisible. One of the most interesting movies I saw in 2023 is this little thing called Barbie, and they kept talking about the patriarchy, People were right; the film was right about that. You know, we gotta keep fighting all these different things, Powell said. Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. President Joe Biden said Friday that he has confidence in Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after the Pentagon waited three days to tell the White House that the top defense official was in the intensive care unit. Biden also affirmed that Austin had a "lapse in judgment" by not telling the White House about his hospitalization earlier. The president's comments were in response to reporters' questions when he stopped at a coffee shop in Allentown, Pennsylvania. A journalist asked the president, "Do you have confidence in Secretary Austin?" "I do," Biden responded. "Was it a lapse in judgment for him not to tell you earlier?" the journalist asked. "Yes," Biden said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has previously said during news conferences that the White House has complete confidence in Austin, but Friday was the first time the president himself has said so. Austin was hospitalized days after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. He was taken by an ambulance to a hospital on Jan. 1 and transferred to the ICU the following day, but his team did not inform the White House about the secretary's hospitalization until Jan 4. Austin acknowledged scrutiny over the delay in his hospitalization disclosure, saying in a statement that he is committed to doing better. "I also 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," Austin said in a Jan. 6 statement. "But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure." The White House has also previously acknowledged that the delay in notification of Austin's hospitalization was a problem. "Its true, we didnt know he was hospitalized, and Ive said repeatedly that thats a problem," said John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, during a Thursday press briefing. "That should not happen again that if a Cabinet official becomes hospitalized or has to be seen for medical, certainly to the degree where the authority has to be delegated, that the White House needs to know." Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks assumed Austin's duties on Jan. 2, before the White House was aware of Austin's hospitalization. Austin has since resumed his duties. Austin is still hospitalized and "remains in good condition," according to a statement Friday from Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. "Hes in contact with his senior staff and has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DODs day-to-day operations worldwide," said Ryder, who added that the Pentagon does not know when Austin will be released from the hospital. Biden had a phone call with Austin on Jan. 6, which a senior administration official previously indicated was a "warm conversation." "The President wished him the best in his recovery and said he looks forward to seeing the Secretary back at the Pentagon soon," the senior administration official said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com By Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term. Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, and pledged both to stand up to Beijing and seek talks. "We do not support independence..." Biden said, when asked for reaction to Saturday's elections. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has long said it does not support a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan. It does, however, maintain unofficial relations with the self-governed island and remains its most important backer and arms supplier. Beijing, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, fears that Lai could declare the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan, which Lai has said he will not do. Biden has previously upset the Chinese government with comments that appeared to suggest the United States would defend the island if it were attacked, a deviation from a long-held U.S. position of "strategic ambiguity". His comments on Saturday appear to be an effort to reassure Beijing. Even so, Washington warned just hours ahead of the polls opening that "it would be unacceptable" for "any" country to interfere in the election. Taiwan, which neighboring China claims as its own, has been a democratic success story since holding its first direct presidential election in 1996, the culmination of decades of struggle against authoritarian rule and martial law. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai Ching-te on his victory and said the United States "is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure."He said the U.S. looks forward to working with Lai and leaders of all parties in Taiwan to advance their "longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the U.S. one China policy." The Biden administration has feared that the election, transition and new administration would escalate conflict with Beijing. Biden has worked to smooth relations with China, including agreeing to talk through differences on security matters at a California summit with President Xi Jinping in November. Taiwan's government expects China to attempt to put pressure on its incoming president after the vote, including staging military maneuvers near the island this spring, two senior government officials said. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. In a show of support for the government, Biden plans to dispatch an unofficial delegation to the self-governed island, according to a senior Biden administration official. The delegation is likely to include some former high-ranking American officials, according to the official, who said the names have not been finalized. Similar delegations have been sent to Taiwan in the past. China was angered in 2016 when then-President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, the first such conversation between U.S. and Taiwan leaders since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by Diane Craft and Michael Perry) The bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the UK stipulates not only support for Ukraine, but also that Ukraine would support the UK in the event of aggression against it. Source: Denys Shmyhal, Ukrainian Prime Minister, on the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "It is very important that this is a fair deal and a bilateral partnership agreement. So when this war is over, this is an agreement on our alliance with the UK, on support. Not only does the UK have to respond within 24 hours if there is aggression against Ukraine, but Ukraine will also defend its ally and partner within 24 hours, responding in some way to support the UK if Russia wants to attack our friend, partner and ally." Details: Shmyhal described the signing of the agreement as "a historic moment". He also said he was confident that other countries would sign similar agreements with Ukraine. "It is important that this agreement was the first, and is therefore the gold standard. A standard that sets the bar, the level of security guarantees and security cooperation with our partners, in terms of both supporting Ukraine and providing security guarantees after this war is over until Ukraine joins NATO," Shmyhal said. The premier also noted that the agreement with the UK provides for one of the largest amounts of military aid for Ukraine. Quote: "2.5 billion is provided as funding for Ukraine during 2024. This is one of the largest amounts of military support for Ukraine, which is important. Many of [our] partners have barriers to funding military support for Ukraine and prefer to fund our countrys humanitarian and budgetary needs. It is very important that such a large amount, almost US$3.2 billion, will be provided to support the Ukrainian defence sector not only the military, but also the defence industry." Background: The bilateral security agreement between the UK and Ukraine, which will remain in effect until Ukraine joins NATO, was signed during British Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks visit to Kyiv on 12 January. A separate part of the agreement covers actions in the event of a future armed attack by Russia. Zelenskyy and Sunak appeared to hold differing views on whether it is possible to speak of "security guarantees" from the UK. Support UP or become our patron! Angela Silas lost 103 pounds over the last three years as the rent increased from $410 to $915 on her mobile home lot in Lake Runnymeade in St. Cloud after new owners purchased the park. Silas said she has had to cut back on groceries and prefers to go hungry rather than giving her 14-year-old child or 38-year-old disabled husband less food. I feel like I have to penny pinch everywhere that I can and Im going to take the hit first before my child, Silas said through tears. A bill filed by State House Rep. Paula Stark, whose district includes St. Cloud, aims to help mobile home owners like Silas dispute rent increases that leave them no choice except to pay up or undertake the arduous task of moving their home. At a press conference Friday, Stark said HB 613 will encourage mediation of disputes between mobile homeowners, who often own the home but rent the land its on, and the park owner. Stark said the bill also aims to tackle the affordable housing crisis, as raising lot rents at mobile home parks targets people who are typically low-income. Were putting people who are on fixed incomes or perhaps lower incomes at risk when putting them out of their homes which is creating a whole other problem as it relates to affordable housing, Stark said. The bill also increases the cash assistance provided to mobile home owners who must move due to a change in the use of the mobile home park. The maximum payment to a mobile homeowner from the Florida Mobile Home Relocation Corporation would increase from $3,000 to $6,500 for single-section mobile homes and $11,500 for multi-section mobile homes. Theyve had the same payouts in that particular piece of legislation for many many years and frankly theyre just not high enough, Stark said. So we increased them so that they have a better opportunity in those particular cases to either move someplace else or move their mobile home. If passed the bill would have wide-reaching implications for mobile home parks across Osceola County and throughout Florida. Good Samaritan Society in Kissimmee is on the market, leaving residents worried about lot rent hikes similar to those at Lake Runnymeade Mobile Home Park. Hurricane Ian forced Good Samaritan to demolish over 500 mobile homes and led to a lawsuit charging the park owner with misrepresenting the risk of flooding. Many residents at the Kissimmee lot are on fixed incomes, leaving few options for those who have to relocate. New owners could raise lot rents, but Stark said her bill could help those residents with mediation and relocation assistance. Depending on who buys them and what they want to do the relocation part of this bill would be significant for them, Stark said. Across the state and country, there has been a trend of large corporations purchasing mobile home parks and increasing lot rents. In many places, bills similar to HB 613 have quickly followed. Whats happening across our state is we have a lot of these larger corporations who are buying these parks up for a couple of reasons, Stark said. One is because they make money and two is in some cases they may be looking forward as it relates to redeveloping the property. Lake Runnymeade was purchased by Homes of America, which residents say led to deteriorating communication, rent hikes and lack of basic maintenance. A representative of Homes of America could not be reached for comment. Silas has lived in Lake Runnymeade Mobile Home Park for 13 years and before Homes of America bought the park it was a dream to live in, she said. Now she said getting communication from the owners is difficult, the community pool is green and rent is ridiculous. She has thought about leaving the mobile home park in St. Cloud but said she cannot afford to save to buy another mobile home or move hers because her rent is too high. Im hoping the bill will be able to give us more communication with the owners and give us more insight into what is going to be changed, Silas said. Its been a headache and like Ive cried a lot over the past couple years. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Liu Jianchao, Head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, who is widely tipped to be the country's next foreign minister, in Washington. Source: a statement from Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US Department of State, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues, including Russias war against Ukraine, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, and the Middle East, and the Secretary noted the importance of upholding and defending navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea and avoiding further escalation." Details: Miller said Blinken had stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea. "[The two sides] reaffirmed the importance of continuing to implement the progress made on key issues in the Summit between President Biden and President Xi in Woodside, California, in November 2023, particularly counter-narcotics cooperation and military-to-military communications," the statement reads. Background: Both sides recognised the importance of continuing to maintain open channels of communication between the US and China, Miller concluded. Earlier, the Pentagon said Russia and China are seeking to weaken the USs military advantage in space. Chinese leader Xi Jinping had previously written in a letter to US President Joe Biden that their countries should strive for "peaceful coexistence". In November, Biden and Xi met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It was their first face-to-face meeting in a year and Xi's first visit to the United States in four years. Support UP or become our patron! The former South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority president and CEO will be able to negotiate up to nine months of severance after leaving the position last month. The severance for David Uran will be based on salary only, not benefits or bonuses, SSCVA Board President Andy Qunell said after the board voted unanimously to approve the negotiation at that bodys board meeting Thursday. Uran announced his resignation Dec. 18 effective Dec. 31 after a Dec. 15 executive session where alleged misconduct was listed as the reason for the closed-door meeting. Qunell said after the meeting that Uran being able to negotiate his severance was in his contract. But according to Urans contract that he signed in 2022, his employment may be terminated by SSCVA immediately for cause, in which the employee shall be entitled to the compensation and all other benefits earned prior to the date of termination as provided for in this Agreement computed, prorated up to and including the date of termination. The contract may also be terminated by either party without cause upon sixty (60) days notice in writing which shall identify the date of termination, the contract reads. If the SSCVA terminates Uran without cause, SSCVA is obligated to pay Employee for an additional period of ninety-day (90) days. Employees current base salary and medical benefits, it reads. In addition, Employee shall be entitled to all accrued vacation, and other benefits prorated through the date of termination. The board also voted unanimously to install the CVAs head of Human Resources, Nikki Lopez, as its interim president and CEO while it embarks on a nationwide search for Urans replacement, Qunell said. Lopez, the former event director for Hobart who said shes been the CVAs HR director for nine months, will be paid the same salary as the organizations chief operating officer instead of Urans salary, the board voted. Uran earned $90,358.52 in base salary for the second half of 2022 after he resigned as Crown Point mayor, according to the most recent information on Gateway, Indianas public funding portal. Weve been reevaluating the COOs pay, and now (with hiring a new president and CEO), we have the opportunity to look at all the salaries to reevaluate what the market is bearing, Qunell said. In an offer letter Lopez signed in March, the SSCVA offered her a starting salary of $67,600, an 11.2% employer contribution to her Public Employee Retirement Fund (PERF) and health insurance monthly payments of $20 per paycheck for single coverage, $30 for single and spousal coverage per paycheck or $40 per paycheck for family coverage. Lopez will stay on until the board conducts and hires from a nationwide search for which its hiring and outside firm, Qunell said. And the candidate may or may not be a local person. Were looking for the best candidate we can get, Qunell said. Lopez, who said she sat on the SSCVA board for eight years prior to being hired on, is very excited for the opportunity and wants to continue working with the current and potential partnerships the organization has currently. Nikki Lopez is the interim executive director of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. In year-end news, Lopez told the board that the innkeepers tax netted $4.5 million, which included a 5% increase over the course of the year, and that the staff would be focused on HR training, training, training for the rest of the month. Chief Marketing Officer Heather Becerra told the board that the A Christmas Story: Ralphie Comes Home event last month brought 2,800 visitors from 28 states to the Welcome Center even with inclement weather. The movie cast told her the Hammond event had the best turnout. Uran previously said the matter before the executive board was unrelated to his departure, but couldnt comment on personnel matters within the organization. Qunell said the board extends its deepest appreciation to Uran for his unwavering commitment and leadership. Uran was tapped in May 2021 to release former longtime head of the organization Speros Batistatos after the board of directors did not renew his contract. Batistatos is suing the SSCVA board for wrongful termination. The Post-Tribune has referred questions about Urans resignation to the SSCVAs attorney Scott McClure. He has not yet responded. Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. People's Republic of China CCP International Liaison Department Minister Liu Jianchao, second from right, during a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) WASHINGTON (AP) Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during a meeting with a senior Chinese diplomat on Friday, as the Biden administration seeks to mitigate tensions over Taiwan while the island holds its presidential election. Blinken sat down with Liu Jianchao, the Chinese Communist Party's international minister. Hours later, he met with Yoko Kamikawa, the foreign minister of Japan, one of the United States' strongest allies in Asia. The Biden administration is seeking to keep down tensions in the Taiwan Strait if the governing Democratic Progressive Party, known to lean toward independence, should prevail in Saturday's election. Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory, has suggested to voters that they could be choosing between peace and war. The U.S. is not supporting any candidate in Taiwan's presidential election and plans to send an unofficial delegation to the island shortly after the election. In addition to Taiwan, Blinken and Kamikawa discussed the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and preparation for a state visit by Japan's prime minister to the U.S., possibly in early March, according to the news site Japan Today. As the world reaches a turning point, the role of the Japan-U.S. alliance in dealing with various issues has never been greater, Kamikawa said, as reported by Japan Today. Blinken told Kamikawa that the alliance is truly the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, according to a State Department transcript. Liu's meeting with Blinken was part of a U.S. trip that took the veteran Chinese diplomat to New York. Earlier this week he said Beijing is serious about U.S. statements not to support Taiwan's independence. And we hope that the U.S. side will honor this commitment," Liu told the Council on Foreign Relations. For China, the Taiwan question is at the very core of the core interests. Its the red line that mustnt be crossed, said Liu, who is likely to become China's next foreign minister when the Chinese congress convenes in March. Beijing has slammed Washington for supplying the island with weapons that it says could embolden those seeking Taiwan's independence. The U.S. has a security pact with Taiwan to protect the island from any armed attack from the mainland, and any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait could draw in the U.S. Liu's visit came nearly two months after President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in San Francisco to stabilize bilateral relations. Liu, when speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations, said Beijing does not wish to have a war. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace and is committed to peaceful development," Liu said. "President Xi Jinping reiterated during his recent visit to the United States that China will not fight a cold war or a hot war with anyone. Liu assured his audience that China does not seek to alter the world order. 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. Beijing's goal, Liu said, is to deliver a better life for the Chinese people." So we dont really have any hidden agenda. Overtaking the United States is not our goal, he said. Liu signaled that Beijing could move away from its wolf-warrior diplomacy that critics say has alienated China from the West. I think that the fundamental goal of Chinas diplomats would be to contribute their efforts in making sure that Chinas relations with other countries be warm and cooperative, Liu said. And by that, we mean that we try to create a favorable international environment for Chinas modernization. Secretary of State Antony Blinken weighed in on Taiwans presidential election on Saturday, offering his congratulations to Lai Ching-te, who goes by William, for his victory. The United States congratulates Dr. Lai Ching-te on his victory in Taiwans presidential election, Blinken said in a statement shared by the State Department. We also congratulate the Taiwan people for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process. Lai, who previously served as vice president, emerged the winner of the countrys presidential election, after a high-stakes race forced his opponents to concede. The result will decide the countrys relations with China for the next several years, as China warns that peace and stability in the region are threatened between the two countries. China claims the strip of water between the countries is its own to rule. We look forward to working with Dr. Lai and Taiwans leaders of all parties to advance our shared interests and values, and to further our longstanding unofficial relationship, consistent with the U.S. one China policy, Blinken said Saturday in the statement. We are confident that Taiwan will continue to serve as an example for all who strive for freedom, democracy, and prosperity, he added. China previously warned that the election was critical, as voters could be choosing between war and peace. The country has openly opposed Lais party the Democratic Progressive Party as it claims sovereignty over the island that has governed itself for nearly three quarters of a century. Lai has rejected Chinas claims of sovereignty and offered to speak with China but officials have refused to hold talks, calling them separatists for splitting from the mainland after a civil war in 1949. Today, #Taiwan has once again shown the world our peoples commitment to democracy, Lai posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He said he is grateful for the trust placed in him by the public and remains committed to upholding peace in the Taiwan Strait and being a force of good in the international community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken meets with Chinese Communist Party International Liaison Department Minister at the State Department U.S. Secretary of State Blinken meets with Chinese Communist Party International Liaison Department Minister at the State Department By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday raised concerns over China's human rights issues in a meeting with senior Chinese official Liu Jianchao in Washington, the State Department said, adding they also discussed "maintaining peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT Senior U.S. and Chinese officials have held regular discussions recently to keep communication lines open between the world's two largest economies. Friday's meeting came a day ahead of elections in Taiwan that will test efforts to ease U.S.-China tensions and was the latest in a flurry of U.S.-China interactions following a November summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco. Ties between the two sides have otherwise been tense in recent years over a range of issues such as the origins of COVID-19, trade tariffs, Taiwan and human rights. KEY QUOTES Blinken "emphasized the importance of resolving the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China and raised U.S. concerns about (China's) human rights abuses," the State Department said in a statement. "The Secretary reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea," it said. The State Department said the two also discussed North Korea, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the situation in the Red Sea and the Middle East, where observers fear a widening of Israel's war in Gaza after the U.S. and UK's strikes in Yemen. CONTEXT The Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary contests in Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, represent the first real wild card in 2024 for the Biden administration's goal of stabilizing ties with China. The U.S. is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier even though Washington does not formally recognize its government, maintaining official relations only with Beijing. Taiwan's government has accused China of election interference to sway the vote toward candidates Beijing may prefer. China has labeled those allegations "dirty tricks." Other communication between China and the U.S. from this week included a Wednesday meeting between Liu and White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, a phone call on Thursday between U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and the resumption of long-frozen military talks. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jacqueline Wong) PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft will stay grounded until an extensive and rigorous inspection and maintenance process is approved and data from the inspection is reviewed, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday. After reviewing Boeings proposed inspection and maintenance instructions, the FAA says they need more data before returning the planes to service, and is requiring plug-door inspections of 40 planes. The call for inspections comes after a Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 lost a door plug mid-flight after taking off from Portland International Airport in early January. Another Alaska Airlines flight makes unplanned landing at PDX The FAA said that even though they are encouraged by Boeings instructions for inspections and maintenance, they will not approve the inspection and maintenance process until the federal agency reviews data from the first round of 40 inspections in order to maintain the highest standard of safety. We are working to make sure nothing like this happens again, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. Our only concern is the safety of American travelers and the Boeing 737-9 MAX will not return to the skies until we are entirely satisfied it is safe. After the FAA approves Boeings inspection and maintenance instructions, operators must follow the protocol on every aircraft before it is returned to service, officials said. Washington House unanimously approves bill that would ban child marriages The decision comes after the FAA grounded about 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX planes after the incident in Portland. The agency says it has also increased its oversight of Boeing production and manufacturing launching an investigation to find out if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to approval designs and were in condition for safe operation under FAA regulations. The FAA notes it will continue to support the National Transportation Safety Boards investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) U.S. Border Patrol agents in the El Paso Sector have disrupted about two dozen human smuggling attempts this past week and arrested nine people with criminal histories, according to a news release sent out by Border Patrol. In the last seven days, El Paso Sector agents have disrupted 23 human smuggling events leading to more than 100 smuggled migrants being apprehended and the arrest of nine individuals with criminal backgrounds. Courtesy of Border Patrol Courtesy of Border Patrol Courtesy of Border Patrol Courtesy of Border Patrol On Jan. 5, agents assigned to the El Paso Station Anti-Smuggling Unit (ASU) disrupted a smuggling attempt when they encountered six smuggled migrants inside a SUV. Agents observed multiple individuals emerging from a storm drain near Ascarate Park and then jumping into a vehicle. Agents subsequently performed an immigration stop, finding migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador, including one unaccompanied juvenile from Mexico. All migrants were medically evaluated and processed under Title 8 authority. The driver and six others will be facing various charges including conspiracy to transport, illegal entry and re-entry after being deported. On Jan. 7., agents assigned to the El Paso Human Intelligence Unit helped to secure the prosecution of a Nicaraguan national who had allegedly entered the country after being deported. The 52-year-old male was found among a group of 14 migrants who crossed the border illegally, Border Patrol officials said in its release. An immigration background investigation found that he was convicted of aggravated battery and controlled substance trafficking in 2001 in Florida. This individual will face prosecution for re-entry after deportation, Border Patrol said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Brian Gabler Simi Valley City Manager Brian Gabler will retire on June 30 after nearly four decades with the city. Gabler, 63, who told the City Council confidentially about the retirement in December, made it official this week with a public announcement at a council meeting. A recruitment consultant is working with the council, Gabler said, and plans are to hire a new city manager before he leaves. His retirement comes after 38 years with the city of Simi Valley, including the last four as its chief executive. Its the right time for my family, Gabler said Friday. His daughter Sarah is starting her studies at the University of Oregon in Eugene this fall. Gabler, his wife Karen and their son Sam are moving to the coastal city of Florence to be an hours drive from the university. Karen is an attorney and Sam works for Target. His current annual salary is $306,992 a year, according to the city. Gablers interest in public service began at the dinner table during his childhood in Northridge. Dinner was always in front of TV, watching the nightly news, Gabler said. On Sundays, my grandparents would come over, and the family would sit around the table and talk about politics and government. I was always sitting there while discussions were taking place. He earned his bachelors in political science in 1983 at Cal State Northridge and a masters in public administration the next year at USC. He went on to work at the city of Arcadia, managing contracts for programs such as animal control. In 1986, he joined the city of Simi Valley as an administrative assistant overseeing that years municipal election. He went on to become assistant to the city manager, deputy city manager and assistant city manager. In March 2019, Gabler became interim city manager. A year later, he started work as the permanent city manager just as COVID-19 struck. Highlights of his long career included the initial operations of the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, construction of the current police station and additions to City Hall, Gabler said. Among economic development highlights was the 2005 opening of the Simi Valley Town Center. Assistant City Manager Samantha Argabrite said Gabler inspires his staff to remain confident under stressful circumstances. And he knows everything, no matter what your question is, Argabrite said. Gabler said he's looking forward to retirement in Oregon and traveling with his wife. Weve got an RV, Gabler said. Weve talked about taking some trips to the other side of the country and seeing America. Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Brian Gabler to retire as Simi Valley city manager Heavy, wet snow started falling in the early morning hours on Friday, creating slippery road conditions and low visibility that led to a rash of crashes as well as the closure of schools and government buildings across Northwest Indiana. More snow is in the forecast for the weekend, with plunging temperatures as well. Snowfall totals varied, ranging from a dusting in Portage to around 3 inches in Munster. By Friday afternoon, the snow transitioned to rainfall, but additional accumulation of between 1-2 inches was expected late Friday into early Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. In Porter County, all lanes of Indiana 49 were shut down near County Road 500S in Morgan Township after a semi truck crashed, blocking all lanes of traffic, according to the Porter County Sheriffs Department. The roadway reopened around 9 a.m. after the truck was moved. Plow trucks work Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn as winter storm hits the Chicago area with heavy snow, near-blizzard conditions, Jan. 12, 2024, that will be followed by extremely cold temperatures. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Sheriff Jeff Balon reported there had already been half a dozen crashes on county roads by 7 a.m. A winter storm warning is in place for much of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area until noon Saturday. The additional snow combined with high winds could cause blowing and drifting snow on local roadways, the NWS said in its forecast, and hazardous travel conditions are expected, especially north of the Borman Expressway. Wind chills ranging from 10 degrees to as low as 30 degrees below zero are expected Saturday night through Wednesday morning. Rebecca Zimmerman moves along Harlem Avenue on her way to work in Oak Park from Forest Park as a winter storm hits the Chicago area with heavy snow, near-blizzard conditions, Jan. 12, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) In addition, river ice is expected to quickly build up on area rivers Sunday into early next week, which could cause localized ice jam-related flooding on area rivers into next week. Highland Public Works director Mark Knesek said everything was going fine in town so far. The midnight crews worked to get a head start for the daytime crews, and all the streets were plowed as of Friday afternoon. Were prepared for the evening snow. All crews are scheduled for the remainder of the storm, Knesek said. Closed municipal buildings and schools Porter County made the decision to close all county buildings, including the courts, after Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North, spent the early morning getting reports from the highway department superintendent, the Emergency Management Agency director and Sheriff Balon. We have quite a few employees that live in the unincorporated areas and when Im being told the roads arent good, better safe than sorry, Biggs said Friday morning. In contrast, Lake County courts were still open until 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton requested that nonessential employees work from home on Friday, thus all public-facing customers services were closed. But he did emphasize that essential services like public safety were fully operating and encouraged residents to seek out warming centers to stay safe. In Crown Point, all city offices were closed Friday, and will reopen on Tuesday. The Timothy Grzych Ice Rink at Bulldog Park was closed Friday and will be closed Sunday and Monday. Open skate hours for Saturday will be determined. Most municipal buildings will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Most public schools announced plans to close or operate remotely, including Crown Point, Gary, Griffith, Munster, Highland, East Chicago, Hammond, Lake Central, Lake Ridge, Tri-Creek, Lake Station, River Forest, Hanover Central, Valparaiso, Duneland, Portage, Union Township, East Porter, Porter Township, and Hebron. Both Purdue University Northwest and Indiana University Northwest closed their campuses Friday and conducted classes remotely. Warming shelters In Chesterton the Town Hall, 726 Broadway, at the northeast corner of Broadway and North 8th Street, is currently serving as a 24/7 warming center through Sunday, Jan. 21. Visitors should come in through the front door and then through the set of double doors. People should know there are really no amenities except for chairs, a lot of chairs, and restroom facilities, and a drinking fountain, said Town of Chesterton liaison Kevin Nevers. The city of Valparaiso has several warming centers: The Valparaiso Family YMCA, 1201 Cumberland Crossing, will be open Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the Porter County Public Library Valparaiso Branch, 103 Jefferson St., will be open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.; Housing Opportunities, 2001 Calumet Ave. will be open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Living Hope Community Church, 1115 Calumet Ave. will be open overnight Monday through Sunday 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. with check-in time from 8 to 9 p.m. In addition, the Valparaiso Police Department offers a special program for individuals who may need special help during weather emergencies. The Contact Assistance Referral (CARE) Program means the VPD will check on residents during harsh weather. To register yourself or a loved one for CARE, contact Sergeant Tom Zimmerman at tzimmerman@valpopd.com or (219) 462-2135. Portage Township residents in need of emergency shelter should call Township Trustee Brendan Clancys office at (219) 762-1623 or the emergency after hours number, (219) 741-9442. In the city of Portage, a warming center has been activated at Woodland Park (2100 Willowcreek Road) for citizens in need. The warming center is open during normal Parks Department business hours during this cold streak. Additionally, if someone needs the services of the warming center outside of these hours, contact the police departments nonemergency number, (219) 762-3122 and the center will be opened. Transportation arrangements to the warming center can be made to assist. Portage Fire stations are also available as temporary warming centers. Arrangements can then be made at the stations to get those in need to the park. Additionally, the Portage YMCA is serving as a warming center during regular business hours. Gary has a number of warming centers. For men, Brothers Keeper, 2120 Broadway; Restoration House Shelter for Men, 1365 Taney St.; and Serenity House, 5157 Harrison St. are available for shelter. For women and families, Calumet Township Multi-Purpose, 1900 W. 41st Ave., will be open. Hobart has opened several locations through Tuesday to serve as warming shelters: the PCC lobby, enter through Police doors, 705 E. 4th St., is open 24 hours; the Community Room at Fire Station No. 2, 2411 W. Old Ridge Road, is open 24 hours; Maria Reiner Senior Center, 705 E 4th St., is open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekdays; The Crossing @ NWI, 3440 W. 61st Ave, is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday; Jubilee Worship, 415 N. Hobart Rd., is open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and after 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday; the Hobart Branch of the Lake County Library, 100 Main St., is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday. If Highland needs to open up the Lincoln Center, 2450 Lincoln St., as a warming center, it will, Town Clerk-Treasurer Mark Herak said, but only if the town declares an emergency. People are, however, welcome to warm up from the cold during regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, he said. Similarly, the town of Merrillville is working with the American Red Cross to determine whether it will open the Dean and Barbara White Center, 6600 Broadway as an emergency warming center, town spokesman Chas Reilly said. The town will alert the community as soon as it happens, he said. Portage Mayor Austin Bonta said a warming center has been activated at Woodland Park, located at 2100 Willowcreek Road, for citizens in need. The warming center is open during normal Parks Department business hours during this cold streak. Citizens needing additional services, including transportation, should contact the police departments non-emergency number, 219-762-3122, and the center will be opened. Reporters Shelley Jones, Michelle L. Quinn, Alex Dalton and Carrie Napoleon contributed. D-Day veteran Bill Gladden speaking at his home in Haverhill, England, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Gladden spoke to the AP on the eve of his 100th birthday, he is a veteran of the 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, part of the British 6th Airborne Division, he landed by glider on the afternoon of D-Day, 6th June 1944 in Normandy. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) LONDON (AP) British D-Day veteran Bill Gladden turned 100 on Saturday, a day after his niece threw a surprise birthday party for him. It was a big fuss he didnt really expect, though the old soldier had tears in his eyes long before he caught sight of a cake decorated with a replica of his uniform and the medals he earned. But Gladden isnt focused on his birthday this year, big as it is. Hes looking six months down the road. Thats because the event he really wants to attend is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6. It may be the last of the big events marking the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe because so few of the 850,000 troops who took part remain. Gladden wants to be there to honor those who are gone to remind people that victory did not come cheap. If I could do that this year, I should be happy,'' he told The Associated Press from his home in Haverhill, eastern England, where he still lives on his own. Well, I am happy now, but I should be more happy. A dispatch rider with the 6th Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment, Gladden landed behind the front lines on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in a wooden glider loaded with six motorcycles and a 17,000-pound (7,700-kilogram) tank. The unit was part of an operation charged with securing bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal so they could be used by Allied forces moving inland from the Normandy beaches. Based in an orchard outside the village of Ranville, Gladden spent 12 days making forays into the surrounding countryside to check out reports of enemy activity. On June 16, he carried two injured soldiers into a barn that was being used as a makeshift field hospital. Two days later, he found himself at the same barn, his right ankle shattered by machine gun fire. Lying on the grass outside the hospital, he read the treatment label pinned to his tunic: Amputation considered. Large deep wound in right ankle. Compound fracture of both tibia and fibula. All extension tendons destroyed. Evacuate. Gladden didnt lose his leg, but he spent the next three years in the hospital as doctors performed a series of surgeries, including tendon transplants, skin and bone grafts. After the war, Gladden married Marie Warne, an army driver he met in 1943, and spent 40 years working for Siemens and Pearl Insurance. They had a daughter. These days hes more likely to talk about how proud he is of his family than he is to reminisce about D-Day. But his wartime story is preserved in a scrapbook that includes a newspaper clipping about the tanks that were built to fly, his drawings and other memorabilia. Theres also a scrap of parachute left behind by one of the paratroopers who landed in the orchard at Ranville. As he lay in the hospital recovering from his wounds, Gladden painstakingly stitched his units shoulder insignia into the fabric. The edges are frayed and discolored after eight decades, but Royal Armoured Corps still stands out in an arc of red lettering on a yellow background. Underneath is a silhouette of Pegasus, the flying horse, over the word Airborne. These are the flashes we wore on our battledress blouses, says the caption in neat block letters. Nothing has faded from memory though. At his party, people celebrated his service and offered a booming happy birthday chorus. I just think hes a legend, what hes been through, what hes seen, what hes done,'' said his niece, Kaye Thorpe. Hes just amazing, and hes still bright as a button on top.'' For men like Bill Gladden, though, there was no I in D-Day. Even as he celebrated his 100th birthday, somehow it wasnt just about him. Instead, he echoed the words of many who survived the invasion. When you think of all those young lives that lay in those cemeteries abroad, the Allies and us won the war but (victory) was a very expensive one, life-wise,'' he said. Because so many youngsters died.'' ___ Associated Press writers Mayuko Ono and Alastair Grant contributed Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said the classified briefing around unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), more commonly known as UFOs, may have only moved the needle a little bit, but it energized the House on the issue. Id say on a scale of one to ten, Id give it a four. Id say the needle moved it was bipartisan, Burchett told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo in an interview Friday, when asked about how the hearing went. He noted that the whole gang was in the room, pointing out Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.). At one time, we had 16 congressmen in there, he added. And these were people that normally you wouldnt see. Lawmakers left the hearing with mixed feelings. Some were frustrated with the limited information and some claimed they were given more insight after an explosive testimony by a whistleblower began conversations last summer. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) leaves a a classified briefing with Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Thomas Monheim and members of the Congressional UAP Caucus on Friday, January 12, 2024. (Allison Robbert) Thomas Monheim, inspector general of the intelligence community, spoke with House Oversight and Accountability Community members in an attempt to improve transparency around what the government knows about UAP. Burchett told Cuomo that he couldnt tell him what the big issue of the meeting was, but said the closed-door conference provided some validity to whats been said. The Tennessee Republican noted there will be more hearings on the issue and said what the meeting Friday did accomplish, was that it energized Congress to keep looking into the issue. Top Stories from The Hill The secret meeting comes after a hearing in July, when David Grusch a former military intelligence officer provided a stunning testimony and asserted that the Pentagon and other agencies are withholding information about UAPs. The Defense Department has denied those claims. Burchett previously said he believes in the existence of extraterrestrial life and has accused the government of covering up evidence of it. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. David Cameron said the Houthis had been given warning after warning - Valdrin Xhemaj/AFP via Getty Images Britain stands prepared to carry out further strikes on Houthi targets if commercial and military vessels continue to come under attack in the Red Sea, Lord Cameron has warned. Writing for The Telegraph, the Foreign Secretary said that if the Houthis, who control much of Yemen, are permitted to deny passage to ships, vital supply chains are threatened and prices will go up in Britain and across the globe. Lord Cameron said Thursdays strikes by US and UK forces will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing. But he added that the UKs unambiguous position is that we will always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions. The remarks suggest Britain could join the US in carrying out further strikes if the Houthis persist in launching missile and drone attacks on shipping vessels. They echo a similar warning by Joe Biden, the US president, who said: We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour, along with our allies. On Friday night, US forces carried out an additional strike on a Houthi radar site in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. In his article in The Telegraph, Lord Cameron also described as nonsense the Houthi contention that this is all about Israel and Gaza, adding: Theyve attacked ships from countries all over the world, heading to destinations right across the globe. His remarks will be seen as a rebuke to figures such as Baroness Warsi, a Conservative peer who chaired the party under Lord Cameron, who have echoed Houthi claims that the attacks are simply a response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. On Saturday, demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian march in central London chanted support for the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. Some protesters were heard shouting Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around, in apparent celebration of the actions of the Iran-backed rebel group. One banner on the march to Parliament Square read Hands off Yemen, while another said Thanks Yemen. A further placard read: UK + US wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza wants to live. Responding to images of the march, Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, said: Its extraordinary to watch young men and women who Im sure would tell you they believe in freedom and equality supporting groups like the Houthis, who have reintroduced slavery and systematically violate the rights of women and girls. On Saturday, the Houthis taunted the UK and US, claiming that the strikes carried out so far have had no significant impact on their ability to attack vessels passing through the Red Sea. Nasruldeen Amer, a spokesman for the group, said the latest US strike on Friday night would receive a firm, strong and effective response. On Thursday night, RAF Typhoon jets launched Paveway IV laser-guided bombs at two Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, in a raid the Government believes has significantly reduced the groups ability to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea. The mission was undertaken with US forces, who used air, sea and submarine vessels in the Red Sea to target more than 60 Houthi sites linked to 27 attacks since November. Lord Cameron praised Rishi Sunak for approving the first set of UK strikes, which he said followed a request from the US to assist with limited and targeted military action. He added: Our joint action will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing. We targeted sites from which we know their attacks were launched. We will carefully assess the impact of what has been done. But, more importantly, we have sent an unambiguous message: what the Houthis are doing is wrong, and we are determined to put a stop to it. We will work with allies. We will always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions. The Foreign Secretary insisted Britain had not rushed into these strikes, having issued warning after warning. Military action would always be a last resort, he said. He revealed that he had personally spoken to Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Irans foreign minister, to leave Tehran and the Houthis in no doubt about the potential consequences of the rebel groups aggression. Attacks against merchant and commercial shipping are completely unacceptable. They had to stop. And if they did not, we would have to take action, he added. The Houthis chose to escalate. The number of attacks accelerated and the severity of those attacks increased. 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. Monday marks 15 years since Capt. Chesley Sully Sullenberger landed a plane on the Hudson River in New York and saved the more than 150 people who were on board. He joined MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle on The 11th Hour Saturday to reflect on the Miracle on the Hudson and his life since he became known for his heroic act. It really took everyone involved. My crew, the passengers themselves, to rescuers, the first responders, all of it, responders from New York and New Jersey, it took so much cooperation, Sullenberger said. Everyone involved had to rise to the occasion and understand how serious this was and what they had to do and make it their mission to make sure that every life was saved. The pilot said his life changed instantly that day in 2009, when his plane struck a flock of birds shortly after taking off from LaGuardia International Airport in Queens and lost power to the engines. He decided to land the plane in the shallow area of the Hudson River near Midtown Manhattan. Boats rescued all passengers who stood on the planes wings, and only a few people sustained injuries, he recalled. The National Transportation Safety Board called it the most successful emergency water landing in history. Sullenberger, now retired, said he recently met with his former passengers and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles at a panel that was very rewarding. It was also wonderful to fill in the gaps in what I witnessed personally, the former pilot said. By hearing each of their stories and of course, as you can imagine, depending upon where they were sitting in the airplane, they had different experiences. And so it was really fascinating to hear what they thought, what they felt, what they did, what they saw and how they reacted to the flight attendants orders, he added. Sullenberger also recently met with the first responders who helped to rescue the pilots and passengers for a reunion, since he hadnt seen them since the incident. Skiles said it was his first trip outside of training and he had just qualified to be a co-pilot on the Airbus 320 the Friday before. He is now a Captain and still a pilot to this day, CBS News reported. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Hello, fine friends, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch's regular recap of noteworthy happenings in tech over the past few days. Our team on the ground at CES 2024 had plenty to report from the show -- and more's on the way. (Here are thorough roundups of all the announcements.) But the world didn't stop turning for CES. In this edition of WiR, we cover Carta's allegedly unethical tactics, Samsung's Ballie home robot, Volkswagen bringing ChatGPT into its cars and Amazon embracing more generative AI. Also on the agenda is the launch of OpenAI's GPT Store, Logan Paul's CryptoZoo debacle, Harvard's robot exoskeleton and a major hack at Fidelity Financial. Its a lot to get through, so we wont delay. But first, a reminder to sign up here to receive WiR in your inbox every Saturday if you havent already done so. Most read Carta's ethics in question: Carta, the cap table management outfit, is being accused of unethical tactics by startup Linear's CEO Karri Saarinen. Saarinen alleged in a LinkedIn post that Carta misused sensitive information that startups entrust to the company in pursuit of its own goals. Carta decided to exit secondary trading following the credibility hit. Samsung's Ballie returns: Remember Ballie, Samsungs spherical home robot from CES 2020? Samsung brought it back at this years keynote with a few on-trend AI upgrades. The new and improved Ballie is around the size of a bowling ball, sporting a 1080p projector and a spatial lidar sensor to help it navigate rooms and obstacles. Volkswagen cars get ChatGPT: Volkswagen is getting into the ChatGPT game. On Monday, the German automaker announced plans to add an AI-powered chatbot into all Volkswagen models equipped with its IDA voice assistant. Why? For drivers who want an AI-based chatbot to read researched content out loud to them, of course. Amazon, GenAI and apparel: After recently turning to generative AI to enhance its product reviews, Amazon this week shared how its now using AI to help customers shop for clothing online. The company's employing personalized size recommendations, a "fit insights" tool for sellers, AI-powered highlights from fit reviews left by other customers and reimagined size charts to enable customers to find better-fitting clothing in the Amazon marketplace. OpenAI's GPT Store: OpenAI has launched a store for GPTs, custom chatbot apps powered by its text- and image-generating AI models (e.g., GPT-4 and DALL-E 3). The GPT Store, as its called, lives in a new tab in the ChatGPT client on the web and features a range of GPTs developed both by OpenAIs partners and the wider dev community. CryptoZoo refunds . . . maybe: Logan Paul is offering refunds for CryptoZoo, the failed and allegedly fraudulent Pokemon-inspired NFT game that he launched in 2021. The catch? You cant sue him if you get a refund. Morgan has the full story. New day, new exoskeleton: A joint team from Harvard and Boston University has developed a soft robotic exoskeleton that detects movement and utilizes algorithms to estimate the walkers gait. Cable-driven actuators kick in, assisting walking midstride. If the promising early results are any indication, this new technology could someday be commercialized, Brian writes. Fidelity hacked: Real estate services giant Fidelity National Financial has confirmed hackers stole data on 1.3 million of its customers during a November cyberattack that knocked the company offline for a week. In a filing with federal regulators, Fidelity didn't say which specific customer data was stolen -- but, as Zack writes, all signs point to it being personal or sensitive in nature. KYC and GenAI: KYC, or "know your customer," is a process intended to help financial institutions, fintech startups and banks verify the identity of their customers. Not uncommonly, KYC authentication involves "ID images," or cross-checked selfies used to confirm a person is who they say they are. But GenAI could sow doubt into these checks. Twitch layoffs: Another round of layoffs is hitting Twitch. The Amazon-owned livestreaming platform will cut 35% of its staff, or roughly 500 employees -- the latest blow for the already-beleaguered company, which cut hundreds of jobs last year amid leadership changes, rising operating costs and community discontent. Audio Need a podcast to listen to while you do the dishes, commute to work or otherwise go about the day's chores? Good news -- TechCrunch is churning out episodes that'll do the trick. On Equity's newly revamped Wednesday episode, the crew dug into news that PhotoRoom is raising more money, Treasure Financial is cutting staff, and two micromobility companies are tying the knot to try and use scale to their advantage. They also looked at what's going on in the world of AI hardware, why Keith Rabois is heading back to Khosla Ventures, and Seedstars Africa Ventures adding $30 million to its upcoming fund. Meanwhile, the folks at Found spoke with Markus Witte, co-founder of Babbel, a language learning app that had been operating since 2007. Markus talked about why he decided to step down as CEO and take on the role of chairman and how all four co-founders have worked together to stick to the original mission of Babbel even after nearly 20 years. And on Chain Reaction, Jacquelyn interviewed Michael Sonnenshein, the CEO at Grayscale Investments. Grayscale is a digital asset investment firm that aims to provide products and services to institutional and individual investors; it's well known for its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and now its new bitcoin spot ETF product. TechCrunch+ TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys which you know if youre already a subscriber. If youre not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week: The Siri dilemma: Haje writes that Apple's Siri needs to get a lot smarter, and quickly -- lest it be left in the dust by competitors (assuming it hasn't been already). Enterprises skeptical of GenAI: Generative AI gets a lot of press, from image-generating tools like Midjourney to Runway to OpenAIs ChatGPT. But businesses arent convinced of the techs potential to positively affect their bottom lines; at least, thats what surveys suggest. The $1 trillion liquidity gap: Just how backed up are the venture capital markets today? The value of the most mature startups in the United States that need to find an exit neared the $1 trillion mark through Q3 2023, Alex reports -- a massive (and growing) problem. The Winter Park Police Department is looking for a teenager after he ran away from his caregiver. According to a recent news release, 17-year-old Jason Vangrondelle was last seen around 1 p.m on.Friday, Jan. 12 at 200 N. Lakemont Avenue. Police said the teenager left with no shoes while wearing a blue scrub style shirt and gray and mustard colored pants. Read: Central Florida is honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with these events The police department said he has an Egyptian Ankh tattoo behind his right ear. If you see Vangrondelle, do not approach him. Read: New business in Orlandos Packing District will soon feature these popular brands Call 911 or the Winter Park Police Department at 407-644-1313 Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. An attorney for Chad Daybell, the man accused of killing his first wife and aiding convicted murderer Lori Vallow in the killing of two of her children, has asked to withdraw from his case. Mr Daybell is charged with three counts of murder and conspiracy to murder in the deaths of his wife Tammy Daybell and Vallows seven-year-old son JJ Vallow and 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan. He also faces two counts of insurance fraud in connection with Tammys murder. Prosecutors believe that Mr Daybell and Vallow schemed the murders of their three family members in late 2019 before they went on to marry in Hawaii in November of that year. The couple had met at one of Mr Daybells religious conferences, and bonded over their doomsday cult beliefs, which prosecutors believe was at the centre of the murders. On Thursday, Mr Daybells attorney John Prior filed a motion to withdraw from the case. Mr Prior, who has represented Mr Daybell since 2021, said that the case, in which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, would require him to work around the clock, more than full-time for more than four months without compensation and without the assistance of any other counsel. Mr Daybell cannot pay for counsels continued services and Mr Daybell seeks the appointment of two capital qualified attorneys to represent him in this matter, the motion, obtained by East Idaho News, read. The filing comes a year after the court deemed Mr Daybell indigent, meaning that he is unable to afford legal counsel and is entitled to his constitutional right to court-appointed representation. Mr Prior also noted in the filing that he had discussed his decision with Mr Daybell and asked that the court provide two qualified public defenders to represent his client. Mr Prior added that he had reached out to an attorney willing to take over Mr Daybells case but his request to be qualified as a public defender in a case where the death penalty is being sought has yet to be approved by the Public Defense Commission. Currently, there are only 13 public defenders qualified to lead a capital punishment case in Idaho, according to the commissions roster. The time for him to be of any assistance for me in preparing for this case is long gone, Mr Prior wrote. Mr Daybells trial is set to begin in April in Ada County it remains unclear whether the recent developments may cause delays. Last year, Vallow was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft over the deaths of her two youngest children. She was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Mr Daybells first wife. Vallow was sentenced to life in prison without parole on 31 July. She is separately charged in Arizona with conspiring to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow and conspiracy to murder her nieces estranged husband Brandon Boudreaux. Niles West High School in Skokie is expected to get a sizable building addition after the Niles Township High School District 219 Board of Education on Jan. 9 approved the draft plans, which include better security and more instructional space. The plans call for relocating the buildings guest entrance, centralizing student services and constructing additional classrooms on the buildings third floor. According to an estimate from the architectural firm that drafted the design, the addition would cost $41.6 million. Athi Toufexis, an architect from Studio GC, said the district planned to create a separate entrance for visitors following a safety audit completed before COVID. She explained that visitors who come to Niles West now can have free access. The access (to visitors) is pretty much unobstructed throughout the building, she said. So while you have visitors, they may be escorted to meetings; after their meeting concludes, they may not be escorted out of the building, so they have free rein. According to the plans, the first floor of the building addition would hold the main office, a visitor entrance, offices for deans and attendance and security. Toufexis said that although visitors will enter through the addition, they will not have access to the rest of the school. Toufexis said that by moving those offices to the additions first floor, nearly 17,500 square feet at Niles West will be freed up to be converted to classrooms. According to this drawing from architect GC Studios, the first floor of the building addition at Niles West High School will hold a main office and offices for deans and attendance. The rooms that used to hold those offices will be turned into classroom space. The District 219 Board of Education approved the design plans for the building at the Jan. 9 Board Meeting. Courtesy of District 219. Superintendent Thomas Moore said he was interested in reclaiming the classroom space and turning it into classrooms for manufacturing, trades and career classes. He said the school can approve those classes to be taught but needs the actual physical space to teach them. The second floor of the building addition is planned to contain student services offices and staff. In addition, Toufexis said there would be dedicated spaces for before and after school programs and flexible learning during the school day. It helps bring everybody together as far as creating a sense of culture and community, she said. Toufexis said the concept of the floor would be similar to the one in the building addition at Niles North High School, where a $24.5 million, 42,835-square-foot building addition opened before the start of the fall 2023 semester. I cant tell you how many evenings Ive been over at North, and it is jam-packed after school with various types of services and activities going on, Toufexis said. The third floor of the building addition would hold up to six classrooms, according to the designs. Several board members were concerned that visitors would have access to the third floor, but Toufexis said there would be a reception area and security guards who would swipe ID cards to allow students to access the classrooms. According to this drawing from architect GC Studios, the second floor of the building addition at Niles West High School will hold student services, including college and career rooms and guidance counselors. The District 219 Board of Education approved the design plans for the building at the Jan. 9 Board Meeting. Courtesy of District 219. Board Member David Ko had concerns about the traffic that the building addition would create, saying that it was the schools number one issue. Toufexis said for the building addition to serve as a hub for student services and as a second vestibule for guests, it would make the most sense to place it at the front of the building. She pointed out that the current main office is also at the front of the building. According to this architects draft, the third floor of the building addition at Niles West High School in Skokie will contain classrooms and utility space. The classroom area will have an entrance for students to pass through with security checks. The District 219 Board of Education approved the design plans for the building at the Jan. 9 Board Meeting. Courtesy of District 219. Assistant Superintendent for Business Tim Neubauer said the next steps for the process would be for the district to solicit input from teachers, students and parents to flesh out plans and then go out to bid for the project. Students from Skokie, Lincolnwood and large portions of Morton Grove and Niles attend District 219 high schools. In 2022, net migration stood at 745,000; more people came to Britain in that year than in the last 20 years of the 20th century combined In recent years, the Home Office has presided over record numbers of people entering Britain legally and illegally. The department that governs our borders has manifestly struggled to do so; to understand why, The Telegraph has spoken to a series of insiders who described an organisation rife with chaos, dysfunction and wokery. An Onward poll published in The Telegraph suggests that nine in 10 voters in England and Wales would like to see more curbs on migration, but a former Home Office special advisor told The Telegraph there is a disconnect between Whitehall and the country. Migration is a systemic scandal in British politics. Millions of people have been let into the country through junk routes with minimal effort from the state to stop them, they said. The Home Office and No 10 have both failed to engage in the realities of the economic and social costs of migration. Without a mainstream party that agrees with the public on border controls, there is a vacuum for extremism and radical politics as we have seen on the continent with Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders, they added. Legal migration In 2022, net migration stood at 745,000; more people came to Britain in that year than in the last 20 years of the 20th century combined. These figures are causing Rishi Sunak an almighty political headache. In every Tory manifesto since 2005 the party has pledged to reduce migration numbers, yet the numbers keep rising. Boris Johnsons points-based system, liberalisation of visa routes, and refugee schemes for those fleeing Hong Kong and Ukraine significantly boosted the numbers of people who came to Britain after Brexit. One former Tory staffer blamed the increase in numbers on a series of Conservative prime ministers who have liberal instincts on migration, including Mr Sunak. The Home Office is the only bulwark against pressures from every other government department to increase migration numbers. When the PMs heart isnt in favour of control, it is very easy to give into demands from your Cabinet, nearly all of whom lobby for handing out greater visa numbers due to pressure from businesses who want cheap labour, the advisor said. Alp Mehmet, the chairman of Migration Watch a think tank dedicated to controlling migration concurs. The fault lies with successive governments headed by weak or badly advised prime ministers and decisions to liberalise the immigration system, he said. The loose points-based system being an example. It is too convenient for those in power to blame civil servants for their own failures. While the way the Home Office is overseen, and is now misfiring, is also part of the problem, the main reason we have mammoth levels of immigration is that Conservative ministers believed it to be the right policy and necessary for the economy. They were wrong, and we warned them of what would happen. To cut visa entries, the Government announced a package last month that they claimed would reduce net migration by 300,000. Among the measures introduced was a higher salary threshold for workers at 38,700, but ministers soon decided to delay the change without setting a date for its implementation. Home Office insiders describe a vetocracy around legal migration, where any Cabinet minister can veto plans to cut visas. Only the Prime Minister has the authority to override these vetoes, and it was only following lengthy meetings with Robert Jenrick, at this point firmly on resignation watch, that Mr Sunak agreed to deliver the reforms. Therefore the Home Office has arguably little scope to control legal migration, beyond ending visa abuses for example those who come to Britain on student visas with the intention of working and lobbying other departments to cut numbers. Where the Home Office does have power is to prevent illegal migration, and here the department has been mired in a series of crises. Illegal migration In 2018, there were 299 recorded Channel crossings in small boats. By 2022, the number stood at 45,744. In the past six years, more than 100,000 people have entered the UK illegally, and many of them have been put up in hotels on taxpayer money. The explosion in hotels could have been prevented, claimed one insider. If the department had sufficient experience in dealing with operations and commercial dealings instead of being staffed by generalists [non-specialists] there could have been far greater capacity for housing migrants in places like cheap accommodation or disused military sites. Dozens of people were brought ashore at Dover on a Border Force vessel on Saturday in the first reported migrant Channel crossing of the year - Gareth Fuller/PA The insider also said civil servants were too cautious and didnt seem to realise you have to think outside the box when the levels of returns are this low when it came to making deals with countries on returning immigration offenders. To solve the problem of housing migrants in hotels, officials created plans to use a barge, the Bibby Stockholm, which had the capacity to host up to 500 people. However, last summer traces of bacteria were found in the water supply and the 39 migrants who were on board the vessel were temporarily disembarked as a precaution. Then in December, a migrant on board took his own life. [Sir Matthew] Rycroft [the Home Offices permanent secretary] does not hold staff accountable over their poor performance. Those responsible for the Bibby Stockholm disaster were not punished or sacked for example, one former insider claimed. Another advisor added: The areas where performance was strongest was, unsurprisingly, where senior civil servants had been able to shape their teams bringing capable people in and moving others on. Despite the challenges, the Home Office points out that Channel crossings are down 36 per cent in the past year and more than 26,000 crossing attempts were prevented in 2023. After a quiet start to the year, however, the first Channel migrants of 2024 arrived at Dover on Saturday morning. Leadership Since 2020, the Home Office has seen five home secretaries (one of whom served for less than a week) but Sir Matthew, viewed by some as a career diplomat, has been the permanent secretary for the past three years. Sir Matthew, who was knighted in 2023, has had a long Whitehall career that has seen him serve as a private secretary to Tony Blair, the EU director at the Foreign Office, an ambassador and as a permanent representative to the United Nations. In an interview Mr Ryrcoft gave to Civil Service World in March last year, he said he still sees himself as a diplomat who happens to be at the Home Office for the moment. This attitude has drawn criticism from insiders. One former special advisor, or Spad in Westminster jargon, said that the mandarin told senior colleagues he didnt see himself as a manager but instead a leader. The advisor continued: His experience as a diplomat has led him to see himself less as an operations man and more a representative of Civil Service values, such as inclusivity. He sees the Home Office as a stepping stone in his diplomatic career, with an eye to becoming the British ambassador in Washington or Beijing. His heart isnt really in the job. The Home Office, unlike the Foreign Office, is largely based on operations, whether that be processing visas, setting up migrant hotels, policing the Channel or clearing the asylum backlog. In 2018, there were 299 recorded Channel crossings in small boats. By 2022, the number stood at 45,744 - Gareth Fuller/PA A nicely-nicely hands-off approach doesnt work in the worst performing department in Whitehall. You have to drive things relentlessly like a chief operating officer of a big company, another former Spad said. In November, an exchange in the Home Affairs select committee between Sir Matthew and Lee Anderson, the Conservative MP, went viral after the mandarin could not answer the MPs questions on the numbers of deportations of illegal immigrants. Mr Anderson described his lack of response as staggering, and the chairman of the committee, Dame Diana Johnson, the Labour MP, asked with surprise: Do we have any figures about anything? As well as being the most senior official in the Home Office, Sir Matthew serves as a Civil Service diversity champion for race, faith and belief, in which he acts as a representative across Whitehall for civil servants. In this role he has helped to write departmental plans on race and hosted meetings with civil servants from various departments to discuss matters relating to transgenderism, religion and gender-critical beliefs. The permanent secretarys time is invaluable. He has to make hundreds of vital decisions every day, and not just relating to migration but policing too. He should not waste a minute discussing diversity, or any other Civil Service pet project, a Home Office insider said. Sir Matthew raised eyebrows in 2021 when he told officials on a recorded call that they should accept government policy on some issues but on others it is for them to be stewards and to think about our own role in terms of the leadership of the organisation of the Civil Service, which obviously takes account of ministerial views but doesnt have to follow them slavishly on every particular issue. Woke initiatives Sir Matthews approach has led to accusations from critics that the department has adopted woke initiatives. In the past few months, The Telegraph has revealed that Border Force officers can wear rainbow epaulettes on their uniforms, non-binary Home Office staff are given both male and female security passes so they can change which gender they identify as from day to day, and a senior official told colleagues she has to work 10 times harder than her white counterparts during a lecture on race. Andrea Jenkyns, the Conservative MP, said: The problem with the Home Office HR culture is that it is both political and a waste of resources. There is an opportunity cost when it comes to civil servants spending time and money on diversity and inclusion: they should be focused entirely on controlling our borders. The Home Office HQ, a glass building clad with metal grates and brutalist blocks, is situated in Marsham Street, Westminster. One former insider set the scene upon entering: There are posters dedicated to Windrush, race and LGBT issues everywhere. Civil servants wander around with lanyards plastered with rainbow flags and other political causes. The toilets are gender neutral and rather awkward to use. However, few civil servants are actually there to use the toilets, as recent data show. Cabinet Office statistics published on Jan 11 show that the Home Office has one of the lowest occupancy rates of any department in Whitehall, with only 31 per cent of civil servants turning up to work in person on average. Getting civil servants to attend meetings in person was difficult even if they were in the office, such was the extent to which online working had been normalised, a former ministerial advisor said. To keep the departments 35,000 civil servants in check, there is a team of less than a dozen ministers and their special advisors. Much of the responsibility for Britains immigration policy resides with this small group of Conservatives. You are always on the defensive and fighting fires. To tackle systemic issues with the department is nearly impossible, one Spad said. And the department has many fires to fight. Yes Minister tactics Several former Spads were shocked at the quality of work produced by some officials in the department. One said: Some civil servants had very poor written English, others were tone deaf when it came to public communications. They clearly hadnt left the M25 and didnt understand the concerns of most people in the country. On Dec 6, Mr Jenrick resigned and accused Mr Sunak of not going far enough in his legislation to force through the Rwanda relocation scheme for migrations. His resignation letter urged the Government to do more, stressing that it has a responsibility to place our vital national interests above highly contested interpretations of international law. Robert Jenrick accused Mr Sunak of not going far enough in his legislation to force through the Rwanda bill - TOLGA AKMEN Two days before his resignation, a report appeared in The Times that quoted senior Home Office civil servants, who told the newspaper the Governments legislation was a political gimmick. The report claimed government lawyers were very, very reluctant to work on legislation that would opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights because of concerns they could be breaching the Civil Service code, which they believed prevented officials from breaking international law. A Home Office insider said that their colleagues held international law to near legendary status and used it as an excuse to frustrate government plans on migration. Several former Spads told The Telegraph they felt civil servants would use Yes Minister-style tactics to delay and obfuscate. They would endlessly draft and redraft proposals and papers, it was death by paperwork, one said. Next week, Mr Sunak will put his Rwanda bill to the House of Commons, where Conservative MPs on the Right of the party are planning to table amendments to toughen the legislation. While the Prime Minister fights for his version of the bill, there is a larger issue looming for him and his party: the general election. For Mr Sunak to win, he will need his new Home Secretary and the Home Office to work miracles to reverse years of broken promises on migration. A Home Office spokesman said: The permanent secretary is completely focused on keeping the UKs citizens safe and the country secure, rather than worrying about anonymous briefing in the press. Last year, he helped lead the Home Office efforts to reduce small boat crossings, speed up asylum decisions and deliver plans to cut net migration. Sir Matthew holds civil servants to account in supporting ministers and implementing their decisions, which is how effective government works. 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. More than two decades after concealing the death of her 6-year-old son, a mother learned her sentence on Friday. Teresa Black faces 10 years in prison for killing her son William Hamilton and leaving him to decompose in the woods of DeKalb County in Georgia in 1999. Williams remains were found six months after his death, but his identity was unknown until a break in the case in 2022. Our partners at WSB followed the case closely as it went to court. Black admitted she left her son dead in the woods, claiming his death was due to an accidental overdose of medication and she did not mean to harm him. READ MORE: Unsolved murder: Family keeps sons memory alive by helping others On Wednesday, a jury found Black not guilty of felony murder, cruelty to children and aggravated assault charges. She was found guilty of concealing Williams death death. On Friday, Judge Stacey Hydrick sentenced Black to the maximum 10 years in prison. As a mother, I cannot fathom how you could leave your child in the woods to rot. There are so many other options and it did not have to end this way. But your choices in leaving Williams body in the woods, never reported him missing and lying about his existence for over 20 years are not only appalling but also resulted in the complete destruction of any evidence that could have determined what happened. Were left here still with no answers. You are the only one who knows what happened, Hydrick said. RELATED: Father pushes Chester County to look for new clues in daughters killing The state said Black gave William a lethal dose of medication, but none of the doctors who testified could say if that was the cause of death or not because Williams body was too badly decomposed. Public defenders who are representing Black asked that the jury consider that Black was a young mother who was homeless, alone, and didnt know what to do when her son got sick. In a news conference after the verdict was announced, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said her office still believes Black is responsible for her sons death. (WATCH: COLD CASE: DNA evidence points to possible suspect in Charlotte womans 1990 killing) The State Council has approved a general plan for building a pioneering zone for in-depth China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, a circular said on Friday. While implementing the plan, practical measures under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will play a leading role in nurturing the complementarity between the two parties' respective development strategies, innovating the economic and trade cooperation mechanism, and improving the China-Africa modern industrial chain and supply chain. The circular also stressed more coordinated cooperation in trade, industries, finance, and cultural exchanges. More efforts are required to boost the high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. House lawmakers left a Friday classified briefing on UFOs, referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) by the government, with mixed feelings, some frustrated with the limited information and some claiming they were given more clarity on last summers explosive testimony on the unexplained sightings. The closed-door briefing at the Capitol Building where Thomas Monheim, inspector general of the intelligence community, spoke with House Oversight and Accountability Committee members lasted about 90 minutes and was meant to improve transparency around the governments knowledge of UAP. The secretive meeting comes after a hearing in July when the three former Defense Department officials told the panels national security subcommittee that UAP sightings could pose national security risks. The public hearing featured jaw-dropping testimony from former military intelligence officer and whistleblower David Grusch, who asserted the Pentagon and other agencies are withholding information about UAP including shrouding a multi-decade program trying to reverse engineer nonhuman technology the U.S. government has retrieved from crash sites and now possesses. The Pentagon denies his claims. But several lawmakers emerged from the briefing saying they barely gleaned any new information about Gruschs accusations. Lets just say that all of us were very interested in the substance of his claims, and unfortunately, I didnt get the answers that I was hoping for, said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who was one of several members irked with the lack of new material at the briefing. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), meanwhile, said the briefing was just more of the same. Its very compartmentalized; its like looking down the barrel of a .22 rifle. All they know is just right in that little circle, he told reporters. Now its just whack-a-mole you go to the next [briefing], until we get some answers. Burchett, who says he believes in the existence of extraterrestrial life and accuses the U.S. government of covering up evidence of it, added that what was discussed Friday verified what I thought. And Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) part of the UAP Caucus but not the Oversight Committee said what most Americans fear is true, claiming there is a concerted effort to conceal as much information as possible both in Congress and to the general public. I asked very specific questions and was unable to get specific answers, he said. And so thats a problem, and were not going to stop until we get the truth. But others were more optimistic, with Rep Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) telling reporters that the briefing gave lawmakers a direction to go next, and thats the key thing. I think that some people were looking for things. This was not the venue to determine those things, but for me, I got a lot of clarity, he added. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), meanwhile, said its reasonable to contend that everyone that was in the room received probably new information. Garcia earlier this week introduced the Safe Airspace for Americans Act, along with Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.). The bill is meant to close the gap in UAP reporting by enabling civilian pilots and personnel to report encounters with the Federal Aviation Administration, which would send reports to the Pentagons All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, in exchange for legal safeguards. The secrecy around UAP has frustrated and confused lawmakers, who argue that transparency on the topic is crucial for national security. The most publicly visible UAP sightings have been relayed by military pilots, with some even appearing to capture the phenomena on camera. But lawmakers have argued that when they try to get more information as to what exactly is happening and what the government knows, theyve been stonewalled by the intelligence community, and even from within their own ranks. This is not about whether there are aliens or there are not aliens, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), a member of the UAP Caucus, said in early December. The problem is when we ask those questions, rather than being provided information that would prove it false, they stonewall the information, and that is what piques the interest. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Climate protestors interrupted GOP Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during his event in Iowa Friday night, screaming in his face and calling the biotech entrepreneur a liar. Ramaswamy, who has called climate change a hoax in the past, was targeted by climate activists during his West Des Moines, Iowa event. Some protestors held yellow signs that said Vivek: climate criminal while others yelled at the Republican candidate by saying Do you lie to your kids like you lie to us? Ramaswamy kept his cool during the exchange and could be heard responding by asking if they would like an answer to their question. During his appearance on Fox News Saturday morning, Ramaswamy was asked what happened at the event. The biotech entrepreneur said it was a normal campaign event and believes in free speech. Some people disagreed with me, I gave them the mic, and we had a respectful conversation, and I think thats how America was built, Ramaswamy told host Neil Cavuto. We dont all have to agree on everything, but we do have the right to actually say it. They disagreed with me on my climate policies. I gave them the mic. We had an open conversation, and I think it was a respectful and good way to demonstrate what happens. Ramaswamy has railed against climate-conscious business policies throughout his 2024 run while repeatedly calling climate change a hoax that threatens liberty today. This is actually one of the grave threats to liberty today. Wherever you stand on climate change I think most of the climate change agenda is, Im just going to say it, is a hoax, Ramaswamy said in August. Im going to call that for what it is. He is not the only GOP presidential candidate who faced rebukes for his positions on climate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was interrupted Tuesday during his Fox News town hall in Iowa by environmental advocacy group Sunrise Movement that chanted no oil money. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A month ago, not long after the news broke about Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore supposedly ordering a probe of Mayor Karen Bass' scholarship to USC, a group of Black religious and civic leaders gathered at a church in South L.A. to make some demands. If LAPD Chief Moore has directed detectives to investigate our mayor, Karen Bass, based on a personal agenda, we are asking him to resign immediately, K.W. Tulloss, a pastor and president of Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles, declared to reporters. And if he does not resign? Were asking that the L.A. Police Commission to immediately remove him. Afterward, Tulloss told me that, up until then, the Baptist Ministers Conference had a "fairly decent" relationship with Moore. "But at the end of the day, you know, we're all supportive of our mayor and any time we feel she's being undermined, those relationships can change," he explained. "We have very limited opportunity to get it right. And I believe our mayor is doing her best." We rarely, you know, step up unless its really important, Tulloss added. Read more: LAPD Chief Michel Moore to step down at end of February On Friday, Bass and Moore stood before reporters at L.A. City Hall to announce that the chief would step down at the end of February years earlier than many had expected when he was appointed to a second term just one year ago. The story is that Moore approached Bass to explain that "his timeline was moving up to spend more time with his family," the mayor explained. And indeed, Moore choked up repeatedly talking about missing his daughter and wanting to retire and move with his wife to be closer to her in his "golden years." It has been my distinct honor and privilege to serve for more than four decades on the finest police department in the world and for the last 5 years as chief, Moore said. He will stick around to serve in a "consulting capacity" to whomever the Los Angeles Police Commission selects as an interim replacement, while a nationwide search is conducted for a permanent successor. In the meantime, I'm sure there will be plenty of speculation that the real reason Moore is leaving is because he crossed Bass to echo the indignation of those Black religious and civic leaders. In December, my Times colleagues Libor Jany and Richard Winton revealed a whistleblower complaint, accusing the chief of ordering two LAPD detectives to investigate the then-newly elected mayor over a $95,000 scholarship she received to USC's social work program. That scholarship, though awarded years ago, became a point of contention in 2022, when federal prosecutors labeled it as "critical" to their sprawling corruption case against a former USC dean, and Bass' longtime political ally, former L.A. City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. Prosecutors never accused Bass of wrongdoing. But during her campaign for mayor, the powerful Los Angeles Police Protective League spent nearly $2 million on TV ads insinuating that she was guilty of the same sort of quid pro quo corruption that Ridley-Thomas was ultimately convicted of. So you can see how allegations that Moore wanted to investigate this might strike a nerve. The chief has repeatedly denied any involvement, angrily doing so again on Friday. Bass, meanwhile, echoed Moore, saying the whistleblower complaint had nothing to do with his decision to retire early and that there was "no daylight" between them a phrase that seems to be having its moment in Democratic political circles. But I digress. Read more: Detectives claim LAPD chief sought investigation of Mayor Bass over USC scholarship The truth is, none of this political intrigue and posturing really matters. Not to the people of Los Angeles. There are many far more important reasons that Moore needed to leave early, and just as many reasons to hope that the city can do better for Angelenos with its next chief. Asked what his successor should prioritize, Moore rattled off a list. "To listen, to understand the needs of our communities. To understand perceptions," he said. "To be mindful of the city's overall efforts to look across Los Angeles [and ask] what does safety mean to you." "To ensure that this department stays on a strategic path," Moore added. "That we avoid the mistakes that we've had in the past. That we don't try to enforce our way out. That everything is not a police function or police responsibility." I agree with all of that. Too bad that, under Moore's leadership, the LAPD hasn't done enough of nearly any of it, even as the department's budget has continued to swell. There has been the string of cases involving officer misconduct from the gang unit cops accused of stealing and making illegal stops, to the assistant chief accused of tracking an officer with whom hed been involved romantically. Before that, there was the sloppy work that led an LAPD bomb squad to accidentally blow up an entire South L.A. neighborhood in 2021. After carelessly piling too many fireworks into a containment vessel and then detonating it, cars got flipped, windows were shattered and homes were destroyed, upending the lives of dozens of working-class Latino residents. And it was a year ago this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend that hundreds headed to Venice and stood outside in a relentless and cold downpour at a vigil for Keenan Anderson, a Black man who went into cardiac arrest and died after LAPD officers tased him repeatedly. Anderson got the most attention because he was a cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors. But he was just one of three men of color who died in the first few weeks of 2023 after encounters with the LAPD. Read more: Column: What we'll really get from paying nearly $1 billion more for a new LAPD union contract All three were in the midst of mental health crises, and in each case, officers inexplicably failed to request mental health workers to help with de-escalation, despite previously agreed-upon reforms. These cases along with the many other Angelenos who continue to die or be injured in police shootings, despite the overall decline in crime rates prompted activists to call for Moore's resignation. They gathered on the steps of City Hall to call on Bass not to reappoint him to a second five-year term. But last January, one month after Bass took office as mayor, she supported Moore but with a few caveats. In a letter to the Police Commission, she called for more reforms at the LAPD. "All three deaths underscore the need for continued and significant reform of how the City approaches public safety," Bass wrote. I'd settle for a new chief who prioritizes enforcing the reforms that are already on the books, whether it's finally getting a handle on the heavy-handed tactics officers use against activists and journalists during protests, or addressing the apparently still prevalent racial profiling, as detailed in the latest report from Californias Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board. Melina Abdullah, the founder of Black Lives Matter-L.A. and one of Moore's fiercest critics, believes it was "the people," the fed up residents of Los Angeles, who forced the chief's resignation. And it's true that even the Baptist Ministers Conference had apparently had enough. During my tenure, I know Ive made mistakes and missteps, Moore said on Friday. But Im also confident that my work has seen success across a broad spectrum of topics unmatched by any other law enforcement agency in this country. L.A. can still do better. 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. Monday is a federal holiday recognizing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Enjoy this weekend and perhaps ponder why many of us have three days off. And please spend time with The News & Observer. Our hope in 2024 is to provide you with a heightened awareness and cadence of public accountability journalism affecting the Triangle and/or North Carolina. Our motivation is simple but sincere: To look after your interests. Thats why state politics reporter Avi Bajpai and Capitol Bureau Chief Dawn B. Vaughan worked on a special report that tests how lawmakers respond to the states transparency law. Spoiler Alert: This isnt one of the 12-part Netflix series that you need to binge-watch for 15 hours for an unsatisfying cliffhanger. Your lawmakers the ones you elected lived up to the publics probable expectation. Avis reporting offers the background and premise: The N&O requested all 170 members of the North Carolina House and Senate to provide all of their communications from Sept. 19, the day that Republican leaders reached an agreement on the state budget after months of negotiations. Fox Manages Hen House Law Buried in the new state budget is a provision that fully exempts lawmakers from North Carolinas public records law. Call it the Fox Manages Hen House Law, and you can understand why there was swift, bipartisan growling from the public. Want a public record, such as emails, from a state lawmaker? You can request it. But the lawmaker decides if you get it. Avi Bajpai is a politics reporter. Elon University professor Brooks Fuller, who leads the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, told Dawn the new law is a massive backslide in public access to information. He said the law means that theres absolutely no incentive to share information with the public unless it benefits the specific legislator. If Brooks or any educator graded lawmakers solely on participation, The N&Os report shows publicly chosen legislators have created quite the private campus at 16 W. Jones St. in Raleigh. The report shows 38 lawmakers 12 Republicans and 26 Democrats provided The N&O with copies of emails from Sept. 19. Grab a calculator or use your phones calculator app. Tap in 38 for the number of participating lawmakers, hit the divide button and type in 170 for the number of legislative seats in the House and Senate combined. Youll get a value that equates to 22.352941 percent, which rounded any way equates to a grade of F- squared to infinity. Essentially, lawmakers deserve a level of detention reserved for juvenile students already serving double-secret probation. No emails all day? Avi compiled the emails received from lawmakers and put them into a readable file available on newsobserver.com sites. The N&O published all of the emails received, redacting only personal information of constituents who wrote to lawmakers. The grade of 22 might be generous. According to The N&Os reporting, lawmakers responded this way: Some provided just a handful of emails. Few lawmakers turned over any direct communications with staff, fellow members of the General Assembly or other officials in state or local government. Some responded to The N&O by saying that they were withholding emails exchanged with other lawmakers or staff because of legislative privilege. Others said they reviewed their records and didnt find any emails from the day in question. Hmmm. No emails all day. Take a look at your in-box and tell us if that happens to you in any given hour. This is why were launching NC Reality Check, an ongoing series that focuses on holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. You can contribute questions and story ideas by email at realitycheck@newsobserver.com. Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan is the Capitol Bureau Chief. Dawns story on how lawmakers control what the public knows kicks off NC Reality Check and is a smart, context-rich explainer on the cone of silence that public officials have created. (Were borrowing Reality Check from our smart colleagues at the Kansas City Star because it makes sense.) Well continue to monitor the willingness of lawmakers to be transparent. At the time we posted the stories from Avi and Dawn on newsobserver.com, 34 lawmakers had responded. After we published, four other lawmakers responded. That means the original participation grade was 20 percent. Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer. Ukraine requires more attack aircraft, including jets to support infantry and planes to fire long-range missiles, Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with Reuters published on Jan. 12. Syrskyi said that U.S.-made A-10 fighter jets, as well as attack helicopters like the Apache, could make a notable difference on the battlefield. Ukraine reportedly requested Apaches and other advanced equipment during a closed-door session of the U.S.-Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. in December 2o23. It is unclear if the provision of such equipment by the U.S. or other Western allies is on the table. Ukraine has pushed its Western allies to provide F-16s and other advanced aircraft since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The Netherlands and Denmark led the way in the summer of 2023 in forming an international coalition that would train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 jets. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium have agreed to supply their own F-16 aircraft to bolster Ukraine's Air Force, but they have not arrived yet. The first Ukrainian pilots are expected to complete their F-16 training by the end of 2023 and be able to fly the jets in Ukraine by the spring or summer of 2024. Read also: US Congress continues to fight over border security, stalling Ukraine aid Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. I was sitting in our apartment in Glendale, but I may as well have been on another planet that day in 1993. My grandmother, helping me with a sixth-grade report, was vividly recalling the depredations of the Nazi occupation of Norway during World War II: the rationed bread filled with sawdust, the teachers disappeared from their classrooms, the tantrum she threw on a train to thwart her older sisters arrest by a German officer. Decades after the war, these details came to her with riveting clarity, even though she was barely a teenager when the occupation ended in May 1945. Read more: 2024 could be the year America fends off dictatorship, or invites it in I recall plenty from that interview with my mor mor (Norwegian for mothers mother), including harrowing tales of resistance. But in 2024, with American democracy frayed and misinformation running rampant, what haunts me more than anything she said is the story of her familys utter disbelief when the Nazis invaded Norway in April 1940. Her story makes me wonder how well react if America should tip into authoritarianism. Will we be able to recognize it? Asking my grandmother about that moment when her country was attacked, I expected to hear tales of parachuting troops and explosions. What she told me instead was a story of confusion, denial and, yes, hiking. Read more: Here's how we know the Republican Party has become an autocratic movement The day of the invasion, she said, radio broadcasts reported the Nazi attack. Vidkun Quisling, the leader of a marginal fascist party that had never won a seat in Norways parliament, tried to stage a coup over the radio, but few took him seriously. The king and his government fled Oslo, the capital, without surrendering, but their grip on power was tenuous. All of this unfolded quickly. My grandmother said confusion spread in her family and in her fjord-side community. So, she and her father hiked up a mountain. Their village, Stamnes, was about a days boat ride from Bergen, Norways second-largest city. From the clifftops over the fjord, they could glance toward Bergen to see if anything was amiss. The view would be like standing on a hill in La Canada Flintridge to see Long Beach. What they saw, my grandmother said, shook them: Planes flew over Bergen, an exceedingly rare sight at the time. The city, a lifeline to rural western Norway, was being attacked. Read more: Editorial: Trump wants to be the U.S.' first dictator Even then, with the truth plainly in the distance for them to see, they couldnt believe what was happening. Norway had maintained neutrality up to that point, but its people expected Britain to fend off Nazi aggression if it came to that. The recently deceased Norwegian queen was King George VIs aunt, after all. Their disbelief did not defeat reality. Norway, a vibrant democracy that granted women suffrage before the U.S. and even elected its king, wouldnt be rescued from facism until the end of World War II. Quisling, Norways Hitler mini-me (he even called himself the frer), would go on to rule an illegitimate puppet government. Though Norway didnt suffer the same destruction as, say, Poland, the countrys small Jewish population was rounded up for mass murder . Concentration camps opened , and civilians endured fierce Nazi reprisals for acts of resistance. Of course, our situation in 2024 and the Norwegian situation in 1940 are vastly different but those differences might not reassure us. We have no external force threatening to topple our democracy. The Norwegians never elected Quisling nor anyone in his party into power. But what I find in common is the human bias toward normalcy and the refusal to recognize unfolding threats to democracy in my grandmothers case, from above a fjord; in ours today, from our screens. Every time an elected leader bound by the Constitution exalts the Jan. 6 attackers , every time a lawyer argues in court that a president may be able to order a political rival murdered, I find myself on that mountain in western Norway with my mor mor, wondering if what I see is actually happening. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (Bloomberg) -- Chinas ruling Communist Party is reining in internet discussion about Taiwans election, a sign of Beijings displeasure with the democratic exercise. Most Read from Bloomberg A hashtag about the pivotal vote was trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday morning, as polls opened. By midday, searches for Taiwan election yielded a noticed reading: According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, the content of this topic is not displayed. Some content about the election was still available on the site early in the afternoon, although many posts appeared to come from verified, state-affiliated accounts. Taiwans presidential election is being closely watched around the world, and stands in stark contrast to Chinas one-party system. Chinese lawmakers handed Xi Jinping a precedent-defying third presidential term last year, voting 2,952 to zero in his favor. Read more: Taiwans Raucous Democracy Is Another Challenge to Xis Ambition Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China claims as its own, wasnt mentioned on the homepages of prominent Chinese state media websites on Saturday, including the Peoples Daily, the ruling partys mouthpiece, and the Global Times. The Chinese government has been vocal about its claims over Taiwan in recent days, with its diplomats and officials making statements. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning made her nations position clear at a regular briefing in Beijing. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, she said. Elections in the Taiwan region are Chinas internal affairs. Questions on those elections are not related to Chinas foreign affairs. --With assistance from Emma Dong, Miaojung Lin and Jing Li. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) invites the community to view a live painting and completion of an inaugural art mural inside the Patricia and Jonathan Rogers Grand Lobby by local artist Marianna Olague. We are thrilled to present the inaugural mural commission of EPMA: Frontera Forward, an initiative established to advance the understanding and appreciation of the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez border community through the arts, said El Paso Museum of Art Director Edward Hayes Jr. The mural from Marianna Olague is an inviting window into the vibrant South El Paso community that exists outside these walls. The mural pays homage to the Ruben Salazar Apartments from the South El Paso Neighborhood but is also meant to look like any other complexes found around the city. Olagues choice of a vibrant color aims to capture the colorful culture and history of the city. Having to choose a muralist was challenging as there is a rich pool of talent in the community, said El Paso Museum of Art Assistant Curator Claudia Preza. After careful consideration and discussion, the EPMA staff collectively chose Olague as the inaugural Lobby muralist. Visitors are invited to watch Olague paint the mural in the lobby and ask her questions about the process. An opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, February 3. Support for the project is provided by the Mellon Foundation. The El Paso Museum of Art is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and beginning January 21, Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on the El Paso Museum of Art, visit www.epma.art. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. This aerial photo taken on Dec. 27, 2023 shows the Qianwan Container Terminal of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua] China's foreign trade closed 2023 with better-than-expected performances and new driving forces adding to the upward momentum despite challenges on both domestic and international fronts. The country's total imports and exports of goods expanded 0.2 percent year on year to 41.76 trillion yuan (about 5.88 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2023, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said Friday. Exports grew 0.6 percent year on year to 23.77 trillion yuan, while imports edged down 0.3 percent from a year earlier to 17.99 trillion yuan, the data showed. The trade data has demonstrated that China's export products hold solid competitive advantages, with tech-driven products serving as new growth engines of the exports, GAC deputy head Wang Lingjun told a press conference. The total export value of China's new tech-intensive green trio, namely solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, surged 29.9 percent to 1.06 trillion yuan in 2023, with the figure topping the one-trillion-yuan mark for the first time. The export value of machinery and electronic products, accounting for 58.6 percent of total exports, increased 2.9 percent during the period. Although the overall 2023 export growth eased compared with that of the previous years, GAC spokesperson Lyu Daliang highlighted the fact that China's export figure has reached a new high on a high base. The country has achieved reasonable growth in trade volume and retained its global share, Lyu said, citing the latest World Trade Organization data that had anticipated China's global share in terms of exports to remain at a high level of 14 percent in 2023. In response to a media query on the drop in import value, Lyu said that it can be attributed to falling commodity import prices. "China's imports in terms of quantity in fact grew, reflecting the continued uptick in production and booming consumption demand." Friday's GAC data also showed that private businesses have played a bigger role in prompting the growth of foreign trade. According to Wang, total trade business entities with import and export records surpassed 600,000 for the first time in 2023, and private enterprises stood at 556,000, taking the lion's share. The trade value of private enterprises took up 53.5 percent of the total, up 3.1 percentage points from 2022, while that of the foreign-invested enterprises constituted 30.2 percent. Wang also noted that there's been an increase in the share of trade with Belt and Road Initiative participating countries in total foreign trade. Last year, China's trade with these countries accounted for 46.6 percent of the total, up 1.2 percentage points from 2022. Looking ahead, Wang was optimistic about the 2024 trade prospects. "A recent survey on major trade enterprises revealed that three-fourths of the firms expected their imports and exports to stay flat or register an expansion this year," Wang said. Despite trade protectionism, heightening geopolitical tensions and other unpredictable factors, China has the confidence, capability and conditions to continue the sound development momentum of foreign trade in 2024, Wang added. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Congress is one week out from a government funding deadline and theres growing uncertainty that lawmakers will be able to come together to avoid a shutdown. House and Senate leaders did make a bipartisan deal on a funding framework, but that plan is facing opposition from the right, and lawmakers are running out of time. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson insists the funding deal he struck with Senate leader Chuck Schumer is still in place. Our top line agreement remains. We are getting our next steps together, said Johnson. But a small group of conservative lawmakers in his own party are pushing Johnson to ditch the deal because they want to cut billions out of the $1.59 trillion plan. New York Republican Congressman Marc Molinaro says its worth compromising to avoid a government shutdown. We wanted more savings. Most of us are comfortable working within this framework, he said. Speaker Johnson argues there are big wins for conservatives in this plan saying there are hard won concessions to cut more billions, as you know, from the IRS giveaway and the COVID-era slush funds. But the deal is very similar to the one that caused angry republicans to oust speaker Kevin McCarthy. Conservative House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good says while he is against this deal, Johnson deserves a chance to work this out. Its policy driven, its not personal, Good said. Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries says his party supports the current plan. But warned Republicans that could change if they try to include more cuts. We will not accept extreme right wing policy changes, said Jeffries. Parts of the government run out of money next Friday, but lawmakers are discussing passing a funding extension bill to give them more time to negotiate. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is leading the prosecution of Donald Trump in Atlanta, seem unlikely to wholly derail the attempt in Georgia to hold the former president accountable for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election but have handed him additional grist for his grievance-based politics and could certainly delay the trial until after the 2024 election. In a court filing Monday, a lawyer for former Trump campaign staffer and co-defendant Mike Roman alleged that Willis had engaged in an inappropriate personal, romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired for the case in what amounted to a conflict of interest worthy of disqualification. The filing urging the court to dismiss the charges against Roman and disqualify Willis from prosecuting the case alleges that the district attorney and special prosecutor Nathan Wade were engaged in a romantic relationship prior to her bringing him on to the case. It further argues that Wade, whose firm handles car accidents and family law disputes, is under-qualified for the position for which he has already claimed at least $654,000 in legal fees. To justify seeking Willis disqualification, the filing alleges that Wade took Willis on vacations, presumably with money he earned from the position, creating a conflict of interest. [T]he district attorney and the special prosecutor have been engaged in an improper, clandestine personal relationship during the pendency of this case, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers, states the filing submitted by Romans lawyer Ashleigh Merchant. The allegations are largely based on sealed records from ongoing divorce proceedings between Wade and his wife of 28 years. While so far unsubstantiated, the allegations have already thrown a wrench into Willis effort to hold Trump and 18 co-defendants to account for actions aimed at overturning the 2020 presidential vote in Georgia. We have a lot of smoke and very little fire, said Anthony Michael Kreis, an associate law professor at Georgia State University. As a legal matter, that means theres really nothing there yet. And so this is all a political issue right now. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is prosecuting former President Donald Trump and 18 others for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential vote in Georgia. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is prosecuting former President Donald Trump and 18 others for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential vote in Georgia. The Trump legal team and conservative media have jumped on the allegations as a justification to cast the entire prosecution as corrupt. This move follows the tried-and-true PR strategy pursued by Trump ever since he entered the political fray: to cast his opponents as either unqualified (Barack Obamas birth certificate) or corrupt (Crooked Hillary or Crooked Joe Biden). Conflict Of Interest At the heart of the allegations is the claim that Willis hired Wade, whom she has called a mentor, and received the personal benefit of vacations he paid for with money earned from the special prosecutor position. Conflicts of interest under Georgia law can be found if a prosecutor previously had a professional relationship with the defendant, such as representing or consulting for them for the same offense, or if the prosecutor has developed a personal stake in the case or if there is a financial stake in the outcome. The allegations levied against Willis fall into the financial benefit category. Though the facts around the allegations are not yet known, Merchants filing does note that Willis hired Wade despite his lack of relevant prosecutorial experience and that he has earned a large amount from the billable hours hes filed in this case. I think that a lot of people thought it was odd to put someone with no experience in charge, said Andrew Fleischman, a criminal defense attorney based in Atlanta. Looking at Wades lack of relevant experience, the allegations, if assumed to be true, could lead someone to think that the prosecutor is pursuing a case, and as a result of that case they are having their vacations paid for, Fleischman said. That is what Roman, Trump and his co-defendants would like a judge to find. But one sticking point is whether this still unproved conflict is related to the outcome of the case. For a conflict to rise to the level of disqualification, the prosecutor must have acquired a personal interest or stake in the defendants conviction, according to a 2018 Georgia appeals court decision. That conflict must be more than a theoretical or speculative conflict. The allegations, then, must be proved and the presiding judge must see them as a conflict related to the outcome of the case. Willis found herself disqualified in a related case when she sought to subpoena Lt. Gov. Burt Jones about his role as a fake elector for Trump in 2020. A judge disqualified Willis from subpoenaing Jones after she held a fundraiser for Jones Democratic opponent in 2022. In his decision, the judge determined that Willis open endorsement of Jones opponent gave her a personal stake in the outcome of the case, as it could harm Jones campaign and aid his opponent. One of Trump's alleged accomplices claims that Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade is engaged in an improper relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis. One of Trump's alleged accomplices claims that Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade is engaged in an improper relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis. Its hard to say without greater verification of the facts or more information, but for now what has been alleged does not rise to the level of disqualification, Kreis said. What Happens Next Willis office said it will respond to Merchants filing with a motion to dismiss the request for the district attorneys disqualification. First, the prosecutors are going to make a filing but will contest everything on a legal basis and probably not a factual basis, Kreis said. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee would then have to decide whether to call a hearing on the matter at which further facts could be presented and argued. If Judge McAfee entertains the motion, hell hear evidence and hell go down this list [of conflicts that could warrant disqualification] and hell see if any of those apply to the extent that it impacts the decision-making in this case, said Pete Skandalakis, executive director of Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia. The big questions around such a hearing is whether Wades divorce records would be ordered to be unsealed, as Merchants filing requests, and whether those records or any witnesses substantiate the allegations. Any hearing on divorce records will also deal with the reliability of accusations made by partners in the middle of a bitter separation. Im incredibly skeptical of a filing that relies on a divorce filing for its evidence, Kreis said. Domestic disputes are so inherently contentious. I dont put stock in it unless there are affidavits. If McAfee decides that a conflict of interest exists and warrants disqualification, Willis will not be able to appeal the decision. Skandalakis will then be tasked with selecting a replacement. That replacement could be another district attorney in the state, an attorney in private practice, a solicitor general, an attorney from the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, an attorney employed by the state Department of Law or a retired prosecuting attorney. Former President Donald Trump was booked at the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24, 2023, where his mug shot was taken. Former President Donald Trump was booked at the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24, 2023, where his mug shot was taken. Skandalakis is solely in charge of appointing a replacement. Theres no matrix about how I go about making the decision, Skandalakis said. When looking for a replacement, he said, he looks at other prosecuting offices that have the resources to take it on and arent weighed down by a heavy caseload. If the replacement is a district attorney, he looks to offices in the same region. That would mean pulling in a district attorney close to Fulton County rather than reaching out to far-flung parts of the state. There is no timetable for a replacement if Willis were disqualified. And though the process is meant to be quick, no replacement has yet been appointed to prosecute the Jones case a year and a half after Willis was disqualified from it. And that gets at the real point behind these motions. Trumps team is throwing everything theyve got into delaying and derailing the prosecutions he faces with the hope that he can win the presidential race in November and assume the immunity from prosecution afforded to sitting presidents. Even if Willis is not disqualified, a hearing into the issue would likely affect the proposed Aug. 5 trial start date. If its granted, it hugely delays the trial, Fleischman said. Its not going to happen on time. Related... Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate for Taiwans ruling party, has won a crucial election that will chart the trajectory of the islands democracy and relationship with China over the next four years. Mr Lai, Taiwans vice president, said he was determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threat and intimidation from China in his victory speech. Both rival parties have now conceded defeat. Mr Lais Democratic Progressive Party rejects Chinas territorial claims over Taiwan and he has been denounced by Beijing. His win will deliver an unprecedented third term for the ruling party. The Chinese government responded to his win by calling Taiwan Chinas Taiwan and adding that their commitment to reunification remained as firm as rock. At stake is the peace and stability of the island with a population of 23 million people that has repeatedly witnessed threats from Beijing. Voting began at 8am local time (12am GMT) and wrapped up eight hours later as eligible Taiwanese voters lined up to cast their ballots. The counting of votes began soon afterwards. At least 18,000 polling stations were set up across the temples, churches, community centres and schools, where voters must go in person to cast their ballot as the rules do not allow postal votes. Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te greets supporters in New Taipei City, Taiwan. (AP) The electorates were mainly choosing between the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which champions Taiwans separate identity and rejects Chinas territorial claims, and the opposition Nationalist Party, Kuomintang, that wants to expand trade ties with China. The DPPs Mr Lai, who will now succeed outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen, said after his victory that through our actions, the Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence our elections. He told the crowds in Taipei: I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We have shown the world how much we cherish out democracy. This is our unwavering commitment. Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te, of Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim wave as they hold a press conference (REUTERS) Early results showed that Mr Lai had won more than 40 per cent of the vote, ahead of Kuomingtang party and the Taiwan Peoples party. Mr Lais predecessor won the last election with a majority of the vote, so his partys share of the vote has decreased despite their historic win. Earlier in the day, Mr Lai cast his vote in his hometown of Tainan. He remarked on the sunny weather, suggesting its a good time for Taiwanese people to go out and vote. "I encourage everyone around the country to vote with enthusiasm and show the vitality of Taiwans democracy," he said. Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je casts his ballot at a polling center on 13 January 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan (Getty Images) Hou Yu-ih, the candidate of Beijing-favored Kuomintang, also known as the Nationalist Party, cast his ballot in New Taipei City, a municipality bordering the capital, Taipei. Mr Hou is the mayor of New Taipei, a position from which he took leave to run for president. "What we need during the election campaign process is chaos," he told reporters after casting his vote. "But after the vote, we must be united and face the future of Taiwan together." Kuomintang (KMT), or the Chinese Nationalist Party, presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih reacts after conceding defeat during the 2024 general election, in New Taipei city, Taiwan (EPA) Alternative candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party, who has shown popularity among young voters seeking an alternative to the two major parties, voted in Taipei. Asked by journalists how he felt, Mr Ko, in his well-known dry manner, said he aimed to try his best every day "and plan for the next stage when we get there". In the run-up to the election, China repeatedly denounced Mr Lai as a dangerous separatist and rebuffed his repeated calls for talks. Mr Lai says he is committed to preserving peace across the Taiwan Strait and boosting the islands defences. Voters cast their ballots in the presidential election on 13 January 2024 in Tai, Taiwan (Getty Images) Besides the China tensions, domestic issues dominated the campaign, particularly an economy that was estimated to have grown just 1.4 per cent last year. That partly reflects inevitable cycles in demand for computer chips and other exports from the high-tech, heavily trade-dependent manufacturing base, and a slowing of the Chinese economy. Taiwans defence ministry said on Saturday morning it had again spotted Chinese balloons crossing the sensitive strait, one of which flew over Taiwan itself. The ministry has denounced the spate of balloons reported over the strait in the past month as psychological warfare and a threat to aviation safety. Chinas military threats could sway some voters against independence-leaning candidates, but the United States has pledged support for whichever government emerges, reinforced by US president Joe Bidens administrations plans to send an unofficial delegation made up of former senior officials to the island shortly after the election. Taiwans election is seen as having "real and lasting influence on the geopolitical landscape," said Gabrielle Reid, associate director with the global intelligence consultancy S-RM. "The outcome of the vote will ultimately determine the nature of ties with China relative to the West and will have strong bearing on the state of play in the South China Sea," she said. Additional reporting by agencies A new bill entitled an act regarding free expression, sponsored by state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, and state Rep. John Moran, D-Boston, has been introduced to forestall book bans in school libraries and public libraries. Along with the legislators, advocates and educators testified Wednesday at a hearing on Beacon Hill in support of the legislative proposal. The bill is intended to strengthen students free expression rights including the right to access library materials selected by school librarians and professional educators without external political or social interference, according to proponents. The bill was introduced last year in the Senate as S.2528 and in the House as H.4229. A non-partisan public policy organization dedicated to strengthening families in Massachusetts has said the bills intend to allow school librarians to keep "vulgar, sexually explicit books on the shelves of public school libraries." A third-grade student sits in a rocking chair in the school library in Provincetown, in 2022. What challenges to books have occurred According to the American Library Association, the number of reported challenges to books in the United States doubled from 2021 to 2022. Forty-one percent of these bans challenged titles featuring LGBT+ themes and characters, 41% included a prominent character of color and 21% had contact on issues of racism, Cyr said at the hearing. Moran said that in 2022 alone Massachusetts saw 45 attempts to censor books and other library resources, on more than 30 books. Decisions about book selection or removal should be based on educators professional training and not on personal beliefs and opinions, according to testimony Wednesday in support of the bill. In December, police in Great Barrington searched a middle school classroom in response to an anonymous complaint about a book, prompting a letter from the ACLU and GLAD, according to an ACLU statement. Both organizations previously urged school districts to protect students legal rights by rejecting calls to remove library books. Bill proposes to establish process to handle book challenges in schools In addition, the bill aims to establish a process for considering whether any criticized book is "devoid of any educational, literary, artistic or social value or is not age appropriate for any children who attend the schools." According to Cyr, the bill would prevent book removal due to personal or political views in school libraries; the bill would empower school librarians and teachers to determine access to age appropriate materials in schools; the bill requires public libraries to adopt the Constitutions Bill of Rights and it protects librarians from retaliation. The bill requires that school library materials are selected based on a school librarian's professional training, and not on political, or personal views, said Cyr. To overturn a school librarian's decision, the bill requires a clear, public process by the School Committee. And if the School Committee decides to overturn the librarian's decision, the material must be found to be devoid of educational literary, artistic or social value or not be age appropriate for any student in the school, he said. 'Pornographic Schoolbook Bills' State Rep. Kelly W. Pease, R-Westfield, raised questions about a specific book having content that he believed might not be age appropriate for some students. Massachusetts Family Institute issued a public letter calling for action against the bill, ahead of the Wednesday session. Legislators want to make it nearly impossible to remove pornographic material from K-12 public school libraries and give activist school librarians more power," Mary Ellen Siegler, the institute's director of communications, research, and operations, said in the letter. Proponents filed the bill because they want to allow school librarians to keep "vulgar, sexually explicit books on the shelves of public school libraries, where minor students can access them," Siegler wrote. Thats why the institute dubbed the bills the "Pornographic Schoolbook Bills, she wrote. I would wager that if we could go through multiple books that are on the shelves in schools across Massachusetts, we would find that certain books contain pornographic or subjective content, but in a heterosexual perspective, and those just haven't been looked at or talked about, said Cyr in response. Who is making decisions about the books? "Under the guise of preventing 'book banning,' radical legislators want to stop local school committees from protecting children from age-inappropriate content at school, Massachusetts Family Institute wrote in the letter. Moran said, though, the bill doesn't prevent parents from censoring certain books for their children, but rather restricts organizations to censor these based on their political beliefs. No one can have the right in the state of Massachusetts to prohibit an entire population from reading these books, that's ridiculous, said Moran. Among those testifying were representatives of ACLU Massachusetts, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, Massachusetts Library Association, Massachusetts School Library Association and MassEquality. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: In school library book challenge, Cyr bill seeks politics-free review Photo taken on Jan. 12, 2024, shows the ORA Good Cat EV Cars at the Great Wall Motors (GWM) manufacturing plant in Rayong, Thailand. [Photo/Xinhua] China's carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) sees the first electric vehicle (EV) roll off the production line in Thailand on Friday, making a significant breakthrough as the first locally produced pure electric vehicle. GWM, China's largest SUV and pickup maker, owning multiple brands including HAVAL, ORA, TANK and WEY, initiated its car production at the Rayong factory in Thailand in November 2020. Workers work at the Great Wall Motors (GWM) manufacturing plant in Rayong, Thailand, Jan. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Its EV model ORA Good Cat soon became popular among Thai consumers, and the cumulative sales have exceeded 11,000 units since it was launched in Thailand in October 2021. Pimphattra Wichaikul, Minister of Industry, said at the ceremony that GWM was one of the first two companies to sign an agreement to support the government's policy to promote the use of EVs. He added that the Ministry of Industry is ready to continuously support the EV industry, promoting Thailand as a base for EV and component production in the ASEAN region, and fostering sustainable development on a global scale. Workers work at the Great Wall Motors (GWM) manufacturing plant in Rayong, Thailand, Jan. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Thailand has long been a major automobile production base in Southeast Asia due to its industrial chain and geographical advantages. Under the government's investment promotion, the country aims to produce EVs for 30 percent of all vehicles in the country by the year 2030. "Since entering into the Thai market, GWM has actively helped Thailand to build an EV hub in alignment with the Thai government's goal. And the launch of ORA Good Cat from local production makes Thailand the first market of GWM globally to start local production of our EV models," said Clyde Cheng, president of GWM ASEAN. He noted that this also shows the importance of Thailand in GWM's global strategy and will propel the country to become a pivotal hub for EV manufacturing in the region. JUNIATA COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) The District Attorney announced Friday if the use of deadly force by Pennsylvania State Police against the gunman who fatally shot a Trooper and critically injured another in June was justified or not. Juniata County District Attorney Cory Snook ruled that the use of deadly force by State Police against Brandon Stine in June was justified, according to a news release. Based on a review of all available evidence, the Juniata County District Attorney concludes that the use of deadly force against Stine was justified, the DA wrote. The conduct of the law enforcement officers involved in this situation was exemplary and almost certainly prevented further injury and death to members of the public and law enforcement. Fallen State Police Trooper Jacques Rougeau Jr. During the incident that happened June 17, Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was fatally shot by Stine, and Trooper Lieutenant James Wagner was also shot by the gunman, and he was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Previous coverage -> Funeral services begin for fallen Pennsylvania State Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. The DA says that there were four things that each Trooper who was involved in the shooting knew that happened that day; The DA says that they had a description of Stine and his truck, that Stine had fired at the PSP Lewistown station, Stine had also shot Lieutenant James Wagner, and that he heard the radio transmission of shots fired on Swamp Road. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter Under Pennsylvania law, the use of deadly force by law enforcement is justified when an officer believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to himself or other officers while making an arrest, and if the person who is being arrested committed a forcible felony or is trying to escape with a deadly weapon. In this case, the DA says, that Stine was charged with attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, and he was trying to escape while shooting a rifle at responding Troopers. When Stine drove to a private parking lot next to the State Police station in Lewistown he got out of his truck and fired two shots that hit unoccupied marked cruisers just before 11 a.m. He then drove off, and State Police began their search for him. It was about an hour and a half later when Wagner spotted Stine, who was following behind the Trooper in his truck on Washington Avenue and pulled onto the opposite side of the road and stopped. Stine pulled next to Wagner and fired a shot at him, which hit him and gave him critical injuries before he took off, the news release states. Later when Stine was spotted again by a Trooper in the area of Swamp Road he shot again and hit the cruisers rear window. A shots fired call went out and Troopers swarmed to the area. Pennsylvania man arrested for Jan. 6 riot, allegedly hung stolen Capitol sign in bar Rougeau Jr. was the leading responding Trooper and when he got to the area, Stine shot at him which went through the windshield and fatally hit him, the DA says. The manhunt for Stine ended when Troopers were able to corner him between a strip of trees and an open field. A perimeter around Stine was made and Troopers shot at him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. I have based this decision on my observations having been at the scene immediately after the incident, on review of the extensive reports by PSP personnel, an independent investigation conducted by the Juniata County Detective and all available evidence, Snook wrote in a statement to State Police. The night before the fatal shooting, Troopers were called for a welfare check on Stine after friends and family expressed their concern for him, but State Police say they could not find him. The funeral for Rougeau Jr., a native of Corry, Pa., was held June 27 in Erie. He enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police in June 2020 as a member of the 160th class. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) The District 21 District Attorney is seeking the death penalty for the man charged with the killing of a teenaged girl in Moore. News 4 first reported on the arrest of then-19-year-old Chace Cook in May 2021, when he was arrested in Chicago in connection to the rape and suspicious death of 18-year-old Madeline Bills. Madeline Bills Mugshot of Chace Cook Cook, now 20, faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape. Trial moves forward against man accused of killing Moore teen The DAs office sent News 4 the following statement on Thursday regarding the decision to seek the death penalty for Cook: Our office filed a Bill of Particulars for the Death Penalty against Defendant Chace Cook. The decision to seek the death penalty was not made lightly. After reviewing the evidence of the case and speaking to the family it is our position that the death penalty is a fair and just punishment to seek in light of this defendants crimes. Our priority is to seek justice for Madeline Bills and our hearts go out to her family and friends as they continue to grieve. District 21 District Attorneys Office Cooks formal arraignment is set for February 28. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Yet another big-name Democratic political operative is delivering some frank advice to President Joe Biden and his top aides: Time to get out from behind the podium, start interacting with voters and give up on the "Bidenomics" message. This time the real talk is coming from Symone Sanders-Townsend, who four years ago was part of a shoestring, money-crunched Biden campaign that was just hoping to survive tough early primary contests and hold out until more diverse voters got a chance to weigh in. Sanders-Townsend went to to serve as a top adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris and is now hosting The Weekend, a brand new MSNBC show airing Saturday and Sunday mornings with Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele. We caught up with her at NBCs Washington studios after a recent rehearsal. They talked a lot about acronyms in the beginning and not enough about the plain things," she said of the Biden camp. They are not going to get Bidenomics. Let it go. How about you just make sure they know what youre going to do and what you did?" Here's more of what she had to say about the Biden camps perceived bravado, what the campaign needs to have Biden doing differently and possible Black voter apathy in 2024: On the Biden camps self-assured approach Back in 2019 when he announced he was running for president they said he was old, they said he was out of touch. A lot of the same things that people are saying now, they said he couldnt win. I think that there is a little, Oh, these people trying to tell us how to do it. And we ran our race and our strategy worked, which, touche, because theyre right. It did. That being said it is important to have the voices of people who are not insulated in the bubble. People who talk to real people, people who are out there across the country, who are hearing from folks in the barbershops, beauty shops, the Bible studies. On the stage management of Bidens campaign You havent seen him do what he can do [best]. Hes been on prompter, hes been standing on stages looking very presidential with the flags behind him. He gives his speech and he gets out. When was the last time you saw Joe Biden do a rope line? Whens the last time you saw Joe Biden in a town hall taking questions from the American people? Joe Biden needs to campaign like Joe Biden knows how to campaign. When people see him in a more intimate setting, they stop thinking about how, oh, hes old, and they start listening to what he has to say. On Black voter apathy Donald Trump is not getting 10 percent of the black vote. But that doesnt mean that the Biden campaign shouldnt be concerned. I think some people are that work over there. [Thats why] theyve made record investments in African American and Latino media. Black men, Latino men, Black women, base voters in the Democratic Party should also be treated as persuadable voters. It means organizing events, it means a surrogate operation, and those are things that have not yet been stood up. Now, one could argue, they are hiring up. On the Biden administrations messaging struggles They talked a lot about acronyms in the beginning and not enough about the plain things. You aint even got to name the legislation. Just tell the people what has happened. And I think that there was maybe too much of a focus on trying to message it tightly up in a nice bow and not enough focus on just, well, how can we make it plain for the people that we want to understand it? They are not going to get Bidenomics. Let it go. How about you just make sure they know what youre going to do and what you did? You can give folks all the numbers about GDP and all these other things, but the data doesnt move people. Stories move people. Like this content? Sign up for POLITICO's Playbook newsletter. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso students will spend the weekend honoring the legacy of the slain civil rights leader by serving the community. According to a press release sent by the TTUHSC, the Texas Tech Health El Paso Community, Action, Research and Engaged Service (CARES) group plans MLK Day community wellness and development events in neighborhoods throughout El Paso. During the weekend, 80 to 100 students from the Foster School of Medicine, Hunt School of Nursing, Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Hunt School of Dental Medicine will volunteer at area service events. Below is a list of student volunteer sites throughout the weekend: Kelly Center for Hunger Relief: 9 a.m. Noon, Saturday, Jan. 13, at Ardovinos Desert Crossing. 915 N Florence St, El Paso, TX 79902 Volunteers helped the Kelly Center sort and organized donated food and clothing. Sin Fronteras: 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 201 E. 9th Ave., El Paso, TX 79901 Students served the migrant and home-free community in Downtown El Paso. They provided a variety of services and activities including free haircuts, a beginners yoga class and art. Habitat for Humanity: 9:30 a.m. 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13 8500 Dyer St. #82, El Paso, TX 79904 Volunteers helped at the Resale store. Volunteers assisted staff, organize and shelf items as well as interact and assist customers at the store. El Paso Animal Services: 8 10 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 14. 501 E. Mills Ave., El Paso, TX 7990 Volunteers will be walking dogs along with the rescue runners group at El Paso Animal Services. El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank: 8 a.m. noon, Monday, Jan. 15. 9541 Plaza Circle, El Paso, TX 79927 Volunteers will be packaging, distributing, or preparing food for community members to pick up. TTUHSC El Pasos Medical Student Run Clinic will be bringing their mobile clinic and performing free pediatric screenings such as: blood pressure, lipids and glucose. Both children and adults will be provided health and nutritional education. Sunland Park Dental Workshop: 9 a.m. 11 a.m., Monday, Jan. 15, at Ardovinos Desert Crossing. 1 Ardovinos Drive, Sunland Park, NM 88063 Students will hold a kids informational dental workshop on MLK day with interactive activities, storybook telling/reading, prizes, hot chocolate, and more. Kids will also learn to floss properly. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. There are no words to describe the devastation and pain caused by the horrific acts committed in Buffalo, New York on May 14, 2022. I understand the anguish the families of those killed are surely still feeling. Thats because I have received that phone call, attended those funerals, and sat in a similar courtroom, under similar circumstances. Dylann Roof, a white supremacist, murdered my mother, two cousins and six others in 2015 at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C. For that, he was sentenced to death. I would never tell anyone how to feel in such a situation. I can only share my own story. Having lived through this awful experience the loss of my loved ones, followed by a trial in which we had to hear about the terrible details of the murders again and to revisit all of the pain I can say that Mr. Roofs death sentence did not bring my family closure. It only prolonged our agony. The Rev. Sharon Risher at her seminary graduation in Austin, Texas, in 2007 with her mother, Ethel Lee Lance. How can families of victims not want vengeance for what the killer has done? I was very conflicted throughout Mr. Roofs trial. It brought me new misery to see such a young man with so much hate in his heart. But by the time the sentencing phase ended, I felt that killing him would do nothing to help me heal. After much prayer and asking God to help me, I knew in my heart that killing him would not solve anything. Because he was sentenced to death, we are still suffering in ways that could have been avoided. More than five years ago, Mr. Roofs first appeal was rejected. It was two years after his crime, but just the experience of that appeal being a headline brought back all of the horror of his violence, renewing our wounds. Charleston church shooting: My mom was killed in the Mother Emanuel church shooting. We must disarm racism and hate. Death penalty didn't help my family heal Every time our case is in the news, I am returned to that terrible day and the searing pain of the weeks, months and years that followed. It almost feels as if he gets to continue the terror he intended to create, because the focus is on him, while his victims families wait for the supposed finality of an execution that may never come. This is the unintended but very real consequence of the death penalty. Rather than helping my family heal, Dylann Roofs death sentence has done the opposite. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Based on my experience and that of many others whom I know, some of the families of the victims in the Buffalo mass shooting may discover that a sentence of life in prison for Mr. Gendron would bring them more peace in the end. After all, life without the possibility of parole might better be understood as death by incarceration. I certainly agree that such killers should never be free. By not taking a possible death sentence off the table, I believe that Attorney General Garland has denied a turning point for the families that would have allowed them to move toward healing sooner. We can never get our loved ones back. But for me, not having the uncertainty of a death sentence hanging over me would make it easier to focus on the positive memories of those I lost. I pray that God will give the Buffalo families comfort, and that God will give Payton Gendron the opportunity to understand and accept responsibility for what he has done and that he can find a way to use the remainder of his life for good, even in prison. Rev. Sharon Risher Rev. Sharon Risher is the Daughter of Ethel Lance, and the cousin of Tywanza Sanders and Susie Jackson, victims in the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C. She is Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Death Penalty Action. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buffalo shooter may get death penalty. It won't heal victims' families Retired Kent police K-9 Iron died in December. He served on the department for five years before medical issues forced his retirement in 2019. The Kent Police Department has announced the death of a retired police K-9. Iron was laid to rest Dec. 19, the police department posted on Facebook Friday morning. He had continued living with his handler, Police Officer Dominic Poe, following his retirement in 2019. "We send our deepest condolences to Officer Poe & his family along with all those who loved Iron as much as we all did here at KPD," says the post. "Thank you Iron for your service & dedication to KPD, the City Of Kent and surrounding communities. You will be deeply missed." As of Friday afternoon, the post had 311 likes, 30 comments and 16 shares. "My condolences to the department and his handler," commented one woman. "So very sorryrun free big boy." "Rest in peace sweet warrior," commented another. Born in the Czech Republic, the German shepherd was specially bred for police work. He started working for the city in 2014 after he and Poe trained together at Von der Haus Gill German Shepherds and Police K9 Academy in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Iron distinguished himself when he took the "Top Dog" Award at the K9 Challenge at Lock 3 in Akron in 2018. Just a few months before his retirement, he successfully tracked a man suspected of raping and kidnapping a woman in Kent, leading to the man's arrest within an hour of the woman calling 911. A jury later convicted the man, who was sentenced to 70 to 95 years in prison. Due to unspecified medical reasons that had been making it difficult for Iron to work, he retired in November 2019 after five years of service. He was 7 1/2. Poe took a break from dog handling after Iron's retirement. Now a Kent school resource officer, he began working with his current partner, Matous, a golden retriever, in fall 2022. Matous is trained to detect firearms and also as a therapy dog to help students having a difficult time. Poe praised Iron shortly after Iron's retirement. "Every time I'd get in the car I had him," Poe said. "And I always had backup where other people didn'tAnd he every time tried and worked every time to try to get the job done." More: 'Better than arming teachers': New K-9 gives Kent schools a leg up on protecting students Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 'Deeply missed': Kent Police mourn retired K-9 Iron Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said Friday that if he were President Biden, he would fire Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over his secretive hospitalization visits and cancer diagnosis. Moulton, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the scandal over Austins failure to quickly notify key officials in the Biden administration of his hospitalization is completely unacceptable. I cant imagine that happening at the lowest levels of the military chain of command. Like where I was as a mere Lieutenant platoon commander in Iraq, I cant even imagine it happening, Moulton said Friday on The Hill on NewsNation. This is a breakdown in that chain of command. And the commander in chief needs to make a decision here. Its up to the president as to whether he fires Secretary Austin, but I tell you what, he needs to send a decisive message that this is never gonna happen again, Moulton added. When asked what he would do if he were the president, Moulton said it would be an easy decision. I would fire him in about five minutes, Moulton said. Congressional Democrats have raised questions about Austins hospitalization but have largely refrained from calling for him to be removed as the head of the Pentagon. Several Republicans have called for his resignation, accusing Austin of dereliction of duty for failing to properly notify the White House and Pentagon officials of his absence. At least one Democrat, Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), who represents a swing district and is in a competitive race, called for Austin to resign. Austin, who has prostate cancer, learned of his cancer diagnosis in early December and had a related surgery Dec. 22. Austin did not inform Biden about the cancer diagnosis or the hospital visit at the time, and the president first learned he had cancer this week. Austin was also hospitalized in intensive care with a urinary tract infection Jan. 1 and had to delegate his authorities as Pentagon chief to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. Biden and Hicks did not learn of his hospitalization until Jan. 4. Austin resumed his authorities Jan. 5 and was taken out of intensive care. He is recovering from at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. The secretary has acknowledged the transparency concerns and pledged to do better. Biden said he has confidence in the secretary but noted Friday that Austin had a lapse in judgment for failing to notify him. Moulton said he feels terrible for Secretary Austin and his family and wants the secretary to swiftly recover. But whats most important is that America gets the national security that it needs and their troops get the supervision that they need, he said. Thats the secretarys job. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar, which also owns The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday said the Chinese military stands ready to engage in exchanges and cooperation with its United States counterpart on the basis of equality and mutual respect to build a sound, stable and sustainable relationship between the two militaries. Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks when asked to comment on the Pentagon spokesperson's statement that the two sides plan to hold a military maritime consultative agreement meeting in early 2024. China's attitude towards developing China-U.S. military relations is consistent and clear, Zhang noted. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic ties, Zhang said. "We expect the U.S. side to develop a right perception of China, respect the core interests and major concerns of the Chinese side, and take concrete actions to work with us in the same direction to follow through the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in San Francisco," he said. A handful of House Democrats say theyd step in to help Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) keep his gavel in the face of a potential conservative revolt but it wouldnt come free. Democrats willing to consider the matter said Johnson would first have to forge an agreement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) ensuring Democrats had a greater voice in the legislative process. In that case, theyd be willing to provide the votes to keep the Speaker in power. Just like I told McCarthy: Talk to Hakeem, and there are some of us that can support you, said Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), referring to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was booted from his leadership post last year at the hands of disgruntled conservatives. Ill say the same thing [to Johnson]. Cuellar is not alone among Democrats floating the idea of a Johnson rescue. He would have to be more willing than Kevin McCarthy was to sit down with Hakeem Jeffries and have a conversation about what it would take for us to be helpful. Kevin said to pound sand. He didnt want the help, said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). We wouldnt be offering it as an act of charity, Kildee continued. We would say, Look, if you need Democrats to govern, then youre going to have to take Democratic input. FILE URep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 24, 2020. Kildee announced Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, that he would be retiring next year after the end of his sixth term. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) To be sure, the odds of Johnson agreeing to such a power-sharing arrangement are minuscule, and there doesnt seem to be an immediate threat to his gavel from the Republicans who toppled McCarthy. Still, Johnsons recent endorsement of a bipartisan spending agreement has infuriated a small group of conservatives who are demanding that he retract his support for the deal and draft another proposal featuring sharper cuts to federal programs. Amid that internal GOP battle, at least two Republican firebrands Reps. Chip Roy (Texas) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) are already floating the possibility that conservatives would file a motion to vacate the Speakers chair if Johnson doesnt satisfy their demands. Greene criticized Roy for not ruling out a motion to remove Johnson over top-line spending deals but said shed consider such a motion herself over U.S. aid to Ukraine, which could be a part of a larger spending package. We dont have to trade $60 billion for Ukraine for our own countrys border security, Greene told reporters Friday in the Capitol. That is a failing, losing strategy, and I will never support it. Ill fight it as much as possible, even if I have to go so far to vacate the chair. And theres others that agree with me. Top Stories from The Hill The spending debate has put Johnson in a position roughly identical to that faced by McCarthy when he held the gavel through much of 2023: pinched between the reality of divided government which demands compromise with Democrats to fund the government and the pressures of conservatives demanding steep spending cuts, even if it leads to a shutdown. Hanging over the debate is the House rule, demanded by conservatives at the start of the current Congress, that empowers a single lawmaker to launch the process of vacating the chair. The change came back to haunt McCarthy and still inflames his GOP allies. I just think the motion to vacate has been a terrible idea, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) said. McCarthy had angered conservatives last spring when he backed a debt ceiling agreement with President Biden, and enraged them further several months later when he supported a short-term, bipartisan spending deal to prevent a government shutdown. The second deal prompted Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to take the extraordinary step of filing a motion to vacate the chair, which ultimately passed on the floor, with eight Republicans and every Democrat supporting it. Cuellar, a centrist Blue Dog Democrat, said hed supported McCarthys ouster only because the embattled former Speaker had declined to seek help from Jeffries. They spoke for about 20 minutes before, the night before, and he never brought it up, Cuellar said. Johnson, for his part, says hes not concerned about a coup attempt from his right flank. Look, leadership is tough. You take a lot of criticism, he told reporters this week in the Capitol. But remember: I am a hard-line conservative. Thats what they used to call me. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) arrives to address reporters following the last votes of the week on Friday, January 12, 2024. Johnson has been in talks with members of the House Freedom Caucus and others to discuss changing the top-line number for funding the government as the first deadline looms next Friday. (Allison Robbert) With Republicans clinging to just the barest majority in the lower chamber, and with Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) sidelined until next month for medical treatment, it would require only three GOP lawmakers to remove Johnson from the Speakership if all Democrats also went along. But given the math, it would require just a small number of Democrats to cross the aisle and rescue the Speaker from McCarthys fate. Some Republicans are already making the argument that Democrats share the blame for the institutional chaos that followed McCarthys removal, and would also be culpable for the ensuing instability if Johnson suffers the same downfall. Part of the issue is: To make any positive changes for the House and for America, Democrats want to get paid off, said Dusty Johnson, who heads the moderate GOP Main Street Caucus. There have certainly been some times that I have voted for things that I thought were good, on a bipartisan basis, [and] I never asked anybody to buy me off. I just sort of felt like thats what were here to do: vote for what strengthens the country. And not everyone believes that, apparently. Dusty Johnson declined to say if he would have voted to rescue former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) from an internal revolt, but pointed to his 2021 decision to buck GOP leaders and certify the election victory of President Biden. I didnt ask to get paid off for my Jan. 6 vote, he said. Democrats were quick to reject that argument, noting that voters decided the outcome of the presidential contest, leaving Congress with the bare constitutional responsibility of formalizing the results. The Speakership, by contrast, is decided by a vote of the House, not the public, and the majority party has historically had the onus more typically, the advantage of filling that seat. It is up to the majority to figure that out, said Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.). Its not up to us to save any Republican Speaker. Many Democrats, even those with close personal ties to the new Speaker, predicted the party would vote overwhelmingly and likely unanimously to remove him from power if the opportunity presents itself. Oh, wed vote to vacate the chair I think uniformly because we disagree on everything. You cant vote for somebody you disagree with, said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), who calls Speaker Johnson a friend. Now if there was a vote to say is he a good person, is he an honest person, is he a decent person, Id certainly nominate him, because hes a very good person, hes a very decent person, and people who say the opposite of that dont know him. However, to vacate the chair? Id make the motion: Vacate the chair! Get him out of there, try to get one of our guys in there who we trust, Vargas said. Takano expressed a similar sentiment. If we had a motion to vacate, Im voting for Speaker Jeffries, he said. That is just what we do. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) addresses reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 to introduce the Equality Act. (Greg Nash) Still, Jeffries himself has pushed the notion of forming a bipartisan governing coalition to defuse the threat posed by the far-right agitators and end the chaos in the House. Even the liberal Takano acknowledged Johnson has been willing to work with Biden and other Democrats on compromises to keep the government running and that it might be worth helping to keep him in power if a coup erupted. Hes emerging as someone whos making deals. And the test for me is: Can we count on him to stand behind his deal against the Freedom Caucus-types who are fundamentally anti-democratic, Takano said. Obviously, that presents an opportunity for us to come to some more bipartisan understandings. Emily Brooks contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The streets of Copenhagen were transformed into a sea of red-and-white flags this weekend as Denmark bade a fond farewell to Queen Margrethe II. After a surprise New Years Eve announcement that she would abdicate the throne, the Queen, 83, will on Sunday transfer power to Crown Prince Frederik, 55, a beard-sporting former party boy and a veteran of the Danish equivalent of the Navy Seals. In contrast with the Coronation of Charles III, it will be a low-key affair, without a formal ceremony and with no crown or sceptre in sight. Instead, the Queen, who after the death of Elizabeth II became Europes longest-reigning living monarch, will sign a declaration of abdication at Christiansborg Palace, followed one hour later by a royal proclamation at 3pm from the balcony announcing King Frederik Xs accession to the throne. Despite the absence of pomp and ceremony, excitement levels are high in Copenhagen, with hotels sold out, restaurants fully booked and tens of thousands descending on the city for a weekend of royal festivities. The royal family remains very popular in Denmark, with a recent survey showing 82 per cent of people expect the new monarch to do well or very well in the new role. Danish newspapers noted, with a flicker of irritation, that the Queen has been dubbed the ashtray queen in the British press because of her fondness for unfiltered cigarettes. She gave up the habit earlier this year on doctors advice. Queen Margrethe II made a surprise New Years Eve announcement that she would abdicate the throne - Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix Foto Huge crowds of Danes braved sub-zero temperatures to gather at Kongens Nytorv (Kings New Square) for a farewell concert to the Queen, raising glasses of champagne and cans of Carlsberg to her health. They are down to earth, said Sren Mortenssen, 35, of the incoming royal couple as he waited for the concert to begin with his friend Nicolai Parelius, 27. They are really good guys while there are people who are against the monarchy as an institution, no one is against the people in it. We actually bartended for them once, added Mr Parelius. They are relaxed, good people. They came up and ordered their own drinks. Theyre very good at making people, who might be uncomfortable around royalty, feel comfortable. The Queen, who ascended the throne in 1972, stunned Denmark with the address announcing her abdication after five decades, citing health issues. I will leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik, she declared live on television. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have four children, including Prince Christian, 18, and Princess Isabella, 16 - EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Her successor is known by his nickname Pingo in Denmark because of a training incident in his Frogman (Danish Navy Seal) days when his wetsuit filled up with water and he had to waddle around like a penguin. He is married to Crown Princess Mary, 51, an Australian-born former advertising executive who he met at the Slip Inn in Sydney during the Olympic Games in 2000. She reportedly had no idea at the time that he was Danish royalty, with the Crown Prince introducing himself as Fred, but they soon embarked on a long-distance relationship that required him to make several discreet visits to Australia. They married at Copenhagen Cathedral in 2004 and have four children: Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, Prince Vincent, 13, and Princess Josephine, also 13. On Saturday, Queen Margrethe was in residence for one final changing of the guard ceremony, watched here by a British tourist - WOLFGANG RATTAY/REUTERS Even some republicans turned up to the Queens farewell concert, such as Stine, an events planner though she kept a low profile at the back of the crowd. The 40-year-old said that she had concerns about the cost of the royal family to Danish taxpayers, but added that she did admire the Queen for speaking out on social issues facing Denmark. I very much hope that the new King will continue on that path, that he will speak up for refugees in Denmark, and the environment, she said. I think its very important that Denmark doesnt lose its sense of inclusiveness, and gets back its reputation for being socially orientated. The Danish Royal Guard rehearses in Copenhagen for Sunday's transfer of power - MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock On Saturday, hundreds of Danes packed into the square outside Amalienborg palace, where the Queen was in residence for one final changing of the guard ceremony. Onlookers solemnly watched at midday in silence, while bike-taxi riders slowed to a halt, to witness the Danish Royal Guard march around the inner palace yard in busby fur hats, black tunics and white sashes. It was such a surprise, Susanne Hosbond, a 50-year-old doctor, said of the moment when the Queen announced her abdication. Everybody I know said of what happened that it was total shock, but after a few hours people understood that its alright because now is the time for the Crown Prince and [Crown Princess] Mary to take over. There has been a surge in interest for royal memorabilia - WOLFGANG RATTAY/REUTERS She was the nations mother during Covid, said Ms Hosbonds sister, Louise, a 41-year-old nurse. She stood up and got us to follow the guidelines on national TV shed cancelled her own celebrations for her 80th birthday. A few doors down from the palace, inside a street kiosk called Copenhagen Vibes, its owner, Kenn Jensen, has several portraits on sale of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess amid a surge in interest for royal memorabilia. She has done an excellent job and hes got big shoes to step into following his mother but he can do it in his own way, he said confidently of the new King. Hes the peoples man, he still goes to concerts and hes ex-Navy Seals. You can meet him in the streets and that is heartwarming. And [Crown] Princess Mary, he added, shes the caretaker of children, she goes out to the schools and they have a lot of fun when she visits. She could have just stepped back and been his wife, but from day one she wanted to be part of the people shes so sweet. 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. Denmark will provide Ukraine with a new aid package for the reconstruction of Mykolaiv worth more than US$21 million. Source: Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Details: It is stated that the aid package was approved during the fourth meeting of the special Supervisory Committee co-chaired by Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction and Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, and Dan Jrgensen, Minister of Cooperation and Development of Global Climate Policy of Denmark. According to the statement, the package includes projects in the agricultural sector aimed at clearing mines on agricultural land, providing cogeneration units, and reconstructing the Mykolaiv State Agrarian University student accommodation centre for fire safety, which will be carried out jointly with UNOPS Ukraine and All Ukraine. "Denmark is one of our most committed partners in the reconstruction process. In the spring of 2023, the country took over the patronage of Mykolaiv and Mykolaiv Oblast. Since then, we have already made progress in reconstructing the city most of the projects of previous aid packages have either been completed or are being successfully implemented," Kubrakov said. Kubrakov added that with the support of the Danish government, the Office for Recovery and Development of Mykolaiv Oblast and the Office for Recovery and Development of Mykolaiv City Community have been operating since November 2023, and an office of the Danish Embassy has been established in the city to act as an outpost of the embassy in the city and a point of contact for interaction with stakeholders. "I am grateful to the Government of Denmark and personally to Dan Jrgensen for their stable position in supporting Ukraine and Mykolaiv particularly. This is exemplary cooperation between the state, partners and local authorities," Kubrakov said. Background: Earlier, Denmark and Sweden jointly announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth about 240 million, which included infantry fighting vehicles. Before that, the Danish government announced plans for another aid package for Ukraine, which will include ammunition, tanks and drones. At the same time, the Danish government and parliamentary majority agreed on additional funding for the fund that financed support for Ukraine, worth 2.3 billion Danish kroner (308 million) in 2023 and 23.5 billion Danish kroner (3.15 billion) in 2025-2027. Support UP or become our patron! DES MOINES, Iowa Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on Friday accused Fox News and other conservative news outlets of propping up former President Donald Trump to keep their audiences. Before running for president, DeSantis was a mainstay on Fox News and other conservative outlets, which often treated the Florida governor to friendly and nonchallenging interviews. "[Trumps] got basically a Praetorian Guard of the conservative media. Fox News, the websites, all this stuff, said the Florida governor, referring to the bodyguard for Roman emperors. They just don't they dont hold him accountable because they're worried about losing viewers and they dont want to have the ratings go down. Im not complaining about it, he added. Id rather that not be the case, but I think thats just an objective reality. DeSantis made his comments while answering a question from a reporter outside his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, where he was asked whether voters were moved by his criticisms of Trump, his rival for the GOP presidential nomination. Asked about the comments, Fox pointed to his appearance at a Fox News town hall on Tuesday, on Sean Hannity Thursday night, did an interview with Martha MacCallum on Friday and is slated to appear on Fox News Sunday. DeSantis is just a few days away from the Jan. 15 Caucus Day in Iowa, where Trump is ahead of him by roughly 35 points in the polls. Despite his criticism of Fox, DeSantis has embraced the network for years. He first caught Trumps attention and his eventual endorsement for his 2018 gubernatorial race when he was a member of Congress and regularly went on Fox News to criticize special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. DeSantis continues to embrace the network as a 2024 presidential candidate. He appeared at a Fox News town hall on Tuesday, on Sean Hannity Thursday night, did an interview with Martha MacCallum on Friday and is slated to appear on "Fox News Sunday." Trump frequently complains about what he calls the fake news but speaks to reporters often. He held a separate town hall on Fox News on Wednesday while DeSantis and former U.N ambassador Nikki Haley debated each other on CNN. Trump too, however, complained about Fox in 2020, saying the network didnt help him and other Republicans get reelected. Last year, Fox settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $800 million, after Dominion argued the network damaged its reputation by airing false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election that Trump lost. Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung said DeSantis is simply complaining "because he knows this is the end of the road for him." GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) There was something for everyone Saturday at DeVos Place, which hosted both a bridal and a remodeling show. Whether attendees wanted to improve their current homes or start all over, the Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show gave them plenty of options. Weve got a long weekend ahead of us and lots of time for folks to come down to the show, Carolyn Alt, senior show manager, told News 8. The vendors are focusing on how to expand the space that you have: Is your basement finished? Well, lets finish your basement. Put in a man cave or a she-shed out in the yard. Things that just make your life better. The show included hands-on training, a designer showcase, seminars led by experts and even a kids zone. Tickets cost $12 for adults. Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Inside the 2024 Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at DeVos Place. (Michael Buck/WOOD TV8) Meanwhile, at the 54th Annual Grand Rapids Bridal Show, dozens of wedding specialists offered everything from flowers to rings to food. There were even fashion shows, presented by Bunny Tuxedos and Jenna In White. Organizers say its the largest bridal show in West Michigan. The show offers a one-stop shopping experience with everything under one roof, from the engagement ring to after-the-wedding living arrangements and everything in between, Show Coordinator Stacey Nelson said in a release. Brides who registered in advance were able to attend for free, while tickets cost $10 for everyone else. The bridal show wrapped up at 5 p.m. Saturday, while the remodeling show runs until 8 p.m. Saturday and then from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. CAS Space, a Beijing-based rocket maker owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is working on the development of its new carrier rocket, Kinetica 2, and plans to conduct the new type's maiden flight in 2025, according to the company. The Kinetica 2 is a medium-lift, liquid-fuel rocket and the second launch vehicle developed by CAS Space, following the Kinetica 1, formerly known as ZK 1A. Yang Haoliang, vice-president of CAS Space, said on Friday that the 53-meter model will consist of a multi-stage core booster, which has a diameter of 3.35 meters, and two side boosters. Its liftoff weight will be 628 metric tons and the maximum thrust will be 766 tons, he said, noting that the rocket will be able to transport spacecraft with a combined weight of 7.8 tons into a sun-synchronous orbit or 12 tons into a low-Earth orbit. "The Kinetica 2 will feature strong transport capacity, high reliability, and good operational economy, and will be capable of sending payloads into multiple types of orbits," Yang said. "We hope it could become a major launch vehicle for the deployment of China's low-cost cargo spaceships, space-based internet network as well as science satellites." According to Yang, the rocket model's first flight, due for 2025, will be tasked with transporting a prototype low-cost cargo vessel into space. The cargo vessel is being designed by the Shanghai-based Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and will be used by the China Manned Space Agency to ferry necessities between Earth and the country's Tiangong space station, CAS Space said in a news release. So far, the company, established in December 2018, has carried out two launch missions with its Kinetica 1 model. The third Kinetica 1 flight has been scheduled to take place this month to place five satellites into orbit. CAS Space has built a rocket plant in Guangzhou's Nansha district, the first of its kind in South China's Guangdong province, and is currently constructing a rocket engine testing facility in Aotou township in Guangzhou. Arizona's Water Infrastructure Finance Authority has awarded over $100 million to water conservation programs and projects across the state, financing everything from the replacement of turf for artificial grass in a school's athletic fields to lining of miles of agricultural canals with concrete. A total of 89 projects and programs in all 15 counties received some funding. WIFA must assign the other half of the $200 million Water Conservation Grant Fund by June 2024. The grant fund helped pay for a wide arrange of projects in different water-using sectors. All public entities, as well as nonprofits partnering with public entities, were eligible to apply for state grants of $250,000 per project or $3,000,000 per program if they brought a 25% match for its full cost. Water providers, including tribal entities and private companies, were also eligible. Proposals to install advanced water meters or do system upgrades were the most abundant and received the most funding last year. The greatest water savings and bang for the buck came from agricultural system upgrades. But all sectors have the potential to save more water. WIFA staff and board members said they want to fund a variety of strategies across Arizona communities, beyond the return on investment a project can have. "Arizona is at a crossroads; the urgency of our water situation means that every drop counts," said Sam Draper, one of the seven volunteer committee members helping review and select projects for the water conservation grant fund. "We need to take an all-of-the-above approach, conservation being a key consideration." Where was the first half spent? WIFA, an independent state authority, received a total of 273 applications from April to November 2023. The grant fund committee evaluated about 100 of the received proposals and sent recommendations to the WIFA board on whether to approve, reject or postpone decisions on applications. The remaining applications will be reviewed and selected this year. WIFA staff sorted applications in seven different categories: advanced meters or system upgrades, efficient fixtures, water recharge or reuse projects, agricultural system upgrades, turf removal, research and education initiatives, and vegetation management for watershed restoration. They received the largest number of applications from projects that involved the installation or upgrade of smart water meters, or an improvement in water system efficiencies. These types of proposals also received the most grants. Made with Flourish By statute, there is no set criteria for awarding the grants. The only requirement is that at least a third of the funds go to conservation projects that address Colorado River water shortages, and a third deal with groundwater replenishment. Committee members take into consideration the water source the applicant depends on, the volume of water the project or program could save, and at what cost, as well as co-benefits beyond water conservation. Weighing the applications on an individual basis allows the committee and the board to focus on more qualitative aspects, beyond a return on investment, said Draper. "You can't put a price per acre-foot saved on helping a small community in rural Arizona or on the system reliability that a project could create, she added. Applicants could submit requests for funding for the same technology or system upgrades, but the conditions in which those systems operate and the benefits financing could have are unique. Biggest bang for the buck Applicants sent WIFA their estimates on the minimum and maximum amount of water their project or program could save. Matched with the amount of funding requested, the biggest return on investment came from agriculture. Construction projects to upgrade old infrastructure, line eroding earthen canals with concrete, or efforts to install N-Drip irrigation systems ranged anywhere from 500 to 79,000 gallons of water saved per dollar awarded. Projects involving advanced water meters and system upgrades had a wide range of return on investment. Made with Flourish It's harder to estimate the return on investment of research and education projects, or conservation efforts taking place at a landscape level. Vegetation management and watershed restoration is not something that has received a ton of excitement from the board and the committee," said Draper, who is also Audubon Southwest's policy manager in Arizona "They are costly projects with a lot of work to undertake." Some on the board have questioned whether it is a right investment for the fund. Because it is limited, WIFA will be forced to prioritize some projects over others for the grants. Arizona wins at the end," said Draper about the selection and award process. "We have this amazing opportunity to save water through conservation and get it done now. Ag and water: Central Arizona farms rely on groundwater. How research aims to help farmers adapt, protect aquifers Second and last round of awards WIFA staff said they don't expect to open more calls for applications. "We have nearly $300 million in demand for $200 million in funds, so I think we will find that we have quality projects to take up the entirety of (the WCGF)," Chelsea McGuire, assistant director of external affairs for WIFA, told The Republic. For the evaluation of the remaining applications, WIFA Chairman David Beckham requested a list of how much money each entity has been awarded from highest to lowest to help prioritize future awards and ensure that no one entity or geographic area dominates the process. Board members said they want to ensure selection is fair to applicants that may be smaller or staffed at a lower level, making sure rural communities are not at a disadvantage. Most applications related to education and research, as well as vegetation management and recharge projects, are pending evaluation, while other categories have been reviewed on a rolling basis. Were really going to need to prioritize our money because we have a lot more in applications than we have in money, Beckham said in December. Water from thin air? Emerging technology offers one possible solution for rural Arizonans who need water Challenges to spread out funding From the beginning of the conservation grant fund, committee and WIFA board members said they wanted the funds to be spread out geographically. But so far, over 40% of the funds awarded so far went to projects and programs within Maricopa County. About 30% of all applications sent to WIFA came from that county too. Applicants from Santa Cruz, Graham, Yuma, and La Paz counties were scarce. Only one water conservation project proposal came from Greenlee County. Only three tribal entities applied for funding. If WIFA does not open another call for applications, committee members and the board would need to limit their selection to a less-diverse pool of applicants. Made with Flourish McGuire said WIFA significantly increased outreach to rural counties ahead of the November application deadline. "While there were still a few counties that were under-represented in the overall WCGF applicant pool, we are still very happy with the diversity of applicants both from a geographic and demographic standpoint," she said. "We have awarded applications for projects in all counties, benefiting rural and urban Arizona alike, so I think we are still able to strike the balance with the pool that we have." Several applicants received approval for more than one grant application; Chandler got approval for four proposals totaling about $5.6 million for turf removal, efficient fixtures and system upgrades. Peoria and Roosevelt Irrigation Districts both got three grants approved. Seventeen other applicants got two grants each. McGuire said that while they don't expect to open a new call for applications, the grant funding could continue into the future. WIFA would like to see more dollars in the Water Conservation Grant Fund and asked for an additional $200 million in its annual budget request to the governor's office. "We believe the programs success warrants additional investment from the state," McGuire said. "With just over $100 million currently committed to projects, WIFA anticipates total water savings of between 2.8 and 4.2 million acre-feet. That number will increase as we continue to award the remaining balance of funds." Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, has already introduced House Bill 2011, which would allocate $25 million per year of unused lottery money to the Water Conservation Grant Fund. Sign up for AZ Climate: The Republic's climate and environment newsletter delivers stories like this one to your inbox every Tuesday. WIFA board will discuss new water supplies The bulk of state funding for water projects will not go to conservation but to finding new water supplies. Democrats in the Legislature negotiated the Water Conservation Grant Fund in 2022 as a condition to former Gov. Doug Ducey's $1 billion water package, which at the time was aimed exclusively at water augmentation. The final package included $1 billion for the Long-Term Water Augmentation Fund and $200 million extra for water conservation. Because both run with money from American Rescue Plan funds, WIFA must follow federal guidelines and assign all funds by December 2026. Bringing water supplies from out of state has been long discussed. At the top of the list are proposals to desalinate water from Mexico's Sea of Cortez, on the coast of Sonora, pumping it for distribution in Mexico, and taking some of Mexico's share of Colorado River water in exchange. But WIFA staff said they are looking for a broader landscape of solutions. From September to mid-November 2023, WIFA staff sought input from private parties and the public on potential opportunities for water augmentation in Arizona, or ideas of how the state could procure new water supplies. Staffers met with 80 industry representatives and received 30 formal responses. Most of the comments submitted mentioned ocean desalination technologies and public-private partnership models. A few emphasized the importance of taking care of existing water resources. Audubon, a nonprofit working to restore and conserve bird habitat, expressed its desire for "long-term projects to augment existing supplies and improve reliability through conservation." Kathy Jacobs, director of the University of Arizona's Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions, highlighted research from the Arizona Tri-University Recharge and Water Reliability Project, which will help identify options for in-state water augmentation through "enhanced recharge projects." David Rangel, president of Water Train Inc., suggested their railcar delivery system "provide Arizona with as much as 30,000 AF a year or more of spring water from our locations in New York, Kentucky, and Tennessee. " discussed the option of "delivery of water from the southern and eastern United States via rail car." The formal responses are not a menu from which WIFA will be limited to choose from, McGuire said in the December board meeting. Instead, they show a universe of options and will help shape and inform the solicitation process, which WIFA expects to publish in Spring 2024. Last summer, WIFA hired HDR Engineering Inc., a corporation specializing in engineering services, as a consultant partner to identify long-term water augmentation projects. Jason Fort, vice president of HDR and team lead, told the board that one of the goals of the request for information is to make sure we don't have blinders on and that we are open to ideas that others might be interested in bringing forward." We want to send a signal to the marketplace both in Arizona and broadly elsewhere of WIFA's intent to move forward with augmentation projects in the near term." Clara Migoya covers agriculture and water issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com. You can support local journalism in Arizona by subscribing to azcentral.com This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: WIFA has $200M to spend on water conservation. How it's been used? BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) The Diocese of Buffalo is discouraging parishioners from attending mass this weekend amid severe winter weather across Western New York, Bishop Michael Fisher said Saturday. Churches that can live-stream masses have been asked to do so. Please respect the travel bans in our communities, Fisher said in a statement Saturday. If your community has travel restrictions, or dangerous weather conditions, do not attempt to attend Mass in person. A travel ban has been issued for all of Erie County beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday and will last until at least 6 a.m. on Sunday. Winter weather is expected to get more intense beginning around 6 p.m. and will last until the overnight hours. The Buffalo Bills playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed to Monday at 4:30 p.m. after it was originally scheduled to be played at 1 p.m. Sunday. Latest Local News Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Colorado and Maine have taken the rare step of removing Donald Trump from the Republican presidential primary ballot based on a provision of the 14th Amendment that disqualifies insurrectionists from holding public office. The provision states that any elected official who took an oath to uphold the Constitution may be disqualified from holding office again if they violated that oath by engaging in insurrection or rebellion against the United States. Colorado and Maine have argued that Trumps role in the Jan. 6 insurrection was a violation of that oath. The provision has only been formally used a handful of times throughout history, mostly to prevent Confederate soldiers and officers from occupying public office after the Civil War. As it happens, at least three of those instances occurred right here in North Carolina. One of those instances was the result of a North Carolina Supreme Court case, which has been cited as precedent in many legal filings seeking to disqualify Trump from the ballot. That case, Worthy v. Barrett, was decided in 1869. At the center of the case was Kenneth Worthy, who at the time was sheriff of Moore County. Upon his reelection in 1868, county commissioners refused to swear him in on 14th Amendment grounds, because he had held that office during the Confederacy. Worthy took his case to the state Supreme Court hoping it would lead to him being sworn in, but the court sided with the commissioners. The idea being that one who had taken an oath to support the Constitution and violated it, ought to be excluded from taking it again, until relieved by Congress, the court stated in its ruling. That same year, the court upheld the disqualification of William Tate, who was seeking to become a solicitor in the 12th Judicial District. Tate had served as a Confederate soldier while he was a county attorney. The third North Carolinian who was barred from taking office under the 14th Amendment has a name that may be familiar: Zebulon B. Vance. Vance, a well-known congressman, was a Confederate officer and became governor of North Carolina during the Civil War. In 1870, he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate, but his opponent challenged the legitimacy of the election under the 14th Amendment. The Senate debated whether to seat him for more than a year, ultimately leading Vance to submit his resignation. He did eventually end up in the Senate, though, after President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill granting amnesty to most former Confederates who had been barred from taking office. While no presidential candidate has ever been disqualified under the 14th Amendment, there is some precedent for disqualifying insurrectionists, at least in North Carolina. Still, dont expect Trump to be removed from North Carolinas ballot at least not if Republicans have anything to say about it. The North Carolina State Board of Elections already declined to consider a challenge to Trumps candidacy from the primary ballot but seemingly left the door open to disqualification challenges in Novembers general election. Their decision has been appealed to state court. NC lawmakers have expressed an interest in passing legislation that would ban the State Board of Elections from being able to disqualify candidates for office. In a statement, GOP leaders said removing a leading candidate in this race like President Trump would be an affront to democracy. Can lawmakers prevent such disqualifications? Yes, because the process for disqualifying a candidate from the ballot in North Carolina is laid out in state law. Because that process was created by the legislature, the legislature also has the ability to change it. Similarly, at the federal level, North Carolinas Sen. Thom Tillis led introduction of a bill that would prevent state politicians and other state entities from disqualifying presidential candidates from the ballot like in Maine and Colorado. Such decisions could only be made by the U.S. Supreme Court, the legislation says, and federal funding for election administration would be withheld from states that misuse the 14th Amendment for political purposes. The U.S. Supreme Court has already agreed to review the Colorado decision in the coming months. Well see if any of North Carolinas history makes it into their ruling. A grand jury just ruled in favor of a woman who miscarried her child at home and was fighting a felony that authorities charged her with after the failed pregnancy. Brittany Watts story has drawn national attention over the last few months after she suffered a miscarriage last September and was subsequently charged with abuse of a corpse. However, jurors declined to return that charge on Thursday, concluding there was insufficient evidence to indict Watts. Brittany Watts, a 33-year-old Ohio woman was facing charges after she had a miscarriage in her home. (WKBN/ Youtube/Screenshot) She was 22 weeks pregnant at the time of her miscarriage and visited the hospital multiple times beforehand, where she was evaluated and told the baby wasnt viable, according to her attorney. After she miscarried on a toilet in her home, she went to the hospital to be evaluated again. A nurse called the police, who went to her home, discovered the fetus in the toilet, and then seized the toilet as evidence. More than 100 people awaiting the grand jurys decision were standing on Warrens Courthouse Square to support Watts. I want to thank my community Warren. Warren, Ohio, Watts said to the crowd. I was born here. I was raised here. I graduated high school here, and Im going to continue to stay here because I have to continue to fight, she said. Watts lawyer told CNN that her client was demonized over the miscarriage. Had she been convicted of the charge, she could have faced up to a year in prison, according to AP. No matter how shocking or disturbing it may sound when presented in a public forum, it is simply the devastating reality of miscarriage, Watts attorney, Traci Timko, said. While the last three months have been agonizing, we are incredibly grateful and relieved that justice was handed down by the grand jury today. Watts told local news outlets in December that her miscarriage left her distraught, heartbroken, and empty. The police department ended up charging Watts after reportedly taking advice from the Warren County Prosecutors Office, according to a news release. A municipal judge then bound the case over to a Trumbull County grand jury even though the Trumbull County Prosecutors Office never assessed or advised as to charging Watts. We respectfully disagree with the lower courts application of the law, Trumbull County Prosecuting Attorney Dennis Watkins said. Distraught Ohio Woman Who Suffered Miscarriage at Home Will No Longer be Criminally Charged. Heres Why Trip of 11 preschoolers stimulates cultural exchanges between Heilongjiang and Guangxi Xinhua) 09:26, January 13, 2024 Chief conductor Zhao Zihe makes dumplings with kids from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the train K7042, a train that departs from Mohe heading for Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2024. These cute kids are nicknamed "little sugar tangerines" (a specialty produce of Guangxi) by netizens in China. Eleven preschool children from Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have captured the hearts of Chinese netizens as they embark on a "brave" camp trip to northeast China, a region renowned as an Arctic-like snowy wonderland in winter. Upon their arrival in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, their trip sparked huge discussions on multiple social media platforms due to their adorable uniforms and overall cuteness, and stimulated the exchange and interaction between Heilongjiang and Guangxi. People in the two regions sent their specialty fruits for free to each other, and scenic spots in the two regions issued preferential policies for tourists from the other side. (Photo by Xu Shuai/Xinhua) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) A life-sized statue of Civil Rights Leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has been unveiled at the the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum The Inaugural Experience located in the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The six-foot cement sculpture was created by the late Louisiana artist Reverend Ivory Dyson and is now on display inside the museum at the Julia Street entrance. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is proud to be the home of the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum exhibit and share it with our thousands of annual visitors and the citizens of Louisiana. This museum exhibit is a tribute to the many leaders from our state who played pivotal roles in the civil rights movement and were inspired by Dr. King, making the museum exhibit a fitting home for this wonderful statue, said Convention Center President and CEO Michael J. Sawaya. The statue was first acquired by the Louisiana State Museum in 2005 with hopes of it standing in the Civil Rights Museum one day. 18 years later in 2023, the statue now calls New Orleans home. Series of commemorative Martin Luther King Day events kick off in New Orleans It is fitting to celebrate this important holiday weekend by further enhancing the experience of the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum The Inaugural Experience, with a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said Sawaya. Dyson, who died in 2021, was from Tickfaw, Louisiana and his daughter Lindory Parker said his motivation for creating the statue was to honor Dr. Kings ties to the civil rights movement in New Orleans. Parker adds that in the 1950s, her father was also known for channeling his talent and passion for the movement to challenge racism in the South. Courtesy: Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Courtesy: Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Courtesy: Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Courtesy: Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Dr. Martin LuthCourtesy: Louisiana Civil Rights Museumer King Jr. statue unveiled at New Orleans civil rights museum Courtesy: Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Courtesy: Louisiana Civil Rights Museum. Reverend Ivory Dyson 5,000 square feet was dedicated to house the exhibit which opened on Oct. 8, 2023. Museum officials say visitors are immersed in the exhibit with its ongoing civil rights journey consisting of pathways to explore advocacy, racial history, and narrated profiles of equity and activism unique to Louisiana and its civil rights founders. Additional work from Dyson can be seen at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Heritage Museum in Hammond, and Sweet Home Community Museum in Kentwood. The museum is open Tuesday Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum website. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. Dr. Suhaib Alhamss, the director of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Gaza's southern town of Rafah, speaks with patients during his work day outside the X-ray department of the hopsital, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. Overwhelmed with the dead and wounded as Rafah's population swells with displaced people, Alhamss has struggled to save lives as his hometown and hopsital have transformed over the 100 days of the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) For a few hours every day or night, Dr. Suhaib Alhamss tries to sleep on a thin mattress in an operating room. He swings in and out of half-consciousness, both too tired to open his eyes and too tense to let go. Thunderous shellfire often rattles the windows of the hospital he directs in the southern Gaza Strip. But the worst sounds, Alhamss said, come from inside Kuwaiti Hospital: the cries of tiny children with no parents and enormous wounds. The panicked screams of patients jolted awake to the realization that they've lost a limb. The Israel-Hamas war, which started 100 days ago Sunday, has exposed him, his staff and the people of Gaza to a scale of violence and horror unlike anything they had seen before. It has rendered his hometown unrecognizable. This is a disaster that's bigger than all of us, Alhamss, 35, said by phone between surgeries. His hospital, donated and funded by Kuwait's government, is one of two in the city of Rafah. With just four intensive care beds before the war, it now receives some 1,500 wounded patients each day and at least 50 people dead on arrival adults and children with shrapnel-shattered limbs and pulped bodies, bone-exposing wounds and tattered flesh. Over 23,400 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the war, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The count does not distinguish between civilians and militants. Israel, which mounted its blistering air and ground campaign in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that saw 1,200 people killed and 250 others abducted, holds the group responsible for civilian deaths by embedding militants in buildings used by non-combatants. To make room for the daily rush of war-wounded, Alhamss has crammed a few dozen extra beds into the intensive care unit. He cleared out the pharmacy, which was largely empty anyway since Israel's siege has deprived the hospital of IV lines and most medicines. Still, patients sprawl on the floors. The situation is completely out of control, he said. A urologist by training and a father of three, Alhamss has watched aghast as his city and hospital have transformed over the course of the war. With its low-rise concrete buildings and trash-strewn alleys teeming with unemployed men, Rafah, the strip's southernmost city, long has been a squalid place straddling the Egyptian frontier. Notorious as a smuggling capital during the Israeli-Egyptian blockade, it contains Gaza's only border crossing that doesnt lead into Israel. Now it's the flashpoint in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Apartment towers have been blasted into flat, smoldering ruins. Israel's evacuation orders and expanding offensive have swelled Rafah's population from 280,000 to 1.4 million, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians jammed into flimsy tents smothering the streets. Most people spend hours each day in search of food, waiting in motionless lines outside aid distribution centers and sometimes plodding kilometers (miles) on foot to carry back canned beans and rice. The faces he sees around the city have changed, too, as Israel presses on with its goal of destroying Hamas. Fear and strain crease the features of his colleagues, Alhamss says. Blood and dust smear the faces of the incoming wounded, while waxy gray skin and eyes circled by darkening rings are marks of the dying. You can see the exhaustion, the nervousness, the hunger on everyone's faces, Alhamss said. Its a strange place now. Its not the city I know." Aid trucks have trickled through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. But it's nowhere near enough to meet the besieged enclave's surging needs, humanitarian officials say. In the absence of vital equipment, medical staff have applied their ingenuity to new ends. Alhamss dresses patients' wounds with burial shrouds. Each day I have people who die before my eyes because I dont have medicine or burn ointment or supplies to help them, he said. He is too overwhelmed to dwell on all that he's seen, but some images spring up unbidden: the vacuous stare of a young boy who survived a strike that killed his entire family, a newborn rescued from his dead mother's womb. I think, how will they go on? They have no one left in this world, Alhamss said. His thoughts turn to his own children 12-year-old Jenna, 8-year-old Hala and 7-year-old Hudhayfa sheltering at their grandmother's Rafah apartment. He sees them once a week, on Thursdays, when they come to the hospital to give him a hug. I am terrified for them, he said. Alhamss knows fellow doctors and nurses who were killed in their homes or on the way to work by artillery, missiles, exploding drones so many kinds of incoming fire. He has lost dozens of his medical students at the Islamic University of Gaza where he teaches, ambitious men and women with so much life left to live," he said. But grief is a luxury he cannot afford. When asked how he felt, he answered with a simple It's God's will. We all will die in the end, why be afraid of it?" Alhamss asked. We have no choice but to try to live in dignity, to help those we can. ___ DeBre reported from Jerusalem. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Early voting in Virginia Beach for the Presidential Primaries begins at 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 19. In-person early voting is set to be available at the Voter Registration and Elections Office at 2449 Princess Anne Road, Municipal Center, Building 14. Additional early in-person voting sites open on Saturday, Feb. 24, ending on Saturday, March 2. There will be no early voting on Sundays. The following locations are set to be available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. beginning Feb. 24. Bayside Recreation Center 4500 First Court Road Great Neck Recreation Center 2521 Shorehaven Drive Seatack Recreation Center 141 South Birdneck Road Kempsville Area Library 832 Kempsville Road Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Libra 4100 Virginia Beach Boulevard Any Virginia Beach voter can vote in the primaries, but only in one partys primary. Any Virginia Beach citizen who will be 18 on or before the Nov. 5 General and Special Election will be eligible to vote in this election. For information regarding sample ballots, early voting, and election day polling locations, please visit voter.virginiabeach.gov. Keep up to date with the latest news on WAVY.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Soldiers search women as they patrol the south side of Quito, Ecuador, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in the wake of the apparent escape of a powerful gang leader from prison. President Daniel Noboa decreed Monday a national state of emergency, a measure that lets authorities suspend peoples rights and mobilize the military in places like the prisons. The government also imposed a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa) MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexicos two main drug cartels have long taken their deadly rivalry with them as they expand into distant markets from Asia to Australia to Africa, but never before with such intensive street gang violence and a presidential declaration of a state of internal armed conflict this week in Ecuador. Gunmen from an Ecuadorian gang believed aligned with Mexicos Jalisco New Generation cartel took over a television station during a live broadcast and brandished explosives. Meanwhile, a rival gang believed to be backed by Mexicos Sinaloa cartel called for peace in a statement apparently issued from Mexico City. Why are Mexican cartels in Ecuador? It's the location. And the bananas. Ecuador is attractive as a shipping point for drugs because the South American country is sandwiched between two top cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru. Ecuador has been ravished by poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic, a weak law enforcement system and corruption, but it also has a big active, legitimate foreign trade. Ships sail to ports in the U.S. and Europe with huge containers of bananas Ecuador is the world's top exporter and those are good places to hide cocaine. You have a confluence of factors and, yes, you have bananas, a huge amount of containers and establishments and cover to be smuggling around the world in Europe, across Europe to Turkey, and to other parts of the world, said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institute. In a few short years, experts say, the experience and muscle of the Mexican cartels has turned Ecuador into the shipment point for almost one-third of the cocaine entering Europe. According to a 2023 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the proportion of cocaine reported to the Regional Intelligence Office for Western Europe with Ecuador identified as a departure point rose from 14 per cent in 2018 to 29 percent in 2020 and 28 per cent in 2021. Much of that cocaine was connected to Mexican cartels, who have moved into producer countries like Colombia following the 2016 peace accords there with leftist rebels. Coca bush fields in Colombia have also been moving closer to the border with Ecuador due to the breakup of criminal groups after the 2016 demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. In Mexico, from where the cartels ship mostly fentanyl and meth to the United States, the battle between the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels has caused a persistent, decade-long wave of violence. Something similar can be seen in Ecuador, but at an astoundingly rapid rate. The homicide rate in Ecuador skyrocketed from about six homicides per 100,000 people in 2016 comparable to the United States to around 40 per 100,000 in 2023. The Mexican cartels business model abroad is largely copied from their domestic playbook: assert control over territory by recruiting local gangs with offers of guns and cash. Then ruthlessly battle the rival cartel for control of territory. You will see the Jalisco cartel or the Sinaloa cartel insisting that the local criminal groups chose between them, that youre only with one or the other, and act violently against rival groups who make a different choice, Felbab-Brown said. So this has playing out in Ecuador," she said. The problem worsened when the Mexican cartels stopped paying the local gangs in cash, and began paying them in drugs instead, said Fernando Carrion, a political science professor at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Ecuador. The local gangs have to sell those drugs in local markets, and that forces local gangs to organize, increases local (drug) consumption and laundering, and for this reason also increases the violence, Carrion said, as street-dealing turf battles cause homicide rates to spike. Thats why you dont see Mexican cartels sending their own flashy, heavily armed troops or their armored vehicles to Ecuador; Ecuadorians are doing the dying, in what Carrion describes as a form of outsourcing. They connect in Ecuador with other organizations in an outsourcing scheme, Carrion said. In the concrete case of the two Mexican groups, Sinaloa is connected to the Choneros, one of Ecuadors oldest gangs. Jalisco New Generation is connected to the Lobos, or Wolves, which like Jalisco itself is a more recent upstart, he said. Jalisco also apparently works with the Tiguerones, the gang that took over the television station this week. In this outsourcing scheme, these (local) groups perform certain tasks, Carrion said, like guarding or transporting cocaine shipments overland to seaports. The local gangs' power is frightening, and extends from the prisons to the streets. In August, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated less than two weeks before the election. He had complained of receiving threats from the Choneros, the gang associated with the Sinaloa cartel. A couple of months later, six suspects in the assassination, all Colombians, were killed in prison. Last Sunday, the leader of the Choneros, Adolfo Macias, disappeared from the prison where he was held. Since Macias apparent escape, gangs have kidnapped police officers and inmates have taken at least 178 corrections personnel hostage. On Tuesday, after the takeover of the TV station, President Daniel Noboa designated 20 drug-trafficking gangs as terrorist groups and authorized the military to neutralize them. Whether the government can regain the upper hand remains to be seen. Ecuador is not alone. Countries as far away as New Zealand and Australia have seen violence spike as Mexican cartels arrived. According to a 2016 report for Australias Strategic & Defence Studies Centre by Dr, Anthea McCarthy-Jones, for Australia, the emergence of Mexican drug cartels in local markets presents not only criminal but strategic challenges. Their presence threatens to not only increase the supply of illicit drugs in Australia, but encourage turf wars, increase the amount of guns in the country, tax border security resources and threaten the stability and good governance of South Pacific transit spots, according to the report. Felbab-Brown said the violence spurred by Mexican cartels is threatening countries previously considered peaceful. Ecuador itself was actively promoted in recent years as a safe haven for American retirees. The aggressions and the bipolar war, and the voraciousness of the Mexican cartels is having disastrous effects across the Americas. Its working out and blowing up markets that were long considered to be places of safe haven, these islands of stability and peace, like Costa Rica, Chile. Ecuador is the epicenter of violence right now, its dramatic brazen behavior, intimidation, aggression by the local criminal groups, so its at the forefront, but the role of the Mexican cartels has been pernicious south of Chiapas on Mexicos border with Guatemala across the entire continent. In the more than five years since Michel Moore became Los Angeles chief of police, this city has endured (along with the rest of the nation) a global pandemic, public health lockdowns, protests and riots over the murder of George Floyd, heated debates over the purpose and proper methods of policing, an uptick and then plunge in homicides, concerns about retail theft. Its plenty for any law enforcement professional, let alone the chief of one of the nations largest cities. Read more: Editorial: Don't rush a decision on LAPD Chief Michel Moore's reappointment Moores announcement Friday afternoon that he will step down next month is the right move, and gives Mayor Karen Bass an opportunity to reshape public safety in Los Angeles in a way that better serves its people. Were looking forward to her making the most of it. Soon after she took office, the mayor began sounding out Angelenos on their thoughts about policing, crime and safety. Look for that process to be stepped up, along with a nationwide search for a new chief befitting a great city and uncertain times. Bass' first year was devoted, properly so, to addressing homelessness, L.A.s No. 1 challenge and an integral part of any public safety program. She reappointed Moore to a second term precipitously. But the chief said he wouldnt be sticking around for the full five years, and as it turns out this timing is perfect. Read more: Editorial: LAPD Chief Moore says he won't serve a full second term. L.A. needs to hear more Now Bass should be ready to take on the task, along with all of Los Angeles' leaders, of protecting the city and making residents feel safe using the proper public safety tools: armed officers, unarmed outreach teams, and red light cameras and all the other resources that L.A.s civic spirit and creativity can muster. Bass is not an abolish-the-police mayor, and thank goodness. But she is a committed police reformer and has spent her political career pushing for a more fair, equitable and humane criminal justice system. It's to Bass' credit that she is seeking input from Angelenos. She's the mayor, though, and ultimately the city will look to her to articulate a vision for the police department's role in the broader public safety picture. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Beverly Cassirer and her husband, Claude Cassier, are shown at their home in San Diego. A copy of the Camille Pissarro painting they wanted returned to their family hangs behind them. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The family of Lilly Cassirer, a Jewish woman living in Berlin at the start of World War II, has fought for two decades in U.S. federal court to win back the Impressionist painting of a rainy Paris streetscape that was stolen from her. Cassirer was forced by the Nazis to give up the Camille Pissarro painting, Rue Saint-Honore, apres midi, effet de pluie, in exchange for exit papers out of Germany in 1939. There is no dispute that the Nazis stole the Painting from Lilly, declared Judge Carlos T. Bea in the opinion he wrote for a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Read more: Editorial: A judge says a museum can keep its Nazi-looted art. Thats just not right And yet the panel ruled that a Spanish museum, which has displayed the painting since 1992, should be allowed to keep it. The legal issue here may be complicated, but the moral issue is clear and simple. The painting belongs to the Cassirer heirs. Its outrageous that it still hangs on the wall of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, a museum in Madrid. The museum knows it was looted by the Nazis. The whole world knows. And yet there it hangs for all the world to see a stolen masterpiece. Of course, the museum should have simply returned the painting long ago to the Cassirer family. The Spanish government, which owns the museum, and nearly four dozen other countries signed the nonbinding international agreement, the Washington Principles, to seek fair solutions in cases of looted art when owners or heirs can be identified. Museum officials have long contended that they didnt know the painting's dark history when they bought it in 1993 from Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, who has since died. The baron, a sophisticated art collector, should have known that the painting had been looted. And the museum should have done a better job of researching the paintings provenance its journey through various hands. Read more: Supreme Court rules for California family seeking Pissarro painting looted by Nazis But the museum has fought to keep the painting. Even one of the judges on the 9th Circuit panel, Consuelo M. Callahan, wrote in her concurrence that the decision was at odds with our moral compass and that Spain should have voluntarily relinquished the Painting. So how did we end up with the 9th Circuit ruling on whether a museum with a stolen piece of art can continue to hold and display it? Lilly Cassirer's grandson and sole heir, Claude, moved to California in 1980, and first filed a lawsuit in 2005 under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The case has gone from federal district court to appellate court several times to the U.S. Supreme Court and now back to the 9th Circuit. Read more: Editorial: Who has the right to Nazi-looted art The issue before the court this time was whether to apply the law of California or the law of Spain regarding stolen property. In an amicus brief, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta argued that the court should apply California law since the state has long and vigorously enforced the ability of its residents to recover stolen art. The three-judge panel decided that Spanish law trumped California law, because Spains governmental interests would be more impaired by applying California law than California would be hurt if they applied Spanish law. In California, once something is proclaimed stolen, the thief never has a right to it and cannot pass on title to it. In Spain, when something is stolen, the latest holder has a right to it after a certain amount of time passes and no one has come forward to claim it as theirs. Judge Bea noted that even under California law, there is a statute of limitations on how long a victim has to file a lawsuit six years from the time the victim discovers the whereabouts of the stolen property. However, in this case, the Cassirer descendants filed only five years after they discovered the painting was in the museum. The family's lawyers will ask the court for a rehearing. This fight should have been resolved years ago. It is shameful that the museum and the Spanish government refuse to do what is just and moral, which is to return the painting that Lilly Cassirer hung on the wall of her apartment in Berlin. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. HOHENWALD, Tenn. (WKRN) Elephants in Hohenwald got to enjoy a tasty snack this week thanks to a tradition started by a woman in East Tennessee. In 2019, Tellico Village resident Lynda Parker lost her partner and began searching for ways to find joy, especially during the holiday season, which led her to buying a real Christmas tree. Adorable tiny cat living at the Utah zoo is one of the deadliest in the world After the holiday season ended, Parker said she wondered what she could do with the tree, and through her research she discovered The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. (Courtesy: The Elephant Sanctuary) (Courtesy: The Elephant Sanctuary) (Courtesy: The Elephant Sanctuary) (Courtesy: The Elephant Sanctuary) (Courtesy: The Elephant Sanctuary) The sanctuary about an hour and a half drive from Nashville provides respite for elephants that have been in zoos and circuses. Parker said the decision was an easy one to make, especially since her partners favorite animal was an elephant. Zoo Knoxville elephants smash giant pumpkins donated by Dollywood This year, Parker shared her idea with Lenoir City residents on Nextdoor and Facebook for the first time. This year I just cant believe the response Im getting, Parker shared. The Tellico Village Wellness Center has reportedly allowed people to drop the trees off outside. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com People are just jumping on board and its such a good feeling, Parker added. The community began collecting Christmas trees the day after Christmas and over 128 Christmas trees were collected. The trees were dropped off at the sanctuary on Friday, Jan. 12 by Parker and a group of volunteers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Flash With China's mediation and effort to drive progress, representatives of Myanmar's military and three ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar held peace talks in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, from Wednesday to Thursday and reached a formal ceasefire agreement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday. Mao made the remarks when answering a relevant query. She said that representatives of the Myanmar military and the three ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar, namely the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, and the Arakan Army, held peace talks and officially reached a ceasefire agreement in Kunming. The two sides agreed to implement the ceasefire immediately, the military personnel will disengage and the two sides will address relevant disputes and concerns through peaceful negotiation, said Mao. She said that the two sides promised not to undermine the safety of Chinese people living in the border area and Chinese projects and personnel in Myanmar. The two sides had consultations on ceasefire arrangement and other matters, she added. "Maintaining the momentum of ceasefire and peace talks in northern Myanmar serves the interests of all parties in Myanmar and is conducive to keeping the China-Myanmar border area peaceful and stable," said Mao, adding that China hopes that relevant parties in Myanmar will earnestly implement the already reached ceasefire agreement, exercise maximum restraint toward each other, continue to address the issues through dialogue and consultation and together strive for progress in the peace process in northern Myanmar. "China stands ready to continue to provide support and assistance to the best of our capability and play a constructive role to this end," Mao said. South Africa says that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and has asked the International Court of Justice to intervene and stop Israeli military action in Gaza. Israel issued its initial defense to South Africas charges on Jan. 12, 2024, at the International Court of Justice the United Nations highest human rights court based in The Hague, Netherlands. Israel argues that its military is trying to minimize civilian harm and that South Africa is trying to both weaponize the term genocide and interfere with Israels right of self-defense against Hamas. But can the International Court of Justice enforce any decision it makes in the case? The question of the International Court of Justices actual powers of enforcement is a key issue on many peoples minds, said Victor Peskin, a scholar of international relations and human rights. We spoke with Peskin to better understand the potential impacts of South Africas genocide complaint against Israel and the scope of the courts power. Ronald Lamola, South Africas minister of justice and correctional services, center, speaks to the press outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on Jan. 12, 2024. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images What is the significance of South Africa bringing these charges? South Africa is a former apartheid state that underwent a largely peaceful transition to democracy in the mid-1990s. Symbolically, the fact that South Africa is bringing the case may have particular resonance. However, South Africa has itself been accused of thwarting the 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention. This happened after it hosted and failed to arrest Sudans then-President Omar al-Bashir in 2015. Al-Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court with committing war crimes and genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan in the 2000s. South Africas case against Israel is the fourth genocide-related case at the International Court of Justice. The others pertained to the conflicts in Bosnia, Myanmar and Ukraine. What precedent did the Gambia-Myanmar case set for the court? There is some precedence for countries to bring a case regarding a conflict it is not directly involved in to the International Court of Justice. In 2019, Gambia filed a complaint at the court against Myanmar, regarding its alleged genocide of the Rohingya people, an ethnic minority living in Myanmar. The Genocide Convention obligates all ratifying states to comply with the treaty. So, countries without a direct connection to an alleged case of genocide can legally bring a genocide complaint forward. What are provisional measures and why are they important? The International Court of Justice judges are still reviewing and adjudicating the merits of Gambias genocide complaint. There isnt a final decision on that yet. The court did, within a relatively short period of time after it held a hearing in the case, issue written orders called provisional measures, directing Myanmar to prevent genocide and to preserve evidence related to the case. If the judges were convinced that the Israeli militarys attacks on Gaza were excessive, they could quickly call for a halt in Israels attacks and a cessation of hostilities. In theory, this could put public pressure on Israel to curtail or halt its military campaign. But even if the International Court of Justice calls for this, it would not necessarily indicate that the court will eventually rule that genocide has occurred. The International Court of Justice lacks enforcement power. So, is this case more than political theater? The International Court of Justice does not prosecute individuals, but rather focuses on resolving legal disputes between countries. The Hague-based International Criminal Court, which has the legal authority to investigate and prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, has opened up a separate investigation into Israeli forces and Hamas militants alleged violations of international humanitarian law. Its always an open question will an International Court of Justice ruling even be enforced and have any tangible effect? While the International Court of Justice moved at a glacial pace in reaching a final decision in the Bosnia-Serbia case, it has shown that it can move more quickly when addressing mass violence. The judges did issue provisional measures calling for the prevention of violence in the Myanmar and Russia cases. However, there is little indication that the International Court of Justices provisional measures eased Myanmars crackdown on the Rohingya. Similarly, the ICJs provisional measures calling on Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine has had no apparent effect. This International Court of Justice could call for the Israeli military to end or curtail its conduct in Gaza, or to ease the flow of much-needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians, for example. This could put considerable international pressure on Israel. It could also push Israels strongest allies, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, to put more pressure on Israel. What does the ICJs track record on genocide tell us about this current case? In the first case of this kind, in 1993, Bosnia instituted proceedings against Serbia, which was then part of the former republic of Yugoslavia, for alleged genocide. The International Court of Justices eventual ruling in 2007 in the Serbia case was controversial. The court ruled that genocide was committed in the Bosnian war but that the government of Serbia was not directly responsible for it. Instead, the court ruled that the Serbian government failed to prevent genocide in Srebrenica. Srebenica was the eastern, Muslim enclave in Bosnia that Bosnian-Serb military forces overran in 1995, murdering around 8,000 Muslim boys and men. The court also found the Serbian government violated the Genocide Convention by failing to arrest former Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic, then wanted for genocide by the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal in the former Yugoslavia. That judgment by the International Court of Justice was a big blow and disappointment to many Bosnian Muslims and global human rights activists. Pro-Israel protestors on Jan. 12, 2024, near the International Court of Justice wave flags and banners about hostages held in Gaza. Michel Porro/Getty Images How long could it take the ICJ to determine whether Israel committed genocide? It could take a number of years. The Bosnia-Serbia case took 14 years. It is unclear if the South Africa-Israel case would have to wait for a final judgment to first be rendered in the Gambia-Myanmar and Ukraine-Russia cases, which have not concluded. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Victor Peskin, Arizona State University. Read more: Victor Peskin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Eric Dier (l) and sports director Christoph Freund pose for pictures during Dier's presentation as a new signing at FC Bayern Munich. FC Bayern has signed the defensive player from Tottenham Hotspur. Christian Kunz/dpa England defender Eric Dier was officially presented as a Bayern Munich player on Saturday, two days after concluding his transfer from Tottenham to the German record champions. "It's been great since I've got here. I've felt the size and the family feeling of the club straightaway. It wasn't surprising but it feels good," he said in a news conference after his first training session with the squad following Friday's 3-0 Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim. Dier, 29, is to ease Bayern's lack of options in defence which has grown even more for at least a few weeks because Noussair Mazraoui is at the Africa Cup of Nations and Kim Minjae at the Asian Cup. He would also free up Leon Goretzka for his usual midfield role again. Dier has been at Spurs since 2014 and played together with England forward Harry Kane, who arrived in Munich in summer and has been an instant hit, for club and country. "Harry is my friend. We spoke a lot and I followed the matches because of him. When I realized that there was a chance for me, I obviously followed things," Dier said. The defender wasn't a regular starter for Tottenham this term, with just four Premier League appearances, but he stressed he's fit and ready to get to work. "That's the decision of the club and the manager, which I accepted. I always make sure I'm fit, have done so in recent months and I feel good," he said. Bayern director Christoph Freund said: "We're mostly planning to use him at centre-back. He brings a lot of experience, is a really good character. He'll be important for the team, also given his personality." As for a potential new signing, Freund added: "The transfer window is open for a few more days. We'll see what happens. The priority was to strengthen at the back. In central midfield, Aleksandar Pavlovic has developed really well and we believe we've got a good alternative with him there." Editors Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Estonia has been one of Ukraines most reliable allies since the onset of Russias full-scale invasion. A small Baltic country of just 1.3 million people that also shares a border with Russia, Estonia has provided assistance to Ukraine worth nearly 500 million euros, or more than 1.4% of its GDP, making it one of the leading supporters by GDP share. In a recent show of support, during President Volodymyr Zelenskys visit to Estonia on Jan. 11, Tallinn pledged to allocate 1.2 billion euros for Kyiv in the next four years. Throughout all this time, the Estonian government has been led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a vocal supporter of Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent spoke with Kallas via a video call on Jan. 12 to discuss Zelenskys recent visit, the idea of mobilizing Ukrainians living in Estonia, and whether the West is ready for Donald Trumps increasingly likely return to the White House. The Kyiv Independent: We're talking just a day after President Zelenskys visit to Estonia as part of his bigger Baltics tour. What was his main message to you? Kaja Kallas: First of all, the message was to say thank you to the Estonian people, as we have been great supporters of Ukraine, not only militarily, politically, but also in terms of accepting refugees and in humanitarian aid. So we are a small country with a big heart. The second thing was to say that there is the will to defend Ukraine, but we also need the belief in victory because the West needs to help Ukraine to win the war. We really have to believe that Ukraine is able to win. And that depends on the aid, military aid, the political support that we are giving to Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent: Estonia has welcomed around 36,000 Ukrainian refugees. Have you and President Zelensky discussed the idea of mobilizing Ukrainians in Estonia and do you personally support that? Kaja Kallas: Yes, we discussed the issue of Ukrainian refugees, especially the men who are of the mobilization age. President Zelensky was describing that there are people who are on the battlefield and then there are people who are paying taxes to Ukraine so that you can fund the soldiers who are on the battlefield. But then there are also people who are in foreign countries like Estonia. Now for us, they have the right to be here if they follow the rules, if they have reached us, then the EU gives them temporary protection. So we will definitely not do anything on our side to give those people out. It is up to Ukraine to turn to the people who are here and request them to come back to help their motherland. The Kyiv Independent: Will the EU accept Hungary's demand to revise aid to Ukraine on an annual basis to be able to unblock the 50 billion euro package? Kaja Kallas: We have to reach a conclusion and decide on Feb. 1 regarding this aid. What I can assure you is that 26 countries are firmly behind giving these 50 billion to Ukraine. Now the question is what we can do so that 27 are behind this decision. And I'm still optimistic that we will reach this. There are different options so that everybody is on board. Because I think it's not only about us sending these 50 billion to Ukraine that we will do one way or the other but it's also what kind of message we send to the Kremlin. We are united is one message, and that has been a very strong message. And that has been a negative surprise to Putin and the Kremlin that we have been so united. So I think that is our strength and we have to keep that. Then we can also show our other partners across the Atlantic that we have made our decision and hopefully, they will do the same because again we have to help Ukraine for it to be able to defend itself. Read also: Ex-Estonian president: If NATO ambiguous about conditions for Ukraine, Russia wont know what to prevent The Kyiv Independent: Some believe that Ukraine now needs to focus on attacks on occupied Crimea and Russia's Black Sea Fleet to increase the pressure on Moscow. And for that, of course, Ukraine needs reinforcements of long-range capabilities, namely Taurus from Germany and ATACMS from the U.S. Should they provide these long-range missiles? Kaja Kallas: In terms of military strategy I would leave it to the military experts to decide what works and what doesn't. What I can say from the political point of view is that we should help Ukraine with all the means and equipment that we have because this is the way that Ukraine can really push back the aggressor. On our side, we have made a decision to help Ukraine with at least 0.25% of our GDP in the coming four years. And we have made a plea to other European countries and allies to do the same, because if you think about the combined defense budgets of the Ramstein coalition, then they are much bigger than that of Russia's heavily inflated one. And if you just make a simple calculation of how much money Russia spends on war monthly, it's roughly 5.3 billion euros. But if you take the combined budgets and this 0.25% of GDP of all those Ramstein coalition countries, then it would be 120 billion. That would definitely turn the tide in the favor of Ukraine. But then, of course, the other question is the specific military equipment, and there I say that whatever you have that could help Ukraine win you should give. I mean whoever has it, but it's up to those countries to decide eventually. Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas speaks during Ukraine 30. Digitalization Forum in Kyiv in May 2021. (Yevhen Kotenko/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images) The Kyiv Independent: Many see the question of providing long-range missiles as a political one and think that there is no political will to do that from Washington and Berlin. Do you agree with that? Kaja Kallas: Of course, it's a political decision. So I agree with that. If Ukraine doesn't have long-range weapons, then the aggressor has the upside to attack Ukraine and take more territories because they know that Ukraine can't reach them. So in order to make a difference, you have to have long-range weapons so that there is a calculation also on the Russian side that they might also hurt us, which means that maybe we will not take up this attack. If they think they can only win, then of course they don't count their own people and just continue. The Kyiv Independent: Russia also knows that the West is against Ukraine using Western weapons against Russian territory. Do you think that also should change? Kaja Kallas: Yesterday in Estonia, he said that he has the feeling that some of the Western countries have a fear of Russia losing. And this maybe comes from history, thinking of what comes after Russia is humiliated. But I've stressed so many times that let's not worry about Russia's face or Russia's humiliation. Let's worry about really ending this war because this is what is at stake here. And we can worry about what comes after later on, but the problem right now, the war is on Ukrainian soil. One country has attacked another country. There's clearly one aggressor and one victim. There are no gray areas in this. Kaja Kallas, Estonia's prime minister, arrives on the closing day of the annual NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023.(Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The Kyiv Independent: Are there any EU officials advocating for peace talks and a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia at the moment? Kaja Kallas: I don't see that. I see that the political leaders of the European Union and NATO have put their political will behind supporting Ukraine. And it's very hard for them to back down from that support. Of course, we have elections and that might change in those countries, but so far I haven't seen that. I think there is a difference between 2014 and 2024. In 2014, I was a member of the European Parliament and I saw how quickly it went from let's support Ukraine to let's sit down and negotiate and give away a territory so that Russia is happy and is not moving further away. This time we have been able to explain how giving in to the aggressor only results in more war, which has happened. So this is, I think, the understanding of the leaders around the table, that weakness provokes Russia. Strength doesn't. And peace is just a pause for Russia to get their act together to continue. Therefore, we, of course, need peace, but we need sustainable peace. The Kyiv Independent: Do you think Ukraine can win this war by military means? Kaja Kallas: I believe that Ukraine can win this war because the Ukrainian will to win this war is very strong. You are defending your home. But Ukraine can win this war when the West helps Ukraine with the military equipment and the military support. We really have to understand that it's also on our shoulders. Winston Churchill talked about the blood, sweat, and tears. This time it's only Ukrainian blood, sweat, and tears, but the rest of us need to have a very clear mind, strong standpoint, and also some real allocation of resources so that Ukrainians can win. Read also: Inside occupied Ukraines most effective resistance movements The Kyiv Independent: If Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election, do you think that you would be able to supply sufficient aid to Ukraine in case there's a decrease in U.S. support? Kaja Kallas: Europe has done its share and has supported Ukraine more than the U.S. has. But of course, the U.S. has supported Ukraine a lot, and this is very important that they continue to do so. If you talk to Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress I have had meetings with many of them there is strong support for helping Ukraine. But of course, they have elections coming, and presidential candidate Donald Trump has been quite vocal about what he thinks about the Ukrainian war. So definitely elections are a turbulent time, but I believe, and I'm an optimist, that there is a strong political will across the aisle in the parties, both Democrats and Republicans, to continue to support Ukraine. I was just in the U.S. and one of the things that I said to them is that the U.S. considers itself as the best country in the world, the number one country in the world. If the U.S. has supported Ukraine and now backs from it, then it means that Russia wins, and then it means that the U.S. becomes the second country in the world, and I don't think it's in their interest. The Kyiv Independent: If Donald Trump becomes U.S. President, does Estonia feel safe as a NATO member in case there is aggression against it by Russia? Kaja Kallas: The West sometimes buys into the narratives that Russia is trying to develop. And one of those narratives is that the West is weak, NATO is weak, but actually we shouldn't underestimate our own power. Russia is definitely afraid of having a conflict with NATO. And as we are in NATO, we don't have the war here. So I don't think that this is a real threat, but as I said, it is clear that European countries have to boost their own defense expenditure. There is Article 5 in NATO that we all know, but there's also Article 3, which means that every country has to do its utmost to increase its own defense. And collective defense. NATO is not only the U.S., but it's also Great Britain and France, two nuclear countries, it's also Germany. We have the new NATO plans ready. We have the pre-positioned equipment. We also have to show the Kremlin that we are ready. We are ready to defend ourselves and he will not have success here and that would hopefully make them calculate otherwise. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (R) speak with Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as they arrive to attend a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council during the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 12, 2023. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images) The Kyiv Independent: So you don't think that Russia could dare to attack Estonia or any other NATO territory? Kaja Kallas: Well, right now they are not taking up a conflict with NATO, but it's very important how we are reacting in the Ukraine war and if this aggression pays off. When they annexed Crimea, it was the little green men. They were embarrassed that it's Russian soldiers. They tried to hide it, they were afraid of the Western reaction. Because the Western reaction was weak at the time, they made a mental note that they can do this because nothing happens. So if they can attack Ukraine, get away with no punishment, no accountability, then the next step could be NATO. That's why it's very important that we stay united behind Ukraine, we help Ukraine militarily so that it is able to win this war and push Russia back to its borders. The Kyiv Independent: You recently wrote in an opinion piece that Moscow believes it can outlast Ukraine and the West. Do you believe that the West and Ukraine can outlast Moscow? Kaja Kallas: Yes, I believe so, because of several elements. One is that the combined defense budgets of the Ramstein coalition that are supporting Ukraine are 13 times bigger than that of Russia's heavily inflated one. If you take the economic power of even only European countries, its seven times bigger than that of Russia. There's a lot of talk about war fatigue in the West, but there is not much talk about the war fatigue in Russia. Of course, it's not a democracy, it's not a free country, so we don't see it in the way that we see it in our free media, but what we know from our intelligence is that there's war fatigue in Russia because their young people are coming back in coffins. There's also a big problem with financing the war machine because the budget is in a big deficit and they can't loan money from outside because of the sanctions. And China is not lending them any money. So they are in a place where they have to probably raise taxes in order to finance that war machine. If you think about the Prigozhin mutiny, of course, Prigozhin was eliminated, but what he said was that the army was not happy with the equipment, training, and plans. So has that all changed? I don't think so, although we don't hear about this. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) shakes hands with Estonia's President Alar Karis next to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (L) after giving a speech to the Riigikogu or Estonian parliament in Tallinn, Estonia on Jan. 11, 2024. (Raigo Pajula/AFP via Getty Images) The Kyiv Independent: Yet Russia's economy has proven more resilient than many expected and the initial idea to suffocate its war machine and isolate Moscow completely has had limited success. Does the West need to change its strategy? Kaja Kallas: Well, again, I wouldn't buy into that narrative that it's not working. We know that the sanctions are hurting Russia. Of course, the issue is the circumvention of sanctions that we have to work on. We have to deal with that, and we will deal with that. One thing that really worries me is the political isolation. If we see Russia coming back to the tables around different political organizations that is something that we have to completely isolate them from as long as they are waging a war against their neighbor. But it hasn't been so strong. We should also think outside of the box. Some things that are not the big sanctions, but smaller things, also affect Russia. One example was when we decided that we would not let the Russians enter our border. That had a huge effect because the people of Moscow and Saint Petersburg couldn't travel to Europe anymore. The other example is the use of frozen assets. The assets have been frozen but Russians, the oligarchs are thinking that they will get them back eventually. If we start to actually use them for the benefit of Ukraine, then oligarchs will realize they are losing them because of this war. I think that this will have an effect because we see that the discussions around this already have an effect. Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, (not pictured) at the Tapa Army Base on March 1, 2022, in Tallinn, Estonia. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) The Kyiv Independent: Regarding frozen Russian assets, a committee in the Estonian Parliament has just initiated in November this process of actually transferring these assets as aid to Ukraine. Do you think it will be widely supported by the parliament and the president? Kaja Kallas: There are estimates that the frozen assets cover 80% of the recovery of Ukraine. So there is a lot of interest from other countries regarding our laws and we have been distributing this as well. We hope that it goes smoothly in the parliament and also the president supports the law. Read also: Ukraines Foreign Minister Kuleba: Europe doesnt know how to fight wars The argument against this is that we are violating property rights, but property rights are not absolute. And property rights have already been violated by freezing the assets. So Russia may have a claim towards us, but also there's a legitimate claim of Ukraine towards Russia. So I think we have tried to make the law as bulletproof as possible. Can I as a lawyer say that it is totally bulletproof? I can't, but it's better than nothing. And I think it is getting to politicians in other countries that our taxpayers shouldn't pay for the damages caused by Russia. The Kyiv Independent: How do we keep up support for Ukraine for years to come? Kaja Kallas: The countries that support Ukraine are all democracies, which means that, ofcourse, we have domestic problems and issues coming up, and we really have to concentrate our focus on ending this war. In democracies, we argue, we debate, but we have to do it. I've encouraged other allies, like Estonia did, to commit 0.25% of their GDP in the next four years to support Ukraine militarily. So if everybody else does that in the Ramstein coalition, that would mean that there would be 120 billion euros for Ukraine, and that would definitely outlast Russia. That would actually be an important tipping point for this war to end. Note from the author: Hi there. This is Toma Istomina, deputy chief editor at the Kyiv Independent. Thank you for reading this interview. You don't see my byline often because I mostly edit other journalists' stories you read on our website, but I have been working tirelessly since day one of the Kyiv Independent and even more tirelessly since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has been incredibly difficult to live in a country at war and see all the atrocities Russian forces brought here. This war is a matter of existence for Ukrainians, which is why we continue to fight. But it means the world to have international support and not feel alone in this fight. Please consider supporting the Kyiv Independent by becoming our memeber. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Horn of Africa ushered in the new year with news of a deal that would ensure that diplomatic relations in the region got off to a bumpy start in 2024. Ethiopia, it was announced on Jan. 1, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the breakaway region of Somaliland, opening the door to an agreement to exchange a stake in flagship carrier Ethiopian Airlines for access to the Gulf of Aden. Such transactions of economic reciprocity are generally routine, as scholars of international relations and law like myself are aware. But this deal has another element. It intertwined sea access with Ethiopias formal recognition of Somaliland and this has sparked quite a diplomatic stir. Ethiopias neighbor Somalia has demanded that the agreement be immediately retracted. In Somaliland itself, the deal has been greeted by protest and the defense ministers resignation. Prior to the memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had signaled his intention to gain Red Sea access for his landlocked country a bid observers warned could have a destabilizing effect in the region. Ethiopia is reeling from an intense and bloody two-year war within its own borders, coupled with ongoing strife among different ethnic groups. As a result of the violence, Ethiopia is currently experiencing massive internal displacement and famine. Geopolitical tensions created by the pact with Somaliland could serve to exacerbate Ethiopias problems and that of the region. But despite the risk, both sides know they have much to gain. Somalilands quest for recognition Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has operated as a fully functional de facto state, boasting its own defined territory, population and government. However, it still lacks the international recognition that would allow Somaliland full participation in the global community, such as membership in the United Nations. A formal nod would also unlock access to protections under international law and economic opportunities. The agreement with Ethiopia would be a step toward providing that critical missing link. Recognition of a new state under international law requires established nations to acknowledge the sovereignty and legitimacy of the territory. This can be achieved through either expressed or implicit means. Expressed recognition takes the form of an official unequivocal declaration. In contrast, implicit recognition can emerge through bilateral treaties, alliances or diplomatic exchanges essentially signaling acceptance of a country without making an official declaration of recognition. Implicit recognition often provides a strategic advantage, safeguarding a countrys interest without triggering regional discord. Mastering the art of crafting treaties with implicit acknowledgments can be crucial to avoid overcommitting a country diplomatically. Abiy, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was expected by the international community to navigate this diplomatic tightrope, balancing a degree of acknowledgment of Somaliland with restraint. Doing so might avoid rupturing relations with Somalia and imperiling regional security dynamics. An ambiguous deal The specific details of the memorandum of understanding remain unpublished. So far, any insights gleaned stem mainly from a joint press conference held by Ethiopias and Somalilands two leaders in Addis Ababa and subsequent press releases. Nuanced distinctions in each partys priorities have emerged: Somaliland places emphasis on explicit recognition; Ethiopia directs its focus toward regional integration. And some larger discrepancies in messaging pop out when you look closer. Both sides point to economic and security benefits. But Ethiopias Jan. 3 statement suggests only an in-depth assessment of the request for state recognition. This seems at odds with Somalilands claim of guaranteed recognition in exchange for sea access. But because the actual text of the agreement isnt publicly available, its implications remain shrouded in secrecy further adding to the unease in the region over the deal. Rising regional tensions In the days since the memorandum of understanding was inked, tensions have deepened between Somalia and both Ethiopia and Somaliland. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud issued a stern warning against the agreement and threatened to defend Somalia through all available means. He urged Somali civilians to stand united against potential incursions and cautioned Ethiopia against escalating the situation into armed conflict. Mohamud has also been seeking support from allies. Already in 2024, he has traveled to Eritrea for security talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and addressing regional and international concerns. He also received an invitation from Egypt in an apparent show of support. Ethiopias precarious situation In a further sign of growing tensions, Ethiopias army chief of staff has engaged in talks with his Somaliland counterpart to discuss military cooperation. Considering Ethiopias delicate situation with domestic secessionist forces, critics have been quick to note that Ethiopia may not be best placed to entertain the idea of recognizing Somaliland. Not only would it risk conflict with Somalia, doing so could also lead to the renewal of a breakaway push within Ethiopia itself. Somaliland is situated to the south and east of Ethiopias Somali Regional State. The region is governed by the Somali branch of the Ethiopian Prosperity Party, whose legitimacy has long been contested by the Ogaden National Liberation Front, ONLF, a group demanding autonomy for Somalis in Ethiopia. Until a peace agreement in October 2018, the ONLF had been engaged in a decades-long secessionist war with the Ethiopian government. More recently, in 2020, a push for independence in the Tigray region of Ethiopia resulted in a two-year armed conflict that displaced millions of people and forced hundreds of thousands into famine. Meanwhile, the Amhara an indigenous ethnic group in Ethiopia have been resisting the federal governments attempt to disarm their militia and regional special forces. And the state of Oromia also saw calls for independence before an Oromo prime minister, Abiy, was elected by parliament in 2018. A renewed push for autonomy from Ethiopias Somali community could serve to reignite any number of these simmering internal conflicts and Somali irredentism. Uneasy international response Global attention to growing tensions in the Horn of Africa has been mounting: The U.S. has expressed serious concern, and the African Union has urged Ethiopia and Somalia to de-escalate the tensions in the name of regional peace. Similar statements have come from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development an African trade bloc the European Union and the Arab League. Widespread protests Djibouti, which neighbors Somaliland to the northwest, has called for dialogue and a diplomatic solution. But such calls from both international and regional players have done little to calm tensions. In the days since the deal was announced, tens of thousands Somalis have protested in the streets of Mogadishu, calling the move an aggression against the nations sovereignty. And while residents of both Somaliland and Ethiopia have largely supported the memorandum hopeful in turn that it would lead to international recognition and economic uplift not everyone is behind the deal. In Somaliland, Defense Minister Abdiqani Mohamud Ateye resigned on Jan. 8, stating that the handing over of access to the coast to Ethiopia represented a threat to Somalilands sovereignty. It would seem that the memorandum of understanding has served to reopen old wounds across the region. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Alemayehu Weldemariam, Indiana University. Read more: Alemayehu Weldemariam does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Claim: On Jan. 6, 2020, a post on then-Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden's personal Twitter account read, "Let's be clear: Donald Trump does not have the authority to take us into war with Iran without Congressional approval. A president should never take this nation to war without the informed consent of the American people." Rating: Rating: Correct Attribution On Jan. 12, 2024, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican, shared a screenshot of a post that purportedly came from U.S. President Joe Biden's personal Twitter account. That post read, "Let's be clear: Donald Trump does not have the authority to take us into war with Iran without Congressional approval. A president should never take this nation to war without the informed consent of the American people." Joe must have forgot.. pic.twitter.com/LOiMKlhZV0 Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) January 12, 2024 This was a genuine post that was shared on Biden's personal account on Jan. 6, 2020. Let's be clear: Donald Trump does not have the authority to take us into war with Iran without Congressional approval. A president should never take this nation to war without the informed consent of the American people. Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 6, 2020 At the time, Biden was campaigning to become the Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential election. Biden's Strikes on Iranian-Backed Houthi Rebels The context underlying Greene's sharing four-plus-year-old post in January 2024 was breaking news out of the Middle East. On Jan. 11, U.S. and U.K. forces launched retaliatory strikes on more than a dozen sites in Yemen against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who had previously been warned by the U.S. and 12 allies to cease their drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks were the rebels' way of avenging Israels offensive in Gaza against Hamas, The Associated Press reported. On Jan. 12, during a stop at a coffee shop in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, Biden was asked by a reporter, "Are we in a de facto proxy war with Iran?" "No," Biden answered, moments later saying that "Iran does not want a war with us." Gen. Soleimani's Death and Troop Deployments As for why Biden posted in early January 2020 about then-U.S. President Donald Trump needing congressional approval to go to war with Iran, that matter concerned the aftermath of the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Soleimani was killed in a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport on Jan. 3, 2020. The strike was authorized by Trump. At the time, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNN that the reason for the strike was concerns over an "imminent attack" that could potentially have led to American lives lost in the region. On the same day that Biden posted his tweet, The New York Times reported that, in the aftermath of Soleimani's death, the Pentagon had directed about 4,500 additional troops to the Iraq and Syria on top of the roughly 50,000 who were already there. That escalation was likely what led to Biden's tweet. In practice terms, the question of what military actions a president is allowed to take under the U.S. Constitution has remained a legal gray area, despite the passage of the War Powers Act in 1973. We explored that question in a previous article: Can US Presidents Launch Airstrikes Without Congressional Approval? Sources: Barnes, Julian E., et al. Pressed for Details on Suleimani Strike, Trump Administration Gives Few. The New York Times, 8 Jan. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/us/politics/trump-soleimani.html. Cooper, Helene, et al. As Tensions With Iran Escalated, Trump Opted for Most Extreme Measure. The New York Times, 4 Jan. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/trump-suleimani.html. Copp, Tara, and Lolita C. Baldor. Who Are the Houthis? And Why Did the US and UK Retaliate for Their Attacks on Ships in the Red Sea? The Associated Press, 12 Jan. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11. Crowley, Michael, et al. U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces. The New York Times, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html. Gambrell, Jon, and Aamer Madhani. US Warns Ships to Stay out of Parts of Red Sea as Houthi Rebels Vow Retaliation for US, UK Strikes. The Associated Press, 12 Jan. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a. Gibbons-Neff, Thomas. How U.S. Troops Are Preparing for the Worst in the Middle East. The New York Times, 6 Jan. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/world/middleeast/troops-iran-iraq.html. Magramo, Kathleen, et al. Israel-Hamas War Live Updates: Houthi Targets in Yemen Struck by US and UK. CNN, 12 Jan. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-01-12-24/index.html. Miller, Zeke, and Aamer Madhani. US Warns Houthis to Cease Attacks on Red Sea Vessels or Face Potential Military Action. The Associated Press, 3 Jan. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-houthis-red-sea-fef8d446852b6eae33d38ffd8f6b2d64. Remarks by President Biden During Tour of Nowhere Coffee Co. | Emmaus, PA. The White House, 12 Jan. 2024, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/01/12/remarks-by-president-biden-during-tour-of-nowhere-coffee-co-emmaus-pa/. Stracqualursi, Veronica, and Jennifer Hansler. Pompeo: Strike on Soleimani Disrupted an imminent Attack and Saved American Lives | CNN Politics. CNN, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/03/politics/mike-pompeo-iran-soleimani-strike-cnntv/index.html. Flash A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday said that China hopes the United States will honor commitments, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, and refrain from interfering in the elections of the Taiwan region in any form. It is reported that recently the National Security Council of the White House held a press call on Taiwan elections via teleconference. An anonymous official from the White House said that the United States is committed to the one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence" and supports cross-Strait dialogue. The official added that the United States does not take a position on the ultimate resolution of cross-Strait differences, provided they are resolved peacefully. In response to a related query, spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily news briefing that China noted the remarks of the U.S. official. The one-China principle is a prevailing international consensus and the political foundation of the China-U.S. relationship. "Taiwan independence" is the biggest threat to cross-Strait peace and stability and is doomed to failure. U.S. leaders have repeatedly said that they are committed to the one-China policy, do not support "Taiwan independence," do not support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and do not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China, Mao noted. China hopes the United States will honor these commitments, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, stop official interactions with Taiwan, stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and refrain from interfering in the elections of the Taiwan region in any form, Mao said. If the United States truly hopes to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it needs to explicitly oppose "Taiwan independence" and support China's peaceful reunification, she added. A man holds a sign calling for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas militants into the Gaza Strip during a demonstration at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Jan. 13, 2024. Sunday marks 100 days that Israel and Hamas have been at war after Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7 in which the group killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. In the Gaza Strip, health authorities say the death toll already has eclipsed 23,000 people.(AP Photo/Leo Correa) The families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip kicked off a 24-hour rally in Tel Aviv Saturday night, calling on the government to bring their loved ones home after 100 days spent in Hamas captivity. Thousands of people poured into Hostages Ssquare in Tel Aviv a central plaza opposite Israel's Defense Ministry that has served as a gathering point for the campaigners. Hamas and other Gaza militants captured some 250 people during its deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, while killing some 1,200 other people, most of them civilians. More than 100 hostages were released during a temporary truce in November, but 132 remain held in Gaza including the remains of about two dozen who died or were killed. We were here on day 50 and spoke on this stage. We are not going to speak again in 50 days. Its time to bring them back. Now! Bring them back!, said Ronen Neutra, the father of Omer Neutra, an Israeli soldier who was taken. They are being held in terrible conditions. They are starving. They are dying. There has been little visible progress toward a new deal to release hostages. Their families are using the 100-day mark for a new appeal to the government to prioritize bringing home the abductees. Some have said the government has not done enough. Israel said Saturday that it had brokered a deal with mediator Qatar to deliver badly needed medicines to the hostages with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross. There was no immediate sign that the deal was being implemented. Osama Hamdan, a Hamas leader in exile, said Saturday in Beirut that the group was giving some of the available drugs in Gaza to hostages. Near the rally in support of the hostages, anti-government demonstrators calling for new elections to be held blocked a major Tel Aviv highway, clashing with police who made arrests and tried to push the crowd back. Other protesters advanced toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in the coastal town of Caesarea, calling for his dismissal from office. In Tel Aviv, many of the protesters were planning to stay out all night. The crowd listened to a recorded message from French President Emmanuel Macron, and heard from the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew. Lew and Macron pledged to exhaust every effort to bring the remaining hostages home. Today, as we mark 100 days since hundreds of innocent men, women and children were violently seized from Israel, we join as one in demanding their release, Lew said. In previous exchanges of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, nearly all freed on both sides were women and minors. Now, 111 men, 19 women and two children remain in Gaza. Protesters and relatives of the Israelis Bibas Family release balloons during a gathering calling for the family immediate release from Hamas militants. Almost 100 days after Hamas militants abducted around 240 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip, their relatives on Saturday demanded decisive efforts to secure their release. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa Almost 100 days after Hamas militants abducted around 240 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip, their relatives on Saturday demanded decisive efforts to secure their release. In Tel Aviv, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum set up a replica of a section of tunnel, representing the vast underground network where Hamas is said to still hold more than 100 hostages. The activist group planned a 24-hour rally during the evening to secure the release of the hostages. Sunday will mark 100 days of Israel's war against the Islamist Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza war began on October 7 when Hamas militants and allied factions killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted hundreds more. In response, Israel's military launched massive air strikes and a major ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza. The hostages forum uses the square in front of the Tel Aviv Art Museum for exhibitions, installations and rallies to raise public awareness of the abductees. Shiri and Yarden Bibas (both 32) and their children, 4-year-old Ariel and 12-month-old Kfir, are among the hostages being held by Hamas. "We have no more time, we need them with us now," Yair Keshet, another member of the family, said at the opening of the tunnel replica. Given that the Hamas-built tunnels run for hundreds of kilometres through the entire Gaza Strip, an Israeli military operation to free the hostages is regarded as unrealistic. The tunnels are used as underground command centres, retreat and storage rooms, as well as transport routes. Relatives of the hostages are now hoping for a negotiated solution to bring home their loved ones. Father Moses Berry died this past week. He started the Ozarks Afro-American Heritage Museum in Ash Grove. Father Moses Berry, an orthodox priest and founder of the Ozarks Afro-American Heritage Museum, died late this week at age 73, according to family and parishioners. Berry, a spiritual leader and historian, dedicated the second half of his life to using stories and artifacts from his own family including enslaved descendants of Nathan Boone to educate others about African-American history in the Ozarks. In recognition of his life's work, Berry was selected by Missouri State University to be inducted in the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame in 2023. Berry grew up in Missouri but traveled west to California in 1965, as a teenager, as part of a spiritual quest. He spent years as a hippie, a flower child and a drug dealer. He was open about his life and the role faith played in reshaping his future. His faith in God flourished while he was living in Hawaii. He moved to Detroit, where he studied and was ordained as a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Father Moses Berry, right, performed three services Friday during the National Day of Prayer at the Unexpected Joy Orthodox Christian Mission in Ash Grove. His daughter, Dorothy Berry, 12, reads in response. Berry spent years moving around, teaching and setting up an informal teen shelter in Harlem. He led a church in the Boston area and served as a chaplain in a drug rehabilitation center. He opened a church and ran a shelter in Atlanta before serving in a church in Atlanta. In 1998, Berry returned to Ash Grove after inheriting the farm built by his great-grandfather in 1875 a homestead his ancestors started after being freed from enslavement following the Civil War. Part of his family for nearly 150 years, the acreage includes the family's renamed Holy Resurrection Cemetery, which was established in 1875 and dedicated to "Slaves, Indians and Paupers" excluded from burial in traditional, segregated resting places. The cemetery is now on the national and Greene County registers of historic places. The property includes a large sycamore tree Berry and his ancestors have used as a shelter for church picnics and celebrations for decades. Some of the slave-era items of the collection of Father Moses Berry at the Afro-American Museum in Ash Grove, Mo.. March 15, 2011. Bob Linder/The News-Leader Berry and wife Magdalena raised their children, Elijah and Dorothy, in the Ash Grove area. Fixing up the homestead, Berry started a church in a portable building on the property. Known as the Theotokos or "Unexpected Joy" Orthodox Christian Mission, the small parish later found a more permanent space. More: Documentary about Black history in Ozarks shown on Ozarks Public Television In 2002, Berry opened the Ozarks Afro-American Heritage Museum on Main Street in Ash Grove with more than 100 artifacts and heirlooms. His ancestors preserved their own history and, in doing so, provided a window into rural African-American life, and the trappings of slavery. "These pieces are pieces that are major museum-quality pieces," he said in 2013. "In the Ozarks. In Ash Grove, Missouri." Father Moses Berry explains why the Ozarks Afro-American Heritage Museum in Ash Grove will close. "Something suffers if you have too many irons in the fire," he said. Photographed on Thursday, November 7, 2013. The three-room space was filled with photographs, a treasured "topsy turvy" doll, shackles, heavy slave chains, farm tools and "telling quilts" with encrypted instructions about how to escape to freedom in the north. Portraits included Maria Boone, mistress to Nathan Boone, and her daughter, Caroline Boone Berry Moses Berry's grandmother making him a descendant of Nathan, son of American pioneer and statesman Daniel Boone. In an interview with the News-Leader, Berry said he encouraged people to examine and handle the artifacts. His aim was not to make people feel guilty about the ugly history of slavery but to learn from the past. "These were instruments of torture; it was a terrible yoke," he said, of a neck iron, in 2002. At the time, Berry said no one was talking about the history of African-Americans who were enslaved in the area. He said while many left the area for more diverse cities and states, his family stayed. Father Moses Berry stands near the graves of his great grandparents Caroline "Boone" Berry and William Berry at the slave cemetary in Ash Grove. The cemetary is being dedicated to the National Historic Register Saturday, in part because of Berry's ancestors. A New York Times story once referred to Berry as a "one-man racial reconciliation committee." Berry did not charge for admission to the museum. Later, as Berry faced illness, the museum asked for donations to stay open. It closed in 2013 but while a few pieces were donated to national museums, most artifacts stayed with the family. The contents were digitized and made available online. Specific pieces have been displayed publicly as part of exhibits at the History Museum on the Square. Ed Fillmer, a video journalist, also recorded an interview with Berry available on YouTube. Berry has contributed to a collection of essays called An Unbroken Circle: Linking Ancient African Christianity to the African American Experience, a groundbreaking collection of essays. He was a founding member of the annual Afro-American and Ancient Christianity Conferences sponsored by the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black. He has also lectured, locally and nationally, on African American history and issues of spirituality. Funeral services The funeral for Father Moses Berry will be 6 p.m. Monday at the Theotokos or "Unexpected Joy" Orthodox Christian Mission, 810 W. Woodbine, in Ash Grove. The visitation will be from 3-6 p.m. The divine liturgy will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday followed by burial at the Holy Resurrection Cemetery. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Father Moses Berry, historian and founder of Ozarks museum, dies A group of FDNY fire marshals sprang into action as makeshift police officers as they grabbed two men who just blasted away at a rival in the Bronx, police said Friday. Three marshals were investigating a recent arson near the corner of Archer St. and Thieriot Ave. in Parkchester about 9:30 p.m. Thursday when they heard four to five gunshots at the same time another fire marshal was parking his marked FDNY truck nearby. After gunfire rang out, 27-year-old Jaquan Moran and 18-year-old Sebastian Santos ran away from the scene right past the FDNY vehicle. The fire marshal pulled out his firearm and screamed Police! Dont move! stopping the two men in their tracks, officials said. Surveillance video shared by the FDNY show the two men stopping and putting their hands up by the FDNY vehicle. The other marshals, who were around the corner, quickly arrived and provided cover. They also found a 29-year-old victim down the block with a gunshot wound to the back, cops said. The fire marshals radioed for help and handed the two men over to police, who charged the two suspects with attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment. A Glock 380 with a high capacity magazine was recovered at the scene, FDNY officials said. A federal judge has rejected attempts to force Florida Democrats to hold a presidential primary in March thus allowing candidates such as Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) on the states ballot. Michael Steinberg, a former congressional candidate and Tampa Bay attorney, filed a federal lawsuit against the state party, arguing that despite President Bidens incumbent status, challengers including Phillips, author Marianne Williamson, Cenk Uygur and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. should be present on the ballot. U.S. District Court Judge Allen Winsor disagreed, denying the request. In his refusal, Winsor said the argument wouldnt stand on its merits. Steinberg is likely to appeal the decision. Earlier this week, he argued that the states attempts to keep long-shot candidates out of the conversation are undemocratic and that he could try to take the case to the Supreme Court. Its an issue that could be subject to repetition in 2028, and you could have the issue come up again, Steinberg said, per Politico. This is more of a matter of principle of saying that Democrats should be democratic. Florida isnt the only state where Bidens challengers have hit a wall and the candidates have vowed to fight for their place on the ballot. The latest skirmish comes after the Minnesota lawmakers campaign alleged that the Florida Democratic Party has stripped the right of every Florida Democrat to vote for the candidate of their choice since the state will not issue a ballot for a party primary with only one candidate. The campaign said it would consider taking legal action, including potentially challenging all of the Florida delegates selected to go to the national convention later this year. The intentional disenfranchisement of voters runs counter to everything for which our Democratic Party and country stand, Phillips said earlier this month. Our mission as Democrats is to defeat authoritarians, not become them. Thats why I call on President Biden and Americans of all political affiliations to condemn and immediately address this blatant act of electoral corruption, he added. Phillips launched his White House bid in October, after repeatedly calling for a competitive primary against Biden. The Minnesota Democrat is polling in the single digits nationally and is currently trailing Williamson. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A federal judge in Florida ruled a U.S. law that prohibits people from having firearms in post offices to be unconstitutional, the latest court decision declaring gun restrictions violate the Constitution. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, a Trump appointee, cited the 2022 Supreme Court ruling New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that expanded gun rights. The 2022 ruling recognized the individuals right to bear a handgun in public for self-defense. The judge shared her decision in the indictment that charged Emmanuel Ayala, U.S. Postal Service truck driver, with illegal possession of a firearm in a federal building. The judge did not dismiss Ayalas separate charge of resisting arrest, but did note that the firearm charge violated his Second Amendment rights, saying it is incongruent with the American tradition of firearms regulations. A blanket restriction on firearms possession in post offices is incongruent with the American tradition of firearms regulation, Mizelle wrote. Ayalas indictment came after prosecutors stated he brought a gun onto the Postal Service property. He fled the location in 2022 after federal agents attempted to detain him and was eventually by the Tampa Police Department. Ayala had a concealed weapons permit but was charged under a statute prohibiting having firearms in federal facilities. He carried a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun for self-defense. The judge said that post offices have existed since the nations foundation and that the federal law did not forbid carrying firearms into post offices until 1972. She added that restrictions on the grounds of admittance would abridge the right to bear arms by regulating it into practical non-existence. Reuters first reported on the ruling. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Officials at Spirit AeroSystems disregarded safety concerns raised by former employees and instructed them to undercount defects they found on plane fuselages, a federal lawsuit alleges. The Wichita manufacturing giant sustained its latest round of negative attention when it was identified as the Boeing supplier responsible for producing and installing the door plug that blew off of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX mid-flight, forcing an emergency landing on Jan. 5. Less than a month before the faulty plug left a gaping hole in the fuselage of the plane, documents were filed in federal court alleging widespread quality problems at Spirit. The class action lawsuit is brought by Spirit shareholders who say they suffered financial damage when company stock lost value after officials misrepresented company operations and withheld information about quality control issues. Although door plug manufacturing defects are not specifically mentioned in the suit, it does cite the routine presence of foreign object debris in Spirit products, missing fasteners, peeling paint, and poor skin quality. Such constant quality failures resulted in part from Spirits culture which prioritized production numbers and short-term financial outcomes over product quality, the complaint states. Spirit has not yet filed a response in court. In a written statement provided to The Eagle, the company pushed back against accusations of wrongdoing. Spirit strongly disagrees with the assertions made by plaintiffs in the amended complaint and intends to vigorously defend against the claims. Spirit will not comment further as to the pending litigation. Court filings cite the experiences of former employees who say they were threatened and thwarted when they attempted to alert their superiors to defects. In 2022, quality auditor Joshua Dean identified mis-drilled holes on a 737 MAX aft pressure bulkhead, which plays a critical role in maintaining cabin pressure during flight. According to the suit, Dean filed a written report to his manager and alerted multiple supervisors, but Spirit concealed the defect from Boeing and investors until it was revealed in independent reporting 10 months later. Dean was fired in April 2023 after continuing to raise concerns about defects, the complaint alleges. A separate quality inspector who is not identified by name filed an ethics complaint outlining the excessive amount of defects that he and his team had identified, noting that they were instructed to misreport the numbers of defects in a way which would be falsifying the documentation. A third quality auditor, also unnamed, is quoted as saying auditors repeatedly found torque wrenches in mechanics toolboxes that were not properly calibrated. This was potentially a serious problem, as a torque wrench that is out of calibration may not torque fasteners to the correct levels, resulting in over tightening or under-tightening that could threaten the structural integrity of the parts in question, the complaint states. According to multiple former employees cited in court filings, Boeing placed Spirit on probation between 2018 and 2021 due to persistent quality control issues. Spirit did not respond directly to an Eagle inquiry asking whether the company was indeed placed on probation, providing only the written statement responding to the lawsuit. Former Spirit CEO Tom Gentile, who resigned his post in October, and current CFO Mark Suchinski are listed as co-defendants in the class action lawsuit. Flash An injured girl is seen at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Jan. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Families in the Gaza Strip are facing the "triple threat" of conflict, disease from a lack of safe water, and hunger due to food shortages, a United Nations (UN) official warned Friday. Meanwhile, the nightmare continues for the remaining Israeli children held hostage in Gaza, she said, and the situation is rapidly deteriorating. Lucia Elmi, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Special Representative to Palestine, told a press briefing from Jerusalem via video-link that she had just returned from spending a week in Gaza. Thousands of children have already died, and thousands more will follow if three urgent problems are not immediately addressed, she said. These are safety from bombardments, logistics for aid delivery, and the resumption of the commercial sector. Elmi told reporters that in the last two weeks alone, cases of diarrhea among children in Gaza had almost doubled to 70,000. Some 135,000 children are also at risk of severe malnutrition. The official noted that an immediate and long-lasting ceasefire is the only way to end the killing and wounding of children and families, and to enable the urgent delivery of desperately-needed humanitarian aid. Elmi said that all crossings into the Gaza Strip should re-open, the approval process for aid needs to be faster, civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals must be protected, and access granted to the north of the Gaza Strip so as to reach vulnerable children and families. The abducted Israeli children should also be unconditionally and safely released, she added. This Sunday will mark 100 days since Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched their attack on Israel. So far, 1,200 Israelis have been killed and around 250 taken hostage. Since Israel launched its military response, in 14 weeks more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, around two-thirds of them women and children. Female saboteurs who poisoned 46 Russian soldiers in Crimea are on the run after shoot-out with police, reports say Russian security forces attempted to arrest two women suspected of poisoning its troops in Crimea. The alleged saboteurs pulled weapons and escaped after a shoot-out. The women are suspected of giving food and drinks laced with poison to Russian soldiers. Ukrainian saboteurs alleged to have poisoned 46 Russian soldiers are on the run in annexed Crimea after a shoot-out with police, a local report says. Two young saboteurs who had poisoned members of the Russian military in Simferopol and Bakhchysarai fled when authorities attempted to detain them in Crimea, the Telegram channel "Kremlin Snuffbox" said on Tuesday. Police went to apprehend the two at a private house in Yalta but were surprised to find them "well armed" and "well prepared," the post said. The two opened fire and fled the scene in a car, and authorities do not know their whereabouts. Three officers were killed and two were wounded in the shoot-out, a source in Russia's Federal Security Service told the Telegram channel. In December, members of a Ukrainian partisan group called the Crimean Combat Seagulls poisoned and killed 24 Russian soldiers after lacing their vodka with arsenic and strychnine. At the time, Kremlin Snuffbox quoted unnamed sources as saying that "two nice girls" tricked the unit in Simferopol, Crimea, into drinking the vodka, according to the Kyiv Post translation. In another incident, saboteurs killed 18 and hospitalized 14 Russian personnel in Bakhchysarai, Crimea, by putting arsenic and rat poison in pies and beer, Kremlin Snuffbox previously reported. Russian military personnel stationed in Crimea have been asked not to take any food or drinks from strangers and to detain any suspicious young women who approach them to prevent further incidents of poisoning. Business Insider could not independently verify the report. There were also reports of two mass poisonings of Russian troops in Mariupol, Ukraine, in 2023. Ukrainian resistance and partisan groups sometimes use acts of sabotage to harass Russian soldiers in Crimea the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia has occupied since 2014 and other occupied territories and supply intelligence for Ukrainian strikes on military installations. Read the original article on Business Insider VIRGINIA (DC News Now) It was a sight this week William Ferguson Reid never thought hed see in his lifetime: a Black man sworn in as speaker of the House in Virginia. The ascension of Don Scott as the states first African American speaker of the House of Delegates was a shock to Reid who was the first Black person elected to the Virginia General Assembly since Reconstruction in 1890. Alexandria lawmaker wants to create cannabis retail marketplace in Virginia No, I never did. Im delighted that it happened, Reid said in an extensive interview with DC News Now. Its a result of a lot of people doing a lot of work to get voters to the point where they can see the benefits of it. A Richmond native, Reid helped to get Black people registered to vote in an effort he co-founded called the Richmond Crusade for Voters in 1956. He said it led him to eventually run for the House and win the seat in 1967. Reid served in that seat until 1973. Scotts new role as speaker still shocks Reid, who said he could sense when L. Douglas Wilder became the states first African-American governor ever in 1989 and how that was more possible than a Black man leading the Virginia House. Virginia bill looks to raise teacher salaries to national average There was so much resistance, Reid said of a Black man leading the House in once racially-segregated Virginia. Thats why it took me by surprise because I wasnt surprised as we got more and more Blacks elected to the Senate and in the House. I know I stand on the shoulders of giants, Scott said when he was being sworn in. He then later referenced both Reid and Wilder specifically. Reid said he was also proud that Virginia and its people are about redemption because Scott could be elected to office and end up as speaker after having served years in prison on federal drug charges. I think that it shows that Virginia is becoming more involved in integration and pardons and redemption and letting people get their voting rights back, he said. Get an inside look at the new 414,000-square-foot Virginia General Assembly Building What advice would Reid give to Scott in his new role? The only thing I would ask him to do would be fair to both Republicans and Democrats, he said. Youve got to have harmony. You cant go in there with an idea that Im going to be partial, Im going to screw the Republicans and do everything for the Democrats. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Dozens of people were brought ashore at Dover on a Border Force vessel on Saturday in the first reported migrant Channel crossing of the year. No arrivals had been recorded since Dec 16, according to Home Office figures, but on Saturday morning a group of around 50 people believed to be migrants were brought into the the Kent Channel port. The gap from Dec 16 had meant there were 26 days on which no crossings to the UK were recorded, the longest gap in small boat arrivals for five years. Poor weather conditions were cited for reducing the number of crossing attempts, but James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, has denied that this contributed to falling numbers overall. The provisional annual total of small boats arrivals for last year 29,437 is 36 per cent lower than the record 45,774 crossings registered in 2022. However, it is still the second highest annual total on record, above the 2021 figure of 28,526. On Friday, Mr Cleverly insisted the weather was not a contributory factor to falling migrant crossings, saying the number of good sailing days recorded by officials for the year was only four fewer than the previous year. He claimed the decrease was instead because of cooperation with Europe, disrupting the supply chain of engines and boats, and going after the money of these people smugglers. The Government argued that the figures were evidence of the UKs 480 million agreement with France to beef up efforts to stop migrants making the journey starting to pay off, as well as the effectiveness of a fast-track returns deal with Albania. But the Immigration Services Union, which represents border staff, said the drop in arrivals was likely to be a glitch, with higher numbers of Channel crossings expected this year. Mr Cleverly also set himself a target of meeting Rishi Sunaks stop the boats pledge by the end of the year a deadline Downing Street later refused to repeat. 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 U.S. recently launched what would have been its first commercial lunar lander since 1972, a flight that nearly stopped before it started. After a successful launch in January, the Peregrine lander was set to land on the moon's surface in February 2024. Part of the plan was for the rocket to deposit some human remains on the moon after landing. This sparked sufficient backlash to nearly ground Peregrine for good. What was the goal? Multiple nations have their sights set on implementing a base on the moon in a new era space race , which could be instrumental in claiming resources and setting up communications. As such, NASA funded the private company Astrobotic Technology, along with another company, Intuitive Machines, to develop lunar landers that would deliver technology to the moon. These landers would also make private deliveries before astronauts are sent spaceward. Astrobotic's lander, Peregrine, was launched into space on January 8, 2024, using a new rocket called the Vulcan Centaur. (Intuitive Machines' lander is expected to launch next month using a rocket developed by SpaceX.) Private landers are instrumental in aiding NASA's Artemis project , which aims to put humans back on the moon and establish a long-term presence there. Peregrine was equipped with data collection gear to relay information about the moon's surface back to NASA. In addition, the lander was aiming to land at the mid-latitudes of the moon while carrying five payloads to be deposited. The payloads contained NASA equipment, as well as items and materials from private companies. "American companies bringing equipment and cargo and payloads to the moon is a totally new industry," NASA deputy associate administrator for exploration Joel Kearns said in a press call . What was the concern? Part of the Peregrine's payloads included material from two space-burial companies, Celestis and Elysium, which, according to NPR , "allow people to pay to send their loved ones' cremated remains into the cosmos on what are called 'memorial spaceflights.'" The lander was set to deposit the remains of almost 70 people, including George Washington and John F. Kennedy, on the moon. This was a problem for the Navajo Nation. "The moon holds a sacred place in Navajo cosmology," Buu Nygren, president of the Navajo Nation, wrote in a statement . "The suggestion of transforming it into a resting place for human remains is deeply disturbing and unacceptable to our people and many other tribal nations." Officials from the White House and NASA met with Nygren to discuss the objections from the Navajo Nation, one of the largest of the U.S.'s Indigenous groups. "We really are trying to do the right thing," John Thornton, the chief executive of Astrobotic, told The New York Times . "I hope we can find a good path forward with the Navajo Nation." Both the government and companies sending the remains to space decided the Navajo Nation's concerns weren't "substantive," Celestis CEO Charles Chafer told CNN , and the launch happened as planned. Following the meeting, Nygren remarked , "They're not going to remove the human remains and keep them here on Earth where they were created, but instead, we were just told that a mistake has happened," and in the future, they're "going to try to consult with [us]." Kearns, NASA deputy associate administrator for exploration, added, "Those communities may not understand that these missions are commercial, and they're not U.S. government missions." In a rocket-powered bit of irony, the contested remains are not likely to make it to the moon anyhow. The spacecraft suffered a critical propellant loss from a fuel leak, precluding Peregrine from sticking its lunar landing. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The Hernando County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) arrested a convicted sexual predator accused of cutting off his ankle monitor shortly after being released from prison. On Monday, the Florida Department of Corrections reported that Hirum Eric Croxall, 65, removed his ankle monitor at a store in Hernando County, according to HCSO. Croxall boarded a bus to Manatee County shortly after he was released from Florida State Prison in Tallahassee. According to HCSO, he entered a store, grabbed a packaged hunting knife and used it to cut the monitor off. Deputies found it in the toilet when they searched the store. They found Croxall in a nearby parking lot and arrested him. Croxall was charged with tampering with an electronic monitoring device and violation of conditional release. He is being held without bond at the Hernando County Jail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Flash Fire is seen after an airstrike launched by the United States and Britain near Sanaa in Yemen, Jan. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Houthi group declared Friday that all American and British interests have become "legitimate targets," as a strong and defiant response to the recent military operation launched by the United States and the United Kingdom against Houthi targets in Yemen. The statement was made by the Supreme Political Council, the highest body of the Houthi group, which was broadcast by the group's official media. Describing the military operation as "treacherous and blatant American-British aggression," the Houthi statement condemned the attack as an unlawful act that violated international laws. The group argued that "this aggression posed a real threat to international peace and security, and warned of the consequences that would be borne by the Americans, the British, and the Zionists." The Houthi statement emphasized that the group's response was "legitimate and justified within the context of defending Yemen's sovereignty, independence, and freedom of decision-making." It made it clear that the armed forces of Yemen would not allow the aggressors to escape punishment. The Houthi group claimed that the presence of American and British forces, as well as their allies, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait was a threat to international navigation and vowed to deal with it "appropriately." Its leadership urged neighboring Arab countries and all other countries to refrain from involvement and highlighted the potential consequences of siding with the aggressors. Earlier in the day, the United States and the United Kingdom launched a series of strikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa and other provinces under the group's control. The strikes came in response to the Houthis' recent strikes in the Red Sea targeting what it called Israeli ships and those destined for Israel. Police in Germany arrest alleged Hamas members suspected of involvement in the Danish terror plot to attack Jews in Europe - Uli Deck/DPA Seven suspects linked to a foiled December terrorist plot in Denmark have connections to Hamas, the militant terror group, Danish police have said. Anders Larsson, a Danish prosecutor, confirmed that the alleged plotters had links to Hamas following a court hearing behind closed doors on Friday. It came after Danish authorities announced on Dec 14 that they had arrested three people for plotting a terror attack, later expanding the number of suspects to seven. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said at the time that Danish authorities had thwarted an attack, the goal of which was to kill innocent civilians on European soil. In a statement cited by the Times of Israel he added: The Hamas terrorist organisation has been working relentlessly and exhaustively to expand its lethal operations to Europe, and thereby constitute a threat to the domestic security of these countries. Peter Hummelgaard, the Danish justice minister, said the links with Hamas confirms that the threat against Denmark is serious, but luckily we have a strong police and intelligence service doing their best to protect us every day. Soldiers guard the Copenhagen Synagogue in the Danish capital in the wake of the terror plot arrests - NILS MEILVANG/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Europe has been on high alert for Hamas and other Islamist-inspired terror attacks since the Oct 7 massacre in southern Israel. The onslaught by Hamas, which killed more than 1,000 Israelis, led to Israel waging its biggest ever war on the Gaza Strip, which so far has killed at least 23,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Also in December, German authorities arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the same plot across European borders, targeting Jewish institutions in Berlin and possibly elsewhere. Members of Hamas were suspected of bringing a cache of weapons from an undisclosed location in Europe to Berlin for the attack, German prosecutors said. Bild, the German tabloid, identified the suspects arrested in Berlin as Lebanese-born Abdelhamid Al A, Egyptian citizen Mohamed B and Lebanese-born Ibrahim El-R. The plot does not appear to have any links to the UK. However, the Community Security Trust (CST), a body which provides security advice and protection to synagogues, said the arrests had worrying implications for Britain. 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. After years of flouting subpoenas and decrying calls for his testimony as a political circus designed for political damage, former Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva finally testified to the countys Civilian Oversight Committee about the problem of deputy gangs in the force on Friday. As Rolling Stone has reported, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is riven with violent deputy gangs who menace the public and threaten the cohesion of the nations third largest policing force. Despite scandals involving deputy gangs repeatedly marring his tenure, Villanueva testified that he never launched a systemic investigation of the issue, insisting his focus was on punishing individual misconduct. The former sheriff even justified having elevated known members of deputy gangs to leadership posts in his administration. Villanueva declared he had no interest in a witch hunt about what kind of ink they have on their bodies. And he insisted: I never examined anyones tattoo. Villanueva, now a candidate for an LA County Supervisor seat, was characteristically bombastic throughout his testimony frequently seeking to turn the tables on the committee. He called one question about his handling of gangs about the dumbest thing Ive ever heard. He minimized the threat of deputy gangs, comparing them to other benign deputy subgroups, including softball teams. In a revealing exchange, Villanueva declared that if LASD rooted out all deputies based on their deputy gang tattoo affiliations, it would spark a gargantuan public safety crisis. The LASD is a massive force it has nearly 10,000 sworn deputies and also operates the largest jail system in the United States. In early 2023, a scathing COC report demanded that LASD brass take decisive action against deputy gangs: It is time to eradicate this 50-year plague upon the county of Los Angeles. That report identified at least a half dozen deputy gangs run out of the departments precinct stations, with names like the Banditos (based at East L.A. station) and the Executioners (Compton). LASD gangs, the report described, operate much like the Mafia, with made members receiving a gang tattoo. The Executioners mark, it detailed, is a skeleton holding an automatic rifle. The Banditos tattoo is a skeleton in a sombrero with a thick mustache and a smoking revolver. The deputies are usually inked on their lower legs or ankles. These deputy gangs are dangerous to county residents, to fellow deputies, and to the functioning of LASD. In the stations where theyre active, the report detailed, the gangs have shot callers who make law enforcement decisions outside the official chain of command, instead of the sergeants, lieutenants and the captain who are charged with the duty. Far from being cabined off in the lower ranks, the report revealed that tattooed deputy gang members had reached the highest levels inside LASDs command structure. It called out Villanueva for having at minimum tolerated, if not rewarded deputy gangs. To wit, Villanuevas chief of staff testified under oath in 2022 to the COC that hed formerly been a tattooed member of a deputy group called the Grim Reapers. The COC also heard testimony that now-retired Undersheriff Tim Murakami had a tattoo for a clique called the Cavemen. Murakami has steadfastly refused to appear before the COC to answer questions about deputy gangs. Under questioning Friday, Villanueva denied that he was, himself, a member of the Cavemen. Asked when he knew that Murakami was a member of a gang, Villanueva dodged, insisting the query was loaded, like the question of, When did you stop beating your wife? The former sheriff was asked whether it furthers good community relations to have the public interacting with deputies bearing gang tattoos for example the Executioners tattoo of a skeleton with a helmet holding a rifle. Villanueva responded: Well, if theyre out there running around in shorts, with all these tattoos, maybe. But if theyre wearing pants ehhh? Parts of Villanuevas testimony called for suspension of disbelief. He claimed he did not know if deputy gangs were exclusionary or discriminatory in how they offer membership. And despite being confronted with a current Los Angeles Times story exposing the existence of a new deputy gang, Villanueva argued that the problem is actually disappearing. On the other hand, Villanueva also seemed to argue that the problem of deputy gang membership is so pervasive that it cant be tackled directly. What exactly are you gonna do when you determine that, maybe, 20 percent of your workforce has tattoos? he asked during one exchange with the COC counsel. Are you going to somehow set them on a shelf? Or fire all 20 percent of the department because they have a tattoo? Adding to a circus-like atmosphere, Villanueva also rebuked COC insinuations that hed obstructed an investigation into gang violence as disgusting and appalling. Villanueva even alleged, during a break, that some members of the audience at the proceedings were flipping off his wife. The activity of LASDs deputy gangs has routinely led to abuses. Deputies who desire to earn a place in a gang are described in the 2023 COC report as chasing ink or seeking to prove their mettle by abusing members of the public. This has led to unconstitutional acts of excessive force, the report revealed, including deputies who have sought to get into shootings with suspects believed to be armed. Additionally, the report describes how some deputy gangs have held shooting parties to fete members who fire their weapons at suspects. Such deputies are then allowed to add embellishments to their gang tattoos for example, a puff of smoke to a barrel of a gun. Inside LASD, the gangs are a menace to non-member deputies. The report describes gangs as discriminating by race and gender in selecting members. And non-members have allegedly been subject to a wide range of abuses ranging from assault by gang members to being denied backup at dangerous crime scenes. The report also detailed how the gangs operate in secrecy, with members allegedly willing to lie in reports to protect each other. A separate 2021 report, commissioned by the county, revealed that judgments stemming from the malfeasance of deputy gangs had forced county taxpayers to shell out more than $50 million in settlements and judgments. Villanueva, perhaps the Trumpiest politician in California, lost his re-election bid in late 2022. New sheriff Robert Luna ran as a reformer and has been on the job now for a year. He quickly instituted a new Office of Constitutional Policing, vowing it would help eradicate deputy gangs. While the soft-spoken Luna has been the stylistic antithesis of Villanueva, he has accomplished little of substance on the gang front including not implementing a ban on deputy gang tattoos. This week, the existence of a new alleged deputy gang the Indians, based out of the City of Industry station became public, as part of a report about four LASD deputies who were fired from the force following a drunken 2022 brawl with teenagers outside a bowling alley. In a year-end interview with the Los Angeles Times, Luna blamed red tape for his lack of action. Im admitting theres an issue, he told the paper, adding that any time were dealing with employees hours, working conditions or things that impact peoples daily lives, we have to go through a meet-and-confer process. Asked whether LASD would unveil a new anti-gang policy in 2024, Luna replied: That is my absolute expectation. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone A former Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputy will spend 30 days in jail and two years on probation for the 2019 fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man in the Willowbrook area. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, its the first conviction in an officer-involved shooting in 20 years in L.A. County. Andrew Lyons, 37, was charged in the June 6, 2019, killing of 24-year-old Ryan Twyman. On that day, Lyons and another deputy responded to an apartment complex in Willowbrook and approached a parked vehicle where Twyman was sitting. He had been named in a felony warrant for alleged weapons violations and the white Kia sedan he was in matched a description provided by detectives, officials said at the time. During that deadly encounter, Twyman put the car in reverse and both deputies opened fire before the vehicle came to a stop nearby. After the vehicle stopped moving, Lyons retrieved his his semiautomatic assault rifle and shot into the car, killing Twyman, who was unarmed. His passenger was uninjured. Sheriffs officials said the deputies fired some 34 rounds during the shooting and a coroners autopsy later revealed Twyman had been shot six times, with half of his wounds to the back. Twymans family eventually filed a claim for damages against the county, alleging Twyman and his passenger made no aggressive movements, furtive gestures or physical movements which would have suggested either of them was armed with any kind of weapon. The Sheriffs Department later alleged that Twyman, a father of three, had attempted to use his car as a weapon. Video released by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department shows deputies fatally shooting Ryan Twyman on June 6, 2019, in Willowbrook. Video of the incident was released, which led to widespread outrage, intense scrutiny and calls for justice. Lyons was eventually terminated by the Sheriffs Department, but wasnt formally charged in the case until March 2022. Originally facing charges for manslaughter, he ultimately ended up pleading no contest to one felony count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and one count of assault under the color of authority. The judge assigned to the case accepted the terms of the plea and Lyons received the maximum allowable sentence under the terms: two years of formal probation. As a condition of his probation, hell be required to serve 30 days in county jail, pay an undisclosed amount of fees and fines, and surrender his Peace Officers Standards and Training certificate. In a news release issued Friday afternoon, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said the conviction showed that justice had been served and reflected his offices commitment to ensuring all individuals, regardless of their position, are held accountable for their actions. This conviction sends a strong message that no one is above the law, Gascon said. Our aim is not to undermine the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers who serve our communities. However, accountability is paramount to maintaining public trust and ensuring that the principles of justice are upheld. Twymans mother spoke to a crowd of gathered media members Friday following news of Lyons conviction. A reporter for KTLA said she appeared at peace with the courts decision. Attorneys representing Lyons issued a statement to media in which they claimed their client was the victim of political persecution by Gascon and the D.A.s Office, alleging that Lyons took the plea deal reluctantly because he believed it was in the best interest of his family. This is a case based in politics, not facts. The facts in this case demonstrate that Mr. Lyons did not kill Mr. Twyman. The dismissal of the voluntary manslaughter charge by the District Attorneys office underscores this truth, the statement reads in part. The statement goes on to accuse Gascon of capitalizing on the loss of a bereaved family to wreck the career of Lyons, who they claim was a dedicated law enforcement officer, in hopes of prolonging and advancing his political agenda. L.A. County eventually settled a wrongful death lawsuit by Twymans family for $3.9 million, the Los Angeles Times reported. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. You are here: World Flash Yemenis participate in a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Thousands of supporters of the Yemeni Houthi rebel group held a rally in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Friday to protest the U.S.-Britain joint retaliatory airstrikes on the group's camps. The protesters demanded a response to Friday's pre-dawn airstrikes that heavily bombed over 60 training sites and arms depots in several northern Yemeni cities. "We support our leadership's decision," a Houthi commander shouted over the loudspeakers, and the protesters repeated his words. In a defiant response, the Supreme Political Council, Houthi's top ruling body, declared in a statement on Friday that "all American and British interests have become legitimate targets." The United States and Britain said they carried out the airstrikes to deter the Houthis from launching attacks on commercial ships in the international shipping lanes of the Red Sea, which threaten global trade and drive up the cost of commodities. The Houthis have escalated their attacks in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, demanding the end of Israeli attacks and siege against the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip. Earlier this week, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution denouncing the Houthi attacks on the shipping lines, calling for an immediate end to the group's attacks that have disrupted global trade. The media spent a large part of Donald Trumps presidency waiting for the moment that he might become presidential. Like fools, they manned this post in spite of the fact that Trump had very specifically refused to comport with one of the central notions of the constitutional order: that there are reasonable limits on presidential power. Trump was hardly the first to abjure the notion that the chief executive was in any way constrained, but he was perhaps the most flamboyant occupant of the Oval Office at flouting this normthe weeks he spent cultivating and then inciting an attack on the Capitol being the ne plus ultra of his misrule. A lack of accountability since then has served our nation poorly. Three years on from the January 6 insurrection, but before the primary elections have even begun, Republican lawmakers are already refusing to commit to certifying this Novembers winner. I suppose the silver lining here is that there wont be much violence a year from nowtheres no need to ransack a Capitol whose occupants have provided for its pillage in advance. This week, however, Trumps lawyers upped the stakes considerably, contending that the president could not be prosecuted for ordering SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political opponent, unless he was swiftly impeached by Congress and convicted for the crime in the Senate first. Thats cold comfort to Trumps murdered rival, to say nothing of any impeachment-minded lawmakers, who in this infernal thought exercise would obviously be the next under the gun of Trumps mercenaries. We are, however, not completely unarmed against Trumps thuggery: Article 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment lays out a fail-safe, disqualifying anyone who played a part in inciting an insurrection from holding office again. Unfortunately, while it is rare for the Supreme Court to disarm anyone, it will, in all likelihood, deny the American people this protection. But the Roberts court has been vastly aided and abetted by our political media, who after waiting so long for Trump to discover virtue, have quickly declared the Article 3 tool to be a viceeither searingly unfair to use in this instance or invalid on its face. When the decision eventually comes, the press will have created an environment in which the Supreme Courts disregard for the Constitutions text wont be viewed as a radical act. That this consensus was reached so quickly is something of a surprise, as the dominant mode of the pundit class is to venerate the Constitution as a peerless document, the final answer to all questions. As The New Republics Osita Nwanevu has written, this reverence may be unearned. But the media has gone to strange lengths to specifically discount this one part of the Constitution that was designed to prevent the crisis we now face. An indelible example of this rough treatment was published in The New York Times on December 28, the day that Maines secretary of state decided that a plain reading of Article 3 compelled her to remove Trump from her states ballot. The Times could not let the matter pass without injecting opinion into what purported to be a straight news story, referring to Article 3 in derogatory terms: an obscure clause of a constitutional amendment enacted after the Civil War. The Fourteenth Amendment, in toto, is about 400 words long. There are no obscure parts to itno small-print footnotes stuffed away in the back pages or lost-to-memory secret lore that requires Nicolas Cages help to unearth. Those whove been more up front about their opinion-mongering havent been any less meretricious in their treatment of Article 3. Writing for his newsletter, Indignity, Tom Scocca provides a concise survey of those whove recently endeavored to pretend that the Fourteenth Amendment doesnt say what it says, from the half-baked excuses from pundits to the feeble political claims of legal experts doing business as Constitution doubters. One example that stands out for its sheer mendacity comes from Yale Law professor (and its almost always a Yale Law professor) Jed Rubenfeld, who pooh-poohed Article 3 for The Wall Street Journals opinion section, admonishing those who might wield it to save the country from harm that while the Colorado Supreme Court didnt exactly get the law wrong when it plucked Trump from its ballot, the problem was there was no law to get right, on account of the fact that almost no case law exists on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Indeed, one of the big reasons that theres precious little case law on that particular part of the Fourteenth Amendment is that its hitherto proven to be such an adequate bulwark against a president ordering an insurrection that hardly any presidents have tried it. Its generally pretty hard to generate case law when everyone agrees not to break a law. But Rubenfelds reprimands ring pretty hollow if we must, at the first instance of this law being broken, concede that the plain text of the Constitution is invalid. The most idiotic case against the Fourteenth Amendment solution is the one thats been made the most often: the idea that the people, and not judges, must decide Trumps fate. As Kurt Lash recently scolded from the New York Times opinion page, this battle for the Republic must take place in voting booths or not at all: Let the people make their own decision about Donald Trump. But where did Article 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment come from, if not the people? These words were ratified through the same democratic process as every other amendment to the Constitution. They werent put there by gods or monsters. Moreover, as The New Republic contributor Andrew Koppelman pointed out, The people have, on two occasions now, unambiguously rejected Trump. In 2016, their decision was thwarted by the Electoral College; in 2020, Trump reacted to his Electoral College loss by trying to overthrow its decision through the corrupt means that this Constitutional amendment was specifically written to prevent. How many times do the people have to render a decision before theyre allowed to use the Constitution to enforce it? There is every possibility that, this November, the American people will, for a third consecutive time, do exactly what Lash demands and again decide that Trump is unfit to rule. It will be well within the realm of possibility that the popular vote will once again be overruled by the Electoral Collegeor there may simply be enough Republicans on hand to deny the American people the right to the decision theyve rendered. How will those chiding the effort to forestall this fate through lawful means account for themselves, should this come to pass? What is it about the broken America theyre helping to usher in through their empty, repetitive screeds that they find so appealing? Are the clicks really that good? This article first appeared in Power Mad, a weekly TNR newsletter authored by deputy editor Jason Linkins. Sign up here. Paris is willing to jointly strengthen Kyiv's ability to manufacture weapon systems on Ukrainian territory. Source: Stephane Sejourne, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, during a joint briefing with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "We are determined to jointly strengthen Ukraine's ability to produce weapons systems on its own soil and are ready to help you in this area," the French official stressed. Details: Sejourne said Paris will further seek to improve the legal and organisational framework to ensure that cooperation with Kyiv develops even further. Earlier, reports emerged that the Ukrainian and French foreign ministers, during the latter's visit to Kyiv on 13 January, held bilateral talks on defence assistance and cooperation, Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO and holding Russia accountable for the crimes committed in Ukraine. Stephane Sejourne, the new French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, arrived in Kyiv on the morning of 13 January. This is the minister's first foreign visit in this post. This week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, following the resignation of his predecessor, Elisabeth Borne. Attal, who is Frances youngest-ever prime minister, has roots in the Ukrainian city of Odesa on his mother's side. Support UP or become our patron! NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) Southeastern Virginia Health System and Temple of Peace Church is hosting a free COVID-19 and flu vaccine. This event is on Saturday, Jan. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We love to partner, especially with the churches, because we know that this is where people are on the weekend, said Angela Futrell, Southeastern Virginia Health System CEO. The vaccines are available for those 12 and up. Our mission is to provide vaccines for those who need it the most, those populations that are at risk, the people living in poverty, [and] children, said Futrell. Virginia Health leaders confirm a child under 4 years old in the Northern Virginia area died from the flu, marking the second pediatric flu death so far this season. This winter season, health care providers are dealing with what Futrell calls the triple effect; COVID, the flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Weve just continue to work to get people to know the importance of getting the vaccine. [We] are trying to dispel all of the myths, the conspiracy theories about getting the vaccine. The clinic will also provide the flu vaccine for those who are 65 and older. That is a special vaccine. Just come on out. Were here waiting to serve and were happy to see you, said Futrell. If you miss the clinic, Saturday Celebrate Healthcare will host a free two-day health fair at the Hampton Roads Convention Center next weekend Jan. 20 and 21. There you can receive; free COVID and flu vaccines, healthcare screening services, mental health support services, and more. 10 On You Sides morning reporter KaMaria Braye is a moderator for a discussion about self-management and chronic disease discussion. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. New French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne arrived in Kyiv on the morning of 13 January. Source: French Foreign Ministry, reported by European Pravda Details: The French Foreign Ministry noted that Sejourne arrived in Ukraine "to continue French diplomatic efforts there and to reiterate France's commitment to its allies and civilians". The French Foreign Minister is expected to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today. Sejourne himself confirmed his arrival in Kyiv on Twitter (X), stressing that Ukraine has been "defending its sovereignty and ensuring the security of Europe" for almost two years. "France's assistance is long-term. This is what I came to say during my first trip to Kyiv," he added. Suspilne news outlet said that Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Sejourne paid tribute to the killed people at the Wall of Remembrance of those who died for Ukraine on Mykhailivska Square in the capital and laid flowers. As reported, the visit of former Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna was originally planned, but reshuffles in the government changed the plans. Background: This week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, following the resignation of his predecessor, Elisabeth Borne. The day before, the Elysee Palace announced the composition of the new French government, in which most of the key ministers from the Borne government retained their positions, but the Foreign Minister was replaced. Attal, who is Frances youngest-ever prime minister, has roots in the Ukrainian city of Odesa on his mother's side. Support UP or become our patron! The new French Foreign Minister, Stephane Sejourne, arrived in Kyiv for the first time on Jan. 13, the Ministry reported on X (formerly Twitter). His visit is aimed at consolidating Frances diplomatic engagment in Ukraine and reaffirming its commitment to supporting its allies and the countrys civilian population, the statement said. Former French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned Jan. 9, having held the position since May 2022. The new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, announced a new government on Jan. 11, appointing Sejourne as Foreign Minister. Other European allies have demonstrated their support for Ukraine in recent days. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also visited Kyiv on Jan. 12. He held talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and both parties signed a 10-year security agreement, effective until Ukraines NATO accession. Read also: Zelenskyy welcomes Sunak in Kyiv 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 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has commented on the fact that his new French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, arrived on his first visit to Kyiv. Source: Dmytro Kuleba at a joint briefing with Stephane Sejourne; European Pravda Quote: "As far as I know, for the first time in the history of French diplomacy after the Second World War, its head is paying his first visit to Ukraine, which is evidence of Ukraine's important place in the priorities of French politics," Kuleba said. Details: According to Dmytro Kuleba, it is important that the French Foreign Minister make his first visit to Ukraine on the second day after his appointment. "I would also like to thank my counterpart for not being stopped by another massive Russian attack. I am grateful to him for his courage, for not turning off the road and arriving in Kyiv," Kuleba added. Background: Earlier, it was reported that the foreign ministers of Ukraine and France held bilateral talks dedicated to defence assistance and cooperation, as well as Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO and bringing the Russian Federation to justice, during the latter's visit to Kyiv on 13 January. Stephane Sejourne, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, arrived in Kyiv on the morning of 13 January. This is the first foreign visit of the Minister in this position. This week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, following the resignation of his predecessor, Elisabeth Borne. Attal is the youngest person in this position and comes from Odesa on a parent's side. Support UP or become our patron! Photo showing the silvery insulation of a spacecraft and the blackness of space in the background, with a possible sliver of earth in the upper right corner. Astrobotic's Peregrine moon lander continues to push its inevitable demise further into the future. Peregrine suffered a serious propellant leak, apparently caused by a ruptured oxidizer tank, shortly after separating from its Vulcan Centaur rocket on Jan. 8. The anomaly will prevent the probe from making a historic lunar landing attempt next month, but mission team members aren't throwing in the towel. Indeed, they've managed to power up the 10 Peregrine payloads that require juice, and all nine designed to communicate with the lander have done so. (Peregrine carries a total of 20 payloads, but 10 of them are passive.) And they continue working to extend Peregrine's operational life, an effort that has met with considerable success. Shortly after the leak occurred, for example, Astrobotic estimated that Peregrine had about 40 hours' worth of propellant left. That deadline has long since passed. And, in the company's latest mission update, issued on X today (Jan. 12), Astrobotic said the lander has enough fuel to operate for another 52 hours or so "and there is growing optimism that Peregrine could survive much longer than the current estimate." Related: Private Peregrine moon lander failure won't stop NASA's ambitious commercial lunar program As those numbers indicate, the leak rate has slowed more than the team had anticipated. "A slowing leak rate is expected as the pressure drops, but there may be some change in the size of the propulsion system's rupture as the pressure decreases or some other factor making it difficult to predict," Astrobotic wrote in an update on Thursday afternoon (Jan. 11). That note also stated that Peregrine is 225,000 miles (362,000 kilometers) from Earth, or about 94% of the distance from our planet to the moon. RELATED STORIES: ULA's Vulcan rocket launches private US moon lander, 1st since Apollo, and human remains in debut flight 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 Five of Peregrine's payloads belong to NASA, which put the instruments aboard via the agency's Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS) program. CLPS aims to gather a wealth of lunar science data by leveraging the emerging capabilities of American private moon landers. The agency hopes that this data will help pave the way for its crewed return to the moon, via the Artemis program, a few years from now. Peregrine was the first CLPS-affiliated lander to get off the ground, but another will do so in short order. The Nova-C lander, built by Houston company Intuitive Machines, is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket next month. Travel booking site Kayak has a feature that lets users filter their searches by aircraft model. Users can use the feature to filter out the Boeing 737 Max 9, which the FAA recently grounded. Other booking sites like Google Flights and Expedia often display aircraft models in search results. Travelers may be more cautious about what aircraft they travel on in light of the FAA's recent grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 . The announcement came after a piece of the fuselage tore off a Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines. And while Alaska Airlines and United Airlines which both operate the Max 9 in the United States are canceling hundreds of flights per day , nervous travelers can also take steps to avoid the aircraft when they book their next flight. For example, the travel booking site Kayak has a feature that allows users to filter their searches by aircraft model. Kayak first introduced the feature back in 2019 following an Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people involving the Boeing 737 Max 8 a slightly smaller version of the Max 9. Travel booking site Kayak lets users filter searches by aircraft. Screenshot from Kayak.com At the time, a representative for Kayak told Business Insider that the company had received feedback to make Kayak's filters more "granular." "We are releasing that enhancement this week and are committed to providing our customers with all the information they need to travel with confidence." Other travel booking sites like Expedia and Google Flights often display the aircraft model in the search results. The FAA said in a post on its website that the Max 9 will remain grounded until operators conduct inspections on about 171 aircraft worldwide. It also noted in a separate post on X that the required inspections would take between four to eight hours to complete per aircraft. In the meantime, some travelers are preemptively canceling flights on the Max 9 that are scheduled weeks away. "I don't care if they inspect and repair the entire fleet before then. I'm done with the Max," Jorge Lopez-Quintana, a traveler in New York City who canceled his Alaska Airlines flight in late February, told the Washington Post. A representative for Boeing told BI the company had no further comment. Read the original article on Business Insider University of Wisconsin student Kaleb Autman poses for a photo outside Bascom Hall, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Madison, Wis. On college campuses, a newer version of free speech is emerging as young generations redraw the line where expression crosses into harm. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Generations of Americans have held firm to a version of free speech that makes room for even the vilest of views. Its girded by a belief that the good ideas rise above the bad, that no one should be punished for voicing an idea except in rare cases where the idea could lead directly to illegal action. Today, that idea faces competition more forceful and vehement than it has seen for a century. On college campuses, a newer version of free speech is emerging as young generations redraw the line where expression crosses into harm. Theres a wave of students who have no tolerance for speech that marginalizes. They draw lines around language that leads to damage, either psychological or physical. Their judgments weigh the Constitution but also incorporate histories of privilege and oppression. We believe in a diverse set of thoughts," says Kaleb Autman, a Black student at the University of Wisconsin whose group is demanding a zero-tolerance policy on hate speech. But when your thought is predicated on the subjugation of me or my people, or to a generalized people, then we have problems." NEW GENERATION, EVOLVING IDEAS A new understanding of free speech has been evolving on college campuses for years, marked by the introduction of safe spaces, trigger warnings and a rise in disruptive protests that silence speakers with offensive views. But the Israel-Hamas war and its rhetoric appear to be widening the fault lines and pushing students to demand that university leaders take a side between clashing versions of free speech. It came to a head in December when leaders of three elite colleges were called to Congress to testify on campus antisemitism. With legalistic flourish, they took a stand for free expression as the Constitution and decades of case law define it, then faced weeks of backlash as opponents called them soft on antisemitism. The fallout contributed to the Jan. 2 resignation of Harvard University President Claudine Gay, who faced mounting allegations of plagiarism that surfaced after the hearing. Her resignation followed the December ouster of Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, who shifted her position on campus free speech amid the blowback. Asked on Capitol Hill about balancing free speech and the safety of Jewish students, Magill told lawmakers that Penns approach is guided by the United States Constitution, which allows for robust perspectives. A day later, amid pressure from donors, she said Penns policies needed to be clarified and evaluated. She suggested rules rooted in the Constitution dont do enough to protect students in a world with signs of hate proliferating across our campus and our world in a way not seen in years. Campuses across the nation have confronted similar tensions amid rising antisemitism and Islamophobia. Debate has raged over whether to police phrases such as from the river to the sea and intifada often used as pro-Palestinian chants but lately also seen by some as calls for the genocide of Jews. Columbia University is among several institutions that recently suspended pro-Palestinian student groups, citing their threatening rhetoric and intimidation. Those types of phrases, however some perceive them, are clearly constitutionally protected, says Erwin Chemerinsky, a law scholar and dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley, which was the cradle of the free speech movement in the 1960s. Yet on all sides of the issue, he says, todays students want to quash speech they dont like, regardless of its legality. What I always hear now is how, when students are upset or offended, they phrase it as, I feel unsafe.' And I think it's so important that we separate out the campus' duty, he says. Its not our role to make them safe from ideas that they dont want exposed to. But that line, I think, has gotten blurred. Yet as the U.S. Education Department opens dozens of federal civil rights inquiries around antisemitism and Islamophobia, college leaders face pressure to counter hateful speech even if it's constitutionally protected, Howard Gillman, chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, said during a panel on campus free speech on Wednesday. Says Gillman: There is increasingly now a sense of obligation on the part of campuses to do something." DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS, DIFFERENT APPROACHES The shifting lines have become visible as colleges reach diverging conclusions on hate speech. After the congressional hearing, Stanford University and Cornell University declared that calls for genocide would indeed violate their conduct codes. Chiefs of Harvard and Penn, by contrast, told lawmakers it depended on context. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told the states public universities that such a call should face swift disciplinary action. Campus officials are being pulled in every direction from donors, alumni, students and politicians. But the latest battle has seen a reversal of sorts in the allegiances over free speech. Republicans, who have long characterized colleges as liberal hotbeds that stifle free speech, are now calling on those institutions to curb speech seen as antisemitic. Colleges previously accused of ceding ground on free speech are suddenly emerging as its strongest defenders. The thing that I dont know is, does anyone really have a principled position on this? Or is it just about the politics? says Genevieve Lakier, a First Amendment scholar at the University of Chicago. She fears allegations of antisemitism are being used as a weapon to silence pro-Palestinian speech, and the biggest threats come from donors and legislators. Still, she sees a changing tide on college campuses. Students are increasingly suspicious of free speech arguments they say have been used to empower some and oppress others. Their version of free speech leaves no room for certain racial slurs, Lakier says, and it introduces new rules around pronouns. Amid changing cultural views, certain kinds of language that were once tolerated are now seen as unacceptable, she says. Except for a few outliers, that is, I dont think, a bad thing. In nearly 20 years as president of Augustana College, Steven Bahls saw the generational change play out. When confronted with speech disputes in the past, he could settle it by applying the Constitution and explaining case law. At some point that wasn't enough, and emotion came to dominate the debate. Students expect the college president to be on their side," says Bahls, a lawyer by trade. And you know, you cant blame them. They're paying a lot for their education. And to show students that youre on their side doesnt mean you have to agree with them politically. LOOKING AT THE WIDER PICTURE Todays moment carries echoes of past speech battles. The rise of shopping malls in the 1970s brought a slew of legal cases asking if mall owners could place constraints on expression on private property that functions as a public space (in general, they can, courts found). And college campuses have faced past battles of their own, including turbulent protests over the Vietnam War and the proliferation of speech codes that aimed to fight hate speech in the 1990s. To students, its a complex question. Max Zimmerman says he is a firm supporter of the First Amendment. But in the aftermath of Oct. 7, he says its sometimes scary being a Jewish student at Towson University, near Baltimore. In a campus plaza known as Freedom Square, a public chalkboard meant to encourage civil discourse often displays anti-Israel phrases. Protesters have marched across campus chanting from the river to the sea. A phrase that has a hidden phrase, like calling for the mass genocide of the Jews, stuff like that shouldnt be allowed on college campuses, he says. There needs to be a limit to what you can say. The university referred questions to a campus guide on free expression. It says: Hateful or offensive speech that does not rise to the level of a true threat or unlawful harassment cannot be banned or punished. Zimmerman says campus officials have responded by erasing the chalkboard twice a day. There is no unified push to rewrite the rules of speech, and there's no consensus among students, but polling reveals a shift. Students have become less likely to see freedom of speech as extremely important, and they prioritize inclusivity and free speech at nearly the same levels, according to a 2022 Knight Foundation poll. Black students especially said they were losing confidence that the First Amendment protects students like them, the poll found. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a coalition of Black students demanded a total ban on hate speech in 2023 after a white student used racial slurs in a video that spread on social media. The university rejected the demand and said it couldnt punish constitutionally protected speech. How are we supposed to be protected by a document that at one point would have allowed for the enslavement of me as a Black person? says Autman, a senior in legal studies and sociology. We should not wait for harm or violence to be inflicted for us to combat it. Private universities have wider power to limit speech because they arent bound by the First Amendment, although most commit to its principles. Public universities can place narrow limits on the time, place and manner of speech. Under federal civil rights law, all are required to take action against speech rising to the level of harassment based on someones race, religion or national origin. For colleges, navigating the minefield of public discourse is trickier than ever. They are caught in the middle: Standing up for offensive speech could draw accusations of antisemitism, and they could be added to the list of schools facing federal civil rights investigations. Adding new limits to speech could bring its own legal challenges and threatens to further erode civil discourse. William Adams, a former president of Colby College in Maine, says the solution lies somewhere between. The drift away from a classical view on free speech has left even progressive faculty fearful they will be punished for verbal missteps. At the same time, he says, colleges have a duty to meet the changing expectations of an increasingly diverse student body. Something has got to really be rearranged in these settings without a return to hard-nosed constitutionalism, because I dont think thatll work either, he says. We have to get to a place where there isnt this tension. ___ The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. University of Wisconsin student Kaleb Autman poses for a photo outside Bascom Hall, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Madison, Wis. On college campuses, a newer version of free speech is emerging as young generations redraw the line where expression crosses into harm. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) WASHINGTON (AP) Generations of Americans have held firm to a version of free speech that makes room for even the vilest of views. Its girded by a belief that the good ideas rise above the bad, that no one should be punished for voicing an idea except in rare cases where the idea could lead directly to illegal action. Today, that idea faces competition more forceful and vehement than it has seen for a century. On college campuses, a newer version of free speech is emerging as young generations redraw the line where expression crosses into harm. They draw lines around language that leads to damage, either psychological or physical. Their judgments weigh the Constitution but also incorporate histories of oppression. We believe in a diverse set of thoughts, says Kaleb Autman, a Black student at the University of Wisconsin whose group is demanding a zero-tolerance policy on hate speech. But when your thought is predicated on the subjugation of me or my people, or to a generalized people, then we have problems. A new understanding of free speech has been evolving on college campuses for years, but the Israel-Hamas war and its rhetoric appear to be widening the fault lines. It came to a head in December when leaders of three elite colleges were called to Congress to testify on campus antisemitism. They took a stand for free expression as the Constitution defines it, then faced weeks of backlash as opponents called them soft on antisemitism. The fallout contributed to the Jan. 2 resignation of Harvard University President Claudine Gay, who faced mounting allegations of plagiarism that surfaced after the hearing. Her resignation followed the December ouster of Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, who rethought her approach to free speech amid the blowback, suggesting that rules rooted in the Constitution aren't adequate anymore. Campuses across the nation have confronted rising tensions. Debate has raged over whether to police phrases such as from the river to the sea and intifada often used as pro-Palestinian chants but lately also seen by some as calls for the genocide of Jews. Those types of phrases, however some perceive them, are clearly constitutionally protected, says Erwin Chemerinsky, a law scholar and dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley. Yet on all sides of the issue, he says, todays students want to quash speech they dont like, regardless of its legality. What I always hear now is how, when students are upset or offended, they phrase it as, I feel unsafe. And I think its so important that we separate out the campus duty, he says. Its not our role to make them safe from ideas that they dont want exposed to. But that line, I think, has gotten blurred. The shifting lines have become visible as colleges reach diverging conclusions on hate speech. After the congressional hearing, Stanford University and Cornell University declared that calls for genocide would indeed violate their conduct codes. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told the states public universities that such a call should face swift disciplinary action. At the same time, the latest battle has seen a reversal of sorts in the allegiances over free speech. Republicans, who have long characterized colleges as liberal hotbeds that stifle free speech, are now calling on those institutions to curb speech seen as antisemitic. Colleges previously accused of ceding ground on free speech are suddenly its strongest defenders. The thing that I dont know is, does anyone really have a principled position on this? Or is it just about the politics? says Genevieve Lakier, a First Amendment scholar at the University of Chicago. She fears allegations of antisemitism are being used as a weapon to silence pro-Palestinian speech. In nearly 20 years as president of Augustana College, Steven Bahls saw the generational change play out. When confronted with speech disputes in the past, he could settle it by applying the Constitution. At some point, emotion came to dominate the debate. Students expect the college president to be on their side, says Bahls, a lawyer by trade. And you know, you cant blame them. Theyre paying a lot for their education, and to show students that youre on their side doesnt mean you have to agree with them politically. To students, its complex. Max Zimmerman says he is a firm supporter of the First Amendment. But in the aftermath of Oct. 7, he says its sometimes scary being a Jewish student at Towson University, near Baltimore. In a campus plaza, a chalkboard meant to encourage civil discourse often displays anti-Israel phrases. Protesters on campus have chanted from the river to the sea. A phrase that has a hidden phrase, like calling for the mass genocide of the Jews, stuff like that shouldnt be allowed on college campuses, he says. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a coalition of Black students demanded a ban on hate speech in 2023 after a white student used racial slurs in a video that spread on social media. The university said it can't punish constitutionally protected speech. How are we supposed to be protected by a document that at one point would have allowed for the enslavement of me as a Black person? says Autman, a senior. We should not wait for harm or violence to be inflicted for us to combat it. Colleges are caught in the middle: Standing up for offensive speech could draw accusations of antisemitism, while adding limits to speech could bring its own legal challenges. William Adams, a former president of Colby College in Maine, says the solution lies somewhere between. The drift away from a classical view on free speech has left even progressive faculty fearful they will be punished for verbal missteps. At the same time, he says, colleges have a duty to meet the changing expectations of an increasingly diverse student body. Something has got to really be rearranged in these settings without a return to hard-nosed constitutionalism, because I dont think thatll work either, he says. We have to get to a place where there isnt this tension. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. LUCEDALE, Ala. (WKRG) The family, friends, and colleagues of fallen George County Sheriffs Deputy Jeremy Malone said goodbye one last time Friday as they lowered Malone into his final resting place. Suspects sought in Shoppes at Bel Air shooting do you recognize them? Investigators said Malone died after he stopped 43-year-old Rickey Powell at the Dollar General on Highway 98 in Lucedale on Jan. 4. Powell shot and killed Malone before leading law enforcement on a pursuit to Perry County, where he was killed in a shootout. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Dozens of law enforcement agencies from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana joined the 6.2-mile route to show support for Malone. He will never be forgotten, Jean Crocker, a family friend of Malone, said. Hes our hero. He will always be our hero. The funeral service was held at the Agricola Baptist Church. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was in attendance. He had ordered all State of Mississippi and U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset while the state mourned Malones passing. No matter the odds, no matter the risk, officers selflessly run towards danger. They heroically put their lives on the line to protect and to secure that thin blue line, Malone said. Deputy Malone risked his life for over two decades. Malones service vehicle remained outside the George County Courthouse. Members of the public placed flowers and offerings as a testament to Malones service. Children kidnapped in Prichard found safe, but carjacking suspect remains at large He has left his legacy and imprint behind. An imprint of integrity, of courage, of honor and service, Crocker said. Malone is survived by his wife, Hilary, and three daughters, Abbie (18), Alivia (11), and Brooklyn (8). The current video at the top of this page shows a processional held last week for George County Sheriffs Deputy Jeremy Malone. News 5 will replace the video with a segment about Fridays funeral later tonight. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Lexy McRae, a 15-year-old from Georgia who has been fighting cancer for four years, is pictured in the hospital. Fifteen-year-old Alexis McRae and her family were already on a long, grueling journey as the girl battled cancer when things somehow got worse: they were on the verge of losing her healthcare coverage. Alexis, who goes by Lexy, has been battling cancer for the past four years. Her mother, Katy McRae, told USA TODAY on Friday that the Columbus, Georgia, family was devastated when they got a letter with unthinkable news: their renewal of a Medicaid waiver for children with life-threatening illnesses had been denied without explanation. The letter gave vague instructions on how to request an appeal and no way to check the status of that request. McRae said a phone number would direct her to another number, which would lead to a phone call a crushing cycle without a clear path on how to get answers. "Frustration would not even begin to describe it. When you have a child who is medically frail and needs something and you literally cannot give it to them, it is the the absolutely most helpless feeling," McRae said. "Because there is something that you could be doing ... but you're caught in a trap and a cycle and there's nothing new on your end that you can do." With less than an hour before the denial was final, what seemed like a miracle happened: With the help of the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, the family was able to catch the attention of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who helped reinstate Lexy's insurance with only minutes to spare. "It literally was down to the hour," McRae said. Lexy wrote and read a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at a bill signing in the Augusta Richmond County Municipal Building on April 24, 2023. Lexy met Kemp last year when she served as a childhood representative when Georgia proclaimed September as childhood cancer awareness month. McRae said Lexy shared her story of being diagnosed with osteosarcoma and seeking treatment with the governor and read him a letter that she had written to him. "Chemo is the worst. Being in the hospital 3-5 days sometimes more feeling sick (and) nauseous but also lonely and isolated," Lexy wrote when she was 14. "I've missed so much school not because of cancer but because of the side effects of treatment." McRae said she believes that experience "put a face to her" and may have inspired Kemp to help the family. "It wasn't just a name and a number. It was a person that he had met and hugged and a child that he got to see and so in a lot of ways, I feel like it made it more real for him," McRae said. "Having him step up, it was life-saving for having and knowing that this wasn't a politically motivated move. This was just another human being who saw that he could do something good stepped in and did something good." Alexis McRae, centered, met with Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife Marty Kemp in September 2023, when she served as a child representative during the Georgia proclamation of Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Lexy's treatment is her last option Lexy started treatment again on Wednesday, according to her mother. McRae said it will take three to four weeks to see if the treatment is slowing down the progression of her daughter's disease. Lexy was diagnosed with the bone cancer in her right humerus in October 2019. She's endured chemotherapy, multiple drugs and several surgeries, including one replacing her humerus with a donated cadaver bone. For eight months she was cancer-free before it returned five times in her lungs. In December 2022, Lexy's cancer drastically reached her lungs, bones of her legs, hips and spine, which led to another six months of chemotherapy and three failed clinical trails. McRae said her current treatment is her last option. "She's an incredibly strong and determined young lady. She doesn't complain about things when things are hard, and she's had a lot of hard things in her life," McRae said. McRae is immensely proud of her daughter for fighting for herself and to bring awareness to other kids with cancer. While she rightfully has moments of despair, Lexy rarely allows herself to be consumed by her disease, her mom said. Heartwarming: Watch this daughter's joy when her hard-working dad buys their first house 'So many families that didn't get it' Dean Crowe, founder and CEO of the Rally Foundation that helped get Kemp's attention on Lexy's case, recalls the moment the teen's insurance was renewed. Crowe said she wanted to help Lexy because she knew her personally as a "fighter." "If Lexy wanted to fight then I was going to do and Rally was going to do whatever we could to give her that opportunity to fight," Crowe said. "We all cried because we were so happy that Lexi got it. But we also cried because we knew there were so many families that didn't get it, that 4 o'clock came and they didn't get it." But, she says, hopefully "we are in a position to have a very open conversation with that." She continued: "And I think that we have the ear of the governor, who saw that this was really a dire situation." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia teen battling cancer for 4 years nearly loses insurance A Butler County grand jury has indicted a grandmother accused of shooting her grandchild. >>ORIGINAL COVERAGE: Grandmother intentionally shoots infant grandchild in Butler County, sheriffs office says >>RELATED: Grandmother accused of intentionally shooting infant grandchild in the head held on $1.5M bond Mia Harris has been charged with five felonies, including four counts of felonious assault and one count of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habituation, according to online Butler County court records. News Center 7 originally reported back in December that she was arrested for allegedly shooting her six-month-old grandchild. Butler County Sheriffs deputies were called out to a report of a shooting on Dutchview Court in Liberty Township around 1:50 a.m. on Dec. 9, according to the Butler County Sheriffs Office. >>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Grandmother accused of shooting infant granddaughter said sorry not sorry, detective says Our news partner WCPO also reported that when detectives asked Harris why she did it, they said she told them, Sorry, not sorry. Harris remains in the Butler County Jail on a $1.5 million bond, online jail records indicate. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she spoke with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Friday, threatening him with a motion to vacate over the border deal he struck with Democrats. In my meeting with him yesterday and many other members of Congress, I let Speaker Johnson know that in no way, shape and form will I support any type of [continuing resolution], Greene told former White House adviser Steve Bannon in an interview. I told him yesterday in his office that I would vacate the chair, that that is absolutely unacceptable, she added. And we actually have the power of the first, were the ones that are in control and we need to control the negotiation. I reiterated those same points this morning, so the ball is in his court. Her comments come after Johnson told the press in a brief statement that he reached an agreement that would avert a partial government shutdown next week when some spending lapses on Jan. 19. After weeks of hard-fought negotiations, we achieved a strong top-line agreement that allows our appropriations committee and all those who work on this to complete the appropriations process, he said. Its an important part of keeping the government running. Our top-line agreement remains, he added. We are getting our next steps together, and we are working toward a robust appropriations process. So stay tuned for all that. Top Stories from The Hill Some members, Greene included, were unsatisfied with the deal, even pushing the Speaker to rip up the agreement and look for alternative plans. Greene said last Monday that she would vote against any bill resulting from the $1.6 trillion agreement, because it doesnt include enough funding for GOP priorities, such as securing the U.S.-Mexico border. She reiterated her point Friday, claiming the deal would essentially amount to Congress moving forward with Nancy Pelosis budget. She also argued that Johnson would be weakening border security by negotiating with Democrats over aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia. Members this week have pushed Johnson to reconsider the plan he announced over the weekend, which is in line with Fiscal Responsibility Act spending caps and includes $1.59 trillion and $69 billion in additional budget changes, The Hill previously reported. Greene isnt the only one threatening to vacate Johnson from his Speakership, just months after his predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif), was ousted from the position by a historic vote. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) did not rule out supporting a motion to remove Johnson but said its not the path he prefers. A handful of House Democrats said they would step in to help Johnson keep his position in the event of a conservative revolt, but it would come at a price. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has been planning terrorist attacks on targets in Europe, including Israel's embassy in Stockholm, according to the Israeli government. "In a continuing intelligence effort, considerable information has been uncovered that proves how the Hamas terrorist organization has acted to expand its violent activity abroad in order to attack innocents around the world," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday evening. Israel had gathered evidence of this both independently and working with foreign intelligence services, it said. Besides the alleged Stockholm embassy attack, Hamas had also been looking to procure drones and recruit members of organized criminal gangs in Europe, the statement added. In addition to actors abroad, senior Hamas officials in Lebanon, who enjoy the protection of the Shiite militia Hezbollah there, were said to be involved in the planning. Some of these individuals, including the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, have since been killed in targeted Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The information could not initially be independently verified. In mid-December, German authorities arrested three suspected Hamas members said to have been involved in the procurement of weapons for possible attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe. Similar arrests were also made in Denmark and the Netherlands. In November, Germany issued a ban on the activities of Hamas, which also operates as a political organization. To date, Hamas, which the EU and the US consider to be a terrorist organization, is not known to have carried out any terrorist attacks in Europe. This article was provided by HappyValley Industry, an online platform that amplifies Happy Valleys success and opportunities in business, industry, talent and quality of life. Read more and sign up for the weekly newsletter at happyvalleyindustry.com. Pay any attention to news surrounding senior care, and youll likely hear a few of the same themes over and over again. Were approaching a senior care crisis. Senior care is more expensive than ever. The senior population is growing at an unsustainable rate. Some of these claims are more or less rooted in truth. According to a Harvard 2023 study on housing Americas older adults, Americas senior population, defined as those ages 65 and up, is growing. In 2022, this population numbered approximately 58 million individuals (up from 43 million in 2012). While the study found that the majority of these seniors live in their own homes or with a family member, about 2.5% live in senior communities so about 1.45 million people. More than 2.5 million seniors call Pennsylvania home. The American Health Care Association reported more than 1,100 assisted living and personal care homes in the state, offering nearly 70,000 beds. If the national percentages apply to Pennsylvania as well, then, we can assume that 2.5% of our seniors will need or want to live in a senior community, and thats 62,500 people, for 70,000 beds. Pennsylvania is well-equipped to serve the states seniors, and Happy Valley is at the forefront, where senior care is a thriving industry that taps into the states $1.62 billion total economic activity generated by assisted living. Meeting todays needs and anticipating the future For many in the business of senior care in Happy Valley, recent growth in the areas senior care options is simply a direct response to growing demands. Jennifer Getgen, executive director at Juniper Village Senior Living at Brookline, noted, The growth of senior living options is a direct reflection on the surge in senior population. Our Baby Boomers will all be retirement age, 65, by 2030, and life expectancy is generally longer than prior generations, given the better health care and nutritional advantages available. She added, There are a lot more options in senior living, so now families and seniors can be more selective in what would work best for them. Plentiful options, though, doesnt necessarily mean that all the gaps are filled. At Valley View Retirement Community, in Belleville, the organization performed a market study in 2022 that revealed a large need for memory care in central Pennsylvania. As such, the retirement community is expanding to meet that need, starting in 2024. As senior care providers, we have an obligation to know the needs and preferences of those we serve today or will serve in the future, Valley View CEO Nicole Sarver explained. People are living longer than they were 50 years ago, and many need care during the later seasons of life. A big push has been for more wrap-around, in-home services that are created for people who desire to stay at home. Even with local growth in home and community-based services, we still see strong interest in and demand for the services we provide. Mark Sapko, owner of Senior Living Placement Specialists, started his business about three years ago, with the aim of helping regional seniors and their families find the best living facilities to meet their needs. The business provides free care need assessments and then connects families with area facilities best suited to their requirements. As the Baby Boom population ages, theres going to be an increased need, he said. Theres still a waitlist for some of the different independent living facilities in the area ... I think theres always room for additional communities across State College and Centre County. The Happy Valley appeal Many in the regional senior care industry are seeing not just growing needs from the areas existing aging population some notice that seniors are actively relocating to retire and age in Happy Valley, too. This is for myriad reasons. Some are Penn State alumni and love the area; some have family nearby. Our personal experience shows that, instead of moving to a warmer state or moving to be near their grown children, many seniors want to come home to a place that they love, Sarver said. We have many residents who moved back some from Hawaii, Florida, overseas to what they call Gods country and see mountains and cornfields and beautiful sunsets. Similarly, Sapko also mentioned how a good portion of his clients are those who retired to Happy Valley within the last 15 to 20 years and, as their needs have changed, theyve sought out assisted living communities. State College has kept up with these needs over the last few years, he said. There have been a few more facilities built to help with this population ... State College is a growing community and a lot of individuals who ... went to school here, they want to come back here. Maybe they have kids or grandkids in the area and they want to be closer to their families. Especially with COVID, some individuals wanted to leave the city and State College offers a small city feel, but is also remote and, with the university, theres still activities and events. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning the public about a cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses potentially linked to raw oysters consumed at local restaurants. So far there have been 27 identified cases connected to four unidentified restaurants. Public Health says its working with the California Department of Public Health to investigate and confirm the source of the illnesses. In the meantime, L.A. County residents, particularly those most vulnerable, including young children, the elderly and those who are immunocompromised, are discouraged from consuming raw oysters. Until the source is confirmed, consumers should be cautious before eating raw oysters due to the potential risk of foodborne illness, said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer. If you are sick, avoid spreading illness by washing your hands frequently and cleaning frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, and kitchen countertops. Public Health is working to identify other possible instances of gastrointestinal illness that may be linked to raw oysters. If you have recently consumed raw oysters and experienced symptoms, you are urged to file a report with the Department of Public Health. To file a report online, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A group of healthcare workers filed a lawsuit against a Los Angeles County hospital, claiming they were fired over protesting unsafe staffing conditions. Nine workers from St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood are being represented by attorney Gloria Allred. The workers said they were wrongfully fired after speaking up about what they claimed were concerning practices involving patient care and other safety issues at the hospital. A press conference was held Friday where Allred and the plaintiffs spoke about the lawsuit. The heart of St. Francis is the people who work there, said Scott Byington, a plaintiff and RN who worked at the hospital. [People] who kept coming to work during the pandemic, who slept in their cars oftentimes and then went back to work, just like me. The retaliation by Prime for fighting for our patients safety and community is unwarranted and unjust. The lawsuit names St. Francis Medical Center in the filing and Prime Healthcare which acquired the medical center in 2020. The former employees alleged they complained to management through their unions about what they believed were unlawful employment practices that negatively impacted patients and safety. Attorney Gloria Allred discussing a lawsuit filed by nine healthcare workers for wrongful termination against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Jan. 12, 2024. (KTLA) St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California. (KTLA) Around 1,500 healthcare workers begin a five-day strike against St. Francis Medical Center on Oct. 9, 2023. (KTLA) Around 1,500 healthcare workers begin a five-day strike against St. Francis Medical Center on Oct. 9, 2023. (KTLA) Around 1,500 healthcare workers begin a five-day strike against St. Francis Medical Center on Oct. 9, 2023. (KTLA) Around 1,500 healthcare workers begin a five-day strike against St. Francis Medical Center on Oct. 9, 2023. (KTLA) Health care workers strike outside St. Francis Medical Center on Oct. 9, 2023. (KTLA) St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California. (KTLA) As healthcare providers, we are the first and at many times, the last, line of defense for our patients, Byington said. According to the lawsuit, medical staff were required to work double shifts due to insufficient staffing from layoffs. The allegations said the hospital accepted patients even though the nurse-to-patient ratio violated a California code of regulations. After medical staff gathered letters of support from several elected officials and union leaders, they attempted to deliver the letters to Prime Healthcare representatives on Nov. 30, 2023, regarding their concerns. Weeks later, however, the staff involved said they were suspended and ultimately fired. We are all tired of being tired, said Mayra Castaneda, a hospital worker and plaintiff in the case. Our patients deserve better. Our coworkers deserve better working conditions. This retaliation tactic will not stop us. Back in October 2023, thousands of nurses and healthcare workers began a five-day strike against St. Francis Medical Center. At the time, workers claimed the hospital was understaffed nearly every day and on every shift. Around 600 registered nurses and 900 healthcare workers, including nursing assistants, medical assistants, emergency room technicians and respiratory therapists, were demanding adequate staffing and better wages. Workers blamed the ongoing issues on the acquisition by Prime Healthcare. The turnover rate at the hospital was over 50% at the time, according to the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UNCP). We all believe in patients over profits, said attorney Gloria Allred. We will not be deterred or intimidated by a big powerful corporation. St. Francis Medical Center released a statement on the suit saying: These employees were not terminated for raising any concerns regarding patients or patient safety, but rather for violations of Hospital policy, which were reported and fully investigated, including abusive misconduct and trespassing. St. Francis will vigorously defend the lawsuit and continue to ensure the hospital is a safe and compassionate environment for all patients and staff. In the statement, the hospital also disputed several of the allegations including: In direct response to the allegations regarding employees being required to take on extra shifts or extend their shifts, this is false. Employees elected to take extra shifts and were compensated with overtime, double-pay or crisis pay. Regarding accusations of understaffing, St. Franciss commitment to workplace safety and quality of care is confirmed by the fact that despite numerous visits by CDPH, no staffing deficiencies were found. St. Francis remains compliant with all regulatory agencies and has had no citations or findings related to staffing and quality of care. St. Francis continues to support the rights of our staff to voice their opinions and currently has a current offer extended that includes wage increases of 13% over three years, with some receiving up to 35%, taking into consideration state minimum wage increases and valuable benefits. Similar terms of 15% increases over three years were reached with UNAC, the nurses union, and that contract has been ratified by the unions members. The full press conference held Friday can be seen here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Curfew laws exist for minors in some parts of Arizona, meaning that they are not permitted to be in public without supervision after a specified time. Precise curfew time varies by locality, and minors who are 16 and older typically have a slightly later curfew. Breaking a curfew is considered a misdemeanor in most localities, and both the parent and the child can face punishment. Consequences may include fines, community service, and in some cases, imprisonment. Each locality has the authority to establish its curfew laws. However, according to the Arizona Bar Foundation, the listed cities have set a curfew where minors under 16 have to be where they live between the times of 10 PM to 5 AM and midnight to 5 AM for minors aged 16-17. Avondale Casa Grande Chandler Cottonwood Gilbert Glendale Goodyear Mesa Peoria Phoenix Queen Creek Scottsdale Sedona Surprise Tempe Tuscon South Tuscon Why does Arizona have a curfew? According to the Arizona law firm JacksonWhite Law, curfew laws are in place to ensure the safety of minors and prevent juvenile crime. The rationale behind these laws is that being out late at night can jeopardize the safety of kids, exposing them to potentially dangerous people and situations. The law firm suggests that minors who violate curfew laws are also more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Basically, society has said children of a certain age should not be out on the streets. They should be watched by an adult, explained Mark Wertsching, Juvenile Probation Officer Supervisor at Maricopa County. Parking and water rules 2024: Here are new laws Phoenix is working on What should parents know? According to Mesa company The Naegle Law Firm, curfew laws are routinely and strictly enforced in the state of Arizona, and charges have the potential to harm a child's career. Detective Richard Encinas of the Mesa Police Department warned that juveniles could receive a class three misdemeanor for violating curfew. I would tell [parents] to be familiar with the city code violation and the hours the city code is in effect, said Encinas. Unfortunately, in some cases, children can be cited with curfew violations without intending to break the law or disobey their parents. Ive had parents upset - well I just sent my child to a store and then a police officer will stop them and they were like, 'well, my kids have my consent,' but even then its still against our laws and they have to be with an adult, explained Wertsching. We get calls all the time about curfew citations, and its interesting how benign they are most of the time, said Craig Rosenstein, a criminal defense attorney and founder of the law group AZ Defenders. Rosenstein mentioned a case in a Phoenix metro suburb where a child with divorced parents was walking between his mom's and dads houses at night and was charged with violating curfew. In Phoenix, curfew violation citations seem to be uncommon. According to Phoenix police officer Brian Bower, the city has issued only 19 citations for juveniles under 16 and 13 citations for juveniles older than 16 years to date. The Maricopa County Juvenile Services recorded only 83 curfew citations in fiscal Year 2022, a notable decrease from 176 in fiscal 2021 and 303 in fiscal 2020. Whats the worst that can happen if my child is charged? Every jurisdiction deals with curfew violations differently, but it usually amounts to a misdemeanor. "The first curfew violation is generally not too bad. No one's getting taken out of their home, generally, for [a] first curfew violation, said Rosenstein. Many jurisdictions also offer options that limit the lifelong impact of a curfew violation. Cases are usually given to the juvenile defense system, and the benefit of that is that there are mechanisms to seal these records, explained Rosenstein. Wertsching explained that Maricopa County has a diversion program to prevent curfew violations from going to court at all. Similar to adults who take a class after getting a speeding ticket, juveniles are made to correct their behavior through less punitive methods. Theres a variety of things: it could be community service, it could also be a monetary penalty. And with a young kid, it could be something as simple as writing an essay, said Wertsching. No matter how minor the charge, Rosenstein acknowledged that any interaction with the criminal system is a parent's worst nightmare. Discharges are clearly not the crime of the century. But anytime your child has interaction with the criminal justice system is cause for concern," said Rosenstein. "And getting them out of that system as quickly as possible is the ideal. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Curfew laws: These Arizona cities have them to protect minors SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The Utah Avalanche Center has issued high avalanche warnings across northern Utah. High danger warnings have been issued for Logan, Ogden, Uintas, Salt Lake, Provo, and Skyline, while Moab is listed as Considerable. Traveling in avalanche terrain is not recommended as deadly and dangerous conditions plague the area. Officials said these conditions exist across all aspects and elevations of the areas. Wrestler airlifted after injury at Herriman tournament Both human-triggered and natural avalanches are reportedly very likely. For the areas of Logan, Ogden, and Provo, the avalanche danger will likely rise to Extreme as the day progresses, while another storm is expected to usher in warming temperatures, strong winds, and heavy, wet snowfall. Very dangerous conditions are likely again tomorrow. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. AUSTIN (KXAN) Preparations are underway around Central Texas as freezing temperatures are expected to move in Sunday morning. In Austin, crews with the Texas Department of Public Transportation (TxDOT) have been out treating roadways with brine ahead of the weather event. Stay home if at all possible, said Brad Wheelis, TxDOT spokesperson. This does not mean you have a license to drive as fast as you want if we get precipitation. This means you drive to conditions. What is wind chill? TxDOT crews will have a busy few days with so many roads to cover but know that not all roads will be treated. More rural areas like the Hill Country could see untreated roads inside city limits or in more rural areas, but TxDOT will work to cover the main highways. If you are out in the Hill CountySH29, US 281those are our critical arteries that first responders and essential personnel need to use, said Wheelis. In Wimberley, city officials are also preparing ahead of the winter weather. We have had a lot of experience in the last couple of years, said Wimberley Mayor Gina Fulkerson. Pleasant Saturday until Arctic blast arrives at night Fulkerson and City Administrator Tim Patek discussed plans with KXAN on Friday. Both say checking city and county websites and social media pages will be crucial to keeping up with the latest details. They will also have crews working over the weekend and on Monday to monitor city facilities and the community. We will be checking in with some of our elder care facilities, said Fulkerson. Being in a more rural area has its challenges. There could be delayed response times if there is an emergency. It could also take longer to clear a road or get power back up, which is why she said preparing now was crucial. We want to make sure everyone out there gets prepared to stay at home or be safe in your home and help your neighbors if you need to, said Fulkerson. Wimberley will have two emergency shelters available on each side of the Blanco River. The main shelter will be at First Baptist Church on Winters Mill Parkway. If you require shelter, go here first. The secondary shelter will be located at The Barnabus Connection. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Hollywood agents son pleads not guilty to killing wife and her parents The son of a once-prominent Hollywood executive has pleaded not guilty to charges for murdering his wife and in-laws. Samuel Haskell IV, 35, is facing three counts of murder with special circumstances in connection with the deaths of his 37-year-old wife Mei Haskell and her parents Yanxiang Wang, 64, and Gaoshan Li, 72. He pleaded not guilty to all charges during a court appearance Friday. Mr Haskell appeared in court wearing a suicide vest due to what his lawyer described as wild speculation about his mental health, The Guardian reports. Mr Haskell, the son of Emmy-winning Hollywood producer Sam Haskell Sr and former Miss Mississippi Mary Donnelly Haskell, allegedly committed the murders at his home in the affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of Tarzana, while his three children were at school. On 7 November, construction workers alerted authorities after Mr Haskeell allegedly tried to pay them $500 to haul away plastic bags containing what they believed were dismembered body parts. However, when law enforcement responded to the scene, the bags were gone. The following day, a homeless man found a human torso, later determined to be Mei Haskells, inside a dumpster at a parking lot in San Fernando Valley, about five miles from Tarzana. Surveillance video from the scene led authorities to Mr Haskell. The remains of Wang and Li havent been found but authorities have since said that blood and other evidence consistent with death and dismemberment was found in Mr Haskells Tarzana home, where the murders are believed to have taken place. These shocking and gruesome crimes have sent shockwaves through our community. We stand with the victims loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time and will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served. District Attorney George Gascon said in a November statement. Our Major Crimes Division will work tirelessly to bring about a prosecution that reflects the severity of this devastating crime. Last month, he was ordered held without bail during a court appearance. At the hearing, he appeared wearing an anti-suicide smock around his waist, revealing his bare chest, and holding a small milk carton. If convicted, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. MILLERSBURG Village council heard of plans in the works to celebrate the bicentennial of Holmes County. WKLM radio personality Melissa Patrick serves as chairperson of the bicentennial committee. She explained plans for a yearlong celebration to incorporate all villages and towns in the county, using existing dates of festivals and events to be part of the festivities. Patrick said because there has been some debate over the official date the county was founded, be it 1824 or 1825, the committee has decided to celebrate in both years. "We want to celebrate with each of the towns and areas in Holmes County to make sure we include everybody," she said. "We want to utilize festivals that already exist instead of creating a bunch of new things. We can add in the 200th anniversary. "In our search for information, we have found that the centennial celebration ... Holmes County celebrated with the village of Millersburg," Patrick said. "The village of Millersburg may want to look at participating in the second half or the even first half of the bicentennial celebration." Village, township, business and group leaders invited to planning meeting Patrick added it is up to the village to decide if it wish to celebrate with the county or the date it was incorporated, noting the village celebrated its centennial in 1925 with the county, according to a program from that event. Mark Boley at the Holmes County Historical Society has a program from the centennial celebration. A meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the Chamber of Commerce for people from the towns, townships, business groups and organizations from throughout the county who want to participate. "We want to have a beginning and an end with celebrations in between," Patrick said. "200 years is pretty important, and we've got a lot of great ideas we're working on. We're moving forward." Patrick added the committee would like to have each community and area put together time capsules to be opened in 50 years. Newly elected Council President Brad Conn expressed his desire to help out. He has seen an old photo from the early 1900s of elected officials on the courthouse steps. "I think it would be cool to get all the current elected officials together and stand on the courthouse steps to show how far we've come, kind of a before and after," Conn said. "I'm glad someone has recognized and thought about the 200-year anniversary." Patrick pointed out Killbuck is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. New Millersburg Village Council President Brad Conn reacts to a presentation about the Holmes County bicentennial celebration with Mayor Kelly Hoffee (right) and councilman Brent Hofstetter. Another important date to remember is March 28 at 7 p.m., when Millersburg kicks things off with an event in the newly renovated American Hall Building on the square downtown. Mayor sets office hours; a county-village collaboration New Mayor Kelly Hoffee established office hours of 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for anyone interested in stopping by to talk. Hoffee asked council members to provide a list of goals for 2024, including addressing problems members feel are facing the village and possible solutions. She also asked what positive things council members see going on in the village. "Think about some of those things and we can discuss them at the next council meeting," the mayor said. In other business, Holmes County Commissioner Dave Hall spoke to council about plans to work more closely with the village. Holmes County Commissioner Dave Hall spoke with Millersburg council about potential partnership opportunities on projects between the county and the village. "I wanted to reach out and share some of the things we're doing at the county level with the potential to partner with you," Hall said. "(Councilman) Bob Shoemaker and I serve on the Ohio opioid board, and we're looking at grants with the opportunities for prevention. We're trying to figure out how 10 counties can go after these dollars (from the opioid settlement)." Hall added the state is trying to address dealing with cyber security. "We are working with a team from the University of Cincinnati on some free training to dealing with attacks by entities that try to steal information and hold it hostage," Hall said. "We are looking at training for our staff, and if the village is interested, let us know." Hall added he is hoping to hear from the state soon on Appalachian grants he worked on with Village Administrator Nate Troyer. On Saturday, April 6, the county will hold an infrastructure grant program, including major funders of grants from OMEGA to Muskingum Watershed District, and possibly USDA Rural Development, to talk about available grants, Hall said. "It'll basically be like putting together a telephone book of where to find funding and who you can partner with," he said. Hall thanked the village for partnering with the county on the sidewalks at the new Health Department Building on Glen Drive, which he reports is on time and under budget. "We should be having a grand opening in June if everything continues to go well," he said. Hall added there is some potential to partner with the village on downtown projects involving bed tax dollars. He will keep council posted. This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Holmes plans a two-year bicentennial party; true founding date debated Iranian demonstrators burn representations of British and U.S. flags during a protest against the U.S. and British military strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, in front of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. | Vahid Salemi, Associated Press The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have vowed retaliation for attacks led by the United States and U.K. in Yemen. The strikes killed at least five Houthi fighters, NBC News reported. The attacks in Yemen were carried out from land and sea, and targeted more than 60 targets at 16 locations. President Joe Biden said he had ordered the strikes, according to CNN. Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the worlds most vital waterways, the president said in a White House statement. Preparations for an attack on Houthis followed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Wednesday for an immediate end to Houthis attacks in the Red Sea, per BBC. Related Why did the U.S. and other countries strike Yemen? Yemens Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in response to the Hamas-Israel war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The attacks have affected major shipping routes and freight rates. The most brazen Houthi attack yet happened Tuesday, according to Politico. After that, Biden decided it was time to move forward on a military response following weeks of trying to pursue other options. Related Biden said the attacks on Yemen show that the U.S. and allies will not tolerate the Houthis Red Sea attacks, The Associated Press reported. I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary, Bidens statement read. Whats next? Biden and U.S. allies tried to avoid a military response in fears it would threaten an expansion of the conflict in the Middle East beyond Israels war in Gaza, according to NBC News. U.S. officials said they havent yet seen a Houthi response, but theyre prepared for one, Politico reported. Biden administration officials believe Houthi Red Sea attacks will continue, a prospect that could potentially bind Biden to more military action, according to CNN. European Parliament members (MEPs) from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz Party have filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging that the Polish government has "trampled on the rule of law," Hungarian news outlet Origo reported on Jan. 12. Read also: European Parliamentarian invokes Article 7 of EU Treaty in bid to suspend Hungarys voting rights The Hungarian MEPs questioned whether the forced takeover of state-owned media, bypassing national laws was compatible with the rule of law and the principles of media freedom and pluralism. They also doubted the Commission's commitment to ensuring consistent standards for all member states, regardless of their governments and political positions. "We can all easily imagine what action the EU Commissioner for Transparency and Values, Vera Jourova, would have taken if this had happened in Budapest under the administration of Prime Minister Viktor Orban," their complaint reads. Read also: European Parliament opens vote of no confidence over unfreezing Hungary funds The European Commission, which in recent years has been "militant" in demanding accountability for violations of the rule of law and press freedom in Hungary, is now allegedly "silent". "You have three weeks to reply to the urgent written inquiry addressed to the European Commission, or six weeks in other cases," wrote the MEPs. A petition was launched in the European parliament on Jan. 10 to strip Hungary of its voting rights in the EU Council for its continued attempts to block the unanimous decisions of the rest of Europe. Article 7 of the EU Treaty allows for the possibility of suspending EU membership rights, particularly voting rights in the EU Council, if a country "seriously and persistently" violates the bloc's fundamental principles. The EU has previously suspended funds to Hungary for failing to respect the rule of law. However, the European Commission recently agreed to release one-third of the approximately 30 billion euros frozen for Hungary in order to garner Hungarys support for Ukraine's accession to the EU. During the vote on EU accession, Orban left the hall to avoid taking part. It was reported at the time that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had asked Orban to go "drink coffee outside the room." Read also: Orban's face-saving coffee meeting facilitates Ukraines breakthrough in EU talks, says minister Efforts to push Budapest to lift its veto on the 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine were less successful, and Hungary vetoed the aid package. The issue will be considered again in January 2024. Orban wants the EU to pay all frozen funds to Budapest in return for the veto being lifted. 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 HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) Leaders with the City of Hutto broke ground on the tentatively named spine road Friday afternoon. The road is a key part of the Hutto Megasite, a business park, poised to house support industries for the nearby Samsung Semiconductor Plant in Taylor. The road is just off the intersection of U.S. 79 and Farm-to-Market Road 3349, an area that has become a hotspot of economic development for Hutto because of its proximity to the Samsung site and railroad access. Don Carlson, chairman of the Hutto Economic Development Corporation, said the road is expected to be complete this coming August. He said once its finished, businesses will begin to start on their own projects at the site. Seeing it come to fruition the way that it has, and how much its going to impact the tax base for the years to come, not only for a sales tax amount, but also property tax is huge, Carlson said. Businesses that have already expressed interest in planting roots at the Hutto Megasite include Skybox Datacenters and Prologis, the companies wanting to build a 221-acre data center campus at the site. Titan Development has also executed a deal with the Hutto Economic Development Corporation to construct at the site, the two coming to a new agreement after a letter of default was exchanged between the parties in the spring of 2023. According to the HEDC, a new agreement was reached last month after Titan served the HEDC with a notice of default in April after certain parameters surrounding the construction of the Megasite spine road werent met. At Fridays groundbreaking, Carlson said the the matter has now been resolved between all parties involved. There were some issues just in terms of the timing of the roadway. Now that weve gotten that addressed, weve come to amicable terms and everybodys proceeding forward, Carlson said. A spokesperson with Titan confirmed that a resolution has been reached. Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell and Hutto Mayor Mike Snyder also attended the groundbreaking. Both leaders said the project is slated to make a positive impact on the local economy. We hope that what people see the deals that are coming, that overall they are good. And they do benefit everything from our schools, to our fire departments and police and to our overall all of our infrastructure, Snyder said. The biggest winner that weve seen in Central Texas for the last many years with this great economic boom is going to be our kiddos, because of the tax dollars generated for a local school district. It will literally pour in millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars over the life of these projects, Gravell said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continue to be denied access to the reactor halls of units 1, 2, and 6 of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), hindering their ability to monitor nuclear safety, the IAEA said on Jan. 12. These restrictions on the experts timely access to the ZNPP are impeding the IAEAs ability to assess the safety and security situation, including confirming the reported status of the reactor units, spent fuel ponds and associated safety equipment, independently and effectively, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement. The team of experts have been denied access to the three reactor halls - where the reactor core and spent fuel are located - since Dec. 19, and not been able to visit the north-western part of any of the six turbine halls since mid-October. Occupying authorities informed the IAEA that entry may be granted in approximately one week. When attempting to seek access on Jan. 12, the experts were told that the reactor halls were "sealed," the first time occupying authorities made such a reference to the status of containment. Five of the plant's six reactors remain in cold shutdown, while unit 4 is in hot shutdown "to produce steam and heat, including for the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most plant staff live," according to the IAEA. Ukraine's state nuclear energy company Energoatom has previously stated that keeping the fourth reactor in a hot state violates the way the reactor should be operated. Having previously warned that active fighting near the occupied plant poses serious threats to the reactors, Director General Grossi reiterated his request for teams of experts to have unhindered access to the reactor halls "in order to prevent a nuclear accident and ensure the integrity of the plant. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, located on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, since March 2022. IAEA teams have been based at the facility on rotation since September 2022. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Sunak unveils $3.2 billion package, signs security deal in Kyiv Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. There are moments when this years New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary can almost feel normal. Case in point: Last Saturday, when Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey swung through the state to deliver a series of pre-primary pep talks to local Democrats. Her message was straightforward: Lets run up the vote total for Joe Biden on Primary Day. Lets have an overwhelming showing, like never seen before, Healy told dozens of activists gathered in a Concord elementary school cafeteria. And let that send a signal across the country because people pay attention to New Hampshire. Volunteers distribute yard signs promoting the "Write In Biden" effort at a New Hampshire Democratic Party fundraiser, Dec. 1, 2023. But President Biden himself isnt paying attention to New Hampshire at least not when it comes to primary politics. Biden is skipping the New Hampshire primary altogether this year, declining to even put his name on the state ballot. That decision stemmed from New Hampshires refusal to follow the Democratic National Committees calendar rolled out last year and supported by Biden himself that put South Carolina at the head of the partys 2024 nominating queue. That scheduling decision represented something of a gut punch to local Democrats, and was by far the most overt effort by national party leaders to remove New Hampshire from the top of the primary calendar, once and for all. But it has also shaped, maybe even warped, the 2024 primary here for months, prompting some local Democrats to mount a write-in campaign on the presidents behalf something that hasnt been seen in decades. Less than two weeks from Primary Day, that write-in effort is taking several forms. A Write-in-Biden political action committee is spending thousands of dollars on commercials airing on New Hampshire televisions. The ads instruct Granite State voters, step by step, through the write-in process: Start at the bottom of the ballot, fill In the oval A separate entity, meanwhile, is focusing on face-to-face gatherings and Zoom meetups, and is deploying volunteers to any event where Democrats might congregate. Maura Willing of Concord was one of those volunteers putting the arm on attendees at a state Democratic party fundraiser last month. I will do whatever I can to help that process because I am a true Democrat, Willing said of the write-in effort. Willing backed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren over Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary, but she said her view of Biden changed since she first encountered him running for president. I remember at the time thinking, What a sweet old man, Willing said. And now hes a good president. And I dont have a problem with him not thinking were the most important thing on the planet, but as a New Hampshire voter, I want to show him that weve got his back. Polling indicates New Hampshire Democrats voters may have Bidens back. A CNN poll released this week found 69% of likely Democratic primary voters here intend to write-in Biden. But how many Democrats will turn out on Primary Day in the first place is an open question. There will be other Democrats on the ballot that day. Two of them Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and celebrity author Marianne Williamson in fact were in Manchester for a debate at a college convention Tuesday. They directed most of their fire at Biden, not each other. [Biden] is taking the Granite State for granted, Phillips told the crowd of mostly college students. He is taking this election for granted, and he is taking every single one of you, and this entire country, for granted. In fact, it isnt hard to find some degree of discontent with Biden among New Hampshire Democrats these days. George Bruno, a former state Democratic Party chairman who recently became a registered independent so he can vote against Donald Trump in the Republican primary, said he thinks Biden has done a fine job leading the country. But he questions Bidens decision to seek reelection. I never thought of him as a two-term, eight-year president, and I was kind of hoping that there was going to be more competition for the nomination this year, and I regret that there isnt, Bruno said. That lack of competition no poll shows Phillips or Williamson posing any threat to Biden is fine with those working the write-in Biden campaign. And Biden backers, like Concord lobbyist Jim Demers, insist they arent shooting for any specific outcome next week, other than winning. Demers says one reason he got involved in the write-in effort was to make the case via a strong Biden showing here that New Hampshire deserves to return to the front of the DNCs official nominating calendar in 2028. That may seem a distant prospect, given the recent sparring between the state and local parties. But for right now, Demers says the bottom line goal is to give Biden and Democrats generally something to build on after the Jan. 23 primary. No matter what, I think this really does lay the foundation because it's getting people engaged, Demers said. It's organizing people. And I think it will all be helpful when the November election comes about. Thats something pretty much every New Hampshire Democrat whether they are backing Bidens write-in or not will tell you theyd welcome. These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ignored by Biden, NH Democrats still working to boost him in primary China's top legislator meets Belgian PM Xinhua) 09:33, January 13, 2024 Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo in Beijing on Friday, calling for enhanced exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Belgium relations have maintained a steady momentum of development, with fruitful practical cooperation and deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges, which have brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Belgium all-round friendly cooperative partnership, Zhao said the two sides should continue to respect each other's core interests and major concerns, boost cooperation in various fields and push for the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations. Zhao also expressed the hope that Belgium will play a constructive role in the European Union (EU) to promote positive interaction and common development of the EU and China. The NPC of China is willing to strengthen friendly exchanges with the Belgian parliament, carry out exchanges of experience in governance and legislation, and provide legal guarantee for cooperation in various fields, Zhao said. De Croo said that Belgium attaches importance to bilateral relations between the two countries and hopes to have close communication with China, enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation in economy and trade and other fields, and promote the sustainable development of Belgium-China and EU-China relations. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Drew Edmondson, foreground, initiated what has become a 20-year lawsuit in the state of Oklahoma over the polluting of the Illinois River. Chicken farmer Randy Allen, background, appeared in advertisements opposing the lawsuit. As the calendar turned to 2005, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson grew more frustrated each time he opened the newspaper or turned on the radio. For nearly four years, his office had been meeting with representatives of several large poultry companies, including Tyson Foods, in hopes of reaching an agreement to rein in the pollution from chicken litter in the Illinois River Watershed. But Edmondson believed those same companies were also funding ads accusing him of trying to put small chicken farms out of business, leading to calls into his office from worried chicken farmers and their representatives in the state Legislature. (Edmondson) is getting ready to sue our industry, said a chicken farmer in a newspaper advertisement published by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. This could put farmers like me and my dad out of business and drive 12,000 jobs out of our state. Another meeting between the attorney generals office and poultry company representatives was coming up. But after three years of negotiations and now the ads attacking him, Edmondson decided it would be pointless and ordered his staff to cancel the meeting. While fronted by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, I have no doubt personally that these efforts (are) endorsed, supported, financed and orchestrated by your clients, stated a Jan. 5, 2005, letter from Edmondsons office to attorneys for several poultry companies. I can not see how it is in the States interest to continue protracted negotiations while fighting reargued actions in the media and halls of the Legislature. Six months later, Edmondson, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit against several poultry companies, including Tyson Foods, Cargill, Cal-Maine Foods and Simmons Foods, blaming them for causing increased levels of phosphorus, nitrogen and E. coli in the streams and lakes of the watershed a source of drinking water for more than a dozen towns and a popular recreation spot in eastern Oklahoma. More: Tyson, other poultry companies ask judge to dismiss ruling they polluted Oklahoma watershed Nearly 20 years later, that lawsuit is still unresolved. However, a judge ruled last year in favor of the state and could issue a final order in the coming months to impose new limits on poultry companies operating within the Illinois River Watershed. As the lawsuit enters a possible final phase, Investigate Midwest reviewed thousands of documents from the attorney generals office, now kept in the Oklahoma State Archives. The records shed new light and provide a better understanding of the negotiations that precipitated one of the longest legal cases in state history. The documents, some of which have not been previously reported, show: Poultry companies publicly said they wanted to protect local farmers while at the same time blaming those farmers for litter pollution during private negotiations with the state. Before the state filed its lawsuit, the poultry companies made settlement offers they knew Edmondsons office would not accept, prolonging negotiations while publicly stating the attorney general was unwilling to compromise. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau, financially backed by some poultry companies and with some of its leaders working as contract poultry farmers, attacked Edmondson over his pursuit of stricter standards on chicken litter removal. Last year, a federal judge ordered the companies to hold settlement negotiations with the state in an effort to come up with new standards for controlling chicken litter-caused pollution. Those negotiations ended without an agreement. Edmondson is no longer involved in the case and did not participate in last years settlement meetings. But when negotiations ended without an agreement, the former attorney general said he wasnt surprised based on his original work with the companies. I didnt think they would agree to anything, just keep trying to delay this thing, Edmondson said. The (companies) arent going to agree to anything. They wont change their ways unless they are paid to or made to. Tyson Foods and Simmons Foods declined to comment on the lawsuit but directed questions to the Poultry Federation, an advocacy group with offices in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Oklahomas farmers and ranchers, and the protein industry that partners with them to deliver affordable food to America, have consistently complied with and supported the development of the nutrient management regulations that have been in place for decades, Marvin Childers, president of the Poultry Federation, said in an emailed statement. The companies targeted by this lawsuit, filed more than 18 years ago, will continue to drive adherence to regulatory programs with nutrient plans written by experts, ensure the protection of clean water for generations to come, and support the ability of farmers to feed the nation while protecting their livelihoods and their communities. (Story continued below photo) Then-Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson stands by the Illinois River in Tahlequah on July 16, 2009. Edmondson sued 12 Arkansas poultry companies in federal court, claiming that over-application of bird waste in the 1 million-acre Illinois River watershed creates environmental havoc, as runoff carries bacteria into lakes and streams and threatens the health of tens of thousands of people who boat and camp in the valley every year. Negotiations began in 2001 to address chicken litter-caused water pollution in Oklahoma Described by The Oklahoman in 1974 as the most beautiful waterway in the state, the Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller had long been popular tourist destinations. Chicken farms in the watershed werent new but as industrial poultry farming took off in the 1990s and early 2000s, residents began to notice changes to the once-clear rivers and lakes. Algae formed on rocks along the riverbed and at the surface, preventing oxygen from getting into the water. Homes with groundwater wells found their turbidity rates how cloudy water appears significantly above the EPAs recommended levels for consumption. Companies like Tyson and Simmons would contract with local farms to raise thousands of chickens at a time, often inside long steel buildings. The chicken litter either from the farm or, more often, from the litter sold to area crop farms as fertilizer began seeping into nearby waters. At least 18 utilities use drinking water from the Illinois River Watershed, and the state believed chicken litter runoff had increased the risk of pathogens, leading to higher treatment costs. More: Huge Oklahoma chicken farms double in recent years despite restrictions, bringing environmental worries When Edmondson first began meeting with the poultry companies in 2001, he expressed a sense of urgency to significantly reduce water pollution caused by the growing poultry industry, believing the state was nearing an irreversible tipping point. After a couple of years, Edmondson didnt believe much progress had been made. Tyson and the other poultry companies seem to misunderstand the gravity of the situation in our Scenic Rivers, Edmondson wrote on Sept. 18, 2003, in rejecting a settlement proposal from the companies. Since then, the number of chickens raised annually in the state, most in eastern Oklahoma, has more than doubled, topping 200 million, based on the licenses issued by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. Phosphorus limit was one of several disputes between companies and the state During the summer of 2004, after more than a dozen meetings between the attorney generals office and the poultry companies, Tyson Foods submitted a settlement proposal it said addressed the states concerns over excess phosphorus in eastern Oklahoma. Kelly Burch, an assistant attorney general involved in the negotiations, reviewed the proposal and told Edmondson, (the companies) continue to be unwilling to accept our terms, according to a memo she wrote on July 22, 2004. One issue was how to limit litter pollution from the thousands of individual farms that contracted with Tyson and other companies to raise chickens. The companies did not own the farms, just the birds, and they were unwilling to restrict what the farms did with their litter. A key deficiency in the proposal is that it portrays the relationship between the integrator and the grower as independent and does not commit that the waste generated at the grow operations will be managed in accordance with any agreement, Burch wrote in her memo. Rather, (the companies) propose to use their best efforts to encourage voluntary implementation at their grower operations. In September 2004, Tyson submitted a revised settlement offer that proposed shipping more waste out of the watershed region. It also agreed to cap litter fertilizer application at 120 pounds of phosphorus per acre, a standard nearly twice as high as the 65 pounds per acre the state had requested. (During the 2009 trial, a scientist from Oklahoma State University testified that 65 pounds of phosphorus per acre was enough to fertilize crops without polluting nearby waters.) But one of the most significant sticking points was how much the companies should pay. As early as 2002, when negotiations began, the attorney generals office calculated $23.3 million in possible fines and lake restoration costs. This figure could be multiplied by 3 to address all of the scenic river watersheds, Burch wrote in response, according to an internal memo. (Story continued below photo) Eastern Oklahoma has seen significant growth in recent years of large industrial poultry farms, like this one in southern Delaware County. Farm Bureau claimed poultry case would hurt small chicken farmers The Oklahoma Farm Bureau wanted a seat at the table. As negotiations between Edmondson and the poultry companies continued in late 2004, the states largest agriculture lobbying organization asked to be included. But Edmondson rejected the request. Within weeks, Oklahoma Farm Bureau began running commercials and advertisements criticizing Edmondson and urging the agriculture community to fight back. At the state convention in November, our membership passed a resolution that poultry growers should retain the option of keeping their litter, Jeramy Rich, the organizations vice president of public policy, wrote in a Jan. 20, 2005, letter to members titled Your Immediate Action Requested. Poultry growers are concerned that a deal will be struck with the companies to take control of the litter away from them, which will negatively impact their bottom lines, continued the letter, which also included phone numbers to state House and Senate leaders. Oklahoma Farm Bureau also began running commercials featuring Randy Allen, a Delaware County poultry farmer, who claimed Edmondson was risking his livelihood. On behalf of my family and the many other small poultry farmers in Oklahoma, please contact your legislators and the Oklahoma attorney general today, Allen said. At the time, Allens father, Gene Allen, was Oklahoma Farm Bureaus Delaware County chapter president. According to documents Edmondsons office collected on the commercials, the familys poultry farm was near two streams. The property is a specific concern due to the proximity of those streams, the document stated. The Allen family could not be reached for comment. Edmondson rebuked Oklahoma Farm Bureaus claims by saying he was only targeting the large poultry corporations and that any new regulations on individual farms would have to be paid by the companies, not the farmers. But Oklahoma Farm Bureau, which received financial support from the poultry companies, deflected blame away from the companies. Individual growers raise chickens for the poultry companies and those individuals, not the companies bear responsibility for the application of litter, stated an Oklahoma Farm Bureau news release issued on Dec. 1, 2004. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau also told poultry farmers they were at risk of suffering the same fate as the tobacco industry, which was significantly disrupted after settling for billions in state lawsuits in 1998. In the same Jan. 3, 2005, news release, the organization pointed out that Edmondson had hired the South Carolina law firm that helped negotiate the tobacco company settlements several years earlier. It appears the attorney general is only interested in the large monetary settlement and the accompanying political notoriety, Oklahoma Farm Bureaus president at the time, Steve Kouplen, wrote. Current leaders with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau defended the organizations work nearly 20 years ago as an effort to protect our members against government overreach and advocating for a regulatory process that is fair, transparent and fact-based, according to a statement from Rachel Havens, a spokesperson for the organization. Havens also said that water quality in Oklahomas Illinois River Watershed has consistently improved over the last two decades, thanks in large part to the voluntary conservation efforts of Oklahoma poultry producers. Phosphorus rates have declined in some parts of the Illinois River Watershed over the last 20 years but a report in October showed rates more than twice the states limit for scenic rivers. When fighting Edmondson in 2005, Oklahoma Farm Bureau also claimed a lawsuit could result in the closure of poultry companies that contracted with local farmers. Large companies like Tyson could have a greater monopoly, the organization told farmers. Edmondson addressed this concern in an email exchange with an east Oklahoma newspaper editor, pointing to the recent tobacco settlements to combat the claims. The closure of poultry companies is a valid consideration but not likely, Edmondson wrote in an email on Sept. 21, 2004, a copy of which is in the state archives. That was predicted at the conclusion of the tobacco litigation but we have more small tobacco companies today than existed prior to 1998. Once the rules are established and the financial uncertainty is resolved we may actually see the industry stronger and more diverse than ever. On June 13, 2005, Edmondson filed his lawsuit but deferred summons to the poultry companies to see if continued talks would have promise for settlement, an internal timeline created by the attorney generals office stated. Two more confidential mediation sessions were held over the next two months, according to the document. On Aug. 19, 2005, Edmondson began serving the companies and moved forward with the lawsuit. State is now asking a judge to impose new pollution controls on poultry companies Eighteen years after the state and poultry companies ended settlement talks without an agreement, the two sides were brought back to the negotiating table in 2023 following a ruling in favor of the state. But as had been the case nearly 20 years ago, an agreement couldnt be reached. In October, Tyson and the other operators filed a motion to dismiss. If the pollution in the Illinois River Watershed was such a crisis, the companies argued, why hadnt the state asked the court to rule sooner? Six Oklahoma Attorneys General have held that office (since Edmondson), but despite bearing the burden of proof, not one of them asked this Court to rule or sought relief from the Tenth Circuit, Tysons attorney wrote in the motion to dismiss. While the state has had six attorneys general since Edmondson, many of the tenures were too short to take any action on the case. One of the six served on an interim basis for three days and another for less than two months. Drummond, the sixth attorney general since Edmondson, was in office for less than seven weeks before Judge Gregory Frizzells order was issued on Feb. 22, 2023. Scott Pruitt, who was attorney general for nearly half of the 12 years since Edmondson left office, may have been in the best position to push the court for a ruling. But Pruitt, who received over $40,000 in donations from more than 25 executives from the poultry companies named in the states lawsuit, publicly criticized the lawsuit after being elected. Regulation through litigation is wrong in my view, Pruitt, a Republican, said in 2015 when discussing Edmonsons lawsuit. That was not a decision my office made. It was a case we inherited. In its response to Tysons motion to dismiss, the state said the length of time since the trial concluded should not prevent the judge from issuing an order, especially since the poultry companies offered no suggestion that their poultry waste practices have changed such that they no longer pollute the (Illinois River Watershed). Drummond, the current attorney general, is asking the federal judge to impose a chicken litter fertilizer limit of 65 pounds of phosphorus per acre, the same threshold Edmondson asked the companies to meet 20 years ago. Drummond also wants the judge to appoint a master to oversee pollution remediation programs throughout the watershed, including the creation of buffer strips along waterways, increased treatment of drinking water and sediment removal from Lake Tenkiller. While the poultry companies continue to fight the lawsuit, even after the unfavorable ruling, they appear prepared to pay some amount as part of a court order. Cal-Maine Foods told its investors last year, management believes there is a reasonable possibility of a material loss from the case, according to the companys quarterly report filed on Oct. 3 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. But even Frizzell, the federal judge who may issue a final order within months, has acknowledged the likelihood of further delays, including the companies bringing an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, where decisions can take multiple years. Ill certainly do my best if it comes to that to render a fair and just adjudication, Frizzell told lawyers for the state and poultry companies during a March hearing when asked about the potential of settlement talks coming to an impasse. Unfortunately, that will likely guarantee years of future litigation and money spent on attorneys rather than on remediation and the work that needs to be done here. Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism. Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 20-year lawsuit between Oklahoma, Tyson, poultry companies near end Eleven months after unveiling plans for a 1-million-square-foot semiconductor factory in Sedgwick County, Integra Technologies has yet to lock in the federal funding needed to make it a reality. The $2 billion Bel Aire megaproject could be in jeopardy if CHIPS and Science Act funding doesnt come through in the next 80 days. In late November the Kansas Department of Commerce extended the deadline for Integra to secure federal money to April 1 after the Wichita-based company missed the original October deadline to confirm funding, according to documents provided to The Eagle and The Star. If Integra does not secure federal funding, its contract with Kansas will be canceled and it will not receive the more than $300 million in incentives the state promised last year. Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said he was not yet worried about the viability of the project and he was OK with the extension granted to the company. Nothing in the federal government ever moves fast, he said. Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said she had been in touch with members of Kansas congressional delegation and they are advocating for Integra to receive CHIPS funding. The federal government goes at its own place and, unfortunately, we can call and plead and push all we want and it doesnt seem to move the needle much, she said. In a written statement, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall confirmed his advocacy for the Bel Aire factory, saying he has met with Integra officials and written a letter of support for CHIPS funding to the Department of Commerce. If the U.S. truly wants to develop a strong, independent semiconductor industry it must invest in businesses like Integra that are locally owned and managed and deliver jobs and profits back to Americans, Marshall said. My hope is that this money gets to the company soon and that bureaucracy doesnt hold investment up any further. His Senate colleague, Jerry Moran, said hes appreciative of the work state and local officials have done to bring semiconductor manufacturing to Kansas. As the Department of Commerce continues to roll out grant recipients, I am working to ensure Kansas is positioned to be a strong candidate for these grants, Moran said in a written statement. The Biden Administration announced its first two nonbinding CHIPS agreements on Jan. 4, a combined $162 million investment in two fabrication facilities in Colorado Springs and Gresham, Oregon. Federal funding is expected to triple semiconductor production at those sites. The [U.S. Commerce] Department cant comment on any potential applications or applicants. We take business confidentiality extremely seriously, CHIPS for America Press Secretary Maddie Broas said in a phone interview. Apart from the two announcements that weve made, those are the only companies that the department can actually comment on at this point in our process. In the first year after the $53 billion CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law, companies announced $166 billion in investments in the domestic semiconductor supply chain, according to a 2023 White House fact sheet. The awarding of CHIPS funding is expected to be a multi-year process. Integra CEO Brett Robinson said his company is forbidden from providing any updates on its efforts to secure federal funds. Theyve got us really locked down, he said. We cant talk about it other than that were still in the process obviously. The Sedgwick County Commission and Bel Aire City Council have pledged a combined $750,000 to help Integra with workforce development and training, but the behemoth manufacturing facility will only be viable with state and federal support. County Commissioner Jim Howell said it would be a devastating loss if the Integra plant, which is expected to employ as many as 2,500 people, fell through. Integras is not the only promised semiconductor manufacturing facility in the state. Last February, EMP Shield announced plans to invest $1.9 billion in a computer chip plant in Coffey County. Iowans are set to brave subzero temperatures on Monday when they arrive at their caucus sites at 7pm to formally kick off the process to choose their nominee. In terms of pure numbers, the Iowa caucuses wont have much of a role in determining who the Republican nominee is. The state allocates 40 delegates in the Republican nominating contest, roughly just 1.6% of the more than 2,400 that are up for grabs. But that small total belies the outsized influence the state can have on US presidential politics. Related: What are the Iowa caucuses and how will they shape the 2024 US election? For more than half a century, Iowa has come to occupy a near-mythological place in American politics becoming known as the place where underdogs can become serious contenders and where dreams of the White House can die. The rural states voters often reward retail politicking, giving hope to candidates who visit its 99 counties to shake hands and give stump speeches. Since the 1970s, its caucuses have been the first nominating contest in each presidential cycle. Candidates crisscross the state in hopes of exceeding expectations and gaining momentum. And while it does not always pick the eventual nominee Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee have all won there victories there have been rocket fuel to candidates like Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. While Republicans are proceeding as usual with their first-in-the-nation caucuses, Democrats have chosen to shake up their calendar this year. In a largely symbolic move since there is no competitive Democratic primary, the Democratic National Committee has stripped Iowas caucuses of their first-in-the-nation status after mounting concerns that the overwhelmingly white state does not reflect the makeup of the party. But a battle over Iowas status probably looms for 2028, when there will be a competitive primary. Iowa is not first because its important. Its important because its first, said Dennis Goldford, a professor at Drake University in Des Moines and the co-author of The Iowa Precinct Caucuses: The Making of a Media Event. The morning after the caucuses, Iowa falls off the face of the earth. The importance of being first Iowa wound up being the first state to nominate presidential candidates largely by accident. After Democrats saw violent protests at the 1968 Democratic convention, the party moved to change the way it selected delegates to limit the power of party bosses. In Iowa, that meant holding precinct caucuses, and then conventions at the county, congressional district and state levels. In 1972, the state convention was set for 20 May because a hall was available for that day, according to the New York Times. A slow mimeograph machine meant that first stage of the process, the precinct caucuses, needed to start in January. It was simply a historical accident, Goldford said. The caucuses exploded in 1976. In that cycle, Jimmy Carter was not seen as a serious presidential candidate. But his campaign went all in on Iowa, betting that if he won there it would create enough momentum to make him a viable candidate. Carter earned the most votes of any candidate in the caucuses (he finished second behind uncommitted) and wound up winning the presidency. Gordon Fischer, a former chair of the states Democratic party, said there had been several efforts over the years by other states wanting to edge out Iowa. When he was chair in the early 2000s, Michigan made an unsuccessful play to go first. As much as I like, love and respect the Iowa caucuses and what Iowans have done over the years, probably it was unrealistic to think we were going to keep it for ever, Fischer said. It was just too special. The growing party divide and its consequences There has been a mounting push in recent years to have Democrats change their nomination schedule and strip Iowa of its place at the start of the nominating process. Allowing Iowa to go first, critics argued, gave outsized importance to a state that is overwhelmingly white and did not reflect the base of the Democratic party. It also brought a surge of Democratic attention to a state where Republicans have dominated in recent years (Trump won Iowa in 2020 by more than eight points). The push was exacerbated in 2020 when the Iowa Democratic party botched the release of the caucus results. The Iowa caucus being first also ignores Black voters, Joe Biden has argued, who have been the backbone of the party and should have a louder and earlier voice in the process, something the Democrats are trying to do by putting South Carolina as the first official contest this year. Last year, the Democratic National Committee officially stripped Iowa of its place at the front of the nominating contest. State Democrats have signaled that Iowa will try to compete again in 2028 for the first spot in the nominating contest. Its not only bad for Iowans to lose their early status, but for the country as a whole, Fischer said. Iowa has a lot to offer Democrats: media markets are more affordable and the state often rewards candidates who campaign on the ground, de-emphasizing the outsized role of money in politics. And, perhaps crucially for the party, the state is rural, and Democrats have a problem with rural voters, who have increasingly turned toward the GOP. Iowa gave candidates the opportunity to talk with and hear from voters that had a rural perspective. Im not sure thats the case with the other early states, he said. For Republicans, however, the caucuses dont appear to be going anywhere. I would be shocked if the Republicans wanted to change any of this, Goldford said. The Republicans now are essentially the party of rural America. It makes Iowa relevant to maintain for the Republicans and the position its in in the nomination process. Because Republicans are keeping their caucuses, Fischer thinks that gives Iowa a fighting chance to make a case for Democrats keeping it, too. A nice exercise in democracy On their face, the caucuses themselves seem to be the picture of what democracy looks like: Americans gathering with their neighbors to debate their political differences. They force you to do that once every four years. To go and sit and actually have a civil discussion with your neighbors in a moderated atmosphere if anybodys seen it operate its a marvel, Art Cullen, the editor of the Storm Lake Times, said. Its a nice exercise in democracy and healthy. But in recent years there has been more discussion of the undemocratic aspects of the caucus. Only allowing people to caucus on a specific day at a specific time shuts out people who might have to work or who cant find childcare, or who cant make it because of bad weather. Fischer doesnt agree with the criticisms of the format. Voters caucus in their own neighborhoods, in small precincts, on a date thats set well in advance. The caucus allows for people to come together to talk politics and persuade each other for one night. I think theres something cool about that. I think theres something valuable about that. I realize its a bit of a barrier, but I think its a barrier that can be overcome, he said. President Biden criticized the caucus process in a letter to the Democratic National Committee in 2022, saying they hinder participation in the voting process. Caucuses requiring voters to choose in public, to spend significant amounts of time to caucus, disadvantaging hourly workers and anyone who does not have the flexibility to go to a set location at a set time are inherently anti-participatory, Biden wrote. It should be our partys goal to rid the nominating process of restrictive, anti-worker caucuses. Cullen dismissed those concerns, and those that say Iowa is too white to hold this status in the election. He noted that it was Iowa that catapulted the candidacy of Obama, the USs first Black president. Spare me the racist bullshit. Its an excuse to get rid of us because they dont like our airports and our hotels and they really dont like the cold weather and have an answer about social security. Or having to answer about why two-thirds of Iowas counties are losing population. 'It gets criticized because you have to sit around for an hour, and, you know, who wants to spend an hour for democracy? An hour every four years, he added. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, seen here in New York on Jan. 11, 2024, is relying heavily on his brigade of disciples in Iowa. Credit - Getty ImagesMichael M. Santiago In the final days before the Iowa caucuses next Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley are both embarking on a tried-and-true tactic: Barnstorming the state to meet and win over as many voters as possible. Donald Trump? Not so much. While the former President recently participated in a Fox News Town Hall in Des Moines and plans to hold four virtual rallies over the weekend, it has fallen on MAGA World surrogates to engage in the kind of one-on-one voter interactions that are the lifeblood of Iowa politics. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Eric Trump all visited the Hawkeye State last week. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Donald Trump, Jr. each held events on Thursday where they kibitzed with voters and took selfies with fans. Arizona Senate candidate and Iowa native Kari Lake came to Des Moines on Friday to mobilize her fellow America First adherents. And 14 prominent MAGA Republicansincluding Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetzare holding a meet-and-greet with voters on Monday. The brigade of Trump disciples are key to the former Presidents Iowa ground game and show how Trumps starpower has elevated him beyond mundane retail politics. They may also be a sign of how he plans to campaign over the coming year when hes bogged down in four separate criminal cases against him. That was the scenario on Thursday, when Trump was in a New York courtroom for the closing arguments of a $370 million civil fraud trial and he unleashed a barrage of attacks against the judge presiding over the case. This is a fraud on me, Trump said. More than 1,000 miles across the country, Trumps on-the-ground campaigning was outsourced to proxies. Carson attended a faith event outside Cedar Rapids, and Trump's eldest son revved up an Urbandale crowd with punchlines and provocations. That same day, DeSantis held five events in Iowa and Haley had two. It was a microcosm of a larger trend in the campaign cycle. Trump has held 25 events in Iowa since announcing his campaign in January 2023. During that same time period, DeSantis has held 136 and Haley 75, according to a Des Moines Register tracker. Trump has always played by a different set of rules, says David Kochel, a veteran of Iowa Republican campaigns. DeSantis goes to 99 counties. Trump goes to six counties, but people show up from 99 counties because they come from all over the place. DeSantis has to go to them. For Trump, they come to him. DeSantis has roughly a dozen campaign events scheduled statewide from Saturday until caucusing begins Monday night. Haley has eight. After a snowstorm hit the midwestern state overnight Friday, with wind chills below zero, Haley turned her three scheduled town halls that day into Zoom gatherings. The wintry weather has impacted all comers. Trump was planning on holding large in-person rallies over the weekend, but will now have them online. Retail politics have always played an outsize role in Iowa, the first-in-the-nation nominating contest that has the power to shrink the field and reshape the contours of the race. Given Iowas small population and the nature of conducting caucuses instead of voters casting traditional ballots, its a state that rewards politicians with an endearing personal touch. And it often means that candidates have a chance to meet many of the individual voters who will decide their fate. Hence the old joke about the Iowa voter who's asked whether they will support a candidate: I dont know, they say. I only met them four or five times. DeSantis and Haley are going into overdrive to cover as much state territory as they can. The two are currently locked in a battle for second place. The current FiveThirtyEight average of polling has Trump with 51% of the vote, and Haley and DeSantis neck and neck: 17% to 16%. The aim for each campaign in Iowa is to have a convincing enough second place finish that they cement their status as Trumps only obstacle to the nomination. That way, they surmise, they can consolidate enough Republicans in the coming months to put an end to Trumps reign of the GOP. DeSantis may have the most at stake in Iowa. He has wagered his primary strategy on winning the Hawkeye State and is polling poorly in the upcoming primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina. The delta between him and Trump needs to be smaller than the delta between him and Haley, says Kochel. According to Steve Deace, the popular right-wing radio talk show host who endorsed DeSantis and campaigned with him Thursday night, the Florida governor needs to show that hes the clear alternative to Donald Trump in the race. For the Trump campaign, the objective is to have such a dominant win that it deprives either DeSantis or Haley of the oxygen for a sustained challenge. Trump campaign officials tell TIME they hope to beat the record for the largest margin of victory in Iowa caucus history13 pointsset by Bob Dole in 1988. At the heart of Trump's Iowa effort is to ensure that his loyal base turns out for him during what is expected to be one of the coldest nights in Iowa caucus history. Trumps team has been pursuing that endgame through a one-two-punch of having Trump hold large rallies while his surrogatesmany of whom have risen in popularity through the conservative media ecosystem that Trump helped to createmeet with voters at smaller, more intimate gatherings. For some, its working. Philip Hansen, 77, says hes seen Trump before but appreciated the opportunity to listen to Trump Jr. at an Urbandale restaurant on Thursday. Ive never seen Donald Trumps son before, the retired open road trucker says. This is the first time I get to see him. Hansen says he caucused for Trump in 2016 and plans to do so again on Monday night. Contact us at letters@time.com. As Iowa Republicans gather across the state Monday evening in the bitter cold to caucus for their preferred GOP candidate, much of the electricity for their lights and heat may be coming from a surprising source: thousands of wind turbines that dot the heartland landscape. Iowa is a deeply red state, and recent polling averages show a lot of love for the Republican primary frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. But the state stands apart from other GOP strongholds in a climate-friendly respect it makes and uses far more clean energy than many blue states. Iowa has been a wind energy behemoth for decades. Those spinning turbines powered 62% of Iowas electricity in 2022, according to the Energy Information Administration. Its the second-largest producer of wind power in the country behind Texas, and it consumes the most wind power in the nation. In a state dominated by agriculture, many view wind energy as another commodity, said Kerri Johannsen, the energy program director for the Iowa Environmental Council. Wind turbines are spinning throughout some of the states reddest areas, where many farmers lease their land to utilities continuing to farm that land after the turbines are constructed. The thing about Iowa is its really windy here, Johannsen told CNN. We know we can be a powerhouse for the rest of the Midwest. The pursuit of wind energy in the state has long been a bipartisan one; longtime Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has been nicknamed the father of Iowa wind, and has pursued tax subsidies for the clean energy. But the issue became controversial on the national stage as Trump elevated conspiracy theories about turbines causing cancer and offshore windmills causing whales to go crazy and die in in numbers never seen before. Unlike in past years, wind energy hasnt come up much in the 2024 Republican race for president, Iowa experts and clean energy advocates said. Speaking at a CNN debate in Iowa on Wednesday, candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley both promised to repeal President Joe Bidens generous tax credits for wind, solar, and other forms of clean energy, as well as electric vehicles. Doing so could hurt continued buildout of wind and solar in Iowa and other states. I dont see (wind) coming up much at all because its tied in with climate change and they dont want to go there, Peter Thorne, a University of Iowa professor of environmental health and member of the Environmental Protection Agencys Science Advisory Board, told CNN. Thorne believes most Iowans view wind energy as a positive. We grow stuff, Thorne added. Anything we can do locally to sustain ourselves is viewed positively; I think thats just the nature of agricultural states. Making money from the wind Iowas foray into wind energy began when it became the first state to pass a renewable energy standard in 1983, requiring its utilities to generate a certain amount of clean electricity. That bipartisan push, combined with the states bountiful wind strongest in its western half created a clean energy industry in the countrys heartland. Since then, thousands of turbines have been erected. For many farmers, leasing their land to utilities for wind turbines has become a source of stable income, even as crop yields fluctuate from year to year in what can be a very volatile business, said Iowa Farmers Union board president Aaron Heley Lehman. Many farmers have reported to us that they think that this has added to their farm operation, Lehman said. It gives them some income they might not otherwise get. Prices can change very quickly, and you have limited decision-making ability to deal with those changes. Having an alternate source of income that allows us to farm the way we want to farm is important. In addition to helping farmers negotiate fair lease payments with the utilities, Lehman said the farmers union has also encouraged farmers to develop wind energy projects that they own outright to ensure even more financial benefit. Of course, wind energy hasnt been without pushback in some parts of Iowa. In recent years, some counties have pushed back against new wind projects, and the state has also seen more dedicated opposition to the solar energy projects that are starting to emerge, in part over concerns about how it would affect farming. While landowners who are profiting from wind are generally happy with the arrangement, neighbors who dont see the financial benefits arent always keen on the whooshing noise the turbines make or their blinking red lights. Folks who are getting a lease payment or compensated in some way might not be bothered, but for neighbors who dont see the benefit or who have a negative association with the change, it might bother them more, Johannsen said. Johannsen, Thorne and others say that with more wind development and a burgeoning push on solar and battery storage in the state, theres a very good chance that Iowa could vastly increase the supply of clean electricity in the coming years both for itself and for the entire Midwest region. That, in turn, could help continue keeping electricity prices low, Johannsen said. Our early investment in wind has helped keep electricity rates lower compared to the rest of the country, she said. Even with rising supply chain costs and increased demand, our rates are lower than other areas, and you can attribute a lot of that to wind energy. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com DES MOINES, Iowa A powerful blizzard put a freeze on campaign events Friday as candidates look to make their final case to Iowans ahead of Mondays caucuses. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haleys campaign announced she would hold three telephone town halls in Webster, Plymouth, and Pottawattamie counties Friday after canceling in-person events in those areas. Meanwhile, the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down postponed events in Clear Lake and Marshalltown, where the governor was slated to speak. On top of Fridays blizzard, extreme lows in the negative teens are expected on caucus night, leading many to question how the inclement weather will impact turnout and results Monday. Six inches of snow had fallen in Des Moines as of noon Friday. Johnston reported more than 7 inches of snow, and Fairfield clocked in at 11-and-a-half inches, according to the Des Moines Register. Iowas Department of Transportation said Friday that U.S. Route 6 in the southwest of the state was impassable from near Council Bluffs to Lewis. Dangerous whiteout conditions, drifting snow, and slick roads over most of the state are making travel in Iowa treacherous. Travel is highly discouraged, the department warned Friday. But the inclement weather did not stop the DeSantis campaign from holding two in-person events Friday. The governor attended a breakfast club outside of Des Moines early in the morning and added an event at his get out the vote office in Urbandale. The snow is not going to slow down the hardest-working candidate and team in Iowa. We are ADDING an event for this afternoon, DeSantis campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo said in a post on X. Earlier this week, Never Back Down touted Florida first lady Casey DeSantiss canvassing efforts during the first snowfall of the week, where she knocked on the campaigns 3 millionth door in Iowa. The blizzard comes at a crucial point in the campaign, with three days to go until caucus night. While many caucusgoers have made up their mind, there is still room for movement. At a Haley event in Ankeny on Thursday, a majority of attendees raised their hands when asked whether this was the first time they had seen Haley in person during the campaign, an indication that caucusgoers are still getting to know the candidates in the final stretch. We do know, of course, that in past caucuses we have often seen a fair amount of movement, said Timothy Hagel, an American politics professor at the University of Iowa. There are workarounds to the weather, including virtual events like the ones Haleys campaign held Friday. Iowans have also been inundated with phone calls and mailers from the campaigns. It may not be as good as a live event, but you do what you can do, Hagel said. Strategists say that its better the blizzard hit days before the caucus, because the roads could be clear in time for caucus night. I think the fact that the blizzard is hitting today and not Monday is actually helpful generally for turnout, said Jimmy Centers, an Iowa-based GOP strategist. Even if the blizzard is out of the way by Monday night, caucusgoers will have to brave bone-chilling temperatures as they head to their respective caucus sites. The high Monday is predicted to be minus 3 degrees, while the low could reach minus 13 degrees. The caucus is a unique animal, Centers said. Theres a lot that goes into making sure youre prepared and your supporters are prepared walking into caucus night. This is why you build an organization for this moment, for this time when weather might impede some people from getting out, he added. The campaigns and their allies say they are ready for Mondays extreme temperatures, pointing to their own organizations preparedness and Iowans experience dealing with low temperatures. Were Midwesterners. This is like another day in January for us, said Preya Samsundar, a spokesperson for the pro-Haley Stand for America PAC, adding that clear roads will help turnout. We all had our predictions, we all use modeling to try to determine what turnout is going to be, DeSantis deputy campaign manager David Polyansky said. There is no model for minus 20-degree temperatures. What that does, though, favor is people that A) have gone across the state and campaigned in every county and many of them multiple times, he continued. But there isnt a voter that goes to caucus and shows up in those temperatures on Monday night that will not have had the chance or have actually met Ron DeSantis. Thats a big advantage. As for the caucusgoers themselves, many of them signaled that they are ready to brave the cold to get out for their preferred choice. I grew up on a farm here; Im used to the cold weather, Iowa resident John Brown, a Haley supporter, told The Hill at a Haley event Thursday. I think it might affect it, said Browns wife, Shelly, who is also supporting Haley. Theres going to be elderly people who dont come out, probably. Lower turnout from elderly caucusgoers could prove to be significant, given the voting blocs usual strong dependability in caucuses and elections. Ron Griener, a Florida transplant who plans to caucus for DeSantis after switching his support from former President Trump, was skeptical about the weather ultimately having a huge impact on turnout. I lived in Florida for 15 years and my blood got thin, so now this affects me worse Griener exclaimed. But Iowa people, theyre used to it. I dont think it will make a difference at all. Ultimately strategists say higher turnout would be the best-case scenario for Trump. I generally think the higher the turnout, the better night Trump is going to have, Centers said. But I wouldnt be too concerned if Im the former presidents team unless the turnout drops much below 150,000. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE - Israeli soldiers fire a mortar shell from southern Israel towards the Gaza Strip, in a position near the Israel-Gaza border , Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Now 100 days old, the latest Israel-Hamas war is by far the longest, bloodiest, and most destructive conflict between the bitter enemies. The fighting erupted on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and a ground offensive that have wrought unprecedented destruction, flattening entire neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File) JERUSALEM (AP) Now 100 days old, the latest Israel-Hamas war is by far the longest, bloodiest, and most destructive conflict between the bitter enemies. The fighting erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and a ground offensive that have wrought unprecedented destruction, flattening entire neighborhoods. The offensive has displaced the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza, shuttered operations in more than half of Gaza's hospitals and caused widespread hunger, U.N. monitors say. The Israeli military says it has now scaled back operations in the hard-hit north. But in the south, where it says Hamas' leaders are hiding, it presses forward at full strength. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Israel have engaged in cross-border skirmishes nearly every day since the war began. Heres a look in numbers at the toll of the Israel-Hamas war, sourced from Palestinian Health Ministry and Israeli officials as well as international observers and aid groups. TOTAL DEATHS Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza: 23,843 Number of people killed in Israel: more than 1,200 Number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank: 347 CIVILIANS Civilians killed in Gaza: The civilian toll of the war is unknown, with women and minors making up an estimated two-thirds of those killed Number of civilians killed in Israel on Oct. 7: 790 U.N. staff killed in Gaza: 148 Health workers killed in Gaza: at least 337 Journalists killed in Gaza: 82 SOLDIERS/MILITANTS Number of Israeli soldiers killed on Oct. 7: 314 Number of militants killed by Israel: Over 8,000 Number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive: 188 Number of Israeli soldiers killed on the northern front: 9 Number of Israeli soldiers killed by friendly fire or accidents in Gaza and the north: 29 DESTRUCTION/HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA Percentage of Gazas buildings likely damaged/destroyed: 45-56% Hospitals in Gaza partially functioning: 15/36 Palestinian civilians facing catastrophic hunger and starvation: 576,600 (26% of the population) Percentage of school buildings in Gaza damaged: over 69% Mosques damaged: 142 Churches damaged: 3 Ambulances damaged: 121 Students out of school: 625,000 (100% of students) INJURIES Palestinians injured in Gaza: 60,005 Palestinians injured in West Bank: more than 4,000 Total Israeli injuries: 12,536 Israeli soldiers injured in ground offensive: 1,085 Israeli soldiers injured since Oct. 7: 2,496 DISPLACEMENT Number of Palestinians displaced in Gaza: 1.9 million (85% of Gazas population) Number of Israelis displaced from northern and southern border communities: 249,263 (2.6% of the population) HOSTAGES/PRISONERS Hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7: 253 Hostages released: 121 Hostages taken Oct. 7 who remain in the strip: 132 Hostages who were killed or died in Hamas captivity: 33 Palestinian prisoners released during weeklong pause in fighting: 240 MUNITIONS Number of rockets launched toward Israel: 14,000 By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Bassam Masoud DOHA/GAZA (Reuters) -Israel kept up bombardments in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, vowing to press ahead with its offensive to destroy the Islamist movement Hamas as the war approaches the 100-day mark with no end in sight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not be deterred by a case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where it is fighting accusations that the campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide. "No one will stop us - not The Hague, not the Axis of Evil, no one," he told a news conference, referring to Hamas and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Houthi militias which have offered their support. More than three months after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel which triggered the war, more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed and Gaza is a wasteland of rubble, with all but a handful of its 2.3 million population squeezed into a tiny corner at the southern end of the enclave. In the southern city of Rafah, an Israeli air strike on a house sheltering two displaced families killed 10 people, the Gaza health ministry said. Holding up a photo of a dead girl with a piece of bread in her hand, Bassem Arafeh, a relative, said the families in Rafah had been eating dinner when the house was struck on Friday night. "This child died while she was hungry, while she was eating a piece of bread with nothing on it, where is the International Criminal Court to see how the children die?" Arafeh said. "Where are the Muslims ... and the world leaders?" Israel says it targets militants and does all it can to minimize harm to non-combatants as it wages urban warfare against Hamas in the densely populated Palestinian enclave. But the scale of the killing in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation has shocked world opinion and fuelled growing calls for a ceasefire, with South Africa launching a case before the ICJ accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has rejected the accusation as a gross distortion, saying its actions in Gaza have been taken in self defence after Hamas gunmen attacked a string of communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners and taking some 240 as hostages. It says the attack, which Hamas leaders have said they would carry out again, showed its existence as a state was under threat unless the movement is destroyed. The Israeli military, which says it has killed more than 8,000 fighters, has announced a new phase in combat, withdrawing some forces from northern Gaza, while maintaining operations in the south, where senior Hamas leaders including the movement's leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, are believed to be hiding. On Saturday, it said its forces had killed numerous militants in the southern area of Khan Younis and in the central Gaza Strip. It said it was looking into the reported strike in Rafah. Hamas said its fighters fired at an Israeli helicopter in southern Gaza's Khan Younis. In the central Gaza Strip, residents reported intense gunbattles and tank shelling and Israeli air strikes in Al-Bureij, Al-Nusseirat and Al-Maghazi, areas housing refugees and descendants of the 1948 war. HEALTH SYSTEM 'COLLAPSED' The Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra said Israeli strikes killed 135 Palestinians and wounded 312 in the past 24 hours. In total, he said 23,843 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since Oct. 7. As the fighting continued, the head of UNWRA, the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, said the death and destruction over the past 100 days was "staining our shared humanity". At Nasser Hospital, a handful of doctors said they were struggling in a now "collapsed" healthcare system. Reuters footage showed patients lying on stretchers on the floor inside corridors and doctors using their phone flashlights to examine patients' eyes. "Most of the medical supplies in the ICU are missing," said doctor Mohammad Al-Qidra. "We don't have empty beds, no treatments. Most of the medicines inside the emergency room are not enough for patients. We are trying to find alternatives." Hospital wards are being shared by many of the displaced. "When we ask for medicine, they tell us they don't have it, and the situation is bad. We are here in cold and windy weather," said Mahmoud Jaber, who has been displaced from his home in Gaza City. In the occupied West Bank, where violence had already been on the rise before Oct. 7 and has increased since, three Palestinians who were armed with knives, a rifle and an axe tried to break into a Jewish settlement and were killed, the Israeli military said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the dead were aged 15, 17 and 19. An Israeli soldier was wounded in an exchange of fire with the assailants as they breached the outer fence of the settlement Adora, near the Palestinian city Hebron, Israel said. (Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell and Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by James Mackenzie, Frances Kerry, William Maclean) Israel officials said Friday that theyve reached a deal with Qatar negotiators to move medicine into Gaza for hostages held by militant group Hamas amid the ongoing war in the region, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. The remaining hostages could receive the medicine in the next few days, Reuters reported. More than 240 hostages were captured by Hamas when it launched a surprise attack that killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7. In the more than three months since, Israel has launched a counteroffensive that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and has vowed to continue fighting until all of the hostages are returned. Qatar and the United States helped Israel broker a deal in November for a temporary cease-fire in exchange for returning some hostages. Hamas freed almost half of the hostages in return for the release of many Palestinian detainees that were held in Israel and shipments of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Released hostages have described torture, sexual assault and the lack of necessary medicine for many people, as a large amount of hostages taken were elderly or have chronic illnesses, Reuters reported. Families of the hostages have asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to deliver medicine and inspect the condition of the hostages, which the organization said Hamas blocked access, per the news wire. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also said it would demand visual proof that the medications reached the hostages. In a statement, the group warned that all of the hostages face mortal danger and need life-saving medicine and many require extensive medical treatment. The United States State Department announced this week that after a trip to the Middle East, Secretary Antony Blinken was able to agree with many Arab countries to focus on short-term and long-term solutions for the reconstruction and future governance in Gaza if Israel is able to agree as well. The countries are continuing diplomatic relations as tensions in the region have spiked surrounding the war. U.S. officials have urged Israel to dial back its attacks and operate in a more precise manner. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. It has now been 100 days since the depraved terrorists of Hamas broke the ceasefire with Israel and committed the worst anti-Semitic massacre in almost 80 years. Civilians were murdered and mutilated in the most horrifying fashion. Women were gang-raped and tortured. Young children and babies were butchered in their beds. Teenage girls, children and elderly Holocaust survivors were taken hostage, and 132 are still in captivity, their fate unknown. The leadership of Hamas remains not only defiant, but committed to the genocidal goals of the groups founding charter. In November, it vowed to repeat the pogrom of October 7 again and again and called for the state of Israel to be annihilated. The cruelty of Hamas extends to the treatment of the people of Gaza, over which it has ruled since 2006. It did not build a single bomb shelter, even as it prepared for war. Instead, it has sought to use Gazans as human shields. Hamas violated international law by embedding its fighters as close as possible to vulnerable civilians. Hospitals, mosques and schools were all co-opted. The actions of Hamas are morally grotesque, an abandonment of all civilised norms. In the most difficult and tragic of circumstances, Israel has had no choice but to defend itself. And yet the last 100 days have also seen a shocking attempt to distort the truth, an effort by far too many in the broadcast media, international organisations such as the UN, and by Left-wing politicians to make out as if the Israelis are the aggressors. Even before Israel began its inevitable military response, anti-Semitic protests had begun around the world. Groups that ostensibly stood for social justice cheered on rapists and child-killers as if they were heroes. There is no greater symbol of this moral inversion than South Africas attempt to indict Israel for genocide over its conduct of the war, when the war only started because Hamas had itself committed a genocidal attack. South Africa shows little sign of a moral compass, only an irresponsible desire to stoke anti-Israel sentiment. In Britain, the last 100 days have also been an indictment of the establishment class. The BBC has failed to confront its anti-Israel bias. Meanwhile, the police have refused to keep order on the streets. Anti-Semitic incidents have skyrocketed. Despite Hamas being a proscribed terror group, large pro-Palestine protests have normalised the chanting of hateful slogans and made the centre of London a no-go area for British Jews. This weekend, it seems, the protestors chanted in celebration of Houthi piracy. This afternoon, the Campaign Against Antisemitism will be holding a peaceful rally in Trafalgar Square. Today should serve as a reminder of what is at stake. Israel continues to deserve Britains unwavering support as it endeavours to destroy Hamas. 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. Family members of Ohad Ben Ami, who is still held as a hostage by Hamas in Gaza, hold his picture inside a 30-metre tunnel in Tel Aviv - ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK Israeli hostage families recreated a Hamas tunnel to mark 100 days since their relatives were first kidnapped by the terror group. Families built the mock tunnel in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv, to raise awareness for their loved ones who are still being held captive more than three months after the October 7 attacks. The cramped and dimly-lit tunnel, unveiled on Saturday, was built to imitate the conditions the hostages have had to endure inside the Hamas underground tunnel network. Ella Ben Ami, 23, whose father Oded, 55, is still being held in Gaza, told Channel 12 she was shaking as she walked through the underground passage. For nearly 100 days [the hostages] havent been able to leave this, said the 23-year-old, whose mother, Raz, was kidnapped separately but then freed in November. She told NBC News it was hard to keep the hope for so many days. Many of the remaining 132 Israeli hostages are elderly and have chronic illnesses that require daily medications. Their families have petitioned the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit the hostages to deliver medicine and inspect their conditions. Rachel Goldberg-Polin's son, Hersh, has been held as a hostage since the October 7 attacks - MAYA ALLERUZU/AP The Red Cross has said Hamas has denied it access. Israeli officials are coming under increasing pressure to secure the release of the estimated 132 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli prime ministers office said on Friday that Israel had made an arrangement with Qatar that will allow the delivery of medicines to hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The medications would be given to the hostages in the next few days, the office said in a statement. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of hostages, said it would demand visual proof the medications had reached the hostages. On Saturday, thousands of people gathered in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv at the start of the 24 period of events to mark 100 days since the attacks. The rally in Hostage Square will feature a video message from Emmanuel Macron, the French President, and other world leaders. Similar events are scheduled in cities outside Israel, including London, New York and Paris. The tireless campaign by families has gained widespread support and sympathy, ratcheting up pressure on the Israeli government to make concessions to win their release. More than 100 hostages were released during a week-long truce at the beginning of December. Earlier this week, Israeli officials said they will not allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza unless Hamas agrees to release more hostages. Relatives of a hostage pose by the mock tunnel - ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI/REUTERS The repatriation of Gazans to their homes could be used as a bargaining chip during negotiations for hostage release. Dorit Gvili of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum told Channel 12 News: I think we need public pressure, theres no other way. We must keep them in mind. We must say constantly that these people are alive and need to be returned. We feel the claustrophobia here every minute. Rachel Goldberg-Polin, 54, spends her days trying to bring her son Hersh and the other hostages home. The mother-of-three sticks a piece of masking tape on herself with the number of days her only son has been held hostage in Gaza every morning. Ms Goldberg-Polin, who began the ritual on day 26, pleaded with those around the world to adopt the same routine hoping the show of solidarity would help her and the other families bear the pain and anguish of waiting yet another day for their loved ones to return. She said her identity is the number of days hes been stolen. In a message to her son, 23, she said: We need you to stay strong. And survive and stay alive. And we are coming. 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 James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has seen Beta Pictoris as never before, capturing a previously unseen structure that gives the young planetary system a dusty cat's tail. Located 63 light-years away, from us Beta Pictoris is a star around twice the size of the sun and eight times as bright, surrounded by a disk of gas and dust in which there is evidence planets have formed. Beta Pictoris was the first planetary system around which astronomers spotted a dusty disk of material composed of debris caused by the collision of asteroids and planetesimals during the system's violent formative years. Following this, using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers spotted a second disk of debris and material in the Beta Pictoris system. Now using JWST instruments the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) a team of astronomers has discovered another layer of structure in the system, in the form of a sharply inclined branch of dust extending from the southwest portion of the secondary debris disk. Related: Astronomers solve mystery of 'Green Monster' in famous supernova remnant (photo) "Beta Pictoris is the debris disk that has it all: It has a really bright, close star that we can study very well," study team leader Isabel Rebollido, a scientist at the Astrobiology Center in Spain, said in a statement. "While there have been previous observations from the ground in this wavelength range, they did not have the sensitivity and the spatial resolution that we now have with the JWST, so they didnt detect this feature," Rebollido added. The cat's tail of Beta Pictoris only appeared to the MIRI instrument because it is shining most brightly in mid-infrared light, perhaps also explaining why it had been missed before. Rebollido and her team also noticed another feature of Beta Pictoris. They saw a temperature difference between the two disks of the planetary system, which indicates they may have different compositions. "We didnt expect the JWST to reveal that there are two different types of material around Beta Pictoris, but MIRI clearly showed us that the material of the secondary disc and cat's tail is hotter than the main disc," research co-author Christopher Stark, of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, said in the same statement. "The dust that forms that disc and tail must be very dark, so we don't easily see it at visible or near-infrared wavelengths but in the mid-infrared, it's glowing." The team theorizes that the disk with the hotter temperature is comprised of dark, highly porous material that is similar to that seen at the surface of comets and asteroids in our solar system, which is known as "organic refractory material." What put the kink in the cosmic cat's tail? While animal behavioralists think cats put a crook in their vertically extended tails as a greeting or to indicate friendliness or playfulness, Rebollido and colleagues aren't sure what gives this cosmic cat's tail its shape. This curved feature isn't something that is seen in the disks of material in other planet-birthing systems. To unravel this cat's cradle of a puzzle, the team modeled several scenarios to try to recreate the cat's tail structure and thus explain its origins. "The cats tail feature is highly unusual, and reproducing the curvature with a dynamical model was difficult," explained Stark. "Our model requires dust that can be pushed out of the system extremely rapidly, which again suggests it's made of organic refractory material." This investigation led the team to determine that the cat's tail had likely been caused by a dust-producing event that occurred only around 100 years ago from our perspective here on Earth. "Something happens like a collision and a lot of dust is produced," research co-author Marshall Perrin, of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said in the statement. "At first, the dust goes in the same orbital direction as its source, but then it also starts to spread out." Perrin added that the light from the star pushes the smallest, fluffiest dust particles away from the star faster, while the bigger grains are tougher to shift and thus do not move as much, which creates a long tendril of dust. Related: Stunning time-lapse video captures 17-year journey of exoplanet Beta Pictoris b around its star annotated version of the photo showing a large, reddish-orange dust cloud in deep space. As for the sharp angle at which the dust tail juts away from the debris disk, Rebollido and colleagues think that this is a mere optical illusion caused by the angle at which JWST observed Beta Pictoris. The actual angle at which the dust trail extends from the debris disk is just 5 degrees. Accounting for the brightness of this newly discovered feature, the astronomers were also able to determine that the dust in the tail is equivalent to the mass of an average asteroid in the main belt between Jupiter and Mars being spread out to a length of around 9.9 billion miles (16 billion kilometers). RELATED STORIES: Scientists discover 2nd alien planet around star Beta Pictoris and it's huge James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) A complete guide A Jupiter-size exoplanet formed around a tiny star. Astronomers aren't sure how The dust creation event that gave Beta Pictoris its feline feature may also be responsible for another curious characteristic of the system. The researchers think the same collision may be the cause of an asymmetry in Beta Pictoris previously observed in 2014 by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). This asymmetry takes the form of a clump of carbon monoxide, which sits by the cats tail. Because radiation from the central star should take no longer than a century to break down this carbon monoxide clump, the fact that the concentration of gas still lingers could be evidence of the same event. "Our research suggests that Beta Pic may be even more active and chaotic than we had previously thought," Stark concluded. "The JWST continues to surprise us, even when looking at the most well-studied objects. We have a completely new window into these planetary systems." The team's research was presented this week during the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans. FILE - John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, speaks during a news conference at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Dec. 6, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Kerry is stepping down from the Biden administration in the coming weeks, according to two people familiar with his plans. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) WASHINGTON (AP) John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy on climate, is stepping down from the Biden administration in the coming weeks, according to two people familiar with his plans. Kerry, a longtime senator and secretary of state, was tapped shortly after Joe Biden's November 2020 election to take on the new role created specifically to fight climate change on behalf of the administration on the global stage. Kerrys departure plans were first reported Saturday by Axios. Kerry was one of the leading drafters of the 2015 Paris climate accords and came into the role with significant experience abroad, as secretary of state during the Obama administration and from nearly three decades as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Bidens decision to tap Kerry for the post was seen as one way the incoming president was making good on his campaign pledge to battle climate change in a more forceful and visible manner than in previous administrations. The climate crisis is a universal threat to humankind and we all have a responsibility to deal with it as rapidly as we can, Kerry said in a visit to Beijing last summer, when he met with Vice President Han Zheng on climate matters. At international climate summits, Kerry always kept a breakneck pace, going from one meeting to another, with world leaders, major business figures and scientists, all interspersed with one press conference after another to share what he just learned, announce an initiative, or say a few words as civil groups announced their own plans to help combat climate change, thus lending his credibility and weight. In the span of an hour, at one meeting Kerry would talk in detail about the need for oil companies to drastically reduce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, then go to another gathering and detail his latest idea to help pay for green energy transition in developing countries and then, some minutes later, go into a long explanation of illegal fishing around the world while attending an event with leaders of Pacific Island nations. John Kerrys tireless work to deliver global progress on the climate crisis has been heroic, former Vice President Al Gore, who has focused primarily on climate in his post-public office life, said in a statement Saturday. He has approached this challenge with bold vision, resolute determination, and the urgency that this crisis demands. For that the U.S. and the whole world owe him a huge debt of gratitude. While his gravitas has made him a central climate figure around the world, Kerry also has strong critics who argue Americas climate policies dont amount to leadership in fighting global warming. The Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate law in U.S. history, is pumping billions of dollars into renewable energies. But many facets of the law emphasize domestic production, thus leading other nations to complain that the law is protectionist and detrimental to their own green industries. And for years, the United States opposed the creation of a loss and damage fund that would see rich nations contribute billions of dollars to help developing countries, often hit hard by extreme weather events driven by climate change. During COP27 in Egypt in 2022, the fund was approved, as the U.S. and other rich countries relented and supported it. However, Kerry is always quick to say the fund is not about reparations or compensation, and so far the U.S. has promised only modest funding for it. Kerry represented Massachusetts for 28 years in the Senate and was also the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004. ___ Associated Press writer Peter Prengaman in North Creek, New York, and AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report. FILE - Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jordan Hicks throws during the team's baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Aug. 18, 2023. Hicks, a free agent, has reached agreement on a $44 million, four-year contract with the San Francisco Giants, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations said Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal still required a physical to be finalized. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Free-agent pitcher Jordan Hicks and the San Francisco Giants have agreed on a $44 million, four-year contract, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations said Friday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical and had not been announced by the team. The hard-throwing Hicks has spent most of his time in the bullpen during five major league seasons, compiling 32 career saves. But he made eight starts for St. Louis in 2022, and the Giants intend to add him to their rotation. Hicks went a combined 3-9 with a 3.29 ERA and 12 saves over 65 outings spanning 65 2/3 innings last year between St. Louis and Toronto. Regardless of how he's ultimately used in San Francisco, the 27-year-old right-hander gives new Giants manager Bob Melvin a power arm with experience pitching in multiple roles. San Francisco has missed the playoffs the past two seasons after winning a franchise-record 107 games and the NL West in 2021. Hicks spent his first 4 1/2 big league seasons with the Cardinals before getting traded to the Blue Jays in late July last year. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB Family members, press freedom groups and Palestinian journalists have angrily rejected the Israeli militarys allegation that two reporters killed in an Israeli strike last weekend were terrorists. The deaths of Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Dahdouh and freelance reporter Mustafa Thuraya caused a firestorm among press advocates overseas and Palestinians in Gaza. Hamza was the son of prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Dahdouh, raising the killings profile. Facing global outcry, the Israel Defense Forces said this week that the two reporters were members of militant groups. The IDF released what it said was a document listing Dahdouh as an operative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and said it had further evidence showing that Thuraya was a Hamas commander. NBC News has not verified the accusation or the document released by the IDF, which did not respond to a request for further information and evidence. In a statement to NBC News, the Al Jazeera Media Network said it strongly condemns and wholly rejects and indeed expresses its very considerable surprise at the Israeli armys false and misleading attempts to justify the killing of our colleague Hamza Wael Al-Dahdouh and other journalists, the statement said. The statement added that Israel has a well-known history of making false allegations and of fabricating evidence and called for the international community to hold the IDF accountable. Image: (Hatem Ali / AP) Israel has been criticized for the killings of journalists during and before the Israel-Hamas war, including Shireen Abu Akleh, a correspondent for Al Jazeera. Israel initially said she was killed on May 11, 2022, by errant Palestinian fire, though independent investigations, including by the U.N., concluded that she was killed by the Israeli security forces. The IDF later said she was likely killed by an Israeli soldier. Before the war, The Committee to Protect Journalists, an American nonprofit that monitors press freedom, documented at least 20 cases of the IDF killing journalists for which no one was held accountable. The CPJ told NBC News on Sunday that the IDF has been inconsistent in its narrative about the journalists killings. In this particular case, within four days, the IDF provided three different stories about the killing of the journalists, highlighting the inconsistency and contradictions in these narratives, Gypsy Guillen Kaiser, the CPJs advocacy and communications director, wrote in an email to NBC News. The committee also called for a swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the journalists deaths. So far, the IDF has produced very little information about its investigation, the group added. In a statement to the BBC on Thursday, Hamzas family responded to the claim. It is clear that these are Israeli fabrications in an attempt to defend themselves and justify the targeting of Hamza and the journalists and divert the issue from its track to make it appear that it is not targeting journalists. Israel is under international pressure and from the American administration. Israel wants to divert attention and create pretexts, the statement added. Dahdouh and Thuraya were killed in an Israeli airstrike last Sunday as they were driving near Rafah in southern Gaza. Al Jazeera said they were traveling home after filming the aftermath of an airstrike, and denounced what it labeled a deliberate attack on Dahdouh and Thurayas vehicle. Initially, the IDF said that it had targeted a terrorist in the vehicle. An IDF aircraft identified and struck a terrorist who operated an aircraft that posed a threat to IDF troops, the IDF said in a statement. We are aware of the reports that during the strike, two other suspects who were in the same vehicle as the terrorist were also hit. Asked by NBC News on Monday if the IDF had evidence to support its allegation that an individual in the vehicle was a terrorist, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the incident was unfortunate and an investigation was still ongoing. Every journalist that dies, its unfortunate, he said. We understand they were putting a drone, using a drone. And using a drone in a war zone, its a problem. It looks like the terrorists, Hagari said, adding that Hamas uses drones to collect intelligence on Israeli forces. So we will investigate this incident and we will provide the data, Hagari said. In an earlier statement, the IDF said the men were operating a drone near Israeli soldiers, which prompted the strike. When asked for comment on how the military avoids mistakenly killing journalists who are using drones as part of their jobs, the IDF told NBC News that it takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm [to] civilians including journalists, and denied deliberately targeting journalists. Al Jazeera managing editor Mohamed Moawad told NBC News on Monday that Thuraya was not flying a drone, as the pair were driving. Both Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate, a nongovernmental union accredited with the International Federation of Journalists, said that Thuraya was a well-known freelance drone operator in the community, whose work featured in foreign outlets such as Agence France-Presse. After the attack, AFPs global news director Phil Chetwynd said the agency was shocked by Thurayas death and its thoughts were with his family. We vigorously condemn all attacks against journalists doing their jobs and it is essential we have a clear explanation as to what happened, Chetwynd added. After outrage and calls for independent investigations over the journalists death grew, the IDF then said in a statement on Wednesday that soldiers found documents identifying Thuraya as a Hamas squad commander and Dahdouh as a member of the Islamic Jihads electric engineering unit, as well as a deputy commander in a rocket unit. Along with its statement, the IDF released a document with a logo of al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, that it says is dated June 2022 and included Dahdouhs name on a list under the title electronic engineering, according to an NBC News Arabic translation. The document requested that the names be approved with financial compensation, but no additional information was provided. Anan Quzmar, a Palestinian journalist based in the occupied West Bank who works for the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate, called the allegations and release of the Arabic document a total fabrication. Quzmar said his organization consulted independent experts on militant groups and independent Arabic language translators to examine the veracity of the Arabic document and found several red flags, including language, phrasing and wording [that] are absurd and uncommon. NBC News has not independently reviewed this evidence. I think its reflective of Israels policy of targeting Palestinian journalists. These targetings have been covered, but only in prominent cases has IDF engaged with the media. This is one of very few times that we have specific allegations pointed at somebody, he said in a telephone interview from Tulkarm, a city in the West Bank. In a statement posted on X, the syndicate said that following intense media attention to his killing in a surgical strike, the Israeli military issued a statement with fabricated evidence in order to justify the systematic killing of journalists in Gaza. So far 72 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the war began, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Former U.S. President Donald Trump sued the New York Times in 2021 over an investigation into his taxes, which he called an "insidious plot." A New York judge threw out the case in 2023, arguing the investigation falls under "protected First Amendment activity." Pool Photo by Michael M. Santiago/UPI Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A New York judge on Friday ordered Donald Trump to pay the New York Times nearly $400,000 in legal fees following his failed lawsuit against the newspaper. Trump in 2021 sued his niece, Mary Trump, The Times and three of its reporters over a 2018 investigation into his taxes that included confidential tax records. In his suit, in which he sought $100 million in damages, Trump accused Times reporters of having a "personal vendetta" against him and engaging in an "insidious plot" to obtain his tax records. New York Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed dismissed Trump's suit last May, saying the former president's claims "fail as a matter of constitutional law." "Courts have long recognized that reporters are entitled to engage in legal and ordinary news-gathering activities without fear of tort liability -- as these actions are at the very core of protected First Amendment activity," Reed wrote. The judge's ruling included an order for Trump to pay the legal fees of the Times and its reporters. The Times asked for $229,921 for itself and $162,717 for the reporters. Trump opposed the amount of money the Times requested, arguing the legal work included "unjustified or duplicative work and exorbitant hourly rates." Reed maintained the requested amount was "reasonable," citing the "complexity of the issues" in the suit, the experience and ability of the defenses' attorneys, the amount in damages Trump sought and the defense attorney's success in getting the case dismissed. The Times' investigation into Trump's tax records resulted in a series of articles that won a Pulitzer Prize in the category of explanatory reporting. Among those articles was one headlined, "Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches from His Father." Defense attorneys for the man charged with murdering four University of Idaho students are set to receive some of the DNA records they sought after the judge in the case ordered the state turn over a portion of the information that prosecutors have acknowledged was used to initially identify Bryan Kohberger as the suspect. Judge John Judge of Idahos 2nd Judicial District filed the order Thursday evening concerning the release of details about the use in the case of the advanced DNA technique known as investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG. The order published to a website that houses the Kohberger cases court record Friday afternoon. IGG involves taking DNA from a crime scene and submitting it to online genealogy services similar to 23andMe and Ancestry.com to build a family tree and locate criminal suspects. A leather sheath for a Ka-Bar brand combat-style knife was found at the off-campus home where the U of I students were killed. Investigators located a single source of male touch DNA on the sheaths button snap, which was later linked to Kohberger, police have said. But which IGG records the defense will receive through the criminal legal process known as discovery is unclear. Judges order stated that only some of the information would be delivered all of which is under seal. The specific material to be provided is set forth in a sealed order to protect the privacy of the IGG information, including individuals on the family tree, Judge wrote. Bryan Kohberger, center, accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, is seated with his defense attorneys, Anne Taylor, left, and Jay Logsdon, during a September 2023 hearing in Latah County Court, in Moscow, Idaho. State moved to limit DNA records disclosed For eight months dating back to May Kohbergers public defense team has requested that prosecutors turn over the records. They include any documents held by the FBI, as well as those produced by Texas-based private laboratory Othram, which the defense has said performed DNA work during the homicide investigation for the Idaho State Police. Led by Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, prosecutors objected to providing the records to the defense on a number of grounds, including that they were in the FBIs possession, and that prosecutors had never seen them. They requested a protective order to prevent the defense from accessing them. The two sides made arguments before Judge in August and he ordered the prosecution to obtain all available IGG records from the FBI by the beginning of December. With those in hand by the deadline, Judge went about reviewing them behind closed doors to decide which ones he would allow to be turned over to Kohbergers defense, and which ones would be withheld. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson speaks with public defender Anne Taylor during a court hearing for defendant Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. Kohberger, 29, is accused of stabbing the four college students to death at the home on King Road in Moscow in November 2022. The victims were seniors Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, each 20. Against some of the victims families wishes ahead of a trial, the U of I, which took ownership of the Moscow home, demolished it two weeks ago. The King Road property was previously owned by U of I President Scott Greens family until the early 1970s. Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 and is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted by a jury. No trial date has been set after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial last year. Prosecutors recently requested a trial date be scheduled for the upcoming summer. Judge set the next pretrial hearing for Jan. 26 in his Latah County courtroom to discuss an updated schedule. In addition, he will hear arguments most of which will be behind closed doors from the defense that he reconsider his prior decision denying their efforts to throw out Kohbergers grand jury indictment on several procedural grounds. A Wisconsin judge ruled that the states top election leader can legally remain in her position, handing a blow to the Republican-controlled state Senate that tried to oust her. The GOP-controlled Wisconsin Senate voted in September to fire Meagan Wolfe, the top election official, from her position at the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), after months of threatening to remove her over how she handled the 2020 election. They falsely claimed that Wolfe orchestrated a plan to rig the election in the state a swing state that President Biden secured by over 20,000 votes. Bidens win in Wisconsin has withstood multiple partial recounts, a nonpartisan audit, a conservative law firms review and multiple state and federal lawsuits, the Associated Press reported. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Ann Peacock declared Friday that she agreed with the WEC, which argued that stability in its elections system ahead of the 2024 election would be best for the public. Thus, Wolfe was cleared to remain in the role. The injunction, Peacock wrote in her order, will provide stability to protect against any further legally unsupported removal attempts against Wolfe. Democrats argued that the state Senate vote to oust Wolfe from her position was not held properly and they dont have the power to remove her from her position or appoint an interim administrator. Peacocks decision renders the the state Senates statute removing Wolfe as moot. The defendants were also barred under the ruling from taking official actions contrary to the order and their counterclaim and pending motions were nixed. I hope this will put an end to attempts by some to target nonpartisan election officials and fabricate reasons to disrupt Wisconsin elections, Wolfe said in a statement to the AP. The effort to undermine me was especially cruel given that the defendant legislators themselves admitted in court that I remain the lawful administrator, she added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A federal judge threw out Trader Joes trademark infringement claim against its workers union on Friday, delivering the equivalent of a legal smackdown in an order dismissing the complaint. Hernan D. Vera, a judge for the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California, wrote that the grocer tried to weaponize the legal system against the union, Trader Joes United, all in the hopes of gain[ing] advantage in an ongoing legal labor dispute. Vera determined that Trader Joes legal effort against the union comes dangerously close to the line of Rule 11 a federal rule that allows district courts to sanction attorneys for submitting filings for an improper purpose. A Trader Joes spokesperson could not immediately be reached Saturday for comment on Veras order. Nor could David Eberhart, a partner at the law firm OMelveny & Myers, who was listed as the lead attorney on the complaint against Trader Joes United. It strains credulity to believe that the present lawsuit would have been filed absent the ongoing organizing efforts that Trader Joes employees have mounted (successfully) in multiple locations across the country.U.S. District Judge Hernan D. Vera Trader Joes filed its lawsuit against the union in July, alleging that the swag the union was selling in its online store violating the companys trademarks. Trader Joes claimed that the sale of the items like a reusable shopping bag that says Trader Joes United and shows a raised fist clenching a box cutter could dilute its brand and cause significant reputational harm. Vera, an appointee of President Joe Biden, wasnt buying it. He seemed to think the lawsuit was not about brand dilution so much as the organizing effort that has led to four union stores and counting (the company has disputed the results of one of those elections). This action is undoubtedly related to an existing labor dispute, Vera wrote, and it strains credulity to believe that the present lawsuit would have been filed absent the ongoing organizing efforts that Trader Joes employees have mounted (successfully) in multiple locations across the country. The union Trader Joe's United organized several stores before the company filed a lawsuit claiming the union violated its trademarks. The union Trader Joe's United organized several stores before the company filed a lawsuit claiming the union violated its trademarks. Vera found it highly unlikely that someone would buy one of the unions items thinking it was the grocers: the logosused by the Union are in a different font, do not utilize the distinctive fruit basket design, apply concentric rings of different proportions, and are applied to products that no reasonable consumer could confuse as coming from Trader Joes itself. He also noted that to buy one of the unions items a supporter had to go to the unions online store: it is simply not plausible to imagine areasonable consumer going to the Unions website, purchasing a Union-branded coffee mug, andmistakenly believing it to be sold by Trader Joes. The judge dismissed Trader Joes complaint in its entirety. A different judge recently threw out a similar complaint that Medieval Times brought against its workers union, Medieval Times Performers United. Like Trader Joes, the dinner-theater chain alleged its brand was being diluted. Starbucks has also sued its workers union over their name and logo, filing a lawsuit against Starbucks Workers United in October. Seth Goldstein, an attorney representing Trader Joes United, said it was significant that in this case Vera wrote the complaint was almost worthy of sanctions. This is a real victory, Goldstein said. Workers are just trying to stand up for their rights, and the court is tired of getting dragged into these types of ridiculous situations. Related... Semafor Signals Insights from Reason, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. The News The United States Justice Department is seeking the death penalty in a federal case against the 20-year-old White shooter who killed 10 Black people in a racially motivated attack on a Buffalo supermarket in 2022. The United States believes the circumstances in Counts 11-20 of the Indictment are such that, in the event of a conviction, a sentence of death is justified, prosecutors said, according to court filings. It is the second time that Attorney General Merrick Garland has pursued the death penalty since taking office, a sharp deviation from President Joe Bidens campaign promise to eliminate capital punishment at a federal level. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Biden may seek death penalty for Buffalo shooter for political gain Sources: Reason, CNN Biden is trying to execute this guy to show people he opposes racism, wrote Billy Binion of Reason, a libertarian magazine. Despite making abolition of the death penalty a central campaign promise, his administration has sent mixed signals about their position on the issue, activists told CNN: The White House has halted federal executions as it reviews Trump-era justice policies, while also pursuing new capital punishment trials including that of the El Paso shooter in 2019 and the 2017 New York City truck attacker. The only consistency in Bidens death penalty policy is its inconsistency, one law professor told CNN. Trump wants to expand death penalty and bring back firing squads Sources: Asssociated Press, Rolling Stone Former President Donald Trump reversed a 17-year pause on federal capital punishment to execute 13 inmates in his last months in office at times cutting corners to get the executions done, the Associated Press reported and may seek to go further should he win office again. Where Trump once appeared hesitant of the death penalty, asking former Attorney General Bill Barr why he supported it, according to the AP he is now in favor of more dramatic execution methods as a crime deterrent, former White House officials told Rolling Stone, asking advisers about the legality of reintroducing archaic execution methods such as firing squads and the guillotine, and proposing capital punishment for drug traffickers. Haley rebuffs far-right push calling for women who get abortions to be executed Sources: NBC, CNN, Vanity Fair The apparent resurgence of the federal death penalty comes as a group of GOP lawmakers in South Carolina last year introduced a bill calling for abortion to be classified as murder and women who get abortions to be executed although several later withdrew their support. State representative Jordan Pace said that the opposition and media reports had overblown the death penalty aspect of the proposed legislation, NBC News reported. The controversy has forced 2024 candidates to take a side on the issue, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who confirmed her view during a CNN town hall that any woman that has an abortion shouldnt be jailed or given the death penalty. Republican lawmakers in Kansas want to make sure you know they dont care about the will of the voters. State representatives have introduced a bill completely banning abortion, despite Kansans voting less than two years ago to keep protections for the procedure in the state constitution. House Bill 2492 was introduced Wednesday by eight Republican state representatives, seven of whom are men. The measure would ban all abortions except those necessary to save the patients life. The bill bans prescribing, distributing, selling, or donating abortion medication. Anyone who helps someone get an abortion could face civil proceedings, while doctors who perform abortions would face a minimum fine of $10,000 per procedure. The measure flies directly in the face of the will of the voters, as noted by Amber Sellers, the advocacy director of Trust Women, a pro-abortion nonprofit in Wichita, Kansas. Kansans spokeloudlyon the issue, Sellers told the Kansas Reflector. Its time for anti-abortion lawmakers to wake up, remember and finally listen to the message that voters continue to send. In August 2022, less than two months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Kansans voted overwhelmingly to keep language in the state constitution protecting the right to abortion. The vote proved to be a bellwether, with multiple states voting to increase abortion protections since. But that didnt stop Kansas Republican lawmakers from trying to circumvent the will of the people. The Sunflower State GOP has tried to pass a bill that would let local governments of individual towns and cities ban abortion, as well as a bill that would force doctors to lie to their patients about abortion medication. Both measures were ultimately unsuccessful. And just as the Kansas vote turned out to be an indicator of what voters wanted nationwide, so too have Republicans in other states followed the Kansas GOPs model. Most recently, Ohio residents voted in November to enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution. Ohio Republican lawmakers immediately set about finding ways to enact legislation that would undermine the results. If the Kansas bill passes the state legislature, which is controlled by Republicans, it will likely be vetoed by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. The GOP does have a large enough majority to override Kellys veto, but the abortion ban is unlikely to survive a legal challenge. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the Kansas constitution protects abortion rights, meaning the bill violates those rights. Proud Boys member William Chrestman, 51, of Olathe, Kan., is depicted during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol while carrying an ax handle. He was sentenced to 55 months in prison on Friday. File Photo provided by U.S. Dept. of Justice Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Kansas Proud Boys member William Chrestman has drawn a 55-month federal prison sentence for threatening a federal officer while carrying an ax handle during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Chrestman, 51, of Olathe, Kan., must spend another 20 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release after spending the past 35 months in federal lockup while awaiting trial and sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly ordered Friday. He also must pay $2,000 in restitution for contributing to nearly $3 million in damages to the Capitol. Chrestman pleaded guilty to felony charges of obstructing an official proceeding and threatening a federal officer on Oct. 16. Court records say he is a member of the Kansas City chapter of the Proud Boys and made plans with other supporters of former President Donald Trump to travel to Washington D.C. to protest certification of the Electoral College's Jan. 6 vote to make Joe Biden the nation's president. Chrestman stayed at a rented home in Arlington, Va., with other Proud Boys members and met with a larger group near the Washington Monument on Jan. 6, according to the Department of Justice. He wore a tactical vest with a gas mask attached and tactical gloves while carrying an ax handle with a flag affixed to it. Prosecutors said Chrestman and a large group of Proud Boys members then marched up a street to the west side of the Capitol's grounds and joined a crowd in breaching barricades that were guarded by Capitol Police officers around 1 p.m. Chrestman positioned himself at the front of the breach and urged others to "Go! Go! Go!" past the barricade. Chrestman unlawfully stayed on the Capital grounds for more than an hour and stood next to a line of Capitol Police officers who were trying to maintain the perimeter while officers positioned behind them fired pepper balls at specific protestors. He threatened the officers while gesturing with the ax handle and said he would "take you're a... out!" if they continued shooting their nonlethal rounds at protestors, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Chrestman and other Proud Boys members entered the Capitol building through the Senate wing door at about 2:25 and moved about until encountering an internal barrier, which Chrestman helped to block open with the ax handle that he carried, prosecutors said. The group continued to the Capitol's visitor center where Chrestman prevented police officers from arresting a rioter and helped block the deployment of barriers within the Capitol. "We had the cops running" and they "were legitimately scared," the U.S. Attorney quoted Chrestman as saying. The FBI's Washington D.C. and Kansas City field offices investigated the case against Chrestman. Kashmiris offer special prayers in the compound of Jamia Masjid or Grand Mosque in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Special congregational prayers known as "Salatul Istisqa" were organized by Anjuman Aquaf Jamia Masjid for respite from the prevailing dry weather conditions in Kashmir valley. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) SRINAGAR, India (AP) A prolonged dry spell is sweeping across the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir during the harshest phase of winter, leaving many people sick and farmers worried about impending water shortages. Daytime temperatures have been high for about a month now, sometimes at least 6 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) above the norm, according to Indian meteorological officials. The daytime temperatures usually hover around 5 Celsius (41 Fahrenheit) during this harsh winter period. Nights, however, continue to be freezing, and have become piercingly cold amid the dry weather. Officials say the region witnessed about 80% rain deficit in December, while there was no precipitation in Januarys first week. Most plains in Kashmir have not received any snow while the upper reaches saw less than usual. Weather officials warn that the dry weather conditions are likely to continue for at least another week. Experts link the weather shifts in Kashmir with broader climate change and global warming and warn that it could have a cascading impact on the regions water resources and agriculture. We have witnessed in the last some years that the winter period has shortened due to global warming, said Mukhtar Ahmed, head of the Indian meteorological Departments Kashmir office. It is not good for this place or for that matter any place as it adversely impacts multiple sectors, be it hydroelectric power generation, tourism or agriculture. The stunningly beautiful Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and both claim the disputed region in its entirety. Earlier this week, climate scientists confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record and projected that January will be so warm that a 12-month period will exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) threshold for the first time. Countries had set a goal of limiting global warming since pre-industrial times to 1.5 degrees at the 2015 Paris climate talks to avert the worst consequences of climate change. In Kashmir, the winter has historically been divided into three parts. The first is Chillai Kalan, the coldest 40-day part of winter that begins in late December when temperatures drop considerably, leading to the freezing of bodies of water as well as water in pipes. The chances of snowfall are the highest in this phase and most areas, particularly the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall. The harshest phase is followed by 20 days of Chillai Khord, or little winter, and 10 days of Chille Bachi, or baby winter. Ahmed said timely snowfall is crucial to recharge the regions thousands of glaciers that subsequently sustain water resources for agriculture and horticulture, the mainstay of Kashmirs economy. Over the years, experts have warned of the environmental fragility of a region where villagers largely depend on glacial runoff for water. Farmers, who depend on winter precipitation for their agricultural activities, are distressed. In the last few years, some farmers have converted their water-intense paddy fields to fruit orchards due to water scarcity. The huge temperature fluctuations have also manifested in a surge of health issues, particularly respiratory problems afflicting many residents. These challenges are exacerbated by power cuts, one of the regions longstanding crises despite vast hydroelectric potential, further disrupting daily life and intensifying the prevailing sense of gloom and winter stillness. The unscheduled power outages, sometimes lasting 12 to 16 hours, have disrupted patient care for those with respiratory illnesses and affected businesses. Residents have long accused New Delhi of stifling their hydropower potential, as most power produced locally goes to various Indian states, leaving only 13% for Kashmir. In peak winter, the region purchases electricity at higher prices from Indias northern grid to meet demand. Kashmirs famed tourism sector is also affected. There is hardly any snow at Asias largest ski terrain in Gulmarg where thousands of domestic and international tourists would usually visit to ski and sledge its stunning snowscape in winter. Tens of thousands of mainly Indian visitors flock to Kashmir in winter months to witness the snow and visit its hill stations and the main city of Srinagar where wooden houseboats bobbing on the waters of the vast Dal Lake provide an enchanting stay. On Friday, thousands of Muslims in several parts in the region offered special congregational prayers seeking Gods intervention in ending the dry spell. At Srinagars Jamia Masjid, the regions biggest mosque, some worshippers, among the hundreds, cried as they prayed for rain and snowfall. We are facing distress and disease in this dry spell, said Bashir Ahmed, a local resident who participated in a prayer meeting in Srinagar. Only Allah can take us out from this suffering. ___ Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India, contributed to this report. HONG KONG, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- On Jan. 8-12, Mohamed Muizzu paid his visit to China as president of the Maldives, marking a fresh starting point for China-Maldives relations. This year is also of special significance for bilateral ties as it marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's historic state visit to the Maldives in 2014. During Muizzu's China visit, the two heads of state announced that bilateral relations would be upgraded to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, a new starting point for China-Maldives cooperation. The two Asian nations are expected to see a leap-frog development of their bilateral relations and enable their people to enjoy more win-win dividends from bilateral cooperation. The China-Maldives friendship goes back a long way. In the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese navigator Zheng He, with fleets of ships, made it to the Maldives twice. Maldivian King Yusof also sent envoys to China on three different occasions. The island country was also an important stop on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Ancient Chinese porcelain and coins unearthed in the Maldives are historical witnesses to the friendly exchanges between the two countries. Over the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Maldives, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting a model for large and small countries to treat each other on an equal footing for mutual benefit and win-win results. During President Xi's state visit to the Maldives in September 2014, the two sides agreed to establish a future-oriented all-around friendly and cooperative partnership, steering the development of ties on a fast track. Nearly a decade later, Muizzu's visit to China has once again brought bilateral relations to a new height. The two sides will take this opportunity to jointly build a China-Maldives community with a shared future. The two sides now enjoy growing political mutual trust. While Muizzu re-emphasized that the Maldivian government firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports the Chinese side in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, China expressed its respect and support for the Maldives in exploring the development path that suits its national conditions. Deepened trust catalyzes flourishing cooperation. Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge and the Hulhumale housing project undertaken by China have been completed, benefiting the economic and social development of the Maldives and the local people. More cooperation documents were signed during Muizzu's visit to China, covering such areas as joint BRI cooperation, economic and technological development, the blue economy, the digital economy, green development, infrastructure and livelihood assistance. Since China resumed outbound tourism, the number of Chinese tourists to the Maldives has been on a rapid rise, accelerating the recovery of the Maldives' tourism industry. Statistics from the Maldives' Ministry of Tourism show that in 2023, the country received a total of about 187,000 Chinese tourists, and that in 2024, the number of Chinese tourists is expected to return to the top of the list. Resurgent tourism is the epitome of the closer people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. In 2023, the China-Maldives mutual visa exemption agreement came into force, further facilitating personnel exchanges between the two countries. During Muizzu's visit, China said it would add more direct flights between the two countries and accommodate more outstanding Maldivian students to study in China, and the Maldivian side welcomed such positive measures to promote people-to-people exchanges and expects more Chinese tourists to visit the Maldives. Looking ahead, relations between the two countries, which have stood the test of time, are bound to open a new and more brilliant chapter. Kobuk Valley National Park doesnt get many tourists. The park saw just under 17,000 recreational visits in 2022, but that doesnt mean its any less worthy of a trip. Kobuk Valley is one of the most unique and least visited national parks in the entire system, said Peter Christian, chief spokesperson for Public Affairs for the National Park Services Alaska region. Its hard to get to because it is so remote, but once you do, the reward is sand dunes and snow-capped peaks and, if youre lucky, thousands of caribou. He said the park also protects the traditional way of living for Alaska Natives whose ancestors have lived on the land since time immemorial. Heres what travelers should know about Kobuk Valley, the latest national park in USA TODAYs yearlong series. What is Kobuk Valley National Park famous for? Thousands of caribou cross the Kobuk River during their twice yearly migration. Kobuk Valley is known for its striking sand dunes. Sand dunes in the Arctic landscape are not what you would expect. Since most people associate sand dunes with a hot desert environment, it is a visually unusual thing to see, said Christian, who worked at Kobuk Valley for four years. In fact, what most people don't realize is that the Arctic is also a desert, with very low levels of rainfall. The parks sand dunes date back to the Ice Age. Over time, the slow, grinding advance and retreat of the glaciers ground the rocks beneath them into a fine sand which was blown by the wind into the sheltered, ice free Kobuk Valley, explains the parks website, which notes the parks Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are the largest active, high-latitude, dune field on Earth. The park is also widely associated with caribou, which migrate through the park in the spring and fall. The spectacle of tens of thousands of caribou crossing the Kobuk River is unparalleled, Christian said. How big is Kobuk Valley? Kobuk Valley National Park spans 1.75 million acres of northwest Alaska. Kobuk Valley's Onion Portage has supported subsistence living for thousands of years. Can you visit Kobuk Valley National Park? Yes. Kobuk Valley is open all year round. Joe Dallemolle, district ranger for Western Arctic National Parklands, said the vast majority of visitors are local, Native residents who highly rely on the park's protected resources for subsistence activities, such as hunting, fishing, berry picking, wood gathering, etc., much like they have for thousands of years. Who are the Native people of Kobuk Valley? Traditional ice fishing in one of the subsistence practices at Kobuk Valley National Park. The park lies within the traditional homelands of the Inupiat people, who still live in the area. Part of the motive for Congress to establish the park, which is still true today, is its rich cultural and archeological history dating to around 10,000 years ago by the ancestors of the Inupiat people, Dallemolle said. What does Kobuk mean? "Kobuk is an Inupiaq Eskimo word meaning big river, according to the parks website, which notes that past spellings have included Kowak, Kowuk, Ku-buck, Koowak, Kooak, Kopak, Kubuk and Kuvuk. How much does it cost for one vehicle to enter Kobuk Valley National Park? Snowmobiles are among the few transportation options at Kobuk Valley National Park. Kobuk Valley National Park is free to enter, but forget about driving. As there are no roads, visitation to the park requires some planning, and transport is conducted via bush plane, boat, snowmobile, and dog sled, Dallemolle said. Most visitors are local area subsistence users, with a much smaller portion of tourists that fly to the Sand Dunes to hike, camp, or just take photos in the summer and others that may float the Kobuk River and its tributaries. World-class guided fishing also attracts a small number of visitors in the summer. Travelers can take an authorized air taxi from Anchorage or Fairbanks to the park. What animals live in Kobuk Valley? Kobuk Valley is home to a wide array of wildlife. In addition to caribou, the parks many mammal species include moose, grey wolves, brown bears, wolverines, arctic foxes, snowshoe hares and muskox, which are native to Alaska. There are also all kinds of migratory birds and fish. The Jade Mountains are reflected in the Kobuk River. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Kobuk Valley National Park is worth visiting, even if its tricky Former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy Andrew Lyons has drawn a 30-day jail sentence in connection with the 2019 shooting death of Ryan Twyman, an unarmed Black man. Photo by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department/Wikimedia Commons Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy Andrew Lyons has been sentenced to 30 days in jail followed by two years of probation for the 2019 shooting death of Ryan Twyman, an unarmed Black man. Lyons on Friday pleaded no contest to one count of felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm and felony assault under the color of authority, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Eleanor Hunter accepted Lyons' plea agreement and sentenced him during a court appearance, the prosecutor said. Lyons, 39, initially was charged with voluntary manslaughter of Twyman, 24. Another deputy also shot at Twyman, which raised the question of who fired the fatal shot. Deputy District Attorney Kristopher Gay after Lyons' sentencing told reporters both officers fired fatal shots at Twyman. Twyman and a passenger were in a sedan driven by Twyman that was stopped in the parking area of an apartment complex in Willowbrook, Calif., on June 6, 2019. Lyons and the other sheriff's deputy responded to a call to enforce a warrant for Twyman's arrest for an alleged weapons violation. When Lyons and the other deputy arrived, Twyman put the car in reverse and the deputies fired at him. After the vehicle stopped moving, Lyons retrieved a semiautomatic rifle and again shot at Twyman. His passenger was unhurt despite a total of 34 shots fired by the police officers. "Today, justice has been served for Mr. Twyman's family who have spent years mourning the loss of their loved one," Gascon said. "This verdict reflects my office's unwavering commitment to ensuring that every individual, regardless of their profession, is held accountable for their actions." Lyons' attorneys said the case against him was politically motivated. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department investigated the matter and fired Lyons in 2021. He was charged in March 2022. Twyman's family filed a federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which was settled for $3.9 million in 2020. Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, left, celebrates his victory with running mate Bi-khim Hsiao in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Lai Ching-te emerged victorious in Taiwans presidential election on Saturday and his opponents conceded, a result that will chart the trajectory of the self-ruled democracys relations with China over the next four years. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Lai Ching-te, Taiwans president-elect, has vowed to safeguard the islands de-facto independence from China and further align it with other democracies. Lai, 64, emerged victorious in the election Saturday on the island of 23 million people that China claims as its own. He is currently vice president with the Democratic Progressive Party, which has rejected Chinas sovereignty claims over Taiwan. As he faced his supporters Saturday night, Lai vowed Taiwan would continue to walk side by side with democracies from around the world. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy, he said. Lai has vowed to strengthen the islands defense and economy, which depends heavily on trade with China. He has also made an effort to soften his earlier stance as a pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence. At the same time, the new president has expressed desire to restart dialogue with China, which has refused to communicate with the islands leaders in recent years. 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, he said earlier in the week. His chances of success in talking to China, however, are close to null, analysts say. Beijing has repeatedly criticized not just DPP more broadly, but has actually criticized Lai Ching-te by name, said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow with U.S. think tank Atlantic Council. Its something that Beijing usually only does when they think theres very little chance of the two sides ever repairing ties. Instead, Sung added, China will likely resort to a maximum pressure campaign, including military and economic coercion. As vice president, Lai helped promote Taiwans interests internationally. He stopped in New York and San Francisco on his way to Latin America in August in a move that was criticized by Beijing. That visit was part of a diplomatic mission to Paraguay, one of a dozen countries that still maintains formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Many countries, including the U.S., formally recognize the Peoples Republic of China but maintain unofficial ties with Taiwan. Lai said at the time that it was important to meet foreign counterparts to convey the message that Taiwan persists in its democracy, human rights and freedom and actively takes part in international affairs. U.S. President Joe Biden was asked about the election in Taiwan as he left the White House on Saturday to spend the weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. "We do not support independence, he said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai, and also the Taiwan people for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will be asking the chairs of the relevant House committees to lead a delegation to Taipei following Lais inauguration in May. Lai has pointed to Chinas firing of missiles and other military drills in the Taiwan Strait in 1996 as a defining moment that drew him into politics. In an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal in July, he vowed to maintain the status quo, saying that was in the best interests of Taiwan and international community. He also drew a line between Taiwan and Ukraine and the rise of authoritarianism globally have awakened the international community to the fragility of democracy. In that article, he called for a buildup of Taiwans military deterrence capabilities, strengthening economic security, forging partnerships with democracies worldwide and steady and principled cross-strait leadership. Lai has held several prominent jobs in addition to vice president, including premier, legislator and mayor of the southern city of Tainan. He originally is a physician and has a masters in public health from Harvard. During his and President Tsai Ing-wen's tenure, Taiwan increased arms acquisitions from the United States, which is bound by its law to provide the island with weapons needed to protect itself. His running mate is former U.S. envoy Bi-khim Hsiao. China issued a strong rebuke in 2022 when Lai became the highest-ranking Taiwanese official in decades to visit nearby Japan to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. ___ Adam Schreck reported from Bangkok. Seung Min Kim contributed to this report from Washington. Taiwan's Lai Ching-te (L) and Bi Khim-Hsiao (R) were elected president and vice president in a landslide victory on Saturday. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI TAIPEI, Taiwan, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Taiwan's Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate from the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party, won a landslide victory on Saturday as the island of 23 million sent a powerful message to China in a high-stakes election with global consequences. "We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy," Lai said at a press conference for international media after results were announced on Saturday evening. With the full count completed just hours after polls closed, Lai won 40.1% of the vote, while his main opponent, Hou You-ih of the traditionally Beijing-friendly Kuomintang party, had 33.5%. Third-party candidate Ko Wen-je of the upstart Taiwan People's Party surged to a strong showing of 26.5%. Lai's victory marked the first time in Taiwan's brief democratic history that an incumbent party won a third consecutive term in office. The 64-year-old former doctor currently serves as vice president under outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, and vowed to maintain the strong stance she has taken against Beijing. Lai said Saturday he would pursue exchanges and cooperation with China, but only "under the principles of dignity and parity." Supporters celebrated outside of DPP headquarters in Taipei on Saturday night. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI "At the same time, we are also determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China," he added. Jubilant crowds of supporters thronged the streets outside the headquarters of the DPP as election results came in, many of them chanting Lai's name and waving pink and green flags, the colors identified with the party. Outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen spoke to supporters on Saturday night. The DPP won an unprecedented third consecutive term in office. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI "I always believed [the DPP candidates] were going to win the election, because I know that they're doing the right thing for Taiwan," Roderick Tseng, a 34-year-old baker, said. "They're trying to push Taiwan more toward international recognition, and not just starting a conflict with China." Supporter Chang Chih-ning, 52, said she was worried because of the three-way race and late polls that indicated challenger Hou was closing the gap with Lai. Supporters dressed in green, the traditional color of the DPP, on Saturday night. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI "I was nervous and very tense with the three different candidates, so I got up early in the morning to cast my ballot for Mr. Lai," said Chang, who was joined at the rally by her daughter, a first-time voter clad all in green. She said she was less concerned about how Beijing, which has repeatedly vowed to seize control of Taiwan, would react to the victory. President-elect Lai Ching-te vowed to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and protect Taiwan's democracy against aggression from China. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI "China has been making similar threats [for a long time] and never followed through on them," Chang said. "So I'm not particularly worried." Beijing criticized Lai as a dangerous "separatist" in the lead-up to the election and on Friday its Defense Ministry warned that it would "pulverize" any attempts at an independence movement in Taiwan. Lai won a three-way election with 40 percent of the vote Saturday. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI Lai has said there is no need to pursue formal independence, claiming that Taiwan is already a "sovereign, independent country." At a polling station on a narrow road of street smalls near Longshan Temple in Taipei, 70-year-old DPP voter Lin Wei-chieh praised Lai's stance. "The correct position is that we are two separate countries," Lin said. "We're already independent. Naturally, there are things that [the DPP] could have done better, but the foundation starts with casting out the pro-China forces." Lai's main opponent, Hou You-ih of the Kuomintang party, or KMT, has argued that better relations with China would benefit Taiwan's economy. His campaign warned that a DPP victory would heighten the risk of war with its giant neighbor, a message that Beijing itself has echoed. His supporters also expressed that concern on Saturday. "The DPP is making it more dangerous," Chuang Hsuan-gung, 68, said. "I am hoping there will be more communication with China." Beijing has kept up a steady stream of incursions by fighter jets, naval ships and, more recently, large balloons in what Taipei calls "gray zone" warfare meant to strain the island's defense capabilities and wear down its morale. The DPP and independent research groups have also accused China of meddling in Taiwan's elections by financing and coordinating online disinformation campaigns and amplifying divisive voices on social media platforms. One goal of China's efforts is to increase polarization in Taiwan, Tim Niven, lead researcher at Taipei-based disinformation researcher Doublethink Lab, said. "The goal is to degrade the enemy -- the DPP -- and devalue democracy," Niven told UPI. "If Taiwan is polarized, people can't talk to each other and make compromises." While Lai won the presidency, his DPP did not secure a majority in the parliament thanks in large part to the presence of the upstart Taiwan People's Party. Younger voters in particular were energized by the presidential campaign of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je. "I hope there will be a change in Taiwan's future," Chiu Yi-han, 38, said. "Taiwan has been governed by the same two parties for too long. The situation with China has been the same for a long time. I am looking for a breath of fresh air in the economy, in education." Both Hou and Ko conceded early Saturday evening. Doublethink Labs' Niven said that China's influence operations could next try to increase gridlock in the divided parliament, in an attempt to derail budget items such as defense spending. Lai vowed on Saturday that he would attempt to work across the aisle and "build a political environment of communication, consultation, participation and cooperation." The president-elect added, however, that the DPP's victory also sent a clear message to China. "In the future, we hope that China will recognize the new situation and understand that only peace benefits both sides of the Strait," Lai said. "Global peace and stability depends upon the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait," he said. "Therefore, we hope that China will understand the situation, because China also has a responsibility." Lai Ching-te is seen here celebrating on stage after being elected the next president of Taiwan, but is his real fight only just beginning? Credit - Vernon Yuen/NurPhotoGetty Images Taiwans presidential election campaign evolved early on into a classic three-way race. This supplied the dynamics for the most notable events, including the attempt to create a coalition last November to unit two of the contendersthe KMT Nationalists and the Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP)to try and create an unassailable united front against the third, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). But the short-lived union fell apart after bickering between both sides. The ground they were trying to capture, of those disaffected by the ruling DPP vote and wanting a less confrontational approach to cross-strait relations, certainly exists. The final result proved this, with over half the electorate voting for the alternatives to the DPP. But a majority for an approach or idea that doesnt translate into majority support for a party cuts no ice. Read more: What to Know About Taiwans New President-Elect Lai Ching-te This is not to denigrate the achievement of Lai Ching-te (also known as William Lai) of the DPP managing to get over 40% of the vote, not least because this is the first time that the same party has won the presidency three times. But despite this historic achievement, he cant ignore the 60% who turned out to vote and did not choose him. Many of these people who supported other parties were first-time voters. Wandering around Taipei in the days before the election, it was striking to see the number of young people wearing the distinctive white clothes of Ko Wen-jes TPP, which was established in 2019. Their disillusionment with the failure of the two main traditional parties means that the quarter of the votes for Ko this time around bodes ominously for the DPP and KMT in the future. This is a strong result for a new party making a play for the highest official position in Taiwan. It gives Ko a decent platform to build on for the future, should he choose to run again. For the KMT, however, the outcome is far less cheerful. They were constantly criticized through the campaign for their China policy, and their previous leader, Ma Ying-jeou, figured particularly prominently in the attacks. His words to trust Xi Jinping, while well intended, were often thrown back at him. Read more: Taiwan Wants Peace and Economic Stability The KMT candidate Hou Yuyi struggled to explain how his party policy was to support unification with China at some stage, while resolutely setting its face against it happening during his watch. The square circle got squarer and more circular as the weeks went on, because it is hard to argue clearly for a policy you say on the one hand you want, and then in the same breath say you just dont want it now. Beijing will likely not be pleased with this outcome. For them, it is the worst they could have expected. Practically, it means that the current approach from China of largely trying to isolate the island internationally, and place economic and diplomatic pressure on it, looks set to continue. The sad fact is that the cold freeze in relations since Tsai Ing-wen, the current president, was elected in 2016 will mean there is a chance that the period in which there has been no senior official links between the two parties will now stretch beyond eight years. It is understandable that Taiwan is loath to engage with the more assertive, muscular approach taken by the Xi administration. But it is better that at least some contact is maintained, rather than having the two exist in separate silos where misunderstandings and frustrations can intensify. Lais administration might try to achieve this, though the odds at the moment look unlikely. This situation might be manageable were the U.S. in a better shape to continue its role as, at the very least, a calming presence in the situation, if not a full-on mediator. But distracted by domestic issues, the wars in the Middle East, and between Russia and Ukraine, and a new flare-up with Yemens Houthi rebels, its diplomacy is stretched, and its capacity increasingly limited. In his remarks soon after victory was announced in Taipei, Lai said that the elections themselves, with their largely orderly conduct and relatively high turnout, were proof of Taiwans maturity and commitment to democratic values. It showed, he said, that the island stood against autocrats and instead championed human rights and freedom. Although these are noble sentiments, its worth noting that he has had four years working alongside Tsai Ing-wen to learn the power of pragmatism and compromise. Once dismissed by the U.S. as a hardline independence supporter, Tsai proved a formidable operator, winning two terms with sizable majorities. She managed to maintain the balancing act of defending Taiwans interests and preserving its integrity, without antagonizing Beijing to the point it contemplated acting intemperately. Lai will have to learn quickly how to achieve similar feats of balancing prowess, as he is coming into power when the global context has seldom been more vexed and uncertain. Xi Jinping remains a formidable opponent, and one whose behavior recently has proved hard to second guess. We have to wish Lai good luck in his new job. He will certainly need it in the months and years ahead. Contact us at letters@time.com. A Christian teaching assistant in the United Kingdom who claimed he was fired for street preaching in his free time won the equivalent of a nearly $9,000 legal settlement in a case against his former employer. Lawyers representing Andy Nix at the Christian Legal Centre announced Thursday that their client secured a 7,000 legal settlement with Temple Moor High School in Leeds. Nix says he was discriminated against for his Christian beliefs and fired for having preached in Leeds City Centre in July 2021. Nix was arrested on July 6, 2021, after being on the scene in Leeds City Centre with Dave McConnell, another street preacher who had prompted police attention and physical backlash a month earlier from those who heard him preaching in opposition to LGBT ideology. Video footage showed McConnell repeatedly being abused by the crowd, who also reportedly stole some of his possessions. He was prosecuted and mandated to perform community service after being reported to the U.K.'s counterterrorism watchdog for calling a trans-identifying man in the crowd "gentleman," though a court later threw out the charges against him. CLC noted at the time that the officer who arrested McConnell was sporting a pentagram tattoo. On the day of Nix's arrest, his preaching prompted a negative response. He claimed that an officer attempted to wrestle away the cross he was carrying and give it to a bystander who had accosted him. Nix's lawyers maintain that the only thing he said the day of his arrest in opposition to homosexuality was that "if you think all homosexuals are happy with their lives, then you are living in cloud cuckoo land." Nix was arrested for an alleged public order offense and made to stay in a jail cell from 4 p.m. to 11 a.m. the next day. He told local media that officers banged on his door at 2 a.m. to question him, but he refused. Police dropped all charges against Nix in August 2021, though he was reportedly dragged into a human resources meeting at Temple Moor High School in March 2022 after it emerged in local media that he intended to sue the police for wrongful arrest. Matthew West, the school's headmaster, and another staff member reportedly grilled Nix about whether he attended a "rally" in Leeds City Centre and implied that Nix had been arrested for "homophobic remarks." Nix maintained that he felt he was being pressured to renounce his Christian beliefs regarding sexuality and gender during the HR meeting. He said he was reportedly subject to complaints from pupils who claimed they did not feel safe with him working at their school. West allegedly ordered Nix off the premises immediately, after which Nix filed a complaint with the U.K. Employment Tribunal alleging harassment and discrimination in violation of Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). Nix's lawyers say their client was directly discriminated against because of his protected Christian beliefs and that the reasons cited for his firing were based on "hearsay" evidence. The teaching assistant has denied allegations that he said same-sex attracted people would "burn in Hell." CLC calls such allegations "maliciously alleged." Nix's legal team also argued that he never preached a message that could "reasonably be said" to cause students to "feel unsafe." Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, called Nix's case "a clear example of employer overreach." "The classroom and security of jobs cannot be weaponised against teaching staff who are Christians and publicly express their beliefs," Williams said. "The idea that a Christian can be sacked because a pupil says they feel 'unsafe' over Christian preaching outside school is ludicrous and deeply concerning. We can't live in a world where the students call the shots and headteachers are forced to comply or be labelled bigoted." Nix said in a statement that he was "shocked and amazed that the headteacher could do what he did." "He made me feel like a criminal; his aim was to bully and humiliate me into renouncing my Christian activity," he said. "I believe if I had renounced it, I could have kept my job." He has claimed that his sacking has hurt his ability to find other employment and has had a "considerable" impact on his life and finances. He argues the school "trampled over my freedom of expression and belief." While he expressed satisfaction that they agreed to settle, Nix added that his situation is "a worrying sign if Christians are not allowed to debate, preach and express their faith in public without fear of losing their livelihoods." "I unashamedly love Jesus, and my Christian faith is very important to me," Nix said. "I want others to know and understand this Good News and hope for their lives. I should not be treated like a criminal for doing this." Nix said the way law enforcement has treated street preachers in Leeds in recent years is "appalling" and alleged a "two-tiered policing against Christian and conservative beliefs I believe has encouraged young people to believe street preachers are fair game who they can attack and discriminate against at will." "The experience has, however, helped me grow in resilience and reminded of the cost involved in following Jesus Christ," he added. The Christian Post has reached out to Temple Moor High School and will update this story if the school responds. Originally published by The Christian Post LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A 51-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after the FBI raided his home and found 422 grams of methamphetamine and about 127 grams of fentanyl in 2022. Daniel Thorndal pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine after an FBI investigation, according to court documents. On two separate instances April 15 and April 21, 2022 Thorndall sold drugs at his residence. An FBI raid on May 6, 2022, turned up the drugs along with a .380 caliber pistol that was possessed in furtherance of the drug conspiracy, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada. U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II sentenced Thorndal to 10 years, plus four years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Operskalski prosecuted the case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. UPDATE: Willie Warren has been located, according to Las Vegas police. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Las Vegas police are searching for a missing endangered man last seen in the northwest valley. Willie Warren, 78, was last seen on Friday around 12 p.m. near the 5400 block of Cove Point Drive near Decatur Boulevard and Ann Road. Willie Warren, 78, missing (LVMPD) Warren is described as 59, 199 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing a white sweater and black shorts. Anyone with information regarding Warren and his whereabouts are strongly encouraged to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at (702) 828-3111, the Missing Persons Detail during business hours at (702) 828-2907 or by email at missingpersons@lvmpd.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. For months, bits of an asteroid collected by a U.S. probe during a billion-mile trek were out of reach to scientists, locked inside a return capsule in a NASA facility with two stuck fasteners preventing access to the rocky space treasure. This week, NASA won its battle against those fasteners. On Wednesday (Jan. 10), NASA technicians finally removed the stuck fasteners from the sample return capsule of its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft which completed the first asteroid sample return mission in U.S. history when it landed in Utah in September 2023. Tucked in its capsule were rocks and dust collected from the asteroid Bennu. Initially, the team at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas was able to access 70.3 grams (2.48 ounces) of material 10 grams more than the missions goal from the outside of the sampler head, called the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM). However, the bulk of the asteroid sample material remained trapped inside the capsule when two of the 35 fasteners on TAGSAM could not be removed with existing tools approved for use inside the OSIRIS-REx glovebox, which ensures the asteroid samples are not contaminated during processing. Thankfully, researchers were able to develop new tools that could tackle the stubborn fasteners, according to a statement from NASA. Related: NASA's 1st asteroid sample is rich in carbon and water, OSIRIS-REx finds "Our engineers and scientists have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for months to not only process the more than 70 grams of material we were able to access previously, but also design, develop, and test new tools that allowed us to move past this hurdle," Eileen Stansbery, division chief for ARES (Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science) at NASA, said in the statement. "The innovation and dedication of this team has been remarkable. We are all excited to see the remaining treasure OSIRIS-REx holds." The team created two new multi-part tools, including custom-fabricated bits made from a specific grade of surgical, non-magnetic stainless steel, which is the hardest metal approved for use in the curation gloveboxes. The tools were tested during removal procedures in a rehearsal lab to ensure they would be able to achieve the torque needed without damaging the TAGSAM head or contaminating the samples, according to the statement. A view of the outside of the OSIRIS-REx sample collector. Sample material from asteroid Bennu can be seen on the middle right. Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of this material. The bulk of the sample is located inside. Related Stories: OSIRIS-REx watched its asteroid sample capsule head toward Earth (photos) Dramatic sampling shows asteroid Bennu is nothing like scientists expected After NASA's epic OSIRIS-REx capsule landing success, spacecraft heads to asteroid Apophis on new mission "In addition to the design challenge of being limited to curation-approved materials to protect the scientific value of the asteroid sample, these new tools also needed to function within the tightly-confined space of the glovebox, limiting their height, weight and potential arc movement," Nicole Lunning, OSIRIS-REx curator at NASA, said in the statement. "The curation team showed impressive resilience and did incredible work to get these stubborn fasteners off the TAGSAM head so we can continue disassembly. We are overjoyed with the success." Once the team completes the disassembly, they'll be able to weigh the full sample to determine the total mass collected from Bennu. Image specialists will also take ultra-high-resolution pictures of the samples before removing them. NASA plans to distribute a portion of the asteroid samples to the scientific community for further research later this spring. Asteroid Bennu is believed to be a primitive space rock that has been roaming space since the early days of our solar system. Therefore, studying samples collected from the surface of the asteroid could reveal new clues about our cosmic neighborhood. While gusty winds lessened on Saturday, arctic air combined with wind will create extremely cold conditions Sunday across Greater Cincinnati, according to the National Weather Service. A wind chill advisory is in place from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday for southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana. That includes Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties in Ohio and Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties in Kentucky. A cold front will move across the region Saturday night bringing snow showers, with accumulations of less than an inch, the weather service said in a report. Winds are expected to pick up again, mixing with the cold temperatures and resulting in very low wind chills. 11:00am temperatures. Much cooler air in place today than yesterday, but much cooler air is still on the way. We won't see temperatures this "warm" in some places again until Thursday. pic.twitter.com/SZ8LkidU76 NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) January 13, 2024 Forecasters say to expect wind chills as low as 15 degrees below zero, which could result in hypothermia if certain precautions aren't taken. Anyone venturing outdoors should wear warm clothes, a hat and gloves. Some places won't see temperatures rise to the low to mid-20s until Thursday, the weather service said. Where to stay warm in Cincinnati The Over-the-Rhine Recreation Center is operating as an emergency warming shelter from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday. The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky on West 13th Street in Covington is also open and expanding its daytime services to help people stay out of the dangerous cold. Detailed Cincinnati weather forecast Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 16 degrees. Wind chill values as low as -10 degrees and west winds of 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low of around 6 degrees. Expect wind chills as low as -4 degrees and west winds of 7 to 10 mph. Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day): A slight chance of snow before 7 a.m., then a slight chance of snow after 1 p.m. The chance of precipitation is 20%. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 19 degrees and wind chills as low as -4 degrees. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low of around 9 degrees. A chance of snow, mainly before 1 a.m., with a 30% chance of precipitation. New snow accumulations of less than a half-inch are possible. Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 17 degrees. Mostly clear at night, with a low of around 7 degrees. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 25 degrees. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low of around 19 degrees. Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31 degrees and a chance of snow. The chance of precipitation is 30%. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low of around 20 degrees. Snow is likely with a 60% chance of precipitation. Source: National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati weather: Cold front, subzero wind chills to hit region When Nathan Wade was appointed lead prosecutor in the Georgia election interference case in 2021 to prosecute former President Donald Trump, some of his closest allies, lawyers in Cobb County where Wade practiced law, universally wondered, Why him? Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had the largest staff of any judicial circuit in Georgia, including salaried lawyers with more experience as felony prosecutors. Wade had once been a prosecutor briefly, but mostly handled misdemeanors and never such a high-profile case. More than two years later, questions are surfacing about Wades role. One of Trumps co-defendants facing criminal charges over efforts to overturn the 2020 election has alleged in court papers that Wade is romantically involved with Willis and used money he billed the district attorneys office for his work on the case to take her on lavish vacations. While the filing didnt include direct evidence of their romantic involvement, Willis was served this week with a subpoena to appear at a deposition in Wades divorce proceedings. Pallavi Bailey, a spokesperson for Willis, told CNN that the office will respond to the allegations through appropriate court filings. Wade has not responded to CNNs requests for comment and was smiling as he walked into a scheduled Friday afternoon motions hearing regarding multiple matters related to the case. The situation has created a political firestorm for Willis, with Trump and his co-defendant arguing Wade, Willis and the entire district attorneys office should be taken off the case. The allegations, if true, may not derail the prosecution, but multiple lawyers tell CNN that the appearance of a conflict of interest could hurt Willis chances of securing a conviction before a jury. The judge overseeing the case said on Friday that he planned to hold a hearing on the allegations in early February. Former DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James does not question Wades qualifications but does have concerns with Willis decision to bring him onto the case if the allegations of an improper relationship hold up. If I had a personal relationship, I probably would have not done it, James said in an interview with CNN, not because theres anything inappropriate about it, only because people will take it, twist it and make it look like theres something inappropriate going on. Its, just politically, is not something that I think is wise, James said. Michael Moore, a former US Attorney in Georgia and a CNN legal analyst, said Willis should consider stepping away from the case given its high-profile nature. Id tell her to get out of the case. I really think in this type of case with these allegations, this case is bigger than any one prosecutor, Moore told CNN. And I think probably to preserve the case to show whats most important to her is the facts of the Trump case as opposed to her political career if you will at this moment. On Friday, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, sent a letter requesting that Wade turn over documents and communications pertaining to the Georgia investigation into Trumps effort to overturn the 2020 election. Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have long sought to undermine the credibility of Willis case. Her office has rebuffed previous demands from Jordans asking for documents. An undisclosed contact with White House The allegations against Willis and Wade came in a 127-page court filing this week from Michael Roman, a former Trump 2020 campaign official who was indicted over his role in the fake electors plot in Georgia. Trumps team is actively considering whether to join Romans motion, a move that would represent a formal endorsement of its allegations about both Wade and Willis, according to two sources familiar with the matter. But there is no sign Trump is in a rush he can amplify these allegations publicly with little legal risk while waiting to see how the DAs team responds, the sources said. A Cobb County court has a hearing scheduled January 31 to address Romans motion to unseal documents in Wades divorce case. Trump and his political allies are also seizing on entries in Wades expense reports that show previously undisclosed contact between Fulton County prosecutors and the Biden White House, claiming they are proof of a coordinated conspiracy to tank the former presidents reelection bid. The expense reports were included as exhibits in Romans filing, showing a phone call with the White House counsels office in May 2022 and an interview with DC/White House in November 2022. White House visitor logs from November 2022 show they do not contain any entries for Nathan Wade, according to a CNN review of those records. Sources familiar with the matter tell CNN the contacts were routine, as Willis was gathering evidence and witnesses to testify before a special grand jury as part of her investigation at that time. One source said the discussions with the White House counsels office were about the process for contacting former Trump White House officials. Thats ridiculous One line item stood out to multiple lawyers who reviewed Wades billing document included in the motion filed by Roman: On November 5, 2021, Wade billed the Fulton County DA for 24 hours in a day at $250 per hour. Thats ridiculous, Fulton County criminal defense attorney Suri Chada Jimenez told CNN. He could have billed 12 hours at $500 and thats more credible and along with the rate of other lawyers. CNN has not been able to confirm what Wade did that day, but it was almost half a year before the special purpose grand jury was empaneled with investigative powers to spearhead exploring whether crimes were committed in Georgia by Trump and his associates. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, flanked by Wade on her left, speaks at a news conference on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. - Megan Varner/Getty Images Over the past two years, Wade has earned more than $650,000 for his work on the case, according to Romans filing which includes invoices from Wades firm. The filing alleges that Wade made more than other prosecutors in the DAs office. Prosecutors must be held to the highest standard because unlike us poor defense lawyers they get to take away peoples liberty, criminal defense attorney Scott Grubman told CNN. Grubman faced off against Wade as the former defense attorney for one-time Trump co-defendant Ken Chesebro, who struck a plea deal with Willis team last year. Others who know Wade and spoke to CNN on conditions of anonymity now worry the allegations could taint Fulton prosecutors case against Trump. Now, youve made it that much harder at having a chance at securing any sort of conviction, a lawyer who knows Wade personally told CNN. Its disappointing. Previous missteps This is not the first criticism of missteps against Willis and Wade to surface in the high-profile case. In 2022, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, the judge who oversaw the initial investigation by Fulton prosecutors which lead to the historic state charges, disqualified Willis from pursuing charges against Georgia state Sen. Burt Jones, who also served as a pro-Trump fake elector. The judges decision came after Willis held a fundraiser for Jones Democratic political opponent and later informed the state Senator, he was a target of her probe. In a court hearing on the issue, McBurney criticized Willis for hosting the fundraiser for a Democratic candidate running against one of the investigations potential targets. Its a What are you thinking? moment, McBurney said. The optics are horrific. And last year, multiple defendants in the election subversion case complained after they received an advertisement brochure mailer at their homes from Wade & Campbell, Nathan Wades Atlanta-based defense firm. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who oversees the Fulton case, rejected requests from several defendants in the Georgia election subversion case to have a hearing about the brochure to try to force some type of punishment. McAfee said the incident was embarrassing for prosecutors, but did not find proof it was intentional. While presumably embarrassing on the part of Special Prosecutor Wade and his firm, this case should not be sidetracked by matters which facially lack merit, McAfee wrote in his September 2023 order. Who is Nathan Wade Wades biography on the website of his Atlanta law firm Wade & Campbell describes him as a former prosecutor and trial attorney who is a skilled negotiator who knows when to take a case to trial. Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade speaks to Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee during a jury questionnaire hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse on October 16, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. - Alyssa Pointer/Getty Images He was appointed to oversee the 2020 election subversion investigation by Willis in late 2021, as their special purpose grand jury investigation was ramping up. Wade & Campbells website says the partnership focuses on personal injury, contract litigation law, family and domestic law, and criminal defense. And says that Wade serves as Associate Municipal Court Judge and Pro Has State Court Judge in Cobb County. Manny Arora, a defense attorney who also worked with Grubman representing Chesebro before he negotiated a plea deal, told CNN he is more concerned by Wades utter lack of experience more so than the alleged affair and potential payments being made. The bigger concern (than the alleged affair and financial payments) is hiring an attorney to handle the biggest RICO case, possibly in the history of US jurisprudence, when that counsel has never handled a RICO case before, Arora told CNN. John Floyd, a lawyer with deep expertise in racketeering cases, joined Willis team in 2021 to focus on the Trump case as well as others, including Willis gang indictment against the rapper Young Thug. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Vice Adm. Perry, I am ready to be relieved, Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer said. Douglas Perry officially took the helm Friday of two Norfolk-based commands: NATOs Joint Force Command and the U.S. Second Fleet. Perry, promoted from rear admiral to vice admiral, also will serve as the director of the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Centre of Excellence. Local politicians and dozens of military members from 31 NATO countries boarded the USS Harry S. Truman pierside at Naval Station Norfolk to attend the event. The change of command ceremony was held after months of delays because of a military promotion blockade in Congress. Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama blocked the nominations of the U.S. militarys top brass in opposition to Pentagon rules that allow travel reimbursement when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Tuberville ended his blockade in December, and the Senate confirmed the last of roughly 450 nominations before Christmasy, the Associated Press reported. This national nightmare is now over, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said as guest speaker for Fridays ceremony. Our sailors and Marines who sail in harms way have the right to have the most experienced capable officers, admirals and generals and colonels and others leading them in battle. After the ceremony, Del Toro told The Virginian-Pilot he is thankful for Navy and Marine Corps leaders such as Dwyer and Perry who demonstrated patience while they were in limbo for around eight months. Its more than just patience, Del Toro said. Its patience based on their love of this country and love of their Navy and their Marine Corps to continue serving the way that they have while theyve been disrespected by one senator who basically placed the hold on all those individuals collectively. Perry relieved Dwyer, who has led both commands since August 2021. Dwyers next assignment will be deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington. Since August, Perry has been acting as a special assistant to Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces, while awaiting confirmation. The time, Perry said, allowed him to ease into the role. I am eager to serve alongside these great staffs to preserve our defensive alliance and to carry the transatlantic link between North America and Europe, Perry said. I am ready to learn; my sea bag is packed. Perry is a 1989 graduate of the Naval Academy. He has made a career in undersea warfare as a submarine officer, serving as a division officer and Navy diver aboard the USS Pittsburgh, executive officer of the USS Maine and commanding officer of USS Pasadena. He most recently served as the director of the Undersea Warfare Division for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Joint Force Command is responsible for ensuring the protection of the transatlantic link and monitoring NATO interests in the Arctic. The command is part of the only NATO headquarters in the U.S., which also encompasses the Allied Command Transformation. It is one of three joint force commands across the world and is the only Atlantic advocate within the alliance. The Norfolk-based Joint Force Command is also home to the only sea center of excellence in the U.S. U.S. Second Fleet was disestablished in 2011 but was reestablished in 2018 in response to rising global tensions. The command acts as a training hub, preparing warships to deploy. The United States flag officer corps and general officer corps, we are ready to execute and lead our sailors, airmen, Marines and soldiers, Perry said. We are ready. Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com California Assemblyman James C. Ramos (San Manuel of Mission Indians). (Photo/Courtesy of Assembly James C. Ramos Office) Legislation was introuduced in the California Assembly that would require the mistreatment endured by Native Americans to be taught to K-12 public school students in the state.California Assemblymember James C. Ramos, the first California Native American elected to the legislature, introduced AB 1703, the California Indian Education Act, on Thursday. Under the proposed measure, when teaching about the Spanish Mission and Gold Rush Eras, California public schools would be required to teach the true history of the impact on California Native Americans during those periods. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. "This bill builds upon my previous legislation, the California Indian Education Act, approved in 2022. For far too long Californias First People and their history have been ignored or misrepresented. Classroom instruction about the Mission and Gold Rush periods fails to include the loss of life, enslavement, starvation, illness and violence inflicted upon California Native American people during those times," Ramos said. "These historical omissions from the curriculum are misleading. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill and get it to the Governors desk. Late last year, a poll released by the Institute of Governmental Studies showed strong support to require California schools to incorporate teaching about Native American tribes history and culture. An overwhelming 80 percent of respondents were in support of a requirement. In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1703 the California Indian Education Act into law. It encourages local educational agencies to create California Indian Education Task Forces to develop curriculum about the history and culture of tribes native or residing in their region. Although AB 1703 was a significant step toward inclusion of native voices, it stopped short of requiring the change in curriculum. AB 1821 would take that extra step. AB 1821 is sponsored by the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians. 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 As the Israel-Hamas war continues, a historical site in the West Bank that is widely esteemed by Jews and Christians has been vandalized by a group of Palestinian protesters. Known as Joshua's Altar and located on Mount Ebal, the sight was damaged last week by Palestinian protesters, who burned tires on the site's remains and spraypainted Palestinian flags and Arabic inscriptions onto its stone pieces, reports The Jerusalem Post. Joshua's Altar has suffered other attacks in the last couple years amid a larger trend of orchestrated attacks on Israeli heritage sites. "Unfortunately, Jewish and Christian holy places are repeatedly targeted by Muslim settlers, such as the Tomb of Rachel near Bethlehem, the Tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Lea, and Rebecca in Hebron, the Tomb of Josef in Shechem (Nablus) and many others," the Rev. Petra Heldt, a leading Christian scholar who has resided in Israel for 40 years, told Fox News Digital. "It is a consistent pattern that shows that there is a wish to eliminate the existence of Jewish and Christian history in Eretz Israel, the historic land of the Jewish people. Therefore, this holy place must be secured, like other holy places in Israel, from Palestinian vandalism." Heldt believes it is "immediately necessary that the site should get proper protection from such vandalism." "The altar goes back to the time of Joshua (1400 BC) who led the Jewish people from exile into the Promised Land," Heldt continued. "A permanent Jewish presence established on and around Mount Ebal will permanently secure that holy place for Jews and Christians." Israeli activists with the Forum for the Struggle for Every Dunam have also called for a Jewish presence at the ancient historical site. "Today, it is clearer than ever that only the fixed Jewish presence of a farm or town will guarantee there is really control over the site and prevent further damage or destruction of the altar," they stated, as reported by the Tazpit Press Service. The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7 following a surprise attack by Hamas, a terror group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, on southern Israel that killed over 1,200, mostly civilians. Israel launched an offensive in Gaza with the aim of eradicating Hamas and securing the release of over 240 hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas. Since the start of the war, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry states that over 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza. The Hamas death toll numbers don't distinguish between combatants and civilians and don't distinguish people killed by Israel Defense Forces and those killed by Hamas or other Palestinian groups. Since the start of the war, Jewish heritage sites and Holocaust monuments across the world have been vandalized. In early November, the European Union condemned what it called a "spike of antisemitic incidents across Europe [which] has reached extraordinary levels in the last few days, reminiscent of some of the darkest times in history." "We have seen a resurgence of antisemitic incidents and rhetoric in the European Union and worldwide: Molotov cocktails thrown on a synagogue in Germany, stars of David sprayed on residential buildings in France, a Jewish cemetery desecrated in Austria, Jewish stores and synagogues attacked in Spain, demonstrators chanting hate slogans against Jews," a Nov. 5 statement from the European Commission reads. In late October, the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage issued a statement condemning acts of vandalism that targeted Jewish heritage sites. Vandalism occurred at a historic synagogue in Izmir, Turkey, and the medieval synagogue and Jewish quarter of Besalu in Spain. "AEPJ condemns these senseless acts of vandalism in the strongest terms," the AEPJ statement reads. "Such actions not only harm the local communities but also inflict severe damage on the national and international historical and artistic heritage. These historic sites serve as a crucial link to Europe's diverse cultural tapestry, and their preservation is essential for promoting understanding and dialogue." Originally published by The Christian Post Andrew Dunphy is a retired federal agent and a second-year law student at Roger Williams University School of Law. He is a fellow with the American Bar Association Police Practices Consortium. Two recent cases involving police officers should cause state legislators to question whether the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights adequately serves its citizens. LEOBOR affords protections to officers accused of misconduct on duty, and at least 20 other states have versions of it. The Rhode Island LEOBOR, among other provisions, limits how police misconduct information can be shared with the public and affords officers a hearing before a panel of active or retired police officers before any discipline greater than a two-day unpaid suspension can be imposed. Proponents view LEOBOR as necessary because of the stressful, split-second decisions officers are forced to make and the high stakes of those decisions. Critics say it shields police from accountability, protects them from meaningful discipline and places unnecessary restrictions on release of public information. Two recent Rhode Island cases exemplify their concerns. More: Ex-RI state cop sues, saying he was wrongly fired amid mental-health crisis. What to know. In 2018, a Woonsocket police officer was charged in Massachusetts with breaking and entering and assault with a dangerous weapon. In Massachusetts court, the officer admitted to the facts underlying those offenses. The court continued his case for a year, after which it agreed to drop the charges. Soon after the officer made his admissions in court, the City of Woonsocket terminated him. He appealed the termination, the panel of active and retired police officers sided with him, and a Rhode Island court found that Woonsocket violated the LEOBOR. In November 2023, the Woonsocket City Council agreed to pay the officer $500,000 to settle his legal claims against the city. In 2021, an off-duty Pawtucket officer in his personal vehicle saw a teen speeding and followed him into a parking lot to have a fatherly chat. Not in uniform, the officer approached the vehicle with his weapon drawn. Afraid of an unknown man approaching with a gun, the teen backed away and allegedly bumped the officer with his car. The officer fired his weapon and struck the teen in the shoulder. Charged with assault with a deadly weapon, the officer testified during his trial that he fired in self-defense, and he was acquitted. Assistant Attorney General John Corrigan said the officer was lying through his teeth when he said he shot in self-defense. In November 2023, the officer resigned from the Pawtucket Police Department as part of a negotiated settlement after the city paid him nearly $124,000. Acknowledging how unfair the decision appeared, Mayor Donald G. Grebien lamented that going to LEOBOR would likely have cost the city substantially more. More: Providence police officer Lugo to keep his job despite efforts to terminate him A number of other states are wrestling with the efficacy of LEOBOR laws. In 2021, Maryland became the first state to repeal its LEOBOR statute. Amid promises of LEOBOR reform, a proposal wound its way through the Rhode Island General Assembly early in 2023. Thought sensible reform by many, the bill nevertheless died in the House in June. Law enforcement officers across the country serve honorably every day in an often dangerous and unpredictable environment. Mistakes can occur, and well-intentioned officers deserve protection. However, those who engage in criminal behavior are a blight on the profession and a danger to society. When LEOBOR protects them instead of holding them accountable, it has failed. Its time for the General Assembly to stop talking about LEOBOR reform and instead act on it. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Two recent cases in Rhode Island show why the need for reform is imperative. To the editor: As a 77-year-old who won my school's penmanship competition in fourth grade, I'm pretty happy that California kids will be learning cursive handwriting. ("Learning cursive in school, long scorned as obsolete, is now the law in California," Jan. 8) If its true that it helps with cognitive development or is beneficial to kids with dyslexia, thats great. However, I dont think its going to save democracy by helping students read the founding documents of our nation in the original script. That old style of writing is still largely undecipherable for most of us. Besides, printed copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are readily available. Personally, I like cursive because writing it is so much faster and easier than printing. On the other hand, I find that many people my age are woefully lacking in computer skills. Many I know miss out on cultural and social events because they cant drive at night or don't know how to use their phones to hail an Uber. Maybe we could work out some kind of deal where the oldsters teach children the art of cursive and the younger students teach the elders how to perform some basic operations on computers and phones that would help them remain independent. It could be a win-win for everyone. Laurie Jacobs, San Clemente .. To the editor: I read your article on the new state law requiring cursive instruction with a little sadness, and a lot of concern sadness, because cursive is a joyous ability recent generations are missing out on, and concern, because being able to read historical documents is mentioned in passing as merely a benefit. I can only speak for the Latin-based languages in which founding documents, treaties, speeches and histories so many defining experiences and stories are all written in cursive. Its important to be able to read something for oneself, and not simply take the word of someone else regarding what any document says. Why end the article with comments from Morgan Polikoff, a USC education professor, instead of someone who values cursive? He dismissively compares issues facing education with teaching cursive as though it's an either-or dichotomy. Remember, it's an aberration that cursive hasn't been taught in recent years. Coming together to bring it back just might be an unlikely blueprint to find ways to agree on and address other, deeper problems. Karen Samski, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Reading your article about cursive reminded me of my first year of teaching in the 1960s. I was introducing cursive to my third-grade class, and after checking to see that they were holding their pencils correctly and that their papers were in the right position, I wrote large cursive letters on the chalkboard, asking them to watch carefully and do as I did. After checking their progress, I was surprised at how poorly most of them had done. Then, I realized that they had taken me at my word and had written as I did. I am left-handed. Molly Brockmeyer, La Canada Flintridge .. To the editor: As an educator of more than 40 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District, I was excited to learn that cursive handwriting will return to the public school curriculum. Cursive handwriting can be considered an art form in and of itself. Punching keys from a computer keyboard or touching letters or symbols on a smartphone just do not qualify as an academic skill. Learning cursive handwriting will promote overall academic learning. Also, I might add it would not be such a bad idea for Gov. Gavin Newsom to bring back shop classes to help non-academic-leaning students graduate high school at a higher rate and immediately enter the work force with valuable trade skills. Alan Sagat, Sherman Oaks .. To the editor: The inability to write cursive has led to an inability to read cursive. It is important to revive cursive teaching because now students will be able to read the Bill of Rights and other historical documents. Karen Marks, Los Angeles This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Lincoln County has issued a no travel advisory for at least Saturday, as ground blizzard conditions make travel a significant, and even life-threatening, challenge. The advisory was issued Saturday afternoon, after county plows were pulled. And Lincoln County isn't the only area, where county officials made the call to move plows. Minnehaha County pulled its plows as well. The Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office stated on social media the county was experiencing 4-foot snow drifts in some areas. The decisions come as ground blizzard conditions from a major winter storm move through the area. At one point Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls reported -51-degree windchills for the area. The two counties, and surrounding areas, remain under a blizzard warning until midnight Saturday. A winder chill warning will last until noon Tuesday, the NWS states. This is the township road 267th (41st street) west of 463. 4 drifts across the road and dangerous wind chills. pic.twitter.com/cQASPtFfGG Minnehaha Sheriff (@MinnehahaCounty) January 13, 2024 "The Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Managment, and the Minnehaha County Highway Department will continue to respond to emergency situations if needed," the office stated on X, formerly Twitter. "Response times may be delayed. If you get stranded stay with your vehicle and turn your hazards on!" Conditions could become life-threatening is someone becomes stranded, the office stated. In Lincoln County, the Sheriff's Office urged the farther south travelers went, the worse conditions became. The advisory did not give a timeframe for when it would be lifted. Dangerous ground blizzard. Life-threatening wind chills. Stay home. pic.twitter.com/Vh1nYAbGhd NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) January 13, 2024 "Deputies are dealing with people getting stuck in the middle of the road," the offce posted to Facebook "If you venture out and get stuck, you will be stuck for a while. Windchills are life-threatening if you get caught out in them. Conditions will continue to get worse before they get better."At least one area, 276th Street from South Dakota HIghway 17 to Interstate 29 was completely impassable, the office reported. ROAD CONDITION UPDATE: 9:20 a.m. CT/8:20 a.m. MT NO TRAVEL ADVISORIES are in place in the southern central portions of the state. The combination of recent snowfall and strong winds is causing ground blizzard conditions. https://t.co/jAj5PbAmq4 pic.twitter.com/DyeMYGJVpY SDDOT (@SouthDakotaDOT) January 13, 2024 Meanwhile, no travel advisories have been issued for south-central South Dakota. "The combination of recent snowfall and strong winds is causing ground blizzard conditions," the advisory from the South Dakota Department of Transportation stated. The City of Sioux Falls has also opted to close all of its library branches at 3 p.m., because of snow alerts across the county, according to a news release issued Saturday afternoon. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Lincoln County issues no travel advisory as counties pull snow plows off roads The president of Lincoln University was placed on paid administrative leave following the death of the former vice president of student affairs, Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey. John Moseley was placed on leave on Jan. 12 after Candia-Baileys suicide following her claims of being harassed and bullied. Candia-Bailey served in the student affairs role at the university in Jefferson City, Missouri, up until Jan. 3, five days before ending her life. According to KRCG News, Candia-Bailey sent an email to Moseley and the board of curators accusing him of causing enough harm and mental damage on the day of her death, Jan. 8. President of Lincoln University Dr. John Moseley (left) was placed on administrative leave following the suicide of the vice president of student affairs, Dr. Antoinette Candia-Bailey (right). (Photos: KMIZ ABC 17 News / YouTube; Facebook / The Greater KC Chapter of Lincoln University of MO Alumni Association) Candia-Bailey suffered from severe depression and anxiety and requested time off via the Family and Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. She stated that her relationship with Moseley had gone downhill after she disclosed her mental health condition, and she was intentionally harassed and bullied for her request. Race also reportedly played a factor. Moseley is white, while Candia-Bailey was Black. Emails also revealed that the Board of Curators president responded to her complaint by saying, Please be advised the Board of Curators does not engage in the management of personnel issues for Lincoln University and will not be taking further action related to this issue. Candia-Bailey also wrote that she asked for help following a poor evaluation, but Moseley ignored her email requests and danced around the topic when she made the request face-to-face. Her final email to Moseley said in part, Rose Ann can speak with my family from the administration. You are not to have any contact. Youve caused enough harm and mental damage. Shaunice Hill, a close friend of the HBCU graduate, told the outlet that she noticed a change in her after Candia-Bailey was hired in May of 2023. I was literally just with her at homecoming and she was like Im just trying to make it through, said Hill. Her whole demeanor had changed. Yes, she was still smiling, but you could tell that something was off something was different. According to USA Today, Candia-Bailey was recently let go from the university. The family confirmed to NBC News that she was terminated and that the 49-year-old Illinois native killed herself while in Illinois. Her mother, Veronica Candia, said that her daughter did not provide her with any specifics regarding Moseleys comments to her. Candia-Baileys husband, Anthony Bailey, told the outlet that his wife had been suffering from depression and confirmed that she did not feel supported at the university. The Lincoln University National Alumni Association, as well as students of the university, called for Moseleys removal after the emails were revealed. According to KOMU News, the President of Lincoln Universitys National Alumni Association association, Sherman Bonds, wrote to the board of curators the day after Candia-Baileys death, saying he disapproved of how they handled her requests. The universitys institutional care has been breached, he wrote. The present administration has become a liability to the mission and health of the institution. President of the Greater KC Chapter of Lincoln University of MO Alumni Association, Robert Rashad, also made a statement on Facebook announcing her passing. We are all heartbroken to learn of the untimely and tragic death of our Lincoln University Alumni, Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey on January 8, 2024. She was employed as Vice President of Student Affairs at the University and was an around beautiful spirit. Alumni and students alike will truly miss her. Let us keep the family and friends in your prayers. Her family also made a statement and noted their shock by her sudden passing, asking for prayers of support as well as privacy. According to KMIZ 17 News, Moseley offered to be placed on paid leave while the board of curators reviewed his actions. LU released a statement offering their condolences and said Candia-Bailey was a gifted colleague and a passionate advocate for Lincoln University, HBCUs and other causes. After graduating from Lincoln University in 1998 with a bachelors degree in sociology, Candia-Bailey earned a masters degree in rehabilitation counseling-disability studies from Michigan State University and a doctorate in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University. Before joining her alma mater, she worked as the vice president of student affairs, chief diversity officer and Title IX coordinator at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Candia-Bailey also worked as an associate dean of students and senior project coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The dedicated vice president of student affairs also worked at Towson University as the assistant vice president of student affairs and housing. Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Stevie Lawrence is currently serving as acting president. Lincoln University VP Was Fired Days Before Suicide Family Says; President Now on Leave Following Claims HBCU Leader Was Harassed and Bullied Continuing violence against religious minorities in Pakistan belies the governments Jan. 8 statement that it promotes religious freedom and protects the members of non-Muslim faiths, rights activists said. The U.S. State Department on Jan. 4 designated Pakistan among countries such as Burma, China and Iran as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. It called on governments to end communal violence, attacks on religious minorities and lengthy prison terms for peaceful expression. In response, Pakistans Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement expressing dismay over inclusion on the list, asserting that it was based on biased and arbitrary assessment and was detached from ground realities. Pakistan is a pluralistic country, with a rich tradition of interfaith harmony, the ministrys statement read. Pakistan has undertaken wide-ranging measures to promote religious freedom and protect minority rights. A senior church leader and a prominent rights advocate, however, cited ongoing abuses that show Pakistan is not a safe place for religious minorities: violent attacks on multiple churches and homes of Christians in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad District on Aug. 16, unabated blasphemy allegations against Christians as well as Muslims, increasing number of underage Christian and Hindu girls falling victim to forced conversion to Islam in the guise of Islamic marriages, and attacks on minorities worship places. The day-long attacks on Christians in Jaranwala as law enforcement personnel looked on as mere spectators, and the provincial governments persistent refusal to launch a judicial inquiry into the incident to hold the negligent officials accountable, is in itself a charge sheet against the government, Bishop Azad Marshall, president of the Church of Pakistan, told Chistian Daily International-Morning Star News. Instigated by mosque leaders, Muslim mobs on Aug. 16 burned 20 church buildings and ransacked scores of Christian homes and businesses in Jaranwala after a Muslim framed two Christians in a false blasphemy case. The rioting began after Muslim residents of Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala, Faisalabad District, accused Umar Saleeem, known as Rocky, of desecrating pages of the Quran and writing blasphemous comments. Marshall filed a petition in the Lahore High Court in September for the constitution of a judicial commission to investigate the attacks, but the Punjab government told the court there was no need for a judicial inquiry as it had already formed joint investigation teams to probe the incident. In December, the court directed the Punjab government to review its decision, but subsequent adjournments have kept the crucial matter pending. Marshall said the Pakistani government also has ignored calls to criminalize false allegations of blasphemy, resulting in a steep increase in fake cases that land Christians in jail for months and years awaiting trial outcomes. The government has also failed to legislate against forced conversions and forced marriages of underage girls from the Christian and Hindu communities, he said. The fear of our minor daughters being abducted by Muslim men for sexual exploitation in cover of marriage continues to haunt us, yet theres no sign that the government is committed to preventing this barbarity against children. Marshall expressed the hope that a general election on Feb. 8 would lead to a new government that would focus on addressing challenges religious minorities face. We are hoping and praying for a leadership that not only hears our problems but also acts on the solutions, he added. Samson Salamat, chairman of the Rwadari Tehreek (Movement for Equality), echoed Marshalls points. There are prominent signs and indicators that prove that religious freedom has been squeezed significantly in Pakistan, making the lives of religious minorities more difficult and unpredictable in terms of their safety and security, he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. Salamat said hollow statements by government officials and cosmetic measures like the establishment of mediation centers in Punjab, along with formation of a toothless National Commission on Minorities and high-profile meetings with minorities leadership, would not ensure minorities protection. Nothing will help in stopping the mob violence against religious minorities in the presence of the blasphemy laws and impunity for extremist outfits like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), he said. We were expecting a major crackdown against TLP and other extremist outfits who are using blasphemy laws as a tool to persecute religious minorities, but instead the group has been allowed to make a successful entry into politics. Salamat said the country needs to reset policies in order to improve religious freedom. If the state apparatus is serious about improving Pakistans image, he said, it should make a constitutional amendment to ensure that religious minorities are equal citizens of Pakistan in letter and spirit; initiate a grand parliamentary debate to stop the misuse of the blasphemy laws and formulate a strategy to prevent religiously-motivated mob violence; show zero tolerance against hate speech; and effectively crack down on extremist outfits. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors 2023 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, up from eighth the previous year. Since first reporting that Los Amigos Mexican-American Restaurant & Gill is coming to Belleville, I have a bit more info to share. I met with co-owner Erick Roman at the site to find out whats going on and to get an idea of when he thinks the restaurant will open. So why Belleville? Really, the opportunity presented itself. Roman said he first learned of El Gorditos closing from an acquaintance, who suggested that he and his family open a Los Amigos location in its place. From there Roman called the property owner, who confirmed that yes, El Gordito did close and offered him the site for another Los Amigos restaurant. Of course, he said yes. Now Roman and his family are giving the place a thorough cleaning. He said there will be all new tables and chairs for the restaurant. With all thats left to do, including acquiring a liquor license, other permits and installing new signage, Roman said he hopes theyll be ready to open in about 9-10 weeks, so possibly in mid-March. In the meantime, if you want a preview of the food, grab a bite (and a margarita) at the OFallon location at 950 Talon Drive. You can view that menu online at losamigosofallon.com. * * * Los Amigos Mexican-American Restaurant & Grill Belleville is located at 2630 Mascoutah Ave. Belleville will be the seventh location for the family owned and operated restaurant. Other locations include OFallon, Carlyle, Vandalia, Greenville and Effingham in Illinois, and Kokomo, Indiana. A 'lost valley of cities' built thousands of years ago has been found in the Amazon Scientists found a group of lost cities dating back thousands of years in the Amazon rainforest. Scientists said the Upano people occupied the site, which is in Ecuador. The area was inhabited for about 1,000 years and had an estimated population of at least 10,000. Archaeologists discovered a group of cities that the Amazon jungle had hidden for thousands of years in Ecuador, The Associated Press reported. A team of archaeologists working in the Upano River valley area of eastern Ecuador found an intricate network of roads and canals connecting houses and plazas, challenging previous beliefs that the Amazon was only home to nomadic peoples or small settlements. "The settlements are much bigger than others in the Amazon," Stephen Rostain, the director of investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France and the lead researcher, said, the New Scientist reported. "They are comparable with Maya sites," he added. The cities, constructed around 2,500 years ago and inhabited for about 1,000 years, had an estimated population of at least 10,000, Antoine Dorison, a study coauthor, said. To survey the city, researchers flew over the region and used Light Detection and Ranging, or Lidar, laser sensors to pick out its remains below the dense vegetation. The Lidar technology identified 6,000 rectangular platforms arranged around plazas. Scientists said they likely served as residences and ceremonial spaces. "It was a lost valley of cities," Rostain told The AP. "It's incredible." Dorison said the most notable part of the findings was the network of roads leading to and from many of the platforms. "The road network is very sophisticated. It extends over a vast distance, everything is connected. And there are right angles, which is very impressive," he said, the BBC reported. In the platforms, researchers found pits, hearths, and artifacts such as jars and stones used for plant grinding, shedding light on the inhabitants' daily lives. Michael Heckenberger, an archaeologist at the University of Florida who was not involved in the study, told AP that "for the region," the society was "really in a class of its own in terms of how early it is." Read the original article on Business Insider LOXLEY, Ala. (WKRG) Charred ruins are all thats left of an RV off County Road 49 in Loxley. Police arrived around 10 p.m. Thursday, but neighbors say they could hear the argument between Andrew Lersch and his girlfriend long before that. It turned to physical altercation resulting in the female leaving the trailer, says Loxley Police Investigator Zach Kuiken. Thats when police say Lersch poured gasoline on the RV and set it on fire with the family pets still inside. When he set fire to the trailer, there was a female mother dog with three puppies in a kennel. They did not survive. Neighbors tried to do what they could with water hoses. Lersch was still there when first responders arrived and was taken into custody after a short foot chase, but according to Kuiken, he didnt go peacefully. He also physically resisted in the back of the police car, causing some damage to some camera equipment, some lights, about three thousand dollars worth of damage to the police car. Lersch faces a slew of charges, including domestic violence, arson, and aggravated cruelty to animals. This is clearly a very aggressive crime, a very personal crime, very violent, added Kuiken. Lersch was scheduled for a bond hearing Friday afternoon, but the judge was told by the District Attorneys office he was in the hospital on life support. There has been no update on why or his condition. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Lynn Yamada Davis, an influencer whose zany cooking tutorials drew the admiration of millions on her TikTok account Cooking With Lynja, died on Jan. 1 at Riverview Medical Center in New Jersey, the New York Times reports. She was 67. Her cause of the death was esophageal cancer, Davis daughter, Hannah Mariko Shofet, told the Times. The beloved social media star had been fighting the disease since before the start of her TikTok career in 2019, according to Forbes, who included Davis on its 50 under 50 list in 2022. Davis TikTok career began during the pandemic when she partnered on a set of cooking tutorial videos with her youngest son, Tim Davis, 27, in the hopes of honing his cinematography skills. That signature style, with quick cuts and floating edits of Davis, was on prominent display in every Cooking With Lynja video. Her son told the Times he wanted to make the videos to learn his moms recipes and create a time capsule of moments spent with her. On Jan. 12, he posted a TikTok confirming her death and sharing pictures of her life with her fans, saying, Her final moments were super peaceful, and thankfully she was surrounded by the people she loved most: her friends and family. Davis first TikTok to hit over a million views was posted on June 26, 2020 and showed her making a bacon, egg and cheese in a way her fans described as charismatic and grandmotherly. Lynja, as Davis became known mononymously online, was adored for her quirky personality and dance moves in her innuendo-filled cooking tutorials, which ranged from Philly cheesesteaks to sauteed squash. She garnered over 17 million followers on TikTok, over 2 million on Instagram and over 9 million on YouTube. In 2022, she won two Streamys in the Editing and Food categories. Davis was also known for her frequent collaborations with former MasterChef finalist Nick DiGiovanni, who also has built a substantial following on social media. In August 2022, DiGiovanni and Davis broke the Guinness World Record for the most fast food restaurants visited in 24 hours. The pair also achieved two other records, creating the Worlds Largest Cake Pop and the Worlds Largest Chicken Nugget. On Jan. 12, DiGiovanni memorialized Davis on TikTok, sharing images of the pair from their time together. Ill always remember her as the woman who fought off her cancer diagnosis for as long as she could humbly and quietly without ever complaining until it got the best of her, says DiGiovanni. Davis son Tim says he will continue to upload Cooking with Lynja videos recorded before her death like a recent video of her and DiGiovanni going truffle hunting and making pasta. Once the last video is uploaded, he says the account will stop posting. Davis was a third-generation American with four Japanese grandparents. She graduated from MIT with a degree in civil engineering before earning her masters degree in business administration and public health from Columbia Universitys Business School. Davis spent her career working for the federal government and at AT&T Labs for 29 years before her post-retirement stint as the internets grandma, as her fans frequently called her. She is survived by her second husband, Keith Davis; her sons, Tim and Sean Davis; her daughters, Hannah Mariko Shofet and Becky Steinberg; her two siblings, Jay Yamada and Karen Dolce Yamada, and two grandchildren. So glad that you guys all got to experience how wonderful of a person she was, and how you guys treated her so well, Tim says in his TikTok tribute. So thank you for the last couple years. We had so much fun making videos. This article was originally published on TODAY.com LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The man accused of shooting and killing a Las Vegas police officer is refusing to leave his jail cell and has not showered in months, leading to a delay in his trial, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators reviewed. Officer Truong Thai, a 23-year Metro police veteran, was responding to a domestic disturbance involving Tyson Hampton, 25, on Oct. 13, 2022, when Hampton allegedly shot him near Flamingo Road and University Center Drive, police said. Officer Truong Thai was killed in a shooting while answering a call for a domestic disturbance on Oct. 13, 2022. (LVMPD) Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones delayed Hampsons trial last spring. She had yet to schedule a new date as of Friday. More recently, the clients mental health seems to have deteriorated and legal visits with his team, and social visits with his family, have become increasingly difficult and of much concern, Hamptons attorneys wrote in court documents filed earlier this week. Mr. Hamptons appearance continues to dramatically decline. He has not showered, groomed or changed his clothes in months (hair which is ungroomed and very matted). He appears lethargic and does not do much but sleep. In their request for a new trial date, Hamptons attorneys had he has been increasingly exhibiting paranoid and [bizarre] behavior and was refusing visits. As the 8 News Now Investigators first reported after the shooting Tysons mother-in-law warned dispatchers about her son-in-law minutes before he shot and killed Thai in a barrage of gunfire. Hampton fired a total of 18 rounds during the shooting, police said. Hamptons mother-in-law was shot in the leg. A man sitting in a car near the shooting scene was almost hit by a bullet, the report said. A bullet went through his windshield, almost hitting him. As the 8 News Now Investigators reported, Hampton faced a gun-related charge two years ago and was known to pull out his gun during confrontations, court documents and police records said. Prosecutors said they intend to seek the death penalty should a jury convict Hampton. Murder trials are often delayed in Clark County, sometimes by years. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A West Valley City man was arrested this week after investigators say he raped a 12-year-old girl he followed into a backyard goat pen last summer. Yeslin Almonacid Canchari, 30, was booked into Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday on suspicion of rape of a child, a first-degree felony, sodomy of a child, and forcible sexual abuse, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in 3rd District Court. HEROES: Construction workers dig out car stuck in avalanche The sexual assault allegedly happened on June 18 after a 12-year-old girl reported shed been raped in West Valley City, a community roughly 10 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The girl told investigators the perpetrator followed her to a home in the neighborhood where shed often go to play with the goats and horses. She had often seen him sitting in a broken-down truck that never moved near 4046 South and 3200 West. She saw him again that day. The man yelled at the girl in Spanish as she walked by, the 12-year-old told investigators, noting that she ignored him and continued on her way to play with the animals. But the man followed her to the pen, even when she told him to leave her alone. After the girl went into the goat pen, the man latched the door shut behind them and raped the child, the affidavit said. The girl escaped after kicking the man in the leg and running toward the street to the nearest gas station. After a sexual assault examination, authorities got a sample of the perpetrators DNA. Roughly a month later, police went to the home with the broken-down truck outside and got mouth swabs from six men inside. One of those men was Canchari, the affidavit states. His DNA was a match for the perpetrator, and authorities got the results last month. Canchari is being held in jail without bail. According to the affidavit, Canchari is a citizen of Peru, and there is a high likelihood he would flee if released on bail. If you or someone you know needs help, call the toll-free Statewide 24-hour Sexual Violence Crisis and Information Hotline at 1-888-421-1100. Click here for a list of Rape Crisis Resources in Utah. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Authorities are investigating after a Brockton woman was hospitalized with stab wounds on Friday night. Officers responding to the area of 84 Studley Avenue around 10 p.m. for a report of a stabbing found a female victim with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Brockton Police. She was transported to an area hospital. A 36-year-old Brockton man is in custody. He is facing several charges, including aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and resisting arrest, according to officials. His identity is not being released at this time. It is unclear if the suspect and victim are known to each other. The incident remains under investigation. Earlier in the evening, a man was fatally shot at a hibachi restaurant less than five miles from Studley Avenue. 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 A Phoenix man was facing murder charges after police say he participated in an armed robbery that led to the deaths of his underage cousin and roommate. Tommy R. Banegas, 41, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the Dec. 17 shooting deaths of Mario Banegas, 16, and Jovani Angel Burciaga, 24, according to court documents. Mario Banegas and Burciaga were suspected of the armed robbery of a man who shot them dead, court documents reveal. At about 7:30 p.m., officers were investigating a homicide near South Fourth Street and East Southern Avenue when they found Burciaga with a gunshot wound to his face lying on the street on the passenger side of a black 2006 Jeep Liberty, according to court documents. Officers located Mario Banegas, shot in his torso and lying on the sidewalk on the driver's side of the Jeep and with a tan rifle near his body, documents show. Burciaga died at the scene and Mario Banegas was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to court documents. Shooting deaths: 24-year-old man dead, another injured in shooting at Phoenix park The Jeep Liberty belonged to Banegas, court documents mention. Court documents reveal that as detectives were on the scene, the man who would later be identified as fatally shooting Burciaga and Mario Banegas, was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound. He said he had been struck outside his home, which was where Burciaga and Mario Banegas were gunned down, according to court documents. The man said two men had robbed him at gunpoint, and he had fired at them, the documents state. Police found rifles in the Jeep, according to charging documents. Court documents note that at one point, Tommy Banegas called 911 and said he was trying to purchase marijuana from a man when he and the dealer were robbed at gunpoint by two armed males with ski masks. The assailants took Tommy Banegas keys and cell phone before he fled and then heard gunshots, he told police, according to court documents. Tommy Banegas denied knowing either assailant, court documents mention. But records from Facebook showed Tommy Banegas was communicating with Mario Banegas about drug dealing. A message just hours before the robbery discussed doing a hit on someone with a similar name to the victim, according to court documents. Additionally, court documents reveal Burciaga was roommates with Tommy Banegas.Tommy Banegas was taken into custody Tuesday at a south Phoenix home and was being held on a $1 million bond, according to court records. Tommy Banegas was also charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, charging documents show. His preliminary hearing was set for Jan. 19, according to court records. Tommy Banegas has multiple felony convictions in Maricopa County, including for aggravated assault and armed robbery, court records show. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tommy Banegas of Phoenix charged in shooting deaths of 2 people LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A 56-year-old Winnemucca man died in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 95 in Humboldt County on Thursday, according to a news release from Nevada State Police. The crash was about 5 miles north of downtown Winnemucca, a town on Interstate 80 in Northern Nevada. There were no passengers, officials said. A preliminary investigation showed that the red 2000 Ford F-350 was traveling southbound when the driver lost control in wintery conditions. The truck went across the northbound travel lane and onto the shoulder. The truck overturned as it went up an embankment. The victim was identified by state police as William Winters of Winnemucca. The crash remains under investigation by the Nevada Highway Patrol Northern Command East Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. A 45-year-old man has been convicted of three felonies in a Northland shooting that left the mother of his newborn baby paralyzed, Clay County prosecutors said on Friday. Lonnell James, of Kansas City, was found guilty of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and first-degree burglary. Trial proceedings began Monday and came to a close Friday. Prosecutors say James shot his former girlfriend as she was soothing their newborn to sleep in 2020. The shooting victim, who now relies on a wheelchair, testified in the case, prosecutors said. In a statement Friday, Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson praised the work of Gladstone police. The victim fought for her life after being shot by the defendant and it was our duty to fight for justice for her and all victims of assault, Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said in a statement Friday. The jurys verdict sends a strong message to our community that violent crime will not be tolerated in Clay County. The felonies James was convicted of carry steep penalties. First-degree assault alone is a Class A felony that can result in a 30-year prison sentence under Missouri law. James is scheduled to be sentenced March 21. A man convicted of killing a Scottsdale woman and attempting to kill two others over three years ago was sentenced to life in prison Friday. Jose Antonio Beltran, 31, received the sentence after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and burglary in the first degree. Scottsdale police responded to a home near 90th Street and Sweetwater Avenue on Dec. 8, 2020, where officials say Beltran fatally shot 53-year-old Andrea Marina Garcia and tried to kill two other women while burglarizing the residence with Adrian Arthur Espinosa. Beltran and Espinosa obtained zip ties and duct tape before the crimes with intent to kidnap, according to court documents. Shooting deaths: Phoenix man charged in killings of teen cousin, roommate Police eventually found and arrested Beltran and Espinosa in Las Vegas in mid-December of that year. Both were extradited to Scottsdale on Jan. 13, 2021, and booked into jail. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office stated that there was evidence suggesting someone hired Beltran and Espinosa to kill the women. However, the identity of their employer and the reason for wanting harm to come to the women are unknown. Espinoza was also sentenced to life in prison in April 2023 after being found guilty of first-degree murder along with other charges. This family has been robbed of a lifetime with their loved one all at the hands of a callous individual, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a written statement. Our prosecutors worked tenaciously to bring this defendant to justice, which will keep him from hurting anyone else in the community. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jose Beltran sentenced to life in prison for 2020 murder in Scottsdale A man was killed in a crash in Slippery Rock Township on Friday afternoon. According to Pennsylvania State Police in Butler County, the two-vehicle crash happened around 5:15 p.m. on Harmony Road near Franklin Road. Police say a northbound Hyundai Tucson was being driven too fast for the road conditions and failed to stay in its lane. The vehicle crossed the center lane and hit the front of a southbound Toyota Tundra. Police say the driver of the Hyundai was seriously hurt in the crash, while a passenger in the same vehicle was killed. Police identify the person killed as Charles Raisor, 71. The occupants of the Toyota sustained minor injuries in the crash. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 2 longstanding Pittsburgh businesses closing doors after nearly 40 years 2 men found fatally shot in car that crashed into Larimer home Missing womans body found along trail near Geneva College, death ruled a homicide VIDEO: Remnants of former Freeport golf course to be auctioned off DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 15, and a few local organizations are hosting events to celebrate the holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law as a federal holiday on November 2 1983 by President Ronald Reagan, to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. on the third Monday of January, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The holiday is also the only federal holiday that is designated as a national day of service, according to the museums website. Here are a few local events for the holiday: There will be a free breakfast, event and community service project at Sehome High School on Monday, Jan. 15. The event will start at 10 a.m. with a Lummi blessing and free breakfast followed by an event with readings and songs. From noon to 2 p.m., multiple community service opportunities will be available, including building kits for houseless persons and blanket making and a winter shelter clean up. The event will also include a food and hygiene product drive. Sehome High School is at 2700 Bill McDonald Pkwy in Bellingham. The Whatcom Coalition for Anti-Racist Education is hosting a youth event on non-violent activism following the free breakfast at Sehome High School on Monday, Jan. 15. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and requires an online RSVP. Sehome High School is at 2700 Bill McDonald Pkwy in Bellingham. The Northwest Indian College Indigenous Service Learning and Food Forest Club is hosting a service project to restore a food forest. The service project runs from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 15, and volunteers are advised to bring gloves and warm work clothes. Sign-ups are online, and are open for all ages. The club will provide a carpool from Sehome High School for volunteers 18 and older, but a location has not been listed. The Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship is hosting its annual MLK Jr. Day event at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. The event will include special guest speakers including Ed Bereal, a Bellingham-based artist, and Vernon Damani Johnson, te co-founder of the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force. Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship is at 1207 Ellsworth St. in Bellingham. A Maryland man was sentenced to two years in prison for sending messages threatening to cut your throats and put a bullet in your head to LGBTQ+ lawmakers and the Human Rights Campaign last year. Adam Michael Nettina, age 34, was sentenced to two years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for a series of terroristic threats transmitted by interstate communications to the HRC and state delegates from Maryland and Virginia who had voiced support for the transgender community, the DOJ said in a statement released on Thursday. While the DOJ didn't identify HRC as the organization, a spokesperson confirmed it was the targeted advocacy group in an email to The Advocate. Nettina left the threatening and targeted messages in the immediate aftermath of the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., that took place on March 27, 2023, and left six people dead including three nine-year-old students. The deceased shooter, Aiden Hale, identified as transgender, according to authorities. Nettina was arrested shortly after the calls and pleaded guilty to the charges in August, admitting he specifically targeted the lawmakers and HRC because they supported and advocated for the transgender community. This defendant targeted and threatened members of the LGBTQI+ community and their allies, instilling fear and promoting violence toward a heavily targeted community Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general at the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. According to court documents, Nettinas voicemail to HRC on March 28, 2023, said, Well cut your throats, well put a bullet in your head and Youre going to kill us? Were going to kill you ten times more in full. He admitted leaving the voicemail with the intent that it would be viewed by the group as a threat. Nettina admitted he targeted the group because of the actual and perceived sexual and gender identity of the workers and people supported by the group. You have the right to your own opinions, but you dont have the right to threaten the lives of those who disagree with you. As this case demonstrates, free speech does not include violent threats against others, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, said in a statement. Well continue prosecuting these threats to the fullest extent of the law. In a statement to The Advocate, a spokesperson for HRC said, "As an organization dedicated to the full liberation and equality of the LGTBQ+ community, we see every day how the continued rise in legislative attacks and vitriol against our people can lead to physical attacks and threats of violence. We are grateful to law enforcement for acting so quickly to keep our community safe after HRC received these specific threats, and we are pleased that a sentencing has been issued. We will continue our work to call out those who spread violence, fear, and disinformation. Nettina faced up to five years in prison if given the maximum sentence. Alex Cooper contributed reporting. A huge fire spread through a warehouse in St. Petersburg on Jan. 13 belonging to one of Russia's biggest online stores, Wildberries, affecting at least 70,000 square meters of the property, Russian media reported. Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said the fire had been contained and prevented from spreading further. It is unclear if the fire has been extinguished. No casualties were reported. Unnamed sources close to the ministry told the Russian media outlet RBC that arson was one of the possible causes, and an investigation had begun into how the fire started. Other sources also said that the damages from the blaze could surpass 11 billion rubles ($125 million). At the same time, the state-run media outlet TASS said that the fire was likely the result of defective wiring, adding that the fire alarm had been turned off because of "repeated false alarms." Russian media reported that a mass fight had broken out by the warehouse on Jan. 10, allegedly between rival groups of immigrants. An Azeri citizen and Wildberries worker was taken to the hospital with stab wounds, and another unrelated man from Tajikistan was also injured. Police raided the warehouse after the fight and checked the documents of workers, RBC reported. Just two days earlier, two large fires broke out in Moscow Oblast, damaging factories and an apartment building. There were no casualties in either fire, authorities said. The ministry did not disclose the cause of the fires. Read also: Inside occupied Ukraines most effective resistance movements . Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Legislation has been introduced to establish the Oklahoma Office of Economic Development, Growth and Expansion (OkEDGE). One of the compelling aspects of OkEDGE is its commitment to act as the lead negotiator for Oklahoma in attracting new businesses, Oklahoma's lieutenant governor says. This week, Sen. Kristen Thompson introduced groundbreaking legislation establishing the Oklahoma Office of Economic Development, Growth and Expansion (OkEDGE). It is a transformative bill that presents a golden opportunity for public officials to attract new businesses and cultivate the growth of our existing economy. Sen. Thompson's recognition of the need for a modern and nimble economic development model resonates deeply with those of us who are on the frontline of fostering community development. The OkEDGE initiative represents months of meetings amongst stakeholders dedicated to reshaping Oklahoma's economic landscape, creating a ripple effect that will undoubtedly benefit communities like ours across the state. One of the most compelling aspects of OkEDGE is its commitment to act as the lead negotiator for Oklahoma in attracting new businesses. In a landscape where competition for economic investment is fierce, having a dedicated agency that can actively pursue opportunities and close deals is a game-changer. This is a huge win for city and county leaders seeking to diversify and strengthen their local economies. The proposed investment represents a strategic infusion of resources that will empower public officials to spearhead economic development initiatives with confidence. Investing in economic growth, business retention and expansion would be a lifeline for communities aiming to thrive in an ever-changing economic environment. As elected officials, we often grapple with the challenge of outdated economic models that potentially could hinder our ability to compete effectively with neighboring states. OkEDGE is the answer we've been waiting for an agency that will be equipped with the resources to not only attract new businesses but also prioritize the needs of existing employers. This dual focus is crucial for ensuring the sustained growth and stability of our local economies. The proposed structure of OkEDGE will ensure representation from key stakeholders and a collaborative and inclusive approach to decision-making. This level of engagement is invaluable for public officials seeking to align economic development strategies with the unique needs of their communities. Public officials like myself appreciate the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the economic future of our state and ensuring that it aligns with the priorities of our constituents. Sen. Thompson's OkEDGE bill is an impressive playbook for public officials striving to attract new businesses and grow their existing economies. It represents a visionary approach to economic development that will empower us to navigate the challenges of the future with great optimism. I wholeheartedly support Sen. Thompson's initiative and eagerly anticipate the positive impact it will have on the economic vitality of our great state. Matt Pinnell Matt Pinnell serves as the 17th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma and secretary of workforce and economic development. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Office of Economic Development, Growth and Expansion proposed China, Vietnam pledge to strengthen exchanges, deepen cooperation Xinhua) 09:58, January 13, 2024 HANOI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China and Vietnam pledged to strengthen exchanges and deepen cooperation, said Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and visiting member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Li Shulei here on Thursday. Li, also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Vietnam and attend the 18th theory seminar between the CPC and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). He said while meeting with Thuong that China is willing to work with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and countries, further strengthen exchanges and deepen cooperation, and promote the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. For his part, Thuong said Vietnam takes developing relations with China as a top priority and strategic choice, and is ready to strengthen exchanges at all levels with China, deepen cooperation in various fields and consolidate public support for bilateral relations. During his visit to Vietnam, Li also met with Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, Nguyen Van Nen, a member of the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee and secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, and Nguyen Trong Nghia, secretary of the CPV Central Committee and chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission of Popularisation and Education. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) The Merced County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approved $20 million in state funding to aid the community of Planada and its residents after devastating 2023 flooding. Merced County Assistant Executive Officer Mark Hendrickson addressed the board during Tuesdays board meeting while outlining the Planada Flood Relief Program. According to Hendrickson, more than 800 homes in the community of Planada were impacted by the 2023 flooding. Hendrickson said the programs primary goals are to demonstrate the priority of the health, safety and welfare of the residents and to be as simple as possible to access for the communitys residents. Funds for the 2023 Winter Storm Flood Relief Program Plan were secured in the 2023-2024 state budget. According to the plan, $8 million of the funds will go to home repair and are to be used to aid in repair, remediation or reconstruction of structures that were damaged by the flooding. A total of $4.6 million will go to direct assistance programs including for housing and personal property reimbursement. The plan also includes $500,000 in business support to cover equipment loss, inventory, building damage and lost revenue. According to the plan, $3 million of the grant funding will go to infrastructure including investments to improve resilience and secure other funding. A total of $2 million will be used for administration such as application processing, inspections and support while $1.9 million will go toward things such as unexpected costs. Under the relief program plan, a $15,000 maximum grant allowance is in place for housing and personal property reimbursement. The application process for residents to receive relief funds is scheduled to open for a six-week period from March 11 through April 20. Additional information about the funding can be found online at the Planada20M website. A Canton man found guilty of dog fighting and cruelty to prison last year has been sentenced to prison. On Friday, Cherokee County District Attorney Susan Treadaway announced that Randall Larry Thaxton, 59, had been sentenced to 20 years with the first five to serve in prison. Thaxton was found guilty of nine counts of dog fighting and seven counts of cruelty to animals in December. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In November 2022, the Cherokee County Marshals Office received a tip that linked Thaxton to a dogfighter in Dallas, Georgia. Officers went to his home and found dogs chained up. They were chained close to one another, but just out of reach, a tactic used to increase a dogs aggression. Inside his home, investigators found a break stick, which is used to pry open a dogs jaws during a fight, documents linking his dogs to known dog fighters, a journal with workout regimens for the dogs, steroids, staplers and more to treat wounds and a dog fighting creed pledging allegiance to the dog fighting community. TRENDING STORIES: The DAs office has now released photos of the dogs and details on their medical conditions, including one of them being pregnant. Thaxton was also ordered to pay $45,000 in fines and 360 hours of community service. He is also forbidden from owning, possessing or breeding dogs. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Bird Dog, age 2-3 - Huddled in his doghouse, surrounded by mud. The veterinarian observed cryptorchidism. Jack, age 8 - The veterinarian noted that Jack had multiple pedunculated masses on his abdomen, follicular issue in his right rear paw, swelling around nail beds on some nails on all four paws, masses present on his left shoulder and left side of his mouth, and epilus mass on his gums. Cookie, age 2-3 - The veterinarian observed abnormal skin with the underside of her neck rubbed furless and raw. CB, age 2-3 - Had to be medicated for stress and anxiety Unnamed puppy, later named Ravioli, King Kong, age 2-3 - The veterinarian noted abnormal teeth (tartar/mild gingivitis) and multiple thickened scars on top of his neck. Miss Piggy, age 2-3 - Miss Piggy was pregnant at the time of the search warrant. She later gave birth to nine puppies. Brownie, age 2-3 - The veterinarian noted abnormal teeth (tartar) and raw skin under the neck. Roscoe, age 2-3 - The veterinarian observed abnormal skin, multiple linear lacerations/scratches/scars on top of his neck extending down his back, scars and fur loss around his neck, and raw skin under his neck. Chains used to tether dogs Breaking stick found in defendant's home UPDATE: Briella Harm has been found, according to Las Vegas Metro police. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Las Vegas police are searching for a missing 11-year-old girl last seen in the northwest Las Vegas valley. Briella Harm, 11, was last seen Friday around 2:10 p.m. near the 4700 block of Quadrel Street near Leavitt Middle School. Briella Harm, 11, missing (LVMPD) She is described as 50 with brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, grey sweatpants, and white Crocs. Anyone with information regarding Harm and her whereabouts are strongly encouraged to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at (702) 828-3111, the Missing Persons Detail during business hours at (702) 828-2907 or by email at missingpersons@lvmpd.com For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The state of Michigan has agreed to pay $1.75 million to an innocent man who spent 35 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of sexual assault. Louis Wright was released in November after authorities said DNA tests ruled him out as the perpetrator in an attack on an 11-year-old girl in Albion, a small town in southwestern Michigan, in 1988. People who are exonerated based on new evidence are eligible for $50,000 for each year spent in a Michigan prison. The attorney generals office sometimes resists paying, based on strict criteria in the law, but quickly agreed to compensate Wright. The deal was approved by a judge Wednesday. Wright told The Associated Press that hell likely use some money for a house as well as a vehicle for a sister. Nothing can make up for 35 years in a Michigan prison for something he did not do, Wrights attorney, Wolf Mueller, said. This is a first step toward getting Louis life back at the age of 65. Albion police investigating the assault settled on Wright as the suspect after an off-duty officer said he had been seen in the neighborhood. Police said he confessed, though the interview was not recorded and he did not sign a confession, according to the Cooley Law School Innocence Project. The victim was never asked to identify Wright, the Innocence Project said. Wright eventually pleaded no-contest to the charges and was sentenced to 25 years to 50 years in prison. He then tried to withdraw his plea at sentencing, but the request was denied. Wright was repeatedly eligible for parole consideration, starting in 2008. But he refused to take a sex offender therapy class, a key condition for release, and remained behind bars until DNA cleared him, Mueller said. He said, I didnt do this crime. Im not taking a therapy class. He cost himself several years, just standing on principle, Mueller said Friday. Not a lot of guys would do that. Wright said he knew he would eventually be cleared when his mouth was swabbed last summer for DNA testing. I spent the last couple months in prison with a smile on my face. Everyone thought I had something up my sleeve, he said. Since his release, Wright has been reuniting with family and enjoying simple things, such as shooting pool in a bar. Thanksgiving was special, he said, because it meant having a genuine turkey dinner not the white slab slime stuff. I had the real thing, said Wright, adding: Im just taking it one day at a time right now. Separately, Mueller filed a lawsuit against police seeking more than $100 million. The lawsuit claims Wrights rights were violated during the investigation in 1988. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigans tax revenues will see a slight decline this year before rebounding for the next two years after that in large part because of tax policy changes implemented by newly powerful Democrats who were working last year with a record surplus, state officials projected Friday. Economists in the Legislature and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmers administration outlined their projections for the states tax revenue during a conference Friday in Lansing. The projections will be used by lawmakers over the next several months to craft the states annual budget. The projections show that the states tax revenue will total close to $31.5 billion this year, a slight increase from previous projections but close to $400 million less than the previous year. The economists estimated that tax revenue will jump by close to $1 billion in each of the next two years. The projections Friday come as things return more to normal, said Eric Bussis, the chief economist in the states Department of Treasury. The economic outlook followed a year in which newly powerful Democrats passed the states highest ever budget $82 billion with a surplus that had been projected to exceed $9 billion because of federal pandemic aid. As a result of the high tax revenues, the states income tax rate was lowered to 4.05% from 4.25%. The rate will return back to 4.25% after Michigans attorney general ruled that the law lowering the tax was meant to be temporary. In addition to the tax rate cut, Democrats passed a number of other tax policy changes that contributed to the slightly lower estimated revenue for 2024. Lawmakers attempted to provided relief to retirees by phasing out taxes on public and private pensions, and the states Earned Income Tax Credit was significantly expanded from the current 6% to a 30% match of the federal rate. Economists added Friday that a nearly month-and-a-half-long autoworker strike targeting Detroits three carmakers did not have a significant negative impact on revenues. Fridays projections will help provide lawmakers with an idea of how much they can spend in this years legislative session, which kicked off on Wednesday. Democrats will once again control the legislative agenda but they will no longer have full control of the state Legislature. The state House is currently tied 54-54 after two Democrats vacated their seats after winning mayoral races in November. Whitmer, now in her second term, will outline her policy priorities for the year in her sixth State of the State speech on Jan. 24. The governor is expected to prioritize education, economic development and a paid family and medical leave plan that she called for last year but which was never passed. The House and Senate Fiscal agencies will hold a second revenue estimating conference in May. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. The coldest and most persistent outbreak of Arctic air in a couple of years will have the intensity and staying power to trigger feet of lake-effect snow and whiteouts in some areas of the Upper Midwest and the interior Northeast, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. In the wake of a massive storm that affected more than 200 million people in the central and eastern United States with snow, rain, wind and thunderstorms to end the week, its impact on the weather will continue for many days. Its main role now is to help push Arctic air to the south and east, via gusty winds. The frigid air, fresh snow and blowing and drifting snow in open areas over the Midwest will make the task of keeping roads and sidewalks clear difficult. As a result, travel may remain perilous. Motorists who become stuck or stranded in the snow or choose to walk will face subzero Fahrenheit AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures. The Arctic air will advance eastward and southward in a few stages. One push already settled into the South Central states and advanced to the Atlantic coast this weekend. Another push will arrive in the wake of the storm on Tuesday night. A third push is likely this weekend following a storm to end the week. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+ A push of Arctic air triggered snow showers and locally heavy snow squalls that advanced from the central and northern Appalachians to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts on Sunday. Another opportunity for snow across the I-95 corridor will arise from Monday night to Tuesday as a Southern storm makes a run along the Atlantic coast. As the frigid air passes over the relatively warm waters of the lakes, the moisture released will result in towering bands of clouds that can unleash tremendous amounts of snow on the downwind landscape. This lake-effect snow can result in highly variable weather conditions ranging from a clear sky to a blizzard in the span of less than a mile. Depending on how long the bands of snow persist over a certain area, a tremendous amount of snow can fall. The snow bands can behave like intense summertime showers with thunder and lightning but with heavy snow instead of a torrential downpour. A worker helps remove snow from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 14, 2024. A potentially dangerous snowstorm that hit the Buffalo region on Saturday led the NFL to push back the Bills wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Sunday to Monday. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the NFL cited public safety concerns for the postponement, with up to 2 feet of snow projected to fall on the region over a 24- plus hour period. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes) "The complete lack of ice cover and water temperatures well above the historical average, combined with the brutal cold, will fuel extreme snowfall rates of 3-4 inches per hour," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said. "Not only will lake-effect snow be measured by the feet downwind of the lakes into the start of the week, but several more feet of snow may also pile up from Tuesday through Wednesday, especially along some of the shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario. A very persistent west-southwest wind flow will be favorable to Buffalo, New York, and the South Towns, off of Lake Erie, and areas to the north of Watertown, New York, off Lake Ontario, to receive the heaviest snow from the long-lasting event, " Douty explained. As of midday Monday, lake-effect snow during the outbreak has piled up to between 3 and 4 feet in the towns south of Buffalo, New York. In the city of Buffalo alone, snowfall through midday Monday ranged significantly from about 6 inches on the western side, near the Niagara River, to close to 2 feet on the southern side of the city. "For much of the country, this will end up being the coldest and most persistent outbreak of Arctic air in a couple of winters," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz said. At its full extent, the frigid air will reach coastal areas of the Northwest, much of the Rockies, Plains, Midwest, South and Northeast states around mid-January. This image shows a sampling of AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures during the midday hours of Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Into midweek, nighttime lows around Chicago will range from the lower single digits to several degrees below zero F. In the East, New York City will have multiple nights with low temperatures well down into the 20s this week. "You have to go back until February 2022 to find something about as cold and as lengthy as this outbreak will be, at least for the whole of the Central and Eastern states. The Northwest missed out on that cold air in 2022," Benz said. The persistent cold winds will cause spray to freeze along the shores of the Great Lakes and lead to freezing overwash on the shorelines that face the winds. In some cases, such as on Lake Erie, a phenomenon known as a seiche will cause the lake to lean with high water on its northeastern end and low water on its southwestern end. After easing down into Tuesday, bands of lake-effect snow are expected to ramp up once again Tuesday night and Wednesday as the East Coast storm pulls away. Many locations along the eastern shorelines of the Great Lakes will be able to pick up an additional 1-3 to 3-6 inches of snow, with some spots projected to get upwards of 6 inches. Areas along the far northwest tip of Michigan, locations in and around Buffalo, New York, and east of Watertown, New York could be among some of the places to observe an additional 6-12 inches of snow, especially from Tuesday night to Wednesday. During this timeframe, the AccuWeather Local StormMax is 24 inches for lake-effect snow. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. TAIPEI (Reuters) - Polls closed on Saturday for Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections. The outcome should be clear by later on Saturday evening. Opinion polls have not been allowed to be published from Jan. 3 on until the polls close in line with Taiwanese election law. Here are some of the scenarios for who could win, based on pre-Jan. 3 polling, and what it will mean for Taiwan's relations with China and the United States and for domestic policy: TAIWAN'S RULING PARTY WINS PRESIDENCY, LOSES PARLIAMENT MAJORITY: The most likely outcome. This could bring an angry reaction from China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, and make it hard for Lai to push his policy priorities. Pre-election polls pointed to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Lai Ching-te winning the presidency but by perhaps a narrow margin and losing the party's majority in parliament. This will limit Lai's ability to pass legislation and he could appoint a Cabinet that might have to include some opposition or non-party figures to show he is willing to reach across the aisle to get laws passed. But the opposition, which has repeatedly vilified Lai over issues ranging from whether he is a dangerous supporter of Taiwan's formal independence to whether he has over hyped the threat from China, might not want to play ball. That could slow down Taiwan's efforts to boost its defences and build new weapons such as submarines and fighter jets if spending bills are delayed or not passed. China, which had cast the vote as choice between war and peace, might be mollified that Lai, unlike his predecessor President Tsai Ing-wen, will not just have free rein to do what he wants, and not react too strongly to his election. China could also wait and see what is in his inauguration speech on May 20 when he takes office. But it could also respond militarily in some form to a Lai victory, or step up economic pressure. For the United States, Lai is a known quantity, having been vice president since the 2020 election. Lai has repeatedly pledged not to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and offered talks with China. He and Tsai both reject Beijing's sovereignty claims and say Taiwan is already an independent country and its future should be decided by its people. Economically, Lai wants to continue cutting reliance on China and trade more with like-minded democratic partners. TAIWAN'S LARGEST OPPOSITION PARTY WINS PRESIDENCY, PARLIAMENT MAJORITY This could happen if they are able to win over floating voters and capitalise on a desire for change after eight years of DPP government. The Kuomintang's (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih, Taiwan's former top policeman, has pledged to both oppose Taiwan independence and to re-start dialogue with China, but said he is committed to boosting the island's defences. That would cheer Beijing and likely lead to a cooling of tensions, though China might also keep up the pressure if it thinks Hou is not moving fast enough towards some sort of resolution of Taiwan's status and accepting China's sovereignty claims. Hou denies being pro-Beijing, calling such accusations a smear. He supports the KMT's longstanding position that both Taiwan and China belong to "one China" but each side can interpret what that means. Beijing has said acknowledging the "one China" principle is key to resuming talks with Taipei. But the KMT may have to rely on the small Taiwan People's Party (TPP) for support in parliament if it does not win a majority there. Hou is much more of an unknown quantity to the United States, though he did visit the country last year to offer reassurances that good relations with Washington are a priority for him. Domestically, Hou supports the continued use of nuclear power which the DPP wants to phase out, and signing of more trade deals with China. SMALL OPPOSITION PARTY WINS THE PRESIDENCY The chances the TPP, only founded in 2019, wins the presidency are remote but cannot totally be ruled out. Its presidential candidate and chairman, former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je, has garnered a passionate support base among mostly younger voters by focusing on bread and butter issues like the high cost of housing. But Ko had lagged in the polls after talks to run a joint ticket with the KMT collapsed in acrimony in November. A more likely situation is the TPP wins enough lawmaker seats to prop up a KMT administration, assuming the KMT wins the presidency but fails - maybe only just - to get a majority in parliament. While some TPP and KMT lawmaker candidates did campaign together, there remains a lot of bitterness between the two parties after the collapse of the joint ticket talks. Ko could also choose to cooperate with the DPP in parliament, and said on Friday he was willing to set politics aside and work with other parties, without naming either the DPP or KMT. A Ko presidency would be a wild card in terms of relations with China and the United States given he is largely untested on the international stage, though he did also visit the United States twice last year. Ko has spoken of the close cultural links between Taiwan and China, and indeed visited China when he was Taipei mayor, but said on the campaign trail any talks with Beijing need to ensure Taiwan's democracy and way of life are guaranteed. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Models wear creations as part of the men's Dolce & Gabbana Fall-Winter 2024-2025 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno). MILAN (AP) Fast and slow, Milan designers experimented with pacing for next fall and winter, many falling on deliberate and somber collections with a focus on a tailored silhouette. Some scenes from Saturday's shows on the second day of Milan Fashion Week of mostly menswear previews for Fall-Winter 2024-25: DOLCE&GABBANA SETS A ROMANTIC PACE Dolce&Gabbana slowed to a romantic pace in a new collection featuring richly elegant looks fit for a period drama. Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana revamped the showroom since last season, opening up a double stairway in the middle of the runway allowing models a dramatic entrance from below. The predominant deep night black color palette for the next fall and winter heightened the textures and emphasized the silhouettes: soft furry coats, silken shirts with high necks or deep plunging V's, poet blousons tied with a bow, shimmering sequin covered suits. Trousers tucked into leather boots projected the air of a country manor surveyor. Suits coats were double-breasted, with a silken underlayer providing contrast. Formal trousers were set off by cummerbunds. With the focus on tailoring, accents were few: tassels on a scarf, gleaming floral broaches, spare use of lace and sequins. Trailing bows added flourish. The mostly black collection was broken up by gray, interludes of white and more casual moments of denim and camel. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, were among the front-row guests. Sanchezs son, Nikko Gonzalez, walked in the show. MSGM CELEBRATES SPEED The Milan fashion morning commute started in a metro station where MSGM creative director Massimo Giorgetti considered how the world has speeded up in a collection that celebrates Milans oldest subway line but also the passage into adulthood. It is an ironic reflection on the importance of finding some time, because we are asked to go so fast, Giorgetti said before the show. The collections key motif was a curved red handrail designed for Milan's 60-year-old red line by the late architect Franco Albini. Symbolizing how the subway speeded life in the city, it traces a graceful track down the front of coats and was worn as a broach, carried as a bag. Silken shirts and shorts featured digital prints made from Google AI technology, which is speeding creative impulses. The collection also marked the sometimes impatient passage to adulthood, from streetwear to formal wear via knitwear briefs and matching hoodies woven with silver tinsel, striped tops gleaming with clear sequins under suits and a casual suit jacket over a graphic shirt and jeans. To close the show, models mimicked video game characters, striding bunched together through the underground tunnel to the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack. EMPORIO ARMANI PAYS HOMAGE TO THE ATLANTIC Giorgio Armani pays homage to the sailors who have plied the fierce Atlantic in a mariner-inspired collection projecting hardiness for his Emporio Armani line. A soundtrack of crashing waves, a lighthouse backdrop and runway carpet mimicking the sea set the scene. The strong silhouette was anchored by structured pea coats and striped sailor collars, generous trousers that tuck into boots and big workmans gloves just right for fishing nets. Long fishermans knitwear suggested the leisure of port. The collection closed with formalwear with clusters of beading, as if barnacles, and coral-inspired embroidery gave a naturalistic touch. Armani, 89, waved to the crowd from beneath the lighthouse, illuminated by a spotlight. FEDERICO CINA CLARIFIES Models waited for the start of the Federico Cina show in the middle of the runway, behind white curtains emblematic of the fog of creation that the designer wanted to project. This season I asked myself how to present the passage and changes of life. I imagined as if traversing the fog. You catch a glimpse from outside, said Cina, who created his brand based in Emilia-Romagna five years ago. Cina presented a clean silhouette, removing anything extraneous. The co-ed looks progressed from deconstructed and unfinished suits and dresses to sophisticated tailored dresses and jumpsuits that hugged the form. Head-to-toe knitwear in warm peach and sea foam projected luxury. Midway, an acrobat stood balanced on the shoulders of another who walked the entire length of the runway and back. At the end of of the show, the curtains fell: Clarity. The foam used to extinguish fires at two Chicago airports has contaminated local groundwater with forever chemicals linked to major health concerns such as cancer. What happened? For years, Chicago and military firefighters used a firefighting foam known as AFFF, which contains toxic forever chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Inside Climate News reported. The foam was used by Chicago Fire Department stations at OHare and Midway airports, and ample supplies were kept on site. According to a 2020 Air Force report, multiple spills occurred in the 1990s. Though the foam is being phased out, it already has contaminated groundwater beneath both airports. While an initial survey found that suburban drinking water wells within a mile of the airport were not immediately threatened, experts said the chemicals could be in the ground beneath homes and surrounding areas and in the sewer system. Once it gets into groundwater and [is] discharged, its there forever, said Erik Olson, a senior strategist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, per Inside Climate News. Why is PFAS contamination concerning? This toxic firefighting foam has been used at airports and military bases for about half a century because of its ability to extinguish intense jet fuel fires. A Department of Defense report found that at least 455 military bases are contaminated with PFAS and that 275 out of 295 checked had released the chemicals in the proximity of drinking water supplies, as summarized by The Guardian. The use of PFAS is not limited to firefighting foam, however. These chemicals can be found in a number of everyday products, including nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, dental floss, and microwave popcorn bags. PFAS contamination also happens as a result of product manufacture, polluting our water, air, and land. PFAS are called forever chemicals because they cant break down effectively in the environment and can build up in our bodies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans. This is bad news because it has been linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weights, high cholesterol, and other health problems, as Inside Climate News noted. The chemicals can also be found in wildlife a 2023 study spotted them in freshwater fish, which are already facing major threats to survival. Whats being done about PFAS contamination? The DOD is leading a nationwide cleanup of PFAS and is examining the spread of chemicals in Chicago. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, is pushing for the Chicago cleanup as well as alternatives to these toxic foams. Plus, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued more than two dozen companies in early 2023 for making and selling the foam, Inside Climate News reported. In its recent report on PFAS at military bases, the DOD said it is committed to cleaning up our PFAS releases as quickly as possible, though it did not mention a timeframe. According to Clean Water Action, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from these deadly chemicals, including ditching non-stick cookware, popping your own corn, and foregoing PFAS-coated dental floss. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Jan. 13 urged Ukrainians to create drones for the military at home as part of the "People's Drone" project. According to Fedorov, the Victory Drones NGO is behind the "People's Drone" project. Participants can take a free engineering course to teach themselves how to assemble a 7-inch FPV (first-person-view) drone at home. FPV drones are cheap to manufacture and can be precisely flown into targets. They have the capability of destroying much more expensive military equipment. The drones are "game-changers" in the war, according to Fedorov. The course offers Zoom sessions with instructors, a list of components, and must-have tools and materials to purchase to construct an FPV drone, as well as access to a community of engineers who offer advice and answers to any questions. The assembled drone is handed over to Victory Drones instructors for quality tests, and if they pass, they are transferred to the military. "Participants in the course have already handed over more than 100 drones to the military. Overall, more than 80% of them were submitted to Victory Drones instructors in good working condition, while the rest needed some adjustments. This is a very high success rate for pilot assembly!" Fedorov said. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Latvia announces new aid for Kyiv, including artillery, munitions, helicopters Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Russian missile failed to detonate during a mass airstrike on Jan. 13, crashing into a residential yard in Poltava Oblast, Poltava regional governor Filip Pronin reported on Telegram. The missile landed in the Kremenchuk district of the oblast, causing no casualties, said Pronin. Read also: Dnipro shaken by explosions as Russian forces fire Kinzhal missiles He also noted that the regions air defense system was active, resulting in damage to one structure. Investigators are currently on site. Early on Jan. 13, Russia launched cruise missiles from six Tu-95MS bombers in the Caspian Sea region. MiG-31K fighter jets also launched several Kinzhal missiles. The attacks triggered raid sirens across Ukraine. Explosions were reported in Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kremenchuk. Read also: Despite evidence to the contrary, North Korea insists ballistic missile transfer to RU baseless 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 LaGrange family is mourning the loss of one of their loved ones after a tragic car crash earlier this week. Friends say Ashley Love, 31, was killed on Wednesday morning when she was involved in a crash on Hwy. 5 near Springer Road in Carroll County. Georgia State Patrol confirmed that a black Ford F-250 driving down Hwy. 5 crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into a white GMC Yukon. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The driver of the GMC was stuck in the car and pronounced dead at the scene. Friends identify that driver as Love. The driver of the Ford, whose current condition is unknown, was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital. The highway was closed for more than two hours as GSP investigated and the scene was cleared. TRENDING STORIES: Her friends say Love was a mother of three and worked as a parts manager at Nissan of LaGrange. They say she had not worked there long enough to be covered by insurance. She leaves behind a husband, two bonus sons, and her three beautiful children who were her entire reason for everything she did in life. Ashley was one of the most selfless humans I have ever met and anyone who truly knew her would say the same, friends wrote. They have set up a GoFundMe campaign to ease some of the familys financial burdens. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled for the second time that it will not reconsider an appeal from a death row inmate convicted in the stabbing death of a Woolmarket woman with whom he was living. Timothy Ronk was convicted in 2010 of capital murder and armed robbery in Harrison County for the August 2008 killing of Michelle Craite. He received a death sentence for capital murder, plus a 30-year sentence for armed robbery. A trial photo of Michelle Craite with her niece. Prosecutors said Ronk stabbed Craite and burned her house in the Woolmarket community to cover up the crime. He then took items from Craite and gave them to a Florida woman he met online, prosecutors said. Defense attorneys argued Ronk stabbed Craite in self-defense. In a ruling Thursday, the state Supreme Court rejected Ronks new effort to argue that he had ineffective legal representation. Its similar to the same courts 2019 ruling in his case. No execution date has been set. Ronk, 44, is on death row at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. In this handout photo released by the Colombian Army Press Office, a rescue team searches for survivors of a mudslide that killed several people and left dozens injured, in western Colombia, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. The avalanche covered a highway on a busy municipal road in a mountainous area connecting the cities of Quibdo and Medellin. (Colombian Army Press Office via AP) BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) The death toll of a mudslide in western Colombia rose to 34 on Saturday, authorities said. The mudslide struck a busy municipal road Friday in a mountainous area connecting the cities of Quibdo and Medellin. The National Disaster Risk Management Unit had said initially in a statement that at least 18 people were killed. The agency also said at least 35 injured people were taken to hospitals. The new death toll was reported by the Choco Governors Office, where a unified command post was established to coordinate search and rescue operations. In a statement, it said that 17 bodies had been identified and that officials were trying to identify another 17. The Prosecutors Office confirmed the death toll. Earlier, Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez said in a message posted on the social network X that a search continued for people who remain trapped under the landslide. She said several children were among the victims, but gave no number. The risk management unit didnt specify what could have caused the mudslide, but the Defense Department reported Friday night that it has been raining in the area, making it difficult for rescue operations. A video posted on X apparently showed the moment of the mudslide, when the side of a mountain slid over the highway, covering some cars. The Associated Press couldnt verify its authenticity. President Gustavo Petro tweeted Friday that his government would provide all support needed in what he described as a horrible tragedy." ___ This story has been corrected to show that the name of one of the cities is Quibdo, not Quibo. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A man who has been in the Kent County jail since early November will be transferred to Wisconsin to face a murder charge there. 21-year-old Julian Kelly, 21, appeared in a Grand Rapids courtroom this week and indicated he would not challenge extradition back to Wisconsin to face a charge of reckless homicide. Kelly is wanted for a deadly shooting that happened in Milwaukee in March 2023. GRPD: Smoke shops may have run fencing operation He was arrested in Nov. 9 when Grand Rapids police raided a smoke shop on Leonard Street NW west of Turner Avenue. It was one of two raids tied to thefts and marijuana that was being sold illegally. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. A man murdered in front of his family in Brazil last week was actually a contract killer wanted by Interpol. Darko Geisler posed as a Slovenian national in Brazil for nine years, police said, until he was shot at point-blank range while returning home with his wife and three-year-old son. Police found that Geisler was actually Serbian, not Slovenian, after the Slovenian consulate confirmed that the passport found on his person was not his but the long-lost possession of a real Slovenian citizen. Geisler was wanted for a string of killings across the Balkans, and had been living under a false name in Brazil for nearly a decade. His wife and neighbors claimed to have no idea about his true identity until he was unmasked after death. While his killers identity remains unknown, police suspect Geisler's criminal past is related to his murder. Read it at Fox News Read more at The Daily Beast. Youd think grabbing a scoop of dirt off an orbiting space rock and then delivering it back to Earth would be the most complicated part of an asteroid sample collection mission, but the real challenge, it turns out, is actually opening that sample container once its back home. Its taken a little over three months, but NASA says it has finally removed two stuck fasteners that were preventing it from accessing the bulk of material collected from asteroid Bennu by its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx dropped the sample off on September 24 before heading off to study another asteroid, Apophis. While NASA was initially able to collect a few ounces of asteroid material that was found on the outside of the Touch-and-Go-Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), its inner contents remained locked away due to issues with two of the 35 fasteners that keep the container closed. The TAGSAM is housed in a special glovebox to prevent the sample from being contaminated, and only certain tools are approved for use with it. None of the existing tools were working to get the stubborn fasteners off the TAGSAM head, so the team had to develop new ones. In addition to the design challenge of being limited to curation-approved materials to protect the scientific value of the asteroid sample, these new tools also needed to function within the tightly-confined space of the glovebox, limiting their height, weight, and potential arc movement, said Dr. Nicole Lunning, an OSIRIS-REx curator. Now that the TAGSAM head has been freed, the team can move forward with the containers disassembly meaning well soon be able to see whats inside. NASAs preliminary assessment of dust and rocks from outside the TAGSAM found evidence of carbon and water. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A 26-year-old woman was killed as a result of a two-vehicle collision Friday morning, Jan. 12. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Hennessy Espana died from injuries she sustained when the car she was riding in, and Audi sedan, collided with another vehicle on Old Hickory Boulevard during a heavy downpour Friday morning. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts The preliminary investigation shows the Audi driver lost control in the rain and traveled into oncoming lanes of traffic. The Audi was struck on the passenger side by a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Espana, who was in the front passenger seat of the Audi, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she later died. The driver of the Audi, a Nashville man, was also taken to Vanderbilt with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup had minor injuries and was not transported, according to a release from police. | READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County Authorities added the preliminary contributing factor of the crash appears to be the Audis failure to maintain the lane. No further information was released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. From pest infestations to overflowing sewage, some junior enlisted service members living in military barracks have been subjected to these unsafe living conditions. We told you how these problems were revealed in a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report last year that said the poor conditions pose potentially serious health and safety risks. WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS The report said investigators found mold and mildew growth, inoperable fire systems, and water damage, among other problems. Now, a new measure that was part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) aims to help fix these housing problems. Read: Brightline train hits SUV at same Melbourne crossing where deadly crash happened 2 days ago; 1 dead The provision is part of the bipartisan Military Facilities Upgrades Act, which gives commanders on military bases more flexibility to invest in resources to improve poor conditions in the barracks. The measure was led by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK). This new law that Ive passed will help upgrade, renovate and improve the quality of barracks for enlisted personnel, Ossoff told our Washington News Bureau. Read: UCF breaks ground on nursing pavilion in Lake Nona Ossoff pointed to security concerns with poor living conditions for active-duty service members. This is a national security issue, said Ossoff. When there are health and safety issues, mold, when the structures are crumbling, that directly impacts military readiness. It directly impacts the morale of military units, and it directly impacts our ability to recruit and retain talented young people in the Armed Forces. Addressing military base housing concerns for Oklahoma military installations is a priority for me as I work to sustain our Armed Forces and keep them the greatest fighting force in the world, said Lankford. Im glad this years defense bill includes my legislation with Senator Ossoff to be sure we provide our warfighters quality housing and infrastructure and timely address any maintenance needs, no matter where they serve. Oklahomas five military installations have incredible patriots serving our nation every day. We must make sure Congress and the Pentagon remember the families and basic needs of our servicemen and women as they serve. Read: Family of slain Kissimmee man speaks after arrest of Cafe Lungo murder The problem of poor conditions at military barracks has gotten the attention of both parties and both chambers. In October, we spoke with Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), who sent a letter to the Defense Department asking what the DoD is doing to address the housing problems. As a veteran and a retired Colonel, 27 years as a Green Beret, Im upset about it, said Waltz in October. Its not some cracks in the tile. This is mold that has caused people to go to the hospital. Were talking about sewage leakages, gas leakages. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for all Middle Tennessee ahead of the forecasted freezing temperatures and snow, upgrading the rating from the previous winter storm watch. The winter storm warning is in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, but the freezing temperatures will last a couple days thereafter. First up, dangerous cold, said NWS Nashville on social media on Saturday. Today's the last day until Thursday we'll be above freezing. And despite residents waking to a sunny Sunday morning, temperatures across the area already stood far below freezing. Here's a look at current temperatures across Middle TN. We are below freezing areawide, and this is where we'll stay until late Thursday morning. Let's talk about what we're expecting with this winter storm #TNwx pic.twitter.com/nM4EXuqaXT NWS Nashville (@NWSNashville) January 14, 2024 The weather service forecasts at the minimum 2 inches of snow throughout the region, with snow total predictions across southern and eastern Middle Tennessee increasing, according to Sunday's forecast. Current predictions have two to four inches of snow falling across northwest Middle Tennessee, but NWS Nashville meteorologist Corey Mueller warns that there may be "a few totals up to 7 inches" in areas south and east of Nashville. Thankfully, according to Mueller, there is currently no "ice or ice rain" in the forecast, indicating that a layer of ice settling on top of the snow is unlikely. Snow predictions: See how much snow is expected across Middle Tennessee Due to sustained freezing temperatures, however, the snow is expected not to melt until at least Thursday. Here is a look at the latest timing loop of the snow. #TNwx pic.twitter.com/mKQ6xSGqB4 NWS Nashville (@NWSNashville) January 14, 2024 Thursday's warm up is "not a big one," Mueller warned, with temperatures hovering in the 30's. But it should clear out any remaining snow, he said, before a potential, smaller "rain or snow" system moves through Thursday evening. Metro extending shelter hours Metro Nashville will be extending the hours of operation for its Extreme Cold Weather Overflow Shelter in preparation for the storm's impacts on those who are unhoused. The shelter will open at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan.14 and will remain open until Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. It is located at 3230 Brick Church Pike, Nashville, TN. Couples and pets are welcome, and pets must be crated. Metro Social Services will continue monitoring the weather to determine if a further extension is needed, and asks that those in need of shelter first go to the Nashville Rescue Mission, located at 639 Lafayette St., and Room In The Inn, located at 705 Drexel St. Catch up with previous coverage More on snow forecast: How much will it snow in Nashville, Middle TN? Here is what the National Weather Service is saying This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville, Middle TN weather: Winter storm warning, snow chances rise London Lamar rose from her chair in the Tennessee Senate last spring, stomach churning with anxiety as she prepared to address the sea of men sitting at creaky wooden desks around her. She wore a hot pink dress as a nod to the health needs of women, including the very few of them elected to this chamber, none of whom were, like her, obviously pregnant. She set her hands onto her growing belly. The Senate clerk, a man, called out an amendment Lamar had filed. The Senate speaker, also a man, opened the floor for her to speak. The bills sponsor, another man, stood near her as she grasped a microphone to discuss the matter at hand: a tweak to the states near-total ban on abortion access for women. Lamar glanced around at her fellow senators, three quarters of them men. The imbalance was even more stark in the states House of Representatives, where almost 9 in 10 members were men. And Tennessee is no anomaly. Across much of the Southeast, state legislatures are more than 80% male. On this day, the Tennessee Senate was poised to take a final vote on a bill that would allow abortions to prevent a womans death or serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. Lamar stood to pitch a broader health exception. A Democrat in the substantial minority, she could have appealed to her female Republican colleagues. Although they oppose abortion, they bring to the debate their personal knowledge of womens bodies and experiences. But there were only three of them in the 33-member Senate. Instead, Lamar turned to the two dozen Republican men. She reminded them that four years earlier, she was 32 weeks pregnant and serving in the House when her blood pressure suddenly spiked. Her placenta ruptured. Her son died in utero, and she faced a terrifying risk of a stroke. Its personally one of my biggest fears that this thing would happen again to me, she told them. If it did, she feared the proposed law would prevent her doctor from protecting her health. She implored the men to see her as a family member: Im telling you as your own colleague, as your niece, baby girl. I love you all. It is real, not only for me but for women all across the state. Scenes like this play out across the Southeast, even as the U.S. as a whole saw a record number of women elected to statehouses last year. Nationally, one-third of legislators are women, the most in history. In recent years, three states Nevada, Arizona and Colorado achieved parity. But much of the Southeast lags far behind. Seven States, Almost All in the Southeast, Had Legislatures That Were Less Than 20% Women in 2023 More than a century after the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, women constitute fewer than 1 in 5 state legislators across much of the region: in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, which studies womens political participation. West Virginia has the lowest percentage of any state; less than 13% of its state lawmakers are women. As Lamar spoke, 14% of Tennessees legislators were women. The Republicans, including two of the three GOP women in the Senate, swiftly rejected her amendment. She sank into her chair and pressed one palm over her heart, the other onto her belly, and practiced deep breathing exercises to help keep her blood pressure from soaring again. Soon after, another Black woman in the chamber stood to speak. Holding the microphone, Sen. Charlane Oliver read prepared remarks calling for an exception in cases of rape. Then, she paused. She glanced to her right and bit her cheek. She cleared her throat. Fighting tears, she began again: I rise before this body as a sexual assault survivor. Sitting nearby, Lamar listened intently. She hadnt known this about her fellow senator, yet Oliver felt compelled to share her trauma so publicly to try and sway the men around them. Tears welled in Lamars eyes as well. She passed her colleague a tissue. Waiting to run Three decades have passed since a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee composed entirely of men grilled Anita Hill on live TV. Some of the men were dismissive, others downright hostile toward her testimony that Clarence Thomas, her former boss, had sexually harassed her. Millions watched it on live TV, and the Senate later confirmed Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. The following year, voters elected a record number of women to Congress in what became known as the The Year of the Woman. Yet while Congress and many states have seen steady growth in numbers of female lawmakers over the years since then, much of the Southeast has stagnated or barely inched forward. Tennessee has fewer female legislators than it had 20 years ago. Mississippi improved less than 3 percentage points since then; South Carolina fared only slightly better. Louisiana gained 6 percentage points, and Alabama gained 7. This leaves large majorities of men controlling policy including laws that most impact women at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court is sending more power to statehouse doorsteps. Abortion, a key issue of the day, provides one window: A ProPublica analysis of comprehensive legislative data kept by the Reflective Democracy Campaign found that with few exceptions, the states with legislatures most dominated by men as of July have some of the nations strictest abortion bans. Of the 10 states where men made up the biggest share of the legislatures, eight have strict abortion bans, and one outlaws it at around six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant. Five dont allow exceptions for women who are raped. Seven of the 10 states have trigger laws in place that went into effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Those were adopted by legislatures years earlier. But the passage of time hasnt always resulted in more women at the table. Four of the seven legislatures have more female lawmakers today, albeit barely, than when they passed their trigger laws. One state has remained stagnant. And two have fewer female lawmakers than when they passed their trigger laws. These are all conservative states, so it doesnt mean women who oppose abortion rights would have voted differently. But their voices were hardly at the table. Mens numeric dominance means they also control what issues get debated in the first place and which do not. Female lawmakers have been more likely to champion issues like maternal health, childrens welfare and education, said Jean Sinzdak, associate director for the Center for American Women and Politics. Womens presence is correlated with more conversation and more issues on the agenda that are related to women, said Anna Mahoney, executive director of the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College who wrote the book Women Take Their Place in State Legislatures. Women havent run for legislative seats as often as men for many reasons: money, history, incumbency. But no factor plays a bigger role in the Deep South than its entrenched patriarchal culture and gender norms, female legislators and experts say. Traditional gender roles are more deeply enforced in Southern states, Sinzdak said. Theres more of a paternalistic streak that runs through them culturally. For instance, across party lines, virtually every Southern female legislator ProPublica interviewed for this story said voters had asked her who would care for her family if she won. Carla Litrenta, a South Carolina attorney, was breastfeeding when she filed to campaign for a House race that she ultimately lost in 2022. Voters often looked at the Democrats two young children and asked how she would find time to serve in office. It was ironic because the male candidates had full-time jobs, she said, and I was working part time. Statehouse gender disparities are more acute among Republicans. Across the country, two-thirds of female state legislators are Democrats. The 20 states with the lowest percentages of women in their legislatures are almost all led by Republicans. Republican organizations are not recruiting as many women to run and not giving as much support to run and be successful candidates, Sinzdak said. You reap what you sow. South Carolina state Rep. Sylleste Davis, a Republican, agreed that the GOP needs to seek out more female candidates but added, I dont get the sense that they are. ProPublica reached out to Republican Party leaders in Southeastern states with the fewest female lawmakers asking why more women werent running and what they could do to recruit more female candidates. Only one responded. Scott Golden has worked as chair of Tennessees Republican Party for seven years. He said the party doesnt target recruitment based on gender. During his tenure, including working for a prominent female lawmaker, the barriers he has seen for women are primarily structural ones. The states legislature operates part time but requires substantial attendance during those months, and the capital of Nashville sits a four-hour drive from some districts. Both make legislative seats less appealing for women with young children who want to stick closer to home. Families with volleyball and softball and senior dances and homecoming parades, its difficult for anybody to do it much less women to do it during those years, Golden said. Instead, he sees far more Republican women running for local elected offices where they can earn full-time salaries and travel less. Its time, money and proximity, he said. Indeed, like other female Republicans ProPublica interviewed, Davis did not seek a legislative seat until her children were older. Yet that decadeslong wait for women like her to run means that legislatures have fewer members who bring current firsthand experience with pregnancy, birth and child care knowledge critical to crafting the policies that govern these issues. Women also are also less likely to consider running unless they are asked. Rep. Anne Thayer, a Republican who hails from a particularly religious and conservative area of South Carolina, said she didnt consider seeking public office until people approached her. Even then she demurred. I gave that good Southern Christian girl response in that Ill pray about it, she recalled. A small-business owner and mother, she had worked behind the political scenes but never wanted to be the one driving the bus. Supporters kept asking, however, and today she and Davis are two of four female committee chairpeople out of 28 standing committees in a statehouse whose rolling grounds are adorned with a dozen monuments to white men. Only one specifically celebrates female South Carolinians and it stands behind the domed building to honor Confederate women reared by the men of their state, as the inscription reads. When Republican Katrina Shealy was elected to the South Carolina Senate a decade ago, she was the only woman in the chamber. A few years later, she made national news for rebuking a male colleague who had called women a lesser cut of meat, referencing the biblical story of God creating Eve from Adams rib. Shealy made national news again last spring. By then, she had four female colleagues in the 46-member Senate. All five women united across racial and party lines to help thwart a near-total abortion ban. (A sixth woman, a Democrat, was elected to the Senate on Jan. 2.) Whatever their views on abortion, Shealy noted, women bring to the debate personal experience with menstrual cycles, pregnancy complications and motherhood. Male lawmakers around her simply dont have that. When they get up and talk about womens issues, she said, it is just so frustrating because they dont know what theyre talking about. After she joined her female colleagues to filibuster the strict abortion ban, they called themselves the Sister Senators and later received the JFK Profile in Courage Award. But they couldnt defeat a bill that outlawed abortion after around six weeks of pregnancy. Months earlier, South Carolinas legislature one of the most male-dominated in the country had replaced the state Supreme Courts lone female justice with a man. (Two of the three nominees for the seat were women.) The female justice had penned the lead opinion rejecting a similar six-week ban the previous month. The newly all-male court, now the countrys only state supreme court without a female justice, promptly upheld the six-week ban. The backdrop of history The case that overturned national abortion rights, Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, originated in Mississippi, the state where white men in particular are most overrepresented in the Legislature. They hold more than 60% of the seats even though they account for only 28% of the states population. That means every white man is represented more than two times over in the body, according to a ProPublica analysis of comprehensive legislative and census data tracked by the Reflective Democracy Campaign. Women, however, are underrepresented by more than a factor of three. Its about the same for Black women and white women. Yet when it comes to the impact of abortion restrictions the Legislature passed, Black women are disproportionately affected. They are four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. They also are more likely to experience unintended pregnancies. And in 2021, 80% of abortions reported in Mississippi were performed on them, the highest percentage of any state in the nation. This is happening against historys disturbing backdrop: centuries of white men controlling Black womens reproduction. Enslaved womens health once was only as important as the human property their bodies could produce. Black women had to birth the children of white men who raped them. They were forced to breastfeed white babies. Michelle Colon, co-founder of a reproductive justice organization in Mississippi called SHERo, said this history has created a culture of devaluing Black women that persists today. Many state lawmakers are the descendants of white men who basically controlled Black womens bodies, she said. Black women in Mississippi arent alone. Across most of the Southeast, a region of former slave states, the more white men are overrepresented, the more Black women are underrepresented. This relationship doesnt exist in other states that also have at least 5.6% Black women, the national average. States with the Lowest Representation of Black Women in Their Legislatures Also Had the Highest Representation of White Men The chart shows representation ratios between the proportion of a demographic group in the state legislature and the proportion of that group in the state population. A ratio of 1 implies equal representation. This chart includes only states where Black women are at least as prevalent in the states population as the national average. State legislature data provided by Reflective Democracy Campaign and current as of July 27, 2023. This imbalance is most pronounced in Mississippi, the state with the nations largest percentage of Black residents. Its not the year of the woman here, said Tracy DeVries, executive director of the Womens Foundation of Mississippi. Theres no priority for womens health. None. Its just not important. Democratic Rep. Omeria Scott, a Black woman, has served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for three decades and sits on its public health committee, made up of 24 men and five women. The chair is a white man. As long as she could remember, it has always been a white man. Scott also serves on the Houses Medicaid committee. Its chair also is a white man. He and the House speaker, another white man, stymied efforts in 2022 to extend Medicaid coverage, which pays for almost 60% of births in the state. White men handle those appropriations, Scott said. They handle the policy and the money in Mississippi. Black and White Women in Mississippi Were Dramatically Underrepresented in the State Legislature Compared with White Men In 2022, House Speaker Philip Gunn spoke to The Associated Press after blocking a Senate-backed effort to extend Medicaid for the states poorest new mothers from the federally required two months to a year postpartum. Gunn said that he was aware of the states high maternal mortality rate, but he had not seen evidence that extending coverage would save money. When asked if the move could save lives, he told the AP, That has not been part of the discussions that Ive heard. Only after the states strict abortion ban went into effect did Gunn agree to stop blocking the extension. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves posted on social media, In a post-Dobbs world we may even have to be willing to do things that make us philosophically uncomfortable. He would support the Medicaid extension as part of a pro-life agenda. As Ive said many times, it will not be easy and it will not be free. But it will be worth it, as more children of God are brought into the world! Neither Reeves nor Gunn responded to ProPublicas requests for comment. Scott was pleased that the men finally stopped thwarting the extension of coverage for mothers. But it also felt like a consolation prize. Triggering Confusion Not quite a year had passed since the Dobbs decision when a Black woman named Nancy Davis sat before a Louisiana House committee. She urged the panel, chaired by a white man, not to punish womens doctors if they abort nonviable fetuses. Step out of yourself for one minute, and try to envision what its been like for women in Louisiana, she said. During her visit to the capitol, Davis wondered: Where were the lawmakers who looked like her? Only nine Black women served in the entire Louisiana State Legislature 6% in a state where they constitute 17% of residents. Yet Davis had just experienced very personally how a policy the Legislature passed directly affected women like her. About a month after the Dobbs decisions release, the 36-year-old mother arrived at a hospital for a routine check up. She was 10 weeks pregnant and thrilled. When an ultrasound technician slid a wand across her belly, Davis peered eagerly at the gossamer image emerging into view on the monitor beside her. Then, she felt everything pause. Why does my baby look that way? she asked. The top of his head looked amorphous, like mist fading into the dark. The technician slipped from the room. Davis burst into sobs. Leaping up, she tugged on her clothes and stared at the image through tears. A physician soon explained that it appeared the top of the skull had not formed, a fatal anomaly. Davis recalled her also assuring, This is one of the reasons for an abortion. The doctor was referring to a narrow exception in Louisianas trigger ban, which had just gone into effect. But Davis was enrolled in Medicaid, which did not cover abortions. The procedure would cost $6,000 out of pocket at the hospital, she said, so the doctor sent her to an abortion clinic. Davis found it shuttered. When she returned to the hospital, a woman explained that the doctor could no longer provide her an abortion. The director of the hospital shut it down because of the Louisiana abortion law and the fetus still having a heartbeat, Davis recalled her saying. (Debate later ensued over whether the states abortion laws would have allowed her to get an abortion.) For a month, Davis carried a fetus she knew would die. Some nights, she slipped outside and clutched her stomach, crying alone in the darkness so she didnt wake her fiance, Shedric Cole, or their other three children. But what could she do? Desperate, she emailed local news outlets. A TV reporte o interview her, and the video went viral. She wound up in touch with Planned Parenthood of Greater New York and The Brigid Alliance, which helped her book flights to New York and pay for a hotel, child care and meals. On Sept. 1, Davis and Cole arrived at a Manhattan clinic 1,400 miles from home. An abortion wasnt something she could imagine a woman wanting. But she did want their nightmare over. After they returned home to Baton Rouge, Davis became determined to give more of a voice to women. She wants to run for office. Feeling Overwhelmed After Lamar, the Tennessee senator, pleaded for broader abortion exceptions to protect womens health, she drove home to Memphis, a majority-Black city in a county with the states highest ratio of pregnancy-associated deaths. She felt exhausted and disregarded. Black women are telling you, basically youre killing me, and its like you dont give a damn, Lamar said. My life is less valuable than theirs, and that is what hurts the most. Four months later, in August, she gave birth to a baby boy. Although she developed postpartum preeclampsia, she recovered and celebrated her healthy son with round brown eyes and chubby cheeks. Yet, despite much-appreciated help from her own mother, the 33-year-old single mom quickly learned why many women with young children often dont run for office. One day shortly after her maternity leave ended, she handled a phone call while greeting her mother, saying goodbye to her baby, saying goodbye to her mother and then rushing to her car to head to an assignment for her job overseeing a program that develops the Black teacher pipeline, stopping to fill the air in her car tires on the way. Its overwhelming, she said. You feel like no one understands or cares, but also you know that you represent the masses of women dependent on you to be their voice. With Januarys arrival, the Tennessee General Assembly is among legislatures across the Southeast getting back to work. Behind the door of her Senate office, Lamar hung a white board to track the bills she cares about most. It lists abortion, maternal mental health, doula certification and timely processing of rape kits. She mustered hope for the months to come. Last year, she discovered a tactic that helped her pass a bill to study the expansion of doula services in Tennessee. She planned to employ the strategy again. To gain support from her male Republican colleagues, she had learned to present her bills as pro-life rather than pro-woman. About the Data: How We Analyzed Representation in State Legislatures ProPublica obtained a database detailing the demographic makeup of state populations and legislatures from the Reflective Democracy Campaign. The database includes race and gender information for all state legislators and was last updated in July, prior to the 2023 state elections. The state demographic data is from the 2020 census, with additional information from 2022 annual population estimates. To assess representation of demographic groups, ProPublica calculated the ratio of percent representation of the group in the state legislature to percent representation in the state as a whole. A ratio of 1 can be interpreted as the proportion of a demographic in the state legislature equaling the proportion of that demographic among the states general population. A ratio larger than 1 means that the demographic is more present in the legislature than in the state population, and a ratio less than 1 means that the demographic is less present in the legislature than expected, given their prevalence in the state population. For instance, a ratio of 2 should be interpreted as there being twice the proportion of a demographic group in the state legislature as in the state population, and is described as overrepresentation by a factor of 2. To be sure, an individual is not solely represented by the politicians who share their identity, nor does an individual politician work only towards the interests of constituents of the same identity. However, the expectation that a demographic group should be proportionally represented among politicians as in the population as a whole is intuitive and widely used as a proxy for representation in news reports. When assessing the representation of Black women and white men, we limited our analysis to states with a meaningful proportion of Black women. Black women make up between 0.2% to nearly one-fifth of state populations. As a result, we used the average proportion of Black women in state populations, 5.6%, as a threshold and focused on the 21 states with a higher-than-average proportion of Black women. We used the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services definition of the Southeast and used linear regression to assess trends in representation within and outside of the Southeast. Irena Hwang contributed data analysis. By Cynthia Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea stopped operating a radio station used to send coded messages to its agents in South Korea, the Yonhap news agency said on Saturday, the latest sign the isolated country is shaking up the way it handles relations with Seoul. North Korea has been stepping up pressure on Seoul in recent weeks, declaring it the "principal enemy", saying the North will never reunite with the South and vowing to enhance its ability to deliver a nuclear strike on the U.S. and America's allies in the Pacific. Radio Pyongyang, known as a numbers station, in the past broadcast mysterious coded numbers presumed to be targeted at Pyongyang's spies operating in South Korea. Its website was also down on Saturday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, addressing a year-end meeting of his ruling party, ordered a "decisive policy change" in relations with the South, instructing the military to be prepared to pacify and occupy the South in the event of a crisis. Early on Saturday, North Korea announced plans to dissolve organisations in charge of civilian exchanges with South Korea. State media KCNA reported a decision "to readjust all relevant organizations... including the North Side Committee for Implementing June 15 Joint Declaration, the North Headquarters of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea's Reunification". North and South Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, and tensions are running high. Seoul-based news outlet NK News said on Friday several North Korean propaganda sites were unaccessible more than 24 hours after they went offline. The websites of Uriminzokkiri, DPRK Today, Arirang Meari, Tongil Voice, Ryomyong and Ryugyong have been down since at least Thursday morning, it said. (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Additional reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by William Mallard) North Port city commissioners gave preliminary approval to comprehensive plan changes that would allow for construction of a 180-home multifamily development on roughly 18.6 acres off of Toledo Blade Boulevard. NORTH PORT North Port city commissioners gave preliminary approval to a growth plan change to increase development allowed on 18.6 acres off of Toledo Blade Boulevard for Serenity at North Port, a 180-unit, upscale apartment complex. In addition to changing the future land use map from low to medium density residential the board changed the land-use classification from single-family to multi-family development. Both votes were 4-1, with Commissioner Debbie McDowell dissenting. The commission is scheduled to review the development master plan at its next meeting, though attorney Jeff Boone showcased one during a presentation to the commission, along with Mark Forlenza, managing director of construction and development for the developer, Hamden, Connecticut-based Belfonti Companies. According to the Belfonti Companies website, this would be the companys second venture outside of New England the other is a multi-story development on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami. Without the changes, the acreage could be developed as 70 single-family homes. From 1992 to '98 the land was owned by the First Christian Church of Port Charlotte. The proposed 180 unit multifamily development of Serenity at North Port would have an entrance off of Toledo Blade Boulevard but it would be bordered on the northwest by Fernway Drive, on the west by Oakley Road and southwest by Lovett Road. Access to the uniquely shaped parcel would be directly from Toledo Blade Boulevard to the east. It is bordered on the northwest by Fernway Drive, on the west by Oakley Road and southwest by Lovett Road. Residents living in neighborhoods on or adjacent to those roads opposes the changes. The chief complaints revolved around compatibility with the multifamily complex, as well as concerns about decreased property values. The upscale complex was also likened to recent affordable and workforce apartment complexes just to the north, near the intersection of Toledo Blade and Price boulevards. John Maredes, who lives on Sunnyvale Road, southwest of the proposed project, bemoaned the recent development. Whos going to live in them? We dont need all of the buildings going up on Toledo Blade, he said. Another Sunnyvale Road resident, Gabriela Donley, had more issues about the location than the development style. This is not the place for that, Donley said. This is our home, this is our backyard we want this to stay the way it is. Whats wrong with single-family homes? she added. Much of North Port especially the original portion of North Port created by General Development Company almost 65 years ago was carved up into quarter-acre single-family lots. Boone noted that roughly 0.6% of available land in the city is eligible for multifamily development. He repeated statements he previously made about the need for upscale rental homes, once Sarasota Memorial Hospital opens a planned campus at the intersection of Sumter Boulevard and Interstate 75 with those residents then patronizing local shops and restaurants when off work. This city is nothing more than single-family housing, agreed Vice Mayor Phil Stokes. It needs higher density development. Stokes also took issue with what he felt was a characterization of renters as second-class citizens vs. single-family homeowners. Stokes has been renting at Tropia, the new apartment complex in Wellen Park, since he sold his home in Gran Paradiso, while waiting for a new home in Wysteria to be finished. Master plan for 458-space RV resort approved The commission unanimously approved a development master plan for a Solana RV Resort, being proposed by Zeman RV Resorts, that would be south of Tamiami Trail and west of Talon Bay Boulevard. The Development Master Plan for Solana RV Resort includes stormwater drainage for a 500-year storm event. Zeman currently operates Sarasota Sunny South, a 55-and-older RV resort at 2100 Doud Street, Sarasota. The 458-space Solana RV Resort would include 318 standard recreational vehicle slots, as well as 140 park model RV slots, two clubhouse buildings, a resort-style pool, pickleball courts, a maintenance building and stormwater improvements. The 71-acre site is accessed by Talon Bay Drive and is east of LaCasa Mobile Home Park and north of Talon Bay. The proposal was already permitted under the planned commercial development zoning. In 2020, the city had considered purchasing a portion of the parcel for a new public works facility but that was quashed after LaCasa and Talon Bay residents voiced strong opposition. Clilnt Cuffle, principal at WRA Engineering, noted that the stormwater system is being designed to handle the impact of a 500-year storm. That is significantly more than required by the city of North Port and the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and equal to the impact of Hurricane Ian in 2022. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Connecticut company eyes North Port for 180 upscale apartments Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stressed that there can be no doubt that Warsaw needs to support Ukraine as the latter is repelling a full-scale Russian invasion. Source: Tusk in an interview with Polish media, in particular TVN24 Quote: "I will never allow anyone in my government to build their position on any anti-Ukrainian sentiment. There can be no doubt when it comes to the war and our commitment, as well as that of the entire Western world, to Ukraine in its fight against Russia," Tusk said. Details: The Polish prime minister stressed that every Polish patriot must absolutely recognise these arguments, adding that Ukraine needs both Warsaw's and the entire free world's help in its war with Russia. "And this is not a slogan. Because, in fact, while Ukraine is at war with Russia, we are in relative safety," Tusk said. The official stressed that in any scenario, Poland's task will be to resist despondency in assisting Ukraine and noted that he is currently working intensively with partners in Europe who understand this well. "There can be no hesitation with regard to arming and supporting Ukraine in the war. It's unquestionable to me," the Polish prime minister added. Tusk also announced that on Monday, 15 January, he plans to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda to discuss, among other things, his upcoming visit to Kyiv. Background: In recent months, Kyiv and Warsaw have faced various challenges in their relations, ranging from Poland's embargo on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products to Polish hauliers blocking the border. Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced contacts with Poland "at all levels" to resolve bilateral issues. Learn more: Poland must recognise it's waging war against Ukraine's European future Support UP or become our patron! Wednesday was a superb day for Nikki Haley. With Chris Christie dropping out and Haley turning in a good enough debate performance, she will now likely emerge as the final contender to take on Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. Christies departure helps Haley because they were competing for the same voter pool. Both garnered support from the partys moderate wing and from independents. Polls have shown that Haley is overwhelmingly the second choice for Christies voters. His decision gives her already surging campaign a boost. This push could make Haley the victor in New Hampshire. Polls show her trailing Trump by an average of 14 points, but Christie had been polling around 11 per cent. If, as expected, most of these votes now go to her, Haley will close the gap to a tiny single-digit margin. It would only take a small improvement, perhaps fueled by momentum from a second-place finish in Iowa, to put her over the top. Wednesday nights debate likely will not disturb this analysis. Haley did not turn in her best performance, but she weathered myriad blows from her rival, Ron DeSantis. That plus DeSantis clear focus on conservative voters not likely to be interested in Haley means she probably wont see her rise reversed. DeSantis is clearly aiming to be the pugnacious conservative. Time and again he emphasised that he fights and wins. His purported foes ranged from liberals like activist financier George Soros and teachers unions to what he characterised as a globalist, woke capitalism that cared more about their profits than your country or your children. He cited his opposition to Covid-era mandates, mainly a concern today on the hard right, and promised there would be an accounting for what was done during the pandemic. Conservatives who want red meat found a lot to like in the Florida governor. Haley, in contrast, cast herself as the pragmatic conservative doer. She talked about how she got things done as governor of South Carolina or United Nations Ambassador. She spent less time talking about culture war issues and more time on staples like smaller government and cutting taxes. She repeatedly cited her pre-political background as an accountant, saying it was time an accountant was president to put a stop to wasteful deficit spending. Those who want an end to what she called the chaos would find her appealing. The two sparred most directly on policy toward Ukraine. Haley staunchly backs military aid to Ukraine, saying that backing that nation in its fight against Russia is a way to prevent a future war between Russia and NATO countries. DeSantis says that the war needs to end because it is a drain on US resources that could be better positioned to ward off Chinese aggression in the Pacific. Polls show that Republican voters are roughly split on this issue, giving both ample room to attract support. Both also ramped up their attacks on absent frontrunner Donald Trump, saying that he should have accepted the invitation to debate so he could defend his record. DeSantis repeatedly said that Trump didnt keep his promise to build the wall on the Mexican border, while Haley focused on Trumps adding to the federal deficit. Those lines of attack again reinforced each persons main rationale for running. Haleys statements at the end of the debate that January 6 was a terrible day, and that Trump lost the election might prove to be more telling over time. Majorities of Republicans disagree with those assessments, but significant minorities do. Independents, moreover, largely back her views. One can imagine a scenario where the national media, which has been eager to inject discussion about the January 6 riots into the GOP contest, play these comments up in the coming days. If that happens, it could spark a direct war of words between her and Trump, who has never been wanting for words in such conflicts. DeSantis, though, faces the larger initial challenge. Haley can do well in Iowa simply by consolidating the support of Republicans who already prefer to move on from Trump. DeSantis is directly competing with Trump for conservative loyalty. He might win in theory by persuading conservatives that Haley is not for them. But if they end up preferring Trump, he gains nothing of substance. He wins the battles but loses the war. That why Haleys performance is good enough. The voters who might consider her found ample evidence to support their inclinations and DeSantis did nothing to throw them off. DeSantis, on the other hand, didnt do enough to persuade those leaning toward Trump to change their minds. That likely means a continuation of the pre-debate trend: Haley gaining with non-MAGA voters and the right sticking with Trump. The momentum was with Haley before Wednesday. Shes not the MAGA conservatives choice, but she doesnt need to be to beat expectations and finish second in Iowa. If that happens, DeSantiss campaign is over and Haley goes on to New Hampshire. Reinforced there with former Christie voters, the week-long battle with Trump will be epic. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. FILE - A Brightline train approaches the Fort Lauderdale station on Sept. 8, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 it will investigate two crashes involving Florida's Brightline train that killed three people at the same railroad crossing on the high speed train's route between Miami and Orlando. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, file) FORT LAUDERDALE Fla. (AP) The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday it will investigate two crashes involving Florida's Brightline train that killed three people at the same railroad crossing on the high speed train's route between Miami and Orlando. The crashes happened Wednesday and Friday at a crossing along the U.S. 1 corridor in Melbourne, on Florida's Atlantic coast, where the high speed train passes through on its daily routes to and from South Florida. Since Brightline launched the 160-mile extension that links South Florida and Orlando in September, there have been five deaths, according to an Associated Press database. Friday's crash killed driver Lisa Ann Batchelder, 52, and passenger Michael Anthony Degasperi, 54, both of Melbourne. On Wednesday, 62-year-old Charles Julian Phillips was killed when the vehicle he was driving was hit by the train. Three passengers in that vehicle were injured, according to Melbourne police. Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey told reporters at the scene that the SUV tried to outrun the train. He said he's spoken to Brightline officials about doing another public safety campaign to warn drivers not to go around railroad crossings because the train is traveling at higher speeds. I start by saying if the arm is down dont go around, Alfrey told Orlando television station WKMG. Theres no good outcome with a train. This is an unfortunate situation. We have the loss of life again. Theres safety precautions for a reason, and people need to adhere them. The bright, neon yellow trains travel at speeds up to 125 mph (201 kph) in some locations. The 3.5-hour, 235-mile (378-kilometer) trip between Miami and Orlando takes about 30 minutes less than the average drive. The NTSB team was expected to at the scene for several days, beginning Saturday. Investigators will work to better understand the safety issues at this crossing and will examine opportunities to prevent or mitigate these crashes in the future, NTSB spokeswoman Sarah Taylor Sulick told The Associated Press. She said a preliminary report will be released within 30 days, and a final report will be issued in 12 to 24 months. Brightline did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but the company has placed warning signs near crossings to alert drivers to the fast-moving trains. The three deaths in Melbourne this week mark at least 108 since it began operations in July 2017. Thats one death for approximately every 38,000 miles (61,000 kilometers) its trains travel, the worst death rate among the nations more than 800 railroads, an ongoing Associated Press analysis that began in 2019 shows. Among U.S. railroads that log at least 100,000 train-miles a year, the next-worst rate since 2017 belongs to Californias Caltrain commuter line. Caltrain has averaged one death for every 125,000 miles (201,000 kilometers) traveled during that period. None of Brightlines previous deaths have been found to be the railroads fault. Most have been suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of the train or drivers who maneuvered around crossing gates rather than wait. Artist rendering showing a the layout of the proposed Oklahoma County Jail at 1901 E. Grand Blvd. in Oklahoma City. Photo Provided Oklahoma County's search for a location to build a new jail feels like a game of Whac-A-Mole. On Friday, Commissioner Myles Davidson attempted to convince his colleagues to reconsider land at 1901 E Grand Blvd. for the project a site already removed from the county's list of potential jail locations several times. But commissioners were greeted and addressed by a large contingent of Del City-area residents, elected city and school leaders and public officials, all of whom implored commissioners to pull the location from consideration, arguing placing a jail there would hurt their community. At a meeting commissioners held between Christmas and New Year's Day, Davidson joined Commissioner Carrie Blumert and supported her motion to remove the Grand Boulevard site from consideration. The lone no vote was cast by Commissioner Brian Maughan, who said he feared that might be the only location Oklahoma City would zone for a jail's use. But it was back on the commission's list as a possible location again when commissioners met Jan. 10 after the property owners resubmitted the land for consideration at a slightly reduced asking price. "Even if it was offered for free, it is not a good location," Del City Councilwoman Claudia Browne told commissioners at that meeting. Commissioners, with Davidson out of town and represented by a deputy, voted a second time to pull the site from its list. Before commissioners met Friday, Davidson told The Oklahoman via a spokesperson that he was requesting his colleagues reconsider buying the Grand Boulevard site because he had concluded it was the only workable option remaining for the county to pursue. "I have been told the Stockyards will not work," Davidson texted as he traveled back to Oklahoma Thursday afternoon. "That would leave no viable spots" for the county to consider, he texted. The Oklahoma County jail is pictured Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Oklahoma City. Opponents of the Grand Boulevard location were not convinced that's the case, and wondered if Davidson was trying to pull a fast one. "Why are we here at 3-o-clock on a Friday afternoon to discuss this site after every one of you have voted against this site at one time or another," Del City Mayor Floyd Eason asked commissioners. "What's going on?" "You all are playing with peoples' lives," Gina Standridge, a member of the Mid-Del school system's board of education, told commissioners. "You are going to destroy any progress we have made in Del City." Downtown is best location for a new Oklahoma County jail, activist argues At least one critic of the jail's selection process continues to argue Oklahoma County should consider building its new jail downtown on properties adjacent to its existing operation. Jess Eddy, an Oklahoma City community organizer, told county commissioners when they met Jan. 10 and again on Friday that downtown is "unequivocally the best" location to use, given its nearness to Oklahoma County's courthouse, attorneys, bondsmen, public transportation and various social services. "The judges, the public defender, the district attorney, the courts are in unanimous support of the belief that downtown is the ideal location," Eddy said Jan. 10. Eddy But Eddy said the location hasn't been thoroughly vetted, and questioned if county commissioners were reluctant to do so because they had been successfully lobbied against considering that location by a deep-pocketed investor who plans to build high-end housing nearby. While Eddy named the investor at Friday's meeting, he presented no evidence to suggest that person had done anything illegal in blocking the potential use of that land. "I think people in this county need to know why that hasn't happened and what other interests have impacted this process about the most pressing issue Oklahoma County government has ever faced." Eddy argued Oklahoma County should seriously look at adjacent properties to the current jail before going after others that would negatively impact already-struggling communities. "I am here to object to a commercial interest overcoming a public interest. That's a big problem for me as a public advocate," Eddy said. Oklahoma County's search to find a new location for its jail has lasted for months Oklahoma County faces increasing time pressures as it tries to secure land and approval from Oklahoma City to build a new jail. So far, Oklahoma County only has offered to buy a a piece of property near SW 54 and Newcastle Road from the Oklahoma City Airport Trust for $2.5 million, hoping to build the new jail there. But the Federal Aviation Administration nixed that plan, saying a jail built on Will Rogers World Airport's north side could prevent the use of future federal funds to expand or improve the facility's operations. More recently, Commissioner Davidson proposed acquiring land along Stockyards City's west side as a future jail location. On Friday, Davidson apologized to the dozens of people who stayed through an executive session that lasted nearly two hours as he made a motion to take no actions regarding any properties still being considered by the county. Davidson said he had intended for his proposal to reconsider the Grand Boulevard site to be placed on the commission's agenda for its meeting Jan. 17, but said wires got crossed as he attempted to carry out that plan using a phone on an aircraft as he returned to town after a trip. "This was not intended to look like it was backdoor, or anything of the sort. This is nobody's fault but my own. The buck stops here," Davidson said. Maughan, the commission's chairman, told onlookers he did not expect the board will consider individual locations when it meets next week. "We have got several things we need to pursue ... to understand more options that might be available to the county," he said. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Commissioners asked to reconsider twice-eliminated jail site near Del City The Service Oklahoma headquarters on Classen Boulevard in Oklahoma City helps residents with drivers license and motor vehicle services. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct name of the CEO of Service Oklahoma Jay Doyle. The head of the agency that processes drivers licenses is expecting a surge in demand as the federal deadline for REAL ID draws closer. Jay Doyle, Service Oklahoma chief executive officer, said the state has issued about 1.5 million REAL ID licenses. He expects about 60% of the states drivers licenses will be REAL ID compliant ahead of the May 7, 2025, federal deadline. There will be a massive surge around that deadline, Doyle said during a budget hearing with lawmakers this week. Those going through airport security or entering secure federal facilities, such as military bases, will be required to show a REAL ID or a passport. Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, asked Doyle if he was planning any public service announcements to educate the public about the deadline, which was extended from May 3, 2023. More: Oklahomans will soon need REAL ID to travel by plane here's how to get one Everyone has gotten used to hearing it got moved, Haste said. Doyle said he did not have money in his budget for an advertising campaign. But the agency will use social media and posters to educate the public, he said. What is REAL ID? How to apply for one in Oklahoma Congress passed REAL ID in 2005 to make drivers licenses harder to forge after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Oklahoma lawmakers passed a bill in 2007 forbidding the state from complying with the federal legislation. But the state switched course in 2017 and has been given several extensions to become compliant. A list of documents necessary to obtain a REAL ID is on the Service Oklahoma website, Doyle said. Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahomans rush to get REAL IDs ahead of May 2025 deadline About three months ago, I bought a flip phone and turned off my smartphone for good. I am part of a trend interest in old-fashioned flip phones is up but I dont feel trendy. When I flip my phone open in a hallway of the middle school where Im the principal, one student literally makes the sign of the cross. Another just says, Oh, no. Another asks, Why did you put yourself on punishment? But I do not feel punished. I feel free. Read more: Opinion: I've lived into my 40s without ever owning a smartphone. Hopefully I'll never have to Kids and their phones are different closer since COVID. That first year back after the pandemic, one child clocked 17 hours of screen time in a single day. Another tried to have UberEats delivered to a classroom. Teachers said they could sense kids phones distracting them from inside their pockets. We banned phones outright, equipping classrooms with lockboxes that the kids call cellphone prisons. It's not perfect, but it's better. A teacher said, Its like we have the children back. At school, yes, but what about everywhere else? Chicagos Compass Health Center has a Child Screen Dependence Program to help children learn to tolerate periods of screen separation. A Pennsylvania phone addiction camp promises to help young people rediscover who they really are. Read more: Guerrero: Smartphones take a toll on teenagers. What choice do parents have? And what about adults? Ninety-five percent of young adults now keep their phones nearby every waking hour , according to a Gallup survey; 92% do when they sleep. We look at our phones an average of 352 times a day, according to one recent survey , almost four times more often than before COVID. We want children off their phones because we want them to be present, but children need our presence, too. When we are on our phones, we are somewhere else. As the title of one study notes, The Mere Presence of Ones Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity . Our after-school director told me, I just want parents to be off their phones at pickup. I just want them to look up for that one moment when their kids first see them. I averaged six hours of screen time a day on my smartphone. My 12-year-old son said, I called your name three times and you didnt hear me. My 10-year-old son said, I can tell you are looking at your phone by the sound of your voice. I made my screen gray. I deleted social media. I bought a lockbox and said I would keep my phone there. I didnt. When they were little, my sons loved to play a game in which they would hide under the covers while I wondered aloud, Where is he? Then they would throw off the blankets and yell, Here I am! I was here the whole time. How much of their lives have I missed while looking at my screen? Every year, I see kids get phones and disappear into them. I dont want that to happen to mine. I dont want that to have happened to me. So I quit. And now I have this flip phone. What I dont have is Facetime or Instagram. I cant use Grubhub or Lyft or the Starbucks Mobile App. I dont even have a browser. I drove to a students quinceanera, and I had to print out directions as if it were 2002. My 8-year-old niece poked at my screen with her finger, which does nothing, and looked at me with such pity. You have the most boring phone of all time, she said. I can still make calls, though people are startled to get one. I can still text. And I can still see your pictures, though I can heart them only in my heart. The magic of smartphones is that they eliminate friction: touchscreens, auto-playing videos, endless scrolling. My phone isn't smooth. That breaks the spell. Turning off my smartphone didnt fix all my problems. But I do notice my brain moving more deliberately, shifting less abruptly between moods. I am bored more, sure the days feel longer but I am deciding thats a good thing. And I am still connected to the people I love; they just cant text me TikToks. Its hard to imagine a revolution against the smartphone, though there are glimmers of resistance. The attorneys general of California and 32 other states are suing Meta , alleging that its Facebook and Instagram platforms have addicted children to something harmful. Twelve percent of adults recently told Gallup that their smartphones make life worse , up from 6% in 2015. But Im not doing this to change the culture. Im doing this because I dont want my sons to remember me lost in my phone. Last month, we went to buy their mom a birthday present. We took a bus across the city as the sun went down. It was nearing wintertime and there were lights in the trees. We talked the whole way. In the store, one of them got turned around and called out my name. Here I am, I said. I was here the whole time. Seth Lavin is a school principal in Chicago. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Outreach workers check on the welfare of homeless people sleeping at the entrance of the 7th Street Metro station in 2022. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) Is homelessness a crime? The answer should obviously be no. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court agreed Friday to review a case that poses that question, and there is every reason to fear that the conservative justices will allow governments to criminalize sleeping in public spaces even if people have nowhere else to go. The case, Johnson vs. City of Grants Pass, involves a local ordinance that says: No person may sleep on public sidewalks, streets, or alleyways at any time as a matter of individual and public safety. The law also prohibits homeless people from using blankets, pillows or cardboard boxes for protection from the elements. Read more: Editorial: Asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on homeless policy invites troubles for L.A. and other cities A panel of the San Francisco-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit declared this unconstitutional, concluding that the government can't punish people criminally or civilly for being unhoused or for having bedding materials. The court relied on its consequential 2018 ruling in Martin vs. Boise, which held that the 8th Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment prohibits the imposition of criminal penalties for sitting, sleeping, or lying outside on public property for homeless individuals who cannot obtain shelter. The Supreme Court declined to review Martin vs. Boise but was expected to take the Grants Pass case. When the entire 9th Circuit Court of Appeals narrowly declined to review its panel's decision in the latter case, the court's Republican-appointed judges vehemently dissented and could not have been more emphatic in urging Supreme Court review. Moreover, even Democratic officials such as Gov. Gavin Newsom and the city attorneys of Los Angeles and San Francisco urged the Supreme Court to reverse the 9th Circuit. It's understandable that these officials want more power to deal with the problem of homelessness. But the solution can't be punishing or criminalizing homeless people. Read more: Editorial: Bass had a strong first year on homelessness. Year 2, L.A. needs more housing The 9th Circuit got it exactly right. Every human being must sleep. If there isn't enough housing or shelter for the people who live in a city as is the case throughout California people have no choice but to sleep on sidewalks and in parks and use blankets and cardboard for warmth. It is cruel and unusual to punish people for conduct they can't avoid. As 9th Circuit Judge Marsha Berzon explained, it's unconstitutional to punish "simply sleeping somewhere in public if one has nowhere else to do so. In the 1962 case Robinson vs. California, the Supreme Court held that the 8th Amendment does not allow the government to punish a person for a status that he or she can't change. Specifically, the court ruled that a person could not be criminally punished for being a narcotics addict, which would be like making it a crime "to be mentally ill, or a leper, or to be afflicted with a venereal disease." In both the Boise and Grants Pass cases, the 9th Circuit found that laws that make it a crime to sleep in public impermissibly punish the status of being homeless. Criminal law exists to punish people who choose to break the law, not for conduct that is not a choice. None of this is to deny the challenges that cities face in dealing with homelessness. But as Los Angeles is demonstrating in reducing its unhoused population under Mayor Karen Bass, governments can address this problem without using the penal code. It's worth noting that the 9th Circuit explicitly recognized the right of cities to clear encampments and prevent the use of tents on public property. Most important, states, counties and cities must find ways to provide enough housing and shelter. I worry, however, that the conservative justices will choose to empower governments to use criminal laws against their unhoused people and narrow the protections of the 8th Amendment in doing so. It wont reduce homelessness or make it go away, but it will diminish everyone's constitutional rights. Erwin Chemerinsky is a contributing writer to Opinion and the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law. His latest book is Worse Than Nothing : The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Editors Note: Suzanne Nossel is CEO of PEN America, the century-old free expression and writers group. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion on CNN. In a matter of months, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or DEI has gone from a guiding light on US college campuses to a deprecated doctrine blamed for chilling speech and imposing groupthink in higher education. Some conservatives trumpeted the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay, the first Black president in the universitys near 400-year history, who faced allegations of plagiarism after being criticized for not doing enough to combat antisemitism on campus, as a mortal blow against DEI. Suzanne Nossel - Suzanne Nossel The doctrine is being blamed for corroding elite institutions and stifling the freewheeling discourse that makes college so formative. Harvards Danielle Allen, a political scientist who helped lead the universitys 2018 Presidential Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging has acknowledged in an op-ed in The Washington Post that DEI bureaucracies have been responsible for numerous assaults on common sense and that Harvard, among others has stumbled badly in part by focusing excessively on accusation rather than cultivating mutual respect. DEI means different things to different people. For some it is the essential, unfinished business of the civil rights movement to eradicate discrimination and forge an equal society. To others it is a repudiation of Martin Luther King Jr.s ideal of a world where children are judged by character and not skin color; an insistence that considerations of race and undoing racism govern societal decision-making. To certain critics, DEI has become synonymous with overgrown campus bureaucracies that siphon resources and attention from teaching and scholarship. But shoring up academic freedom and open discourse on campus must not mean jettisoning DEI. Free speech need not be sacrificed on the altar of DEI, nor vice-versa. Campuses have moral and practical obligations to ensure that students can thrive irrespective of their racial, ethnic, religious or other identities. Just 42% of the university student population across the country is white; nearly a third are immigrants, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Meanwhile American high schools remain sharply segregated; 60% of Black and Latino students attend schools whose populations are over 75% comprised of students of color, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. For many young people, campus is a first encounter with people unlike themselves. To prepare for professional success, personal satisfaction and societal leadership, university graduates must be primed to live and work with those from different backgrounds. Creating an environment open to all students demands continuing to adapt institutions created centuries ago to serve comparatively homogenous populations of elite, White men. Yet that evolution should not and need not come at the expense of free speech and academic freedom. To fulfill their role as flagship institutions in a pluralistic America, universities must embrace both a continued commitment to diversity and an uncompromising fealty to free speech. DEI programs are not inherently censorious. On the contrary, an open marketplace of ideas requires that everyone be able and willing to speak up. If barriers including prejudice, stereotyping or intimidation inhibit certain students from joining in classroom discussions or extracurricular life, the vitality of the public square diminishes. Steps to eliminate those obstacles range from training professors to elicit broader in class participation, supporting students with weaker academic backgrounds, or fostering community among sometimes isolated minorities. These practices are a boon to open discourse in that they help get more voices heard. DEI programs go astray if they turn what should be a call to appreciate difference, nuance and complexity into a mandate for uniformity of thought and action. When inclusion efforts go amok they can make for viral news stories: the publication by a Technology affinity group at Stanford University of offensive terms to avoid (including innocent phrases, like American, immigrant, and grandfather); or the University of California, Santa Cruz requiring mandatory DEI statements from job candidates, an ideological litmus test that was challenged last summer as a violation of the First Amendment. The case was dismissed by a California judge on Friday. Many DEI programs, including Harvards, have left out the need to combat antisemitism because some Jews are White and privileged, thus falling outside the population DEI programs intend to protect. In these cases, efforts to foster peaceable coexistence in a pluralistic society are carried to counterproductive extremes. The propensity to reduce everything to a matter of race or identity, an unforgiving patrolling of language and thought and Manichean conceptions of oppressor and oppressed can corrupt the noble project of DEI. Seeding grievance among those who believe the particularities of their identity or experience are overlooked and their opinions squelched, DEI programs have bred resistance to what should be broadly embraced goals in a society committed to equality and democracy. The noble aspiration of creating a more diverse, fair and welcoming campus should not be cast out with the bathwater of DEI. Universities should embrace former President Bill Clintons onetime approach to affirmative action: mend it, dont end it. While dogmas should be cast aside, universities must continue to dedicate resources and expertise to creating inclusive campuses. Such efforts should reflect all forms of diversity, including addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia, economic hardship and disability-related barriers that defy simplistic binaries dividing white from of color and privileged from disadvantaged. They should do the hard work of reconciling concerns for diversity and inclusion with the imperative of fostering heterodox thinking among university faculties and political diversity among students, ensuring that the drive for diverse identities does not come at the expense of diverse ideologies. Educating students on the history and manifestations of specific societal bigotries, including the unique place of anti-Black racism in American history, provides important context for living in the 21st century United States. Instead of trying to guarantee comfort levels, universities should build students resiliency to cope with ideas and speech they find noxious. Rather than imposed by sometimes sprawling teams of administrators, DEI efforts should be tailored to concrete challenges faced by those trying to teach and learn on campus. Free speech must be foundational to DEI efforts. The whole point of making colleges more diverse should be to give a broader array of students access to what makes a university education great. If it throttles classroom discussion or shields students from objectionable opinions, DEI denies its purported beneficiaries (and all their classmates) the very education they seek. Heavy handed approaches to DEI can neuter the campus experience and leave students unprepared for the rough-and-tumble of a diverse society where they will unavoidably confront the unpalatable. Simply housing, feeding and teaching students in common will not dissolve the hurdles of unfamiliarity, obliviousness, prejudice and fear that keep us from forming bonds with those from drastically different backgrounds. At the same time, the premise of our pluralistic society cannot be that everyone must perpetually hold their tongue for fear of giving offense. If DEI can become a force that enables students to abide discomfort, reach across divides, ask hard questions about individual differences and hear out the answers, it will serve not just students of all stripes but our democracy and society writ large. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Protesters watch South African legal advisor John Dugard on a large video screen, as they follow the hearings during a demonstration outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on Thursday. (Patrick Post / Associated Press) Israel's military operations against Hamas in Gaza have resulted in an extraordinary number of civilian casualties by any standards, especially the killing of children and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, many of whose homes have been totally destroyed . Even the Biden administration, Israels staunchest ally in this war since Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, has sometimes referred to indiscriminate bombing and expressed dissatisfaction with Israels efforts to avoid civilian casualties and abide by international humanitarian law. South Africa filed a case in the International Court of Justice, bringing charges of genocide against Israel, which represents a major escalation in allegations concerning the inhumanity with which Israel is waging war in Gaza. This week, South Africa lawyers presented their claims, while Israel attempted to rebut the accusations, raising questions about the foundations of international law and its application in wartime. Read more: Opinion: Israel's Gaza strategy: Create facts on the ground that can't be undone Under the United Nations genocide convention, genocide is defined as intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, not only through killing but also by other measures such as deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. Recently, the ICJ has been active in issuing emergency injunctions, called provisional measures, in situations where parties have invoked the genocide convention, most recently by The Gambia against Myanmar for its actions against the Rohingya people. That means the state would have to stop certain actions until the court makes its final ruling. Ultimately, these orders would only be formally enforceable by the U.N. Security Council. But the injunctions could influence individual states to take their own actions, such as sanctions against a nation that fails to comply. Read more: Opinion: Here's what the mass violence in Gaza looks like to a scholar of genocide South Africa is able to bring this case because the genocide convention allows standing before the ICJ of any state that is a party to the convention, regardless of whether it is particularly affected (obviously South Africa is not a direct party to the conflict in Gaza). Underpinning South Africas case are numerous statements by Israel's leaders. That includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and many other elected politicians, who explicitly call for total destruction or elimination of Gaza. Often these statements are couched or surrounded by language that allows some deniability, referring (in plain contradiction) to the need to spare civilian lives. In its oral argument before the court Thursday, South Africa also presented videos of Israel Defense Forces soldiers in the field chanting some of the leaders' genocidal slogans and celebrating what appeared to be acts of indiscriminate destruction. Read more: Opinion: What does it feel like to be dehumanized? Just ask any Palestinian An additional part of South Africa's case addresses the starvation and disease resulting from Israel's siege of Gaza and obstruction or disruption of food, clean water supply, electricity and medical supplies and facilities. Luis Moreno Ocampo, the founding chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which is separate from the ICJ, said in an interview that this in itself qualifies as plausibly genocide. Not surprisingly Israel has reacted with rage to accusations of genocide, a category of crime that was invented in the wake of the Holocaust to put a specific legal meaning to the ultimate form of atrocity: complete extermination of a people, or the attempt thereof. Israel argues that regrettable civilian losses from dealing with a ruthless enemy that uses even children as human shields, embedding fighters in schools and hospitals are not comparable to genocide. Read more: Germany pledged 'never again.' Here's how it's grappling with Israel's bombing of Gaza But the genocide convention is concerned above all with prevention, and thus should be applied long before a situation metastasizes into full-blown and possibly unstoppable annihilation. Indeed, one of the fundamental aims of provisional measures in international law is the avoidance of irreparable harm. The convention states in its preamble that "at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity; this makes clear that the Holocaust is not the only form or model that a genocide can take. In its oral argument Friday, Israel engaged in a sweeping denial that it had ever strayed from the letter of humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict. Some of its representatives actually suggested the state may have gone beyond what is required in humanitarian precautions, such as by giving warnings to civilians before bombings. Notably absent, though, was any direct refutation of the specific events identified by South Africa in its pleadings, such as summary executions of entire families including children, and sniping on fleeing civilians. Unrefuted, these incidents, along with the genocidal statements of Israeli political and military leaders as well as troops in the field, provide more than enough plausibility to the claim of genocide, which is the standard of proof the court requires for an order of provisional measures. This said, Israel's opening counsel, Tal Becker, made a strong point in court that one of South Africa's requests an immediate cessation to hostilities ignores the imminent and ongoing threat by Hamas, which Israel has a legitimate interest in continuing to counter with military means. It may take the court a year or two to decide the whole case. But for its credibility and to have the best chance of compliance, the court should order the provisional measures as a kind of suspended sentence, delaying their binding effect for a reasonable period of time. This would allow Israel a chance to scale back its operations; walk back unambiguously the genocidal statements of its leaders; and take other effective measures to halt the genocidal cancer that has started to grow within a necessary military operation against an enemy that has terrorized Palestinians and Israeli Jews alike. Rob Howse is a professor of international law at NYU School of Law. A former Canadian diplomat, he served on the Policy Planning Secretariat of Canada's foreign ministry and on its delegation to the U.N. General Assembly. In 1994, he participated with South African academics and politicians in a drafting committee that produced the design of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation. He has also provided advice to South Africa's government, on a pro bono basis, on unrelated matters. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Video above: FOX 5s Christelle Koumoue in a Dec. 10 report on the dead whale. SAN DIEGO (KSWB) Over a month after a massive fin whale was found dead on the shore of Pacific Beach in San Diego, its carcass is still moving around the waters near Southern California along with its suspected killer. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been tracking the 52-foot female juvenile whale using a special GPS buoy attached following its second tow by crews since it was rolled off the beach and into the ocean in early December. In the weeks that followed, the whale has been picked up drifting hundreds of miles in an almost circular motion first northward towards the islands off the coast of Los Angeles county, then back down south through San Diego to Mexican waters. Its essentially following a current that we call the Southern California Eddy that creates a kind of circular motion, said Justin Greenman, assistant stranding coordinator with NOAAs Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. It appears that at least its been caught in that for a little bit. Newsoms budget proposal could end these popular state parks programs The main purpose for this monitoring, Greenman explained, has been to see where the decaying whale is headed in real-time in order to alert any boats whether the body may be moving in their direction or to notify beach crews that it is moving back inshore. Map of the fin whale's movement as of Jan. 12, 2024 after it was pushed back out into the ocean. The red line shows where the buoy recorded the whale. (Courtesy of NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources) The information collected from her drifting also gives oceanographers additional data to feed into models for predicting the movement of the ocean when working to address things like oil spills or stranded vessels. While she has been floating with the current, the whales movement has mirrored that of the creature who scientists believe may be the culprits in her death: the pod of eastern tropical Pacific orcas that has been sticking around in Southern California over the last few weeks. The fin whale, whose body was still very fresh when it became beached, was discovered about a day before the pod was first spotted hunting off the coast of Palos Verdes on Dec. 11. Scientists were not able to conduct a necropsy of the fin whale, but this timing on top of visible rakes on her flippers and the flukes that scientists say is inconsistent with human-inflicted marks, has led scientists to assume that an interaction with the orca pod may have been what led to her untimely death. We know that weve seen them hunting on other cetaceans, small dolphins as well as newborn gray whales, Greenman said. Its not out of the picture for them to at least try to take down this fin whale. At the very least, he says that the fin whales marks could indicate that she encountered orcas and they had perhaps been given a chase or harassed before moving closer to the shore and away from open waters a typical behavior when whales are attacked. Cougar population far smaller than previously thought, study finds: LAT However, fatal killer whale attacks on fin whales that are actually recorded are relatively rare, with one recently published study noting only 12 reported between 1982 and 2021 the vast majority in the Gulf of California. That includes a 2011 incident when fisherman near Coronado Island saw a pod pursuing a fin whale in Northern Baja waters for over two hours, and another in 2019 when an apparently healthy adult became stranded on a beach alive after a group of eight orcas chased it there. The only recorded killer whale attack on a fin whale that turned deadly in the waters off the coast of California, according to the study, was a likely fatal in 2019 near Morro Bay when four killer whales were observed from a fisheries research vessel hunting one for nearly half an hour. Killer whales do not often target fin whales, a species that is second only to the blue whale in size. The types of orcas that hunt other mammals more frequently go after smaller creatures like dolphins, seals or gray whale calves, according to the California Killer Whale Project. It is usually the more aggressive pods a trait passed down from the matriarch of the group that turn to the larger cetacean species, including those that might select a fin whale as potential prey to feast on. The pod currently swimming around Southern California has been observed multiple times by whale watching groups to their simultaneous wonder and horror while the orcas hunt dolphins and a several young gray whales. Jessica Rodriguez, education and communications manager at Newport Landing & Daveys Locker Whale Watching, said that she would not put trying to take down a fin whale past this pod, even though most of their predation has been on the smaller mammals. They would have to be pretty hungry and very ambitious to do that, because these whales can be hundreds of thousands of pounds, Rodriguez explained, adding that they would likely have coordinated with each other to take down a whale the size of the one that washed up in Pacific Beach. China suggests giant pandas could return to US by end of 2024 They are called the wolves of the sea for that reason, she continued, they hunt in packs and they work together. It still appears that the killer whales plan to stick around in Southern California to hunt for a little while longer, with even more Orange County sightings of the same pod on Jan. 4 and Jan. 9. A video of the whales from the latest sighting can be viewed in the player below. As for the body of the fin whale, Greenman says it will eventually sink back down to the seafloor sometime in the near future. How quickly that might happen depends on how much predation happens to the animal. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Examinations showed that bones of birds, dogs and other animals were used to create the dolls - SHUTTERSTOCK Two doll-like figures and a three-fingered hand said to be proof of extraterrestrial life were in fact made with paper, glue, metal and human and animal bones, forensics experts have concluded. The objects were seized by Perus customs authorities from a shipment heading to Mexico before being handed over to experts from Perus prosecutors office. The findings quash claims made by some in Mexico that the figures come from an alien centre or come from another planet, all of which is totally false, said forensic archaeologist Flavio Estrada, who led the analysis. The conclusion is simple: they are dolls assembled with bones of animals from this planet, with modern synthetic glues, therefore they were not assembled during pre-Hispanic times, Estrada told reporters. They are not extraterrestrials; they are not aliens. Experts showed reporters the pair of two-foot-long dolls dressed in red, orange and green clothes. They said examinations showed the bones of birds, dogs and other animals were used to create the dolls. X-rays of the alleged aliens show some kind of three-fingered humanoid mummies - SHUTTERSTOCK Meanwhile, the object said to be a three-fingered alien hand was subjected to X-ray examinations. Estrada said the very poorly built hand was created with human bones. The prosecutors office has not yet determined who owns the objects. Officials on Friday would only say that a Mexican citizen was the intended recipient of the objects before they were seized by customs agents in October. Mexican journalist Jose Jaime Maussan and some Mexican lawmakers became the subject of international ridicule in September when he went before the countrys congress to present two boxes with supposed mummies found in Peru. The dolls were intended for transport to Mexico - CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP Mr Maussan, along with others, claimed they were non-human beings that are not part of our terrestrial evolution. In November, Mr Maussan returned to Mexicos congress with a group of Peruvian doctors and spent more than three hours pressing the case for non-human beings that he said were found in Peru, where he made similar claims in 2017. A report by the Peruvian prosecutors office that year found that alleged alien bodies were actually recently manufactured dolls, which have been covered with a mixture of paper and synthetic glue to simulate the presence of skin. They are not the remains of ancestral aliens that they have tried to present, the 2017 report stated. 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. Two validators who worked for a trio accused of faking petition signatures testified Friday that they were told to "push" through signatures if the information matched or to "mark it good" despite concerns they raised. The three-day-long preliminary exam for Shawn and Jamie Wilmoth and their business partner Willie Reed is to continue Feb. 29, when former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley is expected to testify. The Wilmoths and Reed each face more than two dozen charges in 37th District Court in Warren. Kelley was expected to testify Friday from a federal prison in Wisconsin, where he is serving a 60-day sentence after he pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. He is to be released from prison Jan. 25, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website. Michigan Assistant Attorney General Chris Kessel said Friday that technology issues, specifically with video, prevented Kelley from testifying. The Wilmoths and Reed are accused of operating a criminal enterprise that charged several campaigns more than $700,000 for valid signature collection, then delivered thousands of forged signatures on nomination petitions to eight of the campaigns. Jamie and Shawn Wilmoth sit in court behind Macomb County Assistant Public Defender Noel Erinjeri, who is representing Shawn Wilmoth, during a preliminary exam Jan. 10, 2024 in 37th District Court in Warren. The couple is accused in a fraudulent nominating petition signature case. Seven candidates provided with fraudulent signatures were disqualified from appearing on the ballot and one candidate withdrew, state prosecutors previously said. 90% of candidate's petition signatures invalid Judge John Chmura will determine whether the trio will stand trial on the charges in Macomb County Circuit Court after all the testimony is complete. The fake signatures ended up getting five GOP gubernatorial candidates in 2022 and others disqualified from the ballot. John Cahalan testified Friday that he ended up withdrawing from a Wayne County probate judge race in spring 2022 when a political consulting firm that reviewed his petitions determined that close to 90% of the signatures he received from Shawn Wilmoth were invalid. He hired Wilmoth's company to collect signatures for his campaign. "I was forced to do the right thing. I withdrew from the ballot rather than being disqualified," Cahalan testified. "If the signatures I submitted were invalid, then I shouldn't be on the ballot." Daily concerns brushed off, workers testify More than a dozen witnesses have testified for the Michigan Attorney General's Office, which filed the charges in June. Four witnesses testified Friday, including Stacy Conroy and Jennifer Hendrickson, who worked as validators for Wilmoth and Reed at least twice, including in 2022. They checked names, addresses and other information on the petitions. They testified that the signatures started looking alike. They reported their concerns to Jamie Wilmoth, whom Hendrickson called the office manager, and Jamie Wilmoth would contact her husband or show him the concern. They testified they would approach Jamie Wilmoth with concerns daily, sometimes more than once a day. Conroy testified that after talking with Shawn Wilmoth, Jamie Wilmoth would tell her to "mark it good." Both eventually stopped raising concerns when they kept getting the same answers. Hendrickson testified that Shawn Wilmoth once said that if he was "going down that he was going to take us down with him." Shawn and Jamie Wilmoth and Willie Reed, sitting next to each other behind a row of attorneys, appear for their preliminary exams Jan. 10, 2024 in 37th District Court in Warren. They are accused in a fraudulent nominating petition signature case for 2022 candidates. State prosecutors previously said Shawn Wilmoth is owner/operator of First Choice LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC, and Reed is owner/operator of Petition Reeds LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas. The trio is accused of defrauding the 2022 gubernatorial campaigns of former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Donna Brandenburg, Perry Johnson, Michael Brown and Michael Markey, and judicial candidates Cahalan, Tricia Dare and John Michael Malone. The forgeries were detected by the Michigan Bureau of Elections and it was determined the campaigns of Craig, Brandenburg, Johnson, Brown, Markey, Dare and Malone had not met the qualifications to appear on the ballot. The Michigan Department of State referred the matter to the Attorney General's Office in June 2022. Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Workers testify in fake nominating petition signature case Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) on Friday said his fellow Democrats need to wake up and see the border crisis for what it is: A disaster. It is an unmitigated, embarrassing, unforgivable disaster, Phillips, who is running against President Biden for the White House, said in a forum hosted by NewsNations Dan Abrams. The more we ignore it, the more we pave a path for Donald Trump to return to the White House, because you know what? the long-shot presidential candidate continued. Hes actually listening. And I think its time that Democrats do, and Im afraid that President Biden is at a stage where he has lost the ability to legitimately listen. His comments echo a similar sentiment he shared in October, after taking two trips to the U.S. Mexico-border. Phillips called the border insecure, and inhumane, at the time. In Fridays interview, he accused the Biden administration of mismanaging the border crisis, including demeaning Border Patrol agents for showing mercy. It is not fair to our border patrol agents who have shown extraordinary mercy and humanity in ways that I wish more Americans saw, Phillips told Abrams. And theyve been demeaned by Democrats. The Democratic hopeful also attacked Biden for not attending the NewsNation forum and for not supporting Democratic primary debates. Where is he? I know he probably couldnt be here today, but to tell the country that he will not debate a single time in a Democratic primary of such consequence? Thats perhaps the biggest point of differentiation showing up, he concluded. Phillips launched his presidential campaign in October and announced in late November that he wouldnt seek reelection to his House seat. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a notable progressive among Democrats, also indicated she has serious concerns about Bidens border policy but her argument was contrary to Phillipss. There is so much fearmongering going on that it is difficult to know exactly where to start, she said Thursday during a House Judicial Committee hearing. But let me say this first: The Biden administration is enforcing immigration laws, Jayapal continued. In fact, the administration has been so heavy-handed in recent months that I have serious concerns about how they are conducting border enforcement. In a recent CBS News survey, nearly half of Americans polled said the situation at the border is a concern. The same poll found that 30 percent see the situation as a serious problem, 18 percent see it as somewhat serious and 7 percent said the situation isnt a problem at all. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ohioans planning to offer lodging or concessions during the April 8 total solar eclipse should make sure they follow all health department guidelines to avoid penalties. Landowners considering renting out portions of their lawns or fields to campers and anyone hoping to sell food or snacks to passersby during the eclipse could find themselves subject to one or more health laws. The fastest way Ohioans can ensure they are compliant is by checking with their local health departments, according to Joe Harrod, environmental health director for Richland Public Health. "Contact us directly if you're thinking about doing one of these things," Harrod said. "We can kind of walk you through what you're wanting to do and then we can let you know what the requirements are." Solar glasses like these can be purchased online. Make sure they have the "ISO" (International Organization for Standardization) icon and the ISO reference number 12312-2 Can I offer camping or sell food during the eclipse? Most of the people or entities hoping to offer services for the Buckeye State's hundreds of thousands of visitors will likely only need temporary licensures, according to Kate Siefert, health commissioner for Crawford County. Some might not need any. "We have already had a few folks come in to take out applications for temporary food licenses and temporary campground permits for the event," Siefert said. Siefert explained that Ohio law requires a short-term license "any time food is offered for sale or for a required donation," even if it's only for one day. A similar law mandates a short-term permit be obtained by anyone operating a temporary campground. There are a lot of nuances, though, which is why officials from every county say it's best to ask for guidance. "We would much prefer to begin working with people as soon as they are considering their options for either selling food or renting out places for RVs/tents for camping," Siefert said. "If we fully understand what they are thinking about doing, we can help guide them through the process and ensure they are offering their foods/camping in a safe manner and that they are not breaking any Ohio laws." Those interested in such events should call the health department for the county where it will be held. In Richland County, the number is 419-774-4500. In Crawford County, it's 419-562-5871. When is the solar eclipse in 2024? The eclipse will be on April 8, a Monday. the afternoon sky will go dark for 3 minutes, 16 seconds on April 8, 2024, when the moon passes between the sun and Earth to create the first total solar eclipse in Ohio in 208 years. The centerline of the eclipse the middle of the shadow's path will stretch from Texas to Maine. The eclipse will enter western Ohio about 3:10 p.m. near the city of Greenville in Darke County, according to a NASA map. The Ohio EMA has compiled a map of public viewing areas expected to be available during the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse. The blue line represents the centerline and the red lines show the boundaries of the totality viewing area. The path of the eclipse will travel northeast, reaching Cleveland by 3:15 p.m., then Erie, Pennsylvania, by about 3:18 p.m. The totality viewing area will be a 124-mile wide strip angling from the southwest to northeast corners of the state. The apex of the centerline will be in Forest, a village 35 miles west of Bucyrus in Wyandot County. Estimates are that as many as 250,000 people will travel to the Mansfield area alone that weekend for a closer look at the once-in-a-lifetime event. ztuggle@gannett.com 419-564-3508 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Food sales, campsite rentals during solar eclipse subject to Ohio law Poland put its aviation on alert in response to Russia's missile attacks on Ukrainian territory on the morning of 13 January. Source: Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, reported by European Pravda Details: Polish and allied aircraft were deployed in response to the "increased activity of the Russian Federation's long-range aviation, associated with the intention to strike at the territory of Ukraine". Due to the "necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace", residents of the country, particularly in the southeast, were warned of an increase in noise levels. After some time, due to the decrease in the threat level, Polish and allied aircraft returned to standard operations. "The Polish army is constantly monitoring the situation in Ukraine and remains in constant readiness to ensure the safety of Polish airspace," they said. Background: On 29 December, the Polish General Staff announced that a Russian missile had violated the country's airspace. The Polish military found that the missile flew 40 kilometres into Poland and returned to Ukraine three minutes later. On the night of 12-13 January, the Russians launched a missile attack on Ukraine, using 40 targets cruise, aeroballistic, ballistic, air-launched, anti-aircraft guided missiles and attack drones. Eight targets were destroyed by Ukrainian air defence units, while most weapons failed to reach their targets due to the operation of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems. Support UP or become our patron! Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, left, celebrates his victory with running mate Bi-khim Hsiao in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. The Ruling-party candidate has emerged victorious in Taiwan's presidential election and his opponents have conceded. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Ruling-party candidate Lai Ching-te emerged victorious in Taiwans presidential election on Saturday, a result that will determine the trajectory of the self-ruled democracys contentious relations with China over the next four years. China had called the poll a choice between war and peace. Beijing strongly opposes Lai, the current vice president who abandoned his medical career to pursue politics from the grassroots to the presidency. At stake is peace, social stability and prosperity on the island, 160 kilometers (100 miles) off the coast of China, which Beijing claims as its own and to be retaken by force if necessary. China is run by the Communist Party, which allows no political opposition. While domestic issues such as the sluggish economy and expensive housing also featured prominently in the campaign, Lai's Democratic Progressive Party's appeal to self-determination, social justice and rejection of China's threats ultimately won out. It's the first time a single party has led Taiwan for three consecutive four-year presidential terms since the first open presidential election in 1996. At a post-election news conference, Lai thanked the Taiwanese electorate for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We have shown the world how much we cherish our democracy. This is our unwavering commitment. He added: Taiwan will continue to walk side by side with democracies from around the world ... through our actions. The Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election." Lai supporter Hsieh Hsin-chou, a 57-year-old physical therapist, said he was very proud of the election result. We choose our own president in Taiwan. We are a country. We are a country. We are a light of the world. We love freedom. We love democracy. We (are) supposed to choose our new president, Hsieh said. Lai and incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen reject Chinas sovereignty claims over Taiwan, a former Japanese colony that split from the Chinese mainland amid civil war in 1949. They have, however, offered to speak with Beijing, which has repeatedly refused to hold talks and called them separatists. Beijing was believed to have favored the candidate from the more China-friendly Nationalist party, also known as Kuomintang, or KMT. Its candidate, Hou Yu-ih, also had promised to restart talks with China while bolstering national defense. He had vowed not to move toward unifying the two sides of the Taiwan Strait if elected. In his concession speech, Hou apologized for not working hard enough to regain power for the KMT, which ran Taiwan under martial law for nearly four decades before democratic reforms in the 1980s. I let everyone down. I am here to express my sincerest apologies, Im sorry," Hou said in front of an audience whose numbers fell well short of expectations. Hou supporter David Chiau, who works in information technology, said the loss came as a shock, but he was pleased by the turnout for the KMT, which he had hoped could have merged with the opposition. A third candidate in the race, Ko Wen-je of the smaller Taiwan Peoples Party, or TPP, had drawn the support particularly of young people wanting an alternative to the KMT and DPP, Taiwans traditional opposing parties, which have largely taken turns governing since the 1990s. Ko said that dialogue between the sides was crucial, but that his bottom line would be that Taiwan needs to remain democratic and free. At least this time the TPP has become a critical opposition power. I would like to say thank you to every one again, as the chairman of the TPP," Ko said. Each vote represents recognition and support for us. "This is also the first time that Taiwan managed to create a whole new three-party-competition between the clash of the green and blue, he said, referring to the DPP and the KMT by the colors with which they are affiliated. Chen Binhua, spokesperson of the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Beijing wouldn't accept the election result as representing the mainstream public opinion on the island, without giving any evidence or justification. This election cannot change the basic situation and the direction of cross Strait relations, nor can it change the common desire of compatriots on both sides to get closer and closer, nor can it stop the general trend that the motherland will eventually and inevitably be reunified, Chen said. The United States, which is bound by its laws to provide Taiwan with the weapons needed to defend itself, had pledged support for whichever government emerges, reinforced by the Biden administrations plans to send an unofficial delegation made up of former senior officials to the island shortly after the election. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his victory. We also congratulate the Taiwan people for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process, Blinken said in a statement. Lai won nearly 5.6 million votes, amassing just over 40%, while Hou claimed 33.5%. Ko garnered 26.5%. Evelyn Ni, a Chinese citizen living abroad, traveled to Taiwan especially to get a taste of an election. I would really like to experience what it is like to be empowered, the 24-year-old student told The Associated Press. She said that she started paying closer attention to relations between Taipei and Beijing after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and is worried that China could one day do the same with Taiwan. Besides the China tensions, domestic issues such as the dearth of affordable housing and stagnating wages dominated the campaign. For Tony Chen, a 74-year-old retiree who voted in Taipei in the hour before the polls closed, the election boiled down to a choice between communism and democracy. I hope democracy wins, he said. He added that more Taiwanese were open to Chinas model of governance decades ago, when the Chinese economy was growing by double digits annually, but are repulsed by the crackdown on civil liberties that has occurred under current Chinese President Xi Jinping. Stacy Chen, 43, said she has always voted for the DPP, because Taiwan is an independent country. She said she wanted her son to grow up in a country that is separate from China. Taiwans election was seen as having real and lasting influence on the geopolitical landscape, said Gabrielle Reid, associate director with the global intelligence consultancy S-RM. The outcome of the vote will ultimately determine the nature of ties with China relative to the West and will have strong bearing on the state of play in the South China Sea, she said. The warming of Taiwan's ties with the U.S. will likely continue under Lais administration, said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Atlantic Council. Beijing is likely to deploy a maximum pressure campaign to influence the new administration along military, economic and political lines, Sung told the AP. ENCINITAS, Calif. A much sought after cafe in the City of Encinitas has finally reopened after a fire destroyed the popular eatery back in 2019. Now roughly 4 years later, the Leucadia community is rejoicing as Peace Pies revives its locally sourced menu of raw, vegan, gluten-free and soy-free dishes. Elements from the previous location have been brought back to fruition literally. The passion fruit plant is exhumed on the walls of the cafe in art form. Popular Mexican restaurant offering discounted burritos across San Diego Who remembers sitting at our old patio and having a passion fruit drop close to or sometimes on top of your table? asked JP Alfred, the owner and mastermind behind Peace Pies. The passion fruit symbolizes the passion that we have for this business, for showing up for our customer base, and for the healing power of raw living foods. Dragon fruit art JP described the new space has elevated and warm a spot hes excited for the community to enjoy. The restaurateur began selling his raw and vegan creations at farmers markets in 2007 before later opening a brick and mortar location in Mission Beach and then Encinitas. On Friday, Peace Pies opened their doors once again something that has been long-awaited and strongly supported by raw, vegan and health conscious diners in the area. Landslide reactivated at Beacons Beach prompting closure of access trail The Encinitas area is such a mecca of health that we are thrilled to be able to serve our community, Peace Pies crew member Ashley Disharoon told FOX 5. It feels great to have a fresh cozy place (within) walking distance from the ocean where everyone can come eat, meet, laugh and share in. We would not be here if not for the community, so we humbly hope that everyone will be as happy as we are to be back! As far as the menu goes, Disharoon said it be the same in Ocean Beach and Leucadia. The daily specials, however, will always be different based on the chef-of-days choice. Some of those who partook in the grand reopening celebration Friday, shared on social media their favorite dishes. Favorites included the Magical Mango Curry Wrap, the Mystical Mushroom Quesadilla, and Loving Lasagna all raw and vegan creations. Light yet filling, this nutrient dense wrap will fuel your day with living nutrition and a great tropical influenced flavor. Peace Pies. (Credit: Peace Pies) Peace Piess Loving Lasagna dish. (Credit: Peace Pies) Still our most popular and always on our menu the Mystical Mushroom Quesadilla. Peace Pies (Credit: Peace Pies) Several rainbows spotted around same time in San Diego County: This is why Not only have many of you donated to our cause, but those of you who live in North County have come down and supported us numerous times throughout the past 4 years at our OB location. We truly couldnt have done it without our loyal customers, said JP. Located at 133 Daphne St. in Encinitas, the Leucadia-area Peace Pies will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. moving forward. We cannot wait to celebrate with you, to hug you, to show you what we have done with your generous contributions and support, JP continued. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Tracey Merritt ran two branches in Dorset, and was wrongly accused of taking 13,500 - DALE CHERRY Post Office investigators allegedly warned an innocent sub-postmistress not to contact her own daughter for 18 months, the Telegraph can reveal. Tracey Merritt has described how her family was ripped apart by an aggressive investigation launched after the faulty Horizon IT system falsely showed a cash shortfall. As her daughter also worked at one of the branches under suspicion, Ms Merritt was told to cut off all contact while the investigation took place, in order to avoid collusion. Too scared even to explain properly why they had severed communications, she and her partner only found out about their daughters pregnancy on Facebook. It caused a rupture in the family that took years to repair. We were really close, said Ms Merritt, 56. She didnt understand what was happening really and I wasnt able to explain to her. She moved out and we werent able to see her for months and months. It was devastating. These new allegations follow a damning week for the Post Office at the public inquiry, where its investigators were accused of behaving like mafia gangsters. In 2011 Ms Merritt, who ran two branches in Dorset, was wrongly accused of taking 13,500 because of the Horizon malfunction. Two investigators, Lisa Allen and Gary Thomas, were dispatched to interrogate her. Ms Merritt told the Telegraph that they informed her that she and her daughter would go to prison if she pleaded not guilty. She said Ms Allen stood outside her cubicle when she went to the lavatory at the interview. It made me feel uncomfortable, like a criminal, she said. I think it was all part of a corporate bullying game to intimidate you and get you to plead guilty. She also alleged that, during the search of her home, Ms Allen pointed to a pile of laundry and told Ms Merritts partner, David Porter, Id trade her in for a new model, if I were you. Mr Porter, who worked for Royal Mail as a postman, corroborated the account, adding: They were sarcastic, it was humiliating. The inquiry has previously seen evidence that Mr Thomas described all sub-postmasters as crooks in emails concerning a victim who was posthumously cleared. He has also said that Post Office investigators were offered cash bonuses for every sub-postmaster convicted during the Horizon scandal. I lived in fear Ms Merritt was charged with three counts of false accounting, one of theft and one of misappropriated funds, although they were eventually dropped she suspects because she was preparing to be highly critical of the Horizon system in her defence. She says that despite the Post Office dropping the charges, they wrongly told her she would be hearing from the police. I lived in fear of that for months, she said. Ms Merritt did, however, lose her business and was forced to repay 13,500. She has since lived hand-to-mouth. Life since has been horrendous. I dont think there are words to describe it. One minute weve got a plan and suddenly someone comes and pulls the rug from beneath your feet. I couldnt get a job because the employer would google you and see the charges. So I could only do agency work like packing cheese at night, just to get some money in. The worst effect, however, was the impact on her family, with the couples daughter, Lisa Porter, moving out to live with her partner. Another family member was hospitalised because of the pressure of local gossip and now lives in a different part of the UK. Mr Porter said: We still talk but its not what it was. We all used to be in each others pockets. Then this happened. The Telegraph has approached both Mr Thomas and Ms Allen for comment. A spokesman for the Post Office said it would not comment on individual cases, but added: We share fully the aims of the public inquiry to get to the truth of what went wrong in the past and establish accountability. Its for the inquiry to reach its own independent conclusions after consideration of all the evidence on the issues that it is examining. By Henry Bodkin Stress of prosecution left me registered disabled, says sub-postmistress When Della Robinson became a sub-postmistress in the small, former cotton manufacturing town of Dukinfield, she was convinced she had at last found her dream job. I was very proud to be the postmistress. I was the centre of community life, she said. I loved the people who came in. It wasnt really a job, it was a pleasure. But, she has now revealed how being pursued through the courts by the Post Office for its own failings has aggravated her epilepsy leaving her now registered disabled. The stress of the whole experience exacerbated my epilepsy which I am now registered disabled for, she wrote in her witness statement to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. I would suffer nightmares where I relived the experience. She added: I lost my confidence, independence and I have developed depression. I was able to manage my epilepsy before this. To go from the Post Office giving me my confidence back and a new lease of life to then have it all taken away from me was heartbreaking. I feel I cannot move forward. Della Robinson was a sub-postmistress in the small, former cotton manufacturing town of Dukinfield - GUARDIAN/EYEVINE In 2006, Miss Robinson, now 55, became sub-postmistress in the friendly Greater Manchester town where she and her partner had lived all their lives. After some very basic training none of which focused on Fujitsus now notorious Horizon system she decided to teach herself lots of things to ensure she could make the most of the job. She soon encountered inexplicable shortfalls. At first it was 10 or 20, but those figures soon began to rise to eye-watering sums. She regularly challenged the mistakes, making thrice weekly calls to the pleasant but not effective Horizon Helpline as the system encountered problem after problem before the shortfall snowballed. It was complete chaos, she wrote, explaining how an audit found 15,500 missing prompting her suspension and searches at her home. This made me panic and I felt so anxious. The Post Office insisted she was the only one experiencing difficulties with Horizon, so she was charged with false accounting and theft of 17,000. Like so many sub-postmasters, she pleaded guilty to false accounting so they would drop the theft charge. In 2012, she was sentenced to 180 hours community service and ordered to pay 5,000 costs. Her attempts to pay off the shortfalls meant a property she and her partner had bought for a rental income was repossessed and they were forced to take a mortgage on their home. During Miss Robinsons community service at Age UK she was constantly reminded of how far she had fallen, through no fault of her own. The customers who visited were often the same as those who came into my Post Office, she wrote. I felt ashamed that they knew what I had been convicted of and thought they would judge me for it. Although her conviction was quashed in April 2021, she still struggles to comprehend the full extent of the Post Offices error upon her life. I went from being so happy to so desperately sad. The whole experience has taken so much out of me mentally and I do not believe I will ever fully recover from the stresses and strains that I have been put through. By Steve Bird 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. 138m has been paid to 2,700 claimants across the three schemes, which includes interim payments for people whose full case has not been settled The Post Ofice traumatised its victims so badly that around 40 per cent are refusing to engage with opportunities for compensation and legal redress, officials fear. Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged a law to quash all convictions arising from the Horizon scandal and to guarantee compensation, following the popular ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Those whose convictions are overturned will be entitled to a fast-tracked settlement of 600,000. However, a significant proportion of victims have still either not been contacted by the Post Office or have not voluntarily come forward. The Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, an independent body made up of academics and parliamentarians, is concerned that many remain terrified of the Post Office, whose investigators were last week accused of behaving like mafia gangsters. Its members are understood to believe that when the Post Office has contacted victims to inform them of their right to redress, four in ten have refused to engage and have demanded never to be called again. This also applies to approaches from the Criminal Cases Review Commission many of the victims who have yet to come forward not only lost money, but have unfair convictions to their name. Lawyers have likened the problem to that of gathering evidence for the public inquiry into child abuse, with comparable issues of trama, fear and shame preventing victims coming forward. It is estimated that, in total, more than 4,000 people may be eligible for compensation arising from the worst miscarriage of justice in British history. Victim support There are three main compensation schemes, each aimed at groups of former victims who suffered from the scandal in different ways. As of 1 December 2023, 138m has been paid to 2,700 claimants across the three schemes, according to Government data which includes interim payments for people whose full case has not been settled. Campaigners have said Japanese firm Fujitsu, which provided the faulty software, should use its billions to pay into the government scheme, a call echoed by ministers. Victims lawyers have said that if these were administered by a fully independent body, rather than the Post Office and the government, it would encourage more participation. David Enright, from Clyde & Co, said: We know that former postmasters and managers continue to live in fear of the Post Office, because they have said so repeatedly. We also know that this is a scandal that touches every community in the UK. The failure to have the compensation schemes administered by an independent body, as opposed to by the Post Office and the government, is keeping victims in the shadows, unwilling to have to again face their tormentors. On 10 January, the postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake told the Commons the families of the 60 people who died before receiving any compensation will be able to apply for it in their place. 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. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which is a federal holiday that honors the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most significant civil rights leaders who was killed at the age of 39 in Memphis on April 4, 1968. On Friday, the White House released a presidential proclamation for Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. In the proclamation President Joe Biden says "the battle for the soul of our Nation is perennial -- a constant struggle between hope and fear, kindness and cruelty, and justice and injustice." Read the entire presidential proclamation below: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., FEDERAL HOLIDAY, 2024 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Today we reflect on the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and recommit to honoring his moral vision on the path to redeeming the soul of our Nation. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born into America when racial segregation was the law of the land. He had every reason to believe that history had already been written and division would be our Nation's destiny. But Dr. King rejected that outcome. He heard Scripture's command to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. He clung to the Declaration of Independence's promise of equality for all people. Dr. King's mission was a moral one: from bridges and ballot boxes to pulpits, protests, and courthouses, he courageously stood for the sacred idea that embodies the soul of our Nation -- we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. He vocalized that idea on an August day in 1963 when he told our Nation about his dream. He saw that idea realized for many Americans with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, ushering in a new era of greater equality and opportunity in our country. That work is not yet finished. It is the task of our time to take up Dr. King's mantle and make his dream a reality. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. The battle for the soul of our Nation is perennial -- a constant struggle between hope and fear, kindness and cruelty, and justice and injustice. There are still those who seek to thwart progress and roll back our rights as Americans. But Dr. King and countless crusaders across the span of American history teach us that each generation must answer the call to perfect our Union. We must heed the whispers of our better angels. We must see each other as neighbors and not enemies. We must do our best to seek a life of light, hope, and truth. Because nothing is guaranteed about our democracy. We must fight to keep, defend, and protect it. On this day, may we recommit to being guided by Dr. King's light and by the charge of Scripture: "Let us never grow weary in doing what is right, for if we do not give up, we will reap our harvest in due time." We must continue Dr. King's march forward by choosing democracy over autocracy and a "Beloved Community" over chaos. We must be believers, doers, and, most of all, dreamers. We must be repairers of the breach and remember that the power to redeem the soul of America lies in all of us -- "We the People." NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, January 15, 2024, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service projects in honor of Dr. King and to visit MLKDay.gov to find Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service projects across our country. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. 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 A priest in Poland was arrested and charged with sex crimes earlier this week after a man overdosed on erectile dysfunction pills at an orgy he hosted in August last year and emergency services were allegedly denied entry into the location of the party. The priest, identified as Tomasz Zmarzy of the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Angels by The Daily Mail, was charged with sex and drug crimes, as well as failure to assist a person at medical risk. The unspecified sexual offense carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison. Three of the charges are drug-related offenses, one of which is for giving another person an illegal substance. Another charge is related to violating another persons sexual freedom. The fourth charge concerns causing serious bodily injury and failing to provide assistance to a person whose health and life was in danger," a spokesperson of the Regional Prosecutors Office in Sosnowiec, Waldemar Lubniewski, told the Polish press, according to the country's largest online news network, Onet. Zmarzy is being detained while the case is further investigated, as Lubniewski explained: "The court decided to apply this preventive measure for two months due to the threatening of the suspect and the fear of obstruction of justice." Polish media initially reported that a man collapsed at Zmarzy's party after he took too many erectile dysfunction pills. Paramedics arrived after one attendant called an ambulance, but were refused entry. The man only received medical attention once the police were called. Polish news outlets also first reported that the man was a sex worker, but the prosecution has since denied that, according to Onet. Zmarzy was suspended from his position in the church after news of the scandal first broke. The head of the local diocese, bishop Grzegorz Kaszak, resigned in October after asking Pope Francis to approve his exit and "forgive my human limitations, CNN reports. The church has since launched its own investigation into Zmarzy. Zmarzy issued a statement to Polish news outlet Gazeta Wyborcza at the time, saying: I perceive this as an obvious attack on the church, including the clergy and the faithful, in order to humiliate its position, tasks, and mission. If anything like it had happened to a person little known, about another profession, not a clergyman, it would not be a matter at all." Prince and Princess of Wales are believed to be considering the 47,000 a year Marlborough College for their eldest son - JONATHAN BRADY/SHUTTERSTOCK Prince George will be rubbing shoulders with a far more diverse crowd than mother Kate, the Princess of Wales, if he follows in her footsteps to her old school as it is on a record-breaking drive to widen access. Exclusive Marlborough College will look very different to the traditional public school Kate knew in the late 1990s if George joins in three years time because it is now also striving to be one of the most progressive in terms of intake. One in ten of the Wiltshire schools 1000 plus pupil body could have a fully funded place by 2033 thanks to one of the independent school sectors most dedicated fundraising campaigns. Its Marlborough Difference Campaign launched last April is on course to raise its target 75 million by 2033, which will fund 100 so-called transformational bursaries. And it has broken records since its very first day by raising 1.3 million on launch day alone, a record for any UK independent school. The bursaries offer life-changing opportunities for bright and talented children to attend the school with all fees and expenses paid. A third of the children helped are local while others are from deprived inner-city areas. Recent students supported have included the daughter of a Somalian refugee from Leyton in east London who went on to win a place at Oxford. Another pupil was busking to pay for music lessons when she was offered a free place and is now studying at the Royal Academy of Music. Others include talented sportspeople who could never have previously afforded the fees. Rumours have abounded that William and Kate are seriously considering the 47,000 a year co-ed school for their eldest son after Kate and George were seen on a private visit to the campus in the fashionable market town. The Princess of Wales, then Kate Middleton (4th from left, back row) with the Marlborough College girls hockey team - SOLO SYNDICATION Ten-year-old George is currently at Lambrook Prep in Berkshire but pupils looking for top public school places have normally already applied and been assessed for a place at 13 by this stage. Offers are then made by the end of this term (Lent Term). For Marlboroughs first ever female Master (the schools term for its head) Louise Moelwyn-Hughes, the bursary programme is something of a passion project. Ms Moelwyn-Hughes, a classicist, returned to take the top job after spending her initial teaching years at Marlborough before fulfilling her headship ambitions elsewhere. A 15-year-old Kate Middleton was one of her students and she was also housemistress to another member of the Royal family, Princess Eugenie, when she was a pupil. Ms Moelwyn-Hughes background as a bright student from a Belfast council estate who won a place to Cambridge after attending the renowned grammar school Methodist College, alma mater of a roll-call of Northern Irelands most well-known faces including actor Jamie Dornan, left her imbued with a passion for encouraging academic ambition in others. Marlborough Colleges original foundation was rooted in philanthropy when it was set up in 1843 - ALAMY STOCK PHOTOS At the start of the academic year, Ms Moelwyn Hughes hailed the ambitious and record-breaking campaign and said the school had already raised over 20 million, nearly a third of its target. She said: I hope you can see that, step by step, we as a school are expanding our reach, supporting more schools, people and causes locally and beyond. Marlboroughs original foundation was rooted in philanthropy when it was set up in 1843, with a third of its places for sons of clergy at reduced fees. Currently, 45 pupils are on full bursaries and another 65 on partial bursaries. Just four years ago, there were only 12 pupils on full bursaries. The school already works in partnership with a school in a deprived area of nearby Swindon, offering two or three places a year at Marlborough for outstanding pupils. For the kind of young people we are looking for, private school is not even in their mind let alone boarding. Its not on their radar but when it works, its amazing, added Simon Lerwill, director of development at Marlborough College. However, its not just about the difference it makes to the young people it provides a life changing opportunity for them but its about the difference they will make to us in terms of making us a more diverse community. 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. Snow falls as migrants continue to be housed by the city in "warming" buses in the 800 block of South Desplaines Street during a winter storm Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Gov. JB Pritzker is pleading with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to halt sending migrants from the southern U.S. border to Illinois as frigid temperatures hit Chicago. Since August 2022, 30,000 migrants have arrived in Illinois aboard buses originating in Texas and another roughly 4,300 have arrived via airplane, according to City of Chicago data. The transports have often come without warning, which Pritzker has detested as a "cheap political stunt." "You are now sending asylum seekers from Texas to the Upper Midwest in the middle of winter many without coats, without shoes to protect them from the snow," Pritzker said in a letter Friday. "Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals." Pritzker also paid for a full-page advertisement in The Austin American-Statesman, also part of The USA TODAY Network, with the same text. Abbott's office rejected Pritzker's plea. "Governor Pritzker was all too proud to call Illinois 'the most welcoming state in the nation' until Governor Abbott began transporting migrants to Chicago," said Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris. "Instead of complaining about migrants sent from Texas, where we are also preparing to experience severe winter weather across the state, Governor Pritzker should call on his party leader to finally do his job and secure the border something he continues refusing to do. Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks about expectations for the cold weather set to impact Texas this weekend and early next week during a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Austin, Texas, Jan. 12, 2024. "Until President Biden steps up and does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue transporting migrants to sanctuary cities to help our local partners respond to this Biden-made crisis. Pritzker's letter came almost at the same time as Abbott boasted in a post on social media that Texas has shipped more than 100,000 migrants, who are legally allowed to remain in the U.S., to numerous Democratic-run cities since his busing program was launched in April 2022. Of them, 30,800 migrants have been sent to Chicago, second only to the 37,100 sent to New York City, according to data released from Abbott's office on Friday. Only migrants granted at least temporary permission to remain in the United States are eligible for the bus program. They must volunteer to go and must sign affidavits to that effect written in a language they understand. Illinois opened another shelter for migrants on Wednesday, hosting about 220 people in a former CVS location in Chicagos Little Village neighborhood. Its part of a $160 million state spending plan for migrant assistance that Pritzker announced in November. More: Author Nigel Hamilton featured speaker at Abraham Lincoln Birthday Banquet on Feb. 17 Funding the state response to the situation has been a controversial topic in recent months, causing tension between Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. With a centralized federal response lacking, some have called on the state and city governments to step up investments in migrant assistance. The state invested that additional $160 million into the Illinois Department of Human Services this fall to help settle and shelter migrants in Chicago, part of the $638 million Illinois has spent on the asylum crisis since August 2022 according to the governor's budgeting agency. Lawmakers did not take up any action regarding supplemental migrant funding during the November veto session but could do so when they return to Springfield on Tuesday. Suffice to say, Ive brought this up to leaders, Pritzker said in an unrelated press conference this week. They havent wanted to bring it up yet. I do think its going to be important to deal with the costs here. John Moritz of the Austin-American Statesman contributed. Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.com This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Pritzker to Abbott: Stop sending asylum seekers to Chicago in the cold Pro-Palestinian demonstrators on a march in central London on Saturday chanted support for Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks on commercial shipping. Some protesters were heard shouting Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around in apparent celebration of the escalation of the conflict. It came hours after the RAF and US forces launched a series of strikes against Houthi rebels, who have claimed their attacks were in response to Israels bombardment of Gaza since the Oct 7 Hamas massacre. Some protesters on the London march from Bank Junction to Parliament Square showed their support for the rebels. One banner read Hands off Yemen, while another said Thanks Yemen. A further placard read: UK + US wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza wants to live. Meanwhile, one pro-Palestinian demonstrator blamed the US and Israel for the Oct 7 attacks. The man held a placard claiming that the terror attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and about 240 hostages being seized, was an attempt by the West to steal Iranian oil. The banner read: America Israel done 7 October attacks to take Irans oil like Iraq Libya. The man, who would not give his name, said the statement was not offensive. Another protester held a placard that read: One Holocaust does not justify another. The placard blaming the US and Israel for the Oct 7 massacre by Hamas - Guy Bell/Alamy Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered at Bank Junction from midday on Saturday as part of a global day of action for Palestine involving 30 countries, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said. Many protesters repeated the chant Free, free Palestine and the controversial From the river to the sea, which critics say calls for the eradication of the Israeli state. That claim is disputed by campaigners who say it urges respect for the rights of all citizens. At one point, a small number of demonstrators temporarily occupied a branch of McDonalds in the City, plastering its door with signs including a Star of David with a red line across it. After a short time, they were led out by a masked protester with a loudhailer, chanting: Your profit is covered in Palestinian blood. The banner showing Benjamin Netanyahu mocked up with devil horns Others continued to make comparisons between Israels political leaders and the Nazi regime. One banner showed a picture of Benjamin Netanyahu mocked up with devil horns under the heading Youd make Hitler proud. Tzipi Hotovely, Israels ambassador to the United Kingdom, was described on one placard as a genocidal fiend and depicted with horns and a tail. In Parliament Square, speakers condemned the bombing. Zarah Sultana, the Labour MP for Coventry South, described Western strikes on Houthi rebels as shameful, deplorable, and beyond unacceptable, adding that they were not in our name. Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, accused the British Government of complicity with Israel. He said Palestine was a nation of freedom fighters, adding: I stand before you with a broken heart, but not a broken spirit. Mr Zomlot congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UNs International Court of Justice. Addressing the crowds, Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said: Instead of seeking to prevent genocide in Gaza, they [the UK Government] are continuing to provide material aid to Israel to pursue its brutality. And instead of de-escalating the conflict, they escalate it through airstrikes on Yemen. Andrew Murray, the vice-president of the Stop the War coalition, said Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer were up to their waists in Palestinian blood. He also made shocking comments about Ms Hotovely, claiming she should be run out of town and asking: How much longer do we have to have, in London, the racist Israeli ambassador? The ambassador of Israel, Tzipi Hotovely, should be run out of town. He added: We are bombing Yemen to make it easier for Israel to bomb Gaza. Thousands of protesters gathered at Bank Junction from midday on Saturday - Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph The Met Police wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: There were a total of nine arrests: Three arrests for inciting racial hatred, one in relation to a placard and two for chanting. Two arrests for a racially aggravated public order offence, one in relation to a placard and one for wording on a piece of clothing. One arrest for being in possession of items to cause criminal damage, specifically stickers. Three arrests on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation (an offence under the Terrorism Act) in relation to the distribution of leaflets. A significant policing presence was in place, with around 1,700 officers along the route. Many officers were from forces outside London, the Metropolitan Police said. Earlier, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said he had been briefed by Sir Mark Rowley, the Mets commissioner, on plans to ensure order and safety during the protest. The majority of protests and other events held in recent months have taken place without any notable disorder, the Met Police said, but there have been a number of arrests. The Mets Counter-Terrorism Command has launched around 30 investigations into suspected offending at protests since Oct 7, the majority of which relate to potential terrorism offences. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign said millions of people around the world would protest this weekend - Toby Melville/Reuters Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who led the policing operation on Saturday, said: We absolutely recognise the passion and strength of feeling sparked by the ongoing conflict, and we respect the right of those who wish to protest and have their voices heard to do so. We police without fear or favour, and where our policing approach differs it is a response to the intelligence and the nature of the event, not those taking part or the cause they represent. These protests and the offences connected to them have been widely reported on in the media and have been the subject of extensive discussions online. It is really disappointing that despite this, we have continued to see people turning up carrying placards, wearing clothing or chanting slogans that, certainly by this stage, they should know will cause alarm or distress to others. I would encourage anyone at the protests who feels unsafe, or sees anything they are concerned about, to speak to an officer. The seventh national march for Palestine will also feature an appearance by Little Amal, a giant puppet of a Syrian child refugee, which will join a group of Palestinian children. The puppet became an international symbol of human rights after it travelled from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021. Ben Jamal, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign director, said: Israel has tried to ensure that Palestinians feel nothing but despair as they conduct a genocide in Gaza. But the world stands in solidarity with Palestinians, and millions of people will protest this weekend in cities around the world. On Sunday, a pro-Israel rally will be held in Trafalgar Square from 2.30pm. Speakers will include Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesman, Ayelet Svatitzky, whose mother and brother were kidnapped by Hamas, Lord Pickles and Christian Wakeford, the Labour MP for Bury South. 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. Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has called the agreement on security commitments between Ukraine and the UK signed the day before "an unpleasant surprise for the aggressor country", announcing the conclusion of several more similar agreements this year. Source: Zhovkva on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast, quoted by Ukrinform Details: Zhovkva said that the security agreement with the UK has not only practical but also symbolic significance, as "all last year we were told that the world had supposedly turned its back on Ukraine, that it had supposedly forgotten about Ukraine". "But we see what happens on the 12th day of the new year. And what happened was an unpleasant surprise for the aggressor country. And we promise the aggressor country even more such surprises this year," Zhovkva added. He noted that the Presidential Office expects similar agreements to be signed with Ukraine in the near future. "Some countries have already submitted texts of similar agreements to Ukraine. And the Ukrainian negotiating delegation is working on the relevant texts. I am confident that the number of such agreements will only increase in the near future," he added. Background: As reported, during the visit of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Kyiv on 12 January, a bilateral security agreement was signed between the UK and Ukraine, which will be in force until Ukraine joins NATO. A separate part of the agreement is dedicated to actions in the event of a new armed attack by Russia. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy and Sunak disagreed on whether it was possible to talk about security guarantees from the UK. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's new network of trenches on the border with Belarus in the Chornobyl zone New reports about a secret meeting between Ukraine, its G7 allies, and a group of the Global South countries held in Saudi Arabia in late 2023 have fueled speculation about the possibility of freezing the Russo-Ukrainian war. NV analyzes the resurgence of conversations about freezing the conflict, what is known about Ukraines behind-the-scenes meetings, and Kyivs official position. Blocking Western aid to Ukraine and Putins peace signals: where does the new discussion about freezing the war come from The end of 2023 became the worst and most difficult period for Ukraine in terms of Western support, which has already affected the course of the war. In December, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, noted a drop in aid from Ukraines partners by almost 90% over the previous months and recorded the lowest amount of aid packages since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion. The EU was unable to agree on a EUR 50 billion aid package for Ukraine at the end of the year over Hungarys position, which now requires the funds to be allocated on an annual basis with a review each year, according to Politico. Read also: Davos summit gathers 80+ delegations for key talks on Ukrainian peace formula Meanwhile, further funding of support programs for Ukraine, in particular arms packages, is still blocked in the United States: U.S. lawmakers cannot find a compromise in the internal dispute over limiting migration flows across the southern U.S. border, which is why they are delaying the approval of the security package proposed by the White House, which also includes aid to Ukraine. The United States will not be able to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine until Congress approves the request for additional funding, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby stated during a briefing on Jan. 3, 2024. The [U.S.] President [Joe Biden] signed out the last security assistance package for which we had replenishment authority funds. Thats it. We need the supplemental passed so that we can provide additional security assistance to Ukraine, Kirby said. At the same time, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Jan. 4 that the United States would continue to support Ukraine as long as it takes, but that does not mean that we are going to continue to support them at the same level of military funding that we did in 2022 and 2023. We dont think that should be necessary because the goal is to ultimately transition Ukraineto use the language that you repeated backto stand on its own feet and to help Ukraine build its own industrial base and its own military industrial base so it can both finance and build and acquire munitions on its own, he said, admitting that we are not there yet. Frontline Ukrainian troops face shortages of artillery shells and have scaled back military operations due to diminished foreign assistance, Tavria operational group commander, Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said in an interview with Reuters on Dec. 18. The volumes that we have today are not sufficient for us today, given our needs. So, were redistributing it, he said, adding theres a problem with ammunition, especially Soviet-era [shells]122mm and 152mm. And today these problems exist across the entire front line. Read also: U.S. State Dept reiterates that it believes all weapons provided to Ukraine were used appropriately Tarnavskyi said the shortage of artillery shells was a very big problem and the drop in foreign military aid was having an impact on the battlefield. The New York Times reported on Jan. 9 that Ukrainian troops along most of the 600-mile front line are now on the defense. Only in the southern area of Kherson Oblast are they still on the offensive in a tough assault across the Dnipro River. At the same time, Western media produced a wave of reports about the alleged imminent conditions for a frozen war. The New York Times reported on Dec. 23 that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has been signaling through intermediaries since at least September that he is open to a ceasefire that freezes the fighting along the current lines. At the same time, the newspaper, citing former and current high-ranking Russian, U.S., and other officials, noted that Putin is not willing to cede one meter of captured Ukrainian soil. Some U.S. officials say it could be a usual Kremlin attempt at misdirection and does not reflect a genuine willingness by Putin to compromise. Meanwhile, Politico reported that with U.S. and European aid to Ukraine now in serious jeopardy, the [U.S. President Joe] Biden administration and European officials are quietly shifting their focus from supporting Ukraines goal of total victory over Russia to improving its position in eventual negotiations to end the war. Such a negotiation would likely mean giving up parts of Ukraine to Russia, according to a Biden administration official and a European diplomat based in Washington. The said strategy will involve bolstering air defense systems and building complex fortifications along Ukraines northern border with Belarus. In addition, the Biden administration is focused on rapidly developing Ukraines domestic defense industry to supply the desperately needed weaponry the U.S. Congress is neglecting to provide. At the same time, the only way this war ends ultimately is through negotiation, said a White House official. Read also: U.S. wants to see Ukraines war plan for 2024 at next weeks World Economic Forum in Davos A partitioned Ukraine poses one of the major global security risks in 2024, TIME magazine wrote on Jan. 8. Ukraine will be de facto partitioned this year, and Russia now has the battlefield initiative and a material advantage. 2024 is an inflection point in the war: and if Ukraine doesn't solve its manpower problems, increase weapons production, and set a realistic military strategy soon, its territorial losses could prove permanent and may well expand, TIME reported. Kyiv has taken a body blow from ebbing political and material support from the United States, and the outlook for European assistance is only slightly better. Ukraines efforts to implement its Peace Formula versus pivoting to a frozen conflict With all these factors at play, special attention is currently paid on any reports about whether Ukraines allies may pressure it towards freezing the war. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently commented on this issue, emphasizing that Ukrainian diplomats did not receive such signals from Ukraines Western partners. This is not on the agenda, our allies didnt ask us to negotiate with Russia on freezing the war, neither when we met in delegations, nor in meetings behind closed doors. Its not something anyone would dare put on the table as an option. Everything else is just noise, Kuleba said in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais on Jan. 8. However, Bloomberg on Jan. 9 raised questions on possible peace talks with Ukraines participation. A secret meeting between Ukraine, its G7 allies and a small group of Global South countries reportedly took place in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 16, 2023, according to people familiar with the matter. The secrecy was aimed in part at making participant countries feel more comfortable about joining, the sources said. The smaller format allowed for a freer, more frank discussion on Ukraines peace formula and plans for moving that process forward as well as principles for potentially engaging with Russia in future, the sources said. Read also: U.S. suspends military aid to Ukraine - White House 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 sessionsnotably China, Brazil, and the United Arab Emiratesdidnt send their representatives. The meeting was held at the level of national security advisors. The Ukrainian delegation was headed by Head of the Presidents Office Andriy Yermak at previous meetings. Reportedly, there was no major progress at the Riyadh meeting. In general, its results rather consolidated the sides positions: Ukraine and its G7 allies continued to resist calls from the Global South nations to engage directly with Russia; Kyiv and its partners reaffirmed their view that a just peace needs to respect Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty; Putins goals have not changed and he has 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 European Union and the United States said they were confident that future aid packages would be agreed; all participants in the Riyadh discussion acknowledged Ukraines right to defend itself and agreed on the need to uphold key United Nations principlesincluding respecting the territorial integrity of statesand international law. In addition, Ukraine and its allies have planned another meeting of a broader group in Switzerland next week ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos and invited more than 100 countries. Previous sessions were held in Copenhagen, Jeddah, and Malta last year. Read also: Russia wants small victories on the front ahead of Putin's reelection, Zelenskyy Kyiv wants to hold a leaders summit on the blueprint [Peace Formula] early this year and use that as a springboard to establish a plan based on a set of agreed principles as the basis for any future talks with Moscow, Bloomberg wrote. However, some nations believe a leader-level summit in the coming months is premature, while others want to immediately involve Russia in the process. Meanwhile, Ukraine signals its ready for new rounds of negotiations, ostensibly regarding the implementation of its Peace Formula and security guarantees. In particular, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will personally visit the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to deliver a speech. Zelenskyys decree, which outlines the mandate for Ukraines delegation to participate in negotiations [] on security guarantees for Ukraine, was posted on the presidential website on Jan. 8. Such guarantees can reportedly be concluded between Ukraine and other states, while the delegation should participate in negotiations on the development and preparation of relevant bilateral and multilateral international agreements. The framework document on security guarantees for Ukraine was agreed upon by the G7 countries at the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, after which several other countries joined it. Yermak will head the Ukrainian delegation, which includes 15 other officials. He was entitled to change and expand the delegations composition with the approval of the Interior Ministry. At the same time, the guidelines for negotiations on security guarantees, which were attached to the presidential order, are classified. The closest Ukraine came to concluding an agreement on bilateral security guarantees is with the United Kingdom. The Presidents Office reported on Jan. 9 that Kyiv and London had already proceeded to the direct elaboration of the draft of the relevant agreement, discussed its main elements and separate thematic blocks, as well as agreeing on the further schedule of bilateral negotiations. In a recent interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Presidents Office Ihor Zhovkva, who regularly participates in negotiations with the United Kingdom, emphasized that Ukraine insists precisely on direct and effective security guarantees. Well make sure that our partners also adopt this wording. We remember the Budapest Memorandum, which was also initially about guarantees, and then... None of our documents will have the word assurance, said Zhovkva. He also denied that negotiations on Ukraines Peace Formula were too slow. Over the past year, alternative peace plans have already disappeared from the agenda, while the Ukrainian Peace Formula has actually become the only non-alternative plan for bringing peace to Ukraine, he said. Together with our partners, we began to write down the understanding of each of the points. We currently have 10 working groups and a road map for each point, Zhovkva said, adding that we passed the first five points at the autumn meeting in Malta and the remaining five would be discussed at the upcoming meeting in Davos. When we complete all of this, we move on to the Peace Formula Global Summit with the full package. Why do we need it? It will launch the process. And after that, measures will begin on each of the 10 points already at the level of ministers, national security advisers. And well already start implementing the Peace Formula, said Zhovkva, announcing the involvement of not only Western countries, but also of India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil. What a static front line may actually mean Meanwhile, both Western and Ukrainian experts and diplomats warn against any agreements with Russia that would involve freezing the current front line. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted in late 2023 that continued Western security assistance that empowers Ukrainian forces to repel ongoing and future Russian offensive efforts and to liberate more Ukrainian territory is the only course of action at this time that can make the Russian failure to achieve Putins maximalist objectives in Ukraine permanent. ISW has assessed that the collapse of Western aid would likely lead to the eventual collapse of Ukraines ability to hold off the Russian military and that the current positional warfare in Ukraine is not a stable stalemate because the current unstable balance could readily be tipped in either direction by decisions made in the West. Read also: Kremlin sends FSB agents to search for Ukrainian partisans in Kherson Oblast, Kyiv says ISW experts also warned that Putin is likely using back channels and intermediaries to signal his interest in a ceasefire only to delay and discourage further Western military assistance to Ukraine. Putin has recently reiterated that his objectives in Ukraine denazification, demilitarization, and the imposition of a neutral status on Ukraineremain unchanged, and Putin and senior Kremlin officials have increasingly expressed expansionist rhetoric indicating that Putins objectives do not preclude further Russian territorial conquests in Ukraine, ISW analysts stressed. Political scientist Petro Oleshchuk recently said the freezing the war can only be very temporary since Russia in this case does not achieve its war aims. Lets imagine a situation where the war is frozen for some reason, and Ukraine even agreed to it, ignoring the rights and interests of its own citizens in the Russian-occupied territories. In any case, this will mean that Ukrainian statehood is preserved, as well as Ukrainian identity. And they will be openly anti-Russian. [] They [the Russians] dont want to freeze anything as it means losing what they started the war for. Namely, most of Ukraine. This is about a temporary freeze, but not for months. Years are out of the question because Putins days are limited, and he obviously wants to personally revive the [Russian] empire, Oleschuk said. The significance of this war for Moscow has already become evident in the scale of Russias involvement, he added. They havent had such a scale of mobilization since 1945. This is no longer another colonial war. And they obviously commit huge resources not to simply freeze it. Moreover, once they have begun a large-scale mobilization, they have no alternatives to a decisive victory, because the alternative can only be a catastrophic defeat. If Russia, having fully demobilized, doesnt defeat Ukraine, it will be an indicator of Russias weakness for everyone. First of all, for the Russians themselves. And any empire is based on fear, Oleshchuk noted. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in the same interview with El Pais that those proposing a frozen conflict claim to be acting in the interests of Ukraine and peace, but in fact theyre helping Putin and ignoring what Russia is today. We held almost 200 rounds of negotiations with Russia from 2014 to 2022, it was already a de facto frozen conflict. We announced and established 20 ceasefire agreements, all of which were violated by Russia, while endless negotiations turned into Putins large-scale invasion, Kuleba said, adding that further similar agreements with Moscow are unacceptable. 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 Chronically underfunded and facing ongoing staffing shortages, the new executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission is calling on state lawmakers to restore the agency's funding to what it was back in 2016. Lee Anne Bruce Boone, who began her job as the Ethics Commission's executive director just last week, told state lawmakers Thursday the agency couldn't really do its job with its current level of funding. Its just not possible with the staff and resources that we have," she said. Bruce Boone succeeded Ashley Kemp, who resigned her post as chief last year. In her resignation letter, Kemp repeated her longstanding complaint that state lawmakers have refused to adequately fund the Ethics Commission. Legislators only gave the state agency $687,950 for the fiscal year that began July 1. Bruce Boone asked for a funding increase of $149,273 to bring the commission's funding level back to its high in 2016. She also asked for $1.2 million for software needs, a one-time amount of $150,000 to fund the commission's political subdivision enforcement account and $177,000 to fund two positions: a director of compliance and a compliance officer. She said the $1.2 million request was a one-time request for FY 25. While the other line-items, she said, represent operational requests totaling $476,673. The request for funds to the agency's political subdivision enforcement account was needed because it "was created in 2014 but has never been funded or staffed." New commission leader outlines budget needs Bruce Boone made the request during appearances at two pre-session budget hearings with members of the Oklahoma House and Senate. She said the agency had a lot of backlog, and restoring the funds to the 2016 levels was necessary "just to ensure that we're getting compliance and investigation reviews more timely." "Our resources have not been sufficient to maintain the needs of the commission and whats been happening," she said. Records show that agency's appropriated funds have fluctuated wildly since 2019: $710,000 for FY 2019; about $716,000 for FY 2020; $688,000 in both FY 2021, FY 2022 and FY 2023. Created in 1990 by a state question that made the agency part of the Oklahoma Constitution, the Ethics Commission gathers, processes and maintains campaign finance reports for candidates for state offices. The commission also compiles information on lobbyists, monitors state employees compliance with ethics rules and enforces those ethics rules. The commission is overseen by a five members. The commissioners are also responsible for hiring and firing the agency's executive director. Commissioners are appointed by leaders of the Oklahoma House and Senate, the governor, attorney general and chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Though a great deal of the commission's information in available on-line through its website, Bruce Boone told lawmakers the vendor for the website announced it would no longer support the software, forcing the agency to scramble to ensure campaign data and information would be available for the upcoming election cycle. Bruce Boone said the commission needed $1.2 million for software paid out over several years to ensure the continued operation of the commission's website. "The most important issue is with the guardian system and its hosting and maintenance," she said. "The vendor (said) it intended to cease hosting and maintenance on July 1, 2024, but that is still in flux, as recently as this week." Agency facing challenges over website She said the agency was negotiating with the vendor to extend that deadline "possibly through February 2025." She said the challenge for the agency would come after the February 2025 deadline when the agency as transitions to a new online system. "(We are) requesting a one time appropriation to ensure we dont go back to paper," she said. "We want to make it safe, available to the public and easy. That's the short term challenge in one way. We have long term challenge here, as well, what do we do after that. What do we do beyond February 2025." State lawmakers seemed receptive to the request. State Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, said it was lawmakers' fault the commission was struggling to maintain services. Some lawmakers support call for budget increase We have put ourselves in grave danger, Gann said, not only with the lack of funding to the Ethics Commission but with the election cycle of 2018. I would hope that we would fully fund the commission this year and give them (what) they need to get up to speed on the new technologies." State Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, chair of the Senate's Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation, praised the work by by the commission. "Every time I've called up there, I've gotten answers," he said. Haste said lawmakers understood the need to upgrade the system's website. He also praised the commission for its efforts to help educate candidates for office. "(Education) would, in itself alleviate certain challenges. I applaud that type of approach," he said. Friday morning Bruce Boone told the commission she was pleased by the meetings with lawmakers. "I was really pleased with how it went," Bruce Boone told the Ethics Commission's members at their regular January meeting. "There were a lot of questions and comments on possibly raising our funding." The meeting was the new executive director's first since starting Jan. 4. She is only the fourth person to hold the position. She takes over as the watchdog agency is shifting its focus more toward educating politicians, lobbyists and political action committees rather than investigating them. Commissioners Friday dismissed two ethics complaints and one ethics case. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: New Oklahoma Ethics Commission director asks for more funding The Quaker Oats Co. is recalling 24 more products after recalling dozens of cereals, granola bars and snacks last month due to potential contamination with salmonella bacteria. The products recalled Thursday include certain flavors of Capn Crunch and Oatmeal Squares cereals, additional types of Chewy granola bars, some Gatorade protein bars and more. In total, more than 60 Quaker products have been recalled since Dec. 15 due to salmonella concerns. Many of the items are sold in multiple sizes or types of packaging. The December recall included some batches of Quaker Chewy granola bars, Quaker granola cereals and snack boxes that contain those products. The latest recall adds to the list more Quaker Chewy bars and cereals, as well as Gamesa Marias Cereal, Munchies Munch Mix, Gatorade bars and Capn Crunch bars, cereals and instant oatmeals. In an alert posted Thursday on the Food and Drug Administration website, Quaker said consumers should dispose of any recalled products, which are sold throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and Saipan. The company is offering reimbursements its product packaging usually includes a SmartLabel that allows consumers to scan a QR code to determine whether a product has been recalled. As of Dec. 15, Quaker said it had not confirmed any illnesses related to the recalled products. The company has not publicly said whether any illnesses had been reported since then, and Quaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The recall does not include Quaker oats, instant oats, grits, oat bran, oat flour or rice snacks. While foodborne illnesses are hard to track, salmonella most likely causes more than any other bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency estimates that there are more than 1 million foodborne cases of salmonella in the U.S. each year. Earlier this month, the CDC announced that 24 people had been sickened from salmonella after consuming ready-to-eat charcuterie meats. And since October, more than 300 salmonella cases and nearly 130 hospitalizations have been linked to cantaloupes. The CDC currently advises people not to eat pre-cut cantaloupe unless they can be certain it came from a brand other than Malichita or Rudy. Salmonella usually causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps six hours to six days after eating a contaminated product. Some people may also develop nausea, vomiting or a headache. These symptoms typically resolve within four to seven days without antibiotics. However, the infection can be more severe and sometimes fatal in children under 5, adults ages 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Queen was prepared to hold a final Privy Council meeting from her Balmoral bedroom, with her staff setting up an audio-only link to protect her dignity, according to a new book. Like her father, who held a Privy Council meeting in his Sandringham bedroom hours before his death in 1936, the late Queen had hoped to perform one final duty. Aides set up an audio-only connection from Balmoral to Downing Street, where politicians had gathered in person on Sept 7, according to a new biography. Robert Hardman, author of Charles III, claims the call was cancelled with minutes to spare, with the then prime minister Liz Truss realising This isnt good news. Elizabeth II died of old age the following day. Palace officials made arrangements for an audio-only connection, in case the Queen wished to remain in her bedroom and conduct the meeting from there, writes Hardman. Down in London, the connection to Balmoral was up and running with all those Privy Counsellors involved lined up outside the designated Cobra conference room beneath Downing Street. At which point, with minutes to go, they were told that the Queen would be cancelling on medical advice. Penny Mourdant, the then Lord President of the Council, said of the decision: For me, that was testament to the depth of her devotion to her duty and us: the day before she passed, she was still trying to fulfil her obligations as sovereign, which I find incredible. 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. ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) There was a confirmed case of rabies in Adams County earlier this week, according to the Adams County SPCA. In a Facebook post on Friday, the countys SPCA wrote that a woman was attacked by a stray cat when she approached it The woman was at an auto garage, along the intersection of Hanover Street and Rt. 94 in Oxford Township, when she saw a stray cat Tuesday that was out in the rain. When she tried to pick up the cat, it attacked her left hand and arm, the post reads. The cat was trapped the next day, taken to the SPCA to be humanely euthanized, and taken to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory (PALDS) to be tested for rabies virus. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Severe Weather Alerts When the test results came back, it showed that the cat had the virus, the post reads. The human nervous system is attacked by the rabies virus and it can be contracted if an animal that has it bites, scratches, or if their saliva gets in the eyes, nose mouth or an opening in the skin, according to the SPCA. It, however, can be completely preventable. If one comes in contact with the virus they should contact their doctor immediately, the SPCA wrote. The SPCA offers the following tips on how to stay clear of exposure to rabies: All dogs and house cats three months or older are required by Pennsylvania law to be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian. Dont let pets just roam free. Do not keep your pets food or water bowls outdoors because that can attract other animals. Do not touch or handle unfamiliar or wild animals even if they appear friendly. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. A soggy week in the Big Apple, culminating in a lengthy overnight rainstorm, triggered flood watches for parts of New York on Saturday. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood watch warning, sounding the alarm in particular for communities across southern Queens County, where residents faced as much as 2 feet of flooding. This will result in numerous road closures and widespread flooding of low lying property including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes/businesses with basements near the waterfront, according to the NWS. Vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront will likely become flooded and destroyed. Flooding will also extend inland from the waterfront along tidal rivers and bays. Coastal flood advisories were also issued for rest of city as well as the Bronx and North Queens until 2 p.m. and until 3 p.m. in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island. Video shared on social media show rising waters in different parts of the city, including one that shows waves lapping over railings and covering a walkway on the west side of Manhattan. The flooding, worsened by high tides, was also fueled by a overnight rain storm Friday into Saturday. According to the NWS, nearly of New York saw between 1 and 2 inches of rainfall. Approximately 0.89 inches of rain was dumped in Central Park while Islip contended with 1.31 inches, the agency added. The storm similarly added to flooding woes in New Jersey, where highwaters left some residents trapped inside buildings in Edgewater. Several rescues were carried out there on Saturday, WABC reported. The Passaic River, for the second time in 3 weeks, also climbed above flood levels, inundating nearby neighborhoods with water. Yesterday we had 12 rescue operations, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh told the news outlet. You had localized flooding and you had people disregarding the barricades and driving into the water, he continued. Turn around, dont drown. Thats what has to happen amongst individuals who choose to drive in this climate. The National Weather Service urged residents to take necessary actions to protect flood-prone property. If travel is required, it added, do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.